Author: Press Room

Media Act, Bringing Middle Earth to Montana?

6 April 2023
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By Dan Brooks, Billings Chamber of Commerce

To date, 1,571 bills have been introduced, over 250 more than were introduced in the 2021 session. Of those introduced, approximately 1/4 are considered dead, either failing passage or missing a deadline. The Governor has signed into law 82 bills, including his tax package lowering taxes and providing tax rebates to Montanans.

Other tax changes coming up this week deal with the Montana Economic Development Industry Advancement (MEDIA) Act Film Tax Credit. Film tax credits offer incentives for film producers to practice their craft in our beautiful state. Originally passed in 2019 by Representative Wylie Galt, the tax credit was established at $10 million of first-come, first-served tax credits for qualifying media productions in Montana. Last legislative session, Speaker of the House Wylie Galt introduced HB 340 to remove the cap on the MEDIA Act tax credits. After a number of amendments through the process, the final bill increased the cap from $10 to $12 million.

That increase in the tax credit cap was at least partially responsible for the television series Yellowstone packing their things in Utah and moving all production to Montana. With further increases perhaps there’s a chance for our snow-capped peaks to become the Misty Mountains, or the open skies of eastern Montana to be the open fields of Rohan, or the Lewis and Clark Caverns as the mines of Moria…

 This session, there are a number of proposals to revise the MEDIA Act. Senator Greg Hertz is sponsoring a bill to raise the cap to $30 million. Representative Brad Barker has a bill that would raise the cap to $75 million. Representative Kerri Seekins-Crowe is bringing a bill to eliminate the cap on credits. And, if that weren’t enough to discuss, Representative Bill Mercer has a bill draft to eliminate the MEDIA Act entirely. As far as the MEDIA Act tax credit debate goes, hopefully the elimination of the MEDIA Act is more red herring and less Chekhov’s gun. 

The television series Yellowstone and its spin offs get a lot of attention but the fact is, there’s A LOT of film production in Montana. A 2020 – 2022 study commissioned by the state indicates significant production and numerous benefits around the Big Sky. The two-year study identified 195 film productions, generating $153.9 million in local economic impact and $16.6 million in total tax revenue. 

According to the study, Yellowstone County fared pretty well with $4.8 million in total production spending between 2020 and 2022. That spending created additional benefits in the form of indirect and induced economic impacts totaling $4.3 million. Those indirect and induced jobs include professional services, accommodations, recreation, food, and others.

While it’s highly unlikely any amount of tax benefit would move Middle Earth filming to the Big Sky, there is substantial potential to grow an industry interested in bringing the majesty of Montana to the big screen. The Billings Chamber encourages the legislature to increase the MEDIA Act tax credit and allow Montana to realize its film industry potential and generate more meaningful economic benefits.

Senate Bill 323 — Allow for duplex, triplex, and fourplex housing in zoning

Sen. Jeremy Trebas (R) SD 13

This bill would eliminate exclusionary zoning by allowing additional homes to be built on a lot. Many local zoning codes mandate exclusionary zoning throughout a majority of residential areas—including Billings—making housing less available and more expensive. Beyond negative impacts on the housing market, it segregates citizens. An article in the Journal of the American Planning Association points out, “[Exclusionary zoning] was born from, and codifies, base and tribal instincts: a desire to set privileged in-groups apart and keep feared or despised out-groups at bay.” The Governor’s Housing Task Force identified this recommendation (3B) in its final report.  Billings Chamber supports.

House Bill 827 — Appropriation for water works at Billings treatment plant

Rep. Larry Brewster (R) HD 44

This bill provides an appropriation of $17 million for a grant to construct year-round recreation and conservation amenities at the west end water reservoir. The bill is co-sponsored by 12 local legislators of both parties and Representative Mike Hopkins (R) from Missoula. The facility is certain to benefit Montanans beyond Billings considering the regional appeal for recreational opportunities and easy access for travelers, being just a short drive from interstate 90.  Billings Chamber supports.

Human Smuggling On Northern Border

6 April 2023
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Patrol agents in Minnesota and North Dakota continue to apprehend foreign nationals brought in by human smugglers in the dead of winter and illegally crossing the northern border from Canada, reports The Center Square.  

Instead of flying from Mexico and other countries to Canada to enter legally through ports of entry, border agents say foreign nationals are flying to Canada to enter the U.S. illegally between ports of entry while intentionally seeking to evade capture by law enforcement. But they do so at their own peril as temperatures reach double digits below zero and heavy snow is prohibitive for travel on foot and by car. 

Minnesota and North Dakota are located in the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Grand Forks Sector, which has 7 Border Patrol stations responsible for covering 8 midwestern states and 861 miles of shared international border with Canada. In 2022, Border Patrol agents in the Grand Forks Sector apprehended 171 illegal foreign nationals and reported 10 who turned back to Canada. Grand Forks Sector agents also reported 293 gotaways.

Economy Not as Good or Bad as Some Say

6 April 2023
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By Dr. Timothy G. Nash

The U.S. economy is not as good as President Joe Biden has stated over the last year — nor is it as bad as many Republicans would argue it to be.

The U.S. unemployment rate is at a multi-decade low while job growth continues at a strong post-pandemic pace.

[Following COVID….]

When the Employment Situation Report for December 2020 was released, total employment in the United States had rebounded to just over 149 million Americans employed. In December 2022, the U.S. economy finally realized overall employment – on a monthly basis — greater than that of December 2019. The Employment Situation Report showed total Americans employed in December 2022 was just over 159.2 million Americans. In our opinion, job recovery ended in December 2022, with total Americans employed surpassing pre-COVID-19 levels. This momentum continued into January 2023, with the Employment Situation Report showing 160.14 million Americans employed, or roughly 1.34 million net Americans employed since December 2019.

In our opinion, it is a bit of an exaggeration for President Biden to claim that he has created 12 million new jobs when many of the jobs were jobs recovered rather than new jobs created.

Another barometer of the U.S. economy that gives us cause for concern is the lack of recovery in new automobile, light truck, and SUV sales. In 2019, 16.85 million automobiles, light trucks, and SUVs were sold in the United States, according to Statista. Edmunds has forecasted 14.8 million automobiles, light trucks, and SUVs will be sold in the United States in 2023 (Cox Automotive estimates the number could be as high as 15.5 million vehicles).

In the best-case scenario, we are selling 1.5 million fewer automobiles, light trucks, and SUVs in the U.S. in 2023 relative to 2019. This clearly means we are still having supply chain issues and/or a declining demand in this vital segment of the U.S. economy. New car prices were up 6.3% in January, which leads us to believe demand, at least in the short run, is still strong and the major issue is supply chain-related adversely impacting the production of vehicles.

Key U.S. data from the federal government shows the annualized U.S. inflation rate for January 2023 was 6.4%, as measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI), down from 6.5% in December and substantially lower than its 2022 high of 9.1% but much higher than the Federal Reserve long run target of 2%. Adding to our concern, the Producer Price Index (PPI) came in well above expectations for January. The January rates were not received well by many on Wall Street as they were hoping for a more substantial decline in inflation.

Many worry that the Federal Reserve’s Open Market Committee will increase the Federal Funds Rate by a half percent in March, driving interest rates on everything from motor vehicle loans to home mortgages upward, putting new and existing home sales into an even deeper recession, while further slowing sales of new automobiles, light trucks, and SUVs.

Current Issues

In a recent Wall Street Journal editorial, “Biden’s federal budget blowout,” it was noted “If you are a socialist and want the government to control more of the means of production in the U.S. economy, Joe Biden is your man.” Based on CBO data, we believe the Wall Street Journal is correct. The solution for the economy, according to the Biden administration, is that more government spending and higher taxation of individuals and corporations will lead to an average growth in U.S. GDP of only 1.8% between now and 2033, based on CBO projections.

We believe it is time to cut government spending, reduce unnecessary regulations and cut taxes on individuals and businesses, to unleash the American competitive free enterprise system and the entrepreneurs who are the backbone of economic growth and change.

We believe economic policies that create entrepreneurs and new businesses will restore U.S. economic growth to its pre-Great Recession, post-World War II growth rate of 3.3%.

About the author:

Dr. Timothy G. Nash is Vice President, Emeritus; Director of The McNair Center for the Advancement of Free Enterprise and Entrepreneurship; and the McNair Endowed Chair in Free Market Economics at Northwood University.

Travel Guide Available for SE Montana

5 April 2023
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Visit Southeast Montana has announced that its free, redesigned 2023 travel guide is now available for order and download.

The travel guide features Visit Southeast Montana’s “Out Here” marketing campaign, which describes the captivating, wide-open landscapes and unique experiences visitors can enjoy in the 13 counties and two reservations for destinations and activities.

“We redesigned the 2023 travel guide with the user in mind, really looking at how people travel and matching the layout to the trip planning process,” said Visit Southeast Montana Director of Marketing Brenda Maas.

Visit Southeast Montana produces 60,000 copies of the travel guide each year and distributes it to chambers of commerce, convention and visitors bureaus (CVBs), visitor information centers, who request it from across the United States and Canada to encourage visitors to plan vacations to the region. 

Tax Credits and Grizzly Bears

5 April 2023
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By Rachel Cone and Nicole Rolf, Montana Farm Bureau Federation

The 2023 Montana Legislative Session is picking up momentum. Along with advocating on over a dozen bills, we celebrated National Ag Week here in Helena and had the opportunity to teach the 2023 ACE participants about the Montana Legislature.

The 2021 Legislature provided incentives for employers to invest in their employees through the Montana Trades, Education and Training Tax Credit (M-TEC). This tax credit covers 50% of education and training expenses for an employer of an eligible trade and can be used for tuition, fees, books, supplies and equipment. HB 245 Revise tax credit for trades education and training sponsored by Sue Vinton (R) HD 56 builds on the success of M-TEC by expanding to more trades such as agricultural, mining, food manufacturing and several other trades. We believe this expansion of the eligible trade professions is critical for Montana agriculture by providing farms and ranchers a great incentive to provide training and education to agricultural workers.

We also supported SJ 14 Resolution opposing bison introduction at Charles M. Russell Wildlife Refuge sponsored by Mike Lang (R) SD 17 which would state the Montana Legislature’s opposition to bison being introduced to the Charles M. Russell Wildlife Refuge (CMR). The CMR spans nearly 1 million acres in land from six Montana counties and is surrounded by private property, BLM land and state land trust. Introduction of bison to the CMR is risky without a detailed plan and would have a direct impact on CMR’s rangeland and would increase the risk of transmission of disease between bison, wildlife and livestock. We also advocated for HJ 11 Joint resolution relating to Environmental, Social, and Governmental regulation sponsored by Steve Gist (R) HD 25 to urge Congress to push back on environmental social governance (ESG) polices for credit scores. ESGs provide a framework for stakeholders to understand how an organization is managing risks related to environmental, social and governance factors. Using non-financial factors such as ESGs, which have no domestic or global standard, to evaluate investment opportunities can have a negative impact on our free-market system due to their subjective nature and can vary in every situation.

Front Range County Farm Bureau member and Choteau rancher, Karli Johnson, traveled to Washington, D.C. to testify before the U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources. Karli testified in regard to HR. 1419 to direct the Secretary of the Interior to issue a new rule removing the Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem population of grizzly bears from the Federal list of endangered and threatened wildlife sponsored by Rep. Matt Rosendale (R). In her written testimony, the owner of Sevens Livestock explained how their ranch has had to change their livestock management strategies including changing to flood irrigation, changing their heifer calving date, not raising sheep, erecting a Grizzly Bear fence at more than $6,000 out-of-pocket and being extremely cautious when spraying noxious weeds and fixing fence.

Number of IPOs in the U.S. fall 80% in 2022, Amid Economic Uncertainty

5 April 2023
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Companies in the United States that had hoped to become publicly traded have been forced to postpone their plans in part due to the worsening economic climate. This has translated to the U.S. recording one of the biggest historical slumps with initial public offerings (IPO).

In particular, according to data acquired and calculated by Finbold on February 16, the U.S. recorded 181 IPOs in 2022, representing a slump of a whopping 82% from 2021’s 1,035. Notably, the number of IPOs in 2021 represents a surge of about 115% from 2020’s 480. Between 2002 and 2005, the lowest number of IPOs was registered in 2008, at 62, amid the financial crisis.

A breakdown of the 2022 IPO quarterly distribution indicates that the number of companies going public steadily declined as the economy’s fortunes continued to dim. For Q1 2022, there were 80 IPOs, dropping to 18 in the last three months of the year.

During the second quarter, there were 45 IPOs, which plunged to 38 IPOs in the third quarter.

Macro environment hits IPO sector

The research identified how the negative economic performance influenced companies to slow down their intentions to go public. According to the research report:

“From the data, last year proved to be a challenging time for the U.S. IPO market, with the economic uncertainty characterized by rising interest rates and the Federal Reserve’s aggressive monetary policy leaving the markets in a volatile state. With sentiments essentially pointing to a possible recession, companies aiming to go public were kept at bay with the flaring geopolitical tensions and spillover effects from the pandemic.”

As a result of the dip in performance that occurred in 2022, market uncertainty continues to persist, and the majority of enterprises are having trouble navigating the turbulent macro environment.

New Business Licenses – January 2023

5 April 2023
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SD Studio, 912 Dorothy Ln, 59105, 690-1230, Susan Martinez, service

Element Skin Therapy, 411 24th St W Ste 113, 59102, 208-7822, Iverson Kialy, service

A’s Auto Detailing, 1724 1st Ave N, 59101, 661-3581, Conner Albright, service

US 48 Capital LLC, 1825 Grand Ave Ste 127, 800-6635, 59102, Mikael Tashchyan, service

Pet Passages, 2223 1st Ave N, 59101, 697-1465, James and Mark Barnes, service

Grizzly Metals, 6624 S Frontage Rd, 59101, 998-8281, Brandon Marks, service

Blackrock Tython LLC, 18 Burlington Ave, 59101, 696-4865, Ricco Brown, real estate rental

Iris Massage and Wellness LLC, 1780 Shiloh Rd #A, 59106, 794-6770, Jysten Thompson, solo practitioner

Lewis Foods LLC, 670 S 24th St W, 59102, 598-6665, Lee Lewis, restaurants

Regenmed MT LLC, 2345 King Ave w Ste D, 59102, 201-9787, Michael Matthews, service

Sports Clips, 315 Main St, 59105, 248-2488, C&B Hauser Inc – Casey Carnahan, cosmetology

Altitude MT LLC, 127 Saddle tree Place, 59106, 200-8204, Cassidy Haberman, service

Michelle Wilkins Massage Therapy, 928 Broadwater #204, 59102, Michelle Wilkins, solo practitioner

Paragon Construction Company MT, LLC, 2656 E Denim Trl, San Tan Valley 85143, 480-364-4300, Crystal Ferns, general contractor

Big Sky Home Rentals LLC, 612 Miles Ave, 59101, 647-0239, Jeff Lasher, real estate rental

Slick Mobile Detail Services LLC, 212 Terry Ave, 59101, 500-6181, service

Yellowstone Narcotics LLC, 3313 Rimrock Rd, 59102, 530-961-2001, Cameron Pavlicek, service

Diamond Auto and Diesel Repair LLC, 830 W Toy Storage Unit C, 59106, 899-2426, Stephanie Johnson, auto business

Elementum Massage, 1629 Ave D Ste A5, 59102, 534-2660, Kyle Buffington, solo practitioner

The Maker’s Market, 4220 State Ave, 59101, 561-3427, Victoria Eichel, retail sales

Elementum Massage (Loretta Lehman), 1929 Ave D Ste A5, 59102, 534-2660, Loretta Lehman, solo practitioner

B-Town Cleaning, 3540 Monad Rd #8, 672-3151, Jonathan Collins, service

Riley Tree Service, 2933 Terry Ave, 59102, 545-8386, Steven Riley, service

Longs Masonry, 2317 Yellowstone Ave, 59102, 794-1948, Alexander Long, general contractor

Beartooth Exterior Cleaning, 5049 Danford Dr, 59106, 839-8736, Jordan Maher, service

Two Lane Services, 548 Orchard Lane, 59101, 561-0849, Lindsey Lane, retail sales

JK Construction MT LLC, 127 Saddle Tree Place, 59106, 200-8283, Cassidy Haberman, general contractor

 Matt’s Pest Management LLC, 127 Saddle Tree Place, 59106, 200-8214, Cassidy Haberman, service

Alloy Personal Training, 4011 Montana Sapphire Dr, 59106, 296-6667, Casey Kelly, service

 Green FBA Enterprises, 923 Avenue D, 59102, 402-914-7289, Aaron Green, retail sales

DCL Operating LLC (Speedy Ship), 2505 6th Ave N, 59101, 671-8069, Scott Urgin, service

RPM Elite Construction, 3385 Granger Ave S #10, 59102, 509-980-1405, Ryan Meyer, general contractor

Short Corner Capital LLC, 1430 Lynn Ave, 59102, 671-9620, Doug Enderson, real estate rental

Wanderluxe, 182 S 32nd St W Unit 5, 59102, 530-5096, Carissa Cardiff, service

All About You Parties and Events, 3715 Parkhill Dr, 59102, 200-8166, Stephen Marshall, service

Yeaman Lawm Care and Snow Removal, 695 Indian Trail, 59105, 850-2589, Carver Yeoman, service

Higgs LLC, 942 Burlington, 59101, 413-0504, Danielle Higgs, service

RVR Properties, 5087 Dovetail Ave, 59106, 690-0087, Reginald Hague, service

Fever Prep & Paint, 637 Chokecherry Pl, 59102, 201-0075, Dalton Hagadone, service

Empty It out Junk Removal, 2002 Woody Dr #21, 59102, 670-6822, Kristopher Hasler, service

Treasure Home Security Firm, 44 6th St W #5, 59101, 901-8689, John Abraham, service

Cari’s Homemade Bakery LLC, 329 Stewart Court N, 59106, 672-4822, Cari Johnson, retail sales

Glory Wellness Services LLC, 3210 Henesta Dr, 545-3448, Shay Osborne, service

Sum-It Bookkeeping and Mobile Notary Services LLC, 2038 Lewis Ave, 59102, 694-3566, Gina Francis, service

Anderson Towing 10, 1202 S 32nd St W, 59106, 534-2478, Cameron Cochran, service

Anderson Towing 11, 1202 S 32nd St W, 59106, 534-2478, Cameron Cochran, service

Anderson Towing 12, 1202 S 32nd St W, 59106, 855-8661, Cameron Cochran, service

Candace Durand, 2302 rosebud Dr, 59102, 855-8300, Candace Durand, service

PWR Contracting, 928 Broadwater Ave Ste 201, 59101, 208-2697, Koby Jeffers, general contractor

Montana Plants, 421 Sioux Lane, 59105, 661-0322, Tanya Debuff Wallette, retail sales

406 Native Roots, 5320 Vintage Ln, 59106, 876-2086, Alena Hawley, retail sales

IG Cleaning, 4142 Buchanan Ave, 59101, 876-3800, Isaac Guzman, service

Electric Storm Gallery, 405 N 24th St, 59101, 503-970-4981, Taylor Evans, retail sales

Jetset Fitness, 415 Wyoming Ave, 59101, 998-8582, Andrew Jetmore, service

Little Hands Early Learning, 44 Nimitz Dr, 59101, 671-9101, Patrick Wright, service

Daily Dog Hikes, 1224 Lewis Ave, 59102, 702-6992, Aubrey Nesheim, service

Montana Metal Creations, 3433 Pebble Brook Dr, 59101, 794-5961, Michael Volmer, retail sales

Greenhouse Creations, 1010 Moon Valley Rd, 59105, 606-2428, Tamara Nunley, retail sales

Garrett Excavating & Trucking Inc, 629 Rapelje Rd, Columbus 59019, 671-0534, Paul Gairrett, service 

Kokaine Kicks, 209 N 29th St, 59101, 661-4294, Jesse Perez, antique and second hand store

Yellow Ball Roofing and Solar LLC, 2617 Meadow Creek Loop, 59105, 200-2093, general contractor

Risingsuns Exterior and Interior LLC, 1015 Shinn Rd, 59105, 839-3369, Irvin Chris Risingsun III, general contractor

Cindy and David Roberts Airbnb, 6046 Norma Jean Ln, 59101, 425-1253, David & Cindy Roberts, real estate rental

Waymire LLC, 942 Burlington Ave, 59101, 200-5999, Katina Waymire, service

Alpine Home Renovations LLC, 5415 Quarry Stone Ave, 59106, 876-5688, Clayton Barrett, general contractor

Diamond Automotive Center (Repair), 2924 1st Ave N, 59101, 856-3970, William Dalton, service

Diamond Automotive Center (Sales), 2924 1st Ave N, 59101, 256-3970, William Dalton, retail sales

Integrity Business Services LLC, 3106 Copper Ridge Place, 59106, 425-2519, Natasha Abel, service

Moon Massage, 605 24th St W Ste 2, 59102, 534-2755, Hui Wang, massage facility license

Business Basics, 3003 Ave F, 59102, 850-3549, Katherine Hemphill, service

MT Counseling, 3610 Barry Dr, 59102, 697-2530, Kristie Thomas, service

Big Sky Backyards, 128 S 28th St, 59101, 545-7327, Alec Schiffner, service

Glassing Custom Construction LLC, 2007 19th St W, 59102, 470-1081, Jonathon Glassing, general contractor

406 Bubble Studz, 930 Rex Ln, 59105, 808-9207, Jazmine Pewitt/Jacquelin Matte, service

Design North Supply, 1300 Lockwood Rd, 59101, 794-1735, Jason Spiller, retail sales

T Castro Guitar Lesson, 208 Terry Ave, 59101, 690-0378, service

Western Sky Billings LLC, 4610 Crescent, 59106, 748-3016, Donald Drake, service

4th Avenue Inn LLC, 2601 4th Ave N, 59101, 855-1745, Craig Barthel, service

Skechers retail USA LLC, 2395 Rosebud Dr, 59102, 545-6121, Rochelle Boykin, retail sales

Alpine exteriors, 2411 Hillner, 59101, 598-8905, Ree Lapham, general contractor

Buckmiller Construction, 3326 Winchell Ln, 59102, 860-5150, Boone Buckmiller, general contractor

Platinum HVAC LLC, 1733 Alderson Ave, 59102, 671-8446, Angelo Mota, service

The Puppy Parlor, 706 Central Ave, 59102, 307-921-9075, Shantel Hessenthaler, service

Mid West Transport LLC, 519 ½ S 32nd St, 59101, 413-5013, Richard Savaria, service

A1 Vending Solutions, 1333 N 27th St Apt 1, 59101, 696-6106, Blaine McCue, retail sales

Heidema & Co, 5724 Yeoman Rd, Shepherd 59079, 860-1941, Blair Walters, retail sales

406 Premier Prep LLC, 1006 Toole Circle, 59105, 350-0887, David Inman, service

MTS Laser & Crafts, 1516 Anchor Ave, 59105, 671-5424, Troy Smith, retail sales

406 Diamond Auto detailing, 313 Stewart Ct, 59105, 670-0246, Yousif Aldabbagh, service

Smartstyle (Main St ), 1649 Main St, 59105, 248-3644, Venita Group, cosmetology

Smartstyle (King Ave), 2525 King Ave West, 59102, 652-3775, Venita Group, cosmetology

KDSellers, 1119 Arlington Ave SW, 59101, 425-0665, David Baumann, retail sales

Esthetics by Julia, 71 25th St W Ste 1, 59102, 647-5697, Julia Lave, service

The Locker Room, 905 Grand Ave, 59102, 850-2893, Travis Carpenter, service

Golden Hollow Cottage STR, 5241 Golden Hollow Rd, 59101, 690-4115, Jason Kleinschmidt, real estate rental

Let’s Get Fresh, 1435 Colton Blvd, 59102, 561-3392, Sharli Kiner, restaurants  

MSU-B Professor Involving Students in Critical MRSA Research

5 April 2023
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Montana State University Billings Assistant Professor of Microbiology Madison Collins, Ph.D., is engaging undergraduate students from multiple science and health majors in her groundbreaking research.

Collins’ research involves studying the drug resistant bacterial infection called Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), and why it is infecting healthy individuals. This issue received prominent attention when it was discovered that MRSA not only causes nosocomial infections (acquired by patients in hospitals), but that it also has robust capability to infect healthy individuals. Collins’ research teases apart the mechanisms that enable MRSA to infect healthy people, and so far, she has narrowed it down to MRSA’s specific defenses that affect white blood cells. Collins says that if there is a defect in the function of the neutrophils (a type of white blood cell), individuals can experience recurrent staph infections. She also shares data from The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Around 12 to 13 million people contract MRSA staph skin infections in the United States per year, and around 11,000 Americans die from MRSA staph infections every year.

A Billings native and a Laurel High School graduate, Collins started her higher education at MSU Billings, then completed her Ph.D. at MSU Bozeman. She got her start in research working on pathogens that infect honeybees, sparking her interest in studying human diseases, which was the focus of her Ph.D. She then went on to conduct post-doctoral work at Rocky Mountain Laboratories, a National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases biomedical research facility in Hamilton, Montana, during the COVID-19 pandemic. As a trained bacteriologist, she worked on numerous COVID-19 projects, helped to create a new infection mesh research model, and worked on another project looking at making human immune systems younger and more efficient. She presented her most recent research findings at the Society for Leukocyte Biology Conference in Hawaii in 2022.

Collins has been teaching at MSU Billings since July 2022, and has not missed a beat. She has already gathered a nontraditional student research team which includes a pre-nursing student, two pre-med students, and one pre-dental student. Two of her students have their own INBRE fellowships, which support their ability to continue to conduct research and contribute to their field. Collins shares that none of these students had prior research experience and she is extremely impressed with their ability to ask questions and learn quickly. “They were hesitant to participate at first, but they are owning their own research,” she says. Collins adds that in the near future, she would like to open additional spots on her research team to more undergraduate students.

Biology major and member of Collins’ research team Dominic Estes says that he enjoys this research because he has the possibility of finding answers to questions that no one knows. He also shares that “Dr. Collins is an amazing instructor. She’s fun and lighthearted but also wants us to learn and understand what we are doing.” Nursing student and research team member Wynter Doyle shares that she was in high school during the COVID-19 pandemic and came to MSUB not knowing how to use a microscope. “The opportunity to work alongside a motivational and patient teacher who was also transitioning during an unfamiliar time in her life, has been a great support system to me. This opportunity has also given me a chance to try something new in college.”

Recently, Collins received a Montana INBRE grant to pilot her MRSA research. Her grant ($80,000) will help move her research forward, and support research costs and fund student researchers. She also received an MSUB CARE grant of $5,000 to support her research last October. Collins contributes her success in securing these grants largely due to the support and mentorship of MSUB Associate Professor of Molecular Biology, Lynn George, Ph.D., who is conducting ALS research with her own student research team.

In her second semester of teaching at MSUB, Collins says that she never thought she would leave Billings to continue her education and never thought she would return. It has now come full circle and she finds it soul fulfilling.  “There’s no question that the professors here know every student by their name and I like the close relationships I have with my students,” she shares. “There are many opportunities for students to grow at MSUB and they can really build their own adventure.”

Montana Highlights April 1, 2023

5 April 2023
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Coyote which has recently opened in Columbia Falls, features local art, jewelry, vintage and new clothing,  Owner Cody Bauer is a Kalispell native and a Glacier High School graduate from 2009. He spent 12 years in Texas working in the art world. Coyote is located at 510 Nucleus Ave.

Ali Coleman and Marti Moran, owners of Psycle, have planned on opening a spin studio since 2013. Psycle offers 10 classes per week and plans to expand to meet the needs of the community of Lakeside.

The Bureau of Land Management has proposed that the Pryor Mountain wild horse herd would be reduced by about 55 animals next year in the first of several planned “gathers”. These details, along with insight to the herd’s health and genetics were released for public comment recently. Comments on the proposal are being taken through April 14.

Florida-based company Oakwells, opened The Retreat Kitchen & Bar in February at the Helena Regional Airport. Michael Reilly started Oakwells in 2004 after the larger airport operator he worked for at the time began divesting itself of its North American operations. The airport has a full service liquor license that Oakwells successfully applied through the state to use.

The restaurant, La Esquina, which can be found in the Cannery District off of East Oak Street in Bozeman officially opened recently. It will be open Tuesday through Saturday. The goal of La Esquina’s food is to not be complicated, and to continue the recipes honed in Mexico.

The owners of Pho Sai Gon in Bozeman plan to open their new restaurant in late March.. Ryan and Julie Truong are from Saigon, Vietnam, where they learned to make their very popular Pho Sai Gon.

Many Sidney area beet producers already had their seed ordered for the year and the announcement of the plant’s closure leaves producers looking for something new to plant. Beet ground is similar to corn ground so that would be an option, Another viable option would be to switch to silage. Soybean, dry beans, canola, dry peas, safflower, and camelina are other options for the region.

Near Coram, Montana on the Flathead National Forest independent contractors have gathered for a logging operation under contract with Weyerhaeuser. Hundreds of harvested lodgepole pine released a clean, sweet smell with a touch of mint, into the air as they lay in piles on the landing floor. The trees that loggers are  harvesting are the trees that grew from the ashes of the Half Moon fire of 1929. . The life cycle of a lodgepole is around 100 years. After that point, the wood becomes lower quality with higher mortality rates.

Ponderosa Pottery, owned by Nicky Shepard and family is designed to give people the space to have fun, grow, and even heal. Ponderosa Pottery in downtown Kalispell is a fully family-owned and operated business as Shepard runs the studio with the help of her husband, Carleton Gritts, and two children, Natalie and Spencer. The studio opened in mid-January and has hosted several workshops and open studio access for more experienced potters.

Co-owners Caleb and Jim Scott, have opened the S Ranch Meats company in Hardin. The group purchased a plant that had been shut down since 1998. S Ranch does not aim to compete with the major packing facilities, but rather to service people interested in quality meat and a healthy, understood product. A plant like S Ranch might process 25 head a week compared with 10,000 head a week at a larger facility.

The Sidney Herald has hired Greg Hitchcock of Gloversville New York as the next editor of the 110 year old newspaper.

Rep. Courtenay Sprunger, R-Kalispell, introduced House Bill 849, which would let businesses lease a liquor license rather than purchase one outright. Sprunger calls it the floating liquor license lease bill. The legislation would let businesses pay a fee to rent a liquor license from the county without going through the steps to purchase it. The bill would apply to cities and towns that have grown by more than 5% between 2016 and 2021, No more than six county all-beverages licenses may be utilized. They will be awarded through a bid system. The license can not be sold or transferred.

The Flathead Valley-based outdoor company Right On Trek is giving adventurers the opportunity to find their perfect trail, collaborate with friends, rent gear, and choose customized backcountry meals. Right On Trek’s meals, which are freeze dried, provide vegetarian, vegan, keto, gluten free and dairy free options so that backpackers can spend less time worrying about their shopping list. No hiker is left behind when it comes to the meal planning process. Right On Trek’s first in industry artificial intelligence meal planner ensures this. The AI tool, which can be found on their website, gives hikers an easy way to create customizable meal kits that they can look forward to after a long day on the trail.

Eddies Corner, the restaurant/bar/convenience store begun by Eddie McConnell in the late 1940s, has been owned by the Bauman family since 1951. After 72 years, the business has a new owner. Lucky Singh, a Utah-based businessman who took over last recently.

Median home prices in Gallatin County decreased 21.1%  from February 2022 to February 2023. A year ago the median price was from $868,000  and last month it was $684,682. Also a year ago, homes were on the market for only about 5 days, now it’s about 22 days.

“Visit Southeast Montana” has announced that its free, redesigned 2023 travel guide is now available for order and download. The travel guide features Visit Southeast Montana’s “Out Here” marketing campaign, which describes the the 13 counties and two reservations that make up the Visit Southeast Montana tourism region.

The Bureau of Reclamation awarded a $43,599,090 contract to NW Construction out of Bozeman, to conduct a dam modification to Fresno Dam. Project construction is scheduled to begin in April 2023. Built in 1939 on the Milk River in north-central Montana, the 84-year-old homogenous embankment earth dam has experienced 710 feet of settlement since construction. Reclamation evaluated the risk associated with differential settlement driven cracking and internal erosion and determined that a modification was required. To mitigate the risk, Reclamation will add a sand and gravel filter and toe drain system, with an embankment fill overlay and a vertical sand filter trench. 

Majority of Low, Middle-Income Parents Struggle to Afford Food

5 April 2023
Press Room
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By Glenn Minnis, The Center Square

 Nearly two out of every three primarily low-and middle-income parents – 64% – say being able to afford food is their biggest challenge, a new Parents Together Action survey highlights. And 65 percent say they’ve had to change the foods they buy, including purchasing fewer fruits and vegetables.

All told, the nonprofit family advocacy group that counts upwards of 3 million members finds that many parents now fear things could get worse before they get better as food prices continue to rise across the country. The results come as federal food assistance that was expanded during the COVID-19 is set to sunset in March.

Over the past three years, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients have received emergency allotments of at least $95 extra per month for food, though those added benefits are set to end by the end of March.

With 41% of respondents saying that they’ve had to work extra hours to make ends meet and an additional 35% insisting they’ve had to go as far as getting a new job, Parents Together Executive Director Ailen Arreaza say the changes are coming as too much too fast for many Americans.

“At a moment when food distribution centers are seeing increases in demand as American families struggle to feed their children, Republican lawmakers are putting families in their political crossfire by threatening to dramatically decrease spending on essential programs like SNAP. The timing of this could not be worse,” she said on the organization’s website. “Further cuts to essential policies helping families to keep food on the table would be unconscionable – and those politicians responsible will pay a political price.”

In the survey taken between Feb. 1 thru Feb. 9, 52% of respondents say they’ve used food banks or similar services to get by and another 36% added that they’ve skipped meals in order to make sure their children could eat.

When quizzed about what can be done to make their lives easier, 63% of respondents said expanding access to programs to help cover the cost of groceries, 46% said lowering the cost of essential goods like diapers, baby formula and period supplies, and 29% said the enactment of paid sick, parental and family leave so families don’t have to choose between caring for their families and making ends meet.