An organization called Parents Together Action is calling on Montanans to advocate to expand the Child Tax Credit into a permanent benefit. The group claims to have 2.5 million members nationwide.
A marketing agency recently released information saying that many parents are still unaware of the federal program that gives parents $300 per child every month. Those who have already received payments say that it is very beneficial in being able to make ends meet.
They cite two examples of families being assisted:
Shari Daniels (Wolf Point, MT) is a single parent to one son and a teacher. Teachers don’t get paid until labor day, aside from a $300 stipend that is deducted from their first paycheck back, so these monthly payments would alleviate the stress of parenting with no summer pay.
Brad Wheeler (Stevensville, MT) is a parent to a 14 year old. While he didn’t lose his job in construction during Covid, his hours did get cut drastically, and the family income went to a quarter of what it was before the pandemic. The monthly checks would, along with help towards rent and utilities, be used for his son’s baseball travelling team which costs a lot of money per month. These payments would ensure that his son could keep playing baseball.
Author: Press Room
Fewer Students Enrolling in Public Schools
The Center Square
The number of students attending public schools during the 2020-2021 academic year fell by roughly 3% compared with the previous year.
The data comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, a federal agency that analyzes education figures.
The 3% drop represents some 1.5 million students according to the preliminary report. A final report will not be available until next spring, according to the NCES. Figures come from reports generated by state departments of education.
There were 51.1 million students enrolled in conventional and public charter schools during the 2019-2020 academic year.
Even more stark is the drop in enrollment among younger students. Preschool enrollment fell by 22%, and preschool and kindergarten enrollment combined dropped 13%.
By contrast, high school enrollment fell by 0.4%.
Ross Santy, associate commissioner for the NCES, noted how rare it is for public schools to lose students.
“K-12 enrollment in our nation’s public schools has been increasing almost every year since the start of this century,” Santy said in a statement. “Before this year, in the few recent years where we have seen enrollment decreases, they have been small changes representing less than 1 percent of total enrollment.”
Some 29 states experienced enrollment declines of between 1% and 3%. Washington, D.C., Utah, South Dakota, the U.S. Virgin Islands and American Samoa saw decreases of less than 1%.
Vermont, Mississippi and Puerto Rico all saw enrollment fall by more than 5%, while Washington, New Mexico, Michigan, Kentucky and Maine lost between 4% and 5% of enrollment.
The coronavirus pandemic and government-imposed restrictions that closed schools has been the main driver behind the drop in the number of public school students.
The large drop in enrollment among younger students confirms earlier speculation that families chose to keep those students out of school rather than attempt virtual learning.
Home-schooling, meanwhile, more than doubled between the end of the 2019-2020 school year and the start of 2020-2021.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 5.4% of American households said they were home-schooling their children in the spring of 2020. By October of 2020, that figure reached 11.1%.
“It’s clear that in an unprecedented environment, families are seeking solutions that will reliably meet their health and safety needs, their childcare needs and the learning and socio-emotional needs of their children,” the Census Bureau said in a recent report.
Development Firm Plans 26 New South Side Apartments
Community Leadership & Development, Inc. (CLDI) plans to build 26 new apartments on the South Side of Billing to improve the opportunities for affordable housing Called Tapestry Apartments the project has advanced due to contributions from the Gianforte Family Foundation, which is purchasing the Galles Filter & Exhaust building at 2920 1st Ave. South. The project, known as Tapestry Apartments, is a quality, affordable housing initiative that will add 26 new apartments on the South Side of Billings.
The lot behind Galles is slated as the site for Tapestry and design plans are in progress. Galles Filter & Exhaust will continue to remain open at its current location until a new location is secured.
CLDI is partnering with the Mountain Plains Equity Group in application to the Montana Board of Housing (MBOH) for federal low-income housing tax credits to help finance and build the Tapestry project. This tax credit application is due in August, and the MBOH will announce tax-credit recipients in October. If successful in receiving an award, CLDI plans to start construction of Tapestry in the spring of 2022.
Eric Basye, Executive Director for CLDI, said, “More than ever, there is an increasing need to provide quality housing opportunities for low-income individuals and families. For 40+ years, CLDI has invested holistically in the South Side of Billings. We believe that housing is essential for the well-being of every person. With the completion of Tapestry, CLDI will expand our ability to provide excellent housing to nearly 100 individuals and families on the South Side. We are thankful for the support of the community, allowing us the opportunity to serve, befriend, and re-neighbor the South Side community.”
Purchase of Galles is part of a multi-year effort to transform the 29th block on the South Side. The Galles building is located next door to Rail//Line Coffee, a community coffee shop owned and operated by CLDI. CLDI also owns the lot directly behind Rail//Line and is scheduled to break ground on a senior living complex this August.
Crown Logistics Becomes U-Haul Dealer
U-Haul announced that Crown Logistics signed on as a U-Haul neighborhood dealer to serve Billings.
Crown Logistics at 5229 King Ave. W., Unit C1 will offer essential services like U-Haul trucks, trailers, towing equipment, moving supplies and in-store pickup for boxes.
U-Haul has teamed with independent dealers to offer moving equipment since 1945. With the COVID-19 outbreak creating challenging times for small businesses, more than 20,000 dealers across the U.S. and Canada are creating supplemental income through their U-Haul partnership. When a customer rents from a U-Haul dealer, they are directly supporting an independent small business in their community.
Court Halts “Racist” Farm Program
Mountain States Legal Foundation General Counsel William E. Trachman cheered a federal judge’s order halting the Department of Agriculture from proceeding with a post-pandemic farm loan relief program that expressly excludes white farmers and ranchers. MSLF and the Southeastern Legal Foundation challenged the constitutionality of race-based loan relief on equal protection grounds, on behalf of Tennessee farmer Rob Holman and Wyoming rancher Leisl Carpenter. One of those suits, Holman v. Vilsack, bore fruit today when U.S. District Judge S. Thomas Anderson, of the Western District of Tennessee, granted our request for a nationwide halt to the program pending further judicial review.
Trachman issued the following statement in response to the win:
“What’s it going to take for the Biden-Harris Administration to comply with the Constitution. Now that their discriminatory farming and ranch debt relief has been enjoined by another court as a violation of the equal protection clause, the writing is on the wall. It’s time to treat all of us like Americans, regardless of our skin color.The pandemic didn’t discriminate when it hurt farmers and ranchers last year, and the government shouldn’t discriminate now. Racial segregation was wrong before, it’s wrong now, and will be wrong forever.”
City will Push for 34 Mills Public Safety Levy
The Billings City Council has approved placing a $7.1 million mill levy on the November 2 ballot for public safety. A study has found that public safety is a high priority of citizens, concerned about the increase in crime in Billings.
If it passes the increase in mills will be part of a $434 million budget that was also passed by the Billings City Council. The city’s budget has been bolstered this year by COVID relief funds which allocated money to specific needs that then freed up funds for other needs. The budget includes $11.6 million to purchase the Stillwater Building, as well as $80 million for a new westend water treatment plant and $18 million to construct the Inner Belt Loop and Skyline Trail, and an additional $7 million for the airport expansion.
An increase in the public safety funds will allow an additional $800,000 for the police department, in addition to more funding for enforcement of the recently rewritten building codes, the court system with the development of a law and justice center, and more services for mental health and substance abuse. It will also help fund a new division of the fire department that will be dedicated to responding to Emergency Medical Service calls.
If voters approve the proposed 34 mill increase it will add about $100 a year in property taxes on a $200,000 home in Billings.
Bureau EA Concludes Prairie Reserve for Bison Has No Impact
From the Northern Ag Network
The Bureau of Land Management has released a Draft Environmental Assessment (EA) and Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) for a bison grazing proposal from the American Prairie Reserve on 69,000 acres of BLM grazing allotments in Phillips County.
In November of 2017, the APR submitted a proposal to modify terms and conditions of 18 BLM administered permits, which was revised to 7 grazing permits in September of 2019. APR requested from BLM a change in class of livestock for cattle and bison, changes to the authorized seasons-of-use, construction, reconstruction and/or removal of some fences and adjustments to allotments (such as combining pastures).
In the spring of 2018, the BLM conducted public scoping which included meetings in Northcentral Montana. The BLM received 2,497 submissions which they reviewed and considered in determine the issues to be included in the NEPA analysis.
Now the BLM has come back with their analysis of the proposed action and has found that it conforms with their Resource Management Plans. The bureau has determined the changes will not significantly affect the land, wildlife or human environment.
Jay Bodner, Executive Vice President of the Montana Stockgrowers Association told Northern Ag Network that the announcement of this decision raises a lot of concerns from the livestock industry.
“Certainly, from a resource management standpoint, which we take a lot of pride in our stewardship of our rangelands, we’ve moved away from these kind of grazing practices,” Bodner says. “It seems to be moving our grazing systems back 30 years. So, there’s a lot of concern from just the rangeland health standards.”
“Secondly, it looks like if a livestock producer would have made this proposal, I’m not sure if it would have been met with the same kind of decision that this one is dealing with bison.”
Bodner adds that in previous documents that the BLM had released, they had recognized that with year-round grazing and removal of interior fencing there was a high likelihood of resource damage in those riparian areas. However, in this assessment BLM found no significant impacts.
“One of the challenges we see with this proposal,” Bodner says. “is that if you remove a lot of that infrastructure, to be able to address any kind of resource damage, you basically have to rebuild fence to try to move animals around. So that’s going to create a lot of challenges to address any potential challenges that may arise.”
This has been a controversial topic for 4 years now and Bodner says the MSGA membership will be engaging in the discussion and making public comments.
Sidney, MT rancher and President of the Montana Stockgrowers Jim Steinbeisser commented that, “Our organization has consistently provided comments outlining concerns regarding the impacts a request like this can have on rangeland health, riparian areas and economic impacts to the livestock industry. Today’s release of the draft EA and Finding of No Significant Impact is very impactful to ranchers across the state. This assessment may have a much larger ripple effect moving forward on setting precedent for public land grazing permits.”
“The fences represent a significant monetary investment in improvements, and if this change in grazing management proceeds, BLM must analyze what steps will be taken to address any resource damage”,” continued Steinbeisser. “We feel many of the request changes in the draft have significant resource impacts and have not been fully vetted or analyzed by the BLM.”
Before the Environmental Assessment can be finalized the BLM will conduct a public comment period running from July 1st through August 29th. Comments can be submitted online and a virtual public meeting is planned for Wednesday, July 21 from 1-4pm.
The public may comment on the Draft EA and FONSI by visiting the BLM’s ePlanning website at https://eplanning.blm.gov. Search using the NEPA number: DOI-BLM-MT-L010-2018-0007-EA. Public comments may also be submitted via the U.S. Postal Service addressed to: BLM Malta Field Office; Re: APR Grazing Proposal; 501 South 2nd Street East; Malta, MT 59538.
Billings Building Permits July 15, 2021
Presbytery Of Y’stone Of The U/Perfect 10, 180 24th St W, Roofing, $42,500
Tobacco Row Of Billings LLC/Kohlman Construction, 655 Main St, Roofing, $9,700
School District 2/Empire Roofing Inc, 82 N 31st St, Roofing, $260,000
Billings Sapphire LLC/ABCO Billings LLC, 850 Daytona Beach Way, New 3+ (Multi Family), $625,536
Billings Sapphire LLC/ABCO Billings LLC, 882 Daytona Beach Way, New 3+ (Multi Family, $625,536
Billings Sapphire LLC/ABCO Billings LLC, 889 Miami Beach Way, New 3+ (Multi Family), $625,536
Billings Sapphire LLC ABCO Billings LLC, 859 Miami Beach Way, New 3+ (Multi Family), $417,024
Billings Sapphire LLC/ABCO Billings LLC, 879 Miami Beach Way, New 3+ (Multi Family), $417,024
Billings Sapphire LLC/ABCO Billings LLC, 849 Miami Beach Way, New 3+ (Multi Family), $428,7680
Billings Sapphire LLC/ABCO Billings LLC, 860 Miami Beach Way, New 3+ (Multi Family, )$392,610
Billings Sapphire LLC/ABCO Billings LLC, 4113 Palm Beach Way, New 3+ (Multi Family), $392,610
Billings Sapphire LLC/ABCO Billings LLC, 4104 Palm Beach Way, New 3+ (Multi Family), $392,610
Fagg Family Properties LLC/Jones Construction, Inc, 222 N 32nd St, $65,000
Shiloh Silver Partners/Saunders Construction Inc., 1027 Shiloh Crossing Blvd, Remodel, $250,000
Alice Parker/Morgan Contractors Inc, 3839 Grand Ave, Com Remodel, $10,000
Shiloh Silver Screen Partners/Jones Construction, Inc, 1027 Shiloh Crossing Blvd, Remodel, $100,000
Residential
Ouzts, Samuel & Kara, 3010 Colton Blvd, Res New Accessory Structure, $8,000
L & L Construction LLC/Lorenz Construction, 3436 Tahoe Dr, Res New Single Family, $257,346
Diverse Construction/Diverse Construction LLC, 2236 Gleneagles Blvd, Res New Single Family, $159,432
Mark Dawson/CDH, LLC, 4030 Hyalite Ct, Res New Single Family, $228,123
CDH, LLC/CDH, LLC, 5332 Dovetail Ave, Res New Single Family, $333,126
HG Design/HG Designs, 1918 W Thunder Mountain Rd, Res New Single Family, $306,580
McCall Homes/McCall Development, 6108 Norma Jean Ln, Res New Single Family, $367,138
McCall Homes/McCall Development, 1808 St George Blvd, Res New Single Family, $253,792
Magnus Land Development LLC/Brown Builders Inc., 2903 Eagle Butte Trl, Res New Townhome, $0.00
Magnus Land Development LLC/Brown Builders Inc.2903 Eagle Butte Trl, Res New Townhome, $0.00
John Scott/Kay Homebuilders LLC, 4140 Cambridge Dr, Res New Accessory Structure, $30,000
Harwood, Althea, 2135 Windsor Cir N, Res New Accessory Structure, $1,500
Sorenson, Joan F/Ty Nelson Design And Remodel, 4555 Upland Dr, Res New Accessory Structure, $100,000
High Sierra Ii Inc/Infinity Home LLC, 2430 Bonito Loop, Res New Single Family, $264,184
Rimrock Builders/Rimrock Builders Inc, 2501 Blue Mountain Trl, Res New Single Family, $400,530
Tri B Property Solutions LLC/Kutil Inc, 863 Tierra Dr, Res New Single Family, $375,000
Square Butte Builders/Square Butte Builders LLC, 705 Cherry Hills Rd, Res New Single Family $290,000
Boyer Land LLC, 2524 Aspen Creek Trl, Res New Single Family, $302,269
Boyer Land LLC/Design Builders, Inc., 2517 Blue Mountain Trl, Res New Single Family, $323,554
McCall Homes/McCall Development, 1860 St George Blvd, Res New Single Family, $141,098
Beef Imports Down, While World Beef Demand Up
From Northern Ag Network
Beef imports were up 1.5 percent year over year in April but are down 7.0 percent for the January to April period compared to last year. Year to date beef imports are down 4.0 percent compared to the same period in 2019. U.S. beef imports are projected to decrease in 2021 by 10-13 percent year over year, which will put total beef imports below the 2015 – 2019 average.
In the 2015-2019 period, Australia was the largest source of beef imports, followed by Canada, with New Zealand at number three and Mexico ranked fifth. Brazil, Nicaragua and Uruguay round out the top seven sources of beef imports. From 2015-2019, the top seven countries accounted for 98.7 percent of beef imports with the top four accounting for 85.5 percent of total beef imports. In 2020, beef imports spiked to the highest level since 2015 due the supply chain disruptions resulting from the pandemic.
Thus far in 2021, Canada has been the largest source of beef imports and is up 17.0 percent year over year. Mexico is the number two source of beef imports for the year to date with imports down 6.0 percent compared to last year. New Zealand is the third largest source of beef imports in 2021, down 9.9 percent year over year. Australia is currently the fourth largest source of beef imports, down 48.1 percent from last year. Australia is experiencing reduced production due to herd liquidation in previous years resulting from drought, wildfires and floods. Australia is now attempting to rebuild herds, which further reduces beef production and exports in the short run.
Argentina does not make the list of major sources of U.S. beef imports but the country has rebounded sharply in recent years as a beef exporting country. U.S. imports of beef from Argentina in 2020 were the highest since 2007 but represented less than two percent of total U.S. beef imports. Recently, the government of Argentina announced a 30 day ban on beef exports from the country, which has disrupted the rebuilding of beef exports from the country and is indicative of the challenges faced by the Argentinian beef industry in recent years.
Global beef trade continues to grow. Total beef imports by major world importers is expected to increase in 2021 along with increases in total beef exports by major world exporters. U.S. beef exports and imports take place in the context of a much larger and growing global beef market.
Beartooth Bank Becomes Bravera Bank
After 100 years serving the families and businesses of North Dakota and Montana with a full range of banking, trust, investment and insurance services, Beartooth Bank, a division of American Bank Center, is changing its name to Bravera Bank. The new name, along with a new logo, tagline and visual identity, will launch this Fall. The change in brand does not reflect a change in ownership, as Bravera Bank is still employee- and director-owned.
In recent years, American Bank Center has grown, expanding its network of branches across North Dakota and Montana. Its growth represents a continued investment in the region’s strong future, competitively positioning the bank to serve customers with more resources, a greater geographic reach and a broader promise to new people moving into the area. The new name unifies the current network and creates a consistent banking experience all under one brand: Bravera Bank.
“We are so proud to unite our banks under a new name and brand experience that reflects our bank’s strong future,” says Cill Skabo, American’s Chief Marketing Officer. “Bravera is a distinct and unforgettable name that captures our spirit and helps us stand out and connect with our customers and communities.”
The word Bravera combines “Bravery” and “Truth” for a new name with strong ties to the pioneer spirit and honest values that define the northern plains. The new name will be accompanied by a new logo, look and feel that will touch every part of the bank’s experience, from signage in the branches and the bank’s website to brand communications and advertising.
“The move to the Bravera Bank name is exciting and delivers on our mission of embodying a financial institution that supports the growth of the region’s future. From Bismarck to Billings, Dickinson to Devils Lake, we see tremendous opportunity in helping our customers forge success, under a single, powerful brand name,” says David Ehlis, American Bancor President and CEO.
