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Billings Building Permits April 15, 2025
Commercial TWAS Properties LLC|Cobeck Construction Co LLC, 570 S 24th St W, Com New Other, $2,000,000 American Lutheran Church|Wovek Inc, 5 Lewis Ave, Com Remodel, $445,131 Oliver Building Residential Owners Association/ NCI, 2702 Montana Ave, Com Fence/Roof/Siding, $74,000 Skyway Towers |Infraservices Group Wireless LLC, 2220 Mission Way, Com Remodel, $50,000 TWAS Properties LLC, 570 S…
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Bill Would Help Fund Big Sky Passenger Rail Line
Those advocating to expand passenger rail service in Montana, the Big Sky Passenger Rail Authority (BSPRA), hang in limbo as HB 848 is pending in the state legislature, which would create a “Big Sky Rail Account” which would contribute to the estimated $2 billion price tag for a second rail line through southern Montana —…
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9th District Customers Skittish
By Haley Chinander, Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis Companies reported in a survey that profits and revenue declined, and some observed that additional economic uncertainty made already price-sensitive customers more skittish. The January survey received 568 responses from business owners across the Ninth District of the Federal Reserve Bank which includes Montana. Amid this uncertainty,…
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Winter was Hard on Honey Bees
From Northern Ag Network A nationwide survey of beekeepers has revealed catastrophic honey bee colony losses across the United States, with commercial operations reporting an average loss of 62% between June 2024 and February 2025. These alarming losses, which surpass historical trends, could significantly impact U.S. agriculture, particularly crop pollination for almonds, fruits, vegetables, and…
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What will they think a million years from now?
Pondering what human-made items will look like millions of year from now as our descendants search for “technfossils”, Sci News wondered what wind turbine blades would look like. They said, “The enormous wind turbine blades . . . are made of materials like fiberglass and epoxy resin and carbon fibers, which are terribly hard to…
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Teacher Freedom Alliance Touts Free-market Alternatives
By Tom Joyce, The Center Square What’s the free-market alternative to teachers’ unions? The Freedom Foundation hosted a launch party to promote what it sees as the solution, the Teacher Freedom Alliance (TFA). The organization reiterated it sees teachers’ unions as the problem – and good teachers as the solution. “The teachers’ unions have owned…
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Tax on Natural Gas Repealed
By Thérèse Boudreaux, The Center Square America’s natural gas industry celebrated after President Donald Trump signed into law a resolution repealing Biden-era fees on methane emissions. The Waste Emissions Charge, which Republicans say is the equivalent of a natural gas tax, was authorized by the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act and implemented by the Environmental Protection…
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Tax Cut Could Really Be Real for Billings
City of Billings officials worry that a popular bill that promises property tax cuts for Montana, called the Homestead Rate Cut Bill, could have detrimental impacts on Billings. HB 231 would reduce property tax rates for many residents but it does so in a manner that would reduce revenue for the City of Billings, which…
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Tariffs Hit Montana, Mixed Impacts on County, Crude Oil, Ag, Cars & Beer
By Evelyn Pyburn President Trump’s tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China could have significant impacts on Montana. In fact, Montana could be the most impacted state in the nation because the state is the most dependent upon imports. Montana tops a list of eight states that will see at least two-thirds of their imports impacted,…
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Six Local Businesses Invest $175 million in Yellowstone County
Six businesses in Yellowstone County received two different forms of tax abatement on new investments from Yellowstone County Commissioners. Total investments made in the county’s economy by the six companies totaled $175,702,197. Applying for the tax rebates to cover recent new investment in their businesses are Phillips 66, CHS, Inc., and Coca-Cola Bottling Company High…