Civic leaders hustling money to fund One Big Sky master plan
Originally published in the 3/9/18 print edition of the Yellowstone County News. BILLINGS — The future for One Big Sky Center (OBSC), which has morphed from a proposed multi-faceted complex into broader development for all of the downtown Billings area, hinges right now on the ability of civic leaders to raise funding for a master […]
High school plan may shrink to suit Lockwood taxpayers
LOCKWOOD — Between dreams and reality there is usually a dousing of cold water, and that was what Lockwood School Board members met in the first round of numbers, dollars and cents, given to them by the architects of Collaborative Design on Friday. In presenting preliminary plans that would include “everything you wanted,” and “everything […]
Community assessment kindles Lockwood’s can-do spirit
Originally published in the 12/8/17 print edition of Yellowstone County News. LOCKWOOD — A lot has been happening in Lockwood the past few years. Who and what is behind all these community-transforming events? A “community assessment,” held in 2013, brought about communication and motivation that helped advance a host of projects in Lockwood that had […]
New hockey franchise may bring game to MetraPark
Originally published in the 12/1/17 print edition of Yellowstone County News. BILLINGS — Billings is once again being asked to host a hockey franchise, only this time it is a professional team, a new one to be formed as part of the ECHL. “The ECHL is a major professional league with 27 teams in the US […]
Lockwood high school planners shooting for May 2018 ballot
Originally published in the early edition of 11/24/17 print edition. LOCKWOOD — Every effort will be made to get a bond proposal to build a new high school for Lockwood on the ballot in May 2018. A special meeting of the Lockwood School Board will be held at 6 p.m. Dec. 5 at the Lockwood […]
Lockwood Fire credits newspaper story for tax revenue increase
Originally published in the 11/10/17 print edition of Yellowstone County News. Good news for the Lockwood Fire Department. The department will be getting an additional $54,000 added to their 2016-17 budget as a consequence of efforts of the County Treasurers Department and the Department of Revenue to determine why the district has not been getting […]
Billings mayoral candidates face off in last debate
Originally published in the 10/20/17 print edition of Yellowstone County News BILLINGS — Billings mayoral candidates Bill Cole and Jeff Essmann squared off for a final debate before ballots went out by mail on Wednesday for the Nov. 7 election. A quick and lively, back and forth conversation, during the one-hour debate that was sponsored […]
Lockwood begins rebuilding raw water plant
– Originally published in the 10/20/2017 print edition of Yellowstone County News. LOCKWOOD — The Lockwood Water and Sewer District launched a new project at its meeting last week, the rebuilding of the Raw Water Intake and Treatment Plant. Having received only two bids to build the plant, the board awarded the bid to […]
Taxpayers save $1.7 million in county jail bond sale
Originally published in the 9/29/17 print edition of Yellowstone County News. BILLINGS — Good news for county taxpayers! The bond sale to finance the addition to the Yellowstone County Detention Facility (YCDF) was much better for county taxpayers than even best expectations. On Tuesday, County Commissioners approved a $9.7 million general obligation bond sale at […]
Local option tax separates Billings mayor candidates
Originally published in the print edition of the Yellowstone County News. BILLINGS — One of the most significant differences in positions between the two candidates running for mayor of Billings is their support for a proposed local option tax. A local option tax is essentially a limited sales tax, restricted to a specific city or […]