Road Connection Completed
Knife River recently completed a section of the Billings Bypass that connects the Yellowstone River crossing with the railroad and Coulson Road overpass, according to Dowl, the lead project engineering company for the Billings Bypass. Construction on the Montana Department of Transportation’s (MDT) Billings Bypass project continues with the completion of the Railroad Overpass roadway […]
Candidates Line Up to File for Office, Including Waters for County Commissioner
2024 is expected to be a really big election year. It’s predicted that the entire nation will be closely watching Montana’s US Senate race in which Sen. Jon Tester (D) will vie for re-election, with the outcome of that race possibly making the difference in the balance of the US Senate. On opening day for […]
Court Says Counties Must Collect 95 Mills in Taxes for State
Property taxpayers will be getting an addendum to their property tax bill, following last week’s Montana Supreme Court decision in favor of the State regarding the amount of mills it may levy in property taxes. Almost all of the counties in Montana billed property owners less than the 95 mills the State claimed it had […]
Judge Sets New Dates for Water District Case Against County, Ellis
Following something of an impasse at a court hearing on October 23, District Court Judge Colette B. Davies said she would allow the County’s appointee to the County Water District Board, Pam Ellis, to file a counter suit against the Water District Board; the Judge has issued a schedule to allow Ellis to do so. […]
Water District Plans to Delay Manager Search; Debate Bylaws and Recall Issue
Step by step the Heights County Water District Board went through the bylaws of the organization at a special work session last Wednesday. They also discussed finding a replacement for general manager, given the resignation of Peyton Brookshire, as well as getting another attorney to represent the board, having also received the resignation of Susan […]
Meadow Lark Transport Closes after 40 Years
Billings-based Meadow Lark Transport Inc., a trucking company that has done business in Billings for forty years, has closed. The company released a statement, “We share the sad news of Meadow Lark’s closure with a heavy heart. We have formed many lasting partnerships and friendships since delivering transportation services across the nation for 40 years. […]
Committee Set to Examine Solutions to Local Crime
At every corner one can hear people in Yellowstone County claim that more jail space is needed to combat the rising crime rate. But many county officials are dubious that that would solve the problem. They point to other aspects of the judicial system that are creating bottlenecks that keep the jail full and allow […]
City Appoints Members to Heights Water District Board, Attorney Requests Court to Drop County Case
Because of the passage of House Bill 35, in the recently concluded State Legislature, the City of Billings has appointed two representatives to the Heights County Water Board District, and Bozeman Attorney, Susan Swimley, representing the board, has asked the court to dismiss the case the Water District filed against Yellowstone County and Pam Ellis. […]
Heights County Water Board Closes Meeting
The Heights County Water Board’s meeting last Wednesday was quite short compared to normal meetings, at least the public portion was. After about a half hour, the Board closed the meeting to the public to discuss “legal” issues. The meeting was a continuation of the previous week’s regularly scheduled monthly meeting that ran long. The […]
Susie Hedalen Announces Run for State Supt Job
The whole of Susie Hedalen’s life has been about education. This past week’s announcement that she is running as a Republican candidate for the Office of Public Instruction is in keeping with that mission. She is hoping to fill the position of Elsie Arntzen, who will be termed out as Superintendent of Montana Schools at […]