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Shepherd: Rocky Mountain Propane – 2 (Scoreboard sponsor) Western Security Bank – 2 Hotsy Wymont – 2 Valley Farmers Supply -2 Yellowstone Valley Electric -2 Murdock Family Dentistry – 2 Raw Machinery -1 Sherman Kirby Realty – 1 Grizzly Gold & Silver -2 THR Transport – Ty Hample, Hample Memorial Sept 25& 26 Public Auction Yards […]
Legislator Takes Advantage of ARPA Business Loans
Significant federal funds flowed into Montana—and all other states—during the COVID-19 pandemic under the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), with much of the funding aimed at stabilizing businesses during forced closures and worker shortages. A recent deep dive into those programs exposed some surprising and disturbing information—information that demands broader public awareness. One of those programs was the Down Payment Assistance Loan […]
Lockwood Dedicates Q Staton Performng Arts Center
A gathering of students, friends and family renamed and dedicated the auditorium at the new Lockwood High School to “Q Staton Performing Arts Center” last Wednesday in memory of a most beloved teacher, Quentin David Staton, who died last August after a three-year battle with cancer. High School Principal Gwen Poole spoke to those who […]
Laurel City Council Fails to Pass Emergency Ordinance
The City Council in Laurel failed to pass an ordinance last week that would have put future annexations on hold until the City can explore future needs and to develop a plan for future growth. A special meeting was held to consider the proposed ordinance at which many citizens spoke – mostly in favor of […]
High Winds and Heavy Snow Bring Outages to Yellowstone County
At its peak, wind across Yellowstone County reached 76 miles per hour on Thursday March 12, 2026, according to the National Weather Service’s Billings Office. “Across the state we had wind gusts in the 60s to 80s mph at the lower elevations and over 100 mph in the mountains. The strongest gust reported in Yellowstone County was […]
HPID Discusses Budget, Assessments, and Water Start Date at Annual Meeting
Rising costs and unexpected expenses were front and center at the Annual Meeting of the Huntley Project Irrigation District (HPID) on March 11, 2026. Additionally, HPID announced the water start for the irrigation district. Operators will begin releasing water into the system on April 19, 2026, with the district following the same protocols of the […]
Police Chief Reports Billings Making Strides, In Fighting Crime, Still Challenges to Confront
In 2025 the City of Billings was safer than 2024, reported Chief Rich St. John, during a press conference last week, in which he presented the Billings Police Department’s Annual Report. But even though it’s safer, the Billings Police made 7,465 arrests, which was the highest in five years. Reports of property crime were down […]
Sen. Daines Withdraws from Reelection Bid
Last week, Montana’s US Senator Steve Daines, Republican, surprised everyone in political circles with the announcement, just minutes before filing closed, that he was withdrawing from his re-election bid. Almost in the same moment, Republican US Attorney, Kurt Alme, filed as a candidate. Sen. Daines’ withdrawal was a surprise because in serving his second term […]
Grass Wildfire Claims One Home on White Buffalo Trail Near Huntley
Amidst wind gusts clocked between 40MPH and 50MPH on Sunday, February 8, 2026, fire department personnel from all around Yellowstone County responded to a grass fire that first started near Yellowstone Trail in Huntley. By the end of the small inferno created by dry conditions and high winds 83-acres and one mobile home had been […]
Hearings Set on Jail Expansion Ballot Issues, March 31
Last week, Yellowstone County officials announced the measures that county voters will be asked to approve on the November ballot to build an addition to the Yellowstone County Detention Facility (YCDF), to alleviate overcrowding. The “ask” isn’t as much as earlier estimates suggested because the State has announced that they are going to expand the […]