Best of Yellowstone County Awards 2026
It’s time to Vote for the Best of Yellowstone County Awards 2026. ***New Category*** Best Sports Broadcaster of 2026 Go to www.bestofyellowstonecounty.com and start voting at the link.
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 […]
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 […]
County Officials Advise on Sidewalks and Speed Humps at CPC Meeting; Musicians Announced for Worden Summer Series
The regular monthly meeting of the Huntley Project Community Club, Community Project Connection (CPC), welcomed several visitors this month, including Yellowstone County Commissioner Chris White, Yellowstone County Public Works (YCPW) Director Monica Plecker, and Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks (MTFWP) Recreation Manager Emily Tyler. While Plecker and White attended the meeting to provide informational support […]
Winning All-State and All-Class Titles, Shepherd Cheerleaders Make School History
At the CheerFest Cheer & Dance Competition in Lewistown, MT, the Shepherd Cheerleading team made history by becoming the Shepherd team to be named All-Class High Point CheerFest Champions. Competing against 28 other schools of various sizes, the nine-person cheer team and four-person stunt team participated in six events, placing in the top two in […]
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 […]
Worden Water Project Resumes
After much debate and hesitancy, the Worden-Ballantine Yellowstone County Water District Board voted to resume construction of the clean water project after a 10-day halt ordered by the US Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) and the Huntley Project Irrigation District (HPID). Following a tense week of discussions between USBR, HPID, and WBYC, WBYC voted on Friday, […]
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 […]
Metra Plans to Stabilize Rocky Cliff Face
MetraPark is searching for a qualified rock stabilization contractor that can stabilize the cliff face that stands northeast of the MetraPark Arena, adjacent to the back entrance. Every once in a while a piece of the jagged sandstone breaks free and falls to the parking lot below. As it is, people and vehicles have access […]