County’s public Budget hearing set
Yellowstone County Commissioners have set public hearings at which to consider final approval of the county’s 2019-20 FY Budget. The hearings will be held on Tuesday, August 27 at 9:45 am for public comment; and on Tuesday September 3, 9:45 am for further public comment and vote by commissioners.
State asks Yellowstone County for contract, setting jail rates
Sheriff Mike Linder is sending a letter to the state Department of Corrections (DOC) to inform them that the actual cost to Yellowstone County to house a prisoner is $77.22 a day – not the $69.31 that the Montana State Legislature set as a cap of what the state will pay. The real cost is […]
County Economics 2019
2019 is unveiling to be a year of continued growth, according to the state’s premier economist, Pat Barkey of the Bureau of Business and Economic Research (UM), in a mid-year update of Montana’s economy, last week. “It’s a good news story,” he told his audience at the Northern Hotel in Billings.
Brain Injury rehab hospital, first of its kind in Montana
The City of Billings is now home to the only freestanding rehab hospital in the state of Montana. The Rehabilitation Hospital of Montana was officially opened this Monday at a ribbon cutting ceremony and is designed to help people recovering from stroke as well as brain and spinal cord injuries.
FPE Union drops suit against County
The Federation of Public Employees (FPE) has dropped its lawsuit against Yellowstone County in exchange for an agreement of Yellowstone County commissioners to enter into contract negotiations.
Surprising presence of wildlife in Billings area
Recently Yellowstone County residents have been seeing an increased variety of local wildlife, including black bears and mountain lions, wandering through neighborhoods and parks.
Cougar sightings within Billings
Recently there have been two confirmed mountain lion sightings well within the city limits of Billings. Just before 10pm on July 12th, Billings residents around Virginia Lane and Silver Lane near MSU-B were greeted by the sight of a new feline friend frolicking around the area.
County considers jail expansion
As the county weighs proposals for the new budget for FY2019-20, one of the pending considerations is whether to construct a new booking area for the Yellowstone County Detention Center.
Laurel to Rockvale route cuts the ribbon on 212
A packed room gathered at Riverside Park in Laurel to celebrate the ribbon cutting, or pulling rather, on the new US Highway 212/310 route between Laurel and Rockvale. As Mike Tooley, director of the Montana Department of Transportation, addressed the room he said this new road will increase the safety and mobility of the region […]
Serious seepage of Main Canal springs liability questions
Residents of Vuecrest Drive were surprised this past weekend to see that their road had been transformed into a small river as a deluge sprung out of the hillside seeping out of the Main Canal, which brings water from Laurel all the way out to Shepherd, that sits atop the Rims overlooking the area. The […]