Last Best News (https://montana-mint.com/lastbestnews/author/edkemmick/page/2/)
The Billings Police Department introduced two of its newest foot soldiers Wednesday, Belgian Malinoises named Susan and Dutch. They are both dual-purpose dogs, trained to sniff out drugs and to do all the duties associated with regular patrol work, including evidence recovery, tracking, finding people who don’t want to be found and “bite apprehension.” (more…) Continue Reading →
While statewide results were still trickling in for Tuesday’s primary election, Yellowstone County posted final but unofficial results a little before 11 p.m.
In the Republican primary, Yellowstone County Commission candidate Don Jones had 11,552 votes to Mike Black’s 8,880, meaning Jones will challenge Democrat Robyn Driscoll in the General Election in November. (more…) Continue Reading →
A coalition promoting an initiative to expand Medicaid coverage in Montana — and a big increase in tobacco taxes to help pay for it — has a filed a complaint charging its opponents with illegal campaign activities. (more…) Continue Reading →
Wilmot Collins, a refugee from Liberia who was elected mayor of Helena last year, will be one of the speakers at a community forum in Billings next week. Sponsored by Billings Sanctuary Rising, the event, “Strangers to Neighbors: Welcoming Immigrants and Refugees to Our Community,” will run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Community Room of the Billings Public Library on Friday, June 8. (more…) Continue Reading →
In the second of six events scheduled for its 24th season, ArtWalk Downtown Billings will present a night of art and music this Friday, June 1, from 5 to 9 p.m.
ArtWalk has added two new season members for this event — Joy of Living, 102 N. Broadway, which will feature photographer Cory Young, and CTA Architects Engineers, 13 N. 32nd St., which will feature art and furniture creator Robert Keil and potter John Joyce. (more…) Continue Reading →
Brushstroke by brushstroke, Terri Porta is telling the history of Billings on an enormous downtown canvas. That canvas is made up of the walls and ceiling at the entrance to the City Hall parking garage on Second Avenue North. Porta started working on the huge mural on May 7 and plans to finish up by the end summer, when she will have left her mark on an estimated 4,600 square feet of wall and ceiling space. (more…) Continue Reading →
As kids trooped into the Montana Audubon Center last week, they gave no indication of being daunted by a steady rain. It helped that all of them had been issued rain boots and heavy-duty rain pants and jackets. It also helped that nearly all of them were more focused on the squirming worms, picked up along the way, that they were holding in their hands. (more…) Continue Reading →
All over farm and ranch country, it’s getting harder and harder to find workers — whether to herd sheep, process potatoes, pick cherries or milk cows. “It’s hard work and it’s long work and it’s hard to find people to do that,” said John Youngberg, executive vice president of the Montana Farm Bureau Federation. “The need is growing and I think it will continue to grow.” (more…) Continue Reading →
The Washington Post has a story about how two Spanish-speaking American citizens were detained and questioned for 35 to 40 minutes in a convenience store parking lot in Havre because the agent overheard them speaking Spanish. One of the women filmed part of the encounter on her cell phone. When she asked the agent why he wanted to see their IDs, he answered: “Ma’am, the reason I asked you for your ID is because I came in here, and I saw that you guys are speaking Spanish, which is very unheard of up here.”
I often buy old magazines at thrift stores and take them with me to the Y, so I can read them while working out on an elliptical machine. Most of these “old” magazines were published in the previous 18 months or so, but recently I bought a New Yorker magazine dated Feb. 8, 1969. I took it to the Y, climbed up on the machine and started reading, beginning with a couple of shorter articles before turning to a piece titled simply, “The Whitmore Confessions.” (more…) Continue Reading →
