Last Best News (https://montana-mint.com/lastbestnews/category/billings/page/28/)
A week later than planned, Doc Harper’s martini bar had a “soft opening” Wednesday, throwing open its doors at 4 p.m. By 5, the place was jumping, with nearly every seat on the main level taken and more people sitting in the mezzanine. “I called some friends and texted some kids, that’s all,” Barb Harper said. “I’m amazed at all the people here.” (more…) Continue Reading →
A trailer full of camping gear belonging to a Billings Boy Scout troop was reported to have been stolen from a West End church parking lot. The theft was reported Monday by Scoutmaster Rick Lindholm, who said the trailer was stolen from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints parking lot at 2929 Belvedere Drive, just off Grand Avenue and 30th Street West. (more…) Continue Reading →
It’s awfully early in the 2015 Montana legislative session to be optimistic about anything, but Jani McCall thinks this might just be the year lawmakers finally authorize cities and towns to pursue local sales taxes. “I think it’s going to be a tough haul,” McCall said, “but I think if there was ever an opportunity to do it, this will be the session to do it.” (more…) Continue Reading →
I am of course aware of Billings Gazette editor Darrell Ehrlick’s column and some of the conversation downtown. Ehrlick’s description of downtown Billings on Black Friday, Nov. 28, was unfortunately true. One of my associates and I also noticed most of the problems Ehrlick mentioned around our office that day. (more…) Continue Reading →
Editor’s note: The editors of Noise & Color, Billings’ independent monthly magazine of culture and entertainment, asked me to write them a piece expanding on my recent column about downtown Billings, and the intense reaction to a certain column about the downtown that appeared in the Billings Gazette. (more…) Continue Reading →
Downtown Billings ushered in the new year with the second annual Downtown Countdown under Skypoint Wednesday night. (more…) Continue Reading →
Nathan Blanding chronicled the construction of his Clark Avenue home on a blog he called “Mr. Blanding’s Dream House.”
The title was inspired by “Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House,” a 1948 film starring Cary Grant and Myrna Loy. For Nathan Blanding, it really was his dream house: it was an infill project, multigenerational, handicapped-accessible and high-energy-performance. And he built it himself. (more…) Continue Reading →
Rudi Marten was considering different ways of expressing his commitment to downtown Billings when he thought of the classic Christmas movie “Miracle on 34th Street.”
Reflecting on the movie was doubly inspirational. It led him to think in terms of “Miracle on Montana Avenue,” the downtown street where he and his parents decided to relocate their Columbus photography studio two years ago. (more…) Continue Reading →
All the playground equipment has been removed from South Park, and a similar removal will take place starting next week at Pioneer Park. This is not the work of the Grinch. The city’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Public Lands had already been planning to install new, much more attractive equipment at both parks next spring, using money from the Citywide Park District created by the City Council three years ago. (more…) Continue Reading →
Three or four beavers—one or two adults and two kits—have built themselves a home on the shores of Lake Elmo in the Heights. Their bank den is on the west side of the 64-acre reservoir, near the boat launch and right alongside a culvert that feeds the lake with water from the Billings Bench Water Association canal. A bank den is similar to a lodge but incorporates the bank surface into the structure. (more…) Continue Reading →
