Last Best News (https://montana-mint.com/lastbestnews/category/culture/page/15/)
Editor’s note: The seventh annual High Plains Grand Slam, a poetry competition held in conjunction with the High Plains BookFest, played out Thursday night before a standing-room-only crowd at the MoAv Coffee House. With 14 competitors entered in the verbal throwdown, it was the largest and without a doubt the best slam we’ve seen here in Billings. The winner—and now the first person to have won the title twice—was Pete Tolton, of Billings. (more…) Continue Reading →
Ed Kemmick note: George Moncure, whom I have counted as a friend almost from the moment of our first conversation, related below, sent in a press release earlier this week to announce that he was throwing a party to celebrate the 20th anniversary of his business, the Yellowstone Valley Brewing Co. The release included a rundown of the brewery’s many firsts, and some of its most memorable events, and I found it so well done that I asked George if we could just run the thing as a guest column. He was willing, and after polishing it a bit sent it back in. (more…) Continue Reading →
City Vineyard is fermenting a new plan: to move into a new 5,000-square-foot space—doubling the current footprint—at the end of February. In collaboration with developer Steve Corning, new construction is underway. It is apropos that Becky Reno’s new expanded venture is located on a street named Golden Valley. Reno has proven to have the Midas touch. (more…) Continue Reading →
Tahani Nelson has put on her armor and summoned her troops. The cause for which they fight is Nelson’s novel, “The Last Faoii.” Winning the battle would mean getting the book into print, into the hands of as many readers as possible. (more…) Continue Reading →
The High Plains Grand Slam, a competitive poetry-reading event, just keeps getting bigger and better. This year’s slam, set for Thursday, Oct. 6, at the MoAv Coffee House, 2501 Montana Ave., will be the first one officially registered with Poetry Slam Inc., a nationwide organization, and it will feature a $250 prize for the slam champion. (more…) Continue Reading →
It took Parker Brown a long time to figure out what he wanted to do with his many talents. The 33-year-old had played guitar and bass guitar in rock, blues, fusion, country, jazz and soul bands, worked as a sideman for singer-songwriters, played in duets, trios and other combinations, dabbled in songwriting and appeared on at least 20 albums. (more…) Continue Reading →
Joanie Swords has reopened Harper & Madison. That’s a good thing. What “Yellowstone Valley Woman” (one of my favorite local publications) has called a “quaint eatery … for people of all walks looking for baked goods made in-house, coffee, lunch and camaraderie” had been closed for remodeling since Christmas Eve. Look for Harper & Madison on 10th Avenue North—sunny side of the street—between North 31st and North 32nd streets. (more…) Continue Reading →
“Vote with your fork.”
That was one of the overriding themes at the Homegrown Prosperity Conference, sponsored by the Northern Plains Resource Council at the Billings Public Library last Saturday. (more…) Continue Reading →
Paul O’Brien was nearing the completion of his doctorate in physical therapy when he had a life-changing thought. He liked doing physical therapy, but he realized he didn’t really love it. Talking to his then-girlfriend, he wondered aloud what he could throw himself into that he was truly passionate about. As O’Brien recalled it, she looked at him and said, “It’s food. Are you kidding me? Continue Reading →
For now, at least, Laurel resident Chase Brownlee is the face of Billings. The 26-year-old Stillwater Mine geologist is on the cover of the September issue of Outside magazine, which just hit the newsstands today. Another photo of Brownlee dominates the Contents page and there’s a two-page spread of him standing atop the cliffs of the Four Dances Recreation Area (also known as Sacrifice Cliff) overlooking the Yellowstone River. (more…) Continue Reading →
