Virtual News Center
UM Commencement
Q2 reports over 2,000 students received their diplomas in two separate commencement ceremonies at the University of Montana Adams Center this weekend. Among Saturday’s speakers was former UM graduate and Nike COO Eric Spunk.
This year’s commencement was divided into a morning and an afternoon ceremony...
National Train Day
National Train Day was celebrated for the first time ever in Billings– the city that bears the name of the former Northern Pacific Railway president Frederick Billings. Saturday’s event was dedicated to understanding and learning about the history of Billings and the railroad, according to Billings Depot Executive Director Michelle Williams...
Nurse to Plead Guilty
Former Billings Clinic nurse Donald Mills– fired last year for diverting painkillers intended for patients for his personal use– has indicated he will plead guilty in U.S. District Court in Billings.
Mills is charged with tampering with consumer products and acquiring Fentanyl by misrepresentation, fraud, forgery and deception...
Summer College Camps
The Gazette reports Montana State University Billings is inviting kids to spend a week this summer on the MSUB or City College campus to experience learning in a university setting. According to the press release, academic-based summer camps are offered to students in second through ninth grades for a variety of interests and age ranges through the I THINK and Kids on Campus programs...
Clark Fork Flooding
Hydrologists say the Clark Fork is on track for record flooding. According to the National Weather Service, the latest projection is for it to reach the 13-and-a-half foot range in Missoula, and some of the high country weather stations show 60-to-70 inches of water has yet to melt out...
BPD Chief Addresses Misdeeds
The Gazette reports that Police Chief Rich St. John told the Billings City Council Monday that the “misdeeds of a few officers should not be a broad-brushed opinion of how the Police Department operates.” St. John was referring to the controversy over revelations that three officers were punished for having sex with a woman on city property, some while on duty, as well as another case in which a
UFO Talk Thursday
Helena author Joan Bird wants to believe. She spoke to a crowd of about 45 people Wednesday at the Western Heritage Center about her book, “Montana UFOs and Extraterrestrials.” The zoologist and biologist with a doctorate degree is scheduled to speak again at noon Thursday at the same location, in a talk sponsored by Humanities Montana....
MSC Rules Billings Cop Can Be Sued
Q2 reports the Montana Supreme Court ruled on Tuesday that a Billings police officer who injured a bystander– tackled while he was pursuing a suspect in 2012– is not protected from civil litigation.
Robert Bassett originally filed the lawsuit in Yellowstone County District Court against Officer Paul LaMantia, alleging the officer failed to exercise reasonable care in performing his duties...
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Woman Walks Away from Passages
The Gazette reports yet another woman– serving out a sentence for a Custer County burglary– walked away from the Billings prerelease center Wednesday night, according to Alternatives Incorporated and the Montana Department of Corrections...
Lockwood Voters Approve High School Bond
Q2 reports that taxpayers in Lockwood approved a bond issue for a high school to be built, supporting the $49.9 million project on Tuesday with almost 64 percent of the vote. Superintedndent Tobin Novasio said they want taxpayers to be confident in their investment...
Tour de Fleur
Billings TrailNet held its 3rd Annual Tour de Fleur, a bike ride that celebrates women, spring and the joy of cycling. Kristi Drake, Billings TrailNet executive director said Song Dog Serenade added to the festivities, as about 250 cyclists went on either the five mile or one and a half mile rides on the trails near Shiloh Crossing...
Yellowstone Ballots Due Tonight
Ballots cast in school issues are due at the Yellowstone County Elections Office by 8 p.m. tonight. Voters in School District 2 have no elections, but in Lockwood, voters are considering a $49.9 million bond that would expand Lockwood to a Kindergarten through grade 12 school district...