BOZEMAN — Despite a pandemic, it seems like the city of Bozeman is doing great economically. But that comes with advantages and disadvantages. “What we’re seeing in the last year and a half is an unprecedented surge in housing prices driven in large part by the availability of relatively high-income folks to relocate in places Read More…
WORDEN- — As drought conditions worsen across Montana, farmers are being forced to wait longer to harvest alfalfa. This is leading to a hay shortage, which is causing prices to skyrocket. “I was looking, and prices are anywhere from three to four times higher than this time last year,” says Clint Johannes, a Worden-area farmer Read More…
New food trucks have rolled into nearly every corner of the Flathead Valley this summer, vending everything from tacos to hot dogs and specialty soda. “COVID, I think, definitely had a huge impact on that,” said Amanda Hart, a co-founder of Kalispell’s Rescue Dog. Hart and her husband, Colten, launched their hot dog truck in Read More…
Town and Country foods will open sometime this summer. It’s a little bit behind schedule because of COVID and delivery delays. Management at Town & Country and at some of the other shops at West Park say it’s really important to not have that building be empty. “They gutted Lucky’s (Market) at the auction,” said Read More…
MISSOULA — The Missoula County Airport Authority this week approved a $2 million state loan for Neptune Aviation to fund the purchase of two aircraft hangars and the creation of dozens of new jobs. Neptune, a national aerial firefighting company based at Missoula International Airport, purchased the hangars last September from Homestead Helicopters. The hangars Read More…
MISSOULA, Mont., Dec. 31, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — FYR Diagnostics, a Missoula-based biotech company, has executed a contract with the State of Montana that will increase statewide COVID-19 testing capacity and reduce the time patients must wait to receive results. Adding FYR as a primary testing resource will keep test processing within Montana and alleviate pressure on the state laboratory in Helena. “Even with the Read More…
BIGFORK — Bigfork during the summer is usually full of tourists and people enjoying Flathead Lake but one restaurant would have closed this past summer if not for state-funded coronavirus grants. “Bigfork is right at the north end of the lake and we have The Playhouse right beside the restaurant so that’s usually full — and then we’re Read More…
On March 9, less than a year after Gov. Steve Bullock signed House Bill 725 legalizing sports betting in Montana, the first betting terminals were placed inside bars and casinos across the state. Two days later, the NBA suspended the remainder of the professional basketball season. A day after that, the NHL and MLS suspended Read More…
A local Helena photographer celebrated five years in business. Kevin League hosted a grand opening of his new, permanent gallery this weekend in Downtown Helena to celebrate the anniversary. For League, having a full-time space to display his work is the first within his five years in business. League has numerous awards for his work Read More…
GREAT FALLS — Blackfeet Tribe business owners can now apply for grants to help them make up for some of the money they’ve lost this year due to the pandemic. Application are being accepted through December 11. As of Tuesday, about two dozen businesses had submitted applications. The committee overseeing the grant was still in Read More…
HELENA – The Montana Chamber Foundation announced today its plans to host The Prospects, a statewide high school business plan and pitch competition. As a part of Envision 2026, the Montana Chamber of Commerce’s ten-year strategic plan, the organization is working to build an opportunity for business growth and prosperity by improving Montana’s talent pipeline Read More…
New changes are coming to one of downtown Kalispell’s oldest historic buildings. Originally opened in 1912, the Kalispell Grand Hotel is now under new ownership. Noelle and John Barr of Houston, Texas, took ownership of the downtown landmark after it spent more than 30 years under the care of Janet and Butch Clark. “We’ve got Read More…
FRAMINGHAM — A Framingham development company is co-redeveloping a Montana mall and bringing the first Whole Foods Market to the western state. Framingham-based Grossman Development Group, LLC, is partnering with Boston Realty Advisors/The Broadway Company and the ownership of the Gallatin Valley Mall in Bozeman, Montana, to redevelop the shopping center that serves a five-county trade Read More…
First Interstate BancSystem (FIBK) came out with quarterly earnings of $0.76 per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.68 per share. This compares to earnings of $0.79 per share a year ago. These figures are adjusted for non-recurring items. This quarterly report represents an earnings surprise of 11.76%. A quarter ago, it was expected Read More…
As the unpredictable nature of the coronavirus pandemic continues to affect every industry differently, sawlog prices in Montana are reaching record levels, said F.H. Stoltze Land and Resource Manager Paul McKenzie. “The product demand has increased dramatically in general forest products,” he said. According to the University of Montana Bureau of Business and Economic Research Read More…
MISSOULA — Over the past 20 years, Montana’s registered apprenticeship program has sent more than 3,300 workers into good-paying jobs, with another 2,400 on the way, according to a new report. On Wednesday, Gov. Steve Bullock summarized the findings of a Department of Labor and Industry report on Montana’s Registered Apprenticeship program and praised the role that Read More…
BOZEMAN — Manufacturing companies around Montana will offer virtual and in-person tours of their operations throughout October as part of a national effort that kicks off with National Manufacturing Day on Thursday, Oct. 1. The Montana Manufacturing Extension Center at Montana State University is encouraging Montana manufacturers to host the tours and is available to Read More…
Montana State Fund (MSF) will be paying a $20 million dollar dividend back to policyholders in mid-November. This is the 22nd consecutive year the MSF Board of Directors has declared a dividend. They’ve returned a total of $306 million to policyholders since 1999, $165 million since 2015 alone. “It tells us we’re making progress in Read More…
MISSOULA, Mont. — A western Montana company made the cut in an international competition to come up with U.S. Air Force security solutions. Adelos, Inc. is a subsidiary of S&K Technologies, Inc. and owned by the Confederated Salish and Kootenai tribes. We showed you their groundbreaking technology two years ago when they proposed alternative security solutions Read More…
Nearly $138 million has been sent to small businesses through the Montana Business Stabilization Grant program since the program launched in May. For a lot of recipients, the program has been a much needed lifeline that has kept their business from going under. “We have been extremely grateful for it,” said Brianne Harrington, owner of Read More…
BUTTE – Just as Butte’s tourism season was getting started, coronavirus dealt the hotel industry a vicious economic blow. “Who knew? Who knew that we would ever come across something like this?,” said Maria Pochervina, director of the Tourism Business Improvement District. READ FULL STORY
Billings AMC theaters will reopen at the end of August after being closed for almost six months. Nationwide AMC Theaters will begin to reopen on Aug. 20, with retro ticket prices of 15 cents per movie. The company said it expects to open doors to more than 100 cinemas, about a sixth of its Read More…
Kimpton Hotels and Resorts newest hotel, the Kimpton Armory Hotel in Bozeman, Montana, will debut August 18, becoming the brand’s first property in Montana. Located in a landmark National Guard Armory building joined by a new tower in Bozeman’s downtown, the hotel blend “Montana’s rugged beauty and the storied history of the building” with modern amenities. This Read More…
The Hagadone Media Group has launched a new grant program offering up to $1 million in matching advertising funds to assist locally owned businesses that have been impacted by the coronavirus outbreak. Grants will be awarded in amounts up to $10,000 per month and can be used toward print or digital advertising in local Hagadone Read More…
St. Vincent Healthcare officials announced Wednesday the hospital was recognized as one of the top 100 hospitals in the nation by IBM Watson Health. The Billings hospital is the only of its kind in Montana to receive this distinction. This is the second year in a row for the recognition. St. Vincent is also the Read More…
FedEx Express and FedEx Ground employees in a Montana city will soon be working in the same building, and, for some shipments, together. FedEx Express employees in Kalispell, Montana, will conduct operations at FedEx Ground’s facility there once a building lease begins August 31. The two companies’ work in that building “will remain independent of Read More…
Inimmune, a Missoula-based biotech company founded by nationally recognized vaccine scientists that has been working on a vaccine for COVID-19, announced today that it has raised $22 million in Series A funding led by Two Bear Capital, a venture-capital firm founded by Whitefish philanthropist Mike Goguen. The firm plans to use the Series A investment Read More…
WHITEFISH — Whitefish Mountain Resort is taking extra precautions for all of their activities on the mountain due to coronavirus concerns. Elyse Knudsen, risk control manager with Whitefish Mountain Resort, said that the resort is being extra careful with guests. Before the summer season started the resort assessed all possible contact points between guests and Read More…
Just about every business has had to adapt to COVID-19 in one way or another, creating a financial strain for many organizations. In addition to a drop in customers, the cost of safety precautions like masks and hand sanitizer can be a burden on organizations. Since March, Blackfoot River Brewing Co. in Helena has moved Read More…
COVID-19 cases are increasing in Montana, and a group of businesses in downtown Bozeman have decided to do something. “We do have an uptick in cases, and hopefully, this will slow it down. In our industry, we need to show that we’re willing to do our part. But we’ve also got families to feed and Read More…
A long-anticipated grocery store and a new Town Pump are under construction on neighboring parcels on Bozeman’s north side. Construction of WinCo Foods is underway on Max Avenue near Staples, just off of North 19th Avenue. The employee-owned grocery store, based in Boise, Idaho, first tried for a Bozeman location in April 2016 but withdrew those Read More…
BILLINGS- A former market president for Rocky Mountain Bank has admitted to fraud and money laundering crimes. A release from the Department of Justice says 46-year-old Stephen Phillip Casher was charged in a 14-count superseding indictment alleging bank fraud and related crimes. The prosecution presented evidence in court records at trial that Casher worked as Read More…
KALISPELL, Mont. — Summer officially begins at Whitefish Mountain Resort this Saturday. The resort will be opening nearly all its outdoor activities, including over 30 miles of mountain bike trails. As snow continues to melt, more trails will open throughout the season. The resort will also be opening three brand-new trails expected to be completed by Read More…
Richland County is among a handful of statewide areas designated as a “Destination Community.” As part of the Phase 2 Reopening of Montana scheduled to begin on June 1, Gov. Steve Bullock announced that 20 counties — including Richland — would be eligible for additional financial assistance through two new initiatives to help protect Read More…
There’s another twist in the years-long legal battle over the operation of a Creston bottled water plant, with the Montana Supreme Court overturning a lower court ruling which had blocked permits. Local residents and conservation groups have been fighting the plans of Montana Artesian Water Company to pump enough water to fill more than 1-billion Read More…
JCPenney has released their list of stores they are closing. The list shows 154 stores that they have decided to close, including one in Montana. The Gallatin Valley Mall JCPenney is the only location in Montana currently set to close. “While closing stores is always an extremely difficult decision, our store optimization strategy is vital Read More…
It’s no secret that the newspaper industry across the country has been facing challenges for the past few years. Falling subscriptions and ad dollars have been attributed to the internet and the current way that many of us consume news and information. Why wait for a morning newspaper when instant info is available 24-7 right on our Read More…
When Joe Unterreiner became the Kalispell Chamber of Commerce president and chief executive officer in 1996, he thought he’d only be there for a few years. But 24 years later, he’s finally decided to transition into retirement starting this October. “It’s been a really great run … I really enjoyed the work, obviously, or I Read More…
KULR (Billings)- It started in a brainstorm session, but evolved into something much larger, all to recognize area high school seniors. Lets face it, being a graduating senior is not the most ideal of situations right now. In a team effort, one Billings commercial print shop is providing area seniors a momento to remember their Read More…
More than 9,600 COVID-19 relief grant applications have been submitted to the State of Montana since applications opened last Thursday. Last week, Governor Bullock announced $123 million in CARES Act funding for nine new grant programs that are designed to address key COVID-19 issues Montanans are facing. As of the beginning of the business day May 13, the Montana Read More…
MISSOULA, Mont. — Montana Secretary of State Corey Stapleton noted that 11,000 fewer businesses renewed their state registrations by April 15 this year in comparison to last year. The statistic was highlighted in Stapleton’s Montana Business Forecast on Sunday. “The economic, social, and health-related disruptions from the coronavirus are historic,” Stapleton wrote in the emailed forecast. Read More…
“Times are hard and change is coming no matter what we do, but what we can do is be good to those around us. Our neighbors need good neighbors more than ever…” Those were well written words by our friends at KXGN Radio & TV in Glendive, Montana as they shared the news that BNSF Read More…
HELENA- Montana child care providers are eligible for funding through the CARES Act Child Care and Development Block Grants. The $10 million in federal CARES Act funding was announced Wednesday, and is to provide support for existing child care providers, assistance for low-income families participating in the Best Beginnings Scholarship Program and will fund emergency Read More…
MISSOULA, Mont. — The Kettlehouse Northside location is closing permanently in Missoula due to COVID-19 pandemic. They posted the following on their Facebook page: We have some difficult news to share. We have made the decision to permanently close our Northside taproom in response to the global pandemic we are currently experiencing. As a result of Read More…