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Senator calls for investment in Montana’s transportation infrastructure to increase safety, ease congestion Senator John Walsh today released a federal report that chronicles the growth of rail traffic and its impact on local communities. Walsh in March commissioned the report from the Government Accounting Office (GAO). After Walsh called for the report, the GAO sent researchers across the country, including to Billings, Glendive, and Williston, ND, to assess recent rail traffic trends, particularly those patterns associated with the oil b...
Montana has a very colorful geologic history with black rock, red rock, limestone, sandstone and mineral deposits such as Coal and Oil. Designed to teach about the geographical wonders of Montana, Former First Lady Nancy Schweitzer, First Lady Lisa Downs-Bullock and the Montana Department of Transportation have installed nearly 50 roadside geo-markers commemorating geologic and paleontological sites throughout the state. The Board and Staff of the Sidney Area Chamber of Commerce & Agriculture are honored to announce that Sidney been selected as...
The Watford City Veterinary Clinic welcomed Dr. Megan Viniard as their third veterinarian July 1, 2014. After graduating from Ohio State Veterinarian School earlier this year, she, her husband Jeff, and their Great Dane Zebulon were looking for a new and exciting opportunity. “My husband and I wanted to take an adventure and wanted to start a new chapter of our lives by moving west,” Viniard explains. “I always knew that I wanted to be a vet in a rural area, I just didn’t know where.” According...
First of all, what is re-fracking? We know that fracking is a method in which water-based fluid under extremely high pressure is pumped down a well to fracture the reservoir rock next to the well bore, creating pathways for natural gas to flow to the wellhead. Through new technology we’ve learned some wells are re-completed and fracked to enable production from a second layer or to open fractures that may have closed over time. A well may be re-fracked every one to two years of operation to s...
The Watford City Veterinary Clinic welcomed Dr. Megan Viniard as their third veterinarian July 1, 2014. After graduating from Ohio State Veterinarian School earlier this year, she, her husband Jeff, and their Great Dane Zebulon were looking for a new and exciting opportunity. "My husband and I wanted to take an adventure and wanted to start a new chapter of our lives by moving west," Viniard explains. "I always knew that I wanted to be a vet in a rural area, I just didn't know where." According...
Since the recent boom in the Bakken, eastern Montana towns have seen increases in far more than oil production. People from all walks of life have begun the trek west to find prosperity and opportunity afforded by the economic development now occurring in the oil and agriculture rich areas of Richland County. Juan Carlos Torres is one of those people. Juan Carlos is a father of six. He moved to the United States from Mexico City in 1985, after a terrifying earthquake, he said. He'd been driving...
For 43 years the Liebel family called the local Jack and Jill's food store their family business. The store's history dates back to February of 1970 when Robert Hallesy and Earl Liebel purchased the hometown Piggly Wiggly grocery store from Mervin Johnson. At the time, Earl managed the store with his wife, Verena. In 1980, Earl's sons Bill and Lonnie decided to buy their father's store, recognizing a solid business opportunity. Up until 2013 they ran the store as partners alongside their wives,...
6/26 Thursday Main Street Free Feed & Historical Walking Tours Film Festival Kick Off Centennial Park Dedication 6/27 Friday Centennial Parade & Festival featuring Kids Zone Heritage Days All School Reunion Trish Gravos Golf Scramble Evening of Music, Food & Fun 6/28 Saturday Centennial Festival Featuring Kids Zone All School Reunion Heritage Days Free Feed & Auction Evening of Music, Food & Fun 6/29 Sunday Gospel Music Non-Denominational Worship Service Thursday, June 26th 10 AM – 1 PM M...
23 was an inventive year in the automotive industry. It was the year post-war era vehicles were introduced. Their designs were sleeker, swoopier, wider and lower. Back then showroom floors touted the all new Ford F-1 pickup truck and the woody station wagon. It was the age of coupes, tudors, newly designed two-door sedans, and customers could drive brand new cars off the lot for no more than $2,200. 1949 was the first year since 1941 that any civilian vehicles were manufactured. In between...
Originally emigrating from Denmark in 1910, Peter and Madisine Hendricksen along with their two daughters, homesteaded 160 acres NW of Sidney, MT in the community of Brorson. Emma, one of Peter and Madisines daughters, married Chris W. Rasmussen in 1920. Chris had emigrated from Denmark in 1908 and had homesteaded 320 acres in the Three Buttes Community. Their first child Curtis was born in 1922. In 1925, Chris and Emma moved to the Hendrickson farm in Brorson to help take care of Emma's...
Tales of the oil patch reach Billings like rumors of an exotic, far-off destination: stories of rags to riches, expansive housing developments, rising crime, infrastructure bursting at the seams, and all-time low unemployment. Residents and visitors are often met with a set of predictable questions: “What’s it like? Is it really how they say it is?” These questions are at the heart of a newly launched multimedia documentary project titled the “High Plains Heritage Project.” It’s about spending time getting to know people living in the areas a...
Kindergarten students from Mrs. Farr's class and students from Mrs. Linder's 4th grade class were in Central School's library to check out new books with SM Energy representative J.D. Jensen. SM Energy donated $1000 to the library. The grant was used to buy Common Core compatible books. The library opened last year with the expansion of classes into Central School because of overcrowding due to the oil boom. (Photo submitted by Deb Denowh)...
Due to strong growth, Territorial Landworks has opened a branch office in Sidney. The company's corporate office is located in Missoula and now has branch offices in Billings, Baker and Sidney. Territorial Landworks, Inc. is an established firm that provides a multitude of services with an emphasis in civil engineering, surveying and land use consulting for public and private clients throughout Montana, Idaho, Washington, Wyoming and North Dakota. Based in Missoula, TLI felt the brunt of the...
Oil and water don't mix. The full extent of the March 11 oil spill at Private Frazier Well site north of Fairview remains to be seen. The Zavanna LLC well site is on land owned by Cayko Farms. Although the North Dakota Oil and Gas Commission says they sent out warnings of ice jams and potential flooding four days in advance, David Hodges, senior vice president of operations for Zavanna says the company received notification by voice mail at approximately 8 a.m. on March 11. Workers were in the...
McKenzie Building Center, Inc., or MBCI as it has become known around the Bakken, has been serving Northwest North Dakota and McKenzie County now for 80 years, supplying professional builders, the oilfield, homeowners and residents with lumber and building material needs for new construction, remodeling and home improvement. "2014 marks a historic year for MBCI. Throughout our 80 years in business, we have become the total building material supplier to the construction, remodeling and oilfield m...
QEP Resources is a leading independent energy company focused on the exploration, gathering, processing and marketing of natural gas, natural gas liquids and crude oil. Headquartered in Denver, CO., they're focused in two major regions: the Northern Region (primarily in the Rockies and the Williston Basin) and the Southern Region (primarily Oklahoma, Permian Basin in west Texas, and Louisiana) of the United States. QEP employs approximately 1,000 people throughout 8 states and is an S&P 500 memb...
The Montana Department of Environmental Quality is offering trainings to help solid waste facilities deal with the wastes generated by the boom in oil production in Eastern Montana. This extensive training event will bring experts from state and federal government and the oil industry to Miles City in an effort to assist landfill owners and operators with the handling and disposal of oil field waste from beginning to end. Who: The Montana Department of Environmental Quality What: Landfill Training – Oil Field Waste – Impact on Landfills Whe...
The Sidney Police Department is hoping they will soon be able to recruit a four-legged member to their staff of law enforcement officers. Since October, they have been working on securing funds to incorporate a canine unit within their department. This is part of an effort to continue meeting the growing demands of keeping the community safe while helping ensure the safety of their officers. "I fully anticipate a canine unit would increase officer safety, which is a big concern for us. It would...
Join Michael Baron, native of Mandan, ND and President/Owner of Great Plains Diversified Services, Inc., On Tuesday, February 4th at 6:30pm for "How do we manage our new-found wealth?" Baron brings a very dedicated and focused expertise to farmers and ranchers regarding their unique industry needs. He's been in the farm estate planning business since 1978. Originally employed with National Farmers Union Insurance in Mandan, North Dakota, as a property and casualty agent, he received specialized...
Jessie Veeder has been invited to participate in the 30th National Cowboy Poetry Gathering, January 27 to February 1, 2014 in Elko, Nevada. Jessie Veeder is appearing for the first time at the Elko Gathering. For its 30th Anniversary, the nation's greatest celebration of the American West, its people, culture and traditions, will turn its focus to the future of the region. Produced by the Western Folklife Center, the 30th Gathering will present poetry, music, fine western gear, films,...
The Dakota Resource Council (DRC) out of Bismarck, ND has recently released a film on living with the oil boom. It's titled: This is Our Country: Living with the Wild West Oil Boom. The film was produced by D&N Cinematics LLC out of Bismarck, ND and narrated by Michael Farley. Per the DRC website, DRC Communications Director Sean Arithson said, "The film features everyday North Dakotans talking about how the chaotic development of the Bakken has affected lives and livelihoods." We often hear...
The opening of an affordable housing complex is making it easier for a number of families to find cheaper housing during a time when housing costs have reached unprecedented increases associated with the Bakken Oil Boom. The Parkview Village opened in late September as a partnership between the Richland County Housing Authority, the Richland Affordable Housing Corporation and the Mountain Plains Equity Group of Billings. Located near Crestwood Inn, Parkview provides 20 apartments with one, two...
Through determination, hard work and their "hands-on" approach, entrepreneurs Keltz Hall and Cole Wirth began their company in Sidney, Montana in 2007 with only one truck. Since then, KC Sand and Transport has grown rapidly and currently boasts a fleet of over 30 new tractors, 50 pneumatic trailers and approximately 40 owner operators. Having outstanding relationships and strategic partnerships with many companies has allowed them to haul numerous commodities in the western region. Their...
As we get older, many of us wonder what kind of influence we'll have on generations after us. In the case of John O. Larsen, and Larsen Service Drug, his decision to become a pharmacist and to move to Watford City and open Larsen Service Drug in 1952, would set a course for four future members of his family. His two sons, and two granddaughters would all choose to follow in his footsteps and become pharmacists. John would get to enjoy running the family business with his son, Larry, for many...
An organization in North Dakota believes it’s just as important to harvest the stories coming out of western North Dakota as it is to capture the natural resources there. To achieve their goal, the North Dakota Humanities Council (NDHC) will send two professional writers with North Dakota roots to communities directly affected by the recent oil boom to host writing workshops exploring the ways oil is transforming the landscape and culture. According to NDHC director Brenna Gerhardt, “Nothing is more important to a culture than its stories. The...
