Morning, friends. It’s me, Lauren Kubiak, your host of the Billings Patch newsletter — back in your inbox with everything you need to know about what’s happening in town these days.
But first, your local weather:
- Monday: Mostly cloudy. High: 68 Low: 43.
- Tuesday: Partial sunshine. High: 74 Low: 47.
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Here are the top three stories today in Billings:
- Montana has passed a bill prohibiting the sale or lease of agricultural land, critical infrastructure, and homes near military assets to foreign adversaries including China, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Russia, and Venezuela. Gov. Greg Gianforte plans to sign another bill to block the social media app TikTok in the state, citing concerns about data privacy and national security. The property ownership ban will take effect on Oct. 1, while TikTok intends to challenge the Montana ban in court. (AP News)
- A man from Billings has been sentenced to five years in prison and three years of supervised release for attempting to engage in sexual contact with a minor. Thomas Clay Sebastian, 25, pleaded guilty to attempting to transfer obscene material to a minor in June 2022. He was arrested during an undercover sting operation conducted by law enforcement in October 2021, where Sebastian engaged in explicit conversations with an agent posing as a 13-year-old girl. The case was part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative by the Department of Justice aimed at combating child sexual exploitation and abuse. (KULR-TV)
- On Friday night, a semi-truck crashed on I-90 near Zoo Drive, causing a fuel spill and resulting in a traffic backup of nearly 10 miles to the east. The crash occurred around 5 p.m., causing the semi-truck’s saddle tank to rupture and spill approximately 50-100 gallons of fuel. Billings firefighters, along with tow trucks and law enforcement, responded to the scene, and the fuel was successfully cleaned up by 6:20 p.m. No injuries were reported, and the road has been reopened. (Q2 News)
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Today and tomorrow in Billings:
- Sparkling Wine Tasting With Treveri At City Vineyard Wine (5:00 PM)
In partnership with T-Mobile:
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From my notebook:
- The Billings Police Department is looking to hire three additional community service officers to fill vacancies, offering a starting salary of $22.46 per hour with full benefits, four-day work weeks, and the possibility of weekend shifts. Interested candidates can find the job description and apply here. (Billings Police Department via Facebook)
- The Yellowstone Valley Animal Shelter was urgently seeking adopters over the weekend as their dog kennels are overcrowded, offering a special promotion with reduced fees of $10 for all adult dogs. The shelter encourages people to visit its website or come in person for meet and greets. (Yellowstone Valley Animal Shelter via Facebook)
- Are you looking to fill your social calendar this week? Check out the list of events happening in and around Billings this week at the link! (Billings 365)
More from our sponsors — thanks for supporting local news!
Featured events:
- T-Mobile Tuesdays: Fresh Perks Every Week (May 9)
- Taxes in Retirement Webinar on May 9th and 11th (May 9)
- Add your event
You’re officially in the loop for today! I’ll be back in your inbox soon with a new update.
— Lauren Kubiak
About me: Lauren is an Editor for Lightning Media Partners. She graduated from Rowan University with a Bachelor’s in journalism. She was previously a full-time editor at an association management firm, editing peer-reviewed nursing journals, textbooks, and newsletters.
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