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Jeff Martin, Yellowstone County Clerk and Recorder, has filed for election to the position he was appointed by County Commissioners to fill following the retirement of Tony Nave last spring. State law requires that the position be filled for its remaining term, by an election at the next general election.

Martin, who filed as a Republican candidate for the position, said that he is "thankful that the county commissioners had faith in me to appoint me to the position." They selected him from a broad field of candidates and he assumed the position on June 1.

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As of January 1, Montana’s minimum wage is scheduled to go up again on New Years’ Day.

The Economic Policy Institute says the increase will directly benefit 15,000 workers in the state.

The state’s minimum wage will increase 30 cents to $7.65 an hour. The institute says that means an extra $624 per year in wages for a full-time minimum wage worker.

The increase comes as a result of an initiative Montana voters adopted in 2006 that established annual cost of living increases.

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Allison Corbyn has joined Big Sky Economic Development as a Community Development specialist. Corbyn is a 2010 Rocky Mountain College graduate majoring in both History and Political Science. Prior to being hired, Allison served as an intern for the organization. She also works with the Yellowstone AIDS Project as a Community Outreach Coordinator.

In her role at Big Sky Economic Development, Corbyn will work closely within the Community Development team to secure funding on behalf of county agencies and other nonprofit organizations, administer grants and facilitate certain projects that result from BSED's efforts.

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Organizational efforts aimed at directing the development of an area in front of MetraPark have resumed this year. Members of the Trailhead Hospitality Corridor Vision Steering Committee met on Jan. 6, and plan to continue meetings once every two months to continue an effort that was launched during the past year.

The group is comprised of representatives from a wide variety of community groups including the City of Billings, Yellowstone County, the Billings Chamber of Commerce, Big Sky Economic Development Authority, the East Billings Urban Renewal District (EBURD), MetraPark, as well as others.

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Yellowstone County Commissioner Bill Kennedy, Democrat, announced his candidacy for re-election. The run is for his fourth full-six year term. Kennedy said that the primary reason he is running for re-election is because he loves the job and the people of Yellowstone County.

Kennedy was first elected as County Commissioner in 1992 when he successfully ran to complete two years of a term being vacated by Dwight McKay.

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Yellowstone County Commissioners proceeded with an action to abandon a portion of South 32nd Street West, despite the opposition of unions.

Representatives of a number of unions from throughout the state were present at the meeting on Tuesday to urge the county commissioners to sell – not abandon – an easement back to the property owner, since the property owner, Bay Limited (formerly Berry Y&V), is not a union shop -- and they claim the company is not hiring locally.