Bright Magazine: Community 2022

Sandhill

Together we are working to deliver a bright future.

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VOL 2 // ISSUE 2 // COMMUNITY

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Need

I just finished reading your May edition and have to compliment you on this publication. You have covered such an interesting variety of topics, while effectively describing the company’s contributions to the communities it serves. Well done!

Even though I don’t live in your service area and am not familiar with most the locations that you profile, as a longtime shareholder I was quick to contact my broker to buy some more shares!

Again, congratulations on your good work!

Jeff Benson, Seattle, Washington

about

custserv@northwestern.com

How

When

2010,

I had

August,

in

sent me a

note saying “Remember: it’s all about the people.” I have never forgotten that, and the role of community has never been more important. Why is that?

It is through community that we have the largest impact and through which we develop the human relationships that count above everything else. At NorthWestern, employees lift others up, whether it is through kindness to customers or help to co-workers when there is a health or family crisis. Across the company, when an employee and his or her family has a crisis, other employees step up to help. These are quiet acts and gestures, and they are not advertised. However, they count for everything. That’s the NorthWestern community.

On a larger scale, we each have communities outside of NorthWestern. For me, one is the world of sports as I compete in triathlons: swim, then bike, then run. However, we do more than train and compete –we support the communities in which we work, live and compete, and we engage with others to help them train, compete and live a healthy, fulfilling lifestyle. For example, during the pandemic, the triathlon club I am part of held a virtual, three-day remote event through which we raised more than $75,000 for the Challenged Athletes Foundation to help buy adaptive sports equipment for athletes with physical disabilities. Another example is my Helena, Montana, Masters swimming group that combines pre- and post-season get-togethers with some form of community support. Most recently, we contributed large amounts of snacks (that wouldn’t melt out in the field) to Montana firefighters and before that, donations to Helena Food Share.

The most recent example for me involves Slovakia, where, this past

contributed hundreds of pounds of clothing.

And, speaking of Ukraine, many in NorthWestern’s Legal Department and others chose to celebrate the 2022 International Women’s Day, which took place just after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, by contributing to a nonprofit to aid Ukrainian refugees. All of these efforts matter.

I have announced my retirement from NorthWestern effective in January 2023. Aside from transformative accomplishments at NorthWestern, such as the successful effort to acquire our hydro facilities, what I value the most about NorthWestern Energy are the employees. It is indisputable that NorthWestern’s employees are committed to delivering reliable, affordable, sustainable energy to our customers. We are also committed to one another, and to strengthening the communities in which we work and live. And a plug for retirees: you helped build NorthWestern!

I will continue building deep communities with people and causes that mean a lot to me. I know NorthWestern will continue to as well, as NorthWestern’s employees highly value human relationships and the ability to do more through community. It’s all about the people.

Grahame General Counsel and Vice President – Regulatory and Federal Government Affairs

I joined NorthWestern in

a CEO whose company

represented

private practice for years

handwritten

I raced in the World Triathlon Multisport Championships. Slovakia borders Ukraine, and Slovakia has taken in countless Ukrainian refugees. USA triathlon racers agreed to bring extra clothing with them to Slovakia, and to donate it to Ukrainian refugees. Collectively, we

Heather

Huron – The South Dakota Governor’s Office of Economic Development toured our new Bob Glanzer Generating Station near Huron in August.

Huron – Several Huron employees participated in the 2022 MS Walk/Run at Lake Byron. The event raised awareness for multiple sclerosis, and proceeds were donated to the Upper Midwest Chapter of the National MS Society and directly to the Huron community to support those with MS.

Huron – Our employees volunteered at the 15th annual Day of Caring. They helped scrape, prime and paint a house in one day.

Grand Island –

Our Grand Island employees celebrated Arbor Day by planting new trees at the Grand Island Customer Service and Operations Center.

We had a busy summer attending events across our service territory (shaded in orange). We loved getting to see so many people in person! Here are some highlights of events, sponsorships and more.

Aberdeen – Louie the Lightning Bug had a great time hanging out with some friends at Storybook Land’s Storybook Festival.

Huron – We are proud to be a longtime supporter of the South Dakota State Fair. As we have for more than 10 years, we were the namesake of the NorthWestern Energy Freedom Stage. We enjoyed seeing many South Dakota customers at the fair. Thanks to everyone who stopped by our booth!

Willow Lake – Our employees joined with Jakob Hohm Off-Road Adventures to plant an oak tree in Veterans Memorial Park.

Sioux Falls – A group of employees served lunch at the 39th annual Ag Appreciation Day, organized by the Agribusiness Division of the Greater Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce.

Tea – We attended Teapot Days, which included a carnival, hot rod and motorcycle show, pancake breakfast and more.

Missoula – We sponsored Symphony in the Park, a free outdoor concert featuring the music of Aretha Franklin, John Williams and Stephen Sondheim.

Thompson Falls – The new pavilion at Power Park is nearly finished. After the old pavilion was destroyed in 2021, NorthWestern gathered input from residents about what they would like to see rebuilt in the park. We settled on a new pavilion that can be used for gatherings and community events. The Power Park Pavilion will open this fall.

Missoula – We were proud to support the Missoula Under Construction event in August. The event gives kids the opportunity to see and operate heavy equipment. NorthWestern served as the event’s water sponsor, providing refillable water bottles for attendees.

Butte – NorthWestern Energy Engineer Kirt Mayson was elected as Vice Chair of the Utilities Technology Council Board of Directors. UTC is a global association representing the energy, utility and telecommunications industries.

Butte – To celebrate the end of summer, we invited the public to decorate the sidewalks outside our Butte General Office with chalk. Everyone who participated received a coupon for a free lunch at Lunch in the Park.

Great Falls – We were honored to sponsor “Flight Over the Falls,” a two-day air show hosted by the Montana Air National Guard featuring the Thunderbirds.

Butte – NorthWestern Energy sponsored the Montana Folk Fest in Butte in July.

Great Falls – The second annual Junior League of Great Falls’ “Touch a Truck” fundraiser in August was a great success.

NorthWestern Energy’s crews provided bucket-truck rides at the family-fun event in downtown Great Falls. NorthWestern Energy made a $700 donation to the Junior League of Great Falls in recognition of our employees who volunteered for this great cause.

Sun River – We sponsored the Sun River Valley Fun Day parade.

Community Relations Specialist Lori Nelson rode her horse in the parade.

Billings – NorthWestern Energy Biologist Marco Restani presented to the Downtown Rotary Club of Billings about NorthWestern’s Avian Protection Program. He talked about how our power lines and poles are designed to decrease bird electrocutions and how we design windfarms to minimize bird mortality. He also discussed our program to build nest platforms to keep ospreys from building nests on power poles.

Bozeman – We sponsored Eagle Mount Bozeman Digger Days, a fundraiser for Eagle Mount, which serves individuals with disabilities, as well as people with cancer, giving them an opportunity to enjoy outdoor activities including horseback riding, skiing, swimming, gardening, cycling and climbing.

Bozeman – Our Bozeman employees volunteered with the Lower Gallatin Watershed Cleanup to help remove garbage, including tires, steel drums and shopping carts, from the Gallatin River.

Red Lodge – We took part in the Red Lodge Area Community Foundation’s Summerfest to support emergency management and disaster relief in Carbon County.

Ennis – We were proud to sponsor the Fourth of July rodeo in Ennis.

Sweet Relief

By Erin Madison

In early August, Western Sugar in Billings reached out to NorthWestern Energy because a transformer at the sugar beet processing facility had failed.

As a large industrial customer, Western Sugar provides and maintains its own transformers, unlike smaller customers where NorthWestern

owns the transformers. The failed transformer was a 13,622-pound, 6-foot-wide, nearly 6-foot-tall, 2,500 kVA transformer – not something you can buy at the average hardware store or electrical supply store.

“The wait for a 2,500 kVA transformer is about 60 weeks,” said NorthWestern Key Accounts Manager Debbie Singer.

Unfortunately, Western Sugar’s fall beet processing season was just a few weeks away, and the plant wouldn’t be able to operate without the transformer. That would have meant a loss of hundreds of jobs at

the plant and a major loss to all the sugar beet farmers in the region who wouldn’t have had a plant to ship their beets. Western Sugar is a farmer-owned cooperative, so the farmers own the business, and any shutting down of the plant would have been catastrophic to the regional agricultural community.

Luckily, NorthWestern Energy had a spare 2,500 kVA transformer in our Billings warehouse that we were able to sell to Western Sugar.

“We are not in the business of selling electrical equipment to cus-

tomers,” Debbie said. “However, we went the extra mile to make it work for them.”

The transformer, which was so large a crane was needed to lift it onto a flatbed trailer, was installed at Western Sugar in time to begin sugar beet processing on schedule.

“We really appreciate NorthWestern Energy coming to our aid when we were in a serious bind,” said Joe Bladecki, Western Sugar’s Plant Manager. “NorthWestern went above and beyond.”

‘NorthWestern Energy went above and beyond’ when we helped Western Sugar replace a failed transformer.

Western Sugar in Billings processes sugar beets into sugar. When a transformer failed just before processing season, NorthWestern Energy was able to come to the plant’s aid.

By Brandy Powers

Soar the Big Sky

The only hot air balloon festival in Montana draws the public to Billings.

The big sky over Billings, Montana, danced with extra colors and beauty as 19 hot air balloons took flight during the 2022 Big Sky International Balloon Rendezvous. A cornerstone in Billings for nearly 30 years, the event draws pilots from across the world and is made possible through the support of community sponsors.

The Montana balloon festival has changed names and locations a few times over the years, yet it remains the only hot air balloon event in

Pilots from as far away as Belgium and Canada join with local pilots from Montana, as well as pilots from other states, to provide spectators with a magnificently memorable experience.

“We’ll bring as many balloons as there are sponsors to support it,” said Big Sky International Balloon Rendezvous board member Kylie Coleman-Jones, explaining how the monetary balloon sponsorship provides transportation for the pilot and balloon, along with propane for the flight.

“The best kind of sponsors are those that get involved and help the crew,” Kylie said. “The pilots all vie for who gets paired up with NorthWestern Energy, because they are well-known throughout the organization to not only be counted upon to financially support the event but they have a reliable, hard-working group of volunteers that show up each morning to help launch and chase the balloons.”

The leader at the helm for NorthWestern Energy’s balloon crew is Billings-area Community Relations Manager Lisa Perry. She starts prep for the event months in advance as she recruits employee volunteers, coordinates supporting activities, plans the flight schedules, secures the donation, and works with the event planning board.

“We have a dedicated group of volunteers that I look forward to working with each year,” Lisa said. “I’m always in awe of how proficient they’ve become at ballooning – on top of all they do during their fulltime workday”

Montana. Presently, Big Sky International Balloon Rendezvous occurs annually in late July at Amend Park in Billings.

 Graham Luckett and his beautiful balloon, Tally Ho II, was paired with the NorthWestern Energy crew. A seasoned pilot for 40 years, Graham traveled to the event from Fort Collins, Colorado. He has flown in 19 different countries and says his favorite place to fly is wherever he is flying at the moment.

NorthWestern Energy Engineer Taylor Erskine, who volunteered at the Big Sky International Balloon Rendezvous, helps launch a balloon from Amend Park in Billings.

Each morning of the four-day event, the balloons take flight from Amend Park where spectators gather at dawn to watch the ascent. Since launch conditions are highly weather-dependent, a local weatherman is on-site to discuss any delays and help educate the crowd on safe flight conditions. Weather cooperated and all flights were a go during the 2022 event.

Once in the air, the balloons fly as long and as far as the wind takes them, typically landing after about an hour, around 8 a.m. Volunteer chase teams follow their designated balloon and bring the pilot and balloon back to the park.

“We need to give our local landowners a special shout-out as well,” Lisa added.

A balloon pilot can only control the balloon’s movements up and down, while the wind controls the speed and direction of the flight. Pilots search for safe and accessible landing spots from the air.

“Our pilot and crew work hard and fast to get the balloon packed up and off the property as fast as possible. Landowners’ support is a critical component of a successful flight.” Lisa said.

Perhaps the highlight of the weekend event is Saturday night’s Balloon Glow. Starting at dusk, the huge, magnificent balloons are lit up and illuminate the park. As part of the evening festival, NorthWestern Energy offered bucket truck rides, providing kids with a “lineman’s view.” Local band Repeat Offenders performed late into the night and food trucks kept the crowds well fueled. The balloons remain on the ground during the evening event and it’s the perfect time for observers to walk

around and interact with the pilots while marveling at the grand size of the balloons.

“Every balloon has a name and usually a story about why it's named that,” said board member Wynona Veatch, recalling what a huge impact the event has had over the years with her own family.

That sentiment was shared by the whole board, who each have touching stories about why they are so passionate in donating their time to bring this long-standing tradition to the community.

“I can still remember seeing the Mr. Peanut balloon dance across the sky as a kid,” said board member Laura Harmon. “I love that this is an event I can now enjoy with my son and we get to look forward to it year after year.”

The event cannot happen without the assistance of many volunteers and sponsors. Hot air balloons need a chase crew to follow them to landing and bring them back to the field, and help set up the balloon and inflate it. The process is intense and the days start early.

“Over the course of the four morning ascensions and the evening glow, we need hundreds of volunteers,” Big Sky International Balloon Rendezvous Board President Chris Jones said. “We can’t thank the community enough.”

Want to see the crew in action? Jeff Henckel, NorthWestern NERC Compliance Specialist, and seasoned “balloonist” created a time-lapse from sunrise to take-off. Scan this QR code with your phone’s camera to watch the video.



The NorthWestern Energy volunteer crew begins each morning as they would at work, with a safety tailboard and Move Safe stretching lead by Journeyman Lineman Cary Norling, a long-time event volunteer.

 Many NorthWestern Energy employee volunteers were joined by their family members who also volunteered at the Big Sky International Balloon Rendezvous. Volunteering was a big commitment – volunteers had to arrive by 5:30 a.m. to greet the sun and prepare the balloons for the early morning departure. Despite the early wake-up time on the weekend, the volunteers had a blast.

ByErinMadison

‘WildPhenomenon’

Every spring, the fields, rivers and skies around Grand Platte and Kearney, Nebraska, are filled with cranes. The Central and North Platte river valleys of Nebraska see about 1 million sandhill cranes passing through the area during their annual migration.

The cranes spend the winter months in the southwestern United States – Texas, California, Arizona and New Mexico – and Mexico. Each spring, they make the roughly 5,000-mile trip to their breeding grounds in Canada and Alaska. Some birds go as far as Siberia.

Nebraska’s Platte River Valley serves as a “staging area” for the birds. They stop to rest, eat, replenish and bide their time until the snow melts up north. The birds roost on sandbars in the Platte River, so they can hear approaching predators. The braided channels of the Platte River offer ideal roosting sites. During the day, the birds fly to nearby fields where they feed on grain. Sandhill cranes increase their body weight by 15-20% during their stopover in Nebraska. This gives them the energy needed to make the long trip north. Each day, as dusk approaches, the cranes fly from the fields back to the river, and the skies around Grand Island and Kearney become speckled with birds.

Each spring, some 1 million sandhill cranes pass through Nebraska during migration.

Whooping Cranes

The majority of the cranes that pass through Nebraska are Lesser and Greater sandhill cranes. However, lucky birdwatchers may also spot whooping cranes.

Whooping cranes nearly went extinct in the 1940s as their habitat disappeared and they were widely hunted. At one point, only about 20 birds remained in the wild. Thanks to captive breeding programs and wetland management, some 600 whooping cranes are alive today.

It’s common to see as many as 10,000 cranes per half mile of river. While the sight of that many birds is incredible, the sound they make is unlike anything else. Sandhill cranes have a unique rolling, trumpeting call, thanks to their long tracheas that coil into their sternum. One crane is loud. Ten thousand of them sound like a stadium full of trumpet players each playing their own tune.

National Geographic has called the annual sandhill crane migration one of the greatest wildlife phenomena in North America. About 80% of all sandhill cranes come to the Platte every spring, creating the largest concentration of cranes anywhere in the world. This phenomenon is a sight to see, and bird watchers from across the country and around the world flock to the area to see the cranes.

Local organizations offer bird viewing tours during the migration. The Rowe Sanctuary, home of the Iain Nicolson Audubon Center, is 1,447 acres in size and contains 2.5 miles of river channel. During crane migration, the sanctuary, located east of Kearney on the Platte River, offers guided crane viewing tours at sunrise and sunset. They also offer an overnight photography experience, where bird watchers spend the night in a bird blind. The Rowe’s tours fill up quickly, so book well in advance.

If you go:

Best time to go: The Sandhill Crane migration typically begins in mid-February, peaks in mid-March and tapers off in mid-April. Take a guided tour: To get an up-close view of the birds in their roost, sign up for a guided tour with:

• The Rowe Sanctuary – rowe.audubon.org, or

• The Crane Trust – cranetrust.org

Take a self-guided driving tour: During the day, cranes can be seen in fields along the Platte River. Go for a drive on the nearby gravel roads, and you won’t be able to miss the birds. You can also find driving tour maps online and at local visitor centers:

• SeeTheCranes.com

• visitkearney.org/self-guided-crane-tours

The Crane Trust, near Grand Island, works to protect critical habitat for whooping cranes, sandhill cranes and other migratory birds. The Crane Trust offers bird blind tours during migration, allowing visitors to observe the birds at sunrise and sunset. They also offer lodging. Yearround, the organization hosts scientists, researchers and students on the 10,000 acres of protected land along the Platte River.

Can’t make it to Nebraska to see the migration? Watch on your phone instead. Scan this QR code with your phone’s camera to watch a livestream of the crane migration.

All about sandhill cranes:

Height: 3-5 feet

Wingspan: 5-6 feet

Weight: 6-14 pounds

Lifespan: 20 years

Terminology: Young cranes are “colts.” Adult females are “mares.” Adult males are “roans.” A group of cranes is called a “construction,” “dance,” “sedge,” “siege” or “swoop.”

Here Forever

The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone in Yellowstone National Park.

Yellowstone Forever’s sustainability efforts

By Erin Madison

To celebrate Yellowstone National Park’s 150th anniversary, Yellowstone Forever, the official nonprofit partner of the park, is outlining a sustainability plan to make sure Yellowstone will be around for the next 150 years and beyond.

“We’re reflecting on the past and thinking about what we can do in the future,” said Lisa Diekmann, President and CEO of Yellowstone Forever.

The plan is called “Here Forever” and focuses on sustainability efforts that will ensure Yellowstone remains forever. Yellowstone National Park is facing several new challenges, including the effects of climate change and increased visitation.

“There are things that need to be addressed for the future of the park,” said Sam Barkley, Yellowstone Forever’s Senior Director of Cor porate Partnerships.

“Here Forever” outlines six strategic ini tiatives ranging from water to leadership. The initiatives also include a focus on energy con servation, renewable energy production and electric vehicles, which is where NorthWest ern Energy comes in. As the electric provider for Yellowstone National Park, NorthWestern is working with Yellowstone Forever to develop renewable energy generation in the park.

We recently installed two microgrid sys tems – one in West Thumb and one at the Bechler Ranger Station – that supply electricity

aim

to

ensure Yellowstone National Park will be here well into the future.

through solar generation and battery storage. We’re also working with Yellowstone Forever to improve the energy efficiency of some of the large, old buildings in the park. In some buildings, we’re helping upgrade the lighting to LEDs and changing out parking lot lights for dark skyfriendly LED lights.

The park is working on a couple employee housing projects, and Yellowstone Forever is partnering with NorthWestern Energy to make sure those buildings are sustainable and energy efficient.

“NorthWestern Energy brings expertise to these complex projects,” Sam said.

Another priority of the Here Forever plan is to transition Yellowstone’s fleet to clean and zero-emission vehicles. Down the road, NorthWestern Energy may help in that area by installing vehicle charging stations.

NorthWestern recently made a $25,000 commitment to Yellowstone Forever’s Here Forever initiative. The details of how that funding will be used are still being outlined. However, both Yellowstone Forever and NorthWestern are committed to making sure Yellowstone National Park has a bright future.

“We’re developing plans to mitigate what’s to come and adapt for the future,” Sam said.

 The microgrid at the Bechler Ranger Station in Yellowstone National Park supplies electricity through solar generation and battery storage.

Shelter in the Storm

By Alissa Byrd

Living in the Midwest, intense storms are always expected, but this summer, many South Dakotans witnessed a storm that was far more intense than anything they’d seen before.

On Thursday, May 12, I was attending a conference in Fort Pierre, South Dakota, alongside other NorthWestern Energy employees.

As the conference wrapped up, I told Angie Christensen, NorthWestern Energy Community Relations Specialist, about the upcoming weather, as I knew she was going to Brookings and then Madison later that day.

The conference ended early Thursday afternoon, and I traveled three hours back to Sioux Falls.

I arrived home around 4 p.m. and called my mother, Angela Rans, a fellow NorthWestern Energy employee in Huron, and asked if she’d been monitoring the weather forecast.

At the time, she didn’t know about the forecast at all. She left work at 5 p.m., and everything changed within minutes of her drive home. She witnessed the skies turn entirely dark, trees toppled by wind and blocking the roads.

After my mom called me back and I realized how bad the storm impacted Huron, I knew it was headed east toward Brookings, where Angie was.

I couldn’t shake this instinct to check on Angie again. I had texted her several times earlier to remind her to monitor the weather.

4:12 p.m., I texted Angie, “Did you make it home okay?”

4:16 p.m., Angie replied, “I made it to Brookings and headed towards Madison now. Be safe, sweetie!”

Although I felt some form of reassurance knowing she was safe at that moment, I still couldn’t stop this gut feeling I had. Truthfully, after I read that text, I felt worse. Almost like my intuition had doubled in intensity.

All I could think about was that I needed to ensure Angie was safe. So, amid preparing for the storm to hit Sioux Falls, I called Angie.

I was anxiously pacing back and forth, watching the live weather radar while the phone was ringing, waiting for Angie to pick up.

Seconds felt like minutes. Given the adrenaline of the situation, I can’t recall the specifics of what was said during that phone call. I remember telling Angie to stay in Brookings, take shelter immediately and

please let me know once you’re safe.

Hearing Angie’s voice eased some of my anxiety, but this feeling I had was still so intense. To help calm down, I reminded myself that I did everything possible. I made the right choice by calling her and I’m probably just feeling nervous because of the storm in general.

4:29 p.m.: “I went to my folks because I saw the wall, and we rescued a kid on a bike.” Angie said.

4:34 p.m.: “The shed, grill, and a huge tree in my parents’ yard just blew away ... Thank you soooo much for the warning!!” Angie said.

 Eleven-year-old Tate, his mom Lisa, and NorthWestern Energy Community Relations Specialist Angie Christensen pose with the bike Tate was riding during the May 12 storm.

Still, to this day, I have no words for how it felt to read, “We rescued a kid on a bike.”

Chills instantly radiated through my body. It felt as if someone had physically lifted a weight off my chest.

Tate, 11, was at the baseball fields about a mile away from home when the storm hit. When the wind picked up, he got on his bike to head home, and immediately the blowing dirt irritated his eyes.

“I couldn’t even open my eyes or see anything while pedaling,” he said. “It was still light out, but there was dust everywhere. It felt like a bunch of little rocks hitting my face.”

Tate pedaled on, but the wind physically blew him and his bike.

“I just wanted to get inside somewhere,” he said. “I knew I couldn’t get to my house.”

Instead, Tate tried to take shelter in a shed that happened to be in Angie’s parents’ yard.

On his way to the shed, the wind knocked Tate and his bike over in the yard.

“When I got up after falling on the ground, I started to run to the shed, but then I saw Angie in the window,” Tate said.

Tate saw the lights inside the home right before they went out. At that exact moment, Tate found Angie, or maybe Angie found Tate.

“When I walked into the house, I told my parents to look out the window,” Angie said. “That’s when I found Tate on the other side. If I hadn’t walked in at that moment and said that, we wouldn’t have seen him.”

Angie pointed to the garage, and Tate ran to the side door and Angie let him in.

Tate’s mom, Lisa, was home when the storm hit.

“When I was in the driveway and realized he wasn’t with us, I looked down the block and saw all this debris flying. Like, big pieces of debris,” Lisa said. “All I could think about was that he was trying to ride his bike, and I was so worried he would get hit by these huge pieces of debris.”

“I started to back out of the driveway, and at that point, it was dark and the sirens were going. I thought we were in a tornado,” Lisa said.

Right as she began to back out, Tate called her and said, “Mom, I am OK.”

Lisa ran back inside and took shelter in the basement, but all she could think about was how this happened — how did he get to this house?

“He had angels looking out for him,” she said.

The dugout at the baseball field was destroyed, and there would’ve been no shelter for Tate.

Our storm response

About 9,500 NorthWestern Energy customers lost power during the May 12 storm in South Dakota. Our crews worked around the clock for several days after the storm, and we saw an outpouring of support for our crews.

Ryan’s Hanger in Huron whipped up 50 late-night burgers in less than an hour. The Huron McDonald’s had breakfast ready for our crews the next day, and Pack and Play Travel dropped off pizza for lunch.

By the evening of May 13, about 24 hours after the storm, our crews had restored power to more than 85% of our impacted customers. Crews continued to work until everyone’s power was restored.

A couple months later, South Dakota was hit by another major storm that left customers across our service territory without power. Once again, our crews worked around the clock until power was restored.

In June, historic flooding washed out bridges and roads and caused severe property damage in several areas of Montana. The National Guard was called in to assist with rescues of stranded recreationalists and other members of the public, including small children. Yellowstone National Park closed.

NorthWestern Energy crews worked around the clock, safely, to monitor flood damage, make repairs and restore service.

“The dedication of NorthWestern Energy’s employees to get the power back on in Montana communities and Yellowstone Park experiencing extreme flood damage was remarkable,” said NorthWestern Energy CEO Bob Rowe. “They kept our customers and their co-workers safe while working in harsh and challenging conditions. Their response during this natural disaster contributed significantly to flood recovery.”

More than 400 homes in Carbon County, Montana, were evacuated during

severely damaged or destroyed more than two dozen residences and businesses and washed out or damaged 13 bridges. Two of the three 50-kilovolt transmission lines that feed the Red Lodge community, population 2,260, were washed out in the flood, causing the community to lose power at 2 p.m. on June 13. Crews successfully placed a pole about 100 feet from the flooded river bank and restored power by 11:30 p.m.

Flood damage caused an outage on NorthWestern Energy’s 69-kilovolt transmission line serving Yellowstone National Park and communities north of the park. Highways and roads were closed due to flooding, rock slides and washed-out bridges. The town of Gardiner, Montana, at the north entrance to Yellowstone National Park, was completely isolated. The park was evacuated, but visitors who left through the North Entrance had to stop in Gardiner (already crowded with visitors), because the road to go any farther had been washed out. Everyone pitched in to help take care of the stranded visitors, who appreciated

By Jo Dee Black

NorthWestern Energy crews worked around the clock to safely restore service after historic flooding in Montana and Yellowstone National Park.

day, completed repairs and restored power.

That evening, a highway opened for emergency traffic, and NorthWestern Energy crews retrieved their vehicles.

Floodwaters washed out a bridge downstream of NorthWestern Energy’s Mystic Dam project, preventing two of the three journeymen plant operators from getting to the site. The Mystic Dam project, a 12-megawatt generation resource, is located at an elevation of 7,600 feet in the rugged Beartooth Mountains. The journeyman onsite hiked two miles up the mountain in the storm to pull dam flash boards to prevent overtopping at the dam. Because of remaining ice on the water and debris, the reservoir elevation was rising quickly. A helicopter transported the other two journeymen to the site.

Mystic Dam operated as designed with no risk to its integrity and kept water levels downstream managed. Without NorthWestern Energy’s Mystic Dam, the flood impact in Stillwater County, Montana, which was severe, would have been considerably worse.

“Our employees show up every single day ready and willing to do what it takes to safely deliver reliable energy to our customers and the communities we serve,” Bob said. “They worked closely with Yellowstone Park, and with the affected communities downriver. Their work during the June flooding in Montana is an example of their commitment, as was the great work of our South Dakota employees only several weeks later in response to severe wind events.”



Crews respond to June storms at Mystic Dam, in Yellowstone National Park and in Red Lodge along Rock Creek (clockwise from top left).

Scan this QR code with your phone’s camera to see additional photos of the June flooding.

 A house in Red Lodge was partially washed away by flooding in Rock Creek.

By Tucker Harris

Walking down the Pheasant Tail Lane in the town center of Big Sky, Montana, last fall, someone might have thought a wind storm hit the area. The majority of trash cans were knocked over, and debris was scattered throughout the streets.

On one side of the road almost every trash can had been tipped over—contents spilling into my and my neighbors’ streets and yards. On the other side of the street however, the asphalt remained clear of debris. This is all due to one small difference: bear-proof trash cans.

Hey Bear, an outdoor gear and bear safety advocacy brand in Big Sky is trying to increase the use of bear-proof trash cans through education and awareness. Hey Bear’s mission is to advocate for safe and responsible human and bear coexistence while actively giving back to nonprofits that support bears in their natural habitat.

My roommates and I were on the waitlist for a bear-proof trash can for a few months, and as the summer was ending, our outlook looked grim. Despite our best efforts to keep the bears out with bungee cords and cement blocks, every Monday morning would start with us putting on

APPAREL FOR

plastic gloves, holding our noses and scrambling to pick up all the past week’s trash before the dump truck arrived.

Aside from being messy, bears that are habituated to human sources of food, whether it be garbage, pet food, bird feeders or other attractants, lose their natural drive to find food in the wild and oftentimes cannot be rehabilitated, according to Morgan Jacobsen, Region 3 information and education program manager for Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks.

“Keeping attractants secured not only helps keep you and your neighbors safe, it helps keep bears alive and promotes healthy bear behavior,” Morgan said.

Last year, Teton County, Montana, which includes towns just outside the Bob Marshall Wilderness Area, voted to require bear-proof trash cans and dumpsters countywide. Much of the push for the updated regulations stemmed from recent concerns about infamous Grizzly 399 and her cubs repeatedly getting into trash and other wildlife attractants before heading into hibernation in 2021. The new regulations are intended to help keep both bears and the community safe.

“Following these recommendations and being ‘bear aware’ adds layers of safety for people, but they also help keep bears wild,” Morgan said.

As more people visit and move to these wild areas, bear encounters will become more common. In addition to storing food properly,

FOR A CAUSE

hiking in groups, and carrying and knowing how to use bear spray, it’s also key to avoid surprising bears. It’s often a good idea to yell out “Hey Bear” as you recreate in bear country, notifying bears of your presence on the trail.

The brand Hey Bear has harnessed the power of these words and turned it into a movement.

“There’s been this massive population growth in bear habitat areas,” said Eric Ladd, the brand’s founder. “You see more and more interactions with people and bears … and it prompted me to try and have an impact and create a solution for these problems.”

Hey Bear produces trendy and tactical T-shirts, hats, jackets and bear spray belts, and is subsequently creating a campaign around education and recreation as well as giving back to regional bear habitat conservation efforts. Hey Bear is more than just a brand of sustainable and fashionable products—it’s an organization that advocates for those beautiful apex predators with whom we live.

“We should consider ourselves lucky to be stewards and to be living with a creature such as a bear,” Eric said.

And we are lucky—lucky to share a space in this beautiful ecosystem with these bruins. As we head into the fall, remember to properly store all food and garbage that could attract bears to your home to help us better keep our community safe and the bears wild.

NorthWestern Energy supports Hey Bear

NorthWestern Energy supports Hey Bear’s mission of promoting safe and responsible human and bear coexistence.

This summer, we sponsored the Wildlands Music Festival in Big Sky, a fundraiser for nonprofits that support bears in their natural habitat. In addition, we are partnering with Hey Bear to create custom logo-wear that will be available soon to our employees.

Photo by Bailey Mill

for Teachers

By Erin Madison

Research shows that students who form an identity of being interested in science, technology, engineering and math before the age of 12 are more likely to end up in a STEM field.

However, most elementary-age students have little exposure to engineering.

The National Science Foundation’s Research Experience for Teachers program aims to change that. The program works to give teachers hands-on engineering experiences and help them turn those experiences into lesson plans that they can take back to their classrooms.

Montana State University in Bozeman recently established a Research Experience for Teachers, or RET, site, and NorthWestern Energy partnered with MSU to help teachers see engineering in action.

In July, 10 teachers and students studying to become teachers got a special tour of Madison Dam, led by two NorthWestern Energy engineers and the hydro plant foreman. The tour was a chance for teachers to see firsthand what an engineer’s job might look like.

“We touch so many different disciplines doing our work,” said BJ Cope, NorthWestern Energy Engineer.

RESEARCH EXPERIENCE for TEACHERS

By Erin Madison

The National Science Foundation’s Research Experience

works to give teachers hands-on engineering experiences.

Participants in Montana State University’s Research Experience for Teachers program got a first-hand look inside the Madison Powerhouse.

“Ultimately we want to have more engineers and more diverse engineers,” said Paul Gannon, MSU Engineering Professor and one of the leaders of the RET site.

Kalani Madrona is one of the pre-service teachers in the RET program. He’s studying education at MSU.

Kalani grew up in a small town in the Mojave Desert in California. From a young age, he was interested in science and engineering, but he had little exposure to the subjects, beyond the basics, in his rural school.

“Coming to college, I felt like I was at a huge disadvantage,” he said.

Kalani plans to pursue a master’s degree in STEM education and hopes to eventually start a program to train paraprofessionals to help special needs students get more exposure to STEM education.

He expects what he’s learning in the RET program is going to be extremely helpful to him down the road.

“I think it’s going to transform a lot of teachers here,” he said. Transforming teachers is the goal of the program. Paul wants teachers to feel comfortable teaching students about engineering and introducing engineering topics in the classroom.

Becky Hammack was transformed by the RET program. Becky taught middle school science and engineering in Oklahoma for 12 years. She participated in RET for two years as a teacher and then got a grant to start an elective engineering class.

“It really inspired me,” she said.

Becky now teaches at MSU’s College of Education and helps lead MSU’s RET site. Becky helps the RET program participants take what they learn through hands-on research and develop engineering curricula to use in their classroom.

“Programs like this are really beneficial because they give teachers real-world exposure,” she said.

 Participants in Montana State University’s Research Experience for Teachers program tour Madison Dam.

 Madison Dam is a 13-megawatt hydro plant.

CELEBRATING CHAMPIONS

By Jo Dee Black

In Montana, NorthWestern Energy delivers energy service over 107,600 square miles, 73% of the state’s land area. Meeting our spreadout customers, who are outnumbered by the power poles on our system, can be challenging.

A 34-year partnership with the Montana High School Association allows us an opportunity to deliver celebrations, and important safety information, to our customers across the state.

NorthWestern Energy sponsors trophies and awards for post-season events sanctioned by the Montana High School Association. NorthWestern Energy also sponsors the annual Academic Excellence Award, which is presented to one Class AA, Class A, Class B and Class C high school with the highest accumulative grade point average of students participating at the varsity level in sports, speech and debate, drama, music and cheerleading.

There are 182 Montana high school members of the Montana High School Association and about 1,470 post-season events annually. Each year, attendance at state Montana High School Association-sanctioned events, from basketball tournaments to state speech meets, tops 150,000.

“This is our longest-standing sponsorship, and it is an effective way to deliver energy safety education to this critical, statewide audience,” said NorthWestern Energy Director of Brand, Advertising and Customer Care Brandy Powers. “How to recreate safely near our Montana hydro facilities, storm safety including staying clear of downed power lines, the importance of calling 811 to locate underground power and utility lines before any digging project and what to do if you smell natural gas – we can reach customers from every community we serve during tournament time in Montana.”

NorthWestern Energy delivers something to celebrate, along with important safety education, with Montana High School Association partnership.



Niebur holds the Class B 2020-2021 State Championship trophy, Billings Gazette photo; Montana Class C Boys Cross Country awards ceremony (top) 2016 Montana High School Association Class C 6-Player champions, the Hot Springs Savage Heat (bottom) MHSA photos; 2017-2018 Class A Boys Basketball champions, the Hardin High School Bulldogs (top) 2018-2019 Class AA NorthWestern Energy Academic Excellence Award presentation at Billings Skyview High School (bottom) MHSA photos; 2016-2017 Class C Boys Golf champions, Seeley-Swan High School, MHSA photo. Bottom row, from left: Montana High School Associaiton all-class state wrestling tournament in Billings, MHSA photo; NorthWestern Energy Great Falls Division Manager Bob Vinson hands the second place Class A team trophy to members of the Havre Blue Ponies team at the 2018 state wrestling meet in Billings, NorthWestern Energy photo; 1988 MHSA tournament program advertisement from the Montana Power Co.

Top

“We get to connect with our customers, and our employees appreciate the chance to be part of the trophy and award presentations,” Brandy added. “It’s a great way to celebrate with our customers and the communities we serve.”

Trophy and awards presentations are the culmination of the hard work of individual participants and the commitment and dedication of parents and fans, said Montana High School Association Executive Director Brian Michelotti.

“Every award ceremony, from a softball field with 500 fans to a state basketball tournament in a fieldhouse packed with 7,000 people, has a positive feeling,” he said. “Everything comes together at the end of the season, and to be involved with that and the championship crowd is special. To see the excitement after all the hard work that was put in, it is amazing.”

The partnership was launched between the Montana Power Co.

and the Montana High School Association in 1988, which included establishing the Academic Excellence Award. NorthWestern Energy recognized its value and continued the sponsorship after buying MPC’s Montana distribution and transmission business in 2002.

The NorthWestern Energy Academic Excellence awards for 20212022 were announced the end of August, with Billings Senior, Billings Central, Jefferson and Grass Range high schools named champions in each of their respective classes.

“It’s a very prestigious award, and we travel to the school to present it during an assembly or a big, early-season game,” Brian said.

“I am so proud of our student-athletes and coaches,” Jefferson High School Principal Mike Moodry told Boulder Monitor Editor Charlie Denison. “It just shows the overall commitment to the all-around success of our students, whether it be faculty, staff, coaches, parents, the board or the community.”

row from left: Big Timber’s Lauren

Ask Jeremiah Wellar of the Helena High School Class of 2022 about his future plans, and he’s quick to answer: “I am going to be an electrician.” He looked for ideas about how to chart a path for that career while touring NorthWestern Energy’s Helena Division operations during the Jobs for Montana’s Graduates IGNITE Montana conference in April.

Funded by the Montana Department of Labor and Industry, Jobs for Montana’s Graduates prepares middle and high school students for the workforce, promoting student success by, among other things, connecting them with local employers. NorthWestern Energy is an IGNITE Montana sponsor.

“NorthWestern Energy offers a broad spectrum of career opportunities, attractive salaries and competitive benefits,” said NorthWestern Energy Director of Human Resources Heather Burns. “We are committed to attracting excellent employees. Connecting with students to show

them what NorthWestern Energy has to offer is a valuable workforce development investment.”

NorthWestern Energy Helena Service Center Coordinator Business Matt Darfler shared his own career path with the students.

He worked as a carpenter for a Montana construction company before attending Montana State University-Bozeman and earning an accounting degree. Before joining NorthWestern Energy in early 2022, Matt was a bank auditor.

“One thing that impressed me is that there is so much room for growth with this company,” Matt said.

NorthWestern Energy needs accountants, engineers, attorneys and technology personnel, as well as positions that do not require a college degree, said NorthWestern Energy Supervisor Electric Operations Tyrel Wilson.

 Participants in the Jobs for Montana’s Graduates IGNITE Montana conference tour our Helena Division Office.

INVESTING IN OUR FUTURE WORKFORCE

By Jo Dee Black

“Nationwide, there is a shortage of linemen,” he said. “Think about a career in one of the skilled craft areas. These are rewarding, good-paying jobs.”

“We also have internships in the hydro operations, business technology, with grounds crews, in departments across the company,” said NorthWestern Energy Supervisor Operations Planning Steve Rock. “Internships are an opportunity to gain hands-on experience.”

Jeremiah plans to job shadow his uncle who is an electrician. He stopped by booths at a spring job fair, including NorthWestern Energy’s, and put skills he is honing in his Jobs for Montana’s Graduates class, such as public speaking and networking, to use.

“Jobs for Montana’s Graduates has introduced me to a lot of occupations I had not considered,” he said.

Learn more about career opportunities at Northwestern Energy at northwesternenergy.com/jobs.

A WARM WELCOME IN ANY LANGUAGE

By Erin Madison

Erika Ramirez grew up speaking Spanish at home. Her parents are both from Mexico and speak little English.

When a Spanish-speaking customer comes into NorthWestern Energy's walk-in office in Grand Island, Nebraska, Erika often thinks of her mom. When she greets people in Spanish, she can see them relax and the anxiety of whether they'll be able to communicate melt away. Erika has seen her mom in the same situation, seen her be able to relax when someone speaks Spanish.

"If they know I speak Spanish, they feel a lot more comfortable," she said.

Erika, who has worked as a Customer Associate with NorthWestern Energy for five years, is happy to be able to help customers who are more comfortable speaking Spanish.

"I see it from my mom's point of view," Erika said. "If that was my mom, I would want someone to help her."

Even customers who have never visited our Grand Island office may recognize Erika's voice. She records the Spanish that customers hear when they call our toll-free numbers and press 2.

Erika's favorite thing about her job is getting to know our customers, whether speaking English or Spanish.

"That interaction with people, I like that," she said.

Customer Service Representative Erika Ramirez works in our Grand Island Office and is fluent in Spanish.

ENERGY

Many Americans are facing challenging times, and no one wants to see rising electric bills. We know our customers count on us every day for the energy they need, and we recognize our responsibility to serve cus tomers by working to keep bills as low as possible. We also know customers expect us to deliver reliable energy that is resilient to extreme weather and other threats and to lead the transition to a clean and secure energy future. That’s why we’re taking the necessary steps to modernize our energy grid, and why we filed an application for a regulatory rate review with the Montana Public Service Commission.

Current NorthWestern Energy Montana natural gas rates were set using cost information from 2015, and electric rates were set using cost information from 2017. Since then, NorthWest ern Energy has invested $267 million in our Montana natural gas infrastructure and $835 million in our Mon tana electric

NorthWestern Energy is requesting a regulatory rate review for the following reasons:

• We’ve invested more than $1 billion in Montana’s natural gas and electric infrastructure since our last regulatory rate review.

• Costs, including technology and labor, are rising.

• The need for recovery mechanisms that more timely recover costs and better align with the interests of customers by ensuring that NorthWestern Energy is a financially sound company capable of making the significant investments efficiently that are required for reliable, safe energy service for our Montana customers.

• To help ensure access to low-cost capital to continue efficient investments.

Approximately 46% of the requested electric revenue increase and 12% of the requested natural gas revenue increase are driven by flow-through cost increases, including market power purchases and property taxes.

The requested increases are in line with inflation, even with the substantial increase in flow-through costs.

• NorthWestern Energy requests a 14.8% increase for natural gas revenues. This represents a 2.5% increase per year since current rates were determined by the Montana Public Service Commission based on 2015 costs.

Helping our customers

We recognize our rate request will impact our customers during a period when other prices are also increasing. NorthWestern Energy is committed to helping customers who may be struggling with their bills and businesses concerned about their bottom line.

• Customers concerned about their ability to pay their energy bill can contact NorthWestern Energy for information about energy assistance programs and to arrange flexible payment options.

• NorthWestern Energy also helps our Montana customers with access to critical government and community assistance funding programs through the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) and Energy Share of Montana. Only a small percentage of Montanans who qualify for the program access this assistance. Helping Montana families navigate the application process and simplifying that process where possible will benefit our communities as well as Montana’s economy.

• NorthWestern Energy requests a 22.4% increase for electric revenues; representing a 5.6% increase per year since current rates were determined by the Montana Public Service Commission using 2017 costs.

For the latest information on our rate review, visit NorthWesternEnergy.com/RateReview

FOCUSING ON SUS TAIN ABIL ITY

By Amie Thompson

When NorthWestern’s Sustainable Procurement and Practices Guidelines came out in January, Joan Styer, a Print and Mail Specialist in our Huron, South Dakota, office, started looking at how she could improve recycling and purchasing.

After a call to the City of Huron, Joan was able to expand NorthWestern’s curbside recycling program. Huron’s Facilities team has been recycling cardboard and white paper for a long time. The team bales it, and it is picked up by the city.

But now, there are also options for plastic and paper board. After only a few weeks, crews have collected a large number of plastic water bottles.

Until this month, none of our other buildings in Huron participated in recycling, but Joan has also started picking up recycling at three other locations.

“She is doing this as part of her mail route,” said Richard Leners, supervisor of Facilities Services in South Dakota and Nebraska.

In addition to recycling, Joan is also making sure the Huron office is stocked with environmentally friendly cleaners. She’s been doing research to make sure the facilities are using the most sustainable products.

“Joan is really digging into the certifications,” Richard said.

The Facilities team is even looking for a more sustainable toilet paper and has tried several different brands.

“That’s one you get immediate feedback on,” said Richard.

As the supplies of old cups, plates, plastic forks and plastic spoons run out, she will replace them with more sustainable products, being careful that the products will still meet employees’ needs.

Joan discovered that in some cases the sustainable products are cheaper than what they were purchasing.

NorthWestern’s Facilities Services has always been tasked with being sustainable. They are currently using capital funds earmarked for energy conservation to replace interior and exterior building lights with LEDs. The old lights are recycled or donated when possible. The teams also monitor building energy consumption and program thermostats to save energy after business hours. Facilities Services has historically worked with electric and gas crews to recycle scrap metal and wood. They also assist Business Technology in recycling electronics.

Our Huron office is working to expand recycling offerings and provide environmentally friendly products.

Other sustainability efforts happening at our Huron office:

Aluminum cans are picked up by a retired farmer in the Huron area who donates the money he collects from the cans to Make-A-Wish.

The team uses a recycling program for toner/ink, and Joan is researching added benefits.

Facilities will be purchasing a hybrid van in the next year.

The team has stocked the break room with coffee cups and water bottles, and they are encouraging staff to use them, rather than plastic or Styrofoam cups. A dishwasher is available if needed.

Huron employees are also working at replacing artificial plants with living plants.

a Print and Mail Specialist in our Huron, South Dakota, office has been working to improve recycling options.

 Joan

NorthWestern takes part in Butte community e-waste event

At least 10 years ago, the National Center for Appropriate Technology, or NCAT, a Butte, Montana-based organization focused on energy savings and sustainable agriculture, started hosting community electronic-waste events.

The events continue today. NCAT works with Billings-based Yellowstone E-Waste Solutions. Each June, Yellowstone E-Waste Solutions comes to Butte and picks up old electronics from Butte’s largest businesses, including NorthWestern Energy. The following day, community members can drop of their e-waste items.

NorthWestern also works with Yellowstone E-Waste Solutions for a recycling pickup in January or February.

“We recycle at least two times a year,” said Gina Konen, Manager of Business Technology Assets and Records.

NorthWestern’s e-waste recycling includes everything from computers and monitors to servers and cellphones.

Styer,

Remembering the Great Disaster of 1895

By Erin Madison

On Jan. 15, 1895, an explosion shook Butte, Montana. The disaster killed 58 people, including 12 firefighters, one police officer and many brave residents who came to their aid.

A nonprofit organization has been working since 2015 to create a memorial to remember those who lost their lives in what is now known as the Great Disaster of 1895.

“It’s kind of wild that there hasn’t already been something done for this,” said Malina Blotz, Customer Solutions Technologist with NorthWestern Energy and board member of Butte Historic Memorials, Inc.

Just before 10 p.m. on Jan. 15, 1895, the fire department received a call reporting smoke coming from the Kenyon-Connell Warehouse.

“That was the warehouse that stored dynamite for the mines,” Malina said.

The warehouse, located near present-day Casagranda’s Steakhouse in Butte’s historic warehouse district, was located next to the Butte hardware company.

“I don’t think they realized how dangerous it was,” Malina said.

The Kenyon-Connell Warehouse was supposed to store a limited amount of dynamite, but it far exceeded that limit. Combined with the hardware supplies next door, the area soon turned into a shrapnel-filled explosive.

After the first explosion, people rushed in to help the firefighters who were injured in the blast. Then, a second explosion boomed, killing many of the large crowd that had gathered to help.

In all, 58 people died. Butte Historic Memorials has done a tremendous amount of research to learn about those who died in the blast.

“The firemen were well known but not the citizens,” Malina said.

The organization tracked down family members of some of the lesser-known residents who died in the explosion.

“They’ve helped fill in a lot of the gaps,” she said.

Butte Historic Memorials even helped uncover a 58th victim who suffered a skull fracture from the blast, eventually developed an infection and died weeks later.

 A new memorial in Uptown Butte pays tribute to the 58 people who lost their lives in an explosion in 1895. (top)

“When we started this, we thought there were only 57 victims,” Malina said.

The memorial, which is located on Mercury Street in front of the fire station, is made up of several different sculptures, all created by artist Jim Dolan.

It would have been impossible to have sculptures of all 58 people who died, so instead the group picked key people to represent the disaster. The memorial includes sculptures of three people who died that night – Edwin

Two Bear Robbins, who was the oldest victim; E. Gibbon Fraser, the youngest victim; and Fire Chief A.D. Cameron. The memorial also features Jim, a fire horse that survived and saved the life of a firefighter. There’s also an unnamed dog that belonged to one of the firefighters.

The last piece of the memorial is callbox 72, which is the callbox from which the smoke was initially reported.

Butte Historic Memorials fundraised for the memorial over several years. Each time they raised enough money for another piece of the memorial, they commissioned a new sculpture.

Along the way, NorthWestern Energy donated $5,400 to the effort. NorthWestern also displayed the sculptures in the windows of our General Office Building while they were waiting to be installed.

The memorial was constructed in August 2021, although the group is doing some final fundraising for landscaping and lighting.

“Right now it’s just a matter of getting the final touches,” Malina said.

Malina grew up in Butte and has always been interested in Butte history. At NorthWestern, Malina’s job involves the latest technology. She currently plays a key role in our Advanced Meter Infrastructure project.

“I love technology, but I love history, too,” she said.

To learn more about Butte Historical Memorials, Inc., or to donate to the organization, visit Facebook.com/buttehistoricalmemorialsinc.

Donations can also be sent to:

Butte Historical Memorials, Inc.

P.O. Box 4954

Butte, MT 59702



photo of the 1895 explosion courtesy of the Butte-Silver Bow Public Archives. (bottom)

Historic

 Malina Blotz is a Customer Solutions Technologist with NorthWestern Energy and a board member of Butte Historic Memorials, Inc.

Customer growth

Property taxes

For Tax Year 2022, NorthWestern Energy is estimated to pay $174.4 million or 36.4% of all Centrally Assessed Property Taxes in Montana. This is 4.7 times the next largest taxpayer (BNSF Railway Company). NorthWestern has consistently been the largest taxpayer in Montana for many years.

2021 Montana Property Tax Total: $159,784,729

2021 Nebraska Property Tax Total: $677,413

Less than $500K

$500K - $1M

$1M - $4.99M

$5M - $9.99M

$10M - $14.99M

$15M or more

Interested in learning more about property taxes? Visit NorthWesternEnergy.com/taxes.

2021 South Dakota Property Tax Total: $5,350,402

PROPERTY TAXES IN MONTANA

By Jan Thomson-Rouse

Property taxes are probably one of the oldest forms of taxation and are used to pay for services that people need to live together as they congregate in settlements, villages, towns and cities. Very little property tax revenue is used to fund state government obligations.

Montana, like most other entities that tax property, has developed its system of assessment, classification and taxation over a long period of time.

Montana’s property tax system is governed by the 1972 State Constitution and state statute. The constitution is flexible in its restrictions on property taxes, but requires that: 1) all appraisals shall be done at the state level to maintain a centralized system of fairness and integrity; 2) local governments will use those values to generate revenue; 3) there will be an independent means of objecting to valuations; and 4) the legislature has the ability to exempt property from taxation.

There have been only two amendments to the Constitution passed by the people. One limits the percentage of a sales tax to no more than 4%. The other prohibits realty transfer taxes. Otherwise, the constitutional provisions of 1972 remain intact today. The legislature has implemented numerous statutory changes over the past 50 years, with the goal of keeping the property tax system accurate and efficient, while balancing the need for ongoing policy evaluation simplification.

The state of Montana levies 40 mills for school equalization funding. Counties levy property taxes to help fund schools at all levels, general operations and a variety of other activities. Cities also levy property taxes in a similar manner. Property taxes used to fund schools are levied by the state, county and local school district. A variety of special districts levy property taxes to fund specific services such as libraries, museums, weed districts and others.

Graph Reprinted from the Department of Revenue Biennial Report

A substation at Kings Hill near Neihart, Montana. NorthWestern pays property taxes on substations and other infrastructure.

The graph on the previous page, reprinted from the most recent Department of Revenue Biennial Report, shows the portion of total property tax dollars used by each of the taxing entities. Schools are the largest user of property tax dollars.

HOW ARE PROPERTY TAXES DETERMINED?

Property taxes in Montana are based on three components:

1. Property type.

2. Property value.

3. Total number of mills levied on the property.

PROPERTY TYPE

Many people assume that every taxpayer’s tax burden is the same if they own the same amount of property, but this is not the case in Montana’s multi-class system.

Montana uses a classified property tax system with 16 classes of property, two of which have more than one tax rate. This system allows the state to use different valuation methods and separate tax rates for each classification.

The following graph compares the percent of property tax paid by each class of property in Tax Year 2020. As the graph shows, residential property owners pay half of the property tax revenue collected in Montana.

NorthWestern Energy is Montana’s largest single property taxpayer, and has been for many years. In Tax Year 2022, NorthWestern Energy is estimated to pay $174.4 million in property taxes, 4.7 times more than Montana’s second largest single property taxpayer, which is BNSF Railway.

PROPERTY TAX RATES DIFFERENT FOR EACH CLASS

Montana classifies property in 16 classes, and most classifications have different tax rates. Some classes have more than one tax rate. For example, Class 4 property has a class property tax rate for most residential property of 1.35%, but commercial property of 1.89%.

The following table shows the amount of property tax each class* would pay for a $100,000 property if the total mill levy was 500 mills.

Graph Reprinted from the Department of Revenue Biennial Report

Property Class Tax Rate

Taxes / $100,000 Market Value @500 mills

% of NWE Assets by Property Class 3 Agricultural Land 2.16% $1,080.00 4 Residential 1.35% $675.00 4 Commercial and Industrial 1.89% $945.00 5

Pollution Control Equipment, Independent and Rural Electric and Telephone Cooperatives, New and Expanding Industry, Electrolytic Reduction Facilities, Research and Development Firms, and Gasohol Production Property

3.00% $1,500.00 1% 7 Non-centrally Assessed Utilities 8.00% $4,000.00 8

Class 8 Business Equipment - First $300,000 in market value is tax exempt; next $6 million of market value is taxed at:

1.50% $750.00 8 Business Equipment/ any property above $6.3 million 3.00% $1,500.00 9 Pipelines and Nonelectric Generating Property of Electric Utilities 12.00% $6,000.00 70% 10 Forest Land 0.37% $185.00 12 Airlines and Railroads 3.04% $1,520.00 13 Telecommunication Utilities and Electric Generating Property of Electric Utilities 6.00% $3,000.00 27% 14 Renewable Energy Production and Transmission Property 3.00% $1,500.00 2% 15 Carbon Dioxide and Liquid Pipeline Property 3.00% $1,500.00 16 High Voltage DC Converter Property 2.25% $1,125.00 17 Qualified Data Center 0.9 $450.00 18 “Green Hydrogen” 1.50% $750.00 Table provided by Montana Taxpayers Association *The table does not include Class 1 property – Mine Net Proceeds (100%), and Class 2 property – Gross Proceeds Metal Mines (3%).  Clockwise from top left: Our Butte General Office, a natural gas gate station in Missoula, our 500kV transmission line in central Montana, our East Side Substation in Great Falls, Rainbow Dam, our Bozeman Division Office, natural gas facility near Havre, Black Eagle Dam. Center: Natural gas infrastructure near Missoula.

MILL LEVY

A mill equals 1/1000 of a dollar, or 0.1 cent. A mill levy is a calculation done by governments and schools to determine how to collect the tax revenue necessary to fund their budget. All budgets funded through property tax are limited by state statute or local voted levies. Budget growth for cities, counties and many special districts is limited to half the rate of inflation plus revenue from new property. Any additional revenue growth must be approved by the voters with a few exceptions. School levies are limited by state funding laws and are largely driven by number of students.

The mill levy assessed for any individual property is the total of all levies from the state, county, city, school district and special jurisdictions in the district where the property is located.

TAX CALCULATIONS

Property taxes are calculated in the following way:

Value x Tax Rate x Total Mill Levy = Taxes Owed

In the following example, a residential property is valued at $250,000: The tax rate for residential property is 1.35% (which converts to 0.0135 in the formula).

The mill levy for all jurisdictions is 825 mills (which converts to 825/1000 or 0.825).

$250,000 x 0.0135 x 0.825 = $2,784.37

The total of $2,784.37 is then divided into two payments, one due in November and the second in May.

PROPERTY TAX INCREASES

Taxes on an individual’s property may increase for several reasons. The major reasons are:

1. When voters approve a bond issue, mill levy increase or the creation of a new taxing authority, property taxes increase. Voted levies are the largest contributor to property tax increases.

2. Inflationary adjustments to local government and school budgets may be covered, in part or in entirety, by local property taxpayers.

3. Property tax increases if the state does not decrease education levies when reappraisals increase property taxes.

4. Increases in medical insurance costs for local governments are collected through property taxes.

5. Reducing tax rates for some property classes or removing properties from the property tax rolls lowers the taxable value for the entire jurisdiction, shifting the tax liability to other property taxpayers. You can think of property taxes like a pie, with each taxpayer paying for one slice of the pie. If a taxpayer leaves, the size of the pie doesn’t change. Instead, the pieces become larger.

REAPPRAISAL COMING IN 2023

The Montana Department of Revenue revalues all residential, commercial and agricultural property every two years. Property owners receive notification of their new values in June and are given time to appeal those new values. The new values for all residential, commercial and agricultural property will be used to calculate the tax bills that will go out in November 2023.

ROOTS

The companies offering electricity and natural gas have helped communities grow and prosper throughout history.

 Clockwise from top left: The original Northwestern Public Service building in Huron, the original Northwestern Public Service building in Yankton, our previous General Office on Broadway in Butte in the 1980s, our Broadway building in the 1920s.

By Butch Larcombe

Montana has been described as “one big small town.” That description also fits much of South Dakota and Nebraska.

With the exception of places like Billings, Missoula and Great Falls in Montana, which are “metropolitan” areas, at least in the eyes of distant people-counting bureaucrats, all three states are made up of many small towns. Relative to urban America, even so-called “micropolitan” areas such as Aberdeen and Huron in South Dakota, Grand Island and Kearney in Nebraska, or Helena and Butte and even Bozeman, the Montana cowtown-turned-boomtown, are small towns.

In varying degrees, all these cities and towns share another more accurate and meaningful label: They are communities. The sprawling NorthWestern Energy service territory is loaded with communities where the degree of social separation is measured not in whole numbers but fractions. They are the places of volunteer fire departments, community picnics and Friday night lights.

In many cases, the availability of affordable electricity and natural gas allowed these communities to grow and prosper. And the entities that provided light and heat were often a prominent part of the community. In the early days, that service might have been provided by utilities such as the Yankton Heat, Light & Power Co. or the Madison River Power Co. Later, many of these local “power” companies coalesced into larger companies, including Northwestern Public Service Co. in eastern South Dakota and the Montana Power Co.

Along with employees in many communities, large and small, the utility companies also established offices to serve customers and provide a base for crews. Many of the buildings were modest. But others were community centerpieces. A large Northwestern Public Service sign hung off a building in downtown Yankton for decades. Similarly in Huron, the seven-story Marvin Hughitt Hotel also housed Northwestern offices for many years. A NWPS sign several stories tall adorned a corner, and the company name was in lights on the roof of the stout, brick structure.

Marvin Hughitt, for the curious, was an executive for the Chicago & Northwestern Railway, which maintained a division headquarters in Huron. His namesake building remains today as a senior housing facility.

To the west, Montana Power was establishing a similar architectural footprint with a mix of functional buildings, along with a few grander structures.

Billings was a railroad and farm-ranch town in the early years of the 20th century. But Max Hebgen, the MPC general manager, saw potential for growth in demand for electricity out on the prairie and convinced the company’s board to approve the construction of a five-story building at 115 N. Broadway. Completed in 1916, the stately structure with a white terra cotta façade and the company named emblazoned up high, served for decades at the center of MPC’s operations in the Magic City. The company occupied the basement and first floor, while the upper floors were rented as office space.

Billings long ago surpassed Butte and Great Falls on the Montana population ladder, and NorthWestern today operates from newer quarters to the west of the city center. The 106-year-old downtown building, with its ground floor brewery/restaurant, remains an architectural gem.

To the west in Butte, the Montana Power headquarters was for decades an uninspired architectural accumulation. The company, as it grew over the years, spread its operation over five adjoining buildings, some of them dating to the early 1900s. At one point, the company tried to tie the buildings together with a new façade of turquoise panels, a look that failed the test of time. The structure was never aesthetically pleasing but the street address, 40 E. Broadway, is deeply etched in Butte and Montana history.

Architectural redemption in Butte came about a half decade ago with the completion of the $25 million NorthWestern Energy general office at 11 E. Park. The five-story, 93,000-square-foot building, the most significant new building in Uptown Butte in nearly a century, has already joined plenty of other “power company” buildings past and present as a small-town community centerpiece.

Butch Larcombe worked as a newspaper reporter and editor in Montana for nearly 30 years and was also the editor and general manager of Montana Magazine. He worked in corporate communications at NorthWestern Energy for six years before retiring from the company in 2018. Originally from Malta, Montana, he now lives near Bigfork.

CHAMBERLAIN, South Dakota

Chamberlain, South Dakota, population 2,500, sits on the banks of the Missouri River. The town was named after Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railway Director Selah Chamberlain. However, long before the construction of the railroad, Chamberlain was home to the Lakota people, who called the community makháthipi, meaning “Earth dwelling.”

Chamberlain’s Native American roots are on display today with a 50-foot tall statue of a Native American woman wearing a star quilt and the Akta Lakota Museum and Cultural Center.

Thanks to its location on the Missouri River, Chamberlain also offers great recreational opportunities, including fishing, boating and kayaking.

Marvel at a larger-than-life statue – The 50-foot-tall Dignity of Earth and Sky depicts a Native American woman wearing a star quilt as it blows in the wind. It’s likely the first thing you’ll spot on a visit to Chamberlain, as the statue stands on a bluff above town. Dedicated in 2016, the statue is the work of Dale Claude Lamphere, a prolific South Dakota artist who was named South Dakota Artist Laureate in 2014. Dignity is made of hundreds of pieces of stainless steel. While most of the sculpture is silver in color, highlights of blue represent the colors of water and sky. The statue is impressive in the daylight, but also worth a visit at night when it is lit with LED lights. Located just off I-90 at Exit 264.

A tale of two bridges – The Chamberlain Bridge was one of the first five bridges built across the Missouri River in South Dakota. Completed in 1825, the bridge connected Chamberlain to American Island, which was flooded after dams were built on the Missouri River in the 1950s.

The only other bridge that remains of the original five bridges is the Wheeler Bridge, which was built downriver from the Chamberlain Bridge. In 1953, the Wheeler Bridge was disassembled and floated upstream 70 miles. It was reassembled as the west section of the Chamberlain Bridge. The combined bridge is now called the American Legion Memo rial Bridge.

Sip + Shop – Berry +

Basil’s tagline is “joy curated,” and the shop lives up to it. They offer kitchen supplies and so much more. You’ll find a wide selection of gourmet oils and vinegars, and other unique food, such as olive tapenade and Parmesan truffle popcorn seasoning. They offer wine, tea and coffee, along with cookbooks, dishes, pots, pans, cooking utensils and so much more. 123 S. Main Street. berryandbasil.com

Follow the footsteps of Lewis and Clark – In September 1804, Lewis and Clark passed through Chamberlain during their two-year expedition.

“This senery already rich pleasing and beatiful was still farther hightened by immence herds of Buffaloe, deer Elk and Antelopes which we saw in every direction feeding on the hills and plains,” they wrote about the area in their journals.

Learn more about the time Lewis and Clark spent in Chamberlain and about their entire expedition at the Lewis and

South Dakota Hall of Fame Visitor & Education Center in Chamberlain features interactive and hands-on exhibits highlighting inductees. 1480 S. Main Street. sdhalloffame.org

Honor South Dakota’s veterans – The South Dakota Veterans Park sits just outside the South Dakota Hall of Fame. The park aims to honor all South Dakota military veterans and active duty personnel for their unwavering service. Pavers

Experience Lakota culture – The Akta Lakota Museum and Cultural Center is dedicated to honoring and preserving the culture of the Lakota people. Located on the campus of St. Joseph’s Indian School, the Akta Lakota Museum features art, artifacts and interactive displays. Visitors walk through his tory, experiencing traditional Lakota life through present day. The museum is free, and donations are accepted. Aktalakota.org

Drive the Native American Scenic Byway –

The Native American Scenic Byway runs through a large stretch of South Dakota, from the Sitting Bull Monument near Mobridge to Yankton, passing through Chamberlain. The byway takes motorists through prairies and rolling hills, under limestone cliffs and along the Missouri River. You’ll see prairie dogs, pronghorn, deer and other wildlife, even some bison and elk herds maintained by several tribes. travelsouthdakota.com/trip-ideas/story/native-amer ican-national-and-state-scenic-byway

Eat local – The Main Street Café and Market serves everything you’d expect from a small-town diner. The restaurant is open for break

fast and lunch. For breakfast, try the biscuits and gravy or cinnamon roll pancakes. (You had me at cream cheese frosting.) Lunch options include burgers, sandwiches, wraps, salads, pizza, pasta and more. Be sure to save room for the homemade pie. Keep an eye on the café’s Facebook page for the latest specials.

Riverside dining – Upper Crust Pizza & Wings serves excellent pizza and delicious wings. They also make sandwiches baked in the pizza oven. When the weather is nice, opt for a table on the rooftop deck overlooking the Missouri River. 221 W King Street. uppercrustchamberlain.com

Hunt and fish – Located on the banks of the Missouri River, Chamberlain is a great spot for fishing. Some say it’s the best walleye fishing in the country. Anglers will also find bass, catfish and northern pike. The area also offers pheasant hunting opportunities, as well as big-game hunting. chamberlainsd.com/hunt-fish

HOMINY STEW

Brooke C., a receptionist at the Akta Lakota Museum in Chamberlain, South Dakota, grew up eating her grandmother’s Hominy Soup.

Hominy is made from dried corn that is soaked in an alkali solution, which helps remove the hull and germ, making the corn easier to grind. This process also helps the kernels release more of their nutrients. Hominy is a traditional food for the Lakota people.

“I don’t know my grandmother’s recipe, but I found this in one of our books here at the museum,” Brooke said.

INGREDIENTS

2 pounds chuck roast, cut into 2-inch cubes

3 teaspoons kosher salt, divided

1 teaspoon cracked black pepper

2 tablespoons canola oil, divided

1 small red onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 1/2 teaspoons cumin

1 teaspoon oregano

1/4 cup flour

2 (4-ounce) cans diced green chilies

5 cups beef broth

1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes

2 (15.5-ounce) cans hominy, drained of excess fluid

The traditional Hominy Soup recipe is as follows:

Put wood ashes lye into a pot, add water and bring to a boil. Add corn, and stir until grain turns yellow. Pour into sieve baskets to remove excess lye.

Pound grains in corn beater, until all grains are cracked several times. Sieve this cracked corn to get rid of bran. Winnowing in flat baskets works well. Put grits left from sieving into boiling water. Cook briskly until soft.

This hominy stew recipes offers a modern twist on a traditional dish.

DIRECTIONS

1

Season meat with 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large Dutch oven or pot over medium-high heat. Working in batches, sear beef cubes on two sides and move to a clean plate.

2

Turn heat to medium, add remaining 1 teaspoon canola oil, red onion, garlic, cumin and oregano. Sauté 4-5 minutes. Sprinkle flour evenly over mixture and stir constantly for 2 minutes.

3

4

5

Stir in green chilies and beef broth. Bring to a boil while stirring constantly.

Add tomatoes and seared beef. Reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 2 hours.

Stir hominy into stew and simmer for 20 minutes.

Composting

TURN GARBAGE INTO GARDENING GOLD

By Amy Grisak

Reducing plastic waste is a goal for many people to minimize what they send to the landfill, but what we toss from the kitchen is often overlooked. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, more than 20% of what ends up in landfills is kitchen waste. This translates to more than 60 million tons between residential and commercial operations. Fortunately, it's relatively easy, particularly with community and home composting operations, to turn scraps into gardening gold.

”There are lots of little composters all over the country,” said Alissa La Chance of Dirt Rich Compost in Kalispell, Montana.

Dirt Rich started with a couple of containers at the Whitefish Farmers Market where Alissa and her friend collected waste to make small batches of compost. Out of the blue, Xanterra, one of the concessioners at Glacier National Park, contacted them to handle their kitchen and restaurant waste.

“That was a pretty huge deal,” Alissa said. A recent graduate from the University of Montana with a degree in environmental studies and sustainable agriculture, she jumped at the opportunity. Dirt Rich acquired land and equipment, and developed a system to handle 30-gallon containers.

With this solid foundation, Dirt Rich offered their services to local restaurants and Flathead Valley residents.

“There’s such a huge educational component,” Alissa said. “We’re the first ones doing it, and people aren’t used to it.”

What They Can, and Cannot, Compost

“Anything we can eat, we can take,” Alissa said.

Unbleached paper products, such as coffee filters and compostable containers, are perfect for the process, too.

The meat and dairy addition often is a surprise for home composters who avoid putting those items into their compost piles because of food safety risks. But because Dirt Rich’s commercial system brings up the temperature high enough for a long enough period of time, 130 degrees for at least two days, any human-borne pathogens are neutralized.

When it comes to composting on this level, there are static or aerated windrow methods. Dirt Rich is a hybrid version. The collected material is added to carbon-rich products, such as leaves, wood chips, decaying hay, and a small amount of manure, which is then spread out in windrows 60 feet long. They turn the rows with a tractor, and once they’re well-mixed, they’re moved to the aerated static composting system where a perforated pipe at the base brings oxygen to the bottom of the pile. During the composting process, temperatures range between 130-160 degrees, then lower to around 110-120 degrees for the curing process, which might take six to eight months. The end result is a bagged and bulk compost that is available locally, as well as compost given to Dirt Rich’s residential customers.

Picking Up the Compost

Being part of the composting process is simple. Residential customers sign up for a weekly, or biweekly, pickup depending on the amount of food waste generated by the household. This might range between a single five-gallon bucket to 45 gallons per week. And because parts of

the Flathead Valley are prime grizzly habitat, there’s an option for customers to drop off their compostable materials in an assigned bin instead of setting it on their porch.

“The best part is that you don't have to sort your food types and everything can go in,” said Flathead Valley resident Wendi Brassington. “We reduced our trash by three-quarters of what we typically toss. It was amazing. Being able to choose different pickup schedules is awesome too. I wish this was available everywhere.”

Wendi is also the Girl Scouts’ Northwest Montana Regional Member Experience Manager.

“One of the provisions of the Girl Scout Law is to use resources wisely, so I work with troops to find ways to compost our waste and use items that we can compost with Dirt Rich for our programs,” She said. “We also have Girl Scout troops who have plots in Community Gardens and who work with Land to Hand to learn more about the importance of composting and where their food comes from.”

Home Composting Options

Dirt Rich is an excellent avenue for turning waste into a valuable garden amendment, but in areas where there isn't a community composting business, there are ways to handle much of our kitchen waste at home. When you begin separating the compostable materials, the amount is shocking.

The basic recipe of a compost pile is layering "green" materials such as fresh kitchen scraps with “brown” matter that is rich in carbon. The latter includes newspaper, leaves, straw and similar items. When these are layered, watered and turned over, it allows the decomposition process to break down everything creating a nutrient-rich end product.

Traditional compost piles range from a simple mound or single bin of materials to multiple-sectioned bins. This allows you to flip one pile from one section into the other in order to mix these ingredients, as well as provide oxygen to facilitate the process. You can use a thermometer to ensure

that you are creating enough heat, although it is fairly simple to tell just by putting your hand in the pile. If it’s noticeably warm, it’s working. At times, compost piles will actually steam because of the heat generated.

But some people don't have the space or the time to deal with a compost pile. It's also problematic in areas where bears, skunks or raccoons look at a compost pile like a ready-made buffet. In this case, there are plenty of ways to utilize kitchen scraps while keeping them away from wildlife.

If you have a fairly traditional garden, one of the simplest methods is to simply bury your vegetable waste. Dig a trench approximately 10 to 12 inches deep and dump in the scraps. Cover them and they will be gone within months. Outside of meat and dairy products, the only other items you might not want to bury are citrus rinds, which do not break down quickly.

Another option, which is as beautiful as it is functional, is to create a keyhole garden. These were developed several decades ago in Africa as a means of helping people grow kitchen gardens to produce a wider variety of vegetables for their diet. They are built from brick, stone or whatever materials are readily available, and are typically constructed as tall as waist height, making the garden easy to manage for those who prefer not to garden on their knees.

Within the base of the garden, logs and other organic debris are piled to create a continual source of nutrients, as well as a means of water retention. And in the middle of the bed most people fashion a mesh-type basket. This can simply be hardware fabric rolled into a cylinder that reaches all the way to the ground. Compost is added to the enclosure and the worms take care of the rest, consistently feeding the plants while keeping the kitchen waste out of the trash.

It’s easy to toss kitchen scraps into the bin, but when we think about the sheer volume generated by every household, it is more logical to make the best use of it. Whether you sign up with a community composting business or create your own system at home, turning what was a waste product into a valuable amendment is a big step in reducing our trash footprint.

Amy Grisak is an avid gardener and writer. Her writing appears in everything from the Farmers’ Almanac to Popular Mechanics, along with her books, “Nature Guide to Glacier and Waterton Lakes National Parks” and “Found Photos of Yellowstone.” Amy lives in Great Falls, Montana, with her two sons and her husband, Grant, who is a biologist with NorthWestern Energy.

 A keyhole garden under construction.

 A keyhole garden.

DO YOU RECOGNIZE THE LOCATION OF THESE PHOTOS?

Do you recognize the location of any of these photos? Send us your guesses to be placed in the drawing for a prize. Guesses should be specific, such as naming a feature in the photo or giving the exact location. Send your guesses to bright@northwestern.com. Be sure to include your name, mailing address and phone number so we can contact you if you’re a winner.

SOUTH DAKOTA MONTANA

Answers from the Innovation issue

Montana: Several readers recognized the old Northern Pacific Railroad Station located in Missoula. Of the correct answers, we selected Tammy F. of Butte, Montana, as the winner.

South Dakota: Although that’s not the angle we usually see, many people recognized the Diginity of Earth and Sky sculpture located in Chamberlain. We selected Thomas T. of Yankton, South Dakota, as the winner.

Nebraska: A handful of readers recognized the Archway over Interstate 80 in Kearney. Linda W. of Hall, Montana, is our winner.