LOCAL NEWS BRIEFS

Big Sky business resort tax registration deadline approaches

EBS STAFF

BIG SKY – All businesses operating in the Big Sky Area District are required to register with the district by Dec. 31. The legally required action is outlined in a BSRAD ordinance which was amended and adopted on Oct. 12, 2021.

“Business compliance is critical for the success of our community,” said Kristin Drain, finance and compliance manager in a Dec. 8 press release. “We work diligently to ensure fairness when holding businesses accountable as the stewards of collecting these public funds.”

Last year, 700 businesses completed the registration process. The primary purpose of the annual registration is to ensure business acknowledgment of the taxability ordinance, according to the release. Aggregate data collected on economic issues is an additional community benefit for long-term decision making and planning.

Visit www.resorttax.org/collections for more information on registration and collections.

School board approves first step in offering pre-K

EBS STAFF

BIG SKY – The Big Sky School District School Board on Dec. 14 advanced a measure that if passed would create a pre-K program.

The five board members voted unanimously to approve the first reading of Policy 3100, recommended by the Montana School Boards Association, which would allow the district to enroll students under 5 in exceptional circumstances and still collect full ANB, or average number belonging, government funding for those students.

Exceptional circumstances defined by the board include a public health emergency or other community disaster; the absence of available early childhood education opportunities in the community leading to learning loss; and a disparity of access to early childhood education caused by the cost-prohibitive nature that leads to learning loss or lack of school readiness.

This policy would essentially establish programming for students aged 4 to prepare for kindergarten, according to BSSD Superintendent Dustin Shipman.

The board will again review the policy at their Jan. 11 meeting and, if no further changes are made, the board can officially adopt 3100 as a BSSD policy.

“We are thrilled to explore the option of offering Pre-K for 4-year-old children based on MTSBA policy 3100,” wrote Board Chair Loren Bough in an email to EBS. “We feel this can be a ‘win-win’ for [the] community, parents, Big Sky School District and most importantly for the children.”

Yellowstone opens for winter season

EBS STAFF

MAMMOTH HOT SPRINGS – Yellowstone National Park’s winter season began Dec. 15 with most park roads open to over-snow vehicles. However, due to limited snow, travel will be restricted to snowcoaches until conditions improve.

The park reminds visitors to check the road status map and operating hours for facilities and to be prepared for winter conditions by packing proper clothing and equipment.

Winter travel ends in mid-March and roads will start to re-open to cars in mid-April.

Yellowstone also decided to suspend its wildlife monitoring effort due to a lack of substantial change in its evaluations over the last decade. This decision is consistent with the park’s Winter Use Adaptive Management Plan which states the National Park Service will continue to examine and adjust winter use monitoring strategies and management actions as new information becomes available.

Gallatin County increases patrols during holiday season

GALLATIN MEDIA CENTER

BOZEMAN – As you make plans to celebrate with friends and family this holiday season, aadd to your checklist ensuring you have a safe ride home by designating a sober driver or using a rideshare service.

Increased patrols in Gallatin County will be out in force in the weeks leading up to Christmas and through the New Year’s holiday watching for impaired drivers and educating motorists as part of their commitment to keeping Montana roads safe.

“It’s up to all of us to celebrate responsibly, and that means never driving impaired, always wearing your seat belt and making sure your friends and family do the same,” said Gallatin County Sheriff Dan Springer.

In data collected by the Montana Department of Transportation as of Dec. 13, there have been 231 lives lost compared to 198 fatalities for this same period in 2020. Of those deaths, 130 have been due to impaired driving, and 118 have been due to improper restraint.

Free community-wide COVID-19 testing returns for winter 2021-22

BIG SKY – Big Sky Relief Partners are bringing back community-wide testing for the Big Sky community in an effort to keep the everyone healthy and resilient throughout the winter season.

The self-administered 15-minute rapid tests are free to anyone not currently experiencing symptoms of COVID-19. A limited number of tests will be available weekly, first-come-first served, to be picked up 24/7 from the foyer of the Big Sky Visitor Center located at 88 Ousel Falls Road Unit A1. “Winter in Big Sky has a major impact on our local economy and workforce,” said Brad Niva, CEO of Big Sky Chamber of Commerce and Visit Big Sky in a Nov. 19 press release. “It is important for us to support this program to not only keep businesses open but also to protect the health and safety of all community members.”