Good morning, Billings.

A Billings family welcomed 2026 when baby Jer'aki was born at 10:43 a.m. on Jan.

1 at St. Vincent's Hospital, marking the first newborn of the year & a promising start for community celebrations.

The Billings Chamber of Commerce will posthumously award John Ostlund the 2025 Agriculture Excellence Award at its annual Ag Banquet on January 30.

Lee Enterprises announced that billionaire David Hoffmann is leading a $50 million purchase agreement to gain control and replace longtime chair Mary Junck.

The deal, expected to close in the first quarter, will see CEO Kevin Mowbray retire and interim CEO Nathan Bekke take his place.

Montana Historical Society staff is unpacking a collection (65,000 artifacts) with only a small portion on display at the new Montana Heritage Center as they work to catalog and preserve them.

Visitors may request to view items from the climate-controlled storage as the team plans future exhibits.

Montana libraries and tribal colleges will lend telescopes after NASA awarded $250,000 to a UM program — the new equipment is expected to spark learning and community science opportunities soon.

Yellowstone Wildlife Sanctuary rescued a mountain lion kitten that was found abandoned; it has raised $135,000 of the $200,000 needed to build a secure enclosure for the kitten (it cannot return to the wild) and will send it to a zoo if funds fall short.

The new year brings a celestial treat for Billings residents as the Wolf Moon—2026's first full and supermoon—peaks at 5:03 a.m. today while the Quadrantid meteor shower is set to peak this evening.

Billings native Dan McGee and his fiancée, Illinois State grad Lexi Showalter, face a playful college rivalry as Montana State and Illinois State meet for the FCS national championship at FirstBank Stadium in Nashville — they will watch from home due to dental exams.

Tom Catmull Live Performance

7:30 p.m. — Craft Local — $12 — Enjoy an evening of live music with Tom Catmull and Lee Calvin in Billings.

Nate Bargatze: Stand-Up Comedy Show

7-8 p.m. — MetraPark - First Interstate Arena — Tickets required — Enjoy a night of laughs from a unique stand-up comedian with an unconventional background.

The Billings Symphony Orchestra Performance

7-11 p.m. — Alberta Bair Theater — Ticket prices vary — Experience a captivating night of orchestral music at The Billings Symphony Orchestra.