Latest issueZimmerman Trail is closed through Nov. 30 for rock workRead now

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Friday, November 6, 2026

Zimmerman Trail closes Monday for three weeks

Plus, Montana Millionaire sales restart Nov. 12 and the city sues over City Hall rehab costs.

The Good Day Billings team2 stories15 sources5 min read

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Getting AroundTop story

Zimmerman Trail will close Monday for three weeks of rockfall work

Zimmerman Trail will be closed from Nov. 9 through Nov. 30

Closure for rockfall mitigation

November 2026

  • Zimmerman Trail closed

Plan another route to Highway 3.

Sources: Billings Gazette, NonStop Local Billings

View as table
Days
Zimmerman Trail closedNov. 9–30

If you drive , your commute changes Monday. Billings Public Works has announced that contractors will anchor and stabilize a section of rock by underpinning it, and a Gazette photo shows an electronic sign already warning drivers.

It's the only direct route between the West End and Highway 3, and the city hasn't released any official alternate routes. Staying on Rimrock Road to Highway 3 would add at least five minutes to a drive that usually takes two, so we suggest mapping your backup before Monday.

  • Closed: Zimmerman Trail from Rimrock Road to Highway 3
  • Starts: Mon., Nov. 9, at 8:30 a.m.
  • Reopens: Nov. 30
  • Thanksgiving: the stretch stays closed over the holiday

Thousands of drivers will need another way to Highway 3

13,000
or more vehicles use the road daily
3 weeks
of closure for rockfall work
2 minutes
is the usual drive to Highway 3 from the trail
5 minutes
at least, added by going via Rimrock Road

Sources: Billings Gazette, NonStop Local Billings

Asked

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Asked

How will you get around the Zimmerman Trail closure?

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Statewide

Montana Millionaire tickets go back on sale Thursday, Nov. 12, at 6:30 a.m.

If you stood in line for on Nov. 1, hang on to your ticket. The Montana Lottery says every raffle ticket printed that day, and any instant win tied to it, is good for all drawings. Sales restart at 6:30 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 12, and Nov. 1 tickets stay valid.

Montana Millionaire sales restart Nov. 12 and the drawings stay on schedule

  1. Nov. 1Sales open at 5:30 a.m. and are suspended around 11 a.m.
  2. Nov. 12Ticket sales will resume at 6:30 a.m.
  3. Nov. 30Quarter Million Monday drawing, with one $250,000 prize, will be held.
  4. Dec. 28Six $1 million grand prizes and a $20,000 Player's Club prize will be drawn.

Sources: Montana State News Network, KECI, NonStop Local Montana, KTVH

A new system couldn't keep up, and instant wins were awarded more often than intended. By the time sales stopped, 2,010 of 12,919 tickets were instant winners, roughly one in six against the intended one in 74. The vendor, , said in a statement it's working with the lottery to resolve the issues.

$608,600in instant wins from the Nov. 1 tickets

That's 991 tickets worth $100 each and 1,019 worth $500 each, and the lottery has promised to honor them all.

Sources: Montana State News Network, NonStop Local Montana

  • Price: $20 a ticket
  • Supply: 720,000 tickets, 100,000 more than last year
  • Last year: the full allocation sold out in just over six hours
  • Instant winners: still eligible for the other drawings

News Notes

Animal shelter

said in a press release Thursday that it will no longer accept lost and stray animals from within city limits, effective immediately. It says the City of Billings notified it that it's moving forward with a different applicant for animal sheltering services. NonStop Local Montana

The animal shelter's contract dispute ran from June to November

  1. JuneThe shelter's contract with the city expired.
  2. JulyThe city declined the shelter's proposal and proposed a month-to-month contract.
  3. Nov. 5The shelter said it will no longer accept lost and stray animals from city limits.

Source: NonStop Local Montana

City Hall

The city of Billings has sued the architectural firm that led the rehab of its new City Hall over $1.77 million in additional costs. The Missoulian

Prep football

Class AA heavyweights Billings West and Kalispell Glacier are set to begin the playoff process after first-round byes. A game listing shows Great Falls at Billings West at 7 p.m. Friday. MontanaSports.comMaxPreps

Carbon County

, or Carbon County Area Ride and Transit, received a $100,000 grant as one of just five organizations in the country selected. The service provides door-to-door rides in Red Lodge, Belfry, Bear Creek, Bridger and Joliet, including to medical appointments in Billings. NonStop Local Billings

Cross country

Carroll heads to the Frontier Conference Championships in Billings on Fri., Nov. 6, seeking titles and national berths in the men's 8K and women's 6K races. Montana Standard

Home

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The Wrap

In Montana, winter and ice skates go together, but getting on the ice can cost money. Leslie Albright is changing that with a program at Signal Peak Arena that teaches kids from the Newman, Ponderosa and Orchard school area to skate, some for the very first time. Wobbly first laps are welcome.

Missed yesterday’s newsletter? Billings volleyball teams out of state tourney; Montana Millionaire on hold

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Every source in this edition15 links · 12 outlets
  1. The Weather Channelweather.com
  2. Billings Gazettebillingsgazette.com
  3. NonStop Local Billingskulr8.com
  4. KECInbcmontana.com
  5. KTVHktvh.com
  6. NonStop Local Montanamontanarightnow.com
  7. Montana State News Networkmontanastatenews.com
  8. Billings Gazettebillingsgazette.com
  9. NonStop Local Montanamontanarightnow.com
  10. The Missoulianmissoulian.com
  11. MontanaSports.commontanasports.com
  12. MaxPrepsmaxpreps.com
  13. NonStop Local Billingskulr8.com
  14. Montana Standardmtstandard.com
  15. Billings events calendargooddaybillings.com

Past issues

  1. Tues., Nov. 10Zimmerman Trail is closed through Nov. 30 for rock work
  2. Mon., Nov. 9Rocky men and Carroll women win Frontier cross country titles
  3. Sun., Nov. 8Yellowstone County confirms its first two flu deaths of the season
  4. Sat., Nov. 7Billings shelter stops taking city strays; West hosts a semifinal
  5. Thurs., Nov. 5Billings volleyball teams out of state tourney; Montana Millionaire on hold
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Good Day Billingsto me · Fri., Nov. 66:00 a.m.

Zimmerman Trail closes Monday for three weeks

Plus, Montana Millionaire sales restart Nov. 12 and the city sues over City Hall rehab costs.

The TLDR

  1. Zimmerman Trail closes Nov. 9 through Nov. 30
  2. Montana Millionaire sales resume Nov. 12 at 6:30 a.m.
  3. Animal shelter stops taking strays from Billings
Read this edition

More stories this week

From Good Day Billings’ other editions

All the news
Getting AroundZimmerman Trail is closed through Nov. 30 while crews secure rocks above the roadIf you cross the Rims, plan another route for the next three weeks. Zimmerman Trail closed Monday at 8:30 a.m. and stays closed through Nov. 30, Thanksgiving included. The closure cuts off a direct route between the West End and the Heights while crews work.Today’s editionRead SportsRocky Mountain College men open 2026-27 ranked No. 4 and tuning out the noiseIf you follow the Battlin' Bears, the bar is high. Rocky Mountain College men's basketball set program records last season with 31 victories and a run of 21 straight. Sunday's Gazette also ran a headline saying the Battlin' Bears men score a repeat and noting the Carroll women defended their title.Today’s editionRead SportsRocky's men and Carroll's women won Frontier Conference cross country titles in BillingsIf you follow cross country, the Frontier Conference championships in Billings gave you two winners. Rocky's men claimed their second straight title at Amend Park. The Saints' women won their sixth Frontier title in seven years.Monday’s editionRead

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