🌱 Man Charged For Billings Robbery, Carjackings + Slick Street Policy

Hey, friends! I'm here with your fresh copy of the Billings Patch newsletter. Keep reading to find out everything you need to know about what's happening in town.

But first, your local weather:

• Friday: Cloudy, a snow shower; cold. High: 30 Low: 25.
• Saturday: Mainly cloudy and breezy. High: 39 Low: 14.

Interested in reaching our local readers with targeted messaging that drives traffic to your business? I have a limited number of sponsorships available to introduce our readers to local businesses they need to know. If that's you, then I invite you to learn more and secure your spot now.

Here are the top three stories in Billings today:

1. The Annual Downtown Billings St. Patrick’s Day Celebration and Parade will take place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Mar. 18, featuring the Celtic Fair, Street Party, and the 40th Annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade sponsored by the Downtown Billings Alliance (DBA) and Hooligan’s Sports Bar. The parade has over 45 parade entries, with Tiny’s Tavern serving as the Grand Marshal for this year's parade, and the floats will be judged by team members from DBA's St. Patrick's Day Event sponsors. Following the parade, festivities will continue at Skypoint with live entertainment from Irish dancers and Celtic musicians at the Celtic Fair stage and a concert from the Repeat Offenders at the Hooligan's Street Party stage. (Billings Gazette)
2. A man from Wolf Point faced arraignment in U.S. District Court on multiple federal charges, including robbery and carjacking in Billings and Cascade County. Santana Cruz Ledeau pleaded not guilty to the charges, which include robbery affecting commerce, attempted carjacking, and using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. If convicted, he could face a maximum of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the robbery charge and a mandatory minimum of seven years to life in prison and a $250,000 fine for the firearm charge. (Q2 News)
3. Billings is under a slick street policy due to the high amount of crashes, and the Billings Police Department (BPD) is only responding to crashes with injuries, DUIs, and crashes that block traffic. BPD recommends that anyone involved in a minor crash clear the roadway and exchange information. (KULR-TV)

Today and tomorrow in Billings:

Friday, March 10

• Tours Today At Moss Mansion Museum (12:00 PM)
• Wellness Weekend At SOMETHINGchic Clothing (12:00 PM)

Saturday, March 11

• An Evening With Jason Isbell And The 400 Unit At Alberta Bair Theater (7:30 PM)

From my notebook:

• Are you looking for a new family member with four paws? Check out the list of adoption-ready pets in the Billings area at the link! (Billings Patch)
• A new permanent makeup and tattoo shop called Evenflow Permanent Makeup and Tattoo has opened in Billings, taking over the space previously occupied by Rise Again Tattoo. The shop closed down abruptly, causing anger among customers who had bought thousands of dollars worth of gift cards during the holiday season. (Q2 News)
• The Billings Public Library is seeking the public's assistance in finding more images from the city's past, particularly from the 1960s to the 1990s, for their Community Archive Project! The project aims to collect memories and historical items from the community. The Montana History Portal currently has a large number of photos from the early 1900s and late 1800s, but the library is hoping to fill the gap of missing photos from more recent decades. (Q2 News)

More from our sponsors — thanks for supporting local news!

Featured events:

• Taxes in Retirement Webinar on March 13th and 15th (March 13)
• T-Mobile Tuesdays: Get Delighted Every Week (March 14)
• Add your event

You're officially in the loop for today. I'll see you around!

— Lauren Kubiak

About me: Lauren is an Editor for Lightning Media Partners. She graduated from Rowan University with a Bachelor’s in journalism. She was previously a full-time editor at an association management firm, editing peer-reviewed nursing journals, textbooks, and newsletters.