Keynote speaker Gov. Brian

Schweitzer and Innovate Montana are proud to announce that Michael FitzGerald will be the keynote

speaker for the fi rst Gover-nor’s Innovative Business Awards Dinner Tuesday on the MSU campus.

“We are excited to have a top Montana business leader as our keynote for the awards dinner. Michael FitzGerald has a really great story to tell and will be sharing his experience col-laborating with other tech entrepreneurs at Y-Combi-nator, a value to all those in attendance,” Schweitzer said.

FitzGerald is the founder of Submittable, a software company that has made big waves in the tech world for its cutting-edge application that allows businesses and organizations of all sizes to accept and review digital fi les of all types. He origi-nally got the idea for Sub-mittable (formerly known as Submishmash) during the time-consuming task of submitting his writing to multiple publishers, only to have it essentially disappear into space without so much as a thank you email.

WEDNESDAYAUG. 22, 2012104th year, No. 68Sidney, Montanawww.sidneyherald.com75 CENTS

Eagles prepare for seasons. Page 9A.

seRVIng RICHLand CounTy and THe suRRoundIng aRea FoR oVeR 100 yeaRs

Bulletin Board girl scout registration

Fall registration for Girl Scouts is set for Sept. 4 at West Side Elementary School from 5:30-7 p.m.

Happy birthdaysThe Sidney Herald wishes

happy birthday this week to friends Kayla Fritz, Rachael Deery, Braydon Rasmussen, Leslie Johnson Micheletto, Rita Jacobson, Tracy Krin-gen, Barbara Averett Myers, Ben Chestnut, Ryan Cowell, Casey Christensen, Amara Linder, Wendy Kleven Fisher, Joann Cotter, Allen Neuleib, Julie Eisenbeis, Christy Nelson, Bill Har-ris, Anna Lebsock, Timothy Haugen, Heather Schneider, Sarah Farrow, Kyle Welnel, Lacey Obergfell, Tracey Pilafi an, Tami Christensen, Linda Sullivan, Stephanie Meismer, Melissa Johnson Shiffer, Airika Blackburn, Brenda DeShaw, Gail Rud-isill, Erik Johnson, Theresa Duffi eld, Holly Pierce and Barbara Greenlees.

Food giveawayFree food giveaway is

Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Fellowship Baptist Church, 2181 W. Holly St., Sidney.

Newsmaker

DeathsBetty Jo (Desonia) Denney, 63

Doris erickson, 82Jean Lanouette, 79

Page 3A

Inside Around Town .....2AClassifi eds .......1-6BDeaths ...............3ADial an Expert .2-3B

Oil report ...........6AOpinion ..............8ASports . . . . ........9A

LouIsa BaRBeR | sIdney HeRaLd

Crash time

Above, driver Chris Staffer makes his move to plow into the other wrecked cars during the Sidney Jaycees’ Demolition Derby Saturday evening. The annual event attracted a huge audience, fi lling the main grandstands. At left, spectators watch the fi nal heat as they cheer on their favorite drivers.

By Louisa BarBersIdney HeRaLd

They grew up together, dated through college, married, moved to California, and now they’re heading to Europe for a three-year stay at Spang-dahlem Air Base in Germany.

Erin (Biebl) Fink, a captain in the U.S. Air Force, takes off at the end of the month, with her husband, Cole, joining her at the end of September. “I think it’s good to get out of your comfort zone and experience some-thing new,” Erin said. The couple, both Sidney natives (Erin graduated from Sidney High School in 2002 while Cole followed in 2003), says they’re ready and anxious to see their new home, experience a new culture, immerse themselves in a new language and see as much as possible.

The couple will stay at the western Germany base, which is approximately three hours from Paris, France, and one hour from Luxembourg.

After being commissioned during dental school in 2007, Erin went on active duty and graduated in July 2011. After offi cer training at Travis Air Force Base in northern California, she completed her one-year dental residen-cy in June and will work as a general dentist at the base.

“The Air Force is a great oppor-tunity. It’s a great way to serve your

country,” she said. “They have state of the art facilities and amazing educa-tion opportunities across the military.”

The military was also a chance to travel and see the world, since the idea of settling down after dental school didn’t appeal to them.

And so the couple is diving headlong into something brand new. Neither has traveled to Europe, but they say they’ll make the best of whatever happens.

“Growing up in a small town, you don’t get to experience too many dif-ferent kinds of people, but then once you get out there, you realize you

actually relate to people more than you thought,” Cole said. He has begun learning the German language with help from Rosetta Stone, though he hasn’t been studying too well lately, he admitted.

For three years, the couple will call Germany home, along with a myriad of other Americans who remain tightly knit. “I think that’ll be fun to see what kind of friendships we build in three or more years that we’ll be over there,” Cole said, adding, “The draw of being out of Sidney and seeing other places makes you appreciate where we came from, the community that we came from.”

The trip to Germany is a homecom-ing in some ways. While Erin, the daughter of George and Dawn Biebl, is three-fourths German, Cole, son of Bill Fink and the late Mary Kay Ackley, claims half German heritage.

They’re excited to see a new country, having spoken with others who have lived overseas. “Everybody else is re-ally excited for us, but we don’t know what to expect,” Cole said. “Should be fun.” He wants to see the small German villages and, of course, the famous Autobahn.

Erin’s enlistment will end in three years, but plans are up in the air after that. She says they try not to plan too far ahead because they almost never turn out the way they intend.

Heading overseasarea couple to be stationed on german air Force base

suBMITTed

Cole and Erin Fink will live on Spangdahlem Air Base for three years.

By Louisa BarBersIdney HeRaLd

After approving tax abate-ments for three hotels in a one-year span, interest has built among small busi-nesses whose owners have approached the county for more information on what commissioners say is a tool to promote local economic growth.

With another hotel report-edly on the way and with growing interest, Richland County commissioners sat down with the Herald recent-ly to defend their decisions to approve tax abatements amongst local criticism and accusations that “oil rich” areas like Richland County shouldn’t grant tax abate-ments if they need money for impacts.

“[Commissioners] look at it on a case-by-case basis to see if it’s going to be an asset

to the community, and if it’s going to increase the taxable value of the community,” Commissioner Don Step-pler said, “which they do” because in most cases taking ag land and transferring it into commercial property raises the tax revenue.

On a typical ag parcel, a 10-acre tract generates $1.40 per acre times the number of mill levies. Compare that to commercial property, commissioners said, the lot is worth $17.50 per acre, plus the value of whatever is sitting on the land. The tax abatement lasts for 10 years and for the fi rst fi ve years, the owners pay 50 percent of the taxes; after that, taxes are raised 10 percent until year 10 at 100 percent taxes. If there’s a $6 million building on the commercial property, 50 percent of the taxable value is still more than if it was left as agricul-ture property, Steppler said.

“Look at the jobs created in construction and oper-ating. It justifi es giving a tax abatement as far as I’m concerned,” he said.

Property owners must show proof each year that 50 percent of the income generated has come from out of state, and if in that time, it comes in below 50 percent, they no longer qualify for the abatement.

Other businesses have used the tool, such as Hi-Land Partners, Gem City Motors and Richland Avia-tion.

Commissioners were criticized by some local individuals when hotel owners sought the abate-ments; several argued the tax dollars are needed to help impacts. Asked whether the issue could be pressed during the upcoming legisla-tive session, Commissioner Shane Gorder said legisla-tors tend to understand how tax abatements work, unlike the general public. Steppler, meanwhile, wasn’t worried about defending the

Commissionersexplain positivesto utilizing taxabatements

By BiLL VaNDer WeeLesIdney HeRaLd

Richland County commissioners along with offi cials from Stevenson De-sign and Kringen Construction met for a close out meeting for the Richland County Justice Center Monday.

The building of the facility was started in 2008 and has been heavily used since its opening in 2010.

Sheriff Brad Baisch told commis-

sioners that the average jail population is 18-20 adults and 2-3 juveniles. During May and June, averages were 24-26 adults.

The objective of the meeting was to cover any building concerns which still exists. Kringen Constuction has covered concerns listed on punch lists.

One repair was fi xing the shrinkage problem involving doors of the court-room. They were replaced by the door company at no charge.

The problem of water in the elevator pit was also resolved.

Another problem repaired was that of too much noise traveling between the district judge and district clerk of court offi ces. Acoustic sealer strips were added.

Baisch mentioned that in the jail’s shower area, small rocks sometimes come up through the concrete. Offi -cials will look at that issue.

Commissioners hold close out meeting for justice center

‘Look at the jobs created

in construction and

operating. it justifi es

giving a tax abatement

as far as i’m concerned.’

Don stepplerRichland County commissioner

see aBateMeNt, Page 10a

Several Routes Available