The Sting
Rich and Sara Hollis have sold The Sting Sports Bar and 5th Quarter Casino.
The couple owned it for the last 21 years and The Sting has been in business since 1982.
They’ve sold the building at 1121 5th St. S. and liquor license to Todd and Lara Clark.
“We are super excited to have another long term local family and experienced business owners reopening a brand new business named the Stadium Sports Bar and Casino. Fresh new eyes, ambition and plans. Plus they are keeping our current staff on to help open this exciting new bar,” the Hollis’ wrote in a post.
Rich Hollis told The Electric that they’re continuing to operate the HiHo and may make a few updates there and to Big Mouth BBQ.
He said the menu at Stadium Sports will be similar to The Sting’s menu and the new owners aren’t going to close the space during the transition but will be doing a remodel.
“It was just time for somebody to take it to a higher step and for us to take a step back and spend more time with our grandkids,” Rich Hollis told The Electric.
He said the staff met with the new owners Saturday morning and they’re excited about the transition.
Rich Hollis said that they’re finalizing paperwork with the state and the business will transition during the first 10-15 days of June.
He said they’ll have a party to retire The Sting and those details will be posted on their Facebook page.
The Clarks are also a local family and Rich Hollis said, “that so important for us to keep this local and we’re really happy to give it to them.”
Historic Preservation Awards
The Great Falls-Cascade County Historic Preservation Advisory Commission has selected four projects to be honored at the 2022 Preservation Awards reception 5:30-7:30 p.m. May 26 in the Missouri Room of the Civic Center.
- For the last 20 years, Warren Kukay has been a driving force in the effort to preserve the Vinegar Jones Cabin, which stands today in Gibson Park. The cabin was the first documented residence in Great Falls and belonged to Kukay’s great-grandfather, W. G. Jones. From helping with the original move, to maintaining the old logs, to storytelling on summer evenings, Kukay has contributed countless hours toward this priceless slice of Great Falls history.
- The restoration of the Great Falls High School Auditorium was made possible by a donation from Nancy and Ian Davidson and brought to life by 45 Architecture and Sletten Construction Company. The rehabilitation included audio, staging, lighting, and seating improvements while preserving the architectural integrity of the beautiful historic auditorium.
- When the Great Falls Tribune building was sold, there was not a plan for the future of the paper’s historical research files and original photos. Owen Robinson understood the importance of these resources and recruited the help of Grady Higgins and several other former Tribune reporters to gather the materials and donate them to the History Museum, which in turn jumped into action to sort out the logistics of accepting the large collection. The records will be incorporated into the archives and, after extensive processing, made available to the public.
- The Montana Historical Society has received about 500 volumes of records from the former Rainbow Powerhouse building, including detailed work/task and environmental data from daily operations, thanks to contractor Joe Aline, who discovered the papers at the Great Falls Landfill. Thankfully, Aline recognized their historic importance and took the initiative to rescue these valuable files.
The Preservation Awards Reception is held annually as part of National Historic Preservation Month. The national theme for 2022 is “People Saving Places,” and this reception will recognize the people who have put in the work of saving our special places in Cascade County. The event is free and the public is welcome. For more information about the reception and the award recipients contact Samantha Long, historic preservation officer at 455-8550.
Great Falls Clinic
The Great Falls Clinic Radiology Department has replaced its MRI machines and CT scanner with new Velocity MRI, SCENARIA View CT, and Oval MRI imaging systems.
The new system designs will provide a comfortable scanning experience for patients and advanced scanning capabilities for physicians.
The machines are built by Fujifilm, which has installed more than 1,500 MRI and CT systems in the United States.
The Echelon Oval 1.5T Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) system features a 74 cm (29.13 in) oval shaped bore, according to a Clinic release.
This new shape of MRI, table lowering capabilities, and more than nine feet of lateral table travel offer maximum patient accessibility and accommodation.
The SCENARIA View CT imaging system includes the latest technology in radiation dose reduction features. This CT imaging system offers the latest technology in 128- slice CT and combining enhanced patient safety through advanced technology dose reduction. The patient table lowers for easier patient access and 20cm lateral shifting to improve image quality and safety for patients and technologists. The enlarged 80cm gantry opening increases room for patients.
The Velocity 1.2T MRI system is an open MRI system that works with the most powerful whole body bore-less MRI magnet for high-resolution images. The Velocity offers a comfortable experience for a diverse patient population with a wide table with lowering capabilities, a 270° patient viewing angle, accommodation for patients up to 660 pounds, techniques for imaging around prothesis, and machine noise reduction.
To schedule an appointment or for more information, call 406-454-2171.
Omerta Cigar Lounge
Omerta Cigar Lounge opened in late April above Pizazz on Central Avenue.
The lounge is membership based with different tiers of membership with a private membership group on Facebook.
The space includes 1,200-square-feet with high ceilings,
Relax in a 1,200 sq ft area with high ceilings, walk-in humidor, kitchen, clean air filters, and humidified lockers
Get Out and Play
The Alluvion Health Foundation is hosting Get Out & Play! event from 2-4 p.m. May 21 at Gibson Park.
The event is free and open to the public. Families with children are encouraged to attend.
The purpose of the event is to provide accessibility in play for those with sensory, cognitive, and motor processing needs and to reach out to the community as a whole, according to Alluvion.
The event will feature games and sensory activities designed to help children better process sensory information and provide positive outlets for stimulation. The event promises to have options and play and activities for everyone, including designated areas for reading, music and movement, a little athletes section, as well as a quiet zone. Various community organizations will be participating in the event.
Big Sky Big Dreams
Katie Finnicum and Julia Doney have started Big Sky Big Dreams.
They’re a party rental service that brings sleepover tents and decor to our clients door.
Clients book the party, Big Sky Big Dreams sets everything up at the client’s house and picks it up the next day.
They’re planning on adding a “glamping” option soon using big bell tents.
Habitat for Humanity
This year, the local Subaru dealership partnered with the Great Falls affiliate of Habitat for Humanity during their Share the Love event and raised $6,000.
During the event from November through January, the dealership donated $300 per vehicle sold or leased and $5 for every service of a Subaru that came through their garage.
The funds will go toward building low-income housing for families in Great Falls, according to the local Habitat board.
In Great Falls, Habitat has constructed 41 homes and two are currently under construction.
The Habitat ReStore at 401 3rd Ave. S. has new hours Wednesday through Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Easterseals-Goodwill
Easterseals-Goodwill Northern Rocky Mountain Inc. turns 75 in 2022.
The organization was founded in 1947 to address a growing need for services to assist children afflicted by cerebral palsy, polio and other crippling diseases in the state of Montana.
Easterseals-Goodwill will be celebrating with a Chamber of Commerce business after hours at the main headquarters in downtown Great Falls 4-6 p.m. May 19.
District governors of the Montana Rotary Clubs and Kiwanis Clubs played a leadership role in the meetings with national Easterseals organization (then called the National Society for Crippled Children) which resulted in establishment of the Montana chapter that is Easterseals-Goodwill today. A few years later as the organization sought to expand services to Great Falls, the Junior League of Great Falls helped provide funding to get programs started there.
The organization’s first headquarters was located in Helena and its first program was a cerebral palsy center offering therapy and special education services located in Billings on what is today the campus of MSU-Billings. Soon after, a variety of programs began in Butte, Missoula and other towns around the state.
Easterseals-Goodwill’s history in Great Falls began with cerebral palsy diagnostic clinics in 1950 and the list of local services grew throughout the 1950s with support from the Junior League and local residents and businesses. The organization’s first Montana facility was built in Great Falls in 1957 on the east end of Central Avenue. Named the Great Falls Rehabilitation Center, this facility served as Easterseals-Goodwill’s headquarters throughout much of its history. Remodeled in 2013-2014, it is used today as the location for its Adult Day and programs serving adults with intellectual disabilities.
Since incorporating in 1947, Easterseals-Goodwill has expanded its service area to over 400,000 square miles, adding the states Idaho, Wyoming, eastern Oregon, and Utah. It began an affiliation with Goodwill Industries International in 1979 and expanded retail services from Montana to southern Idaho and then Utah over the next four decades.
Husted makes national list
Edward Jones financial advisor Jordan Husted of Great Falls was named among the 2022 Best-in-State Wealth Advisors in Montana by Forbes and SHOOK Research.
Husted is one of 117 Edward Jones financial advisors to be named to the 2022 Forbes SHOOK Best-in-State Wealth Advisors ranking, which was announced in April 2022 and published in the 2022 April/May issue. To see the full list of Edward Jones financial advisors who ranked among the top in their state, visit edwardjones.com and enter “Best in State Wealth Advisors” into the search box.
The Forbes Best-in-State Wealth Advisors ranking was developed by SHOOK Research and is “based on in-person, virtual, and telephone due diligence meetings to measure best practices, client retention, industry experience, credentials, review of compliance records, firm nominations; and quantitative criteria, such as: assets under management and revenue generated for their firms. Investment performance is not a criterion because client objectives and risk tolerances vary, and advisors rarely have audited performance reports. SHOOK’s research and rankings provide opinions intended to help investors choose the right financial advisor and are not indicative of future performance or representative of any one client’s experience. Past performance is not an indication of future results. Neither Forbes nor SHOOK Research receive compensation in exchange for placement on the ranking. For more information, please see www.SHOOKresearch.com.SHOOK is a registered trademark of SHOOK Research, LLC.”
Pre-Release Center award
The Great Falls Pre-Release Center has been offering re-entry services to those making the transition from incarceration to living in the community since 1984.
May 1 is Law Day in the United States, and in 2005 the Great Falls Pre-Release Center awarded their first Law Day award to Thomas McKittrick, then a District Court judge.
Since then, the award has been given to individuals or organizations who have demonstrated exceptional achievement in various fields such as corrections, education, law enforcement, community support, etc.
This year’s 2022 Law Day award winner is Tammie Hickey, the director of Great Falls Career and College Readiness Center and Great Falls College Montana State University’s Lifelong Learning program.
Hickey will receive the award during a ceremony at the Pre-Release Center’s Women’s Campus at 4 p.m. May 25.
Jason Nitschke gets national recognition
Jason Nitschke, regional director of the Montana Small Business Development Center at the Great Falls Development Authority, has been named the 2021 Boots to Business National Instructor of the Year by the U.S. Small Business Administration.
The award is presented by the SBA’s Office of Veterans Business Development. The agency selects one winner from within the agency.
The SBDC program funds nearly 1,000 centers and 5,000 business advisors throughout the country providing business technical assistance and educational opportunities to entrepreneurs.
As the SBDC regional director serving from Cut Bank to Lewistown, Nitschke provides one-on-one counseling and training for entrepreneurs and small business owners in his seven-county region.
Nitschke will be honored at 4 p.m. May 18 at Electric City Coffee.
Got a business bite? Email it to jenn@theelectricgf.com.
