BUTTE — It’s that time of year again where the days are getting a little shorter and so it’s to be expected that we’ll be experiencing more darkness. But for some Butte residents and business owners, they feel like they’ve been left in the dark because some streetlights aren’t working.
"So, I actually just noticed the streetlights being off recently and now that it is becoming darker earlier it’s extra noticeable for me and my employees and all of our customers," says John Wick, owner of 5518 Designs.
Wick's boutique is located on Main Street in Uptown Butte where he says lights along two blocks of Main Street have been out for at least a month but it’s not the only spot in town where citizens are concerned about a lack of light.
"Several years ago I noticed that the streetlight across from my mom’s has been flickering and it’s on and off a lot at night and I was a little bit concerned about the safety because it’s so dark," says Sandra Honeychurch.
Honeychruch’s mother lives on Cobban Street across where three streetlights in a row sit dark.
"It would come on and then it would go off and it would be off forever and so I called and they fixed it a couple of years later and as soon as they fixed it this one down here started doing it and I called them again and nothing," says Jim Fay, another homeowner on Cobban Street in Butte.
Fay and Honeychurch aren’t the only ones concerned with the lighting issues. Dozens of residents have taken to social media to complain or even just to ask what to do and in some cases, the issues were resolved. A stretch of Harrison Avenue sat dark for months before being illuminated recently. But some corners remain dark along Harrison and Montana Street causing concern for residents and business owners alike.
"How are you going to see a person walking across the street or a dog or an elderly person," says Fay.
For Wick, concern for safety is an issue but he also worries about making Uptown Butte feel comfortable for visitors and locals alike.
"Streetlights contribute to the vibrancy of Uptown and how we welcome visitors and locals to our Uptown business district," he says.
Officials with Northwestern Energy ask the public to report problems with street lights via an online form on the NWE website or by calling NorthWestern Energy’s Customer Service Center, 888-467-2669.
Northwestern Energy also says that reports received for streetlights not owned by NorthWestern Energy are forwarded to the light’s owner.
