Nov. 2--HAVE YOU HEARD: Consolidation of auto parts stores in Billings has continued with a flourish during the past few weeks.

Here's a brief history:

Billings used to have three auto parts chains: Bumper-to-Bumper, Champion and Checkers. Bumper-to-Bumper bought out Champion. Then O'Reilly Auto Parts bought out Bumper-to-Bumper. Then, in July, O'Reilly bought the 1,342 stores in the Checkers chain.

In the past few weeks, the Billings Checkers stores were among the first in the nation to get new O'Reilly signs.

"We had somewhere around 20 stores being changed over at the same time," said O'Reilly district manager Rick Koehn. "We've retained every employee. That was part of our buyout agreement."

In the Heights, the O'Reilly store at 1117 Main St. closed and moved into the Checkers store at 885 Main, where there was more space and parking.

The Checkers store on the 2200 block of Grand Avenue closed and moved to 1400 Grand, the former Pay 'n Pak store. The store O'Reilly built at 1510 First Ave. N., by the Fastenal Co., had its grand opening Saturday.

O'Reilly now operates four stores in Billings, down from seven when the town had three auto parts companies.

The merger and sign replacement process is expected to take two years.

With the acquisitions, O'Reilly operates more than 3,000 stores. Meanwhile, O'Reilly reported gross sales topping $1 billion for the third quarter, up 68 percent from the same period last year.

OUT AND ABOUT:

--A Rimrock Mall favorite is coming back.

The national Cinnabon chain is opening a kiosk to serve the flavorful and sweet-smelling cinnamon rolls, pecan rolls and other goodies.

Cinnabon used to be in Rimrock Mall but closed six years ago.

"We have had so many requests from people to bring back Cinnabons, and they're opening a kiosk on Nov. 7," said Jeremy Vannatta, senior marketing manager.

--The Montana Rescue Mission has leased space on the southwest corner of South 29th Street and Minnesota Avenue, across from the mission, and moved its administrative offices there. The Fortin Foundation covered $20,000, or about a quarter of the costs.

"They're initially moving about 12 to 15 of our program folks, and then we're eventually moving all nine of our administrative staff," Executive Director Gary Drake said.

ANNOYING CALLS: Whatever flavor of administration and Congress this country has come January, let's agree to enforce one law better: the do-not-call law.