Good morning and happy Schmeckfest!
And happy Friday folks! There’s a lot happening around the valley and over the weekend. Our top story details the rampant illegal fish introductions taking place in lakes and streams throughout the Flathead and Swan valleys. At a recent investor forum, U.S. Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., was pressed on the true state of the economy by Flathead residents. The Flathead Community Medical Center received a $1.29 million grant from the state to expand its staffing and improve equipment. The man accused in the shooting death of an Evergreen toddler has pleaded not guilty to negligent homicide. Whitefish Mountain Resort has a new park in place that teaches avalanche beacon location. In Columbia Falls, tickets are available for the production of “The Pajama Game” with performances Friday and Saturday night. And columnist Warren Miller recounts a fateful 1955 European ski trip.
It’s a relatively slow news day statewide. A Lame Deer man and serial sexual offender was sentenced to life in prison under a little-used statute. Gov. Brian Schweitzer sent a letter this week to supporters of an empty Hardin jail explaining why he could not send prisoners there. The film “Iron Ridge,” shot and produced entirely in Montana, will be shown in Great Falls tonight. And the Yellowstone National Park bison population has fallen to 3,000 after the biggest slaughter in more than a century.
Finally, an entertainment company is betting that moviegoers will spend $35 for a ticket at luxury theaters with valets, reclining leather seats and sushi. Personally, for $27 less, I’ll eat popcorn and park myself. But thanks for the offer. Have a great weekend.