Good morning and to our New York City Italian readers, I hope you’re enjoying the Feast of San Gennaro – I wish I could have competed in last week’s cannoli eating contest.
It’s downright cold in the valley this morning, and the Swan range is dusted with snow. It’s enough to get you giddy or bummed out – depending on how you feel about winter. Topping regional news this morning, a feature story examining the recycling business in the Flathead. Beacon reporter Keriann Lynch takes a closer look at the tussle over road maintenance and dust mitigation in the county, and sits down with some angry, despairing residents. Myers Reece weighs the future of development in Kalispell in light of Bucky Wolford finally filing his development application for the Glacier Town Center mall – another huge potential addition to the city.
In state news, the AP reports that MSU is finally going to do some navel-gazing over the rocky reputation its athletes have acquired in the wake of a string of serious crimes. The university is putting a group together to assess the problem. Yellowstone officials recommend closing the park’s east entrance to snowmobiles. Jennifer McKee of Lee Newspapers reports on the governor’s Drought Advisory Committee meeting yesterday, where Lt. Gov. John Bohlinger called for more conservation measures in the face of grim predictions of no end in sight to the dry conditions. Lee Reporter Mike Dennison reports on the U.S Senate campaign of Billings Republican Rep. Mike Lange – currently the only member of his party to challenge Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont. Lange is calling for a tax cut aimed at retirees and working families, largely financed by withdrawing troops from Iraq in 18 months. Baucus’s spokesman said the senator won’t dignify Lange’s “zany” ideas with a response until he earns the Republican nomination.
It’s superhero day at Flathead High – and no matter how hard I try, I just don’t remember high school being as fun as it seems now.
And finally, it’s the the season premiere tonight of the 15th season of the, er, pioneering reality show, Survivor. Apparently one of the cast, er, contestants(?) is a Billings native and former Kalispell resident, Amanda Kimmel. Red’s in Kalispell has a sign up in their window saying Kimmel used to work there. Not that I spend exorbitant amounts of time propping up the bar at Red’s of course. Anyway, good luck to Kimmel. Tomorrow’s Friday…