Good morning and happy Balloons Around the World Day, an occasion to celebrate the art of balloon twisting and decorating.
The new Beacons are on the stands, and topping our print edition and Web site today, Myers Reece revisits the unsolved murder case of Columbia Falls native Jennifer Servo, five years after her death. Reece also reports on the feud between Flathead County Commissioner Gary Hall and Whitefish City Council; sparks are flying heading into election season. U.S. Rep. Denny Rehberg, R-Mont., will be meeting with Canadian officials in Paris to discuss the mining proposals north of Glacier-Waterton Park. I spoke with Rehberg last week regarding his stance on the mining proposals – grab the print edition for a copy of that story or check out our Web site later this week for that interview. And I would be remiss not to urge readers to check out the local high school sports pages for “Essentials” stats and standings for football and volleyball. Editor Kellyn Brown and Myers have been yelling back and forth across the newsroom for days to get these features up and running. I’m glad I’m not a sports reporter.
The Missoulian reports that Whitefish Mountain Resort beat out every other ski area in Montana to rank 20th nationwide in SKI magazine’s annual ranking of the top 50 resorts in North America. I can’t wait to start cranking there this winter. Topping statewide news, the Bridger-area ranchers who lost their herd to the cattle disease brucellosis are pleading with Gov. Brian Schweitzer for help. In Washington, U.S. Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., outlined a series of policy steps encouraging Democrats to embrace free trade. And Schweitzer told the Air Force that Malmstrom Base would be an ideal location for a coal-to-liquids fuel plant.
And finally, if you haven’t heard there’s a new Indiana Jones movie in the works, well, there’s just nothing I can do to help you. But the amount of confidential info about the film that has been leaking to press or stolen seems like it’s getting worse and worse. At this rate, the whole movie will make it to YouTube before theaters. Oh well, I’ll pay to see it anyway. Happy Hump Day!