Good morning and Happy Independence Day to our readers in Lesotho.
On the Beacon today, editor Kellyn Brown blogs about the folks who comment on news stories online, and add a completely different dimension to news stories published on the Web. The owner of Flanagan’s Central Station in Whitefish answers back to authorities after a Beacon story on how and why authorities shut down the music venue. Columbia Falls contributor Mark Riffey writes about the extraordinarily active chapter of Habitat for Humanity up there, and it’s soup season in Whitefish. Since the weather turned wet and cold, Becky Lomax reports, Whitefish restaurants are selling gallons of soup hand over fist. Spicy shrimp and corn bisque, mmmm…
Topping state news, Montana’s Washington delegation is unified in hammering President Bush for his veto of a bill to expand children’s health insurance, a move sure to be mentioned in the coming campaign season. The Missoulian reports that Democratic Gov. Brian Schweitzer is touting the strength of Montana’s “restoration economy,” which will create jobs cleaning up environmental messes to preserve quality of life here. The U.S. Senate passed a large amendment to beef up agency staffing at U.S. borders. U.S. Attorney Bill Mercer reports that 5 sex offenders have been charged in Montana after a recent law that increased penalties for sex offenders who fail to register with authorities. Continuing the illustrious and admirable athletic tradition at Montana’s universities, the Bozeman Daily Chronicle reports that the NCAA plans to additionally penalize the MSU football team for the failure of many players to make any progress toward graduation.
One of my favorite weird stories of the day describes Japanese technology firms working to come up with giant robots, and robotic exoskeletons to aid the Asian country’s increasingly aging population – complete with a pic of a woman in something that resembles something out of the Transformers movie. In Amsterdam, environmentally conscious drug consumers are rejoicing, now that many of the cafes are using free range chicken eggs in their hashish spacecakes. (Insert your own ironic comment here about health-consciousness.) It’s Thursday, and the baseball playoffs are underway and editor Kellyn Brown is wearing his Cubs hat today after Chicago’s loss last night. I’ll be at Moose’s tonight watching the New York Cleveland game. Go Yankees!