Good morning and happy Independence Day to our Albanian readers.
The new Beacons are on the stands and there’s no putting it off. It’s time to start your holiday shopping and our staff guides you to some of the most creative local gift ideas in the valley. At a planning board hearing last night, plans for the Glacier Town Center hit a snag when the need for entrances from U.S. 93 to the shopping center conflicted with the Kalispell transportation draft plan which seeks to keep that highway stoplight free. A members only social and business club in Whitefish is expanding to five other locations throughout Montana. Ronald Smith, the Canadian on death row in Montana is suing the Canadian government over its decision not to object to his execution.
In state news, a legislative committee yesterday began discussing restricting reporters’ access to legislature floor sessions, hearings and closing the door once again on caucuses. In your almost weekly update of which Griz football player has most recently been criminally charged, yesterday it was former cornerback Qwentin Freeman. The Great Falls Tribune reports that UM coach Bobby Hauck is keeping mum on rumors of coaching jobs at Colorado State and Washington State. For more on Hauck, check out the Montana Kaimin, the UM student newspaper, for what is possibly the most insightful and well written profile of the coach ever written. The Trib also reports that two federally funded rural water projects near the Fort Peck and Rocky Boys reservation are receiving so little funding they may never get built at all. And down in Livingston, the trial of a former clergyman accused of molesting three young girls continues, despite “egregious” conduct by a detective investigating the case.
And finally, if you couldn’t find anything good in our gift guide, maybe you can score this Faberge egg from the Russian collector who just purchased it for $18.5 million”. Makes a great stocking stuffer. Enjoy the day.