Good morning and happy birthday Albert Einstein.
On the Beacon this morning, several thinning projects in the Flathead National Forest have irked landowners on Teakettle Mountain. A Whitefish man has been charged with felony criminal endangerment after the man’s neighbor said he tried to run him over with a tractor. After several fires ignited in the area, three Somers teens are charged with arson. Several bighorn sheep transported via helicopter from Wild Horse Island to Libby have died, due mainly to snow covering their range. And Whitefish Rep. Mike Jopek sounds off on the looming issue of property tax reappraisal and how to deal with it in the 2009 Legislature.
The top statewide story this morning is either exciting or scary, depending on your political predisposition: Hillary Clinton is coming to Butte to speak at a major Democratic fundraiser, and Obama may announce plans to show up too. Montana’s wolf population increased 34 percent last year, to an estimated 422 wolves in 73 packs. Fish, Wildlife and Parks Commissioners loosened some controversial hunting regulations after hearing some emotional public testimony. Montana’s Democratic Sens. Max Baucus and Jon Tester opposed legislation yesterday that would have put a one year moratorium on earmarks.
And finally, anyone searching for a “unique” new home can find it in Tennessee, where a UFO house is for sale on eBay. You know the housing slump is getting bad when a perfectly good flying saucer house just sits on the market. Have a great weekend.