Good morning and happy birthday to Stevie Wonder.
Our top local story this morning is predictable. Unless you’ve had your head under a rock, you probably already know former President Bill Clinton will be speaking tonight at Flathead Valley Community College at 7:30 p.m. to stump for his wife, Sen. Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign. Stick with the Beacon for complete coverage of the event; we’ll have a story and photos up on the site by tonight. On Wednesday, Mountain Works Communications President Nan Russell will be speaking in Columbia Falls to the Rotary Club. A federal investigation is underway in the shooting death of a 3-year-old Browning girl Thursday. While northwest Montana rivers may swell to flood stage this weekend, the Stillwater and Whitefish Rivers are not expected to crest this weekend.
State lawmakers plan to enact some of the less-controversial aspects of the recommendations by Gov. Brian Schweitzer’s climate change task force. Voter registration for Montana’s June 3 primary is skyrocketing. A new Energy Department report shows the U.S. could derive as much as 20 percent of its electricity from wind by 2030. And the Bozeman Chronicle looks at the changes forced on some Montana farmers by climate change.
And finally, a Kung Fu master famous for smashing coconuts with one finger is retiring. Have a great day and check back later is you can’t make the Clinton speech.