Good morning; on this date in 1833, the city of Chicago was founded.
On the Beacon this morning, the lawsuit brought by Polson-area residents who say the Kerr Dam has damaged their lake and riverfront properties is about to go before the state Supreme Court. A 9-month-old Marion boy remains in critical condition after being allegedly sexually assaulted by his mother’s boyfriend. Authorities have confirmed that the three people killed in Plains over the weekend were victims of a murder-suicide. The fire west of Elmo has reached 600 acres.
In state news, a University of Montana researcher says Montana’s wood products industry, 10 percent of the state’s economy, is plagued by the housing construction downturn and uncertain timber supplies. The Bush administration is seeking to roll back large parts of the federal Endangered Species Act. The Billings Gazette has a fantastic enterprise piece on the vast array or rules, regulations and increasing permit fees the U.S. Forest Service is imposing on the owners of rustic cabins on federal land. And in Butte, Gov. Brian Schweitzer and Montana’s federal delegation were on hand to announce a California biofuel company’s intention to develop a process for producing cellulosic ethanol. The company, AE Biofuels, Inc., says it plans to build a $100 million production facility somewhere in the U.S. as early as next year.
Finally, a Swan Valley man has a business selling incense made from moose poop. Talk about taking advantage of tourists. Have a great Tuesday.