Good morning; on this date in 1793 George Washington laid the cornerstone of the U.S. Capitol building.
On the Beacon this morning, a jury decided Wednesday that radio show host and KGEZ station owner John Stokes must pay $3.8 million to Todd and Davar Gardner for knowingly making false statements about the Gardners on air. Motorcycle riding is increasing, and so are motorcycle-related fatalities. Many Kalispell parks programs and maintenance will be cut back as a result of the city’s budget crunch. Whitefish Mountain Resort will not have the snowboard superpipe or a nordic ski trail this season. PPL Montana is drawing down water levels on Flathead Lake. And Beacon columnist Dave Skinner reminisces about Alaska, and what Sarah Palin brings to the Republican ticket.
In state news, Republican gubernatorial candidate Roy Brown tells the AP he’ll cut property taxes if elected. Both candidates for Chief Justice of the stat Supreme Court spoke in Billings last night, and criticized the delays in the court system. An early-morning fire destroyed Huntley Project High in Worden. And in Helena, a hearing is underway to remove the book, “The Joy of Gay Sex,” from the library there.
Finally, the high gas prices are affecting everybody, even this cocaine dealer who has added a gas surcharge to his product. Have a great day.