Good morning; today, in 1931, mobster Al Capone, who ruled much of Chicago, was finally convicted — of income tax evasion.
On this Beacon this morning, an FVCC photo show highlights a recent student trip to Nepal. Myers Reece writes about the historical significance of tonight’s gridiron match-up between cross-town rivals Glacier and Flathead. In Whitefish, a third grader who admitted to smoking marijuana is one of the first students to be disciplined under the school’s new drug testing policy, while in Anaconda, officials are implementing random testing for student athletes for alcohol and drugs. And Dan Testa blogs about why he pities Joe “The Plumber” Wurzelbacher of Ohio.
In other news around the state, Sanders county residents are angry at the DEQ and EPA, because, while Sanders County commissioners have been briefed on a regular basis about sediment from the Milltown Dam cleanup, the two agencies held a public meeting with county residents for the first time Wednesday night, more than half a year after the dam was breached. A Missoula police officer who has been the subject of a federal investigation resigned from his job last month after spending more than a year on administrative leave. An Irish wind power company with offices in Great Falls outlined a new technology Thursday that could make wind energy more marketable: “compressed air” power plants. And samples taken from lake beds provide information on state fire history.
Finally, it’s good to see that the presidential candidates both have a sense of humor — or that their speech writers do, at least. At an Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation Dinner at the Waldorf Astoria in Manhattan, both candidates poked fun at themselves and others. One of McCain’s gems: “Events are moving fast in my campaign. And, yes, it is true that this morning I dismissed my entire team of senior advisors. All of their positions will now be held by a man named ‘Joe The Plumber.'” And here’s one from Obama: “Who is Barack Obama? Contrary to the rumors you may have heard, I was not born in a manger. I was actually born on Krypton and sent here by my father, Jor-El, to save the planet Earth.”
Happy Friday, everyone. Have a great weekend!