Good morning and happy birthday to Scott Joplin.
On the Beacon this morning, Jesse Perry is suing the Kalispell Police Department alleging he suffered permanent brain damage due to the excessive force they used when he was arrested in 2006. Reconstruction of Glacier National Park’s Going-to-the-Sun road will not be completed on schedule due to increasing construction costs and an anticipated budget crunch. Bigfork School District has purchased a new defibrillator and in installing it near the football field after the death of Jeffrey Bowman in August 2007. Glacier Bancorp is expected to net about $94 million from its recent public offering of common stock. The Rails-to-Trails Conservancy recently erected a bridge over Ashley Creek, making the route between Kila and Kalispell easier to ride. A Whitefish photographer recently released his 10th book of Montana images. And Kitchen Guy Chef Jim Gray writes about the art of improvisational cooking.
In state news, a Shelby state lawmaker is drafting a bill to exempt some bars and restaurants from an indoor smoking ban set to kick in Oct. 2009. ‘Tis the season for liquor sales, which are skyrocketing. And U.S. Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., has called for an investigation into U.S. Forest Service dealings with Plum Creek Timber Co.
And finally, some Chinese authorities are furious with 1990s-era supergroup Guns N’ Roses over the title of its new album, “Chinese Democracy.” Have a great SHORT week.