Good morning; on this day in 1980, ex-Beatle John Lennon was shot to death outside his apartment in NYC by a deranged fan.
In news on the Beacon this morning, a state district judge has ruled Montana residents have the right to doctor-assisted suicide. A statewide property reappraisal shows the value of residential property has increased by an average of 55 percent statewide over the past 6.5 years, with Lake and Flathead County showing two of the largest jumps. In sports news, two big wins for Montana teams this weekend: The Griz avenged an early-season loss to Weber State and Carroll advances to the NAIA Championship. And if you didn’t make it to the “Night of Lights” celebration in Columbia Falls, check out Lido Vizzutti’s slide show here.
In other news around the state, Rep. George Groesbeck, D-Butte, died on Sunday at age 38. In Billings, community leaders have joined officials from law enforcement and schools in cracking down on gangs and reaching out to young people who are vulnerable to recruitment. And two Missoula hikers died after falling down a cliff on St. Mary Peak in the Bitterroot Mountains on Saturday.
Finally, politicians in Australia’s most populous state could be breath-tested for alcohol before voting on laws after a series of embarrassing late-night incidents. Hope your week is off to a good start!