Good morning; on this date in 1843 Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol,” was first published.
On the Beacon this morning, the top story everywhere is the National Football Championship between the Richmond Spiders and Montana Grizzlies, scheduled for tonight in Chattanooga, Tenn. A Lakeside woman was sentenced to three years for scamming $2,000 in Hurricane Katrina relief money from the federal government. The existing retailers in Hutton Ranch plaza can’t wait for the Wal-Mart Super Center to arrive.
The state is suing the Stimson Lumber Co., seeking removal of a contaminated berm along the Blackfoot River in Bonner. A Mineral County detention officer is accused of raping an inmate and withholding necessities from her in exchange for sexual favors. Freezing temperatures have broken records for electricity use across Northwest Montana, according to the Bonneville Power Administration. State public employees unions agreed to a two-year salary freeze with the state, though the deal has to be ratified by the Legislature. Conservation groups sued the Bureau of Land Management this week, claiming the agency fails to take into account global warming when it permits oil and gas leases on its lands. MSU paleontologists have made a startling discovery about how much male dinosaurs cared for eggs, turning the prevailing theories on their heads.
And finally, perhaps the Flathead cities could take a cue from Ankeny, Iowa, which is salting its roads with garlic salt. The only problem? It makes the road workers hungry. Have a great weekend and Go Griz.