Good morning and happy birthday to ME.
On the Beacon this morning, U.S. Sens. Max Baucus and Jon Tester are pressing Bonneville Power Administration to renegotiate its energy rates with Columbia Falls Aluminum Company. After a recent settlement, the controversial Kootenai Lodge has already irked its neighbors on Swan Lake. A 35-year-old Kalispell man is dead after the hydraulics failed while he was repairing his dump truck.
The Legislature convened yesterday, and Republicans made clear at the outset that they planned to leave their mark on the state’s budget and policy direction. Gov. Brian Schweitzer used his second inaugural address to praise former Gov. Joseph Dixon and lambaste lobbyists. But bison advocates protested Schweitzer’s speech, objecting to the state’s bison management policies. And more reports have emerged that Baucus may be splitting from his wife of 25 years.
And finally, check out the pics from this unfortunate incident at Vail ski resort, that left a man hanging upside down and pantless from the chairlift. Luckily no one was hurt, just embarrassed and, um, chilly. Have a great day.