Good morning and happy birthday Wayne Gretzky!
On the Beacon today, the U.S. Marshals are searching for two fugitives who escaped from the detention center in Superior over the weekend. Western governors are clamoring to get some of the $825 billion federal stimulus money allocated to develop and improve the electric grid energy transmission infrastructure. We profile Elaine Snyder, a master buckskin clothier in Kalispell. Robert Ross, a newcomer to the Flathead High Speech and Debate team has become a star of the spoken word. Most of the bills generated by Gov. Brian Schweitzer’s Climate Change Advisory Committee are failing to gain any traction in the Legislature. Another bill working through the Legislature seeks to ban cellular phones while driving.
The Missoulian’s Michael Jamison reports on tanking real estate markets in the Flathead. Lee’s Jennifer McKee looks at the women who lead the Legislature. The state Senate advanced a bill to allow for mapping the Wildland-Urban Interface.
The woman accused of killing her 2-year-old son and hiding his body in the trunk of her car has asked a judge to move the trial out of Great Falls, saying the community has grown to hostile for an impartial trial. And reverse mortgages are causing problems for some homeowners in the Bitterroot.
Finally, check out this amazing story of two Burmese fishermen who survived a month at sea in shark infested waters floating in an ice box. Have a great Monday and stay warm!