Good morning and happy birthday to Antoine Laumet de La Mothe, sieur de Cadillac.
On the Beacon today, Columbia Falls has its sights set on a state basketball title. Even if the federal stimulus provides some funds toward the U.S. 93 bypass, a large number of difficult hurdles remain for the project. In the W.R. Grace asbestos trial, a woman who bought property from the mine testified that mine officials knew there were health risks related to the vermiculite. A Eureka teen dealing with a rare form of cancer is benefiting from the Whitefish Winter Classic fund raiser this weekend.
Downtown Bozeman was rocked by a massive explosion this morning due to a gas leak, in a story that;s still developing. In the state House, lawmakers are digging into the state budget and making trims where they can. But the issue of expanding the Children’s Health Insurance Program remains unresolved. The state Senate killed a bill to outlaw talking or texting on a hand-held cell phone while driving. Gov. Brian Schweitzer opposes a Republican plan to set up a legislative oversight committee for stimulus spending. The Montana Transportation Commission authorized some $200 million in road improvement projects to be paid for with stimulus dollars.
And finally, a woman who called 911 three times when her local McDonald’s was out of McNuggets now finds herself an international celebrity.