Good morning and happy 4-20!
On the Beacon today, Flathead County’s unemployment rate rose again in March, to 12.7 percent. In the Legislature, Whitefish Rep. Mike Jopek is fighting to change a bill to ease the sting of higher property values on taxpayers. Whitefish High kids are performing Disney’s hugely popular, “High School Musical.” A memorial service for Hanna Cini, who died in an accident on Highway 35, is planned for Thursday. Defense attorneys for W.R. Grace and Co. are questioning whether the prosecution engaged in misconduct and are calling for the case to be thrown out. A bull moose was removed from Whitefish Lake Golf Course and released north of Whitefish Lake. The snow is cleared and the bowls at the Dave Olseth Memorial Skatepark in Whitefish are ready for skating. Kitchen Guy Chef Jim Gray talks up duck, and made my mouth water.
More than 1 in 11 Montanans now use food stamps to cover their grocery bills. The Obama administration will not appeal a federal court ruling prohibiting carrying concealed weapons in national parks. Lawmakers in Helena this week will try to iron out the budget differences – which is sure to cause some fireworks. Some House members intend to strip the budget of earmarks inserted by Senate Republicans. A Bozeman Democrat is calling for a conference committee to rework the changes made by Senate Republicans to several bills reforming the gravel pit permitting process.
Finally, British Spy Agency MI-5 is searching for a real “Q” gadget inventor. Sounds like a pretty sweet gig to me. Have a great day.