fbpx

Thursday: Tourism Biz, FBIA, Baucus Picketers

By Beacon Staff

Good morning; on the Beacon today, a look at how the tourism industry in Montana has become increasingly focused on drawing newcomers to particular regions of the state – and how that’s done. The handling of the economic downturn by local city governments over the last year, as well as several recent votes by councils, will make for some serious elections in the Flathead this fall – and the Flathead Business and Industry Association aims to be a part of that discussion. A gunman robbed the 1st Ave. West Casino in downtown Kalispell late Wednesday night. And Wild Bill Schneider speculates on how the debate over wolf delisting could be affected were a wolf to actually attack a human.

Single-payer health care supporters plan to picket Sen. Max Baucus’ fund raiser in Big Sky this weekend. Gov. Brian Schweitzer has decided against attending what was billed as Montana’s first regional economic summit on Friday because commissioners from five of seven western Montana counties plan to boycott the event. Government researchers in Bozeman are using helium balloons and bees to determine whether the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide can be stored underground without leaking. And a new study warns that as the climate warms over the next four decades, portions of Montana and Wyoming are at ground zero for larger areas burned by wildland fires and an increase in air pollution from those fires.