Good morning; on the Beacon today, we look at Kalispell’s population of homeless teens, and how they get by. Kalispell City Council considered a new fee on hotel rooms in order to boost the city’s promotional budget at its Monday meeting. This fall marks one of the highest enrollment increases for Flathead Valley Community College, as the campus welcomes more than 500 new students. Glacier National Park tallied its busiest June, July and August in 15 years. A judge’s order stopping prosecutors and police from talking about the investigation into state Sen. Greg Barkus’ boat crash may be based on rules that a prominent lawyer in public records cases argues are unconstitutional. ESPN is tracking the football accomplishments of Glacier High’s Shay Smithwick-Hann.
Sen. Max Baucus on Wednesday brought out the much-awaited Finance Committee version of an American health-system remake — a landmark $856 billion, 10-year measure that starts a rough ride through Congress without visible Republican backing. A hearing on Gov. Brian Schweitzer’s appeal in a case where he was found to have broken ethics laws is again being delayed. Montana wolf hunters have added more than $167,000 to the state Fish, Wildlife and Parks general license account since wolf tags went on sale Sept. 1. And in Hardin, the organizer of the deal to bring prisoners into the Two Rivers Detention Facility tried to quell questions about the mysterious firm that is going to be operating the jail.