Good morning; on the Beacon today, with any luck, the first phase of the Kalispell bypass southern portion from Highway 93 South to U.S. Highway 2 West could be completed sometime next summer or fall. Myers Reece previews the three northwest Montana teams headed to the state Class A football championship. An attorney for state Sen. Greg Barkus wants a different judge to preside over the case against the lawmaker, who faces charges stemming from an August boat crash that injured all five people aboard. And business columnist Mark Riffey writes about how being “green” can be one of the best things for a small business.
Figures show occupancy rates in Montana hotels, motels and inns was up 2.2 percent in September compared to the same period in 2008. Truckloads of opulent furniture, including a two-seated throne meant to grace a 53,000-square-foot home that Yellowstone Club founder Tim Blixseth never built, will be on the auction block in Georgia next month. Griz football coach Bobby Hauck is again answering questions from student reporters after he shunned the student newspaper for more than a month following a story about an alleged assault by two members of the team. The Missoulian’s Vince Devlin writes about a Bigfork Realtor’s effort to help Flathead and Lake County homeowners file their property reappraisal appeals. Montana Sens. Max Baucus and Jon Tester declined to say specifically whether they support the new government health-insurance plan proposed this week by their majority leader, as part of an overall health-reform bill. After a 31-year wait, the U.S. Department of Interior said Tuesday it will not recognize Montana’s Little Shell Tribe.