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Tuesday: Retail Survivors, Bigfork Elves, Home Prices Rise

By Beacon Staff

Good morning; on the Beacon today, we look at retailers who have opened new businesses in the middle of the recession and how they’ve managed to survive. Check out Lido’s slideshow as hundreds of elves descend on Electric Avenue to decorate downtown Bigfork for the holidays. Local legislators got a taste of the Flathead Valley’s anger and confusion about the latest round of property reappraisal last week, as more than 120 property owners gathered for a “town hall” meeting in Bigfork. And we’re high on Ken Siderius and low on Sen. Max Baucus in our weekly index of what’s up, down and in between.

Missoula has lost out on its bid to host the 2010 NCAA Football Championship Subdivision title game. Home prices rose slightly in September, the fourth straight monthly increase and a clear sign the housing market recovery is continuing. The city of Hardin’s economic development arm has hired, Jeff McDowell, a former newspaper reporter with 20 years of experience in marketing and corporate relations as its new director. Montana farm groups are seeking to mediate with BNSF railway over a proposed grain shipping rate hike slated to go into effect with the New Year. State Sen. Jesse Laslovich is a legal resident of his legislative district in Anaconda, even though he co-owns a home and works in Helena, the state political practices commissioner has determined. U.S. Sen. Jon Tester is part of a group of lawmakers signing a brief supporting a gun rights case before the U.S. Supreme Court.