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Monday: Census Effort, Hamilton Gunfight, Snowmobiler Killed

By Beacon Staff

Good morning and happy new year! On the Beacon today, U.S. Census officials administering the national data-gathering campaign are redoubling their efforts in Montana. Citing a desire to explore teaching opportunities abroad, Cheryl Steenson, the state representative for Kalispell’s House District 8, does not plan to run for reelection in 2010. As part of the Beacon’s Winter Guide, on newsstands now, we’ve got a rundown of the signature dishes at local restaurants, along with a guide to Western Montana’s best local beers. And Kitchen Guy Jim Gray writes about what 2010 will bring with respect to culinary trends.

As U.S. Rep. Denny Rehberg tours the state this week to gauge public support for the U.S. Sen. Jon Tester’s Wilderness and logging bill, observers say where the Republican comes down could either help seal Tester’s biggest legislative achievement since his 2006 election — or put up a major roadblock to the bill’s success. Park County officials say a 33-year-old Billings man died in an avalanche while snowmobiling just outside of Cooke City. Authorities say a 36-year-old man is dead after exchanging gunfire with a Hamilton police officer and then running his vehicle into a building following a traffic stop early Saturday morning. Montana food banks reported a much higher demand for services in 2009, as the recession continued. An already difficult situation for Democrats in Congress is worsening as the 2010 political season opens. Property owners at four struggling and bankrupt resorts, including the Yellowstone Club in Big Sky, in Idaho, Montana, Nevada and the Bahamas have filed a $24 billion federal lawsuit against Credit Suisse, saying the bank gave predatory loans to the resorts’ investors as part of a scheme to take over the properties. A sharply divided Montana Supreme Court has upheld a state law that requires someone planning to sue a bar over liability in a drunken driving crash to notify the bar within 180 days of the crash. Term limits will keep several key Billings and Eastern Montana legislators from re-election this year, including top Republican leaders from the past decade. A mechanic at Signal Peak Energy’s mine south of Roundup was killed in an accident there late Saturday night, according to an official with the Mine Health and Saftey Administration.