Good morning; on the Beacon today, after adopting a temporary vendor ordinance last year, the Whitefish City Council is having a tough time deciding if it likes the law. Several instances of vandalism last year in Libby have caused the mayor and chief of police to explore the possibility of downtown security cameras, a move that at least one business owner is calling an invasion of privacy. Robin Pflugrad, the new head football coach at the University of Montana, is going to give Glacier High School’s Shay Smithwick-Hann the opportunity to do what he does best, and that’s play quarterback. And Kitchen Guy Jim Gray writes about what could be lost as fewer and fewer “white table cloth” restaurants operate.
Dutch Gold Resources Inc. of Atlanta says its Basin Gulch project 16 miles west of Philipsburg could produce more than $3 billion in gold. On Sunday, former Alaska governor Sarah Palin (R) fueled speculation about a potential presidential bid when, after a rousing speech at the Tea Party convention Saturday night, Ms. Palin told Fox News Sunday that she hasn’t “closed the door” on a 2012 run. Hunting outfitters are wary of a new initiative that would do away with their nonresident hunting licenses. Chuck Johnson reflects on the conservative legacy that Rob Natelson will leave in Montana. Amtrak ridership in Montana is down. Conditions on a $968,000 federal grant designed to help Bozeman building owners affected by last year’s downtown natural-gas explosion may make it difficult, if not impossible, for many to take advantage of it.