Good morning; on the Beacon today, Kelsey Schmid-Sommer of Whitefish is preparing to defend her national telemark ski racing title at the championships in Whitefish next month. Both the boys and girls from Columbia Falls won last year’s divisional tournament and are the top seeds in this year’s brackets. The Montana Supreme Court says a state District Court has jurisdiction to hear a medical malpractice lawsuit filed by the widow of a member of the Salish and Kootenai Tribes against a physician and a Polson clinic.
Eight Democratic senators from industrial states, including Montana Sen. Max Baucus, are challenging the Environmental Protection Agency’s authority to regulate pollution blamed for global warming. A bipartisan jobs bill cleared a GOP filibuster on Monday with critical momentum provided by the Senate’s newest Republican, Scott Brown of Massachusetts. Congressional Democrats cautiously embraced President Barack Obama’s new health care plan as their last hope for enacting a comprehensive overhaul. A monthly poll showed consumers’ confidence took a surprisingly sharp fall in February amid rising job worries. U.S. Sen. Max Baucus says he is scheduling an economic development conference for Butte in the middle of September. Two Georgia men convicted and sentenced to jail for abusing four horses during a wilderness pack trip were back in Hamilton on Monday hoping a second Ravalli County jury will be more sympathetic. Calling himself “a constitutional Republican,” Mark French of Paradise has filed as candidate for the U.S. House seat held by fellow Republican Rep. Denny Rehberg and promptly accused the five-time congressman of violating his oath of office. Montana Republicans are asking the Department of Commerce to target Oregon businesses in an advertising blitz that looks to steal jobs and promote Big Sky Country as a friendlier place to do business. Lower than average precipitation this winter could spell trouble for Western Montana’s rivers and streams come summer.