Good morning; on the Beacon today, holders of state cabin leases say the rise in rates has hit a “tipping point” that’s going to create a mass exodus of leaseholders abandoning their sites. The body of Army Pvt. Nicholas S. Cook of Hungry Horse, who died in Afghanistan, arrived at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware early Tuesday. Former NFL star Doug Betters is organizing the 25th Whitefish Winter Classic this weekend. Flathead County authorities say a man whose body was found in a snowbank on the southern edge of Glacier National Park was an 18-year-old from Lake Forest, Ill., Alexander Charles Rettinger, who had been reported missing in September. And columnist Mark Riffey writes about how milking the “strategic cow” can boost your business.
A top staff member for Rep. Denny Rehberg, Randy Vogel, has been put on voluntary leave and is facing poaching charges in Madison County for allegedly taking an elk out of season and abandoning the carcass. NorthWestern Energy is facing another lawsuit stemming from a natural-gas explosion last year that killed one woman and destroyed half a city block. An envelope containing a suspicious powder burst open while being handled by state workers in a Montana government office. Sarah Palin is coming to Missoula in September to fire up a fundraising campaign for Teen Challenge Montana, organizers said Tuesday. In an exchange with U.S. Sen. Jon Tester on Tuesday, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said his agency has no plans to create a new national monument in Montana or buy up private land in the Missouri Breaks area east of Fort Benton. Former Secretary of State Brad Johnson on Tuesday joined the race for the Public Service Commission district stretching from Helena to Kalispell, creating a contested Republican primary for the chance to challenge Democratic incumbent Ken Toole this fall.