Good morning; on the Beacon today, March 17, the Flathead Lake Brewing Company is reopening its doors, with a new look. The body of Pvt. Nicholas Cook of Hungry Horse arrived in the Flathead Valley early Monday afternoon. Montana’s governor on Monday asked Interior Secretary Ken Salazar to prevent future drilling outside Glacier National Park by canceling oil and gas leases on more than 200,000 acres. A 67-year-old Montana musician, Louis Rogers, who spent four days stuck on a remote mountain road says he wrote a goodbye letter and was preparing himself for death when he was rescued. The five local Flathead teams – boys and girls – that played in state tournaments on March 11-13 went a combined 1-10, with the Columbia Falls girls claiming the only victory.
Democrats and Republicans, each eyeing control of the Legislature, were both optimistic as candidate filing drew to a close Monday. Analysts predicted Monday in a new report that the state is still facing a deficit by the middle of 2011, but for the first time in months that deficit is not growing. NorthWestern Energy is telling the governor that it is investing more in system improvements and paving the way for more renewable energy. It is an outcome that the Obama White House and its loyal supporters are absolutely not willing to entertain in public: failure to pass comprehensive healthcare reform. The Dalai Lama is coming to Missoula, organizers of the trip announced Tuesday. The Crow Tribe is exploring the idea of making use of the vacant Hardin jail, possibly as a drug-and-alcohol treatment center for Indians from across the country. Eight people are running for Montana’s lone U.S. House seat in this off-year election when it is the premier on the state ballot.