Good morning; on the Beacon today, Kalispell police have arrested two men in the beating death of a 49-year-old man whose body was dumped in the woods southwest of Kalispell.Medical marijuana is believed by law enforcement to be a factor in the incident. A new federal regulation is set to take effect April 22 requiring that contractors working with lead-based paint in pre-1978 buildings obtain a special safety certification. Flathead County commissioners decided against pursuing changes in county zoning regulations with regard to medical marijuana, for now, saying any action taken at this point may be rendered obsolete if state law changes at the next Legislature. Lido’s got some gorgeous photos from Stumpjumper Days at Flathead Valley Community College. State environmental officials say an investigation into reports of human waste in Bigfork Bay of Flathead Lake has instead found decaying cattails. With the return of spring, the Ninepipe Wildlife Management Area between Ronan and St. Ignatius is an ideal place to bird watch and rest for a moment while traveling along U.S. Highway 93. And Kitchen Guy Jim Gray writes about blowing his shot at Food Network fame.
The nation’s most influential gun-rights group is conspicuously absent — and nearly silent — in a growing battle between states and the federal government over gun control. A conservative Montana group has filed a lawsuit against the state contending its exclusion from a state employee charitable donation program is discriminatory because it’s based on the group’s religious views. The executive director of the Rocky Mountain Supercomputing Center says a computer program is possible that would predict the spread of wildfires and aid firefighters in the field. Lee’s Jennifer McKee dives into just what Democratic Congressional candidate Dennis McDonald’s ties really are to a West Coast Cosa Nostra don. The Missoulian’s Rob Chaney explores what the effects on inventoried roadless lands Sen. Jon Tester’s Wilderness and Logging bill would have. A legislative committee will meet April 26-27 to learn how health care legislation passed this year by Congress may affect Montanans. Members also will hear several presentations about emerging issues related to the Montana Medical Marijuana Act, which voters approved in November 2004. Allegations of sexual abuse at a Missoula child care facility betray shortfalls in the state’s licensing requirements, and local and national advocates are calling for improved oversight.