Good morning; on the Beacon today, dubbed the Montana Majestic Mountain T Tour, the international event brings 175 Ford Model T enthusiasts and their classic cars to the valley from Aug. 1 to Aug. 7 with drivers stationed at Whitefish Mountain Resort who will venture out to new locations everyday. Skydivers will continue to fly over Lost Prairie following a parachuting accident Wednesday that killed a Colorado man: Garl “Mike” Newby, 57, of Colorado Springs. The question of what to do with the North Fork Road was further debated Tuesday night in Columbia Falls. A loosely organized but unified campaign is underway to garner support for a little known federal funding mechanism with the potential to bolster money for recreation, public land acquisition and wildlife habitat restoration in Montana by millions of dollars. Bull riding, the activity that has been called “the most dangerous eight seconds in sport,” will arrive in Kalispell July 30-31 when sixty cowboys from across the Northwest are expected to compete in the two-day competition, hosted at the Majestic Valley Arena by the Elite Professional Bullriders. And Mick Holien muses on the science of scheduling Griz football and basketball.
The last grizzly bear believed involved in the fatal mauling of a Michigan man at a campground near Yellowstone National Park has been captured, and Montana wildlife officials are awaiting DNA tests to confirm their suspicions. Arizona asked an appeals court Thursday to lift a judge’s order blocking most of the state’s immigration law as the city of Phoenix filled with protesters, including about 50 who were arrested for confronting officers in riot gear. A legislative panel Thursday deadlocked on how to update the state’s energy policy, as Democrats balked at what they saw as an excessive endorsement of oil, gas and coal as part of Montana’s energy future. In the wake of last week’s sniper threat – where it took 74 minutes for the University of Montana to alert the campus – university officials on Thursday said they recognize the need for quick notification – and promised to do so in future emergencies. With violence on Indian reservations more than two times the national average, the Tribal Law and Order Act signed Thursday by President Barack Obama is expected to combat the problem.