Good morning; on the Beacon today, Chuck Baldwin hasn’t stated outright that he plans to run for governor of Montana. But in a speech to a packed room at the Outlaw Inn in Kalispell last week, he all but declared his candidacy, describing the prospect as, “so thrilling I just get goose bumps.” Douglas F. Wise, a local legend who owned Sykes’ Grocery and Market for more than 60 years, passed away Jan. 14 at the age of 93. Lawmakers preparing to look at a long list of DUI proposals were told Monday that juveniles who kill while driving drunk in some cases should be tried as adults.
A bill to require students to stay in school until they are 18 or have graduated has failed in a Senate committee. Landowners asked legislators Monday to tilt eminent domain laws more toward their favor — less than a week after opposing industry interests asked the opposite. A report detailing the harrowing rescue efforts of snowmobilers caught in a deadly avalanche near Hungry Horse Reservoir on Jan. 8 does not identify what triggered the slide, but describes a “rollercoaster” of weather conditions that destabilized the snow and prompted officials to warn against travel in avalanche terrain. More than 200 people gathered for an anti-abortion rally at the Capitol Monday, including two dozen legislators, as abortion opponents predicted the 2011 Legislature will approve bills to restrict abortion in Montana. The Queen City News, the free Helena-based weekly paper featuring local news, opinion and entertainment listings, has stopped publication, and its publisher is not saying if it has plans to resume. A college welding instructor, a state microbiologist, a chemical treatment center technician and a Job Service business advocate spoke at a rally for state employee unions on Monday to urge lawmakers to pass the governor’s proposed budget and the state pay plan.