Good morning and happy Pooh Day (that’s Winnie the Pooh).
Happy Friday, too. There’s a lot of news on the Beacon this morning. An Evergreen man was sentenced to 40 years for shooting a woman in the head and killing her. Myers Reece writes about the fascinating life of the owner of Tien’s Place in Columbia Falls. In Kalispell, young leaders in commercial construction grapple with issues facing the future of their industry. An urgent care clinic with themed rooms has opened in Bigfork. Logs are flopping around in the Police Blotter. And Rep. Mike Jopek, D-Whitefish, writes about the township concept.
The state’s Short Term Investment Pool has hit another snag with the downgrading of one of its investments. In Fort Harrison, Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., discussed with a packed room of veterans the shortcomings in the VA system. This weekend in Great Falls, wildlife advocacy groups and energy firms will debate the potential environmental impacts of coal and gas development in eastern Montana.
And finally, since I started this Buffet with a cute bear, dang it, that’s how I’m going to end it. There’s a debate underway as to whether the new baby polar bear at the Nuremberg zoo in Germany, Flocke, is the cutest animal alive. I link to the report, you decide. Have a great weekend.