Good morning and happy birthday Bob Marley.
On the Beacon today, severely icy conditions have closed schools all over the Flathead Valley. A 14-year-old boy is in custody after bringing a 9mm handgun to Smith Valley school Wednesday. Whitefish Winter Carnival King Rick Donahue reminisces about 50 years of the North Valley’s signature cold weather festival. Eric Ruicheng Pei is Flathead Valley Community College’s first Fulbright scholar-in-residence. A federal appeals court has upheld the $2.2-million award against former Kalispell businessman Richard Dasen Sr., convicted in May 2005 of sexual abuse of children, promotion of prostitution and four counts of prostitution.
Things are sliding downhill at the Legislature, where Republicans and Democrats can’t agree on the state’s revenue estimate, making most spending and budgetary decisions impossible. With the reversal of several Senate votes, a law to make not buckling a seatbelt an offense worth of being the sole reason law enforcement can pull someone over appears likely to fail. Montana Democratic Party Chairman Dennis McDonald has filed the paperwork to challenge U.S. Rep. Denny Rehberg, R-Mont., for his seat in the House. State regulators have written a new air quality permit allowing the Thompson River power plant to reopen.
And finally, in India, a 75-year-old doctor was sentenced for taking a 50-cent bribe 24 years ago. Bummer. Have a great weekend.