Page 23 - Flathead Beacon // 10.26.16

HELENA
3. Secretary of State: Voters Should Handle Ballots Themselves
Montana’s secretary of state, respond- ing to complaints of people o ering to deliver voters’ absentee ballots for them, said last week that residents should mail in or hand their ballots directly to their election o ce unless they know and trust the people who are handling them.
Secretary of State Linda McCulloch’s comments come after voters in at least three counties reported that people o ered to deliver their absentee ballots for them, and after remarks by Repub- lican presidential candidate Donald Trump that the national election may be rigged.
There is nothing illegal and nothing new about a voter handing his or her absentee ballot to another person for delivery, McCulloch said. Both Repub- licans and Democrats have been doing it for years, she said, as part of their get-out- the-vote e orts.
“We recommend that voters not give their ballots to someone other than the elector o ce unless it’s someone they’re con dent in giving their ballots to,” McCulloch said. “We also recommend that they check the My Voter Page web- site to see whether their ballot has been received by the county o ce.”
Montana Republican Party Chairman Je Essmann has raised the question of whether ballots that are handed over to strangers are being tampered with or destroyed. He sent a letter to McCulloch asking her to produce a public-service announcement telling voters not to give their ballots to strangers.
HELENA
4. Senate President Seeks Probe of
State Health Department
The president of the Montana Senate is asking legislative auditors to investi- gate the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services.
DPPHS Director Richard Opper says the request is politically motivated and without basis.
Republican Sen. Debby Barrett of Dillon wants Legislative Auditor Angus Maciver to look into allegations of waste, fraud and abuse within the department.
The allegations are based on a Septem- ber article in the Independent Record newspaper that cited former depart- ment sta ers as saying employees were discouraged from investigating question- able payments made by the state’s wel- fare program, to department contractors and money that may have been diverted to other programs.
Opper said last week the allegations are inaccurate and it’s disheartening that Barrett would want to use tax dollars to fuel baseless political attacks.
HELENA
5. Dinosaurs Roar into Montana
Governor’s Race with New Ad
Dinosaurs have roared into Montana’s race for governor with a renowned pale- ontologist who consulted with Steven Spielberg on the “Jurassic Park” movies saying the Republican candidate would
spend taxpayer money on private schools that teach creationism and mislead chil- dren about how old the Earth is.
A new television ad features former Montana State University paleontolo- gist Jack Horner saying candidate Greg Gianforte thinks the Earth is only a few thousand years old. Horner says Gian- forte supports using taxpayer money to fund “private schools that obscure the truth about dinosaurs and the age of the Earth.”
“He’ll say I’m attacking his religion — I’m not,” Horner says in the ad. “We just need to make sure that our kids learn the truth. I’d think twice about voting for Greg Gianforte.”
Gianforte, a Bozeman technology entrepreneur who is making his rst run for political o ce, is in a tight race against incumbent Democratic Gov. Steve Bull- ock. Gianforte campaign spokesman Aaron Flint last week called the ad silly and said it misrepresents Gianforte’s strong support of public schools and teachers.
“From his personal support of CodeMontana, computer science in every high school, support for more trades education and more — Greg is propos- ing increasing investments in our public schools once he’s elected governor,” Flint said.
Gianforte does not have an opinion on the Earth’s age, Flint said.
BILLINGS
6. Barry Beach Under More Strict
Monitoring
A convicted murderer who was granted clemency last November is under increased probation restrictions after he reportedly sexually propositioned a 12-year-old girl, the Bozeman Daily Chronicle reported.
The intensity of Barry Beach’s super- vision increased in January, soon after the girl’s mother went to police, Depart- ment of Corrections spokeswoman Judy Beck told the newspaper. Additional restrictions went into e ect on Oct. 5, weeks after Billings city prosecutors determined there was not enough evi- dence to le misdemeanor charges over the alleged encounter, Beck said.
Beach, 54, now has to wear a GPS mon- itor, has increased travel restrictions and has a 10 p.m. curfew, 11 p.m. on weekends. He must report to his probation o cer at least three times per month, Beck said.
Beach did not immediately return a phone message from The Associated Press Thursday seeking comment.
Beach served more than 30 years of a 100-year prison term for the 1979 murder of Kimberly Nees in Poplar, which hap- pened when Beach was 17. He was con- victed in 1983 and has maintained his innocence.
Beach was temporarily freed from prison in 2011 when a retrial was ordered but sent back 18 months later by the state Supreme Court. Last November, Gov. Steve Bullock granted him clemency, which required Beach to be on probation for 10 years.
Limited time FaLL menu Served 11:30-Close
entrees
Taco FlaTbread
Crisp baked flat bread layered with seasoned taco beef, olives, cheddar cheese, shredded lettuce, fresh pico de gallo and drizzled with our chipotle sour cream. 9.99
Prime rib chili bread bowl
Fresh baked bread bowl filled with our renowned prime rib chili topped with shredded cheddar cheese and diced green onion. 9.99
SkilleT laSagna
Traditional lasagna layered with ricotta, fresh spinach, mozzarella, and a robust Italian meat sauce served with your choice of soup or salad and garlic bread. 12.99
chicken PoT Pie
The Club’s spin on a fall classic of fresh cut vegetables and hearty chunks of chicken, simmered in chicken gravy layered between our homemade biscuits served with your choice of soup or salad. 12.99
gourmeT mac & cheeSe wiTh cajun bacon
A creamy 3 cheese blend of parmesan, gouda and American simmered in garlic cream sauce tossed with penne noodles, topped with a panko parmesan crust and blackened chopped bacon served with your choice of soup or salad. 14.99
STeak & ravioli
A great fall combination of our 6 oz prime grade top sirloin with butternut squash ravioli served in a brandy cream sauce topped with bleu cheese crumbles. 21.99
dessert
PumPkin Swirl cheeSecake 3.99
Huge Breakfasts to Perfectly Grilled Angus Steaks • Cocktails • Montana Microbrews
1301 S. Main, Kalispell 260-4401 www.montanaclub.com
OCTOBER 26, 2016 // FLATHEADBEACON.COM
23
Try our
ClassiC Fall ComFort Food is here!
Fall Menu