We’re high on Kalispell City Manager Jane Howington and low on Sen. Max Baucus in our weekly index of what’s up, down and in between …
HIGH
CHRIS PETERSON – The Glacier Park Magazine editor’s killer wildlife photos are getting major traffic on a Boston Globe blog, drawing lots of attention to this area and making many Bostonians jealous.
JANE HOWINGTON – The Kalispell city manager’s public scoping session on the proposed city airport improvements is civil and well-attended, though comments underscored how divided citizens are on the issue.
FLATHEAD COUNTY – The state Supreme Court rules in favor of the county, declaring three Lakeside condo projects must submit to its subdivision review process.
GRIZ – Montana routs Stephen F. Austin, 51-0, continuing on to play Appalachian State this weekend.
BETWEEN
AFGHANISTAN – In what may very well be his most important speech as president so far, Barack Obama calls for an additional 30,000 troops to Afghanistan, with a July 2011 deadline to begin troop withdrawals. Reaction was mixed, as many Americans are unsure what to think of this war.
LOW
MAX BAUCUS – The senior Democratic senator admitted he recommended his girlfriend, Melodee Hanes, for appointment as Montana’s U.S. attorney. Hanes withdrew her nomination earlier this year, but it’s giving Republicans some ammo, with RNC Chairman Michael Steele calling for an ethics investigation.
STATE EMPLOYEES/OFFICEHOLDERS – The growing number of state officeholders taking state government jobs, mostly Democrats at present, are skirting certain state ethics requirements, and their dual positions could conflict with the federal Hatch Act.
BUDGET SURPLUS – A new legislative report shows the previously projected state budget surplus of $300 million could shrink to $44 million by mid-2011.
MISSOULA CHAMBER of COMMERCE – An e-mail encouraging shopping trips to Spokane, unsurprisingly, angers local business owners.