Election 2008
Schweitzer Wants Democratic Primary to Continue
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HELENA – Gov. Brian Schweitzer says he would like to see the race between Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama continue to Montana's June 3 primary, the last contest in the nation.
Clinton has been under increased pressure in recent days to bow out and hand the Democratic presidential nomination to Obama. Although the race is close, Obama has a clear edge in pledged delegates and appears to hold the momentum among the key superdelegates who can vote for whomever they like at the Democratic national convention in August.
Poaching Charges
Four Kalispell Men Charged With Felony Poaching
Four Kalispell men face felony poaching charges for allegedly killing six big-game animals, including a bull moose, near Helmville.
Benjamin Bolt, 21; his brother, Nicholas Bolt, 20; Benjamin Woodson, 24; and Brandon Mitchell, 22, were charged with possession of unlawfully taken wildlife, tampering with physical evidence and burglary, according to records from Powell County Justice Court.
A daily taste of top news stories
Weekend Buffet: Avalanche Control, Wolf Lawsuit and Blind Bowler
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Good morning and happy Lost Sock Memorial Day. A conservation group files a request for documents regarding avalanche control along railroad tracks in Glacier National Park. A former University of Montana football player pleaded guilty Thursday to two charges related to a violent home invasion. A federal judge in Montana has rejected a request by the government to delay a lawsuit seeking to place the gray wolf back on the endangered-species list. In Des Moines, Iowa, a 78-year-old blind man scored a perfect 300 game at the Century Lanes bowling alley.
[read more]Whitefish Theatre Company
Rocking the Schoolhouse
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Jesse Walburn grimaces with hair spray. --Becky Lomax, for the Beacon |
Starting Friday night, kids plan on rocking the schoolhouse when Whitefish Theatre Company presents their annual kids musical. In a take off of the Emmy Award winning 1970s educational cartoon, kids do a hip romp through school subjects, singing about math, grammar, history, and biology.
In the last rehearsal before opening night, 31 antsy cast members walk through the finale for School House Rock Live! Junior. They take their places as Director April Dawn Vogel adjusts the look of the scene. Four boys on spotlights practice focusing beams on the cast, and the actors learn to bow before hitting the dressing rooms to put on costumes for the full show—a preview for families.
Official: No ‘Significant’ Changes
Conservation Group Probes Avalanche Prevention Plan
A Burlington Northern Santa Fe engine pulls cars from the Glacier National Park area under the North Fork Road overpass in Columbia Falls. - Lido Vizzutti/Flathead Beacon
A conservation group has filed a request for documents relating to the release of an upcoming decision by Glacier National Park regarding avalanche control on the railroad tracks that skirt the park’s southern border, out of concern that Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway executives may have influenced the decision after the public comment period had closed.
[read more]Kalispell Police and Flathead County Sheriff’s reports
Police Blotter: Wal-Mart Freakout and Missing Yellow Hose
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12:53 p.m. A Kalispell resident called in to talk about his yellow garden hose that he likes to keep behind his shed. The hose, however, has gone missing. He has reason to believe his neighbor has stolen it. His neighbor, reportedly, now has a pretty yellow hose in the back of his truck.
6:34 p.m. A call was made from Wal-Mart about a man who was standing outside his car yelling obscenities because his wife had been in the store shopping for too long.
6:53 p.m. A man drove his car into the lake between Somers and Lakeside.
Plum Creek Talks
Missoula Commissioners Press for Info Related to Plum Creek Talks
HELENA – Missoula County commissioners concerned about potential development of private timberlands sent Agriculture Undersecretary Mark Rey a letter Wednesday, telling him he needs to be forthcoming with information.
The commissioners say they want documents related to talks between Rey, who oversees the U.S. Forest Service, and Plum Creek Timber Co., which owns vast timberlands in Montana and has been selling some of those holdings for development.
Lurching from one near disaster to another ...
Warren’s World: Crowded Resorts Contribute to Death on the Slopes
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There is a major crisis in the ski and snowboard world that very few people are aware of and no one is doing anything about. In Colorado last winter 17 skiers or snowboarders were killed by running into each other or trees. At Deer Valley, Stein Eriksen broke his ribs, wrist and collar bone when he collided with a small boy. That, after skiing for 75 years.
[read more]Facebook Safeguards
McGrath: Facebook, States Agree on New Safeguards
HELENA – Officials from several states say Facebook has agreed to implement more than 40 safeguards to protect younger users.
Montana Attorney General Mike McGrath says the changes are designed to thwart sexual predators, fraud and online bullies at the popular online hangout.
Loans Safe This Year
Future of Student Loan Program Funding Disputed
Changing federal regulations and a collapse in the bond market have caused many national associations to pull out of college loan programs, limiting resources for students. The national woes have trickled down to Montana, where the state’s nonprofit lender cut staff and loan benefits in recent months, but is assuring borrowers that funding is secure for at least the next academic year.
[read more]
