Monday: City Races, FWP Dems, NW Energy Project

By Dan Testa, 7-13-09

Good morning; on the Beacon today, candidates for November's city office elections are finalized. The Whitefish city council voted 5-1 at its last meeting to implement the controversial lakeshore protection regulations with nine amendments, representing the first significant update to lakeshore protection laws in Whitefish in nearly 30 years. The Bigfork Stormwater Advisory Committee was recently awarded $625,000 from a Treasure State Endowment Grant as well as $125,000 from Montana’s Department of Environmental Quality for projects to improve the town’s stormwater system. The Stumptown Art Studio counts on the community to keep it running, while many Whitefish children and artist rely on Stumptown to have a place to express themselves. Kitchen Guy Jim Gray visits Edinburgh to experience modern Scottish cuisine. And Kellyn Brown debates whether the new Kalispell city manager's compensation package is appropriate.

Republican critics say Gov. Brian Schweitzer's appointment of Democratic state Rep. Art Noonan to a post as deputy director of the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks smacks of cronyism in the administration. NorthWestern Energy is pushing ahead with a 430-mile power line to export Montana power to other states, even though one Public Service Commissioner is dead-set against the project. Fishing limits have been removed from six backcountry lakes around the Flathead in an attempt to reduce the population of hybrid trout. Landowners around Bozeman are beginning to make the proper modifications to where their property abuts county bridges in order to accommodate the new stream access policy. And a janitor at the state Capitol rescued a load of valuable documents about Congresswoman Jeannette Rankin that was slated for the trash. [End of article]