Monday: Housing Sales Up, Reappraisal Litigation, Burns Improving

By Molly Priddy, 12-14-09

Good snowy morning; on the Beacon today, the Flathead housing market is seeing signs of life after months of dismal sale numbers with help from government tax credits, but the recent upswing is no where near the boom earlier in the decade. The state Revenue Department is taking heat from several local legislators who say they were given incorrect information when they voted on the reappraisal mitigation bill, and several Flathead residents propose suing the state after their property values skyrocketed. The holidays are quickly approaching (or are already here for some) and Beacon photographer Lido Vizzutti showcases a way to give back to some less fortunate Flathead residents through Angel Trees. Kitchen Guy Chef Jim Gray explains his disillusionment with food-based reality shows. Former U.S. Sen. Conrad Burns' doctors upgraded his health status from "critical" to "serious" after he suffered a stroke last week. The Kalispell Fire Department is reorganizing its top positions, giving Acting Chief Dan Diehl the job permanently, and laying off DC Haas, the assistant fire chief and fire marshal, a position that oversaw fire prevention.

Smurfit-Stone will permanently close its Frenchtown mill, a move that will cause 417 workers to lose their jobs. Winter season at Yellowstone National Park opens this week, bringing with it the popular commercially guided snowmobile and snow coach excursions. The Community Action Partnership of Northwest Montana and city of Kalispell are collaborating on a plan to provide homes for qualified low- and middle-income families through a community land trust. The state is holding off on a promotional blitz after experiencing a backlog of applications for the Healthy Montana Kids program, which expands Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Plan to cover the 29,000 uninsured children in Montana. Oil production in Montana is down 30 percent from its high of three years ago, but state officials say high prices have helped soften the financial blow. Chattanooga charter tickets are selling fast as Griz fans make their plans to watch the national championship game against Villanova. And a Missoula woman is in custody after allegedly shooting two men with one bullet. [End of article]