Wednesday: Whitefish Elections, Kalispell Forum, Barkus Arraignment

By Dan Testa, 10-14-09

Good morning; on the Beacon today, Myers Reece offers up a primer on the issues and dynamics of the Whitefish City Council races, where it is clear that many people are dividing this year’s Whitefish City Council election into two camps: incumbent Frank Sweeney on one side and the three remaining candidates on the other side. The issues of transportation impact fees and the city hall lease dominated a Kalispell City Council candidate forum Tuesday, with challengers questioning the council’s budget priorities and decision-making. Incumbents meanwhile, defended their decisions as responsibly guiding Kalispell through one of the worst recessions in a generation. Montana Sustainable Building Systems, a new Whitefish company specializing in wood wall, roofing and floor systems, has taken European housing techniques and hopes to import them to the Flathead. State Sen. Greg Barkus is scheduled to be arraigned Oct. 26 on three felony charges stemming from an August boat crash on Flathead Lake that injured five people, including U.S. Rep. Denny Rehberg. State officials plan to dedicate portions of highways in the Kalispell area to three Montana Highway Patrol troopers killed in crashes in the line of duty.

Montana wildlife commissioners say there is little likelihood the state will increase the 2009 gray wolf quota. Authorities are looking for a small airplane that took off from Wyoming on Tuesday but did not land at its final destination in southern Montana. Montana Attorney General Steve Bullock has dropped his investigation into a California company following its attempted takeover of an empty Montana jail. A federal judge has overturned water quality rules for southeastern Montana that were approved by the Environmental Protection Agency, then assailed by the natural gas industry as a threat to drilling. Lewis and Clark County health officials say the death of a Helena adult at a Great falls hospital over the weekend was not related to swine flu. Attorney Karen Powell of Helena, chairwoman of the State Tax Appeal Board, has submitted her application for the Montana Supreme Court seat being vacated by Justice John Warner. Waded Cruzado is being offered the president’s job at Montana State University. [End of article]