Wednesday

THE BUZZ

Recent polls show that Democratic Sen. Jon Tester faces an uphill battle to fend off GOP challenger Rep. Dennis Rehberg, according to the National Journal.

Polls conducted in Montana and New Mexico also shine a light on how vulnerable President Barack Obama is, the online political journal said. It said that, in Gallup's Daily tracking data released Tuesday, Obama had an approval rating in Montana of just under 34 percent--a very weak number for an incumbent.

Meanwhile, a recent Democratic poll showed Rehberg with a 46-43 edge over Tester, while a GOP poll showed Rehberg with a 53-42 lead.

Those numbers may explain why Tester has been taking more conservative positions in recent days, including his recent call for an accounting of the federal money that goes to groups that sue federal agencies.

Know where the world's largest snowflake was found? Fort Keough, Montana.

That bit of trivia is courtesy of the "Google Doodle," the piece of art you see on the Google search home page. It was featured last Saturday, and tens of millions of people saw it as they clicked on Google's search page. The art featured a cow grazing in snow-covered ground. Gradually, a giant snowflake floated down, sending birds flying away to avoid being crushed, and drawing the interest of the cow. The snowflake became the second "o" in Google's logo, joining a leafless tree as the "G" and a tower which substitutes for the "l".

Also, when clicked, the doodle brought up this message: "Largest snowflake ever observed: 38 centimeters (15 in) in diameter; Fort Keogh, Montana, United States, 38th January 1887." (For those who don't know, Fort Keogh is an old military fort on the outskirts of Miles City.)

The Guinness Book of World Records gave a nearby farmer credit for recording the size of the size of the snowflake, and describing some as the size of "milk pans," but saying there is no corroborating evidence.

Montana fans of romance novels might be attracted by the cover and brief blurbs on "Two Spirit Ranch." The cover shows a cowboy and his beau staring off over a pond into a dreamy sunset. Short descriptions of the book make it sound like standard romance fare: A successful female lawyer flees Manhattan for the less-hectic lifestyle of Montana, where she meets and falls in love with a handsome sheriff. But delve deeper and you find out the rest of the story: The attorney is a transgendered female.

Of course, as Jerry Seinfeld and friends used to say: "Not that there's anything wrong with that." Still, that might give some Montana book buyers pause.

The Los Angeles author, Jaime Stryker, says the title is derived from the belief of some Indian tribes that members could assume the identity of members of the opposite sex and still be accepted. "Many of the native peoples believed a spectrum of gender identities was part of nature's diversity."

Wasn't that a disaster? No, we're not talking about the winter storm that walloped Montana this week, but Dave Gallik's short-lived term as Montana's political practices commissioner. Just what was he thinking, anyway?

Gallik stepped down from the post Tuesday after a terrific investigative report by Great Falls Tribune reporter John S. Adams laid out the case that Gallik was fudging state time sheets and logging state pay for hours he'd actually been spending on his private law practice. Gallik denied the charges, which were made all the more powerful because they came from his staff of four at the political practices office and were backed by official records.

Gallik claimed that Gov. Brian Schweitzer gave him the go-ahead to work at his law practice at the same time he was doing the state ethics job, which paid him $57,689 a year. But his staff accused him of "stealing from the taxpayers" and "committing ethics violations" by claiming to work on state business when he was actually working on his own law business.

The Helena Independent Record said Gallik's departure represents an opportunity for the governor, in appointing a replacement, to bring necessary reforms and a new era of nonpartisanship to the office.

What the IR didn't note was that Gallik's appointment last May was Schweitzer's attempt to poke GOP lawmakers in the eye for not confirming his first choice for the job, Jennifer Hensley. Hensley served in the post for several months but Republicans resisted her confirmation, saying she'd been too much of a Democratic activist to keep the job permanently. By turning to Gallik, Schweitzer picked someone with even more of a reputation as a partisan. Gallik, too, faced confirmation hearings, but not until the 2013 Legislature met because Schweitzer appointed him after the 2011 session adjourned.

One of the ironies is that, during her short tenure, Hensley impressed many observers with the volume of work she did and her effort to be nonpartisan.

While she did have a partisan background, she may have ended up being a good commissioner. The staff gave her high marks -- in contrast to Gallik.

In hindsight, it appears Republican legislators made a bad choice in rejecting her. Schweitzer, in turn, blundered by using Gallik to get revenge against the GOP.

University of Montana students stop to inspect the controversial Jesus statue atop Big Mountain at the Whitefish Resort ski area recently. The Forest Service has just renewed a special use permit, allowing the statue to remain atop the mountain for another ten years. (Missoulian)

Will Keystone sponsor bypass feds by starting line in MT?

Feds renew permit for Jesus statue atop Big Mountain

Miller names PSC member as gubernatorial running mate

Lawmakers: Records of political practice's chief preserved

Wife of Darby coach sentenced to prison in Utah

UM aims to overcome image as 'tree-hugger' school

Barz completes sexual-assault report for UM

Official: Bakken oil boom won't subside any time soon

Grace bankruptcy deal could help asbestos victims

GTF man admits to sexual assault on real estate agent

Billings couple says prostitution ring 'clean,' paid taxes

Tester takes big lead over Rehberg in campaign funds

Daines outpaces others in fundraising for House race

Drunk Yellowstone bus driver gets 180 days, probation

Womens' prison makes banking easier for inmates

Former Billings police employee denies theft charge

Missoula woman was driving drunk before fatal crash

Grizzly running back denies rape charge

Tester wants report on groups getting fed funds for suing

Wind gusts help GTF live up to reputation as MT's windy city

Butte judge may be suspended while drug case pending

Victims start getting part of $43M state asbestos settlement

Jefferson Co ranchers seek bounty on predators

State closes wolf hunting in region near Glacier Park

Hutterite colony ordered to pay $90K for poisoned horses

Butte man arraigned on attempted homicide charge

Late entry signs up for political practices post; 1 bows out

Vandals strike Bozeman Dinosaur Park a second time

Judge orders state to cough up state employee pay data

UFOs over Bozeman? No, laser light experiments at MSU

Man who killed Great Falls woman in 1982 is denied parole

Florida suspect in Hi-Line death appears in court

World skijoring championships give out $20,000 in prizes

Butte justice of peace faces another 22 drug charges

Candidate's hand-painted signs show 56 MT courthouses

Billings cops bust man after 2 found dead in apartment

Lindeen announces she'll file for 2nd term as auditor

Objectors of Native American settlement harassed

16 seek state political practices comissioner's post

Schweitzer travels to China to promote trade

High court won't let man who shot at cars have guns back

Marysville residents fret over impacts of nearby gold

Kalispell man arrested 3 hours after release from jail

MSU prof creates network to send northern lights alerts

BUSINESS / ECONOMY

Owner of Great Falls refinery may be put up for sale

Oracle promises 'aggressive' invesment in RightNow

Vann's closing its Helena store on March 4

Airline ponders flight connecting Helena and Billings

Electronic-parts maker gets geared up in Great Falls

'Dirty Jobs' films Billings firm building communications tower

SPORTS / OUTDOORS

Lady Griz Cole looks forward to playing at hometown

Big Sky stretch run starts, with Cat-Griz games on tap

22 recruits sign with Grizzlies

Helenans take top prizes at winter triathlon championships

Hawaii visiting UM for BracketBusters game Feb. 17/18

Bobcats lose Texas recruit to Louisiana Tech

Cats play Cal State Fullerton in BracketBuster matchup

Griz grab share of 1st in Big Sky w/ defeat of Portland St

OPINION

Feds should expedite review of Keystone XL pipeline

Busted: Seat-belt myths that are harmful to our health

MT's economic outlook isn't bright, but we remain hopeful

Hatred of wolves has gone to extremes

Eye-popping salary for U-System commish bad move

State needs better system of tracking worker hours

Fish, Wildlife & Parks must take extra hard look at budget

Don't get too excited about oil boom in central MT, just yet

FEATURES

MT journalist stays positive as she lives, and works, w/ MS

Bozeman tribal members carry on sweat lodge traditions

GTF woman becomes Slim-Fast celebrity for a day in NYC

Kalispell doc, brother explore history of human heart

Torah dedication marks growth of Bozeman Jewish group

Young Great Falls kids love to learn from deaf teacher

MT's worst massacre: 'Tell Baker to strike them hard'

2 African American newspapers published in MT digitized

Woman hit in head by frozen coyote still hears about it

CALENDAR

Broncos QB Tebow to speak at Billings fundraiser March 5

Tebow will speak the next day at GTF Christian school

Country legend George Jones to perform at UM March 6

Tebow adds Butte Habitat for Humanity event to MT trip

Tim Tebow to make Missoula stopover March 7

Tim Tebow visits Kalispell Christian school March 7

Bozeman's Blake Shelton concert rescheduled for March

Comedian Brian Regan performs in Great Falls March 31

B.B. King performing in Butte and Billings in May

Uncle Kracker will headline Helena fair July 25

Dragon boat races slated for Flathead Lake next fall

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