My Page: Robert Stuckman
Montana Primary
Clinton Faithful Keep the Faith
Hillary Clinton supporters remained faithful as primary results trickled in Tuesday night, despite Barack Obama's growing lead and national pronouncements of victory in the race for Democratic nominee.
The Clinton crowd gathered at the Shack Restaurant in downtown Missoula to cheer on their candidate as they ate appetizers and drank wine. Just like the candidate, her supporters were not ready to concede defeat.
[more]
Montana's Primary
For Ron Paul Supporters: A Bitter End
In Montana, Ron Paul seemed poised to make a statement with a win on the Republican ticket Tuesday. John McCain had long been the presumptive nominee, but the Paul camp had been campaigning heavily. The signs were all over, literally. Ron Paul yard signs grew thick on Montana lawns, and his approach seemed to resonate with conservative independent voters.
After all, Paul took second to Mitt Romney in Montana's Republican caucus in February. Paul handily won some Montana's counties, including Missoula and Flathead. "His values are more in sync with Montana than any other candidate," said supporter Ty Marbut emphatically.
Marbut and other Paul supporters were sanguine Tuesday though. McCain took an overwhelming lead and won.
[more]
Election Night
Montana Primary Yields Surprises in Kelleher, Tight AG Race
While Sen. Barack Obama won Montana's presidential support as expected, a few statewide primary contests in the state handed down some primary election surprises.
Probably least surprising were the strong wins posted by Democratic candidate Denise Juneau for the Superintendent of Public Instruction, who will face off against Republican Elaine Sollie Herman. Check out results here.
Mike Wheat and Steve Bullock went down to the wire in a close-fought race for the Democratic candidacy for state Attorney General. As of 11 p.m., Bullock held a 700 vote lead, with more than 75,000 Democratic ballots cast. The winner will challenge Republican Tim Fox. See AG results here.
But Bob Kelleher? Kelleher edged five other candidates to face incumbent Baucus this fall, who is running for his sixth term. Results? Here.
[more]
The Last Word: The Big Sky State Primary
Obama, Clinton Race Promises High Turnout in Montana Primary
Polling places across Montana appear on track for record turnout as Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama battle down to the wire for the Democratic nomination.
"Oh yeah, we'll beat our record," said Bret Rutherford of the elections office in Yellowstone County (seat: Billings) midway through the afternoon. "I think we'll beat it by 5,000."
In comparison to general elections, this primary remains quite tame. It lacks the intensity of the November, 2006, election, which featured the heavyweight bout of Sen. Jon Tester versus the ousted Sen. Conrad Burns. In that race, hundreds of new voters waited in line for hours at courthouses across the state.
[more]
Business
As Airlines Cut Back, Smaller Cities Offer Cash for Flights
Horizon Air announced cutbacks in its fall flight earlier this week, citing pressures from fuel prices and a transition to a fleet of 76-seat Q400 turboprops.
The announcement detailed the latest in a string of cutbacks and cancellations of service that have small cities, several of them in the West, scrambling to package sexy deals to lure airlines.
"It's not only something we're talking about. It's something we're doing," said Missoula International Airport manager Cris Jensen.
[more]
Bird Feats of Montana, by Deborah Richie Oberbillig
Students Help Author Document Montana’s Amazing Birds
On her most recent book, Bird Feats of Montana, local author Deborah Richie Oberbillig had some unusual help: a grade school class at Rattlesnake Elementary School.
"They'd write down what they thought was cool, what they wanted to know more about and what they didn't care about," Oberbillig said.
What did they want? The strongest, the smartest and the fastest.
[more]
LeMond, Blixseths Back in Court
Yellowstone Club Legal Drama Rages
On Thursday morning in a courtroom in Dillon, Mont., lawyers in a case between the embattled Yellowstone Club and a group of long-time investors, including former cycling great Greg LeMond, will face off over an unpaid legal settlement of $20 million. But much more is on the line - including the financial fate of owner Tim Blixseth, his wife Edra, their families, and, ultimately, the Yellowstone Club itself. [more]
Raptor Tales
Odd Falcon Behavior May be Linked to Chemicals Used to Fight Wildfires
New research on wild falcons has uncovered strange behavior which may be linked to chemicals used in wildfire suppression.
Last year a digital video camera mounted in a remote area of western Montana by wildlife biologist Byron Crow captured an established peregrine falcon pair nesting in an cliff aerie, Crow said. It was rare footage because of its intimacy and volume -- weeks of 24-hour-a-day recordings from a few feet away.
Rob Domenech of the Missoula-based Raptor View Research Institute said, "I'm not aware of anybody who has put Web cameras on a natural peregrine aerie." Peregrine falcons in urban areas have been closely studied.
[more]
the high-end slowdown
Glacier Horse Ranch Files For Bankruptcy, Reorganizes
Tough times continue for high-end amenity developments in the Rockies.
The 170-acre Glacier Horse Ranch near Kalispell filed an involuntary bankruptcy petition in February. The largest creditor is First Interstate Bank, which is owed about $6.2 million, and contractors are owed about $1.7 million.
"We're in the process of working out a rescue plan," said Scott Farnam of Arizona-based Shiloh Development. "It's a reorganization, a recapitalization opportunity," he said.
[more]
Doing the Easement Tango
Plum Creek, State of Montana Negotiating Road Easements
As the ruckus over Plum Creek Timber Co.and its quest for all-purpose easements across U.S. Forest Service land continues to simmer, the Montana state government has begun quietly talking with the timber-giant-turned-land-developer.
Mary Sexton, the director of the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, downplayed the discussions with Plum Creek, saying talks involve Montana's new easement policies, which grew out of laws passed in the 2005 Legislative session. Those policies allow the state to upgrade easements in certain circumstances. The new rules could pave the way for the largest private landowner in the United States to develop otherwise isolated parcels of its Montana land.
[more]
