In a letter to Farm Bureaus nationwide, the group Americans for Limited Government expresses great concern with the appointment of Dr. Cass Sunstein by President Obama.  Dr. Sunstein in April was asked to be the Administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs at the White House Office of Management and Budget.  READ THE LETTER

Special Olympics Montana will receive money raised from an online auction of more than 15 pieces of Yogo Sapphire Jewelry with a combined value of more than $60,000, including a bolo tie worn by Governor Schweitzer. Special Olympics serves approximately 2,000 athletes from 62 communities across the state.

The Army Corps of Engineers has awarded Yellowstone Electric Co. of Billings an $8.9 million contract for transformer equipment to upgrade the five generators at the 22nd largest dam in the world, North Dakota's Garrison Dam, which produces enough electricity for more than 200,000 customers, and returns about $34 million a year to the government.

The Blackfeet Community Water Project has received a $1.5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Development Agency, to jump start construction of the often delayed project to draw water from the Lower Two Medicine Lake Reservoir, and deliver it to the Blackfeet Indian Reservation communities of East Glacier and Browning.

State and federal officials will test 1,400 ducks and other waterfowl for Avian Influenza this fall, as part of a nationwid monitoring program for the virus.  Although more than 140 different Avian Influenza viruses are commonly found in wild bird populations, the highly pathogenic Asian strain has not been detected in any wild bird in North America.

Yellowtone National Park officials are asking the public to review a proposal to replace a 68 year old bridge on the northeast entrance road over the Lamar River, which has deteriorated, and does not meet current road design standardss, and isn't sufficiently earthquake resistant. Comments on the proposal may be submitted online, in person or by mail no later than Sept. 15th.

U.S. Senator Jon tester is pushing his big logging and wilderness bill in travels around the state during the August congressional recess, but says debate in the Senate will have to wait until after the health care debate wraps up later this year, and the bill probably won't reach the Senate floor until next year. Ardent wilderness advocates don't like that it allows more logging, and some on the other side say it locks up too much federal land.

The National Transportation Safety Board's investigation into the cause of the March 22nd airplane crash near Butte that killed 14 people remains under investigation, as a 1,400 pound black granite memorial was dedicated yesterday at Holy Cross Cemetery, with more than 100 people, including the victims' families, emergency responders and people from the community attending.