Our View: Hi-Line darts and laurels

Laurel

Business woman Renelle Braaten and Montana State University-Northern Interim Chancellor Greg Kegel are among the winners of the Montana Ambassadors award. The two have served the community in different ways, though they share in common that they are fans of the Lights and Skylights. Braaten started a small business that has turned into a worldwide operation. She has not forgotten her roots and has done a great deal for the community she calls home. Kegel won the award for all the work he has done to make the biodiesel project at Northern into the success it is. Both are entitled to the recognition they are getting from the governor.

Dart

Speaking of the biodiesel program, it holds tremendous potential for providing clean energy. Some tremendous research has taken place there. Every year, the state provides a $400,000 grant to help the research center in its work. But every time it’s like pulling teeth. Sen. Kris Hansen said the Bullock administration plays political games, hoping to extract something from lawmakers who support the project in return for reinstating the money to the budget. Statesmanship in Helena? We hope all sides get together and get the needed money back in the budget.

Laurel

My Neighbor in Need will open its Havre office soon. The project has a great idea. By listing needs that people have on their website and in the newspaper, people can provide help. There is a lot of potential for a lot of good in this project. We welcome My Neighbor in Need to the community. We hope they work well with social service agencies in the area who are already stretched thin.

Laurel

We think Montana Highway Patrol and the American Automobile Association did a pretty good job in presenting their case against Sen. Jonathan Windy Boy’s proposal to increase speed limits on state highways. Interstates would have had an 85 mph limit and two-lane highways would have been at 80 mph. That means on two-laners, drivers could go as a high at 90 mph when they are passing. One lawmaker asked Windy Boy the key question: Why? To summarize Windy Boy’s response: because we can. It seems troopers raised important questions that haven’t been answered. The onus is on proponents to come up with some answers.