As you may have heard, Butte will be the site of an Economic Development Summit next spring with ties to some pretty big names in media and business.

From the Billings Gazette:

WASHINGTON – Microsoft founder Bill Gates and former NBC Nightly News anchor Tom Brokaw will headline an economic development summit in Butte in April.

Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., is organizing the summit. Gates will appear live via satellite.

“The summit is about working together to boost our state’s economy and create more good-paying jobs,” Baucus said. “We want our kids to be able to stay here and raise their families.”

The summit begins April 30 and ends May 1.

Well, it is an excellent honor for Butte to be selected as the place to host the summit.

One commenter on the Billings Gazette story thinks that it’s a wasted honor.

Hole wrote on November 18, 2006 4:14 PM
Butte is a hole. If Montana were to be given an enima, that is where they’d stick it. How about Billings, Missoula, or Bozeman for such an event!

We are pretty sick and tired of Butte having this rap to the rest of the state. People who haven’t been here in a while really have nothing to base this kind of comment on. Butte’s a changing place. We really are going to have to work extremely hard just to climb out of the “hole” of everyone elses’ biases.

I think the summit will be good for Butte, and it’s no wonder that Baucus would select us for his damn summit. We’re the only place in this state that supports his party in the first place, aren’t we?

So come on Butte, it’s our turn to shine. Don’t let the naysayers have the satisfaction of being even CLOSE to right.

And for the record, we in Butte can manage to spell enema right…

As a follow-up to our last post, Robert Hollister Reneau has been found safe.

According to this story at the Billings Gazette, when he was found he was was very ill and disoriented.

Thankfully it didn’t turn out worse!

Here’s wishing him a speedy recovery.

Robert Hollister Reneau, a Butte/Anaconda area campaign field director for the Montana Democratic Party was reported missing last Saturday.

Reneau was last seen Saturday afternoon in Anaconda. He was supposed to meet people in Butte for dinner later that evening but didn’t show up. He is not answering his phone or any e-mails.

Reneau is described as weighing 180-200 pounds with fair skin, blue eyes, and light brown hair.

He was driving a 1999 Toyota 4-Runner (License 4C-49708) with Jon Tester and other political stickers on it. The vehicle has not been seen since Saturday either.

If you have any information reguarding Reneau’s whereabouts, contact local law enforcement.

Update: A comment posted by a reader at the Billings Gazette says he’s been found safe.

Thankfully wrote on October 24, 2006 10:12 PM
word from his family is, he’s been found safe and sound.

Can anyone confirm this?