Here’s a taste of some of the other stories on the net over the weekend and today that you might have missed. First, the feds appear to finally be giving in when it comes to the school lunch mandates, the plains states appear to be losing out when it comes to seats on the US House Ag committee, the closure of the Sweetheart bakery appears to be helping out some Montana-based farmers and bakers, and Montana Politico Jim Messina will now serve as parade manager.
Drudge headline from AP- Feds Give In: More Meat, Grains in School Lunches
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack told members of Congress in a letter Friday that the department will do away with daily and weekly limits of meats and grains. Several lawmakers wrote the department after the new rules went into effect in September saying kids aren’t getting enough to eat.
“This flexibility is being provided to allow more time for the development of products that fit within the new standards while granting schools additional weekly menu planning options to help ensure that children receive a wholesome, nutritious meal every day of the week,” Vilsack said in a letter to Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D.
Northern Ag Network: Plains States Lose out on House Ag Committee
The Plains lost while fruit and vegetable-growing regions of the country won as the House Republican Steering Committee on Wednesday selected seven new members for the House Agriculture Committee.
The announcement came a day after the House Republican leadership removed Rep. Tim Huelskamp of Kansas from the committee to punish him for being so uncooperative. Huelskamp, who just won his second term in office, also was removed from the Budget Committee.
Lee Newspapers: Sweetheart Bakery Closure Helps Local Montana Companies
Over in Three Forks, Wheat Montana owner Dean Folkvord is also enjoying a surge in business.
“Sweetheart owned the market, literally. They were the 800-pound gorilla,” he said. “It’s really a dramatic situation for a bakery like ours that has been competing with them for more than 20 years.”
Washington Post: Messina Running Obama’s Inaugural Parade
Campaign manager Jim Messina is in charge of the inaugural parade down Pennsylvania Avenue on Jan. 21, which coincides with the King federal holiday.
As is the tradition when the constitutionally mandated swearing-in falls on a Sunday, the chief justice will administer the oath of office privately on Jan. 20, then perform it in front of the crowds on the Capitol steps the next day.