August 20, 2007 1:34 PM

Midday Rocky Mountain Roundup...

Some quick updates on interesting stories from around the region this fine, sunny Monday...

- ColoradoPols is reporting that the Colorado State Board of Education has today called an emergency meeting for a "code of ethics" discussion. No word on when and where this meeting is, or whether the meeting was called specifically to look into questions about Bob Schaffer's conflict of interest scandal, first reported here in the Denver Post. ProgressNow today issued a press release following up on the Denver Post's story noting that “Schaffer has been asked to sign a conflicts of ethics pledge that he proposed but has yet to join his colleagues in signing.”

- The Great Falls Tribune reports on freshman Sen. Jon Tester's (D-MT) first year in office. I got to know Jon well from living up in Montana (it's a small state, at least population-wise, and everyone sorta gets to know each other). He's a terrific guy - and the Tribune story shows that even conservatives give him credit where credit is due.

- The Associated Press reports that “Rep. Bill Sali (R-ID) has apologized to a Muslim colleague for remarks suggesting the nation's founders never intended for Muslims to serve in Congress.”

- The Santa Fe New Mexican reports on occurrences of plague – as in bubonic – down in New Mexico.