Explosion Takes Toll on Bozeman, Montana

New York Times writer Jim Robbins describes the gas explosion that rocked downtown Bozeman less than two weeks ago as a painful injury to an already suffering part of the country, where second-home sales have dried up and large real estate developments have been mothballed. “Beyond the obvious destruction, the blast delivered a deep psychic blow to the business district, which was already going through some difficulty because of the declining economy. ‘The explosion has significantly rocked this community,’ said Chris Pope, a commercial real estate agent and the owner of a severely damaged building.” (Thanks to contributor David Dalu for this link.)