Lakeside District Downsizes Water Rights for Territory 1889
At a crowded and contentious meeting, board members reduced a water rights agreement for the high-profile Lakeside development from 125 acre-feet of water to 80 acre-feet
By Zoë Buhrmaster
Newsletter
The Daily Roundup: Where to Find Tricks and Treats This Halloween Weekend
Whitefish Theatre Company hosts a cinema series, the Hogslop String Band plays at the Remington and costume contests offer friendly competitions
By Zoë BuhrmasterThe Latest
MONTANA'S BRAND OF BANKING
Flathead Living
The Floating House
A family's multi-generational hold on a Flathead Lake bluff meets an architect who grew up with the same water in her blood
By Tristan Scott
The Case for Going in Circles
In 'The Way Around: A Field Guide to Going Nowhere,' Missoula author Nicholas Triolo delivers a meditation on movement — and what circling back can teach us
By Maggie Doherty
‘It’s Three Steps from the Field to Our Plate’
At Two Sisters Cafe, Susan and Beth Higgins are serving up Blackfeet-raised bison, with a side of education, for the unversed tourists and seasoned travelers alike
By Jules LingenfelterNEWS & FEATURES
Columbia Falls School District Primed for Second Run at Trades Academy Charter School
The school district last year proposed a charter school focused on trades education. After it didn’t receive approval from the state’s Board of Public Education, Columbia Falls went back to the drawing board to resubmit its pitch, with the hopes of moving the effort forward in 2027.
Kelly, McLaughlin Vie for House District 9 Seat
Flathead County Library Ends Talks With Developer Over Kalispell Center Mall Site
Hospital Beds for the Nation’s Sickest Kids Are Disappearing
In House District 12, Property Taxes Remain Top Priority Across Party Lines
Warmer, Drier Winter Expected in Western Montana as Forecaster Cautions ‘No Two El Niño’s Are Alike’
OUTDOORS
Glacier Park Ends September About 10,000 Visits Shy of Annual Record
A September that drew 643,543 visits leaves the park less than 1% short of 2017's overall mark of 3.34 million, with the final quarter of the year still to come
Dress-Up Season
Forest Service Approves First Swan Valley Logging Project Since Scrapping Mid-Swan Plan
Federal Hunting Order Could Aid Corner-Crossing Case, Stir Lead Ammo Debate in Montana
They’re Onto Us
Glacier National Park Closes Going-to-the-Sun Road for the Winter
Sponsored Content
Sponsored by Piton Wealth
Financial Planning and the Joys of Generosity
Lessons on planning for charitable giving without fear
Sponsored by Kalispell Chamber of Commerce
Venture Boldly Forward Together
The Discover Kalispell Chamber of Commerce’s annual awards dinner and fundraiser takes place Nov. 5 at the Hilton Garden Inn
Sponsored by Flathead Valley Community College
Come Enjoy the Flavors of FVCC’s Grand Wine Tasting and Help Make College Possible
FVCC’s largest scholarship fundraiser takes place on Oct. 30 at Wachholz College Center on its Kalispell campus. Tickets go on sale Sept. 15.
NEWSLETTERS
SPORTS
Wall of Fame Induction to Kick Off Kalispell Crosstown Football Rivalry
Braves and Griz alum Dylan McFarland will be inducted into the Legends Wall of Fame during the crosstown clash between the Wolfpack and Braves football squads on Thursday night
Whitefish High School Girls Golf Team Claims 2026 Class A State Title
Whitefish Volleyball Program to Commemorate Nearly Half-Century Legacy
Glacier High School Flag Football to Represent Montana on National Stage
2026 Flathead Valley Fall Sports Preview
How Two Kalispell Women in Their 50s Became Record-setting Powerlifters
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Whitefish Native Selected as Finalist in Nationwide Songwriter Festival Contest
Tim Torgerson will perform alongside nine other finalists as part of the Whitefish Songwriter Festival’s first-ever “It’s All About the Song” Songwriting Contest on Sept. 18 at the O’Shaughnessy Center
Late-Season Tomato Pie
Quick Potato Salad
Creamy Salad Dressing Base and Variations
Vegetable and Shrimp Fried Rice
Wachholz Center Announces Fall Lineup of Free and Discounted Community Events
OPINION
Warden Offers Real Tax Reform
Vote for lasting property tax relief, not a bigger tax bill
Keep the Power with the People
Why I am voting yes on CI-132, CI-133 and I-194
Finley Warden Will Deliver for Lake County
I need a strong partner in the House who understands Lake County and will fight for meaningful results
Share a letter or guest column with the Flathead Beacon.
Editor's Picks
2026 General Election: A Northwest Montana Voter’s Guide to Local, State and Federal Races
Absentee ballots went out Oct. 9, and Election Day is Nov. 3. Flathead Valley voters will weigh an open U.S. Senate seat, an open western congressional seat, a state Supreme Court contest, three ballot measures and a full slate of legislative and county races. Here’s what to know.
Businesses Report Flat Summer Tourism Despite Inflation, Smoke and Airport Runway Closure
Economic headwinds have triggered a shift in spending trends as visitors seek low-budget trips while weather, the airport runway rehabilitation project and Glacier Park’s new entry system have caused fluctuating visitation patterns
At Ninth Circuit, a Fight Over What ‘Recovered’ Means for Montana’s Wolves
Federal wildlife officials and hunting groups say wolves in the Northern Rockies have recovered; conservation groups say the agency ignored historic range where wolves no longer live
Police Blotter
Recent Podcasts
Project 7
A six-part series on notorious Flathead Valley militia leader David Burgert, who vanished into the wilderness after a shootout with sheriff's deputies in 2011
