In one of the weirder American traditions, residents in the tiny towns of Dixville Notch and Hart’s Location, N.H., tallied their votes just after midnight Tuesday. Combined, Barack Obama received 32 votes, John McCain 16 and Ron Paul two. Of the 115 residents between them, everyone eligible voted. Apparently, Hart’s Location residents began voting at […]

DIXVILLE NOTCH, N.H. – Barack Obama came up a big winner in the presidential race in Dixville Notch and Hart’s Location, N.H., where tradition of having the first Election Day ballots tallied lives on. Democrat Obama defeated Republican John McCain by a count of 15 to 6 in Dixville Notch, where a loud whoop accompanied […]

If one believes in the “Redskins Rule,” then Sen. Barack Obama already has the presidential election in the bag. The rule, according to statistician Steve Hirdt, never fails. The Redskins Rule, which has long been discussed by both sports commentators and political pundits alike, predicts the outcome of the presidential election by looking at the […]

Two grizzly bears that were moved to the Cabinet Mountains this year to help augment the bear population are dead. A Noxon man was cited for shooting one of them behind his house. The other young female grizzly was struck and killed last week by a train along the Clark Fork River. On Monday Randall […]

WEST GLACIER – Government rejection of a BNSF Railway proposal to allow avalanche control in Glacier National Park by blasting snow with explosives appeared in the Federal Register on Monday. A document about the National Park Service decision was released in July and the agency’s regional director signed a record of decision in September. The […]

BUTTE – Democrats are criticizing a 38-year-old man who parked a trailer load of manure across the street from Whitehall’s Democratic campaign office to protest presidential hopeful Barack Obama. Terry Reed, who owns a construction and excavation company in Whitehall, parked the trailer near the office on Saturday. He also posted a sign in the […]

Need a little refresher on how the electoral college works as you watch the returns come in tonight? The invaluable Schoolhouse Rock instructs on how votes are totaled until they exceed that magic number of 270. Watch and learn.

This year’s Capitol Christmas tree is coming from the Bitterroot National Forest. But before the 60-plus foot tree makes its way to the front lawn of the U.S. Capitol, it will be traveling through Montana – including a stop tomorrow night in Columbia Falls. The First Best Place Task Force and the Columbia Falls Area […]

Good morning and happy Election Day. On the Beacon this morning, check out Kellyn Brown’s guide to everything you need to know on Election day, in terms of candidates, polling places and other info. Majestic Valley Arena is closing its doors, though hopefully just for a few months. The state Supreme Court has rejected an […]

As snow hits the top of Whitefish Mountain Resort, skiers and snowboarders start the countdown toward the season. Last season opened with new lifts, but for this winter, the resort concentrated on improving its slopes with summer brushing and new signage. Over the past several summers, crews brushed out Langley Run, making parts of it […]

For the first time in its history, the county’s parks and recreation department is undertaking a 20-year master plan. The plan will evaluate existing facilities and programs to decide recommendations and priorities for future park acquisitions, projects and services. More specifically, it will aim to address concerns regarding access to lakes and rivers, upgrading existing […]

I’m afraid this kind of thing happens all the time which is why it is so important to copyright your images. We work in an industry where we are continually trying to understand the humanity we live in. It hurts so much more when we are burned by one of our own (or someone who […]

Western Montana’s economy is changing, most notably with its declining wood products industry, and Flathead County plays a major role in influencing what shape that change will take. Officials from the Department of Labor and Industry believe the county has already proven quite capable of fulfilling that role. The department recently recognized the county as […]

Lines stretched around buildings and crossed city blocks as people waited to cast ballots in the historic presidential race between Barack Obama and John McCain. Touchscreen voting machines malfunctioned in some precincts, yet voting Tuesday appeared to go smoothly overall. The biggest trouble was big crowds. But folks seemed to take it in stride. “People […]

Preliminary results from a national Associated Press exit poll of voters in Tuesday’s elections: THE ECONOMY DOMINATES Six in 10 voters picked the economy as the most important issue facing the nation. None of four other issues on the list — energy, Iraq, terrorism and health care — was picked by more than one in […]