Kalispell City Council will hold a special meeting tonight to vote on formally terminating City Manager Jim Patrick’s employment contract. The council will then consider offering a contract to Myrt Webb to serve as interim city manager, and hold a work session to discuss Webb’s employment contract. The city council announced Oct. 17 it was […]

I’ve written before in this blog about my embarrassing love for “weird news” stories. Usually, I have to rely on other states or even countries to provide this fodder, namely – as Beacon reporter Dan Testa frequently points out – Florida or Germany. (Seriously. Once you start paying attention you’ll notice odd news comes from […]

A Kalispell man is behind bars, accused of robbing a casino in Kalispell late Sunday night. Police say the Gold Dust Casino on U.S. Highway 2 was held up at gunpoint around 11:45 p.m. Sunday and that, during an ensuing scuffle, the suspect dropped a bag of money. Police later arrested 32-year-old Jason Skalsky of […]

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was, arguably, the greatest classical composer, if not of his time then of all time. There is also one undeniable fact about much of Mozart’s music: Just about every piece contained variations on a theme. If you are unfamiliar with this term, it means simply that there are repetitions of notes and […]

LITTLETON, Colo. – Barack Obama has been urging his supporters to vote early when possible, and so far it seems to be paying off. Some polling data indicates Senator Obama has as much as a 20 percent lead over John McCain from early votes. And in early-voting states like North Carolina, Florida, and Georgia, Democrats […]

After a victory over Butte Central earlier this season, Whitefish High School senior Dusty Beck told his teammates, “Boys – I think we can beat anyone here on out.” This is the kind of mental toughness Beck, a linebacker, brings to the Bulldogs, and he backs up his words with physicality. Growing up, Beck spent […]

It hasn’t been that long since the Boys and Girls Club purchased property for a permanent home in Columbia Falls. After some initial refurbish work and changes to meet current safety and building codes, the facility opened not long ago. Soon after, the first need became apparent. The yard adjacent to the building needed a […]

HELENA – U.S. Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., expects more economic stimulus legislation will be needed when the new Congress convenes next year. Baucus, an instrumental figure in negotiating the $700 billion federal bailout package earlier this month, told The Associated Press on Friday that additional steps will depend on the condition of the economy. Baucus […]

BILLINGS – Park visitors in Montana have declined from comparable periods in 2007. National Park Service statistics for the year through the end of September show that recreational visitors to Yellowstone National Park dropped by just over 1 percent, to 2.86 million. The park largely is in Wyoming but has Montana gateways. Visitors at Glacier […]

MISSOULA – Trial in the federal criminal case against W.R. Grace & Co. is scheduled to begin in February. U.S. District Judge Donald Molloy said Friday he wants jury selection to begin Feb. 19, with the trial getting under way the following Monday. The case involves public exposure to asbestos in the Libby area, where […]

It was the kind of game everyone was expecting, if not looking forward to. Tense. Close. Hard fought. For example, the Cats second touchdown came by driving the length of the field after intercepting a Bulldog pass in the end zone A tense first half ended 14-7 Wildcats, with perhaps a bit of disappointment for […]

HELENA – The National Rifle Association endorsed U.S. Sen. Max Baucus on Friday in his re-election bid, awarding the Montana Democrat an “A+” rating. The group said Baucus has consistently stood up for gun rights, even if doing so contradicted his Democratic colleagues. “Senator Baucus is a true champion of our Second Amendment freedom and […]

BILLINGS – A new poll suggests Gov. Brian Schweitzer holds a sizable lead over Republican challenger Roy Brown, with a 33-point advantage heading into the final weeks of the election. Schweitzer was picked by 60 percent of likely Montana voters to Brown’s 27 percent, in a survey released Friday by Montana State University-Billings. Libertarian Stan […]

BILLINGS – The fiercely contested race for Montana’s next attorney general remains a toss-up heading into the campaign’s final weeks, as Republicans look to reclaim an office held by Democrats since 1993. Republican Tim Fox and Democrat Steve Bullock have grappled over sex predator laws, stream access issues, gun rights and even oil and gas […]

HELENA – Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer and his Republican challenger state Sen. Roy Brown, have both called for increased energy development, lower taxes and a more open state government. Schweitzer points to last year’s property tax rebate and several recently announced wind and coal projects as testament to his ability to deliver on those issues […]