Local fans of electronic Keno and Texas Hold ‘Em now have the opportunity to take their gaming up a notch at such legendary casinos as the Bellagio or the MGM Grand. Allegiant Air will be offering direct flights from Glacier International Airport to Las Vegas beginning in October. “We are very pleased to bring a […]

POLSON – A Washington state man pleaded not guilty Wednesday in Lake County District Court to charges of rape, robbery and tampering with evidence. Ismael Orduno of Grandview, Wash., is accused of dragging a woman into the men’s restroom of a Polson tavern on July 28 and raping her. The 21-year-old Orduno is also accused […]

A long-term plan to conserve the North Shore of Flathead Lake took a pivotal step forward last week when the Flathead Land Trust signed a purchase agreement with Doug and Donna Miller for a 160-acre parcel of farmland adjacent to the Federal Waterfowl Production Area in Somers. The $1.9 million purchase agreement includes plans for […]

The family of Jeffrey Bowman, a Bigfork teenager who collapsed on the first day of high school football practice last year and died a week later, has filed suit against the Bigfork School District 38, Bigfork High School head football coach Bruce Corbett and former BHS Activities Director Shannon Smith. Bob and Troy Bowman filed […]

Kalispell City Council decided against creating a controversial fee system for the city’s parks and recreation department Monday night, instead opting to put the decision on the ballot in November for voters to decide if they are willing to pay it. But now, roughly $500,000 of the annual budget for the Parks and Recreation department […]

Good morning. Happy birthday to former President Bill Clinton who turns 62 today. On the Beacon this morning, the Kalispell City Council decided against creating a controversial fee system for the city’s parks and recreation department last night, instead opting to put the decision on the ballot in November. But now, roughly $500,000 of the […]

Before a planned poisoning of a Jewel Basin Lake, Fish Wildlife and Parks are lifting fishing limits. Lower Big Hawk Lake, (or Big Hawk Lake,) is slated to receive a dousing of rotenone in September. The action is part of the larger South Fork Westlope Cutthroat Trout Project: a 10-year effort to rid the South […]

Smoke blanketing the Flathead Valley Tuesday morning was the result of five “wildland fire-use” fires burning in the area that were sparked by lightning about 10 days ago. Wildland fire-use fires are allowed to burn so than can play their “natural role in the ecosystem,” according to the U.S. Forest Service. The largest of the […]

A three-day hearing before the state’s Judicial Standards Commission is set to begin this week to determine whether a Libby judge harassed the women in his courtroom and offered them lighter punishments in exchange for sexual favors. Adding to the hearing’s tension are the preceding weeks of legal wrangling as a result of Lincoln County’s […]

LIBBY – A 19-year-old Kalispell woman charged in the death of a man who was shot 16 times at a campground near Libby has pleaded not guilty to deliberate homicide. Heather Henson is also charged with tampering with evidence and theft of a pickup in the July 12 shooting of 67-year-old Larry Kingsley. She entered […]

5:32 a.m. A woman with a laceration under her eye said she didn’t remember how she got it. 7:13 a.m. A large rock was used to break a window and gain access to room at Evergreen Elementary School. Nothing was reported missing. 7:41 a.m. A man had a toothache. He was taken to the hospital. […]

Press play or on the photograph above to see an audio slide show of the Northwest Montana Fair. Photographer Lido Vizzutti spent five hours, from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., exploring the diverse sights and sounds reverberating through the fair on a Friday night. For more slide shows and multimedia presentations click here.

5:18 a.m. On Slopeside Drive in Whitefish someone reported hearing a knocking sound. It was a heating unit turning off and on. 5:25 a.m. Two horses and a mule were on the loose near Flathead Drive. 10:26 a.m. A person claiming to be from Search and Rescue Industries was thought to be a con-artist, according […]

The National Park Service says visits to Glacier National Park were down 8.6 percent for the first seven months of 2008. With a drop of 2.5 percent for the month of July, the park has had 1.09 million visitors this year, down from 1.18 million for the first seven months of 2007. The decline was […]

Good morning; on this day in 1920, the 19th Amendment was ratified, giving women the right to vote. Upset that the fair has come and gone? Check out Lido’s audio slideshow and feel like Friday night is here on Monday morning. Glacier National Park’s visitor numbers are down about 9 percent for the first seven […]