For five days, Whitefish will be the fly fishing capital of the world. The 43rd Annual International Fly Fishing Show and Conclave is coming to Whitefish High School on July 22 and will run through July 26. Put on by the Federation of Fly Fishers (FFF), it is the premier event in the sport of […]

For the do-it-yourself mechanic, these are sparse times. Wrecking yards, which many home mechanics rely on for parts, have been crushing cars in the past year at an unprecedented rate, often without removing all of the parts, which get crushed too. The reason: Steel prices are at record highs. The price of steel has nearly […]

Upsell and follow up. Simple, right? You already know this, but are you actually doing it? Two of the easiest things to do to increase sales without spending even a dime to chase new customers (something you shouldn’t need to do) are asking for the upsell and following up. When I say upsell, I dont […]

MISSOULA – A judge has set a hearing in the federal criminal case against W.R. Grace & Co. over asbestos contamination in Libby. U.S. District Judge Donald Molloy, in Missoula, has ordered a status hearing for Oct. 1 and could set a trial date at that time. It’s been almost three and a half years […]

WASHINGTON – Newly released campaign finance reports show both of Montana’s members of Congress up for re-election this year are continuing to raise significant amounts of cash. Their opponents, both surprise winners in the state’s June primary, don’t have much chance of catching up. Montana Sen. Max Baucus, a Democrat, raised another $490,000 between May […]

Two Marion men were charged Tuesday with felony malicious intimidation after a weekend attack on migrant workers that authorities say appears to have been racially motivated. Edward L. Hubbs, 26, and Daniel J. Devine, 25, are accused of brandishing a baseball bat and tire iron while using racial slurs against migrant mushroom pickers from Asia […]

Good morning and happy birthday to popular comedian and actor Will Ferrell, 41. The latest print edition of the Beacon is out on stands today. Our lead story details how, for the do-it-yourself mechanic, these are sparse times. As steel prices soar, more wrecking yards, which many home mechanics rely on for parts, have been […]

Frustrated with complex impact fee laws and incomplete information, the Flathead County Impact Fee Advisory Committee has suspended further work until at least next year. The county group had been working on developing separate impact fees for county roads and an improved or new Flathead County Justice Center since November 2006. At their most recent […]

We’re all feeling Pump Pain, and who among us doesn’t think that $5 gas is around the corner? I’m writing as fast as I can, in fact, so I can write this column before I have to fill up my pickup truck again, if I can afford it. And I’m thinking that, perhaps, $5 gas […]

In case you missed this crucial piece of presidential political news, the campaign of Democratic candidate Barack Obama reportedly turned down an offer from a NASCAR racing team to sponsor a car in the Sprint Cup series later this year. It’s news I greet with mixed emotions, since a politician-sponsored stock car could turn out […]

MISSOULA – The state Board of Regents has approved a plan by the University of Montana to spend $320,000 to replace the turf at Washington Grizzly Stadium. UM athletics director Jim O’Day wouldn’t confirm the project, but says the school is looking at it. The current field was installed in 2001 and was guaranteed to […]

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – Two major energy companies will spend $7 billion to nearly double the amount of crude flowing through a pipeline from Canada’s tar sands through Montana to the U.S. Gulf Coast, highlighting intense demand for crude that was once too expensive to pull from the ground and process. Alberta, Canada-based TransCanada Corp. […]

Over its 53-year history, the Columbia Falls Aluminum Company has cut staff to survive an often-volatile commodity market. But this time employees receiving pink slips will find a once flush job market has begun to slow. The aluminum company announced last week it would lay off about 125 hourly workers when it shuts down a […]

When Alpine Theatre Project launches their production of The Full Monty this week, it’s not just professional cast members who may be stripping. Several prominent Whitefish citizens, including the mayor and a state senator, have been drafted to make cameo appearances in the show. “Hopefully these cameos will get the community involved and ‘make it […]

Good morning; on this day in 1806 Zebulon PIke began his expedition exploring the American Southwest following the Louisiana Purchase. And to you readers who are still checking out the Beacon despite some of the appallingly racist, vile and ignorant comments being posted on certain stories, thank you. On with the news, though it’s a […]