I recently read the series of newspaper articles regarding several new polls by Mason-Dixon Polling & Research, Inc. One of the numbers that stood out for me was that only 11 percent of Montanans approve of the job Congress is doing. Montanans are tired of political games. They want Washington to change the way it […]

The United States dollar has been the king currency in the world for decades. Could it now lose its throne? It’s “definitely a possibility,” says Barry Eichengreen, an economist at the University of California, Berkeley. The US has been spending hundreds of billions on the Iraq war, suffered massive trade deficits for many years ($708 […]

The Flathead County Sheriff’s reports for Thursday included the following: 10:44 a.m. Someone called in because they found a backpack in Columbia Falls. There was nothing weird in it. 9:21 p.m. A woman who appeared to be intoxicated fell off her skateboard and was taken to the hospital by a passerby. 10:06 p.m. A Columbia […]

Despite my fatigue, I tossed and turned last night. Sleep eluded me and anxiety persisted, as I worried about how the city of Helena plans to handle its problem with urban deer. Some Montana cities grapple with growth, others with taxes or poverty or drug abuse. But in Montana’s capital city, the panic over urban […]

Live Music: Friday: Can’t Hardly Playboys at Red’s; Silver’s Platter at The Cottage; Deidre Heaton at Belton Chalet; Good Wood Trio at Scotty’s; Andre Floyd at Blue Canyon; Big Daddy and the Blue Notes at Ricciardi’s; Kiniption Fit at Great Northern; Sonny King at Blue Moon; Voodoo Horseshoes at Symes Hotsprings; Mobile Beat DJ at […]

WHITEFISH – They have nicknames like Elk Slayer, Raider and Hurricane. What they lack in formal boxing training they make up for in unyielding tenacity, youthful vigor and relentless haymakers. For these high school scrappers, there are no bad punches, just missed punches. After all, nobody’s handing out style points at the Cat-Dog Smoker, a […]

HELENA – Upsets in congressional races last week likely mean political attention will turn to the governor’s race, and Republicans hope the higher profile will help them beat a well-known incumbent. Last week’s surprising election left Republicans with a Senate candidate highly unlikely to unseat Sen. Max Baucus, while the Democrats have a candidate who […]

Good morning and happy birthday former president George H.W. Bush. On the Beacon this morning, Myers Reece writes about the storied Cat-Dog Smoker, and check out Lido’s slide show of the carnage. The Whitefish school board has given tentative approval of a drug testing program for the district, a voluntary program for students participating in […]

Five miles might sound like a long run or walk, but for a pint glass and the chance to support an ambitious trail preservation effort, Danielle Coffman thinks people will be up for the challenge. On the morning of June 21, an assortment of eager runners and hikers will gather to participate in the first […]

Whitefish Mountain Resort announced this morning a reversal of one of their new summer lift ride policies. Earlier this spring, after a one-year hiatus for construction of the new chairlift, the resort made plans for running the summer scenic lift rides to the top of Big Mountain. The most controversial of those plans included charging […]

My friend Elmo called and asked, “Would you like to play some golf?” By the time I had found my golf bag, low scudding clouds had turned the beautiful spring day into something else. The wind was blowing about 15 mph. My golf bag was in my workshop, behind the outboard motor and under the […]

After months of negotiations, Flathead County reached an agreement last week to keep the Conrad Complex, highlighting the department’s ongoing struggle to secure and retain public lands in the face of rising costs. Meanwhile, in Kalispell, the city’s parks department proposed park maintenance districts and impact fees to buoy its budget. The county and the […]

Hillary Clinton ended her presidential campaign last week, but in Flathead legislative primaries, several women emerged victorious in key contests – whether they were a candidate, or simply helping one. In the primary for one of the most contested legislative seats in the state, Whitefish’s Senate District 2, Brittany MacLean defeated Gil Jordan for the […]

BOZEMAN – State wildlife officials report wolves killed 12 domestic sheep on private land south of Dillon. The agency also says wolves killed a guard dog on private land north of Helena. USDA Wildlife Services confirmed the attacks earlier this week. The 12 sheep were killed on the same property in the East Fork of […]

WASHINGTON – The Iraq war is stretching Montana emotionally and financially, Gov. Brian Schweitzer told a congressional committee Thursday. Testifying at a hearing on the costs of the Iraq war, Schweitzer told members of Congress that many veterans in the state have a hard time receiving mental health care because there are too few specialists […]