Good morning and happy Arbor Day! There’s a ton of news happening in the Flathead this morning, so I’ll get right to it. Kalispell firefighters battled a blaze at the Perkins restaurant early Friday morning. Bail was set for a Polson man who allegedly fired a rifle during a three-hour standoff with police earlier this […]

America’s pastime has an ardent fan base in the Flathead Valley, and the long-standing rivalry between the Glacier Twins and Kalispell Lakers is as compelling as any high school contest; cross-town foes, black painted under their eyes, battle late into the night under stadium lights for post-season spots and tournament championships. But the Twins and […]

At what point should a community support the businesses operating in and near it? Should city and county officials publicly state appreciation for the tax dollars and many other contributions businesses, large and small, make to the well-being of a town and its residents? Or, should they all wait quietly until a closure happens and […]

Firefighters battled a blaze that broke out early Friday at a Perkins Restaurant in Kalispell. The Flathead County sheriff’s office says fire crews from six departments responded to the call just after 3 a.m. Officials say the fire appeared to have started in the back of the restaurant and the cause is under investigation. There […]

HELENA – Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne announced funding for 110 projects in national parks across the country as part of the National Park Centennial Challenge to help prepare for the 100th anniversary of national parks in 2016. Yellowstone National Park’s Centennial Challenge programs have nearly $1.6 million in funding, half of which was donated to […]

A car collided with a horse on a Kalispell road Friday morning, killing both the driver and the animal. The Montana Highway Patrol says the horse was thrown over the hood of the car, ripping the roof off the car. The driver, 50-year-old John B. McCarty of Columbia Falls, was killed. Officers said five horses […]

WASHINGTON – Congressional negotiators say they have a tentative agreement on a multibillion-dollar farm bill. Minnesota Democrat Collin Peterson, who is chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, says there’s no question that Congress can complete the bill by the first week in May. The roughly $280 billion legislation expands agricultural and nutrition programs. A key […]

LEWISTON, Idaho – Lewis-Clark State women’s basketball coach Brian Orr has announced the signing of 6-foot-2 post Alyssa Fierro of Bigfork, Mont. Fierro is a two-time all-state player who averaged 13 points, nine rebounds and four blocked shots per game and helped Bigfork to conference and divisional championships as a junior and senior. Orr says […]

On Sunday, the Columbia Falls Swim Team ramps up their 2008 season with a registration session that includes a photo spread of the 2007 season and root beer floats. Registration is $75 for the first child in the family and $50 for other children in the family. Kids from age 4 to high school seniors […]

Live Music: Friday: Can’t Hardly Playboys at Red’s; Silver’s Platter at The Cottage; Rudy and Gena Mendez at Los Caporales; Good Wood at Blue Canyon; Badwater Bill at Scotty’s; Russ Nasset at Great Northern; Big Daddy and the Blue Notes at Raleigh’s; Sonny King at Blue Moon; Mobile Beat DJ at Red’s Saturday: Silver’s Platter […]

For the builders of the commercial developments in north Kalispell, the best thing that could happen would be for people to come from as far away as Spokane and Calgary to spend money here; for the Flathead to become a regional shopping destination. Between the Glacier Town Center, the completion of Hutton Ranch Plaza and […]

Good morning and happy birthday to the Library of Congress. On the Beacon this morning, there’s a plethora of land use and development news. Developers in Kalispell are criticizing the city’s methodology for adopting transportation impact fees. Flathead County Commissioners yesterday voted 2-1 against the North Shore Ranch subdivision just east of Somers. A state […]

WASHINGTON – Congress passed a one-week extension of current farm law Thursday, defying President Bush by trying to find agreement on a new bill. As negotiations on a farm bill have stumbled, Bush has asked the House and Senate to extend the law for a year or longer. He says the new legislation is too […]

HELENA – A lawyer for Gov. Brian Schweitzer is asking the commissioner of political practices to dismiss a complaint filed by the Montana Republican Party earlier this month. The state GOP filed a political practices complaint arguing Schweitzer broke ethics laws by recording public service announcements promoting March as National Agricultural Month at the request […]

Last week, Whitefish residents looking for one of the valley’s weekly news sources were greeted by empty downtown racks: After nearly four-and-a-half years of covering local news, the Whitefish Free Press is suspending publication indefinitely. “It was really fun and we had just a super reception from the community,” Editor Jake How said. The decision […]