HELENA – Montana’s congressional delegation has introduced legislation to establish a $1 commemorative coin for the 100-year anniversary of Glacier National Park. The coin would be minted in 2010 and sold to collectors, with the proceeds going to the nonprofit Glacier Fund. Sens. Max Baucus and Jon Tester and Rep. Denny Rehberg introduced the legislation […]

Good morning; today is Winston Churchill day, the anniversary of the day Churchill was posthumously made a U.S. citizen. It’s a sunny morning in the valley and the new Beacons are on the stands. Man, I like Wednesdays. In our top story, after the epic political weekend Montana has just had with presidential candidates Hillary […]

Another ranking landed in my inbox this morning. CityTownInfo.com reported that Kalispell, compared to places of similar size, ranks in the top 6 percent for short commutes to and from work. At some point, every city is touted for something or other – whether bestowed by the Census or a subjective fitness magazine – and […]

The Columbia Falls High School softball team has experience, depth and state tournament pedigree. What it hasn’t had this spring is good weather. The Wildkats, coming off a strong 2007 season when they went to the state tournament as the west’s No. 2 seed, spent most of their first weeks of practice indoors, as did […]

BUTTE – The Montana Highway Patrol says the number of fatal accidents on the state’s roadways continued to climb in 2007. Statewide, 276 highway fatalities were recorded last year, compared to 263 in 2006, 251 in 2005 and 229 in 2004. Patrol Col. Paul Grimstad blames the lack of seat belt use as the biggest […]

HELENA, Mont. (AP) _ The number of home foreclosures in Montana is expected to rise this year, but the rates still remain lower than the rest of the country, real estate agents and lenders were told. Speaking at a seminar on foreclosures and their impact on Montana families, Sue Woodrow, community affairs manager for the […]

A few weeks ago, I lost a few friends in Wilderness movement when I wrote about a feud between green groups stifling efforts to protect roadless lands. The following week, I invited the executive directors of two of the opposing groups to write guest commentaries on how they think we should end the Wilderness drought […]

HELENA – W.R. Grace & Co. said Monday it has reached an agreement to resolve current and future asbestos claims against the company, which would allow it to emerge from bankruptcy without further obligations for asbestos injury. Attorneys for the plaintiffs valued the agreement at $3 billion in cash and equity. “The victims of asbestos […]

Good morning and happy birthday Buddha! In our top story this morning, W.R. Grace & Co. announced it has reached an agreement to resolve current and future asbestos claims against the company, and will pay out cash and equity valued at $3 billion. While Whitefish Mountain Resort has closed for the season, there’s still skiing […]

Joel Knadler always wanted a Fender Telecaster Thinline guitar. But they’re not cheap. So he thought outside the box. “I made one,” Knadler said. Knadler is a Columbia Falls Junior High School band teacher by day and a high-end, custom guitar maker by evening. Then, by night, he’s a rock star – or jazz star […]

HELENA – Presidential candidate Barack Obama is opening more campaign offices in the state. Obama’s Montana campaign says volunteer offices in Billings, Great Falls, and Bozeman will open on Saturday to join field operations in Helena and Missoula. The campaign of Hillary Rodham Clinton has said it also plans to open offices in Montana. The […]

Montanans love a good show. They don’t take it for granted. When big-name bands make a rare stop in the Treasure State, tickets sell out fast and fans scream like it’s the only chance they’ll ever get to see such a show, which may be true, at least close to home. So forgive me for […]

HELENA – Montana’s Fish, Wildlife & Parks Commission will decide on no-wake zones for Swan and Echo lakes at an April 17th meeting in Helena. Commissioners will also make recommendations for the governor to fill a vacancy on the Livestock Loss Reduction and Mitigation Board and take final action on a time-frame extension for the […]

The Kalispell Police and Flathead County Sheriff’s reports for Monday included the following: 8:46 a.m. Two men beat up on another man at a Kalispell fast-food restaurant because they though he stole a backpack. 8:51 a.m. A Coram resident called in to complain about a neighbor who has been burning things all week and all […]

Good morning and happy World Health Day. It’s a vaguely spring-like morning in the Flathead but the news is hopping after a weekend of high-profile visits from Democratic presidential candidates over the weekend. On the Beacon, a Libby man found guilty of plotting to have his wife killed was sentenced to 10 years in prison […]