In late February, 13 years since reintroduction into the northern Rockies, the federal government says the Big Dog, the wolf, is no longer an endangered species, which means the state wildlife agencies take over management of the ultra-controversial canine. And state agencies are already in the starting blocks to give us something we’ve never, ever […]

Polson Republican Sen. John Brueggeman could face some unexpected opposition from within his own party as he runs for re-election this year. Last week plans surfaced by conservative Bozeman Rep. Roger Koopman encouraging Ron Paul supporters to run against more moderate GOP incumbents. In an e-mail to David Hart, state coordinator for libertarian presidential candidate […]

Investigators said Wednesday they believe a 19-month-old girl who was fatally shot last week wasn’t holding the hand gun when she was killed — contradicting the story of a man who was with her when the gun fired. “We do not have reason to believe the child had the weapon in her hands at the […]

Good morning and happy National Open an Umbrella Indoors Day. On the Beacon this morning, our top story details a movement by a Bozeman conservative state lawmaker to target moderate incumbent Republicans in primary elections. Keriann Lynch reports that the county is preparing to shut down the Marion trash collection site, and may close down […]

Last month I shoveled a foot of new, light powder off of my porch here at the Yellowstone Club. An hour later, I was standing at the top of Pioneer Peak and 80 miles away I could see the Grand Tetons etched against a cobalt blue sky. I had walked a quarter of a mile […]

The Glacier Nordic Ski Team posted results high up in their age groups early this week in the 2008 Junior Olympics in Anchorage, AK. Four team members qualified in races earlier this year to compete in the national championships. On Monday, Mar. 10, the championships kicked off with the 1,250-meter classic sprints, in which both […]

The Flathead County commissioners’ final decision to rescind the interlocal agreement with Whitefish that established the now controversial “planning doughnut” was essentially made within a matter of minutes. After beginning the hearing Thursday morning, Commissioner Gary Hall told the more than 50 people present the commissioners wouldn’t be taking public comment on the issue, and […]

HELENA – A former computer programmer for the Montana Department of Labor has been sentenced to 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to receipt and possession of child pornography. Dennis Strickland, 39, was sentenced Thursday by U.S. District Judge Charles Lovell. Strickland had previously been convicted of a sex offense, the U.S. attorney’s office […]

WHITEFISH – A 55-year-old Whitefish man has been charged with felony criminal endangerment after the man’s neighbor said he tried to run him over with a tractor. Flathead County deputies responded to an attempted assault call early Tuesday afternoon and arrested Richard Boughton. His bail was set at $15,000. The victim told deputies he was […]

The Kalispell Police and Flathead County Sheriff’s reports for Wednesday included the following: 6:03 a.m. Someone called in from Whitefish Stage Road to report a man lying on the side of the road. When deputies arrived he was up walking around, drunk. He was given a ride home. 7:26 a.m. The wind blew a door […]

WASHINGTON – Montana Sen. Max Baucus says his budget amendment to extend tax reductions for low-income workers, married couples and people with children would help boost Montana’s economy. Baucus, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, offered the amendment to a Senate budget resolution and it was adopted 99-1 Thursday. The votes were mostly symbolic as […]

HELENA – State hunting regulations underwent a few changes Thursday at a meeting where emotion ran high as people addressing wildlife commissioners talked about their hunting traditions. The Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Commission in February adopted a package of hunting regulations, a few of which drew blistering criticism and had Gov. Brian Schweitzer advocating […]

A riverfront landowner withdrew his application proposing a controversial boat storage and dock facility on Flathead River from the Flathead Conservation District Tuesday afternoon. “In a nutshell, I guess I could say that the apparent legal problems that I could encounter because of this – while I think we would ultimately be successful in defending […]

Though Montanans are famously wary of a sales tax, across the state communities are finding alternative ways to allocate and use tourist-based dollars, whether through resort taxes or tourism business improvement districts. Perhaps the most stunning single example of how much influence tourism money can have on a town’s infrastructure is a proposed $10.8 million […]

Despite the ever-increasing demands on people’s time, I still come across businesses who don’t get the full-service concept and why it makes them more money than the lazy “I’ll think about carrying it out to your car….IF you ask me.” model. For example, there’s a home store with a great selection of wood stoves, pellet […]