If the regular season is an indicator of what to expect in the divisional tournament, be careful before you make any bold predictions in Northwest A boys basketball. On the girls’ side, the frontrunners are more apparent, but of course anything can happen in the playoffs. The top two teams from both the girls and […]

It snowed at least an inch or more an hour while I was showing my ski movie and now the wind is blowing about 35 or 40 mph. The snow has stopped falling but the temperature still is. It’s 11 degrees below zero, according to the thermometer on the bank I just passed. As I […]

Recent changes in the zoning language made it easier to build gravel pits in parts of Flathead County and have West Valley residents concerned that it’s an attempt at industrializing their neighborhood. County commissioners say the revisions have no effect on West Valley, and are meant to align county regulations with state legislation. West Valley […]

Good morning; today begins the Lantern Festival in China. The sun continues to shine in the Flathead and the weekly news cycle is picking up speed. Myers Reece previews the Northwest A divisional boys and girls basketball tournaments. Stick with the Beacon through the weekend for running coverage of the tourney and Lido’s pics of […]

SAN JOSE (AP) – Levi Leipheimer took the overall lead in the Tour of California on Wednesday, while Robert Gesink of the Netherlands won the mountainous 102-mile third stage from Modesto to San Jose. The 21-year-old Gesink finished in 4 hours, 28 minutes, 29 seconds. “We were screaming at each to ride strong to get […]

BILLINGS (AP) – Gray wolves in the Northern Rockies are being removed from the endangered species list. The move follows a 13-year restoration effort that led the animal’s population to soar. An estimated 1,500 wolves now roam Idaho, Montana and Wyoming. That’s a dramatic turnaround for a predator that had nearly vanished from the United […]

HELENA (AP) – The framework for Montana’s inaugural wolf hunt has approval of state wildlife commissioners, but the agency they oversee is not on the brink of issuing permits to hunters. Commissioners approved some wolf-hunt regulations Wednesday, pending the U.S. Interior Department’s removal of Northern Rockies gray wolves from the endangered-species list. The federal agency […]

HELENA – Sen. Max Baucus says BP America is dropping its potential coal-bed methane project in British Columbia. The project had raised concerns about environmental effects in the province and Montana. Baucus says BP America President Bob Malone informed him of the decision. In Montana, the prospect of coal-bed methane development in southeastern British Columbia […]

Click here to see images from Thursday’s round one. Click here to see images from Friday’s semifinals. Click here for images from Saturday’s Championships. In the opening game of the Northwest A divisional tournament, the Polson Lady Pirates jumped out to a double-digit lead in the first quarter over the Ronan Maidens and never relented, […]

The Kalispell Police and Flathead County Sheriff’s reports for Wednesday included the following: 5:23 a.m. Two shotguns and a pistol were taken out of a vehicle on Maple Drive in Evergreen. 7:52 a.m. A vehicle on Stone Street in Kalispell was broken into, but nothing was taken. 8:03 a.m. A vehicle on Pebble Drive in […]

Click here to see images from Thursday’s round one. Click here to see images from Friday’s semifinals. Click here for images from Saturday’s Championships. After rallying from eight points down in the fourth quarter, the No. 5 Libby Loggers came up short in overtime, losing to the No. 4 Whitefish Bulldogs 57-50 on Thursday evening. […]

HELENA (AP) – Montana’s U.S. Sen. Max Baucus, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, touted his experience and work on current issues as prime reasons voters should elect him to a sixth term. The 66-year-old Democrat has been raising millions of dollars for his campaign fund, and the decision to run again was expected. “I’m […]

Over the last several weeks, the phone of Ed Tinsley has been ringing off the hook. Chelsea Clinton called. Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright called several times. Terry McAuliffe, current chair of Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign and former chair of the Democratic National Committee, called too. Each was hoping to influence Tinsley’s vote as […]

Shortly before midnight Tuesday night, after about four hours of deliberation and public comment, the Whitefish City Council voted 5-1 to adopt a long-anticipated and often contentious critical areas ordinance. After hearing 29 speakers, almost evenly divided between supporters and opponents of the ordinance, the council made three amendments and posed an array of questions […]

This seven part series is about making real, substantive steps to improving your business in seven weeks. So let’s get started with week six’s strategy: Stop trying to beat Walmart at THEIR game Everyone knows who has the lowest prices in town, everyday, right? Of course, it’s Wal-Mart. If you are one of those “Well […]