When members of the Whitefish High School thespian and drama club are asked what they like most about acting, the answer is the same: the chance to try to be someone else. But, sometimes, they’re surprised by how much a character can hit home. In the case of their current production, “John Lennon and Me,” […]

KALISPELL (AP) – A former daycare operator already serving a 30-year federal sentence for child pornography charges has been sentenced to 200 years in state prison for raping four young boys. James M. Thorne, 42, was sentenced Thursday by District Judge Ted Lympus. Thorne pleaded guilty in November 2006 to four counts of sexual intercourse […]

Beginning Feb. 19, Flathead County will have an inter-city public bus system, with routes between Kalispell, Whitefish and Columbia Falls. The commuter buses, eight in total, will run between 5:55 a.m. and 7 p.m., with a wide range of stops in each city. Schedules are available online at Flathead County Eagle Transit’s Web site, as […]

Live Music: Friday: Can’t Hardly Playboys at Red’s; Bluestone Quartet at The Lodge; Good Wood Trio at Blue Canyon; Silver’s Platter at The Cottage; Karaoke at Grizzly Jacks; La Nota at Scotty’s; Smart Alex at Great Northern; Mobile Beat DJ at Red’s Saturday: Mountain Standard Time at Whitefish Mountain Resort; Emily Meredith and Mike at […]

The Kalispell Police and Flathead County Sheriff’s reports for Tuesday included the following: 10:09 a.m. Someone attempted to light a fire in the laundry room at an RV park in Kalispell. 10:19 a.m. A call was made about a vehicle in the parking lot of a Kalispell business with a broken window. 11:16 a.m. A […]

Fay Wolf, a manager at Woodland Floral in Kalispell, recommends a little creativity on Valentine’s Day. “Don’t be that guy,” she says. “He only knows one thing: a dozen roses.” At Woodland Floral a dozen roses will run you $92. But she points out that they have more cost effective alternatives for Valentine’s Day: chocolates, […]

On the night of their first ever presidential caucus, Montana Republicans voted resoundingly for Mitt Romney, and found themselves diverging from fellow party members across the United States. Super Tuesday saw Republicans generously hand presidential frontrunner status to Arizona Sen. John McCain with wins in nine states. And if the night held any surprises, it […]

POLSON (AP) – A 19-year-old Bigfork man has pleaded not guilty to murder in the New Year’s Eve shooting death of a Ferndale man. Ronald Petersen entered the plea Wednesday in District Court in Polson. Court records say Clyde Wilson’s girlfriend reported that someone broke into their home early on December 31st and fired three […]

Good morning and happy Valentine’s Day! Yep. It’s Valentine’s Day. On the Beacon this morning, if you’re strapped for cash, we’ve got loads of fun date suggestions that won’t break the bank. We look at some of the challenges facing Montana Republicans this election year with the caucus now behind them. In Whitefish, Martin McGrew […]

KALISPELL (AP) – Criminal charges have been filed against a woman who had previously admitted to stealing $17,500 in activity funds from the city’s two high schools. Cindy Upwall, 44, was charged Wednesday with embezzlement and a warrant was issued for her arrest. She is believed to be in California. “We may not ever know […]

Growing up in Columbia Falls, Chase Grilley was never far from a basketball hoop. Whether playing “horse” or “pig” with his father in the backyard or one-on-one with his cousins at their nearby home, Chase was constantly on a court. “They never took it easy on me when we played,” said the senior, still breathing […]

Meghan O’Connell was minutes away from taking her SAT when a friend asked her how she felt – not about the test but about winning the 2007-08 Gatorade Montana Girls’ Soccer Player of the Year. O’Connell wasn’t aware she had won. “I didn’t know at all,” she said. Now she does and, to answer her […]

I exited the Hawker Jet into the expected airport heat of the Las Vegas desert. The sun was blazing but the biting winter wind quickly eliminated any thought of sitting by the swimming pool. Laurie and I had accompanied the entire Kircher family to Las Vegas to see their father and husband inducted into the […]

KALISPELL (AP) – A Hungry Horse man has died after accidentally shooting himself in the face, Flathead County officials said. Tyson Armijo, 22, was carrying several loaded guns to his truck Tuesday afternoon when he slipped and fell on the ice. As he fell, a .22-caliber rifle discharged and struck him in the face, officials […]

The brief, brutal and embarrassing inaugural season of the Beacon’s dodgeball team hits a speed bump tonight as we forfeit our match because no one feels like playing. We’ve been shorthanded since our second game, when Publisher Tom Donnelly strained his groin and tore his rotator cuff, and Editor Kellyn Brown twisted his knee. Pathetic. […]