Water appropriation is drastically changing in western Montana and, with future use at risk, Flathead County commissioners have moved to secure water rights held by the federal government. A still-unresolved water compact with the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes will place unknown demands on Flathead water. Growth is a contested factor. And, last year’s decision […]

Perhaps the most telling difference between Pleasant Valley Elementary School and other schools is the lack of noise: The slamming of locker doors, bells and loudspeakers are absent. The one-room schoolhouse is nearly silent, except for the sounds of its sole teacher moving among the school’s five students, offering help as they work independently on […]

In the mid-1800s, she became the first woman to own, operate and edit a news publication for women, in a time where it was rare for women’s writings to even be published. She stubbornly agreed to only be married if the word ‘obey’ was left out of wedding vows; a demand to which her husband […]

Kalispell is set to grow by nearly 500 acres. City Council approved the Glacier Town Center development Tuesday night in a meeting that ran until almost midnight. The members of the Wolford Development Montana team sat with tight grins on their faces after it grew apparent that the project would go through, while critics shook […]

Over the last 35 columns, I’ve spent a lot of time making note of good business practices and bad. While quite a lot of the things we’ve discussed are about the perhaps misguided things that businesses do, there’s always a lesson for the smart business owner who is paying attention. Now, it’s time to start […]

The Hungry Horse-Glacier View and Spotted Bear Districts of the Flathead National Forest are hosting an open house on Monday, Jan 28, to showcase the new office in Hungry Horse. Please stop by! The Hungry Horse – Glacier View and Spotted Bear Districts of the Flathead National Forest are hosting a public open house on […]

Good morning and happy National Handwriting Day, in honor of John Hancock’s birthday. It’s a busy news day on the Beacon. Last night, reporter Dan Testa was up late (he filed his story around 2 a.m.) to bring you news of the Kalispell City Council’s decision on the Glacier Town Center. Wolford’s development was approved […]

I’m afraid that the art of snowman building, like so many of the fine arts from my childhood, is losing its appeal with the youth today. Sledding persists, thankfully, but it seems fewer and fewer front lawns have disproportioned snow creatures with vegetable eyes and rock noses staring down guests. Just look around. Perhaps kids […]

After a hearing in Darby over the U.S. Forest Service’s motorized travel plan in the Bitterroot National Forest resulted in the investigation of a threat against a conservationist, Flathead National Forest officials hope that discussions of the same topic here will be less heated. But inevitably, when talk turns to possible restrictions on recreation – […]

The Kalispell Police and Flathead County Sheriff’s reports for Tuesday included the following: 12:29 a.m. A fire alarm errantly went off at Famous Dave’s. 12:41 a.m. A burglar alarm was triggered at Burger King for no apparent reason. 7:36 a.m. Someone called in from Dale Drive because they heard a dog bark. 9:08 a.m. A […]

The wind is honking out of the east with a sharp sting to it. We are sitting in our home on Orcas Island after deciding to take a week off from skiing every day for the last three weeks. We will start back to Montana in a few days after thawing out, we hope. In […]

When I first started out in the “zoo business” I was director of the Central Florida Zoo in Sanford, Fla. This was not a major zoo by any means, and keeping it going was tough. Not a lot of funding and not many employees or volunteers meant I would regularly take baby animals home to […]

BIGFORK – In the frigid winter months, Electric Avenue loses some of its buzz. It’s too cold to walk around downtown and there aren’t many people who would be walking around anyway – Flathead Lake has lost its waterskiing appeal and the license plates on parked cars are all instate. So when the buzz wears […]

Bucky Wolford’s Glacier Town Center will be in the hands of Kalispell city councilors Tuesday night. A majority “yes” vote means annexation and approval of initial development. A “no” means more uncertainty. The council will have the final say, but on Monday night, at the behest of Citizens for a Better Flathead, national transportation planner […]

Good morning and happy Answer Your Cat’s Question Day. Really. It’s make-or-break time for the Glacier Town Center. Monday night, a national transportation planner and land-use expert proposed changes to the Wolford development during a public presentation. And tonight, after years of planning and controversy, the Kalispell City Council is expected to vote on the […]