The recent history of Montana’s ballot initiative process is rocky and ridden with legal battles. Every single 2006 initiative was the subject of a lawsuit. Three of the seven measures on the 2006 ballot were ruled invalid by the state Supreme Court. The court’s decision came down so close to Election Day that the newly […]

At 5 years old, Ryan Rottenbiller would pack up his hockey gear, load it into the car with his father and take the one-hour-and-20-minute icy drive from East Glacier to Whitefish for hockey practice – twice a week for two seasons. Now 17, sitting on a stool at the Stumptown Ice Den with the sound […]

Flathead County Sheriff Mike Meehan announced Wednesday he is suspending the search for additional victims of Sunday’s avalanche until more information becomes available. Earlier Wednesday detectives escorted two eyewitnesses back to the scene of the slide near Whitefish Mountain Resort. The witnesses reiterated the location on Fiberglass Hill where they believe two additional victims were […]

Today in Los Angeles the National Park Service (NPS) is holding meetings at the National Center for the Preservation of Democracy to give the public a chance to comment on a program aimed at preserving Japanese-American confinement sites from World War II. Included in this program would be a camp in Arizona where my grandmother […]

Although much of Kalispell’s current and potential growth is happening further north, the rebirth of downtown may be next. Monday night’s informal work session at the Kalispell City Council meeting addressed the proposed land swap between the city of Kalispell and Valley Bank and, for the most part, it went unfettered. If the proposal goes […]

UPDATE: Tuesday 9:30 a.m. Another day of searching begins with uncertainty this morning, as heavy snow and high winds in the Canyon Creek area are likely to delay efforts to locate two reported victims of Sunday’s avalanche north of Whitefish Mountain Resort. Snow has been falling since about 6 a.m., and U.S. Forest Service avalanche […]

Good morning and Happy Birthday Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. On the Beacon this morning, recovery efforts for two reported avalanche victims in the Canyon Creek area north of Whitefish Mountain Resort are being hindered by heavy snow and high winds. At a work session last night, Kalispell City Council continued to consider a land […]

Barrack Obama got there first. Now, others are jumping on board. After Obama won the Iowa caucus, in part because of his surprising ability to activate younger Americans, other candidates have made obvious efforts to make their campaign hipper and younger. Though some may be more successful than others. A video from the Clinton camp […]

The Kalispell Police and Flathead County Sheriff’s reports for Monday included the following: 8:05 a.m. Two dead elk and a smashed car were reportedly seen on the side of U.S. Highway 93. 8:23 a.m. Someone from the Majestic Valley Arena called in to report that someone deliberately hit the wagon in their parking lot with […]

UPDATE: Tuesday 5:30 p.m. Search and rescue personnel returned to the scene of Sunday’s avalanche Tuesday evening after experts deemed the area safe. Poor weather conditions, including gusting winds and about eight inches of new snow, hampered morning operations, according to Flathead County Sheriff Mike Meehan. Dog teams, a small number of probing teams and […]

While cross-country skiing is centuries old, skate skiing has only been around for a little over two decades. Compared to traditional striding, skate skiing is faster—hence its lure with more speed thrills. “There’s been slow and steady growth in skate skiing,” says Laura Nugent, owner of the Outback Ski Shack at the Glacier Nordic Center. […]

WASHINGTON (AP) – Montana Sen. Max Baucus has already raised about $9 million for his re-election bid this November, on pace to surpass the amount raised by former Sen. Conrad Burns and set a new record for a Senate campaign in the state. As of Dec. 31, Baucus — a Democrat who became chairman of […]

Kalispell City Council meets tonight at 7 p.m. to tackle a number of issues as part of an informal work session at which no votes are allowed. Among the items for discussion: –A student presentation on homeless shelters –The city is in discussion with Valley Bank to do a land exchange in which the bank […]

Good morning and happy National Clean Off Your Desk Day. Topping local and statewide news this morning are the two avalanche deaths in the Canyon Creek area north of Whitefish Mountain Resort. Search teams are still working to locate two more skiers, reported to be caught in the slide, but they have not been found […]

UPDATE Search Continues for Two Missing Skiers WHITEFISH – Rescue personnel continued Monday morning to search for two possible victims of a huge Sunday avalanche that killed two backcountry skiers near here. A team began blasting on Fiberglass Hill, so search efforts could continue safely in the area, according to Flathead County Sheriff Mike Meehan. […]