POLSON – The bodies of Missoula couple Hank and Nancy Harrington were pulled from the icy waters of Flathead Lake on Wednesday afternoon, near the south shore of Wildhorse Island. Hank Harrington was the former chair of the English Department at the University of Montana. His wife Nancy was the partner in the Boyle, Deveny […]

BOZEMAN (AP) – The state’s mountain snowpack is near average, and ahead of last year, with western Montana leading the way, according to the Natural Resources Conservation Service. “The snow water content recorded on Jan. 1, 2008 represents about 40 to 45 percent of the seasonal snowfall,” said Roy Kaiser, water supply specialist with the […]

CONCORD, N.H. (AP) – Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton won New Hampshire’s Democratic primary Tuesday night in a startling upset, defeating Sen. Barack Obama and resurrecting her bid for the White House. Sen. John McCain powered past his Republican rivals and back into contention for the GOP nomination. Clinton’s victory capped a comeback from last week’s […]

The difference between Joe Lynch’s 1950s Singer sewing machine, bought secondhand for $150, and his new $5,000 Claes machine is clear. The old one is just so much better. But the fact that Lynch needs the new one at his shop, Glenn’s Shoe Repair in downtown Kalispell, is a sign of the changing times. He […]

“If people have to get old, they should get as old as they can.” This old adage came slamming out of the freezing cold air this morning as I started down the ramp to get off of the chairlift for the first time this winter. It was only 5 degrees above zero and I did […]

Not too long ago, I was talking with a commercial lender friend in Orlando. He was telling me about a barber shop he had discovered down there who offers memberships for his barbershop. The memberships allow you to reserve a specific time every so many weeks for whatever services you want. Maybe you paid for […]

Good morning and Happy Balloon Ascension Day. On the Beacon this morning, a look at Flathead’s blue-collar homeless and the role the Samaritan House plays in housing those down on their luck. Warren Miller writes about skiing after passing the 80-year-old mark. A profile of local shoe repairman Joe Lynch, who fixes everything from cowboy […]

So far, they’ve lived up to the hype. The Flathead Braves’ boys basketball team entered this season with what coach Fred Febach thought could be the best team he’s had in his five years at the helm. After a 6-0 start, including wins in their first two Class AA games, the Braves have done nothing […]

Here in the Flathead, Chris Krager asks you to study the face of homelessness. He invites you to look around at his Samaritan House, the only homeless shelter in five counties. Sure, you’ll see chronic transients, those perpetual panhandlers who shape the stereotype of homelessness. But look closer. You’ll also see the exhausted blue collar […]

I have a friend from Belgium coming to visit me next week. He has visited the U.S. once, a trip to New York City with his parents when he was a kid. Last I heard from him, he was working on an artificial lung – or maybe a heart – for his thesis project at […]

BILLINGS (AP) – Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, who is seeking the Republican nomination for president, is scheduled to speak here in April. Steve Daines, Huckabee’s Montana campaign chairman, said Huckabee has agreed to speak at a banquet for the Big Sky Youth Education Foundation, which raises money for two Christian schools in Billings. Banquet […]

The Kalispell Police and Flathead County Sheriff’s reports for Tuesday included the following: 8:08 a.m A Kalispell man was heard yelling. 8:12 a.m. A woman found a board with nails sticking out of it hidden under the snow in her driveway. 9:25 a.m. A man who owns a porta-potty business called in to report that […]

FERNDALE – On New Year’s Day, bleary-eyed locals filed into the Rocky Mountain Roadhouse on state Highway 83. They ordered chili fries, smoked and nursed hangovers, reflecting on the previous night’s escapades. But in some corners of the bar, discussion turned to one of their neighbors, Clyde Wilson, 24, found dead in his small cabin […]

For 20 Flathead High School students, Monday night’s public hearing on the Glacier Town Center proved to be a lesson in civil engagement. But students were not there to hear what Citizens for a Better Flathead or developer Bucky Wolford’s camp had to say. At least, not initially. Students were at the Kalispell City Council […]

HELENA (AP) – Montana was given an overall grade of C-minus for its education system in a new national report. That compares to a national average of C in the 2008 Quality Counts report, released Wednesday by the nationally distributed publication Education Week. Montana fared well in giving children a chance to succeed. It did […]