Shelley Burton’s pain had little to do with her broken nose or the lingering tingle in her head from Laila Ali’s flurry of powerful hooks and jabs. She could handle those nuisances. What she couldn’t handle – what still pains her today – was watching the referee hold up Ali’s arm in victory and believing […]

Buying presents is not chief among my talents. Shopping usually turns out to be a waste of time, as I wander through stores feeling claustrophobic and disoriented, weaving between equally rushed but less panic-stricken shoppers, only to walk out a half-hour later with a spatula. Yes, I tell myself, I know many people who like […]

The Kalispell Police and Flathead County Sheriff’s reports for Tuesday included the following: 10:06 a.m. Tools were stolen from an unlocked box at a construction site in Columbia Falls. 12:06 p.m. A mailbox was smashed in Kalispell. 12:37 p.m. An angry guy called in from Whitefish to complain about another guy that keeps trying to […]

For the first time next year, Montana Republicans will choose their delegates to the national convention via precinct caucuses, rather than a primary election. The change was intended to increase Montana’s prominence on the national stage by eliminating a primary election held so late as to be irrelevant, though the caucus also carries some risk […]

For the first two months after opening Ceres bakery, Rick Grimm and Hannah Bjornson were each other’s only employees. They each worked 16- to 18-hour days, developing recipes for breads and pastries, baking, making deliveries, doing maintenance, keeping the books, and working the front counter. The married couple was so fried that when they finally […]

The Parks Committee charged with producing a vision and a plan for the new Riverfront park, and then presumably for guiding the execution of that plan,met for the first time on December 13th. Note: Interested citizens are welcome at these meetings. The next meeting is on January 12th at 3pm, starting at City Hall Chambers […]

HELENA (AP) – The head of the state Department of Public Health and Human Services on Monday defended her agency’s handling of abuse allegations at a private residential treatment center for juveniles. Department director Joan Miles acknowledged the agency failed to meet a deadline that led to the dismissal of an administrative appeal involving officials […]

At a Kalispell City Council work session Monday night, developers of the proposed Glacier Town Center sought to convince city officials that two new stoplights on U.S. 93 north of West Reserve Street are the best way to resolve traffic issues related to the project. The 485-acre commercial and residential development would go up between […]

Good morning and happy Republic Day to our Nigerian readers. Wolford Development Montana made its case before Kalispell City Council last night, asserting that two new stoplights on U.S. 93 are the best solution to traffic issues that may be caused by the Glacier Town Center Development. The head of the state Department of Public […]

At 5:45 a.m., 18-year-old Andrew Unterreiner begins practice at The Summit. He has been a competitive swimmer as long as he can remember. “We actually kept the first Speedo I ever wore,” Unterreiner said. “I guess we’ll do something special with it since it’s my last year and all.” His final year comes with a […]

Bigfork Schools move forward in renovation and expansion plans for the elementary and middle schools. During the school boards December 12th meeting, they voted to hire Hammerquist & Casalegno as the Construction Manager. Voters approved a 5.5 million dollar bond to upgrade Bigfork Elementary and Middle Schools in October. Now the project moves into the […]

HELENA (AP) – The state has so far issued $91 million worth of property tax rebates to Montana home owners in advance of a Dec. 31 deadline. The $400 property tax refund was authorized by the 2007 Legislature. The state says 91 percent of eligible homeowners have claimed the rebate so far, or about 232,000 […]

HELENA (AP) – The athletes at NAIA schools, even as national champions, seldom get the recognition awarded to the stars of Division I. Score one for the little guys. The cover of Sports Illustrated’s Pictures of the Year issue, on newsstands Wednesday, features a triumphant Carroll College player kneeling in the mud following the school’s […]

Holiday performances are usually characterized by traditional shows, but Whitefish’s Alpine Theater Project’s tradition is to present something different each year. This year’s firsts: a new theater and the addition of New York performing guests. Yuletide Affair 4 will be ATP’s first performance in its new home, the newly constructed Whitefish Middle School Auditorium. The […]

PIKEVILLE, Ky. (AP) – The federal government has released $274 million to clean up abandoned coal mine sites that are posing a threat to the public and the environment, twice the amount that had been available in the previous fiscal year. The appropriations announced Monday and are higher thanks to a 2006 federal amendment. Earlier, […]