At around 9:30 p.m. last night – barring total, utter failure on my finals – I graduated from college. There was no pomp and circumstance. No awkward square hat or ridiculous-fitting gown. No celebration keg awaiting me at a friend’s house. Feeling a need to mark the occasion, I did the best I could on […]

The Kalispell Police and Flathead County Sheriff’s reports for Sunday included the following: 3:11 a.m. A Lakeside woman’s boyfriend rudely pushed her down a couple of times. She got up and went to her neighbor’s house to call the Sheriff’s Department. 4:34 a.m. A Somers resident called in because they saw someone walking around behind […]

When Rebecca Metteer took over as the Flathead City-County Health Department’s HIV services coordinator six months ago, she became immediately aware of the tricky relationship between Montanans and AIDS prevention. “You know what Montana’s like as far as being very independent,” Metteer said, “and not willing to talk about things and not willing to get […]

BUTTE (AP) – Motorcycle daredevil Evel Knievel was remembered Monday as an American icon who donned red, white and blue as he defied death more than once and who, later in life, took a spiritual leap of faith. A few thousand people gathered in Knievel’s hometown of Butte for his funeral, including former heavyweight boxing […]

A seat opened up on the Bigfork Land Use Advisory Committee with the resignation of member Mary Jo Naïve. Naïve’s term didn’t expire for two more years. BLUAC needs to fill the position until May elections when both John Bourquin and Phil Hanson’s terms run out. Members serve three years on the Committee. BLUAC’s basic […]

RENO, Nev. (AP) — Marcelus Kemp scored 23 points to lead Nevada past Montana State 82-76 on Saturday night. Demarshay Johnson added 11 points and a team-high eight rebounds as the Wolf Pack (3-4) ended its three-game losing streak. Carlos Taylor scored 23 points to lead the Bobcats (4-4), which saw its two-game winning streak […]

Dan Weinberg, a first-term state senator from Whitefish, announced Sunday that he will not seek re-election. In an e-mail, Weinberg wrote that he simply wants to pursue other interests. “I believe we only get one shot at life,” the senator said. “Having lost two very close friends this year alone, I realize that other challenges, […]

HELENA (AP) – U.S. Rep. Denny Rehberg says he thinks the troop levels in Iraq might now be reduced, but does not believe he should second-guess the Bush administration’s decisions about the war. Rehberg said Congress authorized President Bush to launch the war and it is not up to Congress to now second-guess specific decisions […]

AUGUSTA (AP) – Wildlife authorities are planning to kill three wolves that are part of a pack suspected of killing five livestock animals since January. The U.S. Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services said the wolves attacked the animals at a ranch about 15 miles southwest of Augusta. The wolves, part of the Monitor Mountain Pack, […]

MISSOULA (AP) – Nik Raivio’s 3-pointer with five seconds remaining gave Portland a 58-57 win over Montana on Friday night. Montana’s Jordan Hasquet had a chance to win the game but missed a short bank shot at the buzzer. Raivio led the Pilots with 17 points, and Kramer Knutson added 10. Portland (3-6) led by […]

On their home turf, Whitefish High School speakers swept the floor in Speech Sweeps winning first place for A schools. Over the first weekend in December, Whitefish hosted their annual Whitefish Invitational Speech and Debate Tournament, in which Whitefish speakers tallied up 78 points. Missoula Loyola ended the day with first place in speech for […]

I should have been done with this blog hours ago but I have been completely immersed in the Dec. 9, The New York Times Magazine. Tomorrow’s magazine (as I’m writing this Saturday) looks back through 2007 and for the seventh time in seven years reports on a number of “ideas” that surfaced in the past […]

Following a hand recount, the race for the third Whitefish City Council seat ended in a tie, which isn’t all that uncommon. What’s fickle is how each municipality chooses to break these draws – from pulling names out of tins, to coin flips, to Whitefish’s method of having elected officials choose a winner. Each is […]

HELENA (AP) – U.S. Rep. Denny Rehberg finds his fellow Montana Republicans seem to look favorably on the presidential campaign of Rudy Giuliani because of trust — even though the former New York mayor’s positions don’t match with the gun-toting West. Rehberg said that overall, he is disappointed the presidential campaigns lack substantive knowledge about […]

December’s Columbia Falls Business After Hours event worked overtime tonight, combining an evening of food, drink and the music of John Dunnigan with the introduction of a new attorney to Columbia Falls’ Kaplan Law Firm. This month’s gathering was held at attorney Eric Kaplan’s office, where Columbia Falls business people got a chance to meet […]