American Dream Montana’s recent complaint challenging county subdivision regulations is one of a string of land use related lawsuits filed against Flathead County in recent years. Most agree the litigation is yet another symptom of Flathead’s continuing growing pains, but that’s where consensus ends: Those taking the county to court say the litigation is the […]

HELENA (AP) – Rep. Bill Jones, R-Bigfork, announced he will not seek re-election next year, saying his beliefs on issues such as health care and education conflict with the party’s. “My party has pushed a lot of people like me out of the party,” Jones said Tuesday. “Since after (Gov.) Marc Racicot, they’ve made it […]

HELENA (AP) – Voters in Helena and Missoula on Tuesday approved resolutions opposing the war in Iraq. And Helena voters overwhelmingly approved a $7.85 million parks-improvement bond. Missoula residents voted in favor of a referendum that asks Congress to get the U.S. out of the contentious Iraq war. The referendum passed by a vote of […]

As the strike by television and film writers continues, as production halts on shows such as “Desperate Housewives” and “Two and Half Men,” the networks are expected to turn to reality television as early as December to fill the primetime void. Let’s hope they’ve learned something from “Britney & Kevin: Chaotic,” the 2005 reality show […]

Welcome to week two of Ask Jack, where I’ll be answering your questions about anything and everything having to do with wildlife, conservation, traveling, hiking and our great state of Montana. Enjoy this week’s discussions, and don’t forget to send your questions to [email protected]! My kids and I are trying to convince my husband to […]

If you’ve ever wondered where the money goes after you buy a Scratch lottery ticket at the gas station, it’s safe to say not much goes to education, which has long been touted in many states as a foremost beneficiary of the lottery system. Lotteries have traditionally been marketed to voters as big moneymakers for […]

After a heated ‘07 legislative session, our elected representatives saw fit to return $400 to homeowners as a form of “property tax relief.” In a year in which we (Montana) anticipated a $1.4 billion surplus, this so-called “property tax relief” amounted to less than $400 million, or less than 29 percent of the total surplus. […]

The Kalispell Police and Flathead County Sheriff’s reports for Monday and Tuesday morning included the following: 7:21 a.m. Two county trucks had their windows smashed in at the gravel pit on Cemetery Road. The estimated damage was around $500. 8:21 a.m. Mailboxes were destroyed by some criminals on Fourth Avenue in Columbia Falls. 8:29 a.m. […]

Whitefish has a growth policy. After two years of drafting and revising, the policy that will guide the city of Whitefish’s land use and planning for the next 20 years was approved by the Whitefish City Council late Monday night. The council passed the draft unanimously, though with seven amendments and a map change request. […]

Whitefish High School Speech and Debate kicked off its season last weekend at the Bigfork High School Speech and Debate Invitational. They walked into the meet with only 11 competitors and walked out in fourth place with 30 points. Of the Whitefish team members, six were novice competitors. The remainder of the team is seasoned […]

Good morning and happy Election Day – get out there and vote in municipal elections today. Dedicated endurance reporter Myers Reece was up until the wee hours last night at Whitefish city council to get the vote on the growth policy – which passed with a number of amendments. Katrin Frye writes on a question […]

A top story on various Web sites today, including ABC News and Fox News, is about a Texas man who broke his own world record by sitting in a bathtub full of 87 rattlesnakes for 45 minutes. I imagine this is a source of tremendous pride for both him and his family. The second paragraph […]

At some point, they probably forgot how to lose. Exactly when that happened is unclear, but what is clear is that this year’s Whitefish boys soccer team earned the right to be mentioned in the ranks of Montana’s best high school soccer teams ever. It is most likely the greatest in Class A’s history. Whitefish […]

A list labeled “people to kill” shook up students and school officials at Bigfork High School last Thursday, prompting an investigation and three students to remain home from school Friday. No suspects had been identified as of Tuesday, said Luke Foster, the school’s resource officer of the Flathead County Sheriff’s Department. The list, which included […]

KALISPELL (AP) – A rollover accident early Sunday killed a Kalispell man. A deputy Flathead County coroner says 53-year-old William Johnson died when his vehicle went off U.S Highway 2 near Kalispell. Deputy Coroner Brad Stahlberg says Johnson swerved to the left, overcorrected and the vehicle went into the ditch on the right side of […]