WHITEFISH – After fires force people out of their homes, it is custom in Montana for neighbors to come to their aid. They bring trailers to haul livestock, offer food and provide beds, all without being asked. It creates an interesting situation for American Red Cross, which sets up and maintains evacuation shelters. “I don’t […]

When Dick Sonju started an auto body repair shop in 1978, he never thought his small Kalispell business would one day be working for the U.S. Department of Defense. But over the last 30 years, Sonju Industrial Inc. has evolved from fixing up cars to manufacturing parts for missiles and fighter jets. As you might […]

COLUMBUS (AP) – A new fire in south-central Montana burned through a 60-home subdivision late Tuesday afternoon without destroying any homes. The fire just east of Columbus started at about 4 p.m. near Interstate 90 and prompted evacuation orders for the Pine Crest subdivision on Allen Creek Road, said Ken Mesch with disaster and emergency […]

COLUMBIA FALLS – The sharp shrill of timber on metal is music to the ears of executives and employees at Plum Creek Timber Company. This summer’s red-hot fire season has them poised to endure an even more piercing sound: production coming to a screeching halt. The timber company is already anticipating one temporary closure, and […]

Across the board, Montana fires grew in drier weather Tuesday, but heavy incoming smoke from Idaho fires helped keep fire activity close to the ground on some blazes. Fires in Southcentral Montana are getting more attention and resources as the fire season continues, with the Wicked Hicks Complex growing some 10,000 acres from Tuesday morning […]

More often than not, you’ll find my blog discussing something inane that a large corporation has done. But not always. Being a big corporation, there’s plenty of room for “big dumb things” and “big smart things” to co-exist. Starbucks is a good example of a company with room for both. The smart stuff By and […]

Kalispell native and former Flathead High standout begins his senior season within reach of four coveted UM records

KALISPELL (AP) – A Bigfork High School football player collapsed during practice Monday and was in “stable but critical” condition Tuesday afternoon at the Kalispell Regional Medical Center, a hospital spokesman said. The junior, whose name was not released, collapsed at about 8 p.m., as the team was beginning its conditioning workout. Assistant coaches Saia […]

By most accounts, little news emerged from the recent Montana Democratic convention in Helena. No presidential candidates made appearances. A potential primary challenger for Gov. Brian Schweitzer backed off from the race. Dems unanimously re-elected party chairman Dennis McDonald. But Democrats also made some decisions with implications for the Flathead Valley. For the first time, […]

SEELEY LAKE (AP) – Bail was set at $100,000 for a summer resident accused of starting two small fires in this wildfire-beseiged resort town. Elizabeth Anna Sleath, 58, was charged with felony attempted arson and ordered held on $100,000 bail in Missoula County Justice Court on Tuesday. Sleath is accused of starting two fires on […]

With attention fixed on the Jocko Lakes Fire’s east side after Sunday’s break out, the fire on Monday “made a major run” along its northern flank, escaping confinement and spreading in isolated and remote country near the North Fork of Placid Creek, fire information officer Tom Kempton said. “It was another fairly exciting one,” information […]

It’s always interesting when a national news organization picks up on a local story. In the case of Montana State University athletics, I wonder what took them so long. Sports Illustrated recently wrote an expansive piece dubbed, “Trouble in Paradise.” Most Montanans are familiar with MSU’s woes, but they may not be familiar with the […]

HELENA (AP) – Two restaurants here, Bulmann’s Wood Fired Pizza and Taco del Sol, were among the new winners for beer and wine licenses after the state Revenue Department ruled out some preferences claimed by unsuccessful applicants for past licenses. Director Dan Bucks said department officials determined, after a legal review, that previously unsuccessful applicants […]

It is hard to resist a view behind the scenes – a kind of subconscious drive to know the story behind a story. And when the window on one of Hollywood’s most enduring contributions to film is opened, the view is strange and hilarious. Alpine Theatre Project’s “Moonlight and Magnolias” depicts the rocky road traveled […]

HELENA (AP) – Sens. Max Baucus and Jon Tester said Tuesday they support “de-authorizing” the war in Iraq when Congress returns this fall, part of an agenda that includes more support for renewable energy and money to fight forest fires. The two Democrats, traveling Montana while on break from Washington D.C., said President Bush needs […]