It’s a good thing Whitefish isn’t Tokyo, where parking fines range from 10,000 – 15,000 Japanese Yen. That means parking violators cough up $82 to $123 in U.S. Dollars per offense. Whitefish, in recent years, has enjoyed a low $5 fine—one cheap enough that many folks rack up tickets rather than pay for parking. “We […]

BIGFORK – Huntley Ritter has a lot going on. About his production company, television series and upcoming movie that seems bound to irk several Mormons, the Flathead Valley resident has long answers for short questions. The lack of brevity helps an interviewer who has seen many movies in which Ritter has acted – “Bring it […]

HELENA (AP) – Safety concerns prompted authorities to pull fire crews off a new wildfire burning northeast of Missoula on Saturday, as residents of some 200 homes near the popular getaway spots of Seeley and Placid lakes were told to evacuate. “This fire is in the hands of God right now,” Gov. Brian Schweitzer said […]

HELENA (AP) – Firefighters braced for winds Friday to propel a 32,000-acre blaze north of here past rocky areas and into grass, as people allowed back into homes evacuated a day earlier settled in, sort of. They were told that leaving again could be necessary if the blaze became threatening. Crews had contained 33 percent […]

During formal interviews for news stories and less formal conversations over drinks, someone routinely and abruptly says, “There’s something about the Flathead.” A simple, “I agree” is not enough to appease these people. They want confirmation, a conversation about its beauty, its populace and acknowledgement that it’s “on the up.” I’m happy to abide. People […]

From a 6,960-foot mountaintop above Stillwater State Forest, Werner Peak Lookout rules its realm. Through big windows, its kingdom seemingly spans a thousand peaks. It’s also a place during fire season for a pair of human eyes. Werner Peak Lookout is unique. The two-story tower built in 1983 – the peak’s third lookout – is […]

Wildfires are no laughing matter. And yet…when it’s all you read about on the front page of every newspaper in the state, and it’s all you breathe, it’s hard not to turn some aspects of the wildfire phenomena over in your mind a little – like how they receive their names. On his Flathead Memo […]

In hot, dry fire years like this one, inevitably the media harkens back to 1910–the year the west burnt. With fires starting as early as May, Idaho and Montana flames spewed smoke that billowed far out onto the plains. The biggest forest fires in history in turn helped spawn the U.S. Forest Service. That year, […]

Any Montanan paying attention to state news knows that a cattle herd in Bridger recently tested positive for brucellosis. What the same intelligent, well-read Montanan may not know is that, in response, Governor Schweitzer proposed the creation of a 50-mile zone around the park, within which all livestock producers would be required to do more […]

There are a handful of attractions that make the Flathead Valley world-renowned: Flathead Lake, Glacier Park, Big Mountain and, perhaps its most beautiful, Moose’s Saloon. This summer, the iconic bar, which has become synonymous with the Flathead, celebrates its 50th Anniversary. The saloon occupies an incongruous place in the life of downtown Kalispell – a […]

The Fool Creek fire west of Choteau spread outside of the Bob Marshall Wilderness, prompting crews to begin actively suppressing it, said Cathie Schmidlin, fire information officer. The blaze, which has burned 21,888 acres since late June, had been treated as a wildland use fire. Evacuation orders were issued for cabins in the west fork […]

HELENA (AP) – Residents of about 80 homes north of here were allowed to return Thursday, after a fire in the Gates of the Mountains Wilderness that forced them to flee several days ago changed course and was expanding in another direction. Residents could be asked to leave again if the Meriwether fire, which has […]

No Friend of Indian Country Recent events in Montana concerning gambling on Indian reservations underscore the oppression American Indians endure in our state. Gov. Brian Schweitzer recently said, “I’m a friend of Indian Country, but I’m not a friend of gaming.” I guess we can safely assume he’s never driven through Browning, never witnessed the […]

WHITEFISH – When art smells sweet, it just feels right. Shawna Moore says the subtle odor of honey during the encaustic painting process is part of the medium’s appeal – encaustic painting uses melted beeswax. Moore is the curator and organizer of an all-encaustic and all-woman exhibition at The Walking Man Frame Shop and Gallery […]

A recent spate of traffic deaths in the Flathead is once again calling attention to the safety of the region’s roads. A Somers teenager was hit by a car and killed July 10 while trying to bicycle across U.S. 93 at the intersection of Montana 82, spurring an outpouring of public grief and demands by […]