It’s second period, Mr. Galvin’s science class. The walls are lined with antlers, ducks, plants, coral, skulls, and some twisted, mummified rodent. “Measure your seed pods,” Mike Galvin tells the class, “Their life cycle has totally speeded up.” “Our plant’s life cycle already got cut short by a certain someone,” a front row student says […]

When it comes to golf conditioning, Ralph Simpson wrote the book. Literally. Simpson, a Whitefish physical therapist, recently released “Complete Conditioning for Golf,” a book and DVD that he says will help golfers at all levels — not just the ones on the PGA tour that he formerly practiced with. The book includes techniques and […]

LIBBY (AP) – People sickened by asbestos from a Libby mine that closed in 1990 continue to hope for a meaningful trial as federal appellate judges consider the future of the government’s case against mine operator W.R. Grace & Co., an activist afflicted with asbestos-related disease said Thursday. At a Seattle hearing Monday, federal lawyers […]

On a sunny spring evening, the crack of the bat resounds through the air. Snow clings to the high mountaintops on the Swan Mountains, and proud parents cheer on their kids. It’s just another night in the Cal Ripken League of the Babe Ruth organization, and Don Frey’s Deer Park Panthers are taking their lumps […]

KALISPELL (AP) – Police have arrested a 17-year-old Kalispell boy in connection with a weekend fire that destroyed a state Department of Transportation storage shed. The boy, who was not identified, is suspected of arson in the early Saturday blaze that destroyed the shed and damaged a nearby warehouse, authorities said. The shed contained DOT […]

Normally, the answer to that question is “No!” On the other hand, how often do you find a band saw running outside of the car dealer’s showroom door on a Saturday? Every once in a while, you wander across a business owner who will do anything for kids. Eisinger Chevrolet’s Greg Eisinger is one of […]

The Kalispell City Council sat down last week with some very thick binders and dug into the budget for the upcoming fiscal year, which begins July 1. Under City Manager Jim Patrick’s plan, Kalispell would hire two new police officers, with one assigned to Glacier High School, a part-time clerk for the municipal court and […]

By the 1980s and 1990s, Saturday afternoon at the local mall had become a ritual for many teenagers and families across the nation. But today the question is: With the rapid expansion of big-box stores and so-called “lifestyle centers,” is there still room for the mall? Yes, says Kalispell Center Mall Manager Meg Lindberg. She’s […]

I stood in a grocery store aisle for nearly 15 minutes choosing a bag of flour, and I don’t even bake. I’m not sure what psychiatrists would call this, but I call it selective, an illness that comes out when I believe a purchase is “long-term.” Flour is a long-term item to me, as my […]

Editor’s note: The Beacon printed the wrong price for the Lakeside property in its print edition.The actual price is listed below. Lakeside Where: 170 Rimini Price: $339,500 What: Two-bedroom, two-bath home Square feet: 2,516 Located halfway between Somers and Lakeside, this home is a showpiece for thoughtful planning and location. It features views of Flathead […]

In a blog post not long ago, I mentioned a conversation with someone who felt that the act of marketing their service was unethical. My comment to them was that if they really can help people with a problem, then not marketing themself is the unethical thing. If you have a solution to someone’s problem, […]

Editor’s note: The Beacon will publish a response to this column by Republican Senator Greg Barkus of Kalispell next week. As the spin-doctors have been reviewing the last Legislature, it reminds me of the blind men describing an elephant, each perspective telling a different story. My perspective comes from a seat on the aisle and […]

There’s something about baseball. Each year more than a dozen high school boys, in the height of their teenage social lives, dedicate eight months, including the whole summer, to a sport that they have to raise much of the money to play. To Adam Olson, one the Kalispell Lakers’ captains, it makes sense. “It’s the […]

School will be out, Flathead Lake’s about full, and Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks is inviting you to go fishing. Thursday June 21 is FWP’s “Fishing Without Barriers Day.” Anglers with disabilities are hosted for free fishing trips on Flathead. “The last few years we’ve had our max number of people turn up,” FWP spokesman […]

It’s all for a good cause, but don’t tell them that. Anxiousness overcomes any goodwill. Two teenagers – one from Columbia Falls and the other from Whitefish – exit their respective corners. They ignore strategy and defense, instead throwing dozens, no hundreds, of punches. Who has the better aim? It’s the annual Cat/Dog Smoker and […]