HELENA – The Montana State football team is favored to win the expanded Big Sky Conference this fall according to polls of league coaches and the media that cover the conference. The coaches and media agree on the top five, with Eastern Washington ranked second, Montana third, Portland State fourth and newcomer Cal Poly fifth. […]

On June 10, the Flathead County Commission approved a tax incentive for the F.H. Stoltze Land and Lumber Company to purchase a new boiler and turbine for the Columbia Falls sawmill site. The biomass steam boiler and 2.5 megawatt turbine would produce energy that would flow into the Flathead Electric Cooperative grid, according to Stolze […]

WASHINGTON — The White House says about 8,000 temporary firefighters and their families will get access to federal health insurance following a petition drive bolstered by this year’s historic fire season in the West. President Barack Obama says the nation has been inspired by the heroism of firefighters battling deadly wildfires this summer. Obama says […]

A local nonprofit has once again purchased land to add to Herron Park, located west of Kalispell. The purchase not only increases the park’s size, but also represents an important step forward for the group’s goal of securing permanent public access to the land connecting Herron Park to Blacktail Mountain. Foys to Blacktail Trails, an […]

WHITEFISH – At a town hall meeting, Republican Rep. Denny Rehberg vowed to continue fighting on behalf of a Jesus statue located at Whitefish Mountain Resort, while an attorney intervening in the statue’s litigation said she is confident the statue will remain in place. On July 16, Rehberg held a listening session at Whitefish’s VFW […]

Five members of the Flathead branch of Operation Finally Home dug into the dirt last week, breaking ground for the foundation of a custom-made home that will fill an empty lot in a subdivision off Three Mile Drive in Kalispell. The home will have different meanings for different people. For the wounded veteran who moves […]

Starting deep in the wilderness and stretching for 92 miles, the Middle Fork of the Flathead River runs along the southern boundary of Glacier National Park. Along the way, there are plenty of opportunities for outdoor lovers to get out and explore the stunning territory. Near Essex, the river emerges from the wilderness and runs […]

LIBBY – A 75-year-old Troy man has been found unfit to stand trial in his daughter’s shooting death. A Lincoln County judge has dismissed a charge of deliberate homicide against James Bonifas in the Jan. 6 death of 41-year-old Suzanne Campbell. Court records indicate Bonifas and Campbell had been discussing who should be cashing his […]

A 25-year-old Kalispell man has pleaded guilty to federal charges of robbing the Evergreen Pharmacy of $3,300 worth of OxyContin in March 2011. The U.S. attorney’s office says Shawn Malarkey pleaded guilty on June 11 to robbery involving controlled substances and the use of a firearm during a crime of violence. U.S. District Judge Donald […]

GREAT FALLS – U.S. Rep. Denny Rehberg warned at a Monday town hall meeting that pending defense cuts would hurt the Great Falls economy — and erode the nation’s ability to defend itself. Rehberg spoke to about 100 Great Falls residents attending the forum, and sought feedback on the across-the-board defense cuts of less than […]

State, federal and tribal agencies are approaching a watershed moment in wildlife conservation now that biologists say Montana’s “icon species” — the grizzly bear — has recovered in two of the state’s ecosystems, including the Northern Continental Divide (NCD). Thirty-seven years after grizzlies were considered near extinct and listed under the Endangered Species Act, wildlife […]

The Bigfork Museum of Art and History and some of the area’s most prominent artists are gearing up for the sixth annual “Saddle Up and Paint” event. For three days, starting on July 17, painters head for the lower valley and record scenic vistas, from yellow fields of canola to old barns. After the paint […]

A 43-year-old Kalispell woman who police say stole more than $154,000 while working as a bookkeeper has pleaded not guilty to felony embezzlement. Taira Desart made the plea Thursday in Flathead District Court. Authorities say Desart embezzled the money from Jesco Marine and Power Sports, where she had been the company’s bookkeeper for 17 years. […]

Glacier National Park officials say there have been more than 490,000 visitors to the park so far this year. Officials said that’s an increase of 14 percent compared to the first six months of 2011. The National Park Service Public Use Statistics Office also says the number of visitors to the park in June was […]

For nearly 24 years, the remains of Charles J. Shelton sat on a shelf in Kalispell. The U.S. Navy veteran of World War II was a forgotten soldier, lost in the country he served. Rikki Perkins didn’t think that was right. Perkins lives in Columbia Falls and is the Montana state chaplain for the Missing […]