A group of Kalispell-based lumberjacks is one of six crews featured on the upcoming fifth season of “Ax Men,” a highly rated reality show on the History Channel. The new season begins airing on Jan. 8. A producer with the show said the crew from Siderius Logging would be introduced around the fifth episode in […]

COLUMBIA FALLS – If you’re just meeting her, one of the first things you’ll notice about Irma Ruppel is that the woman is a snappy dresser. On Dec. 29, sitting in the Expressions Specialized Memory Care Home, Irma wore a striking red jacket and matching skirt, with her nails painted the same bright shade. The […]

The replacement of 1,200 wood stoves in Libby with newer, more efficient models has improved air quality, leading to associated health improvements for children in the northwest Montana town, according to a new study. Airborne particulate pollution in Libby dropped 30 percent over the course of the four-year study. The decline was associated with fewer […]

The Montana Highway Patrol says a 33-year-old Canadian woman died after being struck by a Kenworth truck while she was walking across U.S. Highway 93 in northwestern Montana. The patrol says the truck was southbound approaching the Eureka area when a pedestrian walked across the southbound lane of travel at 12:26 a.m. Friday. The woman, […]

Wednesday 12/28 10:08 a.m. Apparently, dogs at the end of Alder Lane bark all the time. Also, there has been talk of a black lab that gets out and growls at unsuspecting residents. 10:23 a.m. CDs and tools were reported stolen out of a locked vehicle on Drumlin Way. 11:33 a.m. A woman on Conrad […]

It appears the fate of the Whitefish planning doughnut, despite numerous claims and pleas to the contrary over the past year, will ultimately be decided by a judge, with two legal challenges already filed in separate courts and more litigation chatter arriving with the New Year. In late December, attorney Duncan Scott filed a lawsuit […]

HELENA – Canada-based RX Exploration has applied for an operating permit to expand a gold and silver mine northwest of Helena after regulatory officials became concerned the company was pushing the limits of its existing permit. The company made the application Thursday to the Montana Department of Environmental Quality to expand operations at the historic […]

Strong winds downed trees and power lines in parts of the state while recent snowfall combined with the wind led to avalanche warnings in northwestern and west-central Montana. A wind gust of 119 mph was recorded at 4 a.m. Thursday by a wind gauge on top of the visitor’s center at Logan Pass in Glacier […]

Tuesday 12/27 9:58 a.m. Reportedly, dogs on Anderson Lane partake in extreme barking each morning before sunrise. 10:35 a.m. A man on Third Avenue East reported finding a gloomy, sad poem on his door. 10:37 a.m. A man on Parliament Drive complained that the irresponsible neighbor dogs came over and wrecked his garage. 11:48 a.m. […]

HELENA – Political donors are getting hit with year-end requests for cash as candidates gearing up for 2012 attempt to fill their coffers for primary and general election battles. The numerous Montana candidates for Congress and statewide offices are gathering last-minute donations as they try to finish with impressive fundraising numbers to finish the year. […]

HELENA – Federal officials attempting to smooth over a wildlife management dispute with Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer sent over their plans to transport 4.5 million trout eggs from a federal hatchery over the next month. The planned shipments from the Ennis National Fish Hatchery have become political leverage in the dispute as the Democratic governor […]

Anyone with plans on ringing in the New Year in the Flathead will have plenty of options as Kalispell and Whitefish ramp up for their traditional, family-friendly events. KALISPELL Despite budget challenges familiar to many throughout the valley, First Night Flathead is back for another year of alcohol-free family fun. Event organizer Patrice Manget said […]

It is all about a sense of entitlement and it’s everyone’s fault. I am not able to quantify whether it is a systemic change in society or whether there is indeed a larger segment of the sports population that sees the need to act inappropriately and in some cases unlawfully, but it is currently of […]

HELENA – A Montana man who testified on behalf of Barry Beach and a newspaper reporter who covered the story of Beach’s efforts to seek a new trial in a 1979 killing say they have been threatened, especially since Beach was released from prison earlier this month. Kevin Hall, of Great Falls, testified at an […]

MISSOULA – The Montana Board of Horse Racing is suspending simulcast operations for up to two months while a business advisory committee determines why the board lost money operating off-track betting at eight sites in six cities. The board agreed to suspend simulcast betting Wednesday at the recommendation of the three-member advisory council appointed by […]