If your Christmas had everything – holiday lights, a visit from Santa, a family meal – what likely went missing was snow. So far this winter, the northern US – from New England to the Dakotas – has mostly eluded snow and sub-freezing temperatures. In cities that were digging out of storms at this time […]

With the retirement of Sen. Ben Nelson (D) of Nebraska, announced Tuesday, Democrats have yet another open seat to defend in a 2012 election year that could flip control of the Senate to Republicans. Democrats are defending 23 seats in the 2012 campaign cycle, compared with 10 for Republicans. With Democrats holding a 53-to-47 majority, […]

BILLINGS – Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer said Wednesday he will allow some trout eggs to be shipped from a federal hatchery after blocking out-of-state shipments last week in a wildlife management dispute with the Interior Department. Two shipments totaling 142,000 eggs were approved from the Ennis National Fish Hatchery to New Hampshire and Utah, where […]

HELENA – The director of the Department of Corrections recently told a state panel he would report back to them on the medical condition of an inmate after photos of the man were circulated showing he had what appeared to be hernias the size of a softball protruding from his stomach. Ronney Harriman, an inmate […]

In response to news reports about state investigations into allegedly unethical and illegal behavior by Lake County law enforcement officers, the legislative Law and Justice Interim Committee has decided to formally address the allegations, likely at its April meeting in Helena. Meanwhile, the Montana Attorney General’s Office confirmed that it’s investigating two separate complaints of […]

A Kalispell man accused of killing two people on Christmas day last year pleaded guilty Wednesday afternoon in Flathead County District Court. Tyler Michael Miller, 35, previously known as Tyler Michael Cheetham, took the stand and told Judge Stewart Stadler that he killed his former girlfriend Jaimi Hurlbert, 35, and her daughter, Alyssa Burkett, 15, […]

Christmas season offers joy, a time to reflect on our lives, and a resolve for the New Year. To people worldwide Christmas miracles are everyday possibilities. Miracles grow from natural dirt. Dr. Terry Wahls is a professor of medicine in Iowa. She was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis a decade ago, for which there is no […]

The 2012 caucuses and primaries are finally upon us, and now it can be said: Iowa and New Hampshire may be a thing of the past. What’s fading is not their place in the celestial order as hosts of the first nominating contests, but rather their outsize role in personally sizing up Republican nominees. An […]

An Arlee man has donated $50,000 to build a new medical clinic in Hot Springs. Marvin Rehbein, 75, decided to help after reading a newspaper story about how Hot Springs residents had hauled 70,000 pounds of metal to raise money for the clinic. Nearly $200,000 is needed by the end of February to secure $450,000 […]

In September, Sen. Max Baucus launched an initiative called the “Montana Jobs Economic Engine” and selected the Flathead Valley’s Nomad Global Communication Solutions as his first business to highlight, praising the technology company for being “an economic engine in Flathead County.” “Nomad is providing a world class product while providing jobs in an area of […]

Officials in Kalispell say the city will host the inaugural Montana Dragon Boat festival on Flathead Lake next fall. Kalispell Convention and Visitors Bureau Director Diane Medler says the event planned for Sept. 8 is expected to attract about 3,000 spectators and 600 racers. Dragon boat racing involves ornate human-powered watercraft. Event coordinator Rob Brisendine […]

Last week gubernatorial candidate Neil Livingstone and running mate Ryan Zinke took a break from handing out turkeys for the holiday season and stopped in at the Columbia Falls Montana Veterans Home, a place dear to Zinke’s heart. Zinke, a retired Navy SEAL commander, opposed efforts by fellow Republicans to privatize the Montana Veterans Home […]

The Bigfork stormwater project reached another milestone last week, when crews finished up the Grand Drive section of the project with the installation of the slip lining at the public dock. The slip line, which was installed between the outlet to the bay and the filtration units, was the final step for Grand Drive, according […]

HELENA – The collapse of the state’s once-booming medical marijuana industry after lawmakers passed tough restrictions and federal agents raided dozens of pot providers was Montana’s top news story of 2011, according to The Associated Press’ annual member poll. It’s the second straight year Montana editors have chosen medical marijuana the top story, but the […]

Penny Jarecki didn’t think she would have such an emotional reaction when a representative of the Orton Family Foundation called two weeks ago to tell her that Polson had won a $100,000 grant for community planning. After months of applications, interviews and site visits, she broke down with tears of joy. “We’re absolutely floating down […]