HELENA – Lawyers for BP asked a judge Wednesday to dismiss a Montana lawsuit that alleges the oil giant and its subsidiaries collected millions of dollars in insurance money while letting the state foot the bill for cleaning soil and groundwater contaminated by their leaky storage tanks. The state and the Montana Petroleum Tank Release […]

After eight weeks of action, the final standings and rankings in high school football are starting to solidify. With the postseason right around the corner, the latest Associated Press poll has three local teams featured fourth in their respective classes. Glacier (7-1) has won five-straight and locked up a playoff seed for the third year […]

Mark Campbell walked along the Flathead County Fairgrounds’ main road, pointing to uneven asphalt and muddy parking areas. Despite a successful fair week this year, there is still work to be done. A self-acknowledged perfectionist and the county fairgrounds operations manager, Campbell noted that he would like to fix these flaws in order to make […]

WASHINGTON – A bill to toughen federal safety regulation of oil and gas pipelines passed the Senate late Monday only a few hours after a Republican senator opposed to government regulation dropped his opposition to the measure. The bill is an attempt to close gaps in federal safety regulations exposed by a deadly gas pipeline […]

Thursday 10/13 11:19 a.m. A woman on First Avenue West North reported that her neighbor told her that he “really likes” her barking dogs. 12:44 p.m. Reportedly, a blonde woman stole an armful of Sparks and ran off to hide out in her apartment. 1:17 p.m. A Highway 93 South resident reported that a teenage […]

At the end of the month, property owners in the planning doughnut surrounding Whitefish will receive a survey from Flathead County asking a single question: Do you want to be governed by Whitefish or the county? In an ongoing tussle over jurisdiction in the doughnut area, Flathead County Commissioner Jim Dupont said he has heard […]

Pine Grove Pond, a family fishing pond and access area, will close to the general public for the season on October 24. According to FWP Fisheries Manager Jim Vashro, the pond and access, located near Rose Crossing on the outskirts of Kalispell, has hosted many thousands of angler days over the spring and summer. Hooked […]

MISSOULA – Family members of a Missoula soldier say he was critically injured by the blast of an improvised explosive device while serving in Afghanistan. U.S. Army Pfc. Sam Helmer is being treated in a German hospital for injuries suffered Sunday. Helmer’s wife, Amanda, says her husband has a concussion, a deep skull fracture, an […]

A recent incident involving a group of freshman boys at Glacier High School has evolved into a criminal case in Youth Court and yet again returned the spotlight on bullying in schools. Montana is one of only four states that does not have a statewide law combating bullying. Instead, individual school districts are responsible for […]

HELENA – U.S. Rep. Denny Rehberg has made a point of criticizing Democratic Sen. Jon Tester’s campaign money ties to lobbyists in their battle for the U.S. Senate, but the Republican has been less vocal about his son’s position as an executive with a Washington, D.C., lobbying firm. Rehberg’s son A.J. Rehberg, who has worked […]

BILLINGS – A federal appeals court on Tuesday turned down an emergency request by wildlife advocates seeking to stop gray wolf hunts in the Northern Rockies. But the court said judges will reconsider the issue in November. The ruling by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeal means hunters can continue for now pursuing an […]

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks is moving forward with a plan to conduct a three-year study using electrofishing as a way to control and suppress lake trout in Swan Lake. Electrofishing is already used to determine fish populations by stunning fish with electricity so researchers can study the fish but not kill them. The proposal […]

Upon hearing about the passing of Elouise Cobell, the Blackfeet woman who led a high-profile fight with the U.S. government over mismanaged American Indian land royalties, Montana’s top political figures quickly released statements yesterday honoring the activist. Cobell, 65, died Sunday of complications from cancer. Cobell was the lead plaintiff in a lawsuit filed in […]

Secretary of State Linda McCulloch is the latest Montana official to criticize the U.S. Postal Service, and in particular Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe, for major reorganization proposals within the agency. McCulloch sent a letter dated Oct. 17 to Donahoe blasting the Postal Service’s announcement that it may close or relocate several mail processing facilities in […]

BIGFORK – They may have been told to get excited for the announcement, but the students in the Bigfork High School gym didn’t need any help with enthusiasm when their village was named one of the 100 Best Communities for Young People last week. Students of all ages cheered as the award was announced on […]