The tight labor market and strong construction demand point to economic stability while a global recession and rising interest rates indicate more negative growth, leaving economists divided when predicting a recession in 2023

A selection of the Beacon's best images from the last year

Gary Cabell has been skiing on Big Mountain since 1976. When his health started to fail and he lost running water on his property, the community jumped in to help

As a brutal housing market pushes homelessness in the Flathead Valley into uncharted territory, its impacts have been particularly harsh on local schoolchildren and the educators tasked with supporting them

Highlighting the best Flathead Valley athletes from the fall sports seasons

In celebration of its 75th anniversary, the iconic ski area on Big Mountain debuts its first six-pack chairlift

Seven-time X Games medalist and Olympic freestyle skier Maggie Voisin has shifted her perspective on skiing, podiums, and life after her third Olympic Games, a series of injuries, and the loss of her older brother to suicide

A few simple tips and tricks can elevate a basic charcuterie board into a photo-worthy centerpiece.

Having secured supermajorities in both the state House and Senate, Montana’s Republican Party has reached the peak of its powers — but it still must coalesce on how to wield them, especially as lawmakers face a $1.5 billion budget surplus

Polls closed on Election Day at 8 p.m. statewide and results will be published as ballots are tallied

In Whitefish, a new world is emerging for tabletop gamers, which for Jeff Irving means his longtime fantasy is close to becoming a reality

Kalispell city planners have been mapping out the municipality’s growth for years, setting the council up to approve 5,000 units since 2018 - despite opposition - as the state tries to address the housing shortage

Diver and videographer Kyren Zimmerman is working with the Bigfork Art and Cultural Center to discover and document the history that lies underneath the surface of Flathead’s waterways

 Professional cartographer Ryan Dalton was inspired by his bird dog to create custom maps depicting public land in Montana. He’s since built dozens of GPS smartphone maps for a host of Flathead Valley organizations, and has captured the region’s most iconic landscapes in large-format wall art.

As the Nov. 8 election approaches, the race for Montana’s western congressional district is taking shape with three candidates – Republican Ryan Zinke, Democrat Monica Tranel and Libertarian John Lamb – vying for the historic opportunity to occupy a second seat in the U.S. House of Representatives