A selection of the Beacon's best imagery from the past year

From the consequences of mass firings of public land managers to trade war tensions with Canada and the Flathead’s hidden immigrant communities, here are a few of our best stories from the last year

As Whitefish enters the final stretch of a state-mandated overhaul of its 2007 growth policy, long-simmering tensions have spilled out. While city leaders acknowledge the community's frustrations with the process — as well as the difficulty of the commission's task — they remain optimistic about the end result.

As a tight global market, low commodity prices and high input costs driven by tariffs and inflation contribute to thin margins, Montana producers and economists say the Farmer Bridge Payments will provide scant relief

Will a team state title return to the valley this winter?

As declining demand triggers a nationwide drop in craft beer production, Flathead Valley brewery owners are adapting their business models with alternative fermentation, non-alcoholic beverages, expanded food menus and community events

The middle schoolers have the chance to cater events through the course as they understand what it takes to have a culinary career. But the lessons they take away go far beyond cooking.

The 2025 Banff Mountain Film Competition featured 87 films selected from around the world, awarding thirteen for various categories, including “Borrowed from the Earth” for Best Short Film

Some Montana residents will face premium increases upwards of 200% as enhanced ACA tax credits near year-end expiration

Last month, the Montana DEQ approved another work plan to test new remediation technology; water quality advocates say decades of delays akin to "kicking the can down the road"

Over three months, Tony Gangemi went to a local lake every other day after his graveyard shift with the city of Whitefish to photograph the rare bird

An outpouring of community support helped local food banks meet demand during the government shutdown. But the recent lapse in SNAP benefits is just the latest in a string of adverse events that have increased the need for their services.

With few community-based mental and behavioral health resources in the Flathead Valley — and as waitlists grow at the Montana State Hospital — a vulnerable population of people with mental illness is now cycling through the streets, jail and local hospital

As the Trump administration rescinds NEPA regulations under an emergency authority to reduce wildfire risk, the Flathead National Forest has begun analyzing logging projects without public comment

As the Springsteen biopic "Deliver Me from Nowhere" hits screens, Whitefish sound engineer Toby Scott looks back on decades in the studio with the Boss