Since Diane Smith’s guest column last week stole my Whitefish “doughnut” thunder, I’m free to follow up on another peeve. Thanks, Diane. I wrote earlier about the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s draft grizzly bear delisting plan, suggesting loyal readers take the time to comment. I’ll confess I didn’t comment – without a PhD, a […]

Doctor Obvious says “Hiring the right people is crucial for any small business.” While Dr. O has a point, what the good doctor won’t tell you is what’s most important about finding the right people. What’s more important to you when hiring? Experience? Cultural fit? Attitude? Experience matters Production experience matters, no matter what “production” […]

It’s been quite a party. But the hangover might be a doozy. After four straight years of trillion-dollar annual budget deficits, the news is dawning on all political parties that the federal budget is long due for serious repair, and that less spending is part of the process. As a state that historically has gotten […]

A July 31 column (“Water Wrongs”) in the Flathead Beacon by Dave Skinner captures key historical observations about the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, but he evidently failed to read the Proposed Compact. He merely repeats inaccurate information he heard others bantering about as fact. Below is a brief breakdown explaining how some of these […]

After reading articles and letters on the lake trout and mysis shrimp introduction I have to comment on the pike and their devastating effect on trout. When mysis shrimp was introduced I was doing lots of volunteer work for Fish and Game. Most all my work was for bull trout done in Cole Creek but […]

Since 2013 is going to be a boring election year, with a number of uncontested races for citywide offices, let’s look ahead to 2014 in what could be an incredibly fun year for politics, at least for those of us covering them. Let’s just assume Republican U.S. Rep. Steve Daines opts to run for retiring […]

By John Fuller In recent months, the American people have had disturbing revelations that our government has been spying on them in unprecedented amounts and methods. The intelligence community has claimed that the efficacy of these dragnet and warrantless searches have been instrumental in helping to prevent attacks on the U.S. and its allies. They […]

I was buying black licorice in Arlee when the Jocko Fire had just exploded in the mountains far outside the store window. By the next day nearly 2,000 acres burned. Hopefully it soon rains long and steady. There are numerous fires burning in Montana, all of which thirst for a good long rain. Most people […]

On average, 25% of US students drop out of high school. I have little tolerance for “being average”, mostly because little changes have a way of propelling you well above average. It isn’t that average is bad, but remember that average is like scoring 50th percentile on a test – half of the people are […]

Maybe Montana should take over zoning and planning for Wyoming. We Montanans care more about aesthetics and water quality than our southern neighbors. Undoubtedly, the Cowboy State will be happy that we do all the hard work. I mean, just look at us compared to them. We’re beautiful and they’re screwing up their environment with […]

For a number of weeks I have witnessed the President of the United States encourage racial discord between blacks and whites because a man was declared innocent by a jury who viewed the evidence and found him not guilty in Florida. I was reminded of all the Blackfeet members who have written him or those […]

I attended the July 23 meeting of the Flathead County Solid Waste Board. I was pleased about its decision to extend the timeline for Bigfork’s effort to preserve and improve its solid waste collection site. As Bigfork Chairman Paul Mutascio summarized so well, the local committee has worked long and hard to assess the problems […]

The National Collegiate Athletic Association slapped the University of Montana’s football program on the wrist last week, placing it on probation for the next three years and reducing its scholarships by four over that same time period. Embarrassment aside, UM escaped harsh penalties at the conclusion of an investigation that somehow took more than a […]

By John Fuller Now that former Gov. Brian Schweitzer has declined to run for the U.S. Senate (the place “where things go to die”), Montana has been thrust into the national spotlight because control of the U.S. Senate could be determined by the outcome of this election for Montana’s next Senator. Regardless of the candidate […]

I am writing to emphasize my grave concern about the entire Flower Creek Drainage, a concern that should prompt every citizen to prevail upon decision-makers to stop talking and take action. As hot summer winds fan an already dry forest, we daily face the threat of catastrophic fire. For many years there have been discussions […]