You’ve probably seen this AP image contrasting the crowds at St. Peter’s in Rome over the last eight years. Note: Print readers, see the image at http://www.flatheadbeacon.com/images/uploads/Changes2005vs2013-294×300.png The first photo was taken by Luca Bruno in 2005 during preparations for the public viewing of Pope John Paul II’s body – almost two years before the […]

A case could be made that the false impression many Americans have in regards to “assault weapons” is the direct result of both the NRA misrepresenting them (beginning in the late ‘80’s through to the present) and not holding educators of U.S. history accountable for incomplete or revisionist history. When assault weapons were first widely […]

It’s always interesting to see what stories coming out of the Montana Legislature make the wires, become national news stories and draw chuckles or derision or both. The latest item to surface in metro newspapers is about legislation proposed by Kalispell Republican Rep. Steve Lavin, which would allow residents here to salvage big game killed […]

By John Fuller Amidst the debate and growing movement to abolish the death penalty, several facts are ignored. Opponents of capital punishment claim that execution is not a deterrent, is too expensive, too great a risk of a mistake, cruel or unusual, and it takes too long. These are not moral arguments against capital punishment. […]

I am having a hard time understanding why any of the Flathead County commissioners are dragging their feet on agreeing to a new site for the Agency on Aging. The AOA provides many services to our elderly citizens. The need to have a safe and adequate building to do this job is important to all […]

Montanans are tired of dirty politics, nasty mud-slinging campaigns, and personal attacks. I believe they’re even more disgusted with the fact that many of these tactics are hidden inside dark money organizations that are unaccountable to the voting public. In addition Montana voters need to know that their voice counts most, and we need to […]

I’m getting a new computer. This time, I dang well will set it up to lessen the amount of information going out, as it seems like Al Gore’s Internet is learning a little too much about Dave. Why else would I see so many obviously-targeted adverts for guns, politics, AARP and bikini contests? Trust me, […]

So…it’s almost the end of March. Seems like the day before yesterday, the new year started. Like many, you probably thought over some goals for the new year and made plans to make them happen. Maybe you even got started on the work required. But again, it’s almost the end of March and in just […]

According to Montana’s Board of Oil and Gas we now have over 11,000-plus active oil and gas wells in Montana, which include 750 new wells in the Bakken since 2000. It appears that the saying “If you have it, they will come” rings true with oil and gas. Unfortunately for Montana taxpayers, in 1999 our […]

By John Fuller Once President Barack Obama was re-elected, he no longer had to stifle his anti-Second Amendment beliefs. Seizing upon the atrocity in Connecticut, Obama and Democrats have mounted a full-court press on American citizens’ right to “keep and bear arms” with a plethora of restrictive bills. Claiming to curb “gun violence,” not one […]

As a longtime resident and homeowner on Rose Crossing, my neighbors and I are deeply concerned about the proposed manmade water ski lake and Rosewater subdivision planned for our area. Our concerns deal with the PUD overlay on the property that is zoned SAG-5; and the safety and suitability of this type of development with […]

In Montana all taverns are licensed for the retail sale of alcohol, with different privileges available depending on the license held. Breweries in Montana are licensed as beer manufacturers. Since 1999 breweries have been allowed to sell samples of their beer through a special exception to the licensing requirements. Tavern owners across Montana helped support […]

Next week Montana’s Legislature begins hearings on the most critical bills of the session. Lawmakers must choose whether to expand Medicaid in Montana, with the federal government paying for 100 percent of the cost over the next three years and 90 percent thereafter. Over the next eight years Montana’s economy could see a $6 billion […]

You may not like to sell, particularly if you are a technical person. It’s even more likely if you’re a technical person who has built a job rather than a business – meaning you might be chief cook and bottle washer as well. It may be an overused stereotype that technical people don’t like sales […]

I would like to offer a very different perspective on the budget issues in national parks stemming from my experiences working for the Park Service from 1979 through 1986. I realize that is some time ago but it appears that the same tactics are in place today. I worked in Yellowstone National Park on the […]