In March 2008, Brock Osweiler walked into the Flathead Beacon office. He towered over Myers Reece (the Flathead High School junior stood 6’7”), shook the reporter’s hand and smiled as he answered questions about his basketball season, which would be his last. A week later Osweiler was featured on our inaugural “Best of Preps” cover, […]

When asked for advice about the easiest way to tear down an old wooden barn, the weathered Vermont farmer offered that “it’s simple – just cut an 18-inch hole in the roof and stand back!” He knew that water is the worst enemy of any wood-framed building and that rain and snow would make short […]

The hysteria that surrounds wolf management in the Rockies has clouded rational discussion. Wolves are hardly a threat to either hunting opportunity or the livestock industry. Total number of elk in Montana has increased substantially since wolves were reintroduced. Populations have grown from an estimated 89,000 animals in 1992 prior to wolf recovery to 140,000-150,000 […]

Recently I was involved in a conversation on producing business growth. The discussion revolved around what to measure about the business in order to keep track of the growth. A few things to start: Don’t make things complicated. Be sure that you’re measuring the right things. Historical data has some value but the good stuff […]

This June 5, casting an informed vote (the only vote you should make, dang it) will be hard work. Here in the Flathead, 14 Republicans are vying for two open Commissioner seats. Statewide are numerous contested GOP legislative primaries, and piled on top are seven Republican governor candidates to pick through. Democrats will be not-so-busy […]

Here we go again! As someone wrote last week, “When will it end?” I’ve been here now two times now stemmed myself against the realization that as Norb Donahue and also Clarence Krepps, former city manager, who even then were aware of the fact that the location of the present city airport carries too many […]

Right now in a seemingly endless election year we have lots of candidates vying for the chance to represent us in various government positions that require them to uphold and respect our laws and regulations. It appears that most of them think the sign ordinances don’t apply to them. Columbia Falls, Kalispell and Flathead County […]

As the June primary approaches, fundraising numbers are a little more revealing as to who has the edge in statewide races, especially in crowded fields such as that for the Republican governor nomination. Former Congressman Rick Hill hauled in about $31,400 over the last month, between March 6 and April 5, has more than $300,000 […]

This spring native westslope cutthroat and bull trout will stage for their epic journeys from Flathead Lake to spawning streams in the Middle and North Forks of the Flathead River. Once quite common, their numbers are significantly diminished from the recent past because many cannot navigate the gauntlet of predacious non-native lake trout (and illegally […]

The conservative Tax Foundation is a Washington, D.C. based think tank with a long history of publishing research studies and comparing state tax policy. The foundation receives funding from big corporations and far-right political groups. Tax Freedom Day is the foundation’s point of the year when Americans have earned enough money to pay for taxes. […]

In a recent Harvard Business Review, Tony Schwartz once again admonishes us about multitasking and offers some tips offering multitasking relief in the context of meetings, response expectations and taking breaks. Why is multitasking “suddenly” the hip thing to rail against? I suspect it’s a reflection of a number of things – including the economy, […]

Don’t you just love election season? Have you heard the blitzkrieg of anti-Rehberg ads paid for by Citizens For Strength and Security? You know, the ones about the feds (Homeland Security) grabbing tens of thousands of square miles of our land, fencing us off from hunting and other uses and hazing us with helicopters when […]

Excuse me, “The War on Women” (April 4 Beacon letter). What happened to responsibility? I’m sure, in this great nation we all call home you can still have as many precious children as you want. If you pay for them … Are you asking other citizens to pay for yours? I have two beautiful children […]

Following former Montana State University head football coach Mike Kramer’s firing in May 2007, the school’s leadership willingly provided their opinion on his dismissal. In a press release provided to media, Athletic Director Peter Fields said, “Looking at the football program as a whole and in light of the recent criminal activities of former student-athletes […]

You’ve been reading about the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, and Trout Unlimited, saying that lake trout are exploding and bull trout are almost extinct and therefore they need to net lake trout. I think just the opposite is true! Redd counts are the number of spawning beds made by the adult bull trout in […]