One of Montana’s best business assets is a customer service training program called “Montana Superhost”. Why every session of this course isn’t overflowing with people is a mystery to me. People should be lined up for it as if they’re giving away iPads or hot crispy bacon. Even if they do resume charging for the […]

After retiring from the Flathead County Sheriff’s Office five years ago, Chuck Curry, the county’s new sheriff-elect, will head back to the Justice Center in January to take his seat in the ground-floor corner office. “It doesn’t feel like I’ve been gone all that long,” Curry said. “I was there so many years; I really […]

Chuck Curry wins the Flathead County sheriff’s race. Meanwhile, Sen. Jon Tester is facing transparency questions. HIGH CHUCK CURRY – Winning the Flathead County sheriff’s race handily, he’s got a mandate for change and ample time to prepare for the office. McDONALD & REHBERG – Both Democrat Dennis McDonald and Republican Denny Rehberg won contested […]

Ultra-running events require at least eight hours of trail work just to be eligible to enter 100-mile events. It is my experience that a majority of participants far exceed this minimum requirement. We realize it’s a privilege to be in many of the areas we recreate and want to see that our privileges aren’t taken […]

Teens will have a tough time finding a job this summer (June 9 Beacon: “Competition Fierce for Summer Jobs”), and one often overlooked reason are wage mandates that create a barrier between teens who want to work, and employers who want to hire. Between July 2007 and July 2009, Congress increased the federal minimum wage […]

Are you following the latest developments on the subject of “climate change” now emerging from Washington? It’s an important topic for sure, so let’s check the status of this debate – and where it stands on the scale of reasonableness. First, let’s recall that carbon dioxide (CO2 ) and other such greenhouse gas emissions are […]

It’s hard to know what to make of Gov. Brian Schweitzer’s recent criticism of his “federal partners” for, according to him, failing to secure $17 million to compensate Canadian mining companies so they will abandon their mining leases near Glacier National Park. By federal partners, the governor was referring Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and […]

This past weekend, several thousand seniors graduated from Flathead Valley high schools. It’s a bittersweet time for parents, and I think it’s fitting that it occurs soon after Memorial Day. If you’re scratching your head about that one, bear with me for a bit. Last weekend (two weekends ago by the time you read this), […]

On May 17, the Montana Land Board voted to give “preliminary approval” to a so-called “Montana Working Forests Acquisition.” This is former Plum Creek ground that the Nature Conservancy bought with the intent of selling it off to Montana as state trust lands. On offer: 54,170 acres in four chunks, for $41 million ($757 per […]

It’s difficult to judge which special interest groups can best influence our local elections. These groups, or individuals, can ably draw attention to specific candidates and issues through advertising, public gatherings and lawsuits. But how that translates into votes is far less clear. Recently, the conservative pro-property rights group American Dream Montana announced its ambitious […]

Keith Hammer and the Swan View Coalition have lost their perspective. I’ve been a dedicated conservationist for 50 years. I know Keith Hammer and respect his work. But this time he has gone way too far. Fifty runners spread out jogging and walking over 100 miles of trail for 36 hours has far less impact […]

In 2008, the Forest Service permitted a 30-person, 34-mile Swan Crest Run without the prior benefit of public comment or an Environmental Assessment. The Forest Service is now considering an application for a two-day, 50-person, 100-Mile Run. Runs elsewhere have grown to over 1,000. Parts of Jewel Basin indeed already receive “20 or greater parties […]

Before the great recession, some people pooh-poohed government jobs. Who wanted stodgy when the private sector had go-go growth? Why stick with safe when you could get bonuses and stock options? Today, and one financial crisis later, secure and solid look good. Perhaps too good. On average, state workers and local government workers made $39.66 […]

When it comes to business ethics, there’s usually a pretty clear definition of the line between the unethical and the occasionally, accidentally unethical (ie: honest). The accidentally unethical will stumble now and then and make a mistake that, in many cases, they didn’t even realize was a problem. These folks are the reason why even […]

The Columbians celebrate their 50th anniversary. Meanwhile, the “top kill” method failed to quell the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. HIGH: FLATHEAD COUNTY COURTHOUSE: The 107-year-old building is on track for a $1.8-million renovation to protect its historic attributes and bring it up to Americans With Disabilities Act standards. KAYLA CARLSON: A tough-as-nails […]