Whitefish City Council Approves Increased Boat Launch Fees
The first fee hike in nearly 10 years, which will take effect this summer, was approved to better support the city’s Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) prevention program
By Lauren Frick
Education
Montana’s Student Mental Health ‘Crisis’ is Landing in Schools’ Laps
A panel of school leaders from across the state, including Evergreen’s superintendent, told the School Funding Interim Commission the need for mental health support is growing, and demand outpaces available resources
By Mariah ThomasThe Latest
Flathead Living
Letting the Mountains Speak
As homeowners, builders and architects embrace Northwest Montana’s natural contours — ridge lines, dense alpine forests, crystalline lakes, and the ever-changing theater of weather rolling in from the Continental Divide — the region is experiencing a design renaissance
By Colton Martini
‘Daring to be Different,’ Accordion Bob Found a Full Life in Northwest Montana
Bob Mislivec has played the accordion since he was 10, carrying on a cultural tradition and finding serendipitous connections. Over the last couple decades, he’s become a staple of the North Fork and Badrock Canyon music community.
By Zoë Buhrmaster
Changing Montana’s Drunk Driving Culture, One Coffee Card at a Time
Behind lawmakers’ efforts to curb drunk driving in a state with the highest rates in the nation is a nonprofit that started with a simple solution: handing out coffee cards to those who choose not to drive home drunk. The impact has been wider than the Montana Bar Fairies’ founders imagined.
By Mariah ThomasNEWS & FEATURES
In Kalispell, Main Street Businesses Struggle to Pencil Fire Service Lines, Stifling Downtown Development
Many of Main Street’s older buildings do not have fire suppression systems. The reason is a complex web of state and city regulations and on-the-ground factors.
Montana Schools are Struggling to Pass Funding Levies
Chronic Homelessness Continues to Rise Among Disabled, Aging Population in the Flathead Valley
Floor Space: What You Can Buy for About $1,000,000
Columbia Falls Planning Commission Begins Discussing Short-Term Rental Policy
LOGE to Shutter Historic Izaak Walton Inn, Other Properties Amid Bankruptcy
OUTDOORS
As Maintenance Backlog Burdens Northwest Montana’s Public Land Managers, USFS Lays Plans to Hire Seasonal Workers
Historic workforce vacancies, hiring freezes and budget cuts continue to have a negative impact on trails and public access. On Friday, months after seasonal hiring typically begins, national forest officials opened applications for the upcoming recreation season.
Sing it While You Can
Moving Fish Around
Federal Agencies Release Proposed Rewrite of Flathead River Management Plan
Lawsuit Accuses Lincoln County Officials of Rebuffing Public Records Requests Seeking Information on Petition to Loosen Cap on Canadian Mining Waste
FWP Investigating Illegal Pike Introduction at Kalispell’s Pine Grove Pond
Sponsored Content
Sponsored by Piton Wealth
Financial Planning for Montana Business Owners and Entrepreneurs
There are multiple reasons a business owner or entrepreneur should consider financial planning for themselves
Sponsored by Humane Society of Northwest Montana
Warm Hearts for Cold Noses
How a simple ticket can change everything
Sponsored by Flathead Beacon Productions
Bring Glacier Home: Vintage-Inspired Prints Make Perfect Gifts
Local artists create curated collection of iconic park posters that celebrate the beauty and spirit of Glacier National Park
NEWSLETTERS
SPORTS
Whitefish Native Sanderson, Team USA Hockey Eye Olympic Opener Thursday
Team USA will start its journey toward its first men's hockey gold medal in 46 years on Thursday against Latvia
Bobby Hauck Steps Down as Montana Grizzlies Head Football Coach
Former Glacier Range Riders Pitcher Signs MLB Contract
Glacier High School Hires First-Ever Baseball Coach Ahead of Inaugural Season
Kalispell Flathead Soccer Coach Resigns After Investigation into December Dispute with Official
Montana State Bobcats Beat Illinois State Redbirds in OT for First FCS Title in 41 Years
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Cabin Fever Days to Replace Iconic Races with Barstool Ski Show This Year
The “No Snow Barstool Ski Show” will run from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday in place of the beloved races following lack of snow
OPINION
Rising Tide of Change
It feels like at every turn, they’re robbing us blind
Wilderness Study Bill Puts Montana Traditions at Risk
Once we remove protections and open backcountry areas in our national forests to development, there is no going back
Whitefish Can’t Freeze Neighborhoods and Solve its Housing Crisis
Protecting high-value areas while pushing growth elsewhere has failed
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Editor's Picks
LOGE to Shutter Historic Izaak Walton Inn, Other Properties Amid Bankruptcy
Three years after the Essex landmark sold to LOGE Camps, an out-of-state hospitality company, its board of directors discovered a real estate portfolio "in significant distress" and began winding down operations at all active properties. The Izaak Walton Inn is expected to close March 6.
Never Giving Up
DREAM Adaptive Recreation has been key in Kalispell resident Katie Newman’s recovery from a horse accident in 2022. Now, the organization’s programming has become a family affair as Newman’s son, Aiden, has joined in on the lessons.
For 50 Years, the Abbie Shelter has Been a Voice for Domestic Violence Survivors ‘Suffering in Silence’
Launching in 1976 with a 24-hour Rape Crisis Line, the Abbie Shelter has evolved into a six-bed facility, providing resources and court advocacy for domestic violence survivors while educating the community
Police Blotter
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Recent Podcasts
Project 7
A six-part series on notorious Flathead Valley militia leader David Burgert, who vanished into the wilderness after a shootout with sheriff's deputies in 2011
