2023: A year in review

Here’s a look at some of the top stories of 2023.

Fighting back by keeping smiles in the trenches

When it comes to the (not yet mandatory) directives to quarantine ourselves in Idaho I feel fairly lucky. In addition to my small house, I also have a shop which I heat with a large potbelly stove circa 1900; I purchased the very hungry, five-foot stove more than 50 years ago at an antique shop in Denver. It served me well in my cabin on 40 acres near Steamboat Springs for 25 years before I moved to Sandpoint 30 years ago.

FRANKLIN COUNTY

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that there has been proposed to the Franklin County Planning Commission an application by Franklin County Fire District #4 (Doug Smith, 601 Stricker Road, Othello, WA 99344) for a Conditional Use Permit, CUP 2012-09.

Forest campgrounds open for holiday weekend

Flathead National Forest campgrounds started opening in early May and all campgrounds, weather permitting, are scheduled to be open for the Memorial Day weekend.

Italy shuts down 4 regions as Europe tries lighter lockdowns

MILAN (AP) — Luxury fashion boutiques, jewelry shops and most of Milan's flagship department stores were shuttered Friday, as the center of Italy’s vibrant financial capital fell into a gray quiet on the first day of a partial lockdown in four regions aimed at stopping the coronavirus's resurgence.

Italy shuts down 4 regions as Europe tries lighter lockdowns

MILAN (AP) — Luxury fashion boutiques, jewelry shops and most of Milan's flagship department stores were shuttered Friday, as the center of Italy’s vibrant financial capital fell into a gray quiet on the first day of a partial lockdown in four regions aimed at stopping the coronavirus's resurgence.

Italy shuts down 4 regions as Europe tries lighter lockdowns

MILAN (AP) — Luxury fashion boutiques, jewelry shops and most of Milan's flagship department stores were shuttered Friday, as the center of Italy’s vibrant financial capital fell into a gray quiet on the first day of a partial lockdown in four regions aimed at stopping the coronavirus's resurgence.

Italy shuts down 4 regions as Europe tries lighter lockdowns

MILAN (AP) — Luxury fashion boutiques, jewelry shops and most of Milan's flagship department stores were shuttered Friday, as the center of Italy’s vibrant financial capital fell into a gray quiet on the first day of a partial lockdown in four regions aimed at stopping the coronavirus's resurgence.

Legals February 16, 2020

No. 26802 INVITATION FOR BIDS The City of Kalispell, Montana will receive bids for Sidewalk and Curbing Construction for the Year Ending December 31, 2020. The project primarily consists of furnishing materials, labor, and equipment required to remove and replace, or construct concrete sidewalk, curbing, gutters, driveway approaches and restorative seeding. The City will be only accepting online electronic bids through QuestCDN. Further bidding requirements and a link to QuestCDN is available at: https://www.kalispell.com/bids.aspx. Plans and specifications can be examined beginning TUESDAY, February 18th, 2020, through QuestCDN. Any bidder wishing further information may obtain the same from the City of Kalispell Public Works Department, 201 First Avenue East, Kalispell, Montana 59901. Phone 406-758-7720. Bids will be received by QuestCDN until 3:00 PM on Wednesday, March 04, 2020. All bids will be publicly opened and read aloud at 3:00 PM on Wednesday, March 04, 2020 in the Main Level City Hall Conference Room, 201 First Avenue East, Kalispell, Montana 59901. City of Kalispell, Aimee Brunckhorst, CMC, City Clerk & Communications Manager February 16, 23, 2020 MNAXLP __________________________

Background checks, a metric for gun sales, hit all-time high

Historic numbers of background checks to purchase or possess a firearm have been conducted in June

Consumer wine trends

While the economics of the wine industry continue to greatly influence the behaviors of wineries, winemakers, growers and distributors there are also clear trends from the consumers of wines at the retail level. While all of us continue to choose those bottlings that we prefer based on what we like to drink and our own budgets, these trends are interesting as they do influence what we see in the market both at retail stores and restaurants.

The winery distributor shuffle

Every year between December and January a "dance" goes on between wineries and distributors resulting from successes and failures of distributors in selling wine. At times distributors will drop winery brands from their "books" that have not sold well but more frequently wineries change their distributors to increase sales of their wines in an area. This annual exercise takes on more ferocity when we have a tough wine market with a lot of extra juice to be sold. Sometimes it works sometimes not so much, but it can have real effects on the wine consumer.

Target raises profit outlook on solid sales

NEW YORK - Target Corp. raised its full-year profit projection Wednesday after the cheap-chic discounter reported better-than-expected second-quarter revenue that showed healthy spending in food, beauty, fashion and other items.

Shop expects 'new type of clientele' in North Kalispell

Riddle’s Jewelry has relocated from Kalispell Center Mall to a new location on U.S. 93 North, between MOD Pizza and T-Mobile.

The Montana Scene opens in downtown Kalispell

A new shop has opened on Main Street in Kalispell.

KGEZ owner files for bankruptcy

KGEZ radio station owner John Stokes filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection last week.

Park plans more lake trout netting

Lake County drops first load of trash into expanded landfill

Lake County hosted a ribbon-cutting last week to commemorate the first load of trash being dumped into the expanded Lake County Landfill.

Somers lake access impacted by high summer traffic

It’s the middle of a Sunday afternoon and the Somers Fishing Access is swarming with boaters. The site’s 28 parking spots are filled, yet a long stream of truck and trailers wait to enter from U.S. 93. The highway itself is lined with vehicles on either side and pedestrians and cyclists flow in from the bike path along the shoreline. Inside the lot, the scene is equally chaotic, as drivers jockey for position to either load or launch their watercraft on the two-lane boat ramp.

Somers lake access impacted by high summer traffic

It’s the middle of a Sunday afternoon and the Somers Fishing Access is swarming with boaters. The site’s 28 parking spots are filled, yet a long stream of truck and trailers wait to enter from U.S. 93. The highway itself is lined with vehicles on either side and pedestrians and cyclists flow in from the bike path along the shoreline. Inside the lot, the scene is equally chaotic, as drivers jockey for position to either load or launch their watercraft on the two-lane boat ramp.