Beneath the surface
During a slow morning stroll through the spring-fed woodlands that border his farm near Creston, Steve Harvey recalls his first meeting years ago with Lew Weaver, who was then a new neighbor in the small agrarian community stretching along the eastern banks of the Flathead River.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 7 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO
Beneath the surface
During a slow morning stroll through the spring-fed woodlands that border his farm near Creston, Steve Harvey recalls his first meeting years ago with Lew Weaver, who was then a new neighbor in the small agrarian community stretching along the eastern banks of the Flathead River.
BIGFORK EAGLE | UPDATED 7 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO
Voters to decide zoning proposal's fate
Flathead County voters will decide whether to expand a zoning district in an agricultural area near Creston, after a petition secured enough signatures by Tuesday to place the question on a future county-wide election ballot.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 7 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO
Sun Road opens to pass
The wait is finally over. On Wednesday morning, Glacier National Park opened the full 50 miles of Going-to-the-Sun Road to motorists — kicking off the unofficial start to Glacier’s busy season.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 7 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO
Park opens Sun Road
The wait is finally over. On Wednesday morning, Glacier National Park opened the full 50 miles of Going-to-the-Sun Road to motorists — kicking off the unofficial start to Glacier’s busy season.
WHITEFISH PILOT | UPDATED 7 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO
Zinke vows to expand energy development
Four months into his new job as Secretary of the Interior, Ryan Zinke returned to his hometown of Whitefish on Tuesday, emphasizing energy development and what he described as his department’s effort to reverse a “breach of trust” by federal land-management agencies in a keynote speech to the Western Governors’ …
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 7 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO
Panel addresses softwood lumber trade
With the governments of the United States and Canada engaged in multiple cross-border trade negotiations, two top Canadian officials on Monday sought to step back from the uptick in “protectionist” rhetoric during a panel discussion with nine governors from across the Western United States.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 7 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO
Whitefish hosts Western Governors meeting
For the second time this decade, Whitefish will play host to the annual summer meeting of the Western Governors’ Association next week as the top elected officials from 10 states join other dignitaries to discuss issues facing the American West.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 7 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO
Glacier's Avalanche Lake trail reopens
The popular trail to Avalanche Lake in Glacier National Park was reopened to hikers on Wednesday, two days after multiple reports of grizzly bears approaching visitors prompted park officials to close the trail.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 7 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO
Blackfeet to hold June 27 vote on new constitution
In less than a week, members of the Blackfeet Nation will decide whether to adopt a new constitution to guide the tribal government, following several tumultous years for the governing council.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 7 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO
Cautious optimism from wildfire experts as summer begins
Wildfire experts will rarely, if ever, venture a guess as to what the upcoming fire season holds until they’re in the middle of it.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 7 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO
No signs of man missing in wilderness
As of late Wednesday afternoon, a growing search-and-rescue effort had yet to uncover any signs of a Pennsylvania man who went missing in the Bob Marshall Wilderness near Augusta earlier this week.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 7 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO
Cautious optimism from wildfire experts as summer begins
Wildfire experts will rarely, if ever, venture a guess as to what the upcoming fire season holds until they’re in the middle of it.
BIGFORK EAGLE | UPDATED 7 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO
No signs of man missing in wilderness
As of late Wednesday afternoon, a growing search-and-rescue effort had yet to uncover any signs of a Pennsylvania man who went missing in the Bob Marshall Wilderness near Augusta earlier this week.
BIGFORK EAGLE | UPDATED 7 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO
Cautious optimism from wildfire experts as summer begins
Wildfire experts will rarely, if ever, venture a guess as to what the upcoming fire season holds until they’re in the middle of it.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 7 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO
Man missing in Bob Marshall Wilderness
A man was reported missing in the Bob Marshall Wilderness northwest of Augusta on Tuesday, after he became separated from a group during an outfitter-led packing trip.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 7 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO
No headline
This fall, voters in the Somers-Lakeside School District will decide whether to authorize a $15.8 million bond to fund sweeping renovations at the aging Somers Middle School.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 7 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO
No headline
The next step in the years-long effort to develop a revised management plan for the Flathead National Forest, originally expected this month, won’t be rolled out until late August at the earliest.
WHITEFISH PILOT | UPDATED 7 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO
Trail-builders make headway on final link
The 34-mile Foys-to-Blacktail trail network crept a little closer to completion last weekend, with the final link connecting Herron Park to Blacktail Mountain expected to be finalized by the end of August.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 7 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO
Board approves principal selections for Flathead, Hedges
John Blackman has been tapped as the new principal for Flathead High School and Brent Benkelman as the new principal at Hedges Elementary School. The Kalispell Public Schools Board of Trustees on Tuesday night voted unanimously on the selections.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 7 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO
Montana senators vow to fight for Park Service funding
Under the federal budget proposal released by President Donald Trump last month, the National Park Service would be facing substantial funding cuts, but both of the state’s senators say they’ll fight to maintain current spending levels for the agency that oversees Glacier and Yellowstone national parks.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 7 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO
No headline
The next step in the years-long effort to develop a revised management plan for the Flathead National Forest, originally expected this month, won’t be rolled out until late August at the earliest.
HUNGRY HORSE NEWS | UPDATED 7 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO
Strong start for Glacier visitation
Glacier National Park registers only about one-tenth of its annual visitation during the first five months of the year, but if the early numbers are any indicator, the park is on track for another historically crowded year.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 7 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO
Revised plan for forest management pushed back
The next step in the years-long effort to develop a revised management plan for the Flathead National Forest, originally expected this month, won’t be rolled out until late August at the earliest.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 7 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO
Federal officials begin Bison Range planning
Officials with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service began outlining the process to draft a new, 15-year management plan for the National Bison Range during meetings in Polson and Kalispell this week.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 7 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO
Plows closing in on remaining Sun Road snow
The remaining days are dwindling for bicyclists and hikers to have 21 miles of Glacier National Park’s Going-to-the-Sun Road all to themselves this summer, as park crews near completion of the annual, months-long effort to prepare the scenic highway for motorized traffic.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 7 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO
Glacier Park maintenance backlog drops
Glacier National Park’s maintenance backlog has been growing for years, along with most other units in the perennially cash-strapped National Park Service. According to an annual report released by the federal agency this week, however, that dollar amount actually dropped in 2016 — to the tune of $31 million.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 7 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO
Board secretary dismissed amidst FBI probe
ST. IGNATIUS — The Federal Bureau of Investigation has launched an investigation into potentially missing public funds within Flathead Joint Board of Control, amidst the recent dismissal of the board’s executive manager and sole paid employee, Johanna Clark.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 7 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO
Judge OKs using state tax credits for religious schools
A Flathead District Court Judge last month struck down a rule by the Montana Department of Revenue that restricted a state tax credit from being applied to donations that support scholarships for religious schools.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 7 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO
Bicyclist hospitalized after Going-to-the-Sun Road wreck
A bicyclist was hospitalized Saturday after crashing on Glacier National Park’s Going-to-the-Sun Road in one of three bike wrecks that occurred within a one-hour span.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 7 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO
Senator vows to reform timber litigation laws
Montana’s junior senator vowed to reform laws governing environmental litigation that he blames for Montana’s flagging timber industry, speaking during a roundtable discussion with timber industry representatives and local government officials in Columbia Falls Friday morning.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 7 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO
Tester urges reforms on gun exports
In a nondescript, warehouse-sized building on U.S. 93 north of Kalispell, 60 to 70 employees are busily designing, fabricating and putting the finishing touches on airplane parts, interceptor missiles and what Falkor Defense owner Jason Sonju calls “adult Legos” — the popular and versatile AR-15.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 7 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO
Thunderstorms, damaging winds predicted
The National Weather Service is predicting thunderstorms with hail and potentially damaging winds in the Flathead and Mission valleys this afternoon, with the strongest storms beginning around 6 p.m.
WHITEFISH PILOT | UPDATED 7 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO
No headline
The National Weather Service is predicting thunderstorms with hail and potentially damaging winds in the Flathead and Mission valleys this afternoon, with the strongest storms beginning around 6 p.m.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 7 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO
New regs, fees for boaters this summer
The Memorial Day weekend is the unofficial start to the boating season in Montana — kicking off the first in which those heading out on the water will have to abide by the state’s recently enacted regulations to limit the spread of aquatic invasive species in the state.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 7 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO
Quiet Waters petition rejected
The Quiet Waters Initiative, a set of proposals to limit motorized boating on some segments of rivers and streams throughout Montana, was unanimously rejected by the state Fish and Wildlife Commission following a more than four-hour hearing Friday.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 7 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO
Lawmakers share accomplishments with Kalispell chamber
A panel of Republican state lawmakers addressed the Kalispell Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday afternoon, touting their accomplishments on a range of local initiatives during a session that was in part characterized by the 65th Legislature’s inability to pass a major infrastructure bonding bill for the third straight session.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 7 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO
Montana voters head to polls Thursday
Montana’s special election for its at-large seat in the U.S. House of Representatives takes place this Thursday, May 25. Polling places — and the Flathead County Election Office — will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 7 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO
Kalispell anglers finish on top in Mack Days tournament
Kalispell anglers cleaned up this spring during the Mack Days fishing tournament that wrapped up earlier this month.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 7 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO
EPA: North Shore 'sheen' possibly linked to Superfund site
An oily substance found earlier this month on the shore of Flathead Lake’s Somers Bay has tested positive for chemicals associated with a former Superfund site located nearby, Environmental Protection Agency officials announced Friday.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 7 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO
Process begins to chart new Bison Range management plan
The federal agency in charge of the National Bison Range has officially re-started the process to draft a new 15-year management plan for the 18,766-acre wildlife refuge, after a proposal to transfer the lands back to the Flathead Indian Reservation was rescinded last month.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 7 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO
Opponents work on ballot-initiative petition
Opponents of the proposed water-bottling plant in Creston say they are on track to gather enough petition signatures to place a referendum on the next ballot, asking county voters to expand a special zoning district to include the land on which the facility is proposed.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 7 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO
Glacier Conservancy exceeds fundraising mark
During a year in which visitation to Glacier National Park shattered its previous record by 24 percent, the park’s fundraising arm also eclipsed its past high mark in donations — taking in $2.2 million from donors in 2016.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 7 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO
Glacier Conservancy exceeds fundraising mark
During a year in which visitation to Glacier National Park shattered its previous record by 24 percent, the park’s fundraising arm also eclipsed its past high mark in donations — taking in $2.2 million from donors in 2016.
BIGFORK EAGLE | UPDATED 7 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO
Quist meets with Kalispell chamber
Rob Quist, the Democratic nominee for Montana’s at-large U.S. House seat, met with members of the Kalispell Chamber of Commerce on Monday afternoon to talk policy with local business leaders as he campaigns ahead of the state’s special May 25 election.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 7 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO
Initial tests show no human-health risk from lake 'sheen'
An oil-like substance that produced an unusual sheen along a stretch of Flathead Lake’s Somers Bay shoreline earlier this month does not pose any immediate human-health risk, according to preliminary test results by the Environmental Protection Agency.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 7 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO
Bigfork area woman enjoys once-in-a-lifetime hunt
Five days into a soggy, luckless sheep hunt in the Missouri River Breaks last September, Jean Moore was not having a good time. At the age of 66, the life-long hunter and Swan Valley resident had spent the past three months training for the once-in-a-lifetime hunt, for which just one …
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 7 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO
Bigfork area woman enjoys once-in-a-lifetime hunt
Five days into a soggy, luckless sheep hunt in the Missouri River Breaks last September, Jean Moore was not having a good time. At the age of 66, the life-long hunter and Swan Valley resident had spent the past three months training for the once-in-a-lifetime hunt, for which just one …
BIGFORK EAGLE | UPDATED 7 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO
Libertarian Mark Wicks stumps in the Flathead
In the less than three months since the race began to fill the vacancy in Montana’s at-large U.S. House seat, political groups have spent millions of dollars in television ads portraying the Republican and Democratic hopefuls as beholden to out-of-state interests or out of touch with “Montana values.” Against that …
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 7 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO
Libertarian Mark Wicks stumps in the Flathead
In the less than three months since the race began to fill the vacancy in Montana’s at-large U.S. House seat, political groups have spent millions of dollars in television ads portraying the Republican and Democratic hopefuls as beholden to out-of-state interests or out of touch with “Montana values.” Against that …
BIGFORK EAGLE | UPDATED 7 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO
Governor vetoes abortion, concealed-carry bills
A pair of proposals introduced by Kalispell lawmakers — restricting abortions in Montana and allowing legislators to carry concealed handguns in the Capitol — were among seven bills vetoed by Gov. Steve Bullock on Tuesday.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 7 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO
Search continues for missing hiker
The search for a missing Arizona woman believed to have been hiking in the Great Bear Wilderness was still ongoing as of late Tuesday afternoon, with about 50 personnel from multiple agencies participating in the rescue effort.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 7 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO
Montana's 'purple' politics unique for rural West
In less than three weeks, Montana voters will select the state’s next federal delegate to fill its lone seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. And while statewide races in most rural, Western states increasingly produce victories for Republicans, Montana is something of an anomaly heading toward the May 25 …
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 7 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO
Lumber industry backs softwood tariffs
Late last month, the U.S. Department of Commerce announced plans to begin placing duties on softwood lumber imports from Canada, a move many in the statewide industry hope will bring Canadian producers to the table to renegotiate a new trade deal after the last agreement expired in 2015.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 7 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO
EPA, BNSF responding to possible contaminant leak into Flathead Lake
Officials with the Environmental Protection Agency and BNSF Railway are responding to a possible contaminant leak into Flathead Lake near Somers, agency and company officials said Thursday.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 7 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO
Forecasters discuss flood potential as melting begins
The National Weather Service on Wednesday warned that saturated soils, substantial high-elevation snowpack and possible rains in the coming week could lead to localized flooding in rivers and creeks throughout Northwest Montana.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 7 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO
Blacktail Mountain up for sale
With a price tag of $3.5 million, Blacktail Mountain Ski Area is up for sale.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 7 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO
Waterton-Glacier receives Dark Sky designation
One of the dwindling number of places left in the U.S. where nighttime visitors can gaze upward for a largely unabridged view of the Milky Way, Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park on Friday became the world’s first trans-boundary International Dark Sky Park.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 7 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO
Legislature OKs new rules for medical marijuana providers
HELENA — The Montana Legislature has approved sweeping changes to the state’s medical marijuana industry, passing a heavily amended bill on Tuesday in response to the ballot initiative passed by voters last November.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 7 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO
Legislature OKs new rules for medical marijuana providers
HELENA — The Montana Legislature has approved sweeping changes to the state’s medical marijuana industry, passing a heavily amended bill on Tuesday in response to the ballot initiative passed by voters last November.
BIGFORK EAGLE | UPDATED 7 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO
Local-option sales tax fails in Senate
HELENA — Montana’s resort towns could have bumped their local sales taxes up to 4 percent under a proposal that lasted about 24 hours in the Legislature before its apparent demise on Thursday.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 7 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO
Local-option sales tax fails in Senate
HELENA — Montana’s resort towns could have bumped their local sales taxes up to 4 percent under a proposal that lasted about 24 hours in the Legislature before its apparent demise on Thursday.
BIGFORK EAGLE | UPDATED 7 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO
School projects await infrastructure vote
HELENA — Nearly $2 million in state-funded upgrades to Kalispell’s public schools still hangs in the balance as negotiations over a major infrastructure initiative have yet to yield a compromise during the waning days of the 2017 Legislature.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 7 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO
School projects await infrastructure vote
HELENA — Nearly $2 million in state-funded upgrades to Kalispell’s public schools still hangs in the balance as negotiations over a major infrastructure initiative have yet to yield a compromise during the waning days of the 2017 Legislature.
BIGFORK EAGLE | UPDATED 7 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO
Eureka lawmaker reflects on final term in Legislature
HELENA — Chatting in the first-floor lobby of the Montana State Capitol earlier this week, Mike Cuffe was interrupted every 30 seconds or so by a bipartisan procession of lawmakers, slapping him on the back or shaking his hand and offering congratulations.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 7 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO
Eureka lawmaker reflects on final term in Legislature
HELENA — Chatting in the first-floor lobby of the Montana State Capitol earlier this week, Mike Cuffe was interrupted every 30 seconds or so by a bipartisan procession of lawmakers, slapping him on the back or shaking his hand and offering congratulations.
BIGFORK EAGLE | UPDATED 7 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO
Lawmakers reject idea of campus taprooms
HELENA — A tasting room is no longer on tap for Flathead Valley Community College’s growing brewery program.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 7 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO
Lawmakers reject idea of campus taprooms
HELENA — A tasting room is no longer on tap for Flathead Valley Community College’s growing brewery program.
BIGFORK EAGLE | UPDATED 7 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO
Gas-tax hike gets House endorsement
HELENA — A proposed 6-cents-per-gallon increase in Montana’s gasoline taxes is one vote away from reaching the governor’s desk. The state House on Friday gave preliminary approval to the measure on a 61-39 vote.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 7 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO
Gas-tax hike gets House endorsement
HELENA — A proposed 6-cents-per-gallon increase in Montana’s gasoline taxes is one vote away from reaching the governor’s desk. The state House on Friday gave preliminary approval to the measure on a 61-39 vote.
BIGFORK EAGLE | UPDATED 7 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO
Bipartisan support to protect state's 'rainy day' account
HELENA — As the 2017 legislative session enters its final days, the still-unresolved biennial budget and a proposed infrastructure package are creating growing friction between the Republican-controlled Legislature and Democratic Gov. Steve Bullock’s office.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 7 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO
Bipartisan support to protect state's 'rainy day' account
HELENA — As the 2017 legislative session enters its final days, the still-unresolved biennial budget and a proposed infrastructure package are creating growing friction between the Republican-controlled Legislature and Democratic Gov. Steve Bullock’s office.
BIGFORK EAGLE | UPDATED 7 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO
Bullock vetoes proposal to shift authority over state parks
HELENA — A Democratic lawmaker’s proposal to remove most authority over Montana State Parks from the state wildlife department was rejected Thursday by Gov. Steve Bullock, but the bill may have enough support from the Legislature to override the veto.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 7 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO
Bullock vetoes proposal to shift authority over state parks
HELENA — A Democratic lawmaker’s proposal to remove most authority over Montana State Parks from the state wildlife department was rejected Thursday by Gov. Steve Bullock, but the bill may have enough support from the Legislature to override the veto.
BIGFORK EAGLE | UPDATED 7 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO
Lawmakers reject changes to wildlife habitat proposal
HELENA — Lawmakers in the Montana House resoundingly rejected changes to a bipartisan proposal to improve wildlife habitat and combat noxious weeds in the state, worrying that they could jeopardize millions of dollars in federal funding to the state.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 7 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO
House revives fees on electric cars, minus hybrid tax
HELENA — A proposal to assess fees on Montanans who drive electric cars, along with liquefied natural gas dealers, passed an initial House vote Wednesday after it was revived last week.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 7 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO
Lawmakers reject changes to property tax-relief bill
HELENA — The Montana Senate rejected changes to a proposal designed to ease property taxes for homeowners along Flathead and Whitefish lakes, voting Tuesday against a means-testing provision added by the House last week.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 7 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO
Lawmakers reject changes to property tax-relief bill
HELENA — The Montana Senate rejected changes to a proposal designed to ease property taxes for homeowners along Flathead and Whitefish lakes, voting Tuesday against a means-testing provision added by the House last week.
BIGFORK EAGLE | UPDATED 7 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO
Committee sinks houseboat rules
HELENA — The Montana Legislature won’t be passing limitations on houseboats this session.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 7 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO
Committee sinks houseboat rules
HELENA — The Montana Legislature won’t be passing limitations on houseboats this session.
BIGFORK EAGLE | UPDATED 7 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO
Suit says cancellation of leases politically motivated
The president of a Texas oil company last week filed suit against the federal government, alleging that the Department of the Interior’s January cancellation of its oil and gas lease in the Badger Two Medicine Area was politically motivated.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 7 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO
Legislature tables proposal on law enforcement
HELENA — The agreement between Lake County and the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes obligating the county to prosecute felony crimes committed by tribal members will likely remain in place for the foreseeable future.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 7 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO
Zinke: U.S. won't transfer Bison Range to tribes
In a significant policy reversal, the U.S. Department of the Interior announced Wednesday it will no longer pursue the possible returning of the National Bison Range to the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 7 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO
Zinke: U.S. won't transfer Bison Range to tribes
In a significant policy reversal, the U.S. Department of the Interior announced Wednesday it will no longer pursue the possible returning of the National Bison Range to the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes.
BIGFORK EAGLE | UPDATED 7 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO
Bill would allow tribes to withdraw from prosecution agreement
HELENA — As likely its last action of the session, the House Judiciary Committee on Tuesday reversed course on a bill it had tabled one day earlier, endorsing a measure to give the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes the option of withdrawing from a long-standing law-enforcement agreement with Lake County.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 7 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO
Bill would allow tribes to withdraw from prosecution agreement
HELENA — As likely its last action of the session, the House Judiciary Committee on Tuesday reversed course on a bill it had tabled one day earlier, endorsing a measure to give the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes the option of withdrawing from a long-standing law-enforcement agreement with Lake County.
BIGFORK EAGLE | UPDATED 7 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO
Team to oversee asbestos cleanup fund
HELENA — With the Libby Superfund Site slated to see federal environmental crews wrapping up work by the end of the year, the Montana Legislature is moving to establish an advisory team to oversee millions of state dollars to fund continued cleanup and maintenance.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 7 YEARS, 12 MONTHS AGO
Senate OKs proposal to allow guns in Capitol
HELENA — The Senate on Wednesday endorsed a Kalispell legislator’s proposal to allow lawmakers to carry concealed handguns in the Capitol. If it passes on a final vote Thursday, it then heads to the governor’s desk.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 7 YEARS, 12 MONTHS AGO
Team to oversee asbestos cleanup fund
HELENA — With the Libby Superfund Site slated to see federal environmental crews wrapping up work by the end of the year, the Montana Legislature is moving to establish an advisory team to oversee millions of state dollars to fund continued cleanup and maintenance.
BIGFORK EAGLE | UPDATED 7 YEARS, 12 MONTHS AGO
Senate OKs proposal to allow guns in Capitol
HELENA — The Senate on Wednesday endorsed a Kalispell legislator’s proposal to allow lawmakers to carry concealed handguns in the Capitol. If it passes on a final vote Thursday, it then heads to the governor’s desk.
BIGFORK EAGLE | UPDATED 7 YEARS, 12 MONTHS AGO
Bills to fight invasive mussels get preliminary OK
HELENA — Both chambers of the Montana Legislature on Tuesday gave preliminary approval to a pair of bills that would create a more than $6 million-per-year program to expand the state’s fight against invasive mussels.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 7 YEARS, 12 MONTHS AGO
Bills to fight invasive mussels get preliminary OK
HELENA — Both chambers of the Montana Legislature on Tuesday gave preliminary approval to a pair of bills that would create a more than $6 million-per-year program to expand the state’s fight against invasive mussels.
BIGFORK EAGLE | UPDATED 7 YEARS, 12 MONTHS AGO
Kalispell physician-legislator to challenge Tester
HELENA — A Republican lawmaker from Kalispell announced Tuesday that he will challenge Montana’s Democratic U.S. senator in 2018.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 7 YEARS, 12 MONTHS AGO
Kalispell physician-legislator to challenge Tester
HELENA — A Republican lawmaker from Kalispell announced Tuesday that he will challenge Montana’s Democratic U.S. senator in 2018.
BIGFORK EAGLE | UPDATED 7 YEARS, 12 MONTHS AGO
Legislature tables proposal on county, tribal law enforcement agreement
HELENA — The agreement between Lake County and the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes obligating the county to prosecute felony crimes committed by tribal members will likely remain in place for the foreseeable future.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 7 YEARS, 12 MONTHS AGO
Proposal on absentee ballots moves forward
HELENA — A proposed ballot referendum to ask voters whether to limit the practice of gathering absentee ballots in Montana advanced Monday from a state legislative panel.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 7 YEARS, 12 MONTHS AGO
Research looks at state's cutthroat trout
Cutthroat trout, a prized and legally protected fish species in Montana, are increasingly threatened by a growing trend of hybridization with non-native rainbow trout, according to research
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS AGO
Senate restores increased production limits for breweries
Two days after a state legislative panel gutted a bill allowing breweries to ramp up beer production while still charging for drinks in their taprooms, the Senate restored the original proposal while making concessions to Montana’s tavern owners and distribution companies.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS AGO
FireSafe Flathead pushes plan-ahead strategy
During Western Montana’s dry, hot summers, wildfires become inevitable in the thickly forested mountains of Flathead County. But much of their impacts on the communities scattered throughout the region’s conifer forests is determined during the rest of the calendar year.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS AGO
Flathead election officials prepare for May 25
Following the death last week of a legislative proposal allowing counties to hold Montana’s upcoming special election by mail-in ballots only, Flathead County election officials are preparing for a “full-poll” election for the state’s U.S. House seat on May 25.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS AGO
Sanctuary cities bill resurrected
A Kalispell lawmaker’s proposal to punish so-called “sanctuary cities” in Montana was resurrected Tuesday morning, a week after a legislative budget panel tabled the measure following a tie vote that failed to advance it to the floor.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS AGO
Kalispell emerges from third-snowiest winter on record
After the past weeks’ long-awaited warm-up in the Flathead Valley, the sodden, flattened lawns, dwindling patches of icy slush and bands of sand and gravel lining the roads offer the only lingering signs that Kalispell has finally emerged from its third-snowiest winter on record.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS AGO
Quist responds to legal, financial disclosures
Following recent disclosures of his checkered financial past, Creston musician and Democratic congressional candidate Rob Quist says his “on the ground” struggles with mounting health-care bills over the last two decades have equipped him with the perspective needed to represent everyday Montanans.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS AGO
Quist stands behind Obamacare at Kalispell town hall
Several dozen people gathered at the Hilton Garden Inn in Kalispell Monday evening, where Democratic congressional candidate Rob Quist held the first of several “Health Care Town Hall” stops across the state.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS AGO
Proposed wildlife-harvest amendment heads to House
Democrats in the Montana Senate on Tuesday lined up in solid opposition to a proposed constitutional referendum to make hunting, fishing and trapping a right in the state, indicating the bill is unlikely to receive enough lawmaker support to appear on the 2018 ballot.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS AGO
Senate passes bill aimed at tax relief for high land values
The Montana Senate on Friday passed a property tax relief bill backed by many Whitefish Lake residents, although the number of homeowners eligible for the tax exemption has been reduced substantially since it was introduced in January.
WHITEFISH PILOT | UPDATED 8 YEARS AGO
Property tax relief bill passes in state Senate
The Montana Senate on Friday passed a property tax relief bill backed by many Whitefish Lake residents, although the number of homeowners eligible for the tax exemption has been reduced substantially since it was introduced in January.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS AGO
Whitefish retiree focuses on giving back
It’s a sunny Wednesday morning in Whitefish, and a beaming Don Stolte wheels quickly into the driveway, unpacks his wiry, 6-foot-5-inch frame from the driver’s seat, grabs a foil-wrapped container and a paper bag from the back and is standing on the porch after a half-dozen long strides.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS AGO
Proposal defines hunting, fishing as a 'right'
A proposed amendment to the Montana Constitution, explicitly recognizing the rights of the state’s citizens to hunt, fish and trap, is scheduled for its first vote before the state Senate on Monday. Recalling the expensive electoral battle waged over last year’s failed ballot initiative to ban trapping on public lands, …
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS AGO
Initial test results from CFAC Superfund site released
The company tasked with investigating the extent of environmental contamination at the Columbia Falls Aluminum Co. Superfund site on Thursday released its first round of test results for soil and water samples collected from the property.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS AGO
Spearfishing proposal unpopular among some local anglers
Spearfishing could see a jump in popularity in Montana under a legislative proposal that has won the backing of the state Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS AGO
Panel tables proposed bed-tax hike
Montana’s sales taxes on lodging will likely remain at a combined 7 percent after a tax panel Monday tabled a Helena Democrat’s proposal to bolster the general fund by raising it to 10 percent.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS AGO
Panel tables bill addressing county governments, elections
A state legislative panel on Monday shelved a bill that Lincoln County officials feared could circumvent the will of the voters, who have repeatedly rejected proposals to establish a more powerful governing body in the county.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS AGO
Commissioners support bill on mail-in ballots
The Flathead County Commissioners last week endorsed a resolution to conduct the upcoming special statewide election with mail-in ballots only, a cost-savings measure that hinges on legislation still being debated in Helena.
WHITEFISH PILOT | UPDATED 8 YEARS AGO
Bill addressing use of foreign laws passes preliminary vote
A proposal to prohibit state courts from relying on foreign laws that run afoul of the Montana or U.S. constitutions appears headed to the governor’s desk after passing a preliminary vote in the state House on Monday.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS AGO
County endorses mail-in ballots for special election
The Flathead County Commissioners on Tuesday endorsed a resolution to conduct the upcoming special statewide election with mail-in ballots only, a cost-savings measure that hinges on legislation still being debated in Helena.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS AGO
Rain sets off slides, minor flooding
Lincoln County has declared a state of emergency, with the potential for minor flooding to worsen as rain and warm temperatures continue over the weekend.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS AGO
Rain sets off slides, minor flooding
Lincoln County has declared a state of emergency, with the potential for minor flooding to worsen as rain and warm temperatures continue over the weekend.
BIGFORK EAGLE | UPDATED 8 YEARS AGO
Resignation signals ongoing rift within joint board
Lake County irrigator Dick Erb resigned from the Flathead Joint Board of Control last month, the latest sign that deep divisions remain within the Flathead Irrigation Project’s governing body.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS AGO
Kalispell lobbies for local-option sales tax
Cities from across Montana lined up in support of legislation to establish a local-option sales tax Tuesday, arguing it would give municipalities the ability to address critical infrastructure needs in their communities.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS AGO
Panel shelves proposal to review bottling plants
State legislation that would have obligated the proposed water bottling plant in Creston to an additional review under the Major Facility Siting Act was tabled Monday.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS AGO
Quist holds campaign kick-off event in Whitefish
A Flathead Valley musician took to the stage on Monday evening in downtown Whitefish for a new reason — campaigning for Montana’s seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS AGO
Bed-tax hike would fund effort to prevent mussels
A proposal to raise Montana’s bed tax from 7 percent to 10 percent received skepticism during a committee hearing Thursday, despite agreement with its premise to direct money to preventing the spread of invasive mussels in the state.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS AGO
Grizzly death inquiry suggests new safety measures to protect bears, mountain bikers
An inter-agency review board on Monday released its final report on the June 2016 grizzly-mauling death of Brad Treat, a Flathead National Forest law enforcement officer who was off duty and riding a mountain bike when he collided with the bear in the forest’s Green Gate trail system south of …
WHITEFISH PILOT | UPDATED 8 YEARS AGO
Bottling plant debated in Helena
About a dozen Flathead residents opposed to a controversial water-bottling plant proposed in Creston testified in the Montana State Capitol Wednesday afternoon, lending their support to legislation that would subject the facility to an additional environmental review before it can be approved.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO
Record month boosts mountain snowpack
Heavy precipitation last month wasn’t just good for local skiers. A state water supply report shows record February snowfall at a dozen high-elevation sites throughout Western Montana.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO
Report details fatal bear attack near Glacier
An inter-agency review board on Monday released its final report on the June 2016 grizzly-mauling death of Brad Treat, a Flathead National Forest law enforcement officer who was off duty and riding a mountain bike when he collided with the bear in the forest’s Green Gate trail system south of …
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO
House passes bill addressing Lincoln County election mishap
In an attempt to allow Lincoln County to reverse an improperly sanctioned ballot initiative that established nonpartisan local elections, a state lawmaker from Eureka is pushing a bill that would temporarily give the county authority to bring its elections into compliance with state law.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO
House passes bill addressing Lincoln County election mishap
In an attempt to allow Lincoln County to reverse an improperly sanctioned ballot initiative that established nonpartisan local elections, a state lawmaker from Eureka is pushing a bill that would temporarily give the county authority to bring its elections into compliance with state law.
BIGFORK EAGLE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO
Check stations open early as mussel-detection efforts expand
The Flathead Basin Commission on Friday opened a pair of watercraft inspection stations in Pablo and at Clearwater Junction, the first to begin operating as state officials plan an expanded effort to contain invasive mussel detections in Central Montana last fall.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO
'Perfect storm' delivers
If you frequent the slopes of Whitefish Mountain Resort and you weren’t there on Sunday, you’ve probably heard all about it by now.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO
Resolution asks to lift wilderness study area designations
A resolution passed by the state House on Wednesday would ask the U.S. Congress to release 663,000 acres of federal public land from the current designations as wilderness study areas.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO
Local firefighters question wildfire bill
A Thompson Falls lawmaker is pushing for more local firefighting authority on state and federal land, but local firefighters and emergency-response officials have expressed concern that the measure will cause more harm than good.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO
Bill addresses Lincoln Co. election blunder
Imagine finding out that your county’s elections have been conducted improperly for the past seven years.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO
House votes down physician-assisted suicide bill
A proposal to make physician-assisted suicide illegal in Montana won’t pass this legislative session, after lawmakers Wednesday failed to advance the bill with a 50-50 vote in the House.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO
Bill to replace Columbus Day moves forward
Following a 40-minute discussion centered on the indigenous history of America, the Montana House of Representatives on Tuesday gave preliminary approval to a measure that would replace Columbus Day with “Montana Heritage Day” in the state’s public-school system.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO
Polson lawmaker introduces, then kills tribal law enforcement bill
In the policymaking sprint of Montana’s every-other-year Legislature, not every bill is destined to pass. Nor are they necessarily intended to, as was the case with
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO
Panel tables bill restricting use of crash-scene photos
After a debate centered on First Amendment protections for the press, a legislative panel on Monday tabled a bill place limits on media posting photos of fatal accidents.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO
Bill would restrict media use of accident photos
Montana lawmakers on Friday listened to emotional testimony as a House committee considered a proposal that would prohibit news organizations in the state from publishing photos of fatal accident scenes on social media before officials notify next of kin.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO
Bill would boost tourism marketing on reservations
Tourism is increasingly becoming big business in Montana, with visitors to the state accounting for a more than $5 billion economic impact in 2015, according to the most recent data compiled by the University of Montana. With that in mind, a Cut Bank lawmaker is also working to broaden the …
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO
Proposal aims to shake up state parks
On the heels of a bill to remove most of Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks’ authority over the state parks system, a second measure has been introduced into the Montana House that would move the division entirely into the Department of Commerce.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO
County-tribal law enforcement agreement could see changes
A Polson lawmaker is advancing a bill in the Montana Legislature that would obligate the state to cover law enforcement costs for counties prosecuting felony crimes on the Flathead Indian Reservation.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO
Former Oroville chief of police reflects on past
For the last week, the small city of Oroville, California, has found itself in the national limelight, as heavy rain and snowmelt created fears of a failure at the nation’s tallest dam and forced evacuations in Oroville and other towns below.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO
Lawmakers examine liquor license quotas
Arguing that Montana’s current quota system for liquor licenses is hurting downtown business in his district, a Belgrade-area lawmaker is sponsoring legislation that would give municipalities the power to raise or lower the number of available liquor licenses within city limits.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO
Legislator says transparency will help narrow gender-based pay gap
A state Senate panel heard a bill Wednesday aiming to bridge the state’s gender-based pay gap before tabling a similar proposal.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO
Bill aims to expand air service in Montana
Business groups and airport executives lined up Wednesday in support of a proposal to create a $2 million state grant program that would help fund efforts to incentivize airlines to expand service in Montana.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO
Senate OKs bill to change net metering reimbursement rate
A bill aiming to change the rate at which solar and other “net metering” utility customers are reimbursed for their excess wattage received preliminary approval from the Montana Senate Wednesday.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO
Senate OKs bill to change net metering reimbursement rate
A bill aiming to change the rate at which solar and other “net metering” utility customers are reimbursed for their excess wattage received preliminary approval from the Montana Senate Wednesday.
BIGFORK EAGLE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO
Bill seeks to clarify process of irrigation elections
Following last year’s messy election for the joint irrigation district served by the Flathead Indian Irrigation Project, a Polson legislator is pushing a proposal to clarify Montana’s guidelines for future irrigation elections.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO
Budget panel weighing proposals to curb spread of mussels
Officials tasked with formulating the Montana’s long-term response to invasive mussels are working to convince budget-conscious lawmakers to spend more than $12 million over the next two years as they weigh deep spending cuts elsewhere in state government.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO
Montana House votes to eliminate Commissioner of Political Practices office
The Montana House of Representatives on Tuesday narrowly approved a Kalispell lawmaker’s bill to eliminate Montana’s Commissioner of Political Practices, following a heated floor debate Monday evening.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO
Legislator sued over emails related to Lands Council
A organization that advocates for government transparency filed suit Monday against Thompson Falls Sen. Jennifer Fielder, alleging that the Republican legislator has violated Montana’s open-record laws.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO
Jail reimbursement bill hits roadblock
A proposal to force the Montana Department of Corrections to reimburse county jails housing state prisoners at their true cost was tabled by a budget committee Wednesday, despite overwhelming support from the state House on a preliminary vote.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO
Jail reimbursement bill hits roadblock
A proposal to force the Montana Department of Corrections to reimburse county jails housing state prisoners at their true cost was tabled by a budget committee Wednesday, despite overwhelming support from the state House on a preliminary vote.
BIGFORK EAGLE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO
Bill proposes to shake up oversight of state parks
A proposal to reshape the authority over Montana State Parks got its first look Feb. 7 during a lengthy hearing before the House Fish, Wildlife and Parks Committee.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO
Council delays vote on district boundaries
Kalispell City Council Feb. 6 delayed a planned vote on its business improvement district after council member Phil Guiffrida stated the meeting materials prepared by city staff did not address questions and comments raised during a public hearing last month.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO
Council delays vote on district boundaries
Kalispell City Council Feb. 6 delayed a planned vote on its business improvement district after council member Phil Guiffrida stated the meeting materials prepared by city staff did not address questions and comments raised during a public hearing last month.
BIGFORK EAGLE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO
Solar advocate draws local interest on state-wide tour
“Net metering” might not sound like a classic barn-burner of a presentation topic. But scores of Flathead residents packed into Kalispell Brewing Co.’s taproom last week for an hour-long talk on the issue, along with other renewable-energy policies up for debate before the Montana Legislature.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO
Bigfork lawmaker to propose Flathead Lake houseboat regs
POLSON — With local and state agencies scratching their heads over how and whether to regulate houseboats on Flathead Lake, a Bigfork lawmaker plans to introduce a bill to give the state authority over the floating homes.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO
City officials pan proposal addressing redevelopment districts
Kalispell’s city manager was among a parade of city officials, developers and others who testified at the Montana Capitol on Wednesday against a bill they said threatens urban-renewal projects throughout the state.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO
Legislation aims to bridge wage gap
Citing studies ranking Montana’s women near the bottom of nationwide wage earnings compared to men, a Missoula lawmaker on Tuesday presented legislation she said would help bridge the state’s wage gap.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO
Legislation aims to bridge wage gap
Citing studies ranking Montana’s women near the bottom of nationwide wage earnings compared to men, a Missoula lawmaker on Tuesday presented legislation she said would help bridge the state’s wage gap.
BIGFORK EAGLE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO
Critics take fight to Capitol
Legislation introduced to the Montana Senate on Tuesday would place a new requirement before the controversial proposal to build a water bottling facility in Creston — one of several methods local citizens are employing in an attempt to halt the project.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO
Proposal addresses unpaid child support
In an attempt to chip away at a statewide child-support backlog totaling $147 million, the Legislature is considering a bill that would prohibit those who owe payments from hunting and fishing in the state.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO
Critics take fight to Capitol
Legislation introduced to the Montana Senate on Tuesday would place a new requirement before the controversial proposal to build a water bottling facility in Creston — one of several methods local citizens are employing in an attempt to halt the project.
BIGFORK EAGLE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO
Proposal addresses unpaid child support
In an attempt to chip away at a statewide child-support backlog totaling $147 million, the Legislature is considering a bill that would prohibit those who owe payments from hunting and fishing in the state.
BIGFORK EAGLE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO
U.S. 2 reopens with speed reductions
The winding segment of U.S. 2 along the Glacier National Park’s southern border reopened to through-traffic Tuesday afternoon, after heavy snows closed the mountain corridor for over 24 hours.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO
Winter storm closes schools, snarls roads
A severe winter storm battered Northwest Montana over the weekend, dropping up to three feet of snow in some areas, closing schools and creating widespread traffic impacts that included the closure of U.S. 2 and the BNSF Railway tracks south of Glacier National Park.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO
Skiers enjoy powder days; avalanche warnings in effect
While the weekend’s severe winter storm made for hazardous road conditions in Northwest Montana and created extreme avalanche danger in high-elevation areas, skiers and snowboarders received three days of deep powder at local ski areas.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO
Skiers enjoy powder days; avalanche warnings in effect
While the weekend’s severe winter storm made for hazardous road conditions in Northwest Montana and created extreme avalanche danger in high-elevation areas, skiers and snowboarders received three days of deep powder at local ski areas.
BIGFORK EAGLE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO
Local traffic allowed along U.S. 2 to Essex
3 p.m. update
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO
Local traffic allowed along U.S. 2 to Essex
3 p.m. update
BIGFORK EAGLE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO
7,068-acre easement finalized
A $9.5 million, 7,068-acre conservation easement has been finalized for the Trumbull Creek area north of Columbia Falls, the Trust for Public Land and the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Park announced Friday.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO
7,068-acre easement finalized
A $9.5 million, 7,068-acre conservation easement has been finalized for the Trumbull Creek area north of Columbia Falls, the Trust for Public Land and the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Park announced Friday.
BIGFORK EAGLE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO
'Solar Guy' packs Kalispell brewery for energy-policy talk
“Net metering” might not sound like a classic barn-burner of a presentation topic. But scores of Flathead residents packed into Kalispell Brewing Co.’s taproom Tuesday afternoon for an hour-long talk on the issue, along with other renewable-energy policies up for debate before the Montana Legislature.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO
Solar energy up for debate in Helena
“Solar Guy” Brad Van Wert’s series of policy talks comes as a bevy of bills are being pushed in the state House and Senate to reshape the landscape of incentives for renewable-energy generation in Montana, particularly solar producers who use net metering.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO
Bigfork lawmaker to propose houseboat regs
POLSON — With local and state agencies scratching their heads over how and whether to regulate houseboats on Flathead Lake, a Bigfork lawmaker plans to introduce a bill to give the state authority over the floating homes.
BIGFORK EAGLE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO
Bigfork lawmaker to propose houseboat regs
POLSON — With local and state agencies scratching their heads over how and whether to regulate houseboats on Flathead Lake, a Bigfork lawmaker plans to introduce a bill to give the state authority over the floating homes.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO
Chairman makes plea for political cooperation
Urging state lawmakers to place the shared values of Montanans above the divisiveness and “extremes” pervading national politics, Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribal Council Chairman Vernon Finley provided the State of the Tribal Nations address to the Montana House of Representatives on Wednesday.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO
Fees on electric vehicles proposed
The Montana House of Representatives on Tuesday endorsed a bill creating an additional $90 fee to register a hybrid vehicle in the state. Electric vehicles would be subject to a $180 fee.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO
Fees on electric vehicles proposed
The Montana House of Representatives on Tuesday endorsed a bill creating an additional $90 fee to register a hybrid vehicle in the state. Electric vehicles would be subject to a $180 fee.
BIGFORK EAGLE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO
Bill to ban foreign law in Montana moves forward
State legislation to ban foreign laws from being implemented in Montana courts was passed by the Senate Judiciary Committee on a party-line vote of 7-3 Tuesday.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO
Bill to ban foreign law in Montana moves forward
State legislation to ban foreign laws from being implemented in Montana courts was passed by the Senate Judiciary Committee on a party-line vote of 7-3 Tuesday.
BIGFORK EAGLE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO
Lawmaker proposes bill shifting state parks authority
In the wake of former Montana State Parks Administrator Chas Van Genderen’s abrupt dismissal in December, a state lawmaker is proposing legislation that would remove the position from the Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks, along with most its authority over the state parks agency.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO
Lawmaker proposes bill shifting state parks authority
In the wake of former Montana State Parks Administrator Chas Van Genderen’s abrupt dismissal in December, a state lawmaker is proposing legislation that would remove the position from the Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks, along with most its authority over the state parks agency.
BIGFORK EAGLE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO
Trade center proposal tabled by committee
A Hungry Horse legislator’s proposal to establish a Montana trade center in Calgary was likely sunk for a second straight legislative session after a Senate committee tabled the bill on Tuesday.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO
Education panel votes to keep dropout age at 16
Montana’s minimum drop-out age for public-school students will likely remain at 16 for the time being, after a state education panel tabled a bill seeking to raise the age to 18.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO
Agency moves to transfer bison range to tribes
Two days before the official end of Barack Obama’s presidency, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced it was initiating an environmental review to consider returning the National Bison Reserve to the Flathead Indian Reservation.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO
Testimony heard on bill banning use of foreign law in state courts
Montana residents, many from the Flathead Valley, packed into the Montana State Capitol’s Old Supreme Court Chambers on Tuesday morning to offer support for state legislation that would prohibit the use of foreign law in Montana’s courts.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO
Committee takes up 9 bills on criminal justice system
Several bills aiming to reform Montana’s criminal justice system while saving tens of millions of dollars in annual incarceration costs have cleared their first legislative hurdle, while other related measures were tabled in committee.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO
Bill would reduce amount of de-icers used on Montana roads
Montana is using too much salt on its highways, according to a Hungry Horse lawmaker who wants to scale back the state’s use of de-icers in the name of road safety and the protection of water quality.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO
Bill would allow firearms in post offices
A Kalispell lawmaker is pushing a proposal to allow Montanans to bring firearms into post offices, although opponents Tuesday contended it would place state law into conflict with the U.S. Constitution.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO
Kila Rep. Carl Glimm will seek nomination for House seat
Kila Rep. Carl Glimm has announced that he will seek the Republican Party’s nomination to fill an expected vacancy of Montana’s lone seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO
Affordable housing bill gets preliminary House approval
Despite broad support in a state legislative committee, legislation intended to clarify a type of affordable-housing arrangement gaining traction in the Flathead Valley faced substantial opposition in the Montana House of Representatives on Monday.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO
First-year legislators learn the ropes
HELENA — In Montana politics, you’ll often hear the every-other-year state legislative session referred to as “the fire hose.” More than 1,000 bills to review over a fast-paced, 90-day policymaking sprint.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO
Flathead native aiming to visit every ski hill in North America
Should you happen to bump into John Andrew, it’s pretty likely he’ll be at a ski hill, chatting with a stranger and cracking one-liners.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO
Whitefish residents push for tax-relief legislation
A gaggle of Whitefish Lake residents convened in the Montana State Capitol Friday to advocate for legislation that would ease property taxes on some state homeowners with skyrocketing land values.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO
Agency moves to transfer bison range to tribes
Two days before the official end of Barack Obama’s presidency, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced it was initiating an environmental review to consider returning the National Bison Reserve to the Flathead Indian Reservation.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO
Bill would raise drop-out age
HELENA — Raising Montana’s minimum age to drop out of public school from 16 to 18 has been voted down by several previous Legislatures, and the latest proposal, brought before the House Education Committee on Wednesday, could face stiffer opposition given the current budget shortfall.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO
Sheriffs: State prisoners a burden on local jails
Taxpayers in Flathead County are paying about $80,000 per year to house the state’s prisoners in its “woefully overcrowded” jail, Sheriff Chuck Curry told a panel of lawmakers in Helena on Thursday.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO
Lakeshore tax-relief bill gets first look
HELENA — Citing the sharp growth in property taxes paid by homeowners along the shores of Flathead and Whitefish lakes, a Flathead legislator is pushing a bill to provide relief for some Montana homeowners whose property-tax bills have spiked in recent years.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO
Bill seeks access to public information
HELENA — Mugshots taken when a criminal is arrested in Montana would become public information under a bill sponsored by a Kalispell lawmaker and former chief of police.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO
Bills look to reform sentencing guidelines
HELENA — A dozen bills moving through the Montana Legislature would substantially reform the state’s criminal sentencing guidelines, with the intention of reducing overcrowding in jails and prisons while providing better addiction and mental-health treatment to offenders.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO
Sen. Tester addresses state House of Representatives
HELENA — Touching on a bevy of issues from banking regulations to the expired lumber agreement between the U.S. and Canada, U.S. Sen. Jon Tester unveiled his sweeping “Employ Montana” plan during an address to the state House of Representatives on Monday.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO
State lawmakers address invasive mussel threat
HELENA — Lawmakers from two legislative appropriations panels on Monday got their first look at a proposal to begin spending $5.1 million per year to combat the threat of invasive mussels in Montana’s waterways. The state currently spends $1.2 million annually on existing mussel prevention efforts.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO
Proposed law would expunge misdemeanors
Under Montana law, those convicted of felonies — including sexual intercourse without consent — can petition the court to have their records wiped clean through a deferred sentence, while misdemeanors remain on a person’s criminal history permanently.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO
Fish and Wildlife Service considers fisher protections
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced Friday it will begin a formal, one-year science review to determine whether to propose listing the Northern Rockies population of fishers under the Endangered Species Act.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO
Montana Legislature Whistleblower protections proposal gets first hearing
A proposal to provide new protections for government whistleblowers got its first hearing in the Montana Legislature on Thursday, earning praise from a public employee currently suing the state for wrongful termination while prompting concerns from lawmakers that it would result in additional caseloads and costs to the state if …
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO
Montana Legislature revisits net-metering regulations
Several net-metering bills got their first hearing in the Montana Legislature this week, setting off another session in which lawmakers will attempt to fine-tune how small electricity generators sell excess energy to the state’s electric grid.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO
Reservoir boating restrictions lifted
Citing the low level of risk for invasive mussels to be transported to other bodies of water in the state, Montana officials on Tuesday lifted boating restrictions on Tiber and Canyon Ferry reservoirs.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO
Remaining Badger-Two Medicine Area oil and gas leases canceled
The U.S. Department of the Interior on Tuesday announced it has canceled the last two oil and gas leases remaining in the Badger-Two Medicine Area southeast of Glacier National Park.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO
It's official: Record Glacier visitation in 2016
A year marked by unprecedented crowds has shattered another visitation record in Glacier National Park, where the 2,946,681 visitors to enter the park in 2016 eclipsed the previous year’s all-time high by a staggering 24 percent.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO
Flathead Lake water level drawn down
After plummeting more than 3 feet last month, the surface of Flathead Lake has finally reached its typical elevation for the season.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO
911 funding reform up for consideration
With 911 centers throughout Montana struggling to keep pace with the increasingly pervasive use of wireless technology, a sweeping measure to reform the state’s program for supporting those local entities will get its first committee hearing this week.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO
Firefighter killed in Glacier avalanche
Ben Parsons, 36, a well-known local athlete and Whitefish firefighter and paramedic, was killed in an avalanche Thursday afternoon while backcountry skiing on Stanton Mountain in Glacier National Park.
WHITEFISH PILOT | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO
Mourning the loss of a local hero
Ben Parsons, 36, a well-known local athlete and Whitefish firefighter and paramedic, was killed in an avalanche Thursday afternoon while backcountry skiing on Stanton Mountain in Glacier National Park.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO
No headline
Authorities on Friday released the name of the Kalispell man who was killed in an avalanche Thursday afternoon while backcountry skiing on Stanton Mountain in Glacier National Park.
WHITEFISH PILOT | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO
Montana State Parks sets visitation record
Montana State Parks set a fourth consecutive visitation record in 2016, with Flathead Lake State Park retaining the No. 2 spot after 313,033 people visited its six park sites last year.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO
Quiet Waters proposal receives loud rebuke
The first of five scheduled hearings to discuss a slew of proposed motorized-watercraft restrictions throughout Montana drew strong condemnation from dozens of Kalispell-area residents Tuesday night.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO
Snowy December boosts mountain snowpack
Record-breaking rain through the fall in Northwest Montana provided a welcome boost to the region’s long-term water supplies, while a snowy December has pushed mountain snowpack close to normal levels throughout the Northern Rockies.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO
Invasive species funding emerges as legislative priority
Montana’s susceptibility to invasive mussels has rattled policymakers across the state, and despite a tight budget, boosting the state’s invasive species programs appears to have gained bipartisan traction.
WHITEFISH PILOT | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO
Dig it! Fifth-snowiest December since 1899
Kalispell received more than twice its typical snowfall last month, recording its fifth-highest December total since record-keeping began in 1899.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO
Snow slide blocks highway
A minor avalanche between West Glacier and Essex pushed about 6 feet of snow onto U.S. 2 early Friday morning, blocking one lane of the mountain corridor south of Glacier National Park.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO
Frigid weather from Siberia headed toward Flathead
Forecasters on Thursday ratcheted up predictions for an Arctic weather event next week that has the potential to bring white-out and blizzard conditions to the Flathead Valley and other parts of Western Montana on Sunday.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO
Hunter hit with costly penalties after mishap
Jeff Fleming wishes he could take back the most expensive three seconds of his life.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO
Kootenai tree destined for U.S. Capitol lawn in 2017
Northwest Montana will supply an extra member to the Treasure State’s delegation in Washington, D.C., next Christmas.
WHITEFISH PILOT | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO
Tribes declare 'invasive species emergency'
The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes announced Tuesday evening they have declared an “invasive species emergency” on the Flathead Indian Reservation in response to invasive mussels detected in Central Montana last month.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO
No new signs of mussels
Testing of water samples taken throughout Montana has been completed with no new detections of invasive mussel larvae, according to the incident-command team assembled last month to address the issue.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO
Kootenai tree destined for Capitol lawn in 2017
Northwest Montana will supply an extra member to the Treasure State’s delegation in Washington, D.C., next Christmas.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO
2017 Capitol Christmas Tree will come from the Kootenai
It’s official: Northwest Montana will supply an extra member to the Treasure State’s delegation in Washington, D.C., next Christmas.
THE WESTERN NEWS | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO
Trump taps Zinke for interior secretary
A Whitefish native and Montana’s lone U.S. Congressman, Republican Ryan Zinke has been tapped by President-elect Donald Trump to join the next administration’s Cabinet as Secretary of the Interior.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO
State assessing mussel contamination
The extent to which invasive mussels may have contaminated Montana’s waterways could come within the next few weeks, according to biologists and state officials working to understand and address the state’s first-ever confirmed detection of the destructive mollusks.
WHITEFISH PILOT | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO
Olympic skier Lindh returns to lead ski team
Long before she would go on to become a world champion downhill skier and Olympic silver medalist, a 15-year old Hilary Lindh competed in her very first International Ski Federation race on Big Mountain in Northwest Montana.
WHITEFISH PILOT | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO
Timber industry urges tariff on Canadian imports
For the first time in more than a decade, the U.S. lumber industry is again pushing to impose trade tariffs on Canada over alleged timber subsidies.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO
Forecast indicates La Niña will persist
Ski hills and snow enthusiasts in Northwest Montana are cautiously optimistic that a developing La Niña system will consistently dump powder for the next few months, but the periodic weather cycle has had an inconsistent impact on winters over the past two decades.
VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO
No headline
Montana’s outdoor recreation industry is frequently cited as a top economic driver in the state, but aside from a scattering of privately funded studies and location-specific economic impact reports, the sector’s full scope remains largely unknown.
WHITEFISH PILOT | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO
AG joins lawsuit challenging endangered species rules
Montana Attorney General Tim Fox on Nov. 29 joined 16 other states in a federal lawsuit challenging new endangered species regulations they say exceed federal wildlife agencies’ rule-making authority.
THE WESTERN NEWS | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO
Forecasts indicate La Niña will persist through the winter
Ski hills and snow enthusiasts in Northwest Montana are cautiously optimistic that a developing La Niña system will consistently dump powder for the next few months, but the periodic weather cycle has had an inconsistent impact on winters over the past two decades.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO
Record rains keep Flathead Lake near full pool
Flathead Lake is still bearing the brunt of record-breaking rainfall in October, and the lake’s elevation remains within a foot of full pool well after the seasonal draw-down typically begins.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO
Arctic weather targets the Flathead; snow, single-digit temps likely
Beginning Saturday night into Sunday, Northwest Montana’s first major winter storm of the season is expected to bring moderate to heavy snowfall, plummeting temperatures and windy conditions throughout the region.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO
Bill pushes focus on $5.8 billion outdoor industry
Montana’s outdoor recreation industry is frequently cited as a top economic driver in the state, but aside from a scattering of privately funded studies and location-specific economic impact reports, the sector’s full scope remains largely unknown.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO
Relaxed regs assist strong whitetail harvest
Poor weather conditions didn’t stop hunters in Northwest Montana from bagging nearly 1,500 white-tailed deer during the general rifle season this year, with game check stations recording the highest harvest — both overall and in terms of bucks — in seven years.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO
Bullock declares 'natural resource emergency' to boost invasive mussel response
Responding to growing evidence of invasive mussel contamination in Central Montana this month, Gov. Steve Bullock on Wednesday declared a “statewide natural resource emergency” to focus the state’s response to the issue.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO
New Lakeside pedestrian trail 'all about safety'
It’s a small trail, but one the community of Lakeside has been looking forward to for five years.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO
New pedestrian trail 'all about safety'
It’s a small trail, but one the community of Lakeside has been looking forward to for five years.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO
Proposed river regs would limit motor boats
The use of motorized watercraft on many popular rivers and creeks throughout Montana would be substantially limited under a batch of proposed regulations based on a petition approved by the state Fish and Wildlife Commission earlier this year.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO
Valley snow forecast for Sunday
A cold-weather system is expected to finally bring seasonal temperatures and snow to Northwest Montana by the end of this weekend, according to the National Weather Service in Missoula.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO
Turkey hunting opportunities abound
Hunters in Montana have no shortage of opportunities this year to bag a last-minute turkey before Thanksgiving — or as many as seven, if you’re willing to do some traveling.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO
Possible mussel detection in Missouri River
Preliminary test results have indicated another possible detection of mussel larvae south of Canyon Ferry Reservoir in the Missouri River, although additional lab work is needed to confirm the detection.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO
Local commission pushing to stop spread of invasive mussels
YELLOW BAY – A group tasked with protecting the aquatic resources of the Flathead River drainage is urging state officials to close the Canyon Ferry and Tiber reservoirs to all boats as evidence mounts that both of the Central Montana water bodies now harbor invasive mussels. The Flathead Basin Commission …
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO
Consequences of invasive mussels could prove costly
A tiny mollusk could have massive ecological and economic implications in Montana, which earlier this month became the latest state in the U.S. to confirm the long-feared presence of invasive mussels.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO
Flathead Basin Commission pushes for more boating closures
YELLOW BAY — A group tasked with protecting the aquatic resources of the Flathead River drainage is urging state officials to close the Canyon Ferry and Tiber reservoirs to all boats as evidence mounts that both of the Central Montana water bodies now harbor invasive mussels.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO
Creston hatchery pond closed to boating
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has closed the Jessup Mill Pond near Creston to all boating access while hatchery managers await updated sampling and information on the extent of invasive mussel contamination detected in Central Montana.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO
90,000-acre logging project proposed near Troy
The Kootenai National Forest is proposing a logging project to harvest trees on more than 2,100 acres, spread over a more than 90,000-acre project area extending from Troy into Idaho.
VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO
Wildlife baiting still illegal in Montana
It’s OK to buy a deer lick in Montana, but that’s about all you can do with it.
VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO
First sign of invasive mussels detected in Montana
Montana’s wildlife agency announced Wednesday that invasive mussels had been detected in a reservoir in Eastern Montana, the first such detection in the state. The discovery has fisheries managers scrambling to re-test samples taken from other water bodies in the state, but so far the tests have not revealed any …
WHITEFISH PILOT | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO
Commission to look at oversight of houseboats on Flathead Lake
A pair of houseboats stationed along Flathead Lake’s north shore may rankle some lakefront property owners, but for now the floating homes appear to operate in a legal “no-man’s land,” where agencies lack any regulatory authority to manage the vessels’ presence.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO
Glacier visitation 20 percent ahead of last year
Glacier National Park is still on pace to eclipse last year’s visitation record by about 20 percent, although October statistics indicated a leveling out of crowds once the park wrapped up its busiest summer in history.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO
Glacier issues temporary boating closure
Glacier National Park implemented a temporary boating closure on all waters within the park Thursday, one day after Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks announced the first-ever detection of invasive mussels in state waters.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO
Glacier visitation drives fundraising boost
Glacier National Park’s chief fundraising partner has raised more than $1.3 million during its first phase of annual fundraising, a nearly three-fold increase compared with donations during the same span last year.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO
First sign of invasive mussels detected in Montana
Montana’s wildlife agency announced Wednesday that invasive mussels had been detected in a reservoir in Eastern Montana, the first such detection in the state. The discovery has fisheries managers scrambling to re-test samples taken from other water bodies in the state, but so far the tests have not revealed any …
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO
Officials look to put no-name lake on the map
Officials tasked with naming things on maps are looking for historical information on a small, unnamed lake in the West Valley.
WHITEFISH PILOT | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO
Voter Snapshots: Election Day can't arrive soon enough for most Flathead Valley voters
WHATEVER THE OUTCOME of this year’s vitriolic campaign season, voters will likely unite around at least one shared sentiment: Thank God it’s over.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO
Gianforte makes final campaign stop in Flathead
Republican gubernatorial candidate Greg Gianforte made a brief stop in Columbia Falls Friday, urging supporters to help drive turnout in the Flathead Valley during his final statewide campaign tour before Election Day.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO
Officials look to put no-name lake on the map
Officials tasked with naming things on maps are looking for historical information on a small, unnamed lake in the West Valley.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO
Somers-Lakeside corridor tops list for wildlife crashes
The winding stretch of U.S. 93 between Somers and Lakeside earned the state’s top ranking for vehicle collisions with wildlife, according to a study published last month by the Center for Large Landscape Conservation.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO
Democrats make final pitch in Kalispell stop
Montana’s top Democratic candidates kicked off a statewide campaign tour Wednesday, delivering get-out-the-vote speeches to supporters in Kalispell between similar stops in Pablo and Browning.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO
Pneumonia kills 37 bighorn sheep on bison range
During the past two months, wildlife officials at the National Bison Range have documented the deaths of 37 bighorn sheep due to a pneumonia outbreak.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO
October brings a foot of rainfall to area mountains
Already the wettest October on record for most of Northwest Montana, last month wrapped up as Kalispell’s sixth-rainiest month of all time and broke the overall records for single-month precipitation in several nearby towns.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO
Spending ramps up in local campaigns
Spending ramps up in local campaigns
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO
Polls show GOP has an edge in Montana
The results of a pair of statewide polls released in the past two weeks indicate strong support for Republicans in the Treasure State, with the exception being in Montana’s gubernatorial race.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO
Trail Creek salvage project approved
Spanning a portion of the 22,195-acre burn area from a 2015 wildfire in the Spotted Bear District, the Trail Creek Fire Salvage Project has received the final go-ahead from the Flathead National Forest.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO
No headline
Few people can tell a story like Doug Follett.
WHITEFISH PILOT | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO
Zinke reaffirms support for Trump presidency
In an interview Monday, Montana’s lone Congressman reaffirmed his support for Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, while acknowledging that both of the major candidates in the race are “fundamentally flawed.”
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO
Senators want investigation of whistleblower allegations
A pair of Republican state lawmakers from the Flathead Valley are pushing for a new Senate committee to investigate recent allegations of retaliation against whistleblowers by state employees.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO
Two grizzlies getting into apples captured
State wildlife managers are asking residents of Northwest Montana to help reduce the number of human conflicts with grizzly bears after they were forced to trap and relocate a pair of grizzly bears found eating apples on private land.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO
Kalispell tree farm highlighted at timber tour
Business leaders from the Flathead Valley took in the scent of fresh-cut pine, the rumblings of a rubber-tired skidder and the buzz of chainsaws during the Kalispell Chamber of Commerce’s annual Flathead Timber Tour Thursday afternoon.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO
Water-rights letters flood DNRC with questions
Officials with Montana’s Department of Natural Resources and Conservation say a routine round of letters sent to water-rights holders in two Northwest Montana basins are being conflated with concerns over a pair of unrelated — but controversial — issues in the area.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO
Two grizzlies getting into apples captured
State wildlife managers are asking residents of Northwest Montana to help reduce the number of human conflicts with grizzly bears after they were forced to trap and relocate a pair of grizzly bears found eating apples on private land.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO
Lawsuit filed against Department of Interior
A Helena employee of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on Tuesday filed a lawsuit against the Department of the Interior, alleging their responsibility for creating a “hostile work environment” in which she was subjected to retaliation and additional harassment after being sexually assaulted by a coworker in Glacier National …
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO
Wolverines proposed as endangered in lower 48
Following a U.S. district court decision earlier this year, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has reopened the public comment period on a proposal to list wolverines in the lower 48 states under the Endangered Species Act.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO
Extreme Huntress finally gets her goat
Squinting through her binoculars as the last glimmers of twilight faded from the cliffsides in the northern Cabinet Mountains, Angie Tennison finally spotted her goat.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO
2.7 million visitors to Glacier sets annual record
Glacier National Park has broken its annual visitation record for the third consecutive year.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO
Where to find the best autumn colors
Along the mountain ridges surrounding the Flathead Valley, a frosting of high-elevation snow already heralds the approaching winter in Northwest Montana. But autumn’s colorful displays haven’t faded yet, and the forests around the Flathead Valley will continue their transformation in the weeks to come.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO
Leading climate-change skeptic visits Flathead
An international celebrity in the world of climate-change skepticism, Lord Christopher Monckton paid a visit the Flathead Valley Tuesday night as part of a speaking tour in Montana.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO
Political newcomers contend for open SD6 seat
The race for Montana’s Senate District 6, which hugs most of the shore of Flathead Lake and extends from Polson through the Lower Valley, offers a choice between two relative newcomers to state politics.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO
Senate candidates contrast on land transfer
Voters in Northwest Montana’s vast and sparsely populated Senate District 7 are likely to hear a lot about public land issues in the final run-up to Election Day.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO
Job creation a top priority for SD2 incumbent
Running unopposed for reelection to her Senate District 2 seat, Dee Brown, R-Hungry Horse, will enter her second term next year, barring a successful write-in candidate opposing her campaign.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO
Regier and Hartman vie for open SD3 seat
The upcoming election in Senate District 3, which extends from Whitefish to northwest Kalispell and the West Valley, pits Republican Rep. Keith Regier against Democrat Melissa Hartman.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO
Swan Valley fire grows to 138 acres
After it appeared under control last week, a wildfire burning alongside Montana 83 in the Swan Valley jumped the highway Friday evening, resulting in a temporary closure of the thoroughfare between Swan Lake and Salmon Prairie.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO
Bunker Creek
The view from the Swan Mountain looking into Bunker Creek. (Sam Wilson/Daily Inter Lake)
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO
Residents hear overview of Superfund cleanup plan
Officials from the Environmental Protection Agency provided an overview of the Superfund process to Columbia Falls community members after it added the site of the shuttered Columbia Falls Aluminum Co. to the National Priorities List last month.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO
Prescribed burns, lingering wildfire bring hazy skies
Prescribed burns on public forestlands and some smoke activity from the Copper King Fire east of Thompson Falls are likely responsible for the hazy skies in the Flathead Valley over the past couple days.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO
Archer likely takes record elk
A Montana hunter appears to have bagged the largest American elk in state history earlier this month, and is also likely to take the international all-time record for archery elk hunting.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO
Park campgrounds catering to cyclists
Visitation to the Flathead Valley and Glacier National Park has broken records by nearly every available metric this summer, and state officials say there’s been a corresponding uptick in long-distance bicyclists pedaling through the Crown of the Continent.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO
Conservancy seeks $1.7M in funding for 43 projects
The fundraising arm of Glacier National Park has released its funding priorities for next season, focusing on research, preservation and education projects that highlight the park’s position as a laboratory for the effects of climate change.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO
West Shore State Park funding issue resolution in works
The recent funding fiasco surrounding West Shore State Park’s 1966 acquisition on Flathead Lake just got a lot easier, according to state officials.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO
It's a life-changing moment
Survivor pens book about 2005 brush with death in Glacier Park
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO
Glacier shuttle carries record
Glacier National Park’s shuttle system keeps getting more popular.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO
Judge says Dockstader bridge must be removed
A Flathead district judge on Monday voided Flathead County’s permit for a 540-foot bridge connecting Flathead Lake’s North Shore to Dockstader Island and ordered its removal.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO
Judge says Dockstader bridge must be removed
A Flathead district judge on Monday voided Flathead County’s permit for a 540-foot bridge connecting Flathead Lake’s North Shore to Dockstader Island and ordered its removal.
BIGFORK EAGLE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO
Bear injures employee picking berries in Glacier
An off-duty employee of Glacier National Park was injured by a bear Saturday evening on the east side of Glacier, according to a park spokesman.
WHITEFISH PILOT | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO
Glacier Park, climate change in spotlight
Celebrating the National Park Service’s 100th birthday Thursday, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell led a procession of government officials, conservationists and local media through Glacier National Park, focusing her comments on the impacts of climate change in one of the county’s most visible bellwethers for the issue.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO
Weather helps slow Lakeside fire growth
The Bierney Creek Fire west of Lakeside slowed substantially after the new wildfire’s wind-driven flames chewed through 80 acres of residential forest Monday afternoon and evening.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO
No headline
Powerful, gusting winds fanned the flames of a new wildfire in a thickly wooded residential area west of Lakeside on Monday, pushing the fire across 80 acres and threatening an estimated 75 to 100 structures within a half-mile of the fire.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO
No headline
Powerful, gusting winds fanned the flames of a new wildfire in a thickly wooded residential area west of Lakeside on Monday, pushing the fire across 80 acres and threatening an estimated 75 to 100 structures within a half-mile of the fire.
BIGFORK EAGLE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO
No headline
Powerful, gusting winds fanned the flames of a new wildfire in a thickly wooded residential area west of Lakeside on Monday, pushing the fire across 80 acres and threatening an estimated 75 to 100 structures within a half-mile of the fire.
BIGFORK EAGLE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO
Benghazi panel chairman Gowdy visits Kalispell
Speaking at a campaign rally alongside one of Hillary Clinton’s foremost critics on Tuesday, Republican Rep. Ryan Zinke offered sharp criticism of the Democratic presidential nominee while acknowledging his party’s struggle to present a consistent representation of its principles to voters.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO
Weather has been ally in fire season - so far
It’s been a relatively muted fire season in Northwest Montana so far this year, with the exception of the 1,465-acre Copper King Fire burning east of Thompson Falls.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO
Bigfork man charged with sexual assault for allegedly touching girl
A Bigfork man has been charged with felony sexual assault after being accused of inappropriately touching a 6-year-old girl in 2013.
BIGFORK EAGLE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO
Parks aim for dark sky designation
Anyone who has been to Glacier National Park’s Logan Pass on a clear moonless night can’t help becoming transfixed by the scenery overhead, where innumerable stars seem to spill forth from the smoky outlines of the Milky Way Galaxy’s Orion Arm.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO
Record crowds flock to state parks
It’s shaping up to be another record-breaking year for Montana’s state parks, and the six park units along the shores of Flathead Lake are no exception.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO
Bio station aims to expand its reach
YELLOW BAY — Addressing a group of local visitors to the University of Montana’s Biological Station Wednesday afternoon, station director Jim Elser said he plans to turn the renowned facility into the “best freshwater biological station in the world.”
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO
Paving proposed for all of Blacktail Road
The Flathead National Forest’s Swan Lake Ranger District is accepting public comments on its proposal to finish paving the main road up Blacktail Mountain by 2018.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO
Event focuses on tribal collaboration
This Saturday the Backpacker’s Ball will give local supporters of Glacier National Park an opportunity to give back at the largest annual fundraiser for the park’s fundraising partner, the Glacier National Park Conservancy.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO
Busy, busy times in Glacier Park
If the near-perfect summer weather, traffic jams, and record numbers of visitors swarming into Glacier National Park over the last six months are any indication, this July will be the busiest month in the park’s 106-year history.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO
2016 huckleberry crop looking better than last year
A wetter spring appears to have boosted this year’s huckleberry crop, according to local buyers who are breathing a sigh of relief after last year’s dismal, drought-stricken harvest.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO
Researchers try to unlock berry mysteries
Huckleberry enthusiasm has been elevated to obsession in Northwest Montana, where purveyors of the seasonal fruit advertise products ranging from jams, pies, salads and milkshakes to candles, coffee, wine and beer — even huckleberry-flavored cartridges for electronic cigarettes.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO
2016 crop looking better than last year
A wetter spring appears to have boosted this year’s huckleberry crop, according to local buyers who are breathing a sigh of relief after last year’s dismal, drought-stricken harvest.
BIGFORK EAGLE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO
Director maps out future of biological station
One year after he was introduced as the incoming director for the University of Montana’s Flathead Lake Biological Station, Jim Elser will provide his vision for the facility’s future at the station’s annual open house on Wednesday.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO
Director maps out future of biological station
One year after he was introduced as the incoming director for the University of Montana’s Flathead Lake Biological Station, Jim Elser will provide his vision for the facility’s future at the station’s annual open house on Wednesday.
BIGFORK EAGLE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO
Major misuse of Olney fire money alleged
Residents of the small community of Olney north of Whitefish are calling for an investigation into possible embezzlement within the local fire department, alleging that tens of thousands of tax dollars were misappropriated within the past year.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO
Paving begins on U.S. 93 bypass
Construction crews started paving Kalispell’s $33.8 million, 4.5-mile bypass Tuesday, marking a milestone as the public works project stays on pace to open this fall.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO
Big crowd expected for firefighting fundraiser
Local fire departments will team up Sunday with law enforcement and natural resource agencies for a community fundraiser to support the Smith Valley Fire Department in the wake of a destructive fire at its Foy’s Lake station earlier this month.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO
Bigfork man identified as Montana 35 crash victim
The Flathead County Sheriff’s Office has released the name of an 83-year-old Bigfork man killed in a Monday afternoon head-on collision on Montana 35 east of Kalispell.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO
Bigfork man identified as Montana 35 crash victim
The Flathead County Sheriff’s Office has released the name of an 83-year-old Bigfork man killed in a Monday afternoon head-on collision on Montana 35 east of Kalispell.
BIGFORK EAGLE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO
Ruling may not affect compact
The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes on Thursday joined Montana officials in endorsing a state judge’s decision Monday to uphold all but a portion of the tribal water compact, while the group of irrigators behind the lawsuit weighs the possibility of an appeal.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO
Two Bear flies far for rescue work
About once per week, the helicopter pilots at Two Bear Air Rescue get called upon to assist in search-and-rescue missions far from the Flathead Valley, traveling hundreds of miles from their airport hangar near Kalispell.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO
Judge rules in favor of logging project
A lawsuit holding up a 39 million-board-foot logging project in the Kootenai National Forest was rejected Tuesday by a federal judge, but Alliance for the Wild Rockies Executive Director Mike Garrity says he plans to appeal the decision.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO
Council OKs revised South Kalispell plan
The Kalispell City Council on Monday voted to amend its South Kalispell urban renewal plan, which details planning and policy options for Kalispell City Airport and the surrounding area.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO
Smith Valley firefighters buoyed by support after station burned
Firefighters throughout the region and the country are rallying to support the Smith Valley Fire Department after an arson fire at its Foy’s Lake station destroyed hundreds of thousands of dollars in gear and equipment over the Fourth of July weekend.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO
Woman sues Kalispell police to force them to return gun
A Kalispell woman on Tuesday filed a federal lawsuit against the Kalispell Police Department, alleging that her Second Amendment rights are being violated after police refused to return a gun and ammunition confiscated as evidence following a 2015 standoff.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO
Bison range transfer gets positive reviews
More than a century after the federal government removed more than 18,000 acres of land on the Flathead Indian Reservation to establish the National Bison Range, the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes are working to return the wildlife refuge to tribal management.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO
Armed standoff in Glacier Park ends peacefully
An armed standoff ended peacefully late Saturday night after a 28-year-old Helena man allegedly fired a gun at Glacier National Park’s popular Sprague Creek Campground.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO
Humility, dedication of officer touched many lives
An estimated 2,000 friends, family members and colleagues — representing more than a dozen law enforcement, emergency response and resource agencies — attended the celebration of life ceremony Thursday morning for Brad Treat, remembering the Flathead National Forest law enforcement officer as humble, dedicated and compassionate.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO
Fundraising campaign aims to help victims
In just one day, a fundraising campaign has raised nearly $4,000 for five family members who were burned after their boat exploded during a camping trip to Swan Lake over the Fourth of July weekend.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO
Funeral motorcade will pass through Kalispell on Thursday
Flathead National Forest officials are planning for 3,000 people to attend Thursday’s funeral ceremony at Legends Stadium for Brad Treat, the forest law enforcement officer who was attacked and killed by a bear while mountain biking last week.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO
Fundraising campaign aims to help boat explosion victims
In just one day, a fundraising campaign has raised nearly $4,000 for five family members who were burned after their boat exploded during a camping trip to Swan Lake over the Fourth of July weekend.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO
Rendezvous reloads fur trade days
Every summer in the Northern Rockies, adherents to the pioneer lifestyle don powder bags, felt caps and furs, sight in their muzzleloaders and gather in the forest to celebrate a frontier tradition stretching back nearly two centuries.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO
Retiree, kayak reunited after highway tumble
Driving south out of Kalispell Sunday evening, Nancy Robison’s heart dropped when she realized her $450 retirement present had fallen from the bed of her truck — just 20 minutes after she bought the kayak.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO
Council still working on short-term rental issue
During a more than two-hour discussion of how to handle short-term rentals popping up within city limits, the Kalispell City Council’s Monday night work session focused on the potential impacts of legalizing the practice and whether it should be subject to density restrictions.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO
Glacier Park puts out Goat Haunt welcome mat
In the northernmost reaches of Glacier National Park lies Goat Haunt, a remote ranger station serving as the U.S. port of entry for travelers to the world’s first International Peace Park.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO
Blame game begins over who's responsible for timber's decline
News that Weyerhauser Co. will shutter its recently acquired lumber-mill and corporate operations in Columbia Falls and cut 200 local jobs rattled through the Flathead Valley Wednesday and was predictably followed by vigorous finger-pointing from politicians, interest groups and individuals throughout the state.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO
It's the latest blow in timber's long decline
Weyerhaeuser’s announcement that it will close its lumber mill and plywood plant in Columbia Falls comes after decades of decline for Montana’s once-thriving timber industry.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO
Closure talk brings protests from backers of Kalispell Airport
Despite a relatively run-of-the-mill agenda, Monday night’s Kalispell City Council meeting elicited strong opinions from more than a dozen residents and stakeholders protesting the possible closure of Kalispell City Airport.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO
Whitefish Trail gets $150,000 grant for two new trailheads
The Whitefish Trail got a $150,000 boost after the popular community trail system was awarded a Land and Water Conservation Fund grant last week.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO
CHS aims for 2018 relocation
Agriculture supplier CHS could become the inaugural tenant of the city’s Glacier Rail Park by early summer 2018.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO
Google Maps recommends long way to Polebridge
As it turns out, the North Fork Road isn’t the only scenic route to Polebridge.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO
Land mixup could be cheaper than predicted
Montana State Parks got some welcome good news this week as the agency struggles to address a potentially costly problem stemming from how part of West Shore State Park was acquired 50 years ago.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO
Olympian joins local officials in pushing gun safety
Appearing alongside local shooting sports Olympic gold medalist Jamie Corkish, Kalispell Mayor Mark Johnson drew on his own gun experience to highlight the importance of firearm safety at a Project ChildSafe event in Kalispell Wednesday.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO
Working group forms for review of bill draft
The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes on Friday released a draft bill to transfer management of the National Bison Reserve near Moiese from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to the tribes.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO
Snappy's osprey hatch an internet sensation
Nearly two months after Snappy Sport Senter unveiled its “osprey cam” atop a 60-foot pole outside the Evergreen sporting-goods store, a pair of newborn ospreys are helping drive international traffic to the website.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO
Preiss steps down as Glacier Conservancy leader
Glacier National Park Conservancy’s president and chief executive officer has stepped down from his post, the fundraising organization said this week.
WHITEFISH PILOT | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO
Crews tackle final Sun Road tasks
For the first time this year, all 50 miles of Glacier National Park’s Going-to-the-Sun Road are clear of snow and ice, but remaining work will push the Logan Pass opening date into next week at the earliest.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO
Flathead Lake hits summer level a week early
It’s a local sign of summer: Flathead Lake has effectively reached its full summer level a week early, following a month marked by swollen streams and faster-than-average snowmelt.
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO
New milk fee plan goes out for public review
The Montana Department of Livestock on Friday released a draft rule to extend milk inspection fees to dairy processors, kicking off a public comment period through July 1.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO
Thunderstorms possible today along with more high heat
Northwest Montana is in for another round of thunderstorms today after a fast-moving system whipped across the south end of Flathead Lake Tuesday.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO
Flathead Lake fills a week early
It’s a local sign of summer: Flathead Lake has effectively reached its full summer level a week early, following a month marked by swollen streams and faster-than-average snowmelt.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO
Big Drift now a big sheet of ice
Glacier National Park’s plow crews headed up Monday morning to the Big Drift, once a 60-foot accumulation of snow at the top of Going-to-the-Sun Road, and encountered a big ice sheet after a weekend filled with sun and record-breaking temperatures.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO
Heat wave: Flathead bakes in record temps
The first day of summer is still two weeks off, but an early wave of 90-degree high temperatures already is setting single-day weather records in the Flathead Valley.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO
Water-plant foes seek county help
Creston-area residents are hoping to halt a proposed water bottling plant through changes in county law as the project heads toward an additional review of its draft water right at the state level.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO
Storms bring slides onto Sun Road
Plow crews toiling along Going-to-the-Sun Road in Glacier National Park encountered 19 avalanches and rock slides after last week’s round of storms dumped heavy rain and snow on the mountains lining the alpine route.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO
Author catalogs 264 fatalities in park
It’s hardly a stretch to say that part of Glacier National Park’s mystique lies in the danger inherent to its dramatic landscape.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO
Petition gathering upheld for trapping initiative
The political committee working to ban trapping on public lands in Montana was found to be in compliance with state campaign laws, according to a decision signed Tuesday by Montana Commissioner of Political Practices Jon Motl.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO
Sen. Tester introduces water compact legislation
LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO
Survey finds support for public land
Underscoring the importance of public land and conservation to Montanans headed into the voting booths this year, a University of Montana survey released Wednesday found that 88 percent of the state’s voters prioritize those issues when deciding on a candidate.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO
Border collie trained to work at Logan Pass
Amid concerns about the increasingly bold mountain goats and bighorn sheep that lurk around Logan Pass in Glacier National Park, Gracie, a specially trained border collie, is set to join the park staff this summer.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO
Four approaches up for public review
Flathead National Forest released the draft environmental statement for its revised forest plan Friday, unveiling four possible approaches to guide management of the 2.4 million-acre landscape under the federal agency’s authority.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO
Flood repair delays plowing in Glacier
Snowplowing has stalled at least through Tuesday on Going-to-the-Sun Road as Glacier National Park crews work to repair portions of washed-out road shoulder at the foot of Lake McDonald.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO
Area bear hunters enjoy a banner year
Regional harvest of 666 bears in 2015 the highest in 18 years
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO
Post-flooding cleanup under way
Road crews were working in Glacier National Park and the North Fork area on Wednesday, repairing damaged thoroughfares after several days of heavy rain led to flooded roads at the beginning of the week.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO
Group sues over proposed bison-range transfer
An organization of former public employees announced Monday it has filed suit against the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for alleged violations of federal environmental law after the agency announced a possible transfer of administration of the National Bison Range to the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO
Former energy exec backs fossil fuels
Advocating for U.S. energy independence and expanded development of fossil fuels, local energy expert Bill Whitsitt discussed the federal Energy Information Administration’s 2016 Energy Outlook Assessment on Thursday night.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO
Stream fishing opens: Careful catch-and-release encouraged for anglers
With Montana’s stream fishing season kicking off today, the state encourages anglers to conserve the resource by using best practices when catching and releasing fish.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO
East, west plows meet at Big Drift
Snow-clearing operations on Glacier National Park’s Going-to-the-Sun Road took a symbolic step forward this week as plows working from the east and west sides met atop the 60-foot snowdrift near Logan Pass.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO
Candidate Profile: Don Kaltschmidt
Auto dealer wants new leadership
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO
Candidate profile: Keith Regier
House leader cites Helena experience
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO
Candidates push computer science training
Republican candidates for governor and state school superintendent unveiled a plan Tuesday to broaden computer science education in Montana’s high schools.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO
Candidates tested on issues at Kalispell forum
Primary candidates in districts that overlap Kalispell made their cases to the voters at a City Council forum Thursday evening — providing answers to questions on infrastructure, governance philosophy and the county’s struggle to manage its jail and 911 dispatch center.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO
Glacier plows reach Logan Pass
Snow melt helps road clearing effort
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO
Darrow property preserved by land trust
The Flathead Land Trust on Tuesday closed a 200-acre conservation easement on property owned by the family of the late George Darrow, a well-known civic leader and conservationist from Bigfork.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO
Cyclists get shuttle boost from nonprofit
Fundraising bike tour raised $100,000 in inaugural Glacier ride
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO
Montana dairy fees to be expanded to processors
Montana’s cheese makers and other businesses that process milk products will begin paying fees to the Department of Livestock under a new rule approved by the state Board of Livestock Wednesday.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO
Canines trained to sniff out aquatic invaders
Dogs possess an olfactory aptitude that few animals can rival. With the proper training, they’re known for sniffing out drugs, bombs, bodies, truffles and even cancer.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO
Glacier centennial celebrations may be muted
With the National Park Service’s 100-year anniversary this year, national parks and their gateway communities are preparing for a banner year for visitors.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO
High temps knock down snowpack
Snowpack in Northwest Montana took a hit during April, a month in which high temperatures in Kalispell averaged 8 degrees above normal, driving record melting in some mountain areas.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO
Sparrow's Nest gets council OK
A former church building in west Kalispell got the green light Monday from the Kalispell City Council to become a shelter for homeless high school students.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO
Whitefish woman visits all 411 National Park sites
Beginning in 1973 with a trip to Rocky Mountain National Park and ending early last month at the future site of the National World War I Memorial in Washington, D.C., Pat Hierl of Whitefish has visited every one of the 411 sites in the National Park System.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO
Pick 'em: Morels are springing up
THE WESTERN NEWS | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO
Public dock proposed on Wild Horse Island
Montana State Parks is asking for comments on what would be the first and only public dock on Flathead Lake’s Wild Horse Island.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO
More trail work ahead in burned forest areas
There’s less than a month left before the remote Spotted Bear Ranger Station opens for business in the heart of the Flathead National Forest, but many trails still need significant repair after last year’s fire season.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO
Lawsuit challenges federal bull trout recovery plan
THE WESTERN NEWS | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO
Cuts in forest trail budgets on hold
THE WESTERN NEWS | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO
Avalanche hampers park plowing
The warm, sunny weather isn’t helping the plow crews clearing snow along Glacier National Park’s Going-to-the-Sun Road, where they were forced to turn around Thursday after encountering a 30-foot-deep avalanche near Haystack Creek.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO
Glacier visitor spending at all-time high
Glacier National Park generated an estimated $199 million in visitor spending for its gateway communities last year, according to a report released by the National Park Service.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO
Lawsuit challenges federal bull-trout recovery plan
The Alliance for the Wild Rockies and Friends of the Wild Swan filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court Tuesday, challenging the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s recovery plan for bull trout, which was finalized last September.
HUNGRY HORSE NEWS | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO
Lawsuit challenges federal bull-trout recovery plan
The Alliance for the Wild Rockies and Friends of the Wild Swan filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court Tuesday, challenging the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s recovery plan for bull trout, which was finalized last September.
BIGFORK EAGLE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO
Lawsuit challenges federal bull-trout recovery plan
The Alliance for the Wild Rockies and Friends of the Wild Swan filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court Tuesday, challenging the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s recovery plan for bull trout, which was finalized last September.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO
1,500-foot seawall sought on North Shore
Several property owners along the North Shore of Flathead Lake are requesting permits to construct a seawall and walkway along the shore, stating in county permit applications that it is needed to prevent further erosion of their properties.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO
Cuts in forest trail budgets on hold
After facing significant cuts to their budgets for trails over the next three years, national forests in Montana have had the funding restored to previous levels — for now, at least.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO
Park drafting major fish, aquatic plan
Comprehensive effort aimed to protect native species
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO
Weather slows plow work
Poor weather conditions have stymied plows heading up Glacier National Park’s Going-to-the-Sun Road during the last couple of days.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO
Fire shows little growth; new team takes over
A Type 2 incident command team on Tuesday took over operations on an unusually early wildfire burning on the eastern edge of the Bob Marshall Wilderness.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO
Taking a bite out of morel madness
Forests rule out commercial pickers
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 12 MONTHS AGO
Bridge changes sought: Dockstader owners ask county for amendment
The developers of the controversial bridge linking Dockstader Island to the north shore of Flathead Lake will seek an amendment to the unfinished project Monday from Flathead County commissioners.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 9 YEARS AGO
Restoring a Glacier Park landmark: Lake McDonald Lodge renovation costs $3 million
In March, the banging of hammers and the high-pitched whine of electric drills rang out on the normally tranquil northeast shore of Lake McDonald, where one of Glacier National Park’s most iconic buildings has stood for more than a century.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 9 YEARS AGO
Avalanche danger 'considerable' this weekend
With warmer temperatures forecast through the weekend, the Flathead Avalanche Center issued a “considerable” avalanche danger warning for elevations above 5,000 feet Friday morning.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 9 YEARS AGO
Sun Road plowing starts Friday
With spring here, Glacier National Park has dusted off its snowplows and is preparing for the annual snow-removal expedition up Going-to-the-Sun Road.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 9 YEARS AGO
Tester pushing for Superfund site
THE WESTERN NEWS | UPDATED 9 YEARS AGO
Trophies testify to adventurous life
THE WESTERN NEWS | UPDATED 9 YEARS AGO
Nate Chute snowboard races March 19-20
The 17th Annual Nate Chute Banked Slalom and Boardercross kicks off March 19 at Whitefish Mountain Resort.
WHITEFISH PILOT | UPDATED 9 YEARS AGO
Author details tribal life before Glacier Park was created
Centuries before the first cars wound up to the summit of Going-to-the-Sun Road, the Kootenai would ascend Logan Pass by standing on each other’s shoulders — inching up the cliff shelves to reach buffalo that roamed the east side of what is now Glacier National Park.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 9 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO
Agency may transfer refuge to tribes
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has begun negotiating a possible transfer of the National Bison Range to the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes.
VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 9 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO
Plum Creek mills, land to remain open
THE WESTERN NEWS | UPDATED 9 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO
Gianforte visits Whitefish to press for less regulation
Halfway through a 61-town, three-week campaign tour, Republican gubernatorial candidate Greg Gianforte stopped at the Great Northern Brewing Co. in Whitefish Saturday morning to ask local residents what state regulations they would like to see on the chopping block.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 9 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO
Plum Creek mills, land to remain open
Timber products giant Weyerhaeuser will keep Plum Creek’s lumber mills open in Montana and plans to retain Plum Creek’s long-standing public access policies, if an expected merger of the two companies is completed.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 9 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO
Swan Lake chef cooks up a political vacation in N.H.
When faced with a long vacation, many people seek warmer climes and postcard locations, like Arizona, Hawaii or maybe the Florida Keys.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 9 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO
Kalispell man killed in avalanche
THE WESTERN NEWS | UPDATED 9 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO
Hunters gather in Kalispell
THE WESTERN NEWS | UPDATED 9 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO
Early hunt studied for Eureka elk
THE WESTERN NEWS | UPDATED 9 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO
Christmas cheer from many sources
Everything from fuzzy dice to chocolate-covered huckleberries and a wall calendar of the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders emerged from red-and-green wrapping paper Wednesday as residents of the Montana Veterans Home received hundreds of donated Christmas presents.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 9 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO
Farmers can get help for crop losses
Farmers in Flathead and Lake counties are eligible for financial assistance for crop losses after the U.S. Department of Agriculture declared Lake County a primary disaster area Thursday.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 9 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO
Kootenai National Forest group reaches accord
A collaborative group representing stakeholders in and around the Kootenai National Forest announced an agreement last week that will guide its input on proposed land management projects.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 9 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO
Land preservation includes rare firefly habitat
The Flathead Land Trust last week secured more than 300 acres of land to conserve critical habitat for the tens of thousands of migratory birds that use the Flathead area’s wetlands each year.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 9 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO
Comments being taken on snowmobile fun run
The Kootenai National Forest is accepting public comments for the annual Fun Run snowmobile race in the Fortine Ranger District sponsored by the 10 Lakes Snowmobile Club.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 9 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO
Conservation fund may get extended
Members of Montana’s Congressional delegation and state conservation and sportsman groups gave tepid support for a temporary extension of the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund on Wednesday.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 9 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO
New law could put anglers on the hook for reporting walleye
Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks is proposing a “mandatory kill” regulation for walleyes in Swan Lake after two of the invasive fish were found to have been illegally introduced into the popular fishery.
BIGFORK EAGLE | UPDATED 9 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO
New law could put anglers on the hook for reporting walleye
Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks is proposing a “mandatory kill” regulation for walleyes in Swan Lake after two of the invasive fish were found to have been illegally introduced into the popular fishery.
HUNGRY HORSE NEWS | UPDATED 9 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO
Judge won't dismiss compact suit lawsuit
A Lake County district judge has ruled against the state of Montana’s motion to dismiss a lawsuit challenging the implementation of the water rights compact for the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 9 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO
Winds roar across northwest Montana
THE WESTERN NEWS | UPDATED 9 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO
Road to Avalanche open until Tuesday
Snow has been scarce in Northwest Montana, meaning people may still have a chance to get to Glacier National Park’s popular Avalanche trailhead by vehicle until road gates are closed at Lake McDonald Lodge on Tuesday.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 9 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO
Winds roar across NW Montana
Strong winds whipped through Northwest Montana on Wednesday, with high-elevation gusts reaching more than 70 miles per hour and downed trees knocking out power to hundreds of people in the Essex area for several hours.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 9 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO
Stream flows affect number of bull trout spawning sites
Bull trout populations appear mostly stable in Northwest Montana, although Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks’ annual inventory of spawning sites showed an overall drop from its 10-year average.
HUNGRY HORSE NEWS | UPDATED 9 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO
Stream flows affect number of bull trout spawning sites
Bull trout populations appear mostly stable in Northwest Montana, although Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks’ annual inventory of spawning sites showed an overall drop from its 10-year average.
BIGFORK EAGLE | UPDATED 9 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO
National Weather Service downgrades rain warnings
The National Weather Service downgraded its flood watch in much of Northwest Montana Tuesday.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 9 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO
Bears keep expanding farther onto plains
As the lone grizzly bear expert for the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks’ Region Four office, Mike Madel hasn’t had any problems keeping busy along the Rocky Mountain Front.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 9 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO
Land easements approved
Concerns from the mountain biking community notwithstanding, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks on Monday announced it will sign off on two conservation easements to secure more than 10,000 acres of private forested land north of Whitefish.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 9 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO
Fly angler lands giant muskie
Robert Hawkins’ obsession with big fish started at age 11 when he went on a fishing trip with his father and landed a 27-pound lake trout on Flathead Lake.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 9 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO
Glacier just 5,334 away from record attendance
Glacier National Park needs just 5,334 visitors to break its annual attendance record set last year.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 9 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO
Fair weather ahead for hunters
Despite the continuing uptick in the number of white-tailed deer on the landscape, the weather likely won’t be helping hunters heading out for the general rifle season’s opening weekend.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 9 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO
Killer black bear eludes capture
Officials with Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks believe someone may still be feeding the black bear that attacked and killed an elderly Ashley Lake resident in her home last month, but announced Thursday they were suspending efforts to trap the animal.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 9 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO
Lake County to lose $1 million
THE WESTERN NEWS | UPDATED 9 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO
Reservation campfire becomes 50-acre fire
An unattended campfire near Rainbow Lake on the Flathead Indian Reservation raged out of control Monday and Tuesday, quickly burning through an estimated 50 acres of grass and timber.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 9 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO
State commission wants hearing on dam deal
The Montana Public Service Commission on Thursday requested a rehearing on the relicensing of the Salish Kootenai Dam to Energy Keepers Inc. and the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes.
BIGFORK EAGLE | UPDATED 9 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO
State commission wants hearing on dam deal
The Montana Public Service Commission on Thursday requested a rehearing on the relicensing of the Salish Kootenai Dam to Energy Keepers Inc. and the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes.
HUNGRY HORSE NEWS | UPDATED 9 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO
High winds threaten 'extreme fire behavior' today
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 9 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO
Elite team takes command of Glacier Park fire
More than 300 personnel are now deployed at the Reynolds Creek Fire in Glacier National Park, which grew to more than 4,000 acres by 4 p.m. Thursday.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 9 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO
Fish virus detected in salmon at Kootenai Falls
For the first time in Montana, a virus that targets kokanee salmon has been detected in state waters.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO
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