Ellington

Three lakes left in cutthroat project

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks is proposing to waive angling limits on a lake in the Bob Marshall Wilderness that will become the next chapter in a multiyear effort to restore native westslope cutthroat trout.

Animal center marks 10th anniversary

In celebration of the 10th anniversary of the Charlotte Edkins Animal Adoption Center, the Humane Society of Northwest Montana is hosting an open house beginning at 5 p.m. Tuesday at its Adoption Center.

Heat wave hits this week

After a rainy and cool June, the weather to open July promises to be hotter than a firecracker.

Jonnie Musgrove Davis

Jonnie Musgrove Davis, 73

Gail Johnsrud

Gail Y. Johnsrud, 77

Democrats file election complaint against Zinke

Glacier flowers

Cutthroat trout

Week in Pictures: June 23-29

Sun Road should be open by weekend

Glacier National Park officials announced Monday that the entire 50-mile length of Going-to-the-Sun Road is expected to open to vehicle travel by this weekend.

Klinkhammer Law Offices

Rocking the radio

 His listeners know him for his good-humored, enthusiastic chatter, but there’s a lot more to Rob Dewbre than his persona on Bee Broadcasting radio stations.

Court rules for companies on contraception issue

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court says corporations can hold religious objections that allow them to opt out of the new health law requirement that they cover contraceptives for women.

Legion baseball: Lakers capture Ed Gallo title

WHITEFISH — The Kalispell Lakers A rallied to beat the Williston Keybirds (N.D.) 11-10 in the championship game Sunday afternoon at the 25th annual Ed Gallo Memorial American Legion Baseball Tournament at Memorial Field.

A girl with grit

Under a polite and pleasant exterior, Estelle Shannon of Kalispell is tenacious.

Kalispell

Rob Dewbre pauses while talking about his career in radio Thursday afternoon in a studio at Bee Broadcasting in Kalispell. June 26, 2014 in Kalispell, Montana. (Patrick Cote/Daily Inter Lake)

Estelle Shannon

Estelle Shannon. June 25, 2014 in Kalispell, Montana. (Patrick Cote/Daily Inter Lake)

Sunday cover 6-29-14

DIL 6-29-14

Daybook

Wet day, but fast times for Whitefish Lake Run

The 37th Annual Whitefish Lake Run on Saturday morning was a soggy, cool affair, but that did not stop 407 brave souls from finishing either the 5k or 10k races at City Beach.

Club seeks donations for annual fair

The Lakeside Community Club is gearing up for its 25th annual Lakeside Community Fair on Saturday, July 12, and needs donations for the popular “Attic Treasures” sale and silent auction that raise money for a variety on area nonprofits.

V.A. scandal tip of the iceberg?

Lunacy in the medical profession is occurring, most notably in the V.A. where physicians, psychologists, and social workers maintain strict control over a confused population of unemployed Americans.

Two sides; one reality

‘America’: First reviews

I have often wondered how some people living in America can have so little appreciation for this great nation. They seem to see things so differently than I see them. I have often wondered why.

Law agencies crack down on DUIs for Fourth of July holiday

Kalispell police are joining the Montana Highway Patrol and other law enforcement officers around the state who will be out in force over the long Fourth of July holiday weekend to aggressively target drivers under the influence of alcohol and drugs.

More reasons not to 'light up' this Fourth

Fourth of July fireworks: Bah, humbug!

Kalispell starts work on Downtown Plan

For about two weeks, Kevin LeClair has been walking the blocks of downtown Kalispell, doing a shoe-leather inventory of the area’s characteristics.

Ballot initiatives: The dirty dozen?

It appears that none of 12 possible ballot initiatives reached the signature threshold to appear on the November ballot in Montana.

'Debunking the progressive myths'

‘America’: First reviews

Last week my wife and I previewed a new movie produced by local superstar producer Jerry Molen and director Dinesh D’Souza entitled “America: Imagine the World Without Her.” The two had previously produced and directed “2016: Obama’s America,” a film critical of Obama and revealing of his radicalized personal history.

Don't be too tough on the sinners going to church!

This is in response to Sinowa Cruz’s letter published in the Inter Lake on June 3.

Lookout network: Book preserves images of historic structures in Glacier National Park

A new book written by a geographer and Glacier National Park enthusiast is a photographic chronicle of the rise and fall of fire lookouts in and around the park.

It's the feds that don't get it on oil and gas regulation

Regarding the June 16 articles“State oil, gas wells often uninspected,” it is important to note that headlines are important things. They can encourage us to read a full article. Or, for those who only skim the news, they can leave a wrong impression.

Olson-Hadley

Glen William Olson and Dawn Elizabeth Olson of Kalispell announce the engagement of their daughter, Rachel Susan Olson, to Reese Adam Hadley, son of Kevin and Michele Hadley of Kalispell.

'An educational and thought-provoking saga'

‘America’: First reviews

On July 2, more than 1,000 movie theaters will be showing a feature documentary film by Dinesh D’Souza and local producer Gerald Molen — “America: Imagine the World Without Her.” It gives us an educational and thought-provoking saga, while riveted in our chairs, to stop and think.

Lookout

Divide mountain lookout ceiling, 1998: The unusual octagonal roof/ceiling is shown in this photograph taken by David Butler. Note the metal cables designed to help hold the roof in place.

Isn't it time to change approach to guns in our society?

As the discussion of gun control goes on and on, common sense solutions to address the insanity of gun-related homicides in our country seem more elusive than ever.

Haskill land plan still $8 million short

Nearly $8 million still needs to be raised to finalize a land deal that would permanently protect the Haskill Basin watershed.

Downtown Kalispell

Downtown Kalispell is the focus of a new planning process from the City of Kalispell. “It’s really about working in partnership with the business community to make it as viable as possible,” senior planner Kevin LeClair says.

Fosbery-Crain

Kelly Lee Fosbery and Seth Ray Crain were married Sept. 7 at Faith Covenant Church in Kalispell. The Rev. Lloyd Pierson performed the ceremony.

Ward-Sexton

Jeanni Ward of Kalispell, together with Myles and Missy Sexton of Noxon, announce the engagement of their children, Kyla Delores Ward and Steven Marshall Sexton.

Feed-sack fashion ruled in hard times

One of our faithful Inter Lake readers sent me a poem the other day titled “Flour Sack Underwear,” along with a note saying “hope this little poem brings back some fond memories.”

Legislators should not be considered government workers

For years I had been wondering why we never get anything accomplished in government. Then it dawned on me. Our elected officials get the same benefits as government employees. They are all in bed with each other.

Few changes follow deaths of 19 at fire

PHOENIX  (AP) — It was the worst loss of life for U.S. wildland firefighters in eight decades, a tragedy that killed 19 members of a Hotshot crew during an out-of-control inferno in a brush-choked canyon.

Committee backs two bills to revise Parole Board powers

A legislative panel studying the state Parole Board voted Friday to draft at least two bills revising or limiting the board’s powers -- and some members want to look at even further restrictions and changes.

Iraq forces launch push to retake city

 BAGHDAD (AP) — The Iraqi government launched its biggest push yet to wrest back ground lost to Sunni militants, as soldiers backed by tanks and helicopter gunships began an offensive Saturday to retake the northern city of Tikrit.

Federal protection sought for wild horses in West

Mars 'flying saucer' splashes down after test

Ancient remains of child reburied in Montana

WILSALL (AP) — The 12,600-year-old remains of an infant boy have been reburied in a Native American ceremony in Montana.

Youths let imaginations run free during Camp Invention

Novel camp taps into creativity for prospective young Edisons

A total of 64 children let their imaginations morph over five days last week during Camp Invention at Elrod Elementary School in Kalispell.

Benghazi terrorism suspect pleads not guilty before judge

 WASHINGTON (AP) — The Libyan militant accused of masterminding the deadly Benghazi attacks that have become a flashpoint in U.S. politics pleaded not guilty to conspiracy Saturday in a federal courtroom in Washington.

The cows finally came home

Suspect sought in hit-and-run that killed 3 women

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Police in Florida are searching for a man suspected of driving a vehicle involved in a fiery hit-and-run crash that killed three Tampa Bay-area women. 

Khattala

Republicans briefly flirt with success

I should have known it was too good to be true.

Catherine Frances Hatton, 92

Dan Eugene Benson, 33

37th Annual Whitefish Lake Run

Tevyn Stetson of Kalispell (4769), Steve Morley (4565) and his son Logan Morley (4564), both of Bigfork, set the early pace at the start of the 5K Saturday at the 37th Annual Whitefish Lake Run at City Beach. Steve Morley was the first to cross the finish line. He said he improved his time from last year by just over a minute with a chip time of 15 minutes, 55.21 seconds. He said Logan Morley posted a personal best time by almost two minutes. Logan Morley finished second in 16:14.26.

Emeralds Softball Tourney

Taylar Putnam of the Columbia Falls Hit and Run team pitches against the Sluggers on Saturday, June 28, at the Emeralds Softball Tourney in Kalispell. (Brenda Ahearn/Daily Inter Lake)

Whitefish Woody Weekend III

Ron Yandt, left, and his son Wes Yandt take an early morning walk though at the Whitefish Woody Weekend III on Saturday, June 28, in Whitefish. They brought in a boat for the show from the Spokane Valley. (Brenda Ahearn/Daily Inter Lake)

Gerald E. 'Jerry' Dean, 80

Gerald E. “Jerry” Dean was born Jan. 22, 1934, in Sedwick County, Kansas to Otis and Elsie Dean. 

Donald Lee Herbert, 71

Donald Lee Herbert, 71, died June 22, 2014.

Daniel James Bain, 62

Daniel James Bain, 62, “departed this world” Wednesday, June 25, 2014, of natural causes. 

Legion baseball: Sapa tosses 1-hitter for Glacier Twins

WHITEFISH — Jonny Sapa tossed a 1-hitter and Tristin Steinwand and Vincent Smith both went 2 for 3 with two RBIs in leading the Glacier Twins A to a 13-1 victory over the Missoula Prospects on Friday at the 25th annual Ed Gallo Memorial American Legion baseball tournament at Memorial Field.

Legion baseball: Scarlets take 2 from Lakers

The Billings Scarlets came through with a pair of tight wins over the Kalispell Lakers Friday night in AA American Legion baseball action at Griffin Field.

Kalispell Lakers vs Billings Scarlets

Kalispell center fielder Jake Barstow makes a grab near the fence to get the first out during the second game Friday evening of an American Legion AA baseball doubleheader against the Billings Scarlets at Griffin Field. 

Police: Defense attorney fatally shot in Kentucky

SOMERSET, Ky. (AP) — A defense attorney well known in his small, southern Kentucky town was shot and killed outside of his law office early Friday by a man who wanted his help but was turned down, according to police reports.

Ukraine signs historic pact with European Union

BRUSSELS — Ukraine’s new president signed an economic and political pact with the European Union on Friday, pushing his troubled country closer into a European orbit over the protests of Russia, which warned of possible sanctions.

Jury convicts former tribal health director

Judge in rape case fights suspension

 HELENA (AP) — A judge who faces suspension for saying a 14-year-old girl appeared “older than her chronological age” during her rapist’s sentencing said he believes the penalty is unwarranted and proposed the Montana Supreme Court withdraw it.

Bond set at $1 million in suitcase deaths

 ELKHORN, Wis. (AP) — Two women found dead in suitcases along a Wisconsin highway may have died accidentally, perhaps during consensual sex, the defense attorney for the former police officer suspected in their deaths said Friday.

Man arrested after Great Falls stabbing

 GREAT FALLS (AP) — A 33-year-old man who is required to register as a violent offender has been arrested in Great Falls on suspicion of stabbing another man in the arms and abdomen.

Boy sentenced for bomb threats

 HELENA — A 16-year-old Helena boy has been given a suspended sentence for coordinating with a California boy who called in a series of bomb threats to Helena schools in March.

Mexican chopper fires shots at U.S. Border Patrol

TUCSON, Ariz. — Mexican law enforcement on Thursday crossed into Arizona by helicopter and fired two shots at U.S. border agents, a union spokesman said.

Police won't deliver breakfast in bed

 A hungry woman at a medical facility on River Lakes Parkway called the

Slope project grant hearing stalled again

A court hearing on a county decision to terminate a grant for slope stabilization near Village Greens was postponed on Friday for another three months, much to the chagrin of homeowners who want the unstable bluff reinforced.

Syrian rebels could help in Iraq

Missoula deputy sues county for discrimination

MISSOULA — A Missoula County sheriff’s deputy is suing the county alleging she was discriminated against by officers investigating the fact that she and a married officer kissed at her residence while the married officer was on duty.

Arizona man charged after highway shootout

Daybook

Fee delayed for Holland Lake site

Flathead National Forest is delaying a day use fee at the Holland Lake Day Use Area.

Girl, 11, wins pageant

Esmeralda Ramos of Kila won the pre-teen division of America’s Super Pageant on Sunday.

Whitefish street to be named for longtime food bank head

A street leading to the North Valley Food Bank will soon be renamed to honor the food bank’s founder who died earlier this year.

Kalispell woman 'treated like royalty' at pageant

Kadie Latimer doesn’t give off the air of a beauty pageant participant.

Helena Flats looking for new superintendent

Helena Flats School is looking for a new superintendent/principal following the June 17 resignation of Gary Weitz.

Flathead Industries Street Fest

Children raise their hands in hopes of getting free goodies during a prize giveaway Friday afternoon during the street festival to celebrate Flathead Industries 40th anniversary. June 27, 2014 in Kalispell, Montana. (Patrick Cote/Daily Inter Lake)

Board still looking at three school sites

Kalispell school officials continue to look for a future elementary school site as room runs out in existing schools.

Mountain lion scares Utah shoppers

Kalispell

Crowds fill the lawn of the Museum at Central School for the first Thursday!Fest of the year Thursday evening in Kalispell. June 26, 2014 in Kalispell, Montana. (Patrick Cote/Daily Inter Lake)

Kid's College at FVCC

Seventh-grader Emma Paulson, left, helps third-grader Kennedy Moore with her mini catapult Thursday afternoon during Kid's College at Flathead Valley Community College in Kalispell. Students created a variety of miniature contraptions in the Creative Catapults and Soda Straw Rockets class, one of several classes offered during second week of the summer session. Kid's College provides students hands-on experiences with a variety of subjects such as art, science and sports. June 26, 2014 in Kalispell, Montana. (Patrick Cote/Daily Inter Lake)

Esmeralda Ramos of Kila

Esmeralda Ramos of Kila was crowned the winner of the pre-teen division of America's Super Pageant June 22 in Hamilton.

Miss Montana USA Kadie Claire Latimer

Mountain lion near Utah shopping center

A cougar hides behind a commuter train rail as Utah Division of Wildlife Resources try to tranquilize it after it strayed near a shopping center in Sandy, Utah on Friday. Authorities later captured the mountain lion that startled shoppers but didn’t hurt anybody. 

Daniel James Bain, 62

Gerald E. 'Jerry' Dean, 80

Donald Lee Herbert, 71

Keybirds top Twins at Ed Gallo opening day

WHITEFISH — A soggy night in Whitefish couldn’t halt the opening day of the 25th annual Ed Gallo baseball tournament on Thursday, and the Glacier Twins A opened up their tournament with a 11-4 loss to the Williston (N.D.) Keybirds.

Legion Baseball: Mariners split with Bucs

FLORENCE — The Mission Valley Mariners outlasted the Bitterroot Bucs in a sloppy Game 1 before dropping the second game of the American Legion doubleheader in Florence on Thursday.

Daybook

Walsh, Daines trade barbs over new ad

Republican U.S. Senate candidate Steve Daines is running a new TV ad accusing Democratic Sen. John Walsh of condoning sex discrimination while heading the Montana National Guard — a charge Walsh and current Guard officials say is untrue.

Forsyth judge to handle rape case re-sentencing

Don't assume worst about Sgt. Bergdahl

Why are so many people choosing to think the worst Sgt. Bergdahl? What happened to love and compassion in our country? Only half-truths are known, which are worse than lies. 

War refugee enjoys homecoming

A World War II refugee whose family wound up in Kalispell after the war returned to the Flathead Valley this week to remember the community that once embraced him so warmly.

Former deputy pleads no contest to assault on teen

BOZEMAN (AP) — A former Gallatin County sheriff’s deputy has pleaded no contest to misdemeanor assault after prosecutors say he grabbed a shackled teenage runaway by the throat and threw her against the wall of an interview room.

Man pleads not guilty in neighbor slaying

 HELENA (AP) — An Augusta man has pleaded not guilty to deliberate homicide in the shooting death of his neighbor.

Thanks for the open exchange of ideas, opinions

Many people have a misconception that their opinion matters more than it does. It’s part of our self-centered society, the vast majority of which has an opinion that may not be “need to know” knowledge. 

Plowing Logan Pass

Plows clear remaining snow on Wednesday from the parking lot at Glacier National Park’s Logan Pass. 

VA health care disappoints veteran

The present scandal swirling around the Veterans Affairs is not surprising to me. 

Be neighborly and use discretion in setting off fireworks

Over the last few years a summer evening practice that many of us across the valley are being subjected to has become more and more disturbing .  

Why do so many studies accept climate change?

I have a question for Daily Inter Lake editor Frank Miele.

Running for office? Here is a short quiz

A few open questions for our representatives, senators and others who want to be in politics in the United States of America. 

Oil train dangers extend beyond Bakken

BILLINGS — The dangers posed by a spike in oil shipments by rail extend beyond crude from the booming Bakken region of the Northern Plains and include oil produced elsewhere in the U.S. and Canada, U.S. safety officials and lawmakers said.

Nuns seek new mediation for claims of sex abuse

HELENA — Attorneys for an order of nuns plan to ask a judge Thursday for a new round of negotiations to settle claims of child sex abuse by priests and nuns in Montana, a request that comes less than three weeks before the first trial.

New memorial honors Indians at Little Bighorn

Education official says some campuses hostile to victims

Experts say ruling tees up gay marriage for top court

DENVER (AP) — When the U.S Supreme Court struck down the federal Defense of Marriage Act exactly one year ago, it stopped short of saying states cannot ban gay marriage.

Little Bighorn Memorial

Jaywalker causes traffic pileup

A rogue jaywalker in Columbia Falls nearly caused a multi-car pileup by strutting across Ninth Street West. A driver, much more conscientious than the pedestrian, swerved into the inside lane, colliding gently with another vehicle. The second driver said she saw no damage to her car but heard a pop. The

Big drift plows

Plows team up at the Big Drift east of Logan Pass.

Thanks for help in saving home from fire

We want to thank the wonderful men and women from the Creston, Bigfork, and Ferndale Firehalls who volunteer their time in our community to help people in distress. 

GOP leaders to wait on primary move will wait

 HELENA (AP) — A conservative Republican who sponsored a successful resolution to close primary elections to nonparty members during last week’s convention wants a federal lawsuit filed immediately to get the process underway.

Judge asked to block logging project near Helena

HELENA  (AP) — Two conservation groups are asking a federal judge to block a planned timber project on 490 acres around the watershed that supplies most of Helena’s drinking water.

New ranger named for Fortine district

Bryan Donner will be the new district ranger for the Fortine/Rexford District of Kootenai National Forest.

Good economic news, with an asterisk

Man dies in wrong-way crash on Interstate 15

HELENA (AP) — A car traveling the wrong way on Interstate 15 near Butte crashed, killing the 20-year-old driver and injuring his passenger.

Tall grass has to be cut down after July 1

The Kalispell City Planning Office reminds residents that after July 1 each year it is the duty of all owners or occupants of any property in the city to trim all grass over 8 inches in height and remove all weeds from their property. 

Opening of Logan Pass possible for next week

Back at the top

Glacier National Park plow crews on Wednesday made their way back to the Big Drift at Logan Pass to resume work that was underway on Going-to-the-Sun Road before last week’s torrential weather. 

Camp Imagination at Elrod School

Jessie Chadwick, left, and Cyan Mooney, both of whom will be fourth graders next fall, as well as other students working at Camp Imagination at Elrod School on Thursday, June 26. (Brenda Ahearn/Daily Inter Lake)

Camp Invention

Fosbery-Crain

Ward-Sexton

Olson-Hadley

Water Recreation 2014 Cover

Water Recreation 2014

twifcover062614

twif062614

Valley swing dancing scene draws a crowd

Suspenseful 'Absence of Malice' showing for museum film club

Upcoming summer concerts

High court limits president's appointments power

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Thursday limited the president’s power to fill high-level vacancies with temporary appointments, ruling in favor of Senate Republicans in their partisan clash with President Barack Obama.

Rains return; east side under flood watch

Heavy rain expected today and tonight has prompted a flood watch for the east side of the Continental Divide.

Time to change the name

Typically, leadership in this country comes from the top.

Legion Baseball: Lakers sweep Keybirds

The Kalispell Lakers AA perservered in Game 1 before dominating the second contest, sweeping the Williston Keybirds in American Legion doublerheader baseball at Griffin Field on Wednesday night.

25th annual Ed Gallo tourney breaks out the lumber

WHITEFISH — It’s been 25 years since the first Ed Gallo Tournament in Whitefish, and what better way to commemorate the late savor of American Legion baseball in Whitefish than making this year’s event a wood-bat tournament.

Bear crashes boy's birthday bash

Rescued eagles need fish

Two bald eagle chicks rescued from the shore of Whitefish Lake during last week’s heavy rainfall are eating a lot of fish.

Memorial held for Three Forks fire chief

THREE FORKS (AP) — Fire departments from across the state sent representatives to attend the funeral of the Three Forks fire chief who was killed in a highway collision last week. 

Grant dispute to be heard on Friday

Flathead County’s refusal to move forward with a federal grant to stabilize a slope near the Village Greens subdivision in Kalispell is the focus of a court hearing at 2 p.m. Friday.

Ronan man denies killing his brother

College gets $1 million gift

A Kalispell couple have donated $1 million to the Flathead Valley Community College Foundation.

Trial planned Jan. 5 in Missoula shooting

MISSOULA — The Montana defense attorney representing a man charged with killing a German exchange student in his garage said Wednesday that his law firm is cancelling plans to host a live showing of the World Cup soccer match between the U.S. and Germany.

Ravalli County suspends treasurer

HAMILTON (AP) — Ravalli County has suspended its interim treasurer after filing a lawsuit accusing her of official misconduct.

Is state surrendering to the tribes on water-use permits?

We have been barraged and harangued by those who want us to believe that without the current Reserved Water Rights Compact for the Flathead Reservation, we have no vehicle for permitting water rights. They profess that the DNRC process no longer exists on the reservation.  

Daybook

Immigration crisis just getting worse

North Dakota discloses oil train details

BISMARCK, N.D. — Dozens of mile-long trains loaded with crude are leaving western North Dakota each week, with most shipments going through the state’s most populous county while en route to refineries across the country.

Hanna makes pitch for Grizzly Bear Rendezvous

Renowned television personality and wildlife advocate Jack Hanna regaled a group of reporters at his Bigfork property with stories about his travels and his support for Montana bear managers Wednesday.

Incumbent wins Senate runoff

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — From Mississippi to the U.S. Capitol, mainstream Republicans expressed relief Wednesday at Sen. Thad Cochran’s comeback primary victory over tea party challenger Chris McDaniel, highlighting anew the fissures between traditional GOP powers and challengers determined to pull the party further rightward.

Crime fear, rumors of refuge draw children to U.S.

 ARRIAGA, Mexico (AP) — Five years ago Gladys Chinoy’s mother left Guatemala for New York City, where she went to work in a restaurant and saved money for the day when she could bring her daughter north. 

Only one Vann's store remains

BOZEMAN — Appliance and electronics retailer Vann’s, which had six retail locations in Montana in early 2012, is down to one.

Man arrested in sex sting charged with rape

Don't come back until I know who you are!

The

Atheist writer's argument doubted

Having read Mr. Wackrow’s letter of May 11 several times, I have to think even rational atheists would not agree with him. Maybe one could think that the Supreme Court’s decision on invocations could be endorsing Christianity, but on the other hand one could just as well see it as a decision that it just does not violate the Constitution, period. 

Be careful with pets during fireworks season

 The Flathead County Animal Shelter wants pet owners to enjoy the Fourth of July holiday while keeping their pet safe and secure. 

Migrant children

Judge sets 2018 deadline for lynx effort

 BILLINGS (AP) — A federal judge on Wednesday set a 2018 deadline for the government to complete a long-delayed recovery plan for imperiled Canada lynx in the Lower 48 states.

Huntress, what's up?

In reference to the extreme huntress article of May 15:

Two schools win nutrition awards

Lakeside Elementary and Somers Middle School earned bronze awards from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s HealthierUS School Challenge program.

Federal court: Gays have right to marry

Jack Hanna

Lakers vs Williston

Kalipsell pitcher Adam Frandsen throws a pitch Wednesday evening during the first game of the Lakers doubleheader against Williston, N.D., at Griffin Field in Kalispell.  (Patrick Cote/Daily Inter Lake)

Robert 'Bob' Richardson, 74

Wings of Freedom Tour

The B-24 Liberator pulls to a stop behind the B-17 Flying Fortress, in the foreground, on Wednesday afternoon, June 25, at the Glacier International Airport for the Wings of Freedom Tour. The tour will also include the P-51 Mustang and will be in town until Friday, June 27. (Brenda Ahearn/Daily Inter Lake)

William R. 'Bill' Hodge, 95

William R. "Bill" Hodge was born May 25, 1919, in Alfalfa, Okla., to Benjamin Harrison Hodge and Opal Phippany Hodge. He died almost one month after his 95th birthday on June 23, 2014, at North Valley Hospital following an accidental fall in his home. His family takes great comfort in knowing that Bill is now with his heavenly Father.

Refugee returns

This Week in the Flathead: Big Sky Workshop

Photos by Brenda Ahearn/Daily Inter Lake

This Week in the Flathead: Swing Dancing Style

Emilie Erler of Whitefish, lower right, dances with Jonathan de Caussin of Bozeman at the Big Sky Workshop on Sunday, June 22, in the Sassafras Ballroom in Kalispell. (Brenda Ahearn/Daily Inter Lake)

Road work ahead on two major highways

Drivers will need extra time and patience this summer as they navigate roads in the Flathead Valley.

Libby sweeps Glacier Twins B

WHITEFISH — The Libby Loggers took two games from the Glacier Twins B, sweeping the American Legion doubleheader on Tuesday.

Avery, Johnston win state junior golf titles

LAUREL — Kalispell’s Teigan Avery and Libby’s Ryggs Johnston continue to tear up the summer golf season, each posting another victory at the Montana State Golf Association’s State Junior Championships at the Laurel Golf Club on Tuesday.

Daybook

Glacier Twins vs Libby Loggers

Libby's Luke Haggerty (center) tags out Glacier's SHORT STOP (3) at second base Tuesday evening during first game of the Glacier Twins doubleheader against the Libby Loggers at Memorial Field in Whitefish. (Patrick Cote/Daily Inter Lake)

Woman admits murder

A Hungry Horse woman has changed her plea in the Valentine’s Day shooting death of her boyfriend.

Lawsuit says Arizona botched deadly fire

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz.  — Dozens of property owners in central Arizona have sued the state, saying it failed miserably in its management of a wildfire that killed 19 Hotshots.

Court asked to speed up lynx recovery plan

BILLINGS (AP) — Wildlife advocates want a federal judge to order faster action on a recovery plan for imperiled Canada lynx, after wildlife officials said it could take until 2018 to finish the long-delayed work.

Is a college degree still worth it? Study says yes

NEW YORK — Some comforting news for recent college graduates facing a tough job market and years of student loan payments: That college degree is still worth it. 

Kurdish leader cites 'new reality' in Iraq

New Whitefish fireworks law now in effect

As the Independence Day holiday approaches, residents of and visitors to Whitefish are reminded they will face stiffer penalties for violating Whitefish’s new fireworks ordinance.

Chippewa Cree leader indicted

 HELENA  (AP) — A Chippewa Cree tribal leader was indicted Tuesday on charges he took cash and a vehicle as kickbacks on lucrative business contracts awarded for work on the Rocky Boy’s Indian Reservation in north-central Montana.

Canyon jumpers delayed

 TWIN FALLS, Idaho (AP) — Two daredevils hoping to succeed where Evel Knievel failed 40 years ago will face a delay due to television scheduling as they prepare to jump a canyon in southern Idaho.

Judge to vandal: Get a real job to repay victims

BILLINGS  — A  judge told a 21-year-old man convicted in a vandalism spree to replace his fast-food job with a “real job” so he can more quickly pay restitution to his victims.

Park building targeted in Whitefish

The

One editor convicted, one cleared of hacking scandal

LONDON (AP) — It was a simple trick — punching in passcodes to listen to messages left on other people’s phones.

Man arrested in killing linked to land dispute

 HELENA (AP) — An Augusta man has been arrested on suspicion of deliberate homicide in the death of a neighbor last fall that prosecutors said was linked to an ongoing dispute over access to land.

Dylan's 'Rolling Stone' draft sells for $2 million

 NEW YORK (AP) — A draft of one of the most popular songs of all time, Bob Dylan’s “Like a Rolling Stone,” sold Tuesday for $2 million, which the auction house called a world record for a popular music manuscript. 

Highway officials say fatal crash investigation will be meticulous

HELENA — Montana Highway Patrol officials say they will conduct a meticulous investigation to determine the cause of a collision that killed six people east of Helena last week.

Suspect arrested after reported kidnap attempt

Worker killed in truck accident at Montana mine

BILLINGS  — A worker at a southeastern Montana coal mine has been killed during an accident involving a truck used to haul coal.

Whitefish Municipal Court

Blackfeet program leaders sentenced for fraud

Oil-train data shows heavy traffic on the rails

Disclosures from railroads about volatile oil shipments from the Northern Plains show dozens of the trains passing weekly through Illinois and the Midwest and up to 19 a week reaching Washington state on the West Coast.

Cyclist tumbles into river

An American bicyclist suffered a fall on June 16 while participating in the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route in Canada.

Archivist: IRS didn't follow records law with lost emails

 WASHINGTON (AP) — The Internal Revenue Service did not follow the law when it failed to report the loss of records belonging to a senior IRS executive, the nation’s top archivist told Congress on Tuesday, in the latest development in the congressional probe of the agency’s targeting of conservative groups seeking tax-exempt status. 

Teen taking part in national finals

Sierra Crandell of Kalispell is competing this week in the Distinguished Young Women National Finals at the Mobile Civic Center Theater in Mobile, Alabama. 

Evacuation plans vary in event of rail disaster

 There’s no one-size-fits-all evacuation plan if a major railroad disaster were to happen in Whitefish. 

Anthony E. Namen, 70

Robert Dale Starling, 76

Robert Dale Starling, 76, died on Wednesday, June 18, 2014, at his home in Eureka.  

Andrew Ray Jackson 'Red' Farris, 83

Data breach affects 1.3 million of computer hacking

State computer system hacked

HELENA — Montana officials said Tuesday they are notifying 1.3 million people that their personal information could have been accessed by hackers who broke into a state health department computer server.

Week in Pictures: June 16-22

Wild Wings Recovery Center

A pair of five week old baby bald eagles at the Wild Wings Recovery Center on Tuesday, June 24, in Kalispell. (Brenda Ahearn/Daily Inter Lake)

Sunny Days

Shawna Moore catches up with the morning mail and cup of coffee on her back porch on Monday, June 23, in Whitefish. (Brenda Ahearn/Daily Inter Lake)

Road construction

Best of 2016

Mariners sweep Mavericks

POLSON — The Mission Valley Mariners got solid production from their entire batting order in a two-game sweep of the Missoula Mavericks A on Monday night.

Rangers top Loggers at Big Bucks

LIBBY — The Kootenai Valley Rangers finished the Libby Big Bucks Tournament with a 10-2 win over the host Loggers.

Badlands Bowl: Love kicks North Dakota past Montana

DICKINSON, N.D. — Kicking for the North Dakota All-Star team in the Knights of Columbus Badlands Bowl, Ben Love hit five total field goals, including the game winner in overtime to lift North Dakota over the Montana squad 25-22.

Bathroom in for some rough treatment

Cleve Anthony Malmstrom, 41

Cleve Malmstrom

Flathead gets big slice of federal money

George Leighton Harris III, 63

Allene Willson Pierce, 83

Bigfork team competes at international event

Imagination, innovation and goodwill abounded at the Destination Imagination Global Finals in Knoxville, Tenn., where 7,978 students from kindergarten through college converged to compete.

New map a guide to Cabinet Mountains

For the first time in 22 years, there is a new guide map for the Cabinet Mountain Wilderness and surrounding areas.

Sun Road plows tackle 24 new snow slides

High country received 36 inches of snow

A crew on Sunday resumed plowing operations on Glacier National Park’s Going-to-the-Sun Road, encountering 24 avalanches that had crossed the road last week.

Glacier Park snow slide

A Glacier National Park snowplow on Sunday cuts through one of the many new snow slides that came down on Going-to-the-Sun Road due to last week's storm. (Glacier National Park photo)

Cabinet Mountains map

This new guide map was published in recognition of the 50th anniversary of the 1964 Wilderness Act as a joint effort among the U.S. Forest Service, the Montana Wilderness Association and Friends of Scotchman Peaks Wilderness. 

Destination Imagination

Bigfork Ti-Rangles team members — Evan Benton, Grant Gibson, Cole Hider, K.C. Isaman, Ben Johnson, Riley Hoveland and Reuben Hubbard — pose with their buddy team from Beijing, China, at the Destination Imagination Global Finals at the University of Tennessee in May.

Loving Lakeside

Community Club leader puts lakeshore in spotlight

Deb Newell joined the Lakeside Community Club for the same reason women have sought out the social and community service organization for 105 years. She wanted the social interaction.

Judge strikes down Montana immigrant law

HELENA — A Montana judge struck down most of a 2012 voter-approved law requiring government officials to conduct immigration checks on anybody seeking services provided by the state — from unemployment benefits to crime-victim assistance.

Benefit fund set up for crash victims

A benefit fund has been established to cover funeral costs for a family of five people who died in a crash outside Helena last week.

Cattlemen's Bar & Casino

Split Rock Cafe

Keenan's Jewelry

Whitefish man drowns in Missouri River

GREAT FALLS — A Whitefish man has drowned while fishing along the Missouri River.

Veteran's fight lasts 34 years

Former Air Force mechanic trying to get disability claim addressed by VA

For 34 years, Evergreen veteran Michael Findley has been fighting for fair compensation for his time in the United States Air Force.

Senator listens to medical-care concerns

 Placing himself directly in the line of fire of the accumulated anger of Northwest Montana’s veterans, Sen. Jon Tester conducted another listening session at Flathead Valley Community College on Sunday afternoon.

Mini Miracles

Healthy twins overcame rough start as newborns

When Meghan Danford-Komenda first saw her adopted newborn twins in the hospital, they were so frail they had to stay in the neonatal intensive care unit for a week.

Deb Newell

Deb Newell holds one of her hand-painted pieces of clothing. June 16, 2014 in Lakeside, Montana. (Patrick Cote/Daily Inter Lake)

March of Dimes Family

Montana and Meghan Danford-Komenda with their adopted twin daughters McKenna, left, and Madelynn, age 3, outside their home on Wednesday, June 11, in Kalispell. (Brenda Ahearn/Daily Inter Lake)

Sunday cover 6-22-14

DIL 6-22-14

Morley finishes fast at PR Meet

SEATTLE — Bigfork’s Makena Morley finished sixth in the two-mile run in a historically fast heat at the prestigious Brooks PR Invitaitonal on Saturday at Renton Memorial Stadium.

Legion baseball: Twins split with Bitterroot

WHITEFISH — The Glacier Twins scored twice in the bottom of the seventh inning of their nightcap to break a tie with the Bitterroot Red Sox and split a doubleheader on Saturday.

Legion baseball: Chargers jolt Lakers AA

The Kalispell Lakers couldn’t overcome a sharp hitting Great Falls Chargers team, as they dropped both games of an American Legion doubleheader on Saturday night.

The case of the double-booked pavilion

A frustrated woman, who had booked a pavilion at Lawrence Park, was annoyed to find it occupied by someone who had also booked it. The woman reported to the

Kaia Brook Kane

Kaia Brook Kane, daughter of Adam Kane and Jessie Bebb of Columbia Falls, was born May 26

Colt Daniel Rigler

Colt Daniel Rigler, son of Jesse and Linden Rigler of Kalispell, was born May 25 at North Valley Hospital.

Isaac Bridges

Isaac Bridges, son of Seth Bridges and Erica Sanford of Kalispell, was born May 25 at North Valley Hospital.

Olivia James Paris

Olivia James Paris, daughter of Travis and Monika Paris of Columbia Falls, was born May 22 at North Valley Hospital.

Poppy Jane Clark

Poppy Jane Clark, daughter of Craig Clark and Jessica Savage of Eureka, was born May 20 at North Valley Hospital.

Nolan Michael Moran

Nolan Michael Moran, son of Shaun and Willow Moran of Columbia Falls, was born May 20 at North Valley Hospital.

Lillian Marie Murray

Lillian Marie Murray, daughter of Ryan and Jennifer Murray of Whitefish, was born May 22 at North Valley Hospital.

Louise Marie Francischetti

Louise Marie Francischetti, daughter of Steffan  and Cassie Francischetti, was born May 19 at North Valley Hospital.

Annalyn Rose Mower

Annalyn Rose Mower, daughter of Aaron and Micheale Mower of Kalispell, was born May 5 at Kalispell Regional Medical Center.

Pope denounces Mafia, meets father of slain boy

CASSANO ALL’JONIO, Italy (AP) — Pope Francis journeyed Saturday to the heart of Italy’s biggest crime syndicate, met the father of a 3-year-old boy slain in the region’s drug war, and declared that all mobsters are automatically excommunicated from the Catholic Church.

Korean soldier said to kill 5 comrades

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — A South Korean soldier killed five comrades Saturday night and wounded another five at the border with North Korea, a South Korean military official said.

Kalispell Lakers versus Great Falls Baseball

Kalispell's Jake Barstow (left) is collides with a Chargers player after being tagged out at second base on a steal attempt Saturday evening during the Lakers loss in the second game of a doubleheader against the Great Falls Chargers at Griffin Field in Kalispell. June 21, 2014 in Kalispell, Montana. (Patrick Cote/Daily Inter Lake)

Belarus rights chief freed from jail after 3 years

Senators, congressman oppose Obama plans

The three members of Montana’s congressional delegation say they’re opposed to sending any additional U.S. troops or advisers into Iraq to help quell a Sunni Muslim-led insurgency.

Local pair compete in U.S. auto-skills contest

Two Flathead High School graduates competed against top students from across the country recently in the Ford/AAA Student Auto Skills National Finals.

Johnson-Peters

Larry and Sandy Johnson of Kalispell, together with Kelly Peters of Kalispell and Terry Peters of Phoenix, announce the engagement of their children, Haley Johnson and Richard Peters.

Arranger Johnny Mann dies

Grammy-winning conductor and arranger Johnny Mann, whose singing group was a staple of recordings and TV shows in the 1950s and ’60s, died Wednesday at his home in Anderson, S.C. He was 85.

Fast conversion for concession firm

Over the course of three months, Xanterra Parks and Resorts has transformed the former Pamida store in Columbia Falls into a warehouse and laundry for its Glacier National Park operations.

Lalum-Fischer

Find a new focus: Business rents lenses to give tourists, photographers a way to up their shooting game

Advances in technology have made shooting, editing, posting and publishing images possible in a matter of minutes, but for high-quality results there is still a great deal to be said for gear and glass over cell phones and apps.

Judie and Gordon Stewart

Judie and Gordon Stewart will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary on June 27.

Teams evaluating grizzly populations

Ravalli County commissioners vote to ask treasurer to resign

Fight for the heart and soul of the Republican Party

I seldom find myself agreeing with Bruce Tutvedt but I do concur with his observation that there is a fight for the heart and soul of the Republican Party. The question is: will the Republican Party be pulled to the left by the “Responsible Republicans” or maintain its traditional values. The starting point of this discussion should be the realization that the traditional Democratic Party has been taken over.

Normally closed roads to be opened for firewood cutters

 The Tally Lake Ranger District on July 1 will open approximately nine miles of road for personal-use firewood gathering in the Johnson Peak and Bill Creek areas.

Daybook

State group to keep grape quest going

A three-year research trial for cold-hardy grapes is wrapping up in Western Montana, but grape growers have formed the Montana Grape and Wine Association to continue their quest to grow grapes in this climate.

Schools to have full-time outreach post

Kalispell Public Schools will have a full-time outreach coordinator position next year following a June 10 school board decision.

Two credit unions will join July 1

Whitefish-based Park Side Credit Union and Gateway Community Federal Credit Union of Missoula are completing a merger that takes effect July 1.

'Flowers for Algernon' author dies

Daniel Keyes, whose fascination with the workings of the mind drove a writing career that produced the classic 1966 novel “Flowers for Algernon,” died Sunday at his South Florida home of complications from pneumonia, his family said. He was 86.

Home building rekindled

Residential construction rebounding

It’s shaping up to be quite a busy summer for the Flathead Valley’s construction industry, with residential projects scattered throughout the county.

Bring dark money into sunlight

The venerable Barry Goldwater warned that, “Unlimited campaign spending eats at the heart of the democratic process.  It feeds the growth of special interest groups created solely to channel money into political campaigns.  It creates an impression that every candidate is bought and owned by the biggest givers. And it causes elected officials to devote more time to raising money than to their public duties.”

Photographer stabbed while father waited upstairs

BILLINGS (AP) — The father of photographer Michael S. Sample was in the building where he and his famous son worked when the stabbing that took his son’s life occurred near his office in Billings.

AOA move looks like right decision

We’re very glad to see the Flathead County commissioners moving forward with a plan to build a new facility for the Agency on Aging.

Glacier National Park Lodges laundry

Deb DeKaye gets ready to load sheets while Shana Westbrook and Diana Wingo load the sheet folder at the new Glacier National Park Lodges laundry in Columbia Falls last week.

Why should taxpayers pay for CFAC cleanup?

Columbia Falls Aluminum Co. is owned by Glencore Xtrata, the largest diversified commodities trader of coal, oil, copper, zinc, lead, aluminum, metal alloys and grain.

Lauding Libby for helping out

If your car is going to break down in Northwest Montana, Libby might just be the best place to do it.

Evergreen Fire seeks tax levy OK

Ballots are being mailed out to residents of the Evergreen Fire District seeking renewal of the district’s annual operational tax levy.

MT delegation opposes Obama plans moves

The three members of Montana’s congressional delegation say they’re opposed to sending any additional U.S. troops or advisers into Iraq to help quell a Sunni Muslim-led insurgency.

Gund pledges $50 million for blindness research

COLUMBIA, Md. (AP) — Businessman and philanthropist Gordon Gund is pledging $50 million in matching donations as part of an effort to restore vision for some blind people.

Man thankful for deal in Central Park rape lawsuit

NEW YORK (AP) — One of five men exonerated in the Central Park jogger case is thanking New York Mayor Bill de Blasio for settling a lawsuit over their 1989 arrests.

Albuquerque protesters put chief 'on trial'

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Protesters advocating for drastic changes within a police agency criticized by the U.S. Justice Department over its use of force put the embattled police chief “on trial” during a rally Saturday.

Outdoors writer lost on Mt. Rainier

Group challenges limit on what can be said about Ohio candidates

CINCINNATI (AP) — A national anti-abortion group wants a federal court to block an Ohio law barring people from knowingly or recklessly making false statements about candidates seeking elective office. 

Gay candidate in Maine leads pride parade

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — A Democratic candidate who reluctantly made public his homosexuality last year found himself serving as the grand marshal of Maine’s biggest gay pride parade and festival Saturday and urged activists to continue fighting to eliminate discrimination and promote equality. 

What will finally be the last straw?

Delores 'Dody' (Van Dort) Whyte, 76

Delores "Dody” (Van Dort) Whyte, 76, passed away Thursday, June 19, 2014.

Darlene Kay Schmidt, 76

Darlene Kay Schmidt passed away April 14, 2014, at the Montana Veterans Home. She passed peacefully. She was ready to be with God and her dear loved ones who have gone before her.

Man still missing from Libby after three weeks

Lincoln County Sheriff Roby Bowe said his detectives have no leads about last month’s disappearance of a 32-year-old Libby man who stepped out of a bar to smoke — and never returned.

Two grizzlies move to Cabinet Mountains

Two female grizzly bears have been transplanted from the Whitefish Range to the Cabinet Mountains as part of an ongoing effort to augment the imperiled Cabinet-Yaak grizzly bear population.

Cable firm settles property tax dispute

HELENA  (AP) — Charter Communications will drop a proposed ballot initiative after reaching a settlement with the state in its dispute over property taxes, the state’s revenue director said Thursday.

Rangers have big swing at Big Bucks

LIBBY — The Kootenai Valley Rangers started the Libby Big Bucks Tournament tremendously before being humbled, as they split their first two games of the tournament on Friday.

Montana man, 24, charged with breaking infant daughter's leg

'Gaydar' comment trips former governor

Former Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer set off a media and social media firestorm Wednesday night, as a magazine reported his comments about his “gaydar” going off over recently ousted U.S. House Majority Leader Eric Cantor and equating U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein with a prostitute.

Great white shark

A great white shark is pictured off the coast of Massachusetts.

Glacier Park getting back to normal

While Glacier National Park personnel continue to keep an eye out for flood-related problems, some parts of the park are reopening after being closed by the heavy rain that doused the region earlier this week.

Police seeking gunman for attack during Denver concert

 MORRISON, Colo. (AP) — Authorities were searching Friday for a gunman who shot and wounded three people at the end of a rap concert at the popular Red Rocks outdoor amphitheater near Denver.

Fleeing Iraqis join large tide of refugees people

Drones may be banned in 400 national parks

WASHINGTON — The National Park Service is taking steps to ban drones from 84 million acres of public lands and waterways, saying the unmanned aircraft annoy visitors, harass wildlife and threaten safety.

Most VA executives got bonuses

Obama expands federal benefits for gay couples

 WASHINGTON (AP) — A year after the Supreme Court struck down a law barring federal recognition of gay marriages, the Obama administration granted an array of new benefits Friday to same-sex couples, including those who live in states where gay marriage is against the law.

Daybook

Panhandlers hazed from bus stop

A dispatcher for Eagle Transit requested that

Trial delayed for state senator in assault case

HELENA — The trial of a state senator charged with assaulting his young daughter, estranged wife and her boyfriend has been delayed from August to January.

Top chefs cook for FVCC gala

Napa Valley chefs Dominic and Penelope Orsini will showcase their talents July 3 at a special Napa Valley Summer Affair presented by the Flathead Valley Community College Foundation.

Photographer stabbed to death

BILLINGS — Well-known landscape and outdoors photographer Michael S. Sample was stabbed to death near his office in downtown Billings. Police have a suspect in custody.

House backs limits on Obama's authority

 WASHINGTON (AP) — In an election-year challenge to President Barack Obama, the Republican-led House on Friday overwhelmingly approved a $570 billion defense bill that halts any Guantanamo transfers for a year amid the furor over the American-for-Taliban swap and pulls back on government spying.

Brian Schweitzer

Medical group says Ebola 'totally out of control'

 DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — The Ebola outbreak ravaging West Africa is “totally out of control,” according to a senior official for Doctors Without Borders, who says the medical group is stretched to the limit in its capacity to respond.

Great white shark numbers are surging study says

Girl, grandma buckle up for pageant

The grandmother-granddaughter team of Connie Jones, 57 and Esmeralda Ramos, 11, from Kila will compete in America’s Super Pageant on Sunday in Hamilton.

Officials ID man found in canal

BILLINGS — Yellowstone County officials have identified a man whose body was found in a Billings irrigation canal in January.

Woman, 102, facing murder charge in death of 100-year-old roommate

BOSTON — A 102-year-old woman who prosecutors say killed her 100-year-old roommate in a Massachusetts nursing home nearly five years ago faces a second-degree murder charge.

Horrific crash kills six people

Local jobless rate down to 5.6 percent

May figure is lowest number since Sept. 2008

For the month of May, Flathead County posted its lowest unemployment rate since September 2008.

Deb Newell

Deb Newell holds one of her hand-painted pieces of clothing. June 16, 2014 in Lakeside, Montana. (Patrick Cote/Daily Inter Lake)

Home building

Workers from Leigh Builders finish sheeting the roof of a house under construction Friday morning in the Silverbrook Estates development in north Kalispell.

Woodland Water Park

A lifeguard watches from the top of the slide as children enjoy the first day of summer Friday afternoon at Woodland Water Park in Kalispell. June 20, 2014 in Kalispell, Montana. (Patrick Cote/Daily Inter Lake)

Matt Quist

Flathead senior Matt Quist competes in the high jump Saturday during the ARM track meet at Whitefish High School. May 3, 2014 in Whitefish, Montana. (Patrick Cote/Daily Inter Lake)

Horrific crash kills six

A vehicle is on fire following a two-vehicle crash on Thursday near Helena. A fire engine and a pickup truck collided on the highway in southwestern Montana, causing an explosion and fire that killed six people, including a fire chief and three Helena children. There were no survivors. A Three Forks fire engine heading east on U.S. 12 collided with a westbound pickup Thursday night, about 10 miles east of Helena, forcing both vehicles into the ditch, Jefferson County Sheriff's Deputy Bob Gleich said.

Real Deals on Home Decor

Faucets n' Fixtures

Darlene Kay Schmidt, 76

Elizabeth Barrow

In this Aug. 21, 2009 file photo provided by Scott Barrow, his mother Elizabeth Barrow celebrates her 100th birthday at his home in Dartmouth, Mass. Elizabeth Barrow was found on Sept. 24, 2009, strangled in her Dartmouth nursing home bed with a plastic bag over her head. Laura Lundquist, a 102-year-old woman prosecutors say killed Elizabeth Barrow, still faces a second-degree murder charge. Lundquist is the oldest murder defendant in state history.

Churches combine for Bible school

Vacation Bible school will be combined for Bethlehem Lutheran and Northridge Lutheran churches.

Frontier Hospice

Lorraine G. Manicke, 86

Lorraine G. Manicke, 86, of Rockford, Minn., passed away on Thursday, June 19, 2014, at her residence.

answer book 2014 cover

fbj april 28 cover

fbj april 28

FBJ may 19 cover

FBJ June 16

Bonfire victim needs skin grafts

Mountain Mall to get city facade help

The Mountain Mall will receive an infusion of tax dollars to help remodel its aging facade after the Whitefish City Council voted Monday night to assist the project.

Former ExpoPark workers got $85,000 in settlements

GREAT FALLS (AP) — Cascade County has settled three wrongful termination or discrimination claims by former Montana ExpoPark employees for a total of $85,000 while a fourth former employee is seeking $150,000 in a discrimination case.

Mother charged with hitting son with her vehicle

BILLINGS — A Billings woman is charged with intentionally hitting her 12-year-old son with her car.

Andrews to run for Griz

Emma Andrews just released a huge sigh of relief.

Legion baseball: Mission Valley's Peel throws no-hitter

LIBBY — The Mission Valley Mariners are off to an impeccable start at the Libby Big Bucks Tournament, winning both of their games on the tournament’s opening day.

Avery wins Big 'I' Tourney

BOZEMAN — Kalispell’s Teigan Avery set new course and tournament records on Thursday at Bridger Creek Golf Course to convincingly win the Big “I” Junior State Qualifier, and set up a trip to the national championships later this summer.

Daybook

David Ronald Cassidy, 57

David Ronald Cassidy, loving and devoted husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle and friend, died on June 2, 2014, at Kalispell Regional Medical Center.

Fight over truck repair led to Ronan murder

Harold A. 'Tony' Bacon, 75

Harold A. “Tony” Bacon, 75, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, June 11, 2014, at HealthCenter Northwest in Kalispell.

Montessori quartet wins state competition for web projects

The four-student team engineered a project to help lower child obesity in the Flathead Valley

A Kalispell Montessori team took first place at state in eCybermission, a web-based competition, for the sixth-grade level.

Bob Snyder, 53

GOP conservatives seek closed primary elections

State Republicans hold three-day convention

BILLINGS — Montana Republicans were to consider a proposal to close future primary elections to non-party members during a three-day convention beginning Thursday in Billings.

Turmoil in Iraq pushes up gas prices

Violence in Iraq is helping to make gasoline in the U.S. more expensive, depriving drivers of the usual price break between Memorial Day and July Fourth.

U.S. sending advisers to Iraq

WASHINGTON (AP) — Edging back into a military role in Iraq, President Barack Obama on Thursday said he was dispatching up to 300 military advisers to help quell the rising insurgency in the crumbling nation. He called on Iraqi leaders to govern with a more “inclusive agenda” to ensure the country does not descend into civil war.

Man gets prison for Ponzi scheme

Scam took in more than $5 million

BOZEMAN (AP) — A Belgrade man who was convicted of running an investment scam that prosecutors say took in $5.38 million from at least 140 investors in 20 states has been sentenced to 20 years in prison.

Firearm pawning deal goes awry

Tim Blixseth

FILE - In this April 29, 2009, file photo, Tim Blixseth arrives at the federal courthouse in Missoula. A federal judge in California has issued a $200 million civil judgment against one-time billionaire Tim Blixseth for the fraudulent transfer of money out of an ultra-luxury resort he founded in southern Montana. U.S. District Judge Gary Feess referred to Blixseth's actions while at the Yellowstone Club near Big Sky as an "elaborate fraudulent scheme of self-dealing." Feess said the club's creditors deserve to be repaid.

Former billionaire hit with a $200 million judgment

Man appeals conviction in death of his ex-wife

BILLINGS (AP) — A man who is serving a 110-year prison sentence after being convicted of strangling his ex-wife and throwing her body into the Yellowstone River is seeking a new trial, alleging investigating officers continued to question him after he asked for an attorney.

Say no to Johnson-Crapo housing reform

This special-interest piece of legislation makes big banks more powerful and winds-down Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

Huntress query

I had a couple of thoughts after seeing the article about the woman who shot the mountain lion in order to belong to a special organization for women who shoot animals.

Time for different 'affirmative action'?

Recent college graduation statistics indicate that approximately 56 percent of college graduates this year will be female. That statistic is laudable in that more females are graduating from college than ever before in American history.  

Thanks for art show at Hockaday

A heartfelt thank you and congratulations is due Dr. Van Kirke and Helen Nelson and the Hockaday Museum for the presentation of the show “A Journey Through History: Art and Artifacts from the Collection of Dr. Van Kirke and Helen Nelson.

Easton Wayne Arentz

Easton Wayne Arentz, son of BJ and Trista Arentz of Kalispell, was born May 19 at North Valley Hospital.

Lyle Anthony Venche

Easton Wayne Arentz

Toriele Montana Goulet

Toriele Montana Goulet, daughter of Chris Goulet and Tanisha Gladden of Martin City, was born May 19  at North Valley Hospital.

Sawyer River Wetzel

Sawyer River Wetzel, son of Buck Wetzel and Kelsi Hausserman, was born May 12 at North Valley Hospital.

Emma Trinidad Dawn Cubberly

Emma Trinidad Dawn Cubberly, daughter of Stephanie Garcia, was born May 13 at North Valley Hospital.

Adelyn Lou Kientz

Adelyn Lou Kientz, daughter, and Nolan Lee Kientz, son, of Tom and Aryn Kientz of Kalispell, was born May 6 at North Valley Hospital.

Lillian Lee Henriksen

Lillian Lee Henriksen, daughter of Clarence Henriksen and Kayla Brandewie of Columbia Falls, was born May 5 at North Valley Hospital.

Weslee Lane Witten

Weslee Lane Witten, daughter of Casey and Kristy Witten of Columbia Falls, was born April 29 at North Valley Hospital.

Haaken James Ebersberger

Haaken James Ebersberger, son of Ryan and Lindsay Ebersberger of Whitefish, was born May 1 at North Valley Hospital.

Remi Catherine Atherton

Remi Catherine Atherton, daughter of Shane Atherton and Carmela Waqas of Eureka, was born April 24 at North Valley Hospital.

Knoxen Hill

Knoxen Hill, son of Paul and Hannah Hill of Whitefish, was born April 12 at North Valley Hospital.

Harper Anne Hinzman

Harper Anne Hinzman, daughter of Dustin and Brandy Hinzman of Columbia Falls, was born April 8 at North Valley Hospital.

Ten percent of vets wait at least 30 days for care

WASHINGTON (AP) — About 10 percent of veterans seeking medical care at VA hospitals and clinics have to wait at least 30 days for an appointment —  more than twice the percentage of veterans the government said last week were forced to endure long waits, the acting veterans affairs secretary said Wednesday.

Fire response was impressive success

When we first heard the scanner call for the fire at the Plum Creek fiberboard plant in Columbia Falls on June 10, we were frankly horrified.

The eCybermission competition

Nina Friedman, Luke Ritzdorf, Maria Makman and Zach Hong took first place in the state-level U.S. Army Educational Outreach Program’s eCybermission competition.

State Medicaid expansion initiative drive falls short

HELENA (AP) — A proposal to expand Medicaid coverage to the working poor won’t be on Nov. 4 election ballots after the measure’s sponsor said Thursday there wasn’t enough time to gather the required voter signatures.

Glacier Park full of hazards following three days of storms

Debris slides, avalanches, high water and flooding continue to impact Glacier National Park due to three days of heavy rain plus snow at higher elevations.

Soaked hillside section slumps after heavy rains

Second major slide hits Village Greens in four-year period

Another section of hillside overlooking the Village Greens subdivision collapsed early Thursday morning under the weight of record rainfall in Kalispell.

Trumble Creek Crossing

Detail of a new home in the Trumble Creek Crossing subdivision on Thursday, June 19, in Evergreen. (Brenda Ahearn/Daily Inter Lake)

Hockaday: Seventh annual Plein Air Paint Out

Kalispell artist Dixie Turner makes paintings for the Hockaday Museum of Art's seventh annual Plein Air Paint Out on Thursday, June 19, on 4th Avenue East in Kalispell. New, original paintings are being done through today which will be sold to benefit the museum. The Plein Air Paint Out Party & Sale will be held outside the Museum in the Centennial Pavilion Tent on Saturday, June 21, from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. Admission to the event is free. (Brenda Ahearn/Daily Inter Lake)

Landslide

Parts of the hillside above Village Greens in Kalispell slid into a pond below on Thursday morning.

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Three grizzlies, two black bears dead

There has been a recent rash of bear deaths, most notably three young grizzly bears shot in the Ferndale area.

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this week

This Week 6-19-14

this Week in the Flathead June 19, 2014

Montana Plane Crash

Federal investigators look over the wreckage of a Grumman Goose airplane that crashed late Tuesday afternoon in the Lost Trail Ski Area parking lot, Wednesday near Sula. A twin-engine airplane plane crashed and caught fire in the parking lot of a western Montana ski area, killing the pilot.

Plane that crashed near Lost Trail was an antique

Montana Life: The Lens Hub

Detail shot of the color in the rocks at Glacier National Park shot with the 85mm f/1.4 to capture the extreme low depth of field. (Brenda Ahearn/Daily Inter Lake)

Glacier Symphony and Chorale: Pops at Rebecca Farm

The Glacier Symphony and Chorale 2014 Summer Symphony Pops at Rebecca Farm will take place Saturday, June 28. (Photo by Brenda Ahearn)

Symphony offers an all-American night with pops concert

Heavenly Harp concert at Bethlehem Lutheran Church

Summer concert series schedule

The week's highlights

Man burned at bonfire

Petition seeks return of grizzly bears to West

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — An environmental group called on federal wildlife managers Wednesday to update a decades-old recovery plan for grizzly bears to ensure the animal’s return to the Grand Canyon and other areas of the West.

Sanders judge calls out jury duty absconders

THOMPSON FALLS — A Sanders County judge threatened fines and required letters of apology from nine people who failed to show up when they were called for jury duty this month.

Two senators propose 12-cent gas tax increase

WASHINGTON (AP) — Two senators unveiled a bipartisan plan Wednesday to raise federal gasoline and diesel taxes for the first time in more than two decades, pitching the proposal as a solution to Congress’ struggle to pay for highway and transit programs.

Loan changes help two local projects

State says oil-train details not secret

 BILLINGS (AP) — Montana officials said Wednesday they intend to release details next week on the frequency of oil trains passing through the state, despite efforts by railroads to keep the information from the public after a string of fiery accidents raised safety concerns.

House GOP holds leadership elections

 WASHINGTON (AP) — Rep. Kevin McCarthy of California appears likely to win election as House majority leader on Thursday when Republicans vote in the wake of Eric Cantor’s surprising primary defeat, but an unpredictable, contest to select a new party whip may tell more about the House GOP’s future.

One dead, two injured in blast at fireworks plant

TENINO, Wash. (AP) — A 74-year-old man injured in an explosion Wednesday morning at a fireworks plant in Washington state died at the scene from his injuries.

Council looks at budget on July 21

In a brief 20-minute meeting Monday night, the Kalispell City Council set a public hearing on the city budget for the coming fiscal year for July 21.

Anglers enjoy Fishing Without Barriers

A total of 75 anglers with disabilities participated in the 21st annual Fishing Without Barriers Day on Flathead Lake on June 12. 

Social Security closing down offices as baby boomers age

WASHINGTON (AP) — Budget cuts have forced the Social Security Administration to close dozens of field offices even as millions of baby boomers approach retirement, swamping the agency with applications for benefits, a senior agency official told Congress Wednesday.

Iraqi leader al-Maliki extends overtures to rivals

BAGHDAD (AP) — Iraqi forces and Sunni militants battled fiercely for control of the nation’s largest oil refinery on Wednesday as Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki went on a diplomatic offensive, reaching out in a televised address to try to regain support from the nation’s disaffected Sunnis and Kurds.

U.S. aims for trial of Benghazi suspect held on ship

WASHINGTON  — The capture of an alleged leader of the deadly 2012 attacks on Americans in Benghazi, Libya, gave U.S. officials a rare moment of good news. Now, they are preparing to try the captured Libyan in the U.S. court system and pledging to double down on catching others responsible for the deaths of the U.S. ambassador and three other Americans in the attacks.

Patent Office finds Redskins' name offensive

 WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office ruled Wednesday that the Washington Redskins’ name is “disparaging of Native Americans” and should be stripped of trademark protection — a decision that puts powerful new financial and political pressure on the NFL team to rename itself.

Plea deal expected in murder-for-hire case

A Lake County prosecutor and a defense attorney say they’re close to reaching a plea agreement in the case of a Polson man charged with raping his former girlfriend, then stalking her and trying to hire someone to kill her to prevent her from testifying against him.

Man recovered from river drowned

Rainfall breaks local records

The Daily Inter Lake

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Inching towards history

Will the U.S. ever win the World Cup?

Morley takes to national stage

Weeks after claiming two state titles, Bigfork distance runner Makena Morley is taking her talents to the national stage.

Rain was bad; the driving was worse

The

The band plays on: D-Day switch didn't deter musicians

Seven Flathead Valley Community Band members performed at a D-Day ceremony in France, but it wasn’t where they expected to play their instruments.

Great Falls teenager sentenced for rapes

GREAT FALLS (AP) — A 19-year-old Great Falls man who was sentenced last week to 60 years in prison for rape has been given a concurrent 60 years after pleading no contest to raping a 14-year-old girl when he was 17.

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Today, June 18

Some weather we're having, huh?

By now, most of us who fish here in the Flathead have probably been on the water at least a couple of times.  Maybe in a boat, possibly at a family fishing pond in the area or from a river or stream bank.

Tenure ruling sends right message

A court ruling against teacher tenure laws was overdue, mostly because it is so obvious that tenure rules can have adverse effects on students by shielding the worst of teachers from dismissal.

D-Day anniversary

Flathead Valley Community Band members who performed on the beach at St. Laurent-Sur-Mer in France for the 70th anniversary of D-Day are, from left, Paul Erickson, Jim Lehner, Deanne Lehner, Linda Sole, Irv Milheim, Wendell Tharpe and Paul Sebesta.

Norma Emma Servo, 78

Norma Emma Servo, 78, died peacefully, surrounded by her family at Kalispell Regional Medical Center in Kalispell, June 16, 2014, from Alzheimer’s disease and complications from a brief illness.

Anna Helena Catherine Debus Woessner, 91

Anna Helena Catherine Debus Woessner passed in peace surrounded by family on June 15, 2014, at the age of 91.    

Harry Neil Sanford, 81

Harry Neil Sanford, 81, passed away on Thursday, June 12, 2014, in Sandpoint, Idaho.

Deb Newell

Deb Newell shows off a book featuring her clothing. June 16, 2014 in Lakeside, Montana. (Patrick Cote/Daily Inter Lake)

Park repairs

Working in a downpour Wednesday, Rus Tindale and Clay Fischer of Flathead County Parks and Recreation dig out and remove the rotted base of a swingset at the Mission Village Overlook Park north of Kalispell. Depending on the weather, repairs should be completed today.

Sperry Chalet snow

Sperry Chalet in Glacier National Park received 14 to 16 inches of snow since Tuesday morning and more was falling on Wednesday. The chalet is not due to open until July 10. (Glacier National Park photo)

Shades of 1964? Not exactly

The rain may be reminiscent of 1964, but the flooding will not be.

Sunny skies ahead for this weekend

If you’re tired of the soggy weather, take heart: sunshine and drier days are ahead.

Rainy vacation

Linda Cannell of Reno, Nevada, throws a frisbee with April, her yellow Lab, on Wednesday afternoon at Depot Park in Kalispell. The rain was not a deterrent for Cannell since her family is from the desert.

It's umbrella, snowshoe weather

A late-spring deluge that has dumped over 6 inches of rain and more than a foot of snow in parts of Glacier National Park has tourists seeking cover and rivers spilling over their banks from the mountain runoff.

High Rivers

Canada geese swim across the Whitefish River Wednesday morning near Evergreen Road. With recent rainfall several rivers around the valley are projected to near flood stage this week. June 18, 2014 in Kalispell, Montana. (Patrick Cote/Daily Inter Lake)

House Debate

Senate Debate

Glacier Symphony and Chorale: Pops at Rebecca Farm

The Glacier Symphony and Chorale 2014 Summer Symphony Pops at Rebecca Farm will take place Saturday, June 28. Photos courtesy of Brenda Ahearn.

Pilot killed when plane crashes, burns at Lost Trail

Murder suspect arrested in Ronan

RONAN — The search for a 53-year-old Ronan man suspected of shooting his brother to death over the weekend ended Tuesday night when the man was arrested at his home.

Swan River fishing access closed

Lake County commissioners have closed a popular river access on the Swan River.

Court: $1.8 million house built on park must be removed

NARRAGANSETT, R.I. (AP) — A developer who mistakenly built a $1.8 million waterfront house on parkland has been ordered to remove it.

Twin tornadoes flatten tiny Nebraska town

PILGER, Neb. (AP) — As two giant tornadoes bore down on this tiny farming town in northeast Nebraska, Trey Wisniewski heard the storm sirens, glanced out at the blackening sky and rushed with his wife into their basement.

Glacier Park feels effects of rough weather

Old Man Winter was hard on Glacier National Park this year, with park officials continuing to deal with problems caused by cold and snow.

Lawmakers: IRS lost more emails in Tea Party probe

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Internal Revenue Service has lost more emails connected to the tea party investigation, congressional investigators said Tuesday.

Nebraska tornadoes

This photo taken on June 16 from atop the Wisner, Neb., grain elevator and made available on Tuesday, June 17, 2014, shows a tornado approaching Pilger, Neb. A storm packing rare dual tornadoes tore through northeast Nebraska, crumpling grain bins and flattening dozens of homes.

Tough driving conditions

Record rainfall made for challenging driving conditions on U.S. 93 in Kalispell on Tuesday. 

Signs designed to discourage solicitors backfire

A man calling the

Audit finds Ravalli County treasurer's office in disarray

Phoenix VA doled out $10M in bonuses

Troubled VA offices

PHOENIX (AP) — Workers at the Phoenix VA Health Care System — where investigators say veterans’ health was jeopardized when employees covered up long wait times for patients — received about $10 million in bonuses, newly released records show.

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Rainfall shatters weather record in Flathead Valley

A wet, wet day in Northwest Montana was a record-breaker for rainfall.

City of Ronan sued over police hiring, training

 RONAN (AP) — A member of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes who says he was wrongly arrested by Ronan police has filed a lawsuit alleging the city violated his constitutional rights by hiring at least one unqualified officer.

Deputies to patrol lakes near Helena this summer

 HELENA (AP) — The Lewis and Clark County Sheriff’s Office is more prepared to respond to emergencies on three major Helena-area lakes this summer

Wildfire threatens homes, livestock

Navajo Nation grazing lands in danger as fire balloons

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — A fast-moving wildfire near the Arizona-New Mexico border grew Tuesday as it approached two communities and threatened traditional grazing lands on the Navajo Nation, where sheep are a staple of life, their wool is prized for its use in rugs, and mutton is on the menu of restaurants throughout the region.

Rain, snow and flooding

Vehicles head down snowy Marias Pass near Skyland Road on U.S. 2 on Tuesday. The National Weather Service is predicting 15 to 20 inches of snow above 7,000 feet and possible flooding in the valleys. (Chris Peterson/Hungry Horse News.

Twin tornadoes in Nebraska

Twin tornadoes approach Pilger, Neb. on Monday.

Gathering to benefit grizzly work

A popular annual fundraiser for Montana wildlife biologists who oversee the state’s grizzly bear population is July 11 at Jack and Suzi Hanna’s farm near Bigfork.

N.D. pumping 1 million barrels of oil per day

WILLISTON, N.D. (AP) — North Dakota has joined the ranks of the few places in the world that produce more than a million barrels of oil per day, due in large part to the rich Bakken shale formation in the western part of the state.

U.S. seizes Benghazi suspect

 WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. special forces seized a “key leader” of the deadly Benghazi, Libya, attack and he is on his way to face trial in the U.S. for the fiery assault that killed the U.S. ambassador and three other Americans, the Obama administration announced Tuesday. It was the first breakthrough in the sudden overseas violence in 2012 that has become a festering political sore at home.

Flathead River rising toward flood stage

Record rainfall drenches Flathead Valley

This week’s deluge of rain is projected to bring rivers and streams to new peaks this year across Northwest Montana, and people in flood-prone areas are being advised to be prepared.

Deer and Fawn

A doe keeps watch as her fawn licks her head Tuesday afternoon in a field off Holt Stage Road. June 17, 2014 in Kalispell, Montana. (Patrick Cote/Daily Inter Lake)

Weather Conditions

Wet weather conditions made for bad driving conditions on Highway 93 in Kalispell on Tuesday, June 17. (Brenda Ahearn/Daily Inter Lake)

Congregating Gulls

A flock of gulls gather together in an empty parking lot at the Kidsports Complex on Tuesday, June 17, in Kalispell. (Brenda Ahearn/Daily Inter Lake)

Torrential rains swell rivers, streams on east side

Deluge prompts a 'dangerous situation' on east side of park

Minor flooding has begun on the east side of Glacier National Park, according to the National Weather Service.

Barbara Gay 'Snooks' Tidwell, 80

Barbara Gay "Snooks" Tidwell, 80, of Kalispell, died Saturday, June 14, 2014, at Immanuel Lutheran Care Center in Kalispell.

Jay Herbert Jones Jr., 75

Jay Herbert Jones Jr., 75, “is with the Lord.”

Edith Knutson Schulte Mason, 95

Montana 500

Ed Marshall of Burly, Washington puts his gloves on and prepares for the next leg of the Montana 500 at the Search and Rescue building on Three Mile Drive on Tuesday, June 17, in Kalispell. Model T drivers endured wet weather conditions for this years Montana 500. Marshall said he had been participating for five years and this is the first time he's gotten rained on. Marshall also said that the weather alone would not be enough to stop him. (Brenda Ahearn/Daily Inter Lake)

Whitefish board considers building projects

Increased momentum in the local construction industry is reflected in the Whitefish Planning Board’s agenda for Thursday, with four of five public hearings geared to building projects.

Huckleberries helped family get through Depression

Road work concentrated on park's east side

Woman drives like she's playing pinball

Beulah Brown

Beulah Lucille Mangold Brown, 99

Jurassic Quest coming to Kalispell

The Rock medical office expanding to double current size

Inter Lake wins 10 awards in state competition

The Daily Inter Lake won three first-place awards over the weekend in the 2014 Better Newspaper Contest sponsored by the Montana Newspaper Association.

Commissioners OK $98.1 million budget

The Flathead County commissioners on Monday put their unanimous stamp of approval on a $98.1 million budget that includes $14.1 million in capital improvements for the coming year.

Murder suspect sought in Mission Mountains

Heavy rain, snow to hit Glacier Park

Hunker down, Glacier National Park visitors: Winter’s not over yet.

Active Senior: Stan Flagg

Stan Flagg shows off pictures of his father's system for sorting berries from refuse. June 12, 2014 in Kalispell, Montana. (Patrick Cote/Daily Inter Lake)

Week in Pictures: June 9-15

Week in Pictures: June 2-8

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Nellie Colleen Lutz

Nellie Colleen Lutz, 53

On the evening of Tuesday, June 10, 2014, the Lutz family lost their true blue guiding star in the form of Nellie Colleen Lutz. 

Agape Building

Legion baseball: Mariners finish third at Cloninger Classic

HELENA — Mission Valley finished in third place at the Cloninger Classic with an emphatic 15-6 victory in the consolational final on Sunday.

Kalispell studies preliminary budget numbers

Ronan murder victim identified

Whitefish considers $41 million budget

Fish, Wildlife and Parks supervisor retires to focus on writing career

Man threatens a neighborhood

Local life coach publishes new self-help book

Teenager learns to live with diabetes

Man pleads not guilty in bar incident

Kalispell woman cares for squirrel with special needs

Sunday Cover 6-15-14

DIL 6-15-14

home june 2014 cover

Homes june 2014

Always a classic at The Summit

It wasn’t the greatest of mornings. With the temperature hovering around 50 degrees, skies overcast and the ground wet from rain the night before, it wasn’t the prettiest of conditions for a race.

Epperly aids sweep, girls' split

SHERIDAN, Wyo. — Montana topped Wyoming 105-103 in a high scoring affair in the first of two games in the Montana-Wyoming All-Star Basketball Challenge at Sheridan College’s Golden Dome.

South snaps North's win streak at Big Sky All-Star Game

BILLINGS — The South team broke a four-year winning streak by the North, rolling to a 27-8 victory in the Big Sky Class B All-Star football game.

Mission Valley on a tear at Cloninger Classic

HELENA — Mission Valley blew through its schedule Saturday, sweeping games against Kalispell A and Vauxhall (Alberta), winning by a combined 23 runs at the Cloninger Classic American Legion baseball tournament.

Model T drivers hit the road this week

 Thirty-five Model T drivers are headed to Northwest Montana for the Montana 500 today through Thursday.

Soldier's story shows tragedy of World War I

NIEUWKERKE, Belgium (AP) — In a neatly clipped corner of the Westhof Farm Cemetery, an Australian family huddled around Pvt. Andrew Bayne’s grave. One century after the start of World War I, the family found closure in homage to a forebear who had traveled half the world to meet his death, his stomach ripped open by an exploding shell, in the horrors of Flanders Fields.

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Monday

All-terrain vehicle dents house

After defeating Cantor, Dave Brat avoids spotlight

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — The giant slayer isn’t quite ready for his close up.

Pastors should be working to stop abortion in U.S.

I write in reference to March 23 article by Pastors Sandler, Pierson, and Woods as they spoke out against violence to the medical clinic.

Gen. Shinseki is just a scapegoat

As a life member of the Disabled American Veterans, I am very upset and offended that the American Legion is trying to blame Gen. Shinseki for the tragic events that happened at the Phoenix V.A. hospital.

Rabbi Allen Secher

Rabbi Allen Secher of Whitefish.

Land purchase near Helena advances

Rescue and release: Wild Wings Recovery Center a place for healing

Beth Benjamin Watne worked gently and quietly, with a laser-like focus, as she prepared to release a rehabilitated bald eagle back into the wild.

Walsh, Daines meet in first Senate debate

BUTTE (AP) — U.S. Sen. John Walsh and U.S. Rep. Steve Daines debated for the first time Saturday as the campaign for a race that could help determine control of the U.S. Senate got underway.

Tapping into geotourism: Crown of the Continent Discovery Center opening in West Glacier

When Aubrie and Eric Lorona open the Crown of the Continent Discovery Center in West Glacier on June 21, their focus will be on encompassing all aspects of geotourism.

Kalispell VA Clinic is top-notch

I have been using the Kalispell VA clinic for over 30 years. The great doctors, nurses and the other clinic workers furnish me with the very best of care. I always feel that my needs are very important to them. They have my respect and gratitude.

Flathead High School senior wins car for perfect attendance

Flathead High School junior Jesse Pentelute was at the back of a crowd at Green Nissan when his name was called as the winner of a 2013 Nissan Versa Saturday.

Dad-daughter bond a special connection

“Newborn babies are really kind of ugly,” my husband, Tim, asserted more than once before we had children.

Kalispell man faces sexual abuse charge

GREAT FALLS (AP) — A 20-year-old Kalispell man is charged with sexual abuse of children after prosecutors say he talked a 12-year-old Great Falls girl into sending him nude photos and then used them to threaten her.

Rural and urban Montana need to re-connect

Now that the primaries are over, it is a good time to take the temperature of the political climate in Montana. And wherever politicians in this state might stand on the issues of water and weather, they would all probably agree that, when it comes to politics, our state is going to get a whole lot warmer in the next few months.

Rabbi part of pivotal pool protest in Florida in 1964

Rabbi Allen Secher of Whitefish was at the very front of the line on June 17, 1964, as a group of demonstrators marched to end segregation in St. Augustine, Fla.

Consolidation could be start of solution

Just voted for the school levy. Maybe not next time. Might not be able to afford to drive the Chevy to the levy again.

Petitioners aim to toughen state marijuana law

A petition drive for a ballot measure that would repeal the Montana Marijuana Act of 2004 and align state law with federal drug laws has been revved up in the Flathead Valley.

Bergdahl: Truth & consequences

What’s done is done. Our editorial board is split on whether trading five high-level Taliban prisoners for one American soldier held by terrorists was justified or not, but there’s no going back — and there’s also no stopping consequences.

Doting dad gets plenty of help

Josh Hernandez was aware he needed a little help.

Secretive push for Medicaid expansion?

Americans overwhelmingly disapprove of Obamacare. Montanans rejected Obamacare’s individual mandate at the ballot box by a 2:1 vote. It is not hard to understand why.

Harry Lozeau, 53

If only Congress would take holiday...

There is not one single mandatory statement in any constitution of the “several states” (or the Union) that says a legislature (or Congress) — or any sub-division of a state — MUST pass laws.

Hidden Cash craze hits New York City's Central Park

NEW YORK (AP) — Guided by a few clues from Twitter, Stephanie Culff hailed a cab to Central Park on Saturday and started searching for money planted there by Hidden Cash, the scavenger hunt craze that made its New York debut this weekend.

Allegiant flight diverted

MISSOULA (AP) — A warning light caused a delay in an Allegiant flight from Las Vegas to Missoula Friday, which was diverted to Wendover, Nev., after a light indicated there was an issue with a plane function.

This week, let's take it down a notch

There were lots of big changes in the world last week — from the fall of Eric Cantor to the collapse of Iraq — but nothing compared to the big changes in the Miele household.

Summit Classic

Competitors race Saturday morning during the Summit Classic 5K run in Kalispell. (Patrick Cote/Daily Inter Lake)

Man sought in Ronan area murder

A murder south of Ronan Saturday evening left law enforcement searching for a 53-year-old man in Lake and Flathead Counties.

Richard Rotha Banna, 79

Richard Rotha Banna, 79, died at his home in Kalispell on June 6, 2014, from complications of bone cancer.

Tedrowe Watkins, 90

Tedrowe Watkins, 90, passed peacefully on June, 9, 2014, in Bigfork after a courageous 13-year battle with cancer.  

Donald L. Helander, 62

Donald L. "Don" Helander passed away Sunday, June 1, 2014, after a brief, courageous battle with cancer.

2014 Election

Senate Debate livestream

Suspicious package contained "cooling device"

A suspicious package that led to a bomb scare in Kalispell on Friday turned out to contain a cooling device used to ship biological material.

2014 Senate Debate

Education reform: Can we agree it would be better if students knew what D-Day is?

A quarter of Americans don’t know that D-Day occurred during World War II.

Libby tops Mariners at Classic

HELENA — Libby went up big early and held on to defeat Mission Valley 10-9 at the Cloninger Classic baseball tournament on Friday.

Braves focus on community outreach

A small group of teenagers did their part Friday to help a neighbor in need. Those teenagers just happened to be wearing Flathead football jerseys.

Commissioners OK West Glacier cabins OK'd

A guest cabin development near West Glacier won approval Thursday from the Flathead County commissioners.

Sibling scientists reach world stage

Colin and Colter Norick, two ambitious brothers from Columbia Falls, have gained international recognition with their science project, “The Correlation between Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA) Levels and Cognitive Function in Healthy Teens.”

Idaho challenger joins GOP leadership contest

WASHINGTON — The son of a Bakersfield, Calif., firefighter, Rep. Kevin McCarthy has hauled plenty of political hose to get where he is now, seemingly perched on the edge of real power in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Missoula police improve sex assault response

MISSOULA  — Police in Missoula continue to improve their investigation of sexual assault reports and are demonstrating better communication with victims and community sexual assault resources.

Variety of mismanagment issues led to ExpoPark firing

 GREAT FALLS (AP) — Cascade County fired the general manager of Montana ExpoPark after an investigation found she charged personal purchases to the county, bullied employees and misused sponsorship benefits, according her termination letter.

Whitehall man convicted of killing Butte man

BUTTE — Jurors deliberated for just over an hour before finding a 25-year-old Whitehall man guilty of deliberate homicide in the shooting death of a Butte man last August.

Man accused of DUI on way to bail out wife

BOZEMAN — A southwestern Montana man was arrested for driving under the influence after Gallatin County deputies say he drove drunk to bail his wife out of jail for her DUI arrest hours earlier.

Pilfered plush giraffe returned safely

The

Poachers massacre 68 elephants in Congo park

Ted Ramon, 56

Ted Ramon, 56, pleads guilty to sex-assault charges.

Polebridge man, 56, pleads guilty to sex-assault charges

Ted Ramon’s trip to justice has been a long one, but he now appears to be headed toward sentencing.

Squirrel

Robbin Larson shows off the feeding house she built for a paralyzed squirrel Thursday afternoon at her home in Kalispell. June 12, 2014 in Kalispell, Montana. (Patrick Cote/Daily Inter Lake)

Flathead Football

Larry Norstedt, with his dog Leo, jokes with Flathead High School football players as they help load up his possessions Friday afternoon for his move to Polson on Friday, in Kalispell. (Patrick Cote/Daily Inter Lake)

Fairgrounds get $1.5 million makeover

Flathead County is spending more than $1.5 million to upgrade its aging fairgrounds.

Somers offers summer meals for youths

Somers School will serve free meals to children this summer June 16 through June 27.

Student scientists

From left, Colin and Colter Norick conduct research for their science fair project at a Montana State University laboratory. The brothers have been studying Docosahexaenoic Acid levels and cognitive function in teenagers.

Jim Satterfield

Regional supervisor of Fish, Wildlife and Parks Jim Satterfield. June 13, 2014 in Kalispell, Montana. (Patrick Cote/Daily Inter Lake)

Flathead County Fairground

Bomb Threat

Traffic on Meridian Road backs up when the road was blocked at Liberty Street Friday afternoon. (Patrick Cote/Daily Inter Lake)

Bearing failure led to Plum Creek fire

A bearing failure led to explosions and fire Tuesday at the Plum Creek Medium Density Fiberboard plant in Columbia Falls.

Richard Rotha Banna, 79

Tedrowe Watkins, 90

Traffic detour

Traffic on Meridian Road is detoured at Liberty Street on Friday afternoon because of a possible bomb at the UPS facility. (Patrick Cote/Daily Inter Lake)

Meridian shut down by bomb scare

Joanne 'Jo' Brousseau, 79

Norma Lois Smith Buck, 84

Norma Lois Smith Buck, 84, passed away “to be with the Lord” on Friday, May 30, 2014, in Kalispell.

best place to work 2014 cover

Best place to work 2014

Harry D. Tedrick, 69

Harry D. Tedrick, 69, died at his home in Mountain Home, Idaho, on April 28, 2014.

Lakers A sweep Kootenai Valley doubleheader

The Kalispell Lakers A played 14 solid innings of baseball underneath threatening storm clouds at Griffin Field, sweeping the Kootenai Valley Rangers in an American Legion baseball doubleheader on Thursday night.

Kalispell AA ekes out opener

PULLMAN, Wash. — The Kalispell Lakers AA squad started off their road trip on a high note, topping the Southridge (Kennewick, Wash.) Bandits 7-6 in the opening game of the Summer Palouse American Legion baseball tournament on Thursday.

State to open reservation voting offices

HELENA (AP) — Montana will open satellite voting offices on the Crow, Northern Cheyenne and Fort Belknap reservations in October as part of a settlement in a federal voting-rights lawsuit.

Federal judge OKs logging of burned trees by roads

BOZEMAN — A federal judge has ruled that logging will be allowed along roads in part of the Gallatin National Forest scorched by wildfire.

Daybook

Rethinking scholarship schedule

Area high school students were awarded literally millions of dollars in scholarship funds in the past month by local philanthropists, civic groups and trust funds.

Does dark money trail lead to legislator?

Sen. Bruce Tutvedt is living in a glass house and throwing around “Dark Money” stones. Tutvedt is one of the leaders in a “scorched earth” campaign against well-respected fiscally conservative Republicans around the state of Montana such as Speaker of the House Mark Blasdel.

Bergdahl is victim

I would like to thank John McCain and the other politicians for showing us in grand detail the true costs of war. War is not the determination of a winner of ideas, because ultimately the losers are people and individual lives.

Iraq collapsing in face of militants

 BAGHDAD (AP) — Islamic militants who seized cities and towns vowed Thursday to march on Baghdad to settle old scores, joined by Saddam Hussein-era loyalists and other disaffected Sunnis capitalizing on the government’s political paralysis over the biggest threat to Iraq’s stability since the U.S. withdrawal.

Five-year plan targets homelessness

Through tireless effort, organization and research, a new organization has unveiled a plan meant to beat homelessness in the Flathead Valley.

Name-calling leads to girl fight

The

Plows reach Big Drift in Glacier Park

A snowplow crew has reached the “Big Drift” at Logan Pass on Glacier National Park’s Going-to-the Sun Road.

Abortion ruling should guide state lawmakers

Deo gratias: Thanks be to God.

Court reverses man's scalding conviction

 HELENA — The Montana Supreme Court has reversed a Helena man’s conviction of scalding a 3-year-old boy in a bathtub and sent the case back to district court.

Former Afghanistan captive heading for Texas hospital

WASHINGTON (AP) — Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, who has been recovering in Germany after five years as a Taliban captive, is returning to the United States today, but he will not receive the promotion that would have been automatic had he still been held prisoner.

Settlement reached in ExpoPark firing

GREAT FALLS — The former manager of Montana ExpoPark would drop her wrongful termination lawsuit against Cascade County in exchange for being allowed to resign under a proposed settlement.

Harassment complaint to be heard at MSU-Northern

HAVRE (AP) — The Montana Human Rights Bureau will hear next week a sexual-harassment complaint filed by a Montana State University-Northern dean that accuses the school’s former provost of inappropriate touching.

Woman who drove with dying man on car gets 55 years prison sentence

Sherri Lynn Wilkins, 53

Sherri Lynn Wilkins gets emotional in court during sentencing Thursday in Los Angeles. Wilkins, a substance abuse counselor, who struck a pedestrian with her car and drove through a Los Angeles suburb with the dying man on her windshield was sentenced Thursday to 55 years to life in prison. Wilkins, 53, was convicted by a jury earlier this year of second-degree murder, driving under the influence and hit-and-run.

Hospitals were ready for disaster

Plum Creek fire

As smoke billowed out from Plum Creek’s Medium Density Fiberboard plant in Columbia Falls on Tuesday afternoon, people around the Flathead Valley waited with bated breath, searching social media and news sites for any update.

Great Falls man sentenced to 60 years for rape

GREAT FALLS — A judge has sentenced an 18-year-old Great Falls man accused of raping six girls between the ages of 12 and 14 to 60 years in Montana State Prison.

Main Street crash

Kalispell firefighters check out a man after his truck crashed into a tree Thursday afternoon at 10th Street and South Main. The man sustained minor injuries and was not transported to the hospital.

Panel nixes Whitefish River limit

Whitefish city government was turned away Thursday in its pursuit of nonmotorized regulation for a stretch of the Whitefish River that runs through town.

Father's Day

Josh Hernandez with his five-year-old daughter Nevaeh, on Thursday at Woodland Park in Kalispell.

Crown of the Continent Discovery Center

From left, Mary Winters, general manager, Aubrie Lorona, Eva Gruden and Nina Plevnik start to go through supplies to stock on Thursday, July 12, at the Crown of the Continent Discovery Center in West Glacier. The Crown of the Continent Discovery Center is hoping to have a grand opening at noon on Saturday, June 21. (Brenda Ahearn/Daily Inter Lake)

Profile: Sherri Gerek

Sherri Lynea Gerek, author of The Hummingbird Way, outside her home south of Columbia Falls on Thursday, June 12. (Brenda Ahearn/Daily Inter Lake)

Rolling into summer

One of the famous red buses makes its way though Glacier National Park recently.

Glacier National Park

Angela Rose of Bogata, Texas, and Marsha Stewart of Abilene, Texas, get their picture taken by Joe Rose at Lake McDonald on Thursday, June 12, in Glacier National Park. (Brenda Ahearn/Daily Inter Lake)

Yvonne Rose (Dellwo) Cordier, 77

HIRE

Homeless Interagency Resource and Education unveiled a new five-year plan to improve the lives of homeless people in Northwest Montana. The event was Thursday morning outside the Samaritan House Administration Building in conjunction with Project Homeless Connect.

Marjorie Redding, 87

Elvera 'Cookie' Bean, 86

Elvera “Cookie” Bean died of natural causes on May 28, 2014, at the age of 86.

twif61214

Art F. 'Bubba' Ray, 40

Art F. “Bubba” Ray passed away Monday, June 2, 2014, at Hospice at the Chaplaincy in Kennewick, Wash., after a brief battle with cancer. Bubba was 40 years old.

Joanne 'Jo' Brousseau, 79

Joanne “Jo” Brousseau, 79, of Kalispell, passed away on Saturday, June 7, 2014.

Ron Ukrainetz

Hockaday's Plein Air Paint Out sends artists outside

Chuck Pyle

Chuck Pyle 

John Floridis

John Floridis

Summer guitar concert features Chuck Pyle, John Floridis

Hula school offers night of Hawaiian dance, music

Summer Solstice Bluegrass Bash in Whitefish

Peek in at World Cup

I’m not going to tell you to watch the World Cup.

Local coach's World Cup ties inspire youth

As the World Cup kicks off today, there will be remnants of a local coach dotting the fields in Brazil.

Wetsch's gem leads to Twins sweep

WHITEFISH — The Glacier Twins swept the Libby Loggers in an American Legion baseball doubleheader on Wednesday night, narrowly escaping both contests.

Hotel has served guests 100 years

Lake McDonald Lodge

The unique nature of Lake McDonald Lodge, with its distinctive cedar timbers, wildlife mounts and cozy feel, can be traced back to its origins more than a century ago on land that was not part of Glacier National Park.

Agency on Aging site picked near county courthouse

A $6 million building planned south of the Flathead County Courthouse for the Agency on Aging and other county services tops a list of building projects planned over the next two years.

Kidnapper's request for new trial rejected

BOZEMAN (AP) — A Wilsall man sentenced to 40 years in prison for escaping from a Bozeman pre-release center and holding his former foster mother hostage has been denied a new trial.

Fish barrier planned on North Fork creek

Glacier National Park officials are proposing to install a fish barrier on Akokala Creek to prevent the establishment of invasive non-native fish in Akokala Lake.

Cormorant purge improves fishing

After a fun morning of fishing and a late morning breakfast, I am sitting in our Minnesota cabin overlooking sprawling Leech Lake. JoAnn and I have been here for two weeks, upgrading our cabin property and sneaking in a little fishing.

Montana candidates to debate on Saturday

The first U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives candidate debates of the general-election season will be Saturday in Butte.

Police say man assaulted after talking in his sleep

 BOZEMAN (AP) — Police in southwestern Montana say a man talking in his sleep was kicked and struck with a shotgun by his girlfriend who also shot out his front tire and smashed his windshield when he tried to leave.

Shelter gets $500 grant for special cat portals

The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals gave the Flathead Animal Shelter a $500 grant to help install “pass-through” portals in the shelter’s cat enclosure.

Biologist pens new book on mountain goats

Not many folks know it, but mountain goats are one of the most under-publicized mammals in the country, having just one book written about them in the last 30 years.

School superintendent steamed at venting team

A school superintendent contacted the

Meeting to discuss watershed protection

Several organizations will meet in Whitefish June 17 to discuss the town’s viewshed, water supply and recreational opportunities in the Haskill Basin.

People can fish for free this weekend

Nobody needs a license to fish in Montana over Father’s Day weekend, June 14-15 — but anglers still must follow all of Montana’s other fishing regulations.

Daybook

Today, June 12

Defendants in Crow corruption case avoid prison sentences

 BILLINGS (AP) — The remaining defendants in a corruption scheme on Montana’s Crow Indian Reservation were spared prison time at their sentencing Wednesday after a federal judge rejected prosecutors’ claims of significant financial damages.

Mountain opens for summer on Saturday

Summer adventures begin at Whitefish Mountain Resort starting Saturday (weather permitting).

Lake McDonald Lodge

The Lewis Hotel, now known as Lake McDonald Lodge, is pictured around 1920. The hotel’s front entrance faces Lake McDonald because early visitors arrived by boat.

Be polite: Take down your signs

The primary election is over, but political signs still linger along some highways and byways.

Columbia Falls plant could open in 30 days

Operations are expected to resume in 30 days at the fire-damaged Plum Creek Medium Density Fiberboard plant in Columbia Falls.

Life on the rocks

Senate backs bill to improve health care for vets

Hiker safe after unexpected night in woods

A Glacier National Park hiker spent an unexpected night in the backcountry before rangers found him Wednesday morning.

Body pulled from vehicle in Clark Fork River

Robert H. 'Bob' Ivey, 89

Robert H. “Bob” Ivey, 89, passed away June 9, 2014, at Expressions after a long struggle with Alzheimer’s.

Intel International Science and Engineering Fair Norick group

March of Dimes Family

Montana and Meghan Danford-Komenda with their adopted twin daughters McKenna, left, and Madelynn, age 3, outside their home on Wednesday, June 11, in Kalispell. (Brenda Ahearn/Daily Inter Lake)

Mary Lloyd Retires

Fourth grade teacher Mary Lloyd reacts to a surprise retirement party with her students on Wednesday, June 11, at Hedges School in Kalispell. The students presented her with a Number One Teacher sash, a paper crown, paper flowers and a book in which they had each written letters for her. The letters were laminated and bound by Amber Reiner whose son is a part of Lloyd's final class. Lloyd spent a total of 17 years at Hedges including her work as a title tutor, her student teaching and then running her own classroom. Wednesday was the last day of classes for Kalispell schools.

Joan Skelton, 85

Equipment Connection

Lasalle Lighting

Parole board rejects Barry Beach's clemency request

Plum Creek Fire: Day Two

Firefighters were called out at 4:30 a.m. Wednesday to deal with flare-ups at the Plum Creek Medium Density Fiberboard plant in Columbia Falls. (Brenda Ahearn/Daily Inter Lake)

Plum Creek fire, June 10 2014

Fire and explosions at the Plum Creek fiberboard plant in Columbia Falls on June 10, 2014

Gold Rush Pawn Company

Imperial Dry Cleaners & Laundromats

Automotion

Murphy's Liquor Store

Evergreen Liquor Store

Flathead Liquor Store

Bigfork hires new basketball coach, AD

BIGFORK — Former assistant Sam Tudor has been named the head boys’ basketball coach at Bigfork, taking the reins of the defending Class B state champions from Josh Downey, who departed for the head coaching job at Whitefish High School this spring. Dave Creamer will be taking over Downey’s duties as activities director. Both jobs are pending school board approval at tonight’s board meeting.

Lakers AA win marathon game over Twins

WHITEFISH — In a game that took more than four hours, the Kalispell Lakers AA squad squeaked out a 12-11 win at the Glacier Twins A in a non-conference American Legion baseball game on Tuesday night at Memorial Park, ending the Twins’ winning streak at 12 games.

Gunman kills student at Oregon high school

EPA promotes global warming plan

 COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) — The head of the Environmental Protection Agency promoted proposed clean power plant rules to Western governors Tuesday, framing the plan as a way to deal with destructive wildfires and floods that have ravaged the region in recent years.

Agreement ends Missoula sex-assault inquiry

The Missoula County Attorney’s Office will change the way it responds to reports of sexual assaults under an agreement announced Tuesday that ends a federal investigation into whether gender bias played a role in deciding whether to prosecute rape cases.

Obesity surgery may 'cure' diabetes for 15-plus years

CHICAGO (AP) — Obesity surgery may keep diabetes in remission even after 15 years in some patients, a study suggests.

Thousands flee floods in World Cup host city

Woman wants daughter's name to be Awesome

JUNEAU, Alaska — A Juneau, Alaska, woman wants to give her daughter an awesome middle name. Literally.

FAA OKs commercial drone flights

 WASHINGTON (AP) — The Federal Aviation Administration said Tuesday it has granted the first permission for commercial drone flights over land, the latest effort by the agency to show it is loosening restrictions on commercial uses of the unmanned aircraft.

Parole board to announce Beach decision

 HELENA — Montana’s parole board is planning to announce its decision on whether to accept convicted murderer Barry Beach’s clemency application.

Five troops killed by friendly fire in Afghanistan

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Five Americans with a special operations unit were killed by a U.S. airstrike called in to help them after they were ambushed by the Taliban in southern Afghanistan, in one of the deadliest friendly fire incidents in nearly 14 years of war, officials said Tuesday.

Militants overrun major city

Al-Qaida in Iraq

BAGHDAD (AP) — In a stunning assault that exposed Iraq’s eroding central authority, al-Qaida-inspired militants overran much of Mosul on Tuesday, seizing government buildings, pushing out security forces and capturing military vehicles as thousands of residents fled the second-largest city.

Agency wants partial Whitefish River closure

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks is proposing a compromise that will allow motorized boats continued access to the Whitefish River at least part of the year.

Big logging project starts near Townsend

HELENA  — A 2,900-acre logging and forest-restoration project is starting this week on the Helena National Forest near Townsend.

As water recedes, two local fishing sites reopen

The Old Steel Bridge and Kokanee Bend fishing access sites on the Flathead River have been reopened.

Daybook

Today, June 11

Billings man charged with homicide freed

BILLINGS — A Billings man charged with fatally shooting his wife’s friend while she was on the phone with a dispatcher reporting a domestic disturbance has been released from jail on $450,000 bond.

Missoula police investigating wheelchair theft

MISSOULA — Police in Missoula are investigating a report of a wheelchair theft in a downtown alley.

Whitefish man pleads not guilty to sex assault charges

A Whitefish man has pleaded not guilty to a trio of sexual assault-related charges as well as failing to register as a violent offender.

Restrained bar patron begs to differ

A man called the

Fire at Plum Creek

An explosion and fire hit the Plum Creek Timber Co. Medium Density Fiberboard plant in Columbia Falls on Tuesday afternoon, June 10. (Brenda Ahearn/Daily Inter Lake)

Plum Creek fire 2

Elk Chili Burger with Side Salad

Draft Beer at Scotty's Bar

Texas Hold 'Em starts tonight in the Glacier Poker Room at Scotty's.

Live Music Every Thursday & Friday Night at 9

Scotty's Bar

Virginia Rita Rogers, 88

Virginia Rita Rogers was born June 14, 1925, in Pasadena, Calif. She completed 14 years of education.

Plum Creek fire

Smoke rises from the burning Plum Creek fiberboard plant Tuesday afternoon. (Brianna Loper photo/Whitefish Pilot)

No one hurt in blasts, fire at Plum Creek plant

A massive fire preceded by explosions hit the Plum Creek Timber Co. fiberboard plant in Columbia Falls on Tuesday afternoon.

Lorraine Margaret Kerzman, 92

Charles W. 'Bill' Luscher, 82

Bill Luscher of Libby passed away peacefully on June 9, 2014, at the Montana Veterans Home in Columbia Falls, at the age of 82.

Edith Elaine 'Edee' Truman Neumann, 61

Edith Elaine “Edee” Truman Neumann lived gracefully and sweetly on this earth for 61 years, just three days short of her 62nd birthday, and just as gracefully and sweetly she left us “to be in the loving arms of her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ,” on May 28, 2014. Her final moments on earth were spent at home surrounded by her loving husband and family.

Eagle's Nest Antiques & Home Decor

Our Montana Room filed with locally made items.

William Howard Vassar Sr., 77

After Armorseal A-100

Unsealed vs Sealed

Before Armorseal A-100

JC Sealcoating Truck

Wildfire Rig WR - 700

Househydrant

Fire Zone Protection

Gunman kills student in Portland high school

The Rock Expansion

Construction is underway on the 5.4 million dollar expansion of The Rock in Kalispell on Tuesday, June 10. (Brenda Ahearn/Daily Inter Lake)

Agreement ends sex-assault probe in Missoula

The Missoula County Attorney’s Office will change the way it responds to reports of sexual assaults under an agreement announced Tuesday that ends a federal investigation into whether gender bias played a role in deciding whether to prosecute rape cases.

The Carpet Store

Los Caporales

Quilt Gallery

New Hoffman Wildlife Batiks

Glacier Quilts 2014 Spring Retreat

Western Outdoor

Flathead Business Journal: Heaven Scent

Bulk containers with various products that clients can refill their containers from on June 4, at Heaven Scent in Whitefish. (Brenda Ahearn/Daily Inter Lake)

Glacier Eye Clinic in expansive new space

Doris Knox

Glacier Eye Clinic

The new Glacier Eye Clinic occupies 16,000 square feet of a new building near Glacier High School. (Aaric Bryan/Daily Inter Lake)

Black bears hanging around Whitefish

State makes plans for final bypass links

College spares culinary program

Doris Louise Tutvedt Knox, 78

Students test their diplomacy skills

One hundred seventeen students, representing 38 countries and political groups, attempted to solve the Israeli-Palestinian and Syrian crisis in the Middle East during a United Nations simulation at Flathead High School. 

Become a citizen scientist in Glacier this summer

The Crown of the Continent Research Learning Center at Glacier National Park will continue its Citizen Science Program this summer, offering free research and learning opportunities for the public.

Health screenings offered at Sykes'

People will be offered reduced-price health screenings Tuesday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Sykes’ Pharmacy in Kalispell.

Glacier Quilts

Quilt Gallery

Los Caporales

Waller pleads not guilty to felony assault

A Marion man has pleaded not guilty after being charged with felony assault with a weapon for allegedly disarming and shooting at another man.

Artists take a chance on Bigfork

A rainy Monday completely changed the summer of 2014 for two Missoula artists. 

Project Homeless Connect heads to Kalispell

Project Homeless Connect returns to Kalispell Thursday and Friday, June 12 and 13.

Barbara Knox, 80

Barbara Knox, 80, of Lewistown died Saturday evening at her home of cancer. She was born April 28, 1933 in Lewistown to Lawrence and Francis (Cook) Berry. They lived in Lewistown where she received her schooling graduating from Fergus High School in 1951. She worked at Highland Park School, later at Mountain Bell until her marriage to Glen Knox on September 2, 1955 in Lewistown. She continued at Mountain Bell until they started their family when she devoted her time to their children. In 1970 she went to work at the First National Bank working in the bookkeeping department until her retirement in 1999.  

State High School Rodeo: Four area riders qualify for nationals

Abby Knight of Charlo finished second in the short go on Championship Sunday at the Montana High School Rodeo Finals at Majestic Valley Arena.

Legion baseball: Lakers drop Mavs; Twins' win streak at 12

Kalispell used two big innings to drop the Missoula Mavs 7-2 in Class AA American Legion baseball play Sunday afternoon at Griffin Field.

State senator opposes dam sale

 A Kalispell state senator has filed papers aiming to stall or halt the federal license allowing the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes to operate Kerr Dam near Polson.

Dogs: What owners need to know

County, cities have varied laws for controlling canines.

Dogs may be man’s best friend, but they’re often the source of squabbles among neighbors.

Nancy Seiler

Laura Blaker

Helena Flats School "Picnic on the Playground"

Eight-grader David Korchmar stands up during a solo while the Helena Flats School band performs Tuesday evening during the school's first ever "Picnic on the Playground" event. June 3, 2014 in Kalispell, Montana. (Patrick Cote/Daily Inter Lake)

Cowboys rise to weekend

The back-up plan for Tara Hansen worked out rather well.

Loggers drop pair

CRANBROOK, British Columbia — The Rocky Mountain Bandits used seven-run innings in both games of a doubleheader to sweep the Libby Loggers in nonconference play.

Glacier Twins win again

HAVRE — The Glacier Twins just can’t seem to lose.

Mavericks edge Mariners

POLSON — The Missoula Mavericks traveled to Polson for a nine-inning nonconference game against the Mission Valley Mariners and came away with a 3-2 victory on Saturday.

Law roundup

A

Eclectic Whitefish boutique expands on Depot Row

Becky Rygg likes to step outside of the box.

USGS: Glacier's glaciers melting slowly, for now

GREAT FALLS, Mont. (AP) — Healthy snowpack and cooler summers over the past four years have slowed melting of remaining glaciers in Glacier National Park in Montana, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

Ost-Venturini

Kayla Ann Ost and Matthew Thomas Venturini announce their engagement.

Freak weather spawned flood

Fifty years ago today, the biggest flood on record in Montana began to sweep over the Flathead Valley and communities east of the Continental Divide, the result of a freakish combination of meteorological forces.

Swim team thanks many who helped

The Kalispell Aquatic Team Swimming thanks the Northridge Lutheran Church and Kalispell Chamber of Commerce for their help with the season banquet.

Schools offer summer meal programs

 Kalispell Public Schools, Whitefish School District and Libby School District will serve free meals to children over the summer.

Poroshenko sworn in as president of Ukraine

KIEV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine’s new president on Saturday called for pro-Russian rebels in the country’s east to lay down their arms and welcomed dialogue with the insurgents, but said he wouldn’t negotiate with those he called “gangsters and killers” and struck a defiant tone on the Russian-annexed Crimean Peninsula.

County goes backward on recycling

The Flathead County Solid Waste District is taking steps to decrease the number of recycling sites at green-box collection facilities from eight to four. We can’t help but feel this approach is extremely short-sighted.

Glacier grads greet future

A few minutes before graduation began at Glacier High School, pods full of graduates put their game faces on for a final performance, possibly the most significant of their high school career.

Climate change: Just who is manipulating the facts?

Scaremongering and demagoguery have reached a new global fevered pitch thanks to Johnny-come-lately Kerry — the newly appointed drama queen “climate change” guru... a la Al Gore.

Glacier Commencement

From left, Josiah Walker, Jerry Sandler, in background, David Tozer, and Daniel Topp as well as other graduates preparing to enter military service, stand as they and all veterans were recognized for their service at the Glacier Commencement ceremony on Saturday, June 7, in Kalispell. (Brenda Ahearn/Daily Inter Lake)

Early childhood education must be Montana priority

There are a lot of great things happening in Montana:

Official: at least 34 dead in eastern Congo after attack

KINSHASA, Congo (AP) — Armed fighters attacked a town in eastern Congo late at night, massacring at least 34 people including women and children who were at a local church, officials said Saturday.

McLeod-Mikesell

Chuck and Terry McLeod of Bigfork announce the engagement of their daughter, Signa McLeod, to Cody Mikesell, son of Marvin and Jolene Mikesell of Kalispell.

Daybook

Today, June 8

North Korea says it is holding an American tourist

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea has detained a 56-year-old man from Ohio, accusing him of an unspecified crime after he traveled to the communist-led country as a tourist, the nation’s state news agency and the man’s family said. The North is now holding three Americans.

Bombs kill 52 as gunmen storm university in Iraq

BAGHDAD (AP) — A series of car bombs exploded across Iraq’s capital Saturday night, killing at least 52 people in a day of violence that saw militants storm a university in the country’s restive Anbar province and take dozens hostage, authorities said.

A culture of contempt: The underlying cause of the Veteran Affairs scandal?

Presidents come and go, but the political and social cultures that nurture them live on for decades

Mourdock compares U.S. economic woes to Nazi Germany

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — An Indiana politician who lost his Republican Senate campaign two years ago amid criticism for his comment about rape is now comparing the handling of the national economy to the events leading up to Germany’s 1936 elections under the Nazi regime.

Heidi Schiltz Westmoreland, 52

Heidi Schiltz Westmoreland of Mountain View, Calif., passed away June 5, 2014, at her Bigfork home, amidst her family, surrounded by the thoughts, fervent prayers and great love of her family and a host of friends, near and far away. She and her family traveled to Bigfork in April so that her final days could pass in the comfort of beloved people and landscape.

Vern and Venita Well

Driver charged in crash that injured Tracy Morgan

NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. (AP) — Actor and comedian Tracy Morgan was critically injured Saturday after a tractor-trailer rammed into his chauffeured limousine bus, setting off a chain-reaction crash that left a fellow comedian dead and two others seriously hurt, authorities said.

Pilot dies in crash near Polson Airport

A Rathdrum, Idaho man is dead after crashing his ulralight aircraft near the Polson Airport.

Searching for fairness in all the wrong places

All right-minded people hate discrimination. It’s too bad we no longer know what that is.

Everett 'Dewey' Levitt, 88

Everett “Dewey” Levitt, 88, passed away at Brendan House in Kalispell on May 25, 2014.  

Gene J. Van Dort, 66

Gene J. Van Dort, 66, of Kalispell died June 4, 2014.

John Greene, 80

John Greene, 80, died June 4, 2014, after a short illness, beginning with pneumonia, “an old man’s friend.”

Montana High School Rodeo State Finals

Shelby Rasmussen of Choteau loses her hat as she makes her run in the Barrel Racing at the Montana High School Rodeo on Saturday, June 7, in Kalispell. Rasmussen completed her run in 16.63. (Brenda Ahearn/Daily Inter Lake)

Rosalyn Marie Wolfe Milam, 70

Rosalyn Marie Wolfe Milam, 70, passed away on March 6, 2014, at her home in Kalispell after a courageous battle with lung cancer.

Bernice Roberta (Pearson) Slater, 95

Bernice Roberta (Pearson) Slater “was carried away on the wings of angels to her heavenly home” on Feb. 16, 2014.

Kalispell Middle Scohol Empathy

Kalispell Middle School student Annie Jones plays the part of a lonely student seeking friendship in this screen grab from a student-produced video about empathy. The video, titled "Empathy Can Change the World," has been viewed almost 5,000 times on YouTube.

Twins extend win streak to 9 games

HAVRE — The Glacier Twins A pushed their American Legion Baseball winning streak to nine games Friday night, dropping the Havre North Stars 8-3 at the Havre North Stars Tournament.

Knight riding out senior year

Abby Knight will most likely make the Championship Go Round in pole bending, one of her three events at the Montana High School Rodeo Finals at Majestic Valley Arena on Sunday.

Stock comes out on top on Day 2

It was a tough Friday night for the young cowboys in the rough stock events at the Montana High School Rodeo Finals at Majestic Valley Arena.

Graduation weekend kicks off in style

On Friday, about 300 Flathead High School seniors donned their caps and gowns and walked into school for the last time as students.

Russian, Ukrainian leaders meet at Normandy event

OUISTREHAM, France (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday spoke face-to-face with Ukraine’s incoming president about ending the violence in the former Soviet state, a diplomatic turning point that played out along the Normandy beaches where the Allies battled for Europe’s peace 70 years earlier.

Flathead students earn merit distinction

The following Flathead High School seniors received International Baccalaureate Merit Distinction:

Mysterious text gets shocked reaction

 A Columbia Falls area woman called the

Homeless helpers join forces

As part of the fourth annual Project Homeless Connect on June 12, several nonprofit agencies and organizations are launching H.I.R.E. — Flathead Homelessness Interagency Resource and Education — in the Flathead Valley.

Cheryl 'Sheri' Lynn (Southworth) Johnson, 52

Beloved wife, daughter, mother and grandmother, Mrs. Sheri Lynn (Southworth) Johnson, 52, passed away peacefully at home after a courageous battle with cancer on Monday, April 14, 2014.

Man charged with elder abuse

 SUPERIOR (AP) — A Thompson Falls man is charged with bilking an elderly man with dementia out of thousands of dollars and transferring ownership of the man’s Superior-area ranch and other property to himself.

Suspected Mountie killer arrested

MONCTON, New Brunswick (AP) — The suspect in the killing of three Royal Canadian Mounted Police was arrested unarmed early Friday, ending a massive manhunt that paralyzed much of an eastern Canadian city. “I’m done,” a witness said he told police.

Students post meaningful video

‘Empathy can change the world’

It wasn’t a cute kitten, a stunt, a beauty tip or rant that a group of Kalispell Middle School eighth-graders wanted to post on YouTube. Instead, they chose to post a video about empathy.

Teen killed in fiery truck crash near Pipestone Pass

BUTTE — A speeding speeding pickup truck went off Montana 2 Thursday near the top of Pipestone Pass south of Butte and caught fire, killing its 15-year-old driver.

Fairview man gets four years for trafficking meth

BILLINGS — An Eastern Montana man has been sentenced to four years in federal prison for his role in trafficking methamphetamine in the Bakken region.

Honoring D-Day's fallen, 70 years on

COLLEVILLE-SUR-MER, France (AP) — It was a day of pride, remembrance and honors for those who waded through blood-tinged waves, climbed razor-sharp cliffs or fell from the skies, staring down death or dying in an invasion that portended the fall of the Third Reich and the end of World War II.

Daybook

Today, June 7

Bighorn sheep killed after mingling with domestic sheep herd

FHS graduation

Jacquelyn Merrill fixes her cap as the students prepare for the Flathead commencement ceremony on Friday, June 6, in Kalispell. Merrill graduated cum laude and plans to attend Montana State University. (Brenda Ahearn/Daily Inter Lake)

FHS commencement

Bodie Schieffer, center, shares a laugh with Glenn Strickler at the Flathead commencement ceremony on Friday, June 6, in Kalispell. The two seniors are both receiving their International Baccalaureate diplomas magna cum laude. (Brenda Ahearn/Daily Inter Lake)

Stillwater commencement

From left, Annalise Pierson, Danielle Stoner and David Willis share a laugh before the annual prayer circle prior to the Stillwater commencement ceremony on Friday, June 6, in Kalispell. (Brenda Ahearn/Daily Inter Lake)

D-Day paratrooper

U.S. World War II veteran Jim Martin, 93, of the 101st Airborne completes a tandem parachute jump onto Utah Beach in France on Thursday as part of the commemoration of the 70th anniversary of D-Day. (AP Photo)

Seattle campus shooting

Students from Seattle Pacific University gather outside in a spontaneous prayer circle following a shooting on the campus Thursday. (AP photo)

Seattle student pepper-sprayed, tackled gunman

Everett 'Dewey' Levitt, 88

John Greene, 80

Cap, gown, defibrillator: A graduation miracle

A Flathead High School senior battling a life-threatening heart condition wanted more than anything to walk across the stage Friday night and claim his diploma.

Scottie Smith with family

Scottie Smith poses with his diploma and his father, Scott, and grandmother, Ruth.

Scottie Smith

Flathead High School Principal Peter Fusaro gives Scottie Smith his diploma Thursday at Kalispell Regional Medical Center.

Louella Mae Momberg Armstrong Wahler, 93

Louella Mae Momberg Armstrong Wahler was born on Aug.  21, 1920.

Rosalie Caroline Purvis Engle Vaage, 92

Rosalie Caroline Purvis Engle Vaage, 92, of Kalispell “went to be with her Lord” on Dec. 19, 2013, at Brendan House.

Harlow

A Feral Stone necklace by Alexis Waite on display at Harlow on Wednesday, June 4, in Whitefish. (Brenda Ahearn/Daily Inter Lake)

Arthur F. Thompson, 87

Dr. Arthur Farrand Thompson passed away peacefully on Sunday, May 25, 2014, in Costa Mesa, Calif., at the age of 87.  

Twins rock Lakers A

WHITEFISH — Vincent Smith tripled and drove in four runs to help the Glacier Twins A beat the Kalispell Lakers A Thursday night 10-5 at Memorial Field in American Legion baseball play.

Polson poke born to rope

You might say Wyatt Lytton, an 18-year-old senior at Polson High School, was born to do this.

Tracy lassos double victory

Ryanne Tracy of Victor posted the best times in two timed events Thursday at the Montana High School Rodeo Finals at Majestic Valley Arena.

Stopping a heart is also known as killing

If I go out and kill another person on purpose, I go to jail or get the death penalty.

Lightning struck tree

A lightning strike Tuesday night stripped the bark from this tree near Roaring Creek Road in Whitefish.

Music just one of many passions for well-rounded Glacier senior

Class of 2014: Multitaskers

Glacier High School senior Nathan Connell carried a tune before he knew musical concepts such as rhythm, tempo and pitch.

Boko Haram

This image taken from video posted by Boko Haram sympathizers shows Imam Abubakar Shekau, the leader of the radical Islamist sect. (Associated Press)

Summit: Putin faces critical choices

PARIS (AP) — Laying out clear conditions, President Barack Obama and Western allies opened a pathway for Russia to ease tensions in Ukraine on Thursday but pointedly warned Moscow it could face new sanctions within weeks if Vladimir Putin fails to go along.

Education secretary to speak at Salish Kootenai College

PABLO (AP) — U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan is scheduled to deliver the commencement address at Salish Kootenai College in Pablo this weekend.

Remembering D-Day: Veterans, visitors flock to Normandy

COLLEVILLE-SUR-MER, France (AP) — Ceremonies to commemorate the 70th anniversary of D-Day are drawing thousands of visitors to the cemeteries, beaches and stone-walled villages of Normandy this week, including some of the few remaining survivors of the largest sea-borne invasion ever mounted.

Obama to visit Indian Country

President’s trip to North Dakota will be first in office

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama will pay his first visit as president to Indian Country when he travels to a Native American reservation in North Dakota next week.

Boko Haram slaughters hundreds

Raising impact fees just makes sense

Why are we in a mindset to fill up our beautiful valley (Last Best Place) with houses, cars, trucks, traffic and crime? What is wrong with slow, smart growth? I understand what a taste of richness the developer has seen and would like to get back to, but why so fast?

Daybook

Today, June 6

Wandering wolf

This June 2, 2014, photo provided by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, shows two wolf pups fathered by Oregon's famous wandering wolf, OR-7, peering out from a den in the Cascade Range east of Medford, Ore. They are the first known pups born in the Cascades of Oregon since the 1940s. OR-7 left his pack in northeastern Oregon in 2011 in search of a mate, traveling thousands of miles across Oregon and into Northern California before finding one last winter in the southern Cascades. A GPS tracking collar led state and federal biologists to the site on the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest.

Man ran on foot after chase

Facilitator thanks community for role in forest plan meetings

The Meridian Institute would like thank everyone who participated in the Flathead National Forest plan revision stakeholder collaboration meetings over the past eight months. It has been our pleasure to work with the forest staff and more than 165 people who attended up to 16 evening meetings to talk about how the forest should be managed.

Sun Road plows are not too far from Logan Pass

Snowplow crews in Glacier National Park are closing in on Logan Pass, the final destination in the annual Going-to-the-Sun Road clearing effort.

Ambitious plan for county libraries

Three new facilities would cost around $22.6 million

A new facilities master plan for the Flathead County Library System calls for the construction of new libraries in Kalispell, Columbia Falls and Bigfork, an investment that would cost roughly $22.6 million.

Chester Nez

In this May 17, 2011 file photo, Navajo Code Talker Chester Nez poses at his home in Albuquerque, N.M. Nez, the last of the 29 Navajos who developed an unbreakable code that helped win World War II, died Wednesday morning, June 4, 2014, of kidney failure at his home in Albuquerque. He was 93. Nez was in the 10th grade when a Marine recruiter went to the Navajo reservation looking for young men who were fluent in Navajo and English. Nez told The Associated Press in a 2010 interview that he kept the decision to enlist a secret from his family and lied about his age. (AP Photo/Albuquerque Journal, Dean Hanson, File)

Officials: Threat on Bergdhal's life led to action

Taliban prisoner swap

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Obama administration has told senators it didn’t notify Congress about the pending swap of Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl for five Taliban officials because the Taliban had threatened to kill him if the deal was made public, three congressional officials have told The Associated Press.

Tiananmen anniversary

D-Day: Our debt can never be repaid

Today is the 70th anniversary of a day that should live in the hearts of free people for all time.

'Stupid wall' is one more thing wrong with bypass

I was recently riding my bicycle along the U.S. 93 alternate route and wondered, “Why did they build a stupid wall blocking the view of the mountains?”

Courage: The virtue behind D-Day and other milestones

If I asked you, as we mark the 70th anniversary of D-Day, to sum up that battle in one word, what would it be? For me, it would be “courage.”

Seattle Pacific University building monitor disarms gunman after shootings; 1 man dead

Rosalyn Marie Wolfe Milam, 70

Feds find major problems in Blackfeet court system

HELENA (AP) — Federal officials have threatened to cut off funding to the Blackfeet courts after finding unqualified and unvetted judges, prosecutors and staff running an unstable system that denies due process to those who appear before it and is overly influenced by tribal leaders.

Rape suspect misses court appearance

A bench warrant has been issued for a man who failed to appear for his initial appearance on a charge of rape.

Lakeshore variance corrections OK'd

The Flathead County commissioners on Thursday approved technical corrections after the fact for oversights on two lakeshore variances allowing fill projects on the north shore of Flathead Lake.

Distracted driver crashes truck

A distracted trucker dumped two trailers of plywood and suffered some bumps and bruises when he rolled his rig near Dayton on Tuesday.

Playground to close for upgrade

The Kalispell Parks and Recreation Department with the support of Friends of Lawrence Park will improve the playground in the front portion of the park and install new playground components.

Bernice Roberta (Pearson) Slater, 95

Mom 1965

Arthur F. Thompson, 87

Doreen Nita Cavin, 67

Jack Strickler, 59

Jack Strickler passed away at HealthCenter Northwest from cancer on June 4, 2014.

Montana High School Rodeo State Finals

Abby Knight, a senior from Polson, outside the Montana High School Rodeo on Thursday, June 5, in Kalispell. (Brenda Ahearn/Daily Inter Lake)

High Water Mark

Ray Nickless, hydrologist with the National Weather Service in Missoula speaks at the dedication of a new sign showing the High Water Mark from 1964 on Thursday, June 5, in Columbia Falls. (Brenda Ahearn/Daily Inter Lake)

Christine Ann McVay, 61

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The Hit Men

The Hit Men to perform in Whitefish for two memorable nights

'Neil Before Me' a hilarious fundraiser for Stumptown Players

Dweezil Zappa joins guitar

Hamilton man, 18, arrested after graduation gun threat

 HAMILTON  (AP) — An 18-year-old Hamilton man is facing a felony intimidation charge after reportedly threatening to bring a gun to Hamilton High School’s graduation and shoot students.

Ravalli County voters oust two commissioners

HAMILTON  — Voters in Ravalli County ousted two members of the county commission and resoundingly rejected an attempt by the suspended county treasurer to remain in office.

Last original Navajo Code Talker dies

Mourners gather on Tiananmen anniversary amid tight security

BEIJING (AP) — Yin Min held the ashes of her son and wept, she said, as she marked 25 years since he was killed in the crackdown by Chinese tanks and troops on protests at Tiananmen Square. Outside, guards kept a close eye on her home while police blanketed central Beijing to block any public commemoration of one of the darkest chapters in recent Chinese history.

Day camp offered at Lone Pine State Park

 Montana State Parks is hosting a summer day camp at Lone Pine State Park from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.  June 17 through 19.

Festival Amadeus announces full schedule

In court

Family dispute escalates into fight

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BNSF asks to limit oil train info

SEATTLE (AP) — Two railroad companies want to prevent the public from getting ahold of details about oil shipments through Washington state, a disclosure the federal government ordered be given to state emergency managers in the wake of several oil train accidents.

Court to censure judge over rape comments

Campaign for control of Legislature begins

Vets gives kudos to Montana VA

I see that the Montana VA health director has resigned, possibly in the wake of the national dissatisfaction with the VA health system which has been in the headlines recently.

Country's future in good hands

When we consider the cumulative accomplishments of this year’s graduating seniors throughout the Flathead Valley, it quite frankly leaves us exhausted.

Man drives hundreds of miles with corpse passenger

WARREN, Mich. (AP) — A Detroit-area man was so determined to return to Michigan from Arizona that he refused to stop and contact authorities even after one of his passengers died en route, police said Wednesday.

Subdivision of 40 lots planned near Columbia Falls

Development activity is coming back to life in the Columbia Falls area with a 40-lot major subdivision planned near the Blue Moon Nite Club.

Election judge shares experience of small-town spirit

I recently was assigned to work the Columbia Falls primary election in Precinct 21 and 35 held at the Columbia Falls High School.

Similarities between Obama and Clinton worry reader

 As a follower of politics and history, I can forewarn what is possibly coming in the near future. Just like the former impeached president Clinton, Obama is trying to weaken the military of the United States to save a buck and become more equal to other countries — friend or foe.

Soldier's hometown cancels celebration amid furor

 HAILEY, Idaho (AP) — Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl’s hometown abruptly canceled plans Wednesday for a welcome-home celebration, citing security concerns over the prospect of big crowds — both for and against the soldier.

911 operators: Unsung heroes

As a middle-aged businessman in the Flathead Valley and an athlete most of my adult life, I have had more than my share of “nine lives” and, most certainly, an above-average number of visits to the emergency room. You could say I’m a bit accident prone but that was not the case a couple of weeks ago  when I had to rely heavily on the professionals at our local 911 call center in Kalispell.

DUI convict back in court

BOZEMAN (AP) — A Livingston man on probation for a 2001 fatal drunken driving crash is charged with violating his probation after a recent aggravated DUI arrest.

Tuesday-night storm causes minor problems

A thunderstorm caused some minor mayhem Tuesday evening in the Flathead Valley, although its impact was largely confined to the Whitefish area.

Lincoln County race narrowed to two

Mark Peck and Russ Bache came out on top in the Lincoln County primary elections for commissioner.

Officer who won Missoula claim to be sheriff

Wandering Oregon wolf fathers litter of pups in Cascade Range

Hit the trail Saturday for National Trails Day

 American Hiking Society’s National Trails Day will bring together outdoor enthusiasts across the country on Saturday for the annual celebration of America’s trail systems and their supporters and volunteers.  

Our local bass 'masters' speak

In my last column, I raised the question, why are our warm-water species becoming so popular …and promised I would get some inside info from  local experts.  

Mississippi has runoff in GOP Senate race

JACKSON, Miss.   — Forced into a Mississippi runoff, challenger Chris McDaniel and veteran Sen. Thad Cochran plunged into a three-week campaign Wednesday to pick a Republican candidate for the fall and settle the tea party’s last, best attempt of the year to topple a pillar of the establishment.

Zinke marches ahead for GOP

Just hours after his narrow win in the Republican U.S. House primary race, Ryan Zinke was out kayaking on the Whitefish River, confident he will be able to unify his party and raise enough cash to beat Democratic challenger John Lewis in the November election.

U.S. education secretary to speak at Pablo college

Bound for Yale, Flathead senior takes on life one thing at a time

Class of 2014: Multitaskers

A 4.0 grade point average, an International Baccalaureate diploma and admission to prestigious Yale University are a few of the fruits of Jenna McGuire’s meticulous labor.

Mavericks roll Lakers

MISSOULA — The Missoula Mavericks ended their contest early against Kalispell in a Class AA American Legion baseball game on Wednesday, scoring six runs in the last three innings to beat the Lakers 14-4 in eight innings.

Big stage for big cities

With the eyes of the nation’s biggest cities focused squarely on the most famous trophy in American sports, the NHL has an opportunity to step back into the spotlight.

Twins top Loggers

LIBBY — The Glacier Twins scored twice with two outs in the third inning of a Class A American Legion conference game against Libby to give pitcher Jonny Sapa all the help he needed to pull out a 7-2 victory at Lee Gehring Field.

High School Rodeo Finals: Meged, Gustafson take titles on Day 1

Miles City sophomore Haven Meged edged two other riders by a half point to win the boys’ cow cutting state championship on Tuesday afternoon at the Montana High School Rodeo Association state finals at Majestic Valley Arena.

Daybook

Services

Dr. Smalley

Dr. Podraza

Dr. Beth Horner

Alfred 'Al' E. John, 93

Alfred “Al” E. John, Ph.D., 93, passed away on Saturday, May 24, 2014, at Prestige Assisted Living in Kalispell.

Insurance Accepted

Kila School Garden

From left, Constence Larsen, Madison Paszek and Rayven Huffman, sixth graders at Kila School, clear dirt of rocks and debris for the school garden Wednesday afternoon while other students scatter straw around the edge of the garden. June 4, 2014 in Kila, Montana. (Patrick Cote/Daily Inter Lake)

Dr. Horner, Dr. Podraza, and Dr. Smalley.

Flathead Lake Storm

Storm clouds loom over Flathead Lake on Tuesday evening seen from Volunteer Park in Lakeside. June 3, 2014 in Kalispell, Montana. (Patrick Cote/Daily Inter Lake)

Helena Flats School "Picnic on the Playground"

Helena Flats School band performs Tuesday evening during the school's first ever "Picnic on the Playground" event. June 3, 2014 in Kalispell, Montana. (Patrick Cote/Daily Inter Lake)

America's Super Pageant

Connie Jones and her granddaughter Esmerelda Ramos give a presentation about seat-belt safety June 4 at Smith Valley School.  

Seatbelt Safety

Connie Jones and her granddaughter Esmerelda Ramos give a presentation about seatbelt safety Wednesday morning at Smith Valley School. June 4, 2014 in Kalispell, Montana. (Patrick Cote/Daily Inter Lake)

Our Shop

Loren's Auto Repair

Recap: Five things to know about Montana's primary elections

HELENA — Five things to know about key races in Montana’s primary elections: 

Ryan Zinke

Blasdel, Garner win legislative primaries

Speaker of the House Mark Blasdel prevailed over former Kalispell Mayor Tammi Fisher in the centerpiece Republican race for Flathead Valley legislative primary contests.

Flathead County Election Chart: By the numbers

County, Kalispell reject local government review, but Whitefish, Columbia Falls OK them

Flathead County voters have rejected a review of county government by turning down a ballot issue on the matter in Tuesday’s election by 57 percent to 43 percent.

Softball: Glacier has four all-state selections

The Daily Inter Lake

Mitchell unseats incumbent commissioner; Schnebel wins Democratic nod

Phil Mitchell of Whitefish coasted to an easy victory Tuesday over incumbent Flathead County District 1 Commissioner Cal Scott to win the Republican nomination for the fall election.

Friends describe freed U.S. soldier as multi-faceted

Penetrating argument involves arrow

The

2 killed, 19 hurt in logging truck wreck

FVCC plans Big Night fundraiser on June 12

The Flathead Valley Community College art department will present the Big Night 4 on June 12.

Daybook

Obama's emissions plan could boost climate talks

Bowe Bergdahl

Busy with sports, speech, music, Columbia Falls senior has done it all

When talking about Mason Gedlaman, one has to ask: What is the Columbia Falls High School senior not involved in?

Auto accidents No. 1 cause of death for U.S. teens

Auto accidents are the No. 1 killer of American teenagers, a new study finds — killing almost as many drivers as passengers, and killing more kids than homicide or suicide.

Steve Daines

Participants in the American Legion Auxiliary Girls State gathering ask U.S. Rep. Steve Daines questions in Helena on Monday, June 2, 2014. Daines won the GOP U.S. Senate primary on Tuesday. (AP Photo/Matt Volz).

Mother's Day rescue in Bigfork powerhouse waterway

Jason Holthausen rescues his mother on Mother's Day near Bigfork, Montana.

Ryan Zinke Campaigning

Ryan Zinke and his wife, Lolita, wave to passing cars and voters outside the Flathead County Fairgrounds on Tuesday in Kalispell. Zinke won the GOP nomination for U.S. House. (Brenda Ahearn/Daily Inter Lake)

Robert 'Bob' Peter Van Sweden, 87

Signs of Spring

Blooming lilacs attract bees on a sunny spring evening in Whitefish on Monday, June 2. (Brenda Ahearn/Daily Inter Lake)

New Playland in Evergreen

Conner Salmonsen and Emily Higgs of Katie Mackin's kindergarten class are among the first to be granted access to the new Playland at the McDonalds in Evergreen on Tuesday, June 3. (Brenda Ahearn/Daily Inter Lake)

Montana Adventure Sports

Voting

Derek and Ronalee Skees stand at the entrance to the Northwest Montana Fairgrounds waving to passing motorists and people coming to cast ballots on Tuesday, June 3. Districts 1, 2, 3, 6, 25, 31, 32, 37, 41, 50, 54 voted at the fairgrounds. (Brenda Ahearn/Daily Inter Lake)

Boga Paddle Boards

Mountain Biking

Store Front

Bonnie Jean Duncan, 80

Betty Truman Grant Olson, 71

Betty Truman Grant Olson died May 17, 2014, in Bellevue, Wash., of cancer, following her diagnosis late last year and a resulting determined six-month course of treatment.

Betting on the ponies at Scotty's Bar

Whether you’re a seldom gambler or a whale at the table, Scotty’s Bar in Kalispell is the only establishment in the Flathead Valley with Montana Simulcast Racing — off track betting on horse and dog races.

Prep state rodeo finals at Majestic Valley

The Montana High School Rodeo State Finals take place this week at Majestic Valley Arena with 242 cowboys and cowgirls competing for awards, scholarships and a trip to the National High School Finals Rodeo.

Ronald James Queen, 72

Melba Pedersen

Climate proposal calls for 21 percent cut in CO2

Helen Brinkerhoff

Active Senior: Mildred Nielsen

Active senior Mildred Nielsen in her room at Heritage Place in Kalispell. (Patrick Cote/Daily Inter Lake)

Woman crochets for many causes

Frances Mae Evans, 97

Frances Evans

Melba Ardene Pedersen, 75

Eagle takes flight as students watch

Whitefish Senior Spotlight

Whitefish senior Thomas Henson at City Beach in Whitefish on Wednesday, May 28. Henson will be attending the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, following graduation. (Brenda Ahearn/Daily Inter Lake)

Wild Wings Recovery Center

Fair-Mont-Egan students watch as a bald eagle is released back into the wild Monday, June 2, after being rehabilitated at Wild Wings Recovery Center east of Kalispell. (Patrick Cote/Daily Inter Lake)

Health fair focuses on nontraditional medicine

Residence turning into 'flop house'

GOP House race headlines state primary elections

Montana voters will choose the winners in state and local primary elections Tuesday in races including a tough intraparty Republican battle for the nomination for the U.S. House.

Guided hike planned on Whitefish Trail

The next outing in a series of guided hikes on the Whitefish Trail this season is a guided bird hike at 6 p.m. Wednesday, June 4, on the Swift Creek portion of the Whitefish Trail. 

Week in Pictures: May 26 - June 1

One of Our Specials

Delicious Grilled Nova Scotian Rock Lobster with Grilled Brocollini and Garlic Mashed Potatoes with a side of Caramelized Shallot Buerre Blanc Sauce.

Our signature dish, the Miso Butterfish!

It's a sauteed Alaskan Black Cod that is marinated for three days in a Miso/Sake reduction served on sticky rice with an edamame salad. Come give it a try!

Plates of Food

Kalispell teachers retiring together

 According to Paul and Alison Schmaltz, there’s no place in the world they would rather have been teaching than in Kalispell Public Schools.

Administration unveils climate change plan

WASHINGTON — In a sweeping initiative to curb pollutants blamed for global warming, the Obama administration unveiled a plan Monday that cuts carbon dioxide emissions from power plants by nearly a third over the next 15 years, but pushes the deadline for some states to comply until long after President Barack Obama leaves office.

Bear attacks hunter in southwestern Montana

Polls open today from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Proposal to double rates for parking meters

The Kalispell City Council tonight will consider a proposal to double parking meter rates and a resolution to put a mill levy dedicated to emergency medical services on the November general election ballot.

Glacier Twins' winning streak at 6 games

WHITEFISH — The Glacier Twins A upped their win streak to six games Sunday afternoon, sweeping an American Legion baseball doubleheader.

Emond conquers Montana Raceway Park

Wins first super late model race at raceway

The wondering if and when it will ever happen mind game is finally over for Trevor Emond.

Whitefish considers scaled-back subdivision plan

A final public hearing on the proposed Second Street Residences housing development in Whitefish will be held tonight as the Whitefish City Council considers a zone change and planned unit development for the project.

Biblical principles guide standout student

Retiring Teachers

Paul and Alison Smaltchz are retiring after beginning their teaching careers 40 years ago. May 28, 2014 in Kalispell, Montana. (Patrick Cote/Daily Inter Lake)

Senior Profile: McKenzie Hemp

McKenzie Hemp, a senior, at Stillwater Christian School, on Wednesday, May 21, in Kalispell. (Brenda Ahearn/Daily Inter Lake)

Morley leads Vals to silver in Butte

BUTTE — Bigfork junior Makena Morley won both the 800- and 3,200-meter runs on Saturday to complete a sweep of the distance races and help the Valkyries to a second place finish at the Class B state track meet.

Ogden gets 4th title

GREAT FALLS — Todd Ogden broke his state record in the javelin on the final day of the Class AA state track and field meet at Memorial Stadium.

Whitefish boys, girls finish 3rd

BUTTE — Whitefish’s Marlow Schulz completed a sweep of the sprints for the third straight year and became just the fourth girl in Montana history to win four 100-meter dash championships, as the Bulldogs placed both their girls and boys teams third at the Class A state track meet in Butte on Saturday.

Senators sweep Lakers AA

HELENA — The Kalispell Lakers AA dropped both games of a doubleheader to the Helena Senators on Saturday, losing on the road, 4-2 and 4-1.

Twins sweep Butte doubleheader

WHITEFISH — The Glacier Twins swept both ends of a home doubleheader on Saturday against the Butte Miners in a Class A American Legion baseball game at Memorial Park.

Loggers capture bronze

POLSON — Libby hung with Frenchtown for five innings, but couldn’t hang with the eventual state champions in the final two, falling in the semifinals before a 4-2 loss to Belgrade in the consolation final at the Class A state softball tournament on Saturday.