PHOTO GALLERY: Best images of 2017

Josh Charles of the Bozeman Fire Department helps fold the flag that had been draped over Ben Parsons’ casket at the end of the funeral on Jan. 12 at the Flathead County Fairgrounds. Firefighters, law enforcement officers and first responders from around the state attended the funeral for the well-known Whitefish firefighter and paramedic who was killed in an avalanche while backcountry skiing in Glacier National Park.

Alan Brooks dances with his daughter Jezanie, 7, at the Father/Daughter Winter Ball at the Whitefish Theatre Company on Feb. 3. For the Brooks family, the dance was part of the celebration of Jezanie’s birthday.

Carroll Krause weeps as she gets a hug from her grandson, Chief Petty Officer Anthony Fluke, as he makes good on his promise to someday come home from the Navy wearing his dress uniform on April 10, at Brendan House in Kalispell. Fluke planned to retire after 20 years of service.

Kalispell Firefighter Jake Felts carries a tool up to firefighters dealing with the last of a fire on the roof of the old hospital building in Kalispell. The roof fire was responded to by Kalispell, Evergreen Fire and Rescue, South Kalispell, and Smith Valley departments. Kalispell Police and the Flathead County Sheriff’s Office were also on scene.

Yum Ueki of Japan holds her son Luka Trilisky during a naturalization ceremony at Glacier National Park where 10 new citizens made their Oath of Allegiance to their adopted country. This is the second year a naturalization ceremony has been held at the amphitheater overlooking Lake McDonald. The new citizens are originally from Mexico, Sweden, Chile, Brazil, the Philippines, Hati, Bulgaria and Japan.

A firefighter battles the fully engulfed townhouse on Slopeside Drive on Big Mountain on Thursday night, Nov. 2, in Whitefish. At 9:42 p.m., Big Mountain Fire and Rescue responded to the report of a structure fire in a residential area near the ski slopes at Whitefish Mountain Resort. They were quickly joined by crews from the Whitefish, Kalispell, Columbia Falls and Evergreen fire departments. Nearly 30 firefighters battled the blaze for about five hours in freezing conditions on snow-packed ground. A sharp wind was another concern for firefighters as they fought to keep the blaze contained.…

A snowy morning near Lake Blaine on Wednesday monring, March 8, east of Kalispell.(Brenda Ahearn/Daily Inter Lake)

Lasso tricks during the Bigfork Fourth of July Parade on Tuesday afternoon, July 4. (Brenda Ahearn/Daily Inter Lake)

Willow Henke, 6, and her mom Emily make their way to The Rock at Kalispell Regional Medical Center for her final chemo treatment on Wednesday, November 29.(Brenda Ahearn/Daily Inter Lake)

A bull elk grazing in Yellowstone National Park on Tuesday, October 10. Photos from Yellowstone will be the feature for this week’s Montana Life section.(Brenda Ahearn/Daily Inter Lake)

Kim Collier of Whitefish practices yoga as a goat climbs on her shoulders on Sunday, June 25, at Flying Pig Farms north of Kalispell.(Brenda Ahearn/Daily Inter Lake)

Captain Kirk Pederson helps Izzabela Lamantia, a first grader at Russell Elementary, into a new coat on Tuesday, October 24, in Kalispell. Members of the Kalispell Fire department were at the school participating in Operation Warm for the fourth year. They will also be giving out coats at Elrod and Hedges on Friday.(Brenda Ahearn/Daily Inter Lake)

Steve Bradshaw, the superintendent of Columbia Falls schools, addresses a crowd of parents who gathered at the school at noon to discuss their safety concerns for children who are scheduled to be back in school today. Bradshaw advised parents that unless 50% of the student body was in attendance the schools would not be able to count Tuesday as a day completed for the year. However, he also assured parents that children kept at home would not be penalized and parents choosing the keep their children home would not be stigmatized for their choice.(Brenda Ahearn/Daily Inter Lake)

Sisters Beverly Young, of Gallipolice, Ohio, left, and Sue Williamson, of Blue Rock, Ohio, stand around their mother, Jean Johnson of Marion, Indiana, on Wednesday night at The Wall that Heals in Kalispell. The trio stopped in Whitefish on Wednesday while taking an America by Rail tour they started in Chicago. When they heard the replica had arrived in Kalispell they decided to come see it and pay their respects.(Brenda Ahearn/Daily Inter Lake)

Rebecca Spear and the cast of the Alpine Theatre Project summer concert series performing

Spanish artist Manel Àlvarez helps with the installation of three recently completed iron bison sculptures on Tuesday afternoon, June 6 at the Hockaday Museum of Art. The opening reception for Àlvarez's show Step by Step will begin with an opening reception on Thursday, June 8 at 5 p.m. The show will be open until August 5.(Brenda Ahearn/Daily Inter Lake)

A Cedar Waxwing eats a Juniper berry from a bush in downtown Whitefish on Saturday, January 7.(Brenda Ahearn/Daily Inter Lake)

From left, Sonja Kieillis Wildt (Sista Sledge) Erika Wilcox (Pint Size Pistol) Kari Hammer (Hammer) and Shayna Swanson (Ruh-Roh) work to block a Jammer during the match against the Snake Pit Derby Dames of Coeur d’Alene on Saturday, November 18, at the Flathead County Fairgrounds.(Brenda Ahearn/Daily Inter Lake)

Portrait of Leah Lindsay on September 15, at Bee Broadcasting. Lindsay has been with Bee for 21 years. She has been awared the Best of the Flathead, Best Volunteer category, multiple times.(Brenda Ahearn/Daily Inter Lake)

Academy Award-winning actor Jeff Bridges, the national spokesperson for the No Kid Hungry Campaign addresses the Western Governors Association at the 2017 annual meeting, on Wednesday, June 28, at the Whitefish Performing Arts Center.(Brenda Ahearn/Daily Inter Lake)

Kalispell Fire fighters Adam Smart, left and Jake Hall right, make their way further into the scene of a grassfire near Apple Way on Wednesday afternoon, June 21, in Kalispell.(Brenda Ahearn/Daily Inter Lake)

Portrait of Gregg Scott of the Maji Cooperative. Maji Cooperativeis an organization that grew out of a request for help with getting clean water to an African village from Catholic Priest Fr. Hugo of Mwanamonga, Tanzania. The request was made while Fr. Hugo was serving in Central Montana.(Brenda Ahearn/Daily Inter Lake)

Baby lambs at EarthStar Farm in Whitefish. The lambs are a mix of Cormo and Targhee lambs and are sustainably raised for fine fiber which is sold at area yarn stores.(Brenda Ahearn/Daily Inter Lake)