News
Stay current with top stories from Northwest Montana, including local government updates, education news, community issues, public safety, environmental reports, and regional developments.
Construction of new Flathead County jail celebrated with groundbreaking ceremony
Nearly 20 people involved with the project posed for the photo-op, including the three county commissioners, Sheri…
Board of Public Education approves first wave of Montana charter schools
Montana’s Board of Public Education unanimously approved applications for 19 new charter schools across the state Friday, giving the 11 public school districts that submitted them the green light to proceed with st…
Montana’s effort to expand religious exemptions to vaccines prompts political standoff
Montana lawmakers are in a standoff with the state’s health department over a package of sweeping changes to child care licensing rules that includes a dispute…
Felon suspected in Kila machete attack
A Kila man convicted of criminal endangerment in 2022 is back in county jail after allegedly attacking another man with a machete last week.
Cold snap fuels Montana’s coal power debate
The record-breaking cold snap Montana saw this month brought days of below-zero temperatures across the state — and with them what major Montana utility NorthW…
Whitefish nonprofit enters ongoing lawsuit over housing bills
A Whitefish nonprofit organization that advocates for affordable housing has joined a lawsuit over four new housing laws being challenged in district court.
Kalispell school board to review applications for superintendent
Kalispell Public Schools board of trustees will review seven applications submitted for the superintendent position in selecting finalists to interview during its Tuesday, Jan. 23 meeting.
Law roundup: Ex-girlfriend takes the money and runs
A man reportedly gave an ex-girlfriend $1,100 to buy a truck she was supposed to deliver to a location but instead “ghosted” him. He told the Columbia Falls Police Department that he heard she ran the same scheme o…
Columbia Falls speech and debate win divisionals
The Columbia Falls High School speech and debate team brought home the hardware from Stevensville as the Class A Western Divisional tournament.
Former Kalispell mayor Pam Carbonari wraps up decades of public service
Now, after 29 years of serving Kalispell — her first eight years as a city council member, then eight years as mayor, followed by 13 years leading the city’s b…
Kalispell City Council talks garbage collection plan
Kalispell City Council on Monday is set to discuss the details surrounding a master plan for its garbage collection service that reflects the city’s growth and…
Law roundup: Tenants vanish before eviction notice is served
Someone told the Kalispell Police Department that they were trying to evict tenants who reportedly vanished along with their pet, leaving their belongings, including their phones, inside the apartment.
Opposing abortion rallies take place in Kalispell
Flathead Valley residents who want abortion rights enshrined in the state constitution and those who would like to see restrictions placed on access held respe…
Montana mining history — Kalispell eighth-graders pan for gold and garnets
A sign above history teacher Kris Schreiner's classroom alerted Kalispell Middle School eighth graders they were entering Alder Gulch to mine for gold and garn…
Comments sought for Blankenship Bridge bank stabilization project
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Annual economic outlook seminar focuses on state economy and green energy
Montana emerged from the pandemic as one of the clear winners among the 50 states in the strength of its economic recovery, but those hectic days of booming growth are behind us today, according to a University of …