Western B girls: Florence knocks out Eureka

Anaconda wins title

PABLO — Kenzy Pickering scored a game-high 17 points to lead Florence past Eureka into Saturday’s consolation final at the Western B girls divisional.

Valkyries vanquish Broncs

Bigfork avenges lone loss, claims Western A

BUTTE — Bigfork might have had a little more trouble than usual with Frenchtown Saturday, in the Western A girls basketball title game. The Valkyries still reign.

Arlee downs Eureka boys for State B berth

PABLO — Arlee used a 13-3 run over the final four minutes to defeat Eureka 65-57 Saturday in the Western B Divisional consolation game, securing a spot in the State B tournament in Billings.

Wildcats qualify for State A

BUTTE — Columbia Falls lost two games by a total of six points at the Western A basketball basketball divisional. The good news is that was good enough to get the Wildcats to State.

Western B girls: Anaconda, Missoula Loyola secure state berths

PABLO — Meela Mitchell scored a game-high 25 points, Makena Patrick added 18 and Anaconda defeated Mission 60-49 in a Western B divisional semifinal Friday.

Western A Girls: Vals cruise into title game

BUTTE — Paeten Gunlock couldn’t miss and Dillon couldn’t score, and the combination added up to another lopsided Bigfork Valkyries victory Friday, 61-36 in the semifinals of the Western A Divisional girls basketball tournament.

Western B Boys: Eureka falls in OT

PABLO — River Hurley took over in overtime, scoring all five Anaconda points as the Copperheads defeated Eureka 45-43 in the Western B divisional semifinals Friday.

Wildcats, Browning fall in Western A

BUTTE — Friday’s comeback fell short for the Columbia Falls Wildcats, so they’ll try again Saturday.

White House, tribal leaders hail 'historic' deal to restore salmon runs in Pacific Northwest

The Biden administration, leaders of four Columbia River Basin tribes and the governors of Oregon and Washington celebrated on Friday as they signed papers formally launching a $1 billion plan to help recover depleted salmon populations in the Pacific Northwest.

Glacier projects 40% increase in revenue from campground fees in 2024

With busier campgrounds and a recently implemented fee increase, front country camping is projected to bring approximately $2.4 million into Glacier National Park coffers in 2024 — a 40% increase over last year.

Montana judge dismisses high-profile child protection case and contempt hearing for Glasgow couple

A highly public child protection case involving a transgender teenager that has stirred up online conservative outrage, created blowback for Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte and sparked legal challenges at the Montana Supreme Court was dismissed on Tuesday.

Flathead County purchases property for potential jail

Flathead County will purchase a large piece of property south of Kalispell as a potential location for a future jail.

ImagineIF Libraries returns to original Flathead County Libraries name, hires Dugan as new director

The county library system’s board of trustees voted Thursday to drop the ImagineIF Libraries brand and revert back a moniker last used a decade ago.

Knights stifle Braves offense

MISSOULA — Zane Gillhouse scored 14 points and teammates Parker Link and Easton Sant added eight apiece as Missoula Hellgate defeated Flathead 67-49 in Western AA boys basketball Thursday.

Cummings, Wolfpack boys pull away to beat Sentinel

MISSOULA — Glacier forward Noah Cummings scored 14 points, nine in a fourth-quarter burst that sparked the Wolfpack past Missoula Sentinel 50-39 Thursday, in the final regular-season game for both boys teams.

McElmurry leads Sentinel past Pack girls in fourth

The Glacier Wolfpack had Missoula Sentinel on the ropes Thursday, before Emily McElmurry and the Spartans broke free.

Browning, Bigfork girls win big at Western A

BUTTE — Natalee St. Goddard led a balanced Browning scoring attack with 11 points, and the Lady Indians thumped Hamilton 68-37 in the first round of the Western A Divisional Thursday.

Eureka boys edge Arlee at Western B

PABLO — Eureka’s Caden Vaughn and Tristan Butts combined for 45 points and fueled a fourth-quarterback comeback that pushed the Lions to a 68-67 win over Arlee Thursday, and into the semifinals of Western B boys basketball divisional.

Boys Hoops: C-Falls wins Western A opener

Browning joins Wildcats in semifinals

BUTTE — Cody Schweikert scored 16 points, including the tie-breaking bucket with 30 seconds left, and Columbia Falls held on to beat Dillon 51-49 at the Western A Divisional boys basketball tournament Thursday morning.

Whitefish ski patrollers file petition to unionize

David Kerner is passionate about his work as a ski patroller at Whitefish Mountain Resort. Clocking in early, making the rounds to prep the slopes each morning, and helping guests have a fun and safe experience are all the parts of a job that keeps him coming back.