Kalispell's Patrick O'Connell records first tackle in NFL

SEATTLE — Former Glacier High and Montana Grizzlies football star Patrick O’Connell made a big splash on his birthday Sunday by making his first NFL tackle for the Seattle Seahawks, against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Lumen Field.

Kalispell postal workers put a stamp on a long-lived career

The end of 2023 marked 40 years of marriage and 35 years of service for them with the United States Postal Service, a monumental anniversary, one that both Oxfords plan to retire with.

Most money for endangered species goes to a small number of creatures, leaving others in limbo

BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — Since passage of the Endangered Species Act 50 years ago, more than 1,700 plants, mammals, fish, insects and other species in the U.S. have been listed as threatened or endangered with extinction. Yet federal government data reveals striking disparities in how much money is allocated to save various biological kingdoms.

The Nuce is Loose

Glacier product returns for Grizzlies’ playoff run

When we checked in with Henry Nuce in August, he was talking about donating stem cells to a cancer patient and accepting that his junior season with the Montana Grizzlies would have to wait.

Family-run hardware business celebrates 75 years in Whitefish

Nelson’s Ace Hardware and the town of Whitefish have been growing hand in hand for the past 75 years. Nelson’s offers steadfast support to the community, open seven days a week and closed only for Thanksgiving and Christmas each year.

New art gallery opens in downtown Columbia Falls

The Lucia de Brito Franco Art Gallery is a brand new Columbia Falls feature, located at 638 Nucleus Avenue, Suite 103. It contains not only de Brito Franco’s work — reminiscent of looking up through blue waters or thick canopies — but that of other local artists also inspired by the energy and beauty of nature.

Dave Barry's 2023 Year in Review

It was a year of reckoning, a year in which humanity finally began to understand that it faces an existential threat, a threat unlike any we have ever faced before, a threat that will wreak havoc on our fragile planet if we fail to stop it — and it may already be too late.

Flathead Business Watercooler

Business events, trainings and seminars

Home sales down while multi-family units continue to dominate Flathead Valley market

High interest rates coupled with shortages in skilled labor have influenced development projects in the Flathead Valley toward more concentrated multi-family units, according to city officials, real estate agents and builders.

James E. McCreedy, 87

Jim McCreedy, 87, passed away peacefully with his family near his side on Dec. 15, 2023.

Legals for December, 31 2023

University of Montana alumni keep health care local in small-town Montana

Superior – Working every day with your best friend would be a dream come true for some people. Getting to work with your best friend to provide a vital service to your hometown community would make it even more special.

Plenty of concerns about CFAC cleanup plan raised by public, ARCO

The Environmental Protection Agency has released a slew of comments to the Proposed Action for cleanup of the Columbia Falls Superfund site that totals 715 pages.

The Air Force said its nuclear missile capsules were safe. But toxic dangers lurked, documents show

WASHINGTON (AP) — A large pool of dark liquid festering on the floor. No fresh air. Computer displays that would overheat and ooze out a fishy-smelling gel that nauseated the crew. Asbestos readings 50 times higher than the Environmental Protection Agency's safety standards. These are just some of the past toxic risks that were in the underground capsules and silos where Air Force nuclear missile crews have worked since the 1960s. Now many of those service members have cancer.

Russia launches the biggest aerial barrage of the war and kills 30 civilians, Ukraine says

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russia launched 122 missiles and dozens of drones against Ukrainian targets, officials said Friday, killing at least 30 civilians across the country in what an air force official called the biggest aerial barrage of the war.

Maine bars Trump from ballot as US Supreme Court weighs states' authority to block former president

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Maine's Democratic secretary of state on Thursday removed former President Donald Trump from the state's presidential primary ballot under the Constitution's insurrection clause, becoming the first election official to take action unilaterally as the U.S. Supreme Court is poised to decide whether Trump remains eligible to return to the White House.

Though down from 2022, public school enrollment is up over the past decade

Public schools in Flathead County overall saw a negligible -1% decrease in enrollment compared to 2022 with a total enrollment of 15,173 kindergarten through 12-graders.

Major Flathead Valley transportation upgrades will be underway in 2024

State and local officials expect to make inroads on several major transportation infrastructure projects in the Flathead Valley in 2024, including the widening of West Reserve Drive in Kalispell.

Ring in the new year with celebrations around the Flathead Valley

Say goodbye to 2023 and welcome 2024 the right way with these New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day celebrations in the Flathead Valley.

Letters to the editor Dec. 28

Letters to the editor Dec. 28