HEIDI DESCH
DEPUTY EDITOR, FEATURES
Heidi Desch is the Deputy Editor at the Daily Inter Lake, overseeing coverage of arts, culture, lifestyle, community, and business. Desch leads reporters in developing stories that highlight the people, traditions, and events shaping Northwest Montana, guiding content across print and digital platforms.
With more than 20 years of journalism experience, including serving as managing editor of the Whitefish Pilot, Desch is a graduate of the University of Montana School of Journalism. She has received multiple Montana Newspaper Association awards, including part of the team leading the Daily Inter Lake to Best Daily Newspaper in Montana Award and the General Excellence Award in 2024 and 2025.
IMPACT: Heidi’s work connects readers with stories that deepen the understanding of the community beyond daily news.
Recent Stories
Whitefish preliminary budget shows tax increase for property owners
Costs for capital improvement projects and personnel are behind an increase in Whitefish’s proposed city budget.
Whitefish examines plan to manage city’s deer population
Deer have long been a fixture of downtown and residential areas of Whitefish. But as the city has grown and the deer population has increased, so have conflicts, including damage to landscaping and collisions with vehicles.
Whitefish looks at church plans for new building
A Whitefish church is seeking permission to construct a youth and teen activity building on its property on Lamb Lane.
Whitefish looks at next step in Armory Park upgrades
Whitefish City Council on Monday will consider awarding a construction bid for work at Armory Park.
Whitefish Community Library director aims to foster connections that happen between the stacks
Mary Drew Powers sees the simple connections happen at the Whitefish Community Library.
Whitefish City Council set to adopt community plan
Months of work will meet a decision on Monday when Whitefish City Council is poised to adopt a community land use plan.
Whitefish looks at contract for water tank project
Whitefish City Council on Monday will consider awarding a contract related to its south water tank project.
Recalling birds: Art exhibit manifests reverence for feathered creatures
Imagine a world without birds. No flittering of tiny chickadees on branches. No mocking call from a black raven overhead. No red-tailed hawks sitting in wait on a fence post.
Candidates enter Flathead County races
Four candidates are running for county commissioner.
Whitefish looks to adopt new land use plan
Whitefish City Council on Monday is poised to adopt a new community plan designed to guide land-use decisions for the next 20 years.