MATT BALDWIN
Hagadone Media Montana
REGIONAL MANAGING EDITOR
Matt Baldwin is the regional editor for Hagadone Media Montana, where he helps guide coverage across eight newspapers throughout Northwest Montana. Under his leadership, the Daily Inter Lake received the Montana Newspaper Association’s Sam Gilluly Best Daily Newspaper in Montana Award and the General Excellence Award in 2024 and 2025. A graduate of the University of Montana School of Journalism, Baldwin has called Montana home for nearly 30 years. He and his wife, Sadie, have three daughters. He can be reached at 406‑758‑4447 or mbaldwin@dailyinterlake.com.
IMPACT: Baldwin’s work helps ensure Northwest Montana residents stay connected to their communities and informed about the issues that shape their everyday lives.
Recent Stories
Flood watch issued as Flathead, Swan rivers rise
Days of moderate rainfall combined with mountain snowmelt is expected to cause some minor flooding across Northwest Montana through Monday.
PHOTOS: Memorial Day ceremony in Whitefish honors fallen troops
Whitefish VFW Post 276 hosts a Memorial Day ceremony at the Whitefish Cemetery on Monday, May 25, 2026.
Sharp cold front to drop snow on Glacier Park
A winter weather advisory was issued for Glacier National Park beginning Wednesday night as a potent front out of the Gulf of Alaska descends on the Northern Rockies.
Winter conditions return to Northwest Montana
Northwest Montana is in for another spring mood swing, with freezing temperatures and valley snow likely Thursday evening.
Whitefish Mountain Resort closes season with steady visitation despite low snowfall
Overcoming one of the warmest winters in decades, Whitefish Mountain Resort ended its 2025-26 ski season Sunday as scheduled.
Northwest Montana wraps up record warm winter
West Glacier recorded its warmest winter in more than 75 years, finishing the 2025-26 season with an average daily temperature 6.6 degrees above normal.
PHOTOS: No Kings protest draws crowd to Whitefish
A No Kings protest against the Trump administration drew hundreds of people to Grouse Mountain Fields in Whitefish on Saturday, March 28, 2026. The event, hosted by Flathead Democracy, was one of thousands held across the U.S., according to national event organizers.
Avalanche danger high after 2 to 3 feet of new snow
Dangerous backcountry conditions prompted a special avalanche warning Friday morning after Northwest Montana mountains were buried in 2 to 3 feet of snow.
Blizzard forecast prompts school closures on Thursday
Schools across the Flathead Valley preemptively canceled classes for Thursday in anticipation of a major winter storm expected to hit the region overnight Wednesday.
Damaging winds, feet of snow target Northwest Montana mountains
Damaging wind and feet of mountain snow will blast Northwest Montana beginning late Wednesday as Old Man Winter gives it one last hurrah.
Warm February leaves Montana’s snowpack depleted
Western Montana’s mountain snowpack did little to make up for a historically dry January, with water basins statewide lagging behind average heading into March.
Avalanche warning issued for Northwest Montana mountain ranges
The Flathead Avalanche Center reports a rash of close calls in the backcountry over the last week as dangerous avalanche conditions persist in Northwest Montana.
Glacier National Park plans express shuttles, parking limit at Logan Pass as reservation system ends
In an effort to make Logan Pass more easily accessible, Glacier National Park is rolling out a new ticketed shuttle system this summer that includes early morning express routes up Going-to-the-Sun Road, while also limiting parking at the pass to three hours beginning July 1.
Flathead Valley could see 2-4 inches of snow Tuesday
A return to normal February weather is expected beginning Tuesday as a winter storm surges over the northern Rockies.
News literacy central to civic engagement
Two newspapers hit my childhood home’s doorstep every morning.
Fog grounds flights at Glacier Park International Airport
Aircraft were unable to land at Glacier Park International Airport in Kalispell on Wednesday because of thick fog.
Flathead skiers win freeride event on home terrain
Skiing on their home mountain, Flathead Freeride team members Liam Byrd and Hana Fassnacht landed at the top of the podium in the IFSA Junior Freeride competition at Whitefish Mountain Resort last weekend.
Montana’s snowpack above normal after December storms
The relentless atmospheric river that drenched Montana in December helped ease drought conditions while also delivering robust snowfall to the state’s highest terrain.
Whitefish Mountain Resort evacuates skiers after lift breakdown
Skiers were evacuated from the Chair 1 Big Mountain Express lift at Whitefish Mountain Resort on Friday morning following a mechanical failure, according to resort officials.
High winds hamper power restoration as outages continue for third day
Power outages continued to affect about 9,000 Flathead Electric Cooperative customers Friday morning as crews worked for a third consecutive day to restore service across Northwest Montana.
Outages linger for thousands as another windstorm eyes western Montana
Power returned to about half of the homes that went dark in Wednesday's windstorm after Flathead Electric Cooperative crews worked through the night.
Northwest Montana faces another round of heavy rain
Another round of prolonged rain is expected to drench much of Northwest Montana as the region recovers from floods that destroyed multiple bridges in Lincoln County last week.
Historic rain floods areas of Lincoln County, washes out multiple bridges
Widespread flooding in Lincoln County washed out bridges and swamped some roadways and neighborhoods around Libby on Thursday, prompting officials to issue emergency travel restrictions.
Whitefish Legacy Partners to convert former bike retreat into education center
The nonprofit that oversees the Whitefish Trail system has purchased the former Whitefish Bike Retreat property.
Rare December flood watch issued for Northwest Montana
A flood watch was issued Monday for Flathead, Lake and Lincoln counties as potentially record rainfall drenches the Pacific Northwest.
Shift to winter weather begins next weekend
The recent fall thaw is about to give way to a sharp November nip.
Cell service, snowmaking get boost at Whitefish Mountain Resort
Visitors at Whitefish Mountain Resort should have an easier time sending texts and placing phone calls this winter with the addition of a new cellular tower at the base of the ski slopes.
Snowstorm set to slam Northwest Montana mountains
A major winter storm is expected to impact Glacier National Park and mountain ranges in Northwest Montana this weekend.
Cold snap expected to end growing season across Western Montana
Local gardeners hoping for a few more tomatoes or zucchinis should plan to cover their crops this weekend, with a cold plunge on the way.
Kalispell man wanted in gunfire, vandalism spree
Authorities have identified a suspect in connection with a series of gunfire incidents and property damage reported near East Idaho Street in Kalispell earlier this week.
Independent health care growing in Northwest Montana
There’s growing demand among patients for more choices in health care, and many providers in Northwest Montana are answering the call.
Crews work to extinguish ignited hay bales in grass fire west of Kalispell
A grass fire that started on a private property near Cobbler Village Terrace west of Kalispell on Wednesday later spread to nearby hay bales, authorities say.
Driver charged in fatal Whitefish crash involving teen
The driver involved in an alleged DUI crash that killed a Flathead Valley teenager on Aug. 23 outside of Whitefish had been sentenced in a separate DUI case just five days earlier, according to court filings.
Rinse and repeat: Northwest Montana’s summer soaked in rain
Precipitation totals for July registered well above normal for much of Western Montana as the wet and cool weather pattern that has gripped the region this summer is likely to continue in the month ahead.
Work on Sportsman's Bridge to begin next month
Work to replace the 70-year-old Sportsman’s Bridge in Bigfork will begin early next month, according to the Montana Department of Transportation.
Canada smoke invades Flathead Valley as potent rainstorm approaches
Smoke from wildfires in Canada and Idaho barreled into Montana on Monday afternoon, rapidly degrading air quality across the Flathead Valley ahead of a major shift to cold and wet weather.
Fire near Plains grows to 1,000 acres
A wildfire that cropped up Saturday in Sanders County quickly expanded its footprint to about 1,000 acres by Monday.
Feds drop trademark claim against Range Riders
The federal government has dropped its complaint against the Glacier Range Riders baseball team's use of an arrowhead logo that is similar to the National Park Service emblem, team officials said Tuesday.
Wet March delivers needed boost to Northwest Montana snowpack
Montana's snowpack is holding strong heading into spring after March delivered a solid punch of snowfall to the northern Rocky Mountains.
Creston gravel pit application pulled
A construction company has pulled its application for a gravel pit near Creston that had drawn scrutiny from a nearby neighborhood.
Major winter storm slams into Flathead Valley
Blowing and drifting snow created dangerous road conditions Tuesday as a major winter storm blew into Western Montana.
Travel will be treacherous Tuesday as whiteout conditions hit the Flathead Valley
Heavy snowfall and blizzard conditions will target Northwest Montana on Tuesday as frigid air clashes with a plume of Pacific moisture.
Crystal clear ice awes skaters at Whitefish Lake
Hundreds of people flocked to City Beach over the weekend to enjoy the rare phenomenon of glassy ice-skating conditions on Whitefish Lake.
Mineral County man charged with stabbing his family enters not guilty plea
A man accused of stabbing family members in St. Regis earlier this month entered a not guilty plea Wednesday in Mineral County District Court.
Shuttles will take hikers into Many Glacier next summer
Hikers planning to venture into the Many Glacier area of Glacier National Park next summer will be required to take a shuttle into the valley with ongoing construction expected to limit public parking.
Whitefish ski resort sets holiday visitation record
Ample snowfall and robust skier traffic added up to a successful holiday week for Whitefish Mountain Resort, despite one of its main chair lifts remaining out of commission for the busiest stretch of the season.
Northwest Montana snowpack trending ahead of normal
Northwest Montana’s mountain snowpack is trending ahead of average to begin the year, offering a stark contrast to the dire drought that plagued the region last winter.
Avalanche partially buries skier in popular backcountry area near Whitefish Mountain Resort
A skier narrowly escaped injury after triggering an avalanche in a popular backcountry area near Whitefish Mountain Resort over the weekend.
Lake County's judge-elect resigns after drug charges filed
Lake County's newly elected District Court judge has resigned after being accused of attempting to purchase and distribute drugs following a months-long investigation by state detectives.
Landfill deer to be killed to help control CWD
White-tailed deer that come onto the Flathead County Landfill property will be killed by state wildlife officials to help control the spread of chronic wasting disease in the Flathead Valley.