Editorial
To find our opinion based editorials, see below. We'll share opinion based editorial articles regularly for interested viewers.
Bears in Hyperphagia: A seasonal strategy for survival
The first brisk mornings of early fall have people thinking about pulling out winter coats, flannels, and hats in …
Evergreen can overcome latest retail closure
Kmart announced last week that it will be closing its Evergreen location after decades of serving the community. Liquidation sales will soon begin and by the end of the year the iconic “Big K” store will go dark.
Citizens' closure is a loss in planning arena
For 27 years Citizens for a Better Flathead has been the watchdog for land-use planning and smart growth in the Flathead Valley, but that oversight will now be gone as the nonprofit shutters its office amid a fundi…
The bears are back in town
Kids are back in school, nights are getting chilly and bears are roaming town — three sure signs that the end of summer is near in Northwest Montana.
Program offers a good way to 'age in place'
As the Flathead County Agency on Aging was formulating its new long-range aging plan earlier this year, agency leaders asked seniors what they feared most about aging. Many older adults concurred that losing their …
Rebuilding Sperry is a marvel, even in modern times
The logistics of rebuilding the Sperry Chalet dormitory on a stone bluff high up in Glacier National Park are perhaps not as daunting as they were when the original chalet opened in 1913. After all, construction wo…
Boyle a fitting moniker for new Flathead gym
Gene Boyle’s legacy was long and deep in the Flathead Valley, and we can’t think of a better person to commemorate in naming the new Flathead High School gymnasium.
Lakeside park expansion will benefit all
Philanthropy has benefited Flathead County communities in myriad ways, from improving our community college to building new sports complexes and performing arts centers. Our lives are richer here, thanks to the gen…
Past opioid use staggering, but correctable
Most Americans are well aware of the opioid crisis fueled in past years by the rampant abuse of prescription painkillers. It’s been in the headlines again and again, and opioid addiction has been a heartless and of…
Public resources and electioneering don't mix
Gov. Steve Bullock came under scrutiny last month in an ethics complaint filed by the Montana Republican Party for his alleged use of public resources to campaign for the Democratic nomination for president. The GO…
Additional public lake access needed
Local infrastructure is bearing the weight of Northwest Montana’s booming tourism industry and a rapidly growing population.
Vet Center's mission worthy of praise
For 40 years the Kalispell Vet Center has been an important safety net for veterans in need of readjustment counseling and other resources.
Time to turn up the heat about selenium pollution
Paul Samycia, owner of Elk River Guiding Company in British Columbia, and his guides and clients have caught dozens of deformed westslope cutthroat trout in the river reaches below four open-pit coal mines operated…
Kalispell trail project will benefit from public input
The city of Kalispell is off and running with the first round of design work on the long-awaited trail that will be built on the railroad bed once the tracks are removed.
Apollo mission helped unify a nation
Parents nationwide allowed their children to stay up hours past bedtime to join many thousands of other American households glued to TVs to watch Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walk on the moon.
Stillwater project an important milestone
State and federal wildlife officials, along with representatives from Weyerhaeuser and The Trust for Public Land gathered near Olney last week to celebrate a conservation milestone for our corner of the state. It w…