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Lake County Leader

publisher · 1.6K followers

406 Rifle Company joins Ronan earlier this fall

A new family-owned business, 406 Rifle Company, joined Ronan’s continuing development earlier this fall at the former Red Poppy location. Owner Andy Luedtke became interested in the business because he wanted to build short-barreled suppressed rifles for hunting. Andy said the business goal is to create a one-stop shop for firearms where they can build stocks and put together guns. They're already on their way, with Kelly Clairmont building custom wood stocks and Jeremiah Kelly designing aluminum chassis. Rooted in a lifelong love of hunting, fishing and the outdoors, the company specializes in integrally suppressed barrels, firearms, ammunition and outdoor apparel. Gun counter clerk Ben Hopper explained that an integrally suppressed barrel has the suppressor built into the barrel. He said these barrels don’t sacrifice what you normally would with a threaded suppressor, which alters the barrel's harmonics and performance. Hopper said integrally suppressed barrels are 20-40% quieter than a traditional suppressor, reduce recoil by 40% and make “phenomenal guns.” He added that they are great because you can teach someone how to shoot a firearm without them developing any bad habits from recoil. Andy added that these barrels are more lightweight, and he believes they are the future of

Ronan, MT · 15h
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Whitefish Pilot

publisher · 1.1K followers

Guest opinion: Family farm taxed out

To the governor and legislators: I never thought it could happen, but our state is going to tax us to death with property taxes and price us completely out of our home and beloved farm that we built from scratch 21 years ago. We put that farm, with two homes on it, in a family trust where our family lives and works. We created that trust about six years ago. Because of our age, we had to retire and moved to Bigfork this year to be closer to necessary services. Our family now lives and works on that farm in Kila. We do not rent it or make any money off it. It is a family residence that has now doubled in price for taxes because Nell and Joni don’t have an address there anymore. Our Bigfork home, where we do live, is over double the taxes that were levied in the past. God knows why; I guess the state believes we don’t actually live in Bigfork either. I wonder where the state thinks we do live? We left for vacation for two weeks, and when we got back, the appeal form was in our mailbox. I attempted to appeal

Montana · 1d

Whitefish Pilot

publisher · 1.1K followers

Local pet care company expands across Montana

Happy Tails 406, a locally owned pet-care company, has seen exponential growth since Veronica Clarno started it five years ago. Clarno started Happy Tails 406 in hopes of offering a personal and trustworthy approach to pet care in the valley. “I just wanted to do something big for my community and I saw the lack of pet services,” Clarno said. Her main goal in starting the business was to be able to provide trustworthy, reliable services to the community, she said. Clarno admits the early days of the business were tough. She spent a lot of time finding a way to market that worked specifically for her and the company. She has since hired five additional staff members to help provide pet care services throughout the Flathead Valley. Happy Tails 406 offers a variety of at-home services for dogs and cats such as check-ins, administration of medication, walking and feeding. They also offer pet taxis to transport animals, as well as overnight care. Even though the Happy Tails 406 team has grown, Clarno is proud to continue working daily with the animals. Clients use a pet portal to easily schedule services and check in on their animals. “The ability for

Montana · 1d
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Flathead Beacon

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For 50 Years, RMO Has Carved a Cultural Niche in the Flathead Valley

In 1976, after a young Don Scharfe was kicked out of the University of Montana for his lack of participation and after he worked for the U.S. Forest Service clearing Idaho’s trails, he showed up in downtown Kalispell with a $7,000 loan from his parents. He sold his truck and put a down payment on the 3,000-square-foot shop at 135 Main Street that had been housing Eagle Shoe Store since the building was erected at the turn of the 20th century.

Kalispell, MT · 1d
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NBCMontana

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Symposium addresses housing challenges in Whitefish

WHITEFISH, Mont. — The cost of housing in Whitefish is creating challenges for residents. Local groups were invited the public to a housing symposium to hear from local experts about housing market data and resources. The housing challenge in Whitefish extends beyond people trying to buy their first home....

Whitefish, MT · 1d

Flathead Beacon

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Join the Flathead Beacon Team!

The Flathead Beacon is hiring a Sales and Distribution Manager. It’s a position that doesn’t open up very often. The Beacon is a family-owned, independent media company based in downtown Kalispell. It has long been recognized as one of the best in the region, and it will mark its 20th year in 2027. Our flagship online newspaper draws millions of page views annually and has been named Montana’s best online newspaper three years in a row. We also print Flathead Living, an award-winning glossy lifestyle magazine, along with a stable of other publications aimed at families, foodies and travelers.

Kalispell, MT · 2d

Whitefish Pilot

publisher · 1.1K followers

Guest opinion: Grounded in Whitefish working to make affordable home ownership a reality

Can the people who teach our children, care for our health, respond to emergencies, serve our visitors, and support our community still afford to own a home in Whitefish? Habitat for Humanity of Flathead Valley is working to help make that a reality. Habitat for Humanity has the expertise and experience to build affordable homes, with 50 years of helping more than 65 million people worldwide build, improve or finance their homes. Now Habitat Flathead has embraced the ambitious goal to build 100 new, affordable, energy-efficient homes for qualified local working families over the next 10 years, in Whitefish. The intention is to make home ownership possible for the individuals who help keep our town a strong residential community where people who work here can live here. Our aim is to keep the prices of two, three and four bedroom homes well below market prices. The program offers qualified buyers no down payment financing, affordable 30-year fixed mortgages from Montana Board of Housing, and a closing fee of just 1% subject to program requirements. Habitat also aims to keep monthly mortgage payments at or below 30% of a qualified household’s income, regardless of the income. As an example, a family

Whitefish, MT · 1d

Whitefish Pilot

publisher · 1.1K followers

Logging projects moving more quickly under new federal forest policy

Flathead National Forest announced the Big Mountain Fuels Reduction Project on Feb. 20. A mere two months later, machinery was rolling, and timber was being harvested from the slopes at Whitefish Mountain Resort. Now, the project is nearly wrapped up as snow starts to fall ahead of ski season. A two-week public comment period was provided ahead of the 200-acre project, intended to protect the ski resort's infrastructure from wildfire risk. Deemed by forest officials to not have significant environmental effects and seen as addressing a high-risk area, the project was categorically exempt and authorized as an emergency. It represents just one of many local timber projects that are moving forward more quicky and with a narrower opportunity for public scrutiny following policy changes at the federal level. Locally, foresters say the new rules are generally proving to be more efficient, while conservationists express concern over environmental effects and a rushed public participation process. In March 2025, President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing the immediate expansion of timber production in national forests. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins followed the order with an April 2025 memorandum declaring a wildfire emergency across 59% of national forest land. Emergency authorizations were

Whitefish, MT · 1d

Courthouse News Service

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Insurance companies dispute who pays in Montana asbestos mining settlement

OMAHA, Neb. (CN) — Years after the state was found liable for asbestos risk to miners and residents near Libby, Montana, two insurance companies are still duking it out over who’s responsible for tens of millions of dollars based on “reinsurance” contracts inked more than a half-century ago.

Montana · 2d

Hungry Horse News

publisher · 1.3K followers

Several logging projects OK’d on Flathead Forest

Nearly 5,000 acres of forestland along U.S. 2 have been cleared for a variety of treatments that Flathead National Forest officials say will reduce wildfire risk and improve ecological health. Officials described the stretch of forest between West Glacier and Summit as “overstocked, disease-prone and increasingly vulnerable to insects and wildfire” in a final decision notice signed Oct. 6. The Forest Service has prescribed a patchwork of commercial and precommercial thinning, clearcuts, whitebark pine restoration and prescribed burns to remedy the issue, which it has collectively titled the Granite-Moccasin Project. Commercial treatments make up 2,397 acres of the 4,930-acre treatment area, while noncommercial treatments account for 2,402 acres. Another 131 acres will be thinned to expand an existing utility corridor. About 8 miles of new Forest Service roads will be constructed during the project, most of which will be made impassable once activities cease. The Granite-Moccasin Project was first proposed in December 2025 and reviewed under an emergency action determination that the Trump administration introduced last year, which allows the Forest Service to forgo the typical objection period for projects in areas considered to be at high risk for catastrophic wildfire. A singular public comment period in January 2026 elicited

West Glacier, MT · 1d

Montana Outdoor Radio Show

partner publisher · 2.8K followers

FWP Region 1: Harvest activity continues across NW MT as general season progresses

Northwest Montana check stations recorded 269 white-tailed deer, 48 mule deer bucks and 32 elk among 4,832 hunters through the third weekend. Harvest success was 7.2%, down from 8.3% in 2025, likely because of warm weather. Cooler conditions and the rut may improve results. Hunters should review regulations, access rules, bear safety guidance and CWD testing requirements.

Kalispell, MT · 2d

Fairfield Sun Times

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Atlanta-based developer acquires Main Street building, plans Montana expansion

Atlanta-based developer Ardent Companies announced its purchase of the Osborne Building on 233 E. Main St. and a building in downtown Whitefish in late October. The Osborne holds restaurant Brigade, est.1864 Noir Bar & Restaurant, outdoor goods store Stio, luxury boutique Belle Shops, commercial office spaces and a T-Mobile rooftop cell tower lease.

Bozeman, MT · 6d

Flathead Beacon

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Kalispell Chamber of Commerce Recognizes Local Businesses and Entrepreneurs at Annual Grand Event

Thursday night, the Kalispell Chamber of Commerce brought together local businesses and organizations to celebrate entrepreneurship and community investment in the Flathead Valley. At the 2026 Grand Event, the chamber presented eight awards that recognized honorees’ outstanding work and commitment to creating a better Kalispell. This year’s theme, Venture...

Kalispell, MT · 6d

Lake County Leader

publisher · 1.6K followers

Flathead Land Trust receives grant to conserve 3,000 acres of the Mission Valley

Flathead Land Trust was one of 42 land trusts selected to secure the Regional Conservation Partnership Program grant from the United States Department of Agriculture to conserve 3,000 acres of the Mission Valley in the Ronan and Pablo area. This highly competitive $7.85 million grant provides funding for the trust to purchase conservation easements from about 10 producers in the Mission Valley Conservation Partnership project. Laura Katzman, a land protection specialist with Flathead Land Trust, said their proposal was selected thanks to the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, who made a big contribution in helping leverage this funding. As part of Flathead Land Trust’s proposal, CSKT Tribal Council agreed to place 3,000 acres of tribal land alongside the Flathead River into a conservation easement. Katzman explained that their project area is adjacent to tribal land. A conservation easement is a voluntary permanent legal agreement between a landowner and an organization that permanently limits certain uses of a property to protect its natural, scenic, historic or agricultural values. The landowner still owns and manages the land and can sell or pass it on, while the easement stays with the land in perpetuity. CSKT communication director Rob McDonald stated in an email

Pablo, MT · 7d

montanian.com

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50 Years of Power. None of the Benefit.

Guest opinion submitted to The Montanian in response to “Libby Dam’s Generator Unit 6 Strengthens Reliability and Conservation,” October 21, 2026. This paper recently carried an account of the Unit 6 installation at Libby Dam, submitted by the Army Corps of Engineers. It is accurate, it is informative, and the engineering it describes deserves the respect it was given. Lincoln County has no quarrel with a single figure in it.

Lincoln County, MT · 14d

Char-Koosta News

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CSKT Forestry Celebrates North Greenhouse Expansion

On Wednesday, October 29, the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes (CSKT) Forestry Department celebrated the opening of the North Greenhouse expansion. The expansion highlights an important step in the Tribes' ongoing work to restore forests, protect native plants, and care for the land. The expansion will triple plant production at...

Ronan, MT · 6d

Whitefish Pilot

publisher · 1.1K followers

Guest opinion: Electrifying the Flathead, overcoming gridlock

We've heard warnings locally and nationally that our electric grid is running out of space limiting access to power supplies. Basic economics tells us that when supply can't keep up with demand, prices rise—and that could mean higher power bills for us. On our Oct. 9 Electrifying the Flathead radio show, we explored soaring electricity demand and what's holding us back in solving it. Here in the Flathead, as across the country, demand is growing due to electrification, population growth, and the retirement of existing power sources. The Northwest electric grid is nearing capacity, yet there is gridlock in the efforts to build new long distance transmission lines that can unlock more power resources. The recently introduced Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act (BAAJA) aims to streamline permitting for new energy projects, including transmission lines. More electricity supply can help keep costs down. BAAJA's bipartisan approach offers the lasting reforms that can continue delivering benefits even as political leadership changes. What can you do? Contact Senators Daines and Sheehy and Congressman Zinke and ask them to get BAAJA passed this year to remove the gridlock. Meanwhile, the cheapest energy is the energy you don't use. Tune in to Electrifying the

The Flathead, MT · 8d

Flathead Beacon

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Flathead County Library Ends Talks With Developer Over Kalispell Center Mall Site

Flathead County Library is pulling out of negotiations with SHOP Development Company to purchase a piece of Kalispell Center Mall property for a future library branch. Parkline Partners LP, an affiliate of SHOP, is in the process of requesting Tax Increment Financing (TIF) funds to help transform the mall property. The Texas-based developers had been in talks with the county library about a section of the northwest corner of the lot.

Flathead County, MT · 14d