Subscribers will be receiving a letter this week informing them of a price increase. We are raising our newsstand and subscription prices. We will be the last major Montana daily newspaper to go to a $2 newsstand price on Sundays. Effective June 1, our daily newsstand price will go from 75 cents to $1.

Our subscribers will be receiving additional value. All subscribers will receive full digital access to our content including greatfallstribune.com and newly designed apps that enable users full access to custom-designed editions that play to the strength of the iPhone, iPad and Android devices.

Nonsubscribers’ access will be limited each month, but some content, such as CareerBuildercom, Cars.com and some news stories, will be on our website and will always be accessible, without limit.

Emphasis mine. Heh…love how they bury the lede about putting up a paywall, and don’t even actually say it. Here’s a link to the full article on the Tribune – better click it now before it disappears behind the paywall!

UPDATE, Wednesday: Greg offers his thoughts on some of the reasons for the Tribune’s decision, and offers up some advice that likely won’t be taken:

I can’t blame the Tribune; they have to make a buck just like anyone else. I wonder, though, if anyone studied the elasticity of demand for their services. My wife already complained about the cost of this usually-thin paper, noting a typical morning’s read lasts about 5 minutes or less. I think she’ll cancel our subscription when she sees the price increase. May I suggest, though, that if the Tribune started taking an editorial stand once in a while that might do as much to increase overall revenue as a price increase?

Of course, that raises the question that has bugged me for a long time: why do newspapers have “editorials” at all?

Also: much obliged for the kind words about KRTV.com!

From Greg: “My first thought when I read this yesterday was that “this eliminates any question whatsoever that KRTV.com is by far the best online source of local news and information.”

From Wolfpack: “I second that KRTV.com leads as Great Falls best local news source.”

But possibly the best thing of all was this paper placemat:

(click for larger view)

Turns out the artist is Sheree North, whose artwork can also be found at My Viola, the coolest floral shop in town!

Great Falls police tell us that David Wayne Lawrence has been arrested in connection with the disappearance of Sherry Lankford.
Lankford, then 42 years old, was reportedly last seen on Sunday, March 13, 2011, at around 9 pm by her son at their house on the west side of town.
Her body was found in the Missouri River near West Bank Park in Great Falls on May 4, 2011.
Lawrence was arrested on Friday, May 11, 2012, and is facing a felony charge of tampering with evidence.

“Don’t forget to get ahold of your favorite derby grrrl for your Heads May Roll Derby Bout on May 26th!! Tickets are only $10!! Come cheer on the Electric City Roller Grrrlz as we take on Lethbridge Alberta!!!!”

Electric City Roller Grrrlz vs Deathbridge Derby Dames! Doors open at 6pm and bout starts at 7pm. Tickets are $10 and available at Barrel O’ Bucks Casino 527 Central Ave West and http://www.brownpapertickets.com/! Kids 10 and under are $1 or a DVD donation for wounded soldiers at the door!

Okay Folks, I need your input – I’m going to open Luz’s Mexican Food adjacent to the Lobby. Will the good folks of GF come and see us? We will be open from possibly 8 am to 7:30 pm. We will cater. If I build it will you come? )

Sounds good to me.

So tonight we ventured forth to see “Dark Shadows” at the Carmike. Fortunately, the movie was way better than the several reviews that I read over the weekend – Johnny Depp *killed* it as Barnabas Collins, and the supporting cast did quite well, too. Not enough to elevate the movie to 4-star status, but this movie is a very comfortable 3-star effort.

Yes, there were a few throwaway laughs, but it was far more serious and less “campy” than the previews would have you believe. The overall design was mostly spot-on, too – early 70s tone, complete with lava lamps, “Superfly” at the Roxy Theatre, a few hippies. Not too many mis-steps, in terms of period authenticity, at least that I could see, although Barry White’s “My First, My Last, My Everything” came out in 1974, after the film’s 1972 setting. It was used to humorous effect, so whatever.

And yes, a few chuckles at the “fish out of water” thing – Barnabas cursing at a McDonald’s sign, assuming that Alice Cooper is a woman, etc.

But make no mistake: Barnabas is a vampire, and his adversary is a witch, and there are more than a dozen dead bodies by the time the credits roll.

Note: never saw any of the original “Dark Shadows” series – a few snippets over the years when flipping the channels, but other than knowing the name Barnabas Collins and that it involved a vampire, I went into this movie cold.

As far as the Carmike Theatre: didn’t realize that ticket prices had cracked $9 in Great Falls. Surprised that there was a line on a Wednesday night. Popcorn was fair. Bottle of water cost $4.10. Viewing experience was fine. Employees seemed a bit more friendly than in previous outings.

ALSO: the official start time of the movie was listed as 7:15. We had to suffer through several movie previews and a couple of “enjoy your movie experience!” promos. So start time of 7:15, but the movie actually began at about 7:36.

Most of them simply had names on them – the person or family who donated the dollar, etc. But Krista spotted this full-of-awesome one:

So anyone who ever thought that llamas with hats don’t care about helping others – you now stand corrected.