Flathead Beacon Headlines

Forest Service Approves Jet Retardant Bomber

Associated Press — Sun, 27 May 2012 10:25:32 MDT

MISSOULA — The U.S. Forest Service says it has approved a Montana-based firefighting company's jet aircraft to be used to drop retardant on wildfires this season. Agency spokeswoman Jennifer Jones tells the Missoulian that Neptune Aviation Services received permission to use its BAe-146 jet tanker beginning Saturday and going through Oct. 5.

New Border Crossing Facility Opens in Northwest Montana

Associated Press — Sun, 27 May 2012 10:22:33 MDT

DEL BONITA — U.S. Customs and Border Protection has opened a new facility at the Del Bonita Port of Entry in northwestern Montana on State Highway 213. The agency announced on Friday the opening of the border crossing facility that operates during daytime only.

Emotions High as County Considers Landfill Expansion

Molly Priddy — Sun, 27 May 2012 05:55:29 MDT

Driving to the Sweets’ house north of Kalispell, it’s easy to see why the family chose to buy the property in 1988. Prairie View Road offers stunning views of the West Valley. And on Bright Star Trail, the gravel road to their home, dense trees hide neighbors tucked away in an idyllic Montana setting. It’s easy to forget the Flathead County Landfill is visible on the north side of the road.

Steelhead Trout with Quinoa Tabouleh

Josh Auerhammer — Sun, 27 May 2012 05:52:35 MDT

Quinoa has become very popular lately with many chefs and is more and more likely to be found in household cupboards here in the U.S. and around the world. Packed with nutrients and a great source of non-meat protein and amino acids, this small grain-like seed can be a very important part of a vegetarian diet and has been cultivated in parts of Peru and Ecuador for thousands of years.

PLACES: Rising Sun

Justin Franz — Sun, 27 May 2012 05:52:05 MDT

Summer is quickly approaching and for many people that means camping, especially in Glacier National Park. For the folks who want to get away from the early-season crowds on the west side of the park, Rising Sun Campground on St. Mary Lake may be the perfect getaway.

Massive Bighorn Sheep Found on Wild Horse Island

Dillon Tabish — Sat, 26 May 2012 11:54:17 MDT

Wild Horse Island, near the south end of Flathead Lake, is home to a descendent herd of Spanish mustangs, mule deer and over 200 bighorn sheep. It’s the largest island on Flathead and one of 10 primitive state parks in Montana, meaning almost all 2,100 acres of habitat are open to the public but sustained like a wilderness. It’s on this hermetic island that a state treasure was recently discovered: a massive bighorn sheep ram that died of natural causes with the fourth largest rack ever measured in state history. The length and girth combined to measure 204 inches.

FVCC Breaks Ground on Nursing Building

Molly Priddy — Fri, 25 May 2012 19:41:45 MDT

It was overcast and windy on May 22, and heavy rainclouds hovered above the Flathead Valley Community College campus, but none of that could dampen the spirits of the crowd gathered to celebrate the groundbreaking. FVCC administration, staff, supporters and community members cheered as the shovels hit the soil, marking the beginning of construction on the Rebecca Chaney Broussard Center for Nursing and Health Sciences.

Corporations are Not People

Jerry Elwood — Fri, 25 May 2012 18:55:08 MDT

If you disagree with the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2010 Citizens United decision, claiming that corporations are people, be aware of some facts concerning the case. The decision reversed over 100 years of constitutional law based on principles established by this nation’s founders. After all, we fought the Revolutionary War in part to achieve independence from English crown corporations that dominated colonial commerce and governed some of the original 13 colonies.

Siding with Big Labor Cronies

George Everett — Fri, 25 May 2012 18:44:40 MDT

Last month Sen. Jon Tester voted with President Barack Obama and his Big Labor cronies to allow the controversial new "ambush elections" rule from the NLRB to take effect. This rule was widely opposed by small businesses because it would severely shorten the timeframe (as little as seven days) allowed for a union organizing election. The main motivation behind this new rule is to make union formation much, much easier.  

Third-Party Farce

Kellyn Brown — Fri, 25 May 2012 17:53:49 MDT

Americans Elect was a novel idea, even as it appears to be a failed one. The group acknowledged last week that it could not agree on a suitable third-party candidate and would suspend its search. Apparently the notion of launching a third party is a lot more appealing in concept than reality, which is a shame.