Montana Highlights

Whitefish Westside Market, most recently a gas station and market in the west side of Whitefish, has undergone a major renovation of purpose and owner ship. The new owners, Bill and Sharon Kahle along with partner Joe Hess have added hundreds of new items and services.

Officials at Glacier National Park are proposing fee rate changes to most front country campgrounds in 2024. Front country campgrounds are accessible by car or RV. According to a release from park officials, the proposed rates for campsites would increase between $3 and $10, depending on the type of site. Some group sites could potentially increase up to $30. Public comments on the proposed fee increases will be accepted through Sept. 8.

The Kalispell City Council has considered a new downtown banner policy. Under the proposed policy, banners flying over the Parkline Trail and downtown streets should advertise events sponsored by the city or the associated business improvement districts and “highlight activities, general messaging or seasonal displays occurring in or around the city of Kalispell.

Bitterroot National Forest has approved the Gold Butterfly Project. The Gold Butterfly Project is a vegetation management and fuels reduction project in the Sapphire Mountains east of Corvallis. The Gold Butterfly Project is designed to, improve forest resilience to insects, and diseases;  improve water quality and bull trout habitat; manage timber to provide forest products, jobs, and income to local communities. 

Soma-Dis Deli, in Glascow, celebrates 25 years of business this year. Hope Jones-Farr, who was one of the original owners, alongside her husband Kevin Farr, sold the Deli in 2022 to Kyle Bilger. The deli opened on June 8, 1998.

The Big Sky Passenger Rail Authority has opened its 30 day public hearing for its $231,128 fiscal year 2023-24 preliminary budget. This budget is 48% below last year’s adopted FY23 budget.

As reported by the Daily Montanan  the residential electricc customers of Montana-Dakota Utilities will be paying nearly $100 a year more in electric rates. The Montana Public Service Commission  voted 3-2 to approve the rate increases. Commissioners Pinocci and O’Donnell in voted opposition.

The Montana Department of Transportation has closed the Interstate 15 Wolf Creek Interchange (Exit 226) southbound on-ramp from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m., weather and other factors permitting. To access I-15 southbound from Wolf Creek, take Recreation Road south to Exit 219. ...

From Northern Ag Network

The Public Lands Council and National Cattlemen’s Beef Association slammed President Biden’s use of the Antiquities Act to put sweeping federal designations on over a million additional acres of land in Arizona, amounting to yet another presidential land grab. This designation is the latest in a long series of recent actions from the Biden administration that has di...

The Small Business Administration (SBA) has implemented new rules that support the Biden-Harris Administration’s economic and equity priorities. Called the Growth Final Rule SBA Administrator Isabella Casilla Guzman said that the regulatory and policy reforms will increase access to private equity and debt capital for:

 • Underserved small businesses and startups,

• Undercapitalized crit...

By Ronda Wiggers, Montana State Director for National Federation of Independent Business

Montana Main Street businesses, farmers and entrepreneurs have endured a lot the last three years. More than 90% of Montana’s businesses are considered ‘small,’ employing less than 50 people. These small businesses have faced uncertainty, supply problems, and struggled to find enough employees. And now ...

The Lockwood Pedestrian Safety District was recently informed that the district has been awarded   a grant for Alternative Transportation from the Montana Department of Transportation for $1,039,000 to complete the sidewalk along Old Hardin Road. Building a side walk the length of Old Hardin Road has been a goal of the district since it was first established in 2014.

Woody Woods, who heads ...

Whitefish Westside Market, most recently a gas station and market in the west side of Whitefish, has undergone a major renovation of purpose and owner ship. The new owners, Bill and Sharon Kahle along with partner Joe Hess have added hundreds of new items and services.

Officials at Glacier National Park are proposing fee rate changes to most front country campgrounds in 2024. Front country ...

Balter-Reitz Named Fellow

Montana State University Billings Professor of Communication Susan Balter-Reitz, Ph.D., has been named a University of California National Center for Free Speech and Civic Engagement Fellow for 2023-2024. Balter-Reitz and her co-author, Michael Bruner, Ph.D., University of Nevada Las Veg...