Flathead Beacon Podcasts

Whitefish Olympian Talks Tokyo

September 01, 2021 11:10 - 14 minutes - 20.5 MB

While the attention of the sporting world has shifted to the fall football season and the start of a number of high school sports, some athletes are still reminiscing about and processing their experiences competing at the highest level of sport: the Olympic Games. Whitefish has an elite club of Olympic athletes that can be counted on a single hand. Nicole Heavirland competed for Team USA in Rugby Sevens, after going to the 2016 Rio Games as a reserve. Nicole joins to the podcast to talk...

2021 Prep Football Preview

August 25, 2021 11:05 - 26 minutes - 36.4 MB

The weather is starting to feel like fall and once again it is time for Friday night lights to bring fans to football stadiums across Montana. High school football kicks off this weekend and there are exciting storylines across the Flathead Valley, including the new coach at Flathead High School and the strongest kid in the country, Jake Rendina, getting ready for his final season under the lights for the Glacier Wolfpack. To dive deeper into the world of prep football host Micah Drew ta...

COVID Rising

August 18, 2021 11:05 - 14 minutes - 19.7 MB

Flathead County has seen a drastic increase in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations in recent weeks, including 42 hospitalizations on Aug. 17, breaking the single-day record set last November during the pandemic’s peak. Logan Health reports its adult acute-care capacity has been exceeded and that the current surge in cases, driven by the highly infectious Delta variant, has likely yet to hit its peak. Flathead Beacon managing editor Myers Reece routinely talks with local hospital and heal...

The Drinks Issue

August 11, 2021 11:05 - 17 minutes - 24.6 MB

Every year the Flathead Beacon features its annual drink issue, where reporters are out into the valley to find most interesting stories about coffee, spirits, wine and anything else that can be enjoyed in a cup, glass or mug. This year's Drinks Issue includes a look at Montana Coffee Traders, Portal Spirits Distillery, the history behind Boba Tea and profiles cocktail creator who designed the menus at Abruzzo, Tupello Grill and Jalisco Cantina. In addition, staff writer Maggie Dresser prev...

The Flames Were Right in Front of Us

August 04, 2021 11:09 - 21 minutes - 29.8 MB

A small fire ignited northeast of Polson on Saturday afternoon, July 31, and became erratic on Saturday night as high winds stoked the flames and pushed the fire toward Highway 35 and Flathead Lake's eastern shore. The Boulder 2700 wildfire tore across the highway near mile marker 10 and blazed south, burning up the lakeside homes in its path. One resident from Finley Point, journalist Amanda Grennell, was woken up just after midnight when the power in her house went out. She and her family...

Meet the Intern

July 21, 2021 11:17 - 17 minutes - 24.5 MB

Every summer the Flathead Beacon strives to bring interns to the newsroom in order to help mentor the next generation of journalists. Last year, COVID-19 lockdowns prevented the Beacon from bringing an intern on, but this summer we are happy to host not one, but two recent college graduates at the start of their careers. Editorial intern Skye Lucas joins the podcast to talk about moving to Montana and jumpstarting her career as a journalist. Later, host Micah Drew runs through the biggest s...

The Biggest Summer's Biggest Event

July 14, 2021 11:00 - 17 minutes - 23.5 MB

“There isn't some kind of like hokey stage off to the side called like 'the local showcase' or something. They really do include us as a really valuable part of the festival, which means a lot and I think says a lot about our local music scene.” ~ Kalispell singer/songwriter Mike Murray Kalispell singer-songwriter Mike Murray is one of the many local artists that will be taking the stage at this weekend’s Under the Big Sky music festival. Since last year’s festival was canceled, this wil...

Off the Grid and Overrun

July 07, 2021 11:16 - 21 minutes - 29.4 MB

“They're left asking questions with a very rudimentary grasp of what the section of the park holds, and it's a wild chunk of country up the North Fork.” ~ Flathead Beacon assistant managing editor Tristan Scott Glacier National Park covers nearly a million acres of land, and yet there are only six entrances that lead to the interior. Three connect to the iconic, 50-mile long Going-to-the-Sun Road, which bisects the park between West Glacier and St. Mary. On the eastern side, entrances at Tw...

Farewell Andy

June 30, 2021 11:10 - 24 minutes - 33 MB

“Why I love it so much is being able to getting to know all kinds of different people from all kinds of walks of life who have all kinds of histories and experiences that they bring to the stuff they’re doing now and it's been a real treat getting to know and tell the stories of so many wonderful people in the Flathead Valley.” ~ Beacon staff writer Andy Viano The Flathead Beacon Podcast began in March 2020 as a daily update on the state of affairs during the COVID-19 pandemic. In May it tr...

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

June 23, 2021 11:06 - 19 minutes - 27.4 MB

It’s a commonly used phrase in the world of media: A picture is worth a thousand words. Photographs have the ability to capture stories, actions and emotions in a single frame. It’s possible to take a quick glance at an expertly shot photo and get the essence of the 900-word story it accompanies. The cover story in this week's Flathead Beacon is about a photo collection by the late Ed Gilliland that will be preserved at the Northwest Montana History museum and in an online archive. The enor...

Flathead Living Preview

June 16, 2021 11:09 - 15 minutes - 21.5 MB

In 2013, The Flathead Beacon expanded it’s presence beyond the weekly newspaper when the company purchased Flathead Living, a glossy quarterly magazine. The magazine allows regular staff writers of the newsroom to expand their writing prowess with feature stories fro around northwest Montana and it also engages with a talented group of freelance writers, photographers, columnists and designers. The seasonal publication is free, just like the weekly paper and the summer edition of Flathead Li...

Meet the Joneses

June 09, 2021 11:10 - 18 minutes - 24.9 MB

Northwest Montana is made up of a patchwork of public land in the form of national parks, national forests, BLM and state land, and private land owned by large timber companies and individuals land owners. For decades, handshake agreements with timber companies have allowed the public to access swaths of land for recreation and hunting. In January, billionaire couple Mark and Robyn Jones became one of the biggest private landowners in Flathead County following a 126,000 acre purchase west of...

Summer Preview

June 02, 2021 11:15 - 16 minutes - 22.1 MB

Memorial Day Weekend serves as the unofficial kickoff to the summer season, with an extra holiday off of work for many people offering an excuse to take off on camping trips, enjoy some lake days or just get some well-earned rest and relaxation. This year, it was the first weekend of the newly instated ticketed entry system at Glacier National Park as well as the start of summer operations up on Big Mountain. There’s a lot of changes happening in the area this summer and the expectation is r...

The New Frontier of Legal Marijuana

May 19, 2021 11:10 - 18 minutes - 25.4 MB

In November, 2020, Montana voters approved a ballot initiative to legalize recreational marijuana for adults over the age of 21. After a month of deliberation, the Montana legislature finally passed a bill carrying out the voters’ will, but it was not without contention. This week, the Flathead Beacon cover story, The New Frontier of Legal Marijuana, takes a look at how the legislature shaped the law that will implement recreational adult-use cannabis. Podcast hosts Micah Drew and Andy Viano...

A Matter of Life and Death

May 12, 2021 11:02 - 18 minutes - 25.1 MB

Flathead Beacon staff writer Andy Viano joins the show as a guest to talk a drastic rise in officer involved shootings in the Northwest Montana over the last year. Four separate confrontations involving law enforcement have ended in a shooting that left a suspect dead. So far no internal or criminal investigations have revealed any wrongdoing by law enforcement, but the four cases are reflected in a rise in officer-involved deaths statewide in recent years. Later in the show, host Micah Dr...

Redrawing District Lines

May 05, 2021 11:02 - 19 minutes - 27.3 MB

Flathead Beacon Editor in Chief Kellyn Brown joins the show to talk about the results of the 2020 census, which made Montana the first ever state to regain a seat in the House of Representatives after losing a seat in 1990. Starting with the 2022 election, Montana's at large congressional district will be split in two, prompting speculation about where the line will be drawn and who might run for the office. Later in the show, host Andy Viano runs through the biggest stories from the last ...

Building a Grassroots Workforce

April 28, 2021 11:02 - 16 minutes - 22.5 MB

Flathead Valley Community College Running Start Academic Coordinator Shelley Eberhardy joins the show to talk about opportunities for high schoolers to affordably earn college credit from FVCC. The programs emphasize student opportunities to find success without four-year degrees with a special focus on nurturing a skilled local workforce. Shelley talks about all of that plus what it's like for students to find the program and what graduation will mean next month. Later in the show, host Mi...

Now Hiring

April 21, 2021 11:01 - 19 minutes - 27.2 MB

You don't have to look very hard to see signs, literally, of the Flathead Valley's labor shortage, with businesses desperately seeking help, particularly in the service industry as a busy summer season approaches. The director of the University of Montana's Bureau of Business and Economic Research, Pat Barkey, is our guest this week to talk why there is a scarcity of workers, what could be done to fix it, and why things like immigration could be having an outsized impact on the problem. You ...

The Music Issue

April 14, 2021 11:01 - 17 minutes - 23.8 MB

The Music Issue is back in 2021 after a pandemic hiatus but this year's edition is still full of pandemic-adjacent storylines. That includes the latest developments at the North Valley Music School, where a mandatory shutdown last March led the nonprofit to immediately offer remote lessons and recitals, programs that are now a big part of their future. The school's executive director, Deidre Corson, joins the show this week to talk about all that and why music was so important in getting man...

Community of Inclusion

April 07, 2021 11:06 - 23 minutes - 32 MB

Several bills targeting transgender youth are making their way through the Montana Legislature this session and to discuss how those bills are being received by the local LGBTQ community, Glacier Queer Alliance Executive Director Bryan Bebb joins the show this week. Bryan shares some of what his organization, and others, are doing to ensure the transgender community feels supported locally, despite the fact that much of the targeted legislation is being proposed by Flathead Valley lawmakers....

The Jobs Issue

March 31, 2021 11:02 - 20 minutes - 27.9 MB

Our annual Jobs Issue hits newsstands this week, taking a look at the job market in Northwest Montana as we approach the final stages, hopefully, of the COVID-19 pandemic. Chief Economist Barb Wagner from the Montana Department of Labor and Industry joins the show to talk about some of the biggest challenges facing employers and employees right now and what lingering impacts the COVID-19 pandemic could have on Montana's economy. Later, host Andy Viano runs through the biggest stories from t...

On the Road to a Record Year

March 24, 2021 11:02 - 17 minutes - 24.7 MB

It feels like every year lately has been an unprecedented one at Glacier National Park, but 2021 might just end up being the busiest and most complicated of them all. With much of the world emerging from the COVID-19 pandemic, officials expect extremely high visitation, and ongoing virus mitigation measures plus widespread road construction will make things extra challenging for park officials. Tristan Scott joins the show this week to talk about what those officials are planning to ensure v...

One Year Later

March 17, 2021 11:01 - 18 minutes - 26 MB

It's been more than a year now since we all first felt the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in this country, so to look back at March 2020 and everything that's happened since then, Editor in Chief Kellyn Brown stops by the show to discuss it all. Kellyn walks through the first hectic weeks of covering the pandemic, how our coverage has been shaped ever since, and how he's handled the divisive rhetoric surrounding COVID-19. Later, host Andy Viano runs through the biggest stories from the las...

The Brothers Gelande

March 10, 2021 12:02 - 17 minutes - 24.6 MB

A trio of brothers born and raised in Whitefish grew up to dominate the sport of gelande jumping, a run of success that continues today, 25 years after one of them first won Montana Snowbowl's annual event in 1996. Brent Wilson took home the title that year, and he joins the show to share how he turned from standout downhill racer to gelande jumper, how he brought younger brothers Rolf and Erik into the sport, and what it's been like to see the trio win 19 titles and set countless records al...

Roadmap to Reopening

March 03, 2021 12:05 - 18 minutes - 25.5 MB

From the White House on down, the country is talking about how to reopen schools for in-person instruction, more than a year after the novel coronavirus first arrived in the United States. But in Northwest Montana, school buildings have been open since August and have done so relatively safely, a somewhat surprising but certainly welcome result. Staff Writer Andy Viano scoots over to the interviewee chair to talk about his reporting throughout the school year, what had to happen for schools ...

An Unforgiving Winter

February 24, 2021 12:02 - 20 minutes - 28.5 MB

It's only February but this has already been a deadlier avalanche season than most, a reality that struck close to home earlier this year when a 59-year-old snowmobiler was killed in the Swan Range. Staff Writer Maggie Dresser wrote about the dangers this week and spoke with Erich Peitzsch, a research physical scientist at the U.S. Geological Survey. Erich joins the show to talk about the work he's doing, why the avalanche risk has been high here in recent weeks, and about a study on the age...

This Land is Whose Land?

February 17, 2021 12:15 - 17 minutes - 24.6 MB

The purchase of more than 125,000 acres of timberland near the Hubbart Reservoir by a billionaire Texas couple prompted grave concerns from observers who have watched the property change hands several times in the last few years. Assistant Managing Editor Tristan Scott joins the show to talk about the story he broke and the broader issues of land conservation and public access, something that has for years been preserved through nothing more than a handshake agreement. Later, host Andy Viano...

Kalispell's Hidden Gem

February 10, 2021 12:03 - 15 minutes - 21.2 MB

Glenda Hamilton "took the plunge" and started a grocery store in 2005, stocked with items she remembered from her childhood in the Philippines and her grandmother's wet market there. Tristan Scott wrote about her store, Mabuhay Oriental Market, and the remarkable lengths she goes through to stock her shelves with just what her customers want in the 2021 Food Issue of the Flathead Beacon. In this week's episode, Hamilton takes us through her store and her years spent growing her business. Lat...

Last of His Kind

February 03, 2021 12:02 - 15 minutes - 21.4 MB

Furrier Brian Osterday channeled his passion for art, love of history and experience in the outdoors into one a one-of-a-kind career creating fur hats, blankets, slippers, boots and more, all using techniques and equipment more than 100 years old. Osterday joins the show this week to talk about how he got into this profession, why it hooked him in a way that other artistic pursuits didn't and what he sees as the future of a craft he wants to pass on to the next generation. Later, host Andy V...

Next in Stein

January 27, 2021 12:02 - 16 minutes - 11.3 MB

Dave Sturzen was scared to match up against Kevin Collom, the steinholding legend who ruled the Great Northwest Oktoberfest in Whitefish for nearly a decade. But when Sturzen finally gave it a shot, in 2019, he won, and launched a meteoric rise in the sport that culminated in a national championship late last year. Sturzen joins the show this week to talk about it all, including what his family thinks of his regular at-home training, what his goals are for 2021 and what it feels like to hold...

Care in Crisis

January 20, 2021 12:05 - 22 minutes - 15.8 MB

It has been a trying year at Whitefish Care and Rehabilitation Center, as it has been for countless other nursing homes around the country that have been stricken with a COVID-19 outbreak. The August outbreak at Whitefish Care and Rehab eventually killed 13 residents and sickened dozens more, and in the aftermath stories and reports from oversight agencies painted a grim picture of a facility that failed to meet regulatory standards before and during the outbreak. Reid Crickmore, the buildin...

Their Moment on the Mat

January 13, 2021 12:02 - 19 minutes - 13.3 MB

Girls have been wrestling at the high school level for decades, but this year in Montana they finally get their own team. The Montana High School Association is officially sanctioning girls wrestling as an interscholastic sport this year and Kalispell's two high schools boast more than 40 combined grapplers. This week, Flathead High School's Amber Downing, the lone female coach at the high school level in the state, joins the show to talk about her own experience as a wrestler and what this ...

Outlook 2021

January 06, 2021 12:02 - 17 minutes - 12.1 MB

We ring in 2021 a few days late with a visit from Editor in Chief Kellyn Brown, who shares some of his bold predictions for 2021. Kellyn breaks down how he thinks Montana could be divided if (but more likely when) the state earns a second U.S. House seat once the results of the 2020 census are in, talks about the 2021 Legislative session that is now underway in Helena, and lets us know a few of his personal goals for the new year — including a quest to become a cigar aficionado. Later, host ...

Giving Back

December 23, 2020 12:10 - 18 minutes - 13 MB

With the holiday season comes our annual Giving Back issue, and like everything else since March this one is impacted by COVID-19 and explores how some nonprofits and volunteers have seen their worlds change in the last nine months. Habitat for Humanity of Flathead Valley Executive Director Bob Helder joins the show this week to talk about his organization, how a partnership with AmeriCorps expanded to keep construction going on three Lakeside homes and what else changed in 2020. Later, host...

Far Off Broadway

December 16, 2020 12:33 - 14 minutes - 10 MB

For this week's cover story, Staff Writer Maggie Dresser set out to track down a group of Broadway actors and touring musicians who have moved to the Flathead Valley in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, deciding to relocate as productions shut down throughout the country. Maggie joins the show to talk about her story, how Alpine Theatre Project helped attract the new crop of talent and what it means for the local arts scene to have them in the valley. Later, host Andy Viano runs down the ...

Best of Preps in a Pandemic

December 09, 2020 12:11 - 17 minutes - 11.9 MB

Best of Preps is one of the Flathead Beacon's longest running features but it's been a while since the last one came out. The last two editions of the special section celebrating the area's top high school athletes were canceled by the COVID-19 pandemic, so this week Staff Writer Micah Drew joins the show to talk about what it took to bring Best of Preps back and how this year's jaw-dropping photos came to life (hint: it involves throwing cornstarch into a coworker's face). Later, host Andy ...

Photographer Hunter D'Antuono

December 02, 2020 12:47 - 16 minutes - 11.4 MB

The Flathead Beacon's award-winning, always excellent photography is primarily the work of one man, Media Director Hunter D'Antuono, who joins the show this week to talk about how he captures all those beautiful images that grace our pages. Hunter shares how he first came to have a camera in his hands and why he's hoping a tool to help see the stars is waiting under his Christmas tree later this month. Later, host Andy Viano runs down the biggest stories from the last seven days, including t...

The Fight Against Isolation

November 25, 2020 12:48 - 17 minutes - 12 MB

No group is more vulnerable to the devastating effects of COVID-19 than senior citizens, and the medical risk isn't the only reason many elderly men and women are struggling right now. Managing Editor Myers Reece joins the show this week to talk about his cover story from the Nov. 18 issue of the Beacon and shares how the virus is impacting seniors' mental health and what local community organizations are doing to try to help while keeping their clients safe. Later, host Andy Viano runs down...

Montana Acts to Slow COVID-19

November 18, 2020 12:08 - 13 minutes - 9.44 MB

New COVID-19 cases have been popping up in Montana at an alarming rate this month and on Tuesday lame duck Gov. Steve Bullock took action, announcing a number of new measures targeting the out-of-control spread of the virus. In this week's episode, you'll hear clips from Gov. Bullock's press conference, and find out just what is going to be done and what prompted the governor to take action at this time. Later, host Andy Viano runs down the biggest stories from the last seven days, including...

Recapping Election Night 2020

November 11, 2020 12:49 - 17 minutes - 11.8 MB

We're more than a week removed from the 2020 general election but the impact will be felt for years, particularly after Montana Republicans won every statewide race, including the races for governor and U.S. Senate. Beacon Editor in Chief Kellyn Brown shares what he took away from election night, including the lack of ticket-splitting in what has traditionally been a purple state, and what the election results could mean for the state and both parties. Later, host Andy Viano runs down the bi...

Flathead's Population Boom?

October 28, 2020 11:18 - 23 minutes - 16.1 MB

There are so many stories in this week's Flathead Beacon we had to bring two guests to the show, starting with Editor in Chief Kellyn Brown. Kellyn talks through some of the rumors out there about just how many people have moved to Flathead County since the pandemic began and shares what Tristan Scott found was real — and what wasn't — in this week's cover story. Kellyn then turns his chair over to Staff Writer Micah Drew, who tells us about voter turnout so far in Flathead County and how el...

Pandemic Portraits

October 21, 2020 11:48 - 15 minutes - 10.9 MB

Glacier High School Activities Director Mark Dennehy contracted COVID-19 back in July, and the virus knocked him and his family back for weeks. A health-conscious gym regular, Dennehy dealt with symptoms for weeks, and he shared his story as one of five Pandemic Portraits in this week's Beacon. You can read all the stories — including from a cop, a teacher, a software developer and a nurse in the Kalispell Regional Medical Center COVID unit — by following the link below. Later, host Andy Via...

Montana's Race for Governor, Senator and U.S House

October 14, 2020 11:14 - 20 minutes - 14.4 MB

If you live in Flathead County your general election ballot should already be in your mailbox, so we're finishing up our two-week series on the election with our lead political reporter, Tristan Scott. We take a close look at the race for governor and two federal races — for U.S. House and U.S. Senate — to learn about the candidates and find out what their election could mean both here in Montana and nationally. Later, host Andy Viano runs through the biggest headlines from the last week, w...

General Election 2020: Montana Legislature

October 07, 2020 11:21 - 18 minutes - 12.7 MB

Ballots for the 2020 general election will be mailed out in Flathead County on Friday, Oct. 9, and before your ballot arrives in the mailbox we're running down (briefly) eight contested races for the Montana Legislature. Four Beacon reporters — Tristan Scott, Maggie Dresser, Micah Drew and podcast host Andy Viano — break down two races each in this week's episode, just as they did in this week's issue of the Flathead Beacon. Later in the episode, Andy returns to provide an update on the spre...

3,000 Miles, One Trail and No One in Sight

September 30, 2020 11:39 - 18 minutes - 12.5 MB

Sarah Williams and Peter Weinberger had never met before crossing paths on the Continental Divide Trail but ended up tackling thousands of miles together over several months, all while the coronavirus spread across the United States and flipped life upside down for millions of Americans. Sarah and Peter are the subjects of this week's Beacon cover story and join the show to talk about the experience as they reintegrate into the community. Later, host Andy Viano runs down the latest informati...

COVID-19 on the Rise

September 23, 2020 11:22 - 17 minutes - 11.7 MB

Flathead County is in the midst of the largest outbreak of COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic, a dramatic increase in cases that is stressing public health infrastructure and causing frustration at the county health department. That feeling has only been compounded by angry outbursts from those opposed to mask mandates, those who question the severity of the virus and those who want the department to do more to enforce safety protocols (among others), so Andy Viano flips seats this wee...

The Ballot Battle

September 16, 2020 11:48 - 19 minutes - 13.5 MB

After initially rejecting the option, the Flathead County Commissioners joined most of the rest of Montana in opting to use an all-mail ballot in the upcoming November election, over the objections of a small but vocal minority who claim mail voting is rife with fraud. This week, Tristan Scott brings a guest to the show, Flathead County Election Manager Monica Eisenzimer, who explains how her office has handled large numbers of absentee ballots for years and why she's fully confident in this...

Who Is Cliff Doe?

September 09, 2020 11:01 - 16 minutes - 11.1 MB

The Flathead County Sheriff's Office is looking for help solving a 17-year-old cold case and contributing writer Justin Franz joins the show this week to share what they know. Justin tells us what authorities found near the remains of Cliff Doe, why they think they might be closer than ever to solving the mystery, and why the case has baffled those who have worked on it. Later, host Andy Viano goes through the biggest stories from the last week, including up-to-date data on the spread of COV...

Flathead Beacon Podcasts

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