Dennis Bragg

Burlington Northern Santa Fe said it's looking forward to working with passenger rail advocates who hope to bring service back to Montana's "Southern Route" sometime in the next few years.

A new bill co-sponsored by Sen. Steve Daines will direct the Department of the Interior and the U.S. Forest Service to work more closely with "gateway communities" to address the impacts of exploding interest in outdoor recreation. 

President Derek Ollmann said in a letter to employees the decision "was made after a great deal of thought including securing BNSF's commitment to continue employment for all of MRL's employees."

It's the end of an era, not only in the Bitterroot but in the U.S., as the holding company controlling the remnants of the once-powerful Kmart retail chain announced the Hamilton store will be closing in early March.

Departing Glacier National Park Superintendent Jeff Mow is looking forward to having more time to enjoy the Flathead with his family. He is looking back with satisfaction, having met the challenges of running the park for the past several years, and with thanks for the people who helped him do it.

The Maclean Family is once more calling for passage of the Blackfoot Clearwater Stewardship Act, with noted author and fisherman John Maclean appearing in a new video where he calls the Act "good compromise legislation."

While Missoula and other Montana cities might get the most headlines about homelessness, there's growing evidence that the housing crisis is expanding into rural areas, such as the Bitterroot Valley.

The 13 service members included 11 Marines, one Army soldier and a member of the Navy who were killed in the blast at the Kabul airport, which also took the lives of 60 Afghans. The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the explosion in late August.

Leaders from the Mineral County Courthouse to the State Capitol are expressing complete surprise over this week's announcement that Idaho Forest Group (IFG) is closing its sawmill in St. Regis, throwing 99 people out of work.

The documentary, "Return to the Big Skies: Miss Montana to Normandy" has been a work in progress since a determined crew of volunteers first came up with the idea of restoring the legendary C-47 cargo plane nearly two decades after it had been brought back to Missoula.