News Now

Northwest Montana’s wildest headlines are front and center this week on News Now with your host Taylor Inman. We lead with the conclusion of a massive Flathead Valley crime spree as Michael Ray Downing, the man infamously dubbed the "Cocaine Fairy" by local law enforcement, reaches a plea deal following his arrest for a string of burglaries totaling over $1 million in stolen property. Do...

Wondering how to fill your March dance card in Montana? Whether you are wishing for an early spring or praying for one last dump of snow, the Daily Inter Lake’s Local Events Podcast is here to help you navigate a wildcard month of festivals and fun. Join host Melissa Wells as she previews the top-tier events hitting Kalispell, Whitefish, and Columbia Falls. Don your green for the 5th Annual Clover...

Host Taylor Inman details the major shifts coming to Northwest Montana this year, starting with a significant overhaul of visitor access in Glacier National Park. As the park officially ends its vehicle reservation system, officials are introducing a new ticketed shuttle service and a three-hour parking limit at Logan Pass to manage congestion. We also look at the extensive construction schedule f...

This week on News Now, reporter Taylor Inman breaks down six of the Flathead Valley’s biggest and most talked-about stories, from the world stage in Italy to the banks of the Flathead River. We celebrate Libby native Konnor Ralph’s incredible 9th-place finish at the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics and preview his upcoming Big Air qualifiers. We also dive into the first major update to the Flathead Riv...

This week on News Now, reporter Taylor Inman breaks down six of the Flathead Valley’s biggest and most talked-about stories — from federal policy changes at Glacier National Park to heated local land-use decisions and community highlights. We begin with Glacier National Park removing interpretive displays following a federal directive, raising questions about how public lands tell history and whos...

In this episode of News Now, host Taylor Inman breaks down the most significant headlines impacting Northwest Montana. We dive into the viral incident at the Ronan McDonald’s involving the Browning High School wrestling team, exploring the owners' response, and the community’s outpouring of support following the refusal of service. We also cover a major public safety win as the Whitefish Poli...

This week on News Now, Daily Inter Lake host Taylor Inman breaks down the biggest headlines shaping northwest Montana. We begin in Flathead County, where a 34-year-old man faces a felony criminal endangerment charge after allegedly shooting out a vehicle window on U.S. Highway 2 near Hungry Horse. Court documents detail the arrest, the unusual weapons investigators say were found, and what comes n...

February in the Flathead Valley is anything but quiet. From horsepower-meets-ski power at the 20th anniversary of Whitefish Skijoring to the rowdy barstool races of Cabin Fever Days, this month delivers some of Montana’s most iconic winter traditions. We break down everything happening across the valley in February — including the Whitefish Winter Carnival, live music, theater, speaker series, dan...

Join Daily Inter Lake reporter Taylor Inman as she goes over the week’s biggest headlines for Northwest Montana. A Columbia Falls teenager is fighting to recover after a high-speed crash involving an allegedly stolen vehicle on Highway 2, leaving the community rallying around one of its standout student-athletes. Also in this episode, a former district court judge faces sentencing in a dramatic fa...

A violent road rage incident in Columbia Falls leads off this episode of News Now, after a man is charged with felony attempted homicide for allegedly firing a gun with a child inside the vehicle. Host Taylor Inman breaks down what investigators say happened and where the case now stands. We also cover a federal sentencing tied to an illegal border crossing near Eureka, where a Canadian national r...

Join Daily Inter Lake reporter Taylor Inman as she goes over some of the week’s biggest headlines for Northwest Montana. A missing snowboarder was found safe on Christmas Day after taking shelter overnight on the backside of Whitefish Mountain Resort, capping a multi-agency search effort in Flathead County. We get the inside scoop on what Glacier National Park Superintendent Dave Roemer calls a “t...

Join Daily Inter Lake reporter Taylor Inman as she goes over the week’s biggest headlines for Northwest Montana.   Newly obtained footage shows a Whitefish police officer contacted Border Patrol less than two minutes into an April 24 traffic stop for a broken taillight. The driver, Beker Rengifo del Castillo, is a Venezuelan man who entered the United States legally under a humanitarian parole pro...

In this episode of News Now, Taylor Inman breaks down the biggest stories shaping Northwest Montana this week, from a major land conservation agreement to changes in Kalispell city leadership and community efforts to honor local veterans. We begin with a landmark conservation deal that permanently protects more than 53,000 acres of Montana land, a move with long-term implications for wildlife habi...

High winds slammed Northwest Montana this week, knocking out power to tens of thousands of residents from Libby to the Flathead Valley and forcing emergency responses across the region. On this episode of News Now, we break down how damaging wind gusts — topping 67 mph in Kalispell and nearly 100 mph in the Swan Range — led to widespread outages, downed trees, road closures, and emergency shelter...

On this episode of News Now, reporter Taylor Inman breaks down four major stories impacting Northwest Montana. Glacier National Park is preparing to end its vehicle reservation system for the 2026 summer season, shifting to new parking limits, shuttle reservations, and targeted closures in overcrowded areas. Habitat for Humanity outlines its push to build 40 homes by 2030, but acquiring buildable...

Join Daily Inter Lake reporter Taylor Inman as she goes over the week’s biggest headlines for Northwest Montana.  A mercury exposure in Libby sparks an urgent EPA response as officials investigate how toxic metal spread into multiple homes. Columbia Falls pushes new restrictions on electric bikes and motorized devices after a high-speed sidewalk crash, Polson deals with a pickup truck plowing into...

Whitefish Mountain Resort kicked off the 2025/2026 ski season with a fresh blanket of powder - and reporter Jack Underhill was on the mountain to capture opening day! From early-morning mimosa tailgates to overnight campouts under Chair 1, skiers and snowboarders showed up to catch the year’s first turns. Resort officials also share updates on snowpack, safety reminders, and what skiers can expect...

This week on News Now, host Taylor Inman breaks down the biggest stories shaping northwest Montana. Logan Health announces a major leadership transition as Dr. Clint Seger becomes the sole CEO of the Billings Clinic–Logan Health system, impacting thousands of employees across Montana and Wyoming. In Whitefish, new owner Justin Meccia shares his plans to rebrand Whitefish Handcrafted Spirits into H...

December is packed with concerts, festivals, holiday performances, and community traditions across the Flathead Valley — and this month’s episode of the Daily Inter Lake’s Events Podcast is your complete guide. From high-energy DJ nights at the O’Shaughnessy Cultural Arts Center to the Banff Mountain Film Festival at Wachholz, host Melissa Wells highlights the can’t-miss happenings lighting up Whi...

This week on News Now, host Taylor Inman breaks down the biggest stories shaping northwest Montana — beginning with a Mexican national and accused drug trafficker who pleaded guilty in federal court after a high-speed chase through Kalispell this summer. We look at his criminal history, the charges still ahead, and what federal prosecutors say about the case. Then, Somers-Lakeside School District...

The annual Feed the Need benefit concert brought in more than $183,000 for the Flathead Food Bank, marking a record-setting night of community support in the Flathead Valley. This week on News Now, we hear from Executive Director Chris Sidmore and country artist Drake Milligan who helped make the event possible at the Wachholz College Center. Sidmore shares how the fundraiser impacts families acro...

This week on News Now, host Taylor Inman breaks down the biggest stories shaping northwest Montana — from the federal investigation into a fiery Kalispell plane crash, to the ongoing dispute over Flathead Lake’s low summer water levels, to how Glacier Park International Airport is navigating nationwide shutdown-related flight reductions. We dive into the NTSB’s final report on the Socata TBM 700 c...

Kalispell has a new mayor — Ryan Hunter, a sitting city councilor, won the election over Sid Daoud and Kisa Davison in a close three-way race. Meanwhile, Flathead County voters approved a $105 million jail bond, paving the way for a long-awaited new detention center after decades of overcrowding. In Whitefish, prosecutors have amended charges against three protesters accused of blocking a U.S. Bor...

In this special episode, reporter Hannah Shields heads into the Lolo National Forest to follow a group of citizen scientists tracking beaver activity as part of the Clark Fork Coalition’s Beaver Blitz. These volunteers are gathering crucial data to help wildlife researchers understand how beavers move, build, and reshape watersheds — a natural solution to Montana’s growing water challenges. From i...

In this week’s News Now podcast, host Taylor Inman of the Daily Inter Lake breaks down the week’s biggest headlines across northwest Montana. Local food banks in Bigfork and Lakeside are preparing for a surge in demand as SNAP benefits are temporarily halted due to the federal government shutdown, leaving many families uncertain heading into the holidays. We also look at the Flathead County Agency...