MISSOULA — We are taking a look back at what people were checking out on kpax.com during 2023.
Below are the top 10 most viewed Montana stories from our website.
#10: Cleanup underway after train cars derail into river near Quinn's Hot Springs
A Montana Rail Link train derailed into the river near Quinn's Hot Springs, west of Paradise, on April 2, 2023. Approximately two dozen railcars jumped the tracks with some of them landing in the river. The derailment forced the evacuation of some guest cabins at Quinn's Hot Springs.
#9: November 7, 2023, Western Montana election results (unofficial)
Voters across Western Montana cast ballots in the November 7, 2023, elections. Missoula elected a new mayor for the first time since 2006 — when the late John Engen started his tenure. The Missoula City Council races were also decided. In Kalispell, municipal election ballots were issued according to previous ward boundaries which means it could have potentially changed which candidate people could vote for.
Glacier National Park Rangers talked about the 80-plus rescues they performed in the park as the main tourist season came to an end. Due to more visitors, rescuers in the park — as well as the outside agencies that assist in the rescues — were feeling the strain.
#7: Rescued Glacier National Park hiker continues recovery in Kalispell
Ninteen-year-old Matthew Read was rescued in Glacier National Park after being reported missing on May 7 after he failed to return from a planned hike on the Park’s Huckleberry Lookout trail. Read was taken to Logan Health in Kalispell where he recovered from the ordeal.
#6: Montana Millionaire holds 'Early Bird' drawing for $25K
The Montana Lottery conducted the first of two "Early Bird" drawings in the annual Montana Millionaire sweepstakes on November 24, announcing a $25,000 winner. This year the popular lottery game sold out in just five hours.
#5: Details emerge in lockdown of Missoula’s Hellgate High School
A social media post prompted a lockdown of Hellgate High School on April 5. The Missoula Police Department reported at the time that they were responding to a threat of an active shooter at the Missoula school. The incident prompted all other Missoula County Public Schools to institute a "soft-perimeter lockdown."
#4: Rattlesnake neighborhood doesn't receive mail for 2 weeks, USPS responds
A Missoula resident told MTN News in January that her neighborhood in the Rattlesnake had not received mail for two weeks. The U.S. Postal Service responded by stating, "The tip that there has been no mail to an entire neighborhood for three weeks cannot be correct and does not correspond with our data."
#3: Grizzly bear euthanized in Glacier National Park
What was described by officials as a food-conditioned grizzly bear was euthanized in Glacier National Park in July. Officials said at the time that the decision was made after the bear received multiple food rewards from unsecured sources, causing it to exhibit increasingly aggressive behavior.
#2: Video shows US Postal Service carrier tossing packages near Missoula mailboxes
A person posted a video on Facebook in January of a mail carrier that could be seen tossing packages on the ground near the mailboxes in Missoula's 44 Ranch neighborhood. USPS Senior Public Relations Representative Kim Frum responded via e-mail to the incident. She stated in part, "Thank you for sharing this video with us. The Postal Service always seeks to provide the highest quality service possible, which our customers expect and deserve. A mishandled package is unacceptable and does not reflect the careful efforts of the thousands of professional, dedicated carriers in our workforce. We are disappointed to see the actions of our employee."
#1 Private home being built in Glacier National Park failed to get proper permits and must be torn down
Our most viewed web story of 2023 was about the controversy surrounding a private home being built in Glacier National Park. The home — which was being built on private land in the Apgar area — was ordered to be torn down. The home was built directly on the stream bank of McDonald Creek on private property within the park boundary that has been grandfathered since before the park's creation.
