Canine, car wash - Entrepreneur expands business from Missoula to Helena
HELENA - Dogs may be the stereotypical “best friend” to many, while others consider their cars to be their first love.
Proposal to tax drinks causes a stir - Beverage industry groups strongly oppose 'lifestyle tax’ measures 
WASHINGTON - A push for new taxes on soda, beer and wine to help pay for Americans’ health care is stirring up more than just the beverage industry.
Google Wave the next big thing
As the saying goes, don’t blink or you’ll miss the small town you’re driving through. Well, if you blink, you’ll miss Google releasing a new service.
'Smart grid’ the buzz of power industry
WASHINGTON - Thomas Alva Edison, meet the Internet.
Getting ahead
Elected
Apple’s iPhone no longer alone
When Apple Inc. launched an updated iPhone at its annual gathering of software developers last June, its biggest competitor was the iPhone that Apple had introduced the year before.
Livestock report
The Missoula Livestock Exchange posted 358 receipts for June 4.
Beautiful memory - Whitefish company turns ashes into art
COLUMBUS - When the sun shines through the south-facing window of Donna Bowersox’s house, the light plays off a crystal-like pyramid that sits on her coffee table.
Kalispell gun maker shoots for growth
KALISPELL - Inspiration can strike in the oddest of places. For Kalispell gun manufacturer Ron Duplessis, beer and peanuts with friends at Moose’s Saloon produced a patent.
Creating your own Google Profile
Last week, I covered a fairly new Google service called Google Profiles, which is a mix of two things: social networking and a method to gain some control on how your own personal information - or Profile - shows up in Google search results.
Getting ahead
New business
Horse Haven Montana, located just west of Missoula near Frenchtown, is now open for overnight and short-term horse boarding. All boarding is open space in pastures with shelter and constant turnout. Horse Haven Montana also provides rescue and adoption services and occasional clinics and often has a listing of horses available for adoption.
Livestock report
The Missoula Livestock Exchange posted 480 receipts for May 28.
Rearview mirror - Gas costs more, but don’t expect a repeat of 2008
HOUSTON - As tens of millions tank up and hit the road for Memorial Day, gas prices are rising fast enough to revive painful memories of the $4-a-gallon summer of 2008.
Wealthy have shifted in U.S. over past decade - Rich move from white-collar counties to resort towns, mountain getaways
ORLANDO, Fla. - After two decades as a high-powered marketing executive, Scott Relf and his six-figure income moved from the cold of suburban Kansas City to the Florida coast. Because he could.
Taking Google Profiles for a spin
Google has recently jumped into something akin to social networking to go along with their other services such as Google News, Maps and Gmail, among many others. Google has an existing social networking service called Orkut, but you’ve probably never heard of it because it hasn’t been as successful in this country as Facebook and MySpace.
Bringing back memories - New owner reopens hot springs in Idaho after massive cleanup
AMERICAN FALLS, Idaho - The water was so clear that the tail side of a penny was discernible 5 feet beneath the pool’s steaming surface.
Getting ahead
New associates
Carlene R. Kennedy has joined Marcus Daly Hospital in Hamilton as director of Physician Service. Kennedy has a Master of Health Administration and Policy from Washington State University. She served as a lieutenant in the U.S. Navy Medical Corps from 2003 to 2009. She was last stationed aboard the Naval Hospital at Camp Pendleton in California as assistant director of Medical Services and Branch Clinics.
Livestock report
The Missoula Livestock Exchange posted 528 receipts for May 21.
We have nothing - Marketing campaign touts state’s unhindered natural wonders
HELENA - Tourism marketers seeking to lure visitors to Montana are trying a bit of reverse psychology with a new promotional motto that advertises “there’s nothing here.”
Students head into unknown - Graduates optimistic even in down times
I didn’t go looking for “feel good” stories or “negative” stories when I hung out at the University of Montana last week to talk with graduating seniors.
Service to smaller cities lifts fortunes for airline
With the high cost of flying and headache of getting through airport security, James and Wendy Greenfield have never flown with all their children.
XBRL helps with transparency in business
Markup languages that provide structure to data and information, and those “under the hood” concepts of extensible markup language have branched out into other “markup” languages, and XBRL - extensible business reporting language - is one of them.
Getting Ahead
Recognition
Lambros Real Estate ERA was recognized as an industry leader by REAL?Trends as one of the nation’s top 500 residential brokerage firms in 2008.
Livestock report
The Missoula Livestock Exchange posted 453 receipts for May 14.
Runs in the family - More mothers, daughters joining forces in business
NEW YORK - When Enid Stettner’s homespun company Wild Thymes started to catch on, she needed a smart, steady hand to help with the increased workload. So she brought on a partner she trusted completely: her daughter.
Shoppers with frugal fatigue starting to splurge
NEW YORK - As they watched stocks rally last month, Matt Rizzetta and his fiancee Daniela Papandrea loosened up their wedding and home renovation budgets.
Many uses of XML
Last week I described XML - extensible markup language - and how it is the backbone of RSS news feeds.
Pepsi going old school in products - 'Throwback’ uses sugar from regional supplier in Wyoming
Billings - Sugar, jilted a quarter century ago by food companies charmed by less expensive high fructose corn syrup, is making a comeback as wholesome and more natural.
Getting ahead
Relocation
Kim Locken, hairstylist, has relocated to Lu Burton’s Salon, 2203 S. Higgins Ave. She was previously at A Hands and Feet Boutique.
Landlines going way of VHS
WASHINGTON - In a high-tech shift accelerated by the recession, the number of U.S. households opting for only cell phones has for the first time surpassed those that just have traditional landlines.
