Ellington

State and federal legislation aims at delisting wolves

Measures to remove wolves from federal protection under the Endangered Species Act have been introduced in both Congress and the Montana Legislature.

Prosecution leads off in teen texting trial

Prosecutors presented their case last week in the trial of the Evergreen teenager charged with two counts of deliberate homicide after her car ran into oncoming traffic on U.S. 93 between Kalispell and Whitefish in March 2009.

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The Bigfork Eagle runs obituaries at cost to those individuals with a connection to the Bigfork area.

Kats drop a pair

The Columbia Falls girls basketball team dropped two non-conference games last week, losing to class AA Glacier 63-46 at home and then class B Loyola away Saturday 49-36.

MatCats seeing improvement

Columbia Falls grapplers split the bill last week, downing Ronan in a dual Thursday away that was marked largely by forfeit 45-37. Friday they lost to Polson 46-24 in a dual that was closer than the score would suggest.

Cats remain unbeaten at 10-0

The Columbia Falls boys basketball team extended their winning streak to 10 games last week, but the going was tough.

Louise Barbara Craft Gaffney

Louise Barbara Craft Gaffney, 88, passed away peacefully at the Brendan House on Jan. 17, 2011.

Brent Matthew Brown

Brent Matthew Brown, 38, died Jan. 16, 2011, of complications of diabetes.  Brent was born in Cut Bank on Sept. 29, 1972, to Donald and Margaret (Finley) Brown. 

Gordon Conrad Cusick

Gordon Conrad Cusick, passed away Jan. 6, 2011, at Kindred Hospital in Las Vegas, Nev. Weighing only four pounds, Gordon was born on May 22, 1939, in Whitefish, to parents Maurice and Josephine Evelyn Cusick.

Larry W. McCauley

Larry died at his home in Kalispell Dec. 29, 2010 after a long series of sicknesses that was finally determined to be lymphatic cancer.

Biologist calls wolf resolution weak

The Montana House passed a resolution last week calling for the de-listing of gray wolves from the Endangered Species Act on a 99-1 vote. The lone dissenter was Democrat Mike Phillips of Bozeman. House District 3 Republican Jerry O’Neil supported the resolution, which goes onto the state Senate.

Moonshine, grit and guts

Last week, Nicolas Lee and Danny McIntosh huddled around the spouts at the end of the distilling process, watching a clear, sweet-smelling liquid cascade into a mason jar.

Nucleus stop sign decision stalls

The Columbia Falls City Council seems to be stalled on whether or not to install stop signs along Nucleus Avenue.

Info about publishing

Many people in Montana know, “The first person to be killed by a grizzly bear in a National Park was a tourist who was using his umbrella to poke a little cub up in a tree.” I say “many” people because details of that incident are found in the very popular book “Montana Wildlife.”

Bulldogs sputter against Polson

A 12-0 run by Polson buried the Bulldogs early in the first quarter — but Whitefish’s 11 first-half turnovers certainly didn’t help their cause.

  Cirincione breaks three records in pool

Jake Cirincione, 12, set three Montana state swimming records on Saturday in Great Falls at the January Frost swim meet.

Theodoro wins decision

Whitefish exchange student Marcelo Theodoro tallied an exhibition win for the Bulldogs in a wrestling dual at home against Polson.

Glacier strong at first qualifier

This season’s solid roster of veteran and up-and-coming skiers has put the Glacier Nordic Ski Club on the map as a small but mighty team to contend with in the Intermountain division.

Skijoring event 'biggest' in world

Whitefish’s annual skijoring event has come a long way since Toni Matt was nearly tossed through The Toggery window on Central Avenue in the 1960s. What was a Winter Carnival spectacle of madmen then is now a real-deal competition featuring seasoned teams with big-time money on the line.

French defends ski mountaineering title

Local endurance athlete Brandon French fended off Canadian Reiner Thoni on Saturday to defend his title as champion of the annual Whitefish Whiteout ski mountaineering race on Big Mountain.

Lady Dogs' offense woes continue

The Lady Bulldogs continued their offensive struggles last week when they dropped consecutive games to Northwestern A foe Polson and Class AA Flathead.

Four inducted into Hall of Fame

Kurt Paulson, Gary Smith, Tom Bertelsen and Rebekah Hudson joined an elite list on Saturday night of 48 other sport figures who have been inducted into the Whitefish High School Hall of Fame. From coaching wins to all-state honors, the resumes of this year’s inductees are stacked with Bulldog highlights.

Obituary policy

Starting Feb. 1, the Whitefish Pilot will charge for running obituaries in the newspaper. Most weekly papers in Montana charge for running obituaries.

Lenore Simons

Lenore Simons

Florence Hedin

 Florence Hedin

Stephen Edquist

Stephen Edquist

Isobella Jolleen Marie Wriedt

Isobella Jolleen Marie Wriedt

Madilyn Racheal Isles

Madilyn Racheal Isles

Aliya Nicole Lime-LeDuc

Aliya Nicole Lime-LeDuc

Stella Blue Phillips

Stella Blue Phillips

Emily Jean Kress

Emily Jean Kress

Alma Louise Kelsey

Alma Louise Kelsey

Kane Allan Hermann

Kane Allan Hermann

Peter Abramchuk

Peter Abramchuk

Glacier Symphony and Chorale

Congratulations to the Glacier Symphony and Chorale on their recent receipt of a $10,000 grant to support this year’s Amadeus Festival. As director John Zoltek has explained, it will become a “destination festival.”

Cheers for volunteers

Carol Newbury, daughter of Vernon and Edena Hedman, and granddaughter of Peter and Freda Hedman, is a third-generation resident of Whitefish. Her dad’s job with Glacier National Park required that he be present full time, so from age one through 10, she lived in the Park.

Citizens don't need 30-shot clips

 Tension was high in Congress in the months before the Civil War when an observer wryly noted that the only members not carrying a pistol were carrying two pistols. Perhaps high tension explains why Montana State Sen. Verdell Jackson, R-Kalispell, has introduced legislation to allow Montana lawmakers to carry concealed weapons on the floors of the state House and Senate.

In defense of teacher's tenure

While it’s nice to see education playing a prominent role in the newly convened state legislature, I am disappointed anti-union people are relying too heavily on national criticism of “bad teachers” to attack teacher tenure. My 95-year-old grandfather is fond of saying that the reasons for a law will quickly become apparent in its hasty absence.

Good news from Helena for schools

I would like to report on House Bill 15, which is currently in the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Long Range Planning. Many in the district have asked me to report on this critical piece of the budget for Whitefish.

NVH sets record with 500th baby

The birth center at North Valley Hospital set a record at the end of December 2010 when the 500th baby of the year was delivered at the facility. The birth marked a milestone for the center that has exponentially grown in popularity since moving into the new building on Hospital Way three years ago.

No problems with chicken ordinance

The Whitefish City Council made no changes during its Jan. 18 meeting to a city ordinance allowing residents to have up to five hens as pets in residential zones without a permit. The council called for a review in two years when it approved the ordinance in January 2009.

Winter Carnival schedule

The theme of the 52nd Whitefish Winter Carnival is “Carnival Marvels at the Comics.”

Committee looks at creating new cemetery

The Whitefish City Council unanimously approved creating an Ad Hoc Cemetery Committee at their Jan. 18 meeting. The committee will look into developing a new cemetery. The committee’s seven members will be appointed by the mayor with council approval.

Trail builders take aim at Spencer Mt.

Whitefish Legacy Partners, the organization that oversaw development of the Whitefish Trail, now has its sights set on development in the Spencer Mountain area.

Wife in tool theft case gets deferred sentence

The wife of a man facing charges of stealing tools from construction sites across the Flathead and selling them on eBay, while at the same time running a meth lab in his garage, received a deferred sentence for felony possession of dangerous drugs.

Barkus sentenced for 2009 boat crash

Former Sen. Greg Barkus, R-Kalispell, was sentenced in Flathead County District Court on Jan. 20 for his role in the Aug. 27, 2009, boat crash in Flathead Lake.

Student testifies in favor of school bill

A junior from Whitefish Independent High School recently testified before the Senate Education and Cultural Resources Committee in support of the bill aimed at raising the legal dropout age from 16 to “age 18 or upon graduation.”

Glacier Park sets visitation record

Glacier National Park set a record for visitation in 2010, the year of its centennial celebration. The final tally for the year estimates 2,226,757 recreational visits to the Park.

Small subdivision creates dilemma for council

A two-lot minor subdivision on nearly eight acres between Park Knoll Lane and the U.S. 93 strip has bedeviled city planners and property owners for several years now.

City budget tracking normally - with exceptions

With the exception of court fines, building permits, prosecution costs and utility payments owed to the city, most financial numbers are tracking according to the city’s budget.

School news

Air Force Airman 1st Class Steven J. Vail recently graduated from the Combat Control School at Pope Air Force Base, in Fayetteville, N.C. The 13-week course is designed to train and qualify enlisted and officer candidates as combat air controllers. Among the first groups to deploy during a U.S. military special operation or airlift mission, combat air controllers operate under the most difficult and hostile conditions. Vail is a 2009 graduate of Whitefish High School.

Jill's Jabber: Taking it just one day at a time

Every morning I roll out of bed and go straight to my knees in prayer. What do I pray for? HELP. If I don’t say my prayers immediately upon awaking, chances are very high that the only prayers that will get said will be in my head. Prayers like, “Dear God, help me not to kill this child.”

LETTER: Pride for the community

We have always been proud to be part of Bigfork and Swan Lake, but after the first week of October 2010, we were overflowing with love and pride! 

Bigfork Fire Department enacts crash fees

The Bigfork Volunteer Fire Department is working to get the word out that Polson’s district isn’t the only one to start charging fees for response to motor-vehicle accidents.

Vikes outscore Lions, keep it close with Loggers

The Bigfork Vikings swept past Eureka in a decisive 81-40 conference victory Friday but found a challenge when they faced Class A Libby on Thursday and lost 63-50 in double overtime.

Students host Parents' Night Out

Students at Bigfork High School are putting out an offer as a “thank you” to parents and community members who regularly support them and their activities.

LETTER: A thank you from the Lake View Care Center

We, the residents of the Lake View Care Center, would like to tell you how much we appreciate all you have done and continue to do for us. We are so fortunate to live in a community that is so kind, loving and giving. You enrich our lives in so many ways.

Holt qualifies for Scando Cup team

Cats sink Dogs at stripe

Tree well dangers

Supreme Court rules twice in teen texting case

Doughnut referendum approved

Bigfork High School Highlights -- Week of Jan. 17

Peaks or signs: The changing face of W. Glacier

How should West Glacier look in the coming years?

Weekend stabbing leaves one man injured

One man is in the hospital and another has been arrested following a stabbing incident in Hungry Horse Saturday.

Grapplers take 20th at Rocky; last home dual this Friday

Justin Whitman took fourth place at the Rocky Mountain Classic to lead the wrestling team last weekend in Missoula. At 125 pounds, Whitman was the top placer for the Cats. Whitman was pinned by Culley Buckley of Bozeman in the round for third place.

Girls snare two conference victories

The Columbia Falls girls basketball team took two more divisional victories last week, downing Ronan 58-17 Friday and crosstown rival Whitefish 53-14 Saturday.

Sharon Kate Mason

Sharon Kate Mason of Columbia Falls passed away Saturday morning, Jan. 15, 2011.

Cats survive Bulldogs' scare

The Columbia Falls boys basketball team kept their unbeaten streak intact at 8-0, but the Whitefish Bulldogs gave the Cats a scare on the road last Saturday.

George L. Hilling

George L. Hilling of Bigfork passed on Jan. 7, 2011 while on the job in Carlin, Nev., working for Gold Canyon Mining.

Bruce Lee Jungnitsch

Bruce Lee Jungnitsch worked hard and played harder. He left this world on Jan. 8 at the age of 53, snowmobiling with his best friends and enjoying life to the fullest.

Park needs history progra

Dear Chas Cartwright and Kassandra Hardy of Glacier National Park,

Out on the edge

Monday afternoon, I stepped way out of my comfort zone. And it was good.

Potatoes, radishes and chickens

We haven’t talked about “strange news” for awhile, but it is something that’s always around. Story last week out of Moses Lake, Wash., involved a fella named Chris Voigt who won his state’s “Potato Man of the Year” award. The Associated Press release said Chris went a complete 60-day stretch without eating absolutely anything except potatoes to get this outstanding recognition from the Washington State Potato Commission. If a guy had to go 60 days eating only one kind of food, spuds would certainly make an easy choice because there are so many known ways to prepare them: boiled, mashed, fried, baked and raw … whole, diced, or thinly sliced, peeled or not peeled. Eating only one food for that long would be a lot more challenging with something like … say radishes?

Reflections winner: 'Together we can live'

Reflections winner: 'Curtain Call'

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Evelyn Rose Heitz

Olson's trey sinks Braves in final seconds

Power lines tangle council meeting

Council tackles parking issues

Draft ethics policy draws concerns

Earmark goes to high-tech equipment

Health hazards raised over cell phone tower

Expert: Tree wells remain unsung hazard

Cats extend winning streak to 6-0

The Columbia Falls boys basketball team kept its unbeaten streak intact. The Wildcats are now 6-0 after wins over Eureka and Libby last week.

Girls nab first wins of the season

New year. Better results. The Columbia Falls girls basketball team got on a winning track last week, downing Libby and Eureka for their first wins of the season.

MatCats third at Ronan duals tournament

The Columbia Falls wrestling team took third at the Ronan duals tournament last week. Corvallis won the event and Polson took second. Columbia Falls beat host Ronan 54-25 to take third in the two day dual tournament.

Avalanche, ski accidents claim 3 lives

Avalanches near the Hungry Horse Reservoir killed one man Saturday and endangered the lives of several others.

C. Falls Library Association members protest relocation

Members of the Columbia Falls Library Association don’t want to see their library move.

PSC approves CenturyLink, Qwest merger

The Montana Public Service Commission last month approved the proposed merger between CenturyLink and Qwest.

George Lyle Hilling

George Lyle Hilling, 61, of Bigfork, died in a one-vehicle rollover on the job in Elko, Nev., on Jan. 7.

Ralph W. Mason

Ralph W. Mason passed away on Jan. 1, 2011 in his home with family members near.

Did you know?

Did You Know? That’s the subject of my column this week.

A letter from Kansas City

Special rewards from writing a newspaper column are fan letters, even though there have been a few times when a “fan” called me bad names and didn’t agree with anything I’d written.

Web update: Vikes, Vals sweep Mission

In a doubleheader Tuesday night at Bigfork High School the Valkyries dominated the Mission Lady Bulldogs 51-9 and the Vikings won 32-19.

Local mushers prepare for Olney races

Neriah Rose Bertelsen

Teen skier dies after tree well accident

Violations anger lake commitee

'Voice of the Bulldogs' bled green and gold

Whitefish Review hits stride

It’s been four years since a group of Whitefish friends created the “Whitefish Review.” In that time, it has presented to the reading public hundreds of local, regional and national writers, poets and artists in eight editions.

2010: A sports year in review

The year 2010 was a good one for Wildcat sports. Here’s a look at some of the highlights of the 2010 season:

George “Red” Hallas

George “Red” Hallas was called home to our Lord on Dec. 25, 2010.

Justice wasn't served

To the Columbia Falls school board:

A season of parties on the N. Fork

What a holiday season we have had on the North Fork! The season began with the Landowner Association sponsoring the Thanksgiving feast. In addition to providing free use of Sondreson Hall the NFLA purchased the three turkeys and the ham with a $125 budget. Any extra funds can be used for decorations or any miscellaneous costs. It wasn’t always that way.

Drugs and dirty football

Has the Trailwatcher ever been high on drugs … really high? The answer is “Yes” and we will discuss it right here.

C. Falls student dies after ski accident

A 16-year-old skier from Columbia Falls died Sunday morning as a result of accidentally falling into a tree well at the Whitefish Mountain Resort last week.

O'Neil: Reduce spending

Jerry O’Neil said the bill he’d most like to see passed this year is one that would allow political parties to support and oppose judicial candidates.

Wastewater plant gets high-tech upgrades

After spending the better part of a year under construction, the City of Columbia Falls’ upgraded wastewater treatment plant is running and already the improvements are proving beneficial.