Ellington

Essex evacuation order lifted, US 2 will reopen Monday

With rain and cooler temperatures over the Sheep Fire, Flathead County Sheriff Chuck Curry has lifted the mandatory evacuation of Essex, effective 6 a.m. Monday.

Evacuation ordered for Heart Butte, Palookaville

The Spotted Eagle fire near Heart Butte on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation has forced evacuations in the area, including all of Heart Butte.

Smoke pushes athletics indoors at start of season

As Bigfork High School sports began to get underway last week, Mother Nature decided to complicate matters.

SD6 board worried about reval's impact on budget

The School District Six School Board expressed concern about the changes to property valuation at a budget meeting last week. The board approved the new budget for the 2015-2016 school year at $9,933,612 for the elementary district and $5,603,883 for the high school district. Board Member Jim Henjum was absent.

With fires blooming, Spotted Bear District will shut down its wilderness portion

As fires bloom, the options to recreate in the Bob Marshall Wilderness are rapidly diminishing. The Spotted Bear Ranger District will shut down the entire wilderness portion of the district because of fires and fire danger beginning Friday morning, fire information officer Al Koss said. That includes lands in both the Bob Marshall and the Great Bear Wilderness.

Commissioners finalize stormwater district

The Flathead County Commissioners held a hearing to set the assessments for the recently created Rural Special Improvement District that will help fund the final round of Bigfork stormwater system improvements.

Bigfork High School athletics gets underway for fall competition

Despite being forced to move practices inside due to air quality, Bigfork High School sports are underway.

Crown of the Continent Guitar festival kicks off on Sunday

Bigfork will come alive with the sounds of voice and instruments when the sixth annual Crown of the Continent Guitar Festival opens Aug. 30.

Abstract comes to Bigfork

A showcase of contemporary art opens Friday at Collage Gallery in downtown Bigfork.

Hits from decades past in Bigfork

Saturday marked the end of the reparatory season for the Bigfork Summer Playhouse, but they’re not done yet.

Plum Creek to conserve lands near Whitefish

A deal to protect more than 15,000 acres of land north of Whitefish Lake is in the works between Plum Creek and the conservation group The Trust for Public Land.

The trials and tribulations of animals at the Northwest Montana Fair

Showing a critter in the Northwest Montana Fair is a lot of work, local kids note. But it’s a lot of fun, too.

Columbia Falls artist juggles career, travel and art

A painting of St. Mary Lake hangs on the wall of Three Forks Grille in Columbia Falls. David Lee Eubank is the artist and a local resident. But, he doesn’t get to create art as much as he would like. He has to pay the bills, so he works for the office of disaster assistance as a construction analyst. He travels across the country to verify damage to buildings after a natural disaster. He is called to work for a couple months and then is home for a couple months.

Love carded an 88 at Whitefish

Gabe Love carded an 88, taking seventh place as the Columbia Falls golf team opened its season last week at the Whitefish Invitational.

Glenda G. Harshbarger Alberts

Glenda G. Harshbarger Alberts, age 47, of Basin, Wyoming passed away at her home in Basin on Wednesday evening, Aug. 19, 2015.

Katherine Gregory Averill

Katherine Gregory Averill

Kats eye another run for state title

The Columbia Falls volleyball team will look to make another run at the state playoffs as it opens its season with the Northwest-Southwest A tipoff in Dillon this weekend.

C-Falls gridders look to make their mark

The Columbia Falls football team has a big goal this season: Win a state Class A title. But the road there will be a challenging one.

Group has a 40-mile detour around fire in Bob Marshall Wilderness, by foot

Mother Nature threw up a long detour for a group of friends turned away last week by the Bear Creek Fire in the Bob Marshall Wilderness.

As fire explodes, the virtues of woods thinning emerge

Frustration, awe and relief. That might best describe the mood at the Spotted Bear Ranger Station as fires burned both to the north and south of the remote outpost on the north end of the Bob Marshall Wilderness.

On a smoky day, celebrating the North Fork

Despite a thick smoke in the skies, it was a day of celebration in the North Fork Monday as dignitaries, private citizens, and businesses gathered in Blankenship to recognize the North Fork Watershed Protection Act.

911 is not for fun

Just a wild guess but can't help thinking, possibly 25 percent of the "911 calls" do not come close to qualifying as emergencies. "911 is for immediate response from fire, law officers, or medical personnel." From personal experience I've learned a real 911 call will get someone headed your way almost immediately, or even sooner.

Round up for Glacier National Park raises nearly $10,000

For the seventh consecutive year, Smith's Food and Drug Centers in Columbia Falls and Kalispell sponsored "Round Up for Glacier," throughout the month of July. Customers were asked to "round up" their grocery bill to support field trips to Glacier National Park with all donations funding transportation to Glacier National Park for local schools with limited travel budgets.

Trainload of firefighters fight Sheep

As thick smoke held the Sheep Fire at bay, a trainload of 70 firefighters were working to build line on the Sheep Fire in the Middle Fork of the Flathead with hopes to keep the blaze from spreading to Essex.

Woman swims Glacier Park, Whitefish lakes for a cause

Nearly perfect conditions met Emily von Jentzen on Sunday morning as she quietly slipped into the water at Lazy Bay on the north end of Whitefish Lake.

Tragedy, joy in North Fork

What a summer it has been. A mix of tragedy, relief and a joyful new beginning. Even the weather seemed involved, with its hot muggy days and smoke -filled skies.

Summer turning out to be one to remember

Folks who have been paying attention over the last couple of months have seen fishing conditions unlike any they have encountered around here for a long time, if ever. Virtually no run-off…unprecedented water temperatures, temperatures that rose like a rocket before it was even the middle of June, were just a couple of things we have had to adjust to.  On the other hand, I haven’t spoken to anyone that has complained about the fishing, on the contrary, everyone it seems is catching fish.

Community players get new space

The Bigfork Community Players  have a mission to marshal the acting talent available in the Bigfork area and produce plays that will entertain and delight the residents of the area.

How wildfires affect streams and lakes as well as forest landscape

With more than 50 fires starting in the past week, acres burned and percentages contained litter headlines across the state. Montanans just need to glance at front-page photos or smoky skies to see that fire season is in full swing. If they’re patient, maybe they’ll be able to see it in their streams and lakes too.

Still not convinced $14 million renovation makes sense

In June I was invited twice by Mr. Jensen, the superintendent of Bigfork High School to look at his Agora plan for a $14 million levy.

Dry spring boosts tourism

Montana State Parks are on a roll.

Time for a high school renovation

On October 9 the registered voters of Bigfork will be asked to vote on a $14 million bond issue to renovate, expand and modernize Bigfork High School (“BHS”). I am writing this letter to ask for your support and a “yes” vote on October 9.

Plum Creek, Stoltze, restrict land access due to fires

Plum Creek on Monday restricted public access and land-use activities on all of its lands in Flathead, Lake, Lincoln, Missoula, Sanders and Ravalli counties.

This week could prove trying for fires

With two U.S. Senators sitting in the front row and a host of fires burning in the nearby forests, all ears Sunday evening at the Thompson Fire Complex camp in West Glacier were on David Greathouse.

DOI responds to Badger Two Med court order

Responding to a federal court order, the U.S. Department of Interior filed a schedule for a decision on whether to lift the suspension of an oil and gas lease in the pristine Badger-Two Medicine region south of Glacier National Park.

Talented lineup on tap for music festival

The sixth annual Crown Guitar Workshop and Festival brings a masterful lineup of guitarists, rhythm musicians and singers to perform in Bigfork and around the Flathead Valley.

Woman nabbed in high speed chase from Kalispell to Nyack

A high-speed chase ended on U.S. Highway 2 at mile marker 172 last Thursday afternoon when the woman driver careened into the woods near Nyack.

Sheep Fire closes Highway 2

The Sheep Fire near Essex has closed U.S. Highway 2 in the Essex area. The Fire has moved about 1 mile from the highway and river corridor necessitating this closure, fire managers say.

No one hurt in Plum Creek Fire, MDF explosion

The Plum Creek Medium Density Fiberboard plant experienced an explosion and fire this morning, but no one was injured in the blaze.

Essex prepares for evacuation

Managing for a new and chaotic norm in Glacier

Last summer, Glacier National Park superintendent Jeff Mow was dealing with a record snowpack as Park crews struggled to get the Going-to-the-Sun Road open as snows fell until late June.

Bigfork native Ryan Gembala flying the big bird on wildfires

Bigfork native Ryan Gembala has been part the firefighting effort in Northwest Montana, attacking fires from above.

Potkonjak helps Montana secure win over Alberta

Bigfork High School senior Joseph Potkonjak shot under par in every round to help the Montana boys win the Montana/Alberta Jr. Ryder Cup last week in Lethbridge, Alberta.

Bigfork's Scherrer pitches win for Glacier All-Stars

A five-run second inning carried South Brazoria County, Texas, to an 8-2 victory over the Glacier All-Stars on the final day of National Division pool play Monday, at the 2015 Babe Ruth Baseball 13-15 World Series in Lawrenceburg, Tenn.

More details emerge from CFAC, EPA talks

Representatives from Columbia Falls Aluminum Co. and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency met in person Aug. 5 to analyze the administrative order of consent. The 33-page document is a legal agreement that sets cleanup actions for the plant.

Stratton family members recall homestead life in Flathead Valley

In the early part of the 1900s, a man living in Unionville, Missouri grew frustrated of the dry growing season and decided to take advantage of the Homestead Act. Frank Stratton picked up his wife Minnie and their family of eight children and put everything they owned on a train headed for Montana.

Bat incidents up this year in Flathead County

The number of reported human and pet interactions with bats has increased over previous years, reported the Flathead City-County Health Department last week. An interaction is a bite, scratch or direct contact.

Building by building, counting bats in Glacier

A Montana State University senior is monitoring bats this summer at Glacier National Park. Cheyenne Stirling is the first MSU student to receive a Jerry O'Neal National Park Service Student Fellowship.

Glacier 15s go 1-3 at Babe Ruth World Series

The Glacier 15s went 1-3 at the Babe Ruth World Series in Lawrenceburg, Tennessee. The team lost to Sarasota, Florida 13-5 in the opener on Aug. 14 after rain delayed the tournament a day.

Cross-country team has good numbers, youth

The Columbia Falls cross-country team has an excellent field of runners this year, said coach Richard Menicke.

All campfires banned; Stage 2 restrictions now in effect

With more than 90 wildfires burning across Northwest Montana, new fire restrictions go into effect on Thursday.

Multiple trails closed by fires in Glacier, Bob Marshall

Here is a list of trail and area closures due to fires as of Aug. 18:

Multiple fires continue to roast region

Stoked by winds and lightning, wildfires bloomed across the region last week. The Thompson Fire in Glacier National Park is the largest, racing from about 1,900 acres a week ago to 13,680 acres.

Bernice Nora Moen Gochanour

Bernice Nora Moen Gochanour went home to be with The Lord on Sunday, Aug. 9, 2015, with family at her side. She would have turned 93 on Oct. 5.

Brown keen on coal

Montana's nickname of The Treasure State is touted on our flag with 'Oro Y Plata'-gold and silver, based on our mineral wealth. We have far more treasures in our state in the way of natural resources including wood products, oil and coal.

Urine, sweat and antifreeze: The story of Logan Pass goats

Hike the Hidden Lake Overlook Trail in Glacier National Park during the summer and you're almost assured to see a mountain goat.

Meals on Wheels is short on wheels

Imagine an elderly person who doesn't leave his home most days. They might get a visit or a phone call from a caregiver or family member only once a day.

Golf season underway

The Columbia Falls golf team swings into action this week, opening its season with the Northwest A kickoff tourney Aug. 19 (today) at the Whitefish Lake Golf Course.

Reminders of Clymers

Am looking at the cover of an old Saturday Evening Post for July 30, 1960, which I recently found in my "man den." Good and bad memories here for me. The cover shows visitors crossing the outlet of Lake Josephine in Glacier National Park. It is exquisite in the color of the horses and riders, the background scene of Glaciers, forests, and peaks of the Continental Divide. Only one man I know could have captured the soul of that setting.

Wilderness bill won't help with wildfires

Right now, there are nine active wildfires in Montana, burning thousands of acres of our cherished national parks, forests and grasslands. Hundreds of thousands of acres in California are burning too. This is in part because of the dry and hot weather we've had, but even more so due to decades of poor management of our federal forests. The evidence? One need look no farther than one of the first fires of the season, the Glacier Rim Fire which quickly burned about 100 acres of dead timber and thick regrowth brush in the same area of the 2003 Roberts fire.

Lack of moisture turns leaves early

Fall isn’t here yet but the season’s hues have raced ahead, dotting Bigfork’s green canopies with reds and yellows. Trees around the area have started to turn color and the summer’s lack of moisture may be the reason.

High school reunion a success

Recently, another class reunion was held on the sore of Swan Lake for students who attended Bigfork High School in the 1950s. More than 140 people attended the very successfully planned, organized and executed event.

Bigfork Gun Club provides support for youth programs

It was extremely heartening and a source of pride two weeks ago to read how a group of Bigfork-area teenagers are enjoying and successfully competing around the state, region and even nationally as the Bigfork Competitors shotgun trap shooters.

Folks who made Festival of the Arts a success are appreciated

We would like to take this opportunity to extend our sincere appreciation to two very special groups: the amazingly supportive residents and visitors of the Flathead Valley community and the dedicated organizers of this year’s Bigfork Festival of the Arts. Everyone’s efforts, support and enthusiasm succeeded in making this event a remarkable success and one in which the 150 vendors are very much appreciative to have had the opportunity to display and share our locally crafted products.

Cooler, wetter weather keeps fires in check, but smoke abounds

Cooler weather has helped keep the Thompson Fire in Glacier National Park in check. Friday saw high winds, but the fire did not cross the divide. A crew of firefighters now have a spike camp near the Upper Nyack cabin to protect that structure. Glacier saw about .06 inches of rain at West Glacier on Friday and about .19 inches at St. Mary. That’s not enough to put the fire out, but any moisture is welcome during this historically dry summer.

T-storms could push fires today

High winds and thunderstorms are expected today, which could test wildfires burning across the region. The storms should have some rain, but not enough to put fires out — maybe .2 inches at best, the National Weather Service is predicting.

House fire leaves unanswered questions

Columbia Falls Fire Chief Rick Hagen concurred with Flathead County Sheriff Chuck Curry that a house fire that resulted in the deaths of two people last week is not suspicious.

Bridge collision interrupts Chicago couple's vacation

An eastbound mid-size car collided with the bridge guardrail at about 10 a.m. today on U.S. Highway 2 at the Flathead River crossing in Columbia Falls.

About changing roots

Discussion occurred last week at Over the Hill Gang coffee hour about reasons there are no famous Norwegian golfers. Two Swedes and two Irishmen are currently listed in a list of 20 best golfers in the world. That conversation brought back painful memories of my discovering at age 55, I was not Norwegian as our family believed.

Glacier bans backcountry campfires

With continued hot and dry conditions, Glacier national park has banned all campfires in backcountry campgrounds. Fires will be allowed in designated sites in front country campgrounds, however.

Lakeside man faces charges for selling meth

A Lakeside man faces $10 million in fines and life in prison on charges related to methamphetamine sales and possession.

Columbia Falls Planning Board OKs Diane Road condos

The Columbia Falls City-County Planning Board and Zoning Commission Tuesday unanimously accepted the permit request by Randy Jones Construction to build four multi-family homes on Diane Road.

North Shore Farm Lease extension approved

Small fire temporarily closes Jewel Basin Road

The Jewel Basin Road was temporarily closed Tuesday as Flathead National Forest firefighters work to extinguish a small fire near Noisy Creek.

Glacier Babe Ruth begins World Series run

The Glacier 15 Babe Ruth baseball team is one of 10 regional winners competing in this event later this week in Lawrenceburg, Tennessee.

Columbia Falls man bikes through Spain, France

Dave Renfrow had just come zipping down a big hill into a small town in France and was dog-tired. The Columbia Falls man had been riding his bicycle all day long and stopped at a bakery to get something to eat.

Film photographer captures Glacier Park in black and white

"Death before digital" says photographer Norman Riley. Riley, one of this year's artist-in-residence in Glacier National Park, makes photographs with a large format film camera. He always uses film.

Volunteers in the Bob are thankful for the experience

Volunteers working on summer projects in the Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex say they are thankful to have done the work. Depending on the project, they maintain trails, suppress weeds and do other work to conserve the wilderness. They share these sentiments in evaluations at the end of each project, said Bob Marshall Wilderness Foundation executive director Carol Treadwell.

Reality TV star in the valley to promote legal moonshine

Tim Smith, the main character of the Discovery Channel hit TV series “Moonshiners” is visiting Columbia Falls to promote his new legal moonshine, Climax Moonshine.

Glacier 15 ready for the World Series

Everything seems to be falling in place at the right time for Glacier 15.

Summer's over, fall high school sports begin this week

Columbia Falls High School fall sports start this week tryouts and practices. Here's a schedule of practice times and coaches contact names.

Fires didn't put much of a dent in visitation

Fires or not, visitation to Glacier National Park hummed along at a record pace, with 11 percent more visitors overall this year than last year.

Whitefish father, son, plucked from approaching blaze

A Whitefish man and his son had an unexpected helicopter ride out of the backcountry as they were rescued from the approaching Thompson Creek Fire Sunday.

Attorney dies in ATV accident

A man died Saturday in an all-terrain-vehicle crash that also hospitalized his 8-year-old son.

Hollo faces homicide charge in wreck where alcohol was involved

Flathead County prosecutors have brought a vehicular homicide charge against a Columbia Falls man involved in a June crash that killed a Nebraska man.

A midsummer fishing update

Wow! What a summer! Despite our unseasonably hot temperatures and uncharacteristically low water levels, there's still some pretty awesome fishing available for this time of year in Northwest Montana.

Dodging bullets, electing presidents

Once again we seem to have dodged a bullet. No rain, but cool weather and rising humidity have kept fire danger from a rapid rise. Hopefully, there will be enough breaks in the weather to prevent any big fires. Mother Nature, at her best, is unpredictable. We need to be careful, hope for the best and be prepared for the worst.

A message from the chief: Summer safety

Summer is here in the Flathead Valley. I would like to remind people, if you plan to float the local rivers, check out the area that you plan to float and make sure that all are wearing personal flotation devices (life jackets).  

Bigfork must continue to do better for future students

Periodically, a community is presented an opportunity to choose to invest their tax dollars in a local project. 

Edith Wylie celebrates 103 years, reveals her own secrets to longevity

What is the secret to a long, healthy life?

School seeks to inform public about proposed high school renovation

Community members took a tour of Bigfork High School Thursday night to learn why the Bigfork School District is asking voters for $14 million for a major renovation.

Glacier Park's Thompson Fire balloons to more than 11,000 acres; puts up huge plume of smoke

The Thompson Fire in Glacier National Park has grown significantly in the past day and is now 11,400 acres at last estimate, according to Glacier National Park spokeswoman Denise Germann.

New fire cooking in Glacier Park

A wildfire fire in the southern backcountry of Glacier National Park put up an impressive plume Sunday, forcing the closure of several backcountry campgrounds in the potential path of the blaze.

Cigarette suspected in Evergreen Fire

Glacier Park visitors can access Logan Pass from the east side

The east side of the Sun Road in Glacier National Park opened this morning. Yet, there are many restrictions that visitors need to be aware of.

Leaders to discuss plan for lake levels during drought

Business and civic leaders from around Flathead Lake will meet in Polson Friday to discuss the importance of having Flathead Lake kept at full pool in the summer.

Crews continue to work on Glacier fire

Firefighters saw significant progress on the Reynolds Creek Fire in Glacier National Park over the past week, but they warn the fire will likely burn until it snows or the region sees significant rainfall.

Swan Lake ready for huckleberry lovers

This Saturday a tiny berry will attract huge attention as the 34th-annual Swan Lake Huckleberry Festival returns to Swan Lake shores. 

15U heads to World Series

Glacier 15 is headed for the Babe Ruth World Series.

Potkonjak wins tourney

Joseph Potkonjak, 16, won the Gallatin Valley junior championship on July 29-30 at Bridger Creek Golf Course in Bozeman.

Hungry Horse man charged with attempted murder

Prosecutors have brought attempted murder charges against a Hungry Horse man who allegedly wounded a man with a shotgun blast in December while firing at others.

A veggie tale most rotten: Thief hits garden

Someone is helping themselves to the Columbia Falls community garden, stealing and eating produce from the plot and leaving the rinds behind, said Columbia Falls City Councilwoman Jenny Lovering.

Preschool rallies for C-Falls teacher with cancer

A Whitefish preschool is rallying around one of its employees as she fights cancer.

Tester: Zinke bill tough sell in Senate

Montana Sen. Jon Tester said recently that Congressman Ryan Zinke's forest management bill that passed the House will be a tough sell in the Senate.

Eagles Club will hold fundraiser Saturday for Hallas family

The North Valley Eagles Club in Columbia Falls will hold a fundraiser for the Gene Hallas family from 5 to 8 p.m. Saturday. The fundraiser includes a spaghetti feed, a 50-50 raffle and other items.

East side of Sun Road could open soon

Glacier Park Superintendent Jeff Mow said Wednesday that he expects the east side of the Going-the-Sun Road will open soon to vehicle traffic.

Construction begins on new trash site

By early October Bigfork will be home to the nicest green-box trash site in the county.

Campfire starts blaze on Wild Horse Island

A five-acre wildland fire on the northwest shore of Wild Horse Island in Flathead Lake is under control after flaring up Wednesday afternoon from an unattended campfire.

Bigfork man sentenced for crashing into bus

 Daniel G. Fellows of Bigfork received a deferred sentence last week for running his truck, while driving drunk, into a Polson school bus.

New Marina Cay owners have big plans for resort

The new owners of a Bigfork landmark — Marina Cay Resort — have big plans to improve the property and restore the community feel of the resort.

Gerald and Marilyn Bowman celebrate their 50th anniversary

Gerald and Marilyn Bowman will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary on Friday. Likely they will spend the day like they have most of their other anniversaries — working on the orchard, sorting and selling cherries.

Two Montana newspaper veterans team up for an ode to Flathead Lake

Wayne Schile and Steve Smith come from opposite shores of Flathead Lake and opposite shores of the newsroom.

Helicopter crashes into Beaver Lake, pilot escapes unhurt

A privately owned helicopter crashed and sank in Beaver Lake near Whitefish Tuesday night.

Lawrence V. Green

Lawrence V. Green, 84,  passed away July 12, 2015 at Heritage Place in Kalispell.  He was born June 13, 1931 in Pocatello, Idaho to Bush Lawrence Green and Ruth Thomas Edwards.  He married Esther (Tyke) Aubert on July 20, 1978 in Kalispell. He is survived by Gary and Sylvia Huguley of Kalispell; Lori and Carl Radabah of Coram; and Mike and Teri Johnson of Whitefish.  He has many grand-and great-grandchildren.  Memorial service is Aug. 31, 2015 at 11 a.m. at 830 Kienas Road, Kalispell.

Edward H. Folkwein

Edward H. Folkwein of Columbia Falls, died Monday, July 27, 2015 in a bicycle accident in the state of Washington. Ed was born on Nov. 25, 1947 in Youngstown, Ohio, to Evelyn (Seach) and Edward L. Folkwein. He graduated from Struthers High School in 1966 and earned a degree in radio-television broadcasting from the University of Montana in Missoula in 1970. He married Shirley (Rogers) Folkwein on June 13, 1970, and they moved to Lubbock, Texas, after his commissioning in the U.S. Air Force. He received an honorable discharge from the Air Force in the spring of 1973. The couple then moved to the Flathead Valley in Montana, where he worked in radio and television. It was here that their daughter, Laura, was born. Ed worked as a district executive with the Boy Scouts of America and then enrolled in seminary at Iliff School of Theology in Denver, Colorado, in 1980. He earned his master's of divinity in 1983 and was ordained as a pastor in the Yellowstone Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church in 1985. The family served churches in Troy, Valier, Harlowton/Judith Gap, Whitehall, Hardin/Ashland and Sheridan/Twin Bridges.

Frederick 'Fred' Reese

Frederick "Fred" Reese, of Columbia Falls, died July 19, 2015, in Whitefish of Parkinson's disease.

Murland Wesley Searight

Murland Wesley Searight, 89, of Columbia Falls died of natural causes at North Valley Hospital in Whitefish.

The great poo poo problem

Two recent stories made news, which reminded me of an on going problem with people in public recreation areas. Glacier Park officials made it known that restrictions on travel over Going-to-the-Sun Highway to Logan Pass via the east side because of a fire, made it almost impossible to fully use the visitor's center up there because sanitation policy requires several trips per day of a large truck which hauls the toilet waste outside the Park's east entrance.

Irate judge gives feds 21 days to issue plan for leases

A federal judge has had enough in a longstanding delay on a Louisiana's oilman's attempt to explore the Badger-Two Medicine region for oil and gas.

Swim team takes second at state

The Columbia Falls swim team showed its moxy when it mattered the most, taking second at the state meet in Roundup over the weekend.

Fond remembrance for former pastor killed in bike accident

The Columbia Falls community is mourning the death of a former pastor. Edward H. Folkwein, 67, was found off U.S. Highway 2 about 22 miles west of Leavenworth, Washington on July 27. Folkwein apparently died from injuries related to a bicycle accident.

15U team headed to World Series

The Glacier All-Stars won the Babe Ruth 15U Pacific Northwest Regional Championship last week to advance to the World Series in Lawrenceburg, Tennessee.

Reynolds Creek Fire tops $8.3 million

Firefighters saw significant progress on the Reynolds Creek Fire in Glacier National Park over the past week.

Grizzlies head to the hills - for moths

The dinner bell is ringing high in the Mission Mountains, and grizzly bears are heeding the call.

Tourist spent billions in state last year

The Montana tourism industry continues to boom with visitor spending reaching new levels.

Trueblood to Whitworth

Columbia Falls standout softball player Ashley Trueblood will play for Whitworth College in Spokane, Washington.

Frederick says farewell to presidency

As usual, summer on the North Fork seems to be flying by. Already the North Fork Preservation Association has held their annual meeting and elected next year's officers and will be followed by the Landowners' Association this Saturday.

Yesterdays

10 years ago

Federal checks and balances are inoperative

We are becoming painfully aware of the gradual shift of legal authority away from Congress to Federal Agencies not only generating highly restrictive laws but also ruthlessly enforcing them.  Meanwhile accountability has shifted to the Executive Branch.  Intended federal checks and balances have become inoperative; basically non-existent.  I have watched for years while our Congress has grown less and less effective, and these federal agencies have increased in numbers and strength. Our country has basically been taken over by non-elected, appointed individuals assuming tremendous power and basically reporting to a President ruling by edict.  The question is, how do “We the People” regain fair Constitutional power and control over our own government?

Living raw milk is better for you than pasteurized milk

Do you wonder why so many Montanans prefer raw milk to pasteurized milk and are willing to risk buying it through the underground market? Could it be the difference between living and dead food?

Grizzly bears make annual foray into the Mission Mountains to load up on moths

The dinner bell is ringing high in the Mission Mountains, and grizzly bears are heeding the call.

Youth shotgun shooting team takes regional competition

Bigfork’s competitive youth shotgun shooting team, has been adding new hardware to their collection this summer.

Proposed mining bad for Montana

The mining operation proposed by Tintina mining corporation would not only be detrimental to the central Montana environment, but irreversible as well. ?The Smith River is the only river in Montana that is protected by limited access permits, and there is a good reason for that. This river is a blue ribbon trout stream, and home to many species of wildlife that depend on the river for survival. ?Not only does Tintina mining company have zero experience, but they aren’t even based inside the United States. Letting an international mining company destroy our home for their economic profit is both inconceivable and appalling.?Speaking of economic benefit, the Smith River already creates $1.2 million in revenue for the state, and over $4 million within the local economy. This 12,000 acre mine would destroy the fishing and tourism that creates those funds, resulting in unhappy parties on both sides.?We already limit the number of people we let fish and float the Smith River, maybe we should limit the number of companies we let pollute and destroy it as well.??Call governor Bullock and tell him Montanans do not approve of the Smith River Mine.

Biological station to hold open house

The University of Montana’s Flathead Lake Biological Station invites the public to its free annual Open House from 1 to 4 p.m. on Aug. 5.

Two die in house fire

Two people are dead after a fire destroyed a house on Trumble Creek Road Monday morning.