Ellington

EPA, CFAC reach deal on investigation study

The Environmental Protection Agency and the Columbia Falls Aluminum Co. have reached an agreement that sets the legal and logistical framework for an investigation and possible cleanup of the old aluminum smelter site.

Librarian ouster upheld

The ImagineIF Library Board of Trustees voted unanimously Nov. 18 to deny Deena Wirkus’s appeal to reinstate her to library branch manager in Columbia Falls after her demotion to library advisor in October. Wirkus worked at Columbia Falls library for 35 years and as branch manager for 20 years.

Columbia Falls speakers take second

Columbia Falls speech and debate team placed second in the Kalispell Regional Speech and Debate Tournament behind Whitefish and just ahead of Loyola recently.

Bullock raises concerns over Plum Creek access

Montana Gov. Steve Bullock has also raised concerns about future access to Plum Creek lands, now that the company has plans to merge with Weyerhaeuser.

Most of Glacier's secondary roads closed for winter

Bigfork students of the month

The faculty and staff of Bigfork High School have selected three young men to honor as Students of the Month. Damon Maitland, Craig Cheroske, and Kyle Saxton were nominated as a group by the auto/wood shop teacher Steve Melkioty. Melkioty commended them for their proven track record of skills, hard work, trustworthiness, and willingness to complete projects to help others. They have completed carpentry, welding, or auto work for the maintenance department, the athletic department, the school garden, community members, teachers, and fellow students.

Game harvest up so far

White-tailed deer harvest rebounded this weekend after a small slump and elk harvest in northwest Montana is up as compared to last year, according to check station results around Region One.

Mack Days fishing tournament wraps up fall season

Terry Krogstad of Kalispell hauled in 1,217 lake trout to win the 2015 Fall Mack Days.

Stormwater project complete

The final phase of the Bigfork stormwater project has been completed, whith just a few minor details left on the checklist.

Speakers take second again

Columbia Falls speech and debate team placed second in the Kalispell Regional Speech and Debate Tournament behind Whitefish and just ahead of Loyola.

New pizzeria opening on Nucleus

A pizzeria is coming to Columbia Falls at the beginning of next year. Russ and Kim Sikorsky, previous owners of Jersey Boys Pizzeria in Whitefish, are opening North Fork Pizza at 605 Nucleus Avenue, next to A New Attitude hair salon. The kitchen and pizza oven will be at the front of the building where large windows look out onto the street.

Park considering 'historic leases' for Lake McDonald cabins

Glacier National Park officials are contemplating the idea of leasing several historic cabins along the shores of Lake McDonald. The Park first floated the idea back in 2011, but a formal environmental analysis of the program should be released in the coming months.

It's always fun to see the Bigfork Village transformed for Christmas

What fun it is to see our small town become a “Christmas Village” each year.  Once again volunteer “Bigfork Elves”, veterans and newbies, turned out in good numbers to do their magic.

Concert brings “A Touch of Christmas” to Bigfork

After Bigfork’s Holiday Parade on Dec. 5., residents and visitors will be treated to another Bigfork Christmas tradition, Brach Thomson’s “A Touch of Christmas.”

Speech, debate and drama excel

Bigfork’s Speech, Debate and Drama team are three meets into the season, and proving that they will be in the hunt for some hardware at the state meet.

Morley finishes 97th at cross country national championship

University of Montana freshman Makena Morley finished 97th at the NCAA Cross Country Championships on Saturday in Louisville Ky.

The Last Buck

The following column won the first place “serious” award from the National Newspaper Association for weekly papers under 10,000 circulation in 1988:

More thoughts on grizzlies

I guess it is still more fall than winter. Early in the week, we got about 2 inches of wet snow, then several hours of rain and then it froze and has remained frozen since then. Up to 28 degrees yesterday and down to 10 degrees last night and clear up to 20 degrees at 10 a.m. today.

A trio of thoughts

Wow!  It’s hard to believe hunting season is almost over already!

Richard Browning

Richard L. Browning, 74, of Columbia Falls passed away in the early morning hours of Nov. 19, 2015 at the Immanuel Lutheran Home in Kalispell. 

Marilyn Hartson

Fourth graders can get a free Christmas tree permit

Windstorm rocks valley

Thanksgiving dinner feeds 10 for about 50 bucks

The annual Thanksgiving feast this year will cost a little more, the Montana Farm Bureau notes, but it’s still a cheap meal.

DOI plans to cancel Badger-Two med leases

Department of Interior Sec. Sally Jewell has opted to cancel oil and gas leases in the Badger-Two Medicine region held by Solonex, a Louisiana energy company. The Department of Interior in documents filed in federal court Monday.

Plevel says good-bye to council, thankful for life

Julie Plevel used to be a workaholic. The 60-hour a week type, looking to get ahead. But in 2013 she was diagnosed with stage-four colon cancer. It had metastasized to other organs in her body. Doctors said she’d live a couple of years, if that.

Learning to love lutefisk is easy

“You must be Scandinavian,” the woman said as I sat down in the pew.

$185,000 project will showcase Crown at Discovery Center

A $185,000 tourism grant from the Montana Department of Commerce was recently awarded to the Crown of the Continent Discovery Center in West Glacier for a new multimedia display featuring the region. 

Deer, elk harvest up over last year

Whitetail deer harvest rebounded this weekend and elk harvest in northwest Montana is up as compared to last year.

Free Thanksgiving dinner offered

The Pocketstone Café in Bigfork will host its sixth annual community Thanksgiving Dinner this year on Thanksgiving Day.  

Change proposed for Bigfork subdivision

A proposed zoning text amendment for a 113-lot subdivision in Bigfork goes before the Flathead County Planning Board for a public hearing on this week.

Bigfork man sentenced for sex with an minor

A Bigfork man was given a net 25 year sentence to Montana State Prison for having sex with an underage girl in 2014 on Thursday.

CFAC, EPA, close to deal

The Columbia Falls Aluminum Co. and the Environmental Protection Agency are close to an agreement to clean up the aluminum smelter site.

Calbag looks to clear air on CFAC dust

The company that’s tearing down the Columbia Falls Aluminum Co, smelter is hoping to clear the air a bit on its operations.

Glacier Park welcomed Mongolian guests from sister park

Glacier National Park received visitors from its sister park in Mongolia for five days last month.

Menicke resigns as harrier coach

Glacier National Park's red buses in new home

Glacier Park’s vaunted red buses have a cozy new home. Xanterra Parks and Resorts recently completed a brand new state-of-the-art, climate-controlled storage facility and garage on Highway 206 south of Columbia Falls.

Skeptical and confused over healthcare laws

Food-conditioned grizzly bear destroyed in Coram

A grizzly bear was euthanized last week by officials with Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks after repeated incidents in the Canyon demonstrating it had become food-conditioned.

State looks to buy north shore land

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks is proposing to purchase 76.7 acres of farmland and wetlands on the north shore of Flathead Lake about 4.5 miles east of Bigfork.

Dead Horse Reporting

R

Grizzly cub dismantles barbecue

Early this past week the hunters were happy. Over a three day period we had a combined total of nearly six inches of snow. With temperatures during the day hovering around 35 degrees, it was settling but still OK for tracking. That lasted until Friday morning, when it warmed up and began to rain.

Street abandonment will help with bakery

The Columbia Falls City Council Monday night approved abandoning a 10-foot strip of Eighth Street West near Nucleus Avenue, which will help with the construction of a new bakery.

Invasive species take toll on native fish

A low fog hung over Swan Lake and the golden spires of tamarack shot up through the mist on the far shoreline.

Lawmaker threatens future of hunting and fishing

Montana sportsmen say a proposal by a Utah Rep. Rob Bishop to gut the 50-year-old Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) would be a disaster for the future of hunting and fishing and virtually end America’s most effective tool for conserving habitat and public access.

Rose Roundy

Kats claw their way to state A title

A deer found him with his pants down

When the weather report showed chance of snow showers one day last week, I tossed the .270 into the truck and headed to one of my favorite deer hunting spots.

Planning board OKs cluster zoning

The Columbia Falls Planning and Zoning Board approved new zoning regulations last week that could allow a developer to cluster homes in order to preserve more open space in a subdivision.

El Nino doesn't bode well for ski resort

Forecast predictions for the upcoming winter aren’t looking favorable for eager skiers or needed drought relief, but keep that parka and snow shovel handy just in case.

Kats advance to state semis

Columbia Falls is once again in the state A volleyball semifinals in Bozeman. The Wildkats downed Billings Central in the opener 26-24, 19-25, 28-26, 25-20 and then beat conference rival Corvallis 25-20, 19-25, 25-16, 25-23 in the quarterfinals Thursday to advance to semis.

With Plum Creek merger come concerns about future land access

Columbia Falls baseball needs letters of support

Fire department begins hunt for new chief

The Bigfork Fire Department is beginning the hunt for a new chief.

Three grizzlies killed by vehicles

It has been a deadly week for grizzly bears near Bigfork.

Dead grizzly found

State wildlife officials are investigating the death of a grizzly bear that was shot and found last Friday along Montana 83 nine miles north of Seeley Lake.

Hunting success on par with last year so far this season

Hunting success this season is on par with last season to date. At the six northwest Montana check stations through Sunday, a total of 8,634 hunters checked 442 whitetail deer (335 of these were bucks), 61 mule deer, and 55 elk for a 6.5 percent rate of hunters with game, the same percentage as last year, according to Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks.

Merger marks end of an era

Massive merger: more details

Plum Creek will soon be no more.

Councilman thank you

Skunked at Clayton Lake

The plan was simple.

The 1995 rutting column

Tis near the time, at this latitude, when male whitetail deer become irrational and ornery as they seek favor with the females of the species. They may charge unprovoked, fight with a stump, or dash hither and yon making strange noises. 

Little enthusiasm for TV in North Fork

Sometimes my mind draws a blank and I miss writing a column. Sometimes so many things happen on The North Fork I don’t know where to begin. This is one of those weeks.

Speech and debate team takes first place at Ronan

Columbia Falls speech and debate team took first place Saturday at the 10-team Ronan Invitational Tournament, with 177 points.

Kats take third at Western A, advance to state

The Columbia Falls volleyball team took third at the Western A Divisional tournament in Hamilton Saturday — not exactly the finish they were hoping for, but it still gets them to the state tournament in Bozeman this week.

Cats fall to Havre in playoffs, 47-13

The Columbia Falls football team’s season ended Saturday with a 47-13 loss to Havre on the road. The Wildcats racked up 300 yards in offense, but couldn’t overcome five turnovers in the losing effort.

Major Stoltze easement moving forward

A major conservation easement that would preserve more than 10,000 acres of F.H. Stoltze Land Lumber Co. property from development continues to move forward.

Students to march in Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade

Once again Bigfork music students will share their talents on the national stage of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Students to visit Europe on history trip

Over spring break, 12 Bigfork High School students will have the experience of a lifetime.

Man charged for shooting at hunters

Growing up in Bigfork: The Whitney's

Over 30 people packed into the Bigfork Community Center on Monday to listen to stories of Bigfork’s past.

Fatigued BNSF employees say 12-hour shifts compromise safety

Plum Creek, Weyerhaeuser announce merger

Plum Creek Timber Co. and Weyerhaeuser announced Sunday the two companies would merge, creating the largest private owner of timberlands in the U.S. with more than 13 million acres in timber and other land holdings. Under the terms of the agreement, which has been unanimously approved by the boards of directors of both companies, Plum Creek shareholders will receive 1.6 shares of Weyerhaeuser for each share of Plum Creek held. The transaction is contingent on shareholder approval. The merged company will be called Weyerhaeuser. Combined, the two companies will have a equity value of $23 billion based on current share prices. Plum Creek owns 6 million acres of timberlands in 19 states. Weyerhaeuser owns or controls nearly 7 million acres of timberlands, primarily in the U.S., and manages additional timberlands under long-term licenses in Canada.

West Glacier a homecoming for Knutson

Columbia Falls graduate Kati Knutson returned to her hometown this year and is teaching in West Glacier.

Fishing pond not a done deal

While Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks fully supports a fishing pond in Columbia Falls, the project will take quite a bit of community support to reach fruition, fisheries manager Mark Deleray said last week.

Henning selling NAPA, pursuing second career

Construction has started on an empty lot on U.S. Highway 2 between the Cimarron Cafe and Re/Max Mountain View in Columbia Falls. It is the future site of NAPA Auto Parts.

Council debates hotel parking

Fall Mack Days competitors have fun on the water

Ole timer Jim Hoover was rubbing a sore spot on the top of his head Sunday after a lure popped loose from a hefty lake trout, during the fall Mack Days Fishing event. The lure flew up and past his partner landing on Jims head knocking off his hat in the process. Richard not knowing Jim was hit started laughing and was only worried about getting the net out to reach the hat in the lake. Richard said later that he felt bad for laughing when he saw the lump on Hoover’s head. They were both laughing when they checked in their catch.

Walleye found in Swan Lake

Two walleye were caught in Swan Lake last week during FWP gill net sampling operations, according to FWP Region One Fisheries Manager Mark Deleray.

Keeping the government out of Montanan's private lives a non-partisan issue

Recently the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) granted Montana an extension of time to conform to the “REAL ID” law passed by Congress in 2005. In a nutshell the REAL ID law demanded that state driver license and identification cards conform to federal requirements concerning information and data sharing as laid out by DHS. Only state issued identification documents that met DHS standards would be valid for entrance to Federal Buildings, applying for Social Security, doing business with federally licensed banks, and by Transportation Security Administration officers for boarding aircraft. In short, it created a de facto national identification card with a national data bank of private information on American citizens.

Football advances to state quarterfinals, volleyball heads into divisionals tournament

FOOTBALL

Rules in congress are not the problem

Thomas Brackett “Czar” Reed was the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives in the 1890’s. As his moniker implies, he was a strong leader who believed in results. He is famous for his toughness, acerbic wit, and most importantly for his imposition of  “Reed’s Rules,” which empowered his majority Republicans to “govern,” and relegated the minority Democrats to simply “watch” as the majority ruled.

New trash site opens with improved recycling options

Three years after Flathead County proposed closing Bigfork’s trash site, a new and improved green-box container site opened on Monday.

Community leaders have an obligation to do their own research

When we heard that Montana World Affairs Council (MWAC) had invited Feisal Abdul Rauf Wednesday, October 21, 2015, a dozen Flathead residents drove to Missoula.

A tsunami on Flathead Lake?

Did you know that a tsunami is possible in Flathead Lake? 

Glacier Chorale to perform 'A Heritage of Song' this weekend

The Glacier Symphony Chorale will offer selections from the great history of American choral music at its fall concerts held Nov. 7 and 8, in Whitefish and Kalispell. Titled “A Heritage of Song,” the concerts will offer a sampling of some of our country’s great traditional music. The 70-voice chorale will be under the direction of conductor Micah Hunter. It is the second concert in the Glacier Symphony and Chorale’s “American Mix” Masterworks series and traces the process of America ‘finding it’s voice’ through choral music. 

Local artist presents Animals of the West

Bigfork artist Shana Smith presents Animals of the West at Whistling Andy Distillery in Bigfork Nov. 15 from 4-8 p.m.  

Makena Morley wins Big Sky Conference championship

Montana freshman Makena Morley claimed her first conference title Saturday morning when she led from start to finish to win the Big Sky Conference cross country championship at the Cedar Ridge Golf Course in Cedar City, Utah.

Flathead County Sheriff's Office dispatch log

10/29/2015 

Speakers take third at kick-off

The Columbia Falls speech and debate team garnered third place in the kick-off tournament of the 2015 season in Kalispell.

School board debates merits of lobby group

The School District 6 continued discussion over Montana Quality Education Coalition membership renewal for 2016 at a work session last week.

All in the camo family

Columbia Falls native Remi Berube is now famous, well, at least among other hunting enthusiasts.

Susan K. Young

Susan K. Young (Remar) passed away Oct. 26 in Omaha, Nebraska. She is survived by her mother Janet Young of Missoula; brother Chuck (Beth) of Missoula; husband Ed Remar of Omaha; her three sons Jason (Katherine), Matt, and Chuck (Nicole); and six grandchildren.

Gladys Shay

Gladys Shay died Monday, Oct. 26, of natural causes.

An enigma in Afghanistan

The following column is as serious as I am capable of getting, because it deals with a  most serious topic. It is about an aspect of war that defies human tolerance and discussion on a sane and logical level because it represents the worse of war’s horrors — civilian casualties.

Grizzly gets the better part of an ATV

I

With rain, snow, hunters see success

Kats lose to Dogs to end regular season

The Columbia Falls volleyball team had its unbeaten streak in conference play snapped by cross-valley rival Whitefish Saturday in a marathon match, 25-16, 27-25, 17-25, 15-25, 18-16.

Cats drop Pirates to advance in playoffs

Battling a driving rain and mud, the Columbia Falls football team hammered home a 9-6 victory over Polson Saturday at home in the first round of the Class A playoffs.

Vilsack: Cancel Badger Two Med leases

Hospitals say new agreement isn't a merger

The two hospitals serving the Flathead Valley are now more closely aligned after the governing boards of North Valley Hospital and Kalispell Regional Healthcare voted in favor of a new collaborative affiliation last month.

Karper, Fisher, Piper win city council seats

Two incumbents and a longtime resident won the Columbia Falls City Council race Tuesday. Incumbent Doug Karper led the way with 329 votes, incumbent Darin Fisher garnered 322 votes and John Piper, who grew up in Columbia Falls and was fire chief for years, got 290 votes.

Interim director named

The Bigfork Museum of Art and History has named an interim director to run the museum while they continue their search for a permanent replacement.

Old North Shore structure to be removed

After receiving public comment, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks plans to move forward with removing an old bunkhouse and debris for the North Shore of Flathead Lake.