Thursday, February 28
Firefighters battle house fire in Martin City
A Martin City woman died in a house fire Thursday afternoon. Her name has not been released.
Wednesday, February 27
Park plans to extend some utilities to Kelly's Camp
Glacier National Park announced Monday that it has plans to extend electricity and telephone service to Kelly’s Camp along Lake McDonald.
Wildkats earn Western A crown
The journey may not have been as easy as the Wildkats had planned, but they got the result they were looking for in Hamilton over the weekend as the team went 3-0 to earn the Western A Divisional girls basketball title.
At basketball tournament, a small sign causes a big row
A nondescript sign displaying three simple letters at Saturday’s Girls Western A Divisional Basketball Championship has led to a social media storm over the past few days as Browning fans and many Native Americans have denounced the sign’s owner for what they say was racism.
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Feb. 12
A history of cameras, film and digital, Smalley style
Kyle and I used a Go-Pro camera to take most of the video and still photos on our recent fly fishing trip to Mexico.
Wieringa rural teacher of the year
There’s a rotting apple sitting on a shelf in Carolyn Wieringa’s classroom in West Glacier. Most teachers would have thrown it out ages ago. The apple is slumping and browning and a bit of a mess.
FEC meeting coming up
All Flathead Electric Cooperative members (anyone who pays a bill to FEC) are invited to attend the Co-op’s 82nd Annual Members’ Meeting March 16 at Canvas Church, located at 255 Summit Ridge in Kalispell.
Fed's red tape
This week we bring you this G. George Ostrom column he picked out from June 1968...
Bad weather and the Interlocal
The 2019 Winter Interlocal has been held, but the big news is the late, almost vicious winter weather.
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Vera Alice McElwain
Inside Road will see work this summer
Glacier National Park’s Inside North Fork Road will see work this summer, but it won’t be open to motor vehicles for its entire length.
Golf in the snow at church
All Saints’ Church will host the 12th Annual Chili Open. This event benefits the Humane Society of Northwest Montana, the Flathead County Animal Shelter, the Spay and Neuter Task Force, and Spay Montana. The golf tournament in the snow takes place on the church grounds.
RAC deadline extended
The Forest Service has announced that the deadline for project proposal submissions has been extended to March 30 for grant funding opportunities through Title II of the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act. Proposals will be submitted separately for 2017 and 2018 funding, which are the years of the reauthorization of the Act.
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The Flathead National Forest is eyeing the prospect of the possibility of a permit system or other crowd controls for the scenic section of the North Fork of the Flathead River. The scenic section, as defined under the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, runs from the border with Canada to the Camas Bridge.
Columbia Falls urges county to adopt new trails plan
Columbia Falls sent a letter last week to the Flathead County Weeds, Parks and Recreation Board expressing its support for the updated Flathead County Trails Plan.
Columbia Falls looks at tweaking snow ordinance, again
Last week the Columbia Falls city council took a look at an ordinance that has seen a lot of attention in recent years — the law regarding snow removal on sidewalks.
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Pancake supper
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70 years ago
Monday, February 25
Sheriff's office investigates death in Martin City
A 40-year-old man from the Flathead Valley died Sunday afternoon outside a bar in Martin City and authorities are trying to determine the cause of death.
Saturday, February 23
Kats down Browning for divisional title
The easiest game in the Western A Divisional Basketball Tournament came in the championship game for the Wildkats Saturday as they defeated the Browning Lady Indians 59-52 for the title.
Friday, February 22
Kats advance to divisional final with close win over Libby
For the second day in a row, the Wildkats survived a tough test at the Western A Divisional Tournament in Hamilton, defeating Libby in the semi-finals Friday, 37-33.
Thursday, February 21
Kats survive tough test against Corvallis in Divisional opener
The Wildkats had their hands full in the opening game of the Western A Divisional Basketball Tournament Thursday as they battled to earn a 65-57 win over the Corvallis Lady Blue Devils.
Wednesday, February 20
Kats edge Browning for district title; open with Corvallis in divisional round
The Wildkats basketball team will enter this weekend’s Divisional Tournament in Hamilton as a top seed after defeating Ronan and Browning to earn the Northwest A District title last week.
Wildcats drop pair at district tourney to end season
The Wildcat basketball season came to a close over the weekend as Columbia Falls fell to Polson and Libby in the Northwest A District Tournament in Whitefish.
Youth wrestlers do well in Butte tourneys
Eighteen Columbia Falls youth wrestlers were in action in Butte over the weekend as they competed in the Cyclops meet as well as a middle school competition.
Public weighs in on elementary school options
The public weighed in on options for School District 6 elementary schools, with a contingent saying that it’s a tough sell as long as Canyon Elementary remains empty.
Romney Hall, Historical Society deserve upgrades
For a decade or more our Montana Legislature has grappled with the increasing need to renovate both Romney Hall on the MSU campus in Bozeman and the Montana Historical Society museum facility in Helena.
Sled dog races this weekend in Olney
About 40 teams are expected to race in the Flathead Classic Sled Dog Race this weekend near Olney.
Adventures with the McCrab in Mexico
I’ve caught bigger fish, but I don’t think I’ve ever been more surprised and excited to catch a fish than the permit in the photo.
They had Sperry Chalet looking better than ever, then it burned down
Kevin Warrington was feeling pretty good about the Sperry Chalet as he hiked down to the Going-to-the-Sun Road in August 2017.
Glacier dashboard looks to give real-time updates on Park conditions
Glacier National Park visitors should soon have a new way to keep up with conditions inside the park, Superintendent Jeff Mow told the Columbia Falls Area Chamber of Commerce last week.
When Pete leaves Petunia
This week we bring you a column George Ostrom picked out from 1968 ...
Hunter ed classes coming up
Hunter and bowhunter education courses are open to registration across northwest Montana.
Vets Home new bus in now in service
Veterans from the Montana Veterans Home recently got the chance to check out the new passenger bus they’ll have the chance to enjoy as the result of a fundraising effort that began last year.
FWP biologists recognized for work
Two fisheries biologists with Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks in Region 1 received a pair of awards at the annual meeting of the Montana Chapter of the American Fisheries Society recently
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Geology talk
Senate passes permanent reauthorization of land fund
The U.S. Senate by a wide margin passed a public lands bill last week that permanently authorizes the Land, Water and Conservation Fund, a key piece of legislation that has been used across Montana over the years to protect open spaces.
Coram homicide said to be linked to meth
By DUNCAN ADAMS
Saturday, February 16
Wildkats win district title over Browning, Cats fall to Libby
Down one with under a minute to play in the Northwest A District championship game Saturday, the Wildkats got just what they needed from senior guard Ryley Kehr as her three-pointer bounced off the rim and through the hoop to put Columbia Falls up two with 53 seconds to play. Kehr would add another basket and a pair of free throws in the final 30 seconds, scoring the last nine points of the game as the Wildkats defeated Browning 55-49 for the district title.
Friday, February 15
Peacock scores as Kats demolish Ronan in district semi-final
The Wildkats basketball team played its way into the district championship game Friday night as they picked up a 74-34 victory over Ronan in the semi-finals.
Glacier Park's Sperry Chalet expected to reopen by 2020
The plan is to have Sperry Chalet open to the public by the summer of 2020, National Park Service officials told contractors and the public interested in the project on Wednesday at a meeting in Kalispell.
Teen in custody after Coram man is shot to death
An early morning shooting Thursday in Coram led to the death of a 54-year-old man and the arrest soon after of a 19-year-old man.
Thursday, February 14
Suspect held in Coram homicide
An early morning shooting Thursday in Coram led to the death of a 54-year-old man and the arrest soon after of a 19-year-old man.
Cats fall to Polson in opening round of district tourney
The Wildcats fourth-quarter comeback bid came up just short against the Pirates Thursday as Columbia Falls fell to Polson in the opening round of the Northwest A Distirct Tournament in Whitefish, 58-49.
Wednesday, February 13
Senate approves permanent authorization of Land and Water Conservation Fund as part of big lands package
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate on Tuesday approved a major public lands bill that revives a popular conservation program, adds 1.3 million acres of new wilderness, expands several national parks and creates four new national monuments.
Whitefish ShopKo will close in May
The Whitefish Shopko Hometown store will close May 12 after being added to a list of stores set to close as the company reorganizes while going through bankruptcy.
Kats push win streak to seven heading into district tourney
The Wildkats basketball team pushed its winning streak to seven with victories over Whitefish and Browning last week, but the team will have to settle for the second seed in this weekend’s district tournament in Whitefish.
Wildcats drop pair heading into district tourney
The Wildcats finished up the regular season with a pair of losses last week as they fell at home to Whitefish Thursday and on the road at Browning Saturday.
Cats swimmers earn fourth at state, girls fifth
A number of strong individual finishes helped push the Wildcats swim team to a fourth-place finish at the state swim meet in Bozeman over the weekend while the Columbia Falls girls finished fifth.
Board votes to create committee to look at Boys and Girls Club
The School District 6 School Board agreed Monday evening to establish a committee to look into what conditions it would want in place before pursuing a partnership with the Boys and Girls Club to build a new facility on the Ruder Elementary School campus.
Follow Rock Creek fish study online
About 10 years ago I got re-acquainted with Rock Creek, east of Missoula.
Wildcat pair qualify for national speech and debate team
Two Columbia Falls students could be making the trip to the National Speech and Debate tournament in Dallas, Texas in June after earning alternate spots at the National Qualifying Tournament in Billings over the weekend.
Tyree to pitch at Dakota Wesleyan
Columbia Falls baseball standout Trenton Tyree will be taking the diamond at the next level in the fall after signing to play at Dakota Wesleyan University last week.
Need a job? Get a job. Job Fair coming up next week
Columbia Falls High School will be kicking off it’s third annual “Bleed Blue” week Thursday, Feb. 21 as it hosts the 2019 Wildcat Job and Career Fair at the CFHS gym.
Student accomplishments highlight Bleed Blue week
As I reflect on the year we have had so far at Columbia Falls High School, I realize how lucky I am to be part of this institution.
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Schools talk
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Walter Herbert
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Michael West
State looks at widening Highway 40
The Montana Department of Transportation is planing to widen a segment of Montana Highway 40, while also examining whether the road should eventually be constructed to five lanes.
Dealing with winter
It seems only a short time ago I was commenting on our “open winter,” very little snow and above normal temperatures. Even the North Fork road was a fright, with water running on an ice surface. It was so slick that the Heaphys chained up all four tires to get to town for snowmobile training with North Valley Search and Rescue. This old fat guy – too lazy to chain up – turned around, went home and waited for it to freeze up and make the road passable.
Cats wrestlers take fifth at state
The MatCats wrestling squad came away from the state tournament over the weekend with a fifth place team finish after earning an individual state championship, one second, a third and a pair of sixth-place finishes.
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Feb. 6
It will take a lot of snow to rebound snowpack
It will take a significant turn in the weather to make up for lost ground in the Flathead River basin snowpack, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service said last week.
Strange egg facts
This week we bring you a column George Ostrom picked out from 1972 ...
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70 years ago
Glacier Distilling recognized by Esquire
Glacier Distilling in Coram was recognized as producing some of the best whiskey in the country in a review by Esquire magazine.
Tuesday, February 12
Groups file notice to sue Flathead over Forest plan
Two environmental groups announced Monday that they have filed a 60-day notice of an intent to file a lawsuit against the Flathead National Forest over its new Forest plan, claiming it violates the Endangered Species Act.
Monday, February 11
Columbia Falls man dies after being struck by a car Saturday night near Packer's Roost
A pedestrian who died after being struck by a vehicle Saturday night on U.S. 2 near Coram has been identified as Derek Perez, 29, of Columbia Falls.
Sunday, February 10
Cabin Fever Days: Some favorites
Despite temperatures in the low single digits and steady light snow, a merry band of racers and watchers turned out for the 41st annual Cabin Fever Days Bar Stool races Saturday on Sugar Hill in Martin City. Winds were actually light, compared to Columbia Falls, where it was howling. The races continue today (Sunday) at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. (finals). It should be cold again, but with light winds.
Saturday, February 9
Kats hold off Browning at home, 57-55
What looked early on to be a blowout early on Saturday turned into the expected close game down the stretch as the Columbia Falls Wildkats basketball team held off the Browning Lady Indians to pick up a 57-55 victory.
Thursday, February 7
C-Falls splits games with Whitefish
It was an up and down night for Columbia Falls basketball fanson senior night Thursday as the boys fell to Whitefish, 60-39, while the Wildkat girls picked up a 54-28 victory.
Arctic blast will greet Cabin Fever Days, Weather Service says
Folks heading out to Cabin Fever Days events this weekend better bundle up.
Sun Road won't open before June 21 this year, June 22 next
The Going-to-the-Sun Road in Glacier National Park won’t open to Logan Pass before June 21 this year and June 22 next year to motor vehicles, as the road will see a pavement preservation and chip sealing project.
Wednesday, February 6
A big shiny new frig
So the other day the refrigerator went kaput. I discovered this when I took a big swig of milk out of the jug just like I always do in the morning when no one is looking and it was warm as dog pee.
Angel Theater to host Valentine's event next week
The LaSalle Angel Theater will play host to “Three Nights of Love,” a new show devised and directed by Jesse DeVine, Feb. 14-16.
Saving some TIF monies prudent, mayor notes
The Columbia Falls City Council Monday night discussed options for spending its tax increment finance monies, with one of the most attractive options possibly being just to save it for a bigger project.
MatCats sending 11 to state tourney
Talk on Sperry Chalet is next week
The National Park Service in partnership with Glacier National Park Conservancy will host an evening about Sperry Chalet on Feb. 13 at the Red Lion Hotel in Kalispell.
Cats Swim team ready for state tourney
The Columbia Falls swim team will be sending 18 athletes to Bozeman this weekend as the Bozeman Swim Center hosts the state meet Friday and Saturday.
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Women’s luncheon
Blackburn gives advice on Kootenai River rainbows
One advantage of attending meetings of the Flathead Valley Chapter of Trout Unlimited is the monthly program.
Wildcats drop pair of road games to Pirates, Loggers
The Wildcats basketball team dropped to 3-13 with a pair of road losses last week as they fell at Polson Tuesday, 57-45, and at Libby Friday, 50-32.
Kats 15-1 after picking up wins over Polson, Libby
By JEREMY WEBER
Thoughts on the Downeses
I hope every North Forker and North Fork over has been able to read either the Jan.28 or 29th Daily Inter Lake. Inter Lake reporter Duncan Adams wrote an excellent article about North Fork icon Lee Downes. He interviewed Lee at my kitchen table with Lee’s youngest daughter, Marilee, and I in attendance. Duncan then wrote what I consider to be an excellent profile of the Downes family on the North Fork. I particularly liked his next to last paragraph.
Agencies say they didn't pull the pipes on North Fork springs
The pipes have been pulled from two springs up the North Fork, but both state and local agencies say they didn’t do it.
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Jan. 30
MHSA says title reversal was first ever
The Montana High School Association says it will not be changing the way it scores speech and debate meets after mistakes led to a controversial result at this year’s state meet in Belgrade.
DNRC is hiring seasonal firefighters
The Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation is now accepting applications for more than 160 seasonal firefighting jobs across the state.
About cactus and clocks
This week we bring you a column George Ostrom picked out from 1970 ...
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R. Dick Mitsch, 77
New page details Flathead Valley trails
Outdoor enthusiasts who want to explore the county’s network of trails have a new web tool at their disposal. As part of an update of the Flathead County Trails Plan, the People, Athletics, Travel, Health and Safety (PATHS) Advisory Committee worked with the Flathead County Geographic Information Systems Department to develop a new comprehensive and interactive online map of county trails.
After an animal attacks, an often gruesome investigation ensues
The distance between puncture wounds. The pattern of the scratches. The hair. The blood spatters. The drag marks. The maggots.
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Louise Mary Bowne
Saturday, February 2
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Friday, February 1
Severe winter weather expected in area this weekend
Columbia Falls and Northwest Montana residents will be facing extreme winter weather conditions over the next few days as a strong cold front will bring with it snow, strong winds and below-zero temperatures.
Start your sleds, Cabin Fever Days coming up this month
Sick of winter? Don’t despair. The 41st annual Cabin Fever Days and world famous bar stool races are scheduled for Feb. 8-10 hosted by the Trapline Association.
Dwight Yoakam, others, coming to Whitefish music festival in July
An expansive two-day music festival led by Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats, Band of Horses and Dwight Yoakam, along with nearly two-dozen other bands and musicians, is planned July 13-14 at Big Mountain Ranch just east of Whitefish.
Feds say Bigfork man bilked investors out of millions
Hungry Horse News
