Ellington

Columbia Falls man dies in North Fork river accident

A Columbia Falls man died in a pontoon craft accident on the North Fork of the Flathead River Saturday near Fool Hen rapids.

Stoltze, Clark, announce new cross-laminate plant in Columbia Falls

New new company, called Stoltze Timber, will be eventually be located across the road from the the F.H. Stoltze Land and Lumber plant.

Opinion: Covid-19, one woman's journey

For an hour or two, we sat on a packed, hot, plane where coughs were muffled and anxiety was in the air. It was terrified, not only because I couldn’t breathe, but I could be getting others sick. This anxiety and guilt has consumed me since we had to make our way home.

Golf: Brothwell takes 10th at Invite

Cody Brothwell led the Wildcats at the Columbia Falls Invitational golf tournament Wednesday, carding a 94, which was good enough for 10th.

Martin City man faces jail for threatening CPS

A Martin City man pleaded guilty Thursday in Flathead County District Court to threatening the lives of Child Protective Services workers.

New weather station should help backcountry forecasts

The Flathead Avalanche Center recently finished installing weather stations on Tunnel Ridge near Essex — an undertaking that closed out a multi-year, multi-partnership effort to build a more robust weather dataset for the Flathead Range and beyond.

She likes Debo

Whenever I chat with my neighbors of House District 3, at the grocery store or on a trail picking huckleberries, I can’t help but mention that Representative Debo Powers is the right choice for the Montana State Legislature.

Boys soccer young, but gifted

The Wildcat varsity boys soccer team is very young this year, but it’s also packing a lot of talent. The combination lends itself to a promising season, and possibly, an even greater future.

Baby found safe in the Yaak

A missing Columbia Falls baby has been found safe in Lincoln County, and an AMBER Alert was canceled Tuesday morning.

Resident in long term care facility dies from coronavirus

The Flathead City-County Health Department on Saturday confirmed the death of an individual residing in a long term care facility due to COVID-19.

Habitat for Humanity has Columbia Falls homes for sale

When the owner of a Habitat house decides to sell, Habitat has the right of first purchase, Shaw noted. That keeps the homes available for other families to purchase at values that are typically lower than the traditional housing market.

The Bob at 80

At the time, Marshall was a wilderness champion, working for the Forest Service. He was famous for his long exploratory walks through the American countryside, advocating for lands he often had personally set foot on.

Grizzly Committee wraps up its work

Gov. Steve Bullock’s Grizzly Bear Advisory Council met for the final time last week, massaging the language of a final draft of recommendations on how to manage the iconic creature after if they are delisted from the Endangered Species Act in Montana.

Gather at the River

What a great summer week we had! Great sunny weather for the days, cool nights and best of all—no fires.

Columbia Falls Stage subdivision hearing postponed until September

The Flathead County Planning Board has postponed a controversial subdivision hearing until September.

Can cross country three-peat?

Both the Columbia Falls boys and girls cross country teams should be solid again this year. The boys won the state A title last year and they should be right in the mix again this year, head coach Jim Peacock said.

Columbia Falls folks do well at the fair

Columbia Falls area folks had lots of success at the Northwest Montana Fair last week. Here’s some local winners:

The Blotter: Woman's car shot up

An employee walked to her car after work to find it riddled with bullet holes.

Football should be much improved

With a host of returning players, the Columbia Falls football team should be much improved this season.

Girls varsity soccer looking as sharp as last year

The Columbia Falls girls varsity soccer team is returning after a great previous season, and the athletes are poised to pick up right where they left off.

Judge stops Lake Five development, for now

A Flathead County judge has granted a preliminary injunction at least temporarily halting any work on a controversial resort on Lake Five near Glacier National Park.

Volleyball squad should be solid

The Columbia Falls Wildkat volleyball prospects look bright this season as the team returns with a stacked roster of six seniors and two juniors who have been playing together since before high school.

Sova leads golf squad

Luke Sova led the Columbia Falls Wildcat golf team at the Whitefish Invitational Monday.

Legals for August, 26 2020

New Jersey man dies after driving off Spotted Bear Road

A 33-year-old man is dead and his wife seriously injured after their vehicle rolled down a hillside in Flathead National Forest.

Bad Rock Fire Department saves horse from well

How “Sweets” it is.

Avalanche Trail reopens to hikers

The popular Avalanche Lake Trail was reopened last week after being closed to hikers by a roaming grizzly bear.

Planning board OK’s scaled back Nucleus plan

The Columbia Falls City-County Planning Board last week recommended for approval an amended plan for the city square off Nucleus Avenue owned by developer Mick Ruis.

Council debates preliminary budget, mill levy hike

The Columbia Falls city council had a rare split on a budget vote Monday night.

Opinion: Oh, Crickets!

So we were hiking down the trail in Glacier the other day and we came upon some coyote poop and there were these crickets eating it. Glacier is home to big green crickets and when I say big, I mean big, like the size of your pinky big, which I know is small in the greater scheme of things, but pretty big, you know, for a bug.

Golf starts this week, next

Columbia Falls golf is set to have a competitive team this year according to coach T.J. Ray.

Boys and Girls Club will look to private real estate for new home

The Boys and Girls Club of Glacier Country told the School District 6 board last week it was opting out of using school facilities for its expansion.

Lions Club efforts help school kids, fire victims

The Columbia Falls Lions Club kicked off their first Back to School Bash at Marantette Park last week.

Yesterdays: Horsemen buy hay for fire victims

70 years ago

A new home for Coram-West Glacier fire department

The Coram-West Glacier Fire Department has a new home at the corner of Highway 2 and Seville Lane.

Commissioners endorse Bad Rock Wildlife Management Area

The Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Commission in an unanimous vote Thursday endorsed a plan for the Bad Rock Canyon Wildlife Management Area along the Flathead River just outside Columbia Falls.

Campers, everywhere

I am not sure how much we can blame the coronavirus but it is getting much more difficult to drive to or from the North Fork. Starting at Canyon Creek, the road is rougher and dustier every day. It ranges from rough and dusty to worse than awful from there to the Camas Junction.

Legals for August, 19 2020

Ruder project delayed a week after foreman gets coronavirus

A construction project at Ruder Elementary was stopped for a week recently after a foreman working on the project tested positive for coronavirus after he got sick, Dow Powell, the school’s construction representative told the board Monday night.

Griz council can’t agree on whether we should hunt bears, or not

After a 5-1/2 hour long meeting recently, the Montana Grizzly Bear Advisory Council still has some work to do to reach its final recommendations and when it comes to hunting bears, members have simply decided to agree to disagree.

Overall, Glacier visitation down; but Polebridge way up

With half of Glacier National Park closed due to coronavirus, visitation was down sharply over last year, with one exception: Polebridge.

Bullock: Most schools in Montana will be required to use masks

Montana Gov. Steve Bullock Wednesday issued a directive requiring all K-12 schools, both private and public, to require face coverings for students and staff in counties that have four or more active coronavirus cases.

Suit claims 2018 Forest Plan violates Endangered Species Act

Four environmental groups filed suit in federal court Aug. 5 against the Forest Service, the Department of Interior and the Montana Logging Association challenging the 2018 Flathead National Forest plan.

Columbia Falls schools will require all students to wear masks

School District 6 will start in-person classes in the next few weeks. All students, K-12 will be required to go through daily health screenings and wear masks, the school board decided Monday night.

North Fork boards see some changes

Usually the North Fork Preservation Association elections are just a renewal of officers and directors. John Frederick for example, was president for twenty-some years and the board remained virtually unchanged. Not this year. Debo Powers, president for the last several years stepped down and Flannery Coates was elected president and Debo will be the new vice president. Leaving the board are Steve Gniadek and Frank Vitale and the board will now consist of Diane Boyd, Bill Walker, Jube Zeigler and Roger Sullivan. Randy Kenyon will serve as treasurer and Suzanne Hildner is secretary.

The Blotter: Don’t follow me, I have a pistol

Monday, Aug. 3

Wandering griz clears popular Glacier National Park Trail

A young single grizzly bear, who may have received a food reward from a hiker’s backpack, caused the closure of Avalanche Lake trail Thursday.

After two-week search, no signs of man

After another week of searching, including using a remote-controlled underwater vehicle to search the depths of Kintla Lake, a search for a missing Columbia Falls man in Glacier National Park is winding down, park officials said Monday.

Police looking for man in deadly bar fight

Whitefish Police are working with California authorities to locate a man allegedly involved in the death of a Whitefish man following an altercation outside a bar.

Avalanche Allure: Visitors willing to park a mile away to visit lake

Glacier National Park visitors are parking beyond Redrocks pullout — more than a mile away — on Going-to-the-Sun Road in order to access the trailhead of one of the area’s most popular hikes: Avalanche Lake. Adding two extra miles to the four mile round-trip excursion, and upwards of half an hour to find a parking space, has not been enough to persuade hikers to opt for alternative destinations.

Richard Truman Grilley

Richard Truman Grilley passed away on Aug. 3, 2020, at Hidden Meadow Memory care.

Golf tourney a big success

On behalf of the Wildc/kat Athletic Endowment Association (WAEA), I would like to extend a big THANK YOU to the Columbia Falls Community and businesses for your attendance and support at the WAEA Golf Tournament fundraiser on Sunday, July 26. A huge shout out this year to Meadow Lake Golf staff for hosting our annual tournament. Once again, the Wildc/kat supporters have made our event a huge success. In addition, WAEA is very fortunate to have a list of volunteers that we call on each year and their continued support and commitment is greatly appreciated. Special thanks to Jim Peacock, Shelby Johnson, and the cross-country teams for helping with the golf event. Their efforts made the tournament games and operations flow effortlessly. Without our local businesses and dedicated individuals, this event and program would not be possible.

Seniors having garage sale this weekend

The North Valley Seniors Center is having a garage sale fundraiser on Friday, Aug. 14 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and on Saturday, Aug. 15 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m at the North Valley Senior Center, 205 Nucleus Avenue. Please come to check out our wide selection of treasures from clothing, knick-knacks, planters, tools, fishing gear, small furniture and appliances.

Twins lose to Bucks to end season at state

The Glacier Twins fell short against the Bitterroot Bucs on Saturday at the American Legion Baseball Montana-Alberta Class A State Tournament in Lewistown, recording a narrow 5-3 defeat in what turned out to be the team’s final game of the season.

Maybe it’s Utopia

A recent story we did on people camping at Blankenship certainly sparked a lot of interest. One person said it should have been labeled an opinion piece.

Thoughts on Blankenship

I appreciate your time spent and your insight in your recent article titled “A Not So Scenic Sight on Flathead”. My family have been utilizing the free camping at Blankenship bridge for well over a decade. My family and I have been residents of Flathead County, just south of Columbia Falls for close to 20 years. Our previous home was Lake County. Being someone who enjoys the camping site, it is evident how it has become a problem.

Power pole fire knocks out power in Columbia Falls

About 2,000 Columbia Falls residents were out of power Friday from just before noon to 2 p.m. after a power pole caught on fire and broke in two.

FWP, Land Trust hope to conserve 800 acres of CFAC lands

Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks and the Flathead Land Trust are working together with the hopes of purchasing 800 acres of Columbia Falls Aluminum Co. land along the Flathead River.

Bullock says counties can choose mail-in ballot for November election

Montana Gov. Steve Bullock said Thursday that it would be up to counties on whether they wanted to implement a mail-in ballot for the November election.

Trump signs landmark outdoors bill

President Trump signed the Great American Outdoors Act into law Tuesday.

Crews working small fire near Olney

While there has been considerable lightning in the Flathead Valley in the past few days from thunderstorms, there have been few reports of wildfires.

Fall sports set to start practice Aug. 14, with restrictions

Fall sports are ready to take the field, but things are going to look a little different this fall.

The Blotter: Woman finds coin, wonders when she can sell it

Monday, July 27

Lions Club holding school ‘bash’ Aug. 12

The Columbia Falls Lions Club is having a back-to-school bash, on Aug 12, from 5:30-7:30 p.m., at Marantette Park. This event has been approved by the city and Flathead County Public Health Department. Social distancing and wearing masks is required at this event. We have put a lot of work into organizing this and want people to have a safe time.

Mr. Brown, keep eye on forest

I have known Bob Brown for years, and I even ran for Lieutenant Governor with him when he ran for Governor in 2004.

Arsonist has North Forkers nervous

Multiple apparent arson fires in Glacier Park have created a major stir on the North Fork. Most of the fires were the result of someone lighting moss in a tree causing that tree to torch, but none of these spread to other trees and only single trees were involved.

Western bumblebee in trouble, could see ESA listing

Visit a patch of flowers in Northwest Montana and you should see bees — lots and lots of bumblebees. The bees are critical to pollinating not just flowers, but most many food sources for both humans and animals, including the coveted wild huckleberry — a key food source for bears and a key ingredient in local desserts.

Parade for Archibald is Friday at Vets Home

Parade for Archibald is Friday at Vets Home

There will be a parade at the Montana Veterans’ Home at 2 p.m. Aug.7 to recognize resident JoAnn Archibald who will celebrate her 90th birthday. Archibald was a dispatcher for Columbia Falls for 29-1/2 years. She retired at age 75.

Longtime pastor saying good-bye

After 38 years behind the pulpit, Pastor Jerry Buchanan is saying good-bye, retiring from the First Baptist Church of Columbia Falls.

Outdoors: Ridge 6324

Heat in the 90s. Horseflies and another little fly, not quite a black fly, that burrowed into my arms and drank my blood and then mosquitoes, more than I’ve seen in a very long time.

Twins win district tourney

The Glacier Twins beat the Bitterroot Bucs in a 6-5 squeaker Sunday to win the Western District A title and advance to the state tourney.

Badger-Two Med sees key easment

The Nature Conservancy recently negotiated a key conservation easement on private lands that border the Badger-Two Medicine, the nonprofit announced Friday.

Yesterdays: Visitors run over Glacier Park bear cubs

70 years ago

FORLOH brings tech to outdoor clothing

Andy Techmanski, founder of FORLOH outdoor apparel company, was on a trip up the North Fork recently while wearing one of his company’s shirts. The mosquitoes were so bad, he sprayed himself down with bugs repellent multiple times, and the next day when he smelled the shirt, designed to eliminate scent for hunters, it smelled brand new.

Board of adjustment rejects two N. Fork projects; tables a third

One applicant showed up late...

Apartment building catches fire, again

Fire Chief says blaze is suspicious

Local nonprofits taking donations for fire victims

Local nonprofits are helping the victims of a fire that destroyed an nine-unit apartment building Sunday.

Massive fire at Columbia Falls apartment building

A multiplex apartment building on Fourth Avenue West was ruined by an afternoon fire Sunday in Columbia Falls, but no one was injured.