Ellington

2020: A year in review

Perhaps the best thing most can say about 2020 is that it’s over. Here’s a look at our top 10 stories of 2020:

A Dark Sky Defender

Woman recognized for work in Glacier National Park

Iree Wheeler joined the ranks of this planet’s “Dark Sky Defenders” after receiving the distinction from the International Dark-Sky Association earlier this fall.

Yesterdays: 1950s Average Family Income $4,000

Flathead County income reached an average all-time high, with a family group earning about $4,000.

City gets good news for 12th Ave

The city of Columbia Falls received a bit of a Christmas present earlier this month when it learned that it had received a “yellow light” from the U.S. Economic Development Administration on its grant request to help fix Twelfth Avenue West and extend sewer and water services to the Cedar Palace Medical Center.

Health department notes coronavirus restrictions for fans

The Flathead City-County Health Department on Monday released extensive COVID-19 guidelines and procedures for high school and middle school sporting events and other winter activities.

Swimming seeing plenty of coronavirus restrictions

The Columbia Falls high school swim team is starting their season with a fairly average number of athletes this year, said head coach Hayden Pierce. However, that may be the only ordinary aspect of this season as, due to coronavirus concerns, the team will be facing some major alterations in the upcoming weeks.

Boys young, but have great potential as season opens Saturday

Despite a lack of experience, the Columbia Falls boys basketball team is brimming with potential this season, according to head coach Chris Finberg.

Some former coveted Weyerhaeuser lands now closed to hunting

With the local real estate market booming, Southern Pine Plantations, the company that purchased 630,000 acres of Weyerhaeuser timberlands in Montana, has begun selling off parcels.

Bob Lockman

Bob Lockman, 84, of Columbia Falls, passed away at KRMC on Dec. 25, 2020.

Tobias Shipp

Tobias Shipp, was stillborn on Dec. 21, 2020.

Kalispell man killed in Highway 2 wreck

A 30-year-old Kalispell man died and two women were injured in a crash on U.S. 2 at mile marker 133 on Saturday.

Shop with a cop a success, but actual shopping curtailed

The Columbia Falls Police Department was still able to hold its 20th annual Shop with a Cop event this year, despite festivities being trimmed down due to coronavirus concerns.

On forwarded mail and other waste

If everyone had as good and merry Christmas as I did we are all in good shape.

Arnold Quentin Sandefur

Last Tuesday afternoon, Arnold laid down in the grass on his daily walk to the mailbox.

In Glacier, latest effort to preserve a native trout species a success

A project to rid a couple of high mountain lakes in Glacier National Park of non-native fish and replace them with native species was a success, Park fisheries biologist Chris Downs said.

Legals for December, 30 2020

Deer Park basketball sweeps Flathead County championships

The Deer Park seventh and eighth grade basketball team, with a few sixth graders sprinkled in, recently won the Flathead County small school championship, downing St. Matthews 41-21 in the final.

State Park visitation way up in 2020

Visitation at Montana State Parks increased in 2020 significantly.

Wrestling team looks solid, will be home way more than usual

Wildcat wrestling began earlier this month after the Montana High School Association made some major alterations to keep the very close-contact sport in action during the coronavirus pandemic.

A surge in demand, a stellar success, Toys for Tots

With the coronavirus crisis, the demand for toys for youngsters was at an unprecedented high this holiday season.

Coronavirus cases dropping, first vaccines roll out to hospital workers

The number of active coronavirus cases have dropped dramatically in Flathead County and across the state in the past few weeks.

Lake Five case will argue broader issues, heading to trial

A suit filed earlier this year by Friends of Lake Five Inc. against Flathead County will go to a bench trial after each party’s motions for summary judgment were denied by Flathead County District Court Judge Amy Eddy during a pre-trial hearing last week.

After a distinguished career, Roady to retire from Stoltze

After 45 years in the timber industry, Chuck Roady has decided it’s time to step aside and care for his own land.

Byrd, Peacock named COY

Columbia Falls High School fall sports saw two of its coaches named “Coach of the Year” by the Montana Coaches Association earlier this month.

With five players out, speech team takes fourth at tourney

With several speakers out due to illness and other reasons, the Columbia Falls Speech and Debate team took fourth at the Havre meet over the weekend.

Finley, Debate standout, garners full ride to Brown

It was a studious afternoon in the speech and debate room when Tre Finley, a measured, soft-spoken Columbia Falls senior, refreshed the QuestBridge application website to discover he had been accepted to Brown University— with a four-year, full-ride scholarship.

Blotter: Christmas presents stolen from back of vehicle

Christmas presents were stolen from the back of someone’s vehicle.

Yesterdays: Montana House in Apgar open for its first Christmas

New shop in Apgar was opened by Mr. and Mrs. Hans Jungster. The Montana House is an Apgar institution today, owned by their daughter, Monica. The front page photo featured the shop, with the trees that surround the shop just saplings. Today, they tower over it.

Thoughts on masks

Is mandating masks unconstitutional?

Christmas birding

I did a route for the Christmas bird count on Sunday in Glacier National Park.

Draft river plan should be released next year

A Comprehensive River Management Plan for the Wild and Scenic sections of the three forks of the Flathead River is still in the works.

NVH starts vaccinating staff

North Valley Hospital announced Wednesday it has started vaccinating 400 of its frontline employees — basically anyone who has contact with medical patients — for novel coronavirus. The hospital employs about 483 people, said spokeswoman Riley Polumbus, but not everyone has direct contact with patients.

Gov.-elect Gianforte could lift mask mandate

Incoming Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte signaled he won’t continue a statewide mask mandate in place since July, though he said he plans to wear a mask himself and get vaccinated against COVID-19.

Hunters restricted from some former Weyerhaeuser lands

With the local real estate market booming, Southern Pine Plantations, the company that purchased 630,000 acres of Weyerhaeuser timberlands in Montana, has begun selling off parcels.

Legislature sets rules for session; no mask mandate

In several party-line votes, Republicans rejected proposed rule changes introduced by Democrats that would have delayed the session until vaccines are widely available or allowed for the session to be conducted entirely virtually. A measure to require that masks be worn inside the state Capitol and that lawmakers maintain six feet of personal distance, introduced by Sen. Pat Flowers, D-Belgrade, also failed along party lines.

Surgeon General urges lawmakers to wear masks; meanwhile, lawsuit filed opposing them

The U.S, Surgeon General was in Montana last week and he urged the Montana state Legislature, in a polite way, to wear masks in the upcoming session to stop the spread of novel coronavirus.

Speech and debate team takes first at Laurel tourney

The Columbia Falls Speech and Debate team topped 19 other schools to take first at the Laurel Invitational tournament over the weekend.

KRMC changing name to Logan Health as it takes over more hospitals

Kalispell Regional Healthcare announced recently the company will be rebranded as Logan Health beginning in January, a change leaders say is another step toward becoming a more integrated system.

Community choir canceled

The annual Columbia Falls Community Choir concert has been canceled for the time being, director Steve Holte said this week.

Norman G. Allan

Norman G. Allan, 88, passed away at North Valley Hospital on Dec. 9, 2020.  Norman is survived by his wife Mary Ann Allan and his children, Debbie Allan and Vince Allan.

Columbia Falls Chamber recognizes businesses — virtually

The annual Columbia Falls Chamber of Commerce Awards Ceremony for 2020 took place virtually this year amid the coronavirus pandemic as it honored local businesses in several categories last week.

E. Side Reservoir road closed during the week; open weekends to snowmobiles

A timber sale on the east side of the Hungry Horse Reservoir means the East Side Reservoir and Emery Creek Roads will be closed through the spring to snowmobiles during the week, but they will be open on weekends.

Coronavirus concerns reason for delay in season

Montana’s high school winter sports season finally began last week after being delayed over half a month by the Montana High School Association board, who voted earlier this fall to postpone the season in an attempt to flatten the curve of climbing coronavirus cases.

Kats should be solid again this year

The Columbia Falls girls basketball team has plenty of depth this year as it looks to make a run to the state tournament.

Paul Bunyan opens in Coram

The Paul Bunyan Bar and Grill, located next to the Packer’s Roost between Martin City and Coram, is now open.

Parent, school debate use of religious song

A Columbia Falls parent said perhaps it’s time to reconsider a school policy concerning the use of religious songs during the Christmas season.

Yesterdays:

Everett Lundgren, member of the Lions committee in charge of the West Glacier ski slope near Stevens Meadow, reported that the “sitz marks” of sleeping elk, bedding down on the slope at night, were creating minor pitfalls for skiers.

McNeil, Hoiland recognized

Back in October I intentionally failed to report the most significant action taken by the Landowners Association. That action was the unanimous vote by the membership to award life memberships to Cecily McNeil and Naomi Hoiland. In my view this was way overdue and should have been done while their husbands were alive and could have been included.

Sidewalks, streetlights lead TIF suggestions

Sidewalks, streets and streetlights, those were the themes common to a public hearing last week on how the city should best spend its tax increment financing district funding.

Groups file suit to get wolverine on Endangered Species List

As promised, a host of environmental groups announced Monday they have filed suit in federal court challenging the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s recent decision to not list the wolverine under the Endangered Species Act.

Montanans split on hunting grizzlies; But most folks willing to live with bears, FWP survey found

Most Montanans, a Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks survey found, are willing to live with grizzly bears, though they split on hunting.

Opinion: Coronavirus naysayers better like ketchup

Ketchup. Honey. Salt.

Mary Maxine May

Mary Maxine May lost her 10-day battle with Covid on Nov. 30, 2020.  She was able to see and visit with her family through Face Time before drifting off to sleep and waking up in heaven with her Lord and family who had gone on before her.

Whitefish Mountain Resort opens Thursday, expect some restrictions

Whitefish Mountain Resort will open for the winter season on Thursday and the operations team says the snow quality is actually better than recent years.

Yesterdays: Tom Ladenburg entered into a conservation easement with the Nature Conservancy to protect over 1,000 acres of his North Fork property from subdivision.

A grocery delivery truck headed for the Hungry Horse IGA blew through the guardrail of the South Fork bridge after avoiding a vehicle driving in the wrong lane. The truck’s cab hung precariously over the edge of the bridge, but the driver was unscathed.

Trail group welcomes new program coordinator

AnneMarie Bowlus, who previously worked for Montana Conservation Corps, the Forest Service and Flathead Area Mountain Bikers, has now joined the trail group.

The curse called winter

We can do it, gentlemen. All we have to do is decide what type of 4-wheel drive we need, which of the many lightweight but nourishing foods to take, what kind of clothing to wear, where we want to go, which is the best brand of sno-cat suitable for our purpose, should we take a gun or a camera, or both, and what kind; if we decide to fish should we take a hatchet or a power ice-hole cutter, can we use our toilet model camper, or do we need a ski plane.

Interior directive flies in the face of property rights, Tester says

“I am deeply concerned by the Department of Interior’s repeated attempts to undermine LWCF over the last two weeks,” Tester wrote in a letter to Bernhardt. “Secretarial Order number 3388 issued by the Department today puts further restraints on LWCF, one of our nation’s most critical conservation and public land access programs.  I urge you to immediately rescind this anti-public land order…”

First Look: Students got a tour of new Ruder Elementary School last week

Ruder Elementary students, clad in bright yellow hard hats, got their first tour of the school’s new addition Friday morning with Swank Enterprises construction superintendent Monte Moultray as their tour guide.

The Blotter:A black Cadillac headed towards Hungry Horse was reportedly speeding over 100 mph.

An elderly woman possibly with dementia thought she was hearing shots fired from a high-powered BB gun.

Feds propose listing whitebark pine under Endangered Species Act, but is it too late?

One estimate indicates that if planting continues at its current pace, it would take over 5,000 years to cover just 5 percent of the range of whitebark pine

CFAC cleanup plan expected this spring; lawsuit delayed

Meanwhile, a draft feasibility study was completed by the company in October and is currently being reviewed by the EPA and the state Department of Environmental Quality.

In Remembrance: Park Service salutes former employee who died of Covid-19

“He had a very lovely and contagious smile,” said Baker “If he smiled at you — which he always did — you couldn’t help but smile back. I mean, he just had a great smile.”

Cabin Fever Days 2021 won't happen

The Cabin Fever Days Board of Directors announced Thursday that Cabin Fever Days has been postponed until 2022.

First doses of vaccines expected to arrive Dec. 15-16

Montana is hopeful it will receive the first round of coronavirus vaccines Dec. 15 or 16, Gov. Steve Bullock said in a press conference Wednesday.

Speech, debate judges needed

The Columbia Falls speech and debate team kicks off its season virtually this week, but is in need of judges willing to judge events this season.

Nancy (Mellet) Tesmer

Nancy (Mellet) Tesmer, 83, with her family by her side, died a natural death on Nov. 23, 2020. She was born Feb. 3, 1937 in Chinook, Montana. She was the second child of Mick and Adelia (Brandon) Mellett.

At least we’re consistent

Several things remain consistent as regards Covid-19 in the Flathead.

Opinion: The holidays in the North Fork

Because of the Covid virus a community celebration just wasn’t in the cards. Even so, as individuals and a community we have much to be thankful for.

Thoughts on disinformation

Fake news. Election fraud. Voter fraud. Our country is on a paralysis trajectory towards authoritarianism. And the reason---an understanding of truth because of the proliferation of misinformation and disinformation.

Opinion: Good luck to the Apgar foxes

It was an odd year to be in Glacier National Park. Just ask the Apgar foxes. The foxes in years prior have been secretive creatures.

The Blotter: A drunk man and woman were reportedly 'out of control.'

A neighbor was trying to help a woman who was locked into her apartment while her children were locked out; this had happened before, somehow the lock was sticking.

August J. Strobbe

He is survived by his wife Jeanette and children, Debra, Jeanie, Keith and Craig. A rosary vigil will be held at St. Richard’s Catholic Church in Columbia Falls on Thursday, Dec. 3, 2020 at 7 p.m. A mass of Christian burial will be held at a later date.

Hungry Horse Fire Department sees a changing of the guard

The two men have succeeded Junior Nelson, who served as the district’s fire chief for the last 34 years, and Pat Clanton, who served as Nelson’s assistant chief for nearly 15 of those years.

Several football, volleyball athletes named all-state; Brooks coach of the year

The Columbia Falls volleyball and football did well with all-state and all-conference selections.

Sun Road will see more work; North Lake McDonald bridge replaced

The Department of Interior recently announced a project that will reconstruct 9.3 miles of the Sun Road from the foot of Lake McDonald to the intersection with the North Lake McDonald Road. The project will include “curve widening, super-elevation on the horizontal alignment for transition zones, and addressing limited distances between curves.”

‘Lady Long Rider’ enters Hall of Fame

This past July, Ende was planning a “Lady Long Rider Suffragist Tour” in honor of the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution giving women the right to vote. She was due to travel, by truck and trailer this time, to New York and then ride to several sites and give talks at those places. However due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the tour was canceled.

Nurse recognized for work at West Glacier clinic

When patients come into North Valley Hospital’s seasonal clinics, they are often seeking immediate care while on vacation here.

Grizzly deaths lower than last year

Thirty-five grizzly bear deaths were reported in 2020, as opposed to 51 in 2019. Of the 35, two were from natural causes.

From Montana grapes, fine wine

A winery that’s able to pour a glass of red made from grapes crushed, fermented, aged and monitored in its own cellars, under the shadow of snow-capped Montana peaks near the banks of a glacier-fed river, is about as rare as a white raven in a murder of its charcoal black relatives.

Yesterdays:F.H. Stoltze Land and Lumber was looking at making pressed boards and floor tiles from pressed sawdust, a front page story reported.

F.H. Stoltze Land and Lumber was looking at making pressed boards and floor tiles from pressed sawdust, a front page story reported.

Forest Service plans logging projects near West Glacier

The Flathead National Forest is seeking public input on a new forest management project that’s been proposed between Coram and West Glacier.