Ellington

Death notices

Anthony Heft

Peggy Elizabeth Boylan Saurey Marantette

Peggy Elizabeth Boylan Saurey Marantette

Cross country: Girls win in Thompson Falls

The Columbia Falls girls cross country team had another strong showing, winning the Thompson Falls Invitational last week.

Golf squad sending four to state tourney

Four Columbia Falls golfers have qualified for the state tourney in Butte this week.

Cats drop Browning 48-14 on the road, face Broncs this week

The Columbia Falls football team dropped Browning on the road last week, 48-14 as quarterback Mason Peters threw for four touchdowns and ran for a fifth. Peters completed 8 of 18 passes for 219 yards and had 40 yards rushing.

Election 2020: Carl Glimm, Senate District 2

Carl Glimm, Republican, Senate District 2

Election 2020: Braxton Mitchell House District 3

Braxton Mitchell, Republican candidate for House District 3

The Blotter: A woman locked herself in her bedroom after her roommate came home and started breaking things.

Someone’s cash, ID, gas card, wallet and gun were found strewn across a parking lot.

Hummingbird program on tap

Flathead Audubon will present an online program at 7 p.m. Oct. 12 Bret Tobalske, professor of organismal biology, ecology and evolution in the Division of Biological Sciences at the University of Montana and is director of the Field Research Station at Fort Missoula.

Elderly ideas

After I called the Montana Associated Press Saturday morning with a big complaint, Iris remarked, “You’re not aging very gracefully, dear.”

The early years

Mentioning the NFIA Fourth of July fish fry got me thinking about my own early years on the North Fork.

Opinion: Mustie1

I’ve been watching this guy on YouTube called Mustie1. I assume that’s not his real name, unless his parents decided to name him after his old man’s underwear, which I doubt.

Yesterdays: Dynamite shoot sets Teakettle Mountain on fire

A dynamite shoot, which was a fundraiser for the Blankenship Volunteer Fire Department, went sideways after one of the sticks of dynamite blew up and caught Teakettle Mountain on fire.

Marsh receives technology award

Since changing her career from marketing to education, Columbia Falls High School business and technology teacher Diane Marsh has used previous real-world marketing experience and ever expanding accreditation to provide students with the most relevant education possible.

In Columbia Falls, a host of former students have returned to teach

Columbia Falls School District 6 in recent years has seen an influx of alumni returning to teach in the schools where they themselves were once students.

Real estate booms; median price up 50 percent in three years

Earlier this month a four-bedroom, two-bath house with a garage and a finished basement in a nice neighborhood in Columbia Falls went on the market for a list price of about $340,000. It was under contract in two days.

Columbia Falls man found dead in Whitefish Lake, had prior record

Timothy Allen Braaten, 51, was found in the Mackinaw Point area by a boater at about 4 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 23.

Hungry Horse woman dies after running in front of tow truck

A pedestrian died after being hit by a tow truck at 8:30 p.m. Saturday in Hungry Horse.

Families recount loved ones’ declines at Whitefish facility

In a recorded video chat dated Aug. 18, Deb Johnson can be heard coaching her 92-year-old father, Alton “Ott” Johnson, through a breathing exercise.

Alton “Ott” Johnson

Alton “Ott” Johnson passed away on Sept. 7, 2020, of COVID-19 while rehabbing from surgery for a broken hip.

Election records show Powers did not vote twice, or look to thwart voter registration laws

House District 3 Rep. Debo Powers (D-Polebridge) is under fire by opponents for her voting registration, but she said she has done nothing wrong and public voting records back up her claim.

Coronavirus spreads to more staff, residents, at Veterans' Home

The Montana Veterans Home in Columbia Falls is working to contain a COVID-19 outbreak that has infected a total 17 staff members and residents, with nine of those cases being considered “active,” as of Tuesday morning.

School District 6 continues to deal with coronavirus cases. County has more than 400 active cases overall

Columbia Falls School District 6 continues to deal with coronavirus cases, though there doesn’t appear to be any spread inside the schools themselves.

Toys for Tots program needs storage space

The Flathead Valley Toys for Tots program is looking for someone to donate some warehouse or other storage space for its program this Christmas.

At Montana Veterans' Home, first cases of coronavirus reported

The Montana Veterans Home confirmed it had its first case of coronavirus in a resident at the home last week, despite stringent safety protocols in place for the facility. Two employees also tested positive for the illness and are under quarantine.

Sheriff still looking for leads on missing man

He may be wearing a kilt

Boys soccer: Cats drop Vikings

Wildcat boys soccer thundered into the first half of their 6-1 victory over Bigfork Tuesday night, scoring four goals in the first 9 minutes of the game.

Girls soccer: Wildkats drop Bigfork

The Wildkat girls soccer team came back from last week’s loss against Whitefish with a strong 5-1 win against Bigfork Tuesday evening at home.

Dorisan Anderson

Dorisan Anderson passed away Sept. 13, 2020 at the Libby Care Center.

Election 2020: Kyle Waterman, Senate District 2

Editor’s note: This week the Democrats state their case for seats in House District 3 and Senate District 2 in the state Legislature. Both seats cover the North Fork, Columbia Falls and the Canyon. Next week we feature the Republicans for both seats.

Schweikert sets new mark for aces in a career

Senior Hannah Schweikert broke the school record for number of aces served in a career, with her six aces against Ronan pushing the new record to 167.

Election 2020: Debo Powers, House District 3

But she’s also been spending her summers in the North Fork since 1979 she said, and since she retired in 2011, she’s been a full-time Montana resident.

Please watch for buses

I am writing today to bring about awareness surrounding our children who are back in school and riding the bus.

Mitchell questions Powers’ donors

I am the Republican candidate for House District 3 which includes all of the North Fork. Friends of mine say living there this year has felt like witnessing an invasion.

Opinion: Looking forward to snow

Ready or not, summer is coming to an end. No matter that smoke obscures our view of the mountains. No matter that the temperatures have remained in the 70’s and high pressure systems seem to dominate the weather scene.

At Senate hearing, Daines touts bill that could create large fire breaks

Montana Republican Sen. Steve Daines and California Democrat Sen. Diane Feinstein made their case for a new bill designed to stem wildfire spread in western states by creating fuel breaks, encouraging biomass plants to burn the wood and generally cutting down dead and dying trees, during a Senate hearing last week.

Glacier visitation robust in August

While visitation to Glacier National Park is down overall, the number of visitors to the Park’s west entrances — the only ones that are open — is either nearly the same as last August, or way up.

Girls cross country nearly perfect at delayed Polson meet

The Columbia Falls girls cross country team ran an almost perfect race in Polson Saturday, with a team score of 16 points. A perfect score is 15 points. That came after a significant delay. The race was scheduled to begin in the morning, but didn’t happen until later in the afternoon, as race officials waited for the smoke to clear.

Wildcats drop Loggers to get back on winning track

Coach Jaxon Schweikert was pleased with the offensive line.

Council OK’s River’s Edge Park contract for toilet, trails

Columbia Falls River’s Edge Park will get a new flush toilet and trail upgrades. The Columbia Falls city council Monday night approved a $234,275 contract with Knife River Construction to upgrade the trails in the park and the bathroom.

Environmental assessment available for Lost Trail Conservation easement

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service last week released a formal environmental assessment of a proposed conservation easement near the Lost Trail National Wildlife Refuge. If created, the Conservation Area would authorize the Service to work with willing sellers to acquire conservation easements on up to 100,000 acres within the 120,000 acre Conservation Area boundary.

Yesterdays: Chris Johnston of California shot and killed a grizzly bear near Moose City up the North Fork that charged him.

Chris Johnston of California shot and killed a grizzly bear near Moose City up the North Fork that charged him.

The Blotter: A woman said a driver almost ran her over after she threatened to call the cops

A woman said a driver almost ran her over after she threatened to call the cops.

Perry likes Powers

I wish to express my full support and endorsement of Representative Debo Powers in the upcoming election for House District 3.

Legals for September, 23 2020

Opinion: You press the button, we do the rest

So a few months ago I bought some Kodak stock, not particularly because I have any sort of stock market acumen, but because it was A) cheap and B) Really cheap.

Columbia Falls home destroyed in early morning fire

A home on Eighth Avenue West in Columbia Falls was destroyed in an early morning fire.

In Hungry Horse, RV destroyed in fire

No one was injured, but an RV was destroyed after it caught fire at 235 1st Ave. South in Hungry Horse at around 3:30 p.m. Friday.

State now releasing coronavirus data on individual schools

Under a directive from Montana Gov. Steve Bullock the state has started to release coronavirus data on individual schools.

County corona cases surge

A surge in COVID-19 cases in Flathead County over the past week, which officials say can partially be attributed to Labor Day weekend activities, has strained the health department’s ability to relay case data to the state, perform contact tracing and other tasks associated with the new positives, a local health official said Thursday.

Volleyball: Kats drop Pirates

The Wildkat volleyball dropped Polson at home Thursday night in three sets, 25-14, 25-22, 25-14.

Boys soccer: Cats tie Bulldogs

The Columbia Falls boys soccer tied Whitefish Thursday night 1-1 at the Flip Darling Memorial Field.

Girls soccer: Bulldogs edge Wildcats

The Columbia Falls girls soccer squad suffered its first loss of the season 1-0, against rival Whitefish at home Thursday evening.

More than 300 students opt for remote learning in Columbia Fall schools

About 16 percent of students at School District 6 have opted for remote learning as school started, with Glacier Gateway Elementary seeing the most, with about 100 students taking class remotely.

Spikers now 6-0 on the year

The victories came despite the Kats having lost their starting middle due to quarantine and the team having to reconfigure, with four different players taking over new positions.

Boys golf takes third at Libby; girls take fifth

The Columbia Falls boys golf team took third at the Cabinet View Invitational in Libby Thursday. Luke Sova shot an 84 to take second. Cody Brothwell was tied for third with an 86, Lane Clark 111, Kale Peters 103, Jaeger Mohr 100.

Edward Ray Hula

Edward Ray Hula passed away on July 21, 2020 at the age of 78.

Irene C. Christenson

Irene C. Christenson (Mame), age 95, of Columbia Falls, passed away on May 18, 2020, due to natural causes.

Turnovers hurt Cats against Dogs

The Columbia Falls football team had a success moving the ball against Whitefish Friday night. Unfortunately for the Wildcats, a host of turnovers killed the drives. The Wildcats had five turnovers against the Bulldogs on the road, including a blocked field goal, as they lost 21-7.

Soccer teams blank Bigfork to remain undefeated

The Wildcat soccer program saw a memorable day on Friday against Bigfork at home, with both the girls and boys teams securing 5-0 victories.

Harriers sweep ‘Pandemic Quad Hoopla’

The Columbia Falls cross country team swept its “Pandemic Quad Hoopla Extravaganza” meet at Rebecca Farm Saturday. It was a tongue-in-cheek name for a “home” meet hosted by the Wildcats.

Mayor parts ways with council on budget

The Columbia Falls city council last week approved its 2020-21 budget, but Mayor Don Barnhart voted against the $13.4 million spending plan.

Whitefish Care facility had history of deficiencies

Following a recent state investigation into Whitefish Care and Rehabilitation Center, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services stamped the facility with the most serious deficiency rating possible in early September — a federal designation that was later lifted as silently as it was assigned.

Second phase of Highline Apartments complete, full already

The second phase of the Highline Apartments in Columbia Falls are proving to be just as popular as the first phase.

Yesterdays: Construction worker's backhoe tumbles off Sun Road

A shortage of freight cars was threatening to delay the Hungry Horse dam project. The dam only had two days of cement on hand. The dam was slated to begin water storage in fall fo 1951 and start producing power in 1952.

The Blotter: Men drinking and swearing cause for concern

A woman who hadn’t slept all night said her neighbors were harassing her. A black and white dog was at large, dragging a chain behind; a passerby tied it up to a lampost. Someone requested help backing up a truck.

Columbia Falls businesswoman empowered by bodybuilding

The book explores the history of women and athleticism from ancient Athens to modern-day soccer fields.

Jordan likes Powers

Debo Powers cares about people. When we elect her to return to the Montana State legislature for House District 3 (Columbia Falls, North Fork and the Canyon), she will represent not only locals, but all Montanans as well. Debo is a smart, strong, experienced, independent woman, who we need in Helena.

Brown: Be like Judy

The work of the 2019 legislative session has come full circle on two bills vetted in the Senate State Administration Veterans’ Affairs Committee which I chaired. One was SB275 (Senator Olzewski-R) and HB524 (Representative Weatherwax-D) that brought attention to needs for recognition of two different subjects.

'Fun’ at Wally World

So I’m standing in the return line at Walmart and there’s this guy at the counter with a leather vest on and a pair of filthy jeans. His diet must have been working, because his pants were falling off and his butt crack was hanging out.

Grizzly Council releases final report, most agree on limited hunt

Gov. Steve Bullock’s Grizzly Bear Advisory Council issued its final report to Bullock on Thursday.

Legals for September, 16 2020

More Covid deaths at Whitefish care facility

This brings the total number of deaths associated with the Whitefish Care and Rehabilitation Center to 10.

Planning board delays decision on controversial subdivision proposal

The Flathead County Planning Board unanimously voted to delay its decision on the Rolling Acres subdivision preliminary plat until next month’s meeting, after closing the public hearing just before midnight Wednesday.

Council OK's Nucleus project

The Columbia Falls city council Tuesday night approved a revised planned unit development for the city square owned by developer Mick Ruis

Yesterdays: Grizzly almost gets Jonkel

Thirty-six young men had turned out for football practice. The first game was against Libby on Sept. 22.

Ronald E. Newton

Ronald E. Newton was born on Nov. 15th of 1957 to parents Ronald A. Newton and Edna L.

Cats blank Chiefs

The Columbia Falls football team dropped Ronan 55-0 at home Friday night.

Whitefish native working on coronavirus vaccine

Whitefish graduate Dr. Colin Fields is part of research efforts to develop a vaccine for the coronavirus.

Ruder project beginning to take shape

As the Ruder Elementary School remodel progresses, students could be in some of the new classrooms by this spring. The project is on schedule, said school project manager Dow Powell during a tour last week.

Soccer: Boys drop Frenchtown

The Columbia Falls boys soccer team had an an emotional 3-2 win over Frenchtown Thursday on the road.

Kats thump Lady Broncs

Maddie Robison scored within the first minute of the game and the Kats didn’t stop, ending the first half 6-0, with freshman Josie Harris scoring the first goal of her career.

Glacier Wallflower has new owners, new name, new location

Yes, Glacier Wallflower, the floral shop that’s been in Columbia Falls for more than 40 years is closing.

‘I’m sorry,’ but are you really?

Columbia Falls teacher part of New York Times project

Men face lengthy prison terms in drive-by shooting in Kalispell

Two Flathead Valley men were sentenced to 15 years in the Montana State Prison Thursday afternoon in Flathead County District Court for their roles in a drive-by shooting last year.

Forest looks to improve Spotted Bear, Meadow Creek roads next year

The Flathead National Forest is proposing two projects that would improve access to the Bob Marshall Wilderness.

Drumming Fire grows to 3,000 acres in Bob Marshall Wilderness

The Garnet Fire near Big Salmon Lake is now 575 acres and the Lion Creek Fire is 175 acres, though Lion Creek hasn’t been mapped in several days.

County opts for mail in-ballots after all

The Flathead County commissioners voted 2-1 Thursday morning to move to a mail-in election for the Nov. 3 general election, pivoting from their decision in late August to opt for a poll election.

The Blotter: Neighbor stealing stuff?

A porta-potty was tipped over.

Volleyball: Kats drop Loggers on the road

The Wildkats dropped the Libby Loggers for the second time this season Tuesday evening on the Loggers' court.

Trapline thanks

The Trapline Association would like to thank the Flathead Valley and Gateway to Glacier communities for their support of the 42nd annual Cabin Fever Days in February.

Great grandma supports Mitchell for HD3

I’m a proud great-grandmother of your Republican candidate for House District 3, Braxton Mitchell

More thoughts on commercial camps

This year, Kintla Lake and Bowman Lake campgrounds are closed and maybe that accounts for at least part of the increased numbers of campers on the Forest side.

A good dose of social distancing

I managed to avoid Glacier National Park over the Labor Day weekend, not that I didn’t try to stay in the backcountry.

Glacier Science and History Day is coming up, virtually

Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park will host the first Science and History Week virtual speaker series Sept. 21 to 24 during Canada’s National Science Literacy Week.

Kats mask up in Browning match

Columbia Falls volleyball dropped Browning Sept. 1 away in straight sets, 25-7, 25-16 and 25-15.

Holiday traffic to Glacier Park backs up for miles

Traffic at Glacier National Park’s west entrance over the holiday weekend might be one for the history books.

Four days into classes, Columbia Falls High School dealing with coronavirus

Four days into classes, School District 6 finds itself dealing with its first exposure to a person with coronavirus.

Man airlifted off Glacier's Mount Gould after fall

A male climber was airlifted off of Mount Gould in Glacier National Park Sept. 1, park spokeswoman Gina Kerzman confirmed.

Wildcats thump Pirates 48-28 in opener

Then Lucas Thacker picked off a Polson pass about 30 seconds later to kill the Pirates’ hopes of a comeback.

Girls soccer beats Blue Devils

The Columbia Falls girls soccer team started the season on a high note last Friday at home, dropping Corvallis, 4-2.

Boys drop Blue Devils, too

The Columbia Falls boys soccer team opened the season on a high note with a 2-1 win over Corvallis Friday

Cats drop Stillwater in soccer

The Columbia Falls boys soccer team beat nonconference Stillwater Christian, 3-2 Monday night.

Cross Country: Girls win Libby Invitational

The Columbia Falls girls cross country team won the Libby Invitational Saturday.

Kats drop Browning in season opener

The Columbia Falls volleyball dropped Browning Tuesday evening away in straight sets, 25-7, 25-16, and 25-15.

McKeon will study in Switzerland this year, next

Her hope is to learn another language well and immerse herself in the culture.

Back to School: Opener anything but normal

All students were screened at the door due to coronavirus concerns and students had to wear masks once inside their respective buildings.

Fair numbers down, livestock cash up

Coronavirus concerns definitely had an impact on this year’s fair numbers, according to figures released by the county last week, but gross sales of livestock were at an all-time high as the auction was held online.

A little shooting, swapping stories, as Daines stumps at Proof

Montana Sen. Steve Daines showed his prowess with a rifle during a stop at Proof Research in Columbia Falls.

The Blotter: Someone was throwing cheese out of a window

Missing 5-year-old found

Whitefish assisted living facility beset by Covid-19 deaths, cases

Four recent COVID-19 related deaths in Flathead County have been tied to Whitefish Care and Rehabilitation Center as the facility faces an outbreak that has resulted in 41 positives so far between staff and residents

Supports Bennett

The office of Secretary of State is one I once held. Ensuring it’s run efficiently and effectively, with a focus on customer service, is extremely important to every Montanan. That is why, even though I’ve served as a Republican all my life and supported countless Republicans in the past, I have decided to endorse Bryce Bennett to become Montana’s next Secretary of State.

Head-on wrecks and other tales

Another exciting week on the North Fork! Not all bad, but certainly at least two negative events.

Spring in Glacier

A classic G. George Ostrom column from August, 1971.

Schafer wilderness airstrip, rehabbed

Dust swirled behind slow-thudding hooves, and the clanking of metal harness rigging and the booming commands of “Come haw!” and “Step one!” could be heard once again at the remote Schafer Meadows airstrip located deep in the Great Bear Wilderness last week.

A wildlife refuge faces threats from proposed subdivision

At the Johnston spread on Columbia Falls Stage Road there’s a 2-foot wide trail that leads down a steep bank to a pristine spring, bubbling with clear cold water in defiance of a parched August.