Ellington

Boys soccer opens season with a pair of shutouts

The defense was stellar and the offense got the job done as the Columbia Falls boys soccer team shutdown Hamilton and Loyola respectively, 3-0 Friday and Saturday at home.

County attorney reviewing Snow Slip shooting

The Flathead County Attorney’s office is still examining evidence in the case of a shooting at the Snow Slip Motel earlier this year.

Tell him what you think

The cool weather was enjoyed by everyone on the North Fork. Even better was the rain. Only bad thing was the lightning followed quickly by loud thunder. As we all know that means the lighting was close.

Spikers drop East Helena in 5 sets

Maddie Moultray, Sadie Cheff and Emalee Alton all had 10 kills as the Columbia Falls volleyball team dropped East Helena in its home opener Tuesday night in five sets, 17-25, 22-25, 25-19, 25-11 and 15-10.

If the weather is just right, he makes shot at home

At first glance, you might think it was mercury, streaming into a bucket of steaming water.

The case for open primaries

In his farewell address, George Washington, “In contemplating the causes which may disturb our Union” warned of the grave dangers of political parties then just developing at the time of his departure from the presidency.

Yesterdays: Site selected for aluminum plant 70 years ago...

The Anaconda Mining Co. announced it would purchase land near Teakettle Mountain for a new aluminum smelter.

Not going away

What a difference a day makes! Thanks to the Hungry Horse News for publishing my letter to the editor Aug. 24th.

No Trespassing signs notwithstanding, FWP says folks can walk into WMA

Folks heading into the new Bad Rock Wildlife Management Area may be a bit confused. Since Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks took ownership of the land earlier this year, an adjacent landowner has put up no trespassing signs on the south entrance.

Man charged after shooting incident on Jellison Road last week

Gunfire erupted during an incident involving a forklift late Wednesday night on Jellison Road near Columbia Falls.

Glacier’s new superintendent hits the ground running

The last time Glacier National Park superintendent David Roemer was in the park was back in 2003. He was part of a burned area emergency response team, mapping wildfires in Glacier.

Girls take title in Libby

The Columbia Falls cross country teams had a solid opener in Libby over the weekend, with the girls taking the title and the boys taking second.

Girls notch a pair of wins, look forward to Laurel

Tayler Lingle scored five goals in her first two games as the Columbia Falls soccer team dropped Hamilton 5-2 on Friday and Loyola Sacred Heart 9-0 on Saturday.

Football thumps Stevi on the road

The Columbia Falls football team blew out Stevensville on the road Thursday in their season opener. Junior quarterback Cody Schweikert threw three touchdowns and ran for a couple in the 35-7 win.

Frances Thurston

Frances Thurston (Fran), beloved wife of the late Donn Thurston, passed away on Aug. 17, 2022 in Mesa, Arizona after a short illness, at the age of 92.

Konnor Heindl

Konnor Heindl, 19, passed away on Aug. 17, 2022.

Donald D. Nerdig

Donald D. Nerdig, age 75, of Columbia Falls, passed away Aug. 4, 2022. He was born Nov. 8, 1946 in Garner, IA, to the late Dean Henry Nerdig and Berdean Nerdig (Frandle). He was the oldest of five children and grew up primarily in Mason City, Iowa.

As school starts, enrollment up over last June

Aug. 24 marked the first day of school and Columbia Falls overall enrollment was up over last year about 73 students from June.

Zinke holds rally with other Navy SEALs at Blue Moon

The economy and a general distrust in government are among the top issues for the folks who came out to support U.S. House candidate Ryan Zinke at his campaign rally in Columbia Falls on Friday.

A wedding to remember

That wasn't ketchup on his face...

Golf cart argument may have led to Martin City shooting; Go Fund Me set up for family

An Hungry Horse woman is dead and her husband is critically injured after a shooting at the South Fork Saloon in Martin City over the weekend that apparently started over a golf cart.

On the trail to Swiftcurrent Lookout

The Swiftcurrent Lookout stands at nearly the middle of Glacier National Park, sitting right along the Continental Divide, and offers a great, though challenging, day hike from both the east and west side of the Park.

Story: Climbers were descending Dusty Star when they plummeted to their deaths

A pair of local mountain climbers who died in Glacier National Park were coming down the mountain after summiting the peak, photos recovered from one of the dead climber’s cameras show, according to an Aug. 23 story by Owen Clarke in Climbing Magazine.

Columbia Falls man charged with arson

Prosecutors have filed a pair of felony charges against a 25-year-old man accused of starting fires in Columbia Falls earlier this month.

Haaland celebrates new Lost Trail Conservation Area

On a hot and dry morning, Secretary of Interior Deb Haaland made a brief visit to the Flathead Valley to celebrate the Lost Trail Conservation Area, the newest unit of the National Wildlife Refuge System and the first under her leadership.

Columbia Falls mill levy goes down, thanks to resort tax revenue

While spending is up, the Columbia Falls 2022-23 budget will actually see a reduction in mill levies, city council learned last week.

School District 6 looks to upgrade heating and cooling at high school

School District 6 is looking to make the Columbia Falls High School a more comfortable place.

The Blotter: A female in her 20s refused to get up from where she was lying on the sidewalk on Nucleus Avenue

A couple on Talbott Road came home to find their bedroom window screen had been slashed with a knife.

Board news

August is a busy month on the North Fork. Each of the landowner/private organizations hold their annual meetings and election of officers and everyone is interested in these even if it is becoming harder to find people to serve in the various positions.

Ken Simantel

Dear Brother Ken Simantel

Opinion: Mystic Pizza

The boy and I went into the Bob Marshall Wilderness the other week on a four-day trip where I learned one of life’s more valuable lessons: That cold pizza starts to go a little sour after three days in a 90-plus degree heat.

Longtime forester has a lookout of his own

Ronald Buentemeier has probably one of the most unique yard ornaments in the Flathead Valley: A real, and fully working, vintage fire lookout tower.

Slowly, but surely, Glacier’s red bus fleet seeing a rebuild

Glacier National Park’s iconic red buses are slowly, but surely, seeing another upgrade to their engines, chassis and bodies. The fleet was last overhauled in the early 2000s by the Ford Motor Co.

Lucas Floerchinger

Lucas Floerchinger was born in Missoula and raised in Columbia Falls, graduating from Columbia Falls High School in 2000 and later attending Montana State University in Bozeman.

Patrick Edward Wakefield Heffernan

Patrick was born in Cyprus and from the tender age of 6 attended boarding schools in England, rejoining the family wherever it was stationed for holidays.

Thinclads had great offseason

The Columbia Falls cross country teams should have a slew of solid runners this season, with a mix of both younger and more seasoned runners vying for spots on the varsity team.

Girls soccer a mix of young talent, veterans

The Columbia Falls girls soccer team will lean on young talent this season. The Wildcats lost their top scorers — Maddie Robison and Cheyanne Johnston-Heinz to graduation.

Columbia Falls underdogs no more

Underdogs no more. For the first time in 17 years, the Columbia Falls boys soccer team is the team to beat heading into the 2022 season.

Gridders should be one of top teams in state this year

The Columbia Falls Wildcat football team started a host of sophomores last season and still made the playoffs.

Locals do well at Northwest Montana Fair

Junior Fine Arts Champion: Madysen Martin, Columbia Falls

Rain stymies wildfires, but hot, dry, days ahead

Not out of the woods yet, but area wildfires are looking better than they were a week ago.

Legals for August, 24 2022

Developer pulls application for River Highlands subdivision

The developer proposing the River Highlands subdivision has pulled its application. City manager Susan Nicosia confirmed the developer had pulled the application on Tuesday.

Clifford Nicholson

Clifford Nicholson, 74, of Martin City, died Saturday Aug. 13th at Whitefish Care and Rehab. A memorial service will be conducted at a later date.

Thomas “Tom” Huntsinger

Thomas “Tom” Huntsinger, 75 of Columbia Falls, passed away Aug. 15, 2022 at his home.

Glacier National Park closes campgrounds and trails near Quartz Fire as it grows to 150 acres

Glacier National Park has announced the closure of two wilderness campgrounds and the Quartz Lake Loop Trail due to the Quartz Fire.

Columbia Falls sewage treatment plant back up and running

The Columbia Falls wastewater treatment plant is fully back online, the city said Wednesday.

Trail Creek Road will close Aug. 22; West Side Reservoir Road reopens

National Forest System Road 114, Trail Creek Road, will be closed starting Aug. 22 for heavy road maintenance. The work will begin three miles west of the Trail Creek and North Fork Road junction on the Flathead National Forest boundary.

Yesterdays: Porcupines dining on Glacier Park concrete

The foreman of the shelter cabin project at the foot of Gunsight Lake in Glacier National Park reported porcupines eating sacks of concrete mixture.

Hall says thanks, but more work to be done

Thank you citizens of Columbia Falls.

A rafting misadventure

Almost all of us enjoy the great outdoors of Montana. Most of us also realize that there can be danger out there. This is especially true for serious mountain climbers, snowmobilers, swiftwater adventurers and others. Unfortunately, there are always people who violate elementary safety rules and can get into real trouble and can even sometimes die.

Attorney challenged three minute rule at hearing, faced arrest

The Columbia Falls City-County Planning Board meeting last Tuesday on the River Highlands subdivision was largely a civil affair, but there was one tense moment when an attorney almost ended up in handcuffs.

Alvin Dallas Hering

Livingston, MT — Alvin Dallas Hering, 77 went to be with Jesus Aug. 3, 2022, in Billings, following heart surgery on July 7.

Lorie Lynn Jorgenson

Lorie Lynn Jorgenson, age 55, of Columbia Falls, passed away Aug. 10, 2022. She was born Aug. 30, 1966 in Glendive to Patricia A. Lightfield and Raleigh A. Lucas, Sr. Lorie was all about her family and supporting them any way she could. She loved butterflies, clothing and Halloween.

Northwest Montana Fair is all this week

The Northwest Montana Fair and Rodeo opens Aug. 17 (today) at the Flathead County Fairgrounds in Kalispell and will feature a performance by country star Lee Brice, three nights of Ram PRCA Rodeo, a Big Air Bash motorcycle stunt show, a carnival and hundreds of exhibits as well as a host of show animals on display.

3-on-3 tourney results

The Columbia Falls Chamber of Commerce’s three-on-three tourney included 70 teams, 280 players and more than 1,000 spectators on Saturday.

Lightning sparks more blazes in Bob Marshall, and a remote one in Glacier Park

A series of thunderstorms on Friday have sparked new fires in the Bob Marshall Wilderness and one remote fire in Glacier National Park in the Quartz drainage.

Cyclone Lookout sees a lot of visitors, while spotting fires

High above Polebridge in the Whitefish Range, the Cyclone Peak Lookout Tower looks over the western North Fork and into Glacier Park, offering stunning panoramic views of the park.

PHOTOS: Bull Bash at the Blue Moon

Rodeo fans had a show to remember at the Blue Moon's Bull Bash on Friday with a some great rides and mean bulls on a hot afternoon.

Legals for August, 17 2022

People urged to avoid Flathead River near city sewage treatment plant after power failure

Folks are urged to not recreate in the Flathead River immediately below the Columbia Falls sewage treatment plant after a power failure at the plant Monday morning, city manager Susan Nicosia said.

Swim team takes 4th at state

The Columbia Falls summer swim team took fourth among AA schools at the state meet in Lewistown over the weekend.

Sports practices start this week

Summer officially ends for Columbia Falls athletes this week. Golf practice starts Thursday (Aug. 11), with a JV tourney at Glacier View Golf Course on Monday.

Whitefish Ranging

Over the weekend the boy and I headed up the North Fork. The plan was to go to Thoma Lookout and take a look-see at the Weasel Fire, which burned into Canada along the border last week.

An appreciation for Kennedy

I met Brian Kennedy when his family bought the Hungry Horse News and Brian and his wife took the reins from Mel Ruder and took over the day to day operation of the paper.

Columbia Falls native a one man band

He plays drums. Guitar. Bass.

At Logan Pass, a dustup over a parking spot

A dispute over a parking spot at Logan Pass in Glacier National Park resulted in a few tense moments late last month.

FWP says wolf populations stable

An annual report issued by Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks says the wolf population in the state appears to have stabilized after a drop from previous highs.

Mitchell wants special session

Every time an elected official talks about cutting taxes or protecting the taxpayer, most people just gloss over because they have spent a lifetime hearing that exhausted punchline.

Tester announces Columbia Falls will receive $10 million grant

Columbia Falls will see more than $10 million in federal funding to rebuild part of 13th Street West and Fourth Avenue West to better serve the high school and the new Glacier Gateway Elementary School.

Planning board rejects massive Columbia Falls subdivision east of Flathead River

After a marathon meeting that ended just before midnight, the Columbia Falls City-County Planning Board voted against a massive subdivision east of the Flathead River Tuesday night.

Years ago, a firefighter, today, a TV show host

Twenty-plus years ago, Julie Mac was fighting fires right out of high school with the Hungry Horse Ranger District. A couple years in, she gave up the firefighting career after they offered a supervisory position — there was just one problem — her crew would be all men.

Glacier visitation down about 10% for June

Glacier National Park’s June visitation was down about 10% from last year, as the park saw a soggy start to summer and the Going-to-the-Sun Road didn’t open until mid-July because of it.

City sets salaries for department heads

As the city of Columbia Falls works on its 2022-23 budget, council recently approved the salaries for various department heads.

LeRoy Lindsey

LeRoy Lindsey was born in Allensville TN, March 26, 1939. He passed away peacefully July 31, 2022 at Logan Health Medical center surrounded by his family.

Legals for August, 10 2022

Fire near Graves Bay put out

A fire near Graves Bay along the west side of the Hungry Horse Reservoir was out by Friday morning.

Weasel Fire northwest of Trail Creek burns into Canada

The Weasel Fire near the Whitefish Divide grew substantially on Thursday, spilling into Canada and over the Whitefish Divide.

Firefighters dumped 600,000 gallons of water on Elmo 2 Fire Thursday

Firefighters held the line on the Elmo 2 Fire overnight Thursday, keeping blaze south of Lake Mary Ronan and away from hundreds of structures in the area.

Florida man killed in fall of Rising Wolf identified

Glacier National Park has released the identity of the victim of a fall on Rising Wolf Mountain in the Two Medicine Valley as 79-year-old Bob Biondi of Lutz, Florida.

Florida developer also considering project east of Flathead River

A luxury home developer in Florida is also considering a building project east of the Flathead River in Columbia Falls.

Eight structures lost, as many as 150 threatened in Elmo Fire

Eight structures have been destroyed and as many as 150 are threatened by a raging wildfire that continues to expand its reach west of Flathead Lake.

Summer swim team wins Western Divisional Title

Four swimmers earned high point honors as the Columbia Falls summer swim team won the Western Division meet in Hamilton over the weekend.

Tim Wayne Bauer

Tim Wayne Bauer entered into rest on Dec. 15, 2020 at his home in Columbia Falls where has had resided since 2002.

Perrin, Wasserman win Boogie 5K

Kalispell native Jake Perrin won the 5k Glacier Bank Boogie to the Bank in the men’s division and Elizabeth Wasserman of Columbia Falls won the women’s division. Perrin clocked a 15:37 and Wasserman a 16:53.

Volunteers sought for Glacier Park bighorn sheep study

The Crown of the Continent Research Learning Center and biologists from the University of Memphis are recruiting and training 45 volunteers to identify, classify, and record behavior of bighorn sheep in Glacier National Park this season.

Great Fish Challenge kickoff is Thursday

Whitefish Community Foundation kicks off the eighth annual Great Fish Community Challenge on Thursday, Aug. 4 with the Great Fish Launch Party at Park Side Credit Union in Whitefish. This year’s Great Fish Community Challenge runs from Aug. 4 to Sept. 16 and will benefit 70 Flathead Valley nonprofit organizations.

Fair carnival tickets on sale

A limited number of discounted “Pay-One-Price” tickets for the carnival at the 2022 Northwest Montana Fair and Rodeo are on sale now at all Whitefish Credit Union branches, the fairgrounds office and the CHS store in Kalispell.

The Blotter:

A couple was arguing over food. Two men and a woman punching and shoving on Highway 2.

Teen charged in shooting incident

A 19-year-old is in custody on an assault with a weapons charge after allegedly shooting at his father during a disagreement in Columbia Falls over the weekend. Jeremiah Russell Rardon is being held in the Flathead County Detention Center on a $100,000 bond following the July 29 confrontation. He turned himself in to authorities that same day, court documents said.

Glacier Institute kicks off campaign to upgrade Big Creek

Rotting boards. Outdated bathrooms. Old windows. Those are just some of the items that Glacier Institute plans on fixing as it formally launched a campaign for $600,000 in repairs and improvements to the Big Creek Educational Center up the North Fork.

Horse deal reached in starvation case

Charges against a California woman who allegedly starved 17 horses in Columbia Falls and the surrounding Flathead Valley were dropped in July an agreement with Flathead County prosecutors after she agreed to relinquish ownership of the animals to the Flathead County Sheriff’s department.

Carry your bear spray, sow grizzly roaming around Columbia Falls

Folks in Columbia Falls, particularly in the east side of town, are urged to secure garbage, chicken coops, pet foods and fruit trees after several reports of a large female grizzly roaming the Council Bluffs neighborhood.

Opinion: A thank you

I’m not going to lie to you and say that former Hungry Horse News editor Brian Kennedy and I got along fabulously. Because often, we did not see eye-to-eye.

Yesterdays: Grizzlies attracted to buried corn, years later

Plans for an aluminum plant in the Flathead were progressing. The Anaconda Mining Co. was seeking a $87 million loan to build a plant here and a facility to process alumna, the raw material, in Texas. The loan needed government approval. Bids were out for an 11-room school building in Columbia Falls that is now part of Glacier Gateway Elementary School.

Thomas Wesley Freeman

Thomas Wesley Freeman passed away on Feb. 20, 2022. A celebration of his life will be held at 1265 Jellison Rd. Columbia Falls on Saturday, Aug. 13 at 4 p.m. Join us for a barbecue directly following.

Fallen climbers attempting true summit of Dusty Star Mountain

Tragedy struck the Flathead Valley climbing community last week as the identities of two men killed in a fall on Dusty Star Mountain in Glacier National Park were revealed.

Brian McKenzie Kennedy

Brian McKenzie Kennedy, 67, died Friday, July 22, 2022, in Glacier National Park in a climbing accident on Dusty Star Mountain.

Twins season closes at state tourney

The Glacier Twins came out strong winning their first game of the Legion Baseball State A tournament in Belgrade, but unfortunately weren’t on the winning end the next two days.

Fond remembrance for fallen climbers

Back in the early 1980s a gay group called “Out in Montana” ran a classified ad in the Hungry Horse News.

Elmo 2 Fire now 13,000 acres; winds expected this afternoon

Nearly 300 firefighters have converged on the Flathead Reservation to battle the unconfined Elmo 2 Fire that has charred nearly 13,000 acres in three days west of Flathead Lake.

Heritage Days parade

Heritage Days 2022

Woman dies after falling through skylight on gym roof

A 20-year-old woman fell through a skylight of the Columbia Falls High School gymnasium early Sunday morning and died of her injuries, the Columbia Falls Police Department said in a release.