Ellington

Fire balloons near Elmo; small fire reported in Glacier National Park, but crews couldn't locate it Saturday

Evacuation orders were issued Friday night after a wildfire blew up near Elmo on the west side of Flathead Lake.

More information released on death of two local climbers in Glacier National Park

More details in the deaths of two mountain climbers in Glacier National Park have become available.

City budget includes a host of infrastructure projects

Columbia Falls will not increase its city street light and sidewalk fees this year. Consumers will also not see any increases to city sewer and water rates, city manager Susan Nicosia told council last week.

Sail racing Flathead Lake: It’s a friendly competition

The legacy of sail racing carries on with the 45th annual Montana Cup Championship Aug. 6 and 7 this year by the North Flathead Yacht Club in Somers, as well as the upcoming 77th Thistles Nationals planned for next year, with a large turnout of small boats planned to sail the prestigious waters of Flathead Lake.

Swimmers 2nd at Fort Benton

The Columbia Falls summer swim team took second at Fort Benton as it wrapped up the regular season. The squad now heads to the Western Divisional meet in Hamilton this weekend and then state in Lewistown the weekend thereafter.

How sweet it is: Columbia Falls man’s passion for gelato spawns a new small business

In a world that sometimes seems upside down and sideways, David Restivo just wants to make people happy, at least for a little while.

How sweet it is: Columbia Falls man’s passion for gelato spawns a new small business

In a world that sometimes seems upside down and sideways, David Restivo just wants to make people happy, at least for a little while.

CFAC proposed action plan should be out in October; more EPA meetings on tap

The Environmental Protection Agency has set dates and times for more meetings on the Columbia Falls Aluminum Co. Superfund site cleanup plan.

Problems still exist, ruling or not

On Friday, July 15, Judge Donald Malloy denied Friends of the Flathead River’s motion for a temporary injunction to prevent camping on the Blankenship gravel bar on the Flathead River.

Problems still exist, ruling or not

On Friday, July 15, Judge Donald Malloy denied Friends of the Flathead River’s motion for a temporary injunction to prevent camping on the Blankenship gravel bar on the Flathead River.

Remembering Frederick

I still miss John Frederick. Over the years we became close friends although our political views were usually completely opposed. We had hundreds of political discussions and we both enjoyed them. We both recognized that the other had the same or similar goals in mind—we just differed on how to reach those goals.

Man details harrowing moments of fiery wreck, meets family

A Troy man is credited for helping save the lives of two teens who were caught in a fiery wreck on Highway 2 and Walsh Road earlier this month. Levi Lawson, 26, said he was traveling down the highway with his family after a visit to Whitefish when he came upon the accident July 10 at the intersection.

Judge: Blankenship camp can stay open

A federal judge has ruled against a group of concerned residents who want to shut down a Forest Service managed camp on a gravel bar just south of the Blankenship Bridge.

Post Office damaged by car

The west entrance to the Columbia Falls was damaged July after an elderly woman accidentally drove into it.

Joseph Edward Smith

A celebration of life for Joseph Edward Smith, 72, who passed away June 6, 2022 will be held at 2 p.m. Sunday July 31, 2022 at Columbia Falls Fire Department, 624 1st Ave W, Columbia Falls, MT 59912.

Janice A. “Jan” Knudson

Janice A. “Jan” Knudson, 75, passed away Monday, July 18, 2022 at her home in Florence from diabetes.

Griz moved from Columbia Falls area to Marias Pass

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will now be responsible for relocating grizzly bears to prevent or mitigate conflicts in certain areas of Montana.

Yesterdays:

Regent Drilling had started a second well in the Canadian Flathead just north of the border. There was optimism that they would find natural gas. School District 6 was putting out bids for an 11 classroom elementary school. Today it is Glacier Gateway School and will be torn down by the end of next school year.

Dusty Star climbers identified

Glacier National Park has released the names of the two local men killed in a climbing accident on Dusty Star Mountain this week.

Artist Nick Oberling charged with allegedly trying to electrocute partner

Famed local landscape artist Nicholas Oberling faces a criminal endangerment charge in Flathead County District Court for allegedly wiring his significant other’s shower soap dish to deliver electrical shocks.

Legals for July, 27 2022

Florida man dies while climbing Rising Wolf Mountain in Glacier Park

On Monday morning, a 79-year-old male from Florida fell to his death while attempting to ascend a steep off-trail slope with a group of friends on Rising Wolf Mountain, Glacier National Park officials said Tuesday. The incident occurred several hundred feet above the Two Medicine Campground.

After driver dies, no shuttle service is planned for today

Glacier National Park officials announced that shuttle service will be paused on July 25 for one day due to the unexpected passing of one of the shuttle drivers.

Two local climbers found deceased in Glacier National Park

Two mountain climbers are reported missing in Glacier National Park.

Two young grizzlies put down earlier this month

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks biologists killed two young male grizzly bears that were getting into garbage and chicken coops in the Blankenship and Coram areas.

Glacier National Park's Highline Trail opens for the season

Glacier National Park’s popular Highline Trail has opened for the season, the Park announced Thursday.

Meeting on River Highlands is Aug. 9 at junior high; council will take it up Aug. 22

A planning board meeting on a proposed 455-unit subdivision was postponed a month after the crowd overflowed the Columbia Falls city council chambers, went down the hall and out the door of city hall July 19.

Nicolette Rose Ward

On July 10, 2022, our sweet Nikki went home to be with her Lord. 
Nicolette Rose Munski was born Oct. 5, 1951, to Walt and June Munski in Whitefish.  She was raised there with her two sisters, Ginger and Darlene and remained very close to them her entire life.

Heritage Days: Wildcat Endowment Auction has a host of items up for bid

Here’s a list of all of the Wildcat Athletic Endowment items up for bid/ or cash donations for this year’s auction and barbecue Thursday, July 28, at Marantette Park:

Community events: Cybercrime awareness seminar coming up

A cybercrime awareness session is at Freedom Bank from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. July 26 at the bank. Businesses in the Flathead Valley are seeing increasing attempts of bank fraud, phishing attacks, and ransomware.

Glacier Twins wrap up regular season with a sweep of Bitterroot

The Glacier Twins’ regular season came to an end on Sunday when the home team took down the Bitterroot Red Sox in a doubleheader at Memorial Field.

Above average meetings

This week’s Summer Interlocal and Firewise Day was a good meeting and was well attended. I especially enjoyed the Firewise presentation.

Opinion: Moose, lead the way

So we’re at this longish lake doing a loon survey for the Park Service. It’s not known as a “loony” lake, even though it has plenty of fish and no human fishermen because it’s closed to fishing.

For 40 years, fighting to protect the North Fork

The year was 1982. The Canadians were eyeing lopping off the top of a mountain just north of Glacier National Park for the Cabin Creek coal mine.

Death Notices for July 20

Kathleen P. Mooney, 93, passed away on July 17, 2022 at her home in Coram.

Kids fishing day at River’s Edge Park trout pond right after Heritage Days parade

An afternoon of fun, family, fishing and food is planned immediately after the Heritage Days parade in Columbia Falls on Saturday, July 30.

Heritage Days lineup of events announced

5:30 p.m. Wildcat Athletic Endowment barbecue and auction at Marantette Park to support Columbia Falls High School Athletic programs. Barbecue is $5 per plate. Refillable beers at $15 a cup. Auction is both live and silent as well as raffles. A beer garden runs until 11 p.m. DJ Music by Music on the Move.

Swimmers take title in Conrad as the regular season winds down

The Columbia Falls summer swim team won the Conrad Meet over the weekend as the regular season winds down.

Columbia Falls ‘Herd of Turtles’ have blast at grueling race

Several members of the Columbia Falls High School cross country team recently competed in the Diamond City Relay, a three-day mountain relay race.

Glacier Park has started fixing 13 different bridges

Glacier National Park is starting a construction project to rehabilitate 13 bridges throughout the park. The work will take place over the next two years with funding provided by the bipartisan Infrastructure Law through the Federal Lands Transportation Program.

Columbia Falls native now hometown pharmacist

Dani (Gilley) Perry has her dream job. She’s a pharmacist at Sykes Pharmacy in Columbia Falls , inside the Cedar Palace Medical Center.

Forest Service reopens Blankenship to camping

The Flathead National Forest has reopened the Blankenship gravel bar for overnight camping. The area was closed to camping the past few weeks due to high water levels.

The Blotter: Did mom steal pot from the car?

Report of money and marijuana stolen from a vehicle with an open window, the victim claimed that their mother was responsible for the alleged theft.

Yesterdays: Lots in city square sold off for new bank

Crews in Glacier Park were blasting and shoveling snow to open the Gunsight Pass Trail to hikers and horse parties.

More details released in East Glacier Park shooting. GoFundMe page set up for survivors

The Glacier County Sheriff’s Department has released more information on a horrific shooting in East Glacier Park that happened July 17.

Three people killed in East Glacier

hree people — including an 18-month old child — have been killed in a shooting on Montana's Blackfeet Indian Reservation.

Fiery wreck on Highway 2 and Walsh Road sends eight to hospital Sunday

A fiery wreck on Highway 2 East and Walsh Road sent eight people to the hospital Sunday afternoon.

Community events:

Habitat for Humanity of Flathead Valley is partnering with Flathead Recon, A Columbia Falls-based recycling facility, to minimize recyclables going into our landfills and benefit Habitat’s mission.

The Blotter: Black bear eating trash

Report of a pink bike being stolen on 7th Street.

Twins fall short in Sapa-Johnsrud title game

The Glacier Twins earned a spot in the championship game of the Sapa-Johnsrud Memorial tournament in Whitefish on Sunday but unfortunately came up short in the game.

Federal grand jury indicts Columbia Falls man on drug charges

A federal grand jury in late May indicted a Columbia Falls man arrested for allegedly knocking over a local pharmacy on multiple counts in two separate cases.

Even with closure, campers getting stuck at Blankenship

The Forest Service managed land south of the Blankenship Bridge has not reopened to public use, Flathead National Forest spokeswoman Tami Mackenzie said Monday.

Glacier showcases its solar power system for headquarters

Glacier National Park recently celebrated its new 34.56-kilowatt solar array on the roof of park headquarters. The 108 panels have been up for about a year now and have generated around 28,000 amp hours since they began working a few months ago.

FWP seeks applicants for citizens advisory committee

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks is seeking applicants to fill volunteer positions on the northwest Montana (FWP Region 1) Citizen Advisory Committee.

Portable toilet waste equals the same sewage as 165 homes

Columbia Falls will look to curb the amount of portable toilet waste it takes at its sewage treatment plant in the next few years.

Summer swim team wins home meet

The Columbia Falls summer swim team won its home meet over the weekend. The Wildcats were led by young swimmers Grady Talbot, Payson Scribner and Catherine Opalka, all of whom took high point trophies.

City resort tax nets $518,000 in nine months

Just nine months into its inception, the Columbia Falls city 3% resort tax will provide $518,452 in funding for the ‘22-’23 fiscal year.

Labor woes means some Glacier Park camps are closed this summer. Glacier adds text alerts for camping, roads and trails

Like many businesses in the Flathead Valley, Glacier National Park is not immune to staff shortages. The park typically employs about 16 seasonal staffers to operate and oversee its frontcountry campgrounds.

Nerma D. Barbo

Nerma D. Barbo was born Aug. 27, 1933 at the Talbott Mansion in Columbia Falls to Arvilla and Charles (Elwin) Reed where they were employed as caretakers.  She joined her parents and other family members in Heaven on June 6, 2022.

Glacier National Park's Going-to-the-Sun Road now fully open

Glacier National Park’s Going-to-the-Sun Road has opened to vehicle traffic over Logan Pass. It’s one of the latest openings in the Park’s history, as plow crews encountered an unusually wet and a cold spring. In 2020 the road opened late due to the coronavirus pandemic. That year, the entire east side of Glacier was closed.

Fun up the North Fork

I have had an action packed fun filled time on the North Fork for the last two weeks. I hope everyone else has too.

River Highlands meeting postponed after capacity crowd overflows city hall

A planning board meeting on a proposed 455-unit subdivision was postponed a month after the crowd overflowed the Columbia Falls city council chambers, went down the hall and out the door of city hall Tuesday night.

Jerry Albert Munson

Jerry Albert Munson, 91, of Columbia Falls, passed away Dec. 1, 2021. Jerry was born Nov. 4, 1930 to Joseph Munson and Edith Martin Munson in Baker. Jerry grew up in Saco, graduating in 1948.

Healthcare for all

You can visit a dentist. A doctor. A psychiatrist and now, a pharmacist in two valley locations. It also doesn’t turn away anyone based on their ability to pay.

Opinion: Summer love in Waterton

I have stood on this spot probably over a hundred times and been over taken by the same event. And it has made absolutely no difference whom I was with or even if I was just by myself; the day comes back as if it was yesterday, which in a way it was. I am not a veteran nor have I ever suffered any truly traumatic event in my life, but still it comes back almost like a positive version of PTSD or even a fairy tale: and it’s always the same.

Yesterdays: A mile long landslide on Chief Mountain left a 500-acre trail of destruction.

West Glacier reported its hottest weather of the year, a walloping 87 degrees during the day and getting down to 50 in the evenings.

City prevails in case challenging apartment rebuild

The design of the rebuild was created to blend in with the single family residence neighborhood and all other zoning requirements of the CR-3 zone are complied with, aside from the single family requirement, thus, the spirit of the ordinance is observed. The existence of other multi-unit structures in the neighborhood would render a denial of the variance untenable. Granting the variance constituted substantial justice.

Legals for July, 13 2022

Fourth of July, Polebridge style

Photos of the Fourth of July Parade in Polebridge

Legals for July, 6 2022

Thale Ileen Chubb Balding

Born in Wolf Point Montana, November 14th, 1935, she went to the Lord on June 30th 2022 at the age of 86. Thale moved with her parents, Howard and Gertrude Chubb to property they purchased in 1936 from Stoltze Lumber Company.

Dance film shot in Glacier explores impacts of garbage

Typically, a dancer’s costume is made of a material such as silk or satin but this summer, one dancer came to Glacier Park to perform in a dress made of plastic recyclables to remind us of the harmful effects plastic waste has on the environment.

Candidate concerned about PSC

The Montana Public Service Commission (PSC) is again in the news – and as usual, it is not good for Montana ratepayers. In this latest attempt to undermine its legitimacy, the PSC is considering a change of rules to limit public comment on issues that come before it.

FWP commission looks to make more wolf reg changes

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks is seeking public comment on several proposals slated to go to the Fish and Wildlife Commission in August. Under the new commission process, FWP is taking public comment on these proposals now and will present the collected comments and proposals to the commission for their review and decisions on Aug. 25.

EPA says it hasn’t made a decision on CFAC cleanup

Officials from the Environmental Protection Agency last week said they haven’t made a decision on the best way to clean up the defunct Columbia Falls Aluminum Co. plant.

The Hill

The Belly River hill is an interesting place. You watch people coming down it and they’re clean shaven if they’re men (and a few women) and their clothes are spotless and they all smell like they’ve just had showers, mainly because they’ve just had showers.

Planning board will take first look at massive subdivision next week

One of the largest subdivisions in recent years comes before the Columbia Falls planning board next week.

Richard Michael “Mike” Hartman

Richard Michael “Mike” Hartman, age 67, of Columbia Falls passed away June 30, 2022. He was born July 11, 1954 in Kalispell to Shirley Ann Winn (Kellett) of Bryan, Texas and the late Richard E. Hartman.

Soccer star holds clinic in Columbia Falls

Carli Lloyd held court at Flip Darling Memorial Field in Columbia Falls on Saturday for the first-ever CL10 Soccer Clinic held in Montana.

Twins have busy week

The Glacier Twins have played an awful lot of baseball in the past week. Some games went well, others, not so much. All told, the Twins went 5-3 on the week.

Ayden Conner Erickson, 17

Ayden Erickson, 17, passed away unexpectedly on May 22, 2022, in Sacramento, California, after suffering a traumatic brain injury in a tragic accident.

Columbia Falls Bookmobile on the road this summer

This summer the Columbia Falls School District is once again sending the Bookmobile throughout the school district to offer free books and food for kids.

Most of Yellowstone will be open by Saturday

The announcement means most of the park will be open again after June 13 flooding closed America's first national park and forced 10,000 visitors to leave as water, rocks and mud washed out roads and bridges.

Dead cows caused trail closures in Cut Bank. Avalanche Lake Trail reopens. Trail status pages back online

It’s not flooding or snow that’s keeping the Pitamakan Pass Trail in Glacier National Park’s Cut Bank Valley closed.