Ellington

Flathead Hotshots heading to Florida to help with post-Ian cleanup

The Flathead Hotshots are heading to Florida to help with recovery efforts after hurricane Ian devastated the state with historic flooding and damage.

Woman allegedly shot, skinned, dog she thought was a wolf

Montana authorities said Tuesday they were investigating the shooting of a 6-month-old dog by a woman who skinned the animal and posted pictures of herself with the pelt, believing she had killed a young wolf.

Boys soccer drops Polson, Libby, now 8-0 heading into Whitefish match

Blickhan and Sundberg had a couple of goals apiece and Ethan Henjum had his first goal of the season.

Controversy brews over Holland Lake Lodge expansion

The proposed expansion of Holland Lake Lodge by an out-of-state company is being met with opposition from locals concerned about the size of the project and what it could mean for the community.

Spikers improving, drop Libby

Demye Rensel had 11 kills and the Wildkat volleyball squad dropped Libby at home Friday in four sets, 25-9, 23-25, 25-15 and 25-11.

Girls cross country dominates at T-Falls

Siri Erickson won the Thompson Falls Invitational cross country meet last week and the girls had six runner in the top 10 to win the meet.

Golfers qualify for state tourney

Columbia Falls will have four golfers headed to the state tournament this week, after qualifying Friday at the divisional tourney in Libby.

Girls soccer gets back on winning track

The Columbia Falls girls soccer team got back on the winning track last week, downing Polson Tuesday and Libby Thursday on the road, 5-0 and 8-0 respectively. Hope McAtee scored twice and Josie Harris, Tayler Lingle and freshman Mila Johns all added goals against the Pirates.

Coco wins first Cedar Creek Marathon

Drew Coco of Whitefish won the inaugural Cedar Creek Marathon in Columbia Falls on Saturday.

City will see federal funds to repair River’s Edge flooding

Columbia Falls will seek bids to repair portions of River’s Edge Park that were damaged during June floods. The Flathead River flooded parts of the park, damaging the boardwalk, walkways and other amenities in the popular park.

Loren Ellis Drewry

Loren Ellis Drewry passed away on Sept. 13, 2022 in North Charleston, South Carolina.

Phillip Ghekiere

Phillip Ghekiere, 78, of Columbia Falls, died Sept. 5, 2022 at his home. He was surrounded by family, love, and prayers.

A dip in enrollment at Glacier Gateway is a complicated tale: Housing, daycare, play into it

With a housing market booming, one might expect a surge in enrollment across the board at Columbia Falls schools.

Yesterdays: City gets ready for Truman visit

Columbia Falls was preparing for the arrival of President Harry Truman, who would dedicate the Hungry Horse Dam. Truman was to arrive by train Oct. 1 in Columbia Falls at the depot in town and then travel to the dam itself. The president was also scheduled to make a brief stop the night before in West Glacier.

The Blotter: Grizzly in the garbage

It was reported that four teenagers in all black were harassing a store employee at Smith’s. The teenagers confronted her and recorded her reaction on their phones. Report of a phone line giving off sparks in an alleyway behind Subway on Highway 2.

New city records policy adds fees for research, copies

Folks may have to shell out some cash to get public documents from the City of Columbia Falls in the future — particularly if finding them requires more than 15 minutes of research.

Court documents shed more light on Olney shooting

The Olney woman arrested for shooting her husband last week and her recovering spouse offered investigators differing versions of the events leading up to the gunfire, according to newly filed court documents.

Hamilton chosen for council seat

The Columbia Falls City Council Monday night named resident Kelly Hamilton as their top pick for the city council. Hamilton will be formally appointed to council at the Oct. 3 meeting, as Monday night’s meeting was a workshop, where no formal votes are allowed.

Glacier will phase out commercial air tours by 2029, but is that soon enough?

Glacier National Park released a final air tour management plan last week that looks to end all helicopter and airplane air tours by Dec. 31, 2029. It will also cap existing air tours to 144 flights maximum annually and will restrict where planes and helicopters can fly for the remaining seven years.

More than 11 abandoned dogs found up Hungry Horse Reservoir; one had been shot

The Flathead County Sheriff’s Department is looking for leads on a person or persons who left more than 11 dogs in the Doris Creek area of the Hungry Horse Reservoir on Friday.

Columbia Falls homecoming is this week

Tuesday — “Adam Sandler Day” and home volleyball match against Whitefish with frosh starting at 4 p.m.

Folks could see smoke plumes as prescribed burns are planned

The Flathead National Forest is planning to conduct fall prescribed fire projects when weather, fuel conditions, and air quality become favorable.  Smoke will be visible from various places in the Flathead Valley depending on the location of the burn units and weather conditions.

Columbia Falls man charged in stabbing death

A Columbia Falls man is behind bars after allegedly stabbing another man to death on Tuesday.

Golfers compete at Kalispell; divisonals up next

The Columbia Falls golf teams competed at the Kalispell Invitational last week. Addy Bowler and Cloey Ramage led the girls with two-day scores of 229 and 236 respectively.

Spikers down Browning in three sets at home

Columbia Falls dropped Browning in three sets in volleyball action at home Friday night.

Wildcats thump Loggers on the road

Columbia Falls took care of business on the road against Libby Friday, walloping the Loggers 49-7 in football conference play.

Snap! Cats break Whitefish Bulldogs’ four-season-long undefeated streak

“It was gigantic in terms of psychological benefits,” coach O’Brien Byrd reflected on Monday. “The monkey is off their backs.”

Forty years of showing the way: Glacier Guides and Montana Raft reaches a milestone

Glacier Guides and Montana Raft celebrated its 40th anniversary this summer, guiding hikers, bikers and rafters in and around the woods and waters of Glacier National Park.

The Blotter: A lawnmower was reported stolen out of a garage on 7th Avenue.

Report of a bike being stolen from outside a store on 9th Street, security footage showed the bike was not stolen, but that a store-goer had hidden the bike to try and teach the owner a lesson about locking his bike up.

Fallon to run as write-in for county commissioner seat

Defeated Flathead County commissioner candidate Jack Fallon has registered as a write-in candidate for the upcoming November general election.

Bulldogs best girls soccer

The Columbia Falls girls soccer team lost to Whitefish last Thursday, 4-0 on the road. Despite the lopsided score, Columbia Falls coach Thomas Clark said there were positives in the Wildcats’ effort.

Harriers do well at huge Missoula meet

The Columbia Falls cross country squads had a good showing at the Mountain West Classic race in Missoula last week.

A Smoky Summit on Mount Clements

The West Ridge and summit of Clements Mountain have been on my bucket list for a while, and with the Sun Road closure happening soon, an attempt before it was too late seemed realistic.

Yesterdays: Visiting the Bob Marshall when it had just 3,000 visitors a year

Crews from Wixson and Crowe started clearing 130 acres near Teakettle Mountain for the new Anaconda Aluminum Co. site. The Hungry Horse Dam was nearing completion, with all the concrete nearly placed.

FWP citizens meeting next week

The Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Region 1 Citizen Advisory Committee will meet Wednesday, Sept. 28 at the FWP office in Kalispell beginning at 6 p.m.

Free meals offered next week

Columbia Falls Community Kitchen will be serving free meals in the basement of St. Richard’s Catholic Church from 5 to 6 p.m. on Sept. 29 and 30.

Supported special session

When you order a pizza and the total comes to $25 and you hand them a fifty dollar bill, have you ever had the restaurant tell you that they are going to keep your change in case their expenses are higher in the future? We know this sounds absurd, but not for the state government.

Opinion: Shirtless on the street

So the other day I was walking home from work admiring a bee that was busy pollinating a little chunk of knapweed that had grown up from a crack in the concrete.

Patricia T. McClelland, 87

Pat died on 15 July, 2022, at her home, in West Glacier, cared for by her family. Pat was born in Beloit, Wisconsin, on 24 March, 1935. The family eventually settled in Granville, Ohio. Pat’s father, Dr. Harry V. Truman, was Professor of Botany at Denison University, in Granville. Pat’s mother, Margaret Galligan Truman, was an artist and taught in elementary schools. The family spent summers of 1939-1942 in Yellowstone National Park, where Dr. Truman was a seasonal naturalist.

Glacier Park bird monitoring part of continent-wide collaboration

“National parks are great places to get control data on bird species since they do not have development, logging or mineral mining. Gathering data in a national park can really tell us a lot about what is going on with certain species.”

Hospital names award after Winslow Nichols

Beginning this school year, Logan Health will be renaming their Today’s Achievers, Tomorrow’s Leaders program after Winslow Nichols, one of the program’s first award winners. Winslow, who was chosen as the winner in February of 2020 while a junior at Columbia Falls High School, tragically died on June 7 this year in a climbing accident on Mount Brown in Glacier National Park.

Supports Repke

Casting a vote in the District 5 Public Service Commission election is a no-brainer.

Nine candidates seek open city council seat

Nine people have thrown their proverbial hats into the ring for an open Columbia Falls City Council seat.

Legals for September, 21 2022

Suit claims spot zoning in West Glacier

Citizens for a Better Flathead and West Glacier resident Sharon DeMeester have filed suit in Flathead County District Court against the Flathead County commissioners over what they claim is spot zoning in West Glacier.

Planning board OK's Ruis Hotel in split vote

The Columbia Falls City-County planning board Tuesday night approved a plan for a new hotel at the Glacier Inn Motel site on Highway 2 in a 4-2 vote.

A show of soccer goodwill at Browning

As a gesture of goodwill to a brand new soccer program, the Columbia Falls froshmore soccer teams gave a dozen brand new soccer balls to the fledgling Browning soccer program last week.

EPA says proposed action on CFAC cleanup delayed, again

The Environmental Protection Agency announced last week that the Columbia Falls Aluminum Co. proposed plan will be delayed until spring of 2023.

Emitt Duane Northup

“I have lived a full and wonderful life.” Emitt Emitt Duane Northup was born 26 June 1945 to Simeon Emitt and Ila Slattum Northup, in Glasgow. He was promoted to happy big brother two years later when Daryl Dean was born. He became a caregiver very young and that became an ingrained part of his personality. He loved helping friends and family and knew how to do everything!

June Elizabeth Brooker, 92

On Sept. 4, 2022 June Elizabeth (Barton) Brooker passed away at Immanuel Lutheran Home of natural causes at the age of 92. June was born June 11, 1930 in Musselshell, Montana, to Ruben Clyde and Florence May (Burton) Barton. She attended school in Musselshell and Billings and married Carl Richard Hinrichs on Nov. 8, 1947. They had one son, Rocky Ray Hinrichs.

Dessa B. Orem

Dessa B. Orem (94) of Yorktown, Virginia and Columbia Falls, relocated into God’s hands on Aug. 26, 2022.   She was a kind and loving wife, mother, grandmother and great grandmother.  She loved her family very much and they were always the center of everything she did.

Spikers down Bulldogs in 5

The Columbia Falls volleyball team beat Whitefish on the road last week in five sets, 28-26, 15-25, 19-25, 25-20, 17-15.

Bigfork gets the best of girls

Bigfork got the best of Columbia Falls on the road last week, winning 3-1 in girls soccer.

Martin City shooter pleads not guilty to charges

Before a nearly full courtroom Tuesday, the man accused of shooting a young local couple — and killing one — during a disagreement involving a golf cart pleaded not guilty to multiple charges, including deliberate homicide.

LaSalle RV Park seeks expansion

A Columbia Falls RV park is seeking approval from Flathead County to expand its operation. The LaSalle RV Park is requesting a preliminary plat to create 32 RV spaces within its existing park located south of Columbia Falls on U.S. 2.

Outdoors: Snowed out on Scapegoat

The Scapegoat Wilderness turns 50 this year. So the boy and I decided to take a look-see at the Scapegoat, a place I’ve been before, but haven’t visited in a few years.

Judge reinstates oil and gas lease in Badger-Two Medicine

A federal judge has reinstated an oil and gas lease held by the Solenex Corporation in the Badger-Two Medicine region.

Gridders thrash Ronan in home opener

The Columbia Falls football team walloped Ronan in its home opener Friday night, 44-16.

Cats thump Bigfork, face showdown against Bulldogs

The Columbia Falls boys soccer team walloped Bigfork last week on the road, 7-0. The Wildcats were up just 1-0 at the break, but scored six unanswered goals in the second half.

City OK’s zone change for Levang property on Rogers Road

The Columbia Falls city council on Aug. 29 approved a zone change at 435 Rogers Road on a parcel owned by Loretta and Ronald Levang from suburban agriculture 10 acres (CSAG-10) to CR-1 (suburban residential).

Council Ok’s bids for major city street, utility projects

The Columbia Falls city council last week approved a couple of major bids for street and utility work in the city.

City property owners should see slight tax decrease this year

Columbia Falls property owners should see a small decrease in their property taxes, even though the city’s overall budget is up.

Glacier Two Med Alliance gathering

The 13th annual Fall Gathering of the Glacier-Two Medicine Alliance will take place the weekend of Sept. 23 – 25 in East Glacier Park.

Harriers do well at Flathead Invitational

Siri Erickson took third and the girls varsity cross country team was third as well at the Flathead Invitational at Rebecca Farm last week.

Sapa looking forward to coaching baseball team

Bill Sapa, a man who is no stranger to Columbia Falls baseball, will coach the Wildcats in their inaugural baseball season next spring.

The Blotter: Escaped cow near Blue Moon

A customer at Pizza Hut on Highway 2 was causing a disturbance and refused to leave the restaurant.

Yesterdays: AAC settles on Teakettle location

Fisherman Claude Booker accidentally snared a black bear while fishing Lake Koocanusa.

Grizzly in Glacier National Park a wedding crasher of sorts

Glacier National Park had another incident of a grizzly catching and eating a moose calf in front of onlookers last month.

Tense moments on Glacier Park's Sun Road as man crashes into stone wall

Glacier National Park rangers had some tense moments Friday night on the Going-to-the-Sun Road.

City extends deadline for open council position

The City of Columbia Falls is seeking applications for an interim city councilor after longtime councilor Doug Karper announced his resignation last week.

Columbia Falls passes emergency bear law

The Columbia Falls City Council Tuesday night passed an emergency ordinance that will require residents to secure garbage and other attractants, like fruit from trees, from bears and other wildlife.

Audubon plans bird outing in Jewel Basin

Ornithologist Dan Casey will lead a trip to the Jewel Basin Hawk Watch site on Sunday, Sept. 18 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Glacier Park sees new fire, others burning locally, too

Warm, dry, weather coupled with lightning storms in the past week has resulted in new fires in the area.

Opinion: The War of the Roses

The owl flew from a snag over the creek up into the trees. I figured I’d get a better look at him when I got up on the high bank, but he got a better look at me, too, and flew back over the creek and into the woods.

Girls soccer splits in road trip

The Columbia Falls girls soccer team split the bill on the road last week, dropping Lockwood 4-2 on Friday, but losing to nemesis Laurel 3-2 on Saturday.

Girls win Cut Bank time trials

Siri Erickson was second and Logan Peterson was 10th at the Mike Reynolds Time Trials in Cut Bank last Friday. Erickson clocked a 20:47, about 16 seconds beyond winner Aizalyn Flaten of Great Falls CMR.

Boys soccer records two more shutouts

The goals keep coming. The Columbia Falls boys soccer team dropped Laurel 6-0 and Lockwood 10-0 on the road over the weekend.

Football drops East Helena

The Columbia Falls football team walloped East Helena on the road last Friday 43-6. Jace Duval ran a kickoff back for a touchdown and then scored on a 25-yard pass from quarterback Cody Schweikert as the Wildcats scored early and often against hapless East Helena.

The Blotter:A woman called police asking to remove her mother from her property

Bears were reported to be hanging around a squatters camp near Veterans Drive, the bears left a bit of a mess at the camp.

C-Falls needs writing coaches

Writing Coaches of Montana seeks community members in Flathead County to participate in its coaching program with the mission of helping local students improve their writing skills. Specifically, the program seeks to help students think critically about their writing assignments so they can become confident and competent writers across disciplines.

Antique tractor show this week starting Friday

The Northwest Antique Power Association annual antique engine, tractor show and threshing bee is this week from Friday through Sunday at Olsen Pioneer Park just off Helena Flats Road.

Hail leads to fungal infections in some Ponderosa pines

“The trees are already a little bit overstocked and ponderosa pines like wide crown spacing. It gets a little crowded and so there’s this competition for resources, for water— and then we’ve had this drought and they’re already stressed, so having a hailstorm with 60 mile an hour winds just further exacerbated things,” Ulwelling said.

Fire danger significant

The causes of global warming are way beyond my ability to figure out. It doesn’t take a genius to see that summers are longer than they used to be and so is the fire season. In recent years, it has become common for smoke to obscure any view of the mountains and the stench of smoke is a frequent odor in the air.

Opposes hotel

As an adjacent property owner, I oppose to the new Ruis Hotel on Highway 2 East. Here are some reasons:

Ruis plans hotel on Highway 2 at Glacier Inn site

Developer Mick Ruis is proposing a new four-story hotel at Glacier Inn Motel site. The hotel, as designed, would be just over 14,000 square feet. It would sit just to the north of the existing motel.

For a few weeks, folks can drive Sun Road with no reservation

Monday, Sept. 12 marks the first day that folks can drive the Going-to-the-Sun Road without a reservation. The same goes for the Polebridge Entrance to the park.

Death Notices for Sept. 7, 2022

Cory Lamb, 64, of Marion, passed away Sept. 4, 2022 at his home. Cory is survived by his son Shawn Lamb. Arrangements are pending under the direction of Columbia Mortuary in Columbia Falls.

Virtual elk meeting coming up

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks has been hosting a series of public meetings to gather ideas about local elk management issues and population objectives. On Sept. 26, from 6 to 8 p.m., staff will host a question-and-answer session via Zoom. To participate in the online session, you must register at https://fwp.mt.gov/aboutfwp/public-comment-opportunities/elk-plan-scoping by noon on Sept. 25.

Legals for September, 7 2022

Whisper Dawn Mari Sellars-Crosswhite

Whisper Dawn Mari was born to Dennis and Rebecca Sellars in Great Falls on Aug. 31, 1993. She was a force to be reckoned with from the beginning. One time when someone asked her older sister who she was she said, “I’m Whisper’s sister.”

Kalispell woman killed in Martin City rollover

A Missoula man is behind bars and a Kalispell woman is dead following a rollover car accident on the South Fork Road in Martin City Aug. 29.