Ellington

Glacier National Park plows at Oberlin Bend

Glacier National Park Plow crews are now at Oberlin Bend, after spending a couple of days clearing snow this week on lower sections of the highway so they could get back to heavy equipment that was trapped by avalanches at Rim Rocks.

Community Market in bigger, better location; starts Thursday

The Columbia Falls Community Market kicks off this Thursday (May 16) at its new larger and more specious location adjacent to St. Richard Catholic Church.

Kats on a tear as postseason begins

The Columbia Falls softball team ended the regular season at 17-3 as they won five in a row last week. The team is super hot heading into the Western A Divisional playoffs this week in Polson.

Quilts for a Cause

A host of Columbia Falls-made quilts and other amenities will help folks in less fortunate and often war-torn countries in the coming weeks. Our Savior’s Lutheran Church made 260 quilts, 98 baby care kits, 330 personal care kits and 266 school kits for what is part of the annual Lutheran World Relief Drive.

Yesterdays: Lodge at St. Mary nearly completed

Columbia Falls two new wells were producing 1,600 gallons of water a minute without a drawdown. Carpenters working on the Anaconda Aluminum Co. plant were considering a six-day work week in lieu of a pay raise. The workers were in their sixth week of a strike. Hugh Black’s Lodge in St. Mary just outside of Glacier National Park was almost completed.

More thoughts on CFAC

In a recent acronym-filled letter published by the Hungry Horse News, I wrote about the ongoing effort of the Coalition for a Clean CFAC to address 50 years of pollution at the retired Columbia Falls Aluminum Company plant. In that letter I quoted a report that misstated the role of the City of Columbia Falls.

Planning Commission OK’s public participation plan

Following a public hearing Thursday night, the Columbia Falls Planning Commission approved a public participation plan for future planning projects in the city.

Former salon now The Hub

A local businesswoman has opened a new gathering place for rent. The Hub at First Avenue East in Columbia Falls is a great place to have a birthday party, a small wedding or other event.

16 years later, couple informed their Columbia Heights home is on a toxic site. EPA considering making it a formal Superfund site

When the Sterling family bought their home in Columbia Heights in 2008 they figured they had a little bit of paradise.

Death Notices for May 15, 2024

Alan Brice Alstad died May 5, 2024 in Kalispell. A celebration of Al’s life is being planned for a later date. Darlington Cremation and Burial Service is caring for his family.

Cats take conference title, face Broncs to open state

In just the second year of its program, the Columbia Falls baseball team won the Northwest A crown last week with a 9-1 conference record and a 15-2 regular season record overall.

St. John lends personal touch to health care

Family nurse practitioner Angela St. John has a personal touch for sure. While you may get stuck in a phone tree just trying to make a medical appointment at many places, St. John’s patients can reach her on her cell phone and she’s more than happy to return calls.

MDT says it’s looking at intersections; Railroad Street sidewalk likely delayed, again

The Montana Department of Transportation is examining about a dozen intersections across the Flathead Valley for safety concerns, including the intersection at the Blue Moon on Highway 2 and at the Truck Route in Columbia Falls, which have been concerns of city leaders for years.

Women’s lunch features nursery

Columbia Falls Women’s Connection will host a luncheon on Wednesday, May 22 at 11:30 a.m. at the First Baptist Church located at 827 9th St West in Columbia Falls. Guest speakers, Columbia Nursery will share tips on plant care and Doreen Day a local retired nurse will share her inspirational story.

Legals for May, 15 2024

Glacier National Park's Going-to-the-Sun Road will open to Avalanche Creek Saturday

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, the Going-to-the-Sun Road will open to Avalanche Creek to motor vehicles this weekend, Glacier National Park spokeswoman Gina Icenoggle confirmed.

Steve Medley Bennett, 73

Steven Medley Bennett, an almost life-long resident of Columbia Falls, died April 19th. Steve was born April 4th, 1951, to Martha and Dr. Willard F. Bennett.

Track hosts divisional tournament Friday and Saturday

The Columbia Falls boys took second and the girls took fifth at the Polson ABC track meet Saturday in the final regular season meet this year.

Voters OK high school and school roof levies, but vote down elementary request

Columbia Falls School District 6 voters approved a high school building reserve levy 2,031-1,576 to fund a new roof on the classroom wing of the high school. They also approved a high school operational levy 1,872-1,743.

Track does well at Archie Roe, triangular

The Columbia Falls track and field teams got a lot of work in last week as the regular season winds down. Last Tuesday they hosted a triangular with Whitefish and Bigfork at home and then Saturday traveled to the Archie Roe meet in Kalispell.

Police nab Club vandals

The Columbia Falls Police Department arrested and charged four juveniles with a rash of vandalism in Columbia Falls, including damaging and destroying property at the Ruis Wrestling Academy and the Boys and Girls Club.

Feds say River Plan is back on track with new leadership

The Comprehensive River Management Plan still has a pulse.

Let’s show some unity

I am writing to express deep concern and disappointment following the recent vandalism at the community building currently being remodeled to serve as a Boys and Girls Club and a new daycare center in Columbia Falls.

Supports Gateway bill

As a County Commissioner, I work with residents and businesses navigating the relationship Gateway Communities have with our national parks and our federal lands.

Claims survey affirms policy decisions

A recent University of Montana survey confirms what legislators have been hearing from our constituents: Montanans are seriously concerned about several issues that they say are negatively impacting quality of life.

Quilters say thanks

Talent abounds in our local Teakettle Quilt Guild, and our annual quilt show was surely a magnificent display.

Yesterdays: Couples sought to man fire lookouts

Glacier National Park was looking for two couples to run the backcountry chalets at Sperry and Granite Park. One couple would be at each chalet and the story said, “The ladies should be able to cook.”

Day will share story at meeting

Columbia Falls Women’s Connection will host a luncheon on Wednesday, May 22 at 11:30 a.m. at the First Baptist Church located at 827 9th St West in Columbia Falls.

The Blotter: Kids climb amphitheater

A group of teenagers was counseled about unsafe behavior after reportedly climbing the amphitheater roof.

Quist, Powers will square off in primary

Two Democrats will square off in the June primary to represent House District 3.

Logan Health surgeon has roots in Columbia Falls

Former breast cancer patient Carol Church had almost given up hope on getting reconstructive surgery following her second battle with the disease. But it was by lucky coincidence that Logan Health had just hired Dr. Thomas Wright to specialize in plastic and reconstructive surgery, bringing top-of-the-line care to the area where he grew up.

Lions, Weyerhaeuser support reading programs

The Columbia Falls Lions Club has partnered with the Weyerhaeuser Foundation to support Columbia Falls school programs.

Learn the ways of the woods at Family Forestry Expo

The Family Forestry Expo is ongoing this week, with a host of students learning about the woods through the innovative program.

Sapa-Johnsrud tourney coming up

The Sapa-Johnsrud tournament marks the end of the regular season for high school baseball in Northwest Montana, but it’s far more than that.

Softball goes on a tear as end of regular season approaches

The Columbia Falls softball team went 4-0 on the week, including a big 12-2 conference win over Polson at home last Tuesday. The Wildkats also dropped Stevensville Friday at home, 9-3 and Browning in a doubleheader on the road 18-0 and 16-0 respectively.

Robert “Bob” Rude, 92

Robert “Bob” M. Rude passed away on Nov. 29, 2023 at 92 years of age in the home of Diane and Duane Toavs in Taylor, Texas. Bob was born on Aug. 31, 1931 in Bemidji, Minnesota the eldest son of Millard and Ida (Eichstaedt) Rude.

Truie Brakovec , 86

Truie Brakovec from Columbia Falls passed away April 22.

Shirley A. Twohig, 85

Shirley A. Twohig died April 19, 2024 in Columbia Falls.

Legals for May, 8 2024

Weather stymies Glacier National Park's Going-to-the-Sun Road plowing efforts

Bad weather stymied Glacier National Park plowing efforts over the past week. Crews made it to the first pullout at Rim Rocks, but blowing and drifting snow stopped the plowing effort for a couple of days on both sides of the divide.

Yeats family places acreage east of river under easement

A key parcel of farmland just east of the Flathead River has been placed under a conservation easement with the Flathead Land Trust.

Trout Unlimited banquet coming up

The public is invited to Flathead Valley Chapter Trout Unlimited’s annual banquet to support native trout and their habitat in Northwest Montana.

EPA says it would be tough to remove all of the waste at CFAC

The Environmental Protection Agency made its strongest case yet for a “waste in place” solution for the cleanup of the Columbia Falls Aluminum Co. Superfund site during a public meeting last week.

Vandals cause thousands in damage to club, academy

Vandals struck the Boys and Girls Club and the Ruis Wrestling Academy over the weekend, doing thousands of dollars in damage.

The Blotter: Woman using cemetery outhouse for storage

A woman was trespassed from the cemetery after the groundskeeper found her to be storing miscellaneous tools, suitcases, clothing and rocks in an old outhouse on the northwest corner of the property.

Tennis squads rounding into form; Pickard has good week

The Columbia Falls tennis teams competed against Polson, Ronan and Bigfork last week.

Track does well at ARM, Top 10

Malaki Simpson had more strong outings in track last week. The senior sprinter won the 100 meters at the Whitefish ARM meet Saturday with a time of 11.05.

Hoerner has hot bat in Frenchtown tournament

The Columbia Falls softball team dropped Havre 11-3 and Libby 16-4 at the Frenchtown tourney last week.

Cats wallop Bigfork, Browning

The Columbia Falls baseball team hammered its competition last week. In a doubleheader on Thursday the Wildcats beat Bigfork 14-1 and 16-3 respectively.

Apgar Lookout: This early season jaunt a great way to get in shape, with views

The Apgar Mountain Lookout Trail is one of those trails to hike first thing in the season because it’s easy to get to and it’s a good conditioning trail, which is to say it exposes you to elevation gain in a hurry over its 3.5 miles.

Quality of life taking a hit, 62% of Montanans say

Drought, urban sprawl, low snowpack — those are all some of the things that are seen as “serious to very serious” problems by Montanans, according to a new bipartisan poll of voters in the state.

Coalition working with EPA on an independent advisor for CFAC cleanup

Mayre Flowers of the Coalition for a Clean CFAC said it was encouraging to have a dialogue with the company, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Montana Department of Environmental Quality during two open houses and meetings last week.

Tourism meeting coming up in Columbia Falls

Western Montana’s Glacier Country, the official tourism marketing, management and stewardship organization for Western Montana, will be hosting a town hall meeting at Cedar Creek Lodge on Wednesday, May 8, from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m.

Likes Powers

Montana needs state legislators who represent all of us. Debo Powers is that candidate.

Likes Glimm, Sprunger and Regier

Please support and vote for Republicans Courtenay Sprunger (Montana House), Matt Regier (Montana Senate) and Carl Glimm (Montana Senate) in the upcoming primary election.

Coalition appreciates community support

hank you to the 250 plus Columbia Falls and Flathead Valley residents who showed up to learn about and express your concerns about the proposed plan for the cleanup of the Columbia Falls Aluminum Company Superfund site.

Levy makes sense

It’s easy to understand why people want to find a reason to vote no on the upcoming school levies. Everyone’s taxes are up, and everything is more expensive. So it can be tempting to believe it when people blame the rusted high school roof and the need for operations levies on “wasteful spending.”

Please vote Yes

As both a parent and educator in my 25th year, I urge our community to vote “yes” on the upcoming school levies. These levies are vital for maintaining education quality and ensuring our students’ success.

Student asks folks to support levies

As a sophomore at the high school, I have no vote, but you do.

Art show May 1

Persimmon Gallery on Nucleus Avenue is holding a reception and art show of student art from Columbia Falls High School and Junior High artists on May 1 from 5-7 p.m. They’re taking canned food donations for the Columbia Falls Food Bank that night, too.

Legals for May, 1 2024