PHOTOS: Teakettle Quilt Show
The Teakettle Quilt Show at Glacier Gateway Elementary Saturday, April 20.
Biologist talks the evolution of bear management
Tim Manley, retired Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks biologist and bear specialist, pulled up a National Geographic video of the Craighead brothers from their 1950s-70s Yellowstone grizzly project.
Taylor Made: Local quilter featured in upcoming show
“Giving a quilt as a gift is like giving a piece of your heart, because you’ve put all that love and labor into making a quilt, and when you give it away, that is a treasure, truly a treasure.”
The birds are back: Migrating flocks settle at Freezout
You really can’t miss the birds.
Crew of USS Montana visits Montana Veterans Home
Crew members of the USS Montana, a nuclear submarine, paid a visit to the Flathead on Tuesday, including a stop at the Montana Veterans Home.
Bears awake early, local organization looks to head off conflicts
With bears reportedly coming out of hibernation around the state — nearly a month early — People and Carnivores Northwest Field Project Manager Ryan Wilbur made a presentation to Columbia Falls Chamber of Commerce members during their March luncheon on Tuesday, March 12.
City will go ahead with affordable housing project
The Columbia Falls City Council last week decided to go ahead with an affordable housing project on Railroad Street on what is now a baseball field.
The Pie Lady: Jean Flynn’s pop-up pie stand pays vintage shops a visit
PIE HERE NOW announces a sandwich board on Nucleus Avenue, the boldness of the proclamation softened by a picture of a smiling blond girl holding a bushel of wheat.
School board approves request for proposals on high school roof
In a Feb. 26 work session, School District 6 school board members approved a request for proposals for the Columbia Falls High School roof.
Family of women killed in Martin City frustrated by pace of county prosecutors
“I try to avoid Columbia Falls now. Because I see [Floyd], and every time I see him I see the back of his truck,” Chris Gilham said.
Baseball starts practice, hope snow subsides
“Right now, we’re at the mercy of Mother Nature. Our field has some huge drifts,” Green said. “So we’ll get the work done we can in [the gym] but we can’t really simulate being outside.”
PHOTOS: Bye Bye Birdie
Columbia Falls High School's opening night production of "Bye Bye Birdie" raised money for the choir's upcoming New York City Trip and the theater program.
Opinion: Being Montanan
Out of six hikers, my dog was the only one of us born in Montana. Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, South Carolina and me, Wyoming. As we looked out over the snowy mountains, Dee, the Pennsylvanian, named their peaks.
Church Women donate $639K from Klothes Kloset sale
After selling the Klothes Kloset for $639,000 in December, Church Women United has turned right back around and given that money to 36 local nonprofits — and $165,000 of it to the Columbia Falls School District.
PHOTOS: Fourth graders ice fish
Glacier Gateway Elementary School fourth graders ice fish with FWP’s Hooked on Fishing program at Murphy Lake Thursday, Feb. 22.
Wastewater treatment plans delayed
“You’ll notice on your agenda that we’re not calling for bids on the wastewater treatment plant project as planned,” city manager Susan Nicosia said to Columbia Falls City Council at their Feb. 20 meeting.
Wrestling for different schools, Fainter brothers compete
Western A wrestling saw two Fainters in the 113 weight class this season, though their alma maters don’t match up.
Blankenship bank stabilization a short-term fix to a larger problem
In 1964, flood water collapsed the Blankenship bridge. Now, 60 years later, it is at risk again.
Uptown Hearth set to reopen Monday
“It was said that if your dreams don’t scare you, you didn’t dream big enough. This thing scared me about four million times," said Uptown Hearth’s original owner Terri Feury.
113-pounder Fainter earns state wrestling championship
The Wildcats boys wrestling team took fifth at state in Billings this weekend, with senior Traic Fainter (113) earning an individual state champion title.
Local entrepreneurs find fortune in gold... prospecting equipment
David Bjelland sat transfixed in front of the TV screen, cake in hand, shooing off his relatives as they tried to wish him a happy birthday.
Railroad Street ballpark-housing decision tabled
The youth baseball field on Railroad Street will stay a baseball field, at least until Columbia Falls City Council can find another place for the kids to play ball.
Cats swimmer Connor Keith earns state tile in 200 medley
The Columbia Falls High School boy swim team placed third overall at state this weekend, with Connor Keith named state champion in the 200 individual medley. The girls team took sixth.
Record of decision for CFAC cleanup looms, out of city’s hands
In a rush to halt the oncoming record of decision on the EPA’s proposed cleanup plan at the Columbia Falls Aluminum Company Superfund Site, members of the community approached Columbia Falls City Council during their Feb. 5 meeting.
Cronk, Crump and Fainter Divisional Champs
15 Mat Cats headed to state
Fifteen total Columbia Falls wrestlers will head to the State Tournament in Billings this weekend after qualifying in Western Divisionals Feb. 2-3.
Opinion: A call for love stories
“What’s that noise?” my friend asked as we cruised down Highway 2. “I don’t know, I’ve been turning the music up,” I said, and I did.
PHOTOS: Night at the Movies raises $6,000 for NYC trip
At the Night at the Movies concert, audience members were invited to listen to music from popular movies and participate in a silent auction, the proceeds of which will go toward the choir’s trip to New York City in March. Choir director Emily Hackethorn estimated the concert earned over $6,000. “I am still working through all the proceeds but it was a very successful event with tons of generous businesses and individuals pitching in,” Hackethorn said.
Huckleberry Patch remodeled with 'modern cabin' style
Hungry Horse’s Huckleberry Patch is growing.
New daycare opens on Nucleus Avenue
“I took what we didn’t have in the valley, and I put that in here,” Rachel Rader said.
At workshop, city reveals its short-term rental numbers
Seats were filled at Columbia Falls City Council on Monday, Jan. 22 for a workshop on short term rentals.
Fainter, Cronk go undefeated in Class A Duals
The Columbia Falls Wildcats boys wrestling team won Pool C and earned fourth place overall in the Montana Class A Duals in Butte Jan. 19-20.
New bike shop opens in downtown C-Falls
“I had a shop on my property and I just started telling some friends that I was working on bikes and it started slowly that way,” he said.
Glacier Distilling Co. keeping spirits up this winter
“It was originally something to prepare for the apocalypse,” Glacier Distilling Company Owner and Founder Nic Lee said. “We were just going to stockpile on spirits and whiskey and share it around locally.”
Grapplers do well at Rocky Mountain Classic
Columbia Falls Wrestling saw four boys in the finals at the Rocky Mountain Classic this weekend, with Blaise Cronk (160) taking home gold. On the girls’ side, six placed.
Former millworker now penning a host of books
The Monster Masher started as a family story, told on car rides, around campfires and at bedtime.
Speech and debate looks to run the table
"Not only are you trying to win for yourself, but you’re trying to keep something going, alive.”
Mat Cats do well in Ronan tourney, but illness and injury taking toll
The Mat Cats traveled to Ronan for the Western Montana Duals Friday and Saturday, with the boys taking second place and the girls fourth in duals.
New Columbia Falls daycare specializes in infants
In September of 2023, the Delgados opened Lil Buckaroo’s, an infant-only childcare service, at 729 Nucleus Avenue A in Columbia Falls.
Grapplers did well in home duals last week
The Columbia Falls MatCats hosted duals with Corvallis, Hamilton, Bigfork and Libby on Thursday, Dec. 21. The boys team won 48-24 against Corvallis and 48-18 over Hamilton, the girls 42-6 over Corvallis and 36-12 against Bigfork.
Grapplers do well at CMR Holiday Classic
Columbia Falls High School wrestling took seventh overall with eight individual placers in the Great Falls CMR Holiday Classic this weekend.
New art gallery opens in downtown Columbia Falls
The Lucia de Brito Franco Art Gallery is a brand new Columbia Falls feature, located at 638 Nucleus Avenue, Suite 103. It contains not only de Brito Franco’s work — reminiscent of looking up through blue waters or thick canopies — but that of other local artists also inspired by the energy and beauty of nature.
Wreaths Across America
Thanks to community donations, Wreaths Across America was able to provide a wreath for every headstone at Montana Veterans Home Cemetery, with volunteers, veterans and community members gathering to celebrate the season and those who have served on Saturday, Dec. 16.
Swimmers head to Great Falls
“We had a great start to the season,” Columbia Falls High School swim coach Amy Caudill reported following the team’s first meet in Kalispell on Saturday.
Grapplers compete in Butte, Kalispell
Columbia Falls High School boys wrestling took second in pool six at the Jim Street Mining City Duals in Butte.
Grapplers take fourth at Polson Invitational
Columbia Falls boys wrestling took fourth place at their first tournament of the season in Polson on Saturday with a team score of 156.
Grapplers start the season this weekend in Polson
The Columbia Falls boys wrestling team is off to a slow but steady start after a slight delay to their first practice to accommodate wrestlers also playing in the state football championship.
Medusa’s Stones is no ordinary rock shop
Christina Moser wasn’t really planning on opening a rock shop when she visited the empty 729 Nucleus Avenue storefront.
Apgar Lookout Retreat now open in Glacier
After a little over a year’s construction, Apgar Lookout Retreat is open to guests.
Girls fall short in championship to Bulldogs, 3-1
After a hard-fought game and a great season, the Columbia Falls girls soccer team settled for second place in the Montana A championship against Whitefish on Smith Fields on Saturday, Oct. 28.
Blackfeet working toward climate resiliency
For Termaine Edmo, Climate Change Coordinator for the Blackfeet Nation, the very name of her tribe harkens back to the buffalo.