Quist, Powers will square off in primary
Two Democrats will square off in the June primary to represent House District 3.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Sidewalk project raises neighbor’s ire when bushes destroyed
A gutter and sidewalk project on select city streets brought the ire of one resident after she found the 70-year-old lilac bushes that guarded her newly-bought home had been torn out and ground up to make way for the project.
Council interviews manager candidate
The Columbia Falls City Council Wednesday voted 3-2 to offer Dennis Stark of Frederick, Colorado the city manager position. If hired, Stark would replace longtime manager Susan Nicosia, who will retire at the end of June.
City manager candidate had ethics issue at previous job
Columbia Falls city manager candidate Dennis Stark was the subject of an ethics investigation when he was county manager for Lyon County, Nevada, and ultimately was sanctioned $1,000 by the Nevada Commission on Ethics in 2012.
Schweikert to retire from football coaching
After a distinguished career, Columbia Falls High School football coach Jaxon Schweikert announced his retirement from football.
Flathead National Forest eyes big snowmobile use swap
Would also close more than 80 miles of trails to mechanize use in N. Fork
The Forest Service is proposing to close some areas to snowmobile and other over-the-snow vehicle use in the Spotted Bear Ranger District while opening more terrain in the Glacier View and Hungry Horse Ranger Districts.
New Spotted Bear District Ranger has a full plate
When Adam LaDell started as the new Spotted Bear District Ranger last fall, he said he spent most of his time doing paperwork and getting things organized. He didn’t get out on the trails and rivers the district is renowned for.
If school roof levy fails, the alternatives are not pleasant
School District 6 will make a public push to inform voters about an upcoming building reserve levy request to fix the roof on the classroom wing of the Columbia Falls High School. The alternatives to not fixing the roof soon could still cost the district thousands, without ever addressing the roof.
Opinion: A North Fork report
I went up the North Fork on Sunday so in the tradition of a good old-fashioned Larry Wilson column, I feel obligated to give a report.
Commission takes up public input plan
The Columbia Falls Planning Commission took its first look at a public participation plan last week. The plan is part of the city coming into compliance with the Montana Land Use Planning Act, which was passed by the state Legislature last year.
Columbia Falls a natural ‘funnel’ for bears
With a river running through it and plenty of bear foods along the way, Columbia Falls is basically a funnel for bears, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks conflict management specialist Justine Vallieres told Columbia Falls City Council last week.
CFAC, Ruis announce sale agreement for 2,400 acres of land
The Columbia Falls Aluminum Co. has announced a sale agreement of 2,400 acres of land it owns to Columbia Falls developer Mick Ruis.
Neighbors protest Meadow Lake water well plans
A resident of Garnier Creek Estates and the Garnier Creek Estates Homeowners Association have protested the expansion of the water system by the Meadow Lake County Water and Sewer District.
Boys and Girls Club moves into former Glacier Gateway School
The Boys and Girls Club in Columbia Falls has moved into a new location at the former Glacier Gateway Elementary School.
Columbia Falls Police Chief announces retirement
Columbia Falls Police Chief Clint Peters has announced his retirement effective Aug. 1.
Glacier National Park crews plowing Two Medicine Road; will start on Camas Road next week
It’s that time of year again — Glacier National Park has started plowing the Two Medicine Road and will begin plowing the Camas Road Monday, April 1.
Ruder Elementary will welcome new principal
Ruder Elementary welcomes Allison Hawes as its new principal for the next school year. Hawes is currently the principal at Helena Flats School, a position she’s held for the past three years.
Cost to remove CFAC waste could be more than $1 billion, EPA estimates
Responding to calls to remove toxic waste from the former Columbia Falls Aluminum Co. plant, the Environmental Protection Agency said it estimates it would cost anywhere from $624 million to $1.4 billion to haul the waste away from the Superfund site.
Opinion: Heart advice
I’ve run into quite a few friends and readers since I had my double bypass heart surgery and I thought I’d share some experiences on what you might expect if you have to have this procedure done.
Police get kudos from council, public for service
The Columbia Falls Police Department got some thank-yous at last week’s city council meeting.
Columbia Falls outfitter testifies on impacts of climate change to business
Columbia Falls outfitter and guide Hilary Hutcheson testified before the U.S. Senate Budget Committee last week on the impacts of climate change to the outdoor industry.
Scouts seeing success as they reach for the highest rank
Three Columbia Falls Scouts are have had academic and performance arts success lately. Boone Shanks, Merrick Fairchild and Lauren Rogers did well during the recent speech and debate season, helping lead the Wildcats to a state A title.
Roads lawsuit brings split decision
U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen DeSoto March 12 recommended that two local environmental groups partially prevail in their claims against the Forest Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service over road management on the Flathead National Forest.
School district will float operational levies, too
Looking down the barrel of some significant operating deficits in both the elementary and high school budgets, the School District 6 Board unanimously approved bringing two separate levy requests to voters last week.
Opinion: Slaking a thirst a growing challenge
Last week I had a story on Glacier National Park’s glaciers breaking up — a little less than half of the named glaciers in the park have broken into pieces and I suspect it’s even worse now, since the study was based on images taken a few years ago, and last I checked, summers weren’t getting any cooler.
Glacier National Park's glaciers are falling to pieces, study finds
A study by the U.S. Geological Survey last fall found that 11 glaciers in Glacier National Park have broken into pieces, as climate change continues to warm the planet and the park.
Glacier Park awarded funding for Blackfeet bison, other projects
Glacier National Park announced last week it will receive $1.5 million in funding to support the Blackfeet Tribe’s initiative to restore free ranging bison herds.
Opinion: Daylight Saving
We went for a walk on Sunday evening after supper. It would have been easy to stay in the house — it was raining and cold and damp.
Wildcats drop Butte Central to take third at state A basketball tourney
The Columbia Falls boys battled back through the consolation bracket to take third at the state A basketball tournament in Butte Saturday afternoon, beating Butte Central 58-53 in a game that came down to the closing minutes.
Glacier National Park seeks public comment on fire management plan
Glacier National Park is seeking initial public scoping as it looks to update its fire management plan crafted 20 years ago.
Tester also raises concerns about CFAC cleanup; hopes to get EPA brass here
Montana Sen. Jon Tester said last week that the “waste in place” cleanup plan for the Columbia Falls Aluminum Co. Superfund site “was not much of a cleanup plan at all.”
Community Market finds new home
The Columbia Falls Community Market will have a new home this summer adjacent to St. Richard Catholic Church on Highway 2.
Don Lawrence, founder of Don Lawrence Orchestra, Columbians Jazz Band, dies
Don Lawrence, the musical soul of Columbia Falls and founder of the Don Lawrence Orchestra, died on Friday.
Sun Road, North Fork reservations selling out in a couple of minutes; Many Glacier reservations available now
Glacier National Park’s advanced reservations for the Going-to-the-Sun Road from the west side as well as the North Fork sold out in about two minutes, the Hungry Horse News found when it attempted to get one on Friday, March 1.
Services March 8 for Kilman
A memorial service for Josiah Kilman of Columbia Falls has been set for 5 p.m. March 8 at the Canvas Church in Kalispell.
Columbia Falls teen is dead in Kentucky; man arrested on murder charge
An 18-year-old Columbia Falls man is dead and a 21-year-old suspect has been arrested, according to NBC News in Kentucky.
Legal limbo continues in the Ambler inholding case
The Flathead Conservation District says a couple that it claims illegally built a home along the banks of McDonald Creek in Glacier National Park is, in essence, trying to have its cake and it eat it too.
Local man’s death linked to vaping
On Jan. 6 Sabine Samuell of Columbia Falls took her husband Jude to the emergency room at Logan Health in Whitefish.
At Logan Pass, endangered insect presents a quandary for flush toilets
An endangered insect could impact future water use at Glacier National Park’s Logan Pass Visitor Center.
Coalition for a Clean CFAC plans petition drive, but will EPA respond?
A coalition of Flathead County groups is asking the Environmental Protection Agency to pause a Record of Decision on the cleanup plan for the Columbia Falls Aluminum Co. plant.
Opinion: Presto, you’re a gorilla. But is that a good thing?
So the other day my daughter asked me for a reference picture of someone snowshoeing, so I hopped on Photoshop and starting browsing for photos through my hard drives.
FWP will file suit over wolverine listing
Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks last week filed a 60-day notice of intent to sue to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service over placing the wolverine on the Endangered Species List.