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Bigfork Eagle
Interior Department pushes Glacier Range Riders to drop logo
The U.S. Department of the Interior is calling foul on the Glacier Range Riders’ logo, arguing it violates trademark rights held by the National Park Service.The federal agency is asking the Pioneer League team — a family-owned business — to drop its arrowhead-shaped emblem as it “is an infringement of its registered and common law trademark rights associated with the NPS Marks, and dilutes the NPS Marks,” according to a written complaint sent to the baseball team in March 2023. “This has been a very painful situation for us,” said Chris Kelly, Range Riders president. “Unfortunately someone in the federal government...
One person killed in house fire south of Bigfork
One person died and another was injured Thursday morning in a structure fire along Flathead Lake south of Woods Bay.According to information from the Bigfork Fire Department, crews responded at 10:25 a.m. to a report of a house fire on Twinflower Lane. Heavy smoke and flames were coming out of the small wooden home when firefighters arrived on the scene.Mutual aid was provided by Polson, Polson Rural, Finley Point/Yellow Bay and Creston fire departments. No hydrants were available so crews relied on water tenders to extinguish the blaze. The fire was mostly out by 4 p.m. The cause of the fire is under investigation by Lake County officials.
Three-story hotel proposed for Bigfork
A 64-room hotel is planned for a new subdivision on the north side of Bigfork.Bigfork Hotel Group is seeking approval of a conditional use permit to build the hotel on about 2 acres in The Fort subdivision off Montana 83.The Bigfork Land Use Advisory Committee will review the application at its April 25 meeting. The advisory committee meets at 4 p.m. at Bethany Lutheran Church in Bigfork.The property is located within the Bigfork Zoning District and is zoned B-3 Community Business.The three-story hotel would be a Microtel Inn & Suites by Wyndham, with 14 guest rooms on the main level...
Mack Days angler lands, releases bull trout
Spring Mack Days, sponsored by the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes and sanctioned by Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks, is moving into week number six in the nine-week long event. Entries continue to be taken until 3 p.m. Saturday, May 11.Up to $225,000 in cash and prizes will be awarded by CSKT to anglers who have been participating in this management program to reduce the non-native lake trout in Flathead Lake and increase populations of native bull trout and westslope cutthroat.Catching a bull trout is an experience, as angler Dan Deuschman of Missoula can attest. He was out with his...
Gates now open to scenic SKQ Overlook
The gates to the SKQ Overlook opened April 15 and will remain open in the morning and close at sunset until Oct. 15.The scenic walk has attracted school tours, local recreationalists, tourists, and various visitors for years. Each spring the gates swing open to allow sightseers to make a short drive to a parking area above a walking trail that leads down to the observatory that provides breathtaking views of Seli’š Ksanka Qlispe’ (SKQ) Dam.The experience was upgraded last August when Phase One of the Overlook Rehab Project was completed with fresh updates. The aging wooden steps were removed and...
Yellow Bay boat ramp closed through April 22
The boat ramp at the Yellow Bay unit of Flathead Lake State Park is closed for construction April 15-22.According to a press release from the Montana Dept. of Fish, Wildlife and Parks, the park's ramp is being repaired and will require a complete closure. A new dock is also being installed.Boaters looking to access the east side of Flathead Lake are advised to use the ramp at Wayfarers State Park in Bigfork.Yellow Bay State Park is located 14 miles south of Bigfork on the eastern shore of Flathead Lake. For more information on Montana's state parks, visit https://fwp.mt.gov/stateparks.
Bigfork's iconic pine tree comes down
An iconic Bigfork tree that stood outside of the Tall Pine lounge, which was itself named after the tree, was cut down April 3. The species was estimated to be four centuries old.Walter Kuhn, the property owner, lamented the removal of the community landmark.“It’s a shame we have to take it down but the thing is it’s in such bad shape… it’s been in decline for a number of years,” Kuhn said. A number of factors necessitated the removal of the tall pine, including damage sustained during a hail storm, according to Kuhn.“The hail storm two years ago really did it...
Comedy-drama ‘Steel Magnolias’ opens in Bigfork
A comedy-drama about the bond among a group of Southern women, the Bigfork Community Players brings “Steel Magnolias” to the stage. The play will be presented at the Bigfork Center for the Performing Arts at 7:30 p.m. on April 19, 20, 26, and 27 and at 2 p.m. on April 21 and 28.Michele Mank (formerly Shapero) directed “Steel Magnolias” nine years ago in 2015 and, after directing a dozen plays with the Bigfork Community Players, she is directing “Steel Magnolias” a second time.“I fell in love with the story when I saw the movie 30-some years ago,” said Mank. “And it’s...
Two Republicans and a Democrat vie for newly-drawn House District 11
Three candidates are looking to represent the newly-drawn House District 11, an area encompassing southeast Kalispell, Creston, Lake Blaine and north Bigfork, come November.Republicans Rob Tracy and Ed Bryne, alongside Democrat Jennifer Allen, are all attempting to secure their first term in the state Legislature. Tracy, the former director of transportation for Bigfork School District, is making his second run for the Legislature after coming up short against Sen. Mark Noland in the 2022 primary for Senate District 5. According to Tracy, former colleagues encouraged him to run again this year. Born and raised in Massachusetts, Tracy has lived in the Flathead...
Bigfork boys finish first at Libby Invite
The Bigfork boys track and field team won the Libby Invitational with 117 points Saturday at Loggers Stadium.Browning was the runner-up with 108 points while Libby, Ronan, Eureka, Troy, Thompson Falls and Noxon followed.The Vikings had winners in five events, led by Wyatt Johnson who won the 110 and 300 hurdles. Tayden West won the 200 dash, Jack Jensen claimed the 1,600 run and Tamret Savik won the triple jump.Second-place finishers included Wyatt Barners in the triple jump and Tristen Herd in the pole vault. West was second in the 100 and David Jayne was third.Barnes was fourth in the...
Bigfork tennis teams sweep Ronan
Bigfork tennis didn’t leave things to chance, sweeping the Ronan girls 7-0 and powering past the Ronan boys 5-2 on Thursday, April 11. Bigfork got a sweep from their girls, with Tessa Troyer, Anika Ranson, Ashlyn McGill and Cassie Schlecth winning their singles matchups.In the doubles, Amanda Leonard/Gracy Holtmeyer won the No. 1 doubles matchup for Bigfork. Maci Pickets and Hozel Lowell won their doubles matchup as did Taylor Howlett and Raegan Waller. The boys got a 5-2 win over Ronan by virtue of singles wins by Kimball Richmond and Juan Childs. In doubles action, Seth Christians and Dylan Porrevechio defeated...
Bigfork baseball picks up two wins
Last week, Bigfork baseball kept their opponents off the scoreboard as they defeated Troy 13-0 and followed that up with a 16-0 win over Browning.Bigfork led Troy 8-0 after three innings, and just to be sure added another five runs in the top of the fourth. Five different Viking pitchers worked on the mound and collected eight strikeouts. Troy was limited to two hits and committed five errors.Against Browning on Friday, the Vikings no-hit the Indians as Mason Lewis pitched three innings and struck out six. Liam Benson smacked a home run in the matchup, which saw Bigfork score 10 runs in the first inning.Hayden Jantzen, Benson and Carson Parish had runs batted into. The win improved Bigfork to 3-1 on the season.
Endorsement for Rob Tracy
Hello, my name is Jim Sticka, a full-time resident from Bigfork since 1993. I have been president of the Friends of Bigfork Fire Department for the past 18 years. Our nonprofit raises funds from our generous community to help purchase safety and training items for our fire department. Since the inception of our organization we have raised nearly a half-million dollars. Thank you Bigfork and our surrounding community!I am writing this letter to endorse Rob Tracy, running for Senate District 11. Rob joined the “Friends” 12 years ago and has been a vital cog in our organization, working tirelessly to make so many things happen for our annual fundraiser each September. Rob is a man that can always be counted on to complete whatever commitments he has made.Rob is courteous, informed, cooperative and always makes time for anyone who needs help. I can think of no better person to represent the good folks of District 11. Please consider Rob for your choice, he is certainly mine!— Jim Sticka, Bigfork
The bears you don’t hear about
Whenever a bear gets into trouble in your area, you usually hear about it. In this Information Age, word travels quickly, whether it’s via social media, news media, or text messages. Tipping over garbage cans. Climbing onto porches after bird feeders. Breaking into a chicken coop. Bears looking for food are the most common conflicts in northwest Montana, and they garner a lot of attention.Information can be educational, which is especially valuable when it comes to bear awareness. But the outsized attention that bears receive can create a few misperceptions. The biggest misperception is that most bears cannot stay out of...
Conceptual plans emerge for luxury resort in Lakeside
Four years ago, Glenn Housman invested in 100 acres at the end of Blacktail Heights Road atop a knob above Lakeside.The rocky perch offers views of Flathead Lake, with Blacktail Mountain rising just to the west. To the south, his parcel abuts an expanse of undeveloped mature forest land that stretches for as far as he can see.It's a secluded, quiet spot with ample elbow room, aside from the 15 or so other residences along the private gravel road that climbs up to Housman's home.But the rural setting he and other homeowners along Blacktail Heights enjoy may be shattered if...
Mack Days anglers lauded as relentless
How to describe those anglers who put in countless hours, dollars, sweat, and a little bit of blood out on Flathead Lake during the Mack Days fishing events? They are the best of the best when it comes to lake trout fishing, a sport that they love.The Mack Days staff described them as relentless, resilient, competitive, respectful, consistent, enthusiastic and tough. Part of the lure of fishing must be that every bite or hit on the line is a surprise – not knowing what is on the line is part of the draw. Landing the fish is the next step...
More snow needed to improve summer’s water outlook
While February moisture boosted snowpack levels across the state, March didn’t help much – except in southwest and southern parts of the state.However, recent rains have boosted precipitation in the Flathead basin, dumping 153% of 1991-2020 average precipitation for the first week of April. The upper and lower Clark Fork basins also received significant boosts.Still, the overall outlook for March wasn’t helpful in western Montana according to the Natural Resources Conservation Service's monthly water-supply outlook, released April 5.“February did provide well-above-normal precipitation to nearly all of Montana and those weather patterns continued into the first week of March across the...
Talk looks at vanished Montana town that was once America's wickedest
Motorists heading up Interstate 90, west of St. Regis, will see no sign of Taft. But the former railroad boom town was once billed as America's wickedest. Taft had no churches, no schools and only three residential homes, yet 10,000 men and 500 prostitutes once called Taft home. Taft burned to the ground three times and was rebuilt twice.John Shontz, Helena lawyer and author, will tell the story of the short-lived town in a presentation April 15 in Kalispell. Everything associated with the "Wild West" happened in Taft — gunfights, murders, robberies, fights and just plain debauchery, he notes.The town...
History foundation awards grants to Northwest Montana projects
The Foundation for Montana History has awarded its largest ever grant-making cycle providing more than $240,000 to communities across Montana. Grants were awarded to three different organizations in Northwest Montana.The foundation is a nonprofit based in Helena that raises funds and makes grants for community-based history initiatives. Since starting the grant program in 2012, it has placed over $1.7 million into history and preservation projects. “Working with communities to save and share history is the core of our mission,” says Foundation President/CEO Charlene Porsild. “Topping our funding total from previous years is testament to the generosity of our donors across the...
FEC holds annual meeting April 18
Flathead Electric Cooperative is changing its annual members meeting this year.The Annual Meeting & Energy Expo open house will be Thursday, April 18 at Flathead Valley Community College’s Wachholz College Center.Doors are open to members from 3:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Members are encouraged to attend at any point in that time frame and to review the agenda to determine which events are most alluring to them. “Flathead Electric Co-op turns 87 this year, and for almost every year we’ve distributed electricity in the greater Flathead Valley, we’ve held a traditional breakfast business meeting for our members,” said Katie Pfennigs, community...
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The Bigfork Eagle – established in 1976 – provides the community of Bigfork with news, sports and entertainment coverage through our regularly updated news website and weekly print edition. Reinvented in 2019 after a few years hiatus, the Eagle has come back to serve the community with strong local news.
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