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Daily Inter Lake
Kalispell to begin work on Grandview Wells site
A portion of Grandview Drive will be closed from Wednesday through Thursday for work on the Grandview Wells site, according to Kalispell officials. The closure is due to the delivery of 12 water treatment systems that are part of the city’s plan to mitigate forever chemicals, otherwise known as PFAS, currently found in four wells that supply drinking water to Kalispell. The road closure will be between Harrison Boulevard and Ponderosa Street. Temporary signs will be placed to direct traffic. The pipe reconfiguration and construction required to install the treatment systems in both wells at the Grandview site will lead to them...
Bernard “Bill” William Rohrman, Jr., 65
Bernard “Bill” William Rohrman, Jr., 65, of Kalispell, passed away July 27, 2024. He was born Feb. 16, 1959 in Pocatello, Idaho to the late Bernard William Rohrman, Sr., and Dorothy Isabelle Rohrman (Landon). Bill lived his life on his own terms and certainly could be set in his ways. He was an avid Harley Davidson enthusiast and rode anything with two wheels, including dirt bikes. Bill served our nation's military as a member of the U.S. Army National Guard Reserve. Some of the finer things that he enjoyed in life were rock 'n' roll and Miller Lite. Professionally he worked for Plum Creek for many years and for a variety of companies driving truck. Bill is survived by wife of 17 years, Sig J. Christian; son, Dustin Berg; and siblings: Chuck Rohrman (Bev) and Terry Rohrman (Kathy). In addition to his parents, Bill is preceded in death by sister, Barb. Bill had numerous friends, many who were considered family. Services will be held privately at the convenience of the family. A celebration of life will be held Aug. 31 from 1-3 p.m. at the VFW in Kalispell. To send online condolences, please visit www.columbiamortuary.com.
Marie Anne Gutkoski Clark, 67
Marie Anne Gutkoski Clark, Jan. 6, 1957- Aug. 11, 2024 Marie Anne Gutkoski Clark passed away at her home with her husband and son by her side on Sunday, Aug. 11, 2024. She was 67 years old and beloved to all of us who were blessed to be in her orbit. Marie was as prepared for death as she was for all the blessings in her life so in true Marie fashion it only feels right to let her tell her own story, a legacy we treasure.I have lived with medical problems since age 14 and since then realized my death...
Glacier Park International Airport lands another $6 million in federal funding
About $6 million dollars in federal funding landed at Glacier International Airport last week, headed toward its ongoing renovation and expansion project. The money will fund common-use gate expansion to reduce delays, accommodate more passengers and expanded aircraft operations, according to U.S. Sen. Jon Tester’s office. The project is expected to be completed in early summer 2026, according to Rob Ratkowski, the airport’s director. The latest installment was awarded through the Federal Aviation Administration’s Airport Improvement Program, a supplemental grant program funded by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. “At a time when more and more folks are discovering all...
Wallace Dale Vinnedge, 90
Wallace Dale Vinnedge finally rested on July 29, 2024. He was born to Carroll Steven Vinnedge and Minnie Underwood Vinnedge on July 1, 1934 in Cortland, New York. In 1949, he traveled by train from Upstate New York to live with his aunt and uncle, Dorothy, and Ellsworth (Hap) Vinnedge in Bigfork. Wally graduated from Bigfork High School and attended Northern Montana College, earning a degree in science education. He married Delphia Hewitt, while they were in college.They traveled to Scobey for his first job at Scobey High School where he taught math and science for three years earning his...
Presentation details story of lynching in pioneer Flathead Valley
Many may be surprised to learn that two local Native Americans were lynched in the Flathead Valley in 1888. And that vigilante action was just the first round of incidents and murders that ended in a mass hanging in Missoula.Local history buff and former reporter Rick Hull will unravel this story at the meeting of the Westerners of Northwest Montana on Monday, Aug.19, in Kalispell.A report that three prospectors had been robbed and killed east of Libby resulted in a raid on a Kootenai camp just outside of Demersville, just south of present-day Kalispell. Two of the alleged murderers were...
Showing sheep is serious business for competitors at Northwest Montana Fair
To show sheep, one cannot be sheepish. The animal needs a handler that can roll with punches — a testament to how much young competitors train for the Northwest Montana Fair. The sheep show kicked off in the Trade Center at the Flathead Fairgrounds on Tuesday, where FFA and 4-H members competed in showmanship and market and breed judging. McKinley Bean,18, has been showing sheep for nine years. She was preparing to enter the ring for the last time when her sheep Millven started chomping on the paper number taped to her back. “I've had a couple numbers ripped up this...
Man earns suspended sentence for driving drunk with children
A Kalispell man accused of drunkenly driving himself and his two children to check in with his probation officer in March received a suspended five-year sentence earlier this year. Flathead County District Court Judge Amy Eddy handed down the sentence to Jacob Austin King, 32, on April 18. King had earlier pleaded guilty to a single felony count of criminal child endangerment after striking a deal with prosecutors. Authorities reported that King smelled of alcohol when he arrived at the Adult Probation Office on March 11, according to court documents. Though he initially claimed he had walked to the building,...
Man accused of threatening motorist with a machete
A Whitefish man allegedly caught threatening a woman with a machete in the parking lot of a Columbia Falls supermarket earlier this month faces a felony charge in Flathead County District Court. Prosecutors brought Steven James Lundgren, 65, up on one count of assault with a weapon following his Aug. 5 arrest. Held in the county jail with bail set at $50,000, he is expected to appear before Judge Danni Coffman for his Aug. 22 arraignment. Lundgren was allegedly trying to convince a woman to turn off her vehicle's lights with the machete when a nearby Columbia Falls Police officer...
Black bear mauls 3-year-old girl in tent at Montana campground
RED LODGE, Mont. (AP) — A black bear mauled and injured a 3-year-old girl in a tent at a private campground in Montana just north of Yellowstone National Park over the weekend, state wildlife officials said.The girl was attacked at about 10 p.m. Sunday at a campground south of Red Lodge and taken to the hospital in Billings. Fish, Wildlife and Parks didn't have any information on her condition on Tuesday, game warden Randy Hutzenbiler said.The campground was evacuated and traps were placed in the area. A bear believed to have been involved was captured and euthanized on Monday afternoon, Hutzenbiler said. The wildlife agency still has traps in the area."There were attractants in the area," Hutzenbiler said, which can include food and unsecured garbage.The wildlife agency recommends keeping food, garbage and anything with a scent out of tents and stored in bear-resistant containers or vehicles.
Kalispell Planning Commission to consider residential developments
The Kalispell Planning Commission will consider two proposals for residential and commercial developments in Kalispell on Tuesday. The board will discuss the plans during its regular meeting on Aug. 13 at 6 p.m. at City Hall, 201 First Ave. E. Planning staff is recommending that the commission approve a proposal from Todd Gardner and Colton Behr for a commercial, industrial and residential development south of Kalispell. The Gardner/Anderson Ranch planned unit development would carve out about 95 acres of land adjacent to U.S. 93 and south of Lower Valley Road. Two portions of the land, at a combined roughly 38...
Youths go whole hog in showing pigs at the Northwest Montana Fair
It’s been a hard year for hogs and illness, but with precautions in place, it was on with the show at the Northwest Montana Fair & Rodeo on Monday morning. “This year has been a really hard year on a lot of kids disease-wise. There’s been some bad stuff traveling around,” fair veterinarian Amanda Oedekoven said. Amanda Oedekoven, also a Glacier View 4-H leader, said many youths, including her child, Kylee, opted not to travel to other shows or jackpots to prevent the spread of diseases ahead of the show at the Flathead Fairgrounds. “There was a disease called the Seneca Valley...
Letters to the editor Aug. 13
Tourist turnoffWhere are the police in Kalispell? I was a tourist in town for two nights, one being on Friday night. As my wife and I walked to a restaurant we saw drag racing, loud cars and trucks and cars spinning tires. All this on Main Street. Not a good image for tourists. I asked the hotel desk clerk if this town had a police force. She said it was normal for a Friday night. What a shame on such a neat little tourist town. We were on a bus of 45 people. We all talked about it the next morning at breakfast. Hope you...
Northwest Montana Fair & Rodeo opens at the fairgrounds
Enjoy a carnival ride, get some tasty food from the midway and take in the thousands of exhibits on display at the 2024 Northwest Montana Fair & Rodeo this week. The annual tradition kicks off Tuesday at the Flathead County Fairgrounds in Kalispell. The fair runs through Sunday, Aug. 18. This year’s theme is “Exploring Montana’s Best,” which is a nod to the traditional fair exhibits featuring livestock while creating a bridge to the modern technology of the Flathead Valley. The fair will feature performances by Rock & Roll Hall of Fame legends The Beach Boys, country stars LOCASH and...
State study singles out black bears
I have some questions and comments after reading the Agu. 6 article in the Daily Inter Lake regarding the state black bear study.According to the article, the last mean population estimates were done in 2011 by Richard Mace and Tonga Chilton-Radant. The estimated population of black bears was 13,307. The number of black bears killed by hunters in 2022 totalled 2,159, in 2021 the total as 1,598, and in 2020 the total was 1,457. Total black bears killed over three years was 5,214. If you figure the percent of the total estimated population of 13,307 bears and that 5,214 of...
Law roundup: Property feud goes back three decades
Fed up with a longstanding feud with a neighbor, a resident asked the Kalispell Police Department to intervene. They accused their neighbor of regularly trespassing on their land for about three decades. Finding the neighbor out back the day prior, they told him to leave. He refused to go and started laughing, they said. A Helena resident phoned the police in Kalispell after their son-in-law's ex-girlfriend had buried them in a slew of calls and text messages. They initially reported the alleged harassment to authorities in Helena, who recommended they contact Kalispell to see if they could contact the estranged...
Legals for August, 13 2024
NO. 30498 NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING The Board of Commissioners of Flathead County, Montana, hereby gives notice, pursuant to Section 76-2-205(1), M.C.A., that it will hold a public hearing to consider a change in the zoning designation in a portion of the Highway 93 North Zoning District from SAG-10 (Suburban Agricultural) to R-2.5 (Rural Residential) for property located at 1244 South Wintercrest Drive, Kalispell, MT 59901. The boundary of the area proposed to be amended from SAG-10 (Suburban Agricultural) to R-2.5 (Rural Residential) are described as: Tract 4 of Certificate of Survey No. 5104, being a tract of land in the Southwest...
Butte woman killed in wreck on Montana 83
A 43-year-old Butte woman died in a motor vehicle collision on Montana 83 northeast of Bigfork on Friday. Montana Highway Patrol reported the woman was driving northbound about 9:46 a.m., Aug. 9 and attempted a left turn onto Wolf Creek Ranch Road into oncoming traffic. Her Audi A6 was struck by a southbound Toyota Tundra occupied by two 21-year-old men from Lakeside. The woman was pronounced dead at the scene, authorities said. Both men were seriously injured and transported to Logan Health Medical Center. The passenger of the Tundra was the only person involved in the crash not wearing a seat belt, officials said. Drugs are suspected as a factor in the wreck, according to investigators. Road conditions were reported as bare and dry.
The US government wants to make it easier for you to click the 'unsubscribe' button
WASHINGTON (AP) — In the name of consumer protection, a slew of U.S. federal agencies are working to make it easier for Americans to click the unsubscribe button for unwanted memberships and recurring payment services.A broad new government initiative, dubbed "Time Is Money," includes a rollout of new regulations and the promise of more for industries spanning from healthcare and fitness memberships to media subscriptions."The administration is cracking down on all the ways that companies, through paperwork, hold times and general aggravation waste people's money and waste people's time and really hold onto their money," Neera Tanden, White House domestic...
Americans' refusal to keep paying higher prices may be dealing a final blow to US inflation spike
WASHINGTON (AP) — The great inflation spike of the past three years is nearly spent — and economists credit American consumers for helping slay it.Some of America's largest companies, from Amazon to Disney to Yum Brands, say their customers are increasingly seeking cheaper alternative products and services, searching for bargains or just avoiding items they deem too expensive. Consumers aren't cutting back enough to cause an economic downturn. Rather, economists say, they appear to be returning to pre-pandemic norms, when most companies felt they couldn't raise prices very much without losing business."While inflation is down, prices are still high, and...
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