Choose your location
Hungry Horse News
Jeremy Grilley new head girls basketball coach
By CHRIS PETERSONHungry Horse NewsThe Columbia Falls girls basketball team will have a new coach in Jeremy Grilley this fall. Grilley, 40, is no stranger to Columbia Falls basketball.Grilley was a key player on the 2003 state A championship basketball team along with his twin brother, Jesse for the Wildcats. Later, he was an assistant under coach Cary Finberg in Finberg’s last year as the boys head coach in 2015. He also was an assistant under current boys coach Chris Finberg during Finberg’s first year. Grilley’s also coached eighth grade boys and girls teams for the past nine seasons.“I’m really...
Softball has a host of all-state selections this season
Hungry Horse NewsFour players from the State A champion Columbia Falls Wildkats — Maddie Moultray, Haden Peters, Demye Rensel and Tayler Lingle — were named All-State for softball in voting by the Northwest A coaches.Columbia Falls freshman Onnika Lawrence was named first-team all-conference.Moultray was the ace pitcher on the Wildkats’ back-to-back championship teams: She threw 139 2/3 innings this season, with a 2.06 earned run average and 238 strikeouts. Moultray also hit .521 with 12 home runs — including a critical three-run shot in the final game against Billings Central — and 44 runs batted in.Peters, like Moultray a three-time All-State selection, hit .476 with 11 doubles, seven homers and 43 RBIs.Rensel, the third senior alongside Moultray and Peters and Columbia Falls’ catcher, hit .443 with seven home runs and 36 RBIs. Lingle, a junior leadoff hitter, hit .477 with a .586 on-base percentage, 18 stolen bases and 48 runs scored for the 26-4 Kats.Lawrence hit .408 with five homers, 36 RBIs and 44 runs scored.Columbia Falls had seven players honored total: Junior Annika Reid made second-team and junior Italia Hoerner was honorable mention.
Yesterdays: Glacier National Park bulldozer operator Charles Siderius survived rolling his dozer 350 feet off the Going-to-the-Sun Road near Logan Pass
70 years agoJune 4, 1954Flathead County Commissioners were lobbying Montana’s congressional delegation to finish attaching three bridges to cross the North Fork of the Flathead River at Polebridge. The county had already bought three bridges from the Bureau of Reclamation that had crossed Wheeler, Sullivan and Graves Creek along the new Hungry Horse Reservoir, but they needed about $85,000 to complete the job up the North Fork.60 years agoJune 5, 1964Glacier National Park bulldozer operator Charles Siderius survived rolling his dozer 350 feet off the Going-to-the-Sun Road near Logan Pass while clearing the highway. Siderius’s dozer went off the road...
The Blotter: A person claimed a child predator had weaseled their way into the Facebook group
May 20A classmate claimed another classmate was harassing her on Martha Road. Kids were banging on windows on 7th Street. Possible seizure at Columbia Bar.May 21A car rolled into the side of a building on Fourth Avenue. A person found bags of groceries near his house and brought them to the police department. Thought they may have been staged for a homeless person. A person complained an officer was driving his car recklessly. Kids pounding on those doors on 7th St. again.May 22A person claimed a child predator had weaseled their way into the Facebook group. A guy was screaming...
Man reaches plea deal in heinous rape case
By CHRIS PETERSONHungry Horse NewsA Columbia Falls man earlier this spring reached a plea deal with prosecutors in a rape case involving children.David Elven Kellogg, 55, on May 23 agreed to plead guilty to a felony charge of sexual intercourse without consent and felony sexual abuse of children.Under the plea agreement negotiated by the Flathead County Attorney’s Office, the state may argue for a net sentence of 40 years in prison with a 25-year parole restriction.Under the plea deal a charge of aggravated sexual intercourse without consent and two counts of criminal possession of dangerous drugs were dropped.The case goes...
Ruth McCafferty, 61
Our Beloved mother Ruth M. McCafferty passed away Easter Sunday. March 31, 2024. Ruth was a prestigious mortgage lender, had a brilliant mind and was a gregarious social butterfly. She was always an advocate for the underdog with a profound and contagious sense of humor. She spent all of her leisure time with her children and grandchildren. Ruth was the most devout mother and friend to many.She is survived by her five children, their spouses, eight grandchildren, mother Murielle, brother Normand and a little cha-weiney dog named Lilly. Ruth’s brother Eric and father Jerry passed before her. Our mother is leaving this world a little less bright without her presence and a long lasting impact on so many that loved her. A memorial will be held at a later date.
Glacier National Park plows at Big Drift, construction paving done on lower end of Sun Road, though shoulder work continues
Day and night.That might best describe conditions at Glacier National Park’s Logan Pass.In just a few hundred feet of elevation, the Going-to-the-Sun Road and the surrounding landscape were nearly free of snow Thursday, May 30, save for the odd snowfield tucked into a gully.But at Logan Pass, it was a different story, with the visitor center almost completely buried in snow and drifts towering 10-20 feet above the parking lot in some places.This year’s snowpack overall was well below a normal year, but higher terrain not only held onto snow, it’s added it in the past couple of weeks.The West...
Columbia Falls Senior Profile: Helland sets her sights on music and the skies
By CHRIS PETERSONHungry Horse NewsIt all started with a tuba back in sixth grade. Lotus Helland was enamored by her music teacher’s ability to play the sousaphone — she decided a tuba would be good enough for her. So she started playing the big instrument, no small feat for a skinny 13-year-old.Then she picked up a baritone saxaphone and learned to play that.“I wanted to branch out,” she said.Later, in high school, she learned to play the drums so she could perform with the school’s Drumline at school events. She also picked up piano, but she admits she’s not that...
Snowpack holding up in higher terrain, data shows
High-elevation snowpack in the Swan Range has remained near or above historical averages for most of May thanks to a series of cold storms that dumped snow and rain across the region.The snow-water equivalent measurement registered at 39.1 inches for Noisy Basin on May 26, according to data collected at a SNOTEL weather station located at 6,040 feet. The median for that date is 31.6 inches. The snow-water equivalent is the amount of water held in the snowpack.Likewise, about 83 inches of settled snowpack remains at Noisy Basin, considerably more than the median of 65.5 inches for May 26.While a...
Back-to-back champs!
By CHRIS PETERSONHungry Horse NewsThey never gave up.The Columbia Falls softball team battled its way back through the bracket to win its second state A championship in a row Saturday night in Billings.The Kats beat Billings Central 14-3 and 9-6 to take home the title.The tournament had a rough start, with rain in Billings, which delayed the Wildkats’ first game until Friday. The Kats hammered conference foe Ronan 10-0, then dropped Laurel 16-0 and it looked like the state title at that point might come easy.But then the marathon began.The girls lost to Central 7-2 in the semifinal, got by...
Columbia Falls senior profile: For Soyland, the mountains are calling
By CHRIS PETERSONHungry Horse NewsThe summer between his sophomore and junior year at Columbia Falls High School, Anders Soyland figures he climbed about 40 peaks in Glacier National Park.More than a few of his classmates haven’t even been to Glacier, or if they have, only a handful of times, and then on school field trips.But Soyland is made of a different cloth, for sure. At 18, the senior already has sponsorship deals from Spyder Outerwear and Blizzard Tecnica and about 3,200 followers on Instagram. He loves the mountains. They’re his home away from home.While crowds in Glacier may make newspaper...
A rare bookshop enters its twilight phase
By HILARY MATHESONFor the Hungry Horse NewsLocated off Lake Blaine Road, Parkland Books has been a treasure trove for bibliophiles seeking national park books and publications or rare and out-of-print books.Customers who visit Parkland Books today will see the shop in a period of transition. Owners Ed and Marge Rothfuss are downsizing after nearly three decades in the valley. Any remaining inventory will be stocked at a booth they rent and recently expanded in the Antiques Market located downstairs of Western Outdoor on Main Street in Kalispell.The motivation to completely operate out of the Antiques Market is due to health...
New book looks at the history of Glacier’s red buses
Hungry Horse NewsThe role of two Montanans in saving the red buses of Glacier National Park is recounted in a new book, “Glacier’s Reds—The quest to save the park’s historic buses” by historian Ray Djuff of Calgary, Canada.Dennis Schwecke of Great Falls was an engineer at Ford Motor Company with a personal interest in the red buses when he was asked in 1999 to inspect them following the discovery of safety issues. Schwecke’s selection was pivotal in the eventual rescue of the buses.Also on the inspection team in 1999 was Bruce Austin, a native of Billings who has a passion...
FWP plans trail improvements in Bad Rock WMA
Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks last month issued a plan to construct new trails, improve existing trails, and install boundary fencing at Bad Rock Canyon Wildlife Management Area near Columbia Falls. Since acquiring Bad Rock Canyon WMA in 2021, FWP has pursued improving public access to the site by installing a parking lot off Highway 2 in Columbia Heights and managing the existing trail. The WMA provides a secure habitat for wintering wildlife like white-tailed deer and elk.It is open to public use from May 15 to early December.Gateway to Glacier Trail is a local non-profit that worked with the...
Richard Gordon Green, 77
On Thursday, May 23, 2024, Richard Gordon Green, loving partner, father, and grandfather, passed away at age 77 after a tremendous year and half battle with cancer.Richard (known to some as Rich or Dick) is a Columbia Falls native, with the Green family having lived in the area for six generations. His parents, Thelma and Gordon married in 1920 and had five children. Richard served in the Navy, spending the majority of his service in Japan as a tele-type. Following his service, in 1968 Richard began working for Anaconda Aluminum Company, later known as CFAC (Columbia Falls Aluminum Company) where...
Death Notices for May 29, 2024
Sherman Marquardt, 78Sherman Dean Marquardt died May 18, 2024 in Kalispell. Sherman is survived by his loving wife, Wendy, son William Dean Marquardt and daughter Suzanne Renee Marquardt.A Celebration of Life will be held at a later date.Darlington Cremation and Burial Service is caring for Sherman and his family.Sybil Kinonen, 94Sybil Evelyn Kinonen died May 22, 2024, in Whitefish, Montana, surrounded by her family.Arrangements are being made at this time. Darlington Cremation and Burial Service is caring for her family.Carroll Manford Jones, 70Carroll Manford Jones, 70, died May 21, 2024, at his home in Columbia FallsHe is survived by his wife, Deana;...
Rodney Lennick, 65
Rodney Lennick, 65, passed away on Monday, May 20th, 2024 at his home in Columbia Falls, Montana. Rodney was born on June 2nd, 1958, to Art and Shirley Lennick, where he joined his siblings, Gar, Merv and Audrey. He grew up in Columbia Falls and graduated from High School there. After High School he started working at the aluminum plant, where he worked until he retired in 2008 due to health reasons.Rod loved fishing and hunting and had many fond memories of doing those things with Russ Graham, Dave Speer and Fred Phillips. Lots of stories are still being told...
Lois Ann Frye Smith, 100
“Life is not fair, get over it!” Lois Ann Frye Smith said goodbye to her earthly existence, after passing the century mark on Feb. 7, and crossed over to the other side on Tuesday, April 30, 2024. Saying until we meet again to her six children – Steve Frye (Beth Blacker), Tim Frye, Kristin Kavanagh (Bill), Lisa Dawson (Tony), Melissa Case (Larry), Erik Frye (Sheila), 11 grandkids and 13 great grandchildren.Education was always important to Lois Ann and her five siblings growing up on their South Dakota farm. She started teaching at 16 and continued her higher education graduating Magna...
Simpson breaks 2 records, boys take 2nd
Hungry Horse NewsMalaki Simpson broke two state records and the boys track team was less than two points away from a state A title in as they took second to Corvallis. The Blue Devils had 68.8 points, the Wildcats 67. The girls team took seventh.Simpson, a senior, won the 100 meters with a time of 10.74 and the 200 meters in 21.67. Freshman Banyon Johnston won the high jump with a leap of 6 feet even. The team also won the 4x400 relay with a time of 3:25.20. It was run by Jadon Persinger, Quinn Clark, Simpson and Jack Phelps. The...
Hungry Horse News
2K+
Posts
2M+
Views
The Hungry Horse News has been in publication since 1946. It is the only weekly newspaper in Montana to win a Pulitzer Prize and has a reputation for fine photography of the Flathead Valley and Glacier National Park. It is housed in a log cabin in Columbia Falls. Visitors with story ideas are always welcome to stop by.
Welcome to NewsBreak, an open platform where diverse perspectives converge. Most of our content comes from established publications and journalists, as well as from our extensive network of tens of thousands of creators who contribute to our platform. We empower individuals to share insightful viewpoints through short posts and comments. It’s essential to note our commitment to transparency: our Terms of Use acknowledge that our services may not always be error-free, and our Community Standards emphasize our discretion in enforcing policies. We strive to foster a dynamic environment for free expression and robust discourse through safety guardrails of human and AI moderation. Join us in shaping the news narrative together.