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Hungry Horse News
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.First, the road is rougher than a cob just before Big Creek, the rumor is it will get treated this summer, but it also might not be until next summer. For now, expect to be going sideways every once in awhile if you don’t slow down a bit. Also, the road is already dusty, which is not a good sign.The rest of the road was it’ usual self — plenty of potholes, but nothing too...
Plenty of CFAC questions
News that CFAC/Glencore and Columbia Falls-based developer Mick Ruis have agreed to enter into a buy/sell for some 2,400 acres of CFAC land was big and important news this week. Since the closing of the CFAC plant over a decade ago and its designation as a Superfund site, future economic development as well as conservation of environmentally sensitive site features has been a priority for the community. The preservation of some 772 acres that is now the Bad Rock Wildlife Management Area was made possible by generous community fundraising totaling $7.26 million, and CFAC/Glencore’s willingness to sell this conservation easement...
The end of Democracy?
“Welcome to the end of democracy. We are here to overthrow it completely,” said conservative activist Jack Posobiec at the February 2024 meeting of the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC). To which Steve Bannon, former Trump advisor said, “Amen.” Well, maybe they were just kidding, but let’s pretend they weren’t. After all, America is the birthplace of modern democracy, and we’ve got a lot invested in it.There was the Revolutionary War in which a bunch of colonial rebels took on the most powerful nation in the world with the biggest navy and a disciplined army and beat them into submission...
Yesterdays: Canyon Elementary facing closure
70 years agoApril 16, 1954Carpenters at the Anaconda Aluminum Co. plant construction settled with the company for $2.65 an hour, if they were needed. The subcontractor would pay them the prevailing wage, but also didn’t expect that they would be needed anymore. The carpenters had been on strike for a few weeks.60 years agoApril 17, 1964Ten cows and three Hereford calves from the Flathead Valley were going to be on display at the World’s Fair in New York City. The animals were part of the Edmiston family’s herd, which had a spread between Columbia Falls and Kalispell.50 years agoApril 19,...
Flathead River Alliance now recruiting volunteers
Flathead Rivers Alliance announces 2024 River Ambassador volunteer program trainings ahead of float season to enhance river safety, stewardship and citizen science, on the Three Forks of the Flathead River.FRA is ramping up for the 2024 river season and recruiting 30-40 volunteer team members. Are you passionate about the river system that inspired a national protected Wild and Scenic River system and want to be an active stakeholder or citizen scientist? In anticipation of another record river user year for the 219-mile federally designated Flathead Wild and Scenic River, FRA is expanding their River Ambassador and other volunteer programs. River...
The Blotter: Wreck on 206
April 9A woman in a red Chevy truck allegedly pointed a gun at the driver of a Four Runner on Meadow Lake Boulevard before driving off, the Four Runner driver became high-centered on a rock trying to drive away. A 16-year-old male previously reported as a runaway juvenile was reported for disorderly behavior on Frontage Street after allegedly breaking the windows out of his girlfriend’s car and found walking with a rabbit in his hands, the caller alleged he may be on drugs. On Fourth Avenue, a woman reported her boyfriend broke her windshield. April 10Teenagers reportedly drove past and threw...
Glacier National Park hosting junior ranger events
Families and children of all ages are invited to participate in Glacier National Park’s Junior Ranger Days during National Park Week. The first celebration will take place on Saturday, April 20, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the Apgar Visitor Center. The second celebration will take place on Saturday, April 27, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Medicine Spring Library at Blackfeet Community College in Browning. Both events are free and open to the public. The events will include indoor and outdoor fun for the whole family. Participants can interact with rangers, compete in Animal Olympics, dress as a park ranger, learn how to talk on park radios, and much more. All children who participate in activities can earn a Junior Ranger related prize.Junior Ranger Day is made possible in part with support from the Glacier National Park Conservancy. The non-profit park partner will offer a discount on merchandise in the Apgar Visitor Center bookstore on Saturday, April 20.National Park Week is April 20 through April 28. To kick off National Park Week and to encourage everyone to enjoy their national parks in person, entrance fees to all parks will be waived on April 20.
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.This spring, he hopes to change that as he enters his first full season in one of the most coveted districts in the U.S.The district is about 1,037,083 total acres with 849,126 acres in the Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex (about 55% of the complex).A Marine Corps veteran, LaDell, 48, said over the course of his career he’s held just about...
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.“We learned a lot about what to do and what not to do based on what they did,” Manley explained during his Wilderness Speaker Series presentation hosted by Wild Montana March 20.The Craigheads had tranquilized an adult male grizzly, and as they worked to take his measurements and complete a mold of his paw, he was twitching on the ground. “Concerned as much for the bear’s safety as his own, John [Craighead] decides against...
Schweikert to retire from football coaching
After a distinguished career, Columbia Falls High School football coach Jaxon Schweikert announced his retirement from football.Schweikert led the Wildcats to the playoffs in every season but one during his tenure as head coach, including three championship appearances and the school’s first ever state A championship in 2017.He went 80-37 over his 12 years at the helm of the football program.Schweikert considered coaching one more year, but he said the team has a lot of upcoming talent that he would have wanted to see through high school.“If I did one more year I’d have to do three,” he said. “I...
Track teams making their mark as season begins
The Columbia Falls track squads opened up the varsity season in earnest last week, competing at the Kalispell Time Trials and the Missoula Invitational.At Kalispell, notable performances included Malaki Simpson who won the 200 meters with a 23.19. He took fifth in the 100.Quinn Clark was third in the 400 with a time of 55.57.Banyan Johnston was sixth in the 300 hurdles with a 46.58. Lane Voermans took second in the shot put with a 52-4 throw, his best so far.Oliver Kress was sixth in the pole vault with a 11-6 leap. Ally Sempf took fourth in the 100 with a...
Softball goes .500 on a long road tour
The Columbia Falls softball team went .500 on a road swing last week. The Wildkats picked up a key conference victory against Polson last Tuesday, 10-6, but lost to Ronan, 3-2 Thursday. They then beat Havre 11-6 at the Lewistown tourney, but fell to Laurel 9-4 Saturday.The Kats are now 4-3 on the season.Against Polson, the Kats found themselves down 3-0 after the first inning, but stormed back in the third with five runs to take the lead, They added a run in the fourth and fifth and three more in the top of the of the seventh to put...
Legals for April, 17 2024
NO. 1782 NOTICE OF HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT BUILDING RESERVE LEVY ELECTION NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN by the Board of Trustees (the “Board”) of High School District No. 6 (Columbia Falls), Flathead County, Montana (the “High School District”), that pursuant to a resolution duly adopted at a meeting of the Board on February 12, 2024, an election of the registered voters of the High School District will be held by mail ballot election on May 7, 2024 for the purpose of voting on the following question: Shall the Board of Trustees of the High School District be authorized to impose a building reserve...
Glacier could see a foot or more of snow next week; but pleasant weather this weekend, as Sun Road will be open to hikers and bikers beyond the Loop
Glacier National Park could see a pretty good spring snowstorm next Tuesday into Wednesday, the National Weather Service is warning, and the higher elevations could see a foot to two feet of snow. Highs will only be in the 30s to low 40s in the valleys. Valleys could even see a half-inch to inch of slushy snow.But before that, the weekend is expected to be largely pleasant, with highs in the 50s and 60s depending on terrain.The Going-to-the-Sun Road is open to hikers and bikers now and is snow-free at lower elevations. On Thursday, the Park Service said the “hard” closure this weekend on the west side is at Swede Point, which is about 1.5 miles above the Loop.There is no hard closure on the east side of the Sun Road, though hikers and bikers can expect to hit snow at some point.The east side is open to Rising Sun to motor vehicles, the west side to Lake McDonald Lodge.Other east side roads like Two Medicine and Many Glacier are plowed into the valleys, but not open to vehicles. They are open to hikers.The Camas Road is now open to vehicles.
Yesterdays: CFalls police lowest paid in the Valley
70 years agoApril 9, 1954Work stopped on the Anaconda Aluminum Co. plant as carpenters went on strike. There was 30 inches of snow on the level at Glacier National Park headquarters with a few inches more at the inlet of McDonald Creek. Front page photo looked more like January than April.60 years agoApril 10, 1964Park plow crews in Glacier National Park were finding what they said were normal snow depths. Columbia Falls passed a weeds ordinance to force people to clean up their properties. City leaders were also contemplating a sewer system, noting there were federal funds available to help...
Paul Murphy, 86
Paul Michael Murphy, died March 29, 2024 in Kalispell. Paul is survived by his children; Debra Cox, Barbara Handy, and Dan Murphy. A funeral mass will be celebrated at St. Richard Catholic Church in Columbia Falls on April 12, 2024 at 3 p.m. To send online condolences please visit www.columbiamortuary.com. Columbia Mortuary is caring for the family.
Cats blank Troy on the road
Columbia Falls hammered Troy on the road last Thursday, 17-0. Cody Schweikert had four RBIs and Troy had a tough time on the mound, as their pitcher hit two Columbia Falls batters in the top of the first inning.Dawson Juntunen went four innings and gave up just two hits to get the shut out for the Wildcats.AC Chilson had a great day at the plate for the Wildcats, with a triple and a double and two RBIs. Matt Mitts also had a double and Kellen Kroger and Reggie Sapa both had triples as well.The scoring onslaught began in the first after Jett Pitts singled, driving in a run, then Schweikert doubled to drive in two more. Mitts and Chilson knocked a triple to drive in Mitts. Dayne Tu then hit a liner out to drive in Chilson.The Cats added a run in the second then four in the third and capped off the game with six in the fourth to end Troy’s day on the 10-run rule. The Wildcats are now 5-0. They were scheduled to play Bigfork at home Saturday, but it was rained out.They face Whitefish Thursday at 7 p.m. at home.
Tennis opens with win over Ronan
Columbia Falls High School tennis started their season with a home match against Ronan Tuesday, April 2. The girls team went 5-0 and boys 4-1.In girls singles, Lexi Oberholtzer won over Sara McConnell 6-0, 6-0; Aliyah Arends 6-1, 6-1 over Amy Snyder; and Elaina Dorr 3-6, 6-1, (10-7) over Aizhan Akhmetchanoua. In doubles, the team of Alanis Petersen and Kristina Tamburelli won 6-0, 6-0 over Maidens Chevy Reum and Yanella Tillman and Lucie Love and Fiona Bryant went 6-1, 6-1 over Addison Crawford and Kate Johnson.In boys singles, Wildcat Brady Heitz defeated Hayden Fussell 6-1, 6-2; William Oberholtzer won 7-6 (9-7),...
Woman hit by car on US 2, dies
A Kalispell woman is dead after being struck by a vehicle on U.S. 2 in the early-morning hours of April 1 near Columbia Falls.According to a report from Montana Highway Patrol, issued on April 7, the 45-year old female was hit by a Toyota Corolla driven by a 34-year-old man from Columbia Falls at 4:34 a.m.According to the report, the driver was traveling west on U.S. 2 when the car struck the deceased on a dark stretch of road that wasn’t in a designated crosswalk at mile marker 130.The woman who died was taken to Logan Health.The man driving the Corolla was not wearing a seat belt nor was he injured.Drugs and speed are suspected factors in the crash.
Kats drop Bulldogs; blanked by Wolfpack
The Columbia Falls softball team had a rough go of it against AA Kalispell Glacier last week, losing 7-0, but bounced back Monday to blank Whitefish 16-0 in a game that went three innings at home.The Wildkats racked up 9 hits against the Bulldogs and had 7 walks in the contest, as the young Whitefish squad struggled against the Kats.Annika Reid and Maddie Moultray both had dingers against the Bulldogs as the Kats went through the lineup and then some in the first inning. Moultray and Haden Peters combined for the no-hit shutout of the Lady Bulldogs.Kalispell Glacier proved much tougher.The game was tight through three innings, as the Wolfpack were up 1-0. But in the top of the fourth they put four runs on the board with three singles.The Wolfpack then added a run in the top of the sixth and the seventh to seal the win.The Wildkats had just one hit in the game, Maddie Moultray went the distance on the mound, but gave up 12 hits and had four earned runs.The girls played Polson Tuesday after presstime and then travel to Ronan Thursday. They then travel to Lewistown for a tourney on Saturday.
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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.
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