Swan Lake
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BLOTTER: Kids shooting at pedestrians with airsoft gun
Reports from Flathead County Sheriff’s Office, based in Bigfork.Sept. 20 A grassfire was reported in Bigfork. Sept. 21 A gun was reported lost in Somers. Sept. 22 A store owner reported two customers participating in disorderly conduct over their final sale policy in Bigfork. In Somers, a caller reported they were being harassed by a man on Facebook and over the phone. Sept. 23 In Lakeside, kids were reported shooting an airsoft gun at pedestrians from their vehicle. Also in Lakeside, an electric pole was reported hit by a trailer. Sept. 24 A neighbor reported barking dogs in Somers. In Bigfork,...
Spikers notch a pair of wins against Bigfork, Ronan
By BRANDON HANSENHungry Horse NewsColumbia Falls volleyball won two matches last week and climbed to No. 11 in the Montana Class A MaxPreps rankings.Against Ronan on Tuesday, Sept. 24, The Wildkats defeated Ronan 16-25, 25-17, 22-25, 25-16, 15-13. “Emalee Alton and Sadie Cheff’s kills helped us out in the Ronan match, along with Emalee’s aces and digs,” Columbia Falls coach Jolandie Brooks said. “We did not play to our full potential against Ronan; I’m excited to see them again at home.”Sadie Cheff had eight kills, while Rylee Sweeney and Anabelle Middlesworth had five apiece. On the service strip, Emalee Alton had...
Mack Days: Anglers reel in nearly 9,000 lake trout by week 5
There are still five weeks left in the 2024 Fall Mack Days Fishing Event on Flathead Lake. A total of 8,730 lake trout entries have been entered so far in this event.Up to $200,000 in cash and prizes will be awarded on Nov. 3, the last day of the event. These events are sponsored by the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes and are used as a management tool in a fish conservation effort to reduce non-native lake trout in Flathead Lake and increase the native bull trout and westslope cutthroat. The events are designed to give everyone who catches even...
Women’s Weekend of Action in Whitefish
The Northwest Montana Women’s Weekend of Action takes place this weekend in Whitefish. The “Pro Choice, Pro Freedom” event will include a rally for reproductive rights as well as addresses from Montanan Democratic candidates. The weekend begins with sign-making for the pro-choice rally at The Montana Tap House in Whitefish at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Oct 3, followed by an interview with women’s reproductive rights advocates Jamie Gougen and Nikki Eisinger for “The Fish Tank” that evening at 6:45 p.m. On Saturday, Oct. 5, energized volunteers will learn how to “work the vote” and influence their future by knocking on doors...
Cats thump Pirates on the road in statement win
Hungry Horse NewsThe Columbia Falls football team likely turned some heads across the state as they blanked Polson on the road 42-0, for their second shutout in as many weeks.Sophomore quarterback Banyan Johnston was 27 of 30 passing for 309 yards and four touchdowns while Reggie Sapa ran in for two more in the blowout win.Johnston connected with Easton Brooks once, Cooper Ross twice and Jett Pits for touchdowns. Brooks had 107 yards receiving in six catches and Ross had seven for 91; Pitts had 5 for 67 and Jory Hill had five for 20 yards.Sapa rushed 15 times for...
Bulldogs earn season’s first clean sheet
Whitefish scored three goals in the first half and three in the second to top Libby 6-0 on Thursday at Smith Fields. “We are starting to show signs of a more cohesive and organized unit,” Whitefish boys soccer Head Coach Eric Sawtelle said. “We still have a lot of work to do, but this group continues to take positive steps forward each week.” Sawtelle said he was pleased with the collective effort in all areas of the pitch. “With the ball, we were more patient and there were some very nice passages of play in which five to six passes led to scoring...
Looking Back: Growth in Whitefish discussed in 1974
A look back at past Pilot articles by Julie Engler 50 Years Ago Oct. 3, 1974 A town meeting on area planning and its effects on the Whitefish area was scheduled. To be discussed were plans for future growth in the area and alternatives for dealing with that growth, for the best interests of all involved. The meeting, was sponsored by the Flathead County Planning Commission, was open to any citizen, rural or city, and public comments were invited. The target date for adoption of the land use plan was July 1975. 40 Years Ago Oct. 4, 1984 A proposed sign ordinance written by Councilman Gary...
Pedal to Plate highlights farms, local history
Mother Nature smiled on the Mission Valley Area Pedal to Plate bike ride, held Saturday, Sept. 21. The weather was sunny but a bit crisp at starting time and slowly warmed up as the day progressed.The event began at 9 a.m. with coffee served at the Diamond S RV Park on the north end of Ronan before riders headed out onto the Lake County roads. The ride is capped at 175 cyclists, and the route this year was 47 miles with seven of those miles on dirt or gravel.“The ride highlighted local farms and local points of interest,” said Pedal...
Mount Brown Hawk Watch event this weekend
Glacier National Park will host its annual Mount Brown Hawk Watch Program on Oct. 5, from 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. near Lake McDonald Lodge. The event will be held at the Golden Eagle interpretative sign near Jammer Joe’s parking lot. Park biologists will teach volunteers how to identify and count migrating raptors. Educators from Montana Wild Wings Recovery Center will also be on site with live raptors from noon - 2 p.m. to provide a close-up on raptor species that migrate past Mount Brown. For the last hour of the event, counting migrating raptors will resume from 2 - 3 p.m....
Bulldog CJ Threw doubles up with football, golf
Whitefish Bulldog CJ Threw isn’t afraid to swing being a two-sport athlete this fall. The senior plays as a cornerback and receiver for the football team as well as teeing off for the golf team. His coaches say he’s a respectful, all-around exceptional athlete – not to mention his playing for the basketball team when winter sports rolls around. “I’m looking forward to taking it deep in both, taking a solid playoff run in football and having a chance at state for golf,” Threw said during an interview at the Whitefish Triangular Golf Invite on Sept. 4. This weekend, he’ll head to...
Tree work begins on U.S. 93 West project
The Montana Department of Transportation is planning a reconstruction project on U.S. 93 in Whitefish, starting near the intersection with Mountainside Drive and continuing west for approximately 3 miles and ending just past Livermore Flats. Tree clearing is necessary for utility relocation and road reconstruction. Currently, LTL Enterprises is clearing trees, with no traffic impacts. The state will begin clearing trees in early 2025. The Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 sets a specific timeframe to complete tree clearing work and Montana Department of Transportation schedules activities to avoid active nests, which means vegetation clearing may start well in advance of construction. Planned...
Filling the gaps: Nonprofit pays off school's bad lunch debt
Hungry Horse NewsA Flathead Valley nonprofit earlier this month gave the Columbia Falls School District 6 a boost, paying the remaining balance of a $55,000 student lunch debt.The $9,971.93 donation by Gap Fillers Flathead wiped out the debt.Gap Fillers has helped students and school districts across the valley erase their school lunch debt, as the debt can impact their ability to actually receive school transcripts in some districts.School Superintendent Cory Dziowgo reached out to the organization shortly after he started working in Columbia Falls. The school lunch program has consistently ran a deficit for years, up until recently.Now the school...
Protect women’s choice in Montana
My name is Susan Cahill. I am a retired family practice physician assistant who provided first trimester abortions in Kalispell as part of family practice starting in 1976 until my office was destroyed in 2014.I worked for and with Dr. James Armstrong for 25 years. Dr. Armstrong vowed to offer abortions as part of his family practice when and if it became legal, after witnessing women dying from illegal abortions daily while he was in medical training in New York City. I made the same commitment as a first-year physician assistant student in Queens General Hospital in New York City, when...
Sister business: Sonder Montana Co offers a place for local women’s work to shine
Carly Reedy and Amy Herman grew up working in the Echo Lake Cafe outside of Bigfork, a local staple that their family has owned and operated for over 20 years. Now, the sisters have come back to their roots and started their own venture next door: Sonder Montana Co, a coffee shop and retail store that seeks to highlight and uplift local women. The duo started working at Echo Lake Cafe when they were 14 under the guidance of parents Bob and Christi Young. “We thought we knew it all back then, this has been a very humbling experience but...
Photos from Flathead Nation students on display at Bigfork library
Photographers from the Salish Kootenai College and Two Eagle River School joined library staff and patrons last week to celebrate their work being on display at the new Bigfork branch of Flathead County Library. Art Vision & Outreach in Community Education, or A VOICE, is a nonprofit that works with the high school and college to provide artistic educational opportunities for students. Photos on display at the Bigfork library are part of the organization’s REzMaDe project, which was also recently shown in the annual Photoville festival in New York City’s Brooklyn Park. “What was cool about today is that the...
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