Monday, February 29
County resumes load limit discussion
The Flathead County commissioners are expected to make a decision Tuesday about whether to allow heavier weight limits on a portion of Church Drive so farmers can get their fertilizer delivered in time for spring field work.
Bypass construction reroutes school traffic
Beginning Monday morning, traffic around Glacier High School was rerouted as trucks began hauling heavy road-building material for U.S. 93 bypass construction.
Special Olympics underway in Whitefish
Special Olympics athletes from across the state have converged on Whitefish.
Mild February much warmer than normal
It hasn’t been a record-breaker, but February 2016 averaged more than 6 degrees above normal, displaced winter sporting events and left little remaining snowcover in Western Montana’s low elevations.
New Temporary Traffic Light at Glacier High
A new traffic light at Stillwater and the entrance to Glacier High School kept traffic flowing on Monday morning, February 29. According to James Mitchell of Montana Department of Transportation another temporary light will be going up at Stillwater and Four Mile Drive, possibly as early as Wednesday. (Brenda Ahearn/Daily Inter Lake)
Winter Special Olympics Opening Ceremony
Teams from across the state line up for the parade up Central Avenue that culminated with the opening ceremony for the 2016 Winter Special Olympics on Sunday afternoon, February 28. (Brenda Ahearn/Daily Inter Lake)
Special Olympics parade
Temporary Traffic Light at Glacier High
Democrat files for county commissioner
A retired mental-health recovery center director has filed as a Democrat for the District 2 Flathead County commissioner position held by Pam Holmquist.
AA High School Band Festival 2016
Chandler Middlemas of the Flathead High School Symphonic Band, left to right, and Steeton Wilsonoff and Rachel Schubert of the Hellgate High School Wind Ensemble practice together under the direction of Nathan Stark of Montana State University on Monday, February 29, at Flathead High School. The AA High School Band Festival continues tonight with the Gala Concert at 7:00 p.m. which will feature the Combined School Percussion Ensemble, the Combined Helena Capital and Glacier performance and the Combined Hellgate and Flathead performance. (Brenda Ahearn/Daily Inter Lake)
Lawsuit filed over Kalispell clinic destruction
Former Kalispell abortion provider Susan Cahill is suing the man convicted of destroying her health-care clinic as well as the man’s parents, Hope Pregnancy Ministries and the ministry’s executive director.
HealthLink
No walking (or driving) on the lawn
Festival features four bands, two concerts
High school bands from four schools are participating in the AA Band Festival Monday and Tuesday at Flathead High School.
Warm weather cancels sled dog race
The Flathead Classic Sled Dog Race is the latest casualty of unseasonably warm weather.
Group aims to repeal state marijuana law
The Montana Supreme Court upheld the Legislature’s decision to severely restrict medicinal marijuana use on Thursday, but a group working in the Flathead Valley and across the state wants to go a step further and completely abolish access to the drug unless it is distributed by a pharmaceutical company.
Educator publishes book about Chief Charlo
A new chapter
The story of Chief Charlo had been on Donna Maddux’s mind for a long time, about 46 years to be exact.
Leader has seen big changes in Glacier
Glacier National Park’s Sperry and Granite chalets have stood for more than a century, and for much of that time, Lanny Luding has been as much a part of them as the fantastic vistas they overlook.
Bigfork dock repairs up for discussion
The aging dock at Bigfork Bay needs repairing but it’s uncertain who would be responsible to secure permits needed for the job or cover the bill.
Mace in hand for men in the bush
A woman called the
Sunday, February 28
Class AA basketball playoffs start Tuesday
Flathead and Glacier, which wrapped up Western AA regular-season play just a couple of days ago at Glacier High School, will square off again as postseason boys basketball action gets underway.
Glacier team takes fifth in competition
A Glacier High School team recently placed fifth at the state Academic WorldQuest competition.
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Glacier High School road limits begin Monday
Glacier High School administrators remind the community that all but one entrance road to the school will be closed starting Monday as a safety precaution during a heavy-hauling phase of construction on the U.S. 93 bypass.
Author details tribal life before Glacier Park was created
Centuries before the first cars wound up to the summit of Going-to-the-Sun Road, the Kootenai would ascend Logan Pass by standing on each other’s shoulders — inching up the cliff shelves to reach buffalo that roamed the east side of what is now Glacier National Park.
LETTER: Don K offers great qualities for public service
Perhaps starstruck by his days in front of the camera filming the “Don’t you buy no ugly truck!” commercials, Don “K” Kaltschmidt has for decades been a top-level supporter of the performing arts in the Flathead.
LETTER: Dangers facing America today
The real dangers facing America today manifest themselves with various symptoms, but a Band-Aid on our cancer will only disguise it and allow it to continue to destroy us from within.
OPINION: Fourth Flathead Lake film festival a rousing success
Credits have rolled and lights turned up. The Flathead Lake International Cinemafest (FLIC) ended its fourth film festival on Thursday, Jan. 28, after seven days of showings in Polson. The Showboat Cinema gave FLIC the use of both screens for three days during the festival and one screen for extra nights of encore screenings. A true community-minded business!
OPINION: A view of healthy eating during Heart Month
February has been American Heart Month. Is it just me or does anyone else find it peculiar that, after many decades of heart disease research, scientists have yet to develop a proper narrative explaining what causes arteries to clog? Since the 1950s, the scientific consensus has been that saturated fats are the culprit. Google “artery clogging saturated fat” and you’ll see what I mean.
OPINION: Invested in the future of news media
If you want to know who still believes in a future for news media, just turn to some of our most respected businessmen: Warren Buffett. Jeff Bezos. John Henry. Glen Taylor.
Glacier Restaurant Group expands again
Company acquires Max & Erma’s chain
Glacier Restaurant Group has more than doubled its number of employees and locations with the recent acquisition of a Midwest restaurant company.
Doctor sentenced for securities scheme
A Whitefish doctor was given a five-year deferred sentence on Thursday for spending money intended to be deposited in an unregistered security investment for expenses not related to the investment company.
Charles 'Charlie' Ronald Thorne, 58
Charles “Charlie” Ronald Thorne passed away suddenly in his home in the early morning hours on Feb. 24, 2016.
Richard 'Rip' Alan Busby, 42
Richard “Rip” Alan Busby passed away Feb. 23, 2016 at the age of 42.
Mary Louise 'Babe' Hellyer, 78
Mary Louise “Babe” Hellyer was born in Havre Aug. 7, 1937, to Beryl and George Holman.
Emma Christine Jore, 56
Emma Christine Jore, 56, of Kila, passed away Wednesday, Feb. 24, 2016, due to an automobile accident.
OPINION: Collaborative partnership is working in Montana
Open the newspaper or start a conversation about the Kootenai National Forest and one topic is sure to come up: Lawsuits. Frankly, this theme can be heard wherever there is a national forest. People often feel frustrated that lawyers and judges trump local professional land managers.
EDITORIAL: Don't force refugees on Montana
Five hundred people showed up earlier this month for a Ravalli County commissioners’ meeting to urge the commissioners to officially object to importing Syrian refugees to the Bitterroot.
OPINION: Diabetic snowboard camp benefits more than just kids
Mollie and Sean Busby’s nonprofit “Riding On Insulin” project provides an amazing on-snow experience aimed at those ages 7-17 with Type 1 diabetes. But, like the organization’s mission says, their team empowers, activates, and connects more than just the kids.
Jack Charles Barrett, 75
Jack Charles Barrett was born in Stillwater, Oklahoma on July 3, 1940 to parents Woodrow and Arvilla Barrett.
Clyde Walter Stearns, 66
Clyde Walter Stearns, 66, passed away suddenly due to an undiagnosed heart condition on Feb. 18, 2016.
Dorothy Irene Burchett Barnes Darrow, 96
Dorothy Irene Burchett Barnes Darrow passed away Feb. 25, 2016, at the age of 96.
Raymond G. Sanders, 76
Raymond G. Sanders, 76, of Kalispell, passed away Feb. 25, 2016, surrounded by his family.
COLUMN: Minus the memories, Mom is still Mom
Conversation with Mom has become more difficult in recent years as the agonizingly slow effects of Alzheimer’s disease continue to disassemble her memory one neuron at a time.
OPINION: Time to let the climate scare die - clap if you agree!
Leaving Neverland
2015 was the year the United Nations and governments around the world abandoned rational thought about climate change. Rather than focus on preparing for the very real problems of a continually changing climate, they concentrated instead on the politically correct, but scientifically impossible goal of “stopping climate change.” The whole lot of them seem to have been transported to Neverland.
'Miracle' museum blends collections into massive display
There are many unusual one-of-a-kind exhibits at the Miracle of America Museum in Polson, but the alien autopsy building just might be the most bizarre collection of memorabilia.
LETTER: Immigration fraud has been bipartisan scam
I attended the Feb. 23 highly informative presentation by Paul Nachman on immigration. Hopefully, it didn’t go unnoticed, that immigration fraud and abuse dates back to both President Bushes.
Saturday, February 27
BOYS BASKETBALL: Bigfork fends off feisty Florence, wins divisional title
Bigfork outlasted a physical Florence squad, avenging its only loss of the season and claiming the Western B divisional championship with a 65-54 victory on Saturday at Flathead High School.
GIRLS BASKETBALL: Bigfork qualifies for state, Ronan wins Western B divisional
Bigfork wins three in row after stunning first-round loss
Jami Grende’s voice trailed off while pouring over the final statistics, the Bigfork coach ruminating on her team’s foul trouble, shooting woes and a heart-breaking loss earlier in the week.
BASKETBALL: Columbia Falls girls, Polson boys finish 2nd at Western A divisional
BUTTE — It was a strong start, but a bad ending for the Columbia Falls girls basketball team.
SATURDAY ROUNDUP: Voisin catches big air in Norway; Local track stars point in college meets
Bigfork girls basketball
Bigfork's Jamie Berg (20) jumps in the air as she celebrates with teammates Katie Thomas (24) and Miranda Campbell (40) after beating the Florence Falcons 52-41 to finish third at the Western B Divisionals and advance to the state tournament. (Aaric Bryan/Daily Inter Lake)
Bigfork's Adam Jordt
Bigfork's Adam Jordt flies past Florence's Levi Clagett, left, and Daniel Parson for a basket in the Vikings' 65-54 championship victory at the Western B Divisionals at Flathead on Saturday. (Aaric Bryan/Daily Inter Lake)
Bigfork's Garrett Beville
Garrett Beville holds up the Western B Divisional Championship trophy after the Vikings defeated the Florence Falcons 65-54 at Flathead on Saturday. (Aaric Bryan/Daily Inter Lake)
Boys counseled about impolite behavior
Polson skatepark ready to grow
Fundraising begins for Seventh Avenue facility expansion
If a warm Tuesday afternoon in February is any indication, the Seventh Avenue Skatepark in Polson could use a little more room.
COLUMN: Romney trumps Reid with tax attack betrayal
Hypocrisy, thy name is Mitt.
Raymond G. Sanders
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Two-year-old Ryder Adams tries to hook a fish as his dad Wes helps at the kids' fishing pond at the Montana Sportsman's Expo at the Flathead County Fairgrounds Trade Center on Saturday. (Aaric Bryan/Daily Inter Lake)
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Flathead Valley Trout Unlimited's Dan Olson helps Chevia Weber with her cast at the Montana Sportsman's Expo at the Flathead County Fairgrouds Trade Center on Saturday. (Aaric Bryan/Daily Inter Lake)
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Four-year-old Wyatt Guiffrida takes aim with a bow at the Dandy Dudes and Dolls 4-H archery booth at the Montana Sportsman Expo at the Flathead County Fairgrounds Trade Center on Saturday. (Aaric Bryan/Daily Inter Lake)
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Crosstown Basketball
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Richard 'Rip' Alan Busby
Daybook, Feb. 27
Jack Charles Barrett
Clyde Walter Stearns
Whitefish man given probation for hurting girlfriend
A former Whitefish resident was sentenced to probation on Thursday for a May 2015 altercation with his girlfriend in the parking lot of Whitefish High School.
Bigfork choir tapes television segment
To be in a TV studio with cameras panning around you during a vocal performance of “The Star Spangled Banner” was a unique experience for seven Bigfork High School choir members.
CROSSTOWN: Braves break streak, tame Wolfpack
Flathead beats Glacier for first time since 2012
There was nothing pretty about Friday night’s crosstown showdown for the Flathead Braves.
Friday, February 26
CROSSTOWN: Glacier girls blow past Flathead, sweep season series
Wolfpack makes quick work of Flathead in 65-41 win
The Glacier girls made sure to leave no doubt in their final game of the regular season, routing Flathead 65-41 on Friday night to set themselves up in a good position for the state tournament play-in games.
WESTERN A DIVISIONAL: Polson boys, Columbia Falls girls punch tournament tickets
Pirates pull away from Hamilton; Wildkats hold off Dillon in divisional semifinals
BUTTE — Polson advanced to the Western A divisional boys championship basketball game on Friday, clinching a spot in the Class A state tournament next weekend in Missoula.
WESTERN B DIVISIONAL: Bigfork boys clinch state tournament berth
Bigfork clinched a spot in the state tournament with a resounding 66-39 victory over Libby in the semifinals of the Western B divisional basketball tournament on Friday at Flathead High School.
Flathead's C.J. Dugan
Flathead's C.J. Dugan tips the ball away from Glacier's Dylan Ruggles as he steals the ball away. (Aaric Bryan/Daily Inter Lake)
Flathead boys basketball
Flathead's Sam Elliott, from left, Matt Marshall and Kye AuClaire celebrate the Braves' 46-39 win against the Wolfpack at Glacier on Friday. (Aaric Bryan/Daily Inter Lake)
Glacier girls basketball
Glacier's Hailee Bennett (4) celebrates with Nikki Krueger (21) and Taylor Salonen (3) after making a basket and getting fouled during the third quarter of the Wolfpack's 65-41 crosstown victory against Flathead on Friday, Feb, 26, 2016. (Aaric Bryan/Daily Inter Lake)
Flathead's Kye AuClaire
Flathead's Kye AuClaire splits Glacier defenders Jake Norberg (25) and Blayne Bailey (3) as he drives in for a basket during the fourth quarter at Glacier on Friday. (Aaric Bryan/Daily Inter Lake)
Glacier's Nikki Krueger
Glacier's Nikki Krueger scores as Flathead's Tiana Johnson defends her during the second quarter at Glacier on Friday. (Aaric Bryan/Daily Inter Lake)
Flathead's Tyler Johnson
Flathead's Tyler Johnson soars in for a layup against Glacier during the second quarter. (Aaric Bryan/Daily Inter Lake)
Arraignment delayed for man involved in shooting
The arraignment was delayed Thursday for a Kalispell man charged with felony assault on an officer.
Andrea Grace Call, 52
Andrea Grace Call, 52, completed her lifespan at her Kalispell home in Ponderosa Estates surrounded by her family on Sunday, Feb. 21, 2016. For the preceding four years she had undergone rigorous chemotherapy and other aggressive treatments for the brain tumor which ended her life.
Marie Clements, 90
Marie Clements, 90, passed away with family at her side Feb. 17, 2016.
Marie Clements
Rapist's case moved to May on probation allegations
A judge agreed on Thursday to give a sex offender’s defense attorney two months to research claims of numerous parole violations that could send him back to prison for up to 13 years.
Andrea Call
Bigfork choir
Viewing the world through Jefferson's eyes
When Clay Jenkinson began working as an English professor, he didn’t expect to spend a significant portion of his career in tights re-enacting dead historical figures.
New land easement proposed near Whitefish
Even as local leaders and state resource managers celebrated the recent completion of the Haskill Basin conservation easement east of Whitefish Lake, a plan to protect more than 15,000 acres of private land northwest of the lake is already in the works.
Drone hunting season is not open
Andrea Grace Call
Andrea Grace Call
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T.R. King, a graduate of Flathead High School, reads her book "Samson the Sock Monster," to fourth and fifth-graders at Russell Elementary on Friday. (Aaric Bryan/Daily Inter Lake)
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Nick Johnston does a move while practicing with the Down to Earth Parkour at Flathead High School on Thursday. (Aaric Bryan/Daily Inter Lake)
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Jelani Morgan does a move while practicing with the Down to Earth Parkour at Flathead High School on Thursday. (Aaric Bryan/Daily Inter Lake)
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Scott Jarvis does a move while practicing with the Down to Earth Parkour at Flathead High School on Thursday. (Aaric Bryan/Daily Inter Lake)
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Nathan Carter sautes steak tips at the MacKenzie River Pizza, Grill and Pub on Thursday. (Aaric Bryan/Daily Inter Lake)
Dorothy Irene Burchett Barnes Darrow
Montana has first case of Zika virus
A Missoula County woman has the state's first diagnosed case of the Zika virus.
Kila crash victim identified
Authorities have released the identity of a Kila woman who died in a Wednesday afternoon car crash.
Charles 'Charlie' Ronald Thorne
Emma Christine Jore
Clay Jenkinson as Thomas Jefferson at FVCC
Clay Jenkinson, director of Dakota Sky Education, Inc., and voice of Thomas Jefferson on the weekly raodio program "The Thomas Jefferson Hour" speaks before a packed house that the Flathead Valley Community College 2016 Honors Symposium Lecture Series on Thursday night, February 25, in Kalispell. "Dividing Lines: Why Good People are Divided by Politics, Religion, Race and Gender" continues next week with a lecture from Dr. Luke Conway, Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of Montana. His talk, "The Secret Psychological Influence of Expectations for Agreement: Do Conformity Pressures Ultimately Create a Happy or Divided Society" will be held on Wednesday, March 2, at 7 p.m. in the Arts and Technology building. (Brenda Ahearn/Daily Inter Lake)
Clay Jenkinson as Thomas Jefferson
Governor lauds Haskill easement success
Montana Gov. Steve Bullock visited the F.H. Stoltze Land & Lumber Co. headquarters Thursday to congratulate the company and its partners on the freshly inked Haskill Basin conservation easement.
'Keelhaul' wins county spelldown
Sarah Rye was brought to the center of the stage Thursday, handed a trophy and named champion rather than being hauled under a ship after spelling the word “keelhaul” correctly at the Flathead County Spelling Bee.
Man sentenced to two years for repeat DUIs
A Flathead County convict had his suspended sentence for his fifth drinking and driving offense revoked on Thursday after he was found guilty of a sixth DUI in Great Falls.
Thursday, February 25
BOYS BASKETBALL: Bigfork, Libby advance at Western B divisionals
Vikings respond to late challenge, move to 20-1 on the season
Bigfork knows just about every team in Class B will be gunning for them.
GIRLS BASKETBALL: Late layup lifts Loyola over district champion Bigfork
Hollenbach scores with 4.5 seconds left in 43-42 victory
It went just like the coach planned.
GIRLS BASKETBALL: Hellgate spoils Glacier's senior night
On a night of celebrations at Glacier High School, the visiting team had the loudest cheers at the end of the night.
BASKETBALL: Whitefish girls stay alive at Western A divisional tournament
BUTTE — The Whitefish girls kept their season alive while the rest of the Northwestern A struggled at the Western A divisional basketball tournament on Thursday at the Butte Civic Center.
BOYS BASKETBALL: Hellgate tops Glacier, clinches top seed
MISSOULA — The Hellgate boys clinched the Western AA championship with a 50-34 win over Glacier on Thursday.
Libby's Jonny Cielak
Libby's Jonny Cielak soars past Anaconda's Trent Mikalatos for a basket in the Loggers' 69-64 victory in the opening round of the Western B Divisionals at Flathead on Thursday. (Aaric Bryan/Daily Inter Lake)
Bigfork's Joseph Potkonjak
Bigfork's Joseph Potkonjak scores after grabbing his own rebound to give the Vikings' a 38-35 lead over Deer Lodge at the 4:36 mark in the fourth quarter. The Vikings went on to win 51-42 in their opening game of the Western B Divisionals at Flathead on Thursday. (Aaric Bryan/Daily Inter Lake)
Bigfork's Rakiah Grende
Bigfork's Rakiah Grende shoots over Loyola's Brook Kolar (23) and Payson Jacobson to score a basket during the second quarter of the Valkyrie' 43-42 loss in the opening round of the Western B Divisionals at Flathead on Thursday. (Aaric Bryan/Daily Inter Lake)
Glenn L. Johnston, 89
Officer, I might have hit a building
A woman called
Marie Clements, 90
Spelling Bee
KALISPELL home-school student Sarah Rye smiles after spelling "keelhaul" correctly to win the Flathead County Spelling Bee in February. On Saturday, Rye won the Treasure State Spelling Bee in Billings. (Aaric Bryan/Daily Inter Lake)
Profile: Jack Dunne
Jack Dunne looks out his living room window at one of his favorite views, the view Whitefish Range on Wednesday, February 24, in Whitefish. (Brenda Ahearn/Daily Inter Lake)
Monday Profile: Jack Dunne
Jack Dunne, 90, in his home in Whitefish. Dunne taught in the Whitefish school district for 31 years.
David Ogden
Polson Skate Park
Chase Rhine, 20, of Polson, makes a jump at the the 7th Avenue Skate Park in Polson with the snow-capped mountains in the background. (Brenda Ahearn/Daily Inter Lake)
Miracle of America Museum
The Miracle of America Museum includes 40 buildings sprawling over 4.5 acre. (Brenda Ahearn/Daily Inter Lake)
Whitefish woman claims Mountain Man title
Sara Erb has very good aim.
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Flathead home school student Sarah Rye thinks about how to spell vendetta during the final rounds of the Flathead County Spelling Bee at Glacier High School on Thursday. Rye went on to win the spelling bee in the 18th round. (Aaric Bryan/Daily Inter Lake)
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Ruder Elementary student Norelle King-Kaaihue thinks as she tries to spell mizzle during the Flathead County Spelling Bee at Glacier High School on Thursday. (Aaric Bryan/Daily Inter Lake)
Montana court limits commercial sales of medical marijuana
HELENA (AP) — The Montana Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that medical marijuana providers should be paid for their services but it clamped down on commercial sales of the drug by limiting providers to no more than three patients each.
EDITORIAL: Is Apple protecting terrorists?
LETTER: Meaning of First Amendment's protections? Let the debate begin
LETTER: Time for UM's Engstrom to depart the scene
LETTER: Lake County's bumbling response to density plan
LETTER: 'Once upon a time' is true story
Woman dies after Kila crash
Authorities are investigating whether or not speed might have been a factor in a vehicle crash that claimed the life of a Kila woman Wednesday afternoon.
Kila accident
The ALERT helicopter takes off from Browns Meadow Road at the scene of a one-vehicle crash on Wednesday afternoon. The driver of the vehicle later died. (Aaric Bryan/Daily Inter Lake)
Canyon Fishing derby changed to fun day at VFW
The Canyon Kids Christmas Fund Fishing Derby, scheduled Saturday at Lion Lake, has been canceled.
Federal patent official to lead FVCC workshop
Ronald Larry Jones, 83
Homer Leonard Andersen, 89
This Week in the Flathead | Feb. 25 - March 2
Steve Middlesworth, 70
Kevin L. Kramer, 57
Sharon Lee Reetz, 72
Bigfork Community Players kick off 2016 with comedy
'Don't Drink the Water'
The Bigfork Community Players will open Woody Allen’s comedy, “Don’t Drink the Water,” at the Bigfork Center for the Performing Arts on Friday, Feb. 26, at 7:30 p.m. Performances continue Saturday, Feb. 27, at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, Feb. 28, at 2 p.m.
Janice 'Jan' Kienas, 79
Glow-stick party to benefit young patient
West Valley School will be the site of the “Ultimate Kids ’80s Glow Stick Dance Party” Saturday as a benefit of 2-year-old Thelma Mae Briney, who is undergoing treatment for an aggressive and rare form of cancer.
Wednesday, February 24
TERRY COLUMN: Falling down a Big Mountain
I’m not a skier.
BASKETBALL: Columbia Falls, Polson advance at Western A divisional
Wildcats force OT with buzzer-beater, roll in extra session
BUTTE — Columbia Falls and Polson each went 2-0 as the Western A divisional tournament tipped off Wednesday at the Butte Civic Center.
LAW ROUNDUP: Man goes to hospital with stab wound
Hundreds show up for Kalispell refugee talk
An estimated 460 people turned out Tuesday in Kalispell to hear a Bozeman-based immigration speaker detail the reasons he believes settlement of refugees in the United States is a drain on national resources and potential threat to homeland security.
Construction companies question hauling exceptions
Local construction companies are crying foul over Flathead County’s decision to waive load restrictions on a short segment of Stillwater Road that will be used for 10 days of hauling for the U.S. 93 bypass project.
County still studying farm-road weight limit
Flathead County’s spring load weight limits on county roads took effect Wednesday, but the commissioners remain undecided about whether to make an exception for Church Drive so heavy loads of anhydrous ammonia fertilizer can be delivered to West Valley farmers.
Dam project could cost $200 million
Officials with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation are conducting an environmental assessment on an estimated $200 million in upgrades to Hungry Horse Dam expected to take nearly a decade.
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William Martin, 3, rides a trike ahead of his mom Lindsay Martin over a bridge at Woodland Park on Wednesday. (Aaric Bryan/Daily Inter Lake)
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Kevin L. Kramer
Homer Leonard Andersen
Janice Jan Kienas
State to improve bicycle camping spots
The bicycle camping areas at Whitefish Lake and Wayfarers state parks are getting upgrades, Montana State Parks announced Tuesday.
Join the fun at Sportsman's Expo this weekend
The fifth annual Montana Sportsman’s Expo kicks off in Kalispell this Friday at the Flathead County Fairgrounds Trade Center.
Blue Skies in Polson
A truck crosses the Polson Veteran's Memorial Bridge heading out of town on Tuesday afternoon, February 23. (Brenda Ahearn/Daily Inter Lake)
Steve Middlesworth
This Week in the Flathead: Don't Drink the Water
Narrator Tom Hicks as Father Drobney opens the dress rehearsal of Don't Drink the Water by Bigfork Community Players which opens on Friday, February 26. (Brenda Ahearn/Daily Inter Lake)
'Don't Drink the Water'
Dave Vale as Walter Hollander rehearsing a scene in "Don't Drink the Water" by the Bigfork Community Players.
People Before the Park
Birth Center fundraising continues
Roughly three months after North Valley Hospital in Whitefish completed its Birth Center expansion, the hospital is still raising money to pay for the project.
Ronald Larry Jones
Sharon Lee Reetz
LAW ROUNDUP: Man wakes up in landlord's yard
Ruth Mae Christensen Nelson, 99
Sarah Marie Hermes, 67
Clifford Warren Doolittle (now)
Steven Raymond Siefert
Pearl (Timmreck) Gladstone
Clifford Warren Doolittle (then)
Ruth Mae Christensen Nelson
Steven Raymond Siefert, 38
Harry Edward Cheff
Pearl (Timmreck) Gladstone, 92
Sarah Marie Hermes
Clifford Warren Doolittle, 94
Kalispell Council discusses airport options
The Kalispell City Council took another crack Monday at the future of the Kalispell City Airport: whether to fund it, close it or attempt to reopen negotiations with the Federal Aviation Administration.
Tuesday, February 23
BOYS BASKETBALL: Hellgate burns Braves from long distance
Conference-leading Knights win 9th in a row
Sometimes basketball’s not all that complicated of a game.
GIRLS BASKETBALL: Hellgate girls pull away from Bravettes
MISSOULA — Katie Stahl scored 15 points and the Missoula Hellgate girls pulled away from Flathead in a Western AA basketball game on Tuesday night.
LEGENDS STADIUM: Flathead greats Frank Cabbage, Jeff Epperly selected for Wall of Fame
Frank Cabbage and Jeff Epperly will join 26 former coaches and athletes on the Legends Wall of Fame at an induction ceremony on Friday during the crosstown girls’ basketball game at Glacier High School.
Flathead senior Matt Marshall
Flathead's Matt Marshall splits Missoula Hellgate defenders Buckley Belcourt (5) and Connor Schenck as he puts up a shot during the second quarter at Flathead on Tuesday. (Aaric Bryan/Daily Inter Lake)
Flathead's Bridger Johnson
Flathead's Bridger Johnson scores the first points of the game as he shoots over Missoula Hellgate's Landon Youbles at Flathead on Tuesday. (Aaric Bryan/Daily Inter Lake)
LETTER: The fruits of a corrupt system?
LETTER: Left-wing lunacy?
OPINION: Protect U.S. from Islamic takeover
Sex offender racks up string of alleged violations
Authorities contend that a Eureka man’s brushes with the law violate his probation since he was released from prison to finish a 13-year suspended portion of a 20-year sentence for sexual assault.
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Sara Erb poses with a knife at the Remington Bar in Whitefish on Tuesday. Erb won the knife throwing and BB gun shooting to become the first woman to win the Mountain Man competition at Cabin Fever Days. (Aaric Bryan/Daily Inter Lake)
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Sara Erb sits with steins she won for knife throwing and BB gun shooting at during Cabin Fever Days. Erb was the first woman to win the Mountain Men competition. (Aaric Bryan/Daily Inter Lake)
Sara Erb
College enrollment continues to dip
For the fourth year in a row, Flathead Valley Community College has seen its full-time spring enrollment drop.
FVCC picks architect for campus housing
CTA Architects Engineers has been picked to design and oversee the construction of the first on-campus housing at Flathead Valley Community College.
Ex posts slander on Facebook
One resident called
Fire in the sky
Clouds over the Swan Range are lit up by the last rays of sunset on Monday, February 22, from McWenneger Slough east of Kalispell. (Brenda Ahearn/Daily Inter Lake)
Bank to roll out chip cards next month
Starting next week, Glacier Bank will begin mailing out new chip-enabled debit cards to thousands of bank customers.
Film company disputes fishing citations
Missoula film company Montana Wild acknowledged responsibility for 49 citations related to bull trout fishing and filming permits, but claimed Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks misrepresented a portion of the violations.
Monday, February 22
Pairings set for divisional hoop play
Western Divisional action for area Class A and B boys and girls basketball teams begin this week at the Butte Civic Center and Flathead High School.
Mary Jo Ward, 75
Recently, a great woman, “was taken into the arms of the good Lord, to join loved ones of her past.” Mary Jo Ward’s time on this Earth ended on Feb. 8, 2016, when she passed away from natural causes.
Clifford Leroy Jones, 84
David Michael Hintz, 47
Roof work in February
Mike Foy of Foyco installs a metal roof to a home in downtown Kalispell on Monday, February 22. (Brenda Ahearn/Daily Inter Lake)
Bail reduction denied for sex offender
Flathead District Judge Robert Allison refused to lower bail for a man accused of sexually abusing two young girls in June 2014 and October 2014.
Attorney says rapist, stalker has no basis for appeal
A public defender has argued to the Montana Supreme Court that a Polson man has no reason to appeal his conviction for sexually assaulting an ex-girlfriend.
Repairing a classic Chris-Craft
Glacier Park Boat Co. has been working to repair a classic 1957 Chris-Craft Sedan Cruiser.
Kalispell water use soars during dry 2015
During a year punctuated by drought, Kalispell residents in 2015 used almost 1.5 billion gallons from the city water supply.
Pane in the glass: Montana recycling efforts rocky
Matt O'Dea
Matt O'Dea uses a wine bottle to push glass up a belt conveyor and into the glass pulverizer. Last year New World Recycling processed 80 tons of glass. (Seaborn Larson/Daily Inter Lake)
Glass driveway
Recycled glass makes up the driveway at New World Recycling. When the roads connecting to the property become covered by ice, Matt O'Dea pours glass bits over the ice; the glass insulates heat and melts the ice without a need for salt or chemicals. (Seaborn Larson/Daily Inter Lake)
Recycling in the Flathead
Matt O'Dea drops a bin of glass on a belt conveyor headed into the pulverizer. Last year New World Recycling processed 80 tons of glass. (Seaborn Larson/Daily Inter Lake)
Superintendent candidate visits Flathead
State Sen. Elsie Arntzen, R-Billings, made a stop in Kalispell last week to “knock on school doors” to promote her bid for state superintendent of Public Instruction and gather information on local issues.
Evergreen Water, Sewer District has board vacancy
The Flathead County commissioners are looking for someone to fill a board vacancy with the Evergreen Water and Sewer District. The six-year term will begin upon appointment and end in November 2022. You must be an owner, lessee or resident within the district’s boundaries to be considered for the position.
Building relationships is an integral part of foundation job
As the president of the Kalispell Regional Healthcare Foundation, Tagen Vine has been at the helm of a philanthropic endeavor that has brought in $21.5 million over the past decade.
Work session to focus on airport, south Kalispell
The Kalispell City Council tonight will discuss potential options for Kalispell City Airport.
Whitefish woman named top mom
A 26-year-old Whitefish woman who juggled motherhood and military life has been named Montana’s Mother of the Year.
Flathead residents tapping into Medicaid expansion
Since the Montana HELP Act went into effect Jan. 1, more than half of Flathead County’s uninsured adults who qualified for Medicaid through the recent expansion now have health insurance.
Sunday, February 21
Donald 'Joe' Fehrs, 67
Donald “Joe” Fehrs, 67, of Bigfork, passed away in Kalispell on Feb. 18, 2016.
Bike picked up after parking in wrong place
A Peregrine Lane resident called the
Firefighters called twice to house fire
Several fire departments responded to two separate outbreaks of fire in a home north of Kalispell Friday evening and Saturday morning.
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Flood insurance company opens gates for tour
Members of the Flathead Valley business community recently got a look inside a Kalispell company that deals exclusively in crisis situations.
LETTER: Potential impact of the water compact on irrigators
LETTER: Don't use Reagan's words to try to destroy Scalia's legacy
OPINION Do wildlife managers really just want to kill grizzlies?
OPINION: People cause problem bears? It ain't necessarily so
LETTER: Managing editor is modern Sadducee
OPINION: True reform vs. the false security of gun control
OPINION: Muslim influx is clear and present danger to U.S.
EDITORIAL: Weyerhaeuser's welcome news
Californian denies local drug trafficking in Kalispell
A California man has denied allegations of trafficking large quantities of methamphetamine, heroin and cocaine in the Kalispell area.
Saturday, February 20
BOYS BASKETBALL: Suddenly surging Braves win second straight
Flathead follows up win over Capital with upset of Helena High
Twenty-four hours earlier, Flathead’s offense was floundering and the team was buried in the cellar of the Western AA conference, while Helena High was atop the league standings, winners of six of seven.
BOYS BASKETBALL: Helena Capital rallies to beat Glacier in overtime
Wolfpack squanders 15-point lead in second half
Helena Capital coach Guy Almquist called it “a hustle play.”
BASKETBALL: Bigfork boys, girls claim District 7B tournament championships
POLSON — Bigfork’s boys and girls were crowned District 7B basketball champions on Saturday in tournament play.
GIRLS BASKETBALL: Flathead, Glacier lose in Helena
HELENA — Helena Capital jumped out to a 17-7 first-quarter lead and pulled away for good with a strong second half to dump Glacier 56-32 on Saturday afternoon in Western AA girls basketball action.
Theodore A. Langton, 90
Marian Joyce Bell Emerson, 87
Marian Joyce Bell Emerson, 87
Glenn L. Johnston, 89
Quilters add comfort for teen shelter
Some local quilters are feathering the Sparrow’s Nest of Northwest Montana shelter being built in Kalispell.
OPINION: Civility is not a four-letter word, so listen and learn
Flathead speaker wins top state honor
State accolades were recently bestowed on the Flathead High School Speech and Debate team.
COLUMN: Yikes, I hope I didn't spell anything wrong!
Roy Antley
Parker Kouns
Columbia Falls Aluminum Co.
CFAC retained ownership over some aluminum scrap, which it is able to reuse at a still-operational aluminum smelter in Kentucky. (Brenda Ahearn/Daily Inter Lake)
Resource firm chips away at plant demolition
If all goes according to plan, the ongoing demolition and recycling of most of the buildings at Columbia Falls Aluminum Co. could finish by the end of 2017.
Ryan Pengelly
Man wielding gun who was shot by police is upset by felony charge
Five bullet holes hurt enough for Ryan Pengelly; it hurts even more now that he’s been charged with a felony.
Flathead's Cade White
Flathead's Cade White shoots over Helena's Connor Matthews for a basket in the second quarter of the Braves' 67-62 victory on Saturday. (Aaric Bryan/Daily Inter Lake)
Court won't rehear newlywed murder appeal
A three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has denied a petition to rehear an appeal by a Montana woman who admitted pushing her husband to his death off a cliff eight days after their wedding.
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A wheelchair sits at the ramp during the Moving Forward Adaptive Sports sled hockey clinic at the Woodland Ice Center on Saturday. The clinic was for abled and disabled athletes. (Aaric Bryan/Daily Inter Lake)
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Tristan Dishon skates toward a puck during the Moving Forward Adaptive Sports sled hockey clinic at the Woodland Ice Center on Saturday. (Aaric Bryan/Daily Inter Lake)
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Kimberley Barreda helps Jess Schmidt regain her balance during the Moving Forward Adaptive Sports sled hockey practice clinic at the Woodland Ice Center on Saturday. There will be a clinic at 10 a.m. today and games start at 2 p.m. (Aaric Bryan/Daily Inter Lake)
Ziva Ahart
Five-year-old Ziva Ahart, right, watches cartoons with her dad Jeremiah and her sister Layla on Saturday at their home in Kalispell. Ziva has a hole in her heart that will require surgery next month. (Aaric Bryan/Daily Inter Lake)
Thief apologizes for stealing vehicle
A Columbia Falls man apologized at sentencing in Flathead District Court on Thursday for the fear his victim has had to deal with after he stole her vehicle on July 19, 2015.
Ponderosa Lane Fire
Firefighters from Kalispell Fire and West Valley Fire return to the scene of a structure fire at 327 Ponderosa Lane north of Kalispell on Saturday morning, around 2:30 a.m. The fire was initially responded to on Friday evening, but firefighters were called back to the scene due to reports of smoke and popping noises. (Brenda Ahearn/Daily Inter Lake)
Montana's Mother of the Year
Jessica How, a former member of the United States Marine Corps who currently works at Remedies Day Spa in Whitefish, along with her children, Aeva, 3, and Parker, 8, a second-grader at Muldown Elementary School, together at the Whitefish City Beach. How has been named Montana's Mother of the Year by the national organization American Mothers.
Friday, February 19
BOYS BASKETBALL: Glacier takes down first-place Helena on late triple
In desperation mode after a late bucket gave Helena High its second lead of the game with only 24 seconds to play, Glacier found an open shot in the corner with time running out.
BOYS BASKETBALL: Flathead knocks off Capital, again
The smile on Tyler Johnson’s face was the first big giveaway.
GIRLS BASKETBALL: Schrade's buzzer-beater sends Glacier to win; Flathead routed in Helena
HELENA — Anna Schrade scored only two points, but they were the biggest of the game.
Glacier's Tadan Gilman and Dylan Ruggles
Glacier's Tadan Gilman, left, and Dylan Ruggles tie up Helena's Connor Matthews for a held ball during the third quarter of the Wolfpack's 37-36 victory at Glacier on Friday. (Aaric Bryan/Daily Inter Lake)
House Fire
Firefighters enter the home during a house fire on 327 Ponderosa Lane north of Kalispell Friday night. (Aaric Bryan/Daily Inter Lake)
Pancakes popular at school fundraiser
The line kept getting longer and the pancakes kept coming at Ruder Elementary School’s first “breakfast for dinner” Thursday to raise money for a fifth-grade history field trip to Great Falls.
Weyerhaueser-Plum Creek merger completed
Weyerhaeuser Co. on Friday announced the completion of its merger with Plum Creek Timber Co. Inc., formally creating the largest timber company in the country.
Tank empty; Fuel bandits suspected
The
Man pleads not guilty to chase, crash
A Billings man has challenged a felony charge accusing him of a chase that ended with a fleeing truck crashing into eight parked vehicles at an Evergreen dealership on Jan. 19.
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The wood shavings from a mahogany plank pile on the planer as Tyrel Johnson works on restoring a 1957 Chris Craft at the Glacier Park Boat Company in Columbia Falls on Friday, Feb. 19, 2016. (Aaric Bryan/Daily Inter Lake)
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Somers Career Day
Accountant Tony Vanorny of Junkermier, Clark, Campanella, Stevens, P.C. (JCCS) Certified Public Accountants and Business Advisors talks with students at annual Career Day on Friday, February 19, at Somer Middle School. (Brenda Ahearn/Daily Inter Lake)
Montana's Mother of the Year
Jessica How at Remedies Day Spa in Whitefish has recently been named Montana's Mother of the Year by the national organization American Mothers. (Brenda Ahearn/Daily Inter Lake)
LETTER: Change is scary
LETTER: Muslim flood into Montana will cause wave of problems
LETTER: Apple should not have to do what FBI has asked
LETTER: GOP needs a history lesson on Supreme Court appointments
OPINION: Learn the facts about refugee resettlement
EDITORIAL: Looking forward to Pond Hockey 2017
Film company fined for wilderness violations
The owners of a Missoula-based film company were issued 38 state and 11 federal citations for violating bull trout regulations and filming illegally in the Bob Marshall Wilderness.
Man tries to get God's attention
A man assured a
Jack Gladstone receives award, grant
First Peoples Fund, a national organization supporting Native American artists, has named Jack Wallace Gladstone of East Glacier as one of seven recipients of the 2016 Jennifer Easton Community Spirit Award.
Thursday, February 18
BOYS BASKETBALL: Vikings vanquish Troy to reach District 7B finals
BIGFORK — Last fall, Bigfork voters approved a bond request to fund, in part, a renovation of the high school that includes an expansion of the school’s gym, work that could begin this summer.
GIRLS BASKETBALL: Valkyries survive Trojan siege, advance to 7B championship game
BIGFORK — It was just 13 days ago that Bigfork held Troy to 17 points in a ruthless 39-point thrashing on the Trojans’ home court.
BASKETBALL ROUNDUP: Libby girls, Thompson Falls boys advance to District 7B title games
LIBBY — Trinity Wallace hit a pair of clutch free throws with 22 seconds remaining to put Libby on top for good as the Loggers held off a determined Eureka squad 39-34 in a District 7B semifinal tournament girls basketball game Thursday evening.
Bigfork's Mattie McAnally
Bigfork's Mattie McAnally steals the ball from Troy's Allie Coldwell in the Valkyrie's 47-33 victory in the 7B District semifinal in Bigfork on Thursday. (Aaric Bryan/Daily Inter Lake)
Bigfork's Anders Epperly
Bigfork's Anders Epperly drives to the hoop for a basket in the second quarter against Troy in the Vikings' 70-42 victroy in the District 7B semifinals in Bigfork on Thursday. (Aaric Bryan/Daily inter Lake)
Bigfork's Jonathan Landon
Bigfork's Jonathan Landon is fouled by Troy's Sean Opland during the District 7B semifinals in Bigfork on Thursday. (Aaric Bryan/Daily Inter Lake)
Mock interview
Early load limits won't affect bypass hauling
Unseasonably warm weather has prompted the Flathead County commissioners to set spring load limits on county roads more than two weeks ahead of normal.
Jean Jackson Wakefield, 81
GOP primary race develops for state Senate seat
Citing his private sector experience and a home-turf advantage in state Senate District 3, Whitefish businessman Don “K” Kaltschmidt is challenging current House Majority Leader Rep. Keith Regier for the Republican nomination.
Story Lady visits Whitefish Library
Donna Maddux as the Story Lady reads to children at the Whitefish Library on Thursday morning, February 18. (Brenda Ahearn/Daily Inter Lake)
Apartment complex proposed in Evergreen
A proposed 10-unit apartment building in Evergreen and a plan to build a church west of Kalispell are projects the Flathead County Board of Adjustment will consider during public hearings on March 1.
Glacier view
Monday Profile: Tagen Vine
New Media Materials at Whitefish Library
Whitefish Library Director Joey Kositzky adds music cd's audiobooks and dvds to the new Media section at the Whitefish Library on Thursday morning, February 18. More than 250 new items have arrived at the library purchased with money from the $4500 Whitefish Community Foundation grant. The grant was specifically for new media. The library staff determined what needed to be replaced and then focused on purchasing new material for different age groups. Approximately 50 more items are expected to be delivered, but the first items are available online for sharing with other libraries in the area and were available to browsers before the end of the day on Thursday. "We are so grateful to the Whitefish Community Foundation," said Kositzky. "And to anyone who donates their money, materials or time. Volunteers are what keeps us going." (Brenda Ahearn/Daily Inter Lake)
Lanny Luding retires
Lanny Luding outside his home in Columbia Falls on Wednesday afternoon, February 17. Luding spent more than 50 years taking care of the chalets in Glacier National Park. He announced his retirement earlier this year. (Brenda Ahearn/Daily Inter Lake)
Monday Profile: Lanny Luding
Lanny Luding outside his home in Columbia Falls on Wednesday afternoon, February 17. Luding spent more than 50 years taking care of the chalets in Glacier National Park. He announced his retirement earlier this year.
Hunting changes OK'd for Northwest Montana
The Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission last week approved several changes to the 2016 and 2017 hunting regulations for Northwest Montana Region One.
Man charged for allegedly having meth cooker in car
A Hungry Horse man is facing a felony charge after he allegedly was caught with a small methamphetamine brewing operation in his vehicle.
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Flathead sophomore Amelia Hanko shakes Heidi Delle's hand after finishing her mock interview for the high school's Career Field Day on Thursday. (Aaric Bryan/Daily Inter Lake)
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Flathead sophomore Noah Love answer Andrew Clegg, of the Flathead County Attorney's Office, during a mock interview at the high school on Thursday. (Aaric Bryan/Daily Inter Lake)
Elementary check-in system
Flathead County Superintendent Mark Flatau discusses the installation and use of the new identification system from Complete Campus Security Solutions at Edgerton Elementary on Tuesday morning, February 9, in Kalispell. (Brenda Ahearn/Daily Inter Lake)
Judge orders release of student in gun case
On Wednesday, a judge eliminated a bond requirement and granted the release from custody of a Flathead High School student accused of bringing alcohol, drug paraphernalia and a gun to school.
Study predicts growth in high-tech sector
Employment and revenue in the high-tech sector are growing faster than any other Montana industries, according to a study by the University of Montana’s Bureau of Business and Economic Research.
This Week in the Flathead | Feb. 18-24
The magic of 'The Little Prince'
The Whitefish Theatre Co. is bringing the magic of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s book “The Little Prince” to the stage on Feb. 25-28 and March 4-6.
Check-in system goes digital at schools
Visitor check-in at Kalispell’s five public elementary schools has gone digital, upping the level of security.
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Wednesday, February 17
TERRY COLUMN: Bracketing through the motions
No teams will be eliminated from this weekend’s District 7B tournament.
'The Little Prince'
Costume designer Lonnie Porro adjusts the thorns on the costume of Taylor Gray, who plays the Rose.
Book compiles funny outdoor essays
While there’s no shortage of Montana novels documenting the rugged bravado of their authors, one outdoors writer decided to focus on the less glamorous side of hunting and fishing in his recently published book.
Sled hockey still planned this weekend at rink
Moving Forward Adaptive Sports will hold its sled hockey practice clinics and tournament on Saturday and Sunday at the Woodland Park ice rink in Kalispell.
Historic deal finalized that protects Whitefish watershed
This week will be one of celebration for many Whitefish leaders and residents after the city finalized a deal Tuesday that will safeguard more than 3,000 acres of land providing the bulk of the Whitefish water supply.
Greg Adkins
Poison Ivy
Gravel Spill
A grader clears the large debris off of the side of U.S. 2 after a gravel spill near the Glacier International Airport on Wednesday. (Aaric Bryan/Daily Inter Lake)
Whitefish schools plan to set up tip line
Whitefish high school and middle school will be introducing a “Bulldog Tip Line.”
Robert E. Rales, 88
Robert E. Rales went peacefully in his sleep, “in the arms of his Lord and Savior and is walking on streets of gold.” “He was welcomed by his parents, brother, wife and grandsons” on Feb. 11, 2016, at the Montana Veterans Home in Columbia Falls.
Barbara Jean Hughes
Jack Lee, 71
Jack Lee, our beloved husband, father and friend, “went to be with Jesus for eternity” on Friday, Feb. 5, 2016, at the age of 71, in Kalispell. He passed away peacefully, and surrounded by his loved ones following a brief illness.
Barbara Jean Hughes, 90
Barbara Jean Hughes, 90, of Great Falls, “went to join her beloved husband, Richard ‘Dick’ Hughes,” on Valentine’s Day 2016. This brought their love to a complete circle as she proposed to him on Valentine’s Day in 1952, a leap year. They wed June 19, 1952.
Scouts seek dismissal of suit over 1970s-era rapes
Boy Scouts of America has asked the Montana Supreme Court to dismiss claims against the organization by five of six women raped as children by Kalispell Scout leader William Leininger Jr. in 1974 and 1975.
Tuesday, February 16
BASKETBALL ROUNDUP: Troy boys, girls romp in district tournament play-in games
TROY — Sean Opland scored 25 points and Troy kept its season alive with a 53-22 shellacking of Eureka in a play-in game to the District 7B tournament on Tuesday night.
Bypass team updates commissioners
The U.S. 93 bypass project is on schedule and moving forward, project managers told Flathead County Commissioners on Tuesday.
Tiny bar proposed at Whitefish lodge
The owners of The Lodge at Whitefish Lake are asking for city approval to operate a bar for lodging guests at the lodge’s Viking Creek facilities on the east side of Wisconsin Avenue in Whitefish.
County compromises on zoning setback
The Flathead County commissioners last week agreed to retain a 100-foot setback for the city of Whitefish’s primary water source, a key compromise as the county inches closer to adopting zoning in the “doughnut” area surrounding Whitefish.
Jack Lee (then)
Jack Lee (now)
Robert E. Rales
Rep. Ryan Zinke visits CFAC
Plant cleanup still a matter of debate
U.S. Congressman Ryan Zinke brought along members of the local media for a tour of Columbia Falls Aluminum Co. on Tuesday, using the opportunity to reiterate his opposition to the shuttered plant’s listing as a federal Superfund site.
Valley Voices
Valley Voices Choir to sing at Carnegie Hall
The Valley Voices Community Choir has been invited to perform at New York City’s world-famous Carnegie Hall in November after being “discovered” via a YouTube video the choir posted online.
Daybook, Feb. 17
Today (Feb. 17)
Event founder Broussard inducted into hall of fame
The late Rebecca “Becky” Broussard, founder of The Event at Rebecca Farm, a world-renowned equestrian triathlon held every July in the Flathead Valley, has been inducted into the U.S. Eventing Association Hall of Fame.
Science proves walleyes introduced into Swan Lake
Two walleyes caught in Swan Lake by state wildlife officials last year were introduced into the lake, according to a recently completed scientific analysis of the fish.
Cabin Fever Days' Barstool Races
Gary Wallette yells as he crosses the finish line ahead of Jamie Dawson and Tyler McRae during the Cabin Fever Days' Barstool Races in Martin City on Saturday. (Aaric Bryan/Daily Inter Lake)
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Cary Kosltad celebrates as he crosses the finish line during the Cabin Fever Day's Barstool Races in Martin City on Saturday. (Aaric Bryan/Daily Inter Lake)
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Chris Ruby gives high fives to the crowd as he goes down the hill during the Cabin Fever Day's Barstool Races in Martin City on Saturday. (Aaric Bryan/Daily Inter Lake)
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Gary Wallette yells as he crosses the finish line ahead of Jamie Dawson and Tyler McRae during the Cabin Fever Days Barstool Races in Martin City on Saturday. (Aaric Bryan/Daily Inter Lake)
LETTER: Save lives by ending abortion instead of by restricting guns
I hear Obama wants to save lives by gun control. But if you want to save lives, how about starting at the top killer in the U.S. — abortions! Yes, abortions paid for by the taxpayers!
LETTER: Man can't control many aspects of world
God created the earth, sun, moon and stars. He also set the earth in orbit around the sun in such manner that gives us the four seasons. The earth also was designed in such a manner that we have rain, snow, storms, tides, El Nino, hurricanes, tornados, earthquakes and volcano eruptions. None of these activities can be stopped by man.
LETTER: Americans being divided by anger, fear?
Food for thought: “What happened to America being the United States of America?”
LETTER: Change system for appointment of justices
“We the People in order to form a more perfect government” — those words were written to mean exactly what they said, “We the People.”
LETTER: TPP will kill Montana agriculture
Just two weeks ago, the U.S. trade representative signed a multi-national trade deal called the Trans Pacific Partnership. To be finalized, Congress has to ratify it.
Slide risk rises while lake ice melts
FEBRUARY THAW
The Flathead Avalanche Center on Monday issued a “high” avalanche danger for elevations above 6,000 feet, meaning both natural and human-caused slides are likely.
Fight inside car ends quickly
Two men were seen fighting inside a red Volkswagen Jetta and somehow knocked a handgun out of the window. Once the gun hit the ground, the passenger got out of the car and ran away while the driver took off in another direction, the caller told
Woman sentenced for threat, credit-card fraud
A Kalispell woman was sentenced in Flathead District Court on Thursday for using fraudulent credit cards, writing bad checks and threatening a woman in two separate cases that occurred last summer.
Monday, February 15
Agency sues over 2007 gasoline leak
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Feb. 9 sued Michael’s Convenience Stores Inc., seeking damages for an alleged 10,000 gallons of gasoline that leaked from a Kalispell gas station in 2007.
Barbara A. 'Bobbie' Williams, 77
Barbara A. “Bobbie” Williams, 77, of Mesa, Arizona, “went home to our Lord” on Thursday, Feb. 11, 2016 at her daughter’s home in Corvallis. She was surrounded by her family.
Shawn Maureen Brooks, 60
Frieda Louise Wilkie Miller, 87
Frieda Louise Wilke Miller, 87
Frieda Louise Wilke Miller “left us to be with our Lord and Savior” on Jan. 27, 2016.
Speakers from three schools advance to nationals
A dozen Flathead Valley high school students have qualified for the national speech and debate meet.
Business students advance to international event
Glacier and Whitefish high schools had a combined 58 students qualify for internationals at the Montana DECA Career Development Conference.
Flathead Valley Hocky Association
Elijah Karow, 12, a member of the Flathead Valley Hockey Association Flathead Flames, plays at the ice rink in Woodland Park on Monday morning, in Woodland Park. (Brenda Ahearn/Daily Inter Lake)
February Thaw
Melting ice conditions at Foys Lake on Monday morning west of Kalispell.
Liberty Tax and dog
Tyrell Scott of Rollins pauses for a moment from advertising for Liberty Tax to give his dog, Ace, a boxer, a drink of water, on Monday, February 16, at the intersection of Meridian and Idaho in Kalispell. (Brenda Ahearn/Daily Inter Lake)
Kisa and Travis Davison, SBG
Travis and Kisa Davison teach x-guard sweeps at Straight Blast Gym on Wednesday, January 13, in Kalispell. The gym first opened seven years ago. They have since opened a location in Whitefish and are working on opening one in Missoula. (Brenda Ahearn/Daily Inter Lake)
Kisa and Travis Davison
Kisa and Travis Davison at the Split Rock Cafe in Kalispell. (Brenda Ahearn/Daily Inter Lake)
Love and life's journey: How two Kalispell gym owners saved themselves
Thief wanted a head start on biking season
An Eighth Avenue East North resident called the
Man sentenced for razor incident
An apologetic Whitefish man was given a 10-year commitment with five years suspended to the Department of Corrections for threatening to cut a woman in a June 23, 2015, incident.
Whitefish High boosts course offerings
Whitefish High School is bulking up course offerings in Advanced Placement, culinary arts and physical education for the 2016-17 school year.
Kalispell Council to vote on final swimming pool rules
The Kalispell City Council on Tuesday will vote on adopting international swimming pool and spa building standards.
Whitefish proposes moratorium on density averaging
The Whitefish City Council on Tuesday will consider a six-month moratorium on allowing the averaging of residential density across zoning districts when a planned-unit development overlays more than one zoning district.
Nick and Rebecca Spear shine on stage
Love of theater
William Shakespeare once wrote: “All the world’s a stage,/And all the men and women merely players…”
Mission trip builds momentum for outreach
The power of hope
Giving hope to people who struggle every day to simply survive is a profound experience.
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Sunday, February 14
William R. Morgan, 75
Eugene 'Gene' Lenz, 85
Gene Lenz, 85, died at home on Feb. 12, 2016, with his family at his side, after a courageous fight with cancer.
The power of hope
Kristin Kamberger, an intern with Potter's Field Ministries' IGNITE training center in Guatemala, works with a patient during the recent medical mission trip to Antigua. All the IGNITE interns at the center in Antigua helped with various areas of the medical trip, from leading the children's programs, to pharmacy, to overseeing and assisting patients.
Glacier speech earns national recognition
Glacier High Speech and Debate was the only program in Montana to earn the 2014-15 Leading Chapter Award from a national association.
LETTER: Bill Clinton singing the blues as Hillary slides?
Bill Clinton is trembling. He fears being indicted by the FBI. Well, he is, and so is Hillary. The billion dollars he accumulated during his absence from the White House will probably be confiscated, as well. As a result Hillary has recently gone into “Enabler” mode.
LETTER: Can we really trust scientists' assumptions?
The global warming/climate change debate ass/u/me’s that any change from the status quo is BAD. Is this really true and is it factual?
Small-business director teaches entrepreneurship skills in Asia
John and Jerri Balsam went to Southeast Asia in December with a mission to educate as many people as possible on how to successfully start, operate and sustain a business.
OPINION: Freedom from religion is key part of U.S. law
Those who claim a special right to political power because they say their God gave it to them represent one of the greatest threats to modern-day democracy worldwide. Christian theocrats have infiltrated government and are siphoning off millions of tax dollars, and Moslem theocrats have put us in a constant terror alert.
OPINION: Libby officials reject Motl's political charge
On May 12, 2015, Jon Motl, the Montana commissioner of political practices, filed a “Summary of Facts and Finding of Sufficient Evidence to Show Violations of Montana’s Practices Act” against former Libby City Attorney James Reintsma, the mayor of Libby, and several members of the Libby City Council. The basic allegation of Mr. Motl is that public funds were used to influence the 2013 Libby mayoral election.
OPINION: Ed Berry 'denies reality' about human role in climate change
Ed Berry’s latest denial of the cause of climate change (Feb. 5 Daily Inter Lake letter to editor) is another example of his factless claims and disinformation about this issue.
OPINION: Refugee resettlement is an issue of security and finances, not Islamophobia
I am a citizen of Montana and reside in Flathead County. I have followed the issue of refugee resettlement with great interest and concern and have watched the effect it has had in Europe as well as in major cities and metropolitan areas across the United States.
OPINION: Don't believe Internet smears about Obama's religion
Mark Suppelsa’s letter of Jan. 1, 2016, certainly caused quite a stir, as evidenced by the letters to the editor published in the Jan. 8 Inter Lake.
Student denies gun and drug allegations
A Flathead High School student on Friday denied bringing a partially loaded gun, alcohol and drug paraphernalia to campus on Jan. 29.
Gianforte visits Whitefish to press for less regulation
Halfway through a 61-town, three-week campaign tour, Republican gubernatorial candidate Greg Gianforte stopped at the Great Northern Brewing Co. in Whitefish Saturday morning to ask local residents what state regulations they would like to see on the chopping block.
Good news for Libby area residents
It’s a foregone conclusion that Libby will be dealing with the aftermath of asbestos poisoning from the W.R. Grace vermiculite mine for years to come, but last week’s long-awaited final cleanup plan at least puts a time frame on the remaining work to be done. That plan is an important benchmark in a saga that already has dragged on for more than 15 years.
COLUMN: Love is a lifelong endeavor
What can I say about Valentine’s Day and love that hasn’t been written or rewritten a million times?
Angela Christine Houtz, 39
Angela Christine Houtz passed on to her eternal home in Heaven on Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2016, at Kalispell Regional Medical Center with her family at her side.
Robert M. Lee, 88
Robert M. Lee, renowned automobile and antique arms collector, explorer and conservationist, has died at age 88.
Minnie Knopfle Brimhall, 93
Minnie Knopfle Brimhall, born Aug. 22, 1922, passed away in her sleep at Heritage Place in Kalispell on Jan. 30, 2016, at the age of 93.
Donavon 'Don' F. Working, 91
Don Working passed away Feb. 10, 2016, at the age of 91.
Blanche Eleanor Carter Conat, 92
Blanche Eleanor Carter Conat, 92, passed away on Feb. 9, 2016 at Heritage place in Kalispell.
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Saturday, February 13
STATE WRESTLING: Eureka vaults to second in Class B/C
BILLINGS — Eureka wrestlers came up short in their bids for individual titles, but five top-three finishes carried the Lions to their first state wrestling trophy in 25 years.
STATE WRESTLING: Polson youth carries Pirates to 2nd-place finish in Class A
BILLINGS — Bob Owen has either been coaching wrestling for 41 or 42 years.
STATE WRESTLING: Vasquez, Braves bring home state hardware in Class AA
BILLINGS — There’s only one great remedy for a long, arduous week.
Sentinel slips by Glacier girls
The Glacier girls hung with top-ranked Missoula Sentinel for the first half, leading the Spartans for all but 1 minute, 33 seconds. Sentinel took over in the third quarter, pulling away for a 51-39 Western AA conference basketball victory on Saturday afternoon.
Bravettes battle Big Sky, but come up 2-points short
Flathead battled all the way with Missoula Big Sky on Saturday afternoon, but the Bravettes came up two-point short in falling to the Eagles 35-33 at Flathead High School in girls Western AA division basketball play.
2016 All-Class State Wrestling Meet - Day 2 Results
STATE SWIMMING: C-Falls' Babcock leads Wildcats to Class A-B state title
GREAT FALLS — Columbia Falls, led by double-event winner Colton Babcock, captured the Class A-B boys team swimming championship on Saturday at the Great Falls High School pool.
Father defends himself with bear spray
John Balsam in Burma
John and Jerri Balsam in Bagan with their Burmese hosts. (Photo courtesy of Jerri Balsam)
Pond Hockey Classic canceled because of warm weather
Player registration deferred to 2017 tournament
High temperatures that have spread across the western United States this month have produced unsafe ice conditions and have forced the cancellation of the Montana Pond Hockey Classic, which was to be held in Kalispell on Feb. 19–21.
Cabin Fever Days barstool races
Gary Wallette yells as he crosses the finish line ahead of Jamie Dawson and Tyler McRae during the Cabin Fever Days Barstool Races in Martin City on Saturday. (Aaric Bryan/Daily Inter Lake)
COLUMN: Is Trump Emerson's 'Man of the World'
I have already invoked the words of philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson once to describe Donald J. Trump, a presidential candidate whose “self-reliance” has given him the courage to speak his own mind and risk contradicting himself or being “misunderstood.”
Eugene 'Gene' Lenz, 85
Glacier Basketball
Glacier's Anna Schrade shoots over Missoula Sentinel's Jordyn Schweyen for a basket early in the first quarter at Glacier on Saturday. (Aaric Bryan/Daily Inter Lake)
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Cary Kosltad celebrates as he crosses the finish line during the Cabin Fever Day's Barstool Races in Martin City on Saturday. (Aaric Bryan/Daily Inter Lake)
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Chris Ruby gives high fives to the crowd as he goes down the hill during the Cabin Fever Day's Barstool Races in Martin City on Saturday. (Aaric Bryan/Daily Inter Lake)
Antonin Scalia, 2005
In this Monday, Oct. 31, 2005 file photo, Associate Justice Antonin Scalia joins the members of the Supreme Court for photos during a group portrait session, at the Supreme Court Building in Washington. On Saturday, Feb. 13, 2016, the U.S. Marshals Service confirmed that Scalia has died at the age of 79. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia dead at 79
WASHINGTON (AP) — Antonin Scalia, the influential conservative and most provocative member of the Supreme Court, has died, leaving the high court without its conservative majority and setting up an ideological confrontation over his successor in the maelstrom of a presidential election year. Scalia was 79.
Blanche Conat
Donavon 'Don' F. Working
Robert Lee
Angela Christine Houtz
Minnie Knopfle Brimhall
Helena Flats open house reveals learning process
For an elementary open house, how do teachers go beyond worksheets to show parents the learning process that takes place with students in math?
Economists optimistic about 2016
Manufacturing, nonresident spending and a swelling health-care market are expected to cultivate another strong economic year for Montana and the Flathead Valley, economists said at Friday’s 2016 Economic Outlook seminar.
Friday, February 12
Stillwater boys, FV Homeschool girls in state hoop finals
GREAT FALLS — Stillwater Christian and Flathead Valley Homeschool have advanced to championship games at the Montana Christian Athletic Association state basketball tournaments at Paris Gibson Education Center.
STATE WRESTLING: Eureka in second after Day 1 in Billings
BILLINGS — A pair of top-seeds for Eureka went down in the second round, but the Lions still find themselves in position for a top-three team finish after day one of action at the All-Class state wrestling tournament at MetraPark on Friday.
STATE WRESTLING: Polson sitting second in Class A
BILLINGS — Polson put together a terrific first two rounds, but it was a Columbia Falls wrestlers’ wild post-pin reaction and subsequent disqualification that owned the day Friday in the Class A portion of the All-Class state wrestling tournament at MetraPark.
STATE WRESTLING: Flathead finishes Day 1 with a flurry
BILLINGS — It’s going to take an awful lot to keep the Flathead Braves down.
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Chrissy Siefke pauses to strike a pose while walking on the red carpet to enter the Night to Shine prom at the Canvas Church on Friday. The Night to Shine is a prom for people with special needs. (Aaric Bryan/Daily Inter Lake)
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Cedar Vance dances with her scarf at the front of the dance floor during the NIght to Shine at Canvas Church on Friday. (Aaric Bryan/Daily Inter Lake)
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Klorinda Brown laughs as she dances with Andrew Williams during the Night to Shine prom at Canvas Church Friday. The prom is sponsored by the Tim Tebow Foundation. According to the foundation's website, there were more than 200 proms in 48 states and eight countries on Friday. (Aaric Bryan/Daily Inter Lake)
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Hunter Cripe performs during a rehearsal of "110 Stories," at the Whitefish Performing Arts Center on Friday. (Aaric Bryan/Daily Inter Lake)
Glacier High School traffic
Traffic patterns to change at Glacier High
All but one entrance road to Glacier High School will be closed from Feb. 29 through March 12 as a safety precaution during a heavy-hauling phase of construction on the U.S. 93 bypass.
Carroll 'Lefty' William Wright
Carroll 'Lefty' William Wright, 77
Carroll “Lefty” William Wright died peacefully at home in Whitefish, the afternoon of Feb. 11, 2016, with family by his side.
Robert N. Compton
Robert N. Compton, 44
Robert N. Compton, 44, passed away on Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2016.
Bear payment averts problems
Robert M. Lee
Island owner Lee dies at 88
Robert M. Lee, renowned automobile and antique arms collector, explorer and conservationist, has died at age 88 in Reno, Nevada.
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Cayuse Prairie fifth-grader Nate Skonard laughs as he eats a salad, which greens were grown at the school, while listening to a discussion about compost during the Garden-Talk Cafe at the school's greenhouse. Skonard and a couple of his classmates were taught about compost by Alissa LaChance from DIRT Rich, a composting and pick up service. (Aaric Bryan/Daily Inter Lake)
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Cayuse Prairie fifth-grader Nate Skonard eats a salad, which greens were grown at the school, while listening to a discussion about compost during the Garden-Talk Cafe at the school's greenhouse. Skonard and a couple of his classmates were taught about compost by Alissa LaChance from DIRT Rich, a composting and pick up service. (Aaric Bryan/Daily Inter Lake)
Jason Franks
Captured bear cub heads to Helena
A 20-pound black bear cub is headed to a state rehabilitation facility in Helena after Montana wildlife officials captured it in the Yaak on Thursday.
Major mine proposal gets partial approval
Montana environmental regulators gave only partial approval on Friday to a long-stalled silver and copper mine proposed beneath a federal wilderness area, casting uncertainty over the $500 million project that would bring hundreds of jobs to the Libby area.
LETTER: An argument for turning the other cheek
To be... reactionary, or not to be... reactionary? That is the question. Is it nobler to strike back in anger, or to turn the other cheek?
LETTER: Eye for an eye: A modern interpretation
America left God, and God left America to wallow in its own stupidity and suffer the consequences of its rejection of wisdom.
OPINION: "Why I'm running for governor" - Greg Gianforte
Since first falling in love with Montana 40 years ago, I knew that I wanted to make a life here. When we started our high-tech company RightNow Technologies here in Montana, we had a lot of people tell us it wouldn’t work. People said, “Greg, you can’t start a global technology business in Montana.” Not only did we ended up creating over a thousand jobs, giving folks in places like Bozeman, Montana, an average salary nearing $90,000 per year, I was also able to raise all four of my kids here.
LETTER: Conflict or collaboration?
Most Montanans have their favorite outdoor places. It might be a trout stream, a view from a mountaintop, or a mountain bike loop. Wherever your favorite places are, chances are they are on Montana’s public lands.
LETTER: The political fork in the road after New Hampshire
The New Hampshire primary has certainly brought about an attitude change on the political landscape. Clearly, the victory of Bernie Sanders for the Democratic Party and Donald Trump for the Republican Party has told the power brokers on both sides of the aisle, “We have had it with all of you and change is coming.” What kind of change remains to be seen, but the battle lines have been drawn.
Man found guilty of raping child in second trial
A Kalispell man was found guilty of sexual intercourse without consent after a four-day trial concluded Thursday afternoon.
Plum Creek mills, land to remain open
Timber products giant Weyerhaeuser will keep Plum Creek’s lumber mills open in Montana and plans to retain Plum Creek’s long-standing public access policies, if an expected merger of the two companies is completed.
Marsy's Law makes sense for Montana
Supporters of Marsy’s Law are turning is more than 81,000 signatures to get the victims’ rights law on the Montana ballot in November. That is far more signatures than needed, and we suspect that the enthusiasm for this law guarantees it will be easily approved by voters when given the chance.
Shirley E. Lochridge, 88
Shirley Lochridge passed away peacefully on Feb. 9, 2016.
Bertha 'Bert' J. LaValley, 85
On Dec. 7, 2015, we lost a beautiful and caring woman, “and the Lord gained a great cook.”
Thursday, February 11
C-Falls, Polson eye top 3 finishes at state A wrestling
BILLINGS — Local Class A schools bring five divisional champions into the state wrestling tournament, which begins today at Rimrock Auto Arena at MetraPark in Billings.
MCAA State Basketball: Crusaders advance to girls semis; Stillwater boys in semis
GREAT FALLS — Flathead Valley Homeschool pushed its win streak to 11 games Thursday afternoon with a 64-27 victory over Gallatin Valley Homeschool in first-round action at the Montana Christian Athletic Association girls state basketball tournament.
Eureka in the hunt for its first state mat championship
BILLINGS — Fresh off a second straight divisional championship, Eureka has its sights set on the biggest prize of all — the school’s first ever state wrestling championship — as the Class B/C state wrestling tournament gets underway today at MetraPark in Billings.
Flathead focused on strong effort at AA state wrestling
BILLINGS — The first major decision in Flathead’s quest for a state championship did not go the Braves’ way.
Basketball Roundup: Sentinel trips Flathead boys
Flathead rallied from a slow start to make up 10 points in the final quarter, but it wasn’t enough in a 52-46 loss to Western AA conference foe Missoula Sentinel on Thursday at Flathead High School.
State Swim: Glacier, Columbia Falls reaching for titles
The Flathead Valley has a handful of swimmers looking for the podium as the MHSA state tournament dives into action today at Great Falls High School.
Woman 'bugs' police for protection
A woman asked
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Flathead's Kye AuClaire splits Missoula Sentinel defenders Mitch Reynolds (21) and Sam Beighle (5) as he drives to the basket at Flathead on Thursday. (Aaric Bryan/Daily Inter Lake)
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Flathead's Matt Marshall soars past Missoula Sentinel's Mitch Reynolds to score a basket after a steal in the final minute of the second quarter at Flathead on Thursday. (Aaric Bryan/Daily Inter Lake)
Bertha 'Bert' J. LaValley
Shirley E. Lochridge
Kalispell schools to get wireless upgrade
Kalispell Public Schools will receive a much-needed upgrade to technology infrastructure, improving its wireless capabilities by adding 255 access points throughout the district.
Coal closures would impact Northwest Montana
Northwest Montana could see dramatic impacts from the Clean Power Plan if a challenge to the federal pollution regulations ultimately fails, University of Montana economics professor Patrick Barkey said on Thursday.
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Rissa Cloud decorates a Valentine's cookie at the Whitefish Community Center on Thursday. (Aaric Bryan/Daily Inter Lake)
Valentine's cookie fun
Michal Downing
Kalispell vocalist to audition for 'The Voice'
As Michal Downing cradled her dying boyfriend in her arms 10 years ago, her first impulse was to sing.
LETTER: Climate change supporters need to get a better grip on statistics
I will not waste ink refuting the incorrect conclusions of Dr. Bradley (Daily Inter Lake, Feb. 7) in support of man-made (a descriptor he neglects to mention) climate change, nor will I counter his consensus “data” about warming with equally valid data which refute his.
LETTER: Trump is a loser
According to the schedule, I think Montana’s primary is on June 7. I would never attempt to sway voters on who they should vote for, right now there is no way I could vote for Donald Trump.
LETTER: Remembering Pete Darling's contributions
Pete Darling’s funeral in Columbia Falls was Feb. 9. Pete touched the lives of hundreds of low income youth back in the 1970s and early 1980s through his employment with the U.S. Forest Service.
LETTER: A government that serves government...
Over many, many years I have notice the steady growth of government. Employees were once called civil servants. I was once a civil servant serving in federal, state and local governments. During the late 1960s the term “servant” was discontinued, supposedly as demeaning. Then in the ’70s and ’80s, the term “civil” eroded so that it no longer applied to some employees, usually upper level.
EDITORIAL: Night to Shine is a labor of love
Our local residents with special needs will have an evening to remember on Friday when a very special event, Night to Shine, will be staged at Canvas Church. The free gathering is sponsored by the Tim Tebow Foundation and is one of more than 200 other Night to Shine events being held around the world.
Wildlife officials try to trap bear cub
State wildlife officials are trying to capture an orphaned black bear cub in the Yaak after it was lured to a house.
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Deer share the hay in a pasture in Creston with the cattle on Tuesday. (Aaric Bryan/Daily Inter Lake)
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Pat McCall mends his line while fly fishing on the Thompson River on Wednesday. (Aaric Bryan/Daily Inter Lake)
James L. Schreckendgust, 81
Thomas 'Lincoln' 'Linc' Harris, 87
Community bids adieu to Whitefish venue
Farewell, Crush
What began about four years ago as a labor of love will end this weekend with music, parties, laughter, tears, love letters and Valentines.
Molly Belle (Iotte) Betson, 86
Darrow land to be preserved
Nearly a year after his death at age 90, George Darrow’s legacy as a leading conservationist in the Flathead Valley continues to grow.
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Wednesday, February 10
Hume denied bid to compete at state
Flathead High School sophomore Payton Hume, the top-ranked 138-pound Class AA wrestler in the state, will not compete in this weekend’s state tournament after a judge declined to grant an injunction to overrule a Montana High School Association ruling that deemed Hume ineligible at 138 pounds.
TERRY COLUMN: Grappling with a bad break
Even the best wrestlers get caught.
FEATURED: Flathead Valley Homeschool on a mission at MCAA tournament
It’s simple, but effective.
PREP BASKETBALL: MCAA Tournament kicks off Thursday in Great Falls
Stillwater Christian School will have the honor of opening and closing bracket play at the Montana Christian Athletic Association state basketball tournament at the Paris Gibson Education Center in Great Falls.
Woman allegedly stabbed with pen over affair
Molly Belle (Iotte) Betson (then)
Molly Belle (Iotte) Betson (now)
Thomas 'Lincoln' 'Linc' Harris
James L. Schreckendgust
Farewell, Crush
Murphy Taterskins, Grunow's skateboarding dog, is a regular in downtown Whitefish.
Second trial wrapping up in rape case
A second trial for a Kalispell man accused of raping an 11-year-old girl in May 2007 continued into a third day on Wednesday, as the prosecution called witnesses to help corroborate the now 20-year-old victim’s account of the alleged assault.
Board expels student from Flathead High
Kalispell Public Schools trustees voted Tuesday night to expel a 14-year-old student allegedly found in possession of dangerous drugs at Flathead High School on Jan. 29.
Northwest power plan approved
The Northwest Power and Conservation Council on Wednesday approved a new power plan for four Northwest states, focusing on improved energy efficiency to meet projected increases in demand.
Pond Hockey Classic returns to Woodland Park
Next week’s Montana Pond Hockey Classic will be relocated to Woodland Park, Kalispell Convention and Visitors Bureau Director Diane Medler said Wednesday.
Man who killed toddler changes plea
A 22-year-old Evergreen man admitted Wednesday that he would probably be found guilty of killing a 2-year-old child, though he gave no details about the death of the toddler nearly a year ago.
Brandon Newberry changes plea
Brandon Newberry sits down with his lawyers as he prepares to enter a plea agreement on Wednesday, February 10, at District Court in Kalispell. Newberry will be sentenced on April 19. (Brenda Ahearn/Daily Inter Lake)
Keeping watch
A Northern Pygmy owl watches intensely as people make their way in and out of the Super 1 Foods in Whitefish on Tuesday evening, February 9. (Brenda Ahearn/Daily Inter Lake)
Foggy Sunrise
The sun begins to rise over a foggy morning in West Valley on Wednesday, February 10. (Brenda Ahearn/Daily Inter Lake)
Ronald Wayne Prince, 71
Sandra L. Roker Aderholt, 73
Thomas Lincoln Harris, 87
Kalispell could amend annexation to the north
The Kalispell City Council may amend the city’s annexation boundary to include a potential development north of town.
Tuesday, February 9
BASKETBALL ROUNDUP: Whitefish girls thrash Blue Hawks, 58-32
THOMPSON FALLS — The Whitefish girls ran out to a 50-19 lead after three quarters, blowing out Class B Thompson Falls 58-32 in a nonconference basketball game on Tuesday night.
Customer was eco-friendly, not criminal
Sandra L. Roker Aderholt
Bernie Sanders
Sanders wins big over Clinton in N.H.
Trump wins New Hampshire primary easily; Kasich in second place
Flathead wrestlers at court
Flathead wrestlers filled the district courtroom to find out if their teammate Payton Hume could wrestle at the state tournament. (Aaric Bryan/Daily Inter Lake)
Park visitation up in January
Following two consecutive years of record-breaking visitation, Glacier National Park could be off to another strong start this year, with a record 15,674 visitors passing its snow-covered gates in January.
Lawsuit seeks tougher protections for grizzlies
The Alliance for the Wild Rockies on Tuesday filed a lawsuit in federal court to force the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to upgrade federal protections for grizzly bears in the Cabinet-Yaak ecosystem.
Paraprofessionals undertake multitude of school duties
Paraprofessionals have a variety of roles in schools and are “right there with us,” according to East Evergreen Elementary second-grade teacher Mary Goldberg.
Supreme Court puts Obama's Clean Power Plan on hold
Love of theater
Rebecca and Nick Spear imitate happy and sad Greek theater masks as they come together for a portrait at the Whitefish Performing Arts Center on Friday, Jan. 29.
New security measures at Edgerton
Detail of the new touch screen security system for signing in parents, volunteers and visitors at Edgerton Elementary in Kalispell. (Brenda Ahearn/Daily Inter Lake)
Libby man charged with vehicular homicide
A 46-year-old Libby man has been charged for his alleged role in a fatal crash on Yaak River Road in August 2015.
Flathead wrestler falls short in bid to compete at state
Flathead High School sophomore Payton Hume, the top-ranked 138-pound Class AA wrestler in the state, will not compete in this weekend’s state tournament after a judge declined to grant an injunction to overrule a Montana High School Association ruling that deemed Hume ineligible at 138 pounds.
Agency may transfer Bison Range to tribes
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has begun negotiating a possible transfer of the National Bison Range to the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes.
Bison range
OPINION: Don't change hunting rules in Sowerwine area
LETTER: Missoula plan to import refugees is dangerous
Masked man causes concern
Eureka residents charged in counterfeit case
Two Eureka residents have been indicted on federal felony counterfeiting charges.
LETTER: Paying tribute to Kesler's contribution
Payton Hume
Flathead's Payton Hume uses a claw hold as he attempts to pin Glacier's Tyler Eierdam during the 145-bout at the crosstown dual at Flathead on Thursday. Hume pinned Eierdam in the third period to help the Braves win 62-6. (Aaric Bryan/Daily Inter Lake)
Special needs, special prom night
NIGHT TO SHINE
Prom is an unforgettable night for many young adults; Friday will be a “Night to Shine” for people with special needs.
Heroin trafficker receives a second chance from judge
A California man got a second chance to turn his life around recently when Flathead District Court Judge David Ortley granted him a deferred imposition of sentence for trafficking heroin in the Flathead Valley.
Monday, February 8
New map details Flathead Lake
Fans of Flathead Lake can now purchase a snazzy new map of the West’s largest natural freshwater body, courtesy the University of Montana biological station.
Man shot by police charged with assault
The man who was shot in his home by Kalispell police last month faces a felony assault charge.
Planning board talks new tax financing district
In an effort to bolster development at the Glacier Rail Park, the Kalispell Planning Board on Tuesday night will discuss the option of implementing a new funding mechanism.
Man denies growing marijuana on forest land
In Flathead District Court on Thursday, a Great Falls man denied using U.S. Forest Service land to grow marijuana.
Flathead Lake map
This new map has been produced by the Flathead Lake Biological Station.
EPA unveils final Libby cleanup plan
A final asbestos remediation plan for Libby and Troy calls for the cleanup of several hundred remaining properties over the next two to three years, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said Monday.
Middle Fork
A sunrise view of the Middle Fork of the Flathead River on Saturday, February 6, in Glacier National Park. (Brenda Ahearn/Daily Inter Lake)
Night to Shine
Sara Maldonadon and others shop at Ross Dress for Less in Kalispell. Maldonadon and others from the Lighthouse Christian Home are excited to be attending Night to Shine at Canvas Church on Friday evening, Feb. 12 at 6 p.m.
High court denies sex offender's appeal
The Montana Supreme Court on Wednesday denied a sex offender’s appeal challenging the reliability of the polygraph used to help convict him in 1996 as well as his original understanding of a plea bargain.
Twitter threat case faces another delay
Prosecutors, defense attorneys and Judge Heidi Ulbricht worked Thursday to hammer out the final details of an upcoming trial for a former Kalispell man accused of threatening schoolchildren and religious leaders in online rants last year.
Expulsion hearing set for alcohol, drug, gun incident
At least one of the students involved in an alcohol and drug-related incident where a partially loaded gun was found at Flathead High School on Jan. 29 is expected to go before the Kalispell School Board on Tuesday for possible expulsion.
Radio host a Winter Carnival regular
From the studio attached to his home on the east side of Whitefish, Ross Strauser has been covering community events in the Flathead Valley for years.
Kalispell council to discuss Majestic Valley zoning request
The Kalispell City Council work session tonight will discuss a county rezoning request for Majestic Valley Arena.
Sunday, February 7
Ross Strausser
Ross Strauser, host of the Whitefish-based Big Valley Radio, was named the 50th Prime Minister of Whitefish Winter Carnival in 2009. Strauser remains an intregral part of Winter Carnival, both behind-the-scenes and as the voice of several events. (Seaborn Larson/Daily Inter Lake)
Kathleen Moon on the campaign trail
Kathleen Moon displays her MSNBC press badge, which got her access to the “situation room” for MSNBC’s Democratic townhall meeting with Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton last week. Moon has been reporting for the Bigfork Eagle from the campaign trail in New Hampshire. (Kathleen Moon photo)
Swan Lake chef cooks up a political vacation in N.H.
When faced with a long vacation, many people seek warmer climes and postcard locations, like Arizona, Hawaii or maybe the Florida Keys.
Taking them to cleaners, or just cleaning carpets?
A van with tinted windows and two males inside raised the suspicion of a man on Denver Street after one of the men got out, knocked on the front door and stated he was trying to clean carpets for college. The skeptical Denver Street resident reported to
Hunter Lee McIlhargey
William David Massie
Elmer Ray Morris, 85
Barton Kent James, 79
Lois J. Ball Stout, 94
Robert Emmett Ewing, 102
Robert Emmet Ewing, 102
Lowell 'Andy' R. Anderson, 87
Marvin 'Pete' Elden Darling, 87
Now is the time for people to order bees
While many people aren’t thinking of honeybees until the first blooms of spring, the time is now to order bees and assemble equipment.
OPINION: Lake County needs to prepare for more growth
Lake County Commissioner Decker has made it clear for months that his mind is made up. He wants the Density Map and Regulations gone. Issues of this magnitude can not be fairly evaluated without a willingness to examine new evidence and ideas.
OPINION: Al Gore's global warming doomsday passes uneventfully
Here we are on Jan. 26, 2016. Do you feel the heat? Do you see the clouds are gone and the sky is glowing red?
LETTER: Sanders will end socialism for the rich
The best letter to the editor I ever had the privilege to read was published in this paper and was written by a Flathead High School junior during the Clinton administration. The author talked about why we as consumers of the media feasted so insatiably upon the soapy drama that leaked out of the White House.
LETTER: Private schools give parents a choice, not indoctrination
In response to Mary Moe’s Feb. 5 opinion about “The perils of privatization” of schools, I believe her main point was assimilation to the progressives’ viewpoint.
Judge OKs partial payment for evaluation
Flathead District Court Judge Robert Allison on Wednesday ordered payment for part of a sex offender evaluation for a man waiting to be sentenced for sexual assault, but stopped short of making the public pay for the entire bill.
EDITORIAL: Cities planning for summer rush
Summer always brings with it a bit of a conundrum when it arrives, finally, in the Flathead Valley. We wait longingly through months of gray days for those glorious three-plus months of pure outdoor pleasure. The valley’s challenge, though, has always been how best to accommodate the throngs of visitors who also have waited longingly for their very own Flathead or Glacier National Park experience.
OPINION: A scientist's response to Ed Berry's 'climate denial'
To change or not to change?
Most of us wish that Ed Berry’s denials of climate science are correct. Certainly, I do. None of us want to change how we get the energy to run our civilization. Unfortunately, we must change and Berry’s climate denials aren’t credible, never will be, and are extremely dangerous for the planet.
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Saturday, February 6
WRESTLING: Columbia Falls wins 4th straight divisional championship
Five locals win individual titles
WHITEFISH — Three Polson wrestlers won individual titles but it was Columbia Falls that ran away with the team championship at the Western A divisional tournament on Saturday afternoon.
WRESTLING: Flathead qualifies Class AA-best 22 for state tournament
MISSOULA — Flathead showed off its depth Saturday at the Western AA divisional seeding tournament, advancing 22 wrestlers to this week’s state tournament, more than any other Class AA school.
WRESTLING: Eureka repeats as Western B/C champs
FLORENCE — The Eureka wrestling team will send 10 wrestlers to the state tournament after securing their second straight Western B/C divisional tournament title on Saturday.
BASKETBALL ROUNDUP: Glacier girls bounce back, Flathead boys win OT thriller
Glacier bounced back from a disappointing loss by defeating Helena High 58-46 on Saturday afternoon in girls basketball action at Glacier.
Historic bike shop opens upstairs hostel
Wheaton’s Cycle, Kalispell’s oldest bike shop that opened in 1918, has added a new facet to the business that caters to not just the cycling community but anyone traveling through the Flathead Valley.
LAW ROUNDUP: Woman assures police she's not a hostage
Montana Wounded Warriors not part of national group
Recently several national news organizations, including the New York Times, revealed the national Wounded Warrior Project was spending millions on overhead to serve wounded veterans.
OPINION: 'Once upon a time...' (It's not a fairy tale; it's American history)
Once upon a time... we relished the thought of honesty. We cherished the stories of our first president speaking the truth when it came to chopping down a cherry tree. Now it seems one who may run for the office of president of the United States can lie and for some it doesn’t matter.
Exchange rate impacts Canadian traffic
On Monday, Canadian George Van Bostelen celebrated his 80th birthday in an unlikely spot — the Kalispell Costco store.
COLUMN: Bern me twice, shame on me
Last week, I referred to Bernie Sanders as a “true believer” and acknowledged that his consistent, constant dedication to a cause makes him an attractive candidate to many Americans who have grown weary of politicians who pander, pivot and posture.
Flathead Valley Homeschool Basketball
Flathead Valley Homeschool senior Lexi Ehlers, left, and freshman Heidi Schneller have played a major role in the Crusaders' successful season. (Aaric Bryan/Daily Inter Lake)
Columbia Falls' Storm Kemppainen
Columbia Falls' Storm Kemppainen takes down Stevensville's Ben Crews in the 170-pound championship of the Western A Divisional Tournament in Whitefish on Saturday. Kemppainen loss in overtime 10-6. (Aaric Bryan/Daily Inter Lake)
Whitefish's Steven Quimby
Whitefish's Steven Quimby holds Corvallis' Luke Channer on his back for near-fall points during the heavyweight championship at the Western A Divisionals in Whitefish on Saturday. (Aaric Bryan/Daily Inter Lake)
Kalispell Hostel
Contest showcases the lost art of writing love letters
Letter writing was once a staple of courtship, but as technology has progressed it is more common to see professions of love expressed through short, succinct and sometimes ambiguous text emoticons, emojis, and pet names like “bae,” rather than pages-long tributes to one’s beloved.
2016 Penguin Plunge
Images from the 2016 Penguin Plunge at Whitefish City Beach on Saturday, February 6, 2016.
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A team from Kalispell Regional Medical Center jumps into Whitefish Lake during the Penguin Plunge on Saturday. (Aaric Bryan/Daily Inter Lake)
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John Kirton of Access Fitness yells as he comes up from jumping in Whitefish Lake during the Penguin Plunge on Saturday. (Aaric Bryan/Daily Inter Lake)
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Aleana Sullivan cheers as she runs out of the water during the Penguin Plunge at Whitefish City Beach on Saturday. Money raised from the event helps Special Olympics Montana athletes. (Aaric Bryan/Daily Inter Lake)
Holiday Inn Express
The Holiday Inn Express in Kalispell on Friday. (Aaric Bryan/Daily Inter Lake)
Park maintenance backlog still growing
Once again, Going-to-the-Sun Road tops the list for Glacier National Park’s deferred maintenance backlog — now sitting at $179.8 million, according to a report released Friday by the National Park Service.
Friday, February 5
WRESTLING: Columbia Falls in control after day one of Western A divisional
Mat Cats can wrap up 4th straight title today
WHITEFISH — Three-time defending Western A divisional champion Columbia Falls is no underdog.
BASKETBALL ROUNDUP: Capital girls knock off Glacier, Bigfork boys clinch district title
Glacier never recovered from a slow start as Helena Capital pulled out a 54-50 Western AA girls basketball victory Friday night at Glacier High School.
Western A divisional results
Columbia Falls' Winfield West
Columbia Falls' Winfield West controls Whitefish's Taisuke Matsuo to earn near fall points in the 113-pound match at the Western A divisonal wrestling tournament in Whitefish Friday. West pinned Matsuo in the second period. (Aaric Bryan/Daily Inter Lake)
Columbia Falls' Austin Nelson
Columbia Falls' Austin Nelson secures a cradle hold to pin Butte Central's Roy Russell during the final seconds of the first period of the 103-pound match at Western A divisional tournament in Whitefish on Friday. (Aaric Bryan/Daily Inter Lake)
Polson's R.J. Pierre
Polson's R.J. Pierre turns Frenchtown's Zach Blanchard to earn near fall points during a 103-pound match at the Western A divisional wrestling tournament in Whitefish Friday. PIere won by technical fall. (Aaric Bryan/Daily Inter Lake)
Whitefish's Konrad Zinke
Whitefish's Konrad Zinke secures a turk to put Stevensville's Chase Krone on his back during a 170-pound match at the Western A divisional wrestling tournament in Whitefish on Friday. Zinke pinned Krone in the second period. (Aaric Bryan/Daily Inter Lake)
Carol Helen Kranpitz
Carol Helen Kranpitz, 73
Deputy counsels drivers after road-rage incident
Towering courthouse trees removed
Two towering spruce trees that had framed the north side of the Flathead County Courthouse for a century were removed Thursday and Friday.
Quilts for Sparrow's nest
Pat Freebury of the Epworth Methodist Church and other church members are making nine quilts for the Sparrow's Nest of Northwest Montana on Wednesday, February 3, in Kalispell. More quilts are needed. Other groups or individuals who want to get involved should contact Claire Anderson at 406-309-5196. (Brenda Ahearn/Daily Inter Lake)
Courthouse trees removed
A sequence of photographs of the top of the second tree being cut down on Friday morning, February 5, at the historic courthouse in downtown Kalispell. (Brenda Ahearn/Daily Inter Lake)
Effects of the Canadian Dollar
Love Letter Contest
McGough and Co. is running its annual $1,000 Love Letter Contest. Those who wish to submit a letter need to have their letters in by Friday, Feb. 13, at 6 p.m. The winner will be announced on Valentine's Day. Last year's winner used the prize toward the purchase of a diamond and sapphire ring similar to this one. (Brenda Ahearn/Daily Inter Lake)
I Pledge to Graduate Event
Adrian Longoria, and eighth grader at Cayuse Prairie and others dance at the I Pledge to Graduate event on Friday afternoon, February 5, at the Flathead County Fairgrounds. (Brenda Ahearn/Daily Inter Lake)
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Helena Flat first and second-grade teacher Kami Doty helps second-grader Tavyn Taylor with addition during the Montessori Math Night at the school on Thursday. (Aaric Bryan/Daily Inter Lake)
Math night
Paraprofessional
East Evergreen Elementary second-grader Deylene Barton talks about fun activities she has planned for the weekend with paraprofessional Kim Krueger on Friday. (Hilary Matheson/Daily Inter Lake)
Montessori youths enjoy snowshoe adventure
On Thursday, 6-year-old Hayden Stene is eager to go out on his first snowshoeing adventure at Kalispell Montessori School.
Woman charged with stealing from PTA
A woman is facing a felony theft charge after allegedly stealing thousands of dollars from the Somers-Lakeside Parent-Teacher Association to fund a gambling habit.
Sen. Daines honors Osweiler as Montanan of the Week
Sen. Steve Daines has honored former Flathead High School star quarterback Brock Osweiler as one of a pair of Montanans who will be on the roster for Super Bowl 50.
Just the facts!
I really enjoyed reading the letter from Robert Petersen the other day about how important it is to be educated before you vote. I could not agree more.
Climate change claim questioned
Robert Petersen (Daily Inter Lake, Jan. 31) writes “Look east at the glaciers that are no longer there,” to support his belief our CO2 causes global warming. He does not understand cause and effect.
Don't OK tribes' water compact
Yeah, CSKT water compact again.
Will refugees bring same risks to U.S. as they brought to Europe?
For brevity, this letter on the refugee resettlement will stick to the religion Islam. The reader can decide whether displaying American largesse is worth the risk of the probable consequences, already evident in Germany, Amarillo, and now Sweden. See link http://refugeeresettlementwatch.wordpress.com/2016/01/14/amarillo- tx-being-destroyed-by-refugee-overload/
Marco Rubio is nice guy who is totally wrong
Marco Rubio is a nice guy, a smart guy and often quite engaging. I listened to his speech last evening after the Iowa caucus. In my opinion most of his comments were not helpful at all to the Republican cause. His comments were so typical of much of what he seems to shout out when a microphone is in front of him.
Plea change planned in child death case
An Evergreen man facing trial March 14 for allegedly murdering a toddler is expected to change his plea next week.
LaRue Elizabeth Ledford Rogers, 92
LaRue Elizabeth Ledford Rogers, 92, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2016.
Ross Paul Titus, 91
Ross was born Dec. 1, 1924, in Olney, Illinois.
Optimism on local economy is welcome
Good times may be ahead for the Flathead Valley economy, if the predictions of local and regional experts turn out to be true.
Comments sought on Blacktail Road Project
Thursday, February 4
BASKETBALL ROUNDUP: Record-setting Potkonjak shoots Vikings past Columbia Falls
COLUMBIA FALLS — Bigfork senior Joseph Potkonjak made a school record eight second-half 3-pointers to lead the Vikings to an 87-75 nonconference victory at Columbia Falls on Thursday.
WRESTLING: Eureka looking to repeat as champs in Western B/C
WRESTLING: Polson leads contenders at Western A divisional
WRESTLING: Braves thinking big entering AA divisional
The divergent paths of Kalispell’s two wrestling programs will converge at the Western AA divisional tournament Saturday at Missoula Sentinel.
LaRue Elizabeth Ledford Rogers
Ross Paul Titus
Scammers suspected in kidnapping scare
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Bigfork basketball
Bigfork's Adam Jordt flies past Columbia Falls' Nathan Riley for a basket during the second quarter in Columbia Falls on Thursday. (Aaric Bryan/Daily Inter Lake)
January storms boost local snowpack levels
The Flathead River Basin was the only drainage in Montana to see an improvement in high-elevation snow during January, according to numbers released this week by the Natural Resources Conservation Service.
Schools consider new site north of town
Kalispell Public Schools officials are looking at the possible purchase of a school site north of town.
Building blocks for a pedestrian tunnel
Piece by piece, construction crews on Thursday connected structural cubes that will become a pedestrian underpass near Glacier High School in Kalispell.
Man sent back to prison for violating parole in fatal DUI case
A man who killed a Somers teacher in a 2006 vehicle crash has been sent back to prison for 10 years for violating his parole.
Opposition halts higher dairy fees for now
The Montana Board of Livestock’s vice chairman says that a contentious proposal to increase fees for dairy inspections is dead, but he offered little indication how the state ultimately will close the program’s budget shortfall.
Juneau first gay woman to seek state congressional seat
Zinke bill would open draft to U.S. women
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Hans Axelsen, from left, Jeni Axelsen and Margaret Lekander sit in the Kalispell Hostel above Wheaton's on Thursday. (Aaric Bryan/Daily Inter Lake)
Montessori snowshoes
Kalispell Montesorri Elementary students, from left, Carmen Eddy, Adrian Crow, Luca Duffy and Adie Corbett run in snowshoes while playing a game during an outdoor learning experience at the school on Thursday. (Aaric Bryan/Daily Inter Lake)
Snowshoe fun
Archery changes proposed near Kalispell
Proposed changes to hunting regulations near Kalispell now include designating the Owen Sowerwine Natural Area as archery-only for big game and an extended antlerless white-tailed deer archery hunt in most of Hunting District 170.
Montana Life: TL Slick's Barber Shop
Detail of some of the products and tools of the trade for Tucker Landerman of TL Slicks on Friday, January 22, in downtown Kalispell. Landerman has created an old-school environment for "Gentlemen and Young Men" by incorporating classic barber shop products and services. (Brenda Ahearn/Daily Inter Lake)
Pedestrian Underpass
The only way to vet Syrian refugees?
First I would like to commend the inspired citizens of the Flathead Valley, who took the time, and braved the elements, traveling to Missoula to protest the placement of Muslim “refugees” in our state. Thank you!
Snowmobiler unable to deploy airbag
A snowmobiler killed in an avalanche north of Whitefish on Jan. 23 was unable to deploy his protective airbag pack after he triggered a slide that sent him into a barrel roll down the steep slope.
Participate in WomenHeart health campaign
As a WomenHeart Champion, I am proud to announce that WomenHeart: The National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease is partnering with Burlington Stores and talk-show host Wendy Williams for our American Heart Month social media campaign to raise awareness about women’s No. 1 health threat — heart disease.
Charlotte Augusta (Ellis) Morris, 81
Charlotte Augusta (Ellis) Morris was born in Whitefish on June 22, 1934, and passed away of natural causes on Jan. 30, 2016, at the Heritage Place in Kalispell, after a brief stay in the rehabilitation and long-term care centers.
Get ready to yeti in Whitefish
With Super Bowl 50 and the finale of the Whitefish Winter Carnival colliding in the same weekend, it’s quite fitting that the time-honored carnival, now in its 57th year, is celebrating a “Super Bowl Whitefish” theme.
Whitefish Winter Carnival LVII takes over the weekend
Super Bowl Whitefish
Ah, Whitefish Winter Carnival. It’s that magical time of year sandwiched between the holiday stress and the blooming of spring.
Reflections o the latest state audit of Health and Human Services
The Department of Health and Human Services, the largest state agency, has a budget of almost $4 billion. The department is in charge of everything from welfare programs to Child Protective Services. Last fall’s audit of CPS did not paint a rosy picture and pointed out several standards which needed implementing if we are going to truly protect our neediest children.
College symposium examines divisive issues
Flathead Valley Community College’s 2016 Honors Symposium opens Feb. 15 and will feature six nights of cutting-edge speakers from around the country.
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Wednesday, February 3
TERRY COLUMN: Brock in small group
Preparing for his second Super Bowl, Brock Osweiler is in rare company.
FOOTBALL: Whitefish's Nagler inks with Montana
MISSOULA — Whitefish all-state wide receiver, state champion sprinter and state high jump champion Jed Nagler officially signed his National Letter of Intent to join the Montana Grizzlies football program on Wednesday at Whitefish High School.
FOOTBALL: Opland leads in-state talent to Bobcats
BOZEMAN — It will take Sean Opland more than six hours, on a good day, to get from his childhood home to the campus of Montana State University.
Whitefish's Jed Nagler
Whitefish senior Jed Nagler signs a letter of intent on Wednesday to play football at the University of Montana. (Matt Baldwin/Whitefish Pilot)
Troy's Sean Opland
Troy quarterback Sean Opland runs the ball during a game this fall. Opland, who played QB, running back, linebacker and safety for the Trojans, leads a Montana-heavy class of recruits for Montana State. Opland was one of a handful of recruits to stick with the Bobcats through a coaching change this fall. (File photo)
FOOTBALL: Signing day roundup - 12 locals make college choices
Three Glacier seniors and a pair from Flathead highlight a list of a dozen local college football commitments revealed on Wednesday.
Man needs to check on the chicks
Charlotte Augusta (Ellis) Morris
Super Bowl Whitefish
Dairy industry faces higher inspection fees
Montana dairy producers say their industry will suffer under the Montana Department of Livestock’s proposed increase on inspection fees.
Local economic outlook positive for 2016
According to economists and real estate experts, Montana and the Flathead Valley might be in for another positive year.
Bob Stitt
University of Montana football coach Bob Stitt introduces his coaching staff during the 2016 Griz Football Signing Day Social presented the Flathead Chapter of Grizzly Scholarship Association at the Hilton Garden Inn on Wednesday. (Aaric Bryan/Daily Inter Lake)
Turnert Mountain
Turner Mountain offers laid-back experience
Two and a half hours from Kalispell, Turner Mountain is well off the beaten path, offering a ski hill not often found by tourists.
Polluted soil: New headache for Whitefish project
Contaminated soil has been detected at the City Hall/parking structure site in Whitefish, adding another wrinkle — and added cost — to a project that is already more than $1 million over budget.
Teen facing five misdemeanors for gun incident
A Kalispell runaway is facing five misdemeanor charges after allegedly getting caught with alcohol, drug paraphernalia and a partially loaded gun at Flathead High School on Friday.
Committee OKs Blackfeet water rights deal
BILLINGS (AP) — The U.S. Senate Indian Affairs Committee approved a $420 million water rights settlement with Montana's Blackfeet American Indian tribe on Wednesday, sending the measure to the full Senate.
Council OKs swimming pool code change
The Kalispell City Council on Monday approved the first reading of new building codes for swimming pool and spa construction, requiring developers to apply for and receive special permits that could cost about 2 percent of the contract price.
Cellphone Video Captures Emergency Landing in Somalia
Wilma Drennen, 83
Wilma Drennen, 83, passed away Jan. 28, 2016, in Kalispell. She was born March 26, 1932, in Fort Madison, Iowa, to William and Laura (Tooley) Schlichting.
Sharon Rose Hutton, 70
Sharon Rose Hutton was born to Lester and Ruth (Winter) Hutton on Dec. 26, 1945, in Kalispell. She attended a one-room schoolhouse, often riding her horse, later attending and graduating from Flathead High School.
Wilderness Speaker Series starts Thursday
The fourth annual Wilderness Speaker Series kicks off Thursday with a presentation by Seth Carbonari, the fire management officer for Flathead National Forest’s Spotted Bear Ranger District.
Natalie Dietrich, 20
Our beloved Natalie accidentally let slip the reins of life on Saturday, Jan. 30, 2016. Cause of death was an accidental drug interaction. Her short 20 years were filled with passion, intelligence and an infectious respect for people and animals of all kinds.
Geoffrey Richard Caldbeck, 33
Geoffrey Richard Caldbeck, 33, passed away from a snowmobiling avalanche on Jan. 23, 2016, at Swede Creek, Montana.
Frances L. Tice, 85
Frances L. Tice, 85, “went to be with the Lord” on Jan. 27, 2016.
Tuesday, February 2
BASKETBALL ROUNDUP: Polson boys torch Ronan, girls succumb to Maidens
RONAN — Polson was on fire from deep, shooting 50 percent from 3-point range, and better than that from the floor in an 80-43 drubbing of Class B Ronan on Tuesday.
Kasich could be quietly effective leader
I met John Kasich on the Flathead Lake tour boat, then named the Retta Mary, in the early ’90s. He was a young Ohio congressman, and along with a few of the other passengers, I intruded on his Montana vacation to engage him in conversation.
Remember, 'fear is root of all violence'
On the morning of Jan. 29 I sat down next to the wood stove with my coffee and read two very different perspectives on refugees.
Sanders is good man with wrong economic ideas
The Jan. 25 Democratic debate was very interesting. Even though I am a conservative voter, I like the way Bernie Sanders comes across. He is a good man and you can tell he whole-heartedly believes in the message he gives: free medical service and education for all.
Did wannabe arsonist got cold feet?
Natalie Dietrich
Sharon Rose Hutton
Frances L. Tice
Geoffrey Richard Caldbeck
Wilma Drennen
Fire ratings improve in Bigfork, Creston, Ferndale
People in Bigfork, Creston, and Ferndale may see their fire insurance costs decrease after work by three community fire departments resulted in improved fire ratings.
Libby officials challenge election ruling
Libby Mayor Doug Roll and five current and former members of the Libby City Council are challenging a 2015 decision by Montana’s chief campaign regulator that found they violated campaign practice law during the city’s 2013 mayoral election.
Whitefish bracing for parking crunch
Faced with a critical parking shortage this summer, the Whitefish Chamber of Commerce is taking the lead in finding alternative parking solutions.
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Betsy Wood skies down a hill at Dry Bridge Park as she cross country skies on Tuesday. (Aaric Bryan/Daily Inter Lake)
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Mike and Betsy Wood cross country ski at Dry Bridge Park in Kalispell on Tuesday. (Aaric Bryan/Daily Inter Lake)
Making tracks
Man charged with assaulting deputies with bear spray
A Flathead County felon is facing new charges after allegedly assaulting two sheriff’s deputies with bear spray late Sunday night in Evergreen.
Fog over the Flathead Valley
A heavy fog settles into the Valley on Tuesday morning, February 2. This view of U.S. 93 is taken from hill opposite Disposal Road and the Flathead County Landfill.
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Rooster, front, and Beppo chase each other while playing in the snow on the beach of Flathead Lake near Somers on Monday. (Aaric Bryan/Daily Inter Lake)
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Rooster, a cur hound, runs in the new snow on the beach of Flathead Lake near Somers on Monday. (Aaric Bryan/Daily Inter Lake)
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Cars pass a snow sculpture of a face on a tree on the corner of Fourth Avenue East and Montana Street on Tuesday. The snow sculpture was made by Terresa Knudsen. Knudsen said she had never been a "snow person," but enjoyed making stick snowmen when her children was younger. When she saw the weather made perfect conditions to make a snowman she decided to make the face. She's happy that so many people have enjoyed it and hopes it doesn't cause and accident. (Aaric Bryan/Daily Inter Lake)
Snow dogs
Kisa and Travis Davison
Kisa and Travis Davison mock fight as they pass each other by during a workshop at Straight Blast Gym in Kalispell on December 12, 2014. (Brenda Ahearn/Daily Inter Lake)
Super Bowl Whitefish
Whitefish killer dies in prison
A man who shot and killed his girlfriend in Whitefish in 1989 died Sunday in the Montana State Prison in Deer Lodge.
John Gambrel
Reservations open for Many Glacier Campground
Advance reservations for Many Glacier Campground in Glacier National Park become available Wednesday at 8 a.m.
College board fills trustee opening
The Flathead Valley Community College Board of Trustees on Monday appointed Kelly Dowling Stimpson of Bigfork to fill a vacant trustee position.
Fed economist to highlight annual conference in Kalispell
A Federal Reserve Bank economist will visit Kalispell Wednesday for an annual economic meeting.
Suspended sentence handed down for hammer assault
A Lakeside man will not see prison time for a grisly case of domestic violence.
Man charged with felony assaults on two children
A man is facing two charges of felony assault on a minor after allegedly slapping a toddler and shaking an infant, causing one to have bleeding in the brain, in separate incidents in 2014 and 2015.
Fire and ice
Fire Chief of the Ferndale Volunteer Fire Department Ken Sharr shovels snow from in front of the doors at the fire station on Monday morning, Feb. 1. Sharr said due to the height of the height of the vehicles, if there is even a small mound of snow the trucks can hit the top of the garage, keeping the space clear is everyone's responsibility.
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This is a test for online
Monday, February 1
Rod Wilkerson, 60
Harold C. Casper, 90
Harold C. Casper died on Jan. 25, 2016, at his home in Kalispell.
New trial to be held in child assault case
Attorneys are preparing for the second trial of a Kalispell man accused of sexually assaulting an 11-year-old girl.
Judge irked by offender asking public to foot bill for evaluation
Flathead District Judge Robert Allison was not happy that a convicted sex offender hired a private attorney to represent him during a sex assault case but now wants taxpayers to pick up the bill for a sex offender evaluation required for sentencing.
Family foundation gives out FVCC scholarships
The Gianforte Family Foundation recently awarded scholarships totaling $32,500 to 33 advanced manufacturing students at Flathead Valley Community College. The students will use the scholarships to help cover the cost of tuition this semester.
Carole June Borgen, 78
Meeting looks at Whitefish fuels reduction project
The Flathead National Forest is hosting a collaborative meeting Monday to allow community members to provide input on the proposed Whitefish Municipal Watershed Fuels Reduction Project.
Bigfork third in Class B speech
With one individual champion and six other place-winners, Bigfork High School placed third in team speech and debate sweepstakes in the Class B state meet on Saturday in Ennis.
Fresh snowfall
Brian Mathews of Kalispell uses a snowblower to remove snow from his driveway on Monday morning, February 1, in Kalispell. (Brenda Ahearn/Daily Inter Lake)
Sex offender sentenced for failure to register
A Kalispell sex offender avoided immediate jail time but will have to live by the letter of the law if he wants to avoid going to a state correctional facility in the future, Flathead District Judge David Ortley said Thursday at a sentencing hearing.
Store features Christian connection center
Fashion Outlet and Lighthouse Lounge
Last summer Jade Owens stepped outside her comfort zone and began a venture — an adventure, really — that is connecting her to all kinds of people in need of a little encouragement and unconditional love.
Woman worries about calamitous cats
For fear that her cats would turn the stove on and burn her house down, a woman asked the
Caller concerned about dog's well-being
An Armory Road resident called the
Job fair registration opens today
Registration for the annual Flathead Valley Job Fair opens today for employers seeking full-time, part-time and seasonal employees.
Hunting, fishing license costs rise
Montana hunters and anglers will pay more for their 2016-17 licenses when they go on sale today.
Bigfork husband donates kidney to wife
ULTIMATE GIFT OF LOVE
Tyson Niewoehner simply smiles when asked how he and his wife, Shelley, will celebrate Valentine’s Day this year.
Council looks at development permits, building codes
The Kalispell City Council tonight will look at a host of real estate topics, from medical facilities to swimming pools.
