Coram
Coram, MT · Lifestyle
Flathead Beacon
Columbia Falls Council Approves Temporary Emergency Bear Ordinance
Columbia Falls city councilors this week unanimously approved an emergency, temporary bear ordinance to address a rise in bear conflicts in the city and the Flathead Valley that has continued throughout the summer and into the start of fall. The ordinance took effect immediately after Monday night’s vote and will...
NBCMontana
2 young grizzlies wander into Polson, drawing crowds and hampering officials
POLSON, Mont. — Two young grizzly bears wandered into Polson Friday, Sept. 18, drawing crowds and creating challenges for wildlife officials trying to move the animals safely. The bears, believed to be siblings about 2-years-old and weighing roughly 300 to 400 pounds each, “followed their noses into town,” prompting...
Whitefish Pilot
New Whitefish pocket park to feature a wind phone for grieving and healing
A pocket park will be established at Cow Creek this fall and community members alongside city park leaders have agreed that a wind phone would be a fitting addition. A wind phone is a disconnected rotary phone typically placed in a serene environment. It is a symbolic tool for grief, providing a space for healing and emotional connection to those lost. "People can call their loved ones who have passed away and share their feelings aloud, trusting that the wind will carry their messages to the ones they love," said Melissa Hill, a community member leading the effort to bring a wind phone to Whitefish. Hill experienced a devastating loss on Oct. 18, 2024, when family member Kevin Trimm died by suicide. Trimm, born Sept. 11, 1993, left a profound absence. "There are still so many things we wish we could tell him — things we wish we could ask him, stories we wish we could share and moments we wish he could be here for," Hill said. While grieving, Hill's family came across the idea of a wind phone. The first "Phone of the Wind" was built near Otsuchi, Japan by gardener Itaru Sasaki after he lost his cousin
Bigfork Eagle
New wellness destination comes to life in Bigfork
The Fort has been a dream seven years in the making, since Kaci Calaway and Joe and Michelle Sikkema sat around Calaway's father Timothy's table and talked about his dream for transforming the fields he owned into a community center. Shortly after they started to develop the land, though, Calaway's father died unexpectedly of a heart attack. He wouldn't get to see the ribbon flutter to the ground at the grand opening of the space he had envisioned for so long, but Calaway and the Sikkemas know that The Fort would never have been possible without him. "Dad had everything ready, and he was supposed to break ground in 2022 when he passed away suddenly," Calaway said. "We were left with the development — well, the beginnings of a development. It was really just dirt." "We decided to keep the legacy going, and that's why this entire thing is called The Fort," Joe said to the people crowded into the building's entrance to watch the ribbon cutting. "We designed this space to be for everyone in the Bigfork community, for the valley, as a one-stop-shop for your health and wellness. We try to put everything under one roof." If Timothy
Lake County Leader
Photos: St. Ignatius, Charlo and Ronan celebrate homecoming weekend
Around the valley, multiple schools held a festive homecoming weekend with big floats and tons of school spirit. Mission’s homecoming court included Kieran Incashola, Anna Cronk, Madison Incashola, Avia Lee, Vincent Shepard, Macklen McDonald, Kai O’Brien and Sage Asinaboine. (Christa Umphrey photo) Mission high schoolers ride on a fire truck through town during the homecoming parade. (Christa Umphrey photo) Mission homecoming royalty Sage Assiniboine and Madison Incashola ride on a classic car through the parade. (Christa Umphrey photo) Two young Chiefs fans warm up to run down some candy at the homecoming parade. (Berl Tiskus/Leader) Ronan queen Kailyn Marengo and king Matiya Nenenmay pose for a photo during Ronan’s homecoming game against Loyola-Sacred Heart. (Susan Lake photo) Charlo’s 2026 homecoming court poses for a picture on Charlo’s football field. The royalty includes Anthony Lopez, Maizey McDonald, Olivia Carnell, Laila Stinson, G.G. Hawk, Colter Roylance and Ryden Eichwald. (Emily Messer/Leader) Colter Roylance and Laila Stinson were crowned Charlo’s 2026 king and queen. (Emily Messer/Leader)
Hungry Horse News
City passes emergency bear ordinance
The Columbia Falls City Council Monday night passed an emergency bear ordinance that requires people to secure garbage and other attractants from bears roaming into town. The vote was unanimously in favor. Like 2022, when the city first passed such an ordinance, it’s been a bad berry year and bruins have been frequenting the city limits in the past few weeks as they look to fatten up before winter hibernation. The bulk of reports have come from the city’s east side, where the neighborhoods are closer to the mountains. But bears can easily show up anywhere, as they follow the Flathead River downstream. The emergency ordinance would require that garbage not be placed out on the curb before 4 a.m. the day of pickup. It also requires that “All garbage, recycling containing food residue, food waste, and other attractants stored outdoors shall be maintained in a bear-resistant container, within a secured structure, or within a secured enclosure,” such as a garage or a secured and locked shed. It also prohibits leaving out pet feed from a secured enclosure, has provisions for securing garbage from commercial establishments and makes it illegal to purposely feed bears. “Garbage, recycling containing food residue, food
KPAX
Wildlife officials urge residents to remain bear aware after grizzly sightings in Polson
Whitefish Pilot
New trails and blazing fall fun at annual Whitefish trail race
The Whitefish Legacy Center and a new trail section near Whitefish Mountain Resort will be showcased during the 16th annual Whitefish Trail Blazer races on Oct. 3 and 4. The Whitefish Trail Blazer is a fundraiser for Whitefish Legacy Partners -- the nonprofit behind the Whitefish Trail development -- with distances ranging from a 2-mile family run up to the mountain 50k. The 50K on Saturday, Oct. 3 will start and end at Whitefish Mountain Resort’s village. The course will summit Big Mountain and run down the Whitefish Trail to the Reservoir Trailhead and back up. The course will feature newly built sections of Whitefish Trail that stretch from the top of Chair 3 down to the Big Mountain Trailhead area. The approximately 3-mile section is part of a partnership between Whitefish Legacy Partners and the resort. It will eventually connect with trails in Haskill and Hellroaring basins. A grand opening for the trail section and further details are expected later this month. The ultra-distance race offers a fun spectator experience at the village, where 50K runners will pass through the start/finish area in front of the Hellroaring Saloon four times. There will be live music by Todd Cowart and
Montana Outdoor Radio Show
Helena Area Reservoirs Fishing Report 9.21.26
Canyon Ferry has slow fishing with walleye and rainbows moving to shallow waters. Best spots include mid-reservoir and areas around Snaggy Bay. Hauser offers good rainbow catches below the dam, while Holter sees excellent trout fishing, though walleye activity is low. The Kokanee Salmon snagging season is currently open.
unearththevoyage.com
This Whitefish, Montana, Restaurant Mixes Modern Style With Mountain-Town Flavor
There is a restaurant tucked into downtown Whitefish, Montana, that has people rearranging their travel plans just to get a table. It sits inside a beautifully restored 1903 brick building, and from the outside, you might not guess that what waits inside is one of the most talked-about dining experiences in the entire Northern Rockies.
Flathead Beacon
Whitefish Native Selected as Finalist in Nationwide Songwriter Festival Contest
As a Whitefish native and nearly lifelong musician and songwriter, Tim Torgerson hoped to one day take part in the Whitefish Songwriter Festival, but the opportunity had never seemed to open up, he said. Then Cari Klepper, the festival’s cofounder, walked through the doors of downtown Whitefish’s Slow Burn Records,...
Whitefish Pilot
WTC presents high-energy comedy, stunt show
The Whitefish Theatre Company welcomes comedian and five-time Guinness World Record Holder Matt Baker to Whitefish for “Matt Baker: Comedy & Stunt Show.” Blending stand-up comedy, audience participation and unbelievable stunts, Baker will take the WTC stage for one night only on Friday, Oct. 2 at 7:30 p.m. Seattle-based Baker is an award-winning comedian whose unique show blends a combination of stand-up comedy with amazing stunts. His hip, high-energy, one-man show is action-packed with audience participation and blends funny stories and observations with jaw dropping stunts like catching a bowling ball on his head, spearing vegetables in mid-air, and juggling with his mouth. A five-time Guinness World Record Holder, Matt has appeared on “The Late Show with James Cordon,” “Last Comic Standing,” “Comedy Central,” the NBC hit show “America’s Got Talent” – and now on the WTC stage! Baker has built a career around turning seemingly impossible feats into comedy, combining the timing and observational humor of a stand-up comedian with the skill and unpredictability of a stunt performer. His performances have taken him around the world and onto national television, but audience interaction remains at the heart of his live shows. Rather than simply moving from stunt to stunt,
missoulaunderground.com
Weekend PICKS: Thursday, September 17th thru Sunday, September 20th
Welcome to the last weekend of summer – it’s that sweet spot that already feels like fall (the nice version). We’re into the last stretch for our area Farmers Markets. We have the Renaissance Festival, Wildlife Art Expo, Kids Rodeo, a MTB fundraiser, Fun Runs, Blues Festivals, Griz vs Cats Volleyball, Sunday Streets, live and local music each day & night, Chili Cook-Off, Brewfest, Wiener Dog Races, a Moonlight Market, and so much more…The MUG is here with all the mid-September Weekend PICKS for Missoula and Western Montana!
fineartconnoisseur.com
Carol Guzman & Clyde Aspevig: “Land Snorkeling” Painters
Perhaps the most artistic residents of the Gallatin Valley in south-central Montana are the married couple Carol Guzman and Clyde Aspevig. Both of these gifted painters are passionate about preserving undeveloped expanses of Western landscape, and it was Guzman who first memorably described their zeal for attentive nature walks as “land snorkeling.” Today the couple maintains a website (landsnorkel.com) that encourages browsers to help preserve the environment, in part because it can, in Guzman’s words, “awaken our senses to the wonderful mysteries that await the curious mind.”
Char-Koosta News
Reservation’s Latest Skatepark Opens in Hot Springs
HOT SPRINGS — A new skatepark built through Pearl Jam bassist Jeff Ament’s Montana Pool Service foundation drew roughly 50 residents in Hot Springs for its debut, giving local kids a new place to ride and gather. Boards of Missoula, a nonprofit that helps build skateparks across the...