Florence
Florence, MT · Municipal
Daily Montanan
Forstag holds flurry of events in Flathead as VP stumps in Belgrade
Before the sun crested the Swan Mountains on Monday, Democratic candidate Sam Forstag was meeting with a group of small business owners in a Whitefish bagel shop. Sesame seeds, a topping of one of the best selling bagels, are more expensive these days, said Dan Moe, owner of Cutthroat Bagel Company, as are paper products […]
Bigfork Eagle
Lakeside pauses out-of-district sewer hookups
With much of its excess capacity committed to future development projects, the Lakeside County Water and Sewer District board of directors voted last week to place a temporary moratorium on the annexation of new properties into the district for sewer hookups. The moratorium only applies to out-of-district properties seeking to join the district, not to properties within the district that have not yet hooked up to the district's water and sewer services, General Manager Rodney Olson clarified. "We want to protect the capacity we do have for our in-district people," Olson said. The board still reserves discretion to annex properties into the district on a case-by-case basis, in scenarios like a leaking septic near the lake, but any property owner wishing to be annexed into the district would submit an application that would then be considered and voted on by the directors. The moratorium comes as the district navigates several changes looming on the horizon: it is in the midst of expanding its wastewater treatment facility to meet increased demand within the district and has at the same time committed to serve the proposed Territory 1889 subdivision south of Lakeside, which will bring more than 350 homes under the district's
Hungry Horse News
Whitefish Pilot
Whitefish Democratic candidate for Flathead County commissioner outlines plans for the position
Nathan Dugan, 36, planned to step out of the public eye after his second unsuccessful bid for Whitefish City Council in 2025. "I wasn't really planning to run for anything, any time soon," said Dugan, who moved to Whitefish from northeast Ohio in 2015 after earning a doctorate in physical therapy from Columbia University. But when he skimmed this year's candidate list for Flathead County Commissioner District 1, he felt solid about his chances of winning the Democratic primary — especially since Whitefish developer Casey Malmquist filed to run as an independent. "I wouldn't have run if Casey Malmquist had decided to run as a Democrat," Dugan said. "He probably would have beat me in the primary." Dugan handily defeated his eventual Democratic opponent, Colton Little, in the June primary with 66% of the vote. And Malmquist dropped from the race after he failed to file the necessary paperwork. That left Dugan as the sole challenger to incumbent Republican County Commissioner Brad Abell, 67, in the Nov. 3 election. The Democrat said the county's all-Republican board of commissioners could benefit from a little diversity. "They're thinking about things the same way," Dugan said. "Nobody's asking those questions or maybe pointing
fireapparatusmagazine.com
Rollins (MT) Fire Completes Community-Funded Addition and Remodel
Lake County Leader, Polson, Mont. Oct. 22—After outgrowing its space, the Rollins Volunteer Fire Department sought support from the community and raised $2.2 million to fund necessary upgrades and a station addition. The previous station was a narrow, 6,000-square-foot, six-bay structure with a small training area and no room...
Flathead Beacon
Lakeside Sewer District Pauses Annexations as Capacity Nears
Lakeside County Water and Sewer District approved a temporary moratorium Tuesday on new properties seeking annexation into the wastewater treatment district. District board members said the remaining capacity at its facility will be reserved primarily for properties already within the district. “Our first responsibility is to protect our commitments to...
NBCMontana
Glacier Art Museum preserves Montana's history and stories through art
KALISPELL, Mont. — Montana’s beauty has inspired artists for generations, and now a historic museum in Kalispell is preserving the art, history, and stories of the American West. Located in downtown Kalispell, the Glacier Art Museum calls a historic 1903 Carnegie Library home. Built at the turn of...
Whitefish Pilot
Haskill Creek group seeks permit to host events at Voerman Road property
A property formerly host to Haskill Creek Farms on Voerman Road in Whitefish has applied for a Flathead County conditional use permit for a “recreational facility” with the intention of hosting small-to-medium sized events. The conditional use permit is on the agenda for the Flathead County Board of Adjustment meeting at 6 p.m., on Oct. 27 at 40 11th Street West in Kalispell. There will be no public hearing as there was one in May. Haskill Creek Farms has hosted events in the past that match the descriptions of their conditional use permit application, including small “Haskill Wednesday” gatherings and the Whitefish Food and Wine Festival in 2024 and 2025. The 75-acre property is within the Rural Whitefish Zoning District and zoned SAG-10 Suburban Agricultural. The permit is requested by Scot Chisholm of Haskill Creek Property Group. The group purchased the Voerman property in 2020 and remodeled its farm-style home into a health and wellness and cannabis shop, which opened in June 2022 and closed in 2024. The group has also dedicated itself to a nonprofit, Save Farmland. About 40 acres of the property were donated to Save Farmland with intentions to grow produce in collaboration with other local nonprofits.
Char-Koosta News
Council member resigns amid conduct hearing; Pablo seat declared vacant
PABLO, Mont. — Council Representative from the Pablo District Martin Charlo resigned October 20 during a hearing on allegations of conduct unbecoming an elected official. Following his resignation, the Tribal Council voted to declare the seat vacant. At its October quarterly meeting, the Tribal Council scheduled a removal hearing...
Lake County Leader
Rollins Fire completes community-funded addition and remodel
After outgrowing its space, the Rollins Volunteer Fire Department sought support from the community and raised $2.2 million to fund necessary upgrades and a station addition. The previous station was a narrow, 6,000-square-foot, six-bay structure with a small training area and no room to work on engines. The station continued to grow in this space, but as it acquired more equipment, some engines had to be stored at volunteers' houses, creating a logistical hassle for five years. Fire Chief Carey Cooley said the department has seen significant growth in both volunteer numbers and call volume. The department was founded in 1962 by three couples who pooled their money together and purchased a used fire engine, the department now serves a growing population and has more than 20 volunteers. Cooley has been part of the department since 1992, has watched her dad serve as the Rollins chief, and said department operations have completely shifted from how they did it back then. Fire departments like Rollins used to respond only to house or car fires, but now it's evolved into rescues and medical calls. Overall, calls have increased, with the department responding to 56 in 2023 and projected to respond to more