Greenough
Greenough, MT · Education
Whitefish Pilot
New Whitefish High School track will get boost thanks to donor
The Whitefish School Board last week accepted a $50,712 donation from the Whitefish Community Foundation on behalf of an anonymous donor to support the high school track expansion, specifically for improvements to the long jump runway and pit. The board has discussed “beyond the bond” opportunities for donors before, but noted that this was an exciting, more specific donation. The budget for the Whitefish High School expansion is on track with 38% spent or $13,696,975. The athletic project is about 65% complete, and the academic phase is about 35% finished. The wrestling room is tracking to be complete in mid-November. Owner’s representative Luke Hamman said there shouldn’t be any exposed openings to classrooms as winter approaches. The athletic field buildings should continue to see progress throughout the winter. “Aside from landscaping, things won't stop unless they have to,” he said. The contingencies are healthy, Hamman said. There are generally fewer contingency uses on the back end of the project than in the beginning, and there could be funds leftover which could affect options like the field’s scoreboard choice, he said. Whitefish High School Principal Kerry Drown noted synergy in the community with another successful homecoming. Nearly 3,000 people attended the
montananewsroom.com
Flathead Valley Community College Approves Contract for New President
KALISPELL, Mont.—The Flathead Valley Community College Board of Trustees has unanimously approved an employment agreement with Dr. Deborah Kish Stephan, who will become the college’s next president on Jan. 1, 2027. Stephan will succeed longtime President Jane Karas, who has led the college for more than two decades.
NBCMontana
Flathead Valley Community College approves contract for new president
KALISPELL, Mont. — The Flathead Valley Community College Board of Trustees unanimously approved an employment agreement Thursday for Dr. Deborah Kish Stephan, the college's next president. Stephan, who was appointed Sept. 28, will begin her new role Jan. 1, 2027, succeeding President Jane Karas, who has served the college...
Whitefish Pilot
Late touchdown edges Cats past Dogs in Friday night football thriller
Friday night’s Cat-Dog matchup showed what high school football was all about, even though the outcome didn’t favor Whitefish fans. Each team came into the match at Columbia Falls unbeaten. The Cats would go on to narrowly clinch the victory 34-31 to up their rankings to 5-1 overall and 3-0 in Northwest A, while the Dogs fell to 6-1 overall and 2-1 in league. “Everybody that was wearing green and gold was bummed. It’s a big game and we want to win,” Whitefish Coach Brett Bollweg said. “At the same time, our guys played really well and we didn’t hurt ourselves. We played a tough 48 minute football game... we played a good, clean game. We have nothing to hang our heads about.” The Bulldogs came on strong and had a big play in the first drive as quarterback Luke Dalen ran for a 64-yard touchdown. The Cats answered on their next scoring drive as Trip Ross punched in a 4-yard touchdown run to tie the game at 7-7. Whitefish regained the lead on a 22-yard field goal by Owen Aldridge before C. Falls moved ahead 14-10 when Johnston connected with Jory Hill on a 5-yard touchdown pass. The Bulldogs
Bigfork Eagle
Rising together: Bigfork High students champion youth mental health
When Emily Wisman first walked through the doors at Bigfork High School as a freshman, she felt very alone. Funneled in from Swan River School, she didn’t have many friends to help her navigate the transition to life in high school. But halfway through her first year, a senior asked Wisman if she would be interested in joining RISE, a club dedicated to mental and physical wellness. “I went, and I fell in love with wanting to be a safe space for people. That was pretty much my thing,” Wisman said. “I never want another person to feel as alone as I did, so that’s when I took initiative.” RISE, which stands for Resilience, Integrity, Service and Equality, is a student-run committee that is focused on the challenges impacting youth mental health and suicide prevention awareness. It’s one of many such clubs at high schools around the Flathead Valley that formed in the wake of several suicide clusters in 2021. With guidance from the Nate Chute Foundation, students asked themselves how they were going to help prevent such a tragedy from happening again. “In so many schools, we as adults try to do stuff, but when it comes from the
buttesports.com
A Senior Night to Remember: Bulldogs Roll Past Flathead 35-7 at Naranche
BUTTE — There is something special about Senior Night at Naranche Stadium. The familiar walk onto the field, the lights shining over the Mining City and the realization that, for a group of young men, the Friday nights they once dreamed about are becoming memories. Friday night, the Butte...
NBCMontana
Kalispell Public Schools adds 6 new drivers following school bus campaign
KALISPELL, Mont. — Kalispell Public Schools wrapped up a multi-month campaign to recruit school bus drivers for the new school year, and the district says it paid off. KPS set a goal of hiring eight new drivers and had six ready to go by the time school started in late August.
NBCMontana
FVCC to host Night of the Trades on Thursday
MISSOULA, Mont. — Flathead Valley Community College is inviting prospective students and their families to explore career opportunities during Night of the Trades on Thursday, Oct. 8. The free event runs from 5:30 to 8 p.m. at the FVCC Trades Institute building in Kalispell. Participants can explore career pathways...
wiareport.com
Deborah Kish Stephan Appointed President of Flathead Valley Community College in Montana
The Flathead Valley Community College board of trustees has selected Deborah Kish Stephan as the college’s next president. However, Dr. Stephan’s appointment has drawn concerns from faculty. According to a release on the community college’s website, Conrad Rauscher, faculty union vice president, says the hiring process did not accurately reflect faculty rankings; finalist Andrew Fields, CEO of the University of Idaho Coeur d’Alene, was the faculty’s preferred choice.
Flathead Beacon
Whitefish High School Girls Golf Team Claims 2026 Class A State Title
It’s been a while, but the Whitefish girls golf team is back on top after its biggest state title drought since the program won its first of 19 total in 1981. “We’ve got high expectations here at Whitefish golf, and this is just the start of something,” first-year Bulldogs coach Danny Neff said. “This is the first year I’m head coach, and I look forward to a lot more of these coming in the future.”
Daily Montanan
Flathead Valley Community College faculty irked by presidential appointment
The board of trustees at Flathead Valley Community College has chosen its first new president in more than a quarter century, but faculty allege the selection process lacked transparency and disenfranchised the campus. The board of trustees advanced this week the presidential appointment of Deborah Kish Stephan, who leads the Brandon Campus of Hillsborough College […]
Flathead Beacon
FVCC Board Delays Approval of New President’s Contract for Attorney Review
Flathead Valley Community College trustees unanimously selected Dr. Deborah Kish Stephan as the school’s next president last week, but at their Monday meeting they postponed approving her contract until an employment attorney can review it. The attorney review was not previously part of the public selection process. It was...
northernbroadcasting.com
Glacier defense keeps opponents out of the end zone
Speed, depth and seven track hurdlers help fuel the defending Class AA champions’ touchdown-free start. Glacier High School’s opponents have managed just two field goals through five games this season. None has scored a touchdown. The defending Class AA football champions have posted four consecutive shutouts since a...
Whitefish Pilot
PHOTOS: Transformation of Whitefish High School underway
Whitefish High School's athletic and academic expansions are taking shape. The grandstands are up, and Whitefish athletes will be competing with a grand view of Big Mountain. The $26.5 million academic expansion includes new classrooms, lab spaces, multi-purpose trades facilities and renovations for Whitefish Independent High School. The $6.1 million athletic expansion includes a new 10-lane track and football field with 1,500-plus seat grandstands. The new athletic field at Whitefish High School has an excellent view of Big Mountain. The new complex will be ready for the spring track and field season. (Kelsey Evans/Whitefish Pilot) The view of the new athletic field at Whitefish High School from inside the press box at the top of the grandstands. (Kelsey Evans/Whitefish Pilot) The new field building at Whitefish High School will serve as the entryway to the new athletic field with restrooms and concessions. (Kelsey Evans/Whitefish Pilot) Shown is the largest portion of the academic expansion at Whitefish High School on Sept. 22. The Bulldog-themed corridor will house well over 20 classrooms and will include natural lighting and common areas. A roof overhang will go on the left, near where the existing main entrance is. On the right is the gym walls
Hungry Horse News
High school bond election fails for a second time
The Columbia Falls School District 6 bond election failed to pass muster with voters, 2,430-1,547 Tuesday in a mail-in ballot. The school was seeking $75.9 million to renovate the 66 year-old high school. A previous bond election in 2025 for $84.4 million also failed in November. This time around the district trimmed some expenses from the project, but the 25-year bond still would have had an increase of $321 annually for a primary home assessed for $600,000. The school district argued that changes in state tax law, which favor primary residences mean a lower overall school tax, basically covering the increase from the bond. But the majority of voters still did not favor the bond, which would have paid for a complete remodel of the high school, upgrades to the administration office and upgrades to ball fields if there was any money left over.