Grant to provide educational materials for Indigenous youth program in Polson

POLSON, Mont. — The Dollar General Literacy Foundation awarded Friends of the Children-Western Montana a $5,000 grant for its Polson location. This grant will help provide more books, literacy activities, and learning resources. Currently, Friends of the Children-Western Montana serves 32 youths across 11 schools on the Flathead Reservation....

Flathead Co. voters to weigh Columbia Falls High School bond

COLUMBIA FALLS, Mont. — On Tuesday, Flathead County voters are deciding whether to approve a nearly $76 million bond to renovate and upgrade Columbia Falls High School. The high school was built in 1959, and district leaders say much of the building hasn’t kept up with the needs of today’s students.

Local CEO uses her values to empower young Native students

Native Forward Scholars Fund CEO Angelique Albert was recently named on the Forbes' 2026 50 Over 50 list, but Albert explained that she did not receive her education to succeed as an individual; rather, she did it to serve her community and tribal communities on a broader scale. “It’s an honor to be recognized at that level,” Albert said. “More importantly, what it means to me — it means visibility. It means representation.” Albert explained that anytime Native people gain visibility, it’s important because that’s something missing in the world. “Native people are often misrepresented, and it’s important that we come out and show our success,” she said. She said this isn’t just about representation for herself but about the success and impact of Native Forward, which speaks for itself. Native Forward is a nonprofit organization that awards scholarships to tribal citizens pursuing undergraduate, graduate and professional degrees. Albert has served as CEO for the past nine years and, during her tenure, has tripled the number of students it serves annually, with Native Forward has awarded $400 million in scholarships to more than 20,000 students from 500 tribes across the United States. Albert said the organization recently reached a milestone,

FVCC Trustees Pick Deborah Kish Stephan as Next President

The Flathead Valley Community College board of trustees unanimously selected Dr. Deborah Kish Stephan as its preferred candidate for president Tuesday night, following three rounds of deliberation. Trustees also met for two hours in closed session Friday. “You’ve heard me say that we wanted to be an ‘A’ team looking...

Football Recap: Whitefish Skates Past Lincoln County with Ease + How To Watch

Whitefish extended their winning streak to four on Friday, bumping them up to 4-0. They took their contest with ease, bagging a 42-6 win over the Lincoln County Lions. That 36 point margin sets a new team best for the Bulldogs this season. As for Lincoln County, they are now...

PHOTO: Whitefish volleyball celebrates 50th anniversary reunion

Whitefish High School volleyball celebrated its 50th anniversary with a reunion of all classes, including their Ronan opponents, at the home game on Thursday, Sept. 17. Whitefish High School volleyball celebrated its 50th reunion on Thursday, Sept. 17, 2026. (Kelsey Evans/Whitefish Pilot) Whitefish High School volleyball celebrated its 50th reunion on Thursday, Sept. 17, 2026. (Kelsey Evans/Whitefish Pilot) Whitefish High School volleyball celebrated its 50th reunion on Thursday, Sept. 17, 2026. (Kelsey Evans/Whitefish Pilot) Whitefish High School volleyball celebrated its 50th reunion on Thursday, Sept. 17, 2026. (Kelsey Evans/Whitefish Pilot) Whitefish High School volleyball celebrated its 50th reunion on Thursday, Sept. 17, 2026. (Kelsey Evans/Whitefish Pilot) Whitefish High School volleyball celebrated its 50th reunion on Thursday, Sept. 17, 2026. (Kelsey Evans/Whitefish Pilot)

Polson eighth grader hits a hole-in-one at Browning Invite

Thirteen-year-old eighth-grade golfer Sara Dumouchel made a notable hole-in-one at the Browning Invite tournament at Marias Valley Golf & Country Club last month. Dumouchel explained that she was standing on the sixth hole, a par 3, and wasn’t sure whether the ball would land out of bounds, knocking her out of the tournament. “‘Oh, it’s not even gonna make it to the green. It’s way too short,’” she recalled thinking as she teed off. “And then it rolled really far and somehow made it.” Dumouchel said there was a hill on this hole that blocked her view, and it wasn’t until she and her teammates walked down that she learned it was a hole in one. “I didn’t believe it for the first few minutes,” she said. “Once I saw it, I was just kind of in shock, but I was excited and happy that it went in.” Dumouchel explained that she didn’t realize it was a big deal until her dad, Mike, said he’d never had a hole-in-one. “I thought people got them like probably once a year or something,” she said. Dumouchel is on the Polson High School Girls Varsity Golf Team alongside two other eighth graders. Coach

Polson District Hosts PIR Day for Lake County District Schools

POLSON, Mont.—The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes Education Department organized the 31st annual Professional Instruction and Renewal (PIR) Day at Polson School District this year, marking the first time in recent years that the district hosted the event, according to organizers. Education director Michelle Mitchell recalled attending PIR Day...

Four Whitefish students are National Merit Scholar semifinalists

Four Whitefish students have been selected as semifinalists for the prestigious 72nd annual National Merit Scholarship Program. The students are Teagan Chisholm, Logan Covey, Luke Ross and William Stenstrom. Over 1.2 million juniors from about 20,000 high schools across the nation entered the 2027 National Merit Scholarship Program by taking...

'Levelheadedness': No. 3 Whitefish football building off 2025 semifinal run

The No. 3-ranked team in Class A has earned that spot with a close win and two blowouts to start off in 2026.

From ‘fortress of solitude’ to campus hub

Many community college students juggle classes with work, family and long commutes — a balancing act that requires them to fit in their studies whenever they can. Campus libraries are key to this dynamic, offering a convenient and quiet environment, not to mention technology sometimes unavailable at home. As...

Homecoming: Big first half powers BC over Ronan

Some nights are just good, some players, too, on those nights. Senior GG Fantini was announced as Homecoming King Friday night between halves of scoring three touchdowns in a 54-0 blowout victory for Butte Central over Ronan in a high school football game at Bob Green Field. The win put...

FVCC Presidential Finalist Forums Slated for Next Week

Beginning Monday, Flathead Valley Community College is set to host a series of community forums, open for members of the public to meet and ask questions of its four presidential search finalists. The forums are slated to take place Monday through Thursday at the Flathead Valley Community College’s Wachholz Innovation...

Glacier High School Flag Football to Represent Montana on National Stage

Ever since flag football’s first season in Montana in fall 2022, Glacier High School has led the pack, capturing a state title in each year of competition. This weekend, however, the state’s back-to-back-to-back-to-back champions will make the leap to the national scene and test their mettle against the rapidly growing sport’s top teams and players at the inaugural MaxPreps Flag Football Showdown.

High standard: No. 5 Kalispell Flathead looks to keep rolling after 2-0 start

The Kalispell Flathead football team has a little more energy this year, thanks in part to a 2-0 start.

New principal brings positivity to Muldown Elementary

Dishing out high fives and soothing teary-eyed kindergarteners in the morning drop-off line is all part of the job for the new Muldown Elementary principal. The students have made the first few days of school amazing, said Principal Jennifer Santora. "From the very first moment I stepped on campus, the kids have been giving me hugs, and, 'You're the new principal! We haven't had a girl principal!" she said. "I was excited to continue the great work that Mr. [John] Coyne did here and pick up the amazing culture that is Muldown. It's like a family here, so I felt welcomed from day one." Santora says she sees her role as an "end goal." Raised in Brooklyn, New York, she always knew she wanted to be a teacher. She later went to college in Florida and began her career teaching third and fourth grade. "I spent 14 amazing years in the classroom, which has given me a strong foundation to know and understand what our students and teachers need," Santora said. She said her heart felt pulled to impact and support other teachers, so she earned an educational leadership degree and became a district curriculum specialist. She then spent four

Swan River School Set to Take $1.5 Million Building Reserve Levy Ask to Voters

At Swan River School, the custodian’s office is decorated with “buckets of love” — garlands students put together for the school’s lone staffer dedicated to maintenance. Inside the office are four furnaces, first installed in 1998, that run the heat to eight classrooms on the elementary side of the building.

High School Football scores for Sept. 4, 2026

Class AA: Kalispell Glacier trounces Bozeman, Great Falls CMR upsets Missoula Sentinel

Here is a roundup of scores and highlights from Class AA football action across Montana on Friday night.

Columbia Falls School District Asks Voters to Approve $75.9 Million Bond for High School Improvements

Since AuBonny Nagel graduated from Columbia Falls High School in 2003, she said not much has changed in the building, first constructed in 1958. Fast forward 23 years and Nagel, who now works at First Interstate Bank, has joined forces with a tight-knit group of five volunteers forming the backbone of the Wild Political Action Committee, formed in the spring to advocate for a high school bond that will hit voters’ mailboxes this September.