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Man flown out of Glacier Park via rescue helicopter after being injured by bear
A 35-year-old man was flown out of Granite Park Chalet in Glacier National Park for medical treatment after a bear encounter on the Highline Trail.The man’s name or the extent of his injuries was not released, but the Park Service said they were non-life threatening.The man and his hiking party encountered the bear near the Grinnell Glacier Overlook Trailhead, which is about half mile or so south of the chalet.The injured visitor hiked to Granite Park Chalet with assistance from rangers and other hikers where he was met by Two Bear Air and flown to the Apgar horse corrals, then...
The Columbia Falls Homecoming Parade, In Pictures
The Columbia Falls Homecoming Parade. The Ruder Elementary float. A kid messes around in the parade. Soccer player River Wolford throws candy to the crowd. The girls soccer team hands out candy. The cheerleaders walk in the parade. The drumline plays in the parade. The Special Olympics float. The cross country team gives a cheer. Eleanor Smiley throws candy to the crowd. A volleyball player returns serve during the parade. The junior high float. The Glacier Gateway float. April Dyon hands out candy for Ruder Elementary. George Scherman and Alice Biel lead off the Columbia Falls Homecoming Parade Wednesday with teh Academic Foundation float.
After plenty of back-and-forth, Gianforte, Busse will debate
By MARA SILVERSMontana Free PressTwo candidates for Montana’s governor’s seat have agreed to debate in mid-October after incumbent Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte declined to participate in two earlier forums proposed by separate news outlets. Gianforte is scheduled to face off against Democratic challenger Ryan Busse, a conservation advocate and former firearms executive, in an Oct. 16 debate hosted by NonStop Local, an ABC-Fox affiliate, the campaigns said Monday.Busse campaign manager Aaron Murphy said the two campaigns are still negotiating a precise time and format for the October debate, but that both are in agreement about the Oct. 16 date.Paul Bergen,...
Shane “Ricky” Richard Decker, 53
It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of Shane Richard “Ricky” Decker, a beloved father, son, brother, and friend, who left us on Sept. 3, 2024, at the young age of 53. Ricky’s life, though too brief, was one of remarkable warmth and courage, and he will be deeply missed by all who had the honor of knowing him.Born on Aug. 24, 1971, to Calvin and Laura Decker (Winters), Ricky was known for his kind heart and his unwavering love for his family. As a young man, he earned the nickname “Sticky Ricky” in the world of...
Harriers both notch wins at Corvallis Invitational
Hungry Horse NewsThe Columbia Falls girls cross country team won the Corvallis Invitational last week, edging the Blue Devils by one point.The boys also won as well, but beat host Corvallis by 10 points.The meet featured teams the Wildcats will likely have to beat at the state A meet in Missoula in a few weeks if they want to bring home some hardware this season, and they proved they can match up with just about any class A school.The girls were led by Mya Badger, who took second with a 20:46.05 while the boys were led by River Blazejewski who...
Gary Steffen, 77
All the world was Margaritaville on Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024. On that warm, summer’s day, Gary L. Steffen, The Man, The Myth, The Legend, met up with the gambler and Heaven will never be the same. At the age of 77, this man, who was not only a beloved husband, father, grand-father, great-grand father, uncle, brother, and friend, but he was someone who knew what it meant to experience every moment and live in the moment with a smile on his face, a beer in his hand, and a story to tell. Every person he touched was a friend for life,...
Boys hammer Vikings, Thompson Falls, beat Bulldogs 4-2 on the road
By BRANDON HANSENFor the Hungry Horse NewsColumbia Falls improved to 6-0 for the second time in 19 years with a 7-0 victory over Thompson Falls-Plains on Saturday, Sept. 14. The last time the team was 6-0 was in 2022, when the Wildcats won state.Against Thompson Falls-Plains, Columbia Falls benefited from four goals by Maxwell Everett. Columbia Falls led 2-0 at halftime and then scored five goals in the second half.“We have kind of been a second-half team,” Columbia Falls Head Coach O’Brien Byrd said. “Ideally, you want to play two halves and dominate and execute the game plan perfectly. It...
Soccer: Girls roll over Bigfork, Thompson Falls, tie Bulldogs
By BRANDON HANSENFor the Hungry Horse NewsColumbia Falls got a big tune-up against Thompson Falls on Saturday, Sept. 14, downing them 7-0 while outshooting the Blue Hawks 30-3.“It was a huge confidence boost,” Columbia Falls Coach Thomas Clark said. “We have been really pushing how we attack, creating chances and finishing those chances.”The Wildcats have scored 22 goals in their last three games, before their rivalry matchup against Whitefish on Tuesday.Columbia Falls jumped out to a 3-0 halftime lead thanks to a goal by Onnika Lawrence on an assist from Bella Mann in the 19th minute. Lawrence would score again...
Yesterdays: Bear grabs watermelon out of car in Glacier Park and runs off into the woods with it
70 years agoSept. 17, 1954Contractors were starting to close in potline No. 1 at the new Anaconda Aluminum Co. plant. Each potline was about 100,000 square feet. A bear in Glacier National Park stole a watermelon from the back seat of a convertible car and dashed into the woods with it.60 years agoSept. 18, 1964The Bureau of Public Roads had plans to replace the “county half” of the Polebridge over the North Fork. The west half of the bridge was heavily damaged in the June floods. The east half was less damaged and would be repaired by the Park Service.50...
The Blotter; Bears in town
Sept. 15Black bear on 6th Street. It moved along. Man said he bought a rig, but guy never gave him the vehicle.Sept. 14A man said he would shoot rather than get arrested again. He was wanted on warrants. Someone said they heard gunshots on 8th Street. Possible drunk drivers in Super 1 parking lot as they were drinking inside their car. They were not intoxicated, police found.Sept. 13A guest allegedly stole several items from a home while visiting. Unruly kids on the bus prompted call to police. Speeders reported on Martha Road.Sept. 12Wallet was stolen, caller claimed. Someone called in an alleged drunk driver.Sept. 11No reportSept. 10Report of a driver throwing stuff at another vehicle and allegedly tried to run them off the road.
School learning a few lessons from roof woes
By CHRIS PETERSONHungry Horse NewsThe high school roof is dried in and completed, School District 6 superintendent Cory Dziowgo told the board last week. “It can rain all it wants,” he said. “The roof is as good as it gets.” The district is now looking at replacing the classroom heaters as they were likely damaged by flooding and debris from the roof demolition. They might work now, but could fail six months down the road, cautioned district clerk Dustin Zuffelato. The district has about $200,000 in leftover contingency funds on the school’s HVAC project and an additional $185,000 in unused maintenance levy...
Artist Niles paints new mural for city library
By CHRIS PETERSONHungry Horse NewsHungry Horse Artist Joe Niles recently completed a new mural on the walls of the Columbia Falls Library. The mural was paid for through a donation from Church Women United through the sale of the Klothes Kloset building at the end of Nucleus Avenue.Niles spent the month of June walking around the Bad Rock Wildlife Management Area. It depicts the canyon in sun and light, showers and shadows, capturing the moodiness in weather that June often brings to the Flathead.Several other of Niles’s works on currently on display in the library as well.Niles paints smaller plein air studies of his scenes before he expands them into murals, he explains.Each one takes between 20 minutes and a couple of hours.He also recently completed historic murals in the KM Building in Kalispell and did extensive black and white murals in the halls of the Ruis Buildings on Nucleus Avenue.The mural is a permanent part of the library, but Niles other work, which is also on display, will be up for the next three months. Patrons are urged to come take a look.
Groups file suit over Gunsight Lake fish plan
BY TAYLOR INMANAND CHRIS PETERSONHungry Horse NewsLocal conservation groups have filed a lawsuit in federal court which alleges the National Park Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service violated the Endangered Species Act by approving a trout reintroduction project in Gunsight Lake. The lawsuit revolves around the park’s plans to reintroduce bull trout and west slope cutthroat trout in Gunsight Lake in hopes that the fish will repopulate the St. Mary drainage. Park biologists argue that moving both native trout species to the high alpine lake will protect them from the threats of hybridization and climate change, according to the...
Study will take long look at housing in city; Employers will be surveyed, too
By CHRIS PETERSONHungry Horse NewsColumbia Falls will undergo a comprehensive housing study that will not only look at the current housing market, but will also survey employers, look at the impacts of vacation rentals and second homes and a host of other factors impacting the city’s housing needs. During a workshop last week with the Columbia Falls Planning Commission, consultant Wendy Sullivan and her staff met via videoconference to discuss the study, which is already underway. The study is mandated by the Montana Land Use Planning Act, also known as Senate Bill 382, passed by the Montana Legislature in 2023 and...
Death notices for Sept. 18, 2024
Michael Wayne Craner, 58Michael Wayne Craner died Sept. 7, 2024 in Columbia Falls. To send online condolences, please visit columbiamortuary.com.Rick Koerner, 88Richard “Rick” Lamar Koerner died Sept. 9, 2024 in Columbia Falls. Family plans are being made at this time. Darlington Cremation and Burial Service is caring for his family.
50 years and going strong: The Weyerhaeuser MDF plant first fired up in 1974. It’s been making a world-class product ever since
In 1974, Plum Creek, a subsidiary of the Burlington Northern Railroad, built the area’s first fiberboard plant. The idea was to make sawdust and other wood waste into a usable product using adhesives and high-pressure hot presses.The plant cost $10.5 million and was expected to utilize 108,000 tons of wood waste annually.The initial plant was expected to produce about 70 million square feet of fiberboard a year and the would employ about 115 workers.“The use of spruce, pine and western conifers is expected to give the product a superior edge,” plant officials said during a July 1974 tour with Burlington...
Columbia Falls spikers drop Libby at home
By BRANDON HANSENFor the Hungry Horse NewsEmalee Alton and Sadie Cheff notched 13 kills apiece as Columbia Falls defeated Libby 25-12, 19-25, 25-12, 25-12 last week at home.“I thought we played well and clean, minus the second match; we did not respect Libby enough in the second set, made too many errors, and couldn’t pull back ahead,” Columbia Falls Head Coach Jolandie Brooks. “That’s the game of volleyball. With momentum swings, we need to be faster swinging the momentum back in our favor.”At the net, Rylee Sweeney had six kills and three blocks, while on defense, both Annika Reid and Lexi Anderson had 10 digs.Kierra Kemppainen had 16 assists, while Jezanie Brooks had 11 assists. Both of them also had two aces.“I’m excited to coach this group of girls — they can be so fun to watch,” Brooks said.
Dillon bests Cats on the road
Hungry Horse NewsThe Columbia Falls football team lost to rival Dillon on the road Friday, 21-7 in a game that was closer than the score would suggest.The Cats were only down by a touchdown heading into the fourth quarter, before the Beavers pulled away.Coach Kelly Houle was pleased with the young team’s effort, despite the loss.“I was really proud of them,” he said. “They played with perseverance and grit.”Even though they were down 21-0 in the fourth, they kept playing hard and scored a touchdown and had another chance for a score as well.He noted that Dillon has two of...
Golfers do well at Libby
Columbia Falls golfers are doing well on the links. At the Libby Invitational last week Winslow Peters took ninth, shooting a 161 in the two-day event. Teammate Will Pickard was 15th with a 171. As a team the boys took fifth. Addie Bowler led the girls team, taking fourth, as she shot a 183. The Wildcats wrap up the regular season with the Kalispell tourney and the Hamilton Invitational this week.
City, Flowers at odds over the way city handles access to council
By CHRIS PETERSONHungry Horse NewsColumbia Falls Mayor Don Barnhart earlier this month spoke to an ongoing dispute between the city and Mayre Flowers of Citizens for a Better Flathead.Flowers has been critical of the way the city allows the public to contact city council members. Under the city’s system, which has been in place for years, a person has to email city clerk Barb Staaland and then Staaland forwards the message to the respective party.Flowers wants the ability to contact individual members of council on a one-on-one basis.She notes that Flathead County Commissioners and other cities allow for a person...
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The Hungry Horse News has been in publication since 1946. It is the only weekly newspaper in Montana to win a Pulitzer Prize and has a reputation for fine photography of the Flathead Valley and Glacier National Park. It is housed in a log cabin in Columbia Falls. Visitors with story ideas are always welcome to stop by.
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