Building Mystery/Parking Lot Overhaul at Missoula Holiday Village

That new building at Holiday Village isn't attached to the main structure. It's a pad spot for a future business yet to be announced.

Missoula secures nearly $1 million federal grant for Reserve Street safety improvements

MISSOULA, Mont. — The City of Missoula has secured nearly $1 million in federal funding to improve traffic safety along Reserve Street, one of the city's busiest transportation corridors. The city was awarded $996,688 through the U.S. Department of Transportation's Safe Streets and Roads for All grant program. The...

Hewankorn To Be Sworn In To CSKT Tribal Council

FLATHEAD RESERVATION — Levi Hewankorn will be appointed to Tribal Council to replace the vacated seat for Pablo. Hewankorn was the other Pablo candidate in the CSKT General Election. A swearing-in ceremony is planned for 10:30 a.m. Tuesday at the regular Council meeting. Council passed this action Tuesday. Hewankorn...

NBC MT Today: AP calls race for Forstag, record-breaking business filings, breezy weekend

Montana State Parks Foundation works to improve accessibility

BIGFORK, Mont. — The Montana State Parks Foundation is working to make Montana's outdoors more accessible, starting with improvements to the Harry Horn Trail at Wayfarers State Park on Flathead Lake. Crews recently cleared brush, widened and leveled sections of the trail and removed obstacles such as rocks and...

Missoula Public Library considering budget cuts that could impact Frenchtown branch

Faced with a budget shortfall, the Missoula Public Library is looking at cuts that could change the fate of Frenchtown's only community library.

Kalispell Chamber of Commerce Recognizes Local Businesses and Entrepreneurs at Annual Grand Event

Thursday night, the Kalispell Chamber of Commerce brought together local businesses and organizations to celebrate entrepreneurship and community investment in the Flathead Valley. At the 2026 Grand Event, the chamber presented eight awards that recognized honorees’ outstanding work and commitment to creating a better Kalispell. This year’s theme, Venture...

Columbia Falls Proposes Short-Term Rental Permits, Stricter Resort Tax Enforcement

Columbia Falls city councilors this week got their first look at a proposed short-term rental policy and program that, if approved next month, would take effect at the start of the new year. The program — which aims to respect the economic importance of short-term rentals to the city and...

Lake County Courthouse renovations underway

The Lake County Courthouse is undergoing a significant transformation, which sometimes leads to a little confusion. During a recent tour with Commissioner Gale Decker, an older woman stopped him to ask where she could register to vote. He directed her across the street to the Dave Stipe Annex, now home of the Lake County Election Office.

William “Bill” (Pancho) Titus

William “Bill” (Pancho) Titus July 4, 1950—Oct. 12, 2026 Bill experienced a difficult childhood in Los Angeles, California and joined the Army at the age of 17. He was trained as a radarman but upon arriving in Vietnam was assigned to a LRRP unit. For the next 15 months his only thought was survival. He returned from Vietnam as a highly decorated veteran, but as was common at the time amongst disillusioned vets, he threw all his medals away. The one medal he saved and was proud of was the CIB (Combat Infantryman's Badge). Upon discharge from the Army, Bill moved to eastern Oregon and began a successful career as an auto mechanic and married Marlene. He had an encyclopaedic knowledge of engines, guns and anything mechanical. Bill and Marlene moved to the Astoria area early in the 1980s and started a restaurant called Pancho Villas in Uppertown, Astoria, Oregon. By all accounts it was a very good Mexican restaurant, but his personal life was not going well. Soon the restaurant closed and Bill and Marlene were divorced. He was referred to the VA for help. Bill was reluctant to have anything to do with the VA, but in time

South Lincoln Co. Halloween events support worthy causes

Those who didn't find anything to do on Halloween in south Lincoln County weren't trying. In Libby, Rotary Club of Kootenai Valley Sergeant-at-Arms Zach McNew said they served up 600 hot dogs during the club's Trunk or Treat at the old high school. Also, the Libby House of Horrors raised more than $500 and donated 165 pounds of food to the Libby Food Pantry. In Troy, the Halloween Walk on the Track raised a total of at least $3,400. More than 600 people attended, which didn't include those who set up booths. Track committee volunteer and school board trustee vice chairperson Eric Storkson also spoke about the progress on the track project. "At the October school board meeting the board voted 5 in favor and 1 abstained (I abstained due to my close ties to this project over the last six years) to release the funds to the administration so they can begin requesting bids from local contractors to improve the track," Storkson said. "From the start, the track committee has been in pursuit of one thing, a flat, rubber-surfaced track." Caidyn Carey and Gunarr Vaughn enjoyed the hot dogs given out by the Rotary Club of Kootenai Valley during

50 Years of Power. None of the Benefit.

Guest opinion submitted to The Montanian in response to “Libby Dam’s Generator Unit 6 Strengthens Reliability and Conservation,” October 21, 2026. This paper recently carried an account of the Unit 6 installation at Libby Dam, submitted by the Army Corps of Engineers. It is accurate, it is informative, and the engineering it describes deserves the respect it was given. Lincoln County has no quarrel with a single figure in it.

Tensions flare as Lakeside grants water usage to development

Following impassioned comments from an overflowing crowd Wednesday seeking a delay or outright denial of the agreement, the Lakeside County Water and Sewer District board approved a revised contract to provide water to planned resort development near Blacktail Mountain. The district board, on a vote of 4-1, agreed to provide water to the Territory 1889 subdivision to serve the first two phases of the development. The full project is expected to include 359 homes, along with commercial development and open space, on 1,700 acres in Lakeside. The major change to the agreement was to reduce the amount of water allocated to Territory 1889. The new agreement provides an allocation of 80 acre-feet per year as opposed to 125, for an annual rate of $52,160. During the first round of public comment, the board of directors drew the ire of residents who believed there had been insufficient notice given for the meeting and that the office was inadequate to host the large group. Hands were on hips as the fired-up crowd, comprised mostly of Lakeside residents over the age of 60, stared down the board. It rapidly got louder in the small space as community members and board members spoke over

South Lincoln County set to host Veterans Day events

It's time to join together and celebrate our military veterans who have served in the United States Armed Forces. Several events are planned in south Lincoln County, beginning today and continuing next week. Leading things off is the Kootenai Valley Christian School's 30th annual Veterans Day Appreciation program at 6:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 6. This special evening will give students a chance to say thank you to the men and women who serve and have served our country. This year's event will be hosted at the Libby Assembly of God Church, located at 105 Collins Ave. In Libby, there are several events on Veterans Day, Wednesday, Nov. 11 and also Saturday, Nov. 14. The Libby VFW Harper Erdman Post 1548, led by VFW Post Commander Brian Sharp, has a full day of events planned on Wednesday, Nov. 11. At 9 a.m. at Libby Middle High School, Joe DeCree, a former Green Beret and the current chaplain of the Glacier Park VFW Post 2252 in Kalispell, will be the primary speaker. Sharp will also attend the event. At 11 a.m., the VFW will host a Veterans Day program at the Lincoln County Veteran’s Memorial in Riverfront Park. There will be seating,

Flathead County commissioners greenlight first phase of luxury resort in Lakeside

Flathead County commissioners approved the first phase of a forthcoming luxury Lakeside resort Thursday on a 2-1 vote. The decision came after the vote on the final plat for Territory 1889 Phase I was delayed three times due to pending water rights issues. Arizona-based Discovery Land Company is behind the 1,700-acre subdivision west of U.S. 93 in Lakeside. The members-only resort will include single-family lots, a golf course, spa, restaurants, retail stores, offices and management facilities at full build-out. The first phase involves constructing water, wastewater and stormwater management systems for 79 residential lots and 11 open space lots. The subdivision is set to have 359 residential lots. Developers originally proposed using groundwater wells on the property to support the subdivision's water supply system. But those plans hit a snag when a use permit granted by the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation for two groundwater wells got tied up in litigation. As a backup plan, developers signed an agreement with Lakeside County Water and Sewer District to purchase water allocation and connect to an existing water supply system. If the permit for the two groundwater wells does not come to fruition, developers would need to build a water

Democratic Candidates Emerge Victorious in Competitive North Valley House District Races

Democratic candidates Debo Powers, House District 3, and Paula Koch, House District 4, secured comfortable victories on Election Day — marking the first time both districts will send Democrats to Helena in the ruby-red Flathead Valley following redistricting in 2024. Powers, the District 3 incumbent, defeated Republican challenger Derek...

Council Dispatch For September 24 and 29

Approved a $62,500 agreement among CSKT, Never Alone Recovery Support Services and Salish Kootenai Housing Authority to support recovery services for Tribal members living at Recovery Village. Funding will come from opioid settlement interest funds for October 1, 2026–September 30, 2027. Tribal Lands Department. Approved purchasing the four one-quarter...

Community could see reparations from CFAC pollution impacts

Reparations from the Columbia Falls Aluminum Co. plant’s past pollution could help Columbia Falls with projects like upgrading water lines, but it will likely be years before the city, or any other stakeholder, sees any money. That was the message last week during a meeting of trustee representatives of the State of Montana Natural Resource Damage Program. Representatives of the program, which is authorized under federal Superfund law, gave an update on its investigation of the site to date. The program will take another, and perhaps close, look at contamination at the site and ways to mitigate and ways compensate for the long-term impacts to the natural environment from the operation of the former aluminum smelter. The effort is part of Superfund law and is collectively done by the state of Montana, the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, the Department of Agriculture, and the Department of Interior, collectively known as the “trustees.” About a 10 members of the public met with trustee representatives last week to get an update on the Damage Plan’s investigations to date. The Damage Risk Assessment is separate from the Superfund cleanup of the defunct smelter. Instead, it looks to recoup damage done to the environment

Kalispell mayor faces recall effort

KALISPELL, Mont. — Kalispell Mayor Ryan Hunter is facing calls for his removal from office. The effort comes after questions were raised about a potential conflict of interest involving Hunter’s employment with Flathead Land Trust. The controversy centers on an April City Council meeting, when the council considered its long-term land use plan, PLAN-IT 2045.

This week 67 years ago: City Council election plans, 4-H leaders meeting, Pirates to Ronan 26-6

The Flathead Courier, November 5, 1959 City Council Decides to Go Ahead with Election Plans and Considers Further Expansion of Limits The Polson city council Monday night decided to go ahead with plans to hold a combined election asking voters to approve a $195,000 sewage disposal system bond issue and a $195,000 water supply bond issue. At the same time, the council passed a resolution announcing its intent to investigate the possibility of expanding the city limits and stated that it is in favor of including "logical and contiguous areas." As for the election, petitions will be circulated this week and will ask that the council schedule an election. The forms will be reviewed when the council resumes its recessed regular meeting next Thursday, Nov. 12, at 7:30 p.m. in the city hall. The assistance of Harold Eagle, representing the consulting engineering firm of Morrison and Maierle, was obtained to help draw up a base map showing areas that might be included in the expansion. Commenting on the proposed expansion, Councilman Norin T. Johnson said that while tax rates for people now outside the city would increase about one-third, fire rates would decrease. He said city residents are now paying