Stevensville
Stevensville, MT · Municipal
KPAX
Flathead County holding special school election on Tuesday
Montana Outdoor Radio Show
A Bad Berry Year Brings More Bears and a New Emergency Ordinance to Columbia Falls
Columbia Falls is experiencing a poor berry season, prompting bears to venture into town for food. In response, the city council implemented an emergency ordinance requiring residents to secure food attractants. While enforcement begins with warnings, ignoring guidelines may lead to tickets. Long-term measures are also being considered to address the issue.
Whitefish Pilot
Photo: Whitefish Ski Museum selling brick pavers for new walkway
Walkways between the Whitefish Ski Heritage Center and Museum and the adjacent Mountain Trails park are getting an upgrade this fall. Sponsored brick pavers and concrete will be the base of a new plaza surface between the museum and the park. There will also be a new walkway connecting to the Wisconsin Avenue SNOW Bus stop. Once the plaza and walkway are completed, the Ski Museum plans to build ski lift exhibits along the walkway. Mountain Trails Park is located at 705 Wisconsin Avenue adjacent to the Stumptown Ice Den. The land was acquired by the city of Whitefish in 1984 from the Mountain Trails Saddle Club. The walkway renovation is made possible by the city of Whitefish Parks and Recreation Department, the museum and a few generous community members. Brick pavers are for sale for $125. There is no deadline but sooner is a bit easier for placement. For more information see www.whitefishskimuseum.org or contact Tim Hinderman at 406-885-2730 or tim.hinderman@gmail.com. For questions about the park contact Parks and Recreation at 406-863-2470. Whitefish Ski Heritage Musuem and adjacent Mountain Trails Park are getting a new walkway. (Kelsey Evans/Whitefish Pilot) Whitefish Ski Heritage Musuem and adjacent Mountain Trails Park are
Flathead Beacon
Whitefish City Council Declines to Challenge State Law on 60-Foot Buildings Downtown
Following months of discussion, Whitefish city councilors this week opted not to go head-to-head with a new state law allowing 60-foot buildings downtown, which takes effect Oct. 1. The city council, however, directed city staff to explore ways to regulate any potential 60-foot buildings through its zoning code in hopes...
NBCMontana
Northwest Montana event to celebrate forests, recreation and wildlife
MISSOULA, Mont. — The Kootenai Forest Fair, celebrating Northwest Montana’s forests, trails, wildlife and waterways is planned for Saturday, Sept. 26, at Riverfront Park in Libby. The Kootenai Forest Stakeholders Collaborative and community partners will host the event from 2 to 5 p.m. The gathering is designed to...
Flathead Beacon
Kalispell Chamber Backs Ballot Issue to Keep Courts Nonpartisan
The Kalispell Chamber of Commerce has endorsed a ballot initiative aimed at keeping Montana’s courts nonpartisan, the nonprofit behind the initiative, Montanans for Nonpartisan Courts, announced in a Thursday press release. In the release, Lorraine Clarno, the chamber’s president, cited small businesses’ need for “fair, impartial, and consistent rulings”...
Flathead Beacon
Columbia Falls Council Approves Temporary Emergency Bear Ordinance
Columbia Falls city councilors this week unanimously approved an emergency, temporary bear ordinance to address a rise in bear conflicts in the city and the Flathead Valley that has continued throughout the summer and into the start of fall. The ordinance took effect immediately after Monday night’s vote and will...
Flathead Beacon
A Campaign Rooted in Community
After hundreds of doorstep conversations across House District 3, one thing is clear: families are working hard to build a life here in the Flathead Valley, but too many feel that life is becoming harder to afford and harder to protect. Homeowners worry that rising values will push property taxes...
Char-Koosta News
Community Spotlight: The Ronan Mill
RONAN — For Trinity Rosenbaum, opening The Ronan Mill wasn’t a sudden leap — it was a longtime idea that finally found its moment. “It was just something I had always kind of thought about, was having my own coffee shop, and the opportunity kind of fell into my lap,” Rosenbaum said.
Whitefish Pilot
New Whitefish pocket park to feature a wind phone for grieving and healing
A pocket park will be established at Cow Creek this fall and community members alongside city park leaders have agreed that a wind phone would be a fitting addition. A wind phone is a disconnected rotary phone typically placed in a serene environment. It is a symbolic tool for grief, providing a space for healing and emotional connection to those lost. "People can call their loved ones who have passed away and share their feelings aloud, trusting that the wind will carry their messages to the ones they love," said Melissa Hill, a community member leading the effort to bring a wind phone to Whitefish. Hill experienced a devastating loss on Oct. 18, 2024, when family member Kevin Trimm died by suicide. Trimm, born Sept. 11, 1993, left a profound absence. "There are still so many things we wish we could tell him — things we wish we could ask him, stories we wish we could share and moments we wish he could be here for," Hill said. While grieving, Hill's family came across the idea of a wind phone. The first "Phone of the Wind" was built near Otsuchi, Japan by gardener Itaru Sasaki after he lost his cousin
Lake County Leader
Ronan’s new Trail of Bales theme rolls into another great Harvest Festival
From Dolly Parton to the Statue of Liberty and the “Leaning Tower of Pizza,” hay bales around Ronan have transformed into creative landmarks as the community welcomes another year of the Chamber of Commerce Harvest Festival. Harvest Festival brings vendors, food, games and community together on Saturday, Sept. 19. This year also features a new Trail of Bales theme, “Around the World,” where local businesses have bales all over Ronan decorated in their best travel gear and landmark locations. A popular bale this year is done by J&K Town & Country Salon, in tribute to the late country singer Dolly Parton. Positioned outside their storefront in downtown Ronan, the blue bale features a handmade Parton with a painted-on poster board face and hair made from a hula skirt to achieve Parton’s iconic look. “We’re all country fans, so it was pretty easy to decide what to do,” said Johnie Underwood at J&K Town & Country Salon. “She did the free children’s books, motivational speaking and was all around a great person. We all thought she would be fitting for the theme.” Another eye-catcher this year is the return of Belle, the mannequin’s hay bale in front of Bev’s Bloomers. Their
Bigfork Eagle
New wellness destination comes to life in Bigfork
The Fort has been a dream seven years in the making, since Kaci Calaway and Joe and Michelle Sikkema sat around Calaway's father Timothy's table and talked about his dream for transforming the fields he owned into a community center. Shortly after they started to develop the land, though, Calaway's father died unexpectedly of a heart attack. He wouldn't get to see the ribbon flutter to the ground at the grand opening of the space he had envisioned for so long, but Calaway and the Sikkemas know that The Fort would never have been possible without him. "Dad had everything ready, and he was supposed to break ground in 2022 when he passed away suddenly," Calaway said. "We were left with the development — well, the beginnings of a development. It was really just dirt." "We decided to keep the legacy going, and that's why this entire thing is called The Fort," Joe said to the people crowded into the building's entrance to watch the ribbon cutting. "We designed this space to be for everyone in the Bigfork community, for the valley, as a one-stop-shop for your health and wellness. We try to put everything under one roof." If Timothy