Wednesday, May 29
Flathead cherry crop stunted by winter freeze
"There’s just a lot of hoops to jump through before we get to the harvest time with a good crop. And now we’re telling you, ‘We’re starting with a bad crop.’"
Embracing Change: Bigfork senior seeks adventure overseas
“I really like a change in things. Let’s go see what this different place looks like and how they act,” Bigfork High School senior North Nollan said.
In support of the Montana Great Outdoors Project
As Republican legislators representing Northwest Montana and the western edge of our state, we write to express our full support for the Montana Great Outdoors Project.
Mothers vouch for Tracy
Rob Tracy has been an attentive individual when it comes to the children’s safety, plus he is professional, communicates, is liked by the children, and a genuine person to us all. His dedication to the kids is proven time and time again, beginning with his first concern of safety by advocating for seatbelts inside buses and having extended 6’1/2” stop arms on the outside.
Bigfork Whitewater Festival
Photos from the Bigfork Whitewater Festival on the Wild Mile of the Swan River Sunday, May 26.
Paul Strong, 79
Paul L. Strong passed away Saturday May 11, 2024.
Jensen wins 800-meter, boys sixth at state
When it comes to two laps, Bigfork has the best in the business.
Turning the page -- Repository for rare books scales back collection
Located off Lake Blaine Road, Parkland Books has been a treasure trove for bibliophiles seeking national park books and publications or rare and out-of-print books.
Mystery snails turn up in Flathead Lake
Dumping aquarium pets into local waters can negatively affect the ecosystem — and the consequences don’t always come at a snail’s pace.
Wednesday, May 22
Bigfork schools qualify for free lunches
Bigfork schools saw an increase in state aid SNAP and TANF program qualifiers, with 27% of students qualifying, and are now eligible for free food across the district for three years through the USDA’s Community Eligibility Program.
Traffic updates for highways
MDT along with construction partner Highmark Traffic Services, Inc., will be applying epoxy striping on Montana Highway 35 and U.S. 93, beginning the week of May 27, weather and other factors permitting. Construction is anticipated to be completed by the end of June.
Troyer set for state tennis
Bigfork singles play Tessa Troyer is headed to state after placing sixth at the Western A Divisional Tournament in Kalispell on Wednesday, May 15.
Jensen double-winner at Western A Divisional Track
Bigfork’s Jack Jensen won the 800-meter run (1:57.82) and the 1,600-meter run (4:27.56), helping anchor the boys track team to a fourth-place finish at the Western A Divisional Track Meet in Columbia Falls on Friday, Saturday, May 17-18.
As comment periods close, Oldenburg residents feel unheard on Sportsman’s Bridge fishing access
“All the way down through Harbor Village and over there, there’s people that wanted it moved out of there… We’re just outnumbered by a million letters,” Oldenburg resident Dan Evans said.
65 years of show tunes and hard work at the Bigfork Summer Playhouse
Under the reins of Don and Jude Thomson, and their son Brach, the Bigfork Summer Playhouse has become one of the most notable small-town professional theater companies in the country, not missing a single season in its 65 years.
Ronan man sentenced to 60 years for starting fire that destroyed 14 homes
A Ronan man, and son of one of the most experienced and respected wildland firefighters in the country, was sentenced May 10 in Polson District Court to the Montana State Prison for a total of 60 years with 30 years suspended.
How a local grizzly bear raised three offspring amid human presence
Dorothy is an 18-year-old female grizzly widely known throughout Bigfork and Ferndale. For the last two years, Dorothy has been accompanied by her three offspring, and since male grizzly bears do not provide parental rearing, she has been tasked with finding enough food for herself and her cubs. She has managed to do so while defeating the odds of cub mortality (about two out of five cubs survive their first year of life), all while generally staying out of trouble.
Spring Mack Days total tops 35,000
The 2024 Spring Mack Days Event on Flathead Lake sponsored by the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes ended Saturday May 11. A total of 35,089 were entered during the nine-week fishing event. The goal behind these fishing events that focus on reducing the non-native lake trout.
Corps of Engineers Approves higher lake levels for Memorial Day
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) approved another request from Energy Keepers, Inc (EKI) to deviate from the Flood Risk Management Plan by allowing for higher Flathead Lake levels on Memorial Day. This is the second deviation driven by dry conditions.
Community Markets opening season
Bigfork’s community markets are opening for the season, with Bigfork Farmer’s Market Co-op set to start things up Wednesday, May 22 and Bigfork Monday Market following on Memorial Day.
Middle school girls basketball camp
The Fourth Annual Morehouse Hoops Collective Middle School Girls Basketball Camp is open to any girls entering grades 6-8. Hosted at Bigfork High School, June 10-12.
A winning issue is a winning issue whether it can be addressed or not
The furor over immigration is an issue that won’t go away—can’t go away-- because once it does it will no longer provide political ammunition for Republicans to use against the Democratic Party.
Wildflowers Salon blossoming in Bigfork
Hairdresser Holly Johannson left behind a 20-year clientele in Phoenix, Arizona when she and her daughter, Harper, moved to Creston last June.
Wednesday, May 15
Three Win At Polson ABC Meet
Bigfork had three athletes win events at the Polson Nelson-Thomas ABC Meet on Saturday, May 11 in Polson.
Settlement over Bigfork subdivision would allow developer to resubmit plan
A lawsuit filed by the developer behind a proposed Bigfork subdivision against Flathead County following denial of the project appears to be headed for a settlement.
New editor’s note
At the same time I was graduating high school and making the somewhat questionable decision to start college for photojournalism, a little village in Northwest Montana was fighting to get its local newspaper back in print after it was moved online in 2015.
Fall in Flathead Lake visitation could be due to low lake levels
Flathead Lake State Park’s six units experienced a minus 6.4% change in visitation 2019 to 2023. In comparison, the parks overall showed a 17.4% increase from pre-pandemic levels.
Hotel permit tabled by Board of Adjustment
The Flathead County Board of Adjustment unanimously voted to table Bigfork Hotel Group’s request for a conditional use permit to allow for a 64-room hotel in the Fort development north of Bigfork during its May 7 meeting.
Preliminary results for Bigfork and Swan River trustees
Preliminary results for the Bigfork and Swan River school trustee election last week showed incumbent Dan Elwell as top pick for representing the Bigfork High School and Swan River School in Bigfork, and Swan River School District had Linda Stewart and Curtis Wisman positioned to fill two trustee positions there.
Cayuse Prairie School hosting plant sale this week
This Wednesday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., the community is invited to swing by and support the program through their yearly plant sale.
Vikings tally wins over Browning and Ronan
Bigfork scored five runs in the bottom of the sixth for a 7-5 victory in West Division play on Saturday, May 11. Cavin Wiest hit two triples in the victory for the Vikings.
Tennis divisionals in Kalispell this week
Whitefish has been a team to be reckoned with all season and they showed that in Thursday, May 9’s battle against Bigfork.
Volunteers ready Wild Horse Island trails for summer
Around 14 volunteers loaded on a Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks boat in Big Arm State Park on Saturday to clean up the Wild Horse Island trails for the season. Upcoming, volunteers will be needed for trail work Saturday, June 1 at the Big Arm Archery Range.
Grounded Teen Center welcomes eighth graders in May
Grounded Teen Center is graduating its first set of seniors to spend all four years of high school at the building on Montana 35 in Bigfork after opening the space in 2020. Now, eighth graders are invited to check out the space for the month of May.
Thursday, May 9
Spring Mack Days nears conclusion with 32,000 fish
With only one weekend left in the 2024 Spring Mack Days Fishing Event on Flathead Lake, anglers have entered 32,683 lake trout since the contest began March 14. The 2019 spring event holds the record fish count at 40,357.
Wednesday, May 8
Bigfork's Gunlock commits to BYU
After a banner junior season in which she helped Bigfork finish second at the State A tournament, the Valkyries’ Braeden Gunlock announced Tuesday she has committed to play women’s basketball at Brigham Young University.
Steamboat Landing subdivision back before county board
The board in March tabled the Steamboat Landing project asking the developer to investigate traffic mitigation options for the development planned for 63.79 acres adjacent to Somers Middle School.
FVCC celebrates 56th annual commencement May 10
Commencement will take place in Wachholz College Center’s McClaren Hall on FVCC’s Kalispell campus to celebrate 271 students earning 292 degrees and certificates.
Bigfork baseball gets W over Troy
Bigfork got strong pitching outings from Mason Lewis and Ryeln Rodriguez in an 8-3 West Division victory over Troy on Tuesday, April 30.
Flathead Lake Lodge chef blends Southern and local influences for spring dinners
For the second year in a row, Flathead Lake Lodge is hosting two weekends of four-course dining to dazzle taste buds with spring’s long-awaited seasonal flavors.
Bigfork wins Mike Nicosia Triangular
The Bigfork boys placed first at the Mike Nicosia Cat/Dog/Viking Triangular on Tuesday, April 30.
Sunday, May 5
Osweiler to hold camp at Legends July 20
High school and youth football players should circle July 20 on their calendars — Brock Osweiler is once again coming back to Kalispell to help with the Flathead Braves Football Camp.
Thursday, May 2
Plans take shape for luxury golf club in Lakeside
The developers behind a proposed luxury golf club in Lakeside hope to begin construction as soon as next summer if the permit process goes as planned.
Bigfork hotel plan met with traffic, sewer concerns
Concerns about highway safety and available sewer infrastructure could stymie the development of a 65-room hotel in a new subdivision north of Bigfork.
Volunteers sought for trail maintenance on Wild Horse
Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks is seeking volunteers for a trail maintenance project on Wild Horse Island May 11. FWP is planning to spend a half-day on the island completing general maintenance of the state park's trail system. Boats will launch from the Big Arm Unit of Flathead Lake State Park at 10 a.m. and return around 3 p.m.
Wednesday, May 1
Artist finds niche in collaborating with local bands
The 27-year-old has been an artist his whole life, earning him recognition as a student at Bigfork High School where he illustrated a comic book for his senior project and doodled in the margins of his assignments.
Mack Days: Just two weeks left
Anglers fishing the 2024 Spring Mack Days Fishing Event have increased the total number of lake trout entries to 29,228, slightly more than the 2023 total of 28,176 at the end of week seven, and less than the 2019 record breaker, which was 31,163 at week seven and 40,362 overall.
Bigfork boys land in 2nd at Whitefish track meet
The Bigfork boys track team placed second at the Whitefish ARM Invitational on Saturday, April 27 with two even winners.
FVCC showcases undergraduate research May 3
Flathead Valley Community College’s Honors Program presents its annual Honors Student Research Conference with poster presentations and 30-minute oral presentations on Friday, May 3.
Habitat Flathead seeks volunteers to build more homes
The nonprofit’s goal is to increase the number of houses built from three to more than 10.
Tester calls for action on water levels in Flathead Lake ahead of summer
U.S. Sen. Jon Tester on Monday called on a federal inter-agency group charged with managing dams and reservoirs to immediately begin taking steps to avoid low water levels in Flathead Lake this summer.
State seeking public comment on future of Bigfork fishing access site
Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks is taking comments on a plan to relocate the state fishing access site at Sportsman's Bridge ahead of construction of a new span across the Flathead River.
Trout Unlimited banquet May 18
The banquet is a fundraiser for Trout Unlimited to assist with many projects, primarily in Northwest Montana.
