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HEIDI DESCH

Daily Inter Lake

Heidi Desch is features editor and covers Flathead County for the Daily Inter Lake. She previously served as managing editor of the Whitefish Pilot, spending 10 years at the newspaper and earning honors as best weekly newspaper in Montana. She was a reporter for the Hungry Horse News and has served as interim editor for The Western News and Bigfork Eagle. She is a graduate of the University of Montana. She can be reached at hdesch@dailyinterlake.com or 406-758-4421.

Recent Stories

March 11, 2010 11 p.m.

Canyon school to remain open one more year

Canyon Elementary will remain open for one more school year, but with a reduction of programs.

March 4, 2010 11 p.m.

Sheep hitch a ride to new home

About 40 bighorn sheep got an unlikely ride below a red helicopter last week on their way to new homes.

February 18, 2010 11 p.m.

Arch may return to Nucleus

An iconic landmark could be returning to Columbia Falls this year.

February 18, 2010 11 p.m.

Columbia Falls man charged in teen's death

A Columbia Falls man has been charged with vehicular homicide while under the influence of alcohol and criminal endangerment after he allegedly caused an accident that killed a Eureka teen.

February 11, 2010 11 p.m.

Staff, other cuts could save Canyon school, for now

Canyon Elementary appears to have earned a reprieve, at least for one year.

February 4, 2010 11 p.m.

Wildcats talk way to fifth title

If there was ever any doubt that the Columbia Falls speech and debate team wasn't the best in the state, that doubt was squashed Saturday when the Wildcats won their fifth straight Class A state championship.

February 4, 2010 11 p.m.

Community tells district to keep school open

Parents, staff and friends of Canyon Elementary don't want to see their school close.

January 28, 2010 11 p.m.

Biomass surplus creates opportunity for Stoltze

When Smurfit-Stone closed its Frenchtown mill, an opportunity was created for F.H. Stoltze Land and Lumber in Columbia Falls.

January 21, 2010 11 p.m.

City appoints representatives to pre-release board

The Columbia Falls City Council Tuesday chose three representatives to join a Flathead Valley committee tasked with siting a pre-release center, even while hearing from one citizen who says the center shouldn't be located here.

January 21, 2010 11 p.m.

Woman and her Belgian shepherd ready to rescue

When a 7.0-magnitude earthquake shook Haiti last week, Kim Gilmore was put on 24-hour standby.

January 14, 2010 11 p.m.

Voters asked to renew funding for rural fire

The Columbia Falls Rural Fire Department is looking to renew its funding for another 10 years.

December 24, 2009 11 p.m.

Hagen takes over as fire chief

The City of Columbia Falls has a new fire chief.

December 24, 2009 11 p.m.

Outgoing mayor: 'I don't feel safe in my own town'

As Mayor Jolie Fish prepares to relinquish her seat next month, there's at least one item of city business that remains on her mind.

December 10, 2009 11 p.m.

City shows interest in pre-release center

The Columbia Falls City Council is looking at the possibility of locating a planned pre-release center here.

December 10, 2009 11 p.m.

Cramped street creates problems for residents, city

Parking along Fran Lou Park Lane has become problematic for its residents and the city as it attempts to provide services to the neighborhood.

December 3, 2009 11 p.m.

County will help with jail closing

Flathead County is willing to give some assistance to Columbia Falls with transporting and holding prisoners, after the city closes its jail this spring.

November 26, 2009 11 p.m.

Shay expected to get face-lift

The Shay engine at the north end of Nucleus Avenue has come into disrepair this year after several incidents of vandalism, but a fix should be underway soon.

November 19, 2009 11 p.m.

City looking at jail options

A lot of uncertainty remains even as Columbia Falls plans to close its jail next spring.

October 22, 2009 11 p.m.

Highways dedicated to Patrolmen KIA

The families of three Montana Highway Patrol troopers killed on Flathead roads won't soon forget their loss. And neither will area drivers who will see newly dedicated signs reminding them of the officers' sacrifice.

October 15, 2009 11 p.m.

District 6 continues to lose students

Enrollment counts in School District 6 are down again this year.

October 8, 2009 11 p.m.

Family twice bitten by high winds - lose barn

High winds that hit south of Columbia Falls last week caused damage at one residence on Eckelberry Drive.

October 8, 2009 11 p.m.

Businesses challenge community to support B&G Club

Three area business owners are working to help the Boys and Girls Club of Glacier Country and are challenging their counterparts to join in.

September 24, 2009 11 p.m.

Charges in wreck that killed C-Falls woman, son

An Evergreen teen has been charged with the deaths of a pregnant Columbia Falls woman and her 13-year-old son after she allegedly drove her car into oncoming traffic.

September 17, 2009 11 p.m.

Assisted living center breaks ground near junior high

Work started last Thursday on an assisted living facility near Columbia Falls Junior High.

September 9, 2009 11 p.m.

City budget increases from sewer project

An early look at the city budget shows an increase in overall appropriations, but most spending is expected to remain the same in the 2009-2010 budget.

September 3, 2009 11 p.m.

Kirk says he'll enforce softwood pacts

U.S. Sen. Max Baucus served as tour guide last week to U.S. Trade Ambassador Ron Kirk as they visited F.H. Stoltze Land and Lumber Co.'s mill here.

September 3, 2009 11 p.m.

Closure of some green box sites rankles residents

Some folks in eastern Flathead County predict that trash could pile up along U.S. Highway 2 if proposed trash site consolidation goes forward.

August 27, 2009 11 p.m.

Effort to restore Red Bridge looks at funding

Finding funding seems to be the next hurdle in a plan to restore the Red Bridge in Columbia Falls.

August 6, 2009 11 p.m.

Jenkins tops at Colgate state competition

Before Jonathan Jenkins steps onto stage he knows that folks often wonder how he's going to play a guitar.

July 29, 2009 11 p.m.

Cell tower near Glacier Hills draws ire

Driving through Hungry Horse is the first time it becomes obvious.

July 23, 2009 11 p.m.

City begins search for new fire chief

The City of Columbia Falls is determining whether or not to hire another full-time fire chief.

July 23, 2009 11 p.m.

Bee Hive gets go-ahead on assisted living center

The Columbia Falls City Council Monday chose to keep a buffer between residents and an assisted living center.

July 23, 2009 11 p.m.

Heritage Days buttons worth total of $300

There's a secret to this year's Heritage Days buttons. A secret that could mean cash for a few lucky button owners.

July 9, 2009 11 p.m.

Council election heats up

A last-minute filing has turned the Columbia Falls City Council election into a race.

July 9, 2009 11 p.m.

Mother's Power uses sun and wind

"I'm powered by the sun this afternoon," Brad Lee told the crowd at the Farmer's Market last week.

July 2, 2009 11 p.m.

Head Start buys former Christian School

Head Start finally has a place to call its own in Columbia Falls.

June 25, 2009 11 p.m.

C-Falls fire chief terminated

Columbia Falls Fire Department Chief Bob Webber has been fired.

June 25, 2009 11 p.m.

50 years later, grisly grizzly attack recalled

Joe Williams says he never once thought about dying.

May 28, 2009 11 p.m.

Owners split on Bad Rock Drive paving plan

Landowners who might be forced to pay for paving Bad Rock Drive acknowledge the road is dusty, but don't think they should shoulder the costs of paving the road.

May 21, 2009 11 p.m.

Council approves River's Edge Park master plan

Plans for River's Edge Park along the Flathead River will remain fluid for now.

May 7, 2009 11 p.m.

16 new Habitat homes on tap

The Columbia Falls City Council on Monday approved Habitat for Humanity's plan to construct 16 homes units here.

April 30, 2009 11 p.m.

Fire damages Columbia Falls garage

Help from neighbors and a fast response by the fire department likely helped save a Karen Road couple from disaster last week.

April 23, 2009 11 p.m.

No consensus on Jensen Road dust

A proposal to pave Jensen and Berne roads outside Columbia Falls came under heavy scrutiny at a meeting last week.

April 9, 2009 11 p.m.

City Council shoots down gun law

Taking a complete turn in direction, the Columbia Falls City Council has decided against a law change that would have allowed firing weapons in the city for special events.

April 2, 2009 11 p.m.

Playing guitar with prosthetic arm, Jenkins wins Colgate Country Showdown

Jonathan Jenkins entered the 28th Colgate Country Showdown on a whim.

April 2, 2009 11 p.m.

In West Glacier, support for four-day week

Plans to switch to a four-day week at West Glacier Elementary got a warm reception at a meeting last week.

January 10, 2007 11 p.m.

Columbia Falls school may have to go AA

Hungry Horse News

December 22, 2006 11 p.m.

Board votes to deny recommendation for South Fork Addition

Hungry Horse News

October 4, 2006 11 p.m.

Developer gets the nod for city sewer, water

Hungry Horse News

July 12, 2006 11 p.m.

Police searching for alleged drug dealer

Hungry Horse News