Ellington

Democrat Lieser seeks second term in House

Democrat Ed Lieser announced Monday that he will seek a second term in the state House of Representatives.

Whitefish stabbing victim dies, wife faces homicide charge

A Whitefish man who was stabbed in the heart last month has died and his wife will now be charged with homicide.

Skiers swarm slopes during Christmas week

Whitefish Mountain Resort is reporting a banner Christmas week for total skier visits thanks, in part, to one of the deepest snowpacks in the region.

Another record year for state bed tax collections

After 2012’s record-breaking year for bed tax revenues in Montana, the state saw more than a $1 million increase for the first three quarters of 2013.

Two Bulldogs invited to play in Shrine Game

Two Bulldogs are included on the starting rosters for the 68th annual Montana East-West Shrine Game.

Woman found guilty of DUI says she was 'roofied' in Whitefish

A Kalispell woman who claimed she was drugged while at a bar in Whitefish was convicted this month of driving under the influence.

Police calls: Boyfriend goes irate on Christmas Eve

Homeless Whitefish man and his dog find hope in Missoula

On Dec. 1, I became homeless. I spent the first few nights back in Whitefish where I have lived off and on since 2003 with an old friend and former roommate. He had family coming in, so when the first cold spell was almost over, I found a ride from Kalispell to Missoula with my dog, Java.

'Bathtub' parking could be ideal for downtown

The four finalist architects in the City Hall design competition each has their own merits. But the most interesting and most original is the concept presented by CTA of Kalispell.

Countdown to 2014

There are plenty of activities for the whole family to enjoy this New Year's Eve with a full slate of events happening around Whitefish and the Flathead Valley. Ring in 2014 on the slopes, at a live show in town or at the family-friendly First Night in Kalispell.

Joshua William Miller

Joshua William Miller was born on Aug. 3, 1985 in Memphis, Tenn., to the late Cheryl Slater Miller and Gary Miller.

Stabbing victim's father allowed to make medical decisions

(AP) A Kalispell judge has granted the father of a hospitalized Whitefish man the authority to make all medical decisions for his son, including removing him from life support.

Old time Christmas fun

Of course we didn’t get iPhones, Nooks or Android tablets for Christmas. We got hand-knit woolen mittens, or scarves and caps that kept us warm while we played outdoors.

Timing is everything in politics

In politics, timing is everything, and that certainly appears to be the case with Lt. Governor John Walsh and Congressman Steve Daines.

Dogs hold off Libby for conference win

The Whitefish boys basketball team opened Northwestern A conference play Saturday with an impressive 55-46 victory at Libby.

Erenfelds celebrate 50 years

Peter and Mary Erenfeld, of Whitefish, are celebrating 50 years of marriage this month.

Shepherd's Hand Clinic now offers dental care

Shepherd’s Hand Clinic is expanding its services to include free dental care to low-income Flathead Valley residents.

Whitefish woman killed in 10-vehicle pileup

A Whitefish woman was killed in a 10-vehicle crash on I-90 near Spokane, Wash. Friday afternoon.

Three Dogs place at Buzz Lucey

Whitefish wrestler Judah Prestegaard took third place at the Buzz Lucey Invitational in Eureka on Saturday to lead the Bulldogs to a solid sixth-place finish.

Funk band 20 Grand raising funds for debut album

Whitefish funk band 20 Grand recently recorded its debut album and now is turning to a crowdfunding campaign to help bring the album to fans.

Police calls: Police investigate fat cat burglar

Voisin stays on path to Sochi

Whitefish skier Maggie Voisin, 15, stayed on her path toward the Olympics with a fourth-place finish in womens slopestyle at the season’s second qualifying event last weekend at the U.S. Grand Prix at Copper Mountain, Colo.

Helena firm rises to top in City Hall design contest

Underground parking sparks interest

Mosaic Architecture has risen to the top of the architectural firms competing for the job to design a new Whitefish City Hall.

Details emerge in Whitefish stabbing

A number of major revelations about the case of a man stabbed by his wife in Whitefish were made during a bond hearing Friday afternoon.

Wilma Louise O'Connell

Wilma Louise O’Connell, 87, of Oak Harbor, Wash., passed away Dec. 14 at Careage of Whidbey in Coupeville, Wash.

Underground parking should be considered for City Hall

I have been attending meetings and following the Whitefish City Hall and parking garage project for the past few years as the issue has been at the forefront of council business.

Lady Dogs late rally not enough at Libby

A slow start at Libby buried the Whitefish girls basketball team’s chances of putting a notch in the win column before the holiday break.

Whitefish icon "Cowboy" Gerald dies at 75

Whitefish has lost one of its most colorful characters.

Galbraith and Hatheway to marry

Mark and Pearl Galbraith of Whitefish announce the engagement of their son, Joseph Galbraith to Tiffany Nicole Hatheway, daughter of David and Angenette Hatheway of Seattle.

BNSF can require coal-dust suppression

(AP) — The federal Surface Transportation Board has decided that BNSF Railway can require coal shippers to use certain methods to reduce the amount of coal dust lost from rail cars leaving coal mines in Wyoming and Montana.

Ideas shared on future of Idaho Timber site

Innovative Timber Systems intersted in using site

Maintaining industrial use at the Idaho Timber property while retaining a railroad spur on site seemed to be a priority for those who attended a brainstorming session last week on the future of the dormant lumber mill.

Voisin makes podium at Dew Tour slopestyle event

Whitefish freeskier Maggie Voisin celebrated her 15th birthday Saturday with a podium finish at her first-ever Dew Tour slopestyle competition.

Power use soars during arctic outbreak

The recent cold snap led to record power usage by both natural gas and electricity customers when temperatures plunged well below zero in the Flathead Valley.

Whitefish man arrested after standoff in Kalispell

One of two men who disappeared after being charged with felonies for allegedly trying to mail a package containing methamphetamine and oxycodone has been arrested following a standoff at a Kalispell motel.

Whitefish TEDx explores 'Last Best Place'

It’s touted as a “meeting of the minds” — an event that will spark thoughtful dialogue to benefit the community.

Baker bulb outs a nuisance

Baker bulb outs

Lady Dogs show flashes of talent at Tip Off

Despite beginning the season on a three game losing skid, first-year Whitefish girls basketball coach Clint Peters knows his team will eventually figure out how to win.

Evelyn Akey Beauchene

Evelyn Akey Beauchene passed peacefully on Dec. 8, 2013 in Nevada, Iowa. Evelyn was born in Whitefish on July 30, 1932, and lived most of her life in the Flathead Valley, but most recently in Nevada.

Police calls: Unmanned vehicle crashes into house

Tolerance

This is in response to Richard E. Wackrow’s Dec. 4 letter in the Pilot. Just as you feel called to proclaim your faith and beliefs, Christians are called to proclaim our faith in our belief that Jesus Christ is God. I can tolerate you sharing your belief, please tolerate mine.

Bulldogs hold off Hamilton at Tip Off

The Whitefish boys basketball team showed they’ll be contenders this season if they can utilize their strength in the post after splitting a pair of close games at the annual Tip Off Tournament in Polson.

City retains doughnut control until final court decision

An order issued Dec. 10 by the Montana Supreme Court will allow Flathead County to conduct land-use planning in the two-mile “doughnut” around Whitefish, but restricts final adoption of county zoning for that area until the high court has ruled in the case.

Kevin Wayne Hendricks

Kevin Wayne Hendricks passed away Dec. 9 at Kalispell Regional Medical Center.

Senator reflects on Nelson Mandela legacy

I was sitting at my kitchen table in Maun, Botswana when I learned of Nelson Mandela's prison release in February 1990. I was a Peace Corps Volunteer.  

Backcountry skier fully buried in avalanche

A backcountry skier is OK after getting caught in an avalanche Saturday in the Noisy Basin area of the Swan Mountains.

BNSF railroad shuffles top execs

The CEO who led BNSF Railway as it was sold to Warren Buffett's company is moving into the chairman's role, and another executive will be promoted to lead the company.

Newlywed pleads guilty to second-degree murder

MISSOULA, Mont. (AP) — After lying to family, friends and police about what happened to her new husband when he disappeared in July, a Montana woman finally came clean to a federal judge in a surprising end to her murder trial.

BNSF traffic hampers Empire Builder route

Heavy freight traffic is hampering Amtrak passenger service on the popular Empire Builder route that stops in Whitefish.

New bus route from Whitefish to Missoula

A new bus service between Whitefish and Missoula will begin Dec. 16.

WCVB director Metzmaker to step down at end of year

Marketing a town like Whitefish can be worrisome job. Even after paying for billboards with photos of waist-deep powder and blue sky, the snow might not come. Or Glacier National Park could be closed during the fall season.

Height adds new dimension to Bulldog basketball

Size in the post and quickness in the backcourt bring a new dimension to the Whitefish boys basketball team this season.

More parking, more problems?

City looks to add parking lot at City Beach

The often congested City Beach parking lot could begin to see some relief as early as next summer.

Theater upgrades include more comfy seating, new colors

More comfortable seating and refreshed colors aren’t the only changes patrons to the O’Shaughnessy Center will notice the next time they take in a show.

Debate team posts best result of season

The Bulldog speech and debate team did well at the Libby Invitational last weekend.

Church hosts Cup of Christmas Tea

More than 100 women dressed in their most festive attire gathered around dozens of tables adorned with holiday colors and themed centerpieces during the second annual “Cup of Christmas Tea” social at the First Presbyterian Church in Whitefish.

Planning for the future of Idaho Timber property

The Idaho Timber plant in Whitefish has sat empty since shutting down its operation nearly five years ago.

Riley Clarke

Riley C. Clarke, 14, passed away on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2013 at her home in Whitefish.

Great Northern Heights subdivision approved

A scaled-down version of a new subdivision in the Great Northern Heights neighborhood has been given the OK.

Flathead third in fatal wrecks

Flathead County had the third highest number of fatal crashes in Montana in 2012, according to the Montana Highway Patrol’s annual report.

Police calls: Resident thanks police with cookies

Whitefish Review studies hunger in new issue

Author Tim Cahill will kick off the launch of issue No. 14 for the Whitefish Review literary journal on Saturday, Dec. 14 with a reading at Casey’s in downtown Whitefish.

MatCats bury Bulldogs 81-0

The Columbia Falls MatCats flexed their strength as the wrestling team to beat in the Northwestern A with a dominate win over Whitefish on Friday night.

Costs of shipping coal by rail

Just who is Tim Fox working for anyway? Recently, Montana’s Attorney General wrote to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the State of Washington urging them NOT to study a proposed coal port’s impacts on Montana. The proposed Millenium Bulk Terminal at Longview, Wash., would ship about 48 million tons of Wyoming and Montana coal to Asia annually.

Winter Carnival celebrates Sin City

The theme for the 55th annual Whitefish Winter Carnival is “Viva Las Vegas.”

Glacier Nordic Club prepares for ski season

Glacier Nordic Club is now accepting memberships for the upcoming ski season.

SNOW bus adds new route, eliminates Haskill stop

The free SNOW bus in Whitefish has added a new route and eliminated a stop for the upcoming winter season.

Bulldogs selected for All-State football

Four standout seniors on the Whitefish football team have been selected to the Class A All-State team.

Atheist group asks school to drop out of Christmas concert

A Wisconsin-based atheist group is requesting the Whitefish High School choir cancel its participation in a holiday concert scheduled for this week.

Material from road work helps shape Peace Park

The Great Northern Veterans Peace Park has quickly taken shape this year alongside reconstruction of West Second Street thanks to a deal struck between the Zinke family and LHC Construction.

Students share ideas to improve schools

Water filters for the drinking fountains at Muldown Elementary, shower curtains in the boys locker rooms at the middle school and increasing the class offerings at the high school. These are just a few ideas Whitefish School District students have for improvements at their schools.

Conundrum of block management plan

Legislators hear monthly about Fish, Wildlife and Parks matters from constituents. Last month’s audit of the Block Management program highlighted some needed changes.

Family celebrates four generations of birth in Whitefish

A longtime Whitefish family is celebrating a new addition who is making headlines because he’s the fourth generation of his family to be born at North Valley Hospital.

Pilot in fatal Alaska crash had ties to Whitefish

The pilot of a plane that crashed Friday on frozen tundra in southwestern Alaska lived in Whitefish for 18 years and learned how to fly at Kalispell City Airport.

Four firms compete in City Hall design contest

Four architectural firms will present concepts for a new Whitefish City Hall during a design competition next week at the city council chambers in Whitefish.

School choir shouldn't sing at religious event

On Nov. 17, an ad announced that Flathead-area public-school choirs would be performing at a “multi-denominational” concert “celebrating The Birth of Our Savior Jesus Christ” at the Mormon temple in Kalispell Thursday evening.

Police calls: Zombies raid pantry on Stumptown Loop

Whitefish Trail's future is up to community

Whether visitor, longtime resident, or somewhere in between, most folks who venture out on the Whitefish Trail appreciate the special place we can tromp on a daily basis.

Ski patrol offers avalanche classes

The popularity of backcountry skiing and snowboarding is growing at an unprecedented rate.

Dogs field solid roster on wrestling mat

With about 25 wrestlers on the roster this winter, Whitefish is poised for a competitive season on the mat.

Girls basketball features young talent

Expect an uptempo pace and plenty of scoring from a youthful Lady Bulldog basketball team this season.

Nordic program puts students on skinny skis

“I’m skiing! I’m skiing!”

New council will tackle septic issues

Whitefish City Council has delayed a decision until next year on a proposed wastewater program for dealing with failing septic systems around Whitefish Lake.

Winter storm adds to deep resort snowpack

Whitefish Mountain Resort will open for its 66th season on Saturday with the deepest snowpack in recent memory.