Ellington

Under the Big Sky festival returns for third year

The Under The Big Sky music festival is set to return to Big Mountain Ranch in Whitefish on July 16 and 17 with reduced ticket sales and a lineup that includes an eclectic mix of country, soul and rock performers.

Looking Back: $18 million proposal planned to build, remodel school buildings

Looking Back at historic Pilot articles for Jan. 19.

County library trustees making irresponsible decisions

I am emailing you to express my concern about our currently appointed library trustees, specifically Doug, Heidi and David.

City approves park facility fees increase, new non-resident fee

The fees to reserve parks and facilities in Whitefish have increased, including the addition of a non-resident rate.

Flathead Forest releases proposed action that would alter winter trail use

The Flathead National Forest has released a two-pronged proposed action that looks to update where snowmobiles and other over the snow motorized vehicles can run in the future as well as mechanized uses like bicycles and game carts.

Residents need to be heard about Big Mountain Road development

I am writing this to question why a majority of residents opposing the Mountain Gateway Development aren’t heard by their elected Whitefish City Council?

Planning board recommends creating new transitional zoning

The Whitefish Planning Board on Thursday unanimously recommended approval of a zone change for Whitefish's gateway area on U.S. Highway 93 south of Montana 40.

Polumbus resigns from Whitefish School Board, district seeks replacement

The Whitefish School Board is working to fill a vacancy after Trustee Nick Polumbus recently announced his resignation.

WTC brings gripping comedy ‘Mauritius’ to stage

The Whitefish Theatre Co. presents its third Black Curtain theatre production of the 2021-2022 season with “Mauritius” by Theresa Rebeck at the O’Shaughnessy Center in Whitefish.

North Valley Food Bank holds February food drive

North Valley Food Bank is running its second annual Valentine’s Day food drive and fundraiser, FEED LOVE.

Thank you responsible recyclers

A BIG THANK YOU is in order to the responsible recyclers of this community!

The Chopp Shoppe: Johnson offers custom meats keeping family, relationships at the forefront

There is no fairytale story of fulfilling a long-awaited dream at the new Alpine Chopp Shoppe in Whitefish — just a grueling amount of long, hard-working hours that are now turning into something pretty spectacular.

FVSEF race team claims second at Whitefish Mountain Resort

Over 160 youth skiers from throughout Montana competed at Whitefish Mountain Resort on Jan. 15-16.

Whitefish speech and debate third at divisionals

Whitefish Bulldog speech and debate had an excellent showing at the Western A Divisional Tournament over the weekend in Frenchtown.

Big 4th quarter run puts Whitefish up over Ronan

Whitefish ran the court aggressively Friday night against Ronan, and never let off the pedal even when the layups weren’t falling in the first half.

Whitefish wrestlers place at Ted Kato tourney

Though slim in numbers this week, Whitefish had three athletes place in the Ted Kato Memorial Tournament in Thompson Falls on Saturday.

Whitefish struggles in 4th quarter, edged by Ronan

The Lady Bulldogs hung with Ronan through three quarters of play, but in the final 8 minutes struggled to score as the Maidens took a narrow 38-31 victory.

Whitefish Community Foundation Awards $25,000 to Land to Hand

The Whitefish Community Foundation last week awarded a $25,000 grant to the nonprofit organization Land to Hand, formerly known as Farm Hands — Nourish the Flathead.

Whitefish wrestling to begin Little Guy season

Whitefish wrestling to begin Little Guy season

Writing Coaches seeks volunteers

Writing Coaches of Montana seeks community members in Flathead County to participate in its coaching program with the mission of helping local students improve their writing skills.

Council pushes decision on proposed Big Mountain Road housing development

Following a continued deluge of public comment on a large mixed-use development proposed at the southern end of Big Mountain Road, Whitefish City Council on Tuesday chose to push back until next month a decision on the project.

Police arrest suspect following chase near Wisconsin Ave

Whitefish Police assisted in a pursuit of a wanted subject on Tuesday evening around 9 p.m.

Organized infrastructure taking backseat to housing

There continues to be a dizzying amount of applications and approvals of developments for housing in the valley.

Allyce Mae Street

Allyce Mae Street

Phyllis Jean (Gray) Bjorsness

Phyllis Jean (Gray) Bjorsness

Dr. Stillman Allen Foster, Jr

Dr. Stillman Allen Foster, Jr

WTC presents double-double duo Bridge & Wolak

The Whitefish Theatre Company presents a one-night only performance by Bridge & Wolak, an innovative music duo who will challenge everything you know about classical music.

Alpine Theatre Project announces 2022 season beginning with Fleetwood Mac tribute

Alpine Theatre Project is no stranger to staying agile. Since the pandemic, the professional theatre company has continued to find creative solutions to keep professional performing arts and arts education alive, especially during the changing landscape caused by the pandemic.

Whitefish Community Foundation to hold nonprofit meeting

Whitefish Community Foundation will hold an informational meeting on Thursday, Jan. 27 for nonprofit organizations interested in applying to participate in the 2022 Great Fish Community Challenge.

$1 million tax credits gone in minutes as Whitefish Schools secure tax incentive donation

Whitefish School District was among the Montana schools that were able to snag a portion of the $1 million in tax credits for donors of public schools as part of an updated donation program that provides supplemental funding for innovative educational programs.

Mountain Gateway presents challenges, but still provides needed affordable housing

Early in December I was in bed reading, about to lose my page as I dozed off when my partner came into the room suddenly. “Oh my god… I think there’s someone yelling for help outside.”

City to close Whitefish’s central recycling site

The City of Whitefish plans to permanently shut down its central recycling site at the end of the month.

Glacier Nordic skiers race in Sun Valley

The Glacier Nordic Ski team competed in Sun Valley, Idaho last weekend.

Bulldog speech and debate team hosts tournament

The Whitefish speech and debate team was host to 15 schools for a tournament on Saturday at the high school.

Helmer Sletvold

Helmer Sletvold

Madalyne Carol Izett

Madalyne Carol Izett

HeartStone Advisors commits $50,000 as a sponsor of Whitefish Trail

Local Whitefish business HeartStone Advisors has pledged $50,000 as a Legacy Sponsor to support Whitefish Legacy Partners (WLP) and the Whitefish Trail for years to come.

Hospital foundation receives $1 million gift

The Logan Health – Whitefish Foundation has received the largest gift ever in the foundation’s history from the estate of two longtime hospital and community supporters.

Qunell leads Bulldog swim in Kalispell

Two first-place finishes by Whitefish senior Ada Qunell highlighted the Bulldogs performance at the Kalispell High School swim meet on Saturday at The Summit.

Lady Dogs split games with Libby, CFalls

A scoring surge in the third quarter gave the Whitefish girls basketball team a substantial lead over Libby on Friday and the Bulldogs came away with the victory, 41-19.

Whitefish comeback falls short against CFalls

With under a minute left in the game Whitefish had cut Columbia Falls’ lead to just 1 point, but despite the late run, the Bulldogs fell 50-49 in the Northwest A contest.

Whitefish freshmen wrestlers continue to perform on the mat

The Whitefish wrestling team saw some success at the large Rocky Mountain Classic tournament in Missoula last weekend.

Planning board looks at creating new zoning district

The Whitefish Planning Board during its meeting on Thursday will hold two public hearings.

Legals for January, 19 2022

Whitefish Winter Carnival: Calaways crowned King, Queen

Whitefish residents Geoffrey and Lisa Calaway will reign as the Whitefish Winter Carnival King Ullr LXIII and Queen of Snow. They were crowned during a coronation ceremony Saturday evening in downtown Whitefish.

Whitefish High musicians selected for All-State Jazz Band

Whitefish High School has yet again a strong representation of musicians selected to participate in the prestigious Montana All-State Jazz Band.

Whitefish financial adviser retires after 30 years in the business

Financial advising is notoriously prone to burnout, but not in the case of Rex Harris. The founder of Harris Financial Services, Inc. in Whitefish was set to retire at the end of the year after more than 30 years in the business.

Whitefish City Councilor GMan receives You, the Public, every Monday

I am looking forward to serving the community I love.

Whitefish Community Blood Drive

The American Red Cross will host the first 2022 Whitefish Community Blood Drive on Thursday, Jan. 20 at The Wave.

Report finds as population ages, labor pool shrinks

A myriad of reasons are accounting for labor shortage in Montana, according to a recently released report by Department of Labor and Industry economist Christopher Bradley.

Consequences for wildlife we cherish

I love living on the edge of Glacier National Park. Every time that I see a grizzly bear or a lynx and every time that I hear wolves howling or elk bugling, I feel like I am the luckiest person in the world to be able to live here.

Hospital sets new record for deliveries in 2021

Logan Health – Whitefish set a new record for the most babies delivered in a single year in the hospital’s 116-year history.

Dixie Arlene Jepson

Dixie Arlene Jepson

Whitefish Winter Carnival upcoming events

This year’s carnival theme is ‘80s Rewind Totally Rad. Festivities next week include the coronation of King Ullr and the Queen of the Snows and the Disco Party.

Benedict J. Sorwill

Benedict J. Sorwill

Susan Vivian Wiegratz

Susan Vivian Wiegratz

Whitefish speech and debate does well at Glacier tournament

The Whitefish High School speech and debate team competed at the Glacier Invite in Kalispell on Friday and Saturday.

Glacier Nordic Club hosts annual Glacier Glide

The Glacier Nordic Club hosted the annual Glacier Glide at the Whitefish Lake Golf Course on Sunday, Jan. 9.

Mountain Gateway a catastrophic wildfire risk

Seven days from today our Mayor and City Council will be asked to approve or deny the Mountain Gateway, Planned Unit Development, consisting of 318 housing units and a commercial “island” at the junction of the Big Mountain Road and East Lakeshore Drive.

Whitefish deserves better than Mountain Gateway

The third, critically important meeting to address the Mountain Gateway Development at the junction of Big Mountain Road and East Lakeshore Drive will take place next Tuesday, Jan. 18 in City Council chambers.

Bulldog wrestlers win over Browning

The Whitefish High School wrestling team hosted Browning for a home dual Thursday evening and won 30-18.

Lady Bulldogs second-half rally comes up short in Polson

Whitefish came back in the second half to erase a deficit of 12 points, but the comeback was stopped short as Polson took the win 45-40.

City appoints Malberg-Fiftal to Whitefish’s health board seat

The City of Whitefish has appointed Jessica Malberg-Fiftal to represent Whitefish on the Flathead City-County Board of Health for a three-year term.

New 20-lot subdivision approved near Grouse Mountain park

A 56-unit residential subdivision planned off Fairway Drive near the Grouse Mountain soccer fields was recently approved by Whitefish City Council.

Council approves temporary school building to be made permanent

Whitefish City Council at a recent meeting unanimously approved a request from Whitefish Christian Academy to turn temporary buildings on the school’s property into permanent structures.

Columbia Falls man accused of child sex abuse

A Columbia Falls man is accused of raping numerous children at his home and recording the assaults on video.

Glacier's telecommunications plan approved

The National Park Service on Wednesday approved Glacier National Park’s telecommunications plan to address cellular and internet coverage in certain areas of the park.

Whitefish woman pleads guilty to DUI homicide

A Whitefish woman pleaded guilty Monday in Flathead County District Court to felony vehicular homicide while under the influence after she struck and killed a Columbia Falls girl with her vehicle in May 2021.

Cold weather stifled holiday ski visits

The weather outside was indeed frightful over the holidays in Northwest Montana, forcing many would-be skiers to stay indoors.

As winter roars, MDT navigates a plow driver shortage

The Montana Department of Transportation usually hires about 200 temporary winter plow truck drivers. This year they’ve only been able to hire 140.

As yet another winter storm wallops western Montana, the Montana Department of Transportation is trying its best to keep the 12,923 miles of road in its care clear of snow and ice.

City Council to look at Mountain Gateway development

A large-scale residential and commercial development at the base of Big Mountain Road is set to go before the Whitefish City Council on Jan. 18.

City Council to meet Jan. 18

Whitefish City Council meets on Tuesday, Jan. 18 beginning at 7:10 p.m. at City Hall.

Legals for January, 12 2022

Whitefish’s Maggie Voisin qualifies for third Olympics

Whitefish native Maggie Voisin will be heading to her third Olympics after clinching her spot at the U.S. Grand Prix at Mammoth Mountain Resort on Sunday.

Whitefish Winter Carnival: Pemberton named Prime, Goble named Duchess

The Whitefish Winter Carnival officially got underway Saturday with the crowning of the first round of royalty, the Duchess of Lark and Prime Minister, at the Merry Maker event.

Looking Back: A new permit clause threatens water rights for The Big Mountain

A look back at past Pilot articles by Whitney England.

Glacier National Park to face increasing challenges in 2022

With annual visitation numbers approaching record levels in the final weeks of 2021, retiring Glacier National Park Superintendent Jeff Mow is certain of one thing — the future is uncertain.

Whitefish Lake Institute, Flathead nonprofits ready to tackle issues in 2022

Nonprofits in the valley spend their time trying to solve some of the Flathead’s most daunting issues, from housing and food insecurity to water quality and land conservation. Here’s a look at what a few organizations have planned for 2022.

WIHS student wins essay contest by opening up about mental health

A couple years back Gracie Hickman was considering dropping out of high school because she was struggling to learn in a traditional school environment — fast forward to this fall and now she’s seeing more academic success than ever before.

Developer sues City of Whitefish over U.S. 93 hotel denial

A lawsuit has been filed against the City of Whitefish regarding the recent denial of a proposed hotel just off Highway 93 on the south end of town.

Gerald Bell

Gerald Bell

Joseph Voermans Jr.

Joseph Voermans Jr.

Young ski racers to compete at Whitefish Mountain Resort

The Flathead Valley Ski Education Foundation announced Monday that it will be hosting two days of junior ski racing at Whitefish Mountain Resort.

Here’s to a bright, healthy and collaborative New Year

As we look forward to the New Year, I am excited for the opportunity to continue to serve the state of Montana’s public education system.

Stephen (Steve) Ross Clogg

Stephen (Steve) Ross Clogg

David Yeats

David Yeats

Rewind 2021: A look back at the stories that shaped the last year

Rewind 2021: A look back at the stories that shaped the last year

Overland assumes role of Municipal Court Judge

Overland assumes role of Municipal Court Judge

Partridge sighting a rare treat

Partridge sighting a rare treat

Remembering all-time Whitefish sports moments in 2021

Whitefish boys soccer wins fourth consecutive championship, speech team first at state

Whitefish boys soccer wins fourth consecutive championship, speech team first at state

Legals for January, 5 2022