Ellington

Police Calls: The fabled turkey eagle

A male, after being asked to leave the location on Wisconsin Avenue, returned to the property several times.

Growth policy discussion centers on environmental impacts

The Whitefish Community Development Board held a work session to discuss the Environment Section of the growth policy update with Whitefish City Planner Alan Tiefenbach.

Housing and giving dominated the news in Whitefish in 2024

It was a year focused on housing and on giving while the valley experienced a brisk population growth rate.

My affair with Alpine Theater Project

It was three years ago when I heard about Alpine Theater Project.

Roundup for Safety grants distributed

Flathead Electric Cooperative’s Roundup for Safety program awarded $46,660 in grants supporting community safety projects proposed by 12 local nonprofit organizations.

Student Art: ‘Powder’ by Rylan Hoover

The art featured above is called "Powder" and is a watercolor painting by Whitefish Middle School eighth grader Rylan Hoover in the WMS Sculpture class.

Looking Back: The Orient Express burns down

Supreme Governor of the Loyal Order of Moose, Armand Chiappori was the guest at the Jan. 9 meeting of the Whitefish Moose.

Girls hockey Jamboree

The Glacier Hockey Association hosted the second ever Montana Amateur Hockey Association 10/12U Jamboree this weekend at the Stumptown Ice Den.

A Christmas symphony from Nina, Emily Rea’s mom

Humor me for a moment and visualize this scene with me: It’s the beginning of a gorgeous Montana day; delightful fragrant breeze blowing, wildflowers in full bloom, the sun shining warm and brightly in the clearest of blue skies

Code Girls United fashion show an LED extraordinaire

Code Girls United put on a high-tech fashion show in Kalispell Dec. 16, with young teens from across Montana coming together to model programming and design feats.

Big Mountain area to vote on resort tax

Residents of the Big Mountain Resort Area District will vote on a resort tax this month with mail-in ballots due Jan. 21.

Dalen and Gulick selected for Shrine Game’s West Team

Whitefish seniors Scotty Dalen and Carson Gulick were selected for the 78th Annual Montana East-West Shrine Game, one of the oldest high school All-Star Games in the country.

First Day Hikes at Northwest Montana state parks

State Parks in Northwest Montana that are participating include Whitefish State Park, Les Mason, Flathead Lake, Lone Pine, Lake Mary Ronan, Logan, Thompson Chain of Lake and Somers Beach State Parks.

Affordable housing funds on commissioners’ agenda

Flathead County Commissioners have added House Bill 819 to the agenda for the Dec. 31 meeting at 8:45 a.m. The hearing will be on the third floor of the Old Courthouse at 800 South Main in Kalispell. The public is welcome to attend and comment.

Jon Robert Luke, 76

Jon Robert Luke, 76, passed away peacefully Dec. 9, 2024.

Thomas 'Tom' H. Krustangel, 81

Thomas H. Krustangel, 81, passed away peacefully on Dec. 11, 2024, at his home with his loving wife by his side.

Legals for December, 25 2024

Bulldogs Gulick commits to Western

Carson Gulick, an All-State quarterback for the Whitefish Bulldogs this season, announced Saturday that he has committed to play football for Montana Western.

Glacier Skate's Winter Wonderland On Ice

Glacier Skate Academy hosted the annual Winter Wonderland On Ice show Dec. 21-22 at Stumptown Ice Den in Whitefish. The holiday themed performances features club skaters along with guest appearances by professional skaters Cari Maus, Justin Ly, and Eric and Brecan Swalm.

Local stories from Whitefish's earlier years

Jane Forsberg chose to move to Whitefish 38 years ago with her family when her husband, Doc, sold his veterinarian practice in Forsyth, Montana, and became a federal veterinarian, serving the entire area from Eureka to Butte.

Whitefish shines with holiday events

Upcoming Christmas and News Year's Eve events in Whitefish.

Looking Back: When 2,000 skiers a day was a lot

In 1974, a year of nationwide inflation and energy shortage, Whitefish felt the crunch along with the rest of the country.

Student Art: ‘Oakley’ by Kaylynn Gates

The art featured above is called "Oakley” and is a charcoal drawing by Whitefish Middle School eighth grader Kaylynn Gates in the WMS Drawing class.

Grand gift to North Valley Music School

North Valley Music School received a remarkable holiday surprise recently.

Police Calls: Friend, not thief moved car

Someone reported losing a diamond ring.

Hospital Corner: Good things often come in small packages

Logan Health’s smallest clinic is nestled in the woods on the side of Big Mountain.

Tax credit offered for donations to education

Whitefish School District is encouraging local businesses and community members to support Whitefish schools with a dollar-for-dollar credit on their state income taxes for donations to public schools.

Dunnigan gives a ‘zinger’ speech at Capitol

Whitefish’s musician John Dunnigan was a recipient of the 2024 Governor's Arts Award.

Physical therapists specialize in dry needling

Manual Orthopedic & Sports Therapy (MOST) in Whitefish announced that two of their physical therapists, Jennifer Alexander, MS PT, CMT and Kim Weichers, PT, DPT have recently earned the credentials of Certified Myofascial Trigger Point/Dry Needling Therapists (CMTPT/DN).

Bulldogs drop match against East Helena

Whitefish dropped a crossover basketball matchup against East Helena on Friday, Dec. 20 by a score of 71-47.

Pay to attract more tourists, or to lower property taxes?

My proposal is to go one step further in 2025: keep a smaller percentage of those taxes going to the purposes Sen. Zolnikov outlined in Senate Bill 540 last session, but use the majority of the money to reduce property taxes.

First graders describe Whitefish for the holidays

Thank you to Mrs. Dana Grove’s first grade class at Muldown Elementary for the spirited letters and art.

Hop queen donates to Code Girls, DREAM Adaptive

New for this year’s annual Whitefish Oktoberfest was that the crowned hop queen gets to choose a charity to donate $500 to, in addition to receiving $500 in personal winnings.

Chair 2 down for holiday ski rush

The busiest week of the ski season is upon Whitefish Mountain Resort and a major lift – Chair 2, the Swift Creek Express – is to remain closed until after the holidays.

Photos: Whitefish student orchestra grows

A record-breaking number of orchestra students from Whitefish High School and Middle School took to the stage at the Performing Arts Center on Dec. 17 for a winter concert.

Whitefish’s Safe Streets for All Action Plan draft available for review

The city of Whitefish has developed a draft Safe Streets for All Action Plan focusing on transportation safety for all roadway users in the Whitefish community

Landfill deer to be killed to help control CWD

White-tailed deer that come onto the Flathead County Landfill property will be killed by state wildlife officials to help control the spread of chronic wasting disease in the Flathead Valley.

Police Calls: Dirty diaper disposal

A hit and run accident was reported on State Park Road.

Government data collection on students an overreach

The Office of Public Instruction currently collects nearly 200 points of information for school accreditation, funding, and assessing the quality of programming and student well-being.

Looking Back: Fred Jones aims for 'attractive family resort'

The Dec.19, 1974, issue of The Whitefish Pilot set a record.

Student Art: ‘Modern Villa’ by Banks Miller and ‘Neon Cottage’ Freya Hoge

The art featured above are lidded jars. "Modern Villa" is by Whitefish High School sophomore Banks Miller and “Neon Cottage” by freshman Freya Hoge in the WHS Pottery I class.

Photos: Winter band concert

Five Whitefish Middle School and High School bands entertained two rapt audiences who packed the Performing Arts Center last week

Housing, land use among city's legislative priorities

The Whitefish City Council considered legislative priorities and moved forward with a pond dredging project at its last regular meeting on Dec.2.

In a nutshell: Serving generosity and hope one meal at a time

As the season of giving approaches, it’s easy to wonder, “Am I doing enough?”

Brianne Fuzesy, 41

These words reflect on a person of infinite beauty inside and out, taken by pancreatic cancer in the prime of her life, who lived and loved to the fullest every day.

'Babe' W. Berge, 90

"Babe" W. Berge, 90, born in Bejou, Minnesota to Art Winter and Beatrice Halvorson Winter on Sept. 20, 1934, was the fourth of six sisters.

Robert Obie Morris, 85

Robert Obie Morris, 85, passed away on Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2024, at his home in Whitefish.

Progress is the name of the game for Bulldog swim team

With one meet done and six to go this season, the Whitefish swim team is already seeing swift progress after just two and half weeks in the water.

The spirit of the Whitefish Christmas Stroll, in photos

Whether you want to relive the magic of the annual Whitefish Christmas stroll or find out what the hubbub was all about, these photos will do the trick.

Dorvall places third at Flathead Invite

Whitefish's Taylor Dorvall placed third at the Flathead Girls Invitational in Kalispell on Dec. 13-14, notching four pins along the way in the 130-pound bracket.

Whitefish boys notch convincing wins at Tip Off

Two games in, Whitefish already has 144 points in the books.

Freshman look strong at Tip-Off Tournament

The Whitefish girls basketball team bounced back from an opening season loss to Corvallis in the Western A Tip-Off Tournament on Friday with a resounding victory over Stevensville on Saturday.

Design firm selected for high school expansion

A&E Design has been selected for architectural and engineering services for the upcoming Whitefish High School academic and athletic expansion projects, which are expected to start in January.

Whitefish speech and debate back on top of C-Falls rivalry

The Whitefish speech and debate team competed against some of the state’s biggest teams at the Western Regional tournament in Kalispell last weekend.

School transportation improvements discussed after bus fire

Whitefish School District held a K-12 connect session last week to brainstorm solutions to improve student transportation after a Rocky Mountain Transportation activities bus caught fire Nov. 23 while at a speech and debate tournament in Ronan.

Winter Wonderland ice show this weekend

Glacier Skate Academy hosts its annual Winter Wonderland ice show Dec. 21-22 at Stumptown Ice Den in Whitefish.

Legals for December, 18 2024

Bulldogs’ Ridgeway commits to Grizzlies

Fynn Ridgeway, the decorated Whitefish High School quarterback who spent the past two seasons at Division II Moorhead (Minn.) State, has committed to the Montana Grizzlies.

Hockaday Museum changes name to highlight connection with Glacier Park

The Hockaday Museum of Art in Kalispell will change its name to Glacier Art Museum next year in an effort to amplify its regional recognition and more closely align with Glacier National Park.

Valley Voices presents ‘Once Upon a Christmas’

The Valley Voices Community Choir will present its Christmas concert, “Once Upon a Christmas,” twice this weekend in Whitefish.

Cheers to the season: Whitefish businesses offer specialty beverages that warm the spirit

The cold air and darkness of winter provide a fitting setting to enjoy warm drinks or drinks that warm the spirit. A plethora of places around town offer a variety of seasonal beverages for all ages to be enjoyed any time of day, morning, après ski or late into the evening.

Whitefish Christian Academy boys basketball rural league champs

The Whitefish Christian Academy seventh and eighth grade boys basketball team won the recent Flathead Valley Rural League championship.

Second place Whitefish speech and debate with four champions

The Whitefish speech and debate team was back in action last weekend at the Hamilton Invite.

Forest project near Olney aimed at reducing fire risks

The Flathead National Forest and Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation are collaborating through the Good Neighbor Authority program to reduce wildfire risks near Olney.

Objections to CSKT Water Compact

The Montana Water Court heard oral arguments on various pending motions on Nov. 14-15 at the Russell Smith Federal Courthouse in Missoula.

Looking Back: Whitefish loses reluctant leader

Thieves had been menacing Whitefish residents and visitors

Police Calls: Antler harvesting on the roads

A male reportedly stole a luggage cart.

Whitefish Soroptimist joins global campaign against gender-based violence

Soroptimist International of Whitefish recently took part in 16 Days of Activism, an international campaign to raise awareness of gender-based violence.

Student Art: ‘Catch and Release’ by Cody Blaize

The art featured above is called "Catch and Release" and is a watercolor painting by Whitefish High School junior Cody Blaize in the WHS Art 2: Advanced Art class.

Photos: Opening day at Whitefish Mountain Resort

Opening day on the ski hill was grand, with a 40-inch base at the summit and enough snow at the base to leave Chair 1 to uphill duties only.

Photos: Whitefish High School choir delights

Whitefish High School choir students performed its winter concert on Tuesday, Dec. 3.

Photos: Student, police and staff basketball bowl

Whitefish High School basketball players squared off against a squad of Whitefish police officers and high school staff on Friday.

Whitefish students play it forward with guitar raffle

Two Whitefish High School seniors, Lauren Rossi and Bailey Kallal, have teamed up for a DECA project to raise funds for North Valley Music School (NVMS).

Dallas Crutcher Long III, 84

Dallas Long, 84, passed away on Nov. 10, 2024.

Ski patrol union frustrated with negotiation timeline

Contract negotiations between the recently formed Whitefish Mountain Resort ski patrol union and resort executives remained unfinished as the ski season opened Thursday, with the union president saying that a mid-season picket or strike could be on table if talks don’t move forward.

Ardis Maren Anderson, 84

Ardis Maren Anderson, 84, passed away Friday, Nov. 22, 2024, at 5 p.m. of mesothelioma cancer at the Whitefish Hospital surrounded by loved ones and her beloved dog Pita.

Housing a crisis of identity

One day in the near future we will wake up and live in a Flathead County shaped by decisions made today. What will our future spaces look like? Who will live there? We face a housing crisis, but we also face a crisis of identity.

Legals for December, 11 2024

Whitefish Theatre Co. holding auditions for Shrek: The Musical

Whitefish Theatre Co. is holding auditions for their upcoming Main Stage Musical production, “Shrek: The Musical!” on Dec. 16 and 17 at 7 p.m. at the O’Shaughnessy Center in Whitefish, with possible callbacks on the Dec. 18.

Whitefish hosts annual Christmas Stroll on Friday

Keep your ears open for bells and an eye out for Santa as holiday festivities come to Whitefish on Friday, Dec. 13. The annual Christmas Stroll is a nearly four-decade-old tradition in Whitefish.

Big Mountain residents under boil water notice

Many residents on Big Mountain were placed under a boil water notice Monday, Dec. 3. The notice is expected to be lifted later this week.

Film on history of skiing Big Mountain encores

A homegrown multimedia, feature-length presentation that tells the story of skiing on Big Mountain and throughout the region will be shown in Whitefish on Dec. 12.

Floridis lines up benefit concerts

Missoula-based guitarist and singer-songwriter John Floridis along with cellist Jennifer Slayden and percussionist Ed Stalling will perform a series of concerts to benefit the Flathead Youth Home, Samaritan House and FAST Blackfeet nonprofits.

Police Calls: What defines creepy?

After saying there was a creep Uber driver, the caller could not explain what makes them creepy.

Girls hockey team scores silver in Calgary

The Glacier Hockey Association 10U girls hockey team competed in Calgary last weekend at WickFest, a huge annual festival that showcases girls in hockey.

Hunting season saw success in Northwest Montana

Montana's general deer and elk hunting season concluded last weekend and the overall harvest results at game check stations in northwest Montana showed increased success compared to last year.

Big Mountain Ski Club thankful for a grand ski swap

Who's excited for opening day this week?

Student Art: ‘Winter Hunting Cabin’ by Justis Arterbury

The art featured above is called "Winter Hunting Cabin" and is a clay slab-built lantern by Whitefish High School senior Justis Arterbury in the WHS Pottery I class.

Stop the sprawl

I co-founded the organization Shelter WF-a housing organization focused on changing policy at a local and state level-after the anger and grief I felt during the pandemic boom.

Looking Back: Mountain’s 67th season starts strong

The county commissioners went on record as favoring the development of a work plan for the proposed Whitefish Lake Watershed, according to a letter read at the City Council meeting.

North Valley Food Bank spreads joy with 24 Days of Giving

North Valley Food Bank kicked off their 24 Days of Giving campaign on Dec. 1.

Local cowboys and cowgirls head to Junior World Finals

Over the next nine days, when most student athletes are enjoying family time and riding the Big Mountain, some will be competing to be the best in the world.

Work session for Growth Policy update

The City of Whitefish Community Development Board will be having a work session on Dec. 19, at 5 p.m., to discuss the environment section of the city’s growth policy update, Vision Whitefish 2045.

Demographics show Whitefish population boom will continue

Whitefish City Planner Alan Tiefenbach presented the demographic section of the city’s Growth Policy update at the Community Development Board work session last week.

The major problem of low growth estimation

On Nov. 21, 2024, the Whitefish Community Development Board reviewed the draft demographics section for Whitefish’s ongoing Growth Policy update - Vision Whitefish 2045.

Mountain Climber to hold annual meetings on public transit

Flathead County’s public transportation, Mountain Climber, will be holding their annual public meetings in December.

Dog missing after fatal accident near Whitefish

Great Pyrenees Baldone, a large fluffy white dog, was riding in the truck with his owner, Rob Bowen, when the two suffered an accident on Highway 93 north of Whitefish.

Karla Joy Nielsen West, 76

It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of Karla Joy (Nielsen) West on Nov. 30, 2024, at her daughter’s home in Whitefish.

Skiers relish in best preseason of the decade

Whitefish Mountain Resort’s 77th opening day may be Thursday, Dec. 5, but for many ambitious skiers and boarders, they’ve been taking to the slopes since mid-November – no chair lift required.

Logan Health CEO: Hospital system to work on rebrand in 2025

Billings Clinic-Logan Health is expected to change its name and brand following the merger of the two hospital systems last year.

Last Best Ride to be held by Missoula-based cycling company

The Last Best Ride of 2024 won’t be the last, but it was the last time the gravel cycling race will be held by a nonprofit.

Flathead Avalanche Center begins daily forecasts

The Flathead Avalanche Center is now providing daily forecasts of avalanche conditions seven days a week. The forecasts will continue through early April depending on snow conditions.

Photos: Thousand turkeys trot the town

Over 1,000 turkeys trotted, strolled and even slid and skated a little around Whitefish in support of the North Valley Food Bank Thanksgiving morning.

Legals for December, 4 2024

Terrell 'Terry' Abell, 79

Terrell "Terry" Abell, 79, passed on from this life on Nov. 21, 2024, at The Springs in Whitefish with his brother by his side.

New Thai restaurant spices up Whitefish

Newly opened BANG BANG Thai brings the bang with its spicy culinary takes and old Western inspired decor. Designed to blend Asian notes with ski-town vibes, its fusion is unique to Whitefish.

Whitefish has 5 All-State griders; Bigfork and C-Falls 3

Whitefish posted five players to the All-State football team for Class A while Columbia Falls and Bigfork had three picks each, according to the Western A football coaches.