Authorities identify teenager who died near Jewel Basin Road

Authorities identified the teenager who died near the location of a party off Jewel Basin Road earlier this month as 18-year-old Xander Snake.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 4 DAYS, 9 HOURS AGO

Lakeside pageant queen rocks and rolls to Mrs. American finals

Starla Hilliard-Barnes, a Lakeside mother of four who has been paralyzed twice and climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro, was crowned Mrs. Montana American in May and will be the first woman to compete fully from a wheelchair for the title of Mrs. American later this summer.
BIGFORK EAGLE | UPDATED 6 DAYS, 9 HOURS AGO

Flathead Valley’s first scholastic chess club flourishes in Bigfork

On Wednesday nights at the Community United Methodist Church, the constant click clack of plastic chess pieces is punctuated by triumphant but restrained declarations of “Check!”
BIGFORK EAGLE | UPDATED 6 DAYS, 9 HOURS AGO

Swan River School fifth grade teacher says goodbye after 28 years

In Shelley Emslie’s fifth-grade class at Swan River School, students listened with rapt attention while Emslie explained the rules of her traditional end-of-year auction. As the bidding began, the students squealed with excitement and flashed the multicolored money they had earned over the course of the school year.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 6 DAYS, 9 HOURS AGO

Bigfork’s ‘trash couple’ builds community through giving back

Chris and Cheryl Zabel are easy to spot along the roads around Bigfork in their neon vests and with their overflowing garbage bags. At least twice a week for the last six or seven years, the couple has dedicated time to cleaning up Bigfork.
BIGFORK EAGLE | UPDATED 6 DAYS, 9 HOURS AGO

Lakeside pageant queen rocks and rolls to Mrs. American finals

Starla Hilliard-Barnes, a Lakeside mother of four who has been paralyzed twice and climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro, was crowned Mrs. Montana American in May and will be the first woman to compete fully from a wheelchair for the title of Mrs. American later this summer.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 1 WEEK, 1 DAY AGO

PacifiCorp planning to dispose of Bigfork dam

PacifiCorp, the electric power company which has operated the Bigfork Hydroelectric Project since 1954, has begun the process to remove the dam from its generation portfolio.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 1 WEEK, 3 DAYS AGO

Conservation District to review Bigfork Bay marina proposal

A proposed 97-slip marina in Bigfork Bay under consideration by the Flathead Conservation District has drawn pushback from residents concerned the project would alter the character of the bay.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 1 WEEK, 4 DAYS AGO

Kalispell 'Rosie' receives American Spirit Award from National World War II Museum

Blanche Garrett was just 15 years old when she arrived at a shipyard near Portland, Oregon, lied about her age and found a job as a welder constructing the behemoth Victory and Liberty ships that shuttled troops and cargo across the oceans to the frontlines of World War II.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 1 WEEK, 4 DAYS AGO

Conservation District to review Bigfork Bay marina proposal

A proposed 97-slip marina in Bigfork Bay under consideration by the Flathead Conservation District has drawn pushback from residents concerned the project would alter the character of the bay.
BIGFORK EAGLE | UPDATED 1 WEEK, 6 DAYS AGO

PacifiCorp announces intentions to dispose of Bigfork dam

PacifiCorp, the electric power company which has operated the Bigfork Hydroelectric Project since 1954, has begun the process to remove the dam from its generation portfolio.
BIGFORK EAGLE | UPDATED 1 WEEK, 6 DAYS AGO

Regal Ensemble kicks off summer chamber concert series

Despite dedicating most of his life to the piano and classical music, Jordan Nieman still struggles to describe the wordless rise and fall of intertwined notes and the give and take as musicians work together to bring a piece of music to life.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 1 WEEK, 6 DAYS AGO

Regal Ensemble kicks off summer chamber concert series

Despite dedicating most of his life to the piano and classical music, Jordan Nieman still struggles to describe the wordless rise and fall of intertwined notes and the give and take as musicians work together to bring a piece of music to life.
BIGFORK EAGLE | UPDATED 1 WEEK, 6 DAYS AGO

Regal Ensemble kicks of summer chamber concert series

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BIGFORK EAGLE | UPDATED 1 WEEK, 6 DAYS AGO

Bigfork Neighborhood Plan updates commended by planning board

The Bigfork Land Use Advisory Committee received positive feedback on its Bigfork Neighborhood Plan updates from the Flathead County Planning Board at a workshop last week.
BIGFORK EAGLE | UPDATED 1 WEEK, 6 DAYS AGO

Echo Lake's guardian police car to be replaced after vandalism

Mark Herman felt sick to his stomach when he first saw the vandalized dummy police car outside Echo Lake Cafe on the morning of June 2.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 2 WEEKS, 2 DAYS AGO

Kalispell doctor returns to Ukraine as war with Russia intensifies

When she thinks back to the time she spent in the country’s rural villages near the Black Sea in 2023, she remembers the familiar muddy backroads and perpetual grayness. She also recalls the people lining up outside a makeshift, one-room medical clinic on a dismally cold and wet morning, desperate …
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 2 WEEKS, 4 DAYS AGO

Shannon Bagley named recipient of 2026 Big Hat Award

Shannon Bagley wishes there was more time in the day to dedicate to her volunteer work, which might come as a surprise to anyone who has seen her already lengthy list of community involvement.
BIGFORK EAGLE | UPDATED 2 WEEKS, 6 DAYS AGO

Swan River School fifth grade teacher says goodbye after 28 years

In Shelley Emslie’s fifth-grade class at Swan River School, students listened with rapt attention while Emslie explained the rules of her traditional end-of-year auction. As the bidding began, the students squealed with excitement and flashed the multicolored money they had earned over the course of the school year.
BIGFORK EAGLE | UPDATED 2 WEEKS, 6 DAYS AGO

Echo Lake's guardian police car to be replaced after vandalism

Mark Herman felt sick to his stomach when he first saw the vandalized dummy police car outside Echo Lake Cafe on the morning of June 2.
BIGFORK EAGLE | UPDATED 2 WEEKS, 6 DAYS AGO

Senior Spotlight: Bigfork senior chases Air Force dreams for a decade

At the ripe old age of 8, Nic Gustavson knew he wanted to fly planes, and he knew he wanted to fly planes with the U.S. Air Force.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 3 WEEKS, 5 DAYS AGO

Woman drowns in Flathead Lake

Authorities identified the body pulled from Flathead Lake on May 27 as Gale Dal Molin Eversole, 72, of Bigfork.
HUNGRY HORSE NEWS | UPDATED 3 WEEKS, 6 DAYS AGO

‘He’s a rare kid’: Bigfork senior chases air force dreams for a decade

Nic Gustavson has a photograph of the moment he realized what he wanted to do with the rest of his life.
BIGFORK EAGLE | UPDATED 3 WEEKS, 6 DAYS AGO

Authorities identify body found floating in Flathead Lake

Authorities identified the body pulled from Flathead Lake on Wednesday as Gale Dal Molin Eversole, 72, of Bigfork.
BIGFORK EAGLE | UPDATED 3 WEEKS, 6 DAYS AGO

Diamond anniversary: Couple celebrates 75 enchanted years

John Donoghue and Margie Throm, now Mrs. Donghue, glided in step with the music as the words from “Some Enchanted Evening” drifted through the air.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 1 MONTH AGO

Authorities identify body found floating in Flathead Lake

Authorities identified the body pulled from Flathead Lake on Wednesday as Gale Dal Molin Eversole, 72, of Bigfork.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 1 MONTH AGO

A champion for veterans in Northwest Montana, Allen Erickson dies at 86

A U.S. Navy Veteran who served from 1957 to 1963, Erickson was the visionary founder of the Northwest Montana Veterans Food Pantry and the annual Libby Stand Down event. He died May 23 at the age of 86.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 1 MONTH AGO

Collaborative effort brings bear-resistant trash cans to downtown Bigfork

Luke Lamar recalls an incident a few years ago when Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks trapped a grizzly bear, not deep in the backcountry of the Bob Marshall Wilderness, but wandering around the gift shops of downtown Bigfork’s Electric Avenue.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 1 MONTH AGO

Woman’s body found floating in Flathead Lake near Bigfork

A woman’s body was pulled out of Flathead Lake near Bigfork on Wednesday after being discovered by a wake surfing class.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 1 MONTH AGO

Collaborative effort brings bear-resistant trash cans to downtown Bigfork

Luke Lamar recalls an incident a few years ago when Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks trapped a grizzly bear, not deep in the backcountry of the Bob Marshall Wilderness, but wandering around the gift shops of downtown Bigfork’s Electric Avenue.
BIGFORK EAGLE | UPDATED 1 MONTH AGO

Historic guardians: Efforts work to preserve the story of Bigfork

As Denny Kellogg and Ed Gillenwater tell the story, though, Bigfork’s history actually began a little earlier: a modest 100 million years earlier, in fact. This was when the forces of nature conspired to carve the valleys and peaks that would one day come to define this scrappy little village …
BIGFORK EAGLE | UPDATED 1 MONTH, 1 WEEK AGO

First new 4-H club in decades continues “learn by doing” tradition

Bigfork is a one-horse town no longer, at least when it comes to 4-H clubs.
BIGFORK EAGLE | UPDATED 1 MONTH, 1 WEEK AGO

Blue Cow Car Wash expands herd into Evergreen

With this new innovation, the Blue Calf is able to accommodate dually pickup trucks and vehicles up to 8 feet tall.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 1 MONTH, 2 WEEKS AGO

Flathead High graduate to perform at nation’s 250th jubilee

When Cole Knutson first joined choir at Kalispell Middle School, it was at the insistence of his mother. He loved piano, which he learned to play at the age of five, but wasn’t all that thrilled about singing.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 1 MONTH, 2 WEEKS AGO

Historic guardians: Efforts work to preserve the story of Bigfork

As Denny Kellogg and Ed Gillenwater tell the story, though, Bigfork’s history actually began a little earlier: a modest 100 million years earlier, in fact. This was when the forces of nature conspired to carve the valleys and peaks that would one day come to define this scrappy little village …
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 1 MONTH, 2 WEEKS AGO

Flathead Valley Rotary Clubs rally for EPIC Day of Service

While Rotary is perhaps best known in the Flathead Valley for youth football and volleyball programs, the international club numbers 1.25 million members committed to humanitarian service in 122 countries.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 1 MONTH, 2 WEEKS AGO

Lakeside Quick Response Unit celebrates 45 years

Lakeside Quick Response Unit is celebrating its 45th anniversary with a community open house at the Ambulance Hall located at 201 Bills Road on May 17 from 12 to 4 p.m.
BIGFORK EAGLE | UPDATED 1 MONTH, 2 WEEKS AGO

Bigfork Rotary Club rallies for EPIC Day of Service

On Saturday May 16, the Bigfork Rotary Club will join tens of thousands of Rotarians around the world to do what they have done for the last 25 years: quietly give back to their community in the form of service.
BIGFORK EAGLE | UPDATED 1 MONTH, 2 WEEKS AGO

Bigfork celebrates 125 years this Sunday

On May 17, 1901, Everit L. Sliter, a scrappy 35-year-old from Michigan, filed an official plat for a townsite on the northeast shore of Flathead Lake.
BIGFORK EAGLE | UPDATED 1 MONTH, 2 WEEKS AGO

A mother’s heart forged by foster care

Stephanie Ford remembers the Mother’s Day weekend she said goodbye to her child.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 1 MONTH, 3 WEEKS AGO

Bigfork students learn to love the past in National History Day competition

It’s a tale as old as time, or at least as old as history: Today’s youth don’t care to learn about the people who came before them.
BIGFORK EAGLE | UPDATED 1 MONTH, 3 WEEKS AGO

Flathead County commissioners drop Sliter Park lease in “tough decision”

Flathead County commissioners voted unanimously last week against renewing the county’s lease on Sliter Park, a decision the park’s supporters described as disappointing but not unexpected.
BIGFORK EAGLE | UPDATED 1 MONTH, 3 WEEKS AGO

Flathead County commissioners drop Sliter Park lease in “tough decision”

Flathead County commissioners voted unanimously last week against renewing the county’s lease on Sliter Park, a decision the park’s supporters described as disappointing but not unexpected.
BIGFORK EAGLE | UPDATED 1 MONTH, 3 WEEKS AGO

Kalispell motorist sentenced for fatal 2025 wreck near Bigfork

As officers led a weeping Kala Renee Knaus out of the packed Flathead County District Court courtroom Tuesday, she gazed at the father of the woman she killed in a drunken 2025 collision and nodded weakly.
BIGFORK EAGLE | UPDATED 1 MONTH, 3 WEEKS AGO

Spartan Race returns to Bigfork this weekend

Kaci Calaway has traveled the world as an elite Spartan Race competitor, from Abu Dhabi to Mexico, but there’s something special about the hometown race where she got her start in the sport.
BIGFORK EAGLE | UPDATED 1 MONTH, 3 WEEKS AGO

Flathead County commissioners drop Sliter Park lease in “tough decision”

Flathead County commissioners voted unanimously last week against renewing the county’s lease on Sliter Park, a decision the park’s supporters described as disappointing but not unexpected.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 1 MONTH, 3 WEEKS AGO

Veterans help veterans as needs increase in the Flathead Valley

This is the paradox the Northwest Montana Veterans Food Pantry, housed in a sprawling building in Evergreen, seeks to answer. Veterans trained to rely on themselves and their fellow soldiers are reluctant to ask for help, even when they desperately need it.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 1 MONTH, 4 WEEKS AGO

An Evergreen chamber success story found in new president

Jessi Nelson was sworn in this January, and she brings a broad array of experiences to the position.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 1 MONTH, 4 WEEKS AGO

Kalispell motorist sentenced for fatal 2025 wreck near Bigfork

As officers led a weeping Kala Renee Knaus out of the packed Flathead County District Court courtroom Tuesday, she gazed at the father of the woman she killed in a drunken 2025 collision and nodded weakly.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 2 MONTHS AGO

'In his blood': Bigfork graduate named Utah Soldier of the Year

Caden Leonard enlisted in the National Guard four years ago. A 2022 Bigfork High School graduate, he moved to Utah to study psychology and criminology at the University of Utah, where he balances his coursework with military commitments
BIGFORK EAGLE | UPDATED 2 MONTHS AGO

Local distillery’s innovative bottle wins inaugural eco-award

Whistling Andy Distillery was awarded the inaugural Eco-Award for its innovative paperboard spirits bottle at the American Craft Spirits Association Convention.
BIGFORK EAGLE | UPDATED 2 MONTHS AGO

Lakeside residents frustrated over hurried wastewater treatment project assessment

Many residents felt they did not have enough time to seek out independent professional assessments of the project and its impacts on Flathead Lake.
BIGFORK EAGLE | UPDATED 2 MONTHS AGO

Meet the 2026 Lakeside Water and Sewer District board candidates

The Lakeside Water and Sewer District board election is May 5. There are five candidates for two open trustee positions.
BIGFORK EAGLE | UPDATED 2 MONTHS AGO

Meet the 2026 Bigfork Fire District board candidates

The Bigfork Fire District board election is May 5. There are three candidates for two open trustee positions.
BIGFORK EAGLE | UPDATED 2 MONTHS AGO

Lakeside residents frustrated over hurried wastewater treatment project assessment

Many residents felt they did not have enough time to seek out independent professional assessments of the project and its impacts on Flathead Lake.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 2 MONTHS AGO

'In his blood': Bigfork graduate named Utah Soldier of the Year

Caden Leonard enlisted in the National Guard four years ago. A 2022 Bigfork High School graduate, he moved to Utah to study psychology and criminology at the University of Utah, where he balances his coursework with military commitments
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 2 MONTHS AGO

Flathead cherry growers hope for some luck in 2026

All farmers count on a bad year every now and then. Two could be chalked up to bad luck. But a third bad year in a row might spell trouble for the cherry growers of the Flathead Valley.
VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 2 MONTHS, 1 WEEK AGO

Award-winning farm-to-table chef plants roots in Somers

Sarah Manuel is passionate about the flavors of Montana. Her culinary inspiration comes from beef raised on prairie pastures, crops grown under a wide-open sky and berries foraged from the slopes of the Rocky Mountains.
BIGFORK EAGLE | UPDATED 2 MONTHS, 1 WEEK AGO

Bigfork High students take home top honors at regional math contest

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BIGFORK EAGLE | UPDATED 2 MONTHS, 1 WEEK AGO

Flathead cherry growers hope for some luck in 2026

All farmers count on a bad year every now and then. Two could be chalked up to bad luck. But a third bad year in a row might spell trouble for the cherry growers of the Flathead Valley.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 2 MONTHS, 1 WEEK AGO

Public hearing set for second phase of Lakeside wastewater treatment project

The state agency has set a public hearing on the draft environmental assessment for the second phase of the project for April 23
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 2 MONTHS, 1 WEEK AGO

Public hearing set for second phase of Lakeside wastewater treatment project

The state agency has set a public hearing on the draft environmental assessment for the second phase of the project for April 23
BIGFORK EAGLE | UPDATED 2 MONTHS, 1 WEEK AGO

Sliter Park lease voted down by parks board

The Flathead County Weed/Parks and Recreation Board voted unanimously April 6 against recommending the renewal of the Sliter Park lease.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 2 MONTHS, 2 WEEKS AGO

Flathead cherry growers hope for some luck in 2026

All farmers count on a bad year every now and then. Two could be chalked up to bad luck. But a third bad year in a row might spell trouble for the cherry growers of the Flathead Valley.
BIGFORK EAGLE | UPDATED 2 MONTHS, 2 WEEKS AGO

School board election ballots in mail

Multiple school board trustee positions for the Bigfork Elementary District are on the ballot that hits mailboxes starting April 17.
BIGFORK EAGLE | UPDATED 2 MONTHS, 2 WEEKS AGO

“Cowabunga: Moo-pets" takes center stage this weekend

Moooove on down to the Bigfork Center for Performing Arts this weekend to catch the annual Cowabunga Show.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 2 MONTHS, 2 WEEKS AGO

Sliter Park lease voted down by parks board

The Flathead County Weed/Parks and Recreation Board voted unanimously April 6 against recommending the renewal of the Sliter Park lease.
BIGFORK EAGLE | UPDATED 2 MONTHS, 2 WEEKS AGO

“Cowabunga: Moo-pets" takes center stage this weekend

Moooove on down to the Bigfork Center for Performing Arts this weekend to catch the annual Cowabunga Show.
BIGFORK EAGLE | UPDATED 2 MONTHS, 2 WEEKS AGO

Look at Frosty go: Lakeside's winter decoration tradition melts away

For the first time in 26 years, the Lakeside “Frosties” will not be back again someday.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 2 MONTHS, 3 WEEKS AGO

'It’s an experience’: 60th annual Creston Auction this weekend

In six decades, Creston Fire Chief Gary Mahugh has seen some strange items pass through the annual Creston Auction, but one in particular stands out: a live goose, painted red, white and blue.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 2 MONTHS, 3 WEEKS AGO

Look at Frosty go: Lakeside's winter decoration tradition melts away

For the first time in 26 years, the Lakeside “Frosties” will not be back again someday.
BIGFORK EAGLE | UPDATED 2 MONTHS, 3 WEEKS AGO

'It’s an experience’: 60th annual Creston Auction this weekend

In six decades, Creston Fire Chief Gary Mahugh has seen some strange items pass through the annual Creston Auction, but one in particular stands out: a live goose, painted red, white and blue.
BIGFORK EAGLE | UPDATED 2 MONTHS, 3 WEEKS AGO

Bigfork Fire weighs budget priorities in wake of changes to mill levy collections

The Bigfork Fire Department is debating its budget priorities after the implementation of a new state law that will impact mill levy revenue in the coming years.
BIGFORK EAGLE | UPDATED 2 MONTHS, 3 WEEKS AGO

United Methodist Church presents a classical choir experience

Choir members at the Bigfork Community United Methodist Church will perform an Easter cantata on April 12.
BIGFORK EAGLE | UPDATED 2 MONTHS, 3 WEEKS AGO

A Life in Studio: The forgotten art of Marge Dodge

This was the pivotal moment Marge Dodge found herself in when she arrived in Montana in 1954. A prolific artist in her own right, Marge was drawn into this circle of visionary creatives. Yet while these artists would be remembered decades later as the foundation of the Montana Modernist movement, …
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 2 MONTHS, 3 WEEKS AGO

Future of Sliter Park up in the air as county debates lease renewal

Flathead County commissioners are once again weighing whether to renew a lease for downtown Bigfork’s Everit L. Sliter Memorial Park.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 2 MONTHS, 4 WEEKS AGO

Good Friday unites Bigfork area churches for 61 years

The Bigfork Community Good Friday service hasn’t changed much since 1965, according to Ron Pierce.
BIGFORK EAGLE | UPDATED 3 MONTHS AGO

Good Friday unites Bigfork area churches for more than six decades

The Bigfork Community Good Friday service hasn’t changed much since 1965, according to Ron Pierce.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 3 MONTHS AGO

Bigfork man accused of shooting gun in parking lot hit with felony charge

An 81-year-old man is facing a felony charge in Flathead County District Court for allegedly firing a gun in the Bigfork Harvest Foods parking lot in March.
BIGFORK EAGLE | UPDATED 3 MONTHS AGO

Bigfork man accused of shooting gun in parking lot hit with felony charge

An 81-year-old man is facing a felony charge in Flathead County District Court for allegedly firing a gun in the Bigfork Harvest Foods parking lot in March.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 3 MONTHS AGO

Future of Sliter Park up in the air as county debates lease renewal

Flathead County commissioners are once again weighing whether to renew a lease for downtown Bigfork’s Everit L. Sliter Memorial Park.
BIGFORK EAGLE | UPDATED 3 MONTHS AGO

Bigfork spreads love, one card at a time

The room is the unofficial Flathead Valley headquarters for People Spread Love, an organization dedicated to creating moments of human connection through handcrafted cards.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 3 MONTHS AGO

Bigfork spreads love, one card at a time

The room is the unofficial Flathead Valley headquarters for People Spread Love, an organization dedicated to creating moments of human connection through handcrafted cards.
BIGFORK EAGLE | UPDATED 3 MONTHS, 1 WEEK AGO

Bigfork enrollment decline will impact school budget, superintendent warns

Bigfork School District Superintendent Tom Stack warned educators to prepare for budget reductions beginning in the 2027-28 school year due to falling enrollment numbers during the March 11 school board meeting.
DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 3 MONTHS, 1 WEEK AGO

Bigfork enrollment decline will impact school budget, superintendent warns

Bigfork School District Superintendent Tom Stack warned educators to prepare for budget reductions beginning in the 2027-28 school year due to falling enrollment numbers during the March 11 school board meeting.
BIGFORK EAGLE | UPDATED 3 MONTHS, 2 WEEKS AGO