Host Taylor Inman covers the week's biggest headlines from Northwest Montana. Columbia Falls Community Market is racing to raise $1 million by Sept. 7 to buy the land it operates on, while Flathead County has picked an architect to rebuild the 118-year-old grandstands at the fairgrounds. Crews finished capping a leaking, century-old oil well near Kintla Lake in Glacier National Park, and operators say the Flathead Indian Irrigation Project is holding up despite a federal hiring freeze cutting its staff. Plus, Flathead Electric Cooperative's Roundup for Safety program awarded $10,000 to local search and rescue teams this round. 

Chapters:
00:00 - Intro
00:44 - Columbia Falls Community Market's $1 Million Deadline
02:44 - Architect Selected to Rebuild Century-Old Fairground Grandstands
04:49 - Century-Old Oil Well Capped Near Kintla Lake in Glacier National Park
06:43 - Flathead Indian Irrigation Project Nears End of Season
09:11 - Flathead Electric Awards Roundup for Safety Grants

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Host Melissa Wells rounds up the biggest events on tap across Northwest Montana this September, from the Whitefish Songwriter Festival and the 10th annual Clash of the Carvers in Libby to the debut of Treetop Volume 001 at Blacktail Mountain and a Fleetwood Mac tribute at the O'Shaughnessy. Along the way, catch a Nashville songwriter collaboration with the Glacier Symphony, a Phil Collins tribute at the Wachholz, a Chinese vegetable garden history talk at the Northwest Montana History Museum, and a save-the-date for Trego Heritage Day in October.

Visit https://dailyinterlake.com/events/ and https://www.flatheadtickets.com/ to plan your event calendar this month!

Chapters:
00:00 - Intro
00:20 - Whitefish Songwriter Festival
02:45 - Clash of the Carvers
03:46 - Trego Heritage Day (Save the Date 10/3)
04:35 - Treetop Volume 001 at Blacktail Mountain
06:07 - Montana Treehouse Retreat: Laura Gibson & Tin Finley
06:39 - Gold Leather and Lace: A Fleetwood Mac Tribute
07:07 - Feeding the Frontier: A History of Chinese Vegetable Gardens
07:35 - Artful Arrangements at Glacier Art Museum
08:00 - Chris Roberts at Whitefish Performing Arts Center
08:24 - Songwriters and the Symphony
08:46 - The Phil Collins Story

The Whitefish Songwriter Festival returns September 18-20, filling stages and venues across Whitefish with songwriters from around the country. Friday kicks off at 2pm with the Songwriter Contest finals at the O'Shaughnessy Center, where 10 finalists selected from more than 100 entries compete for a $1,000 prize in each age bracket, followed by a late night band jam. Saturday brings coffee and conversation with the songwriters at 11am plus songwriter rounds throughout the day. Passes and details are available at https://WhitefishSongwriterFest.org.

The 10th annual Clash of the Carvers hits Libby's Mineral Avenue September 10-13, with 20 international chainsaw carvers from as far as Germany, Moldova and Lithuania spending four days on their masterpieces. Quick carves are auctioned off Friday and Saturday, with the final auction Sunday at 2pm. Admission is free. Visit https://www.clashofthecarvers.com/ to carve out more information!

Save the date for Trego Heritage Day on Saturday, October 3, from 10am to 5pm at The Blarney Ranch in Trego. The day includes a black powder demonstration, traditional archery, horse and wagon rides, pottery and basket making, gold panning, leatherwork, horsemanship demos and a pumpkin patch, celebrating the ranching, agriculture and logging history of the Tobacco Valley. Visit https://www.thehalltfs.com/heritagedays for more details!

Northwest Montana deserves strong news reporting. Your donation helps continue work like this possible. Learn more at dailyinterlake.com/support

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Subscribe to all our other DIL pods! Keep up with northwest Montana sports on Keeping Score, dig into stories with Deep Dive, and jam out to local musicians with Press Play.

Host Taylor Inman covers the biggest headlines shaping Northwest Montana this week - a felony assault charge against a Nevada man tied to a brutal beating near Glacier Park International Airport, a court ruling upholding Lakeside's wastewater expansion permit despite a challenge from local watchdog groups, a small BNSF-sparked fire near Trout Creek that was quickly contained, and a vaccine effort to protect nearly 900 bats at Libby Dam from a deadly fungus. 

00:00 - Intro
00:39 - Felony assault charge near Glacier Park Airport
03:13 - Lakeside wastewater lawsuit ruling
07:37 - BNSF fire near Trout Creek
10:24 - Libby Dam bat vaccine effort 

Northwest Montana deserves strong news reporting. Your donation helps continue work like this possible. Learn more at dailyinterlake.com/support

Visit DailyInterLake.com to stay up-to-date with the latest breaking news from the Flathead Valley and beyond. Support local journalism and please consider subscribing to us. Watch this podcast and more on our YouTube Channel. And follow us on Facebook, Instagram and X. Got a news tip, want to place an ad, or sponsor this podcast? Contact us!

Subscribe to all our other DIL pods! Keep up with northwest Montana sports on Keeping Score, dig into stories with Deep Dive, and jam out to local musicians with Press Play.

Taylor Inman rounds up the week's biggest stories from Northwest Montana from this week.

Developers behind a proposed 97-slip marina in Bigfork Bay pulled their permit application after pushback from the community. A Flathead County lawsuit accuses a Kalispell man of stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from his father, the longtime Conrad Cemetery groundskeeper, and forcing him into unsafe living conditions before his death. Libby's Center for Asbestos Related Disease closed its doors early after losing federal grant funding. Plus, a Columbia Falls teenager is running again months after a car crash that nearly killed her, and two Flathead Valley manufactured home communities became resident-owned.

00:00 - Intro
00:39 - Bigfork Marina Application Withdrawn
03:16 - Lawsuit Accuses Son in Cemetery Groundskeeper's Death
07:29 - Libby's CARD Clinic Abruptly Closes
10:28 - Columbia Falls Crash Survivor Returns to Running
12:40 - Twin Willows Becomes Fifth Resident-Owned Community

Northwest Montana deserves strong news reporting. Your donation helps continue work like this possible. Learn more at dailyinterlake.com/support

Visit DailyInterLake.com to stay up-to-date with the latest breaking news from the Flathead Valley and beyond. Support local journalism and please consider subscribing to us. Watch this podcast and more on our YouTube Channel. And follow us on Facebook, Instagram and X. Got a news tip, want to place an ad, or sponsor this podcast? Contact us!

Subscribe to all our other DIL pods! Keep up with northwest Montana sports on Keeping Score, dig into stories with Deep Dive, and jam out to local musicians with Press Play.

Taylor Inman breaks down five major stories shaping Northwest Montana - from a tense standoff in Kalispell to bears pushing into town as the huckleberry crop comes up short.

A suspect is in custody after Kalispell Police responded to reports of a man threatening violence on Airport Road. 43-year-old Brian Weidner was taken into custody without incident after negotiations, with help from the Northwest Montana Regional SWAT Team and the Flathead County Sheriff's Office and now faces a felony intimidation charge.

Northwest Montana is seeing a below average huckleberry crop this year, and as natural food sources get harder to find, bears are moving into lower elevations and closer to homes. Fish, Wildlife and Parks bear conflict specialists say securing garbage, bird feeders and fruit trees now can prevent costly encounters later, and they're asking anyone with a bear concern to call early.

Big Mountain Fire District is receiving its first infusion of cash from the newly established Big Mountain resort tax, funded entirely by visitors paying a 3 percent tax on goods and services at Whitefish Mountain Resort and surrounding businesses. The district was handed a $395,000 check this month, money that's already gone toward hiring additional firefighters.

Flathead County Library has kicked off a $35,000 study to figure out how to raise $13 million for a new Kalispell branch. The current library has until 2033 to move out of its First Avenue building, and trustees are eyeing a site at Kalispell Center Mall for a 40,000 to 50,000 square foot replacement.

Hungry Horse News is marking 80 years since Mel Ruder printed the paper's first edition out of a rented room on Nucleus Avenue in Columbia Falls. Ruder, known for his photography, went on to run the paper for more than three decades from the log cabin still standing at Highway 2 and 40 today.

Northwest Montana deserves strong news reporting. Your donation helps continue work like this possible. Learn more at dailyinterlake.com/support

Visit DailyInterLake.com to stay up-to-date with the latest breaking news from the Flathead Valley and beyond. Support local journalism and please consider subscribing to us. Watch this podcast and more on our YouTube Channel. And follow us on Facebook, Instagram and X. Got a news tip, want to place an ad, or sponsor this podcast? Contact us!

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Five major stories shaping Northwest Montana this week - from a fatal fire at a Kalispell roofing business to a deadly rockfall on Going-to-the-Sun Road. Daily Inter Lake reporter Taylor Inman breaks down the headlines you need to know.

The cause of a fatal fire at a roofing business west of Kalispell remained under investigation this week, after one man died in a multi-alarm blaze that tore through a metal warehouse on Fenn Way. More than 30 firefighters and law enforcement officers from five agencies responded, and the Flathead County Sheriff's Detective Division is working to determine the cause and origin.

A final report on the fatal grizzly bear mauling of 33-year-old Anthony Pollio in Glacier National Park revealed new detail on the May 3 attack near the Mount Brown Lookout Trail. DNA analysis identified the bear as a known, conflict-free resident of the park, and investigators concluded Pollio was the victim of a defensive attack by a surprised grizzly caught off guard in low light.

Dozens of animals were seized from a property in the Eureka area following an investigation into possible neglect, including 40 dogs, two ponies, two chickens, two rabbits, a goat and four cats. All were evaluated by a veterinarian and are being re-homed, with the case now headed to the Lincoln County Attorney's Office for review.

Cherry growers on Flathead Lake are calling this one of the strongest harvests in years, with good weather and a lighter-than-usual supply from Washington driving strong prices. Growers have picked more than 500,000 pounds so far and expect to reach close to two million by the time the season wraps in early August.

Authorities identified the man killed by rockfall on Going-to-the-Sun Road earlier this month as 73-year-old Rex Schowengerdt of Missouri. Schowengerdt was struck while riding as a passenger near the Rimrocks section below Logan Pass and died a week later after being taken off life support; the death was ruled accidental.
Presented by the Daily Inter Lake - Montana's largest independent newsroom. Subscribe so you never miss a week of Northwest Montana news.

Northwest Montana deserves strong news reporting. Your donation helps continue work like this possible. Learn more at dailyinterlake.com/support

Visit DailyInterLake.com to stay up-to-date with the latest breaking news from the Flathead Valley and beyond. Support local journalism and please consider subscribing to us. Watch this podcast and more on our YouTube Channel. And follow us on Facebook, Instagram and X. Got a news tip, want to place an ad, or sponsor this podcast? Contact us!

Subscribe to all our other DIL pods! Keep up with northwest Montana sports on Keeping Score, dig into stories with Deep Dive, and jam out to local musicians with Press Play.

August is one of the busiest months of the year in Northwest Montana, and Melissa Wells is back with your complete guide to everything happening across the Flathead Valley.

From the beloved Huckleberry Days Art Festival in Whitefish to the Northwest Montana Fair & Rodeo in Kalispell, this month's episode covers the can't-miss festivals, concerts, fairs, family events, food, arts, live music and community celebrations that make August one of the best times to visit or explore Montana. Whether you're a local looking for weekend plans or a visitor planning a trip, News Now has your August calendar covered. The episode also highlights community favorites like the Whitefish Trail Hootenanny, Great Bear Festival, Montana Wine, Beer & Spirits Festival, live concerts, theater, local art festivals and much more.

Celebrating its 37th year, Huckleberry Days transforms Whitefish's Depot Park into one of Montana's premier summer festivals from Aug. 7-9. Enjoy hundreds of artists and vendors, delicious huckleberry treats, family-friendly activities, live entertainment, community art projects and everything that makes Whitefish one of the Northwest's favorite summer destinations. Visit Huckleberry Days' website for more information!

The Northwest Montana Fair & Rodeo returns Aug. 12-16 to the Flathead County Fairgrounds with five unforgettable days of carnival rides, livestock exhibits, delicious fair food, rodeo action, live entertainment, Walker Hayes in concert, monster trucks, exhibits, competitions and family fun. Visit their website for tickets and more information!

For even more local events happening every day, always check out the Daily Inter Lake's events calendar.

Northwest Montana deserves strong news reporting. Your donation helps continue work like this possible. Learn more at dailyinterlake.com/support

Visit DailyInterLake.com to stay up-to-date with the latest breaking news from the Flathead Valley and beyond. Support local journalism and please consider subscribing to us. Watch this podcast and more on our YouTube Channel. And follow us on Facebook, Instagram and X. Got a news tip, want to place an ad, or sponsor this podcast? Contact us!

Subscribe to all our other DIL pods! Keep up with northwest Montana sports on Keeping Score, dig into stories with Deep Dive, and jam out to local musicians with Press Play.

Join host Taylor Inman for 4 major stories shaping Northwest Montana - from Glacier's Logan Pass shuttle system holding steady through peak season to a bison baby boom on the Flathead Reservation.

Glacier's new Logan Pass shuttle system is running full since the Highline Trail opened, according to Superintendent David Roemer. The park now limits parking to three hours at Logan Pass and thirty minutes at Oberlin Bend, ticketing vehicles that overstay.

A commercial truck tipped into a ditch in Evergreen Monday night, spilling an estimated 4,000 gallons of asphalt seal coat. Crews cleared most of the liquid within hours, though a damaged utility pedestal knocked out internet and phone service in the area.

"It's a big deal" - that's how fisheries biologist Kenny Briedinger describes the discovery of nonnative brown trout in Ashley Lake and Church Slough. Officials believe the fish were illegally introduced and are asking anglers to report any brown trout caught upstream of the SKQ Dam.

Bison calves known as "red dogs" are roaming the Flathead Reservation's Bison Range this summer, part of a herd of 350 adults and 80 calves. Biologist Shannon Clairmont says the herd descends directly from bison the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes once managed before the U.S. government forced their removal.

Northwest Montana deserves strong news reporting. Your donation helps continue work like this possible. Learn more at dailyinterlake.com/support

Visit DailyInterLake.com to stay up-to-date with the latest breaking news from the Flathead Valley and beyond. Support local journalism and please consider subscribing to us. Watch this podcast and more on our YouTube Channel. And follow us on Facebook, Instagram and X. Got a news tip, want to place an ad, or sponsor this podcast? Contact us!

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Join Daily Inter Lake reporter Taylor Inman as she goes over five major stories shaping Northwest Montana this week - from forever chemicals detected in the Flathead Watershed to a new flood-resilient bridge for Farm to Market Road.

The University of Montana's Flathead Lake Biological Station has confirmed the presence of forever chemicals and pharmaceutical compounds in the Flathead Watershed, including sites in Flathead Lake, the Flathead River, the Swan River, Stoner Creek, Ashley Creek and Whitefish Lake. Bio Station Director Jim Elser said concentrations are currently below levels of direct health concern, but the findings should motivate continued surveillance, which is challenged by the high cost of PFAS analysis.

Kalispell ranked 48th out of nearly 1,900 U.S. cities and towns with more than 20,000 residents for population growth between April 2020 and July 2025, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The city grew from 25,076 to 31,851 residents over that period, a 27% increase and the largest of any Montana city in its population range.

A 39-year-old man with a long history of driving under the influence faces felony charges including criminal child endangerment following a June hit-and-run in Whitefish. Myles Wayne Whitford was arrested in Kalispell with his child present and is due in Flathead County District Court on July 23.

Columbia Falls Aluminum Co. has agreed to pay $57.6 million to clean up the former smelter site under a proposed consent decree with the Environmental Protection Agency, marking a milestone nearly a decade after the property was listed as a Superfund site in 2016.

A Belgrade construction firm has been selected to build a replacement bridge across Libby Creek on Farm to Market Road, one of many structures damaged in the December 2025 flood in south Lincoln County. The Montana Department of Transportation says the new bridge is being designed to be more resilient to future flooding.

Northwest Montana deserves strong news reporting. Your donation helps continue work like this possible. Learn more at dailyinterlake.com/support

Visit DailyInterLake.com to stay up-to-date with the latest breaking news from the Flathead Valley and beyond. Support local journalism and please consider subscribing to us. Watch this podcast and more on our YouTube Channel. And follow us on Facebook, Instagram and X. Got a news tip, want to place an ad, or sponsor this podcast? Contact us!

Subscribe to all our other DIL pods! Keep up with northwest Montana sports on Keeping Score, dig into stories with Deep Dive, and jam out to local musicians with Press Play.

This week, host Taylor Inman covers four major stories shaping Northwest Montana — from a Coram truck theft that led to a DUI arrest to a record-breaking nonprofit fundraising campaign.

An 18-year-old already on probation for a fatal DUI crash is facing new charges after allegedly stealing a truck in Coram and crashing it into the woods. He was taken into custody after a bystander spotted him fleeing the scene on foot and now faces up to 10 years behind bars if convicted.

Columbia Falls City Councilman Christopher Semok has resigned after missing more than half of this year's council meetings, including votes on the city's largest subdivision in its history. The city council now has 30 days to name his replacement.

Montana State Parks are proposing their first fee increase in 12 years, raising campsite, entrance and boat slip fees starting as early as 2027. Montana residents would keep free park access, but nonresident and camping costs would climb across the board.

A record 89 Flathead Valley nonprofits are competing for donations in this year's Great Fish Community Challenge, running Aug. 11 through Sept. 11. The Whitefish Community Foundation campaign has raised more than $43 million for local nonprofits since 2015.

#MontanaNews #FlatheadValley #NewsNow #DailyInterLake #ColumbiaFallsMT #KalispellMT #WhitefishMT #GlacierCountry #GreatFishChallenge #MTnews

Northwest Montana deserves strong news reporting. Your donation helps continue work like this possible. Learn more at dailyinterlake.com/support

Visit DailyInterLake.com to stay up-to-date with the latest breaking news from the Flathead Valley and beyond. Support local journalism and please consider subscribing to us. Watch this podcast and more on our YouTube Channel. And follow us on Facebook, Instagram and X. Got a news tip, want to place an ad, or sponsor this podcast? Contact us!

Subscribe to all our other DIL pods! Keep up with northwest Montana sports on Keeping Score, dig into stories with Deep Dive, and jam out to local musicians with Press Play.