Columbia Falls Montana News | Columbia Falls Newspapers

With gravel roads at the center of a decade-long controversy in Flathead County, it stands to reason officials would welcome the winter snows that quell dust troubles. But this winter could pose its own set of problems for the roads department and, for a change, Public Works Director Dave Prunty is looking forward to summer.

For those of you wondering what's up with the Class A high school football playoffs, Columbia Falls will be hosting Corvallis (6-3) this Saturday at 1pm and Whitefish will visit Dillon (6-2), also at 1pm.

Good luck Cats and Dogs.

It hasn't been that long since the Boys and Girls Club purchased property for a permanent home in Columbia Falls.

After some initial refurbish work and changes to meet current safety and building codes, the facility opened not long ago. Soon after, the first need became apparent. The yard adjacent to the building needed a fence.

Yesterday, through volunteer efforts from and donations by the Rotary Club of Columbia Falls, Boy Scout Troop 41 of Columbia Falls and Boys and Girls Club supporters, the Boys and Girls Club of Columbia Falls finished construction of a new chain link fence for its outdoor play area.

It was the kind of game everyone was expecting, if not looking forward to.

Tense. Close. Hard fought.

No matter the outcome of next month’s bond issue, Flathead County’s antiquated 911 communication system will be improved. The question, emergency coordinators say, is where that new equipment will be housed – and, consequently, how effective it will be.

“We have the federal and state money to make improvements to the system,” Mark Peck, the county’s 911 project coordinator, said. “But the new building is the foundation of what we’re trying to do. We’ve made the effort to get the money for equipment; we need the voters to give it a home, so it works the way it should.”

COLUMBIA FALLS – The new $9.5-million biofilter at Plum Creek’s fiberboard plant in Columbia Falls already has “bugs” in its system – about four trillion to be exact.

Plum Creek Timber Co. employees and U.S Rep. Denny Rehberg, R-Mont., gathered last week to unveil the medium density fiberboard (MDF) plant’s “bug farm” – a high-tech system that houses approximately four trillion microscopic bacteria that clean the air of chemicals released during the manufacturing process.

In this last regular season home game of 2008, the Cats showed the home crowd that they were in fine form. If you blinked and missed the first quarter on this unseasonably-warm night in CFalls, you weren't alone. Bigfork might have wished they missed it as well.

When the second quarter began, Mackey Nolan already had two touchdown runs totalling 84 yards, three successful PAT kicks and over 100 yards in rushing. After one quarter, Columbia Falls led 21-0. But they weren't done there.

The lingo was unfamiliar, but the smiles were not.

In a weekend filled with QSOs, CQs, Elmers, a little bit of Morse Code and additional ham radio lingo, Scouts from across the valley enjoyed the 51st annual World Scout Jamboree on the Air (JOTA) Friday night and Saturday at Montana Council's Grizzly Base Camp near Creston, thanks to an over-the-top volunteer effort from the Flathead Valley Amateur Radio Club.