has been living in Flathead County legally through a humanitarian parole program says Del Castillo was arrested by federal agents in Whitefish on April 24 and transferred to ICE custody in Tacoma despite having legal status through July of 2026 “The brief contact that I had with him while he was detained he just really was confused about what was going on and scared about what was going to happen next,” said Sweeney Sweeney — an attorney for Kolko & Casey Law Firm — was notified on April 24 that Del Castillo was being wrongfully detained by federal agents in Whitefish following a traffic stop legally through a program called CHNV Parole which was a program that the Biden administration implemented to allow people from some certain designated countries to enter the U.S or to provide them with a way to lawfully enter the U.S The Trump Administration used executive orders to end the parole program but a federal judge in Boston has issued a temporary hold preventing those orders from going into effect “He should have been allowed to stay under the terms of his prior parole through July of 2026 unless he was given some other notice that his parole was going to be terminated which I’m not aware he was given any other additional notice or that it has been terminated in any capacity," Sweeny told MTN Sweeny said her client was held at the border patrol station in Whitefish before being transferred to an ICE detention center in Tacoma She says Del Castillo was released from ICE custody Wednesday evening “He called a community activist and let them know that he had just been released and we still don’t have any information about why he was held and we don’t have any information about what led them to release him Sweeney told MTN that multiple attempts to contact ICE have gone unanswered “I haven’t had any contact with government officials or received any kind of official charging documents or any kind of explanation about under what kind of legal authority they had to take him,” said Sweeney She believes confusion at the federal level may have led to Del Castillo’s wrongful detainment “They are getting directives and then they are not keeping up with the court orders that are halting these directives and so it just puts people at a really vulnerable position where these officers have a lot of control and power and then they are not up to date with what’s currently happening to give these people protection in the U.S,” said Sweeney Customs and Border Protection issued the following statement: Apr 29, 2025It was 10:30 p.m. and Explore Whitefish’s Executive Director Julie Mullins sat across from me at a corner table across from the bar The Chicago Blackhawks game was on a TV in the corner On the table in front of us were the empty Rainer beer cans that her husband and I had consumed over the last hour “We want to be a place that brings in more snowboarders,” Julie Mullins half-shouted to me over the live music playing at the Great Northern Bar and Grille “We’re just not completely sure how to do that.”What Julie didn’t know and something I quickly learned over the course of my five-day stay in Whitefish is that snowboard culture is thriving in Whitefish and it’s completely and entirely a secret to the outside world Welcome to StumptownIt was just a week before my trip to Whitefish and it was a 65-degree February day in Raleigh There was still more than a month of snowboard season left in western NC and Virginia but you’d hardly know it by the NC State students tanning in their front yards as I walked my dog It dawned on me that I had no idea what to expect out of my days on the mountain at Whitefish Mountain Resort or the surrounding town So I did what any real snowboarder should do when they have questions: I called the local shop.More specifically Snowboarding hotbed hasn’t quite stuck yet who Shaffer and I had been riding with all morning in his bright blue official Whitefish Resort jacket to be hesitant to move beyond the boundaries of chairlifts while still on the clock he looked at me.“You know about tree wells And how they’re dangerous?”“Of course.”“Alright,” he said as a huge smile crept across his face the local youngsters were a 60-40 skier to snowboarder split as they lapped the park Dozens of Tanner Hall-wannabees sessioned a kink rail while their snowboarding counterparts spun 360s off of a nearby cheese wedge jump Someone cooked hotdogs next to the chairlift One kid was determined to fit an entire glizzy in his mouth at once Skiers dominated the shuttle bus back to town just as they had dominated the terrain parks Maybe this is a skier’s town.Then came the movie premier so his recovery kept him in Whitefish for longer than usual He worked at Stumptown early in the season every year before heading off to Alaska and it’s hard to walk a mile without seeing the Jones Snowboards logo somewhere Snowboarding culture has established itself in the mountain town got his start snowboarding in New Hampshire and owes all of his progression to Montana's Bridger Bowl The April 24 arrest of Beker Rengifo-Del Castillo runs counter to a judge’s order staying the Trump administration’s move to revoke humanitarian protections for Venezuelan refugees seeking legal status protesters have assembled daily to demand Del Castillo’s release A 33-year-old Venezuelan man arrested in Whitefish last week entered the United States legally after meeting national security and public safety screening criteria in July 2024 according to an immigration attorney who has reviewed the man’s case had been authorized to live and work in the Flathead Valley until July 2026 under the rules of a federal humanitarian program while his application for asylum or other legal status is processed a Missoula-based attorney reviewing the case said she spoke with Del Castillo twice last Thursday night while he was detained at the Whitefish CBP office and had limited contact with him over the weekend Sweeney described Del Castillo’s arrest as the first instance that an individual living legally in Montana “for urgent humanitarian reasons” has been arrested and detained Sign up for our newsletter and get the best of the Beacon delivered every day to your inbox “Beker is the only one I am aware of where someone in a lawful status has been picked up and detained like this,” said Sweeney a Colorado-based firm that specializes in immigration law “We’re aware that other people have been picked up and detained during raids in the Flathead Valley area but to my knowledge they hadn’t been granted legal entry through the humanitarian parole program.” Neither ICE nor CBP responded to numerous emails and phone calls over multiple days by the Beacon requesting comment Sweeney said that although her contact with Del Castillo has been minimal since his arrest a document the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) requires individuals in its custody to sign in order to consent to legal representation Sweeney said she was working Monday to find Del Castillo legal representation in the Tacoma area and instructed him to request “a credible fear interview” to avert deportation less than two years so it’s really important that he is given the opportunity to vocalize a credible fear of being returned home,” Sweeney said He has no criminal record anywhere in the world He is here through valid status and had a pending affirmative asylum application So for someone in a legal status it is just really concerning that he would be detained at all.” Despite Sweeney’s efforts to “communicate that to the officers and determine what right they had to hold [Del Castillo] in custody I still have not been given any clear explanation or reason why they are detaining him.” According to Rebecca Miller of Valley Neighbors a volunteer-run 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that offers support to refugee and immigrant families in the Flathead Valley the organization’s members had worked with Del Castillo as a client when they received word of his arrest last Thursday evening and urged supporters to gather at the CBP office on the edge of Whitefish “It was a rare opportunity that we were able to know in time to intervene,” Miller said several dozen community members were standing guard outside the facility holding signs demanding Del Castillo’s release a local human rights advocate who’s been organizing events under the aegis of a group called Flathead Democracy said the Trump administration’s disregard for the legal status of immigrants prompted her supporters to develop an “ICE neighborhood watch.” “We are 100 percent organizing over this particular issue and while we are determined to bring Beker back describing the scope of a nationwide deportation blitz orchestrated by the White House “He is the unfortunate person caught in the crosshairs of this moment but it looks as though we are in a constitutional crisis where the law enforcement agencies get to decide who their allegiance is to a Whitefish attorney who’s been offering legal consultation to local citizens’ rights groups alarmed by the local arrests said the timing of Del Castillo’s case is unique in that it comes 10 days after a federal judge signed a preliminary injunction staying the Trump administration’s attempts to revoke the protected status of tens of thousands of migrants living and working in the U.S “humanitarian parole” gives the executive branch — specifically the Secretary of Homeland Security — the discretion to permit individuals on a case-by-case basis to enter and remain in the United States for “urgent humanitarian reasons or significant public benefit,” according to the statute Republican and Democratic administrations have exercised parole authority for 70 years including programs for Vietnamese and Cuban nationals Afghans were granted parole after the 2021 withdrawal and evacuation of Afghanistan while the Biden administration also announced a Uniting for Ukraine (U4U) parole program for U.S.-based sponsors to apply for Ukrainian nationals to receive travel authorization and parole to the United States these examples demonstrate a longstanding commitment to affording asylum-seekers access to temporary protection the Biden administration renewed that commitment with an initiative to address the volume of Venezuelan nationals arriving at the southern border by “coupling a meaningful incentive to seek a lawful safe and orderly means of traveling to the United States with the imposition of consequences for those who seek to enter irregularly.” The program instructed that those “who are not granted asylum or other immigration benefits will need to leave the United States at the expiration of their authorized period of parole or will generally be placed in removal proceedings after the period of parole expires.” DHS implemented similar processes for nationals of Cuba Haiti and Nicaragua in addition to Venezuela (CHNV) lumping the countries together under the “CHNV humanitarian parole programs” umbrella 20 instructed DHS to end the program and revoke the temporary protection it afforded tens of thousands of CHNV parolees a federal judge in Massachusetts on April 14 signed a preliminary injunction in a lawsuit challenging the Trump administration’s widespread rescissions of migrants’ legally granted parole status The Trump administration appealed the judge’s order to the First Circuit Court of Appeals which is awaiting a response brief from the plaintiffs who joined the case as a civil action to defend their CHNV status Meanwhile, federal agencies such as ICE and CBP, charged with enforcing immigration law amid a succession of contradictory notices to the Federal Register, have had to pivot following the Massachusetts judge’s recent order. That includes walking back the parole termination notices “that were sent to aliens from Cuba and Venezuela” which the agency conceded “are stayed and therefore not currently in effect.” “Did the Border Patrol grab this guy because they didn’t get the word to stop grabbing people who are here under those CHNV grants of parole Could it be that they didn’t get the memo?” Leisher said “Or is it because the Trump administration believes they can deport his guy and then there will be no recourse to bring him back?” Del Castillo received his two-year grant of parole in April 2024 and obtained a work permit in July 2024 extending his rights to protection until July 2026 She did not know whether Del Castillo had received a parole termination notice Sweeney said it runs counter to the terms of his immigration status and the judge’s injunction “His continued detention is unlawful,” Sweeney said “He received permission to remain in the country for two years from U.S Citizenship and Immigration Services while his application for asylum is pending.” [email protected] [email protected] The continued support from our readers keeps our lights on and helps sustain local independent journalism in northwest Montana Please consider a one-time gift or sign up for a recurring contribution and join more than 500 readers in the Editor’s Club Click here to read about the impact the Beacon has on the community. © 2025 Flathead Beacon, All Rights Reserved. Use of this site is subject to the Flathead Beacon's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy A Venezuelan man arrested by federal authorities has been released without explanation after nearly a week in an out-of-state detention facility Beker Rengifo del Castillo was initially pulled over last week by Whitefish Police Border Patrol agents were called to the scene and arrested Rengifo del Castillo She says he was later transported to Tacoma Washington under Immigration and Customs Enforcement She says Rengifo del Castillo is enrolled in a Biden-era program that allows people from Venezuela and other countries to stay and work legally in the U.S Sweeney adds he also has a pending asylum claim.She says there are still no clear answers from ICE about his detention “Really no explanation of why he was held or why they were now releasing him.” Sweeney doesn’t expect federal authorities to pursue a deportation case She says Rengifo del Castillo wasn’t given any charging documents ICE couldn’t be reached for comment by deadline Volunteer Beginning June 1, Whitefish Mountain Resort in Montana will be subject to a 3% resort tax The tax will apply to most goods and services sold within the district Private events within the district will also be taxed while public events such as sporting or charitable gatherings will be exempt The measure passed with 80 votes in favor and 10 against out of 147 ballots mailed to registered voters in the district which plans to build a new headquarters in the area The resort tax is set to remain in effect for 20 years with a sunset date in 2045 unless renewed by voters The resort did not play a role in enacting the tax the resort district board will determine the official allocations of the tax funds aiming to address the needs of both residents and visitors in the community.​ How those funds are prioritized in the coming months could shape the future of Whitefish’s public services and overall livability for decades to come Northern OntarioNewsForest fire along Hwy. 17 near Whitefish is outBy Darren MacDonaldPublished: May 05, 2025 at 2:22PM EDT Twitter feed ©2025 BellMedia All Rights Reserved Skier: Corey SeemannPhoto: Craig Moore I stood on top of Whitefish Mountain Resort surveying the goods.The jagged skyline of Glacier National Park was framed by an azure sky The vivid white and blue backdrop resembled a movie set a forest encrusted in thick rime ice beckoned Locals call these encased trees “snow ghosts.” They form because of the near daily fog that hangs low over the mountain My partner warned me not to ski too close to the snow ghosts—they looked soft and magical but were actually rock-hard blocks of ice I whipped around to see something with fully extended wings blow by me “What the…” I blurted.Craig Moore “Oh that was Turkey Tom,” he said.Here in the Montana outback I guess I should not have been surprised to find a skiing turkey.“Wanna catch him?” said Moore motioning to where he thought the turkey landed half bird twirling pirouettes in the middle of the trail.Pow Not CrowdsI came to northwest Montana in search of an endangered habitat participates with at least one of the major multi-resort passes—Epic and Indy—Whitefish is the last holdout 300 inches of snow and a half million skiers visiting annually Whitefish is the biggest ski area in the country that has stubbornly remained single Nate Powell grabs a cold snack off of Inspiration Ridge What difference does it make? For starters, Whitefish skiers have mostly been spared the colossal lift lines and traffic jams that have become part of the mega pass resort scene. And they’ve done this while keeping prices down: Whitefish has kept day lift tickets around $100, about one-third the cost of a day ticket at Vail Season passes bought before October are less than $800 Whitefish’s throwback move just might be the future of skiing.Whitefish Mountain Resort president Nick Polumbus mused about the meaning of independence as we rode up the Snow Ghost Express He acknowledged that the megapass companies have courted Whitefish Staying independent “allows us to retain a certain sense of character that maybe has been stripped away a little bit from the rest of the industry,” he said as we watched skiers navigating the vast bowl beneath us Anders Soyland airs one of the diving boards in the Picture Chutes area of the Hellroaring Basin It has also allowed the resort to stay financially viable Polumbus credits “a supportive majority owner which means that as we have success we can reinvest and create more success.” That owner is billionaire Bill Foley who lives in Whitefish part of each year and also owns the Vegas Golden Knights the gleaming Stanley Cup trophy made a surprise appearance at the summit of Whitefish This isn’t the case of a sugar daddy pumping money into a vanity project Whitefish—then known as Big Mountain—was a money pit when Foley he had the resort out of debt and turning a profit and has reinvested millions into high speed lifts and new lodges Part of that playbook is preserving Whitefish’s culture “It’s a blue-collar mountain,” Foley told a local magazine in 2016 “It’s not expensive.” Dave Parker dropping a knee while skiing during the unoffical 6-6-6 event where everyone skis six different disciplines the real Whitefish success story is the terrain and powder Brian Schott motioned for me to shoulder my skis and follow him up a short booter Brian is a longtime Whitefish skier who founded the “Whitefish Review,” the mountain town’s acclaimed literary journal.In Whitefish the goods include a dollop of culture.When we reached the top I craned to see over a horizon line.“What’s down there?” I asked.“Powder,” Brian smiled launching through the air and submerging in knee-deep fluff We caught up with Brian at the bottom and admired our tracks.It had been five days since the last storm “How is this untracked?” I asked in amazement.“There’s a ton of terrain,” he said motioning his pole to the ski tracks above and below us “There are fresh lines for everyone.” No need for Patagonia when you can ski in roadkill He says he gave the bird’s body to the local food bank.Why does he ski in circles “Oh I just do that,” he said with a shy smile “The whole skiing thing where everyone has to stand up straight and keep their head straight,” he waved his hand as if to swat away the entirety of ski instruction He reluctantly revealed that his real name is Tom Czacka He’s 69 and was once a water plant operator “I can’t cool off there.”Then I asked him about a rumor I’d heard Is it true that he was on skis that he got from Ted Kaczynski aka the Unabomber?Kaczynski was a Harvard-trained mathematician who led a nearly two-decade long bombing spree that killed three people and injured 23 He eluded one of the FBI’s longest and most expensive manhunts for 17 years America’s most notorious domestic terrorist was finally captured in 1996 at his remote cabin in Lincoln Kaczynski received a life sentence without parole He died by suicide in prison in 2023 at the age of 81 Kaczynski raged against the ills of modern society and technology but he apparently made an exception for skis Turkey Tom was driving toward Whitefish when he saw several pickup trucks on the side of the road A bearded man was standing there selling beehives Antonio Angel rides on a custom pair of stilt skis during the unofficial 6-6-6 event I gotta get rid of all this stuff,” Tom recalled the man saying as he shoved the items into Tom’s car The PRE 1200 skis had the initials “TK” on them he saw a newspaper photo of the Unabomber being arrested near where Tom stopped for the roadside yard sale.“Oh my God but his skis roamed freely with Turkey Tom FBI agents rolled up to Turkey Tom’s place and seized his new skis “They said it was evidence,” he said glumly.His Unabomber powder rig was smoked.Community Of The SnowFrom downtown it feels like I can walk up the main drag right onto a chair lift sits atop the town like a white crown.Whitefish was founded in 1904 as a railroad town the large snowy mountain above town beckoned local residents the comically nondescript name that locals gave the ski area The community has literally driven this mountain: in the early days residents bought shares and volunteered in the myriad tasks needed to run the place Big Mountain was renamed Whitefish Mountain Resort inextricably connecting the identities of the town and mountain Whitefish provides a unique product at a reasonable price After skiing one day, I stopped at Spotted Bear Spirits, a tasting room featuring locally distilled liquors. I ordered a Montana Mule made with huckleberry vodka, a local delicacy. Hannah May was having a cocktail at the bar. She works at a local clothing store by day and as a freestyle skiing coach on weekends. She explained that she grew up skiing at Snowbird where her parents work.The difference between skiing in Utah versus Montana “Egos and attitude,” she said “Everyone in Whitefish just supports everyone It’s all about the community here.”That community made national news in 2016 when it stood up to Richard Spencer a neo-Nazi and part-time resident of the town and booing him when he showed his face at the ski area Spencer has not been seen around town in several years.White mountains are welcome here.Whitefish Mountain Resort celebrated its 75th birthday in 2023 The cowboys have mostly been replaced by skiers That has left many locals experiencing shock and awe over soaring home prices The median listing home price in Whitefish was $1.3 million in July 2024 Log castles rise up alongside the mountain like mythical beasts.I pulled up a stool at the Great Northern Bar & Grill a popular watering hole in the heart of downtown you might find a literary reading or a blues band The latter was playing the night I was there There is a relaxed mix of tourists and locals The dance floor was packed and local beers flowed freely Craig Moore told me about his 17 year unbroken streak of skiing every month all within 100 miles of Whitefish.Why?“It’s my passion,” he said The blues band thumped in the background and a rowdy game of shuffleboard was going on behind us And just because the lifts stop running doesn’t mean that I have to stop skiing.”In DeepThe Flower Point chairlift is the gateway to the goods other skiers curled around to slide down the groomers and I headed straight ahead past the ski area boundary sign into the towering fir trees This is the launching point into Whitefish’s sidecountry in an area known as the Canyon so I was glad to follow the lead of soft-spoken Idaho native Joel Anderson guide and owner of Whitefish Vertical Adventures Other backcountry skiers slipped into their own private stashes as we skinned upward but the vibe out here was decidedly laid back That happens when there is room for everyone to get fresh tracks.At the top of a peak we ripped off skins and surveyed the terrain The slope fell away steeply into a well-defined canyon “It gets a little tight there,” he said I squinted but could not see anything that I would call tight this gorgeous glade looked downright roomy Laid back vibes are what you get when there are freshies for everyone I accelerated on faith that corridors would keep opening below me Snow splattered off my parka as I laced turns down my own private glade run wedeling through the trees.Joel was smiling broadly when we regrouped with him “Welcome to the best powder in Montana,” he gushed.We skinned up for a lap in another zone Snow boiled up over my knees as we charged down through the forest.We emerged on a snow-covered road at the bottom of the canyon Bright white walls of snow rose up all around us We had 30 minutes to hustle back and catch the last chair or we would have to skin up the ski area Whitefish has a diehard community of uphill skiers but we were not planning to join them just yet We made the last chair with 3 minutes to spare and quirky culture are all part of the character Whitefish strives to preserve Missing person found midly hypothermic after traveling 14 miles in area north of Whitefish Photo: Getty Images — Flathead County Search and Rescue and North Valley Search and Rescue found a missing person 14 miles from their last known location after an extensive weekend search The person had been missing since mid-afternoon Friday and was reportedly not dressed for the weather side by sides and drones were used to locate the missing person The search lasted until the mid-morning hours of Saturday The person was suffering from mild hypothermia when located Flathead County Search and Rescue posted on social media: A rally in Whitefish on April 19 drew around 250 anti-Trump protesters who decried a range of actions by the administration including its broadsides against constitutional and human rights Around 250 opponents of President Donald Trump’s administration clamored down Second Street in Whitefish on Saturday morning toting signs and banners embellished with political slogans such as “Protect Democracy” and balloons of red Some rang cow bells while another demonstrator pounded on a djembe drum Each passing car horn brought a cheer for solidarity Flathead Democracy and the Montana chapter of the 50501 a national effort to unify 50 protests in 50 states on one day organized the “Dump Trump” rally to “pick up trash” and “rally for our rights.” The state chapter also held protests in Missoula Helena and a watch party in Whitehall on the same day Most demonstrators voiced a litany of concerns that motivated them to protest citing a range of actions by the Trump administration including its broadsides against constitutional and human rights its “assault on democracy,” the imposition of sweeping tariffs a retired Glacier National Park employee who asked that her last name not be published “Public lands is definitely something that’s near and dear Protesters assembled at the Senior Citizens Center in Whitefish around 10 a.m before walking down the sidewalks a mile to Grouse Mountain City Park where several speakers addressed the crowd a local organization that helps integrate refugees and immigrants into the community Regis resident who has declared his candidacy in the 2026 election for U.S the estranged son of Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes “I was raised in one of these now mysteriously silent ani-government militias,” Adams said in the absence of the people who have always claimed to be against power A couple local musicians sang original songs with lyrics about freedom along with Buffalo Springfield’s “For What It’s Worth,” while organizers served up chicken pozole As the group stood on grass that runs to the neighboring Whitefish Border Patrol station several demonstrators voiced immigration issues as a primary reason driving them to protest a Canadian whose family moved into the Flathead Valley when she was six months old described a hesitancy to visit family members who still live across the border “This is never something I thought I’d have to do,” said Holder referencing her decision to march in the demonstration Another protester who is a first-generation American and whose family immigrated from Guatemala in the 70s voiced concern for her family and friends who are not white amid intensifying deportations “Even if you’ve been in this country for 50 years they’re still going to try and kick you out by their standards,” she said “I can pass [as white] but a lot of my personal family members [email protected] Be one of the first to try our new activity feed old-school Montana skier’s mountain has been attracting attention for all the right reasons Not letting that success change you is a whole new ball game Whitefish is handling both with grace these days 3) comes growing skier visits—and skier demands But the DNA of the place remains stubbornly consistent: authentic and Value is an ideal—and unusual— holy trinity for a resort And with arguably the most authentic ski town in sight of lift towers 1 in Local Flavor is the resort’s secret sauce to success there’s a reason they call it Big Mountain With a legit terrain profile of 50-percent black diamond or double black diamond runs there’s certainly enough terrain to keep everyone happy But rest assured: This is a skier’s mountain (Beeline to Hellroaring Basin or anything off of Chair 5.) But sweet steeps and obligatory jump turns are delivered without the local arrogance found at some of the bigger resorts “It’s a great mountain that hasn’t lost its identity as a super-friendly locals’ hill,” opines one fan It is a fast-twitch mountain of hidden nooks and surprise fall lines there’s no denying the famous “frequent fog” as one reader grouses But “that’s what tree skiing is for,” another correctly counters Whitefish Mountain Resort’s Website Head south for No. 4 in the West: Taos Ski Valley, N.M. See who is No. 2 in the West: Deer Valley, Utah There’s something slightly melancholy about Whitefish’s rise up the rankings and the heartfelt affection it’s receiving from a new generation of fans The overwhelming message from readers is: “The locals are friendly and helpful It’s the people who really make it special.” Apparently the genuine hospitality found here is increasingly rare in the rapidly consolidating resort universe what can get overlooked is the serious skiing A glance at the trail map shows that black is the dominant trail color as is almost everything in the East Rim pod when taking advantage of the new Chair 5 One reader does grouse that when the weather report says “chilly,” “we’re talking frostbite.” Relax There’s no grade inflation needed for the “warm and welcoming” town of Whitefish “I’m hesitant to say too many great things I would rather it remain a secret,” is a common sentiment 2020 Resort Guide: Overall West 2020 Resort Guide: All-Around Vacation 2020 Resort Guide: Family Vacation 2020 Resort Guide: Spring Break Destination This quaint, old-school Montana skier’s mountain has been attracting attention for all the right reasons. It’s not crowded. Not pretentious. Not pricey. In other words, not a mega-resort. So what’s the big deal? Quite simply, Whitefish’s loyal fans across the ski universe pretty much just adore the place giving it the highest praise for Overall Satisfaction Leading that buzz is its kick-butt/no lift-line skiing North Side and Hellroaring Basin keep it real And moving Chair 5 last season to the east side of the mountain deleted the long traverse back to Chair 1 Drop in and test your technique on NBC—North Bowl Chute—accessible from the top of the East Rim run Enjoy lots of mandatory jump turns and spectators checking you out from Chair 5.)  Base village anchor Ed & Mully’s restaurant finishes phase two of its renovation this season Look for an updated interior and a redesigned making for faster service and a more pleasant overall experience Resorts of the Year 2019: Awards in the WestResorts of the Year: Montana / Idaho / WyomingResorts of the Year: West Some members of the council made it clear they felt they had no choice in the matter due to a previous ruling by the city's community development board 18 meeting voted 4-0 to revoke a conditional use permit it approved last year for the construction of a hangar at the city’s airport ending the most recent efforts of a local pilot to develop the property The airport is a 4.24-acre grass property that encompasses both city and county land and sits adjacent the Hugh Rogers WAG Park dog park The airport has been at that location for what Mayor John Muhlfeld at a previous meeting estimated was a length of 60 or 70 years The land is owned by Montana Department of Transportation but leased out to Whitefish airplane pilot Bill McKinney who applied for the permit to build a 23-foot tall hangar with space for four small planes McKinney previously said he intended to use two of the spaces for his own planes and rent out the other two including people who frequent the dog park and nearby residents exacerbate hazards already present because of the airport’s use Among the opponents of the hangar who submitted letters or spoke at previous meetings were former city planning director Bob Horne a marketing and communications professional who has done contract work for the city Those four submitted a letter of appeal through attorney Don Murray in October was the argument that the zoning administrator for the city had incorrectly interpreted a section of city code requiring 300-foot setbacks for airports from adjacent properties told the Whitefish Community Development Board at its Jan 16 meeting that he had been involved in writing the section of code in question back in 2014 when the city was dealing with complaints about helicopter activity in residential areas The section of code mentions the need for a 300-foot setback for heliports and helipads but also mentions public and private airports Taylor explained that the word “airport” should have said “airstrip,” which is how it was originally determined that McKinney’s proposed hangar would be in compliance with city code since the 300-foot setback would therefore not apply to it as an accessory building as opposed to an airstrip or runway the community development board voted in favor of the appeal which found that the zoning administrator erred in their interpretation and that the appellants were specifically aggrieved as a result city staff explained that the community development board’s decision had essentially sealed the fate of the hangar the hangar could no longer be constructed as proposed because it would not be in compliance with city code meaning no building permits could be issued by the city for the project “They have the final say with respect to the appeal of the zoning administrator’s decision with respect to the setbacks if that were to be appealed it would have to go straight to district court The decision in front of you guys is not to second guess what the community development board decided you’re stuck with it,” City Attorney Angela Jacobs told the council “The decision before you is whether or not to revoke the CUP Because pursuant to the community development board’s decision the applicant cannot comply with our zoning code as it stands with the community development board.” Three of the four councilors who voted to revoke the permit at Tuesday night’s meeting — Frank Sweeney Ben Davis and Steve Qunell — made it clear that they felt the council had no choice in the matter Qunell noted that he was one of two community development board members who had voted against the appeal and councilors Andy Feury and Giuseppe Caltabiano all had excused absences “I hope people who have spoken against us revoking this CUP understand that we really don’t have a choice,” Qunell said referencing public comments earlier in the meting that had been made in support of the hangar the hangar wouldn’t be allowed to be built anyways because city staff would not be allowed to issue a building permit.” Councilor Rebecca Norton characterized this as an issue that brought to the city’s attention the need for more analysis to be done in that area “Especially since we have three or four hangars out there and there’s been increased use out there the last five years or so with the intention to turn this into a more robust airport it requires us to do a more detailed analysis,” Norton said “From what I understand this 300-foot setback is only based on helicopters and dust And so I think the MCA (Montana Code Annotated) reversed a lot of the standards for airports and for me I think this is a safety issue for us not to understand more about the impact of having a more active airport in that area.” The subject was brought back up towards the close of the meeting when Sweeney directed city staff to rectify the issues with the city code that brought this situation about Sweeney also suggested that because he felt the city was culpable that McKinney should be issued a refund for the fee he paid for his permit City Manager Dana Smith was directed to move forward with the refund after all four councilors agreed with the suggestion When asked about McKinney’s options if the city code is changed “He came in and asked us to see if he could get it revoked before it went to the council because he was so sick of the whole process,” Taylor said [email protected] Wildlife and Parks rejected the proposal but encouraged city officials to consider an alternate concept The complicated quest to complete a walking trail along the Whitefish River encountered another stumbling block on Thursday when a state agency denied the city’s request for a permit allowing the trail’s extension between the river and the BNSF railyard the Whitefish City Council directed city staff to apply for a Montana Stream Protection Act permit to construct a missing section of the Whitefish River Trail near downtown that would connect the existing trail on BNSF Railway property near Railway Street downstream with the existing trail terminus near the Veterans Memorial Bridge on Second Street The proposed trail extension would cross two private properties and extend into the Whitefish River within the riverbed and the ordinary high-water mark Although the missing section of trail is less than the length of a football field fisheries biologists determined that its construction would destabilize the streambank and negatively impact aquatic among other “adverse impacts to fish and wildlife and their associated habitats.” the agency’s fisheries division administrator Whitefish City Manager Dana Smith said Thursday afternoon that city officials had just received notice of the denial and were still reading through FWP’s environmental assessment to determine how to proceed The City’s Capital Improvements Programs Report (Fiscal Years 2024-2028) estimates the cost of the proposed project to be $2.1 million the trail augmentation connecting the existing terminus of the Whitefish River Trail would be 10 feet wide and 648 feet long Approximately 393 feet of the proposed trail augmentation would parallel the Whitefish River on its bank while the remaining 255 feet would be built partially or completely within the channel of the Whitefish River.  In its decision notice denying Whitefish’s stream permit application FWP said “this decision was not taken lightly” but the agency “takes seriously its responsibility to balance outdoor recreation and our state’s natural resources.” “I applaud your innovative idea to expand the Whitefish River Trail and increase its connectivity throughout your community,” according to Strainer “This decision rests on our responsibility to protect and conserve our fisheries and habitat Our hard-working biologists concluded this project would have long-term adverse impacts to the Whitefish River’s bed Impacts include major modifications to in-stream and bank habitat and decreased bank stability resulting in erosion would result in direct loss of significant riparian vegetation and increase erosion this project would fundamentally change the natural existing state of fish habitat in the project area.” Included among FWP’s decision notice and draft environmental assessment is an alternative proposal that FWP officials said would mitigate the impacts they identified in their review “To eliminate or minimize impacts to the Whitefish River’s bed and banks, FWP recommends the applicant pursue a design that avoids permanent and intensive infrastructure below the ordinary high-water mark,” according to the decision notice by Dave Landstrom FWP included a rendering of a trail design that “minimizes impacts and accomplishes the applicant’s vision of a connected we can start thinking about and discussing different solutions to complete the Whitefish River Trail recognizing its importance to the community,” according to the letter from Strainer A city report describes the area for which the permit a Stream Protection Act 124 permit would apply as extending from the north edge of the Montana Department of Transportation-built underpass to the BNSF Loop Trail including a section of trail adjacent to the Riverbend Condominiums and a section of the trail adjacent to the completed condominiums at 28 Miles Avenue The alternative concept would route the trail along the top of the bank to the west of the Miles Avenue Condominiums (MAC) and to the east of the Riverbend Homeowners Condominiums (RHC) Near the southeast corner of the RHC the trail would drop onto the riverbank and pass through two switchbacks before connecting with the existing trail at the Veterans Memorial Bridge underpass The alternative concept would still require additional engineering and a Stream Protection Act 124 permit [email protected] Snow and Mountain Lifestyle news and entertainment Whitefish, Montana — A new tax will add an additional charge to visitors of Whitefish Mountain Resort but the proceeds will be going towards a good purpose On June 1st, a new 3% tax will go into effect in the Big Mountain Resort Area District, which is located at Whitefish Mountain Resort. This resort tax will include various things that you can buy at the ski resort, such as lift tickets, retail items, and food at restaurants. Interestingly, those who purchase a Whitefish season pass before June 1st won’t need to pay the tax while those who buy it on June 1st or afterwards will According to the Whitefish Pilot the measure was approved overwhelmingly by members of the Big Mountain Resort Area District the ski resort didn’t get a vote on the matter because it was not a resident Leaders from the ski resort did voice their concerns about the proposal One concern was that this tax will mostly effect locals as the majority of visitors at Whitefish Mountain Resort are from Flathead County The plan is for the tax revenue raised will be used to improve the Big Mountain Resort Area District’s infrastructure The major priorities are providing reliable financial support to the Big Mountain Fire District along with other emergency operations around the ski resort Other potential usages for the revenue include road improvements and supporting non-profits like DREAM Adaptive Image Credits: Whitefish Mountain Resort, Flathead County Elections Department Get the latest snow and mountain lifestyle news and entertainment delivered to your inbox. ian@unofficialnetworks.com Born and raised in New Hampshire, Ian Wood became passionate about the ski industry while learning to ski at Mt. Sunapee. In high school, he became a ski patroller at Proctor Ski Area. He travelled out... It’s hard to pinpoint exactly square one in Penser’s own journey to becoming an artist but he’s adamant that no one is born an artist There are levels to the way in which the patience of Tarek Penser has paid off in his creative life and involved the completion of an engineering degree and working an office job And it pays off in his work — linocut prints of varying sizes that rely on thousands of small carved lines to create a sense of depth There’s nothing rushed about northwest Montana’s mountain ranges and meadows created through geologic processes occurring over millennia Nor is there a hurried sense in the images of flowers that Penser creates often after hiking to find them in bloom following months spent waiting beneath the dirt and snow There aren’t many quick ways to the Polebridge Mercantile And the same goes for the fire lookouts that he’s sometimes chosen to depict Gesturing to a scene of the Many Glacier Hotel on a recent spring morning Penser says that it took him 200 hours of carving It’s a long journey to get from an image to a sketch to a final carved block and successful print and the artistic medium in which Penser works is also an unforgiving one Sometimes they can be disguised or incorporated into the design “Everything that I make has some small flaw It’s part of making things with your hands I think that’s okay,” Penser said but that he also remembers doing poorly in art classes as a kid and quickly dropping those classes to pursue an academic track more focused on science and math and that was kind of what led me to engineering and product design,” he said Engineering school created opportunities for him to sketch albeit in the way that modern engineers utilize drawings to quickly convey an idea to a client before using a computer to eventually build out depth and detail for a more full-fledged design he developed a love for the small drawings and in so doing took another critical step to where he is today “I have a feeling it’s not super common for mechanical engineers to take sketching classes in school but the program that I was in was under the mechanical engineering faculty but specifically about trying to bridge the gap between industrial or what we in Sweden call industrial design but I guess (here) it would be like product design and mechanical engineering,” Penser said he often left Sweden to visit family in the Flathead Over the years he’s worked as a captain for the Glacier Park Boat Company and as a guide for Glacier Guides and Montana Raft Company after he wrapped up his time as a backpacking guide and while he was working on finishing his master’s in engineering from the KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm Penser said that he decided to build off his love of sketching and take up printmaking something clicked in his brain about how to build scenes the way he wanted to “I don’t know how to explain that any better way,” he said “It was just the right medium for how I see things.” One of his early projects was a set of three prints which he gifted to his wife Andrea for Christmas during the pandemic before they were married and essentially stuck because of the various travel restrictions in place So he set about making a print of the city where he was which is where they wanted to come back to He delivered the prints to her when he got to see her for the first time in a year “We don’t have a ton of my art up in here,” Penser said gesturing to a kitchen wall of his home which is covered in framed posters “But those are the three pieces of mine that go on the wall.” Penser said that he started off working for an electric moped and motorcycle company called Cake Eventually he took a job working for Nomad in Columbia Falls his printmaking practice started to build momentum “It turned into selling some prints to friends then it turned into selling some prints to people that I didn’t know and suddenly it was a little bit too big to ignore,” Penser said “And so it reached a point where it felt like it was the right time to see if it was something that I could do full time but I did not have the intention to keep on doing it the people have been so supportive and been so kind It’s really a pretty awesome place to be an artist.” Penser said that he believes his engineering background has been especially useful because it taught him about process and experimentation That meant ordering all of the different materials that could be applicable and testing them out to see what worked for his goals He often takes photos of images while on hikes or camping trips that he then converts into print sketches and then digital designs which are eventually transposed onto linoleum blocks with what’s essentially a kind of carbon copy material called transfer paper The linoleum is then carved with the design using small They come with a variety of different shaped tips in different sizes that can determine the type of lines they carve Penser said that his preference is the super fine v-tip gouge which gives him the highest level of precision “I don’t mind working on something for hours and hours,” he said he said he had a tendency to create works that were “over-carved,” meaning that they were lacking in the necessary contrast often because there was too much grayscale produced by finely carved lines which when viewed at a distance can create the illusion of gray Contrast is also achieved by the organization of the piece white and gray components have to each other To check out more of Tarek Penser’s work, go to https://www.tareksprints.com/ This is the first in a two-part series of profiles of Tarek Penser and Sydney Boveng two Flathead Valley artists who were selected for this summer’s Artist-Wilderness Connection residency which is sponsored by the Glacier Art Museum Penser and Boveng will spend a week in a cabin on the east side of the Bob Marshall Wilderness The two artists will be creating individual works inspired by the natural scenes around them They will also collaborate by creating works of art using reference sketches from each other Check back in later this week to read our profile of Kalispell artist Sydney Boveng.    [email protected] — Whitefish City Council held a special meeting Monday night to discuss Montana Fish and Parks denying the city’s permit to construct a trail extension along the Whitefish River The extension would connect to the existing trail on BNSF property near Railway Street downstream citing their responsibility of protecting and conserving fisheries and habitats All individuals who spoke Monday were against FWP’s denial and want to see the trail extension completed “The minimum ADA requirement that was proposed doesn’t do that,” said Mamie Flinn “It doesn’t make it possible for wonderful cyclist like Abby to cycle in the most independent and safe way.” council members in attendance unanimously decided to give FWP notice that the city will not modify their plans and will not be accepting any recommendations given to them The city attorney plans to set a deadline for a response from FWP an estimated 2,500 to 3,000 people attended over the course of the weekend Whitefish Skijoring is returning this February with a multi-day competition on the west end of Kalispell Between poor snow cover and the inability to secure a host location (the event doesn’t have a permanent home) the chair of the Whitefish Skijoring Committee But thanks to the Flathead Cycle Riders motocross group offering up the tract of land on the west end of Kalispell excitement is building for this year’s comeback The timed competition features skiers across beginning intermediate and advanced classes being pulled by horseback riders through a course to try and achieve the best time possible The groomed courses typically range between 700 and 900 feet long and organizers are expecting between 100 and 120 teams to compete this year the annual event includes vendors serving food and drink and fire pits will be on site to help keep spectators warm There are also plans for a Saturday night Calcutta auction at Fattboys Bar and Grille in Kalispell where attendees will have a chance to buy a stake in teams and thus a claim to a cut of the winnings depending on how the final day of the competition plays out The Whitefish event traces its history back to the 1960s with a revival in the early 2000s that has made it a consistent winter feature in the Flathead across the intervening decades The winter sport is especially popular in the Mountain West and the regional circuit includes upcoming competitions in Colorado “It has absolutely exploded in the last 10 years,” Mitchell said of the sport’s popularity riders and skiers are trying to build the chemistry necessary to take home a share of the competition purse which in 2023 awarded thousands of dollars to competitors “The term in the industry is … we talk about how it’s three heartbeats,” Mitchell said “The team consists of three heartbeats — the rider She noted that newcomers tend to get hooked pretty quickly once they get their first taste of skijoring a first time skijoring racer who was born and raised in Whitefish who runs a marketing company called Big Drift Marketing and sits on the board of the Big Mountain Ski Club This year he was looking for something fun to do with his friends and decided to finally give it a try and come out to a practice he’s become so excited about skijoring that he said he’s been talking about it to just about anyone willing to listen Perry said he had some nerves going into it given the risks that can come when you bring horses and skiing together with Mitchell taking it easy on her own horse was one of the best adrenaline rushes Perry says he’s ever experienced “It’s one of the most fun things I’ve ever done,” he said he said the sport requires quick processing of information the ability to land the jumps that are part of the course Being pulled by a rope attached to a horse generates momentum at waist-level as opposed to the typical downward pull that comes from winding down a ski hill so Perry said he’s readjusted to try and keep his weight more towards the front of his boots Registration opened up Friday at around noon and by 12:05 p.m. so far he said the welcoming atmosphere at practices has been striking And loves welcoming new people into the sport.” For more information go to https://www.whitefishskijoring.org/ [email protected] Biologists have used computer models to track whitefish in Lake Michigan and Huron for several years One scientist thinks lake whitefish could disappear from certain parts of the Great Lakes within the next five years That’s the assessment as fisheries managers start to wrap up their yearly look at how the iconic species is doing in portions of lakes Michigan and Huron and in eastern Lake Superior which has historically been each year but will now go to an every-three-year cycle federal and state governments manage fisheries in northern Michigan’s waters And the numbers have consistently been trending down after biologists tweaked the formula for a more accurate count of just how many whitefish there are the model spit out much lower abundance than in past years “We’re gonna need … 60 or so million people that live near the shores of the Great Lakes to care that these fish are headed towards extirpation.” “None of us were surprised,” said Jason Smith a fisheries biologist with Bay Mills Indian Community in the Upper Peninsula we didn’t do a good enough job of raising the alarm widely to the public but amongst ourselves … we have known that we were in the middle of a crisis.” The most recent assessment took into account something different giving scientists a more accurate picture of how many whitefish are in the lakes “During all this decline in Lake Michigan and Lake Huron the whitefish in Green Bay were doing really well,” Smith said that many of those fish swam out of Green Bay and got captured in places like Muskegon in Lake Michigan the models couldn’t really tell the difference between a whitefish from Green Bay and a whitefish from somewhere else And scientists found that those Green Bay fish were artificially inflating whitefish abundance in other places throughout Lakes Michigan and Huron “Even if we bring [commercial fishing] harvest to zero the lakes are still headed toward extirpation,” Smith said lake whitefish could disappear from certain parts of the Great Lakes within the next five years They’re struggling because invasive quagga and zebra mussels are making it extremely difficult for whitefish to reach adulthood in Lake Michigan and Huron “These non-local beings basically have disrupted the food chain in a way that adikameg — lake whitefish — can no longer really make a living in the main basin of Lake Huron and Lake Michigan,” Smith said These mussels suck tons of nutrients out of the water leaving very little left for young whitefish there’d be somewhere between 100 and 700 zooplankton So 100 to 700 nice little bite sized meals for a baby whitefish,” Smith said Smith and other biologists sampled for zooplankton in northern Lake Michigan “We actually had a 30-meter tow in which we did not capture a single zooplankton,” he said When I tell people we had a zooplankton tow that didn’t have a zooplankton in it more funding for figuring out how to control quagga and zebra mussels in the lakes more time for figuring out how to give whitefish a boost with rearing and stocking programs tribal and state governments are working on these “But we’re gonna need … 60-or-so-million people that live near the shores of the Great Lakes to care that these fish are headed towards extirpation,” Smith said WDET is a community service of Wayne State University CONTACT Membership Sponsorship Studio Rentals Technical Support Pitch Us a Story Help/FAQ Other Inquiries Shows Podcasts Schedule Listen Live Contests & Giveaways SUPPORT WDET Membership Leadership Circle Car Donations Business Sponsorship Broadcast Partners Program More » INSIDE WDET About Staff Jobs & Internships Public File FCC Applications We need your support," read the post.  WMRPSP published an update on negotiations to social media on Monday Photo: Whitefish Mountain Resort Professional Ski Patrol Union/Instagram are also currently in contract negotiations with resort management or have recently voted to unionize While Whitefish differs from other mountain patrol units that have gained press during union negotiations in that its independently owned the patrollers there face many of the same challenges of living and working in a ski town "While we all operate in different command structures Wages that promote sustainability in mountain towns that are far above the national average cost of living equipment to do our jobs safely. We operate in the northern tier of the intermountain west: a climate that sees temps from -50F to 50F during our operating season We are similar to many patrols that operate with inbound avalanche hazards We also have an open boundary policy that gives our guests access to several thousand acres of backcountry skiing We have seen a large uptick in visitation and injuries on our mountain Many patrollers respond to multiple injuries a day while also maintaining our terrain," said VP of Whitefish Ski Patrol David Kerner. Unionized Whitefish patrollers which has received more than 350 signatures so far will help to show mountain management how important the union is to not only them but to the greater Whitefish ski community."Both teams have been working diligently We have agreed on many articles and are in the home stretch," said Whitefish Mountain Resort President Nick Polumbus benefits and training are articles that both teams have been spending a lot of time on in the last couple of months We are all committed to developing a progressive growth structure and together we are working through the details of how that will work We too are looking forward to the future." Citing adverse impacts to the Whitefish River Wildlife and Parks rejected the city’s request for a stream permit to extend a walking path encouraging city officials to consider an alternate concept City leaders in Whitefish are considering appealing the state’s denial of an application for a stream permit that would allow the city to plug a prominent hole in the Whitefish River Trail between the Veterans Memorial Bridge on Second Street and the BNSF property near Railway Street Wildlife and Parks (FWP) denied the permit request on March 20 the final day of its statutory deadline to issue a decision notice among other “adverse impacts to fish and wildlife and their associated habitats.” Suggesting that an appeal is likely, Whitefish Mayor John Muhlfeld called a special meeting of the city council on March 31 at 5:30 p.m to discuss the latest development in the ongoing saga to extend the trail system and determine “whether the City will agree to modify its plans or seek arbitration of FWP’s decision.” As proposed by the city in its request for a Stream Protection Act 124 permit the section of new trail would be 10 feet wide and 648 feet in length; while 393 feet of the proposed trail augmentation would be built paralleling the Whitefish River on its bank the remaining 255 feet would require construction of an elevated concrete deck “partially or completely within the channel of the Whitefish River.”  That’s the portion of the proposal that FWP deemed out of step with the Montana Stream Protection Act saying it would destabilize the streambank lead to further erosion and impact fish and wildlife habitat “The proposed elevated concrete surfaced trail would require driving 32 helical piers approximately 90 feet into the streambed to support a welded steel substructure and precast concrete running surface,” according to FWP’s environmental assessment “The lowest portion of the steel substructure is 1.5 feet above the ordinary high-water elevation These piers could be the primary cause of negative impacts to bank stability.” Included among FWP’s decision notice and draft environmental assessment is an alternative proposal that FWP officials said would mitigate the impacts they identified in their review “To eliminate or minimize impacts to the Whitefish River’s bed and banks, FWP recommends the applicant pursue a design that avoids permanent and intensive infrastructure below the ordinary high-water mark,” according to the decision notice by Dave Landstrom FWP included a rendering of a trail design that “minimizes impacts and accomplishes the applicant’s vision of a connected recognizing its importance to the community,” according to the letter from Adam Strainer Whether or not the city opts to pursue those “different solutions” will depend on the outcome of next Monday’s special meeting The permit application began coming together last May when the Whitefish City Council directed city staff to apply for a Montana Stream Protection Act permit to construct a missing section of the Whitefish River Trail near downtown that would connect the existing trail on BNSF Railway property near Railway Street downstream with the existing trail terminus near the Veterans Memorial Bridge on Second Street pedestrians must climb a set of corrugated steel stairs beneath the bridge and continue along Miles Avenue to connect to the walking path there are already signs of instability in the area of the proposed trail extension including active erosion at the downstream Riverbend Condominiums “Increasing rates of erosion could increase the likelihood of a more substantial bank failure such as slumping The stability of the Riverbend Condominiums is dependent upon the riverbank that supports them,” the analysis states Acknowledging the importance of the project FWP warned that “large scale failure of the bank or condominiums would negatively impact instream habitat upstream and at the project site and require substantial work to restore.” “I applaud your innovative idea to expand the Whitefish River Trail and increase its connectivity throughout your community,” according to the letter from Strainer Public comment will be taken at the special meeting. Officials encouraged individuals who wish to provide written public comment to send it by email to City Clerk Michelle Howke at [email protected] by 4 p.m [email protected] FBI Director Kash Patel said agents had evidence that Judge Hannah Dugan “intentionally misdirected federal agents away from the subject to be arrested in her courthouse.” A 33-year-old Venezuelan living and working in Kalispell under a lawful immigration status was pulled over Thursday evening according to his attorney and two people close to him he was confirmed to be in the custody of U.S A person who answered the phone at the Whitefish Police Department on Friday afternoon acknowledged they were “aware” of the incident but directed the Montana State News Bureau to the department’s deputy police chief who did not respond by Monday morning to multiple messages left requesting more information Beker Enrique Rengifo del Castillo arrived in the United States last year according to records obtained by the Montana State News Bureau He came through a Biden-era humanitarian parole program set aside for Venezuelans and migrants from three other countries This legal immigration pathway allows eligible individuals to live in the United States for up to two years They must pass a background check and obtain an in-country sponsor who agrees to provide financial support Immigration and Customs Enforcement Baltimore Field Officer director Matt Elliston listens during a briefing Jan Republican lawmakers in about dozen states are advancing proposals that could aid President Donald Trump's deportation efforts The Department of Homeland Security granted Rengifo’s application for work authorization on Aug Documents show he could lawfully work in the country until July 14 There are certain circumstances under which a person’s humanitarian parole status can be revoked A Montana State News Bureau search of court records from Kalispell Whitefish and Flathead County showed no charges or convictions of Rengifo a Missoula-based attorney representing Rengifo said his legal status had not been revoked and his detention by immigration authorities was unlawful “Parole just doesn’t get taken away for nothing,” Sweeney said News of the arrest spurred a small demonstration Thursday night in front of the Customs and Border Protections office in Whitefish Sweeney added that she had been in touch with CBP about the case but had not been given any “clear answers” as to the reason for Rengifo’s detention as of late Friday afternoon Customs and Border Protection from commenting about individual cases,” an agency spokesperson said to the Montana State News Bureau in an email messages left with the Whitefish Police Department the City Attorney’s Office and two city council members about the reasons for Rengifo’s detention had gone unreturned ICE did not respond to an emailed request for comment The Trump White House has made immigration a focal point of its second administration prompting a flurry of arrests all over the country But this is the first case in Montana that Sweeney is aware of involving a person with lawful status being detained by federal immigration authorities “It is extremely concerning to be detaining people in the United States with lawful status,” Sweeney said People stroll through downtown Whitefish in this file photo Law enforcement agencies are required to provide translation for people who have limited English language proficiency — a provision in the federal Civil Rights Act One way they can do that is by calling immigration authorities to help Other options include a variety of online or over-the-phone tools Some law enforcement agencies around the country employ interpreters Text messages obtained by the Montana State News Bureau and translated from Spanish between Rengifo and a friend suggest he was pulled over by local police who then called border patrol officers shortly after the stop Rengifo wrote “they want to send me to Venezuela,” and “you have to come.” The Montana State News Bureau has been unable to confirm official details of the stop despite repeated messages left with the law enforcement officials seeking more information Humanitarian parole is a legal immigration pathway that has been an option for some migrants for decades The Biden Administration put a new spotlight on the program in 2023 when it created a carveout for Cubans People from these four countries could apply for entry under CHNV parole people could live and work in the country for up to two years the Biden administration ramped up enforcement against people crossing the southern border without documentation By creating a new pathway for legal entry while bolstering punishment for doing so illegally the Biden administration hoped it could curb the historic levels of people crossing the southern border without documentation President Donald Trump signed an executive order that sought to eliminate CHNV humanitarian parole as legal justification for being in the country It gave people until April 24 to leave the country or have their case reviewed However, a federal judge on April 14 temporarily blocked that order to keep it from going into effect No new applications for CNHV parole status would be reviewed but existing cases would be honored until a final decision is made In addition to his humanitarian parole status a protection that can be granted to people found to have credible fears of persecution in their home country Federal authorities confirmed receipt of his application documents reviewed by the Montana State News Bureau show and they had scheduled Rengifo for a biometrics appointment on April 23 to collect his fingerprints a person is protected against deportation through something called an “authorized stay” until they have received a final decision A person close to Rengifo described him as laid back with a strong work ethic With a wife and daughter back in Venezuela Rengifo came to the country to try to build them a better life whose name is being withheld to avoid retaliation “We did everything right,” the person said ICE had not stated where Rengifo was being held The closest ICE immigration detention center is in Tacoma Editor's note: This story was updated the morning of Monday April 28 to note that ICE and other law enforcement officials had still not provided further information about the incident or Rengifo's whereabouts Carly Graf is the State Bureau health care reporter for Lee Montana Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter Email notifications are only sent once a day I am still grateful to be in this country,” the man detained in Whitefish last week said after being … FBI Director Kash Patel said agents had evidence that Judge Hannah Dugan “intentionally misdirected federal agents… international students become undocumented and are required to leave the United States Samrawit and her family still in Africa are facing uncertainty with the Donald Trump administration’s crackdown on immigration and mass deport… A university spokesperson said they learned of the revocations at MSU through a routine check and did not receive any communication from the f… New information has emerged regarding the lawsuit surrounding the visa status of two Montana State University international students The march will be followed by speeches protesting the revocations and demanding that MSU do more to protect its more than 400 international students The data shows regional arrests continue to rise despite lower reported encounter numbers across the entire northern U.S President Donald Trump made clear Sunday that he would not follow his predecessor's practice of recognizing Indigenous Peoples Day alongside C… The sponsor called the proposal a “river census” that would help FWP and lawmakers better understand which waterways are most pressured as usa… Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device Account processing issue - the email address may already exist Invalid password or account does not exist Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account a physician and owner of the Whitefish Bike Retreat was sentenced to six months in prison and must pay a $100,000 fine and $780,509 in restitution A 64-year-old Whitefish doctor who admitted defrauding government health programs and falsely billing Medicare and other federal programs in a telemedicine scheme that resulted in more than $31 million in false billing was sentenced today to six months in prison to be followed by six months of home confinement He also must pay a fine of $100,000 and restitution in the amount of $780,509 Ronald David Dean in July pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud The case was part of the Justice Department’s 2024 National Health Care Fraud Enforcement Action that resulted in 193 defendants charged and more than $2.75 billion in false claims “Ronald Dean put profit before patients,” Special Agent in Charge Shohini Sinha of the Salt Lake City FBI said in a prepared statement along with the coordinated nationwide effort reaffirms the FBI’s commitment to investigating fraud and maintaining the integrity of government funded programs.” was paid by a telemedicine company to sign orders for durable medical equipment that patients did not need CHAMPVA and the Railroad Retirement Board programs for telemedicine office visits that did not occur The telemedicine company also used Dean’s information to prescribe unneeded and unnecessary Covid tests to patients The conspiracy ran from about January 2022 until July 2023 Dean relied on information provided by people he did not know to prescribe braces for beneficiaries he did not see or evaluate himself He also provided blanket authorization for the telemedicine company to send out unnecessary Covid tests Dean’s orders resulted in false billing to government healthcare programs of more than $31 million The total amount paid from those programs was $13,785,724 the Whitefish Bike Retreat is listed as one of Dean’s assets available for liquidation The property located at 855 Beaver Lake Road is listed for sale at $2.5 million Dean wrote that he “failed to fully research the company.” “I wanted to be home with my family and work from home and not travel and it was good pay I turned a blind eye to the fact that what I was doing was wrong,” he wrote [email protected] — Developers held an official groundbreaking event Wednesday at Whitefish Mountain Resort for new homes being built on the site of the former Alpinglow Inn Phase 1 of construction on the new Powder Peak homes includes 10 units being built near Chair 1 and 2 at the resort Each will have an outdoor deck with private hot tubs heated private garages and views of the mountain Each unit ranges from 1,700 to 2,800 square feet Developers with Powder Peak say they hope to continue Alpinglow’s tradition of creating memories and great experiences for its residents PureWest Christie’s International Real Estate and I think it's an actual true ski-in ski-out It has been kind of a hole in the mountain for a while so everyone’s been hoping a project takes shape here and we think it's the best fit for the design.” Reservations for Phase 1 are now being accepted on a first-come For more information on the Powder Peak homes, click here. Some members of the council were skeptical that there was no way to bring the price down Despite some debate about costs expected to come in six figures over what the city had budgeted the Whitefish City Council voted earlier this week 3-2 to award a contract for the city’s Viaduct Improvement Project to a Bellingham The Viaduct Improvement Project has been identified for years in long-range planning documents produced by the city as a key component in connecting the city’s north side with the downtown area to its south In describing the Viaduct Improvement Project to the council during the March 17 hearing on the contract Public Works Director Craig Workman said it involves the movement of protective jersey barriers to expand the walkways on either side of the viaduct roadway to create 10-foot-wide multi-use paths landscaping on the north and south sides of the viaduct improved lighting on both sides of the viaduct road and the removal of both a southbound slip lane from the west side of the roadway at Railway Street and an associated porkchop concrete embankment the city stated that notice to proceed with the project would be given on March 31 2025 and that project work must be substantially completed by June 20 Workman told the council that the city had been working with the engineering firm WGM group for three years on project plans The city had budgeted $700,000 in Fiscal Year 2025 for the project based on an engineer’s estimate of $702,912 whereas a local bid from Knife River Construction was for over $1 million or about 49% above the engineer’s estimate “I think we just kind of missed the mark a little bit on the estimate,” Workman said you know this is a tricky one because it’s not standard road construction or utility construction There’s a number of different elements that we didn’t have a lot of comparables to.” In a staff report to the council in which staff recommended giving the bid to Razz Construction Workman said that the project will likely come in about $250,000 over its established budget once the costs of engineering and city-provided street lights are taken into account With a $2.9 million cash reserve in the city’s street fund which City Manager Dana Smith said was relatively high both she and Workman agreed that the city will be able to absorb the extra costs without significant impact to the street fund at this time Although Workman shared that he thinks the price of the bid is high he told the council that he doesn’t think the price will be going down if the city ever wants this project completed That view was echoed by both Councilor Andy Feury and Councilor Frank Sweeney noted to the council that taking another attempt at producing alternate plans would bring on additional costs for engineering consultation Mayor John Muhlfeld suggested that they might be able to cut certain components like the lighting and landscaping out of this contract and then try to look locally for contractors and complete the project in two phases “I think we’re going to run into a buzzsaw statutorily there as well,” Workman said adding that any time the city does a project for more than $80,000 it has to go through the public bidding process is you cannot break—now that we’ve established a project—I don’t think legally we can break it into individual components that are less than $80,000.” Muhlfeld emphasized that he wasn’t calling for the city to try and evade the public bidding process in any way but rather to try and re-bid the project separately along the lines of some of its different components Councilor Steve Qunell agreed with the idea saying that the landscaping and lighting are the aesthetic pieces that are really important but I don’t think we should pay $850,000 for those three things together,” Qunell said saying that there are economies of scale for contractors that would affect the bid amounts and that breaking it down into individual pieces would inevitably cost more money He also said construction and material costs are not going to go down over time “We’ve been kicking this thing down the road for how many years now It’s been in our downtown masterplan for a very long time Is it more than I’d like to spend for it right now quite frankly is probably the biggest safety issue that we face on that viaduct,” Feury said all trying to get over that viaduct … I drive over that thing every day and I’ve said this every time we’ve talked about this We need a bigger shared path on both sides It needs to be done and it needs to be done sooner or later or we’re going to have a problem When it came time to vote on awarding the contract Sweeney and Councilor Ben Davis voted in favor with Davis and Sweeney both indicating that they were also voting to award the contract despite their issues with the elevated cost Councilor Steve Qunell and Councilor Giuseppe Caltabiano both voted against awarding the contract Caltabiano said that he could not support something that was above what the city had budgeted for Although the general contractor is from Washington Workman told the council that he believes the project will have an economic impact locally “I will say that this work will likely be staffed with 50 percent or more local firms,” Workman said “There’s going to be a local electrician to do the work All of the materials are going to come from a local quarry I would anticipate a lot of the trucking is going to be local Even though the general contractor is out of state I still think it’s going to provide local jobs.” [email protected] Marshals Service was arrested on Wednesday afternoon following a standoff with law enforcement in Whitefish A suspect who was wanted on a federal probation violation was located at approximately 12 p.m at a residence in the 1300 block of East Second Street The suspect was told to leave the home and refused at which point the Northwest Montana Regional SWAT Team was called to the scene Traffic was rerouted away from the scene and nearby schools were put under “teach and contain," according to a news release The man — whose name has not been released — eventually left the home and was arrested Take advantage of this overlooked and underhooked fishing opportunity with a pretty tasty reward Looking for an excuse to wader up and tie on some flies or jigs Look no further than one of Idaho’s native unsung heroes: the mountain whitefish.  tight-lipped river dwellers that populate a majority of Idaho’s streams and rivers they “get no respect,” but where do these unfavorable allegations come from Before we get into the benefits of whitefish fishing there are a few misconceptions associated with the species that need to be cleared up.  It’s fair to say that many passionate anglers who’ve seen their rod tip dip thinking they have a feisty trout on the other end That whitefish on the end of your line has earned its stripes in Idaho a fish that has called these waters home for thousands of years While they might not be as charismatic as the rainbow trout regarding them as “trash fish” or “bottom feeders” is nothing more than an insult and could not be further from the truth.  “Mountain whitefish are a fun species to target especially in late winter when trout and other mountain stream species feed less,” said Joe Kozfkay “Anglers have a pretty cool opportunity to catch these fish during this season a lost tradition that often gets forgotten or overlooked.” Whitefish tend to hunker down in deeper parts of the river combined with their mouth’s puckered appearance located beneath their face often earn them the misnomer “sucker fish.” “Whitefish are actually members of the Salmonid family In most cases where the two species coexist Fish and Game has found that whitefish commonly outnumber trout by 5-10 times.  But if whitefish are more closely related to trout does that mean they’re outcompeting their distant cousins Some anglers might have concerns about the whitefish/trout dynamic in mountain rivers and streams Fish and Game fish managers have been studying this relationship for decades and learned from research that trout populations can be affected by flow but competition with whitefish is not a real concern.  With whitefish populations as robust as they are there’s only one thing left to do: go fishing.  Whitefish check a lot of the boxes for stream fishing in winter and early spring (or any other time of year) and they’re found in rivers and streams (and some lakes) all over the state You can pretty much see them shimmering when the water’s low They are more aggressive than other fish during winter And they slurp up a fly or bait just as readily as a trout would.  Whitefish will generally entertain the same buffet of bait flies and lures that your run-of-the-mill rainbow trout would If you’re accustomed to trout fishing in the warmer months chances are your setup will work just fine for winter season whitefish but you won’t have to break the bank on custom flies or lures.  Whitefish will readily take a single salmon egg A good rule of thumb might be sizing down your flies or lures They’re probably not going to get their mouths around a size 2 woolly bugger or a big bait hook with a glob of nightcrawler Recall that whitefish also tend to be hugging the bottom of the river or holed up in pools You might entice one up to the surface to take a dry fly but more often than not you’re going to want to drop your fly or lure right in front of their nose.  Try tossing a weighted nymph — either caddis midge or stonefly — through slow-to-medium moving water during the warmest part of the day Look for water streaked with foam and drift your line down with the current If your smaller fly doesn’t have enough weight to get it down you can always add a split-shot weight to your line to help sink your fly or lure You can also achieve this with a double-dropper rig or a heavy fly (like a beadhead woolly bugger) with a smaller weighted fly (like a zebra midge) tied about 12-18 inches back.  You can achieve the same outcome with a conventional spin rod and tacklebox Common baits for whitefishing can include maggots salmon eggs (also a reliable fly pattern) or chunks of worm Mountain whitefish gather in large schools so where there’s one there’s usually several more.  delicate mouths and are less aggressive when taking a fly A well-placed strike indicator will give you a nice indication (as the name implies) when a whitefish flirts with your fly Fish and Game offers a generous daily bag limit on whitefish on whichever fishery you plan on visiting to be safe.  Anglers can capitalize on the abundance of whitefish and their liberal bag limits in a number of ways Despite being filled with more bones than a prehistoric buffalo jump mountain whitefish can prove to be excellent table fare worthy of any angler’s palette.  a whitefish commonly grows to 10-12 inches in length And the state catch-and-release record caught in 2022 came in at a whopping 21.5 inches long!  The meat is not dissimilar from that of a trout is incredibly bony — a premise that often causes anglers to pass them up.  The most popular option is to smoke them low and slow in your backyard smoker Smoking whitefish is one of the easiest ways to ensure your meal is bone-free there are hundreds of smoked whitefish recipes out there worthy of your time Buy Licenses Hunt Planner Hunter Ed Fishing Planner IFWF Hunt Report Report Wildlife Crime Volunteer! Report Roadkill KALISPELL — Two supsects suspected of multiple burglaries and vehicle thefts throughout the Flathead Valley were arrested Monday after a multi-agency search from the air and ground The Flathead County Sheriff's Office responded to a reported burglary at approximately 8:15 a.m Deputies arrived to learn that several vehicles — one of which was found abandoned at the scene by the suspects — had been taken Whitefish police officers soon spotted the stolen vehicles in the East Edgewood area and attempted a traffic stop but the suspects fled in the stolen vehicles including the Flathead County Sheriff’s deputies The stolen vehicles were later found abandoned near the Haskill Basin area and Two Bear Air began what is described as "an extensive search." Two Bear Air found the heat signature of two people hiding near a tree Deputies and a K9 unit responded and took the suspects into custody without injury James Ekvall and Ashley Bruns were taken to the Flathead County Detention Center where they are being held pending formal charges The suspects are believed to be involved in multiple burglaries and vehicle thefts throughout the Flathead Valley "The Flathead County Sheriff’s Office would like to thank our partner agencies and local property owners for their vital assistance during this operation," a social media post states Whitefish native and Ottawa Senators defenseman Jake Sanderson will play with Team USA in the NHL's 4 Nations Face-Off Sanderson was announced as a late addition to the team on Sunday after Vancourver Canucks defenseman Quinn Hughes pulled out due to injury Team USA plays its first game of the best-on-best internatinoal tournament Thursday at 6 p.m is in his third season with the Senators after being drafted in the first round (fifth overall) of the 2020 NHL Entry Draft He has 19 goals and 105 points in 211 career games Sanderson has five goals and 35 points through 55 games with a minus-15 plus/minus rating and an average of 24:25 of ice time per game The NHL's 4 Nations Face-off is a midseason tournament between Team USA Canada defeated Sweden 4-3 in overtime in the first round-robin game Wednesday night in Montreal The tournament is a replacement this year for the NHL All-Star Game Team USA and Canada are scheduled to play in a round-robin game Saturday at 6 p.m The top-two teams emerging from round-robin play will square off in the championship game on Feb Sanderson has previously played internationally for Team USA at the 2021 World Juniors the 2022 Winter Olympics and the 2024 IIHF World Championship Sanderson was born in Whitefish in 2002 and grew up playing in the Glacier Hockey Association Sanderson's father Geoff scored 355 goals in 17 NHL seasons Whitefish police spotted one of the stolen vehicles in the East Edgewood area A multi-agency response later found the stolen vehicles abandoned near the Haskill Basin area Authorities say James Ekvall and Ashley Bruns were hiding nearby They are being held in the Flathead County Detention Center pending formal charges Officials suspect they are involved in multiple burglaries and vehicle thefts around the valley The assessment is dire as fisheries managers start to wrap up their yearly look at how the iconic lake whitefish species is doing in portions of lakes Michigan and Huron and in eastern Lake Superior and state governments manage fisheries in northern Michigan’s waters we didn't do a good enough job of raising the alarm widely to the public there'd be somewhere between 100 and 700 zooplankton “But we’re going to need 60 or so million people that live near the shores of the Great Lakes to care that these fish are headed towards extirpation,” Smith said State law specifies that a person who consumes marijuana in a public place is subjected to a civil fine of no more than $50 After a unanimous vote at the Whitefish City Council’s Jan police officers in Whitefish will soon be able to issue civil citations with a fine of up to $50 for people found to be using marijuana in public places Calling it something that falls “under the canopy of housekeeping,” City Attorney Angela Jacobs gave a presentation to the council on how to update the city code so that the city’s police department can enforce this type of municipal infraction While that gives local governments the authority to impose civil fines Jacobs explained that issues have come up with the means through which those fines can be imposed while some city employees and departments can administer and enforce civil penalties for municipal infractions “the court has actually expressed concern … that police officers aren’t actually authorized by state law to issue municipal infractions.” “We would like them to be able to do that,” Jacobs said Asked by City Councilor Frank Sweeney if she thought the $50 fine could be a deterrent She went on to elaborate that while state law limits what the city can do in such a situation “we would at least like to be able to write a ticket.” Councilor Ben Davis asked if there were any concerns about having laws on the books “which are either difficult to enforce or ineffective with something like this.” “I would really say it gives us the authority to intervene and stop the behavior,” Whitefish Police Department Chief Bridger Kelch said in response to Davis’ question “We’re not going to curtail anybody’s decision to smoke in public or use public space But at least it gives us the authority to act at least solve it for that point and place.” As for how many tickets that may amount to Kelch downplayed the extent to which his police department has attempted to take enforcement action when it comes to consuming marijuana in public places saying he believed it had only been a handful of times his department had written up citations since marijuana became legal in Montana sidewalks “especially during bar closing,” and the city’s parking garage are areas where the police chief said they’re typically seeing infractions related to consuming marijuana in public places Monday night’s unanimous vote by the council is the most recent attempt by the city to further regulate the sale and consumption of marijuana in city limits. In July of 2023, the council voted unanimously to amend its zoning regulations to increase the required distance between dispensaries and schools churches and other dispensaries in an effort to close a loophole in state law Existing dispensaries were grandfathered in there were no pending applications expected to be impacted by the new ordinance but city staff did say it would effectively eliminate any additional dispensaries going into the downtown area with the city’s configuration at the time [email protected] © 2025 Flathead Beacon, All Rights Reserved. Use of this site is subject to the Flathead Beacon's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.