Good morning, Kalispell.

Whitefish Community Foundation is hosting a free Launch Party at Glacier Bank Park on Tuesday, Aug.

11 from 5 to 7:30 p.m.+ Attendees can explore nonprofit booths, enjoy complimentary food and activities, and enter to win one of five $1,000 grants for their chosen local nonprofit.

Sue Williams, a former vet tech, opened Cozy Care Kennels — a pet boarding facility south of Columbia Falls near Deer Park School — where pets enjoy individual play time and spacious rooms.

The business, launched in May 2025, now serves locals and visitors headed to Glacier National Park.

At a forum this week in Kalispell, experts modeled that only 10% of the capital for a proposed 500-megawatt data center would support local companies, with the projected $33 million annual tax revenue lowering property taxes in Broadwater School District — though the figures remain hypothetical.

Northwest Montana United Way is hosting its annual Back 2 School Bash on Saturday, Aug.

8 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Gateway Community Center in Kalispell, where children can receive free school supplies + connect with local service partners.

Officials said the Skillet Fire burned over 1,300 acres in the Flathead National Forest and evacuation orders were issued for the Good Creek and Alder Creek areas while firefighters worked to contain the blaze as Saturday's strong winds worsened conditions.

Residents near Olney evacuated Saturday when Flathead County Sheriff Brian Hieno ordered it amid the 1,318-acre Skillet Fire fueled by 50+ mph winds and low humidity; about 100 firefighters and one helicopter battled the blaze as the Great Basin Complex Incident Management Team takes command this morning.

Whitefish Community Foundation awarded a $44,500 grant to CRYJ to start in-house mental health counseling for teens to ease access to care.

CRYJ will host an open house and ice cream social (Aug. 19, 5 to 7 p.m.) at 110 East Idaho Street to explain its restorative justice programs.

A University report said short term rentals in Flathead County generated $207 million in visitor spending in 2025.

The study showed high booking volumes in the Kalispell region helped create 1,644 local jobs and raised housing supply concerns as owners earned median revenues of $2,969 monthly.

PRCA Rodeo Montana

7:30-10:30 p.m. — Flathead County Fairgrounds — Tickets starting at $89 — Experience the thrill of professional rodeo action in Kalispell.