"Forever Chemicals" in Flathead Waters, Kalispell's Population Boom & a Felony DUI Arrest

Join Daily Inter Lake reporter Taylor Inman as she goes over five major stories shaping Northwest Montana this week - from forever chemicals detected in the Flathead Watershed to a new flood-resilient bridge for Farm to Market Road.The University of Montana's Flathead Lake Biological Station has confirmed the presence of forever chemicals and pharmaceutical compounds in the Flathead Watershed, including sites in Flathead Lake, the Flathead River, the Swan River, Stoner Creek, Ashley Creek and Whitefish Lake. Bio Station Director Jim Elser said concentrations are currently below levels of direct health concern, but the findings should motivate continued surveillance, which is challenged by the high cost of PFAS analysis.Kalispell ranked 48th out of nearly 1,900 U.S. cities and towns with more than 20,000 residents for population growth between April 2020 and July 2025, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The city grew from 25,076 to 31,851 residents over that period, a 27% increase and the largest of any Montana city in its population range.A 39-year-old man with a long history of driving under the influence faces felony charges including criminal child endangerment following a June hit-and-run in Whitefish. Myles Wayne Whitford was arrested in Kalispell with his child present and is due in Flathead County District Court on July 23.Columbia Falls Aluminum Co. has agreed to pay $57.6 million to clean up the former smelter site under a proposed consent decree with the Environmental Protection Agency, marking a milestone nearly a decade after the property was listed as a Superfund site in 2016.A Belgrade construction firm has been selected to build a replacement bridge across Libby Creek on Farm to Market Road, one of many structures damaged in the December 2025 flood in south Lincoln County. The Montana Department of Transportation says the new bridge is being designed to be more resilient to future flooding.Northwest Montana deserves strong news reporting. Your donation helps continue work like this possible. Learn more at dailyinterlake.com/support Visit DailyInterLake.com to stay up-to-date with the latest breaking news from the Flathead Valley and beyond. Support local journalism and please consider subscribing to us. Watch this podcast and more on our YouTube Channel. And follow us on Facebook, Instagram and X. Got a news tip, want to place an ad, or sponsor this podcast? Contact us! Subscribe to all our other DIL pods! Keep up with northwest Montana sports on Keeping Score, dig into stories with Deep Dive, and jam out to local musicians with Press Play.