Ellington

Little Guy State Wrestling

Here are some photos from the Little Guy State Wrestling Tournament in Arlee last weekend.

Senior News

Arlee

MV All-Star Game

Here are photos from the Mission Valley All-Star Game that was played last Tuesday (March 21).

2011 Polson Softball: Title Town

Welcome to Polson, better known as...

POLSON - After the Lady Pirates finished their softball

This is Public Health

Former U.S. Surgeon General, C. Everett Koop said, “Health care is vital to all of us some of the time, but public health is vital to all of us all of the time.”

Update from Helena

Lots of interesting bills last week. We passed House Bill 175 to put medical marijuana repeal back on the ballot in 2012 to let you vote. The floor debate seemed to center on which poll numbers reported by the newspapers were important. I voted for this.

Class A Track: Short-handed Pirates still excel in Corvallis

CORVALLIS - Despite being short-handed in their first meet of

Softball: Mission wins a thriller

ST. IGNATIUS - It took a while but the Mission softball team got

Ronan, Mission split in early-season tennis matchup

RONAN - Mission took down Class A Ronan with a 6-0 win over the

Trial begins for 2009 fatal involving young Dixon man

POLSON — The trial of a Clinton man facing felony vehicular homicide charges commenced in District Court Monday.

Notices of Death

Jewel Elizabeth Stonehocker

Florence Marie (Peterson) Kneebone obituary

Florence Marie (Peterson) Kneebone died March 18. Always a strong and independent woman, she finally succumbed to the pancreatic cancer that dominated the last months of her life.

Justin Lee Lockwood obituary

Justin Lee Lockwood went to be with his Grandma Marsha on March 1. He was 25 years old.

Gary E. Plummer “Chief obituary”

Gary E. Plummer “Chief,” 73, of Polson passed away on Tuesday, March 22 in Polson.

Frederic Howard Varnum obituary

Born Sept. 27, 1919, in Jerome, Idaho and passed away Feb. 27 in Folsom, Calif.

Ronan man accused of giving drugs to teenage girls

POLSON — A Ronan man pleaded innocent in District Court Wednesday to three counts of criminal distribution of dangerous drugs on or near school property.

Mixed bag for non-resident big game license applications

A voter-approved price increase for some Montana nonresident hunting licenses likely resulted in about 1,200 big game combination licenses remaining for sale after the March 15 application deadline.

Spring Mack Days Third Week

Three weekends of lake trout fishing in typical Montana spring weather-wind, snow, rain, and cold temperatures has anglers anxiously awaiting sunny skies.  Sunday morning it was wet snow, cold wind, and then cold rain and it took its toll.  There was no complaining but many felt that there will be better days to fish. Anglers are usually staying out 10-13 hours a day-they leave in the dark and come back in the dark. Sundays weather had several in before noon.

Speaker presents vision for local food economics

Human rights complaint against Polson City dismissed

POLSON – A Hearing Officer for the Human Rights Bureau dismissed a discrimination case against the city of Polson on Wednesday.

Mission's Mad Hatter

ST. IGNATIUS - He's called the Mad Hatter.

Tomy Parker: the next step

Mix it up: Jocko Mixing Booth gives students a voice

ARLEE — The Arlee Warriors blazed their way through the state

AIHEC Tournament

Here are photos from the AIHEC National Championship tournament in Pablo last weekend.

SD-30's Robot Demonstration

New SD-30 Robot Explained

Jane Ellie Hinkle (Bucher) Grotts

Jane Ellie Grotts, 87, of Polson passed away on Tuesday, March 15 at Village Health Care Center in Missoula.

Dorothy M. Rowley Spang

Dorothy M. Rowley Spang was born on Nov. 20, 1930 to John Emerson Rowley and Amy Florella Davis Rowley in Bynum, Mont. She was the youngest of nine children.

SKC Men continue to roll in AIHEC pool play

PABLO - The Bison continue to blowout teams so far this week at

SKC Women fall to Turtle Mountain

PABLO - The Lady Bison came back from a 27-19 halftime deficit

Cops' Corner

Here we are only a couple of days before the official first day of spring. How sweet it is. March roared in like a lion, now let’s hope the rest of the axiom plays out.

Where do you prefer to buy your fruits and vegetables?

Area legislators work on job bills

LAKE COUNTY — Flathead-area legislators received a letter from Kevin Jump, owner of John Jump Trucking of Kalispell asking what this session is doing to create good-paying jobs for Montanans.

Spellbound: Lake County spellers duke it out for trip to state

RONAN — Fifty of the region’s most talented spellers showed off their skills at Lake County’s 25th annual spelling bee held Thursday night. The competitors earned spots on the Ronan Events Center stage by distinguishing themselves as the best spellers in grades five through eight in their public, private, or home-schools.

Bison win second game of AIHEC Tournament

PABLO - The SKC Men hit 10 three-pointers in their 92-61 victory

Bison surge past Navajo Tech in blowout

PABLO - Wow. Forget about first game jitters. The SKC Bison

Lake County Spelling Bee

Lake County's top spellers go head-to-head at the Ronan Performing Arts Center Thursday, March 10.

Lady Bison upend Navajo Tech in first game of AIHEC

PABLO - The Lady Bison are off and running. They defeated Navajo

Pirates standing up to the competition

POLSON - The Polson Pirates 6th grade AAU boys basketball team

Efforts continue to keep lake clean

POLSON — Vicious invaders are attacking Flathead Lake, but few of us will ever notice them, let alone recognize their danger. These invaders, known as aquatic invasive species (AIS), are animals, plants and fish that thrive in environments free of predators. Although they’re small, they can alter habitats and reduce native species populations irrevocably.

Senior news

Polson

Ronan wrestlers place well

GREAT FALLS - Wrestling season isn't over quite yet.

Marilyn Joan Burrowes Obituary

Marilyn Joan Burrowes, 82, of Polson, passed away on March 12 at The Pines in Polson.

Capitol Letters

We narrowly avoided invasion... the dreaded quagga mussel would have staked a claim in Flathead Lake had the FWP not intercepted it at Dayton last week. Folks are thanking us for funding invasive aquatic species prevention. This week’s news proves it’s needed. Verdell Jackson’s bill budgets $333,500 for two years’ of inspection at our state borders, and proper cleaning or impoundment if mussels are found on or in a boat. I hope boaters understand it’s preventive – not harassment. Like straightening your airline seat for landing, it’s for your safety, not meant to annoy you.

Update from Helena

Last Friday, Saturday and Monday we heard HB 2 (the budget) on the floor of the House. It was difficult and often contentious. At times it sure seemed like theater, as speeches were read on the floor.

Pirates shine at Dillon tournament

DILLON - Polson wrestlers finished third out of 30 teams

Polson Soroptimist announce awards

POLSON — Soroptimist International of Polson is part of a worldwide service organization for women helping women, who are committed to a world where women and girls together achieve their individual and collective potential.

Scholarships available from St. Luke

RONAN — St. Luke Community Healthcare Network is offering $500 college scholarships to high school seniors at seven area high schools. Counselors at Arlee, Charlo, Hot Springs, Polson, Ronan, St. Ignatius and Two Eagle River have received the scholarship application instruction sheet.

Note from the Newsroom

It won’t be long now. As the days become longer and the sun beats down upon us, working to melt the frozen earth, I can’t help but be warmed inside as I anticipate another summer in the Mission Valley. I know it’s only March, and another big snowstorm wouldn’t be unheard of, but we’re on the up-swing now, and it’s about time.

Reality TV Revealed

Preventative health cuts: Montana's Tobacco Use Prevention Program under the knife

LAKE COUNTY — At the end of January, the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Health and Human Services voted to eliminate funding to the Montana Tobacco Use Prevention Program (MTUPP). This cut is one piece of House Bill 2, an appropriations bill that is currently working its way through the House and Senate in Helena.

Representative's words

It was great to be home last weekend during our mid-session break. I saw lots of my constituents at the question and answer session in Polson last Monday. Great points were brought out about workman’s comp reform, tort reform on some law suits and defensive medicine reform.

Spring flooding risk high in Lake County

RONAN — The Lake County Planning Department hosted an informational meeting about potential spring flooding in Lake County on Thursday at the Ronan Community Center.

Warriors gear up for state tournament

BOZEMAN - It's time to shine.

Columbia Falls wins state title

BOZEMAN - Columbia Falls was 13 seconds away from capping a

Notices of Death

Steven D. LeProwse

Update from Helena

It was great to be home last weekend and sleep in my own bed. I’d like to thank everyone that showed up at the town hall meeting we had on Monday. The questions were very good. If you have more, email or call me.

Capitol Letters

My first Town Hall – Thank you all for filling Polson Library’s meeting room last Monday for the Q and A session with us, your legislators. It was great to get reacquainted and hear your many concerns. Conversation ranged widely from the problems with the current Big Sky Rx program all the way to fair rebates for renewable energy. I know we couldn’t cover them all in the time we spent together.

Tea time spans generations

Tea time took on new meaning for two very different groups of ladies on Tuesday afternoon as eighth graders from Polson Middle School visited the St. Joseph Retirement Community for tea, cookies, and conversation that spanned generations.

What is your favorite St. Patty's Day tradition?

This is public health

National Nutrition Month: Eat right with color!

Jocko Valley Trails granted $10,000

ARLEE — The Arlee Community Development Corporation and Jocko Valley Trails Committee (JVTC) recently received a $10,000 grant from Bikes Belong to cover engineering costs of the hub trails providing safe routes to school and into downtown Arlee. The group is hoping to start engineering this spring and begin construction this summer.

Dryer fire squelched

POLSON — Polson Fire Department responded to a fire in a dryer at the Wash-N-Go laundry facility on Rufus Lane in Polson last Wednesday. PPD Fire Chief John Fairchild said the cause of the fire is still under investigation.

Corridor study down to 12 alternate routes

POLSON — The Polson community had a chance to ask questions and voice concerns about some possible changes to the city’s roadways last Thursday night.

Books for bikes

Principal Heather Jones (center) stands with fourth grader Lucas Vanderburg (left) and third grader Juliana Marengo (right), the Books for Bikes winners for Polson’s Linderman Elementary.

Letters to the editor

Parents!

Ronan/Pablo Youth Softball and Baseball Signups

Ronan/Pablo Youth Softball & Baseball Signups are being held March 3 & 8 from 5:30-7:00 PM at the Ronan Event Center. First-year players will need to provide birth certificates. Umpires & Volunteers Needed, call Brian at 676-3289 or Ambree at 883-5952.

Mission bows out of divisionals

PABLO - The Lady Bulldogs ran into some tough teams in the

Call him big-shot Sheldon

In a game that had a divisional championship on the line, so

Ronan's spirited tournament run goes down to the wire

RONAN - The Chiefs won their final regular season game of the

Polson, Ronan end season at divisionals

RONAN - It was the timeout heard around Lake County. And it

Owens takes third at indoor championships

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M - Usually when somebody is working on their

Arlee Scarlets will be back

BUTTE - Arlee may have lost two games in the divisional

Vikings end season at 17-5

BUTTE - Charlo found themselves in two close contests at the Western C Divisionals but couldn't quite pull things through as they bowed out of the postseason. They didn't go without a fight, however.

Sports Briefs for March 3

Mission General Store robbed

ST. IGNATIUS — An unknown person allegedly broke into the Mission General Store and stole around $350 in cash Wednesday morning.

Ronan man arraigned on felony sex crimes

POLSON — Robert Deneault appeared via closed circuit television in Judge Wall’s justice court Friday to be arraigned on charges of sexual intercourse without consent and sexual assault, both felonies. Deneault, 41, pleaded not guilty to the charges, each of which carries a maximum penalty of $50,000 fine, 100 years to life in prison, and payment of restitution.

Capitol Letters

Jobs for Montanans — This was a good week for job prospects in Montana. It’s income taxes from private sector earnings that pays salaries for government employees. Funding for state agencies, our highway department, those who serve the Department of Health and Human Services, our prison staff, our hard-working K-12 teachers all has its genesis in the private sector. In 2009, the number of government jobs surpassed private sector jobs in Montana, “a frightening trend,” in the words of my Senate colleague, a Bozeman accountant. With that in mind, we focused on ways to put Montanans to work.

Hendrickson supporters unite while BOE, superintendent continue to take heat

POLSON — Last Wednesday morning, a group of approximately 30 Polson High School students gathered outside their school to protest the non-renewal of assistant principal Shawn Hendrickson. One sign read “education not politics,” and another said “Hendrickson fits in at PHS,” but the majority of the signs simply stated “we love Hendrickson.”

Senior news

Polson

Flathead Lake legends wanted

LAKE COUNTY — Be it tales of large fishies or sunken battle ships, the Lake County Leader is collecting all stories Flathead Lake-related for a special publication called “Legends of the Lake.”

Notice of death: Steven D. LeProwse

Steven D. LeProwse, 64, of Big Arm, passed away on Saturday, Feb. 26 at St. Joseph Medical Center in Polson. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, March 5 at 1 p.m. at Grogan Funeral Home, 101 Sixth Ave. E., Polson. A reception will follow the services at the funeral home and a buffet dinner will be served later that evening at 5 p.m. at the Idle Spur in Dayton. All are welcome. Messages of condolence may be sent to the family by either visiting www.groganfuneralhome.com or by mailing at PO Box 206, Big Arm, MT 59910.

Earl Dennis Jones obituary

Earl Dennis Jones, 69, of Ronan, traveled on to the happy hunting grounds on Friday, Feb. 25 while at St Luke Hospital in Ronan. He was the fifth of 11 children born to John and Amelia (Tellier) Jones. He was a member of the Nez Perce Tribe. He was born and raised in St. Ignatius.