Ellington

Little Guy wrestling

April 1

Dustin Morgan accepts plea deal March 25, 2010.AVI

Community notes

April 1

Senior news

April 1

Ronan begins storm water management plans

RONAN - A public hearing on storm water management last Wednesday drew approximately 20 city council members, city employees and community members to the Ronan City Hall to hash out preliminary plans for the city's infrastructure.

Law enforcement and court records

April 1

Take a shot

Sporting clay shooting

Family to honor son with March of Dimes walk

POLSON - The unimaginable pain of losing a child struck the Sanford family in May 2008.

Home of: Polson reads

As a Leader reader, you are very dear to my heart. In the world of print journalism, of course, readers make the world go round.

Expert talks cherries, future

YELLOW BAY - In anticipation of this year's cherry-growing season the Flathead Lake Cherry Growers held its 75th annual grower's meeting Saturday at the Yellow Bay Clubhouse.

Man held again after alleged assault

POLSON - A Ronan man is facing a slew of felony charges and is back in jail after allegedly committing new offenses and violating the terms of his release on bond in regards to a different, ongoing criminal assault cases.

Johnson sent to Warm Springs

KALISPELL - A Polson man was sentenced to 20 years in the state hospital last week for shooting his father in the woods near the Sanders County line in August 2008.

Park gets cleaned up, ready for trails

POLSON - The piles of scrap metal and glass shards on the banks of the Flathead River seemed endless to the Boy Scouts and Scout leaders of Troop 1947 during a cleanup Saturday of the Travis Dolphin Dog Park.

Thanks for reading

Notes from the newsroom

Who needs spelling?

Among other things

Letters to the editor April 1

Round Butte club thanks

Charges filed in 2005 fire, murder

21-year-old man arrested after five-year investigation

Former mill men saddle up

RONAN - School's in session in Ronan, but it's not any public school for children. This school is found on Main Street, in the back workshop of Muley Bluz, a store with "cowboy toys" that specializes in saddle making and boot and shoe repair. Owner Steve Crumm is there every day, and for the past three months or so, Kayo Reynolds and Will Harris have been there too. The men are two apprentices studying and working 40 hours a week to learn everything Crumm has to offer.

Births April 1

Bartell, Bryant, Valenzuela, Smith, Appelt,

Obituaries April 1

Lozeau, Fisher, Kendley, Howard, Easter, Rathburn, Kindt Hislop, Kauffman,

The Madness might be over for me

The tournament is far from over, but my bracket is done.

2010 Buttercup Run

Complete results from this year's Buttercup run

Mack Days: week three update

Hard fishing lake trout anglers are making the 2010 Spring Event very successful and have entered 9,822 lake trout entries at the end of the first three weekends of the 11-week event. Mack Days Events are sponsored by the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes and sanctioned by Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks as part of the Flathead Lake Co-Management Plan to balance the fishery of Flathead Lake by slowly reducing non-native lake trout and increasing numbers of native bull trout and westslope cutthroat trout. Anglers are competing for $100,000 in cash and prizes to be given away at the conclusion of the event. There are 972 anglers registered in the Spring Event. Entries continue to be taken until the last day.

Rivals come together in all-star game

PABLO - Before the Mission Valley Girls' All-star game, Charlo sophomore Kinley Pope was nervous.

Strong first inning propels Mission

EUREKA - After a 14-run first inning, the Mission softball team to beat Eureka 28-0 last Saturday.

Polson starts season with title

MISSOULA - After only 10 days of practice, the Polson girls' track and field team took first at the Gene Hughes Invitational last weekend in Corvallis.

Domestic violence in spotlight

LAKE COUNTY - Today marks the beginning of Sexual Assault Awareness Month, a national effort to promote sexual assault awareness and prevention of domestic violence. Locally, DOVES (Domestic Violence Education & Services) has taken the reins to lead an effort to prevent and provide healing for victims of such crimes. And for good reason: In 2009, the Lake County Dispatch Center reported 454 calls regarding partner or family member assault, a number that dwarfs the 2008 figure of 254.

Mission Valley Boys All Star game

PMS Fifth grade music concert March 25, 2010.mov

Brent Arthur Wilson Omnibus Hearing, March 25, 2010 Lake County District Court.mov

Barry's light honored at service

The sirens sounded, the bells rang and the little lights shone.

Lone county taxi a friend to many

LAKE COUNTY - It's half past 7 on a recent Friday night and already the calls are coming in. "South Lake Taxi," Dennis Orr says into his cell phone and dispatch center on this and every other night.

Bikes to be fixed-up for April Earth Day giveaway

RONAN - Ronan Tribal Fitness is accepting donated bicycles to fix up in anticipation of a bike giveaway during its second annual Earth Day Event on April 24.

Home of: Linda Ferris

Statistics show a language dies every two weeks around the world. It is estimated that half of the world's languages will never be uttered again after this century.

Mission man sentenced for selling explosives

MISSOULA - A St. Ignatius man received more than three years in prison after pleading guilty to one federal count of distributing explosive materials without a license.

New push begins to save Salish language

FLATHEAD RESERVATION - In an effort to revitalize the Salish language, members of the Salish Tribe are holding monthly meetings to discuss reorganization of language teaching and initiatives to encourage use of the native language. During the fifth meeting, held March 3 at the Salish-Pend d'Oreille culture committee building, a plan of action was submitted for elder approval.

Clinic nearing completion

POLSON - Nearly 22,000 square feet of elbow room is awaiting the staff at the Tribal Health and Human Service Polson Community Clinic when they move across the alley to the almost ready, state-of-the-art new building.

Dalai Lama plans Arlee visit

ARLEE - Lake County will receive a first time visitor to Montana late next year, someone who is also a very special spiritual and religious adviser.

Grim simulation

Event plants anti-drinking and driving seed

Letters to the Editor, March 25

Resurrection is divine

Remembering a dear friend

Chief's Corner

Births, March 25

Taylor, Sloan

Law enforcement and court records

March 25

Obituaries, March 25

Trahan, Howell, Brooks, Suter

Little guy results: Inter-Valley tourney

HAMILTON - Last weekend, little guy wrestling headed to Hamilton for the unit three and four inter-valley tournament.

Every bit counts for Buttercup Run

ARLEE - For a small fee, an adult can get a T-shirt and the chance to run in the Buttercup Run.

Underdogs teach lesson

Column: From the Bleachers

Jumping for a good cause

POLSON - When Molly Sitter was asked why she stayed after school to jump rope she answered, "To earn money to help people that have heart problems."

Senior plans trip Down Under

PABLO - Jaylen Carpentier is reaping the rewards of her hard work.

Double Time: SKC champs once again

SANTA FE, N.M. - Winning the American Indian Higher Education Consortium National Championship Tournament was important for the Salish Kootenai College men's and women's basketball teams. They wanted to send SKC President Joe McDonald into his retirement on a good note. McDonald even traveled to see the games in person.

Outdoors come inside

Standing two feet from a six-ton elephant, my adrenaline started to pump and my heart began to race.

Fire board to hire consultant

BIG ARM - The Polson Rural Fire Board re-approved the junior firefighters program during its monthly meeting held last Wednesday.

Home of: Vern Reum

Vern Reum was willing to give anything a chance. His wife Roxanne had battled cancer for years, the pain progressively getting worse and worse. She'd always wanted to live by the water, and her doctor recommended living in a tropical area. Vern bought a house in La Paz, Mexico, traveling back and forth to help his wife be comfortable and to continue running his business, the Tire Depot, in Pablo. While the nice weather of Mexico did help his wife's outlook, Vern found another solution in 2008 about 1,000 miles north of La Paz in San Diego, Calif. There, a doctor recommended a hyperbaric chamber, a pressurized, high oxygen unit, to help his wife find relief. Vern purchased one of the expensive, rare machines and set it up in his home.

News Briefs

March 18

Water plant site talks get heated

POLSON — As it turns out, marijuana didn't envoke the most heated discussion at Polson's Monday meeting.

'Mountn Ripp3r' owner sees great potential in his plants

JETTE HILL - With the snowy, blue Mission Mountains watching from the east, patients who step into James Dale's shop each day hope to step out with something to ease what ails them.

Polson passes temporary marijuana storefront ban

POLSON - In an attempt to walk the line on medical marijuana ordinances, the Polson City Commission voted unanimously on Monday to institute a six month moratorium on storefront medical marijuana establishments, while authorizing smaller, "residential" operations to continue.

Word wizards gather for bee

RONAN - "Monotonous. M-O-N-O-T-O-N-O-U-S. Monotonous." The three judges smiled and picked up the green "Correct" sign. And with that, Polson 8th grader Cody Baer nabbed first place at the 2010 Lake County Spelling Bee, the winner out of 50 kids from around the valley during the March 11 event at the Ronan Performing Arts Center.

Chief Cliff group continues fight

ELMO - While most attendees at the 32nd annual Mansfield-Metcalf Dinner came to mingle with Montana's democratic political elite, two Kootenai tribal members came to talk about a very specific and personal issue: the future of Chief Cliff.

Target on my back

Sports editor rallies the Leader troops for March Madness

Sports Briefs

5-on-5 tournament

Little guys get wrestling

POLSON - Last Friday and Saturday, six wrestling clubs competed for the right to advance to the Inter-Valley tournament in Hamilton this weekend.

2010 March Meltdown

The March Meltdown raised $400 to be donated to the Polson School District Haiti Relief Effort.

Tucker steps down

ARLEE - Some may call Clyde Tucker a godfather of coaching.

Davey leads Pirates in tournament

HAMILTON - Polson senior Nicole Davey decided to end her basketball career with a bang.

Law enforcement and court records

March 18

Census gig a great way to earn cash

Notes from the Newsroom

Letters to the Editor

March 18

An empty "nestler"

Among Other Things

Births, March 18

Roman Solomon Sawyer

Obituaries, March 18

William Joseph Erickson

Missing ammo claims spur inquest

POLSON — The Lake County Sheriff’s Office has called in a state investigator to look in to claims that ammunition is missing from its facility, Det. Mike Sargeant said earlier this week.

Polson girls end state run

Pirates go two-and-out

Sheriff's office investigating stolen ammo claim

POLSON - The Lake County Sheriff's Office is investigating claims that ammunition is missing from its facility, Det. Mike Sargeant said last week.

Sheriff's office investigating missing ammo claim

POLSON - The Lake County Sheriff's Office is investigating claims that ammunition is missing from its facility, Det. Mike Sargeant said last week.

Students get physical

POLSON - While sixth-grader Traygor Coor was in the Polson Middle school gym getting a padded helmet strapped to his head for his first boxing experience, other Polson Middle School students were painting, singing karaoke, learning about scientific chemical reactions, skiing and snowshoeing.

Polson schools in the middle of standardized testing

POLSON - With state standardized testing taking place across the school district this month, several school administrators told trustees at Monday night's Polson School Board meeting that test preparation was in full gear.

Library district vote coming

POLSON - North county voters will be presented again this year with the option of approving the formation of a north county library district.

Man arraigned in Post Creek fatal

POLSON - A Clinton man pleaded not guilty in district court last Thursday to a felony charge stemming from a fatal highway accident more than a year ago.

Shooting incidents lead to several area arrests

LAKE COUNTY - Two separate shooting incidents in Polson and Pablo resulted in the arrests of two area men.

Home of: Taryn Harrison

Polson has been the home of Taryn Harrison for her entire life. But if she could have a second home, it would be Ireland.

Back Road construction set to finish this year

LAKE COUNTY - After years of anticipation, 2010 is shaping up to be the year the Back Road project is completed.

News Briefs

Skate park phase II approved

Ronan council passes marijuana ordinance

RONAN - The city of Ronan passed a temporary zoning ordinance on businesses selling medical marijuana on Monday night.

Charlo plays stands the test of time

Junior Michael Smith chose to sing "Lose Yourself," by Eminem as part of a school play titled, "Entertainment That Stands Time." The play was written by Charlo high school junior Spencer Shafter and drama teacher Keith Grebetz. The play was performed on Tuesday.

Arlee amps up trail talks

ARLEE - An enthusiastic group of more than 50 people showed up to the Arlee High School cafeteria last Wednesday to learn more about efforts to implement a comprehensive trail system in the Jocko Valley area.

Hearing date set in Cornerstone state case

MISSOULA - An April 26 hearing date has been set in the state's administrative case against former Polson businessmen Keith Kovick and Robert Congdon.

Wreck kills 1

Crash first county fatal of 2010

Law enforcement and court records

Lake County District Court, Judge McNeil presiding

Letters to the editor

March 11

West, from Texas

About six weeks ago I drove into Polson on a cold, clear evening.

Budget talks, worries continue

Last week I spent four days in Helena pouring over our budget problems. Too many numbers, but I appreciate interim committees because we so often work in a nonpartisan way.

Births, March 11

Edwards, Nordhagen, Reed, DePoe, Largent

Obituaries, March 11

Gaffney, Rue, Dachs, Webb, Keys, Strahan, Erickson

Bison drop final game before tourney

PABLO - The Salish Kootenai College mens' basketball team closed out the regular season last Friday night with a close loss.

Lady Bison break 100-point mark

PABLO - Looking at the final score of the Salish Kootenai College women's basketball game last Friday, one would think they were at an NBA game instead of at McDonald sports complex in Pablo.

Sports Briefs

Sports Briefs

Laughs, lucky underwear and Libby

Lady Pirate captains chat about the season

Arlee works its way to fourth

BILLINGS - Arlee went into the Class C Boys State Basketball Tournament wanting to add an exclamation mark to its season.

Pirates: The party crashers

Polson exceeds early-season expectations

Polson boys just miss title

Pirates fall to No. 1 Laurel in class A championship game

Arlee boys take fourth at state

BILLINGS — The Arlee boys basketball rebounded from its semifinal loss to make the consolation championship, where it took fourth.

Cornerstone hearing date set

Hearing will be in Missoula beginning April 26.

Polson boys win, move on to second round of state

Polson beats Billings Central, 65-53

Maidens end season at divisional tourney

KALISPELL - The Ronan girls' basketball team might have ended its season last weekend at the Northwestern A divisional tournament, but the experience gained will transfer over to next year's team.

Ronan boys' basketball roundup

KALISPELL - Ronan beat Whitefish twice in two days to advance to the third-place game last Saturday against Libby.

Lady Bulldogs end run

PABLO - The Mission girls' basketball team went two-and-out at its Western B divisional tournament last weekend.

Lady Vikings drop challenge

MISSOULA - Even without one of its top seniors, the Charlo girls' basketball team still came close to advancing to state.

Vikings make it close

BUTTE - The Charlo boys' basketball team fell short of the state tournament last weekend at the Western C divisional tournament.

Barry Webb is missed

Barry Webb died last week and his presence and personality are already missed by Polson area residents. Barry loved his community and the folks in it — and it was a mutual feeling.

Speaker warns of extremism

An extended version of the print edition story

Births, March 4

Bixby, Kuntz

Obituaries, March 4

Wiese, Yazzie, Montgomery, Ricketts, Meuli

Thanks for checking us out

Since you're reading this editorial, we know you've noticed a big change at the Leader. It was something we’ve been waiting for for a long time: The launch of our brand-new Web site.

Nutrition from the ground up

Most people know that a healthful diet is an important part of a healthful lifestyle, but many people have trouble figuring out where to start when planning a diet overhaul. March is National Nutrition Month and the American Dietetic Association wants to remind everyone that an easy way to focus on improving eating habits is to start with the basics: build your nutritional health from the ground up.

Lady Pirates head to state

KALISPELL — The Polson girls’ basketball team punched its ticket to state last weekend in the Northwestern A divisional tournament.

Arlee earns state bid

BUTTE — With solid defense and a potent offense, the Arlee boys’ basketball team paved its way to the Class C state tournament this weekend.

Pirates win challenge

KALISPELL — The Polson boys’ basketball team had been here before.

Law enforcement and court records (March 4)

Lake County District Court, Judge McNeil presiding

Polson to consider medical marijuana ordinances

Six law enforcement officers also honored at Monday's meeting

Bighorn sheep helicoptered from Wild Horse

BIG ARM — For a second it was surreal, like a scene out of “Jurassic Park”: A group of bighorn sheep dangling from the bottom of a helicopter, like a delicious treat for a hungry Tyrannosaurus Rex.

Water teams talk management

Extended version: Read about the unitary management compact negotiations

Hartsoe gets 20 for felony assault

POLSON — A St. Ignatius man will spend the next 20 years in the Montana State Prison after being sentenced  in District Court last Thursday following a long, complicated case that spanned close to two years.

Home of: Sara Bauer

Sara Bauer runs a business many entrepreneurs would dream of. She sells a product that everyone desires.

News Briefs

March 1 issue

Crews hit Main Street Polson

POLSON — Main Street business owners are banding together beginning this week with a coupon campaign they’re hoping will bustle business during a water main replacement project that is closing portions of the street.

Snowed-in skiers OK

ST. IGNATIUS — Reports of stranded backcountry skiers high in the Mission Mountains last Thursday morning prompted a massive response by local law enforcement and search and rescue teams. In the end, it was all for naught as the first rescue group contacting the supposedly trapped three males, a Life Flight helicopter from St. Patrick Hospital in Missoula, discovered the report was erroneous and the 49- and 40-year-old men and a 15-year-old youth were uninjured.

Space lets artists blossom

POLSON — A single modeling light glowed from the front of the room as charcoal pencils marked drawing paper, sketching every curve and shape of the posing model.

Memorial in works for beloved Barry

Below are reader submitted stories about Barry Webb, who passed away on Feb. 23.