Ellington

Providence to cut regional spending

St. Joseph in Polson could feel impact of $5M reduction

POLSON — St. Joseph Medical Center in Polson may be impacted by localized spending cutbacks announced by its parent company, Providence Health and Services, this week.

Remembering Thanksgiving

Residents of St. Joseph Assisted Living Center reminisce about what Thanksgiving Day was like before Black Friday, Butterball turkeys and the Macy's Day Parade.

Local war hero getting new home

POLSON — Badly injured in Afghanistan nearly three years ago, Tomy Parker of Ronan is about to get a home to accommodate his war wounds.

Western C 8-man All-Conference Football Teams

District 6-B All-Conference Football Teams

SKC ladies post another 1-1 weekend

CROW AGENCY — Salish Kootenai College’s women’s basketball team went 1-1 over the weekend in the Little Big Horn Classic. The Lady Bison fell to Little Big Horn College’s Lady Ramz, 82-73, on Friday evening before rebounding to throttle Chief Dull Knife College the following morning by a count of 92-43.

Grocers hit by leak

Area customers, stores victimized by massive electronic security breach

At the onset of one of the busiest shopping weeks of the year, customers at multiple grocery stores in the region are being asked to use cash and checks to make purchases while investigators work to fix a payment processing system compromised by a criminal cyber attack.

50 years later, area residents reflect on JFK killing

Few news events have been seared into the memories of Americans as powerfully as the assassination of President John F. Kennedy on Nov. 22, 1963. With Friday marking the 50th anniversary of the tragedy, the Leader asked various members of the community what they remembered from that day. What they shared largely echoed the Flathead Courier’s description of “disbelief, followed by shock, anguish and sorrow” from the Nov. 28, 1963 issue.

Bagnell caps off fantastic career with TD record

BISMARCK, N.D. — Polson High School graduate Craig Bagnell ended a stellar four-year football career at the University of Mary with a bang on Saturday, setting the school record for touchdown passes in the Marauders’ 31-15 victory over the University of Minnesota Crookston.

Wild ride results in two charges

KALISPELL — A Polson man who allegedly crashed his car into several objects and nearly another vehicle before hitting a road sign has pleaded not guilty to a pair of charges.

SKC's Green recognized by state of Montana

MISSOULA — Salish Kootenai College junior Eva Green was tabbed as one of nine Montana student-athletes to receive the 2013 Montana Athletes in Service Award sponsored by Montana Campus Compact, the organization announced.

A mile in their moccasins

PABLO — History can be told through culture.

Elks to host free throw competition in Polson

POLSON — The Mission Valley Elks Club will host a free throw shooting contest on Sunday, Nov. 24 at the Linderman Elementary School gymnasium.

Family loses home, not resolve

DIXON — A fire may have taken their home and everything they owned, but the Elverud family hasn’t let the tragedy break their spirits.

Law enforcement and court records - Nov. 21

Justice Court, Judge Jayne presiding

Community Calendar - Nov. 21

Ronan Thanksgiving Dinner

BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT: Same name, same place

Polson residents who have seen the for sale sign in the window of Appliance Care in Polson, can rest easy.  The company is not going out of business – it has been taken over by long-time technician Sam Allred.

Romero named winner

RONAN — Incumbent city council member Roger Romero won a deadlocked election for Ronan Ward 1 commissioner after a tiebreaking decision by the city council at Monday night's meeting. Romero won with a landslide 4-1 votes from other council members.

Council member loses run-off

ELMO — Incumbent tribal council member Reuben Mathias’ bid for re-election has ended following his defeat in a run-off primary election held on Nov. 16 that pitted him against challenger Len Two Teeth.

Fall Mack Days conclude

BLUE BAY — The fall chapter of Mack Days has ended, and it was one for the history books. Event coordinators and participants congregated at the contest’s Blue Bay headquarters on Sunday evening for a fish fry and award ceremony to recognize the fishing contest’s top performers. There was plenty to celebrate, with this fall’s tournament establishing new records for the most fish caught by a woman angler, the most valuable tagged lake trout caught in the contest’s history and, on a more serious note, the first case where someone had to spend the night on the lake - a distinction indicative of the season’s unusually harsh weather that fishermen needed to endure.

Locals in College Updates

All stars meet for year's final volley

ST. IGNATIUS — The second-annual Mission Valley All-Star Volleyball Classic stemmed from a similarly formatted basketball game that has been going on for years.

What is your favorite Thanksgiving dish?

Polson's prince of pawn

POLSON — Todd Coutts isn’t your typical pawn shop owner.

Tipping the Scales

Charlo's offensive linemen may be undersized, but they are seldom overmatched

CHARLO — Talk with your pads.

Northwest A recognizes five Polson soccer players

POLSON — Five Polson soccer players received postseason honors for their play this season.

SKC men's basketball falls to NIC

PABLO — D.J. Fish got one heck of a birthday present last Tuesday, but it wasn’t enough to push the Salish Kootenai College men’s basketball team over visiting North Idaho College.

Rematch Set

Charlo's blowout of Culbertson-Bainville sets up rematch with Ennis, who ousted the Vikings in 2012

CHARLO — Charlo’s football team didn’t look like a squad that hadn’t crossed the state quarterfinal hurdle since 2001 on Saturday.

Ronan goes 1-2 at divisional

FLORENCE — Ronan’s volleyball team trekked to Florence for the second straight weekend, and for the second straight weekend the Maidens left town with a 1-2 record.

Polson's season ends at home

POLSON — Polson’s volleyball season came to an end just one win away from another state tournament berth on Saturday, falling in straight sets to eventual Northwest A runner-up Frenchtown.

Mack Days Update

It is a race to the finish.  Fall Mack Days is in its final week and the numbers are stacking up.  A total of 11,766 lake trout have been entered in the event so far.  Anglers can fish straight through to the end of the event which is Sunday November 17th.  Entries continue to be taken until the last day of the event.

Viking volleyball winless in Butte

BUTTE — Charlo’s epic run from the loser’s bracket to the District 10C championship had undertones a Cinderella story, but the district-champion Vikings’ magic ran out at the Western C divisional tournament last weekend.

Bowling Scores

Guest column: Sorry, Mr. Jackson

Sen. Verdell Jackson is mistaken in arguing (in a recently published opinion piece) that the proposed CSKT water compact violates the US and Montana constitutions by taking water rights from individual irrigators served by the Flathead Indian Irrigation Project and transferring them to the Tribes.

Letters to the editor

Law enforcement and court records

Community Calendar

Five local kids Seattle bound

MISSOULA — Five Lake County children will travel to Seattle on Sunday, Dec. 1 to compete in the NFL Punt, Pass & Kick Team Championships during halftime at the Seattle Seahawks game against the New Orleans Saints.

Schnase bids adieu

When an artist gets too close to their work, the brush strokes become distorted. It takes space to see the bigger picture. For John Schnase, it was time for that distance.

Tooting their own horns

Two Ronan students were chosen to All-State Band Oct. 16-18 in Bozeman.

Alexander running strong for Griz

MISSOULA — Paden Alexander may be a freshman at the University of Montana, but he’s been racing like a seasoned veteran for the Grizzlies’ cross country team.

Donations may save cheer squad

RONAN — Through the uncertainty surrounding the Ronan High School cheerleading program, there is a glimmer of hope for the squad.

Ronan woman wins $90,000 jackpot

The Montana Lottery announced that a Ronan woman has claimed a jackpot.

POLSON - Diablerie Dash: Monster Mash Fun Run results

5K

Brotherly Tough

Brothers Tyler and Michael Delaney have been an integral part of Charlo's run to the top of Western C 8-man football

CHARLO — It can be pretty tough to take directions from your little brother.

Senior News

Births

Vote moves forward after decision by new judge

POLSON — In one of his first acts in office, newly appointed district court judge James Manley waded into the ongoing fracas surrounding Flathead Reservation water rights and upheld a controversial referendum vote intended for local irrigators.

Luetzen finds a home with Polson volleyball

POLSON — Patty Luetzen moved to Montana to take a step back from volleyball, but the Polson assistant coach just couldn’t stay out of the gym.

Woman sustains gunshot wound

Two people arrested after Polson incident; Authorities gathering more information

POLSON — Two arrests have been made following a weekend disturbance in Polson that left a 29-year-old woman hospitalized with a gunshot wound to the leg. Polson resident Michael Gardipe, Jr., 35, was arrested on the scene and charged with assault with a weapon, while Alisha McDanal, 34, is faced with intimidation charges for her role in the incident.

Dixon killer gets life

THOMPSON FALLS – Almost one full year after committing a brutal murder that shook the small town of Dixon, Nathan Lee William Calvert was sentenced to spend the rest of his life in prison.

Ronan, Charlo head to divisional tourneys

Two area volleyball teams are headed on the road to play in divisional volleyball tournaments this coming weekend.

Polson falls at Hamilton

HAMILTON – Polson’s football season came to an end Saturday with a 24-21 loss at Hamilton in the first round of the Class A playoffs.

Volleyball Divisionals Pairings

Charlo moves on

CHARLO — It’s hard to imagine a better way to start a postseason run than Charlo’s 68-0 walloping of Twin Bridges in Saturday’s first-round game of the Class C 8-man playoffs.

Maidens head into divisionals

FLORENCE — For the first time in recent memory, Ronan’s volleyball team will be headed to the Western B divisional tournament.

Halloween in the Mission Valley

In this album you'll find some scenes of trick-or-treaters from around the Mission Valley. We hope everyone had a fun and safe Halloween!

SKC ladies hit the road

MINOT, N.D. — Salish Kootenai College’s women’s basketball team took on an NCAA Division II program for the first time in school history last weekend.

Mack Days Update, Week 5

The 2013 Fall Mack Days Fishing Event continues with a total of 10,061 lake trout entries.  The event continues through November 17th with the last 10 straight days of fishing beginning on Friday November 8th. Sponsored by the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes-Mack Days are used as a tool to reduce the non-native lake trout in Flathead Lake.  Native bull trout and westslope cutthroat trout numbers have declined in numbers over the years from where their numbers historically once were.  Bull trout were once very abundant in the Flathead system.  Some travel up into high-mountain streams in the upper Flathead to spawn with a few that even make it into Canadian tributaries and others moving into Glacier Park streams and lakes.  They are an important part of tribal history and an important part of the history of Western Montana. Mack Days are sanctioned by Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks.

Municipal election results

As the Leader went to press, unofficial results were available for municipal elections held throughout Lake County on Tuesday. The outcomes of several key races are listed below. According to election officials, “numbers are not expected to change” and will become official after formal canvassing. A recount will likely be needed in the race for Ronan Ward 1 commissioner, where there was a dead heat.

Buz (Ernest W.) Dickson

Buz (Ernest W.) Dickson, 62, passed away on Saturday, Oct. 19, at Community Health Center in Missoula, following complications of a stroke.

Martha Nicholson

On October 17 at 9:45 p.m. our beloved mother, Martha Nicholson, went to her heavenly home completing a well-lived journey of 93 years on this earthly soil.  She was the last of her generation as all of her siblings and her beloved husband of 52 years predeceased her.

Merle Beckman York

Merle Beckman York, born March 6, 1927 in Anaconda, to Fay Morris Beckman and Elsie Campbell Beckman ended her more than 86 year struggle with mortality on Friday, October 25, at Riverside Health Care Center with family at her side.  Merle grew up in Depression and New Deal era Anaconda/Opportunity.  Attended schools in Anaconda and graduated from Anaconda High School in 1944. After high school she worked at Woolworths until she began working in the office for Dr. Dunlap assisting him with whatever he needed her to do; passing instruments during procedures, cleaning up after procedures or taking care of the children who had tonsillectomies while the doctor went to lunch.  

2013 Shrine Game raises record figure

BUTTE — The Board of Directors of the Montana East-West Shrine Game has approved the donation of $146,000 to the Shriners Hospital for Children in Spokane, Wash.

Mission Valley Aquatic Center swim team unveils name

POLSON — The Lake Monsters are a reality.

A coach on the field

Jacen Petersen is the Charlo football team's vocal leader

CHARLO — “Where are my dogs at?” Jacen Petersen yells across Charlo’s football field as the opposing team takes the field on third-and-short.

Prep football preview, Nov. 2

St. Luke receives Plum Creek grant

Finding a vein is not always easy when a healthcare professional has to draw blood for testing or insert an IV for infusion of fluids or medications.  Now a $3,000 grant from Plum Creek Foundation will help St. Luke Community Healthcare in Ronan purchase state of the art technology which will make these difficult “sticks” easier.

Red Ribbon rookie

School counselor Tammy Young shares the experiences of her first Red Ribbon week at K. William Harvey Elementary

RONAN — Many residents were seeing red again last week during Red Ribbon Week at four school districts in Lake County.

Man hooks $5,000 fish

BLUE BAY - The most lucrative fish ever caught in the 11-year history of the tribally-sponsored Mack Days fishing tournament came ashore this weekend, netting one lucky angler a hefty sum of $5,000.

Mission Valley Christian's campaign ends at states

KALISPELL — Mission Valley Christian Academy’s soccer season ended with a 5-1 loss to Helena Christian in the Montana Christian Athletics Association state tournament on Friday.

Prep volleyball stat leaders

Prep football stat leaders

Points