Stories for January 2014

January 31, 2014 3:58 p.m.

Are you ready for warmer weather?

January 31, 2014 3:45 p.m.

Harald H. Olsson

Harald H. Olsson passed away Jan. 25, 2014 at St Joseph Hospital in Polson. Harald was born Dec. 4, 1921 in Hall, Mont. to Harald E. and Vida (Hogan) Olsson, was raised in Ronan, but spent his summers at his grandmother’s ranch at Hall. Upon graduation from high school, he moved to Hall to work with his grandmother and eventually purchased the ranch.

January 31, 2014 3:38 p.m.

FEATURED LETTER: Preserving Fort Connah upholds valley's history

The annual meeting of the Fort Connah Restoration Society will be held at Ninepipes Lodge Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2014. The meeting begins at 5:30 with a no host social hour and dinner. The meeting will begin at 7:00 and is open to all members of the Restoration Society and to all people wanting to join. The members of the Restoration Society are dedicated volunteers that have been in the process of restoring the original fort building and adding other structures that made up the total fort facilities.

January 31, 2014 3:30 p.m.

John Jeff Jeffrey Fitting

John “Jeff” Jeffrey Fitting, 68, of Polson, passed away on Jan. 14 in Polson. Jeff is survived by Sandra, his companion of 40 years. A celebration of life will be scheduled at a later date.

January 31, 2014 3:29 p.m.

Senior News - Jan. 30

St. Ignatius

January 31, 2014 3:27 p.m.

Letters to the editor - Jan. 30

Thank you to all who helped ‘Share the Spirit’

January 31, 2014 3:26 p.m.

Law enforcement and court records - Jan. 30

District Court, Judge Christopher presiding

January 31, 2014 3:25 p.m.

Community Calendar - Jan. 30

Affordable Care Act explained

January 31, 2014 3:24 p.m.

Births - Jan. 30

Stephanie Kathryn Moonjoy Azure

January 31, 2014 6:30 a.m.

Polson's Jenson inks with Western

POLSON — Wyatt Jenson became the first Polson football player of the year to commit to a college program, signing with the University of Montana-Western last week.

January 31, 2014 6 a.m.

Prep wrestling roundup

January 31, 2014 3:45 a.m.

Shirley May (Granfor) Loscheider

Shirley May (Granfor) Loscheider, 83, passed from this world due to cancer on Jan. 21, 2014, at her house west of Ronan. Shirley was born October 4, 1930, the daughter of Maurice and Bernice (Belile) Granfor. She spent the first years of her life on the homestead farm south of Dunn Center, North Dakota, which was first obtained by her grandmother, Martha Mork Granfor. She attended elementary school at a country school south of Dunn Center and graduated from Dunn Center High School in 1948. She attended Dickinson State College, North Dakota, and Northern Montana College in Havre earning a degree in elementary education, a career she pursued for 30 years. Her first teaching experiences were at country schools in western North Dakota.

January 30, 2014 6:45 a.m.

Prep girls basketball roundup

January 30, 2014 6:30 a.m.

Charlo boys rolling

CHARLO — Charlo’s boys basketball team has been near unbeatable in 2013.

January 30, 2014 5:30 a.m.

Prep boys basketball roundup

January 29, 2014 5:15 p.m.

Hot Springs murder trial begins

POLSON — As the Leader went to press on Tuesday, the second day of Melvin Madplume’s murder trial had concluded with no verdict yet determined.

January 29, 2014 5:02 p.m.

Petition to raise mill levy gains traction

LAKE COUNTY — Signatures are being collected in hope of increasing the mill levy for senior services in Lake County. Advocacy groups hope to get the ballot initiative in the primary election in June by obtaining 500 signatures by March 10.

January 29, 2014 4:57 p.m.

Invasive medusahead threatens area

PABLO - A new invasive grass capable of drastically reducing the carrying capacity of range land has been detected in the north Valley Creek area of the Flathead Reservation. The spread of Medusahead may be curtailed by diligent landowner reports to weed-control officials. This information is intended to help identify the weed and encourage more reports.

January 29, 2014 4:55 p.m.

New chairman ready to serve

PABLO — Coming out of semi-retirement was a big decision for the new Confederated Salish and Kootenai chairman, but he was talked into running for Tribal Council again.

January 29, 2014 3:08 p.m.

Lake Monsters host first meet

POLSON — It didn’t look like something brand new, not even to the trained eye.

January 29, 2014 3 p.m.

Local Bowling Results

at Sportspage Bowl

January 29, 2014 2:51 p.m.

St. Ignatius business to preserve local history

Ken Scott is in the business of bringing St. Ignatius back to life.

January 28, 2014 6:22 p.m.

Polson goes on lockdown

On Tuesday morning, Polson schools went on a district-wide lockdown for unspecified reasons. Later in the day, district officials issued the following press release:

January 25, 2014 5:45 a.m.

Swiss Army Knife

Manuel Ammann has all the tools for wrestling success

Columbia Falls had pinned the first four Mission-Charlo wrestlers, and Manuel Ammann was on his back against the Wildcats’ Cody Walters.

January 25, 2014 5:30 a.m.

HALL OF FAME DEBATE: That doesn't belong in a museum

“That belongs in a museum!”

January 24, 2014 5:13 p.m.

Judge tosses out Salazar lawsuit

PABLO — Last week, a lawsuit that aimed to distribute 100 percent of the Salazar settlement to enrolled members of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes was dismissed by a judge in tribal court.

January 24, 2014 1:39 p.m.

Obert A. Obie Tu

Obert A. “Obie” Tu was called to the Lord suddenly on Dec. 25, Christmas Day, in Yuma, Ariz. at age 72. He was born December 15, 1941, in Circle, Mont. to Olaf and Ada Tu.

January 24, 2014 1:39 p.m.

Ernest William Kraft

On December 28, Ernest William Kraft passed away in his sleep, taking his final ride on to a much greater place.

January 24, 2014 1:38 p.m.

Jean Vinson Sullivan

Jean Vinson Sullivan passed away on Dec. 24 at the age of 94. She was born November 16, 1919 to Robert and Stella Vinson on the Vinson Ranch near Big Arm. She grew up living the western legend—attending a one room school at Loon Lake, riding horseback or taking a horse drawn sled to school, drawing water from a well and learning to cook on a wood stove. She was the third from the youngest of 11 children and the last surviving of those siblings.

January 24, 2014 1:38 p.m.

Jean Mackie Cumming

Jean Mackie Cumming, 90, passed away at her home on Saturday, Dec. 28.

January 24, 2014 1:38 p.m.

Steve J. Pick

Steve J. Pick, age 81, of Billings, passed away on Monday, Dec. 30 at the Eastern Montana Veterans Home in Glendive, Montana. A Memorial Service with military honors will be held later this summer at Flathead Lake in Polson, Montana, where Steve enjoyed fishing. Silvernale-Silha Funeral Home of Glendive has been entrusted with the arrangements.

January 24, 2014 1:37 p.m.

Marguerite Winona Gordon

Marguerite Winona Gordon passed away peacefully Dec. 31 at St. Luke’s Nursing Home in Ronan at the age of 93. Marguerite was born in Seattle, Wash. on April 29, 1920.

January 24, 2014 1:37 p.m.

Frances J. Markovic

Frances J. Markovic, age 81, passed away on Monday, January 6, 2014 at St. Joseph Medical Center in Polson. Memorial services for Frances are pending. Arrangements are under the care of Grogan Funeral Home and Crematory.

January 24, 2014 1:32 p.m.

Bette Marie Lillethun

Bette Marie Lillethun, 90, passed away of natural causes at St. Luke Extended Care on Friday, Jan. 10, 2014.

January 24, 2014 1:31 p.m.

Trevor Jordan Atkin

Trevor Jordan Atkin was born September 15, 1985 to Steven L. Atkin and Penny L. Atkin at St. Ignatius. He died December 10, 2013 at the age of 28 in Frenchtown. Trevor was the last of four children born into the family, joining his older siblings, Seth, Ethan and Suzanne.

January 24, 2014 1:27 p.m.

Milda K. Kranats

Milda K. Kranats, 94, of Polson, formerly of Demorest, Ga., passed away on Sunday, December 22, 2013 at Polson Health and Rehab after a short illness of natural causes.

January 24, 2014 1:22 p.m.

Joanne Jeanette Gariepy

Joanne Jeanette Gariepy of St. Ignatius, 76, died Jan. 9, 2014 in Bullhead City, Ariz, with her children by her side.

January 24, 2014 1:20 p.m.

Lela Gertrude Smith

Lela Gertrude Smith, 93, went to be with her Lord Jan. 14, 2014 at her home in Greeley, Colo. surrounded by her family.

January 24, 2014 1:19 p.m.

Goldie Elaine Irwin

Goldie Elaine Irwin entered the presence of her Lord and Savior on December 28, in Ronan at age 84. A daughter of the late Lyle and Vi Irwin of North Crow, she is survived by sisters Hazel (Arnold) Steinert and Vivian (Francis) McGeaughay of Ronan and numerous nieces and nephews.

January 24, 2014 1:18 p.m.

William Gordon Wilson

William Gordon Wilson, 81, passed away peacefully after a short illness in Mesa, Ariz. on Dec. 27, 2013. Dad was born in Missoula, to W. C. (Jack) Wilson and Catherine Wilson on Feb. 9, 1932.

January 24, 2014 6 a.m.

Benn chooses Lights

RONAN — The rest of Connor Benn’s senior year should be relatively stress free.

January 24, 2014 5:45 a.m.

Queque-swoosh!

Ronan ousts Mission, 72-63, in OT following Alex Quequesah's game-tying 3-pointer

RONAN — Call it the biggest shot of Alex Quequesah’s life.

January 23, 2014 5:17 p.m.

Ronan, Polson businesses burglarized

LAKE COUNTY — A string of burglaries woke up several storeowners in Lake County early Tuesday morning. The three separate break ins that occurred within the span of an hour and a half are believed to be connected.

January 23, 2014 2:46 p.m.

Who do you think deserves to win Super Bowl XLVIII?

January 23, 2014 2:19 p.m.

Senior News - Jan. 23

St. Ignatius

January 23, 2014 2:18 p.m.

EDITORIAL: Cervical cancer doesn't care

Our nation is in the midst of a health care crisis and many feel overwhelmed by the rising costs of insurance and doctor’s visits. During this government limbo, it is imperative not to lose sight of the importance of preventative medicine.

January 23, 2014 2:15 p.m.

Letters to the editor - Jan. 23

Salvation Army Kettle Drive an Outstanding Success

January 23, 2014 2:11 p.m.

Law enforcement and court records - Jan. 23

January 23, 2014 2:07 p.m.

Births - Jan. 23

KeyAndre Dean Davis

January 23, 2014 2:05 p.m.

Community Calendar - Jan. 23

Affordable Care Act explained

January 23, 2014 1:34 p.m.

Prep wrestling roundup

January 23, 2014 noon