Runaway team, Killed mountain lion, Polson Creamery, New high school, Courthouse annex, Retrocession falters

Flathead Courier, April 4, 1913

Team runs away

This morning a team belonging to C.R. Graham from Irvine Flats became frightened while passing an automobile on the bridge and ran away. They were hitched to a heavy wagon, and as they came tearing down the bridge met a horse and buggy driven by Frank White. Mr. White saw them coming and jumping out of the rig, caught his horse’s head and lead him to one side but could not get him far enough away to keep the buggy clear and the runaways hit the buggy squarely badly damaging it. The runaways were stopped soon after they got off of the bridge.

Killed mountain lion

Vincent Curley shot and killed a large mountain lion Thursday about five miles east of St. Ignatius. He saw the fresh tracks of the animal while chopping wood in the timber. He immediately procured a gun and tracked the lion to the dead carcass of a deer. The lion made for a tree and Curley shot him. Curley brought the dead lion to town and several pictures were taken of it.

Polson Creamery is practically a sure thing

The committee in charge of raising the funds to purchase the site for the creamery have now, Friday noon, secured $1200 of the necessary $1500 and are certain that by six o’clock this evening they will have the full amount raised. As soon as this is assured the contract will be closed with Mr. Matravers and he will at once order his machinery and commence work on his buildings so as to get to running as soon as possible. With no unlooked for delay the creamery should be in operation within sixty days. Mr. Matravers expects to put in a plant capable of turning out ten thousand pounds of butter a week … He expects to put a boat on the lake and gather cream from all points on the shore.

All indications point to the Flathead Valley becoming one of the greatest dairy districts in the United States.

Flathead Courier, April 5, 1973

School bond and levy election is Saturday

Several important issues face School District 23 voters this Saturday, April 7, when they cast their ballots.

Voters in the high school district will be asked to approve a $285,000 bond issue which will provide for the completion and equipping of the new high school plant and have it operational by the coming school year.

High school district voters will also be asked to approve a special levy to raise $16,940. It would help provide updated books, lab and science facilities, shop equipment and teaching supplies.

Elementary district voters will be asked for approval of a special levy designed to raise $34,854. That money would be used in updating texts and supplies and to defray expenses involved in moving to the old high school building.

Commissioners commit two years revenue sharing funds for building project

Lake county commissioners Monday adopted unanimously a resolution which would earmark two years of Revenue Sharing funds for courthouse expansion.

Commissioner Al Meyers said Tuesday that tentative plans call for doubling the existing space in the courthouse … Also some jail remodeling and expansion is planned including juvenile facilities and counseling areas.

The annex probably would be built onto the south side of the courthouse. Commissioners are thinking in terms of $500,000 to $600,000 …

Lake County Leader, April 1, 1993

Retro-fade: SB 368 falters, but Tribes still pitching

Lawmakers downed a partial retrocession bill last week, but tribal officials have vowed to keep on fighting for it by bringing economic and legal pressure to bear on Lake County.

Senate Bill 368 received a 10-9 negative judiciary committee vote last Thursday and fell 52-47 on the House floor the next day. The final vote followed party lines, with Charlo’s Ervin Davis the lone Democrat opposing the bill. The measure was endorsed by Gov. Marc Racicot and Attorney General Joe Mazurek, but opposed by the Lake county commissioners and other officials.

“We’re down to bottom-line elements of basic civil rights here on the reservation,” tribal attorney Pat Smith said this week after a meeting with county officials. “If we compromise anymore, it’s tantamount to being a colony of Lake County.”

SB 368 would have allowed the Tribes to partially withdraw from a 1965 agreement with the state to assume misdemeanor criminal jurisdiction over members.