Snowpack drops as stream flows increase

April ushered in the transition from winter to spring in the Montana snowpack accumulation season.

Legals for May, 15 2025

Legals for May, 14 2025

SKC names health science building for Dorene Vallee

Salish Kootenai College honors the legacy of Dorene Dupuis Vallee with a ceremony naming the Vallee Building at 11 a.m. May 30.

Polson Boxing Club member competes at Golden Gloves

Polson Boxing Club athlete Oziah HeavyRunner represented Montana at the Rocky Mountain Regional Golden Gloves Tournament, held April 12-13 in Salt Lake City.

Weary weeder could use a hand with Main Street flowerbeds

It all started five years ago. I noticed the VFW bump-out, as I call the flowerbeds at the four corners on Polson’s Main Street, was looking pretty ratty. My husband, father and grandfathers are/were veterans. I felt they and all veterans deserved a better recognition.

Ag Days brings kids to the Cheff ranch

Sun shining through trees dappled the grass and washed over the bright spring grass as school buses trundled down the road to Fourth Grade Ag Days at Buddy and Brittany Cheff’s place above Kicking Horse Reservoir, south of Ronan.

Brett McCrumb, 61

Brett Thomas McCrumb of Polson arrived in his final Home with Jesus on May 7, 2025. He dealt with a cancer diagnosis over a year ago with courage. He tried treatments and health regimes that would help, but he always relied on the attitude and truth of “I know where I’m going.” His Celebration of Life is Monday, May 19, 2025, at 11 a.m. at his parents’ place, The Barn at Finley Point, with a cemetery burial to follow.

Time Capsule: From the archives of local weeklies

Stories harvested from the Lake County Leader, May 17, 2001

Gregg Doerfler, 70

Gregg Allen Doerfler, age 70, passed away on Sunday, May 4, 2025, at his residence in Polson. There are no services planned at this time for Gregg.

River Honoring celebrates elders, educators

With the Flathead River flowing behind him, Elder Johnny Arlee opened the 38th annual River Honoring on Monday night with a prayer in Salish and some special words for the gathering. This year’s River Honorees are elders Violet Trahan and Germaine White and educators Nicole Camel, Polson, and Jennifer Jilot and Bill Stockton, Arlee.

Volunteers plant 33 ponderosa pines at Finley Point park

On Earth Day 2025, Encompass LLC sponsored a tree restoration project at the Finley Point Unit of Flathead Lake State Park in partnership with Montana State Parks, AmeriCorps and the Montana State Parks Foundation.

Election results posted for schools, library and fire districts

Across Lake County last week, a smattering of mail ballots – 3,665 in all – were cast for school board, library and fire district trustees, as well as in three school levies.

View from the Library: A summer preview

Where does the time go? It’s hard to believe we’re already gearing up for another Summer Reading Program here at the library. The “Color Our World” program runs from June 9 through Aug. 7 and we’re bringing back the beloved Bug Race.

Spring Mack Days sets a new record

Spring Mack Days on Flathead Lake, sponsored by the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, wrapped up Saturday, May 10, breaking the 2019 Spring Event record of 40,362 lake trout with a total of 60,138 entries turned in over the nine weeks of fishing.

Mission Valley Calendar

Upcoming events and meetings in the Mission Valley

Lawrence Ruffatto, 93

Larry Pete Ruffatto, 93 of Ronan, was born Nov. 18, 1931, in Corvallis, and went to rest on April 29, 2025, after a long battle with cancer. He passed peacefully.

Polson Baseball picks up two victories

The Polson Pirates continued their impressive run through the spring season, going 3-1 over a busy stretch of games and improving to 12-5 on the year. Polson earned wins over Ronan, Plains-Hot Springs, and Frenchtown before falling to a red-hot Columbia Falls team on May 12.

The graduation season begins

With six high schools and one college in Lake County, graduation season is hectic for students, families and friends.

Second suspect arrested in death of Ed Loder

A second suspect in the death of Edwin Loder, 67, is in custody at the Lake County Jail. Jonathan Michael Drennan-Beck, 30, of St. Ignatius, was arrested May 6 and booked into the jail on felony charges of conspiracy (deliberate homicide) and tampering with or fabricating physical evidence.