- Relevance
- Date
- Any time
- Past 24 hours
- Past week
- Past month
- Past year
Sort By
Date
All results /
Michael Erickson, 54
Michael Dwayne Erickson passed away peacefully surrounded by his loved ones on Tuesday, June 24, 2025. A celebration of life will be held on Saturday, July 26, at 2 p.m. at the Valley View Clubhouse.
Layton Smith, 14
Layton, our boy born with the biggest blue eyes and the kindest soul, passed away at age 14 in a boating accident on June 18, 2025, in Harrison, Mont. Born in Laguna Hills, Calif., and raised in Bozeman since 2012, Layton embraced more in his 14 years than most do in a lifetime.
Polson Commission selects new city judge
The Polson City Commission selected retired law enforcement officer Joe May as incoming city judge during a meeting last Wednesday, June 26. There were four candidates for the job, including incumbent judge Mike Larson, retired Lake County chief juvenile probation officer Barbara Monaco, and head of maintenance for Lake County, Dale Ramesar.
Readers choose Koda King as Athlete of the Year
Koda King was one of four candidates, selected by athletic directors across Lake County and voted upon by Leader readers, for the Leader's inaugural Athlete of the Year. He won with 246 votes. Nominees also included: Ryan Sharbono, St. Ignatius, with 104 votes; Samantha Rensvold, Polson with 93 votes; and GG Hawk, Charlo, with 87 votes.
Pat Williams: He stood by us and with us
Pat Williams has died. He was Montana’s longest serving Congressman, serving from 1979 to 1997. He had a sense of justice and values which he defended proudly and vigorously, often in the face of strong and outraged opposition. He was my political hero.
Teens rescue Big Arm woman trapped beneath mower
By Monday, Kyle Geyer looked pretty chipper. Especially for a woman who had spent four hours last Friday pinned beneath her riding lawnmower. She’s also exceedingly grateful to the two boys who saved her life, Danny Fehr and Channing Thompson who were visiting from Billings.
Electing a "Cleanser-in-Chief": A betrayal of voters and values
I attended the recent Montana GOP Convention in Helena, representing the Teton County Republican Central Committee, never expecting to witness a blatant power grab.
Dennis Schliep, 85
Dennis “Denny” LeRoy Schliep, 85, of St. Ignatius, passed away peacefully on Monday, June 23, 2025, at St. Luke’s Hospital in Ronan, surrounded by love. A graveside service to honor Denny’s life will be held on Monday, July 7, at 10 a.m., with military honors recognizing his service to the nation at St. Ignatius Pleasant View Cemetery, followed by a gathering at the Longhouse.
Peter Walther, 95
Peter Eugene Walther, died on June 20, 2025, wore many hats during his 95 years. A memorial service and reception will be held at Holy Spirit Episcopal Church, 130 S. 6th St. E. in Missoula, on July 11 at 10:30 a.m.
Summer Reading Program promotes learning
Boats are out on the lake, people are walking around, and the traffic is getting a bit denser. These are all the tell-tale signs of summer in the Mission Valley. Another sign of summer can be found away from the heat of July and indoors at libraries, where both Polson and Ronan are running their annual summer reading programs.
Ronan church hosts revival meetings
Morning Star Baptist Church of Ronan will host special revival services July 11-13 with evangelist John Van Gelderen of Ann Arbor, Mich.
Thirteen homes evacuated in Early Dawn fire
Local firefighters were busy again this weekend, containing the Early Dawn Fire near Big Arm. The blaze started last Friday, June 27, and was ignited by fireworks according to Polson Rural fire chief Will Woodger. He said 13 homes were immediately evacuated.
Ronan man sentenced for Town Pump altercation
A Ronan man, Joseph Channing Entwistle, was committed in District Court in Polson June 25 to the Montana Department of Corrections for five years, with none of that time suspended.
Lake County Conservation District awards $1,000 Scholarship
The Lake County Conservation District selected Hot Springs High School senior Nick McAllister as the recipient of its annual scholarship. This scholarship is awarded to a graduating senior demonstrating a strong interest in conservation, natural resources, or agriculture.
Daines to Montanans: Drop dead
By the time you read this, Steve Daines may have already pushed through Congress the big budget bill. It cuts almost a trillion dollars from Medicaid and other health care, including the Affordable Care Act.
Fire causes Rocky Point area evacuations
Evacuations were underway late Tuesday afternoon for Masumola Lane/Rocky Shores off of Rocky Point Road due to a wildfire, but by 6 p.m. the fire was knocked down and firefighters were mopping up, according to Lake County Office of Emergency Management. The evacuation order was lifted, and fire crews were remaining on the scene overnight to monitor the blaze. In addition, thunderstorms that rolled through western Montana last week ignited four fires in the Ravalli and Arlee areas. The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes reports that all were caused by lightning.
Couple accusing of abusing family member
A Ronan couple is accused of abusing a family member. Eddie Robert Cowen, 41, and Donna Rochelle Vincent Cowen, 65, recently appeared in District Court in Polson separately for arraignment hearings.
Time Capsule: From the archives of local weeklies
Stories harvested from the Flathead Courier, July 4, 1940
Local riders fare well at Mission Mountain Rodeo
Several Mission Valley cowboys and cowgirls rode to victory (or came close) in last weekend’s Mission Mountain Rodeo, sanctioned by the Northern Rodeo Association and held at the Polson Fairgrounds.
Bruce Agrella, 83
There will be an informal gathering on Friday, July 11, to remember Bruce Agrella of Polson, who passed away on May 4, 2025.