Paddlers propel dragon boats on Flathead River

Red balloon-shaped markers on the Flathead River laid out the start and finish lines for Montana Dragon Boat Races and Festival, which were held Saturday and Sunday, July 19 and 20 at the Polson Fairgrounds. Three dragon boats, painted bright yellow, green and red (one with eyelashes) were the stars of the show.

Elizabeth Preston, 99

Elizabeth Hildreth Cummings Preston, 99, died from natural causes on Wednesday, July 9, 2025 at St. Luke Extended Care Facility in Ronan, with her family by her side. A memorial service celebrating Beth’s life will be held at 3 p.m. Friday, Aug. 1, at the Mission Valley United Methodist Church on Highway 93, just south of Ninepipe Lodge.

SKC disc golf tournament draws 40 players

The National Amateur Disc Golf Tournament (NADGT), presented by SickBirdie Disc Golf, Inc., was held July 12 at the Salish Kootenai College (SKC) Disc Golf Course in Pablo. The event drew 40 players from a 200-mile radius.

Mariners split doubleheaders, improve to 25-20

The Mission Valley Mariners split back-to-back doubleheaders last week, bouncing back from losses with wins to move to 25-20 on the season heading into the final stretch of summer baseball.

Meters used to monitor and charge for commercial water use

Polson’s water ordinance, effective June 10 to Sept. 30 each year, restricts watering to every other day with three hours maximum. It’s aimed at optimizing water usage and minimizing waste. Some residents, however, have expressed concern about tanker trucks pulling up to city fire hydrants and filling their massive tanks with water several times a day.

Players continue 50th season with "Always ... Patsy Cline"

The Port Polson Players, in association with Mission Valley Friends of the Arts, continues their 50th season with the musical masterpiece "Always ... Patsy Cline," which opens Friday, July 25, at the Theatre on the Lake.

Ronan Seniors: Birthday dinner served Friday

The Mission Valley Senior Center serves roast beef for the birthday dinner, served Friday, July 25. Also on the menu: chicken and rice, Monday, July 28; goulash, Wednesday, July 30; and tator-tot casserole, Friday, Aug. 1.

Dana sentenced for indecent exposure, injuring officer

A Polson man, who admitted to exposing himself, injuring an officer and leading law enforcement on a high-speed pursuit, received a 10-year prison sentence in District Court in Polson July 17, plus 10 years suspended.

Polson man receives suspended sentence for weapons assault

Eric Walter Baszler, 42, who was convicted of assault with a weapon after a day-long trial in May, was sentenced in District Court July 16 to the Montana Department of Corrections for 10 years, with all that time suspended.

Flathead families deserve real tax relief

As conservative legislators from the Flathead, we went to Helena to fight for real property tax relief – relief that’s fair, easy to understand. After all, your state government started this last legislative session with a yearly structural surplus balance of over half a billion dollars.

Legals for July, 24 2025

Live History Days ups museum's ante

Pickups, SUVs and cars lined Memory Lane in front of the Miracle of America Museum last weekend for Live History Days. The Polson museum is a four-acre treasure chest of American history. Visitors can’t begin to see all the exhibits in just one visit. And the annual Live History Days ups the ante.

Artists sell creations at annual festival

“Kids are easy to take care of. You just give them some concentrated coffee and some water,” says Bitterroot Valley artist Daryld Pepprock as he helps his granddaughters and a friend with their paintings.

Paddling into the wind: Flathead Lakers face funding cuts

White caps were beginning to take shape on Flathead Lake Saturday morning as participants in the Flathead Lakers annual Poker Paddle returned to Boettcher Park.

Ninepipes Museum hosts First Saturday, garners grant

Ninepipes Museum’s First Saturday event brings music, art and demonstrations to the museum, located north of Ronan from 10:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Aug. 2. The museum also received a $2,000 grant from Walmart to support cultural programs.

Mission Valley Events Roundup

Your guide to Mission Valley events

Richard Orton, 75

Richard Clarence Orton passed from this life on May 15, with his daughter, Cynthia Dragon Fly, by his side at St Joseph’s Hospital in Polson. There will be a memorial in his honor at 2 p.m. July 26 at Leon Hall (near Post Creek/St Ignatius). He wanted this to be a time of music, food, laughter and sharing.

William Owen Lambson

An affinity with water flowed through William Owen Lambson’s life, from his childhood in Lexington, Ky., to his death July 7, 2025, at his home near the edge of Flathead Lake.

Time Capsule: From the archives of local weeklies

Stories harvested from the Flathead Courier, July 17, 1980

Stephen Miller and crew must have ICE in their veins

Most immigrants make our diverse country stronger, wiser and more loving.