Photos of 2025 by Leader Staff
Lake County Leader | Lake County Leader | UPDATED 1 month, 4 weeks AGO
Despite its many scenic amenities, Polson was recently denied designation as a resort community – ending any aspiration of city leaders to attempt to pass a local option tourist tax. (Kristi Niemeyer/Leader)
Lauren and Wilder Arnold prepare to ply the ice at Boettcher Park last Friday. (Kristi Niemeyer/Leader)
Lake County received two grants from the Department of Commerce to explore innovative ways to address the lack of affordable housing. (Kristi Niemeyer/Leader)
Charlotte Fulwiler careened around the field next to the Miracle of America Museum during Saturday's Winter Fest. (Berl Tiskus/Leader)
Carissa HeavyRunner describes the agony her family has suffered since losing her daughter, Mika Westwolf, on March 31, 2023, to a hit-and-run north of Arlee, as District Court Judge Molly Owen listens attentively. She testified during last Friday's sentencing for Sunny White, the driver of the vehicle. (Kristi Niemeyer/Leader)
Recent snow has helped tilt mountain snowpack upward – an important predictor of water availability for irrigators. (Kristi Niemeyer/Leader)
Newborn calf belonging to Hailey Weible. (Kristi Niemeyer/Leader)
The famous green horse makes its way down the street during the Ronan St. Patrick's Day Parade. (Kaleb Unger/Leader)
Ronan Catcher Shelby Taylor looks to throw to first to get the out in a battle against Libby. (Kaleb Unger/Leader)
Duane Weible brands another calf during the annual get-together at the family's ranch south of Charlo. All-told, they marked around 180 calves in about six hours. (Kristi Niemeyer/Leader)
Graduate Kylin Medicine Bull was attired in a full headdress as he received his Associate of Arts in Psychology Saturday at Salish Kootenai College. (Kristi Niemeyer/Leader)
Irrigation season is well underway across the Mission Valley. (Kristi Niemeyer/Leader)
Shirley McConnell and her daughter, Susan McNatt, show off Shirley's 100th birthday cake at the Red Hat Society's birthday lunch on June 18 at the Sports Page. (Berl Tiskus/Leader)
Breakaway roper lunges for a calf during last Friday's Mission Mountain Rodeo in Polson. (Kaleb Unger/Leader)
Stuart Hometown Auto of St. Ignatius drifted through Charlo last Friday aboard a boat proclaiming "Thank you for keeping us afloat." (Kristi Niemeyer/Leader)
Paddle Palooza participants begin a 25-mile point-to-point from the Polson Fairgrounds to Big Arm Canoe Club. The event is put on by Silver Lining Montana and supports breast cancer patients and survivors in northwestern Montana. (Courtesy photo)
A boy sprints towards a display of UFO's and flying saucers at Live History Days. (Berl Tiskus/Leader)
Dori Gilels muscles her paddle board toward the finish line of the 5.5-mile course during the Flathead Lakers Poker Paddle. (Kristi Niemeyer/Laker)
Brooklyn Krahn and her steer, both all shined up, wait to go into the sales ring. (Berl Tiskus/Leader)
With a big smile, Ella Dupuis holds her rabbit after she won the junior round robin showmanship. (Berl Tiskus/Leader)
Ruby Epperson takes in the bubbles outside White Fish Credit Union at the Block Party. (Emily Messer/Leader)
The English and French waged a mighty battle on the stage at the Polson Fairgrounds Monday when Montana Shakespeare in the Parks delivered "Henry V." The troupe, which performs in 64 communities across Montana and beyond, also delivered "As You Like It" Sunday in Palmer Park near Charlo. (Kristi Niemeyer/Leader)
Energy Keepers, who manage SKQ dam, are slowly drawing down the level of Flathead Lake to around a foot below full pool by Labor Day, and two feet below by the end of October to make room for next spring's run-off. (Kristi Niemeyer/Leader)
Viking senior Kenyan DuMont is taken down by a Blackhawk during the homecoming game Sept. 19. (Emily Messer/Leader)
The crystalline waters of Flathead Lake reflect the south end of Cedar Island. (Kristi Niemeyer/Leader)
A tractor moving bales and a bike rider pass on Coyote Trail in the Moiese Valley during the annual Pedal to Plate. (Kristi Niemeyer/Leader)
Charlo barrel racer Abby Knight turs a barrel at the Northern Rodeo Finals in Kalispell on Oct. 31. (Berl Tiskus/Leader)
Reece Bailey and Tom Mullins brought down snowmobiles to give rides to all the kids at the St. Ignatius Christmas Festival on Saturday, Dec. 6. (Emily Messer/Leader)
Elder Shirley Trahan holds up her “I voted” sticker at the Mission Salish Senior Center after casting her vote on Saturday, Dec. 13. (Emily Messer/Leader)
A compilation of favorite photos from the year 2025 taken by Lake County Leader Staff.
Lauren and Wilder Arnold prepare to ply the ice at Boettcher Park last Friday. (Kristi Niemeyer/Leader)
Lake County received two grants from the Department of Commerce to explore innovative ways to address the lack of affordable housing. (Kristi Niemeyer/Leader)
Charlotte Fulwiler careened around the field next to the Miracle of America Museum during Saturday's Winter Fest. (Berl Tiskus/Leader)
Carissa HeavyRunner describes the agony her family has suffered since losing her daughter, Mika Westwolf, on March 31, 2023, to a hit-and-run north of Arlee, as District Court Judge Molly Owen listens attentively. She testified during last Friday's sentencing for Sunny White, the driver of the vehicle. (Kristi Niemeyer/Leader)
Recent snow has helped tilt mountain snowpack upward – an important predictor of water availability for irrigators. (Kristi Niemeyer/Leader)
Newborn calf belonging to Hailey Weible. (Kristi Niemeyer/Leader)
With snow melting and the sun shining, even the run-off mud is beautiful. (Berl Tiskus/Leader)
The famous green horse makes its way down the street during the Ronan St. Patrick's Day Parade. (Kaleb Unger/Leader)
Aurelia Stahl enjoys a hot dog after searching for Easter eggs at the Mission Valley Super Oval Easter egg hunt. (Berl Tiskus/Leader)
Ronan Catcher Shelby Taylor looks to throw to first to get the out in a battle against Libby. (Kaleb Unger/Leader)
Duane Weible brands another calf during the annual get-together at the family's ranch south of Charlo. All-told, they marked around 180 calves in about six hours. (Kristi Niemeyer/Leader)
FREE SPUDS: Dana Darlington picks through a pile of free potatoes, deposited last week in the Pablo IGA parking lot by Tobol Farms, a Round Butte-area farming operation. Darlington was pleased with the generosity of her neighbors and with her harvest. (Kristi Niemeyer/Leader)
Graduate Kylin Medicine Bull was attired in a full headdress as he received his Associate of Arts in Psychology on Saturday at Salish Kootenai College. (Kristi Niemeyer/Leader)
Water flowing over SKQ Dam had slowed to a trickle in early June. However, dam managers dropped outflows, and unanticipated precipitation in July helped keep lake levels within one foot of full pool through August. (Kristi Niemeyer/Leader)
Irrigation season is well underway across the Mission Valley. (Kristi Niemeyer/Leader)
Historian and beaver trapper Mark Weadick stands in front of his camp beside the pelt of a 63-pound beaver he trapped, skinned, fleshed, and dried on a hoop. (Berl Tiskus/Leader)
Shirley McConnell and her daughter, Susan McNatt, show off Shirley's 100th birthday cake at the Red Hat Society's birthday lunch on June 18 at the Sports Page. (Berl Tiskus/Leader)
Breakaway roper lunges for a calf during last Friday's Mission Mountain Rodeo in Polson. (Kaleb Unger/Leader)
Stuart Hometown Auto of St. Ignatius drifted through Charlo last Friday aboard a boat proclaiming "Thank you for keeping us afloat." (Kristi Niemeyer/Leader)
Paddle Palooza participants begin a 25-mile point-to-point from the Polson Fairgrounds to Big Arm Canoe Club. The event is put on by Silver Lining Montana and supports breast cancer patients and survivors in northwestern Montana. (Courtesy photo)
A boy sprints towards a display of UFOs and flying saucers at Live History Days. (Berl Tiskus/Leader)
Dori Gilels muscles her paddleboard toward the finish line of the 5.5-mile course during the Flathead Lakers Poker Paddle. (Kristi Niemeyer/Laker)
Brooklyn Krahn and her steer, both all shined up, wait to go into the sales ring. (Berl Tiskus/Leader)
With a big smile, Ella Dupuis holds her rabbit after she won the junior round robin showmanship. (Berl Tiskus/Leader)
Despite its many scenic amenities, Polson was recently denied designation as a resort community – ending any aspiration of city leaders to attempt to pass a local option tourist tax. (Kristi Niemeyer/Leader)
Ruby Epperson takes in the bubbles outside White Fish Credit Union at the Block Party. (Emily Messer/Leader)
The English and French waged a mighty battle on the stage at the Polson Fairgrounds Monday when Montana Shakespeare in the Parks delivered "Henry V." The troupe, which performs in 64 communities across Montana and beyond, also delivered "As You Like It" Sunday in Palmer Park near Charlo. (Kristi Niemeyer/Leader)
Energy Keepers, who manage SKQ dam, are slowly drawing down the level of Flathead Lake to around a foot below full pool by Labor Day, and two feet below by the end of October to make room for next spring's run-off. (Kristi Niemeyer/Leader)
Pirate senior Cruz Lies steals the ball from Blue Devil defensive player Eli Knight on his way to the goal on Sept. 18. Lies earned All-State recognition after Pirate Soccer took the State Championship against Whitefish. (Emily Messer/Leader)
Community leaders and local pastors speak and pray on the courthouse lawn Sept. 18 during the Charlie Kirk Prayer Vigil. (Emily Messer/Leader)
Hayes Harris tackles his younger brother, Holden Harris, as the Charlo Vikings play the Seeley-Swan Blackhawks. (Emily Messer/Leader)
Viking senior Kenyan DuMont is taken down by a Blackhawk during the homecoming game Sept. 19. (Emily Messer/Leader)
The crystalline waters of Flathead Lake reflect the south end of Cedar Island. (Kristi Niemeyer/Leader)
Ben Lambson balances his board on the rim at the Polson Skate Jam Saturday, while celebrating an event and a place that were important to his late father, William. (Kristi Niemeyer/Leader)
A tractor moving bales and a bike rider pass on Coyote Trail in the Moiese Valley during the annual Pedal to Plate. (Kristi Niemeyer/Leader)
Kanenn Belcourt is dressed in his full indigenous regalia at the Beartracks Celebration Powwow at Caras Park on Oct. 13. (Emily Messer/Lake County Leader)
2-year-old Esme Rosas trick-or-treats in downtown Polson in an inflatable dinosaur costume. (Emily Messer/Leader)
Charlo barrel racer Abby Knight turns a barrel at the Northern Rodeo Finals in Kalispell on Oct. 31. (Berl Tiskus/Leader)
The Northern Lights glow over the Mission Mountains on Nov. 11. (Emily Messer/Leader)
With a sunny day, mountains in the background and hay in the manger, it's a good day to be a steer at the Sherman feedlot in Ronan. (Berl Tiskus/Leader)
Kids took advantage of Friday's snowfall and a blocked off Main Street to stage an epic snowball fight in front of the VFW prior to Polson's Parade of Lights. (Kristi Niemeyer/Leader)
Reece Bailey and Tom Mullins brought down snowmobiles to give rides to all the kids at the St. Ignatius Christmas Festival on Saturday, Dec. 6. (Emily Messer/Leader)
Elder Shirley Trahan holds up her “I voted” sticker at the Mission Salish Senior Center after casting her vote on Saturday, Dec. 13. (Emily Messer/Leader)
Levi Schmidt runs past their completely blind horse, Hope, on Tuesday, Dec. 16. Hope was the Schmidts’ first kill pen save from Texas. (Emily Messer/Leader)