County commissioners approve Canal Road improvements

RONAN — While county commissioner Gale Decker was out on vacation, Lake County commissioners Bill Barron and Ann Brower approved a rural improvement district to improve part of Canal Road.

LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO

Activists target Ronan fur farm

RONAN — A local fur farm was the target of vandalism from animal right’s advocates earlier this month, when masked suspects trespassed on the property and destroyed breeding records.

LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO

Right from the starch

In 1982, two young seniors at Montana State University started dating. They had known of each other growing up in the Mission Valley, she in Bigfork and he on the family farm outside of Pablo, but it wasn’t until college that they officially met. The next year, Roger and Kathy …

LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 12 MONTHS AGO

Hammer attack victim dies

POLSON — Desmond Alan Mackay was originally charged with attempted deliberate homicide and two counts of assault with a weapon following an attack with a hammer earlier this month. Now, in light of the victim’s death, Lake County prosecutors are seeking to amend the charges to include deliberate homicide.

LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS AGO

Pablo standoff ends peacefully

PABLO — A standoff with a gunman ended peacefully last week in Pablo.

LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS AGO

Mission Ronan child found safe and sound

RONAN — A story that could have been a tragedy, ended with happily with a collective sigh of relief. A 3-year-old child went missing in the Ronan area Sunday morning around 11:35 a.m., but was found shortly before 2 p.m. in good condition after he had been out walking with …

LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS AGO

School moves forward with bond

Polson High School will receive a visible makeover this summer thanks to over $2 million raised from a bond levy passed last year.

LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS AGO

Senate committee holds hearings on tribal education

Last week the U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs held the first of several hearings to examine the critical state of education in Indian Country.

LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS AGO

EDITORIAL: It makes snow sense

I remember watching a family cross-country ski down the street and I remember trudging a mile in the snow with my bag to get home. I remember businesses being closed and the appointment for my taxes being cancelled.

LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS AGO

EDITORIAL: Take heart

It was just like any ordinary day. He went in for a haircut and then Mike and a family friend were heading to the dump to drop off the last load of garbage and compost. Mike wasn’t feeling well. He was nauseous and sore. As he unloaded the bags from …

LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS AGO

Clinic partnership may be in question

POLSON — Amid confusion, officials from both St. Luke Community Healthcare and Kalispell Regional Medical Center assure Lake County residents that they are still working in tandem to realize a new primary care clinic in Polson.

LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS AGO

Two hurt in Jette crash

POLSON — Emergency responders were dispatched for a two-vehicle crash around 9:29 a.m. Tuesday. When they arrived on scene, they were in for a shock.

LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS AGO

At the ready:

Imagine you are at home and your children are laughing in the living room while you are in the kitchen, washing dishes or cooking dinner, humming to yourself. Suddenly the laughing stops, you hear a scream and as you enter the room a member of your family in on the …

LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS AGO

Answering the call

ST. IGNATIUS — When people look back on Valerie Umphrey’s legacy, the record books will have it wrong. Recently awarded for more than 20 years of volunteer emergency medical service, Umphrey admitted it has been closer to 30 years.

LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS AGO

B-I-N-G-O!

ST. IGNATIUS — The room was packed with families, every person waiting in anticipation for the next announcement to come over the loud speaker. Tensions ran high and even the littlest players were on the edge of their seats.

LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS AGO

Ag Expo rounds up Lake County

The cold weather may have kept most of the livestock home, but it wasn’t enough to keep stalwart members of the agriculture community away from last weekend’s event in Ronan.

LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO

Umphrey, Lewis honored in Helena

HELENA — If actions speak louder than words, Valerie Umphrey and Sgt. Chuck Lewis may as well be shouting.

LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO

Decades of Love

LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO

New chief optimistic for future of department

Ronan’s new chief of police, John Mitchell, is still reeling from being appointed to his new position.

LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO

Polson business burglarized

POLSON — Yet another local business was the victim of a break-in early Tuesday morning when a suspect shattered the glass door of Polson Main Street Market, entered the store and stole a case of beer.

LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO

Lyrically largesse

RONAN — Smells of rice, chicken and egg rolls still hung in the air when the first act took the stage at Lighthouse Christian Fellowship in Ronan last Friday night and it wasn’t long before the air was filled with music, laughter and love.

LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO

Ronan police chief ousted

RONAN — For the second time in less than three months, Ronan has a new chief of police. At the city council meeting on Jan. 21, officer John Mitchell was selected to replace Valent Maxwell, who was removed from his post at the Jan. 7 Ronan City Council meeting.

LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO

Petition to raise mill levy gains traction

LAKE COUNTY — Signatures are being collected in hope of increasing the mill levy for senior services in Lake County. Advocacy groups hope to get the ballot initiative in the primary election in June by obtaining 500 signatures by March 10.

LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO

New chairman ready to serve

PABLO — Coming out of semi-retirement was a big decision for the new Confederated Salish and Kootenai chairman, but he was talked into running for Tribal Council again.

LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO

EDITORIAL: Cervical cancer doesn't care

Our nation is in the midst of a health care crisis and many feel overwhelmed by the rising costs of insurance and doctor’s visits. During this government limbo, it is imperative not to lose sight of the importance of preventative medicine.

LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO

Manhunt underway near Arlee

ARLEE — As the Leader went to press, one of two suspects had been arrested and taken into custody while the other remained at large after a cross-county car chase led to a manhunt involving multiple jurisdictions Monday afternoon.

LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO

Commissioners appoint interim city attorney; swear in new mayor

POLSON — Optimism for the future filled the room as Polson’s newest leaders swore to uphold the rights of their constituents in front of a crowd that spilled out of the chamber and into the hallway at Monday’s city commission meeting.

LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO

Tribes select new chairs

PABLO — Following three consecutive tie votes Friday morning, the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribal Council selected Ron Trahan as chairman for the next year. Newly elected councilmember Vernon Finley will serve the second year of the term, starting in 2015.

LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO

Lankford a stalwart of tribal council

What do Tiger Woods, George W. Bush, Al Gore and Barack Obama have in common?

LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO

Council members to alternate as leader

Following three consecutive tie votes Friday morning, the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribal Council selected Ron Trahan as chairman for the next year. Newly elected councilmember Vernon Finley will serve the second year of the term, starting in 2015.

LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO

Boys and Girls Clubs are alive and well

Amid rumors of closure after executive director John Schnase resigned, board members and directors of the Boys and Girls Clubs in Ronan and Polson want to assure the community that the club is very much alive and moving forward.

LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO

An artist's gift keeps on giving

He ran into the hospital with a family and their baby. The child was septic, sick with an infection, and if it didn’t get to the hospital it wouldn’t live another day. The three-hour drive to the capital city was a heart-wrenching race to get there in time.

LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO

School board names new head cheer coach

RONAN — The Ronan School Board of Trustees officially hired a new coach for the revived high school cheerleading program at their regular meeting Monday evening.

LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO

Starry-eyed surprise

Many people remember Salish Kootenai College’s contributions the 2012 Mars Curiosity rover mission and the Curiosity’s successful landing on Mars. Now, nearly a year and a half later, scientists across the nation are still using the Space Age technology to study our neighboring planet.

LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO

Meeting of the minds

PABLO — Last Friday, Congressman Steve Daines dropped by the Salish Kootenai College to tour the campus and meet with newly inaugurated president Robert DePoe, III.

LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO

Shooting suspect arrested after high-speed chase

DAILY INTER-LAKE | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO

Domo arigato, Mr. Roboto

RONAN — After the state qualifier several weeks ago, Ronan High School’s robotics team is ranked fourth and will be advancing into the state tournament.

LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO

Stores fix card system

POLSON — Last week’s cyber-attack on regional grocery store chains has been blocked and all card transactions have been resumed, said URM Stores CEO Ray Sprinkle in a statement on Monday.

LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO

Providence to cut regional spending

POLSON — St. Joseph Medical Center in Polson may be impacted by localized spending cutbacks announced by its parent company, Providence Health and Services, this week.

LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO

Remembering Thanksgiving

Residents of St. Joseph Assisted Living Center reminisce about what Thanksgiving Day was like before Black Friday, Butterball turkeys and the Macy's Day Parade.

LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO

A mile in their moccasins

PABLO — History can be told through culture.

LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO

Family loses home, not resolve

DIXON — A fire may have taken their home and everything they owned, but the Elverud family hasn’t let the tragedy break their spirits.

LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO

BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT: Same name, same place

Polson residents who have seen the for sale sign in the window of Appliance Care in Polson, can rest easy. The company is not going out of business – it has been taken over by long-time technician Sam Allred.

LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO

Romero named winner

RONAN — Incumbent city council member Roger Romero won a deadlocked election for Ronan Ward 1 commissioner after a tiebreaking decision by the city council at Monday night's meeting. Romero won with a landslide 4-1 votes from other council members.

LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO

Schnase bids adieu

When an artist gets too close to their work, the brush strokes become distorted. It takes space to see the bigger picture. For John Schnase, it was time for that distance.

LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO

Donations may save cheer squad

RONAN — Through the uncertainty surrounding the Ronan High School cheerleading program, there is a glimmer of hope for the squad.

LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO

Red Ribbon rookie

RONAN — Many residents were seeing red again last week during Red Ribbon Week at four school districts in Lake County.

LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO

Queen of Halloween

Arlee’s royal family of Halloween has done it again.

LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO

Wind pounds Finley Point

FINLEY POINT — Winds hammered the Flathead Lake area during a storm Sunday, knocking out power to more than 500 homes.

LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO

Flu season may come early again this year

Flu season is upon us, and while it may not be in full swing just yet, now is the time to keep healthy.

LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO

Ronan schools serve up local cuisine

RONAN — Homemade whole-wheat buns, Montana ground beef and locally grown carrots and apples are items you would find on a high-priced menu, but in honor of Farm to School month local food was the highlight of lunch trays Monday in the Ronan cafeteria.

LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO

SKYLINE DRIVE: Residents raise safety concerns

POLSON — In the wake of the Skyline Drive Project being lauded as a success and a testament to the cooperation of agencies within Lake County, some Polson residents are still not happy with the final product.

LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO

Suspect charged with rape, murder

POLSON - What was deemed a “suspicious death” at the beginning of summer is now being considered a case of rape and murder.

LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO

Plagiarism allegations arise

Allegations of plagiarism led to Lake County Justice of the Peace Joann “Joey” Jayne’s dismissal as an applicant to fill the 20th Judicial District Court judge position.

LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO

Butler sentenced to eighty years

POLSON — A 17-year-old Arlee boy who pleaded guilty to stabbing his stepfather to death was sentenced last Thursday to 80 years in the custody of the Department of Corrections.

LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO

Seeking an angel

POLSON — Group. Tribe. Clan. Family. Community.

LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO

Clever notion

Nights are getting cooler, days are getting shorter and deciduous trees are transitioning to autumn hues. Yes, fall has arrived. It’s time for apple cider, warmer socks, and nights snuggled up on the sofa.

LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO

Interim principal named

POLSON — In a special board meeting last Thursday, the Polson School District Board of Trustees approved Tom DiGiallonardo to serve as interim principal for Polson Middle School grades 5 through 8 for the next year.

LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO

Climate control

The sun beat down, making me sweat and warming my skin. As I sat in the early July heat, I sunk my hands into the refreshing white stuff below me— snow.

LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO

Brushes with fate

Whether it is a paint brush or a tooth brush, Louise Lamontagne is making the world a better place with each stroke.

LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO

Live History Days face uncertain future

POLSON — Fiddlers, basket weavers, a blacksmith and train operators all worked around each other last weekend as inquiring families participated in this year’s live history days at the Miracle of America Museum in Polson.

LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO

Three cheers for cherries

POLSON — While most Lake County residents are sick of the continued heat, cherry growers wouldn’t ask for anything else.

LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO

Two sisters, One crown

What started on a whim has turned into a journey for two sisters who graduated from St. Ignatius High School.

LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO

Racing back in time

ST. IGNATIUS — Temperatures rose to scorching levels later in the day, but at 7 a.m. Saturday it was still chilly in the shade, perfect weather for the annual Buffalo Run.

LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO

Dogs have their day

POLSON — There were dogs as far as the eye could see Sunday at the Southshore Veterinary Service Sunday for Pet Fest, a community event for pets, their owners and hopeful animals looking for a good home.

LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO

Running wild

From the floppy ears right down to their fluffy little tails, its is hard to deny how cute bunnies are.

LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO

This is a test:

PABLO — A lone gunman died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound after he shot several victims in the Michelle Building at Salish Kootenai College. When Leader staff arrived on scene, the number of victims was not yet known and Life Flight had just touched down. Lake County Sheriff Jay Doyle …

LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO

$2,600 raised for Boys and Girls Clubs

RONAN — The sweet sound of the fiddle mixed with the twang of the banjo in the Ronan City Park last week, raising more than $2,600 for charity.

LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO

Arlee 3-on-3 adds some flair to annual powwow

ARLEE — While the rest of us were just battling the heat last Wednesday, athletes took to the courts to battle each other for the title of champion.

LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO

The beat goes on...

ARLEE — Tradition. Pride. Culture. History.

LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO

Card shark

Dalen Siech wears many hats. In the course of a week he is an artist, a philanthropist, a photographer, and a middle school student.

LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO

Woman stuck in vehicle after crash near Betty's Diner

A car crash near Betty's Diner in Polson trapped one driver in the vehicle Tuesday afternoon. The Jaws of Life were brought to the scene but not used. The driver was transported to St. Joseph Medical Center. All passengers of the other car suffered minor scrapes and bruises.

LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO

The dairy debate

Want to buy something illegal but don’t know where to find it? Check Craigslist.

LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO

Flower power

POLSON — Downtown Polson wouldn’t be the same without the hanging flower baskets that add an eye-catching pop of color as you head down Main Street.

LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO

Ponzi scheme victims paid

HELENA — Restitution payments totaling over $242,000 will be made to victims of Cornerstone Financial, Inc. from Montana’s new Securities Restitution Assistance Fund.

LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO

Safety first

POLSON — John Fairchild hates the beginning of July and he has a good reason why.

LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO

Volunteers raise nearly $30,000 for department

ST. IGNATIUS — Fire trucks, water slides, carnival games, and a barbecue dinner were just a few of the attractions in St. Ignatius last Saturday.

LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO

Lacrosse program growing up

Alex Alviar, program director and founder of 10Sticks Lacrosse, began the team with a single thought.

LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO

$4 million grant given to support housing authority

Over $4 million in federal grants awarded last week to the Salish and Kootenai Housing Authority will help provide services to over 500 families on the Flathead Reservation.

LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO

Leader honored at MNAs

MISSOULA — The Lake County Leader took in eight awards in the Montana Newspaper Association’s 2012 Better Newspaper Contest, including first place for “Best Sports Pages.”

LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO

Flathead fury

Fresh out of college, and ready to conquer the journalism world, I immediately agreed when Leader editor Bryce Gray offered me the last seat in the boat. I wasn’t scared, mostly.

LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO

Going the Distance

Bree Fuqua grew up in Polson, attended college in Oregon, and now teaches math at Glacier High School in Kalispell.

LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO

Time to shine

Even though the seats weren’t completely filled, the St. Ignatius High School gym was bursting at the seams with excitement Saturday afternoon as 25 seniors said goodbye to a community they have grown to love.

LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO

Nasewytewa admits to two offenses

POLSON — Ten-year-old Isaiah Nasewytewa admitted to two counts of misdemeanor disorderly conduct Thursday in front of District Court Judge Deborah Kim Christopher.

LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO

Child hit by car in Polson

POLSON — A woman driving northbound on Highway 93 struck a child on a bicycle in Polson Saturday afternoon.

LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO