POLSON — Housing – or lack of it – was at the forefront of a Polson City Commission meeting last Monday, July 19. City manager Ed Meece and community development director Juan Escano gave the commission a rundown of efforts to address what city government is calling a “housing crisis.” “We’re using the word crisis not to be overly dramatic but because we feel that’s where we’re at,” Meece said. “We have businesses in the community that can’t stay open for an entire work week because they can’t find staff, staff that can’t stay in the community because they can’t find a place to live, and st...
Valley Journal The Lake County Commissioners are hosting a retirement party for Commissioner Dave Stipe from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Thursday, July 29, in the commissioners’ chambers. The public is invited. Stipe, a Ronan area rancher, has served the commission for more than 16 years, first from 1...
All of Lake County moved into moderate drought conditions last week, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor, significantly different from the week before, when the easternmost portion of the county was listed as only “abnormally dry.” At this time last year, nearly all of Montana was in the &ld...
RONAN — Crustacean connoisseurs gathered at the Ronan Fairgrounds for the annual Crab Fest on Friday evening. “I love crab feeds,” said one participant who was waiting in line for a plate. “It’s a tasty and fun way to hang out with friends.” The event is an ann...
POLSON — Art festival-goers filled Sacajawea Park this past weekend during the Flathead Lake Festival of Art held along the tree-lined shores of Flathead Lake. The two-day festival, presented by the Sandpiper Art Gallery, offered a relaxing atmosphere for shoppers to browse a diverse array of artisa...
ST. IGNATIUS — Folks flocked together for a weekend of fun during the Good Old Days events last week. The weekend was named for the nostalgic times when communities gathered to connect and play games for some old fashioned fun. When asked how this weekend compared to past events, one woman leaving a bi...
RONAN — The 2021 Lake County Fair, themed “Yee Haw Mardi Gras,” got underway earlier this week and will continue through the weekend at the fairgrounds in Ronan. On Wednesday, July 21, a family-style dinner is on tap at 5 p.m., followed by the market livestock weigh-in and open-cla...
ST. IGNATIUS — Planes and pancakes were back at the St. Ignatius Fly-In on Sunday morning after the pandemic put a hold on the event last year. The event has been held annually for 14 years, not including last year, as a way to end the Good Old Days weekend and bring people out to the airport...
MONTANA — In recent years, the effect of trauma on students’ educations has become more widely recognized, but Montana State University researcher Christine Stanton says an important question remains: How can education research help when education itself is traumatic for many students? Stanton...
POLSON — Getting muddy was unavoidable and precisely the point for more than 50 mud-caked volleyball players that participated in Saturday’s inaugural Bump, Set, Splat! Mud Volleyball Tournament held at the Polson Fairgrounds. Hosted by the Boys and Girls Club of the Flathead Reservation...
