Articles Written By: Mary Auld
RONAN–On a warm fall day, families and friends gathered at the Ronan Visitors’ Center to eat food, play games, and celebrate the start of the fall season. “The picnic tables are full, and people are visiting who haven’t seen each other all summer,” said Heather Gray, a member...
POLSON– Fifth-grader Sofia Leighton spooned water into a container that appears to contain blue sand. The result is unexpected: instead of sinking into the sand, the water forms beads atop the blue substance. “Wow,” Leighton says softly. Leighton experimented with Nano sand at t...
POLSON–The Polson City Commission voted unanimously to approve at $17.32 million budget for the upcoming 2018-2019 fiscal year at the Sept. 5 meeting. According to the budget, the city’s total estimated revenue for the fiscal year will be $16,269,907. The city’s budget allows for $...
ARLEE — Families wandered quietly under a blue sky between 1,000 white Buddha statues on their way into the 14th Annual Festival of Peace on Sunday. The event, held at the Ewam Garden of 1,000 Buddhas, drew visitors, vendors, and presenters from across the region. Claudette Carlson, a...
LAKE COUNTY – In many ways, Joel McClanahan of Lolo is a typical proud parent. “We have an amazing kid,” he said as he introduced himself. While this affection is characteristic of many families, the situation by which McClanahan’s family came together is fairly uniq...
POLSON — Food, auctions, and even a fluffy puppy aptly named Cash entertained guests at the lively Mission Valley Animal Shelter fundraiser. Tickets for all 200 seats were sold for the second annual event held at the Red Lion Inn in Polson. “People had a lovely time,” said Filip...
MONTANA – With fire season comes conjecture about the causes of the fires and patterns in fire activity. Is fire season getting more intense and longer? Why is fire season so different from year to year? Local experts, politicians, and scientists share their understandings of wildfire and the ways that...
LAKE COUNTY – Smoke and wildfires are a routine part of Lake County summers. Though the memory of dense smoke in the region may be fading, thick wildfire smoke obscured views and filled the Mission Valley with a scent reminiscent of campfire several weeks ago. Kristen Martin of the Montana Dep...
By Mary Auld for the Valley Journal POLSON – Teacher Tessa Hupka stood before a class of eighth graders that seemed to be like any class on the first Friday of the school year: full of students chatting, joking, and rifling papers, but Hupka wasn’t there to teach math or reading. E...
Polson Administrators have been working diligently with their insurance company and engineers to develop a plan to fix the unusable Linderman Elementary gymnasium, according to Polson Superintendent Rex Weltz. A parapet wall on the gym’s roof collapsed in January due to heavy snowfall, resultin...
