Submission Guidelines

Letters to the Editor

Letters to the editor are welcome. The decision to publish letters is made by the editor. Letters must be signed by the author and name, address and phone number must be included – phone number is for verification purposes only. Letters from organizations must include the name of at least one author. Length of letters should be limited to 350 words or less. Exceptions may be made for guest columns on a case-by-case basis. Please limit “thank you” letters to four people/organizations or less. Letters must be submitted by Fridays at 5 p.m. to publish the following week.

Obituaries

Obituaries of Lake County residents will be published in the Valley Journal each Wednesday, space permitting and if they are received no later than 10 a.m. on Monday. Obituaries and death notices of 100 words or less are printed free of charge. Obituaries of children younger than 18 years of age are also published free of charge. A fee is charged beyond 100 words at a rate of 35 cents per word. There is also a charge of $10 per half-column photograph. Obituaries are subject to editing for style and content. Submit obituaries and photograph(s) by e-mail to or through funeral homes or by fax at 676-8990. Color or black and white photographs may be submitted. Display obituaries may also be purchased, which may include a variety of graphic displays. For more information, please call (406) 676-8989.

Events

Community calendar notices for nonprofit events are welcome for free publication in the Valley Journal. Calendar items may be edited for content and length. Space limitations also dictate when or if calendar items will be published. Calendar notices should be limited to 100 or fewer words and must be submitted by 5 p.m. Friday to publish the following week.