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Lake County Leader
Polson Seniors: Tuesday is Commodity Day
Tuesday, May 21, is commodity delivery day. The truck arrives 10 a.m. Help us unload, sort and bag. Distribution is 1-3 p.m.We will be closed on Monday, May 27, Memorial Day.We provide ride services for elderly and disabled persons in the Polson area for a $5 charge ($1 for additional stops). Call in the day before or earlier for a ride; only two drivers so call early.Two positions are available with the Nutrition Program, either full or part time: nutrition director with food service skills and/or another full-time head cook.Wednesday is game day at 12:30 p.m. Bring a game and...
Love chosen as western region Superintendent of the Year
Ask Steve Love what he likes about being superintendent at Charlo Schools, and he’ll say the variety and the rural school values.“Today I was on a video conference discussing a Department of Education Grant, then I was helping a kindergarten student. Then, the next thing you know, we were trying to figure out substitutes so I was covering a first grade class because the teacher had to be at a meeting. Some days I drive the bus,” Love said.“There is something different all the time throughout the day,” he added. And that’s a good thing, since he enjoys variety and...
Pharmacy in the Family: Ernie Ratzburg inspires great niece
Newly minted pharmacist Madeline Hellinger recently worked side by side with her great uncle, Ernie Ratzburg – the longest-working pharmacist in Montana with 65 years beneath his crisp white jacket.“I always thought Uncle Ernie was pretty cool in his white coat,” she said, watching him fill a prescription at Credena Health Pharmacy Lakeshore.And her great uncle is clearly pleased with his protégé: “I'm very proud of this girl,” he said, noting that she’s both knowledgeable and a good communicator.Not only is Hellinger inspired by her great uncle, she also appreciates the opportunity her new career provides to interact with, and...
McCrea sentenced to 60 years on arson charges
A Ronan man, and son of one of the most experienced and respected wildland firefighters in the country, was sentenced in Polson District Court May 10 to the Montana State Prison for a total of 60 years with 30 years suspended.That was the punishment for Craig Allen McCrea, 38, who was convicted by a Lake County jury in February of two counts of felony arson – one of them for the catastrophic Boulder 2700 Fire of July 31, 2021. It destroyed 14 homes and 17 outbuildings, burned for 70 days and consumed almost 2,600 acres. Hundreds of people were forced...
MREC on Ronan City Council agenda again
Mission Range Event Center was on the agenda at the Ronan City Council meeting on Wednesday, May 8. Council members discussed the letter received from the Lake County Commissioners regarding MREC property in west Ronan. Pioneer Days would like to have a long-term lease for at least 10 years to build a rodeo arena on part of the acreage. With money in hand, they originally approached the Ronan City Council about buying one third of the MREC property from Lake County and then leasing it to Pioneer Days. Lake County Commissioners have said they’d like to keep the property under Lake County’s...
Polson gets past three teams at Butte invite
Polson scored three runs in the first inning and defeated Lockwood 4-3 at their final game of the LaVerne Combo Softball Invite in Butte on Saturday, May 11, marking their third win of the tournament. Madison Turner and Sam Rensvold combined to allow just one hit in the matchup.Polson finished with five hits and had RBIs from Olivia Jore, Kailey Smith, Emma Smith, and Ahrianna Rushing.Madison Turner started the game and pitched four innings, striking out three, while Sam Rensvold pitched one inning and struck out one.Earlier that day, McKenna Hanson hit a three-run homer as did Olivia Jore, helping...
Legals for May, 15 2024
NOTICE OF TRUSTEE’S SALE To be sold for cash at a Trustee’s Sale on August 26, 2024, at 11:00 AM on the front steps of the Lake County Courthouse, 106 Fourth Avenue East, Polson, MT, the following described real property situated in Lake County, State of Montana: Tract A of Gray’s Acres, a subdivision of Lake County, Montana, according to the map or thereof on file in the office of the Clerk and Recorded of Lake County, Montana. More correctly described as: Tract A of Gray’s Acres, a subdivision of Lake County, Montana, according to the map or plat thereof on...
George Pappas, 92
George Theodore Pappas, age 92 of Polson, passed away on Sunday, May 5, 2024, at St. Luke Community Hospital in Ronan. George was born Dec. 28, 1931, in Chicago, Il., to Theodore and Helen (Svetsus) Pappas, and lived there with his parents and sister, Xenia, until going to Korea.George fought in Korea from 1951-54, then returned home to complete a mechanical engineering qualification. He married his wife, Ann Nicklas (1931-1996), and they set up in Arapahoe County, Colo. Two of their three children were born in Colorado before George took a job in southern California with Rockwell International and joined...
Jeremy Phillippi
Jeremy West Phillippi of Charlo/Ronan passed away March 22, 2024. Jeremy was born Dec. 17, 1985, in Missoula. Nine months later he was placed in the home of Dale and Linda Phillippi for adoption. He grew up in the family home in Charlo. He attended Charlo School, Mission Valley Christian Academy, and then graduated from high school at the Montana Youth Challenge Academy in Dillon. He went on to study small engine repair at Missoula COT.He also attended training in carpentry through Montana Job Corps where he found his love of woodworking. Those skills served him well in his remaining years...
Woman arrested after fatal head-on crash
A fiery head-on crash at the north end of the Armed Forces Bridge in Polson Sunday killed one motorist. The driver of the second vehicle was arrested for vehicular homicide while under the influence.According to Polson Police Chief George Simpson, the southbound driver, Sarah Loschke, 29, appeared to have crossed into the northbound lane, striking the oncoming vehicle driven by Arden Cowan, 74. Cowan died at the scene, as did his dog. Loschke was transported to the hospital and subsequently arrested for vehicular homicide while under the influence, a felony. Her dog was taken to a veterinary clinic for evaluation. According to...
James and Virginia Lorraine Payson
A Memorial and Celebration of Life for James B. Payson and wife, Virginia Lorraine Payson, will be held at the First Presbyterian Church in Polson at 11 a.m. on May 29, 2024.James Boyd Payson died Sept. 10, 2022, in Polson. He was born Oct. 22, 1932, in Clay County, S.D., to Ardith Boyd Payson and Wallace W. Payson. They moved to Missoula where he graduated from high school and attended college.Jim always wanted to be a pilot and enlisted in the Air Force in 1951. His dream was realized in 1953. In 1962 he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross...
Dawna Harrod, 91
Dawna Dae (Voorhies) Harrod, age 91 of Polson, passed away May 6, 2024, at St. Luke Community Hospital in Ronan. Dawna was born Oct. 26, 1932, to Harry and Vera (Dupuis) Voorhies at the family home in Polson.Dawna graduated from Polson High School. She met and married Lee Harrod on June 14, 1949, and they had four children together. Lee passed away in May 1974.Dawna enjoyed fishing and gardening. She also enjoyed watching her grandchildren play sports.Dawna was preceded in death by her husband, Lee, parents Harry and Vera Voorhies, sister Frankie Buck, and granddaughter Jodi Anne.Dawna is survived by her children, Brad Harrod, Debbie Harrod, Kathy Harrod and Jim (Jody) Harrod, sister Madge Vert, 15 grandchildren, 29 great-grandchildren, and 4 great great- grandchildren. She is also survived by her companion, Jeff Dodgson.A rosary was held on Thursday, May 9, 2024, at 7 p.m. at The Lake Funeral Home and Crematory. A funeral mass was held on Friday, May 10, at 10 a.m. at St. Ignatius Catholic Church. Burial followed at Lakeview Cemetery.Messages of condolences may be shared with the family at www.lakefuneralhomeandcremation.com.Arrangements are under the care of The Lake Funeral Home and Crematory. Dawna Harrod
Claud Smith, 77
Born March 1, 1947, in Dallas, Texas, our beloved husband, father, grandfather and great grandfather, Claud "Jerry" Smith, passed away peacefully at his home in Ronan on May 1, 2024.The family will be making arrangements for a military service to be held in Texas at a later date.
MMIP walk/run raises awareness of those who are missing
To call attention to Missing and Murdered Indigenous People, Salish Kootenai College, Providence St. Joseph’s Medical Center, Safe Harbor, and the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes collaborated for a second year on the MMIP Awareness 5K Walk/Run, held May 4 at the Silver Fox Golf Course in Pablo.Dr. Nichole Mckinsey and colleagues from St. Joseph’s were registering runners. Mckinsey had not been familiar with MMIP when she first heard about it but then realized many patients were dealing with issues of missing friends or family members.“We had to do something,” she said. The MMIP walk/run helps raise awareness of the...
County breaks ground on new Dave Stipe Annex
Family members and friends of former Lake County Commissioner Dave Stipe, who died last March after a lengthy battle with a rare form of skin cancer, helped break ground last Tuesday on the new 15,000-square-foot Dave Stipe Annex. "Having the annex dedicated to my father is an honor and a privilege," said Stipe's daughter, Taylor. "He would be thrilled that the much-needed expansion has come to fruition."Swank Enterprises is general contractor on the three-story structure, which is going up on the corner of Fifth Ave. E. and First St. E., southwest of the existing courthouse.According to Commissioner Gale Decker, it’s a...
Sophie Haynes, 92
Sophie Stasso Haynes, 92, started her journey home to Kolinsuten on Saturday, Jan. 6, at her home near Dirty Corner in Arlee.An Elder of the Confederated Salish and& Kootenai Tribe, she was born to Antoine and Elizabeth (Cullooyah) Stasso on Nov. 7, 1931, not to far from where she started her final journey. As a child she and her younger sister, Susie, learned the traditional Bitterroot Selis ways from their family while picking berries, gathering bitterroot, camas, husk, and the traditional foods and medicines of the tribe. They spent many hours helping with the meat from hunts and helping in...
The rube sits and smiles
After having unloaded all my farm equipment from the railcar that had brought it from my late father’s farm back east, I knew that I had come to the right part of the world when Dude and Shorty, who had helped me unload it, looked at the wheels on my hay wagon and pronounced them “high-speed” because they actually had ball bearings instead of old-fashioned babbitt bearings.A person with less class than Shorty and Dude might have rightly said, “What a bunch of wore-out junk.”Their reaction told me I had landed squarely among people I could understand. In Trout Creek...
Margaret (Peg) Dean Ask, 97
Margaret (Peg) Dean Ask, 97, passed away Dec. 20, 2023, in Colorado Springs, Colo., on what would have been her 73rd wedding anniversary.She was born Margaret Ann Dean on Aug. 29, 1926, in Rahway, N.J., to Dion Kanouse and Margaret (Brearley) Dean. She was a 1948 graduate of Smith College in Massachusetts, where she was a member of the synchronized swimming team. After graduation, she pursued a career as a physical education teacher, which took her to schools in New York and Montana.While at the University of Montana, she met Thomas Ask, of Vananda, Mont., whom she would marry in...
Polson Pirates stage comeback to defeat Ronan
Polson came back against valley rival Ronan in a 12-4 West Division victory on Tuesday, April 30, in Ronan. It was Senior Night for the Chiefs, who will graduate a half dozen seniors from their inaugural season baseball program: Cash Atkinson, Dante Baltz, WilJames Courville, DaVonne Curley, Tristan Fisher and Coleton Sherman.Ronan led 3-2 after three innings of play, but Polson outscored the Chiefs 10-1 in the next four innings. Cole Wadsworth led the Pirates with two hits, two RBIs, and a double.For the Chiefs, Tristan Fisher had two hits and three RBI.Wyatt Wadsworth pitched the final two innings for...
Ronan boutique carries classy, quirky clothing and jewelry
The Jaded Pony Boutique’s wares are a lot cowgirl and a bit sass, sparkle, and snark. Anything but cluttered, the Jaded Pony mirrors the style and personality of Kelly Jo Nagle, who owns the business with her husband, Dusty. “It started because people like my style,” she said. “To be honest, I don’t have style, I just throw on big earrings and that’s it.” (Not true, by the way.)“I wanted to call it the Painted Pony because I have a paint horse, but that name was already taken so I came up with Jaded Pony, from when I used to work...
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The Lake County Leader has been in publication since 1910. It covers the Mission Valley and the Flathead Indian Reservation. The office is in Polson, MT which sits on the foot of the Flathead Lake.
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