MISSION VALLEY — A strong storm system tore through the Valley late last Tuesday night and into Wednesday morning, Aug. 15. The high winds caused a power outage, two boats to sink in Flathead Lake, several search and rescue calls and caused the West Garcon fire to double in size within a matter of hours. The fire put several homes at risk and caused late-night evacuations. Chris Gibbons, a science and operations officer with Missoula’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association office, said the system was characteristic of a winter storm front. While uncommon, these systems do tend to occur periodically from August to October. Gibbons said the cold front came...
With the West Garcon Fire now at 9,110 acres and 45 percent contained, crews continue to fight heavy fuels, mostly timber, and steep terrain to control the blaze. As of press time, the fire had moved north of Windy Gap and a few miles south and was burning in a big timbered basin, according to public informa...
ELMO — A male paraglider was found dead at the bottom of Chief Cliff, a landmark near Elmo, at about 8:30 a.m. Aug. 11. The ALERT helicopter spotted a red and white parachute at the bottom of Chief Cliff and relayed the coordinates to search and rescue. Searchers from the Lake County Search and Resc...
RONAN — Ronan School District No. 30 trustees voted 5-2 against hiring Lake County Superintendent of Schools Gale Decker as Ronan High School’s assistant cross-country coach. In an hour and a half special board meeting Aug. 6, Decker began by reading a lengthy statement regarding his pro...
VALLEY VIEW — The Lake County Sheriff’s office continues investigating the strange circumstances surrounding a cow death discovered the morning of June 27. The cow was found a quarter-mile into the field, and no tire tracks could be located despite the wet conditions. Ranch hand Lonnie M...
RONAN — As any horse trainer will tell you, starting a horse is no small matter. It takes diligence, a wealth of knowledge, a keen eye and the patience of a saint to effectively and safely train a 1,200 pound animal. In less than four hours between Friday and Saturday night, three local traine...
The popularity of “Cadzilla,” the $900,000 ’48 Cadillac owned by ZZ Top guitarist Billy Gibbons, made it hard to find ’48 Cadillacs. But Butte resident Gary Gatelli found one in Texas. Gary and his wife Cathy drove the Caddy to the Cruisen by the Bay ...
POLSON — With blues skies and sun, 79 swimmers churned up the water in Polson Bay for the 10th annual Mission Valley Aquatics Water Daze on Aug. 4. The 1-mile swim race began at the dock behind the KwaTaqNuk Resort and Casino and ended at Boettcher Park. “It was a great event even though the w...
RONAN – When it comes to the Lake County Fair and 4-H, Lake County Extension Agent Nori Pearce said the two are inseparable. “It’s the ultimate educational experience for many of the 4-H members,” Pearce said. “The Lake County Fair is always focused on the youth, so 4-H is an...
RONAN — A report of a car in the canal sent emergency crews rushing to the corner of Terrace Lake Road and Timberlane Road just before noon on Thursday. Responders found a small red Subaru nearly submerged under the Terrace Lake bridge. Ronan volunteer firefighters secured the vehicle before searching ...
