POLSON – There’s a new sergeant in town. Sgt. Chan Barry, 42, was recently promoted from a trooper position in Columbus to supervisor of the Montana Highway Patrol’s Polson detachment. He replaced Paul Pfau, who was in the position nine months. Barry, who started with MHP in 2008, helped cover the area from Big Timber to Red Lodge in his previous position. He will be overseeing five employees in his new position, including Troopers Shad Andersen, Tony Isbell, Aaron Day, Charles Burton and Zach Miller. Although Barry will be busy with administrative duties, he said his goal is to work one day each week on patrol. Barry said his i...
Dr. Doug Melzer usually works nights in the emergency room at St. Patrick Hospital in Missoula. He spends most of his time dealing with the usual emergency room fare: heart attacks, pneumonia, broken hips. But about once a week he treats patients coming into the emergency room because they’re ...
POLSON – As a victim of child sexual abuse, Grace Manchala has a heart for child victims of sex trafficking. Manchala spoke about her passion to shed light on the problem before the Lake County Pachyderm Club on Friday, May 26. Growing up in India, Manchala suffered from abuse from a ...
By Caleb M. Soptelean Valley Journal POLSON – Celebrate, contemplate and participate. That was the message on Saturday at Polson High School’s graduation. One hundred twelve graduates were assembled to hear PHS social studies teacher Patrick Danley’s speech before an...
POLSON – It’s not necessarily unique for Polson High School graduates to earn full-ride scholarships to the East Coast. But this year, three of them did. Emily Johnson, who has been a guidance counselor at PHS for 15 years, said it is common for the school to have one or two students hea...
Korbyn J. Pierre sings the National Anthem at the Mission 2017 High School graduation ceremony. ST. IGNATIUS – Dan Durglo worked a line from a Joni Mitchell song into his speech as the guest speaker for the Mission High School graduation on Saturday, June 3. “You don’t know what you&r...
POLSON – The eastern entrance of Polson High School will soon be awash in Pirate Pride colors thanks to the efforts of thirteen senior students. Purple, gold and green landscaping was completed to fill a service component of the students’ project-based Jobs for Montana Graduates II class. The ...
RONAN – Valedictorian Daniel Koehler used his time at the podium to thank teachers and family at the Ronan High School graduation on Sunday, June 4, and he spoke about human kindness. He said a Holocaust survivor taught him about the importance of speaking up for every human being. He said she told ...
PABLO – Marita Growing Thunder’s graduation ceremony from Polson High School on Saturday, June 3, marked the finish point of her yearlong project to give voice to missing or murdered indigenous women. “As many times as I wanted to give up, I made it,” she said. She vowed t...
POLSON — I hate it when the voices in my head are silent; I never know what they are planning. But lately they’ve been saying, “Dave, its time you go back to work.” Although I’m not completely 100 percent recovered from my knee injury, I need to get back, perhaps sharing t...
