In late 2017, Montana legislators voted to substantially cut funding for mental health care, in response to a budget shortfall. In the wake of the budget cuts, a group of Montana newsrooms, in collaboration with High Country News and the Solutions Journalism Network, explored how communities are preventing the state’s mental health crisis from worsening. What we found was a rise in informal treatment options: Rather than replacing the mental health workers whose jobs disappeared, communities are building on-the-ground care networks. The effects of that shift on Montana’s mental health system are still emerging. This series is just the beginning of a statewide conversation about ...
After graduating from Harvard Medical School in 1986, Bill Thomas started working as the medical director of a small nursing home in central New York. It was a run-of-the-mill institution, “depressing and dispiriting,” he says. He was attending to an elderly resident’s rash one day when she...
POLSON – Motor vehicle injuries are a leading cause of death among children 12 years and younger, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. In fact, the NHTSA finds that half of all child safety seats are not properly fitted to the child or installed correctly in a vehicle. ...
Anxious feelings about the startup of school generally affect both parents and children. Parents may not look forward to stricter bedtime practices and the return of homework routines. Children’s concerns generally center on their clothes, friends, or academic abilities. Fears about new teacher(s) are ...
The approach of a new school year brings with it a hefty to-do list: school supplies must be purchased, new routines established – and children of some ages must be vaccinated. As back to school tasks go, immunization is seriously consequential for the health of children and their classmates. Just 1...
POLSON – On Aug. 29 Peter Hamilton will start his first school year as principal of Polson High School, and he is excited. “One of the coolest jobs is being a high school principal,” he said. He said that he looks forward to living near the lake and serving the Polson community. Af...
POLSON – Tim Finkbeiner, principal at Polson Middle School, says that in order to guide students through the “roughness” of their pre-teen years, his school needs to be more cohesive – and he’s making changes to achieve that cohesion. Last year was Finkbeiner’s first ye...
LAKE COUNTY – The Mission Valley Animal Shelter is getting ready for their second annual Puppy Party, and they need donations and people to sign up for a special project. The event isn’t exactly what it sounds like: “We aren’t going to be giving out puppies, but we do have some for...
POLSON — There is always death and taxes; however death doesn’t get worse every year. The AARP Safe Driving Course will be taught here on Tuesday, Aug. 21, from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. with a break for lunch. The toenail clinic has been rescheduled to Thursday, Aug. 16, from 9-11 a.m. The chang...
ST. IGNATIUS — Golf is a good walk, spoiled. — Mark Twain The food pantry is still looking for volunteers to work Tuesdays and Fridays from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. If you are interested, please call 406-745-0057. The nail clinic will be on Tuesday, Aug. 21, from 10 a.m.-noon. Call the center at 406-...
