Valley Journal
Valley Journal

Articles Written By: Kathi Beeks

Studies show pet ownership can improve health Studies show pet ownership can improve health

Pet owners instinctively know pets make life better.  With roughly half of all households in the United States owning at least one dog, (the most popular pet), science has undertaken the task of proving what pet owners already know. Researchers in Sweden, Germany, the United Kingdom, Canada and th...

Slide through summer with learning fun

By Kathi Beeks                  Valley Journal The “summer slide” sounds like fun play equipment - it is anything but. Children lose up to three months worth of reading and math skills during long summer vacations. While there are educators pushi...

Dealing with back-to-school butterflies Dealing with back-to-school butterflies

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 ...

Understanding ACEs promotes healing Understanding ACEs promotes healing

There’s a problem and we all have the solution. According to The Center for the Developing Child at Harvard University, “When adults have opportunities to build the core skills that are needed to be productive participants in the workforce and to provide stable, responsive environments for the...

Soup’s On Winterfest brings community together Soup’s On Winterfest brings community together

POLSON — Rob Quist says he is so pleased with what the Polson community is doing with Soup’s On that he and his daughter Halladay plan to continue to be the entertainment for the annual Winterfest event – “forever,” according to volunteer coordinator Susan Evans. Evans said a...

Newly formed museum group pools resources

POLSON — In the shadow of a huge taxidermy buffalo, the third meeting of the newly formed Flathead Museum Consortium recently took place at the Miracle of America Museum. With two plates of her homemade oatmeal cookies set out for meeting attendees, Karen Dunwell, the interim leader for the group, expl...

Children’s play spreads message of kindness Children’s play spreads message of kindness

Parents, grandparents, siblings, friends and teachers anxiously waited in a line that backed out through the high school’s double doors and outside to purchase tickets for the Friday night production of The Elves and the Shoemaker.  Buzzing with enthusiasm in anticipation of watching young acto...

Local students bring awareness to hunger issues Local students bring awareness to hunger issues

ST. IGNATIUS – A few of the students chosen by Governor Steve Bullock and his First Lady to work on the statewide fight against childhood hunger are from Lake County. According to a press release, 19 middle and high school students throughout Montana were selected to serve on the Youth Leadership Co...

‘Paper Tigers’ shows value of compassion

PABLO — In an effort to enlighten the public on the effects of childhood trauma, Salish Kootenai College and the United Methodist Church each showed the movie “Paper Tigers” this past week. “Paper Tigers” documents a school in Walla Walla, Washington, that has taken to heart ...

Commissioner teaches how to smell a rat

POLSON — The Commission of Securities and Insurance wants to teach you how to smell a rat.  Following two days of making stops all over Western Montana, Commissioner of Securities and Insurance Monica Lindeen brought to Polson her presentation on how to avoid fraud.  The compelling stor...


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