Valley Journal
Valley Journal

Articles Written By: Melea Burke

Pure gasoline still top product at Jette Store

POLSON — “Real gasoline. No ethanol.” Proudly displayed on the reader board outside Jeff Schumaker’s Conoco station, known locally as the Jette Store, that slogan raises many questions about what motorists are putting in their fuel tanks these days. And according to Schumaker, who ...

Mission considers new police car

ST. IGNATIUS — A new patrol car could be in the works for the St. Ignatius Police Department if the town council approves an amendment to the budget. A public hearing on the proposed change will be held at the March 2 council meeting, which is scheduled for 7 p.m. at City Hall. Police Chief Shay Cla...

Town approves 2nd phase of skatepark

ST. IGNATIUS — After a long wait, the Skate Ignatius Skatepark project is once again running full steam ahead. The St. Ignatius Town Council approved a revised plan for the skatepark’s second phase at its Feb. 2 meeting. The plan, which is “just pretty much scaled down” from the or...

Five escape with minor injuries in 3-car crash

RAVALLI — A three-vehicle accident at the intersection of U.S. Highway 93 and Hwy. 200 sent five people to the hospital with minor injuries and slowed traffic to a crawl for an hour and a half Friday afternoon, Montana Highway Patrol Trooper Terry Rosenbaum said.  The collision happened just af...

Dance workshop gets feet moving in Arlee

ARLEE — On Friday morning, the rhythmic pounding of African drums and squeals of glee from young dancers echoed across the Arlee Elementary School gymnasium during a visit from African dance teachers Tarn Ream and Michael Meyer. The African dance and culture workshop was one of the school’s Fr...

Fort Connah supporters await grant announcement

ST. IGNATIUS — If all goes according to plan, the Fort Connah Restoration Society will soon get a much-needed boost in the form of a government grant. Since the group applied for $79,000 in funding from the Montana Department of Commerce’s Historical Preservation Grant Program in November, board ...

Ninepipes Museum struggling for survival

NINEPIPE — Your next visit to the Ninepipes Museum of Early Montana may be your last, as the economy takes its toll on another local entity. The notice on the Ninepipes Lodge’s reader board now reads “For sale” instead of the more hopeful “Closed ‘til spring” —...

Weekly dinners foster community spirit in Mission

ST. IGNATIUS — Free community dinners are no strangers to the Mission Valley during the holiday season, but one group in St. Ignatius has continued to serve free, hot meals every Monday evening since November. And they plan to keep going as long as they have funds and volunteers. It all started when...

Wedding expo unveiled at KwaTaqNuk Resort

POLSON — For anyone with questions about planning a wedding, the 2010 Mission Valley Bridal Fair was the place to find answers on Jan. 17. Held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the KwaTaqNuk Resort and Casino in Polson, which co-sponsored the event with the Valley Journal, the second annual wedding expo offer...

Students rally to aid Haiti relief efforts

ST. IGNATIUS — Little more than week after a devastating 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck Port-au-Prince, the city at the heart of one of the poorest countries in the Western Hemisphere, St. Ignatius Elementary students have joined what the Red Cross says may be the largest relief effort in the organiza...


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