News

RONAN — The 12th annual Harvest Festival was celebrated in Ronan last Saturday, Sept. 17 to mark the official start to autumn. While the last 12 years have seen a lot of different events come and go, from chili cook offs to giant pumpkin contests, this year saw the two local cooperatives join in the fun. With music provided by the Western Montana Musician’s Co-op, and the Ronan Cooperative Brewery providing drinks, the busy day was complete with carnival games and a cornhole tourney, a petting zoo, a bounce house and a large vendor market.  “It’s very exciting this year,” Ronan Chamber of Commerce member Lacy Cates commented. “We have a diverse...

News from the office of Senator Tester U.S. SENATE — U.S. Senator Jon Tester recently announced $1.2 million in federal funding for the Volunteers of America Northern Rockies, a statewide service organization focused on helping prevent and end veteran homelessness in Montana.  “The V...

News from MT Fish, Wildlife & Parks KALISPELL — This fall, staff in Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks’ Region 1 (northwest Montana) will be offering free clinics to teach hunters how to collect lymph node samples from the animals they harvest to have them tested for chronic wasting dise...

News from the office of Governor Greg Gianforte HELENA — On Friday, Sept. 16 Governor Greg Gianforte announced both the number of Montanans working and the size of Montana’s labor force grew to new all-time highs in August, according to data compiled by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (B...

  POLSON — A sizeable showing of Lake County’s legal community, along with around 30 interested voters, showed up at Glacier Brewing in Polson last Thursday to hear from state Supreme Court Justice Ingrid Gustafson. The incumbent is seeking to hold on to her post on the high court in a ra...

ST. IGNATIUS — Chief of Police Jason Acheson was sworn in on July 7, and since then has been working to implement new measures in the police force.  Originally from Columbia Falls, Acheson has worked throughout the Flathead in his career. He started out as a reserve police officer in Columbia F...

LAKE COUNTY — There has been an increase in bear sightings in communities this year, but according to biologists from the Wildlife Management Program of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, it isn’t due to this year’s fire activity.  The main suspected reason, according to b...

News and Photo from Laurine Wolf, Volunteer Ambassador, Shatterproof HELENA — This fall, show your support for those in recovery from a substance use disorder (SUD), still struggling with a SUD and honor those who have lost their lives to this disease by participating in the Montana Rise Up Agains...

MONTANA — Olivia DeJohn laughs as she chalks up having found a classroom she loves so early in her teaching career to serendipity. She teaches second grade at Missoula’s Paxson Elementary School, a job she quips “fell into my lap.” She did her student teaching at Paxson while getting ...

News from MT Fish, Wildlife & Parks HELENA — The suite of recommendations developed by the Elk Management Citizen Advisory Group are available for public review and comment. The group was organized this past spring by FWP director Hank Worsech to develop recommendations on elk management is...