Business

By Matt Varilek, Small Business Association regional administrator  HELENA – One of this region’s most expensive disasters unfolded the night of Sept. 9, 2013 when over 10 inches of rain fell in a 24-hour period, devastating Boulder, Colo., and several other communities with flash floods, inflicting damage on nearly 20,000 homes and hundreds of small businesses.  Unfortunately, our region is prone to a variety of natural disasters such as flooding in North Dakota, recent tornadoes in South Dakota, and 2012 Montana wildfires that scorched more than 1.1 million acres of land.  Statistics show 25 percent of businesses that close because of disaster never reo...

RONAN — Jay Wilson Preston of Community Tel, Inc. in Ronan and Judy Preston of Access Montana will join 42 other community, business, education, healthcare, and government leaders from across the state in Big Sky this September for Leadership Montana, a premier leadership development program. These inf...

News from Providence St. Joseph Medical Center POLSON — Providence St. Joseph Medical Center is proud to announce that Dr. Terry Smith has joined the Providence St. Joseph Clinic as the new Board Certified Internal Medicine Physician. “Dr. Terry Smith will be an incredible addition to our s...

What do a flaming phone, a rope and a bunny have in common? Magic, that’s what. And the undivided attention of an eager, young audience.  Local businessman and magician Ken Avison, owner of the Cove Deli and Pizza, has entertained folks of all ages with his magic shows for more than 50 years.&n...

 News from Montana Secretary of State  Linda McCulloch PABLO, MT – Secretary of State Linda McCulloch presented Ron Couture, CSKT enrolled tribal member and owner of Jitterbug Weed and Pest Control, with a Secretary of State’s “Certificate of Good Standing” during the ...

POLSON — Focusing on short-stay rehabilitation for the community, Polson Health and Rehabilitation Center is renovating to the tune of $700,000. The facility is west of Providence St. Joseph’s Medical Center, at 9 14th Avenue West.  It’s not the same old place; they’re doing a...

ST. IGNATIUS – Angie Chrisman started cutting hair as a licensed stylist for humans but eventually found dogs easier to deal with — even after being growled at, bit and defecated on. “Dogs are much easier to work with than people,” said Chrisman, owner of Waggin’ Tails Dog Gr...

DIXON – The hills of Dixon don’t flow with milk and honey, but the famous melons grown there have some people wondering if they might.  The sugary-sweet fruits have amassed a huge following over the past 24 years, as Dixon Melons, Inc. grew from a small hand-tilled backyard plot into one ...

News from Providence St. Joseph Medical Center  POLSON — The National Rural Health Association has announced that Providence St. Joseph Medical Center has merited a Top 20 Best Practices in Quality designation across all critical access hospitals in the United States as determined by iVantage H...

News from Lake County Job Service POLSON — The Lake County Job Service Employer Committee recently recognized three local organizations as this year’s “Employers of Choice.” This award recognizes a small, medium, and large scale business that demonstrates a high level of commitment...