POLSON - What was deemed a “suspicious death” at the beginning of summer is now being considered a case of rape and murder.

Melvin Madplume, Jr. made an initial appearance in District Court last Thursday.  The 29-year-old Ronan man is being charged with felony counts of deliberate homicide and sexual intercourse without consent.

The affidavit filed by Lake County Attorney Mitch Young paints a gruesome picture of what happened the night of 28-year-old Laurence Kenmille’s death.

Dalen Siech wears many hats.  In the course of a week he is an artist, a philanthropist, a photographer, and a middle school student.

Though he is just 10 years old, Siech’s photography has started getting the attention of judges and professionals alike.  This spring Siech entered three of his pieces in a fine art photography contest in Hot Springs along with notable professionals from the area.  All three of his works won ribbons, and his photo of aspens from the Grand Canyon was a finalist in the competition.

Humble and timid, Siech’s whole demeanor changes when he talks about taking photos.  A smile spreads across his face when he recalls the trials and tribulations of getting the perfect shot of birds in flight or lying on his stomach to capture a sunflower in bloom.

Tiny, white bunches of flowers span the test plot in St. Ignatius. To the untrained eye it looks like a field full of baby’s breath, but the land is full of whitetop, a weed plaguing Lake County and the entire state of Montana.

Summer is in full bloom, and so are weeds. They may look pretty, but what invasive weeds do to an ecosystem, and an economy, is downright ugly.