$1.25
your homegrown newspaper February 12, 2025
Vol. 21, No. 22
4th grade homeschooler wins county spelling bee By Joanna Hudorovich for the Valley Journal
Snowpack pg. 5
Tax relief pg. 6
Sports pg. 16
ARLEE — Heidi Huber, a fourth grade homeschool student from Bigfork, took first place at the Lake County Spelling Bee by spelling “anthropology” and “liturgy” correctly. Held in the old Arlee High School gym on Thursday, Feb. 6, the event marks the 60th Lake County Spelling Bee, and the 100th National Spelling Bee. Some 30 students, grades 4-8 gathered from all over the Valley to showcase their spelling skills in pursuit of victory. Competition was fierce, as one-by-one, students stepped up to the microphone to spell words like “puniness,” “parroting,” and “onyx.” Twelve students were eliminated in the first round, and five more in the second. Although Huber deservingly took first place, her homeschooling isn’t registered under the Scripts Institute, making
Heidi Huber is the 2025 Lake County Spelling Bee champion. JOANNA HUDOROVICH PHOTO
see page 2
w w w.va l le yj our na l.net