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The City of Thompson Falls has received a grant to help upgrade the city pool. The $75,000 grant came from Montana State Parks, and the city will match the grant funds for a total project cost of $150,000. Thompson Falls Mayor Jerry Lacy said upgrades will be made to the concrete deck around the pool, as well as to plumbing, showers, fencing, lifeguard chairs and other improvements. City Clerk Chelsea Peterson said the project will go out to bid soon, and the city hopes construction will start as soon as the weather allows. Lacy anticipates...
The first baby of the year at Clark Fork Valley Hospital was a bit of a surprise for the hospital staff. Tom and Chelsea Kirkland also were a bit surprised last Thursday when their son Casen made an early arrival. This is the first baby for the Kirkland family. Chelsea's due date was Saturday, Jan. 26. She had an appointment in Missoula on Thursday, Jan. 24. Her doctor said everything looked good and she still had some time. In fact, they told her they would probably induce her on Monday, Jan....
The Noxon Business Professionals of America (BPA) team attended the regional competition last month, with 14 students qualifying for the state competition, to be held in March. Several students qualified for state in multiple events. The Global Marketing Team and the Admin Support Team also qualified state. The students attending the state competition include Delany Weltz, Kali Murray, Laurel Miller, Jenna Freeman, Nate Cano, Vanessa Horner, Chelsea Vohs, Jaedyn Murray, Cade VanVleet, Andy...
The mountain. The pyramid. The Sanders County Commissioners have heard many nicknames for the mound of gravel that now sits at the site of the new Thompson Falls transfer station. Last fall, the first phase of the project was completed, which created a large platform on which the transfer site will be built. Sanders County Commissioner Tony Cox spoke to the Thompson Falls Chamber of Commerce last week to provide updates on and details of the project. The new transfer station will include a...
The Noxon High School technology levy passed last May was not included in the school’s budget, the school board was informed Monday evening. School Board Chairman David Pafford alerted the board to an issue with the technology levy passed by district voters in May 2018. Pafford said that in the first week of January, it was discovered that the technology levy was not reported to the state Office of Public Instruction and was not included in the school’s budget, which led to it not being included on property tax bills in November. The high sch...
Inga Scharnhorst recently purchased The Beauty Bar Salon in Trout Creek. "It's a dream come true," the salon owner said recently. Scharnhorst is originally from the Troy area, but went to cosmetology school in Utah. She said she knew what she wanted to do but wanted to go out of state for training. She chose Utah because their cosmetology license required the same number of hours as Montana, 2,000. She noted that some states require fewer hours, which makes transferring a license more...
The Wild Coyote Saloon took advantage of the winter weather last weekend, hosing a winter carnival for local families. Non-profit Project ASCENT hosted games and sold comfort food including cocoa and chili to participants. Children and adults tried their luck at games such as a reindeer ring toss, magnet ice fishing and a shooting gallery in which contestants shot foam darts at a wall of yeti targets. Kids earned tickets at each game, and could trade their tickets in for prizes including bouncy...
Growing up, Morgan Grimm didn't dream of being a police officer. She didn't wear the costume at Halloween. But a passion for helping people led her to the position. Grimm, 34, recently joined the City of Thompson Falls Police Department. Born in Bozeman, Grimm grew up in a military family, primarily in California. She started her professional career in healthcare, attending nursing school in California and working at hospitals. Grimm said she always wanted to come back to Montana. He parents...
A local therapeutic boarding school is facing three civil complaints brought on by families of former students. The three complaints name Reflections Academy, Inc., Executive Director Michele Manning and employee Chaffin Pullan as defendants. All three were filed in 20th Judicial District Court. The first lawsuit, filed October 9, 2018, alleges that the plaintiffs’ minor teenage daughter “was sexually abused and subjected to other physical, psychological and emotionally abusive conduct” by Pullan while she was a resident at Reflections Acade...
The City of Thompson Falls last Thursday mailed notices to property owners of the intent to create Special Improvement Districts (SIDs) for the proposed wastewater treatment system. Property owners now have until Feb. 8 to provide written input on the creation of the SIDs. At the Jan. 14 City Council meeting, council members were informed that if 51 percent of property owners provided written opposition to the creation of the SIDs, the project could not continue. Mayor Jerry Lacy said this week that the Bond Council misinformed the city, and...
Lyle Fisher is carrying the weight of Sanders County on his back in March. Fisher, a volunteer firefighter and EMT from Hot Springs, is training for the 28th annual Firefighter Stairclimb in Seattle on March 10. The event is a fundraiser for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS). Fisher, 29, has set a goal of raising $2,000, and said he is trying to get donations not just from his hometown of Hot Springs, but all over Sanders County. He plans to do fundraising throughout the county. "It's hard...
State Senator Jennifer Fielder of Thompson Falls is back in Helena as the 2019 legislative session gets under way. Fielder, a Republican in Senate District 7, this session is chairperson of the Senate Fish and Game Committee, Vice Chair of the Judiciary Committee, and a member of the Local Government Committee. Sen. Fielder said Monday from Helena that being chair of the Fish and Game Committee takes up a lot of bandwidth for her, but she's ready for a busy session. "I'm working on a number of...
by Annie Wooden After more than 90 minutes of discussion with about 25 residents on Monday evening, the Thompson Falls City Council voted in favor of two resolutions expressing the intent to create Special Improvement Districts (SIDs) and move forward with a wastewater treatment system plan for properties above the railroad tracks. However, council members expressed to residents in attendance that this did not commit them to the project. On Jan. 7, the city held a public meeting to inform residents of the proposed project and the proposed...
A hole in a sewage pipe near St. Regis discovered last Friday sent more than 40,000 gallons of raw sewage down the Clark Fork River, according to the state Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ). Bill Naegeli, head of Sanders County Emergency Management, said that he was notified by the DEQ that a wastewater lagoon force main had a complete break in a section on the Clark Fork River. “It’s already flushed through here,” Naegeli said on Tuesday. He said that normally situations are reported to the state DEQ, who notify everyone downs...
A 43-year-old man entered not guilty pleas Tuesday to four charges stemming from a 911 call of a disturbance at a Thompson Falls apartment complex. Jason Krick is charged with two felony counts of criminal posession of dangerous drugs, a misdemeanor count of obstruction of a peace officer, and misdemeanor disorderly conduct. On Dec. 30, Thompson Falls Police Department responded to an apartment complex on Bighorn Drive for a report of a disturbance. According to charging documents, Krick allegedly gave officers a different name when he was...
THOMPSON FALLS MAIN STREET COMMITTEE members Robin Hagedorn (from left) and Carla Parks presented Christmas on Main Street decorating awards to First Security Bank, represented by Jill Lofthus and Joanne Burk; Courtney Dean of Courtney's Floral; and the Thompson Falls Ambulance Service, represented by Jim Krogman, Katie Miller and Janet Shear....
A case against State Senator Jennifer Fielder regarding an open records request has been dismissed after nearly two years. Sen. Fielder (R-Thompson Falls) released a statement Monday saying the case was permanently dismissed and no further action will be taken. In February 2017, the Campaign for Accountability (CFA) filed the lawsuit against the state’s Legislative Services Division and Fielder claiming that Sen. Fielder failed to release records requested under the Montana Open Records Act. The case was dismissed with prejudice, which means e...
Less than a week into her newly combined position of Sanders County Clerk and Recorder, Superintendent of Schools and Treasurer, Nichol Scribner attended the Thompson Falls School Board meeting on Monday to address issues with school financial records. Scribner told the board that the school finances are up to date through October, but that October has not been reconciled. She said she met with all of the school district clerks in the county, and her office is working to get financial reports to schools, cities and special districts. Scribner...
A passion for helping people led Thompson Falls resident Morgan Leaf to open Essential Wellness Day Spa. Leaf has been a licensed massage therapist since 2007. "I love it, I love helping people," she said. Leaf has offered massage services at other locations in Thompson Falls, but decided recently to open her own day spa. Essential Wellness Day Spa opened in December, and Leaf held an open house on Dec. 8. She invited vendors to bring in products, offered specials, and opened the doors to share...
MSU Extension in Sanders County is picking up its Lunch and Learn brown bag series this month. All classes are free and held at the state office building just east of Thompson Falls. Classes are noon to 1 p.m. on Fridays. Jeanette Allday with MSU Extension in Sanders County said participants are welcome to bring their own lunch and join in learning about various topics. Allday said the classes are taught by community members, Extension agents and specialists from Montana State University. She said that the 2019 series was created based off of...
Blackfoot customers from Thompson Falls to Noxon had a quiet weekend after a fiberoptic line was damaged, disrupting voice and data services earlier this week. Just before 8 a.m. on Sunday, Blackfoot was notified of a disruption in services in the Thompson Falls area, company spokesperson Wil Anderson said. A fiberoptic line across the Clark Fork River was severely damaged in winter weather. Customers from Thompson Falls to Noxon had no phone or Internet service. Anderson said crews worked Sunday and discovered the source of the outage in the...
Sanders County Commissioner Tony Cox presided over the swearing in of the newly elected county officials last Thursday. Family, friends and colleagues of the elected officials attended the ceremony, held in the justice court courtroom. The new term for the elected officials started January 1, but the transition will be a smooth one for most of the new appointees, who are retaining positions. Sanders County Commissioner Carol Brooker, Sheriff Tom Rummel, Judge Doug Dryden and Clerk and Recorder...
Most college students spend their weekends exploring, hanging out with friends, and maybe doing a little studying. Jason Cox of Missoula travels to Sanders County each weekend to shares lessons and experiences with two different churches. Cox became the pastor of the United Methodist Churches of Plains, Paradise and Whitepine. It's unusual for someone to become a pastor before they are ordained. The Sanders County Methodist churches had been looking for a new pastor. John Daniels, the pastor at...
by Annie Wooden Now that winter has arrived in Sanders County, we're ready for soup season. There's nothing like a hearty bowl of chili or chicken noodle to warm the body and soul on a cold winter's day. January also happens to be National Soup Month. The art of making soup has been around for thousands of years. According to daysoftheyear.com, about 20,000 B.C., people would boil concoctions in clay vessels or in watertight baskets or animal hides using heated rocks. The modern idea of soup...
The City of Thompson Falls is being cautious as they move forward on a plan to connect the properties above the railroad tracks to a city sewer system and update the current treatment system. The Thompson Falls City Council met with Great West Engineering representatives Craig Pozega and Carrie Gardner, as well as Bob Murdo from the bond counsel, last Wednesday to discuss the wastewater project. Council members and about 15 residents received a general update on the project plan, as well as the budget and the impact on property owners. The...
