Independently owned since 1905
Independently owned since 1905
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That’s a wrap on the 2023 men’s golf league season. The Tuesday and Wednesday leagues at River’s Bend Golf Course toasted the season end with fun night scrambles last week. On Tuesday, the NLC Inc. team of Howard Morkert, Scott Rasor, Bill Nolen, Mike Tessier and Mike Lilly carded the low round of 33. Morkert, Dave Petteys, Ricky Hagedorn and Rusty Haggard all had chip-ins in their final round of league play. Zack Hannum sank the long putt on No. 3, Kade Pardee’s drive was closest to the pin on both par three holes, John Mosher had the long pu...
The Over the Hill Gang said goodbye to August with another round at River’s Bend on Monday. Lana Nolen led the ladies with a low gross round of 51 and Kristy Beaty had the low net score of 32. Liz Morkert was all about the chip-ins, hitting it in off the green on both No. 2 and No. 8. Chris Gross hit the long drive for the ladies on No. 9. The Garys were the champions for the men, with Gary Thompson shooting the low gross of 40 and Gary Moe the low net of 32. Thompson was closest to the pin on No. 8 and Moe sank the long putt on No. 9. In o...
Plains and Noxon tipped off their 2023 volleyball season at the Mission tournament on Saturday. Ten teams competed in a full day of volleyball action. First up was a round robin tournament in order to determine seeding for the afternoon, in which the teams were bracketed for the final rounds. Senior Maygan Swanson is excited for her senior season with the Red Devils. “I’ve been ready for my senior season since fifth grade,” she expressed after Noxon won its first matchup of the season on Satur...
Steady rain on Monday was a welcome sign for firefighters battling the River Road East Fire in Paradise. A crew of nearly 400 personnel with the Northern Rockies Incident Team is now managing the wildfire, which ignited Friday near the intersection of River Road East and Highway 200 just outside the town of Paradise. As of press time Tuesday evening, the fire had grown to 16,790 acres with no containment. Sheriff Shawn Fielders stated that as of Tuesday afternoon, 50 structures had been...
It’s hard to sit back and do nothing. As I sat in my office Monday morning writing the latest update on the River Road East Fire, waiting for the rain that eventually came pouring, it was numbing. It’s hard to focus when we know what is happening to the east. On Sunday, I spoke with people who had lost their homes from the River Road East Fire. We’ve asked in the question of the week previously what people would take in case of a wildfire. I’d grab my dog and my phone, some clothes and the box of photos that aren’t digitized. Some of the resid...
The Over the Hill Gang played like champions Monday at River's Bend Golf Course. The gang enjoyed a Ryder Cup scramble in which they played three holes as a scramble, three as best ball and three with alternating shots. Jesse Mack and Ron Beaty were the low pair with a gross round of 39, while Bary Moore and Larry Eddy combined for the low net of 29, Barb Wooden and Chris Gross were second with a 31, and Randy Hojem and Al Luckow were third with a 33. Barb Wooden had a birdie on No. 14, also winning closest to the pin on that hole. Chip-ins...
Lana Nolen and Liz Morkert held on to first place in the last week of competition play for the ladies league at River's Bend Golf Course. The duo sits in first place with 150 points and Morkert sank the long putt on No. 6 last Thursday. Tina Wheeler and Jeanne Holleran shot the low team gross of 98, Danice Toyias and Kristy Beaty combined for the low net of 70, Wheeler had the low individual gross round of 43 and Barb Wooden the low net of 31. Holleran's fourth shot was closest on No. 2, Kim Pardee had the long putt on No. 3, Sharon Pound's...
Montana's Best Builders were the best all year in Tuesday men's league play at River's Bend Golf Course, no playoff needed. The team won both halves of the season and are the league champions. Team members Sean Kelly, Nathan Snead, Doug Czerwinski and Mike Thilmony combined for the low gross round of 180 last week, while Bear Muscle Fitness teammates Doug Robichaud, John Mosher, Cody Mosher and Steve Fairbank had the low team net round of 146. Dave Garr carded the low individual gross round of 38 and Cody Mosher's low net of 33 was best on the...
Whitefish Credit Union won both halves of the Wednesday night mens league season and were crowned the champions last week. Team members Shawn Morgan, Randy Hojem, Wally Gibe and Chuck Manry combined for a low net of 146 on the last night of play, while Clark Fork Seamless Gutters (RT Brown, Bob Brown, John Owens and Ross Gunn) had the low gross round of 172. RT Brown's 39 was the best gross score, and Manry had the low individual net round of 33. RT Brown had the closest third shot on No. 2 and the long putt on No. 6, Robichaud sank the long...
The annual Avista Charity Scramble broke a fundraising record this year as the golf tournament at River's Bend in Thompson Falls raised more than $25,000. This year the four-person scramble and silent auction benefitted the Sanders County Community Housing Organization. Eighteen four-person teams participated in the tournament and helped raise money with a 50/50 drawing and silent auction. Lisa Fried de Reyes with SCCHO expressed appreication to Avista and the comunity. "This is an amazing...
by Ledger Staff More is more in the case of the 2023 Huckleberry Festival. There were more parade floats, more vendors and more visitors than ever before as the 43rd annual festival took over the Trout Creek Park last Saturday and Sunday. "Phenomenally, this is the best festival to date," said festival chairperson Elizabeth Haagenson. "We love to keep the people happy and we love this laid-back small-town fest." Carrie Greene is the volunteer in charge of vendors for the festival. She said more...
UPDATE AUGUST 21, 2023, 8 a.m.: A resident reported that the large white barn at Kennedy Creek (across from what is known at the Paradise Spring area) burned overnight. Highway 200 is re-opened. The River Road East Fire is now listed at 16,790 acres. by Annie Wooden The River Road East Fire near Paradise has grown to more than 13,000 acres. Fire officials held a public meeting at Plains High School on Sunday afternoon, updating the community on fire activity. The fire as of Sunday afternoon is 1...
There's a science to making grapes grow in northwest Montana. On Thursday, about 30 participants from northwest Montana visited three Sanders County vineyards to learn and ask questions about growing grapes. Attendees ranged from those curious about the operation and excited about the wine tasting portion of the day to some who had established home vineyards. The first stop on the tour was Gut Craic Vineyard in Thompson Falls, owned by Tom and Bina Eggensperger. Tom took visitors on a tour of...
In my first few years as a newspaper publisher, I was hesitant to use my editorial space to find fault in things I saw in our area of coverage. Everything was “rainbows and unicorns,” as I like to say, and I had a pretty positive angle. Recently, “Our Viewpoint” has been critical of several happenings in Sanders County. That’s necessary, too. But the definition of critical is to identify the faults and the merits of something. A few months ago, I decided I needed to take a year off. Don’t worry, it’s not what you think. After serving as a...
The Thompson Falls City Council had its regular meeting on Monday, hearing complaints from a resident about traffic and businesses in her neighborhood. Tamra Shear appeared before the council to request a street sign and street light at the corner of Broad Street and Maiden Lane. She said that drainage has also become a big issue at the intersection. Shear said she was told there is no easement on either side of the street near the intersection, but she would like to see stop signs and yield...
The Over the Hill Gang needed extra sunscreen this week as they headed out into the summer sun for another round at River’s Bend in Thompson Falls. Ron Belger’s golf game was hot as he shot the low men’s gross round of 37. Belger’s round included a birdie on hole No. 5, and he won the pin prize for the closest drive to the hole on that par-3. Larry Eddy’s low net of 30 was the best for the men, and Kristy Beaty shot the low women’s net of 37. She also hit the long drive on No. 9. Hole No. 7 was sizzling Monday as Al Luckow, Mike Normandin a...
Megan Baxter showed off her All-American talent during ladies league play at River’s Bend last Thursday, pummeling the long drive for those 54 and under on No. 18 and putting her drive on No. 17 closest to the pin. Baxter earned All-American Scholar status last season on the Carroll College golf team, one of three Fighting Saints to obtain the honor. Tina Wheeler and Jeanne Holleran are moving up in the team standings, again shooting the low team gross last week, with a 100. Kim Sparks and Chris Kelly combined for the low team net of 69. Wheele...
It was all in the details as Sharks Auto Detail golfers Dave Garr, Jens Jantzen, Charlie Hooten and Rusty Haggard combined for the low team gross score of 181 last Tuesday at River’s Bend. Custom Ventures teammates Kade Pardee, Ty Pardee, Craig LeCoure and Zack Hannum had the low team net of 144, Kade Pardee shot the low individual gross of 39 and Shawn Wilkinson the low net round of 33. The young Pardee kept the accolades rolling as he also sank the long putt on No. 15 and slammed the long drive on No. 18. Steve Fairbank had the long drive o...
Edward Jones was in the money last week as team members Dan Kier, Ed Mack, Jesse Mack and Ryan Craven had the low team gross score of 171 in Wednesday night men’s league at River’s Bend Golf Course. Wild Coyote was on their heels, with the low team net of 148 from Gary Thompson, Mike Normandin, Dave Petteys and Steve Clark. Doug Fisher shot the low gross round of 38 and Chuck Manry the low net of 32. Craven was the star of the pin prizes, hitting his third shot closest on No. 11 and smashing a long drive on No. 18 (Paul Flemmer hit the lon...
Officials with Montana Department of Transportation (MDT) met with commissioners last week to update the county on projects within Sanders County. Bob Vosen and John Schmidt with MDT presented commissioners with the results of a speed study on Highway 135. In April of 2022, MDT lowered the speed limit on Highway 135 near Quinn’s Hot Springs Resort. The speed limit is now 45 miles per hour instead of 70. A speed study after the project was included in the original project plan. The study showed that the number of crashes was reduced in the a...
One of the reasons people go to the Sanders County Fair is to see the high caliber animals, the cream of the crop specimens. Many are cute, fuzzy and cuddly. John McNamara will be taking a fuzzy creature to show at the fair this year, but he might be the only one to consider his animal cuddly. It's a 6-year-old tarantula he named "Uma Fang" and he's showing his arachnid in the 4-H pocket pet competition at the fair, slated for 1-4:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 31, in the Home Economics Building. This...
Before I bought a newspaper, there was a lot I didn’t know about our county and our community functioned. I was happy to work, play and just let the officials officiate. More than six years later, I know more than I ever thought I would. Part of keeping the community informed is going to meetings - lots and lots of meetings. There are budget meetings, council meetings, meetings about ambulance services or meetings about ordinances, and sometimes even meetings about scheduling more meetings. We go to a lot of meetings, and we do our best to p...
The par fives and par threes at River’s Bend Golf Course made unlikely pairs just like the quirky comic characters as the Over The Hill Gang played a round of Mutt and Jeff on Monday. The players totaled their scores from holes 11, 12, 14 and 17 for the fun. Gary Thompson won the title of Mutt with the low gross of 18 on the four holes, and Dennis Gripp was dubbed Jeff with a low net of 12. Thompson also had the low gross round for all nine holes with a 41, while Doug Deck shot the low net for the men with a 32. Lana Nolen and Jan Thompson c...
Jeanne Holleran chipped it in on hole two last Thursday as she and partner Tina Wheeler combined for a low team gross of 104 in ladies league play at River’s Bend. The mother-daughter duo of Barb and Annie Wooden scored the low team net of 70, Lana Nolen shot the low individual gross of 44 and Marshanna Drop carded the low individual net round of 30. Nolen’s fourth shot was closest on No. 2 and she hit in the long putt on No. 6, Barb Wooden sank the long putt on No. 3, Kelly Wheeler’s drive was closest to the pin on No. 5 and Chris Gross hit t...
Bear Muscle Fitness proved to be the strongest challengers in Tuesday night men’s league play last week, with Ricky Hagedorn, Doug Robichaud, John Mosher and Steve Fairbank combining for the low team gross score of 175. In low net competition, NLC Inc.’s 143 was best from team members Bill Nolen, Howard Morkert, Scott Rasor and Mike Tessier. Robichaud shot the low individual gross round of 39 and Criag LeCoure had the low net round of 30. Doug Fisher and Cody Mosher smashed the long drives on No. 9, Rasor sank the long putt on No. 6, Dave Gar...
