Independently owned since 1905
Independently owned since 1905
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I recently traveled to Polson to cover the District 14-C basketball tournament. I’ve been to Polson before, but never for that long of a stretch. Polson may have a Wal-Mart, McDonald’s and Starbucks, but it’s still a small town. One morning during breakfast I met Brett Butler, the assistant coach of Polson High School’s speech and debate team. He started talking about how the team was running the concessions stand at the basketball tournament to fundraise. Anyone who has ever been anywhere with me knows that I like to ask questions, so I inquir...
A Thompson Falls High School student was recognized last week with a state award. Kaden Cox received the "Yes I Can" award and was honored at halftime of the Blue Hawks' district tournament play-in game Tuesday against Troy. The Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) awards the Yes I Can yearly to recognize youth with exceptionalities who have demonstrated their determination and achievements in multiple ways. Cox was recognized by the state of Montana, but was unable to attend the state...
Amy Pushchak has a background in education, and her new position is allowing her to expand that experience. Pushchak started last fall as Sanders County’s Prevention Specialist at Western Montana Mental Health Center (WMMHC). Pushchak said her grant-funded position focuses on prevention. “We want to prevent the risk factors and promote the protective factors. Risk factors are the influences on kids to drink, make unhealthy choices. What I am going to do as a protective factor is to help pre...
The Sanders County Board of Health last week voted to accept a Communicable Disease Surveillance Protocol, a document that has taken nearly a year to revise and adopt. Commissioner Tony Cox started last week’s Board of Health meeting by stating that the commissioners had heard the concerns raised by the public. They took suggestions and formed a committee to review the protocol. County Health Officer Ron Petrie said that they heard three main criticisms of the document. The first was that it violated constitutional rights. The second, he s...
I am usually at the courthouse a couple times a week. I attend meetings, conduct interviews and take care of business matters. When I bought the Ledger six years ago, there would maybe be two people at different public meetings, if that many. I was often the only member of the public at meetings. Business would be conducted and there might be one comment from a member of the public. During the pandemic, attendance increased and the dynamic of meetings changed. It became a rare instance for a meeting to run smoothly without outbursts from...
FARM LIFE - A set of twin calves stays close to mama in the barn....
The basketball season ended for Sanders County teams at the District 14-C tournament, but both Noxon and Hot Springs fought hard against the competition, including each other, as they gave their all in the final weekend of play. The District 14-C tournament was held in Polson last weekend. The top two teams for boys and girls advanced to the divisional tournament, set for this weekend in Butte. The Hot Springs boys finished fourth in the tournament. They opened post-season play against Two...
The Sanders County Commissioners chose a familiar face to fill the position of Clerk and Recorder, Treasurer and Superintendent of Schools for the county. Commissioners voted last week to appoint Lisa Wadsworth of Thompson Falls to the position. Wadsworth has lived in Thompson Falls for more than 30 years, and has worked in the Clerk and Recorder's office for most of that time. March 1 will mark 24 years for her with the office. "Lisa's experience in the office was the deciding factor for me," s...
At the City Council meeting on Monday, Mayor Marks Sheets notified the council and the public that the city will appoint two members to the Green Mountain Conservation District (GMCD) Board. Sheets said a state law was recently brought to his attention that gives the city the authority to appoint two supervisors to the board. Montana Code 76-15-311 states that if a municipality is completely within the boundaries of a conservation district, the legislative body of the incorporate municipalities shall appoint the two additional supervisors...
Hawk junior Max Hannum (at left during the championship match and below with coaches Ian Taylor and Mike Thilmony) pinned his way to a state title in the 170-pound bracket at the Montana All-Class Wrestling tournament in Billings over the weekend. This is the fourth year in a row the Blue Hawk wrestling program has had a state champion, following Class of 2022 alum Trae Thilmony's three straight titles in 2020, 2021 and 2022. Blue Hawk senior Elijah Ratliff finished his high school career with...
In the last couple of weeks, there have been two items voted on by county commissioners that were split votes. It’s not that unusual, but it’s still noticeable. Why? Because it’s a reflection of how our county is changing. People in Sanders County were relatively similar when I was growing up. Most of my friends were born here. You had your friends not necessarily because you had the same interests, but you didn’t have a lot of choice. My senior year of high school, my best pal was a “program kid” (ironically, also named Annie) from Califo...
Sanders County Health Officer Ron Petrie met with community members last week to discuss changes to the county's Communicable Disease Protocol. The Sanders County Health Board was set to vote on the revised protocol on Wednesday. Results of that vote were not available before publication. Petrie told the dozen community members at the review last week that Community member Bruce Hunn has been addressing concerns about the protocol language with commissioners since last year. "People are concerne...
Overalls, missing teeth and straw hats will be among the attire at the Trout Creek Community Improvement Association’s (TCCIA) annual Redneck Ball, slated for March 4 at The Lakeside Resort in Trout Creek. TCCIA President Liz Stender said the event is gearing up to be another success for the non-profit. They have more sponsors and some top-notch prizes, she said. “It’s such a fun night. It’s a little bit of everything thrown into one, with auctions, prizes, and hilarious entertainment.” The event kicks off Saturday, March 4, with a no-host s...
At what point does something become tradition? The Blue Hawk wrestling program has to be close. In what has become a recent tradition, the Thompson Falls wrestling team rolled into the parking lot Sunday afternoon with a state champion on board. This is the fourth year in a row the Hawks have had a state champion in wrestling. Junior Max Hannum pinned Miles Hoerauf in the second period of Saturday evening's championship match in the 170-pound weight class to earn his first state title. "Max was...
It may have been five kings that won the poker hand of the day during the Cabinet Ridge Riders' annual snowmobile poker run last Saturday, but their were no losers and beautiful winter weather and plenty of activities kept participants entertained. Shellie Anderson with CRR said they had 241 riders register for the event, which paid out to the top 16 poker hands. "We had a good time, a great auction and the weather was perfect," she noted. The event attracts snowmobilers from surrounding...
Bighorn sheep graze in the afternoon sun near Highway 200 between Thompson Falls and Plains....
The Thompson Falls School Board met with community members recently to brainstorm ideas for the future of the school district. Nearly 30 people gathered in the high school library and wrote down ideas for school improvements, covering everything from facilities and curriculum to teachers and safety issues. Superintendent Bud Scully said at the meeting that he will compile all of the ideas into a survey that will be available to the public to help rank the projects and gather additional comments and ideas. The group at the initial strategic plan...
A local eatery has new owners, but they are looking to keep the menu nearly the same in the transition. The Simple Simon's in Thompson Falls recently sold to Danny and Emily Moore. The biggest change for the local pizzeria will be the name. The establishment will now be known at Blue Hawk Pizza. The Moores said the biggest change will be that the dough will be locally sourced from the Black Bear Bakery. They want to keep the menu as close to the previous one as they can, though Simple Simon's...
When I was in junior high, we traveled to Hale, Missouri, to visit my dad's aunts and cousins. It was a town about the size of Noxon. It had a hardware store and a feed store, and my extended family ran the one restaurant in town. My Great Aunt Ila ended up putting together a cookbook of all her recipes, and the peach pie is still the best ever. When we were in Missouri, there was a small article in the newspaper with all our names, stating that we were there visiting Ila and the family. It was my first experience being published somewhere othe...
Sanders County employees were recognized for years of service at a ceremony last week in the courthouse. Employees honored for five years of service included Richard Tenison and Destry Torgerson, each having worked for the road department for five years, and Corey Wheeldon with the sheriff's office. The three were unable to attend the ceremony. Gregory Davis was also recognized for five years with the county coroner's office. "I appreciate all that he does," said County Coroner Patrick Barber....
I always love going to the years of service celebration at the courthouse. It’s amazing to see how long people have been at their jobs, and definitely an accomplishment worth recognizing. With my parents’ generation, it seems like most everyone stayed in the same job for decades. It wasn’t unusual to have the same job for 30 or 40 years. I remember hearing a statistic in college that the average person would have seven jobs in their working career. A 2021 study by the Bureau of Labor Statistics found that people born between 1957 and 1964...
Shrimp is the most popular seafood in the United States, yet just a fraction of the shrimp consumed in the country is produced here. A Noxon-based company has been working for the past few years to perfect a method of growing sustainable saltwater shrimp. The effort has gone so well that the company is ready to expand. AquaPrawnics began growing fresh, sustainable saltwater shrimp at their facility just west of Noxon in 2019. They have perfected the process and are now looking to scale their ope...
Families enjoyed a sunny day of winter festivities at the Wild Coyote Winter Carnival last Saturday. Clockwise from right: Barrett and Brody Grimm enjoy the sledding hill. Cody Marier of Plains eyes the last bump on the sledding hill. Daniel, Naomi and Susie Mandella stand in front of the giant snowman that greeted patrons....
Sanders County is seeking a new official after an elected official gave notice of her resignation. Nichol Scribner, who has served as Clerk and Recorder, Treasurer, Superintendent of Schools since 2013, provided a letter of resignation to the county commissioners on January 10. Her last day in office will be February 10. “I am sad to be leaving the good people of Sanders County, however, the last year has been extremely stressful as I have ongoing health issues and have endured multiple threats,” Scribner told The Ledger. “I want to thank...
A Noxon business is under new ownership, but the new owner is a familiar face. Teresa Jackson has worked at the Angry Beaver General Store for two years, and recently bought the business from Joe Hokel. "I really appreciate Joe believing in me and helping me start my career," Jackson said last week as she was making fresh salads at her business at 712 Noxon Avenue. Jackson has been in the area for about nine years and took over the business on January 6. "Joe has been a huge help in the...
