Independently owned since 1905
Independently owned since 1905
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Nanette Blake from Farmhouse Blooms brought over some newspaper pages she found under the flooring of the house she recently purchased in Thompson Falls. One of the newspapers was the November 10, 1911, issue of The Sanders County Ledger. On the front page in November 1911 was an article about the proposed sewer system in Thompson Falls. “This arrangement would bring one discharge pipe down Columbia street to the river draining blocks Nos. 3 and 4; the other discharge pipe going to the river on Ferry street and draining blocks Nos. 5 and 6. ...
The ability to work remotely became more common as the COVID-19 pandemic forced people to stay home. A new program in Sanders County is helping job seekers receive training to prepare them for jobs with national companies as remote workers. Four individuals completed remote worker training last week at the Clark Fork Professional Building. The program is a collaboration between Job Service Thompson Falls, Sanders County Community Development (SCCD) and Teleworks USA, a Kentucky-based company tha...
Well, here we are in mid-January. How are those New Year’s resolutions going? The fact that the second Friday in January is called “Quitters Day” provides a pretty clear answer. Even if you made it to this point, research shows that most of us will throw in the towel before the end of January. Why is that? Why are we so quick to quit? New Year’s resolutions are notoriously focused on health – increased trips to the gym, more meditation, promises to diet – so why do we abandon those worthy goals after such a short time? There are many reason...
Thompson Falls Public Schools is looking ahead. The board of trustees voted at its January meeting to begin the process of creating a long-range plan for the district. Superintendent Bud Scully explained that the district needed to develop a long-range plan, often referred to as a strategic plan, as it is required by the state Office of Public Instruction. The school board will be gathering input from community members, parents, staff and students. A public meeting is scheduled for Monday, January 23, at 6 p.m. in the Thompson Falls High School...
When someone asks where your food comes from, the common answer is the store. Many don't give much thought to where the food is grown or processed. One Trout Creek family knows the process well. The Beachy family has operated Granite Mill Farms since 2012. Wendell, Lisa and their seven children are involved in the business, which produces sprouted grains. Wendell Beachy owns and operates Beachy Construction as well. When the construction industry slowed in 2010, he and his family looked for a...
The Thompson Falls City Council passed a key milestone in the next phase of the community wastewater project. At Monday's meeting, the council voted to form a special improvement district (SID) for phase three and phase four of the project. The final two phases will include installing main lines and connecting the remaining city properties to the city sewer. Phases one and two of the project are still in construction. Monday, Carrie Gardner with Great West Engineering said that about 55% of...
One of my favorite parts of the newspaper is the obituary section. It's also one of the most read. Obituaries are such a personal look into a life. I love reading obituaries and learning about people. I discover unknown facts about peopel I've known for years and learn interesting things about people I've never met. I love a good story. That's one of the reasons I became a journalist, and I love telling the stories of others. In journalism school, we had an assisgnment to write our own obituary. In another class, we were tasked with...
One of the last tasks of 2022 for Sanders County, and for County Commissioner Glen Magera, was to swear in newly elected officials. The ceremony took place in the courtroom on the third floor of the Sanders County Courthouse last Thursday, with dozens of family members and spectators attending. Several county employees said it was the largest crowd they had ever seen at a swearing in ceremony. "This is a pretty good crowd for a swearing in ceremony," Magera said before he started the ceremony....
Last Thursday was the swearing in ceremony for the elected officials who won races in the November General Election. With the new year now comes new leadership in some key roles for Sanders County. We have two brand new commissioners and a new sheriff. I’m excited for the future of Sanders County, but also a little nervous. You get in a routine and you get used to how things are run. Sanders County is quite diverse in many aspects, and finding the balance in public service is tricky. You definitely can’t please everyone. I hope our elected lead...
Sanders County saw it all last week as the many shades of winter moved through the county. A massive snowstorm made way for subzero temperatures and cloudless blue skies on Thursday (above left). As the temperatures warmed up, freezing rain hit the county and made for messy commutes. Highway 200 west of Thompson Falls near the Flat Iron boat launch (above right) was covered in a thick sheet of ice on Christmas morning....
Well, another year is coming to an end. It’s this time of year, as we get ready to say goodbye to the old, that people start focusing on renewal and starting over. People will make resolutions, and a few will keep them for the next 12 months. Many resolutions focus on physical health. We say we’re going to eat better or exercise more. Those resolutions are easy to set after all the delicious holiday treats we get in December. Other resolutions concentrate on financial goals. Saving for a vacation or paying off debt are resolutions with tangible...
The annual Keg Bowl football game, hosted by the Gridiron Club, is set for Saturday at 1 p.m. in the field across from the Clark Fork Valley Elks Lodge just east of Thompson Falls. The athletes will welcome a snow-covered field for the 41st running of the football game. While most of the players are former Blue Hawk athletes, anyone is invited to join the fun, said Doug Willhite with the Gridiron Club. "It ends up being like a mini reunion," Willhite said this week. "It's fun to see some of the young guys who just graduated now play in this...
The Thompson Falls City Council met Thursday to pass an emergency ordinance prohibiting overnight parking on Main Street. Travis Fitchett with the Montana Department of Transportation said the ordinance will allow snow plows to clear the street overnight. The ordinance prohibits parking on Main Street from 2 a.m. to 6 a.m. The fine for parking on Main Street overnight is $100 plus towing at the vehicle owner's expense. Council member Larry Lack said before the ordinance vote that he supports...
by Annie Wooden Bill Naegeli has been a supervisor with Green Mountain Conservation District (GMCD) for more than 30 years. Last month at a state convention, he was honored as supervisor of the year for all 58 conservation districts in the state. Naegeli, who works as the Emergency Manager for Sanders County, attended the Montana Association of Conservation District (MACD) convention in Helena in November. He has been a director at the state level for almost 15 years. He was surprised when he...
The Sanders County Resource Advisory Committee (RAC) met last week to hear from forest partners on proposed projects for the coming year. Dave Wrobleski, District Ranger for the Plains-Thompson Falls Ranger District of the U.S. Forest Service, stated that Sanders County has $234,610 available in funding through the RAC. The funding comes from the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act, reauthorized by Congress through this year. Counties received federal funds based on factors including the percentage of land in federal...
The Thompson Falls City Council reviewed city ordinances at their meeting on Monday. The council voted to make changes to the community decay ordinance. Chief of Police Chris Nichols addressed the council, recommending they simplify the process. Currently violations to the community decay ordinance require multiple certified letters from the city, as well as the city attorney visiting the site to determine if a property is in violation. Nichols recommended that because officers can record encounters with body cams, when they respond to a...
The photo on this week's front page of Mya Aquino is priceless. Ed Moreth is great at capturing special moments. When she's older, Mya may not appreciate this photos as much, but it's a memory and a moment is something to which many parents can relate. The screaming kid who will not give up for even one second for a nice photo with Santa. I was that kid. My parents liked to joke that I came out screaming and didn't quit until I was 12. I cried at everything. Let's be honest, I still cry at everything. I'm a sensitive person. After 43 years, I'm...
The Thompson Falls Chamber of Commerce helped usher in the holiday season last week, sponsoring the Holiday Stroll on Main Street last Friday, followed by a community Christmas tree lighting. Businesses stayed open late Friday to welcome community members with treats, crafts and specials. At the Black Bear Ballroom, patrons would decorate gingerbread houses. The Ledger offered a Christmas paper chain activity. Local musician Rob Viens has formed a singing group, who walked Main Street on Friday...
Last week during the Holiday Stroll, I had the privilege of meeting several people who had just moved to the area. It's not a secret or anything new that the Sanders County population is increasing. It seems there are new people every time you go into a store or to a fundraiser or a sporting event. I've written before about how we all come from somewhere, and we ended up in Sanders County for different reasons. On Friday, I met a Ledger reader who had very nice things to say about the newspaper. What stuck with me about this conversation,...
Bill Beckman and Dan Schletz of NorthWestern Energy braved single-digit temperatures, snow and wind last week (above) to put up the lighted tree on top of the Thompson Falls dam. The tree includes 350' feet of LED lights and is traditionally put up by the crew the week after Thanksgiving. NorthWestern Energy also hung the lighted decorations along Main Street last week in Thompson Falls (right), just in time for the Christmas on Main Street festivities. This weekend's forecast calls for...
The Woodside Park Water Board is celebrating this holiday season as their project to upgrade the water system for the neighborhood in the Cherry Creek area outside Thompson Falls is moving forward. Woodside Park on November 1 received a signed contract from the state releasing $1.258 million in funding that was awarded through a state competitive ARPA grant. The county earlier this year committed $1.350 million in matching ARPA funds to bring the total budget for the project to just over $2.6 million. The Woodside Park community has 52...
I used to joke with a friend of mine that I’ll know I'm a big deal the day I get to be the grand marshal in a parade. Well, my time has come. I have the honor of serving as grand marshal of the Christmas on Main Street parade this Saturday in Thompson Falls. What is the grand marshal of a parade, and what does that person do? Typically, the grand marshal is a position of honor and takes the lead in the processional. The duties are often given to a community leader or well-known business person. And when it comes to folks who have held that p...
Nearly 300 Sanders County residents got help from community members and churches last weekend as the annual Thanksgiving Baskets program packed and delivered the ingredients for turkey dinners to 76 families from Heron to Thompson Falls. On Saturday, volunteers gathered at Community Congregational Church in Thompson Falls to sort through tons of canned and fresh produce, pie crusts, pumpkin and other items. On Sunday, church and community members packed the boxes and delivered them to families....
There's a subtle shift happening this week. The energy and adrenaline of summer and fall that built up to the election is giving way to the season of giving and thankfulness. Lately in the stores and at the post office, people have kept their heads down, focused on their tasks, and there hasn't seemed to be as much mingling. Everyone is rushing to the next event or to shuffle kids to activities or to get back to work. As the holidays approach, though, our daily lives get busy with shopping, school concerts, Christmas on Main Street and bazaars...
Hot Springs and Noxon athletes earned all-conference and all-state honors this fall. In 6-man football, Hot Springs senior Garth Parker and Noxon sophomore Ricky Williams earned all-state honors. Named to the all-conference list were Noxon seeniors Gage Hendrick and Johnny Knerr, as well as Hot Springs sophomores Weston Slonaker and Johnny Waterbury. Zane Wendt of Lima, Reid Johnson of Twin bridges and Tyson Hanson of White Sulphur Springs also earned all-state honors, while the all-conference...
