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Independently owned since 1905
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Local law enforcement officers were honored last week during a reception at Limberlost Brewery on Wednesday. The Sanders County Sexual Assault Response Team recognized five local officers at the ceremony, including Jason Thornton, Devon Wegener, April Phillips, Richard Woods and Brian Josephson. The officers were given recognition for their efforts in responding to and processing cases of domestic violence, sexual assault and strangulation. County Attorney Naomi Leisz presented the awards along...
Montana's congressional delegation is busy with the current session in Washington, D.C., and both senators and representatives agree there is work to be done. Sen. Jon Tester recently announced he is running for re-election in 2024. "I want to work on making sure the country is less divided," Tester said last week from his office in D.C. He added that he wants to be able to give the younger generation the same opportunities his parents gave to him. "So far so good," Sen. Tester said of the 2023...
Sanders County employees got first-hand experience with fire extinguishers last week, but there was no emergency. The safety training was something Human Resources Director Rich Wallace said the county is doing quarterly, to give employees hands-on experience. In 2022, the county coordinated with Montana State Fund to offer defensive driving training, and last month completed an armed intruder training. County employees completed fire extinguisher training four years ago, and Wallace felt it was...
At the forum discussing Montana’s state constitution earlier this month, there was a diverse group of more than 100 people. There were politicians and retired people and realtors and volunteers. There were people who had lived in Sanders County forever and some newer residents. There were women and men. There were Republicans and Democrats. What we didn’t see was much diversity in age. I am 43 and I was the youngest person in the room except for a young family who showed up later in the presentation. It bothered me that there weren’t more...
Ledger photo by Annie Wooden The sun gleams through cherry blossoms (above) during the National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington, D.C., last week. The festival continues through April 16 with a variety of events. Last weekend, hundreds of kites in every size and shape dotted the sky along the National Mall in D.C. (right) as thousands attended the Blossom Kite Festival....
More than 100 people attended a forum on Sunday to hear about Montana's Constitution. The forum was hosted by the Sanders County Democrats but was open to the public. Republicans and Democrats alike from across the county were at The Paradise Center on Sunday to listen to members of both parties speak about the state constitution. Mae Nan Ellingson was one of the 100 delegates who helped write the 1972 Montana Constitution. Ellingson helped draft the proposal that would become the preamble to...
Spring is here – finally! The other day I spoke with a friend on the east coast who was lamenting about the 58-degree weather. I laughed and said I had considered not wearing a sweater on my walk in 38-degree weather the same day. The humidity and wind of the east is completely different from our dry air here, but across the country, we’re all ready for spring. Fortunately, the signs are appearing, and not just because the calendar tells us the new season is here. One of the most notable signs of the changing season is the birds. It’s alway...
A Noxon man has reached a plea agreement in the case of a head-on crash last year that involved a sheriff's deputy. On Monday, Brody Hill addressed Justice of the Peace Doug Dryden. "I made a mistake that I will always regret and remember," he stated. "I apologize to everyone involved." Hill pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges of a seatbelt violation and careless driving. He originally was also charged with criminal endangerment and negligent vehicular assault, but those charges were dropped...
Generations of community members gathered at the Lonepine Community Hall over the weekend to raise money for the local landmark. More than 100 people attended the fundraising event on Saturday, which included a spaghetti dinner and silent auction. Prior to the main event, the Bras siblings – John, Donna and Bud – gathered with family and community members to document the milestones of the Lonepine Hall. The historical discussion was filmed to help document the details for future gen...
On Monday in Justice Court, Sanders County Sheriff's Deputy April Phillips addressed the young man who hit her patrol vehicle head-on last year. She told of her injuries and of the lasting effects. Phillips was firm in her statement before Judge Doug Dryden. However, she also showed an impressive amount of compassion for defendant Brody Hill. Phillips said jail wasn't the right place for Hill. "I'm realistic and don't think that spending time in jail would be beneficial for you, Brody. I don't think you are a bad person, so being put with other...
The Thompson Falls City Council met Monday for its regular meeting, discussing changes to ordinances and regulations. The council reviewed proposed changes to the city’s parking ordinance. The council approved a first reading of the ordinance with changes that include prohibiting parking within 100 feet of each side of the east ramp across the railroad tracks and imposing a two-hour limit on the south side of Main Street between Gallatin and Ferry streets. “Hopefully it will make it safer,” Mayor Mark Sheets said. The new ordinance would also...
The Sanders County Coroner's Office has worked with state agencies to identify the human remains found by a hunter last fall. Coroner Patrick Barber said a hunter found the remains in an area between Quinn's Hot Springs Resort and St. Regis. The remains have been identified as Melissa Arnold, who went missing from Missoula in February 2018. Arnold was 37 years old when she went missing, and a Missoula Police Department press release from 2018 stated that Arnold was homeless and usually had...
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP) is conducting a study to learn more about elk in western Sanders County. In January, FWP staff began setting traps in the Lower Clark Fork region from Whitepine to Heron. The goal was to tag and collar over 60 elk. As of last week, 68 elk had been caught and collared. Data collected from the study will help FWP better understand what is influencing elk populations. FWP is partnering with researchers from the University of Montana W.A. Franke College of...
Authorities are asking for the public's help in locating a missing Thompson Falls man. Steven Huff was reported missing by family members on February 24, according to Thompson Falls Police Chief Chris Nichols. A white Ford pickup registered to Huff was located stuck near a creek bed on private property in the Whitepine area on Monday, February 27. Sanders County Search and Rescue used snowmobiles to search the Whitepine property and neighboring properties on February 28, but did not locate...
The Plains School gym was louder than a Taylor Swift concert Friday as elementary students celebrated the end of I Love To Read month. There was no pop star in the building, but there were dozens of students excited and ready to throw whipped cream "pies" into the faces of teachers. The assembly last week started with Principal Kevin Meredith drawing names from each group to win a Gatorade. Meredith added suspense to the drawing by first announcing the grade of the winner, pausing before...
On separate occasions recently, I was influenced unexpectedly to listen. I’m a pretty good listener, given my occupation, but what I took away from the instances last week was being open to listening. Our lives are busier every day with more distractions and obligations. It seems almost ridiculous to add “remember to listen” to the to-do list. However, you never know when someone you listen to or something you hear is going to change your life. It might not be a major mind-blowing alteration to your life, but maybe someone will say somet...
A man is in custody after a pursuit that led officers on Highway 200 and through private property before being apprehended. Jesse Spegal of Trout Creek is facing several charges after the pursuit that began just after 11 a.m. on Sunday, March 5. Officer Jason Thornton of the Thompson Falls Police Department (TFPD) initiated a traffic stop on a truck for an equipment violation, TFPD reported in a press release. While the vehicle initially stopped, the driver then drove back on the roadway and sped away from the officer. Sanders County...
Three defendants made an initial appearance Tuesday in 20th District Judicial Court before Judge Deborah "Kim" Christopher, answering to charges in their respective cases. Amanda Lynn North pleaded not guilty to a felony charge of criminal possession of dangerous drugs and a misdemeanor count of criminal possession of drug paraphernalia. North was a passenger in a vehicle that was stopped on Highway 135 in Paradise on February 12. Deputy Wegener of the Sanders County Sheriff's Office and Montana Highway Patrol Trooper Steve Spurr found a bag...
Community members dusted off their best overalls and straw hats last weekend for the eighth annual Redneck Ball, a fundraiser for the Trout Creek Community Improvement Association (TCCIA). The event was held Saturday evening at Lakeside Resort. The variety show was full of hilarious entertainment. Dave and Deb Oliver, along with Keith Myers, made up the Awesome Possum Band and led the crowd in a sing-along to redneck favorites. "Cowboy" Doug Grimm, in a flowy mullet wig and overalls, joined the...
The U.S. Forest Service is developing a new plan for the Lolo National Forest (LNF). The first of several workshops was held last week in Paradise, with LNF representatives and community members gathering at the Paradise Center. Heather Stokes with the University of Montana's Center for Natural Resources and Environmental Policy facilitated the discussion, which included about 25 people in person at the Paradise Center and another dozen chiming in via Zoom. Revision team leader Amanda Milburn...
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...
