Independently owned since 1905
Independently owned since 1905
Sorted by date Results 76 - 100 of 1295
There seem to be no shades of gray in the political landscape of the United States. You're either red or blue or right or wrong. There's not much compromise or debating when people have their minds made up so early in races. I am one of those voters who loves absentee ballots. I like to think of myself as pretty well informed, given my profession, but sometimes there are statewide races for which I have no clue who either candidate is. In that situation, I like to Google the people, at the very least, and try to get some idea of what they...
The budget for the City of Thompson Falls will be available this week for public review. At the monthly city council meeting last week, Mayor Rusti Leivestad reported that the budget would be available for public review beginning August 21. The council and public will have the weekend to review the budget before a public hearing is held August 26 at 5:30 p.m. to review before a 6 p.m. meeting to adopt the budget. Council member Katherine Maudrone thanked City Clerk Chelsea Peterson for organizing the budget, which will be available on the...
In April 1981, Montana Governor Ted Schwinden signed a proclamation declaring Trout Creek the Huckleberry Capital of Montana. "The community of Trout Creek deserves the special recognition of this state because of its efforts in community development and its efforts to promote the natural resources and natural splendors of Montana," the governor wrote more than 44 years ago. The small town lived up to its selection once again last weekend for the 44th annual Huckleberry Festival. Trout Creek...
Ryan Busse of Kalispell wants to be the next governor of Montana. Busse and State Auditor candidate John Repke visited the Whitepine Grange last week for a campaign stop. The candidates spoke to a crowd of about 40 people last Thursday, then stayed to talk to community members and answer questions. Busse, a Democrat, stated that Republicans have made Montana "a playground for billionaires." Busse's campaign slogan is "Get your Montana back." He talked about the importance of rural healthcare...
I joke that my parents were super excited when I bought my own house because it meant that I wouldn't move back in with them again. Growing up in little old Sanders County, I couldn't wait to go out and explore the world. I branched out for college, going out of state. Then I moved home. I made stops around the country for college my journalism career. And when I got divorced, the only place I wanted to go was home. Once I got back to Sanders County, I didn't want to leave. In fact, I only leave the county once every other month or so, and...
The Thompson Falls Class of 1994 took advantage of Huckleberry Festival weekend to gather in Trout Creek and celebrate their 30-year class reunion on Saturday....
Last week as I was walking down Main Street in Thompson Falls, distracted by waving at someone driving by, I nearly ran into a doe huddled in some shade just off the sidewalk. It shocked me and I jumped back a bit as the deer just stood there. (As a side note, one thing that's important to know about me is that my brother and his best friend told me that deer were aliens and that's why their eyes glowed. It still influences me to this day.) Finally the deer just stepped aside a bit, but never was bothered by me being there. Later that day, I...
A quick thunderstorm last Wednesday resulted in a handful of wildfires throughout Sanders County. In the Plains-Thompson Falls Ranger District, the Silcox Park Fire just north of Thompson Falls was caused by lightning. The Forest Service reported that the fire creeped into piles of debris, but crews worked quickly to contain the fire at about half an acre. Another fire in the Thompson Falls area was also caused by lightning. Multiple resources, including helicopters, responded to the Wilkes...
The Hot Springs School Board last week set a date for the latest effort to pass a levy in the school district. The board last Wednesday voted to once again ask voters to approve a levy of $183,000 for the general fund. On July 11, a judge approved a petition by a school board member asking for the May 7 election to be voided. Five days later, the school board met and voted to call for a special election in accordance with the order by Judge John Mercer of the 20th Judicial District. Last week, the school board voted to have the new election on...
Republican congressional candidate Tim Sheehy made a visit to Thompson Falls on Monday. The Senate candidate spoke to more than 150 people at the Thompson Falls Senior Center. There was standing room only in the senior center as Rep. Paul Fielder of Thompson Falls introduced Sheehy. "Usually these meet and greets are held at Minnie's and have up to 25 people. We got a good turnout for you," Fielder told Sheehy. Sheehy joked that his last name is also his pronouns. "I've been a 'she-he' for 38...
Last week, we installed a new sign on the front of the Ledger building. We make signs, banners, photo canvases and other items in our print shop, and our work can be seen all over town. However, the front of our own building lacked adequate signage. Someone I know who drives through town several times a week asked me recently where the Ledger was. That got me motivated to create our new sign. It only took me seven years, but now no one can say they didn't know where we are. We also recently branched out in our offerings. In an effort to...
The Montana Department of Transportation (MDT) and Razz Construction Inc. will this week begin repairing portions of Main Street in Thompson Falls. This work is part of the project’s warranty period. Crews will improve drainage at the approach of South Jefferson Street and Main Street. Seal and cover (chip seal) repairs will also be made along Main Street. The repairs are anticipated to last approximately one week. All work is dependent on weather conditions and other factors permitting. The Thompson Falls - Urban project was primarily c...
Most people who shop at True Value in Thompson Falls know Jared Shear as the person who can sell them hoses, fasteners and other hardware. There's another side to Shear however, that of the artist. Last week, Shear presented a series of 24 paintings inspired by Herman Melville's classic "Moby Dick." The pieces are part of a show at the Radius Gallery in Missoula that runs through August 24. The show, True Places, features work from Shear, Kaetlyn Able, Jennifer Indreland and David Swenson....
The new Town Pump store in Thompson Falls is on schedule to be open by the end of the year, the company said last week. Bill McGladdery, Director of Communications, said the utilities are in place at the site and the framing work on the nearly 14,000 square foot building should be completed by August 1. "I think the community is going to be really excited about the new store," McGladdery said. "It will be a much better layout." The new store will be 10,100 square feet, with the Lucky Lil's...
The big news in politics this week is President Joe Biden announcing he won't seek reelection and the Democratic party is deciding how to pick a new nominee. However, the big news isn't the big business. Montana's Senate race has gained national attention for the big dollars raised. According to the Montana Free Press, as of July 17, incumbent Sen. Jon Tester, a Democrat, has raised $43.7 million in campaign funds, while Republican candidate Tim Sheehy has raised $13.7 million. By contrast, in the race for U.S. Representative for District 1,...
Sparks from a passing train ignited fires near both the West and East ramps in Thompson Falls last Wednedsay. Residents and officials responded to two separate fires along the railroad tracks. Witnesses reported seeing sparks coming from a train engine traveling west through Thompson Falls, after which two grass fires started. "We were stopped at the tracks waiting for the train to go by. As it went by, I noticed that one of the engines was blowing very heavy black smoke. I thought it was odd....
Thompson Falls High School alumni came from across town and across the world for reunions last weekend. The TFHS class of 1964 celebrated their 60th school reunion by inviting the classes of 1961-1966 to join them for a weekend of fun. The reunion had 54 people attend the main banquet on Saturday at the Rimrock. Alumni and family members shared memories, looked at old photos and caught up on their lives as they celebrated the milestone. On Friday night, the group also met at the Rimrock for a so...
The Over the Hill Gang had some fun on Monday with a game of “Mutt and Jeff,” which had golfers adding up their scores on the two par three holes (5 and 8) and the two par fives (2 and 3) for a total. Rick Kendall won the Mutt and Jeff game with a 17, and also had the low men’s gross of 42 of nine holes. Wally Give and Randy Hojem were second and third, respectively, in the fun play. Larry Eddy had a 31 for the low men’s net and Kristy Beaty a 32 for the low women’s net. Beaty also had the long putt on No. 3. Kendall’s drive was closest to...
There was an invasion in Sanders County, a MINI invasion. Thousands of MINI owners joined a rally from Albuquerque to Seattle last week. An estimated 600-800 joined each day of MINI Takes The States (MTTS) as they traversed through five states in the western United States. On Friday, the MINIs traveled from Missoula to Spokane, with many stopping in Sanders County to shop and eat. Some residents first noticed the abundance of MINIs as they were on their way to Missoula on Friday, alerting The Le...
In February, the town of Noxon suffered the loss of three businesses to fire. Now, the community is facing another challenge. On Friday, the Montana Department of Transportation (MDT) ordered an emergency closure of the Noxon bridge after cracks in the structure were discovered in an inspection of the bridge. Now the county is working to find a solution and reopen the bridge. The Noxon bridge connects the town to Highway 200 and is the primary entrance and exit for the community. There are...
Sanders County Commissioners on Thursday signed a resolution enacting Stage II fire restrictions. The order went into effect at 2:30 p.m. on Thursday. On Wednesday, residents and officials responded to two separate fires along the railroad tracks in Thompson Falls. Witnesses reported seeing sparks coming from a train engine traveling west through Thompson Falls, after which two grass fires started. "We were stopped at the tracks waiting for the train to go by. As it went by, I noticed that one...
The Hot Springs school levy election from May 7 has been voided after a district judge issued a ruling last week. The school district is now working to rerun the election. On June 21, Hot Springs school board member Jennifer Christensen filed a petition requesting the election be voided after it was discovered that more than 100 absentee ballots were not mailed to voters for the May election. In the filing, Christensen stated that at the May 15 school board meeting, "the election administrator a...
A bull moose traverses across Highway 200 near Whitepine....
Growing up, I loved "Little House on the Prairie." I loved the show and the books. I read the whole series over again every couple of years. I've always said if I could go back in time, I'd be a pioneer. I believe I could figure out how to grow things and make clothes and I think I'd be a pretty good homesteader. In those days, the communities rallied around families in need. In one "Little House" episode, Charles Ingalls gets hurt falling out of a tree right at harvest time, and Walnut Grove helps with the harvest so he can keep his oxen. Time...
