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U.S. Representative Ryan Zinke was in Sanders County on Tuesday, making campaign stops as he seeks re-election next month. Rep. Zinke's first stop was in Noxon, where he addressed a crowd of about 50 community members and talked about the need for replacement of the Noxon bridge. Commissioner Tony Cox explained that the state recommended full replacement of the bridge. "The bridge is the jugular of the community of Noxon. We don't want to put a new saddle on an old horse. We want a new horse," C...
A Heron man is taking his concerns for a local river to the state level. Paul Overman has filed a rulemaking petition with the state Fish and Wildlife Commission (FWC), asking them to restrict watercraft on Bull River. Earlier this year, Overman witnessed five small jet boats go by property he owns on the Bull River. “The jet boast really wreak havoc on our shoreline,” he said in June, adding that he was concerned for both the shoreline and safety of other river users. In the petition filed with the FWC, Overman states that “the opera...
I think absentee voting is one of the best inventions. I really appreciate having the opportunity to review the ballot, review the voter guide and make informed decisions. Some thoughts are worth repeating. Every year, I write about keeping our communities clean around Beautification Days. There's a reminder to shop local and give local around the holidays. And every election cycle, I urge readers to be informed voters. I hate to admit it, but when I was younger and a new voter, I would just vote for names I had heard of for most state races....
Montana 4-H, the youth development program of Montana State University Extension, will celebrate National 4-H Week Oct. 6-12 with events and ceremonies across Montana. This year's campaign, "Beyond Ready," highlights the organization's mission to prepare youth to become engaged, healthy and productive in their future communities. Throughout the week, 4-H communities will celebrate and spread awareness of the organization by hosting receptions and award ceremonies, preparing window displays in lo...
The Plains Alliance Church has decided to help hurricane relief efforts through proceeds from their annual bazaar. The annual bazaar, this year with a fall theme, will be Saturday, November 23, 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. at the church, 505 5th St. Coordinator Roni Mitch said they have a committee of about a dozen people who work on the bazaar. “We decide where the proceeds will go and choose different organizations each year. It depends on what is in our hearts,” Mitch said. In 2023, they provided donations for the Middle East. This year, hurricane rel...
Voters in Hot Springs passed a $183,000 levy last week. Ballots were counted last Wednesday at the Hot Springs school, with 293 voters casting ballots for the levy and 282 against. “We’re very happy within the district and heartfelt thanks goes out to everyone that voted. Our community came together and was able to pass this. We are absolutely elated,” Hot Springs Superintendent Gerald Chouinard said on Monday. The Hot Springs school board was scheduled to certify the election results at Wednesday’s meeting, along with voting on a budget...
Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks is seeking information on two incidents of wildlife being killed and left. FWP reported Monday that an elk was killed and left to waste on private property near Thompson Falls, and a cow moose was shot and left to waste outside of Plains. The elk was found October 4 on private property off Thompson River Road, and game wardens reported that the head was removed and the rest of the elk was left. Anyone with possible information is asked to visit tipmont.mt.gov or call the local game warden at (406)250-9498 to...
The event's biggest attraction of last year, "Barney the Bison," didn't make it, but the Harlow Bison Ranch was represented with a bison hide and skull for the kids at the Sanders County Fairgrounds last Tuesday. "They say you can make a bison do anything the bison wants to do and Barney didn't want to get into the trailer this morning," said Melinda Anakalea, who owns the Thompson Falls ranch with her husband, Adam. Nevertheless, the 115 third grade students from Noxon, Trout Creek, Thompson...
Gusty wind caused a downed power line last Friday, sparking a fire along Wilkes Creek Road in the Prospect Creek area southwest of Thompson Falls. Crews responded and were able to contain the blaze to under 6 acres....
I've written the story about how my brother and his buddy, when I was little, told me that deer were aliens and that's why their eyes glowed. I was scared of deer until I could hunt. Then I became a hunter and took out one of those alien deer each year. I don't know if it's age or hormones or what, but I have found myself feeling guilty with hunting these days. The last elk I killed, I felt really bad. I was happy to help provide for my family, and I love eating elk and deer and cows and pigs and chickens, but I just don't want to do the...
The final step of repairs to the Main Street project in Thompson Falls will occur on Friday. The Department of Transportation and Razz Construction are scheduled to complete final striping operations Friday on Main Street, weather and other factors permitting. This work concludes the warranty repairs of the Thompson Fall-Urban project. Drivers can expect single-lane closures, reduced speeds, potential width restrictions, delays and parking restrictions on Friday. MDT stated in a press r...
Hot Springs, Montana, may be a small dot on the map, but two veterinary technicians are in a select group. Tammy Marjerrison and Danielle Torgerson are in the middle of a program to become certified equine vet technicians. There are only five people in the state who have been through the program, so the two are in a select group. The American Association of Equine Veterinary Technicians & Assistants program lasts six months and includes online course work and a required in-person lab....
Earlier this summer, in the June 13 edition of The Ledger, the Question of the Week asked people if they read the local newspapers. One of the six people said they read The Ledger. Other answers were getting news from friends or a spouse or a parent, or not paying attention to the news at all. It was a bit shocking to see those answers, but it was also a very good question to ask. Recently someone commented to me about that question of the week and didn't know why we asked it. It's a sobering statistic for local newspapers if only one person...
The Hot Springs football team is riding the wave of a three-game win streak. The team traveled to White Sulphur Springs, earning their third shutout in a row with a 59-0 win over the Hornets. “Our kids played really well. They played really good defense. A lot of the kids are really stepping up for us,” Head Coach Jim Lawson said of the Savage Heat, who are now 3-2 for the season and 1-0 in conference play. “Everybody is getting involved and we had a really good performance at White Sulphur,” Lawson said. He noted that Daniel and Weston...
Records were meant to be broken, and Saturday at Thompson Falls' home cross country meet, nearly every record was broken. "That kid from Plains almost caught up to the four-wheeler." That was the reaction of other competitors on Saturday as Simeon Costner of Plains tied the course record of 11 minutes, 17 seconds, at the 24th annual Thompson Falls cross country event. Sophomore Marina Tulloch broke the course record for the girls by nearly a minute. In the junior high girls race, Quinn Delaney o...
Sometimes I will go weeks without getting a letter to the editor. Other times, such as this week, there are several sitting in my inbox. There is something to be said for sitting down and putting thoughts together on paper (or in a word processor) and not just spouting off a few words on social media. It forces you to think about your words, compose complete sentences and try to get to a point. There are some weeks when I write my editorial at the last minute, scramble through paragraphs and then still wonder if I have made a point. Other...
Enrollment is up at Thompson Falls Elementary already this year, leading the school board to hire another kindergarten teacher at last Monday's meeting. Lacey Scharfe will join Angie Rackham as the second kindergarten teacher this year. Principal Len Dorscher told the school board Monday that they started with 19 kindergarten students but now have 26 and a total of 240 students in the elementary. The junior high has 66 students and the high school 184, which is down about 24 from three years ago, said high school principal Jodi Morgan. Also...
The Sanders County Democrats introduced the community to several local and statewide candidates on Sunday as they hosted a picnic at the Power Park in Thompson Falls. Mindy Ferrell with the Sanders County Democrats welcomed the crowd of about 50 people to Thompson Falls on Sunday. "We're so tired of partisan politics," she stated. Ferrell also asked those in attendance to make sure their neighbors are registered to vote as she handed out voter registration information. John Thorson of Plains the...
The Hot Springs football team suffered two tough losses at the start of their season, but when they started winning, they really started winning. The Savage Heat are sitting 2-2 on the season after the second straight shutout win last Friday. Hot Springs beat West Yellowstone 50-0 on their home field Friday. "They ran a different offense than we expected, so the first quarter we adjusted and pretty much went back to our base defense," Coach Jim Lawson said of the West Yellowstone game. "We were...
Members of the Clark Fork Valley Elks club joined first responders on a memorial ride through Thompson Falls last Wednesday on the 23rd anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. The patriotic cruise went from teh Elks lodge to therural fire department and back to the lodge....
Over the weekend, we watched "The Fox and the Hound." I hadn't seen it in decades, and my friend and I remembered it as one of our favorite Disney movies. Seeing the movie again, it's pretty violent. There is also a lot of sadness, as was pointed out to me by a 12-year-old. It's still one of my favorite movies, however. There are lessons about coming from different backgrounds, about growing and changing, and about still being friends in the end. Or, at least, having mutual respect for each other. Copper and Tod grew up playing in the forest...
With fall just a few weeks away, Sanders County saw increased wildfire activity last week. On Wednesday, the human-caused Mile Marker 104 ignited five miles west of Dixon. Highway 200 was briefly closed as area firefighters worked to control the blaze. As of Tuesday, the fire was estimated to have burned 468 acres and was at 10% containment. The fire is being managed by the CSKT Division of Fire. No structures were threatened and no evacuations were ordered. Resources on scene included 10 smokej...
Voters in the Hot Springs School District will be mailed ballots this week as they once again are asked to decide on a proposed levy. The election is being rerun after results from a May 7 election - in which the $183,000 levy passed by three votes - were invalidated by a District Court judge when it was discovered that more than 125 absentee ballots were not mailed to registered voters. Residents sponsored two separate forums for the public to learn more about the proposed levy. The final...
As the smoke started rolling in last week, it reminded me that it's still technically summer for a few more weeks, and that it's still really dry out there. Last week we had two human-caused wildfires in Sanders County. The Mile Marker 104 fire near Dixon is nearing containment after burning nearly 500 acres. Then on Saturday there was a small fire outside Thompson Falls in the Cherry Creek area, near a popular swimming hole at the mouth of Prospect Creek. Fall is just around the corner and the nights are getting cooler. However, driving...
