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A jury has found former Thompson Falls resident Danielle Wood guilty of deliberate homicide. The jury of eight women and four men deliberated for about eight hours, beginning Thursday evening and continuing Friday morning. Wood was charged in the 2018 murder of Matthew LaFriniere, her ex-boyfriend with whom she shared a child. LaFriniere was found dead at his home east of Thompson Falls on May 3, 2018. Wood was living in Polson when she was arrested in March of 2019. Judge Deborah "Kim"...
The trial of former Thompson Falls resident Danielle Wood began Tuesday with opening arguments by the prosecution and defense attorneys. Prosecutors introduced themselves and their approaches for the trial, stating they intend to convince the jury of eight women and four men that Wood premeditated the 2018 murder of Matthew LaFriniere of Thompson Falls. In opening statements, prosecutors said Wood purchased the firearm prior to the murder and a disposable cell phone in order to call into 911...
Some Sanders County residents will begin receiving the required second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine as Clark Fork Valley Hospital (CFVH) prepares to receive another vaccine shipment this week. CFVH reported that 116 staff members and 47 other individuals meeting the Phase 1A parameters have been vaccinated and that, as of Monday, additional vaccines were given to high-risk individuals meeting the 1B distribution guidelines in order to not waste vaccine supplies. More than 800 people had completed a CFVH survey online gauging interest in the...
---UPDATED 5:40 p.m. January 21, 2021--- Wednesday afternoon in 20th District Judicial Court, Thompson Falls Police Chief Chris Nichols testified in the trial of former Thompson Falls resident Danielle Wood. He was the first law enforcement officer on the scene on May 3, 2018, the date Matthew LaFriniere was found dead at his home on Airport Road near Thompson Falls. Nichols arrived at the scene and determined that LaFriniere was deceased. He testified that he notified dispatch that EMS could...
The murder trial of former Thompson Falls resident Danielle Wood continued Thursday in Thompson Falls. Mark Hilyard, who was with the state Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) at the time Thompson Falls resident Matthew LaFriniere was found dead at his home near Thompson Falls, testified in court Thursday morning. Hilyard said he and two other DCI agents arrived after 9 p.m. on May 3, 2018, at the scene where Matthew LaFriniere's body was found. Hilyard stated that soon after they arrived,...
As the Danielle Wood trial entered its fifth day of testimony, experts from Google and Verizon testified on Monday. The witnesses testified to the validity of cellphone data and security camera footage gathered by investigators. Kevin McCarvel with the Montana Division of Criminal Investigations continued his testimony on Monday. McCarvel first took the stand on Friday at the Sanders County Courthouse. LaFriniere’s residence on the evening of May 3, 2018. LaFriniere’s body was discovered by a coworker earlier that day. Friday, McCarvel det...
More than 200 Sanders County residents have received the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine through Clark Fork Valley Hospital (CFVH), the hospital reported this week. Dr. Gregory Hanson, CEO of CFVH, said that Phase 1A of the vaccine distribution plan has been completed. The first phase included healthcare workers and long-term care residents. With additional vaccines, the hospital contacted each primary care provider in the area for the names of the highest risk individuals they care for, “allowing us t...
Sanders County recorded a fourth death related to the coronavirus over the weekend, bringing the total to four during the pandemic. No details were available about the most recent death attributed to COVID-19 in Sanders County. As of Tuesday, there were 30 active cases of the virus in Sanders County, with three patients hospitalized. Clark Fork Valley Hospital (CFVH) began vaccinating staff on Christmas Eve. Dr. Gregory Hanson, CFVH CEO, said Tuesday that about 85 staff members have been vaccinated. "We do not yet know when we will receive...
As the sun sets on 2020, we look back on the year and, quite frankly, we're not sure what to say. From the pandemic and the economy and the election and everything in between, it was a bit of a rough year. Not that we don't have sickness and tension each year, but the effects were felt worldwide in 2020. We'd just like to point out, however, that 2020 wasn't all bad. We made some happy memories and saw kindness throughout our communities. The anxiety of the pandemic and just the general unknown of 2020 was a lot to handle. It didn't take long...
Clark Fork Valley Hospital (CFVH) has received its first shipment of the COVID-19 vaccine, CEO Dr. Gregory Hanson announced Tuesday. The first vaccines will be given to front-line healthcare workers and long term care residents. Hanson said that CFVH will be working with healthcare local healthcare providers outside of CFVH to incorporate them into the prioritization process of the initial vaccines. At this time, no vaccines are available for the general public or individuals in other high risk categories. "Like many of you, we look forward to...
Christmas time is here Happiness and cheer Fun for all that children call Their favorite time of the year. That famous song from "A Charlie Brown Christmas" usually gets us in the holiday spirit. This year (as of Tuesday evening) we didn't have much for snow to make it a white Christmas. Our celebrations will have a bit less cheer as families limit their gatherings and few are traveling. The joy of Christmas is most evident in the excitement of the children. We got a little sparkle at Thanksgiving when we asked kindergarten students how to...
The Town of Plains has secured the last piece of funding to relocate its wastewater treatment facility. Last week, the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) announced a grant worth $5,148,500 for the project. That represents nearly 90% of the project’s funding. “The grant will allow us to finish the project and protect the Clark Fork River and save rate payers millions of dollars,” said Plains Mayor Dan Rowan. “This is the biggest part of the funding package. I was extremely excited.” In February, the Plains Council voted on...
Defendant Daniel Haslage made his initial appearance in 20th District Judicial Court on Tuesday, entering a not guilty plea to felony criminal endangerment. Judge James Manley set Haslage’s trial date for April 26, 2021. According to charging documents, Haslage was arrested in June 2020 after a high-speed chase involving a stolen vehicle. Montana Highway Patrol (MHP) was alerted to an orange 1970 Dodge Charger that was stolen from Mullan, Idaho. An MHP trooper spotted the vehicle on I-90 and a pursuit ensued through Mineral and Sanders C...
Consistency and working to stay open during the pandemic were the goals discussed by the Thompson Falls School Board at Monday’s meeting. Superintendent Bud Scully detailed improvements at the school buildings using COVID-19 funding, including technology upgrades and additional cleaning measures. Elementary Principal Len Dorscher said music teacher Lisa Mickelson is using that new technology to deliver a virtual or recorded Christmas concert. Scully noted that the school also received a donation from Blackfoot for new security cameras. As w...
Trevis Bachmann was in Thompson Falls visiting his parents, Kent and Carlene, this month. It was the first time he had seen them in five years. But his trip had an important purpose. It was also the first time Trevis had been back to Montana to visit the grave of his brother Toby, who passed away in 2009 from a massive seizure. Since his brother's death, Trevis has been completing important tasks on Toby's bucket list. "Toby was my biggest fan," Trevis said of his brother, who would drive from...
Officials with the Sanders County Board of Health says it’s important that residents continue to follow guidelines to help slow the spread of COVID-19. A third Sanders County resident died this week as a result of contracting coronavirus. As of Tuesday, the county had 36 active cases, with 217 people listed as recovered. With the three deaths, that brought the total confirmed cases in Sanders County to 256. While the country awaits distribution of a coronavirus vaccine, John Hamilton with the Board of Health said that residents need to c...
Exploring new terrain can be a thrilling adventure – or a harrowing one. For one Portland man, a delivery turned into a terrifying experience when his vehicle became stuck on a mountain road in Northwest Montana. Luckily, a group of Thompson Falls hunters showed up just in time to save him. Attar Mann had made a delivery to Thompson River Lumber earlier this month and on his return trip home to Portland, was hauling a large water tank to Kettle Falls, Washington. "He had texted and talked to h...
The Sanders County Board of Health met Tuesday to discuss the current state of coronavirus in the county. Nick Lawyer of Clark Fork Valley Hospital (CFVH) and Bina Eggensperger, a CFVH board member, recently joined the county Board of Health. At Tuesday's meeting, Lawyer said CFVH was at maximum capacity recently as the number of active COVID-19 cases in the county was rising. He said that numbers across the case have plateaued and the hospital has been able to keep up with demand, but "as a result of the train, our ability to serve the...
The Thompson Falls Chamber of Commerce and Thompson Falls Main Street Committee are working to bring holiday events to Thompson Falls while adhering to public health recommendations due to the coronavirus pandemic. December 3-5, Thompson Falls will begin to look a lot like Christmas with a holiday stroll, window decorating contest for businesses, a coloring contest for children and the annual Christmas on Main Street parade and music event at The Rex, and the gingerbread contest at the Old Jail Museum. During the week beginning November 30,...
November 3 was a day of record voter turnout for Sanders County, with the last ballot coming in just before the polls closed. The last voter walked into the Sanders County Courthouse a few minutes before 8 p.m. last Tuesday to cast his ballot in the General Election. Sanders County Elections staff was done counting ballots and election results were released about 4:30 a.m. Wednesday. In local races, Sanders County Commissioner Tony Cox won his re-elect bid, gathering 3,933 votes while challenger Chris Stough received 3,187 votes. Republican...
Montana Rail Link (MRL) is showing appreciation for veterans and essential workers in a special way. MRL this week put into service a locomotive rebranded with "Thank You Veterans" and a patriotic theme. Another locomotive displaying a "Thank you to all essential workers" message will be on MRL's routes beginning in December. Ross Lane, MRL's Vice President of Corporate Relations, said the veterans locomotive is "a tribute to the veterans who have served across Montana, including the nearly 200...
Following completion of more than a third of the reclamation work at the Troy Mine Inc. site that closed in 2015, the Montana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) is proposing to release part of Hecla Montana's bond for the project. Nick Raines, Environmental Coordinator for Hecla Montana, stated that the DEQ is able to release portions of the bond as cleanup activities are completed. The goal of the site reclamation is to return it to a pre-mining condition, Raines said, turning it back to...
Sanders County voters participated in the General Election in record numbers, with more than 86% of voters returning their ballots by the time the polls closed at 8 p.m. on Tuesday. However, a technical glitch with the DS850 vote tabulation machine resulted in a delay of more than four hours for counting the county's ballots. Results of the local elections and the final count on Sanders County ballots were not available until early Wednesday morning, after press time for The Ledger. Sanders County Election Administrator Nichol Scribner said...
November 3 was a day of record voter turnout for Sanders County, with the last ballot coming in just before the polls closed. The last voter walked into the Sanders County Courthouse a few minutes before 8 p.m. Tuesday to cast his ballot in the General Election. Sanders County Elections staff was done counting ballots and election results released about 4:30 a.m. Wednesday. In local races, Sanders County Commissioner Tony Cox won his re-elect bid, gathering 3,933 votes while challenger Chris...
The music of John Denver resonated through The Rex Theater on Saturday as tribute artist Ted Vigil took the stage. Vigil, from Olympia, Washington, performed for more than 100 people, most wearing masks, Saturday night. Thompson Falls High School math teacher Katrina Nygaard introduced Vigil. She told the crowd how growing up in New York, she developed a love for John Denver's music and went to one concert a year before he died in 1997. "I'm so happy there are people like Ted Vigil to keep John...
