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Independently owned since 1905
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by Annie Wooden The popular Sanders County Christmas Bazaar, held each December at Thompson Falls High School, has been forced to cancel this year due to the coronavirus pandemic. Organizer Janie McFadgen said that COVID-19 was the main factor in deciding to cancel the event, as there was not a venue big enough to host the bazaar. Thompson Falls School Superintendent Bud Scully said he talked to the school’s insurance company and the risk was too high. McFadgen said the bazaar has 50-60 vendors each year, and added the only venues big enough wo...
More than a third of Sanders County voters have cast their ballots with less than two weeks to go before the Nov. 3 general election. County Election Administrator Nichol Scribner said that 2,773 ballots had been accepted as of Tuesday afternoon. She also noted that more than 200 new Sanders County voters have come into the office to register to vote or re-activate their status as a voter. Ballots have been dropped off at the drop box outside the courthouse, voted in-person at the courthouse and received through the mail. Scribner said that...
The Montana Hospital Association (MHA) has named Bina Eggensperger of Thompson Falls as the association's 2020 Lifetime Achievement Award honoree. "Bina has invested in healthcare in various ways for a very, very long time. Without people like Bina, small hospitals couldn't continue to exist in these rural communities we have in Montana," said Dr. Gregory Hanson, CEO of Clark Fork Valley Hospital. Eggensperger, has been on the CFVH board since January of 1986, with the exception of a few years...
Two people are facing charges of deliberate homicide in separate Sanders County incidents that occurred last week. Aaron Eugene McLaughlin of Hot Springs is accused of killing his roommate on the evening of October 7 by blunt force trauma, resulting in a massive brain hemorrhage, according to charging documents. Sanders County Attorney Naomi Leisz stated that McLaughlin’s initial appearance was Friday in Sanders County Justice Court. He is being held on a $1 million bond and a preliminary hearing is set for Monday, Oct. 19. Rachel Ann B...
Voting is under way for the November 3 general election. Sanders County ballots were mailed last Friday, October 9, and ballots are already being returned to the county election office. Bobbi Christenson with the election office said that 8,314 ballots were issued to Sanders County voters. Of those, 39 were mailed to uniformed and overseas citizens. Sixty-one voters cast their ballots early, between September 28 and when ballots were mailed. As of Tuesday evening, almost 300 ballots had been...
The number of people testing positive for coronavirus has been increasing in Sanders County and across Montana. As of Tuesday, Sanders County had 17 active cases of COVID-19. That brings the total positive cases since the pandemic began to more than 60 in the county. One death in Sanders County has been related to coronavirus. The state as a whole reached 15,000 total confirmed cases this week. Tuesday set a new daily record of 506 new positive cases being recorded. The Sanders County Commissioners released a statement last Friday announcing...
UPDATE: Wednesday, 3 p.m. The Montana Supreme Court late Tuesday issued an order preventing the enforcement of Judge Harris's decision on election day ballot statues. That means that ballots must be received by the Elections Office no later than 8 p.m. on Election Day, Nov. 3. Postmarks will not be considered. Harris's decision on BIPA was not affected by the Montana Supreme Court order. ORIGINAL ARTICLE: With the election just about a month away, when ballots must be turned in is under review in the state of Montana. The Montana Democratic...
A Sanders County courthouse employee has tested positive for COVID-19. The courthouse remains open and the county is taking precautions to ensure public safety. As if Friday morning, Sanders County has 10 active COVID-19 cases. Masks are required and remember to social distance when possible and wash your hands often. For the latest county information, visit the Sanders County COVID-19 page on Facebook. Montana COVID-1 information can be found at https://montana.maps.arcgis.c...
The annual walk to raise awareness of Alzheimer’s will look a little different this year. On Sunday, residents will gather at the Power Park Pavilion as people around the country gather to raise awareness of the disease. Jodie Bittinger, a speech language pathologist from Thompson Falls who specializes in geriatrics, coordinates a monthly Alzheimer’s and dementia support group. The group meets the second Sunday of each month at 2 p.m. in the Oddfellows meeting room behind the barber shop in Thompson Falls. “Every family will or has been affec...
With the final days of summer come the final days of another important season in the U.S. – election season. The general election is November 3, and the staff and the Sanders County Clerk and Recorder’s office has spent countless hours preparing. Sanders County Commissioners previously voted to hold an all-mail ballot election. Voters still have the option to vote in-person. Ballots will be mailed October 9 to all active registered voters. With that, Bobbi Christenson with the county election office says that voters should start seeing their ba...
Ruth Bader Ginsberg was a small woman at just 5-foot-1, but she made a huge impact with her life. Such was the case with a small gathering in Thompson Falls Sunday evening. Sarah Cooper of Trout Creek organized a candlelight vigil to honor Ginsberg, the Supreme Court Justice who passed away last weekend at the age of 87. Although only eight people came to the vigil, Cooper was happy to provide a common place for people to grieve and honor Ginsberg. Cooper said the idea was last minute, but "I...
The county recorded its first coronavirus-related death last week, according to Sanders County Public Health officials. No details were provided regarding the death, which the county announced on Saturday. As of Tuesday, the county remained at two active cases of COVID-19. “As we are below the threshold of four active cases, face coverings are not currently required in Sanders County, but local officials strongly recommend their continued use,” the county health department announced. Many local businesses also continue to require masks. The...
The Sanders County Fairgrounds in Plains looked a little different this Labor Day weekend. Normal fair activities including the carnival, rodeo and vendors were missing, but the Sanders County 4-H members still got the chance to show off their hard work. The efforts of the Sanders County 4-H members culminated with the annual livestock auction Sunday morning at the fairgrounds in Plains. The auction featured 16 steers, 34 swine, three sheep and a goat. With the COVID-19 restrictions this year,...
After a weekend of sunshine and temperatures in the 90s, Labor Day came in with a bang as strong winds pummeled Sanders County. The strongest wind gusts were seen in the west end of the county. Home owners in Trout Creek reported several trees down and power was knocked out throughout the Northern Lights service area. In Thompson Falls, some residents were without power for as little as an hour, while others didn't have power retored until Monday afternoon. As of Tuesday afternoon, hundreds of Northern Lights customers were without power due...
A Hot Springs man was arrested last week on charges of arson after a large fire at Wild Horse Hot Springs. Dennis D. Larson, 63, was booked at the Lake County Jail on a charge of felony negligent arson on August 26. Lake County Sheriff Don Bell said in a press release that Hot Springs Volunteer Fire Department requested the assistance of the Lake County Sheriff’s Office due to the large fire started on the property that burned out of control. Deputies responded and provided aid to the fire department by clearing out onlookers on nearby roads w...
Commissioners on Tuesday voted to conduct the November general election by mail in Sanders County. However, that doesn’t mean that voters won’t have an opportunity to cast a ballot in person. Sanders County Election Administrator Nichol Scribner told the commissioners on Tuesday that voters can come into the courthouse at any time to vote in person. Ballots will be mailed October 9 and will include return postage so voters can drop the completed ballots in the mail without having to add postage. Ballots can also be turned it at drop box loc...
Noxon Superintendent Jon Martin said that school will re-open and the administration will follow the school calendar approved by the board. However, it will look a little different in the halls at Noxon School when students return on Aug. 26 for the first day of school. During a four-hour meeting last week, the school board decided that kids will be back in the classrooms at the end of the month, but parents will have an option to request remote learning for their child due to health concerns. The board will decide exactly how the remote...
A proposed RV park on the east end of Thompson Falls brought several residents and a request for zoning to the City Council meeting Monday evening. Resident Elizabeth Moore brought up the issue to the council, asking that the area around Mount Silcox Drive, near Thompson Falls High School, be zoned as residential. Moore said that there is only one entrance to the area and that many people walk the roadways. "We need to protect our investments and quality of life," Moore told the council....
The trial of former Thompson Falls resident Danielle Wood, who is charged with deliberate homicide in the death of her ex-boyfriend, Matthew LaFriniere, has been delayed. The trial was set to begin Monday, July 20, at the Sanders County Courthouse in Thompson Falls. According to court records, Wood's attorney, William Managhan, had a family emergency and filed a motion to continue. Parties involved in the case met last Wednesday, July 15, and there was no objection to delaying the trial. This...
The trial of former Thompson Falls resident Danielle Wood, who is charged with deliberate homicide in the death of her ex-boyfriend, Matthew LaFriniere, has been delayed. The trial was set to begin Monday, July 20, at the Sanders County Courthouse in Thompson Falls. No details have been released on why the trial has been delayed, and a new trial date has not been announced. Wood has been held in the Lake County Jail for more than a year since her arrest March 20, 2019. Fifty-one-year-old LaFriniere was found dead at his home east of Thompson...
Sanders County officials on Wednesday confirmed a fourth case of COVID-19 in the county. As a result of this fourth case, Sanders County residents will now be required to wear face coverings as mandated the governor's directive, which went into effect Wednesady. Governor Bullock issued the directive to require businesses, government offices and other indoor spaces open to the public to ensure that employees, contractors, volunteers, customers, and other members of the public wear a face mask that covers their mouth and nose while remaining...
The Sanders County Treasurer’s Office last week sent notices to nearly 1,000 county property owners in June notifying them of delinquent property taxes. Sanders County Treasurer Nichol Scribner said that of the 941 cards sent, 613 of those tax payments for 2019 are still delinquent. Scribner said that this year, the office has had “an unusually high number of out-of-state companies looking to acquire land through delinquent taxes.” She said that most of these companies are looking for bare land. If 2019 taxes have not been paid by August 3, th...
The state has confirmed that three Sanders County residents have tested positive for COVID-19. No further details were released by the state or Clark Fork Valley Hospital. Last week, a positive test at Clark Fork Valley Hospital was later determined to be a false positive by the state. More information will be released when it is available....
The sun sets over a field in Whitepine. Area farmers have begun harvesting their crops. Warmer weather is expected to return this weekend. See the forecase on Page 6....
With the Montana primary election over, the focus now shifts to the general election. Election Day is set for November 3. In statewide races with Sanders County voters, Jennifer Fielder of Thompson Falls won the Republican ticket in the race for Public Service Commissioner for District 4. Fielder received 16,664 votes, while fellow Republicans Will Deschamps had 13,039 and Champ Edmunds 7,408. Fielder will meet Democrat Monica Tranel in the general election. Tranel received 25,886 votes to Daniel Carlino’s 7,785. In the race for Fielder’s cur...
