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Thirteen years ago, Lily the boxer puppy watched Carson Alexander get on the bus for his first day of kindergarten. On Sunday, Lily was there at Thompson Falls High School's Previs Field to watch Carson graduate with the Class of 2020. To make the moment even more special, it was Lily's 13th birthday. The commencement ceremony in Thompson Falls was filled with remembrance and accolades for the seniors. The class chose teacher Cory Kump as their speaker. Kump taught the Class of 2020 as fifth...
More than 65% of Sanders County's registered voters turned in ballots for the state's all-mail primary, with results coming in late Tuesday. The Sanders County Elections Office issues 7,735 ballots and 5,075 were processed by elections staff Tuesday evening. By comparison, in the last presidential primary in 2016, 47.73% of voters cast ballots. In local races, Democrat Diane Magone will move on to face Republican Bob Brown in the race for State Senate, District 7. Magone receive 930 primary votes and Gerald Cuvillier received 168 on the...
Community members and Thompson Falls School staff have started a foundation in honor of Superintendent Bill Cain, who passed away in February. The Be Like Bill Foundation is an educational non-profit group that will help students in the Thompson Falls School District, as well as the Hartland, Michigan, School District, where Cain worked for mroe than 30 years before moving to Thompson Falls in 2018. The Be Like Bill Foundation will present a scholarship to a graduating senior in both school...
Ballots are trickling in for the Montana Primary, which is Tuesday, June 2. Sanders County opted for a mail-in election due to COVID-19 restrictions, under the direction of the Secretary of State and Governor. Sanders County Clerk and Recorder Nichol Scribner said that more than 3,000 ballots (39% of the 7,680 mailed) had been returned as of this Tuesday. Scribner said that drop boxes are located in each community throughout the county and added that those are working well. “We have two judges who go and bring in the ballots and check them i...
Sanders County voters mailed in ballots for local school elections, with the county elections office releasing unofficial results late Tuesday. In Noxon, Andrew Chaboya Cabaccang and Reuben Habegger were vying for a one-year position. Habegger received 260 votes, while Cabaccang received 185. Current board chairman David Pafford was running unopposed and received 336 votes. In Thompson Falls, voters chose Ryan Frields and Jacob Helvey to retain their seats on the school board. Helvey received the most votes in the district with 814. Frields...
Though Sanders County hasn’t had a confirmed case of the coronavirus, life at Clark Fork Valley Hospital (CFVH) in Plains is anything but normal as administrators and staff continue to monitor the disease spread. “I don’t think people always recognize how tremendous the Clark Fork Valley Hospital staff is,” hospital CEO Dr. Greg Hanson said Monday. “There is a lot of stress because of procedure changes. The level of intensity and fear from the community has been a lot to handle.” Even so, Hanson said they have had no problem keeping the...
Parents, students and school staff are adjusting to new models of learning. Distance learning, both online and with packets of school work, is the new norm at Sanders County schools. Superintendent Jonathan Martin in Noxon said that they will hold a special board meeting Thursday where he will recommend that the remote learning continue through the remainder of the school year. He said that all of the county superintendents met and discussed options for the rest of the school year. “We actually did a survey and got a huge response back from p...
Sanders County voters mailed in ballots for local school elections, with the county elections office releasing unofficial results late Tuesday. In Noxon, Andrew Chaboya Cabaccang and Reuben Habegger were vying for a one-year position. Habegger received 260 votes, while Cabaccang received 185. Current board chairman David Pafford was running unopposed and received 336 votes. In Thompson Falls, voters chose Ryan Frields and Jacob Helvey to retain their seats on the school board. Helvey received the most votes in the district with 814. Frields... Full story
Work has begun on the project to repair the Clark Fork River Bridge near Trout Creek. Construction on the bridge, as well as safety improvements on Blue Slide Road, the primary alternate route for the project, are under way. According to the Montana Department of Transportation (MDT), crews are improving safety on Blue Slide Road to help accommodate increased local traffic. The Blue Slide Road portion of the project is expected to be completed in May and will include adding additional...
Sanders County is working to conduct the June 2 primary election by mail. Last week, Governor Steve Bullock issued a directive giving counties the option of holding a mail-in election for the primary. Sanders County Clerk & Recorder/Treasurer Nichol Scribner, who also serves as the county Election Administrator, said the commissioners last week wrote a letter in support of the mail-in ballot primary election, and the plan for Sanders County is being submitted to the secretary of state’s office for approval. “This is not for every election, jus...
GWEN PIRKER, Thompson Falls — "Not much change in my everyday activities!! I am more aware of what I touch and closeness to others. ... The one thing I miss most is being able to hug friends and family members." SHELLIE ANDERSON, Trout Creek — "Creating and sending homework home to students." VALERIE CURTISS, Plains — "Getting out in the garden, tidying up from winter, and have planted some English peas." ROXY DERRY, Thompson Falls — "I’m still bribing my son with M&M's to behave." TRISTAN FRANCK, Thompson Falls — "Just keep doing the next ri...
Social distancing has put a stop to organized sports throughout the county, but residents have still been getting outdoors. Since 2012, the United Nations has recognized March 21 as World Down Syndrome Day "to help raise awareness of what Down syndrome is, what it means to have Down syndrome, and how people with Down syndrome play a vital role in our lives and communities," according to the website www.worldownsyndromeday2.org. While most people have two copies of the 21st chromosome, those...
Sanders County is changing the way they do business. As of Wednesday, offices in the courthouse, as well as the sheriff's office, were encouraging customers to do business by phone or online. To receive service in the office, appointments will be made. The doors to both locations will be locked and visitors will be screened at the door prior to entry, commissioners announced this week. One customer will be allowed at a time at offices. "We are taking these measures to protect the public and our... Full story
The roads on the west end of Sanders County need more attention. That was the message from residents and local politicians as they met with Sanders County Commissioners last week. Paul Fielder of Thompson Falls, a Republican running for House District 13 this year, said he’s been hearing from residents about the condition of roads in Noxon and Heron, including Martin Creek Road, Stevens Creek Road and roads around the Avista property east of Noxon. Resident Gerry Campbell arranged the meeting to allow citizens to come forward, Fielder noted. W...
The filing period for the June 2 primary election ended March 9, and a few candidates filed at the end for local races. Jennifer Fielder of Thompson Falls, a current state Senator for District 7, which includes Sanders County, filed for the position of Public Service Commissioner for Northwest Montana. “Frankly, I took a look at the other candidates that were running and I did not feel that any of the other candidates would do a good job of representing our area,” Fielder said. “The PSC has a really important function that affects almost every...
Sanders County communities are following the county in limiting traffic to city properties in the effort to help slow the spread of COVID-19. In Thompson Falls, properties including city hall and the community center will be closed to the public until further notice. City staff will be available to help customers via phone or online. City Clerk Amy Gray in Hot Springs said they are limiting walk-in traffic at City Hall to town business and encouraging people to use the drop box, go online or... Full story
Montana Governor Steve Bullock on Thursday issued a shelter-in-place order for Montanans to help slow the spread of the coronavirus. As of Thursday, 90 cases had be confirmed in Montana. "We have to do more to curtail the spread of the virus," Gov. Bullock said. The governor's order is effective at 12:01 a.m. Saturday and will be effective through April 10, when the order will be re-assessed. It encourages Montanans to stay home "except for essential activities." That, he said, includes... Full story
While Governor Steve Bullock ordered last Sunday that Montana schools be closed for two weeks to help slow the spread of COVID-19, also known as coronavirus, other Sanders County businesses are feeling the effects as well. County officials met Monday to discuss guidelines and potential impacts to the county businesses and residents. The county created a Facebook page, "Sanders County COVID-19," to update residents on current restrictions due to the coronavirus. A message line has also been set... Full story
Thompson Falls City Council President Raoul Ribeiro led his first meeting as interim mayor Monday evening, the first meeting of the council since the resignation of Mayor Jerry Lacy earlier this month. Monday's meeting began with a public hearing on the wastewater treatment system upgrades. Construction on phases 1 and 2 of the project includes connecting properties from the west end of Thompson Falls east to Grove Street to the city's wastewater system. Construction on the first two phases,...
Three additional candidates have filed for local state and regional positions for this year’s general election. Incumbent James Manley has filed for District Court Judge in District 20, which includes Sanders County. Manley has served in that position for six year and was a private practice attorney for 37 years. Manley said he thought about retiring, but a lot of people talked to him about filing for another term. “Actually, the one who convinced me to was Clerk of Court Candice Fisher. I can’t seem to say no to Candy,” Manley said. Ben Anciau...
A Trout Creek man was sentenced Tuesday for five felonies resulting from a string of events in Trout Creek in November 2018. West Flockerzi received a total of 30 years' commitment with the Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS), with all but eight of those years suspended. Flockerzi has been under the care of DPHHS at the Montana State Hospital since May of 2019. He was given credit by Judge James Manley on Tuesday for 465 days in jail, and he was also ordered to pay restitution of $3,799.25. "I think the community deserves...
The homicide trial for Danielle Wood has been rescheduled to July 20. District Court Judge Deborah "Kim" Christopher on Tuesday set the new trial date after consulting with defense attorney Kirk Krutilla and prosecutor Dan Guyzinski, with the state Attorney General's office. Wood appeared by video conference from the Lake County courthouse on Tuesday. "This case is uniquely different than anything I've had, with four attorneys going through," Judge Christopher stated in regard to the attorneys Wood has had since her arrest in March 2019....
People are driving too fast on a stretch of Montana Highway 200 between Plains and Paradise, and two Plains men approached the Sanders County Commissioners last week proposing that the speed limit be lowered. Rich Magera and Wally Logan met with commissioners last Wednesday with concerns about the highway between mile markers 77 through 82 east of Plains. “There are blind curves and bus stops,” Magera said. “It can get busy.” The two Plains residents are proposing the speed limit be lowered from 70 to 55. Logan, who lives on Terrace Drive, said...
Hecla Mining Company last week met with Sanders County Commissioners to update them on mining operations in northwest Montana. Nick Raines, environmental coordinator for the Montana operations, and Bruce Vincent with Environomics, Inc., both out of Libby, met in Thompson Falls with commissioners last Wednesday. The proposed Rock Creek Mine outside of Noxon would produce an estimated 6 million ounces of silver and 50 million pounds of copper a year, according to the company's website. Raines...
Thompson Falls School Superintendent Bill Cain passed away unexpectedly at his home in Thompson Falls on Friday, February 7. Cain had been superintendent for the district since July 2018. Cain had a passion for education and wanted every child to succeed. His long career in education began with student teaching in Frenchtown before a year teaching in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, and 31 years in Hartland Consolidated School District in his home state of Michigan before moving to Thompson Falls. The...
