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Independently owned since 1905
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Classes at Plains School were suspended for the day, but students still had to don their thinking caps with the goal of combining reason, speed, aim, ingenuity, but mostly fun. For more than three hours, 15 teams with names like "Frosty the Snowman," "Elf," "Nutcracker," "Polar Express," and the "The Nightmare Before Christmas" competed in the annual "Brain Bash" competition at Plains School Friday morning. The teachers and staff designed contests for each of the stations. Some involved...
Plains High School had its Christmas concert a week earlier, but the music teacher and choir wanted to reach out to the community with additional holiday spirit. Music teacher Rhiannon Greenwood led her 12-voice choir in a special musical performance at Fred Young Park for the school's 2nd Annual Caroling in the Park concert last Wednesday. The 12-student choir sang nine Christmas songs, including "We Three Kings," "Frosty the Snowman" and "Jingle Bells." During "The Twelve Days of Christmas,"...
The Plains Horsemen corralled the Savage Heat in a basketball game at Hot Springs, but the Lady Savage Heat trampled the Trotters immediately following the boys game. The Horsemen took an early lead against the Savage Heat and never lost it, claiming a 52-30 victory for a record of three wins and two losses. The Hot Springs boys have two wins and three losses. It was the first home game of the season for both Hot Springs teams, coached by Mike Benson for the boys and Richard Jackson for the...
The Christmas concert at the Plains Bible Chapel is attracting more people each year and last week's performance was no exception. One hundred and fifty-one people attended the hour and a half concert, which included nearly two dozen religious and secular Christmas songs. Most were done by the 20-person choir, directed by Jeanine Croft, one of the concert coordinator, and pianist Donna Scheiter. The choir was comprised of members of different local churches, along with other members of the commu...
Hundreds of people roamed the gymnasiums at Plains Schools Saturday, including Santa Claus, though he had to be fingerprinted prior to the event because of the school's new security measures. It was the 3rd Annual Winter Bazaar at Plains School, where 60 vendors filled the two gyms with 74 tables of goods from baked goods to books, from small jewelry to custom made goods from old barrels, and even more baked goods to puppies. Catharine Elliott, one of the bazaar coordinators, guessed there were...
They were tattered, torn, frayed, and discolored and their service to the country had passed - the end of life for a national symbol - the American flag. A dozen military veterans gathered behind Horse Plains VFW Post 3596 on Saturday evening to bid farewell to a comrade they had served on active duty. It was a quiet and solemn ceremony that took less than 15 minutes. One by one, the veterans put an unserviceable flag into a barrel of flames. The barrels eventually got so hot, the vets had to...
High school art students exited the classroom last week and spent the day at different Plains businesses to bring more Christmas spirit to the community. "I think it's so wonderful that the school does this," said Emily Sexton, owner of Em's Cafe in Plains. It was her first time to participate in the school's holiday window painting project. Sexton asked if they could incorporate a moose in their artwork of several windows of the cafe. "I love mooses and we have them here everywhere," said Sexto...
The last Plains Town Council meeting of the year was short, but finished with a surprise request from a resident. Plains resident and business owner Matthew Jaramillo accused Chief of Police Brian Josephson of misusing his authority and engaging in personal vendettas. "I come to you today to raise urgent concerns regarding Chief Brian Josephson's continued service as police chief for the Town of Plains," Jaramillo said at last Monday night's council meeting at City Hall. Mayor Joel Banham gave h...
People have seen various renditions of "A Christmas Carol" on television from the 1923 to 2009 versions, but Kathleen Hubka and the Paradise Players gave a new adaptation of the old story last weekend with a lively cast of eight. Hubka's version was made especially distinct with much help by Bonnie Firestone, who created the costumes for the Charles Dickens story. Firestone has been a part of the Paradise Players since the spring of 2023 and did the costumes for "The Works: A Grass Menagerie"...
It was not a good start of the season for the Plains Horsemen or Trotters, but the coaches are confident their players will turn things around. The Horsemen and Trotters both fell to Flathead Valley Friday at home, but both games were close enough to go either way right to the end buzzer. The Flathead Valley Crusaders and Lady Crusaders both walked away with victories, defeating the Horsemen 54-50 and the Trotters 32-20. "I thought the boys played hard and did some great things; however, I also...
by Ed Moreth Dozens of small colorful boxes lit up the dark sky over Plains last weekend with sentimental messages and seasonal greetings. The annual Cancer Network of Sanders County "Lantern Launch" was held along the greenway at downtown Plains on Saturday night following the Christmas Light Parade. The nonprofit organization raised $450, which goes directly back to county residents going through cancer treatment. "Our goal is to show our local community members that they are not alone in thei...
Kris Kringle made a special stop in Plains last week, coming into town this year on a borrowed sleigh and meeting with kids along the greenway. With a little chill in the air, more than 200 people lined Railroad Street along the greenway for the Parade of Lights Christmas Parade on Saturday evening with a decorated Plains Community Ambulance leading the way. Forty-two vehicles - the biggest yet - made their way through Plains with Santa, Mrs. Claus, and their elves, Cooper and Kendall, on the...
Nearly two dozen military veterans will be getting a taste of home for Christmas, thanks to a group of VFW Auxiliary members. Six women and one man gathered at the Wild Horse Plains VFW Post 3596 last week to prepare packages for 20 veterans as part of the Goody Boxes For Service Personnel program. Last Monday, they met to sort the donated items from combs to candy and from socks to caps. And on Friday, they finished the packing, ready to be mailed. "They had a good variety of things in the...
It was a one-woman crusade to help make Plains parks a cleaner place for residents and visitors, especially the four-legged kind. Cori Kerner spent four days on her "Dollar Days Sale" fundraiser at the Sanders County Fairgrounds pavilion last week. Her goal was to raise money to purchase several dog waste dispensers for the greenway along Railroad Street and the town's two parks. The sale reached just over $1,000 by Saturday and after her four-day sale, Kerner was able to raise almost $1,400 to...
A turkey searches for just the right fruit in a tree west of Plains....
The Plains Woman's Club once again took to their sewing skills in an effort to help make a brighter Christmas for Sanders County children. Eight members of the club gathered at the United Methodist Church in Plains to sew Christmas stockings for the Sanders County Coalition For Families (SCCFF) after their club meeting on Friday afternoon. The volunteers included Shirley King, Deb Cleveland, Donna Maughlin, Janet Brandon, Linda Zirelli, LeeAnn Hafner, Samantha Bebb and Julie Thomas. Not all...
It was a full meeting for the Plains School Board last Monday, when several students were recognized for special feats and new school hires were approved, but the meeting began with a teacher rebuking a board member for allowing personal feelings to interfere with a school program. Shop teacher Kyle Mitchell told the board that the school had the opportunity to hire Trista Brown at the October meeting to begin the SkillsUSA junior high chapter, but did not because of a "low turnout by the board...
Donald Trump made history in three ways this month when he defeated Kamala Harris for the presidency. First, some news sources say he might have scored the greatest political comeback in U.S. history: he's only the second man to win the presidency in non-consecutive terms, and the only Republican to do it. The first man to get two non-consecutive victories was Democrat Grover Cleveland, the 22nd and 24th president of the United States, serving first from 1885 to 1889. He then lost to Benjamin Harrison, one of the last Civil War veterans in the...
A Thompson Falls man put his name in the hat for the Sanders County demolition derby contract at last Wednesday's monthly fair board meeting at the fairgrounds pavilion. Rick Sanders handed in his proposal to run the "Carnage on the Clark Fork Demolition Derby" for the 2025 and 2026 to each board member and the fair manager. He said he wanted to make sure they all got it. The 60-year-old Sanders sent in a proposal four years ago, but believes it was not even looked at and was "round filed."...
Members of the Plains Woman's Club gathered at the Paradise Center on Sunday afternoon to celebrate 100 years with an "Anniversa-Tea." Forty-eight people showed up for the two-hour event, where the ladies had finger foods, games, door prizes, a slide show, history lessons, trivia contests, and tea. Thompson Falls resident Karen Gustavsen, president of the General Federation of Women's Club of Montana, was the main guest speaker for the event. She is a member of the Thompson Falls Woman's Club....
Thompson Falls High School soccer is done for the season, but the work for the players continues with an indoor program in an effort to stay sharp for next season. It's called futsal - indoor soccer modified with five players on a team, but in a smaller venue - and several players are participating in the Clark Fork Soccer Alliance program, said Nick Lawyer, head coach for the Thompson Falls Lady Hawks, which includes Plains players. He's also one of the futsal organizers. The participants meet...
It lasted only two minutes, but the gravity of its meaning was sincere and heartfelt. Members of Horse Plains VFW Post 3596 held their fifth annual Veterans Day ceremony at Plains Cemetery last Monday morning. Six men - Randy Evans with the Army flag, Noah Hathorne with the Marine Corps flag, Rocky Hart with the Navy flag, Greg Davis with the Air Force flag, and Ed Foste with the Coast Guard flag - lined up at the military section of the cemetery. Heather Allen, an Air Force veteran and the...
Nearly 200 people showed up Sunday at the Sanders County Fairgrounds pavilion to see their 4-H kids get recognition for their work throughout the year. More than 150 awards were presented to almost 100 kids at the Sanders County 4-H Achievement Day. Club leaders from the Trout Creek Mavericks, Whitepine Happy Workers, Thompson Falls Mountaineers, South Side Sparks, and the Hot Springs Wranglers called their club members to the forefront to receive their Outstanding Member County Awards. Heron-No...
The Costner Family Clinic is moving back to the vicinity of where their medical studies and home life began. The clinic opened in July of 2021 and has served more than 3,000 people and provided primary care to some 2,000 on a regular basis, but David Costner, owner and operator of the clinic, said they wanted to get back to the site of their family roots. "I went to my grandmother's funeral a few months ago, and given the family Bible as the oldest of many cousins, realized there was a calling t...
Dede Johnson looks over material at the table of Janie and Ben McFadden at the Plains Paradise Senior Center Craft and Bake Sale in Plains. There were 15 venders set up at the Saturday craft and bake sale, which went from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. This was the third year for the event, said Linda Bursell, the center's secretary and treasurer. It was very successful,' said Bursell. The center made just over $900, which will be maintenance. Each vendor paid $15....
