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The Plains Town Council last Monday was offered help to apply for a grant to build tourism in a manageable way while another person offered a way to pretty up the town. Council members again tabled two items of old business - a parking violation ordinance and an update and review of the billing of water shutoff - before moving on to new business and committee reports. Plains resident Kim McMahon addressed the council about getting in on a state community tourism grant program that could total...
by Ed Moreth The Plains Beautification Committee isn't just helping to clean up the town, they took time out last week to pick the most beautiful posters from school children about the cleanup. The committee received more than 50 posters from Plains Elementary School students and selected the top entries for kindergarten, second and third, and fourth and fifth grade. The winner in each category won a $25 Plains business gift certificate and runners up received a $15 certificate. The kindergarten...
Plains High School sophomore Adreanna Nelson presents a School Lunch Hero Day plaque to Larri Jo Ovitt of the school cafeteria for the team's nutritious meals. Nelson heads the school's nutrition committee. From left are Christina Larsen, Mindy Richards, Ovitt, Nelson, Laurie Ann Hermiston, Kendra Silva, Samantha Anderson and Jill Louws....
A Plains woman has been recognized for the second time for her volunteer efforts to make the woods a safer place during hunting season. Lisa Brown was recently presented the Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks 2024 Instructor of the Year Award for Region 1. "Sanders County is lucky to have Lisa Brown," said Dillon Tabish, FWP's Region 1 communication and education program manager. Brown was honored with a special plaque for her dedicated volunteer work as the lead hunter safety instructor in Plains,...
It's doubtful that Aaron Boone, manager of the N.Y. Yankees, has called timeout and gone to home plate to help get his player's hair off his face or tied a player's shoes for them at the plate, but that has happened to Danielle Paquet with her players more than once. Paquet is the head coach for the Plains Wrecking Balls T-ball baseball team, which faced the St. Regis Tigers at the Amundson Sports Complex last Thursday. It wasn't a nail-biting close game that kept fans at the edge of their...
It's been a long time in the making, but the walking path of the Amundson Sports Complex is finally finished. Throughout the day last Thursday trucks filled with asphalt went in and out of the graveled walkway as Doran VonHeeder of Von Construction & Land Management poured fresh asphalt on the eight-foot wide walking path. His crew put the final touches on the walking path on Friday. Von Construction won the bid to finish the remaining 1,700 feet of the walkway. VonHeeder wanted to ensure it...
Clark Fork Valley Hospital is the biggest employer in Sanders County and it's not just in the medical field, but they too need to fill positions and are looking to Plains High School to help. The hospital last week formed a partnership with the school and held an all-day field trip for recruiting purposes with a group of juniors with hopes that some will seek employment with the hospital after their 2025 graduation. The hospital's chief operating officer, Jeanie Gentry, wanted to let the future...
A handful of people went to the Sanders County Fairgrounds last Monday to sift through the dirt in an effort to clear the arena of foreign objects - especially metal ones - before the high school rodeo in May. The cleanup was led by Kristy Sheehan, the fairgrounds manager, and Jolene Burke of Chase N Three Productions, a barrel racing clinic and a Plains resident who last month brought the problem of dangerous items buried just below the surface in the arena to the fair board. At that time, she...
Judges for this year's Montana Woodcarvers Association Show in Missoula spent almost four hours going over 202 pieces to select the best of the best. Three of the four judges this year are Plains residents - Kristen Cole, Ilene Paulsen and Rita Rothlisberger - along with Carolyn Majors of Stevensville. Fifty-eight carvers participated in the show, including Plains residents Scott Johnson, Janet and Dave Brandon, Darrell Sorenson, Karen and Sean Ryan, and Heather Allen. Even though there were...
People will get the opportunity to see the talents of the Plains High School art students and even obtain some of their work. The Plains High School Exhibition 2024 will take place next week in the Opportunity Room in the elementary gymnasium with a reception taking place on Monday, May 13, from 6-8 p.m. There will be refreshments. The show will also be available for viewing during school hours on Tuesday and Wednesday. People will be able to see quality artwork from talented high school students, said Kristen Cole, the school’s art teacher. T...
A bison can run up to speeds of 35 mph, but the school Bisons that sped through Dixon on Saturday were a bit slower, including 12-year-old Sonny Matt, who nabbed first place in the 10K "Bison Stampede," finishing the race in one hour and 25.04 minutes. His brother, Joey, 11, crossed the finish line one-tenth of a second behind him, followed closely by Abram Boyd, 12, in third at 1:25.15. The three are part of the Dixon Bisons track team and the only participants in the 10K race. But the...
Two Plains soccer teams pulled off wins at the Amundson Sports Complex in front of cheering home fans Saturday. The Clark Fork Soccer Alliance coed U12 kids pulled off a 7-2 victory Saturday afternoon against the Missoula Strikers. The Clark Fork Soccer Alliance U18 girls team defeated the Stevensville Sabres in an afternoon game with a score of 3-0. The U18 girls played earlier in the day against the Polson FC. It was a grudge match with the Plains girls trying to come back from a loss to Polso...
When learning about the fundamentals of aerodynamics, it helps to have first-hand experience. That's what a group of Plains High School students got at the Penn Stohr Field of Plains Airport last Wednesday when Plains resident Randy Garrison took the students for an airplane ride. Garrison used his Cherokee Piper airplane to help reiterate classroom information from science teacher Brooks Sanford and have fun at the same time with their field trip over Plains. Nine seniors and one junior from...
Plains High School held its "mock interview" curriculum to help students get a jump on jobs after high school. The program must be working because Justin Richards of Rehbein Transportation Incorporated gave out three applications to students of the mock interviews. It was all part of Business Essentials, a class that helps prepare seniors for applying for work once they graduate. A dozen local business men and women volunteered their time last Monday in the school's gymnasium to provide a...
Wild turkey, moose stew, wild boar and sauerkraut, and venison meatloaf were part of an exclusive cuisine at the Clark Fork Baptist Church last week. They were all part of the specialties offered at the annual event Friday evening, when over 60 men and boys gathered for the Wild Game Dinner, hosted by Pastor Kim Earhart and his wife, Denise. Visitors also had the opportunity to try Hungarian partridge, elk roast and gravy, wild turkey queso, pepperoni deer, and barbecue pulled cougar - "the...
Members of the Plains Wood Carvers Club are looking to show their most recent work at the Montana State Wood Carvers Show in Missoula this month. "I'm a little nervous since this is my first show," said Scott Johnson, one of the club's newer members. He's working on a sculpture of a vulture that stands about four inches tall. He's one of eight club members that'll be competing in this year's show, which the Montana Woodcarvers Association will have at the Missoula County Fairgrounds May 3-5....
The Plains Junior High School track team nearly dominated the track and field competition on its own home turf last week, taking first place with the Boys A Division and first in the Girls A Division. Eighty-seven boys and girls participated in the Plains Junior High School County Track Meet, which involved Plains, Thompson Falls, Noxon, Hot Springs, and Dixon. Trout Creek was not there. The competition involved 15 different events for the A Division (eighth grade) teams and B Division (sixth...
The Thompson Falls Blue Dingers continued their undefeated record after claiming a 23-4 victory over the Plains Beasts in minor league play at the Amundson Sports Complex in Plains last week. "They played fantastic," said Jon Haun, head coach for the Blue Dingers. Haun said that he even sent in two boys - Louis Hannum and Elliott Susic - that had never pitched to the mound and they did well. As of last Tuesday, the Blue Dingers had three wins and no losses, with the exception of an exhibition...
No one from the general public showed up for the Plains School levy forum, but that didn't seem to bother Superintendent Dr. Kathleen Walsh, who held the get together specifically to answer questions from the community. "I'm not discouraged by the numbers," said Walsh, who held the open forum in the school library last Thursday in an effort to inform the public about the purpose of this year's levy request. There were people from the school at the forum - two teachers, two school board members,...
Most people know that April 15 is tax day, but it’s also Jackie Robinson Day, commemorating when Robinson broke the “color barrier” in baseball, playing for the Brooklyn Dodgers. On April 15, every baseball player wore number 42, Robinson’s jersey number, as Major League Baseball has done for the last 15 years. Robinson has been celebrated time and time again for helping to integrate African-Americans into the game, and rightly so. He received death threats, racial slurs, and indignities. The Los Angeles Dodgers, (they moved to Califor...
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The Thompson Falls Lady Hawks took first place at the Thompson Falls Invitational at Previs Field last week where more than a dozen schools threw, jumped and ran for the farthest, highest and fastest distances and times. The Lady Hawks did it, accumulating 86 points for top honors, and the Blue Hawks took fifth place with 53 points. Thompson Falls finished the competition with 10 first places and four second place medals, said Trenna Ferris, head coach for the last seven years. The Thompson...
The U.S. Forest Service Plains-Thompson Falls Ranger District has a new leader, and he's no stranger to the workings of the woods. Curtis Rintz has worked in the forests, deserts and high mountains and is now a ranger in the Lolo National Forest. The 62-year-old took over as the district's ranger in Plains only six weeks ago and is quickly getting familiarized with his new role, the district's missions and its crew. "I am excited to be here. It's a challenge but I love it," said Rintz, who has...
The average age of people getting married in the United States was early 30s, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, but last week's wedding at Plains School might throw a wrinkle in their statistics. Six-year-old Malia Hart (as the letter Q) and 5-year-old Finley Williams (as the letter U) were "married" in the classroom by their kindergarten teacher last Thursday. Classmate Emma Colwell served as the ring bearer and Frances LeClair was the ceremony's flower girl, placing pink flower petals at...
Plains School is asking for a $100,000 levy this year in an effort to recruit and retain qualified teachers and staff and to help better fund classroom programs. “Our levy is for learning,” said Dr. Kathleen Walsh, the school superintendent, who added that they’re going to educate the children regardless, but the levy will give the students better opportunities to be successful in the future. “The levy will allow the school community to expand and support family and community engagement while supporting expansion of academic program...