Independently owned since 1905
Independently owned since 1905
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The Sanders County Fair might be without a carnival next year, announced Fair Commission Chairman Randy Woods at last week's board meeting. According to Woods, Sherry McKay, owner of Paradise Amusements of Post Falls, Idaho, said she's tired of the complaints and will not be returning to the Sanders County Fair. For the last two years, there have been numerous complaints about the carnival. Fair board member Jim Newman walked the carnival this year and gave out free tickets and Paradise...
Several people got lost between Plains and Thompson Falls last weekend, though they eventually found their way. It was a corn maze and part of the 2nd Annual Harvest Festival held at the Waterway CSA Farm owned by Mark and Elizabeth Riffle just over 15 miles west of Plains along Highway 200. It took the Riffles about 20 hours to construct the 60x100-square foot maze, which had field corn which ranged from four to seven feet high. "It's tiny, but you can get lost easily," said 10-year-old John...
It was music to the ears for one of Plains School's newest teachers, who got his first teaching job less than two hours from home. Loren Lauridson jumped right into his new job and within three days had the students rehearsing for their first concert of the year, a fall concert scheduled for Oct. 24. "I always say the sooner we get instruments in the students' hands, the better we will sound," said the 23-year-old Lauridson. Their first concert of the year will include the high school choir,...
Two Plains businesses are now merged under one owner and they continue to flourish as one. The 406 Outlet closed its doors at the old Town Pump building site several weeks ago and is now taking up space at Colleen's Country Store on the other side of town. Jessica (Holland) Gergen purchased Colleen's Country Store from Colleen Mesing at the end of September and moved her inventory alongside the country store's merchandise. Both businesses will be represented under one roof and the Colleen's...
Clark Fork Valley Hospital has a new doctor, but she's not new to Plains. "Barbie" Steward is a 2006 graduate of Plains High School. At 7 years old she was already operating heavy machinery at her father's rock business and as a teenager, she was benching over 200 pounds. Now she's Dr. Barbara Steward helping her former neighbors stay healthy. The 35-year-old Steward started at Clark Fork Valley Hospital last Monday and already has patients lined up. As the hospital's newest osteopathic physicia...
The Plains Town Council passed five motions at its monthly meeting at City Hall last week, but the mayor and four council members present spent some 20 minutes on something that was suggested by a resident at last month's council meeting and tabled it until next month. Mayor Chris Allen put on the agenda the idea of the town having some type of written declaration or statement, possibly an ordinance, that allows for people in Plains to decide for themselves whether or not to mask up if the...
The second year of Ag Day in Sanders County had a first time special attraction for the kids - "Barney the Bison" - and it wasn't a fake purple dinosaur, but a real life American buffalo. The 4-year-old bison from the Harlow Bison Ranch of Thompson Falls was one of a dozen stations - one more than last year - in the Second Annual Ag Day at the Sanders County Fairgrounds last Wednesday. "I'm so proud of our agriculture community in Sanders County and their willingness to volunteer to put on this...
Amundson Sports Complex at Plains was all about soccer on Saturday when over 300 children from both Sanders and Mineral counties participated in the Randy Baker Memorial Tournament. Kids from 4-13 years old from Plains, Trout Creek, Thompson Falls, Hot Springs, and Superior competed on several fields at the complex for more than six hours. U6 and U8 kids had their normally scheduled games, but the tournament was designed for the U10 and U13 teams and was done in a round robin format, according t...
by Ed Moreth The Sanders County Fairgrounds manager has called it quits after more than four years at the helm. Melissa Cady put in her resignation last Thursday, citing health as her primary reason for moving on. "After this year because of my health and the stress of all that took place my doctor has advised me to seek a different path," said Cady in her resignation letter to Commissioner Tony Cox and Fair Commission Chairman Randy Woods. "It'll be extremely tough shoes to fill," said Woods,...
Another veteran suicide awareness month has come and gone, but the message is spreading, said Ed Foste, who has been putting up the flag display every year for the last six years. The retired Navy veteran added 22 American flags to the display each day, usually at dusk, to illustrate the 22 veterans that pass away each day from suicide. Saturday was the last day to add to this year's awareness exhibit, but it was the first time he had a World War II veteran assist with the flags. It took less...
The students at Plains School spent last week showing their school spirit and getting revved-up for its homecoming showdown against Arlee. The school had a myriad of activities throughout the week to get them excited and pumped, starting with "Spirit Days" last Monday, when they dressed up in Hispanic apparel, and finishing with the crowning event of naming the king and queen. "The big sombreros were pretty funny, and they had colorful ponchos," said Luanna Revier, who works in the front office...
For the second consecutive year, the Plains High School seniors were the winners in the annual Horsemen Olympics Friday afternoon, defeating the juniors by only one point. The scores between the four high school classes were within nine points, but the final tally put the seniors on top with 34 points and the junior class at 33 points. The sophomores finished with 27 points and the freshmen with 25 points. The Olympic games got off to a late start, but organizer Ken Nelson and the student counci...
The Plains Horsemen were pumped for their bout against the Arlee Warriors and for a while it looked as though Arlee had met its match as the Horsemen kept pace with them for the first quarter. The Warriors drew first blood halfway through the quarter, but the Horsemen bounced back when quarterback Darren Standeford threw a bullet to wide receiver Aden West to tie things up 6-6. Neither team could get the two-point conversion. It wasn't long into the second quarter when Arlee scored and ran in...
A Plains man traveled to Israel to take in the sights of an ancient country, but he took time out to give a group of special needs kids a painting lesson. Artist Dave Williams spent almost eight hours in the village of ADI Negev-Nahalat Eran in the Negev Desert of Israel teaching children to paint. Rather than painting in a formal class setting, Williams had his session on a sidewalk in the shade. "I believe there was a misunderstanding because I prepared for a class setting and they thought I...
Hot Springs Superintendent Gerald Chouinard said it's possible a new English monarch might go to volleyball games, but he was skeptical that the queen actually gets out on the floor to play after her coronation. The newly crowned Hot Springs king, Nick McAllister, 16, joined the over 100 fans in the bleachers and his queen, Brooke Jackson, 16, took to the floor with the rest of her Hot Springs Lady Savage Heat team Saturday evening. The newly crowned king and queen, both juniors, were among...
A skipper butterfly takes a break at the edge of a juniper shrub while moving from plant to plant looking for flower nectar. The small colorful skipper butterfly is common throughout Montana and seen from late June and into September, according to the Montana Field Guide, which lists nearly 70 different species of skipper butterflies throughout the state. Wendy Carr, the agriculture and horticulture MSU Sanders County Extension agent, believes it is a sachem skipper....
The Hot Springs varsity volleyball team lived up to its banner in the school gymnasium - "Cage the Eagles" - and swept the Eagles at the Hot Springs homecoming game Saturday night. The Hot Springs Lady Savage Heat picked up their fourth victory this season by winning all three games against the Two Eagle River School Eagles 25-7, 25-8 and 25-4. "They did a great job. Our starters held the intensity even with our subs in," said Taylor Salmi, head coach for the Savage Heat. "I'm pretty proud of...
Yard work can be hard work, but that didn't stop a group of volunteers from spending their Saturday helping those in need with their yards. It was all part of the Plains Fall Cleanup Day and the volunteers tackled everything from mowing to gutter cleaning. The Plains Beautification Committee got only 22 volunteers, half as many as the spring cleanup in May, but they had a lot of young people helping this time, including nearly the entire Ercanbrack family - Emory, 17, Kalem, 15, Annika, 13, and...
A member of the Plains Library chess club is making his own chess set, but it's not going to help him win. Gary Olson is crafting handmade glass chess pieces to give away to the winner of an upcoming chess tournament. "I wanted to do something special for the club," said Olson, who has competed with the club since it began in March, but instead of competing, he's going to help referee the tournaments. Olson finished the last two queens last Thursday. "It's a beautiful gift and it's something the...
The Plains football team didn't just win at home Friday evening, the Horsemen stampeded the Troy Trojans for a 68-6 triumph. The local hero of the week would have to be Darren Standeford, a junior, who caught three interceptions and ran some 80 total yards for three touchdowns. Plains head coach Mike Tatum was ecstatic about the win and hopes it will motivate his boys for the rest of the season. "We really focused on finishing plays this last week, whether it was blocking, tackling or whatever,...
The Clark Fork Soccer Alliance U15 coed team went up against a Bitterroot junior varsity team at Amundson Sports Complex Thursday and finished with a 1-1 tie. It took just over 25 minutes in the first half for Jacob Hutchins of the Clark Fork Soccer Alliance to slam one over the head of Bitterroot Hawk keeper Peter Harrington, the only senior on the Bitterroot team. It was only a few minutes for the Hawks to return the favor and tie the game 1-1. Harrington had several saves, but Clark Fork Alli...
The girls Clark Fork Soccer Alliance continued to be undefeated after chalking up their fourth win of the season against a high school junior varsity team. The girls U19 team stomped the Hamilton Lady Broncs 8-2 at Amundson Sports Complex last Monday. "The team is showing good technical and tactical play. We've been working on good passing, keeping the ball on the ground, moving from back to front and staying connected as a unit," said Nick Lawyer, head coach for the Clark Fork team, which has...
While PETA probably won't get involved to save the remaining horses of the "Wild Horse Plains Herd," one man has stepped up to find out what could be done to keep the last two from going to the county dump. Plains resident Dick Blizzard addressed the Plains Town Council last Monday during the public comment period asking for its support and to get a consensus that the two horses still on the greenway along Railroad Street should be saved. The Plains Public Works Department staff hauled one of...
For one Thompson Falls man, competing in the annual demolition derby at the Sanders County Fair is more than just trying for prize money - it's about family and friends and the passion of competing in the arena. Yet when Rick Sanders of Thompson Falls went up against 22 other cars in his 1968 Chrysler Newport in Sunday night's chain class of heat five, he outlasted most of them to take third place. Sanders was satisfied with his finish and had a great time. "It was an awesome heat, the best in y...
The Plains Town Council unanimously passed a $7,866,168 budget for 2023-2024 at last Monday's monthly meeting at City Hall, only $555,596 more than last year. Water and sewer were again the biggest ticket items of the budget, but they don't come out of the general fund because they are self-sustaining, according to chief clerk Cathy Emmett. The budget for water this time is $3,129,881, but $2,670,715 of that comes from an American Rescue Plan Act - ARPA - grant. The sewer budget for the next...
