Independently owned since 1905
Independently owned since 1905
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A Plains artist not only went to the see and hear President Donald Trump during his stop in Missoula, but gave him a taste of Montana to take back to Washington, D.C. Dave Williams of Plains designed a brush and pallet knife acrylic painting of Missoula with a bit of western Montana on canvas and gave it to the president's staff the day prior to his arrival on Oct. 18. Williams said a secret service agent took the painting, which had to be cleared before putting it on Air Force One for future pr...
The annual Harvest Party for the community was held at the Langford Ranch last Sunday afternoon. Fine weather and a good turnout lent to fun for all. There was fresh hot apple cider from the blueberry farm, and a beautiful large campfire which roasted fresh corn. Chili and cornbread complimented the fresh corn and caramel apples for desert. There was storytelling and singing. The kids enjoyed climbing on the hay bales. Some enjoyed getting their faces wet dunking for apples. The wilderness...
Supporters of LR-129 claim their proposal will ensure that mail-in ballots are secure and that the state's elections are free of potential fraud, but opponents argue the entire effort may cause unnecessary gridlock at the polls and distract from any actual security issue. The initiative would prohibit the collection of another individual's ballot, although family members and caregivers could deliver another person's ballot but would need to sign a registry at the polling place. People not...
Close to 80 people attended the Clark Fork Valley Hospital's annual Women's Health Fair, which took place at Plains High School last Thursday. "This event is important to the hospital because we want to keep our community members and communities healthy," said Aria Mangan, the hospital's Community Health Improvement Specialist and chief coordinator of the seven-hour health fair. "One of the best ways to do that is allow the opportunity and education to know what is out there to be healthy and...
It's an old place with old things at a new location and a new name and it commemorated its grand opening last Tuesday by treating customers to finger foods, coffee and hot apple cider. The Wild Horse Mercantile also celebrated its opening with a special ribbon cutting ritual with Plains Mayor Dan Rowan using a pair of old garden clippers to cut the ceremonial ribbon. "We were trying to come up with a new name that incorporated our community and the type of business. We were no longer housed in a...
The two newest members of the Paradise Players – and the youngest of the troupe – loved being on stage for last week's "The Treasure of Shiver River" and plan to be involved with future plays at the Paradise Center. It had all the makings of a successful melodrama – a villain and a hero, romance, comedy, and even a hidden treasure. A dozen local men and women took to the Paradise Center stage for three performances Friday, Saturday and Sunday, provoking big laughs each time, especially Sunda...
The Plains Lions Club is helping to save an important part of the town's history. The Horse Plains Jail has a leaking roof and needed repairs. Last week, four members of the club – President Duane Highcrane, Jered Littlefield, Marv Tanner, and the club's newest member, Dan Rowan, the town mayor – rectified the problem. "It's an important part of Plains and it's part of the community's history that should be preserved," Highcrane said. The volunteer workers carefully removed the original per...
Crooks utilize the cover of darkness for dastardly deeds, but Dave Williams of Plains and his crew used the nighttime to surprise residents with colorful art. Just as the sun was setting last Wednesday evening, Williams and 15 friends and family members started tacking up nearly 1,000 feet of the Wild Horse Plains herd across the chain link fence on the greenway along Railroad Street. By 11 p.m., "Becoming the Guardian of the Herd" was up on display. The exhibit is a form of guerilla art, which...
The Plains Lions Club will soon be starting this year's free eye screening program. Now they'll be able to get the job done in half the time, thanks to a new and improved device. The club got the newest portable eye screener – PlusoptiX S-12 – at Plains School, where they also received a training session on the device from Dave Falcon, who heads the Montana Lions Sight and Hearing Foundation. Four members of the Plains club - Duane Highcrane, Marv Tanner, Chuck Wassinger and Ken Matthiesen - w...
A Missoula man was well in the lead in defending his title of the Clark Fork Adventure Challenge on Sunday when one of his tires blew during the mountain bike segment of the race. Erik Digby was one of seven competitors in the 3rd Annual Clark Fork Adventure Challenge triathlon at Sanders County Fairgrounds. "That mountain bike portion is tough. It's really the most challenging part," said John Haines, the race director and the person who came up with the idea of the event. The race was sponsore...
Now you can buy and sandwich and turn around and rent a raft, all in one swoop. The Mountain Store sandwich shop at the Deemer Creek Business Park held its grand opening on Friday to officially open its doors for business. The new sandwich shop is located where the old Subway used to be and is owned by Chris Reyna, who also owns the Lewis and Clark Whitewater, a whitewater raft rental business, which is all in the same building. "We just wanted to bring more variety to the community," said...
People go to Sanders County Fair to see farm animals, rodeo cowboys, derby smashing, and to get a thrill on carnie rides. But they also go to indulge themselves on fair food. "Ya, people come for the food, that's why there's a thing called a fair burger," said Sanders County Commissioner Glen Magera. The cuisine aroma could be detected throughout the grounds all week. "I think food is a big draw. I'm here to get my favorite, but this year I'm stepping out to try some new things," said Roberta...
It's that time of year when the youth of 4-H can show off the work they've done over the past year and their animals continue to be a big attraction to fairgoers. The five 4-H clubs – Heron-Noxon Explorers, Trout Creek Mavericks, Whitepine Happy Workers, Thompson Falls Mountaineers, Plains South Side Sparks, Hot Springs Wranglers, and the Little Bitterroot Club – had 135 animals to show this year. Showmanship competition enthusiasm was evident throughout the week and judges pointed out how imp...
Firefighters were able to save a Paradise house from total destruction after a fire started in an upstairs room last Tuesday. Plains-Paradise Fire District Chief James Russell said the cause is unknown, but it is likely to be an electrical fire. Russell and another firefighter were at the fire station when the call came in around 10:45 a.m. and were on the scene within 10 minutes. Russell said the home at 110 Central Avenue belonged to Spencer Smith. He said his partner smelled smoke and got the three children, ages 3 and 5 years and a 9-month...
NOT JUST FOR THE BIRDS – A heard of young deer gather at a bird bath to get a cool drink on a hot day at a residence west of Plains....
Reading Shakespeare in school might have been a chore, but the Plains Woman's Club brings it to town every year to entertain folks, just like they did last week when they sponsored Montana Shakespeare in the Parks at the Sanders County Fairgrounds. Nearly 180 people showed up to see the two-hour rendition of "Love's Labour's Lost" Thursday evening. It was free for the guests, but cost the Plains Woman's Club nearly $2,000, said club member Debbi Kirschbaum. "I thoroughly enjoyed it, but we do...
People have less than a month now to ready themselves for a challenge – the 3rd Annual Clark Fork Adventure Challenge, a triathlon sponsored by the Clark Fork Valley Hospital Foundation. The competition is scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 16, at 9 a.m. at the Sanders County Fairgrounds pavilion. Registration will begin at 7 a.m. The race starts and finishes at the fairgrounds. The foundation will be hosting two races this year, said Barry Fowler, the foundation’s executive director. The traditional triathlon will include an eight-mile run, fol...
The 2018 Sanders County Fair is once again returning with a mixture of traditional festivities and bringing in some new ones. The biggest new arrival this year is Paradise Amusement, which will provide the carnival for the fair for the first time. Chris McGuigan, the fair manager, said the Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, amusement company will have 12-15 adult rides and 5-7 kid’s rides beginning at noon Thursday. Also new this year is “Open Mic” time, which will take place in the midway area from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday. As of Mond...
A fire just west of Weeksville last week could have turned into a major forest fire had it not been for the quick response of local firefighters and dozens of assets thrown at the blaze. The Weeksville Fire began as a trailer house fire Friday afternoon, but quickly spread to nearby grass, brush and timber. The wind and dry fuels took the fire up steep, rocky ridges where firefighters from seven agencies from Trout Creek to Plains fought to contain it. James Russell, chief of Plains-Paradise...
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers saved the Plains Wastewater Treatment Plant from being overtaken by the Clark Fork River last spring, but when the water levels went down, so did 35-40 percent of the riprap positioned along the shoreline. If the same thing happens next spring, the lagoon will again be in danger, especially since the river is now only about 138 feet from the UV facility. "Our hands are really tied. We don't have funds to get it done and we don't have the authority to do anything...
The swimming pool season in Plains is over as of Saturday, the last day for people to take a cool dip until next year, yet the 2019 pool opening is questionable. Recently, the pool has been operating without a heater. The Public Works Department staff replaced a boiler part in June, but it failed again. At the town council meeting on Monday, Mayor Dan Rowan said the problem could be the computer board, which will cost $1,000. In addition, the pool has one or more leaks, which accounts for a loss of about 15,000 gallons of water every day. A...
The 39th Annual Huckleberry Festival in Trout Creek will kick off this weekend. Organizers are touting what an accomplishment nearly four decades has been. Had it not been for 1999, when no one stepped up to organize the Huckleberry Festival, this would have been the 40th year. Thankfully, in 2000 someone stepped up. And so, the festival continues. The fun kicks off Friday, August 10, at 5p.m. The flag will be raised to the national anthem, pledging of allegiance and followed by a celebration of everything huckleberry. As always, the festival...
A drawing has put Plains, Montana, on the map, according to Carol Harris, coordinator for the VFW Post 3596 Auxiliary Young American Creative Patriotic Art Contest, after a Plains High School student took second place nationwide. "This is a big deal. In the whole country, we're number two," said Harris, who's been the local auxiliary contest chairperson for 25 years. Malachi Paulsen was extremely pleased when he was recently notified that he took second with a black and white graphite portrait...
The Piranhas school of swimmers are out of class for the season. Ten members of the Plains Piranhas attended the Montana State Swim Team Finals at Conrad last weekend, finishing in fourth place in Class C. Twenty-two teams and 579 swimmers competed in the two-day state contest, according to Kelly Horton, whose daughter, Grace, competed in the finals. The team coach, Jack Couch, took first place in the boys' 15 to 19-year-old class 100-meter butterfly with a time of 1:7.90. Couch had been a...
More than 200 people showed up to support the Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) fundraiser at the county fairgrounds Saturday evening, fetching $3,000 this year. Peg McCarthy, one of the organizers of the 4th Annual CASA Ice Cream Social, said people had a great time and it was a successful fundraiser taking in twice as much money as last year. The ice cream social is one of three annual fundraisers for the nonprofit organization. They also run a booth part time during the Sanders County...
