Independently owned since 1905
Independently owned since 1905
Sorted by date Results 701 - 725 of 1023
It's arguably one of the best aerobic exercises around. It takes concentration and precise timing, but with the twirling, twisting, and quick stepping comes dancing to the flow of the music, according to Michael Murray, a member of the Montana Mavericks Square Dance Club. Even the COVID-19 pandemic couldn't keep Murray and his wife, Sharon, or the 18 others from attending the first dance of the year for the Plains square dancing club at the Plains Paradise Senior Citizens Center Saturday...
The winner of the Plains Lions Club Halloween costume contest couldn't even be seen. The "Invisible Man" took first place and the top prize of $20 and he was actually a she. Tia Bellinger of Plains dressed in a dark suit and hat and black glasses, which appeared to be suspended. The 10-year-old looked through holes in the suit jacket, but wore panty hose to aid in concealing her eyes and a black ski mask so people couldn't see the top of her head, said Trista Feist, her mother, who made the...
A relatively newcomer to Plains was elected to the top office of the Plains Lions Club and is probably the club's first woman to hold the club's highest office. "It was never my intention to be president of the Lions Club, but I guess someone believed I would make a good president and I was nominated and voted in," said Connie Foust, who moved to Plains from Nevada in 2018 to be closer to her children. When she arrived, she almost immediately got involved in the community by serving on the...
The last steel horse of the Plains greenway will be going up in a matter of weeks, according to its creator, Kenton Pies, who sprayed on a coat of special concrete stain last week and it is nearly ready to be transported. Plains Mayor Dan Rowan said he's waiting for Mountain Range Materials for a small batch of concrete that will be connected to the horse's steel pedestal. Rowan and Pies both hope to get the steel horse installed before winter. Pies has already flagged a spot for the Plains...
COVID-19 has brought sickness, death, mental anguish and unemployment throughout the nation. Though Sanders County had less impact than many other places in Montana, it prompted the end of an era in Plains - the closure of the Dog Hill Bistro, a popular community hangout. Kathy Logan of Plains will shut the doors of her beloved Dog Hill Bistro along Railroad Street in the McGown Mall on Friday after nine-and-a-half years of business. "COVID-19 has taken its toll on small business, and ours is...
The beginning of this year's winter wonderland might be the finish for the little troublesome hopping creatures that have caused a bit of havoc this year in Montana, including Sanders County. They might be small, but they came in big droves and were tough to eradicate and their disappearance is only until spring, according to entomology experts. Grasshoppers were especially troublesome this year, primarily due to the warm and dry conditions throughout the state, according to Kevin Wanner, an...
Keeping people healthy is key to the Clark Fork Valley Hospital, even at a health fair, which is why organizers took special precautions at last week's annual event held at the VFW in Plains. The number of attendees entering the building was limited to 15 at a time. All received a temperature check, hand sanitizer, and a surgical mask at the door, and saw social distancing reminders throughout the room during the Clark Fork Valley Hospital Health Fair last Thursday. They also received a goodie...
Among the issues on the ballot in November are two initiatives dealing with the recreational use of marijuana. Initiative 190 would legalize the possession and use of limited amounts of marijuana for those over 21 years old. Initiative 118 would amend the Montana Constitution to establish the legal age for purchasing, consuming or possessing marijuana, as the law did when it established the minimum age limit for alcohol. The proposed new law might have an impact on medical marijuana providers...
The Cancer Network of Sanders County (CNSC) plans to bring the community a special treat for its “Trick Cancer” themed fundraiser this year. The annual event will take place Friday, Oct. 30, at the Sanders County Fairgrounds pavilion, with the doors opening at 5:30 p.m. and dinner at 6 p.m. There will be silent and live auctions with Kevin Hill once again serving as auctioneer. The cost of the lasagna and salad dinner will be $25 and tickets are available at The Printery in Plains and the Sanders County Ledger in Thompson Falls, as well as Fir...
Pine cones are collected year-round by people to make garland, holiday wreaths, centerpieces and floral arrangements, but pine cones are also vital to the replenishment of conifer trees. Members of the Forest Service's Plains Tree Improvement Area (TIA) in Plains are working to ensure that happens. Like a lot of boys, Riley Dopler liked to climb trees, but he probably didn't think he'd still be climbing at age 41 - and get paid to do it. Dopler, a Genetic Resource Forester, has been manager of...
Nearly 100 people showed up to part take in "The Return - National and Global Day of Prayer and Repentance" Saturday afternoon at Fred Young Park in Plains, where a group of people prayed for guidance from God and for the country. "Nobody can recall a time like this in our nation when we have to pray for our nation," said Bill Alde, who coordinated the event with Shelly Rummel and Mary McGann and led the event with the first of many prayers. "Never in the history of our nation has our country...
Volunteers finished erecting an historical sign exhibit for the Paradise Center Walking Trail at the Paradise Center last week. John and Karen Thorson and Don Stamm spent just over three hours last Wednesday putting up the metal signs along the 1,100-foot long paved trail, which encircles the center playground and the old schoolhouse. "When the center is closed people can still get sense of history of the place and the natural environment of the area," said Karen Thorson, a member of the...
The Sanders County Fairgrounds may have lacked the aroma of fair food and carnival noise, but there was still excitement in the air from 4-H kids that spent four days showing their projects last week. Montana State University Sanders County Extension Agent Juli Thurston had to get special permission from the county Board of Health to have the 4-H events, including not having the general public, other than family, on hand to watch the judging. They also canceled the interview portions, although...
It started with a kneeling soldier, a cross and a tattered flag, but the next night, two rows of American flags showed up, and every night for the last week, 22 American flags were added to a Joint Operation Mariposa display on the Plains greenway along Railroad Street. Within a week's time there were 154 flags and by the end of September there will be 660 flags to represent American military servicemen and women lost to suicide, said Plains resident Ed Foste, vice president of the Joint...
The fair was canceled, but 4-H was able to put on their annual competition for its members, starting with the horse show last Saturday. Ten 4-H'ers - half of last year's numbers - from three clubs demonstrated their horsemanship skills for the first show of the week last Saturday at the fairgrounds. The South Side Sparks had five participants, the Trout Creek Mavericks had four and the Whitepine Happy Workers had one. The competition took just over three hours with 21 classes, including...
The United States of Hope teamed up with Joint Operation Mariposa and VFW Post 3596 for the first Veterans & Family Freedom Float on the Clark Fork River from Paradise to Plains. Thirty-eight men, women and children loaded into a flotilla of inflatable rafts, kayaks, canoes, and four-foot long body boards at the Paradise Crossing fishing launch Saturday morning for the eight-mile voyage to the Sanders County Fairgrounds beach. "It's a good outdoors event to get veterans and their families out...
There's now a slight light at the end of the tunnel for those in opposition to the proposed sewer system in Paradise after Commissioner Carol Brooker said she wanted to meet with each resident to hear what they have to say about the project. When someone at the meeting asked the commissioner if the project was a done deal, even if 75% of the community were against it, she said, "It's never too late." Nearly two dozen people attended the back-to-back board meetings - water and sewer - Friday...
The numbers might have been few, but the message was loud - "No sewer - no million dollar levy." That was the chant that a group of people were shouting from their vehicles as they weaved through the streets of Paradise Friday evening to continue their protest of the proposed sewer system. Nineteen men and women gathered Friday at the Paradise park, where Tim French and Cody Lampman spoke against the proposed sewer, which was approved by the Sanders County Sewer District at Paradise board three...
It might be a couple months late, but nonetheless an exciting time for the Plains Alliance Church, which celebrated its 50th anniversary Sunday with a special sermon and a lavish lunch. "As followers of God, we believe that Plains Alliance Church was His idea, that it was His power working through Bob and Donna Mallery and the others planting the church in the beginning," said Senior Pastor Randy Neilson, who took over in 2009. "We also believe it has been His governance as head of the Church...
Neither the coronavirus nor near 100-degree temperatures could keep the nearly 200 co-ed softball players from competing in the 6th Annual Wildhorse Showdown Softball Tournament last weekend at the Amundson Sports Complex at Plains. When the infield dust settled on Sunday, it was the I'd Hit That team of Spokane that nabbed the championship, defeating the Pandemic Warriors of Pablo 19-13 in the gold bracket. Fifteen teams - five more than last year - participated in the three-day tournament, inc...
Like the great baseball player Yogi Berra said - "It ain't over till it's over" - a group of Paradise residents haven't given up on stopping a community sewer system from being constructed. It's been weeks since the Sanders County Sewer District at Paradise board passed a resolution for a special assessment, which will be an added tax for a community wide sewer system. It seemed to be a done deal. "It's not done until they start digging," said Lee Ann Overman, a Paradise resident who's heading...
The Sanders County Fair was canceled a week ago, but the work of the fair commission goes on. With the fair out of the way, the members of the board and fair staff are concentrating their efforts on making physical improvements to the fairgrounds. "We don't need to be dwelling on what happened last week, we need to look forward to make next year's fair the best. We want the next one to be spectacular," said Fair Commission Chairman Randy Woods at the board's regular meeting last Wednesday at the...
The Sanders County Board of Health voted to scrub this year's county fair at a special meeting Thursday evening at the fair pavilion. Commissioners Tony Cox and Carol Brooker, along with retired Dr. Jack Lulack and retired Veterinarian Bob Gregg voted in favor of canceling the fair while Commissioner Glen Magera voted against shutting it down at that time. Magera wanted to go forward and see how the plans the fair board was working on progressed. The health board was concerned about the fair...
Ken McGann is no mad scientist working in a dimly lit lab, but he is continuously experimenting to come up with new and unique life forms — at least in the world of floriculture. McGann and his wife, Mary, are the owners of Spring Fever Daylilies, located along Highway 200 about seven miles west of Plains, where they have nearly 500 daylilies of over 100 different varieties — including 30 hybrids of his own making. McGann uses a catalogue to order varieties of daylilies he wants to plant, but hi...
The Forest Service worked on a portion of a seven-mile trail near Plains to make it more accessible to the public and they had a blast - literally. Travis Pfister of the Plains/Thompson Falls Ranger District set off six explosives two weeks ago as part of major operation to renovate Spring Creek Trail - aka Trail #370 - some 10 miles northwest of Plains. The Forest Service does a lot a trail work every year, but they don't normally use explosives, said Mikey Church, the recreation staff...
