Independently owned since 1905
Independently owned since 1905
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Wood Creek Academy has closed their doors for good, and the community that they built around the school is devastated. The boarding school opened in 2005 and operated for 16 year. Wood Creek Academy closed officially on September 25. “We don’t quit, and that’s why it was so hard to make the decision,” said Danice Thorne, executive director and owner of Wood Creek Academy. The closure resulted from complications created during an investigation by Child Protective Services (CPS) into an allegation of abuse or neglect made against individ...
Janelle Marley, Plains - “First thing is to get the hay in for the horses.” Mac Morgan, Plains - “Get a huge stack of firewood.” Kyle Sivertsen, Thompson Falls - “Food and firewood!” Shannan Roseberry, Plains - “We get plenty of wood, newspaper and paper bags.” Deanna Roseberry, Plains - “Newspaper and paper bags!” Linda Willson, Trout Creek - “The first thing I do for winter is have my furnace checked....
After several delays, new football bleachers were finally delivered to Thompson Falls High School last week . According to Athletic Director Jake Mickelson, a team should arrive sometime this week to set them up. The new bleachers have been in the works for many years, Mickelson said, however the funding has been difficult to allocate. Mickelson explained that after donations from Thompson River Lumber and Thompson Falls Main Street, they could finally become a reality. When the bleacher...
New Life Fellowship in Thompson Falls will host a three-day revival service this weekend. The event will feature Clay Roses, a husband and wife duo starring Marc and Amber Wheeles. The couple, from Zionville, Indiana, have a well-known Christian podcast called The Kiln. They will perform their service, speaking on current events as they are tied in with biblical prophecy, along with music and more. The event begins Friday and Saturday, October 8 and 9, at 7 p.m. and at 11 a.m. on Sunday, October 10. The couple’s podcast airs three times a w...
With the closing of Wood Creek Academy in Thompson Falls, some involved with the school and other community members have expressed their thoughts. The average stay for a student at Wood Creek Academy was 14 months, and the boarding school took in students ages 12 to 18 from all over the country. When students turned 18, they had the choice to check themselves out. Harold Farrington, a former Wood Creek employee, spoke of one young man he remembers who graduated and moved home. When he fell back into trouble the individual asked to come back to...
Wood Creek Academy, a private school for troubled boys, has decided to close its doors after over 16 years of operation. The decision was made by executive director Danice Thorne. "We don't quit, and that's why it was so hard to make the decision," said Thorne. The doors were officially closed September 25 at the Thompson Falls establishment, with no intention of re-opening, Thorne added. The closure was due to several internal reasons, Thorne stated, and was spurred by an investigation into an...
Trout Creek School has become the first in the state to include Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks' (MFWP) Hunter Safety and Hunter Education courses in their curriculum. During the year, students will meet for an hour once a week and will by the end of it become certified in both Hunter Education and Bow Hunter Education. The instruction they will get, according to Trout Creek School Superintendent Preston Wenz, will be far more in depth than a regular hunter education program. They will also...
Claire Lakko, Plains - “I would want a Chick-Fil-A here because that’s my favorite fast food restaurant, and it’s the best place ever.” Kim Lakko, Plains - “I wish we had a small YMCA for families to have more activities and sports to participate in the evenings.” Taylor Huntsman, Thompson Falls - “Eye care is a big one, and either a Wal-Mart or a store that gets more product in that is not being limited by distributors.” Leah Vega, Thompson Falls - “I would like to see ENT (ear, nose and throat) specialists and vision would be excellent.” Li...
Andre Levert pleaded not guilty to the felony charge of assault with a weapon Tuesday in 20th District Judicial Court. According to charging documents, on February 2 Levert reportedly struck a man with an object several times. Levert’s council argued for his release, but the request was denied. Instead, his bail will be reduced to $25,000 from $55,000 if he is able to provide the address of the residence where he will stay after release and the address of his employer. Levert’s trial has been set for March 7, 2022. Leslie Butler appeared bef...
The Sanders County Board of Health met at the Sanders County Courthouse for their scheduled training last week. The Wednesday training focused on board ethics in operation, responsibilities and meeting structure. The training was given by Dan Clark from the Montana State University Local Government Center. During the training, Clark interacted with the board members to dig into some of their questions on meeting policy and how to handle public comments. Clark explained during the meeting that the public has a right to participate in meetings an...
As bears and other wildlife move closer into town and hunting season gears up, encounters with dangerous animals are going to become more commonplace. Just recently a mountain lion was killed outside of Thompson Falls and a family of bears was seen ambling through town. It is important to stay “bear aware” and to know how to protect oneself from these animals in an environment like that of northwestern Montana. Right now, bears are preparing for winter hibernation and need to put on as many cal...
Thompson Falls Elementary School has begun offering flag football as an extracurricular after-school activity again. The program started about five years ago, and according to coach Mike Thilmony, was made to help students learn about the game of football at a young age. Thilmony explained that they usually have about a dozen kids show up, and for an hour they are taught the many aspects of football. Students in fourth through sixth grade can show up when they want and learn basic skills of the...
Having been operating for four months now, Limberlost Brewing Company is still floating. "We're doing about what we thought. People are speaking really well about our product," Zach Whipple-Kilmer, who owns the Thompson Falls brewery with his wife Kate. He believes they would sell more beer if they also had food, but he said that is something for down the road. Whipple-Kilmer explained that, for now, they "just want to ride out the winter and maybe look at doing catering, or maybe a food truck"...
With a 2-0 record in their conference, the Lady Hawks are really soaring. Their game with Arlee Tuesday Sept. 21 ended quickly in three as did their match against Mission last Thursday. "Things are going well," said coach Sandra Kazmierczak. "They play with a lot of excitement and with a lot of passion." Kazmierczak explained that their forward momentum lies in the whole team. "It takes every kid," she said. However, one element to their success lies in their reintroduction of Scarlette...
A member of the Sanders County Board of Health submitted his resignation after a heated meeting last week with the Sanders County Commissioner. According to Nick Lawyer, the commissioners asked him to submit his resignation from the board after last week’s meeting. Lawyer posted his letter of resignation on Twitter. In the letter, Lawyer expressed his disappointment in being asked to resign. However, according to Montana Code Annotated 50-2-117, the county commissioners have 30 days to appoint a new member to the board of health. If a new m...
The Sanders County Commissioners met with representatives from Quinn’s Hot Springs Resort, Montana Department of Transportation (MDT) and Montana House of Representatives to discuss the possibility of taking action to increase the safety of Montana Highway 135. The road connects Montana Highway 200 and Interstate 90 at St. Regis. With a speed limit of nearly 70 miles per hour throughout the stretch and with its twists and turns, the commissioners and Quinn’s argue that it has become a hazard. Quinn’s representatives stated that increased safet...
A Thompson Falls City Council member has resigned her position. Ward 3 representative Ruth Cheney has stepped down from the council, effective immediately. She resigned three months shy of the halfway point in her four-year term. “I just was not the right person for the job,” said Cheney. “I felt ineffective on the council. Things that I would like to have seen happen just didn’t.” Cheney explained that she tried to leave early enough to give the city time to find someone prior to the next meeting, set for October 13. “I felt I should get off t...
To remember the events of September 11, 2001 and to remind others, the Clark Fork Valley Elks Lodge and the Thompson Falls Rural Fire Department (TFRFD) paired up. The Elks held their annual ride down Main Street in their side-by-sides and ended at the TFRFD fire house. When there, they toured the facility and paid their respects to a special 9/11 memorial. "They lost 343 firefighters that day, and it could easily have been our firefighters in some other incident. They are a brotherhood," said...
KATHLEEN BLAIR, Thompson Falls - “I think they won’t remember. It is easy to forget, especially if there are no consequences. Since 9/11 happened 20 years ago, the next generation wasn’t even born. Unless something personal happened then I think they won’t remember.” TANA STOPS-RYDER, Trout Creek - “I believe they will remember because of history books, documentaries and the stories that we tell our children.” CHUCK LOUCKS, Plains - “It depends on how our kids are taught regarding the 9/11 incident. Are they going to be taught the truth about...
With Emergency Medical Service (EMS) member numbers significantly down in Montana and across the U.S., one Montana man is doing something about it. John Carlbom has been teaching Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) for over 25 years and expressed his concerns that EMT numbers have dropped considerably. According to Carlbom, with the average EMT aged 60 years, and another possible round of COVID-19, many responders have had enough. That, and considering Montana and numerous other states do not...
Two defendants made their initial appearance in 20th District Judicial Court on Tuesday. The first was Schaffer Leib, who is facing a felony charge of criminal endangerment. According to charging documents, the Thompson Falls man was reported to have fired a rifle in the direction of a witness. The report claims that the witness was checking the water level of a well, then spoke for a short time with Lieb. After the witness walked away, Leib allegedly fired three rounds over the witness’s head. A deputy and detective both went out to Lieb’s to...
Trae Thilmony started off Thompson Falls with a 20-yard run then another five to make a touchdown in last Saturday's game against the Mission Bulldogs. The senior's score was just the first of what Thompson Falls High School football coach Jared Koskela called "ruthless." Thompson Falls came out on top, 63-6, bulldozing the Bulldogs. By the end of the first quarter, the Hawks were up 14 -6 and had tripled that score by halftime to 44-6. Thilmony would go on to gain 74 yards over the course of...
SOLUTIONS ACROSS 1. DABA 5. AMAHS 10. SEALER 12. SARONG 14. ALLEGORICAL 16. UD 18. SLA 19. MAD 20. SETAE 22. CAB 23. CADET 25. DANA 26. I DO 27. HIS 28. SAT 30. KID 31. ROAD 33. EOCENE 35. CRACK 37. LATER 38. RETAIL 40. PATH 41. EPI 42. MAT 44. DAS 45. EAR 48. SRNA 50. TACET 52. CAM 53. TOGAS 55. SOT 56. AHA 57. SO 58. RATTLESNAKE 63. FLORAE 65. CABLED 66. SNIBS 67. TEEM SOLUTIONS DOWN 1. DAL 2. ALE 3. BEG 4. AROMAS 5. ASIDES 6. MAC 7. ARAS 8. HOLED 9. SN 10. SALAD 11. ELABORATING 13. GUANINE...
The board room was filled to capacity at Monday’s meeting of the Thompson Falls School Board. The unusually high attendance was in part to the introduction of several new teachers who were attending the meeting. It was also due to the resurgence of COVID-19 cases in school and the community. One community member spoke to the board, commending their work on implementing a mask mandate in the school bus system by the athletic staff. Superintendent Bud Scully addressed the comment, clarifying that the coordination was just for athletes t...
Montana archery season opened Saturday and will run through October 17. After that, the general season will open on Oct. 23 and last until Nov. 28. With that early window for archery, many hunters will try to take advantage of the lower trafficked hunting areas and a time when the animals are less spooked. One such person is Chad Sivertsen of Thompson Falls, who has been hunting with a bow for over 50 years and doing so in a primitive style for half that time. Sivertsen makes his own equipment...
