Independently owned since 1905
Independently owned since 1905
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Two men pleaded not guilty to felony criminal possession of dangerous drugs during their initial appearance in the 20th Judicial District Court on Tuesday. The charges were filed after Ryan Tuff and Lawrence Sweet were in a car pulled over for speeding through Thompson Falls on March 7. Upon contacting Tuff’s parole officer, the police were given permission to search the vehicle. A white powdery substance was found in the vehicle. The passenger of the vehicle was Sweet, who was also on parole. Judge James Manley set their trials for Oct. 25. A...
The 19th annual Thompson Falls Beautification days drew more than 100 volunteers from the area to spruce up the community last week. According to Kathy Conlin, who helps organize Beautification Days, there many returning volunteers each year, with "over half of our groups having an adopted annual project." These groups pick an area to clean during Beautification Days every year. A couple of examples are the Clark Fork Valley Elks, who tackle Wild Goose Landing every spring, and the Thompson...
As the Thompson Falls Library turns 100 years old this year, the new library director and her staff have been working to do something special. Crystal Buchanan was told, not long after she took over the position from the former library director, that the library was opened in 1921. This year she wanted to do something to celebrate the library turning 100 years old. Buchanan took up the challenge and the library is proud to announce several ways they will be celebrating the momentous occasion....
One person was killed and another injured when a passenger vehicle struck a logging truck head-on early Monday morning east of Thompson Falls. Montana Highway Patrol (MHP) reported the accident occurred about 3 a.m. Monday near mile marker 55 on Highway 200, near Thompson River Lumber. The eastbound logging truck was struck head-on by the car, which was headed west. The driver of the car was killed and the driver of the logging truck was injured. No further details were available. As of March 22, MHP reported 43 fatality crashes on Montana...
Cheryl Fraser, Thompson Falls - “Yes, I think it’s a very good idea. I think it will save lives.” Karen Dykstra, Thompson Falls - “Yes, I really think they should have the drivers ed class. I think there are a lot of kids who live in town that really don’t have a chance to practice ahead of time.” Pam Stralser, Trout Creek - “I believe that 15-year-olds need additional education training in order to get their learner’s permit. All the experience they get makes them better drivers and the community safer.” Kyle Berke, Helena - “I don’t believe t...
The Thompson Falls School Board approved a National Honor Society senior trip this year. The group still has around $16,000 from last year and 19 non-refundable airline tickets. Last year’s trip was supposed to be to Washington, D.C., in March, but because of COVID-19 the trip was canceled. Of the 16 students in the group in the spring of 2020, six graduated. Unfortunately, those seniors will not be able to participate in the trip, according to Jodi Morgan, the high school counselor. “It’s disappointing and I feel terrible for those kids,...
Jennifer Flemmer pleaded not guilty in 20th District Judicial Court last week, to charges of felony criminal possession of dangerous drugs and criminal possession with intent to distribute. According to charging documents, March 23 a warrant was issued for her arrest after she did not appear for a drug patch change. When she was visited, drugs and drug paraphernalia were found at her residence. The charging documents say she later admitted to losing her old patch, using and intending to sell drugs in order to make some extra money. Judge...
Youths from across the county gathered in the Clark Fork Professional Building in Thompson Falls on Sunday to participate in 4-H Communications Day. Participants were split into two divisions. The senior division included six youths ages 14-19 and the junior division included eight youths ages 9-13. Each participant was given 15 minutes to set up, present and take down their demonstration before it would be judged. Judging the juniors were Ray Brown and Sarah Naegeli, and judging the seniors...
Each year the Sanders County Historical Society holds a spring cleaning event to prepare the Old Jail Museum in Thompson Falls for the season. The Thompson Falls Woman's Club got an early start on cleaning over the weekend, raking leaves and cleaning gardens at the museum. On Tuesday, historical society members and other community volunteers worked on the inside of the museum. "We just do a little dusting, clean out the dead bugs and spruce the place up a bit," said museum director Vonn Briggs....
Jennifer McPherson, the county prevention specialist with Western Montana Mental Health Center returned this week to meet with the crime watch group to update them on sign options. She spoke of the progress she had made and that funding is still available, though delayed. McPherson displayed both several neighborhood signs, and an example community sign. The neighborhood signs designate when entering a watch neighborhood and community signs are placed at either end of the town, naming the city...
As many have passed due to the COVID-19 outbreak, there are several groups and news outlets striving to recognize those who have died. Bob Green of Trout Creek, who passed in October 2020 from the illness, is being featured on the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) NewsHour as part of its “honoring those who have died from COVID-19 too soon,” series. Every week, the program tells the stories of five people who have passed. Sandy Green, Bob’s wife, said that their daughter in Boston called in to PBS to submit Bob’s information. Bob retired from t...
When she was first introduced to the GFWC (General Federation of Women’s Clubs) Thompson Falls Woman’s Club, she was presented as Margie Growl, as she had previously explained her last name akin to the sound of a lion. In fact, her name is Margie Rohwer, and she received an award in 2020 for serving her community through the women’s club for over 70 years. Rohwer joined when she was 21, in 1949, soon after moving back to the area with her husband, George. Rohwer has always been a big proponent o...
TASHA ALBANO, Thompson Falls - “I feel so because you see more people out now, and it is not seeming as scary as people once thought it was.” MADYLYN MENZEL, Trout Creek - “I think that people in specific groups can become more comfortable. I think people with more health conditions should be staying inside.” JERRY MESSING, Thompson Falls - “I do, I can see it more. The virus is still around, and I think they are more careful.” MATT DOMBACH, Thompson Falls - “I believe, in our area people are becoming more comfortable. There are other parts o...
Thompson Falls students were given a treat when they got to have their first assembly of 2021. The assembly was held to introduce a special guest, Supaman, aka Christian Parrish Takes the Gun. He is a Native American hip-hop artist who won the 2017 MTV VMA award, Nammy (Native American Music Award), North American Indigenous Image Award and the Tunney Award. The last of which he won seven times. He has also won other Native American music awards in both the United States and Canada for the...
For the seventh year, Trout Creek Community Improvement Association (TCCIA) held their community Easter egg hunt at the Trout Creek Community Park, Saturday at noon. Over 150 youths and their families participated, and well over 6,000 eggs were spread across the park field. The week before, between 10-20 volunteers filled those eggs with over 8,000 pieces of candy, and about 10 more put out the eggs Saturday morning. There was also a scavenger hunt for children over 13, where several objects...
For the first time in several years, Thompson Falls had a community Easter egg hunt. Organized by Kellee Needles and First Baptist Church of Thompson Falls, "Easter Shell-ebration 2021" was held at the Thompson Falls Airport. The event drew nearly 40 children and their families and included corn hole, bowling, the egg hunt and other games. The egg hunt was held at 2 p.m. Saturday, "so the families could celebrate on their own Sunday morning," said Needles. During the main event, there were four...
As part of a national campaign to highlight the good works of retired servicemen and women, the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) reached out to vets across the country in 2019. The initiative was sparked by interest in how they were still serving their communities, even after finishing their time in the military. This year, Still Serving, a campaign that honors veterans who continue to serve, recognized Joe Wagner, a retired Marine living in Thompson Falls. Having worked landscaping before,...
Kind of like wiping the slate clean and starting out from scratch. A year after COVID-19 did its cancel culture number on U.S. sports, including here in Montana, the spring of 2021 is much more to the average fan’s liking, with plenty of local action to enjoy – from a socially distant perspective, of course. Keeping up the pace on a busy schedule so far as the pandemic finally eases, most all Sanders County high teams will be in action this week in various venues across western Montana. In track and field action, Hot Springs will host its ann...
Mark Cronauer, Plains - “This year, helping at the Harvest Community Church. They do a lot with the kids, so I’ll be participating with that.” Noah Scharfe, Thompson Falls - “Open presents that I get and go Easter egg hunting.” Theodore Scharfe, Thompson Falls - “Eat chocolate and look for Easter eggs.” Ollie Scharfe, Thompson Falls - “Chocolate!” Lacey Scharfe, Thompson Falls - “We have egg salad sandwiches after church on Sunday.” Jennifer McCrea, Plains - “The younger kids have an Easter egg hunt, we have a big dinner, and sometimes c...
"There are a lot of things up in the air, so any way to get information is a good thing, and I'm not too old to learn yet," said Bob Neary, a participant in the Clark Fork Valley Amateur Radio Club (CFVAR) hosted Ham Cram. The "Ham Cram" was an event held Saturday with the goal of getting more locals interested in amateur radio. Nine people attended the event to become certified as "hams," so the radio enthusiasts call themselves. The daylong class was taught by Lynn Lanzoni, who works the K-9 u...
For over 30 years the Running Start program at Thompson Falls Elementary has been encouraging youth to read for fun. "It's a way to get kids to read, not just because they have to, but recreationally," said Elementary Principal Len Dorscher. On Friday morning, Dorscher gathered the kids at the playground to run a lap around the basketball court symbolizing the start of the program. Dorscher, along with other teachers, ran with the students. When students got back into their classrooms, books...
Sanders County churches will celebrate Easter with services and events throughout the weekend. Hot Springs The Sacred Heart Mission is holding a resurrection service at 1:30 p.m. April 4, given by Father Jeffery Benusa. Plains Plains Alliance Church is hosting a Good Friday service April 2 at 6:30 p.m. and a sunrise service April 4 at 7:30 a.m. at the pool park in Plains. There will also be a resurrection service April 4 at 10 a.m. The Plains Church on the Move is partnering with the Lions Club for a community Easter egg hunt at the Plains pool...
After careening into a guard rail, a Thompson Falls man was taken to the hospital Monday morning around 10 a.m. Police received several calls about a driver who was weaving around the road and headed east on Highway 200. Thompson Falls Police, Montana Highway Patrol, Thompson Falls Fire and Thompson Falls Ambulance arrived on scene after a call that the vehicle had wrecked. A white Subaru had hit the guardrail east of Thompson Falls at mile marker 53.5, near the new wildlife overpass on Highway...
For many who travel through Sanders County, the beauty of nature and access to the outdoors is a main reason for settling in the area. At least, that is the reason that Randy and his wife Julia McMillan opened their lodge in Trout Creek. "We are blessed to have this place, and we wanted to share it," said Randy. Last week the pair welcomed four couples into their unique bed and breakfast for five days. Each couple included a special operations military veteran, either in active duty or retired....
CHRIS RAMSTEAD, Seattle, Washington - “What I prefer is cashier. It’s a personal level, you walk through and you actually talk to the person.” DAN HOBBS, Seattle, Washington - “I prefer the self-checkout, because I used to work at a grocery store, and I was a checker. I don’t mind the other, I just prefer going the quick route and one I’m comfortable with.” JAY WILLIAMS, Seattle, Washington - “I think self-checkout is fantastic. It helps with the flow, for sure. Coming from an area that’s densely populated it makes a big difference.” KRIS...
