Independently owned since 1905
Independently owned since 1905
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Bailey Lake of Thompson Falls was sentenced to 15 years with the Department of Corrections on Tuesday, with 10 years suspended. Lake appeared in the 20th Judicial District Court facing numerous felony charges. Of the eight felonies, Lake was only sentenced on three of them, including criminal possession of dangerous drugs, criminal production of dangerous drugs and operation of an unlawful clandestine laboratory. All other charges were dismissed as per the plea agreement. Lake was also directed to enter a drug rehabilitation program, register...
Along with providing a fun day to families and children under the age of 18, the Project ASCENT Winter Carnival last weekend in Thompson Falls also provided teenagers with a chance to get experience as volunteers. According to organization secretary Andrea Christensen, doing so allows kids to "have fun on a different level, and use that as educational currency." She said this referring to several youths who volunteered to work game booths during the event. As Christensen explained, volunteering...
For those looking for history of the area, Thompson Falls man Carl Haywood would say that there is quite a bit to find in Sanders County. The local author has published four books on history and is currently working on another. Haywood's new book will feature his experiences fighting fires in what he calls "old time firefighting" techniques. The books are his way of giving his relatives and descendants a written history of his life. He explained that history and finding the truth has always inte...
KENT BECKTOLD, Trout Creek - “Lobster and steak dinner and usually followed up with a little bit of chocolate later on.” KELLY BLAKELY, Trout Creek - “Chocolate cake with chocolate frosting." PATTI PAULSEN, Thompson Falls - “The flowers that my husband gets me every year.” JIM GLOWIK, Danvers, Massachusetts - “Any flavor Lindt chocolate ball that’s on the face of this earth.” JANET OELSCHLAGER, Plains - “A kiss from my husband and visiting with family.” CHARLES OELSCHLAGER, Plains - “Chocolate covered cherries....
Gary Morehouse of Thompson Falls appeared in the 20th Judicial District Court Tuesday for his initial appearance to plead not guilty to a felony burglary charge. According to charging documents, Morehouse was caught by police on January 2, 2022, loading boxes and household supplies into his vehicle parked outside of a residence. Upon investigation, it was discovered a door to the home was forcibly opened. Morehouse’s trial has been set for July 11....
Project ASCENT, a local non-profit organization committed to getting youth and families outside, is preparing for their annual Winter Carnival this Saturday, February 12. Between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m., families can bring children ages four to 18 to participate in a wide variety of winter themed carnival games. Kids earn tickets playing games, and the tickets can be turned in for prizes.. “We have over 100 prizes for kids to choose from, with a big focus on STEM,” said Project ASCENT Secretary Andrea Christensen. STEM stands for Science, Tec...
A coroner’s inquest held last week determined an officer involved shooting in Trout Creek last year was justified. Circumstances around the death of David Christie, who was involved in a shootout with police December 2020 at the Naughty Pine Saloon, were detailed as a jury of nine listened to testimony from witnesses. The practice is something that, according to Sanders County Attorney Naomi Leisz, is quite rare, especially in the county. However, the practice itself has been utilized for at least 100 years in Montana. She explained that a c...
Charlene Miller, Thompson Falls - “My husband and I like to switch back and forth cooking and doing dishes.” Gail Lowe, Thompson Falls - “Vacuuming because it is instant gratification and it’s not wet and messy.” Janice Roberts, Thompson Falls - “Cleaning the kitchen. It just feels fresher in the house if the kitchen is clean.” Beau McCormick, Thompson Falls - “Folding laundry, because its easier than doing the dishes and stuff.” Cory Kump, Thompson Falls - “Cleaning up after my two-year-old every 10 minutes.” Michael Lockard, Thompson Fal...
During 20th District Judicial Court on Tuesday, Jeriko Smith-Roach changed his plea to guilty to the felony charge of sexual intercourse without consent. The victim was 14 years old and Smith-Roach 17 on March 28, 2021, when the crime occurred. His sentencing has been set for March 15. Also to appear in court Tuesday was William Sidmore, who pleaded not guilty to the felony charge of strangulation and the misdemeanors of tampering with a communication device and partner or family member assault. According to charging documents, the Hot Springs...
In the break in projects given by the winter weather, Mayor Mark Sheets wanted to explain the current situation on the infrastructure projects. The Thompson Falls mayor talked about the ongoing projects to give citizens an idea of what to expect over the next couple summers. Construction teams are working on the electrical elements and minor construction at the wastewater treatment plant, but most work on the sewer project has stopped for the winter. According to Sheets, projects will resume in full in the coming spring. As soon as weather...
The Sanders County Board of Health is looking for a new health officer, the position formerly held by Nick Lawyer. The board met last week to discuss filling the position, which has been vacant for more than three months. One issue they are faced with is new legislation that changes the way the board operates as well as the responsibilities and functions of the health officer. Since House Bill 121 passed in the last session, local health boards now operate in an advisory capacity, with the final decisions being made by the commissioners. As...
RUSSELL SCHUBERT, Thompson Falls - “I use the chemical stuff in the bag to spread around. I actually use a fertilizer spreader for my walkway and drive.” DENNIS NEWMAN, Thompson Falls - “I walk slow.” HAILE WARD, Thompson Falls - “I put crampons on my snow boots and wait for my landlords to take care of the ice.” BILL MACMILLAN, Thompson Falls - “I try to shovel away as much as I can and to try to make sure it doesn’t come back. I sprinkle the area with commercial packaged snow melt.” HOWARD INKS, Thompson Falls - “I use my snowblower with hea...
Ryan Tuff was sentenced in 20th District Judicial Court on Tuesday. Judge James Manley sentenced Tuff to five years in the Montana State Prison, with credit for 324 days served. Tuff was charged with criminal possession of dangerous drugs after being pulled over in a vehicle with another felon on probation early last year. Drugs were found inside the vehicle. According to the judge, Tuff had more than 25 prior felonies over 20 years in multiple states, with some still pending. Before sentencing, Tuff rose to speak, saying it was a lapse of...
I am often asked by people what kind of knife I prefer. When using a knife for bushcraft and survival, I have found that really, anything sharp will do. Most of my experience has come from clip point knives, but there are several styles that work great. Though that is often the case, there are numerous defining features that transform a decent knife into a great one. The first and foremost feature is that a great survival knife is made of carbon steel rather than stainless. There is a myth that the prior can be used to create sparks against...
In the 49 years since Roe v. Wade, pro-life Americans have been marching throughout the country to spread awareness about their feelings against abortion. According to Ron Kazmierczak, the past Grand Knight of the Knights of Columbus, the group has been organizing their own local march for over 20 years. "We support life. We believe life starts at conception," said current Grand Knight Patrick Walt at the march in downtown Thompson Falls last Friday. The group advertises in the paper prior to...
Thompson Falls faced off against four other teams Friday, before hosting the Ted Kato Memorial tournament on Saturday. The mixer gave wrestlers a chance to get some time on the mat without any worries about team placements. Two mats ran at the same time and wrestlers from all schools cycled through same weight matchups. Only conference matchups would see personal scores changed for the season. Thompson Falls wrestling coach Mike Thilmony highlighted a few matchups of the night. One was Thompson...
The Sanders County drug dog retired last Friday, and many in the community who knew Max's work say he will be dearly missed. The eight-year-old lab worked in the county for over six years. He was trained to detect four substances, including marijuana, cocaine, methamphetamine and heroin. Max had more than 100 drug arrests credited to his work and was one of only 25 drug dogs in the state. However, with the new legislation legalizing marijuana, Max and 19 other dogs are being forced into...
The Commissioners and representatives from the Sanders County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO) met last Thursday with possible architectural firms to begin work on the proposed new sheriff’s building. Two firms came to the meeting and gave presentations. One was Slate Architecture, and the other was Schutz Foss Architecture P.C. Both had great interest in working with the county and brought several ideas with them on how to proceed. As for the project, in her original plans SCSO detention and dispatch supervisor Shawna Chenoweth explained it as thr...
JIM ENGEBRETSON, Thompson Falls - “The Bible.” LISA GREGORY, Thompson Falls - “Fifty Shades of Grey.” SCOTT JOHNSON, Thompson Falls - “A Bridge in the Jungle by B. Traven.” RYNE SORENSON, Thompson Falls - “The last book I read was The Trial, by Franz Kafka.” KATRINA NYGAARD, Thompson Falls - “The John Denver autobiography.” CHERIE HAMILTON, Thompson Falls - “The Bible....
The Sanders County DUI (driving under the influence) Task Force met for their first meeting of the year to discuss the legalization of recreational marijuana. Deputy County Attorney Cheryl Copperstone brought up her concerns about state legalization of recreational marijuana use. The legislation became effective January 1, and though counties can opt out, Copperstone believes law enforcement of the whole state will be affected. She then asked meeting participants, which included Thompson Falls Police Chief Chris Nichols and Hot Springs Police...
"Psychiatric services are very difficult around here. I think she will be a boon to the community," said Raoul Ribeiro about Danice Thorne. Thorne opened a small mental health services practice in Thompson Falls called New Perspectives Mental Health Services. "She has lots of practical experience," added Ribeiro. Thorne has been a nurse for 10 years and has been a practicing psychiatric nurse for just over a year. Thorne will be able to prescribe medications and evaluate the mental health needs...
There are many skills a person can take with them from high school, but sometimes the most overlooked are those from shop class. Bill McGuire's various shop classes at Thompson Falls High School work to give youth other skill sets and understanding to take with them through life, and even make careers out of. "What I like about this is that a kid can actually build something and take it home," said McGuire. The shop classes McGuire teaches include small engines, automotive, welding, wood shop, d...
Commissioners met with County Attorney Naomi Leisz and County Sanitarian Shawn Sorenson to discuss sanitation and wastewater treatment violations across the county. Several of the violations detailed at the meeting last week are in Paradise and members of the meeting said some of the perpetrators across the county in question had not yet responded to citations. A few of these issues have been ongoing for several years. “I think it’s really important that the county take a stand,” said Commissioner Carol Brooker on her last official day in of...
JUDY SUBATCH, Plains - “I’ve done five months for a New Year’s resolution for a Bible study.” GRACE SUBATCH, Plains - “The longest I have had a New Year’s resolution is two seconds.” ALFRED GAITAN, Thompson Falls - “I quit drinking 15 years ago after a New Year’s resolution.” DANIELLE PRICE, Thompson Falls - “The longest I have ever stuck with a New Year’s resolution was three months. I did a workout routine with a friend, and we helped motivate each other along the way.” TRAVIS CORK, Thompson Falls - “My New Year’s resolution was to st...
Bailey Lake changed his plea to guilty in the 20th Judicial District Court on Tuesday. As per a plea agreement, Lake admitted to three of the eight charges he is facing, including criminal possession of dangerous drugs, criminal production of dangerous drugs and the operation of an unlawful clandestine laboratory. In total, Lake could be facing one charge of criminal possession of dangerous drugs, two counts of criminal production of dangerous drugs, two counts for the operation of an unlawful clandestine laboratory, two counts of criminal...
