Independently owned since 1905
Independently owned since 1905
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The Thompson Falls School Board met Monday to discuss several subjects, including monetary issues facing the district. One expensive challenge being faced is connecting to the new sewer system, which is expected to cost the school district thousands per year. As the district looks for ways to save, the School Resource Officer (SRO) position will remain vacant when current SRO Bob Thornhill fulfills his desire to retire. The SRO’s main job is to connect with kids and bridge law enforcement and the community, as stated by Thornhill. The SRO a...
Arguably the most important part of high school for seniors is graduation. It is the moment kids become adults and students are handed back off to the community to be a part of it, according to Plains Superintendent Thom Chisholm. As with many of the schools in Sanders County, Plains has been working tirelessly to come up with a plan to give their students the graduation they deserve, despite social distancing guidelines due to the coronavirus outbreak. Each school is being forced to come up with clever ways of doing this. Hot Springs plans on...
As the quarantine restrictions for COVID-19 are slowly lifted, various businesses around Sanders County are trying to open their doors to make up for weeks of lost business. For some businesses, just staying afloat has been near impossible, but for others closure could not have come at a better time. One such business that came out well is Outfitter Gear List, a guiding and outdoor gear supply in Plains. Just before the quarantine, the owners were getting ready to expand into another building. With all the restrictions and recommended closures...
“We felt it was important to operate as normally as possible,” said Abby Harnett, the Regional Director for Western Montana Mental Health Center (WMMHC). She oversees the mental health centers in Sanders, Flathead, Lake, Lincoln and Mineral counties. For 10 years she has worked at WMMHC. Born and raised in Sanders County, she worked as a social worker before moving to WMMHC. She wants locals to know that WMMHC is still assisting clients as well as taking on new ones who need help during this difficult time. “This time (the COVID-19 quara...
Taxidermy is a dying field, with fewer and fewer practitioners opening their doors each year. A Thompson Falls resident is hoping to continue the tradition, following in his father's footsteps. Jonathan Haun, originally from Plains, has recently started his own taxidermy business. His father has done big game taxidermy professionally for over 30 years, and Haun has been helping his father out since youth. Until recently, Haun worked for the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation as a...
The new mayor in Thompson Falls is a familiar face to the City Council. On Monday, the council unanimously voted to appoint Mark Sheets as the new mayor. Sheets was the only person to submit a letter of interest for the position, which was vacated last month when Mayor Jerry Lacy resigned. Sheets said he was waiting to see if anyone else would show interest, but no one did. He added that he figured that with him, there would be no learning curve, or far less than there would be with an...
No matter one's political views, the one thing most Montanans can agree on is their love for the wild of the state. Montana if famous for the glory and majesty of its outdoors and to honor that ideal several people from around the state weighed in their thoughts and experiences during their involvement with Montana's conservation. "A Wild Land Ethic: The Story of Wilderness in Montana" features more than 70 authors and photographers from across the state who told their story about, or...
IRENE NYOMO, Plains – “I’m trusting the governor’s opinion on when he feels that our state is ready to open up.” LEE SUTTORP, Thompson Falls – “I believe we should remove restrictions slowly and when we are able to have tests and medicine to take care of the people who are sick, so not quickly. I am in no hurry.” MADISON SUTTORP, Thompson Falls – “I believe we should have medicines and vaccines, but I think we could start lifting restrictions off of states and counties that don’t have as many cases. But I do believe restriction are good....
On Monday April 13, the city of Thompson Falls broke ground at Ainsworth Park, a long-awaited project hoped to bring much to better the town. The project has been in the works since prior to 2015, when the first donation was received. Since then several parties have helped move the project along, from Thompson Falls Mainstreet, to the Thompson Falls Parks Planning Committee and finally to the city of Thompson Falls. Ainsworth has had a long journey to fruition. A long journey considering it started from barren grounds with old bleachers...
A small brush fire damaged a power pole along the railroad tracks at Eddy Flats east of Thompson Falls on Tuesday. Jonathan Haun said he was burning brush on his family's property when the fire got away from him. Wind gusts carried embers into the trees and bushes near where Haun was burning, he said, adding that burning this part of the property is something that he and his family had done many times before, taking out the low brush before it grew too high in the spring and summer. Haun is no...
The Thompson Falls City Council continues to follow social distancing measures and recommendations from the state and local government during the coronavirus pandemic. That didn't stop council members from meeting earlier this week. The council utilized video conferencing for the meeting, during which they thanked citizens, emergency personnel and city workers for continuing to follow protocol during this time. "Together we are going to get through this, and I think we are looking at better...
JACK LEHL, Alberton, Montana – “I am excited to be able to go to a restaurant again.” SHAUN HEWLETT, Thompson Falls – “I want to go back to church and support local businesses.” ANGELA MUSE, Plains – “I would like to have the essentials back on the grocery store shelves and for the grocery stores to be open all the time.” SANDI ALEXANDER, Thompson Falls – “Giving back and shopping with our local businesses.” ZACH BUTCHER, Plains – “I would be most excited about normal store hours.” MITCHELL STUART, Plains – “I can’t wait for family gatherings...
The Thompson Falls School Board met last week to address the continuing remote learning efforts in compliance with Governor Bullock’s directives due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The board also discussed contract renewals for staff members. The board voted unanimously to not renew high school principal Rich Ferris’s contract. Ferris is coming up on the end of his three-year starting probationary period and is un-tenured. This vote was to determine if he would be permanently accepted into the position, as explained by interim Superintendent Mic...
With the coronavirus situation effecting average everyday life, the future of sports is undetermined, however some of the coaches at Thompson Falls are presenting their athletes with ways to stay in shape at home and on their own. “The point of sports is to spend time with each other, however if they are determined kids can take advantage of this time to improve,” said Thompson Falls boys basketball coach, and physical education teacher, Jake Mickelson. Some of the track and softball coaches are sending home warmups and workouts for their ath...
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act was passed by the U.S. House of Representatives on March 27. As part of this Act many receiving unemployment will be receiving more assistance during the world-wide health crisis caused by the COVID-19 outbreak. Erin Krantz, with the Department of Labor and Industry for Thompson Falls and Polson, is reaching out to let the locals of Sanders County know that they should contact the department if they are having any kind of trouble at this time, or have any questions. “We are happy t...
"Innovation comes from many different places," said Eric Nygaard, a science teacher and robotics coach at Thompson Falls High School. "It's kind of full of these different little pieces of peoples brains coming together." He was talking about a new project for the high school 3-D printing lab in response to the coronavirus crisis. Nygaard has taken on the task of creating and 3-D printing N95 contamination masks to help bolster the local hospital and surrounding clinics' reserves of personal...
BILL BROWN, — “I do not wear a mask in public because I just feel that I’m safe and I’m not prone to getting an illness.” MARIE CRICKET OWENS — “I wear a mask because I have bronchial asthma.” CHRISTINE MUNDAY — “I wear a mask in public because I think it’s the smart thing to do. This disease is transmitted by droplet infection, which means you breathe it in through your nose and your mouth.” JAZMIN ORTEGA — "I do not wear a mask in public because I don't really go out much, but I do stay at least six feet away." JOHN O'BRIEN — "I do wear...
With the spread of the coronavirus in full swing, locals of Sanders County are working together to provide for those in need. Because of the situation, medical staff at Clark Fork Valley Hospital require more medical masks than ever before. Because of the strain on the nationwide supply, they are looking for other options to mend their waning supply. Enter: The Sanders County Mask Makers. A couple weeks ago the hospital's chief nursing officer, Lisa Eberhardt posted on Facebook after hearing...
4 is proving to be a hectic year, with the coronavirus threat and with elections on the way, but an overlooked shadow on the horizon is the deadline for Montanans to get their Real ID cards. The deadline of October 2020 has now been extended to January 2021, because of the epidemic. It will also be difficult for locals to get appointments as the courthouse and other government buildings will be closed to the public until the nationwide crisis subsides. That being said, there are still a few things locals need to know about getting their...
As concepts like “social distancing” and “shelter in place” are being implemented across the country, local schools in Sanders County are reacting in various ways to face these challenges. “Twenty-two years into teaching and never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined having to do something like this,” said Len Dorscher, Thompson Falls K-8 principal. The teachers of Thompson Falls schools met two weeks ago to work out how they would teach remotely, in the inevitability that schools wer...
The Trout Creek Community Improvement Association (TCCIA), a non-profit working to better the town of Trout Creek, is striving to keep their year on track. “Despite everything we are still moving in a positive direction,” said Board Chair Liz Stender. She explained that the TCCIA does a lot throughout the year and is trying to make most of those things happen on schedule. Stender also gave several updates on planned events throughout the year, including some cancelations in light of the Covid-19 outbreak. The first bit of news Stender wan...
The Trout Creek Farmer’s Market manager has stepped down to allow for a fresh face to take on the mantle. Sarah Cooper has been involved with the farmers market since before its inception back in 2012. Since then, she has managed the market for nearly every year, taking only one year off. Before the Trout Creek Farmers Market was started, Cooper was a part of the Thompson Falls Farmers Market Board. “I always wanted to have one in my own community,” said Cooper, but she also didn’t want it to compete with the market in Thompson Falls. She got...
Every year the Sanders County Arts Council strives to bring creativity to the communities of the county for which it was named. One such event held each year features the humanities and each event they host brings in talent from across the state. On Feb. 15 they did something special. During an event held at the Elks in Thompson Falls, the arts council invited Montana poet laureate Melissa Kwasny to come out to read some of her poetry to get the community’s creative juices flowing. After she finished, she began asking the audience to p...
Even with schools closed for the next few weeks, the county encourages people interested in filing for a position as a school board trustee to do so soon, as deadlines will not be changed. The cutoff date for regular filing is March 26 at 5 p.m. and write-in filing by April 2 at 5 p.m. Applications can be sent to the election’s office at the Sanders County Courthouse in lieu of closed school district clerk offices. “We want to make sure people know that even though schools are closed people can still file through the courthouse,” said Elect...
Thompson Falls woman Lisa Koker, a former deputy treasurer at the Sanders County Courthouse, has been charged with theft, tampering with public records and official misconduct. Koker allegedly took $704 cash from a county deposit in November. The missing funds were noticed in December. A county employee noticed a discrepancy on Dec. 10 and the office verified that cash was missing from a deposit, according to charging documents. Upon further investigation, the Sanders County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO) discovered that along with missing cash f...
