Independently owned since 1905
Independently owned since 1905
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Back for the 40th year, the Keg Bowl, organized by the Blue Hawk Gridiron Club, was a huge success. Fourteen guys of all ages showed up to play, and nearly 200 others showed up to watch the game last Friday. The game commenced with about a foot of snow and 14-degree temperatures. It was two-hand-touch rules, although a lot of the players still tackled. The game pitted the "Young Guns" against the "Silver Bullets" and the total score was 58 to 8, with the Silver Bullets coming out on top. Mike Al...
The Thompson Falls Police Department is excited to show off their new Ford Interceptor patrol vehicles. According to Police Chief Chris Nichols, the vehicles are sporting "Blue Hawk colors" to honor the town that they serve. There are two of these vehicles, which will both be hitting the streets by the end of January....
JORDAN KEEFE, Spokane - “A change in the government.” GREG MURPHY, Thompson Falls - “A healthier 2022!” WILLENE HALL, Thompson Falls - “I’m looking for things to be better for everybody.” EZEKIEL WIEST, Hot Springs - “Have COVID-19 over with!” TRINITY WIEST, Hot Springs - “New beginnings.” FAUVE FERGUSON, Hot Springs - “New beginnings!...
Plains High School students gathered before break last week for their annual Brain Bash. The event has been held for many years and required student teams to compete against other teams across the school in various games. This year, each of the 15 games were held in 15 classrooms, where devious teachers designed mini games to test the students' skill, memory and even their dance skills. Each game granted the possibility of winning a team 100 points, which would go to the team's overall score....
As winter begins to close its firm grip over Montana and the hours of the day turn mostly into darkness, many find themselves with a case of cabin fever. Some will use the extra time indoors to catch up on work, while others will use that time to craft. This year, I have found myself taking on a lot of promises I have made throughout the year. Once you let someone know you can make something, there is no shortage of Christmas and birthday present requests. It is always better in my mind to trade things made by hand and from the heart than...
After many years of searching for an appropriate play to take students to, Thompson Falls High School English teacher Pam Peters has finally pulled something together. Peters has been wanting to use money from a general English department fund that has been untouched for over 10 years. She has a passion for musicals and thought it would be a perfect way to use the money and to give high school students a great life experience. Peters had been waiting for an opportunity to come by but explained that “We had been trying to find a play that w...
After many years of work, Quinn's Hot Springs Resort was able to get the speed limit lowered on the stretch of Montana Highway 135 between Camp Bighorn and the resort. The original speed limit was 70 miles per hour, but now has been dropped in two places. At the turnout from Montana Highway 200 it will drop to 55 and then again down to 45 just before the resort. The limit will then rise again to 70 after Camp Bighorn. According to the general manager of the resort, Denise Moreth, this was...
The Hope For Harlee Foundation is continuing its mission of raising funds for families fighitng cancer with specially created scented candles. Doing so will effectively give two gifts this holiday season, according to Taylor Salmi, president of the Hope For Harlee Foundation and mother to Harlee, the namesake of the foundation. Salmi explained that the candles and sales are the largest source of fundraising for the organization, and that money goes directly to helping families fighting cancer....
CHRISTIE YAW, Thompson Falls - “I always looked forward to a book of Lifesavers in my stocking.” JAMES MURPHY, Thompson Falls - “We always put treats for the dogs in their own stockings, individually wrapped.” JASON SHEDROCK, Thompson Falls - “For some reason my mom always put magnets in my stockings.” LARRY LACK, Thompson Falls - “As a practical joke I have put lumps of coal in my grandkids’ socks for Christmas.” VICTORIA WESTHOVEN, Plains - “The best present I ever got in my stocking was a round-trip pair of tickets to go to the Dry Tortugas...
Thompson Falls Schools has been working to get a new building project off the ground. Last Wednesday they had a meeting with prospective contractors to look at bids. One contractor, Swank Enterprises, offered to do the project at a rough bid of $1.45 million. The proposal was higher than the school was estimating, so they will have to work to cut the total cost down to meet their $1.3 million expectation. The next step for Thompson Falls Schools is to present the project, and Swank Enterprises, during the next school board meeting for...
The Santa's Shop Penguin Patch has returned this year to Thompson Falls Elementary, thanks to the Thompson Falls Parent Teacher organization (PTO). According to event organizers, this allows students an opportunity to learn to budget money and purchase gifts for themselves and family members for Christmas. The event was organized and run by PTO members Lisa Ruen, Donna Hendrickson, Deedee Susic, Danni Brotherton and Alysha Franck. "It's a very small group of parents and we do a lot," said PTO se...
The American Red Cross returned to Thompson Falls High School last Wednesday, to get volunteers to give blood. They brought with them equipment to take blood donations in the regular fashion as well as a special type of apparatus for taking blood in a different way. The second donation method is called Power Red, and by donating through this machine, blood givers can now double their potential donation power. Stephanie Lefeuvre, an American Red Cross phlebotomist, explained that Power Red...
CINDY EVERETT, Trout Creek - “Divinity, because my mom used to always make it when we were kids!” KAREN DYKSTRA, Thompson Falls - “Cream cheese pumpkin bars!” YOLANDA SANDSTROM, Plains - “Pumpkin pie because I save it till the end of the year and I can eat it all day long.” BARBARA McENTIRE, Thompson Falls - “Christmas cookies because they are so pretty and it’s holiday time.” KELLEEN RANDOLPH, Trout Creek - “Christmas cookies because of the memories made making them.” BARRY McDEWELL, Gibson City, Illinois - “Pumpkin pie....
Tuesday in 20th District Judicial Court, Andre Levert was given a suspended three-year sentence with the Department of Corrections (DOC) as per a plea agreement for the charge of assault with a weapon. James Manley explained that Levert’s sentence took into consideration that this was his first felony. “I just want to go out and get a job and do well for myself,” Levert said prior to sentencing. Levert was arrested after striking a Thompson Falls man with an object several times earlier this year. His sentencing required him to pay restitution...
The Thompson Falls City Council met this week to swear in Mayor Mark Sheets and council members Larry Lack, Shawni Vaught and Earlene Powell. Each was re-elected into their respective positions uncontested. Sheets reported at Monday’s meeting that City Hall may be facing some significant roof repairs. A crew that was hired to extend the roof over the front steps of City Hall discovered rotting issues in the existing porch roof. The crew had been working to bring the porch out to protect the steps from water dripping down and icing over them. ...
The Thompson Falls School Board decided last week to allow visitors to enter the school again. Prior to the decision, parents and volunteers were loosely limited to 15 minutes, and certain parent and volunteer activities were disallowed altogether because of the pandemic. Now, visitors can enter the school once again, but must self-screen through a checklist posted at the front desk and provide their phone number for contact tracing. Each classroom teacher can decide if they will allow visitors and volunteers into their classroom, and people...
After facing over a year of pandemic, Clark Fork Valley Hospital (CFVH) has had to make a few changes to keep things flowing and to keep up with an ever-changing hospital environment. Some of these changes included the way the hospital intakes patients and improves their rooms to accommodate for COVID-19 patients, new medical equipment and even a COVID-19 nurse hotline. One change the hospital has faced is trying to funnel people into different areas. The building has been constricted to only a...
This year the 24th annual Sanders County Historical Society's Gingerbread Contest had fewer houses entered than it has seen in the past, according to Old Jail Museum board member and contest coordinator Teri Johnsen. Regardless, according to Johnsen, "We enjoy doing it and we have a good time." The contest had 11 entrees overall. Winners of each category won $25, and the overall winner received $100. There were five categories, including family, adult, teen, youth and child. The first-place...
PATRICK WALT, Thompson Falls - “I like artificial trees because you can control the quality, you’re reusing it constantly so it’s more efficient and economical, and you’re not creating garbage out of live trees.” JAMES BEARDEN, Trout Creek - “I love a real Christmas tree because it’s just part of the family tradition to go cut one down and smell it throughout the Christmas season.” CAROL SEARL, Thompson Falls - “I prefer live. It just brings Christmas into the house.” DONNA McQUEEN, Thompson Falls - “I would prefer a live Christmas tree, but i...
For over 43 years the biggest Christmas bazaar in the county has been drawing people from Noxon to Hot Springs, and even from across the state. This year, the event filled 56 booths, many of which included multiple vendors. Held at the Thompson Falls High School gymnasium last Saturday, the Sanders County Christmas Bazaar donates all its proceeds every year to the Sheriff's Relief Fund, which in turn works to get toys and Christmas presents to youth in the county. One of those children who once...
Community members participated in the stroll down Thompson Falls Main Street Thursday evening, visiting several businesses that stayed open late to offer Christmas themed family activities, such as crafts and games. During the stroll, groups of carolers from First Baptist Church and Our Savior's Lutheran Church walked up and down Main Street and into businesses to sing classic holiday songs. The group then migrated to Ainsworth Park to sing for the lighting of the community Christmas tree....
GEORGE VINSON, Thompson Falls - “I don’t think it’s necessary. It would depend on the cost of it. They already keep it open pretty late and open again pretty early in the spring.” ROY SCOTT, Thompson Falls - “Yes, it’s great for cutting down time to get to Spokane and Coeur d'Alene, but then again I can also see it being treacherous in the winter and not being cost effective to try to keep it clean through the winter.” TYREL WORTLEY, Trout Creek - “I don’t know if it would be worth keeping it open year-round, depending on the weather.” BONNIE N...
In 20th District Judicial Court on Tuesday, Jake Wieckowski pleaded not guilty to felony charges of criminal possession of dangerous drugs and criminal possession of drug paraphernalia. Wieckowski was arrested October 16 on an outstanding warrant. During that arrest he was found to possess a pipe that tested positive for methamphetamine as well as a small amount of the substance, according to charging documents. His attorney, Kirk Krutilla, argued for his release, and Wieckowski contended it was because he was in town to take care of his...
For the first time, Montana has opened a muzzleloader only season. The idea has been in the works for a while and was going to start next year, but with great public interest the season will begin this year. Called the Montana Muzzleloader Heritage Hunt, the season will open December 11 and will run a little over a week until December 19. The hunt was passed in the last legislative session as House Bill 242 and came through the House of Representatives Fish and Wildlife Committee. According to...
Cheryl Copperstone, says she loves her job as the new Deputy County Attorney for Sanders County. "I've been told I don't see any gray, just black and white," she said. Copperstone started working for the county about two months after moving to the area from Lincoln County. She previously was a civil attorney in Arizona and New Mexico, however, she prefers criminal over civil cases. "I love prosecuting because I love to see justice done, and I love to win." There are three attorneys in Lincoln...
