Independently owned since 1905
Independently owned since 1905
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The Hot Springs School held its annual National Geographic Bee for the fourth through eight graders. Seventh grader Josie Uski took first place, beating out retuning champion and fellow classmate Austin Campbell who came in second. Fourth grader Odin Max came in third place. Each class held its own competition and the top two contestants went on compete in the school wide bee. The students answered a variety of geographic questions, such as "Which state is known as the Peach State because...
The local chapter of Babe Ruth Baseball reported the progress on the construction of a new ballfield that broke ground last year behind Thompson Falls High School. Thompson Falls City Council and Mayor Mark Sheets were pleased to hear the field is coming along, but were interested in what hurdles the effort might be facing. As of now, the field is about $20,000 short of being playable, and Mayor Sheets said the goal is to have a playable field this season – even if spectators need to bring folding chairs to watch a game. “And that doe...
The hills were alive with the sound of music, Saturday – the type of music that comes from the 'brrrappp' of a snowmobile. The Cabinet Ridge Riders (CRR) held their annual poker run, hosting 223 riders for a day of snow, auctions and imbibing. The Lakeside Resort sent off the riders in the morning to complete their course, picking up cards for a poker hand along the way. The caravan of metal-tread steeds filed in throughout the afternoon and evening to take part in the live and silent a...
Montana is home to some fantastic athletes, but recognition in the six-man football arena tends to carry some gravitas. Scouts look at these youth above traditionally setup football teams, since the six-man player has to work a little harder and know the game a little better to stand out. Westby-Grenora coach Troy Walters (who led the 2017 state champion six-man team) has announced the roster with his picks for the upcoming Six-Man All-Star Game slated for June. The state's best players are...
It isn't often a local gets face time with country stardom, but that is exactly what happened to Sharon Sorlie of Thompson Falls. Sorlie was more than excited to see the "Livin' Like Hippies" tour stop in Spokane for contemporary country artist, Miranda Lambert. "Those that know me are aware she has been my favorite for years," added Sorlie. "The idea of seeing her perform and sharing the night with family and friends was going to be the highlight of the year." But the deal sweetened when she wa...
SIGNS, SIGNS, EVERYWHERE THE SIGNS – County and Municipal road crews are continuing to post signage at various locations to help protect local roadways. "With the warm weather also comes melting of the frost, which creates soft spots in our roads," said Sanders County Commissioner Carol Brooker. "As of Monday, February 5, Sanders County Road Department have been posting weight limits." The weight limits will protect thawing roads from further warping and potholes, as ground thaw can make the b...
Outside of China, London has the largest Chinese New Year celebration in the world. In Sanders County, the township most likely to hold a celebration for a non-traditional holiday would be Hot Springs. Whether sun or snow (the holiday can fall anywhere between January 21 and February 20), for years Hot Springs has been throwing some kind of bash for the Chinese New Year. While the streets of Hot Springs will undoubtedly show signs of the festivities, much of the fanfare will stem from the Symes...
by Justin Harris It is always nice to get new stuff. But sometimes, old stuff needs to be moved to make room for the new. That is the predicament Thompson River Animal Care Shelter (TRACS) is in now, and staff hopes to find someone in the community who can benefit from their situation. Following the fire last year that took the shelter’s cattery, insurance has been settled and new arrangements are in the works. “We can’t start progress for the cats until the old building is hauled away,” said TRACS President Wanda Thorpe. “The upside is that t...
As the snow melts in my driveway, it would appear that the earliest blooms of spring are from seedlings of trash, candy wrappers and music equipment components I haven’t seen since Halloween. If I water and care for these newly revealed treasures that seem to multiply as the snow keeps melting, perhaps the wrappers will fill with candy and the now-rusty musical components will mature into fully-functional instruments… or maybe I’ll just have to do some outdoor tidying up. Which brings to mind the spring cleanup event in Thompson Falls known...
Does your belly have two buttons? If so, you might be a "tubie." Next week is Feeding Tube Awareness Week, and Thompson Falls mother and master hair stylist Meikele "Kellee" Needles is all about promotion of this unique condition. Kellee's three-year-old son, Nico, is the inspiration for her support of feeding tube awareness, as he is living the life of a child who struggles to eat and drink food normally. "I feel that unique is the new normal these days," explained Kellee, who home schools her...
Approval rating for congress has gone up – at least that of the Thompson Falls Bowling Congress, where strikes on their record is a good thing. Rimrock Lanes held a fundraiser Saturday, Jan. 27, to raise funds for the purchase of new bowling shoes. While half the fun of bowling is the stylish shoes, the ones at the lanes have been long due for replacing. A No Tap Tourney fundraiser was held in October at Rimrock Lanes to bolster the annual $500 scholarship awarded by the congress. In all, $300 was raised with Ginger Ward taking first place, N...
With all the activities and technology available to kids these days, it's a wonder any parent hears complaints of boredom from children. Compare their demeanor to the lives of disabled individuals – there are no afterschool groups, chess club, sports or regular formal dances – yet, one would be hard pressed to find happier people. Luckily there are organizations and people who understand the plight of families caring for the disabled and give their time and talents to create events and hap...
The stage at the Old Paradise School has seen its fair share of semi-famous musicians and performers since becoming a public venue – but none have carried the reputation, ideals and sheer number of hours on national television as the most recent visitor. Cliven Bundy visited the Old Paradise School on Saturday to share his family's story of grazing fee evasion, constitutional protection of private property, skirmishes with federal agents, and armed takeovers of federal facilities as a form of p...
As technology advances, older familiarities of organization go the way of the Dewy decimal system. So goes the story at the library in Hot Springs Schools. "We got everything online last week with very few bugs to work out," said school librarian and history teacher Robin Miller, "and despite the expected nightmares from a new system, students and myself are thrilled with the new library." Hot Springs is one of many Montana schools that have joined a consortium to create a completely online...
When word of Cliven Bundy’s planned Sanders County visit reached opposing ears, the venue’s stewards, Paradise Elementary School Preservation Committee (PESPC), began receiving complaints from citizens upset that the group caretaking the historic school would allow the armed protesters from the Sagebrush Rebellion to hold their meeting there. The detractors seemed to be under the impression the committee was somehow supportive of the Bundy cause and ideology. The Preservation Committee’s John Thorson issued a press release outlining the organ...
They would come looking for you if you needed them, so the public showed up to look out for them. Sanders County Search & Rescue is an all-volunteer operation made up of brave individuals who are on-call, day or night, rain, snow or shine. “The mill levy scheduled for us is barely enough to keep us going, so we can only effectively operate with the help of donations,” said Sanders County Sheriff Deputy Jerry Johnson, who moonlights as a member of the rescue team, “this year’s fundraiser was a huge boost for us.” The theme of the night was...
When cabin fever sets in, those who live the horseback lifestyle can't wait to get out and ride. "We've been doing this for years," said equine enthusiast Jason Helvey. "It got so big as far as riders turning out that we had to change our route." Helvey has led the unofficially named "First Ride of the New Year" nearly every year, inviting riders to join a loop that started and ended at the warm Wayside Bar and Grill in Trout Creek. "We used to just ride from our place along the highway, but...
Rain, shine, sleet or hail, there is one place where the party is waiting every weekend. Symes Hotel in Hot Springs is a destination for locals and visitors alike because of the mineral baths and hot spring pools, but the historic hotel is a popular venue for traveling musicians looking for a friendly audience. Symes has consistently had live music booked nearly every weekend of the year – and this year is no different. With Hot Flash Blues playing this Friday and Friends of Clem bringing western swing, Saturday, the upcoming year is b...
“It was a bit of a surprise,” said Hot Springs School Superintendent Dr. Mike Perry. “I received a call from the office of Senator Daines asking if our district could use a few new computers. I didn’t hesitate to accept the offer for our schools.” The no-strings-attached offer came following a press release from Daines stating that the senator would be helping to facilitate five Montana schools in the acquiring up to date technology with a donation of five computers for each school through the U.S. Senate’s Computers for Schools Program. In...
A truck and trailer slid off the road on Highway 28 near Hot Springs last week. Several accidents were reported throughout Sanders County due to icy, snow-packed roads....
When you need them, they are there – so it only makes sense to support them and assist the vital group anyway possible. A Search & Rescue fundraiser is set for Friday, Jan. 19 in the banquet hall at the Lakeside Resort in Trout Creek. The fundraiser marks the third of its kind, organized by a Search & Rescue member who was trying to find creative ways to keep money in the rescuers’ coffer. “Sanders County Search & Rescue only receives about $14,000 from the mill levy – when you subtract $5,000 for insurance, $3,000 for workman’s compensation, a...
"It has been great working with her and seeing her work ethic," said County Superintendent of Schools, Carol Turk, "of course, I've known her since she was this tall – but it has been great getting to know her as an instrumental piece of the district and the county." Turk recently spent many hours with Stacy Milner and former District Clerk, Mary Smith, tirelessly pouring over the county's school budget records and comparing them with the district's. The effort was started as a way to open c...
It's good to feel appreciated, and supporters of the Rex Theatre in Thompson Falls turned out with open wallets to show their appreciation for the historical venue that was the location for decades of first dates, family movie nights and, more recently, live performances and stage plays. "We are very humbled by the turnout and the generosity of the community," said Rex owner, Doug Grimm. He appeared to hold back a shrink wrapped tear (or maybe it was dust in his eye) as he reported that the...
Local 4-H clubs have new instructors on the roster who have recently completed training to make them the highest caliber mentors for youth to learn the practice of shooting firearms. December 1-2 found Robert Flansaas, Cliff Farrier, Lance Schoeman and Digger Powell in Kalispell at the 4-H Sports Shooting Leadership seminar. These grown-up students at the seminar are now qualified instructors for 4-H purposes of gun safety and enjoyment in the discipline of shotgun shooting. As a result of their qualification, Thompson Falls Trap Club and...
Plowing city streets after a heavy snowfall can be daunting, especially if there are cars parked along Main Street during snowplow worktime. Ask anyone on a county road who has had a mailbox snagged by a plow (the plow drivers verbally apologize, but no one hears at 4 a.m.), parking on the road is not an option. Although there is no law on the books, Thompson Falls Police Chief Chris Nichols shared that city crews do appreciate the savvy car owners who park elsewhere in anticipation of plows coming through overnight. “The north side of Main S...
