Independently owned since 1905
Independently owned since 1905
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NorthWestern Energy outlined their next steps toward relicensing the Thompson Falls Hydroelectric Project (Project) in a public meeting last week. The meeting, held via Zoom Wednesday, is part of the company’s effort to renew their license with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) before the 2025 expiration date. NorthWestern’s proposed study plan (PSP) was filed in response to the Pre-Application Document (PAD) submitted in July of 2020, as the company received comments submitted by four resource agencies, as well as two add...
AquaPrawnics, a shrimp production and hatchery focused on indoor aquaculture of clean, fresh and sustainable salt water shrimp and prawns, has opened its first facility in Noxon. "It's one of the most unique and unexpected businesses that you would expect out of western Montana," said AquaPrawnics CEO John Novitsky. Alongside shrimp farming, AquaPrawnics plans to utilize the waste from the shrimp operations. Biochar, a byproduct from generating their own renewable energy, and algae they grow on...
Not that I need to say it out loud, but 2020 brought on more challenges than one could possibly expect to face in a single lifetime. On top of a global pandemic, it seemed as if one’s problems accumulated up all at once, and were let loose to wreak havoc on what was left of one’s soul. Even in the aftershock of what was 2020, I still find myself recollecting on the year that just passed. The last 366 days (let us not forget, 2020 was a leap year) did not come without its trials and tribulations for this modern homesteader. From the difficult ye...
A group of volunteers from Missoula's Museum of Mountain Flying helped spread Christmas cheer across Montana last Wednesday as part of their first Red Sleighs Over Montana event. Fourteen pilots volunteered their planes, helicopters and time to fly Santa to 20 rural communities, including Plains and Thompson Falls, to deliver gifts to children in need this holiday season. With the initial idea of delivering gifts across the rural towns of Montana, John Haines, with Minuteman Aviation and a...
Drivers face an increased risk of animal-related crashes during the fall and winter months. As deer and other wildlife begin to migrate, they find their way onto highways and suburban neighborhoods. Because of this, more animal collisions occur in this period than any other time of year. “In Montana last year, the average animal-related auto claim for AAA Insurance customers was $5,395,” AAA Montana said in a news release. According to AAA, data from the Insurance Information Institute, there are more than half-a-million-deer-vehicle collisions...
The State of Montana Fish Guidance Board, which includes Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks (FWP), Department of Environmental Equality (DEQ), and Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS), has released an updated fish consumption advisory, recommending the public avoid consuming all species of fish from the Clark Fork River below Missoula. In response to new research results, all species of fish have been deemed unfit for safe consumption due to the high level of pollutants found within the tissue of fish caught in the river. “We are asking p...
In their 15 years of operation, Thompson River Animal Care Shelter (TRACS) has stayed true to their mission, to remain a 100% no-kill animal shelter, with a 100% adoption rate. "Because we are a no-kill shelter, we want to always stay full, and we want to keep it that way," said Wanda Thorpe, operations and financial manager for TRACS. "We've been open for 15 years now," Thorpe continued. "We are a little organization that started just 15 years ago, and we're still going strong." While TRACS...
As the holidays grow near, students at Thompson Falls schools did their part to bring cheer to the people of Sanders County. As part of their annual food drive, kindergarten through eighth grade students collected nearly 1,000 pounds of food for Community Harvest Food Bank (CHFB). "This was definitely a new record for us," said Principal Len Dorscher. The elementary student council sponsored the event. "They did a great job of collecting and sorting food multiple times over two weeks," Dorscher...
A pickup lost its trailer loaded with wood beams outside Thompson Falls last Thursday. The trailer became unhitched on the Highway 200 bridge west of town, losing some of the beams and blocking traffic....
A new crisis counseling hotline is now available to aid Montanans who are struggling with their mental health due to the ongoing impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Gov. Steve Bullock announced earlier this month that the new crisis counseling hotline, which is funded by a $1.6 million federal grant, is available. “We know Montanans in every corner of the state have been impacted by the virus in various ways and I’m pleased this hotline is available to support anyone in need,” Bullock said in a news release. “I encourage Montanans to use the hot...
A final report on the housing needs assessment study conducted earlier this year has been released, outlining the plan for developing housing in the county. A press release from Sanders County Community Development Corporation (SCCDC) and Sanders County Community Housing Organization (SCCHO), states the report is now open to the public for viewing. “We promised it and now we have it,” the press release says. “If you have concerns or potential solutions to the housing conditions and inventory in Sanders County, please feel free to reach out t...
As the Rex Community Theater continues its journey of restoration, their endeavor to give back to the community who gives to them, continues as well. The Thompson Falls Film and Theater Foundation, was awarded a Reimagine Rural grant from the Montana State University (MSU) Extension Service. MSU Extension describes the Reimagining Rural Initiative as a collaborative, innovative effort to create opportunities that support small-town leaders building vibrant futures for their communities. “We went to a workshop put on by MSU Extension,” said Deb...
On December 21, this year’s winter solstice, Jupiter and Saturn, the two largest planets in our solar system, will appear to almost merge in the night’s sky, forming what is called the Christmas Star. A celestial show that hasn’t been seen in 800 years. The phenomenon is being called the Great Conjunction of 2020. The point at which these two planets are the closest to each other in the night’s sky as seen from Earth. While this close encounter happens around every 20 years, the last time the two planets were so close was in 1623. However...
In 2019, Thompson Falls was chosen as one of 10 communities across the United States to partner in the EPA’s inaugural round of their Recreation Economy for Rural Communities (RERC) planning assistance program. The 10 communities were chosen out of 170 applicants who applied. Thompson Falls will be the only town in Montana to receive the grant. The city will develop marketing strategies, partnerships and wayfinding signage to attract visitors and promote local amenities and public lands for both visitors and residents, the EPA’s website sta...
The Sanders County Commissioners held a public meeting last Thursday to discuss a proposed contribution from Sanders County to the Big Sky Passenger Rail Authority. Earlier this month it was announced that 12 Montana counties, including Sanders County, have officially founded the Big Sky Passenger Rail Authority to advocate for the return of passenger rail service across southern Montana. Jerry McDonald, an appointee to Big Sky Passenger Rail, approached the commissioners at the public meeting and asked for a commitment on the county’s end f...
The Montana Department of Commerce has announced that starting December 8 the Montana Main Street Program grant cycle will be open and accepting applications. “Montana’s Main Streets are vital to the strength and resiliency of our local economies,” Jennifer Olson, Montana Department of Commerce Community Development Division Administrator said in a December 2 press release. “These grants will help Montana communities restore healthy community districts and preserve the historic structures that made Montana the special place we all know and tre...
Getting your gifts in the mail in time for the holidays is an accomplishment in itself; but the majority of us will be mailing all of our gifts this year instead of being able to deliver them in person. It’s no secret we are all in need of a little extra holiday cheer this upcoming holiday season. Adding small, sentimental touches to your mailed gifts, is an easy way to make the holidays feel just a little bit more special, especially if you can’t be there to celebrate with your loved ones. Adding in small, unexpected treats is definitely wor...
Thompson Falls High School (TFHS) students have been working hard this school year. A number of students have been nominated for several prestigious awards and scholarship opportunities for their dedicated time and valor. Jodi Morgan, TFHS Counselor, has shared the good news as she wishes to recognize the students. A TFHS senior has been selected as the state winner for the High School Heisman Scholarship. The Heisman High School Scholarship is a national program that recognizes the country’s most esteemed high school seniors by celebrating a...
As we head into winter, I always like to brush up on winterizing the chicken coop, to help my birds get through the colder months a little easier. As I’m reading, I always come across the controversial topic of heating. Do you heat a coop in the winter or not? Much of the conversation falls under the debate of putting a heat lamp inside the coop. Anywhere you look, you will find advocates on both sides of the topic. Many will say, there is no way to safely use a heat lamp inside the coop because of the fire risk. Others say, supplemental h...
Last year, Weyerhaeuser announced the company reached an agreement to sell 630,000 acres of Montana timberland to a Georgia-based land investment firm, Southern Pine Plantations (SPP), for $145 million. The exchange between the two companies raised concerns not only among Montanans, but Sanders County residents, as the land includes acreage around the Thompson Falls Chain of Lakes, Thompson River and near Thompson Falls and Plains. Questions have been raised regarding public access, as the...
In their mission to end violence against women, men and children, the Sanders County Coalition for Families (SCCFF) dedicates their time advocating for victims and survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse, while providing a safe haven and support for those in Sanders County. In order for SCCFF to provide the help and services they do, they need help themselves. Volunteers from around the community have stepped up and donated their time in order to help SCCFF stay true to their mission. SCCFF is always grateful for the help...
For anyone who went to the Ted Vigil concert last month the Rex Community Theater, the audience was not only serenaded with music by John Denver; but they also got the chance to listen to some local country music, by Thompson Falls' very own, Tanner Laws. The 23-year-old musician opened the show with an hour long set of his originals, with a few of his favorite covers thrown in. "I was really excited to open for someone with a big name, and it was even better that I got to do it at home in...
Screenwriter Craig MacLachlan, a native of Thompson Falls, is currently in the process of creating his new film titled, "Sunshine Girl," a tribute to the memory and life of his late wife, Christina. The film tells the story of Christina's two different battles with cancer. Christina was diagnosed with stage 4 Hodgkin's lymphoma when she was just 13 and stage 4 metastatic breast cancer at the age of 44. The film explores the physical and mental trauma of Christina's first battle with cancer as...
Sanders County residents began their Halloween festivities early Saturday morning with the third annual Trick or Treat, Move Your Feet 5k and one-mile fun run/walk at Power Park in Thompson Falls, an event put on by the Thompson Falls Community Trails (TFCT) Committee in order to raise funds for trail maintenance. Volunteer efforts were coordinated to make sure safety measures were a top priority at this year's event. As people checked in, everyone was asked to fill out a health screening,...
The Dahlia. A coveted addition to any flower garden. These plants are the most widely grown and well-loved in the flower world. The plants produce blooms in an array of colors, whose beauty is almost too hard to describe in words. Pictures don’t even do them justice. Which is why I wanted to grow them myself. Dahlias aren’t considered perennials necessarily, they are extremely cold sensitive. So, in order to grow them the following year, the tubers (they look like a clump of potatoes) need to be dug up in late fall and stored over winter. Dah...
