Independently owned since 1905
Independently owned since 1905
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Plains City Fire Department Chief Anthony Young is seeking renovations to the fire hall. At the Plains City Council meeting this month, Young presented the council with a list of issues and ideas for improvements he is wanting for the Plains fire hall. Young also explained the unsafe structures and environmental issues with the building. “The exhaust is unsafe because the trucks have to be running where the crew changes into their gear,” Young explained. Young said they open the bay doors while the trucks are warming up but if they drove them o...
For more than 25 years, the Sanders County Sheriff's Office Christmas Relief Fund has helped make the holidays a little brighter for local children. The Relief Fund supports the Tree of Hearts, a program in which community members pick a heart off a tree with the age of a child, buy a gift and donate it to the program. Last week, volunteers gathered in the basement of Valley Bank in Thompson Falls to organize and finish the wrapping of the hundreds of gifts that had been donated. Some of the...
SHELLY WRIGHTSON, Thompson Falls - “From National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, son Rusty says, ‘That tree won’t fit in our yard.’ Dad Clark replies, ‘It’s not going in our yard, it’s going in our living room.’ ” DUSTIN EMMETT, Plains - “People tell me the first Die Hard isn’t a Christmas movie. It takes place on Christmas. My favorite quote is ‘Yippee ki-yay,’ by Bruce Willis’ character” NICHOLAS HILL, Plains - “'It’s all humbug, I tell you.,' from A Christmas Carol." GREG TATUM, Plains - “From the Elf movie, 'We elves try to stick to the...
Sanders County churches have special services planned this holiday season. CABINET MOUNTAIN BIBLE CHURCH in TROUT CREEK Normal schedule on Christmas Eve, Sunday, 11:am and Evening 5:30 to 6:00 FALLS CHAPEL PENTECOSTAL CHURCH of GOD in Thompson Falls Christmas Eve service at 7p.m. No regular services Sunday morning THOMPSON FALL CHRISTIAN CHURCH The church at 306 Church St. in Thompson Falls will not have any services on Sunday morning, December 24. We will have a Christmas Eve communion service at 6 p.m. OPEN DOOR BAPTIST CHURCH in Thompson...
Sunday afternoon the Rex Theater was filled with music by the Clark Fork Valley Singers. Several people, including children, came out to listen to their singing of holiday classics with a couple of extras thrown in. Artistic Director Rob Viens and Jeanie Gentry accompanied on the piano. Soprano singers include Denise Montgomery, Joanna Williams, Patty Johnson, Sara Czerwinski, Sara Tunnel, and Serena Pearson. The Alto group includes Bev Czerwinski, Deb Wilson, Kelsey Rehm, Lisa Mickelson, and Pam Peters. Baritone singers are Danny Moore and...
The Thompson Falls Elementary Student Council sponsored a food drive in their school last week, collecting a total of 825 pounds of food. Students delivered the donations to Community Harvest Food Bank in Thompson Falls on Monday (left). The fifth graders brought in the most with a total of 135 pounds of donations. They will be treated to a root beer float party....
CARLA KENZIE Plains - “Cancer Network of Sanders County because of the support they offer, and the support they gave my dad.” AMY McGANN, Thompson Falls - “St. Jude’s because they do so much for children I know.” MARET BROWN, Trout Creek - “The food bank. It covers everybody and helps everybody out.” RACHEL WHITE, Trout Creek - “Toys for Tots. I am the local coordinator.” DIANE HEDAHL, Thompson Falls - “The National Pediatrics Cancer Research Foundation in honor of my grandson’s wish in hopes that no other child dies from cancer.” BECK BECKMAN...
A science project by two Thompson Falls High School students has earned them a spot in a state competition. They have been named one of the 300 finalists in the 14th annual Samsung Solve for Tomorrow competition. Carter Marquardt and Bryson LeCoure have the chance to take their STEAM project to the National competitions and win prizes from the sponsoring company Samsung. Samsung Solve for Tomorrow (SSfT) is a national competition designed to empower students in grades 6-12 with their ideas for...
Harvest Community Church of God's building plans for a basement under the youth group building came to a halt. Due to regulations that have been established by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), it was discovered the property is in the floodplain. Construction is not up to code, according to Ron Warren from Rocky Mountain Surveying, who did the initial survey. Three weeks after the concrete forms were set up, contractor Josh Weedeman was told that he had to stop. "There is nothing...
Thompson Falls eighth grader Lila Adams decided to do a community project to help with her future college applications. "I was talking with my mom about college and having a good resume for my applications," Adams said. She talked to her Language Arts teacher, Karissa Snead. "She suggested a community service project so we started making plans," Adams said. They came up with the plan to raise enough food for four families to have a Christmas dinner and hopefully some extra staples for the pantry...
Remembering Pearl Harbor is something that Noxon resident Jo Webley does well. Grandma Jo, to the community, has been visiting with students at the Noxon school for 18 years. She celebrated her 88th birthday on December fourth. "I started out doing one class a year, then two and now I talk to three classes a year about Pearl Harbor and World War II," Webley said between class visits last week. Webley was born in 1935 in Lewistown, Montana. Her family had a homestead there but moved to the...
DALE PETTY, Plains - “I would like to have seven feet of snow.” MARK MEAGHER, Trout Creek - “A lot of snow up high but not as much down low.” DONNA BROWN, Trout Creek - “Zero. I don’t like the cold weather and don’t like to drive in it.” KRISTIE BROWN, Trout Creek - “Enough for snowmobiling and ice fishing.” MARK RUNKLE, Trout Creek - “I would like four feet of snow for the moisture and fire control.” JOHN SHERIDAN, Plains - “ We’ve already had enough snow....
Engineer Brent Campbell from Missoula has been hired by Green Diamond Resource Company (GDRCo) to lead the process of planning the use of certain sections of land. Ownership by GDRCo includes over 300 acres in Sanders County that is included in the 2010 Thompson Chain of Lakes Plan. The company owns significantly more acreage in Sanders County, according to Campbell. Sanders County has been invited to participate in the updating of the Thompson Chain of Lakes Plan. In 2021, GDRCo acquired...
The Plains City Council met Monday with a packed agenda which resulted in a packed house. Mayor Chris Allen announced that it would be his last council meeting and that Joel Banham will be the new mayor starting in January of next year. Banham will be sworn in on December 29. Mayor Allen said the Christmas tree didn't get planted but one will be planted next summer by the Lions Club and it will be ready for tree lighting in December 2024. "The two newly hired police officers are doing a tremendo...
Trout Creek Community Improvement Association held its annual Christmas Tree lighting last Friday evening at the Lakeside. "We have been doing this for over 10 years," said Laurie Traver (right, sitting on Santa's lap). Debbie Traver and Liz Stender provided a variety of treats and hot drinks for the group that gathered to watch the lighting of the tree that stands outside of the motel gift shop....
The Trout Creek School gymnasium was busy with people gathered to eat BBQ and donate to the Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) last Friday. Food was cooked by Trout Creek Catering, Smoke Showin. Tickets to eat were $5 and donations for the WWP were separate, according to Trout Creek Principal Preston Wenz. Smoke Showin BBQ cooked the food free of charge. The school provided the food, Wenz said. Darin and Chrystal Scott served their business's fare along with student volunteers from Trout Creek and...
DEBRA CASHMAN, Trout Creek - “I am not allowed to put it up until after the day after Thanksgiving.” JESSICA GAYTON, Thompson Falls - “We get a tree from the tree farm in Trout Creek and put it up the first week in December.” KATHY LOGAN, Plains - “I put up our tree the day after Thanksgiving. I like tromping through the woods to find it.” RILEY MONTGOMERY, Plains - “It varies each year. Sometime after Thanksgiving.” KARA BLANTON, Plains - “The day after Thanksgiving only because my boyfriend says it’s too soon otherwise.” DON FEI...
Resilience is a team sport, according to Pete Hall. Hall was invited to return to Thompson Falls High School last week by Principal Jodi Morgan. She first witnessed Hall's speaking ability when he came to the district for staff training before school started. "I asked the students what type of speaker they would like to have come to our school to talk about issues and coping skills," Morgan said. They described Pete Hall, she added. The students wanted a speaker who is relatable, covers several...
Tanner Laws from Thompson Falls recently received three awards for his music. Laws was honored November 5 in Spokane in the Northwest Country Music Association as male vocalist, songwriter and local solo artist of the year. The award ceremony was held at the Bing Crosby Theater. "It was the first year that I have been nominated for the Northwest Country Music Association awards," Laws said. The region includes Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Montana. "I don't know how I was nominated originally....
The Plains Public Library held their first silent auction earlier this month. Bid to the Summit was held November 6-18. Items were on display at the library. People could bid in person or go to the library website and bid online. Over 20 donated items by local and regional businesses will continue to help raise money for the library. “The auction went very well,” Librarian Nikki Ericksen said. The library raised $1,078. Blackfoot Communications donated an additional $1,000, in lieu of a donated item. Eleven of the 20-plus items donated wer...
‘Tis the season for many fun gatherings of well meant hugs and gift giving. Sharing germs is never our intention so staying healthy keeps everyone happy and healthy through the cold winter months. Choosing what works for you is the best way to do that. The pharmacies, health food stores and internet are flooded with preventative and recovery remedies and medicines. I was surprised to hear someone say during COVID that they always wear copper to stay healthy and fight off germs. Stores often have copper bracelets and other jewelry that claims t...
Jessica Gayton has taken over the wheel of the Sanders County Bookmobile. "I started out as a relief driver two days a month in 2019," said Gayton, who lives in Thompson Falls. When Sandy Hough retired in September, Gayton was hired full time as driver and director. Gayton said she worked in early childhood education and did not have experience with running a bookmobile but Hough taught her the job over the past four years. "As a driver I didn't have to handle the business side of the job but...
The Plains Alliance Church held a bazaar fundraiser last Saturday. Coordinator Roni Mitch said this was their fifteenth year holding the event. "This year the money earned goes to the International workers in Israel and Egypt. We want to help in the Middle East because there is an urgent need," Mitch said. The bazaar had handmade items donated by the congregation. Many people worked many hours to make these items for sale, Mitch said. The silent auction had items donated by the community, such...
KASON LUDEMAN, Hot Springs - “Cook it for two hours at 700 degrees on the BBQ grill. First put stuffing inside. And put vinegar and pepper on top.” WYATT FELTS, Hot Springs - “I cook a turkey in the oven for one hour.” KINLEY KUOPPALA, Hot Springs - “Fry it in the oven for 18 minutes at 200 degrees.” ADELE SNEEDEN, Hot Springs - “Grandma cooks it on the BBQ grill for two hours at 90 degrees.” WREN HEIDEGGER, Hot Springs - “Cut it up and cook on top of the stove at two degrees with pepper on it.” FINN NEIMAN, Hot Springs - “I cook a turkey at...
For the second year the local artists who form the Antler Creek group held their show at the Sanders County Fairgrounds in Plains. Twelve vendors set up for a one-day event to sell their artwork. "There are a few outsiders," founder Ellen Childress said. Other artists have been invited over the years so that there are enough for a show, she added. Now, she consults with other artists before inviting someone new into the fold. Liz Smith from Trout Creek who has been with the group for years, and...
