Independently owned since 1905
Independently owned since 1905
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After nine days of testimony and eight hours of deliberation, a jury found former Thompson Falls resident Danielle Wood guilty of deliberate homicide last week. Wood was convicted of the charge in the May 2018 death of Matthew LaFriniere, who was found dead at his residence east of Thompson Falls. Wood was arrested in the matter in March 2019. She was living in Polson at the time of her arrest and has been held for almost two years at the Lake County Jail while she awaited trial. "Justice was...
In continuation with the Paradise sewer project, the Sanders County Sewer District at Paradise held a public meeting over Zoom to discuss and approve the buy/sell for property owner Bridger Bischoff. While public meetings in the past have been held at the Paradise Center, due to a spike in COVID-19 cases, the board has voted to cease meeting in person and opted for virtual meetings for the time being. A concern brought up at the meeting as not everyone has access to the Zoom platform. According to Sunny Chase, president of the Sanders County...
The Plains-Paradise Rural Fire District is planning to extend its service to the community with a water rescue program. The fire district recently purchased two used Sea-Doo personal watercraft from a private owner in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, to start the new program. Fire Chief James Russell affixed the Plains-Paradise Rural Fire District rescue decals on the machines Monday. The fire district board voted unanimously in favor of the program in December and in January voted to spend the funds f...
Kaniksu Land Trust (KLT) has recently partnered with a Bull River valley private landowner and established their eighth conservation agreement in that vicinity. This agreement includes 44 acres and will protect fish, wildlife and plant communities located in the richly biodiverse area along Montana Highway 56, according to KLT. "This is a wonderfully important parcel of land in terms of both wildlife habitat and preservation of the scenic view corridor of the Bull River valley," said KLT...
During last month's windstorm, we saw neighbors stepping up to help neighbors. No questions asked, people just came together to help clean up our county after this devastating storm knocked out power and damaged homes and businesses. That sense of community was nice to see. With this storm came a feeling of belonging. Sanders County is 100 miles long, but in that week after the storm there was no distance. We were one community helping each other and literally weathering the storm. We see examples of closeknit communities here and there. When...
Every word has a definition. You can look that up in a dictionary and call that definition the gospel truth. But many words also have emotions attached to them which are harder to define because they are unique to the individual that feels them. Everybody knows what “patriotism” is. It’s love of country. But just as everyone has their own definition of love they also have their own emotional definition of patriotism. For some it is storming the United States Capitol, for others it is peace...
While serving as the 15th Supreme Court Chief Justice, Warren Burger stated in his June 22, 1983 ,letter to Phyllis Schlafly of Eagle Forum, “I have also repeatedly given my opinion that there is no effective way to limit or muzzle the actions of a constitutional convention. The convention could make its own rules and set its own agenda. Congress might try to limit the convention to one amendment or to one issue, but there is no way to assure that the convention would obey. After a convention is convened, it will be too late to stop the c...
20 started off with snow – a lot of it! In three days Thompson Falls got 17 inches of snow. The following week, more snow fell bringing the depth to 30 inches. The week after that the weather warmed up and Thompson Falls received almost an inch of rain on top of the snow. 30 YEARS AGO • JANUARY 17, 1991 RAIN COLLAPSES MUSEUM ROOF Recent heavy snows coupled with a continuous rain worked to collapse the roof on the Old Jail Museum in Thompson Falls and sent worries of doubt to museum directors as to the future of the popular attraction. Mus...
MIKE ZENTZ, Oklahoma - “I’d choose pulled pork.” SCARLETTE SCHWINDT, Thompson Falls - “Spaghetti!” CAROL BAYLOR, Thompson Falls - “The shredded potato casserole. It’s easy to cook and everybody loves it.” SUSIE KACK, Thompson Falls - “My favorite thing to take to a potluck is a big, tossed salad.” SHILA WEESE, Thompson Falls - “My favorite potluck, both to eat and to bring, is seven-layer dip.” RACHAEL GOHL, Tacoma, Washington - “I would do a veggie pizza....
Ambulance: T. Falls, 14; Trout Creek, 6; Plains, 8; Hot Springs, 2; Noxon, 2; Dixon, 2; Heron, 1. Sunday, January 24 Alarm-intrusion/holdup, Plains. Informational case, Heron. Civil attempts, Heron. Request welfare check, Noxon. Disturbance, Plains. Assist motorist/citizen, Trout Creek. Monday, January 25 Assault, Plains. Assault, T. Falls. Request for welfare check, T. Falls. Assist motorist/citizen, Hot Springs. Motor vehicle crash, Trout Creek. Coroner called, Plains. Tuesday, January 26 Theft, Plains. Livestock, Dixon. Information case,...
Montana Highway Patrol Denver Davis, 47, seatbelt violation, $20; failure to carry proof of insurance, 1st offense, $285. Elliott Fromm, 28, speeding in restricted zone, $55. Peggy Hammeren, 65, reckless driving, 1st offense, $235. Aaron Oclair, 49, seatbelt violation, $20. Williams Wyatt, 18, seatbelt violation, $20. Jeremy Meyers, 37, day speeding, $20. Justin Ludeman, 38, night speeding, $20. Kimberly Nicholson, 57, operating with expired registration, $85; day speeding, $70. Chau Young, 39, day speeding, $70. Kimberly Bates, 52, seatbelt...
A defendant being held at the Sanders County Jail was sentenced to 15 years with the Department of Corrections on Tuesday. James Hernvall was sentenced to 15 years for two counts of felony burglary and 10 years for one count of felony theft. Hernvall had been on probation, but his probation officer testified in 20th District Judicial Court on Tuesday that Hernvall had absconded from his responsibilities with the probation office for 18 months. A petition was filed May 4, 2020, to revoke Hernvall’s original sentence on the charges. Hernvall t...
Nov. 21 1975 - Jan. 20th 2021 Cody Lee (CL) Wilson, left this world too early, but certainly not without leaving his mark. Born in Las Vegas, Nevada, 1975, to Margaret Ann (Ashworth) and William Cody Wilson. He came into this world as the youngest of five siblings. He grew up idolizing his older brothers, Dwayne and Eric, always trying to follow in their footsteps, which certainly led to some mischief at times. His sisters, Karen and Kim, were there to provide some corrective guidance. In 1982... Full story
Joe went to be with his wife January 30, 2021. Joe was born March 26, 1934, and was raised on a dairy farm at Council Groves just west of Missoula. He married the love of his life, Jeanne Christensen February 14, 1956. Together they had three children. Joe had a 26-year career in the Montana Highway Patrol and retired as Colonel in 1980. He later worked for LHC as a safety officer for many years. He and Jeanne owned Birdland Bay and ran a trailer court for many years until converting it to an RV Park. Joe was preceded in death by his wife and... Full story
SOLUTIONS ACROSS 1. SRBM 5. HER 8. CSCH 12. PILAF 14. ACE 15. HALE 16. CAUSES 18. GON 19. AFAR 20. CLEAVE 21. ATE 22. PADS 23. EVERYWHERE 26. CATERER 30. PAULI 31. AMBLING 32. ELM 33. BAALS 34. AJUGA 39. HRS 42. SENATOR 44. SALAL 46. BRIGADE 47. POLYVALENT 49. CRAB 50. AVE 51. EIGHTH 56. HAKA 57. GEM 58. SEESAW 59. ATEN 60. ERA 61. SEINE 62. TODY 63. DYN 64. SAKI SOLUTIONS DOWN 1. SPCC 2. RIAL 3. BLUE 4. MASA 5. HAGAR 6. ECOTYPE 7. RENEWAL 8. CHAPEL 9. SAFARI 10. CLADE 11. HERS 13. FEVERISHLY... Full story
Following the entertainment trend of virtual events, Kaniksu Land Trust (KLT) is hosting an online presentation featuring award-winning photographer and author Paul Bannick, a wildlife aficionado. The event, in which Bannick will personally present photos and experiences from his newly released book, “Snowy Owl – A Visual Natural History,” will take place Tuesday, February 16 at 7 p.m., according to a KLT press release. “If your average picture is worth a thousand words, a Paul Bannick wildlife photograph is worth 20,000,” stated Ted Williams,...
The Thompson Falls School Board met Monday to discuss upcoming projects for the school, as well as damages from the windstorm last month. Elementary Principal Len Dorscher commended his staff for how they handled the day. “It was actually a lot of fun, quite frankly,” said Dorscher. He mentioned how it was a good thing that the students had been kept in the school during the storm, especially considering that the storm had been so unpredictable. They had slight damage to the metal roof on one of the buildings, but nothing that will need to be...
One Paradise resident showed his commitment to the Paradise Center with rocks - big and heavy rocks. Bridger Bischoff, owner of Rock Solid, Inc., used his front loader last Thursday to haul five boulders, from his "stone yard" a few hundred yards away and placed them in various spots along the center's 1,100-foot paved Paradise Center Walking Trail. The walking trail is comprised of 15 interpretive panels that cover the history of Paradise, as well as other facets of northwest Montana. Judy...
This year marks the 48-year anniversary of Roe V. Wade, the Supreme Court's decision that legalized abortion nationwide. A decision that, even today, proves to be one of the most controversial subjects in this country's history. Last Friday, residents gathered on the lawn of the Sanders County Courthouse to take part in a March for Life and protest against those abortion laws that were put into law in 1973. Roughly 70 people congregated at noon and began the march by joining together in song....
Sanders County honored employees for years of service last week during a ceremony at the courthouse. Sanders County Commissioner Tony Cox presented an award to fellow commissioner Glen Magera for 10 years with Sanders County. "He's knowledgeable and friendly," Cox said of his colleague. Lee Smith, foreman for Road District 3 at the west end of the county, was not able to be at the ceremony, but was honored for 25 years with the county. Cox said that the county was very fortunate to have Smith...
An open challenge from the Blue Hawks to the other Western B teams is on – bring your best game, let's play some ball and see who comes out on top in the end. Playing aggressive hoops on both ends Saturday as part of that ongoing open challenge, the Thompson Falls Blue Hawk boys knocked off the visiting Anaconda Copperheads 60-50 at TFHS. The Hawks warmed up for their big date with Copperheads by steamrolling Troy 59-26, also in Thompson Falls Friday. Accepting challenges from the best teams W...
Hawk-bit in the Snake-pit! Scoring their biggest win of the season on one of the biggest stages in Western B basketball Saturday, the Thompson Falls Lady Hawks bit down hard on the Anaconda Copperheads, registering a convincing 68-52 victory over the previously No. 5 ranked Class B team in Montana. Now the No. 6 B team in the state according to the latest 406mtsports.com poll with an 8-2 record, the Lady Hawks will be in the thick of it with two more games against ranked teams this week hosting...
The living and learning process continues for coach Ben Johnson and his Noxon Red Devil boys. Johnson and company took a double dose of the Charlo Vikings last week, falling to the Vikings 52-42 in Noxon Tuesday, and again 61-52 in Charlo Saturday. Johnson is happy with how his boys are improving but this COVID-19 season of 2021 has made things sporadic so far. “It has been a strange season, with all the starts and stops we have had,” Johnson said. “But I am not taking anything away from our kids. You won’t find a harder working bunch than th...
Time in the "Room" leads to wins on the mat. Every prep wrestling team has a place where they practice, where they bond as teammates and where they become better wrestlers and that place is the wrestling room, the place where every great wrestler learns his craft. Saying his team had not had enough quality time in their Room lately, Thompson Falls coach Mike Thilmony was glad that his team was finally free of storms, sickness and injuries enough to have some good sessions in the Hawks'...
In search of continuing quality competition, the Plains-Hot Springs Savage Horsemen wrestling team will travel to Eureka Friday for a triangular dual match with Eureka and Florence. Taking advantage of the opportunities presented last week, coach Shane Angle and his Savage Horsemen participated in a triangular dual in Thompson Falls last Tuesday (January 25), losing to Florence but defeating Thompson Falls 36-34. Moving on from Thompson Falls, P-HS grapplers went to Mission Saturday for a dual...
