Independently owned since 1905
Independently owned since 1905
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This is the time of year to bring out the hats, coats, and gloves, but for one Plains resident, the frigid weather is also a time to help others. A local woman, who wished to remain anonymous, tied nearly two dozen scarves around seven lampposts along Railroad Street in Plains sometime last week. With each scarf was a note that read: "I'm not lost. Please take me with you if you are cold. God Bless." The woman had purchased a batch of the scarves at the Little Bitterroot Thrift Store on West Lyn...
TO AUSTRALIA VIA HIGHWAY 200 – Richard's Transport out of Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada, has chosen Highway 200 as their route to deliver a total of nine large compressors to Australia via boat embarking from Everette, Washington. Compressors two and three were stranded near Noxon when winter road conditions were a problem for transporters. After spending five days waiting for clear roads, the crew got their window to depart on Thursday morning. Upon arriving for departure, they found one of t...
The Thompson Falls City Council voted Monday night to delay a critical vote in the proposed wastewater treatment project. The council must decide whether or not to create two Special Improvement Districts (SIDs) to help fund the proposed project that would connect properties north of the railroad tracks to the city’s existing sewer system. Under state law, if 75 percent of parcel owners provide written protest to the creation of an SID, the project is stopped. Mayor Jerry Lacy said that previously, the council was given the wrong percentage by...
A group of Plains residents are looking to find housing solutions for local seniors. The group expressed their concerns and needs at a meeting facilitated by Sanders County Community Development Corporation (SCCDC) last month with Sanders County Commissioners. The Plains group says they have already met with Mayor Dan Rowan and the town’s city council about the project, saying they were interested and know the need is in the community. The group envisions the project as a low-maintenance complex of about 30 units for those 55 and older. The p...
Over the weekend, I had the opportunity to attend the MHSA all-class state wrestling tournament in Billings. I had not been there since high school, when I was a wrestling manager for Thompson Falls. Decades later, I have more of an appreciation for the dedication and focus we see in wrestlers. The competition was tough. Some kids lost out in two matches. With numbers down in many sports, including wrestling, athletes don't have the same competition at tournaments and in practice as they did decades ago, when schools had multiple wrestlers in...
I’ve mentioned in prior columns my strongly held belief that we should all do the work of finding the truth of a matter before forming an opinion. It’s an unfortunate fact that there is a great deal of false and/or misleading information printed and broadcast by major media outlets. There are examples of this every day, but I’ll use a recent high-profile event to illustrate my point followed by one from my own experience. On January 19, 2019, students from Covington Catholic High School in Pa...
This is to serve as a warning anyone who might want to welcome a roommate to share their home. I recently had one such experience that involved a veteran who came recommended by a friend. This veteran, a man, came and told me that he would pay me for the privilege of sharing my home. He said at the outset that he would pay me $150 on the first day of the month and an additional $150 on the 15th. I thought that would work out well enough and help me pay some of my bills. So, I agreed to his living with me. He paid the agreed amount on the first...
5 YEARS AGO • JANUARY 30, 1969 SNOW SLIDES TRAP TRANSPORT BLOCK HIGHWAY FOUR HOURS Two large snow slides ensnared a large Northern Pacific Transport Co. truck-trailer on Highway 200 about seven miles east of Thompson Falls Tuesday, blocking traffic for several hours. The transport driver, Al Fechner of Missoula, and a Thompson Falls lumber mill operator, Swan Flodin, miraculously escaped injury when they were caught in the midst of the second slide as it pushed the truck-trailer off the highway and against the guard rail. Flodin, who was en r...
PAUL PERKINS, Thompson Falls – “My wife died in 2001, so I show my love to my two dogs – a Corgi and a Shelty – by taking them for a walk every day.” KATHY IKOLA, Trout Creek – "I try to make a special roast beef dinner and dessert for my husband. He really likes roast beef.” DAVID HAASE, Thompson Falls – “I give my wife money. You can’t go wrong with money. But we usually go out to dinner at the Elks Lodge and I give them the money.” LEVI KILLGORE, Plains (6, a first-grader) – “Kisses. I throw them kisses. That shows them I love them.” SOPHIE...
Sanders County Sheriff’s Office David Medford, 65, driving while privilege is suspended or revoked, 1st offense, $285. Gerald Beumer, 49, night speeding, $70. Kent Wood, 21, speeding in a restricted zone, $65. Colton Stevens, 27, night speeding, $20. Michael Paramore, 45, night speeding, $70. Montana Highway Patrol Jerry Shultz, 45, speeding in a restricted zone, $105. John Theonnes, 61, speeding in a restricted zone, $95. Nickolas Aemisegger, 49, day speeding, $20. Mollie Heape, 36, night speeding, $20. Lucas Lampton, 30, night speeding, $...
Ambulances: Noxon, 3; T. Falls, 10; Plains, 3; H. Springs, 1. Sunday, February 3 Arrest made for DUI drugs or alcohol, T. Falls. Rocks in both lanes of Hwy. 200, Eddy Flat. Motor vehicle crash with injuries, Hwy. 135. Tree in the westbound lane of Hwy. 200, T. Creek. Vehicle slide-off, Hwy. 200, Eddy Flat. Slide-off, multiple vehicles, Hwy. 28, north of Plains. Vehicle slide-off, Main St., T. Falls. Motor vehicle accident, River Rd. W., Plains. Arrest made for probation violation, Noxon. Motorist assist at Town Pump, Plains. Monday, February 4...
Residents in Trout Creek are taking part in a worldwide effort to support girls and women by providing reusable feminine hygiene products. The group sews products for Days for Girls International, an organization founded by Celeste Mergens. According to Mergens, "While in Kenya in 2008, I was working with an orphanage with approximately 1,400 children, most of them young girls. During the night, I awoke with a nagging question, 'What are these girls doing for feminine hygiene?' Seeking an answer...
Margaret Mead’s very famous quote promotes active, informed citizenry: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, organized citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” Keeping this in mind was at the heart of the presentation, Citizenship 101: Montana’s 2019 Legislature that was held last Friday at the Paradise Center. Twenty citizens from around Sanders County came to fine-tune their knowledge of how Montana’s Legislature works. This presentation is one of many around the state to promote act...
Trout Creek Back Country Horsemen held their first meeting of 2019 and are looking forward to new adventures for the months to come. Requests were made for the Horsemen to release a calendar of rides for the upcoming year, and they have responded. President Larry "Doc" Milham has publicly announced all rides, weather dependent to ensure safety, will be on Saturdays and begin on April 27. Following that, rides will occur on May 18, June 22, July 27, August 24, September 28 and October 19....
Thomas Ray Graham, 68, of Trout Creek, Montana succumbed to cancer in the comfort of his own home on Monday, January 28, 2019. Tommy is survived by his sister Judy Delaney, daughters Teena Frank, Shaila Maciosek, son-in-law Josh Maciosek, grandchildren Peyton Graham, Jaxon Frank, Bo Maciosek and many loving nieces, nephews and extended family. He is preceded in death by his parents, Norman and Norma (Jacobson) Graham, brother Terry Graham and brother-in-law Mike Delaney. Tom was born March 30,...
Dixie Reynolds Aldrich Danuser passed away Saturday, February 2, 2019, at the Bitterroot Valley Living Center in Stevensville. Dixie was born February 18, 1942 in Kootenai, Idaho to Murry and Beth (Millar) Reynolds. The family moved to Camas Prairie where they remained until 1954, at which point they moved to Thompson Falls where Dixie attended school and graduated in 1960. After graduation, Dixie married Ray Aldrich, and in 1961 the couple welcomed daughter Heidi to the family, followed by son...
Eugenio Montale once wrote, “The most dangerous aspect of present-day life is the dissolution of the feeling of individual responsibility. Mass solitude has done away with any difference between the internal and the external, between the intellectual and the physical.” Last April, almost exactly on this day one year ago, I spent a continuous 84 hours alone in the wild with no human contact, no words spoken or sight of man. The wilderness was nothing new to me at that time, as my three-and-a-half-day solo came to be at the end of my trip int...
"I have raised a garden all my life," said Elizabeth Riffle, relating to what life was like growing up as the daughter of Allen and Karen Dykstra, founders of Fruitland Acres located along Highway 200 between Plains and Thompson Falls. "We sold it (Fruitland Acres) around 1993 or 1994 due to my father having a logging accident and just couldn't do it anymore," commented Riffle, who currently resides on the family homestead. She "loves to grow things" and therefore it is fitting her next...
The mayor of Plains swore in the newest member of the town council last week, but it was almost a form of déjà vu. Seven years ago, the roles were reversed. Then Mayor Michael Brinson was swearing in councilman Dan Rowan, who is now the town mayor. Brinson served as the Plains mayor from 2006 to 2013. He sold Brinson's Building Supply in 2014 and in retirement has more time on his hands. He decided he wanted to be in the decision making process that "will keep the town headed in a good d...
More than 200 riders participated in the 2019 Cabinet Ridge Riders annual poker run. Fresh powder welcomed the snowmobile riders. At the warming hut near Gem Peak, the Ridge Riders (including JD Wood, pictured) had warm beverages, hot dogs and chili for the participants. The Cabinet Ridge Riders donate funds raised to local organizations, and provide scholarships each year....
Students of Plains High School held a contest in the gymnasium last week to showcase the new after-school program and to recruit additional membership. The school received a $1,000 grant in January, compliments of Channellock Tools of Meadville, Pa., to have an assembly and put on a Career and Technical Education open house to celebrate SkillsUSA Week, said shop teacher Kyle Mitchell, chief coordinator of the new program. He said Plains was the only Montana school to receive the grant. There...
The Blue Hawk wrestling team traveled to Billings for the Montana state all-class wrestling tournament, with four of their five wrestlers earning a trip to state and battling from start to finish. Two Hawks earned medals in Billings, with Roman Sparks finishing second and Trae Thilmony earning third place. Sophomore Sparks led the Hawks with a second-place finish in the 120-pound bracket. Sparks' championship match was a familiar sight as he met returning state champion Gunnar Smith of Eureka. T...
It’s been a wild season on both the girls’ and boys’ sides in District 14C this season, the question is: Can it get any wilder this weekend at the combined 14C tournament this week? Hoping the answer to that question is yes, 14C teams will gather at Joe McDonald Gym in Pablo for the conference tourney beginning Thursday and wrapping up Saturday. If challenge games are required, those will be played Monday. All three schools and six 14C teams from Sanders County will be in action Thursday in the first round. The No. 4 seed in the girls brack...
Plains senior Josiah Vanderwall ended his high school wrestling career on the podium last weekend in Billings, earning a fifth-place finish at the Montana all-class wrestling tournament. Vanderwall, younger brother Conrad, Taylor Angle, Peter Carey and Steven Yother represented the Plains/Hot Springs co-op team at the state tournament, held each February at MetraPark in Billings. "Josiah had good matches and ended his high school career with a medal," said coach Jeff Kujala, who is already...
