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The Sanders County Commissioners chose a familiar face to fill the position of Clerk and Recorder, Treasurer and Superintendent of Schools for the county. Commissioners voted last week to appoint Lisa Wadsworth of Thompson Falls to the position. Wadsworth has lived in Thompson Falls for more than 30 years, and has worked in the Clerk and Recorder's office for most of that time. March 1 will mark 24 years for her with the office. "Lisa's experience in the office was the deciding factor for me," s...
At the City Council meeting on Monday, Mayor Marks Sheets notified the council and the public that the city will appoint two members to the Green Mountain Conservation District (GMCD) Board. Sheets said a state law was recently brought to his attention that gives the city the authority to appoint two supervisors to the board. Montana Code 76-15-311 states that if a municipality is completely within the boundaries of a conservation district, the legislative body of the incorporate municipalities shall appoint the two additional supervisors...
Hawk junior Max Hannum (at left during the championship match and below with coaches Ian Taylor and Mike Thilmony) pinned his way to a state title in the 170-pound bracket at the Montana All-Class Wrestling tournament in Billings over the weekend. This is the fourth year in a row the Blue Hawk wrestling program has had a state champion, following Class of 2022 alum Trae Thilmony's three straight titles in 2020, 2021 and 2022. Blue Hawk senior Elijah Ratliff finished his high school career with...
The Plains Town Council meeting last Monday started and ended with a bit of controversy with relative calm in between. Even before the meeting began, Plains resident Charles Bickenheuser stepped into City Hall's council room asking council to wait another month before appointing a council member for Ward 3, Seat 2, left vacant when Chris Allen was appointed interim mayor the previous month. Bickenheuser stated that there wasn't enough advertisement for the position and he'd like to have some...
In the last couple of weeks, there have been two items voted on by county commissioners that were split votes. It’s not that unusual, but it’s still noticeable. Why? Because it’s a reflection of how our county is changing. People in Sanders County were relatively similar when I was growing up. Most of my friends were born here. You had your friends not necessarily because you had the same interests, but you didn’t have a lot of choice. My senior year of high school, my best pal was a “program kid” (ironically, also named Annie) from Califo...
EXCERPT FROM BOOK “WILD HORSE PLAINS” BY JOHN RHONE 1969 As I sit here this hot August afternoon and watch Jim Baker and his nephew, Leon Perris, put up a large tonnage of hay, I feel I should write something about those adventurous, happy-go-lucky men who used to be part of the early day scene. By some they were called migratory laborers, by others bums, tramps and go-abouts. Whatever one wished to call them, they were important when haying and harvest time came. Jim Baker’s haying outfit consists of three tractors, one of which pull a swath...
A friend of mine once told me how he had become a drunk. After taking his first drink he said, “I began to feel so good, so happy, so powerful that I wanted to feel—even better!” Substitute political power for drink. It is even more intoxicating, and like drink you can never get enough of it. But unlike drink, which is basically limitless, political power is limited by the desires of other people to have power, and often they get in each other’s way and fight over who gets to have the most po...
Bruce Clark, Thompson Falls - “It was in 1987 or 88 and it snowed on Fourth of July Pass on the Fourth of July. I had to chain-up.” Gary Hall, Thompson Falls - "On the fourth of July in 2010, it snowed on the reservation.” Alexis Fausett, Thompson Falls - “Today! I wasn’t expecting it.” Jessica Hocks, Thompson Falls - “December 22, just after the storm, it was sunny and -20. It was the coldest day I’ve ever seen.” Lona Collins, Thompson Falls - “On the ski hill. I grew up on a ski resort in Utah that my dad ran.” Christine Vandekop, T...
Making her initial appearance on Tuesday before Judge Molly Owen, Jeannie Lee Sampson entered not guilty pleas to a felony count of criminal possession of dangerous drugs and a misdemeanor count of criminal possession of drug paraphernalia. Judge Owen set this case for jury trial on August 7, 2023. As alleged in the charging documents, Deputy Devin Wegener responded to the Sanders County Jail after Sampson was arrested on an unrelated warrant at the boat launch in Trout Creek by Deputy Paul Bankhead. Upon arrival at the jail, Deputy Bankhead...
Montana Highway Patrol Joshua Winfree, 33, operating without liability insurance, 1st offense, $285. Karen Cowan, 72, speeding in a restricted zone, $85. Halana O’Neel, 28, speeding in a restricted zone, $105. Paige Aubrey, 19, operating without liability insurance, 1st offense, $85, deferred imposition; day speeding, $120, deferred imposition. Kaiden Robins, 15, failure to drive to right of roadway except when passing, $85. Daniel Gorham, 57, seatbelt violation, $20. Joseph Kerney, 39, seatbelt violation, $20. Parker Muhonen, 20, failure to c...
Ambulance: Plains, 8; T. Falls, 6; Hot Springs, 4; Dixon, 2; Trout Creek, 1; Paradise, 1; Noxon,1. Monday, February 6 General animal call/complaint, Plains. Abandoned vehicle, T. Falls. Disturbance, Hot Springs. Motor vehicle crash, Noxon. Burglary, Hot Springs. Tuesday, February 7 Alarm - intrusion/holdup, Noxon. Motor vehicle crash, T. Falls. Assault, Hot Springs. Theft. Civil standby. Inmate transport, T. Falls. Theft, Hot Springs. Wednesday, February 8 Theft, T. Falls. Motor vehicle crash. Request for welfare check, Dixon. Drugs/narcotics....
Sanders County Health Officer Ron Petrie met with community members last week to discuss changes to the county's Communicable Disease Protocol. The Sanders County Health Board was set to vote on the revised protocol on Wednesday. Results of that vote were not available before publication. Petrie told the dozen community members at the review last week that Community member Bruce Hunn has been addressing concerns about the protocol language with commissioners since last year. "People are concerne...
Overalls, missing teeth and straw hats will be among the attire at the Trout Creek Community Improvement Association’s (TCCIA) annual Redneck Ball, slated for March 4 at The Lakeside Resort in Trout Creek. TCCIA President Liz Stender said the event is gearing up to be another success for the non-profit. They have more sponsors and some top-notch prizes, she said. “It’s such a fun night. It’s a little bit of everything thrown into one, with auctions, prizes, and hilarious entertainment.” The event kicks off Saturday, March 4, with a no-host s...
20-2023 Toby Block Larsson, age 85, passed peacefully, February 06, 2023, in the company of family, and the caring staff at the Long-Term Care in Plains, Montana. Toby was born December 15, 1937, to Maurice and Jean Drake Block in Bay Shore, New York. They were Ashkenazi Jew. After her completion of High School, her family moved to south Florida in the Ft. Lauderdale area. In Ft. Lauderdale she met and married Frederick Franklin Lisenby, in December 1959. With this union she and "Fred" had...
Larry J. Spiekermeier, age 75, lost his hard-fought battle with cancer on Thursday, February 2, at the home he loved in Plains with his family by his side. He was born July 19, 1947 in Fargo, North Dakota, to John and Dolores Spiekermeier. In 1975, he moved to Montana where he married Mary Ann Lanier in Hot Springs. He began his 50-year trucking career hauling logs, but the “crown jewel” of his career was hauling the U.S. Capital Christmas Tree to Washington DC in 2017. He is leaving behind his wife Mary, daughter Many (Jake) Antony, two son...
Despite going through cancer treatment and a consistent icy reception from the Plains Town Council, one resident continues his efforts to help guide the town’s future, but to do so he’d like input from the community itself. As part of the town’s newly formed Community Council, Charles Bickenheuser wants to form a focus group from a sampling of the Plains population in order to get some insight into town residents’ experiences, hopes, likes, and dislikes of the town and its immediate surrounding area and how they’d like to see it grow. Bic...
At what point does something become tradition? The Blue Hawk wrestling program has to be close. In what has become a recent tradition, the Thompson Falls wrestling team rolled into the parking lot Sunday afternoon with a state champion on board. This is the fourth year in a row the Hawks have had a state champion in wrestling. Junior Max Hannum pinned Miles Hoerauf in the second period of Saturday evening's championship match in the 170-pound weight class to earn his first state title. "Max was...
by Annie Wooden and Jennifer Curran The Savage Horsemen wrestling team came home with two medals this weekend from the All-Class State tournament in Billings. Coach Jesse Jermyn said, "The state tournament was amazing and there was so much incredible talent." Johnny Waterbury of Hot Springs finished third at state, finishing an impressive season that included a divisional championship. Waterbury pinned Tommy King of Conrad in 3:19 during the opening round of the 132-pound bracket, and fell in...
Friday was Senior Night for the Plains basketball teams and a monumental battle between the Horsemen and Trotters and the Superior Bobcats. The community packed in to commemorate their seniors – Izzy Crabb, Shylah Hynn, Kassidy O'Keefe, Carlie Wagoner, Gunner Gannarelli, Aaron Pfister and Joseph Pullen – and to partake in the high energy cheers that have become signature to the Plains games. Community members and players were wearing teal in honor of senior Halee Nelson from Plains who recently...
The Blue Hawks took on Bigfork last Tuesday. The girls lost to the undefeated Valkyries 72-41 in Bigfork. Coach Mike Tessier said that they scored more points than any other team against Bigfork so they were proud of that feat. He added that they had been practicing defensive and offensive schemes that worked out well for them in the game. Ellie Baxter was the leading scorer with 12 points. She grabbed six rebounds, made three assists and stole one. Chesney Lowe racked up nine points, rebounded...
Last Thursday the Savage Heat hosted the Alberton Panthers. The boys claimed a 45-31 point victory while the girls outshot the Panthers 45-17. The boys got the games rolling both coming out strong on the defense with Hot Springs taking charge at the end of the quarter to gain a 13-5 point lead. Nick McAllister started off the second quarter with the first two baskets and Weston Slonaker sank a fast-footed lay-up. The Savage Heat held tight and kept the Panthers at bay. Garth Parker made a...
SOLUTIONS ACROSS 1. ARNO 5. MAP 8. BASS 12. NAACP 14. ALE 15. ITCH 16. ISRAEL 18. CBS 19. GHEE 20. SHASTA 21. LEE 22. WEND 23. INTERTWINE 26. UNEATEN 30. TAIGA 31. HARPIST 32. ASL 33. FERRO 34. LEMMA 39. NAM 42. SEISMIC 44. SIENA 46. PRECEDE 47. PETROLATUM 49. BRAS 50. DAD 51. CABLES 56. LOBE 57. IRA 58. TYRANT 59. ABEL 60. ZIP 61. SARDA 62. BEEF 63. EAT 64. DIOR SOLUTIONS DOWN 1. ANIS 2. RASH 3. NARA 4. OCAS 5. MACLE 6. ALBERTA 7. PESETAS 8. BIG WIG 9. ATHENA 10. SCENE 11. SHED 13. PETITIONER 17. LANES 24. TNT 25. WILLIE MAYS 26. UHF 27. NAE...
It may have been five kings that won the poker hand of the day during the Cabinet Ridge Riders' annual snowmobile poker run last Saturday, but their were no losers and beautiful winter weather and plenty of activities kept participants entertained. Shellie Anderson with CRR said they had 241 riders register for the event, which paid out to the top 16 poker hands. "We had a good time, a great auction and the weather was perfect," she noted. The event attracts snowmobilers from surrounding...
Project ASCENT presents its annual Winter Carnival 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. Saturday at the Thompson Falls High School practice field, 601 Golf Street. The community is invited to attend the carnival, which features 12 games, sled races, prizes and concessions, including hot Dr. Pepper and hand warmer tacos. This year, kids get their first meal free. Prizes include a variety of toys and art and science kits. More than 35 volunteers work on the event, which is sponsored by local businesses and community members. For more information, contact...
PRE SPRING – With a bit of warm weather, the snow near a Swamp Creek stream momentarily recedes and water flows a bit faster....
