Independently owned since 1905
Independently owned since 1905
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The Sanders County Fair might have wrecked its last car demolition derby car, the result of an insurance problem, according to Sanders County Commissioner Carol Brooker, who continues to work with the county’s insurance company to rectify the situation. The Plains Lions Club and the fair have co-sponsored the derby for the last 45 years. It was discovered after Plains Lions Club member Ron Warren was injured during the derby last year that neither the club nor the fair had insurance to cover a mishap in the arena. Chuck Wassinger, the c...
In 1948, the City of Thompson falls installed a public sewer system for residences and businesses south of the railroad tracks. Since then, no major additions have been completed. As aging systems are replaced and the city sees increasing problems with septic systems, the city is now exploring options for connecting the rest of the city, namely the properties above the railroad tracks, to the city sewer system. Through grants and loans, the city paid about $65,000 for a preliminary engineering report (PER) by Great West Engineering for the...
For more than 45 years Missoula Children's Theatre (MCT) has been doing an incredible job of enhancing children's lives through the art of theatre. As they travel throughout the state, Sanders County is fortunate enough to be one of their destinations. Thompson Falls Elementary secretary Diane Hedahl and kindergarten teacher, and coordinator for the Falls MCT event, Amy Laws, could not quite place an exact count on the number of years MCT has performed at the school. But after lots of thinking,...
Even rednecks get cabin fever. The Trout Creek Community Improvement Association (TCCIA) gives everyone a reason to step out for a night on the town with the annual Red Neck Ball. This year’s event is set for Saturday, March 3, at the Lakeside Motel & Resort in Trout Creek. The event begins with a no-host social hour at 5 p.m., with the program beginning at 7 p.m. The Red Neck Ball includes a costume contest and live entertainment. A live auction with auctioneer Kevin Hill will award the highest bidders with items such as guns, knives, c...
Often times people are afraid to speak up about sensitive issues. Don’t talk about politics or religion at the dinner table. On Feb. 14 in Parkland, Florida, the country experienced one of the deadliest school shootings. Immediately the gun control debate took center stage. It’s a touchy subject, no matter what side of the fence you’re on. Students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, where the shooting took place, started organizing marches and speaking up to their lawmakers. The tragedy these students have witnessed made them take a sta...
Editor: Kudos to Shana Neesvig and the Ledger for the wonderfully written feature on Olympic shooters Eric Buljong and Lones Wigger! Having spent much of my career as a public affairs officer for the Army’s marksmanship programs, in which both men were involved, I have seldom, if ever, seen such a factually correct and heartwarming story on the wonderful sport of precision shooting at the elite level. Shana actually “got it right,” which is so rare for a civilian journalist on this subject. Thank you for your excellent story, and thanks also...
Editor, Just last Friday I heard from several people that the Postmaster of Trout Creek was going to submit a request to annex over half of the Blue Slide Road (at least 10 miles) as well as land on the West side of the river by Beaver Creek, into a Trout Creek mail delivery zone. She confirmed this “proposal” by phone to me this Monday morning. I might suggest that if you currently live in this area and don’t like the idea that a single, unelected, government employee can cause you hundreds, if not thousands of dollars in costs to chang...
Dear Editor, We have enjoyed the Tapestry Season of amazing performing artists presented by the Sanders County Arts Council. The Arts Council not only presents these artists in two wonderful venues, the Paradise Center and the Rex Theatre, but also provides free transportation for community members to access these locations. The Arts Council has obtained a grant to fund a bus to either transport folks from Thompson Falls to Paradise or from Plains to Thompson Falls, venue dependent. What a wonderful gift to all of us interested in seeing these...
Thomas Jefferson favored amending the Constitution by “taking from the federal government the power of borrowing.” He also favored a requirement that taxes would have to be sufficient for each generation to pay its own debts. Managing debt has always been a fundamental problem of American Democracy. In the early 1990’s there was a widespread movement to amend the constitution through a “convention of the states” to require that in balancing the budget, the federal government could not do so by passing on “unfunded mandates” to the states. N...
12 YEARS AGO • MARCH 3, 1925 FIRST ROOFED HOUSE IN MONTANA LOCATED EAST OF TOWN Built by David Thompson in Fall of 1809 Possibly the greatest event of historical importance that has ever happened in the northwest occurred last Saturday when Will Café of Missoula, Historian of the Pioneers Association of Montana, unearthed the remains of the cabin that was built by David Thompson, just east of town. David Thompson was a surveyor for the British government and is claimed to be the greatest geographer the British Empire ever produced who ma...
JEANETTE LORD, Thompson Falls – “Educate the parents to not let their kids play such violent video games.” DIANA CURRY, Thompson Falls – “I think it should be brought down to help the individual kid. Kids shouldn’t just be passed through. The real issue is how much bullying the kid has to experience.” KRAZY ERNIE FRANKE, Thompson Falls – “You can’t prevent all of this violence. When we grew up every house had a gun. They knew guns killed. I drove school bus for 30 years and have seen the difference between how the kids behaved then and no...
In 20th District Judicial Court on Tuesday, Judge James Manley recognized a Trout Creek veteran for his hard work in making changes. Beau Stewart was sentence Tuesday for two counts of partner or family member assult. Manley sentenced Stewart to three years in the Montana State Prison, with all time suspended. Stewart’s attorney, Jessica Polan, said that Stewart has received treatment for post traumatic stress disorder and alcohol addiction. “If you have PTSD, you just can’t drink,” Judge Manley said in court. “A lot of people are pulling f...
Montana Highway Patrol Bradley Brooks, 32, $85, failure to carry proof of insurance in vehicle, 2nd offense. Katelin Miller, 30, $70, day speeding. Bryce Henning, 19, $20, seatbelt violation. Katrina Ireland, 56, $85, speeding in a restricted zone. John Slupski, 60, $85, basic rule, reasonable and prudent, 1st offense. Dustin Bucher, 26, $20, day speeding. Renene Degoede, 47, $70, day speeding. Jefferson Hawkins, 57, $70, day speeding. Joseph Horner, 46, $70, day speeding. Austin Johnston, 33, $20, day speeding, Anthony Porrazzo, 62, $20, day...
Ambulance calls: Noxon, 2; Plains, 7; Hot Springs, 6; T. Falls, 9. Sunday, February 18 Vehicle into guardrail. Vehicle off road, 4 or 5 kids stranded. Two trees down on Clear Creek Road. Possible stroke, T. Falls ambulance paged. Tree blocking River Road West. Fender bender. Shed fire, Plains ambulance and fire paged. Violation of protection order, texts. 68-year-old male having seizure, Hot Springs ambulance paged. Hang up. Monday, February 19 Old Running Iron restaurant filled with smoke, Hot Springs ambulance and fire department paged. Hang...
Belief in product led a part-time employee to take an investment leap into one of the favorite franchises in Thompson Falls. Andrea Farmer worked for Plains Simple Simons Pizza owners, Shawn and Shawna Purkeypyle. After a time, the owners approached Farmer to see if she'd be interested in purchasing the Thompson Falls location. "I took some time to think about it and mull it over with my husband and family," shared Farmer. "It just felt right, so we got the ball rolling." Farmer moved to Plains...
To the editor, Seems we often hear that common sense is lacking these days. From my point of view that looks to be the case with the proposal by the USPS to change many Blue Slide Road addresses from Thompson Falls to Trout Creek. Why make a major change when the current situation works very well. Having lived on the Blue Slide for 28 years and having a business on our property most of that time, I am very pleased. The service from the Thompson Falls PO and Carol our carrier is as good as it gets. There is no room for improvement. For several...
William James, a famous American philosopher and psychologist, said, "I don't sing because I'm happy, I'm happy because I sing." Several high school students from Sanders County were singing and happy in February, individually and collectively, as they participated in the University of Montana's All-Star Honor Choir in Mixed Choir and Women's Choir categories. To be selected for the All-Star Honor Choir, students are nominated by their directors, then chosen by the University of Montana....
Sanders County consistently has a poverty rate higher than the state average. With nearly a quarter of residents reportedly in poverty (although the number is thought to be higher), budget cuts have closed the area Office of Public Assistance that many depended on as a link to the state's safety nets for those in need. The first round of cuts eliminated the direct phone lines that were available for applicants, leaving Helena's 800 number as the only avenue of communication, unless the clients...
U.S. postal customers along portions of Blue Slide Road, between Thompson Falls and Trout Creek, have expressed concern that their mail service may be in for a change, relocating some Thompson Falls residences to Trout Creek postal jurisdiction. Exact details of the modification are unknown. Likewise, so is the source where this information was generated. One main concern for these individuals, is that they will have an address change. This means getting new driver’s licenses and other forms of identification where addresses are used. The e...
Evelyn Fay Collom, 81, of Trout Creek, Mont., was welcomed into the presence of her Savior on February 22, 2018. She passed away at the home of her daughter and son-in-law, Kathy and Dan Pugh. Cancer contributed to her death but could not take her life. Evelyn was born on June 15, 1936 in Los Angeles, Calif., to Herman Franz Reinhart and his wife Mary. She was the second born behind her brother Herman Franz Reinhart, Jr. who was 4 years older than she. As a child, she loved to play sports,...
Lorri Riffle, 65, of Thompson Falls passed away peacefully in her sleep the morning of Thursday, February 22, 2018. Memorial services will be held Saturday, March 10, 2018, 1 p.m. at New Life Fellowship on Airport Road in Thompson Falls. Following the memorial service, a luncheon will be provided. Stay to share your favorite memories with family and friends. A full obituary will follow in next week's Ledger....
The buzz about the County Spelling Bee is getting around, and Sanders County schools have announced their lineup of students slated to compete. The county’s spelling tradition will take place Friday, March 2 at 1 p.m. in the Sanders County Courthouse. Surrounded by Montana’s legal tomes, participants will do their best to get spellings correct from a list of words provided by the national-level organization. Once in the hot seat, students can ask for clarification on a challenging word. A request for a repeat of the pronunciation, def...
Society has changed our perspective and relationship with food. Convenience sometimes makes our dietary decisions for us as we continue to thrive in this fast-paced world. "Growing the practice of home baking" is the mission statement of the Home Baking Association, who has designated February as "Bake for Family Fun Month." With only a few days of February left, let's all try to squeeze in at least one more "from scratch" dinner - just for fun, and to fulfill that craving for downhome cookin'....
In Plains, one dog groomer has moved and another has opened a new shop. Pattie Waltner, owner and operator of Wag'n Tails Pet Grooming, held an open house Saturday at her shop on the west end of Railroad Avenue, where nearly 60 people popped in to see her grooming business. "It's a meet and greet and so people can see my shop," said Waltner, who had treats for her human and canine guests alike. She also had treat bags of dog toys, snacks and shampoo for dogs and held two drawings for free...
Open burning season officially begins in western Montana March 1, and fire control officials from the U.S. Forest Service and the Montana DNRC are once again urging people to burn safely and responsibly. Agencies responsible for responding to fires in this area include the U.S. Forest Service offices in Plains and Trout Creek, and the Plains Unit of the DNRC in Plains. Anyone who lights a fire is responsible for keeping that fire under control. If it escapes and damages or threatens lives and property, or simply requires an agency response, the...
