Independently owned since 1905
Independently owned since 1905
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Students and their families at Thompson Falls Elementary had an evening of STEAM activities Tuesday. Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math is the combined learning. "It guides students' imaginations and inquiry. It opens up discussions and problem solving that goes beyond the development of practical skills," according to the STEAM fields education website. A variety of activities were set up at stations throughout the elementary school last Tuesday. There was also a Math scavenger...
The community will be getting a brand new ambulance, thanks to the Plains Town Council. All six council members were present for last Monday's City Hall meeting, which included only two pieces of old business, both that were tabled, and two new items on the agenda. The meeting lasted only 33 minutes, which Councilman Chad Cantrell said might be a record. However, the council's work began 30 minutes earlier for a public hearing on House Bill 355 state grant, which involved enlarging the fire...
The Thompson Falls Farmers Market received pledged support from community members at Monday's meeting of the City Council. Market organizer Veronica Ingle approached the council about having a reduced fee for the market to use one of the city parks for the event this year. In 2023, the market used an empty private lot because they could not afford the $100 per week rental. Ingle asked the city to reduce the fee to $100 per season for the market. While the council voted to refer the matter to...
When Noxon and Hot Springs schools experienced the loss of three young citizens who died by suicide last fall, the communities scrambled to deal with the grief as best they could. Two male teens in Noxon passed away within months of each other and one male teen in Hot Springs. Before anyone could ask the question why, the first response was to take care of those who were the most affected by that loss. According to the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services, suicide rates among youth ages 11 to 17 in Montana were double the...
When our reporter Shannon Brown started talking to schools about mental health, we had several conversations as a staff around the conference table about what direction the story would take. With three teens dying by suicide in the last six months, we felt the need to start a conversation. We watched schools and communities grieve and begin to heal. As journalists, how do we cover that? What can we do to help the communities? After recent presentations at Thompson Falls High School, we decided it was our responsibility to keep the conversation...
I wrote the following article 9 years ago, on February 23, 2015. Some of the terminology is outdated, but the thoughts are not. My father and his brother, younger by 20 years, were both ardent Republicans. They came from rural poverty, worked hard, and became successful, each in his own fashion. Along the way, they got an education in public schools, went to taxpayer supported land grant colleges and worked for the privilege of an education. In the summer, after the farm work at home was done,...
8 YEARS AGO • APRIL 5, 1944 Obituary NELSON GRANDCHAMP, Pioneer Nelson Grandchamp, the son of Joseph and Petroniel Grandchamp, was born March 19, 1870 and died March 29, 1944. In 1884 the family traveled by an old narrow gauge railroad to Salt Lake City and came north to this region. They got off the train at the old Woodlin station (east of Thompson Falls) and remained on the Woodlin Flats for a number of years where they operated the first of several sawmills there in the midst of a stand of magnificent timber. Nelson helped his family in t...
JACK ELLIS, Thompson Falls - “My wife and I are thinking about it but not quite ready.” JAN HENRY, Thompson Falls - “I’ve been in the middle of spring cleaning for five years.” FERN WARFALMANN, Plains - “My daughter-in-law started my spring cleaning already.” TERESA MEAGHER, Trout Creek - “No, I haven’t started my spring cleaning. Not sure when I will get to it. Hopefully when things calm down.” TRACY KNIGHT, Trout Creek - “As soon as it is sunny enough outside I clean top to bottom with the windows open.” NICK SUMMAR, Thompson Falls - “I am...
Ambulance: Plains 9, T. Falls 2, Trout Creek 1, Hot Springs 2, Dixon 1. Monday, March 4 Traffic complaint, T. Falls. Coroner called, report of deceased relative on front porch of residence, Plains. Welfare check, Plains. Civil attempts. General animal call or complaint, T. Falls. Warrant service, Plains. Motor vehicle crash, Plains. Theft, report of stolen truck, Plains. Parking problem, Plains. Civil attempts, Plains. Traffic stop, Plains. Tuesday, March 5 Traffic complaint, Plains. Traffic complaint, report of a vehicle backing into a parked...
Montana Highway Patrol Dominic Saty, 24, careless driving, $45. Tyler Paseman, 19, fail to carry proof or exhibit insurance in vehicle, 1st offense, $75. Jane Forstie, 20, speeding in restricted zone, $85. Jeremiah Craik, 46, day speeding, $20. Katie Kelly, 34, speeding in restricted zone, $85. Caitlyn Manners, 34, speeding in restricted zone, $85. James Devore, Jr., 57, speeding in restricted zone, $105. Jason Eulberg, 27, speeding in restricted zone, $105. Tara Rowland, 46, speeding in restricted zone, $55. Tara Rowland, 46, fail to show...
William Wyatt pleaded not guilty to three counts on Tuesday before Judge Molly Owen. Wyatt is charged with one charge of felony escape, one charge of resisting arrest, a misdemeanor, and one count of misdemeanor criminal mischief. According to charging documents, on February 9, 2024, Detective Ethan Harvey with the Sanders County Sheriff’s Office attempted to arrest Wyatt while serving a warrant. Documents allege that Wyatt escaped from the back of a patrol vehicle, cut off his handcuffs with a bolt cutter and disposed of them, then eluded offi...
Plains High School will be putting on a special treat for community senior citizens with a prom and a chance to mingle and recall the old days when they had their own school prom. “This event should be enjoyable for both the seniors and the students as it will give both groups the opportunity to share time, stories and learn a little bit about each other,” said Plains School Superintendent Dr. Kathleen Walsh, who came up with the idea to have a special prom for senior citizens of the community. The “Super Senior Prom” is scheduled for Wednesd...
Clarence Orla Bras passed away on February 24, 2024, and is survived by his second wife Sally; his four children, Clancy, Jeff, Christina and Cara Lena; and four stepchildren, Eddie, Jackie, Chris and Scott. He has 12 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. Clarence was one of six children born on February 16, 1941, to the late Lando and Lucille Flemming Bras. His sisters, Donna, Lois and Marylou and brothers Bud and John still reside in Western Montana. He was quite the character and was... Full story
Ron Rude was born October 22, 1943, in Ada, Minnesota, to DeFloren and Edna (Olson) Rude, in some of the most fertile land in the world. A horse was probably nearby. He grew up in western and northern Minnesota, helping with family and neighboring farms and, of course, riding horses. In addition to horses, two other passions were constant throughout Ron’s life: reading and naps. He was a voracious reader, from classic literature to magazines to spy novels. Books were always nearby, and he made sure his kids were well read, too. As for naps: a... Full story
Evelyn Mae (Quiring) Bruner age 85 passed away on February 29, 2024, at her home in Thompson Falls, Montana. Evelyn was born on September 24th, 1938, in Delft, Minnesota, to Peter B. Quiring and Agnes (Huebert) Quiring. Evelyn grew up in Eastern Montana, graduated from Frazer High School, and attended college in San Francisco, California. While working for U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Evelyn met and fell in love with Smith (Smitty) Bruner who was working as the fire control... Full story
December 2, 2023 we lost our beloved Stevō Dameron AKA Dallas Stephen Dameron. Stevō was a great friend and a soul mate to Evelyn Dameron, they were two peas in a pod. He had a smile and sense of humor that lit up the room, he was infectious in a good way. I would say he was a forever lost in the 50's kinda guy white tee shirt and blue jeans,sharp shoes and a leather jacket. Stevō had traditional values, hopes, and dreams and a love for the Lord. He loved his children, he was a good father an... Full story
I believe it is unfortunate that open public meetings are used to divert the city council’s time, taxpayer money, annoy public employees and elected officials in attempts to find something, anything, that proves alleged illegal or underhanded activity by TF city. Facebook is no place to conduct public business. Read the postings of agendas, legal notices and minutes in the newspaper, on buildings and the city website. The website has a wealth of information on numerous city related topics. It is citizen’s responsibility to be up to date on iss...
It's a bit difficult to talk your way into Congress, but that's exactly what took place Sunday by a group of 4-H members who will be going to the Montana 4-H Congress this year. It was the 4-H Communication Days finals - public speaking presentations - at Plains High School and all five members in the senior platform were awarded scholarships for the Montana 4-H Congress. Kara Christensen of the Hot Springs Wranglers took first place with her prepared speech "Women in Agriculture." South Side...
Sydnee Wilson from Whitepine was crowned Hereford Queen by the Montana Hereford Board in December. Wilson filled out an application on what she could bring to Montana regarding the here-ford breed of cattle. "My family has been very into the breed since 1960. Dad and Grandpa have been involved in the board and Grandpa was president of the Montana Hereford Board at one time," Wilson said. She added that her grandfather, the late Jimme L. Wilson from Trout Creek, was also president of the...
Baseball is right around the corner and the Plains High School coach Rick Powers is scrambling to get his team ready for their first game of the season a little over a week from the first day. The Plains Horsemen began practice last Monday inside the main gymnasium, but the next day they started outside, despite colder temperatures and occasional flurries. High school baseball in Montana started only last year, when the Horsemen had six wins, six losses and one tie, but Powers, in his second...
If you walked into the Thompson Falls Junior High gym on Sundays starting the first weekend of December until the last week of April, you would be met with the sound of arrows cutting through the air, followed by the soft thump of those arrows hitting their target. You would hear the voice of archery teacher Tony Bierwagen as he lines up his next row of students. Bierwagen is no stranger to teaching the learnings of archery, as he’s been at it for almost 30 years. The Thompson Falls archery club started in 1983, with Bierwagen joining in 1...
It’s almost baseball season, and with that comes the Noxon-Thompson Falls co-op team of the Red Devils, with 24 kids on the team total, 16 from Noxon and eight from Thompson. Coach Lucas MacArthur said the team is practicing where they can, mostly in Noxon since five of the kids also do track and field. MacArthur said most of the team has played baseball before but it has been some years that they have not played. MacArthur stated that having 24 players means there will be JV games as well, and that most if not all of his players will be l...
Cast members of the Paradise Players rehearse "The Odd Couple (the Female Version)" for their opening performance on Friday, March 22, at 7 p.m. at the Paradise Center. From the left is: Samantha Mitchell, playing Mickey, Kathleen Hubka as Vera, Heather Allen as Sylvia, and Sherryl Wachob as Renee. The play is being directed by Hubka and can be also be seen on Saturday, March 23, at 7 p.m. and on Sunday, March 24, at 2 p.m. Tickets can be purchased ahead of time at the First Security Banks at...
The Button Box Buddies have a button display set up at the Thompson Falls library for the month of March. A member of the group will be available Tuesday through Friday afternoons to answer questions at the library. The Button Box Buddies Button Club meets the second Friday of each month at 1 p.m. at the library. The public is invited to join. Buttons tell about the garment industry and the history of how buttons have been made over the centuries. For example, COLT Manufacturing the gun...
Something to think about when you turn on your water faucet….. Thompson Falls city water system is part of the original water system built for the railroad in the late 1800’s with significant updates completed in the 1930’s and 1940’s. The city has owned and operated this system since 1936. Our current system provides service to almost 750 users and provides basic domestic water service, irrigation service and partial fire protection. The city’s water supply system consists of a spring supply source (Ashley Creek watershed), two operating...
