Independently owned since 1905
Independently owned since 1905
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A portion of Blue Slide Road west of Thompson Falls will remain closed until further notice after Cougar Creek flooded and washed out part of the roadway over the weekend. "We're looking at months, not weeks," of the road being closed, said Shane Stack with MDT. Representatives from the agency visited the site and assessed the situation, and are now reviewing options to address the issue. "It's high on our priority list" of projects, said Bob Vosen with the Montana Department of Transportation...
It was time to pass the torch for the organization of the Law Enforcement Torch Run supporting the Special Olympics. Longtime organizer Deputy April Phillips, who carried that torch for years after the late Dave Hedley, passed the duty on to Deputy Roy Scott. Scott wasn't shy about sharing the complications of his first year taking on the volunteer role, "It was a struggle from beginning until the day of the event. I was lucky to have some very strong support from the community and about 60...
Open burning season in Sanders and Mineral counties ended April 30, and burn permits are now required until fire season begins. Starting May 1 and continuing until conditions are no longer favorable for safe burning, permits are required to burn yard debris or logging slash. Depending on which jurisdiction one is in, burn permits are available at your local U.S. Forest Service, the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, or from the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes office in Ronan. For people wishing to burn in Sanders...
After 11 years, Plains Judge Joe Eisenbrandt has decided to hang up his robe, but not because he wants to – it's doctor's orders. The 74-year-old Eisenbrandt took a fall on the ice a couple of months ago and suffered a serious head injury. He said that although the CT scan shows improvement, he's decided to retire as the Plains and Hot Springs City judge, a job he's held since 2007 when he was first appointed the job at Plains by then Mayor Dan Bates. The Hot Springs post was added a short t...
National Kick Butt Day was in March. It’s a day, according to www.kickbuttsday.org, ”that empowers youth to stand out, speak up and seize control against Big Tobacco.” Sandi Gubel, the Sanders County Tobacco Prevention Specialist, recently took students out to pick up cigarette butts in Thompson Falls. After an hour, the group had more than 100 collected. According to www.truthinitiative.org, cigarette butts account for more than one-third of all collected litter. That’s believable, considering the sad fact that our kids are likely to pick on...
Buildings have a way of disappearing where I live. They rot, burn, atomize and move. I have an aerial photo of the ranch from 1950 or so. On the part of the ranch I call the Fox place, there is the cabin that housed Mr. Fox in one end and his horse in the other. There is a barn at least 200 yards from the cabin, and what looks like a summer kitchen underneath some cottonwoods, which were large even then. On what I call the home place, there was a substantial cedar cabin and outbuildings,...
Editor: Baseball, softball, archery, swimming lessons, family vacations, football camps...the kids in our area seem to have plenty to do this summer. Could it be that they are, in fact, overbooked? Over the past 15 years or so, there seems to be a trend among well intentioned parents to keep their children occupied at all times, with as many sports and other extra-curricular activities as it’s possible to completely fill in a young person’s “free” time. The assumption is that (1) we want to expose them to as many activities as possible and (2)...
In April 2008, my wife and drove up to Montana from California and fell in love with this place. We moved to Plains in August 2009. This is, indeed, our “Final Destiny.” No matter where we live, we live relatively private lives and do not bother our neighbors or ask anyone for favors of any kind. That being said, we are most always readily and willingly available when others ask for our assistance. With this in mind, I’ll get to the main point of this letter. I wish to take this opportunity to thank a few people who reside in and around Plains,...
7 YEARS AGO • MAY 5, 1948 NEW RUSTIC TAVERN OPENS Saturday night is the opening night for Jack and Dick Harwood’s new rustic tavern at Quinn’s Hot Springs. “Air-Lock” logs, produced by the National Log Construction Company of Thompson Falls were used in the building. The tavern is reported to be the most attractive log structure in this section of the country. Fine drinks, good food, with dancing before an open fireplace will be featured. Harwoods also have excellent hot mineral baths and overnite facilities. A number of couples from Thom...
DENNIS BECKER, Thompson Falls, – “When I was in school, I always liked having the summer off.” AVIS GOFORTH, Trout Creek – “No. I don’t think so. I think they need a break.” ROBERT FLANSASS, Trout Creek – “No, There’s plenty of time when they are older to work all year round. The kids need time off in the summer.” HUNTER BORGMANN, Thompson Falls – “No, because they won’t have any friends and it will make it harder to connect with friends in the fall.” RAY BROWN, Thompson Falls – “I actually think they should. I think it would help their acade...
To the folks in House District 14, I would like to take this time to draw your attention to a young man who is running in your legislative district. His name is James Mortenson. I met James a while back and must say that I was very impressed with his character. James is a family man with 4 children and a lovely wife. James is everything that I think a conservative man should be. He is extremely concerned about what is coming up for his children and yours. He is a strong believer in the Bible, a hard-working man and true to his word. He reminds...
To the Editor, A political ad ran in the Ledger last week with remarkably false information. The ad encouraged me to remind all Ledger readers of a few key facts about wilderness areas. As the many visitors to our beautiful Cabinet Mountains Wilderness are aware, wilderness areas are wide open to all people and to a variety of uses, including hunting, fishing, horse packing, camping and berry picking. There are no fences or locked gates at the edge of the Cabinet Wilderness, or other protected wilderness areas. Motorized vehicles are not...
Editor, We thank Senator Jon Tester for standing up for veterans in Montana and across America. Senator Tester rightly stopped an incompetent candidate, Ronny Jackson, from gaining a position he was unqualified to handle. Dr. Jackson is a physician, not an administrator, and the Department of Veteran’s Affairs is the second largest federal agency in the U.S. Many vets stood up and spoke out against the nomination of Jackson and Tester listened. Our vets and their families deserve the most capable leaders in an agency that impacts their daily l...
Ambulances: Noxon, 1; T. Falls, 5; Plains, 5; H. Springs, 4; Dixon QRU, 1. Sunday, April 22 Ambulance requested for burn victim, H. Springs. Suspicious activity on railroad access road, T. Falls. Intoxicated person on porch, H. Springs. Welfare check requested, H. Springs. Monday, April 23 Civil standby requested, T. Falls. Violation of protection order, T. Falls. Disturbance at rural Plains residence. Possible driving under the influence, Hwy. 135. Vehicle on fire, owners extinguished with garden hose, T. Falls. Tuesday, April 24 Theft from...
Thompson Falls City Police Ryan Kreiner, $85, stop sign violation. Christopher Young, $185, disorderly conduct. Larry Warner, $85, operating with expired registration. Troy Johnson, $85, speeding in a restricted zone. Lisa Micklon, $85, stop sign violation. Wyatt Doyle, $55, speeding in a restricted zone. Montana Highway Patrol Patrick Haun, 54, $85, no liability insurance, 1st offense. Roberta Winkler, 55, $70, day speeding. Jesse Ahmann, 39, $20, day speeding. Mathew Howell, 59, $85, no liability insurance, 2nd offense. Mathew Howell, 59,...
The Paradise Players are preparing a comedy to share with you — Blythe Spirit, by Noel Coward, at the Paradise Center May 4-6. The play centers around a widowed writer who has now remarried. He decides to invite a medium to conduct a séance for local color for a book he is writing. The spirit who appears is his first wife, but he is the only one who can see her. And then the fun begins! Show times are 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 2 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets are $13 in advance at First Security Bank in Plains and Thompson Falls, Garden Gif...
Artistic Image Salon in Thompson Falls has just hired a cosmetology master. Melissa Totzauer is no stranger to the business. As a 34-year licensed cosmetology veteran, she has been both operator and owner of a salon and cosmetology school in Kalispell. "Teaching gave me an opportunity to learn and teach new techniques and work with new products," said Totzauer, addressing how her teaching experience has helped her stay up-to-date in the cosmetology business, allowing her to deliver clients...
The Noxon National Honor Society is sponsoring a blood drive next week for the American Red Cross. The blood drive will be noon to 5:15 p.m. on Tuesday, May 8, at the school gymnasium. To make an appointment, call Lucas MacArthur at 847-2928, or email [email protected]. Donors can also register online at www.redcrossblood.org, enter sponsor code: Noxon. All presenting donors will be entered to win a free t-shirt....
Avista is reminding customers that water level fluctuation on Noxon Rapids and Cabinet Gorge reservoirs is normal and can occur daily. Avista is able to drawdown the reservoirs in order to generate the power needed to meet demand. Avista does not use drawdowns to suppress fish populations. Drawdown limits were established as a result of negotiations with multiple agencies as well as the public and recorded in the 1999 Clark Fork Settlement Agreement. The protection of the fisheries was a fundamental consideration in setting the drawdown limits...
Nathan Burwig certainly has a bright future ahead of him. Thanks to his hard work, determination and willingness to accept challenges, he is ready to take on the world. Burwig is a Thompson Falls High School junior, whose maturity is at a level far beyond that. He has plans, and he is taking control of his destiny. Recently, Burwig was accepted into a Montana Apprenticeship Program (MAP) focused on STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) programs at Montana State University (MSU) in...
Those who love are loved, and few were more loved than Elsie Grossarth, who passed from this earth to her heavenly father on Friday, March 10, 2018, in Yuma, Ariz. Elsie Elaine Miller was born in Richey, Mont., on November 16, 1937, to John and Freda Miller. Elsie was the second of seven children. The family moved to Libby, Mont., in 1950. In 1955, the Blue Bear Drive-In was the site of two lives changing forever, when she met Orville "Okie" Grossarth. They fell in love (between deliveries of pi...
Beautification Days may be over, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t more to clean up. Thompson River provides many locals a wonderful place to recreate and needs some tidying up. Sanders County Flycasters are organizing a Thompson River Clean-Up and are asking for help in gathering debris and garbage from the roadway and riverbanks. Volunteers are asked to meet at the junction of Highway 200 and Thompson River Road, Saturday, May 5 at 9 a.m. to kick-off the event. “We always get a great response as far as volunteers, and we really appreciate the...
NAME: Carol A. Brooker EDUCATION: Went to the historic Cold Springs Grade School and Graduated from Sentinel High School in Missoula Montana. Attended University of Montana FAMILY: Married to my husband Tim for 43 years. One son Anders and his wife Meg, business owners in Missoula Montana. OCCUPATION: Sanders County Commissioner EXPERIENCE: Sanders County Commissioner for the last 23 years. Deputy Clerk of Court in Beaverhead County. Owned and operated businesses in Sanders County. Plains...
NAME: Naomi R. Leisz EDUCATION: Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, Juris Doctor FAMILY: Most all my family lives in Trout Creek, and has for over 43 years. My parents, Louis and Jean Hannum; my brother Zach Hannum & my sister-in-law, Sara Bache-Hannum their three children, my two nieces, my aunt, Elizabeth Glackin; and my Uncle, Mark Hannum. I have 3 children ages 20, 13 & 10. OCCUPATION: Private Attorney EXPERIENCE: 22 years private practice WHY ARE YOU THE BEST CANDIDATE FOR THIS...
NAME: Douglas Dryden EDUCATION: B.S. Range Management/Wildlife, Washington State University. 1600+ hours of Montana P.O.S.T. Certified law enforcement training. FAMILY: Married to Jolene for 37 years with six children; two sons are active duty military and three adult children are living and working in Montana. Our youngest daughter is a high school senior still at home; 6 and a half grandchildren. OCCUPATION: Sanders County Justice of the Peace. EXPERIENCE: Appointed to the position of Justice...
