Independently owned since 1905
Independently owned since 1905
Sorted by date Results 1 - 25 of 37
Sanders County voters cast ballot in school board elections this month, with ballots counted and unofficial results coming in late Tuesday evening. In the Noxon School District, Cassandra Hill and Lars Swanson received 255 and 254 votes, respectively, to win positions on the school board. The third candidate for the Noxon School District positions within the Noxon High School voting district was Colleen Hinds, who received 140 votes. For the Trout Creek Elementary portion of the Noxon School District, Norris Bryan was elected to the open...
A national retailer is planning to open a new store in Thompson Falls. Family Dollar will open later this year on the east end of Thompson Falls, near Sweet Design Hair Salon and Lundgren Chiropractic. Dollar Tree, Inc., the parent company of Family Dollar stores, has Family Dollar stores in Libby, Whitefish, Ronan and Kalispell. While the company did not comment on the new Thompson Falls store, construction is progressing on the 10,600 square foot building, said Todd Wakefield, who owns The...
Since 1968, Patti Jones-Bernhardt has been collecting early 1900s vintage clothing. Jones-Bernhardt grew up loving Model A Fords, having learned to drive in one. She also taught her daughter in one and will be teaching her granddaughter to drive in one this summer. She loves vintage cars and said, "I love everything fast!" Jones-Bernhardt worked for NASA as what she called a "bean counter." She managed the budget for the section of NASA that worked on reentry heat shields. "I'm a mechanical...
A good rule of thumb in journalism is having three sources in an article. When our reporters go out to do interviews and get details for an article, I encourage them to talk to other people involved in the subject. We've all heard the saying there are two sides to every story. But how often do we actually open our ears, hearts and minds to the "other side?" Take national news networks, for example. If someone says they watch Fox News, and if another says they watch CNN, it's probably pretty easy to determine how those two people feel about...
I never know what I’m going to write about for this column until I actually sit down at my keyboard. Today, oddly, the first thought to pop into my mind is the fact that I don’t swear much anymore. My hand hurt, and I remembered that the other day my wrench slipped and I smacked the back of my hand on a pipe. All I did was holler ouch while shaking my sore hand. Years ago, that same act would have had me shouting profanely and throwing the wrench. Not what one would call a mature response! That...
A shout out to the handful of Sanders County Dems who faithfully on Earth Day, grabbed gloves and garbage bags to pick up trash along Highway 200 near Whitepine Cemetery. Big job, well done. It looks so clean and green. Thanks, Colleen Hinds, Heron...
In a lecture to Hillsdale College (Imprimis, a Hillsdale publication, March 2021), Christopher F. Rufo explains “critical race theory,” which he says is a “default ideology” that has seeped from American universities into “government agencies, teacher training programs … diversity training programs … and school curricula” over the past 30 years. In a nutshell, he says that critical race theory sees American public life through the lens of racism rather than through class warfare, but nevertheless is just old Marxism in new clothes. If you...
THOMPSON FALLS From Architectural and Historical Surveys When the original town site plat was adopted in 1893, the street bordering the town’s “red light district” received the appropriate name of Maiden Lane. Thompson Falls and neighboring settlements formed because of very specific geographic and economic reasons: The proximity of their locations to the mining fields and the fact that the railroad and subsequent roads gave access to these points rather than into the goldfields themselves. Their reason for being was to outfit miners into...
Kelsey Wallace, Thompson Falls - “Just go with the flow of it and take one day at a time, because that’s really all you can do.” Sarah Stover, Thompson Falls - “Cherish every moment, because it goes by fast.” Tara Hertel, Thompson Falls - “A lot of people are going to try to give you advice on how to parent, but you just got to trust your own gut. You know what’s best.” Natalie Thompson, Trout Creek - “As a young mom, the only way to be a good mom is to get guidance from the God who created us all.” Deena Brigham, Vancouver, Washingt...
Ambulance: Plains, 9; T. Falls, 4; Hot Springs, 2; Lonepine, 2; Trout Creek, 4; Monday, April 26 Fire, T. Falls. Assist motorist/citizen, Noxon. Civil attempts, Noxon. Civil served, Noxon. Animal stray/lost, T. Falls. Animal other, T. Falls. Animal other, T. Falls. Informational case, Plains. Tuesday, April 27 Animal other, Plains. Threats, Noxon. Juvenile criminal, Trout Creek. Informational case, Dixon. Informational case, T. Falls. Assist motorist/citizen, T. Falls. Animal other, Plains. Wednesday, April 28 Theft, Trout Creek. Livestock,...
Montana Highway Patrol Shelby Hotchkiss, 53, day speeding, $70. Sarah Lasarte, 42, day speeding, $70. John Belknap, 69, day speeding, $70. Jonathan Sepp, 34, night speeding, $70. Kim Roberts, 79, seatbelt violation, $20. Steve Burbach, 68, seatbelt violation, $20. Donald Stafford, 82, seatbelt violation, $20. Mark Cronauer, 60, seatbelt violation, $20. Theodore Dearinger, 29, seatbelt violation, $20. Stephanie Watts, 42, day speeding, $70 Kelly Peppmeier, 44, day speeding, $20. Matthew Skranak, 45, speeding in a restricted zone, $55. Sanders...
It was a productive weekend, not only for myself, but for my honey bees as well. While I currently have two broody chickens and a broody duck on my hands; my bees are by far the most complex creatures I have encountered. It’s been three long months since tragedy struck on this little homestead. I have waited and waited for the weather to warm up in order to get into the hive that was struck down by a fallen tree. It’s always a guessing game with a Montana spring. In the morning it will be snowing, by afternoon the sun will be shining and com...
Lake trout anglers on Flathead Lake have two weekends left in the 2021 Spring Mack Days Fishing Event on Flathead Lake. The competition, sponsored by the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, helps reduce the number of non-native lake trout in the lake and increase the population of native bull trout and westslope cutthroat trout. A total of 22,534 lake trout entries have been turned in by 216 anglers. The $10,000 tagged lake trout is still waiting for some lucky angler. Three $5,000 and five $1,000 tagged lake trout plus over 9,000 with...
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP) biologists are seeking to reduce invasive plant species and improve aquatic habitat in Noxon and Cabinet Gorge reservoirs in Sanders County. Overall, the proposed effort seeks to improve the health of the fish habitat and provide more fishing and recreational access to the reservoirs earlier in the season. The proposed project would include using herbicides and mechanical means to reduce Eurasian watermilfoil and hybrids of Eurasian watermilfoil and native watermilfoils, curly-leaf pondweed and flowering...
Plains Day isn’t the only action planned for Saturday, June 5. The Wildhorse Sports Association is once again bringing back the annual Wildhorse ShootOut three-on-three basketball tournament at the Amundson Sports Complex in Plains. This is the fifth year for the daylong tournament and organizers are expecting numerous teams to participate. The Wildhorse Sports Association is teaming up again with Mission Valley 3 on 3 to conduct the tournament, which in the past has attracted teams from Sanders and Lake Counties, as well as those from as f...
Daniel Gene Pugh, 70, went home to be with the Lord on April 22, 2021. He is survived by his wife Kathleen (Collom) Pugh; daughter, Melissa (Pugh) Mills, Albany, Oregon; sons, Eric Tyler Pugh, Corvallis, Oregon, and Alex DeMaris, Boston, Massachusetts; and sister, Diana (Pugh) MacKenzie of Terrebonne, Oregon. He was born to Herbert H. and Lamryna I. (Tandy) Pugh in Oregon. Most of his childhood was spent in Philomath. He would often tell stories of how he enjoyed fishing in a nearby creek with... Full story
The chickens have come home to roost. Ron David Koeneman was born December 8, 1967 in Bellevue, Washington. He was dealt a tough hand from the beginning as he was diagnosed with Down's Syndrome before it was popular. It was suggested he be institutionalized before anyone could become attached. Ron took this in stride and skillfully played his cards. He thumbed his nose and acquired support as he moved on and into the home of his parents, Trudy and Jack and his beloved brother Jephrey. Ron... Full story
Juanita Louise Lacer (Ulrich) of Thompson Falls passed away April 30. In addition to her husband Art Lacer, she is survived by her three children, Robin Costello, Barbara Ulrich and Raymond Ulrich and numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren.... Full story
The Small Business Association (SBA) has opened the application portal for a new grant program targeted to provide emergency assistance for eligible restaurants and bars affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Established under the American Rescue Plan Act, the Restaurant Revitalization Fund (RRF) will provide $28.6 billion in grants to small businesses to help keep their doors open. The program provides restaurants with funding equal to their pandemic-related revenue loss up to $10 million per business and no more than $5 million per physical...
Thompson Falls High School Principal Dan Schrock submitted his resignation during Monday’s school board meeting. The notice was a surprise to most in attendance. Schrock, who was hired last summer, said he is pursuing other opportunities. “I have had a good time here, and I am very proud of what I have been able to do here, but I am moving on professionally. I stand by what we have been able to achieve in Thompson Falls over the last year. It has by no means been an easy year," said Schrock. “I’ll miss the kids the most.” The board also acce...
April was a bit warmer than average. Like last month, moisture and snow totals were well below normal (1.68 inches of moisture compared to 2.39 inches typical). The snow total of 0.4 inches was nothing compared to last year’s record-setting 11.6 inches of April snow. Total moisture for this water-year (since October 1, 2020) is 22.88 inches compared to 27.39 inches average (16% below average). For snowfall, we have 85.6 inches compared to 114.9 inches average (26% below average). The Poorman Creek SNOTEL station, at 5,100 feet, reads 62 i...
The University of Montana graduated 1,700 students May 1 at Washington-Grizzly Stadium. Of those, 11 were former secondary students of Sanders County. Those graduating with cum laude status have earned a cumulative grade point average of 3.40 to 3.69 and magna cum laude earned a 3.70 to 3.89 grade point average. From Hot Springs, Sarah Peters received an Associate of Arts degree: General and Certificate of Applied Science in Hospitality Management. Plains graduates are Alan Ihms, Bachelor of Arts in English; Tia Phillips, Associate of Applied S...
Apparently, keeping their eye on the ball wasn't terribly important to the littlest softball players at the Amundson Sports Complex Friday evening, since most of them closed their eyes as the ball approached. Nevertheless, many still managed to get on base. In the bottom of the last inning - the fifth - it looked like the Plains Trotters U8 team might make a come back from behind. With no outs and two on base, Ginger Nestor, the tallest player on the team, smacked a triple, driving in two runs....
Maurita Crew has worked diligently toward expanding the integration of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education into her student's curriculum at Trout Creek Seventh Day Adventist School (TCAS). In Crew's third year at the school, she has created a learning environment which allows students a hands-on approach to investigating and engineering solutions that cater to a student's academic needs. In that continuation, this year students are learning about space - the main...
Two does make their way through a chilly, foggy morning west of Plains....
