Independently owned since 1905
Independently owned since 1905
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The owners of the Washtub Laundromat in Plains takes pride in a clean and efficient establishment, but now it's a lot more appealing, thanks to a group of art students from Noxon High School, who painted a colorful mural for customers to see. Owner Chad Kavanaugh said there were bare walls at the laundromat that needed "perking up." "The mural is great, totally exceeds my expectations," said Kavanaugh, who purchased the laundromat with his wife, Lynne, last October. "It really brightens up the...
Being out in an open field is not fun when there's thunder and lightning, unless it's on a baseball field and it's the Thompson Falls Thunder and the Plains Lightning Tigers t-ball tykes. They don't keep score in t-ball, so the competition level was low, but the entertainment level was high. The teams matched up against each other at Amundson Sports Complex at Plains last Monday evening, but the scene was anything but a standard baseball game. "Don't lay down," "pick up your glove," "stop...
In April, Tom Collins of Plains became the city judge for every city with a court in Sanders County. He started with Plains in 2018. Then, he became the city judge for Hot Springs in January 2021. When the Thompson Falls job came open after Judge Don Strine's retirement this year, Collins was hired for that vacancy. Collins moved to Plains from northeastern Wyoming. He earned an MBA at the University of Missoula and a doctorate of ministry from Bethel Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota. He then...
Fairness is not a partisan issue. Fairness is the goal of the Journalism Competition and Preservation Act currently being considered in the United States Congress. The bill has bipartisan support in both the Senate and the House of Representatives. H.R. 1735 / S.673 is critically important to protecting the future of high-quality, local journalism in Montana and across our nation. Support is growing for the legislation, yet much more needs to be done before it can become law. This bill would make negotiations for fair compensation possible...
Last week I read the transcript of a New York Times podcast with longtime Republican pollster Frank Luntz. It gave me hope, not because Luntz was changing his politics, but because he was worried for the future of our country because of the divisiveness and bitterness between political factions which he, in part, has helped to fashion. That’s the good news. The bad news is that he doesn’t see a way out of it. Luntz has been very good at what he does, which is not just conducting polls on who...
This year National Travel Advisor Day was May 5. Now, more than ever, the value of booking with a travel advisor is clear. Last year, as borders were closing and travelers scrambling to get home, I stepped in. When travelers spent hours on hold negotiating refunds or navigating their way home, my clients didn't have to lift a finger because it's my job to handle that on their behalf. When things go wrong, I have your back. It's my job to read the fine print and understand what's a good fit for my clients. Like an attorney or financial advisor,...
6 YEARS AGO • MAY 7, 1916 BREAKING THROUGH THE THOMPSON RIVER CANYON BARRIER SOON Thompson River Road Will Open About July 1 This is news, paramount news. The Thompson River road will be completed, A.H. Abbott, supervisor of the Cabinet announced officially, July 1. A write-up by Mr. Abbott concerning roads built in this district appears in this issue. For the past 6 years the Thompson River CCC camp has been blasting against the great rock barrier which blocks access to the Thompson River country. For miles and miles tremendous rock c...
Samantha Otto, Trout Creek - “I make my bed every single day because it is the most rewarding aspect of a hard worked day.” Mindy Lyght, Thompson Falls - “I don’t pay attention to whether I make my bed in the morning or not.” Victoria Hartin, Falls City, Washington - “Yes! Because if you start with making your bed, that is one task you have completed that day. Even if you get nothing done, you can come home to a fresh made bed.” Elaine Taylor, Trout Creek - “I do, because I might get back in it if I don’t.” Jesse Barret, Priest River, Idaho...
Ambulance: T. Falls, 6; Hot Springs, 4; Plains, 6; Dixon, 1; Trout Creek, 1. Sunday, May 2 Child custody issues, Plains. Juvenile criminal, T. Falls. Animal stray/lost, Perma. Request for welfare check, Plains. Motor vehicle crash, T. Falls. Monday, May 3 Road hazard, debris on road, Plains. Automated alarm call, Plains. General animal call or complaint, Hot Springs. Tuesday, May 4 Automated alarm call, T. Falls. Suicide attempts/threats, Dixon. Trespass, T. Falls. Theft, T. Falls. Livestock, Hot Springs. Animal other, T. Falls. Suspicious...
Montana Highway Patrol Dale Tripplet, 50, failure to carry proof of insurance, 1st offense, $285. Rocky Schock, 34, driving while suspended, 1st offense, $285. Eric Kuntz, 54, reckless driving, 1st offense, deferred imposition of sentence, $185. Russell Badgett, 60, seatbelt violation, $20. Maxwell Starika, 18, seatbelt violation, $20. Nicholas Monroy, 39, seatbelt violation, $20. Russell Sorenson, 62, night speeding, $70. Lorinda Kendall, 58, day speeding, $20. Cody Evers, 31, seatbelt violation, $20. Ben Nelson, failure to give approaching...
A Thompson Falls woman had her deferred sentence revoked on Tuesday, after pleading guilty to violating her parole. Jennifer Flemmer was arrested Oct. 4, 2019, on a warrant. During that arrest, according to the charging documents, objects she carried tested positive for methamphetamine and drugs were found on her person. She then faced the charge of criminal possession of dangerous drugs, to which she was sentenced to a three-year deferred sentence with the Department of Corrections. She appeared back in 20th District Judicial Court on Tuesday...
For the month of April, students at Thompson Falls Elementary participated in the annual Running Start reading program. The program started at the beginning of April with a run around the school playground led by Principal Len Dorscher. In the program, presented by the Thompson Falls Woman's Club, students read chapters or books depending on their reading proficiency, and then log those and turn them in. After reaching 21 books or chapters, a participant got an entry into a drawing for a...
The Thompson Falls City Council this week discussed purchasing a security system for Ainsworth Park’s Veteran’s Memorial. “There’s so much money wrapped up down there and we need to do it for our veterans,” council member Shawni Vaught said at Monday’s meeting. The council is considering purchasing two cameras to oversee the area. After contacting a possible company to hire, Big Sky Networks, they were surprised to learn how affordable it would be to have a system put into place. The installation, with one camera, was quoted to cost $1,524...
Dave Williams with Joint Operation Mariposa, partnered with the U.S. Army to deliver a painting to third and fourth grade students at Trout Creek Elementary School last month. Students gathered outside for the unveiling done by Williams and U.S. Army Sgt. First Class Bill Nicholson. Unlike paintings Williams has previously done, the piece he presented to students was of a mule, the Army's mascot, Williams says. For this unveiling, the painting was left unsigned. "The painting will be with the...
The Thompson Falls Chamber of Commerce is connecting local non-profit organizations and residents looking for volunteer opportunities. The Non-Profit Volunteer fair is set for 1-5 p.m. Saturday at the Thompson Falls Community Center. Andrea Christensen, the Chamber board member organizing the fair, said they have more than a dozen non-profits attending the event. Donations were received from Thompson River Lumber, Rex Theater Project and Project ASCENT. The non-profit organizations will meet before the public attends. “We’re encouraging our...
On Wednesday, April 28, seven high school volunteers gathered at the Thompson Falls Public Library to help organize books for the book sale that weekend. "They probably saved us many hours of work," said Crystal Buchanan, the library director. The sale involved books, CDs, DVDs, audiobooks and more. Items were sold either individually or in bags and the sale stretched into the next week, as hundreds of books had been collected for the sale throughout the year. Maggie Leaver, one of the...
“Plains Day 2021 is shaping up to be an amazing event,” said Mary Halling, one of the coordinators on the planning committee that’s setting up activities throughout the day Saturday, June 5. Though the committee hasn’t locked down specific times for many of the events, committee member Connie Foust said they’ll be starting with the Mason Pancake Breakfast at the VFW from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. One of the most popular activities of years past is returning to Plains this year, courtesy of VFW Post 3596. It’s the crosscut competition, which will...
The Cancer Network of Sanders County (CNSC) kicked off their 2021 season with a special Mother’s Day event titled, "Music for Moms," Friday at the Rex Community Theater in Thompson Falls. According to Kathy Miller, CNSC treasurer, the inaugural event of the season was a success. “It’s our first year back after the coronavirus,” Miller said. “I think people are still a little concerned, but this is a good turnout.” Miller says for the last six years, a Mother’s Day concert has been the kickoff event. “People are out and we want them to enjoy t...
After holding meetings in Clark Fork Valley Hospital's building two for six years, COVID-19 forced changes at the hospital compelling Blue Heron Karate to find a new home. The hospital required a new respiratory illness clinic, and took over the home health department, which was then moved into the space that was being used by Blue Heron Karate. After the shuffle and some searching, the two sensei paired up with the Mountain Path Dance/DanceXplosion studio to share some space. The sensei, or...
Thousands of animals, big and small, call the Bison Range home, but the biggest land mammal of North America is the refuge's biggest attraction - the bison, also known as the American buffalo - that numbers over 300 at the 18,700-acre refuge. Saturday was the range's season opener when visitors could take a leisurely ride along Red Sleep Drive, a one way 19-mile gravel road that makes a giant loop around the Bison Range, called the National Bison Range before the Confederated Salish & Kootenai...
There is no such thing as a halfway swing in softball – either you swing at the ball with authority or you don't – there should be no in-between. Getting back on their game and swinging their bats with focused abandon, the Lady Hawks won four of five games last week, pancaking Priest River 29-2 and 28-2 in Idaho Thursday, driving past Troy 12-2 in Thompson Falls Friday and splitting games with Eureka in Lincoln County Saturday, dropping the opener 25-15 but coming back to win the second game 16-...
The Plains-Hot Springs Trotters softball team has had a season of growth, of getting to know their new coach and teammates better as they go. Taking their cues from new coach Dani Crowe this season, the Trotters had a period getting-to-know-you-getting-to-know-me earlier on, but now seem to have settled into a solid softball rhythm. Trending towards winning lately, the Trotters reeled off four straight victories last week, traveling to Anaconda and defeating the Copperheads 5-4 and 20-5 last...
Plains, Hot Springs and Noxon track and field teams will be in Missoula at the combined District 13C/14C meet Friday and Saturday hoping to earn trips back to Missoula the following week. With the top five athletes in each event earning their way on to the Western C divisional meet May 21-22, the stakes will be high for those athletes hoping to still be competing in the coming weeks. Several of Sanders County’s finest athletes made their presence felt in the final regular season meet of 2021 in the Kim L. Haines Memorial meet at MCPS Stadium S...
The final tune-up before the champions are determined. The Thompson Falls Blue Hawk track and field squads completed regular season action at the Kim L. Haines Invitational meet in Missoula Saturday with strong performances by both the girls and boys teams. Ringing up 18 personal best marks and times, the boys racked up 55 points and finished fifth in team scoring, while the Hawk girls posted five personal bests and scored 35 points, also claiming fifth in final team standings. As usual this sea...
For Jody Detlaff, there are just not enough sports in the world. But, with high school graduation rapidly approaching and her prep sporting career finally nearing its productive, busy ending, Detlaff has decided on a school of higher learning, and on the sports she wants to concentrate on in college. Soon to be graduating with honors from Thompson Falls (she carries a cumulative 4.0 grade point average), Detlaff recently signed her national letter of intent (or NLI) to attend Montana Tech in...
