Independently owned since 1905
Independently owned since 1905
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The Ross family continues to recover from an automobile accident west of Trout Creek last week. Sam Ross of Trout Creek was killed in the accident when he was ejected from the family's Suburban. Ross's wife, JoAnn, said that Sam had taken the children fishing and swimming at the frog pond near Trout Creek all day, and the family was on their way home when the accident occurred. "They were almost home," JoAnn said, noting that the accident occurred within a couple miles of their home west of...
The field in the race to November was narrowed down Tuesday as Sanders County voters went to the polls for the primary election. Three hopefuls ran for Sanders County Sheriff/Coroner, including incumbent Tom Rummel, Darlene Lee and Justin Ryan. Only two move on to the general election. Rummel and Lee received 2,546 and 796 votes, respectively, and will meet again in November. More than 3,000 ballots were cast in Sanders County on Tuesday, with more than 70 percent of voters completing absentee...
The Thompson Falls School Board has chosen four finalists in the search for a new superintendent. Current superintendent Jason Slater announced his resignation earlier this year after accepting a position as the high school principal in Manhattan, Montana. “We are excited of the four finalists we have selected to interview and look forward to learning more about their experiences and how those experiences can help move our District forward,” said Board Chair Sandra Muster. The public is invited to a meet-and-greet with the candidates Wed...
Commissioner Carol Brooker might not be washed up in politics, but she got herself a public bath on Saturday at a dunk tank sponsored by the Plains Lions Club and Plains-Paradise Rural District. Brooker was one of 10 volunteers to sit in the cold seat as part of Plains Days 2018. Tyrel Allen, the first participant, said before the first ball was thrown that he believed he would stay dry. Six softballs were tossed before a youngster hit the target, but didn't trigger the mechanism to drop Allen i...
Last month, the Thompson Falls City Council voted to increase water and sewer rates. It’s not ideal for residents and businesses. It’s a hassle any time costs go up, especially for those on a fixed income. But an increase in water and sewer rates was inevitable. The city’s costs are rising, especially with having to replace aging water lines. Residents make a choice to live in the city, and in turn put their trust in the mayor and city council to make the best decisions for the city. The rate increases are not good on the surface, but it remind...
Water. We have some of the finest water in the world here in our neighborhood. I for one am thankful. Don’t get me wrong. I like beer, too. But you just can’t beat a good clear glass of water. Most of our water comes off our public lands. Public lands ultimately controlled by the people, or by the people elected by the people. Somebody has to do it. I recently ran across a 4-year-old article in the Forest Service Publication Wildlife News. Written by Ralph Maughan, titled “A Brief History of the Public Lands, the BLM, and grazing.” It is very...
5 YEARS AGO • JUNE 6, 1968 AWARD RANGER STATION LEASE Larsons and Greens, Inc. has been awarded a contract to provide 2,450 square feet of floor space for new Forest Service offices in two buildings it owns between Motors Garage, Inc. and the Saint Building. The new ranger station is scheduled to be ready for occupancy in early September. Kelly Green said the interior of both buildings will be bared to the walls and combined into one structure. In addition, two rooms and a covered three-car c...
SOLVEIG NYGAARD, Thompson Falls – “When the pool officially opens in mid-June. I like jumping off the diving board.” THURMAN PETTY, Thompson Falls – “When I check the calendar and it says, ‘Summer begins”. JEREMY MEYERS, Thompson Falls – “July 4th because I’ve seen it snow in late June. That’s why I say July 4th.” STEPHANIE ANDERSON,Thompson Falls –”I think it is Memorial Day weekend. The kids are out of school and people start traveling, but not this year.” DENNIS OVITT, Plains – “Probably Memorial Day weekend. We usually go camping bu...
Sander’s County Sheriff’s Office Stormy Allison Batchelor, 32, operating a vehicle without liability insurance, 1st offense, $85. Expired registration, $55. Shawn Eugene Purkepyle, 47, expired registration, $85. Kyle Lloyd Herman, 19, criminal possession of dangerous drugs, marijuana (60 grams or less), 1st offense, $185. Marilyn Louise Sisler, 57, speeding in a restricted zone, $55. Rafael Roberto Flores, 29, speeding in a restricted zone, $85. Keith Edward Krantz, 61, speeding in a restricted zone, $55. Kristi Lyn Anderson, 49, speeding in...
Ambulances: Noxon, 4; T. Falls, 3; Plains, 3; H. Springs, 3. Sunday, May 27 Partner/family member assault, T. Falls. Theft of motor vehicle, T. Falls. Someone shooting near homes, T. Falls. Dogs at large, T. Falls. Dirt bike speeding up and down rural H. Springs road. Fender bender at Town Pump, T. Falls. Dogs at large, T. Falls. Theft of generator from campsite at Fishtrap Lake. Two vehicle accident on Forest Service roadway, T. Falls. Monday, May 28 Arrest made for possession of dangerous drugs, H. Springs. Suspicious activity at Town Pump,...
A man convicted of six counts in the burglary of a Heron business has been sentenced to the Montana State Prison after spending almost a year in the Sanders County Jail. Brandon Bricker received a 10-year Montana State Prison sentence with five years suspended. Judge Deborah “Kim” Christopher also required Bricker to pay restitution for the items stolen and the district court trial. A jury in April found Bricker guilty of all charges, including felony burglary, three counts of misdemeanor theft and two counts of misdemeanor criminal mis...
Friends of Scotchman Peaks Wilderness (FSPW) Program Coordinator, Sandy Compton, was awarded the Keith and Pat Axline Award for Environmental Activism on May 19, 2018, during Idaho Conservation League's (ICL) Wild Idaho Conference in Stanley, Idaho. It is ICL's highest award for environmental activism. Compton received the award for his work on the proposed Scotchman Peaks Wilderness. While listening to ICL's Executive Director Rick Johnson describe this year's recipient, Compton sat in his...
It is the time of year that the population of Hot Springs gets a boost… for a weekend. The 68th Annual Homesteader Days Celebration is an event that features a fun run, car show, rodeo, and live music. Food and vendors tempt residents and visitors, while the action is spread across three days - from downtown to Highway 28. Friday, June 8, will have vendors setting up at noon featuring arts, crafts and food booths. Fergie’s Pub will feature live music beginning at 9 p.m. Registration for the Car Show will begin Saturday morning, 9 a.m. on Wal...
"Failure doesn't mean the game is over, it means try again – with experience," was the theme surrounding Trout Creek's eighth grade and kindergarten 2018 Promotional Ceremony. Helium balloons reading "Congrats Grad!" and "You Did It!" danced among foil streams of gold, silver and blue, while delicate white lights added a soft touch to the Trout Creek Eagles gymnasium recognizing the accomplishments of 10 students. Custom slide shows, created by each of the six eighth-grade students, reflected w...
State and local public health officials are reminding Montanans to be aware of the risk for exposure to rabies as summer approaches. Encounters between humans and wild animals often increase in spring and summer months because of the time spent hiking and engaging in other outdoor activities. Rabies is a fatal disease. The rabies virus is carried in the saliva of infected warm-blooded mammals and is usually transmitted to people and other animals through a bite. Bats are a great concern in Montana because a bite may not be noticeable, and they...
“I just couldn’t let it go,” emphasized cancer survivor and Trout Creek resident Roberta Smith. “It is personal, I have to give back!” Smith is joined by Leanne Smith, Linda Barnes, Cathy Johnson and Alexis Dean to form Cowgirls Kickin’ Cancer (CKC). “We are just a group of ladies who want to raise awareness of cancer,” Smith explained. “In the last eight years, we have raised $43,000.” Through CKCs partnership with non-profit Sanders County Cancer Network, they have been able to pay forward every penny to cancer victims throughout the coun...
The local chapter of the VFW Military Order of Cooties (MOC) recently honored four Sanders County students for the 2018 Honor Roll of Youth Excellence. In Thompson Falls, eighth-graders Scarlette Schwindt and McKenzie Robins were honored, as well as home school student Madeline Snell. From Plains, MOC honored Audrey Brown, a sophomore. MOC is an auxiliary of the VFW. The group is celebrating its 101st anniversary in 2018....
Samuel J. Tomas, Jr. left us to be with our Lord on June 1, 2018. Sam was born on November 18, 1942 to Samuel J. and Cecelia Tomas, Sr. in Seattle, Washington, the second of four children. Sam enlisted in the U.S. Army at the age of 18. Sam proudly served his country (as a Military Police Officer) and he sincerely thanked every serviceman for their service. After the Army, Sam continued his law enforcement career with the Los Angeles Police Department. Sam was nominated for commendations...
Former Thompson Falls resident Sharon Guenzler, of Charlo, passed away Saturday, June 2, 2018. Services will be Friday, June 8, at Christian Alliance Church on Terrace Lake Road East in Ronan. Viewing is at noon, with the services following at 1 p.m....
Samuel Dean Ross, 72 of Trout Creek, died Monday May 28, 2018 as a result of a traffic accident. He was born Sept.1, 1945 in Merced, California. Sam loved the outdoors, his family, and his friends. Memorial services were held on Wednesday June 6, 2018, at Cabinet Mountain Bible Church in Trout Creek at 2 p.m. Inurnment took place in Whitepine Cemetery. Sunset Hills Funeral Home and Crematory assisted the family with arrangements....
"Going Dutch" has a different meaning for Colleen Sloan of Sandy, Utah. Her healthy obsession with Dutch oven cooking has had her traveling near and far to share the joys of cooking pioneer-style. Her warm smile and expertise in cast iron culinary arts brought her to Sanders County this weekend to impart her knowledge. "The International Dutch Oven Society has chapters all over the world, and we'd like to generate interest to start one here," Sloan explained as she served up warm apple crisp...
Last week Phil Baker, Hecla Mining Company’s CEO and Montana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) Director Tom Livers met to discuss details pertaining to Baker’s employment history and how it is obstructing Hecla’s ability to develop the Rock Creek and Montanore mining projects. Baker initiated the conference with DEQ, who commented that it was “professional and civil,” to discuss his former employment role at Pegasus. “In the violation letter the DEQ asserted that I was a principal or controlling member of Pegasus when DEQ received pr...
WESTERN SUNSET - The sun sets over the Noxon bridge, casting a golden glow on the Clark Fork River....
The three-day holiday weekend has once again come and gone, but members of the VFW Post 3596 in Plains would rather show their respect to lost comrades on the original Memorial Day – May 30. More than 30 community members joined the VFW and VFW Auxiliary members Wednesday evening at Plains Cemetery for a brief ceremony at the gravesite of Walter R. Martin, a U.S. Navy World War II veteran. Although Martin didn't perish during the war, there are a handful of vets who did at the cemetery, a...
Some youth get the bug, taking the bait – hook, line and sinker. That is why Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks (FWP) organize Kids Fishing Day every year in Noxon. "We had 102 kids registered this year," shared FWP's Region 1 Conservation Technician, Marc Terrazas, "and this is the 29th year FWP has held this event to educate and introduce youngsters to fishing." In preparation for the big day, Triangle Pond was stocked with fish to populate the waters for the mob of youth. Families arrived at t...
