Independently owned since 1905
Independently owned since 1905
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Local candidates have less than one week to file for municipal openings within Sanders County. Voters in Hot Springs, Plains and Thompson Falls will select candidates in the September 14 primary to move on to the November 19 general election this year. Plains Mayor Danny Rowan and Hot Springs Mayor Randy Woods have filed for re-election in their respective towns. Michael Brinson also has filed for Plains mayor. The mayor position in Thompson Falls is also up for election, but no candidates had filed as of Tuesday. Hot Springs has two positions...
A group of people in Paradise were busy making mountains last weekend, and even though they worked on them for almost a half a day, they won't be any taller than about 28 inches. Three men and two women spent six hours at the Paradise Center Saturday carving mountains from large chunks of Styrofoam for the center's railroad display. The mountains will be placed on the display in front of the mountain photomural that was attached to the wall in April. The foam-formed mountains will give the...
The streets of Hot Springs were lined with visitors last weekend as people from all over Northwest Montana came to celebrate the 71st Annual Homesteader Days. The general consensus among business owners was an agreement that the crowds taking over their little town was a welcome relief after a year of hardship due to COVID-19. Charlie Scott, owner of Fergie's Pub and Grill, was happy with the success of this year's event. "I thought it went really well," she said. "We had a lot of attendance...
Sanders County is preparing for the annual county-wide yard sale, happening the last weekend of the month. On June 25 and 26, residents from Heron to Dixon and from Plains to Hot Springs will set up shop. According to Robin Hagedorn, who helps with Thompson Falls Main Street Inc., the sale always occurs on the last full weekend in June. She also said this year there are 86 registered sales, and likely several more that have not registered, so it will be one of the busiest years yet. Hagedorn said this is quite a few more sales than previous...
Jonathan Toyias jumps into the pool Monday in Thompson Falls, the first day the pool was open for the summer season. The city pool is open Monday through Saturday....
That old saying "turn that frown upside down" has been on my mind a lot lately. There are many ways to say it, including seeing the glass half full or half empty. We make hundreds of choices. We choose to get up every day. We choose to go to work or stay home. We choose what television programs or news to watch. We choose to be positive and smile, or we choose to be negative and complain about the world around us. I've always been one of those people who believes the best in others and thinks that the world is generally a good place. Being...
When I sat down tonight in front of the keyboard, I had no idea what I was going to write about. I’m sick of politics. Biden and Harris are screwing things up at such a record pace, that it’s hard to stay current. Besides, there’s really no point in overstating the obvious. I wanted to focus on something else this time. I’ve been collecting quotes for years, so I decided to check there to see if I might find some inspiration. There has never really been any criteria for the quotes I collect...
Some time ago I threw in my two-cents’ worth on the controversial topic of “critical race theory.” Since then, across the U.S., more states and local school boards have jumped in with efforts to forbid the topic in school curricula. As I said previously, I disagree with the theory’s basic tenets as I understand them, but I think legislation against it is the wrong move. Forbidding things generally increases publicity and stirs up more controversy. Look what happens when individual book titles are banned. But publicity isn’t the main issue her...
7 YEARS AGO • JUNE 27, 1951 OLD-TIMERS FETED ON FATHER’S DAY Father’s Day was celebrated in Thompson Falls with a potluck dinner honoring all of those who had passed their 75th birthday. Eleven men and two ladies were the guests of honor of a large group of townspeople who came with hot dishes to pay their respects to these pioneers. Orin P. Kendall, acting as emcee for this occasion, introduced each guest beginning in the order of their ages, with the oldest, Charley Frint. He always had a fondness for horses and during his bachelor life...
CORY WHITE, Sedona, Arizona - “My proudest and fondest memory of my father is traveling with him! He took me everywhere.” KATHY IKOLA, Trout Creek - “When I was in high school, at the dance, he came up and asked me to dance. He was just so proud that his daughter would dance with him in public.” LUKE WILLIAMS, Plains - “Just working beside him. He taught me how to work hard and be a man.” SEAN YODER, Noxon - “I’m thankful that my father taught me how to work and to know God.” JOHN OWENS, Thompson Falls - “My fondest memory is brown trout fish...
Ambulance: Plains, 7; Paradise, 1; T. Falls, 6; Hot Springs, 5; Dixon, 1; Lonepine, 1. Sunday, June 6 Suspicious activity, T. Falls. Warrant service, T. Falls. Civil attempts, T. Falls. Theft, Plains. Threats, Plains. Coroner called, Hot Springs. Monday, June 7 Livestock, Camas. Theft, T. Falls. General animal call or complaint, Plains. Assist motorist/citizen, T. Falls. Motor vehicle crash, Plains. Motor vehicle crash, T. Falls. Tuesday, June 8 Animal other, Hot Springs. Other incident, Hot Springs. Wednesday, June 9 Motor vehicle crash, Plain...
Motor Carrier Services Lee Meyers, 71, log not current, $135. Patrick Kiefel, 53, failure to register oversized motor vehicle, $85. Brenna Navarro, 37, expired registration, $85. Montana Highway Patrol Carl Keller, 85, violation in a construction zone, $105. Kenneth Berge, 72, improper passing, $85; violation in a construction zone, $95. Clinton Jones, 53, violation in a construction zone, $105. Trevor Koehn, 31, violation in a construction zone, $105. Eric Lenz, 21, violation in a construction zone, $135. Justin Miller, 18, seatbelt...
A new Little Free Library has joined a growing number of Little Free Libraries across the county. Volunteers placed the library at Big Sky Pantry near the Bull River Junction west of Noxon. The library features books for all ages. Judy Erwin recycled an old oak entertainment center to form a sturdy cabinet for books. Kathy Regier painted the cabinet to attract readers. In addition to the new library at the Big Sky Pantry, there are Little Free Libraries at the Trout Creek Local Store and in...
A new heavy equipment rental outlet is open east of Thompson Falls on Highway 200. XR Rentals provides equipment for any number of jobs. "We match people up with the equipment they need for their projects," said JJ Hunsekker, general manager at XR Rentals. XR Rentals has a variety of equipment, for everything from landscaping to construction projects, including log splitters, mowers, stump planers, scissor lifts, trailers, Bobcats and more. Hunsekker said they are working on expanding their...
Screenwriter Craig MacLachlan has completed the final draft of his film, “Sunshine Girl,” a project based on the real-life story of his late wife, Tina. The film tells Tina’s life journey as she navigates a stage 4 Hodgkin’s Lymphoma diagnosis at the age of 13, and stage 4 metastatic breast cancer at the age of 44. The film dives into the abusive relationship Tina had with her mother, as well as an insight into her life and marriage to her high school sweetheart, Craig. MacLachlan, a Thompson Falls native, has spent the last year working on the...
Final plans are being made for the grand opening ceremony at Ainsworth Park, organized by Thompson Falls Mainstreet, Inc. in conjunction with the city of Thompson Falls. The nonprofit helped raise funds for several key parts of the park, including the veteran’s memorial. According to Daniel Moore, owner of the Black Bear family of companies and chairman of Thompson Falls Main Street, the group also worked with Sanders County Community Development Corporation to submit a Community Development Block Grant proposal that successfully brought $...
Gwendolyn Luree' (Cline) Esler was born New Year's Day, 1937, to Roy and Ann Lane in Gurley, Nebraska. She passed away at her home, June 4, 2021, after a short illness, surrounded by love. Gwen grew up in Bonners Ferry, Idaho, with her large family. She was an accomplished horsewoman and spent countless hours riding and participating in local horse events. She met and married Jerry Cline in Sandpoint, Idaho, in 1960. They moved to Plains, Montana, in 1962 where they raised their boys, Scott,...
James Wade and Jessica Cardenas of Paradise welcomed a daughter, Veronica Lynette Wade, on June 6, 2021, at Clark Fork Valley Hospital. Veronica measured 19 inches long and weighed 7 pounds, 11.5 ounces. She joins a sister, Trinity. Maternal grandparents are Janice and Dr. Greg Hanson of Plains and Annette Claflin of Plains. Paternal grandparents are Susan and Kirk McNutt of Plains. Great-grandparents are Judy Hulme of Plains and Kathy and Raymond Hanson of Texas....
SOLUTIONS ACROSS 1. MEG 4. DASHER 10. AGO 11. ALMOND 12. DC 14. NOD 15. LEAF 16. ARCTIC 18. OARLOCK 22. REHASH 23. CREAMER 24. DEISTIC 26. AS 27. MILO 28. LOFT 30. ETON 31. MBA 34. DORIC 36. SMA 37. EELS 39. POO 40. ELLI 41. CE 42. NODDING 48. DAYSTAR 50. WEENIE 51. SULTANA 52. DECKLE 53. EXIT 54. OPI 55. ED 56. BRINED 58. WED 59. ASSESS 60. NNE SOLUTIONS DOWN 1. MANTAS 2. EGOIST 3. GODCHILD 4. DA 5. ALLOCATION 6. SMEARS 7. HOARE 8. ENFLAME 9. RD 12. DARD 13. CREE 17. CHI 19. OMITS 20. CELOM...
by Ed Moreth The Paradise Center - formerly the Paradise Elementary School - will be receiving $185,720 in grants for two large projects they hope to get completed over the next nine months for capital improvements to the building that houses the main visitor center. The M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust of Vancouver, Washington, announced last week it was awarding $62,500, half of the total cost, to the center to replace a boiler system that had been installed in Paradise Elementary School in the...
Youth soccer players of Plains and Thompson Falls received some special instruction last week, getting guidance from some of the best soccer players in the state. A University of Montana Lady Griz coach and three players spent 90 minutes at Amundson Sports Complex last Wednesday with 25 boys and girls from the Clark Fork Valley Soccer Alliance and Thompson Falls Blue Hawks soccer teams, providing the kids with tips to improve their skills. In an effort to raise money to help pay for their trip...
A new medical facility will be opening in Plains with a staff of 38 combined medical years experience. Costner Care Family Clinic located along Railroad Street a block from Clark Fork Valley Hospital on the east side of Plains is scheduled to open for business on July 1. The new practice will be run by Family Nurse Practitioner David Costner and his wife, Registered Nurse Julie Costner. The couple will be primary care providers for all ages, said David, who has been in the healthcare business for 16 years and a provider for 10 years. He has...
Mark and Katrina Campbell, owners of Big Eddy's in Thompson Falls, have taken on a new venture by opening a taco trailer and tequila bar in the yard behind the bar and grill. "We were always planning to do more in the backyard and when COVID hit, we converted the deck into a dining area, but we didn't want to miss out on this area," Katrina said. "It has its own vibe back here." With outdoor seating and serene views of the river, the soft opening the owners hosted over Memorial Day weekend was a...
Batting the ball around, scoring lots of runs and having tons of softball fun; that was what the Thompson Falls-Noxon Blue Hawks were all about this past spring. With the numbers to back him up, Hawk coach Jared Koskela says his girls had an enjoyable season in 2021, one they should be proud of. The Hawks earned their first Western B-C divisional tournament berth in 10 years this spring, although they bowed out in two games at that tourney in Florence. The Hawks had defeated Plains-Hot Springs 2-1 in a tight playoff game at Pirk’s Place in T...
Thompson Falls' Riley Wilson and Noxon's Dylan Vigil of the Thompson Falls-Noxon Blue Hawks and Plains' Skylar Bergstrom of the Plains-Hot Springs Trotters, all seniors, have earned spots on the 2021 Western B-C All-Conference softball team. Wilson, Vigil and Bergstrom were all honored as second team selections by vote of the Western B-C coaches following the regular season of play. The Thompson Falls-Noxon program is coached by Jared Koskela and Dani Crowe is the head coach for Plains-Hot...
