Independently owned since 1905
Independently owned since 1905
Sorted by date Results 1 - 25 of 29
Local hero Shawn McKahan brought home two medals from the 2022 Special Olympic Games held this year in Orlando. McKahan, 33, of Thompson Falls, earned a bronze medal in the 200-meter dash and a silver medal in the shot put. "I have been to the Special Olympics 12 times and including these two I have won 46 medals," McKahan humbly said. "This year seemed more special to me because I had not been able to attend for a few years due to COVID. There were around 5,500 participants and extra people on...
NorthWestern Energy will be installing new electric meters and gas modules in Thompson Falls as part of a technology upgrade project that will enable two-way meter communication between NorthWestern Energy and its advanced meters on customers’ homes and businesses. “Tru-Check, which NorthWestern Energy has contracted with to install the new advanced meters, is working in the area now and expects to have that work complete by mid-July,” said Jo Dee Black, NorthWestern Energy Public Relations Specialist. Black says a Tru-Check technician will...
Warmer weather showcases the power of Mother Nature in local waterways. Water pours through Avista's Cabinet Gorge (top left) and Noxon Rapids (bottom) dams. The water flow at Noxon was 83,000 cubic feet per second Tuesday morning. Elk Creek near Heron (right) pours into the Clark Fork River above Heron....
The brilliant colors of Old Glory's red, white and blue were already faded. Some were tattered and torn. They had done their job, and it was only fitting that they get a proper send off on Flag Day and by military veterans, men and women who defended those Stars and Stripes. It took the 15 veterans of American Legion Post 52 about 15 minutes to put the 242 flags into the barrels of flames for a proper retirement at a ceremony at Elk Club 2757 in Thompson Falls on June 14 – Flag Day. The flags ra...
Here we are nearing the end of June, with summer chugging along at a steady pace. Warmer weather, vacation plans and leisure time are all increasing. Thoughts of school – with its classes, books, and homework – have certainly faded long ago. So where are all the college and high school kids? “Not working” appears to be the answer. While this doesn’t apply to every person in the 16-24 age range, there does seem to be a steady unemployment trend for this group that becomes quite noticeable in June and July. Babysitting, lifeguarding, refereein...
On the same day that the 50th anniversary of the Montana Constitution was being celebrated in the chambers of the Montana House of Representatives as producing the most open government of all the 50 states, it was revealed that the Governor of Montana was keeping a secret from the public: his location. He was, his office said, on a previously undisclosed “long-scheduled personal trip,” the location and timing of which were also undisclosed for “security reasons.” The deception was discovered because inconveniently – and simultaneously with the...
Some generations ago, local cattlemen who used the grazing leases along the Thompson and Little Thompson rivers built various holding pastures there to facilitate autumn critter gathering. By the time I became familiar with the area by hunting cattle for more recent owners, the pens were no longer in use. Posts had rotted down, but the barbed wire was still there in the form of rusty coils hidden in the grass, strung randomly, and periodically rearranged by bumbling cows. With its old-growth pines and green meadows and rippling waters, it was a...
9 YEARS AGO • JUNE 1, 1932 INAUGURATION SATURDAY, JUNE 4 OF FARMER’S MARKET AT THE MERCANTILE A committee from the Woman’s Club were instructed to endeavor to promote a Farmer’s Market or Curb Market and this they have succeeded in doing. A number of women from the west end and some from out Eddy way will initiate this market Saturday afternoon from 3 to 5 at the Mercantile store. The management has given them a window, also the women will display their produce outside if the weather permits. Their prices will be in accordance with the mar...
CORA WOOD, Thompson Falls – “The horses because I love horses.” COOPER LILLY, Thompson Falls – “The horses because of the tricks they did.” SCARLETTE SCHWINDT, Thompson Falls – “The giant horses because I want one.” OLIVER SCHARFE, Thompson Falls – “My favorite part of the circus was the birds because they could pick up the buckets.” PARKER MERCER, Noxon – “My favorite part was when the guy balanced high because it was wobbly.” PIPPI CROWDER, Thompson Falls – “I liked the horses because of how good they did....
Ambulance: Plains, 7; T. Falls, 4; Hot Springs, 4; Trout Creek, 1; Paradise, 1. Monday, June 13 Disturbance, Dixon. Suspicious activity, Trout Creek. General animal call/complaint, Hot Springs. General animal call/complaint, Trout Creek. Trespass, Hot Springs. Motor vehicle crash, Hot Springs. Theft, Noxon. Disturbance, T. Falls. Theft, Paradise. Tuesday, June 14 General animal call/complaint, Hot Springs. Fire, Heron. Assist other agency, Dixon. Wednesday, June 15 Civil attempts, Plains. Civil attempts, Plains. Harassment/privacy in...
Montana Highway Patrol Oliver Collins, 50, seatbelt violation, $20. Tony Martin, 45, failure to carry proof of insurance in vehicle, 1st offense, $85. Shelby Vincent, 26, day speeding, $20. Kelley Baran, 60, speeding in a restricted zone, $65. Amber Dumont, 28, speeding in a restricted zone, $85. Christopher Fraser, 52, day speeding, $70. Jack Friesl, 26, speeding in a restricted zone, $85. Sheri Hale, 52, day speeding, deferred imposition of sentence, $70. Phillip Riley, 41, day speeding, $70. James Van Dalen, 20, day speeding, $120. Michael...
Judge Karen Townsend presided over a lengthy calendar on Tuesday for the 20th Judicial District Court, appearing by video from Missoula. Bertha Rose Garrett appeared for her initial appearance on a felony count of criminal endangerment and two misdemeanor counts of driving under the influence of alcohol and operating without liability insurance. Per the charging documents filed, law enforcement responded to a hit and run that occurred on Highway 200 near Thompson Falls. . The occupants of the vehicle that was hit claimed they knew the driver,...
Kaniksu Land Trust (KLT) has continued discussions to boost the economy in Sanders County by means of one of its primary strengths: outdoor recreation. KLT participated in a countywide process with Thompson Falls community stakeholders called Recreation Economy for Rural Communities (RERC), a process to help identify the numerous outdoor activities open to locals and people traveling through the area. Last Thursday evening, KLT held a community meeting in which around 15 community members attended at Limberlost Brewery to share a status update...
Artists in Sanders County are not selfish when it comes to giving of themselves, which was evident last week when nearly a dozen of them volunteered their time to teach children different facets of art. "They were great. This was an amazing group of instructors," said Karen Thorson, who coordinated the week-long Summer Arts Camp for Youth, part of the Paradise Center's Kaleidoscope program. The 18 kids from 7-12 years old got a bit of the basics in pottery, watercolor painting, music,...
What the reader notices first about John N. Maclean’s 2021 book, Home Waters, is the exceptional craft that went into the production of the book itself. An amber rendition of a day’s last light on the Blackfoot River graces the cover. An accessible map of the Maclean family’s Montana adventures, from Mann Gulch to Dixon, is printed as end pieces. Most striking are the many detailed wood engravings completed by Wesley W. Bates. Some divide the sections of the book, such as one portraying the family cabin at Seeley Lake and another the First Pres...
Gene Patrick Conlin was born March 4, 1948, in Minot, North Dakota. His parents were James and Geneva Conlin, who had a farm outside of Bowbells, North Dakota, where they grew wheat, oats, barley and flax, and raised cattle. The family sold the farm and moved to Thompson Falls in 1959. They bought the old Graves Creek Ranch and lived there until Gene was in high school. Gene attended Thompson Falls schools until his junior year. His family then moved to Spokane, where he attended school through...
Russell Douglas Ovitt, 46, passed away suddenly on June 5, 2022, in Kalispell, Montana. He was surrounded by his loving sons Beau Ovitt and James Ovitt, his good friend Roger Thompson, Calvin Williams, several aunts, uncles and cousins. Russell was born to Douglas and Robin Ovitt on May 11, 1976. He faced many challenges in life. He was also blessed in more ways than he could imagine. He never let his disability hold him back, and enjoyed hunting and camping, and going for long rides in the...
A group of young men stopped in Thompson Falls last week on their Journey of Hope. The 26 cyclists and crew members spent Friday night at the Thompson Falls High School after traveling 90 miles from Sandpoint that day. The group is traveling across the country on bicycles with the goal of ending up in Washington, D.C., in mid August. The cyclists are part of the Ability Experience organization. Their mission is to spread awareness and support people with disabilities. Throughout the trip, the...
There was a lion. There was a tiger. There weren't any bears, but there were plenty of smiling faces as the Culpepper & Merriweather Circus entertained crowds with two shows last week. The Thompson Falls Chamber of Commerce brings the circus to Thompson Falls every other year but missed 2020 due to the pandemic. "We were very excited to have the circus back this year," said Andrea Christensen, Chamber secretary. "It's a fantastic family friendly event." The two shows were held last Wednesday...
The president of the Paradise sewer board said the move toward installing a community sewer system is gone, for now. But despite rumors to the contrary, the Sanders County Sewer District at Paradise is continuing as a board, said Janie McFadgen, the board president. Board member Terry Caldwell announced at the meeting last Monday that two of the funding agencies had pulled their funding, something McFadgen confirmed at the meeting at the United Methodist Church clubhouse. "We don't have the...
Two teenagers are unlikely to go pro when it comes to any future mule-packing contest, but they now have a fairly good idea of how to utilize stock animals to ferry supplies to sites in the field. David McGonagle of Plains and Faith Palmer of Thompson Falls finished the Stock Packing Clinic at the Sanders County Fairgrounds on Friday by winning the “Packer Scramble” and getting the coveted bragging rights prize. It took the team only about 15 minutes to saddle and mantie the mule Rosie and wal...
Project ASCENT welcomed community members and visitors to its annual cornhole festival last weekend. The Saturday event held at a residence on Eddy Flat between Thompson Falls and Plains drew competitors and spectators from neighboring counties and states. Each year, Project ASCENT hosts educational outdoor experiences for kids, including week-long camps in the summer. The cornhole festival is their biggest fundraiser. Andrea Christensen with Project ASCENT said that this year, the cornhole...
Kids Fishing Day returned to the Thompson Falls State Park Pond last week for the first time in two years. The outdoor day is not a new concept in Sanders County but is fairly new to Thompson Falls. "This is the third year we have held this event and our first year back after two years off because of COVID. We have held the annual Kids Fishing Day in Noxon for many years, and we wanted to have another fishing day that was more accessible to folks down on this side of the county," said Jason...
The Over the Hill Gang mixed things up a bit with a “Baja Scramble” event during Monday morning play at River’s Bend this week. Both partners were required to tee off and then on the second shot each partner hit the other partner's drive from wherever the ball lay. For the third shot partners played from the worst location of second shots. From then on the whole is played in a standard scramble format. On the course Gary Thompson sank the long put on No. 2 and Ron Beaty the long put on No. 3. Chris Gross rolled in the longest putt on No. 6 and...
The Wild Coyote team swung easily to take the low team gross of 177 and the First Security Bank team claimed the low team net of 145. RT Brown kept the ball in the short stuff and took the low individual gross of 37 and Sean Morgan claimed the low individual net with a score of 32 during Wednesday night men’s league play at River’s Bend last week. Mike Baxter hit closest to the pin in 3 on No. 2. RT Brown dropped in the long putt on No. 3 and took closest to the pin on No. 8. Howard Morkert inched the ball along and was the closest to the pin...
