Independently owned since 1905
Independently owned since 1905
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The 2022 Sanders County Fair now has a theme — “Blue Jeans & Country Dreams” — created by a 4-H member of the South Side Sparks. The new theme was unanimously selected by the three members present at last Wednesday’s monthly fair board meeting. It took less than five minutes for Randy Woods, board chairman, and board members Kim McMahon and Ted Forkum, to select Blue Jeans & Country Dreams, submitted by Isabella Hansen of the South Side Sparks 4-H club. Hansen will receive a free carnival wristband for one session for her winning theme. Th...
The Plains Community Food Bank routinely feeds more than 200 people a month, but now it's the food bank that needs feeding. Bill Alde, who heads the food bank in Plains, said they get the bulk of their food from the Montana Food Bank in Missoula, but for the last two years, he's been able to obtain some 20,000 pounds of food donations from grocery stores and food banks in Polson and Kalispell. "We help 15% to 20% of the county population. Now I'm asking for help because all of my networking has...
Living in northwest Montana comes with the unique experience of living among bears. Humans and bears co-existing, as well as behaviors of both species, was the topic of a presentation last Wednesday by Kim Annis, Bear Management Specialist with Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP). The event was held at the Thompson Falls Public Library and sponsored by the Thompson Falls Chamber of Commerce. Annis spoke to community members with the goal of helping people understand what bears are doing and...
People were lined up at 10 a.m. Saturday at the Trout Creek boat launch to row their way and take a chance at a winning hand during Trout Creek Community Improvement Association's (TCCIA) Paddlin' Poker Run. The last poker run was held back in 2016. After seeing an increase in kayaking and paddle boards in the area, TCCIA decided to start the event back up again. During Saturday morning's registration, 98 participants from around Sanders County and beyond drew their first card at the boat launch...
Hospitals. Schools. Churches. Museums. All valuable buildings that should always be protected. Let’s add libraries to that list. It should come as no surprise that as the owner of a newspaper, I value reading. I love holding a book in my hands, listening to the sound of pages turning one by one, and the way my bookmark tracks my progress while I read. I’m a lover of books and certainly believe in access to information of all kinds. Last week, the city of Thompson Falls met with county commissioners and board members from the Thompson Falls Pub...
Behold state Representative Brad Tschida bringing national attention to Montana by announcing that a woman’s uterus serves no real purpose for a woman, that it is a “sanctuary” for the pre-born. Sort of a condo leased out to a fertilized human egg. I’m not sure what Tschida’s stand is on ovaries and fallopian tubes and the other plumbing that contribute in one way or another to the creation of a human life, but if we view a uterus as a sort of freeloading body organ on standby until it is cal...
4 YEARS AGO • JUNE 24, 1982 CHANGES BRING DECLINE TO HERON By Jan Fraser Continued from last week… Georgia Knott MacSpadden related how her family arrived in 1889 from Hope. Her father was a section foreman on the railroad. She recalled Heron’s first newspaper, printed in 1906. At that time, no county seat had been chosen, so all the towns (Plains and Thompson Falls) were promoting themselves. J.A. McGowan, who favored Plains as the county seat, started the newspaper in Heron to promote Plains as the best place for the county seat. Georgia rem...
CHILAILI WACHIWI, Trout Creek - “You mix spruce oil, mint and sticky geranium with lard or bear grease. Bear grease is sticky and the bugs don’t like the smell. These remedies work great for black flies, bot flies and mosquitoes. This is a Native American remedy and works well in former glacial areas.” PRESTON WENTZ, Trout Creek - “Johnson’s Creamy Baby Oil with aloe and Vitamin E. It’s a lotion product for babies and it just happens to do a very good job of keeping the mosquitos away. My Niece from Texas recommended it to us and it really w...
Montana Highway Patrol Ty Haveman, 21, day speeding, $120; stop sign violation, $85. Denise Hanson, 37, speeding in a restricted zone, $105. Joshua Ducept, 35, seatbelt violation, $20. Kara Allestad, 30, night speeding, $20. Haley Munday, 22, seatbelt violation, $20; careless driving, $85. Megan Holman, 25, seatbelt violation, $20. Lark Chadwick, 70, speeding in a restricted zone, $105. Lars Swanson, 60, speeding in a restricted zone, $95. Robin Miller, 60, speeding in a restricted zone, $65. Delbert Otto, 27, seatbelt violation, $20. Madison S...
Ambulance: T. Falls, 7; Plains, 5; Trout Creek, 4; Hot Springs, 4; Heron, 1; Noxon, 1; Dixon, 1. Monday, July 11 Alarm - intrusion/holdup, T. Falls. Motor vehicle crash, Trout Creek. Civil attempts. Assist other agency, Plains. Abandoned vehicle, T. Falls. Civil attempts. Civil attempts, Hot Springs. Civil attempts. Assist other agency, Paradise. Disturbance, Dixon. Forgery, Lonepine. Civil attempts, Hot Springs. Disturbance. Assist other agency, Dixon. Disturbance. Trespass, Plains. Tuesday, July 12 Welfare check, Trout Creek. Livestock,...
Lolo National Forest has contracted with Sanders County Community Development (SCCD) and Kaniksu Land Trust to gather ideas from community members for land use improvements for “The Orchard,” a long-abandoned tree farm with a large amount of cleared acreage located north of Thompson Falls. “We have created a forum for people who want to engage in a civic process and who want to have their voices heard,” SCCD executive director Ray Brown said in a press release. “Residents with a 59873 zip code can give feedback, opinions and ideas on the projec...
Spotlight on the Arts shines on Keelie Hathorne this month. Keelie is a 14-year-old eighth-grade home school student. Her teacher is Mom. It's evident in visiting with Keelie that her inquiring mind and self-directedness take her far beyond the set curriculum. When asked how long she has been creating art, Keelie's mother replied, "Since she could hold a marker!" Keelie shared, "At first it was just a relief from boredom, but then I discovered my passion for it!" Keelie works in several mediums...
June 16, 1958 - December 6, 2021 Perfectionist, mechanical and engineering mastermind, drone photographer, sharpshooter, muscle car restorationist, dirt bike enthusiast, guitarist, sketch artist, etc. "Jerry was the most talented person I ever had the privilege to love and learn from," said Patty Shea, his wife. Jerry was born in Hot Springs, Montana, raised in Thompson Falls and graduated with the Thompson Falls High School Class of 1976. Jerry spent 38 years with Avista Utilities (formerly The... Full story
18 - 2022 Donald Clyde Bray, 87, passed away peacefully July 7, 2022, in Thompson Falls, where he had resided since July 1979. Don was born April 19, 1935, in Lake Tahoe, California, to Clyde and Clara Bray. He was raised by his father and stepmother, Ethel, after losing his birth mother at age four. He is survived by sisters Jamie Kent and Brenda Rogne, and brother Larry Bray (Laurie) of Fallon, Nevada. He also leaves behind his son Britt Bray, granddaughter Brittany Lakey (Steven), grandson... Full story
Jean Lacy passed away peacefully July 15, 2022, in the company of family. She had been at an assisted living facility in Kalispell for about a year. Shirley Jean Lacy was born in Parsons, Kansas, on November 29, 1940, to Blaine and Dorothy Sanders. The family lived in Chicago during World War II. They moved to Montana after the war. Jean attended Thompson Falls schools along with her older brother Norman and younger sister Thelma. In October 1955 she married the love of her life, Herbert Glenn (Bud) Lacy. They made their family home in... Full story
Diane L. Berg Reichert Friesz, 77 years old, from Plains, Montana, passed away on July 10, 2022. Diane was born on March 17, 1945, to Alvin and Kima Berg in Maryville, North Dakota. The family moved to East Helena, Montana, while she was in grade school. She attended Helena High School. In 1961, she married Richard G. Reichert. their son Richard Alan was born in 1962. The family moved to Plains, Montana, and in 1966 they had their daughter, Jody Lynn. Diane and Richard divorced in 1979. Diane married Rudy Friesz in 1979 and gained a bonus son... Full story
The Sanders County Sewer District at Paradise will continue, even though the group has halted any progress of the community sewer project and has lost its second largest grant. Janie McFadgen, the board president, said it was disappointing that the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) grant of $1,437,881 was gone, but she said the board will be looking at replacing the money with other grants when they resume work on the project. The board received notice in a letter on July 5 that the state was pulling its money. This leaves the board with a balanc...
Plains-Paradise Rural Fire District Lt. Sonya Black pulls up to Deputy Chief Brian Reed, who swam to the red ball – the swimmer in trouble – during an exercise on the Clark Fork River. The fire district has done some periodic training with the jet skis they purchased last year to aid in river rescues....
The Lakeside Resort in Trout Creek hosted its annual Cool Summer Nights Car Show last weekend, showcasing 41 classic cars from around the area. "The event was a success," said Rachel Aumiller with The Lakeside. First place went to Bob Gridley with his 1955 Chevy pickup. "He won a Blackfoot basket and an Easy Street sweatshirt," Aumiller said. Charlie Shelor won second place with his 1965 Pontiac GTO. Shelor took home a Napa tire repair kit, a shirt and a hat from Zip Beverage. Third place went...
The Trout Creek Senior Center will be hosting two events in July. The first event will be an open house on this Saturday, July 23, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The second event is the Trout Creek Senior Center Yard Sale on Saturday, July 30, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The purpose of the open house is to share with anyone, and everyone, the changes and improvements that have been made at the Trout Creek Senior Center over the past two years. Door prizes will be given out every half hour, and visitors must be present to win. There will also be a raffle for...
Overcast skies meant cool temps and plenty of shade for the Over the Hill Gang during Monday morning play at River’s Bend this week. The gang played a yellow ball scramble format this week. The yellow ball scramble format rules consist of having three players to a team, one player plays a yellow ball and the others play a standard ball. On each hole of play one member from each team will play the yellow ball for a score. The remaining two team members play a scramble following standard scramble rules. The teams rotate who has the yellow ball e...
The Big Eddy’s / Limberlost Brewery team members kept a smooth swing and pulled down the low team gross of 170 and the Wild Coyote team the low team net of 141. RT Brown kept the ball rolling and took the low individual gross of 36 and Jesse Mosher claimed the low individual net with a score of 32 during Wednesday night men’s league play at River’s Bend last week. Mike Normandin dropped in the long putt on No. 3. Bill Nolen inched the ball along and was the closest to the pin on No. 5 and Mike Thilmony grabbed the longest putt on No. 6. Ed Ma...
The Easy Street Autoworks team pulled together to take the low team gross of 177 and the Feed-N-Fuel team captured the low team net of 143. Kevin Sparks kept the ball in the short grass and took the low individual gross of 39 and Rusty Haggard claimed the low individual net with a score of 32 during Tuesday night men’s league play at River’s Bend last week. Steve Clark hit closest to the pin in three on No. 2 and Scott Pardee dropped in the long putt on No. 3. Shawn Wilkinson inched the ball along and was the closest to the pin on No. 5 and...
Jeanne Holleran and Tina Wheeler worked the course to take the low team gross of 101, and Chris Kelly and Kim Sparks negotiated the low team net of 75 in Thursday Night Ladies League play at River’s Bend last week. Tina Wheeler claimed the low individual gross of 43 and Kelly Wheeler the low individual net of 34. On the course Tina Wheeler went closest to the pin in four on No. 11 and sank the long putt on No. 12, as well as a chip shot on No. 11. Sparks belted the ball and had the longest drive on No. 18. STANDINGS K. Beaty/D. Toyias 105.5 K...
In a creative and musical attempt to raise funds, two Noxon High School music students, with the help and guidance of their music teacher, are tutoring elementary school children on how to play a variety of musical instruments. The music tutoring camp is happening Wednesdays in July from noon until 2:30 and each day is dedicated to a different family of instruments. "Today is woodwind Wednesday and we are just now starting to put together the clarinets and let the kids try playing clarinets,"...
