Independently owned since 1905
Independently owned since 1905
Sorted by date Results 1 - 25 of 28
Driving through the Highway 200 construction project east of Thompson Falls this spring and summer has offered views of cranes, excavators and crews scaling rocks. The mesh fencing being constructed looks like oversized chicken wire, but as The Ledger found out this week, there's a lot that goes into securing rocks and the fencing. Montana Department of Transportation project manager Ryan Paulsen and Kevin Cichy with Triptych Construction of Oregon provided more details about the rock fall...
LITTLE SIPPER – A fawn takes a drink of water from an old milk can at a residence west of Plains....
Winners of the 2019 Sanders County Fair Demolition Derby will be taking home a bit more money this year. The Plains Lions Club and the chairman of the Sanders County Fair Commission ironed out a few details for this year’s derby, including dividing up the $10,000 prize money for the winners. The champion driver will get $4,000, which is $1,000 more than last year, said Randy Woods, chairman of the fair board, during a meeting at the fairgrounds last Wednesday with Lions representatives Ron Robinson and Chuck Wassinger and Melissa Cady, the f...
Fire season continues to creep up on Sanders County. Although the Moss Ranch fire burning southwest of Ronan is the biggest fire going in the county right now, the other firefighting organizations have dealt with several other fire starts over the past few weeks as well. The Plains DNRC responded to two fires last week, limiting a lightning-caused blaze in Sears Gulch north of Plains to 2.3 acres and catching a small grass fire west of Plains at one-tenth of an acre. The fires were within the DNRC’s area of jurisdiction and the U.S. Forest S...
Nearly 200 people went to the Sanders County Fairgrounds to witness infidelity, jealousy, revenge, attempted murder and humorous conniving. People from Heron to Missoula gathered on the fairgrounds lawn last Thursday evening to watch "The Merry Wives of Windsor" put on by the cast of Shakespeare in the Parks. The two-hour play was free admission, thanks to Plains Woman's Club, which paid $2,000 to get the Montana State University troupe to Plains, but they had help from sponsors McGowan's...
Recently we were discussing the concept of thank-you notes. Now that we are middle aged, we definitely understand the appreciation of appreciation. Our parents were adamant about us writing thank-you cards when we got a sponsor for a bike-a-thon or a birthday gift. We'd like to say that we still keep up that practice, but sometimes we get busy or distracted and have to be reminded to give thanks. There are many ways to say thank you. Hugs, flowers, acts of kindness in return or a simple phone call. But there's something special about getting a...
Editor, I wish to extend my personal thanks to everyone who supported the Road to the Buffalo interpretive signs project. The final sign is now in place. It is because of your generosity that this project was completed. Peggy Johnson and the Women for a Better Sanders County worked tirelessly to put together a fundraiser in Noxon. The funds that were raised qualified for a matching grant from the Montana Office of Tourism (MOT). Donna Anderson and the Noxon Senior Citizens were designated as the grant managers. As each phase of the sign...
Letter writer Sharon Donegan (July 25, 2019) purports to be the spokesperson for millions of Americans, while Mr. Blackstone is only allowed to speak for himself. However, he speaks the truth, which is the value of the majority of Americans. “Adhering to Our Values” (July 18, 2019) was the correct heading for his column. I have endured a lifetime of health issues resulting from the Korean War and I resent the people who disrespect the flag and the national anthem. They abuse the freedom we enjoy, provided by the founders of our country and ens...
Mr Blackstone. We thought maybe you were veering away from political arguments but sadly, that’s not the case. 1. President Obama did not remove the citizenship question from 2010 census. If you research it, that question has come and gone for years on the questionnaire. In the beginning it only counted white adult males. Eventually even white females. 2. Colin Kaepernick and Megan Rapinoe are using their constitutional right to peacefully protest, one by kneeling and one by politely standing without hand over her heart. Kaepernick’s sil...
A friend and I were talking about this column and how a person’s political perspective/philosophy evolves. I told my friend about my own journey. He was surprised (as are most people) to learn that as a teenager and then a young man, I had a very liberal perspective. Then, life happened! My perspective completely changed, and I became quite conservative based on all I was seeing and experiencing. When I told my friend my story, his immediate response was, “You’ve got to write that!” I decided...
4 YEARS AGO • AUGUST 9, 1979 HUCKLEBERRY FESTIVAL READY TO ‘EAT’ The final calendar for the HUCKLEBERRY FESTIVAL is now ready for distribution. On Saturday, August 11, the runners for the run-for-fun benefit will assemble at 7:15 a.m. at the junction of the old highway and Highway 200, west of the Ranger Station. Signs on the highway will direct the runners to the assembly point, where sponsor forms will be picked up. At the end of the run, transportation will be provided back to the starting point. Also, orange juice will be available at the...
SUE APODACA, Plains – “My best fishing story is that when we first moved here, I actually caught a once-in-a- lifetime really big fish.” ALEX WHITE, Thompson Falls — “Fishing to me is a mood thing. I went fishing under the high bridge and slid all the way down cutting my leg. I never went fishing again.” ALLISON BUESE, visiting from California – "My husband is coming up to Thompson Falls with friends and when they get here, they will all go fishing.” KIM SUTHERLAND, Thompson Falls – “I have a lot of fishing stories. I used to live in Californ...
Ambulance: Plains 4, Weeksville 1, T. Falls 5, Trout Creek 7, Dixon 1, H. Springs 2 Saturday, July 20 Traffic stop, Weeksville Animal, T. Falls Assist Motorist, Dixon Road hazard, Plains Traffic stop, T. Falls Welfare check, Dixon Domestic, Trout Creek Sunday, July 21 Traffic stop, T. Falls Traffic complaint, Noxon Traffic stop, T. Falls Animal, Paradise Animal, Plains Livestock, Paradise Disturbance, T. Falls Traffic stop, T. Falls Traffic stop, T. Falls Monday, July 22 Livestock, Perma curves Fire, Trout Creek Traffic stop, T. Falls Traffic...
Sanders County Sheriff’s Office Thomas Schultz, 61, seatbelt violation, $20 Devin Pomrenke-Meyer, day speeding, $20 Hollis Lollar, 57, failure to yield to emergency vehicle, $45; violation in a construction zone, $65 William Sharp, 71, speeding in a restricted zone, $95 Sanders County Attorney John Dexter, 30, criminal trespass to property, $585 Montana Highway Patrol Ashley Gary, 26, fail to carry proof of insurance, 1st offense, $335 Ronald Delorto, 46, seatbelt violation, $20; careless driving, $135 William Moore, 58, day speeding, $20 J...
The fish were biting for the fishers at The Bass Federation (TBF) Tri-State Open Buddy Tournament in Trout Creek July 27 and 28. The fishing began bright and early at 6 a.m. and didn’t slow down until 3 p.m. A total of 41 boats entered the competition, each with a two-person team. Each bass was transported to the weighing and measuring station for the official scores. Live bags were used as well holding pools with oxygen to keep the fish alive while they were being measured. There was a limit of five fish per boat and a dead fish penalty t...
Pies, cookies and more will be available for sampling during the 40th annual Huckleberry Festival dessert contest next weekend. The contest is set for Sunday in the Trout Creek Park. Prizes will be available for children and adult bakers and organizer Sandy Green said participants may enter more than one dessert in the contest. Entries need to be at the green building in the park by 1 p.m. on Sunday. Following the judging, there will be tasting plates sold with a sampling from each entry. All entries must include huckleberries but cannot...
Students at Dixon Elementary had the opportunity to express their creativity and exercise their brains at the "Nature Art 'n' Writing" summer camp July 15-18. The camp focused on exploring nature through activities and using their imagination in writing exercises. The students searched through nature magazines to find a scene that was interesting to them and wrote a haiku with the scene in mind. A haiku is a Japanese-style poem that contains a total of 17 syllables. Haikus traditionally involve...
Philetus George “Pete” Lapham left this present world and entered into eternal life on June 7, 2019. He was 89 years old. He was surrounded by loved ones when his body died from natural causes at the Big Sky Health Care facility in Helena, Montana. His body was cremated. Pete was born May 28, 1930, to Philetus Claude Lapham and Gladys Carol Fuller Lapham in Great Falls. He graduated from Malta High School. He and his brother Fuller Laugeman were long-time residents of Phillips County. Pete served in the United States Army from 1948-1952 and...
What can be better than camping out and doing good for others? That's what a church group of teenagers have been doing all week in Noxon as they have every year for the past decade. The Wabash Presbyterian Church of Auburn, Washington, arrived in Noxon and joined with other members of the Noxon Baptist Church for a week of helping out people in Noxon. The group repaired a roof for a senior citizen, painted the local church and recreational equipment at Pilgrim Creek Park, split wood, washed...
Crossword solution...
One Plains church showed that God isn't just for the Sunday pulpit. Members of the First Lutheran Church of Plains took part in the church's "God's Work, Our Hands" program to repaint the Plains Golf Course clubhouse. Ten volunteers spent Thursday and Friday morning repainting the 2,000-square-foot building at no cost to the golf course, which is owned by the Town of Plains, but operated by a nonprofit organization. Plains Mayor Dan Rowan said the town doesn't have funds in the budget, nor does...
The weather was perfect for three days of festivities that the Coyote Days at the Wild Coyote Saloon hosts annually. According to owner Karen Ferguson, there were around 700 people coming and going last Friday through Sunday who were entertained by the lawnmower races, duck races, horseshoe pit, plenty of vendors and an almost constant flow of live music. The vendors were set up behind the Wild Coyote and there was plenty of benches and tables set up to relax and just enjoy the evening. "Each...
Whitefish Credit Union golfers Ron Beaty, Randy Hojem, Wally Gibe and Rick Kendall shot the low gross of 172 and Wild Coyote linksters Gary Thompson, Dave Petteys, Scott Pardee and Howard Morkert posted the low net of 143 to highlight the action in Wednesday Night Men’s League play at River’s Bend last week. Kendall shot the low individual gross of 40 and Gibe the low net of 32 to help Whitefish win the weekly Wednesday sweepstakes. Whitefish CU leads second-half league play with 71.5 points and First Security Bank is second with 69.5. In hol...
Double H Dirt Works shot the low team gross, Lakeside Motel & Resort the low team net and Sparky’s Gutter Time held onto the league lead in Tuesday Night Men’s League action at River’s Bend last week. Double H Dirt golfers Scott Pardee, Ty Pardee, Tom Kirkland and Gary Thompson teamed up to post the low gross of 182, while Lakeside luminaries Shaun Wilkinson, Scott Garr, Sam Burt and Tom Doucette joined forces to arrive at the low net of 138. Sparky’s Gutter Time leads league standings with 83.5 points and Bear Muscle Fitness is second with 82....
Chasing that elusive yellow ball for fame and fortune. Okay, maybe not for fame and fortune but at least for a fun time on the links. The Over the Hill gang broke into teams and played a yellow ball scramble this past sunny Monday morning at River’s Bend. With one member of each team playing a yellow ball for score, the other members played in a best-ball format. When the yellow haze had cleared from the greens and fairways, Buck Adams, Steve Wolf, Charlie Hooten and Rusty Haggard registered the winning yellow ball round of 29, Dave Petteys, S...
