Independently owned since 1905
Independently owned since 1905
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Sanders County was well represented, the room was packed full and extra seating had to be brought in. Everyone was prepared to address their concerns with U.S. Senator Jon Tester last Friday. Mayors from Hot Springs, Plains and Thompson Falls, county commissioners, a school superintendent, business owners and representatives, chamber of commerce members and law enforcement officials all attended the roundtable meeting to cash in on their opportunity to speak, focusing on issues they wished to...
Engines roared, dust flew, as racers took to the track for the third annual Lawn Mower Races at the Wild Coyote Saloon. There were 15 racers who showed up to give it their all for six laps around the dirt track that was installed for the lawn mowers to race on. There were 11 racers in the men's division and 4 in the women's. The registration fee was $5 and the money goes to the maintenance and running of the event. Any lawnmower entered must be constructed out of "lawn mower" parts but "we are...
Continued hot, dry conditions prompted Sanders County Commissioners to impose Stage I fire restrictions throughout the county early this morning. Near Hot Springs, the Garden Creek Fire has burned an estimated 184 acres, primarily on Bureau of Indian Affairs land. According to the Sanders County Wildland Fire Information page on Facebook, the fire is located near the boundary with the Plains/Thompson Falls Ranger District of the Lolo National Forest. The Confederated Salish & Kootenai Tribes...
A thunderstorm came through Sanders County late last week, with lightning sparking small fires throughout the county. In the Hot Springs a fire in Garden Creek had burned about two acres as of Tuesday, with a 10-person crew in that area. Two other small fires were being managed by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA). Near Thompson Falls, a fire in the Cherry Creek area was reported early Sunday morning. The fire, called the Lynx Fire, was held to about one acre by firefighters. A fire in the...
Rumors and speculation on social media muddled facts about an incident that took place Thursday, July 26. Those with an ear to the scanner or in the area were aware of patrol vehicles responding to a call in the rural Trout Creek area. Sanders County Sheriff Office (SCSO) Deputy Martin Spring agreed to comment and clear the air regarding details of the incident. “When we arrived, the caller explained that he had been away from home running errands and returned to find the lock on his gate had been cut,” shared Spring. “As he pulled up to his h...
A lot goes into planning events such as the Big Sky Blues Festival, Plains Day, or the Huckleberry Festival. Debb McNary, chairperson of Trout Creek’s Huckleberry Festival, said the committee plans for 10 months to make each year great. McNary is also on the Trout Creek Community Improvement Association, and gives hundreds of hours a year to these organizations. Volunteers keep our communities thriving, and work countless hours to put on top-notch events that drive local tourism and boost the local economy. Using the Huckleberry Festival as a...
Editor: During the “thundering” and lightning storm on Friday, we noticed a small fire across the river and called 911 and they contacted the Forest Service. Within a few minutes the USFS contacted us and we were able to direct them to our home where we had good visibility. Three great guys showed up with their GPS and pinpointed where the fire was. It was up Thorne Creek. All three were willing to hike in to the location but luckily a helicopter was able to pick them up. With the fire out, we can only tell all of those involved …. thank you....
Dear Editor, Many thanks to Callie Jacobson for the fine article on the recent Baroque Festival. There are a couple of clarifications that should be made. A Baroque festival was not my idea. It was THE IDEA which evolved as we (Janet, Monica, I, and then others) came together in their support of it. As I stated in my message at the festival (see Ledger, Thursday, 7/26/2018) which was not reported, THE IDEA came with all the resources to make it happen and I am so grateful to have been a part of this festival idea. It has been a thoroughly...
Dear Editor: Allow me to clarify a misunderstanding in last week’s letter to the editor from Major Jan Manning, U.S. Army (Ret). During my 24 plus years of service to our country, no one ever asked me if I were a Democrat or a Republican. I am not the Vice Chairman of Sanders County Democrats. My intention in writing to the Ledger was to inform my fellow veterans of the successful efforts of Senator Jon Tester in the passage of 10 bills improving our health care under this administration. Doing so required bi-partisan efforts by our Se...
4 YEARS AGO • AUGUST 3, 1978 LOGGERS DEVELOPED COLORFUL LANGUAGE By W.L. Olson, Kootenai Logging Specialist "The flapjacks were too round so I went countin' ties." A poor excuse to quit a job was often better than none at all, so the logger headed down the railroad tracks for town, countin' ties. In the old days of the logging camps there wasn't much to do on those long, cold winter nights after the horses were bedded down and socks were hung to dry around the pot-bellied stove. The loggers s...
JIM WALKER, Thompson Falls – “With Fiona, who is now my wife of 10 years. I took her on my Bayliner boat in Seattle from Kingston to Edmonds Sound. She’s my soulmate.” LINDA MERCHANT, Trout Creek – “Every day I’m with my husband, Doug, of 42 years.” RON LANE, Plains – “The first time was with my wife. We’ve been married 51 years.” LISA PARKER, Thompson Falls – “It was back in 1979. My soon-to-be husband took me to the drive-in.” ALAN ADAMS, Belgrade, Montana – “I never had a good one.” BOB MAXWELL, originally from Kentucky, in Trout...
Ambulances: Noxon, 3; T. Falls, 6; Plains, 2; H. Springs, 6. Sunday, July 22 Campers on the big island east of T. Falls started a campfire and started a log pile on fire. The campers were advised to leave the island, T. Falls. An intoxicated male came into a T. Falls residence. Tree on fire near powerlines, Noxon. Arrest made for disorderly conduct, intoxicated male passed out at a T. Falls business. Abandoned vehicle at the Beaver Creek turnoff. Person shooting tannerite into the water and killing fish at Martin Cr. Bay, T. Creek. Criminal...
Sanders County Sheriff’s Office Barney Matthew, 33, operating vehicle without valid license, $275. Owner permitting operation of vehicle without liability insurance, 1st offense, $285. Jason Martinez, 57, speeding in restricted zone, $55. Azhang Aazami, 42, night speeding, $20. Jourdan Wood, 28, speeding in restricted zone, $55. Marlow Peterson, 58, day speeding, $20. Erin Delgadillo, 39, operating vehicle without liability insurance, 1st offense, $85. Fred Carl III, 61, speeding in restricted zone, $55. Montana Highway Patrol Carson W...
Last month, Ronan Police Department issued a public statement regarding counterfeit bills turning up in the area. Often, once the fake bills are found, the criminals move into surrounding areas to try to their scam. In 2015, First Security Bank of Thompson Falls reported that at least three fake bills had come through the area, sharing that it was a lot for that small town to see. Ronan Police Department reported that the current bills found in circulation are actually “prop” money, used in movies and sold online. The texture of the paper use...
The saying, "Good fences make good neighbors" has new meaning for Frank Owens and Leta Behmerwohld, Trout Creek residents whose properties border the northwest side of Trout Creek Park. Thanks to the efforts of a few local volunteers and donations from Thompson River Lumber, the park now boasts a brand new 432-foot-long wooden fence. It defines the border of the busy park and offers attractive privacy to the residents on the other side. "In the past, people would park in our yards during...
The 10th annual Avista Charity Golf Scramble will be held August 18 at the Rivers Bend Golf Course in Thompson Falls. This year Avista will be honoring the Western Montana Mental Health Center (WMMHC). “Avista has been amazing to work with and we are ecstatic that they chose us,” said Abby Harnett, Executive Director of WMMHC. To be considered for the scramble, organizations must submit an application that outlines what their contributions to the community are and where the money will be going that is donated. The scramble is a very pop...
Two helicopters were needed to assist a logger who was clipped by a falling tree near Calico Creek up Thompson River, Thursday, July 26. Around 9:30 a.m. a caller reported a logging accident with instruction that a company vehicle would meet the ambulance where Thompson River Road meets with Highway 200. Life Flight was summoned with an expected arrival 30 minutes later. According to the Sanders County Sheriff’s log, Life Flight arrived around 10:30 but was unable to help. “The extraction of the injured man was too dangerous for the Life Fli...
If you love pie and have a bit of a competitive side, then the Pie Eating Contest at the Huckleberry Festival in Trout Creek is just what you’re looking for. Sarah Dramstad commented that “each year there is plenty of audience participation and excitement to get the contestants going.” There are usually different heats for the different age groups depending on how many people have signed up to participate. The contest will be Saturday, August 11, at 7:30 p.m. Those interested in the event can find a brochure with the complete Huckleberry Festiv...
A fundraiser for Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of Lake and Sanders County is set for 6-9 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 4, at the Sanders County Fairgrounds. CASA is an organization that works with abused children, the children’s families, the Montana Department of Child and Family Services and attorneys to find beneficial solutions for abuse cases. When a child suffers from abuse or neglect, CASA volunteers are called to assist during the tough time. There will be ice cream and brownie sundaes as well as live music and a silent auction. L...
With a head count of around 500 attendees at its peak, Wild Coyote Days at Wild Coyote Saloon went off without a hitch, according to owner Karen Ferguson. "We had a great crowd, no drama and plenty of fun," shared Ferguson, who noted that this was the tenth year of the three-day event. Throughout the decade of Wild Coyote Days, entertainment and events have changed over time from "gun fighter" re-enactments to Jell-O wrestling, "We do our best to keep it interesting," shared Ferguson, "and as...
Madeline Snell, of Thompson Falls, earned first place at the 4-H State Congress for Fashion Revue. Snell was the only competitor in the senior age category but that did not mean that she would end up with the win. “They didn’t have to pick me because I was the only competitor, I’m honored that I was chosen,” Snell said of the competition, which lasted three days on the Montana State University campus in Bozeman. Fashion Revue is a category where participants must construct an article of clothing and coordinate an outfit to go with it. Snell s...
On July 30, 1918, renown American writer and poet Joyce Kilmer, an American soldier in the famous Fighting 69th, was killed in action in the Great War's Second Battle of the Marne, the last major German offensive on the Western Front. On that day in history, the 1st Marine Aviation Force arrived at Brest, France, and the U.S. Army Air Service established the 3rd Pursuit Group, also in France. It was a substantial date in the United States for John and Jennie Henry of Arikaree, Colorado. It was...
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Hecla recently received notice that the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) has passed Rock Creek’s silver and copper mining Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS). The next step is the USFS’s issuance of the Record of Decision for Phase I. The SEIS posted in the Federal Register on July 20. Following USFS protocol, there will be a 30-day review period before Kootenai Forest Service Supervisor Chris Savage issues the Record of Decision. According to USFS Cabinet District Ranger John Gubel, the 30-day wait period is not designed for pub...
Sanders County Aquatic Plants Task Force (SCAPTF) recently held an open forum to discuss treatment actions planned to counteract the invasion of Eurasian watermilfoil, an aquatic invasive plant discovered in the Noxon Reservoir in 2007. "Our focus has changed from big beds to public access areas," commented Kim Bergstrom, SCAPTF facilitator, addressing how the treatment areas are going to be concentrated on boat launch areas, private docks and popular fishing spots rather than where large weedy...
