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Independently owned since 1905
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Sometimes it is hard to remember the things that matter in life. Sometimes we get caught up in who did the best at something, or who came out on top. When running a race, it is easy to base success on placement or time. This year's Huckleberry Festival Fun Run had a participant who is clearly a hero above all others. Amber Riel of Florence, Montana, did not finish first. She did not finish second, third, fourth or fifth. But she did indeed finish. And considering her circumstances, finishing a... Full story
With the City of Thompson Falls moving forward on the wastewater treatment project, crews from Great West Engineering have been in town working on the project design and engineering. Property owners in phases one and two of the project — which include properties on the hill from the west end of town to Grove Street — were sent postcards in the mail asking them to call or go online to set an appointment with Great West Engineering. The firm will meet with property owners to discuss the location of existing sewer service and septic tank loc...
UPDATE: According to FWP, the special CWD B licenses sold out in two hours this morning. Licenses went on sale at 8 a.m. and were all sold by 10:13 a.m. Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP) is holding public meetings across Sanders County to discuss Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) after a sixth deer was detected with the disease in Libby. The latest white-tailed deer to test positive was a road-killed doe collected along U.S. Highway 2 near Flower Creek. The Veterinary Diagnostic Lab at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colorado,...
The City of Thompson Falls Police Deaprtment (TFPD) is warning residents of a phone scam using the department's non-emergency telephone number. Calls from the City of Thompson Falls City Court show up on caller identification as (406) 827-3558. According to an alert issued by TFPD, scammers are using that number to try and get money from residents. The alert states that callers may ask for money to repay a social security debt, or they may tell the person who answers the phone that there is a warrant for their arrest and if they pay some money...
The Rex Theatre is a Thompson Falls landmark. When a building is 80 years old and has as rich a history, it earns landmark status. Doug and Karen Grimm bought the theater in 2002 and worked on it for two years before opening it to the public. It served as a movie theater primarily and is home to live music, dance performances, plays, political forums and other events. Though new movies aren't shown at the theater anymore, memories of Christmas movies, getting a candy cane from Santa and first dates surface as you walk down the aisles. Doug and...
Because of the nature of my assignments on the Los Angeles Police Department, I had the privilege of working each of the 21 divisions or precincts in the city over the course of my career. The ability to work all these different areas gave me exposure to people from every ethnicity and all walks of life. That exposure is what changed/shaped my ideology. When I first graduated from the Police Academy, I was assigned to Van Nuys Division in the San Fernando Valley. In 1979, Van Nuys Division was...
I would like to thank Jay Simons for all the years of service to this community. And where the heck was I last week when you asked for our best fish stories for the question of the week, I have some fantastic fish stories. The one I need to tell you does not involve big fish or lots of action. In 1968, when I was 18, a couple of buddies and I went out to my dad's fish house on Spring Lake, near Prior Lake, Minnesota, to catch our limit of Sunnies. As I was falling asleep on the top bunk, I tied my fishing line to my finger. A short while later...
4 YEARS AGO • AUGUST 9, 1979 HORSE LOGGING WORKS AT NOXON Comparing the price of oats with the cost of diesel fuel led to a new way of life for a Western Montana family five years ago. George W. Rigby, a rugged, 51 year-old logger from Noxon, Montana, has been operating a contract horse logging operation for Washington Water Power Company (WWP) on non-operating property of the utility near Noxon. The Rigby logging activity is a family enterprise. Wife Joan, on the job daily with the menfolk cooks for her husband and two sons, Robert, 26, a...
JAZMYN HANCOCK, Thompson Falls – “I have just about everything done except buying school supplies.” BECKY YODER, Thompson Falls – “Yes and no. The lazy mornings are nice but the children are ready. We have six children. Three are in school.” SARA BEDNARDEK, Trout Creek — “We just have to get school supplies. We have one daughter who is in the eighth grade and is transitioning from home school to public school.” COLE REVAN, Thompson Falls — “I’m six and a half years old and will be in the first grade.” JAMIE THOMA, Thompson Falls — “I am kin...
Ambulance: H. Springs 4, Plains 9, T. Falls 6, Dixon 3, Trout Creek 1 Sunday, August 4 Animal complaint, Dixon Animal complaint, Plains Animal complaint, Plains Livestock on road, Dixon Property damage, Plains Traffic stop, Paradise Property damage, T. Falls Alarm, Plains Traffic stop, T. Falls Welfare check, T. Falls Traffic stop, Plains Traffic stop, Plains Traffic complaint, Plains Domestic, Dixon Assist motorist, Paradise Traffic stop, T. Falls Juvenile runaway, Heron Monday, August 5 Disturbance, T. Falls Motor vehicle crash, T. Falls Thre...
Montana Highway Patrol Robin Mills, 49, day speeding, $20. Benjamin Walker, 48, improper passing, $85. Connie Brown, 60, speeding in restricted zone, $85 David Bertsch, 40, seatbelt violation, $20. Bridget Knerr, 56, speeding in restricted zone, $85. Gregory Murphy, 79, day speeding, $20. Dane Chojnacky, 16, improper passing, $85; seatbelt violation, $20. Bryce Henning, 20, speeding in restricted zone, $65. Mervin Otto, 48, seatbelt violation, $20. Scott Carlson, 57, seatbelt violation, $20. John Fusaro, 28, day speeding, $70. Steve Hanson,...
by Callie Jacobson Trout Creek was overrun with huckleberries last weekend as the 40th Annual Huckleberry Festival provided entertainment, a parade, crafts and wares and of course, all things huckleberry. Friday evening events included stage performances by D&D Music, Dance Xplostion!, Rolling Bones and the annual Miss Huckleberry and Mr. Huck Finn talent contest. The Trout Creek Rural Fire Department served hundreds of patrons huckleberry pancakes, ham and eggs both Saturday and Sunday. On...
On August 5, 2019, Virgil "Tony" Turner was permanently called back to the mothership. He was born December 30, 1938, to Mamie Thomas and William "Bill" Turner in Bellingham, Washington. He broke the tie, bringing the Turner clan to five boys and four girls. Although he was the last, he was the biggest. He was a jack of all trades. He worked for the carnival, rebuilt cars, was a welder and a grounds keeper supervisor. But his fondest memories were his time serving in the Navy from 1961-1968.... Full story
On Wednesday, August 7, 2019, Harvey Eugene "Gene" Pinkley, loving husband and father of two daughters, passed away at age 77. He was the son of Hugh and Annie (White) Pinkley born on August 19, 1941. He married Jeanie Hamilton August 25, 1963 in Polson, Montana. They raised two daughters, Carla (Brad) Kinzie and Cherie (Greg) Stordahl, five grandchildren, A.J. (Peggy) Ehrlich, Nikki Ehrlich, Jessica Stordahl (Cody Toner), Jeremy Stordahl, Cody Kinzie, and two great-grandchildren Kyla and... Full story
A rare August cold front with quenching rains poured into Montana last week, at least temporarily slowing down the 2019 wildland fire season. Just as Smokey Bear was celebrating his 75th birthday last Friday, a large weather system also arrived in western Montana. Lightning sparked a few new fires but plentiful rain also eventually washed over the area, keeping the new starts reasonably small. The Plains/Thompson Falls Ranger District picked up one of those new starts last Thursday evening on the slopes of Pat’s Knob across the Clark Fork R...
Some people walk to exercise and some people take a walk to enjoy the fresh air Glenn Koster, Sr. walks to raise awareness for foster care and adoption. Starting in Miami Beach, Florida on February 1, 2018, Koster’s journey cuts through 16 states for a total of 4,467 miles. At the age of 6, Koster entered the foster system and moved around until he was adopted at age 10. He knows firsthand just how difficult the process can be on a child or teen and how it can impact the rest of your life. In 2011 Koster decided to make a healthy life change t...
Wasting no time in candidacy campaigning for the 2021 to 2023 legislative term, Paul C. Fielder has recently filed with the State of Montana making it official that he will be running for House of Representative in District 13. Filing with the state is a legality so that Fielder is now able to accept campaign donations and provides what he calls a "courtesy" to the public to foresee who will be in the running for legislature in the upcoming election. Explaining that Fielder's father's name was...
A GREAT WAY TO RECYCLE: PURCHASE OR DONATE NEW OR USED BUILDING MATERIALS A national spending study by American Express shows that about 75% of all homeowners do home improvement projects each year, spending an average of more than $4,000 on each project. Materials account for a big chunk of this spending. One way to cut down this cost is to shop for secondhand materials. Reuse centers and architectural salvage stores sell surplus home-construction materials at a fraction of their retail cost. Reuse centers can sell building materials at such...
The Thompson Falls High School class of 1989 gathered for their 30th reunion last weekend. The group took a tour of the high school, had a barbecue at the Power Park and a gathering at Big Eddy's. Classmates included (from left) Joe Bowden, Scott McKenzie, John Knerr, Lynette Elliott, Shannon Moore, Lisa (Zook) Perkins, Denise (Hill) Black, Susan (Knerr) Gregg, John Pat Stobie, Patti (Vulgamore) Lyght, Trent Lyght, Ruth Hanks, Tony Lyght, Dana (Normandeau) Watts, Kathi (Colombini) Riley and...
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are investigating the death of a grizzly bear from a reported self-defense shooting in the Cabinet Mountains south of Troy. Two backpackers from Sanders County reported shooting an adult female grizzly bear in self-defense on a forested trail near Dad Peak in the Cabinet Mountains Wilderness. The reported surprise encounter occurred along a section of trail with huckleberry bushes. The incident occurred Aug. 2 and the individuals notified authorities Aug. 4 after...
The Thompson Falls Masonic Lodge presented checks to the Thompson Falls, Noxon and Trout Creek schools last month. The Masonic Lodge had established a trust to support a Bikes for Books program with local schools. In recent years, the money has helped the Masons donate bikes and Kindles to reading programs. The Masonic Lodge property on Columbia Street in Thompson Falls recently sold, and the Masonic Lodge members decided to close the trust. They divided the money between the three schools....
by Shana Neesvig When it comes to finding a good teacher, some argue the higher the level of education, the better the educator. Trout Creek School Superintendent and Principal Debbie Phillips is pleased to announce that 87.5% of her teaching staff has received, or is just about to complete, a master's degree in education programs. "That means that 7 of our 8 school educators have master's degrees," Phillips commented about her teachers, counselor and support staff. She was exuding confidence...
by Shana Neesvig and Callie Jacobson With August almost half over, parents and students are most likely thinking about going back to school. Sanders County schools are welcoming new teachers to their staffs. New to the home of the Dixon Bison are preschool teacher Mariah Delaney, Michaela Krahn assuming third and fourth grade duties, Kyler Rutz taking on fifth grade and Mariah Germano heading up seventh and eighth grade. Thompson Falls will welcome Neil Harbel as the new music and band teacher. Jessica Lewis will be teaching sixth grade this...
THE 2019 PIRANHAS SWIM TEAM completed the summer season recently with appearances at the divisional meet in Cut Bank July 27-28 and the state meet at Sidney Aug. 3-4. Emmerson Tingley, coach Shayna Swanson, Ireland Corbin, Alexis Helterline, Sam Tingley, Cree Lulcak, Pepper Lulack, Caleb Lakko, Hallie Corbin and Reagan Tingley posed for this team picture in the Plains wading pool recently....
The time to practice has arrived; the time to play is not very far away. High school teams from around Sanders County will hit the football fields, the volleyball courts and the running trails en masse beginning this Friday. An interesting season of football is in the offing this fall as Thompson Falls drops down to the 8-Man game for the first time in decades. The 8-Man football leagues will no longer be associated with Class B or C designations, it will be simply 8-Man football, regardless of what classification schools are in for other...
