Independently owned since 1905
Independently owned since 1905
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The hottest days of the summer didn't stop hundreds of visitors from descending on Trout Creek for the 39th annual Huckleberry Festival. The heat was good for the ice cream sales, said Debb McNary, festival chairperson. She said that the festival food booth ran out of huckleberry ice cream and had to borrow from the Trout Creek Community Improvement Association booth. Before the festival was over, both booths had gone through more than 200 gallons of huckleberry ice cream. The Trout Creek...
Sanders County Attorney Bob Zimmerman decided last week to withdraw his bid for re-election. Zimmerman withdrew from the race on Monday, the last day he was able to do so, according to Sanders County Clerk & Recorder Nichol Scribner. Naomi Leisz was the other candidate on the ballot from the June primary. Scribner said that because this is a non-partisan race and Zimmerman and Leisz were the only two candidates on the primary ballot, state election law requires the county to open the race for...
Fire season is beginning to make its appearance in Sanders County. Tuesday morning, an online post from Sanders County Wildland Fire Information (SCWFI) reported that the lightning caused Graves Creek Fire "is completely lined and the firefighters are busy with mop up (finding all hot spots and putting them out)." The fire was reported Monday evening and the first group of firefighters arrived around 8:45 p.m. With a total of 12 firefighters and several aerial bucket drops of water, the team...
A fire just west of Weeksville last week could have turned into a major forest fire had it not been for the quick response of local firefighters and dozens of assets thrown at the blaze. The Weeksville Fire began as a trailer house fire Friday afternoon, but quickly spread to nearby grass, brush and timber. The wind and dry fuels took the fire up steep, rocky ridges where firefighters from seven agencies from Trout Creek to Plains fought to contain it. James Russell, chief of Plains-Paradise...
Those on the west end of Sanders County are about to get what they have been patiently waiting for… local medical care. Cabinet Peaks Medical Center of Libby is planning to re-open Bull River Clinic. “Cabinet Peaks Clinic at Bull River will likely open September of this year,” stated Kate Stephens, Cabinet Peaks Medical Clinic representative. “Current plans are under way to offer urgent care, family medicine, occupational health services and physical therapy weekly,” she added. Hours of operation will be Monday and Thursday from 9 a.m. to 6...
In journalism school, every students has to take an ethics course. You don’t get that with every area of study. Projessional journalists hold themselves accountable to their readers, and do their best to be objective and truthful. The founding fathers felt freedom of the press important enough to put it in the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. The media is the eyes and ears for the community. We’re there for city council meetings, high school football games and elections. We do our best to keep our audience informed and present both sid...
Dear Editor, I’m a huge NFL fan! I love the games but the actions of the players during the National Anthem is infuriating. Beyond that, the NFL being afraid to take action is ridiculous. In my opinion, Roger Goodell is a coward! I’ve considered boycotting the NFL and refusing to watch the games. Unfortunately, I’d be the one missing out because I enjoy the sport so much. Instead, I’m embracing an idea that will work to show my anger/frustration over these players kneeling or raising a fist during the Anthem and still be able to watch the gam...
When critics of the Mining Bad Actors Law attacks Montana’s enforcement of a state law that protects taxpayers from shouldering the clean-up bill for mining companies, it’s clearly time to impose an old-fashioned smell test. In weaving together their argument, they got many of their facts wrong. I live in the community where Baker’s company proposes to mine. And as the retired owner of a sawmill and wood products company I know the challenges of creating jobs and making a livelihood in rural Montana. I also understand the obligations busin...
Thank you to the Thompson Falls community and reservoir users. Just wanted to take a moment and thank everyone for their patience and understanding on the recent dam repairs that kept the water levels down most of the summer. With repairs completed, the reservoir was filled August 9. We’ll do our best to keep that a rare event. Again, I apologize for any inconvenience and wish everyone a great rest of the summer. Noel Jacobson, Dam foreman, NorthWestern Energy...
4 YEARS AGO • AUGUST 17, 1978 LEDGER LINES By K.A.E. We’ve never thought of the back of a print shop as being a desirable spot for a party, and we certainly weren’t in a party-expecting mood Thursday afternoon when Lorraine Dufresne, Eileen Garrison and Betty and Gary Gunderson walked into the shop bearing a cake and other goodies to launch a party observing the 25th anniversary of Gladys and me owning The Ledger. Trailing Lorraine and Eileen at brief intervals were numerous friends, including George and Verdie McCallum from Lonepine. The p...
LARRY SCHMILL, Missoula – “With my fingers right off the bush.” MYRA LEWIS, Clark Fork, ID – “I Iike them on ice cream with a little sugar on top.” DAVID HURLBURT, Anaconda – “Huckleberry pie. You can’t beat it.” TODD SCHMIDT, Thompson Falls – “Thirty years ago, I was in the Bob Marshall fishing. I caught fish but picked some huckleberries and ate them. That began a lifelong love of fresh huckleberries right off the bush.” SHYANNE WALDBILLIG, Missoula – “I LOVE huckleberries! Our family makes our own when we go out camping and pick fresh hu...
Ambulances: Noxon, 3; T. Falls, 10; Plains, 4; H. Springs, 2. Sunday, August 5 Fire in the backyard of a Dixon residence. Longhorns out of their fence damaging neighboring property, Plains. Hit and run of carport with damage, T. Falls. Driver removed a small child from the middle of Hwy. 200 in front of the Riverfront Motel, T. Falls. Trespassing on private property, H. Springs. Monday, August 6 Suspicious activity, trespass to vehicle, T. Falls. Welfare check requested, T. Falls. Tree across powerline sparking, Noxon. Noise disturbance, H. Spr...
Trout Creek is home to two angels...adoption angels that is. Craig and Beck Barrus were recently recognized by U.S. Senator Steve Daines as his choice for the prestigious 2018 "Angles in Adoption" honor. Daines commented that the Barrus' are undoubtedly deserving of the honor and should be an inspiration to us all. "With Becky having been a former foster child herself, she understands the importance of instilling family values and responsibility and embody the principle that every child...
David E. Bunch, 100, died Thursday, August 9 at Clark Fork Valley Hospital in Plains. He was born September 3, 1917, at the family farm in Williamsburg, Kansas, the oldest of four children of Oscar and Frances (Shepheard) Bunch. He graduated from Williamsburg High School in 1935. During the dust bowl years of the 1930s, he did general farm work at home and for hire in Kansas and Oklahoma before joining the Civil Conservation Corps in Pueblo Colorado in 1937. He learned to operate a transit and to lay out terraces, ditches and dams and...
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers saved the Plains Wastewater Treatment Plant from being overtaken by the Clark Fork River last spring, but when the water levels went down, so did 35-40 percent of the riprap positioned along the shoreline. If the same thing happens next spring, the lagoon will again be in danger, especially since the river is now only about 138 feet from the UV facility. "Our hands are really tied. We don't have funds to get it done and we don't have the authority to do anything...
Work to install a new culvert under Blue Slide Road, where a creek flooded earlier this year, will begin after Labor Day. Representatives of the Montana Department of Transportation (MDT) and GIS Engineering held an open house at the Sanders County Courthouse last Thursday to update the public on the project to provide a long-term solution for the roadway. Bob Vosen, MDT Missoula District construction engineer, said the work to install a new culvert will take four to six weeks. Vosen said the new culvert will be 5 feet in diameter, whereas the...
The swimming pool season in Plains is over as of Saturday, the last day for people to take a cool dip until next year, yet the 2019 pool opening is questionable. Recently, the pool has been operating without a heater. The Public Works Department staff replaced a boiler part in June, but it failed again. At the town council meeting on Monday, Mayor Dan Rowan said the problem could be the computer board, which will cost $1,000. In addition, the pool has one or more leaks, which accounts for a loss of about 15,000 gallons of water every day. A...
Authorities with the Sanders County Sheriff’s Office, the state Attorney General’s Office and the Division of Criminal Investigation continues to investigate the death of Thompson Falls resident Matt LaFriniere. Sheriff Tom Rummel released a statement on Facebook last week, addressing speculation and comments on social media. “A lot of evidence has been collected and submitted to the Montana Crime Lab in Missoula and it takes time to process this evidence,” Rummel wrote. “As this is an open investigation we are not allowed to release any of our...
FIRST PASSES OF THE SEASON were thrown for the Thompson Falls Blue Hawk football team at midnight on Aug. 10. As Friday was the first day schools were able to practice, head coach Jared Koskela brought his team together under the lights on Previs Field at 12:01 a.m....
The Huckleberry Festival celebrated its 39th year in Trout Creek last weekend, but the Run for Fun one-upped the festival with the 40th annual trot. The year the festival didn't have an organizer, volunteers still put a run together. Christian Kafentzis of Boston was first over the finish line in 18 minutes, 52.2 seconds. Kafentzis said this was this was his first time winning the Huckleberry Run for Fun, and he attributed it to the Naegeli children not participating this year. "It's a lot easie...
Hagedorn Land Surveying sizzled in the heat Wednesday at River’s Bend Golf Course, shooting a team total of 178 for low gross. Team members Ryan Ostwald tallied the low individual gross of 39, and Paul Flemmer hit closest to the pin in three on No. 2 and long drive on No. 9 for those 55 and older. Ty’s Auto had the low team net of 145, and Jesse Mosher took honors for low individual net with a 24. Mosher also had closest to the pin on No. 8 Dave Petteys sank the long putt on No. 3, with Chadd Laws doing the same on No. 6 and hitting the lon...
There was no bull in the way Big Bull Sports played Tuesday at River’s Bend, with Scott Pardee, Ty Pardee, Jake Helvey and Tom Kirkland teaming up for a low net of 142. Big Sky Pantry came in with the low team gross of 172, and team member Gary Thompson had the low individual gross of 41. Steve Fairbank carded the low individual net of 30 and also put in the long putt on No. 6. Mike Thilmony got the other long putt honor of the evening, on No. 3. Ron Belger was closest to the pin on No. 5, Ty Pardee hit closest to the pin in three on No. 2, a...
The Over the Hill Gang was at it again on Monday, swinging away at River’s Bend in Thompson Falls. Rusty Haggard (Nos. 14 and 16) and Bruce Haflich (Nos. 16 and 17) had two chip-ins each for the day with Gary Thompson (No. 12) and Dave Garr (No. 17) also adding chip-ins. Garr shot the low gross for the men of 38 and low net went to Ron Belger with a 30. For the women, Lana Nolen shot the low net of 35. Garr also sank the longest putt on No. 11, with Mike Smith taking that honor on Nos. 12 and 16, and Liz Morkert winning with the long putt on N...
Montana Highway Patrol James Galipeau, 58, possession of open alcoholic beverage container in motor vehicle, $125. Driving under the influence, 1st offense, reckless driving, 1st offense, $385. Daniel Knudson, 41, operating vehicle without liability insurance, 1st offense, $85. Seatbelt violation, $20. Noel Wierleske, 32, day speeding, $20. D. Angela Nickerson, 42, night speeding, $70. Roberta Gascon, 42, seatbelt violation, $20. Chaleen Hill, 39, seatbelt violation, $20. Margaret Vitek, 68, speeding in restricted zone, $55. Harlan Swanson,...
