Independently owned since 1905
Independently owned since 1905
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by Shannon Brown and Annie Wooden Thompson Falls is once again searching for a mayor. Mayor Jerry Lacy submitted his letter of resignation last Thursday. "Due to health concerns I am no longer able to continue with the duties of mayor of Thompson Falls," Lacy wrote in his resignation letter. "I apologize for any complications my leaving may cause." Lacy did not respond to a request for additional comment from The Ledger. The city will now accept letters of interest from residents interested in...
The community of Paradise is going to have a train roundhouse once again. This one is going to be positioned at the Paradise Center, but won't have real trains inside. Construction on the new roundhouse is about halfway done and expected to be completed by the end of the month, said Clint Weedeman of Correct Construction of Plains and the main coordinator on the job. Weedeman is doing the job with his brother, Josh, who runs Top Notch Construction, and Adam Cowan of Hometown Builders...
Sanders County Commissioners chose a new coroner on Monday. Greg Davis, who has served as a deputy coroner for more than six years, was chosen to fill the position after Coroner Patrick Barber resigned earlier this month to accept a position as a deputy with the Sanders County Sheriff's Office. Commissioner Tony Cox said that Davis had the experience and the qualifications and had been performing the duties under Barber. "Pat has been very, very good for the office," Cox said of the former...
The Sanders County Fair might be without a carnival next year, announced Fair Commission Chairman Randy Woods at last week's board meeting. According to Woods, Sherry McKay, owner of Paradise Amusements of Post Falls, Idaho, said she's tired of the complaints and will not be returning to the Sanders County Fair. For the last two years, there have been numerous complaints about the carnival. Fair board member Jim Newman walked the carnival this year and gave out free tickets and Paradise...
“I have been doing good and going the way my doctor wants it … what you have to be doing is be strong, be and think positive, and take it day by day.” This was written in a thank you card to our church last year by Lacey Kinser. Lacey lost her battle with breast cancer last week, and I thought of this card she had sent and how positive it was, despite what she was going through. If you shopped at Little Bitterroot in Thompson Falls, you probably met Lacey. She always greeted customers with a smile and was a hard worker. She loved the Blue...
As I grow older, it becomes more difficult to accept the uncaring nature of what seems to be a majority of humans when it comes to other species on the planet. From mosquitoes to redwoods, we seem bent on destroying the other biota on Earth. They get in the way. They block the view. They are more valuable as commodities or oddities or collectors’ items than they are as living things. We buy and sell them. We kill them with impunity, as if we are the only creatures in creation that have the right to be alive. We are wrong. Humans seem to have th...
4 YEARS AGO • OCTOBER 6, 1983 JOE GARRISON Obituary Graveside services were conducted at the Thompson Falls City Cemetery for Joe Garrison, 96, pioneer resident of Belknap. Mr. Garrison was born September 15, 1887, in Enfield, Illinois. He moved to Belknap in 1905. On October 20, 1909 he married Clara Moen in Coeur d’Alene. The couple moved to Belknap in 1911. In 1918 they moved to the ranch near there. It became their permanent home. Garrison was a rancher, farmer and horse trader, and was a charter depositor in the First State Bank of Thomps...
The Clark Fork Soccer Alliance is grateful for the Ledger's coverage of soccer in the county. Annie Wooden's words of support in the Sept. 28 Ledger were especially welcome. I have never fancied myself a soccer person but I have grown to respect the sport almost as much as my first love, basketball. The parallels between the two sports are intriguing. Since moving to Thompson Falls sixteen years ago, I have been involved with the local soccer program as a program coordinator, registrar, parent, fan, and most recently as the assistant coach of...
Children thrive in environments that are consistent and safe. It’s where nurturing and thriving coexist in a world that can be utterly chaotic. Saying was, “If it’s not broke, don’t fix it.” However that’s seemingly changed. Instead of maintaining, our society is quick to toss what could be fine and find new. This has proven true recently with a few school districts in Sanders County. Our community had a safe, logical agreement for students attending school out-of-district. That agreement was recently revoked with the unfortunate events of a...
Editor, We read your article (Ledger- October 12) concerning the Sawtooth Mountain EMS service in Heron. We look forward with interest to reading your article presenting the other side of this story. Sincerely, Debbie and Dave Lyman, Heron...
Ambulance: T. Falls, 6; Plains, 6; Hot Springs, 4; Noxon, 2; Heron, 1; Dixon, 1; Paradise, 1. Monday, October 9 Assist other agency, Trout Creek. Suspicious activity, Heron. Extra patrol request, Heron. Civil attempts. Motor vehicle crash, T. Falls. Civil attempts, Plains Theft, Hot Springs. Property damage/criminal mischief, Hot Springs. Trespass, Noxon. Animal other, Hot Springs. Civil standby, Plains. Child welfare/abuse, T. Falls. Fire, T. Falls. Motor vehicle crash, T. Falls. Livestock, Paradise. Fire. Suspicious activity, Hot Springs....
Montana Highway Patrol Sarah Carlile, 33, seatbelt violation, $20. Jacob Berryman, 34, speeding in a restricted zone, $85. Abby Allsop, 20, day speeding, $70. Susan Jones, 69, failure to yield to vehicle on through highway, $85. Amy Jones, 31, day speeding, $70. Chance Roullier, 29, day speeding, $70. Ashley Watson, 39, day speeding, $70. Joshua Bulger, 26, seatbelt violation, $20. Cody Cavanaugh, 31, day speeding, $120. Stewart Cardon, 66, speeding in a restricted zone, $65. Rex Gibbs, 78, speeding in a restricted zone, $95. Duane Lafountain,...
Joshua Michael Dodson made his initial appearance before Judge Deborah Kim Christopher on Tuesday, pleading not guilty to a misdemeanor charge of partner or family member assault and felony charges of assault with a weapon, strangulation of a partner or family member, attempted arson, and criminal endangerment. A jury trial was set for February 19, 2024. Dodson’s attorney, Cheryl Copperstone, made a request to reduce Dodson’s bond to an own recognizance release, addressing the fact that Dodson has completed numerous domestic violence trainings...
Several people got lost between Plains and Thompson Falls last weekend, though they eventually found their way. It was a corn maze and part of the 2nd Annual Harvest Festival held at the Waterway CSA Farm owned by Mark and Elizabeth Riffle just over 15 miles west of Plains along Highway 200. It took the Riffles about 20 hours to construct the 60x100-square foot maze, which had field corn which ranged from four to seven feet high. "It's tiny, but you can get lost easily," said 10-year-old John...
The festival for forest activities was held for the second year at the Mule Pasture in Thompson Falls, Saturday, October 7. "This is our second year of having this festival here," Juli Thurston of the MSU Extension Office said. Thurston said they scheduled it later this year hoping to accommodate more people. Education stations were set up and demonstrations were held for anyone interested in learning more about forestry, land use and management that included private land ownership. "We want it...
Limberlost Brewery was packed with interested citizens last Thursday as Fish, Wildlife and Parks Wildlife Biologist Zack Farley gave an update on a local elk study. “FWP started a three-year study in early 2023 to try to determine the cause of decline in elk harvests,” Farley said. He has been a biologist with FWP for one year. Thompson Falls is Farley’s first assignment. The presentation covered the areas of hunting district 121. “It includes everything northwest of Thompson Falls to the state line and up to Bull Lake, then north to the Cab...
It was music to the ears for one of Plains School's newest teachers, who got his first teaching job less than two hours from home. Loren Lauridson jumped right into his new job and within three days had the students rehearsing for their first concert of the year, a fall concert scheduled for Oct. 24. "I always say the sooner we get instruments in the students' hands, the better we will sound," said the 23-year-old Lauridson. Their first concert of the year will include the high school choir,...
Sanders County Health Nurse Debbie Lang reported at last week’s Board of Health meeting that the county will no longer be administering COVID vaccines. “This is for safety reasons,” Lang told the board and community members at last Wednesday’s meeting. During public comment, Mindy Ferrell from Trout Creek voiced her concern about COVID vaccine availability. She was against the county ending this service because she feels that there are not enough options for people who cannot make the trip to Missoula or other distances to get vaccina...
The Sanders County Health Department offers free flu shots for the season. Last Wednesday, the department's tent was set up at the rural fire hall at the west end of Thompson Falls. It was in operation from noon to 4 p.m. "We have had 40 people so far today," said Lisa Richmond, the public health assistant. That was at 2 p.m. "On Tuesday they administered a total of 49 shots in Trout Creek," said Bill Naegeli, the Sanders County Emergency Manager. Ashley Bache, who works for the county as the...
Trick or Treat, Move Your Feet, is the Thompson Falls Community Trail Committee's fifth 5K Run and 1-mile fun run/walk. The festive event is open to all paces of runners. The event will be Saturday, October 28. Trick or Treat, Move Your Feet will be a celebration of the scenic, user-friendly trail system in Thompson Falls, and will help raise funds for trail maintenance. The event starts and ends at Northwestern Energy Power Park at the intersection of Maiden Lane and Pond Street. The Powerhouse Loop Trail and the Clark Fork River will set the...
Every Monday, a group of women gather at the Paradise Methodist Church for a day of sewing. From 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., they sew quilts, knit hats or crochet items, and embroider on quilt squares and other materials such as pillow cases. They are not a quilting club that sews quilts for themselves or fundraisers. They are a charity sewing group. "We started about 10 years ago and started sewing for charity," Judy Hawley said. Today there are eight to 10 ladies in the group. "We scare the male people...
by Shannon Brown The Dollar General will be opening in Thompson Falls in the near future. The first one to open in Montana was in Columbia Falls, in September 2023. "The new store at 1092 Main Street in Thompson Falls is currently under construction and is slated to open in fall 2023," a Dollar General Public Relations representative told The Ledger. The Dollar General's mission is serving others, the company representative said in an email. "Dollar General is deeply involved in the communities...
by Skye Hill and Annie Wooden Taylor Swift fans caused an earthquake when the pop star performed in Seattle. The phenomenon is being referred to as Swiftquake. Last Thursday in the Plains High School gym, there was a Trotterquake as the home volleyball squad beat Thompson Falls in five intense sets. The Blue Hawks had swept the Trotters in three straight sets when the teams played in Thompson Falls in September. This month, Plains was out for revenge. The Trotters kicked off the first set with...
A new exhibit of Sunday Dutro’s flash creative nonfiction writing will open at the Thompson Falls Public Library on Tuesday, October 24. The work will be on display through Saturday, October 28, with a Writing Presentation and Discussion on Wednesday, October 25 at 1 p.m. This event is free, and all ages are invited. At the Wednesday discussion, Dutro will discuss different forms of writing, creating a writing practice, the submission process, and present a local publishing opportunity available to those who participate in the brief timed w...
The Western B/C Divisionals hosted 11 schools at the Rivers Bend golf course, with runners from both Thompson Falls and Plains earning new personal and seasonal bests. Trotter Marina Tulloch earned first place for the girls with a smashing time of 20 minutes, two seconds. Tulloch's time is a new school record for Plains. The freshman is ranked among the top five in the state for class B as the team prepares for the state tournament this weekend. Owen Jermyn, an eighth grader, also set a record...
