Independently owned since 1905
Independently owned since 1905
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Sanders County’s unemployment rate currently ranks as the fifth highest in the state. While Montana has seen a drop in unemployment since January of this year, Sanders County sits at a rate of 6.2%. According to Jessica Nelson, Montana Department of Labor and Industry Public Information Officer, this number is slightly higher than the “normal” unemployment rate of around 4%. “Part of the unemployment rate is due to the slow winter season, which typically has the lowest level of jobs in Montana’s economy,” Nelson said. “Across the full state, t...
Stuck in a church basement during a storm, five women learned a lot about life and each other last weekend. The church basement was the stage at The Paradise Center in Paradise and the women were five actors displaying their talents in The Paradise Players' presentation of "The Charitable Sisterhood of the Second Trinity Victory Church." The play is set in the 1970s and portrays a minister's wife who always knows just what the gorup needs to do, a mother of nine, a former nurse, a private...
The filing deadline for local school board elections closed last week. Candidates had until 5 p.m. Thursday to file for positions in Dixon, Hot Springs, Noxon, Plains, Thompson Falls and Trout Creek school districts. In Dixon School District, three candidates have filed for two open three-year positions. Dixon candidates include Marsha Hettick, Kadilyn Roragen and Janita Vonheeder. Hot Springs schools has one three-year position up for election this May, with Jennifer Christensen and Julie White filing. Noxon School District has four positions...
The Paradise sewer board voted on Monday to proceed with the newest version of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) defining the roles in a possible agreement to purchase land on which to put the proposed sewer. The decision will allow the board to pursue a buy/sell agreement with landowner Bridger Bischoff to purchase just over six acres of land. However, there is concern over the legitimacy of the vote, according to two of the five board members and the Sanders County Attorney. Issues amongst...
In a moment of passion, it's difficult to keep emotions and reactions in check, especially when the topic is personal. By now, everyone has heard the jab that comedian Chris Rock took at Will Smith's wife, Jada, at the Oscars on Sunday. We watched as Smith's response to the joke was to walk up on stage, slap Rock across the face, and return to his seat warning Rock twice to keep his wife's name out of his (expletive) mouth. The moment was censored on American television, but the full video began circulating on the Internet within moments....
Dear Editor, What is the economy for? Rich stock traders make money on money without creating anything tangible for society. Grocery store chains raise prices, don’t pay a living wage, and give big bonuses to CEO’s. Meatpacking monopolies shortchange Montana ranchers on cattle prices. The economy as it is doesn’t benefit poor, low-wage working, and middle-class Montanans. Wages have stagnated for years and nowhere meet the cost of living adjusted for inflation, benefits if any exist at all keep getting cut, housing developments are desig...
On September 13, 2001, two days after the incredibly horrific destruction at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and the loss of thousands of lives taken by aircraft commandeered by Muslim terrorists, President George W. Bush met with congressional leaders and Cabinet members to discuss the situation and how to return air travel, which had been suspended, to normal. David Bonier, Democratic congressman from Michigan, told the President of his Muslim constituents’ fears about being rounded up and detained. The President responded, “David, you...
6 YEARS AGO • MARCH 29, 1917 ICE MELTS IN LAKE During the past week the ice that has covered the lake above the dam to a depth of more than a foot has practically disappeared. Only a few small pieces remain along the shore. The warm weather rotted the ice away and almost all of it melted without going over the dam. The passing of the ice has released many of the logs along shore and they are beginning to drift into the runway that is to carry them over the dam. A crew of men is at work and the logs are kept moving as fast as they strike t...
Beau Mccormick, Thompson Falls - “My best prank is putting a video on YouTube of a screen breaking paused on the new TV and letting my parents walk in and see it.” Virgil Holtrop, Thompson Falls - “We were tricked into getting up an hour earlier because someone changed all the clocks in the house, and we didn’t even know about it until we got back home from school. Susan Becktold, Trout Creek - “My husband made a prank call to my brother who was a produce manager and asked for 'John berries,' and my brother’s name is John. He really had...
Sanders County Sheriff’s Office Jennifer Bakke, 22, speeding in restricted zone, $55; driving while privilege suspended or revoked, 2nd offense, $285. Nona Kay, 51, speeding in restricted zone, $55. Karen Bennett, 53, day speeding, $20. Archie Knerr, 82, day speeding, $20. Montana Highway Patrol Michael Favret, 67, day speeding, $70. Catharine Elliott, 40, seatbelt violation, $20. Nanette Smith, 65, seatbelt violation, $20. Timothy Hutto, 26, day speeding, $70. Chad Parker, 52, day speeding, $70. Jonathan Thompson, 44, day speeding, $70. Andrew...
Ambulance: Plains, 1; Trout Creek, 1; Heron, 1; T. Falls, 5; Noxon, 1. Monday, March 21 Property damage/criminal mischief, Plains. Civil standby, Plains. Animal bite, T. Falls. Welfare check, T. Falls. Person missing, T. Falls. Suspicious activity, T. Falls. Assist other agency, Plains. Tuesday, March 22 Animal other, Dixon. Motor vehicle crash, Dixon. Theft, Hot Springs. Fire, T. Falls. Suspicious activity, Heron. Theft, T. Falls. Fire, T. Falls. Fire, Trout Creek. Fire, Plains. Fire, Plains. Theft, Noxon. Property damage/criminal mischief,...
A Trout Creek woman convicted of embezzling more than $650,000 while working for a Trout Creek company was sentenced today to four years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Leif M. Johnson said. Tina Rae Wood, 49, pleaded guilty in November 2021 to wire fraud. U.S. District Judge Donald W. Molloy also ordered $650,843 in restitution and allowed Wood to self-report to the Bureau of Prisons. The government alleged in court documents that Wood was hired in 2013 by a supply company in Trout Creek as an...
Water Service, Inc., the non-profit corporation that manages the water system in Trout Creek, has been planning for improvements to the system for years. With the help of funding from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), those plans are being put into action. Doug Cooper is the president of the water board. “We never thought we’d ever have the funds,” Cooper said of the project. He said the funding will improve the existing water system in Trout Creek and make it solvent for years to come. “If we get these improvements done now, it’s going to...
Thompson Falls students performed the play "Johnny Appleseed" for classmates and community members last week in the junior high gym. Missoula Children's Theatre (MCT) and Thompson Falls Schools have been working together to bring theater opportunities to students for the last 40 years. This year alone, MCT has worked with 65,000 children in more than 1,200 communities in all 50 states and 17 countries. "Auditions are open to anybody in K-12, but are limited to the students who live within our sc...
Hecla is taking a different path with its operations in Montana. The mining company has withdrawn its plans of operation for the proposed Rock Creek and Montanore mines in Northwest Montana and is focusing more on exploration. The company has submitted a new plan that just includes exploration at the proposed Montanore site. ‘We believe it’s an easier pathway,” Mike Satre with Hecla said last week. Satre, the company’s director of governmental affairs, said that the plan of exploration being reviewed by the U.S. Forest Service will leverag...
Since 1993 Clearwater Montana Properties say they have been working to build their communities, and this year donated over $15,000 to local nonprofit groups in Sanders County. 20 different local organizations on the western side of the county, from Heron to Thompson Falls, received donations. According to Administrative Assistant Mandy Krueger with the Noxon Clearwater office, "I like to see the organizations all visit with each other." She spoke of the many organizations that were invited to...
September 18, 1934 – March 21, 2022 After a long, hard-fought battle with cancer, Richard "Dick" Laning Wells, 87, of Thompson Falls, Montana, passed away March 21, 2022, at the Southwest Montana Veterans' Home in Butte, with his son Ehren close at hand. In a circumstance that can probably best be described as romantic irony, he passed away on the eve of the anniversary of the passing of his wife, Billie, who died March 22, 2017. Dick was many things to many people. Loving and caring husband a... Full story
Chuck Sterns of Thompson Falls passed away March 25, 2022. A full obituary and memorial details will be published at a later date.... Full story
Kimberly Bates of Plains, Montnaa, would like to announce the birth of her iconic first granddaughter – Lainie Frances Bates Tangedal. Lainie was born to Ryan and Kara Tangedal on December 24, 2021, at St. Peter's Hospital in Helena. Even then Lainie knew the spotlight should be on her, so she immediately demanded to be life-flighted to Community Hospital in Missoula to get the attention she knew she deserved. After being feted and pampered by the doctors and nurses, she was released to her a... Full story
Eva Augusta (Kottke) Ramsey, 86, gained her wings March 17. She was born June 29, 1935, to Edward and Catherine (Lang) Kottke in Oak Harbor, Washington. Eva was the youngest of six siblings. Eva married the love of her life, Robert Ramsey, September 2, 1966. They had two daughters, Lisa and Michelle. Eva loved the outdoors, traveling and especially crocheting afghans. She was preceded in death by her parents and siblings, Ada, Bill, Catherine, Charlotte and Edward. Eva leaves behind her... Full story
Julian Lofthus, 101 years old, passed away on Friday, March 10, 2022, at Hot Springs Health and Rehab Center. Julian was born on January 5, 1921, in Deer Park, Minnesota, one of the 11 children born to Oscar and Signie Lofthus. Induction into the Army in 1942. Went into Air Force Radar and was stationed at Christmas Island. Honorably discharged on October 23, 1945. He bought the family farm in Minnesota and farmed for a few years. After that, he went to Montana and did some ranch work and crop dusted. Went back to Minnesota and then on to... Full story
One thing I have not done a lot of is ice fishing. As the year warms up, I find myself wanting to learn more about how to be successful next year. Just getting into it, I’m learning that it is like an extreme version of ordinary fishing in the sense that it is either “really on” or “really off.” Either every jig or drop nets you a fish or nothing you can do short of draining the lake and having a look around the bottom on foot can guarantee a fish. As with any fishing, the frustrations can be immense, but the rewards matching. However,...
The Lincoln County Lions hosted Plains and Thompson Falls at the Eureka Time Trials on Saturday. The Blue Hawk boys dominated in the 100, taking first through fourth places in the event with the fastest time by junior Jesse Claridge at 12.22 seconds. William Hyatt, a senior, won both the 1600 and the 3200 by wide margins for the Hawks. His time of 10 minutes, 27.64 seconds in the 3200 is fast enough to automatically qualify him for that event in the state track meet. Junior Breck Ferris also...
Several local wrestlers competed in the Montana Open last weekend in Billings. Lilly MacDonald, a junior from Plains High School who finished second at state last month, earned second place at the Open, winning one and losing one. David Schulze, a Plains senior who won his bracket at state last year, finished second in the 145-pound bracket for boys 18 and under. Schulze won his first match with a 15-0 technical fall, then lost an 8-3 decision. He wrestled back in the consolation bracket, with a pin and two wins by decision before challenging...
Fresh off the heels of a third state championship, wrestler Trae Thilmony can add All-American to his list of achievements. The Thompson Falls senior finished fourth in the 2022 NHSCA High School National tournament last weekend. Thilmony and sophomore Max Hannum attended the three-day tournament in Virginia Beach. "It was fun. It was good competition. Everyone there is trying to wrestle at the next level," Trae said upon returning from Virginia. "It reminds me of how you're like the big fish...
