Independently owned since 1905
Independently owned since 1905
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Former Thompson Falls resident Danielle Wood appeared in 20th District Judicial Court this week. Wood, who is charged with deliberate homicide in the death of Matt LaFriniere, her former boyfriend, was scheduled for an omnibus hearing on Tuesday. Judge Deborah “Kim” Christopher delayed the omnibus hearing until Dec. 17, 2019, at the request of attorney Kirk Krutilla with the public defender’s office. Krutilla and another public defender, William Managhan, have taken over Wood’s defense. She was previously represented by attorneys Eldena...
A portion of the Yellowstone Pipeline, running through National Forest land will be removed announced the Lolo National Forest. Forest Supervisor Carolyn Upton recently signed the final Decision Notice designating the removal and abandonment processes of pipeline located on the Plains/Thompson Falls and Missoula Ranger Districts. According to a Lolo National Forest Service News Release, “The selected action includes the removal of approximately 2,958 feet of buried pipeline along with two over-river crossings along the Clark Fork River on N...
A bald eagle surveys the valley in the Thompson River area atop a Douglas-fir tree during early morning fog recently....
"This is not judgment. It is about helping people become the best they can be!" emphasized Pete Reinschmidt, Licensed Addiction Counselor, who is two months into a new counseling program at Western Montana Mental Health Center (WMMHC). "It is about the individual, it is not about the substance," he continued. WMMHC has paved the way by initiating the first substance abuse and addiction counseling program in Sanders County, according to Reinschmidt, who obtained a Master of Arts degree from...
This week, we've heard several people talking about impeachment testimony. People questioning whether we've watched the hearings and what we think will happen. It's not the first time our country has been faced with this issue. It won't be the last. But when we turned on the television earlier this week and the impeachment hearing was on every network channel, we got a little depressed. This is a time of year when we should be celebrating what we're thankful for and getting our holiday shopping lists ready. Planning for parties and church Chris...
Recently I watched a portion of an interview with an articulate young conservative black political activist. She (I missed her name) has given up on liberalism, believing that liberal policies deliberately entrap African Americans in a government-subsidized victimhood, in effect replicating slavery or Jim Crow laws in preventing equality as citizens. Her views have gained her a million-plus social-media followers, and she seems to be leading a considerable black citizen’s rollover from Democrat to Republican. I guess it was an interesting s...
I’ve been following this whole impeachment process against President Trump pretty closely and I think he’s handling it all wrong. I’ll explain my reasoning below, but first let’s develop a little background information. This whole impeachment threat, as far as the Washington Democrats are concerned, comes down to what is called a “quid pro quo.” Here’s Webster’s definition of a quid pro quo: something given for something else.In a nutshell, the Democrats feel that (during a telephonic conversati...
7 YEARS AGO • NOVEMBER 13, 1958 PIONEER DAY AT HERON SCHOOL When Pioneer day was observed at the Heron school Wednesday there were several “old timers” present to reminisce on what was. In the 1880s Heron was known as Heron Siding and was named for a veterinarian by the name of Heron. At that time it was a division point for the N.P. railroad. Some of the remains of the foundation of the round house can still be seen. There was a 35-room hotel which restocked the dining cars as they traveled through the area. There were three stores and 18 sa...
FAITH STEWART, Trout Creek – “I just cook it! I put it in a pan and take the feathers off it and put them in the trash. I cut the head off with a knife and eat it.” KOLTON HOLDEN, Trout Creek – “I put it in the oven. I take it out and then…well, then I just EAT IT!” HARTLEIGH BLOCK, Trout Creek – “Put it in the oven. I cook it. I pull some meat off and put flowers on it.” ROUGH RYDER, Trout Creek – “When you get home, when it's dead, you pluck it and then you throw its head outside and cook it and then eat it.” LUKE DANA, Trout Creek – “Well...
Ambulance calls: Thompson Falls, 10; Noxon, 2; Plains, 7; Hot Springs, 2. Monday. November 11 Motor vehicle crash, Plains. Intimidation, harassment, Plains. Coroner, T. Falls. Mental health issue, Trout Creek. Animal, Heron. Motor vehicle crash, T. Falls. Juvenile criminal, Hot Springs. Disturbance, T. Falls. Tuesday, November 12 Road hazard, blockage, Hot Springs. Fish and game, Dixon. Theft, T. Falls. Coroner, T. Falls. Motor vehicle crash. Wednesday, November 13 Animal, T. Falls. Domestic disturbance, Hot Springs. Theft, Plains. Animal, T....
Sanders County Sheriff’s Office Lawrence Molzhon, 31, driving a motor vehicle while privilege is suspended, $275; owner permitting operation of vehicle without liability insurance, 1st offense, $85. Charles Handcock, 59, disorderly conduct, $185. Paul Posey, 69, disorderly conduct, 5 days jail; criminal mischief, disorderly conduct, 10 days jail. Anne Humphreys, 42, day speeding, $20. Justin Oldchief, 36, day speeding, $20. Jordan Winkelseth, 31, night speeding, $70. Shannon Kramer, 34, speeding in restricted zone, $55. Montana Highway P...
In 20th District Judicial Court on Tuesday, Eugene Germain entered not guilty pleas to two felony theft charges. Germain was arrested May 21. Charging documents allege that two vehicles were reported stolen in Sanders County. Sanders County Sheriff’s Office responded to a report of suspicious activity at Avista Village near Noxon on May 19. A Dodge pickup was reported stolen from Noxon and police pursued the vehicle, reaching speeds of over 100 miles per hour, documents show. A second vehicle was reported stolen from the area and charges a...
Brie Crostini with Homemade Cranberry Sauce Serves 10-12 people While there are quite a few options out there for appetizers you can easily grab at the store, you can't beat the taste of homemade. It's even better when that appetizer is easy enough to put together without consuming the better part of your day. That is where the crostini comes in. Similar to bruschetta, this little snack is so versatile, the options for ingredients are endless. A Brie crostini with homemade cranberry sauce looks...
With two weeks left in Montana’s general hunting season, the percentage of hunters with harvested game is slightly ahead of last year in northwest Montana. Through four weekends of the season, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP) has tallied nearly 9,200 hunters at five big game check stations in Region 1. Among those hunters, FWP has recorded 620 white-tailed deer, including 479 bucks, as well as 81 mule deer and 46 elk. The overall percentage of hunters checked with harvested game is 8.1 percent, compared to 6 percent a year ago. The total n...
William Richard Keller passed away peacefully November 12, 2019. Bill was born in Valentine, Nebraska, to Joe and Merle Keller on July 29, 1940. He and his beloved sister grew up in Spirit Lake, Idaho. Bill joined the Army after high school. He was honorably discharged. Bill then moved to the Silver Valley and got a job with Bunker Hill Mining Co. He worked there for quite a few years. He was married and had two children. They got a divorce. Bill met the love of his life, Carolyn Curbow, in... Full story
John Nelson, 87, of Plains, passed away at his home on Thursday, November 7, 2019. John was born on December 26, 1931 in Missoula, Montana, the son of Inez and Donald Nelson. He grew up in several logging towns in Idaho where his father worked, eventually moving to Plains in 1943. On January 1, 1944 the family moved to the Nelson Ranch where John spent his life. John graduated from Plains High School in 1950, followed by three years in the Coast Guard. He then attended Washington State Universit... Full story
NOXON JUNIOR HIGH The students on the seventh-grade honor roll were Samuel Burgess, Stanley Fisher, Nathan Hutfles, Maria Kirkman and Haylee Wiedeman. The students on the eighth-grade honor roll were Samuel Christensen and Martha Klaus. Honorable mention went to Emily Lucero. NOXON HIGH SCHOOL On the freshman honor roll was Avery Burgess. Honorable mention went to Abigail Baldwin, Emily Brown and Aubrey Erwin. Students who earned a spot on the sophomore honor roll were Nate Cano, Derreck Christensen, Vanessa Horner, Wyatt Lackner, Andy Koonce,...
How creative do you feel these days? The theme this year is “I’ll be home for Christmas” for the annual gingerbread contest at the Old Jail Museum in Thompson Falls. This is the 22nd year for the contest, sponsored by the Sanders County Historical Society. Once again, it will be part of the Christmas on Main Street events on December 7. “Although we are not on Main Street, we will be open from noon until 6 p.m. on Saturday for voting, and again on Sunday from noon to 3 p.m. for gingerbread viewing,” museum staff stated. “You’ll find a festiv...
The Sanders County DUI Task Force help their annual Law Enforcement Appreciation Luncheon recently. Each year, the DUI Task Force Chairman John Marshall and Vice Chairperson Jennifer McPherson invite Sanders County law enforcement department heads and elected officials to join them for lunch. The luncheon is an opportunity for each department to provide an update of their activities and upcoming plans for community involvement and DUI enforcement. This year’s luncheon was attended by the Montana Highway Patrol, Thompson Falls Police Department,...
Renea Keough has recently been in the spotlight while running for Hot Springs Town Council. Despite losing the race earlier this month, she remains positive. "I really did want to win, but it is OK," she said with gratitude. "I am really excited for who won, to get new blood in there. I had my chance and now it is someone else's turn." Keough's chance to serve was when she sat as mayor of Hot Springs. It was during this time, just over 10 years ago, when she had an even more challenging situatio...
The 2019 Fall Mack Days Fishing Event concluded November 10 with Mike Benson of Lonepine finishing first in the Flathead Lake contest for the sixth time. Benson tallied 1,203 lake trout entries and finished with a 15-day average of 68.47 fish. Mack days are sponsored by the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes and are used to reduce the non-native lake trout and increase native bull trout and westslope cutthroat trout in Flathead Lake. This year, 157 anglers turned in 18,014 lake trout entries, the third highest total since the events began...
The Thompson Falls Blue Hawks were record wreckers in their first season of 8-Man football, which only recently ended with a road loss to No. 1 Fairview in the State playoff quarterfinals. Marking new 8-Man Thompson Falls school records in all categories, the Hawks also made their imprint on the Montana state record books. All 2019 season statistics for the Blue Hawks were released last week. A very productive rushing offense keyed by seniors Trey Fisher and Nate Wilhite was the main impetus to...
Good football teams don’t just happen, good players make them happen. The Western Conference 6-Man champion Hot Springs Savage Heat had a lot of good players making things happen this past season. A by the numbers look at the Heat’s golden, recently completed 10-1 season, which ended only with a loss in the quarterfinals of the State playoffs, reveals in clear statistical detail how coach Jim Lawson’s boys got it done this season. One of only two seniors on the Hot Springs squad, Brandon Knuds...
Turn out the lights, the party's over... OK, well not quite over; but it's never over, you'll see what we are talking about if you continue reading this column. Yes, sports fans we are very close to the end of one season but on the cusp of the next, you see, or you should see by now, that the cycle of sports never really, truly ends. One thing that I have learned in this business is that the ending of one sports season always leads to the beginning of the next. And it is happening again before o...
Fifty years ago this month, the 1969-70 Thompson Falls Blue Hawks were ready for the season to begin. Although slightly difficult to read, the original cutline is included for historical purposes....
