Independently owned since 1905
Independently owned since 1905
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Local television stations went down during Sunday night’s winter snow and rain storm. As early as day break on Monday, members of Western Sanders County TV District braved the weather attempting to locate and fix the problem. Monday afternoon Bill Meadows, Western Sanders County TV District volunteer, reported the problem was located at Clark’s Peak in Thompson Falls, where no power was available. Meadows stated that Verizon and the Sanders County Sheriff’s Office provided a back-up generator that is running “full bore” in order to reinstate...
The Office of Public Assistance (OPA) in Thompson Falls is closing next month. This week, the Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) officials announced the Thompson Falls Field Office of Public Assistance will close next month. The office’s four employees were notified in writing last week that the office will close Jan. 16. The office provides assistance with the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as food stamps), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF cash assistance), and Medicaid h...
U.S. Forest Service (USFS) personnel has announced they are ready to take comments on their proposal to salvage merchantable and hazard timber from last summer’s Cub Creek Fire, in the Beaver Creek drainage. According to the Cabinet Ranger District, a scoping notice asking for public input on the project was released on Tuesday, and will be open for comment for 30 days. The District will conduct a review and analysis of environmental effects and all concerns brought to their attention through the comment period, which concludes its scoping p...
Dog Hill Bistro closed down for construction purposes Saturday with nearly a dozen builders, all with their own different design ideas. "I love their creativity; they're so adorable," said bistro owner Kathy Logan about the 10 gingerbread houses. The houses were colorful and tasty, but they weren't being built by kids this time. This was the First Annual Adult Gingerbread House Class put on by Logan. "Parents are always doing something for their kids this time of year, so I wanted to do...
Saturday was the first Plains Christmas Extravaganza. It might have been small, but organizers are hoping it will grow in time. "We don't really have anything for Christmas in Plains and this is sort of a test year. Maybe it'll be bigger next year," said Steve Spurr, who helped his wife, Whitney Tanner-Spurr, organize the Plains Christmas Extravaganza. Festivities started at the United Methodist Church, where children had the chance to decorate Christmas ornaments. Six girls and two boys from ag...
Last week, the Department of Public Health and Human Services announced that the Sanders County Office of Public Assistance will close Jan. 16. This is where people go for help with SNAP (food stamps), TANF cash assistance and Medicaid programs. This office often is the first stop for people when they fall on hard times and need help. I worked in this office for seven years, as a case worker and as an IT specialist. As a farm girl who learned the value of hard work at a young age, it was hard to watch some people take advantage of services. Whe...
Letter to the Editor; The December 14, 2017 Ledger article regarding rescued dogs contained an eye catching statement. “Getting your dog the proper vaccinations is really the only way to prevent having to watch your pet go through a very painful death.” Knowing that human vaccinations are falsely advertised led me to investigate dog vaccines. A few interesting facts follow: * Parvo was not experienced by dogs prior to 1970. It is believed that a Modified Live Virus (MLV) vaccine for cats lead to a mutated virus spreading to dogs. * Reg...
As we gather with family and friends this holiday season and count our blessings, let’s remember to give thanks for the extensive forest lands that surround our communities. We are fortunate to be surrounded by large areas of productive forest lands, exceptional recreation opportunities and also some precious remaining wild country. One thing that deserves special celebration today is the way our communities approach public lands issues, which has become so much more positive, inclusive and constructive in recent years. Just a decade or two a...
It’s funny how a person goes through life making decisions based upon certain beliefs or ideas, yet unaware of where those ideas came from, and of what their consequences might be. Such is often the case with the idea of keeping church and state separate, an idea worth mentioning as 2017 draws to a close, because this year was the 500th anniversary of the beginning of the Protestant Reformation. Martin Luther, a Roman Catholic clergyman, is credited with kicking off the Reformation in 1517 with his “95 Theses,” an argument for a house-cleaning...
MEMORIES OF WHITEPINE (Excerpt from Crosscuts and Rails) By Helen Haase Helen O. Haase was appointed postmaster of Whitepine in Mrs. Sand’s place, and she and her husband, Lyle R. Haase, Purchased the store from the Anna C. Sand estate in 1945. After the death of Mr. Haase in 1964, Helen retired as postmistress and the postal equipment was moved to the Lloyd Austin home, and Pat Austin operated the post office until the spring when the red tape of officially closing the office was completed. The stock of the Whitepine Mercantile was sold and t...
SCOTT PALMER, Thompson Falls – "One year I got a rifle from my dad. That was pretty special." HAWK FRATZKE, Thompson Falls – "I got a chainsaw one year. But I really liked the pistol from my dad." JUANITA GAMBREL, Thompson Falls – "I liked the diamond ring I received from my husband before we were married." JAKE PETERSON, Thompson Falls – "I got a 17HMR from my dad. He took it apart and wrapped it in a bunch of separate boxes." BOB THORNHILL, Thompson Falls – "My favorite was when I got to ta...
Montana Highway Patrol William Montignani, 42, $70, night speeding. Scott Ryder, 33: operating without liability insurance, 3rd or subsequent offense; failure to have a child under 6 yrs. or 60 lbs. properly restrained; driving while privilege is suspended or revoked, 2 days jail. Kailee Steinebach, 22: $20, seatbelt violation; $35, driving without a valid license. Susan Waldman, 55, $65, speeding in a restricted zone. Shirley Thompson, 75, $20, seatbelt violation. Camden Armstrong, 21, $85, careless driving. Shawn Burke, 44, $55, speeding in...
Ambulances: Noxon, 3; T. Falls, 3; Plains, 3; Dixon QRU, 1. Sunday, December 10 DUI arrest made in T. Falls. Private alarm, T. Falls. Report of a man entering a residence where no one should be, owner is deceased, Plains. Vehicle vs. deer near Fairgrounds, Plains. Monday, December 11 Motor vehicle locked with keys and children inside, Noxon. Vandalism to Plains library. Report of cow being shot, Noxon. Unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, Dixon. Property dispute, Plains. Tuesday, December 12 Suspicious vehicle at Harvest Foods, T. Falls. Cow...
Few words were spoken after Navy veteran Ron Kilbury led the Plains group in the Pledge of Allegiance. After that, all that could be heard was the crackling of the flames that were consuming the tattered remnants of Old Glory. One by one, members of VFW Post 3596 and Boy Scout Troop 1957 placed flags into the fire while nearly a dozen people from the community looked on Dec. 7 in the rear parking lot of the VFW for its flag retirement ceremony. The post conducts a flag retirement ceremony each...
The plot thickens for the fundraiser to help keep the doors open at the Rex Theatre in Thompson Falls. A special showing of a Montana-filmed vintage movie is scheduled to entertain movie lovers and raise a few dollars to ensure the theatre’s continuance. Released in 1955, “Timberjack” was filmed in the Polson area with a few scenes shot near Missoula. In those days, fanfare for the movie’s release reached fever-pitch in Montana awaiting the opportunity to see their home state on the big screen. The day the movie was shown at the Rex in Thompso...
While visiting their daughter Jessica and her husband Zac Murphy in Washington, D.C., earlier this month, Richard and Sharon Smith of Trout Creek had an opportunity to visit Capitol Hill and get a picture of the Capitol Christmas Tree that was harvested from the Kootenai National Forest....
Church bells will be ringing, carols will be sung, and celebrations of Jesus’ birth will take place. Christmas church services are scheduled to take place throughout the county, welcoming everyone to join hands during this joyous occasion. The following churches invite all to attend services. Hot Spring Services Father Jeffrey Benusa will hold Mass at 1:30 p.m., Christmas Day at Sacred Heart Mission, 220 Arlee St. S. Plains Services First Lutheran Church of Plains, presided by Pastor Seilhymer, 601 South 5th Ave., will hold services at 9 a...
Students from Trout Creek School took a field trip to Missoula last Friday to experience a traditional holiday masterpiece. The entire school attended Garden City Ballet’s (GCB) production of The Nutcracker. Sixty students, kindergarten through 8th grade, boarded a bus and headed out of town to take part in the awe-inspiring event. Fourth grader Maddie Wormwood said she had a wonderful time getting dressed up to attend the event, sporting her special Christmas dress and fancy leather jacket. “I think the play was pretty cool,” she said. “The...
Velita (Benton) and Kyle Rholl are happy to announce the birth of Beckett Kye Rholl, born December 18 at St. Patrick's Hospital in Missoula. Beckett weighed 7 lbs. 10 oz. and was 20.5 inches long. Maternal grandparents are Sherry Hagerman-Benton and Tom Benton of Thompson Falls. Paternal grandparents are Kelli Root of Steamboat Springs, Colo., and Keith and Cindy Rholl of Meeker, Colo. Great grandparents are Bud and Bev Root of Grand Junction, Colo. Welcome Beckett!...
A new Christmas album has hit the electronic music market, and the artist/producer hails from Thompson Falls. Many are familiar with the tunes of the Thompson Falls Pep Band at games, the brass and woodwind at school concerts and the swingin' sounds of the jazz band. All of those melodies come from the preparation and direction of band teacher Adam Craw. Craw has been teaching in the district publicly and gives music lessons with his spare time, but the instructor also has the musician's itch...
by Shana Neesvig Do you ever wonder what food famous chefs prepare for the holidays? "The Ledger" got some insider information from a few of the county's finest on what their belly-pleasing recipe favorites are. Katrina Campbell, owner of Big Eddy's, let the cat out of the bag on one of her favorites from last year. "Shrimp Hugged Andouille Sausage with Cajun Remoulade Sauce" is sure to please those looking for a little Cajun kick this season. The recipe calls for: Shrimp Hugged Sausage Cooked,...
It is common practice for corporations and institutions to have a mission statement and core values displayed as a reminder of what they stand for, but for many organizations keeping those ideas alive and giving them credence beyond the pages they are written on is the challenge. “Just words” was the core value status Thompson Falls School District was trying to avoid. “The work is never done, and it shouldn’t be,” said Thompson Falls School District No. 2 Superintendent Jason Slater. “It has been a long road to get where we are, but the pro...
The buzz, glory and fame are all about robotics nowadays. It is at Thompson Falls High School anyway. Eric Nygaard, high school science teacher and robotics coach, is elated to announce that his team's robotics journey is not over. Seven students from Thompson Falls have qualified to compete at the state level, according to Nygaard. Last week the team participated in divisionals and had to place in the top 18, in order to participate in Bozeman on Feb. 2. There were a total of 29 teams in the...
Gotcha there, fair and square. The Thompson Falls Blue Hawk boys ended years of hoop frustration against the Florence Falcons by knocking off those Bitterroot ballers 66-57 in Thompson Falls Friday. The significance of the win was underscored Saturday after Florence went into Missoula and knocked off Western B heavyweight Loyola after losing to the Hawks. What's more, it is believed to be the first time the Thompson Falls boys have defeated Florence since at least 2008. "Our guys didn't know...
The 19th annual New Year’s Day Fun Run will be held starting and ending at the Elks Lodge just east of Thompson Falls at 11 a.m. Monday, Jan. 1. Pre-registration before Dec. 28 will cost contestants $22 per customer for those wanting the event T-shirt, or $10 without the shirt. Race day registration will be $27 with a shirt or $15 without. Shirts for late entrants will be subject to availability. To register early or ask questions about the race, contact race organizer Sarah Naegeli at 827-4887 or at [email protected]....
