Independently owned since 1905
Independently owned since 1905
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The City of Thompson Falls is being cautious as they move forward on a plan to connect the properties above the railroad tracks to a city sewer system and update the current treatment system. The Thompson Falls City Council met with Great West Engineering representatives Craig Pozega and Carrie Gardner, as well as Bob Murdo from the bond counsel, last Wednesday to discuss the wastewater project. Council members and about 15 residents received a general update on the project plan, as well as the budget and the impact on property owners. The...
After being found guilty at both the Justice and District level courts, Plains resident Mark French has taken a speeding ticket straight to the Supreme Court of the State of Montana and they have agreed with one of his three arguments. French will receive a second trial at the District Court level. French was successful in arguing that the prosecutor's comment to the District Court jury that he had already been convicted of the speeding charge in Justice Court was "'inappropriate' and...
BETTER LATE THAN NEVER – Even though winter seems to be hitting us a little later than usual, Lookout Pass is on target to having abundant snow this season. As of Monday morning, they reported 55 inches at the base and 66 inches at the summit, and it was still coming down. The hill is 100 percent open....
Students at Plains Elementary took an adventure through the north and south poles last week. The kindergarten through fourth grades traveled pole to pole on Thursday, learning about everything from animals to snowflakes. Fourth-grade teacher Jill Rice came up with the idea for the interactive lesson on the North Pole and South Pole. The other teachers quickly jumped on board with the idea. They spent about a month preparing for the polar activities, and hours decorating hallways and classrooms...
It seems the older we get, the faster the years fly by. And 2018 was no exception. Over the weekend, we were thinking about the past year. Each year, we comment on how time seems to fly. And each year, we get to the end of December and think "where did the time go"? There are some projects around the house we didn't quite get to, and we didn't get to escape on a vacation to somewhere warm. We wish we had spent a little more time on the Clark Fork River over the summer, and we wish summer would last a few months longer. It's easy to think about...
Dear Senator Fielder, Congratulations on your position as Chairperson of the Fish and Game Committee during this upcoming legislative session. I met you many years ago as you came door to door talking to folks in Plains and wanted to wish you well this session. Our big family has property in Plains, Noxon, Trout Creek, and Swamp Creek, Lakeside, Lolo, Billings, Bozeman and Fairview. We are a family of long hunting and fishing traditions exploring all of Montana. We rely on these natural resources for our food. We have grown gardens and eaten...
Regarding “Bigotry is not the answer” (Dec. 13, 2018), Jeannnie Burke’s response to Blaine Blackstone’s article “Street Smart” is right on target. Thank you, Jeannie! Jean Morrison, Plains...
It was early Christmas morning, around 5 o’clock. I had woken up and looked out the window to see a clear, moonlit night. A good time for a walk, I thought. I was 16 years old — almost, my birthday was the next day — and I rose and dressed quietly so as not to wake my parents. I went very slowly down the back stairs from my bedroom, trying to avoid the steps that creaked, found a coat and hat and unlocked the back door. Outside, I discovered that it would be an even better walk than I thought. There was about a foot of snow, which would have...
5 YEARS AGO • DECEMBER 24, 1968 LAW OFFICERS PASS OUT YULE BOXES TO NEEDY Sanders County sheriffs officers were playing the role of Santa Claus Monday as they delivered baskets of food, toys and other gifts to needy families in the Trout Creek, Noxon, Perma, Dixon and Hot Springs areas. Undersheriff Bob Snider and Jailer Matt Marich delivered the gifts to Trout Creek and Noxon while Sheriff Dick Cole dispersed the boxes in the Hot Springs area with the aid of Deputy Sheriff Harvey Shultz. Deputy Sheriff Buster Priddy handled the d...
TY PARDEE, Thompson Falls — “My wife, Kim, and I had our son, Enzo, (It’s an Italian name). He weighed 7 lbs 5 ounces." REX DENISON, Thompson Falls – “I sold my house for my asking price.” MIKE FLAMAN, Thompson Falls – “My wife and I went to Hawaii. We had a great time and we’re going again next year.” MIKE KELLEY, Thompson Falls –“Just being in Montana. We’ve been here a year. We like living in small towns and when we visited Montana, we went through Plains and Trout Creek and left California and moved here.” SUE CURRY, Plains – “I started a...
Ambulances: Noxon, 4; T. Falls, 6; Plains, 4; H. Springs, 3; Dixon QRU, 2. Sunday, December 16 Deputy flagged down to assist motorist who ran out of gas, Hwy. 200, T. Falls. Coroner requested, Plains. Power outage in Paradise. Arrest made for parole violation, Paradise. Domestic dispute, T. Falls. Monday, December 17 Cow on Hwy. 200, Whitepine. Phone scam, T. Falls. Theft at Little Bitterroot Thrift Store, Plains. Cows on Hwy. 200, Perma. Someone changed the lock on an airplane hangar where individual has plane, H. Springs. Driver unable to...
Montana Highway Patrol Catalina Mitchell, 41, day speeding, $70. Jennifer Ivy, 47, speeding in a restricted zone, $65. Cheryl Rauckhorst, 55, day speeding, $20. Stephen Jones, 68, seatbelt violation, $20. Yvonne Anderson, 27, seatbelt violation, $20. Khephera Taylor, 40, unlawful possession of open alcoholic beverage container in vehicle on highway, $50. Sanders County Sheriff’s Office Joshua Miller, 24, no liability insurance, 2nd offense, $285. Kimberly Dippre, 52, night speeding, $20. Lloyd Miller, 56, speeding in a restricted zone, $55. D...
After 12 years of providing Noxon's youth with free entertainment and a hangout headquarters, Diane Marich is closing the Lighthouse Center with a heavy heart. "The kids have changed, and they just do not need it or want it anymore," Marich said with sadness. "I loved it and I am very grateful for those who supported it and let me be part of their kids' lives," but it is time for the center to become something else. Although she has not heard of any future ideas for the building, Marich is...
Thompson Falls High School hosted a talent show in the gymnasium on Dec. 21. Ten participants decided to get up on the stage to show their classmates what they've got. One of the contestants, Josh Elder, sang "What are You so Afraid of" by XXXTENTACION. "I picked this song because I was really into this song when the talent show first started and it kept popping up in his head, and the cords on the guitar seemed easy enough to learn," Elder said. He also sang a duet with Maddi Mckenzie, singing...
Every year, thousands of Montanans look to the New Year for a fresh opportunity to change their lives for the better. For Montanans who use tobacco, a great way to accomplish this is to quit for good. While some people have been able to quit completely on their own, others have found – using some of the same principles as with Weight Watchers and 12-step programs – that they are encouraged by support from friends. The Montana Tobacco Quit Line and American Indian Commercial Tobacco Quit Line do just that. The quit line programs offer free ser...
After the snowfall, Old Man Winter rests. He is warm now, with his long white hair flowing down his shoulders. After conjuring up infinite patterns of snowflakes, each one unique, and gently laying down the soft blanket of albescence, he tucks his chin into his full beard and begins to dream. In the mountains, the creatures of the earth begin to stir after the quietness of the last flake falling has been fully appreciated. The extreme northwest corner of Montana and the panhandle of Idaho present the rugged mountain ranges that include...
The day the music died. Although we can no longer hear her, Bonita Paulette Sheffer Vulles Dodd, is still singing, but now she is harmonizing with the family and friends who were waiting to greet her when she left for heaven at the age of 69 from Benson, Arizona, on Thursday, Nov. 23, 2018. Heaven just got a little bit livelier. Bonnie was born to Helen Marie Granvold Sheffer and Sidney Albert Sheffer on December 5, 1948 in Carleton Place, Ontario, Canada, where they lived until the family...
On December 21, 2018, Lawrence "Larry" Richard McKenzie left this world for the next at his beloved Little Bit Ranch on the Blue Slide Road. He was 80 years old. He went out as quiet and noble as he was in life. He will be greatly missed by those who loved him and had the privilege to know him. Larry was born on Dec 30, 1937 in Dover ID to Virginia Eastman McKenzie and Kenneth "Mack" McKenzie. In 1946 the family moved to Thompson Falls. Larry was a popular guy, who loved to play football in...
The students of Plains High School and Junior High got to spend their last official school day of 2018 playing games and competing on teams in the annual Brain Bash competition. There was a total of 15 teams that were drawn at random and all named after different Christmas movies. Each team traveled around to 16 different stations where they tested their skills at the different holiday themed games the faculty had designed. Ten minutes was spent at each station and Christmas music was played...
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks is hosting four upcoming public meetings to discuss deer populations and potential future management strategies for hunting seasons in northwest Montana. FWP Region 1 staff are hoping to engage the public in an open discussion about the future direction for deer hunting after back-to-back harsh winters impacted fawn recruitment and a low hunter harvest this fall. The meetings are not formal public hearings and will feature informational presentations on historical and current white-tailed and mule deer...
"It is not ours, we are just stewards of it. We want others to enjoy it," commented Randy McMillian, owner of The Lodge at Trout Creek. Having been in the hospitality business for 14 years, McMillian and his wife Julie decided it was time to spread their wings to Trout Creek from Glacier National Park, where they are owners of another inn. They purchased The Lodge at Trout Creek in May 2017 and have hoped to create a fine experience for a relaxation or romantic getaway. They have certainly...
It wasn’t that long ago that teachers were using chalkboards. The mess of the dust and banging the erasers to clean them off. Then came white boards and the cutting-edge technology of dry-erase markers in different colors. Today, teachers use SMART Boards. The boards are essentially a projection of the teacher’s computer, and allow them to access curriculum quickly. They also function as touch screens, allowing teachers and students a more interactive approach to learning. This year, Tho...
Groups or individuals interested in constructing or improving a community fishing pond have until Feb. 1 to apply for a Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Community Pond Program grant. The objective of the Community Pond Program is to enhance fishing opportunities in or near Montana communities by providing funding that may be used to construct or improve a public fishing pond. Applicants must provide at least 30 percent of the total project cost, which can include contributions such as heavy equipment time, construction materials, labor,...
It was a tale two big comebacks at TFHS Thursday night, with the hometown Lady Hawks rallying to win over the Trotters in the first game and the Plains Horsemen coming back to prevail over the Blue Hawk boys in the second. In the girls' game, the Lady Hawks trailed the Trotters 28-23 going into the fourth quarter, but outscored their Plains rivals 24-14 down the stretch to win 47-41. Jody Detlaff netted 11 of her game-high 19 points in the fourth quarter and Megan Baxter, who totaled 14, scored...
Football is a game for young men but some pigskin crazies in this part of the world think they can play the demanding sport forever if they want to. Those kind of crazies will be out there trying to prove they can still play (or maybe find out that they really can’t anymore?) again Saturday in the 38th annual Keg Bowl, set to kick off at 1 p.m. Dec. 29. The Keg Bowl has traditionally been held on the Saturday between Christmas and New Year’s Day for almost four full decades now. Although deep, fluffy, footspeed-slowing, ground-cushioning sno...
