Independently owned since 1905
Independently owned since 1905
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The budget for the City of Thompson Falls will be available this week for public review. At the monthly city council meeting last week, Mayor Rusti Leivestad reported that the budget would be available for public review beginning August 21. The council and public will have the weekend to review the budget before a public hearing is held August 26 at 5:30 p.m. to review before a 6 p.m. meeting to adopt the budget. Council member Katherine Maudrone thanked City Clerk Chelsea Peterson for organizing the budget, which will be available on the...
The Thompson Falls school board met on Monday. The 2023-24 Trustees Financial Summary report and the 2024-25 final budget were approved. Superintendent Bud Scully reported that the new tiles on the floor of the multi-purpose building are bad and need to be replaced. “The shop side of the building’s floor is done. About 1,000 square feet of tiles were replaced. New tiles are being shipped. The install company, Great Floors, has been great to work with as well,” Scully said. Scully reports that he has been discussing a land swap with Mayor Leive...
It was a happy celebration for the musicians of the Montana Baroque Music Festival, but halfway through their Wednesday performance, security entered and went to the stage to check the identification of bass player Andrew Harmon. Most of the group kept playing as Aaron Cain shined his flashlight in Harmon's eyes for identification verification. Though he was dressed for the part, when a security man arrives on a scene singing in German, it might be a clue that it's part of the performance. "I...
Ryan Busse of Kalispell wants to be the next governor of Montana. Busse and State Auditor candidate John Repke visited the Whitepine Grange last week for a campaign stop. The candidates spoke to a crowd of about 40 people last Thursday, then stayed to talk to community members and answer questions. Busse, a Democrat, stated that Republicans have made Montana "a playground for billionaires." Busse's campaign slogan is "Get your Montana back." He talked about the importance of rural healthcare...
Ambulance: Plains, 9; Hot Springs, 5; T. Falls, 5; Trout Creek, 3; Noxon, 2; Dixon, 2; Heron, 1; Paradise, 1; Lonepine, 1. Monday, August 5 Fire, Trout Creek. Livestock, Trout Creek. Civil attempts. Road hazard/blockage, Noxon. Animal other, T. Falls. Threats, Trout Creek. Suspicious activity, Hot Springs. Suspicious activity, Plains. Suspicious activity, Heron. Road hazard/debris on road, Noxon. Motor vehicle crash, Plains. Welfare check, T. Falls. Tuesday, August 6 Suspicious activity, Trout Creek. Trespass, Hot Springs. Motor vehicle crash,...
Montana Highway Patrol Dillan Bauer, 20, operating without liability insurance in effect, 1st offense, $85. Sarah Dumont, 47, operating without liability insurance in effect, 1st offense, $85, deferred imposition of sentence. Richard Couture-Ness, 21, speeding in a restricted zone, $55. David Griffin, 57, speeding in a restricted zone, $105. Sanders County Sheriff’s Office Haileigh Current, 46, criminal trespass to property, $235, 180 days jail with 179 days suspended. Lester De La Torre Alfonso, 42, day speeding, $20. Conor Prischmann, 50, s...
The members of the Plains School took less than 30 minutes to approve two new policies and this year's school sports handbook. Some residents have questioned why the school had no dual sports policy, such as the one Thompson Falls has on hand. The Dual Activities Policy and the Activities Fundraising Policy were both unanimously approved by board members Ellen Childress, Monica Weedeman, Lana Dicken, and chairman Beau French. The two policies were written by the school's new athletic director,...
Michael Feiger, District Ranger for the Cabinet Ranger District, gave a briefing to the Sander County Commissioners on last regarding wildland fires and other forestry concerns for Sanders County. Logging projects with timber sales and vegetation management were on the agenda. Recreation, wildfire and prescribed burns were updated. Feiger said the Tuscor project is a big accomplishment. “The decision was signed July 28 to put the project up for bid and it was advertised on August 8 of this year. This brings the project, from inception to f...
The Sanders County Fair is less than two weeks away, but it looks like it’s going to be packed with fun activities, food and sights, according to Kristy Sheehan, the fair manager. The fair this year will perhaps for the first time open with a concert for the first night entertainment event. Country singer and songwriter Levi Blom will kick off the fair on Wednesday, Aug. 28, at 7 p.m. in the fair’s main arena. Tickets for the Butte resident are $20 for bleachers and $25 on the arena floor in front of the stage. With this year’s theme as “Hors...
Members of the Plains Town Council unanimously approved the hiring of a contractor to decommission and demolish the old sewage lagoon last Monday at City Hall. Olympus Technical Services of Helena won the bid to dismantle the old wastewater treatment plant at the end of Helterline Drive with its bid of $71,670. Olympus Technical Services was one of five companies, including one from Sanders County, to bid on the project, said Mayor Joel Banham. The liners from the old ponds will be removed and...
Judges might be a little hesitant about getting too close to one 4-H member's entry at the Sanders County Fair competition on Aug. 29. "It's kinda fun when their eyes get real big, but it's kinda nice when they edge a little closer," said 11-year-old John McNamara of the South Side Sparks club, who has shown a tarantula and a snake for his pocket pet project in past years and judges were reluctant to get close to his projects, let alone hold them. This year, McNamara has several projects - photo...
Cody Allen Allestad made his initial appearance before Judge John Mercer on Tuesday, entering not guilty pleas to two felony counts of strangulation of partner or family member, two misdemeanor counts of partner or family member assault, and one felony count of partner or family member assault. Judge Mercer set the jury trial for December 2. According to the filed affidavit, on July 7, Sanders County Sheriff's deputies Devin Wegener and Patrick Barber responded to an address in Plains, where the reporting party advised that her daughter had...
Ambulance: Trout Creek, 6; T. Falls, 6; Plains, 5; Hot Springs, 5; Dixon, 1; Heron, 1; Camas Prairie, 1. Monday, July 29 Inmate transport. Civil attempts. Trespass, Dixon. Officer flag down, Plains. Civil attempts. Trespass, Plains. Trespass, Plains. Motor vehicle crash, T. Falls. Assist miscellaneous, Noxon. Motor vehicle crash, Plains. Intimidation/harassment, T. Falls. Request for welfare check, Heron. Motor vehicle crash, Plains. Livestock, Paradise. Tuesday, July 30 Business contact. Disturbance, Dixon. General animal call/complaint,...
Montana Highway Patrol Ronald Scott, 53, speeding in a restricted zone, $105. Michael Combs, 49, speeding in a restricted zone, $95. David Hill, 78, operating without liability insurance in effect, 1st offense, $85; seatbelt violation, $20. Joel Reyes-Lopez, 65, seatbelt violation, $20. Steven Roos, 65, violation in a work zone, $235. Eric Thornton, 38, careless driving, $45. James Stokes, 70, seatbelt violation, $20. Robert Arnold, 60, day speeding, $20. Paul Dix, 65, speeding in a restricted zone, $85. Sanders County Sheriff’s Office R...
Clark Fork Valley Hospital (CFVH) received an American Heart Association Get With The Guidelines and Mission: Lifeline achievement award for demonstrating commitment to following up-to-date, research-based guidelines for the treatment of stroke, ultimately leading to more lives saved, shorter recovery times and fewer readmissions to the hospital. Every 40 seconds, someone in the U.S. has a stroke, and stroke is the fifth leading cause of death in the United States. Studies show patients can recover better when providers consistently follow trea...
Trout Creek volunteer firefighter Gayle Seekins puts the finishing touches on a marker remembering the February fire that destroyed three businesses in Noxon. Behind Seekins are Anne Schnell (left) and wife Cathy Seekins. John Rummell, owner of Montana Granite Industries, donated the engraved granite marker, and Johnson's Hardware donated the cement....
Water may be a hot commodity in Montana, increasingly so during these dry summers and low snowpack winters. Sanders County residents who own property on the Flathead Reservation also must adjust to changing water restrictions. Ranchers concerned with irrigation restrictions in the Hot Springs area are faced with even more restrictions according to Koshon LaCounte, the Flathead Indian Irrigation Project North Division Supervisor. He said availability of water has affected allotments this year. “Winter has not replenished the water. It carried o...
The Montana Department of Revenue (DOR) will soon be distributing its second round of property tax rebates to eligible Montana taxpayers as part of a property tax relief package signed into law by Governor Greg Gianforte in 2023. The property tax rebate is a rebate of up to $675 of property taxes paid on a principal residence. To qualify, you must have owned and lived in a Montana residence for at least seven months of 2023 and paid the property taxes on that residence. Properties owned by an entity and irrevocable trusts are not eligible for...
Get ready for an unforgettable journey through the heart of Western Montana's agricultural landscapes with the inaugural Clark Fork River Pedal & Farm Tour. This 30-mile bike tour, set to take place on Saturday, August 17th, offers participants a unique opportunity to explore the region’s diverse farms while enjoying the scenic beauty along the Clark Fork River. Riders will meander through sunlit forests, glide along the riverbanks, and traverse meadows where agriculture has flourished for generations. The tour features visits to several s...
A quick thunderstorm last Wednesday resulted in a handful of wildfires throughout Sanders County. In the Plains-Thompson Falls Ranger District, the Silcox Park Fire just north of Thompson Falls was caused by lightning. The Forest Service reported that the fire creeped into piles of debris, but crews worked quickly to contain the fire at about half an acre. Another fire in the Thompson Falls area was also caused by lightning. Multiple resources, including helicopters, responded to the Wilkes...
The Hot Springs School Board last week set a date for the latest effort to pass a levy in the school district. The board last Wednesday voted to once again ask voters to approve a levy of $183,000 for the general fund. On July 11, a judge approved a petition by a school board member asking for the May 7 election to be voided. Five days later, the school board met and voted to call for a special election in accordance with the order by Judge John Mercer of the 20th Judicial District. Last week, the school board voted to have the new election on...
Republican congressional candidate Tim Sheehy made a visit to Thompson Falls on Monday. The Senate candidate spoke to more than 150 people at the Thompson Falls Senior Center. There was standing room only in the senior center as Rep. Paul Fielder of Thompson Falls introduced Sheehy. "Usually these meet and greets are held at Minnie's and have up to 25 people. We got a good turnout for you," Fielder told Sheehy. Sheehy joked that his last name is also his pronouns. "I've been a 'she-he' for 38...
Ambulance: Plains, 16; T. Falls, 11; Hot Springs, 7; Trout Creek, 4; Paradise, 2; Dixon, 1. Monday, July 22 Threats, Plains. Property damage/criminal mischief, Plains. Automated alarm call, Hot Springs. Property damage/criminal mischief, Dixon. Civil attempts, Trout Creek. Civil attempts, Trout Creek. Civil attempts, Noxon. Intimidation/harassment, Trout Creek. Civil attempts, Heron. Fire, Lonepine. Animal other, Hot Springs. Parking problem, Hot Springs. Other law violations, Plains. Road hazard/debris on road, Plains. Civil standby, Trout...
Justice Court before Justice of the Peace Doug Dryden Montana Highway Patrol Anna Moura, 53, aggravated driving under the influence of alcohol/drugs, 1st offense, $1,135 with $400 suspended, 6 months jail with all suspended. Jacob Jonson, 33, speeding in a restricted zone, $95. Max Koehn, 63, operating with expired registration, $85. Gwendolyn Lewandoski, 37, speeding in a restricted zone, $65. Leanna Bosteder, 59, speeding in a restricted zone, $95. Jonathan Sepp, 37, day speeding, $70. Mace Jacobson, 17, careless driving, deferred imposition...
Nicholas Ray Needles appeared before Judge John Larson on Tuesday for sentencing in 20th District Court. In May, Needles pleaded guilty to one count of incest as part of a plea agreement. Before proceeding to sentencing, the mother of the victims read her impact statement, addressing the impact of Needles’ actions on her and the children, but also the strength she has found to help her family overcome this and move forward. “My family’s finally free from your abuse,” she stated. A brief statement from the victim was read by her aunt. Judge L...
