Independently owned since 1905
Independently owned since 1905
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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...
During the hot summer months when the chance to cool off in the water arrives, it's a good reminder that building dams in creeks and streams can have negative consequences for fish. This is especially true for species such as bull trout, which ascend small tributaries in late summer to spawn. Rock dams built to create swimming holes may seem harmless, but they can accumulate debris and build-up over time. While small dams can be washed out during spring, these features often remain intact and function as a passage barrier all the way through...
The Woodside Park subdivision has been granted funds for a new water system and construction is underway after years of planning. Water district general manager Dan Briggs said the system was in bad need of replacement. "The system was built in 1978. In 1992 there were nine houses on the system. Today there are 42. The park has a capacity limit of 52 maximum," Briggs told the county when he made his pitch for a new water system in August of 2021. The subdivision sits on 40+ acres, according to B...
A home in Plains was destroyed last week by a fire. According to Plains fire chief Anthony Young, the Campbell residence on Meany Street caught fire around 4 p.m. last Wednesday, and could not be controlled for several hours. Young said the cause of the fire is not yet known. "I wasn't in town when it happened but my crew has updated me," Young said. His crew reported 50- to 100- foot flames in the air. There were reports of propane tanks that "went off along with ammunition firing from inside...
Plains School Board members held a special board meeting last Thursday in order to get coaches hired before school sports start in August. Board member Lana Dicken made the motion to rehire Kati Mitchell as the head softball coach. The motion was seconded by member Ellen Childress, but before a vote could be taken Mitchell spoke up to give her resignation. "The lack of trust and support from the school board has made it increasingly challenging for me to fulfill my duties effectively as a...
A Plains man is traveling to Helena next week to defend his title at the firing range for the annual Montana Governor's 20 LE Shooting Competition. Chad Cantrell of Plains was the champion in the County Division last year and hopes to repeat his feat again on Aug. 9. "It's fun. I get to hang out with gunfighters," said Cantrell, who retired from the Sanders County Sheriff's Office as a detective in 2020 and is a member of the Plains Town Council. Cantrell is no stranger to the annual...
The Montana Department of Transportation (MDT) and Razz Construction Inc. will this week begin repairing portions of Main Street in Thompson Falls. This work is part of the project’s warranty period. Crews will improve drainage at the approach of South Jefferson Street and Main Street. Seal and cover (chip seal) repairs will also be made along Main Street. The repairs are anticipated to last approximately one week. All work is dependent on weather conditions and other factors permitting. The Thompson Falls - Urban project was primarily c...
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP) is seeking applicants to fill volunteer positions on the northwest Montana (FWP Region 1) Citizen Advisory Committee. The CAC is a general advisory committee that provides input and feedback to FWP on diverse issues, from wildlife and fisheries management to access, state parks, outdoor recreation, and law enforcement. The committee is designed to have a membership that represents a variety of northwest Montana communities and natural resource interests. FWP welcomes applications from anyone with an...
Rocky Mountain Bank in Plains closed its doors at noon on Friday - an end of an era for the financial institution - but the beginning of Stockman banking in Plains. Stockman Bank added three western Montana banks to its collection of branches throughout the state, including Plains, Bigfork and Kalispell. Over the past weeks, Stockman Bank staffers have been dispatched to the Plains bank to help employees and customers with the transition. They will continue to have additional help over the next...
The Montana Department of Transportation (MDT) and Razz Construction Inc. will this week begin repairing portions of Main Street in Thompson Falls. This work is part of the project’s warranty period. Crews will improve drainage at the approach of South Jefferson Street and Main Street. Seal and cover (chip seal) repairs will also be made along Main Street. The repairs are anticipated to last approximately one week. All work is dependent on weather conditions and other factors permitting. The Thompson Falls - Urban project was primarily c...
Most people who shop at True Value in Thompson Falls know Jared Shear as the person who can sell them hoses, fasteners and other hardware. There's another side to Shear however, that of the artist. Last week, Shear presented a series of 24 paintings inspired by Herman Melville's classic "Moby Dick." The pieces are part of a show at the Radius Gallery in Missoula that runs through August 24. The show, True Places, features work from Shear, Kaetlyn Able, Jennifer Indreland and David Swenson....
The new Town Pump store in Thompson Falls is on schedule to be open by the end of the year, the company said last week. Bill McGladdery, Director of Communications, said the utilities are in place at the site and the framing work on the nearly 14,000 square foot building should be completed by August 1. "I think the community is going to be really excited about the new store," McGladdery said. "It will be a much better layout." The new store will be 10,100 square feet, with the Lucky Lil's...
Ambulance: Plains, 7; T. Falls, 6; Trout Creek, 3; Hot Springs, 2; Noxon, 2; Dixon, 2; Paradise, 1. Monday, July 15 Suspicious activity, T. Falls. General animal call/complaint, T. Falls. Theft, T. Falls. Civil attempts, Dixon. General animal call/complaint, Paradise. Theft, Trout Creek. Theft, Plains. Forgery, T. Falls. Inmate transport, Plains. Other law violations, Camas Prairie. Civil attempts. Fire, T. Falls. Harassment/privacy in communication, T. Falls. Tuesday, July 16 Assist miscellaneous, T. Falls. Assist miscellaneous, T. Falls....
Montana Highway Patrol Rudy Monzon, 41, failure to obey red traffic signal, $45, deferred imposition of sentence. Dionna Atwood, 29, speeding in a restricted zone, $85. Armando Casillas, Jr., 45, speeding in a restricted zone, $85. Jared Halvorson, 26, speeding in a restricted zone, $85. Terence McAndrew, 70, speeding in a restricted zone, $85. Brandon Beazer, 42, night speeding, $70. Daizy Davis, 19, speeding in a restricted zone, $95. Conor Davison, 39, speeding in a restricted zone, $85. Breanna Goodmanson, 33, speeding in a restricted zone,...
Nicholas Robert Smalley pleaded guilty on Tuesday to a felony count of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, fourth or subsequent offense, pursuant to a plea agreement between the parties. Smalley’s attorney, Benjamin Darrow, advised that this agreement is part of a global agreement that will resolve Smalley’s additional pending charges in Missoula County. Judge Molly Owen set this matter for sentencing on September 24. Appearing for a change of plea in his two pending criminal cases, after reaching a plea agreement, William Luc...
The Plains School board last Monday voted in a new principal for the high school with unanimous approval. Heidii Fettinger of Great Falls was selected to replace Ryon Noland, who resigned in May after serving as high school principal for the last three years. Fettinger was one of four women and one man to apply for the principal position, which serves grades seven through 12. Plains High School teacher Katie Mitchell was the only candidate from Sanders County, said Beau French, the school board...
Sparks from a passing train ignited fires near both the West and East ramps in Thompson Falls last Wednedsay. Residents and officials responded to two separate fires along the railroad tracks. Witnesses reported seeing sparks coming from a train engine traveling west through Thompson Falls, after which two grass fires started. "We were stopped at the tracks waiting for the train to go by. As it went by, I noticed that one of the engines was blowing very heavy black smoke. I thought it was odd....
The Montana Department of Transportation (MDT) would like to announce and invite the public to comment on a proposal to reconstruct about 1 mile of Montana Highway 28, northeast of Plains. The project begins approximately 3 miles north of the intersection with Montana Highway 200 and extends north, ending near the intersection with Blooming Hills Lane. Proposed work includes increasing the radius of the curve, widening the roadway, flattening roadside slopes, installing new shoulder and centerline rumble strips, and new pavement markings and...
In February, the town of Noxon suffered the loss of three businesses to fire. Now, the community is facing another challenge. On Friday, the Montana Department of Transportation (MDT) ordered an emergency closure of the Noxon bridge after cracks in the structure were discovered in an inspection of the bridge. Now the county is working to find a solution and reopen the bridge. The Noxon bridge connects the town to Highway 200 and is the primary entrance and exit for the community. There are...
Sanders County Commissioners on Thursday signed a resolution enacting Stage II fire restrictions. The order went into effect at 2:30 p.m. on Thursday. On Wednesday, residents and officials responded to two separate fires along the railroad tracks in Thompson Falls. Witnesses reported seeing sparks coming from a train engine traveling west through Thompson Falls, after which two grass fires started. "We were stopped at the tracks waiting for the train to go by. As it went by, I noticed that one...
The Hot Springs school levy election from May 7 has been voided after a district judge issued a ruling last week. The school district is now working to rerun the election. On June 21, Hot Springs school board member Jennifer Christensen filed a petition requesting the election be voided after it was discovered that more than 100 absentee ballots were not mailed to voters for the May election. In the filing, Christensen stated that at the May 15 school board meeting, "the election administrator a...
Firefighters quickly doused a blaze along the Clark Fork River on a small stretch of wooded area some 10 miles northwest of Plains on Friday. The River Road West Fire was contained by Saturday evening, but firefighters from the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation remained on scene for days mopping up hot spots and making sure the fire was extinguished. DNRC's Jase Sorenson, the incident commander and the department's fire adapted community coordinator, said the fire was the...
Ambulance: Plains, 14; T. Falls, 7; Trout Creek, 4; Paradise, 3; Hot Springs, 2; Dixon, 1. Monday, July 8 Suspicious activity, T. Falls. Motor vehicle crash, Trout Creek. Theft, Dixon. Threats, T. Falls. Civil attempts. USFS campground check, T. Falls. USFS campground check, T. Falls. Fire, Heron. Fire, Heron. USFS campground check, T. Falls. Motor vehicle crash, T. Falls. Person missing, Trout Creek. Tuesday, July 9 Livestock, Trout Creek. Civil standby, Hot Springs. General animal call/complaint, T. Falls. Motor vehicle crash, Plains....
Michael Ellis McBride came before Judge John Mercer on Tuesday, entering his admissions to the reported violations in the petition to revoke. After discussion between the parties, McBride was committed to the Department of Corrections for the remaining five years of his sentence, with credit for 701 days of street time and 44 days time served in jail. McBride was remanded to the custody of the Sanders County Sheriff’s Office for transport to the Department of Corrections. Appearing for a change of plea pursuant to a plea agreement, James W...
