Independently owned since 1905
Independently owned since 1905
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As Hot Springs heads into another academic school year, superintendent Gerald Chouinard reflects on his first year in the position. “It has been a very good year,” he said of the 2020-2021 school year. “I’ve signed on for three more years and will be contracted through 2024.” While Chouinard continues furthering the connection between students and teachers, he also plans to create and maintain a stronger outreach with the community. “I absolutely love Hot Springs,” Chouinard said. “The community has been extremely supportive in what most educa...
Hunters will be able to obtain the 2021 Block Management Area (BMA) program information beginning this week. Hunters are encouraged to request their 2021 BMA Access Guide online and download or print individual BMA maps at fwp.mt.gov/BMA. By utilizing the FWP website fwp.mt.gov/BMA, hunters will have instant access to the Access Guide and up-to-date BMA maps and rules for every individual BMA enrolled in the program. “Obtaining these individual BMA maps and rules via our website are key to successfully utilizing the BMA program as not all r...
The Thompson Falls School Board met last week to discuss the end of summer and upcoming school year. The principals mentioned enrollment being up. Though the number may be only up by 10, according to superintendent Bud Scully, the school is feeling positive. “We won’t know the final numbers until they actually show up,” said Scully, “but we like to emphasize the positive.” Scully explained that right now enrollment is sitting somewhere around 450 students for the district. Another discussion was the 2021 salary schedule of elementary school pr...
Mayor Mark Sheets delivered an update on the Thorne Creek fire to the Thompson Falls City Council at their Monday meeting this week. According to Sheets everything has gone well so far, with firefighters having basically contained the fire from Graves Creek to Weber Gulch. They are currently setting up holding operations up Ashley Creek around the city’s water line. Currently, helicopters are dumping water constantly to hold the fire on the west side to avoid what the mayor referred to as a fuel change were it to reach Goat Creek on the east si...
by Annie Wooden Officials reported Friday morning at the Thorne Creek fire burning north of Thompson Falls is 9% contained. Friday's report noted that the fire has grown to 19,100 acres. Since lightning sparked the fire on July 7, air resources have dropped 730,000 gallons of water, 28,000 gallons of retardant and delivered 31,000 pounds of cargo in efforts to control the blaze. According to Friday's update, "Work continues along the northwest perimeter in Division Charlie as firefighters work...
Don’t be fooled by a few days of reduced fire behavior brought on by Sunday’s welcome rain – the Thorne Creek fire is still up there on Silcox Mountain, waiting for another chance to roar back to life. And it has a lot of summer, and a lot of unburned forest left to work with. “The fire is still up there, a living breathing thing, capable of more big runs,” Thorne Creek fire deputy incident commander Mark Goeller of the Northern Region Type 1 incident management team (IMT) told the audience at a...
As the Thorne Creek fire burns north of Thompson Falls, a community of volunteers are assisting evacuees and residents. The American Red Cross established a shelter at the Thompson Falls Community Center last week. The community center, located on Golf Street near Thompson Falls High School, transitioned into an information and resource center for the community. "Everyone is welcome, you don't have to be an evacuee," said Scott Fairfield, the American Red Cross volunteer from Eureka who...
The City of Thompson Falls has imposed more stringent water use restrictions. These efforts, according to Mayor Mark Sheets, are to ensure there is enough water stored and available to fight any fires that may reach town. Thursday and Friday, ash from the Thorne Creek fire burning north of town rained on to properties throughout the city. That prompted residents to water even more, and the city had to send out an alert on Saturday reminding residents of the water restrictions. According to the mayor, residents turned on their sprinklers and...
Ambulance: Noxon, 2; Hot Springs, 3; T. Falls, 6; Trout Creek, 2; Plains, 5. Monday, July 26 Motor vehicle crash, Noxon. Fire, Noxon. Theft, Plains. Livestock, Dixon. Fire, T. Falls. Welfare check, T. Falls. Weapons offense, Hot Springs. Suicide attempts/threats, Trout Creek. Tuesday, July 27 Automated alarm call, Plains. Motor vehicle crash, Hot Springs. Civil attempts, Noxon. Fire, Hot Springs. Property damage/criminal mischief, Hot Springs. Livestock, Hot Springs. Animal bite, Plains. Disturbance, T. Falls. Animal other, T. Falls....
Montana Highway Patrol Briana Snyder, 35, operating after consuming alcohol, 1st offense, $735. Heidi Lane, 49, day speeding, $120. James Watson, 41, day speeding, $20. Logan Buckner, 14, failure to keep vehicle under control, $135; driving without a license, $525. Payton Frields, 21, speeding in a restricted zone, $55. Jennifer Eitelberg, 50, day speeding, $20. Dorieann Jones, 48, speeding in a restricted zone, $55. Pierre Strohl, 31, speeding in a restricted zone, $65. Haylee Hoff, 20, day speeding, $20. Jennifer Peacock, 46, day speeding, $2...
For many, the lack of attainable and available housing in the county has grown exponentially, leading many community leaders to believe the current housing situation has reached crisis level. To shed some light on the gravity of the circumstances, Sanders County Community Development Corporation Executive Director Ray Brown convened expert panelists from around the state to discuss different resources that could work for the county. “We’ve got some housing issues,” Brown said. “I don’t think we're alone in our battle, but I don’t think it’s...
The Plains Town Council passed an emergency ordinance at its monthly meeting at City Hall Monday evening in an effort to conserve water during this long period of drought. Council members discussed the situation for a short time before voting unanimously to pass the first reading of the “Emergency Ordinance and Ordinance to Adopt Procedure to Reduce Water Use During Emergency Conditions.” According to the ordinance, written by the town’s attorney, Richard Gebhardt, the town has experienced extraordinary demand on its water supply, capac...
Rode Haus Coffee is the name and the Hanks gals -mother Paula and daughters Reagan and Roni - in collaboration with River Roadhouse owner Machelle Brossman, have launched barista operations next to the U.S. Postal Service office on Highway 200 in Trout Creek. "We are just so excited," said Reagan, who graduated from Thompson Falls High School in 2020, with utmost enthusiasm. "We have wanted to own our own coffee shop since I was 13 [years old], Roni since she was 12, and Paula since we were...
The Sanders County Historical Society and Old Jail Museum have requested financial help with funding through American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), government funding that has been provided to help respond to COVID-19 and its impact on local economies. Vonn Briggs, Old Jail Museum director and board member, met with Sanders County commissioners last week to discuss the need to keep the museum safe while continuing to preserve its history. Briggs requested funds for several projects totaling $15,700. “The whole process started when I met Sanders C...
That fire on the mountain everyone has been watching is going to be with us for a while. The Thorne Creek fire, which was ignited by lightning July 7 and has been steadily growing and visible from the Clark Fork Valley floor since its inception, will likely be a long-term wildfire event that will be going on for at least several more weeks. The fire has already triggered many evacuation warnings and several actual evacuations as the fire front has moved on the hillside each day. In an effort to...
The Thorne Creek Fire continues to burn just north of Thompson Falls. As of Saturday morning the fire, which was sparked by lightning on July 8, had burned 15,860 acres and was 0% contained. More than 150 residents attended a community meeting at Ainsworth Park on Friday as the Thorne Creek Fire burned north of Thompson Falls in the Weber Gulch area. Drew Daily, incident commander for the Thorne Creek Fire, said that three Type II National Guard firefighting units would be arriving Saturday...
The serial number on a firearm found Sunday afternoon at the Flat Iron Fishing access site west of Thompson Falls matches that of a firearm purchased by former Thompson Falls Danielle Wood in 2018, according to court documents filed this week state. Wood is currently serving a 100-year sentence at the Montana State Women's Prison. According to a motion filed Tuesday in 20th Judicial District Court, the Sanders County Sheriff's Office (SCSO) was notified that a male had found a pistol in the...
Sanders County residents filled the senior center in Plains last Thursday night to sit in on a meeting addressing potential growth plans for the town. An outdated growth policy prompted Plains Mayor Dan Rowan to reach out to Sanders County Community Development Corporation (SCCDC) Executive Director Ray Brown last year for help. A long process of conversations between Brown and Montana Department of Commerce Outreach Specialist Gus Byrom, who attended Thursday’s meeting, led to collaboration with Robin Spear from WGM Group, a planning and d...
For the first time in over 20 years, a grange meeting was held this month at the Whitepine Grange. This gathering was to initiate new members and to hold elections to establish officers for the Grange Post #102. The group asked Don Burrell to attend and to initiate the new members. Burrell is a long-time member of the Thompson Falls Grange. He started with the Grange in 1966 and has held most positions that one can have in the Grange. He has participated in the National Grange and even had the...
Ambulance calls: Hot Springs, 4; Thompson Falls, 10; Dixon, 2; Plains, 8. Sunday, July 18 General animal complaint, Hot Springs. Livestock, Paradise. Child welfare, abuse. Fire, Heron. Suspicious activity, T. Falls. Property found, T. Falls. Motorist assist, Paradise. Disturbance, Heron. Abandoned vehicle, Noxon. Monday, July 19 Motor vehicle crash, T. Falls. Welfare check, Plains. Coroner call, Plains. Missing person, T. Falls. Coroner call, Paradise. Motor vehicle crash, T. Falls. Trespass, Plains. Suspicious activity, T. Falls. Littering,...
Montana Highway Patrol John Bennett, 55, driving under the influence of alcohol, 2nd offense, $1,335, 7 days jail. Roxsanna Ryan, 64, seatbelt violation, $20. Thomas Jolley, 59, improper passing, $85. Dishant Khatri, 19,speeding in restricted zone, $85. Benjamin Smith, 34, day speeding, $20. George Gorohoff, 53, speeding in restricted zone, $65. Ronald Owens, 33, no liability insurance, 2nd offense, $135. Eric Bachofner, 41, day speeding, $20. Ryan Farmer, 42, day speeding, $70. Jaclyn Flinn, 44, seatbelt violation, $20. Clarence Hough, 65,...
The windstorm in January left many homes and businesses in need of repair, including the high school in Thompson Falls. The gymnasium roof saw some damage, and the school contracted Buckingham Roofing to do some temporary repairs. These repairs were meant to prevent any water damage until Buckingham Roofing could return and take the time to do the whole roof. Finally, after several months, John Buckingham, owner of Buckingham Roofing, was able to come out to install the new roof. Assisted by...
Sanders County Community Development Corporation (SCCDC) is hosting a Housing Summit Monday, August 2, at the Clark Fork Valley Elks Lodge in Thompson Falls from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Expert panelists will review various technical assistance programs and provide an open space for discussion, collaboration and education for stakeholders to deliberate potential workforce housing solutions in Sanders County. “There are a number of resources available for workforce housing,” said SCCDC Executive Director Ray Brown. “We are trying to solve an ident...
A North Idaho freight company is expanding services in Sanders County to keep up with increased demand. H&H Express is constructing an expansion building in Thompson Falls. Located across from Grocery Surplus on Highway 200 just east of Thompson Falls, H&H Express owner Donald West says the 40-foot by 60-foot freight dock will also aid in handling the influx of shipments he has seen over the last year. "The area is growing so fast and I've seen a lot more freight going in every day," said West....
"Often, the best resource is simply a neighbor and fellow landowner sharing their experience and knowledge!" emphasizes Montana Tree Farm System (MTFS). Last Thursday, over 65 people gathered at Harlow Bison Ranch in Thompson Falls to join MTFS in piloting their Montana Tree Farm Peer Network. MTFS Chairperson Holly McKenzie stated that "rather than sending in a forester, people are more comfortable with a neighbor" when being advised about forest land management. The goal of the gathering was...
