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Governor Greg Gianforte is seeking public comment on applicants to fill the vacancy in the Twentieth Judicial District, which serves Lake and Sanders counties. Judge Deborah "Kim" Christopher announced her resignation last month. Members of the public can provide letters of support or other comments regarding the applicants through Thursday, May 9, 2024, at 5 p.m. The governor has received an application from tattorney John A. Mercer, whose application may be found at nominatejudges.mt.gov: Members of the public should submit letters or other...
Ambulance: T. Falls, 5; Plains, 4; Hot Springs, 3; Dixon, 3; Noxon, 1; Paradise, 1; Trout Creek, 1. Monday, April 1 Disturbance, T. Falls. Abandoned vehicle, Plains. Suspicious activity, Plains. Protection order violation, T. Falls. Fire, Plains. Road hazard/debris on road, Hot Springs. Suspicious activity, Plains. Assault, Heron. Automated alarm call, T. Falls. Road hazard/blockage, Plains. Body found/coroner, Hot Springs. Livestock, Paradise. Other law violations, Trout Creek. Property damage/criminal mischief, Plains. Tuesday, April 2 Assist...
Montana Highway Patrol Christine Cobb, 31, day speeding, $20. Henry Castillo, Jr., 21, speeding in a restricted zone, $65. Sandra Ray-Wilcox, 59, seatbelt violation, $20. Trace Ward, 23, failure to keep vehicle under control on mountain highway, $85. Daniel Patrick, 54, speeding in a restricted zone, $55. Liam Nelson, 22, day speeding, $70. Melissa Rowland, 37, night speeding, $20. Brenda Peterson, 39, speeding in a restricted zone, $65, deferred imposition of sentence. Susan Wright, 63, speeding in a restricted zone, $95. Nolan McDaniels, 23,...
Arson has been ruled out as the cause of a February 27 fire that destroyed three businesses in Noxon. "At this point there is nothing that points to arson," Sheriff Shawn Fielders said Monday. He noted that two private insurance investigators as well as the state fire marshal's office have come to the same conclusion, though the investigation is ongoing and the cause is not yet known. "We have chased down every lead that's been given to us," Sheriff Fielders told The Ledger. He commended deputy...
More than 20 volunteers helped stuff over 7,000 plastic eggs with candy and golden eggs filled with a dollar bill the week before the 10th annual Trout Creek Easter Eggstravaganza. Then last Saturday, 232 kids in five age groups were sent running to gather as many eggs as their colorful baskets would let them carry. The first age group of kids up to age 2 years old went first in their own little hunt, the other four groups all went at once. "It is a delight to watch all the kids in their Easter...
The Plains Community Easter Egg Hunt was bigger than ever with a larger area and a record number of eggs and egg hunters. For the second consecutive year the annual event was held on the Saturday before Easter Sunday, but this year it was moved to the Sanders County Fairgrounds and was a big hit with 351 participants ranging from under 1 year old to adults scrambling onto the grass to retrieve the colorful plastic eggs filled with candy and messages representing prizes. The event was divided int...
The City of Thompson Falls is excited to re-open the pool this summer after staffing issues and needed repairs caused the pool to stay closed for the 2023 season. “We’re very excited that the pool is going to open,” City Clerk Chelsea Peterson said last week. Mayor Rusti Leivestad said she is looking forward to the return of the water aerobics program. The city has restructured management of the pool, eliminating the pool director position. The city will hire 10 lifeguards for the season, and three of those will work as pool managers. Lifeg...
Ambulance: Hot Springs, 5; T. Falls, 5; Plains, 5; Dixon, 2; Trout Creek, 2; Paradise, 1; Noxon, 1. Monday, March 25 Theft, Hot Springs. Inmate transport. Civil standby, T. Falls. Civil standby, T. Falls. Child welfare/abuse, Plains. Fire, Paradise. Disturbance, T. Falls. Motor vehicle crash, Noxon. Other law violations, T. Falls. Civil attempts, T. Falls. Request for welfare check, T. Falls. Assist motorist/citizen, T. Falls. Parking problem, Plains. Tuesday, March 26 Person missing, Plains. Motor vehicle crash, Noxon. Animal other, T. Falls....
Montana Highway Patrol Harry Ihms, 70, seatbelt violation, $20. Tracy Vanicek, 56, careless driving, $85. Jennifer Qualls, 47, speeding in a restricted zone, $55. Mary Kowalski, 75, speeding in a restricted zone, $85. Richard Bisbee, 43, speeding in a restricted zone, $65. Laura Perkins, 45, day speeding, $70. Thomas Stilwell, 48, seatbelt violation, $20. Jimmy Curtiss, 67, seatbelt violation, $20. Madison Duke, 20, speeding in a restricted zone, $85. Jane Sosa, 68, seatbelt violation, $20. Ronda Calzada, 58, speeding in a restricted zone,...
After three weekends of fishing beneath the snowcapped Mission Mountains on Flathead Lake, Spring Mack Days anglers' total lake trout count stands at 13,417. This is the largest three-week total since 2019. Mack Days Fishing events are sponsored by the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes and are sanctioned by Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks. The Fishing Events are a management tool used to reduce the non-native lake troutpopulation in Flathead lake. Increasing the native bull trout and westslope cutthroat is important for the future of...
A presentation at the Thompson Falls Senior Center last week educated citizens on how to be aware of potential scams and fraud. Presenters Blair Stapleton and Drew Czoik from the state Commissioner of Securities and Insurance Office traveled from Helena to Thompson Falls to inform the audience of potential fraud and scams via the internet and phone, primarily. The seminar, titled "Protecting the Big Sky," was designed to educate investors, seniors, and consumers to safeguard their finances....
by Annie Wooden It's a somewhat quiet election season for local Sanders County races this election season. Five county elected officials are up for re-election this year, and only one race is contested. County Commissioner Dan Rowan, Attorney Megan Hansen and Coroner Greg Davis are all running unopposed for their respective positions. Alisa Garcia of Thompson Falls was the only candidate to file for the combined position of Clerk and Recorder, Treasurer and Superintendent of Schools. The...
A 40-year-old woman from Clark Fork, Idaho, was killed in an accident early Sunday morning on Highway 200 near Heron. Montana Highway Patrol reported that the woman was driving a Toyota FJ Cruiser west on Highway 200 near mile marker 1.3 when the vehicle drifted off the right side of the roadway. The driver attempted to correct back onto the road and struck an embankment, overturning the vehicle. The accident occurred just before 3 a.m. on Sunday. The driver of the vehicle was pronounced dead at the scene. A 36-year-old female passenger, also...
A group of local senior citizens had the chance to go back to school, relive the days of their youth, and dance to the music of their generation, including a 102-year-old woman who spent a lot of time on the dance floor. Twenty-five men and women attended the Plains School's "1st Annual Super Senior Prom" in the school gymnasium last Wednesday. Several were Plains High School graduates. Five residents of the Clark Fork Valley Hospital Long Term Care took part in the event and more than a dozen...
After nearly 24 years of serving the people of Lake and Sanders counties as a judge in the Twentieth Judicial District, Judge Deborah "Kim" Christopher has announced her retirement, effective April 5. Christopher first took the bench in 2000, becoming the first female judge to serve the Twentieth Judicial District. Growing up in Polson, but with family ties to Sanders County through her mother's family, Christopher attended law school at the University of Montana, starting her legal career as an...
Ambulance: Plains, 8; T. Falls, 4; Noxon, 2; Hot Springs, 2; Trout Creek, 1; Paradise, 1; Dixon, 1. Monday, March 18 Juvenile runaway, Dixon. General animal call/complaint, Camas Prairie. Civil standby, Plains. Civil standby, Trout Creek. Assist miscellaneous, T. Falls. Search warrant. Suspicious activity, Plains. Business contact, Hot Springs. General animal call/complaint, Dixon. Threats, Hot Springs. Sexual assault, Heron. Civil standby, Plains. Tuesday, March 19 Intoxicated driver report. Animal other, Trout Creek. Fire, Plains. Welfare...
Coming before Judge Molly Owen for his initial appearance, Brent Allen Wiegele entered a not guilty plea to one felony count of burglary on Tuesday. A jury trial was set for July 23, 2024. As alleged in the charging documents, on or around March 22, 2023, Sanders County Sheriff’s Deputy Craig McCarthy was advised of a reported trespass at a property between Thompson Falls and Trout Creek. According to the property owner, they had recently inherited the ranch and its equipment. The first time they had noticed anything amiss was the previous d...
Two Sanders County sheriff's deputies were awarded with the Medal of Valor at a ceremony last week. Mineral County Sheriff Ryan Funke presented deputies Lanny Hensley and Tim Kelly with the awards at the Sanders County Courthouse on Thursday evening. About 30 law enforcement officers, members of the public and family members attended the ceremony. "As sheriff, March 18, 2023, is a day that will forever haunt my memory," Sheriff Funke said. "But it is also a day that could have been much worse,...
A man who was a prisoner during the Vietnam War certainly had a captive audience last week as guest speaker at Whitepine Grange 102. The room had a stillness of quiet for nearly 1.5 hours as Navy veteran Rod Knutson talked about his time as a POW of the North Vietnamese after his F4 Phantom jet was shot out of the sky during a bombing run in October 1965. "There were all kinds of guns shooting at us, it was utter chaos," said Knutson, who was the radar intercept officer - the back seat position...
Sanders County Commissioners held a meeting with members of the Montana Department of Transportation (MDT) last week to discuss bridges, speed limits and road chipping. Presiding officers were Dan Rowen, District 1, Anthony Cox District 2 and John Holland, District 3. . The Noxon Bridge was discussed when Commissioner Tony Cox brought up the issues of safety and overall age of the bridge. “The bridge was built in the 1920s and has metal cracks in places. It has been rehabilitated in the past,” Cox said. A velocity patch was put in when the Tro...
Montana Highway Patrol Boyd Smith, 32, seatbelt violation, $20. Ridge Whiting, 22, day speeding, $70. Consuelo Green, 22, speeding in a restricted zone, $105. Michael Normandeau, 50, speeding in a restricted zone, $65. Ethan McCoy, 23, night speeding, $20. Steven Morris, 40, seatbelt violation, $20. Cathrine Cavazos, 41, seatbelt violation, $20. John Bivens IV, 28, night speeding, $20. Brayden Good, 21, night speeding, $20. Christian Reyes-Fried, 18, failure to stop when school bus stopped, 1st offense, $535. Gary Rogers, 57, seatbelt...
Ambulance: Plains, 9; T. Falls, 8; Hot Springs, 3; Paradise, 3; Noxon, 1; Dixon, 1; Trout Creek, 1. Monday, March 11 Assist miscellaneous, Plains. Motor vehicle crash, Hot Springs. Threats, T. Falls. Parking problem, Hot Springs. Assist miscellaneous, Plains. Parking problem, Hot Springs. Theft, Plains. Road hazard/blockage, Plains. Harassment/privacy in communication, T. Falls. Motor vehicle crash, Plains. Livestock, Paradise. Suspicious activity, T. Falls. Abandoned vehicle, Plains. General animal call/complaint, Plains. Tuesday, March 12...
Theodore Gibson made an initial appearance on Tuesday before Judge John Larson for a felony charge of assault with a deadly weapon, entering a plea of not guilty. A jury trial was scheduled for July 15, 2024. As detailed in the affidavit filed with the court, on February 10, Sanders County Sheriff’s Deputy Corey Wheeldon responded to the Barber Shop Bar in Hot Springs following a report of a male entering the bar with a firearm and waiving it at patrons. Montana Highway Patrol Trooper Zachary Rehbein also responded, arriving on scene prior t...
by UM News Service Snowpack this winter continues to be at an all-time low across several river basins in western Montana, indicating that this year could see water shortages, according to recent projections from the Montana Climate Office. The MCO is based at the University of Montana in the W.A. Franke College of Forestry and Conservation. MCO produces daily summaries of drought conditions for the Upper Missouri River Basin (UMRB), Washington, Oregon and Idaho to help state and local governments make timely and informed decisions about...
The community will be getting a brand new ambulance, thanks to the Plains Town Council. All six council members were present for last Monday's City Hall meeting, which included only two pieces of old business, both that were tabled, and two new items on the agenda. The meeting lasted only 33 minutes, which Councilman Chad Cantrell said might be a record. However, the council's work began 30 minutes earlier for a public hearing on House Bill 355 state grant, which involved enlarging the fire...
