Independently owned since 1905
Independently owned since 1905
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Gary William Rubusch appeared before Judge Molly Owen on Tuesday, pleading not guilty to a felony charge of criminal possession of dangerous drugs and a misdemeanor charge of criminal possession of drug paraphernalia. Rubusch’s attorney, Cheryl Copperstone, requested that her client be released on his own recognizance. County Attorney, Megan Hansen, had no objection to this request as Rubusch is currently on probation, leading to Judge Owen granting the request. A jury trial was set for May 13, 2024. According to the charging documents, on N...
Montana Highway Patrol Whitney Bybee, 27, seatbelt violation, $20; careless driving, $85. Delbert Otto, 28, seatbelt violation, $20. James Heffernan, 94, careless driving, $85. Louisa Orr, 34, speeding in a restricted zone, $105. Jessica Knoll, 27, stop sign violation, $85. Moira Lonergan, 19, day speeding, $120. Sanders County Sheriff’s Office Tacen Cobb, 16, speeding in a restricted zone, $55. Hannah Jones, 19, speeding in a restricted zone, $55. James Mullet, 19, stop sign violation, $85. Lisa Stutzman, 30, speeding in a restricted zone, $...
The Christmas train has returned to Plains School again, but officials can't decide on who will be the conductor. Plains resident Bill Beck and Plains Elementary School Principal Kevin Meredith set up the Polar Express last week in the school library. It took the two about an hour to get the train, track, structures, trees, and figurines set up on the four-foot wide, eight-foot long piece of plywood that Beck made. The school has featured the Polar Express train and village for five years,...
Harvest Community Church of God's building plans for a basement under the youth group building came to a halt. Due to regulations that have been established by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), it was discovered the property is in the floodplain. Construction is not up to code, according to Ron Warren from Rocky Mountain Surveying, who did the initial survey. Three weeks after the concrete forms were set up, contractor Josh Weedeman was told that he had to stop. "There is nothing...
Clark Fork Valley Hospital (CFVH) is restructuring its home health services. CFVH has announced it will close its Medicare certified Home Health agency effective January 1, 2024. The services will still be available through the hospital’s clinics and rehabilitation department. Hospice services are unaffected by this decision and will continue unchanged. While homebound patients will not see a difference in services, the restructuring will affect payment requirements and patients may see possible copays, said Tonya Revier with CFVH. Like many r...
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP) has adopted the 2023 Elk Management Plan and accompanying environmental assessment. The elk plan lays out how FWP will manage elk; the EA is an evaluation and summary of potential impacts on the physical environment and human population. The new plan is flexible and reflects current elk management direction and challenges, as well as being forward- looking in anticipating management changes. “Development of the new elk plan was a long and expansive process, and we appreciate all the public input we r...
Thompson Falls was jingling with holiday spirit over the weekend with the annual Christmas on Main Street festivities. On Friday, Thompson Falls Chamber of Commerce sponsored a holiday stroll, inviting businesses to stay open and offer treats and specials to community members. At the Sunflower Gallery, strollers could get crafty with reindeer candy cane ornaments or gnome ornament creations. The gallery, which features local artisans, also offered a hot cocoa bar with a variety of toppings, and...
Montana’s general deer and elk hunting season wrapped up and the harvest results at check stations in northwest Montana showed similar results to a year ago. Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP) tallied more than 10,000 hunters at its four regional check stations in northwest Montana. Hunters reported harvesting 761 white-tailed deer, including 567 bucks, and 97 mule deer. The number of mule deer harvested was slightly higher than last year’s tally of 69. There were also 44 elk reported this year, down from 61 a year ago. The total per...
The idea to catch potential eye problems at an early age is a mission the Plains Lions Club has been doing for over 10 years and this week they finished the last batch of kids in the county at Plains High School. Members of the local club did the vision screenings at Plains Elementary and Junior High last Wednesday. "It is important. If you can detect a vision issue at an early age, it can be corrected with the child not needing glasses later in life," said Steve Spurr, president of the Plains...
Appearing on Tuesday before Judge Deborah Kim Christopher for an initial appearance, Douglas D. Paige entered a not guilty plea to felony counts of criminal possession of dangerous drugs and criminal possession with intent to distribute. Judge Christopher set this matter for a jury trial on April 15, 2024. On August 15 at approximately 3 p.m., according to the filed affidavit, Sanders County Sheriff’s Deputy Paul Bankhead was advised of a report of two men allegedly fighting, drinking and soon to be driving from the Wild Coyote Bar near T...
Ambulance: T. Falls, 11; Plains, 7; Trout Creek, 4; Heron, 2; Hot Springs, 2. Monday, November 27 Welfare check, T. Falls. Assist other agency, T. Falls. Civil standby, Trout Creek. Extra patrol, T. Falls. Threats, Hot Springs. Disturbance, Hot Springs. Threats, Trout Creek. Suspicious activity, Plains. Parking problem, Hot Springs. Livestock, Hot Springs. Livestock, Paradise. Property damage/criminal mischief, Plains. Assist miscellaneous, Trout Creek. General animal call/complaint, Paradise. General animal call/complaint, Plains. Civil...
Montana Highway Patrol Jeffrey Stevens, 49, seatbelt violation, $20. Amber Woodard, 40, speeding in a restricted zone, $95. Alexander Dunlap, 53, day speeding, $120. Lee Hensrude, 77, day speeding, deferred imposition of sentence. Katherine Parson, 49, day speeding, $120. Terry Show, 51, speeding in a restricted zone, $95. Keynan Runnels, 23, speeding in a restricted zone, $95. Echo Hermsmeyer, 31, stop sign violation, $85. Joshua Smith, 42, speeding in a restricted zone, $95. Aimee Turner, 45, operating without liability insurance, 2nd...
Engineer Brent Campbell from Missoula has been hired by Green Diamond Resource Company (GDRCo) to lead the process of planning the use of certain sections of land. Ownership by GDRCo includes over 300 acres in Sanders County that is included in the 2010 Thompson Chain of Lakes Plan. The company owns significantly more acreage in Sanders County, according to Campbell. Sanders County has been invited to participate in the updating of the Thompson Chain of Lakes Plan. In 2021, GDRCo acquired...
The Plains City Council met Monday with a packed agenda which resulted in a packed house. Mayor Chris Allen announced that it would be his last council meeting and that Joel Banham will be the new mayor starting in January of next year. Banham will be sworn in on December 29. Mayor Allen said the Christmas tree didn't get planted but one will be planted next summer by the Lions Club and it will be ready for tree lighting in December 2024. "The two newly hired police officers are doing a tremendo...
The Thompson Falls School Board continued reviewing the Independent Strategic Action Plan (ISAP) for the district at Monday’s board meeting. Superintendent Bud Scully reviewed the priorities gathered from public engagement meetings and a survey that was available to the community. “Safety will always be the number one priority whether you tell me it is or not,” Scully told the school board. Scully went over the top 10 priorities – additional personnel, course offerings, facility improvements, safety, board issues, human resources, curricu...
Sanders County Elections staff on Wednesday conducted a recount of two municipal races. The votes for Thompson Falls City Council seats in Ward 1 and Ward 3 were recounted at the Sanders County Courthouse. While one count was changed by one vote, the overall results did not change with the recount. According to state law, a candidate can file for a recount within five days after the official canvass if the candidate is defeated by a margin of less than one-quarter of 1% or 10 or fewer votes. The...
Cancer Network of Sanders County had a successful event with its annual Lantern Launch at downtown Plains for the first time. Shelley Bertrand, president of the nonprofit organization, felt it was a good move to have the event on the greenway along Railroad Street instead of the fairgrounds because it would be more accessible and it was in conjunction with the Plains Lions Club, which held its event next to the launch. The event was normally held at the Sanders County fairgrounds, but Bertrand...
The Montana Freedom Caucus (MFC) has called for a special legislative session to address tax concerns. MFC consists of 21 Republican legislators, including Senator Bob Brown and Representative Paul Fielder, both of Thompson Falls. Earlier this year, the Montana Department of Revenue argued that counties should be collecting 95 mills in a state school tax, though several counties. The Montana Association of Counties (MACo) in October filed a lawsuit on behalf of Montana counties seeking "to...
The Sanders County Fair Commission selected a new fair manager at a special board meeting at the pavilion last Monday. "They all had some good qualities and strengths and weaknesses, and after interviewing all five and reviewing everything we came up with our best applicant, Kristy Sheehan," said Randy Woods, the board chairman. Hiring a new manager was the only item on the agenda. Board member Brian Crain made the motion to hire Sheehan for the position. It was quickly seconded by board member...
Tabitha Dawn Ballard appeared for sentencing before Judge Molly Owen on Tuesday. Pursuant to a plea agreement between the parties, Ballard was sentenced to three years suspended for felony strangulation, two years deferred imposition of sentence on felony criminal possession of dangerous drugs, and six months suspended to the Sanders County Jail for misdemeanor criminal mischief. All of the charges will run concurrent with each other, but consecutive to any other sentence. Judge Owen waived the majority of Ballard’s fines and fees and gave h...
Ambulance: T. Falls, 8; Plains, 7; Hot Springs, 3; Dixon, 2; Noxon, 1; Paradise, 1. Monday, November 20 Automated alarm call, Plains. Inmate transport. Suspicious activity, T. Falls. Suspicious activity, Hot Springs. Fish and game, T. Falls. Suspicious activity, Plains. Assist motorist/citizen. Request for welfare check, Hot Springs. Suspicious activity, Hot Springs. Civil served, T. Falls. Extra patrol, T. Falls. Theft, Plains. Suspicious activity, T. Falls. Business contact, T. Falls. Tuesday, November 21 Trespass, T. Falls. Intoxicated...
Montana Highway Patrol Jordan Grapensteter, 28, failure to carry proof of insurance, 1st offense, $335; day speeding, $70. Travis Felts, 30, failure to have child under 6 & less than 60 lbs properly restrained, $85; speeding in a restricted zone, $75. Christine Bell, 58, speeding in a restricted zone, $95. Jennifer Berklund, 50, speeding in a restricted zone, $85. Emilie Gelineau, 35, speeding in a restricted zone, $65. Sanders County Sheriff’s Office Dennis Littlefield, 64, speeding in a restricted zone, $95. Motor Carrier Services Shannon C...
Spotlight on the Arts Lyndsie Anzar – Noxon Schools Article by Karen Thorson Lyndsie Anzar, a seventh grader at Noxon Schools, is already a talented musician at 12 years of age. She began her musical journey on the piano when she was just five years old. She changed her direction last year and is now a first-rate drummer, playing in the Noxon Pep Band under the direction of music teacher Sari MacArthur. When asked about the change, she says that drumming has always been what she wanted to do. A...
Jessica Gayton has taken over the wheel of the Sanders County Bookmobile. "I started out as a relief driver two days a month in 2019," said Gayton, who lives in Thompson Falls. When Sandy Hough retired in September, Gayton was hired full time as driver and director. Gayton said she worked in early childhood education and did not have experience with running a bookmobile but Hough taught her the job over the past four years. "As a driver I didn't have to handle the business side of the job but...
For some, talking about their time in the Vietnam War is troublesome, particularly if they lost friends or were wounded, and it's no difference for Marine Corps veteran Denis Munson, who was a guest speaker at Plains Elementary School last week. Sixty-two students from fifth and sixth grade classes heard Munson talk about his combat experiences, much of it in a medevac helicopter designed to retrieve wounded soldiers or Marines from a combat zone. He spent about 50 minutes with each grade,...
