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It is that time of year again. Parents and students have said goodbye to summer vacation. The schools of Sanders County have done the same with the added responsibility of making sure they are up and running and fully staffed. Across the county each school has reported that they are in need of substitute teachers. Noxon school relies on their teaching staff to help out with other needs such as driving the bus and coaching. Some teachers volunteer as emergency medical technicians. “This takes them out of the classroom, often unexpectedly,” sai...
The sun was shining, the kids were laughing and literally a good time was had by all at the 2024 Sanders County Fair and PRCA Rodeo. Kids could be seen playing ball in their self made pen in the camping area. The atmosphere was filled with frivolity and safety for all attendees. A new event this year was a concert in the main arena on Wednesday evening. Levi Blom entertained a small crowd with his mix of country and rock. Blom showed up with an RV and a pop-up trailer perfect for playing from...
The Sanders County Fair activities for 4-H members culminated Sunday morning with the annual livestock auction. After the market animals have been judged and the showmanship skills displayed, 4-H members lead their animals around the arena as businesses, organizations and individuals bid to purchase the animals. There were smiles - and some tears - as the 4-H members worked their animals for the last time while auctioneer Kevin Hill interviewed the youths and then led the bidding. The auction...
People attend the Sanders County Fair for a number of reasons - carnival, rodeo, demolition derby, and greasy food - but seeing the 4-H kids show their animals is always a big draw. "I think most people come to see the exhibits and the animals," said Karrie Baldwin of Thompson Falls. Her grandson, John McNamara of the South Side Sparks club in Plains, had the most animals at the fair, including six sheep, a rooster named "Reggie," and the only pocket pet at the fair, a scorpion named "Forest."...
There wasn't an empty seat at the Plains Fairgrounds arena this last Sunday night. The crowd was full of anticipation as over 50 drivers from far and wide came to compete in the 45th annual Carnage on the Clark Fork Demolition Derby and they did not disappoint. The roar of the crowd was deafening as everyone cheered on their favorite drivers as they crashed into each other, hoping for a chance to win the grand prize. For over five hours the sound of crunching metal and roaring engines could be h...
by Emily Senkosky, UM News Service According to naturalist and author John Muir, between every two pines is the doorway to a new world. In Noxon, Montana, at a base camp for wildlife biologists nestled deep in the pines, camera traps and other measuring instruments are capturing forensic evidence of what is happening to the state’s elk population. A new management plan released by Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks last year has accelerated matters concerning the antlered ungulate, and an investigative team consisting of University of Montana w...
Ambulance: T. Falls, 8; Plains, 4; Hot Springs, 3; Dixon, 2; Trout Creek, 1; Paradise, 1. Monday, August 26 Assist miscellaneous, Plains. Assist motorist/citizen, T. Falls. Livestock, Lonepine. Other law violations, T. Falls. Fire, T. Falls. Civil attempts, Hot Springs. Business contact, Hot Springs. Business contact. Livestock, Plains. Threats, T. Falls. Tuesday, August 27 Person missing, T. Falls. Theft, Hot Springs. General animal call/complaint, Paradise. Fire, Heron. Property damage/criminal mischief, Plains. USFS campground check, Noxon....
Judge John Mercer sentenced Isaac Samuel Warnes to a six-year deferred imposition of sentence on Tuesday for his role in the January 2024 break-in at the Top Shelf Botanicals dispensary in Plains, with credit for two days time served. In addition to the deferred sentence, Warnes will also be required to pay restitution in the amount of $39,506 and is prohibited from being on the premises of where the burglary took place. The other two co-defendants in this incident, McKenzie Allen Managhan and William Lucas Wyatt, have hearings scheduled for...
Montana Highway Patrol Niles Fullerton, 40, speeding in a restricted zone, $95. Rue Hussion, 19, day speeding, $20. Kevin Sterner, 53, seatbelt violation, $20. Justin Yoder, 21, seatbelt violation, $20. John Sturdivant, VII, 57, no motorcycle endorsement, $85. Numa Caye, 37, seatbelt violation, $20; speeding in a restricted zone, $85. Alec Ray, 31, seatbelt violation, $20. Conner Cook, 22, speeding in a restricted zone, $135, deferred imposition of sentence. Cheryl Granger, 72, speeding in a restricted zone, $95, deferred imposition of...
The Sanders County 4-H horse project leaders added a new activity to the fair this year and nearly a dozen kids from four clubs participated in the event. The "Working Ranch Horse" competition is not purely new to 4-H members. It's usually held elsewhere and not during the fair, said Sanders County extension agent Wendy Carr, but for the first time it was conducted on the fairgrounds during the fair. Four girls competed in level one, the beginner class, and five girls and one boy competed in...
"There's more to 4-H than just animals," said Karen Dwyer, a volunteer who has helped with the home economics and non animal projects of the 4-H at the fair for more than 30 years. Even now, as a volunteer, she is surprised at the ingenuity and imagination from the 4-H members from across the county. There were more than 900 entries last Thursday afternoon in the fairgrounds home economics building, where nearly a dozen judges looked over the kids' work - woodworking, paintings, photographs,...
The Thompson Falls sewer project got some national attention last week. Andy Berke is the Administrator for the Rural Utilities Service (RUS) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Berke came to Thompson Falls last week from Washington, D.C., to check progress on the city's wastewater project. Berke said the goal of RUS is to help rural America get the infrastructure they need. "These are projects that help communities thrive and grow," Berke said. He added that he was visiting RD-funded...
The Circle in Plains has reopened after a long closure. "Business has been steady," according to manager Braden Starika of Plains."We opened on July 23," said owner Joe Gamboa. The restaurant had been closed prior to COVID for remodel, then opened briefly during COVID, according to Gamboa. The old-time Coke decor and atmosphere has been a part of the Plains Circle for decades. "This is its 55th year of existence. The Coca-Cola company is going to redo our awnings," Gamboa said. The Circle is...
The Plains Schools administration is preparing to open this school year with additional security precautions in an effort to provide a safer environment for its staff and students. The teachers and staff held an evacuation exercise on Thursday, utilizing its new "Emergent 3" software. The E3 system connects the teachers and staff to a custom alert notification that lets the school staff know if the emergency is a fire, an earthquake or an intruder alert. "It's a great system. We have a few bugs...
David Lee Grant appeared before Judge Molly Owen on Tuesday, entering a not guilty plea to a felony count of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, fourth or subsequent offense. Judge Owen set this matter for a jury trial on February 10, 2025. On August 5, according to the charging documents, Montana Highway Patrol Trooper Zachary Rehbein received a report of a “rolling” partner or family member assault occurring in a vehicle on Hwy 382. Upon locating and stopping the reported vehicle, Trooper Rehbein identified the driver as Gra...
Ambulance: Hot Springs, 6; Plains, 5; Noxon, 4; T. Falls, 2; Paradise, 2; Dixon, 2; Trout Creek, 1; Heron, 1; Lonepine, 1. Monday, August 19 Fire, Plains. General animal call/complaint, Hot Springs. Disturbance, Plains. Theft, T. Falls. Disturbance, Heron. Trespass, Paradise. Animal other, Trout Creek. Business contact, Plains. Motor vehicle crash, Trout Creek. Other law violations, Trout Creek. Tuesday, August 20 Suspicious activity, Dixon. General animal call/complaint, Hot Springs. Suspicious activity, T. Falls. Other accident, T. Falls....
Montana Highway Patrol Ashley Kenmille, 41, speeding in a restricted zone, $95. Matthew Miller, 54, operating with expired registration, $85. Russell Flanigan, 34, speeding in a restricted zone, $85. Kristine Belista, 27, speeding in a restricted zone, $95. Thaiden Mullan, 23, speeding in a restricted zone, $95. Caitlyn Palin, 19, night speeding, $70. Aaliyah Gohl, 20, seatbelt violation, $20. Lonnie Deleeuw, 55, day speeding, $70. Amber Niblack, 38, operating in violation of restrictions imposed on driver’s license, $85. Calvin Timmer, 17, s...
The Town of Plains held a public budget hearing at City Hall last Monday in the event anyone from the community would like to comment on the upcoming annual budget. For 30 minutes, Mayor Joel Banham, clerk Cathy Emmett, and council members Lana Dicken and John Sheridan waited to hear from the public. No one showed. “Nobody ever goes to these things, but yet they complain and whine and holler,” said Emmett. “They don’t come to voice their opinion or even inquire about the budget. They just don’t care,” she added. “I can say it is frustrating t...
Ryan Noland is returning to Dixon as the school's principal. "My mom taught school in Dixon her entire career," Noland said. He went to school in Ronan but said that he used to come to Dixon and help his mother teach dance lessons to her junior high students, Noland commented. "I was in high school at the time," he added. Noland went to Salish Kootenai College for his teaching degree and took the principal job in Plains while living in Dixon. "I want to be closer to my dad," Noland explained....
The Sanders County Fair Commission gathered last Wednesday evening to discuss some final details for this year's fair Aug. 28-Sept.1. Chairman Randy Woods noted that the fairgrounds looked better than recent years, kudos to the recently hired part time staff worker, Derek VonHeeder, one of a handful of people at the hour-long meeting at the pavilion, along with board members Ted Forkum, Brian Crain, Jim Newman, and Jolene Burke. The board received two nominations for the Sanders County...
A new report recommends the full replacement of the Noxon bridge. The Sanders County Commissioners hired engineering firm Morrison-Maierle to complete a study on the bridge and provide information on what is needed to rehabilitate the bridge. The study was in process prior to inspectors finding two cracks in the bridge structure in July. The study was completed and presented to the commissioners in August. “We strongly recommend the County consider a full replacement for the Noxon Bridge,” the study states. “The bridge’s deteriorating conditi...
The Hot Springs School District is again asking voters to approve a $183,000 levy, but the school board on Monday approved a budget for the 2024-25 school year. The budget passed unanimously on Monday does not include the levy funds. The school will seek $100,000 in funding from the Impact Aid fund, a federal program which “reimburses school districts for the lost revenue and additional costs associated with the presence of nontaxable Federal property,” according to the program website. If that funding is received, the school would end the com...
Ambulance: T. Falls, 6; Plains, 6; Hot Springs, 3; Trout Creek, 1; Paradise, 1; Noxon, 1; Lonepine, 1. Monday, August 12 Request for welfare check, Plains. Person missing. Civil attempts. Animal other, Noxon. Suspicious activity, Hot Springs. Civil attempts. Other law violations, Trout Creek. Trespass, Dixon. Business contact. Tuesday, August 13 Assist miscellaneous, T. Falls. Assault, Heron. General animal call/complaint, Noxon. Motor vehicle crash, Hot Springs. General animal call/complaint, Heron. Road hazard/blockage, Plains. Theft,...
Montana Highway Patrol Tatonkaska Howard, 49, seatbelt violation, $20. Andrew Orr, 37, driving without valid driver’s license, $85; night speeding, $20. Brian Knutson, 40, speeding in a restricted zone, $85. Sandra Aschenbrenner, 79, careless driving, $85. Gary Casson, 77, speeding in a restricted zone, $55. Brittany Rutter, 39, day speeding, $20. Matthew Shuttle, 58, operating without liability insurance, 4th or subsequent offense, $535, 10 days jail; seatbelt violation, $20. Douglas Schallmoser, 37, speeding in a restricted zone, $85. S...
Appearing for his arraignment on Tuesday, Forest Taylor Grant pleaded not guilty to felony charges of partner or family member assault, third or subsequent, and driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, fourth or subsequent offense. Grant also entered not guilty pleas to misdemeanor charges of criminal destruction of/or tampering with a communication device, disorderly conduct, and operating a vehicle not registered. Judge John Mercer set this matter for trial on January 21, 2025. On August 4, as alleged in the charging documents,...