Independently owned since 1905
Independently owned since 1905
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Santa Claus said he brought the Arctic cold with him this year during his stop in Plains Saturday. Santa, aka Dave Williams, and Mrs. Claus, aka Callie Timmer, set up their temporary workshop at the old one-room log schoolhouse on the corner of Railroad Street and Clayton Street and for four hours collected requests from kids. Visitors also had the chance to meet the Grinch, who stayed outside most of the time greeting people and occasionally handing out a candy cane or posing for a photo with...
What a race the real estate market has run over the last three years. With COVID's unintended consequences and general instability from what was the old normal, Sanders County has certainly felt the shift. As interest rates climb and we see some semblance of a new normal taking shape post-pandemic, a quick recap of the impact on real estate seems a few measly characters summing up a pretty chaotic time. In 2020, for Sanders County residential real estate as per the MLS, we had an average sales...
Bill Beckman and Dan Schletz of NorthWestern Energy braved single-digit temperatures, snow and wind last week (above) to put up the lighted tree on top of the Thompson Falls dam. The tree includes 350' feet of LED lights and is traditionally put up by the crew the week after Thanksgiving. NorthWestern Energy also hung the lighted decorations along Main Street last week in Thompson Falls (right), just in time for the Christmas on Main Street festivities. This weekend's forecast calls for...
Macbeth attacks Macduff in the final fight scene of Shakespeare's "Macbeth" played by the cast of Shakespeare in the Schools at Plains School. Macduff, played by Sam Cheeseman, claims victory by beheading Macbeth, played by Ian Geers. About 200 high school and junior high students and around 20 teachers and staff members attended the near 90-minute play last Wednesday in the school's multipurpose room. The school paid $800 for the Bozeman group to perform, according to Hannah Jacobsma, the...
The Woodside Park Water Board is celebrating this holiday season as their project to upgrade the water system for the neighborhood in the Cherry Creek area outside Thompson Falls is moving forward. Woodside Park on November 1 received a signed contract from the state releasing $1.258 million in funding that was awarded through a state competitive ARPA grant. The county earlier this year committed $1.350 million in matching ARPA funds to bring the total budget for the project to just over $2.6 million. The Woodside Park community has 52...
A calling that has been in the making by local artist Kathy Altman for seven years has been accomplished. Through a labor of love, Altman completed 14 stained glass window panels for the Saint William's Catholic Church in Thompson Falls. Because of their sheer size the last two, The Nativity Scene and The Resurrection, were by far the most challenging, Altman shared. They are 3 x 5 ft. apiece and took a year each to complete, said Altman. "I didn't think I would be able to do something so big,...
Even in November, it was beginning to look a lot like Christmas in Plains last weekend with the "Kickoff to Christmas" holiday gala put on by the Plains Lions Club and the businesses of Plains. Three businesses held activities for children and several held special sales all day. This was the first time for the 406 Outlet to participate in the annual event, which is in its fourth year, though in the past it's been called the Christmas Extravaganza. "I think people came in just to get their face...
November 1 marked day one for the new owners of the iconic Minnie's Cafe in Thompson Falls. Daniel and wife Marlaina Moore have lived in the area for five years. He came in wanting to keep the integrity of the restaurant intact; the only imminent change was to get back to the seven days a week of operation. While Moore may be the new owner, he pointed out that it's general manager Kristie Brown who is running the show. Brown has been a key employee for five years, Moore stated. She is a native...
Montana Highway Patrol Isaac Johnson, 22, day speeding, $20. John Wilson, 40, seatbelt violation, $20. Kenan Hadzic, 41, speeding in a restricted zone, $85. Mark Denny, 69, speeding in a restricted zone, $85. Dillion Morales, 24, seatbelt violation, $20. Schaeffer Leib, 33, seatbelt violation, $20; basic rule - reasonable and prudent, 1st offense, $120. Rocky Ahlborn, 54, seatbelt violation, $20. Alfred Gaitan, Jr., 50, seatbelt violation, $20. Jacob Davis, 44, operating without liability insurance, 1st offense, $285; seatbelt violation, $20....
Ambulance: Hot Springs, 8; T. Falls, 5; Plains, 2; Heron, 2; Noxon, 2; Dixon, 1. Monday, November 21 Welfare check, Trout Creek. Assault, Plains. Request for welfare check, Heron. Request for welfare check, Paradise. General animal call/complaint, Hot Springs. Welfare check, Plains. Suspicious activity, T. Falls. Civil attempts. Civil attempts. Disturbance, Plains. Tuesday, November 22 Trespass, Dixon. Fire, Hot Springs. Theft, Plains. Welfare check, T. Falls. Wednesday, November 23 Lost & found item. Suspicious activity, T. Falls. Theft,...
Fire destroyed a home along Highway 28 last week, despite efforts by firefighters from two departments. Plains-Paradise Rural Fire District Chief James Russell, the second firefighter on scene, said that an investigation continues as to the cause of the November 22 blaze. The fire was reported at 12:58 p.m. Minutes later, husband and wife firefighters Zach and Cori Vanderwall arrived at the scene. In total, nine of the district's firefighters and four firefighters from the Town of Plains Fire...
They looked like colorful stars rising into the clear night over the Sanders County Fairgrounds Saturday night slowly disappearing into the darkness. The Cancer Network of Sanders County sent 60 lanterns into the sky as part of its annual Lantern Launch fundraiser, raising $600. "It's beautiful and it's emotional watching them go up," said Paula Ivy, treasurer for the CNSC and this year's project coordinator. The lanterns sent up Saturday had numerous messages written on them destined for loved...
Nearly 80 people gathered at the Sanders County Fairgrounds pavilion last Tuesday evening to hear an appeal from two local men to convince residents to put pressure on the state or federal government to purchase nearly 12,000 acres of wilderness for the general public to use. MKH Montana, a 401k trust for a highway patrol in another state, is selling 11,804 acres of wilderness in Sanders County and 7,711 acres in Mineral County. MKH has already sold some acreage, which is now closed to the publi...
Plains held a special town council meeting last Tuesday to go over two issues that are somewhat connected, but were not as easily passed. The resolution, the "Town's Position on Executive Committee on Housing Recommendations," unanimously passed within 30 minutes. The resolution "Formation of a Community Council" took longer and did pass. In response to Governor Greg Gianforte's Housing Task Force, which could take away a municipality's authority and freedom to regulate housing regulations,...
A group of students at Plains Elementary School turned their lesson tables into lunch tables on Friday for an early Thanksgiving celebration. Denise Montgomery has been holding a Thanksgiving celebration for her class for 32 years, but she said it still brings her pleasure. This year, her 13 first-graders joined with the dozen first-grade students of Kylie Ishler's class for the celebration, which included turkey, dressing, potatoes, gravy, apple cider and cornbread that they made themselves....
Montana’s general deer and elk season is wrapping up Nov. 27, 2022. So far this season, more than 7,300 hunters have appeared at game check stations in northwest Montana. The overall number of hunters with harvested elk is up compared to a year ago while the number of hunters with deer is down. At the Thompson Falls check station, the number of hunters is down this year, with 947 compared with 1,065 through week five in 2021, but the percentage of hunters with game is up almost a full percent to 10.3%. Hunters have come through the check s...
Ambulance: Plains, 7; Hot Springs, 6; T. Falls, 4; Noxon, 2; Dixon, 2; Paradise, 1; Trout Creek, 1. Monday, November 14 Suspicious activity, T. Falls. Assist motorist/citizen, Trout Creek. Theft, Plains. Fire, Trout Creek. Theft, Trout Creek. Suspicious activity, Heron. Motor vehicle crash, Dixon. Motor vehicle crash, Plains. Business contact, T. Falls. Disturbance, Plains. General animal call/complaint, Plains. Tuesday, November 15 Trespass, Plains. Property damage/criminal mischief. Suicide attempts/threats, Hot Springs. Welfare check, T....
Montana Highway Patrol John Bergum, 64, speeding in a restricted zone, $85. Lindy Eddy, 25, speeding in a restricted zone, $95. Lindsey Parker, 38, speeding in a restricted zone, $95. Loren MacFarlane, 24, night speeding, $70. Donald Henson, Jr., 66, day speeding, $20. Elliott Parker, 29, day speeding, $20. Benedict Waterbury, 19, day speeding, $20. Martin Koskela, 62, speeding in a restricted zone, $55. James Page, 78, basic rule - reasonable and prudent, 1st offense, $120; seatbelt violation, $20. Chad Henning, 51, seatbelt violation, $20....
At the Thompson Falls library last week Sarah Busmire, administrator of the Green Mountain Conservation District (GMCD), did a presentation on the collaborative stream and floodplain work completed on the Vermilion River. Busmire’s group is part of the Lower Clark Fork Watershed Group (LCFWG). “LCFWG is both a nonprofit organization, as well as a collection of organizations and agencies collaborating to improve watershed health in the lower Clark Fork drainage,” said Brita Olson, the coordinator. Some of the agencies collaborating on the Vermi...
The Plains Town Council hired a new contract attorney last Monday with a unanimous vote by council. Loren Fitzpatrick signed a one-year contract at the meeting, replacing Richard Gebhardt, who retired a week earlier after serving as the town attorney for 14 years. He had planned to retire in 2021, but wanted to stay and help with the town's lagoon situation and with the contract for the town's new well. His final act was with the Plains Police Commission hearing. He had also been the attorney...
Students of Plains School honored former military members for an early Veterans Day observance with a special concert, goodies from students, and verbal accolades from the school superintendent. Eleven veterans from the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard attended the "Honoring All Who Served" ceremony held in the school gymnasium last Wednesday afternoon. "Even though today is not officially Veterans Day, we gather to recognize our great nation and the brave men and women of our armed...
It was 22 degrees with snow and ice on the ground, but that didn't deter members of VFW Post 3596 from forming up in the military section of the Plains Cemetery Friday to publicly commemorate Veterans Day. "This Veterans Day is to honor all who served and we want to do our part to make sure everyone is honored and remembered," said Post Commander Ron Kilbury, who led the ceremony that lasted less than two minutes. Six post members lined up with Marine Corps veteran Noah Hawthorne with a rifle...
Sanders County voters turned out for the 2022 General Election last week, selecting multiple elected officials for the county. Of the 10,064 registered voters in Sanders County, 6,719 voted in last week’s election, nearly 67%. Provisional ballots were counted on Monday afternoon at the courthouse. None of the outcomes from Tuesday’s races changed with the additional 79 provisional ballots that were counted Monday.. Shawn Fielders won the race for Sanders County Sheriff and will take over in January for Tom Rummel, who did not run for re-...
If you've spent more than a couple minutes in Sanders County Harvest Foods, you've heard the distinctive giggle of Shelly Mayfield. The Thompson Falls woman, who has worked at the store for more than 30 years, was recently promoted to Store Manager. "The atmosphere and the people have kept me here," Mayfield said Monday at the store she now manages. "We have a great crew, and it's a great company to work for." Mayfield took over as store manager this month after the retirement of Jim Fargher. Ma...
Montana Highway Patrol Annie Humphreys, 45, day speeding, $70. Alexander Shreiar, 26, day speeding, $70. Austin Bunyea, 27, driving under the influence, 2nd offense, 365 days jail with 258 suspended and credit for 7 days served. Debaorah Waldher, 69, speeding in a restricted zone, $65. Dylan Duval, 23, day speeding, $20. Walter Bolieu, 57, failure to keep vehicle under control on mountain highway, $45; failure to give notice of accident by quickest means, $225. David Drake, 40, day speeding, $70. Douglas Ardiana, 57, speeding in a restricted...
