Your Best Source For Sanders County News
Your Best Source For Sanders County News
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Patients and staff members of Clark Fork Valley Hospital now have some new scenery in the building's main hallway with a new exhibit. It took Joy Nelson and Ilene Paulsen of the Paradise Center only one and a half hours to hang the 29 pieces of the newest Art on the Wall artistry last Thursday morning. Nineteen of the pieces are photographs, said Nelson, who headed the Sanders County Arts Council before it recently merged with the Paradise Center. The rest are oil, watercolor, high flo, and...
To remember the events of September 11, 2001 and to remind others, the Clark Fork Valley Elks Lodge and the Thompson Falls Rural Fire Department (TFRFD) paired up. The Elks held their annual ride down Main Street in their side-by-sides and ended at the TFRFD fire house. When there, they toured the facility and paid their respects to a special 9/11 memorial. "They lost 343 firefighters that day, and it could easily have been our firefighters in some other incident. They are a brotherhood," said...
The Sanders County Commissioners last week voted to help the Sanders County Community Housing Organization (SCCHO) in applying for a grant to complete a housing project in Noxon. Lisa Fried de Reyes, SCCHO Executive Director, addressed the commissioners at the Thursday public hearing and outlined the proposal for the housing project, which would cost an estimated $2.7 million. The Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds available through the CARES Act has allocated more than $10.1 million...
A Plains resident announced to the town council at last Tuesday’s monthly meeting that a group of locals would like to construct a dog park and although the majority of the work would be done with volunteers and donations, they might need the town’s help with insurance and lease of the property from the railroad. “There’s no hoping, we’re going to put in a dog park; it’s going to happen,” said Sandy Thompson, who asked council about leasing a 26,500-square foot area next to Fred Young Park from Montana Rail Link. Thompson is a member of the...
The Thompson Falls City Council on Monday approved new fees for water and sewer hookups in the city limits. The council held a public hearing prior to Monday’s meeting, where a handful of residents expressed confusion over the new fees. Mayor Mark Sheets explained that the new hookup fees are only for things like new construction. Properties that have existing city water and sewer, or that are in the current wastewater project, will not have to pay the new $2,000 hookup fee. The council on Monday also heard a report from city pool manager S...
I'm always amazed at the efforts that go in to the Sanders County Fair for our local 4-H members. I had the privilege of judging some of the entries this year with my mom. The creativity, the drive and the passion that we see in these kids is inspiring. Some of them raise animals, which is a big commitment and investment of their time and resources. They work with their livestock and learn budgeting and time management while caring for something other than themselves. It's a little sad when you see the kids showing their animals for the last...
Political parties manipulate the public mind in order to get their candidates elected. That’s a pretty cynical assessment, but politics is a pretty cynical game because it’s based on the acquisition of power. Individual politicians may have the best of motives, but the parties they belong to, no. The parties are like businesses, they want results. Republicans try to get results by using emotion and Democrats by using logic; very different approaches, each with often successful results, but as...
Editor, This coming Friday, September 17, 2021, the third Friday in September, is POW/MIA Day. This day is set aside to remind us all that service men and women, be they Prisoners of War or those Missing in Action, that they are not forgotten. Mary Huff in 1971 during the Vietnam War wanted a flag made to bring to our consciousness the POW and MIA service members. World War II pilot Newt Herstay designed the flag we have today. It is the only flag flown below Old Glory at the White House. On Veterans Day we recognize those who serve to protect...
Saw an old friend the other day. “How are you Earl – you look a little down?” Well, he said, look to the north of town, Dave. They could have stopped that in an hour, but someone decided that it needed to be burned. They say the hills were too rugged to put it out. They were short on equipment. One hour with a helicopter was all it needed. Look around the whole area — it is steep and hard to climb. A helicopter could have put a crew in to mop it up. There isn’t a mountain that I haven’t been up at least one time. They came to burn it up, thos...
LOOKING BACK By Orin P. Kendall I am sure that there is no record as to who made the first trip through Sanders County by automobile but I can imagine that the person who made it didn’t forget it for a long time. What is now Highway 200 was at one time Montana 3 and later Alternate 10 but for many years it was just a series of roads connecting the towns. The highway roughly parallels the old Kootenai Trail used by the Salish Indians and the early trappers and traders for many years. There is very little of old Montana 3 that is a part of 200 t...
KATHLEEN BLAIR, Thompson Falls - “I think they won’t remember. It is easy to forget, especially if there are no consequences. Since 9/11 happened 20 years ago, the next generation wasn’t even born. Unless something personal happened then I think they won’t remember.” TANA STOPS-RYDER, Trout Creek - “I believe they will remember because of history books, documentaries and the stories that we tell our children.” CHUCK LOUCKS, Plains - “It depends on how our kids are taught regarding the 9/11 incident. Are they going to be taught the truth about...
The Town of Plains had its own exciting ride during the fair, but it was a one-time jaunt that lasted only about two minutes. In the end, the man got another free ride to Thompson Falls. A Plains police officer attempted to make a traffic stop of a man on a motorcycle near the intersection of Railroad and Willis streets around 1:30 a.m. on Friday, September 3, but the cyclist refused to stop, prompting the officer to go after him. “The traffic stop turned into a pursuit as the motorcycle attempted to flee at a high rate of speed. The m...
Sanders County Sheriff’s Office Clarence Bean, 54, day speeding, $70. Yisroel Hahn, 41, day speeding, $20. Beth Heller, 65, speeding in restricted zone, $55. Michael M. Allen, 65, speeding in restricted zone, $85. Abhishek Maurya, 31, speeding in restricted zone, $95. Montana Highway Patrol Darryl Parks, 58, careless driving, $135. John Belknap, 70, operating without liability insurance, 3rd offense, $285. Quayla Black, 22, day speeding, $20. Casey Fink, 27, night speeding, $70. Seth Alexander, 57, driving under the influence of alcohol, 2nd o...
Ambulance: Hot Springs, 6; Plains, 6; T. Falls, 8; Noxon, 1; Trout Creek, 4; Dixon, 1. Monday, September 6 Assist motorist/citizen, T. Falls. Threats, Paradise. Motor vehicle crash, Plains. Theft, Plains. Fish and game, T. Falls. Animal other, T. Falls. Disturbance, Plains. Disturbance, T. Falls. Motor vehicle crash, Hot Springs. Tuesday, September 7 Animal other, T. Falls. Motor vehicle crash, T. Falls. Fire, T. Falls. Fire, Plains. Civil standby, Plains. Trespass, T. Falls. Other law violations, Paradise. Animal other, T. Falls. Theft, Hot...
With Emergency Medical Service (EMS) member numbers significantly down in Montana and across the U.S., one Montana man is doing something about it. John Carlbom has been teaching Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) for over 25 years and expressed his concerns that EMT numbers have dropped considerably. According to Carlbom, with the average EMT aged 60 years, and another possible round of COVID-19, many responders have had enough. That, and considering Montana and numerous other states do not...
Two defendants made their initial appearance in 20th District Judicial Court on Tuesday. The first was Schaffer Leib, who is facing a felony charge of criminal endangerment. According to charging documents, the Thompson Falls man was reported to have fired a rifle in the direction of a witness. The report claims that the witness was checking the water level of a well, then spoke for a short time with Lieb. After the witness walked away, Leib allegedly fired three rounds over the witness’s head. A deputy and detective both went out to Lieb’s to...
The Thompson Falls Woman’s Club is gearing up for their annual Pinochle Marathon, which raises funds to support the group’s scholarship program. In the 2020-2021 marathon, which ended in June, 22 players competed on 14 teams, with June Smith and Kay Shanley’s total score of 34,220 taking the top prize. Jo Moore and Letty Marich finished in second with 33,520 points. “Although the funds generated from this year’s marathon were low,” said Lorri Renard with the Woman’s Club, “due to the generosity and response from members of the community, thre...
On September 6, 2021, we lost Jim Morkert (age 80) while fishing at his favorite fly-fishing spot, Thompson River, in a tragic accident. At the time of his death, he was a resident of Trout Creek, Montana. Jim was born in Polson, Montana, on September 29, 1940, to Edison and Marjorie Morkert. He went to school in Thompson Falls and joined the Navy in 1958. He served six years in the Navy, including the last half of a world cruise on the USS Canberra, a guided missile cruiser. After his Navy... Full story
Christine Ann Grant was born September 25, 1973, at Clark Fork Valley Hospital in Plains, Montana. She passed away September 2, 2021, at St. James Hospital in Butte, Montana. She is survived by her mother and stepfather, Mary and Mark Reeser of Thompson Falls; brother, David (Billie) Grant of Oklahoma; brother, Kevin (Becky) of Missoula; sister, Carrier (James) Veach of Missoula; and several nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her father, David Grant, and all of her grandparents. Cremation has taken place. Services will be held at... Full story
Dennis Evert Brady, 70, died at his home in Trout Creek on Wednesday, September 1, 2021, after fighting a long battle with leukemia. He was born on November 16, 1950, to Roy Brady and Charlotte (Holyoak) Brady in Great Falls, Montana. Dennis graduated from Great Falls High School and began a journey through life paving a wide path, challenging limits and providing support for his sister, Cheryl, and two younger brothers, Mike and Scott. He began riding motorcycles early in life. Dirt bikes and... Full story
Katherine Ann McDowell (Ferguson), beloved mother, grandmother, sister and friend, passed peacefully June 9, 2021, age 81. Katherine, better known as Kathy, Suzie or Sue, was born on March 20, 1940, in Wallace, Idaho, to Catherine and Paul McDowell. While residing in Spokane, Washington, she attended an all-girls Catholic academy. She met her first husband, Ernest Dale Owen, while she was a serviceman in the Air Force, allowing them to travel across Europe with their five children. After their... Full story
Clyde David Wilburn, 93, passed away in Plains, Montana, on Thursday, September 9, 2021. Graveside services, with military honors, will be held in the Heron Cemetery at 1 p.m. MDT on Thursday, September 16, 2021, with Pastor Charlie Denson officiating. Clyde was born in Elmgrove, West Virginia, on September 21, 1927, and attended local schools. He joined the U.S. Marine Corps, serving during World War II in the Pacific Theatre. Following his military service, he moved to Medina, Ohio, and then to southern California, living in the Simi Valley...
Longtime resident, Albert Lyle (Al) McGuigan, 90, passed away in Columbia Falls August 12, 2021, of natural causes. He was born in Stanford, Montana, July 3, 1931. He was raised in Noxon by Maurice and Janice McGuigan, along with several siblings. He graduated from Noxon High School in 1951, where he played sports. He married Elsie Faye Roe during the summer of 1954. He had previously joined the National Guard and was honorably discharged in October 1954. He then joined the regular Army and was... Full story
Emmanuel Fredrick Friesz went home with our Lord August 19, 2021, at the age of 79. He was born June 17, 1942 to parents August and Alvina Friesz on the family farm in Elgin, North Dakota. Emmanuel attended a one room schoolhouse, completing the eighth grade. At the age of 15 he bought a car and drove to Plains, Montana, to live with his aunt and uncle. He went to work at the Plains Service Station and began delivering fuel and oil from Heron to Elmo to Dixon. On March 27, 1964, Emmanuel married Sandra McMenus in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. They enjo... Full story
As a lowly U.S. Army E-5 enlisted man in the Viet Nam War, it appears that I knew more about military strategy than the four-star general mishandling Biden’s Afghanistan debacle. The most important point is that you NEVER give up air support. That’s exactly what they did when they closed the American military bases and evacuated our military before evacuating the American civilians. Without air support there is nothing much America can do short of calling out the 82nd Airborne and retaking Kabul. As it is, Biden will claim that all the American...
