Sanders County Ledger - Your Best Source For Sanders County News

I was at the Sanders County Fair every day this year for various reasons. On Thursday my mom and I judged entries in the 4-H Home Ec building, Friday I volunteered for the Fair Foundation in the beer booth, and Saturday and Sunday I was there...

At the beginning of the summer, I wouldn't have really dubbed myself a Taylor Swift fan. But watching what she has done with her Eras tour has been pretty incredible. The singer could gross nearly $2.2 billion from this tour. I chatted with some...

I was a 4-H kid for many years. I was a proud member of the Whitepine Happy Workers. I did photography and sewing and cooking projects, but no animals, even though we raised cattle and had horses at home. When I was a sophomore in high school,...

The rush is on. School starts soon. High school sports teams are practicing. The great zucchini trade is on as people start harvesting their gardens. As the days get a little shorter, it seems everyone is in a rush to squeeze in last-minute...

It’s hard to sit back and do nothing. As I sat in my office Monday morning writing the latest update on the River Road East Fire, waiting for the rain that eventually came pouring, it was numbing. It’s hard to focus when we know what is...

In my first few years as a newspaper publisher, I was hesitant to use my editorial space to find fault in things I saw in our area of coverage. Everything was “rainbows and unicorns,” as I like to say, and I had a pretty positive angle....

Before I bought a newspaper, there was a lot I didn’t know about our county and our community functioned. I was happy to work, play and just let the officials officiate. More than six years later, I know more than I ever thought I would. Part of...

Some of you know me as Annie Wooden, daughter of Barb and Gene. Some of you know me as Annie Wooden, cake maker, golf partner and dog mom. Some of you know me as Annie Wooden, publisher of The Sanders County Ledger. And some of you don’t know me...

Conflict is everywhere – within our families, among our friends, in places of business, on the internet – and while conflict is unavoidable and uncomfortable, it’s necessary for growth and change. But it can also halt progress where we need...

Plenty of us are torn up that Main Street is torn up. The approximately mile-long project is a needed one, though. Enhanced safety features, smoother surfaces and ADA-compliant sidewalks will make downtown a better place for residents and visitors,...

In June, Illinois took its own action against groups attempting to remove certain materials from the shelves of public schools and libraries: The state banned book bans. The measure signed into law withholds grant funding to libraries that do not...

Whether it’s a serious news story with the latest investigation update or an edgy meme featuring orcas and video-game controllers, we are inundated right now with information about the Titan submersible. There has been no shortage of coverage on...

Independence Day is definitely something to cheer about. It was the start of an amazing nation and should be celebrated every year. It was especially joyous to the people of the colonies, which were under the iron thumb of King George III. Five days...

Garage sale season is in full swing. Whether you’ve just finished some spring cleaning, are making room for new items, are moving out of your house, or just want to earn a little money, selling gently used items has more benefits than we may realiz...

A couple weeks ago, this space was devoted to moments from my weekend spent reconnecting with old friends. Our time together was full of childhood stories, spontaneous laughter, good-natured teasing and “remember whens.” When we parted, we said,...

Summer is finally here for the kids of Sanders County. The days are longer, the weather is warmer and the next few months are full of endless possibilities. One thing it seems won’t be available for kids in Thompson Falls as much this summer is...

With the nice long Memorial Day holiday this past weekend, I had the chance to catch up with my friend Troy. His grandparents had the ranch next to ours, and he comes back to visit every few years. We played in Beaver Creek, shared stories, looked...

On Monday, I went to Thompson Falls Christian Church for the Piatigorsky Foundation concert. This was the first time I was able to see the concert that the Clark Fork Enrichment Corporation provides free to the community. Watching the concert on...

As I sit here writing this, my mom is sitting at the conference table in the back of the Ledger reading pages. She comes in and edits for me on Tuesdays. Also today she brought me a jug of water from the ranch (I live in town and well water is just...

There was something different in last week's Ledger, however, no one really noticed. Last week, I wrote an article using artificial intelligence (AI) software. A friend of mine from California visited recently and asked if I had ever used AI in the...

There are many people in Sanders County who do a lot for others and never ask for any recognition. It's time to start recognizing those people. Let's start with Angie Lowe of Thompson Falls. I went to school with Angie and have known her most of my l...

Montana legislators voted this month to ban TikTok. The legislation states that "TikTok's stealing of information and data from users and its ability to share that data with the Chinese Communist Party unacceptably infringes on Montana's right to...

Last year, it seemed as though there was some sort of bear conflict in the area just about every day. Fish, Wildlife and Parks staff was busy taking care of issues and trying to educate property owners how to reduce conflicts. The majority of...

The editorial cartoon (at right) this week got me thinking about what we're willing to give up. It's Lent, but I doubt a lot of people gave up eggs. They are a pretty basic food staple that everyone buys. With the prices going up, people are still...