On Tuesday, November 7, I was the only spectator in the lower courtroom of the Sanders County Courthouse as the ballots were counted for the municipal elections in Hot Springs and Thompson Falls. There were three election judges, Sanders County...

‘Tis the holidays. Each holiday season most of us generously share our good fortune with others. This includes donating food for food banks and Thanksgiving and Christmas baskets. My family does this each year. However, I want to remind everyone...

‘Tis the season for many fun gatherings of well meant hugs and gift giving. Sharing germs is never our intention so staying healthy keeps everyone happy and healthy through the cold winter months. Choosing what works for you is the best way to do...

With the end of fall sports comes the end of my first season as a sports writer, well, a writer at all. When I moved back to Sanders County last March I never dreamed I would land a job at the newspaper, let alone writing for sports. For people who k...

Point of correction/clarification. Related to a recent LTE. The public health nurse position is as a hired employee only. The "Medical Dr" is a nurse and is an appointed position made by the commissioners & the duties are as a consultant/advisor...

Her'es a novel idea on the subject of abortion. Don't get pregnant. I'm 80 years old and grew up in an era void of legal abortions or birth control. If we got pregnant we had the little darlings. Then a miracle. The birth control pill was developed....

There are certain things that are just better in small towns, as we all know. That's why we live here. The latest example was seen countywide last week as businesses, organizations and schools honored local veterans. These local groups offered free...

Letter to Editor We in Thompson Falls lost such a special man this past week with the passing of Don Burrell. Don devoted his life to his family and helping others. He was an active member of local organizations, and there was never a Sanders County...

We’ve been arguing forever about how we became a species. Some don’t argue, true. They just believe one way or another, or accept that they will never know. These relatively rare subjects are happy to be at peace with the question. Maybe they...

by Michael Scharfe Last month I touched on the different types of refinancing. This month, I am going to go over the rate/term refinance in more detail. When doing a rate/term refinance, it is a good idea to weigh the benefits, as well as the costs....

Halloween is over, and it seems like all the advertisements are now geared toward Christmas. As of today (Thursday), there are just 44 days until Christmas. It's time for craft fairs and shopping and all the holiday fundraisers. Last weekend I attend...

What if Public Policy could be “Dead Wrong”? In Mindy Ferrell’s LTE of November 2 she proclaims putting aside personal opinion to serve the public good and only and always follow public policy. Sanders County residents should be grateful their...

by Judge Molly Owen If you have seen the television show, “Jury Duty,” on Amazon Prime that came out last year, you will know that the show follows members of a jury who are tasked to decide a workplace dispute. The lawsuit and trial are fake....

Do you have any candy left from Halloween? My neighbor made my kids freeze dried candy and I can’t.stop.eating.it. There are these malted chocolate ones that are just unreal. Thank goodness each holiday only comes once a year…. These below...

Anyone who knows me is aware of the fact that I spend a lot of my free time playing video games. Video games have been a huge part of my life for a long time and I have spent countless hours enjoying them. I can still remember my parents gifting me...

by TIna Daugherty October was a wet one. . . while there are still sales, this is when the market tends to get quieter. The inventory levels are down slightly indicating more of a seller's market, while seasonality certainly plays a role. Pending...

One morning last week I got a text from a friend asking if I had heard anything about a bunch of illegal immigrants being moved here and housed at the mule pasture. My first reaction was disgust that this is what is being said about the project to he...

Good morning Annie, Yesterday I attended the Commissioners meeting to hear Monica Trunell speak. I was disappointed I did not see the presence of the Ledger covering her as another viable candidate running for office, relevant to our area. I attended...

Public employees are tasked with carrying out public policy. That’s true for school teachers (which I was), for our county commissioners, and also for our county’s public health nurse. But, voiced at the Oct. 11 Board of Health meeting, County Nu...

We, Dave and Debbie Lyman, are responding to an article in the Ledger concerning the ‘private’ Sawtooth Mountain EMS (SMEMS) ambulance service now being dispatched in Heron. Many folks who live in Heron do not know the background of this controve...

Experience. When it comes down to it, experience is more valuable than anything we can learn from a textbook. We can read a manual to change our oil, watch a video to can green beans, or sit through a class to be a teacher. But nothing equates to...