Congratulations to Sarah Byrne! You won a $200 Labor Day Bonus.

Sarah was randomly chosen from the nominees below. Thank you to who those who nominated these hard-working Sanders County residents and recognized their efforts.

NOMINEE: Wes Hedahl

EMPLOYER: Harvest Foods

Wes has always been very helpful to me in the produce section, going out of his way to see that I have what I need. He is very friendly and courteous, and I always try to share a laugh with him to hopefully brighten his day and mine. He personifies what the majority of people in Sanders County have shown to me … treat others as you would like to be treated; The Golden Rule. – Elaine

NOMINEE: Gene Elder

EMPLOYER: Handyman

Whenever we have a problem, big or small, he is right here to fix. Very handy for us older people that are not physically able to do much anymore. – Millie

Gene has heped more people out of a bind than anybody I know. He has taken time to help people and raising four kids to boot. He deserves a helping hand. – Tom

NOMINEE: Crystal Borgmann

EMPLOYER: Doug's True Value

She has always bent over backward to help me. She is so friendly. – Cindy

She is kind, courteous and works more than one job to support her family. She always has a smile and a friendly face to greet you. – Penny

She is always very helpful in finding what you want, going through the store and getting what you’re looking for, checking you out, helping you load things into your vehicle. She does it with a smile, and she’s just so cute too. – Kyle

NOMINEE: Craig Barrus

EMPLOYER: Trout Creek School

As a full-time custodian, Craig does the normal daily cleaning, maintenance and repairs at the school Since starting in March, he has removed 32 truckloads of useless, obsolete or broken materials from the basement storage beneath the gym to the dump. He cleaned the area and moved all the music supplies into the area. This made it possible to use the music room as a needed classroom. He cleaned and repaired all broken items in the locker rooms. He rearranged some lockers to form a vestibule in front of the entrance doors so people walking by cannot see into the locker rooms. Concession area was cleaned and repainted. A new refrigerator was installed. He cleaned and repainted walls and stalls of the two bathrooms at the concession level. Also replaced the old toilets. He repaired the broken, cracked flooring in a classroom. With volunteer hep, a painted, stamped design concrete patio was made around the flagpole. The buddy bench was placed there. They hauled rocks that needed to be moved near the gym and created a rock garden and put in a stamped curved concrete border from the front door to the patio and back of the building. The rocks that students had previously painted were placed on top of the other rocks. Craig has worked so hard to make that school look so good. – Katherine

NOMINEE: David Goatley

EMPLOYER: K&D Towing and Repair

He goes above and beyond to help out the law enforcement and the people of the community.

NOMINEE: Amber Yates

EMPLOYER: Thompson Falls Elementary

Amber goes above and beyond for her kindergarteners. This summer, she spent every possible opportunity in her room preparing it for her students. She spends her weekends cutting out and preparing hands on learning opportunities for her students all while juggling a family of her own. She is dedicated to building a strong relationship with the parents of her students and her community all while encouraging and supporting her students in their many emotional, social, and academic needs. She makes a point to go out of her way to show kindness towards all and offers a hand even when she is tired and ready to go home for the day. She gets to the school early and stays late so that her students are set up for success each and every day. I hope she is recognized for her hard work because she really deserves it. – Mason

NOMINEE: Jason Arnold

EMPLOYER: Lucky Lil’s Casino

He works very hard! He is an amazing store manager, a great mentor to others and what a great leader is all about. He does so much for others. I think it’s time Jason gets a huge thank you for what he does for everyone else. – Tara

NOMINEE: Courtney Dean

EMPLOYER: Courtney’s Floral Creations

As a Thompson Falls native, Courtney came back to fill a need for the community. Her gift of beautiful bouquets can turn anyone’s day around. She goes above and beyond, always finding the way to put her customers’ needs before her own. I know firsthand how much she has sacrificed for her career. No one deserves this more than her. – Krystal

Courtney often works weekends and holidays to provide beautiful arrangements for wedding, funerals and any occasion. She is a mom and runs a full-time business. She puts her customers first to make sure their needs are met. She goes above and beyond to meet the needs of every person who calls or walks through her door. – Haylie

NOMINEE: Amanda Moseley

EMPLOYER: Little Bitterroot Services

Amanda is always kind and cheerful. – Maria

NOMINEE: Bob Butte

EMPLOYER: Butte Services

Bob gets up every morning and goes out into the community to pick up all of our garbage. That is a very smelly, buggy business. It is a lot of wear and tear on one’s body, but he always has a smile for his community. He makes sure he helps with the Chicken Jamboree, he mows the lawn at his church. He goes to fundraisers that are in the community and bids on things just to help out. He is an extremely hard worker and I’m very proud to call him my dad, too. – Karren

Bob works nonstop from sunup until way past sundown. Running the business all day, fixing trucks, equipment, all the paperwork that comes with running a business plus keeping a beautiful yard and garden, all his volunteer work with his church, helping family and friends. He is an absolute whirlwind. He makes me tired just thinking about it. He should take a long vacation. – Bobbi

NOMINEE: Sarah Byrne

EMPLOYER: Sanders County Harvest Foods

Sarah works hard day in and day out and oversees the deli and at times the bakery as well. She is a great manager and worker and always put the customers first. – Nicole

NOMINEE: Drew

EMPLOYER: Ace Hardware

We first met Drew when he worked at Big Eddy’s. We were new to town, he made us feel welcome and would go out of his way to greet us. We really enjoyed his friendly, welcoming nature. Much to our surprise, we later walked into Ace and he was working there! He is always friendly, willing to help and cares about his customers. – Sabrina

He’s a real conscientious worker and when you walk into that place, if he is anywhere near, he tries to resolve your problem. He goes above and beyond and has a contagious smile. He’s a nice guy. I saw him one day outside the building and he was painting the billboard just to make it look better. He’s an awesome person. – Julie

NOMINEE: Sandy Davis

EMPLOYER: Retired/disabled teacher

After a head injury left her unable to continue teaching at the Noxon School many years ago, she began to work as a volunteer, taking local west end people (Thompson Falls to Heron) to mostly medical appointments in Missoula, Sandpoint, etc., using her own vehicle and quite often paying for the gas herself. – John

NOMINEE: Melvin Patterson

EMPLOYER: Self-employed Handyman

Melvin is knowledgeable in his trade, is conscientious and friendly, and arrives to work on time. We’ve had him work on a few projects and have been happy every time. I highly recommend him. – Mona

NOMINEE: Carl Marquardt

EMPLOYER: Sanders County Justice Court

Carl is always going the extra mile in his job. He also helps out people in the community when he isn’t working. It’s just the kind of great guy he is! – Karen