Tuesday, February 26
Witnesses, evidence weighed as Guill pre-trial scramble begins
Sanders County residents Douglas and Nicole Guill, accused of years of confining and sexually abusing Douglas Guill's daughter, appeared in Lake County District Court last Wednesday with their attorneys to hammer out some of the last procedural roadblocks between Douglas Guill and his week-long trial, scheduled to begin March 3.
'Never Forget'
Ships named New York have a long and distinguished record in United States naval history going back to the first New York, a frigate, in 1800.
Students jump rope to raise money
St. Regis Elementary School Students got a chance to get some exercise and make a difference during school Wednesday.
Price of human life - 6 months in jail
It will be interesting next week to see if Judge Kim Christopher changes the value of human life in Sanders County.
County gets grant to help with timber jobs
Sanders County and Mineral County were amongst the seven counties to receive federal money to assist them in the transition of moving away from the declining timber industry and toward high-growth industries.
Ice fishing still good
Even with warmer days and sunshine sneaking into February, Sanders County is still very much an ice fishing haven. The cold winter Sanders County experienced this year has left lots of ice and many different locations for anglers to drop in their line.
Savage Heat season ends at divisionals
Hot Springs had a chance to win both of their games at the Western C Divisional Tournament, but couldn't close the deal and ended their season in Butte this weekend.
Little Guys hit mats at Mission
The Superior Little Guys Wrestling Team sent two small teams to a packed St. Ignatius High School gym Friday and Saturday for the two-day Mission Mountain Classic Little Guy Wrestling Tournament.
Noxon, Trout Creek hold spelling bees
Noxon and Trout Creek schools each will send their top four spellers to the Sanders County Spelling Bee after holding their own bees last week. Brooke Smithborne was the Noxon winner while Mikalla Gardner was the top speller from Trout Creek.
St. Regis man files as commissioner candidate
A new candidate entered the race for the open Mineral County commissioner seat.
Hot Springs girls Belgrade bound
Savage Heat goes 2-1 in divisionals to advance to the state tournament for the first time in nearly 20 years
Whiffleball games help get anti-tobacco message to kids
The students at Plains High School are being proactive about reACT.
Lake County Fair reps attend Sanders County Fair meeting
The Sanders County Fair Commission held their monthly meeting last Monday and though they addressed business as usual, there was a somewhat unusual tone to the agenda as well.
Rams end Hawks season
The Thompson Falls Bluehawks were 18 points away from going to the state championships after being defeated by 7-B champions, the Loyola Rams 72-54, in a challenge game Monday night at Polson.
Cub Scouts hold annual Blue and Gold
The noise level inside the pavilion at the Sanders County Fairgrounds rose a few notches as the Plains Cub Scouts Pack 46/57 held their annual Blue and Gold Banquet Thursday evening. Fourteen Cub Scouts from grades first through fifth and their parents gathered for the banquet and awards ceremony.
County aids in search for body
The Mineral County Search and Rescue Team was called on to help look for a body in the Alberton Gorge last weekend in connection with an alleged Missoula murder.
Plains boys bumped by Eagles
The Horsemen started the season strong with six consecutive victories, but ended the year with two straight losses at the Western B Divisional Tournament after being defeated by Seeley-Swan Thursday and Valley Christian Friday.
Friday, February 22
A Cold Night's Training
The Sanders County Search and Rescue held their annual winter rescue training Saturday with a class and overnight field training in the snowy woods of the Lolo National Forest.
Wednesday, February 20
Forest Service looks for public comment on new project
Residents on the west end of Mineral County will have some peace of mind when it comes to wildfires in the coming years.
Superior snaps 3-year skid
If hunger really is the best cook, then the Lady Bobcats' 56-49 victory over the Lady Tigers' Saturday had to taste extra sweet.
Eighth-grader takes Paradise Spelling Bee
Eighth-grader Sarah Necessary correctly spelled "deduce" to win the Paradise School Spelling Bee Friday in the school gym. Angel Crawford of the seventh grade took second with Shailyne Ames and Shaira Caldwell of the fifth grade taking third and fourth, respectively. The four girls will represent Paradise in the Sanders County Spelling Bee in Thompson Falls March 3.
The sweet spell of success
It wasn't spelling tests or extra study time that a St. Regis fifth-grader credits for making him the winner of the St. Regis Spelling Bee — it was a video game.
A Cold Night's Training
he Sanders County Search and Rescue held their annual winter rescue training Saturday with a class and overnight field training in the snowy woods of the Lolo National Forest.
Savage Heat salvage trip to divisionals
Three days of basketball wasn't enough to decide the fate of the two county's teams in the 14-C District Tournament in Ronan and the Savage Heat and Lady Red Devils had to face off in a challenge game Monday to determine who would advance the divisional tournament.
Seniors helping seniors
Two St. Regis High School students have decided to do something positive with the leftovers from their school's cafeteria this year.
Lady Hawks finish 2nd, Trotters 4th
The Eureka Lady Lions clipped the Thompson Falls Lady Hawks to take first place in the 8-B District Basketball Tournament at Linderman Gym in Polson Saturday, putting the T-Falls girls in second place in front of St. Ignatius and Plains in the three-day competition.
Savage Heat hoists district trophy
The Savage Heat were powered to their first district championship in over a decade by the red-hot shooting of their sophomore forward, but after the game he was feeling ice cold.
Road crews attack pothole problem
Old Man Winter in the Clark Fork Valley has thrown the road crews in Sanders County a sharp curve ball.
Hawks capture title for 4th year
Taking top honors at the 8-B District Basketball Tournament never gets old, said Thompson Falls head coach Chadd Laws, whose Bluehawks finished in first place Saturday for the fourth consecutive year.
St. Regis picks new superintendent
The St. Regis School Board decided on a new superintendent after interviewing five candidates Wednesday.
Dressing casual can help charity
Many offices have a casual Friday, but the Clark Fork Valley Hospital has put a new twist on it to benefit charities.
Paradise students Jump Rope for Heart
Paradise School saw another major increase in money raised to help fight heart disease with their Jump Rope for Heart fundraiser Feb. 1.
Wednesday, February 13
Famed author gives lessons at St. Regis
St. Regis School students got a special treat last week when Montana historian and author Jack Nisbet came to teach in their classrooms.
Plains student raises awareness during Teen Dating Violence Week
Danielle Sorenson went to work last week around Plains High School taping little white slips of paper to everyone's locker in grades eight through 12.
Lake County commissioner pleads not guilty to DUI, disorderly conduct in Mineral County
Lake County Commissioner Michael Hutchin pleaded not guilty to a second offense of driving under the influence of alcohol and disorderly conduct after his arrest at the Lincoln's 10,000 Silver Dollar Bar in Haugan early this month.
Vikings capture victory against Tigers
The St. Regis Tigers boys team lost a hard fought battle against the Charlo Vikings Saturday after a three consecutive nights of games.
Noxon nabs first seed at districts
Noxon wins last 3 games of season to finish in 1st place
Term limits are for a reason
Power is addictive! So much so that the longer a person stays in a position where they can exert power over others, the stronger the addiction gets. Jim Elliott has been in such a position for a decade and a half and from a Jan. 17 newspaper article, it sounds like he's beginning to like that power too much.
Horsemen can't hold Bluehawks at Plains
The Horsemen basketball team nearly had their revenge on the Bluehawks Friday night at Plains, but could hold onto their lead and fell to the Thompson Falls boys 58-50.
Deep snow doesn't stop Poker Run
The only bad thing that happened at the 17th Annual Cabinet Ridge Riders Poker Run was that they ran out of chili at one of the card stations, said Jim Morkert, one of the coordinators of the event and president of the Cabinet Ridge Riders.
Students get message of teen problems
The Plains High School Drama Club had the opportunity to show their fellow students what got them an award at the Montana State Thespian Festival recently, but they also had the chance to demonstrate some of the problems teenagers face on a day-to-day basis.
Party picks Paul at first caucus
For their first time being involved with Super Tuesday, members of the county's Grand Old Party didn't throw much of a party.
Silhouettes illustrate victims of domestic violence
"Love should not hurt; love should heal," said Marsha Walton of the Sanders County Coalition For Families, who was coordinating this year's "Love Without Fear Week" and the "Montana Silent Witness" program.
Five county wrestlers place at state
Five of the 15 wrestlers Sanders County sent to the Montana State All Class Wrestling Tournament walked away from the Billings MetraPark Arena Saturday with medals around their necks.
Emotions run high at wolf management meeting
Emotions ran high at a seminar on wolf management in Mineral County Thursday night in Superior.
Needs to be common sense gun restrictions
Officials in Montana have done little to keep criminals and other dangerous people from easily obtaining guns.
Getting comfortable in the robe
When Joe Eisenbrandt was thrown into the position as temporary judge for Plains last July, it was pretty much a sink or swim situation, but now that nearly seven months have passed and the position has been made permanent, Eisenbrandt is starting to feel like a fish in water.
Savage Heat destroys Devils
With a 64-33 victory over Noxon, Hot Springs finishes a perfect 10-0 in District 14-C play
Hot Springs looks at having well ordinance
A proposed town ordinance before the Hot Springs Town Council would ban the digging of water wells within town limits. Only a few Hot Springs residents attended the public hearing last Tuesday to hear the first reading of the proposed well ordinance, and they asked only a few questions on the details.
Friday, February 8
Plains man finishes third book
Local author Ron Rude signed copies of his latest book Wednesday at the Rocky Mountain Bank in Plains.
Snowmobilers converge on Haugan for poker run
The Montana Night Riders Snowmobile Club held its 20th annual $1,000 Super Poker Ride at Lincoln's 10,000 Silver Dollar Bar in Haugan to the usual crowd of riders and volunteers last Saturday.
Scouts take to chariots at Mission
They didn't have wheels with razor sharp blades that cut into the competitor's chariot, and instead of horses, the chariot pullers were boys. And just like when the ancient Greeks and Romans held the sport, a feisty crowd cheered for their favorite teams.
Indoor archery league starts in Plains
Archery season is here again, but this time the "hunters" are going for paper targets at the Trophy Taker's Winter Indoor Leagues just west of Plains.
Tiny dancers tiptoe to Plains
Each person who walked through the Plains cafeteria after school Wednesday couldn't help stopping a second to take a look. The tiny dancers, some dressed in tutus, that were trying their hardest to keep on their tippy toes were just too cute to pass up.
Wednesday, February 6
Hot Springs man wants more clean air rules
The Hot Springs man who was against the town council's resolution to provide for a clean and healthful environment now plans to test the council on how devoted they are to cleaning up the air in the town.
Two Democrats file for commissioner
In the upcoming election for county commissioner, two Democrats from Mineral County have thrown their hats into the ring.
Fifteen county wrestlers head to championships
Three Sanders County wrestling teams will send 15 wrestlers to the state championships after a big day at the Western B-C Divisional Tournament in Darby Saturday.
Lions upset Horsemen with a Eureka victory
Horsemen to face T-Falls at Plains for last regular game of season
Alberton looks to a 4-day school week
In response to a serious lack of funding, Alberton School District is considering some extreme measures to help cut the cost of operating the school.
Three file for Justice of the Peace
What was once a one-horse race has become a competitive sprint as three candidates are now making the mad-dash to become the next Sanders County Justice of the Peace.
Bluehawks crush Vikings at home
The Thompson Falls Bluehawks basketball team scored their first point before the game even began Thursday. Dallas VonHeeder, a 6-foot, 4-inch senior, nabbed one of two free throws before the clock started ticking, the result of a Charlo Vikings technical violation with their books.
Alberton douses Hot Springs
It wasn't their best game and shots weren't falling for them. And calls constantly went against them, but the Alberton Panthers found a way to fight through the adversity and come away with 41-36 victory over the Savage Heat in Hot Springs Saturday.
Commissioner declares snow state of emergency
A Declaration of Emergency came into effect for District 3 of Sanders County Friday due to heavy snows on the west end of the county.
Savage Heat streak stretches to 14
When your players are skilled, smart, disciplined and unselfish, coaching is an easy job.
