Ellington

Engagement announcement

The Gene Warren and Robert Stulc families announce the engagement of daughter Dori Warren Elliott and son Blaine Stulc. A July wedding is planned at Brackett Creek Inn in the Bridger Mountains.

Sheriff's report

An excerpt from the Sanders County Sheriff’s report week of 6/15-6/21.

2014 fourth quarter honor roll

Trout Creek

Community calendar

Open Gym at Plains

Flathead Lake

Hot Springs kayakers triumphantly raise their paddles on Somers Bay of Flathead Lake. 

Students spend day on Flathead Lake

HOT SPRINGS – School may be out of session for the summer but there are still plenty of events going on at Hot Springs High School for students.

Busy Fourth planned for Sanders County

SANDERS COUNTY – Areas throughout Sanders County will be hosting celebratory events to mark the nation’s independence on the Fourth of July.

Inspection

Janet Flaman of the FWP inspects a boat from Washington outside of Thompson Falls.

FWP holds boat inspections at checkpoints across the county

THOMPSON FALLS – With the official start of summer Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks continues its ongoing battle to stem the invasion of non-native species to the lakes, rivers and reservoirs of western Montana.

Roads open for firewood gathering

PLAINS – Chain saws and axes will soon be busy at work, following the opening of several roads for firewood gathering in the Plains/Thompson Falls Ranger District.

Grizzlies relocated to Cabinet Mountains

CABINET MOUNTAINS - Two young female grizzly bears were relocated today to the Cabinet Mountains as part of the Cabinet Mountains grizzly bear population augmentation program.

Task force works to implement anonymous call line

THOMPSON FALLS – The Sanders County DUI Task Force continued discussions to set up an anonymous call line for law enforcement entities throughout the county.

Real estate market begins to recover

SANDERS COUNTY – Following sizeable alterations during the last recession, the real estate market within the county is showing positive signs as statistics begin to tick up.

The Breezy

Bob "Breezy" Alm lands his homemade aircraft during the annual Fly-In Breakfast on Saturday.

Soaring in for breakfast

PLAINS – Bright and early Saturday the roar of propeller driven engines could be heard overhead throughout the town of Plains as pilots from across the region dropped by for the annual Fly-In Breakfast.

Summer league basketball hits the court

Kimberly Earhart of Plains maneuvers down the court during the team's tournament in Ronan. 

Community calendar

Road to Recovery

Chamber Chatter

Ma Nature is playing havoc with our precious 3 month window of opportunity for the tourists. Going-to-the-Sun Road in Glacier National Park STILL isn’t open making it a shorter season than ever for our friends in Hungry Horse, West Glacier and other towns on the fringe of the park. If there is a silver lining in this moisture, it might be that the visitors stay in our neighborhood longer. When you see out of state plates and you’re comfortable talking to strangers (cold-calling, in the sales world), greet them and ask how their vacation here is going! Suggest that they stop at the St. Regis Visitors Center for a plethora of family activities that we have to offer. And if this is outside your comfort zone, just smile, wave and say, “Howdy!” as that will exhibit the charm they know Montanans have.

Letter to the Editor; Doctor Smith

Dr. Terry Smith is my doctor and has been since I moved here in 2003. He was there for me during a tragedy that almost broke me. He took the time out as a doctor to give me the tools to get through my grief. He did this without having me on drugs. Through the years he has never let me down as a doctor. When I tried to see him, the last two months that he was here, it was impossible to get an appointment. I got a hold of his nurse Shauna and she made sure that I saw him. I had really high blood pressure and I needed it to come down. I was seen the next day. He said that there was no excuse for me not being seen. It took three weeks. Doctor Smith and his nurse Shauna are a great team and they will be missed here.

An update from Rep. Ingraham

With the 4th of July just around the bend, many of us will celebrate the day by hosting or attending a picnic or barbecue, enjoying a display of fireworks, watching as a parade goes by, camping with family and friends, displaying our decorations of red, white and blue and proudly displaying our American Flag in honor of the day.

Smart driving course to come to county

MINERAL COUNTY - Cars have changed. So have traffic rules, driving conditions and the roads you travel every day.

Real estate market begins to rebound

MINERAL COUNTY – The economy appears to be on the rebound in Mineral County.

Fire Training

Superior volunteer firefighters respond to a training call and practice techniques utilized to put out a car fire.

Fire training heats up

SUPERIOR – The fire blazed fiercely propelling thick gray smoke into the air. Firefighters quickly got to work as they worked on a car fire.

Vets receive quilts

Lee Magone shows off his "veteran's quilt." Magone was one of the many vets that received a quilt from Cabin Fever Quilters. The quilters goal is to provide every Mineral County veteran with a quilt.

Swimming to the finish

Matthew Woods competes in the 50-meter butterfly in the 9 to 10 year old division at this weekend's swim meet.

Piranhas swim to fifth at town meet

PLAINS – Swimmers crashed through the water, competing neck and neck with one another in the annual swim meet in Plains.  

Hot Springs hosts football skills camp

HOT SPRINGS - The sounds and squeaks of running shoes echoed around the gymnasium as a group of young athletes participated in a youth skills football camp.

Review looks into form of government

HOT SPRINGS – Following an extremely close vote in the June primaries the town of Hot Springs will begin preparations to go forward with the approved Local Government Review.

Avalanche take second in tournament

The 18 and under Montana Avalanche took second place at the 17th annual Coeur d'Alene Tournament in Idaho this weekend. Sami Kinzie of Plains plays for the fast pitch travel team.

H.E.R.O. Club

Rilyn Roberts, 5, eats a hot dog during the first ever H.E.R.O Club in Superior. The club aims to provide positive entertainment, while focusing on being drug and alcohol free.

Kids become everyday heroes

SUPERIOR – A group of kids recently took on the goal of improving the Superior community by providing a positive experience to anyone who is interested.

FWP urges bear safety

MINERAL COUNTY - Being bear-friendly in Montana is a commitment. It may mean sacrificing the opportunity to see a bear or take pictures of it—for the welfare of the bear. It means taking steps to prevent bears from finding sources of food on your property or when you are out camping.

County encouraged to buckle up during summer

MINERAL COUNTY - Vacations have begun and desk chairs sit empty while co-workers enjoy their time away from the job. Phones are ringing off the hook, the copier has been jammed for two days and the office plants are wilting. You are scrambling to tend to the needs of your clients as well as those of your vacationing colleagues. Productivity is suffering. Thank goodness they’ll be back on the job soon. But what if they don’t return?

Summer league ball heats up

The Superior summer league girls basketball team traveled to Ronan for a tournament over the weekend.

Obituary; Della Margaret Barrett Sampson Cook

DELLA MARGARET BARRETT SAMPSON COOK passed away in Missoula, Montana on June 11, 2014. Della was born August 21, 1916 in Belknap, Montana in the back of her father’s store to Jesse and Alice Schofield Barrett. In 1934, she graduated from Thompson Falls High School. At age 18, she attended Western Montana College in Dillon majoring in education and received her teaching certificate. From college, she moved to Lingshire and taught 1st-8th grades in a little one-room schoolhouse in the middle of nowhere. She moved to Lonepine and taught 1st and 2nd grades for five years. On May 26, 1940, she married Dean Davis Sampson at the Lonepine Presbyterian Church. She worked and loved being a wife, a mother of three children, rancher, and cook at the Lonepine School. Della then taught 3rd-5th grades there and 6th grade at Hot Springs. In 1966, Dean passed away. Della sold the ranch and moved to Missoula. In December of 1968 at the age of 53, she completed her bachelor’s degree in education from the University of Montana. She taught 5th-8th grade at Elmo for five years, at Rollins for two years, and at Proctor for one year. On August 5, 1972, she married James H. Cook in the First Presbyterian Church in Hot Springs. For the next 28 years they lived happily on the Lonepine Angus Ranch. In 2000, they sold the ranch and moved into Hot Springs. After 30 years of marriage, Jim passed away in 2002.

Sheriff's report

An excerpt from the Sanders County Sheriff’s report week of 6/8 to 6/14.

Community calendar

Open Gym at Plains

Court records

Sanders County Justice Court week of 6/3 to 6/9.

Annual Fly-In

An American flag plane visited the fly-in during 2012. This year the event expects to see 30+ planes if the weather is nice.

Soaring to new heights

PLAINS – Airplanes of all ages will soon spot the sky, as the annual Fly-In Breakfast at the Penn Stohr Field in Plains gets ready to take off.

Stand down steadily makes progress

TROUT CREEK - Per capita, Montana has a higher percentage of military veterans than any other state in the lower 48.  Of the state’s 1,000,000+ population, nearly 110,000 Montanans have served in the U.S. military.  Only Alaska has a population with a higher percentage of service veterans.

Plains Day: Then and now

PLAINS – Following Plains Day weekend, the town returned to its normal pace and was able to reflect on its big summer event.

Clean-up Day

Ruben Loberg and Sierra Lazaro load a mattress during the second Community Clean-Up Day in Hot Springs.

Hot Springs holds clean-up day

HOT SPRINGS – Couches, coffee tables, mattresses and washing machines were all gathered up in Hot Springs last week as the town completed its second Community Clean-Up Day of the summer season.

Grand Marshal

Grand Marshal Bud Bras drives his Ford Model A down Main Street during the grand parade on Sunday in Hot Springs.

Bud Bras honored as grand marshal

HOT SPRINGS – Horse drawn wagons, fire trucks, police cruisers and vintage automobiles filled the streets of Hot Springs as the Grand Parade closed out the 65th annual Homesteader Days celebration.

DEQ seeks comments

PLAINS - The Montana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) is holding a public meeting to provide information and accept written comments on a water quality plan for nine streams in and surrounding the Thompson River watershed in Sanders and Flathead Counties.

Plains local completes pilot certification

BILLINGS – Wyatt Nagy has completed his FAA private pilot certificate at Rocky Mountain College. Wyatt is the son of Patrick and Lillian Nagy of Plains, Mont., and is a freshman majoring in aeronautical science at Rocky Mountain College.

Valley Press wins seven awards

SANDERS COUNTY – The Clark Fork Valley Press returned from the Montana Newspaper Association convention on Saturday, June 14 with seven awards.

Tourism numbers show promise

SANDERS COUNTY – As the days grow longer and the temperature warms, out of state visitors are beginning to make their way to destinations in and around Sanders County.

Homesteader Days

The flags were proudly paraded in the grand parade on Sunday.

Grant aims to help grow St. Regis

ST. REGIS - A new greenhouse is coming to St. Regis Schools with help from a grant.

Community calendar

Road to Recovery

An update from Representative Ingraham

We will all had another opportunity to celebrate Father’s Day on June 15th.  Father’s Day is a celebration honoring fathers and celebrating fatherhood, paternal bonds and the influence of fathers in society.  

Letter to the Editor; Open Doors, Inc.

Dear Editor:

Lunch in the Lot

One of last year's teams prepares meals for the public during the annual Lunch in the Lot event.

Lunch in the Lot aims to end cancer

SUPERIOR – The Mineral County Relay for Life teams will band together to bring lunch and refreshments to the community with one overriding goal in mind: to find a cure for cancer.

Flag Day

A Master Salesman plaque was awarded to Nick Triplett for selling over 75 raffle tickets for the annual Flag Day celebrations at DeBorgia.

DeBorgia ceremony honors flags of the past

DEBORGIA - On June 14, the American Legion Post #13 held their annual Flag Day Ceremonies at the Old School House in DeBorgia.  A Large crowd gathered to take part in the evening event and while the flags were being retired Phyllis Stephens led the group in ‘The Star Spangled Banner.’

Trail Rail Run

Participants in last year's 50-mile race began early in the morning at Mullan, Idaho and ended in St. Regis later in the day.

Annual Trail Rail Run ready to go

MINERAL COUNTY – The second annual Trail Rail Run is scheduled to take place and this year more participants will flood the tracks to get their running fixation satisfied.

Superhost

Participants at the annual Superhost training make a list of what there is to do in Superior.

Superhost training hits all-time high

SUPERIOR – Hospitality providers left the Superhost statewide seminar ready to provide quality customer service to keep tourists coming back to Mineral County on a yearly basis. This year the seminar reported the highest attendance ever in the approximately 20 years the program has been offered.

Company sets focus on creating jobs

MINERAL COUNTY - A nonprofit group is optimistic about rebuilding the Mineral County community in as little as five years.

Public library expands digitized services

SUPERIOR – The Mineral County Public Library announced that it now offers access to a collection of digitized historic and current Montana state government information through its own library catalog.

Mineral County prepares for centennial celebration

MINERAL COUNTY - It is less than three months until the centennial of the formation of present Mineral County. On August 6, 1914 we were officially separated from Missoula County.

MI receives 13 awards

MINERAL COUNTY – The Mineral Independent returned from the Montana Newspaper Association convention on Saturday, June 14 with five first place wins, four second place awards and four third place awards.

Homesteader Days

A line of kids take off towards the finish line during the kids games on Saturday in Hot Springs.

Train traffic

Montana Rail Link has recently seen a 15 percent increase of train traffic throughout the area, averaging at 19.3 trains a day.

Train traffic increases

SANDERS COUNTY – Recently the communities of Sanders County have seen a variety of different train loads coming through the area, leaving some questions unanswered. Where are these trains going and what products are they carrying?

Car Show

The winners of the car show display their awards, while volunteers stand behind them.

Car show brings in droves of cars

HOT SPRINGS – The roar of engines and the smoke of exhaust filled the air as a wide variety of old and new automobiles took over the Hot Springs High School football field for the afternoon.

Alumni Game

Jimmy Holland prepares to take the ball down the court during the alumni game.

Alumni game stirs up competition

HOT SPRINGS – Students and adults of all ages raced from one side of the basketball court to the other in two competitive basketball games, as Hot Springs held its annual alumni competition.

Rodeo

Jessica Read of Plains competes in the barrel racing competition at the Homesteaders Rodeo.

Homesteaders rodeo hits Hot Springs

HOT SPRINGS – Broncs did their best to rid themselves of their riders, bulls ran amok, horses raced around barrels and a few brave volunteers did their best to corral wild cows as the rodeo came to Hot Springs.

Mariners

Mariners shortstop Trever Paro, of Hot Springs, fields a ground ball in a game against the Kalispell Lakers last Tuesday. 

Paro aids in the success of the Mission Valley Mariners

HELENA – Trevor Paro of Hot Springs is only a freshman, but already he is excelling on the baseball diamond.

Piranhas prepare for season

PLAINS – The Piranhas swim team of Plains is ready to start their season off on the right foot as they head to their first meet in Hamilton this weekend.

Superior Ambulance training

Superior holds monthly ambulance training. 

Father's Day

President of the Hot Springs Chamber of Commerce Leslee Smith sets up for the Father's Day barbecue.

Celebration draws crowd

HOT SPRINGS – Over the weekend the normally peaceful Main Street of Hot Springs, was transformed into a bustling town as the Homesteader Days celebration was held.

DEATH NOTICE: Lucille Bosley

MedStar Pilot

MedStar Pilot Noah Phillips answers questions presented by first responders at the monthly Superior Ambulance training.

Training covers drugs, choppers

SUPERIOR – With an ever-increasing drug problem in the county, Superior’s first responders were educated about different types of prescription drugs and were also given the chance to look over MedStar’s new helicopter.

Clark Fork Trout

Steve Temple poses with a Rainbow Trout.

New Fishing Outfitter opens in St. Regis

MINERAL COUNTY – The county has a new Fishing Outfitter. At the June Board of Outfitters meeting in Helena, Steve Temple of Superior was granted a Fishing Outfitters license.

Golfers

The Wells Fargo team took first place as the net winner in the tournament: K.C. Sullivan, John Kelly, Sherry Spangler and George Spangler pose following their round.

Golfers chip on for tournament

ST. REGIS – Golfers and businesses alike flocked to the Trestle Creek Golf Course in St. Regis for the annual golf tournament.

Superior School Board talks failed bond levy

SUPERIOR – The voters have spoken, and the proposed Superior Schools bond levy was declined by voters with 45 percent voting yes and 55 percent voting no.

Homesteaders Rodeo

Rider Kolby Kittson prepares his equipment for the saddle bronc riding event on Saturday night.

Birth announcement; Naveah Rose Clawson

Gifts From Above Midwifery Care is excited to announce the arrival of Tristan Cordell Byler on May 28, 2014 at 3:41 p.m. and weighed 7 pounds 15 ounces. Proud parents are Jesse and Rhonda Byler of Noxon.  Sweet siblings are Megan and Natalia.  Paternal grandparents are Sam and Naomi Byler of Plains. Maternal grandparents are James and Carol Wengerd of Noxon.  Congratulations on your new baby boy!

Senior news

Dixon

Court records

Bond forfeited:

Community calendar

Open Gym at Plains

Auto Show

Todd Logan and Ken Saner prepare to distribute trophies at the conclusion of the car and motorcycle show on Plains Day. 

Vintage autos on display at Plains Day

PLAINS – Engines roared and shiny vehicles of all makes, models and years lined the grassy span of the greenway as the 2014 Plains Day Car and Motorcycle show took place on Saturday.

lifeguards

Tiga Ward practices a save on Head Lifeguard Mary Ellen Siegford at El Johnson Memorial Pool Park on Sunday.

Lifeguard certification prepares Plains Pool for summer debut

PLAINS – Prospective lifeguards jumped in the pool, swam laps and performed simulated rescues as the Plains pool prepared to open for the season on Sunday, June 8.

Water fight

Teacher Bob Neiman throws a water balloon at Hot Springs High School during the faculty and student water balloon fight.

Hot Springs celebrates end of the school year

HOT SPRINGS – The students of Hot Springs ended their school year in style, enjoying class barbecues, water balloon fights and an awards ceremony.

Garden

The Plains Community Garden started their season at the beginning of June.

Garden digs into planting season

PLAINS – Gardeners flocked to the Plains Community Garden on Monday, June 2 for a kick-off to the season.

Montana Rose

Claudia Williams of Montana Rose plays with Tessy Lou and the Shotgun Stars.

CFVH Foundation gala entertains

PLAINS – Traditional bluegrass music filled the air as a brisket dinner, accompanied by fresh dinner rolls was served up to attendees at the annual CFVH foundation gala.

Town hall discusses numerous ordinances

PLAINS – The Plains Town Council moved forward with a couple of ordinances during their monthly meeting, attempting to make changes to business water rates and the speed ordinance.

FWP Region One seeks applicants for Citizen Advisory Committee

REGION ONE - Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP) is seeking volunteer applicants to fill four slots on the Region One Citizen Advisory Committee (CAC).  The CAC is in its 19th year and was established to provide input and guidance to FWP from the public.  This is a general advisory committee that works with FWP on all issues and programs.

Hot Springs gears up for 65th Homesteader Days

HOT SPRINGS – The town of Hot Springs is running through its final preparations as the 65th annual Homesteader Days celebration kicks off next weekend.

DNRC reminder: Water right needed for dust-abatement and road construction

SANDERS COUNTY – With road construction season in full swing, the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC) would like to remind contractors and project managers of the guidelines for acquiring water they might need for dust abatement and road construction.

Journey of Hope cycles through

THOMPSON FALLS – This summer a group of proactive college students will be traveling coast to coast via bicycle. These students part of Push America’s Journey of Hope made their way through Sanders County on their way east last week.

Theft occurs at Plains Cemetery

PLAINS – Fifty to sixty Memorial Day decorations were taken from the Plains Cemetery on the evening of Monday, June 2.

Cemetery looks to further genealogy efforts

PLAINS – In an effort to bring more history and background to those buried at the Plains Cemetery, the grounds is asking for members of the community to bring any old obituaries or photos to the cemetery to be added to the records.

4-H shotgunners end season

This year's 4-H shooters: (Back row, left to right) Taralee Ryan, Shayna Burgess, Marsada Sweet, Jubal Ryan, Kale Crain-Morefield, Mahala Sweet, Wyatt Sheehan. (Front row) Walker Crain-Morefield, Ian Smith, Karen Lloyd, Wyatt Crain-Morefield, Lydia French.

Primary election results in

MINERAL COUNTY – The people have spoken as a new Mineral County Sheriff was elected, and two justice of the peace candidates will move on to the general election in November.

Community calendar

Road to Recovery

Obituary; A. Roger Lindgren

Superior – Roger Lindgren, of Superior, completed his journey this side of Heaven on Tuesday, April 1, 2014.

Reflection on D-Day: Thank a vet

June 6, 1944, was the date when the United States and its allies began their amphibious invasion of Western Europe on the beaches of Normandy in northern France.

Public land priorities shaping up

Montana’s study of federally managed public lands is set to wrap up within the next few weeks. Reducing catastrophic wildfire conditions, protecting multiple use access, and increasing economic productivity are the most serious priorities I see emerging from our effort.

Letter to the Editor

I am writing this letter in regards to the fire that started on our property near the mouth of Trout Creek on Friday, May 30, 2014.  Without the quick response of both the Superior Volunteer Fire Department and the US Forest Service, this bad situation would have had the opportunity of becoming a full blown forest fire as due to the strong winds, the fire had changed direction, headed down the creek and subsequently jumped the creek and would have gone on up the mountain had it not been stopped.

Fawn

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks asks people to leave young wildlife alone.

FWP advises to let wildlife be

MINERAL COUNTY - Every spring Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks issues its traditional message to Montanans to leave new born fawns and other infant wildlife where people find them.

Blood drive

The Mineral County community came out to help with a blood drive in Superior organized by the Retired Senior Volunteer Program.

Communities pitch in for Superior blood drive

MINERAL COUNTY - Mineral County has been instrumental in providing blood through donations to local hospitals around the area, according to Julie Brehm of the American Red Cross.

Sheriff

Sheriff-elect Tom Bauer won the June 3 primary with 383 votes.

Bauer wins county sheriff race

MINERAL COUNTY - Tom Bauer is already hard at work improving the Mineral County Sheriff’s Department.

Vintage cars

Over 90 vintage automobiles visited the Old Schoolhouse on River Street on June 7 for the car show. The event wrapped up around 4 p.m. on Saturday.

Old Schoolhouse Rock Car Show visits Superior

SUPERIOR – Perfect weather drew hundreds of people from all over Mineral County and beyond for the annual Old Schoolhouse Rock Car Show.

Seat Belt

Trooper Steve Gaston, Taryn Ververis, Sierra Bruning and Buckle-Up Montana Coordinator Juli Balenger show off the student's Saved By the Belt Awards.

Students awarded for safety

SUPERIOR – Two Superior High School students were routinely driving home from golf practice on I-90 in late April when the vehicle lost control and rolled over.

Yard sale kicks off summer

ST. REGIS – Even though the spring flea market is over, St. Regis once again tried to attract shoppers to the area with another annual sale.

River Valley Saddle Club opens in Lozeau

SUPERIOR – A local equestrian club has opened a new facility off the Lozeau exit in Mineral County.

Candidate resigns from MCSO

SUPERIOR – One day after the primary election, Mineral County Sheriff candidate Robert Larson resigned from his position.

DUI Taskforce presents fiscal plans

MINERAL COUNTY – The Mineral County DUI Taskforce presented their plans for the 2014 and 2015 fiscal year.

Alberton proposes increases

ALBERTON - Residents of Alberton will see a sewer rate increase as of August 1, unless public input from residents puts a stop to it.  

Turtle race

A crowd cheers on their favorite turtles at the annual turtle race. This year there were 57 turtles entered.

Primary election concludes

SANDERS COUNTY – Election results from the primary election held on Tuesday, June 3 came in the early morning hours of Wednesday.

Hanley

Alberton graduate Delani Hanley excelled in sports throughout her years at the school.

Hanley reflects on her time in Alberton

ALBERTON - Delani Hanley proved that through hard work anything is possible.

Football

Alberton and St. Regis will no longer play as the Clark Fork Timberwolves. The two teams will once again separate.

Clark Fork Timberwolves will be no more

ST. REGIS – A year after merging with Alberton, the St. Regis Tigers will have their own team once more.

Superior baseball ends their season

SUPERIOR – The Superior Rockies season came to an end June 6, as they were narrowly defeated in the second round of the season ending tournament in Plains.

Trap Club

Wyatt Crain-Morefield takes aim at the Plains Trap Club.

4-H shotgunners end season on a high note

PLAINS - South Side Sparks Shotgunners completed their second season of trap shooting. This season brought an additional six beginning shooters, bringing the group to a total of 15 shooters.

Dog Training Club

Bill Cenis and his Australian shepherd Lilly test the agility course provided by the Sanders County Dog Training Club while organizer Jan Manning coaxes the dog through the chute.

Plains Day hits town

PLAINS – The usually quiet town of Plains transformed for a day on Saturday, June 7 as the annual Plains Day celebration took place. The main street of downtown was packed with people enjoying the day and the activities.

Royals place third

The Plains Royals of the Clark Fork Valley Babe Ruth League took third place in their end of the year tournament at the new sports complex in Plains.

Plains Day rolls through

Plains Fire Chief Joe Sheppard waves at bystanders during the Plains Day parade.

First Place

The Plains Pirates won all three of their games on Saturday to win the league championship and complete an undefeated season.

Plains teams play stellar tournaments

PLAINS – The newly christened Amundson Sports Complex played host to two baseball tournaments over the weekend.

Championship

Jake Zigler warms up in the bullpen during the third inning of Plains first tournament game.

Pirates complete perfect season with big win

PLAINS – The Plains Pirates achieved a rare feat this spring, compiling a perfect season. The Majors division team won every one of their 15 games without losing a single contest.

Amundson first pitch

Alvin Amundson winds up to deliver the ceremonial first pitch at the new sports complex in Plains.

Amundson opens new sports complex

PLAINS – Plains Day started early at the Wild Horse Sports Association Sports Complex as the field was officially dedicated in a short ceremony before the day’s baseball tournaments kicked off.

Head-on

MRL crew examine the crash that took place between a train and a contracted weed sprayer three miles outside of Plains. 

Truck vs. train accident occurs outside of Plains

PLAINS – A semi-truck vs. train accident took place three miles east of Plains at approximately 9:25 this morning.

Veterans

Don Kunzer salutes a fallen soldier after symbols of remembrance were placed on the grave.

Post honors veterans

PLAINS – The true meaning of Memorial Day was on display on both Saturday, May 24 and Friday, May 30 as the VFW Post #3596 spent two days honoring those fallen before them.

Valedictorian

Co-Valedictorian Angela Padden takes a moment to contemplate during her graduation speech.

Last classes of 2014 graduate

 SANDERS COUNTY – The final classes of 2014 were presented their diplomas on Sunday, opening a new chapter and milestone in their lives.

Sports Complex

Alvin Amundson delivers a speech at WSA's Oktoberfest shortly after he announced his intention to aid the WSA in their fundraising efforts.

WSA to hold field dedication ceremony

PLAINS – The Wildhorse Sports Association Sports Complex will hold a dedication ceremony for its two new baseball fields on the morning of Plains Day, this coming Saturday.

Obituary; John Russell Johnson

John Russell Johnson was born in Jackson, MN, July 25, 1947, the first son of Robert and Bernice. His brothers are David, Bobbie and Ronnie.  John has four children, Chad, Jonathan, Brianne, Jennifer.

Obituary; John William Bright

John William Bright 55 of Plains, died on May 25th, 2014, from complications of an injury.  John was born in Lancaster, CA to John and Phyllis Bright. He was the third of four children and their first son.  He moved to Plains, MT in 1998 where he worked various jobs until finding a job landscaping which he was passionate and proud of.  John has three children; Shawn Bright, Nicholas Barnes, and Annie Bright, all of Plains.

Obituary; Ila Mae Raymond

Ila Mae Raymond of Plains passed away of natural causes, May 17, 2014 at Polson Health and Rehab. She was born May 16, 1933 to Mina and Angelo DeMers of Plains, where she grew up and went to school with her brother Francis. She met Lester Raymond when he owned the Texaco station in Plains. They married in September of 1948 in Missoula making their home in Plains. They built two homes in Plains and had three children, moving to Rainbow Lake in 1972. She loved bowling and talking on the C.B. radio. Truckers would talk to her when passing by the lake. You could always count on coffee when you stopped by to chat. There were always dogs at her home, at one time there were seven.

Obituary; Phyllis Marie Enderlein, Hazleton Archibald Damschen

Phyllis Marie Enderlein, Hazleton Archibald Damschen of Plains, MT  passed away peacefully on Friday May 30, 2014 at the age of 85 with family and friends at her bedside at Clark Fork Valley Hospital.

Sheriff's report

Excerpt from the Sheriff’s report week of 5/25 to 5/31.

Community calendar

Open Gym at Plains

Court records

Sanders County Justice Court week of 5/20 to 5/27.

Bison Range to undergo chip sealing operations

MOIESE - Be prepared for chip sealing of the paved roads at the National Bison Range during the week of June 1. The paved roads accessing the Visitor Center and the Day Use Area will be affected as well as the parking area at the Visitor Center. The Visitor Center and Red Sleep Mountain Drive will remain open throughout but visitors will need to follow the detour signs. The Day Use Area may also have restrictions during this time.

Lunches aim to offer learning forums

PLAINS – The Clark Fork Valley Hospital is launching a new program that will be open to the community.

UM student from Plains produces documentary for PBS

MISSOULA – Every year, thousands of people die on the streets and highways of the United States because of distracted drivers. Hundreds of thousands are injured. Campaigns and laws aim to reduce that number, but are they making any difference?

Circus to hit Hot Springs

HOT SPRINGS – One hundred years ago, long before the mainstream distribution of movies and television, Chautauqua circuits were common events during the summertime throughout Montana and major portions of the United States.

Hot Springs constructs creative space

HOT SPRINGS – Students at Hot Springs will have a new space for art classes, featuring two classrooms in a new building once the fall rolls around.

CNSC to benefit from test drives

PLAINS – The Cancer Network of Sanders County will be hard at work on Saturday, June 7, attempting to get as many participants as possible into a new Ford to raise money for their organization.

Walleye surveys completed

NOXON - FWP recently completed spring walleye surveys in Noxon Reservoir. These surveys were conducted to determine optimal capture techniques, population demographics, reproductive potential, dietary habits and PCB concentrations within edible portions of walleye. Prior to initiating fieldwork, FWP developed a study plan to assure that our data needs were met. This plan was distributed to FWP’s Citizen Advisory Council and other interested individuals and sportsman’s groups. For 2014, the plan called for lethal samples to be collected from up to 101 walleye and stated that nonlethal samples would be collected from a target of 200 – 250 fish. We anticipated that less than 101 fish would be lethally sampled because few large and small walleye are captured. Walleye that were not killed were fin clipped, measured for length and weight, and tagged prior to release.

Clark Fork River holds slightly below flood stage

SANDERS COUNTY – With the unofficial start of summer following Memorial Day, a string of warm weather has melted a significant portion of the snow pack at elevation.

Training prepares judges for primary elections

SANDERS COUNTY - The county is running through the final preparations for the June 3 primaries following two days of election judge training in Thompson Falls and Plains.

Ceremony honors veterans

Bill Beck, Otto Otnes and Charles Oelschlager salute during the annual Memorial Day ceremony where a wreath was thrown into the river to recognize those who lost their lives at sea.

Tech initiative receives county's feedback

THOMPSON FALLS – The results from the Sanders County Community Development Corporation received from a recently held feasibility survey waging public interest in establishing a rural technology center in Sanders County came back with positive numbers.

Community Calendar

Court Records

Obituary; Donald Parkin

 Donald Parkin passed away at his home outside of Superior, Montana on May 25th.  Don was born August 26th 1934 on Iron Mountain in Superior, Montana at his Grandma Bennett’s house.  The only child of Kenneth & Jane (Bennett) Parkin he attended elementary and high school in Superior, Montana.  During high school he worked for local businessman Wally Schneider.  Don’s work ethic allowed him to have one of the first automobiles in his high school class which made him a popular friend if you had gas money which Romie Doyle and Ray Bennett will attest to.  In 1952, Don joined the Navy.  He spent 3 years touring the South Pacific on the USS McKinley after which he returned to Superior.  Don had a love for all things associated with the military especially aircraft.  In 1955, he married Sylvia Schierding and shortly thereafter went to work at Diamond Match Sawmill where he  worked as a mechanic for 27 years.  They had two children Valerie and Wade.  Don cared deeply for his children and grandchildren.  He served many years as a volunteer fireman and volunteered on the ambulance.  Don was an entrepreneur, he had his own dump trucks, had a fabrication shop and at the same time maintained the school buses for many years.  He had a deep affection for the outdoors and spent many of days traveling the hills of western Montana in his Kubota.  There wasn’t a vehicle he could not fix, a piece of metal he could not weld or a task that was too big for him to complete.  He built his dream house on the Clark Fork River where he resided for several years.  Don loved to travel and during retirement he visited many of the world’s greatest historical sites with his good friend Kathy Jasper.  Don likened himself as a historian of Mineral County as he had a knack for remembering names and faces. If you had an old picture or were trying to remember someone’s name he could usually provide you with the information you sought, plus he would add his own take and opinion free of charge. The last few years Don enjoyed travelling with his life companion Elaine White.  Don will be dearly missed by his friends and family. Don is survived by his son Wade and his wife (Sue) Parkin of St Maries, ID, daughter Valerie Parkin of Billings, MT, grandchildren  Mike and Kenneth Dewey of Billings, MT and his “guiding light” Elaine White of Superior.  Graveside services will be held June 7th at 1 PM with a reception and potluck following at his home.  In lieu of flowers, we request that donations be made in Don’s honor to Mineral County Museum and Historical Society or to the charity of donor’s choice.

Guest opinions on water compact; Reverse the costly decision

Guest opinions on water compact; Stand up for what's wrong

Letter to the Editor; RIP Maya

The older I get, I realize the less I understand. The constellations leave me awestruck, my smartphone’s features baffle me. Perhaps, though, the one thing that I have the most difficulty understanding is the lack of basic human decency and compassion, the sheer dismissive attitude to a living breathing thing; callous enough, heartless enough to leave a tiny dog injured, bleeding, struggling for breath along the side of the road and simply walk away.

Softball girls take third

The Plains Trotters placed third at the State BC tournament last week. The girls worked their way up from one of the lowest seeds in the tournament to finish in the top three. 

Elk

Shawn Plakke is an active outdoorsman and makes guest appearances on a local radio program. 

Outdoor enthusiast stays active

Farm

The Alberton Farmer's Market reopened May 15 for the summer season. 

Alberton Farmer's Market open for the summer

ALBERTON – As warmer weather moves in to western Montana, Mineral County residents are eager to dig into their gardens. 

Singer

Nyla Prosser is 90 years young and is still singing. Prosser said she has been singing ever since she was a small child. 

Singer still belts out tunes

SUPERIOR - Ever since she was a young girl, Nyla Prosser has been singing along with her sister Rita.

School works to halt addiction issues

Library highlights summer reading activities

MINERAL COUNTY - There’s the World Series,  the Super Bowl and then the Summer Reading program at Mineral County Public Library.

Superior Lions Club looks for 2014 Junior Rodeo Princess

MINERAL COUNTY - The Superior Lions Club is seeking applications for our 2014 Junior Rodeo Princess. 

Lookout CEO addresses county commissioners

SUPERIOR - The Lookout Pass Ski expansion may receive a preliminary decision by August or September 2016, according to the president and CEO. 

VIC reopens for summer season

ST. REGIS – The St. Regis Visitor Information Center officially re-opened its doors Memorial Day weekend for another summer season.

Superior deaths ruled murder-suicide by officers

Science club reflects on Alaskan cruise

ST. REGIS – It has been nearly three weeks since the St. Regis Science Club went north to Alaska, yet the group is still talking about their adventure.

Bavaria

Casey and Erin Alt stand with Dominik Schwarz (center) an exchange student they hosted from Germany. 

A family away from home

Discus

Jarrod Tippens leaves Superior as one of the leading track athletes during his high school career. 

Tippens leads Superior track team at state finale

Steal

Superior baserunner Issac Miller slides safely into third base, beating the tag by Thompson Falls infielder Bradley Sieben. 

Superior minor-league ends season in tourney

St. Regis track places high, but no wins in final

ST. REGIS – Gabby Moeller and Arianna Jones were the top two players that Head Coach Maury Johnston took with him to state. 

Hanley wins gold for Alberton Track at state

ALBERTON – Delani Hanley cruised her way to a state title winning the discus event for the Alberton Track team at Great Falls. 

Plains prepares for celebration

Repeat State Champs!

The Trotters track team did it again. The ladies took first place at the Class B state meet, bringing home the first place trophy for the second year in a row. 

Hot Springs Track

Jarod White competes in the long jump. 

Savage Heat compete at State C Meet

GREAT FALLS – The Hot Springs Savage Heat competed in Great Falls over the weekend at the State C Track and Field Meet, with a strong performance over the two-day event. 

Wilson brings back medal for Red Devils

Young Bluehawk athletes dominate

BUTTE – The Bluehawks stormed the State B track championship, placing multiple young athletes, while showing promise for upcoming seasons.

Trotters Softball

Plains outfielder Diana Woodward corrals a base hit during Friday's Western B/C Divisional softball game with Ronan. 

Trotters softball takes third

GREAT FALLS – The Trotters capped off a successful season with a deep run in the State Tournament over the weekend. 

Trotters Track

Assistant coach Tony Banovich, Demi Horton, Nicole Rehbein, Corle Morefield, Shannon Dimond and Head Coach Denise Montgomery show off the medals won by the 1,600-meter relay team. 

Trotters return victorious