Ellington

County properties will soon be tobacco free

Starting on Jan. 1, 2017 all county properties will tobacco free, including chew and electronic delivery devices, or e-cigs. Properties include the main courthouse campus, library, health department, road department, county owned parks, extension office, and fairgrounds.

Court Report

Hearing for Monday, Nov. 14, 2016

ACEs changing the way people think about child abuse

Adverse Childhood Experiences or ACEs, take many forms regarding child abuse. Abuse can be categorized as physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse and neglect. It can take place through the hands of a parent, a sibling, a caregiver or another person in a custodial role including clergy, coaches and teachers.

Legals November 30, 2016

LEGAL NOTICE Julie R. Sirrs Boone Karlberg P.C. 201 West Main, Suite 300 P.O. Box 9199 Missoula, MT 59807-9199 Telephone: (406) 543-6646 Telefax: (406)549-6804 jsirrs@boonekarlberg.com Attorneys for Wilson Emery Lewis, Personal Representative MONTANA TWENTIETH JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT, SANDERS COUNTY IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE O F LEONORA FLORES LEWIS a/k/a LENORA FLORES LEWIS, Deceased. Dept. No. 1 Probate No. DP-16- 36 NOTICE TO CREDITORS NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the undersigned has been appointed Personal Representative of the above-named estate. All persons having claims against the said deceased are required to present their claims within four months after the date of the first publication of this notice or said claims will be forever barred. Claims must either be mailed to Wilson Emery Lewis, the Personal Representative, return receipt requested, c/o Boone Karlberg P.C, P. O. Box 9199, Missoula, Montana 59807-9199, or filed with the Clerk of the above-entitled Court. I declare, under penalty of perjury and under the laws of the state of Montana, that the foregoing is true and correct. DATED this 7th_day of November ,2016,at Plains, Montana. /s/ Wilson Emery Lewis Wilson Emery Lewis BOONE KARLBERG P.C. By: Julie R. Sirrs Julie R. Sirrs, Esq. P.O. Box 9199 Missoula, Montana 59807 Attorneys for Wilson Emery Lewis, Personal Representative Published in the Clark Fork Valley Press on November 16, 23, 30, 2016. MNAXLP

Thompson Falls first-grader wins Seattle Punt, Pass & Kick competition

Six-year-old Hailey Lowe bested three other regional champions to win the Seattle Seahawks’ Punt, Pass & Kick team championship on Nov. 19 in Renton, Washington, before being recognized in an on-field ceremony at halftime of the Seahawks’ game at CenturyLink Field the next day.

Kailyn E. Thola, 18

Kailyn E. Thola, 18, from Hamilton, was killed in a single-vehicle car wreck early Saturday morning, November 26, 2016, on I-90 in Mineral County.

Basketball, wrestling underway at local schools

Winter sports have started at area schools, including wrestling and basketball, with junior high basketball teams already hitting the courts. High school players started practice a couple of weeks ago with games starting the first week of December.

Saturday craft fair kicks off season of holiday bazaars

The annual Alberton Craft Fair kicked off the holiday season on Saturday, Nov. 26. Patrons were offered sweet treats including sugar cookies and cinnamon rolls as well as soup and sandwiches.

Elk numbers down, whitetail numbers up as 2016 hunting season comes to a close

On Saturday afternoon at the Fish Creek check station, wildlife biologist Liz Bradley and University of Montana wildlife biology student, Elizabeth Koenig, were waiting for hunters to stop by to report their hunting experience for the day.

VFW essay contest winners revealed

Winners of the VFW’s Patriot’s Pen and Voice of Democracy contests were recently announced.

Lanterns released at fairgrounds by Cancer Network of Sanders County

Hundreds of locals gathered at the Sanders County Fairgrounds Saturday night to release glowing lanterns in memory of loved ones lost to the disease.

VFW auxiliary assembles care packages

Horse Plains VFW Post No. 3596 was transformed into Santa’s workshop on Monday as auxiliary members gathered to pack gift boxes for U.S. military troops stationed at bases throughout the United States and overseas.

FFA team takes first place at John Deere Expo

The St. Regis Future Farmers of America (FFA) Ag Communications team took first place at the John Deere Ag Expo in Bozeman. The Expo was held at the Montana State University Campus on Nov. 17 through 19 with about 1,500 other FFA members from around the state.

Dixon Senior Center sets December schedule

Mark your calendars for some events coming up at Dixon Senior Center in December:

Realignments and rule changes announced by Montana High School Association

The Montana High School Association’s Executive Boards recently announced a number of realignment and rules changes for winter and spring sports. There was also a major adjustment to each classification’s enrollment guidelines. Several schools from Classes A, B and C will reclassify their sports programs for the next school year, while Class AA in currently unaffected by the changes.

Community Notes

Tickets for President-elect’s inauguration available

Feeding families in Mineral County

November 2011 was the first Holiday Food Drive initiated by Mineral Community Hospital (MCH) to help those in need in our county through the holidays. Each year since, the MCH has gathered more in poundage, as well as distribution locations between Alberton and St. Regis.

Five from Hot Springs football named all-state

The Hot Springs football team added to its state championship with a wave of postseason accolades.

Car accident near Tarkio results in driver's death

A teenage girl died a single-vehicle car accident on Saturday, Nov. 26 at 3:10 a.m. Kailyne Thola, an 18-year-old Hamilton girl was killed when her 1999 Ford Explorer crashed near Tarkio at mile marker 62. An unidentified 18-year-old male from Superior was taken to St. Patrick Hospital.

New Mineral County Attorney hired

The search for a new Mineral County attorney is over, as Ellen Donohue last week accepted the position. Marcia Boris left the job on Sept. 2 and moved to Libby to become the deputy county attorney for Lincoln County. Since that time, County Commissioners have been in the process of hiring a new attorney with several interviews having taken place over the past few weeks. Donohue is from Butte and will begin in January.

Plains' Ovitt, VonHeeder, Cole named all-conference

Prolific Plains quarterback Ryan Ovitt and his top two receiving targets have landed on Western C eight-man all-conference teams.

Holiday shopping on target to set spending record

By KATHLEEN WOODFORD

Cantrell-Field selected for all-state six-man game

The high school 6-Man football all-state team was announced last week and Brock Cantrell-Field, a sophomore from St. Regis was selected to play.

Plains senior named all-state, three Blue Hawks all-conference

Thompson Falls followed up its successful run in the state volleyball tournament with a host of accolades.

White-tailed deer harvest highest since 2010 in west-central Montana

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP) reports that white-tailed deer harvest reported through the Anaconda, Bonner and Darby check stations reached a six-year high with the close of the 2016 general big game hunting season on Sunday.

Youth Advocating Programs teach life skills to students

Alberton School will be hosting a group called Youth Advocating Prevention, or YAP for sixth, seventh and eighth graders. The group will meet weekly at the school on Wednesdays from 4:15 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. starting Nov. 30.

Court Report Nov. 18 – Nov. 25

Bond Forfeited

Hot Springs food pantry sees clients up, donations down

Volunteers at the Hot Springs Food Pantry work hard to connect their clientele with food each month, and somehow they always make it.

Hot Springs Library offering chance to 'Share Your Story,' create oral history

HELENA — The Friday after Thanksgiving is the National Day of Listening. The Montana State Library — partnered with public libraries throughout the state — encourages Montanans to record their stories, and those of their loved ones, as part of the Share Your Story Montana project.

No headline

Teacher uses Beatles music to inspire students

If it wasn’t for a Beatles performance on the Ed Sullivan Show, Peterson Elementary School music teacher Paul Lovett may not have picked up a guitar as a second-grader in 1967. He also wouldn’t be teaching Beatles hits to second- through fifth-graders today.

Woman disgusted by decapitated carcass

Someone on Waverly Place reported seeing a decapitated giant elk or deer hanging from a second-floor balcony and was concerned that it was going to “attract varmints and bears,” and “that it is just plain disgusting,” according to the Whitefish Police Department.

'Backroads of Montana' anniversary special to feature Alberton resident

On Nov. 17 the crew from Montana PBS’s “Backroads of Montana” held a 25th Anniversary celebration at the Rialto Theatre in Deer Lodge. It was designed as a red carpet event, where special guests were interviewed as they entered the theater. Attendees were also offered free popcorn and were entered into a drawing for gift bags given throughout the night.

Legals November 23, 2016

LEGAL NOTICE Julie R. Sirrs Boone Karlberg P.C. 201 West Main, Suite 300 P.O. Box 9199 Missoula, MT 59807-9199 Telephone: (406) 543-6646 Telefax: (406)549-6804 jsirrs@boonekarlberg.com Attorneys for Wilson Emery Lewis, Personal Representative MONTANA TWENTIETH JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT, SANDERS COUNTY IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE O F LEONORA FLORES LEWIS a/k/a LENORA FLORES LEWIS, Deceased. Dept. No. 1 Probate No. DP-16- 36 NOTICE TO CREDITORS NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the undersigned has been appointed Personal Representative of the above-named estate. All persons having claims against the said deceased are required to present their claims within four months after the date of the first publication of this notice or said claims will be forever barred. Claims must either be mailed to Wilson Emery Lewis, the Personal Representative, return receipt requested, c/o Boone Karlberg P.C, P. O. Box 9199, Missoula, Montana 59807-9199, or filed with the Clerk of the above-entitled Court. I declare, under penalty of perjury and under the laws of the state of Montana, that the foregoing is true and correct. DATED this 7th_day of November ,2016,at Plains, Montana. /s/ Wilson Emery Lewis Wilson Emery Lewis BOONE KARLBERG P.C. By: Julie R. Sirrs Julie R. Sirrs, Esq. P.O. Box 9199 Missoula, Montana 59807 Attorneys for Wilson Emery Lewis, Personal Representative Published in the Clark Fork Valley Press on November 16, 23, 30, 2016. MNAXLP

Playground dedication ushers in new era for Eva Horning Park

Despite a forecast of rain or possible snow showers, the Mineral County Community Foundation (MCCF) held the dedication of the new playground equipment as scheduled on Nov. 17 at the Eva Horning Park in Superior. A lively group of kids and curious community members assembled near the bright green ribbon to see what had been installed behind the orange fence at the east end of the park. For those who came early, they were treated to a sneak preview — an invitation to check out the equipment before the ceremony. From the excited shouts of the kids, the “preview” met their expectations.

'Backroads of Montana' anniversary special to feature Alberton resident

On Nov. 17 the crew from Montana PBS’s “Backroads of Montana” held a 25th Anniversary celebration at the Rialto Theatre in Deer Lodge. It was designed as a red carpet event, where special guests were interviewed as they entered the theater. Attendees were also offered free popcorn and were entered into a drawing for gift bags given throughout the night.

'Cardiac Ready Communities' hoping to take hold in Mineral County

The Local Emergency Planning Committee held their monthly meeting on Nov. 3 in Superior. During the meeting, Janet Trethewet gave a brief presentation on “Cardiac Ready Communities” initiative. The Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services (MDPHHS) received a $3.2 million gift from the Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust last year. The funds have been used to implement this three-year initiative.

Grading a problem with new teaching platform

This year St. Regis School is experiencing a whole new way of learning. They have adopted the Summit Basecamp learning program, which is project-based and more hands-on than traditional modes of learning. Rather than standing in front of a class, teachers work with students individually or in small groups.

Donald 'Butch' Kruger, 76

Donald “Butch” Kruger, 76, passed away on Nov. 11, 2016.

Fire department trains for real-life emergencies

On Tuesday evening, Nov. 15, the Superior Volunteer Fire Department held extrication training which required volunteers to take apart wrecked cars with the Jaws of Life. They cut and sawed through thick metal car frames, broke windows and safely deployed air bags as part of their training.

Mineral, Sanders county food banks among five to receive holiday donation

The Dennis and Phyllis Washington Foundation recently announced a special holiday donation of $203,500 to food banks, food pantries, rescue missions and homeless shelters across Montana. The five Northwest Montana counties that will benefit from the donation are Flathead, Lake, Lincoln, Sanders and Mineral counties.

'Hamlet' visits the next generation of Shakespeareans in Alberton

To be, or not to be, that is the question,” actor Ty Fanning said in Act 3 of Shakespeare’s play “Hamlet” during a performance at the Alberton School on Wednesday, Nov. 16.

2017 Medicare Parts A & B Premiums and Deductibles Announced

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced on Nov. 10, the 2017 premiums for the Medicare inpatient hospital (Part A) and physician and outpatient hospital services (Part B) programs. Medicare is a health insurance programs for people age 65 or older. Medicare’s open enrollment period is Oct. 15 through Dec. 7. These dates are when all people with Medicare can change their Medicare health plans and prescription drug coverage for the following year.

Community Notes

Thanksgiving dinner open to public

Food bank provides 100 Thanksgiving meals

The weekend before Thanksgiving is a busy one for volunteers at the Mineral County Food Bank in Superior as they prepared 100 bags of Thanksgiving food for their clients. Program manager Marlene Adair said that’s how many people signed up this year to receive a turkey with all the trimmings for their Nov. 24 meal.

Thanksgiving holiday will be a wet one

The busiest travel period of the year will reach its peak over the Thanksgiving holiday. About 48.7 million Americans will hit the roads and skies and travel 50 miles or more from home on Wednesday, Nov. 23 to Sunday, Nov. 27, according to projections from the American Automobile Association (AAA).

St. Regis School weight room open to the public

Over the summer, St. Regis School converted the old bus barn into a weight room which is available for community use. It comes complete with weights, tread machines and exercise bikes. Todd Fischer will be the facility manager and the hours will be 6:45 to 8 a.m. Monday through Friday, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday and Thursday, and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to noon.

Veterans honored by students

Veterans Day was on Friday, Nov. 11 and several events took place in Mineral County to honor our local vets, including breakfasts at the school in St. Regis and at the Masonic Temple in Superior hosted by Eastern Star. Also in Superior, the elementary students held a special presentation in the gym.

Allie (Bailey) Adams, 93

Allie Fair Adams, 93, passed away Nov. 5 at the Mineral Community Hospital Long-Term Care Facility. Known locally as the Cat Lady, she cared for the many animals people abandoned on her property. She couldn’t stand to see any animal or person in need and her compassion knew no bounds. Her open and giving nature enabled her to help many in this community either on the job at the Mineral Community Hospital and Nursing Home or in her private life. Yet few knew she was a gifted primitive artist who painted landscapes which she gave away freely. She had wanted to spend her retirement painting, but, instead, she spent it as she had her entire life, caring for others.

Wildlife baiting still illegal in Montana

It’s OK to buy a deer lick in Montana, but that’s about all you can do with it.

4-H Ambassadors 'discover their element'

The 2016 4-H Club Fall Ambassador Training was a complete success. More than 100 ambassadors and youth leaders from all over the state attended to participate in workshops and meetings and listen to motivational speakers. Madeline Snell and Tressa Lyscio from Sanders County attended. As ambassadors strive to represent 4-H to their community, they came together on Oct. 20-22 in Bozeman for the purpose of learning leadership skills. “Discover Your Element” was the theme of the weekend.

ONE MORE TO GO

Hot Springs blows out Valier in semifinals, plays for school’s second state championship Saturday in Plentywood

HOT SPRINGS — The entire Hot Springs football season has been played with one goal in mind.

Tobacco use in Montana and in Sanders County

The 2014 Surgeon General’s report concluded that smoking affects nearly every organ of the body. A half century after the release of the first report, we continue to add to the long list of diseases caused by tobacco use and exposure to tobacco smoke, including:

Smokeout offers resources to stop smoking

If you are addicted to nicotine, you know the powerful urge to use tobacco products, whether or not you actually want to.

90,000-acre logging project proposed near Troy

The Kootenai National Forest is proposing a logging project to harvest trees on more than 2,100 acres, spread over a more than 90,000-acre project area extending from Troy into Idaho.

Nature film pro to give presentation Nov. 16

The public is invited to join Plains students for a special presentation about polar bears at the Plains High School gym on Wednesday, Nov. 16, at 2 p.m.

Mild weather keeps harvest slow in West-Central Montana

In west-central Montana, deer and elk harvest reported through the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks (FWP) hunter check stations near Anaconda, Darby and Bonner so far this season is in line with this time in 2014 and down 13 percent from last year, due largely to unseasonably warm weather and only traces of snow. 

Republican candidates win big in Mineral County

Election results came in during the early morning hours Nov. 9 as polls closed across the nation. Republican candidate Donald Trump was named the next president of the United States, defying late polls showing Democrate Hillary Clinton as having the edge.