Ellington

New Sanders County blaze under investigation

A new wildfire sparked Thursday, Aug. 30, approximately 10 miles northeast of Hot Springs in Sanders County, according to the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes Division of Fire.

Bluehawks hope to bounce back after shutout loss to Townsend

Thompson Falls head football coach Jared Koskela has cultivated a reputation for himself for carving out identities for teams that are lacking in experience, and getting them to forge together to make a mid- to late-season improvement.

Hot Springs 'turns up the heat' on Hanna

Number of players available, or lack thereof, can have an adverse affect on a high school football team. Not so in Hot Springs’ 6-man season opener last Friday night against J.C. Charyk of Hanna, Alberta, Canada.

Plains Trotter spikers show promise at Mission Invite

Plains volleyball head coach Jesse Butcher said she is pleased with the 2018 team as they kicked off the season last weekend at the Mission Invitational.

Noxon rolls past Lincoln in opener

Noxon made some big noise in 6-man football in the season opener last Friday at home, steamrolling the Lincoln Lynx 70-0 in Western Division play.

Lady Savage Heat spikers off to solid start

Hot Springs High School got its varsity volleyball season off to a solid start, playing four matches in the Drummond Tournament last Saturday.

Lakeside Motel gets 'pontoon happy'

The Lakeside Motel and Resort in Trout Creek introduced a pontoon boat for rent earlier this summer.

Oh Deer: Driver OK after collision on Montana 28

With the change of seasons ready to come about, animals are still on the one during dusk and dawn hours and drivers should be vigil.

American Legion in Paradise kicks off raffle

American Legion Post 129 in Paradise is officially back in full swing after the grand opening of the new building over the July 4 holiday.

Paradise home destroyed in blaze

A house in Paradise went up in flames Tuesday, Aug. 21. Fire crews from Plains-Paradise Rural Fire Department and Plains City Fire Department as well as Plains Ambulance were all in attendance at the residence on the corner of Central Avenue and First Street.

4-H Fair Readiness Day a success

All four local 4-H clubs turned out to the Sanders County Fairgrounds last Saturday ahead of the 2018 fair to get their barns and grass area ready for the abundance of animals and spectators.

How to recognize and avoid college scholarship scams

(STATEPOINT) Average college costs have doubled in the last two decades, and this financial pressure along with new technologies makes today’s students particularly vulnerable to financial aid and scholarship scams.

September is National Preparedness Month

(STATEPOINT) — September is National Preparedness Month, and with wildfires, floods, earthquakes, tornadoes and hurricanes occurring around the world, having access to safe drinking water in the event of an emergency should be top of mind no matter where you live.

SKC hosts Active Threat Intervention Symposium

The Salish and Kootenai College campus was busy earlier this month, and not just because students were in and around the buildings.

Mountain Cats drop opener to Flint Creek

Butte will be the host for both the Bob Cleverley 8-Man football all-star game and the first-ever neutral site 8-Man football state championship game at this season’s end.

Clark Fork, St. Regis spikers open at Drummond tourney

Drummond High School hosted the season opener with a volleyball tournament last Saturday where the Drummond Lady Trojans, Granite Lady Prospectors, Flint Creek Lady Titans, Clark Fork Mountain Cats, St. Regis Lady Tigers, Darby Lady Tigers, Lima, Victor Lady Pirates, and Seeley-Swan all squared off.

Fatal crash, 100 mph chase in separate I-90 incidents

A 24-year-old Port Orchard, Wash., man was killed on Saturday when the vehicle in which he was traveling crashed near Saltese on Interstate 90, according to the Montana Highway Patrol dispatch.

Flat Creek fish habitat improvement focus of group

Just downstream from where a group of county and state agency officials had stopped to examine the work done on Cedar Creek was Superior resident Shawn Plakke, who was teaching his 13-year-old son, Orion, how to fly fish. A deep pool, created by logs installed last year through a habitat improvement project, yielded a school of 6-inch cutthroat trout. Trout that Orion skillfully pulled to shore after landing his fly on the still, clear water surface.

Alberton student honoring veterans with memorial

Every year, seniors at Alberton High School are assigned to do a “Senior Project” with the criteria that it has a community service component to it. However, junior Jordan Taapken asked if he could start his project early because of its magnitude. He has chosen to create a veterans memorial, which will recognize all of the military branches.

New youth magazine focuses on local health issues

Last week, Mineral County residents received a new magazine in their mailbox called YC, Youth Connections. It was filled with articles for kids like “The Secret to Successful Kids” and “The 40 Developmental Assets: Positive Identity.”

Althoff's historical statue well on its way to reality

Ore to Oar is a Mineral County Historical Art project spearheaded by Emily Ornelas, which will result in a statue gracing the front lawn of the courthouse in Superior. The artist, Dennis Althoff, along with Ornelas had a booth at the Mineral County Fair in early August to show the work that has been done so far, as well as to help collect donations for the project.

Community Notes

St. Regis School is accepting new students who are 4 years old by Sept. 10, 2018. Please bring birth certificates and immunization records to registration.

Mineral County Court Report

Town Court of Superior

Legals August 29, 2018

The Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation Requests Input for Proposed Timber Sales PUBLIC NOTICE The Plains Unit of the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation is developing plans for two proposed timber sales. The first proposed sale would be known as the Green Calico Timber Sale. This proposed sale is located approximately 19 air miles northwest of Plains, MT in the Calico Creek drainage, Sections 32 & 34, Township 23 North, Range 27 West, and Sections 4 & 10, Township 22 North, Range 27 West. This sale is in the earliest stages of planning and would most likely involve seed tree and shelterwood harvests with ground and cable-based logging systems. This sale may require new and/or reconstruction of roads and would include some minor improvements on existing roads. This sale would likely sell in the fall of 2019 and is projected to generate approximately 2 - 3 million board feet of timber for the Public Buildings and Common Schools Trusts. The second, known as the ReDeemer Timber Sale, is located approximately 5 air miles northeast of Plains, MT, on the north side of Deemer Peak, Sections 8, 9, 10, & 16, Township 22 North, Range 25 West. This sale is in the earliest stages of planning and would most likely involve seed tree and shelterwood harvests with ground and cable-based logging systems. This sale may require new and/or reconstruction of roads and would include some minor improvements on existing roads. This sale would likely sell in the spring of 2020 and is projected to generate approximately 4 - 5 million board feet of timber for the Common Schools Trust. These sales are being considered to generate revenue for their associated Trust Funds, improve forest health by reducing the possibility of insect and disease activity, to reduce excessive fuel loading and the related risk of wildfire, and to reestablish and promote timber types historically found in these areas. These proposed harvests would contribute to the DNRC's sustained yield as mandated by state statute 77-5-222. As an adjacent landowner or interested party, we request your input regarding these projects. Your concerns and comments are needed to assist the DNRC in planning, analyzing, and implementing these projects. We would appreciate your response by October 31, 2018 so that we may incorporate it into our planning process. Please send comments to: DNRC Plains Unit, ATTN: Dale Peters, PO Box 219, Plains, MT 59859 or by email to dpeters@mt.gov or by phone at Please direct oral or written comments to: Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation PO Box 219 Plains, Montana 59859 Attn: Dale Peters (406) 826-4722 E-mail: dpeters@mt.gov Published in the Clark Fork Valley Press on August 29 and September 5, 2018. MNAXLP

Carol Bartholomew

The Lord decided Heaven needed to be re-appraised and called on Carol Ann Bartholomew. On Aug. 21, 2018, in Spokane Valley, Wash., Carol entered the kingdom to do the task.

Avista charity golf tourney raises $21,000 for WMMHC

It was a record-breaking day at the River’s Bend Golf Course just outside Thompson Falls on Saturday, as more than $21,000 was raised during the Avista’s 10th Annual Charity Golf Scramble and Silent Auction. Golfers from 18 teams enjoyed the opportunity to contribute to the cause, and savor the camaraderie that comes with a day on the links.

Savage Heat field varsity 8-man team

Hot Springs High School goes back to the varsity level in Class C 6-man football for the 2018 season, and that presents an exciting opportunity for returning head coach Jim Lawson and the Savage Heat program.

Horsemen gridders hungry for more success

Plains High School has seen very positive signs of the Horsemen’s football program being turned around, when you look back at last season.

Canadian Aussie Adventures with Erin-Jay

So this past week, I headed north with my parents up to Canada for a little holiday, which is why no one would have seen me around the county.

Open pocketbooks for hospital

Attention citizens of Mineral County:

Air quality alerts issued across state

Residents in every Montana county were dealing with air quality impacts due to wildfire smoke on Sunday, and according to health officials there’s no relief in sight.

Local students get taste for aerospace science in MSU project

In a project that could help the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) integrate drones into the national airspace, Montana State University professor Doug Cairns and a team that includes two high school students simulate drone-aircraft collisions using a giant slingshot.

'Love's Labour's Lost' a Shakespeare masterpiece

William Shakespeare was certainly the premier storyteller during the Elizabethan era in the late-16th century, and is also perhaps the best playwright of any era.

Plains Public Library celebrates centennial

The Plains Public Library celebrated its centennial in style last Saturday, Aug. 18 with a book sale, raffle, silent auction and kids’ games just outside the facility on West Railroad Avenue.

Sanders County Fair opens Monday

Countdown continues for the annual Sanders County Fair, set for Monday, Aug. 27 through Sunday, Sept. 2 in Plains.

Legals August 22, 2018

PUBLIC OPPORTUNITY TO PROTEST TRANSFER OF OWNERSHIP OF MONTANA ALL-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES LICENSE Quinn's Paradise Springs Resort (John and Johnea Leinan, Owners) has applied to transfer Montana All-Alcoholic Beverages License No. 35-999-7142-002 to be operated by Proost, Inc. at 190 Hwy 135, Paradise, Sanders County. The public may protest this license transfer in accordance with the law. Who can protest this transfer? Protests will be accepted from residents of the county of the proposed location (Sanders), residents of adjoining Montana counties (Lincoln, Flathead, Lake, Mineral, Missoula), and residents of adjoining counties in another state if the criteria in 16-4-207(4)(d), Montana Code Annotated (MCA), are met. What information must be included? Protest letters must be legible and contain (1) the protestor's full name, mailing address, and street address; (2) the license number (52-353-9050-002) and the applicant's name (701 Investments, Inc.); (3) an indication that the letter is intended as a protest; (4) a description of the grounds for protesting; and (5) the protestor's signature. A letter with multiple signatures will be considered one protest letter. What are valid protest grounds? The protest may be based on the applicant's qualifications listed in 16-4-401, MCA, or the grounds for denial of an application in 16-4-405, MCA. Examples of valid protest grounds include: (1) the applicant is unlikely to operate the establishment in compliance with the law; (2) the proposed location cannot be properly policed by local authorities; and (3) the welfare of the people in the vicinity of the proposed location will be adversely and seriously affected. How are protests submitted? Protests must be postmarked to the Department of Revenue, Office of Dispute Resolution, P.O. Box 5805, Helena, Montana 59604-5805 on or before August 29, 2018. What happens if the transfer is protested? Depending on the number of protests and the protest grounds, a public hearing will be held in Helena or Paradise. All valid protestors will be notified of the hearing's time, date and location. Hearings typically are scheduled within 90 days. A protester's hearing testimony is limited to the grounds in the protester's letter. Following the hearing, the Department of Revenue will notify the public whether the license transfer is approved or denied. How can additional information be obtained? The cited MCA statutes are online at leg.mt.gov/bills/mca_toc/. Questions may be directed to Charlene Sholey, Compliance Specialist for the Department of Revenue's Liquor Control Division, at (406) 444-3505 or charlene.sholey@mt.gov. Published in the Clark Fork Valley Press on August 22 and August 29, 2018. MNAXLP

Bernice Smith

Bernice Juliana Haus Smith, 84, was born March 20, 1934, in Hankinson, N.D., to Leo Haus and Helen Pelzl. Her final breath and peaceful rest occurred Thursday morning of Aug. 9, 2018, at Mineral Community Hospital in Superior.

New principal to greet Alberton students Aug. 23

School doors open this Thursday, Aug. 23 in Alberton, and students will be met by a new principal, Mica Clarkson. However, she is not a new face at the school because Clarkson taught special education there last year. She is replacing Kyle Fisher, who stepped down as the school’s principal and athletic director at the end of the 2017-18 school year.

Clark Fork spikers strive for success in 2018 season

Clark Fork would like to continue to climb the proverbial “ladder of success” with its high school volleyball program, and third-year head coach Toni Labbe would be glad to make that happen.

Drinking water supply and stream work discussed at Superfund project meeting

The Superior Technical Assistance Committee continues to meet regarding the Flat Creek Iron Mountain Mine EPA Superfund project located north of Superior. The work on the $3.5 million project is nearing completion and on Aug. 7 the committee met in Superior where erosion from the spring flooding on Flat Creek was discussed. Flooding damaged the newly planted vegetation and made the stream bank unstable causing the stream to braid into other areas according to Bob Wintergerst with the U.S. Forest Service.

Mountain Cats take on defending champ Flint Creek

Unforeseen situations, such as injuries, play a role in the success of a football team at any level. And if the Clark Fork Mountain Cats can avoid the injury bug, they will likely show improvement, teamwise, over last season in Class C 8-man football.

Taft mountains hold 'secret' of missing cemetery

The mountains surrounding the legendary saloon town of Taft, Mont., holds a silent grip on its deceased residents. As the massive fires of 1910 swept through the canyons of Mineral County, the blaze took the town with it, including the cemetery. A cemetery with wooden markers which turned to ash and disappeared. Now, nearly 110 years later, the search is on to find the 72 buried souls lost to a century of forest growth and erosion.

Back to school: Big changes in store for some

Kids are breathing their last few days of freedom while parents are breathing a sigh of relief, as school resumes across the county. Alberton’s first day will be Aug. 23, while both St. Regis and Superior begins on Aug. 27. Superior’s Pre-K and kindergarten start Sept. 4.

Community Notes

The Mineral County Performing Arts Council will host Shakespeare in the Park on Wednesday, Aug. 15 at the Mineral County Fairgrounds. They will present “Othello” from 6 to 8 p.m. Bring a lawn chair and enjoy!

Mineral County court report

Aug. 1, Justin James Anderson, violation in a construction zone

Stage II fire restrictions in effect

Effective at 12:01 a.m. on Friday, Aug. 10, enforcement of Stage II fire restrictions across west central Montana went into effect. Emergency responders at the city, county, state, tribal and federal levels have been plagued by unattended campfires this fire season. Several wildfires have ignited and spread quickly through cured grass in the last two weeks as the area has come into Very High or Extreme fire danger.

Backpack Program offers free supplies, food

Getting kids back to school can be a financial challenge for some parents who are on a limited income.

DNRC gives water tender to Superior Fire Department

It’s hard to hear yourself talk when driving down the highway in the Superior Fire Department’s water tender. The giant vehicle only gets about four miles to the gallon, and is equipped with two 50-gallon fuel tanks. It’s loaded with 28,000 gallons of water and can rip up the mountains to attack wildfires.

Trail signs installed - thanks to local Eagle Scout Mondava

Lolo National Forest trails received some additional signage — thanks to help from a local Boy Scout Neil Mondava, 17.

Cabin Fever Quilters show work during annual show

Hundreds of brightly colored quilts decorated the halls and rooms of Superior High School during the Mineral County Fair on Aug. 3 and 4. This was the Cabin Fever Quilters 18th Annual Show, with the theme “Outdoors Montana.”

Meeting held for Garden Creek Fire

More than 50 people attended an hour-long community meeting Friday morning, Aug. 10 at the Hot Springs Senior Center to listen to officials share updates on the Garden Creek Fire, located two miles north of Hot Springs.

Marvel Marrinan

A life well lived. Marvel E. Marrinan, 92, died of natural causes Aug. 5, 2018, at Mountain View Care Center, Ronan, Mont.

Drowsy driving causes vehicle wreck

A Montana Highway Patrol trooper attended a unique call out to River Road West on Wednesday, Aug. 8.

Garbage truck carries smoldering load

Wednesday, Aug. 8 saw a garbage truck on River Road West smolder its way to the Plains town dump, before the load engulfed itself in flames.

Farmer Street, chip seal, pool updates discussed

The recent Plains Town Meeting was a quick and efficient gathering with councilors in attendance as well as Mayor Dan Rowan.

Sanders County moves to Stage II fire restrictions

Sanders County moved into Stage II fire restrictions on Friday, Aug. 10, as advised by the Emergency Management Coordinator Bill Naegeli.

Blue Slide Road work addressed at MDT open house

The Montana Department of Transportation hosted an open house for Blue Side Road residents last week in Thompson Falls.

Mobile home involved in blaze at Weeksville

Sanders County dispatch took an emergency call last Friday afternoon, Aug. 10, of a trailer home on fire at a private residence along Highway 200 in Weeksville. The call came in about 2:50 p.m.

Community meeting held for Garden Creek Fire

More than 50 people attended an hour-long community meeting Friday morning at the Hot Springs Senior Center to listen to officials share updates on the Garden Creek Fire, located two miles north of Hot Springs.

Trout Creek's 39th annual Huckleberry Festival a big hit

The 39th Annual Huckleberry Festival in Trout Creek last weekend was a hit for locals and tourists as the tiny Sanders County town once again celebrated.

Weeksville Fire spreading

A trailer house is on fire Friday afternoon at Highway 200 in Weeksville. The fire is at approximately mile marker 67. There are reports that a propane tank has exploded and is spreading northbound up the hill, according to The Valley Press Reporter Erin Jusseaume, who is currently on the scene. This is a developing story.

Hot Springs fire triples in size overnight

The Garden Creek Fire burning on tribal land near Hot Springs took a drastic turn Tuesday night, growing from 500 acres to nearly 1,800 acres, making it the largest fire in the state so far this season.

Road to the Buffalo gets new signs

Wildlands Fire Facebook page gaining popularity

After two intense years of wildland fires in Sanders County, and with 2018 shaping up to have a possible repeat, authorities have become proactive with getting information out to residents through a new Facebook page.

Plains Piranhas excel at Divisional Meet

The Plains Piranhas swam in style at the recent Divisional Swim Meet in Choteau, with several swimmers qualifying for the State Swim Meet in Conrad.

Truth about mining 'Bad Actor' law

When critics of the Mining Bad Actors Law attacks Montana’s enforcement of a state law that protects taxpayers from shouldering the clean-up bill for mining companies, it’s clearly time to impose an old-fashioned smell test. In weaving together their argument, they got many of their facts wrong.

Bruce Frye Memorial draws bevy of shooters

Once again the sun shone down on the Plains Trap Club for the annual Bruce Frye Memorial ATA Shoot.

CASA ice cream social 'keeps it cool'

The ever so popular CASA Ice Cream Social once again came to life this past weekend at the Sanders County Fairgrounds.

FWP offers deer, elk licenses

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Game began offering over-the-counter and surplus B licenses for anterless deer and elk on Monday, Aug. 6.

Daines, Gianforte show support for Northwest Montana mining

U.S. Sen. Steve Daines and Rep. Greg Gianforte recently released statements in response to the announcement that reclamation work on the Troy Mine was being paused due to the state of Montana’s “Bad Actor” decision against Hecla Mining Company. The ruling has also put on hold on two other long-delayed mining projects: the Montanore Mine near Libby, and the Rock Creek Mine near Noxon.

Blue Slide Road Project open house

The Montana Department of Transportation (MDT) will host an open house to present design plans and the construction schedule for work to continue on Blue Slide Road on the outskirts of Thompson Falls after spring runoff shut down the road earlier this year.

Montana Aussie Adventures with Erin-Jay

Wow, can you believe we are over halfway through the year? School is nearly started and Christmas will be here before we know it.

Sheep Gap Fire Salvage Project approved

Last week, U.S. Sen. Steve Daines and Montana Rep. Greg Gianforte applauded the Forest Service on the signing of the Sheep Gap Fire Salvage Project in Sanders County.

Riverside Park falls victim to vandals

Riverside Park located at the bridge next to the fairgrounds in Plains is falling victim to vandals.

Plains Piranhas hold fundraiser at pool

The Plains Piranhas swim team held the first of their two yearly fundraisers at the Plains Pool last week.

Redman and Milender win big at talent show

This year, seven acts stepped up to the mic at the Mineral County Fair’s Talent Show on Saturday afternoon, Aug. 4. Judging was for two categories of “adult” and “juvenile,” and before the competition began, members from the 4-H Camo Critters opened the show with an explanation of their project raising butterflies from caterpillars.

17 fire starts kept under control by emergency crews

The Lolo National Forest is in Very High Fire Danger, and over the past few weeks several fires have started, including a five-acre burn near Cyr last Wednesday, Aug. 1. Hot wheel bearings from a semi-truck that lost a tire started the blaze near mile marker 71 on the north side — causing both lanes of traffic on Interstate 90 to come to a halt. There was construction in the eastbound lane, and so traffic was already confined to two lanes. After approximately a half hour, emergency responders were able to get traffic going again, and it took fire crews from the Frenchtown Fire Department and the Superior and Ninemile Ranger Districts about three hours to contain the fire. No injuries were reported.

Community Notes

The St. Mary’s Church in Superior will hold their last “Kids Bash” on Saturday, Aug. 11. For information, call Denise at (406) 493-9830.

$60,000 raised at 4-H/FFA livestock auction

Nearly $53,000 went into the pockets and college funds of 4-H/FFA members at the 2018 Livestock Auction held on Saturday afternoon, Aug. 4 at the Mineral County Fair. This doesn’t include the additional $8,000 local businesses threw into the pot to sweeten the deal for the 21 youth who have spent this past year raising the animals for judging and the auction. Altogether, there were 14 swine, three beef, two sheep and one chicken up for grabs.

Air rifle team scores big at Nationals in Nebraska

The members of the Montana State 4-H Air Rifle Team ended their season on a high note in Grand Island, Neb., for Nationals where the team placed third. Mineral County 4-H Shooting Sports team members included Howie Edison and Bailey Milender. The other state team members were Lyndy Powers from Gallatin Valley Sharpshooters, and Margo Spaulding from Kalispell Shooting Sports. The team headed to Nebraska for the five-day tournament held June 24-29.

Smokin'Hot Fair fun for everyone

The Mineral County “Smokin’ Hot Fair” held last week was another well-attended three-day event — bringing in people from all over the northwest.

Stage I fire restrictions in Sanders County

Late Thursday afternoon, Aug. 2, the Sanders County Board of Commissioners adopted a resolution stating that Stage I fire restrictions be in place on all land in the county, effective at 1 a.m. Friday, Aug. 3. The decision was made due to extremely dry conditions in Sanders County.

Road to the Buffalo gets new signs

New Road to the Buffalo signs

Garden Creek Fire grows to 500 acres

The Garden Creek Fire, burning on the Flathead Reservation about 2 miles north of Hot Springs, made a run Friday, Aug. 3, expanding to a total of 500 acres by Monday.

Forest Service issues EIS on Rock Creek Project

LIBBY — RC Resources, a subsidiary of Hecla Mining Company, recently announced that the U.S. Forest Service has issued its notice of availability of the Phase I Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Rock Creek silver and copper project in Sanders County. 

Stage I fire restrictions in Sanders County

Late Thursday afternoon, Aug. 2, the Sanders County Board of Commissioners adopted a resolution stating that Stage I fire restrictions be in place on all land in the county, effective at 1 a.m. Friday, Aug. 3. The decision was made due to extremely dry conditions in Sanders County.

Montana Aussie Adventures with Erin-Jay

“Take me out to the ball game, take me out with the crowd, Buy me some peanuts and crackerjack, I don’t care if I never get back...”

Community celebrates Paradise Center opening

{Editor’s note: This is the second in a series of articles about the Paradise Center in Paradise, a depiction of some local history, and the future of the arts in the community.}

Tester discusses infrastructure during recent stop in Superior

While eating breakfast at a hotel last week in Kalispell, Montana U.S. Sen. Jon Tester looked up from his bowl of cereal and saw one of his ads on the lobby TV.

Community Notes

Wednesday, Aug. 1

Over 500 participate in WestEnd ATV event

More than 500 people turned out for the 13th Annual WestEnd ATV Poker ride in De Borgia on July 21. It was a new record for the group, which had 307 waivers signed. However, almost 80 percent of the riders had a side-by-side, which brought the number of participants up. Last year, 280 riders had signed waivers.

Phone line snaps, causing multiple incidents on I-90

Power poles snapped and cables as thick as a softball gnarled Interstate 90 on Tuesday, July 24. Vehicles just west of Superior swerved to dodge the debris littering both east and westbound lanes. Phone lines at the Superior Fire Department lit up with calls, and several members responded to the incident.

Mineral County Court Report

July 24, John Conrad Adams, careless driving; driving with a suspended license; driving with suspended license, second offense; no registration; no liability insurance; no liability insurance, second offense; expired registration; and failure to give notice of an accident

Murdoch 'Murdy' Crust

Murdoch Edward “Murdy” Crust of Minneapolis, Minn., formerly of Faribault, Minn., escaped this mortal realm Friday, July 20, 2018.

Snell takes 4-H Congress 'one stitch at a time'

Madeline Snell, a 4-H member from Thompson Falls, recently took her skills to the Montana State Congress and came back a winner.

Cool Summer Nights lights up Trout Creek

The 2018 Cool Summer Nights Car Show at the Lakeside Motel and Resort in Trout Creek last weekend pulled out all the stops for this year’s event.

Douglas Ovitt

Douglas Ray Ovitt lost his valiant battle to cancer on July 20, 2018.

Fire danger increasing in county

As the summer days continue to heat up, the ground is drying out and the fire danger is creeping up.

Lolo Forest raises fire danger to 'very high'

The West Zone of the Lolo National Forest is currently in “Very High Fire Danger” as temperatures continue to rise into the 90s. Lush green grasses from a wet spring have begun to dry out, and fires can now start and spread easily, and “have a quick increase in intensity immediately after ignition. These fires can be very difficult to control,” said Lolo District Fire Management Officer Jim Ward.

Local logger recovering after workplace injury

Local logger Kevin Riley was recently injured in a workplace accident up near Kalispell.

Tester excited to help Plains secure new police vehicles

As it has been previously reported in the Valley Press, the Plains Police Department is on its way to acquiring new police vehicles, and now have had some extra help from U.S. Sen. Jon Tester.

Paulsen earns 2nd in Patriotic Art Contest

Earlier this year, Plains High School student and artist Malachi Paulsen entered the local Patriotic Art Contest sponsored by the VFW Auxiliary.

Softball tournament organizer Heimbigner steps down after 25 years

After 25 year, Steve Heimbigner, is hanging up his cleats and stepping down as the organizer for the annual S&S Foods and Nugget Lounge Softball Tournament held on July 20-22.

No headline

Wildhorse Showdown co-ed tourney a big hit

The Fourth Annual Wildhorse Showdown Softball Tournament in Plains was a huge hit for local organizers over the weekend.

Claire Slead

Claire Marie Ann (Lemire) Slead, a more than 20-year resident of Hot Springs, Mont., was born on Sept. 30, 1926, in Holyoke, Mass. She passed away at age 92 on June 30, 2018, at the Riverside Health and Rehabilitation facility in Missoula, Mont.