Ellington

Robin Alexander

Robin Alexander, born to Jerald and Joyce Alexander on March 7, 1958, passed away in St. Pat’s Hospital, Missoula, Mont., on Jan. 27, 2019.

Lady Devils struggle offensively

Noxon came out on the short end of the scoring in a pair of District 14C girls’ basketball road contests last week.

Heat top Victor and Valley Christian after loss to Arlee

Efficiency at the free-throw line was a key for Hot Springs while picking up a pair of boys’ basketball victories last week.

Horsemen bow to Arlee; beat Seeley-Swan

Plains fell to 4-4 in District 14C play with a 73-50 loss at Arlee last Thursday, then came back with a 49-44 non-conference victory at Seeley-Swan on Saturday.

Dale Trudgen

Dale E. Trudgen, 87, of Thompson Falls, passed away Jan. 6, 2019, of natural causes.

Casen Kirland first baby of the year at CFVH

Although the New Year made its appearance several weeks ago, the first baby of 2019 born at Clark Fork Valley Hospital in Plains arrived on Jan. 24.

Noxon fans celebrate child's liberation from chemo

Six-year-old Noxon first-grader Danni Hill is finally getting a chance to get used to feeling good.

'Signs of life' in a Montana winter

Friends of Scotchman’s Peak Wilderness (FSPW) brought together 46 kids from Thompson Falls and Noxon seventh grades for their annual Winter Tracks festival. There was lots to be learned, and lots of fun to be had at North Shore Campground with stations featuring orienteering; bird behavior and identification; track identification; and mammal furs, skulls and other sundry parts.

Mountain Cats bound for divisional

Report from week three: Bills are starting to work their way through

This week saw the hustle and bustle the Legislature is known for. The bills are now coming out of committees and on to the floor in greater numbers. The Senate has also passed enough bills across the floor that they are even showing up in House committees and vice versa.

Weather moderates after storms sweep through area

Hazardous driving conditions and high-danger avalanche warnings were on the menu last week, and then weather began to moderate over the weekend.

Alberton, Superior second quarter Honor Roll students

Superior School Second Quarter Honor Roll

Sports Roundup

Clark Fork will join teams from Thompson Falls/Noxon, Plains/Hot Springs, Florence, Arlee, Mission/Charlo and Eureka for the Western B-C Divisional Tournament on Saturday at Thompson Falls High School.

Senior Cats honored in Alberton

It was Senior Night for the Clark Fork Mountain Cats in Alberton where they played Seeley-Swan. In between the girls and boys varsity game, seniors were escorted onto the basketball court by parents and relatives. The evening is to honor and thank the students and parents for all their hours of hard work and dedication contribution to sports, pep band and other school activities.

St. Regis Fire Department buys a new water tender

The St. Regis Volunteer Fire Department is now the proud owner of a new water tender. It replaces an old tender, “that leaked more than it held,” said Assistant Fire Chief Kat Kittridge. The tactical tender brings water to fire trucks in the field that are engaged on a fire line. Plus they are equipped with other fire and medical equipment. The department also received new extrication gear, including the “Jaws of Life” and a “ram” extrication tool. This tool will be gifted to the Superior Volunteer Fire Department.

Superior's drinking water passes all EPA tests

The Town of Superior recently released its annual 2018 Water Quality Report. The report is in compliance with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Safe Drinking Water Act. The report is a snapshot of the quality of water provided to residents of Superior.

Cyr power outages due to faulty cable

Residents in the Cyr and Tarkio area near Alberton had been experiencing several power outages last weekend and early into the curerent week.

Battle over Cyr Road closure continues

Diane Magone has continued to pound the drum at a steady pace regarding the nearly 6-year-old closure of the Cyr Iron Mountain Road. During the January Mineral County Resource Coalition meeting, she once again was on the agenda to keep the coalition members up to date on what is happening with its public access.

4-H members set Montana Symbol of Excellence record for hogs

Two Mineral County 4-H members set a new record by becoming state champions in The Montana Symbol of Excellence (SOE) program. Superior students, 13-year-old, Decker Milender and Heather Haskins, 11, won the Montana State University Montana Symbol of Excellence for their commitment to excellence in producing quality pork products. Their 2018, 4-H projects won with Milender winning for the “light carcass division” youth hog and Haskins winning in the “heavy carcass division.”

Older unit at Hilltop Motel demolished

Last week, the owners of the Hilltop Motel began to tear down one of their older six-room units. The building had not been in operation for several years because of its deteriorating conditions. The motel has been owned by Nancy and Gary Hill for 26 years.

Community Calendar

There will be a Cabin Fever Community Potluck on Saturday, Feb. 9 from 6 to 7 p.m. Drinks and utensils are supplied. Bring a dish to share. Setup begins at 5:30 p.m. After dinner, the Great Burn Study Group will show photographs of winter in the area. Get more information at 406-822-3545.

Lady Hawks edge Noxon, 43-40; Lady Devils bury Two Eagle River

Facing competition in a class that is a step up in high school basketball can be beneficial, especially when you’re making a stretch run toward postseason play.

No headline

Thompson Falls took a break from facing Class B teams last week, taking on a pair of Class C squads and posting victories in both contests.

Four Sanders County wrestlers titlists at Ted Kato Invite

Plains/Hot Springs fourth, T-Falls/Noxon fifth at 10-team tournament

A quartet of Sanders County wrestlers won individual titles at the 10-team annual Ted Kato Invitational held last Saturday at Thompson Falls High School.

Trotters lose to Charlo, bury Troy

Plains turned in one of the Trotters’ best defensive efforts of the season last Friday at Charlo, but had a tough time converting shots in a 40-19 District 14C loss to the Lady Vikes.

Craft breweries dot NW Montana

T?he growth of craft breweries has exploded during the last decade and Northwest Montana is part of the revolution.

Dennis Ridders

Our beloved Dennis T. Ridders, 71, who resided in Plains, Mont., went to heaven Sunday, Jan. 13, 2019, after an unfortunate accident that occurred at the Highway 135 and Highway 200 intersection.

Roy Burkhart

Roy Burkhart, 67, of Condon, Mont., passed away Thursday, Jan. 17, 2019 in Bigfork, Mont.

RMEF marks growth

MISSOULA — Chalk it up as the 10th year in a row that the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation registered record membership.

Meeting to discuss wolves' effects on wildlife, livestock

Sportsmen and women will be sponsoring a meeting Wednesday, Jan. 30 to move forward with the goal of reducing wolf numbers to objectives set by United States Fish and Wildlife Service at 150 wolves in Montana. The meeting begins at 6:30 p.m. at the Red Lion in the Kalispell Center Mall.

Farm and Ranch Management Workshop Feb. 12-13 in Plains

Plains will be the site of a Farm and Ranch Management Workshop on Tuesday and Wednesday, Feb. 12 and 13 in the 4-H Pavilion at the Sanders County Fairgrounds.

County hoop teams in action; Kovalsky, Green tourney titlists

Clark Fork played Thompson Falls last Friday, Jan. 18 in Superior. In the girls’ game, Thompson Falls beat the Lady Cats, 47-32. Sophia Krutilla paced Clark Fork with eight points. Megan Baxter had 20 and Jody Detlaff 18 for the Lady Hawks.

Mineral County Justice Court

Jan. 14, Natosha Mitchelle Campbell, speeding and seatbelt violation

Community Notes

Montana Healthcare Foundation is happy to announce that their competitive 2019 Call for Proposals is now open and accepting applications. Visit their website to learn more about this funding opportunity, including key dates and deadlines, eligibility, selection criteria and project examples.

Elks Hoop Shoot youth advance to state

County jail closes due to staff shortage

Once again the Mineral County Detention Center has been forced to close due to lack of staff. County commissioners met with Jail Administrator, Roni Phillips, Sheriff Mike Boone and County Attorney, Ellen Donohue on Friday, Jan. 18. Initially, the meeting was in regard to the detention center budget but quickly digressed to the lack of staff.

Sewer pipe breaks in Clark Fork River near St. Regis

A sewage pipe which crosses the Clark Fork River in St. Regis sprung a leak on Thursday, Jan. 10. Members of the St. Regis Sewer District immediately shut off the line with minimal spillage into the river. Chairman of the St. Regis Sewer District, Jerry Jones, said they acted as soon as they saw the pressure drop in the line and all responsible parties were notified immediately including the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), Fish and Game; and the Montana Corps. Of Engineers.

Pickup hits semi trailer, then flips

Simultaneous emergency calls went out the morning of Wednesday, Jan. 16 — causing crews with the Superior Volunteer Fire Department to jump into action.

Horsemen & Trotters run their District 14C win streaks to four

Plains solidified its third-place spot in the District 14C standings by extending its boys’ basketball league winning streak to four, earning wins over Noxon and Two Eagle River last week.

Vanderwall, Thilmony earn titles at Choteau Classic

Two Sanders County high school wrestlers captured championships and four others were also medal winners at the Choteau Classic last Friday and Saturday.

Thompson Falls boys & girls suffer losses to Bigfork, Deer Lodge

It would be fair to call last week’s schedule for the Thompson Falls varsity boys’ basketball team the most difficult week of the regular season. After all, the Bluehawks were facing Class B teams ranked No. 1 and No. 5 in Montana.

Hot Springs teams split with St. Regis, Charlo

Hot Springs completed the first half of District 14C play with a split of its conference games last week.

Dale Trudgen

Dale E. Trudgen, 87, passed away Sunday, Jan. 6, 2019, at his home in Thompson Falls.

A letter from your local legislator

Greetings to all. Just a short note to again say what a privileged it is to once again serve you in Helena and let you know what went on this first week of the 66th Montana Legislative Session. On the 7th of January was the swearing in ceremony for all legislators. Guests and family were allowed on the floor for this special occasion and I was so pleased my brother and sister-in-law came to join me. The rest of the week has been filled with schooling sessions including legislative law, appropriation training, ethics, and a study of the budgets to name a few topics. Committee meetings were also fit in around the training sessions. I am pleased to report that I was chosen by house leadership it chair the House Transportation Committee. It is not often that a sophomore legislator is given a chair position so I feel a little overwhelmed. I am also on the Business and Labor Committee and Fish, Wildlife, and Park Committees. These are both repeat committees for me. Rep. Bob Brown, HD 13, is chair of the FWP committee so I feel western Montana is well represented there.

Icy driveway causes man's death

“Extremely icy road conditions” contributed to the death of a 71-year-old Plains man near the intersection of Highways 135 and 200 in Sanders County Sunday afternoon.

Council discusses sewage plans, repair needs for Old Jail

Plains Mayor Dan Rowan reported on the status of grants related to upgrading the sewer plant and fortifying it against the encroaching Clark Fork River at the Jan. 7 Town Council meeting.

MDT seeks comments on project near Trout Creek

TROUT CREEK — The Montana Department of Transportation (MDT) would like to notify the public and seek comments on a proposal to resurface about 16.8 miles of Montana Highway 200 (MT-200) southeast of Trout Creek in Sanders County.

Sanders, Mineral county folk join rally for public lands

Among nearly 2,000 people who assembled in Montana’s capitol rotunda Saturday in Helena were at least a couple dozen from Sanders and Mineral counties, making their voices heard in support of federally-owned public lands in the state.

Historic Black Bear Inn awakens

“The Bear is coming out of hibernation,” says Daniel Mohr, owner of the National Historic Registry-listed Black Bear Inn in Thompson Falls.

Mineral County receives $64,000 tourism grant

HELENA, Mont. – The Department of Commerce recently announced 26 of Montana’s vibrant and charming towns will receive grants to help them attract visitors to their communities. In 2017, visitors from out of state added $3.4 billion to Montana’s economy.

Giant mule deer sheds

Mineral County Justice Court

Jan. 8, Brogan Kate Teeters, open container

Clark Fork, St. Regis athletes have busy week

Lady Tigers drop home game to Hot Springs

Money train?Not quite $17,000 'mystery grant' caper solved

During the monthly Mineral County Resource Coalition on Jan. 8, co-chair Willy Peck announced that the county had received a $17,000 grant from the Federal Land Access Program. However, the grant was actually awarded two years ago, but the county did not know about it.

Superior senior hits the bull's-eye

Ever since grade school, Jonna Rae Warnken has had her eye on targets, both figuratively and as a fact of life. Now eight years later, she’s hit a big bulls-eye as she signed a letter to shoot for the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) division one team. Jonna is a senior at Superior High School and shooting for a college team has been her goal since she was nine-years-old. Now at 17, her dreams are coming true, “I’m so fortunate to have received a scholarship,” she said during an interview with the Mineral Independent. Her overall goal is to shoot for UTEP as All American for four years and to help get her team to the NCAA Championships.

Mineral County Justice Court

Dec. 31, Hailei Dennell Britton, driving with suspended license and no insurance

David 'Sonny' Mickelson

David ‘Sonny’ Mickelson, 79, of Superior, Mont., passed away at Deer Lodge Medical Center on Dec. 28, 2018, from complications due to pneumonia. Sonny had resided at the Deer Lodge Care Center for the past year due to advanced Alzheimer’s disease.

William Curry

William C. Curry was born on Oct. 6, 1946, in Kirkland, Wash., “to be close to his parents.” That’s how he would tongue-in-cheek phrase it.

Savage Horsemen get lots of mat time at Ronan Duals

It’s often a “numbers game” in high school wrestling, especially in sparsely populated communities in Montana. Two of those are in Sanders County, the home of two co-ops — the Plains/Hot Springs Savage Horsemen, and the Thompson Falls/Noxon Bluehawks.

Thilmony title leads Bluehawks at Cut Bank Invitational

Four wrestlers on the Thompson Falls/Noxon high school squad brought home medals from the Cut Bank Booster Invitational last Saturday.

CF wrestlers busy at Ronan Duals; Lady Cats top Victor

The 50th annual Dave Edington Western Montana Duals were held in Ronan on Jan. 4 and 5 where wrestlers from 19 teams participated, including the Clark Fork Mountain Cats (CF), Plains/Hot Springs, Polson, Corvallis, Glacier, Columbia Falls, Hamilton, Stevensville, Frenchtown and Townsend.

Lady Hawks hampered by plethora of turnovers

Every time you suffer a turnover in basketball, your team gets one fewer shot at the hoop. That’s been the nemesis for the Thompson Falls varsity girls’ squad, which averaged a lofty 37 turnovers in losses to Loyola Sacred Heart and Eureka last week.

Lundberg's double-double leads T-Falls to OT victory

Thompson Falls senior Grant Lundberg happened to have one the best overall games of his high school career when the Bluehawks faced Eureka in a District 7B game last Saturday in Thompson Falls.

Resolution 'puts the bite' on vicious dogs Applies to attacks on humans as well as other animals

The County Commissioners recently passed a vicious dogs resolution for Mineral County. Prior to this ordinance, law enforcement officials had no real recourse for victims of dog attacks.

Paradise man survives dangerous crash on 200

A Sanders County man had a “wild ride” to close out 2018 when the vehicle he was driving went off Montana Highway 200, flipped over and landed in the Clark Fork River the evening of Sunday, Dec. 30. He escaped with minor injuries.

Whitefish Credit Union welcomes new manager in Thompson Falls

Tim Ellis is a happy man.

Sheriff Rummel looks ahead to new year

Sanders County Sheriff Tom Rummel begins his third term with a lot more resources than he had when he started.

Several wrecks plague I-90 so far this year

It has been a busy year so far for area emergency crews with several wrecks along Interstate 90. They include a morning semi-truck crash on New Year’s Day. The incident blocked one lane of traffic near Mile Marker 28 just 16 miles east of Haugan until 1:30 p.m. A semi-truck carrying kegs, bottles and cans of beer was traveling too fast for the icy conditions and jack-knifed. It went off the interstate and tipped over at approximately 10 a.m.

Alberton home burns; family pets perish

Several units from the Frenchtown Fire Department responded to a late-night house fire in Alberton. The home was located at 420 Railroad Ave., across the street from the Alberton Community Church.

Legals January 9, 2019

REQUEST FOR PUBLIC COMMENT Sanders County is now reviewing a request for a floodplain development permit in the 100 year floodplain of the Clark Fork River. The project is for placement of shed in the floodplain, located at 1347 River Rd. W., Section 32, T21N. R27W. Any person with questions, wanting further information or wishing to submit comments about this project, please contact the Sanders County Floodplain Administrator at the Land Services Department in the County Courthouse, PO Box 519, 1111 Main Street Thompson Falls, MT 59873, Phone 827-6965 or kmaudrone@co.sanders.mt.us. Comments must be received by January 25, 2019. Published in the Clark Fork Valley Press on January 9, 2019. MNAXLP

Sanders County: The Year in Review (Part 2)

JULY

Eleanor Parkos

Eleanor Marie Parkos, 92, of Plains, Mont., passed away peacefully at Clark Fork Valley Hospital in Plains.

Where does the authority of civil government come from?

What is the source of authority for civil government, and what are its duties?

Wrestlers compete in tournaments

Plains/Hot Springs and Thompson Falls/Noxon wrestling teams both closed out pre-holiday action by competing in tournaments.

Rummel, Brooker, Dryden, Scribner take oath of office

Four Sanders County officials were sworn in during an oath of office ceremony last Thursday, Dec. 27 in the justice courtroom at the Sanders County Courthouse.

SCCDC hires business development coordinator

Sanders County Community Development Corporation (SCCDC) is taking a big step ahead in 2019 with the hiring of a business development coordinator.

Early morning fire quickly extinguished

Frenchtown Rural Fire Department crews extinguished an early morning fire on Dec. 26 on Railroad Avenue in Alberton. The home belonged to Suzanne Turner and started around the chimney area. The flames were quickly knocked out with only minor damage to the chimney area with smoke damage in the attic.

Wilderness Association helps out local food bank

For the second holiday in a row, the Shining Mountains Chapter of the Montana Wilderness Association has donated canned goods to the Community Food Bank of Mineral County.

St. Regis 4-H group treats seniors

The St. Regis Senior Center was given a holiday treat when the St. Regis 4-H group visited on Dec. 14. They sang songs to the seniors, including the traditional melodies of: “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot like Christmas;” “Here Comes Santa Claus;” “Frosty The Snowman;” “We Wish You a Merry Christmas;” and “Jingle Bells.”

Mineral Community Hospital opens new clinic's doors

The Mineral Community Hospital Clinic opened its doors on Jan. 2, 2019. The highly anticipated facility held an open house on Dec. 20 where people could stop by and meet the providers and staff. It is located in the same building as the Mineral Regional Health Center, which shuttered its doors in 2015.

St. Regis School holds concert, project to benefit students

Holiday festivities were in full swing at St. Regis School just before their Christmas break. They included the annual Winter Concert, a visit from Santa and a project to help local students. The project was started last September in the Personalized Learning Time (PLT) classroom. Kaylee Crabb, who teaches the class, challenged her students to “think beyond themselves” and do something for others.

Lack of Superfund reports is problem for property owners

A meeting was held by the Superior Technical Assistance Committee (STAC) to update the public on the progress of the Flat Creek Superfund site, located north of Superior. The meeting included a report on available drinking water; concerns over the public getting adequate information regarding Superior property; and concerns over the creek’s design.

County's Food Commodity Program opens in new quarters

The St. Regis Visitor Center has a new addition — thanks in part to residents, Glenn Koepke and Patti Curtin. The building is used for the Mineral County Food Commodity Program where boxes can be assembled and distributed to those in need.

Community Notes

The Mineral County Community Potlucks will resume Jan. 12 and Feb. 9, 2019, at 6 p.m. Dinners will be held in the 4-H building on the Mineral County Fairgrounds. Join family and friends for an evening of food and a 30-minute program of interest.

Mineral County court report

Dec. 18, Almas Beisenov, failure to follow requirements of special permit

Return to simple majority rules in House

Too often we see the results of gridlock and partisan shenanigans in Washington D.C. Efforts are focused solely on beating the other side, and not on representing the people in passing budgets and good policy. Power is centralized with party bosses and lobbyists, and not with the people. This results in “Continuing Resolutions,” “Government Shutdowns” and chaos. Unfortunately, there are those that believe that this is how things should be run in Montana politics.

Wrestlers compete in Mission Mountain Classic

St. Regis basketball teams experienced a double loss on the road to Arlee on Dec. 21. The boys lost 70-25 (stats n/a) while the girls were defeated 61-31. The Arlee Scarlets came out strong, putting 42 points on the board by halftime with the Lady Tigers at 11. The second half of the game tightened the gap with Arlee putting up another 18 points to the Tigers’ 20, but it wasn’t enough for a win. Emma Hill had the team high of 12 points, and Madison Kelly had seven. Kylee Thompson had four points. Rylie Burnham and Makaela Kelly put up three each, and Ashley Wilson added two.