Ellington

Veterans Service Officer returns to Mineral County

If you need a ride for a medical appointment, the Disabled American Veterans (DAV) will chauffer you to them free of charge in their vehicles as far away as Ft. Harrison near Helena.

Northwest Montana man a celeb on 'Mountain Man' show

Now, at 32, he is a celebrity on national TV, signing autographs at his old school.

Anaconda mining company admits exposing employees to arsenic

U.S. Minerals also has agreed to resolve a related civil case brought by OSHA, alleging 19 serious health and safety violations with a total penalty of $106,800.

Janet Lee Farrar

Janet was born Dec. 6, 1937, in Waco, Texas. There is where she met and married her husband Paul.

Red Cross experiencing emergency blood shortage

Donors of all blood types – especially type O – and are urged to make an appointment to give now and in the weeks ahead to overcome this current shortage.

Montana Viewpoint: The story of Tom Lane

Every once in a while we meet people that come into our lives for a short moment, and as short as it might be, they leave a very long impression.

Carl Chappell (Chappy) Krauthoff

In the early morning hours, not 40 minutes before he passed, Chappy sent a beautiful and loving message to his “bride” Gail.

Sanders County exceeds 1,000 Covid-19 cases

Through Thursday, Sept. 23, the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services reported Sanders County had 1,080 positive cases.

Work continues at I-90 Quartz Flats rest areas

According to information from the Montana Department of Transportation, the contractor is currently building new restroom buildings, expanding the parking areas, and working on the wastewater system.

Sanders Co. Commissioners will consider refuse fee increases

Written comments are encouraged and will be reviewed by the commissioners prior to a hearing if received by the Sanders County Commissioners’ Office at least three business days prior to a hearing.

Fire destroys residence in St. Regis

Fire destroyed a St. Regis residence on Sept. 20. Fire crews from St. Regis, Superior, West End and the U.S. Forest Service responded. It is believed someone was transported to the Mineral County Hospital. Officers from the Montana Highway Patrol and Mineral County Sheriff’s Office also assisted at the scene. (Photo courtesy Chuck Anderson, St. Regis Fire Department)

Mineral Co. Commissioners vote to join passenger rail authority

The behemoth cost of the project is where most conversations of this venture ends.

Valley Christian rallies past Hot Springs, 40-36

Hot Springs came into the game with a 3-0 record after handily dispatching several area six-man teams.

Trotters hold off Troy in five sets

The women of Troy came close to seizing their first Montana high school volleyball win of the season Thursday, but in the end the Trotters from Plains hung on and escaped with a 3-2 victory.

Hot Springs volleyball falls to Charlo

The Lady Savage Heat’s season, including Saturday night’s 3-0 loss to nearby Charlo, will go down as all guts and little glory.

Thompson Falls Blue Hawks roll to another easy win

As eight-man Montana high school football teams throughout the area prepare for the guts of the season, only one team has even come close to slowing down the Blue Hawks juggernaut.

Willis “Willie” G. McLees

McLees was born in Logan, Montana, to Phylliss (Weaver) and John McLees.

Sanders County Justice Court

Richard Alan Hillebrandt, leave scene of accident resulting in property damage over $1,000.

Zinke: "I never have - and never will - sell your public lands"

As Montanans, hunting, fishing and access to public lands is part of who we are.

Wood Creek Academy closes its doors

Staffers confirmed to the Montana State News Bureau on Tuesday that the 16-bed Wood Creek Academy near Thompson Falls was shutting down.

Lady Hawks volleyball squad enjoys strong week

Two matches this past week for the Thompson Falls Lady Hawks, and two more wins, both involving 3-0 sweeps.

Superior volleyball team battles to win over Arlee

It was like a rubber match within one match, but in the end the ball bounced Superior’s way.

St. Regis-Mullan slams Wampus Cats, 68-8

But even in eight-man the numbers put up by the Montana-Idaho co-op Tigers were eye-popping to say the least.

Legals for September, 29 2021

Plains resident defends former Sanders County health officer

This action by the commissioners was on wrong many levels.

Superior Community Church welcomes new minister

Levi and Tami Durfey first arrived in Superior to preach on Sunday, May 23.

Mullan-St. Regis hammers Wallace

The Tigers “Big Three” backfield players all average double figures in rushing yards per carry as the state finalists from last year jumped to an early 14-0 lead and never looked back.

Fall garden tips to prepare for next season

The experienced gardener knows that the success of next year’s harvest hinges on prepping their gardens for the long winter ahead.

Sanders County’s Board of Health officer resigns

Nick Lawyer, a physician assistant at Clark Fork Valley Hospital in Plains, made the announcement last Friday on social media.

Clark Fork Valley Hospital official says Covid-19 vaccine safe

I think medicine in general struggles to explain complex subjects in a media environment where only sound-bites are heard and only a few characters on are read. Nuance and long explanation are difficult.

Lady Tigers place second at Arlee tournament

In a field packed with local teams and several from outside the area, the Lady Tigers won their pool in the round-robin style competition, allowing them to advance to the championship round.

FWP seeks to simplify hunting regulations

But this year, FWP will tackle more significant changes such as combining hunting districts and simplifying license structures.

Thompson Falls volleyball dominant in win over Charlo

So it would be no surprise that the Lady Hawks’ 3-0 match win Thursday evening over the host Lady Vikings would be a hit with net fans here.

St. Regis netters top Hot Springs in four sets

The current group of Lady Tigers seniors are showing signs they are ripe and ready for an exciting run in Class C Montana volleyball play.

Schwindt leads Lady Hawks over Eureka

Lady Hawks senior Scarlett Schwindt, who had a game-leading 15 kills to go with her match-high 21 assists.

Blue Hawks slam Superior, 49-0, in battle of unbeatens

The talk throughout the sports realms of Sanders and Mineral Counties was that this would be the game of the year and to a point it was.

Thomas E. Smith

Thomas E. Smith (Tom) passed away July 29, 2021, in the presence of his wife, Verna and pets Willie, Melody and Bessie.

Youth waterfowl, pheasant hunts begin Sept. 25

Licensed hunters ages 15 and under may hunt ducks, geese, coots, mergansers and ring-necked pheasants statewide on these two special days set aside for youngsters, but they must be accompanied by a non-hunting adult.

I-90 Watercraft inspection station last line of defense in Montana

Bruce Nixon is from Alberton and Terry Pond comes from Plains. Both have been working 12-hour shifts for $14.79 an hour all summer looking for trespassers.

Mineral County law roundup

Juvenile Runaway, Horning Drive, Superior, Deputy responded, child located.

Montana Viewpoint: Politics, to listen or to lecture?

Individual politicians may have the best of motives, but the parties they belong to, no. The parties are like businesses, they want results.

Not everyone thankful for firefighters' efforts

The ABSENCE of ALL late summer birds is evidence of what you all did.

Plains resident says Covid is a government control mechanism

I have rarely met a bureaucrat that could understand how to pour water out of a boot, much less determine what is the best treatment for life and death.

Thompson Falls resident shares thoughts on Covid

Masks not rated to filter particles as small as a virus are ineffective and irrelevant - useless theater.

Sanders County Justice Court

Jeffery David Weimer, speeding

Blindness hasn't stopped former Superior resident

Todd James was diagnosed at the age of 12 with retinitis pigmentosa, a rare genetic disorder that causes the breakdown and loss of cells in the retina.

Kathleen Brown family thankful for support in her time of need

Kathleen and I are so very blessed to have a community filled with friends and neighbors who are not only supportive in words, prayers and thoughts, they are supportive with help, assistance and appreciated deeds.

Latest Covid-19 strain derails some sports events in Western Montana

One of the first and most stringent moves came from Plains School District, which took immediate action and canceled or postponed all “extracurricular activities” until Monday, Sept. 20.

Superior skatepark work underway; pool drive still alive

The success of that skate park may have been the catalyst of the final push for Superior, because over the past three years, there has been a fund-raising effort to build one there.

State euthanizes four North Fork grizzlies

In the North Fork, grizzly bear management specialist Tim Manley had to kill a productive 20-year-old sow grizzly named Monica and her three yearling cubs after they repeatedly got into garbage and broke into vehicles.

Donna Jane (Ellis) Tompkins

Donna Jane (Ellis) Tompkins went home to be with the Lord on Sept. 2, 2021.

Hot Springs Savage Heat slams North Star, 55-0

On paper, the 55-0 shellacking that host Hot Springs laid on the boys from Rudyard Friday night should not have happened.

Noxon Red Devils win first game of season

Haflich was referencing his Red Devils hard-fought 32-15 win over Sunburst in last week’s encounter on the Refiners home field.

Thompson Falls remains perfect with rout of Mission

Three games and three convincing wins, including Friday night’s 63-6 rout of Mission, into the Montana 2021 8-man football season and the Thompson Falls Blue Hawks are on a good track.

Superior's Women in Timber face mounting challenges

Out of the small number of ladies that dedicate their time to volunteer each week at the thrift store, two of their longest standing members passed away from COVID this past summer.

Thompson Falls harriers compete at Flathead Invite

In the varsity event, sophomore Hattie Neesvig led Thompson Falls with an 18th place finish in 22:12.38.

Sanders County communities mark 20th anniversary of 9/11

In Thompson Falls and Plains last weekend, both communities took time to remember those who perished in the attacks on the United States on Sept. 11, 2001.

Missoula woman dies in I-90 crash near Alberton

A Missoula woman died in a one-vehicle traffic crash Sunday morning on Interstate 90 near Alberton in Mineral County.

St. Regis/Mullan hammers Lakeside, 72-20

The Tigers showed that loss was in the rear view mirror and the road ahead was theirs for the taking as they opened Idaho 8-man football play with a crushing 72-20 win over Lakeside Friday night in Mullan.

Superior Bobcats throttle Troy Trojans, 62-6

The Bobcats got outstanding production from their dynamic passing/receiving duo of junior quarterback Orion Plakke and speedy senior receiver Decker Milender.

Noxon volleyball survives five-set thriller with St. Regis

Long vollies saved and extended by diving digs, and spectacular slams were the rule of the night, not the exception. Volleyball was on display and this was an evening where everyone who likes the sport was a winner.

Thompson Falls volleyball dumps Deer Lodge

Thompson Falls, behind a huge game from newcomer Avery Burgess, won the match 3-1, but not before being stretched to the limit in a fourth set equivalent of a multiple extra inning baseball game.

IFG says lawsuits derailed St. Regis lumber mill

Willy Peck, Outreach Forester for Idaho Forest Group, said the closure grabbed him by surprise.

Area schools taking Covid-19 precautions; mask protest held in Alberton

In Sanders County, it had three new ones on Sept. 9 and three on Sept, 8. Overall, Sanders has a total of 831 total and 45 active.

Dennis Evert Brady

Dennis Evert Brady, 70, died at his home in Trout Creek on Wednesday, Sept. 1, 2021.

Nancy F. Hutcheson Sproul

Nancy F. Hutcheson Sproul 68, of Missoula, passed away on Aug. 19, at her home of natural causes.

Legals for September, 15 2021

Plakke's four TD passes help Superior improve to 2-0

A much-improved Victor team would probably be among the first to agree after the Bobcats pulled away from a narrow four-point lead and ran to a 48-14 win.

Montana Viewpoint: Keeping it together

A politically divided nation is easy prey to its enemies and a weak partner to its allies.

Thompson Falls woman accused of federal fraud charges

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Montana, 49-year-old Tina Rae Wood appeared in court in Missoula Aug. 30 and pleaded not guilty.

Plains man gets prison time for various offenses

Mitchell Bear Raymond, 25, of Plains, pleaded guilty to burglary and bail jumping in August. He was sentenced Sept. 2 to a 5-year prison sentence on the burglary charge and a six-month suspended sentence in the Flathead County jail for bail jumping.

Hot Springs Savage Heat slam Big Sandy

The Heat also got the ball back as is mandated as a reward beyond two points for getting such a defensive score.

Blue Hawks roll over St. Regis/Mullan, 44-26

It may be early in the 2021 Montana 8-man football season, but write Thompson Falls into the “reloaded” category.

Tri-City Titans slip past Noxon Red Devils, 52-27

After a tight first quarter, the Tri-City Titans from the municipal co-op trio of Hobson, Moore and Judith Gap, cranked it up and rolled to a 52-27 win.

Sanders County Fair Spurr sisters chickens

Plains’ Cooper Spurr and her sister, Kendall Spurr, show off their Silkie chickens, “Stevie” and “Johnny Rose” Friday at the Sanders County Fair. (Scott Shindledecker/Valley Press)

Sanders County Fair Arena Mathers pets Jack

Plains’ Arena Mathers pets “Jack” Thursday before the barrel racing event at the Sanders County Fair. “Jack” belongs to Missoula’s Tracy Matz. (Scott Shindledecker/Valley Press)

Sanders County Fair Plains Cooley McAllister

Plains cowpoke Cooley McAllister and Riverton, Wyoming’s Holden Lodan enjoyed getting ready for the rodeo Thursday at the Sanders County Fair. (Scott Shindledecker/Valley Press)

Sanders County Fair Maverick Mull mutton busting

Famed rodeo clown Denny Halstead gives Plains’ Maverick Mull a helping hand during the mutton bustin’ Thursday at the Sanders County Fair. (Scott Shindledecker/Valley Press)

Sanders County Justice Court

Leon Wayne Robbins, driving a motor vehicle while privilege to do so is suspended or revoked.

FWP seeks to bolster Wild Horse Island's declining bighorn sheep population

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks says the island's sheep population has declined in recent years and that issues such as inbreeding may impact the group's genetic diversity.

Seeley Swan blanks Horsemen, 58-0

With a new coach at the helm and an all underclassman roster on the field, the Horsemen have stumbled out of the gate to begin the 2021 football season.

Legals for September, 8 2021

Superior volleyball holds off Noxon in four sets

The two teams would be tied again at 21-all and 22-all before the host Bobcats forged a slim 24-23 lead.

Edwin James (Jim) Freer

Jim was born June 17, 1940, in Kalispell, Montana, the son of Edwin Russell Freer and Margaret Picha.

Alberton resident loves working with wood

The Alberton resident has a forestry degree and for several decades he worked at the Superior Ranger District as well as the Thompson Falls Ranger District.

Leona A. (Whisennand) Ekstrom

She married Wesley Al Ekstrom on June 19, 1965. To this union were added three daughters that she loved and cherished very much.

Superior volleyball races past short-handed Hot Springs

The Lady Cats used a multi-pronged attack led by senior standout Sorren Reese to hand the host team the Montana Western conference loss.

Thompson Falls volleyball smacks Loyola Missoula

The dramatic turn-around after the thrilling first set helped propel the Lady Blue Hawks to a 25-21 win in game three and a 25-20 win in game four.

Hope for Harlee Foundation committed to battling pediatric cancer

Six-year-old Harlee Joanne Salmi touched the lives of those she knew and those she didn’t across Northwest Montana.

Civic leaders to host event about St. Regis' future

The sessions are set for Sept. 13, 27 and Oct. 3.

St. Regis volleyball splits with Mullan, Charlo

In their meeting with Mullan, which joins forces with St. Regis as a co-op football partner but not other sports, St. Regis was dominant from the beginning as they swept the Idaho version of Lady Tigers, 3-0.

Home schooling more popular for Montana families

Statewide the number of students identified as homeschooled increased by 69.7% from 2019 to 2020.

Kalispell man dies in motorcycle accident near Plains

The biker, whose name was not immediately released, was southbound on Montana 28 at about 7:45 p.m., going downhill on a lefthand curve around mile marker 3

It's back! Sanders County Fair kicks off today

The Carnage on the Clark Fork demolition derby and three nights of rodeo will highlight this year’s event.

Milender, Plakke lead Superior to rout of Plains, 66-8

One thing cannot be disputed following the rout on the rain-soaked turf at Plains High, Decker Milender is a fast guy who can really run and score from all over the field.

Lynch helps commemorate new Plains School building

As the orange sphere careened off the backboard and split the nets, the crowd roared.

FWP director talks public access, predators at meeting

During the more than two-hour session, people asked questions and talked about grizzly bears, wolves, elk, public access and the possibility of increasing fees for hunting and fishing.

St. Regis mill worker inspired to change

Zach Desoto, a log yard worker in St. Regis is enjoying his brand-new Yeti cooler, $200 cash, a smaller waistline, and a new outlook on life.

Mineral County Sheriff Toth juggles management of the office

Toth had been a deputy for the Mineral County Sheriff’s Office before going to the Seattle Police Department and had always wanted to return.

Fish hatchery manager keeps Montana waterways well stocked

In his words, Mark Kornick was "that guy." The one with all the questions, the one who lives for the minutiae.

Tester secures more than $1 million for CSKT Early Head Start

Funding will expand child care resources and access to early childhood education through Early Head Start-Child Care Partnerships

Sanders County Justice Court

Jennifer Denise McPherson, row violation-fail to yield to vehicle on through highway.

Trout Creek resident opposes federal money

We are told they had to vote YES or lose the money.

Superior Pool project remains alive and well

Our fliers showed the numerous grant applications we have submitted and a number of future grant applications.

Legals for September, 1 2021

Patrick "Scotty" J. Scott

Patrick J. Scott, 52, of St. Regis, Montana, passed away peacefully Wednesday Aug. 25.

Fire restrictions eased across Northwest Montana

Debris burning will remain prohibited until Oct. 1.

Richard Cary Benner

The only book that Dick ever read was the Bible, and he had it right on his table where he sat each morning.

Seeley Swan volleyball tops Superior Lady Bobcats

After taking the opening game, Seeley fought off a Superior squad trying to regroup and get back into what was the season-opening match for both teams.

Wild game meat care in warm weather

For those who are successful, they could have a serious challenge once the trigger is pulled.

William Wray Plumlee

William Wray Plumlee was born at 12:56 a.m. Thursday, July 8, at Clark Fork Valley Hospital. He weighed six pounds, 2.8 ounces and measured 20 inches. His parents are Tiffany Hansen and Ben Plumlee, of Trout Creek. William joins siblings Charlie and Alevid. Maternal grandparents are Patti and Gary Vinson of Springtown, Texas. Maternal great-grandparent is Patsy Johnson of Graham, Texas. Paternal grandparents are Charles and Wanda Plumlee of Keller, Texas. He was delivered by Dr. Ron Black. (Photo courtesy Clark Fork Valley Hospital)

St. Regis volleyball tops Lincoln in three sets

The 2021 version kicked off the new season with a 3-1 win over Lincoln in a victory they hope will erase that bug-a-boo and propel the veteran team to a winning season.

Hot Springs starts strong with rout of Valier, 47-0

Senior wide receiver Kyle Lawson ran for a pair of touchdowns and was on the receiving end of a scoring strike from senior quarterback Jack McAllister.

Plains, Noxon volleyball teams compete in St. Ignatius

After nearly an hour-long battle in the altered format tourney, the two teams came to an absolute one-set apiece draw.

Blue Hawks rout Charlo, 42-0, in opener

With that thought to ponder, it appears the Blue Hawks are locked and re-loaded heading into the 2021 Montana high school season.

Sanders County health professionals urge citizens to get vaccinated

We are currently experiencing a resurgence of Covid-19 infections. Over the last few weeks, we have cared for an increased number of patients who are very ill with Covid-19.

Superior resident supports schools in battle against Covid-19

Groups of people across the U.S. are opposing any type of mask mandate proposed by schools and supported by local health departments and the CDC, based on the misinformation.

Power-Dutton-Brady rolls past Noxon, 56-22

ut then the Power-Dutton-Brady (PDB) Titans kicked it into another gear as they overwhelmed the visiting Noxon Red Devils 56-22.

Chase, McCollum ousted from Paradise Sewer Board

After a recall election tally that was recounted multiple times because it was so close, two members of the Paradise Sewer Board are no longer part of the controversial sewer installation battle.