Wednesday, April 26
GOP plan addresses the looming debt crisis
There’s dignity and honor in work.
Legals for April, 26 2023
State wants to begin rule-making process on grizzly management
Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks is looking for approval from the Fish and Wildlife Commission to move forward with a rule making process on administrative rules that address state management of grizzly bears.
Thompson Falls to host asbestos screening Thursday
Libby, Montana was home to a vermiculite mine for over seventy years. The mine closed in 1990, but the damage was already done.
Bob Marshall Wilderness Foundation names new executive director
The Bob Marshall Wilderness Foundation has named Clifford Kipp as the nonprofit’s next executive director.
Walk-up music approved for baseball, softball
It’s official: Walk-up music for softball and baseball is coming to a field near you.
Local athletes shine at tough Seely-Swan Invite
There were, as Thompson Falls track coach Trenna Ferris said, “29 teams and the competition was fierce.”
Lady Hawks softball improves to 8-3
The Lady Hawks softball team started this past week by breaking the hearts of the Heart Breakers. Twice.
Trotters outhit Ennis for softball win
Twelve games into the 2023 season and two things are clear for the Plains Trotters softball team: they can hit and their fielding has improved substantially.
Plains baseball blanked by powerhouse Polson
With all the rain coming down, a little rust could be expected?
Prep golfers tee off at T-Falls course
Bigfork golfers continued their winning ways at the 2023 Gary Thompson Invitational Golf Tournament Saturday at River’s Bend Golf Course near Thompson Falls.
Superior's Milender awarded wrestling scholarship
Decker Milender, Superior High School’s 2023 Montana state wrestling champion, is eager to get back to work.
COLUMN: Baseball memory
One of the great things about sports is the memories they can create.
Rancher honored for range management
Polson cattle rancher Greg Gardner received the Sustained Lifetime Achievement Award at the Society for Range Management’s 76th Annual Meeting in Boise, Idaho, in February.
Funding to send Montana prisoners to Arizona private prison reinstated
The Senate Finance and Claims Committee voted Friday to put the $3.9 million annually that would go toward funding 120 beds for Montana prisoners at a CoreCivic private prison in Arizona into a separate bill after nixing the funding several other times this session.
House rejects Senate amendments Indian Education for All
The House voted to reject Senate amendments that weakened two bills sponsored by Rep. Jonathan Windy Boy, R- Box Elder, on the floor on Friday.
House Speaker refuses to recognize Rep. Zephyr on floor until she apologizes
Rep. Zooey Zephyr, the first openly transgender woman in the Montana Legislature, will likely not be allowed to speak about bills on the House floor for the remainder of the 2023 session after Republicans took issue with comments she made this week about a bill restricting gender-affirming health care for trans minors.
David Tupper, 81
David Tupper, 81
Arthur G. Argo, 89
Arthur G. Argo, 89
Water rescue training prepares volunteers for emergencies
Plains-Paradise Rural Fire District and Plains Community Ambulance spent last Saturday sharpening their skills on water rescue techniques.
Parents, students attend cyber-crime seminar
Cyber crimes against children are on the rise in the U.S. as more children are connecting to the internet through social media.
Rabbi stops in Paradise on Montana tour to support veterans
Rabbi Avraham Goldstein, in conjunction with the Montana Veterans Association, honored Montana veterans last Tuesday at the Paradise Center.
Roundhouse replica groundbreaking held at Paradise
Monday’s groundbreaking ceremony at the Paradise Center is the culmination of two years of work to bring back the historical roundhouse from Paradise’s past.
Couple revamps Plains nursery
Plains now has a one-stop shop for everything a person needs for outdoor planting.
County officials attend semi accident education seminar
County officials attend semi accident education seminar
Daines, Feinstein team up to create Wildfire Caucus
Republican U.S. Sen. Steve Daines announced this week the creation of the bipartisan Senate Wildlife Caucus in cooperation with U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, a California Democrat.
Seattle band brings electro swing music to Superior
If you’ve never heard of Electro Swing music, you have many people standing with you.
Volunteers help clean up for Earth Day
Earth Day turned 53 years old on Saturday and a huge Clark Fork River cleanup was held in Missoula, which is appreciated very much by those living downstream.
DUI Task Force scholarships awarded
Three scholarships have been awarded to Mineral County high school seniors who applied with the Mineral County DUI Task Force.
Superior musicians to perform at state festival
Some of the benefits of music programs for students are that the left side of the brain is better developed, and songs can imprint information onto young minds.
Mineral County Sheriff's Office calls
Mineral County Sheriff's Office calls
St. Regis prom royalty crowned
Seniors Tyler Lyscio and Bailey Hutchinson were crowned King and Queen at the St. Regis High School Prom on Friday night up at the Black Diamond Guest Ranch in Deborgia. (Photo courtesy/Tyler Cheesman)
First responders fundraiser barbecue
First responders fundraiser barbecue
Laws as reminders of the reason they exist
Every little once in a while I am reminded that laws are created to protect us from ourselves, or more particularly from our faulty memories, or from forgetting history.
Wednesday, April 19
Plains Invitational draws low scores
Some eye popping 18-hole scores were the rule of the day at the Plains Invitational golf tournament this past Friday at the Wild Horse Plains Golf Course north of town.
Family-owned food truck marks 20 years
When Tou and Pang Lee first opened their food truck, the Golden Chopstick, in 2003 it was born out of a necessity with a little bit of dreaming mixed in.
St. Regis Beautification Day
St. Regis Beautification Day
Talking Bird Saloon Tricycle Races
Talking Bird Saloon Tricycle Races
Superior brightens town with new streetlight banners
Streetlight banners welcome tourists and inform them of what community activities are available, and provide a flavor of the character of the residents.
Mineral County Community Foundation awards scholarships
The Mineral County Community Foundation was established in 1994 in response to the closing of a major employer, the Crown Pacific sawmill in Superior.
Sheriff Fielders encourages 'survival in support groups'
Sanders County Sheriff Shawn Fielders held a community meeting at the Plains Alliance Church Friday evening to discuss public safety during a local or widespread disaster.
Letters to the editor April 19
Letters to the editor April 19
Hunting, fishing and trapping part of Montana heritage
As it currently reads, Montana’s Constitution states “the Opportunity to harvest wild fish and wild game animals is a Heritage that shall be forever preserved.”
Commission to discuss elk hunting access, bird dog seasons
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks is seeking public comment on several proposals slated to go to the Fish and Wildlife Commission in June. Comment is open through May 11.
COLUMN: Take it slow
My old guy is about to emerge.
Thompson Falls boys and girls 2nd at Libby meet
Some names in local high school track are recurring at the top as the season gets in gear following a slew of weather related postponements in March and early April.
Superior tennis downs Mission
It’s often referred to as Karma.
UM’s Kyiyo Pow Wow set for April 21-22
One of the nation’s oldest student-run powwows and a beloved University of Montana tradition, the Kyiyo Pow Wow, will be held on campus Friday and Saturday, April 21-22, in the Adams Center.
Plains-Hot Springs baseball tops Browning
It was a week of extremes for the Plains-Hot Springs Savage Horsemen baseball team.
Alberton, Superior travel to Dilly Bar Invitational
With the season heading for midpoint despite several weather interruptions, track and field teams from throughout the area are getting a good look at their prospects, including some young up-and-comers.
Wagoner leads Trotters over Eureka
So a week earlier, you won your first game of the year after an 0-5 start.
U-19 boys soccer picks up wins; girls team tops Missoula
It was a mostly successful weekend for Clark Fork Soccer teams during a series of games at Amundson Sports Complex despite cold and windy Montana Spring conditions.
Paradise Sewer Board claims funds mismanaged
Call it, “Sewer Wars” 2.0: the Board strikes back.
Mineral County Sheriff's Office calls
Mineral County Sheriff's Office calls
New CSKT Health Center opens in May
The building, located just west of Third Ave. N.W. in Ronan, will provide full-service primary care, urgent care, a dedicated area for infectious patients, an infusion center, behavioral health services, and a pharmacy.
Polson police chief resigns after DUI charge
Polson Police Chief Wade Nash stepped down from his role last week and announced that he will officially retire from the force May 2. The announcement followed the chief’s DUI arrest April 8.
More roads open in Glacier as plows make progress
The Camas Road is now open to motor vehicles for the season in Glacier National Park.
Legals for April, 19 2023
Monday, April 17
Lady Hawks notch big softball wins
By any standard, this year’s Thompson Falls softball team is a significantly improved team starting to show its potential.
Wednesday, April 12
Superior students present ‘Foil That Villain’
When lovely young widow Penny Candy and her baby, Ruth, are taken in by her Aunt Praline, owner of The Sweet Shoppe candy store in Boston 150 years ago, little does Penny know both love and danger lie ahead.
Baxter signs to play hoops at Carroll College
The harvest continues for Carroll College.
Trout Creek archers prep for Western U.S. Championships
Archery is alive and well in Trout Creek, Montana.
Crabb named Class C coach of the year
There is a well-worn adage that goes “It couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy.”
Hawks' golfers tee off season
After a fifth-place finish during last year’s State B-C golf championships, Thompson Falls senior Ellie Baxter appears to be picking up where she left off.
Local teams post fast times at Bigfork Invite
It was, to say the least, a pretty good week of sports for Thompson Falls senior Ellie Baxter.
Plains baseball outlasts Mission for first win
No doubt this was the result new coach Richard Powers was looking for from his new team.
Trotters softball tops Troy for first victory
It was the Maddy Blood show Saturday in Troy as the Plains Trotters softball team picked up their first win of the year, 11-0 over the Lady Trojans.
Lady Hawks softball remains perfect on season
When potential becomes reality, good things often happen.
Donald Raymond Jacobson
Donald Raymond Jacobson
COLUMN: Hands off my sports
This planet that is now home to somewhere in the crowded neighborhood of 8 billion human beings by most estimates, is an amazing, if not crazy place.
Tester's bill to increase veterans compensation moves forward
A bill that would increase the rates of compensation for veterans with service-connected disabilities and military survivors under the Department of Veterans Affairs passed a Senate vote last week.
Laila Overberg
Laila Overberg
All ages hop around at Plains Easter egg hunt
Wildhorse Plains Lions Club and the Church on The Move, put a new spin with this year’s Easter Egg Hunt.
Excavation crews begin work on Flat Creek project
If you haven’t driven up Flat Creek outside of Superior recently, you’re in for a surprise.
Thompson Falls wrestlers earn All-American status
High school wrestling in this area, where Little Guy wrestlers get started at an early age, is often, quietly, the most successful local sport.
PHOTOS: Easter egg hunts across Mineral County
PHOTOS: Easter egg hunts across Mineral County
Paddleboard race planned on Clark Fork River
The Great Montana Stand Up Paddleboard Race will be the first of its kind on the lower Clark Fork River. The original date of April 29 just changed to Saturday, Aug. 19 which for many is a better date because of the warmer water.
Legals for April, 12 2023
Monday, April 10
911 calls and bears top Hot Springs council agenda
The Hot Springs town council met last Tuesday evening to discuss several important agenda items.
Hot Springs students earn medals at leadership conference
Hot Springs students earn medals at leadership conference
Montana Rail Link reopens tracks after derailment
Montana Rail Link reopened its tracks through Sanders County four days after a freight train derailed along the Clark Fork River.
Wednesday, April 5
Mack Days off to sizzling start
Flathead Lake anglers have just completed the second week of the 2023 Spring Mack Days.
Robert Quackenbush
Robert Quackenbush
Mobile asbestos screening clinic coming to Sanders County
Libby, Montana was home to a vermiculite mine for over seventy years. The mine closed in 1990, but the damage was already done. The vermiculite ore, processed in various plants around the country and sold as insulation, was contaminated with a distinct form of asbestos now known as Libby Amphibole.
Community calendar
Community calendar
First responder fundraiser planned in wake of St. Regis hostage incident
Two weeks have passed since a hostage situation and shooting shook the small town of St. Regis, leaving local citizens and Travel Center employees, the Sheriff’s Office, and area first responders to cope with the fallout.
I-90 bridge work begins near Alberton
Spring has sprung with the usual signs and one that can be annoying, but the end result is worth it. Orange cones and barrels are on I-90 with more to come.
Mineral County hosts hazardous waste training sessions
Unless you are in the emergency preparedness line of work, HAZWOPER could be a Burger King special, but it’s a level of hazmat training that is at another level.
St. Regis sidewalk project aims to improve access to park
The Montana Department of Transportation is gathering public comment on a proposal to extend the sidewalk and shared-use path system in St. Regis.
Sanders County law enforcement officers honored
Sanders County Coalition For Families (SCCFF) and Limberlost Brewery on Wednesday hosted this year’s law enforcement appreciation Ceremony. Several law enforcement officers and a member of the Thompson Falls ambulance service were honored for their work with victims of domestic violence.
Plains Community Food Bank receives a new look
Volunteer painters from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and The Church on the Move arrived last Friday with paint brushes in hand to give the Plains Community Food Bank a new and brighter look.
Legals for April, 5 2023
Mineral County Sheriff's Office calls
Mineral County Sheriff's Office calls
Local athletes heat up at chilly Dave Tripp meet
Thompson Falls has some depth in track and field. And they have quality.
Kathy Turnbull Ehlers
Kathy Turnbull Ehlers
COLUMN: Springs sports weather
It was close to what would likely have been more of a spectacle than a disaster.
Plains-Hot Springs baseball team opens inaugural season
It was enough to make a baseball purist’s eyes mist over.
Trotters show improvement in trip to Bitterroot
The bats are showing signs of coming around. The never quit is still there. The wins will come.
Plains and Thompson Falls meet in softball season-opener
For a while it looked like a repeat of last year’s softball season opener between Plains and Thompson Falls.
Dodgeball tourney benefits Trout Creek Archery Club
If you are going to do something to support a worthy cause, why not make it fun at the same time?
U.S.-Canada agreement to address mining pollution
The Biden Administration announced at the end of March that the U.S. and Canada intend to come to an agreement this year to reduce and mitigate the impacts of water pollution from mining operations in the Kootenai watershed, including addressing selenium issues.
Governor-appointed board caters to a foreign mining company
When a Canadian mining company successfully lobbied a Montana board appointed by Gov. Greg Gianforte to let them add more pollution to Montana’s water, it’s time to take a step back and figure out how we got here.
Legislative update from Rep. Loge
We are down to the crunch time this week. By the time you see this, all appropriation bills, revenue bills and referenda will have had to pass to the other chamber.
Monday, April 3
Derailment spurs memories of 1999 'Silver Bullet Derby'
Sunday’s Montana Rail Link derailment near Quinn’s Hot Springs Resort brought back memories for some locals who recalled a similar incident more than two decades ago.
Sunday, April 2
Montana Rail Link train derails into Clark Fork River
A Montana Rail Link freight train derailed in Sanders County on Sunday morning, sending multiple railcars into the Clark Fork River.
