Wednesday, February 26
Bingo fundraiser to support new shooting range
The earliest forms of Bingo date back to 1530 in Italy which was played with beans and called Lo Giuoco del Lotto D’Italia.
Spotlight on the Arts: Zander Strack
“Spotlight on the Arts” by The Paradise Center honors and encourages students in the arts by highlighting their talent and acknowledging the support they receive through their schools and teachers.
Heroics from St. Regis firefighters
I want to call attention to the actions of volunteer firefighter Clint Wolff with the St. Regis Fire Department.
Kvelve's Comments: Post-season drama
A few lopsided wins along the way notwithstanding, the best word to describe this first salvo of B-C playoff basketball in the Western regions of this wonderful state is...”phheeewwww.”
Montana GOP ‘strongly rebukes’ nine state senators for obstructing Republican majority
The Montana Republican Party issued a statement on Monday “strongly rebuking” nine state senators who have formed a working majority coalition with 18 Democrats to effectively run the upper chamber from the floor, change rules, and pass legislation, often going against GOP majority leadership.
Division B-C basketball playoff pairings
There were still two spots to settle as of Monday afternoon in the Western C Divisional basketball tournament this coming weekend in Butte after eight teams from the 13C district tournament secured berths in the next round of playoffs.
Plains superintendent receives a vote of no confidence
At the February meeting of the Plains School Board, over 70 people were in attendance, including 22 district staff members.
February snowfall boosts mountain snowpack
Mountain snowpack numbers have improved this month following a slow start to winter.
Idaho company wins bid for demolition derby
After multiple attempts to secure a contract for the 2025 Sanders County Fair Demolition Derby, the Sanders County Fair Commission has approved a new derby contract.
Allen Harry Burgess, 77
Allen Harry Burgess, 77
Mary McGann, 77
Mary McGann
Homestead bill will provide tax relief
During my campaign to be your state representative last year, I promised to seek solutions to our affordable housing crisis and skyrocking property taxes. These problems have hit rural western Montana especially hard as we see industries disappear, and good jobs along with them.
Blue Hawks claim Western 7B title
For the Thompson Falls boys’ basketball team, it was the first leg of what they hope will become a longer journey.
Legals for February, 26 2025
St. Regis holds off Seeley for 13C title
In the last minute of the boys Western 13C tournament title game between St. Regis and Seeley-Swan, which seemed to take an eternity, the last 1.4 seconds featured a big release of energy.
Drummond girls win 13C tourney
It is a well-quoted axiom that in sports playoffs, anything can and often does happen.
Plains teams bounced from tourney action
The playoffs were not kind to the Plains boys’ and girls' basketball teams, with both teams losing two games during this past week’s Western 7B District tournament.
Red Devils fight way into divisional round
Noxon’s boys basketball team lives to fight again in the Montana Class C playoff battle.
Consolation round wrap-up
There’s a reason they call it the consolation round.
Lady Bobcats punch ticket to next round
It was a mixed bag for the Superior boys’ and girls’ basketball teams this past weekend at the Western 7B district tournament in St. Ignatius.
Hot Springs girls take fourth at 13C tourney
For the Hot Springs girls, their late season momentum paid off with a fourth-place finish in the Western 13C this past week, good for a trip to the Western Divisional tourney in Butte this week.
Lady Tigers make run at 13C tourney
One team won the District 13C championship, the other came close, pulling off a big upset but falling one game short of the next round of playoffs.
USPS scraps plan to move Missoula mail processing to Spokane
The United States Postal Service will not move mail processing work from Missoula to Spokane after exploring the option last year.
Wednesday, February 19
Win Branning, 83
Win Branning, 83
Blue Hawks stay perfect, earn top seed
Momentum prior to a playoff tournament is often crucial for teams hoping to advance to the state basketball finals.
Trotters escape Eureka with win to cap regular season
The Plains girls’ regular season basketball schedule concluded the way it officially began back in November, with a win for the Trotters.
Officials will consider banning motorized boats on Bull River amidst citizen complaints
Wildlife officials will consider new rules regulating the use of motorized boats on the Bull River south of Libby, following a petition from a local landowner.
Legals for February, 19 2025
Kvelve's Comments: USA v. Canada
There are some things in life about which I just can’t look the other way.
Commission discusses fair security, concert proposal
The Sanders County Fair Commission has approved the creation of a seasonal administrative position, which is set to begin in April. Advertising for the position will start in March.
Red Devils stay hot in two wins
The Noxon Red Devils boys’ basketball team remained hot with a pair of victories this past weekend, 58-37 over Drummond and a 76-68 win over Philipsburg.
Thompson Falls considers land swap with school district
Thompson Falls City Council last Monday held a lengthy discussion about a proposed land and building exchange between the city and the Thompson Falls School District.
Robert (RB) Stetzel, 73
Robert (RB) Stetzel, 73
Two Eagle River slips by Alberton girls
Two Eagle River’s girls' basketball team got their third victory of the season in their second-to-last game of the season at the expense of the home-standing Alberton Lady Panthers, who were looking for their first win of the year.
Tigers rebound with win over Victor
There’s a logjam atop the boys Western 13C conference regular season, with three teams tied with one loss each.
Hot Springs hoopers sputter heading into district tourney
With the regular season now in the rear-view mirror for the Hot Springs boys’ and girls’ basketball teams, the focus becomes this weekend’s (Feb 20-22) Western 13C District tournament in Frenchtown.
Alberton School wins Samsung Solve for Tomorrow statewide competition
Alberton School is among 50 public middle and high schools nationwide that are moving forward as state winners in the 15th annual Samsung Solve for Tomorrow national STEM competition.
Local artist returns home for benefit concert
The Clark Fork Valley Hospital Foundation will host the Tanner Laws Band at The Rex Theater for a benefit concert on March 29. The concert will feature country music artist Tanner Laws, Thompson Falls native, along with his band of three other talented musicians.
Superior girls split home games; boys drop two
The battle and shuffle for playoff seeding is underway.
Random draw to decide 13C logjam
A lotto style random draw is the deciding factor in breaking the three-way logjam atop the Western 13C boys’ basketball conference as the District playoff tournament gets underway this Thursday through Saturday in Frenchtown.
Jay Ovitt, 69
Jay Ovitt, 69
Quilt Guild shares handiwork with local veterans
The Cabin Fever Quilt Guild was organized in 2001 and not long after that, it became a 501(C)3 with membership today of around 40 quilters in Alberton, Superior, St. Regis and the west end of the county.
Monday, February 17
Waterbury earns second at state meet
Once again, the State Mat Classic wrestling championships from Billings are in the books, with a reportedly successful run.
Wednesday, February 12
Stager-Staats' love for animals becomes her career
The job of a veterinarian is not for the faint of heart, and it’s rarely boring. Though she resides in the Beaver State, Kenzie Stager-Staats was once a Superior Bobcat, and now she’s living out her dream of caring for animals of all kinds.
Charlo residents warned about elevated manganese in water
Charlo residents in northwestern Montana have been advised that infants, the elderly and those with liver issues should not drink the town’s tap water after elevated levels of manganese were discovered.
Zinke reintroduces efforts to regulate summer water levels on Flathead Lake
Republican Congressman Ryan Zinke has again introduced legislation that would require the Interior Department to maintain water levels in Flathead Lake during the warmer months.
Kvelve's Comments: The injury bug
The ugly side of sports can happen at any minute.
Kimberly Dawn Andrews, 59
Kimberly Dawn Andrews, 59
Janine Jaques, 69
Janine Jaques, 69
Michael Alfred Smith, 74
Michael Alfred Smith
Cyr to take over as Alberton superintendent and principal
Having had four school superintendents in three and a half years, Alberton School District has taken a bold move by combining two positions and hired Amanda Cyr beginning July 1.
PHOTO New Day Fellowship men's breakfast
The New Day Fellowship Church in St. Regis holds a men’s breakfast on the second Saturday of each month at the $50,000 Restaurant in Haugan, Montana. It starts at 7:30 and is open to guys interested in the gospel and holding themselves accountable to being better husbands and fathers as well as community members. Different chainsaw sharpening devices were debated last week.
PHOTO Prospecting Club starts in Mineral County
Clifton Greuter has started a Metal Detecting and Prospecting Club
Sanders County schools put in extra safety measures
The rural nature of schools in Sanders County means emergency management planning becomes much more important because of the distance and time for emergency responders to be on scene.
Waterbury claims divisional title
One of the best, most inspiring sports stories of the year continued this past weekend during the Western Division B-C wrestling championships in Butte.
Panthers have tough road trip
The road was not kind to the Alberton Panthers and Lady Panthers this past weekend, and it had nothing to do with snow.
Dwaine Delbert Bauer, 88
Dwaine Delbert Bauer, 88
Hot Springs girls burn Two Eagle River
With the high school basketball playoffs just two weekends away, every game takes on added importance as teams jockey for district tournament seeding.
Lady Bobcats get two conference wins
With the basketball regular season coming to an end this weekend, every game takes on added importance, particularly seeding for the District 7B tournament two weeks hence.
St. Regis family loses home in structure fire; fatality reported in DeBorgia fire
On Sunday morning, the St. Regis and West End Volunteer Fire Departments teamed up on the second structural fire within a week, this time at 1130 Highway 135.
Hawks soar on the road
It was a good week to be a Blue Hawk or Lady Hawk.
Noxon puts stamp on 13C conference with two big wins
What had been a tight race atop the Western 13C boys' basketball conference is even tighter after a wild weekend topped by Noxon’s hellish run.
Lincoln snaps St. Regis' winning streak
On the positive side, the stress associated with being unbeaten is gone for the St. Regis Tigers basketball team, their 15-game winning streak put to rest by the Lincoln Lynx, 55-34, Saturday night in Lincoln.
Superintendent evaluation
The January board meeting of the Trustees of the Plains School District was a packed house of parents, taxpayers, and community members with concerns.
Legals for February, 12 2025
James (Jimmy) Raymond Jr., 48
James (Jimmy) Raymond Jr., 48
Len Allen Wagoner, 64
Len Allen Wagoner, 64
Monday, February 10
Sanders County Fair Board reopens bids for demo derby
During Monday’s regular Sanders County Fair Commission meeting, commission members voted to reopen, yet again, bidding for the 2025 fair’s demolition derby event.
Wednesday, February 5
Seeley-Swan sweeps Superior
Seeley-Swan is usually considered a welcoming place for folks to visit.
New bill promises harsher fines for boaters ignoring efforts to halt spread of invasive species in Montana
State wildlife officials examine over 100,000 boats annually at roadside inspection stations, searching for signs of hitchhiking critters that could harm local lakes, rivers and streams.
Home school teams take down Hot Springs
Evidence that home schooling and home school associations are growing in rural Montana were on display in Hot Springs this past week as the Flathead Valley Home School boys’ and girls’ basketball teams swept the Savage Heat and Lady Heat this past Tuesday in Hot Springs.
St. Regis boys improve to 14-0
Running the gauntlet of the old 14C conference was one thing.
Panthers roughed up by visiting Plains
Home sweet home was not so sweet for the Alberton Panthers and Lady Panthers this past week, as a pair of 7B teams rolled into town and left the home teams reeling.
Plains man pleads not guilty to distributing meth
A Plains man is accused of attempting to distribute drugs in Lake County. Leon Charles Hendry, 55, entered a plea of not guilty in District Court in Polson Jan. 15 to criminal possession with intent to distribute.
Stacey Sherwin named interim president at SKC
The Salish Kootenai College (SKC) Board of Directors recently announced the resignation of Interim President Dr. Michael Munson, effective Jan. 13, and the subsequent appointment of Dr. Stacey Sherwin as interim president.
Thompson Falls splits with St. Ignatius
In boxing parlance, the pair of games this past week between St. Ignatius and Thompson Falls basketball teams was a split decision.
Sanders County schools prepare for worst-case scenarios
Emergencies in Sanders County school can take many forms varying in severity and impacting students in different ways – from natural disasters and threats of violence to medical issues.
Pause on federal funding impacts local services
The Montana Community Action Network (MCAN) represents the 10 Community Action agencies who carry out programs aimed to help Montanans experiencing economic hardships, including the elderly and disabled.
Savage Horsemen wrestlers earn hardware at Buzz Lucy
In what was a smaller-than-average turnout for a normally big wrestling event, the Plains-Hot Springs boys’ wrestlers finished fourth in a five-team field despite bringing a scaled-down number of wrestlers to the Buzz Lucy meet this past weekend in Eureka.
Kvelve's Comments: The big game is here
The day is in sight.
Lloyd Esbon Bache, 96
Lloyd Esbon Bache
Measure to increase wolf hunts advances
One bill aiming to create an unlimited wolf hunting quota met its end on the House floor Thursday.
Tribal leaders call for reinstatement of health department position
In a recent legislative hearing to help shape the state health department’s budget, tribal leaders traveled from across Montana to tell lawmakers they wanted to reinstate a tribal relations manager position that proponents say once provided valuable communication with the state Department of Public Health and Human Services.
Bill to allow cigar bars in Montana spurs debate
If Montana allows cigar bars, residents and tourists will be able to enjoy a “premium, hand rolled cigar” on their visits, one proponent argued.
Tribes, wildlife officials oppose proposed hunting bill for Flathead Indian Reservation
Tribal advocates argued during a Tuesday evening hearing in Helena that a proposed hunting bill could jeopardize tribal-state relations and result in years of costly litigation.
Spotlight on the Arts: Ava Bouquet
“Spotlight on the Arts” by The Paradise Center honors and encourages students in the arts by highlighting their talent and acknowledging the support they receive through their schools and teachers.
Winter storytelling series continues at Travelers’ Rest State Park
Travelers’ Rest State Park near Lolo will continue its Winter Storytelling Series this Saturday, Feb. 8 at 11 a.m. with a presentation from Hasan Davis about the Lewis and Clark Expedition, told from the perspective of the journey's enslaved man, York.
Superior spelling bee in photos
Superior schools annual spelling bee.
Thompson Falls to participate in rural community program
Fourteen Montana communities have been selected to participate in the fifth Reimagining Rural virtual community gathering series.
Legals for February, 5 2025
Troy takes down Noxon in non-conference meeting
For the Troy boys’ and girls’ basketball teams it was a rare sweep this past weekend of an opponent this season, at the expense of the visiting Noxon Red Devils and Lady Devils.
Orthopedic surgeon joins Clark Fork Valley Hospital
Clark Fork Valley Hosptial last month welcomed new orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Gregg Schellack.
