Local agility dog is tops in the nation

TROUT CREEK - A Trout Creek terrier was the top agility dog of her breed in the nation in 2013, according to recently released statistics from the American Kennel Club (AKC).

Baroque musicians draw large crowd

PARADISE – The musical notes of violins, violas, cellos and recorders echoed through the canyons and saddles of the Lolo National Forest during the Montana Baroque Music Festival.

Second Forest Service meeting takes place

Zylawy Brothers reunite

Bud Bras honored as grand marshal

HOT SPRINGS – Horse drawn wagons, fire trucks, police cruisers and vintage automobiles filled the streets of Hot Springs as the Grand Parade closed out the 65th annual Homesteader Days celebration.

County students learn about environment

THOMPSON FALLS – Students from schools across Sanders County packed onto buses in the early morning hours last week for a day of hands on outdoor learning.

Trotters tested in District Championship game

PLAINS – The District Tournament Semifinals took place Thursday night and the Trotters hosted the Eureka lions.

Bluehawks bring home second

THOMPSON FALLS – The Bluehawk Track and Field team showed a strong performance at the Jim Johnson Invitational in Missoula, bringing home a second place finish. The boys finished with a score of 72.5, almost 13 points ahead of Hot Springs who landed in third place.

Horsemen begin season

SHELBY – The Plains Horsemen football team traveled five hours east to kick off their season against the Shelby Coyotes last week.

An update from Senator Fielder

“There are no losers to what we are going to propose,” said Kane County Commissioner Doug Heaton, a founding member of American Lands Council (ALC).

Health center fights substance abuse with improved standards

SUPERIOR – Mineral Regional Health Center recently updated their policies to ensure a consistent protocol when dealing with controlled substances.

To fall in love with reading

Smokey Bear to turn 70

PLAINS – Only you can help Smokey Bear celebrate his 70th birthday.

Student art brightens hospital in winter show

PLAINS – The stark white hospital hallways were covered in cheerful illustrations of snowmen, plants, animals and self-portraits in rainbow hues. Hospital patients, staff and visitors lined up, eager to view the art. The smiles on the caricatures reflected the smiles of viewers young and old, healthy and not.

Lady Hawks advance after win over Loyola

THOMPSON FALLS – “We survived to live another day.”

Christmas on Main Street to hit Thompson Falls

UPDATES: Thompson Falls' Christmas on Main Street parade as well as the Christmas Concert at the Rex Theatre has been postponed until Wednesday due to the cold, harsh weather. The parade will now take place at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, November 11 and the musical performances will be at 5:15 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. the same day.

Halloween takes over Mineral County

ALBERTON/SUPERIOR – Halloween is just around the corner and the schools in Alberton and Superior are revving up with parties for their students before the big day of candy, costumes, ghosts and goblins.

Plains Time Trial kicks off season

PLAINS - As has become a tradition during the Sanders County Fair, the Plains Cross Country Time Trials were held on Friday morning, Starting and finishing at the Plains Bible Chapel. The three-mile route led runners on Combest Creek Road, Nelson Lane and River Road East - together with paths and trails within the Nelson Ranch.

St. Regis scoring ace looks back at season

Letter to the Editor: School in serious need

As Superior’s newest superintendent, it is extremely important to me that this community understand that our schools are your schools. As such, I believe it is vital that we are transparent in the way we address District concerns and share information. To that end, I am writing to inform you of a serious situation that we are dealing with as the end of the year approaches. This past Wednesday evening at a Special Board Meeting, the Superior Schools trustees were presented with a bond levy proposal. The original proposal came about because the District received a $23,500 planning grant from the Montana Department of Commerce. The purpose of this grant was to perform an energy audit that would consider the long-term financial benefits of replacing the LP gas and fuel oil heating systems located in our three schools. McKinstry, the company that provided the initial assessment, found that the cost savings of an improved heat plant with other cost saving measures (like replacing windows, lights and control systems), would generate savings enough to pay for nearly 75 percent of the cost over the next twenty years, reimbursing nearly $1.3 million of the $1.8 million price tag.