Milder winter means more promise for elk, deer

Just because the 2020 U.S. Census was on ice waiting out the COVID-19 shelter-in-place order doesn’t mean ‘individuals’ are not being counted.

Hummingbirds make welcome return

Iconic St. Regis Memorial Day flea market canceled by COVID

Memorial Day weekend in St. Regis, Montana means traffic backing up at its four-way stop in what is usually a sleepy little town. It means kettle corn and concession stand burgers.

Does worrying help?

Today many people are worried about the COVID-19 virus. What does the future hold? Will I get sick or worse? Will I lose my retirement because of the stock market? When can I resume a “normal“ life?

Regional Housing Task Force is looking for way to fight shortage

The housing shortage in Mineral and Sanders counties isn’t new, just as it has been an ongoing problem across Montana.

Sanders County schools finalize year-end plans

School officials in Sanders County have mostly finalized plans for the end of the 2019-20 school year.

First responders make youth’s birthday very memorable

How do you tell an almost 8-year-old that he will not be able to have a birthday party?

Sanders, Mineral voters pick school trustees; St. Regis levy passes

The ballots are back and the voters have spoken in Sanders and Mineral counties on a number of school-related elections.

Mineral County officials extend open burning season, urge caution

Mineral County officials have decided to extend open burning without a permit to accommodate the COVID-19 social distancing of six feet separation recommendations that are in place.

Food for Thought: Which angry face do you wear?

Many of us have been taught that anger is bad and that it should not be expressed. It is true that violent and aggressive expressions of anger are dangerous and destructive.

St. Regis School has two levy requests on May 5 ballot

Tuesday, May 5, the St. Regis School District 1 will have two important levies for voters to consider, including the building reserve fund and the general fund.

Alberton School District 2 trustee candidates

Tuesday, May 5, Alberton School District 2 of Mineral County will have a mail-in election for two school board trustee positions. Two candidates and the incumbent were all asked the same questions.

Precision rifle series puts shooters to the test

A slight breeze cut through the crisp morning air at the Butte Gun Club as the shooters toted their rifles to the firing line. One by one, the competitors took their positions. At one stage, a man stepped into an old claw-foot bathtub and rested the front of his rifle on the metal rim. To his right, another shooter contemplated how to best support his rifle on a giant rubber tire while the shooter on the stage to his left took to his stomach on a rickety-looking raised wooden platform.

Mineral County Airport gets grant money for new hangar

Steve Temple, Mineral County Airport Manager, announced that the airport is the recipient of $20,000 from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration.

Macman Fishing Report: Perch cycle produces big fish

Fishermen, what’s happening in East Bay (East side of Polson Bay on Flathead Lake)?

Clark Fork Valley Hospital CEO urges continued diligence

Despite the fact Sanders County hasn’t had one positive COVID-19 case, health care professionals are urging continued diligence.

Old-time street cruise helps Superior combat COVID isolation

Gas is cheap, food is primarily drive-through style, and the only place to catch up with neighbors is at the post office.

Frields candidate for three-year term on Thompson Falls School Board

NAME: Ryan J. Frields

Firefighters get Henry Creek fire under control; no cause announced

Western Montana firefighters are doing mop up work on a 40-acre wildfire that occurred Tuesday afternoon in the Henry Creek drainage, about 5 miles east of Plains, on the Lolo National Forest.

Scotchman Peaks Wilderness program coordinator retires

Sandy Compton finds sacred ground in stone cathedrals carved by glaciers, in landscapes of cirques and tarns and scree. Hymns in this wild country rely on prolonged notes of silence punctuated by birdsong, by the gurgle of clear-running streams and, in season, by the bugling of bull elk.