Forest Service begins Summer Trails project in Mineral County

A decade after its initial proposal, the Lolo National Forest began the Summer Trails project in early April which will establish a motorized off-highway (OHV) route system. The project will allow utility-terrain vehicles (UTV) and all-terrain vehicles (ATV) access to 180,000 acres between St. Regis and Lookout Pass from June 15 to Sept. 1. It will also add existing non-motor-authorized trails to the system and construct new trail segments, authorizing 35 new miles to OHV trails. The U.S. Forest Service began planning for this project in 2009 after motorized recreationalists voiced desires for a more extensive trail system. But the Forest Service placed it on hold due to lack of funding and higher priorities. “In the last 10 years there’s been a lot of delay,” Recreation and Range staffer Heather Berman said. “It kept getting pushed because of fire salvage from fires in 2017.” The Forest Service initiated this project in response to public demand. OHV use is a fast-growing outdoor activity and according to a national survey, one in five Americans age 16 and older participated in OHV recreation. OHV registrations increased 300 percent from 200 to 2014, according to Montana State Parks. Unauthorized OHV use has also prompted the Forest Service to create authorized trails. In the last 10 years, officials closed and rehabilitated approximately four miles of unauthorized routes within the project area. Berman says the public creates their own trails before the Forest Service can build them properly. “No matter what we do to stop it, it’s gonna happen,” Berman said. Public comments and concerns included:

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Thompson Falls took a break from facing Class B teams last week, taking on a pair of Class C squads and posting victories in both contests.

Plains runners excede hopes

Wow, what a day!  That’s the thought that kept coming back into my mind as the Plains Cross Country teams made their way back from the Ronan Invitational cross country meet this past Saturday.  Coming into the meet, I had been careful not to get my hopes up. The training load for the team had been pretty significant during the past couple of weeks; and, many of the kids on the team had been fighting colds or minor illness. But, on a bright and sunny day, the kids more than exceeded my expectations. With five high school boys and three girls competing, personal records (PR’s) were set or equaled by six of the athletes. 

Tigers comeback falls short

St. Regis fell to Valier 76-42 on Saturday, but one bounce might have changed the outcome of the Six-man North game.

Wild rodeo excites county

Rodeo fans packed the grandstands at the Mineral County Fairgrounds last weekend for the Superior Lion’s Club “Go for the Gold” Rodeo.

Town passes intent to raise water rates

Mineral County deputies train for water rescues

Captains Scott Dodd and Josh Pecora with the Superior Volunteer Fire Department spent a recent afternoon training deputies with the Mineral County Sheriff’s Office on the fundamentals of using Rescue Bags.

New propane store opens in Superior

A new Superior propane service company moved in just down the road from the longtime propane company company Energy Partners. The new business is Mineral Energy Co., and is owned by Energy Partners’ previous manager, Kirby Smith.

An act of love

SUPERIOR – Because of one Superior resident’s act of compassion last week, somewhere a child suffering from long-term hair loss due to a medical condition will receive a quality hair prosthetic.

4-H members win big at Kalispell show

On September 12th five Sanders County 4-H Horse Project members began 3 days of intense competition in the Montana State 4-H Horse Show held at the Majestic Arena in Kalispell.  105 top winning 4-H riders from 23 counties from across Montana traveled to Kalispell for this highly competitive event.   This is the second consecutive year the event has been held in Kalispell.  Four of our county riders, Mahala Sweet, Marsada Sweet, Tanner Ovitt and Dariyan Sheehan are returning competitors from last year’s event.  As a new comer, Gabriella Pallister and her horse Whisper had lots of help from the more experienced (one year under their belt) members.  Stabling is provided on site.  Michele McGuigan, a Sanders County 4-H horse Leader and member of the State Horse Committee, provided transportation for some of the members and horses along will helpful assistance with show preparation.  

Letters to the Editor - Oct. 23

Relay team hosts community game night

The game of pool is usually played with a stick and on a table with six pockets. Eight balls, striped and solid are usually placed in the middle and the first shooter must break the ball rack apart. However, on Friday, June 25, the pool game at community game night was a little different.

Burst pipe floods courthouse

SUPERIOR – A burst pipe in the Mineral County Courthouse sent water shooting through a wall, soaking the carpet in the hallway leading to the emergency dispatch center and causing damage to offices.

Burst Pipe

Fans and dehumidifiers dry out the Mineral County Courthouse after a water leak flooded the building.

Improvements keep Paradise water flowing

Matt Unrau

Locks of Love

Carol Bidwell reacts after her ponytail was cut off last week at a local barber shop.

Superior welcomes a new Little Free Library

This quaint box perched above a friendly hand-carved bear is a Little Free Library recently purchased and established by the Arnsans, Dan and Barbara.

Jurors hear testimony in Danielle Wood murder case

Danielle Jeanette Wood, 56, of Thompson Falls, is accused of shooting Matthew LaFriniere three times with a .38 caliber revolver...

St. Regis Tigers happy to return to Montana football

This year’s St. Regis High School homecoming football game will be at home. That seems like common sense, but for the past several years the Tigers have been part of a co-op arrangement with Mullan, Idaho and have played the majority of their games in the Gem State.

Snowmobile club discusses Saltese Trestle with Zinke

U.S. Rep. Ryan Zinke met with members of the Montana Nightriders Snowmobile Club in Haugan last week to hear about their valiant effort to repair and bring the Saltese Trestle up to safety standards to motorized and non-motorized traffic.