Performing sensation remembers roots

Up and coming singer/songwriter has family ties to the Clark Fork Valley

When MacKayla Hunter was growing up, she would spend her summers with her grandparents at either end of Sanders County, soaking up warm days in the Clark Fork River Valley.

Trotters take off at tourney

In a match-up of cross-valley rivals, Plains defeated Thompson Falls 35-26 in the championship game of the Sanders County Tip-Off Tournament on Saturday.

The price of power

Montana and the nation are at the crux of a changing energy future. What that future will look like depends on the choices we make now. These choices will require some tough decisions by both electricity consumers and the regulators of our utilities at the Montana Public Service Commission (PSC).  Regulated electric and gas utilities in Montana include Northwestern Energy (NWE) and Montana-Dakota Utilities (MDU) in the eastern part of our state. Electric co-ops are not regulated by the PSC. The challenge for electricity providers and regulators is how to incorporate alternative forms of energy such as wind, biomass, solar and geothermal into our system as a long term investment towards clean energy and energy independence. As with most investments, the payoff comes over time, perhaps even over a lifetime. Judith Gap, Montana’s first wind farm, came on line in 2006, and customers are already seeing the benefits. The 135MW facility supplies 8% of NWE’s energy needs at a cost of about $40/MWH, considerably less than the cost of electricity produced at the coal fired power plant in Coalstrip ($54/MWH).

Bruce Moats: An introduction

“The boy is finally home.” That is what my nephew wrote in a text when my wife, son and I moved back to my childhood home, Superior, a few months ago.

Gov. Gianforte signs two MMIP bills

Two bills to help address the crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) in Montana...

Red Devils tally baseball win over St. Ignatius-Arlee

It’s a classic example of what you do when you fall off a horse….if you like horse riding.

A MONTANAN’S VIEW OF A KIBITZER: FAKE GUNS IN THE HANDS OF GREENHORNS

Reading last week’s (Nov. 27) Independent, On page 6 they have a new news creative writer. Did the Independent make a mistake? Yes.

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.”

Going home: Big Medicine will be returned to CSKT

Big Medicine spent all of his life on the tribal homelands of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai tribes. Now after his death, he’ll spend most of his time back there too, after a six-decade hiatus as one of the main attractions of the Montana Historical Society.

Plains Day: An old-fashioned Montana celebration

The ominous clouds that circled the perimeter of the Wild Horse Plains were kept at bay.

Noxon senior takes home silver

A Noxon senior saved her best for last, but missed out on gold by a blink of an eye at the Class C state championships in Helena last weekend.

Lumber truck overturns near Paradise

Debris from an overturned lumber truck littered Highway 200 in front of Paradise Gardens after an accident on Tuesday just before 2:30 p.m. The wreckage left the highway closed for hours as crews cleaned up the mess.

Lozeau famous for I-90 exit and 1869 gold rush

While recently visiting with his grandfather, Superior High School Principal, Chris Clairmont, found out something new about his ancestors. His great, great grandfather was Adolph Lozeau, originally pronounced Adolphe L’Oiseau. He was of Canadian descent and homesteaded what is now called the Lozeau exit, located between Superior and Alberton.

Hidden Charm, more than just charming

The town of Plains has welcomed a brand new shop opening right along the main street, offering a unique flavor of modern antiques that will suit any style of home.

Trotters softball gets ready for Divisionals

The Plains-Hot Springs softball team has set themselves up to be one of the four teams in the softball Class B-C Divisionals that will be punching their ticket to the State tournament.

Trotters to face defending state champs

The Plains-Hot Springs softball team will experience two early tests as their team prepares to start the 2018 season playing Thompson Falls and the MHSA Class B-C defending state champions Florence in the first week of the season.

Reporter's Notebook: It's been a great year

Gift packages are unwrapped, and holiday guests have headed home. The Christmas tree stands barren in the living room, with bits of ribbon and paper strewn underneath. Many of us will have to loosen our belts after eating too many cookies and treats and tighten our pocketbook in January to pay for all the holiday festivities and presents. We also had wonderful weather, with a blanket of fresh snow to adorn our Christmas morning.

Questions raised over West End FD equipment

There was contention over what to do with equipment at the West End Fire Department. Current Board President, John Carpenter presented a proposal to the county commissioners on Thursday evening to sell some of the equipment. Board members Tom Anderson and Mark Wasseen were also present at the meeting.

School levy in Superior fails to pass

SUPERIOR – Voters in Superior voted down a proposed levy that would have paid for a new addition to the high school to replace the aging junior high school building that is increasingly prone to plumbing issues and is also suffering from structural deficiencies.

Colin's Sports Column: gearing up for spring sports

Being the new guy is hard. Being the new guy in a small town is really hard. Being the new guy in a new town at a new job is just plain terrifying. Especially if it’s a job I have no experience doing. This is the prospect I faced when driving to Plains, MT to accept my new position at the Clark Fork Valley Press. Now: to be fair, I can shoot pictures and I can write. However, I have absolutely no experience in covering hyper-local sports. I have visions of agile, nimble rubber people laying the ball in and then promptly stomping on my head as I crouch under the basket trying to get that award winning shot for the sports page.