Local resident's relatives recount trips - Religions Classics

Sanders County Fair Commission meeting

On Wednesday, Feb. 15 the Sanders County Fair Commission held their monthly meeting to discuss the last meeting, non-agenda items, old business, new business, and the current financial situation. Present for the meeting were; Fair Manager Dede Steinbach, Vice Chairman Jenny Garrison, Chairman Chris A. McGuigan, Wade Rehbein, Secretary Ruth Hamilton, Jim Newman. Roberta Smith was not present for the meeting.

Local resident's relatives recount trips - Peace Studies

Rehwalt 'Ray' Eric Jorgenson, 95

Rehwalt ‘Ray’ Eric Jorgenson passed away Jan. 28, 2017, in the Seattle area. Ray was born Feb. 7, 1921, in Portland, Oregon, to Melissa Rehwalt Jorgenson and Eric Jorgenson.

Local groups work to tackle top county health issues

In the spring of 2016, the Mineral County Health Department, the Mineral Community Hospital and the Public Health and Safety Division collaborated to identify the most serious health issues facing Mineral County.

Local veterans, leukemia patient receive comfort quilts from Cabin Fever Quilt Guild

Two lucky local veterans received comfort quilts, complements of the Cabin Fever Quilt Guild. Guild member, Birdie Warnken, recently paid a visit to Kenton Lewis and his brother, Tim Lewis who are both Navy veterans. She presented them with two quilts, one was white with brightly colored, crystal star type work surrounded by a beautiful blue border. The other was checkered with forest green squares and images of pine trees, bordered with a light red design.

Woman who set bobcat free at Frazier Fur Farm sentenced

The second of a pair of animal rights activists who terrorized the fur industry during a cross-country rampage in 2013, including setting a bobcat loose at the Frazier Fur Farm in Plains, was sentenced to 21 months in prison last week.

Roy Milton 'Pat' DeLong, 94

Roy Milton “Pat” DeLong, 94, passed away on Dec. 28, 2016, surrounded by his family at the Montana Veterans Home in Columbia Falls, Montana.

Coalition focuses on timber industry, county economics

It was a packed room as representatives from the federal, state, and county government met with local business owners and residents to discuss timber industry issues and the economic plight facing Mineral County. The meeting which brought the parties together on Jan. 3, was the Mineral County Resource Coalition, and has been organized monthly by Kevin Chamberlain, with the extension office.

Plains-Paradise Rural Fire Department conducts training

The Plains-Paradise Rural Fire Department, Plains Volunteer Fire Department, and the Plains Community Ambulance crews were hard at work last week as they conducted training on lift assists and loading the new hydraulic cot into the ambulance properly. The training was held at the Plains-Paradise Rural Fire Department building, located at 20 Old Airport Road in Plains.

Earl Henry Eisenbacher, 77

Earl Henry Eisenbacher, 77, passed away Jan. 2, 2017, at his home in St. Regis, with family members at his side after a valiant battle against cancer.

Arctic blast causes severe issues

Last week Western Montana watched as the thermometers dipped well below zero, as an arctic blast covered the area. According to reports, a record low was set on Jan. 3 in Missoula when temperatures dropped to minus-8 degrees. The lowest recorded temperature prior to this was 3 degrees set in 1959.

Plains mayor reflects on past year

Plains Mayor Greg Eitelberg discussed the town at the end of 2016, and the current projects coming during 2017 and beyond.

Glacier reaches 2.8M visitors

Last month continued to pile on to Glacier National Park’s record-breaking year, with more visitors entering the park than any November in the last three decades.

Preparing our students for the future

The Montana Constitution, specifically Article X Section 8, gives ownership of the state’s publicly funded schools, with the support and engagement of school staff and the community, to each community through the supervision and control by its elected trustees. Section 1 of the same Article requires that the state’s education system to develop the full educational potential of each student a school serves.

Farm Service Agency extends deadline

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Montana Farm Service Agency announced Tuesday that the deadline to submit ballots for the 2016 County Committee elections has been extended to Dec. 13

Elizabeth J. Larson

OBITUARY

Hot Springs food pantry sees clients up, donations down

Volunteers at the Hot Springs Food Pantry work hard to connect their clientele with food each month, and somehow they always make it.

Woman disgusted by decapitated carcass

Someone on Waverly Place reported seeing a decapitated giant elk or deer hanging from a second-floor balcony and was concerned that it was going to “attract varmints and bears,” and “that it is just plain disgusting,” according to the Whitefish Police Department.

Look for new faces as school starts in Mineral County

Students have sharpened their pencils and are starting a new year of school. St. Regis started on August 25, Alberton and Superior started on Monday, August 29. All of the schools have new teachers to greet them. In St. Regis and Superior, they also have new administrators to help get the year off to a good start.