Kathryn Mary Sweeney, 68

Surrounded by family and resting comfortably, Kathryn Sweeney passed away in the early morning hours of Sept. 21, 2017.

Mark Ray Hilton

Sanders County showcases businesses at annual trade fair

Patrons and entrepreneurs filled the Plains High School Gym on Saturday morning as the 16th Annual Sanders County Trade Fair took place.

Legals for January, 8 2025

COLUMN: Summer daydreaming

It was just a few weeks ago that I was pondering winter and wondering why it hadn’t arrived in this neck of the woods.

Chisholm pleased with new Plains School addition

In addition to the sports court, which is identical in size to the existing gymnasium and comes with electric, roll-out bleachers, the building provides prized new space for the school’s arts program.

Montana Viewpoint: American Redoubt

This is the kind of publicity that most communities would not want to have because it would serve as a deterrent to the economic growth of an area.

Texas parolee lands in hot water in Hot Springs

A Texas fugitive is facing several felony charges after two separate incidents in Sanders County.

'West Enders' create networking number

Residents who live along I-90 between mile marker 22 and Saltese are in the west end of Mineral County.

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.

City Council discusses road district, open burning permits

The Plains City Council discussed many items at the March 6 meeting, including the road district, Plains Day, and a proposed subdivision.

Trout Creek's 39th annual Huckleberry Festival a big hit

The 39th Annual Huckleberry Festival in Trout Creek last weekend was a hit for locals and tourists as the tiny Sanders County town once again celebrated.

City plans outlined for Thompson Falls chamber

THOMPSON FALLS – Mayor Mark Sheets presented an update on the city’s upcoming water projects during the February meeting of the Thompson Falls Chamber of Commerce meeting.

Winter roads present danger to area drivers

MINERAL COUNTY – Last week saw several days of nearly continuous snowfall, which left the roads slick with slush and ice.

Texas parolee lands in hot water in Hot Springs

A Texas fugitive is facing several felony charges after two separate incidents in Sanders County.

Legals for June, 28 2023

Tricon healthy after Tester visit

ST. REGIS – In the wake of a visit by Senator Jon Tester (D-Montana), Tricon Timber has continued to encounter delays on some projects. The recent snow storms have also caused problems for the mill. Tester helped Tricon get out of a deal, which would have bankrupted the company. The contract was for logging an area with helicopters, helping to remove the timber. When the Great Recession began, fulfilling the project made the costs involved unreasonable for Tricon. Tester visited Tricon in mid January. He wanted to get more familiar with the operation. The senator also talked over other issues Tricon and the community needed help with. These included several projects and timber sales the company needed help getting started. While Tester said he would look into solutions, the projects are still running into problems. Angelo Ververis, general manager at Tricon, said it has been difficult getting the Forest Service to move forward with them. This included the Cedar Thom project. The project includes several timber sales, which could be harvested to benefit the mill. The Forest Service said they would have some progress in December, but there has been no word on a timetable. “It’s still not a good answer, I guess, as far as the community goes,” Ververis said. “It’s a big project for the community. We need it to move forward, it means work, it means jobs, stability. There’s a whole bunch of things it means to the community and here we are without a project still.” The West Mullan Fire salvage was another project Tricon wanted to speed up. The project would allow companies to collect wood, which was still usable after the fire. The Mineral County Resource Advisory Group received a response from Faye Krueger, the regional forester, saying the Forest Service did not want to move forward with the project. Tricon still wanted to pursue the project and had begun to work different angles to get it started. Ververis hoped the farm bill recently put before the senate by Tester would help with this. MCRAG and Tricon have also looked to the Mineral County Commissioners for their support on projects. The commissioners are able to suggest projects to the Forest Service and have worked with MCRAG to prepare letters of support. According to Ververis, Tricon has had no interaction with Tester’s office since the visit. The heavy snows and blizzard-like conditions in the area have also had an impact on Tricon’s operation. One of the biggest problems has simply been the ability to move in the snow. With up to two feet of powdery snow in places, the loggers have had trouble moving around the forest. This has also been a problem at the mill as the new fallen snow needs to be moved so vehicles and personnel can move around the facility. Ververis felt the bigger issues were the conditions in the forest. He said logging crews had trouble getting logs out of the brush. “Trying to log in this weather is difficult,” Ververis said. The deep snow has put some logging crews on hold until conditions improve. “It’s right up to their waist and armpits,” Willy Peck, a resources manager at Tricon, said. “They’re unable to work down there.” According to Peck, the trees are instantly buried by snow in these conditions. He said the trees were only visible as limbs sticking out of the snow once workers got to them. This meant the workers had to dig through the snow to find the end of the log. “You can imagine this tree just got buried with snow, so now you’ve got this person trying to wrap a cable around a tree they can’t even find,” Ververis said. The delay is a problem for Tricon because the company normally builds up inventory during the winter months. Without the logs, the mill cannot function. Ververis said it is slightly less of a problem at the moment because Tricon was able to build up a good stock before the snow hit. The sales are not expected to be closed for long. Ververis and Peck said work would likely continue once the snow had settled. With warmer temperatures and rain predicted for this week, the snow is expected to pack down, making it easier for the crews to walk on. Ververis said he was impressed with the Tricon employees. Even as schools closed down and people stayed home to wait out the snow, the workers made the drive to the mill. He said they pushed through, despite the dangerous road conditions, to keep things running. “I can’t tell you enough how impressed I am with the contractors working through the harsh conditions,” Ververis said. “Sawmills just can’t have snow days.”

Yes, wheat does grow in Mineral County

Starting around mile marker 55 along Interstate 90, you may have noticed over the years golden fields of…wheat.

Tester's field rep hears from local residents

Last Tuesday, the Superior Volunteer Fire Department training room became the mobile office for two of Sen. Jon Tester’s couriers saving a trip to Missoula for Mineral and Sanders counties constituents to share information, opinions, and ideas.

Mineral Pharmacy is a family business

Andi and Justin Holmes have kinfolk behind the counters in all their locations.