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
Be aware of vultures - an update from Senator Fielder
As we wrangled through the budget this spring, the beautiful state capitol began to feel like a big, ripe carcass with a dark cloud of vultures circling about.
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'Cats come close
Last week, Coach Dan Lucier said that in order for the Superior Bobcats to win against Florence, they’d have to bring their best game to the field.
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Town Pump plans new store and casino in Thompson Falls
One of the largest and most iconic businesses in Montana is set to become bigger and more iconic in Thompson Falls.
Friends of Scotchman Peaks plans hikes, trail work events
For those looking to get outside this summer, hit the trails and help your neighbors enjoy their wild backyard, Friends of Scotchman Peaks Wilderness...
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Fire drill heats up
Outside the Superior Fire Hall, there is a tractor trailer covered with scorch marks from previous fires, and a team of three Superior Volunteer Firefighters are about to go in and set a blaze just so they can put it out.
David Thompson Search & Rescue celebrates 50 years
David Thompson Search and Rescue is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year and the group is hosting an open house Friday at Riverfront Park to commemorate the milestone.
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The EMT shortage in Superior is nothing new
When Anita Parkin was substitute teaching at Superior High School on a Wednesday morning, she got a call on her pager from the 911 dispatcher for a medical emergency. She either had to abandon her class and hurry to the Superior Area Ambulance Service or deny the call. She opted to deny the call, but only because her co-worker, Life Science teacher Beau Servo, decided he would abandon his class of three to take it. Parkin worked to consolidate the classes while Servo fled the school to respond to the medical emergency. “The other teachers help out, but we can’t get away sometimes,” Parkin said. Scenarios like this happen often in Superior, where there are around nine active Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT) who regularly respond to emergencies. “There’s a core group of us, we all have pagers and it’s basically whoever answers,” Parkin said. Parkin has been an EMT for 43 years and is the vice chair of the Superior Area Ambulance Service. She said the ambulance always struggles with EMT shortages because they are all volunteers and most already have other jobs. She says volunteers are generally not as committed as paid EMTs. “Sometimes people get off work to go (on calls),” Parkin says. “It makes life interesting.” She says there are about six EMTs who always wear their pager. Ideally three EMT’s should respond to a call, but sometimes only two are able to go. The state realizes Superior is rural, so they allow fewer responders than they would in a more populated area. Parkin says the ambulance will sometimes pick up EMTs in St. Regis or the West End if they don’t have enough responders in Superior. “It’s kind of an interesting thing, I don’t know too many other places that do it this way,” Parkin said. Superior’s ambulance was affiliated with Superior Volunteer Fire Department, but they separated in the last 20 years. The Ambulance Service is a nonprofit and the county gives them two mills every year which equals to $10,000 each. This also qualifies the service for grants. “We always need a new ambulance or something, we just built a new ambulance station and we do all the maintenance and shoveling,” Parkin said. Parkin teaches an EMT class in Superior every few years, and she recently finished one where six students finished. 12 students were initially enrolled and half of them dropped out after realizing how much work it entailed. Parkin says Superior will only gain one EMT out of this class if she passes the exam. For now, the Superior Area Ambulance Service makes do with their EMT shortage. “If we don’t have EMTs and respond to calls, they’ll have to wait for somebody from Missoula or Plains,” Parkin said. “We’ve made sure that doesn’t happen.”
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Bridger Aerospace provides face shields for first responders
Toilet paper was the first item the United States ran low on during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Civil Discourse
We believe there are a number of reasons people run for political office, the ones that come to mind are: money, self –satisfaction, self-promotion or a combination of these. State Legislature positions are probably not desired for the money. It seems that, regardless of campaign promises “to always listen and be worthy of the honor of representing the constituency”, it does not take long before most of that is forgotten and instead they feel they need to think for the constituency instead of representing them. This includes reversing initiatives the voters have voted in, including but not limited to term limits.
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Plains Horsemen open with two tough losses
The Plains boys basketball team continues to struggle to find itself...
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Roland Dwayne Harvey
Roland Dwayne Harvey, 65, of Kasilof, AK, passed away on the Koro Island of Fiji on Nov. 3, 2023.
Mineral County Relay For Life recognized
MINERAL COUNTY – The Mineral County Relay for Life event was recently recognized as one of the most successful in the entire western part of the state of Montana in terms of per capita earnings.
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Superior food co-op a hit with its members
With nearly 300 members, Frugal Boxes food sharing co-op is sort of a like an old-fashioned farmers market with the camaraderie of a really big family tossed all together.
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Town of Plains uses 25 tons of patch to fix roads
PLAINS – The roads of Plains have felt the wrath of the harsh winter weather the county recently experienced and in an attempt to repair the roads, the Public Works Department has used 25 tons of patch to fill in potholes.
Community members work to save Dixon Melon's after burglary
Matt Unrau
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CNSC holds wine tasting and fashion show
When you think of a model, you probably don’t picture a friend or neighbor from Sanders County fighting for a cause you believe in, but that’s exactly what happen last Thursday, and to the tune of 5,500 dollars.
Timing is everything - a garden column by Green Thumb
Gardening is much like most of life. Lawyers and realtors write, “time is of the essence” in contracts, meaning that the participants in the contract need to hurry up because “Time is money.” Many say, “no time like the present” and I would agree with that, unless the weather is so unbearably hot that outdoor and garden chores need to wait until early morning and late at night. Which hot weather makes it somewhat impossible to do things “in a timely manner.”
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AG Fox makes campaign swing through region
Montana Attorney General Tim Fox, who is running for the governor’s office, recently made a campaign swing through Northwest Montana.
School/road funding hung up in House
Just weeks after the Mineral County Commissioners passed their final budget a struggling piece of legislation threatens to take even more money from the county.
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Bluehawks soar over Horsemen for victory
THOMPSON FALLS – The Bluehawks and the Horsemen clashed during the weekend in a close game. Both teams were eager to take a victory away from one of their rivals and although both teams fought hard, the Bluehawks came out with the victory.