GOP contenders debate in Whitefish, sans Zinke

Four Republican candidates for Montana’s new western U.S. House seat debated in Whitefish on Friday, generally finding agreement on a number of points related to the state’s agricultural challenges and preserving the rural Montana lifestyle.

U.S. House candidates Tranel and Lamb discuss issues at Paradise debate

The Paradise Center last week hosted a debate attended by two of the candidates for Montana's District 1 U.S. House seat, Democrat Monica Tranel and Libertarian John Lamb.

How to avoid blight this spring

Gardening tips for a potentially poor growing season

As this year’s gardening season approaches, local farmers and agricultural experts want to urge home gardeners to be aware of the risk of late blight, a devastating disease that reared its ugly head in the valley last year. Characterized by black colored wounds or abnormalities on the leaf and stem, late blight is the same devastating pathogen responsible for the Irish potato famine of the late 1840s. In the Mission Valley, tons of potatoes were lost last year, Montana State University extension agent Jack Stivers said.

Sprouting their own forest

Michigan homicide suspect escapes custody in Sanders County

A Michigan man wanted for a 2011 homicide escaped from custody Sunday morning in the Plains area.

Hunters have many choices for game processing

With archery season starting and the general rifle season opening day on Saturday, Oct. 21, for so many people, the best season of the year is almost here.

Local veteran groups remember Thomas B. Castles

Superior’s RSVP and Community Outreach group will honor Mineral County veterans again this year on Armed Forces Day May 20.

Prominent Montana authors visit local library with rough and tumble tales

The Mineral County Public Library in Superior held a “Meet and Greet” with two Montana authors on Friday. They were Russell Rowland, a Billings author who just released the book “Fifty-Six Counties: A Montana Journey,” along with Superior author, Mike Lapinski, who released “Damaged Goods.”

Request made for post-fire salvage on Sunrise Fire

The Sunrise Fire is only about 60 percent contained but the Mineral County Resource Coalition has already drafted a request to Lolo National Forest Supervisor, Tim Garcia, to begin plans for post-fire salvage operations.

Forest Service announces the beginning of fire season in Sanders County

Proposed sewer project divides Paradise

Paradise isn’t lost, but it is sharply divided.

Wildfire burn scars affect West's drinking water

In “burn scars,” where fires decimated forest systems that held soil in place, an increase in droughts followed by heavy rainfall poses a different kind of threat to the water supplies that are essential to the health of communities.

Huckleberry Festival in Trout Creek

TROUT CREEK- Thousands of people flocked to the small lakeside community of Trout Creek over the weekend for the 34th annual Huckleberry Festival. While the huckleberry may be the state fruit of Idaho, the plant is celebrated in Sanders County with a festival that draws vendors and crowds from around the region.

Tribal leaders call for reinstatement of health department position

In a recent legislative hearing to help shape the state health department’s budget, tribal leaders traveled from across Montana to tell lawmakers they wanted to reinstate a tribal relations manager position that proponents say once provided valuable communication with the state Department of Public Health and Human Services.

What would Teddy do?

More and more these days, as the world turns topsy-turvy, I find myself asking, "WWTRD?" — What would Teddy Roosevelt do?

Hospital board meets about grant

The Mineral Community Hospital board of directors and members of the Mineral Regional Health Center board met jointly last week to discuss the community health center and to discuss where they were with the application of the New Access Point grant, whose funds are made available by the Affordable Care Act, will be awarded by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).

Riding ridges

Trout Creek riding club has been riding the Cabinets and serving the community for 19 years

North Face’s motto is “never stop exploring.” One club in Trout Creek, Montana has lived out that motto for the last twenty years.

Letters to the editor Sept. 21

Letters to the editor Sept. 21

A fight for property, liberty and burial rights

Veteran Renn Bodecker, 90, continues a fight with the courts to keep what he believes is rightfully his. Not only is he fighting for his property but he is also battling to be buried next to his wife, a right that may be stripped from him.

Wolf "problem" hits home

County Commissioners met on Wednesday to discuss the possibility of declaring Mineral County a disaster area, which would give citizens the right to kill a wolf if it threatened people, livestock or big-game animals. This proposed resolution is patterned after a similar one drafted by commissioners in Idaho County, Idaho, which asked Gov. Butch Otter to allow wolves to be eradicated in north-central Idaho County by any means necessary.