Superior qualifies for free hot lunch program

Thanks to the efforts of Superior School’s administrative staff, the school will qualify for the free hot breakfast and lunch program. Last week, the Mineral Independent reported that Alberton and Superior schools were slated to lose their status for the free hot lunch program. However, staff members reviewed the state records for students who qualify and found those reports out of date.

Mountain lion spotted in Superior

There have been numerous reports of a mountain lion in Superior over the past few weeks. It has been seen at night near Eva Horning Park. the high school and in the area of 4th Avenue. The Mineral County Sheriff’s Office and the local game warden had been notified. However, the warden, Alex Mattson, said he had only received one call.

Ratliff, Sparks bound for National AAU Championships

It has been a very busy, and sometimes hectic time, for young amateur wrestlers over the last four or five weeks. The high school season ended in late February, and grapplers from 4 through 18 have spent hours on the mats during practice and competition.

In its 40th year, Montana Water Court future uncertain

HELENA — The Montana Water Court could soon reach a turning point once all its old water rights cases are settled.

Snowfall seen as worst in last 30 years

Last week, long-time Mineral County residents saw more snow than they’ve seen in 30 years. Estimates from the storm that hit last Monday, Feb. 25 were around 18 inches in Alberton, 12 in Superior and eight in St. Regis.

America Saves Week addresses national 'savings crisis'

Military Saves Week also observed Feb. 25-March 2

The American personal savings rate is at its lowest level since the U.S. financial crisis in 2008, at 6.0 percent of disposable income, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, and is continuing a 60-year downward trend line.

Region One wolf count discussed at Kalispell meeting

The sportsmen’s meeting held in Kalispell on Jan. 30 drew 400 plus attendees. We would like to thank the area sportsmen and women, the Foundation for Wildlife Management, Montana Sportsmen for Fish and Wildlife, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and Montana Fish, Widlife & Parks for being there. It was a very passionate, concerned crowd who were frustrated with the ungulate population counts in Region One, located in Northwestern Montana.

Friends say goodbye as county worker Shirley Iwata retires

Shirley Iwata has been a familiar face around the Mineral County Courthouse for many years. Over that time, she’s held several positions and now she has added a new one to her list, that of being “retired”. Shirley is now 70 and officially retired on Jan. 31. She wanted to retire while she was in good health and could enjoy more of life’s adventures.

Legals February 20, 2019

LEGAL NOTICE Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks (FWP) seeks public comment on a proposal to amend the Thompson-Fisher Conservation Easement (EA) to remove 1.63 acres of developed land and replace it with 5 acres of undeveloped, upland and riparian habitat along the Little Thompson River. This land exchange and accompanying CE amendment would resolve an encroachment issue on the CE land. The developed land on the CE involves seven different parcels of State School Trust Land managed by DNRC. Each parcel is adjacent to the conservation easement and lies within the Thompson River valley. The DNRC parcels are leased for cabin sites and they include various structures or other improvements that encroach onto the CE. Weyerhaeuser has agreed to remove the 1.63 acres of developed land from the easement and add 5 acres of undeveloped land which is adjacent to existing CE land, for a net gain to the easement property of 3.37 acres. The 5-acre parcel to be added to the CE is currently managed by Weyerhaeuser as forestland and this proposal will ensure that it will be managed in the same manner in the future. No immediate changes in land use would occur because of this amendment either on the land removed from or added to the CE. No money would be exchanged to complete the proposed amendment. The comment period extends for 30 days. Written comments will be accepted until 5:00 p.m. on March 15, 2019. The draft environmental assessment is available at the FWP office, 490 N. Meridian Rd., Kalispell; Montana State Library, 1515 E 6th Ave., Helena; FWP State Headquarters, 1420 E 6th Ave., Helena; the FWP website at http://fwp.mt.gov/news/publicNotices/environmentalAssessments/acquisitionsTradesAndLeases/. A copy of the plan may also be obtained by contacting the FWP Kalispell area office at 406-752-5501 or by emailing ktempel@mt.gov, and available for viewing at all local libraries. Please send all written comments to either of the following addresses: Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks; Attn: Kris Tempel, Thompson- Fisher EA; 490 N. Meridian Road; Kalispell, MT 59901; ktempel@mt.gov Published in the Clark Fork Valley Press on February 20 and March 6, 2019. MNAXLP

Library drops fines in exchange for food donations

As of Feb. 1, the Mineral County Library will no longer charge fines for overdue library items and all overdue books currently on patrons accounts have been removed. Instead, when books and other items are overdue, people are being asked to bring non-perishable food items to the library in lieu of fines. Which in turn will be donated to the local food bank. However, charges for lost or damaged books will remain the same.

Legals February 13, 2019

The Sanders County Educational Services Cooperative will soon destroy special education/speech-language therapy records of former students who have been out of school for approximately 8 years, or who will reach the age of 26 by June 1st, 2019. Former students may contact the Sanders County Educational Services Cooperative, P.O. Box 1448, Thompson Falls, MT 59873 within sixty days of this notice if they wish to obtain the information contained in them. Please be reminded that these records may be needed for social security benefits or other purposes. The information to be destroyed shall NOT include data collected on a routine basis that is maintained on all school children (such as the student's name, address, telephone number, grade level completed/year completed). The data to be destroyed shall include information regarding identification, location, evaluation, and other items directly related to special education services which the student received. Persons having questions about this process or wishing to request that special education/speech-language therapy records be destroyed may contact the Sanders County Educational Services Cooperative at 406-827-3007 for assistance. Published on February 13 and February 20, 2019 in the Valley Press and Mineral Independent. MNAXLP

Jurek's ice sculptures bring attention to MT wolf issues

Josh Jurek has wolves on his mind.

Lady Devils struggle offensively

Noxon came out on the short end of the scoring in a pair of District 14C girls’ basketball road contests last week.

Report from week three: Bills are starting to work their way through

This week saw the hustle and bustle the Legislature is known for. The bills are now coming out of committees and on to the floor in greater numbers. The Senate has also passed enough bills across the floor that they are even showing up in House committees and vice versa.

Battle over Cyr Road closure continues

Diane Magone has continued to pound the drum at a steady pace regarding the nearly 6-year-old closure of the Cyr Iron Mountain Road. During the January Mineral County Resource Coalition meeting, she once again was on the agenda to keep the coalition members up to date on what is happening with its public access.

4-H members set Montana Symbol of Excellence record for hogs

Two Mineral County 4-H members set a new record by becoming state champions in The Montana Symbol of Excellence (SOE) program. Superior students, 13-year-old, Decker Milender and Heather Haskins, 11, won the Montana State University Montana Symbol of Excellence for their commitment to excellence in producing quality pork products. Their 2018, 4-H projects won with Milender winning for the “light carcass division” youth hog and Haskins winning in the “heavy carcass division.”

Craft breweries dot NW Montana

T?he growth of craft breweries has exploded during the last decade and Northwest Montana is part of the revolution.

Meeting to discuss wolves' effects on wildlife, livestock

Sportsmen and women will be sponsoring a meeting Wednesday, Jan. 30 to move forward with the goal of reducing wolf numbers to objectives set by United States Fish and Wildlife Service at 150 wolves in Montana. The meeting begins at 6:30 p.m. at the Red Lion in the Kalispell Center Mall.

Thompson Falls boys & girls suffer losses to Bigfork, Deer Lodge

It would be fair to call last week’s schedule for the Thompson Falls varsity boys’ basketball team the most difficult week of the regular season. After all, the Bluehawks were facing Class B teams ranked No. 1 and No. 5 in Montana.

Superior senior hits the bull's-eye

Ever since grade school, Jonna Rae Warnken has had her eye on targets, both figuratively and as a fact of life. Now eight years later, she’s hit a big bulls-eye as she signed a letter to shoot for the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) division one team. Jonna is a senior at Superior High School and shooting for a college team has been her goal since she was nine-years-old. Now at 17, her dreams are coming true, “I’m so fortunate to have received a scholarship,” she said during an interview with the Mineral Independent. Her overall goal is to shoot for UTEP as All American for four years and to help get her team to the NCAA Championships.