'Miss Montana' drops paratroopers, gives Plains a thrill

In a show of patriotism, skill and small-town devotion to honoring heroes of the past, the skies over Plains became a spectacular part of the “Miss Montana to Normandy” project Tuesday, May 14.

Hot Springs, county rally to support Salmi family

When the normally bubbly, active 5-year old Harlee Salmi said she didn’t feel well and complained of a sore neck, no one could have known what lay ahead.

Clark Fork, St. Regis participate in track divisionals

Both the Seeley-Swan boys and girls captured the win with 201 points at the 13C Divisionals at Big Sky High School in Missoula on May 10 and 11. In the 14C Divisional, Charlo won for both the boys and girls with 156 and 208, respectively. The Clark Fork boys placed second in 13C with 118 points, and the girls placed second with 114. The St. Regis boys placed fifth in 14C with 52 points, and the girls were second with 73. Jesse Shaske of Clark Fork won both the 800-meter and 1,600-meter runs with 2:01.73 and 4:53.83, respectively. Ian Farris of St. Regis won both the 100- and 200-meter dash with 11.43 and 24.29. Trey Green of Clark Fork was firt in the shot put with 46-01.50. Carson Callison of Clark Fork won the triple jump with 36-09.00. Andrew Sanford of St. Regis won the high jump with 5-06.00. Cassie Green of Clark Fork was first in the shot put with 30-02.75. Madison Kelly of St. Regis won both the 800 and 1,600 with 2:45.74 and 6:08.19, respectively. Emma Hill of St. Regis won the high jump with 4-08.00.

Korean War vets to be honored on Armed Forces Day

Three of Superior’s Korean War veterans will be honored for their military services at the Armed Forces Day ceremony on Saturday, May 18 at Superior High School. Cabin Fever Quilters will present Wayne Bricker, Lee Magone and Doug Cummings with quilts in honor of their services in the Korean War. The event begins at noon and is open to the public.

Missoula Public Assistance to help Mineral County this summer

The Missoula Field Office of Public Assistance will travel to the Mineral County Courthouse to assist residents with Medicaid, food stamps and cash assistance applications on May 14. This will provide low income families who aren’t able to travel to Missoula an opportunity to apply for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and Medicaid, state-run programs through the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services. “I just think it’s important,” says retired social worker Diane Magone. “There’s a lot of people that can’t get to Missoula.” Although the state offers an electronic system for applications, Magone says many Mineral County residents don’t have computer access. When the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP), a school lunch program, was dropped from the budget at Mineral County Schools, Superior Schools superintendent Scott Kinney began talking to commissioners to reignite the program. CEP provides free breakfast and lunch to students in low income areas and works directly with SNAP and TANF programs. This prompted Kinney and Magone to connect with the Missoula Field Office to inquire about travelling to Superior to assist with Mineral County applicants. Field Manager Kara Thomas arranged for their office to make three trips to Mineral County in May, June and July this year. “I’d like them to keep her coming long term,” Magone said. Superior’s Office of Public Assistance closed in 2015 due to staffing and budget cuts, and Mineral County residents haven’t received face-to-face access since the closure. “Budget cuts are happening statewide and there’s lots of problems with substances and mental health issues,” Magone said. The Missoula Field Office of Public Assistance will travel to Mineral County Tuesday, May 14, Tuesday, June 18 and Thursday July 18 from 9:15 a.m. to 3:45 p.m.

Happy, Healthy Hikers' first trek is a success

Hikers travelled through dynamite blasted gaps above the old Milwaukee Railroad to Point of Rocks on Tuesday, April 30 for the first Happy, Healthy Hikers event of the season. West of Alberton, hikers from Mineral County and Missoula gathered for some exercise, scenery and a history lesson on the Mullan Road. Mineral County Health Department, The Montana Wilderness Association, The Great Burn Study Group, Zero to Five, the U.S. Forest Service collaborate once again to offer guided hikes for residents in Mineral County and surrounding areas, free of charge.

Detention Center's future remains a mystery

Mineral County officials met once again on Friday, April 26 to discuss the the Mineral County Detention Center’s fate — following its closure in February due to a detention officer shortage. The jail’s future remains a mystery; however, officials are getting closer to a decision, which could mean finally having the ability to hire the minimum number of officers. Other alternatives include using the jail as overflow for Lake County inmates or leasing the facility to Community, Counseling and Correctional Services, Incorporated (CCCS), a private, non-profit jail corporation. Staffing officers for the 28-bed jail is the county’s ideal option to reopen the facility but finding eligible applicants and retaining them is a problem. There are currently four eligible applicants to begin the hiring process, however they have not gone through a background check or an interview. The detention center also doesn’t have a supervisor at this time. “I don’t want to start hiring people if we don’t have supervisor,” County Commissioner Laurie Johnston said. “But you can’t open a jail without detention officers.” Officials discussed starting the initial process, meaning they could interview potential officers but couldn’t guarantee them a job. “I don’t want to put somebody in there dealing with inmates if they don’t know what they’re doing”, said Johnston. County Attorney Ellen Donohue suggested waiting to hire a supervisor, but potential detention officers won’t have a job until there’s a supervisor. “It’s a ripple effect,” Donohue said. If the county finds their five minimum detention officers, the budget becomes an increasing issue because Missoula detention officers would need to train new officers. “I don’t have it in my budget,” Sheriff Mike Boone said. “Their detention officers are making $36 an hour.”

Blackfoot Telecommunications now offers a streaming primer

Blackfoot Telecommunications helped take some of the mystery out of “streaming” and “smart TVs” and even how to watch good old-fashioned local TV in today’s era, with a first-ever “Understanding Streaming” workshop in Thompson Falls April 24.

MCT's 'Gulliver's Travels' seemed different somehow

Nearly 50 Plains students performed in and helped produce Missoula Children’s Theater’s (MCT) wild, space-travel odyssey version of “Gulliver’s Travels” last Saturday.

Farris, Green win events at Seeley-Swan Invitational

MISSOULA — St. Regis Tiger Ian Farris won the boys’ 100-meter dash in 11.58 seconds and Clark Fork Mountain Cat Trey Green took top honors in the shot put with an effort of 46-1.50 at the Seeley-Swan Invitational on Saturday, April 20 at Big Sky High School in Missoula. Bigfork, 104, won for the boys and Seeley-Swan, 112, captured the girls crown with Bigfork second, 94 1/2. Seeley-Swan athletes won six events to Bigfork’s two — Anya Young (1,600-meter run) and Ashton McAnally (shot put). St. Regis heads to the John Cheek Top 8 Meet in Anaconda on Tuesday, April 30, and the both the Mountain Cats and Tigers take part in the Kim Haines Memorial in Missoula on Saturday, May 4.

Detention Center closed County proposes alternative uses for facility

Mineral County officials met on Friday, April 12 to discuss proposals for the Detention Center’s future following its temporary closure in February.

Mountain Cats, Tigers open season at Frenchtown Invite

Both the Clark Fork Mountain Cats and the St. Regis Tigers track teams placed in multiple track and field events on Saturday, April 6 at the Frenchtown Invitational, held at the Big Sky High School facility in Missoula.

Fate of Mineral County Detention Center in limbo

Mineral County officials are currently deciding whether or not to close the Detention Center, which closed temporarily in early February, due to a detention officer shortage. Staff shortages caused a previous closure in 2017.

Superior Fire Dep't trains for high-angle rescues

The Superior Volunteer Fire Department has been involved with five high angle rescue accidents in 2018. Including the December 19 pileup on Interstate 90 which included a trucker driver who jumped over an overpass to avoid being hit by a semi-truck. As well as the rescue of Frenchtown Firefighter, Kyle Rauch, who had responded to that incident and slipped on the icy bridge deck and plunged 40 feet down an embankment. Rauch survived the fall thanks to the quick efforts of emergency responders. The truck driver involved with the incident, as well as the other three victims of high angle rescues last year, did not survive.

Mineral Community Hospital receives new portable X-ray machine

Patients at Mineral Community Hospital will soon benefit from studies using the latest in X-ray technology made possible through a grant from The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust’s Rural Healthcare Program.

Where is the Taft cemetery?

Boom town supported railroad in early 1900s

“Bullet, belt buckle, button,” the metal detector’s screen reads various items buried some seven feet beneath the earth. Forest Service Archeologist Erika Karuzas continues to wave the detector over an area that most believe is the location of an old cemetery. Located on a hillside covered with 100-year-old lodge pole pine overlooking Interstate 90.

Dawn Bauer recipient of prestigious Hunger Hope Award

Superior School’s Elementary Administrative Assistant and Afterschool Coordinator Dawn Bauer has been recognized for her work in securing food for hungry children. She was presented with an award during the Montana Food Bank Network (MFBN) event, The Taste, on March 8. This is an annual fundraiser for the food bank and was held at the Neptune Aviation airplane hangar in Missoula. Where over 100 food and drinks were prepared by nearly 40 local chefs, brewers, distiller and other food establishments.

Trout Creek teacher is featured at Blackfoot meeting

With a “passion for technology and for thinking outside here and now into the future,” as Daisy Carlsmith of Trout Creek puts it, she and a team of collaborating educators in western Montana have developed a highly successful non-profit to facilitate professional development on a host of topics for educators.

Blackfoot breaking ground on fiber optic cable expansion project

Result will be faster Internet

Community Notes

The Mineral Independent reported in the March 20 issue that sixth-grader Abigail Wheeler, from Superior School, won first place in the intermediate division for the Keep Montana Green Association poster art contest. Her mother proudly announced that she recently won first place in the state competition in her division. Congratulations, Abigail!