Bill would help ease health care burden

As people of faith, we believe that each of us has a moral obligation to take care of each other. At one time or another, every one of our fellow human beings has a need that we can help ease.

Forest Service employees snowed in to desk jobs

SUPERIOR – As hard winter weather and blizzard-like conditions hit the area last week, the Forest Service was forced to delay some of their plans. Tawnya Brummett, district ranger for the Superior Ranger District, said a number of small projects are underway. There have already been a few survey crews out investigating places for future projects. While most of these were in lower elevations, the higher than average snowfalls have caused a few delays in the schedule this year. Most of the delays have not been too serious. There are a number of areas in higher elevations where the Forest Service expected delays to occur. In recent years, they have been able to work on some projects in lower elevations all through the winter. This year has been different for the crews as snow has built up in lower elevations. “[The winter weather] impacted us slightly, I would say, just in some of our low elevation projects,” Brummett said. While a number of areas are buried under feet of snow, the Forest Service has had plenty more fieldwork to do in the winter months. With how many winter recreation opportunities there are in the area, lots of work goes into making sure everything is safe. To this end, one thing the Forest Service does is keep an eye on avalanche risks in the area. Each week, rangers go out to look at the avalanche dangers to assess the risks in an area. The Superior Ranger District coordinates their efforts with the Missoula area and ranger districts in the Idaho panhandle to keep an accurate idea of the area’s condition. According to Brummett, the area around the Idaho state line has had especially high avalanche danger the last few weeks. While there have not been any avalanche fatalities in Mineral County, she said there have been a few around other parts of western Montana. Brummett said the Forest Service crews are looking forward to the warmer weather. Once the weather clears and the ground thaws they will be able to start work on more field projects. Until the weather improves the Forest Service employees are busy with office work, such as requesting grants to fund many of their activities. Brummett described this as possibly the least favorite part of the job for many of the employees at the Superior Ranger Station. She said most of them would rather be out in the field working on projects than stuck behind a desk. “There’s always a lot to do,” Brummett said. “But my folks would definitely rather be out in the woods doing it.” The Forest Service has also begun planning their controlled burns for the spring and summer. Brummett said it was also too early to say how the fire season this year would be effected by the snowpack. She said the precipitation in the area was looking good and the moisture levels were healthy. However, a particularly warm period could dry things out quickly and increase the fire risks. The Forest Service has begun hiring for their temporary summer jobs. The most common jobs available are for firefighters and fire support crews. There are also positions available on trail and timber maintenance crews as well as on the Mineral County Resource Advisory Committee. Brummett said she wanted to get the positions filled early so everyone can be ready to go once the season starts.

Trotters take first at divisionals

Superior Junior High School demolished

It only took three days to tear down the aging Superior Junior High building located across the road from the Mineral County Fair Grounds. The demolition started on Tuesday, Jan. 29 and was completely gone and hauled away by Thursday.

Plains man wins warrior contest

Matt Unrau

Runners excel at the Edge

Peaking at just the right time – that’s the whole purpose of the 10-week cross country season.  It’s where the science of training meets the art of experience.  As a coach, you put together a mix of quality and quantity; work and recovery; motivation and support; and, above all, hope.  Hope that the plan included enough mileage – but, not too much; hope that you pushed them hard enough – but, not so hard that they crossed the fine line into injury or illness; hope that you gave them the direction needed to be successful; and, hope that you did the right thing for each of the 10 wonderfully unique individual athletes that were part of the 2010 Plains High School Cross Country team. 

Hospital offers new services

Look no further than Mineral Community Hospital for your orthopedic surgery needs.

Ornelas taking care of business

For eight weeks, Sheriff Ernie Ornelas has been heading up the Mineral County Sheriff’s Department. Of those eight weeks, he was gone for two weeks for trainings up in Helena.

Plains cross country runs wild at state meet

Tony Banovich

End of an ordeal

Volunteers move last animals off of defunct sanctuary

Volunteers brought a 42-day ordeal to a close last Monday at the now-defunct Montana Large Animal Sanctuary and Rescue in Niarada after moving the last 150 animals from the property. The effort, lead by AniMeals of Missoula, has been called one of the largest animal rescue operations ever carried out after what has come to be known as one of the largest cases of animal neglect in history.

Mineral County properties part of large online auction

A sudden wave of yellow and black auction signs has sprung up across western Montana, signaling the start of what may be the largest online land auction in the state's history. A forward-thinking Montana real estate broker, Al Dunlap of Regent Realty in Missoula, has partnered with the LFC Group of Companies, industry leaders in online marketing, to sell 30 properties. Twenty-four of the properties alone reside within Mineral County.

Plains runners improve times at Mountain West Classic

It had all the makings of a miserable day.  As the Plains and Thompson Falls cross country team bus approached Arlee and Evaro last Saturday, they were met with a wall of clouds, rain, lightning and thunder.  With the teams headed towards Missoula for the annual Mountain West Classic cross country meet, the mood on the bus was getting somber as the kids and coaches were thinking that the day was going to be long, muddy, wet and cold.  But, as the bus approached the University Golf Course on the south end of the University of Montana campus, the rain quit, the clouds thinned and a bit of sun began to poke through.  That turn of good fortune was a signal of the day to come for the Horsemen and Trotter harrier squads.

Plains cross country team returns from state with hardware

PLAINS – In an unexpected series of events, the Plains Trotter Harriers brought home a third place victory from the State Championship meet in Missoula.

Trick or Treat, Move Your Feet run will be Oct. 31

Trick or Treat, Move Your Feet, is the Thompson Falls Community Trail Committee’s third 5K Run and 1-mile Fun Run/Walk.

Empty daycare center burns in Superior

On the afternoon of Tuesday, March 30, the Superior Volunteer Fire Department responded to a house fire on Illinois Avenue...

Meetings will discuss proposed hunting regs

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks will host a series of virtual and in-person public meetings around the state to present proposed hunting regulations for 2024/2025 hunting seasons.

A range of emotions for 2020 Hot Springs graduates

Hot Springs High School made the most of its outdoor graduation ceremony Sunday, May 24.

Alberton tracksters have high hopes

Slowly but surely the varsity sports program at Alberton High School, now in it’s second year of existence as a non-co-op team, is producing some quality athletes.

Lolo National Forest Planning

Lolo National Forest Planning

Construction resumes on Perma bridge over Flathead River

The Montana Department of Transportation and Frontier West are resuming work on the bridge that carries Secondary Highway 382 over the Flathead River near Perma this week, weather and other factors permitting.