CHUCK BANDEL
Valley Press
Recent Stories
Superior football reloads with size and speed
Some schools go through a cyclical “rebuilding” process every other year or so.
Community rallies around firefighters at VFW breakfast
The Wildhorse VFW hall was built to host functions and events for heroes who served their country.
Winds fuel River Road East Fire near Paradise
High winds that wreaked havoc around the town of Paradise on Friday subsided overnight, slowing the advance of the wind-fueled River Road East Fire that began during the afternoon along the railroad tracks near the Clark Fork River.
Sheriff Fielders advises residents 'be ready to go'
Communication, it has been said, is often the difference between winning a battle and losing.
St. Regis-Mullan Tigers ramp up for season kickoff
So how do you replace an all-everything athlete who led your team in a bunch of offensive and defensive measurements last season?
Huckleberry Fest draws thousands to Trout Creek
This, said band member Dana Scranton, was something “nobody would have expected to find in this part of the country.”
Plains church leads back-to-school supply drive
The ever-widening grin on the face of 6-year-old Harrison Strong told the story.
Sanders County residents offer insight into 1915 rock carving
It didn’t take long for some important clues to roll in concerning the mystery of who John Crossen was, and why did he pause to carve his name in a rock on a ranch north of Plains more than a century ago.
Paradise exhibit features region’s top artists
Cool in every sense of the word.
Tough-as-leather rodeo athletes shine at Mineral County Fair
Never let it be said that rodeo is not an extremely entertaining sport.
Fall prep sports ramp up this month
This is why some people leave outdoor Christmas lights up year-round.
COLUMN: World Cup team all about politics
Soccer, at least among the Women’s World Cup team, is shooting itself in the proverbial foot.
Shawn Frank mows down the competition at Wild Coyote Days
It took only the first race to see this year’s Wild Coyote Days riding lawn mower races would be different than last year.
COLUMN: College football trouble
Football, my beloved sport, may be in trouble.
Bear attack survivor shares tips for Griz country
As he was dangling from the mouth of a record-size brown bear in Alaska, several thoughts surged through Brent Hudson’s badly bleeding head.
Plains resident looks to solve rock carving mystery
It’s an intriguing question that Plains area resident Ed Farmer would love to solve.
Cool Summer Nights Car Show revs up Trout Creek
Even in the heat of the summer, “cool” is the rule.
3-on-3 tourney draws hundreds of hoopers
you are a died-in-the-wool basketball fan, this may have made you think you had passed and gone to hoop heaven.
COLUMN: Dog Days
Don’t know if they officially begin in August or if July qualifies, but regardless, “they” are here.
Paradise Legion Club in need of new septic
During the well-publicized Paradise sewer project battle, the American Legion Club, one of two businesses in the town and the largest producer of sewage, had to walk a fine line.
Pickleball craze hits Montana courts
The dude in the pickle costume marching in the Plains Day parade might have been a harbinger of things to come.
Burgers and Bows shootout pulls in 80 archers
Archery, including bow hunting, is alive and well in Northwest Montana.
COLUMN: Getting in laps
For me, it was “several shaky steps for dude, not much of a leap for mankind.”
COLUMN: Monkey bars
It started early for me. I’ve always been a scavenger of one sort or another.
Fourth of July festivities light up Sanders County
Oh beautiful, for Big Blue skies, for forests, hills and Plains.
Reinstalled sign draws visitors to Paradise Legion club
Like the phoenix rising from the ashes in literary lore, a piece of Paradise has returned to its perch, symbolically and literally rising from the ashes of past tragedy.
Noxon fireworks trailer destroyed in post-Fourth blaze
You can see it in his eyes, even though he tries to suppress the hurt.
Family brings 'glamping' experience to Paradise
Camping, like so many things, has evolved from the days of the Old West.
New fitness gym takes shape in Plains
It could be said the “Warrior” spirit is being infused into the site of what will be the Warrior Fitness gym in Plains.
New K-12 private school to open near Thompson Falls
It’s not just parents who are dissatisfied with public education these days. There are also teachers who want a better way for their students to learn.
COLUMN: Pro payday
So let me get this straight: you get good, real good, really good at putting a ball through a hoop 10 feet off the ground and you can be set for life?
COLUMN: Hunting excursion
I don’t mean to jump the gun, no pun intended, but the way time is flying by, hunting season will be upon us in the wink of an eye.
Plains B&B joins yard sale event
It is an iconic symbol of days gone by. Caring people purchased her and re-purposed her.
Gambles Hardware expanding Plains location
One of the signs of business success is often expansion.
Teams from across region join Cornhole Festival
Troy Graves, a mountain of a bearded man from southern Idaho, summed it up perfectly. “It’s fun and it’s for a good cause,” he said while practicing before the opening rounds of the 2023 Cornhole Festival tournament Saturday on a scenic chunk of land alongside the Clark Fork River between Plains and Thompson Falls.
COLUMN: Connection to nature
I miss camping. And as the word “miss” implies, it has been a long time since I headed into the great outdoors to “rough” it, escape humanity, be one with nature.
Rodeo tough: Hot Springs' McAllister sets sights on rodeo career
It usually is, according to Hot Springs area resident and recent high school graduate Jack McAllister, an “adrenaline rush.”
COLUMN: A real American sport
I had an interesting “discussion” with a friend a few months ago.
Rodeo action delights Homesteader Days crowd
The rodeo announcer perhaps said it best from his press box perch above Hot Springs Rodeo Grounds on Sunday as another young cowboy fell from his mount and landed in dirt, surrounded by crazy hooves.
'Spa City' celebrates its roots at Homesteader Days
If the 2023 version of Homesteader Days, the annual celebration of Hot Springs, its history and the surrounding area, is any indication, it would be fair to say those homesteaders knew how to kick up their heels and have a good time.
Thompson Falls event gets kids ready for summer biking
No one would likely have anything bad to say about a government-hosted event that actually benefits children in a really good way.
Thompson Falls students win trip to space center
Who knows — if you look closely you may be able to see an “I Love the Blue Hawks” sticker on the fender of a future NASA mission to the moon.
Plains Day: An old-fashioned Montana celebration
The ominous clouds that circled the perimeter of the Wild Horse Plains were kept at bay.
COLUMN: The world of turtle racing
The field lays before them, chalked and ready to go.
Chisholm retiring as Plains superintendent
It would be tempting to say this is the end of the Chisholm trail.
Local athletes leave mark at Class C championships
It’s not an easy thing to win a state championship. But in the end, that’s one of the things that make a team or individual championship such a coveted achievement.
Lady Hawks make noise with state tourney upset
Notice to future opponents of the Thompson Falls Lady Hawks fastpitch softball team: Do NOT take them for granted.
COLUMN: Laurel a fine host
I remember well growing up just 14 official miles from Billings’ “bedroom”, a quiet little community called Laurel.
Local athletes rise up at Western C divisional meet
An old familiar name is atop the team standings following this past weekend’s Class C Western Divisional track and field tournament held under smokey skies in Missoula.
Lady Hawks fourth at softball divisionals
By all measures the Thompson Falls softball team had a successful 2023 season.2111