CHUCK BANDEL
Valley Press
Recent Stories
Campaign season begins with local 'meet and greet'
Some say the first robin hopping across the law is a sure sign spring is at hand.
Paradise sewer board debates Barber's resignation
During the last episode of “The Middle Aged and the Sewerless” everyone was wondering if this was the last they’d see of thrice resigned Paradise Board member Janis Barber.
Superior girls tennis eyes success on court
A strong player turnout is fueling anticipation that the Superior High School girls could be a formidable team this Spring.
St. Regis golf draws ample numbers
Last season only two players turned out for the St. Regis High school golf team. The good news is both are back this year along with a bunch of other players.
Thompson Falls golf teams stack up
As is the case with most area high school golf teams, large numbers are participating this year as compared to the last two Covid-stifled seasons.
Ukraine benefit dinner raises $6,000
People in the war-ravaged area in and around Ukraine will soon be getting a special blessing from some caring citizens of Sanders County.
Heated exchanges at sewer board meeting
According to Webster’s New World dictionary, dysfunction (not to be confused with “dat-function”) is quite simply “abnormal or impaired functioning.”
Hot Springs track has strong core
A solid core of experienced athletes will be counted on to lead the way for the Hot Springs High Savage Heat track and field team as the upcoming 2022 season is nearly at hand.
T-Falls softball has deep pitching rotation
Good pitching and more good pitching are a fast pitch softball coaches dream.
Plains softball has high hopes
Hopes are running high that this year’s Plains High fast pitch softball team will be able to turn a blend of experience and youth into a winning product on the field.
Plains track banking on experience
A group of hard-working underclassmen is sparking hope the Plains High track and field team will grow and develop as the year goes by.
Youth to power St. Regis track and field
They are few in numbers but long in competitiveness.
T-Falls track teams ripe with potential
A good mix of experience and youth is being counted on this year to drive the Thompson Falls track and field teams throughout the 2022 season.
Superior track teams start up season
Host Beaverhead County piled up 101 points Saturday afternoon to win the girls team title at the Blue Devil Invitational track and field meet in Corvallis.
Thompson Falls boys second at Eureka track meet
It’s one of the rites of spring. As soon as the snow melts and often before it does, Montana high schoolers take to the running track, the jump pits and the weight throwing areas as track fever breaks out.
Thompson Falls fundraiser to assist Ukrainians
If you, like many others around the world, have seen the many heart-wrenching images of the hardships thrust upon the people of Ukraine, and would like to do something from Montana, a man and a church in Thompson Falls have an excellent way to help.
Blue Hawks earn all-state honors
Good news and bad news for the Thompson Falls girls and boys basketball team.
Noxon High School track gears up for spring
As if an omen from above, the thick, moisture rich clouds parted revealing blue sky and piercing rays of Springs sunshine indicative of better weather days ahead.
Noxon's VanVleet signs with Tech
Good things, the saying goes, sometimes come in small packages. News flash — good things also often come in big packages.
Paradise sewer board discusses $53k bill
They’ve already dealt with a revolving door when it comes to membership on the board.
Lady Hawks cap successful season
"In tournaments anything can happen, and it usually does,” Thompson Falls girls basketball coach Chadd Laws said just days before his Lady Hawks traveled to Bozeman for the this past weekend’s State Class C basketball tournament.
Paradise sewer board reviews new proposal
Programs at the door may be a wise expenditure as the battle for the Paradise sewer heats up amid leadership and money challenges for the beleaguered Sewer Board and its members.
Local standouts earn All-State honors
Let the accolades roll.
I-90 rivals take the court for annual donkey basketball game
No one wanted to make an “ass” out of themselves. Except for the stars of the show who are used to such descriptions.
T-Falls girls ramp up for state tourney
One thing you can’t help but notice when entering the gym at Thompson Falls High School for a girls basketball game or practice.
Fundraiser benefits Plains softball program
One of the great things about small-town living, most folks agree, is the generosity and hospitality that is often in abundance.
Lady Hawks earn No. 2 seed at state
It was only fitting and proper, one might say, that the two teams who met in the Western B Girls Divisional final were Bigfork and Thompson Falls.
St. Regis just misses state berth
It's a long held, often mumbled under the breath complaint common to Western C Divisional basketball fans and coaches: the “tournament” is really about who’s going to finish second.
Lady Bobcats cap impressive season
Most coaches will agree the ideal situation during a basketball season is that the team gets better as the season goes on.
Thompson Falls boys finish 4th at divisional tourney
If the roller coaster ride ends with fans thinking it was worth the price of a ticket, most would call that a successful run.
Superior girls clip Charlo for 14C title
There are mountains, folks say, that just can’t be climbed.
Paradise: Water board members call for split from sewer board
There has been progress made in the controversial Paradise Sewer construction project.
Superior's Reese signs with Carroll
Superior’s loss is Carroll College’s gain.
Thilmony leads local wrestlers at state
Three appearances in the title matches and three straight State Championships for Thompson Falls standout wrestler Trae Thilmony, who made it a trifecta with his win at 145 pounds at the state tournment in Billings this past weekend.
St. Regis, Charlo thrill in 14C championship
Sound can be many things. It can bring joy or be a harbinger of pain. Produce happiness or deflating sorrow as when someone unties the end of a balloon and the energy keeping it pumped up escapes into thin air.
Christensen heads to Carroll for track and basketball
For the past several years Katelyn Christensen has been a Hot Springs High mainstay and standout athletically and academically.
Lady Hawks earn No. 4 seed
After getting a bye in the first day of the 7B girls basketball playoffs in Bigfork, the Thompson Falls Lady Hawks had reason to feel optimistic.
T-Falls boys get fourth seed in Divisionals
Things were looking good following the first day of the Western 7B District tournament for the Thompson Falls High boys basketball team.
Western B tournament tips off Thursday in Ronan
A pair of No. 1 district seeds and a pair of fourth place district qualifiers will represent Sanders and Mineral counties in this week’s divisional playoffs beginning Thursday.
Hot Springs girls nip the Plains Trotters, 51-50
Good karma begets good karma?
Lady Tigers close season with victory
For a pair of senior girls playing their last regular season home game at St. Regis High School, Thursday was a big night.
Lady Bobcats tune up for postseason
The Superior High School girls tuned up for this week’s Western 14C basketball tournament with a positive split of their final three regular season games of the year.
St. Regis' Tanner Day joins 1,000-point club
It tournament time. All the regular season games are over.
Plains hoopers conclude regular seasons
Going into the final game of a season in which your team has yet to enter the win column, playing a traditional B/C powerhouse is perhaps a fitting way to wrap things up.
T-Falls girls secure No. 2 seed with win over St. Ignatius
With the District 7B second seed on the line, Thompson Falls’ Lady Hawks dug deep and came up with a 52-51 win over now fourth-seeded St. Ignatius during a hard-fought conference battle Thursday night in St. Ignatius.
Blue Hawks falter against Bigfork, Mission
When you are getting ready for a conference tournament its always good to know how the boys on top are doing.
Hot Springs boys split final games
With the 2021-22 class C basketball regular season in the rear view mirror, the Hot Springs Savage Heat boys closed things out with a split of their final two games this past week.
Lady Hawks earn No. 2 seed for 7B tourney
With a critical final weekend of the regular season coming up next, the Thompson Falls Lady Hawks staked a claim for the Western 7B number two playoff seed with a 63-42 win over the Eureka Lions Saturday night in Thompson Falls.
Hot Spring boys ride hot streak into postseason
It’s always good to close the season on a roll, especially if you are heading into playoff territory.
Area wrestlers advance to state meet
It was a good day for Sanders and Mineral County wrestlers at the Montana High School Western Divisional B/C meet in Butte this past week.