PHOTOS Alberton School Christmas Decorating
Sunday afternoon in the Alberton School cafeteria, families were having a wonderful time making and decorating gram cracker houses while enjoying warm beverages and snacks.
Superior music students compete at band and choir festival
Debbie Merrill’s music class at Superior School District has four students that just competed, or will compete, in the University of Montana All-Star Band or All-Star Choir Festival.
Dixon bar still making history
In 1812, David Thompson established a trading post near his namesake town of Thompson Falls and began traveling up the Flathead River exploring and trading furs with the Native Americans.
Delivery driver rescued after vehicles gets stuck
Last Friday at approximately 9:20 p.m., the Superior Volunteer Fire Department received a request from the Mineral County Sheriff’s Office to assist with locating a stranded motorist up Verde Creek.
State Rep. Loge nets a few seconds on hit show 'Yellowstone'
Being an extra on the "Yellowstone" production set can be both interesting and exciting, but one thing the extras, or seconds, agree on is that it also can be boring.
Rehab work on I-90 bridges near Alberton complete
The Montana Department of Transportation and Frontier West have completed the rehabilitation of four I-90 bridges located east of Alberton.
Emergency services committee reviews hazmat spills
The Mineral County Disaster and Emergency Services aims to build, sustain and improve the ability to prepare, protect against, respond to and recover and mitigate hazards in Mineral County.
PHOTOS Helping Hands Auction
Left to right, Aaron and Sandye Adams along with Glen Babcock worked as ‘greeters’ at the Helping Hands Auction held at the River Edge Resort & Steakhouse in Alberton. Babcock is the chairman of Helping Hands and said that this time of year, their mission is very simple: “To help kids and families at Christmas that are in need of food and clothes.” They team up with the PEAK Foundation who organizes the Giving Tree for the area and help as many people as financially possible from the Missoula area through Mineral County.
St. Regis clinic joins Mineral Community Hospital
The Jack Lincoln Memorial Clinic in St. Regis is now operated by Mineral Community Hospital after the clinic's medical director Dr. Randy Lovell opted to focus on his practice in Thompson Falls.
Big Sky Forest Products plans expansion
Mineral County's largest forest products manufacturer is set to undergo a major expansion after it was rewarded two federal grants to build a treatment plant at its St. Regis site.
West End department builds its own truck to fight wildfires
A Type 6 Fire Truck is required which is a powerful pickup that carries a water tank, pump, and hose on the back flatbed.
Teen harvests bull and cow elk in same day
Nicholas Cooper started hunting through the FWP Apprentice Hunter Program at 10 years old. He’s taken a turkey, a doe and a couple of young bucks, but he’s never fired a shot at an elk, until a few weeks ago.
Stakeholders develop wildfire protection plan
In response to increasing wildfire risks, Mineral County has contracted SWCA Environmental Consultants to work in collaboration with the Mineral County Resource Coalition and other stakeholders to develop a Mineral County Community Wildfire Protection Plan update.
Schober’s Towing and Repair sold after 48 years in business
Schober’s Towing and Repair started in 1976 with a one-ton Chevy and Chevron gasoline on the corner of Highway 135 and old Highway 10, where Doc’s Casino now sits today.
Lloyd Ridings VFW post organizes Veterans Day ceremony
On Monday, Nov. 11 at 0800 hours, the Veterans of Foreign Wars Lloyd Ridings Post #6238 held a small, but significant, flag assembly for Superior Elementary School on their playground.
Turkey Trot raises donations for Mineral County Food Bank
How many guests, on average, did Thanksgiving hosts expect to serve in 2023?
Standout Superior students eye future plans
Abby Wheeler is a senior at Superior High School and in the running for a $20,000 scholarship from Coca-Cola.
Order of the Eastern Star holds fundraising dinner
Members of The Mary Baldwin Chapter of the Order of the Eastern Star served lasagna, garlic bread, Caesar salad and dessert as a fund raiser to help the Superior Recycling Center and the Mineral County Food Bank on Sunday at the Masonic Lodge in Superior.
Hunters play key role in understanding CWD
Chronic wasting disease was recently detected in a white-tailed deer in Kalispell. This is the first time CWD has been detected in a wild herd in Hunting District 170.
Fiber optic work continues along I-90
Motorists who traveled I-90 the last three days in October undoubtedly noticed more road crews, detours and equipment than during the busiest time of the summer.
Abandoned puppies rescued along I-90
Saturday morning, a motorist on East Mullan near the Mineral County Airport called the Mineral County Sheriff’s Office to report a frenzied dog in the middle of the road. It was wandering from side to side, looking over its shoulder, obviously lost and panicked, the caller reported.
Award-winning author to talk about her novel at Superior library
Celebrated author Leslie Budewitz returns to the Mineral County Library in Superior on Saturday, Nov. 1 at 1 p.m. to talk about her latest book "The Real-Life Mary Fields."
DeBorgia Schoolhouse hosts annual spaghetti dinner
“The dinner has always been called The DeBorgia Schoolhouse Spaghetti Dinner,” Naomi Stevens explained, who is involved in most everything in the west end of Mineral County.
Entrepreneurs team up to open new store in Superior
Christine Wharton and Janeen Willis have each been in the "fun stuff" business for a few years and recently partnered up with Superior retail store The Classy Bee’s Gift Shop at 204 4th Avenue.
Cyr Bridge on Highway 10 reopens
When the Montana Department of Transportation reported that the Cyr Bridge off I-90 would be closed all summer, they weren’t fibbing.
Field burn offers firefighters a chance to train
A recent planned burn in Tarkio on Jim and Mary Jo Lommen’s property was considered a a win-win.
PHOTOS: Superior homes go spooky for Halloween
Superior residents dress up their homes for a spooky Halloween.
County attorney explains water rights notice
The Montana Water Court recently issued a decree for the Clark Fork River between the confluences of the Blackfoot and Flathead rivers which goes through most of Mineral and Sanders counties.
Mineral County prepares for Election Day
Mineral County Clerk and Recorder Kelann McLees (left) and Deputy Clerk and Recorder Kasey Feasel are accepting absentee ballots and gearing up for Election Day. Registered voters can request an absentee ballot until noon on Nov. 4 or vote at the polls on Tuesday, Nov. 5. McLees and Feasel are available to answer any questions regarding the upcoming election.
Jazz Legacy Project to perform in Alberton, Superior
Mineral County students and the public will have the chance to take in a jazz concert and music appreciation class later this month.
County airport names Silverman as new manager
Mineral County commissioners on Friday approved the recommendation of Jim Silverman for the Mineral County Airport manager and chairman of the board of directors.
Fundraiser supports 'everyone’s favorite garbageman'
Lyle Batt grew up in Frenchtown and he is one of those guys that everyone loves.
Group discusses natural resources in western Montana
The Mineral County Resource Coalition is a diverse group of citizens who find resolutions to the complex issues facing natural resource management on public lands in Mineral County and other areas in western Montana.
Alberton's McKenna Akane honored for 'impactful teaching'
McKenna Akane has earned an Outstanding Teacher Award from Project Lead The Way, which recognizes teachers who inspire, engage and empower their students with transformative classroom learning experiences.
Baked goods on the rise at Senior Center
If at 3 a.m. you see the lights on at the Superior Senior Citizens Center don't be alarmed but be ready for fresh baked goods.
PHOTO: Alberton Homecoming Pep Rally
During the Alberton School Homecoming Pep Rally, one challenge was having teams compete to see which class could gather the most balls when released on the gymnasium floor.
Laura Acker honored as Parent Educator of the Year
Laura Acker grew up in Minneapolis, Minnesota and was the tenth of 11 children. She and her husband, Josh, moved to Alberton in 2004 and she is a parent educator with the Mineral County Health Department.
Plan for ADA services in rural areas under review
In 1990, the Americans with Disabilities Act became federal law which was meant to be an immediate game-changer for people with disabilities.
Mineral County Help Line prepares for fall bazaar
The Mineral County Helpline is a nonprofit organization that started in 1990 to focus on domestic violence and sexual assault victims.
Gianforte recognizes Army veteran Paul Manson
Gov. Greg Gianforte last week presented the 2023 Montana Governor’s Veteran Commendation to Army veteran Mahlon ‘Paul’ Manson at the Military Veterans Memorial on Railroad Avenue in Alberton.
Farmers market has full harvest of offerings
Peggy Stewart is finishing up her 16th summer as market manager of the Superior Saturday Market held on the old Superior School lawn along River Street.
Pew: Late summer is skunk season in Montana
Yes, there are more skunks killed on roads in late summer than any other time of year. It’s not your imagination.
Superior home destroyed in fire
The home of David and Gala Rice on Riverbend Road in Superior was destroyed by fire early Saturday afternoon. The Superior Volunteer Fire Department and Lolo Nation Forest firefighters contained the fire, and no one was injured. (Monte Turner/Mineral Independent)
First phase of 1,000-yard range in Mineral County underway
The Mineral County Shooting Sports Association recently received $80.000 from the Montana FWP Shooting Range Development Grant Program for Phase 1 of its 1,000-yard range.
Labor Day weekend ideal for a river float
The unofficial end of summer could not have been better weatherwise.
Sheehy says deadly Afghanistan withdrawal prompted his run for Senate
Republican Senate candidate Tim Sheehy spoke to around 100 people in the St. Regis Senior Citizens Center last week.
Long-term care residents enjoy Hawaiian luau
The weather for the Return of the Luau was ideal for the residents and family members of the Long-Term Care Facility of Mineral Community Hospital.
New Alberton superintendent ready for school year
Alberton School District this school year welcomes Monte Silk as the new superintendent.
Golf tourney to benefit hospital foundation
The Mineral County Medical Foundation is the fundraising arm for Mineral Community Hospital. The foundation has its own volunteer board of directors (and are looking for more currently) while they work in step with the hospital board of directors and CEO.
Locals embrace the friendly 'driver's wave'
The Rural Shake. A Cowboy Salute. The Drivers Wave. It has several names, but it’s acknowledging the driver coming from the other direction usually on a frontage road or on Main Street if it’s not busy.