Summer Reading Program

Local superheroes smile for the camera at last week's celebration of reading in Plains.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 9 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO

Plains library celebrates summer reading

PLAINS – The Plains Library took some time to celebrate summer reading last week on Wednesday morning.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 9 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO

Drought conditions persist

SANDERS COUNTY – As warm temperatures and dry weather conditions continue to be the norm across northwestern Montana effects of the drought conditions are impacting Sanders County.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 9 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO

Stage 1 fire restrictions remain in place

SANDERS COUNTY – Stage 1 fire restrictions are still in effect in Sanders County and across wide portions of northwestern Montana.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 9 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO

Avista golf tournament to benefit SCCOA

THOMPSON FALLS – The seventh annual Avista Charity Golf Tournament is scheduled to take place this weekend at the River’s Bend Golf Course in Thompson Falls.

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Hazy skies cover Sanders County

SANDERS COUNTY – Hazy skies settled over much of northwestern Montana earlier this week.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 9 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO

Shakespeare in the Parks returns

PLAINS – Shakespeare in the Parks will be returning to Sanders County in a couple of weeks with performances scheduled for both Plains and Trout Creek.

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Art Camp

Students in Hot Springs tried their hand at a variety of acrobatic activities at last weeks art camp.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 9 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO

Art camp held in Hot Springs

HOT SPRINGS – Kids tried their hand at acrobatics, built cob sculptures and made their own cigar box guitars in Hot Springs over the past couple of weeks.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 9 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO

Teams battle during Wildhorse Showdown

Skeeter Johnston of Plains turns on a pitch during a game against Noxon at the first annual Wildhorse Showdown.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 9 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO

Dentistry from the heart

Volunteers helped patients throughout the day at last Friday's free day of dental care put on by Ordelheide Dental in Plains.

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Ordelheide Dental hosts day of care in Plains

PLAINS – Ordelheide Dental in Plains took time last week to give back to the community, hosting a free dental care day at their office in town last Friday.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 9 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO

Task force battles Eurasian Watermilfoil

THOMPSON FALLS – The Sanders County Aquatic Invasive Plant Task Force came together for their monthly meeting at the Sanders County Court House last week.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 9 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO

Thompson Falls trail project receives substantial RTP grant

THOMPSON FALLS – Montana State Parks recently announced grants to various community projects through its annual Recreational Trails Program.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 9 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO

Hot Springs jams through the weekend

Peter Barberio (left), Jordan Demander (center) and Paul Philips (right) of the band Zeppo, open the group's set during the Hot Springs Blues Festival at the Symes Hotel in Hot Springs last Saturday.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 9 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO

County RAC accepting applications for new members

SANDERS COUNTY – The Sanders County Resource Advisory Committee (RAC) is accepting applications for new members to serve on the volunteer committee.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 9 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO

Free dental care day in Plains

PLAINS – This week Ordelheide Dental will be hosting a free dental care event at the company’s office in Plains.

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Artists in Paradise comes to town

PARADISE – Later this week local artists and their works will fill the Paradise Elementary School.

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Cool Summer Nights

Jack Shiplett prepares his 1929 Ford for the road following the Cool Summer Nights car show in Trout Creek. Shiplett made the trip to the car show from Idaho.

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Cool Summer Nights car show rolls through Trout Creek

TROUT CREEK – Last weekend Trout Creek was full of vintage automobiles as the Cool Summer Nights car show was held on the shores of the Noxon Reservoir at the Lakeside Motel.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 9 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO

Sanders County in drought region

SANDERS COUNTY – Several counties in western Montana were designated as natural disaster areas last week as the region continues to experience drought following a mild winter with low snowpack and an early summer without much precipitation.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 9 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO

Thompson Falls Dam

NorthWestern President and CEO Robert C. Rowe welcomed attendees to the Thompson Falls Dam's centennial celebration last Friday at the power park.

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Thompson Falls celebrates centennial event

THOMPSON FALLS – Since the summer of 1915 the Thompson Falls Dam has been generating hydroelectric power on the Clark Fork River in Sanders County.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 9 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO

Hot Springs receives water bids

HOT SPRINGS – The town of Hot Springs received bids on the community’s upcoming water project last week at the town hall.

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Fish ladder sees record numbers

The fish ladder at the Thompson Falls Dam has transported a record number of fish including trout, bass and pike this year.

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Chamber meets in Hot Springs

HOT SPRINGS – The Hot Springs Chamber of Commerce came together for their July meeting last weekend on Main Street.

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Fish Ladder

A trout gets some assistance as it moves through the fish ladder at the Thompson Falls Dam. The fish ladder has seen record usage this year.

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Quarterly wildlife meeting held

THOMPSON FALLS – County commissioners and regional wildlife experts assembled for their quarterly wildlife meeting last week at the county courthouse.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 9 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO

Piranhas take bite out of competition

Grace Gamboa competes in the 100-meter butterfly event at the Plains swim meet. Gamboa took third in the event with a time of 2:28.46.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 9 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO

Thompson Falls State Park

Region One Park Manager Dave Landstrom explains the planned improvements to the Thompson Falls State Park's fish pond following the ribbon cutting ceremony last week.

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Ribbon cutting held at state park

THOMPSON FALLS – Montana State Parks hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony held at Thompson Falls State Park last week to honor the permanent easement purchase at the park.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 9 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO

Piranhas take on competition

Grace Horton of the Piranhas swim team nears the finish line during the 50-meter breaststroke competition at last weekend's Plains Invitational Swim Meet. Horton took second in the event with a time of 50.88. The Piranhas took fourth at the meet compiling 284 points.

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Piranhas

Danika Whitcomb pushes off the wall during the 100-meter backstroke competition at last weekend's swim meet.

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Piranhas swim at home meet

PLAINS – Swimmers crashed through the water and churned out laps during the annual Plains Invitational Swim Meet over the Fourth of July weekend at the EL Johnson Memorial Pool Park.

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Sanders County Dog Training Club

Members of the Sanders County Dog Training Club were in Thompson Falls for the county wide yard saleing event last weekend.

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Yard Sale held across county

SANDERS COUNTY – The annual Sanders County Yard Saleing Event brought treasure hunters to locations from Heron to Hot Springs last week.

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New manager announced

PLAINS – The Sanders County Fair Board came together for their June meeting last week at the county fairgrounds in Plains.

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Commissioners' resolution declares Stage 1 Fire Restrictions in Sanders County

SANDERS COUNTY – The Sanders County Board of Commissioners voted on Wednesday, July 1, to enact Stage 1 fire restrictions in Sanders County as of 12:01 a.m. on Thursday, July 2.

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CFVH

Dr. Gregory Hanson of Clark Fork Valley Hospital receives the "Improving Rural Health in the Americas" Recognition Award from Dr. Michael Heisler of Andean Health and Development.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 9 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO

CFVH recognized for rural healthcare

PLAINS – A group of cyclists, biking across a wide swath of the country this summer, stopped by Plains last week.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 9 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO

Sheriff's Office investigating fatal accidental shooting

HOT SPRINGS – The Sanders County Sheriff’s Office is currently investigating a fatal accidental shooting outside of Hot Springs.

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Poker Run

Last weekend's Cabinet Ridge Riders Poker Run in Trout Creek featured 65 riders.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 9 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO

Decision notice released for state park

THOMPSON FALLS – Montana State Parks announced last week that a decision notice has been issued regarding improvements to facilities and fish habitat at the Family Fishing Pond in Thompson Falls State Park.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 9 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO

Tomy Parker

Tomy Parker (left) awards the Best in Show trophy to Paul Krueger (right). Parker, a Marine from Ronan, was the guest of honor at the Hot Springs Car Show this year. During the show Parker was surprised with his 1988 Dodge pickup, which the car show's organizers had completely refurbished …

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 9 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO

Community pitches in to refurbish veteran's truck

HOT SPRINGS – The third annual Homesteaders Days car show was capped with a surprise presentation last weekend in Hot Springs.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 9 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO

Journey of Hope cycles through Sanders County

THOMPSON FALLS – A group of cyclists made their way through Sanders County for a good cause last week.

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Homesteaders Days Rodeo

Lexy McAllister of Ronan prepares to lasso a calf during the junior breakaway event.

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Homesteaders Days Parade

A Clark Fork Shriner waves to the crowd on Main Street during the annual parade.

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Fair Board holds budget talks

PLAINS – The Sanders County Fair Board assembled for an emergency meeting at the county fairgrounds in Plains last week.

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Homesteaders Rodeo

A cowboy goes for a ride during the bull riding event at this year's rodeo in Hot Springs.

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Plains Day Parade

Ron Glasgow (right) waves to the crowd during the Plains Day Parade last Saturday.

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Plains Day rolls through town

PLAINS – The town of Plains was hopping last weekend as the annual Plains Day celebration was held throughout the town on Saturday.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 9 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO

Chamber meets before Homesteader's Days

HOT SPRINGS – The Hot Springs Chamber of Commerce assembled for their final meeting before Homesteader’s Days last Thursday at Fergies on Main Street.

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Water Balloon fight

Teachers and students filled the high school football field for the annual end of the year event last week.

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Students celebrate the start of vacation

HOT SPRINGS – Hot Springs high school held its penultimate day of the school year last week and students were in for a treat.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 9 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO

Raffle helps send football team to 8-man camp

PLAINS – As Plains Day was just getting started last weekend raffle tickets were drawn at the Mangy Moose on Railroad Avenue.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 9 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO

Super sort held at county fairgrounds

PLAINS – The Sanders County Fairgrounds were buzzing with activity throughout the sunny Saturday afternoon of Plains Day last week.

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Plains Day Super Sort

Teams of three took part in the Super Sort competition at the Sanders County Fairgrounds last Saturday.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 9 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO

Local businesses hold roundtable meeting

PLAINS – Members of the Plains business community attended a roundtable discussion emphasizing Telecommuting and the prospects of bringing high-paying jobs to Montana last week.

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Plains Day rolls through town

The VFW Color Guard from Post #3596 led the way during the Plains Day Parade down Railroad Avenue last Saturday.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 9 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO

Defensive driving training

PLAINS – A number of state employees took time out of their workday last week to receive some defensive driving training at the Sanders County Fairgrounds.

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Sanders County students graduate

Samantha Johnson receives her diploma during the Thompson Falls High School graduation last Sunday.

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County e-waste pick up

THOMPSON FALLS – Trucks were loaded with recyclable e-waste last week as the county took part in an effort to repurpose the used items.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 9 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO

State Champs

Seniors Kayla Holmes (left) and Hailey Phillips (right) were honored for their academic and athletic achievements during last week's Plains High School graduation. Both Holmes and Phillips were instrumental in the Trotters success over the past few track and field seasons.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 9 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO

Coach reflects on third consecutive Class B title

PLAINS – Three years in a row Plains High School has sent a large contingent of student athletes to the Class B State Meet during the final weeks of spring.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 9 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO

Plains VFW Post honors Veterans

Jim Beaver carries a wreath during the annual Memorial Day ceremony at the bridge over the Clark Fork River in Plains. Beaver placed the wreath in the river to honor veterans who had lost their lives at sea.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 9 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO

County will recycle e-waste

THOMPSON FALLS – Residents of Sanders County will have a chance to recycle their used electronics later in the week.

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P Hill Project raises funds

PLAINS – Plains High School alumni gathered at the Sanders County Fairgrounds to show their support for the P Hill last weekend.

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Three years in a row

Plains Head Coach Denise Montgomery proudly displays the Class B hardware to a crowd of supporters at Plains High School last weekend. This year's state title was the Trotters third consecutive championship.

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Fair Board

Wade Rehbein was in attendance at his first meeting as a member of the Sanders County Fair Board.

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Fair Board holds May meeting at fairgrounds

PLAINS – The Sanders County Fair Board met for their regular May meeting last week at the county’s fairgrounds pavilion.

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Plains-Hot Springs

Trotters senior Josey Carr drives a pitch into the gap during the team's play-in game victory against Thompson Falls.

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Trotters compete at state softball tournament in Belgrade

BELGRADE – The State B-C Softball Tournament kicked off last week with the Plains-Hot Springs Trotters joining the western contingent of the field at the year’s final competition.

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Horsemen and Bluehawks battle at Legends Stadium

KALISPELL – The boys of Sanders County’s Class B schools were also active during last week’s State Championship Meet in Kalispell.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 9 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO

Red Devils and Savage Heat compete at State Meet

LAUREL – The Laurel Sports Complex played host to the State C Track Meet last week as the boys of Noxon Red Devils and Hot Springs Savage Heat competed in the competition near Billings.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 9 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO

Dynasty

KALISPELL – Last week the Plains Trotters opened their quest for three consecutive state championships in track and field at Legends Stadium in Kalispell.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 9 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO

Creel survey underway across county

SANDERS COUNTY – An Angler Creel Survey is underway in the western edge of Sanders County on the Clark Fork River.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 9 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO

Noxon and Hot Springs athletes move on to state meet

MISSOULA – The Dornblaser Field was a busy place last week, hosting both the Western B and Western C divisional competitions.

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Play-in game

Plains senior Sami Kinzie slides in safe during the Trotters 16-5 win over Thompson Falls.

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Trotters head to State Tournament

PLAINS – With only one spot remaining in the Western B-C Divisional Softball Tournament, the Plains-Hot Springs Trotters and Thompson Falls Lady Hawks faced off in a winner take all play-in game at Plains High School last Tuesday.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 9 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO

Bluehawks and Horsemen compete at divisional meet

MISSOULA – Last week athletes from Thompson Falls and Plains competed in the boys Western B Divisional Meet at the University of Montana.

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Bluehawks

Dalton Hooten of Thompson Falls finished the state tournament tied for fourth place after shooting a combined score of 151.

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Trotters take second at divisional meet

MISSOULA – Track and Field athletes from across western Montana descended on Missoula last week for the annual divisional meets.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 9 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO

Science exhibit travels to Dixon

DIXON – Students at Dixon Elementary School were in for a treat last Thursday as The University of Montana spectrUM Discovery Area’s Motion exhibit took up residence in the school’s gymnasium for the day.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 9 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO

Bighorn sheep herd at risk

SANDERS COUNTY – A low number of bighorn sheep and concerns about the health of the hunting district’s herd has prompted an emergency closure of bighorn sheep Hunting District 122 near Plains.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 9 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO

Bison range preps for summer season

DIXON- In the eastern portion of Sanders County on the border with neighboring Lake County the National Bison Range is prepping for the busy summer season ahead.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 9 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO

Red Devils run to victories at Arlee Invite

ARLEE – The Noxon Red Devils track and field team traveled to Arlee last week for the Brian Bachmeier Memorial Track Meet.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 9 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO

Whitefish hosts Sanders County track athletes

WHITEFISH - Over the weekend track and field athletes from Plains, Thompson Falls and Hot Springs traveled north to Whitefish to take part in the Whitefish ARM Invitational meet last Saturday.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 9 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO

Bluehawks take first at home

THOMPSON FALLS – River’s Bend Golf Course played host to the Thompson Falls Invitational over the weekend as golfers from area schools competed for individual and team honors on the links.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 9 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO

County athletes compete at Top 10 meet

MISSOULA – The best track and field athletes across the state descended upon Missoula last week for the 17th Annual Russ Pilcher Top 10 track meet at Missoula County Stadium.

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Lady Hawks

Freshman Shelby Hooten of Thompson Falls slides into home plate during the Lady Hawks victory over Plains last week.

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Lady Hawks tangle with Trotters in Plains

PLAINS – The two Sanders County softball teams went up against one another last week at Plains High School.

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Plains airport earns award

PLAINS – The Plains Airport recently received recognition from the Montana Pilots Association for contributions towards promoting aviation in Montana.

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Bruce Icenoggle

Fair Commission Vice Chairman Bruce Icenoggle was on hand for his final fair board meeting last week after roughly ten years on the board.

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Fair Commission meets at fairgrounds

PLAINS – The Sanders County Fair Commission came together for their April meeting last week at the Sanders County Fairgrounds Pavilion in Plains.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 9 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO

Bridge work continues

THOMPSON FALLS – Travelers utilizing Highway 200 east of Thompson Falls may have noticed the large construction vehicles near the current bridge over the Thompson River.

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Plains Invitational

Jade LaDeaux of Plains hits from the fairway during last weekend's tournament at the Wild Horse Plains golf course.

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Wild Horse Plains course hosts invitational

PLAINS – The Plains golf team hosted area schools at the Wild Horse Plains Golf Club last weekend.

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Trotters

Trotters junior Diana Woodward leads off third during the team's game with Ronan last week.

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Trotters fight weather and Ronan

PLAINS – The Plains-Hot Springs Trotters held their first home competition of the season last week as the team hosted the Ronan Maidens.

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Lady Hawks have busy week

FLORENCE–The Thompson Falls Lady Hawks softball team went on the road this weekend traveling to Florence to face off against the Falcons for a doubleheader.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 9 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO

Golf teams compete in Plains

Taryn Ververis gets out of a bunker during the Plains Invitational last weekend.

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Committee looks to community for support

PARADISE – Last weekend a team of consultants made a preliminary report to the Paradise Elementary School Preservation Committee on repurposing the school site for a community, arts and visitor’s center.

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Luau fundraiser

Shaira Caldwell (center) and Jena Peterson (right) serve food at the team's annual luau benefit.

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Plains golf team competes in Bigfork

BIGFORK – The Plains golf team was back in action this week, competing in Bigfork for the Bigfork Invitational at Eagle Bend Golf Club.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 9 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO

Agencies prep for summer field season

THOMPSON FALLS – The Sanders County Commissioners had a busy schedule last Tuesday, holding several meetings throughout the day.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 9 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO

County preps for annual yard sale

SANDERS COUNTY – As the mild spring weather turns warmer residents and visitors to Sanders County can look forward to a number of outdoor activities.

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Lady Hawks

Thompson Falls freshman Lexi Van Elswyk crosses the plate during the Lady Hawks win against Troy last week.

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Thompson Falls splits doubleheader with Troy

THOMPSON FALLS – The Lady Hawks of Thompson Falls faced off against Western B-C opponents Troy for two games last Thursday.

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County teams take on A and AA schools at meet

MISSOULA – Track and field teams from Sanders County were busy competing in Missoula last weekend.

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Hot Springs track finishes strong at invitational

HOT SPRINGS – The Hot Springs boys track and field team competed to a third place finish at the Darby/Lawrence Invitational last week.

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Reading Carnival

Principal Chris Clairmont (left) takes part in one of the games at last week's reading carnival in Hot Springs.

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Hot Springs celebrates reading carnival

HOT SPRINGS – Fun for all ages was available at Hot Springs High School last week as high school students hosted the annual reading carnival.

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Easter egg hunts

Children in Paradise take off in pursuit of Easter eggs last Sunday.

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The hunt for Easter eggs in Paradise

PARADISE – In the early afternoon of Easter Sunday families gathered at the Paradise School for an annual tradition.

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Plains-Hot Springs

Freshman Stacy Gray crosses home plate during Plains-Hot Springs win over Thompson Falls last week.

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Thompson Falls and Plains face off

THOMPSON FALLS – The Plains Hot-Springs Trotters and Thompson Falls Lady Hawks met on a rainy afternoon last week in Thompson Falls.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 9 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO

Sanders County boy's teams make strides

MISSOULA - The Jim Johnson Invitational hosted by Alberton High School, at the University of Montana’s Dornblaser Field, featured stand out performances form athletes across Sanders County.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 9 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO

Plains girl's track team takes first in Missoula

MISSOULA – Sanders County track and field athletes competed not only against one another but also against the conditions during last week’s meet in Missoula.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 9 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO

Hot Springs Artist Society

Vice President of the Hot Springs Artist Society LoHua Odekirk stands with Jake Wallis, whose work took Best in Show.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 9 YEARS, 12 MONTHS AGO

Hot Springs hosts photography show

HOT SPRINGS – Wall Street Place in Hot Springs was a buzz with activity last weekend as the Hot Springs Artist Society hosted their juried photography show.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 9 YEARS, 12 MONTHS AGO

Review continues in Hot Springs

HOT SPRINGS – A group of residents in Hot Springs met last week to discuss the town’s ongoing local government review.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 9 YEARS, 12 MONTHS AGO

Trotters take on Lady Hawks

Senior shortstop Sami Kinzie bunts the ball into play during Plains-Hot Springs 14-3 win over Thompson Falls.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 9 YEARS, 12 MONTHS AGO

Blackbeard the Pirate

The Plains Woman's Club helped to bring the Missoula Children's Theatre to Plains last week. Local students took part in a production of Blackbeard the Pirate last Saturday at Plains High School.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 9 YEARS, 12 MONTHS AGO

Children's Theatre in Plains

PLAINS – The Missoula Children’s Theatre was in Plains this week to help local students put on a weekend production for the community.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 9 YEARS, 12 MONTHS AGO

Thompson Falls Lady Bluehawk softball underway

THOMPSON FALLS – The Thompson Falls Lady Hawk softball team kicked off their spring season at home last weekend with a doubleheader against the Deer Lodge Wardens.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 9 YEARS, 12 MONTHS AGO

Hot Springs Track Meet

CORVALLIS – The Hot Springs track team kicked off their season with the Gene Hughes Invitational in Corvallis last week.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 9 YEARS, 12 MONTHS AGO

Plains races to success at Eureka Time Trials

EUREKA – The Plains Trotters and Horsemen track teams got their season underway at the Eureka time trials last weekend.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 9 YEARS, 12 MONTHS AGO

County golfers begin year in Missoula

MISSOULA – County golf teams were busy last week, kicking off their spring campaigns with the Loyola Invitational in Missoula.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 9 YEARS, 12 MONTHS AGO

Plains Trotters start season with a bang

TROY – The Plains-Hot Springs Trotters started their spring season off on the right foot, winning their first two softball games of 2015.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 9 YEARS, 12 MONTHS AGO

Albert Williams

Albert Williams and his accompanying pianist Dixie S. Hall, receive applause as they take the stage last Friday in Hot Springs.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS AGO

Hot Springs High School student performs recital

HOT SPRINGS – Residents of Hot Springs had the opportunity to see a local student perform an opera recital last Friday evening.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS AGO

School board moves forward with sale

PLAINS – The Plains School Board moved forward with the sale of the Wildhorse School property at last week’s meeting.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS AGO

Little Guys Wrestling

Kort Craft of Plains escapes from a Frenchtown opponent during last weekend's wrestling tournament in Thompson Falls.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS AGO

Alumni look to restore P Hill

PLAINS – A group of alumni from Plains High School are looking to renovate the P Hill and they need the community’s help to ensure the project is successful.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS AGO

Wolf season closes

SANDERS COUNTY – The state’s hunting season for wolves came to a close last weekend in Sanders County, officially closing on Sunday, March 15.

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A basketball tradition

GREAT FALLS – Last week the Plains Trotters were in Great Falls, competing in the State B Girls’ Basketball Tournament.

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Track and Field

Athletes on the Plains Track and Field team got in some javelin practice during last week's practice.

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Track and Field Team gets ready to go

PLAINS – The Plains Horsemen and Trotters track and field teams kept busy last week, prepping for the upcoming spring sports season.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS AGO

Plains Trotters fight in State Tournament

GREAT FALLS – The Plains Trotters traveled to Great Falls last week to take part in the State B Girls’ Basketball Tournament.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS AGO

Hot Springs looks to citizens for review

HOT SPRINGS – Last June the voters of Hot Springs voted through a local government review to examine the current process of governance used by the town’s local government.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS AGO

Chamber meets in Hot Springs

HOT SPRINGS – The Hot Springs Chamber of Commerce assembled for their March meeting last week, beginning their preparations for the busy months of the spring and summer season.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS AGO

Aquatic Invasive Species Task Force Meets

THOMPSON FALLS – The Sanders County Aquatic Invasive Species Task Force met on Wednesday, Feb. 25, with a major point of emphasis placed on watercraft inspection stations.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS AGO

Board moves to accept offer

PLAINS – The Plains School Board of Trustees came together for a special meeting last Friday, March 6, at Plains High School to discuss the future of a facility that had been a part of the district for over 70 years.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS AGO

Trotters

Kayla Holmes and the Plains Trotters will conclude their 2014-15 campaign this week at the state basketball tournament in Great Falls.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS AGO

Trotters gear up for State Tournament

PLAINS – With many athletes across the county preparing for the spring athletics season, the members of the Plains Trotters basketball team are still on the court, prepping for this week’s state tournament in Great Falls.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS AGO

Paradise School

Philip Maechling, a member of the consultant team assisting the Paradise Preservation Committee with the ongoing feasibility study, presents the building's floor plans at the workshop.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS AGO

Ideas put forth in Paradise

PARADISE – The Paradise Elementary School was buzzing with activity last weekend as a community input session was held within the historic building.

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Business association moves forward

PLAINS – The Plains Business Association, formerly the Plains Chamber of Commerce, opened up their first meeting of the year with a little brainstorming session.

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Horsemen

Junior Trent Brouillette of Plains moves past a Ronan defender during an early season game.

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Marathon Matchup

KALISPELL – The Plains Horsemen closed out their season at the Western B Boys Divisional Tournament last weekend at Flathead High School in Kalispell.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS AGO

Bluehawks

Tanner Laws moves through the Plains defense during a regular season game.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS AGO

Lady Hawks go to OT

KALISPELL – The Thompson Falls Lady Hawks battled through the Western B Divisional Tournament in Kalispell last week.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS AGO

Fairboard keeps busy

PLAINS – The Sanders County Fairboard had a full slate of business to attend to last week as the group met for their February proceedings at the Fairgrounds Pavilion in Plains.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO

Lady Red Devils challenge opponents in Pablo

PABLO – The no. 3 seeded Superior Lady Bobcats faced off against the no. 6 seeded Noxon Lady Red Devils to kick off the girls’ District 14-C tournament in Pablo last week.

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Lady Red Devils

Kristin Webley takes gets an open look during an early season game.

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Savage Heat

Sam Hoff dribbles by a Bluehawk defender during an early season game.

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County teams compete in Pablo

PABLO – The District 14-C tournament got underway last week in Pablo with two Sanders County teams, Hot Springs and Noxon opening the competition against one another.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO

Plains Trotters control the court

PLAINS – The Trotters opened up the District 7-B playoffs with a big win over the Troy Lady Trojans.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO

Trotters

Carley VonHeeder drives towards the hoop during the Trotters game against Troy.

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Lady Hawks begin playoffs

BIGFORK – The Thompson Falls Lady Hawks began their postseason campaign against the Bigfork Valkyries in the District 7-B semifinals in Bigfork.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO

Cabinet Ridge Riders hit the snow

TROUT CREEK- The 24th Annual Cabinet Ridge Riders Poker Run was held last weekend on Valentine’s Day in Trout Creek.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO

Preservation Committee looks for input

PARADISE – Efforts to repurpose the historic school building in Paradise continue to progress and over the course of the next several weeks there will be opportunities for members of the Sanders County community to partake in the preservation of this historic structure.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO

Lady Hawks go to playoffs

THOMPSON FALLS – It was Senior Night for the Thompson Falls Lady Hawks last Saturday as the team prepared to close out their regular season campaign against the Noxon Lady Red Devils.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO

Wrestlers battle in Billings

Sanders County was well represented at this year’s B-C State Tournament in Billings.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO

Bluehawks win

THOMPSON FALLS – The Thompson Falls Bluehawks honored their senior basketball players before the start of the team’s game against Noxon last Saturday.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO

Russell Kujala

Plains-Hot Springs 145-pound wrestler, Russell Kujala stands on top of the podium following last weekend's B-C State Tournament in Billings. With the state championship, Kujala, a senior, became the first Savage Horsemen wrestler to win two state championships.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO

Champion Again

BILLINGS – Savage Horsemen senior Russell Kujala completed his high school wrestling career last weekend and the Plains wrestler went out in style.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO

SCCFF gets grant

PLAINS – A local organization committed to assisting victims of domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse received a sizeable grant from the Plum Creek Foundation recently.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO

Bluehawks and Horsemen go to extra time

PLAINS – Four quarters proved not to be enough as county rivals the Thompson Falls Bluehawks and Plains Horsemen met last Thursday.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO

Savage Horsemen

Savage Horsemen senior Russell Kujala won first place in his division for the third time in his high school career last weekend a the divisional meet in Eureka.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO

Strong showing for county wrestlers at divisional meet

EUREKA – Wrestlers from throughout Sanders County had an opportunity to move on to the State Tournament last weekend.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO

Lady Hawks

Lindsay Laws makes a drive down the court during Thursday night's game in Plains.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO

Trotters get by Lady Hawks

PLAINS – The Plains Trotters and Thompson Falls Lady Hawks met for a county rivalry game last Thursday at Plains High School.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO

Horsemen

Alec Cole gets by a Bluehawk defender with help from Horsemen teammate Ryan Ovitt.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO

Salvage incident in Trout Creek

TROUT CREEK – A calf elk and gut piles were discovered near Old Highway 200 in Trout Creek last week.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO

State Tournament

Bridger Lapierre, gets ready to take his opponent to the mat during the Hot Springs Mixer Invitational.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO

Savage Horsemen head to District Tournament

Savage Horsemen senior Russell Kujala looks to take down an Arlee opponent during last weekend's mixer in Hot Springs.

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Lady Hawks beat Troy

TROY – The Lady Hawks improved their season record to .500 with a win over Troy last weekend.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO

Savage Heat win in OT

SEELEY LAKE – The Savage Heat went on the road last Friday and found themselves in a shootout with the Blackhawks of Seeley-Swan.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO

Savage Horsemen

Savage Horsemen 138-pound grappler James Detienne earns back points during a match against Noxon during the Plains-Hot Springs Mixer Invitational at Hot Springs High School last weekend.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO

County teams prep for divisional

THOMPSON FALLS – Wrestlers from throughout Sanders County kept busy last weekend, with each squad wrestling in multiple matches.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO

Aquatic Invasive Species Task Force meets

THOMPSON FALLS – The Sanders County Aquatic Invasive Species Task Force assembled last week to discuss steps to limit the spread of invasive species in the county’s waterways as the recreation filled warm summer months approach.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO

Superior Bobcats

Bridger Lapierre turns an opponent from Mission-Charlo on his head during last weekend's mixer invitational in Hot Springs.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO

BOW workshop well attended

THOMPSON FALLS – A group of active residents spent last Saturday, Jan. 24, enjoying the mild weather of Sanders County through a snowshoeing workshop near Thompson Falls.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO

White-out to erase bullying

Students and adults get into the groove during halftime of the Thompson Falls and Libby basketball game last Friday. The participants in the halftime show combined to show their support against bullying.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO

Bluehawks

Senior guard Dalton Hooten heads towards the basket during the Bluehawks win over Libby.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO

Bluehawks run to victory

THOMPSON FALLS – The Bluehawks of Thompson Falls rolled through their competition last weekend downing the Libby Loggers to improve to 8-3 on the season.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO

Lady Hawks win over Falcons

THOMPSON FALLS – The Lady Hawks of Thompson Falls secured a win at home last weekend, defeating Florence 49-33 on Saturday at Thompson Falls High School.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO

Savage Horsemen

Savage Horsemen Jake Lile battles a Thompson Falls wrestler during the Ted Kato Invitational.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO

Savage Horsemen prep for busy week

ST. IGNATIUS – The Savage Horsemen traveled to the Mission Valley over the weekend to take on area wrestling teams at the Mission Mountain Tournament.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO

Lady Red Devils

Noxon sophomore Hilary VanVleet moves past a defender during an early season game.

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Noxon finishes strong

NOXON – The Noxon Lady Red Devils hosted the Troy girls basketball team last Friday evening.

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HS wins thriller

HOT SPRINGS – The Hot Springs Savage Heat hosted the Two Eagle River Eagles last Friday and came out on top after a competitive game against their District 14-C opponents.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO

Plains Horsemen fight to the end

Thursday night’s game between the Plains Trotters and the Bigfork Valkyries was an intense game that was a roller coaster for the girls of Plains High School. At certain points in the game, emotions ran so high that the it was hard to hear yourself think over the cheers and …

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO

Relay for Life continues prep

THOMPSON FALLS – Sanders County Relay for Life is already prepping for the organization’s big summer event in Sanders County.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO

St. Regis superfan honored

Nadine Worley was honored for her loyalty to the St. Regis Tigers at a game last weekend. Worley, who graduated from St. Regis High School in 1948 received recognition from the Montana High School Association.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO

Savage Horsemen take fifth

CHOTEAU – The Savage Horsemen wrestling team had a big weekend and came away from the tough Choteau Invitational Tournament with a top finish in the competition.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO

Horsemen

Sophomore guard Aaron VonHeeder delivers the basketball to an open teammate during last week's win against Ronan.

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Horsemen battle competition

PLAINS – The Horsemen earned a hard fought home win last week against the Ronan Chiefs.

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Savage Heat

Nate Gray, of the Hot Springs Savage Heat heads towards the basket against St. Regis last week.

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Savage Heat continue to impress

CHARLO – The Hot Springs Savage Heat rolled to their seventh win over the weekend, besting the Charlo Vikings on the road.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO

Trotters have big week

LIBBY – The Plains Trotters continue to hit their stride as two wins last week improved the team’s record to 8-2.

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Senior Night

The Savage Horsemen wrestling team honored their seniors last week during a quad meet against Arlee, Bigfork, Superior and Noxon. The seniors for the 2015 Plains-Hot Springs wrestling team are Anthony Byrns, Dusten Henning and Russell Kujala.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO

Red Devils face tough competition

NOXON – The Noxon Red Devils competed against area teams last week.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO

Noxon wins on the road

HOT SPRINGS – The Noxon Lady Red Devils earned their first win of the season on the road last weekend, earning a 39-16 road victory against the Hot Springs Lady Savage Heat.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO

Bluehawks Wrestling

Austin Cooper and the Thompson Falls Bluehawks had a big weekend taking first place in the Ted Kato Invitational.

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Wrestlers battle at tournament

THOMPSON FALLS – Sanders County wrestlers wrestled well over the weekend earning top spots for their teams at the Ted Kato Invitational in Thompson Falls.

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Lady Savage Heat

Junior Jewel Huntsman moves the basketball up the court during Hot Springs game against Seeley-Swan last weekend.

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Lantern Launch

RuBea Privett watches as a lantern takes flight on New Year's Eve during the Cancer Network of Sanders County's annual launch event at the fairgrounds.

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Lanterns launch on New Year's Eve

PLAINS – On New Year’s Eve the Sanders County Fairgrounds were filled with light as the Cancer Network of Sanders County hosted the Fourth Annual Lantern Launch last Wednesday evening.

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Lantern Launch

Christian Tidd gets ready to launch a lantern during the Cancer Network of Sanders County's annual New Year's Eve Lantern Launch.

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County officials sworn in

County officials were sworn in at the Sanders County Court House in Thompson Falls last weekend.

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TFalls boys off and running in 2015

SUPERIOR – The Thompson Falls Bluehawks went on the road to battle the Superior Bobcats last Saturday.

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Savage Heat roll through weekend

HOT SPRINGS – The Savage Heat improved to 4-2 on the year after a big home win over the Seeley-Swan Blackhawks.

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Noxon plays Charlo

NOXON – The Noxon Red Devils hosted the Charlo Vikings over the weekend as the team continued their basketball season after the holiday break.

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Savage Horsemen compete in Ronan Duals

RONAN – The Savage Horsemen wrestled their way through the Ronan duals last weekend, as the team resumed their season following their holiday break.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO

Superior stays with the competition

SUPERIOR – The Superior Bobcats hosted the Thompson Falls Bluehawks last Saturday as the winter basketball season moved into 2015.

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Alberton competes on the road

LINCOLN – The Alberton Panthers traveled to Lincoln over the weekend to face off against the Lynx in their first game of 2015.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO

Robbery in Plains

PLAINS – On the morning of New Year’s Eve, the High Plains Saloon on East Railroad Avenue in Plains was robbed.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO

Deer killed and wasted in Trout Creek

TROUT CREEK – A poaching incident near Trout Creek was discovered last week near Highway 200.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO

2014 All State/All-Conference awards

SANDERS COUNTY – All-State/All-Conference picks for the 2014 fall football season were announced last week and several Sanders County athletes were recognized for their achievements during the season.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO

Horsemen

The Horsemen dueled one another during last weekends scrimmage.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO

Horsemen hold weekend scrimmage

PLAINS – The Plains Horsemen basketball team got an early jump on their season with a weekend scrimmage last Saturday.

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Lady Hawks

Thompson Falls sophomore forward Autrey Hannum brings the basketball up the court as Superior Head Coach Jeff Schultz directs his defense.

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Lady Hawks hold on in season opener

THOMPSON FALLS – The Thompson Falls Lady Hawks basketball team got their season off on the right foot last week.

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Trotters scrimmage

Hailey Phillips moves the basketball into the offensive zone during the Trotters scrimmage.

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Superior Lady Bobcats open season

Superior Lady Bobcat Emma Duboise dribbles around an opponent during a game last week against Thompson Falls. Thompson Falls won a hard fought contest 60-56.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO

Town ambulance seeks support

HOT SPRINGS – The ambulance service in Hot Springs has been undergoing a transition period over the past several months.

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Savage Horsemen

Jake Lile (left) works on his technique during the team's practice on Monday afternoon.

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Savage Horsemen ready for tournament

PLAINS – The Savage Horsemen wrestling team kept up the pace this week as they prepared for their first match of the season.

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Bluehawks basketball gears up

THOMPSON FALLS – With the regular season right around the corner the Thompson Falls Bluehawks basketball team has kept busy prepping for the upcoming competition.

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Second annual Winter Market held at county fairgrounds

PLAINS – The Pavilion at the Sanders County Fairgrounds was jammed full of vendors last week as the building hosted the second annual holiday market.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO

Hot Springs Artists Society hosts party and auction

HOT SPRINGS – The Hot Springs Artist Society came together last weekend for a night full of cheese, chocolate and art.

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Veterans Day

Wiley Scribner hands out poppy flower pins to veterans during the honorary lunch at Plains School last week.

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Students honor local veterans

PLAINS – A group of Plains students took time to honor veterans at Plains School last week, hosting a lunch for service members on Tuesday, Nov. 11, Veterans Day.

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Paradise Elementary

Judy Stephens of the Paradise Elementary School Preservation Committee presents the historic timepiece to the crowd at Paradise Elementary last week.

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Paradise celebrates the return of the clock

PARADISE – Residents of Paradise filed into the gymnasium at the Paradise Elementary School last week to celebrate the return of one of the school’s old pendulum clocks.

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Bluehawks basketball team ready to go

THOMPSON FALLS – This week the Thompson Falls Bluehawks will hit the basketball court and begin their preparations for regular season competition.

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Horsemen prepare for winter season

PLAINS – Sports teams across Sanders County are gearing up for the upcoming winter sports season.

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The win streak continues

Sophomore safety Trevor Paro of Hot Springs trips up a Sunburst player while his teammates, senior linebacker Lane Foster and senior linebacker Nate Gray converge on the play.

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Savage Heat open playoffs with big win

HOT SPRINGS – The undefeated Hot Springs Savage Heat began their playoff campaign last weekend with an opening round game against the Sunburst Refiners.

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Trotters earn third seed at divisional tournament

TROY – The Plains Trotters secured the third seed at the Western B Divisional Tournament thanks to strong play in Troy over the weekend.

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Lady Red Devils battle at district competition

ST. REGIS – The Noxon Lady Red Devils traveled to Mineral County last weekend to take part in the District 10-C volleyball tournament.

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On to the divisional tournament

MISSOULA – The Noxon Lady Red Devils played their way into the Western C Divisional Tournament yesterday with a big win over Philipsburg.

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Plains Trotters

Senior Rebekah Barnard hits the volleyball past the Thompson Falls defense in a match earlier in the season.

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Plains Trotters host senior night against Bigfork

PLAINS – The Plains Trotters volleyball team honored the squad’s two seniors before the team’s match against Bigfork on Thursday night.

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8 and 0

Hot Springs running back Trevor Paro runs the football toward the end zone in an early season win for the Savage Heat.

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Undefeated!

HOT SPRINGS – Last week on Senior Night, the Hot Springs Savage Heat football team put an exclamation mark on an exceptional season.

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Red Ribbon Week 2014

Greg Wadsworth of Thompson Falls hands out Red Ribbons at the conclusion of the assembly in Plains last week.

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Prescribed Burns

The Plains/Thompson Falls Ranger District conducts prescribed burning operations near Highway 156 last Friday.

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Prescribed burns conducted throughout Sanders County

SANDERS COUNTY – Smoke filled the air in several portions of Sanders County last week as a series of prescribed burning operations were conducted.

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Dude's Farm filled with activity

PLAINS – Families from across the area started to gear up for Halloween and got into the spirit of the autumn season last weekend at Dude’s Organic Farm in Plains.

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Sanders County Water Festival

Tim Ryan of Polson demonstrates cordage techniques to students last week at Thompson Falls State Park.

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County students learn about environment

THOMPSON FALLS – Students from schools across Sanders County packed onto buses in the early morning hours last week for a day of hands on outdoor learning.

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RMEF Banquet

Earl Hill, a World War II veteran, and one of the servicemen honored during the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation's annual banquet, receives a plaque from the RMEF.

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Big turnout for RMEF banquet

TROUT CREEK – Outdoor enthusiasts from across Sanders County came together last weekend to support the county’s chapter of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation.

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Plains High School

Students of Plains High School gathered to show their support for Franklin Reed last week. The students filled the gymnasium for the school-wide assembly.

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Plains High School rallies around student

PLAINS – Students from Plains High School filled the bleachers at the school’s gymnasium last week to show their support of fellow student Franklin Reed.

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TFalls and Ronan trade leads

RONAN – The Thompson Falls Bluehawks went on the road to Ronan last week for a shootout with the Chiefs.

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Noxon battles Superior under the lights

SUPERIOR – The Noxon Red Devils football team traveled to Mineral County for a matchup against the Superior Bobcats last week.

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Plains travels to Bigfork

PLAINS – The Plains Horsemen made the road trip to Bigfork last weekend playing the Vikings last Friday night.

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Lady Red Devils play Lady Savage Heat in HS

HOT SPRINGS – The Noxon Lady Devils and Hot Springs Lady Savage Heat tangled in an inter-county District 10-C rivalry match last weekend.

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Win #6

Senior quarterback Tanner Hoff receives the snap during an early season game against Tri-City. Hot Springs defeated Big Sandy 50-0 last weekend.

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Savage Heat continue to roll

HOT SPRINGS – The Hot Springs Savage Heat football team continued to roll through their regular season schedule, earning another big win on the road last weekend.

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Schools compete in county match

PLAINS – Plains High School played host for an inner-county rivalry match last week as the Plains Trotters competed against the Thompson Falls Lady Hawks.

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Whitefish Invitational

Russell Kujala of Plains runs to a first place finish during the Whitefish Invitational last weekend.

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Local athletes run in Whitefish

WHITEFISH- Both the Plains and Thompson Falls cross country teams traveled north to compete in a meet held at Whitefish over the weekend.

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Big berry year limits run-ins with bears

SANDERS COUNTY – Huckleberries and other species of wild berries experienced a bumper crop year throughout Sanders County this summer.

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Ghost walk planned for Halloween in Hot Springs

HOT SPRINGS – With Halloween falling on a Friday this year the town of Hot Springs is gearing up for a busy ghost walk in downtown Hot Springs on the evening of October 31.

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Postcards and T-shirts discussed at Hot Springs meeting

HOT SPRINGS - Members of the Hot Springs Chamber of Commerce convened last week for the organization’s monthly meeting.

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S.T.A.R. program

Wildlife Biologist Bruce Sterling of Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks stands in front of the Trout Creek after school program to teach students about local wildlife.

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FWP visits Trout Creek school program

TROUT CREEK – Children at the Trout Creek after school program at Trout Creek School were in for a special treat last week.

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Sanders County GOP joins lawsuit

SANDERS COUNTY – The Sanders County GOP recently joined a lawsuit against open primary elections within the state of Montana.

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Brats, Hops and Grapes

Rae Herman (right) presents a check Cowgirls Kickin' Cancer to Kathy Miller and the Cancer Network of Sanders County during last weekend's annual gala.

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Autumn Sunshine

A turtle catches some rays at the National Bison Range in Moiese.

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Lady Red Devils cruise to win over St. Regis

NOXON – The Lady Red Devils got another win last weekend, as the team triumphed over the St. Regis Lady Tigers to improve their record to 7-1.

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Savage Heat burn Eagles

HOT SPRINGS – The Lady Savage Heat put on a competitive performance and earned a home victory in their match against Two Eagle River Eagles last week.

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Trotters run in Thompson Falls

Kimberly Earhart and Demi Horton of the Plains Trotters compete at the Thompson Falls Invitational last week.

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County XC Invitational held in Thompson Falls

THOMPSON FALLS – The Thompson Falls and Plains Cross country teams returned to Sanders County after a few weeks on the road for a meet at River’s Bend Golf Course in Thompson Falls last week.

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County rivalry

The Plains Horsemen get ready to run a play against the Thompson Falls Blue Hawks during last week's game.

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Bluehawks win homecoming game

THOMPSON FALLS – The Thompson Falls Bluehawks and Plains Horsemen met in an inner-county matchup last week under the lights at Previs Field.

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Lady Hawks win at home gym

THOMPSON FALLS – The Thompson Falls Lady Hawk volleyball team rolled to a homecoming victory in their match against the Eureka Lady Lions over the weekend.

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Savage Heat Football

Junior defensive end Jack Dolson capitalizes on a turnover in an early season game against Tri-City.

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Savage Heat stay perfect

HOT SPRINGS – The Hot Springs Savage Heat continued on their successful season on the road this weekend, extending their unbeaten streak in a win over Lima.

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Lone bison

A lone bison looks out over the horizon at the National Bison Range in Moiese.

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Football competition

Riley Slater shows good form and sends a quality punt down the field last weekend in Thompson Falls.

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Pass, Punt and Kick

THOMPSON FALLS – A group of children in Thompson Falls took some time out of their Sunday afternoon to take part in a countywide football competition for boys and girls.

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Woman's Club has busy week

PLAINS – The Plains Women’s Club had a busy schedule last week as the organization came together to install new officers and put together plates of cookies for local staff and faculty at the Plains schools.

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Art on the Walls returns

PLAINS – Local artists mingled in Plains last week as Art on the walls returned to Clark Fork Valley Hospital for its quarterly show.

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Red Cross confers with Plains on emergency services

PLAINS – Volunteers with the American Red Cross met with town officials in Plains to discuss emergency services and potential cooperation between the Red Cross and the town.

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Firefighters support young man battling leukemia

PLAINS – The Plains Paradise Rural Fire Department has come together to rally around a junior member of their department, who is currently a sophomore at Plains High School.

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Veterans Honored

Christopher Rosler of Hot springs raises the standard of the United States Coast Guard on Wednesday, Sept. 24. Rosler and other members of Boy Scout Troop #1957 were on hand to honor area veterans during the ceremony at the cemetery in Plains.

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75-0

Hot Springs senior quarterback Tanner Hoff moves the football down the field in an early season game against Tri-City.

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Hot Springs scores big win

HOT SPRINGS – Following a week full of homecoming festivities including a parade and a pep rally last Thursday, the Hot Springs Savage Heat football team took the field on Friday night to face off against the West Yellowstone Wolverines.

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Hot Springs volleyball's homecoming match

HOT SPRINGS – The Lady Savage Heat volleyball team took on the Superior Lady Bobcats to kick off homecoming weekend in Hot Springs.

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Bluehawks take on Eureka on the road

THOMPSON FALLS – The Thompson Falls Bluehawks hit the road last week and traveled to Eureka to face off against the Lions for a Friday night matchup under the lights.

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Homecoming Volleyball

Senior Rebekah Barnard of Plains gets ready to return a Eureka serve last weekend.

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Trotters compete at home

PLAINS – The Plains Trotters hosted the Eureka Lady Lions to cap off homecoming weekend at Plains High School.

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Special teams shine for Horsemen

Plains junior Trent Brouillette evades a Troy special teams player as he returns a kickoff during the homecoming game.

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Trojans get by Horsemen in homecoming game

PLAINS – Under the lights the Plains Horsemen faced off against the visiting Troy Trojans for a football game in the midst of Plains’ homecoming celebrations.

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Superintendent Jason Slater

Jason Slater was the guest speaker at this month's Thompson Falls Chamber of Commerce meeting.

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Slater talks education

THOMPSON FALLS – Members of the Thompson Falls business community assembled at the First Baptist Annex off Highway 200 for the monthly chamber of commerce meeting.

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Norwegian Fjords

Warren Wickum leads his team of Norwegian Fjords through the grounds of 5 Creek Gardens last Saturday.

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5 Creek Gardens holds fall event

PLAINS – Local residents of all ages flocked to the area around Weeksville Creek for a celebration of the autumn season last weekend.

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County DUI Task Force meets

THOMPSON FALLS – Compliancy checks and upcoming Red Ribbon Week events dominated the discussion as the Sanders County DUI Task Force came together for their monthly meeting last week.

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Paradise School preservation committee meets

PARADISE – Though the Paradise School no longer hosts students during the school year, a group of local residents are working to ensure the historic building a new role, which will benefit the Paradise community well into the future.

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Power Football

Senior running back Gary Wadman makes his way through traffic last Friday against Arlee.

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Noxon plays Arlee

NOXON – As the sun slipped behind the mountains behind Noxon Reservoir the lights lit up the football field for homecoming and the Noxon Red Devils battled Arlee on last Friday.

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Lady Devils win at home

NOXON – On Homecoming weekend the Noxon Lady Red Devils triumphed over the competition defeating the visiting Superior Lady Bobcats in a match last weekend.

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Lady Savage Heat

Jewels Huntsman goes up for a block against Charlo.

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Lady Savage Heat compete vs. Charlo

HOT SPRINGS – The Hot Springs Lady Savage Heat volleyball team returned home after a long stretch of games on the road last weekend.

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Bluehawks battle Wardens on gridiron

THOMPSON FALLS – Under the lights the Thompson Falls Bluehawks met the Deer Lodge Wardens on home turf last weekend.

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Goal!

Anna Dryden hits home the equalizer during Saturday's match against St. Regis. The game ended in a 1-1 draw.

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Plains soccer draws against St. Regis

PLAINS – Boys and girls hustled from one side of the pitch to the other as Plains Youth Soccer held its first home match of the year against the youth squad from St. Regis.

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Noxon Homecoming Weekend

This year's homecoming court at Noxon High School gets ready to ride off into the sunset. From left to right, McKenna Krueger, Alan Chojnacky, Sara Webley, and Austin Johnson. Webley and Johnson were the 2014 Homecoming Queen and King.

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Hot Springs Chamber discusses events

HOT SPRINGS – The Hot Springs Chamber of Commerce had a full slate of events to discuss when the committee came together for their monthly meeting last week.

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Plains plays home opener last Friday

PLAINS – The Plains Horsemen football team hosted their home opener last week against the Whitehall Trojans.

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Hot Springs faces defeat

NOXON – The Lady Savage Heat Volleyball team continued their set of away games with a match against Noxon last weekend.

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Plains volleyball continues winning

PLAINS – The Trotters volleyball team cruised their way to two home victories over the weekend, giving the team three consecutive wins on the week.

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Cross country teams heat up

RONAN – The Plains and Thompson Falls cross county teams competed in Ronan last weekend as the fall season picks up steam.

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Domination

Running back Jameson Morigeau runs through Sheridan's offense during the blowout game. Hot Springs beat their opponent by 85 points.

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85-0: Hot Springs dominates competition on the gridiron

HOT SPRINGS – The Savage Heat six-man football team lit up the scoreboard and shut out the opposition last week en route to an 85-0 victory over Sheridan.

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Cancer Network of Sanders County

John Kelley plays his guitar during a fundraiser for the Cancer Network of Sanders County last weekend in Hot Springs.

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Benefit helps cancer network

HOT SPRINGS – Two residents of Hot Springs were impressed by the generosity of the Cancer Network of Sanders County and to show their appreciation, the duo launched a fundraiser for the non-profit.

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Fair events see increase in numbers

PLAINS – Following the dispersal of crowds from the Sanders County Fairgrounds Fair Manager Mike Hashisaki has received positive feedback regarding the annual event and commented on the success of the fair’s rodeo events.

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County budget gets approved

THOMPSON FALLS – After meeting with many representatives from the different groups, the Sanders County Commissioners completed the arduous task of drafting the county’s budget for the next fiscal year.

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CSKT to bring footpath to Hot Springs

HOT SPRINGS – Outdoor enthusiasts will soon have an area in town to call home as a new walking path will soon be constructed in Hot Springs.

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Hailey Phillips

Senior Hailey Phillips serves during the Trotters match against Florence last weekend.

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Trotters face visiting Falcons at home

PLAINS – The Plains Trotters Volleyball squad fought hard but was defeated in the team’s home opener over the weekend.

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Horsemen begin season

SHELBY – The Plains Horsemen football team traveled five hours east to kick off their season against the Shelby Coyotes last week.

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Touchdown

Fullback Nate Grey hauls in a deep touchdown pass from quarterback Tanner Hoff during the big win for Hot Springs.

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Savage Heat top Titans

HOT SPRINGS – The Hot Springs Savage Heat football team got their season off on the right foot last Saturday routing the visiting Tri-City Titans.

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Hot Springs beats Two Eagle River

HOT SPRINGS – The Hot Springs Lady Savage Heat took care of business on the road last weekend earning a victory after a tough five set match against Two Eagle River.

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SCSO talks budget, changes

THOMPSON FALLS – A number of issues were covered on Wednesday morning at the Sanders County Courthouse as the monthly sheriff’s update was held in the building’s conference room.

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Lewis and Clark Whitewater

Fame Lopez stands in front of a raft. The new Plains business, Lewis and Clark Whitewater, opened its doors on July 22.

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New business ready to hit the waters of Sanders County

PLAINS – A new business focusing on the outdoor activities offered by the rivers of Sanders County has come to Plains, looking to cater to both residents and tourists passing through the region.

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Illegal fish transportation found in Thompson Falls

THOMPSON FALLS – A few instances of the illegal transportation of live fish by anglers have been discovered outside of Thompson Falls.

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4-H Shows

Jackson Woods shows off his dog during the 4-H dog show.

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Demo night

Cars smashed their way through the night as the annual Demolition Derby closed out the Sanders County Fair.

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Demolition Derby roars through the night

PLAINS – Tires kicked up mud and vehicles careened into one another as the Demolition Derby was held on Sunday night in Plains.

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Halpop recognized for community service

PLAINS – John Halpop, former MSU extension agent for Sanders County, received an honor during Saturday night’s rodeo. Halpop was recognized for the countless hours he has poured into the community.

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Mission Invitational Tournament

Kayla Holmes practices her serving technique during a preseason workout in late July.

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Plains competes at Mission Invitational

ST. IGNATIUS – The Plains Trotters volleyball team got their fall season underway at the Mission Invitational Tournament last weekend.

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Clark Fork Valley Hospital Foundation

Barry Fowler walks down the fairway of the Wild Horse Plains Golf Course's first hole during the CFVH Foundation benefit last Sunday.

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CFVH Foundation holds benefit tournament

PLAINS – A group of golfers took some time out of their Labor Day weekends to contribute to the community at the Wild Horse Plains Golf Course.

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Mickey Herndon

Veteran Mickey Herndon was honored during the patriotic picnic at PPL Park last Sunday.

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Picnic honors veterans

THOMPSON FALLS – Members of the Thompson Falls community came together to honor local veterans last weekend in a moving ceremony dedicated to those who serve or have served in our nation’s armed forces.

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Tower to bring cell service to Hot Springs

HOT SPRINGS – Construction crews have recently been working to get a cell phone tower up and running outside of town, an effort which will bring mobile phone service to Hot Springs.

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Playground

Sage Jackson helps place wood chips around the surface of the new playground at Hot Springs Elementary School.

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Hot Springs ready for school

HOT SPRINGS – The first day of school is right around the corner for the youth of Hot Springs as the month of August and the summer season draws to a close.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO

Noxon prepares for year

NOXON – In about a week Noxon Avenue will once again be full of students making their way to the first day of school as the young pupils summer vacation draws to a close.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO

Blood drive

Sarah Moran from Plains gives blood at a drive put on by the American Red Cross.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO

Community members give blood during drive

PLAINS – Local residents pitched in for a good cause last week, donating blood to the American Red Cross at a blood drive in Plains.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO

Hot Springs votes on final budget

HOT SPRINGS – The Hot Springs Town Council assembled at the town hall on the evening of Tuesday Aug. 19, to hold a public hearing for the 2015 final budget.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO

Town prepares for county fair

PLAINS – With the Sanders County Fair right around the corner the fair board came together for one final meeting before the big event.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO

Golfers go for green

PLAINS – Teams of four chased their shots around the golf course and competed against one another for a benefit tournament in Plains.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO

Jack Dolson

Jack Dolson runs wind sprints with the rest of the Hot Springs football team.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO

Savage Heat gear up for season

HOT SPRINGS – The sounds of whistles filled the air as cleats churned up turf during the final two-a-days session for the Hot Springs Savage Heat football team.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO

Ethan Stafford

Quarterback Ethan Stafford looks for an open receiver in the flat during practice.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO

Horsemen prove to be resilient

PLAINS – Coaches yelled encouragement and pads thudded together as the Plains Horsemen went through a number of drills last week in preparation for the upcoming football season.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO

Plains Cross Country

Russell Kujala leads the Plains Cross Country team during one of last week's practices.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO

Cross country hits the ground running

PLAINS – As the sun slowly set in the western portion of the sky, members of the Plains Cross Country team laced up their running shoes and prepared for their evening workout.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO

Kayak Trip

Sissel Robertson demonstrates some kayaking techniques before the start of the Becoming and Outdoors Woman kayak trip.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO

Kayakers paddle Clark Fork River

THOMPSON FALLS – Kayaks lined the banks of the Clark Fork River and an assembled group of women practiced their kayaking techniques on a mild and damp morning over the weekend.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO

Dye pleads not guilty in death of baby

THOMPSON FALLS – Gunner McKenley Dye appeared in Sanders County District Court on Tuesday morning to enter a not guilty plea to Judge James A. Manley.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO

Popcorn Theater

Popcorn Theater Video was sufficiently burned after what is believed to be an incendiary device was placed in the store's drop box.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO

Fire under investigation

HOT SPRINGS – A quiet summer night in Hot Springs was interrupted by the sounds of sirens and the response of fire engines as first responders extinguished a fire at a local business in town.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO

Kayak adventure

Kayaks filled the Clark Fork River as participants in the BOW kayak trip took to the water.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO

Antimony mine reaches record levels of production

THOMPSON FALLS – One local company is responding with vigor as the national economy continues to show signs of moving past the debilitating great recession, which started in 2008.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO

Smoke fills area around complex fire

SANDERS COUNTY – Both the Seepay Fire and the Thompson River Complex fires remain above 1,000 acres.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO

All-star team featuring Kinzie takes first

PLAINS – Sami Kinzie of the Plains Trotters high school softball team has had a very busy summer competing against the best competition Montana has to offer.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO

TRACS benefits from scramble

THOMPSON FALLS – Golfers from across the area headed to Thompson Falls over the weekend to compete and support a local organization.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO

Grilling and Golfing

Christopher Sankovic preps the grill for an afternoon cookout following the VFW tournament at Wild Horse Plains Golf Course.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO

Wild Horse Plains Golf Course hosts VFW

PLAINS – A group of golf enthusiasts proved undeterred by the overcast skies on Saturday and participated in the Creekside Inn VFW Golf Tournament over the weekend.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO

Gunner McKenley Dye

Gunner McKenley Dye made his initial appearance in Sanders County Court on Tuesday, Aug. 5.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO

Dye makes initial appearance in court

THOMPSON FALLS – Gunner McKenley Dye, 21, made his initial appearance in Sanders County Court on Tuesday, Aug. 5 at 10 a.m. in front of District Judge Deborah K. Christopher.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO

Chamber meeting

Leslee Smith and Rachel Hulce open the monthly chamber of commerce meeting in Hot Springs.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO

Hot Springs chamber talks tourism

HOT SPRINGS – Finding ways to attract visitors and travelers to Hot Springs dominated the discussion at the August chamber meeting last Thursday.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO

Smokey Bear

Smokey Bear waves to the crowd during the Huckleberry Festival's Parade in Trout Creek on Saturday. Smokey celebrated his 70th birthday at the ranger office in Plains on Friday.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO

Smokey Bear celebrates 70th birthday

PLAINS – The bear himself was on hand to meet members of the public and join with Forest Service staff in celebrating his 70th birthday.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO

Huckleberry Festival

Grace Carter races to fill her bucket with water during the annual pentathlon games at the Huckleberry Festival in Trout Creek on Saturday.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO

Let the games begin

TROUT CREEK – The park at Trout Creek was overflowing with visitors as the town celebrated the wild huckleberry over the weekend.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO

Kraig Mead

Kraig Mead demonstrates cartwheels and hand stands to the arts camp in Hot Springs last Thursday.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO

Kids learn tricks and trades from experts

HOT SPRINGS – Kids cart wheeled across the lawn and did their best to build structurally sound human pyramids in Hot Springs last week.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO

Federal land comment period nears end

SANDERS COUNTY – An ongoing yearlong study will soon be coming to a close as state senators will determine what steps are to be taken in regards to federal forest management.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO

Summer reading party held at library

PLAINS – A group of local students who logged nearly 800 hours of combined reading time over the summer celebrated their achievement at the Plains library last Wednesday morning.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO

College cyclists pass through Paradise

PARADISE – An enterprising group of young college students stopped in Paradise last week as they continued their bicycle trek across the nation.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO

Ryan Skone

Ryan Skone saws through a log during the annual Pentathlon at the Huckleberry Festival in Trout Creek on Saturday.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO

Sawing to the finish

TROUT CREEK – Wood chips flew through the air as saws cut through lumber and shots rang out as competitors tested their accuracy at the shooting range at the Pentathlon in Trout Creek during the annual Huckleberry Festival last weekend.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO

Albeni Falls Pipe and Drum

The Albeni Falls Pipe and Drum group makes their way down the main stretch of Trout Creek during the Huckleberry Festival parade on Saturday.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO

New Old Time Chautauqua

Local volunteers from Hot Springs and members of the New Old Time Chautauqua carry a Chinese Dragon through town during the event's parade on last Tuesday.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO

Chautauqua brings fun to Hot Springs

HOT SPRINGS – Homemade drums clanged, music played and jugglers performed on top of a moving ambulance as the New Old Time Chautauqua rolled through Hot Springs last week.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO

Bruce Frye Memorial Shoot

Cookie Kunzer prepares to fire a round off during the annual Amateur Trapshooting Association event.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO

Frye shoot shows success

PLAINS – Bright orange clay pigeons soared across the sky and were met by thunderous volleys of shotgun fire over the weekend at the Plains Trap Club.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO

Golf Tournament

Denise Montgomery putts on the first hole of the course last Saturday.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO

Putting for funds - golf benefit hosted for PHS golf

PLAINS – Parents, teachers, coaches and friends hit the golf links last Saturday, in the annual Plains High School golf team fundraiser.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO

Plains Piranhas

Plains Piranha Alexis Helterline competed at the Division C state swim meet and brought in third place for her age division in the breaststroke.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO

Piranhas take second at state

CONRAD – Plains swimmers joined competitors as teams from towns of all sizes and from one end of the state to the other packed into Conrad last weekend to take part in the state swim meet.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO

9-1-1 Advisory Board

Mayor Randy Woods of Hot Springs discusses county communication strategies at last week's meeting in Thompson Falls.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO

Board discusses VoIP system

THOMPSON FALLS – The Sanders County 9-1-1 Advisory Board put an emphasis on emergency communications within Sanders County during their latest meeting in Thompson Falls.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO

Violin

Adam Lamotte plays the violin during the final night of the Montana Baroque Music Festival.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO

Baroque musicians draw large crowd

PARADISE – The musical notes of violins, violas, cellos and recorders echoed through the canyons and saddles of the Lolo National Forest during the Montana Baroque Music Festival.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO

New Old Time Chautauqua comes to Hot Springs

The Flying Karamazov Brothers perform during the Chautauqua's vaudeville show.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO

Mike Bader Bearjam

Mike Bader Bearjam was one of five bands who performed over the weekend at the Fifth Annual Blues Festival.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO

Blues fest rocks and rolls

HOT SPRINGS – The smooth sounds of the lower reaches of the Mississippi echoed around Hot Springs over the weekend as several talented blues outfits rolled through town.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO

Grizzly Bear

A grizzly bear was seen at the National Bison Range earlier in July.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO

Rare grizzly sighting occurs at bison range

MOIESE - A couple of weekends ago the National Bison Range had an unexpected visitor by one of their popular day use areas.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO

New playground

Jennifer Christensen helps spread out wood chips at the new elementary school playground in Hot Springs.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO

Twins secure grant for playground

HOT SPRINGS – Young students and several teachers kept themselves busy with rakes and shovels, spreading wood chips at the new elementary school playground in Hot Springs.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO

Telephone Pole

The large truck hit the telephone pole as it turned onto Kruger Road.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO

Tractor-Trailer hits telephone pole in Plains

PLAINS – Afternoon traffic on Montana Highway 200 near the entrance of Kruger Road was slowed down by a traffic accident involving a tractor-trailer hauling a large load and a telephone pole late Thursday afternoon.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO

Railroad

A spark from the rail grinder above ignited a small fire on several of the railway's railroad ties. The railroad crews on site were able to extinguish the fire a few minutes after it started using their safety equipment.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO

Small fire quickly extinguished on railroad tracks

PARADISE – With the fire danger in Sanders County raised to very high after several days of hot and dry weather, a small rail fire broke out in Paradise around 3 p.m. on Wednesday.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO

Bass anglers compete in Trout Creek

TROUT CREEK – Boats roared to life across Noxon reservoir over the weekend as anglers from all over the northwest flocked to Trout Creek to compete in the annual Tri-State Bass Tournament.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO

Summer basketball comes to a close

HOT SPRINGS – The sharp squeaks of sneakers and the hard crash of rebounds careening off the boards could be heard at the gymnasium in Hot Springs during the open gym sessions.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO

Volleyball

Kara Altmiller participates in a drill during the final session of the summer volleyball camp.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO

Trotters volleyball team wraps up camp

PLAINS – Volleyballs shot from one end of the gym to the other as the Trotters geared up for their upcoming fall season last week.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO

Six Piranhas advance to state meet

FORT BENTON – The Plains Piranhas stormed through this year’s divisional swimming meet, sending multiple swimmers to the state competition next weekend.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO

Grant money helps complete Playground

Sidney Jackson helps her mother Carmen distribute wood chips around the new playground at Hot Springs Elementary School.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO

Cool Summer Nites

John Hamill stands by his 1966 Ford Fairlane at the Tenth Annual Cool Summer Nites Car, Truck and Bike Show over the weekend.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO

Cool Summer Nites rolls to Trout Creek

TROUT CREEK – Powerful engines roared and sharp paint jobs glittered in the afternoon sunlight as Trout Creek hosted the annual Cool Summer Nites Car, Truck and Bike Show.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO

Chicken Jamboree

Don Burrell of the Community Christians Men's Prayer Group marinates the grilled chicken with barbecue sauce at the annual jamboree.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO

Jamboree grills through the afternoon

THOMPSON FALLS – The sweet smells of barbecue sauce and grilled chicken filled the air in Thompson Falls as 465 pounds of chicken was grill up for the annual Chicken Jamboree.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO

Construction continues despite budget shortfalls

SANDERS COUNTY – The Federal Highway Trust Fund, which has served as the main route of federal funding to highway projects throughout the nation since the early 1990s, is running out of money putting the future of transportation projects at risk.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO

Creating balloon animals

Grant Applehans busied himself at the Chicken Jamboree in Thompson Falls by making balloon animals for the kids in attendance.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO

Whitcomb

Danika Whitcomb performs the backstroke at an earlier swim meet this season.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO

Locals bring Missoula Marathon to life

MISSOULA – Distance runners from across Montana and from several states poured into Missoula for the city’s annual marathon in the heart of western Montana.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO

Barrel race

Ryley Knutson from Polson competes in the barrel racing event.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO

Junior rodeo hits Sanders County Fairgrounds

PLAINS – Dust kicked off the group in puffs and the rain came down in a slight drizzle for a junior rodeo held at the Sanders County Fairgrounds over the weekend.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO

Piranhas bite down on competition in C. Falls

COLUMBIA FALLS – The Plains Piranhas cranked out laps and shaved seconds off their times as the swim team spent the weekend in Columbia Falls.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO

State champ

Barry Gilpin recently returned from the State Trap Shoot in Great Falls with a first place win.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO

Shooting for the stars: Gilpin takes first at state

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO

Federal funds made available for Sanders County

SANDERS COUNTY- Local parks and outdoor recreation facilities may receive a shot in the arm earlier this week following an announcement by Gov. Steve Bullock.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO

Fire Danger

The Plains/Thompson Falls Ranger District upgraded their fire danger to moderate last week.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO

County fire danger hits moderate level

SANDERS COUNTY – With a second consecutive week of high temperatures and not much precipitation predicted from forthcoming weather forecasts, many areas of the county have started to severely dry out.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO

Side-Kicks and Piranhas raise funds

Danika Whitcomb, a member of the Plains Piranhas churns out laps during the swim team's fundraiser on Thursday evening.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO

Planting independence

Orion Pry-Hyde helps hammer in flags for the Field of Flags displayed on the Plains greenway.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO

Thompson Falls joins Main Street Montana program

THOMPSON FALLS – The future for the downtown area of Thompson Falls looks bright following a recent announcement by the Montana Department of Commerce.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO

Chamber meets

The Hot Springs Chamber of Commerce held their monthly meeting on Thursday, July 10.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO

Hot Springs chamber preps for events

HOT SPRINGS – Preparing for the final events of the summer and reflecting upon the season’s earlier events, the town of Hot Springs held its annual chamber of commerce meeting last week.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO

Swimming laps

Hondo Ryan swims laps for the annual fundraiser to benefit the Piranhas swim team.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO

Side-Kicks and Piranhas swim for funds

PLAINS – Participants churned out laps on Thursday evening as members of the swim team and the community pitched in to help fundraise for the Piranhas.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO

Hot Springs students hit the hardwood

HOT SPRINGS – The shouts of enthusiastic children echoed through the gymnasium at Hot Springs High School as the youth basketball camp held its final day of activities.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO

Summer league

Kyle Weeks of the Plains Horsemen gears up for a free throw shot during the team's scrimmage against the St. Regis Tigers on Tuesday evening. Plains won the exhibition 57-33.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO

Horsemen win scrimmage with Tigers

PLAINS – The trademark squeak of basketball shoes and the rhythmic sounds of dribbling filled the gymnasium as the Plains boys scrimmaged against St. Regis on a warm Tuesday evening last week.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO

Golf

Steve Anderson of Trout Creek celebrates after draining a challenging put during the annual Cabinet Ridge Riders golf tournament at River's Edge Golf Course on Saturday.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO

Cabinet Ridge Riders hit the golf links

THOMPSON FALLS – The Cabinet Ridge Riders traded in their normal modes of transportation for golf carts over the weekend as the outdoor enthusiasts came together for the annual Cabinet Ridge Riders Tournament.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO

Paradise

Shirley King carries the flag and leads the parade during the annual Fourth of July festivities in Paradise on Friday.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO

Paradise hosts Independence Day fun

PARADISE- Wood saws cut through lumber, tomahawks flew through the air and fireworks filled the sky as Paradise celebrated the Fourth of July in style throughout the day on Friday.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO

Candy cannon

Mike Tomell fires off a candy cannon for the children in attendance at Saturday's fur trader era event.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO

Era of frontier explorers brought to life

THOMPSON FALLS – Fire trucks rolled down Main Street and black powder from flintlock firearms filled the air as Thompson Falls celebrated David Thompson Days over the course of this weekend.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO

Possible relocation of bison may affect National Bison Range

MOIESE - Over the course of the next several years bison herds may once again roam across portions of their expansive historical habitats.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO

David Thompson Days

Lloyd Priest fires off his flintlock Pennsylvania Rifle as part of a demonstration during the David Thompson Days Fur Camp event on Saturday afternoon.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO

Plains Horsemen stay sharp during off-season

PLAINS – Most of Plains High School may be on vacation for the summer months, but a group of student athletes are taking some time during the summer to gear up for the upcoming sports season.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO

Wildhorse soccer prepares for season

PLAINS – Whistles and goals will fill the air of the athletic fields of Plains as children of all ages start running from one side of the soccer field to the other once the youth season starts up.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO

Stand down

Deborah Allen stands with Tri-State Veterans Stand Down's organizer Billy Hall at the third annual event. Allen was one of the first women to become a diver in the United States Navy.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO

Stand down helps vets

TROUT CREEK – Long lines formed at the park in Trout Creek early in the morning as veterans from across the region gathered at the Tri-State Veterans Stand Down.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO

County Commissioners

County Commissioners Carol Brooker, Tony Cox and Glen Magera meet with Clerk and Recorder, Nichol Scribner last week.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO

County begins work on new budget

THOMPSON FALLS – With the new fiscal year officially beginning on Tuesday, July 1, the county commissioners are in the midst of drafting the county budget for the coming year.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO

Frame to Finish

Shelly Borden, Rhonda Flemmer and Debbie Burwig of the Frame to Finish Relay For Life team helped out on Cedar Street in Thompson Falls on Saturday, June 21.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO

Relay For Life yard and bake sale held

THOMPSON FALLS– The Fort on Cedar Street was bustling throughout the day on Saturday, June 21 with shoppers searching for bargains and delicious baked goods.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO

Fair board

The Sanders County Fair Board met up on Thursday evening to discuss preparations for the fair in August and to recap the Plains Day Super sort.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO

Fair board holds meeting

PLAINS – In less than two months the Sanders County Fairgrounds will once again be filled with visitors for the annual fair.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO

Art Show

Lisa French provided the live music for the opening night of the third quarter Art on the Walls show.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO

Art on the Walls returns to Clark Fork Valley Hospital

PLAINS – Original works of art and artistic photographs filled the hallways of the Clark Fork Valley Hospital in Plains as the third quarter of Art on the Walls kicked off.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO

DeFalco wins 50k

PLAINS – After over 30 miles of long strenuous road, one local winner came out ahead of the competition at the annual Trail Rail Run 50K, after running for almost five hours.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO

County Yard Sale

Jackie Mustain of Thompson Falls smiles following a completed sale during the annual county yard sale last weekend.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO

Treasures abound at county yard sale

SANDERS COUNTY – Many say one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. That saying proved true this weekend as the eighth annual Sanders County Yard Sale-ing event hit the county.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO

Employment numbers improve

SANDERS COUNTY – As the nation and the state of Montana move farther away from the Great Recession of 2008, the job market is steadily beginning the long road to economic recovery.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO

Montana State Parks to purchase permanent easements

THOMPSON FALLS – The lone state park in Sanders County is starting to get pretty busy as the summer progresses, with locals and visitors utilizing the acres of wilderness and water frontage.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO

Tying flies

Hot Springs Superintendent Kevin Meredith lends a helping hand as students work on tying their handmade fly lures at the Hot Springs fly fishing camp last week.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO

Students enjoy outdoor themed camps

HOT SPRINGS – Students practiced their casts, worked on making fishing flies and learned about nature in a series of camps held at Hot Springs High School last week.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO

Newman finishes in first at Cut Bank

CUT BANK – Only one swimmer represented the Plains Piranhas at an away swim meet, bringing home gold for the team.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO

Bluehawk boys gain practice on court

THOMPSON FALLS – There are quite a few months before the high school basketball’s regular season gets underway throughout Sanders County, but that has not kept young athletes from hitting the hardwood during the summer months.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO

Riverdogs see success at tournament

SANDERS COUNTY – The Clark Fork Valley Riverdogs have shined in their first couple tournaments of the summer, impressing their supporters and opposing teams.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO

Students spend day on Flathead Lake

HOT SPRINGS – School may be out of session for the summer but there are still plenty of events going on at Hot Springs High School for students.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO

Busy Fourth planned for Sanders County

SANDERS COUNTY – Areas throughout Sanders County will be hosting celebratory events to mark the nation’s independence on the Fourth of July.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO

Inspection

Janet Flaman of the FWP inspects a boat from Washington outside of Thompson Falls.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO

FWP holds boat inspections at checkpoints across the county

THOMPSON FALLS – With the official start of summer Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks continues its ongoing battle to stem the invasion of non-native species to the lakes, rivers and reservoirs of western Montana.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO

Roads open for firewood gathering

PLAINS – Chain saws and axes will soon be busy at work, following the opening of several roads for firewood gathering in the Plains/Thompson Falls Ranger District.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO

Task force works to implement anonymous call line

THOMPSON FALLS – The Sanders County DUI Task Force continued discussions to set up an anonymous call line for law enforcement entities throughout the county.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO

Real estate market begins to recover

SANDERS COUNTY – Following sizeable alterations during the last recession, the real estate market within the county is showing positive signs as statistics begin to tick up.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO

The Breezy

Bob "Breezy" Alm lands his homemade aircraft during the annual Fly-In Breakfast on Saturday.

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Soaring in for breakfast

PLAINS – Bright and early Saturday the roar of propeller driven engines could be heard overhead throughout the town of Plains as pilots from across the region dropped by for the annual Fly-In Breakfast.

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Swimming to the finish

Matthew Woods competes in the 50-meter butterfly in the 9 to 10 year old division at this weekend's swim meet.

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Piranhas swim to fifth at town meet

PLAINS – Swimmers crashed through the water, competing neck and neck with one another in the annual swim meet in Plains.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO

Hot Springs hosts football skills camp

HOT SPRINGS - The sounds and squeaks of running shoes echoed around the gymnasium as a group of young athletes participated in a youth skills football camp.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO

Review looks into form of government

HOT SPRINGS – Following an extremely close vote in the June primaries the town of Hot Springs will begin preparations to go forward with the approved Local Government Review.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO

Plains Day: Then and now

PLAINS – Following Plains Day weekend, the town returned to its normal pace and was able to reflect on its big summer event.

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Clean-up Day

Ruben Loberg and Sierra Lazaro load a mattress during the second Community Clean-Up Day in Hot Springs.

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Hot Springs holds clean-up day

HOT SPRINGS – Couches, coffee tables, mattresses and washing machines were all gathered up in Hot Springs last week as the town completed its second Community Clean-Up Day of the summer season.

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Grand Marshal

Grand Marshal Bud Bras drives his Ford Model A down Main Street during the grand parade on Sunday in Hot Springs.

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Bud Bras honored as grand marshal

HOT SPRINGS – Horse drawn wagons, fire trucks, police cruisers and vintage automobiles filled the streets of Hot Springs as the Grand Parade closed out the 65th annual Homesteader Days celebration.

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Tourism numbers show promise

SANDERS COUNTY – As the days grow longer and the temperature warms, out of state visitors are beginning to make their way to destinations in and around Sanders County.

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Homesteader Days

The flags were proudly paraded in the grand parade on Sunday.

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Homesteader Days

A line of kids take off towards the finish line during the kids games on Saturday in Hot Springs.

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Car Show

The winners of the car show display their awards, while volunteers stand behind them.

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Car show brings in droves of cars

HOT SPRINGS – The roar of engines and the smoke of exhaust filled the air as a wide variety of old and new automobiles took over the Hot Springs High School football field for the afternoon.

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Alumni Game

Jimmy Holland prepares to take the ball down the court during the alumni game.

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Alumni game stirs up competition

HOT SPRINGS – Students and adults of all ages raced from one side of the basketball court to the other in two competitive basketball games, as Hot Springs held its annual alumni competition.

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Rodeo

Jessica Read of Plains competes in the barrel racing competition at the Homesteaders Rodeo.

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Homesteaders rodeo hits Hot Springs

HOT SPRINGS – Broncs did their best to rid themselves of their riders, bulls ran amok, horses raced around barrels and a few brave volunteers did their best to corral wild cows as the rodeo came to Hot Springs.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO

Paro aids in the success of the Mission Valley Mariners

HELENA – Trevor Paro of Hot Springs is only a freshman, but already he is excelling on the baseball diamond.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO

Piranhas prepare for season

PLAINS – The Piranhas swim team of Plains is ready to start their season off on the right foot as they head to their first meet in Hamilton this weekend.

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Father's Day

President of the Hot Springs Chamber of Commerce Leslee Smith sets up for the Father's Day barbecue.

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Celebration draws crowd

HOT SPRINGS – Over the weekend the normally peaceful Main Street of Hot Springs, was transformed into a bustling town as the Homesteader Days celebration was held.

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Homesteaders Rodeo

Rider Kolby Kittson prepares his equipment for the saddle bronc riding event on Saturday night.

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Auto Show

Todd Logan and Ken Saner prepare to distribute trophies at the conclusion of the car and motorcycle show on Plains Day.

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Vintage autos on display at Plains Day

PLAINS – Engines roared and shiny vehicles of all makes, models and years lined the grassy span of the greenway as the 2014 Plains Day Car and Motorcycle show took place on Saturday.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO

lifeguards

Tiga Ward practices a save on Head Lifeguard Mary Ellen Siegford at El Johnson Memorial Pool Park on Sunday.

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Lifeguard certification prepares Plains Pool for summer debut

PLAINS – Prospective lifeguards jumped in the pool, swam laps and performed simulated rescues as the Plains pool prepared to open for the season on Sunday, June 8.

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Water fight

Teacher Bob Neiman throws a water balloon at Hot Springs High School during the faculty and student water balloon fight.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO

Hot Springs celebrates end of the school year

HOT SPRINGS – The students of Hot Springs ended their school year in style, enjoying class barbecues, water balloon fights and an awards ceremony.

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Montana Rose

Claudia Williams of Montana Rose plays with Tessy Lou and the Shotgun Stars.

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CFVH Foundation gala entertains

PLAINS – Traditional bluegrass music filled the air as a brisket dinner, accompanied by fresh dinner rolls was served up to attendees at the annual CFVH foundation gala.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO

Hot Springs gears up for 65th Homesteader Days

HOT SPRINGS – The town of Hot Springs is running through its final preparations as the 65th annual Homesteader Days celebration kicks off next weekend.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO

Journey of Hope cycles through

THOMPSON FALLS – This summer a group of proactive college students will be traveling coast to coast via bicycle. These students part of Push America’s Journey of Hope made their way through Sanders County on their way east last week.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO

Royals place third

The Plains Royals of the Clark Fork Valley Babe Ruth League took third place in their end of the year tournament at the new sports complex in Plains.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO

Plains teams play stellar tournaments

PLAINS – The newly christened Amundson Sports Complex played host to two baseball tournaments over the weekend.

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Championship

Jake Zigler warms up in the bullpen during the third inning of Plains first tournament game.

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Pirates complete perfect season with big win

PLAINS – The Plains Pirates achieved a rare feat this spring, compiling a perfect season. The Majors division team won every one of their 15 games without losing a single contest.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO

Amundson first pitch

Alvin Amundson winds up to deliver the ceremonial first pitch at the new sports complex in Plains.

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Amundson opens new sports complex

PLAINS – Plains Day started early at the Wild Horse Sports Association Sports Complex as the field was officially dedicated in a short ceremony before the day’s baseball tournaments kicked off.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO

WSA to hold field dedication ceremony

PLAINS – The Wildhorse Sports Association Sports Complex will hold a dedication ceremony for its two new baseball fields on the morning of Plains Day, this coming Saturday.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO

Circus to hit Hot Springs

HOT SPRINGS – One hundred years ago, long before the mainstream distribution of movies and television, Chautauqua circuits were common events during the summertime throughout Montana and major portions of the United States.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO

Hot Springs constructs creative space

HOT SPRINGS – Students at Hot Springs will have a new space for art classes, featuring two classrooms in a new building once the fall rolls around.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO

Clark Fork River holds slightly below flood stage

SANDERS COUNTY – With the unofficial start of summer following Memorial Day, a string of warm weather has melted a significant portion of the snow pack at elevation.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO

Training prepares judges for primary elections

SANDERS COUNTY - The county is running through the final preparations for the June 3 primaries following two days of election judge training in Thompson Falls and Plains.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO

Bavaria

Casey and Erin Alt stand with Dominik Schwarz (center) an exchange student they hosted from Germany.

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A family away from home

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Savage Heat compete at State C Meet

GREAT FALLS – The Hot Springs Savage Heat competed in Great Falls over the weekend at the State C Track and Field Meet, with a strong performance over the two-day event.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO

Trotters softball takes third

GREAT FALLS – The Trotters capped off a successful season with a deep run in the State Tournament over the weekend.

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Trotters return victorious

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO

Volunteers lend a helping hand

HOT SPRINGS – Bart Granlund has only been teaching at Hot Springs Elementary school for a year but he is already starting to make a big impact in the learning community.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO

Booster clubs benefit from sports physicals

PLAINS – In an effort to give back to local athletes, Clark Fork Valley Hospital has donated 100 percent of their proceeds from sports physicals to local booster clubs.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO

Bassmasters tournament stimulates local economy

TROUT CREEK- Small businesses in Sanders County received an early season boost as the 2014 B.AS.S Nation Western Divisional took place on Noxon Reservoir.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO

Trotters

Danika Whitcomb covers first base for Plains in their game against Drummond.

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Plains softball move on to state

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Trotters take first at divisionals

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Savage Heat athletes move forward

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Gala

Marla Brown Robbins addresses visitors to the annual art show.

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Juried art show draws crowd

HOT SPRINGS – There was barely enough room to maneuver inside of Wall Street Place as artists and interested locals jammed into the spacious building in downtown Hot Springs.

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Birds of a Feather

The Hot Springs Drama Club presented Birds of a Feather in the school gymnasium.

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Hot Springs Drama Club lights up stage

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Trap

Shooters blast clay pigeons from the skies as the Hack and Blast kicked off Saturday morning at the Plains Trap Club.

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Participants hack and blast their way through Plains trap and golf clubs

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Luau

The Plains Trotters serve up a luau styled feast during their annual fundraiser.

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Trotters dish up treats

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Volunteers needed for playground installation

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CFVH Gala set to take off

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Rockies

A Superior Rockies baseball player lines up to bat against Plains.

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Pirates

The Pirates celebrate with Tristan Subatch after he scored the winning run.

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Pirates still perfect after doubleheader sweep

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO

Savage Heat athletes advance to divisional meet

POLSON – The Hot Springs Savage Heat competed at the District 14C meet, getting some impressive performances from the athletes on the track and field team.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO

LaDeaux heads to state competition

BIGFORK – Most of the Plains High School golf team concluded their season on Monday May 12, at the divisional tournament but one golfer will be attending the State Tournament in Fairmont.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO

Trotters soar above competition

BIGFORK – The Plains track and field team will be proudly sending a large contingent to the divisional meet after successful district competitions during the weekend, kicking off their postseason meets.

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Pilgrim Road fire

Plains Volunteer Fire Department Chief Joe Sheppard works to extinguish flames on Pilgrim Road.

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Pond

Swans and turtles enjoy the sunshine at the National Bison Range.

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Bison Range marks annual Migratory Bird Day

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Science

Savannah Roosma and Ariah Erny present their project at the Hot Springs Elementary Science Fair.

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Hot Springs hosts student science fair

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Tractor

The Plains Head Start Program poses in front of a tractor at Dave Williams' ranch.

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Preschoolers spend an afternoon on the farm

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King and Queen

Joe DeTienne and Sadee Miller stand at the center of the dance floor, waiting to be crowned king and queen of the Hot Springs Prom.

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Hot Springs High School hosts Prom

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NorthWestern highlights benefits of dam purchase

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Plains track competes at Archie Roe

KALISPELL – The Horsemen and Trotters of the Plains Track and Field team spent the weekend competing against a wide field of competition in Kalispell.

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Hot Springs heads to Missoula

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LaDeaux and boys golf head to divisional tournament

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Trotters head into postseason

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Rep. Pat Ingraham reflects on her time in the state House of Representatives

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Evan Drachman

Drachman addresses the audience at the United Methodist Church of Plains.

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Sanders County Arts Council hosts Drachman

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Diehl Ranch

A Lawyer Nursery field off of Diehl Ranch rd.

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Lawyer Nursery celebrates 55 years of business in Sanders County

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Halpop retires after 25 years with MSU Extension Agency

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May Day Baskets

Debbie Heckman wraps some baked goods for the May Day baskets.

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Woman's Club spreads May Day love

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Torch run to travel through Sanders County

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Plains Ambulance services look for a place to expand

PLAINS – The Town of Plains held its regular meeting of the Plains Town Council on Thursday, May 1, at 7:00 p.m. in the town hall council room.

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Royals

The Plains Royals meet on the mound, shortly before the start of the game.

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Plains wins first game at Wildhorse Sports Association Sports Complex

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Hot Springs track runs at Whitefish

WHITEFISH – The Savage Heat track and field team tied for eighth with Bigfork at the Whitefish Invitational over the weekend. Both track and field squads compiled 12 team points.

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Greene waits for the pitch

With the game tied, Alex Greene of Plains waits for the pitch during the Trotters win over Deer Lodge.

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Trotters catch fire

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Plains track races in Whitefish and at top ten

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Brouilette connects on his drive

Trent Brouilette of Plains High School drives the first tee of River's Bend Golf Course for the Thompson Falls Invitational on Saturday, May 3.

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Thompson Falls hosts golf tournament

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For a good cause

Jonathon Felix raised over $1,000 during the Jump Rope for Heart campaign.

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Plains student raises record donations for AHA event

PLAINS - Two weeks of fundraising came to an end as the students of Plains Elementary completed another Jump Rope for Heart Campaign.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO

Flat-Iron Guild hosts 2014 Quilt Show in Thompson Falls

THOMPSON FALLS - Last weekend the Thompson Falls High School gymnasium hosted the 2014 Quilt Show.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO

Company looks at buying dam

THOMPSON FALLS - The Thompson Falls Dam may be under new ownership as early as January of next year, if a proposed buyout is approved by the Montana Public Service Commission and the deal survives a public hearing, scheduled for early July.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO

Trotters continue to sweep competition

MISSOULA - The Plains girls’ track and field team had a huge day at Missoula County Stadium on Saturday, April 26, winning the Seeley-Swan Invitational.

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Savage Heat fights through cold weather

MISSOULA - The Hot Springs Savage Heat took ninth in the Seeley-Swan Invitational on Saturday, April, 26 in Missoula.

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Chip

Alan Ihms chips on to the green during the Plains Invitational.

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County golf teams compete at Plains

PLAINS - Wild Horse Golf Course played host to the Plains Invitational on Saturday, April 26.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO

Pitcher

Plains pitcher Tia Thompson had a solid performance during the game against the Lady Hawks. Thompson pitched the first four innings.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO

Trotters tear up field against Lady Hawks

THOMPSON FALLS - The Trotters surged to a 12-2 victory during a rainy day at Thompson Falls on Tuesday, April 22, rebounding from last week’s losses at Ronan.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO

Folk music

Missoula's Tumble-home kicks off their set at the Symes on Friday, April 18. The group kicked off the weekend in Hot Springs with their unique style and impressive harmonies.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO

Missoula folk group makes stop in Hot Springs

HOT SPRINGS – In canoe terminology, to have tumblehome refers to a design that makes paddling the craft easier, due to the flared out sides of the vessel, which deflect water in a more economical way than traditionally designed canoes.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO

Plains elementary students jump rope for the American Heart Association

PLAINS - This week students will be jumping for a cause, as the Jump Rope for Heart Campaign kicks off at Plains Elementary.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO

Library celebrates National Library Week

PLAINS - April 13 to April 19 marked the celebration of National Library Week at libraries in towns and cities across the nation. As in years past the Plains Public Library once again took part in the annual event.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO

County awarded funds for relief

SANDERS COUNTY – One of the fifteen counties made privy to disaster relief funding, Sanders County has already initiated the process of receiving federal funds to assist in cleanup and recovery efforts.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO

Plains Golf competes in Ronan

RONAN – Mission Mountain Country Club played host to student athletes from across northwestern Montana as the Ronan High School Golf Invitational took place on Tuesday, April 15.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO

Savage Heat place fourth at TF Invitational

THOMPSON FALLS – The Hot Springs boys track and field team placed fourth at the Thompson Falls Invitational on Thursday April 17.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO