Hagadone News Network

Local rodeo veteran competes at Mineral County Fair

Shadrick Rich, left, receives some encouragement from his brother before his first bull ride at the Mineral County Fair. Rich scored 92 points in the event on the second night of the rodeo.

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

Annual Mineral County Fair Rodeo rolls into town

A cowboy drops from his horse to wrestle a steer to the ground during the 2015 rodeo at the Mineral County Fairgrounds.

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

Local rodeo veteran takes first bull ride in Mineral County

Shadrick Rich prepares for his bull ride at the 2015 rodeo.

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

Mineral County fair kicks off in Superior

Cowboys wait their turn to compete behind the chutes at the 2015 Lion's Club Rodeo.

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

Fire danger remains very high

MINERAL COUNTY - According to Forest Service authorities, the fire danger in Mineral County remains at the very high level and stage 1 restrictions remain in place. According to Forest Service Fire Prevention Officer Jim Ward, “There is no change to our drought status over the last week, the current …

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

Superior Volunteer Fire Department receives new gear

Interim Superior Volunteer Fire Chief John Woodland demonstrates the new SCBAs the department received recently due to a grant.

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

Committee Dissolves: Open Doors committee members resign after new information surfaces

SUPERIOR — A committee formed to help an organization that claimed to want to foster economic development in Superior was dissolved last week after committee members learned about the extensive criminal history of one of the principals in the organization known as Open Doors.

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

Ferraris go up in flames in Mineral County

One destroyed Ferrari can still be seen in a burned out trailer. County firefighters responded to a call earlier last week of a trailer on fire and discovered five brand new Ferrari cars inside. All but one of the vehicles was completely destroyed in the blaze.

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

Historical site in Mineral County to be repaired

MINERAL COUNTY – A historical site in Mineral County is getting some protection from the elements soon after it was discovered the roof of the Louisville/Cinker jailhouse built in 1869 had collapsed.

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

Senator's representative meets with county commissioners

SUPERIOR – A representative from the office of U.S. Senator Steve Daines met with Mineral County commissioners last week to hear some of their concerns regarding issues within the county.

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

Mineral County 4-H members build new facility

A bird's eye view of the 4-H booth under construction at the county fairgrounds in Superior.

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

Preparations underway for Mineral County Fair

Emma Hill looks on as construction of the 4-H booth takes place last weekend at the Mineral County Fairgrounds.

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

Fire danger lowered but dry conditions remain

MINERAL COUNTY - Authorities lowered the fire danger in Mineral County to very high after some precipitation fell on the region early last week but cautioned that dry conditions persist in wooded areas and the public should still exercise caution.

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

Isabelle Washburn

Isabelle Washburn has been volunteering at the historic Savenac Nursery near Haugan for the last 20 years.

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

Two decades at Savenac

HAUGAN – For the past twenty years, the historic Savenac Nursery near Haugan has welcomed volunteers who come to the facility for one week in the summer to help maintain a place that was instrumental in rebuilding forests in the area after the devastating fire of 1910 swept through the …

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

Alberton celebrates railroad heritage

ALBERTON - The community of Alberton celebrated the 30th annual Railroad Day last weekend and one of the organizers said it was the best edition of the event in its history.

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

Small fire extinguished near St. Regis

Firefighters quickly extinguished a small blaze near St. Regis last week. There was little damage from the blaze.

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

Fire danger lowered but dry conditions remain

MINERAL COUNTY - Authorities lowered the fire danger in Mineral County to very high after some precipitation fell on the region early last week but cautioned that dry conditions persist in wooded areas and the public should still exercise caution.

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

Annual softball tournament held in Superior

Runners attempt to advance on an infield hit during a game in Superior.

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

Lightning strikes result in multiple small fires over the weekend

Volunteers from the West End monitor one of the five reported fires last weekend in Mineral County.

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

Railroad Day coming to Alberton

ALBERTON - The event known as Railroad Day is set to kick off in Alberton this weekend and not only will the community be celebrating its rich, railroad heritage, it will also be celebrating the 30th anniversary of the occasion.

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

Aerial attack crews called in due to steep and rugged terrain

A small fire on top of a ridge near Interstate 90 south of DeBorgia took several hours and multiple retardant drops to contain over the weekend.

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

Superior Fire Chief charged with child sex abuse

SUPERIOR – Superior resident and chief of the Superior Volunteer Fire Department Richard Miller made his initial appearance in court today at the Mineral County Courthouse on charges of sexual abuse of children and multiple counts of tampering with evidence.

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

Big Sky Motel

Staff members of the Big Sky Motel in Superior display their certificates of excellence.

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

Local business receives award of excellence for third year in a row

SUPERIOR - One local business in Mineral County is celebrating three straight years of excellence after they were recognized recently by a well known travel website as one of the best in the business.

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

Fire danger at extreme

MINERAL COUNTY - As temperatures continue to hover around 100 degrees during Mineral County afternoons combined with the lack of precipitation over the last several weeks, authoroties decided last week to raise the fire danger level to extreme.

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

Annual Firecracker Classic Softball Tournament held in St. Regis

Softball players race for the ball during a game at the fields in St. Regis as part of the annual Firecracker Classic.

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

Stage 1 restrictions in effect

MINERAL COUNTY - According to information supplied by Superior Ranger District Fire Prevention Officer Jim Ward, stage 1 fire restrictions will remain in effect this week in Mineral County.

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

Mineral County celebrates Fourth of July

Fireworks show attendees kick back in their lawn chairs during the event at the community park in St. Regis last weekend.

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

Patricia Gaston

Patricia Gaston holds up her certificate announcing her as a Presidential Merit Scholar.

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

Local scholar awarded scholarship

SUPERIOR – According to a report by the Institute for College Access and Success, nearly 70 percent of seniors graduating college in 2013 had an average debt of nearly $30,000. In Montana alone, 66 percent of graduating seniors will leave college with an average of nearly $28,000 in debt.

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

Relay For Life

Relay For Life participants walk the track at Superior High School last week to celebrate those who have survived cancer and remember those lost to the debilitating disease.

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

Event celebrates life in Mineral County

MINERAL COUNTY - Dozens of people gathered last week to take part in an annual event that celebrates the lives of those who have survived cancer and to remember those lost to the debilitating disease.

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

ATV enthusiasts ride for a good cause

The ATV ride in St. Regis was designed to raise money for a local cause. This year, the 'Wheelin for Healin' event raised $8,000 to be given to an individual in need in Mineral County to be determined at a later date.

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

Weekend fire at Tricon Timber causes damage

ST. REGIS - The Tricon Timber Mill in St. Regis was the site of a small fire on Sunday, June 28 that was quickly extinguished by firefighters with the St. Regis Volunteer Fire Department and other agencies.

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

Chamber of Commerce tournament held

Golfers celebrate at the Chamber of Commerce Tournament at the Trestle Creek Golf Course in St. Regis.

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

Trotters face off against competition in St. Regis

Trotters guard Kimberly Earhart looks for an open teammate during the team's tourney in St. Regis.

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

Food bank in Superior still in need of assistance

SUPERIOR – With fall and winter holidays long behind the residents of Mineral County, the people who run the food bank in Superior understand that it is easy for people to forget there is still a need for supplies to help the less fortunate.

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

Task force work continues

MINERAL COUNTY – Mineral County Commissioners were busy last week at their annual meeting passing several measures including one that will maintain an organization devoted to keeping Mineral County residents safe from those who make bad choices behind the wheel.

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

Rodeo princess crowned

Jonna Rae Warnken, left, receives instructions from the judges during tryouts for the 2015 Mineral County rodeo princess.

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

Fire Danger raised to high in Mineral County

MINERAL COUNTY – The fire danger level in Mineral County was again raised last week this time reaching high as temperatures in the area soared to nearly 100 degrees and little precipitation fell in forested areas.

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

Trail run ends in St. Regis

Participants cross the finish line at the trail run that began in Mullan, ID and ended in St. Regis.

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

New business hopes to expand

SUPERIOR – Lawns and gardens around the area could be getting a facelift soon if one local business owner has his way and it might not stop at the Mineral County borders.

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

Yard sale raises money for historic place

DE BORGIA – While many communities in Mineral County held town wide yard sales last week, one community in the west end of the county was using their version of the event to raise money to make sure a historical landmark does not fall by the wayside.

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

Suspects sought in St. Regis poaching incident

ST. REGIS – Authorities are still looking for suspects in a poaching case that occurred last week near St. Regis.

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

Volunteer retires from veteran transportation service

SUPERIOR – The service that drives veterans to and from medical appointments and is a vital county resource may be looking for a new volunteer soon as one of their volunteers recently retired from his role as driver for the Disabled American Services.

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

Safe driving practices

Matthew Buchanan, center, receives an award for his dedication to safe driving practices.

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

Ceremony honors youth who made a good decision

SUPERIOR – All shapes, sizes, colors, models and types of vehicles were on hand last weekend in Superior as the town hosted the annual School House Rock Car Show.

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

Class of 2015

Josh Benda, one of three valedictorians from Superior High School, speaks to the audience during graduation.

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

Mineral County valedictorians and salutatorians reflect on past and future

MINERAL COUNTY – As graduation ceremonies in Mineral County wrapped up last week, several students took to their respective podiums to deliver messages of inspiration, celebration of education and hope for the future.

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

Superior Forest Ranger moving to Alaska

MINERAL COUNTY – Mineral County is losing a Forest Service employee who has spent the last four years championing the cause of reforming land management practices that would have a wide array of benefits for the region. And it turns out, Mineral County’s loss is Ketchikan, Alaska’s gain.

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

Fire outlook report predicts above normal season

MINERAL COUNTY – According to information provided by officials at the Superior Ranger Station, the National Significant Wildland Fire Potential Outlook from Predictive Services at the National Interagency Fire Center indicate above normal conditions in June, July, August and September for fire potential.

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

Old School House Rock Car Show

An entry and car show attendees are reflected in the door of another entry during the annual car show in Superior last week.

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

Health fair held at Superior Elementary School

SUPERIOR - The Superior Elementary School gym was the site of an event intended to show Mineral County residents what resources are available in the community to maintain their health.

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

Stakeholders tour wildlife management area around Fish Creek

MINERAL COUNTY - Stakeholders representing a wide array of Mineral County groups and communities took a tour last week of the Fish Creek Wildlife Management Area hosted by representatives of the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks department.

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

Outdoor school

Kylie Plakke paddles on the pond at the Savenac Nursery during the Superior Outdoor Week.

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

Week long event in Haugan educates students about the outdoors

HAUGAN – Students from the Superior Elementary School descended upon the historic Savenac Nursery in Haugan last week to learn skills they will easily put to use in the many outdoor recreational opportunities Mineral County has to offer.

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

St. Regis students raise funds for trip

ST. REGIS – One teacher and the principal at the St. Regis High School were walking the halls and teaching classes last Friday wearing somewhat non-traditional attire in order to honor a wager they made with the student body.

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

State C Track and Field Meet

Marissa Koke of Superior heaves the javelin at the state meet in Laurel last weekend.

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

Savage Heat

Trevor Paro (far right) hands off the baton to a teammate during last week's state meet in Laurel.

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

State C Meet

Brandon Manahgan competed at the state meet last week after qualifying at the divisional meet the week prior.

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

Mineral County athletes storm into state meet

LAUREL - Athletic representatives from Mineral County were on hand last week to show competitors from all over Montana how it is done in Mineral County.

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

Superior woman killed in car accident

ALBERTON – A Superior woman was killed on Friday, May 22 near Alberton after she apparently lost control of her Ford Explorer SUV on Interstate 90. The accident occurred Friday afternoon around 5 p.m.

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

BPA team returns after trip to California

MINERAL COUNTY – One Mineral County competitive team just returned from Anaheim, CA last week having demonstrated their business acumen at the Business Professionals of America National Convention.

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

Open Doors opens up

SUPERIOR – Representatives from an organization that had previously released little information about themselves and their plans to help revitalize one town in Mineral County was on hand last week to throw open the veil and reveal who they were and why they want to invest in the town of …

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

MCSO gets body cams and announces law enforcement camp for youth

MINERAL COUNTY – After having only been on the job for just under six months, Mineral County Sheriff Tom Bauer and his deputies are not only making their presence known amongst those who would break the law, but also among the law abiding public and especially young people.

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

Savage Heat

Anthony Byrns (center) of Hot Springs qualified for the state meet in multiple events after a big day at the Western C Divisional meet.

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

Plains Trotters

Plains senior Hailey Phillips (far right) competes last week at the Western B Divisional Meet at Dornblaser Field in Missoula.

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

Home lost in Alberton fire

One minor, non life-threatening injury was reported from the fire in Alberton last week.

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

Home a total loss in Alberton fire

ALBERTON – A fire that began early Tuesday May 12, at approximately 4 a.m. resulted in the complete destruction of resident’s home. According to information from the scene, one woman was able to escape from the house but did suffer minor injuries.

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

Mineral County athletes head to state

Marissa Koke finishes strong at a race in Missoula last week.

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

Alberton comes together to beautify

Alberton residents of all ages came out to help beautify the community two weeks ago.

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

Be Bear Aware Campaign

Chris Wood examines a stuffed grizzly bear during a presentation in Superior last week.

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

Be bear aware in Mineral County

SUPERIOR – Students at one Mineral County school have a better idea of what to do in case of a bear encounter after a presentation last week with an expert in the field taught them some essential knowledge on the subject.

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

Teacher Appreciation Week celebrated

MINERAL COUNTY – Students from all across Mineral County took some time last week to celebrate a few of the people in their lives who devote their time and energy into making sure students receive a quality education.

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

Mineral County runs for fun

Participants take off from the starting line during an annual fun run in Superior that saw runners from all three schools attend.

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

Prevention program taught

SANDERS COUNTY – Several members of the Sanders County community gathered at a church recently last week to learn what they can do to prevent domestic and sexual violence as well as what role they can play in support of victims.

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

Alise Ruthford

Alise Ruthford returns a shot last week during the divisional tournament in Superior. She qualified for state.

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

Superior tennis player headed to state

MINERAL COUNTY - For one Mineral County tennis player, the season isn’t quite over yet.

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

Hospital levy passes in Mineral County

MINERAL COUNTY – The doors of the Mineral Community Hospital will stay open and the facility will continue to serve the needs of Mineral County residents after voters last week decided to pass a levy that will help the hospital pay off its debts.

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

Mineral County Fun Run

Thomas Anderson, right, poses with Monte the mascot.

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

Science class to launch weather balloon in St. Regis

ST. REGIS – A teacher at the St. Regis High School will be able to teach her future science students about a much wider array of subjects after she received a grant last week to purchase and launch a high altitude weather balloon.

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

Group works to preserve environment

MINERAL COUNTY – A group dedicated to preserving the integrity of natural bodies of water in Mineral County including streams and rivers and to prevent their degradation met last week to outline their latest courses of action.

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

Zinke representative visits Mineral County

MINERAL COUNTY – A representative from Congressman Ryan Zinke’s office was on hand last Friday at the weekly Mineral County Commissioner’s meeting to listen to the concerns of residents regarding a wide array of issues primarily regarding land management.

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

Ducks in the water in St. Regis

Tyler Captarelli, right, dumps hundreds of rubber ducks into the water during the annual rubber duck race held at the Dog House Saloon in St. Regis.

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

Brian Bachmeier Memorial Track Meet

Kristen Webley gets airborne during a hurdles event in Arlee last week.

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

Alise Ruthford

Alise Ruthford prepares to return a shot during a match last week in Superior.

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

County tennis teams improve on their season

MINERAL COUNTY - The young co-op Mineral County tennis team may be young but they are showing signs of significant improvement in a short amount of time according to coach Angie Hopwood. The relatively inexperienced team is starting to play with their heads according to their coach and that she …

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

Eggers sentenced in Mineral County crime spree

SUPERIOR – A defendant convicted in a string of crimes throughout Mineral County in 2013 and 2014 was sentenced last week on three felony counts to a term of 30 years with 20 years suspended, 30 years with 20 suspended on a fourth felony count, 20 years all suspended on …

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

St. Regis schools seek help from voters

ST. REGIS – A teacher at the St. Regis High School will be able to teach her future science students about a much wider array of subjects after she received a grant last week to purchase and launch a high altitude weather balloon.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS AGO

4-H

Jonna Rae Warnken, right, prepares to handle a squirming pig at the 4-H weigh in last weekend in Superior.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS AGO

4-H club preparing for Mineral County Fair

SUPERIOR – Mineral County 4-H participants were busy last weekend with an event on Saturday designed to raise money to support a field trip for the organization and another event on Sunday which featured the high pitched squeals of some less than enthusiastic four legged participants.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS AGO

Prescribed Burns

Teo Digiando monitors a prescribed burn on an adjacent ridge last week.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS AGO

Forest Service begins prescribed burns in Mineral County

MINERAL COUNTY – Forest Service personnel were busy last week taking advantage of weather conditions that allowed them to perform a prescribed burn near St. Regis as part of an ongoing effort to reduce fuel loads on forested land in Mineral County.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS AGO

Superior fire chief to retire

SUPERIOR – Beginning next month, the Superior Volunteer Fire Department will have a new fire chief after the current chief steps down after nine years serving the community.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS AGO

Track season in full swing

Nadeia Ewoniuk leaps over a hurdle during the track and field meet in Thompson Falls last week.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS AGO

Cal Ripken League

The Plains Pirates battled the Superior Bobcats in Superior last weekend.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS AGO

Thompson Falls Invitational

Emma Duboise flies over the bar during the pole vault event last week in Thompson Falls.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS AGO

Track and field teams cruise toward districts

SANDERS COUNTY - Track and field teams from St. Regis and Superior competed last week at the Thompson Falls Invitational and the Seeley Invitational with some impressive results coming from the teams as they face the tail end of the season.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS AGO

Tis' the season for Girl Scout cookies

SUPERIOR – Customers walking in the doors of Castles Grocery Store in Superior last Saturday may have found themselves walking out with a few more sweets than they originally planned on purchasing.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS AGO

Volunteers celebrated in Mineral County

Volunteers and those in attendance to recognize their efforts gathered on the Mineral County Courthouse lawn last week.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS AGO

Community members gather to celebrate service in Mineral County

MINERAL COUNTY – April is Volunteer Appreciation Month and to celebrate the occasion and to honor those that selflessly give away their time and energy in Mineral County to help those less fortunate or in need, approximately 30 people gathered in Superior on the courthouse lawn last week.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS AGO

Mineral County teams compete

Nadeia Ewoniuk flies over the bar during the pole vault event last week in Corvallis.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS AGO

Missoula County Invitational

Plains junior Kimberly Earhart (right) competes against an athlete from Darby during the Jim Johnson Invitational earlier in the season.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS AGO

Darby/Florence Invitational

Hot Springs senior Anthony Byrns kicks it into high gear as he competes against area athletes.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS AGO

Long Jump

Andrew Managhan lands in the pit during the long jump event.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS AGO

Track and field teams continue to make strides

CORVALLIS – All three Mineral County track and field teams competed at a meet hosted by Darby in Corvallis last week that featured area athletes throwing farther, running harder, jumping higher and further and running faster than they had all year.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS AGO

Youngsters face off on the court

Superior gets the rebound during a tournament last week while playing against a team from Thompson Falls.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS AGO

Mineral County Track and Field

Gibson Lowry of St. Regis lets a javelin fly during the first track and field meet of the season in Superior.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS AGO

Alberton 4-H

Mason Swearingen, center, approaches a calf.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS AGO

Alberton event raises 4-H funds

ALBERTON – A fundraiser last weekend in Alberton to raise money for the local 4-H chapter all depended upon a four-legged participant and her ability to “perform” on demand.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS AGO

Veteran recounts harrowing ordeal

The knife pictured here in front of Norris Grunhuvd's Purple Heart survived his ordeal intact.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS AGO

World War II veteran tells his story

SUPERIOR – March 26, 2015 marked the 70th anniversary of the end of the Battle of Iwo Jima in the Pacific theater during World War II.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS AGO

Defendant to plead guilty in crime spree

MINERAL COUNTY – The culprit of a six-year long crime spree in Mineral County that culminated in the 2014 armed robbery of the Travel Center in St. Regis was expected to plead guilty this week to multiple felony counts with a sentence recommendation of 30 years in jail with 20 …

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS AGO

Mineral County Easter egg hunts

Sicily Carter gathers more than just eggs at the Easter egg hunt in Superior.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS AGO

Bluehawks

Kade VanElswyk of Thompson Falls throws a javelin during the Jim Johnson Invitational in Missoula. VanElswyk would finish fourth in the javelin with a throw of 142-2.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS AGO

Plains Trotters

Kimberly Earhart hits her stride during last week's meet in Missoula. Earhart would win the 800-meter event.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS AGO

Jim Johnson Invitational

Taylor Erdman of Alberton flies over the high bar during the team's meet in Missoula last week.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS AGO

Mineral County athletes soar in Missoula

MISSOULA – Track and field teams from St. Regis and Alberton competed last week in Missoula at the Jim Johnson Invitational track and field meet during what was at times cold and snowy weather and at other times bright and sunny.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS AGO

Local business owner revives hangout

SUPERIOR – While the location may be in an adjacent county, it is one local business owner that is responsible for reopening the doors of an establishment that had remained dormant for almost a year in nearby Sanders County.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS AGO

Mineral County celebrates Easter

Rhett Baldwin brushes the snow off an egg during the St. Regis Easter egg hunt.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS AGO

St. Regis FFA team competes at state

BILLINGS – Students who may represent the future of Montana’s agricultural industries put their talents and skills to the test last week in Billings as the Future Farmers of America (FFA) team from St. Regis competed at the state level.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS AGO

Senator Tester working on behalf of rural counties

WASHINGTON D.C. – According to information provided by U.S. Senator Jon Tester’s office last week, the senator plans on introducing bipartisan legislation to fully fund two initiatives to help support financially strapped rural Montana areas such as Mineral County.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS AGO

Alberton schools receive science tools

ALBERTON – Students from kindergarten age to the sixth grade at the Alberton Elementary School celebrated the arrival of a wide array of new, hands-on learning tools last week with a science fair.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS AGO

Mineral County Sheriff

Mineral County Sheriff Tom Bauer patrols in his cruiser last week. Bauer's primary focus is stemming the flow of drugs through the county.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS AGO

A new sheriff in town

MINERAL COUNTY – Mineral County Sheriff Tom Bauer may have only been in the top law enforcement position in the county for three short months but that doesn’t mean he and the other officers of the MCSO are taking their time getting used to the transition.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS AGO

Track and Field season

Marissa Koke flies over the bar during the high jump event at last week's meet in Superior.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS AGO

Honor society returns to county school

SUPERIOR – For the last several years, the Superior High School has been without any National Honor’s Society members but all that changed this year as school administrators and staff along with students brought a chapter back to the facility.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS AGO

Alberton schools celebrate reading

ALBERTON - Students, teachers and administrators at Alberton schools took time out of their busy schedules last week to celebrate an event that fosters an enjoyment of reading in young people.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS AGO

Wildcats

MacKenzie Spence prepares for a shot during a tournament against Granite and Troy last weekend.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS AGO

County tennis team braves the elements

SUPERIOR - The Superior/ Alberton Wildcat girl’s tennis team saw their first action of the season after the weather decided to cooperate and not rain them out last weekend.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS AGO

Superior Bobcats

Bridger LaPierre kicks up a cloud of dirt as he lands in the pit during the long jump event last week.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS AGO

County teams compete in first meet

SUPERIOR - All three Mineral County teams came together for the first meet of the season in Superior last week with Bobcats, Tigers and Panthers all vying for cross-county bragging rights.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS AGO

John Pienciak

John Pienciak, right, walks down the hall of St. Regis High School with Superintendent Judy McKay.

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

St. Regis school maintenance engineer making a difference

ST. REGIS – As the students and staff at the St. Regis High School go about their daily tasks like taking tests, giving tests, studying for ACTs and SATs, worrying about who to take to prom and all the other things that happen on a daily basis at this school, …

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

Senator's representative visits Mineral County

SUPERIOR – A representative from Montana State Senator Jon Tester’s office was in Mineral County last week at the weekly commissioners meeting to listen to their concerns regarding a variety of issues.

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

Commissioners hope land transfer bill is revived

MINERAL COUNTY – Mineral County Commissioners expressed hope last week that a bill to study the transfer of some level of local control of a percentage of federally owned land could be revived by the Montana State Legislature.

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

Local BPA team excels at state competition

BILLINGS – The Superior High School Business Professionals of America team had the opportunity to showcase their talents two weeks ago at the state competition in Billings.

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

Hospital to hold meetings about levy

MINERAL COUNTY – A few have already been held but Mineral Community Hospital representatives plan to hold more meetings across Mineral County to make their case for a levy that will come up before voters during the next election.

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

St. Regis track teams prepare for season

Gibson Lowry of the St. Regis Tigers track and field team launches a shot put during practice.

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

Superior Alberton co-op team

Lenaya Simpson prepares to lob the tennis ball back to her opponent during a recent practice at the courts near Superior High School.

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

Mineral County tennis teams hit the courts

MINERAL COUNTY - As athletes across the state prepare to throw javelins, shot puts and the discus in addition to training themselves to push their bodies further and faster than they ever imagined, the Superior Bobcats Track and Field team is preparing to host the first meet of the season.

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

Alberton couple locate victim

MISSOULA COUNTY – The Rausch family from Alberton only intended to spend the day cutting firewood just across the county line in Missoula County but what they came upon while driving home last Sunday, March 22 would change their course of action dramatically.

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

Superior celebrates Prom 2015

Superior prom king Craig Stortz and prom queen Mary Donnally have the first dance at the 2015 Superior celebration.

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

Book program comes to Mineral County

MINERAL COUNTY – A new program in Mineral County plans to bring the joy of reading into the homes of children who might not otherwise might not be able to afford quality books and the source of the program is one some county residents might already be a fan of.

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

Superior resident killed in car crash

SOUTH DAKOTA - A Superior resident was killed in a car crash last week after his vehicle was struck by a garbage truck as he was apparently trying to execute a u-turn.

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

Business Professionals of America

The St. Regis BPA team poses for a photo after a successful competition last week in Billings.

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

County BPA teams compete

MINERAL COUNTY – The next generation of business magnates descended upon Billings last week to compete against opponents from across the state of Montana in a series of events designed to test their mettle under pressure.

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Mineral Community Hospital

Connie Schoening gets a hug from Mike Stager after a raffle drawing at MCH last week.

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

A culture of compassion

SUPERIOR – Employees at the Mineral Community Hospital are used to helping patients with their medical needs but recently they had the opportunity to help one of their own who will soon be evaluated for a liver transplant.

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

Local church turns 100

SUPERIOR – A church in Mineral County is celebrating its centennial this year, just one year after the county held the same celebration.

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

Skier killed at Lookout Pass

MINERAL COUNTY – An Idaho skier was found dead of suspected blunt force trauma on the Montana side of the Lookout Pass Ski Resort last week after she was reported missing by family members.

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

House destroyed in Paradise

A firefighter douses a two-story house in Paradise. The blaze occurred on Monday, March 9, there were no injuries.

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

Group works with landowners

MINERAL COUNTY – For more than 75 years, the Natural Resources Conservation Service has been helping private landowners develop and sustain natural resources on their land and the work continues to this day in Mineral County.

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

Breakfast program recognized as one of the best

ST. REGIS – The school breakfast program in St. Regis was recently recognized as one of the most effective in the state at providing an essential service to young people in the community.

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

Art students visit clinic

SUPERIOR – Students from the Superior High School were afforded the chance last week to hone their artistic skills at a clinic in Missoula that focused on ceramics.

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

Event kicks off the Relay for Life season

SUPERIOR – The Relay for Life season kicked off two weeks ago as an event to raise awareness about the cause and some important changes to the Mineral County relay was held in Superior.

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

Burn regulations released to public

MINERAL COUNTY – The Superior Ranger District recently released information regarding the annual open burning season and it includes what the public can and cannot do when it comes to burning.

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

Locks of Love

Carol Bidwell reacts after her ponytail was cut off last week at a local barber shop.

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

An act of love

SUPERIOR – Because of one Superior resident’s act of compassion last week, somewhere a child suffering from long-term hair loss due to a medical condition will receive a quality hair prosthetic.

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

Clean up to be completed

MINERAL COUNTY – As of last week, commuters traveling westbound on Interstate 90 in the west end of Mineral County were still dealing with the effects of a rock slide that temporarily shut down traffic flow nearly four weeks ago.

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

Annual dodgeball tournament held in Superior

Dodgeball players converge at the start of a game last week in Superior.

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

Charges filed

SANDERS COUNTY – Charges against a Plains resident accused of embezzling from a local business owner were reinstated last week by Sanders County Attorney Robert Zimmerman according to information supplied by Plains Police Chief Shawn Emmett.

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

Fire in Paradise results in total loss

On Monday evening, a fire in Paradise completely engulfed a two-story structure and temporarily shut down Highway 200.

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

County still waiting on SRS

MINERAL COUNTY – Federal funding that Mineral County relies on for schools and for road maintenance, among other services, still has not been approved by Congress according to Mineral County Commissioners and they are worried about the future.

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

Kylie Quick

Kylie Quick, a fourth grader fro Superior, was recently awarded third place in the annual Energy Share Art Contest.

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

Local artist takes third in state contest

SUPERIOR – A local artist was recognized last week after she finished tied for third place in a statewide art contest sponsored by an organization that works to educate the public about energy needs in the state of Montana.

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

Commissioners urge land management study

MINERAL COUNTY – Mineral County Commissioners passed a resolution at their weekly meeting last week urging state law makers to begin to study the feasibility of transferring control of federal land in the county to the state and possibly the county.

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

Chuck Seward

Chuck Seward points to CDs of artists he has recorded in his professional audio recording studio just outside Superior.

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

Music to the ears

SUPERIOR – Tucked away in an unassuming building in Mineral County on the property of Superior resident Chuck Seward is a facility that has helped to bring the talents of local musicians and singers to the attention of the masses.

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

MCH to ask public for help

MINERAL COUNTY – Representatives from the Mineral Community Hospital were given the green light last week by county commissioners to ask Mineral County voters for help in keeping the facility a part of the community.

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

Spelling Bee

Clara Davis and Alexea Kelsey were the winners of the Superior School Spelling Bee.

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Mineral County Spelling Bee

Taylor Haskins, left and Xavier Milton were the winners of the county spelling bee.

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Lady Bobcats

Marissa Koke goes up for a layup during a game earlier in the season.

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Superior teams end season on high note

BUTTE – Both Superior basketball teams made it to the divisional tournament in Butte last weekend making them the only representatives from Mineral County to get that far this year.

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

Major crime ring busted in Mineral County

MINERAL COUNTY – A crime ring in Mineral County responsible for numerous felonies including theft and illegal drug production is in the process of being dismantled thanks to the efforts of multiple law enforcement agencies including the Mineral County Sheriff’s Office.

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

Little guys take to the wrestling mat

Wrestlers from all over the region took part in last weekend's tournament in Plains.

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County leaders meet with Daines

MINERAL COUNTY – Mineral County leaders had the opportunity last week to participate in round table discussions with someone who represents the county’s interests at a national level.

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

Radio station gets a boost

ST. REGIS – More people in Mineral County can now hear the broadcasts from a radio station in St. Regis after a new transmitter was recently installed, greatly improving the range of the signal.

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Bobcats

Luke Boyce grabs a rebound during a recent game against cross-county rivals St. Regis.

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Superior heads into divisionals

SUPERIOR – The Superior Bobcats were headed into the next stage of the season last week after a solid performance at the district tournament in Pablo.

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

Local support for CTE bill

ST. REGIS – Mineral County educators, including one from St. Regis, are hoping the Montana State Senate passes a bill that could see funding for Career and Technical Education (CTE) increase ten fold.

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

Enjoying the warm weather

Chris Wood plays at the Superior Elementary School last week during recess.

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

Event to return to county

MINERAL COUNTY – An event in Mineral County that was somewhat in jeopardy has been successfully saved after organizers banded together to make sure the annual car show would continue this year.

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

Fish, Wildlife and Parks officials visit commissioners

SUPERIOR – A packed house greeted Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks officials at last week’s county commissioners meeting as many in the community were interested in what the organization plans to do regarding two contentious issues affecting Mineral County.

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

Event encourages students to fill out FAFSA

MINERAL COUNTY – Members of the Mineral County 4-H competitive shooting team gathered at the fairgrounds in Superior recently to recognize each other for their exemplary performances in two recent tournaments competing in archery and rifle events.

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

Mineral County 4-H Shooting Team

The Mineral County 4-H Shooting Team poses for a photo during an award ceremony.

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

Team competes

MINERAL COUNTY – Members of the Mineral County 4-H competitive shooting team gathered at the fairgrounds in Superior recently to recognize each other for their exemplary performances in two recent tournaments competing in archery and rifle events.

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

Robotics team places high in Missoula

The two teams from St. Regis competed against teams from all over the region last weekend.

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

Two Mineral County wrestlers to state

MINERAL COUNTY – There will be two wrestlers from Mineral County representing the area on the mats at the state competition this year, one from Alberton and one from Superior.

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

Interstate shut down in Mineral County

MINERAL COUNTY – A section of Interstate 90 in the western part of Mineral County was closed last weekend by the Montana Department of Transportation after debris from a landslide littered the highway making travel too hazardous for westbound motorists.

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

Robotics team places in Missoula

One of the St. Regis High School robotics team makes last minute adjustments to their entry into the competition in Missoula.

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

Former civil servant reflects on serving the county

MINERAL COUNTY – Former Mineral County Justice of the Peace Wanda James said recently, while she was enjoying retirement after stepping down from the bench she occupied for nearly two decades, there were parts of the job she was going to miss.

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

Superior wrestlers take on Sanders County

SANDERS COUNTY – The Superior Bobcat wrestling team had a busy week competing in no less than three competitions last week in Florence, Thompson Falls and Hot Springs where several of the team members came away with multiple victories.

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

Superior wins in Sanders County

SUPERIOR – The Superior Lady Bobcats took on Sanders County rivals Thompson Falls and Hot Springs last week and came away with a victory against both of them.

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

Robotics Team

From left to right; J.D. Booker, Ryan Teeter and Steven Lowry check their robot before packing it up for the trip to Missoula last week.

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

Robotics team competes in Missoula

ST. REGIS – St. Regis High School student Steven Lowry and the rest of his design team spent last Thursday carefully packing away a contraption that they hoped would complete a complex task at a competition in Missoula all by remote.

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Superior has talent!

Lucas Active and Chase Woodson perform a break dancing routine during a talent show at Superior Elementary School.

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Earl Eisenbacher

Earl Eisenbacher grinds flour using one of the restored machines at his workshop near St. Regis.

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

Hidden museum in St. Regis

ST. REGIS – From the outside, St. Regis resident Earl Eisenbacher’s workshop looks like any other building one might see throughout Mineral County with an unassuming appearance that betrays the treasure trove within the walls.

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

Montana Nightriders Snowmobile Club

Snowmobiles gather at one of the stops along the route of the 27th annual Montana Nightriders Snowmobile Club last weekend near Haugan. The event raises funds for club operations and trail grooming.

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

Hundreds gather for snowmobile event

MINERAL COUNTY – Snowmobilers from across the region gathered in the west end of Mineral County last weekend for the 27th annual Montana Nightriders Snowmobile Club Poker Run, an event that raises money for club affairs and which featured two days of fun in the snow.

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

Bobcats defeat cross county rivals

SUPERIOR – The Superior Bobcats, like their Lady Bobcat colleagues, played Arlee and Alberton last week and much like their counterparts came away with mixed results.

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

Lady Bobcats

The Lady Bobcats are 7-5 so far on the season. Marissa Koke goes for a layup during practice earlier in the year.

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

Lady Bobcats win on the road

SUPERIOR – The Lady Bobcats came away with mixed results last week, dropping one match to Arlee but coming away with a victory against cross-county rival Alberton.

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

Cedar Thom project moves forward

MINERAL COUNTY – The supervisor of the Lolo National Forest paid a visit to the weekly Mineral County Commissioner’s meeting last week to keep decision makers in the loop on what’s happening with a project that has been trying to get off the ground for several years.

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

27th Annual Montana Nightriders Snowmobile Club

A snowmobile enthusiast arrives at one of the stops along the route of the 27th annual Montana Nightriders Snowmobile Club's Poker Run.

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Drama Production

John Zunski, far right, reads from a script during auditions for a drama production in Alberton.

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

Auditions held for murder mystery production in Alberton

ALBERTON – Alberton will be the site of murder, mystery and all the intrigue and drama that goes along with a theatrical production next month after auditions were held last week to cast the roles of the skit.

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

Business Professionals of America

The entire region of BPA chapters which includes the three Mineral County schools pose for a photo at the regional competition in Missoula last week.

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

Mineral County BPA teams celebrate victory

MINERAL COUNTY – Mineral County Business Professionals of America teams returned to Alberton, Superior and St. Regis last week after displaying their skills and talents for the judges at the regional BPA competition in Missoula.

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Family Night

Shawn Farris creates an original sculpture using homemade play dough during the family event in St. Regis.

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

St. Regis celebrates family night

ST. REGIS – An event at the St. Regis elementary school gym last week featured an organization dedicated to helping parents better understand child development and makes sure parents have access to important resources.

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

Guilty verdict handed down in trial

MINERAL COUNTY – A resident of Thompson Falls in Sanders County was convicted last week of the abuse and exploitation of an elder in Mineral County after a four day jury trial.

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

Mineral County BPA groups head to Missoula

MINERAL COUNTY – The next generation of business tycoon headed to Missoula this week to put their skills to the test against teams from across the region during the annual regional Business Professionals of America competition.

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

County educators evaluated

MINERAL COUNTY – Teachers across the state of Montana and in Mineral County will be evaluated for educational proficiency using a new system this school year and one local administrator said the new system should compliment past methods for judging how educators perform.

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Little guys shoot hoops

During halftime at a basketball game in St. Regis, youngsters get a chance to show off theirs skills to the crowd.

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Mineral County Basketball

Pilar Field drives to the basket during a game earlier in the season.

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Mineral County teams see more action

MINERAL COUNTY – Mineral county boys’ and girls’ basketball teams were busy last week, mostly on the road.

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

Utility coming to Superior

SUPERIOR – An idea over a decade in the making is finally coming to fruition in Mineral County after federal grant money was allocated last week to providing a type of power source it is hoped will entice businesses to make the county their future home.

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

Commissioners decide on canine question

MINERAL COUNTY – Mineral County commissioners recently made a decision about an issue that has lingered for several months regarding employees who work in the emergency dispatch center and whether they are allowed to have canine companions with them while they work.

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

Mineral Community Hospital looks to the future

SUPERIOR – The new chief executive officer at Mineral Community Hospital may have only been on the job for a few months but he and the rest of the staff are already well into reshaping the facility on numerous fronts.

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

Holidays come to a close in Mineral County

From left to right; Jim Tisdale, Michael Stepan and Gary Woodson play music inside Castles grocery store in Superior in the days leading up to the Christmas holiday.

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Mineral County Fair

A cowboy goes for a wild ride at the Mineral County Fair in Superior.

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2014 in Mineral County

Jan. 8

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Year in Review

Mineral County celebrated the Fourth of July in style with an extravagant display in St. Regis.

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Helping Hands fundraiser

Kristi Abbey, holds up the next item up for auction during the annual Helping Hands fundraiser in Alberton that raises money for children of families in need.

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Auction in Alberton raises money for kids

ALBERTON – Community members from Alberton gathered at the River’s Edge Resort last weekend for an annual event that raises money for kids of families in need around the holidays.

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Chamber to hold community event

MINERAL COUNTY – As the holidays rapidly approach, one community entity in Mineral County is on a mission to begin reviving an old tradition that has fallen by the wayside in recent years.

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Christmas Bazaar

Eileen Wolff examines the wares of three young vendors at the annual Christmas bazaar in St. Regis. The event raises money for a scholarship for a student that contributes community service.

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St. Regis holds Christmas bazaar

ST. REGIS – Arts and crafts, baked goods, trinkets and clothes were all on display last weekend as the St. Regis Community Center played host to the annual Christmas Bazaar that saw talented residents displaying their wares for eager customers.

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Crash results in fatality in Mineral County

MINERAL COUNTY – A traffic accident Sunday evening near Superior resulted in one fatality after a tractor-trailer ran off Interstate 90 westbound and crashed into a housing development.

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Mineral County Relay For Life recognized

MINERAL COUNTY – The Mineral County Relay for Life event was recently recognized as one of the most successful in the entire western part of the state of Montana in terms of per capita earnings.

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Cedar Thom timber project moving forward

MINERAL COUNTY – A timber project nearly a decade in the making entered a new phase recently and while it’s the phase that involves possible objections to aspects of the project, supporters remain confident logging will return to Mineral County.

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Tesla Motors supercharging station

The new Tesla Motors supercharging station is open and operational at the S and S Store in Superior.

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Electric filling station debuts in Mineral County

SUPERIOR – The very first electric filling station in the history of Mineral County made its debut last week as the finishing touches were added to the new Tesla Supercharger facility at the S and S Grocery Store in Superior.

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Lady Tigers

Courtney Cheesman of the St. Regis Lady Tigers goes up for a layup as her coach attempts to block the shot during practice last week.

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Mineral County teams gear up

ST. REGIS – As basketball teams around the county began practice routines last week in anticipation of their first outings on the court, one squad was busy following in the footsteps of their football team and attempting to rebuild their program.

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Mineral County Relay for Life recognized

Mineral County Relay for Life participants release balloons during last year's event in Superior.

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Mineral County Library

Nolan Webber signs his book for a fan during a book signing event in Superior last week. Webber's novel, "Pride of Alar," is the first in a planned series of three or possibly four novels.

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Local authors gather for book signing

SUPERIOR – Local talent was spotlighted last week in Superior as three authors gathered at the Mineral County Library to sign their books for fans and mingle with the local literary crowd.

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2014 Season

The St. Regis Tigers had one of the strongest seasons in over a decade.

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St. Regis seniors reflect on their winning season

ST REGIS – It has been a few weeks since the three seniors on the St. Regis Tigers left the field for the last time as high school football players.

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Historical society searching for citizens

MINERAL COUNTY – As the centennial year for Mineral County winds down, local historians are conducting one last effort to recognize the milestone by reaching out to the community.

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Robots

Hunter Lloyd, far right, performs his robotic comedy routine with a message for the St. Regis schools last week.

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St. Regis students learn about robotics

ST. REGIS – Students at the St. Regis schools were introduced to two very different types of characters at an assembly last week designed to introduce them to a growing technological field of study.

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Tigers end year with winning record

St. Regis Head Football Coach Rob LaBrie, center, shares a light moment with some of his players during practice. The 2014 season saw the team end with their first winning record in over a decade.

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University of Montana's REACH program

Students see a demonstration of the machine that performs CAT scans at the Mineral Community Hospital.

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St. Regis class learns about rocketry

A water and air rocket made out of a soda bottle sprays water as it shoots toward the camera. Timberly Kelly's sixth grade class was learning about the physics of flight during the experiment.

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End of an era

SUPERIOR – Beginning in the fall of 2015, the sidelines of Superior will be without a figure who has coached generation after generation of Bobcat football players through one of the most successful periods in the program’s history.

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Allan Labbe

Superior High School Principal and Athletic Director Allan Labbe work in his office surrounded by football gear. Labbe recently announced he was stepping down as head football coach.

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Educator of the year award

Frances Kelly instructs her class in implied lines last week.

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Art teacher in Superior receives award

SUPERIOR – Art students at the Superior High School have the distinction of being taught by the best fine art educator in the state after their teacher was recognized by the Montana Art Education Association.

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Local students honor veterans

Students at the St. Regis High School held a breakfast to honor the men and women who have served their country on Veteran's Day. Fred Gillott, standing, led the group in the salute.

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District Competition

The Noxon Lady Red Devils competed at the District 10C tournament in St. Regis last weekend. The team won a play-in match against Philipsburg to move on to this year's divisional tournament.

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District Tournament

Gabby Moeller goes for one of her many kills during a recent match against Hot Springs.

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Lady Bobcats compete at districts

ST. REGIS – According to Superior volleyball head coach Beth Janney, the team played the best game of their 2014 season at just the right time during the district tournament in St. Regis last week.

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St. Regis Lady Tigers finish second at districts

ST. REGIS – Despite beating Charlo earlier in the district tournament, the St. Regis Lady Tigers were not able to finish them off in their second match for the chance to go into the divisional tournament as district champions.

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Grant to help students apply for financial aid

ST. REGIS – The St. Regis High School recently received a grant that will make it easier for students who intend on continuing their education in college to navigate the process of applying for federal financial aid.

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Mineral County celebrates Halloween

Trevin Berry, dressed as a firefighter, leads the group of kindergarten students from Superior Elementary School as they arrive at the Mineral Community Hospital on Halloween.

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Superior Volleyball

Danielle Ewounik spikes the ball on a St. Regis defender during a match last week.

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Lady Bobcats cruising into districts

SUPERIOR – With the district tournament looming, the Superior Lady Bobcats are looming even larger over the volleyball court coming off a match where they came from behind in the fourth set against St. Regis to win.

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St. Regis Tigers

Gibson Lowry breaks for open field in a game earlier in the season.

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A season to remember

ST. REGIS – For the first time in over a decade, St. Regis is home to a winning football team after the Tigers defeated Lincoln on the road going 5-4 on the 2014 season.

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Superior school district keeps testing policy

SUPERIOR – The Superior School District board decided, with a few adjustments, to keep their current drug testing policy for students engaged in extra curricular activities and to begin random testing in coming months.

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Alberton takes Darby the distance

The team from Darby needed all five sets to beat the tenacious Lady Panthers during senior night last week.

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Poultry Lesson

Zianna King of St. Regis carries a turkey out of the pen at the high school on the way to processing last week as part of a lesson about homegrown food.

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Students get lesson in poultry

ST. REGIS – A hands on lesson designed to teach St. Regis students the origins of what lands on their dinner tables had them witnessing last week how poultry goes from roosting in the chicken coop to ready to cook.

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Chamber gets a helping hand

ST. REGIS – The Mineral County Chamber of Commerce is getting some help from an unlikely source with putting together next year’s business guide that will tell local consumers and tourists where to go for their needs.

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Alberton wins homecoming 2014

The Alberton Panthers were victorious during their homecoming game against Sheridan last weekend.

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Noxon Red Devils

Senior running back Luke Crowe of the Noxon Red Devils shakes off a tackler during last Friday night's game in Superior.

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Homecoming festivities

Jordan Mueller goes up high for the Lady Bobcats against Two Eagle River last week during homecoming in Superior.

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Lady Bobcats defeat Two Eagle River

SUPERIOR – The Superior Lady Bobcats followed suit alongside their football counterparts last week, winning their homecoming match against Two Eagle River in four sets.

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Homecoming game

Josh Benda goes up high to pull down a pass from Michael Perkins during the Bobcats' firs win of the season against Noxon.

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Victory!!!

SUPERIOR – The Superior Bobcats got their first win of the season last Friday, beating the team from Noxon 52-22 during the homecoming game.

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CC Divide

Forest Service personnel watch as a helicopter equipped with a heli-torch takes off for the CC Divide prescribed burn seen in the background.

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Forest Service burns CC Divide

MINERAL COUNTY – The Forest Service has been waiting years to burn a site measuring approximately 800 acres near St. Regis and last week the conditions were finally right to treat the area with a controlled, prescribed burn.

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PEAK plays quidditch

Alberton residents and members of the organization known as PEAK channel their inner Harry Potter during a rousing game of quidditch. PEAK is an advocacy group for Alberton youth.

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Superior schools implement new program

SUPERIOR – A program started in neighboring Sanders County has spread to Mineral County in an effort to educate area youths about the dangers of substance abuse, specifically underage consumption of alcohol.

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Radio 101.3

Anna Sanford sits in the room where the school's radio station fills the airwaves with original programming and music.

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St. Regis station making waves

ST REGIS – Students at the St. Regis High School are learning advanced communication skills but they aren’t doing it by standing up in front of a classroom and delivering a speech and pretending the audience isn’t wearing clothes to get over their nerves.

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MCH CEO

Ron Gleason will take over as CEO for MCH in November.

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New MCH CEO to arrive in November

SUPERIOR – The Mineral Community Hospital in Superior has been without a permanent CEO for over a year, operating with interim CEO Larry Putnam, while they searched for the right candidate to take over the position.

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Drug dog visits school

ST. REGIS – The St. Regis Schools came away from a recent search of the premises by a canine trained to locate illegal narcotics with flying colors as Principal Joe Steele reported the dog found nothing improper on the grounds.

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No charges filed in wolf incident

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks ended its investigation today into a Facebook posting from Missoula resident Toby Bridges, where he claimed to have killed a wolf and injured another with his vehicle on Interstate 90 just east of the Idaho border. After having the Mineral County Attorney’s office review the …

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Lady Savage Heat

Josey Carr sends the ball flying over the net for Hot Springs during a match last week against St. Regis.

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Tigers Football

Elias King drives a Mullan player out of bounds during last week's game in St. Regis.

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St. Regis takes on Mullan at home

ST. REGIS – The St. Regis Tigers faced another breed of Tiger last weekend as they played host to the team from Mullan on their home field.

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Lady Bobcats

Jordan Mueller lobs the ball back into play during a match earlier in the season.

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Superior faces tough opposition on the road

CHARLO/ARLEE – The Lady Bobcats took on two of the toughest teams in their division last week, losing both matches on the road.

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Bridger Lapierre

Bridger Lapierre, right, stiff arms an opponent earlier in the season.

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Bobcats look to homecoming game

SEELEY – The Superior Bobcats dropped their game on the road last weekend against Seeley despite the efforts of some of their best up and coming players to hold off their opponent’s offense.

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St. Regis Lady Tigers

Gabby Moeller flies through the air before serving the ball against Hot Springs last week.

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St. Regis flies high against Hot Springs

ST. REGIS – The St. Regis Lady Tigers bounced back this week taking a match in straight sets against the Lady Savage Heat from Hot Springs in Sanders County.

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Montana Hope Project

Amber Salter-Sparks, right with teddy bear, was presented with a trip to Disney World by Montana State Trooper Sean Gaston, left.

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Her wish was their command

SUPERIOR – Montana’s own brand of the Make-A-Wish Foundation was in Superior last week to make one little girl’s wish to visit DisneyWorld come true.

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Local hunter takes huge elk in Mineral County

SUPERIOR – A local hunter may have peaked in his career at the young age of 14 after he recently took a massive, seven by seven elk somewhere in Mineral County.

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Superior Volunteer Fire Department

SVFD Chief John Woodland works with new computer software that simulates fire conditions.

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Software aids in fire training in Superior

SUPERIOR – Firefighters with the Superior Volunteer Fire Department could be better prepared for the next structure fire after they recently received sophisticated, new computer software that simulates fire conditions using photos of actual structures in the community.

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Self help concepts to be taught in St. Regis

ST. REGIS – Staff and students at the St. Regis School District will be functioning in a more effective way this school year if they successfully adhere to concepts in a best selling book called “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People.”

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Prescribed burns

Wildland firefighters work on a steep slope during a prescribed burn last week.

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Prescribed burns in Mineral County begin

MINERAL COUNTY – As the 2014 fire danger season winds down in Mineral County, Forest Service personnel are transitioning into a different role in forest management and this one actually has them setting fires, albeit controlled ones.

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Alberton faces Lima on the gridiron

The Alberton defense swarms a St. Regis player from a game earlier in the season. The Panthers lost their game last weekend to Lima. The team will next play Lone Peak on Oct. 4.

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Bobcats football

Kris Jerde upends the Charlo quarterback during a game last weekend.

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Superior faces Charlo at home

SUPERIOR – The Superior Bobcats had their work cut out for them against Charlo on Friday, Sept. 26 as four of the team’s starters, including the starting and back up quarterbacks, were out with injuries.

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St. Regis Tigers

The St. Regis Tigers rush the ball against Alberton earlier in the season.

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St. Regis defeats Geraldine/Highwood

GERALDINE – The St. Regis Tigers faced off against the junior varsity team from Geraldine/Highwood last week and came away with a win, beating their opponents 49-26.

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Mineral County Shootout

Superior Lady Bobcat McKenzie Stager chases a loose ball during the team's match against Philipsburg last weekend.

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County teams compete in county tourney

MINERAL COUNTY – All three county teams competed in the Mineral County Shootout last weekend, coming away with varying degrees of success against teams from across the region.

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Levy Vote

Voters in Superior turned out to the polls last week to decide the fate of a proposed levy that would have replaced the old junior high school building with an addition to the high school. The levy was voted down by over 100 votes.

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School levy in Superior fails to pass

SUPERIOR – Voters in Superior voted down a proposed levy that would have paid for a new addition to the high school to replace the aging junior high school building that is increasingly prone to plumbing issues and is also suffering from structural deficiencies.

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Seatbelts and car seats inspected

Gilbert Wilson, left, straps his granddaughter Danica Wilson into a car seat on Wednesday, Sept. 17 to make sure the seat is the right fit.

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Superior Meats and Mineral County Airport

A project that has been in the developmental stages for a decade is nearing the last few steps of completion.

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Project moving forward

SUPERIOR – A project a decade in the making that could provide one local business and a county facility with desperately needed utility infrastructure is closer than ever to becoming a reality.

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Child safety a priority

SUPERIOR – Several entities in Mineral County worked together last week at two separate events during Child Passenger Safety Week to ensure children are properly restrained when they travel in vehicles.

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Open Doors opens up to chamber

SUPERIOR –A representative from a group interested in investing in Superior was on hand at the latest Mineral County Chamber of Commerce meeting to answer questions from community members about their intentions and motivations.

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Women in Timber Thrift Store

Joann Merseal checks the video camera at the thrift store.

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Thrift store has a message to send

SUPERIOR – The motto posted on the front door of the Women in Timber Thrift Store reads “if you wouldn’t use it, wear it or give it to your best friend, please don’t share it with us” and they are asking whoever is dumping trash on their front step to …

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Soccer teams take to the field in Superior

Players with the under six years old team of the Mineral County Soccer League race down the field as players from Thompson Falls give chase.

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Heart of Gold

Hundreds of people gathered at O'Aces in DeBorgia to help raise money for Robin Jennings' cancer treatment.

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Heart of Gold in DeBorgia

DEBORGIA – The parking lot of the O’Aces bar and restaurant was at capacity Saturday, Sept. 20 as people from as far away as Couer d’Alene made the trip to celebrate co-owner Robin Jennings and to support her fight against cancer.

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Marlene Stellmon Award

Jennifer Donovan recently was awarded the Marlene Stellmon Award given to early-career health care professionals in Montana who have made an impact on their patients and their community.

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Health care worker wins award

SUPERIOR – A local nurse with the Mineral County Health Department was recently awarded special recognition for her devotion to serving the health care needs of the people of Mineral County.

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Pocket Presence

Panther quarterback Jack Lehl, left wearing #1, goes for one of his many rushes against the St. Regis Tigers last Friday. Alberton won the rematch 91-56.

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Alberton and St. Regis play epic game

ST. REGIS – The St. Regis Tigers took on the Alberton Panthers in a much anticipated cross county rematch on Friday, Sept. 19 during the Tiger’s homecoming celebration.

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Bomb scare in Superior

SUPERIOR – A package set off a brief bomb scare at the post office in Superior Monday, Sept. 22 at approximately 8 a.m. after postal employees alerted local law enforcement to what they considered suspicious markings on the outside of the package.

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St. Regis High School Gym

The newly finished floor of the St. Regis High School gym is the centerpiece of a wide variety of improvements to the building.

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St. Regis school shows off new look

ST. REGIS – The St. Regis School District took advantage of their open house event last week to educate parents and others in attendance about the school’s new programs, amenities and some new aesthetic features.

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Second-hand smoke a public health issue

MINERAL COUNTY – Mineral County health officials want the public to be aware of the dangers second-hand smoke exposure can pose especially for children.

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Superior pool

The community swimming pool in Superior has been seeing less users over the last few years and less revenue to cover operating costs.

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Future of Superior pool in question

SUPERIOR – Some residents in Superior are calling for the community swimming pool to be closed down permanently because they say the pool has been losing money and clientele for years.

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County budget work wraps up

MINERAL COUNTY – Mineral County Commissioners heard from the last few departments about their budgets at their meeting Friday, Sept. 12 and were in the process of finalizing the paperwork which will be sent to the state for final approval.

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Burst Pipe

Fans and dehumidifiers dry out the Mineral County Courthouse after a water leak flooded the building.

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Burst pipe floods courthouse

SUPERIOR – A burst pipe in the Mineral County Courthouse sent water shooting through a wall, soaking the carpet in the hallway leading to the emergency dispatch center and causing damage to offices.

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New MCH CEO coming soon to Superior

SUPERIOR – There will be a new face among the familiar ones at the Mineral Community Hospital soon as the search for a new chief executive officer continues.

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Dr. Parker

Dr. Parker recently moved to practice medicine in Mineral County from the island of Guam.

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New doctor adjusts to life in Mineral County

SUPERIOR – A family practitioner and her family who moved to the area seven months ago are slowly but surely adjusting to life in rural Montana after spending the last few years in a place about as opposite from Mineral County as can be.

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Stakeholders get answers

MINERAL COUNTY – A group of Mineral County land management stakeholders met on Tuesday, Sept. 2, to discuss how recently discovered information could affect the way forests in the county are utilized in the future.

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St. Regis looks to rebound for homecoming

LIMA – Coming off a strong showing against cross county rival Alberton two weeks ago, the St. Regis Tigers were handed their first loss of the season against Lima on the road, dropping the game 56-13.

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Alberton wins on road

WEST YELLOWSTONE – The Alberton Panthers did all their scoring in the first half against West Yellowstone and it was just enough to hold off the Wolverines with a final score of 30-25.

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Bobcats football

Bridger Lapierre rushes the ball against Darby last Friday.

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Superior narrowly falls to Darby

DARBY – The Superior Bobcats were already at a disadvantage when they took the field under the bright lights of Darby on Friday, Sept. 12 due to the absence of their starting quarterback and it may have contributed to their second loss of the season.

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Lady Bobcats

Lady Bobcat Morgan Sharp elevates to spike the ball against Alberton last week.

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Superior and Alberton face off

ALBERTON – In one of the few cross county match ups during the 2014-2015 volleyball season, Superior and Alberton faced off against each other on the court for Mineral County volleyball supremacy bragging rights.

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GLM Auto Repair

Alec McKinney works on a vehicle in his stepdad's auto shop. After serving in the Air Force for 20 years he had planned on coming home to take over operation of the repair shop in Superior.

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St. Regis Clinic

The clinic in St. Regis has been closed since the beginning of 2014 after it failed to receive enough patients to stay afloat.

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Future uncertain for St. Regis clinic

ST. REGIS – An ill-fated venture in St. Regis may be settled in court after the dissolution of the medical clinic in the community earlier this year.

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Counties put their heads together for solution

SUPERIOR – Regional resources from as far away as Lake County are joining forces with Mineral County resources to foster economic development in Western Montana as demonstrated by a visit to the county commissioner meeting Friday, Aug. 29 from a representative of a state program.

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Visitor center

John Cheesman, left, and Glenn Koepke refill brochures at the St. Regis Visitor Information Center.

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Visitor center struggling to stay open

ST. REGIS – Visitors to the St. Regis area who want information about recreational activities and tourist sites may find themselves without a central location that provides such information if funding for the visitor center isn’t found for next year.

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Local author's book published

ST. REGIS – On a snowy night in St. Regis, two days after Christmas Day in 1976, 26 year old Mineral County Sheriff’s Deputy Bill Sansom answered a call that would forever alter the course of his life.

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Sheriff-elect to start anti-drug programs

MINERAL COUNTY – Along with the new sheriff in town will be coming new efforts to curb the use of illegal drugs and alcohol among students in Mineral County schools.

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Alberton plays second game

An Alberton Panther stiff arms a St. Regis Tiger during a game earlier in the season.

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New sign for St. Regis

ST. REGIS – Visitors to St. Regis and residents wanting to know about upcoming events and activities in the area will soon have a new fixture to inform them after the old option is replaced by a bright, colorful LED sign planned for this fall.

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Lady bobcats

Marissa Koke, center in mid-air, prepares to spike the ball against Arlee at a match last week.

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High-flying Bobcats play Arlee

SUPERIOR – The Superior High School volleyball team is starting to pick up steam this season, having gained some much needed experience in the first few games of the season.

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Jack Lehl

Alberton quarterback Jack Lehl rushes the ball for a touchdown against St. Regis during the season opener for both teams.

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Defense shows up for Alberton vs. Bridger

In other Mineral County football action, the Alberton Panthers lost their second game of the season against Bridger but the team did show signs of promise for the future.

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Goal line stand

Seth West #89, left, drops an Arlee player while Josh Benda #21 wraps up another Warrior on the goal line during the Bobcat's season opener in Arlee last Friday.

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Bobcats face off against Arlee in opener

ARLEE – The Superior Bobcats suffered a tough loss against the Warriors of Arlee Friday, Sept. 5 as the team dropped their season opener on the road with a final score of 68 to 34.

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Peter Waldy

Peter Waldy teaches his algebra class at the Superior High School last week.

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Plugging the brain drain

SUPERIOR – As other rural communities across the country experience a phenomenon known as “rural brain drain,”when 18 to 25 year old residents leave their hometowns for higher education and never return, Mineral County is experiencing exactly the opposite in one case.

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Bright lights for St. Regis

St. Regis Community Council Secretary Glenn Koepke points out burned out LED bulbs on new signs or reader boards which will be installed soon.

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Group gains support

SUPERIOR – A non-profit group calling itself Open Doors is gaining support for its plan to revitalize parts of Mineral County while some remain cautiously skeptical about the group who has been reluctant to release information about the organization in the past.

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Internet safety class taught

SUPERIOR – Students from grades seven to twelve in the Superior School District have the opportunity to utilize a program unique in Mineral County but that privilege comes with some strict and necessary guidelines to protect their safety and keep them on task in the classroom.

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Big Sky Motel

The staff of the Big Sky Motel celebrate two years in a row of attaining the TripAdvisor award of excellence.

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Business receives award

SUPERIOR – A venerable business in Superior has been recognized for the second year in a row as a leader in the hospitality industry by one of most popular travel websites in the world.

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Grants available to county

SUPERIOR – Regional resources from as far away as Lake County are joining forces with Mineral County resources to foster economic development in western Montana as demonstrated by a visit to the county commissioner meeting Friday, Aug. 29 from a representative of a state program.

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Superior school holds open house

SUPERIOR – The Superior School District hosted an open house event on Tuesday, Aug. 26, in order to provide parents and students with important information prior to the start of classes on Wednesday, Aug. 27.

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Football season

Panthers and Tigers collide during a play in the first game of the 2014-2015 season.

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Debate over canines

SUPERIOR – A misunderstanding over a decision made by Mineral County Commissioners regarding the presence of dogs in the emergency services dispatch center in Superior set off a debate at the commissioner’s meeting Friday, Aug. 29.

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Jeremy Haig

Jeremy Haig recently took second place in a summer reading contest in St. Regis.

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Library offers more than just books

ST. REGIS - On Tuesday and Thursday afternoons in St. Regis, area residents including young children and adults have a place where they can gather, socialize, play games and use the internet and it’s not a coffee shop or other private wifi enabled establishment.

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Forest Service project on national radar

MINERAL COUNTY – A Forest Service project in Mineral County over half a decade in the making has turned heads at a national level according to one F.S. official and is in the final stages of approval.

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PEAK Foundation

Conner Carpenter takes a swing during a baseball game hosted by the PEAK foundation in Alberton.

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Alberton's PEAK foundation receives grant

ALBERTON – An organization devoted to providing constructive opportunities and activities for Alberton youths has received a grant which organizers say will help them continue their work.

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Volleyball teams compete in Drummond

DRUMMOND – All three Mineral County volleyball teams started their seasons out with not one or two games but eight back-to-back matches at the Drummond tournament last weekend.

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St. Regis Tigers

Andrew Managhan of the St. Regis Tigers sprints down the sideline for one of his touchdowns during last week's win against Alberton.

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Panthers and Tigers face off in Alberton

ALBERTON – The St. Regis Tigers defeated the Alberton Panthers 50-20 last Friday, Aug. 29, in the first of only two games this season where a Mineral County team faces another.

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Mineral County back to school

From left to right, Kaden Fawler, Turner Millender and Tristan Steadman climb on playground equipment during recess at the Superior Elementary School.

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DeBorgia gets a post office

DEBORGIA – Residents of DeBorgia and Haugan will not have to drive all the way to St. Regis for their mail after a local woman took on the responsibility of operating a post office after a brief period of uncertainty regarding the future of postal services in the area.

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Cell phone towers to provide full coverage

MINERAL COUNTY – Mineral County residents could be getting better cell phone reception in the future as one service provider has been making inroads on setting up more cell phone towers along the Interstate 90 corridor.

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Culvert

The road just off South Fork Little Joe Road washed out earlier in the year. The work will be done by the Forest Service after sufficient funding is acquired and planning is finalized.

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Forest Service to repair damaged road

MINERAL COUNTY – A damaged culvert north of St. Regis on Forest Service land is posing a hazard to the public and a F.S. representative expressed their desire to repair the structure before county commissioners on Friday, Aug. 22 at the commissioner’s annual meeting.

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Kindergarten

Kindergarten teacher Kari Labbe prepares her classroom the week before students will arrive.

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Local schools prepare for students

MINERAL COUNTY – School officials across the county have been busy preparing their facilities for the sudden influx of hundreds of students who will start classes this week.

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Public to weigh in on bridge work

MINERAL COUNTY – A proposal by the Montana Department of Transportation to repair the decks of twelve bridges in Mineral County is tentatively scheduled for 2016 and the public is being invited to comment on the work.

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Budgets discussed

MINERAL COUNTY – The arduous task of making sure Mineral County will have enough money to function normally in the next fiscal year continued Friday, Aug. 22, as county commissioners examined more of the budget at their annual meeting.

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Blood Drive

Mineral County Sheriff-elect Tom Bauer accepting his second challenge of the week by donating blood during a recent American Red Cross blood drive.

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Blood drive generates vital resource for state

SUPERIOR – Mineral County residents went under the needle on Thursday, Aug. 21, as the Superior Community Outreach hosted an American Red Cross blood drive at the ambulance facility near Mineral Community Hospital.

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New doctor means new services in Mineral County

MINERAL COUNTY – A new surgeon at the Mineral Community Hospital is bringing his expertise to the area and with it, an enhanced medical care experience for Mineral County residents.

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Scenic Mineral County

The Little Joe Creek runs through a particularly scenic portion of Mineral County south of St. Regis.

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Fire danger lowered after heavy rain

MINERAL COUNTY – After days of heavy rains in Mineral County, the fire danger in the area was reduced to high on Saturday, Aug. 23, by the Forest Service and the Stage 1 fire restrictions were lifted allowing people to once again have campfires.

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Mineral County joins nation-wide craze

Mineral County Commissioner Laurie Johnston get drenched with frigid water during the ALS ice bucket challenge on Tuesday, Aug. 19.

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Ice Bucket Challenge

Mineral County Sheriff Ernie Ornelas hands a towel to Commissioner Laurie Johnston.

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Mineral County does the ice bucket challenge

SUPERIOR – Mineral County officials came away from a recent activity cold and wet but it was all for a good cause as fifteen employees, one from every department, participated in a phenomenon sweeping the nation.

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St. Regis Tigers

St. Regis Tiger football starting quarterback Dakota Wickham, left, receives a pass during a recent practice in preparation for the team's first game of the season.

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St. Regis teams get ready for 2014-2015 season

ST. REGIS – The St. Regis High School football and volleyball teams have been busy during the pre-season, readying themselves for the first challenges of the upcoming seasons.

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Lady Panthers

The Lady Panthers of Alberton practice fundamentals during a recent practice in the gym.

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Alberton teams gear up for 2014-15 season

ALBERTON – The Alberton High School football and volleyball teams are ready to make waves in Mineral County this year and the teams will need every tool at their disposal as both begin the season with a hurdle to face.

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Fall Flea Market

Decorative plates adorn the park in St. Regis as part of the fall flea market put on by the local community council.

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Positive turnout for flea market

ST. REGIS – Organizers of the last flea market of the year in St. Regis said vendors were pleasantly surprised with the number of Mineral County residents who came to peruse their wares last weekend.

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H.E.R.O Club

Co-owner of Black Dog Tactical, Michael Anne Ewing, demonstrates to the members of H.E.R.O how easily some bullets travel through the steel shell of a motor vehicle.

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Youth group learns to shoot

ST. REGIS – August is Teach-A-Teen-To-Shoot month and one local youth group took the opportunity to participate in a program that compliments their own goal of instilling confidence, raising self-esteem and creating a sense of accomplishment.

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Last wild mustang in Mineral County?

MINERAL COUNTY – For years, Mineral County residents driving along the road that winds below Bald Hill just a few miles west of Superior could occasionally look up at the aptly named, virtually treeless mountain and see a lone horse.

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Storms lead to power outage

MINERAL COUNTY - A power outage last Wednesday, Aug. 13, left many Mineral County residents without electricity for approximately three hours and had businesses closing their doors temporarily.

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Ceremony honors life-savers

SUPERIOR – Mineral County resident Karen Schwatrzkopf is alive today thanks to the efforts of first responders and those who were on the scene of her cardiac arrest and performed CPR on her.

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Community Theater

Malcolm O'Rourke, playing the 'Old Man', performs with the youth playing the frogs during their performance of Briar Rose in Alberton.

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Community theater a success

ALBERTON – The curtain went up last weekend on the first community theater production of its kind in Mineral County as residents of Alberton, with some help from experienced thespians, put on the original play, Briar Rose.

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Lady Bobcats to employ new tactics

SUPERIOR – The Superior Lady Bobcats volleyball team will bring another aspect to their game for the 2014-2015 season if head coach Beth Janney has anything to say about it.

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Bobcats looking to repeat success of 2012

SUPERIOR – The Superior Bobcats football team have only had a few practices so far this year but Head Coach Alan Labbe has already begun to get an idea of what sort of team will be on the field for the upcoming season.

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Mudslides

There were no reports of injuries or property damage after two mudslides struck near Superior on Thursday.

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Heavy rains lead to mudslides

SUPERIOR - There were no reported injuries or damage to private property after two separate mudslides struck near Superior Thursday night sending tons of mud, rocks, trees and other debris plummeting down hillsides.

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Youths learn lessons in self-defense

Michael Buchanan, left, practices self-defense techniques aided by Michael Anne Ewing.

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Recovery Garden

Phillip Barrett, left, therapist with the Mental Health Center in Superior hangs the Recovery Garden sign while Richard Halseth, gardener and founder of the garden, looks on.

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Recovery Garden recovers after decline

SUPERIOR – For one Superior man and woman, a garden helped them recover from years of substance abuse.

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Fall flea market to be in St. Regis this weekend

ST REGIS – Mineral County residents will have the opportunity to pursue approximately 30 vendors selling their wares at the fall flea market at the community park in St. Regis starting Friday, Aug. 16, sponsored by the community council.

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Insurance concerns grow with fire danger

ST. REGIS - Homeowners in one St. Regis housing development are worried after one of their neighbors was denied renewal of their insurance policy because the provider told them they were in a high wildfire risk area.

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Community theater

Briar Rose choreographer and author of the script Anne Brummer, left, works with Kristina Solinger who plays the lead role.

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Community theater comes to Alberton

ALBERTON – Residents of Alberton will be witness to the thespian talents of their neighbors this weekend thanks to a local organization devoted to providing activities and events for area youth.

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Add-on

Superior High School Principal Allan Labbe looks at a 3-D mock-up of the plans for an add-on to the high school to replace the aging middle school building.

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School and parent group ask for help

SUPERIOR – A group of parents in Superior and local school officials want the public to support a measure that will prevent students from having to spend any more time than necessary in a middle school that is facing structural integrity issues, prone to plumbing problems and affected by mold.

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Supermoon lights up Mineral County

A phenomenon known as a supermoon reflects off the Clark Fork River near Superior on Sunday.

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Self-contained-breathing-apparatuses

SVFD Chief John Woodland displays the old gear which will be replaced with much safe self-contained-breathing-apparatuses.

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New equipment for SVFD

The Superior Volunteer Fire Department will be breathing easier on the job after a grant the department received will supply the necessary funds to purchase new self-contained-breathing-apparatuses (SCBA).

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Alberton schools undergo repairs

ALBERTON – School officials in Alberton have been busy over the summer making improvements to both the elementary and high school and while the enhancements may go unnoticed by busy students, Superintendent Clay Acker said he hopes the staff will appreciate them.

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St. Regis teacher to put new method to work

ST. REGIS – A teacher in St. Regis is bringing home his own education received this summer on the opposite side of the country in hopes that his new knowledge will enhance the educational experience for his students in St. Regis.

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John Schober

John Schober stands in front of one of his service vehicles. Schober's Towing and Repair was ranked on the Towman 500.

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Local businessman recognized

ST. REGIS – One local business was recently recognized by a national trade magazine as one of the most experienced of its kind in the country.

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Seniors ready to help Alberton win

ALBERTON – The Alberton Panthers will need their upperclassmen more than ever for the upcoming football season as the team will be mostly made up of younger players not used to playing high school football.

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Hitting the pavement

George Regan is not waiting for the snow to fall to practice cross country skiing. Regan took to the asphalt to prepare for the upcoming season.

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Tigers Mural

Several St. Regis residents and some alumni of the high school came to a meeting on Wednesday, July 30 to determine the fate of a mural that has been on the wall of the gym for over 30 years.

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Mural to stay where it is

ST. REGIS – A part of the history of the St. Regis High School will stay in place after overwhelming support was received from the community to preserve a piece of art that has stood for 35 years.

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New Day Fellowship

Michael Oandith with the New Day Fellowship from Springdale, Arkansas cleans windows at St. Regis High School on Tuesday, July 29.

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Mission group helps St. Regis

ST. REGIS – A church group from Arkansas was in Mineral County last week to do a variety of community service projects including clean-up efforts and work for the St. Regis schools.

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Fire danger raised to very high

MINERAL COUNTY – The fire danger status in Mineral County was raised to very high last week and officials are considering enacting Stage 1 Fire Restrictions as early as this week.

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

Bull riding at the rodeo

Kenny Stockard takes flight after his bull, "Doctor's Orders," bucked him off. He was uninjured.

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County Fair

Emma Hill, left, and Logan Donally keep watch over the animals as the pigs in the background cool off under water mist.

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Fair comes to Superior

SUPERIOR – All the sights, sounds and smells of an old fashioned county fair were in Superior last weekend as residents from across the region gathered for the 2014 Mineral County Fair.

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Summer arts camp

Students at the summer arts camp in St. Regis celebrate the success of their project.

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St. Regis art camp utilizes recyclables

ST. REGIS – Part of the summer arts camp for kids in St. Regis is instilling more than just an appreciation of the visual arts in their students.

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Stockard takes first bull ride

Kenny Stockard, center, of Superior took his first bull ride at the 2014 Mineral County Fair.

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Superior local takes the ride of a lifetime

SUPERIOR – Before Saturday, August 2, if someone had asked Kenny Stockard if he had ever ridden a bull in a rodeo in front of hundreds of screaming fans and under the lights of the arena, the answer would have been no.

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

Superior hosts Mineral County Fair

Emma Hill of St. Regis brushes her pig during the 4-H judging at the Mineral County Fair.

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

Battling the flames

Firefighters work to suppress the blaze of the Lozeau Bridge Fire, a fire which has already claimed two structures.

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

Burn Preparations

Jake Bauer looks for the next tree to cut down during a fuel operation by the Forest Service.

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

Forest Service works on land projects

MINERAL COUNTY – While the Forest Service waits for the next fire to fight in Mineral County, they have been staying busy working on a variety of projects that look to the future of forest management.

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

Tarkio Reunion

Former Tarkio school teacher Jeane Heller, right, greets her former student Jackie Robb. The two hadn't seen each other in 73 years.

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

Reunion 73 years later

TARKIO – Jackie Robb still remembers the one room schoolhouse in Tarkio where she learned reading, writing and arithmetic at the instruction of her teacher, Jeane Heller.

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

Airport to get pilot lounge

SUPERIOR – The only airport left in Mineral County will be getting new facilities and improvements to existing ones in the near future after county commissioners signed off on the improvement plans on Friday, July 25.

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

Fairgrounds

County commissioners listen to Dave Brink of the Mineral County Extension Office explain the fairground's needs.

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

Fairgrounds in need of a makeover

SUPERIOR – All three county commissioners took a field trip to the Mineral County Fairgrounds prior to their meeting last Friday to hear from Mineral County Extension Office representatives what can be done to improve the facility for the future.

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

Commissioners start work on budget

MINERAL COUNTY - The arduous task of deciding how much money Mineral County will have in the next fiscal year and how the money will be spent began last Friday during the county commissioner’s meeting in Superior.

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

Forest Service conducts land management projects

Jake Bauer works a chainsaw during one of the Forest Service's land management projects west of Superior.

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

Mineral County to turn 100 years old

MINERAL COUNTY – As Mineral County gets set to celebrate its 100th anniversary, centennial event organizers are hoping more people will show up to participate in the event scheduled for the afternoon of Aug. 3.

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

K-9 units to patrol Mineral County

MINERAL COUNTY – A new type of Montana Highway Patrol unit will be helping local law enforcement stem the flow of illegal drugs on the Interstate 90 corridor that runs through Mineral County.

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

DNRC rep visits county commissioners

SUPERIOR - A representative with the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation met with county commissioners last Friday to have them approve the updated fire management plan for Mineral County.

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

Football

Superior starting quarterback Wyatt Zylawy, left, and guard Aaron Kelly say the team is ready to get to work on the 2014-15 season.

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

Superior Bobcats ready to get started

SUPERIOR – As the Superior Bobcats football team gets ready for their first official practice in mid-August, players on the team are expecting to surpass the respectable results they achieved last year.

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

West Mullan: A look back

SUPERIOR - This time last year near Superior, the West Mullan Fire was threatening homes, businesses, people and property as it inched closer and closer to Superior during the time from July 14 to July 25 when it was declared extinguished.

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

Hearth

The hearth pictured was used by Chinese settlers who lived in Mineral County for warmth and cooking.

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

Remnants of Chinese heritage evident

MINERAL COUNTY - Evidence of a 19th century Chinese settlement still exists in Mineral County but local historians want the site to remain largely a secret to preserve its integrity.

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

Passport in Time

Volunteers with the Passport in Time program trim weeds around seedlings planted by area school children.

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

Volunteers help restore historical site

HAUGAN - Participants with the Passport in Time program, a volunteer archeology and historic preservation program through the Forest Service, were in Mineral County last week to help repair and maintain a facility that helped restore the area’s forests after a legendary fire destroyed them.

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

Railroad Day

Zoe Fisher makes a new friend during the Railroad Day celebration on Saturday.

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

Railroad Day takes Alberton by storm

ALBERTON - The celebration known as Railroad Day stormed like a runaway locomotive into Alberton on Saturday featuring a full day of activities and performances designed to celebrate the town’s railroad heritage.

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

MRL responds to county

A representative from Montana Rail Link was in Superior on Friday July 11 to answer Mineral County Commissioner’s questions about why it took them nearly three hours to notify county officials about a train derailment.

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

Insurance company refuses to renew

One Mineral County couple is being denied renewal of their homeowner insurance policy because the carrier says they live in a “high wildfire risk area.”

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

Forest Service

A Forest Service helicopter flies toward a small fire burning in Mineral County last weekend.

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

Forest Service stays busy

MINERAL COUNTY - There may have only been two small fires in Mineral County as a result of a lightning storm last Monday night but that doesn’t mean Forest Service personnel aren’t remaining vigilant.

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

Railroad Day rolls through

Judy Wheat drives her team of mules in the Railroad Day parade on Saturday in Alberton.

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

Physician says more resources needed

MINERAL COUNTY - A study conducted by the National Alliance on Mental Illness stated in 2010, 39,000 adults live with serious mental illness in the state of Montana and the public mental health system in the state only provides care to about 43 percent of them.

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

Winding up

Jason Frost makes contact during one of the games in the annual S & S and Nugget Lounge Softball Tournament in Superior last weekend.

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

Class to teach lessons in fowl

SUPERIOR - A class to take place before the Mineral County Fair which starts August 3 will be designed to educate the public about why they should take an interest in the care and raising of fowl.

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

Annual softball tournament invades Superior

SUPERIOR - Two softball teams from Mineral County competed in the annual S & S Foods and Nugget Lounge Softball Tournament and while they didn’t come away with the winner’s trophy, they did gain experience they can bring to next year’s tourney.

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

Taking the shot

Morgan Sharp of the Superior Lady Bobcats lets loose a three-pointer against Mullan last Tuesday.

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

Lady Bobcats aim high at season end

SUPERIOR - The Lady Bobcats have been playing against what Coach Jeff Schultz considers some of the toughest competition in the area and it’s all in preparation for an upcoming tournament this weekend.

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

Relay For Life

A water fight breaks out at the Relay For Life in Superior.

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

Relay For Life raises money for cancer research

SUPERIOR - Area residents gathered at the Superior High School track Friday night to honor lives lost in the fight against cancer and those who have survived or are currently fighting the battle.

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

Firewood permits granted to county residents, roads open

MINERAL COUNTY - Residents wishing to harvest firewood from the Lolo National Forest can do so in certain locations and in accordance with the Forest Service permitting process.

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

Group pushes for land management

SUPERIOR - A natural resource advocacy group in Mineral County is working to put the economy of the area back on track and they are getting some help from people in high places.

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

Historians search for the original Mullan Road

SUPERIOR - One local historian is trying to raise awareness of a historically significant aspect of Mineral County and in the process give the man who helped build it the recognition she thinks he deserves.

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

Relay For Life held in Superior

Amanda Gramata, left, and Nancy Acheson release balloons during the Relay For Life in Superior on Friday.

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

Railroad Day coming to Alberton

ALBERTON - The event known as Railroad Day will be held next Saturday in Alberton and organizers are expecting a good turnout for an event that celebrates the area’s historical connection to the rail industry.

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

Deputy

MCSO Deputy Michael O'Brien recently joined the force.

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

New deputy to patrol streets of Mineral County

MINERAL COUNTY - The Mineral County Sheriff’s Office recently welcomed a new deputy to the force who took the job after a 15 year hiatus in his law enforcement career.

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

Mineral County gets advice

MINERAL COUNTY - County commissioners listened to a presentation at their meeting on Thursday to learn what is working when it comes to natural resource management in Idaho.

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

Bobcats claw their way through camp

SPOKANE - The Superior girl’s summer basketball team went on the road this past week and received instruction from a storied basketball program a few states away.

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

Cup fever hits Superior

I am new to Mineral County so for those of you who don’t know me yet I am your new reporter and I love soccer. So for me, around this time every four years is a magical experience. It is the time of the most popular sporting event in the …

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

Fire danger raised to high in Mineral County

MINERAL COUNTY - The U.S. Forest Service upgraded the fire danger in Mineral County from moderate to high last Friday in response to a combination of factors that lead officials to make the change.

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

Relay celebrates life in Superior

Orvil Thompson looks at luminarias during the 2014 Relay For Life event in Superior on Friday evening.

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

Rodeo

Newly crowned rodeo princess Mary Grace Donally rides past the crowd during her performance on Wednesday at the Mineral County Fairgrounds.

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

Fire training

Craig Jeppson with the Montana State University Extension Fire Training Program emerges from the smoke-filled burn trailer.

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

Training lowers insurance rates

SUPERIOR - The next time Superior Volunteer Firefighters respond to a structure fire, they will be even more prepared for unforgiving conditions in the field after a training session on Tuesday July 1.

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

St. Regis celebrates Independence Day

Jacob Lapenski waves a sparkler in the air during the fireworks show at the St. Regis community park.

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

New faces = new changes in St. Regis

ST. REGIS - The St. Regis School District has already welcomed one new face to the community and is set to welcome another when the new principal arrives sometime in August.

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

Horse camp

Vincent Temple, seated above on a horse, gets a ride led by Mary Grace Donally at the Tarkio Equestrian Center on Wednesday.

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

Horse camp teaches kids about the equine arts

Children as young as five and as old as ten were afforded an education in all things horse related at a camp outside of Superior last Wednesday at the Tarkio Equestrian Center.

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

Fourth

McKenzie Stortz, left, oversees the ring toss during the children's games in St. Regis for the Fourth of July celebration.

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

St. Regis holds townwide celebration for Fourth of July

ST. REGIS - Residents from all across Mineral County descended upon St. Regis on Friday to spend the day celebrating the nation’s independence starting with a parade in the morning and concluding with an hour and a half of fireworks in the park.

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

Firecracker

TJ Philip goes up to bat during the championship game for his team sponsored by Loko Joes, a bar in St. Regis.

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

Firecracker softball tourney hosted by St. Regis

ST. REGIS – Teams from as far away as Idaho and across Montana descended on the community of St. Regis Saturday and Sunday to compete in the annual Firecracker Softball Tournament.

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

Superior summer basketball winds down season

SUPERIOR - The Superior boys summer basketball coach Chris Toivonen has been getting some solid performances from his team in the last few weeks.

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

St. Regis celebrates fourth

A fireworks display by a combination of professionals and amateur enthusiasts lit up the sky above St. Regis community park on Friday for over an hour.

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

Train derailment

Airplane fuselages wait to be relocated after a train derailed east of Superior. Many of the fuselages were sent into the Clark Fork River, closing the Alberton Gorge section of the river.

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

Train derails east of Superior

SUPERIOR - A train carrying airline parts and other materials derailed at approximately 4 p.m. on Thursday 18 miles east of Superior sending airplane fuselages plummeting into the Clark Fork River.

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

Homecoming at St. Regis

Alberton senior Keir Sanzono had a career showing on Friday for the Timberwolves — racking up four touchdowns during the game, two on the ground and two on receptions from Jack Lehl.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO

Lady Bobcats

Superior Bobcat Jordan Mueller drives to the basket during last Tuesday's away game against Thompson Falls. Mueller had a solid summer and was often the team's leading scorer.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO

Bobcat golf 1

Sierra Bruning follows through her swing during the invitational tournament in Thompson Falls.

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

Superior long jumpers 4

Senior Adam Kay finished the long jump event in sixth place at Thompson Falls.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 12 YEARS AGO

Superior long jumpers 3

Superior junior Chandra Plakke competed in the long jump event for the Bobcats on Thursday.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 12 YEARS AGO

Superior long jumpers 2

Fellow senior Kinzie Cooper took fifth place at the Thompson Falls Invitational on Thursday.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 12 YEARS AGO

Superior long jumpers 1

Superior senior Nicole Stroot dominated the long jump, taking first place.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 12 YEARS AGO

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