A look back

Tanner Ovitt gets ready to lasso another calf at the Holland branding. The branding took place on Saturday, April 26 at the Holland Ranch.

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

Year in Review

Celebrating Independence Day: Fireworks burst above the Sanders County Fairgrounds on Friday, July 4 as the town partook in their annual fireworks display.

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

Defense

Junior linebacker Kyle Milner (#55) and senior defensive back Ty Carter (#32) of Thompson Falls track down an opposing player from Cutbank earlier in the year. The Bluehawks fell to Ronan 31-26 last weekend.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO

Lady Hawks

Madison Fitchett goes up for a block in an early season match.

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

Plains man makes trek

PLAINS – One resident of Plains made his way over 1,000 miles to take part in a one of a kind festival: a place where an entire culture is constructed, strangers become family and everyone is allowed to be exactly who they want to be with no passed judgments.

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

Who sent letter for Elvis?

NOXON – The Dwight D. Eisenhower Library and National Public Radio in Washington, DC is asking for help in finding three young ladies from Noxon who wrote a letter, pleading with then president Eisenhower, to allow Elvis Presley to keep his side burns when he was drafted into the United …

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

TRACS holds Fall Festival

Teresa Fisher works on a painting during TRACS Fall Festival last Saturday in Thompson Fall's PPL Park.

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

TRACS

Joe Moyer plays the guitar during the TRACS Fall Festival last weekend in Thompson Falls at PPL Park.

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

TRACS rethinks fall festival fundraiser

THOMPSON FALLS – Thompson River Animal Care Shelter held their annual fall fundraiser on Saturday, Sept. 13 and although traffic was light, those in attendance enjoyed good food, good drinks and good entertainment.

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

Horsemen

Trent Brouilette extends for the football during Plains home opener against the Whitehall Trojans on Friday evening.

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

Noxon gains expereince

NOXON – The Red Devils hit the gridiron against Flint Creek on Friday, Sept. 12, coming out with one touch down and an ultimate loss. The final score was 8-56.

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

Lady Hawks battle

THOMPSON FALLS – The Lady Hawks met their match when they went up against the Polson Lady Pirates in a Tuesday home game.

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

Wheeler

Madison Wheeler goes in to spike the ball during the game against the Polson Lady Pirates.

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

Noxon heats up court

NOXON – The Lady Red Devils suffered a loss and later combated it with a win against county rivals as the ladies record went to 3-1 overall.

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

Bluehawks prepare for Deer Lodge

THOMPSON FALLS – The Bluehawks footall field traveled to Choteau, gaining experience and improving on the field.

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

TRACS festival to bring good food and beverages

THOMPSON FALLS – If you are a fan of hors d’oeuvres, wine, beer and entertainment, then Thompson River Animal Care Shelter has a place for you.

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

Rodeo

According to Fair Manager Mike Hashisaki, rodeo attendance was up at this year's fair.

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

Block at the net

Shey Hannum and Madison Wheeler block a shot during their home opener against Loyola.

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

Thompson Falls hosts Loyola

THOMPSON FALLS – The Lady Hawks fell to Loyola Sacred Heart at their first home match of the year. Although they put their all on the court, it wasn’t enough to edge ahead of their competition.

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

Noxon gains experience

NOXON – With little experience on the field and 22 boys on the team, the Red Devils of Noxon have some learning to do on the field, something they had their first taste of on Friday, Sept. 5.

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

Trais Hoisington

Trais Hoisington plans his next step during the Thompson Falls football game against Cut Bank.

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

Bluehawks face off with Cut Bank

THOMPSON FALLS – The Bluehawks had their first taste of a home game against Cut Bank, who proved to be a strong front.

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

Lady Red Devils continue win streak vs St. Regis

NOXON – The Lady Red Devils have tasted success during their early season, defeating St. Regis and Troy.

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

Town to eliminate family pass

PLAINS – Now that summer is over and kids are back in school, the Plains Town Council discussed changes that may be implemented at the pool for the next year to come.

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

I'd Rather Be Fishing

The sun ducks behind the mountains and lights up the Clark Fork River while Marcin Tomtas tries his luck with the smallmouth bass.

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

Chicks n' Chaps sends out personal message

PLAINS – The group known as Cowgirls Kickin’ Cancer hit the fairgrounds with their biggest fundraiser of the year, the Chick n’ Chaps event, bringing the impact of cancer closer to home than ever.

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

Chicks n' Chaps

Cindy Gray of Plains rides the bull, while bullfighter Lyndel Runyan controls the contraption.

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

Thompson Falls Football

After a loss to Florence the Bluehawks will be working to improve their offensive game during upcoming practices.

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

Bluehawks fight hard

THOMPSON FALLS – The Bluehawks faced their first opponent of the year, gaining ground and fighting to the end with all of their hearts.

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

Lady Hawks win tournament

THOMPSON FALLS – The Lady Hawks put on quite the performance at the Mission tournament, bringing home a Class B win for the team.

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

4-Hers

Claire McAllister shows off her rabbit during the 4-H rabbit show.

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

Fair is another success

PLAINS – The town of Plains ballooned in population as the Sanders County Fair hit the area in full swing. The usually peaceful streets saw an increase of traffic as this year’s fair-goers headed to ride carnival rides, eat fair food and take part in the events scheduled.

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

Cowgirls Kickin' Cancer

Julie White of Hot Springs works on her technique during the rodeo clinic. The clinic has become a staple event for the Chicks n' Chaps event.

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

Cop impersonator strikes in Sanders County

PLAINS – A police officer impersonator recently made himself known after he stopped a jogger and handcuffed her.

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

Thompson Falls schools move ahead with mission

THOMPSON FALLS – Often times with a new school year, change follows closely behind. For the Thompson Falls School District a number of changes have been implemented in order to improve the educational environment offered.

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

PWC to collect recyclables at county fair

PLAINS – The Plains Woman’s Club will continue their efforts to help beautify the community and area around them by distributing recycling containers around the Sanders County Fairgrounds.

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

New Addition

The new addition at Plains Public Schools is now complete and was ready to welcome students on their first day of school on Monday, Aug. 25.

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

School addition opens

PLAINS – A line of people led down the hallway of the Plains school as attendants waited to witness history. A dream that begin in the early 50s finally came to fruition – the grand opening of the new school addition.

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

Logan Beckman

Logan Beckman was named first team all-state last year and has stepped up to the plate again this year.

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

Leaders step up for Lady Hawks

THOMPSON FALLS – The court was once again busy with shuffling feet as the Lady Hawks took over the high school gymnasium for two-a-day practices last week.

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

Thompson Falls Football

Jared Koskela, first year head coach of the Bluehawks, delivers plays to the football's defense.

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

New coach leads Bluehawks

THOMPSON FALLS – The Bluehawks of Thompson Falls are under new leadership for the upcoming football season, a man who himself was coached by last year’s coach, Curt Kegel.

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

Jason Badger

Jason Badger is the new agricultural and natural resources MSU extension agent.

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

Grand Opening

Longest serving school board member Dee Dee Steinebach cuts the ribbon under the watchful eyes of Superintendent Thom Chisholm, school board trustee John Holland and the public who came out to witness the event.

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

Recyclables

Justin Eaton handles a cardboard box during the e-recycling event in Thompson Falls last Friday and Saturday.

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

E-recycling comes to Sanders County

THOMPSON FALLS – Piles of old computers, unused keyboards and televisions covered the ground as the Sanders County community participated in a e-recycling event, getting rid of old, unneeded electronics.

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

Dixon Melon Day

Dixon Melon Day would have been in its 23rd year but a lack of volunteers forced its cancellation.

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

Dixon Melon Day canceled

DIXON – This year the sweet smells of melons will no longer line the streets of Dixon for the annual Dixon Melon Day celebration.

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

Cut-a-thon

Aidan Rich, 7, gets a hair cut from Andra Sweet.

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

Complex and Seepay fires both over 1,000 acres

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

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

Thompson Falls chamber meeting introduces Main Street Program

THOMPSON FALLS – The Thompson Falls Chamber of Commerce meeting was packed full of attendants all interested in the town’s involvement in the Montana Main Street Program.

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

Wrestlers save fair's parade

PLAINS – After word was announced that the Sanders County Fair’s parade had been canceled, the Plains/Hot Springs Savage Horsemen wrestling team stepped up to save the day.

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

The story of Romeo and Juliet

Romeo, played by Casey Hoekstra, gets in an altercation with Tybalt, played by Michael Gonring.

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

CFVH to hold seminars

PLAINS – In an effort to bring more local health care services to the area, Clark Fork Valley Hospital and Family Medicine Center will be hosting three diabetes seminars.

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

Fires under investigation

PLAINS – Three human caused fires were extinguished at the popular local swimming spot referred to as “the mouth.”

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

Areas see grasshopper increase

SANDERS COUNTY – Although grasshopper populations have seen a significant decrease in much of Montana, some areas in Sanders County have experienced a boom in numbers this year.

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

DUI tagline contest begins

SANDERS COUNTY – The Sanders County DUI Task Force has started a catchy new campaign to discourage people from drinking and driving. The bumper sticker and banner contest challenges the community to get creative in order to find a new tagline for the phrase ‘don’t drink and drive.’

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

Thompson River Complex Fire

Several signs can be seen warning motorists around the Thompson River Complex Fire area.

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

Demolition Derby to feature Calcutta auction

PLAINS – The Demolition Derby will feature some new changes this year, which hope to increase viewer enjoyment.

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

Thompson River Complex Fire

The Thompson River Complex Fire continues to produce smoke.

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

Complex to burn through fire season

THOMPSON FALLS – A new fire has been found within the Thompson River Complex, the Marmot fire. The fire, a holdover fire from the Aug. 1 lightning storm, was found on Sunday Aug. 10 and is located approximately 2.5 miles north of the Spruce Creek fire.

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

Artists in Paradise

Kyle Sivertsen paints the Paradise Elementary School during the Artists in Paradise exhibit last week.

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

Artists in Paradise brings in large numbers

PARADISE – Over a four-day exhibit, approximately 300 people came to the Paradise School to help support local artists in the area.

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

Investigation looks into three human caused fires at "the mouth"

PLAINS – Three human caused fires were extinguished at the popular local swimming spot referred to as “the mouth.”

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

Fires near Plains cover 603 acres

PLAINS – The Koo-Koo-Sint fires have merged after 25 to 30 mile per hour winds, 95-degree weather and 15 percent relative humidity came together to create perfect conditions for the fire to grow.

LAKE COUNTY LEADER | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO

Charge filed in baby's death

THOMPSON FALLS – A charge has been filed against a father for the deliberate homicide of his three-month old child, after it was determined the child was a victim of Shaken Baby Syndrome.

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

Thompson River Complex grows to over 1,600 acres

UPDATE:

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

Karen Thorson

Karen Thorson displays one of her art clusters, a landscape painting paired with a complimentary fused glass piece.

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

Karen Thorson in attendance at Paradise art show

PLAINS – When Karen Thorson steps into her studio, her face lights up. It’s a place all her own where she can create to her heart’s content. The small, tidy area is filled with paintings, glass and clay sculptures – three different venues of art Thorson produces.

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

Val Curtiss

Val Curtiss stands in front of some of her paintings in her home studio.

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

Val Curtiss displays work in Paradise

PLAINS – When you walk into Val Curtiss’ home, you realize it’s much more than a place to live. It’s a place to create - a vibrantly, colorful display of a passion Curtiss refers to as an addiction.

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

TRACS grant

Howard Bakke works on trimming a window with paint.

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

Volunteers help renovate shelter

THOMPSON FALLS – Volunteers came together to give Thompson River Animal Care Shelter a facelift on Saturday, utilizing a $5,000 renovation grant.

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

Board prepares for upcoming county fair

PLAINS – Fair board members were busy checking things off their list and making sure everything is ready for the quickly approaching Sanders County Fair.

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

Facilities at TRACS renovated

Charon Jensen helps paint the garage during the renovations at TRACS.

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

Ranch Run

Hayden Griffith jumps over a hay bale during the Naegeli Ranch Run on Saturday in Thompson Falls.

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

Runners clear obstacles at Naegeli Ranch Run

THOMPSON FALLS – Runners had to compete with a variety of obstacles at the Naegeli Ranch Run, jumping over hay bales and splashing through a creek to get to the finish line.

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

Art to fill Paradise School

PARADISE – The hallways of Paradise Elementary School will be filled once again, but this time it won’t be with students.

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

Class of 1964

The Class of 1964 stands with their former adviser Alan McCoy and their former music director Gerald Larson.

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

Matthias Maute

World famous Matthias Maute will be offering a free recorder workshop on July 28.

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

School board listens to grievance hearing

PLAINS – The Board of Trustees met on Thursday, July 17, to take part in a grievance hearing filed by former English and Spanish teacher Melissa Martin.

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

Bodecker experiences slight victory on homestead

PARADISE – Renn Bodecker, a World War II veteran and Sanders County resident, experienced a slight victory in court after battling to regain the rights to his home for the past several years. That victory was later thwarted with an appeal.

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

Training

Gregory Hanson, the CEO and president of Clark Fork Valley Hospital, walks medical resident Nicole Russell through the correct process of how to intubate a young child.

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

Residents train at CFVH

PLAINS – You are called to attend an emergency C-Section of a 26 week infant with an estimated fetal weight of 1900 grams. The mother has a history of high blood pressure, unbearable headaches and has been diagnosed with pre-eclampsia. What would you do?

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

Search and rescue operations suspended

SANDERS COUNTY – The search and rescue crew was suspended for one day pending the update of paperwork and rosters.

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

Flocking in the name of Lulack

PLAINS – In memory of a long-standing member of the community and one of the backbones of the Plains Woman’s Club, the club is coming together to raise funds by flamingos in the name of Louise Lulack.

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

Class of 64 reunites with a mission

PLAINS – After 50 years, the graduating class of 1964 was once again reunited, sparking old memories and sharing laughs of reflection, while brainstorming ways to better the P Hill.

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

Simply Neonatal Resuscitation Program

Medical residents Tim Ochoa and Justin Perry help regulate a model baby's breathing, while Mike Druschel keeps track of time.

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

Locals head to 4-H Congress

SANDERS COUNTY – The next generation of leaders had an opportunity to show off their skills as they attended the Montana 4-H Congress in Bozeman.

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

Search and rescue called for missing person in river

PLAINS – Sanders County Search and Rescue was called to the bridge near the fairgrounds on Sunday, July 12 for a boater who had been missing in the river for 15-20 minutes. The call came in shortly after 6 p.m.

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

SCCFF receives grant for 40K

THOMPSON FALLS – Recently a local organization benefited from a grant that aims to help prevent juvenile delinquency, violence against women and children, while also providing funding for regional drug task forces.

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

TRACS prepares for renovations, upgrades

THOMPSON FALLS – There’s a popular saying that states volunteers are not paid, not because they are worthless, but because they are priceless.

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

Commissioners receive quarterly wildlife update

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

Thompson Falls to hold countywide e-waste pick up

THOMPSON FALLS – In an effort to keep the community as green as possible, Thompson Falls will be holding a countywide used electronics pick up.

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

Trout Creek resident pronounced dead after collision on Highway 200

SANDERS COUNTY - Jon North, a Trout Creek resident was killed in a collision on Highway 200 near mile marker 40 on Monday, June 30.

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

Pool improvements

Greg Welty and Earl Crawford of the Public Works Department place one of the last screws for the dividers in the girl's bathroom.

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

Plains pool sees over $11K in improvements

PLAINS – Swimmers using the Plains Pool will notice a lot of improvements when entering the newly updated pool. The town has used a grant of over $11,280 to help bring the popular swimming area to code.

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

Bringing in the fourth

Fireworks burst above the Sanders County Fairgrounds on Friday, July 4 as the town partook in their annual fireworks display.

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

Bluehawk

Tanner Laws passes the ball to a teammate during regular season play last year.

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

Soaring to new heights

PLAINS – Airplanes of all ages will soon spot the sky, as the annual Fly-In Breakfast at the Penn Stohr Field in Plains gets ready to take off.

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

Train traffic increases

SANDERS COUNTY – Recently the communities of Sanders County have seen a variety of different train loads coming through the area, leaving some questions unanswered. Where are these trains going and what products are they carrying?

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

Garden digs into planting season

PLAINS – Gardeners flocked to the Plains Community Garden on Monday, June 2 for a kick-off to the season.

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

Town hall discusses numerous ordinances

PLAINS – The Plains Town Council moved forward with a couple of ordinances during their monthly meeting, attempting to make changes to business water rates and the speed ordinance.

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

Cemetery looks to further genealogy efforts

PLAINS – In an effort to bring more history and background to those buried at the Plains Cemetery, the grounds is asking for members of the community to bring any old obituaries or photos to the cemetery to be added to the records.

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

Turtle race

A crowd cheers on their favorite turtles at the annual turtle race. This year there were 57 turtles entered.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO

Primary election concludes

SANDERS COUNTY – Election results from the primary election held on Tuesday, June 3 came in the early morning hours of Wednesday.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO

Dog Training Club

Bill Cenis and his Australian shepherd Lilly test the agility course provided by the Sanders County Dog Training Club while organizer Jan Manning coaxes the dog through the chute.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO

Plains Day rolls through

Plains Fire Chief Joe Sheppard waves at bystanders during the Plains Day parade.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO

Head-on

MRL crew examine the crash that took place between a train and a contracted weed sprayer three miles outside of Plains.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO

Truck vs. train accident occurs outside of Plains

PLAINS – A semi-truck vs. train accident took place three miles east of Plains at approximately 9:25 this morning.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO

Veterans

Don Kunzer salutes a fallen soldier after symbols of remembrance were placed on the grave.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO

Post honors veterans

PLAINS – The true meaning of Memorial Day was on display on both Saturday, May 24 and Friday, May 30 as the VFW Post #3596 spent two days honoring those fallen before them.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO

Valedictorian

Co-Valedictorian Angela Padden takes a moment to contemplate during her graduation speech.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO

Lunches aim to offer learning forums

PLAINS – The Clark Fork Valley Hospital is launching a new program that will be open to the community.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO

CNSC to benefit from test drives

PLAINS – The Cancer Network of Sanders County will be hard at work on Saturday, June 7, attempting to get as many participants as possible into a new Ford to raise money for their organization.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO

Ceremony honors veterans

Bill Beck, Otto Otnes and Charles Oelschlager salute during the annual Memorial Day ceremony where a wreath was thrown into the river to recognize those who lost their lives at sea.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO

Tech initiative receives county's feedback

THOMPSON FALLS – The results from the Sanders County Community Development Corporation received from a recently held feasibility survey waging public interest in establishing a rural technology center in Sanders County came back with positive numbers.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO

Plains prepares for celebration

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO

Wilson brings back medal for Red Devils

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO

Young Bluehawk athletes dominate

BUTTE – The Bluehawks stormed the State B track championship, placing multiple young athletes, while showing promise for upcoming seasons.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO

Farewell

An emotional Valedictorian Kathryn Chandler addresses her classmates during her speech.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO

Home of the free because of the brave

Karen Eisenbrandt hands her jusband Joe a flag at the Plains Cemetery. Nine volunteers took to the grounds, placing 423 flags on the graves of veterans in honor of Memorial Day.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO

The end of another year

Plains Superintendent Thom Chisholm cooks up hamburgers and hot dogs for the end of the year barbecue.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO

Wildhorse Elementary

The last class to ever be housed in Wildhorse Elementary School sit in front of the building on the last day of school.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO

The end of an era

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO

Bluehawks advance athletes to state meet

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO

Lady Hawks season comes to an end

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO

Wilson, Osborne, Johnson move to state track meet

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO

Super Sort

Super sort organizer Patti Waldoch pushes the cows back into the area so they can be sorted by the next participating team.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO

Mini-clinics prepare for new Plains Day event

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO

JMG Students

Plains JMG students traveled to the Career Development Conference in Billings and brought home ten awards.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO

JMG students end year strong with awards

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO

Plains holds first public meeting on water rates

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO

Hot Springs Fire tests new equipment while fighting fire

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO

Retired police officers take another shot

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO

Good things take time

PARADISE – The American Legion Post #129 has recently experienced a stall in rebuilding, however, the little snag should be resolved shortly.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO

Plains Day preps for new event

Chris McGuigan partakes in a Super Sort mini-clinic at Haven's Stable in Trout Creek. The new sport will debut at Plains Day this year.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO

Bluehawks land in first place

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO

Red Devils battle at district 14C meet

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO

Ladyhawks

Haley Wilson attacks the pitch against Florence.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO

Thompson Falls ties Loyola at Division Golf Tournament

THOMPSON FALLS – In a feat the team has tried to accomplish all season, the Thompson Falls Bluehawks golf team tied with Loyola Sacred Heart at first place for the Class B Division 3 golf tournament.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO

Battling the flames

Plains-Paradise Rural Firefighter Kevin Kerr works to put out the flames as Plains Trap Club groundskeeper Harry Greene watches.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO

Fully engulfed

Flames engulfed a pile of uncut logs at the Plains Trap Club after a lawnmower on the grounds started a grass fire.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO

The day of flames

PLAINS – Two unrelated fires erupted at approximately the same time today, Tuesday, May 20, less than a mile apart from one another.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO

DNA Sample

Region One Game Warden Tom Chianelli collects DNA samples during a poaching case last fall.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO

Chianelli to end run as local warden

SANDERS COUNTY – After over ten years as Region One’s Game Warden, Tom Chianelli is stepping away from the position and transferring over to Missoula County.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO

Bear season starts slow

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO

Music for Moms

Deb Oliver of the Uku-Ladies sings at Music for Moms.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO

Music for Moms raises funds for cancer network

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO

Torch Run

Brian Hutchinson from the Thompson Falls Police Department carries the torch on his bicycle down Highway 200.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO

It takes a village

SANDERS COUNTY – The citizens of Sanders County came together with law enforcement on Saturday for a cause bigger than them all.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO

Finish Line

Trotter Nicole Rehbein busts past the finish line at the Sanders County Meet.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO

Javelin

Noxon track had a busy week as they competed in the Sanders County Meet and then at Seeley Swan.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO

Noxon give it their all on field

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO

Softball

Sam Johnson bunts against Drummond.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO

Lady Hawks sweep their competition

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO

Lady Hawks

Autrey Hannum competes in the high jump competition, breaking the school record at the meet.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO

Falls golf prepares for divisional tournament

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO

Swine virus cancels 4-H projects

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 12 MONTHS AGO

Lady Hawks sweep Troy

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS AGO

Thompson Falls track places among other competitors

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS AGO

Volunteers

Gerald Larson, Doris Larson, Ron Wachsmuth and Denise Montgomery were the original four to start the crossing guard program. After 15 years, the program is closing down.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS AGO

Volunteers hard work pays off

PLAINS – After 15 years, the crossing guard program at Plains Public Schools is closing down “as we know it,” and in order to help celebrate those years, an appreciation lunch was held in the Home Ec. room of the Plains School.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS AGO

Trotters

Corle Morefield compete in the triple jump competition during the Thompson Falls Invitational.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS AGO

Red Devils secure 28 personal bests at meet

NOXON – The Red Devils competed at two meets last week, both in complete opposite directions, as they traveled to Arlee and Libby, seeing success at both. The Red Devils had 28 personal bests during the Libby meet – an accomplishment of great proportion.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS AGO

Lady Red Devils

The girls take off for the 200 meter race at the Arlee Invitational. Bethanie Ulrick placed sixth in the event with a time of 32.25.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS AGO

Rural Fire Department and Hospital Election canceled

SANDERS COUNTY – Due to a limited amount of nominations, the Rural Fire and Hospital Election that would have been held on May 6 has been canceled.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS AGO

A legacy of theater, drama and plays

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS AGO

Emergency drill

Karen Dwyer assists Barry Fowler in filling out his paperwork at the first station.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS AGO

First responders participate in emergency drill

THOMPSON FALLS – What if an epidemic was to hit Sanders County? Would the county be ready?

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS AGO

Sanders County sends out voter confirmation cards

SANDERS COUNTY – With elections approaching, all voter confirmation cards have now been sent out to voters who are registered under an “active” status.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS AGO

The hunt of a lifetime

PLAINS – In a dream come true, one boy was able to experience a hunting trip of his lifetime. In a trip that took a community to organize, Sam McCreary was able to check an accomplishment of a lifetime off his bucket list.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS AGO

The battle for the prize

Kids at the annual Easter Egg hunt at Fred Young Park took off towards their eggs. In the chaos that ensued, the kids battled it out until they found the prize egg.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS AGO

Rural Fire Department and Hospital Election canceled

SANDERS COUNTY – Due to a limited amount of nominations, the Rural Fire and Hospital Election that would have been held on May 6 has been canceled.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS AGO

Thompson Falls Golf makes history at Ronan

THOMPSON FALLS – The Bluehawk golf team had a strong performance at the Ronan Invitational, winning the tournament for the first time ever and beating Loyola for the first time in a handful of years.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS AGO

Full force

Nate Gray heads to the finish, followed closely by his teammates.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS AGO

Shot put

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS AGO

Noxon looks forward to busy week

NOXON – The Red Devils traveled a relatively short distance and competed at the Thompson Falls Invitational on Thursday, April 17.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS AGO

Trotters

Kimberly Earhart and Demi Horton springs towards the finish line at the Thompson Falls Invitational.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS AGO

Trotters finish on top of competition again

THOMPSON FALLS – The Plains girls track and field team had an impressive day at the Thompson Falls Invitational, finishing in first place, with a team score of 182 points.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS AGO

Clearing the bar

Joe Lundberg took fourth place in the pole vault competition with a height of 10-6.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS AGO

Thompson Falls takes first, second at home

THOMPSON FALLS – On their home turf, the Bluehawk track and field team secured first place, while the Lady Hawks were able to take second place.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS AGO

Plains Woman's Club exceeds expectations

PLAINS – Breakfast and rummage typically wouldn’t mix well, but the Plains Woman’s Club did just that at their annual fundraiser and it was a success.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS AGO

Rummage sale

Stephanie Hopkins looks through the books at the annual Plains Woman's Club rummage sale.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS AGO

Recycle

Dusti Johnson from the Montana Department of Environmental Quality shows a piece of fractured glass.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS AGO

County hosts recycling meeting

THOMPSON FALLS – In an effort to increase recycling efforts throughout the county, a recycling meeting was held at the Sanders County Courthouse on Tuesday, April 8.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS AGO

Studs

Joel Collett stands in front of his newly purchased business. Studs Building and Home is the new name for what Plains formerly knew as Brinson's True Value.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS AGO

New owner takes over

PLAINS – Under new ownership, Brinson’s True Value is no more. The business has been renamed after Joel Collett, and wife Wendy, purchased it from Michael Brinson.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS AGO

Date for Stand Down announced

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS AGO

Discus

Noxon girls placed second at the Dave Tripp Invitational and had multiple girls compete in the discus competition.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS AGO

Noxon takes second and third place

NOXON – The Red Devils Track and Field team saw two meets this week. In the Dave Tripp Invitational in Hot Springs, Noxon girls secured second place with 84 points, while the boys took third place with 78.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS AGO

Thompson Falls, Plains compete at Bigfork Invite

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS AGO

Crossing the finish line

The Savage Heat boys took first place in the Dave Tripp Invitational, beating out their competition by an impressive 291 points.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS AGO

Hot Springs boys win by a landslide

HOT SPRINGS – In the case of the Savage Heat Track and Field team, home advantage truly does exist. Or maybe it’s the amount of incredibly talented kids the Hot Springs boys team has this year.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS AGO

Quilting Guild hosts 25th annual show

THOMPSON FALLS – Patterns, stitches and quilts will be on everyone’s minds as the 25th Flat-Iron Quilting Guild’s annual quilt show hits Thompson Falls.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS AGO

Thompson Falls, Plains golf travel to Bigfork Invite

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS AGO

On the mound

Pitcher Tia Thompson was a huge part of the Trotters' success as she struck out a large number of girls. Thompson also helped the team with two hits and three RBIs.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS AGO

Trotters swing into victory

PLAINS – In what started as a beautiful Saturday game day, the Trotters faced off Eureka at home.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS AGO

Town passes intent to raise water rates

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS AGO

Time to beautify

Lindsey Davis helps spruce up the Main Street hedge roses near the railroad tracks.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS AGO

Thompson Falls beautifies town

THOMPSON FALLS – The community of Thompson Falls came together last week to help beautify their town. The goal of the annual event is to spruce up, clean up and pick up the town.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS AGO

Easter in Cricket County

Jubal Ryan gets into character as Oswald in Clark Fork Valley Christian Homeschool Co-op's presentation of Easter in Cricket County.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS AGO

Third defendant sentenced for Subway burglary

THOMPSON FALS – The third defendant in a case regarding the burglary of the Subway in Plains was sentenced on April 8.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS AGO

Lisa Brown

Hunter Ed Instructor Lisa Brown poses next to her hunting wall. Brown was recently recognized by the Game Warden Association.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS AGO

Hunter Ed instructor receives honors

PLAINS – During a Hunter Education class packed to capacity, instructor Lisa Brown was given a surprise by Game Warden Tom Chianelli. In front of her pupils, peers and fellow instructors, Brown was recognized for her dedication to Hunter Education by the Game Warden Association.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS AGO

Bluehawks bring home second

THOMPSON FALLS – The Bluehawk Track and Field team showed a strong performance at the Jim Johnson Invitational in Missoula, bringing home a second place finish. The boys finished with a score of 72.5, almost 13 points ahead of Hot Springs who landed in third place.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS AGO

Dedication

Plains Superintendent and Grand Master of the Grand Lodge Thom Chisholm and acting Grand Chaplain Alan Frohberg say reverence during the Plains Elementary School addition dedication.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS AGO

Grand Lodge dedicates school addition

PLAINS – Fifty years in the making was completed in less than an hour as the Plains Elementary School addition received a rare honor.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS AGO

Burn

A controlled burn went out of control and advanced up a hill near Paradise on Thursday, April 3.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS AGO

Six - the lucky number

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS AGO

Fire

On Thursday, April 3, a controlled burn escaped and ignited a hillside bordering the Clark Fork River valley near Paradise.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO

PHS Drama Club presents Ladies, Sigh No More

Shayna Burgess plays Kate in the play

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO

Town to perform compliance checks

PLAINS – After noticing issues with the town’s septic system last year, the town is ready to act in an effort to ensure that a town ordinance is being followed.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO

Road work

The Public Works crew has been busy filling in potholes throughout the town of Plains. Most of the main streets have been taken care of and the crew is now working on side streets.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO

Town of Plains uses 25 tons of patch to fix roads

PLAINS – The roads of Plains have felt the wrath of the harsh winter weather the county recently experienced and in an attempt to repair the roads, the Public Works Department has used 25 tons of patch to fill in potholes.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO

School addition to be dedicated by Grand Lodge

PLAINS – The foundation walls of the new school addition are securely in place and as the project progresses a dedication ceremony is not far away.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO

Workshop to teach about grieving process

PLAINS – Often times after the loss of a loved one, grief can become overwhelming and disabling. A hole remains in one’s life that is hard and sometimes seemingly impossible to fill. In a way to help those suffering with grief, the Clark Fork Valley Hospice is holding a free …

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO

Javelin

Senior Shasta Wilson prepares to throw the javelin in a practice earlier this season.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO

Bluehawks soar past competition

THOMPSON FALLS – The track and field team started the season on the right foot as the Bluehawks boys team took first place at the Ronan Invite.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO

Thompson Falls golf tees off

THOMPSON FALLS – Even though the Bluehawk Golf team did not have access to their golf course, the team has been working hard to prepare for their first meet this weekend.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO

Hula-hooper

Julissa bonney hula hoops at the Trout Creek After School Program Talent Show.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO

Kick butts

Kade Hill and Gary Wadman work to blow up an artificial lung during the Noxon Kick Butts event. The event geared towards teaching kids the effects of tobacco.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO

Students 'kick butts'

NOXON – In an effort to educate the kindergarten through eighth grade students about the harmful effects of tobacco, Noxon held their 9th annual Kick Butts Day event.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO

Royalty

Prom King Wade Gascon and Prom Queen Callie Jacobson show off their crowns at the Thompson Falls Prom.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO

Fairboard decides funds for stand down

PLAINS – The Sanders County Fairboard met on Wednesday, March 19 to discuss a variety of issues revolving around money. The board presented a decision on the Sanders County Tri-State Veterans Stand Down funds, discussed the pavilion rehabilitation, talked about a possible new building on the grounds and renewed their …

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO

Sleepless in Seattle prom receives raves

THOMPSON FALLS – Not a hair was out of place as the girls entered the Thompson Falls Junior High School gym dressed to impress in beautiful colorful dresses. The guys sported their suits and were ready to show off to their dates for the Sleepless in Seattle themed prom.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO

Valley Press, Mineral Independent deadlines change

SANDERS COUNTY - The Clark Fork Valley Press has undergone some recent changes to their deadline.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO

Talent

Noa Stevens hula hoops to Wagon Wheel during the talent show. Stevens placed in the competition.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO

Trout Creek stars shine throughout night

TROUT CREEK – Singing, dancing and magic tricks were just some of the skills displayed at the second annual Trout Creek After School Talent Show on Thursday, March 20. The stars of Trout Creek School took to the stage to show off their talents and in the process, the kids …

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO

James Rulison

Senior James Rulison shoots towards the heavens in a game this past basketball season.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO

Fire away

Returning player Lady Hawk Brook Wood winds up to throw to her teammate in a passing drill for one of the first practices of the season.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO

Lady Hawk softball in full swing

THOMPSON FALLS – The girls on the Thompson Falls Softball team have been learning quickly – a good sign for their future.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO

Noxon

The Red Devils Track and Field team partook in yoga at one of their practices. The team has 23 athletes in all.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO

Red Devils overcome conditions

NOXON – Even as the track field sat in an unusable state, with mud piled inches high, the conditions of the track were not enough to stop the Red Devil Track and Field team from starting off their season.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO

Hurdles

Angela Padden jumps over a hurdle during practice. Padden has been a member of the track and field team for four years.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO

Thompson Falls hits the ground running

THOMPSON FALLS – The Bluehawk Track and Field team looks healthy this year and each athlete has had time to hone in on their individual skills.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO

Candidates finish filing for election

SANDERS COUNTY – As the filing period ended on Monday, March 10, the county now knows who is up for election.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO

TRACS

The Sons of Biscuits performed at last year's fundraiser for TRACS. This year the event has a red carpet theme and much of the local talent are returning.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO

Thompson Falls to host countywide fair

THOMPSON FALLS – Sanders County students will be encouraged to plan their future in a smart way as Thompson Falls High School hosts a county-wide career education day.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO

Breaking ground

The Plains School Board of Trustees Polly Icenoggle, John Holland, Dede Steinebach, Lisa French, Ron Warren, Sydne Connolly, retired Superintendent Rich Magera and Superintendent Thom Chisholm use thier gold shovels to participate in a groundbreaking opportunity. Although the start date of the school addition was March 17, Western Interstate was …

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO

Workshops offered to local artists

SANDERS COUNTY – A new opportunity for local artists has been presented to help artists market their work.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO

Town council discusses possible rate increase

PLAINS – Water and sewer rates were high on the list of topics during the monthly Plains Town Council meeting. A presentation from Montana Rural Water took up most of the meeting and a combined rate increase of $12 to $14 was discussed.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO

Champion

Sixth grader Ethan Brown of Thompson Falls spells his winning word.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO

County Spelling Bee crowns champions

THOMPSON FALLS – What do fandango, feldspar, bungalow and diagnosis all have in common? These are four of the words that carried the 2014 Sanders County Spelling Bee Champion to the finish.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO

Fine assessed to Sanders County PAC

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO

Hot Springs JMG class prepares for conference

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO

Fiesta

Plains Superintendent Thom Chisholm and Greg Newton compete in the I Love to read month ceremony on Wednesday, Feb. 26.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO

Plains celebrates reading with fun

PLAINS – Burrow races, piñatas, kindles and bikes were on everyone’s minds as the I Love to Read month celebration wrapped up the month of February.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO

Plains School Board talks money

PLAINS – At the monthly school board meeting, money was high on the chain of topics as the Plains School Board discussed a new grant the school received, approved three salary increases and paid dues to the Montana School Board Association.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO

Public Health Department helps with the Marketplace

THOMPSON FALLS – The Sanders County Public Health Department recently became recognized as a Certified Application Counselor organization and is now able to provide assistance in understanding, applying and enrolling for health coverage through the Marketplace.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO

Lady Hawks learn from Divisionals

THOMPSON FALLS – If it were up to Head Coach Courtney Burky, the basketball season would never end. If she had it her way, she would be in the gym tonight practicing to her hearts content.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO

Bass Divisionals to be held in Sanders County

TROUT CREEK – Semi pro fishers and amateurs will flock to the area in May to participate in the Bassmasters Divisional competition.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO

Thompson Falls Chamber meets

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO

Kindergarten Roundup

Kindergarten teacher Dana Diehl works with Chad McGonagle on his development screening at last year's round-up in Plains.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO

Church on the Move members travel to help Fijians

PLAINS – Keeping to their name, the Church on the Move is once again on the go aiming to help those less fortunate around them.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO

Lady Hawks advance after win over Loyola

THOMPSON FALLS – “We survived to live another day.”

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO

Red Devils fight hard to the end

NOXON – After experiencing two defeats, Noxon’s season came to an end a little earlier than the Red Devils had hoped.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO

Noxon plays their strongest game of the season

NOXON – The Lady Red Devils played one of their strongest games of the season against Two Eagle River in hopes of continuing into the district tournament.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO

Guilty plea entered for Subway burglary

THOMPSON FALLS – The third person involved in the burglary of the Subway in Plains pled guilty in court this month.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO

Living in a snow globe

Gennifer Deschamps and her daughter, Gen, ski home from school. The recent snowfall provided them with the perfect opportunity to get a little creative with their commute.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO

Fair Board and Stand Down discuss funds

PLAINS – The Tri-State Stand Down may have moved to Trout Creek but unfinished business plagued the Sanders County Fair Board meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 19.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO

Flash mob

In early January a flash mob hit the court for a halftime performance. The dance routine helped kick off the Sanders County Relay for Life event.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO

Jobs for Montana Graduates

Region One Game Warden Tom Chianelli interviews Plains senior Keely Benson during the JMG Career Fair on Tuesday, Feb. 11.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO

Plains students get a taste of the real world

PLAINS – Communication is the key to success and the seniors of the Jobs for Montana Graduates class in Plains got a crash course in just that last week.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO

Sanders County Arts Council offers incentives

SANDERS COUNTY – In a new initiative to get students writing more, the Sanders County Arts Council is now aiming to reward kids for putting pen to paper.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO

Plains wrestling team

The Plains wrestlers hopped on a fire truck Thursday morning before heading to the State Tournament for a town-wide send off. With sirens blaring, the boys made their way down the main strip of Plains and to the awaiting bus that took them to Billings.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO

Sanders County wrestling teams compete at State

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO

Thompson Falls basketball

Bluehawk Trais Hoisington attempts to shoot past a Bigfork player in their game Friday night.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO

Bluehawks beat out Noxon

THOMPSON FALLS – The Bluehawks met with a strong force on Friday as they went head to head with Bigfork. The boys were able to keep up until late in the competition, however, in the end it wasn’t enough.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO

Noxon girls go on to District Tournament

NOXON – The Lady Red Devils pulled together to put up plenty of points on the board this week. Despite their efforts, the team was unable to pull out a win but the time on the court helped the team work on a few things before heading into tournament season.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO

Thompson Falls girls basketball

Madison Fitchett takes the ball into the paint during the girl's game against Bigfork.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO

Thompson Falls girls put up a fight

THOMPSON FALLS – The Lady Hawks saw a mixture of success and defeat last week in their games against Bigfork and Noxon.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO

Noxon boys clear slate for tournament play

NOXON – The Red Devils put up a competitive front in last week’s games as they faced off two tough opponents. In their first game of the week, the boys went to Superior were they met the undefeated Bobcats.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO

Wolf and lion seasons on par with last year's numbers

SANDERS COUNTY – Predators are high on the wish list as hunting seasons slowly winds to a close. Currently both mountain lion and wolf season are well underway with numbers on par from previous seasons.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO

Plains School Board decides on contractor

PLAINS – In a short meeting the Plains School Board wrapped up 50 years of work in a total of approximately seven minutes.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO

Thirty-five years in the making

PLAINS – The Savage Horsemen made history once again at the divisional tournament in Ronan. The team came in second place, with five champions and three more placers.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO

Bluehawks to take three wrestlers to Billings

THOMPSON FALLS – The Bluehawk wrestling team came home from the Divisional Tournament with a small taste of success. The team was able to place three wrestlers on Saturday, Feb. 8 in Ronan.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO

Noxon's expectations reach high point

NOXON – The percentage of success was high for the Red Devil wrestling team as they placed 60 percent of their team during the Divisional Tournament in Ronan.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO

Build it and they will come

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO

Holiday of Hearts raises money for sheriff's relief fund

HERON – With Valentine’s Day right around the corner, the spirit of love is in the air. While people are planning their perfect date night, one Heron couple has bigger plans.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO

I Love to Read month

First graders Matthew Wyatt and R.J. Butler read together during their "stop, drop and read" time.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO

To fall in love with reading

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO

Lady Hawks basketball

Thompson Falls Lady Hawk Shey Hannum jumps to shoot past a Troy player.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO

Lady Hawks glide past Troy

THOMPSON FALLS – The Lady Hawks only played one game last week but they played it well.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO

Bobcats basketball

Jarrod Tippens and Clint Voll lunge for the rebound during their game in Thompson Falls on Tuesday, January 28.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO

Wrestlers prepare for divisional tournament

SANDERS COUNTY – With the divisional tournament right around the corner, Sanders County wrestling teams are hitting the mats hard in preparation of the competition.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO

Red Devils continue to put up tough front

NOXON – The Red Devils played two strong games this week and continue to work on their goal of putting a full game together.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO

Thompson Falls basketball

Greg Wadsworth looks for an open teammate during the game against Superior.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO

Bluehawks almost take out undefeated foe

THOMPSON FALLS – The Bluehawks fought long and hard against their undefeated rivals on Tuesday, January 28, just barely falling behind in the second half.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO

Lady Red Devils take on hefty competition

NOXON – The Lady Red Devils continue to grow and come together as a team with each and every game they play.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO

Basketball beginners

A young basketball player goes up for a layup.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO

Savage Horsemen wrestling

Savage Horsemen Dusten Henning has his opponent in a hold in the mixer against Bigfork, Eureka, Ronan and Noxon.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO

Savage Horsemen make wrestling history

PLAINS – The Savage Horsemen accomplished a first in the history of wrestling last week. The team took down the Thompson Falls wrestling team in a dual and won 44 to 12, only losing one match.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO

Bluehawks

Thompson Falls Bluehawk Tanner Laws fights through Florence's defense to get into the paint in their game Saturday night.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO

Bluehawks experience both victory and defeat

THOMPSON FALLS – The Bluehawks soared past Libby this Friday bringing home a 59-54 victory.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO

Noxon wrestling

Kory Neal puts his opponent in a hold during the Plains Mixer on Friday, January 24. Neal went on to finish 4-0 later in the week at the Mission tournament.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO

Wrestlers surpass previous success rates

NOXON – Some say rest is beneficial to success. If that’s the case, the Red Devils are taking the right course of action. Noxon will ease back into competition with only one mixer to attend this week.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO

Lady Hawks take on Lady Loggers and Falcons

THOMPSON FALLS – The Lady Hawks clawed their way back to the top in a Friday night game against the Libby Loggers.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO

Noxon ladies get stronger

NOXON – The Lady Red Devils faced off against two teams that were on an equal playing field to them last week.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO

Red Devils burn out Two Eagle River for win

NOXON – The young Red Devils continue to prove themselves throughout the season and last week was no exception.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO

Public Works plans clean-up

PLAINS – In an effort to clean up the town, Plains is thinking about extending a helping hand to those in need.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO

Bull River clinic to open

NOXON – The Bull River Clinic will soon be open to the public after over a year of preparation. According to a press release, Bonner General Hospital announced the clinic’s open house celebration would take place on Thursday, February 6 from noon to 2 p.m.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO

FWP provides updates and hunting proposals

THOMPSON FALLS – Grizzly bears, bobcats and walleye were on the agenda among other items as Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks members met with the Sanders County Commissioners on January 14 to provide a quarterly update.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO

Stand down moves to Trout Creek

TROUT CREEK – After Plains hosted the largest Stand down in the country last year, the event is now being forced to move to Trout Creek to a smaller venue.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO

John Meckler

Plains resident John Meckler plays one of his handmade dulcimers. Meckler has taken up the hobby of building instruments for family and friends.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO

Music to the ears

PLAINS – With a steady hand and a mind full of inspiration, Plains resident John Meckler busies himself with the job of bringing music to his family.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO

Bluehawks prepare for busy upcoming week

THOMPSON FALLS – The Bluehawk wrestlers went head-to-head with some tough competition at the Choteau Tournament over the weekend, learning some lessons along the way.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO

Red Devils show great team effort

NOXON – The Red Devils gave it their all in two games this week against Superior and Eureka. Although both games resulted in a loss, the boys did not skimp out on team effort.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO

Bluehawks basketball

Dylan Vaught goes in for a lay up during the game against the Libby Loggers. Overall, Vaught brought in 18 points.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO

Bluehawks defeat Loggers in intense match up

THOMPSON FALLS – The Bluehawks took a decisive victory over the Libby Loggers in their Friday night game with a final score of 64-51.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO

Plains wrestlers do well at Choteau Tournament

PLAINS – The Plains/Hot Springs wrestling team went to Choteau and came back placing three kids in a tough competition.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO

Lady Hawks fly to win

THOMPSON FALLS – The Lady Hawks barely edged out the competition in their game against Libby in a close match up that landed the ladies in overtime. The competition heated up and Thompson Falls was able to take the win from right under their opponents nose. The final score landed …

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO

Noxon gives mat a rest

NOXON – After a week off, the Red Devils are ready for some time on the mats and are eager for some more competition.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO

Lady Red Devils fall to Superior and Eureka

NOXON – The Lady Red Devils met with some tough competition this week as they fought hard against powerhouses Superior and Eureka.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO

Author

Douglas Smith signs a copy of his book,

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO

Local author's book hits stands across nation

PLAINS – A Plains resident recently entered the world of book tycoons as his self-published book hit the racks of both

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO

Proposal made to fix business water rates within Plains

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO

Semi accident

A semi-trailer truck lost control on Highway 135 and blocked oncoming traffic. High speeds caused the truck to flip on its side and enter into a large side skid.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO

Semi flips on Highway 135 blocking traffic

PARADISE – A semi-trailer truck lost control and flipped on Highway 135 on Thursday, January 16 blocking part of the road.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO

Heather's Country Kitchen

Heather and Courtney Worrall stands next to some of their new decor Restaurant: Impossible provided them.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO

Heather opens up about her hour of fame

PLAINS – The news came shortly after Heather Worrall was finished with surgery. As she had her procedure done, her husband Bob said her phone was ringing off the hook. Once Worrall checked her calls, she was in shock. It was the Food Network answering her plea.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO

Barn fire

A barn on Clayton Street ignited into flames on Wednesday, January 8. The barn was fully engulfed and was deemed a total loss by officials.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO

Barn falls victim to fire

PLAINS – Flames engulfed a barn early Wednesday morning on January 8, burning the structure to the ground.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO

The year of elections

THOMPSON FALLS – On Thursday, January 9 the election season officially kicked off as candidates entered the Elections Office to file their declarations of candidacy.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO

Rock slide debris cleared on River Road East

PARADISE – A rock slide that occurred on River Road East has been completely removed from the roadway, allowing vehicles to once again utilize the full road.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO

Superior wrestling

Superior wrestler Anthony Parkin slams Morgan Schultz of Arlee to the mat during one of his matches at Saturday's Ted Kato Tournament.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO

Bluehawk wrestling

Colton Bray puts his opponent in a hold during the Ted Kato tournament. Milner placed fourth in the 152-pound weight class.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO

Thompson Falls Head Coach deems tournament a success

THOMPSON FALLS – The Bluehawk wrestling team had four placers at their home tournament. The Ted Kato Invitational brought in 13 teams in all.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO

Rival basketball game

Lady Hawk Angela Padden tries to stop Trotter Hailey Phillips during the game on Thursday night.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO

Lady Hawks and Trotters duke it out on court

THOMPSON FALLS – The Lady Hawks and the Trotters came head-to-head in battle over the weekend, both teams fighting for a win.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO

Noxon wrestling

Noxon wrestler Luke Crowe takes on his opponent during the Saturday tournament in Thompson Falls. Crowe came in second place in his class.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO

Noxon has good individual performances at Ted Kato Tournament

NOXON – Three of the four Red Devil wrestlers placed at the Ted Kato tournament on Saturday.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO

Plains/Hot Springs wrestling

The Plains/Hot Springs wrestling team took first place at the Ted Kato Invitational with a point total of 146 points. They finished over 20 points ahead of Big Sky JV. Overall the team had seven placers during the tournament.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO

Plains/Hot Springs Wrestling team takes first at tournament

PLAINS – After an exciting day at the Ted Kato Invitational in Thompson Falls, the Plains, Hot Springs wrestling team came home with their first medal in 13 years.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO

Bluehawks vs. Horsemen basketball

Horsemen Colton Vohheeder dribbles past Bluehawk Dalton Hooten during the rivalry game in Thompson Falls on Thursday, January 9.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO

Bluehawks soar over Horsemen for victory

THOMPSON FALLS – The Bluehawks and the Horsemen clashed during the weekend in a close game. Both teams were eager to take a victory away from one of their rivals and although both teams fought hard, the Bluehawks came out with the victory.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO

Town Council

Mayor Greg Eitelberg presents the four council members with their reelection certificates. Audrey Kolbeck, Dan Rowan, Carl Reeb and Chris Allen were all reelected.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO

Eitelberg runs first council meeting of the year

PLAINS – Mayor Gregory Eitelberg presided over his first town hall meeting as mayor on Monday, January 6.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO

First baby of the new year

Kjirsten and Rob Mercer welcomed their newborn baby Franklin Miles Mercer in the world as the first baby of 2014 in Sanders County. His older sister Kaylie was at the hospital to greet her new brother. Franklin was named after his father (who goes by Rob) and his granddad. He …

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO

Rollover on Highway 28

Plains Police Chief Shawn Emmett, along with Pat Erving and Marlin Cooper from Plains -Paradise Rural Fire Department work on extracting an occupant out of the vehicle.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO

Rollover results in two injuries

PLAINS – A one-vehicle rollover on Highway 28 resulted in two injuries on Friday morning.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO

SCCFF brings in the New Year helping families

THOMPSON FALLS – With a New Year well underway, Sanders County Coalition for Families continues their mission to bring help to victims and survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, child abuse and stalking.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO

Barn fire

A barn was burnt to the ground early Wednesday morning.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO

Barn falls victim to flames

PLAINS – Flames engulfed a barn early on Wednesday morning, burning the structure to the ground.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO

Presence of invasive noxious weed confirmed

SANDERS COUNTY – Scientists at Montana State University have confirmed the presence of the invasive grass medusahead on the Flathead Indian Reservation in southeastern Sanders County, a first for Montana.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO

Lady Hawks play basketball

Lady Hawk Angela Padden shoots past Lady Cat defenders in the paint.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO

Lady Hawks soar through weekend games

THOMPSON FALLS – The Lady Hawks showed a strong performance last week as they added two more victories to their total.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO

Wrestlers continue to shine on the mat

PLAINS – The Plains/Hot Springs wrestlers have continued to see success as they continue further in the season.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO

Bluehawk basketball

Greg Wadsworth goes up for a lay-up in the game against the Trojans.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO

Thompson Falls looks ahead into the season

THOMPSON FALLS – The Bluehawks gave their all in two games this week against Troy and Superior.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO

Noxon works on coming together as a team

NOXON – The Lady Red Devils took to the court twice last week, gaining experience with each game they played.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO

Noxon wrestlers prepare for busy week ahead

NOXON – The Red Devil wrestling team gained experience both Friday and Saturday in Ronan. The team was down to five kids so they were unable to enter the Dual Meet but the important part was the time on the mat.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO

Lady Cats basketball

Superior Lady Bobcat Michele Smith dribbles past the Lady Hawks defense in an attempt to find an opening to score.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO

Active voters urged to check for voter registration cards

SANDERS COUNTY – Sanders County Election Clerk Bobbi Christenson wants to ensure all Sanders County voters are receiving their voter registration cards.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO

Packing boxes

Ben Gorham unloads orange juice while Carl Pope loads them into the boxes. Pope delivers the boxes every week to those who are unable to pick them up.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO

Different generations come together for cause

PLAINS – Two very different generations came together for the same cause on Thursday as high school students worked together with senior citizens to pack boxes of food for people in the community.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO

Town attempts to get on track with ordinance

PLAINS – The Town of Plains held a public hearing on Wednesday, December 18 to discuss an ordinance that has gone unexecuted for quite some time.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO

Homeschool Co-op play

Miss Ruby Mae (played by Taralee Ryan) sings to Sheriff Buck Ridges (played by Jubal Ryan) in the performance

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO

Play highlights the true meaning of Christmas

PLAINS – As the lights dimmed and music filled the air, the first ever Clark Fork Valley Homeschool Co-op play began.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO

Brain Bash

Sami Jo Kinzie rushes against the clock in an attempt to color coordinate her Skittles.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO

Brain Bash gears Plains kids up for winter break

PLAINS – What do Jenga, sundaes, movie quotes and IQ tests have in common? Brain Bash.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO

Christmas packages

Ashley Cardenas, Ameris Velez, Alesha Evans, Karen Evans, Mandy Velez, Alexis Carter, Brian Iseminger, Brianna Reichert and Jim Hanson stand with the nine packed holiday boxes.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO

Packages aim to spread cheer to Trout Creek

TROUT CREEK – Members of the Trout Creek Seventh-day Adventist Church came together right before the holidays to ensure those less fortunate also got a surprise on Christmas.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO

Noxon girls fall short

NOXON – The Lady Red Devils came head-to-head with Two Eagle River in a game on Thursday, barely giving up a win to their opponents. The ladies were five points short and lost the game 32 to 37.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO

Spreading the Christmas spirit - Justyna's Christmas column

There is no better time than the holidays to reflect on what you are thankful for and I have a lot to give thanks for.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO

Basketball throwdown

Aaron Baker receives a pass from one of his teammates during the game against Noxon.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO

Master griller

Bob Brown grills hot dogs before the parade for the Men's Prayer Breakfast group. Brown has been cooking for the event for at least ten years.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO

Money, money, money

Jeannine Woods throws her hands in the air after finding 50 $1 bills in one of the presents she obtained during Hot Springs third annual Town Christmas Extravanganza.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO

Earhart

Plains student Felicia Earhart poses with an award she received at a leadership conference held in Washington D.C.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO

Keeping the Paradise school building alive

Community members united to discuss how to keep the building operational

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO

Flag retirement

VFW member Don Lynch pauses before he retires a flag on Saturday. Saturday was Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day and Boy Scout Troop #46 along with Horse Plains VFW Post #3596 teamed up for the annual retirement ceremony.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO

Retired with honor

PLAINS – A number of people braved the cold on Saturday during Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day to retire flags brought in by the local community.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO

Mayor Brinson

Mayor Michael Brinson is currently finishing up his second term as mayor and will retire from the position come January.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO

Mayor Brinson reflects on his time in office

PLAINS – After eight years as mayor, Michael Brinson is finally ready to step down from his position and start focusing on himself and his business.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO

Tree of Life

Laura Lanfear holds up candles in remembrance of those who have passed while the reading of the names takes place.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO

Tree of Life spreads a message of remembrance

PLAINS – As thousands of holiday lights twinkled on a tree bedecked with angels, the Clark Fork Valley Hospice team took time on Tuesday to honor those people who have passed this year and in years prior.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO

Blood drive ignites competition

PLAINS – The Plains High School joined Thompson Falls High School in a competition to collect the most blood through a drive.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO

Weather thrwarts much of Christmas on Main Street

THOMPSON FALLS – Cold weather forced the rescheduling of many of the popular events of Christmas on Main Street, however, some continued on as scheduled.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO

Nativity scenes and music unite to bring cheer

PLAINS – The church of Latter Day Saints held an event that aimed to keep the spirit of Christmas alive, filling the church with both nativity scenes and musical performances.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO

Motel and resort completes two expansions

TROUT CREEK – After two years in the works, the Trout Creek Lakeside Motel and Resort has just recently finished an expansion they have been hard at work completing.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO

Gone a matter of hours

At approximately 4 a.m. a call came over the scanner that a property on Upper Lynch Creek Road was completely engulfed in flames. Plains-Paradise Rural Fire and Plains City Fire responded to the call. The house was completely destroyed while some of the garage managed to be saved. According to …

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO

Thompson Falls basketball

All-State athlete Logan Beckman will return to the court this year for another season of basketball. Beckman is expected to present some tough competition.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO

Coach returns to teach Lady Hawks once again

THOMPSON FALLS – Head Coach Courtney Burky is back from what she called a six-year hiatus to once again coach the Lady Hawks basketball team.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO

Plains Trotters to be tough force on court

PLAINS – The Trotters have been gaining confidence throughout their practices and according to Head Coach Richard Griffin, the girls are getting used to handling a basketball again.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO

Noxon girls ready for season to get underway

NOXON – As the young Lady Red Devils gear up for their first bit of action this season, the team expects their games to be a learning experience.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO

Bluehawks exceed expectations at first tournament

THOMPSON FALLS – With their first tournament under their belt, the Bluehawk wrestlers are looking to be a strong, competitive force this year.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO

Winner announced in annual rifle contest

SANDERS AND MINERAL COUNTIES – The end of another hunting season signifies the end of the annual rifle contest held by the Clark Fork Valley Press and Mineral Independent newspapers.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO

Bad roads claim life of Plains resident

Plains resident, Patricia S. McDougall, died in a two-vehicle crash that took place near the National Bison Range on Monday morning. McDougal died at the scene of the crash at mile marker 6 at 10:50 a.m.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO

Plains Public Library burglarized

PLAINS – The Plains Public Library was broken into sometime on Thursday, November 28.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO

Community Thanksgiving

Wiley Scribner, 12, and Judy Brengle prepare a Thanksgiving dish during the annual Community Meal provided by the Shekinah Soup Kitchen in Plains.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO

Community gives thanks

PLAINS – The community came together for a Thanksgiving feast on Thursday at the Shekinah Soup Kitchen.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO

Program gives students incentives to perform well

PLAINS – Recently the Plains High School has started a new program – one that gives kids more of an incentive to do well in school.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO

From a small town to the big screen

PLAINS – From a little western Montana town to the big screen, one former local of Plains has his name splattered throughout movie theaters across the nation.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO

Trout Creek kids ban together to bring relief

TROUT CREEK – The kids of the Trout Creek After School Program recently came together to spread help to some other students their age who were affected by the tornadoes in Washington, Illinois.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO

Accident

Emergency responders investigate the scene of a one vehicle accident that occurred on Highway 28.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO

Conditions cause multiple accidents in one day

PLAINS – As the weather turned cold and the roads got slick, conditions turned risky for many people commuting throughout Sanders County.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO

VFW to hold spaghetti feed and flag retirement

PLAINS – VFW Post #3596 will honor all veterans on Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day with a free hot meal.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO

Christmas on Main Street to hit Thompson Falls

UPDATES: Thompson Falls' Christmas on Main Street parade as well as the Christmas Concert at the Rex Theatre has been postponed until Wednesday due to the cold, harsh weather. The parade will now take place at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, November 11 and the musical performances will be at 5:15 …

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO

Tree of Hearts

Tree of Hearts can be found at a handful of Sanders County businesses.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO

Packages for troops

A volunteer prepares packages for veterans. In all the VFW Ladies Auxiliary Club sent 29 packages.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO

VFW ladies send almost 30 packages to veterans

PLAINS – Twenty-nine veterans will be provided with Christmas packages this year courtesy of the VFW Ladies Auxiliary.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO

Mayor Brinson participates in his last town council meeting

PLAINS – Mayor Michael Brinson presided over his last town council meeting as mayor on Monday, December 2. The meeting was kept short and straight to the point. The council approved the minutes of both the special and regular meeting and moved on to reports.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO

Bluehawk basketball team

The Bluehawks basketball team prepares for the 2013-2013 season. The team is expected to be strong and has a lot of experience outside of the regular season. Their first game will be at the Sanders County Tip-Off Tournament on December 13 against Hot Springs.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO

Bluehawks bring outside experience to the court

THOMPSON FALLS – As the winter sports season begins in full swing, the Bluehawks boys basketball team prepares for their first tournament.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO

Horsemen start season off in excellent condition

PLAINS – With the beginning of basketball season underway, the Horsemen impressed their coach this year, returning in better shape than ever.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO

Noxon basketball

Senior Oliver Grupenhoff is predicted to be a strong force on Noxon's team this season.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO

Noxon Red Devils young buy have experience

NOXON – The Red Devils are tearing up the court and with only a handful of practices due to Thanksgiving break, the team is starting to find its groove.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO

Rifle contest winner soon to be revealed

MINERAL AND SANDERS COUNTIES – The end of another hunting season signifies the end of the annual rifle contest held by the Mineral Independent and Clark Fork Valley Press newspapers.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO

Noxon wrestlers have more experience this season

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO

Bluehawks wrestlers prepare for season

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO

Practicing technique

Kenny Marjerrison watches as Stephen Clinkenbeard picks up Assistant Coach Kenneth Beech during practice. Currently the wrestlers are working on conditioning and technique.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO

Local school raises money to help end hunger

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO

Plains, Hot Springs wrestlers expected to be strong force on mat

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO

Family Medicine network welcomes one of their own

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO

New provider

Physician Assistant Nick Lawyer recently started working with the Family Medicine network. Lawyer is a local of Plains.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO

New provider joins Hot Springs Family Medicine Clinic

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO

Plains Day to receive new event for next year

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO

Community members present projects at fair commission meeting

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO

Sending holiday joy

Volunteers help put together the boxes that will be filled for the soldiers. The packages will be shipped later this week.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO

VFW prepares Christmas packages for soldiers

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO

Christmas lights contest

Pat Farmer and Sandi Lane put together the entry boxes for the new Christmas lights competition. The competition will be put on by volunteers of the Plains Woman's Club.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO

Operation Christmas Joy to take over Plains and Paradise

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO

Music to the ears

Matt Pavelich plays an instrument during the craft show. Matt and his son, Nick, showcased their musical talent at the event.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO

First annual juried craft show draws a crowd

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO

Santa comes to town

Wesley Powers, 8, sits on Santa's lap after running through his wish list for the year.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO

Fairgrounds Christmas Lighting marks 20th year

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO

Bright in holiday cheer

Kay Nygaard gets ready to iron one of the dozens of stockings the Plains Woman's Club made on Friday. The organization teamed up with Sanders County Coalition for FAmilies in an effort to bring Christmas joy to those in need.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO

Woman's Club gives back

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO

Stand down

A veteran at last year's stand down tries on some gloves. There is a possibility to bring a new kind of stand down to Plains - one that would benefit poverty level people.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO

Stand down may expand to help civilians as well

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO

Card fraud continues to impact county

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO

College Application Week gears students toward future

THOMPSON FALLS – The Thompson Falls High School participated in College Application Week last Wednesday, with 93 percent of the students filling out at least one college application.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO

New business breaks ground

Mark and Katrina Campbell break ground at the site of their new business, which will open in the spring of 2014. Big Eddy's Deck Bar will be the first building on the east side of Thompson Falls.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO

Couple breaks ground on long-held dream

THOMPSON FALLS – Two members of the community joined together with loved ones and supporters as they broke ground on a dream that has been in the making for two years.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO

Grant may provide senior living in Noxon

NOXON – The Sanders County Community Housing Organization is in the initial stages of getting a planning grant that would allow them to purchase and renovate a motel in Noxon into an affordable senior living center.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO

Veteran continues to raise awareness for fellow vets

THOMPSON FALLS - Over 3,500 miles was not enough to tire out one United States Marine Corps sergeant from spreading his message across the nation.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO

HSAS holds first craft show

HOT SPRINGS – In an effort to bring more art to the town of Hot Springs, the local artists society is putting on their first juried craft show.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO

Hunting season on par with previous years

SANDERS COUNTY – With only a week and a half left of hunting season, those who have yet to do so are headed into the mountains in search of their prized bull. Although the season started out slow, numbers are now comparable to last year and the year before it.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO

Health department provides public health update

THOMPSON FALLS – The Sanders County Health Department met with the county commissioners on Friday to provide them with a monthly public health update.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO

Remaining burglary defendants enter not guilty plea

THOMPSON FALLS - Both Kailee Salter and Devin Ray Callis-Hendry entered not guilty pleas before District Judge James Manley on Tuesday, November 12.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO

Anniversary of JFK's assassination approaches: where were you?

Almost 50 years ago from this date, the nation was thrown into shock after President John Fitzgerald Kennedy was assassinated.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO

Recount

Commissioner Glen Magera watches as Tony Cox sorts the ballots during the recount.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO

Numbers confirmed in Hot Springs ballot recount

THOMPSON FALLS – A recount was held on Friday in the county commissioners chambers for the two candidates facing off for Hot Springs Councilperson, Ward 2, Seat 2.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO

Sanders County hit hard with SNAP cuts

SANDERS COUNTY – A decrease in benefits of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program may hit Sanders County harder than anywhere else in Montana.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO

Local vets help in school

Veteran Joe Eisenbrandt looks over a poster created by seventh and eighth graders thanking veterans for their service.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO

Local veterans help wrap up history unit

PLAINS – Just in time for Veterans Day, two junior high classes at Plains Public Schools dedicated their time to learn more about local veterans in the area.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO

Suspect in Subway burglary pleads not guilty

THOMPSON FALLS – Dyllon Lee Totty-Hendry entered a not guilty plea at the Sanders County Courthouse on Tuesday, Nov. 5 for the break-in and burglary of the Subway in Plains.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO

Lighting at fairgrounds

Fair Board Manager Mike Hashisaki wraps Christmas lights for the annual ceremony at the Fairgrounds.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO

VFW rifle winner

Steve Welty holds his Cricket .22 he won as part of the VFW raffle to celebrate their anniversary on Saturday in Plains.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO

VFW celebrates anniversary with successful party

PLAINS – The VFW Post #3596 held their annual anniversary party on Saturday, bringing in quite a crowd for the event.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO

Local schools to get double testing waiver

SANDERS COUNTY – Montana received a green light on a testing waiver from the U.S. Department of Education, eliminating double testing in the area. Montana was the first state to receive the testing waiver.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO

Lady Hawks run comes to an end in Florence

THOMPSON FALLS – The Lady Hawks fought long and hard at Florence for a chance to move on to the state championship tournament this weekend, however, the ladies were unable to advance despite a win.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO

VFW soldiers

Nora Verpoorten fills out addresses on the boxes last year. This year the VFW hopes to send more packages than ever.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO

Christmas lights return to fairgrounds

PLAINS – After a long fight to get the Christmas Lights back at the Sanders County Fairgrounds, those gunning for the lights have finally seen a victory.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO

Christmas lights

Fairgrounds groundskeeper Kim McNeil sets up the nativity scene. McNeil and volunteers have spent hours preparing the fairgrounds for the lighting.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO

Annual Adopt-A-Family program helps those in need

THOMPSON FALLS – The season for giving is near and in an effort to give back to those in need, the Sanders County Coalition for Families is extending a helping hand to families less fortunate.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO

Thompson Falls volleyball

Shey Hannum goes up to spike the ball. During the game, Hannum brought in 11 of the 28 kills.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO

Lady Hawks take second place at District in Plains

PLAINS – The Lady Hawks entered into the District tournament as the number one seed and battled two teams in an attempt to keep their lead before the Divisional tournament this weekend.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO

Noxon Lady Red Devils end season at Districts

HOT SPRINGS – The Lady Red Devils took to the court at Hot Springs during the district tournament and came up short twice against both Hot Springs and Superior.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO

Trotters volleyball

Junior Hailey Phillips goes up for the kill in Saturday's District tournament. Phillips has helped her team at the net all season with her offensive fire power.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO

Calvert sentencing

Defense Attorney Steven N. Eschenbacher and Nathan Lee William Calvert appear in the Sanders County Courthouse on the morning of Tuesday, November 5th. Calvert received his sentencing on four felony counts, one including deliberate homicide.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO

Calvert sentenced to life in prison

THOMPSON FALLS – A few weeks short of a year after the tragic murder took place in Dixon, Nathan Lee William Calvert was sentenced to spend the rest of his life in prison.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO

Contest winners

Here are the winners from the costume contest held at Fred Young Park in Plains last night. 1st place went to the little bald eagle - Tia Bellinger, 3; 2nd place went to Luigi - Kort Craft, 6; and 3rd place went to the zombie fairy - Hallie Corbin, 7.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO

Plains Woman's Club celebrates 90th birthday

PLAINS – The Plains Woman’s Club took a break from serving the community on Tuesday night and celebrated a new milestone for the club – their 90th birthday.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO

A fight for property, liberty and burial rights

Veteran Renn Bodecker, 90, continues a fight with the courts to keep what he believes is rightfully his. Not only is he fighting for his property but he is also battling to be buried next to his wife, a right that may be stripped from him.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO

Bytes drama

Tierra Person as Scarlett Bytes and Hannah Knight as Elvira Bytes smell blood on Candy played by Tanna Cole during The Family Bytes drama performance put on my Plains High School.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO

Plains Drama Club provides comic relief

PLAINS – The Plains High School Drama Club took the stage with a performance of The Family Bytes on both Friday and Saturday night.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO

Plains School Board of Trustees announces updates

PLAINS – The School Board of Trustees met on Monday, October 21st, providing building updates and discussing slight changes to protocol.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO

Plains cross country team returns from state with hardware

PLAINS – In an unexpected series of events, the Plains Trotter Harriers brought home a third place victory from the State Championship meet in Missoula.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO

Bluehawk football

Jake Smith carries the ball down the field during the Bluehawks' last game of the season. Smith played his last game of his high school career.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO

Young Bluehawks look to build for next season

THOMPSON FALLS – In the last game of the season, the Bluehawks gave it their all but ultimately size would be their worst enemy as the Bigfork football team overpowered the young team.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO

Noxon football ends season with first victory

NOXON – The Red Devils pulled out their first win of the season during their last home game, bringing joy to all the Red Devil fans.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO

Noxon volleyball prepped and ready for districts

NOXON – The Lady Red Devils gained some more experience in time for the district competition, which will be located in Hot Springs.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO

Lady Hawk volleyball

Freshman Autrey Hannum reaches high to stop the ball during the game against Troy.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO

Lady Hawks earn first seed for districts

THOMPSON FALLS – The Lady Hawks finished the regular season undefeated and as the number one seed after two victories against Troy and Eureka.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO

Indications are good for upcoming rifle season

THOMPSON FALLS – The Sanders County Commissioners held their quarterly wildlife meeting, which provided them with an update on many of the things FWP is currently working on.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO

Plains Town Council overrides mayor's veto

PLAINS – Mayor Michael Brinson called a special meeting on Thursday at 8 p.m. to discuss a variance he vetoed after the town council approved the resolution earlier this month.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO

Plains community garden grows in second year

PLAINS – In only its second year, the Plains Community Garden experienced a very successful year renting all 60 of their plots.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO

Valley Press & Mineral Independent sponsor rifle contest

SANDERS COUNTY/MINERAL COUNTY – The Clark Fork Valley Press and Mineral Independent are holding their annual rifle contest. The contest allows rifle hunters to display their kill proudly within the pages of their local newspaper and also gives them a chance to win a brand new Savage Axis 30-06.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO

Cross Country teams see both group and individual victories

The Thompson Falls Bluehawks cross country team brought home the Western B Divisional conference championship, while Plains Horseman Russell Kujala brought home his second win in two weeks

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO

Lady Red Devils struggle on court against competition

NOXON – The Lady Red Devils had a busy week playing two games against Valley Christian and Charlo. Both games ended in favor of the other teams with a score of 3 to 0.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO

Lady Hawks volleyball

Junior Logan Beckman bumps the ball for the Lady Hawks in their home win over Bigfork.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO

Thompson Falls hopes to continue winning ways

THOMPSON FALLS – The Lady Hawks dominated at the court and showed the crowd they were ready for conference play as they won both of their games this week.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO

Bluehawks hope to bounce back against Bigfork

THOMPSON FALLS – The Bluehawks put up a tough fight against Troy on Friday during an away game. The final score was 42 to 12, with Thompson Falls falling behind.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO

Ethan Harvey

Ethan Harvey was hired onto the Plains Police Department at the beginning of the month.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO

Town of Plains receives new police officer

PLAINS – The town of Plains hired a new police officer Monday night at the town council meeting.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO

Restaurant Impossible takes over

PLAINS – Heather’s Country Kitchen is about to undergo a major facelift, gaining them national attention.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO

Plains adds sign to honor state champions

PLAINS – Recently two signs were put up at the entrances to Plains, praising the girl’s state track champions and those who came before them.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO

Forest service remains closed due to shutdown

SANDERS COUNTY – With the government shutdown still going in full swing, the Plains/Thompson Falls Forest Service remains closed without any word of when they can begin operations again.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO

Mayor vetoes variance granted by council

PLAINS – Mayor Michael Brinson vetoed a decision made by town council to grant a variance to a taxpayer who was planning on building her home on a lot here in town.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO

Town council lets adult probation back to Plains

PLAINS – The town council met Monday night to discuss a variety of issues from bringing adult probation back to Plains to building their own dog kennels and hearing two concerned citizens discuss lots they hoped to purchase.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO

Plains tennis court repaired

Workers repair the tennis court at the El Johnson Memorial Pool Park. The city only had to pay for $1,800 of the $3,900 project cost.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO

Plains tennis court gets repaired at park

PLAINS – After three generous donations came in, the town of Plains was able to repair one of the tennis courts at the EL Johnson Memorial Pool Park.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO

Local artist recreates and improves on masterpiece

PLAINS – Kenton Pies created a legend on Mercer Island nearly 50 years ago and now he has the opportunity to recreate and improve on that legend.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO

Cross country runners post personal best

WHITEFISH – Both Thompson Falls and Plains cross country teams competed at the Whitefish Invitation this past Saturday.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO

Noxon volleyball rides wave toward end of season

NOXON – The Lady Red Devils played two games this week experiencing both a win and a loss.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO

Thompson Falls volleyball

Shasta Wilson spikes the ball into the Trotters' court Thursday night.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO

Thompson Falls volleyball continues advancing

THOMPSON FALLS – The Lady Hawks had a very busy and successful week as they begin to prepare for their upcoming tournament play. Although a few weeks out, time is moving by fast and every chance to play benefits the young team.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO

Bluehawk football

A group of Thompson Falls Bluehawks swarm the ball during Friday night's game against Ronan.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO

Thompson Falls hopes to bounce back on the gridiron

THOMPSON FALLS – The Bluehawks played a big game against Ronan on Friday, October 11. The team faced the goliaths full throttle ahead and did not give up until the game was over.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO

Forest Plan may be good for Scotchman Peaks

THOMPSON FALLS – The Sanders County Commissioners received an update Thursday on the forest plan for the Kootenai National Forest and how it may affect the Scotchman Peaks Wilderness area.

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

Fighting the blaze - by Justyna Tomtas

Patrick Bischof gets ready to tend to the fire that was set ablaze by the Plains-Paradise Rural Fire Department as part of a hands-on training event.

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

Plains firefighters receive additional training

PLAINS – A plume of dark, toxic smoke rose into the air behind the Plains-Paradise Rural Fire Department as the firefighters completed their final training of the weekend.

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

Hot Springs football

Jarod White makes an advance down the field as Hot Springs annihilated the Bears of Lima.

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

Plains vs. Thompson Falls football

Horseman Trent Brouillette works his way further from the Bluehawks' defense during the Homecoming game.

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

Plains clashes with Bluehawks during homecoming

PLAINS – The Horsemen played in their Homecoming game last Friday against their rival Thompson Falls.

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

Cross country

Plains runner Demi Horton raced to the finish at the invitational pulling her seasonal best of 19:54.

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

Noxon prepares to take on Superior

NOXON – The Lady Red Devils competed against St. Regis on both Thursday and Friday nights in two District 10-C matches, gaining experience and valuable lessons on the court.

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

Lady Hawk volleyball

Logan Beckman attacks the net against Eureka.

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

Lady Hawks hope to continue winning ways

THOMPSON FALLS – The Lady Hawks met Eureka on the court on Friday night during a home battle, sweeping the team 3 to 0.

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

OUTDOORS: The hunt for the perfect bull elk proves difficult

Archery hunting is a test of patience, skill, accuracy and determination. It requires one to quietly stalk its prey – luring it in, the closer the better.

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

Hunt for bull elk

Aaron Miller bugles hoping to get a bull elk to respond. Although some luck was had, the animal proved to be elusive.

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

Motorcycle vs. deer

The bashed up helmet sits on the side of the road after a motorcycle versus deer accident occurred on Highway 200. The man involved in the accident walked away with minor injuries.

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

Man walks away from motorcycle vs. deer accident

PLAINS – A motorcycle hit a deer on Highway 200 Friday afternoon at approximately 1 p.m. The motorcyclist was headed towards Plains when he encountered the deer.

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

The wreckage

The grade-all forklift sits 100 feet off the road. Currently accident investigations are being conducted by multiple agencies.

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

Fatality occurs on Pat's Knob

PLAINS – An accident occurred on Pat’s Knob Road Tuesday afternoon that took the life of one of the crewmembers working in the area.

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

Horse show

Alan Chojnacky placed seventh with his horse Sky. Chojnacky is pictured showing a horse at the Sanders County Fair.

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

PPK competition

Kelsey Frank passes the ball during the annual Punt, Pass and Kick Competition.

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

Punt, pass and kick competitors try to win trip

THOMPSON FALLS – Competition heated up on Sunday afternoon, as excited participants exercised their punt, pass and kick skills on Previs Field in hopes of getting a free trip to Seattle down the road.

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

Fun Run in Thompson Falls

Joe Breiner and Cael Thilmony dash towards the finish line in the Elementary School Fun Run on Thursday.

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

Elementary school fun run takes off in Thompson Falls

THOMPSON FALLS – As the gun went off with a bang, the young kids of Thompson Falls also took off with a bang during the annual Elementary School Fun Run.

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

Lady Hawk volleyball

Lady Hawk Shey Hannum spikes the ball during the game against Frenchtown. Hannum had 15 kills.

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

Lady Hawks play hard against tough competition

THOMPSON FALLS – The Lady Hawks played hard against tough competition this week, coming up short but gaining valuable experiences from both games.

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

Bluehawks homecoming game

Bluehawk McKenzie Holt blocks a pass to the Eureka Lions during their Homecoming game Friday night.

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

Thompson Falls competes in Homecoming game

THOMPSON FALLS – During the highly anticipated homecoming game, the Bluehawks battled for a win against Eureka in a match that had plenty of almost grasped opportunities.

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

Lady Red Devils come away with a win against Hot Springs

NOXON – The Lady Red Devils took on the Lady Savage Heat once again, clashing with their rival team in hopes of taking revenge and coming out on top of the competition this time.

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

Bluehawks

The Bluehawk football team gets ready to compete against Eureka for their highly anticipated Homecoming game.

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

Swamp Creek burn goes according to plan

PLAINS – The Plains/Thompson Falls Ranger District ignited Swamp Creek last week as part of their fuel reduction and wildlife enhancement projects.

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

Music in the Parks

Brian Iseminger, teacher at Trout Creek Adventist School, plays guitars and sings with his students at the first ever Music in the Parks event hosted in the Rose Garden Park in Thompson Falls.

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

Gospel music comes to Thompson Falls

THOMPSON FALLS – Gospel music hit the streets of Thompson Falls on Saturday night, filling both the Rose Garden Park and the Rex Theater.

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

Lady Hawks volleyball

The Lady Hawks celebrate one of their points during the heated game against their rivals, the Trotters.

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

Lady Hawks and Trotters go head-to-head in Plains

PLAINS – The Lady Hawks and the Trotters came face to face for the first time this season on the volleyball court on Thursday, September 19 in what proved to be a very heated game.

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

Horsemen football

Trent Brouillette of the Horsemen rushes the ball during a game against Mission.

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

Horsemen of Plains go up against Mission at home

PLAINS – The Plains Horsemen took on Mission during a home game on Friday, September 20 – a game that looked to be an even match at first.

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

Noxon gains experience on field

NOXON – The Red Devils are still learning on the field, gaining experience in each and every game they play.

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

Bluehawks prepare for homecoming game against Eureka

THOMPSON FALLS – The Bluehawks competed against Deer Lodge on Friday, September 20.

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

Thompson Falls Cross Country runs hard at Polson

POLSON – Thompson Falls competed at the Polson Invitational on Saturday, September 21st in a unique running experience that had the athletes jumping over logs and hay bales during their run towards the finish.

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

Renn Bodeker

Renn Bodeker sits in his home and refuses to surrender it to the banks. After fighting a foreclosure battle, Bodeker is taking possession of what he feels is rightfully his.

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

Local veteran keeps fighting to keep his home

PLAINS – After fighting a two-year bankruptcy battle, Renn Bodeker is refusing to leave his property – a property the banks claim they have control over.

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

TRACS fundraiser

Volunteer Ruthie Farrier pours a glass of wine during the TRACS event. The event hosted worldly wines from different regions in the world.

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

TRACS hosts fly-in event to raise funds for animals

THOMPSON FALLS – Wine, beer, and good food greeted the guests at the annual Thompson River Animal Care Shelter’s fundraising event.

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

School board

School Board Trustee Lisa French listens while Superintendent Thom Chisholm explains where the new school addition will be built

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

School Board discusses developments in academic year

PLAINS – The Plains School Board Trustees met on Monday, September 16 to tend to a variety of different issues, varying from the progress of the school expansion to purchasing new iPads for the first grade class.

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

Hot Springs to receive new ambulance in 2014

HOT SPRINGS – The town of Hot Springs recently purchased a new community ambulance to help benefit the town.

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

Noxon Lady Red Devils heat up the season

NOXON – The ladies of Noxon have been hard at work filling their weeks with games upon games. In a busy week of three games, the ladies are on a steady pace with another three games coming up for this week.

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

Lady Hawks volleyball

Madison Fitchett takes on Ronan defenders at the net during a recent game in Thompson Falls.

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

Lady Hawks gain valuable experience on court

THOMPSON FALLS – Volleyball heated up on the Lady Hawks’ home turf on Saturday, September 14 as a close game brought the crowd to their feet.

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

Thompson Falls plays hard on the field against Choteau

THOMPSON FALLS – The Bluehawks matched up with a tough opponent on Friday, September 13 and played hard to keep up with Choteau.

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

Noxon Red Devils continue to fight for a win

NOXON - The Red Devils were expected to have another tough week against Victor during a home game on Friday, September 13.

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

Calvert changes plea to guilty

THOMPSON FALLS – Nathan Lee William Calvert appeared in court on Tuesday, September 17 to change his plea of not guilty to guilty while suffering from a mental disease or disorder.

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

Calvert

Nathan Lee William Calvert appeared in court on Tuesday, September 17 to change his plea to guilty.

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

Commissioners adopt Sanders County budget

THOMPSON FALLS – The Sanders County Commissioners met Thursday, August 5 to adopt the county’s budget.

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

TRACS fundraiser highlights the world of wines

THOMPSON FALLS – Thompson River Animal Care Shelter will be providing a tasting featuring wines from all around the world on Saturday, September 14 at their first ever “fly in” festival.

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

Calvert scheduled to change plea Tuesday

THOMPSON FALLS – Nathan Lee William Calvert’s trial date scheduled for Monday, September 16th has been vacated and a change of plea has been scheduled for the following day on Tuesday, September 17th at 10 a.m.

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

Toby's Tavern going strong

Gale Therrian helps a few local patrons at Toby's Tavern. Gale is a one-woman show running the bar seven days a week.

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

Toby's Tavern continues to hold onto its legacy

NOXON – As you pull into Toby’s Tavern, you do not expect to find anything out of the ordinary. The bar is situated on the main stretch of Noxon, a setting that is both calm and quiet.

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

Going for the kill shot - by Justyna Tomtas

Angela Padden of Thompson Falls goes up for a spike during a recent match against Florence.

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

Lady Hawks experience a good week of play

THOMPSON FALLS – The Lady Hawks started the season off strong with the Mission Tournament bringing home seven wins out of the eight games played.

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

Horsemen Football

A Horsemen goes in for the kick during the home game against Shelby on Friday.

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

Bluehawk football

Bluehawk Joe Lundberg goes in for a field goal during an earlier game in the season against Plains.

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

Bluehawks gear up for game against Choteau

THOMPSON FALLS – The Bluehawks faced off with Cut Bank on Friday, Sept. 6, a team that proved to be a strong force to compete with.

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

Red Devils go back to the drawing boards

NOXON – The Red Devils faced off Charlo in their first away game of the season, challenging themselves and testing one another to their limits.

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

Noxon Lady Devils sweep TER at first away game

NOXON – In the first away game of the season, the Lady Red Devils swept Two Eagle River, winning their match 3 to 0.

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

The search for a prize bull begins

SANDERS COUNTY - Thirteen horses, four mules and ten people. That is what it takes to pack in a hunting camp. At least in my experience.

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

Hunting camp 8

George Nass tightens up the saddle on one of the horses that was used to pack into the archery camp.

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

Hunting camp 7

Jerry Carr loads one of his horses, Benny, into the horse trailer. In all, 17 horses and mules were taken to help pack in camp.

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

Hunting camp 4

Dillon Fryxell and Jerry Carr work on adjusting Molly's pack during the six mile journey to camp.

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

Hunting Camp 3

The archery camp is nestled miles away from civilization and hidden in the thick of the trees.

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

Plains vs. Thompson Falls

Dylan Vaught runs the ball down the field. Vaught was the primary receiver for the Bluehawks.

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

Bluehawks, Horsemen clash in season opener

THOMPSON FALLS – The Bluehawks and the Horsemen clashed in battle on the gridiron Saturday night as both teams kicked off their season in the rivalry game.

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

Noxon Red Devils battle against Granit

NOXON – The Red Devils took to the field on Saturday, August 31 to open up their season against Granite. The young team showed dedication and heart as they played on their home turf.

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

Chicks n' Chaps at the Fair

Suzy VonHeeder takes to the bucking bull at the Chix and Chaps event. VonHeeder lasted the required eight seconds on the bull.

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

Chicks N' Chaps brings pink back to the fair

PLAINS – Cowgirls Kicking Cancer hosted their annual Chicks N’ Chaps event, an event that helps raise money in the fight against breast cancer in Sanders County.

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

Demo Derby

The annual demolition derby closed up the Sanders County Fair on Sunday with over 30 cars battling it out for the win.

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

Demo Derby demolishes competitors

PLAINS – Dirt and gravel chunks flew as cars geared up and revved their engines in the ultimate battle of adrenaline and destruction.

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

Extinguishing the flames

The Plains-Paradise Rural Fire Department work to extinguish a fire that was caused by a vehicle that went off of Lower Lynch Creek Road.

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

Car accident on Lower Lynch causes fire

PLAINS – On Wednesday, August 28, a vehicle on Lower Lynch Creek Road swerved off the road, hit a tree and ignited a fire.

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

Local athlete named All-State First Baseman

PLAINS – After dedicating his entire summer to baseball – living and breathing the sport, a local Plains athlete now has the title to show that his hard work paid off.

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

Dixon Melon Days provides entertainment for all

DIXON – In a “perfect melon year” with an abundant crop of mouthwatering melons, the annual Dixon Melon Days celebration hit the streets of Dixon on Friday, Aug. 23 and Saturday, Aug. 24.

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

Dixon Melon Days 8

Chauntay Cripps, 13, helps sell melons during the annual Dixon Melon Days celebration. Cripps said this year had been a great year for melons.

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

Dixon Melon Days 7

Adilyn Croft, 3, gets her face painted by Dottie. Facepainting was a popular activity at the event.

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

Mutton Bustin' at Melon Days - by Justyna Tomtas/Valley Press

Kids took to the Mutton Bustin' competition held at the Lil-Buck-a-Roo Rodeo held at the end of the day Saturday in Dixon. The kids tried their luck against the sheep, many of them lasting a few seconds before their ride came to an end.

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

Dixon Melon Days 3

Wacey McClure, 12, takes to the melon eating contest. McClure devoured the melons in hopes of becoming the champion in his division.

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

Dixon Melon Days 1

Kai O'Brien sinks his teeth into a melon.

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

Chicks n' Chaps

A Chicks N' Chaps participant rides a fake bull during the rodeo clinic last year at the county fair.

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

Local Forest Service numbers decrease

SANDERS COUNTY – With fire season in full swing, the Plains/Thompson Falls Ranger District is experiencing a lull in their numbers, with many forest service officials out of the area fighting wildfires or returning to college.

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

Numbers for archery season are holding strong, improving

SANDERS COUNTY – With archery season only ten days away, hunters are out scouting their favorite spots, practicing their calls and making sure their bow is on point, in hopes of finding that prize winning six-point bull to bring home.

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

USFS officials tour hospital's biomass system

PLAINS – The Clark Fork Valley Hospital had a special visitor on Thursday, August 22.

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

Hospital Biomass System

Plant Services Manager Dennis Bursell and Steve Marshall from the United States Forest Service look at the quality of material used in the biomass system.

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

Released sky lanterns remind people of extreme fire conditions

PLAINS – On Monday, August 19 two sky lanterns landed on the forested land of the P-hill in Plains. The sky lanterns are structures designed with a thin paper shell and either a suspended candle ignites a fuel source or a fuel cell composed of a waxy flammable material – …

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

USFS funding could affect local contracts

SANDERS COUNTY – Plains/Thompson Falls Forest Service Ranger, Randy Hojem, said the forest service is doing their best to minimize local effects of the budget shortfall the U.S. Forest Service is currently experiencing.

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

Noxon football practice

Noxon Red Devils football team members practice agility and strength drills during the first practice of the season. The first game of the season is against Granite on Saturday, August 31.

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

Lady Red Devil practice

Lady Red Devil Jessica Camara gets ready to volley the ball during practice.

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

Noxon High School volleyball team prepare for St. Regis

NOXON - With the fall season quickly approaching, the Noxon Lady Red Devils were hard at work setting up their team structure. According to Head Coach Teri Wilkinson, this year the team has three returning players, with one being a senior, and two juniors.

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

School board ties up loose ends before first day

PLAINS – The Plains School Board of Trustees met on Monday, August 19 to provide updates and help tie up any loose ends before the school year began.

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

Plains schools host successful open house

PLAINS – Eager children and parents filled the hallways of the Plains schools, foreshadowing the beginning of school on Monday, August 26 for the annual Plains School Open House.

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

DAV to raise money at fair

PLAINS – A new organization in part with the DAV Volunteer Transportation Network has taken on a different way to fundraise this year for a replacement van to help veterans get to their VA medical appointments.

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

Chow Down Time - by Justyna Tomtas/Valley Press

Keke Tenas, 4, and Kai O'Brien, 4, chow down on some melons during the annual melon eating contest at Dixon Melon Days.

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

Shakespeare in the Park

Actor Jonathan Altman helped narrate the play. Altman is in his first summer with Montana Shakespeare in the Parks.

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

Montana Shakespeare in the Parks comes to Plains

PLAINS – In its 41st season, Montana Shakespeare in the Parks came to Plains yet again to entertain the crowds on the lush green grass of the Sanders County Fairgrounds.

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

Parking at fairground to raise money for DAV van

PLAINS – A new organization in part with the DAV Volunteer Transportation Network has taken on a different way to fundraise this year for a replacement van to help veterans get to their VA medical appointments.

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

BOW kayaking

Participants in the Saturday morning class practice their hand positioning before hitting the water.

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

BOW event doubles in size from last year

THOMPSON FALLS – The Beyond Becoming an Outdoor Woman Event saw more than twice as many participants as last year at the annual Learn to Kayak event, more than doubling the amount of attendees.

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

Avista golf tournament

Participants in the annual Charity Golf Scramble ready themselves for a day of golfing. Proceeds from the event went to benefit the Sanders County Coalition for Families.

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

Annual Avista golf tournament supports SCCFF

THOMPSON FALLS – The annual Charity Golf Scramble held by Avista filled up quickly, providing revenue and support for the Sanders County Coalition for Families.

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

Benefit Glow Ball tournament yields crowd

PLAINS – The Wild Horse Plains Golf Course held the 2013 Benefit Glow Ball tournament on Saturday. The event, which started out much like a normal tournament, later turned into a dark frenzy lit up by glow sticks and glow in the dark golf balls.

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

Bluehawks gear up for the season

THOMPSON FALLS – After losing seven seniors, the Thompson Falls Bluehawks football team is ready to take on the season despite a young team.

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

Lady Hawks serve it up

THOMPSON FALLS – The Lady Hawks Volleyball team started their first day of practice on Monday, August 19, discovering what their team is capable of.

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

TF Cross Country practice

THOMPSON FALLS – The Thompson Falls Bluehawk Cross Country team is shaping up to be pretty solid, although coaches are still figuring out the skill levels of those participating.

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

Lady Hawk volleyball team

The Lady Hawks of Thompson Falls pose for a group shot during a recent practice.

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

Lady Hawk volleyball

Some of the Lady Hawks pose during practice.

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

Bluehawk football practice

The boys in blue do drills for football practice.

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

Thompson Falls Bluehawks football

The Thompson Falls Bluehawks practice for the upcoming first game of the season against Plains.

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

Thompson Falls football

The Thompson Falls Bluehawks run agility drills during practice. The team is preparing for the first game of the year against Plains on August 31st.

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

Peaceful elk - by Justyna Tomtas/Valley Press

A herd of elk stand in the creek at the Moise National Bison Range.

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

Plains town council talk civic improvements

PLAINS – Plains Town Council met on Monday, August 5 to discuss plans for improvements around the town as well as the possible construction of a veteran memorial park.

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

Christmas Light display to return next year

PLAINS – The Christmas Light Display at the Sanders County Fairgrounds has been canceled for this year and the Plains Community Market banded together in an effort to help bring them back for next year.

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

Trap Shoot

A participant at the annual Bruce Frye Memorial Shoot takes their best aim at clay pigeons that are launched into the air. The trap shoot competition tests one's aim, reaction time and overall gun handling experience.

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

Annual Bruce Frye Memorial Shoot draws crowd

PLAINS – The annual Bruce Frye Memorial Shoot brought in a good crowd to the Plains Trap Club over the weekend with 11 squads on Saturday and 13 squads on Sunday.

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

Music at the library

Dakota Butcher, 11, plays On to Joy as Syd Connolly watches on.

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

Piano students showcase their talents at library

PLAINS – Music flooded the lawn of the Plains Public Library on Tuesday, July 16 as Syd Connolly and her students played for a crowd of spectators perched on blankets and chairs in the green grass of the library.

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

Baroque

Greg Ewer plays the violin during the Baroque Festival last week held near Paradise. The festival was celebrating its tenth year.

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

Record turnout for 10th annual Baroque festival

PARADISE – The 10th annual Montana Baroque Music Festival hit Quinn’s Hot Springs Resort and brought in record numbers.

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

Disney the magician

Evan Disney, a magician from Missoula, wowed the crowd with his magic tricks during one of his two performances at Railroad Day.

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

Watermelon winner - by Justyna Tomtas

Baliey Fehlberg, 5, proudly stands by his eaten watermelon after he won in his division during the popular watermelon eating contest.

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

Eating watermelon

Gabe Kelly, 11, chows down on his watermelon during the watermelon eating contest. Kelly took first place in his division.

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

Salish Voiture train

The Salish Voiture train takes to the main stretch in Alberton for the annual Railroad Day parade.

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

High Noon Shootout

John Zunski participates in the High Noon Shootout. Zunski and his team robbed a stagecoach that pulled into town during the event.

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

Saloon characters

A pardade float full of old-time saloon characters made its way down the street. The characters took place in the two shoot outs featured during the day.

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

G. Whiz chemistry show

Garon Smith otherwise known as G. Whiz demonstrates some chemistry tricks at the annual Railroad Day celebration in Alberton. Smith is a Chemistry professor at the University of Montana.

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

Leading a llama

A participant in the parade cools off bystanders as she marches her llama down the main strip of Alberton.

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

The light at the end of the tunnel

Exiting the dark Eddy Creek Mine, the light from outside radiates into the dingy tunnel.

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

A blast from the past: A trip to the Eddy Creek Mine

PLAINS – In the early 1900s the Plains mining district located in Sanders County saw activity in two major mines around the area – one in Swamp Creek and the other in Eddy Creek.

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

West Mullan Fire day 7: Blaze drops to 5,230 acres

(UPDATED: Saturday at 8 p.m.)

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

West Mullan Fire Day 6

An airplane drops fire retardant to the side of the West Mullan Fire to help control the burn area.

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

Name of victim released in one-vehicle rollover on Highway 200

PLAINS - The name of the victim in a one-vehicle rollover has been released. Kathy Duffner, 63, passed away at the scene of the crash late Monday night.

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

Harvest numbers keep rising

THOMPSON FALLS – Fish Wildlife and Parks met with the Sanders County Commissioners on Wednesday, providing an update on the past hunting season, bear activity, fishery and wolves.

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

Noxon woman charged for feeding bears

SANDERS COUNTY - The woman suspected of feeding seven bears in the Heron/Noxon area last year in October, which were later euthanized has been charged in Sanders County Justice Court.

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

Thompson Falls Players

Elizabeth Babcock and Dave Oliver took to the stage with the rest of the Thompson Falls Players after a two year absence. The group performed "Maid to Order" at the Rex Theater in Thompson Falls this past weekend.

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

Thompson Falls Players return to stage after absence

THOMPSON FALLS – After two years of absence from the stage, the Thompson Falls Players banded together to present the community a theatrical performance of “Maid to Order.”

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

BOW course

Sonya Provazink of Missoula learns how to handle the rope during the basic roping course in the morning.

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

Twentieth annual BOW event hits Plains

PLAINS – The annual Becoming an Outdoors Woman workshop was held in Plains on Saturday, providing ample opportunity for ladies who were interested in becoming outdoor savvy.

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

Calvert's trial rescheduled

SANDERS COUNTY – Nathan Lee Calvert’s trial date has been delayed for approximately 60 days and is now rescheduled for September 16 at 9:30 a.m. The trial date was originally set for July 15, 2013, however according to the court motion, the prosecution is exerting their right to have the …

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

UPDATE: One death confirmed in one-vehicle rollover on Highway 200

UPDATE: One death has been confirmed in the one-vehicle rollover accident that occurred between Paradise and Plains on Monday night at mile marker 81. Names of the victims have not yet been released.

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

Robert Hoyem

Robert Hoyem, a Thompson Falls graduate and world renowned opera singer fills the United Methodist Church in Plains with his voice.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO

Starting a fire

Morgan Jarvis demonstrates how to start a fire using nesting material, charcoal cloth, flint and steel.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO

Yard Salers

Liam Lyman, 5, sells Gatorade outside his home during the county-wide yard sale event. According to his mom Shari, Liam had been keeping busy all day.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO

Yard sales take over Sanders County

SANDERS COUNTY – Trucks, trailers and cars could be spotted loaded to the brim with bargains and great deals during the county-wide yard saleing event.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO

Back Country poker ride

Organizer of the Poker Ride, Cindy Ray, marks the trail with green flags a day prior to the ride. Ray said the event was very successful with nearly double the attendees of last year.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO

Annual Poker Ride deemed successful

PLAINS – Forty-four riders took to a trail mapped out on Jones Ranch for the Wild Horse Plains chapter of the Back Country Horsemen’s 3rd annual Poker Ride.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO

Troy Mine lays off employees

THOMPSON FALLS – Employees of Revett Minerals met with the Sanders County commissioners on Thursday to provide an update on both the Troy and Rock Creek Mines.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO

Library percussion lesson

Grant Applehans teaches participants at the Plains Public Library how to play Afro-Caribbean instruments.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO

Library offers hands on percussion experience

PLAINS – Afro-Caribbean percussion instruments hit the library on Tuesday as eager participants waited to get their hands on different instruments to learn more about each one.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO

Camp Bighorn training provides a rush

PLAINS – From kayaking, to rock climbing, and a high element ropes course, Camp Bighorn has it all. With the adrenaline churning activities available, training becomes an important part of the process, ensuring everyone’s safety.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO

Dominating the River - by Justyna Tomtas

A kayaker maneuvers through the Cascade Rapids during his trek down the river at Camp Bighorn.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO

Taking the First Step

A climber tackles the first part of the high element rope course. The course provided numerous obstacles for the participants.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO

Leading the Blind

Participants were blindfolded for the Broken Body event, an event that focused on teamwork.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO

Tackling the rope course

A climber attempts the Indiana Jones bridge on the high element rope course. The obstacle was a favorite among trainees during the Camp Bighorn training week.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO

School Board holds presentation on Common Core Implementation

PLAINS – Five concerned citizens attended the Plains School Board of Trustee meeting on Monday, June 17 to listen to the Common Core Standards presentation.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO

"The great water debate" continues to develop

THOMPSON FALLS – The Sanders County National Resource Council hosted the Concerned Citizens of Western Montana on Monday night, who presented a meeting on “the great water debate” or the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes Water Rights Compact.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO

Chamber plans to amp up tourism around the county

THOMPSON FALLS – The Chamber of Commerce hosted three different speakers on Friday, covering a variety of different topics that affect the local community.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO

Plainly Speaking Toastmasters

Mary Lout Hermes delivers her tall tale about a team of cats performing at a dog sled competition.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO

Toastmasters share tall tales, impromptu performances

PLAINS – Plainly Speaking Toastmasters took over the library on Tuesday, providing tall tales and impromptu skits on topics, leaving the audience to wonder what was true and what was fiction.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO

Hunger meeting

Lorianne Burhop addresses the community members gathered at the hunger meeting.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO

Battling hunger in Montana one conversation at a time

PLAINS – The Montana Food Bank Network hosted a meeting at the Assembly of God church on Wednesday to increase awareness and help get a better understanding of the issue of hunger in Sanders County and across Montana.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO

School board wraps up the school year, looks into future

PLAINS – The Board of Trustees met on Monday and tended to business as usual in a two hour meeting at the Plains High School, wrapping up the school year in preparation of a new one.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO

Tarwick sings

Lynda Tarwick of Plains fills the library with the sound of music as she sang to her heart's content for an hour on Tuesday.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO

Music fills the library displaying talent

PLAINS – Lynda Tarwick filled the Plains Public Library with music on Tuesday, sharing her love of music with a small get together.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO

Valley Press brings home eight MNA awards

The Clark Fork Valley Press recently brought home eight awards from the Montana Newspaper Association banquet hosted in Missoula.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO

Annual memorial shoot expected to draw crowds

PLAINS – The annual Tom Kunzer Memorial Shoot will be held at the Plains Trap Club on June 22 and 23.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO

TRACS dog walk

Stealth Kilmer walks a dog around the track at last year's Dog Walk and Fun Fest. This year the event will be on June 23.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO

TRACS to host second annual dog walk this weekend

HOT SPRINGS - Nearly a dozen concerned members of the community surrounding Hot Springs met with Sanders County Commissioner Glen Magera on Wednesday to discuss their concerns regarding a few stretches of county road. Magera listened to several accounts from citizens about the hazards posed by conditions on the roads.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO

Trout Creek sets hopes on Western Bass Divisional

TROUT CREEK – The Lakeside Motel and Resort in Trout Creek hosted their annual ABA Tournament on June 8th and 9th, a tournament focused on fishing bass.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO

Woman's Club projects near completion

PLAINS – The Plains Woman’s Club has been hard at work utilizing a grant to spruce up two places in town.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO

Thompson Falls resident killed in rollover accident

KALISPELL – Amber Morgan McAtee, a Thompson Falls resident, was killed in a vehicle rollover west of Kalispell on Wednesday afternoon.

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

Homesteader Days 8

Orville Bjorge was the Grand Marshall of the parade on Sunday. Bjorge is the son of an original Hot Springs' homesteader.

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

Homesteader Days 7

Jazmyn Campbell, 4, squeezes the nose of one of the clowns during the parade on Sunday.

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

Homesteader Days 4

Cody Carr dances with his daughter Jaycee during the Street Dance, which lasted from 9 p.m. to 1:30 a.m.

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

Homesteader rodeo 10

Levi and Paul Guenzler participated in the double mugging competition at the Hot Springs annual Homesteader's Rodeo on Saturday.

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

Homesteader rodeo 6

Arnie McDonald from Arlee attempts to stay on a bull during the bull riding competition at Saturday's rodeo.

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

Helicopter training

Firefighters received hands on radio practice, allowing them to communicate with the pilot on the location of a water drop.

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

DNRC holds helicopter training for volunteers

PLAINS – The Department of Natural Resources and Conservation held a helicopter training session for Sanders County’s volunteer firefighters on Saturday, allowing the volunteers hands on experience with the helicopters.

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

Annual ATV Poker Run surpasses lat year's numbers

TROUT CREEK – The Cabinet Ridge Riders held their 9th annual ATV Poker Run Saturday and saw more numbers than last year.

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

Plains Day deemed a great success

PLAINS – The streets of Plains were flooded with people for the 51st annual Plains Day event, an event that offers family-friendly fun to all those in attendance.

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

Plains Day 6

First, second and third place winners posed with their trophies and ribbons at the 9th annual motorcycle and car show. This year the car show had 27 participants in all.

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

Plains Day 5

Boston McDonald performed at the El Johnson Memorial Pool Park with his band Secret Eggs.

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

Plains Day 3

Devin Heward and his daughter Hannah share a laughing moment before the start of the sack races.

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

Town of Plains undergoes lawsuit

PLAINS – The town council met Monday night to discuss a variety of issues on the docket. After approving previous minutes and listening to the different reports, Mayor Brinson brought to the council’s attention that the town is being sued.

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

Ninth annual ATV Poker Run to be held in Trout Creek

TROUT CREEK – The Cabinet Ridge Riders will be having their 9th annual ATV Poker Run this Saturday. The rally will start at the Lakeside Motel and will offer participants plenty of opportunity to discover Montana’s wilderness and wildlife.

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

FWP plans to release grizzlies into the Cabinets

THOMPSON FALLS – Members of the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks met with county commissioners on Wednesday to discuss the transportation of grizzly bears into the Cabinets in Lincoln County, just north of the Sanders County border.

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

Buffalo Bill Bear

A female bear was trapped in the Buffalo Bill area and transported northeast of the reservation near Blacktail.

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

Problem bear removed from Buffalo Bill area

PLAINS – A suspected problem bear was removed from the Buffalo Bill area on Friday after it destroyed numerous bird feeders on a property and broke into a garage to get into the trash.

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

County commissioners listen to plans of sheep augmentation

THOMPSON FALLS – At the County Commissioners office, officials of the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks met with the board to discuss the augmentation of big horn sheep in Sanders County.

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

Honoring vets on Memorial Day

Craig Gillhall stops to pay tribute to a fellow soldier after marking the grave with a miniature American flag.

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

Veterans pay tribute to those who fell before them

PLAINS – Nine volunteers from the VFW Post # 3596 canvassed the grounds of the cemetery in search of America’s heroes in order to pay tribute for their services.

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

Thompson Falls graduation 2013

Jodi Morgan presents the scholarships to the students during the ceremony.

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

Thompson Falls seniors graduate

THOMPSON FALLS – Proud seniors walked into the gym at the Thompson Falls High School in front of a packed audience to showcase the end of an important chapter in their lives and the start of a new one.

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

Noxon graduation 2013

Valedictorian Brandon Piazzola addresses the audience and his fellow classmates during his speech.

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

Noxon seniors graduate

NOXON – In an intimate setting at the Noxon High School, the Red Devils took their first step into the future and out of high school life - graduating from many years of schooling and moving into a future with many unknowns.

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

Annual Plains Day event to take place on Saturday

PLAINS – After six months of planning, the 51st Plains Day is ready to take place on June 1st.

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

Dancing the day away

The kids involved in the Gothic Reel practice hard for their upcoming performance. They will perform at the El Johnson Memorial Pool Park on Plains Day.

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

Dance performance will bring some Irish culture on Plains Day

PLAINS – According to Neuman Ryan, the art of dance has been lost in America and he is hard at work trying to bring it back.

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

Teen outreach

Josh Vander Meer spreads his message of hope to the crowd.

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

Teen outreach efforts flood the pool park in Plains

PLAINS – Kids and community members gathered at the El Johnson Memorial Pool Park on Friday for a community outreach program put on by District 777.

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

Thompson Falls boys track and field take third

THOMPSON FALLS – The Bluehawks Track and Field team competed in Bozeman at the state competition on May 24 and 25, coming out with some success.

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

Bringing home the hardware

The boys' Bluehawks golf team brought home third place from the state tournament.

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

Bluehawks golf team takes third at state

THOMPSON FALLS – The boy’s Bluehawks golf lived up to their expectations at the state tournament in Bigfork, bringing home the third place prize.

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

Three Red Devils represent Noxon at State competition

NOXON – Three Red Devils took to the state competition in Laurel, representing Noxon at the tournament.

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

Savage Heat relay team

The Hot Springs Savage Heat relay team competed at the state tournament in Laurel over the weekend.

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

Camp Bighorn clean up

Ruth Jorgensen helps clean and prune the different flower beds at Camp Bighorn.

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

Camp Bighorn receives a face lift for the upcoming busy season

PLAINS – Over 100 volunteers went straight to work at Camp Bighorn, pruning the garden, painting the new shop and cutting trails for the upcoming summer camp season.

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

Calvert appears for omnibus hearing

THOMPSON FALLS – After numerous attempts to hold Nathan Lee Calvert’s omnibus hearing, Calvert was finally present in the Sanders County Courthouse Tuesday morning.

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

A last ditch effort to save Nathan Freisz

PLAINS – In a last ditch effort to get their teacher Nathan Freisz back, the community flooded the Plains School Board of Trustees meeting Monday night hoping their pleas would be heard.

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

Plains serenades the crowd for the last time this year

PLAINS – The kids of Plains hit the stage on Thursday night for their Hawaiian-inspired spring concert.

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

Plains concert

Mason Gannarelli, Jeremiah Allen, and A.J. Jermyn perform "Go For Excellence." The three are members of the fifth grade band.

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

Plains fourth graders test their luck on the water

PLAINS – The fourth grade classes at Plains Elementary School gathered up their fishing gear and headed out to the slough east of Plains to test their luck in the waters.

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

Art on the Walls

Attendees of the fifth annual Art on the Walls event stroll through Wall Street Place in Hot Springs, voting for their favorite entries.

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

Hot Springs Art on the Walls fills Wall Street Place

HOT SPRINGS – The Hot Springs Artists Society filled the Wall Street Place on Friday for their fifth annual Art on the Walls show.

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

Plains School District receives grant for campus expansion

PLAINS – After over 40 years of planning, the Plains School District will finally receive a grant, which will allow them to add an addition onto the school, combining the now two campuses into one general location.

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

Trotters and Lady Hawks wrap up softball season

PLAINS – The Lady Hawks and the Trotters faced off in the battle for a spot at divisionals during a play-in game on Tuesday. In the Class B-C play-in game, the Trotters took the win 12 to 2.

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

Runners take to the trail from St. Regis to Paradise

PARADISE/ST. REGIS - Over 300 runners took to a track trail in St. Regis, running almost 11 miles to Paradise through rolling hills on a weaving trail.

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

Preschoolers at farm

Parents, volunteers and preschoolers gathered at Dave Williams' ranch on Wednesday for a field trip where they played with baby pigs, released a newly hatched butterfly and planted bean seeds. The field trip gave the kids a chance to learn about life cycles.

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

Preschoolers take to the farm to learn life lessons

PLAINS – The preschoolers in the Head Start program hit the farm on Wednesday to learn about life cycles.

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

ICES offers opportunities to host an exhange student

SANDERS COUNTY – International Cultural Exchange Services offers families a chance to bring in a foreign exchange student for ten months, housing the student while they study abroad and it gives the opportunity to open up one’s heart to a new culture.

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

Plains students perform "Penny Candy" for crowd

PLAINS – A cast of Plains students hit the stage both Friday and Saturday night bringing to life the story of “Penny Candy.”

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

Penny Candy 4

Claire Miller played by Keira Gill comes up with a penny to give Richard Miller played by Daniel Damschen during the play, "Penny Candy."

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

Valley Press to hold a garage sale to benefit ids and their education

PLAINS – The Valley Press will be holding a garage sale on June 29th from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in front of the office at 105 W. Lynch Street. We are accepting donations and all proceeds will benefit Newspapers in Education.

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

Grange focuses on community outreach

PLAINS – The Plains Grange met on Tuesday and discussed where to donate money as part of their community outreach they are known for.

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

Wind damage 3

The large tree that fell on the two vehicles once housed a tree-house. The owner suspected the white car to be totaled.

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

Wind damage 2

A late storm on Monday evening brought in heavy rain and strong winds causing downed branches to block Meany Street.

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

Wind Damage 1

The strong gusts of wind knocked over a tree three feet in diameter onto two vehicles on Sixth Street.

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

Thompson Falls comes out with first place victory at Districts

THOMPSON FALLS – The Bluehawks Track and Field team made their way to Eureka on Saturday for the district tournament and came out with a first place victory on the boy’s side.

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

Noxon competes at districts

NOXON – The Red Devils went to the District 14-C meet in Polson on Thursday pulling in a third place win for their boys with a team score of 76.

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

Plains Pool

Employees of the Plains Public Works Force drained and cleaned the pool on Friday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in an effort to get the pool ready for the season. The pool is slated to open on Memorial Day.

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

Veterans Standown

A veteran walks out of the third barn loaded up with gear as his little helper pushes a box of supplies.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 12 YEARS AGO

Veterans Standown named biggest in the country

PLAINS - The Sanders County Fairgrounds opened their gates in an effort to give back to some of the most deserving people in the country - the veterans.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 12 YEARS AGO

Messing home

Sanders County resident Jerry Messing points to one of the 25 bullet holes that pierced through his residence in Trout Creek while his wife Shirley observes the damage.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 12 YEARS AGO

Home in Trout Creek riddled with bullets

TROUT CREEK – Tales of peaceful scenery and wildlife were shattered when Jerry and Shirley Messing’s part-time home in Trout Creek was shot up, with close to 25 shots ringing through the empty house.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 12 YEARS AGO

Petition started to bring back teacher

PLAINS – After the nonrenewal of non-tenured teacher, many people in the community of Plains are fired up and have started a petition to get the teacher back into the school.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 12 YEARS AGO

Noxon to host second annual bridal fashion show

NOXON – Students will be dressed to impress on Sunday, May 12 – clothed to perfection in wedding gowns and tuxedos at the second annual Bridal Fashion Show.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 12 YEARS AGO

Playhouse painting

Dick Colver paints the trim that will be added onto the playhouse.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 12 YEARS AGO

TFalls Softball

Kelsey Fitchett was a key asset in the two wins against Troy.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 12 YEARS AGO

Thompson Falls sweeps Troy in last home game

THOMPSON FALLS – The Lady Hawks swept Troy in their last home game, coming up with two wins of 7 to 6 and 17 to 3.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 12 YEARS AGO

Bluehawks golf team ready for divisionals

THOMPSON FALLS - The Bluehawks golf team is in good shape for the upcoming divisionals taking place in Bozeman on May 14, bringing in two second place victories home.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 12 YEARS AGO

Interim speed limit to be introduced on Highway 200

An interim speed limit reduction will be taking place on Highway 200 between mile markers 56 to 59.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 12 YEARS AGO

Tri-State Veterans Standown prepares to take over

PLAINS - The Tri-State Veterans Standown will take over the fairgrounds this weekend, gearing up thousands of veterans with surplus gear, food and medical checkups.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 12 YEARS AGO

Branding 8

Bruce Knight drags a calf into the opening in preparation of branding.

VALLEY PRESS-MINERAL INDEPENDENT | UPDATED 12 YEARS AGO

Roping a calf - Photo by Justyna Tomtas