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Valley Press - Mineral Independent
Superior student hit a high note at state festival
The seven student from Superior High School who competed in the state music festival in Helena earlier this month have raised the bar for student musicians.“The most awesome part was that these students also received superior (score) ratings at the state district level, which is the first time all of my students have done that," said Debbie Merrill, music instructor for Superior School District. "We celebrated at a fun restaurant in Helena when we got the news before we headed back to Superior.“I'm so proud of these kids. Performing at these high levels and succeeding is very difficult and they...
Rediscovering home: Superior Council updates
Our ranch was about a mile from town back in the day. Now, the town of Superior has practically reached our doorstep. Houses occupy the forested land where dirt roads intertwined and young people “frolicked.”Often, “town kids” would visit the ranch and get a taste of our electric fence. We would always tell the uninitiated that we could form a human chain with them at the rear. I or Brett, the brother just older than me, would tell them that because they were at the end of the line, they would feel very little. Of course, the human body conducts...
Hospital honored with stroke hero award
Earlier this month, Clark Fork Valley Hospital was awarded the Stroke Hero Award at the Annual Rocky Mountain Stroke Conference held in Helena.Dr. Kurt Lindsay, neurologist and director of the Stroke and Telestroke Program at Logan Health, nominated CFVH for this year’s award.The Montana Stroke Initiative Work Group selects one awardee in each of the following four categories: Individual (Doctors, Nurses, NPs, PAs, Therapists, etc.); Prehospital (EMTs, Paramedics, Ambulance Services, Fire Department Personnel, etc); Small Team (Critical Access Hospitals) and Large Team (Hospitals and Medical Centers). CFVH was the award recipient in the Small Team category that honors one Montana Critical Access Hospital each year.This prestigious state stroke...
Wild Horse Rendezvous celebrates mountain man culture
Montana’s Largest Flea Market is in the middle of Mineral County and the Wild Horse Rendezvous at the far eastern tip of the county every Memorial Day weekend — rain or shine. They both have become legendary events to start the summer.Mike Tomell from Frenchtown started mountain man rendezvousing 40 years ago and has overseen this one, The Wild Horse Rendezvous, for 17 years. “It was started 42 years ago on Lynch Creek outside of Plains, and the official name of Plains is Wild Horse Plains, hence the name. After a couple of years there, it moved to just north of...
Reject moderates
I am very concerned about people who believe that a “moderate” is an ideal choice. Moderates are compromising our God given constitutionally protected freedoms away. “Compromise” and “Solutions” are mantras parroted by those who have no solid standard by which they base their decisions, thus, leaving them vulnerable to manipulation and corruption.I am also saddened to see so much capital being spent on mailers for these moderates this election cycle and I question what is the motive behind all of these PAC’s backing these moderates? What will they be trying to legislate this upcoming legislative session? Of which these moderates are so desperately needed and backed by so much Dark Money? Will it be some more laws that benefit themselves at the expense of hard working Montanans?Please do your own search into these candidates and choose based upon your own morals and convictions. GK Chesterton stated that “Impartiality (moderate) is a pompous name for indifference which is an elegant name for ignorance.”— Kimberly Mitchell, Saint Regis
Public lands
During the May 17 HD90 debate in Alberton, candidate Steve Delisle, a self-described "blue-state refugee" pitched his idea to privatize Montana's public lands, starting in Mineral County. Delisle revealed this plan as a solution to our housing crisis and revealed Delisle's desire to sell our state to the highest bidder. If land development is the path to affordable housing, Delisle could offer his tax-haven hobby-ranch for development first. Instead of pasturing a few pet cattle, build 300 homes for the good of all! Though I suspect Delisle enjoys the refuge provided by owning a piece of Montana. Unfortunately, he's willing...
Williams leads Noxon at state meet
Sometimes the phrase or thought of someone being “the whole team” can be a negative term.For the Noxon High Red Devils men’s track and field team, it was close to reality and likely not in dispute.Junior standout athlete Ricky Williams collected a third place finish and two fourth place showings during this past weekend’s Montana State Class C track and field championships in Great Falls, helping the Red Devils finish twelfth in a field of 30 teams.Belt won the men’s team title with 67 points, while Manhattan Christian was second with 56 team points.Noxon had 14 team points, thanks mainly...
Legals for May, 29 2024
Elsen Law, PLLC Dan Elsen PO Box 7428 Missoula, MT 59807 (406) 830-3000 dan@elsenlawfirm.com Attorney for Personal Representative, MONTANA FOURTH JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT, MINERAL COUNTY IN RE THE ESTATE OF JOSEPH H. HANSON, Deceased. Probate No. DP-31-2024-6 Dept. No. 2 NOTICE TO CREDITORS NOTICE IS GIVEN that JoAnn Hanson has been appointed Personal Representative of the above-named estate. All persons having claims against the decedent are required to present their claims within four (4) months of the date of the first publication of this notice or claims will be forever barred. Claims must either be mailed to JoAnn Hanson, Personal Representative, return receipt requested, at 1283 Juniper Lane Alberton, Montana 59820, or filed with the Clerk of the above Court. Dated this 23 day of May, 2024. /s/ Dan Elsen Dan Elsen, Attorney for Personal Representative Published in the Mineral Independent on May 29 and June 5, 12, 2024. MNAXLP __________________________
Author explores Montana's bucket list ideas
The title of the book is "100 Things to Do in Montana Before You Die," but the authors’ speaking engagements are called "101 Things to Do in Montana Before You Die."There must be a bonus if you attend her talk and that opportunity is Thursday, June 6. The Mineral County Library, at 301 2nd Ave. E. in Superior, is hosting Susie Wall to speak about her book and how she chose her 100, or 101, choices for the paperback. “Audiences will learn a little more about me, about the book, and my process of writing it, like how hard it was to...
Lady Hawks softball earn No. 2 seed
This was what makes softball the great sport it is.Bottom of the eighth, pitcher’s duel of a game tied at 2-2 with a potential path to the State championships this weekend in Billings on the line.One potential game winning run was snuffed out at home plate in the seventh, sending the game into the eighth inning, overtime in the softball world.After trailing most of the game, Thompson Falls rallied for a pair of game-tying scores in the bottom of the sixth.T Falls pitcher Olivia Fitchett, who had thrown a masterful game keeping the Lady Hawks within striking distance of the...
Superior girls third at divisional meet
One thing was not so surprising from the Class B ranks of the Western Divisional track and field championship this past weekend in Missoula.It was good to be a “Heart” Breaker, and a day of twists and turns for many others among the 12 schools who qualified for the event, which feeds athletes to the State Championships next weekend in Laurel.Not so surprising was the fact that both Class B team titles went to the Loyola Sacred Heart “Breakers,” with the boys dominating their team championship pursuit by nearly doubling runner up Florence in team points, 160-82.At the same time,...
State qualifiers at Western Division B-C
On a weekend when intermittent rain and sunshine, wind and cold played a factor in athletic performance, Twin Bridges’ girls and the Manhattan Christian boys found a path to victory in the Western Division B-C track and field meet in Missoula.The Twin Bridges women dominated the team title pursuit, amassing 108 points, well ahead of runner up Drummond, (68.5) to capture the team trophy.The Manhattan Christian boys, meanwhile were able to scrape out a 96-90 team win over second place Drummond, which was also second in the girls’ team standings.Other than an eighth place finish by the Hot Springs boys...
Plains looking sharp after cleanup day
A cool crisp windy morning greeted volunteers, assembling for the Plains Beautification Day 2024.Duty assignments for volunteers were posted, ready for beautification day committee member Scott Johnson, to hand out once volunteers arrive. The number of volunteers increased, eventually totaling 36. Twenty of that number were from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, which included the youngest member of the volunteers, seven-year-old Colton Barton. Volunteer Rhonda Leeper said, “I am a youth leader for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and we came to help out our community. I think it (Beautification Day) is a great idea to...
COLUMN: End of the season
I can hardly believe it.“It” is another affirmation as to why some folks leave their outdoor Christmas lights up all year.Maybe, as I’ve speculated for so many years, it is not just being lazy.Could it be a surrender to the rapid passing of yet another year? Is that why people figure they might as well leave them up because seemingly before they can blink they just unbuckled the top button from their post Thanksgiving Day meal and are kicking back on the couch, satisfied, but strangely longing for more?Is it really already the last weekend of the official high school...
Community calendar
Mineral County MT Rails-to-Trails dedication ceremony for the 2-mile portion of the Great American Rail-Trails will be June 2 at the DNRC land near Tarkio on starting at 2 p.m. Bring chairs and bikes. Dogs on leashes are welcome. Directions: If heading east, leave I-90 at the Crystal Springs exit, turn right and follow the bike signs to the gate at the end of the road; if going west, leave I-90 at the Crystal Springs exit, go back under the freeway and follow the signs to the destination.Mineral County Chamber of Commerce meets June 5 meeting 5:30 p.m. Deborgia Old...
Road closure planned for Little Joe Road this summer, work starting
The Lolo National Forest began a large two phased road improvement project on Little Joe Road, Forest Road 282, late last month to resurface the road, improve drainage, and upgrade two stream crossings.The project will improve access to the St. Joe Scenic Highway and St. Joe National Recreation Area, benefit the local communities that rely on tourism travel through the Little Joe and support the hauling of timber products. This road is located within a priority watershed for bull trout and the improvements will reduce sediment delivery to the North Fork Little Joe Creek.The first phase of work will take...
Jim Hollenback, 71
Richard James Hollenback Jr., beloved husband, devoted father, and cherished member of the community, passed away on May 1, 2024, in Phoenix, at the age of 71. Known as Jim Hollenback to most people but also known as Holly by a select few. Born on July 8, 1952, in Missoula, to Richard and Shirley Hollenback. He started his life at the family ranch in Gold Creek, then spent his formative years in Superior, immersed in the beauty of Montana, cultivating a love for nature and a strong work ethic.As a child, Jim found joy and purpose in local activities such as...
Plains art students show off talents
Plains High School artists continued a decades long tradition of showing off their art work.Forty-four students created and displayed 240 pieces of artwork in the new gymnasium and art room. One piece of artwork will be displayed in the school cafeteria. This work was a combined effort of several students in the sophomore and junior class. Many of the pieces were for sale. A variety of media was used this year, including ceramic, pencil, pen, clay, paint, papier-mâché, and the occasional trash can. The artwork ranged in size from the smallest, a tiny textbook created by Jackson Leckey and Hunter Bradley to...
New class focuses on foraging in western Montana
Indigenous people knew that the plants and trees were Mother Nature’s pharmacy and there is a trend today to rediscover what is growing in our backyards. Heather Ewert lives in DeBorgia and has spent many years studying plants for medicinal purposes for her family and herself. “I am not accredited with any certificates but between books and the internet, I do have a solid grasp on what I’m going to be sharing.” Her first class in the Old DeBorgia School on Saturday, May 11 had around 30 attendees and the May 15 class attracted over 20. Ewert selected 10 local plants for her...
Plains Day events set for June 1
Plains Day, taking place Saturday, June 1 will have activities for everyone’s taste. Starting off the day, Local VFW Post located on Lynch Street, will be serving breakfast from 7-11 a.m. Mini Horse Rides will get an early start at Fred Young Park, starting at 8:30 a.m. and will continue as long as they have interested riders. For those that will be in the Parade, sign up starts at the Plains School from 9-11 a.m.Rocky Mountain Bank will be the place for the ice cream social and it starts at 10 a.m. One of the most poplar events during Plains...
Valley Press - Mineral Independent
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We are the local newspapers for Sanders & Mineral Counties in Montana. The Clark Fork Valley Press is published in Plains, and the Mineral Independent is based in Superior. Both papers are published weekly on Wednesdays. Our office (at 105 W. Lynch St., Plains MT 59859) is open Mon. - Fri. 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
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