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Valley Press - Mineral Independent
Memorial Day ceremony held in Plains
A solemn ceremony took place Memorial Day at the grave site of Air Force veteran Robert Louis Wilks at the Plains Cemetery.Veterans from Plains VFW Post 3596 assembled to honor those who served. Also present were members of the VFW Auxiliary.During the graveside service, both VFW and women’s VFW Auxiliary place flowers on the grave of Wilks. Four different colored items were placed on the headstone. A green wreath representing undying love, a white flower representing purity, a red flower representing devotion and a blue flower representing eternity of life everlasting. Three volleys were discharged from the three honor guards,...
Western Montana tourism group works on new stewardship plan
Thursday evening in the St. Regis Community Center, Racene Friede, president and CEO of Western Montana’s Glacier Country, held a town hall meeting to listen to the residents of Mineral County regarding visitors and tourism to the area. She also discussed a stewardship plan for the region, which was developed as a result of town hall meetings in 2021. “When things went kind of topsy-turvy back in 2020, we had this huge influx of people to Montana during the pandemic, and it was overwhelming,” she said to a small audience. “That was at a time when our communities didn’t have...
Softball and track championships in the books
The crowns have been installed and the 2024 Montana high school spring sports season is in the books. And perhaps the most contested contest of them all was Manhattan’s wins over Shepherd in the Class BC softball State Championship game, giving them the title in what was overtime. After losing 12-0 to Shepherd earlier in the tournament at Billings’ sprawling Stewart Park softball complex, Manhattan needed a pair of victories over the Fillies to become state champions. They took the first step in that direction with an 11-8 win that opened the path for a Manhattan challenge, both teams having one loss...
Lady Hawks land two on All-State roster
Successful seasons are generally the product of teams playing as one unit. Everyone on the same page. It helps if there are some standout players in the mix, as was the case with this year’s Thompson Falls-Noxon Lady Hawks who made it to their second straight Montana state B-C championship tournament. In the wake of a 19-10 season, including a trip to the state finals in Billings, the Lady Hawks landed two players, both juniors, on the B-C All-State softball team. Sarah Koskela, who led the team in several offensive categories and was part of a one-two pitching punch for the Hawks,...
Detours in place on I-90 for recreational exits
I-90 road construction has a few areas tousled up in Mineral County.The Cyr exit westbound is closed for the summer by detouring those who want to float the Alberton Gorge to use the Fish Creek exit a couple miles farther west. Westbound floaters will not be disturbed as this has always been the point to access the launch point.Up at the top near Lookout Pass, Montana Department of Transportation, In conjunction with Acme Concrete Paving, Inc., have begun reconstruction from mile marker 3.4 to 5.7. With the start of the Hiawatha Trail cycling season, measures to ensure that cyclists and motorists...
Shirley Ann Boles, 83
Shirley Ann Boles, 83, of Plains, passed away peacefully in the comforting presence of her daughter on the morning of May 14, 2024. Shirley was born in Glendive to Clarence and Emma Peterson. Shirley was the second to youngest and only girl of her parent’s five children. Shirley’s beloved siblings include her older brothers Richard Bray, Robert Peterson, Duane Peterson, and younger brother James Peterson, all of whom she enjoyed growing up with on their family farm. After graduating High School in 1958, Shirley attended and completed cosmetology school before meeting her lifelong love Benjamin Lyle Boles. Shirley and Bennie were married in...
Alberton library awarded trio of grants
Receiving three grants in one month could knock a person over, but Blue Cutler is giddy because of them. “The first grant we received is from the Pilcrow Foundation," Cutler said. "It is a grant made specifically for the purchase of new children's books. It is a 2-1 matching grant, so the nonprofit Alberton Friends of the Library provided $400, and the Pilcrow Foundation matched it with $800 toward children's books.” Cutler has been the branch librarian in Alberton since Jan. 1 but before that, she was a volunteer for about six months. “The second grant is from Blackfoot Communications," Cutler said....
COLUMN: Sports and politics
It is happening, already in a major way in some cases. The merger of sports and politics, not really a new phenomenon, is now on a run-away collision course. So, in the spirit of public service, and public service is my middle name, I will offer these tips and ideas to assist the process, no matter what I think of it as a sports fan. First of all, my middle name is not public servant, it’s Kvelve and that is a Norwegian word with nothing to do with public service. That’s what I like when it comes to my beloved sports. There are,...
Superior High honors Class of 2024
Superior High honors Class of 2024 The Superior High School class of 2024 follow their last directions in unison, moving their tassels from right to left indicating the achievement of their high school diplomas last Sunday on May 26. (Mineral Independent/Amy Quinlivan) Chloe Williams hugs a family member and gives them a flower as a token of appreciation during the rose presentation at the Superior High School Graduation ceremony. (Mineral Independent/Amy Quinlivan)
Old Schoolhouse Rock Car Show Superior
Old Schoolhouse Rock Car Show Superior Saturday June 1, marked the Silver Anniversary for the Old Schoolhouse Rock Car Show in Superior. And with overcast grey skies and peaks of sunshine throughout the day the car show had a wonderful turnout, an impressive number of car entries, kids activities, raffles and giveaways, music, food and fun!(Mineral Independent/Amy Quinlivan)
St. Regis celebrate Memorial Day
St. Regis celebrate Memorial Day The color guard from the Ray Welch American Legion Post 13 in St. Regis performed its three volley salute, and held its annual wreath placing ceremony in honor of Memorial Day on Monday May 27. (Mineral Independent/Amy Quinlivan)
Plains VFW volunteers honor fallen veterans
Heavy rain couldn’t deter volunteers with the Plains VFW Post 3596 from honoring the graves of local veterans who have died. Last week, the 10 volunteers assembled at the Plains Cemetery to repeat the humble service that has been happening for at least 50 years. 473 flags were placed during the ceremony, taking about an hour to complete. A veteran from the Civil War named Mosley is buried in the Plains Cemetery along with veterans through the Vietnam War. Jim Gillibrand, Ron Kilbury, Ed Foste, Leland Murdock “Butch,” Heather Allen, Bill Beck, Joe Wittig, Ken Altman, Dan Johnson, and Don Kunzer...
Demming wins state discus title
The efforts of one junior was for the most part enough to carry the Plains women to fourth place in the team title pursuit at the Montana State Class B track and field championship this past weekend in Laurel.Junior weight thrower Alexis Demming secured her second straight Class B discus title with a throw of 124 feet, 11 inches, nearly five feet beyond second place Taylor Harrison of St. Labre-Catholic during rain/snow delayed action at the State meet this past Friday.The discus victory, together with Demming’s second place showing in the Class B shot put competition helped Plains women’s team...
Republican candidates for House District 90
Curtis J. Cochran (R)Born, Sanders County, Mt. 68 years old. Res. St. Regis Mt. 50+ yrs. Retired, Raised on Cattle Ranch, Timber industry 40yrs, Construction, Tourism industry. attended UM 76,77. at the end of my career in the Timber industry i was a Forester for Tri-Con Timber. I worked on several large Stewardship projects with the USFS, DNRC and private timber mitigation projects all over Montana and Wyoming. extensive knowledge of the relationship between Govt. agencies and Private landowners that live in the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI). All of us in Western Montana basically live in the WUI. Long time...
Old Schoolhouse Rock Car Show to mark silver anniversary
The Old Schoolhouse Rock Car Show is boasting its silver anniversary this year on Saturday, June 1. All that you need to do to find it is to drive along River Street in Superior because the Mineral County Courthouse lawn and TrailWest Bank parking area and grassy lot will have what you are looking for. Restored classics, pickups, campers, exotics, rare, hotrods, muscle cars, and possibly some models that went bust after only a couple of years. “We started talking about it in 1999 and had the first one in 2000,” explained founding OSRCS member, Gordon Hendrick. Along with his wife Vicky and another...
Plains students perform spring concert
Plains Elementary choir members and musicians performed in their spring concert “Good Vibes” for over 400 attendees last Tuesday evening in the school gymnasium.Under the tutelage of music directors Nichole Cockrell and Loren Lauridson, students from kindergarten through sixth grade performed 24 songs. The evening was split into two performances. One for kindergarten through third grade. The second performance was for grades four through sixth. The evening’s first performance included songs titled, “I am a Pizza,” performed by the kindergarten choir and accompanied by sixth graders playing ukuleles. Second graders performed the song, “I Like Me,” with the third graders ending the...
COLUMN: Braving the elements
So, it appears I learned a big lesson this spring sports season.It is for a FACT not nice to fool with (or lecture) Mother Nature.At the midpoint of the spring sports season, I wrote a column lamenting the bad boogies we have received from Ma Nature this spring, especially when it comes to staying on track with a sports schedule.With precious few exceptions, spring is a time for outdoor sports.In the elements. The weather is part of the game.And, perhaps unintentionally I may have offended the matron of weather mythology by admonishing her to “give us a break, Ma).Rain outs...
Sanders County wildfire protection plan earmarked for funding
For communities that face a high risk of wildfires, additional money is being released from the Forest Service. Up to $250 million in Community Wildfire Defense grants for selected vulnerable areas is earmarked to be dispersed, with $5.3 million of the total going to the Northern Region. “The Community Wildfire Defense Grants are just one of many ways we are helping communities adapt to larger, more complex and more frequent wildfires,” said Deputy Agriculture Secretary Xochitl Torres Small.A total of four projects were funded in the Northern Region and all are in Montana. Among them is the Sanders County Community Wildfire...
Conservation District works to attract pollinators
The Eastern Sanders County Conservation District, in their ongoing goal to beautify Sanders County, was at the fairgrounds last week handing out free wildflower seeds. Staff administrator Emily Baker and Green Mountain Conservation District member Morgan Owens were on hand to answer questions. The Conservation District is trying to attract more beneficial pollinators to the area, and they are doing it with free wildflower seed species packets. This year’s give-away happened in Hot Springs, Heron, Noxon, Trout Creek and Plains.Site preparations is required before planting with the expectation that the pollinator gardens be managed and tended to over time.The free seed...
Lady Hawks end softball season at state
Purists of the sport will tell you that good pitching beats good offense every time.It doesn’t always work that way, but in this case it did.Senior Paige Goodell threw a masterful one-hitter at a hard-hitting Thompson Falls team in the long-delayed opening game of the 2024 Montana B-C High School championship first round, striking out 14 batters and limiting the Lady Hawks to one along the way.The result was a 10-0 Shepherd win over Thompson Falls, in a game that helped propel the Fillies to a shot at the state title this past Saturday at the Stewart Park softball complex...
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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