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Valley Press - Mineral Independent

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Surprise announcement made at the West End Fire's chili feed

There was plenty of good chili, raffle excitement and neighborly conversation Saturday evening at the annual Two Hot Chili Pot in De Borgia. But tucked in among the chili bowls and raffle tickets was some news that made the evening especially memorable for members of the West End Volunteer Fire Department. With exactly 100 people in attendance, verified by the number of door tickets handed out, and a record 13 different chili entries, the evening was already shaping up to be a success. But just before the raffle and door prizes began, Fire Chief Frank Magee had one more announcement to share with the crowd. First, Magee introduced the fire department and Quick Response Unit members, thanked everyone for attending and acknowledged the support that makes events like this possible. A round of applause was held for Josh Gordon, Brogan Keenan, Rod Byers, Anthony Lower, Heather Hotchkiss, Damian Belzak, Courtney Rigney, James Roe, Issac Belzak, Dan Hartill and Joseph Belzak. Magee also recognized members of the St. Regis Volunteer Fire Department who were in attendance, reminding everyone that Mineral County's fire departments work together, sharing resources and sometimes even joining forces to write grants. That cooperation is an important part

De Borgia, MT · 1d
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Valley Press - Mineral Independent

publisher · 801 followers

Hot Springs vigil honors shooting victims

More than 30 people gathered on Main Street in Hot Springs on Friday evening for a candlelight vigil in memory of 41-year-old Erik Tarelle Jameson and 63-year-old Linda Lynn Purdy, the victims of a fatal shooting in Sanders County on Halloween night. Surviving victim Diana Lopez and several children who were present during the shooting were also honored during the event. The vigil was organized by Jess Wilder and Loretta Abbott. "This was an opportunity for us to come together in love and support for our community and focus on the positive," Wilder said. "We can focus on how we have each other. The candle lights up the darkness." The gathering began in front of the Legendary Montana Bar on Main Street and proceeded along Wall Street to the On the Wall Gallery building. There, community members shared memories and reflections about the victims and the impact of the tragedy. Shamaine Sharon spoke about the importance of healing through shared experiences. "When we gather and share stories, we make an attempt to heal on both a community and personal level," Sharon said. "I hope you will remember that this is home. That is why you are here tonight." Wilder reflected

Hot Springs, MT · 1d
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Valley Press - Mineral Independent

publisher · 801 followers

Accused Plains shooter tried to light himself on fire before Hot Springs arrest, records show

The suspect in a double homicide near Plains tried to set himself on fire prior to his arrest in Hot Springs on Oct. 31, authorities say. Neil Morris, 48, allegedly poured gasoline inside the cab of his parked truck just a few blocks from where revelers were celebrating Halloween, according to court documents filed in Sanders County Justice Court. Morris had fled the scene of a shooting earlier that night at 65 Prairie Lane near Plains that left 41-year-old Erik Tarelle Jameson and 63-year-old Linda Lynn Purdy dead, according to authorities. Diana Lopez, 26, suffered several gunshot wounds and is being treated at Logan Health Medical Center in Kalispell, according to court documents. Hot Springs Police Chief Eric Larson was on duty when dispatch relayed over the radio that a shooting suspect was possibly headed toward the community. Larson later spotted a black Nissan Frontier parked on the grass of Hot Springs City Park that matched the vehicle description. Morris allegedly poured gasoline around the cab and tried to ignite it with himself inside, said Hot Springs Fire Chief Randy Woods, who is also the town's mayor. However, the windows were rolled up and the flames died due to lack

Hot Springs, MT · 1d

Valley Press - Mineral Independent

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Superior Meats receives grant to expand processing capabilities

Superior Meats is getting a little help to make a good operation even better, thanks to a $305,424 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The independently owned Mineral County meat processor is one of seven Montana businesses sharing $2.4 million in federal grant funding aimed at expanding meat processing capacity, improving equipment and creating more opportunities for Montana ranchers and livestock producers. Superior Meats, who retains about 2-dozen employees, plans to use the grant to purchase a state-of-the-art smokehouse and a biodigester. The new smokehouse is expected to improve efficiency, safety and product quality, while the biodigester will allow the business to produce a value-added soil amendment product. According to USDA Rural Development, the improvements are expected to increase Superior Meats' processing throughput by approximately 10% and allow the business to serve more than 100 additional producers. That's welcome news for an industry where having a dependable place to process locally raised livestock can make a considerable difference for area ranchers. And it's not just livestock producers keeping the local processor busy. Superior Meats is currently handling wild game processing along with its regular meat processing work. With hunting season underway, the locker can fill up quickly. Hunters planning

Mineral County, MT · 1d

Valley Press - Mineral Independent

publisher · 801 followers

Trotters realize net dream; advance to State B tournament

FLORENCE – Volleyball dreams can come true, if you believe, and perform best when it really counts. Now true believers in themselves after performing their best at the very best time, look who is going to State. The Plains Trotters exorcised the volleyball demons of tournaments past in Florence last week, ending a 27-year state tournament drought in Plains, winning second place and the west’s No. 2 seed into the State B portion of the Montana All-Class tournament at Brick Breeden Fieldhouse in Bozeman later this week. It is Plains’ first State B volleyball berth since way back in 1999. The Trotters open State B play at 4 p.m. Thursday against Shelby in the fourth match of the tournament. If the Trotters win versus Shelby they will face the winner between Jefferson County and Fairfield at 8 p.m. Thursday at the Brick. In the end, last week’s Western B tournament was not about that 27-year drought Plains had endured, it was about this year’s talented Trotters. Turns out that it was also a dream come true, a dream the team had dared to talk about before the season even began. “We have a large experienced group of seniors,” coach Kim

Plains, MT · 1d

Valley Press - Mineral Independent

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Republican Dan Clemts edges independent Bruce Moats in commission race

Mineral County voters joined Montanans across the state Tuesday, Nov. 3, to decide local positions, statewide and federal offices along with a few questions. While the statewide election produced results in several closely watched contests, Mineral County voters also had some decisions of their own, including a contested county commissioner race and a justice of the peace election. According to the Montana Secretary of State's unofficial election results, Mineral County recorded 58.67% voter turnout, compared with 60.17% statewide. That puts local participation about 1.5 percentage points below the Montana average. One of the county's local contests was the special election for Mineral County commissioner, central district. Interim Commissioner Republican Dan Clemts received 1,242 votes, or approximately 53% of the total, while independent Bruce Moats received 1,090 votes, or roughly 47%. Clemts won the contest by 152 votes. “I can now think more long term,” he said last week. “I will be going to the Elected Officials Training in Helena next month to learn more about the ins and outs of being a commissioner. I am going to spend more time in the office reading policies and procedures. I want to visit neighboring counties and go to their meetings and see

Mineral County, MT · 1d