Stories from Wednesday, December 15, 2004

If there is no hang-up in getting the permits approved, a small open pit gold mine is expected to begin operations this spring in Elmore County near Three Points Mountain toward the end of Black's Creek Road. A California-based company, Desert Mineral Mining, LLC, is seeking approval from the state to utilize a new technique for small-scale operations that will process about 100 tons of rock a day to extract quartz-gold ore from the "Centennial Mine" site...

"Don't stop now," is the message Captain John Van Cleef, Salvation Army Cascade Division, brought to the Western Elmore County Recreation District Tuesday, Dec. 14, as he encouraged leaders to continue working on their vision for a community recreation center...

Bernice Benham, 93, a long-time resident of Bruneau,died Dec. 6, 2004, in Vancouver, Wash. A memorial Graveside service will be held today, Dec. 15, at the Bruneau Cemetery at 11 a.m. with Pastor Steve Landis, Bruneau Community Church, officiating. A potluck dinner will follow at the Bruneau American Legion Hall. Arrangements are under the direction of Rost Funeral Home of Mountain Home...

Billy R. Hawkins, 60, of Mountain Home, died Sunday, Dec. 12, 2004, at home with his wife, Sheila, by his side. At his request no services will be held. Arrangements are under the direction of Rost Funeral Home, Mountain Home. Billy was born Aug. 18, 1944, in Gray, Ga., the son of Edmond V. and Pauline Hawkins...

Ida F. Moniz, 88, of Mountain Home, died Sunday, Dec. 12, 2004, at a local hospital. At her request no services will be held here in Mountain Home. She requested to be taken back to Hawaii. Ida was born on Jan. 7, 1916, in Paia, Hawaii, the daughter of Frank and Rose Fernandez...

Vernon Enos Kyle, 70, of Mountain Home, died Saturday, Dec. 4, 2004, due to complications related to cancer. A memorial service was held at Aclesa Funeral Chapel in Boise on Dec. 9. Vernon was born in Weiser on Nov. 22, 1934. When he was just a toddler he wandered away from the family farm one winter day and became the subject of a county-wide search that lasted 36 hours, "thus beginning an adventurous and independent life," his family said...

Richard and Karol Urquidi will celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary on Sunday, Dec. 19. Hosted by their children, a special event to celebrate the anniversary with family and friends will be held at 1 p.m. that day at the Desert Canyon golf course...

The Mountain Home Tigers opened their 2004-2005 wrestling season at Borah last Friday night, where they came up on the short end of a 36-26 non-conference dual with the Borah Lions. The Tigers picked up wins in six of the 14 matches. Chris Knudson won by pin at 160 pounds. ...

The Mountain Home Lady Tigers lost another close one Friday night, falling to the Lady Cougars at Caldwell, 44-39 in an SIC 4A conference basketball game featuring winless teams. Mountain Home trailed 7-3 after a quarter, and was down 22-15 at half-time. They trailed 32- 24 heaing into the fourth quarter, and managed to cut into the lead, but could never get closer than the final margin, 44-39...

The Mountain Home Tigers hung tough with the Borah Lions early Friday night, but when the Lions roared, they nearly shook the foundation of Lloyd Schiller Gymnasium, going on a 43-0 run before the Tigers finally scored after going nearly 14 minutes without scoring. The result was a 73-30 Borah win...