Stories from Wednesday, December 7, 2005

The Idaho State Police have reported that Mountain Home Chief of Police Tom Berry was arrested early Tuesday morning for driving under the influence. According to Rick Ohnsman, Public Information Officer for the ISP, Berry, 53, was stopped by Trooper Mark Donahue at 1:21 a.m. Tuesday morning after being observed "driving erratically" down American Legion Boulevard near the intersection of North 7th East Street...

It was snowing when the annual Holiday Parade began, and a brisk wind put a bite into the cold air, but nevertheless a solid crowd of several hundred people showed up Saturday to enjoy the festivities. Children waved at Santa and Mrs. Claus as they traveled through the parade route, then gathered around the jolly couple at the end of the parade to get hugs and offer their suggestions for Christmas presents...

A steady crowd Friday evening filled the gym at the LDS church in Mountain Home to see 217 creches depicting the birth of Jesus on display. "We wanted people to remember the reason for the season," said Lynn Blethen, chairman of the project. "We wanted to start the (Christmas) season off correctly, to put the focus on what this season is all about."...

More than 70 children poured through Wal-mart Saturday morning on a shopping spree sponsored by the Shop With A Cop program. The children gathered early in the morning at McDonald's on Airbase Road, which provided them with a free breakfast while they met with their mentors for the day and enjoyed a visit from Santa Claus...

Police Chief Tom Berry last week fired the Mountain Home Police officer who shot a dog on Sept. 30. Berry's action came following a lengthy independent investigation conducted, at his request, by the Garden City Police Department, which was reported to Berry last week...

A 17-year-old girl died in a single-vehicle accident on icy I-84 at milepost 75 near Simco Road Friday night, in a wreck that sent five of the other six members of her Bountiful, Utah, family to the hospital. Emily M. Reeves was killed at about 8 p.m. Friday when the Ford Explorer driven by her father, Melvyn Reeves, lost control on the icy road, went off the right side of the westbound lane, and rolled at least four times. She was pronounced dead at the scene...

Robert and Pamela Pyne of Mountain Home will celebrate their silver wedding anniversary on Dec. 11, 2005. Helping the couple celebrate their 25 years of marriage will be their five children, Beki, Krissy, Robby, Levi and Craig, and their two grandchildren, Makayla and Kristopher...

The engagement of Dawn Christine Ferrell, formerly of Mountain Home, to Toby J. Davis of Boise, has been announced. Ferrell is the daughter of Dianne Ferrell and Gary Clampitt and Michael and Brenda Ferrell. She is a 1992 graduate of Mountain Home High School and is the assistant vice president and branch manager for Idaho Banking Company's Park Center Branch in Boise...

Philip "Phil" Frank Rusnacek 62, of Mountain Home, died Nov. 29, 2005, at a Boise hospital. A private family service was held on Sunday, Dec. 4, at Rost Funeral Home, McMurtrey Chapel. Services are under the directions of Rost Funeral Home, McMurtrey Chapel, Mountain Home...

Marcella "Marcy" M. Perry, 84, of Mountain Home, died Dec. 1, 2005, at Elmore Medical Center hospital. Graveside services were held on Tuesday, Dec. 6, at Mountain View Cemetery. Services were under the direction of Rost Funeral Home, McMurtrey Chapel, Mountain Home...

Betty Watson, 80, formerly of Elmore County, died Nov. 28, 2005, in Caldwell. A memorial service was held Saturday, Dec. 3, 2005, at Flahiff Funeral Chapel in Caldwell. She was born to Vic and Thelma Edmondson on March 18, 1925, in Los Angeles, Calif. As a young child, the family moved to Twin Falls, Idaho, where she attended school and graduated in 1943. ...

Leona Kathleen Johnson, 71, died Dec. 2, 2005, surrounded by her husband and children. Funeral Services will be held at 11 a.m. on Friday, Dec. 9, at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, 1150 N. 8th East St. in Mountain Home. There will be a viewing from 10-10:45 a.m. ...

Letha M. Gingerich, 92, of Bruneau, died at a local care center in Mountain Home on Dec. 5, 2005. A memorial service will be held on Tuesday, Dec. 13, 2005, at 11 a.m. at the Bruneau American Legion Hall. Arrangements are under the direction of Rost Funeral Home, McMurtrey Chapel, Mountain Home...

Mary Katherine Ganger, 91, of Mountain Home, died Saturday, Dec. 3, 2005, at the Elmore Medical Center Long-Term Care Unit, with her family by her side. Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 9 a.m., Wednesday, Dec. 7, at Our Lady of Good Counsel Catholic Church, with burial following at Mountain View Cemetery. Arrangements are under the direction of Rost Funeral Home, McMurtrey Chapel...

Charles "Chuck" E. Jordan, 67, died peacefully Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2005, at his family home in Mountain Home ,after a battle with cancer. He was surrounded at his bedside by his family and friends who love him, his family noted. Services were held Dec. 3, 2005, at 1 p.m. at Rost Funeral Home, McMurtrey Chapel in Mountain Home...

Dewey R. Eastman, 79, a resident of the Canyon Creek area of Mountain Home, died of cancer on Nov. 28, 2005, at the Idaho State Veterans Home in Boise. A memorial service was held at his brother Jim's house in Huntington Harbor, Calif., on Dec. 4. His body was cremated and his ashes will be scattered on one of the many ski slopes that he loved so very much...

The Mountain Home Tiger sophomores opened their boys basketball season with a 63-53 win over the Boise sophomores Saturday at Boise High School. Mountain Home led 12-8 after a quarter, and built their lead to seven points before Boise fought back to take the lead, 28-24, at the half. The young Tigers regained the lead in the third quarter, and scored 21 fourth quarter points to win by 10, 63-53...

The Junior Varsity Lady Tigers won their two games this past week beating the Nampa Bulldogs 49-26 and the Jerome Tigers 35-32. The Sophomore Girl's only had one game this past week and they fell to the Lady Bulldogs 39-22. For the JV in the Nampa game the Lady Tigers jumped out to an early 12-0 lead and never looked back. They led 21-4 at the halt and 34-10 at the end of three quarters...

The Mountain Home Tigers open their 2005-2006 wrestling season by hosting the annual Freshman-Sophomore Wrestling Tournament Saturday in Lloyd Schiller Gymnasium. Mountain Home Tiger wrestling coach Lynn Knudson, whose squad finished seventh at the 4A State Tournament in Nampa last year, indicated this year's turnout for wrestling was good...

It finally ended. Mountain Home's win over Nampa last week snapped a 30-game losing skid for the Mountain Home Lady Tiger basketball team. Mountain Home 42 Nampa 33 The Mountain Home Lady Tigers did something last Thursday night that they had not done in 30 prior games -- win...

Showing a very tenacious defense, the Mountain Home Tigers opened their 2005-2006 boys basketball season with a 52-34 non-conference win over the Boise Braves Saturday night at Boise. Mountain Home started slow, and trailed, 5-0, early, but trailed just 7-5, after a quarter. They took their first lead of the game, 21-20, with 43 seconds left in the first half on a basket by David Anderson...