Stories from Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Floral blooms of various colors, styles and fragrances greeted visitors in the Mountain Home area on Saturday as local families opened their homes and yards during the 16th Annual Garden Tour. Sponsored by the Mountain Home Garden Club and Beta Zeta Civic Club, the yearly gardening event featured an assortment of gardening "how-to's" along with a few "what not to do's."...

Lakiesha Wright of Mountain Home announced her engagement to Greg Girodo of Mountain Home Air Force Base. The daughter of Carolyn Boynton of Mountain Home, Wright is a graduate of Mountain Home High School and is currently attending Apollo College. An Air Force staff sergeant, Girodo is the son of Bonnie and Ken Girodo of Colorado Springs, Colo...

Ansel and Tracey Mangrum of Mountain Home recently announced the engagement of their son, Tyler Bennett, to Amber Cliffton of Boise. Bennett, who currently lives in Boise, graduated from Mountain Home High School in 2009. He is pursuing a degree in philosophy through Boise State University with plans to attend seminary after graduation. He is employed by Bouncin' Bins and Kopper Kitchen...

Top-ranked cowboys and cowgirls from across the western United States earned more than $30,000 in cash prizes during the 7th Annual Daniel Dopps Memorial Rodeo. Held at Optimist Park on the city's west side, the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association event included two days of saddle bronc riding, bull riding, bareback riding, barrel racing, steer wrestling, calf roping and team roping...

A select number of voters in Elmore County are eligible to cast their ballots as part of a supplemental levy election involving Bruneau-Grand View Joint School District 365. The election, scheduled for Aug. 28, involves voters in both Elmore and Owyhee counties...

Each year before the Independence Day holiday, the Mountain Home News normally takes time to remind people to remain extra vigilant when it comes to using fireworks. In addition to preventing injuries, our hope is to prevent people from accidentally starting range fires outside of the city limits and across the county...

A state law that takes affect Sunday will make it illegal for drivers to write, send or receive electronic text messages behind the wheel. The bill signed by Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter in April made Idaho the 37th state to enact a texting-while-driving ban...

As Mountain Home prepares to celebrate Independence Day next week, a change approved by the city council on Monday will expand the viewing area for this year's fireworks show. This year's Independence Day fireworks display will begin at dusk July 4 at the Desert Canyon Golf course...

Deborah Ann Hofer died of pancreatic cancer at her home in Mountain Home surrounded by her family on June 24, 2012. A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. on Monday, July 2, 2012, at Rost Funeral Home, McMurtrey Chapel. A private family inurnment will follow the service...