Stories from Wednesday, December 12, 2001

The closures of stores in downtown Mountain Home doesn't mean Mountain Home is dying, it's merely "evolving," says Ron Swearingen, head of the community economic development effort. "What am I going to do about it? I don't know. It's exactly what's going on everywhere else, especially in small towns...

Just two weeks ago city and county officials asked the Durrant Group to take a closer look at the request for proposal (RFP) to see if modifications could be made to the plan to meet the needs for a joint law enforcement center and jail and yet stay within the financial constraints imposed by judicial confirmation...

Members of Air Combat Command's Site Action Task Force from Langley AFB, Va., met with officials from the 366th Wing at Mountain Home AFB last week to discuss future changes to the wing's mission and composition. Proposed by the Secretary of the Air Force, Dr. James Roche, the Air Force is researching a new plan for the 366th Wing, which will involve moving the B-1B bombers and the KC-135R tankers out of the base and increasing the number of aircraft in each of the "fighting" squadrons...

School bus drivers are complaining about impatient drivers at the railroad track crossings. "I've had people pass the bus on the tracks, and honk and yell at me," said Misty Cadena, one of a half-dozen drivers who met with the newspaper last week to air their concerns. "They've got to realize, we're carrying their children, their future."...