Stories from Wednesday, September 28, 2005

John Valen, charged with the brutal murder of his wife of only a few months on March 5 of this year, pleaded guilty to a charge of second-degree murder last week before Fourth District Judge Mike McLaughlin in Boise. Valen, 34, had been charged with second degree murder, plus two counts of cruelty to animals and one count of arson after he was found in the couple's smoke-filled home at 114 E. ...

A federal grant awarded last week will help create a new hydrogen production facility in Elmore County. The prototype facility, which could be expanded considerably in the future, will cost less than a million dollars to start up, and will sell its product to a Boise commercial gas company...

The local First Book program is desperately trying to give away books to underpriveliged children, but having a hard time finding takers. The program is sponsored by the Mountain Home Public Library but operates as an independent board, headed by Robin Murphy, covering all of Elmore and eastern Owyhee Counties...

Mountain Home and Glenns Ferry residents got a brief and rare glimpse of the past Monday morning when Union Pacific Challenger No. 3985, an articulated steam locomotive, passed through the communities on its way to Shoshone. The mammoth engine is on a six-state, 2,800-mile tour from Cheyenne, Wyo. to Portland, Ore., making stops in Ogden, Utah, Portola and Roseville, Calif., Eugene and Portland, Ore., before heading to Pocatello via Boise...

Esther Rae Lewis, 67, of Bruneau, died Sept. 24, 2005, at the Elmore Long Term Care in Mountain Home, with her husband by her side. A memorial mass will be held at the St. Bridget's Church in Bruneau on Sunday, Oct. 2, at 9 a.m. Services are under the direction of Rost Funeral Home, Mountain Home...

Mabel Ella (Strickland) DeForest, 92, died Sept. 17, 2005, in a care facility in Mountain Home. Funeral Services were held Sept. 23 at the Bruneau American Legion Hall with burial following at the Bruneau Cemetery. Funeral arrangements were under the direction of Rost Funeral Home, Mountain Home...

The Emmett Huskies scored the winning goal late in the second half to pull off a 5-4 win over the Mountain Home Tigers last Monday at Eastside Park. Marcos Ortiz had three goals for Mountain Home, Greg Walsh had one. Aaron Swartz had 13 saves on goal...

The Mountain Home Lady Tigers remained unbeaten in SIC 4A conference girls soccer last week, battling to ties with Emmett and Caldwell. Mountain Home 1 Emmett 1 The Lady Tigers made it six conference matches without a loss last Monday at Emmett, tying the Lady Huskies, 1-1...

The Mountain Home Tiger cross country teams fared well at the Middleton Invitational Cross Country Meet held at Purple Sage Golf Course in Caldwell on Sept. 20. Brandon Sloan won the Middleton event with a time of 16:39. Vallivue won both the boys and girls team competition...

Oh, so close! The Mountain Home Lady Tigers continue to show improvement as they seek that first win of the season, which thus far has eluded them. Kuna 29, 25, 25 Mountain Home 27, 17, 20 The Lady Tigers hosted the Lady Kavemen from Kuna in SIC 4A conference volleyball last Tuesday night in Lloyd Schiller Gymnasium...

There's a saying in sports about being "late getting off the bus," meaning the team did not show up ready to play at the beginning of the game. Such was the case for the Mountain Home Tigers offense Friday night at Skyview, when the Tigers fell behind 23-0 to the Hawks at halftime, before coming back in the second half to make a game of it before losing, 42-20...