Stories from Wednesday, December 31, 2008

President-elect Barack Obama told his daughters they had earned the dog he promised them after the election. At his first press conference as president-elect, he told reporters the new addition to the family would have to be hypoallergenic due to his ten-year-old daughter's allergies. He would prefer the dog to come from a shelter, he said, heightening the awareness around the country of dogs, cats and other potential pets being held in animal shelters...

The November referendum over the status and future of the Western Elmore County Recreation District topped our list of the top ten stories in Elmore County for 2008. No single issue generated more public comment than the debate over the rec district's operations. ...

As 2008 comes to a close, our Person of the Year is not named Obama or Palin. Instead, we choose to salute The Forgotton Soldier. After six years of combat the sacrifices of the soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have fallen off the front pages and no longer make the nightly news...

Thomas "Tommy" Eugene Fain, 20, lost his battle to esophageal cancer on Dec. 26, 2008. He was diagnosed on Dec. 26, 2007, and fought for one year to the day of his diagnosis. Memorial services will be held on Wednesday, Dec. 31, at 11 a.m. at the VFW Hall in Glenns Ferry...

Leon Monasterio, 96, of Mountain Home, died Dec. 28, 2008, of natural causes. A memorial service will be held on Friday, Jan. 2, 2009, at 10 a.m. at Rost Funeral Home, McMurtrey Chapel. Leon was born in Mountain Home on Nov. 17, 1912, to Francisco and Emilia (Lequerica). He was one of their five children...

John Edward Lawson, Sr., 75, formerly of Mountain Home, died Dec. 18, 2008, with his wife of 52 years at his side. Funeral services were held Monday, Dec. 29, at Summers Funeral Home, Boise, with military honors following at the Idaho State Veterans Cemetery...

December 24 • 07:11 Welfare• 07:45 Vehicle Stop• 09:42 Animal• 11?37 Vehicle Stop• 11:56 Vehicle Stop• 13:14 Parking Violation• 15:03 Slide Off• 15:11 Collision Property Damage• 15:14 Motorist Assist• 16:26 Vehicle Stop• 16:31 Juvenile Probation• 19:03 Juvenile Probation• 19:08 Motorist Assist• 19:09 Slide Off• 19:24 Motorist Assist• 19:25 Slide off• 19:33 Animal• 20:06 Traffic• 20:09 Collision Unknown• 20:37 Animal• 20:55 Collision Unknown• 21:06 Motorist Assist• 21:28 Slide Off• 23:25 Slide Off. ...