Stories from Wednesday, July 22, 2009

A Graveside Inurnment will be held for Fern A. Kieffer on Monday, August 3, 2009 at 9am at the Hagerman Cemetery in Hagerman. Fern passed away on December 18, 2008 at the age of 84. Cremation was under the direction of Rost Funeral Home, McMurtrey Chapel...

The Department of Defense announced this week that the soldier listed as Missing-Captured on July 3 in Afghanistan is an Idaho native, PFC Bowe R. Bergdahl, 23, of Ketchum. Bergdahl is a member of 1st Battalion, 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Fort Richardson, Alaska...

Since last April, the city of Mountain Home has been greeted by some familiar but largely unwelcome guests -- badgers. Like last year, the badgers are young kits or cubs whom their mothers send off to find food. According to the Mountain Home Animal Shelter, they have received 12 badger calls since April, six of those calls within the last week...

Dear residents of western Elmore County: We feel it is important to address comments, errors and omissions found in the letter to the editor in the July 15, 2009 issue of the Mountain Home News entitled "WECRD petition organizer alarmed by data in documents."...

Dear editor: It seems to be apparent that we should address where heavy industry is located according to a well thought out comprehensive plan that looks towards the future lives of our children and grandchildren. We need to resolve confusion as to where we want heavy industry and not just think of instant short term gratification...

Dear editor: On Wednesday my wife and I heard the words no parents ever want to hear, "Your child's day care van has been involved in an accident on the interstate, and we do not know the extent of the injuries yet." From that moment on, the people and organizations involved could not have handled the situation in a more professional and caring way. Everyone involved was perfect and I'm happy to say, ""Our child is back at home, safe and sound and no worse for the wear."...

Dear editor: It's too bad that the State of Idaho doesn't have an energy siting committee like a lot of other states. Their duty would be to separate the wheat from the chaff and present to the public and local officials the true facts of any energy project proposed in the state...

Dear editor: I attended the Elmore county Fair last week, and I was in total shock. Where were the vendors? A correction should have been made that only food vendors needed $1 million in insurance and not vendors who sell trinkets or novelty items. After watching this fair grow for the last nine years to being a large event -- to nothing -- was like standing on the deck watching the Titanic sink...

Heather Kate Johnson, of St. George, Utah, daughter of Paul and Marla Johnson of Ovid, Idaho, will be united in marriage July 25, 2009, to Allen James Hatcher of Mountain Home, son of Tom and Teresa Hatcher of Mountain Home. The wedding will be held in Ovid...

Dave and Cindy Jett of Mountain Home have announced the upcoming wedding of their daughter, Skylar Jett, to Josh Dison of Mountain Home, son of Brooks and Ella Wilkerson of Houghton, Mich., and Don Dison of Brandon, Miss. Skylar is a senior at Boise State University. Josh is a recent graduate of BSU...

Lisa Marie Edwards of Carlin, Nev., married Robert Paul Bailey of Mountain Home, on July 9, 2009.

Raymond and Celia Draper, of Grand View, recently celebrated 50 years of marriage. Their children hosted a Golden Wedding Reception for them on June 5 in Grand View. Raymond Draper and Celia Bybee were married on April 29, 1959, in the Idaho Falls Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...

Kim Nelund, received a certificate for $50 in Chamber Bucks from Randy Valley, chairman of the Chamber's Air Force Appreciation Day Committee. Nelund was the winner of the AFAD Theme Contest. The theme for this year's 49th Annual AFAD is: Honoring Veterans of All Ages and Eras." AFAD will be held Sept. 12...

A 20-year-old Meridian woman died in a rear-end collision on I-84 at Exit 99 Tuesday at about noon. The accident occurred within minutes after authorities had closed the interstate at that point due to an unrelated incident at milepost 97.

The Mountain Home Royals opened the Area B Class A Eastern Division District Tournament with a win over Canyon County, but lost to the Boise Capitals in the second round. Earlier in the week, the Royals had closed out their regular season schedule with a loss at Centennial, and a split at Kuna...

Nickayla Skinner and Jenica Quintal, two local softball stars, are in the process of raising money for their upcoming trip to Lancaster, Calif., for the Western National Softball Championships on Tuesday, July 28. Both Skinner and Quintal were given the opportunity to travel with a team out of Twin Falls to take part in tournaments during the summer...

Vernice Leon Orr, 98, of Idaho Falls, passed away July 21, 2009, at Parkwood Meadows Assisted Living. He was under the care of Hospice of Eastern Idaho. He was born October 27, 1910, in Piney, Missouri to William E. Orr and Dessie Robertson Orr. The family moved to Pine, Idaho and then to Glenns Ferry, Idaho where he graduated from Glenns Ferry High School...

Legacy Park played host to the Challenger British soccer camp held last week. The camp, in association with the Mountain Home Parks and Recreation Department, brought in 20 local youths (6-14 years old) for an opportunity to improve their skills and be provided a unique cultural experience...

Sunday was a busy morning at the Elmore County Fairgrounds. Carnival trucks were loaded and ready to roll, youth club members were clearing out pens and display booths, open class exhibitors were picking up their awards, and cowboys were headed to their next event, as the 104th Elmore County Fair came to an end...