Stories from Wednesday, August 12, 2009

At more than 1,000 pages, President Obama's health care proposal is certain to contain elements that will find both supporters and detractors. We haven't finished reading the document ourselves, so it is hard to comment on some of its specifics, but the one thing the proposal and the president have done is put the issue of health care reform front and center in the public consciousness...

Dear editor: Obama-care is not the answer. It is ludicrously expensive and perpetuates the greedy siphoning of our money into the insurance industry. There is a much simpler solution. Introduced in Congress in January with 31 sponsors, the United States National Health Insurance Act, (H.R. ...

Dear editor: What will our grandchildren inherit? When you buy a used car with a bad transmission from someone, you knew it was bad when you bought it. But you had a plan to fix it, so you went after it anyway. Now that it's yours to have and to hold, you entrusted it to a fly-by-night shop that pumps it full of stop-leak, charges you three grand, eagerly awaits your next visit and fixed nothing in spite of the money spent...

Dear editor: I want to thank you and the Mountain Home News for the assistance in making our canoe trip down the Snake River a huge success. We had 11 boys and eight dads experience a trip that was a life-changing event. Those young men learned to be resourceful and that they had to be responsible for their actions -- no one else helped them to move their canoe downstream. We traveled 21 miles from Loveridge Bridge downstream to CJ Strike dam over a four-day campout...

Dear editor: Hello. My name is Kirsten Thompson and I recently returned from my People to People trip to Austria for Bowling. I left from Boise on July 4 and returned on July 13. I am writing this letter to thank all the people of Mountain Home that helped me raise $5,650 of the needed $7,000...

Chase Adrian Rodgers of Mountain Home, son of Sherrie Wyatt of Mountain Home, will marry Robyn Mae McPherson of Boise, daughter of Kelly and Monte McPherson of Nampa, on Aug. 28, 2009. Rodgers is a Mountain Home High School graduate. McPherson is a Nampa High School graduate...

The city of Mountain Home will pause to honor past and current military veterans, including those stationed at Mountain Home Air Force Base, during the 49th annual Air Force Appreciation Day festival Sept. 12. Scheduled the first Saturday after each Labor Day, the annual event brings together military members and their families along with community leaders, local residents, private businesses and non-profit organizations from the Mountain Home area and across southern Idaho. ...

The Mountain Home School District is facing several major issues as it gets ready for the start of school Aug. 24. Funding cutbacks at the state level combined with declining enrollment are forcing the district to tighten its belt -- again, and the district reorganization plan will have a major impact on students at the high school...

People from Mountain Home and surrounding communities relived the traditions, culture and language of the Basque people during an annual festival held Saturday in Basque Park. During the 49th annual Basque picnic approximately 300 local residents packed into the park to enjoy friendships that continue to unite the Basque people, according to festival organizers...

Thousands of people flocked to Glenns Ferry last Saturday to witness the 24th and final reenactment of the Oregon Trail crossing of the Snake River during the annual Three Island Crossing. Traffic was backed up for miles as spectators tried to get to the event...