Stories from Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Air Force officials will visit southern Idaho to discuss and receive public input on the F-35 joint strike fighter during a series of scoping meetings starting Feb. 16. The Air Force published a notice of intent in the Federal Register on Dec. 30 to prepare an environmental impact statement to gauge the potential environmental impact of establishing an operational F-35 Lightning II unit at Mountain Home Air Force Base or four other stateside bases...

Coaches are needed for the 2010 Elmore County Optimist Football season. Coaches are needed for the 7- to 8-year-old flag football teams and the 9-year-old, 10-year-old, 11-year-old and 12-year-old tackle football teams. The number of coaches available determines the number of teams that can be fielded and the number of youth that can participate. Coaches can sign up Feb. 2 at 6:30 p.m. at C-2 Construction's office, 267 Highway 51, behind the Chevron station off Airbase Road...

Gov. Butch Otter's proposed budget for next year is a realistic appraisal of the sad state of the economy. It also is a painful plan, one that will hurt many state operations, including education, which will see at least a $20 million cut. Unfortunately, education, especially at the local level, which relies on state funding for 90 percent of its budget, simply cannot take any more hits...

Among the proposals Gov. Otter is sending to the legislature this year is a plan to reorganize the state's parks and recreation programs -- moving the parks and rec department into the state Department of Lands -- and to adjust the fees Idahoans will pay to take advantage of the natural resources available in Idaho...

Dear editor: We, the citizens of the high desert and temperate mountains, are best served by those who propose clean, renewable energy for the expansion of the local economy. The proposal to make the Snake River a nuclear reservation by a group of speculators has been an absolute fiasco (2009's Top Stories)...

Dear editor: Jan. 4 was the last meeting of the old (Mellen Sub-Water District) board, and the new board was sworn in. This should be real interesting because I resigned as secretary, and Tom Horgan resigned. Bart (Eben) proceeded to conduct a meeting without a secretary to take notes, which isn't legal because the meeting wasn't recorded. ...

A 15-year-old female was hit by car on Main Street near Albertson's at 7:15 a.m. Tuesday. She was one of three students, all wearing dark clothing in the dark early-morning hours, who had gathered there prior to school. Two of the youths ran out in front of oncoming traffic, according to witnesses, city police Sgt. Rick Viola said...

January 6 • 07:37 Vehicle Stop, MH• 08:06 Abandoned Vehicle, AB Rd MM1• 10:59 Suspicious, MH• 13:08 Threats, MH• 13:38 Domestic, Hwy 51• 14:13 Bad Check, AB Rd• 14:47 VIN Inspection, MH• 15:38 INFO, MH• 16:21 Vehicle Stop, Simco Rd MM18• 16:49 Vehicle Stop, Simco Rd MM9• 17:22 Vehicle Stop, MH• 17:29 Vehicle Stop, Simco Rd MM9• 18:02 Vehicle Stop, Hwy 67• 18:21 Vehicle Stop, Hwy 30• 18:44 Motorist Assist, MH• 18:55 Vehicle Stop, MH• 19:04 Vehicle Stop, MH• 19:43 Vehicle Stop, MH• 23:49 Vehicle Stop. ...

Mountain Home Elks Lodge #2276 held its annual Local Hoop Shoot Saturday, Jan. 9. Hoop Shoot Chairman Larry Fincher was pleased with the turnout and the support he again got from the local physical education teachers and schools. "We had kids representing North, East and West Elementary, Grand View and Bruneau Elementary, Hacker Middle School, Rimrock and Mountain Home High School," he said...

Ronald Craig Leydet, 65, of Mountain Home, passed away on Monday, Jan. 11, 2010, at a Boise hospital. A viewing will be held from 4-6 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 14, at Rost Funeral Home, McMurtrey Chapel in Mountain Home. A funeral mass will be held at 10 a.m., on Friday, Jan. 15, at Our Lady of Good Counse. Burial with military honors will follow at the Mountain View Cemetery in Mountain Home...