Stories from Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Each year, with the help of the "elves" at the Mountain Home Fire Department, local children can drop off letters to Santa Claus at a special North Pole-only mailbox in front of the Mountain Home News (the final deadline is Thursday). The elves, with Santa's permission, have allowed us to reprint some of the letters delivered to Santa (who held onto a few of them because he thought they were special). ...

The company responsible for managing the city's recycling collection program launched an initiative Monday to streamline its service in Mountain Home. Republic Service, formerly known as Allied Waste, added the city to its list of communities using this new process...

The season of giving took on a new meaning Saturday evening as local businesses and organizations joined forces to raise nearly $2,000 during the Second Annual Festival of Trees. Sponsored by the Rotary Club of Elmore County, the event raises money for financially strapped families in Mountain Home while providing scholarships for local high school graduates...

Ira (Bud) and Virginia (Ginny) Childs will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary on Dec. 15. Married in Glendale Ariz., they raised three children: Kenneth (deceased), Roberta living in California and Michael living in Arizona. Bud and Ginny retired from Paul's Market after 17 years. Bud was the produce manger and Ginny was the florist...

Dear editor: Mountain Home School District's "NO TOUCH" policy sends the wrong message to victims of (physical) bullying; it says "be passive." This one-size-fits-all policy is convenient for school administrators; it relieves them of the responsibility to investigate the facts: the bully and his victim are punished equally. The consequence of this blanket policy is that adolescent victims are conditioned to be submissive to violence and oblivious to their rights...

Dear editor: Did you know that in 2007, over 20 million visitors logged on to www. cancer.org? The American Cancer Society is just a phone call away. When you dial 1-800-ACS-2345, you will be connected with one of our cancer information specialists. They are always ready to help you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week...

A Boise man remains in fair condition after he fell into a cave near Tipanuk on Tuesday. Jordan Jones and a friend were on their lunch break when they decided to stop by the cave, located just off the Old Oregon Trail Highway near Tipanuk, said Steve Raber from the Elmore County Search and Rescue team...

Brad and Ashley Benkart have announced the birth of a son, K. Benkart, on Nov. 13, 2011. He was born at Elmore Medical Center with follow-up care provided by the newborn intensive care unit at St. Luke's Regional Medical Center in Boise.