Stories from Wednesday, August 15, 2012

An Elmore County man in his 50s has tested positive for West Nile virus (WNV), Central District Health Department announced Tuesday afternoon. It is the third human case of West Nile fever reported in Idaho for 2012. The man is still recovering from his illness. For privacy reasons he has not been identified...

Hundreds of people made the annual trek to Mountain Home to relive the culture and language of the Basque people during a yearly event held in a small park on the city's west side. The 52nd Annual Basque Picnic on Saturday is often the one day out of the year where these people can get together and enjoy a special friendship forged by tradition...

Dear editor: I am writing to let you know that I appreciate your candor in your editorials. I enjoy reading them each week. I especially enjoyed the editorial addressing the need for "new blood" in the community. I agree with you wholeheartedly. 1. We have a sheriff's department that is rife with corruption and a tendency to be choosey about who they bully and harass. ...

Dear editor: Just as traditional values and customs fade away, so does music. My name is Skyler Podesek and I have lived in Mountain Home for seven years. I am a senior at Mountain Home High School and am 17 years of age. For those who listen to 1240 KMHI, you know exactly what I am talking about when I mention traditional country music. ...

The sound reached near-deafening levels as music and cheers welcomed Mountain Home High School's incoming freshmen class as they got their first, up-close look at their new school. Hundreds of students representing the Class of 2016 packed into Lloyd Schiller Gymnasium during an annual event aimed at helping these teens prepare for their first day of classes...

As students return to school today, the Mountain Home School District expects to have about 41 more students than it had at the same time last year. Pre-enrollment throughout the district in the weeks leading up to today indicate a total of 3,415 students signed up for classes...

Phillip Lloyd Hunt, 65, died Aug. 3, 2012, of natural causes, at his home in Caledonia, Mich. Phillip is survived by his two sons, Eduard and William Hunt of Boise, and his sister, Virginia Rollins of Michigan.

The Mountain Home Fire Department will be sending crews and equipment into the Pine-Featherville area. Residents of those communities are being urged to evacuate the two towns as the Trinity Ridge Fire moves toward them. Driven by high winds, the fire exploded once again Tuesday night, adding more than 15,000 acres to the forest areas already charred. By Wednesday morning it had grown to 63,000 acres...