Stories from Thursday, August 6, 2015

Cooler temperatures, light winds and cloud cover on Wednesday aided crews battling a series of wildfires in Elmore County and surrounding areas. Two fires reported in Elmore County on Tuesday that were linked to lightning from a thunderstorm that rolled through the area that evening.

An act of kindness and a willingness to go the extra mile for a customer yielded an unexpected surprise for one Mountain Home resident that attended the Mountain Home Country Music Festival. Laura Powell, an employee with the House of Flowers shop, not only received a last-minute opportunity to attend the three-day celebration but had a chance to meet one of the event's main entertainers...

The Mountain Home Country Music Festival drew thousands of fans specifically wanting to hear a specific artist or group. At the same time, there were artists that took the stage during southern Idaho's inaugural event that set their sights on welcome plenty of new fans...

The Idaho Division of Motor Vehicles office next to the Elmore County Courthouse resumed services around 10:30 a.m. Thursday after its system temporarily went offline. A power outage in downtown Boise knocked out the servers Idaho Division of Motor Vehicles uses to supply information to county offices across the state.

Lula "Lu" Margene Smith, age 88 of Mountain Home, passed away on Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2015, at a local care center. A viewing will be held from 4 to 6 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 9, 2015, at Rost Funeral Home, McMurtrey Chapel. Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m.on Monday, Aug. 10, 2015, at Rost Funeral Home, McMurtrey Chapel, and burial will follow at Mountain View Cemetery.

Deanna Lynn Bailey was born Sept. 5, 1957, in Lincoln, Neb. Her parents were Keith Murray of Indiana and Delma Oldfield of Mountain Home, Idaho. Deanna passed away peacefully on Sunday, Aug. 2, 2015, with her husband by her side while on a trip to Sacramento, Calif., visiting family. She is survived by her husband, Jim Bailey, her children, James Bailey and daughter Jeri Bailey, and her grandchildren, Bethany and Elizabeth Clement, and her three sisters and two brothers...