Opinion

Mental health is an essential part of everyone’s well-being, and mental illness touches the lives of millions of Americans. The National Institute of Mental Health reports that one in six U.S. adults lives with a mental illness. It affects Americans of all backgrounds and vocations. ...

Dear Editor, It's likely you and I have something in common: we've probably attended at least one of our high school class reunions. High school class reunions are a traditional, widely-shared Idaho and American good time. Old friends, acquaintances and sometimes old rivals gather, often coming from far-flung corners of the world. They meet, eat, drink, dance, and learn about each other's lives as it unfolds. We connect, celebrate and touch the geography of those lives...

With the weather getting warmer and school coming to a close, I'm sure many of you are thinking about summer roadtrips and fun-filled vacations. The downside of warmer weather? More drivers on the road. I don't know if I'm the only one who has noticed this, but when the months get warmer it seems like some people suddenly forget how to operate a motor vehicle. I see more cars weaving in and out of lanes, more fender benders in parking lots - it's mayhem!...

Dear Editor, After reading the mayor’s letter last week, it’s obvious that I confused Ms. Nevev with the representative from Horrocks Engineers. My sincerest apology for my mistake. I did comment last year on the first plan with angle parking and I went to the Open House showing the adopted plan of taking half the parking away. There’s got to be a way to at least keep the parking we have. I look forward to attending the next meeting...

Dear Editor, I really enjoyed reading the article by Stephanie Root about the WWII Bomber that crashed in Mountain Home. I really think there should be a monument honoring that occasion, or at least a plaque of some kind. Come on, Mountain Home. That is HISTORIC. Eight people died and Jimmy Stewart even came. Wow. Thanks for printing the story...

Dear Editor, A grand turnout at the chamber meeting March 26 standing room only and every person, excluding chamber and planning people, against the new downtown planning. The new plan was compared to the flow of traffic on the Airbase Road and American Legion Blvd. These two roads were developed about one hundred years after downtown. The businesses were set back off the road and had their own private parking and there is no street parking on these two roads...

"It shouldn't hurt to be a child." This phrase, which is Idaho's slogan for child abuse awareness, is one I would like you to keep in mind this month. As true as it is, it isn't a cure-all for child abuse, and it never will be. I know this may be a depressing topic for some, but the most important subjects are, often, depressing. ...

AP — The Idaho Legislature finished the majority of its work for the 2018 session on March 22, 2018. Lawmakers spent the 74-day session cutting taxes, arguing over health care proposals and boosting education funding for teachers. Here's a look at some of the key issues addressed this year...

Dear Editor, This letter is written in response to the Marla Kessel's letter to the editor published in the March 21 edition. We at City Hall believe strongly in transparency and providing factual information. It is for this reason I feel compelled to respond...

Spring makes me think of many things: sunshine, fresh air, new beginnings and second chances. Most of all, though, it makes me think of travel. I, for one, have wanted to explore the globe since I was young. Some of my dreams didn't form until I was older, but I have always been a curious child, and I've always wanted to see everything I can...

Legislative session 2018 appears to be wrapping up and I think all of us here at the Capitol are eager to return to our “normal” lives and jobs. The bills on the House floor are now primarily appropriations and we appear to be on target to finish up some time around March 23. Over the break, I plan to continue to work on different projects and hope to get additional ideas from around the district...

Dear Editor, My husband and I own Mountain Home Printing and we’ve been in business for 32 years. We’ve moved to our current location because of the ease of accessibility and parking for our customers. Most of our customers only need to be in our office for a few minutes, so it works out great. We have many senior citizens who regularly visit our store. Some customers just need to get a few copies and others, pick up cases of printing...

Last month, on Feb. 14, 17 people were killed during a school shooting, with 17 others injured in the fray. What is considered the worst school shooting since Sandy Hook was a former student's last straw after his parents died. Families of those who either attended or worked at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla. will never be the same...

The House of Representatives took up two interesting pieces of legislation this week. Both addressed crime victims, though they addressed the issue in very different ways. Neither proposal passed the House. I wanted to take time this week to speak to the issue...

Ah, Saint Patrick's Day; a day known around the world for beer, corned beef, "Kiss Me I'm Irish" shirts, green and yellow leprechaun hats and kilts. This year, Saint Patrick's Day falls on March 17, with a Saint Patrick's Day festival beginning in Ireland a few days earlier...

One central and undeniable fact remains throughout health care debates—our current system is badly broken. Repealing and replacing Obamacare remains a need to fully address its broken promises—rising premiums and costs, disappearing options and the inability of many Americans to keep their preferred providers to name a few...

The past week was incredibly fast paced in an effort to move the remaining House bills to the Senate. I carried a total of five on the house floor in the past week, two of which I personally authored. Fortunately, all moved on to the Senate and I’m hopeful they will continue on to be signed by the Governor...

What is love? This is a question I have been speculating for a few weeks, and I think it's time for me to share my thoughts. Ordinarily this is something I would talk about around Valentine's Day, but that's a different subject all together. So what is love?...

Dear editor, Freedom is not free, and no matter what the cost, we shall be free, so we cling to our guns and life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. As long as there is one commie, one Nazi, one Marxist, one socialist, one Muslim Islamic fundamentalist terrorist, political leftest, one dictator, one autocrat or any other wannabe world ruler, with a Hitler or a Stalin, or a Mussolini, or a Herod, or Genghis Khan or other murderous, dictator-type mentality, we will cling to our weapons...

What was once anticipated became a reality. As expected, a partial government shutdown - what became the shortest in history since the 1970s - took place less than a month after a three-day shutdown earlier this year. What was not expected, though, was it taking place in the middle of the night!...

Ah, the Olympics - a time for national comradery for a brief fortnight before going our seperate ways. Watching the Olympics was one of my favorite parts of the year growing up. My parents would drag their queen mattress off the box spring and center it in front of our television, and we would camp out as a family, cheering on our favorite members of Team U.S.A...

This past week the House Revenue and Tax committee printed House Bill 463 with the intent of providing income tax relief for all Idahoans. It addresses both individual and corporate income tax and changes to Internal Revenue Code due to the dependence of Idaho income tax code on federal taxable income numbers...

A huge "THANK YOU" to St. Luke's Health system for awarding the Mountain Home Senior Center a Community Health Improvement Fund, CHIF, grant for $10,000 for our Meals on Wheels and Congregate meals program. Our program supports home-delivered meals seven days a week for homebound participants and for congregate meals that are served three days a week at the senior center...

Over the weekend, my best friend and I started talking about our dream weddings; what kind of theme we want, who will be our maid of honor and wedding colors. It got me thinking about all the future can hold, the unpredictability of it all. At any moment a person can face a life-altering event like a car accident, but fate works in wondrous way...

Talk about a rough couple of days. This shutdown has affected a large portion of our community, even if it was just for a short time. I wish I was shocked by the most recent lapse of appropriations, but it seems like a common occurrence. What does shock me this time around is the complete lack of decorum that has been displayed, not just on a national level, but within our community...

What is the old saying, “You can never be too skinny or too rich”? The recent proposal by Idaho Governor Otter and Department of Insurance Director (DOI), Dean Cameron directing Idaho insurers to develop “skinny” health insurance plans for the individual market may prove the saying wrong where health care financing is concerned. For the full story, pick up a copy of the Mountain Home News or click on this link to subscribe to the newspaper's online edition...