Stories from Wednesday, February 1, 2006

A Loomis Wells Fargo armored car carrying approximately $12 million in cash slid off I-84 at milepost 90 last Friday morning and immediately burst into flames. But prompt response by sheriff's deputies and local firemen saved both the three men in the vehicle and the cash...

Jo Gridley has announced her candidacy to run on the Democratic ticket for the office of Elmore County Assessor. She is currently the chief deputy assessor, under Jim Haydon, who has decided not to seek re-election. Haydon has been grooming her to take over the position...

Merrilee Hiler has announced her candidacy to run on the Democratic ticket for the office of Elmore County Clerk. Hiler was born and raised in Wyoming where her parents operated a small family business. She graduated from Rawlins High School in 1961 and continued her education at Colorado State University and the University of Wyoming until she and her husband moved to his family's cattle ranch in the remote Little Snake River Valley of Wyoming. While there, she raised three children...

Mayor Joe B. McNeal accompanied Gov. Dirk Kempthorne to Fort Hood, Texas, last week, to visit with members of the 183rd Aviation Squadron as it trained for an upcoming deployment to Afghanistan. Elements of the 183rd, which fly the AH-64 Apache attack helicopters, have been training for their mission as part of the latest group of the Idaho Army National Guard to be sent to the war zones in the Mideast...

The icy interstate in Elmore County claimed another life last week with the death of a Meridian man. Gonzalo Gonzalez, 54, was killed when the tan 2000 Audi four-door he was driving lost control on the slick roads Tuesday, Jan. 24, after passing a semi, and went off the left shoulder of the road, rolling several times in the median at milepost 107 on I-84...

A California man visiting his family in the area was killed in a snowmobile accident last Thursday in the mountains above Mountain Home. The Elmore County Sheriff's Office received a call from the man's son about 5:45 p.m. last Thursday reporting a snowmobile rider had been injured on the Lester Creek Road, about 12 miles southwest of Pine...

Virginia M. Beaman, 92, of Grand View, died Jan. 29, 2006, at a local hospital. A memorial service will be held on Friday, Feb. 10, at1 p.m. at the Knight Community Church in Grand View. Arrangements are under the direction of Rost Funeral Home, McMurtrey Chapel...

Michael "Mike" John Cooper, 43, of Mountain Home, died Jan. 28, 2006, at his home, with his family by his side. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, Feb. 4, at Amazing Grace Church at 1 p.m. Arrangements are under the direction of Rost Funeral Home, McMurtrey Chapel...

Hazel Mae Stringer, 101, died quietly at home on Jan. 25, 2006. A memorial service was conducted at the Mountain Home Seventh-day Adventist Church on Monday, Jan. 30. Internment was held in Baker City, Ore. Arrangements were under the direction ofa Rost Funeral Home, McMurtrey Chapel, Mountain Home...

Ruth G. Braswell, 82, of Grand View, died Jan. 20, 2006, at Mercy Medical Center in Nampa, after a short illness. A memorial to honor and remember Ruth was held Saturday, Jan. 28, 2006 at the Rimrock Senior Center in Grand View. Pastor Paul Ryan officiated...

LaDette C. Hoalst, 67, died Saturday, Jan. 28, 2006, at home after a battle with cancer, surrounded by his wife, mother and daughter, Susanne. He was born June 3, 1938, in Grand View, to Manuel and Maxine Hoalst. He graduated from Grand View High School and then joined the US Navy in 1958. He was stationed at Coronado, Calif., until 1963...

The Mountain Home Tigers' perils continued last week, as they dropped road games at Jerome and Caldwell. Jerome Tigers 68 Mountain Home 55 A 9-0 run in the first quarter by Jerome helped them build up a 21-10 first-quarter lead, and Mountain Home was never able to make up the difference, losing 68-55 at Jerome last Tuesday...

The Mountain Home Tiger wrestling squad kept its conference dual record unblemished, beating Kuna and Emmett last week. Mountain Home 39 Kuna 23 Mountain Home captured nine of 14 matches in registering a 39-23 SIC 4A conference dual wrestling match win over Kuna last Wednesday night at Kuna...

The Mountain Home Lady Tigers closed out their regular season girls basketball schedule with a road split, winning at Emmett but losing at Vallivue. Mountain Home 47 Emmett 46 Marquina Gilliam sank three free throws with 12 seconds left that gave the Lady Tigers the lead, and they held off the host Lady Huskies for the win Tuesday night at Emmett...