Stories from Thursday, May 27, 2010

Celebrating its 20th year of providing alternative education for teens in the local community, Richard McKenna Charter High School honored nine of its students during its graduation ceremony Saturday morning. Last week's commencement held additional meaning for the charter school, which finished its first full year at its new campus in Mountain Home...

Following 15 months of historic changes involving the men and women of Mountain Home Air Force Base, the nearby installation welcomed its new leader during a ceremony Monday morning. Following more than 200 years of military tradition, Col. Ronald D. Buckley accepted command of the 366th Fighter Wing from Col. John D. Bird II...

Public leaders, co-workers and friends will gather later this week to bid farewell to two city employees as they prepare to retire following their years of service to the Mountain Home community. A retirement ceremony in honor of city economic development director Ron Swearingen starts at 3 p.m. Thursday with a separate ceremony for city water and wastewater superintendent Bill Lago beginning at 3 p.m. Friday...

Dear editor: We're all taught from a young age, "Fight for what you believe in." I cannot stand by and watch my school and town go downhill because of this levy. I am 16 years old in Mountain Home High, a cheerleader part of the speech and debate team, and a member of the choir. This levy not only affects our high school sports and activities but the town as a whole...

Dear editor: I would like to encourage everyone to get out and vote May 27 in favor of the levy for Mountain Home School District. The school district has already taken unprecedented steps to reduce costs and this levy is the only plausible solution to the financial crisis they are facing...

Dear editor: Most people's fondest memories of school do not relate to class work. They usually involve friends. sports, activities, dances and everything that is fun about school. Now, try to imagine school without all of these things. Only one word is needed to describe this kind of education: boring...

Dear editor: My name is Scott Mederios. I moved to Mountain Home in 1975 and graduated from Mountain Home High in 1986. With the exception of a short stint through my college years, I have been a proud resident of this city that I have come to love...

Dear editor: My name is Tyler Knauth and I'm a tenth grader at Mountain Home High School. While talking to my mom the other day, I realized that she's spent roughly a third of her 35 years in school and that I'll spend 13 of my first 18 years in school...

Dear editor: The issue of the school levy is largely about student programs, sports and activities, and teachers' work days, salaries and jobs. However, those are not the only issues of impact that will affect our community. There are many civic organizations, as well as city programs, that will be affected if this levy fails, including the Mountain Home Arts Council...

Mountain Home came home from the State Track and Field Championships at Bronco Stadium in Boise with three gold medals Friday night. Mountain Home's girls 4x100-meter relay team took first place. Jasmyne Moore. Lauren Moore, Jessica Tindall and Jessica Liercke made up that team...

Carolyn Erma Myers Kipp, a retired ready-to-wear sales person of Mountain Home, Idaho, passed away May 25, 2010, at a local care center. Services will be held on Friday, May 28, at 2 p.m. at Canyon Hill Cemetery in Caldwell, Idaho. Erma, the second daughter of Caroline P. Stitzel Myers and Fred W. Myers, was born May 18, 1916, in Caldwell...

A massive turnout of voters overwhelmingly approved the Mountain Home School District's request for a temporary supplemental levy Thursday, with 2,621 district patrons voting yes to only 992 voting no. The vote authorizes the school district to levy $2.8 million in each of the next two years if necessary, averting a major funding crisis and saving the district's extracurricular programs...