Members of the Mountain Home Black History Month committee listen as Col. Saunya Bright, commander of the 366th Medical Group at Mountain Home Air Force Base, speaks at this year’s Black History Month Banquet.

Photo by Brian S. Orban

A century of historical commemorations took the stage as people came together to celebrate this year’s Black History Month during a banquet held Friday evening.

Celebrating its 38th anniversary in Mountain Home, the event provided people a chance to reflect on these moments of American history while sharing their perspectives on how to make today’s society stronger and better connected.

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Three years after the original Elks Lodge building on South 3rd West Street burned to the ground, the members of the local organization officially marked the opening of their current building, which continues to host various events in the Mountain Home community each year.

File photo

A legacy built on service, patriotism and compassion in action came to Mountain Home earlier this week as members of the Mountain Home Elks Lodge joined together during a national observance aimed at celebrating this organization’s impact in communities across the nation.

Officially founded Feb. 16, 1868, in Chicago, the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks brought together people who stood shoulder to shoulder with their com­munities to answer the call for help, lifting up their neighbors and proving that “real charity is not a slogan but a way of life,” officials with the national organization said.

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.

Plans to build a new school at Mountain Home Air Force Base come several months after a ceremony officially recognized Stephensen Elementary School the recipient of the national Purple Star School designation in honor of its support to military-connected students whose families live at the base.

Photo by Brian S. Orban

Six months after plans came together to secure more than $6.4 million to build a second elementary school at Mountain Home Air Force Base, federal lawmakers approved this funding as part of a national Community Project Funding effort.

Included in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, members of the House of Representatives approved this measure on a 341-88 vote.

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.