Stories from Wednesday, October 8, 2025

Taking steps to reduce the risk of fires linked to the presence of rechargeable lithium batteries in people’s homes highlights one of several fire prevention messages members of the Mountain Home Fire Department plan to share with others in the community during this year’s open house event Thursday, Oct. 9...

Plans to build a casino complex west of Mountain Home took a step forward as representatives with the Shoshone-Paiute tribes submitted the application paperwork to the U.S. Department of the Interior on Sept. 30. Located along I-84 where Ada and Elmore counties meet at the South Orchard Access Road, the project seeks to reconnect tribal members to their ancestral homelands and provide them with an important tool for self-reliance and tribal sovereignty, officials said...

A preliminary hearing involving a former Mountain Home church pastor facing charges of human sex trafficking got moved a second time with the case set to return to court Dec. 5. Gregory W. Jones, who served as the head of the Liberty Christian Fellowship Church in Mountain Home for more than 33 years, also faces a felony count of forcible sexual penetration by use of a foreign object in which the victim was prevented from resistance due to the use of an intoxicating, narcotic or anesthetic substance.. ...

A woman facing charges of second-degree murder in connection with the death of her mother at their home in Prairie back in 2021 remains in custody at the Elmore County Detention Center following her extradition back to Idaho last month. Jocelynn Landers, as well as her father, Lee Landers, face felony charges in connection with the death of Melissa Landers, who was found dead at a residence on South Landers Lane in the rural community...

I thought this community had finally killed this stupid rumor years ago, but after everything I’ve dealt with in recent months, I figured I needed to take some time this week and try to kill it – again. Let’s make one thing abundantly clear: The “Shifty 50” does not exist in Mountain Home...

Senior Joshua Bullock returned an opening kickoff and ran downfield an additional 76 yards to score a touchdown that led the Mountain Home Tigers’ high school football team to win this year’s homecoming game Friday evening. The win against the Tigers from Jerome High School marked the first time in 17 years that Mountain Home won on its own home turf as part of the yearly homecoming celebrations...

Efforts to amend city ordinances regarding efforts to control the number of stray and abandoned cats in the Mountain Home area resumed as the city council discussed amendments to these documents during a public meeting Sept. 23. The discussions began in April 2024 as representatives with the local Lost Paws TNR program met before the council requesting their support of its efforts to trap, neuter and release these cats, all of which remain without homes to live...

In the days leading up to Fire Prevention Week, members of the Mountain Home Fire Department met with students in local area schools and shared with them information on how to stay safe while taking steps to keep their homes protected against the risk of fires...

An awareness campaign involving students in the Mountain Home area takes a step forward as organizers celebrate the second annual “You Are More Fall Festival” on Friday. Scheduled to run from 5 to 7 p.m. that afternoon at Hacker Middle School, the event features various games for children and teens to enjoy as they sign up for various raffle prizes as they enjoy meals served by food truck vendors...