Downey’s new website is getting hits already, although the official launch date is July 1, according to webmaster Ann Yearsley.Co-sponsored jointly by the Downey Area Chamber of Commerce and Downey City, the site has information on recreation, business and housing. Yearsley has also worked with the Chamber of Commerce to create a new membership base, enrolling new members at a reduced rate and giving them a free business card on the Internet.Hosting is by Rooster Ranch, owned by V. Dee Justesen of Providence, Utah. Both Yearsley and Justesen, a former Downey resident, have donated time to the project. Yearsley has also worked with Chamber liaisons Darlene Downs and Penny Greaves to develop the site, with the address www.downeyidaho.com.Dee Justesen was in Downey Friday to visit old friends and went on to the Malad area to visit relatives. He now lives in Providence, where he runs several Internet e-commerce businesses with his wife, Sammie.Sammie is working with a Salt Lake book publisher on her newest novel, an LDS thriller. The book is currently in the "jacket" stage, choosing a cover and cover information, and will be released in the coming months. We’ll try to get a review before its release.Sammie, an R.N. at the Franklin County Nursing Home, is also the author of a book on nursing that is sold through Amazon.com, and is in the process of writing another book entitled "What to Expect When You Come Home From the Hospital," which is also a nursing book.Nadine Crockett and husband Earl are enjoying a summer visit from Nadine’s mother, Vonnie Rosenlof of Arizona. The Crocketts, who live on the west side of Marsh Valley, are avid bird watchers and have several feeding stations set up around their new home. Vonnie is enjoying the wildlife around the country home–including deer and other small animals.Gregg and Burnadene Dawson have been welcoming children and grandchildren one right after another for summer visits. The family takes every opportunity to gather, and summer is the best time for the MVMS principal.Amy Speelman of Fort Lewis, Washington, is visiting her parents, Mayor Ralph and Rhonda Riser for several weeks while husband Roel is on assignment in California. With her are children Ian and Mya. Roel will join the family for the trip home around the fourth of July, after which they expect a transfer, possibly to the Midwest.Karen Bloxham would like us to remind folks every few weeks about the need for volunteers at the South Bannock County Fair this year. For the first time in many years, the entire fair is being done by volunteers, with the Fair Advisory Board overseeing plans.Even a couple of hours during fair week is appreciated, especially on Monday and Tuesday to enter exhibits and again on Saturday to release them. Office help this year will come from the Pocatello Fair Office, with computer-generated reports for the first time at the South Fair.Bloxham, Fair Advisory Chairwoman, says volunteers have stepped forward to be in charge of major events, but workers are desperately needed to sit with exhibits and do other chores. There are new restrooms in the buildings for workers, she said, which should make the job easier. This has been a problem in the past.Newlyweds Ben and Shayla Evans were speakers in the Downey Second Ward Sunday. During the meeting, Paul Saunders was released as Venture Leader in the Young Men’s Organization. Sustained to the position was Daniel Wilson.Shayla Evans, originally from Moscow, Idaho, now calls Star Valley, Wyoming, her home area. Her mother and sister were on hand to hear the couple speak in Sacrament Meeting.Katie Jo Sorensen Jensen and her husband and baby of Logan were weekend visitors at the home of her parents, Becky and Charlie Sorensen, and attended church with the family on Sunday.Eugene and Louise Webb have enjoyed a week of visiting with their son and family of Phoenix, Arizona, this past week. They gave the family a ride to the Salt Lake Airport on Sunday for the trip home.Spending several weeks with Corey and Lita Simpson and their four children is his sister, who is helping with the kids and enjoying the quiet life of Downey.Nona Brammer was also in her element Sunday with her daughter here visiting with her own son and infant daughter. Nona seemed to be enjoying the sleeping babe tremendously in church Sunday..City Park trees are looking much better after a trimming last month. Several of the old trees had become unsafe, and needed dangerous limbs removed. The city has used grant money to plant new trees in the Park, but they will need several years growth, so maintenance of the old trees is a must, members of the City Council decided recently. Some trees will be trimmed each year to keep things in order.Scheduled dedication on the Downey War Memorial has been set back, according to organizer Vern Bloxham. A mistake was made by the engraver, who obtained the wrong stone. Etching should begin this week, and Bloxham said the target date for dedication is now August 7, Wednesday of the South Bannock County Fair.The ceremony will take place at Henderson Park Arboretum at 2 p.m, with a program to be announced closer to the event.Chairwoman Wendy Dunn has announced details of the Little Miss/Mr. Bannock County Baby Contest to be held during the South Bannock County Fair. Scheduled for Tuesday night at Davis Arena, the competition will begin at 7 p.m.The contest is open only to residents of Bannock County, Dunn said. To enter, send information to her at P.O. Box 80, Downey, ID 83234. The entry sheet should include the baby’s name, age and birthrate, parents’ names, telephone number, and a photograph of the child, preferably 5 x 7 inches or larger. Photos need not be professional, but large is important so judges can get a good look at the baby’s features. A $25 entry fee is required. Winners will receive savings bonds, crowns, trophies, banners and toys.Deadline for entry is July 28. Categories include Prettiest Hair, Prettiest Eyes, Best Smile, Best Attire, Chubbiest Baby, Most Beautiful Face and Photogenic. Age categories are 0-6 months, 7-12 months, 13-23 months and two years. Dunn can be reached at 897-5170.The South Bannock County fair books should go to press this week and be available to the public within two weeks, according to Fair Office secretaries. The book has been revised this year with new additions and categories.Gary and Donna Richardson are enjoying the company of their grandchildren, children of daughter Patti of Layton, Utah. Patti has been fighting a valiant battle with cancer this past year, and the kids are enjoying some quiet time with Grandma and Grandpa. Donna has spent a great deal of her time in the last few months in Utah, assisting the family during chemotherapy and radiation treatments.Patti is now stable, although not cured, and is enjoying the respite from treatments. Her husband is also disabled, suffering from rheumatoid arthritis. They are truly an example of courage under fire, and Gary and Donna are a great example of loving and supportive parents.A preliminary schedule of events for the South Bannock County Fair is now posted on the Downey website. Webmaster Ann Yearsley will be updating the schedule as events are announced, so check in for latest details.