Opinion

The forgotten election: Eureka Springs School Board. Do school boards seem boring and irrelevant? Not so fast. The voting public elects their board of education, which in turn votes on the academic, legal and financial viability of a school district’s policies and budgets. The decisions that school boards make have repercussions far beyond our schools, and impact our local taxes, home values and school quality...

Have you ever stopped during the middle of your day and asked yourself, “How in the world did I end up here?” I’m a self-diagnosed overthinker and anyone who knows me will agree; I overthink everything! This is one personality trait I have been cursed/blessed with and it got worse after law school. I analyze every situation and examine all possible consequences. I listen to each word that is spoken, trying to figure out what can be done to help the person with whom I’m speaking. Most of the time, they just need to be heard.

I came to Carroll County five years ago after spending several years working in Pine Bluff. That was actually my third stint at the paper in Pine Bluff: I served as sports editor there in the mid-1990s, then was a night editor and city hall reporter from 2001-2004 before serving as managing editor from 2010-2014...

Three years. Nine semesters. Countless dollars and trips to Conway. That’s what it took for my husband Gideon to get his master’s degree in teaching, and now he is gearing up to put that degree into action. I am overjoyed to announce he will be teaching social studies and language arts at Eureka Springs Middle School beginning in August...

If you’re gentle, compassionate and loving, many today will view you as weak. This could not be further from the truth. As a state trooper, I always initiated each contact with complete respect. Although this was the way I was raised, many I stopped saw this as a possible path to escape, so my attitude got me into scuffles with criminals. ...

Editor’s Note: This column was originally published on May 30, 2017. It is one of my favorites, and its message is more important than ever. As I write this column, it’s Memorial Day. Across Carroll County — and across the country — ceremonies are being held to honor and remember those men and women who gave their lives in military service...

By Kelby Newcomb My last week with the Carroll County News is coming to a close, and I can hardly believe it. I started working here as a reporter a little over three years ago. It was my first full-time writing job, and I’m so grateful to my editors, Scott Loftis and Samantha Jones, for bringing me on board. ...

Dear Editor: A few days ago I was deeply honored and humbled as the recipient of the Carroll County Community Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award. I was humbled by the knowledge that there were many other volunteers in our county who have worked equally hard and perhaps even harder who have gone unrecognized. ...

The world tells us to get a job, work for 30 years, don’t ever quit, retire when it’s time, and die happy. Don’t get me wrong — this is an admirable way to live your life, but it’s not the only way to live it. These rules are set by society, and although you are supposed to take care of your family, work hard, do good and follow God, there are infinite Godly ways to do this...

We are rejoicing in the Lord, happy to share this great news with all of you! May 1st we signed the papers and gave the complete down payment of $50,000.00! Yippie! There are so many to thank for this, I hope I am listing them all, if I missed any know that we love you and thank you...

White Street Walk is one of the most popular events in Eureka Springs, and for good reason. It’s the one night of the year artists living in the historic downtown district open their homes to the public. You can see art of all kinds, taste mouth-watering finger foods and sip on complimentary wine. What’s not to love?...

In my book, I Can and I Will, I talk about being forced to block people from my life who spread discontent and hate. It wasn’t because I didn’t love them, but I could not let them weaken my relationship with God. I decided a few years ago to dedicate my life to simply doing the best I could to live my life the way God intended. I noticed that if I surrounded myself by folks with the same agenda, my life was much easier...

Are you filled with ideas about making the world a better place? Looking for help in making those ideas happen? Actually, there are a lot of us out there wanting to make a difference, but not sure where our skills and talents would best be used. Here’s one idea that you may have never thought of: Running for office. Many of our elected officials started out with no political career goals — they just wanted to help their communities. Sound familiar?...

Last week was a big week for Eureka Springs Community Center. The grand opening for the fitness center was held on Monday, bringing a large number of locals together to view the ribbon cutting and a pickleball demonstration if they so pleased. This has been a long time coming for the Eureka Springs Community Center board of directors. ...

One of the best days of my life was a few years ago when I was baptized with my wife and son in the Gulf of Mexico. I thought my life would become “easy” after this. However, as spiritual as this day was, the world did not change. I quickly realized that we all must make Godly choices and I hope that there are enough of us to eventually make this world a better place. All we can do is take our little circle of faith, and make it as Godly as we can, hoping that it will grow in love...

There are two things I believe every American should experience at least once in their lifetimes: attend a military basic training graduation, preferably for the United States Marine Corps, and spend a day in court watching our justice system at work...

We’re pretty lucky to have most of Friday off at Carroll County News. The office closes after lunch, and we get to start our weekends right then and there. That wasn’t the case for me this past Friday, but I’m not complaining. I had the honor of covering Carroll County Community Foundation’s Youth Advisory Council Awards, where local nonprofits and volunteers were recognized for their contribution to our community...

One quality God blessed me with was loyalty to the people in my life. Proverbs 21:21 tells us, Whoever pursues righteousness and kindness will find life, righteousness and honor. As natural as this seems, I’ve found that during my lifetime, loyalty is a trait which has diminished in commonality. ...

It’s not uncommon, when I meet someone for the first time and what I do for a living comes up in conversation, for them to ask: “Is there ever anything to write about in Berryville?” I just chuckle and say something along the lines of “there’s something to write about anywhere if you pay attention.”...

I can’t think of a time I haven’t loved jigsaw puzzles. There’s something so cathartic about separating the edges from the inside pieces and slowly patching all of it together, usually over the period of a few days. The more pieces the better. I love a good challenge as much as cats love stalking birds –– is there anything more rewarding than seeing your hard work come to fruition?...

We go to the gym to make our physical bodies healthy. We try to consume the proper amounts of vegetables, fruits, proteins and even take supplements to adjust what our bodies need to operate at an optimal level. If we could simply train our minds from pure, credible, clean, organic sources, then we’d have it all together...

Nearly every day is a beautiful day in the Ozarks, it seems, but this past weekend was exceptional even by those standards. I took full advantage of the gorgeous spring weather and indulged in some of my favorite activities: delicious food, baseball, more delicious food, coffee, more delicious food and bream fishing. Add in a Game of Thrones watch party with dessert on Sunday night, and the weekend gets a rating of 10-plus...

This past weekend, I watched a two-hour special on Investigation Discovery called Drew Peterson: An American Murder Mystery. That name surely rings a bell for many of us. Peterson’s case drew national attention after his wife Stacy disappeared on 2007, three years after his ex-wife Kathleen Savio was found dead in a waterless bathtub. Her cause of death was initially ruled as a drowning...

Dear Editor, The Eureka Springs High School wants to extend a huge thank you to the Crescent Hotel for hosting this year’s prom.  The Crystal Ballroom was the perfect venue for the 1920s themed event and the hotel pulled out all the stops in making our students feel incredibly special.  ...

Some of the best moments of my life are conversations with my 4-year-old grandson. We sat in the dirt, while taking a break from a grueling 200-foot hike and talked. He told me that he wanted to be like me when he grew up, because I wasn’t afraid of anything. As I explained to him why I was so brave, with my chest stuck out proudly, a lizard jumped onto my lap and I screamed like a 3-year-old little girl, while he laughed so hard, he nearly piddled in his britches...

I bought a new (to me) car a little over a year ago. It’s a sensible car, a 2016 Toyota Corolla. I bought it because of the Corolla’s outstanding reputation for durability, because of its great gas mileage, and because I got a great deal right here in Berryville...

They say honesty is the best policy, but I haven’t been very honest with you guys lately. Quite frankly, the past few months have been exhausting. Everyone at the office got sick in early February, and I broke my ankle a week later. I spent seven weeks in a boot, constantly taking it on and off to complete the simplest tasks. It was stressful to go the bathroom or get a glass of water. The pain was out of this world for weeks, but that wasn’t the worst part...

On the first night of my family’s homelessness, it rained. It rained so hard that the roof of the old car we were sleeping in leaked. This was one of the best nights of my life because that was the night we found God. The concept of a new business was born. We decided that I needed to go to law school. I have since graduated law school, become a published author and am a motivational speaker. Life is good...

It’s that time of the year again. Dust off your tabletops and pull the oven out for a deep inspection ––spring cleaning is underway. I’m sure you’re all just as excited as I am. Now, spring cleaning can mean something different to all of us. For some, it’s clearing out closets and reorganizing shelves. ...

Tracing your family roots can be shockingly literal sometimes. Back in March, I drove down to Stone County to visit my family. Both sides of my family are from the area. My dad grew up in Fifty-Six, which has about as many people as the name implies. My mom grew up “in town” in Mountain View, the county seat...

I love to tell people about places that deliver on promises and Blair’s Auto is one of these places. This auto repair shop has been delivering on promises to customers and they are ecstatic about the work that is being done on their cars. I meet and talk with many locals and tourists to Eureka Springs and I am proud to recommend Blair’s Auto. We need to promote local businesses that are representing the great people of Eureka Springs. Keep up the great work...

It seems as if we’re ashamed to be happy. It’s almost a crime to be happy when so many people are sad. In a world full of confusion, this is one thing that I’m absolutely positive about — God wants me to be happy! But how can I show happiness when God gave up His only son, Jesus, for our sins. ...

I missed a phone call from my daughter-in-law, Christi, last Friday night. Or at least I thought it was Christi who had called. When I called back, my oldest grandson, Hayden, answered. “Thanks for the new bat, Pops,” he said. “You’re welcome,” I responded, happy to hear that the Amazon elves had delivered the 29-inch, 19-ounce Easton-model instrument of baseball destruction on time...

Dear Editor: The letter to the Editor titled: Code enforcement is Haphazard, is the opinion of one B&B owner (maybe one other) and needs to be recognized as not representing the opinions of the majority of B&B owners in this community. Behind this letter was: (an attempt to call most B&B owners in town to not sign the affidavit and to meet on April 14, 2019 to protest). ...

The We’ve Got Talent Concert held on Sunday March 31st at the Eureka Springs Auditorium was a huge success and played to a large gathering of students, families and music lovers. Our most heartfelt appreciation goes to Artistic Directors Donesa and Rick Mann for their wonderful production of this year’s concert and to all our talented performers who created an incredible afternoon of entertainment...

I watch my grandchildren, who are 4 and 5 years old, and the love they have for everyone they meet is obvious in their smiles. Their love is not tainted by anything that seems to bias our emotions later in life. My granddaughter Emmilou was sitting on my lap a few weeks ago, when she looked up at me with the eyes of an angel and said, “Papa, I love you so much!” followed by “Papa, you’re fat.” I laughed, and thought, I’ll take those comments any day. ...

Regular readers of this column know I am a huge animal lover. I come by it honestly –– my nana is known to feed every stray in her path, and my mom raised me with at least three pets at a time. My first love was a black-and-white tabby cat named Baby. When Baby died in an accident in 2004, my mom let me pick out a new kitty...

Winter feels like the longest time of year to me. It’s not just because I hate the cold, although I do think bears are on to something with hibernation. Winter feels like an eternity because it’s when my depression hits me the hardest. I’ve had episodes in summer and fall before, but the lack of sunlight and freezing temps in winter roll out the welcome mat for my depression nearly every January. Relapses are common during this time of year...

I am writing this letter to shout a big thank you to the South Carroll County 911 Dispatch operator and to Mr. Rick Wheatley. Last week, I had a flat tire between Alpena and Osage — an area where cell phone coverage with my provider was weak or, most often, non-existent. Though I was able to change the tire, the spare was also flat as it had been unused for years and so I called my roadside assistance provider. Almost two hours later, the provider finally responded with information that they could find no one in the area to respond. By that time it was after 6 p.m. Aside from one car that stopped early on while I still expected eventual assistance from roadside service, no one else had offered help despite the fact that I was an older female, with a small grandchild, and apparent car trouble. ...

Dear Editor, This past week, much to my vexation and irritation, I, along with other B & B owners within the residential areas of the city, received a letter from Eureka Springs Planning Commission Chairman, Ann Tandy-Sallee. The letter (dated March 15, 2019) instructed us (the aforementioned owners) to complete an attached affidavit, certifying that we live on the properties of our respective B &Bs, that we have the affidavit notarized, and that it be returned to her attention by a specific date. ...

I was standing at the beach a few days ago, watching a magnificent sunset, and I could almost see God’s hand with a paintbrush in it reaching down from the heavens creating this artwork. I watched as the sun slowly lowered into the Gulf of Mexico and was mesmerized by the profusion of colors. ...