Stories from Wednesday, January 14, 2004

by David McNeal My boss, Bob Moore, popped through the office today and woke me out of my usual Monday stupor. "Hey, Dave," he called brightly, as he is apt to do, no matter how dark and dreadful the day is. "We're only a month away from the basketball district tournaments! We're on the downhill now!"...

A leg-weary Eureka Springs Highlander basketball team ran into the worst possible thing it could in the quarterfinals of the 30th Annual North Arkansas College Senior Boys Tournament last Thursday ---- a team of leapers. Rural Special came in riding a 14-0 win streak, and leaped and tipped their way to 15-0 with a 62-40 victory over the flat-footed Highlanders...

The Berryville Bobcats got a big road victory last Friday when they knocked off 1AAA's preseason top team, the Gravette Lions, 52-46, with some clutch free throws down the stretch. "Our press finally wore them down," Coach Tracy Jones said. That, and two big 3-point shots by Josh Kriesel in the last part of the fourth quarter that gave Berryville (8-6, 2-1) the edge they needed...

It's hard to be considered a legend in the coaching business, but after winning 1,000 senior high games over a 37-year career, your name can surely be mentioned in that rarified air. That's the mark Huntsville Eagle boys basketball coach Jim Stafford, a Green Forest native, reached last week when his senior boys beat Greenland 71-42 in the Greenland tournament...

Week of Jan. 7 January 7 7:50 a.m. ---- Police were dispatched to Joe's Texaco to investigate a threat complaint. January 9 9:40 p.m. ---- Police provided a walk-through at the Brew and Cue tavern. 11:30 p.m. ---- Police transported a subject to jail on a warrant following a traffic stop...

Week of Jan. 5 January 5 12:14 p.m. ---- Officer investigated possible child endangerment case at Department of Human Services. All appeared to be OK. 4:13 p.m. ---- Report of vehicle following another vehicle on Highway 62. Unable to locate. 4:40 p.m. ---- Stolen vehicle on Pleasant Street turned out to be loaned to a friend...

Week of Jan. 5 January 5 9:44 a.m. -- Subject wanting to take driving test was arrested on outstanding felony warrant from Carroll County. 1:20 p.m. -- Accident report taken on minor incident with street sweeper. 1:45 p.m. -- Incident report taken on service truck broken into and tools stolen...

ILENE FAYE BALL of Eagle Rock, Mo., died Friday, Jan. 9, 2004. She was born Jan. 5, 1933, to Stacy and Bernice Comstock in Boone, Iowa. Ilene met Varl Ball while he was in the Marine Corps in Barstow, Calif., and they were married June 27, 1954. They made their home in Missouri and later attended Southwest Baptist College, where Ilene majored in music. ...

KARROLL ALICE WILSON, a resident of Eureka Springs, Arkansas, was born Dec. 10, 1947, in Eureka Springs, a daughter of Clio R. and Mary Alice (Tarr) Miller. She died Sunday, Jan. 4, 2004, in Eureka Springs at the age of 56. Karroll was a homemaker. She was a member of the First Assembly of God Church in Eureka Springs...

LOUELLA YVONNE BOHANNAN, a resident of Eureka Springs, was born July 24, 1965, in Eureka Springs, a daughter of Addison and Shirley Ann (Hatcher) Bohannan. She died Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2004, in her home at the age of 38. She was a member of the First Assembly of God Church in Eureka Springs...

WILLIAM E. "GENE" ROBERTS, 86, died Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2003, at Harton Hospital in Tullahoma, Tenn. He was born in Castleford, Ida. on Jan. 17, 1917, to Jay Palmer and Sue (Sisco) Roberts. In 1918, the family moved to Conner, Ark., where Gene's grandfather had a store and was postmaster. (The post office is on display in the Carroll County Historical Museum in Berryville). Gene grew up in the communities of Conner, Clifty, Piney and Rudd, where his father farmed and taught school...

JIM McNUTT, a resident of Berryville, was born Sept. 30, 1935, in Russellville, a son of James Warren and Gertrude Mae (Davis) McNutt. He died Saturday, Jan. 10, 2004, in Berryville at the age of 69. Mr. McNutt was retired from the state of Oklahoma Health Department and was of the Baptist faith...

BETTY JEAN ISAACS, a resident of Green Forest, was born Sept. 5, 1930, in Nashville, Tenn., a daughter of Eugene and Lena Moreland. She died Sunday, Jan. 4, 2004, in Berryville at the age of 73. Mrs. Isaacs attended the Church of Christ in Green Forest and was employed by Tyson Foods in Berryville...

They're all gathered under a dome in Little Rock. Oughta be a tent. With three rings. In ring one, we have the governor, intent on getting a school consolidation bill through the legislature with a dog and pony show the likes of which have not been seen in this state since ... well never...

ALPENA ---- After 30 years with the U.S. Postal Service, Pat Evans, the postmaster of Alpena, is calling it quits. "It's time," she said. "I have 30 years with the postal service and I'm eligible to retire. It's time to get a new face in here."...

BERRYVILLE ---- The purchase of a new fire truck, to replace a 1949 model, was approved by the Berryville city council when it met last week. The $258,753 fully-loaded pumper truck won't arrive until later this year. Delivery is expected in six or eight months, after the provider builds the unit to specifications, said Fire Chief Gene Chafin...

BERRYVILLE ---- The continuing investigation into the mid-December Berryville police probe of break-ins and burglaries has resulted in the recovery of two stolen guns, a Glock .40-calibre handgun and a .270-calibre deer rifle. Berryville Sgt. Shannon Pearson said Monday that lead officer Jimmy Capps recovered the weapons as part of the continuing probe, that resulted in more than a dozen cases of theft and break-ins being solved by police officers after a lengthy investigation that led to the arrests of three suspects.. ...