Stories from Monday, March 1, 2004

GREEN FOREST ---- A 42-year-old Guatemalan man living in Green Forest was booked into the Carroll County Jail on Wednesday night for the alleged rape of a three-year-old girl. Median Diaz was charged with rape, a Class Y felony. Sgt. Brad Handley, with the Green Forest Police Department, said Officer Tom Hayden was asked to investigate a possible rape at approximately 8:20 Wednesday night and requested that Handley assist...

The state has sued five Arkansas nursing homes, including the Eureka Springs Nursing and Rehabilitation Center (ESNRC) in Carroll County. In the suit, Attorney General Mike Beebe alleges that the nursing homes filed and collected "fraudulent" Medicaid reimbursements and did not provide adequate medical services...

A self-proclaimed "outlaw" has written a book about his pot-growing exploits, and in northwest Arkansas it's a very hot topic, because it includes a lot of local names, chief among them the late and legendary Madison County Sheriff Ralph Baker. David McElyea, a convicted felon, takes on Baker's legend, and accuses the sheriff of being a part of McElyea's pot farming in Madison County...

A cocky Subiaco Trojan basketball team, impressed with its No. 1 seed in the Class AAA Region 1 Tournament at Farmington and No. 3 ranking in Class AAA, strolled into their game with the Berryville Bobcats on Wednesday and got a rude awakening. A fired up Bobcat team blasted the stunned Trojans with a first quarter 22-5 scorching, with Bobcat Cory Smith firing in 11 first-quarter points, and the team still led 27-23 at halftime...

A young Berryville Lady Bobcat basketball team, with a number of ninth-graders coming off the bench to add depth, couldn't hang with an experienced Ozark Lady Hillbilly team Wednesday night at the Class AAA Region 1 Tournament at Farmington, and ended their season with a 65-32 loss and a 13-16 record...

LEWIS A. TURNER, a resident of Eureka Springs, was born Oct. 2, 1917, in Palistine, Texas, a son of Lewis A. and Loretta E. (Head) Turner. He died Saturday, Feb. 21, 2004, in Eureka Springs at the age of 86. Mr. Turner was a retired drafting engineer for NASA. He also owned the Chalet Inn in Eureka Springs...

CLEVA BOYD WEAVER ROCHESTER, a resident of Berryville, was born June 25, 1927, in Benton County, Ark., a daughter of Henry Everett and Iva Myrtle (Hency) Gunnels. She died Monday, Feb. 23, 2004, in Eureka Springs at the age of 76. Mrs. Rochester was a homemaker. She was a member of the First Assembly of God Church in Eureka Springs...

WYNONA (HUTCHISON) HYDE, a resident of Green Forest, was born Sep. 27, 1933, in Oak Grove, Ark., a daughter of Raymond and Linda (Johnson) Youngblood. She died Monday, Feb. 23, 2004, in Eureka Springs at the age of 70. Mrs. Hyde was a homemaker. She was of the Pentecostal faith...

BETH COOKE, a resident of Eureka Springs, was born Feb. 13, 1911, in Potosi, Texas, a daughter of Marion Roger and Willie Ora (Stinson) Williams. She died Friday, Feb. 20, 2004, in Eureka Springs at the age of 93. Mrs. Cooke was an English teacher. She was a member of the St. Elizabeth's Catholic Church in Eureka Springs...

DONNIE JAY PEDEN, a resident of Green Forest, was born Aug. 8, 1952, in Harrison, a son of Arlis Paul and Ruth Pauline (Smith) Peden. He died Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2004, in Kimberling City, Mo., at the age of 50. Mr. Peden worked for Barton's Building Supply...

Learning a language is not easy for most of us. While 100 years ago Latin was as basic to the high school curriculum as math, today those of us with even a nodding acquaintance with a dead language are few and far between. Make the language Old Testament Hebrew, there is even less understanding ---- unless, of course, one is Jewish...

Christ's Community Church will hold a gospel singing Friday, March 5, starting at 7 p.m. The church meets in the heated shop at the Justin and Tina Harris residence at 133 Madison 1351, one mile east of Highway 23 on Highway 127 east of Forum. Participants are encouraged to bring their instruments and songs. A "baked potato feed" will follow the singing, and donations will be accepted...