Stories from Wednesday, June 23, 2004

No charges will be filed against former Eureka Springs Public Works employee Rick Clark for allegedly destroying the trickling filter at the city's wastewater treatment plant on Highway 23 North in mid-May. Deputy Prosecutor Chris Flanagan interviewed Public Works Director Robert Forrest, Project Manager Marilyn Kelley Still and consulting engineer Ron Tracy Friday and concluded "there is no case," according to Police Chief Earl Hyatt...

EUNICE LEOLA SOUTHARD, a resident of Berryville, was born July 7, 1901, in Knox, N. Dak., a daughter of Elwin L. and Josephine C. (Berg) Kingsley. She died Tuesday, May 18, 2004, in her home at the age of 102. Mrs. Southard was a retired school teacher. ...

CLAYTON JONES, a resident of 407 Hanby, Berryville, was born Dec. 5, 1919, in Baxter, Mo., a son of Plesant Marion and Chessie Bowman Johnson Jones. He died Thursday, June 17, 2004, in Berryville, at the age of 84. Clayton was a farmer and loved to hunt. He was a Christian and loved to sing at various churches. He also sang at Silver Dollar City on several occasions...

Wouldn't you think that Medicare -- with the purchasing power of all the drug-buying seniors it represents -- could have negotiated with the pharmaceutical firms to come up with a pricing formula that actually lowered costs? Yes, you would have thought so. ...

Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training is planned to get under way on Aug. 17 in Carroll County. The Carroll County Citizen Corps Council reached the decision Tuesday night at a meeting at the Eureka Springs Police Department. The council's goal is for all citizens in the county to participate to make the community safer, stronger and better prepared for natural or man-made disasters...

GREEN FOREST ---- A salary scale for school staff was adjusted Monday night after employees objected to what had been previously presented. School board members added a multiplier as requested and adjusted the index to the 2004-2005 salary scale. Action was taken after much discussion and suggestions from the Personnel Policy Committee Chairman Harold Simpson...

by Mary Jean Sell I don't spend a lot of time with the national news, particularly the political campaigns this far out from the actual election. My beat is Eureka Springs and its environs and that is where I keep my attention focused. Former State Rep. Lonnie Clark of Berryville got after me one time because I didn't know about what was going on in the Arkansas General Assembly and how Carroll County might be affected...

Members of the Arkansas Game & Fish Department attended Monday's Holiday Island Board of Commissioners work session to answer questions about a possible urban deer hunt. Lt. Brian McKenzie said a property owner and his wife on the island proper had complained to the department about deer eating their flowers and asked them to come and out and evaluate the deer population...

LITTLE ROCK - Independent presidential candidate Ralph Nader made a flying trip to Little Rock Friday to boost his petition campaign to get his name on the Arkansas ballot and stopped long enough to take shots at Wal-Mart, President George Bush and Democrat presidential contender John Kerry...

Guy Eugene Tranbarger, 71, of Green Forest, died June 17, 2004, in Green Forest at his home. He was born Sept. 5, 1932, at Curryville, Mo. Mr. Tranbarger was retired from the U.S. Navy after serving 20 years and fought in both the Korean and Vietnam wars. ...