Stories from Wednesday, July 14, 2004

by David McNeal "I have to find a newspaper," I said in my best anxious voice to Alice last Friday as we were driving to Memphis to attend the Arkansas Press Association (APA) Summer Convention. She was somewhat surprised, as this was supposed to be a vacation weekend (if spending a couple of days with almost a thousand other journalists is ever a vacation). ...

HOLIDAY ISLAND ---- In Holiday Island Ladies Golf Association play last Wednesday, individual players competed for low gross and low net on all holes. The "Play of the Day" for the league was "Throw Out Two Worst Holes." Players could throw out the gross score on the two worst holes on each nine played...

The Berryville Bobcat and Green Forest Tiger football teams are ranked third and fourth respectively in Class 1AAA by Hooten's Arkansas Football, a 432-page magazine that went on sale statewide on July 8. The magazine's favorites to win it all in 2004 are Little Rock Central in Class AAAAA, Vilonia in Class AAAA, Warren in Class AAA, and Rison in Class AA...

HEATHER LOUISE SMITH, a resident of Green Forest, was born Dec. 23, 1978 in Visalia, California, a daughter of Bill Schaman and Alexis Louise House. She died Friday, July 9, 2004, at the age of 25. Mrs. Smith was a homemaker and a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in Berryville...

Carroll County Quorum Court covered a lot of ground during its regular meeting Thursday night in Berryville, ranging from repairing damage at the Western District Courthouse in Eureka Springs to readying for the transition of operations to the new jail when construction is completed...

A trial date was established Monday for one of three defendants, David Coy Greenhaw, 25, of Springdale, charged with the June 4, 2003, shooting death of Richard W. Gerrard Jr. during circuit court action Monday morning in Berryville. A second defendant, Brandon Lee "Buffalo" Webb, 21, of Goodson, Mo., formerly of Green Forest, appears headed for the same Nov. 1 trial date...

The Berryville school board took a deep breath and a big step for the community and school system last Thursday at a special meeting when they voted unanimously to present a $5.5 million, 2.95-mil tax proposal to voters in the September election. The board pared down the original proposal, which was a 5.95-mil increase of $9 million dollars, after several public meetings and conversations with district taxpayers. ...

Holiday Island developer Tom Dees made a startling statement at the Holiday Island Homeowners Association (HIHA) Thursday night. Basically, he said he would financially support county government candidates from Holiday Island. The statement came as part of a speech Dees gave during the program portion following the HIHA quarterly meeting...

Ileene Kelly has been hired as accounts supervisor for the City of Eureka Springs. She started to work Monday. Mayor Kathy Harrison announced the hiring Friday afternoon. Kelly fills the vacancy left by the resignation of former Finance Director Diane Murphy in mid-May. Her salary will start at $38,000. After a 90-day probation period, the salary will increase to full pay at $39,100, according to Harrison...

The Eureka Springs Times-Echo landed statewide journalism awards -- including three first places -- at the summer convention of the Arkansas Press Association, held in conjunction with the press associations of Tennessee and Mississippi in Memphis last weekend...

Debate over declaring Alderman Penny Carroll's Ward 1 council seat vacant came to a stalemate Monday evening as other council members split their votes on which action to take. Alderman Earl "Bud" Umland brought up questions about Carroll moving from Vaughn Street, in Ward 1, to Eureka Street, in Ward 2, during the June 28 meeting...