Stories from Wednesday, July 21, 2004

EUREKA SPRINGS -- Members of the Arkansas Rural Education Association (AREA) were not encouraged by what state legislators had to say about the coming 2005 General Assembly and how proposals might affect school funding. In two sessions Tuesday morning during the annual summer conference, State Representatives Phil Jackson of Berryville, LeRoy Dangeau of Wynne, Mike Hathorn of Huntsville, and state Senators Jimmy Jeffress of Crossett, Gene Jeffress of LouAnn and Jim Holt of Springdale talked about what may or may not happen next spring.. ...

Authorities are seeking the whereabouts of 32-year-old David Klutts, who reportedly went missing from his home north of Berryville in late May. His mother, Barbara Rodman, has filed missing persons reports both locally and nationally, and says she's followed every lead that comes her way...

Denise, who lives along the Kings River between Berryville and Eureka Springs, says snake bites are up this summer. Her 15-year-old son was bit by a cottonmouth recently and a neighbor lady was nailed by a copperhead. "I've lived here 13 and a half years and this is the first time I've known someone to be bitten," she said. "There are two other snake bites that I know of. That makes four in a month."...

Most people in Holiday Island contract with a trash hauler to carry away their garbage, but some do not, and Monday the Holiday Island Suburban Improvement District (HISID) Board of Commissioners heard a draft proposal for mandatory trash service to address this and other problems...

The Holiday Island Suburban Improvement District (HISID) Board of Commissioners heard preliminary findings on Recreation Complex improvements from Morrison Architecture at its Monday work session. The good news: "Structurally, we feel like (the Rec Center itself) is pretty good," said Charlie Morrison. "Most problems are cosmetic and handicapped-access."...

She's wiry, she's mischievous, she's political, she's determined, she's a volunteer, she's a teacher, she's caring, she's an actor and director, she's 71, she's been in Eureka Springs 12 years and she is leaving to start another stage of her life...

Eureka Springs Building Official Randy Mills was fired Monday morning and possibly faces charges of theft for improperly using the city's credit card. Police Chief Earl Hyatt said Mills allegedly purchased a $266 television-VCR-DVD combination with the city's credit card in June...

The Berryville 2004 All-Star Youth Football Camp for next year's third through sixth graders went off without a hitch on Monday through Wednesday this week, in spite of the hottest temperatures of the summer. With degrees climbing into the nineties, 38 young athletes earned their football camp degrees from Bobcat coaching staff members, which included several new faces...

Dallas Sneed, 67, of Green Forest, died July 13 in Berryville. He was born Nov. 8, 1936, in Weiser, Idaho, a son of Silas Orpha and Willard (Gibson) Sneed. He was a construction worker and at one time worked as a sheet metal worker on nuclear power plants. He was a member of the Ridgedale, Mo., Moose Lodge and the Brotherhood of Sheet Metal Workers...

Rebecca "Becky" Epperson Campbell, formerly of Eureka Springs, died June 28 on her birthday in Evansville, Ind. She is survived by her husband, Bill Campbell, of Evansville; son Brad Beard and wife Allison, of Swifton, Ark., and his father, Jim Beard of Little Rock; son Travis Hagar and wife Shenell, of Searcy, and his father, Larry Hagar, also of Searcy; grandchildren Connor Beard, Jason Goldsberry, Eddie Campbell, Cory Davis, Billy Campbell, Eryn Campbell, Perry Campbell and Richie Campbell; her parents, Emeral and Dorothy Epperson, of Newport, Ark..; sister Cynthia Moore and husband Robert of Bryant, Ark; sister Kimberly Henderson and husband Johnny, of Newport; a special grandnephew, Jack Young, of Maumelle, Ark.; and many other special nieces and nephews.. ...

Frederick M. Allard, 96, of Shell Knob, Mo., died Saturday, July 10, 2004, in Johnson Hopson Care Home, Marion, Ark. He was born March 21, 1908 in Vergennes, Ark., the son of Charles and Della Anne (Greer) Allard. On July 20, 1935, in Murphysboro, Ill., he was united in marriage to Lillian Inez Coffey, who preceded him in death on Nov. 12, 2003. He was also preceded in death by his parents; one sister, Lucille and one brother, Kenneth...

Kitty Gay Walker, 47, of Berryville, died July 13, 2004, at Eureka Springs. She was born Jan. 14, 1957, at Sterling, Colo., a daughter of David V. and Carol H. (Heft) Killion. She lived in this area for 22 years, moving here from Nebraska. She was a registered nurse with St. John's Regional Hospital, and was of the Seventh-day Adventist faith...

Ken Uptegrove will likely be sharing his vision of Northwest Arkansas as a "green island of survival" as the Second Coming of Christ nears when he signs copies of his new book this Saturday, July 17, at Sonshine Christian Bookstore and Coffeehouse in Eureka Springs...