Stories from Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Two hundred soldiers with the Arkansas Army National Guard's 39th Infantry Brigade Combat Team returned to the United States on Sunday from Iraq, arriving at Camp Shelby, Miss. for debriefing before returning home to Arkansas. Among them were a dozen representatives from units in Berryville, Booneville, Lincoln and Rogers who serve with the 142nd Fires Brigade's 217th Brigade Support Battalion...

EUREKA SPRINGS -- The husband-and-wife co-owners of Romancing the Stone in Eureka Springs were killed in a twin-engine plane crash at 10:45 a.m. on Nov. 24. Rodney "Nick" Tillman, 49, and his wife, Rebecca Ann Tillman, 42, were killed along with the pilot, Greg Secrest, 67. All were from Hot Springs, Ark...

CARROLL COUNTY -- The quorum court continued deliberations on the 2009 budget at a special meeting Friday, and a decision to maintain the 35-hour schedule for courthouse employees seems more likely. Throughout much of this year, the county judge and the justices of the peace have wrestled with a potential problem caused by having "similarly situated" employees working different hours. ...

These stories and others are found only in our print edition, available in newsstands or by subscribing. Look here for how to subscribe. Craigslist Christmas scams big problem Green Forest man assaults police officer Erick Diaz to head main Berryville Arvest branch...

GREEN FOREST -- The brackets for the 52nd Annual Green Forest Holiday Tournament got a major remake last week when the Valley Springs boys pulled out, leaving the bracket with just five teams. The girls bracket changed also, with the Huntsville girls playing at 4:40 Thursday and the St. Paul girls playing Berryville Wednesday at 7:20. St. Paul swapped so the two Huntsville teams could both play on Wednesday...

OMAHA -- The Green Forest senior boys (3-2) got a win in the consolation bracket of the Community First Bank Omaha Border Classic on Saturday, defeating host Omaha 48-40. The Berryville Lady Bobcats weren't so fortunate, losing a consolation game to Jasper, 36-43, earlier on the final day of the event...

DECATUR --The Highlander senior high basketball teams ran away from the Decatur Bulldogs on Friday, posting two 4-2A Conference wins. Coach Aaron Hall's Lady Highlander won 53-39, with Coach Nolan Helder's Highlanders notching a 76-43 victory. The junior high girls gave a good effort but fell short, 16-35...

Dec. 1 1:35 p.m. - A Collie and a Yorkie were reported running loose in the area of Carroll House Apartments, but were gone when police arrived. 6:10 p.m. - A man was reported to be taking dogs inside a business at PJ Laundromat. An officer spoke to the man and he took the dogs outside...

December 1 2 a.m. - An officer responded to a report of a woman calling for help at the Mattox House. She was involved in a verbal altercation with a man, who was arrested on an outstanding warrant. 5:07 p.m. - An officer checked on a controlled burn on Thorne Ave...

Dec. 1 12:32 a.m. - A back door prowler complaint was checked out at a Freeman Switch address where no one was around. 3:29 a.m. - An alarm at Castle Pawn was checked, The front window was discovered broken. 4:17 a.m. - Police checked to see if any other windows were damaged. No others were found...

ELLEE FLEMING SWIFT, 101, of Holiday Island, died on Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2008, at Eureka Springs Hospital in Eureka Springs. Mrs. Swift, daughter of Thomas Banks and Cora (Burt) Fleming, was born on Aug. 8, 1907, in Glade, Ga. She was united in marriage to Roy T. ...

CHARLES (CHUCK) COVINGTON CLARK, JR., a resident of Green Forest was born Feb. 28, 1929, in Memphis, Tenn., a son of Charles and Lottie Mae (Williams) Clark, Sr. He departed this life Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2008 in Green Forest at the age of 79. Mr. Clark is survived by two sons, Chris Trask and wife Jewelle of Green Forest, and Lyn Trask of New Orleans, La.; two daughters, Harriet and husband Ralph Arnold of Springfield, Mo., and Susan and husband Frosty Cartwright of Sand Springs, Okla.; two brothers, Herman Phillips of Nashville, and Cecil Phillips; nine grandchildren, Sara Franklin, Bethany Cox, Wendy Neel, Christian Cartwright, J. ...

RICHARD PHILLIP SWANSON, of Holiday Island, was born Jan. 24, 1933 in Tinley Park, Ill., a son of Charles Waldemar and Anna Rose (Aiani) Swanson. He departed this life Tuesday, Nov. 25, 2008, in Holiday Island, at the age of 75. Mr. Swanson served in the United States Army...

NORMA JEAN SMITH HUMBARD, a resident of Kansas City, MO., was born July 29, 1933, in Berryville, a daughter of Carl D. and Clara M. Smith. She departed this life Saturday, Nov. 29, 2008 in her home in Kansas City, at the age of 75. She is survived by two daughters, Clarissa Ann and husband Bill Morrison and Susan Kaye and husband Mike Verstraete; five grandchildren; one great-grandchild; several nieces, nephews and a host of other relatives and friends...

UNCLE MORRIS S. OVERACRE, of Berryville, was born Jan. 10, 1905 in Rogers, a son of James Thomas and Hattie Jane (Medalin) Overacre. He departed this life Wednesday, Dec. 3, 2008, in Berryville, at the age of 103. Mr. Overacre worked as a Railroad Lineman for Rock Island Railroad. He was a member of First Baptist Church in McAlester, Okla., and a former member of the IOOF and IBEW Union...