Stories from Friday, September 9, 2011

LITTLE ROCK -- Governor Mike Beebe received word today that U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack has declared all 75 Arkansas counties as agricultural natural-disaster areas. Beebe requested the designation earlier this summer after a wide range of natural disasters impacted Arkansas farmers...

The Presbyterian churches of Eureka Springs and Holiday Island celebrated the 20th Ordination Anniversary of Rev. Clare M. Kelley on Sunday, Aug. 14, with a luncheon of the combined churches at the Gazebo Restaurant at the Best Western Eureka Inn. Rev. Kelley grew up in Mobile, Ala., attended Emory University and graduated from Auburn University in l973, and also graduated from University of Houston, Bates College of Law...

I was in the hardware store when I first heard the news, though I did not know what I was hearing. As the cashier tallied my purchase, I overheard a reporter on the store's radio make the peculiar announcement that a plane had crashed into the World Trade Center. At the time, I thought of it as little more than a curiosity. How wrong I was...

EUREKA SPRINGS -- City council again grappled with the proposed one-time urban deer hunt at the Sept. 1 meeting, and this time they reached an agreement on a plan which postpones the hunt until next year. Mayor Morris Pate said he had spoken with Jeff Smith, President of the Arkansas Bowhunters Association, who said it would be too late to provide training for bowhunters to hunt this year...

HOLIDAY ISLAND -- The new Assessment of Benefits draft study furnished to the Holiday Island Board of Commissioners Wednesday may be a relief to some but a disappointment to others. The board appointed Reed & Associates of Fayetteville to do the study...

Just like the song from the 5th Dimension recorded in 1967, that's just what will be happening in Harrison as more than 20 balloons come to town to compete for cash and prizes. The Harrison Regional Chamber of Commerce will host the 16th Annual Arkansas Hot Air Balloon State Championship on Sept. 9-11 in Harrison...

Jacqueline Wolven, executive director of the Eureka Springs Downtown Network (ESDN) suggests you practice your trivia skills before watching movies in Basin Spring Park on Sunday nights, because there will be a "test" before the films. It's all in good fun, of course, aimed to entertain movie fans who are in fact "Smarty Pants" with oodles of knowledge about films...

The following people were booked into the Carroll County Detention Center Sept. 1 through Sept. 7: Sept. 1 Ronald Nelson Rheam, 63, Rogers, was booked in for driving on a suspended driver's license due to DWI, no motorcycle endorsement, no vehicle license plate and no insurance...

BERRYVILLE -- The purchase of new police cars and firefighting equipment is planned in the near future, Mayor Tim McKinney told the city council Tuesday night, in an effort to save on repair bills. Those purchases would be covered by a temporary two-year half-cent sales tax voters approved to pay for police, fire and street improvements but that revenue won't begin arriving until December, he said...

The Eureka Springs Coffee Party will host a public forum on plans announced for a Walmart Express in Eureka Springs at 6 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 11, at the church at 17 Elk Street. People both for and against the Walmart Express are invited to participate...

BERRYVILLE -- Early voting for school elections will begin Tuesday at both county courthouses, from 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. through Monday, Sept. 19. Election day voting, on Tuesday, Sept. 20, will take place from 7:30 a.m. until 7:30 p.m. at St. Elizabeth's Parish Center on Passion Play Road for Eureka Springs district patrons, and at the Berryville Community Center for Berryville school patrons...

BERRYVILLE -- The Lady Bobcats took to the court in another round of action on Tuesday night at Bobcat Arena. The seventh grade had a couple of close matches but could not hold off the Farmington squad, dropping the two sets 25-16 and 25-23. The junior high Bobcats dropped their matches, too, 26-24 and 25-22...

GREEN FOREST -- The Green Forest Lady Tigers made the 20-plus-mile trip to Eureka Springs in another game in their already hectic schedule on Tuesday night. The junior varsity squad took both matches, 25-5 and 26-16. The varsity team also won their matches, 25-4, 25-6, and 25-3...

SPRINGDALE -- The Eureka Springs boy's high school cross country team placed fifth in their 5K run at the 2011 Saints Invitational on Saturday. The results story was not in Tuesday's edition due to lack of space. "It was a good race," head coach Hassell Bell said. "It was a good effort from everyone."...

Carthel A. Van Winkle, 83, passed away September 2, 2011. Visitation will be 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. Wednesday, September 7 at Park Lawn Funeral Home, 8251 Hillcrest Road, Kansas City, MO. Burial will be in Memorial Park Cemetery. Carthel was born August 9, 1928 in Green Forest, AR. ...

Wilburn Leslie Housley, formerly of Berryville, AR, was born April 20, 1921 in Atlas, AR, a son of Charles O. and Ethel (Webb) Housley. He departed this life Thursday, August 17, 2011 in Chandler, AZ at the age of 90 years. He was a WWII Veteran serving with the 67th Evac Hospital. He was presented with five Service Stars for Ardennes, Rhineland, Central Europe, Normandy and Northern France...

CAVE SPRINGS -- The Berryville boy's golf team ended their day with a team score of 127, which was enough to secure the second-place spot at The Creeks on Tuesday afternoon. Farmington finished with a score of 125, Shiloh Christian tied with Berryville at 127, Elkins finished the day with 133, and Pea Ridge came in fifth with a final of 134...

BERRYVILLE -- With the Cardinals missing the playoffs again, it is that inevitable time of the year that all St. Louis Cardinals fans have been dreading. Does the front office look at dedicating $300 million to future hall of famer, Albert Pujols?...