Stories from Sunday, December 11, 2011

Miss Kapitbahay Philipines and her court took center stage at the annual Filipino American Christmas party and beauty pageant on Dec. 4 at the Berryville Community Center. Katelyn Viana (from left) is Miss Mindanao, Josephine Ruff is Miss Luzon, Meralyn Enriquez is Miss Kapitbahay Phillipines, Chrisna Butler is Miss Visayas, Virna Eola is Miss Metro Manila and Julie Waters was voted Miss Congeniality and Most Beautiful. ...

LITTLE ROCK -- With nearly 200,000 hours of volunteer service in 2010, the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture's Cooperative Extension Service has been recognized for the contributions of its employees and volunteers who are Master Gardeners, 4-H parents and mentors and Extension Homemakers Clubs members...

BERRYVILLE -- A bond refinancing package approved by the Berryville Board of Education Monday night is expected to save the district upwards of $329,000 over the life of the bond. Typically bonds are refinanced every seven years, explained Buster Beardsley, with First Security, bond counsel for the district. He said the full $329,000 in savings would be realized only if the district kept the bond for its full 25 years...

Between 2007 and 2010, the poverty rate for school-age children showed a statistically significant increase in about 20 percent of counties across the United States, according to U.S. Census Bureau estimates for income and poverty in 2010 for every county and school district...