Stories from Tuesday, December 25, 2012

GREEN FOREST -- A federal hate-crime case against two Green Forest men again hauled the city of Green Forest into the national limelight this year -- prompting it to be selected as Carroll County's No. 1 crime-related story of the 2012. The U.S. Supreme Court denied Frankie Maybee's petition for a writ of certiorari on Oct. 29 -- ending the two year-saga that began when Maybee and two others ran a car from Highway 412 and seriously injured the five Hispanic men inside...

OSAGE -- The No. 2 crime story in Carroll County in 2012 didn't start out as a crime story at all; it began as a Mother Nature story, or so everyone thought. It ended with an Osage-area resident being charged with setting the fire by burning trash, authorities said...

EUREKA SPRINGS -- The case of an arson and theft that led to the arrest of an alleged kingpin of an arson and theft ring was selected by Carroll County News as the No. 3 crime story of the year. Though the initial crimes occurred in late 2011, it was in early January that two suspects were arrested, and shortly after, authorities' investigation led them to additional crimes and resulting charges...

OSAGE -- The No. 4 crime-related story of 2012 in Carroll County is a new twist on a case that first began in 2010, when a soda-can bomb was discovered inside an Osage church that was doubling as a polling site. Previously, two men had been charged with less serious weapons-related offenses in connection with the bomb scare, but the Federal Bureau of Investigation apparently decided it did not have behind bars the mastermind of the incident. ...

CARROLL COUNTY -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service is now accepting applications to help producers improve water and air quality, build healthier soil, improve grazing and forest lands, conserve energy, enhance organic operations, and achieve other environmental benefits...

Today's edition is the first of three year-end editions in which we reflect on the past 12 months, hopefully finding news that not only tells us where we've been and what we've endured, but also encouraging news and events from which we can learn and move ahead, improving our communities and local governments...

This letter is just to "Lift God Up!" and ask the public to please do the same. We should be proud of the few students who, when told they were going to watch a "Harry Potter" movie in school, stood up and stated that they shouldn't watch this movie, which contained "witchcraft" and "sorcery." These few students were told they didn't have to watch the movie, but would have to sit in the cold hallway and read a book while the others watched the movie...

In the aftermath of the horrendous massacre in Newtown, Conn., last week, something seems amiss. Certainly, our prayers go out to all involved. Certainly, our hearts ache for you and we weep for you, the dead and alive, the young and old. We, all of us, are left with deep wounds and scars emblazoned on our hearts and minds. ...

Have you ever wondered how our food affects our pets? Our friends at Hill's Pet Nutrition have developed caloric equivalents for food intake, pets versus humans. These are some great eye-opening facts. If a 20-pound dog ate one small oatmeal cookie it would be equal to one hamburger or one entire chocolate bar for a person...

EUREKA SPRINGS -- Eureka Springs withstood a late Mountainburg rally Friday night as the Highlanders doused the Dragons 67-56 in the final game at the old high school gymnasium. A packed house watched as the final buzzer sounded, setting off a celebration on the floor as a group of men who played in the first games at the facility turned out the lights for the last time...

GREEN FOREST -- Since taking over the soccer program during the 2004-05 season, Juan Zuazua has built a tradition of taking the Tigers to the post-season. Last year was no different as Green Forest advanced to the playoffs for the seventh straight year...

BERRYVILLE -- Berryville junior running back Ethan Chapin delivered a career performance for the Bobcats in this year's game for the Carroll County Cup. Chapin rushed 30 times for 200 yards and two scores and caught a touchdown pass to lead the Cats to a 21-16 win over Green Forest in the annual Carroll County Super Bowl, breaking an 11-game losing skid in the process...

GREEN FOREST -- When Jay Martin took over the Green Forest girl's track program nine years ago, he inherited a program that had been a mere blip on the radar screen. Seven conference titles later, the Lady Tigers are center screen, the target of other programs around the state...

BERRYVILLE -- Oliver Perez went into the Class 4A state cross country meet in Hot Springs as a virtual unknown. He will have a target on his back when runners across the state line up for next year's meet. Just a freshman, Perez blistered the 5K track at Oaklawn Park in mid-November, finishing in third place overall with a time of 17:24.9 to help the Bobcats claim a fifth-place overall finish...

EUREKA SPRINGS -- Eureka Springs coach Nolan Helder has established a tradition in the Highlander basketball program. The fifth-year coach guided the Highlanders to a 28-11 record last year, ending in the Class 2A state playoffs, capping a season where all three Carroll County schools had a team participating in the season finale for the first time in history...

BERRYVILLE -- Berryville basketball coach Brent Compton guided the Bobcats to its sixth state tournament appearance last year as the Bobcats finished 20-11 after being eliminated by McGehee in the first round of state in Pine Bluff. The early exit only created more desire for Compton and the Cats this year as McGehee outlasted Berryville in double overtime...

GREENLAND -- The Berryville Lady Bobcats had been knocking on the door all season, waiting to pick up that signature win to prove they had arrived at a higher level of competition than the team that garnered just eight wins last year. The Lady Cats opened that door Friday night and busted in with a 49-45 win over Class 3A defending state champion Greenland on the Lady Pirates' home floor...

GREEN FOREST -- Green Forest girls basketball coach Kyle Farrar grimaces when he talks about the Lady Tigers' run at a state championship last year. Green Forest dropped a disappointing overtime loss to Greenland in the Class 3A title game at Summit Arena in Hot Springs. The Lady Tigers led with 25 seconds left in regulation but couldn't finish the dea, finishing the season 28-8...