Stories from Friday, January 11, 2013

GREEN FOREST -- Emily Pearson, 2, of Green Forest died last week after she was involved in a one-car crash at 7:16 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 9, in Carroll County, according to police reports. Arkansas State Police said the accident occurred when the vehicle in which the child was riding, a 2000 Chevrolet SUV driven by Wendie Pearson, 23, of Green Forest, failed to negotiate a left-hand curve north of Green Forest as it was traveling south on Highway 311, and left the roadway...

CARROLL COUNTY -- The integrity of several employees of the Carroll County Sheriff's Office is at the center of an investigation that led to Monday's raid of the county dispatch center, authorities have confirmed. Arkansas State Police seized equipment from the center, which is overseen by the sheriff, while executing a search warrant, State Police spokesman Bill Sadler said...

CARROLL COUNTY -- Medical professionals across the county and state have seen an increase in the flu virus over the past month, and state health officials are calling it the worst year of outbreak since at least 2009. A strain of the influenza virus, H3n2, is causing 98 percent of the flu viruses being reported throughout the state, according to a statement by the Arkansas Department of Health this week. ...

LITTLE ROCK -- Deputy Secretary of the Interior David J. Hayes on Wednesday announced that the White River, along with its watershed, has been named the nation's second National Blueway. Hayes was joined by U.S. Sen. Mark Pryor, Congressman Tim Griffin, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army Terrence "Rock" Salt, Deputy Undersecretary of Agriculture Ann Mills, as well as state, local, and conservation leaders at a ceremony in Little Rock to make the announcement...

GREEN FOREST -- The $7.6 million budget to be considered at Monday's City Council meeting assumes $220,000 worth of forthcoming increases to the city sales tax and water and sewer rates. Mayor Charles Reece has recommended increas-ing the rates by 3 percent and more than doubling the sales tax, from 1 to 2.25 percent. Neither proposal has yet been approved, though council members will consider both issues at Monday's meeting...

Come and celebrate Epiphany through songs of praise and worship led by the HICC Praise Band. Explore the ephiphanal question from Mark 8:29: "But who do you say that I am?" as we exalt the name of Jesus through our voices. The Community Praise Service is Sunday, Jan. 13 at 6 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall located at the Holiday Island Community Church, 188 Stateline Drive in Holiday Island. Refreshments provided...

Pastors Les and Elaine Robinson cordially invite the public to attend the first meeting of The Fellowship of Churches on Jan. 20 at 6 p.m. at Boyd Church in Oak Grove. Pastor Elbert Standlee, of Elm Tree Church in Lampe, Mo., will be the featured speaker...

Victory Tabernacle Church to host the Sherman Mountain Boys, Saturday, Jan. 19 at 7 p.m. The church is located 1 1/2 miles west of Green Forest on U.S. Highway 62. For more information contact Pastor Kris Villines at 870-743-3321.

Imagine that tomorrow morning I deposit into your bank account $86,400. This money is all yours to do with as you please, no strings attached. Now, not only am I going to deposit this amount into your account tomorrow, I'm going to do the same thing every day next week. That is a combined $604,800 that will be waiting for you...

It was a good day for the Good Shepherd Humane Society when the Berryville Doggie Thrift Shop moved into the old Brashears Barn in August 2011. The cavernous white barn with the squeaky wooden floors offered both the space needed to house large items such as furniture, and the homespun charm to attract a wide variety of shoppers...

BERRYVILLE -- A Berryville man accused of harboring a 16-year-old runaway girl from Oak Grove will appear in court for the first time Monday. Evan Pearson, 24, is scheduled to appear at 8:30 a.m. in Berryville Circuit Court. He has been charged with interference with Custody, a Class C felony, in connection with the Oct. 31 disappearance of Desiray Thibodeaux, of Oak Grove...

It's never too soon for most consumers to want to have their federal income tax refunds in hand. Some tax preparation services have accommodated by offering immediate cash in the form of short-term loans secured by a taxpayer's expected refund. The thought of quick cash is appealing, especially to financially strapped consumers. ...

BERRYVILLE -- The hearings that were to have taken place Wednesday in the matter of two Holiday Island lawsuits were postponed, as attorneys asked for continuance. Plaintiff and attorneys in the Bischoff v. HISID case did not come to court Wednesday morning; only the HISID attorney, Matt Bishop, and the district manager, Gerald Hartley, were present. Bishop said plaintiff's attorney Tim Hutchinson, did not understand that the hearing was scheduled for Wednesday...

The following people were booked into the Carroll County Detention Center from Jan. 3 to Jan. 10 and charged with the following crimes, for which they have not yet been tried: Jan. 3 Jared Austin Croom, 21, Harrison, was booked in for probation violation...

HOLIDAY ISLAND -- Holiday Island will hold its annual Board of Commissioners orientation meetings for three days next week, starting Monday. The annual orientation sessions, which involve visits to every department to hear reports from department heads, are set up to acquaint newly elected commissioners and reacquaint other board members with how the district is run. At that time, many department heads also discuss future planning requests with board members and the district manager...

BERRYVILLE -- The Carroll County Extension Service office will offer a Pesticide Applicator Training Workshop at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 31 at Cornerstone Bank in Berryville. Attending one of these training workshops is required by the Arkansas State Plant Board before you can obtain a private applicators' license. The certificate of training is good for five years...