Stories from Tuesday, January 21, 2014

BERRYVILLE -- Has anybody here seen my old friend Martin? The line from the song, about leaders who stood up for civil rights, is a rhetorical question. But Chuck McNeal can answer yes. McNeal is a Berryville chiropractor, but in 1968, he was a college freshman at Southwestern at Memphis, now Rhodes College. ...

CARROLL COUNTY -- Those who travel on U.S. Highway 62 between Green Forest and Alpena will be seeing some changes to the road in the next couple of years. The Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department plans to expand a segment starting just east of Carroll County Road 914 and heading west to Dry Creek -- approximately four miles -- from two lanes to five lanes...

LITTLE ROCK -- Late last Friday afternoon, Arkansas Public Service Commission Administrative Law Judge Connie Griffin filed Order No. 32, giving the Southwestern Electric Power Co. the go-ahead to construct a 345 kV transmission line from the Shipe Road station, in Benton County, to the proposed Kings River station, northwest of Berryville...

CARROLL COUNTY -- Around 11:30 this morning, officers from the Arkansas State Police and the Carroll County Sheriff's Office and EMS crews were called to a traffic accident on U.S. Highway 62 near Rock Crusher Hill, just east of Berryville. The collision is believed to have involved an 18-wheeler carrying lumber and a Mack truck...

LITTLE ROCK -- This morning, Arkansas Public Service Commission Administrative Law Judge Connie Griffin amended her previous order giving Southwestern Electric Power Co. the go-ahead to construct its 345 kV transmission line, making her preference for SWEPCO's Route 109 more clear...

Dr. Cheri, I've gone to the same hairdresser for years and have kept the same haircut all that time. Recently, while she was on vacation, I had a special event to go to and made an appointment with someone new. She cut and styled my hair in a new way and I received many compliments on it since...

Green Forest 5th and 6th graders won 3rd place in the recent Annual Ozarks Unlimited Resources Quiz Bowl Tournament. Members of the team were, front row, from left: Kassidy Walker, Ally Holsted, Elijah Coffey and Sam Holtkamp. Back row: Jacob McMahan, Todd Wellborn, Henry Holtkamp and Owen Cisco...

CARROLL COUNTY -- Applications for the Carroll County Community Foundation's Youth Advisory Committee grants are being accepted through Feb. 15. Organizations whose programs benefit youth and children in Carroll County are eligible to apply. YAC grants typically range from $100 to $1,000. This year's application can be downloaded at www.arcf.org/carrollcounty...

EUREKA SPRINGS -- Laura and Charlie Morrison of Morrison Architecture were on hand at the Eureka Springs School Board meeting Monday to present two awards won last year for design of the new Eureka Springs High School. In the summer, Morrison Architecture won second place for 2012 Project of the Year for Commercial Walls from ATAS International, Inc., for its use of red and grey metal finishing panels on the outside of the high school. This was a national trades award...

Students at Greg Bartlett's Black Belt Mastery Center in Eureka Springs awarded promotions last Thursday. Proficiency in the martial arts is recognized as a series of colored belts, from white to black, with degrees indicated by stripes. Back row, from left, Billy Hayes, green belt; instructor Greg Bartlett; Bob Moore, green belt. Front: Dustin Whittemore, 2nd degree brown belt; Joe Reece, 2nd degree black belt; Daniel Loghry, beginning white belt...

BERRYVILLE -- Ready for a little sunshine and ocean breeze? After several delays due to winter weather, the Berryville Jr. High Choir (students grades 7-9) are bringing the deep blue sea to Berryville Community Center on Monday and Tuesday, Jan. 27 and 28, at 7 p.m. "The Little Mermaid, Jr." will be presented to children young and old as Berryville vocal music students sing and dance their way into your heart...

SWEPCO is not wanted in Missouri. The ARMO project is dead in the water. This is what would need to happen in order to build the 345 kV transmission line: SWEPCO must apply for and be granted utility status in MO. SWEPCO must get its application for a 345 kV line and Route 109 approved in MO...

BERRYVILLE - The ongoing debate of whether the sheriff is going to charge for ACIC services may come to an end after the sheriff meets with the municipal police chiefs and mayors. Sheriff Bob Grudek had shared this information with the Justices of the Peace at the Quorum Court meeting on Friday. He described Green Forest Mayor Charles Reece as being the "hero" of the situation, because it was Reece who contacted the sheriff with the idea...

EUREKA SPRINGS -- The Eureka Springs Indie Film Festival is fast developing into a major production with the announcement of the Loretta Young Women in Film Award and screenings of "The Big Shootout," a documentary about a legendary 1969 Razorback football game. The film, which also documents the conflict on and off the field during the Vietnam and civil-rights era, will be introduced by director Mike Looney, who will field questions afterwards...

EUREKA SPRINGS -- The 10th annual Chocolate Lovers' Festival is scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 15 at the Inn of the Ozarks Convention Center. Held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., the festival features cake, cookie and candy making contests, cake decorating contests, chocolate dipping fountains, displays of the latest in gourmet chocolate treats and lots and lots of samples...

CARROLL COUNTY - The Airport Commission elected to provide the owner of Tri-State Airomotive with more time to further negotiate the terms of a lease at their last meeting, on Jan. 16. In 1984 Larkin Floyd, Tri-State owner, leased property from the airport for an approximate $10 annual payment. ...

As in the insurance commercial that features a guy taking care of his "baby," which in reality is a car, Buddy Patterson took advantage of last Saturday's great weather to wash his "baby," a 2002 Pontiac Trans Am he has dubbed "BlackZilla". The 2002 Trans Am was the final production year of the storied automobile...

Velma King, a resident of Berryville, AR, was born Aug. 20, 1920 in Galveston, TX, a daughter of George Will and Lola Katherine (Dyer) Anderson. She departed this life Thursday, Jan. 16, 2014 in Eureka Springs, at the age of 93 years. She worked as a homemaker. In 2012, she stepped into a personal relationship with Christ. For 33 years, she was a very supportive military wife. Her husband was in WWII, and served in the Korean and Vietnam Wars...

Sherry L. Perkins, a resident of Berryville, AR, was born Jan. 7, 1965 in Skiatook, OK, the daughter of Eddie Allen and Alice Emily (Lynch) Griggs. She departed this life Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2014 in Berryville, AR, at the age of 49 years. She was a member of the Church of the Nazarene and attended the Cowboy Church in Harrison, AR. ...

Eleanor Schneider, a resident of Tulsa, OK, was born Mar. 29, 1927 in Niles, CA, the daughter of Frank and Francis (Rogers) Silva. She departed this life Monday, Jan. 13, 2014 in Tulsa, OK, at the age of 86 years. She was a member of the First Methodist Church in Berryville...

Alan Scott Walker, 51, of Green Forest, AR passed away Monday, Jan. 13, 2014. Alan was born on Jun. 22, 1962 in Aurora, MO to Eldon and Sheila (Simmons) Walker. He attended Harrison Elementary School and Green Forest High School. On Feb. 18, 1992 he was united in marriage with Michelle (Sutton) Walker...

GREENLAND -- Green Forest suffered a 59-17 loss to Greenland Friday night. But the loss on the floor was minuscule compared to the loss off the court. Two Lady Tigers were hit with the news that a parent has passed away over the weekend, freshman Josie Walker and eighth-grader America Martinez. Walker's father passed away on Sunday. Martinez lost her mother on Tuesday...

GREENLAND -- Jordyn Mullins had the hot hand early, finished strong and led Green Forest to its first 1-3A Conference victory of the season with a 51-39 win over Greenland Friday night at Fred Grim Gym. Mullins scored a season-high 21 points, including three 3-pointers in the opening frame as the Tigers (3-11, 1-2) finally got over the hump after suffering two close conference losses since returning from the holiday break...

EUREKA SPRINGS -- There are no records on the Arkansas Activities Association books denoting the number of fouls and free throw attempts in a single game. But Friday's homecoming affair at Highlander Arena between Eureka Springs and Decatur would almost assuredly be on the list if it did exist...

BERRYVILLE -- Berryville improved to 13-5 overall and 4-2 in 1-4A Conference with a 38-34 win over Gentry Friday evening at Bobcat Arena, keeping the Lady Bobcats in contention for a league title mid-way through the conference slate. The Lady Cats overcame a five-point deficit with three and a half minutes left in regulation to secure the win against the Lady Pioneers, who did everything they could to slow the pace of play...

BERRYVILLE -- Austin Carr scored his 1,000th career point Friday night, helping lead Berryville to a 59-36 win over Gentry. Carr needed 10 points entering the affair. He scored nine in the first half as the Bobcats (8-8, 2-4 in 1-4A Conference) jumped out to an 11-5 lead in the initial period and led 29-14 at the recess...

EUREKA SPRINGS -- Hayden Mayfield scored 13 points, Taylor Little added 10 and Eureka Springs beat Decatur 42-32 in front of Friday's homecoming crowd at Highlander Arena. After the boys suffered a loss in the first varsity game of the night, the Lady Highlanders gave the home crowd something to cheer about, winning their first 4-2A West Conference game of the season...