Stories from Friday, January 24, 2014

BERRYVILLE -- By a vote of three (Vonda Bailey, Lydia King and David Waller) to four (Todd Howard, Kristi Howerton, Jeff Miles and Sherri Plumlee), a motion to renew Superintendent Randy Byrd's contract for one year failed. "I'm upset by it," King told Carroll County News. "I think [the School Board] made a bad decision."...

CARROLL COUNTY -- The Oak Grove Fire Department was dispatched to the home of Gerald Youngblood, at 8854 Arkansas Highway 103 North, just south of Oak Grove, on Thursday morning around 11:30 for a structure fire. The Oak Grove Fire Department "batted a thousand" last year, responding to six house fires and saving all six from destruction, and 2014 started the same way, as the firefighters were able to save Youngblood's home...

GREEN FOREST -- The school board is awaiting a reply from the Collegiate Licensing Co. after submitting a standstill agreement regarding the use of the University of Missouri's trademarked tiger symbol. The agreement was submitted to the associate general counsel for the CLC, James Aronowitz, by the school board attorney, Charles Harwell, roughly three weeks ago. ...

EUREKA SPRINGS -- Save the Ozarks is hoping to bolster opposition to the Southwestern Electric Power Co. 345 kV transmission line plans and an order filed by Arkansas Public Service Commission Administrative Law Judge Connie Griffin giving the utility the go-ahead for the project...

CARROLL COUNTY -- The county hospitals have reported at least 23 confirmed cases of the flu since Dec. 1, 2013, and none of those cases have been type H1N1. The Eureka Springs Hospital has tested and confirmed five type A flu cases and one type B, but that is not an accurate look at how many people in the Eureka Springs area are being treated for flu symptoms, because many visit private clinics that are not affiliated with the hospital, said Angie Shaw, emergency room director. ...

EUREKA SPRINGS -- Eureka Springs Fire Chief Rhys Williams expressed concerns Tuesday to the Western Carroll County Ambulance District board over the Carroll County Quorum Court defunding the county's mapping and 911 coordination office in the 2014 budget...

David Vernon Bland, a resident of Holiday Island, AR, was born Jul. 3, 1953 in Eureka Springs, AR, a son of Vernon and Pauline (Terrill) Bland. He departed this life Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2014 in his home in Holiday Island, at the age of 60 years. David was a strong Christian and loved his friends and family. He liked being with people and enjoyed sports and the Razorbacks. He worked as an insurance agent and spent many seasons in many roles, including Director, at the Great Passion Play...

Lana Jean Booth, a resident of Berryville, AR, was born Apr. 7, 1944 in Point Lookout, MO, a daughter of Elmer Bruce and Elsie Nadine (Dodgen) Huffstutter. She departed this life Sunday, Jan. 19, 2014 in Berryville, AR, at the age of 69 years. She worked for the United States Postal Service for 22 years and retired as the Postmaster in St. ...

Wanda Paulette Wheatley, a resident of Green Forest, AR, was born Jul. 23, 1957 in York, SC, a daughter of Amos H. and Joy F. (Wright) Tallent. She departed this life Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2014 in her home in Green Forest, at the age of 56 years. She was a line worker for Tyson Foods...

CARROLL COUNTY -- Judge Sam Barr issued a burn ban on Thursday afternoon, in effect until further notice. Carroll is one of 32 counties under a burn ban, according to the Arkansas Forestry Commission. The National Weather Service placed a fire weather watch, effective Thursday at about 1 p.m., on its Tulsa, Okla., website for eastern Oklahoma and west central and northwest Arkansas. ...

"This is the first of what we hope will be monthly coffee socials," said Renee Allison with the Berryville Community Center. "[It's] for anyone, but aimed at seniors for fellowship and to let them know what's going on in the coming month. We'll also play silly games and such." The social will be held on the second Thursday of every month at 10:45 in the banquet hall. Above, Sharon Grimm, left, and Elaine Phillips avail themselves of the goodies provided by the center...

EAGLE ROCK, Mo. -- At age 4, she won $100 singing in a karaoke contest in West Virginia. At age 7, her family moved to South Carolina, and three years later, she won first runner-up at the annual Coastal Carolina Fair. And on July 20 of last year, Shelby Jo Taylor moved a step closer to claiming her dream of becoming a professional singer, with a recording contract and that goes with winning a show like NBC's "The Voice."...

MADISON COUNTY -- A Berryville man faces charges in both Carroll and Madison counties after law officials say he was arrested in connection with two break-ins at separate convenience stores, one of which was at Chana's Corner last month. According to Madison County Sheriff's Lt. Clay Rowland, Hector Alcantara, 43, confessed to burglarizing both stores after surveillance video captured his vehicle leaving the scene of a break-in at a store in Green Forest...

The following people were booked into the Carroll County Detention Center from Jan. 13 through 20 and charged with the following crimes, for which they have not yet been tried: Jan. 13 Elijah Chance Anglin, 27, Berryville, was booked for furnishing or possessing a prohibited article, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of a controlled substance, failure to pay registration fee and no liability insurance...

EUREKA SPRINGS -- Every Sunday, the community is provided a free meal at the St. James Episcopal Church. The meals are part of a community effort and come from various restaurants in town. Last week, the meal was provided by Myrtie Maes and followed by free entertainment by a talented group of local musicians, which included Ivan Thompson, a.k.a. ...

Years ago, when I served as a pastor in North Georgia, I had an afternoon off and decided to squeeze in a quick round of golf. There is a suspicion that pastors only work one day a week, so they can golf any time they like. Not so. The "one-day-a-week" work week is a vicious rumor propagated by disgruntled parishioners...

The Eureka Springs Youth Community Theater, which offers free classes on performance skills, is returning for its fourth season. Open to ages 11 through 18, the winter session will consist of eight free-standing workshops on consecutive Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. starting Feb. 1. No registration is required. Students can come to one or more session with no commitment, according to Doug Phillips, co-director...