Stories from Friday, February 14, 2014

EUREKA SPRINGS -- For the second year in a row, Ashlynn Lockhart bested another Academy of Excellence student, Sam Harris, to win the Carroll County Spelling Bee. The Academy, which operates out of Faith Family Christian Church in Eureka, hosted this year's contest on Jan. 30. The two Academy students were the last standing after eight or nine rounds, then they went head-to-head until Harris stumbled on "bruin" and Ashlynn correctly spelled "retrospective."...

BERRYVILLE -- The School Board met on Tuesday night for one reason: to hire Omaha-based executive recruitment firm McPherson and Jacobson LLC, also known as Mac & Jake, to assist with the search for a new superintendent. This decision was made following a presentation given by Dr. Diana Julian, a consultant for Mac & Jake and former superintendent with the Benton and Bryant school districts, to the Berryville School Board on Jan. 28...

BERRYVILLE -- Mercy Health Foundation Berryville is getting ready for one of its biggest fundraisers of the year. Each year, the foundation chooses a specific piece of equipment to raise funds for at the annual Black and White Charity Ball, now in its 11th year...

My wife loves a garage sale. She also loves flea markets, thrift stores, junk shops, consignment exchanges, bazaars and most any place she can find a bargain. She calls these adventures into the land of trading posts "treasure hunts," and she approaches these forays like a zealous prospector digging for gold. ...

EUREKA SPRINGS -- Did you know Eureka Springs has a "sound"? Well, it's turned out that way, some would say. A major player of that Eureka Springs sound is Springbilly, one of seven acts performing at this Saturday's Third Annual Mid-Winter Hometown Jam, hosted by the Chamber of Commerce and held at The Auditorium...

GREEN FOREST -- On Monday morning, Green Forest Public Works employees repaired a broken water main line ruptured at the corner of Arch Avenue and U.S. Highway 62. "As long as we can keep pressure on the line [and still make repairs], we won't have to issue a boil order," Public Works employee Rowdy Lambert said...

BERRYVILLE -- Officers from the Arkansas State Police and the Carroll County Sheriff's Office and emergency medical service crews were called to a traffic accident on U.S. Highway 62 near Rock Crusher Hill, just east of Berryville around 11 a.m. on Jan. 21...

GREEN FOREST -- "Valentine's Day, Mother's Day and funerals keep us open," said Mary Kuster, owner of Flora Craft Flowers and Gifts in Green Forest. "You don't know how thankful I am that the weather [went] east of us," she added with a big smile. Here she is putting the finishing touches on a dozen red roses. "Red is the most popular color of roses," she said...

HOLIDAY ISLAND -- Deputies from the Carroll County Sheriff's Office were dispatched on Feb. 6 to the scene of an accident where a sledding young woman slid under a vehicle. The driver was James Cope and the sledding woman was Miranda Hudson. Cope said he was stopped when Hudson slid under his vehicle...

BERRYVILLE -- Teachers, police, firemen and retirees pored over maps and compasses under the harsh florescent lighting of the Berryville Fire Department as they discussed the different techniques for reading and using maps on Wednesday night. These people sacrificed their weeknight to brush up on some of the basic skills that are necessary for a member of the Carroll County search and rescue team, also known as Carroll County Special Operations and Rescue Team (CCSORT)...

BERRYVILLE -- Berryville lost it's second straight game in the final minute with a 45-41 setback to Prairie Grove Tuesday night at Bobcat Arena, leveling the Lady Cats record to 6-6 in 1-4A Conference. Britni Smith led the Lady Cats with 14 points, Aleksei Smith added eight and Sara Johnson finished with seven as Berryville fell to 16-9 overall...

BERRYVILLE -- Berryville took a lead into the final three minutes of the game but couldn't hold on to the advantage, dropping a 53-50 decision to Prairie Grove Tuesday night at Bobcat Arena. With the loss, the Bobcats fell to 9-14 overall and 3-10 in 1-4A Conference with Friday's league outing at Gentry being the final regular-season game...

DECATUR -- Entering Tuesday's 2-4A West Conference game at Decatur, Eureka Springs had lost four of its past five outings. Decatur had won eight of nine. Decatur had also recorded an overtime win over Eureka Springs at Highlander Arena the last time the two met, adding fuel to the fire between the two teams that were poised to finish at or near the top of the league...

DECATUR -- Samantha Mueller scored a season-high 12 points, Hayden Mayfield added eight to assure Eureka Springs of not finishing at the bottom of the 2-4A West Conference with a 30-26 win at Decatur Tuesday night. The Lady Highlanders have two league outing left on the schedule before playing in next week's 2-4A West Conference Tournament at Highlander Arena. Eureka Springs hosts Hartford Friday night and travels to Union Christian Academy on Saturday...

BERRYVILLE -- First-year Berryville wrestling coach Tye Roberts has seen his younger brother, Garrett Record, perform in a state meet. But it hasn't been in the same capacity he will experience this year's event. Roberts was coaching at Russellville last year as Record advanced to state, finishing sixth as a freshman. Roberts was in the stands cheering for his brother. This year, he will be in Record's corner...