Stories from Friday, December 12, 2014

The Arkansas Forestry Commission gave grants to the Holiday Island Fire Department for its Firewise Program, which helps promote defensible zones around residents in their districts.

Two hikers climb the fire tower during the Holiday Island Hikers' trek through the fire tower trail on Monday, Dec. 8. Dan Kees, leader of the group, recalled the ease of the difficult trail. 'The weather was nice and the hike was good exercise, even with several breaks on the way up,' he said. (Submitted photo)...

When I was a sophomore in college, I roomed with my best friend in school. She was everything I wasn't: pretty, thin and confident. She could waltz into a party where she knew no one and leave an hour later with 10 new friends. I counted myself very lucky to be one of these friends...

The Oak Grove City Council recently approved the purchase of a thermal imaging camera for the city's fire department. According to a press release from the fire department, the camera can be used for several tasks: Search and rescue for victims inside a structure fire. The camera will allow crews to scan rooms inside a structure that are smoke-filled within seconds...

Community Blood Center of the Ozarks (CBCO) will hold a blood drive from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday, Dec. 19, at Eureka Springs Hospital. CBCO has issued a Code Yellow Alert for O-negative and B-negative blood types. There is currently less than a two-day supply of this type on hospital shelves and donations are needed immediately...

The 2015 Beaver Park Polar Plunge to benefit Special Olympics Arkansas will be held Jan. 24 at the Beaver Park Swim Area. Registration will begin at 10 a.m., with the plunge at 11 a.m. For more information, contact Donna Kilmer at 479-366-3216 or donna@SpecialOlympicsArkansas.org...

The Shady Grove Delmar Church and School near Delmar in Carroll County is among 11 Arkansas properties that recently were nominated to the National Register of Historic Places by the State Review Board of the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program. An AHPP press release describes the structure as a "circa 1880 vernacular one-room building with subtle Queen Anne-style details."...

This is the first year the Carroll County Senior Center has collected items for Toys for Tots, but it definitely won't be the last. According to Carla Mann, director of the center, the toy collection has been wildly successful. "We're definitely doing it next year," she said...

Sandy Wright wants Carroll County to wrap its arms around the survivors of domestic violence, and she hopes to accomplish this goal through the Carroll County Safety Network. Wright, who works as the advocate for various domestic violence shelters in the country, said the safety network will help those suffering in violent relationships find a way out. ...

The Carroll County Quorum Court's budget committee held a final meeting Monday afternoon, preparing to submit recommendations to the next meeting of the full quorum court. The committee has met almost weekly since early September. Justice of the Peace Jack Deaton, serving as committee chairman, summed up the committee's work as "successful" at the end of the meeting...

He may not have a black belt in karate, but Bruce Lee does have a green belt in agriculture. Recently brought on as the new Carroll County agriculture extension agent, Lee said he is excited to get back to Arkansas after years of teaching in Mississippi...

As people filed into the courtroom in October to hear whether Victor Acuna-Sanchez would be convicted of murdering Laura Aceves on New Year's Eve 2012, Linda Maiella, Barb Weems-Mourgila and Aceves' mother, Laura Ponce, took their seats on a front-row pew...

John and Sue Lowe of Oak Grove will celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary with a celebration Saturday, Dec. 20, at the Freewill Baptist Church. Sue Jones and John Lowe were married Dec. 23, 1989 at Silver Dollar City in Branson, Mo. The couple has three sons: Mark Lowe of Tulsa, Okla. and Chris and Kevin Lowe, both of Oak Grove...

Breakfast: Muffin, applesauce, juice and milk Lunch: Chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes and gravy, steamed carrots, tropical fruit, roll and milk or chicken nuggets or cold cut sandwich Breakfast: Egg omelet, sausage link, toast, juice and milk Lunch: Chicken quesadilla, tossed salad, green beans, diced pears and milk or BBQ rib sandwich or cold cut sandwich...

Hans Christian Andersen first told the now familiar story of an Emperor who spent all of his kingdom's disposable wealth on being well-dressed. He had a change of clothes for every hour of the day, and he spent more time in his dressing room than managing the affairs of his empire...

Dec. 5 Johnny Waco Sims, 34, Green Forest, was booked on hold for Harrison Police Department and Boone County. Dec. 6 William Corbett Alsip, 40, Berryville, was booked on failure to pay. Michael Anthony Delgado, 35, Green Forest, was booked on hold for another agency...

Berryville won its second dual meet of the year against Mountain Home, 42-36, on Thursday at Bobcat Arena, but almost let an early lead slip away. With Berryville leading 36-12 with only five matches remaining, things appeared to be going well for the Bobcats, but after Berryville lost four straight matches, the match was tied at 36...

While Tate Ferguson wasn't pleased with how the Berryville football season went, he was pleased with an individual accomplishment he had been working on throughout the year. Ferguson, a senior defensive end who also played quarterback and fullback for the Bobcats, was named to the 4A-1 All-Conference team...

Sometimes four quarters isn't enough to settle a basketball game. Most times, the first overtime settles the game. This wasn't the case when Mountain View beat Green Forest 63-61 in double-overtime Friday night in Green Forest. With 56 seconds remaining in regulation, Green Forest's Gavin Nelson made a deep three-pointer to cut what had been a four-point Mountain View lead to one at 45-44. ...

OMAHA -- While winning a third-place trophy might not seem like a major accomplishment, it can give a team in search of a confidence boost what it needs. Hopefully, that is what Berryville's 58-50 win over the Kingston Yellowjackets on Thursday will do for the Bobcats...