Stories from Tuesday, December 23, 2014

The Carroll County Quorum Court unanimously approved the county's 2015 budget on Friday. The budget projects 2015 total revenues of $12.9 million and total expenditures of $10.8 million. The budget includes raises of 50 cents an hour for county employees. Outgoing Justice of the Peace Ron Flake, who was attending his last Quorum Court meeting, urged the remaining JPs to develop a system for awarding merit raises to deserving county employees...

A homeless veteran wandered into the ECHO Clinic and Thrift Store in November, searching for inexpensive clothing. Clinic manager Janet Arnett believes he left with hope. The man, Arnett explained, was informed about the annual Thanksgiving dinner put on by the clinic and Flint Street Fellowship. She spoke with him again at the dinner a week later, where she said he expressed gratitude...

The suspect arrested in connection with the Dec. 3 robbery of an Anstaff Bank branch in Berryville and an attempted robbery at a bank in Missouri was arraigned Dec. 9 at the Stone County Courthouse in Galena, Mo. According to Cherrie Daugherty, with the Stone County Prosecutor's Office, 42-year-old Gerald Helcher of Kimberling City, Mo. will make his next court appearance 9 a.m. Jan. 6. Daugherty said Helcher is being held at the Stone County Jail in Galena on a $150,000 cash bond...

Berryville Intermediate School Principal Lisa Geren has worked in education for 27 years, but this is the first time in her career she's seen an administration openly celebrate Christmas. Geren, who began working in Berryville this June, recalled the Christmas celebration during the last week of school before Christmas break...

Dear Saint Nicholas, Hi! How are your reindeer? Please, can I have an electric guitar, Hot Wheels and toy tractor? Please can you get my mom a ring? I was a bad kid. Can you give me toys? Ho ho ho! I love you! XOXO Asher Dear Kris Kringle, Hi! How is Rudolph? I would love a trampoline and Hot Wheels and pop gun...

Dear Santa, Maybe I'm too old to be doing this, but if Madonna can borrow her teenage daughter's clothing at 50, I can certainly write a letter to Santa at 23. This past year has been wonderful; I began dating an incredible person, graduated from college, got my first real job and have been slowly learning about managing fiscal and personal responsibilities...

BERRYVILLE -- Everyone's heard of the basketball game "21." Basically, the first player to get to 21 points wins. Unfortunately for the Berryville Bobcats, it's hard to win a high school basketball game with 21 points. The Bobcats learned that the hard way Tuesday, losing their 4A-1 conference opener to Shiloh Christian 37-21 at Bobcat Arena...

The Berryville wrestling team scored the most points and won the most matches in Tuesday's dual meet against Mountain Home, but because Berryville had to forfeit two of its matches, Mountain Home won, 42-33. "One of our kids didn't make weight and the other one was just a fill-in because another kid was injured," Berryville Coach Seth Record said...

The Green Forest basketball team is enjoying a six-day break before a very important game Friday. The Tigers (2-9, 0-6 3A-1) have yet to win a conference game, but will have one more chance Friday night against Cotter, before the Christmas break starts...

When an individual outscores an entire team in one half of play, the game likely didn't end well for one of the two teams involved. This was the case Tuesday night when Reggie Sanchez from Eureka Springs outscored Magazine 27-22 in the second half of play. Sanchez finished with 37 points as the Highlanders went on to win, 66-48...