Stories from Tuesday, January 13, 2015

Last winter, I lived in Batesville, a town about three hours away from Berryville. Winter weather was so bad there that my college canceled classes for roughly five days, a landmark for a school that prides itself on academia above all. (This apparently includes safety, as several people broke ankles and legs trying to walk to class on ice during my first couple years at the school.)...

HOLIDAY ISLAND -- The Holiday Island Suburban Improvement District Board of Commissioners voted 3-2 Thursday in a special meeting to raise all slip fees by $100 for the year 2015. The vote was a first step in raising rental fees closer to the rates charged by other area marinas...

"The purpose tonight is to start a dialogue. I'm not asking for anything but your input," Berryville School District Superintendent Dr. Phil Clark told an assembly of teachers, school board members, administrators, parents and community members last Thursday night...

Bookcases scatter across the empty gift shop at Mercy Hospital, placed on the half-removed carpet. A large open space separates two rooms, both covered in sawdust. According to Kristy Estrem, president of Mercy Hospital, construction workers cut that wall out just this morning. Estrem explained that the Mercy Hospital Auxiliary has been working with the foundation to expand the gift shop, doubling the space in size...

Julie Marie Emitt would like to announce the birth of her baby brother, Jase David Emitt. He is the son of Johnny and Jill Emitt. He was born at 7:55 a.m Dec. 1, 2014, at Willow Creek Women's Hospital in Johnson. He weighed 8 pounds, 15 ounces and was 21 inches long. His grandparents are Ronnie and Jannis Emitt of Marble, Terry and Colleen Mattox of Eureka Springs and Jerry and Pam Ogden of Witter...

Jennifer Hurst, Community Outreach Coordinator with Arkansas Children's Hospital, is back on the road again this year offering her "Healthy Habits" classroom presentations to elementary schools across the state. On Thursday, Jan. 29, Hurst will speak to third-grade students at Berryville Intermediate School. These health education presentations are designed to be a fun and effective way of introducing children to important health and wellness topics...

RUSSELLVILLE -- Several Carroll County students were named to the Dean's List for undergraduate students for the fall semester at Arkansas Tech University. A student must achieve a 3.5 grade point average or higher and complete at least 12 semester hours to be named to the Dean's List...

Kristi Kendrick and former Carroll County circuit judge Kent Crow have more than 60 years of combined legal experience with the formation of a new law firm in Carroll County. Kendrick & Crow is now offering legal services in Berryville and Eureka Springs and will focus on the areas of business law, wills, trusts, probate, real estate and bankruptcy. Other legal services also will be available...

The U.S. Forest Service's Ava/Cassville/Willow Springs Ranger District (ACWRD) will extend the period for public comments on its proposal for deforestation of more than 18,000 acres of the Mark Twain National Forest. The district also will host an "open house" regarding the proposal on Jan. 27 in Cassville, Mo...

Green Forest schools honored Kids with Character for the month of November. The word of the month was "courage."

EUREKA SPRINGS -- The Eureka Springs Highlanders defeated visiting Mountainburg 59-41 Tuesday night, but Highlanders Coach Brian Rambo said his team came out flat and didn't shoot well. "We got open look after open look after open look, and couldn't put it in the hole," Rambo said. "It was kind of frustrating."...

GREEN FOREST--The last time Green Forest faced Yellville-Summit, the Panthers took a big lead and the Tigers never really had a chance to win. On Tuesday, the Tigers suffered a more gradual -- but still painful -- loss. Yellville-Summit led by five points at halftime, by nine after three quarters and by 13 at the end of a 57-44 victory at the Fred Grimm Gym...

LINCOLN -- Down 25-4 minutes into the second quarter, the Berryville Lady Bobcats appeared to be facing a long night Tuesday against the Lincoln Lady Wolves. Instead, Aleksei Smith led the Lady Bobcats all the way back. Smith scored 26 points, and the Lady Bobcats erased the early deficit to defeat Lincoln 49-46...

JESS P. CARTER, a resident of Berryville, Arkansas, was born September 29, 1913 in Kingston, Arkansas, a son of Jim H. and Lillie Bell (Maxwell) Carter. He departed this life Sunday, January 11, 2015 in Berryville, at the age of 101 years. Jess worked as Hop Farm Manager and was of the Baptist faith. He and his wife Ova spent seventy-six years together working side by side farming. They loved spending time together bowling and quilting...