Stories from Friday, January 16, 2015

Since it was organized in 2003, the Holiday Island Rotary Club has contributed more than $100,000 to local and Rotary Foundation projects. The club has awarded scholarships totaling $52,600 to Eureka Springs High School seniors to assist them in continuing their education. ...

HOLIDAY ISLAND -- One of the last century's most iconic tomboys was lost to fans on New Year's Day. Donna Douglas, known to most as Elly May Clampett in the wildly popular TV show "The Beverly Hillbillies," died at the age of 82 in her home state of Louisiana...

After lengthy debate Tuesday night, the Berryville Planning and Zoning Commission voted 3-1 to approve a request to rezone 10.7 acres of undeveloped property east of Hailey Road from R-1 Residential to Manufactured Home Park. Representing the Phyllis Montgomery Trust, Steven Thrasher presented the request to the commission...

Two weeks into the new year, the Green Forest City Council is getting down to business. At its meeting Tuesday, the council approved the city's 2015 budget and passed several ordinances. The budget approved by the council totals approximately $8 million...

Save the Ozarks spent tens of thousands of dollars fighting the Southwestern Electric Power company's bid to build a high-voltage power line in Northwest Arkansas. STO emerged victorious when SWEPCO withdrew its application for regulatory approval for the project, but the volunteer organization now hopes to recoup some of the money it spent during the battle...

Eureka's new mayor, Butch Berry, wasted no time getting down to business during Monday night's city council meeting. Berry recited a proclamation designating April 3 Save the Ozarks Day, and asked Alderman Terry McClung to represent the council and retail merchants on the new Mayor's Task Force on Economic Development...

A runoff election will be held Feb. 10 to determine the winner of a special election for the District 16 seat in the Arkansas Senate. The district includes a small portion of Carroll County. In a special Republican primary election Tuesday, Greg Standridge received 2,123 votes (47.8 percent), while Stan Berry received 1,825 votes (41.1 percent) and Thomas Akin received 480 votes (11.0 percent). Standridge and Berry will be on the ballot in the runoff...

BERRYVILLE -- Tyson Foods Inc. gave a boost to the Carroll County Sheriff's Office on Wednesday. A donation of more than $21,000 from Tyson went toward the purchase of 22 Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) that will be placed in deputy sheriffs' patrol cars...

Zen Buddhists use a descriptive phrase that we who are Christian should adopt as our own. The phrase is "Idiot's Compassion." It was first used by Chogyam Trungpa, a provocative and controversial Tibetan who helped bring Buddhism to the West in the 1970s. According to Trungpa, "Idiot's Compassion" is this intense desire to help someone who is in need, but this benevolent desire blinds the do-gooder from seeing reality...

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

Jan. 8 Edward Lee Arnold, 28, Harrison, was booked on obstructing government operations, possession of an instrument of crime, driving on a suspended license, no proof of liability insurance, failure to regulate vehicle, criminal impersonation, no seat belt and failure to appear...

The Berryville wrestling team competed in the Fayetteville wrestling tournament this weekend. While Berryville wasn't among the top five teams, Garrett Record placed second in the individual standings. Rogers Heritage took first place in the team competition, followed by Tahlequah, Okla., and Springdale Har-ber...

FORT SMITH -- The Eureka Springs Highlanders defeated Union Christian Academy 62-53 Friday, despite missing their point guard. "We were without Mathew McClung," Eureka Springs Coach Brian Rambo said. "He has a broken hand and is out for the rest of the year and Jacob Holloway popped his kneecap out again. Hopefully he will be good to go on Friday."...

Being able to know your opponent is a good feeling. This is the case anytime Green Forest gets together with Mountain View. The current Yellowjackets coach, Jeff Morrow, was the basketball coach at Green Forest while current Tiger Coach Brandon Stone was in high school...

GRAVETTE -- Fouls hurt a team. Injuries deplete a team. This was the case in Berryville's 58-26 loss to Gravette Friday night. Forward Garrett Stone was called for his second foul two minutes into the first quarter, forcing Berryville Coach Brent Compton to sit him down for the rest of the first quarter. Berryville trailed 14-10 at the end of the first quarter without Stone on the court...

MOUNTAIN VIEW -- The Green Forest Tigers aren't used to winning conference games. But the Tigers broke through Friday night, beating the Mountain View Yellowjackets, 55-43. "It has been a long time coming," Green Forest Coach Brandon Stone said. "You can tell the boys really have some confidence now."...