Stories from Tuesday, December 8, 2015

OMAHA -- The Alpena Leopards gave the Berryville Bobcats all they wanted in the championship game of the Omaha Border Classic on Saturday, but the Bobcats found a way to win, 72-69. "Our guys are resilient," Berryville coach Brent Compton said. "They keep finding ways to win right now, and that's what counts."...

The Eureka Springs Highlanders have plenty of weapons offensively, but it was their defense that got the Highlanders a third-place trophy at the Decatur Holiday Hoops Tournament. In Friday's 52-28 victory against the Decatur Bulldogs, the Highlander defense only gave up 10 first-half points...

It was a rough weekend for the Green Forest Tigers, as they dropped a pair of games in less than 24 hours. TheTigers first traveled to Mountain View on Friday and lost 59-27. After the first quarter, the Yellowjackets led 20-1. "We just weren't ready to play," Green Forest coach Brandon Stone said. "They were making all of the hustle plays and we weren't."...

For Bonnie Hausman, Berryville Middle School's food drive means helping families a lot like hers. Hausman, an eighth-grader, recalled a time when her mom was temporarily unemployed. "Most of our food was coming from the food bank," Hausman said. "Now, we're in a better spot and it feels good to be part of the helping hand."...

Dr. John Nash is a numbers guy. After caring for thousands of patients, delivering more than 1,500 babies and dedicating 25 years to Mercy Hospital Berryville, the family physician is hanging up his stethoscope for good. Dr. Nash's journey didn't start in health care. Born in Arkansas, Dr. Nash grew up in Oregon...

Ending the night with a Seuss classic, the Green Forest Band performed its annual Christmas concert Thursday night. The high school band performed "Merry Gentlemen," "Faith of Our Fathers," "African Bell Carol" and "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch." The middle school band performed "A Christmas Trilogy," three themes from "The Nutcracker" and "Instant Christmas Concert."...

The long exposure on the camera amplifies the magic of the lights on the floats in Saturday night's Berryville Christmas parade. (Photo by David Bell/Carroll County News)

Students in the Eureka Springs High School Rotary Interact Club won't have to worry about purchasing new costumes for the club's holiday events this year. After the costumes were reportedly stolen in October, the club has replaced almost all of them with community donations. Joanie Kratzer, who works with the club, said donations came from the Eureka Springs Downtown Network, Holiday Island Rotary Club and students themselves...

Ernie Wright knew what it was like to be dirt poor. Growing up in Carroll County, Wright went to school in a one-room schoolhouse and considered dropping out when a bad crop season left his family in financial turmoil. It cost $8 to ride the bus to Berryville High School, but he didn't have that kind of money, according to his son Warren Wright. All he had was a calf. An administrator at the school wanted Wright to continue his education and paid his bus fare for the calf...

Mason Ashworth and his sister Annlee went to Breakfast with Santa on Saturday with their aunt, Jamie Casey, and appear to be a little suspicious about this guy with the red suit and white beard. The Berryville Parent Teacher Organization organizes the annual fundraising event, held in the Berryville Elementary cafeteria. (Photo by David Bell/Carroll County News)...

College was a bad time for me. The first two years were especially difficult. During this time, my boyfriend became increasingly more manipulative and eventually began controlling nearly every aspect of my life. He'd also point out how all my friends were in his circle, saying they didn't really like me. They thought I was crazy, he said...

Last week in this space, I wrote about the impending birth of my first grandchild. This week, I can proudly report that William Edward "Liam" Loftis came screaming into the world at 4:02 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 2, at Baptist Health Medical Center in North Little Rock...

Drew Howerton and Eryn Killingsworth, both of Berryville, were inducted into Harding University's chapter of the Alpha Chi Honor Society on Nov. 15. Alpha Chi is a nationally acclaimed honor society designed to commend academic excellence in universities across the nation. ...

The writing on this historic picture gives away the date of this picture of the depot at Alpena Pass, then not an incorporated town. The railroad that established the depot on the way to Harrison and eventually Helena was the St. Louis and North Arkansas Railroad. It became the Missouri and North Arkansas Railroad in 1906. Note the wooden buildings along the road, later replaced with stone buildings that still stand today. (Photo courtesy Carroll County Historical and Genealogical Society)...

Landry Weston, left, stands with Berryville High School's students and employee of the month for December. From left to right are Weston, employee Amanda Scitern, freshman Allison Wisdom, junior Luke Sugg, senior Jurnee Logan, sophomore Cody Clark and Cornerstone Bank's Theresa Wright. (Submitted photo)...