Stories from Tuesday, December 6, 2016

Filing a claim with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) can be like trying to speak a foreign language, but luckily Carroll County has an interpreter. Alex Brown has served as the Carroll County Veterans Service Officer since spring of this year, moving into the office at the Carroll County Eastern District Courthouse in Berryville. ...

Time is running out for people to sign up for Berryville's rural water project. Mayor Tim McKinney said the opportunity to sign up for rural water service will not be available much longer. He said the city has to have plans ready by July 2017 in order to begin the design phase, so it will have to cut off water signups sometime after January...

Two men were arrested early Monday after deputies with the Carroll County Sheriff's Office interrupted an alleged burglary in progress on the western side of the county. A news release issued Monday afternoon by the sheriff's office says deputies were acting on a tip when they intervened in the alleged burglary on Highway 187 near the Beaver Dam. ...

Santa Claus came to town ... in fact he came to Berryville, Eureka Springs and Green Forest over the weekend in the three towns' parades Friday and Saturday. There were two night-time parades and one in the daytime. So, the Christmas season has officially kicked off in the county. (Photo by David Bell/Carroll County News)...

EUREKA SPRINGS -- The Berryville fifth-grade choir made its holiday debut on Monday at the Crescent Hotel. Led by music teacher Benjamin Winn, the fifth-graders sang "My Favorite Things," "Carol of the Bells," "White Christmas," "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch" and "Cartoon Christmas" for the 1886 Crescent Hotel's Winterfest at the Crescent event...

Two years ago, Gideon and I were getting ready to go shopping in Rogers. His paternal grandmother had given us a $100 gift card to Kohl's a few months earlier, and we had just gotten around to using it. We didn't leave Eureka Springs too often. It was a treat to go out of town and shop, especially since we weren't using our own money...

A popular joke that I've seen over the past several months goes something like this: I possess a device, small enough to hold in one hand, that gives me access to all the knowledge of human history. I use it to watch cat videos and argue with strangers on the Internet...

John Cross -- Eureka Springs businessman, historian and promoter of 'the town that water built' -- is hard at work on the annual Cornerstone Eureka Springs calendar. Here he looks at a page proof ahead of the calendar's publication. This year's theme is 'Pioneer Women,' featuring the industrious, strong-willed women who helped settle the area. (Photo by David Bell/Carroll County News)...

The purple ribbon flutters as Donnita Gerster and bank president Deretha Walker apply the scissors at the Grand Renaming Ceremony of Equity Bank in Berryville. Holding the ribbon from left to right are Berryville Chamber of Commerce president Carla Mann, Nicki Writer, Gerster, Deretha Walker, Dustin Walker and chamber executive director Chris Claybaker. (Photo by David Bell/Carroll County News)...

Emma Joy Armer was born into this world on December 4, 2016 at 9:29 a.m. at North Arkansas Regional Medical Center in Harrison, AR. She was 4lbs. 2 oz. and 17 inches long. After 27 precious minutes in the arms of her mama and daddy, she made her way into the arms of Jesus at 9:56 a.m...

Phillip Ray Nunn, age 63, of Berryville, Ark. passed away Sunday, Dec. 4, 2016. He was born Aug. 25, 1953 in Ft. Smith, Ark., son of Raymond and Erma (Rogers) Nunn. On Sept. 14, 2014 he was united in marriage with Sheyla (Lugenbell) Nunn. Phillip proudly served his country in the U.S. ...

The Green Forest Tigers didn't have the kind of season they were hoping for, but nine football players were awarded for their accomplishments on the field this year. Brock Gilliam, Creel Roberts and Cory Bryant each received all-conference honors, while Thomas McKenzie, Jason Vasquez, Kyle Allen, Jose Hernandez, Bristol Bishop and Rhett Powell were all selected as honorable mentions...

The Berryville Bobcats are in a fight with the injury bug, but they aren't making any excuses for it. In Saturday's third-place game of the Omaha Border Classic against Blue Eye (Mo), the Bobcats were without starters Zach Webb and Luke Sugg, but still came away with a 45-39 victory...

It was a tough night for the Green Forest Tigers, as they lost the fifth-place game of the Omaha Border Classic 48-39 to Lead Hill on Saturday. Green Forest raced out to an early 9-5 lead and led 18-15 at halftime. Lead Hill made a 17-9 run in the third quarter, however, and led 32-27 as the fourth quarter began...

Berryville's first conference game of the year didn't go according to plan, as Berryville suffered a 53-42 loss on Tuesday at Marshall. Coach Brent Compton said he was proud of the defensive effort his team showed, but added that Berryville was never able to get in a rhythm offensively...

OMAHA -- Green Forest was facing off against Kingston for the second time in 24 hours on Wednesday at the Omaha Border Classic. After coming from behind the night before, the Tigers hung on to win on Wednesday evening, 78-74. "Kingston plays so hard, it's just hard to put them away," Green Forest coach Brandon Stone said. "They hit shots and would get back in the game, but luckily we had three or four guys knocking down shots. I was proud of our guys for hanging in there."...

The Green Forest Lady Tigers have had trouble finding ways to win close games all year long. It wasn't easy, but Green Forest won a close game in overtime on Wednesday against Lead Hill, 51-46 in the Omaha Border Classic. A Kelsey Phillips jump shot tied the game at 39 with 1:03 remaining in regulation. ...

It's difficult to win games when you turn the ball over. Eureka Springs discovered this Wednesday night in a 53-52 loss to Mulberry in the Decatur Tournament. With Eureka Springs leading 33-24 going into the third quarter, it seemed like the Highlanders had everything under control, but a string of turnovers led to the Yellow Jackets holding a 41-40 lead going into the fourth quarter...

David Leslie Henderson was born in Memphis, Tenn. on Oct. 11, 1940 and passed away at the age of 76 on Saturday, Dec. 3, 2016 in Berryville with his family by his side. As a child, David lived in Parkin, Ark., where he played in the fields with his brothers while his dad worked as a sharecropper, the family finally settled in Fenton, Mo. in 1954...

JAMES MICHAEL McENANEY, a resident of Fayetteville, Arkansas was born May 19, 1985 in Fort Knox, Kentucky, son of Donald McEnaney and Susan Summers. He departed this life Friday, December 2, 2016 at the age of 31 years. He is survived by his mother and step-father, Susan Summers and Kevin Wolfinbarger of Berryville, Arkansas; father and step-mother, Donald and Renee McEnaney of Florida; brother, Christopher McEnaney and fiancé, Shelby of Clarksville, Arkansas; brother Nathan Carrico of Fayetteville, Arkansas; grandmother, Mary Sue Summers of Berryville, Arkansas; two step-sisters, Joey Renee Dalusio and Jeanine Dalusio of Florida; niece, Lucinda Rose McEnaney of Clarksville, Arkansas; two step-nieces, Autumn and Olivia Dalusio of Florida and many relatives and friends.. ...

James (Jim) Youngblood, age 87, of Osage, Ark. passed away peacefully in his home on Dec. 3, 2016. He was born in Wayton, Ark. on Jan. 2, 1929, son of Earnie Ambrose and Francis Elizabeth Farmer Youngblood. Jim attended Osage Baptist Church and loved to fellowship with the folks there. Jim was married to the love of his life, Margie, on May 15, 1951...