Stories from Tuesday, February 28, 2017

Love was not the only thing in the air this February. Many cases of influenza, mumps, pertussis and other diseases have been reported throughout Carroll County this winter. The different outbreaks have been an obstacle for local schools in particular, resulting in several absences from students and staff alike...

A New York man pleaded guilty Friday to two counts of negligent homicide in the deaths of an Oklahoma couple in a traffic accident last June on Highway 62 west of Eureka Springs. David Charles Raupers, 64, of Van Etten. N.Y., also pleaded guilty to four counts of aggravated assault as well as single counts of driving while intoxicated and driving left of center. He entered the pleas before Carroll County Circuit Judge Scott Jackson...

The Berryville School District is one step closer to making its plans for a new high school a reality. Superintendent Owen Powell said that one of the most important parts of completing a successful building project is hiring the right architect and construction manager for the job. After last week, he said the first piece of the puzzle is in place...

Sometimes the best way to learn is to teach others. That has been one of the goals of the BookCats reading program. High school students from Laura Hudgens’ drama class have been visiting Berryville Elementary School once a month to read to the students. Hudgens said elementary principal Kelly Swofford approached her with the idea. While the BookCats program helps elementary students with literacy, Hudgens said it helps her high school drama students practice performing in front of others...

Working in the public eye has its perks. You get to know tons of different people, some who share your views and some who don’t. Either way, you come to understand the world a little bit more. You might also get recognized at the grocery store, which is an experience I can’t seem to get used to...

The Carroll County Quorum Court was in an agreeable spirit Monday night, breezing through its agenda in less than a half hour without a single dissenting vote. The 11 justices of the peace voted unanimously to approve several resolutions and ordinances, including a late addition that was approved at the request of County Judge Sam Barr...

Cast and crew registration for the 2017 season of The Great Passion Play in Eureka Springs will be held Sunday, March 12, on the grounds of The Great Passion Play. Those interested in being a member of this year’s cast may apply between 2 p.m. and 3:30 p.m...

For those who saw suspicious smoke near Leatherwood Bridge this weekend, Eureka Springs Fire Chief Nick Samac has a comforting message. The smoke was the result of a controlled burn. Samac said the fire department was aware of the controlled burn, saying the property owner contacted Inspiration Point’s fire chief about the burn. When ESFD was informed of the controlled burn, Samac said, there was a bit of confusion...

On Friday March 10, the Holiday Island Rotary will view photos and hear a program presented by Tom Koob about the history about the Holiday Island and Beaver area as well as the White River and Table Rock Lake. Koob has written articles for the Kansas City Star, Bassmaster magazine and Ozark Hills and Hollows. ...

WEST FORK — Great teams find ways to win games and that is what the Berryville Lady Bobcats are doing best heading into the state tournament this week. After defeating Pottsville on Friday to get to the regional championship game on Saturday, Berryville defeated Ozark, 53-47 to claim the regional title...

The Anstaff Bank Baseball Tournament starts on Thursday. Berryville and Green Forest will co-host the event. Teams from Valley Springs, Pea Ridge, Lead Hill and Alpena will be in attendance. There is a 90-minute time limit for each game and each at bat starts with a 2-1 count...

The closer a team gets to the state tournament, the more pressure the team faces. That very well could have been the case on Wednesday evening when the top-seeded Berryville Lady Bobcats defeated Dardanelle 43-36 in the first round of the regional tournament to advance to the state tournament next week...

The weather makes it feel like baseball season, so it's a good thing baseball season has finally come for the Berryville Bobcats and Green Forest Tigers. Berryville coach David Broseus feels confident as the season begins next week. "I am returning a lot of experience," Broseus said. "More experience than we have the last two seasons. We have four seniors and most of those guys have had significant playing time."...

The Green Forest basketball season came to an end last week, but coaches Brandon Stone and Kyle Farrar were very pleased with the effort each team played with throughout the season. "Sometimes it's easy to quit, but these guys never did," Stone said. "They kept battling when things weren't going their way, no matter what. You can always walk away with your head held high."...