Stories from Tuesday, July 4, 2017

HARRISON — “What do you want to be when you grow up?” is a question children are commonly asked. For a group of 16 high school junior and seniors from Boone, Carroll, Marion, Newton and Searcy counties, the answer is easy. They all plan to pursue healthcare occupations. Those students participated in the Medical Applications of Science for Health (MASH) program hosted by North Arkansas Regional Medical Center (NARMC) from June 12-23...

Ton Dees, president of the Holiday Island Development Corporation, announced on Tuesday that the Wolf Wellness and 24/7 Fitness Center is under construction. The wellness center’s owner and operator recently purchased an acre of land in a prime location along an Arkansas Scenic Highway at the Holiday Island Shopping Center. ...

The African Children’s Choir will be performing at the Central Community United Methodist Church in Shell Knob, Mo., at 7 p.m. Wednesday, July 12. Choir manager Tina Sipp said Music for Life (MFL), the parent organization for the African Children’s Choir, works in seven African countries: Uganda, Kenya,...

Last week, a Van Buren man rammed down a statue displaying the 10 Commandments at the Arkansas State Capitol building. I’ve read a lot of misinformation about this case, and I’m hoping to clear it up in this column. Let’s start with the facts. Michael Reed, a born-again Christian who calls himself a “Jesus freak” on his Facebook page, filmed himself driving into the monument and live-streamed it to social media. ...

The Eastern Carroll County Ambulance District commission held a lengthy workshop on Friday, June 30, to discuss soliciting bids for a consulting firm. Ultimately, the commission approved an advertisement for bids as written by secretary-treasurer Amy Leivan but decided not to proceed with soliciting bids until they check into whether doing so is required under state law...

The Berryville School Board discussed a possible salary increase or bonus for staff members at its meeting on Tuesday, June 27. Superintendent Owen Powell said the district has done a good job with its budget this year and has quite a bit of carryover. He said the carryover funds could be used for possible salary increases, bonuses or insurance possibilities for the district’s staff members and presented the board members with information on a few options...

A Missouri woman was killed Friday in a one-vehicle accident on U.S. Highway 62, just east of the Kings River Bridge. According to a preliminary report from Arkansas State Police Trooper Ronnie Boyd, a 2002 Chevrolet Trailblazer driven by Jessica Marie Koory, 29 of Golden, Mo., was westbound on the highway and negotiating a curve when the driver lost control. ...

Tyson Foods is not the only expansion underway in Green Forest. Superintendent Matt Summers said the Green Forest School District is preparing for rising enrollment numbers this school year. With the new 200,000-square-foot Tyson facility expected to add 85 jobs to the city, Summers said that more employees means more families in the school district...