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‘The city hit a home run’
Lee returns to Berryville as chamber director (4/13/21)Berryville native Dean Lee was officially introduced as the new executive director of the Greater Berryville Area Chamber of Commerce during a reception Tuesday, April 6, at the Berryville Community Center. It almost didn’t happen. According to Berryville Economic Development director Chris Claybaker, who served on the search committee for a new director, Lee’s application was nearly dismissed out of hand... -
State goes four days without virus death (4/13/21)Monday’s report from the Arkansas Department of Health regarding the COVID-19 pandemic contained a dose of good news for state residents. As of Monday morning, no new deaths related to the novel coronavirus had been reported in the previous four days, holding steady at 5,661... -
Affadavit: Suspect confirmed involvement in 2018 Alvard slaying (4/13/21)One of the three men arrested earlier this year in the 2018 murder of Christopher Alvard in his home near Eureka Springs confirmed to investigators that all three were involved in Alvard’s death, according to a probable-cause affidavit. Joshua Lloyd Anderson, Charles Ky Hanna and Jason Hartley Helm, all of Berryville, were arrested on Feb. 8 — the three-year anniversary of Alvard’s slaying... -
Defendants’ attorney seeks emergency hearing in suit against CAPC (4/13/21)An emergency hearing has been scheduled for April 23 in a lawsuit involving the Eureka Springs City Advertising and Promotion Commission. The hearing scheduled for 1 p.m. Friday, April 23, at the Carroll County Western District Courthouse in Eureka Springs will focus on questions regarding the removal of Greg Moon from the CAPC... -
Berryville council approves requests for one-man band, Pioneer Days (4/13/21)The Berryville City Council held an abbreviated meeting last week, giving approval to a pair of requests to make use of the city’s downtown square. The first, from Gary Gunn, requested permission to perform as a one-man band, using music to “talk about Jesus.” The time requested for these events was each Saturday through the fall, for two hours after the Farmer’s Market, with the expectation that they not interfere with any other events or city functions... -
Proceeds from $18 assessment fee are topic for May 10 Pulaski County hearing (4/13/21)The controversial $18 assessment that appeared on property tax bills for landowners in six north Arkansas counties beginning in 2018 is no longer being collected, but the legal battle isn’t over. More than $2 million was collected from landowners in Carroll, Baxter, Boone, Marion, Newton and Searcy counties in 2018 and 2019 before a series of class-action lawsuits filed by Fayetteville attorneys Matt Bishop and Wendy Howerton resulted in judges declaring the fee illegal...
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YAC grants to be awarded at April 19 Grant Parade (4/13/21)Carroll County Community Foundation, an affiliate of Arkansas Community Foundation, will award its Youth Advisory Council (YAC) Giving Tree Grants during a socially distanced Grant Parade beginning at 5:30 p.m. Monday, April 19, at the Berryville City Park by the pool...
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Eureka Springs hospital board searching for CFO (4/13/21)The Eureka Springs Hospital is seeking an independent contractor to serve as its new chief financial officer (CFO). At a special called meeting on Monday, April 5, commissioner Kent Turner moved to begin the procurement process to acquire an independent contractor as a virtual CFO. Turner said the contractor must have experience with Medicare, Medicaid and medical cost reporting. The commission voted unanimously to approve the motion... -
Pet of the Week: Harry Katter (4/13/21)This week’s Pet of the Week is a long-term foster kitty. -
Donate to Berryville Library through AmazonSmile (4/13/21)You can give back to the Berryville Public Library by registering the Friends of the Berryville Library, Inc., as your charity of choice every time you shop on AmazonSmile. AmazonSmile is a way to support your favorite charitable organizations every time you shop at no cost to you. When you shop AmazonSmile, 0.5 percent of your eligible purchase will be donated to the Friends of the Berryville Library, Inc...
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Giving Day yields $21K for Berryville Library (4/13/21)April 7 was designated as Library Giving Day, which is a day set aside to recognize the contribution a library makes to its community. More than $21,000 was raised for the Berryville Library. The Craig and Michele Froman family of Berryville issued a challenge to match the first $5,000 donated to the library in recognition of Library Giving Day 2021. Their challenge was announced at the library’s recent press conference where the plans to raise needed funds to construct a new library by 2025 or earlier were announced along with a $500,000 gift from the estate of a prominent local family, who were lifelong supporters of the library. . ...
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Doctors Day 2021 (4/13/21)The Mercy Hospital Berryville Auxiliary honored local physicians for Doctors Day on March 30. -
Local schools continue mask policies (4/6/21)Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson announced last week that he would be lifting the statewide mask mandate, explaining that while masks would no longer be mandatory, many entities, including businesses, government offices and schools would be able to make their own decisions... -
Berryville Chamber has new director (4/6/21)Dean Lee was introduced as executive director of the Greater Berryville Area Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday, April 6. Lee is a Berryville native who previously served as athletic director at Arkansas State University and as vice president of the University of Arkansas’ Razorback Foundation. He also has served as vice president of the OSU Foundation at Oklahoma State University and as executive director of alumni and constituent relations for the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences... -
Plans complete, fundraising for new Berryville library underway (4/6/21)Berryville residents will soon have a new place to read, research, meet, and participate in community activities. Library staff and members of the board were joined by local elected officials, business leaders and many others Thursday, April 1, to hear a number of announcements regarding the future of the library... -
Governor: Respect decisions regarding masks (4/6/21)The eligibility list for COVID-19 vaccinations in Arkansas has expanded once more. Gov. Asa Hutchinson, speaking during his weekly news conference in Little Rock on March 30, announced that all Arkansans aged 16 and older would now be eligible to be vaccinated against the novel coronavirus, in addition to ending the state’s mask mandate, effective immediately...
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Spring cleanup drives slated across county (4/6/21)Spring is in the air, bringing with it copious amounts of pollen, unpredictable weather and — for many people — an urge to clean. For residents of Green Forest, Eureka Springs and Berryville, the various city governments are ready to lend a hand by providing special trash pickups during the month of April... -
Shaw steps up as Eureka Springs Hospital CEO (4/6/21)Angie Shaw never expected to become the CEO of Eureka Springs Hospital when she started working there in 2007 as a certified nursing assistant (CNA). Something she’s learned over the years, Shaw said, is to roll with the punches and embrace the unexpected... -
Little Food Pantry offers free food, toiletries (4/6/21)With the help of Flint Street Fellowship, the Eureka Springs Community Center is feeding a need in the community. Community center activities director Cat Luna recently announced that the community center is working with Flint Street to keep the Little Food Pantry stocked at all times. ... -
Opera returns to Ozarks for 70th anniversary season (4/6/21)Opera in the Ozarks, the prominent opera training program and summer music festival in Eureka Springs, is returning to the stage for its 70th Anniversary Season in July. Opera in the Ozarks will present its 2021 Summer Season “Tying the Knot” from Friday, July 2, through Friday, July 23. A cast of 35 singers and 13 orchestra members will gather to present 19 staged and costumed live opera performances this season... -
Main Street Eureka Springs gets grant, begins strategic planning for downtown (4/6/21)The National Main Street Center and Main Street Arkansas have awarded Main Street Eureka Springs a grant to conduct a strategic planning process to formulate a three-year road map to develop stronger programming, build new relationships and continue the economic development of Downtown Eureka Springs... -
Pet of the Week: Donna (4/6/21)This week, our Pet of the Week is Donna. -
Hutchinson ends statewide mask mandate; expands vaccine eligibility (3/30/21)The eligibility list for COVID-19 vaccinations in Arkansas has expanded once more. Gov. Asa Hutchinson, speaking during his weekly news conference in Little Rock on Tuesday, announced that all Arkansans aged 16 and older would now be eligible to be vaccinated against the novel coronavirus, in addition to ending the state’s mask mandate, effective immediately... -
Sprucing up for spring (3/30/21)Wes Hutchison blows remnants of the fall off a yard on Madison Street in Berryville on Monday as plants green up with the onset of spring. -
Disheroon sentenced to six years in prison (3/30/21)A Berryville man who was arrested twice in 2020 on drug and weapons charges was sentenced to 12 years in prison, with six years suspended, after pleading guilty to four felonies and three misdemeanors in a plea deal with prosecutors last week. Carroll County Circuit Judge Scott Jackson accepted the plea agreement and sentenced Keeton Disheroon after a hearing on Tuesday, March 23, at the county’s eastern district courthouse in Berryville... -
Holiday Island upgrades from town to city (3/30/21)Holiday Island is officially a city. In a press release issued March 22, Mayor Dan Kees writes that the newly incorporated town was recently upgraded to a city of the second class. Kees writes that Holiday Island was initially incorporated as a town even though its population was sufficient to qualify as a city. A city of the second class must elect council members by ward, Kees writes, and wards must be established by an ordinance passed by the city council...
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Eureka Springs council hears about alternative policing (3/30/21)The Eureka Springs City Council heard from University of Arkansas representatives about alternative methods of policing on Monday, March 22. Kim Stauss, chair of the university’s school of social work, presented information on community policing with her colleague Mark Plassmeyer. Stauss said the school of social work has been working with the Fayetteville Police Department to gather quantitative and qualitative data on the types of police work that social workers can help with... -
Good Shepherd Humane Society receives $39k donation from estate of late Holiday Island resident (3/30/21)Late Holiday Island resident David Horton Bucknam left Good Shepherd Humane Society a generous gift when he left the earth two years ago. Bucknam, who died Dec. 2, 2018, donated a $39,000 check to Good Shepherd in his estate. Good Shepherd board member Carmen Caldwell said the organization didn’t receive the donation for a couple of years because the estate was being settled. When the check did arrive, Caldwell said, it couldn’t have come at a better time... -
Green Forest alumni banquet canceled (3/30/21)Blame it on COVID-19. For the second consecutive year, the Green Forest High School Alumni Association will not hold its annual banquet. “We let it slip up on us,” said board member Ramona Wilson. “It’s always the Saturday before Easter and we had other things on our minds and didn’t think about it.”... -
4-H Recordbook winners (3/30/21)Jesse Warner, 16, of Eureka Springs recently won the 4-H State Advanced Engineering and Technology Recordbook award, while Duncan Patterson, 13, of Berryville recently won the 4-H District Intermediate Environmental Science and Energy Recordbook award. -
Burnett added as defendant in CAPC suit (3/30/21)Patrick Burnett, who was appointed to the Eureka Springs City Advertising and Promotion Commission last month, has been named as a defendant in a lawsuit filed against several of the commissioners as well as the mayor and his chief administrative assistant...
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Pet of the Week: Destiny (3/30/21)This week’s Pet of the Week is Destiny. -
Great Passion Play opens this weekend (3/30/21)The Great Passion Play will open on Good Friday and Holy Saturday, April 2 and 3, 2021 at 7:30 p.m. The Great Passion Play is offering specially discounted tickets for locals this weekend and for performances in May, August, and October. Residents or anyone who works in Carroll County can get tickets for only $7 for performances of The Great Passion Play. Simply show proof of residence in Carroll County and enjoy the Play, the Bible Museum, the Sacred Arts Museum, and History Museum... -
Green Forest man arrested after high-speed chase (3/30/21)A Green Forest man is out on bail after leading deputies on a high-speed chase through eastern Carroll County on March 21, one which turned into a foot chase through a Berryville neighborhood. Caesar Augusto Lopez, 20, is facing a felony charge of fleeing in a vehicle in addition to a host of misdemeanor offenses, including fleeing on foot, driving while intoxicated, reckless driving, purchase or possession by minor, driving left of center and failure to use a turn signal... -
Ledeker brings fresh perspective to HIFD (3/30/21)“You go through some things you hadn’t planned and life takes you in a different direction,” Holiday Island fire chief Chris Ledeker says on an overcast Friday morning. “That’s how it works.” For Ledeker, who started working at the Holiday Island Fire Department in January, life has gone in many different directions. ... -
Arkansas reaches vaccine milestone (3/25/21)Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson announced last week that more than one million doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in the state. “This is a very significant day that should be marked,” Hutchinson said, speaking on Tuesday, March 23, during his weekly news conference in Little Rock...
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Green Forest school board approves Chromebooks for all 6-12 students (3/23/21)Starting next school year, all Green Forest students in grades 6-12 can expect to have a personal Chromebook issued to them by the district. Superintendent Matt Summers said last week that the move, approved by the school district board at its regular meeting March 15, is much needed...
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BV couple survives domestic shooting (3/23/21)A Berryville couple remains in stable condition after being shot multiple times during an apparent domestic disturbance in Huntsville on March 13. According to a news release issued by the Madison County Sheriff’s Office, the shooting occurred at approximately 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 13, when Sharon and Bobby Stout of Berryville were visiting the Huntsville residence of Michael Fawcett, 39... -
Shaw named CEO of Eureka Springs Hospital (3/23/21)The Eureka Springs Hospital has a new CEO. At a special called meeting on Thursday, March 18, the Eureka Springs Hospital Commission voted to appoint Angie Shaw to the position. Shaw has served as interim CEO since September 2020, appointed after the commission voted to cut ties with Alliance Management Group. Before being named interim CEO, Shaw served as the acting director of nursing at the hospital...
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CAPC approves $166K plan for Paradise (3/23/21)The Eureka Springs City Advertising and Promotion Commission will pay Paradise Marketing & Advertising $166,750 for supplemental services including social media management and a regional marketing campaign. The commission held a special meeting on Thursday, March 18, to discuss two proposals for supplemental services. Commissioner Patrick Burnett, who was recently appointed as the commission’s liaison with Paradise, said the first proposal wasn’t “exactly in line” with what he was expecting...
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Berryville council OKs change to wastewater contract (3/23/21)The Berryville City Council last Tuesday approved a change in its contract with CH2M HILL Engineers, the company that operates and maintains the city’s wastewater treatment plant. According to Mayor Tim McKinney, the change is a yearly adjustment based on the previous year’s operational expenses...
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Berryville’s McCoy selected for webinar series (3/23/21)Berryville Middle School teacher Delene McCoy is one of 120 teachers selected for a National History Day (NHD) spring professional development program. This course focuses on using online Library of Congress resources to develop and support historical arguments and is a feature of NHD’s membership in the Library of Congress Teaching with Primary Sources (TPS) Consortium... -
Berryville school board researching virtual academy (3/23/21)Students in the Berryville School District might soon have a choice about how they attend class. During the district board’s meeting on March 15, members heard a report regarding the establishment of a dedicated virtual academy, which would allow students to attend classes online on a regular basis... -
Opera in the Ozarks launches online class (3/23/21)Opera in the Ozarks at Inspiration Point, the prominent opera training program and summer music festival in Eureka Springs, has announced a new virtual music academy dedicated to preparing high school-age students on the path to becoming professional musicians...
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Pet of the Week: Hank (3/23/21)This week’s Pet of the Week is Hank. -
Lake Leatherwood Dam crossing closed to public (3/23/21)The dam at Lake Leatherwood City Park is indefinitely closed to cyclists and hikers. At the Eureka Springs Parks and Recreation Commission’s regular meeting on Tuesday, March 16, chairman Kevin Ruehle explained the reason for the closure. Ruehle said that the commission hired structural engineer Bill Hathaway to inspect the dam to create a scope of work for repairs. ... -
Imagination Library offering free books for blind children (3/23/21)Selected Imagination Library books are now available free of charge in print/Braille format. By enrolling in the Braille Tales Print/Braille Book Program, participating families receive six free print/Braille books each year until the child reaches his/her 6th birthday. To be eligible for the program, you or your child must meet the definition of blindness...
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Whiteley named Realtor of Year (3/23/21)Berryville realtor Christy Whiteley was recently named the 2020 Realtor of the Year by the Eureka Springs Carroll County Board of Realtors. Whiteley, who works with her husband, Ronnie Whiteley, at Montgomery Whiteley Realty in Berryville, has worked in real estate for the past 15 years and serves on the Carroll County board, holding several positions, including past president...
