It was National Nurses Week! We started our celebration off on Monday with Shady Oaks treat bags filled with delicious goodies for each nurse. Palace Drug donated a Tervis Scrubs mug and a sugar scrub for Monday’s door prize. We have 15 nurses and the lucky winner was Shirley Cook, LPN...

At the latest Oregon County Historical Society meeting, Josh Rogers presented his idea to create an opportunity to learn about area history with Living History Cemetery Walks. These walks would be 30-minute guided tours through local cemeteries with the mission to honor ancestors, increase tourism, provide new job opportunities, provide free programs for school groups, generate revenue through donations and preserve history...

American Pickers is once again coming to Missouri. It was recently announced Mike Wolfe, Frank Fritz and their team will return to film episodes from May 27 to June 9. These skilled antique enthusiasts are seeking unique collections and interested in learning the history of the items as well as meeting interesting people...

Alton Chamber of Commerce will be looking for individuals to participate in a bicentennial photograph contest soon. This will give an area photographer a chance to have their picture featured as representation for Oregon County. A meeting to further address this project was set for Thursday, May 30 at 10:30 a.m...

Viola Elementary’s Carol Duncan and her sixth grade students, presented the 10th annual Veterans Appreciation Ceremony on Thursday, May 9. This year, veterans who served during Vietnam War, Cold War, Iraq War and Operation Enduring Freedom, were honored. “These men are symbols of freedom. We know freedom is not free and that they put their lives on the line to keep us free,” said the classmates who welcomed veterans and those in attendance...

Mammoth Spring VFW Post 7831 held a special ceremony to properly retire old worn flags. In a site, previously a group gathered on the evening of Tuesday, May 7. “Tonight, we honor the symbol of our American freedom, the American flag, as we retire her from duty. ...

Mammoth Spring Council approved April meeting minutes, fire department and police reports at the beginning of their regular monthly meeting held Thursday, May 9. A discussion with Alan Ramseur was rescheduled for Tuesday, May 14 at 10 a.m. due Ramseur being unable to attend...

On Saturday, May 18, the Viola Longhorns (25-7) will be headed to beautiful Baum Stadium on the campus of the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville for the state championship game against Taylor (21-7). The Longhorns defeated Armorel 10-0 in a five-inning game to advance. ...

Thanks to the support of the community, the Sharp County Chapter of the Wives of Armor collected approximately $4,000 worth of baby items May 11 during their first Stuff the Squad Car event. The items were given to the New Beginnings Pregnancy Center. Altogether, six squad cars were stuffed...

The Hardy Fire Department will hold a pancake breakfast and public auction May 18 in conjunction with other city departments. The event will begin at 7 a.m. with breakfast being offered until 10 a.m. followed by the opening of the auction at 10:30 a.m...

Highland High School has launched a Student of the Month program and this month, several students were recognized for their achievements. According to Principal Annette Scribner, the school recognized 9th and 10th grade students who worked extremely hard to do well on their ACT Aspire exams...

May 6 and May 10 Star of the Week, 2 Game Score Plus Handicap is Gene Ruuska, 204. May 6 game winners: Pit 1 Morgan and Kimber 186 Pit 2 Gruger and Watts 197 Pit 3 Brooks and Howe 181 Pit 4 Brackett and Yanke 194 Pit 5 Clementi and Brown 181...

The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission will host a free “Kids Fishing Derby” for youngsters 15 years old and younger, at the commission’s Jim Hinkle/Spring River State Fish Hatchery on Saturday, June 8 from 8 a.m. to 12 noon. The Jim Hinkle/Spring River State Fish Hatchery is located 2.5 miles south of Mammoth Spring, at the end of State Highway 342...

The Spring River Area Chamber of Commerce held a Blue Ribbon Welcome for new member John’s Auto Body on May 9. John’s Auto Body has been serving the community for 45 years with auto body repairs including paint, structural and framework. They also have a towing service and works with your insurance company or self-pay, offering a payment structure when needed. ...

The Hardy City Council held their regularly scheduled meeting May 7 during which, road repairs, changes to ordinances and more were discussed. Following the passing of the minutes and other typical orders of business, Freda Mae Gamblin with the Hardy Advertising and Promotions Commission (A&P) provided a recap from the commission’s most recent meeting...

Comfort Keepers Ministry, in partnership with the Wives of Armor, will be hosting it’s second annual Safety Swim Day set for June 8 from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. in Ash Flat. According to Lauren Siebert, founder of the ministry, the swim day is a time to teach children ages 3 to 8 the basics of swimming and to provide them with a life jacket...

Jordan Sample, 37, of Ash Flat, received several charges following a traffic stop in Cave City May 2. According to an affidavit for arrest from the Cave City Police Department, Cave City Police Officer Trint Milligan had received a call from a fellow officer asking him to be on the lookout for a budget rental van being driven by Sample who was driving on a suspended license...

A large crowd gathered at the Sharp County Courthouse May 13 to participate in the 26th annual Police Officer Memorial. The memorial, held in honor of fallen officer Jeff Richardson, was also a time to pay tribute to all fallen officers across the nation opened with a greeting from Sharp County Sheriff Mark Counts...

The City of Salem and Salem Chamber of Commerce are hosting the 70th annual Fulton County Homecoming Festival May 24-25. Custom designed t-shirts are available for $10 at Bank of Salem, FNBC, Salem Drug Company, Church Street Boutique and Whatever in Salem. Kids shirts sizes 2T to Youth XL will also be available for sale at Church Street Boutique...

Once again, due to rainy weather, National Day of Prayer was moved inside. The event, which is usually held on the courthouse lawn, was held at the Alton First Assembly of God on Thursday, May 2. Each year, a theme to focus prayer on is selected. This year’s theme was Love One Another...

If you are interested in learning how to spice up your health by cooking with herbs, look no further than Ozarka College’s class, Herbs in the Kitchen, to be held at the Mammoth Spring campus. Taught by Robin Moore, a certified community herbalist, the class will instruct participants how to relieve bothersome symptoms caused by colds, flu and digestion issues. ...

Alton Chamber of Commerce is seeking quilters to contribute ideas for a quilt square to be submitted to submit to the State Historical Society of Missouri and Missouri Star Quilt Company. A meeting was recently held to discuss ideas for the square, which they would like to embody what best represents Oregon County, what they want people to know about the county and encourage them to come to visit. ...

Couch School FCCLA coordinated with Oregon County Ambulance District, Oregon County Sheriff’s Office, Missouri State Highway Patrol, Myrtle Rural Fire Department, Thayer Fire Department, Gatewood Fire Department, Survival Flight and Wicker’s Towing for a mock car accident held at Couch School on Tuesday, April 30...

Thayer Police Department is seeking information regarding the theft of a trailer from Hirsch Feed Store in Thayer on Sunday, May 5 around 1:30 a.m. The trailer was last seen being pulled by a dark colored truck, southbound on Nettleton Avenue. The enclosed trailer is a 2019 white Homesteader Intrepid model 714IT 7’x14’. Last six digits of the VIN number are 076839...

A crowd of approximately 30 people gathered in the new multi-purpose room at Thayer High School for the dedication and open house on Sunday, May 5 to celebrate the completion of the recent remodel. Visitors were given the opportunity to tour the school...

The end of the school year is drawing closer. There are many area features and upcoming events for families to enjoy this summer. For the month of May, Mammoth Spring State Park will feature many great programs to enjoy. On Saturday, May 11, members of the 21st Century Club will present its annual Herb and Plant Sale...

According to Horseshoe Bend Mayor, Craig Huckaby, there are several events, projects and businesses coming to the city this year, beginning with the upcoming Dogwood Days celebration. “Dogwood Days is coming up [May 10 and 11] and we will also have the theater which will be doing Music in the Mountains and they’ve got some interesting signs on the side of the road if you drive by,” Huckaby said. There are numerous charity golf tournaments coming up...

Tim Johnson, Senior Military and Veterans Representative for Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge, visited with Fulton County veterans on Wednesday, April 17 at the Salem VFW Post 9777 to discuss the Veterans History Project (VHP) at the Library of Congress. ...

Since taking the position as the Fulton County Roads and Street Improvement Coordinator earlier this year, Milan Novak said he has hit a proverbial wall when it comes to keeping in step with his job title. So much so, he has decided to take up the cause of finding a way to bring more revenue to Fulton County...

After catching wind famous actor, director, screenwriter and filmmaker David Arquette, along with his wife Christina, were working on a documentary series in Jonesboro, Highland High School’s film and radio instructor, AK Barnes reached out to see if the couple would be willing to take some time to speak to her students...

Gregory Stephen Hurdle, 27, a man who confessed to sexually assaulting a male child less than five years of age in May of last year has been found not fit to proceed. According to a Not-Fit-To-Proceed Commitment Order filed at the Sharp County Clerk’s Office April 24, Hurdle was found not fit to proceed following a psychological evaluation performed by Ron Faupel, a licensed psychologist at Mid-South Health Systems...

More than 3,000 residents in Sharp County are no stranger to food insecurity. As defined by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), food insecurity is a “lack of access, at times, to enough food for an active, healthy life for all household members and limited or uncertain availability of nutritionally adequate foods. ...

It’s not too late to do a little spring cleaning and make a little money while you’re at it. The Spring River Adult and Child Services Domestic Violence and Homeless Shelter (SACS) will be holding a Spring Flea Market May 25 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Hardy Civic Center...

First Baptist Church in Cherokee Village is now accepting pre-registrations for the upcoming Rocky Bayou Baptist Association’s Journey with Joy Women’s Conference slated for May 18 from 8:30 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. The speaker for this year’s event is Doris Courtney, a pastor’s wife, professional musician, mother and grandmother...

The American Red Cross serving northeast Arkansas is offering residents of Sharp and the surrounding counties the opportunity to get involved during their upcoming Mini Institute 2019 slated for May 18 at the First United Methodist Church in Hardy from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m...

A woman from Highland was placed under arrest after a traffic stop yielded methamphetamine. According to a report from the Highland Police Department, Officer Jeff Hamilton was patrolling near Triple D Package store April 20, when he was passed by a silver Impala with no license plates...

The fourth Earth Day celebration was held Saturday, April 20 at Mammoth Spring National Fish Hatchery. Visitors enjoyed many activities including making pine cone bird feeders, building a bird house, archery, reptile exhibit and other nature arts and crafts. For additional pictures see page 16...

Mammoth Spring School Superintendent Chip Layne turned in his resignation Tuesday evening and has accepted a job at the Norfork School District as superintendent. Layne grew up in the Monett area, but spent summers in the Norfork and Henderson area and has always kept up with the school district...

It has been a heated debate since it’s purchase in 2016, whether the Eleven Point State Park should remain or be sold. On Wednesday, April 17 the Missouri House voted in favor of legislation House Bill 1, to sell the park, consisting of more than 4,000 acres in Oregon County. This is a step in the direction of the property being auctioned...

Available programs were discussed at this month’s Interagency meeting held on Thursday, April 18. Sandy Dale with Social Services discussed their new program with the Missouri Career Center, Scale Up. Available for those who are active recipients in the food stamp program, the program helps individuals to learn new and redefine skills and help with resumes and interview skills. It may also help with gas costs for short-term education such as vocational school...

The South Central Ozark Transportation Advisory Committee released a list of potential highway construction funds at MoDOT within the seven county region, including a potential project in Oregon County to “implement flood mitigation measures on MO 142 east of the Eleven Point River bridge,” according to the release...

Newly elected officials were sworn in during Koshkonong’s regular monthly meeting held on Tuesday, April 16. City Clerk Stacey Mullins swore in James Barnett and Codey Bryant before council addressed city business. The April agenda was reviewed before moving onto review and approve the March minutes and financials as well as approval to pay all bills...

The Salem City Council held its regular monthly meeting on April 18. With a quorum present, Mayor Daniel Busch called the meeting to order. Minutes from the previous meeting were presented and approved. Next, the financial report was presented and approved, pending an adjustment...

The University of Arkansas Extension-Fulton County and the Bank of Salem hosted the Ready, Set, Graduate Program at Salem High School on Wednesday, April 17. This was the program’s tenth year to teach high school seniors to be more prepared when handling everyday finances. ...

Hole N the Wall Ranch in Viola is holding the third annual Spring Gathering Chuckwagon Races April 26-28. “Our mission is to give locals a place a little closer to home to go enjoy the outside. [Some] kids today don’t even have the opportunity to get out and see anything other than go to the mall, Springfield or Little Rock. ...

Students from Viola High School recently made history as being the first ever team from VHS to enter a robotics competition. According to arkansasstemcoalition.com, “FIRST® Robotics Competitions are for students in grades 9-12. The mission of FIRST is to inspire young people to be science and technology leaders, by engaging them in exciting mentor-based programs that build science, engineering, and technology skills, that inspire innovation, and that foster well-rounded life capabilities including self-confidence, communication, and leadership.”. ...

The Highland City Council met April 9 to discuss road work, discarding city property and more. Fire Cheif Kal Dienst told the council the department had been busy during the month of March. “We had a fairly busy month last month. We were asked to go to the daycare and do a little fire prevention activity there. Miles Clem went. When Highland Schools had their Health Clinic open house, we set up the bounce house inside the station and they were very thankful,” Dienst said...

There are many issues facing Arkansans which can be difficult to discuss or even acknowledge, a couple of which include sexual assault and rape. According to the Arkansas Coalition Against Sexual Assault (ACASA) “every 60 seconds, 1.3 women (age 18 and over) in the U.S. ...

The Sharp County Quorum Court held their regular meeting April 8 during which the court opted to purchase new dump trucks for the county road department. During the treasurer’s report, JP Greg Prenger asked treasurer Wanda Girtman if she knew why sales tax revenue was down...