The News

Arkansas State Representative Michelle Gray, of Melbourne, recently received two awards; 2019 Statesman Award and 2019 Business Matters Leadership Award. A press release detailing the awards were issued. Gray was awarded the 2019 Statesman Award by Family Council Action Committee. ...

Kevin Sanders, 49, was charged with obstruction of interference with emergency medical personnel or first responder, class D felony, from an incident occurring on Sept. 7. Randy Ninemire, of Mammoth Spring, was charged with maintaining drug premises, class B felony; possession of a controlled substance (methamphetamine/cocaine), class C felony; and use or possession with the purpose to use drug paraphernalia, class D felony...

The traditional country sounds of Porter Union will return to the Salem Civic Center during the Fulton County Hospital Foundation’s Boots, Bands & BBQ fundraiser Saturday, Nov. 2. Cole Michael Porter and wife Kendra Porter, of Springfield, Mo., have crisscrossed the country performing for a decade. ...

For quite some time, Izard County resident Sheri Jones, has been fighting for her life as she battles stage four colon, lymph node, liver and lung cancer. Although she has been receiving treatment from White River Medical Center in Batesville, Jones said the treatments are not only taking a toll on her health, but her finances as well...

Last week’s article for Suicide Prevention and Awareness was from the perspective of an individual who attempted suicide, and now strives to be an advocate for mental health. This week’s outlook on suicide is another very personal account. Myranda Hobbs, of Hardy, is speaking from a different side of suicide. “My husband, James Hobbs, died by suicide in April of this year,” she said...

Salem High School is the first in Arkansas to install a device to help with an ongoing issue in teens … vaping. Salem School District Superintendent Wayne Guiltner said vape detectors have been installed in the high school restrooms recently. “Right now, everywhere you go, you see people vaping. There are some health concerns being put out there to everyone, but it still seems to be accepted,” said Guiltner...

Salem School District welcomed a new school resource officer (SRO) at the beginning of the school year. Joey Patten, a native of the West Plains area, was excited to accept the position, as it meant a goal in his law enforcement career had been reached, becoming a SRO...

Outgoing, successful, community minded… these are all characteristics that describe Sharp County businessman and resident, John Kunkel. He stays involved in the community as an advocate for many organizations in the area. One thing people might not know about Kunkel is at the age of 24, he attempted suicide when living in Little Rock...

Were you one of the Fulton County residents who received a letter from the county assessor’s office in late August? Those who did receive letters might’ve been confused at first but they wouldn’t be the first ones to be confused by this statewide error...

Earlier in the summer, The News visited with George Wright, a faithful Salem Senior Life Center attendee and puzzle master extraordinaire. At the time, he was working to complete a 24,000 piece puzzle and was seeking help. His goal was to complete it in time to enter it into the 100th Fulton County Fair, which he did – winning Grand Champion...

Case Wagoner, a first grade student at Melbourne Elementary was able to use his perseverance to complete a 600 piece replica, made from Legos, of the Titanic in just four days. According to Amy Anderton, Wagoner’s teacher, he had completed the project prior to the start of the school year, but was able to use it to encourage his classmates once the year began...

Around town last week, flyers were being distributed for a “Stop the Cycle: Spay/neuter assistance” meeting to be held on Saturday, Sept. 7. Susan Campbell Tinin, one of three women responsible for organizing the meeting, spoke with The News about the reasons why these individuals are coming together to talk about this topic...

Mammoth Spring City Council held their regular monthly meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 3. The August minutes were approved. Mammoth Spring Fire Department Chief Dwayne French informed council there are 12 members with the department. Since Aug. 6, there have been 17 calls, none of them were fires...

Prior to arraignment in Fulton County Circuit Court Thursday, Sept. 5, Fulton County Judge Jim Kendrick’s newest attorney L. Gray Dellinger, of Melbourne, had filed paperwork on his behalf. Kendrick is facing a class D felony for theft of property following an investigation by the Arkansas State Police. The incident in which he is said to be accused of stealing occurred in June, and he was arrested and released on Aug. 8...

Ozarka College, in partnership with UAMS and MidSouth Health Systems, has been selected as the recipients for a Delta Understanding and Preventing Opioid Abuse in Rurality Grant. According to Katie Wilson, Division Chair for Nursing and Allied Health, with Ozarka College, the grant is also in partnership with Winrock International who will oversee the grant process...

The September meeting of the Fulton County Quorum Court was held Monday, Sept. 9. With a quorum deemed present, Judge Jim Kendrick called the meeting to order. Judge Kendrick stated the report of Fulton County Road and Bridge Superintendent Milan Novak, needed to be moved up on the agenda so that Novak could leave the meeting and go out and check on a couple of roads. ...

Imagine being eight-years-old, enjoying just a few more later than usual nights before school starts back, running around outside playing an exciting game of hide and go seek in the dark with siblings. Takes you back to a more carefree time, but those carefree times can quickly come to an end with a “prickly” feeling...

The Salem City Council met for its regular monthly meeting on Thursday, Aug. 22. Mayor Daniel Busch called the meeting to order. The minutes of the previous meeting were considered and approved. Next, the financial report was considered and approved...

The Mammoth Spring Chamber of Commerce held the annual antique and classic car show on Saturday, Aug. 31 at Mammoth Spring State Park. The event marked the 36th year for the car show and was well attended. It set an all-time record for cars registered, at 131 entries. ...

Senator John Boozman organized a small gathering of Fulton County people to join him in celebrating the life of Fulton County resident, Bill Strauss. Strauss will be turning 100-years-old Oct. 27, and Sen. Boozman wanted to be one of the first to wish him a happy 100th birthday, and to ask Strauss for “survival tips” to live to be 100...

The Fulton County Hospital Board of Governors held its regular monthly meeting on August 26 in the Board Room at the hospital. With a quorum present, Chair Charles Owens called the meeting to order. The first order of business was the consideration of minutes from the July meeting. The minutes from the previous meeting were accepted...

Between the Salem Police Department and Fulton County Sheriff’s Office, several arrests have been made during the month of August. Most recently, nearly each individual threatened harm or inflicted harm on the law enforcement officers on the scene, and one arrest was of one to be considered a “public servant” to the community...

James Smith, 74, of Horseshoe Bend, died as a result of a one-vehicle accident which occurred on Highway 395 N on Friday, Aug. 23. Smith was driving a 2004 Jeep, north on Hwy. 395. The driver failed to negotiate a curve and over corrected, then left the roadway and struck a ditch...

Odds are, if you traveled along US Hwy. 62/412 on Thursday, Aug. 15, you were aware of a motor vehicle accident which claimed the life of one, and had traffic slowed to a standstill for several hours. Sam Kirkland, 23, of Caufield, Mo., was traveling east on Hwy. ...

A recently confirmed case of hepatitis A may leave the public with questions. Awareness and knowing how to prevent the virus are key in remaining healthy and hepatitis A free. According to Arkansas Department of Health (ADH), the agency is responding to a hepatitis A outbreak in northeast Arkansas. “Since February 2018, 399 cases have been reported as part of this outbreak,” said information found on ADH’s website...

Izard County resident Hannah Brown has spent the last several weeks working on her fundraising campaign for the Autism Speaks Walk, slated for Oct. 19. “I am on the spectrum and I am trying to beat my goal from last year. It is to raise money for awareness for autism,” Brown said...

As the result of an investigation which began in June, Fulton County Judge Jim Kendrick was charged with theft of property, a class D felony. Earlier this summer, Fulton County Sheriff Al Roork received a complaint from a taxpayer involving Judge Kendrick using county resources to make repairs to his personal driveway. ...

Fulton County Sheriff Al Roork was heard on a local radio station across the county and surrounding areas on Wednesday, Aug. 7, warning individuals responsible for the senseless and criminal acts committed at the Mammoth Spring Fire Department. The night of Monday, Aug. ...

Results of a four month remodel at Mammoth Spring State Park Welcome Center were revealed at a special ribbon cutting ceremony held on Thursday, Aug.1. “Arkansas State Parks recently completed a major welcome center restroom renovation at Mammoth Spring State Park. Roughly $60,000 was spent on the project that began in early April and was completed July 31. This project was possible because of the 1/8 cent conservation tax that helps to fund improvements to Arkansas State Parks...

Arraignment for Rebecca O’Donnell, the suspect in custody for the murder of Linda Collins, was held before Judge David Goodson at the Randolph County Courthouse in Pocahontas July 30 during which Third Judicial Prosecuting Attorney Henry Boyce announced he intends to seek the death penalty if O’Donnell is found guilty of capital murder...

National Immunization Awareness Month is an annual observance held in August to highlight the importance of vaccination for people of all ages, Linda Inmon, Extension specialist for the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (UAPB), said. It is also a good time to make sure children receive their vaccinations before the school year...

Tony Martin is known to many as a familiar friendly face at Town and Country in Salem. His ability to put a smile on a person’s face with a joke or one of his beautifully told stories are a couple of things he is known for. Now, you can add sunflower farmer to that list...

The Salem City Council met on Thursday, July 25, at the Salem City Hall. Mayor Daniel Busch called the meeting to order with a quorum present. Mayor Busch presented the financial report which was reviewed and approved. A comment was made that the financials looked “pretty good”...

The 100th Fulton County Fair was one for the books! July 22-27 was a week full of busy activities, contests, having fun with family and reminiscing on the fairs held in Fulton County over the years. Fulton County Fair is known to be one of the best county fairs in the area. ...

The Highland School District will hold a special election Aug. 13 with two issues being placed before the voters who reside within the district. The first issue will be to retain five mills currently being paid which will come to an end in 2023. The second will be to request an additional four mills to be used for new construction and repairs to many of the school’s facilities...

Arkansas-based Crow-Burlingame – one of the largest Bumper-to-Bumper affiliates in the country and a leader in the replacement auto parts industry – celebrates 100-years in business. From its humble beginnings on Little Rock’s West Fourth Street where friends William Robert Crow and J.G. Burlingame opened their first location back in 1919, the company has grown into the third largest privately-owned automotive parts distribution business in the United States...

It’s the first day of school. The bus pulls up to Highland Middle School. The doors on the bus open. Kids from 11 to 14 years of age are eagerly waiting for their turn to exit and begin their new semester of school. Many of these kids are sporting brand new clothes, a fresh pair of kicks, new backpacks filled with mechanical pencils and fancy notebooks. They have their hair fixed just so, they are almost teenagers after all, and their looks are important to them at this age...

It was a somber day in Stone County and surrounding communities, Thursday, July 18. Mike Stephen, a 20 year law enforcement veteran, Army veteran and Pineville Fire Chief, was killed in an officer involved shooting. According to Arkansas State Police Public Information Specialist Bill Sadler, Stephen responded to a call which was received around 8 a.m., on Flag Road, nearly 20 miles outside of Mountain View. ...

July 8 – 14 According to Sheriff Earnie Blackley: On July 8, David Miller age 30, of Cherokee Village, was arrested by Deputy JJ Thomas for Driving with Suspended License and was transported to Izard County Detention Center. Miller posted a bond of $385. Miller is scheduled to appear in the Izard County District Court on Aug. 8...

On July 9, Baxter County Sheriff’s Deputies were involved in a high speed pursuit of a stolen Chevy Silverado truck into Fulton County.The stolen truck was abandoned at Pickren Hall Road at the intersection of Enterprise Road at around 6:50 a.m. A manhunt began at this point. ...

A large crowd gathered at Ozarka College in Melbourne July 11 for the Lady Bearkatz 2019 State Championship Ring Ceremony. The event opened with a few words from Sandra Taylor, former teacher, counselor and graduate of Melbourne High School. “I am a proud retired teacher of 35 years, a Melbourne graduate of 1975 and a proud member of the 1973 [girls basketball] team and we got to enjoy this [when we won] and got to be a small part,” Taylor said. ...

Art is timeless. It is powerful and can change the way people think just by simply viewing the work of others. It may not be the Trevi Fountain, but when Rilee Morgan was given an assignment earlier this year to complete an art project, what he would ultimately create, has the ability to be just as impactful...

After 100 years of fairs, the Fulton County Fair is still going strong. The 2019 fair season, July 20-27, marks a huge milestone for Fulton County. Many activities throughout the week will be geared toward honoring 100 year milestones and individuals in the community. Volunteer Joann Lowrie spent a lot of time organizing photos, newspaper clippings, and other memorabilia, on poster boards to represent each era. Look for the large display in the Exhibition Building during fair week...

Country music superstars Mark Chesnutt and group Shenandoah will perform at this year’s Cave City Watermelon Festival; Shenandoah on Friday, July 26, at 8 p.m. on the Bank of Cave City Main Stage and Chesnutt on Saturday, July 27, at 8:30 p.m. on the Bank of Cave City Main Stage...