Villager Journal

Note: Due to the length of the meeting and the volume of information and comments presented, this story will be a two-part series with council member and city comments running this week and citizens’ comments running the next week. The full meeting can be viewed in its entirety on our Facebook page, Areawide Media...

Justin Marshall Buckley, of Hot Springs, is facing multiple counts of rape following a series of incidents which took place in July of 2014. According to a release from the Cherokee Village Police Department, the department received a report in May of this year from a family member of the victim who reported she had just learned of an attack on the victim...

With the new levy being applied in Cherokee Village by the Cherokee Village Suburban Improvement District, many are concerned about the about the rise in their tax bill and how they will be able to pay a larger tax bill when it comes due. According to Sharp County Tax Collector Charlotte Ratliff, the county’s systems are set in such a way that payments can be made toward taxes, rather than only receiving one lump sum during the payment window...

Sharp County Farm Bureau (SCFB) held their annual meeting Oct. 1 at the Sharp County Fairgrounds in Ash Flat. The meeting opened with a greeting from Paul Higginbottom and his proposal to expand the SCFB Blue Ribbon Program for the fair. “This isn’t half of them,” Higginbottom said holding up a packet of paperwork. ...

Following a successful summer season of Center Stage Thursday, an Arts Center of North Arkansas (ACNA) event where music takes place on Center Stage at Town Center in Cherokee Village, ACNA has opted to extend the event through the month of October...

Local business owner, Kerry Wayne Evans and part of his team, traveled to the devastation in North Carolina following the recent hurricane to help with relief efforts. N-Sta-Smile by provided toothbrushes which were purchased using donated funds and matched by the company...

This year marks the 28th annual Hardy Homesteaders Day slated for Oct. 6 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Loberg Park in Hardy. The annual festival is among the longest running in Sharp County and is designed to give a brief glimpse into what life was like prior to modern convenience...

The Spring River Area Chamber of Commerce Business Expo slated for Oct. 13 from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. at the A.L. Hutson Center in Highland, is quickly approaching and booth spaces are still available. According to Kari Hollis, Executive Director for the Spring River Area Chamber of Commerce, this year’s event will feature some familiar faces and new concepts...

The Ladies Auxiliary of the Highland Elks is now selling tickets for the upcoming Breakfast Bonanza event slated for Oct. 20 from 7 to 10 a.m. at the Elks Lodge in Cherokee Village. Tickets are $7 and available at the Elks Lounge, from any Auxiliary member or tickets may be purchased at the door the day of the event...

A new group has formed in Cherokee Village with the purpose to unite the citizenry and work to effect change within the Village. On Sept. 20, the CVSID WATCHDOG GROUP held their first meeting at the Omaha Center in Cherokee Village. As the meeting opened, approximately 50 property owners were in attendance and began signing a participation signature sheet which indicated they would support the group’s mission...

Cherokee Village Animal Control Officer Ariel Housmann completed the highest level of training offered to animal control officers in the state of Arkansas. Housmann traveled to the Arkansas State Animal Control Association Training facility the week of Sept. 11 to begin the week long Level II training course...

The Spring River Area Chamber of Commerce held their monthly meeting Sept. 18 at Barros Mongolian Grill Mexican and Sushi restaurant in Hardy. The meeting opened with an introduction of new members and quickly moved into ongoing chamber projects such as the member to member discount program, the upcoming Business Expo set for Oct. 13 and the return of the Harlem Wizards slated for February of next year...

The Ash Flat City Council held their regularly scheduled meeting Sept. 11, during which the council was informed of potential increased costs to police services and mental health services in the county. While giving his report, police chief Anthony Wiles, told the council the department had recently been faced with a situation in which a citizen needed to be taken into protective custody...

A fundraiser for the American Cancer Society will be held at The Pub in Cherokee Village Oct. 15 beginning at 5 p.m. According to event coordinator, Geneo Davis, the American Veterans Motorcycle Club will be co-hosting the event and BBQ plates will be sold for $5 per plate...

Imagine traveling to the burial plot of a loved one to sit for a few moments and celebrate their memory. As you walk along the rows of those who have passed away, you begin to notice something doesn’t look quite right. As you stand before your loved one, it hits you, someone has destroyed their monument, kicking over and breaking the stone which pays tribute to their memory...

American Pickers rose to fame quickly, and now has millions of viewers from all over since it began in 2010. The hit reality series features Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz, who find valuables by “picking” through people’s belongings, collections, etc. A press release from the show was issued, encouraging people to send information if they have hidden treasure the team can search through...

North Arkansas Electric Cooperative linemen left the morning of Wednesday, Sept. 12, to help restore power to those in Hurricane Florence’s path. They arrived Thursday at Southside Electric Cooperative in Crewe, Va. NAEC issued a press release. “I’m proud of our men who volunteered to help Southside Electric Cooperative crews get the lights back on for their members,” said CEO Mel Coleman. ...

Nearly every seat was filled during the Cherokee Village Suburban Improvement District (SID) meeting held at the Omaha Center in Cherokee Village Sept. 10. The meeting was the final of a series of meetings regarding the re-assessment and new levy which will increase property taxes in the coming year...

The Food Bank of North Central Arkansas’ (FBNCA) annual Bridge Bash, slated for Sept. 22 on the campus of the Arkansas State University in Mountain Home is quickly approaching. Executive Director for FBNCA, Jeff Quick, took a few moments to speak with Villager Journal about one of the many projects the food bank undertakes which is directly benefited by the Bridge Bash event...

As the Highland School District grows, so do the opportunities made available to students. One area of expansion has been made possible for the Alternative Learning Environment [ALE] through the district’s purchase of the old Pillbox Cafe. Although the building was purchased more than a year ago, beginning this school year, it is now the facility to house the students who participate in ALE...

Centennial Bank in Highland has partnered with the Department of Human Services (DHS) for the sixth annual Coat Drive. According to Amber Griffin, project head at Centennial Bank through the support of the community, more than 500 coats have been distributed to the children of Sharp County since the project’s inception...

According to Hardy Mayor Jason Jackson, Main Street businesses in Hardy will be a little safer following the fire department’s purchase of fire extinguishers and smoke detectors for each of the businesses. “We received a grant for smoke detectors and raised funds for fire extinguishers. Our goal is to have every business downtown to have a fire extinguisher so they can help protect their business if there is a fire,” Jackson said...

Families from all over the United States traveled to Southside Labor Day weekend to participate in the Exceptional Abilities Pageant. According to founder, Stacy Pretty, there are no judges and anyone of any age, no matter their disability may participate...

In the July 18 edition of the Villager Journal, an article titled “Local Business Threatened for Hosting Karaoke” was published. The article stemmed, local business owner Barbara Conway of Rhythm and Brews in Hardy, recieiving multiple phone calls and threatening letters from an organization known as the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP), after a video was posted of karaoke taking place in her establishment...

Charges have officially been filed by Special Prosecutor John “Jack” McQuary against Cherokee Village Police Officer Josh Trivitt, 45, of Agnos. According to the paperwork filed Sept. 7 at the Sharp County Courthouse, the charge of battery in the second degree, a class D felony, has been filed...

John Keith Duncan, of Highland, is facing two felony charges after threatening family members with a firearm. According to a report from the Highland Police Department, Officer Jeff Hamilton was contacted by dispatch regarding a child being hit with a stick by his father...

The Sharp County Extension Council Committee held their annual meeting Aug. 30 in order to begin planning events and prioritizing projects for the upcoming year which will run from Oct. 1 through Sept. 30, 2019. According to Chelsea Conway, the sub-committees of Family Consumer Science, 4-H, Agriculture and Economic Development, were able to brainstorm and discuss the information which was presented during the Aug. 30 meeting...

The second annual Treasures in the Ozarks, slated for Sept. 22-23 at the Hardy Civic Center, is quickly approaching and show director Tracie Moore said vendor spaces are filling up quickly. “The event will take place from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m that Saturday and from 10 a.m. ...

The Food Bank of North Central Arkansas [FBNCA] will host their annual Bridge Bash event slated for Sept. 22 on the Arkansas State University Campus of Mountain Home. According to Jeff Quick, chief executive officer for the FBNCA, Bridge Bash is a multi purpose event in which volunteers can make a difference and the community can support and participate in the success of the fight against hunger...

Grace Mainprize, 87, of Thayer, Mo., died Aug. 25 at Ozarks Medical Center in West Plains, Mo. Arrangements are under the direction of Carter Funeral Home, Inc. in Thayer. James Allen Gatwood, 76, of Cherokee Village, Ark., died Aug. 26 at WRMC in Batesville, Ark. Arrangements are under the direction of Tri-County Funeral Home in Highland...

“Meth use is an epidemic,” Fulton County Chief Deputy John Cawvey said about meth use in Fulton County. “We just got done making a big meth bust, and this is not stuff we’re going looking for – this is stuff that’s finding us,” Fulton County Sheriff Al Roork said. ...

A public meeting will be held at the Highland Assembly of God Community Center in Highland Sept. 9 at 2:30 p.m. to see if there is interest in creating a unified community Christmas event. According to Shona Covington, the meeting will be to gather input from members of the community who have interest in participating in a theater event which will likely lead to more in the future...

The Ash Flat City Council held their regular meeting Aug. 21, during which they hired a new police officer, discussed citizen concerns and more. During his report, Fire Chief Stacey Horton reported the department’s new pumper tanker, known as Engine 4, had arrived and was in service. He also said bids were being accepted for new equipment purchases...

The Sharp County Shop with a Cop project has launched a new fundraising event in order to generate the funds needed to provide Christmas to as many children as possible later this year. According to Detective Aaron Presser with the Sharp County Sheriff’s Department, this fundraiser is the raffling of a Henry Golden Boy lever action .22 caliper rifle...

A Sharp County man was arrested after methamphetamine was found in a vehicle he was driving. According to a report from the Cave City Police Department, Cave City Corporal Quinton Maag initiated a traffic stop Aug. 25 on a vehicle being driven by Kevin Morrow...

Where were you? This question has become synonymous with the devastating and tragic attack on the United States Sept. 11, 2001 when four planes were hijacked by 19 militants associated with the Islamic extremist group, al-Qaeda. More than 3,000 people lost their lives after two planes were flown into the Twin Towers, a third into the Pentagon and the fourth crashed in a field in Pennsylvania...

A new scam has made its way to the Spring River area in the form of a mailed check and a letter telling the recipient they have been selected as the winner of the “AMERICA MEGA MILLON LOTTERY SWEEPSTAKES”. The check, enclosed in an envelope appears to be legitimate, however; this is not the case. The letter begins with a congratulatory message to the recipient stating they have won hundreds of thousands of dollars...

Fountain Place, a Christian independent living facility in Cherokee Village, has a new executive director, Bailey Morris. Morris began working as director for the facility earlier this month and said she is looking forward to helping the facility grow and helping members of the community become more familiar with the services provided...

Several members of the Arts Center of North Arkansas [ACNA] located in Cherokee Village participated in area competitions such as the Sharp County Fair and an abstract art show held at the Harlin Museum in West Plains, Mo. “We took our pictures over to West Plains and were allowed four. I won third place and Vicki [Lamb] won first,” said Sheila Donley, President of ACNA...

For the last five and a half years Seena Walker has been the owner of the Historic Courthouse in Hardy. Walker explained it’s not that she wants to sell her business, but it is a matter of health after it was recently discovered she suffers from chronic Lyme disease...

After picking up a saxophone less than a year ago, seventh grade Cave City student Blakeley Crow, 12, was selected to compete at the 2018 First Freewill Baptist National Association Convention competition held July 22 through 26 in Little Rock. “I competed in other competitions. The district competition in Mountain Home and state competition in Union Grove and was able to move on to the national competition,” Crow said...

Highland High School Sophomore, Lillie Hall, was one of 20 students across the state to be invited to attend SUMMERSTAGE at TheaterSquared in Fayetteville earlier this summer. According to the group’s website, “SUMMERSTAGE is an eight-day, full-immersion residential AEGIS program made possible through a grant from the Arkansas Department of Education, and offered at no cost to all accepted participants,” the site reads. ...

School is back in session and this means it is time again to be extra cautious of school buses. Some safety tips to follow according to the National Safety Council are: “Never pass a bus from behind – or from either direction if you’re on an undivided road – if it is stopped to load or unload children...

The Arkansas State Archives (ASA) has launched a digital collection that explores the history of education in Arkansas. “Time for Class – Arkansas Schools through the Years” contains historical documents and photographs from the late 19th to early 20th centuries that bring awareness to the history of education in the state...

The special meeting called by the Fulton County Quorum Court on Tuesday, Aug. 21 was held in front of a standing room only crowd packed with citizens, Fulton County Sheriff's Department deputies and employees, and the sheriffs from both Izard and Oregon Counties in attendance. ...

There was an unusually large turnout of attendance during the Cherokee Village Suburban Improvement District’s regular meeting Aug. 13, where more than 100 property owners traveled to the Omaha Center in Cherokee Village to attend the meeting. The meeting opened with David Webb moving quickly through the agenda items, beginning with updates and announcements...

The City of Cherokee Village held their regularly scheduled meeting Aug. 16. An ordinance, pursuing grants and public comments were among the highlights of the meeting. During his report, Mayor Russell Stokes said SID receipts were down compared to 2017, but there is usually an increase in October and hopefully there will be more income from those payments...

A two vehicle accident claimed the life of a Paragould woman Aug. 18 after the vehicle in which she was riding crossed the center line, striking a semi head on. According to a fatal crash summary report from the Arkansas State Police, the accident occurred just before 9 p.m., when the 1999 Ford being driven by Devin Browning, 21, of Corning crossed the center line near Booth Creek Road in Sharp County. Browning struck a 2012 International head on...