Villager Journal

Highland police officer Steve Dravenstott was promoted to the position of sergeant for the Highland Police Department June 12 during the Highland City Council’s regular meeting.  The promotion occurred during Highland Police Chief Shane Russell’s monthly report to the council during which he also announced that call volumes were up and the new police vehicles were in...

The Ash Flat City Council voted not to pursue further legal action against a Michigan man who had violated a contract he had entered into with the city regarding one of the city’s fire trucks.  The issue was discussed during the June 12 council meeting at which time Fire Chief Stacy Horton announced the truck had been returned to the department, costing the city $2,700...

The Hardy Advertising and Promotions Commission finalized plans for their upcoming Hardy Independence Celebration scheduled for June 30 during their regular meeting held June 11. The meeting opened with event chair Freda Mae Gamblin who provided an update on the progress...

Sharp County Quorum Court held their regular meeting June 11 during which the need for a new jail facility was further discussed. The meeting opened with a series of questions about three proposed ordinances. Everett McGuire asked about a line which referred to using funds for operating and maintaining the existing jail and law enforcement facilities...

A Sharp County man has been placed under arrest after he allegedly shot another man at an apartment complex in Cave City June 15. According to Sharp County Sheriff Mark Counts, Shea George, 38, of Cave City, was taken into custody following the admittance of shooting the man...

When Chasity Hart took her sons to celebrate with dinner out following a ballgame, she had no idea the encounter would quickly turn into a mothers worst nightmare. “That night was like a horrid scene from a movie. You are going on about your regular day and then all of a sudden something traumatic and unexpected happens. ...

Kyle Salamone, a wanted person by the Fulton County Sheriff's Office, was found and arrested shortly after Sheriff Al Roork issued press release. Following his arrest, Sheriff Roork issued another release, thanking the community. "On June 14, I made a press release asking for the public's help locating fugitive Kyle Salamone. ...

The Fulton County Sheriff's Office is asking for the public's help in locating a wanted person. Kyle Salamone is wanted for a parole violation and is staying somewhere in our area. Salamone was convicted in Fulton and Sharp Counties for possession of a controlled substance, residential burglary, theft of property, breaking and entering, and escape...

Tragedy struck on the Spring River June 9 near Saddler Falls in Fulton County after two men were sucked into an apparent sinkhole in the river while on a trip with friends; the incident claimed the life of one and hospitalized the other. According to reports, the two men were with a group from Searcy when the accident happened. Both were pulled from the water at which time Dr. Donald Wright was transported to a local emergency room where he was pronounced deceased...

Jennifer Lee Collins, 57, of Mammoth Spring, a caregiver who injured an elderly woman in her care ultimately leading to her death, has been found fit to stand trial following her second mental evaluation. Collins’ initial evaluation was court ordered June 21, 2017 and was completed Oct. ...

Four people were injured in a two vehicle accident which took place in front of Tri-County Farm and Ranch in Ash Flat June 8. According to an accident report from the Ash Flat Police Department, two adults and one juvenile sustained serious injuries which resulted in the three being life-flighted out to area hospitals...

Five students from the Cave City High School recently made a presentation to a large gathering of educators from around the state at the Butler Center in Little Rock. The presentation was the finished product of a pilot project the students had been asked to do by George West, education coordinator for the center...

The Sharp County Sheriff’s Department Shop With a Cop program has launched their first fundraising event of the year as they prepare for their December event. According to Sharp County Sheriff Mark Counts, raffle tickets are currently being sold for a 2018 model NuCanoe Flint Fishing Kayak...

A Hardy woman faces multiple felony charges after a routine traffic stop yielded drugs and drug paraphernalia. According to a report from the Hardy Police Department, Detective Casey Poulette was patrolling U.S. 62/412 May 25 when he spotted a white Chevrolet Corsica driven by Amanda Payton, 24...

A Sharp County man has been arrested for failure to comply with registration, a class C felony, after it was discovered he had been living in Sharp County for an extended period of time. According to Sharp County Sheriff Mark Counts, the incident occurred, May 30, after the Sharp County Sheriff’s Department received a complaint of sexual misconduct...

The Highland School District School Board held a special meeting May 24 at the Central Office in Highland. The meeting opened with an employee hearing as per the employees request of Billy Yates, high school cook. After the hearing was complete the board entered into executive session for eight minutes to discuss the outcome of the hearing...

The decision to disband the Hardy Public Safety Committee was announced June 4, following the May 30 meeting at which a city alderman threatened a lawsuit against the committee and the committee chair resigned. Mayor Jason Jackson stated the committee had initially been formed at the request of alderman Raymond Hicks, who was also the alderman who threatened a suit against the committee members during the May 30 meeting. ...

A Cherokee Village man has been placed under arrest after confessing to the sexual assault of two juvenile females on multiple occasions. According to Detective Aaron Presser with the Sharp County Sheriff’s Department, he received a call then traveled to a residence in southern Sharp County to speak with the victims and their families...

Local fisherman Matt Boyer has started a petition which would ban the practice of Hoop Netting on Spring and Strawberry Rivers. Hoop Netting is a style of “commercial” fishing in which a tube like closed ended net is placed in the river below the water with bait in one end. As the current flows, fish swim into the net and are caught...

The Spring River Area Chamber of Commerce held their general meeting May 15 at Leaves in Beans in Hardy. Graycen Bigger, Director of Placemaking and Community Developer for Cherokee Village, announced the Spring River Innovation Hub is slated to open June 4, and a business after hours event is being planned for the month of June with a date to be announced...

Entry and participation forms for Sharp County Fair events, which will take place from July 30 through Aug. 4, are now available. Sharp County Fair Board President, Murphy Bloomfield, provided a recent update and a tentative schedule of events. The carnival, which is expected to consist of 12 to 14 different rides, will open July 31 and remain open through Aug. 4...

Lena Burk (Cunningham) Jeffery, age 89 of Bowling Green, Mo. formerly of West Plains, Mo., passed away Thursday May 31, 2018 at the Country View Nursing Facility in Bowling Green, Mo. Funeral services were held at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, June 6 at the Salem United Methodist Church in Salem, Ark. with Rev. Velda Bell officiating. Burial was held in the Salem Cemetery. Visitation was held from 11 a.m. until time of services on Wednesday at the church...

The results are in for the 2018 primary election held May 22, in which less than 20 percent of the eligible voting population cast their ballot. In the Democratic Primary for the Governor’s race, Jared Henderson received the majority vote of Sharp County voters with 180 votes, which was 72 more than his opponent Leticia Sanders. Henderson also received the majority vote state wide...

The Sharp County Quorum Court voted to move forward with pursuing a tax in order to fund the construction of a new jail. Sheriff Mark Counts spoke to the court about the proposed figures which he had gathered since the April meeting. “You all had asked me to get some figures on what a sales tax would do in Sharp County. ...

Property owners in the Cherokee Village Suburban Improvement District (SID) can expect to see some changes to their property assessment fees next year. According to David Webb with the SID, all amenities for the last year in Cherokee Village have undergone a reappraisal and as their value to the property owner has risen, so will assessment fees...

Multiple law enforcement officers, including their respective agencies, as well as the cities and counties they are employed in, have been named in a civil suit filed by attorneys, James W. Harris and Zachary W. Morrison, on behalf of Randell Lee Veazie...

A small crowd gathered on the front lawn of the Sharp County Courthouse May 14 to participate in the 25th annual Police Officer Memorial event. This annual event used to honor police officers across the nation, marks the beginning of National Police Week but is also used to remember fallen officer Jeff Richardson...

Approximately 35 law enforcement officers across Sharp County participated in a voluntary tactile shooting training held at the Sharp County Range May 11. According to Detective Aaron Presser, the training was a qualification course for the deputies...

A lot of local organizations strive to serve their members and the communities in which they exist. One such organization which may be among the lesser known in Sharp County is the National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association (NARFE). “The National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association is a 501(c)(5) nonprofit membership organization dedicated to protecting and enhancing the earned pay, retirement and health care benefits of federal employees, retirees and their survivors,” NARFE.org states.. ...

The Spring River Farmer’s Market is quickly approaching and Graycen Bigger, community developer for Cherokee Village, said those who participate in or visit the market will notice some changes this year. “We want it to be more community involved so we are re-branding it as Saturday’s on the Square. ...

For many, the peace and quiet of country living is the American dream. But that dream can turn to a nightmare for those who become isolated and disconnected from their communities, says University of Missouri Extension safety and health specialist Karen Funkenbusch...

First Lady Susan Hutchinson invites Arkansans to “Lunch at the People’s House” June 5 and 6, at the Arkansas Governor’s Mansion in Little Rock. Lunch will be served each day at 11:30 a.m. and will include a tour of the Mansion gardens. “I look forward to welcoming folks from across Arkansas to the ‘People’s House’ for lunch in June, “ First Lady Susan Hutchinson said. ...

Encouraging graduates to use the knowledge they gained at Arkansas State University to make a difference, Chancellor Kelly Damphousse conferred a record number of over 2,200 diplomas during spring graduation ceremonies Saturday in the First National Bank Arena...

The Hardy Public Safety Committee held their first meeting May 9 at City Hall in Hardy. The meeting began with introductions of the committee members which consisted of council members David Batherick, Vicki Rice and Sue Taylor, as well as Fire Chief Jason Griffin, Police Chief Tamara Taylor, Mayor Jason Jackson and Jeff Monroe...

Villager Journal received confirmation May 14, that a pending investigation has been launched regarding the mayor’s office for the City of Hardy following citizen request. According to Third Judicial Prosecuting Attorney Henry Boyce, “We had a meeting with the Sharp County Sheriff’s Office concerning the complaints of several citizens of Hardy regarding alleged wrongdoing in the mayor’s office. ...

It is not uncommon for area organizations to hold raffles in order to raise funds. What is uncommon however, is when those raffle items are stolen. On May 4, Meacham’s Restaurant in Ash Flat made a Facebook post requesting the hand-crochet quilt which was a raffle item as part of a fundraiser for the New Beginnings Pregnancy Center, be returned...

Mark Shirley, 38, was sentenced to 20 years in prison May 10 after pleading guilty following the severe assault on an Ash Flat couple which left one man dead and one woman in critical condition. Shirley pleaded guilty to theft of property, two counts of breaking or entering and murder in the second degree...

Department reports were the highlight of the Highland City Council’s regular meeting May 8. The meeting began with an update from Fire Chief Kal Dienst who reported the medical air ambulance company, Air Evac had decided not to pursue placing a station in Highland...

Alden Freeman Davis, 51, of Wirth, was sentenced to two years in prison May 10 after pleading guilty to several charges including his fourth and fifth DWI and aggravated cruelty to an animal. Davis also received four additional years but the sentence was suspended. The most recent charges of his fifth DWI and aggravated cruelty to an animal occurred following an incident March 29...

Posting pictures of your children under seemingly innocent hashtags has a sinister side and could put them on the radar of child predators. With summer quickly approaching, Arkansans must know that predators search common hashtags looking for pictures to sell, trade or use for their own pleasure – including, but not limited to, photos of common summertime activities such as swimming, bath time and sleepovers...

Starting Aug. 1, individuals who have been adopted (adoptees) may request their adoption file from the Arkansas Department of Health (ADH). Forms are now available online for birth parents who wish to redact their name from an adoption file, or update their contact or medical information...

Farm No. 266, the Johnny Cash Boyhood Home at Dyess in Mississippi County has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the country’s official list of historically significant properties. Farm No. 266 at 4791 West County Road 4791 was built in 1934 by the Federal Emergency Relief Administration, a Depression-era federal relief agency, and was the home of the country music legend from 1935 until he graduated from high school in 1950...

Prior to Hardy City Council’s regular meeting May 1, the city released a statement revealing approximately $150,000 had been received from Arkansas Department of Emergency Management (ADEM). During the council meeting, Mayor Jason Jackson shared his suggestions on where the money should be spent...

If you grew up in or before the 1990’s, you’re most likely familiar with the movie Homeward Bound; a story about three pets who were dropped off with family friends to be watched while a family took a vacation. The pets were convinced something was wrong, escaped and made the long journey back to their home where they were reunited with their family...

Many parents, faculty and community members assist with the local Mammoth Spring FFA program to help make it the success it is. During the Mammoth Spring FFA banquet held Monday, April 30, a well-deserving individual was recognized for the work she does for the program. Annie Lester was awarded the Honorary Chapter FFA Degree...