Villager Journal

Entrepreneurs will have the opportunity to pitch their ideas and win cash prizes on November 16, 2020, when Communities Unlimited, Inc., presents “Entrepreneurs Unlimited: A Pitch Contest.”Small businesses are the core of the economy, and Communities Unlimited’s Entrepreneurship and Lending teams work to facilitate the startup and growth of small businesses. ...

Kendra Davis of Cave City, Ark. and Misty See of Concord, Ark. have been awarded the annual Dan “Wally” Pittman Endowed Scholarships for the 2020-21 year. Both students will receive $250 for fall 2020 semester and $250 for spring 2021 semester at Ozarka College...

The Ash Flat City Council held their regular meeting Sept. 8 during which the possibility of a warning system at the detention center was discussed. The first order of business was to approve minutes from the regular August meeting and the special meeting also held in August...

A man Sharp County man was placed under arrest and received multiple felony charges, after it was discovered he had stolen a vehicle and traded it to an unknowing victim, before again trading another vehicle. According to a report from the Sharp County Sheriff’s Department, the charges against Alexander Blake Rouse, 28, stem from an incident occurring July 1, but it was discovered during the investigation, the initial theft regarding these particular charges date back to 2017, when Rouse stole a vehicle in Izard County.. ...

Areawide Media recently received handmade crafted face-masks for its employees. These comfortable masks are truly one of a kind, as the company’s logo was printed on fabric which mimics newspapers. The pattern is unique, and for our staff members, very helpful as they are made to rest around the neck when not in use...

Voters from the Highland School District voted to retain millage during the Sept. 8 Special Election. The initiative to retain the five mills passed by voters in the early 2000s, was laid out by the school district for the election held most recently, in which 1,145 ballots were cast...

On Friday, Sept. 11, Patriot Day, the Cave City Fire Department and Cave City Police Department paid tribute to the fallen police, fire fighters and first responders who lost their lives Sept. 11, 2001. The firefighters and police stood along the streets of the Cave City School Zone from 7:30 to 8:20 a.m., holding the American flag and signs with various sayings...

The days long search for a missing Louisiana woman, Shasta McCann, 22, who was reported missing from Many Islands Road late on the evening of Monday, Sept. 7, came to an end Wednesday, Sept. 9 after the woman was found in Columbus, Miss. After 9 p.m. on Sept. 7, Crystal McCann, mother of Shasta, contacted authorities to report her daughter, who is physically and mentally handicapped, had walked away from the residence at which the family was staying...

Ozarka College Board of Trustees will hold a regular meeting at the Student Center Community Room on the Melbourne campus on Thursday, Sept. 17 at 4:30 p.m. Monthly reports and personnel changes are on the agenda, along with a finance report.

A man from Cave City has been placed under arrest and is awaiting the filing of formal charges of rape. According to a press release from the Cave City Police Department, officers were dispatched to a location on Main Street on Aug. 15 for a report of rape...

Producers in Sharp and Independence Counties are accustomed to seeing Natural Resources Conservation Service Soil Conservation Technician Tim Durham in the field, but since the start of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, they are seeing him a lot more...

A joint motion was recently filed by both the prosecution and defense in the case of Rebecca O’Donnell, the woman who pleaded guilty to the murder of former state senator Linda Collins-Smith in August of this year. The documents filed with the Randolph County Clerk’s office to further redact information was ordered to be released following the plea...

As the month of September begins, so does the approaching anniversary of the murder of Rebekah Gould who was last seen alive Sept. 20, 2004. Recently, there have been some updates in the case including the appointment of a new investigator from the Arkansas State Police and the announcement the reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible, has been doubled...

A new partnership between two Arkansas legal non-profit organizations means families affected by the opioid epidemic will have access to free legal services. On Tuesday, Sept. 1, Center for Arkansas Legal Services (CALS) and Legal Aid of Arkansas, announced they received a combined $2 million in grant awards from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to provide free legal services to families impacted by the opioid epidemic...

The Arkansas Courts recently recognized the Sharp County Circuit and County Clerk’s offices by awarding them the Data Quality Award from the Arkansas Administrative Office of the Courts (AAOC). The announcement was made during the Arkansas Court Automation Progress (ACAP) Conference...

A new resource is available to businesses in Sharp, Fulton and Izard counties after a three way partnership between White River Now in Batesville, Create Bridges and the Spring River Innovation Hub launch their new podcast studio located at the Innovation Hub in Cherokee Village...

The Highland School District held a press conference Aug. 27 to share information which would impact every family who has a student enrolled at one of the three campuses. The conference began with a welcome from Superintendent Don Sharp, who then quickly moved into sharing the great news...

Imagine two young girls standing at the driveway of their grandparents’ home, waiting on the school bus in small town Viola, Ark. With their grandparents keeping an eye from the yard nearby, these girls are anxiously awaiting the new day of school ahead of them in pretty dresses their grandmother had sewn for their new school year. ...

The Spring River Shrine Club is selling tickets for a Savage 30-06 with a three by nine Weaver Scope, to raise funds for the club’s charitable efforts. According to Doug Drisel, with the Spring River Shrine Club, only 500 tickets will be sold, with tickets being $10 each or three for $25...

Spring River Adult and Child Services (SACS) announced after many years serving the community, the organization would be dissolving. According to a letter submitted to community partners dated Aug. 21, Executive Director Brinda Israel made the announcement...

The Cherokee Village Suburban Improvement District (SID) held its regular meeting Aug. 17 and attendance was high. The meeting opened with the approval of the agenda and minutes from the previous month, followed by a discussion regarding the irrigation well at Onaga...

The Cherokee Village City Council held its regular meeting Aug. 20. Following the approval of the agenda, the council moved on to public comments. Bill Matselboba approached the podium, “You have on the agenda to pass the trash ordinance tonight? I really wish it could be tabled and thought about more before you do it. ...

Excitement is growing in Cave City as passers by take notice of a new mural wall being painted on the side of the Cave City Library. According to Crystal Crow, the driving force behind the project, students from the Lyon College Art Department have been commissioned by the Bank of Cave City to create the mural...

The Ash Flat City Council held a special meeting Aug. 18 to speak about a donation to the city. The meeting opened with a presentation by Graycen Bigger regarding a proposal to create a Sharp County Regional Industrial Park. “I’m so glad we’re getting together again this week. ...

The Highland City Council held its regular meeting Aug. 11. Department reports were first to be presented beginning with Fire Chief Kal Diesnt speaking. “The biggest news is we got notification from ISO on lowering our public protection scores... We went from a class seven to a class five and are three points away from being a class four,” Dienst said. “With a little bit more work we will be a class four. We have some equipment to get but other than that it shouldn’t be too difficult.”...

Created with the goal to highlight relevant and real-life examples of Ozark foothills businesses, Create Bridges podcast is seeking businesses in Fulton, Izard and Sharp counties to participate in this project. “Local business owners know the challenges and opportunities of their community best and highlighting their experiences will be highly beneficial to the entire region. ...

The Ash Flat City Council held its regular meeting Aug. 11. Following the approval of the previous meetings minutes and the agenda, department reports were delivered. Fire Chief Stacey Horton was first to speak to the council. “The department has had 28 calls since our last meeting. We had 17 medical; two vehicle accidents; no fires; five public assists and five false alarms,” Horton said...

The Cave City School District announced the COVID-19 Guidelines for the reopening of the 2020-2021 school year recently. On the district’s Facebook page it was announced the district will follow the Arkansas Department of Health guidelines and the Arkansas Ready for Learing report issued by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education in planning for re-opening in the fall, however; the guidelines are subject to change...

A man from Evening Shade is being held in the Sharp County Jail following an incident Aug. 15. According to a release from the Sharp County Sheriff’s Department, Nathan Lloyd Porter, 37, was arrested by Evening Shade Police Officer Lonnie Haley while serving a warrant of arrest...

The Ash Flat Planning and Zoning Commission met Aug. 11 to discuss the re-zoning of the Cherokee- Vinco property located near the stoplight in Ash Flat. Once roll had been called, the floor was turned over to Alex Bigger, the attorney representing the petitioner to present the re-zoning application...

One adult and two juveniles were air lifted to area hospitals following an incident on Bee Run Road in Hardy Aug. 16. According to reports, the incident occurred just before 2 p.m. as the family was attempting to install an antenna on their home. While in the process of installing the antenna, the instrument made contact with a high line wire electrocuting all three parties...

The Sharp County Quorum Court held its regular meeting Aug. 10 The meeting opened with a welcome to the newest court member, Justice Wendell Jines. During the county treasurer’s report, Wanda Girtman told the court it was a strong month for sales tax...

Created with the goal to highlight relevant and real-life examples of Ozark foothills businesses, Create Bridges podcast is seeking businesses in Fulton, Izard and Sharp counties to participate in this project. “Local business owners know the challenges and opportunities of their community best and highlighting their experiences will be highly beneficial to the entire region. ...

Parents of children heading to school later this month likely have a new addition to their back-to-school supply lists: face masks. Many public schools in Arkansas plan to re-open later this month. Depending on the school, they are offering on-site instruction, remote learning or both options. Many students attending onsite may be required to wear face masks though requirements vary from school to school...

The 2020 watermelon season is one thing the COVID-19 pandemic hasn’t had a direct effect on, however; Mother Nature swooped in to make her presence known in 2020. Areawide Media recently visited with a couple of Cave City watermelon growers about how the 2020 season compares to previous years...

It was an alarming scene on Main Street in Hardy Aug. 8 after the Hardy Police and Fire Departments were paged to an accident in which an 11-year-old boy had been struck by a vehicle. According to Hardy Director Of the Department of Public Safety Tamara Taylor, the incident took place at approximately 1:30 p.m...

The municipal filing and school board filing deadline for the 2020 general election was Wednesday, Aug. 5. Included in this article are results from Fulton, Izard and Sharp counties. The information was obtained through each respective county’s clerk’s office...

Sister team Sheree Hamm and Sonja Smith announced in June, the closure of Hi-Lo Shoppe, located in the Highland Shopping Center. The sisters are retiring after operating a successful business for 43 years. Sheree and husband John, Sonja and husband Buddy (along with their children and famous door greeters, Braxton and Bella) and their value employees from over the years, have very fond memories of building relationships and extending their family through customers. ...

On Monday, Aug. 3, Ash Flat Healthcare & Rehabilitation announced they are now COVID-19 free. To date, there have been 37 resident and 18 health care professional recoveries at the facility. This comes as an encouragement and brings excitement to the residents and staff who’ve been steadfast in their efforts to help limit the spread...

Over a year after the murder of former Arkansas senator Linda Collins, the case is closed and “the murder investigation is complete”, said Randolph County Sheriff Kevin Bell. The sheriff, who had fellow deputies, investigators and Arkansas State Police alongside him, gave a short briefing to the press following court proceedings on Thursday, Aug. 6...

Ozarka College has moved the start date for the Fall 2020 semester to Aug. 24. In an attempt to make the transition back to the classroom easier, Ozarka’s decision will allow faculty and staff more time to prepare for students to return to campus and will more closely align with our area high schools’ reopening schedules. The only exceptions to this change are the Aviation program, which will begin as scheduled on Aug. 17, and the ARNEC Nursing Program, which will begin on Aug. 18...

U of A System Division of Agriculture Did you receive a packet of seeds or some trinket that you didn’t order? The Arkansas Department of Agriculture is asking Arkansans to let the department know if they received unsolicited packages in the mail. Anyone receiving packages of seeds that they did not order should contact Arkansas Plant Industries Division at 501-225-1598, or by email: Paul.shell@agriculture.arkansas.gov or Mark.stoll@agriculture.arkansas.gov...

Zeta Omicron Chapter of Beta Sigma Phi and the Fulton County Fair will submit a plan to the Arkansas Health Department to have the Fulton County Fair Pageants in September. With the size of the Salem Civic Center, that guideline can be achieved. Officials feel the pageants can be approved because of the size of the civic center and the number of entrances for the facility. The tentative date is Sept. 12 and all pageants will be held on that day...

There is no question 2020 has been a difficult year for much of the world’s population. From economic uncertainties to famine, it can be difficult to find positivity, but did you know, August is Happiness Happens Month? Not only that, but did you know there is a Secret Society of Happy People (SOHP)... that’s not so secret?...

Highland Fire Chief Kal Dienst said due to the cooperation of the Highland Public Water Authority and work by the department, he recently received notification that the city’s ISO rating had dropped from a seven to a five, following this year’s inspection...

You’ve had a few rough months. It’s 2020, which has come to mean pandemic and lockdowns and  distancing. You’re thankful to still have a job and income. But this year has become a monster of added stress, so you’ve lost focus and have let a few things slip by...

The Ozark Acres Suburban Improvement District held their regular meeting July 21. Prior to the opening of the meeting, a 30 minute property owner comment session took place. The meeting then began with the reading and correction of minutes and a report by Deputy Ashton Hester...

Approximately 25 percent of property owners across Sharp County received letters recently informing them their property taxes had been increased, however; this is not unique to Sharp County. According to Kathy Nix, the letters were a result of a state mandated reappraisal which takes place twice per decade...