Villager Journal

The Hardy City Council held their regular meeting Jan. 7. Moving through the agenda, Recorder/Treasurer Greg Bess asked a discussion about minimum wage be held at the end prior to adjournment. Following the approval of the agenda, Councilman Bruce Thruow provided the Hardy Advertising and Promotions Commission Report...

Hearing the words “you have cancer” are some of the hardest and scariest words to hear for anyone, however; hearing the words “your cancer is back”, can be devastating. When she was just seven years old, Cassie Lester’s daughter, Cecilia, heard those words for the first time. After winning her battle the first time, she was recently dealt a devastating blow, when she heard “your cancer is back”...

The Izard County Quorum Court held their regular meeting Jan. 16 during which a vacancy for the position of sheriff was declared. Following the declaration, those interested in the position spoke to the court. Ultimately, the court voted to appoint Jack Yancey to the position...

The Sharp County Quorum Court met Jan. 13 reconvening from recess of the December meeting. The meeting opened with the reading of an ordinance to establish the annual levy of taxes for the year 2019 to be collected in 2020, ordinance 2020-1. Following the reading of the ordinance, the court voted to pass the ordinance...

The Cherokee Village Senior Center is hosting a bingo night event Jan. 28 in order to raise funds for a hot box for one of the center’s vans. According to Jama LaPlaunt, Director of the Cherokee Village Senior Center, the event will take place from 6 to 8 p.m., with the cost of admission being $10...

The Ash Flat City Council held their regular meeting Jan. 14, passing a series of resolutions and receiving updates from department heads. Fire Chief Stacy Horton was first to give his department report. He said the department had 38 calls for service since the last meeting...

Two felony and two misdemeanor charges have been filed against Rebecca Lynn O’Donnell in Jackson County, where she is currently being held for the murder of Pocahontas resident and former senator Linda Collins. On Jan. 14, a probable cause affidavit stated O’Donnell is being charged with two counts of solicitation to commit capital murder (class A felony) and two counts of solicitation to commit tampering with physical evidence (class A misdemeanor)...

Despite the weather, a Cherokee Village resident was able to stay dry thanks to the recent efforts of the American Legion, State Farm and Absolute Roofing. In the fall of 2019, Army veteran Tim Kendrick, began having serious issues with the roof on his home. He had seen an advertisement from an area television station for assistance in home repairs for low income individuals, however to his dismay, when he called, he was told the offer only applied to the Jonesboro/Craighead County area...

A Sharp County man pleaded guilty guilty to battery in the first degree and was sentenced to 28 years in the Arkansas Department of Corrections before Circuit Judge Harold Eriwin Jan. 6. The sentencing of Carl Ring, 32, of Cave City, was a result of an incident occurring Dec. 11, 2017 when Sharp County Dispatch received a 911 call regarding a 3-month-old infant, from the child’s mother, Allura Ring...

Lawrence County District Judge Adam Weeks had thrown his hat in the ring for the upcoming election to serve as a Third Judicial District Division Three Circuit Judge, has been ordered off the ballot following a decision handed down by Judge Chris Piazza in Pulaski County Circuit Court Jan. 6...

Several community service workers have been spending their time working to re-construct the old train which sits outside the Hardy Library. While working to build the train which serves as a play area for children, Sharp County District Judge Mark Johnson said they are also working off fines in the process...

An amended version of the lawsuit which names more than 10 individuals and organizations, including the Cherokee Village Suburban Improvement District (SID), was filed in the Circuit Court of Sharp County Civil Division, as well as the Fulton County Circuit Court Jan. 7...

Rebels The Highland Rebels currently stand at 4-11 overall and 0-5 in conference. On Jan. 7, the Rebels lost an away conference game by 18 points (55-37) at Brookland. On the road again on Jan. 10, Highland lost a conference game at Westside by 33 points (74-41)...

A longtime City of Salem staple, the SkyVue Shopping Center, was destroyed by fire on Sunday, Jan. 5. Skyvue Shopping Center is owned by local businesswoman Renee Clay-Circle, who said every unit was rented, except for two. Balance 30, TNT Gymnastics, La Casa De La Fiesta, H & R Block, Ozark Scanning Services and possibly more – are the businesses who call SkyVue home. As of now, H & R Block is the only business open and not damaged by the fire...

Joey Penix, 26 of Imboden, was arrested following the discovery he had allegedly raped a child under the age of one. According to an affidavit for warrant of arrest on Dec. 1, Highland Police Officer Jeff Hamilton was dispatched to the emergency room in Cherokee Village regarding the possible sexual assault of an infant...

Here is a look back on stories from the second half of 2019. JULY An incident occurred July 4 which landed Christopher and Elizabeth Cope in jail after it was reported one was attempting to drown their child. Marc Herring began selling the Hardy Mural Mugs at his store in Hardy to raise funds for the restoration of the mural in Hardy...

The Hardy History Association held their first membership meeting of of the new year Jan. 2 at city hall in Hardy.  Prior to the start of the membership meeting, a board meeting was conducted beginning at 5:30 p.m. Following a roll call vote, the board moved onto business which consisted of committee and financial reports...

When Dana Vaughn relocated to Sharp County, she opted to rent a home from Sidney resident Calvin Snow. While working on the property, she uncovered a valuable piece of history which was thought to have been lost long ago. “I found a box out behind the storage shed. ...

The Mammoth Spring Bears moved into the championship game of the Maverick Division of the 2019 edition of the Bad Boy Mowers Ronnie Brogdon Classic by beating the Highland Rebels in overtime 53-50. The Bears faced the Middle College High School Bulldogs (Memphis, Tenn.). The Bulldogs advanced to the championship game by beating Star City 97-79 and Strong 68-40...

The Fulton County Quorum Court met Tuesday, Dec. 10 for its monthly meeting. Aside from department reports and approval of minutes, the main purpose was to adopt the 2020 budget, which didn’t happen. Judge Jim Kendrick presented two budgets for members of the court to review. ...

Jan. 1 marked the start of not only a new year, but a new decade. Some may look at the year with anticipation of the things to come, resolutions to uphold or even a clean slate of opportunity. Here is a look back on some lessons learned and wisdom earned in 2019...

For the last several months, the officers contracted by the Highland School District who serve as the School Resource Officers (SRO) have been working to raise funds to help purchase equipment to help them be more efficient in serving the community...

The Cherokee Village City Council held it’s regular meeting Dec. 19 As the meeting began, Mayor Russell Stokes requested to add an appropriation for litigation onto the agenda. Recorder/Treasurer Deb Weichinger read a letter of correspondence from Cherokee Village Sanitary Landfill Company in regards to their desire to expand their trash holding capacity. The letter stated a request had been made with the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality...

Four people were placed under arrest Dec. 20, after attempting to steal nearly $4,000 worth of merchandise from Walmart in Ash Flat. According to a report from the Ash Flat Police Department, officer Bryan Buchanan was dispatched to the store for a report of theft...

After seeing several social media posts about a young Sharp County resident who was working to support the Cherokee Village Animal Shelter, Sharp County Judge Mark Johnson felt inclined to support the cause. “We’d seen Ty Rowland was very involved and active in the community, including but not limited to being concerned with the animals and the shelter in Cherokee Village,” Johnson said...

The Ozark Acres Suburban Improvement District held their regular meeting Dec. 10. Prior to each meeting, a 30 minute public speaking section is made available to residents. During the public speaking section a question and answer session was held regarding property upkeep, speeding, police presence and more...

The Ash Flat City Council held their regular meeting Dec. 10. Fire Chief Stacey Horton was first to give his report. “For the holidays we, just prepared for the parade and Christmas events. We had 31 calls since our last meeting; 19 medical, two vehicle accidents, two grass fires, six public assists and two false alarms,” Horton said...

Comfort Keepers has entered its fifth year and has expanded its wintertime project to serve Sharp County and the surrounding areas. According to founder Lauren Siebert, this year, the project has expanded to offer small amounts of firewood in addition to electric heaters...

Spring River Adult and Child Services Homeless and Domestic Violence Shelter (SACS) will soon begin offering a new service to the community. According to Executive Director Brinda Israel, SACS will soon roll out the Our Neighbors Program. “We offer many services to the community, but recently, after reading an article about Telecare, an organization comprised of volunteers in the Horseshoe Bend area that calls and checks on area residents each morning, we took a look at how we could offer something similar to residents in our area,” Israel said. ...

The Cherokee Village Suburban Improvement District (SID) held their regular meeting Dec. 16 at the Omaha Center in Cherokee Village during which, Commissioner Joe Waggoner announced eight candidates had applied to fill the vacant seat on the commission...

As residents along Lake Sherwood in Hardy made their daily commutes this week, to their wandering eyes appeared.. not Santa or a miniature sleigh, but rather an army of tiny reindeer. Many residents along the lake are attributing the appearance of the reindeer to good ol’ fashioned revival of the Christmas sprit...

A special presentation was held at the Sharp County Quorum Court meeting Dec. 9 as a plaque was presented to the family of former JP Greg Prenger. Sharp County Judge Gene Moore began the meeting by requesting the family of Prenger come to the front of the room...

Although Election Day is still months away, great attention is being drawn to an important issue which will appear on the ballot before voters in November of 2020. Issue 1 is not for city council candidates, JP races or the price of tea in China but rather something that has the potential to impact citizens in a multitude of ways during their daily commute...

The vacancy for JP District 3 was filled Dec. 11 after Gov. Asa Hutchinson announced he had selected Marcus Goings to be appointed to the position. Goings is no stranger to county government as in the mid 1990’s he served as JP for District 1 for five terms...

After several months of work by members of the Highland Schools Charitable Fund, the organization, in partnership with area businesses, has successfully reached one of their initial goals by opening Rowdy’s House. According to Kara McEntire, Rowdy’s House was the brainchild of her father Kevin King who worked to establish the foundation prior to his passing...

Another unexpected change has been made in the Rebecca O’Donnell case, following a request from Third Judicial Prosecuting Attorney Henry Boyce to be relieved of his duties regarding the case. The request, submitted to Judge John Fogleman Dec. 4 and filed with the Randolph County Circuit Court Dec. 5, a week after Judge David Goodson, who was appointed by the Arkansas State Supreme Court to oversee the case, also requested to be removed...

The Hardy City Council held it’s regular meeting Dec. 3 during which updates were provided regarding the public restrooms being constructed in Loberg Park and new policies were adopted. Following the approval of minutes from special and working meetings held during the month of November, revisions were made to the agenda and a public presentation was given...

The Highland Lady Rebel Basketball team in conjunction with Centennial Bank and the Rebel Booster Club recognized Senior Molly McBryde as the player of the week for Dec. 1 – 7. McBryde scored 11 points, shot 57% from the paint, recorded 75% accuracy from the charity stripe, and defensively held Cave City’s best player, who normally averages 28 points per game, to only 15 points on the night. ...

The U.S. Census Bureau is recruiting census takers for temporary positions in communities across Arkansas in advance of the 2020 Census. Pay rates for census takers in Arkansas have increased, with a range from $17 to $23.50 per hour.  Applicants will be placed in an applicant pool for 2020 Census positions in which they qualify for as jobs become available in their area. These positions offer competitive pay, flexible hours, paid training and weekly paychecks...

The Sharp County Sheriff’s Department and Cave City Police Department executed a search warrant in Cave City Dec. 2 which yielded large amounts of drugs and drug paraphernalia. According to a release from the Sharp County Sheriff’s Department, the warrant was executed at the home of Darrell Long, 47, on Lile Street in Cave City...

The Hardy History Association (HHA) held a board meeting Dec. 5 its first membership meeting since forming, at Hardy City Hall. The board meeting began at 5:30 p.m. with the organization’s President Darlene Wilson, Secretary Rebecca Ashcroft, Treasurer Katie Hartness, First Vice President Margaret Hartness and Second Vice President Nannette Daugherty and board members Sue Norman, Kristin Proulx, Ernie Rose, Charles Wilson and Roger Stark present...

In a world of kick starter companies and pop-up shops, there is no truer test of a business’ success than time and service to the community. On Dec. 6, the Ash Flat Livestock Auction celebrated 60 years of being in business. Friday’s sale was expected to be well attended, as it was their “pre-vac” sale, but the Nix Family was pleasantly surprised with larger attendance of those who were there to celebrate the milestone with them. ...

With just a few weeks until the Christmas holiday, the community of Horseshoe Bend was dealt a heavy blow as one of their largest employers, South Bend Nursing, has been forced to implement an emergency evacuation protocol and close their doors. A process which was thought to have 21 days to complete, but was expedited to fruition over the weekend...

The Cherokee Village City Council held its regular meeting Nov 21. The meeting opened with comments from the public regarding agenda related items. David Nebel spoke to the council regarding the proposed solar panel ordinance. Nebel suggested changes be made because as written, the neighbors of those seeking to place solar panels on their property would have input...

H&R Block in Highland has partnered with Spring River Adult and Child Services (SACS), the local domestic violence and homeless shelter for women and children, to host the Random Act of Kindness event slated for Friday Dec. 6 from 6 to 10 p.m. at the Hardy Civic Center...

The students of the Highland Theater will be performing the live radio play, It’s a Wonderful Life! Dec. 6 at 7 p.m. and Dec. 7 at 2:30 and 7 p.m. at Highland Assembly of God in Highland. According to Shona Covington, director and theater teacher at Highland High School, the cast consists of approximately 10 students who will be portraying more than 60 characters...

Highland High School’s Band program has set a standard and tradition of excellence for decades and the start of the 2019-2020 school year has proven to carry on that tradition. According to Greg Bruner, band director, it has been a busy and productive season for the band and for the directors...

A Sharp County man is facing multiple charges following an interview which led to his arrest Nov. 27. According to a release from the Sharp County Sheriff’s Department, the charges stem from from an investigation of internet stalking and sexual misconduct involving a juvenile. The Sharp County Sheriff’s Department Criminal Investigation Division and Highland School Resource Officer interviewed Gann Nov. 27...

The Sharp County Sheriff’s Department and area law enforcement agencies are gearing up for the annual Sharp County Shop with a Cop event slated for Dec. 14 at 8 a.m. at Walmart in Ash Flat. Each year, for the past several years, law enforcement officers have been working to raise funds to help make a better Christmas for children in Sharp County...

A Sharp County woman has been ordered to 18 months in prison, three years supervised probation and to pay more than $200,000 in restitution, after it was discovered she had taken money from her employer. According to documents from the United States District Court Eastern District of Arkansas, Carrie Porter, was sentenced before Judge Susan Webber Wright Nov. 19 for embezzlement...