Stories from Wednesday, April 24, 2019

Rodney Duncan of Highland, Ark., has been presented the 2019 History Education Award at Williams Baptist University. Duncan was selected for the award by the history faculty at WBU based on his academic achievement in the field. The honor was presented at WBU’s Academic Awards Banquet on April 16...

GFWC International, formed on April 24, 1890, is the parent organization of GFWC of Arkansas. The group is one of the largest and oldest nondenominational service organizations of women in the world, with millions of members in the United States and throughout the world. ...

Chigger is a young Russian Blue. He’s simply cat-iveating and purrfect! Please come to the Cherokee Village Animal Control and take home your best friend who will love you no matter what. Call 870-994-445, for more information.

Helen Pearl Orahood was born in Mammoth Spring, Ark., the daughter of Paul Herbert Orahood and Othel Fannie Hunt Orahood on Sept. 9, 1929 and departed this life on April 12, 2019 at West Vue Nursing and Rehab in West Plains, Mo. at the age of 89 years...

Ronald Mike Beeching, 74, of Salem, Ark., departed this life on Sunday, April 14, 2019 in Mountain Home, Ark. Ronald was born to the late Mike Herbert Beeching and Dora Elizabeth (Watkins) Beeching on July 21, 1944 in Mammoth Spring, Ark. Ron was united in marriage to Phyllis Anne Bourgeois on August 23, 1965 in Folston, Ga. ...

Jennie Ruth Estes Lewis was born May 14, 1926 in St. Louis County, Mo. She was the daughter of Ernest Roy and Altha Todd Estes. She died April 15, 2019 at the Residential Living Center in Mt. Vernon, Ill. She married Raymond D Lewis of Flora, Ill. on July 16, 1955...

Evelyn Virginia (Hodges) Trivitt, 95, of Albany, Ore., and formerly of Elizabeth, Ark., departed this life on Wednesday, April 17, 2019 in Albany, Ore. Evelyn was born to the late Robert Hodges and Gertrude (Roberts) Hodges on Jan. 14, 1924 in Elizabeth, Ark...

Eric Dewayne Miller, 37, of Salem, Ark., died April 3 in Salem. Arrangements are under the direction of Barker Funeral Home in Salem. Helen Pearl Orahood, 89, of Mammoth Spring, Ark., died April 12 at West Vue Nursing and Rehab in West Plains, Mo. Arrangements are under the direction of Carter Funeral Home in Thayer...

Hello everyone! We hope everyone had a wonderful, blessed Easter. I am excited to remind everyone that our Drum Circle Saturday is finally here! This Saturday, April 27, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., you are invited to join the Drum Circle for a time of fun and relaxation. No experience needed nor special equipment required. Simply show up with something to beat on and something to beat with. We will be thrilled to see you and share this special experience...

During the recent regular session, the legislature referred three proposed constitutional amendments to Arkansas voters. One would limit terms of legislators to 12 years. Another would permanently extend a highway program that is now scheduled to expire in 2023. The third would make it more difficult to change the constitution. The proposals will be on the general election ballot in November of 2020...

When we pass legislation to grow our economy, it does not stop at tax incentives and workforce training. In Arkansas, we know our economy can also grow by bringing in people from out of state to appreciate our natural resources, our talents, and our history...

“Our dependency makes slaves out of us, especially if this dependency is a dependency of our self-esteem. If you need encouragement, praise, and pats on the back from everybody, then you make everybody your judge.” - Fritz Perls I met her when she was very young and we worked together in the office of a large corporation in Dallas. ...

The Highland Lady Rebels’ softball team is coached by Jessica Smith and Rebekah Asberry. The current record for the season is 6-14. The Lady Rebels are seeded seventh in the tournament and will be playing sixth seed Pocahontas at Brookland in the tournament. If the team wins that game, they play third seed, Westside the next day...

18-holers First place: Mark Thompson, Jim Branch and Corey Thurman. Second place: Scott Jones, Bob Pittman and Wayne Yanke. 9-holers First place: Don Hall. Second place: Sonny Grigshaber and Walt Brown. It’s not too late to come join the great game of golf with great fellowship. For more information, call either pro-shop...

Star of Week 2, from game score plus handicap is Bill Garner, 196. April 15 game winners: Pit 1 – Morgan and Hollis, 196; Pit 2 – G. Ruuska and Reger, 180; Pit 3 – Howe and Garner, 198 and Pit 4 – Brackett and Weeks, 169. April 19 game winners: Pit 1 – Clementi and Garner, 181; Pit 2 – Lewis and Reger, 182; Pit 3 – McHugh and Weeks, 191; Pit 4 – Brackett and Matheny, 189 and Pit 5 – G. Ruuska, 102...

The Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation recently announced the 2019 Arkansas Outdoor Hall of Fame inductees, to be recognized at ceremonies in August in Little Rock. Arkansas Outdoor Hall of Fame Inductees MaryAnn King, London - Considered the most knowledgeable in the state on using native plants in the landscape, King is the founder and longtime owner of Pine Ridge Gardens in London. ...

Monday Hillbillies, April 15: Shirl Harris – 193;526, Jason Thick – 213;555, Sue Mullins – 155;450, Dave Lenart – 212;539, Shawn Draper – 188;448, Alicia Burke – 192;500, Marcia Richey – 204;522, Judy Wyatt – 233:549, Barbara Duke – 173:443, Justin Shelton – 259;670, Robert Fox – 199;546, Kathi Coursolle – 175;480, Maureen Fortuna – 184;402, William Ryals – 201;524, Martha Lugenbeel – 167;417, Bobbie Cantrell – 177;461, Kristy Hall – 175;473, Art Johnson – 215;560 and Bill Loucks – 05;496...

Fulton County 4-H will host a Rabies Clinic on Saturday, May 11 from 9 to 11 a.m. at the Salem High School Parking Lot. Dogs must be on a leash, cats must be in a carrier or left in the vehicle. Prices are: Rabies-$15, DHPP-$15, and Feline Distemper-$15. The clinic is sponsored by Shaw Veterinary Clinic and Fulton County 4-H...

The Arkansas State Highway Commission has approved a bid for improvements to a roadway in Fulton & Sharp Counties, according to Arkansas Department of Transportation (ARDOT) officials. The purpose of this project is to resurface 10 miles of U.S. Highway 62 between Ash Flat and Hardy...

Andrew Carroll, New York Times Best-Selling Author, Historian, and Lecturer, will give a "Presentation of History, War Letters and Little Known Historic Sites in America" at the Sultana Disaster Conference in Marion, Ark., on April 27. The conference commemorates America's largest maritime disaster, which occurred on April 27, 1865. ...

GFWC Timely Club met Thursday, April 11, at New Beginnings in Ash Flat with 16 members present. The meeting was called to order by President Kamps; the Pledge of Allegiance was led by Judy Reed. Our guest speaker was Laura Lute, Director of New Beginnings. ...

As of April 25, TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) Chapter AR 0619 will meet at the Ash Flat Community Center in Homeward Village. TOPS is open to all people from the age of seven to 107 plus. Stop by and see what TOPS can do for you. All weigh-ins are private with no one but you and the person weighing you in. It is an affordable way to get help in losing those unwanted extra pounds that you gained during the winter, plus wanting to get healthier and be more active in your every day life...

The Spring River Gem and Mineral Club announces the May 2 program will be Collecting in New Mexico. Our speaker is Ed Hakesley who has collected for over 30 years in Canada, Utah, Colorado, Missouri, New Mexico and of course Arkansas. Ed will show us places in New Mexico where he collected, geological information there and the minerals such as Azurite, Barite, Galena with Fluorite, Hematite, Malachite and Memite. He also collected micro-mounts...

Members of the Sharp County Historical Society discovered a Civil War tombstone in the Shaver Family Cemetery, 1 ½ miles north and west of Evening Shade off Hwy. 167. On April 1, Eva Royal, society secretary, B. J. (Barbara Jean) Martin and Cody Stroud, Sharp County Extension Agent, traveled to the cemetery location. ...

The inaugural Arkansas Pie Festival held in Cherokee Village drew several hundred people from both near and far April 20. Those who attended were given the opportunity to taste test pies, participate in a pie eating contest, a pie throwing contest and more...

The Cherokee Village City Council met April 18. Discussion included grant funding, donations, upcoming events and more. The meeting opened with the approval of a revised agenda and approval of the minutes. Mayor Russell Stokes brought the council’s attention to the financial report. ...

The Sharp County Quorum Court held their regular meeting April 8 during which the court opted to purchase new dump trucks for the county road department. During the treasurer’s report, JP Greg Prenger asked treasurer Wanda Girtman if she knew why sales tax revenue was down...

There are many issues facing Arkansans which can be difficult to discuss or even acknowledge, a couple of which include sexual assault and rape. According to the Arkansas Coalition Against Sexual Assault (ACASA) “every 60 seconds, 1.3 women (age 18 and over) in the U.S. ...

The Highland City Council met April 9 to discuss road work, discarding city property and more. Fire Cheif Kal Dienst told the council the department had been busy during the month of March. “We had a fairly busy month last month. We were asked to go to the daycare and do a little fire prevention activity there. Miles Clem went. When Highland Schools had their Health Clinic open house, we set up the bounce house inside the station and they were very thankful,” Dienst said...

Students from Viola High School recently made history as being the first ever team from VHS to enter a robotics competition. According to arkansasstemcoalition.com, “FIRST® Robotics Competitions are for students in grades 9-12. The mission of FIRST is to inspire young people to be science and technology leaders, by engaging them in exciting mentor-based programs that build science, engineering, and technology skills, that inspire innovation, and that foster well-rounded life capabilities including self-confidence, communication, and leadership.”. ...

Hole N the Wall Ranch in Viola is holding the third annual Spring Gathering Chuckwagon Races April 26-28. “Our mission is to give locals a place a little closer to home to go enjoy the outside. [Some] kids today don’t even have the opportunity to get out and see anything other than go to the mall, Springfield or Little Rock. ...

The University of Arkansas Extension-Fulton County and the Bank of Salem hosted the Ready, Set, Graduate Program at Salem High School on Wednesday, April 17. This was the program’s tenth year to teach high school seniors to be more prepared when handling everyday finances. ...

The Salem City Council held its regular monthly meeting on April 18. With a quorum present, Mayor Daniel Busch called the meeting to order. Minutes from the previous meeting were presented and approved. Next, the financial report was presented and approved, pending an adjustment...

Newly elected officials were sworn in during Koshkonong’s regular monthly meeting held on Tuesday, April 16. City Clerk Stacey Mullins swore in James Barnett and Codey Bryant before council addressed city business. The April agenda was reviewed before moving onto review and approve the March minutes and financials as well as approval to pay all bills...

The South Central Ozark Transportation Advisory Committee released a list of potential highway construction funds at MoDOT within the seven county region, including a potential project in Oregon County to “implement flood mitigation measures on MO 142 east of the Eleven Point River bridge,” according to the release...

Available programs were discussed at this month’s Interagency meeting held on Thursday, April 18. Sandy Dale with Social Services discussed their new program with the Missouri Career Center, Scale Up. Available for those who are active recipients in the food stamp program, the program helps individuals to learn new and redefine skills and help with resumes and interview skills. It may also help with gas costs for short-term education such as vocational school...

It has been a heated debate since it’s purchase in 2016, whether the Eleven Point State Park should remain or be sold. On Wednesday, April 17 the Missouri House voted in favor of legislation House Bill 1, to sell the park, consisting of more than 4,000 acres in Oregon County. This is a step in the direction of the property being auctioned...

Mammoth Spring School Superintendent Chip Layne turned in his resignation Tuesday evening and has accepted a job at the Norfork School District as superintendent. Layne grew up in the Monett area, but spent summers in the Norfork and Henderson area and has always kept up with the school district...

The fourth Earth Day celebration was held Saturday, April 20 at Mammoth Spring National Fish Hatchery. Visitors enjoyed many activities including making pine cone bird feeders, building a bird house, archery, reptile exhibit and other nature arts and crafts. For additional pictures see page 16...