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Bobby Thompson
NEWPORT — Bobby Gene Thompson, 51, of Newport died Thursday, July 21, 2011.
Born March 24, 1960, at St. Louis, he was the son of Stanley Ray and Linda Gene Fowler Thompson. He and Mary Haley were married on Nov. 11, 1978. He was manager of Neighborhood Cleaners in Newport and was a member of First United Methodist Church of Newport. He was an avid hunter and especially enjoyed deer hunting. -
Natural Bridge attraction brings $189K
CLINTON (AP) — The Johnson brothers — Harold, Wayne and Royce — watched with mixed emotions Friday as the tourist attraction their family has owned since 1973 was auctioned off to the highest bidder, a native Arkansan who is retired from the U.S. Navy.
But at their ages — 74, 64 and 56 years, respectively — practicality finally won out over sentimentalism, Harold said. -
Ritzer, Anston slate nuptials for Saturday
EAGLE RIVER, Wis. — James and Mary Ritzer of Eagle River, Wis., have announced the engagement and upcoming marriage of their daughter, Jamie Marie Ritzer, to Anthony Eugene Anston, son of Eugene and Hazel Anston of Poughkeepsie.
The bride-elect is the granddaughter of the late Gene and Evelyn Ritzer and the late Wallace and Helen Seyfert. -
Harding sets commencement
SEARCY — More than 200 graduates will receive diplomas at Harding University commencement exercises July 30.
Graduates include students from the College of Arts and Humanities, College of Bible and Religion, Paul R. Carter College of Business Administration, College of Communication, Cannon-Clary College of Education, College of Sciences and the Honors College.
Keynote speaker will be Dr. Milton R. Sewell, chancellor of Freed-Hardeman University in Henderson, Tenn. -
BHS ’86 sets reunion
The Batesville High School class of 1986 will hold its 25-year reunion Saturday and Sunday.
A pool party and dinner have been scheduled for that Friday and Saturday. For more information and details email Crystal Bradley at cb5softball@yahoo.com. -
Jonesboro event scheduled
JONESBORO — The Valley View Out of the Dark school chapter has stepped up to help John 3:16 Ministries with the first Craighead County “Community Fest and Fish Fry” fundraiser, scheduled for 5 p.m. Saturday at Valley View School in Jonesboro.
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Sidney Baptist holds VBS
SIDNEY — Sidney Baptist Church will have its vacation Bible school tonight through Friday.
The theme is “The Big Apple Adventure.”
Classes for children age 3 through sixth grade will be offered.
Activities will include worship, Bible study, music, refreshments, missions study and crafts. -
Wattensaw Bayou, Arkansas Post water trails open to paddlers
Arkansas Game and Fish Commission has initiated the Arkansas Water Trails program to highlight Arkansas as prime paddling territory.
The project is at the forefront of creating a system of water trails throughout the state.
So what exactly is a water trail? -
Ledge update
LITTLE ROCK — Tourism’s contribution to the Arkansas economy increased about 1.4 percent last year, from $5.38 billion to $5.45 billion.
The number of visitors to the state actually went down slightly, but their spending was up.
Industries that cater to travelers employed more than 58,000 Arkansans and paid $1 billion in salaries.
Based on surveys and information collected at welcome centers on the state’s borders, Texas ranked highest as a state of origin for visitors. -
Riding The Incline
One break of the cables and we would have been a scene for every news station across the country.
I could see the helicopters hovering above the trees and CNN’s Anderson Cooper reporting live.
That was all I could think about, stepping inside the cable car at the top of Lookout Mountain in Chattanooga, Tenn., and I know it had to cross the minds of everyone else who paid the $14 to ride what is considered the steepest passenger incline in the world with a 72.7 percent grade at its highest point. -
Closing the book
I used to have an aversion to big-box stores, especially those that destroy well-run, friendly neighborhood businesses, which is a fundamental part of the big-box strategy.
Over time my stance softened. My family and I do more of our shopping in places like Target, Best Buy, Costco and Home Depot, because of the large selection and reasonable prices. Yes, the personal touch is missing — but that’s a tradeoff, because sometimes you want to spend an hour examining dozens of socket wrenches without a salesperson hovering. -
Event set: Karaoke For A Cause scheduled for Aug. 29
Big Brother Big Sisters of North Central Arkansas will present its seventh annual Karaoke For A Cause fundraiser Aug. 29 at Josie’s at the Lockhouse in Batesville. Tickets are $25 per person and the doors open at 6 p.m.
The theme this year is “Impersonation.”
“Can you move like Elvis? Sing like Dolly? Or moonwalk like the King of Pop? If you can, this is your competition,” a news release states.
