SALEM (AP) — Officials at Fulton County Hospital in Salem and at Ozarks Medical Center of West Plains, Mo., have entered a 60-day interim management agreement for the Missouri facility to oversee day-to-day operations of the Arkansas hospital.
The announcement was made Monday by the two facilities following an Oct. 12 vote by the Salem hospital’s board of directors to accept the proposal. OMC President and CEO David Zechman said in the announcement that the two organizations will now begin discussions on a longer-term agreement.

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An Independence County Master Gardeners Bulb Sale has been scheduled for 8 a.m. to noon Saturday at the Independence County Cooperative Extension Office at 1770 Myers St. in Batesville, according to a news release.
The sale will include a wide variety of tulips, alliums, crocus, iris, hyacinth, daffodil/narcissus, lilies and anemones. Master Gardeners will be on hand to offer advice and demonstrations on successful bulb selection and planting techniques.

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The 2011 Christmas parade and festivities will be Dec. 3 in downtown Batesville, according to a news release from the chamber.
Line-up will begin at 5 p.m. at Town Plaza Shopping Center, and the parade will start at 6. This year’s theme is “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree.” Registration forms for float and parade participants are available at the chamber or online at www.mybatesville.org.

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TEXARKANA (AP) — Federal prosecutors have charged 66 people with selling crack cocaine and methamphetamines near playgrounds, schools and public housing in Texarkana.
An indictment made public today lists 190 counts and accuses dozens of people of selling drugs between June 2010 and August of this year.
Several state and local law enforcement agencies were involved in the investigation, which has led to charges against 76 people in federal and state courts.

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JACKSONPORT — Jacksonport State Park is hosting a stargazing program called “Tour of the Universe” at 6 p.m. Saturday.
The evening starts in the courthouse with the presentation “Investigating the Universe” by Dr. Tillman Kennon, associate professor of science education at Arkansas State University in Jonesboro. He will show pictures that explore the planets and constellations of the universe.

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MELBOURNE — The Ozarka College culinary arts program is currently taking applications for fall 2012. Students accepted into the program will complete preliminary courses during the spring and/or summer 2012 semesters.
To enroll, students may register with Ozarka College online at www.ozarka.edu or complete a paper application at any of the four campuses and indicate culinary arts as their degree plan. Applicants will be invited to meet with the program coordinators to complete the application process for admission.

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While looking for his stolen ATV Monday afternoon, a Desha man found a stolen golf cart.
Deputy Shawn Stephens said he was dispatched to 150 Carlile St. and spoke with Nathan Petite, who said he was out walking in a nearby wooded area looking for his four-wheeler that was stolen in September.
Petite said he saw something white in the edge of the woods and when he checked he saw that it was a golf cart. It was determined the cart belonged to Charles Insell who lives on Park Street in Desha and had been stolen from Insell’s back yard on Oct. 9.

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Over the years, The Community School has become much more than school for children with disabilities, said Kim Stolarik, assistant director.
Serving Independence, Sharp, Jackson, White, Cleburne and Stone counties, the school in Quail Valley currently has 70 students and is licensed to care for as many as 104.
Meanwhile, White River Specialized Industries (located near Riverside Park) provides jobs for the adults and allows them to work at their own pace. The Catherine Robertson Barnett group home gives the adults a place to live that they can afford.

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Editor’s note: This is the third in a series of stories highlighting local haunts and legends.
 
BETHESDA — Visitors to the home of Roger and Linda Williams sometimes get a “visitor” of their own.
The Bethesda couple say an image of a woman has shown herself to members of their family.
The house they live in has been in Linda’s family for several generations. After Linda’s father died, Roger and Linda bought the home and began adding on and some of the rooms changed.

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Rodger “Doc” Edwards has seen plenty in 99 years.
Born in Mount Pleasant, he remembers when the only mode of transportation was horseback and on one occasion by mule to Sunday morning service at the Cain Springs Church.
Afterwards, he got back on the mule and fell asleep on the way home. “I slept all the way,” he said, laughing, and the mule brought him home safely.
Nov. 1 will mark Edwards’ 100th birthday, but he doesn’t have any secrets to longevity.
Ask him about basketball, however, and he feels like a kid again.

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PLEASANT PLAINS — Midland High School students will soon be rocking the world with original music and a healthy focus.
The district recently learned it has been selected to be one of 40 Rock Our World schools, according to a news release.
The Rock Our World mission is a global collaborative project in which students from all seven continents compose original music using GarageBand software and produce videos focusing on current topics of global interest.

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A car on loan from a local dealership, and later reported stolen, was recovered Monday from Poke Bayou near its confluence with the White River behind the old water carnival stadium.
Members of the Independence County Sheriff’s dive team hooked cables to the car and a wrecker was used to pull it to the surface and then up onto a roll-back car hauler.
The car, a maroon 2001 Pontiac Grand Prix, had been loaned to Vernon Vinson on Aug. 25 by Gary Cloud of Gilley’s Truck Sales, after Vinson had an accident and needed something to drive, according to a police report.

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