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Airmen returning from Asia
LITTLE ROCK (AP) — Nearly 200 airmen will return to Arkansas following a deployment to Southwest Asia.
Air Force officials say family members and friends will gather today for a welcome home ceremony at Little Rock Air Force Base.
Officials say many of the airmen were instrumental in the immediate recovery after an EF-2 tornado struck the base in April, causing $82 million in damage. They deployed days later. -
Angel Tree names ready
The United Way of Independence County announces that the Angel Tree has more than 1,000 names of children making their Christmas wishes again this year.
“The generosity of our community has always been heartwarming in response to those wishes,” executive director Sue Karg said. “One of the best holiday gifts you can give is to make a child happy; it’s also one of the best gifts you can receive.” -
FVP to speak to Cave Kiwanis
CAVE CITY — Patty Duncan from Family Violence Prevention in Batesville will be guest speaker at the Cave City Kiwanis meeting at noon Thursday in the Cave City Community Center.
The meeting is open to the public. -
Spay/neuter clinic set for low-income families
The Humane Society of Independence County is sponsoring a spay/neuter clinic on Dec. 6 for companion animals of low-income families.
Participants must be residents of Independence County and total household income has to be less than $25,000. Cost for the spay or neuter is $35 with the rest being offset by the humane society. Appointments must be made by calling (870) 793-0090 during shelter hours, from noon-5:30 Tuesday through Friday and from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday.
“Please call as soon as possible as appointment times are filled quickly,” Bev Finch said. -
Yellville grocery works to reopen after fumes woes
YELLVILLE (AP) — When the Harps Food Store in Yellville closed last week because of gasoline fumes in the ventilation system, the city of 1,200 was left without a full-service grocery store with Thanksgiving fast approaching.
Harps officials say gasoline vapor seeped into an air duct that runs underneath the store. The grocery is rushing to encase the air tunnel so the store can open in time for customers to do their Thanksgiving shopping. -
Chamber members alerted to scam
Member of the Batesville Area Chamber of Commerce who receive an email from Brandon Johnson, representing the chamber, are being advised to disregard it. It is a scam, according to chamber President/CEO Crystal Johnson.
“His messages are very generic and say basically that he is working with the Batesville chamber to get his ‘foot in the door’ with our members,” Crystal Johnson said. “We don’t know him and he has never contacted us.
“I think he is trying to sell something, but right now he’s just trying to establish contact with our members to sound legitimate,” she said. -
4 of 5 horses stolen found
MAGNOLIA. (AP) — Four of the five horses stolen earlier this month from Southern Arkansas University’s rodeo team have been recovered in a wooded area near Tom, Okla.
The university announced in a news release that nobody was with the horses when they were found late Tuesday. Police are still looking for one horse, a 15-year-old gelding named Credit Card.
The horses and saddles, blankets and other tack were stolen earlier this month. A livestock trailer taken with the equipment was recovered on Nov. 3, and some of other equipment was found last Thursday. -
Body in abandoned house ID’d
HOPE (AP) — Hempstead County officials are releasing the name of a man whose body was found in an abandoned house.
Sheriff James Singleton said an Arkansas State Crime Lab autopsy confirmed the remains are those of 64-year-old James Watson of Stamps. The cause of death is pending.
A sheriff’s deputy found Watson’s pickup truck Oct. 10 behind the abandoned home. Search dogs helped find Watson in the home last week. -
Brenda’s Florist opens second shop inside city
With 22 years at its Southside location, Brenda’s Flowers and Gifts is expanding with a second store located at 1106 Vine St., in the former Jim’s Beauty Supply location.
The Southside location was originally owned and operated by Brenda and Harold Wren until 2006 when the shop was sold to Arkansas Master Florist Chip Philips.
“A few years ago Brenda rejoined us at the shop and we talked about opening a second store to service city customers better and now it’s happening,” Philips said recently. -
Velma Thielman
VIOLET HILL — Velma June Thielman, 80, of Violet Hill died Nov. 9, 2011, in Violet Hill.
Born Dec. 20, 1930, in Chicago, she was the daughter of Costanso and Julia Contanel Pandocchi. She was united in marriage to Simon Thielman on Oct. 9, 1953, in Chicago. She was a homemaker, a child care giver and a factory worker. She was of the Lutheran faith and was a member of Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church. -
Federal officials visit UCA
CONWAY (AP) — The interim president of the University of Central Arkansas says Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents have visited the university’s international program offices.
Interim President Tom Courtway said he doesn’t know who the ICE agents spoke to or what they did.
Tuesday’s visit comes after the associate vice president of the program was demoted while the university investigates allegations that some international students worked on campus more than allowed by visa regulations. -
Ex-pastor pleads guilty to fraud
JONESBORO (AP) — A former Jonesboro pastor has pleaded guilty to defrauding an Oklahoma bank and failing to pay payroll taxes.
U.S. Attorney Chris Thyer said Tuesday that 43-year-old Scott Keith Voss faces up to 35 years in prison and will pay $450,000 in restitution to First Bank of Owasso in Oklahoma and nearly $150,000 to the Internal Revenue Service.
