2015 Progress

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The Courier

Sunday, October 25, 2015

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Saint Mary’s Regional Medical Center Submitted by Saint Mary’s Regional Medical Center

Highly experienced healthcare leaders join Saint Mary’s administrative team Understanding the vital importance of healthcare in the River Valley region, and diligently striving to provide those they serve with advanced services and compassionate care, Saint Mary’s is proud to bring two new exceptionally skilled and highly experienced healthcare leaders to its administrative team. Jim Davidson has joined the system as the chief executive officer (CEO), and Carol Gore, RN, recently became the chief nursing officer (CNO).

vations. Prior to his work at EASTAR, Davidson was COO at Westlake Hospital, a 225-bed medical center in Melrose Park, Illinois. Previously, he served as vice-president of Ancillary and Support Services at Saint Vincent Hospital, a 321-bed teaching hospital, in Worcester, Massachusetts . He began his healthcare career in 1985 as a radiology technologist at Lafayette General Medical Center in Lafayette, Louisiana. Davidson earned his Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in Healthcare Administration from the University of St. Francis in Joliet, Illinois.

Gore Davidson

Jim F. Davidson appointed Chief Executive Officer Jim Davidson comes to Saint Mary’s from Muskogee, Oklahoma, where he served as chief operating officer (COO) for EASTAR Health System. Anticipating a continued commitment to high quality care and improved technologies at Saint Mary’s, Davidson comes to the position with healthcare leadership experience that includes numerous process improvements, employee engagement, patient satisfaction initiatives and oversight of facility reno-

Carol Gore, RN, named Chief Nursing Officer With more than 25 years of experience, Carol Gore, RN, brings a wealth of expertise to her role as chief nursing officer at Saint Mary’s. For nearly seven years, she served in leadership positions at Arkansas’ Northwest Health System, a multihospital system of 414 beds over three campuses. She was previously CNO for Northwest Medical Center in Springdale, Arkansas, as well as Administrator and CNO for Willow Creek Women’s Hospital in Johnson, Arkansas. While there, the system achieved outstanding satisfaction

scores for patients, physicians and employees – all in the 90th percentile and above. Prior to joining Northwest Health System, Gore was CNO for two years at Forrest City (Ark.) Medical Center, where she had served in a variety of other nursing and leadership roles for 16 years. She has also served as a nursing instructor with Crowley’s Ridge Technical Institute in Forrest City. Gore earned an Associate’s Degree in Nursing from East Arkansas Community College (Forrest City), a Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing from South University, and a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from Western Governors University.

Saint Mary’s Express Care — More than an ordinary urgent care center Injuries and illnesses seem to happen at the most inconvenient time, and when they do, patients may need more than an ordinary urgent care center. At these times, a patient is faced with determining the

complexity of the situation – does it require routine care or a trip to the ER? With Saint Mary’s Express Care, they don’t have to make that call. Saint Mary’s Express Care team nurse practitioners and physician assistants can perform rapid assessment and work to provide the most appropriate treatment patients need, when they need it. With Express Care and emergency care in the same location, timely, appropriate treatment for the illness or injury is right there, as the full range of advanced technology in Saint Mary’s Emergency Department is always available.

Opened in October 2011, Turning Point Behavioral Health Unit (BHU) is one of only a few facilities of its kind in Arkansas to accept adult Medicaid, and is the only inpatient adult behavioral health clinic between Little Rock and Fort Smith. Since its inception four years ago as a 15-bed unit, Turning Point has expanded, bringing the total number of beds to 19. Additional space for recreational and other uses has also been converted. The inpatient facility has experienced a 20 percent increase in number of patients since opening.

Saint Mary’s Turning Point Behavioral Health Unit expands to meet growing need

New technology improves diagnosis of dangerous infections and thwarts antibiotic resistance

Mental disorders are common throughout Arkansas and affect people of any age, race or religion. In 2010, 12.5 percent of Arkansans reported having frequent mental distress compared to 10.7 nationally, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention(CDC).

Saint Mary’s Regional Medical Center has recently implemented innovative technology which allows lab professionals to quickly and proactively identify dangerous infections that previously required 48 to 72 hours (or longer) to identify. The new system allows the hospital to manage all

aspects of the testing process onsite, from sample preparation to identification. This means that the accurate answers patients need are now offered earlier, sometimes in as little as one hour, while medical value is highest. Saint Mary’s physicians can immediately prescribe treatments that target specific infections. Getting the right antibiotic not only helps a patient get well faster, but also reduces the chance of antibiotic resistance. The system is used to detect Group B Strep, TB, MRSA, C. difficile, influenza and others, faster than ever previously possible at the hospital. Saint Mary’s is one of a limited number of hospitals in Arkansas to have this technology. Investment in this system underscores the medical center’s commitment to adopting the most effective practices in preventing the spread of infection. “Improving patient outcomes is the primary goal of any diagnostic system,” said Robert Gates, Director of Laboratory Services. “We are dedicated to providing better, faster and more accurate diagnosis and treatment, and to reducing the development of antibiotic resistance. This not only protects individuals, but it can have a positive impact on the long-term health of our community as a whole. Everyone benefits from getting the right results at the right time.”

The region’s first 128-slice CT scanner At a cost of $1.2 million, Saint Mary’s is the first hospital in the region to offer and fully utilize the powerful, new GE Optima CT660 128-Slice Computed Tomography (CT) scanner, revolutionizing Please see ST. MARY’S | 3P

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Fighting cancer — your cancer — is the focus of Saint Mary’s Cancer Treatment Center. To that end, we’ve invested deeply in the fight. At Saint Mary’s, we are passionate about providing powerful, leading technologies and emerging treatment options, including one of the most advanced radiation therapy approaches available anywhere, right here in the Arkansas River Valley. We are equally excited that when you choose Saint Mary’s, you have at the center of your care a team of field experts who understand your concerns and possess an unyielding commitment to your best care. It’s the powerful technological resources and dedicated, compassionate care you can expect from Saint Mary’s Cancer Treatment Center. And it’s right here, close to home.

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non-invasive procedures including coronary angiography. The high-speed scanner helps physicians see more anatomical detail at a lower radiation dose, accomplished in a fraction of the time previously required with conventional CT. The machine can scan the whole body in seconds and provide incredibly sharp 3D images of any organ. This technology has been particularly effective for studying the beating heart. CT angiography utilizing the 128-slice Optima CT provides clear non-invasive images of the heart and its major vessels. The scans can help in determining whether either fatty deposits or calcium deposits have built up in the coronary arteries, which supply blood to the heart muscle. The scans can also be timed to use only images gathered between contractions, so that the heart and its vessels can be seen without blurring caused by motion. For patients requiring a CT examination, and in particular for those requiring cardiac, brain or peripheral vascular examination, the 128–slice Optima CT660 scanner provides increased speed, reduced radiation dosage, detailed diagnostic information, greater convenience and improved patient comfort. “This new technology will give us more versatility in our imaging protocols,” said interventional cardiologist Dr. Sastry Prayaga, Medical Director of Saint Mary’s Cardiac Cath Lab. “Rather than a one-scan-fits-all approach, we tailor each exam to meet the patient’s specific needs.”

The latest in MRI technology As part of its mission to exceed expectations, Saint Mary’s recently made the GE Optima MR450w, a powerful MRI system, available to patients in the region. This technology offers increased comfort paired with the sharpest high resolution images on the market. “This is the most accurate MRI imaging tool in

the region. This system offers excellent images for more definitive diagnosis and meets the patient demand for a more comfortable experience,” said Imaging Director Ken Dilday. The GE Optima MR450w, a $1.6 million investment, shares the spotlight with several advanced technologies at Saint Mary’s.

New nuclear medicine technology Saint Mary’s has installed two GE Discovery NM360 nuclear medicine imaging cameras in the Imaging Department as well. Valued at nearly $385,000, the cameras and re-designed facility place the hospital among the leaders in nuclear medicine imaging technology statewide. Nuclear medicine cameras provide very precise images of the area of the body being imaged. The more precise the information health care providers can obtain about a patient’s condition, the more effectively that patient can be treated. With improved efficiency and speed, these cameras allow for scan times and doses as low as half that of standard nuclear medicine protocols.

New treatment for varicose veins and chronic venous insufficiency (CVI) Over 30 million Americans, predominantly women who have been pregnant and those who stand for extended periods at their jobs, have varicose veins. People often assume these blue, red or flesh-colored veins are just a cosmetic nuisance or confuse them with spider veins. Many also write them off as simply a sign of getting older. However, varicose veins may be related to a more serious medical condition called chronic venous insufficiency (CVI). If left untreated, CVI can cause leg pain, swelling, restlessness, skin damage and ulcers may occur. “There are many misconceptions about varicose veins,” said Dr. Shu-

ja Rajool of Cardiology Associates of North Central Arkansas. “At Saint Mary’s, we are working to debunk these myths and especially urge moms, who tend to put their own health last on their ‘to do’ list, to listen to their bodies and take action.” “As we age, it’s important to take care of our entire body, including our legs, as they play a major role in helping us lead an active, healthy lifestyle,” he added. “People with varicose veins must understand that they don’t have to suffer in silence. As vein specialists, we can screen, diagnose and treat their condition head-on. We use a minimally invasive treatment where radiofrequency energy is used to precisely and effectively treat CVI.”

Cardiac and Vascular Care Center – leadership, physicians and technology Investing nearly $3 million in life-saving cardiac and limb-saving catheterization technologies, Saint Mary’s completed capital improvements in two state-of-the-art cardiac catheterization labs for diagnostic and interventional cardiovascular and vascular procedures. Saint Mary’s has assembled a dedicated team of cardiac specialists devoted to providing outstanding cardiac care, right here, at home. These highly trained, board-certified cardiologists include Medical Director Dr. Sastry Prayaga interventional cardiologist, and Drs. Dai-Yuan Wang and Shuja Rasool, both invasive cardiologists. These physicians make life-saving cardiac care available in the River Valley. Their practice, Cardiology Associates of North Central Arkansas, can be reached at 479968-4311.

AirStrip OB App helps doctors monitor labor Saint Mary’s Regional Medical Center launched a cutting edge mobile patient-monitoring program that allows Saint Mary’s OB/GYNS to keep a closer eye on labor and

“We don’t do fundraisers,” she said. “We simply share our information with regard to income and expenses with the congregation. When there is a need, people at the church respond and share their resources. All functions at the Manna House, like handing out food and stocking are provided by volunteers from the church and other individuals.” Brooks said products are sometimes donated by members of the community or by other nonprofit organizations. The Manna House provides staple food items like crackers, macaroni and cheese, rice, cereal, peanut butter, canned vegetables and fruit, soups, ramen noodles, frozen meat and tuna. It also provides some personal hygiene items such as shampoo. To qualify one only needs to reside in Pope or Yell County. Families are eligible to receive food 12 times per year from the date of their first visit. Manna House opened its doors in September of 2000. “We believe it is our responsibility as Christians to serve the least of these,” Brooks said. “We

Enhanced technology and Improved accessibility In addition, Saint Mary’s purchased new laparoscopic surgical equipment at $150,000 for the operating room — $78,000 was invested in patient monitors for a progressive care unit and another $260,000 is currently being expended to

purchase a state-of-theart nurse call system for better patient care. Saint Mary’s Regional Medical Center has significantly enhanced the healthcare technology available to the River Valley and remains committed to investing in superior systems, ensuring long-term access to quality care for the patients we serve. “Improving accessibility to safe, high quality health care is an ongoing goal of Saint Mary’s Regional Health System. As our region grows, and many individuals and families gain access to coverage, Saint Mary’s is well positioned to provide enhanced access to some of the best diagnostic and treatment technologies as well as more physicians in more specialties,” said Mike McCoy, COO. “We are committed to meeting the growing medical needs of the communities we serve well into the future.”

Recognized on the state and national level for quality and patient safety The hospital’s dedication to patient safety is evidenced by consistently being recognized by state and national organizations. The Arkansas Foundation for Medical Care recently recognized Saint Mary’s for excellence in health care. The hospital recently earned a Hospital CAUTI Reduction Award from the AFMC

annual Quality Awards program. Saint Mary’s is the only hospital in the state to be quoted in the Joint Commission’s Implementation Guide for Reduction of Surgical Site Infections, and is one of 17 hospitals in the U.S. to be highlighted for “best practice.”

About Saint Mary’s Regional Medical Center With a medical staff of more than 111 active physicians in 18 specialties, Saint Mary’s offers a wide range of quality healthcare services to residents of west central Arkansas, including cardiac catheterization, surgery, diagnostic radiology, cancer treatment, rehabilitation therapy, women’s and children’s services, and 24-hour emergency services. Saint Mary’s employs over 900 healthcare professionals who are dedicated to providing quality care with courtesy and compassion. As employers and providers of high-quality, essential care, Saint Mary’s Regional Health System is proud to be an integral part of the River Valley community. Improving access to physicians, expanding services and investing in new technologies, the center is the cornerstone for a stronger, healthier River Valley, now and for generations to come. For more information, visit www.SaintMarysRegional.com

Russellville Eye Clinic, P.A. OPHTHALMOLOGY (Eye M.D.’s) • The “Eye Care” Specialist Our Commitment Is To Provide Our Patients With The Best Medical and Surgical Eye Care Available

No-Stitch No-Shot No-Patch CATARACT SURGERY Most Technologically Advanced Lens Implants

Laser Surgery Diabetic & Glaucoma Laser Treatment • Eye Lid Surgery • Botox & Collagen Fillers OCT Laser Scanning Instrument used for detection of Glaucoma & Retinal Disease Comprehensive Eye Examinations, Glasses, and Contact Lenses, Optical Shop Featuring: Oakley, Marchon, Fossil, Anne Klein and Harley Davidson

Best of the Best

Reader’s Choice Awards

201211

David S. Murphy, M.D.* • Frank M. Lawrence, M.D.* Serving John N. Gillespie, M.D.* • Kim Patterson, O.D. the River *Certified by the American Board of Ophthalmology

Valley Since 1955

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Best of Best

Best of the Best

Manna House sees 20 percent growth BY TRAVIS SIMPSON The Manna House Food Pantry, an outreach of the First United Methodist Church, continued to grow throughout 2015. Associate Pastor Gail Brooks said the food pantry, which serves all of Pope and Yell counties, has seen “around a 20 percent increase” in service. The Manna House has served 5,527 families and 12,891 individuals through September of 2015, compared to 7,203 families and 23,044 families throughout 2014. Brooks said she wasn’t sure if it was because the poverty problem in the area is growing or if the Manna House is more well-known in the area. “Probably a combination of both,” she said. “Our client base increases by word of mouth. We get new families every month.” Brooks said the Manna House, which is not a line-item on the church’s budget, serves 20 new families every month. Without the financial backing of the church the Manna House relies entirely on the generosity of its congregation and volunteers.

delivery patients, giving them immediate access to important data, and improving patient safety and treatment. The hospital is the first healthcare facility in the River Valley region to acquire the AirStrip OB technology that helps obstetricians closely monitor women in labor. For obstetricians, the AirStrip OB program delivers live vital patient data including fetal heart rate, maternal contraction patterns, along with vital signs and nursing notes from the hospital labor and delivery unit - to a physician’s smartphone or tablet. “AirStrip OB helps look after the comfort, safety and security of patients,” said Sherry McClure, Director of Saint Mary’s Women’s and Children’s Department. “No matter the demands of the day or a physician’s location, they can closely watch their patients in labor and be in a position to react immediately to a change in situation. That will contribute to improved patient care.”

Reader’s Choice Awards

2012

Dr. Murphy

Dr. Lawrence

Reader’s Choice Awards

2014

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Best of the Best

Best of the Best

Reader’s Choice Awards

Reader’s Choice Awards

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consider it a privilege to do that through the Manna House at First United Methodist Church.”

Dr. Gillespie

Dr. Patterson

2015

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1700 West ‘B’ Street • Russellville, AR 72801 (479) 968-7302

Providing Quality Healthcare and Rehabilitative Services to the River Valley Since 1965!

Russellville Nursing & Rehabilitation Center

215 S Portland Avenue, Russellville, AR 72801

479-968-5256

Our Therapy Staff is Ready to Meet Your Needs!

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River Valley Christian Clinic serves those in need and others who assist the clinic — typically around 50-60 people — are on a voluntary basis. Clinics are held on the first and third Thursday of every month, with a follow-up clinic on Tuesday. The clinic sees an average of 250 patients per month. The current board of directors is Dr. James Carter, Suzanne Yelverton, Don Loudon, Steve Frick, Shirley Judkins, Dr. Stanley Teeter, Montie Sims, Don Guess, Dr. Michael D. McCormick, Ron McDonough and Harold Barr. Since RVCC opened, it has recorded 22,439 office visits, filled 55,573 prescriptions and logged 58,051 volunteer hours,

By Courier Staff

DARDANELLE — River Valley Christian Clinic (RVCC) has been in operation in the Arkansas River Valley since 2007 with a goal to provide medical services to those who were unable to afford it. The clinic is funded through individual, corporate and church donations, as well as through grants. Since 2006 the clinic has received $107,108 in dental grants from Delta Dental. The clinic administrator is the only paid, fulltime employee. A parttime nurse practitioner was added in 2009 and a daytime pharmacist one day per week in 2012. All other professionals

“We live in a community that steps forward and cares. We have been so blessed.” Don Guess Guess said. That’s seven years for a total of $15,000,530 provided for patients. Guess said in an interview earlier this year with The Courier that 40 churches and eight community groups supply Christian leadership, counseling and food for volunteers. “We’ve completed eight years of what we consider very successful service to those patients who cannot enter the healthcare

system,” Guess said. “We live in a community that steps forward and cares. We have been so blessed.” The clinic provides medical care, including physician evaluation and treatment, routine lab and X-ray exams, referrals and diabetes care; dental care, including dental evaluation and extractions; eye care, including optometry examination and eyeglass provision; pharmacy

services, including medication assistance; and personal services, including spiritual and diabetic counseling. Those who qualify to be treated by the clinic cannot have Medicare, Medicaid or any other medical insurance that covers medical visits, dental or optical services and must have a household income that is less than 300 percent of the federal poverty guidelines. Proof of income and pre-registration are required for each visit. Registration applications are available 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and those seeking an appointment must call (479) 229-2566 for an

interview. Because there are no doctors available during the day, the clinic begins at 6 p.m. on the first and third Thursday of each month. A nurse practitioner and pharmacist are available at the clinic each Thursday during business hours. RVCC also participates in local events, such as “Food on the Mount,” which took place on Aug. 8. “Food on the Mount” was a gathering of more than 2,500 people from Pope and Yell County. Around 2,400 people were give groceries, school supplies, medical checks, dental checks and hearing checks. RVCC provided free medical exams at the event.

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Foot Health Clinic Thomas G. Werner, D.P.M., P.A.

• Diabetic Foot Care • Heel Pain • Ingrown Toe Nails • Warts, Calluses & Corns • Sport Injuries • Flat Feet • Complete Medical Care of Foot Call to make an appointment today!

2503 W. Main Pl. Russellville 968-1311

Pictured from left to right: Dr. Thomas Werner, Erin Grice, Alejandra Mendez, Allison Wood, Deeneen Mendez.

The Foot Health Clinic provides medical care of the foot with emphasis on conservative and biomechanical treatment of medical related foot problems. Dr. Thomas G. Werner opened the Foot Health Clinic in 1979. He has practiced here continuously for 36 years. His services also extend to Johnson County as he travels to Johnson Regional Medical Center to see patients twice a month. Dr. Werner performs “at risk care” for diabetic and peripheral vascular disease foot related illnesses. Surgery is recommended and utilized on patients in need, but every effort will be made to treat patients conservatively. If you or anyone you know has these or other foot related conditions, call the Foot Health Clinic to set up an appointment.

Evaluating feet for qualified diabetic patients through the Medicare therapeutic footwear program.

SERVING THE RIVER VALLEY FOR 36 YEARS Thank you for allowing us to treat your foot problems for all these years!

Trusted, Compassionate Care in a place that feels like home At the Dardanelle Nursing & Rehabilitation Center we are committed to providing the highest quality patient care, while maintaining a dignified atmosphere. Our qualified staff is here giving their loving support for the tasks of day-today living, allowing our guests to enjoy more pleasant and carefree activities.

Year of adversity, successes at Main Street Mission BY TRAVIS SIMPSON Main Street Mission had year of adversity and success as the program received several large donations but also dealt with people pilfering through donations left for the organization after business hours and making large messes that are time consuming to clean up. Main Street Mission has been a beacon of hope in the Arkansas River Valley for nearly 21 years, offering assistance to those who need it most. While Main Street Mission is likely best known for providing meals and food boxes, the organization also provides furniture and clothing and assists the people it serves in finding employment and housing. Main Street Mission Director Marilyn Williamson said the organization seeks to act as a hand up, not a hand out. While donations are graciously accepted, volunteers had to devote increasingly larger

amounts of time to cleaning up messes made by individuals who rummage through donations that are left after hours. The mission received a large donation from a controversial source earlier in 2015 as the Pope County Rebel Ride turned in 1,088 cans, around 150 dried goods, an unspecified amount of baby food, $106 and a stack of clothes. The Little Caesars Love Kitchen finished up its pizza on wheels mission to feed at least 1,000 Arkansans at the mission. The program is part of an international campaign to meet the needs of hungry or homeless people as well as disaster survivors. “The Love Kitchen was created to provide quality meals for people who need them,” Cathy Messer, Little Caesars of Arkansas franchisee, said in an email. “As a member of the area business community, it’s important for us to support people when they need it and

help make the community stronger. The Ozark-St. Francis supervisor’s office of the U.S Forest Service donated 1,835 pounds of foot to Main Street Mission on Oct. 5. The donation was collected from Aug. 3 to Oct. 2 as part of the “Feds feed the Families” campaign, which was led by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Main Street Mission has five paid employees and many volunteers. The mission opened in 1994 and has added no additional employees in 2014. The mission received and installed a new walkin cooler and updated its air conditioning through a donation from an unnamed supporter of the mission. Main Street Mission plans to improve its warehouse in the upcoming year. For additional information, visit Main Street Mission’s website at www.mainstreetmission. org.

Kirkland Family Medical Center

Allan Kirkland, MD Sam Hernandez, APN Stacy Greer, APN

Clinic Hours

&

Dardanelle Nursing g Rehabilitation Center 2199 Hwy 7 N • Dardanelle, AR 72834

Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, & Friday - 8:30-5:00 Wednesday 8:30-12:00 479-229-8000 • appointments@kirklandfamilymedical.com

1652 W Hwy 22 • Dardanelle, AR

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Russellville Chamber of Commerce flourishes For The Courier

Since 1920, the Russellville Area Chamber of Commerce has been the voice of business in the River Valley and has brought area businesses together in support of economic growth and initiatives that support the civic, economic, professional, cultural, and industrial progress of our community. The Chamber has a membership of over 850 that spans from single employee businesses up to industries with over a thousand employees and all types of business are represented in the membership. Over the past year, the Chamber has held numerous networking, educational, and event opportunities for our membership. Throughout the year, events that focus on bringing business members together with the citizens of Russellville like The River Valley Business Expo, Arkansas Scholars, Sunset Cinema, Bash at the Ballpark, and the newest event, the Chamber Classic Golf Tournament and Chairman’s Reception have been hosted. Business-to-business opportunities such as Speed Networking and

The Chamber has formed committees that allow members to get involved with a variety of issues from Transportation and Government Issues to Small Business and our ATU Connection initiatives. New Member Reception Breakfasts are held quarterly, as well. The Chamber has formed committees that allow members to get involved with a variety of issues from Transportation and Government Issues to Small Business and our ATU Connection initiatives. Many Chamber members play a large role in helping to carry out events through the Promotion and Events Committee and Expo Committee. The Red Coat Ambassador Committee serves as the right hand to the Chamber staff and plays a key role in the welcoming of new members, member accomplishments, membership recruitment, and promoting the vision of the Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber is governed by a board of 25 members, led by 2015

Board Chairman Seth Coulter, owner of Coulter Physical Therapy, and the day-to-day operations are handled by a staff of six: President and CEO Jeff Pipkin, Executive Vice President Stephanie Beerman, Finance Director Suzy Griffin, Membership and Sales Director Misty Lumpkins, Communication Director Tabatha Duvall, and Receptionist Velda Frazier. Over the course of 2016, the Chamber plans to implement more diverse and beneficial programs for our members and continue to be the leader in the development of the perfect business environment and the constant pursuit of social prosperity. For more information about the Russellville Area Chamber of Commerce, call 479-9682530 or visit www.russellvillechamber.org

Russellville Lions Club For The Courier

Kurt Jones is currently the president of the Russellville Lions Club. The Russellville Lions Club has been conducting vision screenings of preschool children in Russellville and adjacent areas since 2002. One thing that impairs a child’s ability to learn is whether or not they can clearly see what is being taught. By evaluating children in preschool, it is hoped that any problems can be corrected before the child starts school. In the beginning, approximately 100-200 children per year were screened. The screening team used a special camera which used Polaroid black and white film to record two images of the eyes of the person being screened. The images were then delivered to an eye doctor to evaluate and if the child needed a referral to see an eye doctor, the parents or guardians would be sent a letter to that effect. By 2010 the number of children screened grew to over 500 children per year. In 2012, Russellville Lions purchased a new camera known as the SPOT System. This digital camera computerized unit makes numerous measurements in about one second and produces a picture of the subject’s eyes and test results. SPOT detects near or farsightedness, astigmatism, lazy eye and gaze problems. These results are printed a minute or so later so the parent or guardian can see if their child needs a professional eye exam. The Russellville Lion’s Club’s last fiscal year, ending June 30, conducted 1,800 vision screenings that indicated about one out of every six persons, about 16 percent, exhibited some kind of vision problem. Russellville Lions also assists those in need of financial assistance in getting a professional eye exam and their glasses. Families in need are referred to the Help Network and, if approved, Lions Club provides eye care services at no cost to the individual. During our last fiscal year, they provided these services to over 80 local individuals at a cost to Lions in excess

of $6,000. If more extensive help is needed (i.e. surgery, etc.), the Russellville Lions Club works with the Mid-South Sight and Hearing center, which in turn provides services at

no charge to individuals. For additional information, email the Russellville Lion’s Club at rsvllionsclubb@gmail. com or visit http://eclubhouse.org/sites/russellville_ar/

FOR THE COURIER / Liz Chrisman

Dr. Lori Boyd Canfield Dr. Amy J.S. Daiber Optometric Physicians

The Russellville and Dardanelle clinics offer prescription and non-prescription sunglasses, safety & fashion eyewear including: Coach, Nike, Flexon, Wiley X, Guess, Harley Davidson, Candies, Skechers, Ray Ban, Banana Republic, Bongo, KLiik, Fysh, Costa Del Mar & Jalapeno.

• Glaucoma, Cataract, & Eye Health Management • Contact Lense Specialty, Pediatric Care, Sports Vision

204 N. Front St. Dardanelle

317 E. Parkway Russellville

479-229-1467

479-967-6113

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Habitat for Humanity continues work in the area By Courier staff

Pope County Habitat for Humanity participated in its first “A Brush With Kindness” event Sept. 19 at North Boston Place. The event was intended to raise awareness of Habitat’s home preservation services to transform neighborhoods by painting, providing minor repairs to home exteriors, landscaping and cleaning up yards. The services are provided for low-income homeowners, many of whom are elderly or disabled. The project was centered around homeowner Kyle Johnson, a young man with cerebral palsy, who needed to have a new wheelchair ramp built. The morning began with a prayer to bless the volunteers and business owners who came to serve the neighborhood. Several teams dispersed to eight neighboring homeowners, including the Johnson family who have adopted 17 special needs children, the Tanner family who have adopted six children with special needs, and a senior couple who suffers from injuries due to a car accident. In addition to con-

structing a new wheelchair ramp at Johnson’s house, volunteers repaired and painted two other wheelchair ramps, washed windows, stenciled house numbers on curbs, power washed, painted, cleaned yards, trimmed tree branches and shrubs, and hauled away debris. Habitat for Humanity provided a home for Becca Anderson in 2015.

Several teams dispersed to eight neighboring homeowners, including the Johnson family who have adopted 17 special needs children, the Tanner family who have adopted six children with special needs, and a senior couple who suffers from injuries due to a car accident. Habitat for Humanity of Pope County will host a house dedication ceremony for Anderson at 1:30 p.m. on Feb. 8, 2016.

Anderson’s new home, near the 800 block of Sixth Street in Russellville, gave the single mother of two a new

start, McCormick said. Anderson was chosen because she met every qualification and has an excellent work history.

“She has a strong work ethic,” Cheryl McCormick said. “We knew she would be a dependable person to live in the house.” A literacy aide at Crawford Elementary School, Anderson supports her two young daughters, Ellie and Emma, by offering piano and voice lessons. Anderson is also a worship leader at the Fellowship of Christians church. McCormick said Anderson’s desire to help the organization build the house was evident, as she was involved in nearly every phase of the project. “She worked on the roof, the siding and painted,” McCormick said. “She has done everything expected of her, and she is the model success story for Habitat.” McCormick said the house will not close or “another month or so,” and Habitat for Humanity is not taking applications at this time. Instead, it is looking for land to purchase. Habitat for Humanity of Pope County became a nonprofit organization in December 2011 and brings community members together by building houses, relationships and hope.

Russ Bus program continues work on ‘My Buddies House’ By Travis Simpson When Fred Teague helped found The Russ

Bus over three years ago, it was because he wanted to help area homeless

obtain housing and employment. When the organization began work-

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ing on transitional living facilities, he and other volunteers began providing exactly that. “In the early days it just started with a few of us,” Teague said. “First we were running just one homeless camp, then two camps and then three camps. When we found the need, we would just reach out to the community to help funding. Now we have 14 campsites and multiple hotel rooms at any given time.” The transitional living facility has been stuck in limbo since the idea occurred to the program earlier this year. First, a property near The Journey Church fell through, then a second property wound up being too expensive. “It’s been battle after battle,” Teague said. “We had a piece of land, but it was going to be $60,000 to prepare before we even touched concrete.” The transitional living facility, which has been named “My Buddies

House,” was originally a 12-unit living facility aimed at helping those in need get their feet back on the ground. Now the Russ Bus program is looking at a piece of land that already has three apartments and a house on it. “It’s going to be a little different than we originally thought,” Teague said. The nonprofit organization received a $25,000 grant on Jan. 12 from the West Central Arkansas Planning and Development District to help construct the facility and Teague said the program has raised around $5,000 dollars since then. That money, Teague said, is still there waiting to be used. The program ceased fundraising until they were certain they had the land to go forward. Teague said the “My Buddies House” program was hoping to hear from the city this week about a piece of land they could use to move the project

forward. Teague said the Russ Bus has been able to take around 60 families from homeless to homeowners or renters since its foundation, which is its main goal. “We give them a toolbox to help themselves out,” Teague said. “We are hoping to get rid of the camps and put them in units.” Sometimes, a toolbox is a tent and a heater. “We get calls everyday, and we can’t help everyone,” Teague said. “Every situation is different, and we want to get them into housing.” In addition to ensuring the safety of individuals living in the homeless camps, the organization pays for families with children to live in local hotels. “We have a different homeless situation in Russellville,” Teague said. “These people are situational homeless. We are excited to bring all these people in one spot.”

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Russellville Animal Shelter begins expansion By Sean Ingram The Russellville Animal Shelter is getting some extra room for its four-legged friends. Construction started in July on a 1,200-square-foot addition behind the animal shelter that will provide 10 more kennels and two important rooms for the facility, Director Mike Vernon explained Friday. “Our idea is that we want to move the cats out there, so dogs and cats are separated and it will cut down on the smell,� he said. “We can also use one room as a quarantine area for at-risk dogs who come in and can be kept away until they are healthy.� The project, which cost $152,000, was approved by the Russellville City Coun-

cil earlier this year. Vernon said he thanked aldermen for their support of the shelter, which will able to provide more care with the addition. One of the rooms will also include a washer and dryer for blankets and similar items donated to the animals. “The dog population has been really good this year,� Vernon said. He added that he hoped electrical lines and lighting would be installed in the next week and be closer to opening for use. The animal shelter addition is one of a few capital projects in the works for the city. Design plans continue to be worked on and a total maximum price will soon be decided on the proposed aquatic center.

MANY HOSPITALIZATIONS ARE RELATED TO ERRORS IN TAKING MEDICATION

CALL PHARMACIST JOHN COBB Dispill is an innovative and patented multi-dose packaging system that makes it easy to take your medication. Each Dispill blister pack contains 28 individual blisters that contain your prescribed medication for a specific time (morning, noon, evening, bedtime) and date.

TODAY FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT DISPILL.

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FAST ACCESS TO ESSENTIAL INFORMATION: THE TOP OF EACH INDIVIDUAL BLISTER LISTS YOUR NAME, THE MEDICATION WITHIN AND THE TIME IT SHOULD BE TAKEN.

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Saint Mary’s newest cath lab We hope you never experience issues with your heart or vascular system. But if you do, you’ll thank us for the life-saving and limb-saving investments we’ve made on your behalf. We’ve invested in the right expertise. Saint Mary’s has aggressively recruited an impressive team of leading board-certified cardiologists who bring an exceptional depth of experience and unsurpassed dedication to your good health. Cardiologists Drs. Sastry Prayaga, Dai-Yuan Wang and Shuja Rasool collaborate daily to make the Arkansas River Valley a heart-healthier place.

We’ve invested in the right technology. Saint Mary’s boasts a new 128-slice CT scanner and two state-of-the-art cardiac catheterization labs where we provide advanced cardiac and vascular care. Whether you are here for a scheduled procedure, or experience a sudden life-threatening event requiring imminent intervention, we are ready to care for you. No one in the region puts more into caring for your heart.

1808 West Main | Russellville, AR saintmarysregional.com

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479.968.4311

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To provide superior healthcare technology in the Arkansas River Valley, Saint Mary’s recently invested $1.2 million in the GE Optima 660 128-Slice Computed Tomography (CT) scanner.

BRINGING REVOLUTIONARY NON-INVASIVE CARE TO THE RIVER VALLEY Revolutionary care means maximum clarity with minimized exposure to radiation. Saint Mary’s is the first hospital in the region to use the powerful new GE Optima CT660 128-Slice Computed Tomography (CT) scanner. This state-of-the-art technology can scan the entire body in mere seconds – far faster than a conventional CT scanner. For patients requiring cardiac, brain or peripheral vascular examinations, the 128-slice CT provides increased speed, reduced radiation dosage, detailed diagnostic information, and greater convenience. It also helps maximize patient comfort.

Revolutionary care means incredibly sharp MRI images. Saint Mary’s once again leads the way with the newest MRI technology featuring innovative software technologies that provide uncompromised image quality with an expansive 50cm field of view. This technology’s bore diameter and field of view make MRI scans accessible to larger patients who need them. The GE Optima MR450w scanner also continues our emphasis on patient comfort. Cutting-edge technologies and wide-bore design allow the patient to experience less anxiety and motion.

In our commitment to providing quality care for the Arkansas River Valley, Saint Mary’s is at the forefront of bringing advanced, revolutionary technology to the region.

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An investment of $1.6 million, Saint Mary’s powerful GE Optima MR450w provides the sharpest, highest resolution MRI images available..

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT SAINT MARY’S DIAGNOSTIC IMAGING CAPABILITIES, VISIT:

www.saintmarysregional.com

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Conway Regional starts new chapter with CHI-St Vincent partnership Submitted by Conway Regional Health System

Conway Regional Health System is entering the fall of 2015 with a new CEO, a new management relationship and a 77year story to tell. Matt Troup became Conway Regional’s new president and CEO in mid-August after the Board of Directors approved a five-year management agreement with CHI-St. Vincent. He is the former vice president of ancillary and support services with CHI-St. Vincent. The move will allow Conway Regional to preserve its 77year history as an independent, locally-owned, not-for-profit healthcare provider in a time when consolidation of standalone health systems is becoming more frequent. The two healthcare organizations have also created the Arkansas Health Alliance and announced former Conway Regional President and CEO Jim Lambert as its new president. The alliance is the only organization of its kind in Arkansas designed to help independent community hospitals and health care systems lower their costs while achieving a level of clinical integration and coordination of care to promote more accessible, higher quality and lower cost care for the communities served by Alliance members. Troup said the partnership with CHI-St. Vincent will enable Conway Regional to save more supplies and resources through purchasing agreements with Catholic Health Initiatives (CHI) and to provide new, improved and more versatile services to the market area which includes Faulkner, Pope, Perry, Van Buren, Cleburne and Conway counties. The idea is to enhance the quality healthcare that is already being provided at Conway Regional without losing independence. One of the main priorities continues to be recruiting physicians to the Conway Regional Medical Staff, which already numbers more than 200 specialists and general practice physicians. This summer a new cardiologist, Lensey Scott, MD; obstetrician/gynecologist, Courtney Sick, MD; and a new

“It is a privilege to be with these men and women who have dedicated their lives to providing high quality healthcare to our community.” Matt Troup Conway Regional’s president and CEO family practice physician, William Pittman, MD, have joined the staff. Additional physicians are expected in October. In the near future, Arkansas River Valley residents will learn about additional and enhanced specialty services that will be available through the partnership between Conway Regional and CHI-St. Vincent. Troup, who has almost 20 years of management experience with large healthcare organizations in Texas, Florida and Oklahoma, is impressed by the achievements at Conway Regional. The health system has achieved numerous national benchmarking awards and recognition for quality of care in such specialty services as cardiothoracic surgery, orthopaedics and general surgery as well as in patient safety. Last year, Conway Regional’s quality was recognized with the Arkansas Governor’s Quality Award. After meeting with employees, physicians, volunteers and community leaders, Troup came away equally impressed with another quality — the passion and commitment of the staff to the community and to the healthcare profession. “It is a privilege to be with these men and women who have dedicated their lives to providing high quality healthcare to our community,” said Troup. It is a community that extends from Conway throughout the Arkansas River Valley. Troup and the other 1,200 healthcare professionals on staff will have a lot to say about how the next chapter of Conway Regional’s 77-year history unfolds.

Matt Troup, who has almost 20 years of management experience with large healthcare organizations in Texas, Florida and Oklahoma, is impressed by the achievements at Conway Regional.

Our quality didn’t happen overnight. Neither did your trust.

Conway Regional is consistently named the Region’s Most Preferred Hospital.* To find out more about our award-winning service, turn to page 16. * Strategic Market Research

Our Quality. Your Trust.

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Russellville unveils interactive website By Jeanette Anderton After undergoing a seven-month redesign, the city unveiled its new interactive website — www. rsvlar.org — in February. CivicPlus, a government website provider, completed the redesign process for the city. The website includes online forms, facility reservations, online job applications and a “notify me� application along with a “cleaner, easi-

er layout to navigate,� James Hodge, city webmaster, said in a news release. Hodge said residents and city officials can use the site to request work orders, report code violations and keep up with the latest news by using featured modules such as Request Tracker, Notify Me and the Agenda Center. The Request Tracker allows back-and-forth

communication between residents and city departments regarding everyday problems such as potholes or street light damage. Users can sign up for email updates on the Notify Me section. The Agenda Center module allows residents to take a more active interest in public affairs by viewing videos of and reading agendas and minutes from public meetings.

“With the new website, the city of Russellville will be able to increase its community engagement and enhance the communication between resi-

dents and the local government,� Hodge said. Mayor Randy Horton said the city is working on an upgrade to the Involve Russellville online

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initiative that then-mayor Bill Eaton unveiled in July 2013. Currently, the link pulls up a page that reads: “Project does not exist.�

Phoenix leads clinic with RSD Choir World-renowned singer and clinician Paul Phoenix worked with students and directors in the Russellville School District (RSD) Choral Music Department in February at the Center for the Arts. A former member of The King’s Singers and current resident of Cambridge, England, Phoenix has traveled across the world to offer choral clinics and has made appearances at many of the best choral music programs in America. As a member of The King’s Singers, Phoenix performed in more than 120 concerts annually in many of the world’s greatest concert halls. He has extensive knowledge and experience in a variety of vocal styles and numerous languages. As an experienced vocal coach, he has a particular interest in young and developing voices, presentation and interview and audition techniques. In an interview, Phoenix said, “I feel uniquely placed to offer new perspectives and advice on the career development of young musicians, as well as coaching choirs and ensembles and lecturing on the art of audience engagement.� While at Russellville, Phoenix was involved with ensemble workshops and master classes and activities in ensemble building. Over two days, he worked with students in seventh through 12th grade in the choral program at the Center for the Arts.

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New additions to Russellville airport By Sean Ingram A new director, an additional 400 feet of runway and new lighting systems highlight the additions and improvements to Russellville Regional Airport in 2015. The total cost of the 400-foot runway extension should be approximately $369,902 including additional costs. The city’s portion of the project cost was approximately $52,000. Chatman said bids will be sought for extending the parallel taxiway with an 80/20, meaning the city would pay 20 percent and the state 80 percent. Precision approach path indicator (PAPI) and runway end identifier light (REIL) systems were installed at the airport earlier this year to assist pilots during landing. Work was also done on the airport’s beacon, and a new fuel truck was on the grounds in May. Keith Frasier was named airport director

Precision approach path indicator (PAPI) and runway end identifier light (REIL) systems were installed at the airport earlier this year to assist pilots during landing. Work was also done on the airport’s beacon, and a new fuel truck was on the grounds in May. last spring. He took over for Bobby Day. An updated Master Plan for the future of the

airport was in the final approval stages. Mayor Randy Horton named a committee to

review leases for airport hangars. Commissioners include chairman Bob Burris, vice

chairman Dwight Talburt, secretary Tommy Littleton, Andy Berkemeyer, Phil Cowger, Paul Horney

and Les Teaff. The Russellville Regional Airport Commission meets at 6 p.m. the fourth Wednesday of each month inside the airport terminal.

Russellville — year in review By Mayor Randy Horton The year 2015 was one of notable progress on many fronts for the city of Russellville. Steady advancement was achieved on a number of other projects that promises even more exciting achievements in 2016. In March, the new Central Fire Station project was formally initiated with the City Council’s approval of the mayor to enter into an agreement with the Little Rock architectural firm of Jackson, Brown and Palculict. During the summer various preliminary aspects of the $6.5 million project were conducted including the architect’s concept and design of the station and grounds with input from the Fire Department design committee, mayor and the City Council’s liaison to the Fire Department. Where possible, the design concept incorporated industry best practices and is reflective of the initial needs analysis that was developed by the Fire Chief with the assistance from the architect and presented to the City Council and public in 2013 and 2014 during the campaign for the extension of the city sales tax. Over the summer, the Planning Commission and City Council approved rezoning of the project site located in the 100 block of North El Paso from C-4 to C-1 and a special use permit

Horton

Steady advancement was achieved on a number of projects that promise even more exciting achievements in 2016. for the construction of a public building per city zoning regulations. Other items completed include an Phase I asbestos analysis of the existing structure by the firm of Ecologic Inc. and initial discussion with utility providers whose services are adjacent to the site. The architect is currently in the process of developing a detailed construction and soft cost estimates for the project with the focus of insuring the project falls within the allotted funding. Overall, the process is on track for the projected start date early in

2016 and on budget. Last spring, Keith Frasier was named director of the Russellville airport. Progress has continued at Russellville Airport with the installation of a precision approach path indicator (PAPI) lighting system to assist pilots while landing at the field. Construction of a 400foot runway extension is also now complete. An updated Master Plan for the future of the airport in in the final approval stages. The design process for the much anticipated Aquatic Center continues to move forward, albeit slowly. The bid process for the project is now projected to take place in early December and should lead to groundbreaking in early 2016. Much has been accomplished in Parks and Recreation. At M.J. Hickey

Records in the Community Development Department show that to-date there have been 80 new business permits issued with an estimated 326 new or renewed jobs. Park, a collaborative effort including city, Russellville School District and several community partners was completed to upgrade outdated dugouts into two new structures that now include dressing rooms and storage areas and new backstops. Two new trails were added to our comprehensive trail plan. The Orbit Lane trail is a 2.2-mile loop departing and returning to Pleasant View road. This segment will eventually connect to a wildlife observation trail planned for the future.

Ouita Coal Company Trail is a 10.5-mile bicycle trail. Construction on another trail segment that will connect from North Phoenix Avenue to the Bona Dea trail and wildlife observation area is at about 90 percent complete. Construction is almost complete on the new addition at the Animal Shelter and Recycling Center. The building package is complete and work continues on final mechanical, electrical, plumbing and other finish work. Recycling continues to be well supported by a large

number of Russellville residents. The Police Department recently kicked off the 10th annual Citizen’s Police Academy. Public Works is awaiting word allowing the city to accept the section of State Highway 124 from State Highway 7 to Vista Place apartments as a city street. This will allow the initiation of the much needed O Street improvements to Commence Avenue. Records in the Community Development Department show that to-date there have been 80 new business permits issued with an estimated 326 new or renewed jobs. David Hunt was scheduled to present his update on the Convention Center and provide an expected start date during the council’s October meeting.

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Sunday, October 25, 2015

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2015 brings a year of change to PCSO By Whitney Snipes In 2015, the Pope County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO) saw a change in leadership as Shane Jones was elected sheriff following the retirement of Aaron DuVall. In addition to the change in the office’s top job, several other changes have been made at the Sheriff’s Office and Detention Center over the past year. Improvements to the detention center facility include a new roof, paint, exterior sealing, the removal of two trees from the property that were causing problems on the roof and some dirt work in the front of the facility. “It really looks like a brand new building, something we can all be proud of,” Sheriff Shane Jones said. Inside, various areas of the detention center have been remodeled.

“It really looks like a brand new building, something we can all be proud of.” Sheriff Shane Jones

JONES One of the newest projects is improved exterior lighting around the perimeter of the facility, the funding for which was recently approved by the Quorum Court. Other improvements made this year include: Added an extra deputy per shift (3 shifts). Each patrol unit has been outfitted with an in-

car camera system. Increased training for all officers in patrol, investigations and supervisory positions. Video conferencing was implemented to decrease the amount of inmates being transported to and from the courthouse. New graphics on all patrol vehicles for better visibility. Increased employment age in the detention center from 18 to 21. Implemented 12 hour shifts in the detention center to enhance employee retention.

Russellville Tax Facts ■ Sales tax revenues for the city of Russellville through Sept. 2015 were up nearly 3 percent over

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■ Revenues totaled $2,946,600 from Jan. through Sept. 2015, up 2.95 percent from the $2,862,230 sales tax revenues from Jan. through Sept. 2014. ■ Sept. 2015 sales tax revenues totaled $330,882, ahead of the $304,309 from Sept. 2014. September was the first positive month after back-to-back decreases in July and August. July revenues totaled $324,267, down 1.08 percent from $327,597 in July 2014, and August was $342,718, down 1.15 percent compared to $346,727 in August 2014. ■ City department heads are already meeting with McKaughan and Mayor Randy Horton on their 2016 budgets. The city’s budget for 2015 totaled $12,232,029, .91 percent higher than the 2014 budget ($12,121,390) that was 1.78 percent higher than the 2013 budget of $11,909,652. ■ Revenue created by sales in the city was expected to total $3,885,141 up 1.51 percent after $3,827,373 was created in 2014 and $3,780,690 created in 2013.

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Russellville Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Committee

Pope County has successful year, operates within budget By Jim Ed Gibson Pope County Judge

The year 2015 has been a very successful year for Pope County, as we continue to operate within budget. The courthouse in downtown Russellville has new paint, new carpet and pictures from throughout the Arkansas River Valley lining the hallways. The Pope County Road Department saw an upgrade to 45-plus miles of overlay and seal with 3.5 miles of this being up from gravel to a chip-andseal surface. We continue to upgrade equipment by leasing four new Cat motor graders, which we feel will save the county tax dollars. We also pur-

Gibson chased a new tractor and mowing equipment. Pope County 911/Office of Emergency Management (OEM) upgraded its phone system, implemented the RAVE system

for school safety and entered into a contract with Everbridge for a warning system for the public, paid for by a $25,000 grant for the first 15 months. Emergency Medical Services (EMS) continues to upgrade its fleet and replaced one old ambulance with a new one. The call volume continues to be on the rise, but the ambulance service will end the year in the black without using any tax dollars. Thanks to good cooperation between the elected officials, members of the Quorum Court and the employees of Pope County for making 2015 a very successful year for our county.

Seth Coulter, Coulter Physical Therapy — Chairman Todd Sweeden, Sweeden Florist — Past Chairman Todd Meimerstorf, Centennial Bank — Vice Chairman Dr. Stephanie Roth, River Valley Foot & Ankle Clinic — Treasurer Brad Allen, McDonald’s Inc. — At-large Officer Adam Anderson, Nationwide Insurance — At-large Officer Sarah Keating, Lake Dardanelle State Park — At-large Officer

Board of Directors Dr. Robin E. Bowen, Arkansas Tech University Danna Caldwell, JTS Financial Tim Douglass, Chick-fil-A Rus-

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White begins as Pope County coroner shows, people expect more now. Not just anybody can do the job. They need to have experience, be educated.” A standardized nationwide program is available through the St. Louis Medical School. The American Board of Medicolegal Death Inves-

The

By Sean Ingram Coroner Danny White is no stranger to Pope County’s emergency services team. He started as an emergency medical technician (EMT) in 1986, then took over as deputy coroner under former Coroner Leonard Krout in 1989. In January, White took over as coroner for the Sheriff’s Department. The husband to wife Becky and father of three sons, White explained he enjoys helping people — even if it is during one of the most difficult times of their lives, when someone dies. “I like helping people. I’ve been doing it for 30 years,” he said. “It’s not just a part-time job. We deal with something every day. Whether we pick up or attend a death or investigate a death, we’re busy helping families, funeral homes, insurance companies, law enforcement on a daily basis. “Since I’ve taken over, we have cases that date back two, three years that people ask us about. It seems like it gets busier every year. We’re up to 125 deaths the first three months of 2015, and we’re not 90 days into the year. We’re 10-15 ahead of last year at this point already.” White has a chief deputy, former Russellville Police Department officer Kevin Burnham. They have two volunteer assistants, physical therapist Cameron Lane and former EMT Matt Scott. No matter how many reality or crime investigation shows you watch on TV, being a coroner for Pope County isn’t anything like them. “The technology has made our job easier,” White said. “Our reporting system is electronic, so our reports along with state Health Department reports are electronic. We can file death reports, and results of toxicology tests from the state Crime Lab are filed electronically now. It helps the funeral homes and frees us from writing all those reports by hand. “Probably the thing that’s changed the most is with all the crime

tigators offers a 40-hour standardized class, of which some of the teachings have been adopted by the state of Arkansas. White said a partnership with the Law Enforcement Training Academy has led to a 40hour death investigation class.

sellville Jason Fiori, Walmart Neighborhood Market Jeff Jones, CenturyLink Carl Kirtley, Arvest Bank Mike McCoy, Saint Mary’s Regional Health Systems Lee Ann Hartley, Lee Ann’s Fine Jewelry Paul Horney, Innovation Industries Inc. Kathryn Kastner, Simmons First Bank Kylia Lee, Centennial Bank Tony Lee, Lee’s Trash Service/ On-site Portable Toilets Bryce Mobley, Sawyer’s Corner Gina Pack, River Town Bank JW Stratton, Shelter Insurance Aaron Watson, Farm Credit Insurance Randall Williams, Russellville School District

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Johnson County — the year in review By Herman Houston Johnson County Judge

CLARKSVILLE — Johnson County Judge Herman Houston was sworn into office by Judge Ken Coker Jr. on Jan. 1, 2015. In February, Houston and Justice of the Peace John Payne traveled to Washington D.C. to lobby with senators. While there, they met with U.S. Sen. John Boozman, Rep. Bruce Westerman and aids from Sen. Tom Cotton’s office. The Arkansas Historic Preservation Program in Little Rock placed the Ozone School on the National Register of Historic Places. Johnson County received a $59,200 grant from the Arkansas Department of Heritage for restoration work on the outside of the Johnson County Courthouse. Work will include masonry, cleaning, repaint, select replacement of masonry and sealant application. Judge Houston signed a proclamation declaring April as National County Government Month. The theme was Moving America Forward. The Farmers Market opened on the county courthouse square. In May, the city of Hartman finalized a working agreement with the USDA for a $570,000 loan, of which $362,000 is grant money. The city of Hartman contributed $98,000. The project includes upgrading some old water lines and adding new additional lines, upgrading two pump stations, upgrading stor-

Johnson County Sheriff’s Office By Larry Jones Several changes and improvements have been made over the past year at the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office. We have tried our best to get out into the rural areas of the county more. We have asked for the communities help in watching where they live and at the present time we are working on getting neighborhood crime watch programs started. We have started the Johnson County Law Enforcement Explorer Program, where we are getting youth involved with law enforcement and the community. Our first class began on Sept. 8. We had 50 sign up for the class but due to limited space only 25 was accepted. In the spring, we will start sign up for another class. We held our first Johnson County Memorial Bass Tournament Honoring Fallen Officer Sonny Smith. The proceeds go to the family. We are getting three new vehicles for the Patrol Division. We are adding 40-plus beds to our Detention Center without asking for a tax increase from the citizens. When the Detention Center was built in 1997, County Judge Mike Jacobs and the Quorum Court made a decision to start putting back money for this time. Also we will be adding more parking in front of the Detention Center for court parking. We have asked for more deputies. We have tried to keep the public informed about events, scams, break-ins, etc. on our Facebook page, Johnson County Sheriff’s Office. We also have a webpage, www.johnsoncosheriff.com

age tanks and installing a new storage tank and installing a new generator, so residents will have improved water pressure and new fire hydrants. Johnson County received notice in June from the U.S. Department of Interior, Office of the Secretary in Washington D.C. that the county was eligible for payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) program. Payments in lieu of taxes are federal payments to local governments that help offset losses in property taxes due to non-taxable federal lands within their boundaries. At 2 p.m. on June 14, an Arkansas Civil War Sesquicentennial Historical Marker commemorating

Johnson County received a $59,200 grant from the Arkansas Department of Heritage for restoration work on the outside of the Johnson County Courthouse. Work will include masonry, cleaning, repaint, select replacement of masonry and sealant application. Johnson County in the Civil War and the importance of Clarksville as a key point in the defense of the Arkansas River Valley was dedicated at the county courthouse. Judge Houston signed a proclamation declaring July as National Homeownership Month. Johnson County and Universal Housing Development Corporation (UHDC) office conducted a West

Meadows Subdivision groundbreaking. A new salt-sand building was completed at the Johnson County Road Department warehouse in July. The metal building will house two new sand and salt spreaders that were purchased in January. New LED lighting was installed at the county road department. Improvements went from

400 watts per light fixture to now pulling 150 watts per light fixture. New additions to the county jail were completed in August, including the addition of 49 prisoner bunks, a separate holding cell, nurse’s station, indoor exercise/meeting room for inmates, new outdoor exercise area, larger impound yard, 17 parking spaces, commercial washer and dryer,

freezer/cooler, new hood and kitchen equipment, storm room for file storage, body cooler room and an officers meeting room. Johnson County announced in September a project goal to assist farmers and landowners in the county with safe collection and lawful disposal of banned, outdated or unwanted pesticides. The Road Department completed 17.3 miles of chip and seal to Johnson County roads in September. The department also completed 3.5 miles of new pavement to county roads. In October, the county opened bids to lease five new road graders.

Helping Halls provides 2,309 meals For The Courier

Helping Halls, an initiative that encourages Arkansas Tech University students living in residence halls to help provide holiday meals to the less fortunate, continues to make a difference in Russellville and beyond. ATU students donated a total of 306 food kits to the Salvation Army for the 2014 holiday season. Each kit costs approximately $12, meaning that ATU students donated approximately $3,672 worth of food during the

“It definitely makes you feel good to see our students give of themselves to help our neighbors. Arkansas Tech and the surrounding community need each other. It is our hope that Helping Halls is one way we can contribute to continuously building that relationship.” Aaron Hogan ATU associate dean for residence life 2014 program to help communities in the Arkansas River Valley. In eight years, the Helping Halls program has helped provide 2,309

food kits to area residents in need. “It definitely makes you feel good to see our students give of themselves to help our neigh-

bors,” said Aaron Hogan, ATU associate dean for residence life. “Arkansas Tech and the surrounding community need each other. It is our hope

that Helping Halls is one way we can contribute to continuously building that relationship.” The meal kits have many of the staples of a traditional holiday meal, including turkey gravy, canned sweet potatoes, green beans, corn, cranberries, pie filling, stuffing mix, boxed mashed potatoes mix, marshmallows and a pie crust. The kits will be paired with a turkey or ham collected by the Salvation Army and given to families in need of assistance.

Waste Management Inc. purchases D.C. Trash By Ryan Smith Waste Management (WM) Inc., the solid waste remover for the city of Russellville, moved back into Atkins and Dardanelle in July when the acquisition of D.C. Trash was complete. The Dardanelle City Council consented to the acquisition and shifted the obligations, contracts, leases and performance bonds with the city from D.C. Trash to

“All employees with D.C. Trash will keep their jobs. The current two-year contract we had with them [D.C. Trash] goes until Dec. 31, 2016, so everything was transferred over with the City Council’s approval to Waste Management.” Dardanelle Mayor Carolyn McGee Waste Management. “All employees with D.C. Trash will keep their jobs,” Dardanelle Mayor Carolyn McGee

Arkansas Heart Hospital offers full range of tests For The Courier

The Arkansas Heart Hospital Clinic, located at 1512 West Main Street in Russellville, offers full service cardiac testing including echocardiograms, electrocardiograms and nuclear and treadmill stress testing. With a full time staff of six employees and a part time staff of six employees, led by Dr. Bruce Murphy, M.D. PhD. and the Russellville Cardiologists: Dr. Patrick Flaherty, Dr. Andrew Henry, and Dr. Carl Leding, the clinic has been able to add new

service lines of providing resting stress tests. They are also the first of their 30 outreach clinics located throughout Arkansas to offer a congestive heart failure clinic. The scope of the organization is to serve locally the residents of Russellville and the River Valley. Many of the staff and providers are residents of Russellville and help the clinic stay connected to the community. They work to provide the best cardiovascular care for residents of Pope County.

told aldermen. “The current two-year contract we had with them [D.C. Trash] goes until Dec. 31, 2016, so everything was

transferred over with the City Council’s approval to Waste Management.” McGee said the complete purchase of D.C.

Trash means Waste Management will abide by precisely the same contractual agreement already established. Atkins Mayor Jerry Don Barrett said after he told the council that D.C. Trash was sold to Waste Management, the city’s trash contract is up for renewal in October, so there was no reason for a resolution indicating Waste Management had taken trash service.

Russellville Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors Barry Sims, President Rashad Woods, First Vice President Montie Sims, Second Vice President Jennifer Reed, Treasurer Sherry Fowler Kathy Haston Josh Buchanan Danny Bunting Nancy Moore

President-appointed one-year term Suzie Bunting

Ex-Officio Members Celia Vazquez-Carter Dr. Robin Bower/Jayne Jones, Arkansas Tech University Carolyn McGee, Mayor John Thompson/Kim Witt, Dardanelle School District Mark Thone, Yell County Judge

SELL IT With A Courier Classified

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DHS EAST heads school map updating project By Laura Bean DARDANELLE — A project between the Dardanelle High School EAST (Environmental and Spatial Technology) program and the Arkansas State Police could potentially save lives. Under the direction of EAST facilitator Sandy Williams, senior Woodrow Ramey is heading a project to create updated maps of each school in Highway Patrol Troop J’s district, which includes Pope, Yell, Johnson, Van Buren, Conway and Perry counties. “When you think of doing something like this and handing it to Troop J, the value is tremendous,� Williams said. “That’s where the reward is. I’m

such as an active gunman or severe weather. Ramey said Williams came to him with the idea during the summer. Since then, Ramey has contacted each school in the district with an EAST program and coordinated its part of the project. After each school is finished with its maps, booklets will be made and put inside each trooper’s proud of our kids who’ve jumped in to do this reallife project.� Not only do the maps provide the state police a layout of each school in its distict, it provides a description of each classroom, emergency shelter, entrance and locked ar-

Aspen Dental Office, slated to open soon, was built this year next to Starbucks on North Weir Road in Russellville. The dental office will offer services that range from dentures and preventive care to general dentistry and restoration.

Clarksville-Johnson County Regional Chamber of Commerce Clayton Caldwell, First Security Bank — President Chivon Cogan, Holiday Inn Express — Immediate Past President Cody Black, Arvest — First Vice President Karla Wood, University of the Ozarks — Second Vice President Jim Taylor, Walmart DC — Secretary

Board of Directors Sherry Boen, Bank of the Ozarks Erik Dickerson, The Journey Nikki Dorn, Johnson Regional Medical Center Brian Eisele, Oark General Store Herman Houston, Johnson County Judge

the Dardanelle schools, which he said took about an hour each day for two weeks. He said his biggest challenge was making sure each aspect of the map was accurate. “I just wanted to make sure everything was accurate and right for Troop J,� Price said. “It’s very rewarding to work with Troop J and knowing I’m making a difference.�

eas. Ramey said he hopes the state police never have to use the maps. As a precautionary measure, the maps ensure each state trooper has a layout of each school in the district in case of an emergency situation,

Aspen Dental to open soon

Executive Board

car. “The goal is to get the booklets together and show other troops, and eventually we hope to go statewide and nationwide,� Ramey said. “Most schools are done or almost done, so we hope to get all the maps by midFebruary and be complete in March.� Senior Julian Price helped create maps of

Jason James, Centennial Bank Estelle Jimenez, Clarksville Light & Water Betty Killough, Tyson Foods Tim Lewellyn, GreenSource Recycling Dinah Lewis, Clarksville Insurance Agency Clint McGuire, Walmart Supercenter Kris Muldoon, Farm Bureau Insurance Jay Patterson, Jack Patterson II Law Firm Mark Simpson, City of Clarksville Mayor Roylene Slaughter, Mid South Roller Jim Stanley, Coldwell Banker Premier Realty Milisa Woodard, Woodard Carpet & Design

Progress isn’t always about brick-and-mortar... ...sometimes it’s just about staying home. We at AMCARE would like to thank YOU for the continued progress that we’ve experienced this past year. With the recent changes in our state’s home care offerings, our pledge to continue providing professional, compassionate personal care for you, your loved ones, and the communities we serve is stronger than ever. AMCARE is a locally owned, licensed personal FDUH DJHQF\ :H DUH 0HGLFDLG FHUWLĘ?HG DQG LQ most cases, meet the requirements for long-term care insurance. Care plans customized from a few hours a day to 24/7, including evenings, weekends and holidays. Contact us today to schedule a FREE, no-obligation review of your Long Term Insurance Policy, and let us show you how AMCARE can help.

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Our quality earns awards. Our compassion earns your trust.

Through the years, our team of doctors and nurses have worked to earn your trust with attention to detail and a focus on compassion. That’s why we’re consistently named the Region’s Most Preferred Hospital.* We’ve also: • Ranked among the Top 10% in the Nation in Patient Safety for General Surgery 2 years in a row by CareChex® (2013-2014)** • Ranked #1 in Arkansas for Major Cardiac Surgery and Coronary Bypass Surgery in 2013 and 2014 by CareChex®** • Been named among the Top 10% in the Nation for Women’s Health by CareChex®** • Received a 5-star Rating for Total Knee Replacement and Hip Fracture Treatment 4 years in a row from Healthgrades®*** • Invested more than $100 million in new facilities, services and technologies over the past decade To learn more about our award-winning treatment and our contributions to better health care in the region, visit www.conwayregional.org/qualityrankings.

Our Quality. Your Trust.

* Strategic Market Research ** Based on independent research conducted by CareChex® *** 2011-2015 Analyses by Healthgrades®

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Growth, Improvement Continue at Arkansas Tech Submitted by Arkansas Tech University Inside the classroom and out, the evolution of Arkansas Tech University continued over the past 12 months. With 12,054 students for fall 2015, Arkansas Tech established an institution record for largest enrollment for a 17th consecutive year. Enrollment at Arkansas Tech has grown by 184 percent since 1997. Tech is one of the three largest universities in Arkansas for a second consecutive year. Arkansas Tech is educating doctoral students for the first time in institution history. Academic innovation at the undergraduate level includes a new degree in cultural and geospatial studies, while new administrative leaders are bringing fresh ideas to academic programs across campus. Faculty, staff and students continue to find creative and impactful ways to connect with and benefit the surrounding community. All the while, significant preparation for the future is taking place through a strategic planning process that seeks to engage all university stakeholders in determining Arkansas Tech’s goals for the next 5-to-6 years.

First doctoral students begin study The initial cohort of 14 students is pursuing the Doctor of Education in school leadership degree at Arkansas Tech. The cohort is engaged in its first semester of study this fall with an anticipated graduation date of spring 2017.

FOR THE COURIER / ATU

The Arkansas Tech College of Business had its accreditation with AACSB extended for an additional five-year period. The first 14 doctoral students in Arkansas Tech history are: Tiffany Bone, visiting assistant professor, Arkansas Tech University; Amanda Britt, principal, Cotter High School; Cody Chatman, principal, Greenwood Junior High School; Yvette Dillingham, principal, Oak Grove Elementary School, Pulaski County Special School District; Patsy A. Hughey, superintendent, Dollarway School District; Christopher Johnson, assistant principal/director of athletics, Fair High School, Little Rock; Keith McGee, prin-

cipal, Horace Mann Arts/Sciences Middle Magnet School, Little Rock; Juanita Mitchell, assistant principal, Camden Fairview Middle School; Robert Moore, assistant superintendent, Rogers School District; Ivy Pfeffer, assistant commissioner, Arkansas Department of Education; Keri Rathbun, assistant principal, Kimmons Junior High School, Fort Smith; Cindy Rice, academic facilitator, Heritage High School, Rogers; Marc Sherrell, principal, Lonoke High School; and Mary Ann Spears, superintendent,

Lincoln Consolidated School District. Dr. John A. Freeman is director of the Doctor of Education program at Arkansas Tech. He joined the Tech faculty on Jan. 1, 2015, after previously working as professor and department head of the graduate studies division in the College of Health, Education and Professional Studies at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. For more information about the Arkansas Tech Doctor of Education degree in school

leadership, call (479) 964-3236 or send e-mail to jfreeman44@ atu.edu.

New undergraduate degree The Arkansas Higher Education Coordinating Board authorized Arkansas Tech to offer a new Bachelor of Arts degree in cultural and geospatial studies beginning with the fall 2015 semester. A program proposal sumPlease see ATU | 18P

FOR THE COURIER / ATU

FOR THE COURIER / ATU

The first doctoral students in Arkansas Tech history are: (front row, from left-to-right) Cindy Rice, Keri Rathbun, Tiffany Bone, Patsy A. Hughey, Ivy Pfeffer, Amanda Britt and Yvette Dillingham; (back row, left-to-right) Robert Moore, Mary Ann Spears, Marc Sherrell, Cody Chatman, Keith McGee, Juanita Mitchell and Christopher Johnson.

The annual Arkansas Tech Involvement Fair provides on-campus organizations and businesses from the community with an opportunity to connect with students. The event takes place at the beginning of the fall semester.

DISCOVER TECH

discover.atu.edu

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ATU CONTINUED FROM 17P

FOR THE COURIER / ATU

Students began the fall 2015 semester at Arkansas Tech on Aug. 26.

River Valley Preschools & Daycares Give your child a solid foundation with the right preschool experience. Call to Find the Perfect Match For Your Child

6 Weeks - 3 Years Nurse on Staff 479-567-5518 400 East C Street - Russellville thegardendaycare@yahoo.com

Recovery Zone PEDIATRIC THERAPY 10 Years of local people serving the River Valley! • Physical, Occupational, Speech, and Developmental Therapies • Developmental Preschool in Partnership with ABC Children’s Academy & Developmental Preschool 1915 W Main St. • Russellville, AR • 479-968-1198 www.recoveryzonetherapy.com

Kid‛s Stuff PRESCHOOL & CHILD CARE INC. Nutritous Meals • Infant to 12 Years Pre-School & Pre-Kindergarten Program Before/After School Care • State Licensed • Individual Guidance Hours: Mon.-Fri. 6:30 am - 5:30 pm

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Changes in academic leadership Dr. AJ Anglin joined Arkansas Tech as interim vice president for academic affairs in January 2015. A native of Siloam Springs, Anglin brought 40 years of experience in higher education to his new role at Arkansas Tech. Three of the colleges at Arkansas Tech have welcomed new deans over the past 12 months. Dr. Mary Gunter added the responsibilities of dean of the College of Education to her previous duties as dean of the Graduate College and professor of educational leadership. She has served on the Arkansas Tech faculty since 1998. Dr. Hanna Norton was appointed dean of the College of eTech. A member of the faculty since 2001, Norton also serves as assistant vice president for academic affairs and professor of journalism at Arkansas Tech. The College of Engineering and Applied Sciences is under the leadership of Dr. Neal Barlow. He joined Arkansas Tech on Sept. 1, 2015. Barlow earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the U.S. Air Force Academy, a Master of Science degree from the University of Washington and a Doctor of Philosophy degree from Arizona State University.

Serving the greater community Faculty members are

Please see ATU | 19P

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mary brought forth by the Arkansas Tech College of Arts and Humanities explained that the cultural and geospatial studies degree will provide graduates with marketable skills in geographic information systems (GIS) while also providing methods of identifying, analyzing and solving problems utilized by geographers and anthropologists. The summary also states that the degree will help students develop the skills needed for careers in economic development, city and regional planning, cultural resource management, natural resource management, transportation networking, food distribution, real estate, education, heritage preservation and a range of other fields. For more information about the Arkansas Tech Bachelor of Arts degree in cultural and geospatial studies, contact the Arkansas Tech Department of History and Political Science at (479) 9680265. In addition to the cultural and geospatial studies degree, Arkansas Tech is also developing new baccalaureate degree programs in game and interactive media design and environmental science.

connecting Arkansas Tech students with new and tangible applications for their classroom lessons through service learning opportunities. Dr. Jason Warnick, associate professor of psychology, reported to the Arkansas Tech Board of Trustees in January 2015 that service learning initiatives in the Department of Behavioral Sciences resulted in 292 students providing 1,968 hours of community service during the 2014 calendar year. In April 2015, Arkansas Tech hosted a 24-hour drive to register individuals with Be The Match, the national bone marrow registry. The drive registered 1,696 individuals, including 254 who registered during the first hour of the drive from 9-10 p.m. on Tuesday, April 14. Arkansas Tech established a new world record for most people registered with Be The Match during a one-hour period. Statistics from Be The Match state that approximately one in every 540 people who register with Be The Match are called upon to be donors. With that number in mind, approximately three lives could be saved by the efforts of those involved in the Arkansas Tech Be The Match drive. Arkansas Tech renewed its commitment to underserved populations over the past year. The Office of Diversity and Inclusion was created in the Division of Student Services. Dr. MarTeze Hammonds was hired as the first associate dean for diversity and inclusion, and over the past eight months, the office has offered a variety of workshops and events that seek to create a campus environment that celebrates inclusiveness and multiculturalism. Another new initiative seeks to serve the educational needs of the parents of first-generation students. Beginning with the fall 2015 semester, each parent or legal guardian of a first-generation college student at Arkansas Tech, as confirmed on the student’s Free Application for Federal Student Aid form, may enroll in one course with no charge for tuition or fees under the following parameters: parent completes an admission application and meets the admission criteria for a non-degree seeking candidate; parent may register for one class with a full tuition and fee scholarship; only classes without prerequisites are eligible under this policy; free class for parent is only available during the first year that the student attends classes provided the student maintains continuous enrollment; and each parent is eligible to receive the scholarship for one class, one time only. Parents interested in learning more about the

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FOR THE COURIER / ATU

Arkansas Tech registered 1,696 individuals with Be The Match, the national bone marrow registry, during an event in April 2015.

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Community Christian sees growth, eyes expansion

By Whitney Snipes With 97 students, Community Christian School (CCS) had a recordbreaking number of students enrolled for the 2015-16 academic year. The school, which has been around in various forms for a number of years, went through a rebuilding process seven years ago. At that time, 30 students were enrolled in the school, which served students in kindergarten through sixth grade. Now, CCS has classes through 12th grade and will graduate its third set of alumni in 2016. The nondenominational school currently has arrangements with First Assembly of God Church in Russellville to use its facilities. However, with the recent acquisition of property adjacent to its current location, CCS is now looking to expand and build a new facility for its high school students. The planned expansion will accommodate 100 students and include computer and science labs, according to CCS

Assistant Administrator Brooks Russell. As the number of students at CCS has grown, the school has expanded the courses and sports offered to its students. The school, which previously had sports teams for elementary and junior varsity, now offers varsity basketball and volleyball. Administrator Rebecca Partain said foreign language courses and ACT test prep were added this year. All CCS students are required to take the ACT to graduate, part of the school’s efforts to have every graduate ready to further his or her education. “Our goal is that they are well prepared to go to college,” Partain said. “Christian education is unlike any other type of education because it not only educates them well academically … but we are educating them from a biblical worldview,” she said. A foundation built on a Christian education gives graduates the preparation they need to make a difference in the world after graduation.

Russellville School District Pottsville School District always looking to improve enjoys changes, receives honors By Randall Williams Superintendent

Russellville School District believes that our students should have educational opportunities consistent with the best educational systems in the country. That is why we are always expanding our curriculum, improving our facilities, and hiring the best teachers in our area.

New STEM Program at RJHS Offers More In-Depth Learning This year, students at Russellville Junior High School were able to take advantage of a new Biomedical Course entitled Medical Detectives, as part of the School of Innovation waiver that RJHS received last year. The Medical Detectives class explores the biomedical sciences through hands-on projects and labs that require students to solve a variety of medical mysteries. Students investigate medical careers, vital signs, diagnosis and treatment of diseases, as well as human body systems such as the nervous system. Activities such as genetic testing for hereditary diseases and DNA crime scene analysis put the students in the place of real life medical detectives.

New Math Curriculum Benefits Students and Parents RSD adopted a new curriculum for math in grades K-5 entitled Eureka Math. Eureka Math is a complete curriculum and professional development platform that is fully designed to closely follow the focus and coherence of the state content standards. Eureka Math provides heavy emphasis on the mathematical content and practices directed in the content standards such as intimate knowledge of the Base-Ten System, fact fluency, application, multistep problem solving, collaboration, criti-

cal thinking and explanation, and variety in solving problems. The goal of this balanced approach is to teach students the skills needed to engage in higher order thinking for the purpose of building solid numerical reasoning. RSD believes the implementation of this curriculum helps students meet and exceed the mathematical content expectations in the state standards. Eureka Math also has online parent overviews that explain what the student is being taught in the classroom and gives examples and tips that parents can use at home to help their child.

Expanded Focus on College and Career This year, the District began focusing on preparing our students for the path that they will take after graduation as part of the District Board of Education Goals. Students from kindergarten to 12th grade are now being exposed to an emphasis on college and career. Students in the elementary levels are being introduced to different career options through class assignments and events such as career fairs. Students in the secondary levels are taking interest inventories to see what careers they might be interested in, and participating in advisory periods where they are learning about interviewing skills and preparation for college. Students at RHS can enroll in College and Career Readiness that provides students with the necessary skills to evaluate who they are, what they need in a career, and what they need from education to be prepared to refine their choices through a decision-making process and master the skills most needed in the 21st century. Another course that is beneficial to students at RHS is Financial Literacy, where students learn how to successfully manage their personal and family Please see RUSSELLVILLE | 21P

By Larry Dugger Superintendent

Pottsville School District has experienced positive transformations and earned a vast array of top educational honors over the past year. To start, we are pleased to say that our student enrollment number has increased from approximately 1,627 students to over 1,700 students since October 2014. This growth is a reflection of the trust and the respect that parents and the community have in Pottsville’s abilities to help our children prosper. With that in mind, one of our District goals is to help prepare our students with the 21st century skills necessary to succeed. Therefore, with the on-going technology demands and challenges of our society, we have equipped our classrooms with state-of-the-art devices such as smartboards, Chromebooks, iPads, laptops, and other forms of technology to provide our students with the hands-on skills and real-world applications they need for their future endeavors. In 2012, our high school was one of the first schools in the surrounding area to embark on the 1:1 Initiative. Today, our 1:1 Initiative program extends from our 12th grade down to our 3rd grade. In addition to our advancement in technology, we are excited to list our district and school achievements over the past year (with many extending into the present year):

District — Although the state has not yet released the PARCC assessment results from last school year (to date), on the most recent School Performance Report Card, Pottsville’s overall academic performance is one of the highest in the state: High School — Grade A; Jr. High — Grade B; Middle Grades — Grade A; and Elementary — Grade A. Pottsville High School — Distance Learning program-transcended into Virtual Arkansas this year allowing us to offer more diverse online college classes and high school classes; FBLA-won 1st place in Arkansas for Business Plan and competed in Chicago at Nationals; Senior Beta Club- placed 1st in campaign skit, 2nd in colored pencil, 2nd in acrylic art, 2nd in spelling division, 3rd in English division, 3rd in science division, and 3rd in scrapbook at State; HS EAST students- received a superior ranking at conference, were selected for the EAST Ambassador Team, and were selected for the EAST Technical Team at the National East Conference; Quiz Bowl team-placed 4th in Regional Competitions; Art-won 1st and 3rd places in the Fish Stamp Competition through the Arkansas Game and Fish contest; FFA-received National Superior Chapter Award again for the 5th year in a row; Special Olympics-won 1st place in State in bowling; Science-HS Science was awarded the Arkansas State Teachers Association Edu-

cation Grant to purchase a refracting telescope and star viewing supplies in the amount of $500. Astronomy class students will be trained in the setup and operation of the telescope, allowing them to check out the scope for use at their homes on weekends preventing them from meeting at school during the evening hours. Students will be able to investigate star magnitudes and color, practice astrophotography, and develop science fair ideas; Cargill Pork’s London Feed Mill is supporting PHS with funding for the PHS Bass Fishing Club, funding efforts for special need students, communications equipment for announcements to the student body, and science students’ inquiry labs. The initiatives to be supported include promoting the outdoors and love of nature through fishing activities, where HS Anglers help students of lower grades learn the casting and baiting skills, as well as academic skills involving students investigating worm composting and tulip gardening as indicators of climate changes. Funding this year has totaled $2000; and for the Class of 2015, we had approximately $3.5 million in scholarships awarded with some of the Arkansas Academic Challenge Scholarship decisions pending. Pottsville Junior High — Art-received 14 State and Regional awards last year including the Young ArPlease see POTTSVILLE | 21P

ATU CONTINUED FROM 18P

program are asked to contact Vicki Bills in the Roy and Christine Sturgis Academic Advising Center at vbills@atu.edu or (479) 356-2087.

Planning for the future

FOR THE COURIER / ATU

More than 200 individuals participated in the 2015 Martin Luther King Jr. Day march at Arkansas Tech University.

Arkansas Tech is engaged in a strategic planning effort that is expected to be complete in early summer 2016. Working groups in five categories — financial structure and operations, enrollment and marketing, student support (curricular and co-curricular), academic structure and faculty and the university as a public institution — are developing strategic initiatives during the fall

2015 semester. “Strategic planning must be a grass roots effort,” said Arkansas Tech President Dr. Robin E. Bowen. “We need participation from students, faculty, staff, alumni and community partners. We need to engage in meaningful conversations about the future we want for Arkansas Tech. One of my favorite things about working on a university campus is we have a large population of very smart people. Those people have transformative ideas. There will be more ideas than resources, but we will make difficult decisions as the process unfolds with an ultimate goal of creating a framework for continued and enhanced student success.”

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Sunday, October 25, 2015

The Courier

www.couriernews.com

Danville School District enjoys positive changes By Gregg Grant Superintendent

Exciting changes have been shaping up at the Danville School District. Last year the district embarked on a construction project that yielded a new cafeteria (which doubles as a safe room) and a lower middle school structure. Students in fifth and sixth grade started the school year in the new lower middle school building, which also houses an elementary library and art room. The lower middle school students join the rest of the elementary school students in using the new cafeteria for meals. The cafeteria doubles as a safe room for students and staff during the school day and the local community outside of school hours. A ribbon cutting was conducted in July for

the new 6,600-square-foot safe room, which will hold 1,000 occupants in the event of severe weather. According to superintendent Gregg Grant, “The new safe room is designed to withstand winds up to 250 miles per hour.� The Live Positively Fitness Center is a new addition to school facilities, as well. S.C. Tucker Elementary School was one of three schools in the state to receive a $100,000 state-ofthe-art fitness center thanks to a grant from the National Foundation for Governors Fitness Council (NFGFC). Jake Steinfeld, CEO of Body by Jake and Chairman for the NFGFC, said, “We picked Danville because we loved what the school is doing now for their kids in physical fitness.� The fitness center opened in October to students, and the

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district is making plans to open it to the community outside of schools hours in the near future. The 1,500 square foot fitness center houses 38 pieces of equipment, including chest and shoulder press machines, upright bikes, Xbox Kinects and games and more. Danville Schools was a recipient of another substantial grant this summer, too. S.C. Tucker Elementary and Danville Middle Schools partnered to apply for a five-year, $660,000 after school grant through the federal 21st CCLC program. The schools were awarded the grant, and began offering after school classes to students four days per week in September. Nancy Barrick, elementary school principal, said, “We are extremely pleased to be awarded these monies to fund our after school programs.�

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Students in first through eighth grades can participate in programs including soccer, cooking, scrapbooking, outdoor adventures, and more. Jenni Phomsithi, one of the after school site coordinators and grant writer, said, “The after school program is really popular with our students. We’ve been lucky enough to be able to offer 180 slots to students, and we’re full and have a waiting list. The programs are fun, and they let students learn in engaging ways about topics they’re interested in.� Phomsithi said the school is working closely with the Department of Human Services, and they hope they will be able to provide a free dinner to participants soon. Danville High School has plenty of recent celebrations, too. One of those is its out-

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standing AP US History scores. Seven of 21 students passed the AP exam last school year, one with a score of a 4. To pass the exam, a student has to understand the course content, have developed analysis scores, and be able to write an argumentative paper. Daniel Morris, AP US History teacher, said, “When I first found out my students’ scores, I was ecstatic. These students were the first students to accomplish this goal at our high school and achieved a yearlong goal of both mine and theirs. They receive free college credit for this accomplishment. It takes more than being intelligent to achieve something like this. It takes grit. This is another example of the culture of excellence we are building on a daily basis at Danville Public Schools.�

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The Courier

Sunday, October 25, 2015

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financial resources. Students learn to manage resources through handson applications that are relevant to their lives. Examples include employment related forms, spending plans, cost analyses, comparisonshopping, understanding your paycheck, financial planning and banking, insurance, credit, consumer skills, and housing and transportation costs.

New Facilities

RSD also finished three facility improvements this year. Sequoyah Elementary School added ten additional classrooms this fall to assist with the growing number of students in their zone.

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POTTSVILLE This expansion increases the number of pre-school classrooms by two for a total of 12 pre-school classrooms throughout the District. The new classrooms include space for students to engage in engineering and art projects and support the District’s K-12 STEM program. The last piece of The Center for the Arts project was completed with the installation of a cyclone sculpture in July on the Russellville High School campus. The Project WOW! Group along with the District held a formal dedication ceremony on Sept. 25, and dedicated the sculpture to current Board of Education member and former RHS Principal Wesley White.

The District also held a ribbon cutting for the new Cyclone Arena on Sept. 24. The new gym will accommodate multiple sports such as basketball, volleyball, wrestling, cheerleading, and dance teams and will seat 2,350 people. The gymnasium addition is part of a long-range plan to provide quality facilities to students and patrons.

National Accreditation RSD went through the process of national accreditation with the organization AdvancED, and earned the distinction of accreditation for a fiveyear term. The District chose to participate in the process to better compare our District with other

schools around the country. The District began working on the accreditation process in May 2014, and included the RSD administration team conducting surveys with teachers and parents, completing an internal review of the District and each school, and a standards self assessment. Russellville School District provides facilities, programs, and opportunities designed to meet the child where they are educationally and move them to the next level. We are not satisfied by achievement on some test scores, but rather by the notion that we help students to realize their potential through challenging coursework and a wide variety of opportunities.

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kansas Artist High Merit Award, Arkansas Endangered Species Award, Junior Duck Stamp Competition (1st, 2nd, 3rd, and Honorable Mention), BETA State, NAEA, and Downey; FBLA-students earned 28 awards last May; and 50 9th grade students earned the Microsoft Office Specialist Certifications last year. Pottsville Middle Grades — Recognized as a High Achieving School in the State of Arkansas by the Office of Educational Performance for Science (Ranked 9th in the State and 3rd in the Northwest Region); and (based upon the most recent state assessments-PARCC results still pending) Recognized as a High Achiev-

ing School in the State of Arkansas by the Office of Educational Performance (Ranked 2nd in the State in Literacy and 7th in the State in Math). Pottsville Elementary — (Based upon the most recent state assessmentPARCC results still pending) Recognized as a High Achieving School in the State of Arkansas by the Office of Educational Performance (Ranked 13th in the State in Literacy and 4th in the State in Math). We credit our accomplishments to the multitude of hard-working students, supportive parents and community members, and our exceptional faculty and staff who perform well above and beyond to deliver the very best education to each and every student.

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Sunday, October 25, 2015

Joe Fisher is new superintendent of Atkins schools

By Sean Ingram An Arkansas Tech University graduate who started his education career at Dardanelle was selected to be the next superintendent for the Atkins School District. The Atkins School Board called a special meeting voted earlier this year to hire Joe Fisher as superintendent. He replaces Mark Gotcher, who resigned after he was named the deputy commissioner at the Arkansas Department of Education on May 30. Fisher said he was very happy to get back to the Arkansas River Valley. He started his career in education as a music teacher at Dardanelle in 1993. “I was choir director after Mark Gotcher,” Fisher said with a laugh. “I really like the culture. I like the academic side, the financial side. Atkins is really a great school district where a superintendent wants to be. “The board members were great to interview with, plus I’m coming back to the Arkansas River Valley. I’m excited to follow Mark, because he did such a great job.”

Atkins School Board President Mark Coffman said Fisher’s experience and personality fit in with the Atkins community. “He has been an administrator for several years and taught at the collegiate level,” Coffman said. He is pursuing his doctorate degree [in leadership] and will finish in December. We felt like his personality fit in well with the family in the Atkins School District and the Atkins community. “ After his stint in Dardanelle, Fisher moved to Mountain Home and was assistant principal and principal at Pinkston Middle School. He also served as principal at Bethel Middle School in Bryant and comes to Atkins after serving as an associated professor of education at Central Baptist College in Conway. Fisher spent four years in the Arkansas Leadership Academy at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, where he had the opportunity to work and consult with high schools, middle schools and elementary schools across the state.

Hector School District ready for new success By Walt Davis Superintendent

When a school district is asked to address financial difficulties, many risks are involved. Making those corrections can negatively affect the academic structure potentially. Despite gradual loss of students, fluctuating assessment, and losing a significant amount of revenue from our miscellaneous funds, we have been able to repair our financial situation due to the sacrifices of many employees. Some lost their jobs. Many employees’ duties were significantly expanded in a variety of ways. No raises. Less field trips (basically none at times). Tough cuts were made across the board. However, our employees and students have kept their heads held high and continued to have success in every imaginable way in education! I can’t tell you how proud I am of them!

Many people outside of the district have supported us as well. Other school districts have been helpful. Our community and other communities have been extremely supportive and active as well. Our school board has been very supportive and strong during this difficult time and supported tough decisions that were essential in us solving our issues. All told, our ending balance improved from $507,557.02 to $775,333.18 over the past school year. It was an amazing accomplishment attributed to all involved! Our student numbers appear to be stabilizing. We are very excited towards putting a difficult period of negative publicity and public relations behind us. We are ready to ride some positive momentum going forward! We are excited about the future of Hector Schools!

The Courier

www.couriernews.com

Pope County Library System Every Superhero Has a Story For The Courier

2015 has been a year of increased service delivery, advocacy, fundraising, and grant writing for the Pope County Library System (PCLS).

PCLS’ Services Library Services increased comparatively since 2014 to the citizens of Pope County through computer usage (up 42 percent), programming (up 32 percent), book circulation (up 19 percent), and library visits (up 4 percent) while the staff is working to recover state aid funding reduced by the Arkansas Legislature to 400 public libraries in Arkansas. During the creation of the legislature’s rainy day fund, legislators picked what they thought was a competitive grant fund, but the “Grants to Public Libraries in Arkansas” fund supplies state aid funding to public libraries. Throughout 2015, PCLS’ Teen & Adult Services Department are showing Teens how to create mini “maker-spaces” and made national news when its 3-D printers were featured on National Public Radio (NPR) this year.

State Aid Cut (Hours, Book Budget, Training, Computers) Funding for library services has been cut four ways: Programming, Library Collections, Computer Purchases and Databases through revenue provided from grants and aid from the Arkansas Legislature.

Impact of Funding Cuts Hours were reduced from 49 open hours to 38.5 at the Russellville Public Library (RPL) PartTime staff were asked to work one less hour per week to save money. The RPL is still open on Saturdays from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. Hours at the branches were not reduced.

Calling All Superheroes Children across the county gathered for the six-week 2015 Summer Reading Program’s “Every Hero has a Story” where local superheroes read at story times and provided programs to children and teens. Local Superheroes answered the call, and City and County Superheroes included the Judge, the Mayor, Dover and Russellville Firemen, Policemen, Pope County EMS, Pope County Search & Rescue, Dover Lions Club, military veterans Roy Morris, and Zachary Pryor with Service Dog Juliet, and local authors, artists and performers.

Advocacy PCLS’ two Library Boards: Pope County Library Board, and the PCLS Library Foundation, have made strides to guide the system Millage and to raise funds for the future libraries. Throughout 2015, the boards looked for ways to bring in funds to house these great services, as they continue to expand and grow.

Fundraising A book sale was held in conjunction with the first annual Summer Reading Festival with local authors and writers. The PCLS Foundation raised $5,763 dollars through the Book Sale, a Quilt Raffle at the Fair, and walk in donations from pocket change philanthropists.

Grant writing PCLS appreciates the efforts of Senator Greg Standridge, Judge Jim Ed Gibson, and Representative Ken Henderson for letters of

support for the system’s General Improvement Fund (GIF) Grant application. PCLS has asked for $23,000 for a Pope County LifeLong Learning Project encompassing Early Literacy, Family Literacy and English as a Second Language (E.S.L.) through the use of A.W.E. Early Literacy Computers, E.S.L. Software, and laptop computers. The GIF Grant application is to support the economic and education development of Pope County which has been affected by aged literacy computers, the closure of the River Valley Literacy Councils, and a funding cut.

Library Role in Community Development The four branches of the Library System are County Libraries which offer services that complement services offered by the County Departments and Offices. The County of Pope offers services for the Health, and Safety of the Citizens of Pope County. Pope County roads are maintained and updated; and payment of taxes are received. PCLS provides services that are outside of the realm of the Pope County Government. The primary purpose of the libraries are to supply access to information and services such as: a collection of materials at its four locations; Interlibrary Loan; Bookmobile; Wi-Fi; eBooks; and other resources that promote literacy. PCLS utilizes county tax funds to its branch libraries to provide library service to all county residents. It also provides central technology support to our library partners as well as a daily courier delivery, reference support, youth services support, and outreach.

ATU’s ASBTDC breaks assistance record For The Courier

The ATU ASBTDC has assisted clients in obtaining more than $8 million in capital funding for their businesses in 2015, a record for their center. Spread over a number of individual projects, the figure includes loans and other funding obtained by current and prospective small business owners assisted by ASBTDC. The ATU ASBTDC works with entrepreneurs in Pope and eight other counties who need money to start or expand a business. They assist by helping prepare business

The ATU ASBTDC offers consulting, training and market research to prospective and current business owners. plans, generate market research, and compile financial data to present to lenders and investors. “Our clients take these dollars and invest them in communities across Arkansas, creating jobs and strengthening the local economy,” said Janet Roderick, ASBTDC state director. Ed Bashaw, dean of the ATU College of Business

stated, “Not only does the ASBTDC help businesses obtain capital, but every semester they team up with ATU students and pair them with client projects. Those projects give our students valuable, real-world experiences which also benefits small business clients who go out and make financial decisions that affect our economy.”

Funded in part through a cooperative agreement with SBA through a partnership with the University of Arkansas at Little Rock College of Business and the Arkansas Tech College of Business, the ATU ASBTDC offers consulting, training and market research to prospective and current business owners. The ATU center, located in Rothwell Hall, serves 9 counties: Conway, Crawford, Franklin, Johnson, Logan, Pope, Scott, Sebastian and Yell. Contact the center at (479) 356-2067. To learn more about the ASBTDC, visit asbtdc.org

Keeping up with technology a priority for Two Rivers School District By Jim Loyd Superintendent

The Two Rivers School District, named because of the Petit Jean and Fourche La Fave rivers that run east to west through the entirety of the district, is the newest in the River Valley. Formed in 2004, this district is a consolidation of the former Perry-Casa, Fourche Valley, Ola, and Plainview-Rover School Districts. These sites have combined to be centrally located in this 605-square-mile district. A brand new high school, currently housing grades 5-12, was built in 2010. The elementary followed in 2014 and currently houses grades K-4. Sitting against the picturesque backdrop of the Danville and Ola mountains, buildings in the Two Rivers School District are some of the newest in the area and house state-ofthe-art classrooms and facilities with an abundance of technology. The

scene is a perfect illustration of the respect the district has for its rural roots and the excitement it has about preparing students for the modern world and a competitive future. What new and exciting things are happening at Two Rivers School District? Two Rivers Elementary was one, of only nine local schools, to get an “A” on the last School Letter Grade Report from the state. Prior to this, Two Rivers Elementary was a recipient of an Outstanding Educational Performance (OEP) Award from the Office for Education Policy at the University of Arkansas and was recognized by the Arkansas School Recognition and Rewards Program for scores on the Augmented Benchmark Exam two years in a row. Technology is on the cutting edge and remaining current is a high pri-

Two Rivers High School students have participated and attended state and national competitions where they have won numerous awards at both levels in organizations such as: FFA, Sr. BETA, Jr. Beta, EAST, FCCLA, and Arkansas Tech Career Center. ority at the Two Rivers School District for students and teachers. Students in every grade level, K-12, have one-to-one devices available in math and language arts. This begins at elementary with the “Two Rivers Elementary Toolkit Project” and continues through to programs such as Two Rivers High School EAST, where students have worked with local agencies to bring real-world applications into the classroom. In the spring of 2015, Two Rivers School District hosted “Google

Classroom Day”, in which over 75 teachers, administrators, and support staff across the state came to observe Two Rivers students and teachers demonstrate the effective use of “Google Classroom”. Two Rivers High School students have participated and attended state and national competitions where they have won numerous awards at both levels in organizations such as: FFA, Sr. BETA, Jr. Beta, EAST, FCCLA, and Arkansas Tech Career Center. Students have the op-

portunity to have concurrent college classes as well as Pre-AP and Advanced Placement classes in all core subjects. Beginning in 2015, the Two Rivers School District has bought all school supplies for students in grades K-12, relieving parents of this responsibility and expense of school starting. Also beginning in 2015, ALL students in the Two Rivers School District are able to eat breakfast and lunch FREE every day. This, along with the “Summer Feeding Program”, the “Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program” and the “Backpack Program” already in place, helps better ensure the nutritional health of our students. Where does Two Rivers School District go from here? • A new animal science lab is currently under construction to help incorporate science into the agricultural department.

• Construction for additional classrooms, a bookroom, and office space for Two Rivers Elementary will begin soon and be completed in 2016. • Plans for the addition of a football field and modernized field house at the new school site are being made, anticipating completion in 2016. Great things are happening at Two Rivers. This success is credited to the hard work of its students, families/community, administration, faculty, and staff. Expectations are set high and students are supported to achieve these standards. Individual needs of every student, whether these needs be personal or educational, are taken into consideration. It is the goal of the Two Rivers School District to instill a love for learning in each of its students to ensure both present academic success, as well as, future success.

The Courier

Sunday, October 25, 2015

www.couriernews.com

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Dardanelle

Annual Events

JANUARY

Chamber of Commerce Annual Banquet FEBRUARY

Talent Contest at the Community Center MARCH

JUNE

Dog Daze & Kickball Tournament JULY

Chocolate Festival-Community Center AUGUST

Fishing Tournament

Teacher Appreciation Breakfast

APRIL

SEPTEMBER

Rock’n of the River Free Concert Front Street

Mt. Nebo Pageant & Chicken Fry OCTOBER

Taste Along the River & BBQ Cookoff

MAY

Yell Fest - Veterans Riverfront Park

DECEMBER

Christmas Parade & Festival

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WEDNESDAY NIGHT EVENTS

6:30PM facebook.com/myCONNECTchurch 479.968.6966

2200 West Main St. Russellville, AR www.westsidear.org • 479-968-1121 Love People • Make Disciples • Build Community

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Sunday, October 25, 2015

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DISCOVER TECH

What will the next generation of leaders discover at Arkansas Tech University? 7KH\ ZLOO ÀQG D OHDUQLQJ HQYLURQPHQW WKDW KDV FUHDWHG RQH RI WKH WRS WKUHH JUDGXDWLRQ UDWHV DPRQJ DOO SXEOLF XQLYHUVLWLHV LQ $UNDQVDV $UNDQVDV 7HFK RIIHUV PRUH WKDQ SURJUDPV RI VWXG\ LQFOXGLQJ WKH ÀYH DUHDV PRVW SRSXODU DPRQJ FROOHJH IUHVKPHQ ³ EXVLQHVV HQJLQHHULQJ WKH QDWXUDO DQG KHDOWK VFLHQFHV WKH VRFLDO VFLHQFHV DQG WHDFKHU HGXFDWLRQ 3UH SURIHVVLRQDO SURJUDPV SUHSDUH 7HFK VWXGHQWV WR EHFRPH GRFWRUV GHQWLVWV ODZ\HUV SKDUPDFLVWV SK\VLFDO WKHUDSLVWV DQG YHWHULQDULDQV 2YHU WKH SDVW ÀYH \HDUV PRUH $UNDQVDQV KDYH FKRVHQ WR PDMRU LQ WKH VFLHQFH WHFKQRORJ\ HQJLQHHULQJ DQG PDWKHPDWLFV 67(0 ÀHOGV DW $UNDQVDV 7HFK WKDQ DW DQ\ RWKHU XQLYHUVLW\ LQ WKH VWDWH 9LEUDQW SURJUDPV LQ WKH DUWV PDNH D FXOWXUDO LPSDFW RQ FDPSXV DQG EH\RQG 7KHQ WKHUH DUH SURJUDPV \RX ZRQ·W ÀQG DW PRVW RWKHU XQLYHUVLWLHV $UNDQVDV 7HFK LV D VWDWHZLGH OHDGHU LQ KRVSLWDOLW\ DGPLQLVWUDWLRQ À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«WKH\·UH DOO DYDLODEOH IRU IUHH FKHFNRXW E\ $UNDQVDV 7HFK VWXGHQWV 1&$$ LQWHUFROOHJLDWH DWKOHWLFV DUH D UDOO\LQJ SRLQW IRU WKH 7HFK FRPPXQLW\ DQG WKHUH WR FKHHU RQ WKH :RQGHU %R\V DQG *ROGHQ 6XQV LV RXU FDPSXV DPEDVVDGRU -HUU\ WKH %XOOGRJ Learn more at discover.atu.edu.

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Russellville Hearing Clinic continues to grow Submitted by Russellville Hearing Clinic Since Russellville Hearing Clinic (RHC) was established in 2001, the business has had to expand its hours due to continued growth and need for its services this year. Last year was the best year for RHC, which provides hearing testing, hearing aid assessment, fittings, and service, custom hearing protection, musician monitors and tinnitus management for its customers. “But already in 2015, we have equaled or surpassed the number of patients seen, hearing tests completed, and number of hearing aids sold,” Dr. Charlie Palmer said. “We will be expanding personnel to include a

second audiologist by the first of the year to meet the growing demand of our clinic.” With most of the hearing instrument companies now offering wireless technology, the market continues to expand. Russellville Hearing Clinic has the capability to wirelessly connect to most smartphones which allows the user to not only control things like volume, pitch and environmental control, but to stream both cell phone calls and music through the aids as well. Some models even allow you to locate your hearing instruments with your cell phone. Aside from these wonderful advancements, hearing aid technology has improved in pretty much every other way. With better noise control,

sound quality, feedback management, automation and ease of use, consumer satisfaction has never been higher. The average age of the new hearing instrument user continues to fall in part due to the above advancements, but also because more people are willing to accept when they need help if it translates into an immediate improvement in their quality of life. Dr. Palmer explained that he is the most experienced audiologist currently working in the Arkansas River Valley. “With over 20 years of experience in the field, I’ve seen a great deal of advancement in both technology and business models,” he said. “The changes have not keep only helped patients

live better lives, but helped keep things interesting and exciting more myself as well.” Russellville Hearing Clinic also is currently the only clinic in Russellville which is not part of a store chain, buying group or both. “This is important to us because it allows us to maintain our independence,” Palmer noted. “We are not obligated to purchase a certain make or model of hearing aid, nor are we recommending a certain manufacturer based on higher profit margins, but on the best product for the patient’s needs. In short, we have no outside, non-local influences controlling how we provide care and products to the people of Russellville and surrounding areas.”

Having those freedoms is what allows RHC to continue to provide things like a 60-day trial period without risk as well as flexible payment plans. “Our continued relationship with River Valley Ear, Nose and Throat and Drs. Stephen Killingsworth and Ezechial Nehus continues to make our combined services the only local clinic to provide both hearing care and otolaryngology, which is very convenient for patients, especially the elderly that need to minimize their number of appointments,” Palmer added. More information can be obtained by calling Russellville Hearing Clinic at 479-9687250, or stop by the clinic located at 200 N. Quanah in Russellville.

Call today to schedule an appointment with the most experienced audiologist in the Russellville area.

Charlie Palmer, Au.D.

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Sunday, October 25, 2015

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U of O reaches highest enrollment since 2008 Submitted by U of O CLARKSVILLE — The largest new student incoming class in seven years and an unprecedented freshman retention rate have propelled University of the Ozarks to its highest enrollment since 2008 as well as one of the biggest increases in the state. Total enrollment for the Fall 2015 Semester at the private Clarksville university is 651 students, the largest since 675 students were enrolled in 2008. It’s the third consecutive year of enrollment growth and an 11 percent increase over last year’s 587 students. The new student incoming class of 252 students is the largest since 258 in 2008. The University also reported a 75 percent retention rate for last fall’s freshman class, the highest freshman retention

rate at the university since at least the late 1980s. The 11 percent increase for 2015 is the third highest among the state’s 46 two-year and four-year colleges and the second largest among Arkansas’ 13 independent schools. Only Southern Arkansas University (16.7) and Arkansas Baptist College (13.2) had a higher enrollment increase from 2014 to 2015. U of O President Richard Dunsworth said he believes two of the reasons for the large enrollment growth are that Ozarks has frozen the cost of tuition, room and fees for multiple years and emphasized positive student outcomes. “Our board, faculty, staff and administration have been working hard to improve college affordability and student success

rates,” said Dunsworth, in his third year as president of the university. “We are very excited with the number of students we’ve welcomed to campus this fall.” Ozarks’ student body includes 57 percent from Arkansas and nine percent from Johnson County, where the university is located. The university also received some good news in September when U.S. News & World Report ranked it the No. 1 “Best Value” in the South in the magazine’s most recent college rankings. In its 2016 edition of “America’s Best Colleges, U.S. News & World Report” listed U of O eighth overall among the 116 Regional Colleges in the South Region. The overall rankings examine such criteria as academic repu-

tation, graduation and retention rates, faculty resources, student selectivity, financial resources and alumni giving. It is the 17th consecutive year that Ozarks has been ranked a “top tier” university by the publication. Ozarks has been ranked among the top 10 of schools in the South Region in each of the past five years. In addition, Ozarks was ranked first in the South Region in the “Best Value Schools” category of the annual late summer publication that analyzes institutions of higher education. It is the second time in the last five years that Ozarks has been ranked atop the “Best Value” category. The value rankings evaluate the cost of attending a college or university relative to the

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quality of the institution. According to the magazine, “the higher the quality of the program and the lower the cost, the better the deal.” It is the 16th time in the last 17 years that Ozarks has been ranked in the top five of the best value category. U.S. News also ranked Ozarks 21st in the South Region in the category of highest proportion of classes with fewer than 20 students. According to the publication, 72.8 percent of the university’s classes had fewer than 20 students during the 2014 reporting cycle. The magazine listed 116 universities in the Regional Colleges category within the 12-state South Region. The South Region consists of colleges and universities in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Georgia, Alabama, Florida, Tennessee, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, West Virginia and Virginia. This year’s 31st edition of “America’s Best Colleges” includes data on nearly 1,800 colleges and universities. Among the quality factors measured in the rankings are peer assessment, graduation and student retention rates, faculty resources, student selectivity, financial resources and alumni giving. U.S. News uses the Carnegie Classification

Staggs takes on new role at Dover Elementary By Whitney Snipes As the hustle and bustle of the first week of school wound down, Dover Elementary School’s new assistant principal took a little time to reflect on the transition from teacher to administrator.

Legacy Heights N U R S I N G & R EHAB I L ITATI O N , L LC

• Private and Semi-Private Rooms Available • Flat Screen TV’s • Private Telephone Connections • 24-hour Nursing Service by Specialized Staff • On Site Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapy • Wound Care Services • Superior Dining Experience • Beauty Salon

of Institutions of Higher Education to produce categories of rankings for colleges and universities. Ozarks was also recently ranked highly by another college ranking report. In August, Washington Monthly listed Ozarks 41st overall among the nation’s Baccalaureate Colleges in its 2015 College Rankings edition. It was the fourth consecutive year that the publication has ranked Ozarks among the nation’s top 50 Baccalaureate colleges. Washington Monthly ranks more than 1,500 colleges and universities on such criteria as recruiting and graduating low-income students and commitment to public service. In other recent progress news, the university is nearing completion on a $2 million renovation and enhancement project on historic Munger-Wilson Memorial Chapel. The project includes a complete restoration of the basement into gathering areas and offices as well as a new plaza on the outside of the chapel that contains a 150-seat amphitheater. The project was made possible by a gift from Mrs. Frances E. Wilson of Tulsa, Okla. It is the most extensive renovation in the chapel’s 80-year history and is expected to be completed by December.

• Outside Courtyard & Garden, Wheelchair Accessible • Free Wireless Internet • Individual Climate Controls • Physician Services 24/7 • State of the Art Rehab Facility • Daily Housekeeping & Laundry • Excellent Activity Program • Private Dining Room for Family Events

900 West 12th Street • Russellville, AR • 479.968.5858 • Legacyheightsnr.com

Ryan Staggs spent 10 years as a teacher before accepting the assistant principal position this year. In some ways, however, it’s also nostalgic. Staggs student taught at Dover while he worked on his degree at Arkansas Tech University. The Atkins High School graduate spent two years teaching in Berryville before coming back home to the Arkansas River Valley to teach at the Pottsville School District. At Pottsville, Staggs taught “a little bit of everything,” including health, civics, economics, physical education and coached football. Now, he has made the transition to school administration, which he said was a longtime desire. So far, he is enjoying the change. “I absolutely love it,” he said. “We have a great staff. Josh Daniels, our principal, is a great leader and a great guy to work for.” Parents at the school have been very welcoming to him, Staggs said, adding, “I can’t imagine anything going better this first week.” One of the best things about the week has been watching the kindergarten students settle into the routine of school and adjust to new routines. Staggs said it’s great to see how far the students have come in just a week as they have learned the processes of school such as raising their hand to speak and getting a lunchroom tray. Older elementary students in fourth and fifth grades helped out their younger peers by walking the kindergarten students to class and helping them adjust. “It’s a really good school and community,” Staggs said. “Everybody’s wanting to chip in and get the job done.” As for the transition from teacher to administrator, Staggs said the most challenging part is going from working with small groups of students and athletes throughout the day to working and building relationships with hundreds of students, teachers, staff and parents. Please see DOVER | 27P

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Sunday, October 25, 2015

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Miracle-Ear Center growing in Central Arkansas For The Courier

Danville moves into digital age For The Courier

DANVILLE — Since 2012, the Danville School District has made a targeted effort to incorporate technology into its classrooms. “Danville Schools are at the forefront of education, especially when it comes to technology-rich lessons,” Randy Isely, district curriculum administrator, said. In 2012, the district and school board developed a five-year plan with six goals; one of the goals was to “ensure that technology is an integral part of the support for student learning.” In that effort, the district vowed to place a heavy emphasis on technology, including the buying and

disseminating appropriate technologies and making certain that students could properly and safely navigate a digital world. Teachers took classes to enhance their learning about effective technologies, and they incorporated them seamlessly into their curriculums. The district encompasses three schools: an elementary school, a middle school and a high school. All schools are equipped with district-wide wireless, and one-to-one Chromebooks for student access. Additionally, each teacher has a laptop and two desktop computers, a SMARTBoard and a document camera in their classroom. The high school library

has a Coding Club, and elementary and middle school students will soon be able to explore more technologies through after-school classes like STEM, which started in September. Students are exposed to blended learning opportunities, too. Most teachers have students enrolled in Google Classroom, an online classroom where assignments can easily be delivered and turned in through the Google Drive. Every student from kindergarten through 12th grade is assigned a Google username upon enrollment, making Google Classroom an easy platform to access. Some students in the middle and high schools are enrolled

Russellville Kiwanis Club continues River Valley work For The Courier

Our Club was established in 1955. Our mission is to help the underprivileged children of the River Valley. To accomplish this mission we have raised over $27,000 this year. We have made contributions to the following organizations: Wesley Foundation Age to Age Program, CASA, Children’s Hospital, Equestrian Zone, Boy’s and Girl’s State, L.V. Williamson Boy’s and Girl’s Club Summer Program, Oakland Heights Step Program, Food 4 Kids, The Call, Kiwanis International Project Eliminate. Our major fundraiser is our Pancake Day, which has been held for 59 years and is the longest continuously running local fund raiser. This year we raised $15,300 in this one fund raiser alone. Our membership is open to

Our major fundraiser is our Pancake Day, which has been held for 59 years and is the longest continuously running local fund raiser. anyone with good standing in the community. Some of the benefits of memberships are: Excellent networking opportunities, leadership skills development, fun and fellowship and the opportunity to help our community. The club president is Billy Cockrill and the club has a current membership of 98. Visit russellvillekiwanisclub. org for more information.

in courses through Moodle, too. The high school recently added a plotter — a poster-sized printer — to its business department, and last year all three schools added digital signage in the form of televisions in public areas. Students and parents can now read announcements and honors as they walk the halls. Even the new safe room has been outfitted with technology, as a 15-foot projection system was added to the facility during the summer. We’ve really worked hard to make sure that our students get the best, because that’s absolutely what they deserve,” Superintendent Gregg Grant said.

Payne’s Miracle-Ear Center is family-owned and operated. Tammy and Eric Payne, who are local residents of Hot Springs area, recently purchased Miracle-Ear. Tammy was the Specialist and Operations Manager of Arkansas Hearing Center from 2008 through July 2013. She resigned her position with Arkansas H e a r ing Center with the goal of purchasing the Miracle-Ear franchise from the previous owner Ben Wofford. Tammy attended in-depth training with Miracle-Ear to become a certified Miracle-Ear Consultant. The Paynes became the owners of the local Miracle-Ear franchise on Nov. 1, 2014. The Paynes are also proud sponsors of the MiracleEar Foundation, which provides hearing healthcare assistance for underprivileged recipients. Eric Payne brings to the team over 25 years of retail service in the grocery industry. Christy Burchfield, hearing specialist intern, is the newest member of the team.

Christy has worked in the healthcare industry for over 15 years. Ann Violet, is the front office manager. Ann worked as patient care coordinator for Tammy at Arkansas Hearing Center for 4 years. She has been employed at Miracle-Ear for 2 years. Shane Short entered a hearing instrument specialist internship under the sponsorship of Tammy Payne. He is now a Licensed Hearing Instrument Specialist. Shane has extensively trained through MiracleEar to become Certified MiracleEar Consultant. Studies have shown that untreated hearing loss is associated with social isolation, poor self-esteem, physical disabilities, and even certain mental impairments. The more you know about hearing loss, the more you realize the impact it can have on your daily life. Hearing loss involves more than just the individual; it involves your family and friends and affects your relationships with your loved ones.

The Paynes are also proud sponsors of the Miracle-Ear Foundation, which provides hearing healthcare assistance for underprivileged recipients.

Atkins schools leading the way By Joe Fisher Superintendent

The Atkins School District is “Soaring to New Heights” this year by continuing to lead the way in teaching and learning in the Arkansas River Valley. The Atkins teachers and staff are committed to providing students with a rigorous and meaningful learning experience while preparing them for their future in college or in the workforce. Atkins current enrollment in K-12 is 1,008 students with an additional 40 students enrolled in the ABC Pre-K Program. Student enrollment has remained steady over the past three years as the rate is on the rise. In order to ensure that all students are learning and growing to their best potential this year, Atkins has implemented a Response to

Intervention (RtI) program in all grades to identify and help struggling learners. This coupled with the Afterschool Tutoring Program has helped to increase the number of students successfully completing their core class requirements. Additionally, Atkins has partnered with The Learning Institute (TLI) to develop and administer interim assessments in math, science, and language arts to help teachers determine the mastery level of each student. Atkins continued its 1:1 laptop initiative this fall by purchasing enough computers to equip each student from fifth to twelfth grade. The Atkins Middle School seventh grade students were recently recognized by the Office of Education Policy at the University of Arkansas as “High-performing” on the sev-

enth grade Science PARCC Assessment and as “Beating the Odds” with the performance of their low-socioeconomic students. Rocci Malone, Elementary School Principal, and several of her teachers will be featured in an upcoming documentary by the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) about effective teacher evaluation practices. They were chosen from among several elementary schools to be spotlighted for their exemplary work on improving instruction and student learning. As the new superintendent of the Atkins School District, I am proud to work with school board members, administrators, teachers, parents, students, and community members that are proud of their school and community — Red Devil Pride at its best! Your Child … Our Commitment.

DOVER CONTINUED FROM 26P

According to Daniels, Staggs has done a great job at meeting the challenge head on. “He’s real personable with the students and parents,” Daniels said. “I’ve already had a lot of positive feedback on his relationships he’s building. ... I couldn’t be prouder to have him on board with me.” Staggs is a quick learner, Daniels said, and is eager to learn more about his new role as an administrator. Staggs said Daniels and Superintendent Jerry Owens greeted him with open arms and have kept an open line of communication with him as he settles into the role of assistant principal. When he’s not at the school, Staggs is busy at home with what he claims is “the best part of me” — his wife, Carla, who is a first-grade teacher at Pottsville Elementary School, and their two daughters, McKynlee, 6, and Paisley, 3.

UACCM begins ‘Give Meaning’ campaign Dover passes Submitted by UACCM MORRILTON — The University of Arkansas Community College at Morrilton (UACCM) is a two-year, public college serving over 2,300 credit students per semester. UACCM’s primary service area includes Conway, Faulkner, Perry, Pope, Van Buren and Yell counties. UACCM prides itself on providing the area’s citizens with relevant, quality education and training that will prepare them for the job market or provide them with the first two years of a bachelor’s degree. As the college’s technical buildings age the structures become more challenging to maintain. As buildings age to the point it would require a significant investment to conduct major renovations and expansion, it becomes more fiscally sound to construct a new larger facility that can accommodate the student growth and house equipment that reflects changing technology. UACCM is conducting its first major campaign in its

50-year history. The “Give Meaning” includes four objectives which support UACCM’s mission, including new learning facilities, scholarships, and an enhanced collegiate experience for our students. The campaign’s initiatives include a new Workforce Training Center, a scholarship endowment, a permanent building maintenance endowment, and a studentdesigned clock tower and brick plaza. The Workforce Training Center will be a focal point for increasing the number of graduates in technical programs and providing economic development to the region. The building will house classrooms and labs for the departments of air conditioning, heating and refrigeration; automotive collision repair technology; automotive technology (including diesel mechanics); and industrial mechanics and maintenance. The Workforce Training Center must be equipped with the latest in technology in or-

der to prepare students to be productive members of a 21st century workforce. It will be a long-lasting and long-serving facility providing residents with essential skills for years to come. In addition to housing four of the college’s technical programs, the Workforce Training Center will offer workforce training based on client demand and customized to businesses and industry. One section will include a business incubator, designed to support the successful development of entrepreneurial ventures and start-up companies through support resources and services. Contract training courses meet the specific needs of individual businesses and are typically offered at the time and location requested. As UACCM continues to evolve, everyone within the college community will work cooperatively in order for the college to remain studentcentered and responsive, providing an optimal impact upon the people and economy of the state of Arkansas.

millage increase By Courier staff

After two failed attempts, Dover voters finally approved a 3.2-mill increase by a vote of 696 to 546 in March. More than 56 percent of voters voted for the millage increase, while just under 44 percent voted against. The 3.2-mill increase was the district’s third and final try to fund the construction of 26 new classrooms, 10 renovated technology-ready classrooms, a safe room rated for an EF-4 tornado and a physical education center. “The main thing is that our kids are winners,” Superintendent Jerry Owens said. “I couldn’t be more proud of our volunteers, parents and students who realized this was important for our school.” More than $4 million will be available through the state’s Partnership Program to fund the construction, which Owens said will begin as soon as possible. Voters previously turned down a 5.5mill increase in September 2013 and a 3.5-mill increase in February 2014. Raising the millage rate from 40.3 to 43.5, Dover falls in the middle of other local districts — Russellville, 40.8; Atkins, 43.3; Hector, 44.5; and Pottsville, 45.2. During early voting, 235 people cast their thoughts on the millage increase.

Parade Of Progress 2015

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1875

The Courier

1885 Pope Co. Library System

The Courier

www.couriernews.com

1898 Cornwell Funeral Homes

1902

1909

Leonard’s Hardware Ace

Arkansas Tech University

1916

Going Beyond the Original Dream

A timeline of business successes Russellville Chamber of Commerce

Lemley Funeral Service

1925

1944

Saint Mary’s Hospital

Peters Family Living

Peters Family Living

Price’s Town & Country Store

At age 16, Bill Price was making deliveries in a mule drawn wagon filled with animal feeds, 20 pound sacks of flour, meal and sugar and parts for tools and harness. Often it meant going up into the mountains for the company he worked for which was located on South Commerce in Russellville. In 1940, he bought the business and had the stone building built at 300 S. Commerce where he continued the feed, food and hardware sales until 1958. His son, Jack, then returned from the U.S Air Force to partner with him in Bill Price & Son. Seeing the need for an expanded feed division, Jack and his wife, Helen, founded Price Milling Co., on South Knoxville in 1964. Along with their sons, Jay and Randy, they custom mixed animal feeds, handled government corn and had the only bulk garden seed table in the area. They also formed a long standing partnership of 34 year with the Purina Company becoming one of their Premier stores. Again seeing the need to diversify, daughter Andrea came on board to handle bookkeeping and plans were made to build this present facility in 2004. Andrea’s husband, John Looper, joined the team and many new items for the home and garden were added too reflect the name change to Price’s Town & Country Store.

1966

Van Horn Construction

1 9 7 1

201 E. 2nd Russellville, AR www.couriernews.com

1903 S. ARKANSAS

(479) 968-3991

1971

1970

Sorrells Body Shop

Newton’s Pharmacy

1937: first brick and mortar building was erected at 114 East Third Street in Russellville, and is now called the Heritage Hall. 1975: the library system received a Library Services and Construction Act grant for building for an 8,100 ft2 building, a $324,000 project that held 12,000 books, but currently houses a rotating collection of 67,447 items. There are 119,323 items in all of the branch libraries collectively.

113t h

1920

Russellville Chamber of Commerce

Anniversary

The Russellville Area Chamber of Commerce celebrated their 95th Anniversary with a ribbon cutting and birthday party on September 18, 2015. Since 1920, the Russellville Area Chamber of Commerce has been the voice of business in the River Valley and has brought area businesses together in support of economic growth and initiatives that support the civic, economic, professional, cultural, and industrial progress of our community. The Chamber membership spans from single employee businesses up to industries with over a thousand employees and all types of business are represented in the membership.

Circa 1916, Before WWI

1947 2007 - Present

1319 South Arkansas

968-2142

Free Popcorn on Friday

Leonard’s Hardware

1 9 7 4

756 Main St. Danville, 479-495-2525

Russellville Family Clinic 108 Skyline Drive (behind Four Seasons market) 479-968-7170 • Hours: 8:00am - 5:00pm • Monday - Friday “Committed to Serving the Families of the River Valley”

photo courtesy of Liz Chrisman

Old South Restaurant The Old South Restaurant opened on April 4, 1947, and was listed on the National Register of Historic places in 1999, the country’s official list of historically significant properties. William E. Stell, owner of the National Glass and Manufacturing Co. of Fort Smith, built the Old South for local businessman Woody Mays.

Opening in 1970, Newton’s Pharmacy was established by Dr. Billy Newton. Originally at 218 West Main, Billy decided to move to a larger building (now current location) in 1986 to help serve his growing business & community. Newton’s Pharmacy offers front door parking, convenient drive-thru and delivery service. With 5 friendly pharmacists, they are continuing to grow and expand to meet your needs. The soda fountain offers old fashioned milkshakes, drinks and ice cream treats as well as daily lunch specials. Stop by and visit today at 715 West Main in Russellville.

207 Quay St. Dardanelle 479-229-2524

Arkansas Hospice

1889: High School Superintendent, A.E. Lee donated books to a group of literary-minded women who started a library in Wiggs’ Drug Store. The first home for the library was the City Hall Building, and in 1924 a small one-room frame building called the Russ-Ark Library was erected on the vacant lot north of the Central Presbyterian Church.

Is the oldest retail business in Russellville and was started by John Paul Leonard’s grandparents, Jesse F. Leonard and Sara Ellen White Leonard. The business has changed from a small business downtown to a 36,000 square foot store. The store is operated today by Shirley Leonard and Lucy Leonard Carr.

FUNERAL HOMES

2003

1885: The idea for a city library in Russellville started with a group of civic-minded young men in the Excelsior Club who started raising funds for a library in 1885.

1902

Cornwell

Russellville Family Clinic

2000

Russellville Hearing Clinic

The PCLS has three branches located in Atkins, Dover and Hector. And, is headquartered at its Russellville branch library.

1970

1 8 9 8

1974

Pope County Library System (PCLS)

Newton’s Pharmacy

1 8 7 5

1991

Main Street Russellville

1885

The Russellville Democrat, forerunner of the Weekly Courier-Democrat, was established in 1875 by a group consisting of J.L. Shinn, George E. Howell and J.F. Munday and M.L. Baird. The photo to the right shows the Courier office, in 1905, with the staff and Rev. Eakes, pastor of the Southern Methodist Church and Arthur Livingston, editor.

1944

Celebrating 51 Years!!

Price’s Town And Country

The Courier

to town and buy a locally crafted wooden coffin from Lemley and Sons. Families soon wanted full service and Lemley Funeral Service began. From a downtown store building in 1916, to their new family-friendly home completed in 1998, Lemley Funeral Service has had the honor and privilege of serving our neighbors in their times of need for more than five generations. For more information, call 641-2589, stop by their office at 1401 N. Church St. in Atkins or visit online at www.lemleyfuneral.com.

Bill Peters is still on the job every day, blessed with a team of associates who constantly strive to improve upon F. C. Peters’ vision. This firm is known by locals as a customer-caring business offering great brands, competitive pricing, and most of all, nice people. The Secret to its 71-YearOld Success: “Treating Customers as Family.”

1964

1875

In 1903, W.M. Lemley and Sons partnered in a general mercantile business that branched out in several directions. One son, O.R. Lemley, developed the funeral and furniture businesses with his father. Families would come

As others have come and gone, Peters Family Living continues to thrive with its tradition of “Taking Care of Customers.” In 1944, F. C. Peters established this Furniture and Appliance business in a 5,000 sq. ft. building at the corner of West B and North Commerce. His vision was his two sons someday taking over the business and Serving Customers in a way of which he would be proud. He lived to see his creation grow into a business occupying a complete city block facing North Arkansas Avenue. He saw fulfillment of his vision of providing the Best Customer Service Possible from the initial sales process, through financing, delivery, and post-sale service.

1947

Old South Restaurant

Lemley Funeral Service

1964

Sunday, Oct. 25, 2015 • 29P

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A History of Pope, Yell, and Johnson County Businesses

1920

1916

The Courier

Dale Summitt and his son, Zach, bought the restaurant in April 2014. “The Summitts never intended to change anything at the Old South, but make it better and provide more homecooked opportunities to keep people coming back. Breakfast is available all day. Lunch and dinner specials are different each day.

Established 1925

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Living our values. Keeping our promise. (479) 968-2841 1808 West Main Street Russellville, AR 72801

Serving the River 2 Valley Since 2000

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Charlie Palmer, Au.D. Russellville Hearing Clinic 200 N. Quanah, Russellville• 479-968-7250

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1971

Sorrells Body Shop Sorrells Body Shop, now owned and operated by Jamie Sorrells and Eric Hartzell, has been repairing cars in Russellville for over 40 years. Ray’s Body Shop was established in 1971 by Jamie’s parents, Raymond and June Sorrells, in a two-bay gas station at the corner of Eighth and South Arkansas. In 1975, Ray purchased Buchanon’s Body Shop at 410 West D Street (now Parkway) and changed the name to Sorrells Body Shop. Ray retired in 1988 and sold the business to Jamie who later moved the operations to the present location at 1903 South Arkansas. Eric Hartzell became a partner in the business in 2003 and now manages the daily operations of the shop. Over 12,000 vehicles have been restored since Sorrells Body Shop opened their doors in 1971.

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Sunday, October 25, 2015

The Courier

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Arkansas Hospice receives national recognition For The Courier

Arkansas Hospice Russellville recently received national recognition by being named a recipient of the Hospice Honors Elite Award, which recognizes hospices providing the highest level of satisfaction as measured from the caregiver’s point of view. Receiving the honor places Arkansas Hospice in the top 2 percent of 1,700 hospices across the nation that use services provided by Deyta, a company that partners with thousands of hospice, home health, human services and other healthcare

organizations. Serving the River Valley since July 2003, Arkansas Hospice Russellville is part of the state’s largest hospice organization and cares for seriously ill patients and families — regardless of ability to pay each day in homes, hospitals, nursing homes and assisted living facilities as well as in the Arkansas Hospice River Valley Home, an eight-bed inpatient facility in Russellville. The not-for-profit organization serves nearly 500 patients each day in more than 30 counties, including Pope, Johnson, Logan, Yell, Perry and

Conway counties. When Deyta introduced its Hospice Honors program in 2013, Arkansas Hospice’s Russellville office and inpatient center were among the first hospices in the country to earn the honor — with a second Hospice Honors Award being received in 2014. This year, Deyta presented Arkansas Hospice Russellville with an elevated distinction, the Hospice Honors Elite Award, which recognizes the upper tier of the nation’s top-performing hospices. Hospice Honors Awards are based on results from the Fam-

ily Evaluation of Hospice Care, an independent survey given to the caregivers of hospice patients to help measure the quality of their care. Of the 1,700 hospice agencies using Deyta’s services, only 39 organizations were given the Hospice Honors Elite Award. For Arkansas Hospice, the award was given based on the combined scores of the Arkansas Hospice Russellville home-based office and the Arkansas Hospice River Valley Home. In 2015, Sweetheart Saturday was retired and replaced by a new event, Saturday’s Fair, a

family-friendly fundraiser held on April 18 at the Hughes Community Center in Russellville. A huge success, the first Saturday’s Fair featured games, auctions, music by some guy named robb, food trucks from Road Hog BBQ and the Natural State Grillers, Johnny Story as master of ceremonies and a special visit from Tusk, the Arkansas Razorbacks’ mascot. Plans are already underway for the next one to be held on April 16, 2016. Money raised from the event will benefit the Russellville area to support the critical needs of our patients and families.

Area Agency on Aging evolves with senior needs For The Courier

THE COURIER / Joshua Mashon

MedExpress

MedExpress Urgent Care opened its doors in May to local residents as a walk-in center designed to meet health care needs for treating injuries and illnesses.

Winter Wonderland display moves downtown By Sean Ingram The Russellville Advertising and Promotion (A&P) Commission passed the torch, or strands of holiday lights in this case, to downtown Russellville in 2014. The Winter Wonderland Christmas light display moved from Pleasant View Park to downtown for the first time since its beginning in 2010. “The A&P Commission was looking for something for the community with longevity,: A&P Director Christie Graham told The Courier. “We didn’t really have anything that would draw people in. Hope-

“We want people to stroll downtown and see the lights. It changes the whole atmosphere of a light display.” Betsy McGuire Main Street director fully, it will sense of unity to downtown.” Graham said Main Street Director Betsy McGuire inherited a larger display than the A&P started with. Some of the benefits included offering the display for free, being open every night instead of weekends and and staying open later

Help Network grows By Courier Staff There have been several changes to the Help Network throughout 2015. Ed Seay, Executive Director of Help Network since 2009, announced his resignation effective Oct. 2. Amanda Chronister took his place as the organization’s top executive. The Help Network Board of Directors met in September to consider a new executive director. There were nine resumes submitted for the position, and the committee chose to interview four candidates. The committee recommended Chronister, the previous programs director for Help Network, be offered the position of executive director. The board approved the recommendation unanimously. Chronister accepted the position and began her official duties Oct 4. Earlier in the year, Seay announced six new members on the organization’s board of directors. Trey Smith, Sue Ann Jernigan, Trevor Martin, Stacey Greer, Sherrie Cotton and Skye Thompson joined the board in January. “I think it’s a great community service they do,” Smith said of the organization in an article published by The Courier at that time. “I am glad to help be a part of it.” Help Network, a faith-based nonprofit organization, was founded in 1992 by the Russellville Area Ministerial Alliance with a grant from the River Valley United Way. Through a continued partnership with the River Valley United Way and working with more than 30 local churches, the organization helps low-income families stay in their homes, keep utilities connected, have food, go to doctor appointments and purchase medication. In 2014 the Help Network served 549 clients in the Arkansas River Valley, provided nearly $13,000 in assistance, with $5,852 in utilities and more than $7,000 for food, clothing, gas, furniture, prescriptions, rent and lodging. Help Network offers several opportunities for volunteers to take part in furthering the organization’s mission of “offering a hand up, not a hand out” such as making a donation, serving on a Help Network committee, encouraging businesses to get involved and more.

each night. McGuire said the move to downtown Russellville would offer residents the opportunity to either drive or walk or walk through the displays, instead of just driving through in previous years. “We want people to stroll downtown and see the lights.

It changes the whole atmosphere of a light display,” McGuire said. McGuire said Main Street Russellville was excited to inherit the Winter Wonderland holiday light display. “This is a really big endeavor,” she said. “We want the community as a whole to be proud of it. We are doing our part to improve the quality of life we all want in our community.” The Winter Wonderland downtown holiday light display will open in late November and end in the first week of January 2016.

The Area Agency on Aging of West Central Arkansas’ (AAAWCA) mission has remained the same for the agency’s more than four decades of existence — to help seniors lead independent, meaningful and dignified lives. The way this goal is accomplished has changed along with seniors’ evolving needs. In-home personal care, family caregiver resources, case management, advocacy for long-term care residents, homedelivered meals and volunteer opportunities for seniors are just a few of the programs offered by the non-profit organization, which serves Pope, Yell and Johnson counties from its Russellville office. AAAWCA was established in 1974 by an amendment to The Older Americans Act — to “monitor, assess, coordinate and pool” all resources, public and private, which provide services to seniors, the growing population of persons age 60 and older. Over four decades, the scope of services has increased amid changes in the needs of seniors and the aging population. Today, the emphasis is on ensuring that seniors who wish to remain in their own homes are able to do just that. Through in-home personal care, senior companion volunteers and home-delivered meals, the agency delivers its promise to help seniors retain their independence. AAA also provides funding for and oversees the local Senior Activity Centers, which are located in Russellville, Dardanelle, Danville and Clarksville. The centers serve to keep seniors active and healthy through daily nutritious meals and activities, such as beanbag baseball, day trips, dances and exercise classes. As a non-profit organization, many of the services provided by AAAWCA are free of charge, while others have various income guidelines or other criteria for participation. Private pay arrangements are available for others. Veterans Administration and Family Caregiver Grants may cover all or part of some services. Knowledgeable case managers are always happy to talk to seniors about any needs they may have. AAA has been proudly caring for seniors for 41 years. The Russellville office is part of the West Central Arkansas Region, managed by the Hot Springs Regional office.

Thomas Werner serves River Valley For The Courier

Thomas G. Werner, D.P.M., P.A., owned by Thomas G. Werner, is located at 2503 W. Main Place in Russellville and serves the medical foot care and treatment needs of Russellville and the surrounding River Valley area. Werner heads a staff of five, including Thomas Werener, Podiatrist; Deneen Mendez, Podiatry Assistant; Alejandra Mendez, assistant; Erin Grice, receptionist; and Allison Wood, consultant. The clinic, established in Aug. 1979, has been open for 36 years and recently surpassed 20,000 patients in the River Valley area.

The Courier

Sunday, October 25, 2015

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Dedicated to a Cure, in the Name of Love. In 2014, it is estimated that over 230,000 women in the United States will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer, and that there will be more than 39,000 breast cancer deaths. Experts agree that early detection of breast cancer saves lives. Screening tests can help diagnose breast cancer in its early stages, when it’s most treatable. Doctors recommend a clinical breast exam every three years beginning at age 20, and a mammogram every year starting at age 40. Breast self exams and healthy lifestyle choices that include exercise, good nutrition and not smoking can also help protect women against the threat at breast cancer. During October, National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, we remember the mothers, daughters, friends, sisters and wives who have lost their lives to breast cancer. We also salute the survivors whose successful fight against breast cancer gives us hope for the future and a cure.

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Sunday, October 25, 2015

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Sunday, November 1, 2015

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City Corporation Submitted by City Corp.

Update on bond funded wastewater projects On March 19, 2015, the Russellville City Council approved a proposal to increase water and wastewater rates and fees primarily to fund needed capital improvements in both the water and wastewater systems. The Russellville City Council then approved the issuance of a $48 million revenue bond in July of 2015 to begin addressing these water and wastewater improvements. The funding from the bond is projected to be broken down as $20 million for water improvements, $20 million for wastewater improvements and $8 million to re-finance a 2012 debt issuance. Currently, this 2015 bond is the only debt incurred by City Corporation. The needs in the wastewater system are primarily related to address deficiencies cited in a Consent Administrative Order (CAO) issued

in November of 2009 at the direction of EPA. The CAO cited issues related to permit violations at the treatment plant and chronic wastewater overflows primarily due to lack of system capacity during wet weather events. The deadline related to addressing the permit violations is January 10, 2016. We recently completed a $13.2 million treatment plant expansion this past September to achieve compliance with the treatment portion of the CAO. This project was funded in large part through a $9 million bond issue in 2012 which was refinanced through the 2015 bond issue. The only notable improvement remaining at the wastewater treatment plant is the installation of sludge handling equipment which is estimated at $5 million and is included in the list of projects to be funded by the 2015 Bond. The collection system improvements required to address system overflows are estimated at approximately $35 mil-

lion. We have committed to ADEQ to comply with the overflow portion of the CAO by January of 2022. The capital projects schedule prioritizes two phases of collection system projects over the next 6 years that include both increasing the capacity of and making repairs to the collection system. We fully expect these efforts will reduce the storm water that enters our system and increase our system capacity, thus minimizing the capacity related overflows. The rate plan that was adopted in April is sufficient to fund the second phase of wastewater improvements, estimated at $21 million.

Update on bond funded water projects As mentioned in the article regarding wastewater projects, a portion of the funding from the 2015 bond issue is being utilized to address water system needs. The majority of these needs were identified in a 2015 update of the Water Master Plan. Approximately $20 million will be allocated from the bond funds to address various projects in the water system over the next 3 years. The rate plan that was approved in April, 2015, is sufficient to fund a second round of capital

improvements estimated at $10 million that would be primarily dedicated to pipeline replacement. As outlined in presentations to the public and Russellville City Council, the needs in the water system are primarily related to address aging infrastructure, growth and improved efficiencies through new technology. The first major project to be completed from this list of projects is the upgrade of the water meters throughout the system. This project is expected to be complete in early November, 2015, at a cost of approximately $4.3 million. A separate article regarding this project is presented within this Progress Edition. One major project of note is the proposed addition of a 2 million gallon water tank at the water treatment plant which will not only provide needed additional system storage, but also provide us with the flexibility to remove part and/or all of the water plant from service for maintenance. Due to the current customer water demand and lack of redundancy in certain areas of the plant, routine maintenance has been difficult

if not impossible for certain areas of the plant. Other projects include system improvements to address operational flexibility, reduction of high velocities, lack of backup power and pump station deficiencies. A portion of the funding, estimated at $4.4 million, is earmarked to begin the process of replacing the aged water piping in the system, some dating back more than 60 years. While the Water Master Plan identifies the need to replace an estimated $103 million over the next 25 years, we have prioritized the piping with regards to age, type and condition in order to maximize the impact of the funding spent to address this long term effort. We are currently targeting the existing galvanized and cast iron water mains as they have proven to be the most problematic. We fully expect that this work will continue to reduce our “Unaccounted for Water� which will not only reduce treatment and pumping costs, but also the labor and materials cost for continually repairing these pipes. Please see CITY | 7P

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Sunday, November 1, 2015

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Lane widening on Highway 124 underway By Whitney Snipes Despite setbacks due to issues with utility relocation, work is progressing to widen a portion of State Highway 124 north of Russellville. Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department (AHTD) District 8 Engineer Scott Mullis said despite setbacks with utility relocation, crews have “been aggressive” in working around utilities. The project was bid late last year and awarded to Blackstone Construction LLC of Russellville. The bid proposed 265 working days, which would

amount to a two-year project, for a little more than $14.7 million. Currently, the estimated completion date for the project is April 2017. The project includes overlay for .07 mile on State Highway 326 (Weir Road) and widening 3.2 miles of State Highway 124 from two lanes to five lanes. “It will provide a more robust connection to the interstate,” an AHTD spokesman told The Courier when the project was bid. Initially, the city of Russellville and AHTD agreed the state would relinquish

the existing portion of Highway 124 between Arkansas Avenue (State Highway 7) and Weir Road to the city after construction was complete. However, the city requested the state to go ahead and release that portion of road to the city so work to improve O Street can begin. That request is expected to be approved. The work is funded through a combination of state and city funds. The Russellville City Council approved chipping in $3 million toward the project cost.

Work wraps up on Interstate 40 By Whitney Snipes Work on construction projects along Interstate 40 in Pope and Johnson counties is largely complete. Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department (AHTD) District 8 Engineer Scott Mullis said after a project is mostly complete, a final inspection is conducted and then any issues identified must be rectified. That process is underway currently. The bulk of the construction for what was actually several separate projects wrapped up this summer. The first, which covered 7.7 miles from U.S. Highway 64 to Mill Creek, started near the Lamar exit (63.8 mile marker) and went east near the county line. The second portion of the project covered 5.3 miles from the 71.5 mile marker (near London exit) to nearly the first Russellville exit (84).

The purpose of the project was to mill and inlay 12.9 miles of roadway and rehabilitate six bridge structures. Blackstone Construction LLC of Russellville was the contractor for the project, estimated to cost $8.7 million. The third I-40 project in the Arkansas River Valley began before the Pottsville exit (83.6 mile marker, or State Highway 331) past Atkins (Exit 94, or 94.5 mile marker). A subcontractor was brought in to conduct hydro demolition on six bridge decks, which required lane closures on one east lane and one west lane at a time. The 10.9-mile project called for bridge rehabilitation and resurfacing. Blackstone Construction LLC was contractor of the project, estimated to cost $6.7 million.

Sean Ingram contributed to this report.

Yell County jail facility construction progresses

First Row: Wendy Davis, Polly Taylor, Nancy Moore, Rebecca Hopkins, Mack Streety Second Row: Michael Witt, Jasa Connell, Tracy Woods, Patricia Escobar

The Natural Choice For the Natural State When you think community banking Chambers Bank wants to be at the top of your list. The branch employs nine employees including Mack Streety, EVP Lending, Michael Witt, VP, Rebecca Hopkins, AVP, and Tracy Woods, Retail Branch Manager. We take pride in being able to give you the personal customer service you deserve and are excited about new and expanded business and personal product services coming in 2016. Please come in and see our staff at 510 Union Street in Dardanelle.

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By Whitney Snipes DANVILLE — Work on a new jail facility in Yell County is going smoothly, according to County Judge Mark Thone. Thone said the facility is in the dry and starting to look like a jail facility rather than a building shell. Construction, which began early this year, is on schedule to conclude by late February. Despite challenges due to heavy rains this spring, Thone said construction crews have worked hard and continued to stay on schedule and, so far, under budget. “We’ve had a lot of local contractors on the job, and they’ve just done a real good job staying on schedule,” Thone said. The need for a new jail facility arose from the fact that neither the existing Dardanelle nor Danville facilities meet state standards. The jail in Dardanelle was out of compliance when it was built in 1976 and has never met minimum standards. Because both jails fail state requirements, Yell County received numerous citations. The proposed new facility will contain 75 beds and have the ability to be expanded in the future if necessary. The cost of the new facility is estimated to be $7 million. The modern facility will include a control tower to control and monitor the entire complex with minimal personnel. Doors can be opened remotely, and staff working on the floor close to the inmates can be moni-

The cost of the new facility is estimated to be $7 million. The modern facility will include a control tower to control and monitor the entire complex with minimal personnel. tored both visually and via video from the tower operator, who could summon additional help if needed. Visitation can be conducted via video, reducing the potential for contraband and other threats being introduced into the facility from outside. Bond hearings and medical issues can also be addressed in a more controlled environment, reducing the opportunities for inmates to escape. The new facility will include a secure drop-off area for officers to drive in to drop off or pick up prisoners. This ensures before a prisoner is even taken out of a transporting vehicle, the exterior doors would be closed by the control tower and the prisoner would already be within a secured area, greatly reducing the opportunity for escape. Both existing jails will be closed once the new facility is constructed, but the YCSD will maintain facilities in Dardanelle for tax collection and for law enforcement officers to work out.

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Sunday, November 1, 2015

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Houses going up in Overland Park subdivision

By Whitney Snipes Streets have been overlaid and houses are going up in one of Russellville’s newest subdivisions. Construction is underway at the 80-plot subdivision, which was the center of much controversy as it made its way from concept to fruition. In September 2014, then-Mayor Bill Eaton vetoed an ordinance to accept the final plat of Overland Park subdivision. The Russellville City Council later called a

meeting and overrode Eaton’s veto. The council also approved authorizing City Engineer Kurt Jones to accept the final plat when it conformed to land use and development code. The subdivision — which will include more than 80 units and is bordered on the south by West 12th Street, on the west by Camelot Village and on the north by Brookside Estates — first went before the Russellville Planning Commission in September 2013.

The proposal landed before the council during its regular meeting Jan. 16, 2014, at which time aldermen unanimously approved a plat that included two entrances to the subdivision along West 12th Street and an emergency access at South Durant Avenue. On Jan. 22, 2014, Mayor Bill Eaton vetoed the decision, recommending the council stick with a plat approved by the Russellville Planning Commission, which included

one entrance each at West 12th Street, South Durant Avenue and Camelot Drive. The council met again the next day and overrode the veto in a 7-1 vote. Alderman Martin Irwin dissented, saying he’d changed his mind because he didn’t want to see a trend of ignoring the zoning code. During the Jan. 23, 2014, meeting, Gerald Hook, a Russellville Historic District commissioner, said he was disap-

pointed in the council for ignoring the city engineer and planning commission and suggested the council may have ulterior motives for overriding the veto. Hook’s comments, along with suspected comments from two planning commissioners, led the council to call a meeting Jan. 27, 2014, in which all present aldermen voted in favor of denying allegations of accepting bribes or any instances of impropriety in regard to its actions relating to the subdivision.

Richard Harris was absent from that meeting. The two members of the planning commission accused of making statements similar to Hook’s accusation — Richard Perkins and Herschel Hargus — resigned from the commission. Commissioner Nick Patel also resigned because of the Overland Park saga, though it was unclear if he had spoken out against the council. Jeanette Anderton contributed to this report.

Home Permits

New walking and biking trails added to system Courier staff reports

A ground-breaking ceremony was conducted for the area of Bona Dea Trails and Sanctuary that will soon take shape as the River Valley Veterans Memorial Park. The project will happen in three phases with the first, the parking lot, starting in the near future. Representatives from the American Legion, City of Russellville, Pope County Quorum Court, VFW Riders Group 13, Senator’s office, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Veterans Service Office (Pope and Yell counties) and the U.S. Army Corp. of Engineers attended the event. The Corps of Engineers constructed two food plots about two acres in

The following commercial building permits for projects valued at $10,000 or greater were filed between October 2014 and September 2015. They are listed below, with reference to date, address and cost of construction: ■ Oct. 6, 2014, Wildflower, 240 S. Inglewood, $216,000. ■ Oct. 8, 2014, 702 Weir Road, $72,000. ■ Oct. 8, 2014, 3545 N. Arkansas, $125,000. ■ Nov. 12, 2014, Waffle House, 2404 N. Arkansas, $135,180. ■ Nov. 24, 2014, 2114 Skyline Drive, $30,000. ■ Dec. 1, 2014, Taco Bell, 1308 N. Arkansas,

Two trails in Russellville were dedicated and ceremoniously opened to the public with ribbon cuttings, marking a milestone that is only one of many in the ongoing Russellville Connected Trail System. size on the south side of Bona Dea Trails and Sanctuary. A small dozer prepared the ground for planting by removing small trees and underbrush. Trees beneficial to wildlife such as oak, black cherry and some maples will remain, while trees such as sweet gum, elm, black willow and box elder will be removed.

Removing unwanted vegetation allows sunlight to reach the food plots, while leaving beneficial trees to compliment the clover, rye, oats and winter wheat being planted. About two acres of food plots at Old Post Road Park in Russellville were recently planted for wildlife benefit and increased viewing opportunities near the campground and

disc golf course. Arkansas Tech University students will also be removing privet, an invasive species, in the Bona Dea area. Privet is currently taking over the ground cover and provides little wildlife benefit. Two trails in Russellville were dedicated and ceremoniously opened to the public with ribbon cuttings, marking a milestone that is only one of many in the ongoing Russellville Connected Trail System. Orbit Lane Trail — a 2.2-mile asphalt trail located at 3694 Pleasant View Road in the competition water ski area in Pleasant View Park — was dedicated first and is open to any non-motorized ve-

hicle. The trail is 1.1 mile to one end, and the same distance back. The $66,000 trail was funded through the 1-cent sales tax and Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department (AHTD) Recreational Trail Program funds. About $44,000 in federal funds were committed to the project. The Ouita Coal Co. Mountain Bike Trail, located in Illinois Bayou Park at 6630 U.S. Highway 64 West, was dedicated immediately following the Orbit Lane Trail ceremony. The Ouita Coal trail extends 10.5 miles through woodland areas and dirt paths.

The following residential permits for projects valued at $100,000 or more were filed with the city of Russellville between October 2014 and September 2015. They are listed below, with reference to date, address and cost of construction: ■ Oct. 2, 2014, 3065 S Elmira, $336,225. ■ Oct. 21, 2014, 101 Riverstone, $232,725. ■ Dec. 29, 2014, 1305 S. Oswego, $125,000. ■ Dec. 29, 2014, 1307 S. Oswego, $125,000. ■ Dec. 29, 2014, 1309 S. Oswego, $125,000. ■ Dec. 29, 2014, 1311 S. Oswego, $125,000. ■ Dec. 29, 2014, 1313 S. Oswego, $125,000. ■ Dec. 29, 2014, 1315 S. Oswego, $125,000. ■ Dec. 31, 2014, 22 Rimrock Road, $170,000. ■ March 4, 2015, 5 Pleasant Hills Drive, $265,575. ■ March 11, 2015, 214 Cottonwood Lane, $102, 410. ■ March 26, 2015, 3 Wedgewood Drive, $100,540. ■ March 27, 2015, 150 High Acres, $103,850. ■ April 20, 2015, 210 N. Jonesboro, $107,950. ■ April 20, 2015, 209 N. Independence, $107,950. ■ April 27, 2015, 2975 S. Elmira, $206,195. ■ May 12, 2015, 402 Quapaw Drive, $300,000. ■ May 20, 2015, 920 S. Hartford, $139,550. ■ June 1, 2015, 207 Promenade Circle, $130,515. ■ June 1, 2015, 206 Promenade Circle, $144,155. ■ June 1, 2015, 806 Please see PERMITS | 4P

Building Permits $181,000. ■ Jan. 6, 2015, 2505 Bradley Lane, $45,000. ■ Jan. 6, 2015, Chili’s 107 North Elmira, $1,300,000. ■ Jan. 6, 2015, 1103 East L St., $14,466. ■ Jan. 9, 2015, 511 W. Main, $800,000. ■ Jan. 14, 2015, Sherwood Urgent Care, 106 Weir Road, $55,830. ■ Jan. 16, 2015, 1907 E. Main, $22,950. ■ Jan. 20, 2015, Cyclone Car Wash, 1020 N. Arkansas, $24,500. ■ Jan. 21, 2015, Sequoyah Elementary School, 1601 West 12th St., $2,548,000. ■ Jan. 26, 2015, State Highway 331 North,

$15,708. ■ Jan. 27, 2015, 400 N. Vancouver, $43,800. ■ Jan. 27, 2015, Wayne Smith Trucking, 3014 East 17th St., $59,700. ■ Jan. 28, 2015, 2505 W. Parkway Drive, $45,000. ■ Feb. 2, 2015, ConAgra Foods, 3100 E. Main St., $2,000,000. ■ Feb. 4, 2015, 511 W. Main St., $71,500. ■ Feb. 11, 2015, 209 W. Main St., $18,000. ■ Feb. 17, 2015, 209 East Parkway Drive, $15.000. ■ Feb. 20, 2015, 2601 E. Parkway Drive, $50,000. ■ March 4, 2015, Chili’s, 107 N. Elmira,

$21,692. ■ April 3, 2015, 331 Weir Road, $59,250. ■ April 16, 2015, 1114 W. Main St., $34,500. ■ May 1, 2015, 112 S. Commerce, $80,000. ■ May 5, 2015, 1112 W. Main St., $10,090. ■ May 8, 2015, 103 W. Parkway Drive, $50,000. ■ May 14, 1500 W. Main St., $770,000. ■ May 19, 2015, Pilot, 42 Bradley Cove Road, $250,000. ■ May 22, 2015, 421 E. Parkway Drive, $75,000. ■ May 27, 2015, 103 W. Parkway Drive, $14,650. ■ June 3, 2015, 403 N. Arkansas, $50,000.

■ June 4, 2015, Saint Mary’s Wellness, 809 W. Main St., $212,948. ■ June 22, 2015, 1402 S. Oswego, $100,000. ■ June 23, 2015, Goodyear, 185 Interstate Avenue, $38,518. ■ July 8, 2015, 410 S. Arkansas, $20,000. ■ July 23, 2015, 803 East 28th St., $12,000. ■ July 27, 2015, Aspen Dental, 331 Weir Road, $250,000. ■ July 28, 2015, 511 E. Third St., $215,000. ■ July 29, 2015, Tri County Regional Water Distribution District, State Highway 7 North, $85,000. ■ Aug. 4, 2015, Steak and Shake, 2006 E. Park-

way Drive, $12,000. ■ Aug. 10, 2015, St. John Catholic, 1900 W. Main St., $13,900. ■ Aug. 17, 2015, 3500 E. Main St., $16,970. ■ Aug. 21, 2015, 3003 East 17th St., $20,000. ■ Aug. 21, 2015, 1310 E. Main St., $18,000. ■ Aug. 31, 2015, All Saints Episcopal Church, 501 S. Phoenix, $100,000. ■ Sept. 21, 2015, Holiday Inn Express, 210 E. Harrell Drive, $5,275,000. ■ Sept. 21, 2015, 2601 E. Parkway Drive Suite C, $76,947. Compiled by Sean Ingram

4P

Sunday, November 1, 2015

The Courier

www.couriernews.com

Project design for O Street complete By Whitney Snipes A street improvement project for East O Street in Russellville is expected to get underway soon. Initially envisioned as a project to add a sidewalk along O Street between State Highway 7 and Parker Road, the current project will be a comprehensive street improvement

project. The stretch of O Street will become a three-lane road, with two traveling lanes and a turn lane. Bike lanes will be adjacent to the travel lanes on either side of the road, and street trees and decorative lighting will be included as well. All storm drainage will

Careers

be covered, and a concrete sidewalk will be offset from the road. Public Works Director and City Engineer Kurt Jones said the project design is complete. Currently, the city is waiting to hear back from the Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department (AHTD) regard-

ing a request for the state to release that section of O Street (currently part of State Highway 124) to the city. The city and AHTD already have an agreement in place to release that section of roadway to the city when work to widen Highway 124 and make intersection improvements at Weir Road are complete. Jones said “we have every reason to believe� AHTD will turn the road

over to the city. Once that step is complete, the only remaining task to complete before the project can be bid is to complete utility relocation. The project will also include intersection improvements at O Street and Parker Road. Jones said in the future, a planned extension of Reasoner Lane will tie in to O Street at Parker Road.

PERMITS CONTINUED FROM 3P

Lindsey Lane, $133,595. â– June 1, 2015, 232 Promenade Circle, $128,535. â– June 1, 2015, 220 Hillview Cove, $200,000. â– July 8, 3010 S. Elmira, $126,445. â– July 24, 2015, 1800 Bradley Lane, $103,840. â– Sept. 8, 2015, 215 Cottonwood Lane, $102,410.

Compiled by Sean Ingram

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Balloons over RussVegas rebranded Balloon Dayz

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Courier staff reports

Twenty brightly colored hot air balloons hovered over the Arkansas River Valley on March 2-3 as part of the second annual Balloons Over RussVegas. Balloons over RussVegas, retitled Balloon Dayz for its third iteration in 2016, saw close to 10,000 visitors at the Russellville Soccer Complex. The festival included

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not only hot air balloon rides but also tethered rides, tandem skydives, powered parachutes, helicopter rides, a charity dog walk and the Urban Cowboy Reunion Tour. Country music icons Mickey Gilley and Johnny Lee kicked off the festival with the Urban Cowboy Reunion Tour at The Center for the Arts in Russellville. Tethered hot air bal-

loon rides and helicopter rides were available before the show, as well as a pizza party. Events concluded on March 3, when the final balloons launched from the soccer complex at 7 a.m. The 2016 Balloon Dayz is currently scheduled for May 13-15. For more information visit www.balloonsoverrussvegas.com.

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Sunday, November 1, 2015

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5P

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6P

Sunday, November 1, 2015

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RHS Cyclone Arena opens for games

By Travis Simpson The doors to Russellville High School’s new $12.5 million dollar Cyclone Arena opened to the public on Sept. 25 for a pep rally to celebrate homecoming. The Russellville Lady Cyclones christened the arena with a win on Sept. 29 against the Mount Saint Mary Belles. Construction on Cyclone Arena began in 2014 to replace Cyclone Gymnasium that has carried the weight of around 40 years of regular use, logos and signs long since retired, as well as becoming an inadequate practice space for Russellville’s

basketball, volleyball and wrestling teams. The new arena is more than a welcomed addition to the campus. Russellville athletic director Johnny Johnson likened it to the Center for the Arts building, which opened in 2013. “People still get excited when they walk in there,” he said. “I think the gym will be the same. I think there was a need because of the age of the existing facility, and I think this new one will generate attendance because it will be much more accommodating.” The arena-style gymnasium features backed

seating as opposed to the bleacher-style seats Cyclone Gymnasium has. According to Johnson, a more comfortable and accessible experience means more fans will be walking through the front doors as well as more organizations requesting its use. Cyclone Gymnasium was converted into a practice facility, which has space for three or more teams to practice simultaneously. In addition, the new gym added a weightlifting facility large enough to accommodate the Cyclones and Lady Cyclones basketball teams.

The arena features a center scoreboard with video feed, which Johnson said could be used for instant replay or close ups on the action during games. The Arena features lockers rooms for several different teams,

hospitality rooms and film-study rooms. The new facility will also allow opportunities to host state tournaments and state finals, which Johnson said could be in the school’s near-future. Russellville has hosted

state tournaments in the past, but has not had the space required for the finals. Johnson said the benefits of hosting such tournaments extended to hotels and eateries around Russellville.

Keating enjoys first year at Lake Dardanelle State Park By Travis Simpson Lake Dardanelle State Park superintendent Sarah Keating said her first year on the job was one marked by “positivity.” “It’s been great so far,” she said. “We’ve had a really good year, with a lot of staff changes in the park. It’s been great in terms of attendance. Our camping revenues were up this year. It was great to see.” Keating said several much-needed projects were completed in 2015. “We did some things to the visitor center,” she said. “That building was dedicated in 2003, so we are starting to see some age on the building.” The building was repainted this year, new carpet was installed in the classrooms and new windows were put on the backside of the building. “The lakeside of the building gets a lot of abuse from the weather,”

Keating said. “And we had a lot of bad weather this year. We were able to put some good windows on the backside to keep our park and building looking good for years to come.”

The park hosted several fishing tournaments in 2015. In years past, Lake Dardanelle was the site of the High School World Fishing Finals, but this year the tournament moved on to another lake.

The park did host the Big Bass Bonanza and the Arkansas State High School Championships. “We’ve never hosted that before,” Keating said. “That kept us with the same group of anglers

as the World Finals, but just with Arkansas Youth. That was good.” Lake Dardanelle State Park offers two areas on Lake Dardanelle, a 34,300 acre reservoir on the Arkansas River. The

Russellville and Dardanelle locations offer camping (74 sites in the Russellville area and 18 sites in the Dardanelle area). The park also features a barrier free fishing pier, a visitor center with exhibit gallery, trails, kayak rentals and interpretive programs. The park also saw a surprise visit from Senator Ted Cruz, who spoke at the park as part of his presidential campaign. “I talked to people from Fayetteville who drove all the way to Russellville to hear him speak,” Keating said. “It was a crazy, lastminute thing for us, but it brought a lot of people to Russellville and to the park who had never been.” Keating said those people, who may have never considered coming to Russellville before, could potentially return to visit the lake.

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Time to consider a rollover? Like most people, you’re probably hearing a lot about rollovers these days. That’s because with so many people changing jobs and switching careers, the proper handling of retirement assets is on a lot of folks’ minds. It’s an important issue that can sometimes get a bit cloudy. What is a rollover? Simply put, a direct rollover is a transfer of funds from one tax-qualified retirement plan to another, typically to an Individual Retirement Account (IRA). If you changed jobs and still have money sitting in a retirement plan with a prior employer, or if you have recently retired, you are eligible for a rollover. Why a rollover? While everyone’s personal circumstances are different, there are some compelling reasons why a rollover into an IRA may be a strong consideration. • You have the ability to choose from among many different funding vehicles as a destination for your rollover. With a broad selection of options available, you can better choose products that best fit you needs and preferences. • Freedom from the plan restrictions that may apply to your employer-sponsored program. • The ability to take a penalty tax-free withdrawal for a first-time home purchase (up to $10,000 which are still subject to taxes) or qualified higher educational expense. • An IRA may provide you with better estate planning options Taking time to consider whether a rollover is right for you can help you build a more sound financial future.

This educational, third-party article is provided as a courtesy by Beth A Perry, Agent, AR Ins. Lic. #833069 New York Life Insurance Company. To learn more about the information or topics discussed, please contact Beth A Perry, agent AR Ins. Lic. #833069 New York Life Insurance Company at 2621 West Main, Ste3, Russellville, AR, ph 968-4040. Neither New York Life, nor its agents, provides tax, legal, or accounting advice. Please consult with your professional advisor for tax, legal or accounting advice.

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Sunday, November 1, 2015

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7P

CITY it was projected that the revenue loss through the old meters, if recovered through the installation of more accurate meters, would yield a payback of less than 7 years. The new meters are the latest generation in “smart meter� technology and are not only much more accurate, but also provide the customer with an interactive link to the meter that

CONTINUED FROM 1P

Water meter replacement project nearing completion In April of 2015, City Corporation began a project to replace all of the 12,400 water meters in the system. Prior to committing to the project, a sample set of 199 meters were tested for accuracy and

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allows for the monitoring and management of the water usage. For example, the new technology will allow the customer to access their water usage data through the internet and not only view the data, but also set a usage threshold that would trigger an alert via email or text informing the customer of high usage and/or possible leak.

This service enhancement alone will lead to the quick identification of customer leaks, thus reducing water loss and high water bills. The meters will also be read remotely, eliminating the need for service men to make trips to simply read and record the meter readings. This will reduce vehicle expense and allow us to eliminate one of the four

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field service positions in early 2016. To date, we have replaced over 10,500 of the 12,400 meters and expect to be complete in early November. Once we have worked out any punch list items and are comfortable that the system is fully operational, we will provide the information to our customers with regards to signing up and using the

interactive access to their water meters through the internet. We hope that our customers will utilize this technology to not only quickly detect leaks but also as a water management/conservation tool. We are very excited about this improvement and are pleased to offer this enhanced service to our customers.

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December 4 Downtown Art Walk & Holiday Open House, 6-9 pm

December 3 Community Christmas Tree Lighting, 6 pm & Russellville Christmas Parade, 6:30 pm

December 17 Third Thursday Downtown, stores open until 8 pm January 5 Winter Wonderland Lights Off

8P

Sunday, November 1, 2015

The Courier

www.couriernews.com

8P • Sunday, Nov. 2, 2014

The Courier

The Courier

The City Corporation board of directors is a group of dedicated citizen leaders from our community who give their time and expertise freely, without compensation, to serve the needs of our customers. They take great pride in the leadership.

Frank Russenberger, Chair Luke Duffield, Vice-Chair Harold Barr, Secretary Bill Harmon, Member Susie Nicholson, Member

Huckleberry Creek Reservoir

City Corporation Voted Best Tasting Water in Tri-State Region!

While many across the state and nation are struggling to meet current water demands and facing difficult and costly options for expansion, we are fortunate that previous leadership at City Corporation and the City of Russellville made it a priority to secure a long term water supply almost twenty years ago. We are equally fortunate that the citizens of Russellville alsoWe realized this critical need andthat voted for adrinking 1 cent sales taxwas to address that needasinthe the are excited to announce YOUR water not only voted early 1990’s.water This investment is the primary Russellville has been best tasting in Arkansasby atour thecommunity state convention in April,reason but also chosen as the best able towater maintain standardsOklahoma of water quality and quantity. tasting in allhigh of Arkansas, and Louisiana at the regional convention in Prior to 1995, city ofhonor Russellville depended the Illinois Bayou our drinking October! This isthe a great and we are veryon proud to have beenfor selected from hundreds ofwater, waterwhich systems acrosspresented the threemajor state challenges area for thewith firstwater time quality in our history. But make at times and/or quantity to no mistake, this isn’t about or lack of then competitors, abouta along community that decided the treatment plant. Theluck decision was made to it’s develop term water source years ago to make decisions thatcould have provide led to having a very high quality water for Russellville andsound the river valley that safe and reliable quantities of high source, is theThis foundation for a high by quality drinking water. exceptional raw qualitywhich raw water. was accomplished the construction of theThe Huckleberry Creek water quality provided from the Huckleberry Creek Reservoir,raw when coupled modern Reservoir. Since 1995, this reservoir has provided exceptional quality waterwith to our

treatment facilities and a dedicated plant staff, allows us to consistently exceed the water treatment facility on a consistent basis. The most recent study shows that the reservoir has the quality criteria set by state and federal agencies. capacity to meet the projected water demands through 2040, assuming typical growth. While across state and nation are struggling to meet current water situation demands and With many regards to thethe water treatment facilities, we are again, in a very favorable facing difficult and costly options for expansion, we are fortunate that previous leadership compared to others in the state. Our existing treatment facility has the capacity to handle at City Corporation and the City of Russellville made it a priority to secure a long term water growth until around 2037 based on current projections. The exceptional raw water quality supply almost twenty years ago. We are equally fortunate that the citizens of Russellville provided from the reservoir, when coupled with modern also realized this critical need and voted for a 1 cent sales tax to address that need in the treatment facilities and a dedicated plant staff, allows us to early 1990’s. This investment by our community is the consistently exceed the water quality criteria set by state primary reason Russellville has been able to maintain high and federal agencies. This and not only is of great to our standards of water quality quantity. This service is clearly customersby in the the selection Russellvilleasarea, but also servesWater” as a great evidenced the “Best Tasting in incentive attract new business to the area. We are required our area of to the country. to provide an annual report that illustrates our performance We will be taking our award winning drinking water to in meeting whichincan viewedcompetition on our Chicago nextthese Junecriteria, to compete thebenational website at www.citycorporation.com be picked up at and are excited about the opportunityortocan represent City our office atand 205all West 3rd customers Place in Russellville. Corporation of our in the River Valley! Thanks the foresight theand Russellville community, City For moreto information onofthis many other water and Corporation is poised to handle the water system wastewater related items, pleasegrowth visit ourinnewly re-built with regards to our supply and treatment facilities for years website at www.citycorporation.com. to come. Steve Mallett, General Manager

“On behalf of the staff at City Corporation, I want to extend our appreciation to the community for the opportunity to serve the River Valley by providing quality water and wastewater services at the best value.”

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Sunday, November 1, 2015

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9P

Arkansas Nuclear One Submitted by Arkansas Nuclear One

Powering life in the River Valley Arkansas Nuclear One is a source of safe, clean, secure and reliable power located in Russellville. The site, owned and operated by Entergy, is home to two pressurized water reactors. Unit 1 of Arkansas Nuclear One began commercial operations on Dec. 19, 1974, followed less than six years later by Unit 2, which began commercial operations on March 26, 1980. For over 40 years, the station has been providing low-cost power to customers in Arkansas, including the Arkansas River Valley. Together, the units have enough capacity to supply 60 percent of the power used by Entergy Arkansas commercial and residential customers. In terms of the entire

state, the units generate enough power to meet approximately 25 percent of the total energy demand in Arkansas.

Electrifying the economy In addition to electric-

ity, ANO continuously generates a significant positive economic impact in the River Valley. Entergy remains one of the area’s premiere employers and attracts highlyskilled, talented and welltrained workers who live and invest in the commu-

nity. The station currently employs approximately 900 full-time workers with an annual payroll of more than $75 million. Approximately 150 baseline contractors are also employed to assist in daily plant activities each

year, and 2015 has seen the addition of roughly 300 long-term contract personnel to complete major site projects. During a typical refueling and maintenance outage, about 1,000 workers — including hundreds of locals — are hired to assist

in helping plant employees complete required maintenance activities. Many travel to the area and are patrons of local hotels, restaurants and stores for up to a month during a given outage. Please see ANO | 10P

Power for the future.

Arkansas Nuclear One. We’re more than just a nuclear energy plant. We’re part of a company dedicated to improving our community and environment. By harnessing nuclear energy, we can help solve the challenge of climate change, reduce America’s dependence on foreign oil and meet the growing electricity needs our contemporary world demands. And as a part of this community, the things that matter to your family matter to us as well. That’s why we are always working hard to deliver safe, clean and reliable energy. We’re your neighbors, friends and fellow coworkers and we’re doing everything in our power to make our community solid and strong...because we live here too.

SM

A message from Entergy Arkansas, Inc. ©2015 Entergy Services, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

10P

Sunday, November 1, 2015

The Courier

www.couriernews.com

ANO CONTINUED FROM 9P

For over 40 years, the station has been providing low-cost power to customers in Arkansas, including the Arkansas River Valley.

Economic gains are also realized through the annual purchase of materials, services and fuel from more than 175 Arkansas companies totaling well over $10 million. The site pays more than $9 million in state and local taxes, which help sustain the community and public schools.

Commitment to community Entergy and the employees at Arkansas Nuclear One have a strong commitment to help the communities we serve. Each year, grants totaling over $100,000 are awarded to local nonprofit organizations, while employees partner with Entergy Corporation to donate in excess of $200,000 to the River Valley United Way for distribution to its partner

agencies. The ANO Women in Nuclear chapter supports the Summer Food for Kids program and sponsors foster children from the Angel Tree program each Christmas. Our employees enjoy educating school groups, leading scout troops,

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judging science fairs and coaching sports teams. Many also serve on various community committees and boards dedicated to enhancing the quality of life in the River Valley. Countless hours are donated each year by employees who live and raise families in the community

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and have a vested interest in seeing our neighbors thrive.

The path forward It is important to each of us at Arkansas Nuclear One that our friends and family in the community understand our dedication to the safe and secure operation of Arkansas Nuclear One. Since March 2013 and throughout the subsequent regulatory process, Entergy has paired our own team with industry experts and regulators alike to investigate and address the underlying causes and subsequent findings. All deficiencies have been addressed, and Entergy is ensuring all possible actions are taken to prevent similar conditions in the future. These actions have further improved the margin of safety not only at ANO but at all other Entergy nuclear facilities. We will continue to work with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and other appropriate authorities to ensure all Entergy Nuclear plants meet all relevant regulations and standards. We would like to sincerely thank the community for the continued confidence and support.

We welcome your questions about our efforts and invite you to submit them to Sarah Millard at smillar@entergy.com. Our goal is sustained excellent performance so we can continue serving and supporting to this great community for years to come.

2015 Entergy Community Grants & Support Russellville Habitat for Humanity – House #4 CASA – 2015 Zombie Challenge American Cancer Society – 2015 Relay for Life Arkansas Center for Music Education – Community Band Series River Valley Veteran’s Coalition - Veteran’s Memorial Park

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Plans almost complete for Aquatic Center

By Sean Ingram Construction did not start on Russellville’s proposed aquatic center in 2015, but a construction manager joined the chief architect, designs were reviewed, analyzed and debated before they were almost complete. City officials believed they are within the project’s $5.75 million budget after initially coming in at $2.2 million higher than the original cost.

During their most recent meeting, members of the Aquatic Facility Committee didn’t have to cut corners and are within the budget. Mayor Randy Horton said the meeting involved value engineering, which he said was cutting prices through reasonable changes. The next step will be to make design changes, begin the bid process, and a guaranteed maximum price will be brought to the

City Council for approval. Horton said changes that have been made are those anyone will not notice and won’t mean anything will be cut from the project. Russellville’s Finance Committee said during its September meeting that the project’s “bottom line” may have to be raised because of higher construction costs. The Aquatic Facility Committee reviewed

plans after 70 percent complete and learned the first construction estimate was $7.7 million, $2.2 million higher than the initial construction cost of $5.5 million, Finance Committee Chairman Mark Tripp said. Tripp said he had heard from residents that they expected more than what would be allowed in the $5.5-$5.75 million budget, and suggested an additional $2 to $3 million be

utilized from a dedicated tax for economic development. Aldermen received presentations from three construction companies, two from Russellville and a third from Little Rock, that wanted to be the construction manager for the aquatic center. Van Horn Construction was selected by the council to be the construction manager. The aquatic center is funded through a one-cent

Island planter among city projects in past year By Sean Ingram Russellville’s Department of Public Works plan to make some improvements to the planter island at Main Street and Arkansas Avenue is among the projects the department has tackled in 2015. After years of being taken care of by Mary Cohoon and her husband, Public Works Director Kurt Jones said they planned on making some changes a couple of months ago. “So we looked at replacing what was out there, but the playground edg-

ing timbers used to build the planting beds are no longer readily available,” Jones explained. “All of them need to be replaced. Originally, we were going to do it ourselves during a little project, but by the time we had a real plan worked up, we felt it would be better to turn it over to a contractor.” Bids were sought on the project in late September. The project includes the construction of a masonry wall planter in an existing island at the intersection of Arkansas and Main Street

as described in plans and specifications available at the Department of Public Works. The contract called for the completion of the project in 45 days. “When it is finished, the project will look like the walls at the Burris Memorial Plaza across the street, and the planter island around the conductor at the Depot,” Jones said. “We’ll put some small flowering plants in there, haven’t figured it out. This was an opportunity to spruce it up a bit.” Jones told the Russell-

ville City Council in August that 21 employees are responsible for the maintenance and repair of 170 miles of streets, 162 acres of mowing, 52 miles of major drainage channels, 33 traffic signals, and 48 miles of sidewalks. Projects include improvements on North Arkansas Avenue and University Avenue sidewalks, Bernard Way and drainage improvements at Fire Station No. 3. Jones said the O Street designs are essentially complete and will meet with the Arkansas High-

way and Transportation Department (AHTD) on a final design. He is also working with utilities for relocation of lines. Designs of Cedar Street, the road to the proposed convention center should be done soon, Jones said, adding the AHTD has agreed to do a feasibility study on a possible Highway 7T project in an exchange with the city. Other projects Public Works is working on include updated pavement assessment, a sidewalk inventory and rehabilitation, GIS mapping and new aerial photos.

sales tax approved by Russellville voters. Committee members include Horton; Aldermen Bill Eaton and Richard Harris; Construction Manager Chad Weisler of Van Horn Construction; Recreation and Parks Director Mack Hollis and assistant director Terry Thomas; Perry Cass, ETC vice president; William R. “Bill” Andrews, ETC project engineer; and Gary Knudsen.

“All of them need to be replaced. Originally, we were going to do it ourselves during a little project, but by the time we had a real plan worked up, we felt it would be better to turn it over to a contractor.” Kurt Jones Public Works Director

A&P revenue could get close to 2014 results

A&P Revenue Russellville Advertising & Promotion revenues from 2015 and 2014, generated by a 3 percent hotel tax. Month

2015

2014

January February March April May June July $ August September October November

$36,042 $37,483 $30,023 $31,384 $34,528 $40,080 37,643 $32,458 $25,000* $27,000* $18,000*

$21,595 $24,819 $26,072 $32,077 $47,940 $39,275 $35,151 $32,965 $29,358 $34,038 $26,153

By Sean Ingram When the Russellville Advertising and Promotion Commission (A&P) approved its 2016 budget during its regular meeting earlier this month, Executive Director estimated 2015 revenues to total $330,000. Looking at 2015 tax revenues month-by-month, it is possible revenues could get close if not surpass 2014 revenues which totaled $372,389. Financials have continued to be strong through

the calendar year. Tax revenue for August totaled $32,458, only about $500 less than revenues from August 2014. However, there are only two other months this year where revenues were not higher than the same period in 2014 — the months of April ($31,384 in 2015, $32,077 in 2014) and May ($34,528 in 2015, $47,940 in 2014). The best month of the year for A&P revenues was June, when a high of $40,080 was reported.

Tax revenue totaled over $40,000 twice in 2013. The highest month on record was May 2014, when $47,940 in tax revenue was collected. Up to 72 softball teams competed during a local softball tournament in June. July was a very busy month for the community and local hotels ($37,643). About 400 boaters came to Lake Dardanelle for a FLW Central Region fishing tournament. Many country music

fans have also come to town and enjoyed concerts by Mickey Gilley and Tanya Tucker at the Center for the Arts this year. The A&P Commission includes Graham, chairman Shawn Gordon, Dusti Yarber, Tyler Riley, Al Brown, Sarah Keating and aldermen Robert Wiley and Freddie Harris. They meet at 2 p.m. the third Thursday of each month inside the Chamber of Commerce building on West Main Street.

incentives help historic property owners receive financial incentives and

rebates on approved maintenance, repairs, updates and improvements

on historic properties. The spokesperson added they could go to the

Old Bank Sports Bar & Gril page on Facebook for updates on the project.

Old bank renovation waiting on permit By Sean Ingram A spokesperson for the Newton family said the Old Bank Sports Bar & Grill has run into some Washington D.C. gridlock recently and is waiting on a permit for construction to get back on track. The Russellville Historic District Commission (HDC) unanimously approved an application in August for a certificate of appropriateness for renovation of the old bank at 218-220 W. Main St. Bill and Marlene Newton, along with the assistance of architect Bob Hiegel, are renovating the building as a dining and entertainment venue in the Downtown Historic District. Commissioners reviewed site plans and exterior features of the

proposed renovation to ensure that work conformed to the Russellville Downtown Historic District Design Guidelines, created to make property owners aware of the unique history and architectural character of downtown Russellville and to ensure the preservation of the historic and architectural value of the buildings. The Newtons are also working with Amber Jones, historic tax credit and façade easement consultant and Tom Marr, State Historic Preservation Office rehabilitation tax credit coordinator, to obtain a 25 percent Arkansas tax credit up to $500,000 and a 20 percent federal tax credit possible for income producing properties. These

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Convention center developer wants to move dirt this fall

By Sean Ingram Will a 120-room hotel and convention center open in 2017? “Yes, sir,� Tennessee developer David Hunt told Alderman Mark Tripp when asked that question during the Russellville City Council’s October meeting. Many have questioned throughout 2015 why it has taken so long for construction to begin on a convention center, but Hunt has never given up on building a hotel, convention center and retail stores north of Interstate 40. Hunt, CEO of Hunt Services Inc., and chief architect Ben Witt presented 3-D designs of The Landing to the council. They described a 22-acre site with four design phases. The first phase will include a 120-room Hilton Garden Inns hotel and the convention center, which is a little under 30,000

square feet. “We want to move dirt this fall, and we anticipate breaking ground in the spring,� Hunt told aldermen. “We anticipate a 2017 opening. That’s what our plans were when you approved the agreement (last August). The agreement said it would be open in three years. We will be real close. “The most important thing about this project is to make sure we get this right. We want this to be something the community can grow into, but at the same time fit the longterm needs — something you can be proud of.� The Hilton Garden Inn will be next to Lake Dardanelle, with the indoor/ outdoor pool and outside sitting area in the back of the facility which adjoins the lake. It will eventually include a walkway along the bank that will include a gazebo that stretches into the lake.

The floor plan for the convention center includes seating for 950 in a one-room setting, or partitions can separate the facility into three rooms. It includes a tourism office, a catering area for food to be brought in. Doors will be big enough to allow vehicles or other items for various events. The floor will have carpet and walls will be 18 feet high. “It’s not a small room at

all,� Witt said. Hunt previously told The Courier it has taken so long to get going on construction at the site is he has come to Russellville and had meetings with Jeff Pipkin, executive director of the Russellville Area Chamber of Commerce; Christie Graham, executive director of the Russellville A&P Commission; and representatives of the Russellville and

“The most important thing about this project is to make sure we get this right. We want this to be something the community can grow into, but at the same time fit the long-term needs — something you can be proud of.� David Hunt Tennessee developer Arkansas Tech University community for their input on The Landing. “This is a huge project for me and for the community,� he said. Hunt and Mayor Randy Horton went to see Gov.

Asa Hutchinson about the possibility of tax breaks for the project and expect to hear back from the governor on those. Hunt’s company built Buffalo Wild Wings on Parkway Drive.

Atkins welcomes new city officials By Sean Ingram ATKINS — Shortly after the year 2015 began, the community saw some more changes than it had in the past few years. Atkins had a new member of the City Council after Stephen “Bro� Price was elected last November. Police Chief Tim Whittenburg retired after serving the Atkins Police Department for more than 23 years. Police Chief Stephen

Pack, who grew up in Atkins and lives in Pottsville, said he “had big shoes to fill.� Mayor Jerry Don Barrett agreed, and presented Whittenburg with his firearm. “You’ve been a great asset to the city of Atkins,� the mayor told the outgoing chief. “You will be missed.� Both Whittenburg and Pack are former deputies with the Pope County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO) —

another law enforcement agency which has seen its share of changes at the beginning of 2015. Pack, who has worked part-time as an officer at Atkins since 2010, said it was a hard decision to make and wanted to emphasize his experience as the new police chief. He was a sergeant in the CID since 2006 and worked at PCSO for more than 15 years. Whittenburg, who retired with more than 31

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years of law enforcement, said he appreciated all the support he’s received from the community. “I want to thank everyone for allowing me to work here,� he pointed out. “It’s been good and I’ve enjoyed it. I’m ready to retire. You have bad times, but most of the time it’s pretty good. You have your common stuff, but it’s a good place to work.� The Atkins Police Department includes six full-time and three parttime officers, including a school resource officer. Pack said he would continue to focus on the drug problem and the various crimes that come as a result of illegal narcotics. Machelle Brown was welcomed as the second new city clerk, after the retirement of long-time clerk Brenda Graves and the resignation of her replacement. The Atkins Water and Sewer Departments also saw some change. Former supervisor Willie Harvell resigned after five decades working with the city. Danny Webb and Terry Gardner are the new department heads for water and sewer. And the Police Department welcomed a brand new Ford Police Interceptor, the same police SUV model purchased by the Russellville Police Department.

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Pope County 4-H

4-H is all about hands-on learning. All of these activities provide positive development for the members who participate in them. Pope County offers 17 different 4-H clubs within Pope County and is open to all youth between the ages of 5 and 19.

them to receive 20 one-day old chicks. The 4-H members’ goal is to raise the chicks to become egg producers. In this project the members learn how much it costs to feed the birds, how difficult it is to keep vermin away and to keep them safe and how many eggs can be produced for a family and friends. Many of the members have even sold their eggs to reduce the amount of expense involved in the project. Another interesting experience that 4-H members were involved in this year was canning and preserving foods. Participants learned the difference between water bath and pressure canning. They also learned that pickling is a process and that not only cucumbers can be pickled. They learned how to make jellies, jams and freezer jams. The county 4-H program is especially fortunate to have a club leader who taught an Asian cooking workshop. Member were taught how to make egg rolls, sticky rice, stir-fry and black-eyed pea dip. Again this year, 4-H was invited by Arkansas Tech University’s Agriculture Department to visit their property. The youths enjoyed a hayride on a beautiful fall day and toured the cattle pastures, hog barn, horticulture greenhouses and learned about farm safety and working around large equipment. 4-H is all about hands-on learning. All of these activities provide positive development for the members who participate in them. Anyone interested in joining in on the amazing opportunities that 4-H has to offer, please contact the Pope County Cooperative Extension Office at 479968-7098. Pope County offers 17 different 4-H clubs within Pope County and is open to all youth between the ages of 5 and 19.

For The Courier

The ultimate goal of 4-H programs is to provide education to youth, allowing them to learn with hands-on experiences. This past year, 4-H members had opportunities in several different areas. They began their fiscal year in October 2014 with four new 4-H clubs. ■ Russellville High School 4-H Outdoor Club — for youth attending Russellville High School (RHS) who enjoy camping, hiking and learning about the great outdoors. ■ Russellville High School 4-H Garden Club — for youth attending RHS who enjoy learning about producing their own food and the many varieties of options available. ■ Pope County Cluckers 4-H Club – for youth in the county who enjoy learning, raising and hatching poultry in their own backyard. ■ Pope County 4-H Vet Science Club- for youth in the county who are interested in working with animals and who are considering veterinary medicine as a career. This past year, more than 60 youths from Pope County went to the 4-H Center in Ferndale, Ark., to attend various camps, where they learned about starting their own business, how to become a better horseman, firearm safety and improving marksmanship, leadership techniques and team building skills. Another first was the Vet Science 4-H Camp, which allowed the members to experience issues that they could encounter as a veterinarian. The youth participated in a necropsy (autopsy) of a chicken, castrating young bull calves and giving vaccinations to animals. More than 30 youths participated in the 4-H Rainbow and Poultry Chain, which allowed

A Conversation Piece studio Strouds Home Furnishings Courier staff reports

A Conversation Piece, owned by Buster Smith, is a local art gallery/studio and pottery studio. The studio is managed

by Mary Ann Knight, has three other employees and works closely with Main Street Russellville. A Conversation Piece is working to bring more

attention to the Arts in the River Valley and downtown Russellville. The studio is located at 312 W. 2nd St. in downtown Russellville.

3030 S. Arkansas • Russellville, AR

479-968-6759

www.happydaysrvsales.com

Happy Days RV Sales Inc., opened in late 1989 in Dover, then moved to Russellville in 1991 and has been at it present location at 3030 South Arkansas for 24 years. “We endeavor to make each new buyer a customer for life”, says owner Wayne Mikkelson. The business is a full line recreational vehicle sales and service facility including a complete store offering discounted RV parts and accessories. We carry a full line of manufactured RV’s from the entry level all the way to the Gulf Stream super light easy towing campers. Mikkelson has over 40 years experience in the recreational vehicle industry. There are eight people employed at the business to assist in all your camping needs along with a complete service facility with factory trained personnel.

For The Courier

Cheri (Stroud) Pruitt’s father, Price Stroud, began Stroud’s Home Furnishings in the early 1950s on Moose Street in Morrilton, selling groceries as well as small home appliances. He slowly began adding appliances, televisions and then furniture until it became the store it is today. The Russellville store, located at 403 N. Arkansas Ave., next to Planet Fitness, is geared mostly toward home furnishings and bedding, as well as decor and wall art.

“We will offer Synchrony and Wells Fargo Financing, as well as decorating services,” Cheri said. You’ll find very eclectic and unique decor, ranging from contemporary to traditional.” “When I purchased the store from my father in 2004 I knew, for the most part, I would continue business as he had,” Pruitt said.“Our biggest change is in home decor. Our showrooms are set up with lamps, pictures, rugs and lots of luxurious decor. We offer in-store and in-home decor consultations, having redecorated

homes for customers from Dover to Conway. With decorators on staff and many special order sources at our fingertips, you can’t go wrong.” The Stroud’s Russellville staff includes manager Shelle Purtscher, and Jamie Boatright, Steve Whorton and Tanya Garner as our salespeople. Brittany Bradley handles media and office management. “We are doing business as usual continuing the original philosophy that started this company over 60 years ago,” Cheri said.

Lake Dardanelle Auxiliary Flotilla For The Courier

Lake Dardanelle USCG Auxiliary Flotilla, under the Department of Homeland Security, is led by the Flotilla Commander Blaine Selby and currently has 18 volunteers.

The Flotilla is responsible for conducting recreational boating classes, vessel safety checks, patrolling waterways from Ozark to Morrilton and bridge and aides to navigation inspections.

MAUS IMPLEMENT

Wayne and his wife, Diann, enjoy traveling, camping, hunting and golfing. The Mikkelson’s want to introduce people to the RV lifestyle. If a customer is not familiar with camping or operating an RV, Wayne, Diann, and the rest of the crew will help them learn. Mikkelson says they focus on customer service and try to be as friendly as possible. Customers become our friends. Long time salesman Lynn Ellis would like his customers to know that an RV qualifies as a second home and can be financed for up to 12 years with a low down payment.

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Peters Family Living For The Courier

RussVegas Half Marathon sees growth

By Travis Simpson RussVegas Half Marathon director Chris Olson couldn’t imagine the race going off any better than it did in 2015. Daniel Kirwa, a runner from Kenya, finished the 13.1 mile race in 1:09:24. Better than that — RussVegas more than doubled its donation to Arkansas Children’s Hospital. This year’s donation was around $41,000, while the 2014 donation was $19,200. “What started as a dream three years ago turned into this,” Olson said. “We got the right group of people together, people who can catch that vision with you, make the right calls and work together and get the right people in leadership.” Olson said seeing it come together year after year — and grow — is an experience he will always cherish. “Watching the starting line is amazing,” he said. “I think if you look at all of us watching the starting line, I don’t think you’ll find a dry eye amongst us. To watch all that hard work pay off. It’s phenomenal. And then to get to the finish line and watch Children’s Hospital patients present the medals.” RussVegas saw 1,000 runners its first year, 1,500 in 2014 and 2,500 in 2015. “The original plan from the very beginning was to get 300 runners,” Olson said. Last year added a glow run and a kids run, which saw over 200 kids from the area participate. Also

As others have come and gone, Peters Family Living continues to thrive with its tradition of “Taking Care of Customers.” In 1944, F.C. Peters established this furniture and appliance business in a 5,000-squarefoot building at the corner of West B and North Commerce. His vision was his two sons someday taking over the business and serving customers in a way of which he would be proud. He lived to see his creation grow into a business occupying a complete city block facing North Arkansas Avenue. He saw fulfillment of his vision of providing the Best Customer Service Possible from the initial sales process, through financing, delivery and post-sale service. Bill Peters is still on the job every day, blessed with a team of associates who constantly strive to improve upon F.C. Peters’ vision. This firm is known by locals as a customercaring business offering great brands, competitive pricing, and most of all, nice people. The Secret is 71-YearOld Success: “Treating Customers as Family.”

“The community support has been the biggest deal to me. We want to continue that, but we want even more. The racers love it.” Chris Olson Director, RussVegas Half Marathon added was an outdoor expo. Olson hopes to add a triathlon to the mix for 2016. “It’s starting to take the shape that I had envisioned,” he said. “Which was more of a festival capped with a big race.” Along the race, several “spirit stations” were set up, complete with water, music and cheering fans. As the race wound through neighborhoods in Russellville, it was not uncommon to see families on their front lawn, cheering the runners along. “The community sup-

port has been the biggest deal to me,” Olson said. “We want to continue that, but we want even more. The racers love it. We are going to do a final mile tailgate party this year, where local clubs and organizations can set up on the final mile. They can just line the street with local businesses, clubs and organizations and cheer these guys on. It’ll be a party on the pavement.” Registration for the RussVegas Half Marathon opened in October, although a date is not currently set for the race.

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Saint Mary’s Regional Health System Submitted by Saint Mary’s Regional Medical Center Committed to meeting the growing medical needs of the River Valley well into the future, Saint Mary’s Regional Health System (SMRHS) has continued to aggressively recruit family medicine and specialty physicians bringing the total number of active physicians on the medical staff to more than 100. In addition, physician assistants and nurse practitioners have joined the hospital’s network of clinics and hospital emergency department to serve higher patient volumes, improve accessibility and reduce wait times. “Improving accessibility to safe, quality healthcare is an ongoing goal of Saint Mary’s Regional Health System. As our region grows, and many individuals and families gain access to coverage, Saint Mary’s is well positioned to provide better access to more physicians in more specialties close to home,� said Mike McCoy, Chief

Group expands access to clinics, physicians and specialties Operating Officer. “Our demonstrated commitment to excellence, investments in evolving technology, and our focus on quality and safety, have helped us to attract some of the best and brightest medical professionals in their fields to join our staff,� added McCoy. “We continue to build on our foundation of outstanding physicians, with ongoing efforts to engage additional specialists through 2016.�

Millard-Henry Clinic designed with patients in mind Millard-Henry Clinic (MHC), a 48,000 square foot, patient-friendly medical building. part of the Saint Mary’s Regional Health System, is one of the largest multi-specialty clinics in Arkansas. Built at a cost of $6.2 million, the new threestory clinic was designed utilizing ‘Lean concepts,’ which promote more efficient patient access and optimize patient

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time while in the facility. This translates into more available appointments and reduced wait times for patients. The clinic currently accommodates 28 medical practices. With the addition of a pulmonologist in mid-November, the clinic will be at capacity. Millard – Henry Clinic is home to medical specialties including Internal Medicine, Family Practice, Pediatrics, Urology, General Surgery and Pulmonology. The Millard-Henry campus is also home to their Obstetrics/Gynecology medical offices.

General Surgery, is now located in the main clinic and the Obstetrics/Gynecology Clinic is solely dedicated to women’s health and cosmetic surgery. Additional MillardHenry Clinics are located in Atkins and Dover.

more than 6400 square feet — and with it, the door has opened for even greater convenience and family health care opportunities for the Atkins community and beyond. Added to the facility are six new exam rooms and three clinical professional offices. With the completion of the project, Millard-Henry Clinic-Atkins now houses 14 exam rooms, five clinical professional offices and two nursing stations, as well as a lab, x-ray facility, heart station and procedure room. “The Heart Station is designed for patients

Millard-Henry Clinic - Atkins expands and adds pediatric specialty Millard-Henry Clinic – Atkins is located at 1601 North Church Street. The newly expanded clinic has been enlarged from 4,500 square feet to

with chest pain that need immediate attention,� explained Dr. Tim Johnson. “It is equipped with EKG, Oxygen and emergency crash cart. The procedure room is designed for laceration repair, excision and removal of lumps and bumps, and casting.� Along with the expansion of the space is the expansion of staff. Family practice physicians Dr. Chris Horan and Dr. Timothy Johnson have been joined recently by Dr. Chad Masters, pediatrician. “Dr. Masters is from the area and fits right in with our ‘high quality, small town’ vision for our clinic,� said Dr. Horan. “We’re proud to have him on our team.� “I am honored to be a part of this excellent group of physicians and staff and for the opportunity to expand our pediatric practice to make it more accessible to Atkins and the surrounding communities,� explained Masters. Dr. Masters’ move to the clinic allows Please see SMRHS | 19P

NO ONE IN THE REGION PUTS MORE INTO

CARING FOR YOUR HEART Saint Mary’s has aggressively recruited an impressive team of leading ERDUG FHUWL¿HG FDUGLRORJLVWV ZKR EULQJ DQ H[FHSWLRQDO GHSWK RI H[SHULHQFH and unsurpassed dedication to your good health. Cardiologists, Drs. Sastry Prayaga, Dai-Yuan Wang, and Shuja Rasool, collaborate daily to make the Arkansas River Valley a heart-healthier place. SAINT MARY’S CARDIOVASCULAR SERVICES: • Cardiac Catheterization

• Holter Monitors

• Angiograms/Shunts

• AICD Automatic Implantable

• Pacemaker Implants

Cardiac Defibrillator

• CT Angiography

• Peripheral Angiography

• Transesophageal Echocardiography/TEE

• Peripheral Atherectomy

• Nuclear Myocardial Imaging/Stress Tests

• Venous Ablation

• Electrodiagnostics/EKGs

• Electrical Cardioversion

Sastry Prayaga, M.D.

Dai-Yuan Wang, M.D.

Shuja Rasool, M.D.

7R VFKHGXOH DQ DSSRLQWPHQW ZLWK RQH RI RXU FDUGLRORJLVWV FDOO Cardiology Associates of North Central Arkansas at 479.968.4311.

R E G I O N A L

H E A L T H

S Y S T E M

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Sunday, November 1, 2015

The Courier

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In January, Rockline Industries in Russellville participated in a program that provides incentives for commercial and industrial customers to upgrade their facilities with more energyefficient equipment.

Rockline Industries By Courier Staff

Progress isn’t always about brick-and-mortar... ...sometimes it’s just about staying home. We at AMCARE would like to thank YOU for the continued progress that we’ve experienced this past year. With the recent changes in our state’s home care offerings, our pledge to continue providing professional, compassionate personal care for you, your loved ones, and the communities we serve is stronger than ever. AMCARE is a locally owned, licensed personal FDUH DJHQF\ :H DUH 0HGLFDLG FHUWLĘ?HG DQG LQ most cases, meet the requirements for long-term care insurance. Care plans customized from a few hours a day to 24/7, including evenings, weekends and holidays. Contact us today to schedule a FREE, no-obligation review of your Long Term Insurance Policy, and let us show you how AMCARE can help.

IN-HOME PERSONAL CARE

Call AMCARE today at (479) 880-1112 for your FREE ASSESSMENT. 2XU &HUWLĘ?HG &DUH $VVLVWDQWV DUH WUDLQHG VFUHHQHG ERQGHG DQG LQVXUHG HPSOR\HHV

Helping Others Helping You!

Rockline Industries — one of the world’s largest manufacturers of coffee filters and baby wipes — bought the Goody’s Distribution Center located at 500 Industrial Blvd. in July 201, in Russellville. The 240,000-squarefoot distribution center, which Goody’s closed in 2008 as part of a consolidation process, will be transformed into a manufacturing facility. In January, Rockline Industries in Russellville earned $46,370 in rebates

from Entergy Arkansas Inc. for participating in a program that provides incentives for commercial and industrial customers to upgrade their facilities with more energy-efficient equipment. Improvements included replacing interior lighting with more efficient LEDs and T5 fluorescents with built in occupancy sensors. The lighting project will save Rockline an estimated $26,000 annually in electricity cost. In addition to helping the customer save money,

Dr. Lori Boyd Canfield Dr. Amy J.S. Daiber Optometric Physicians

the upgrades are good for the environment. These projects will save about 309 thousand kilowatt-hours of energy annually, avoiding about 213 tons of carbon being put into the atmosphere. That’s equivalent to removing 45 passenger vehicles from our roadways. In February, Rockline Industries was issued a new business license by the city of Russellville’s Community Development department at 500 Industrial Blvd., as a wet wipe manufacturer.

The Russellville and Dardanelle clinics offer prescription and non-prescription sunglasses, safety & fashion eyewear including: Coach, Nike, Flexon, Wiley X, Guess, Harley Davidson, Candies, Skechers, Ray Ban, Banana Republic, Bongo, KLiik, Fysh, Costa Del Mar & Jalapeno.

• Glaucoma, Cataract, & Eye Health Management • Contact Lense Specialty, Pediatric Care, Sports Vision

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317 E. Parkway Russellville

479-229-1467

479-967-6113

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•

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Free Delivery Front Door Parking Convenient Drive-Thru Gift Shop Medicare Part-D Plan Finder Free Flavoring of Children’s Medications Special Packaging of Prescription Medication When Needed • Medication Syncronization (once a month billing & routine medication) • We bill Medicare for diabetic & ostomy supplies • 5 friendly pharmacists to meet your needs

Old Fashioned Soda Fountain • Best Burger & Milkshake In Town • Daily Lunch Specials

715 West Main St. Russellville, AR 72801 479-968-1157

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Tri County Regional Water completes projects For The Courier

Tri County Regional Water will supply 600 million-plus gallons of water to approximately 8,300 households and farms in the River Valley this year. As an added bonus, the majority of those households will be receiving water that was recently voted the best tasting in the AWWA Southwest Section, which is composed of Arkansas, Louisiana and Oklahoma. Tri County completed several projects this year in Pope and Yell c/’/ounties to better serve their customers, in addition to the miles of distribution mains that are added on a yearly basis. In Pope County, the main office building located at 5306 North Arkansas Avenue was upgraded and now includes a drivethru window.

In addition to a new website, all customers can now make payments online and access their account information through our online payment portal. In Yell County, the sewer system in Plainview was upgraded and put into compliance with ADEQ after Tri County assumed the system from the City of Plainview. The sewer system upgrades included a new lift station, manhole rehabs and many line repairs. Tri County will also complete a new office location in Rover to provide better service for Yell County customers. In 2014, our largest customer service request was to increase payment options. We listened to the customers and in 2015 added the drive-thru, new location, and online options to meet the requests.

Before

After

SMRHS CONTINUED FROM 17P

Millard-Henry to bring fulltime, complete pediatric care to Atkins and the Arkansas River Valley Region. Masters is the only pediatrician between Russellville and Conway. Clinical mid-level providers Maribeth Gambill, APRN, and Breckenn Findley, APRN, provide essential care for patients as well. The addition of nurse practitioners to the practice opens up more appointments to see more patients on a daily basis. Since some women prefer to see a female for basic women’s health services, nurse practitioners Findley and Gambill can now provide that option. “Atkins and the surrounding communities have seen steady growth over the past few years and thus the need for health care and services has grown along with that,” said Dr. Horan. “We are excited about the opportunity for growth and the chance to build upon MillardHenry’s commitment of providing a culture of complete care for the whole family in an accessible and convenient environment.” Originally housed in a refurnished north Atkins gas station, Millard-Henry Clinic-Atkins opened as a satellite office of Russellville main clinic in 1981. Throughout its 34-year history, the Millard-Henry ClinicAtkins has been a center of care and community. Millard-Henry Clinic-Atkins is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. To schedule an appointment with any of the medical staff, call 479-6412255. Tim Whetstine, Executive Director of Clinic Operations for SMRHS, explained “Quality care has never been more accessible than it is today. MHC Open Access is at its best with

three new physicians joining the medical staff in 2015 and three additional physicians coming on board in 2016. Also, our mid-level providers allow an additional avenue so you can address your healthcare needs when it suits your schedule. Whether your needs are routine or urgent, our clinic enterprise is here to take care of you and your family.”

“Improving accessibility to safe, quality healthcare is an ongoing goal of Saint Mary’s Regional Health System. As our region grows, and many individuals and families gain access to coverage, Saint Mary’s is well positioned to provide better access to more physicians in more specialties close to home.”

Surgeons and OBGYN specialists join MillardHenry medical staff

Chief Operating Officer, Saint Mary’s Regional Health System

Suzanna Chatterjee, MD Obstetrics and Gynecology After graduating among the top 5 in her medical class, Dr. Chatterjee went on to complete her residency in Dearborn, Michigan. She has trained extensively in all facets of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and is highly skilled in both general and high risk obstetric management. In addition to her obstetrics practice, Chatterjee is experienced in performing both minor and major gynecologic procedures. Valentino Piacentino III, MD/PhD General, Vascular and Thoracic Surgery Dr. Piacentino received a B.A. from Rutgers University, then went on to obtain both a Ph.D. and his Doctorate of Medicine from Temple University School of Medicine in Philadelphia. He completed his residency at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine. In addition to his expertise in general surgery, Dr. Piacentino brings years of study, research and practice to the River Valley in the areas of vascular and thoracic surgery. Sarahrose Webster, MD General and Breast Surgery

Mike McCoy

Following graduation Cum Laude from Cornell College and completing her Doctorate of Medicine from University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine in Iowa, Dr. Webster completed her residency at the University of Arkansas for Medical Science. She is experienced in the management of complex problems in general surgery, surgical oncology and trauma surgery. Her practice includes a wide breadth of general surgery including breast, endocrine and scopes.

Cardiology Associates of North Central Arkansas adds Cardiologists to Cardiac and Vascular Care Team Heart disease kills more people than any other disease and continues to be the No. 1 cause of deaths in Arkansas and accounts for about 26% of deaths each year in our state. Saint Mary’s has assembled a dedicated team of cardiologists devoted to decreasing this statistic. The highly-trained, boardcertified cardiologists include , Dr. Sastry Prayaga, interventional cardiologist, and Drs. Dai-Yuan Wang and Shuja Rasool, invasive cardiologists. These physicians make emergency cardiac care available in

the River Valley. An additional interventional cardiologist will join the team in early 2016. Investing $5.1 million in lifesaving cardiac and limb-saving catheterization technologies, Saint Mary’s completed sweeping capital improvements in two state-of-the-art Cardiac Catheterization Labs for diagnostic and interventional cardiovascular and vascular procedures. The addition of the region’s first 128-Slice Computed Tomography (CT) scanner to Saint Mary’s arsenal of diagnostic imaging technology revolutionizes non-invasive procedures including Coronary Angiography. This technology is particularly effective in studying the beating heart, producing clear non-invasive images of the heart and its major vessels. The scans can help in determining whether fatty deposits or calcium deposits have built up in the coronary arteries. They can also be timed to use only images gathered between contractions, so that the heart and its vessels can be seen without blurring caused by motion. Cardiology Associates of North Central Arkansas is located at 2205 West Main in Russellville. To schedule an appointment please call 479-9684311.

Rural Outreach Clinic Valley Health Services in Hector is an additional Saint Mary’s outreach clinic offering substantial healthcare services for those in rural northeastern Pope County. Candace Welcher, APN is the primary healthcare provider at this facility. This clinic may be reached at 479-284-5001.

Outpatient Therapy Center

Complimenting the growth of specialty services, Saint Mary’s Outpatient Therapy Center expands its offerings. For those with heart and lung problems, the Therapy Center provides physical therapy with telemetry, and oxygen saturation monitoring. Patients with diabetes can participate in both group and individual classes for diabetes self-management education. In addition, treatment programs are available for incontinence for both men and women. Lymphedema treatment is available for patiets with chronic swelling of limbs. Call Melanie Mullinax at 479-968-3733 for more information or visit the Center at 809 West Main. Talk to your doctor regarding a referral.

Extraordinary Care Always Saint Mary’s Regional Health System with its network of clinics works diligently to deliver extraordinary healthcare to patients throughout the Arkansas River Valley region. The dedicated physicians, employees, volunteers and board members continue the passionate pursuit of excellence and strive to exceed the expectations of those we serve. To learn more visit www.saintmarysregional.com

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Sunday, November 1, 2015

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Boyd Osborne Realtor Group For The Courier

The Center for the Arts For The Courier

Open since April 2012, the Center for the Arts is a 1,875-seat multipurpose facility that is home to Russellville School District events, including band and choir concerts, theatrical and musical productions, and various other school-related programs. The Center is also ideal for individuals, organizations and performers seeking a venue for graduation ceremonies, business meetings, concerts, dance recitals, conventions and more. During the first three years, The Center welcomed an average of over 50,000 people each year, including students, local residents and visitors from around the state and beyond. On average, more than

80 events are held in The Center each year, including top entertainers like Third Day, Casting Crowns, The Swon Brothers, Mickey Gilley and, most recently, Tanya Tucker. In addition, several wonderful musicals, including “Beauty and the Beast,� “Shrek,� “Wizard of Oz� and more have showcased the area’s local talent. The stage has also welcomed the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra, “The Nutcracker,� “Doktor Kaboom� and internationally famous illusionist Kevin Spencer. The Center has also been fortunate to host several large conferences and pageants including CHRISTeens and the Miss Arkansas Outstanding Teen Pageant.

Several school events are held each year including Russellville High School’s Junior Follies, RussVegas, Coaches Karaoke, Russellville District band and choir concerts (including regional and state competitions) and large theater productions. Several schools perform student talent shows, spelling bees and graduation ceremonies at The Center as well. Through ongoing efforts to inspire students into the art field, The Center for the Arts has created an art program entitled “Celebrate Art!� to showcase Russellville School District students’ art work in the lobby art gallery. The gallery is utilized to display student artwork as well as community art-

Russellville Eye Clinic, P.A. OPHTHALMOLOGY (Eye M.D.’s) • The “Eye Careâ€? Specialist Our Commitment Is To Provide Our Patients With The Best Medical and Surgical Eye Care Available

No-Stitch No-Shot No-Patch CATARACT SURGERY Most Technologically Advanced Lens Implants

Laser Surgery Diabetic & Glaucoma Laser Treatment • Eye Lid Surgery • Botox & Collagen Fillers OCT Laser Scanning Instrument used for detection of Glaucoma & Retinal Disease Comprehensive Eye Examinations, Glasses, and Contact Lenses, Optical Shop Featuring: Oakley, Marchon, Fossil, Anne Klein and Harley Davidson

Best of the Best

Reader’s Choice Awards

David S. Murphy, M.D.* • Frank M. Lawrence, M.D.* Serving John N. Gillespie, M.D.* • Kim Patterson, O.D. the River *Certified by the American Board of Ophthalmology

201211

Valley Since 1955

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Best of Best

Best of the Best

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2012

Dr. Murphy

Dr. Lawrence

Reader’s Choice Awards

2014

Š

Best of the Best

Best of the Best

Reader’s Choice Awards

Reader’s Choice Awards

2013

Dr. Gillespie

2015

Dr. Patterson

Š

1700 West ‘B’ Street • Russellville, AR 72801 (479) 968-7302

The Center is equipped with technical classrooms, a scene shop, a costume shop and more facilities, as well as stateof-the-art equipment. ists’ work and will soon showcase traveling artwork. Another growing aspect of The Center is that students are able to learn the technical side of productions and events as well. The Center is equipped with technical classrooms, a scene shop, a costume shop and more facilities, as well as stateof-the-art equipment. All of these facilities and opportunities equip our students so that they are more college ready, if going into the production field. “Center pARTners� is a volunteer program, which has grown over the past few years to about 35 members. This very important group of volunteers serves as ushers, greeters, ticket takers, Box Office assistants and more. If you enjoy helping others, meeting new people and serving your community, contact The Center on how you may be able to join this group. Several great shows are headed this way for the 2015-16 season. The Center will feature “The Nutcracker� presented by The Dance Foundation, “A Christmas Show with Shoji Tabuchi,� United States Airforce Concert Band and Singing Sergeants, Cyclone Theatre’s production of Ken Ludwig’s “The Game’s Afoot,� Russellville School’s band, and choir concerts and more. For more information on The Center or events, visit www.russellvillecenter.net or call 479-4986600.

Boyd Osborne Realtor Group opened January 1, 2011. Its purpose as a company has been to help make real estate dreams and financial dreams possible. It has a combined experience of more than 200 years in real estate sales, and its staff has performed with integrity and knowledge for many years. The staff includes past presidents of the local Board of Realtors, Realtor of the Year voted by the Board of Realtors, Realtor of the Year by public vote. They are involved in remodeling and new construction. Current remodel includes 1002 West B Street and a new subdivision is in progress in the Pottsville School District on Sweeden Road. The sales force is involved in the community, with Habitat for Humanity, Brush With Kindness, Special Olympics, Rotary Club, Circle of Friends, Chamber of Commerce, PTO committees for Se-

quoyah Elementary, Russellville Middle School, Russellville Junior High, supporters of the football and band programs. We are all members of the Russellville Board of Realtors, Arkansas Realtors Association and the National Association of Realtors. Kyle Hood is also a member of the Central Arkansas Landman Association and the American Association of Petroleum Landmen. The group loves its work and enjoys the benefits of satisfied customers, many of whom have returned more than once to use their services. The company has grown from $16.5 million in sales in 2011 to $22.3 million in sales already in 2015 and a sales volume of 24.6 million in 2014. Their Realtors have been in the top bracket of sales people for many years. The group’s location is easy to find next to “Old Post BBQ� on South Arkansas Avenue. The historical “Stowers House� has become home to us and its convenience and atmosphere create a feeling of warmth and comfort.

Delta Pest Control Courier staff reports

Delta Pest Control (DPC) is a local business, specializing in termite and pest control and minor repairs. Established in 1976, Delta Pest Control is owned by Doris, Bill and Lindsey Lawrence and is located at 1215 E. 14th St. in Russellville. Recently, an increase in bedbugs has required DPC to perform over 1,500 calls. The summer months also saw in

increase in fire ant infestations. In addition to pest control, DPC is also a licensed builting contractor. The repairs division of DPC has doubled since last year and offers free estimates on all of their services. The business has updated its website (deltapestcontrol.net) with an identification library to allow customers to identify their pests and seek help specific to their problem.

Daiber Vision Care Courier staff reports

Daiber Vision Care, owned by Dr. Amy Daiber, offers comprehensive eye exams, eye health management, specialty eyglasses and contact lense fittings. Dr. Daiber, who has been practicing since 1992, heads the team of Dr. Lori Canfte, Heather Harris, Monica Malone and more. Daiber Vision Care,

established in 1993, now has two locations in the River Valley. The Russellville office is located at 317 E. Parkway Drive in Russellville. The Dardanelle office is located at 204 N. Front St. in Dardanelle. Since last year, the office has started carrying Rxable and Costa sunglasses and new women’s frames from Kliik and Fysh.

MANY HOSPITALIZATIONS ARE RELATED TO ERRORS IN TAKING MEDICATION

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Dispill also provides an effective medication reminder system - when a blister for a specific time is empty, then you know you have taken your medication. Carrying your Dispill pack lets you and all health specialists know about the medication you are taking. Filled directly by your pharmacist so there are no mistakes.

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108 Skyline Dr. - 968-7180

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Implementing technology to deter metal thefts

By Laura Bean A few innovative pieces of technology in the Arkansas River Valley have been a step in halting the theft of scrap metal. Several local recycling businesses, such as River Valley Recycling, Pearson Recycling and Cunningham Metals, use fingerprint technology to process customers in an effort to halt theft. Although customer information is required to be recorded by law, these businesses are going a step further to deter the money-making scheme. Russellville Police Department Public Information Officer Drew Latch said the technology has helped prevent theft in the area. “They are great partners with us anytime we need that information for theft on the scrap that was turned in,” Latch said. “This is a great prevention tool for scrap metal theft.” Pope County Sheriff Shane Jones said the enforcement of such technology has aided in the process of catching thieves. “It’s a great tool for law enforcement,” Jones said. “All of the scrap yards are required by law to get proper identification and photograph the item and individual.”

Scrap metal is defined as pieces of metal parts that may be combined together with bolts or soldering and can be recycled when worn or superfluous, according to the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI). With the price of scrap metal continuing to rise, Jones said the technology, aided with community awareness, combats the popular crime. “With the price of metal being high, unfortunately there will be thefts,” Jones said. “With the assistance of our citizens and the scrap metal business, we are able to counteract some of the criminal activity.” A recycling business must file a daily electronic report of scrap metal purchases, which must be entered into an automated database to be accessed by law enforcement, according to the Arkansas scrap metal statute outlined by the ISRI. Furthermore, the database must send a report every seven days to the county sheriff and to any law enforcement agency that request periodic copies, as amended to the law in 2013. Not only is committing the theft of scrap metal a crime, a person who aids or is an accomplice of the

theft of property involving scrap metal is subject to the same penalties. A person convicted of theft of scrap metal is prohibited from selling scrap

metal after his conviction, and violations are subject to penalties up to $1,000 per violation. Not only is the person who tries to sell stolen

scrap metal subject to the law, the business who buys the scrap metal is at risk as well. Theft by receiving of scrap metal can be com-

mitted if the person receives, retains, purchases or disposes of scrap metal if he knows or should have known the scrap metal was stolen.

Providing Quality Healthcare and Rehabilitative Services to the River Valley Since 1965!

Russellville Nursing & Rehabilitation Center

215 S Portland Avenue, Russellville, AR 72801

479-968-5256

Our Therapy Staff is Ready to Meet Your Needs!

It’s All About You take a moment for yourself before the holidays

Cameo Hair Designs

Front: Candice Gauntt, Courtney Poole Back: Misty Maunz LMT, Ashley Lunsford, Eden Meadows, Amanda Lozeau, Nicole Majerich

Services: Men & women haircuts •Colors • Highlights Hair & Eyelash extensions • Perms • Manicures • Peticures Gel Polish • Waxing Airbrush makeup • Sray Tans • Massages 919 E. 4th St. • Russellville • 479-968-5666

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Let one of our stylists bring out the best in you with a Haircut • Color Highlights • Perm Wax • Facial 103 NW 12th St. • Ste A • Atkins

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The goal of the organization is the restoration of the traditional central business district as a vibrant marketplace and center of community activity while preserving the historic architecture.

Main Street Russellville For The Courier

Founded in 1992, Main Street Russellville, Inc. (MSR), a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization in Russellville, is dedicated to the mission of revitalization and redevelopment of the historic heart of the city. The goal of the organization is the restoration of the traditional central business district as a vibrant marketplace and center of community activity while preserving the historic architecture. The organization has been successful in its efforts and continues to build on downtown’s image by focusing on four key elements — good design, organizational management, marketing and promotion and economic vitality. Main Street Russellville is governed by an 18 member volunteer board of directors, with day to day management by two full-time employees. The organization’s activities and accomplishments for the year include a long list of events, public and private reinvestment, community partnerships and broad based community support.

Events thoughout the year include:

Quarterly Downtown Art Walks, held on the first Friday of March, June, September and December, bring hundreds of people downtown as the Russellville Downtown business community rolls out the red carpet and hosts area artists and musicians during extended hours. The event is a partnership with the Arkansas River Valley Arts Center. ■ Taste of the Valley is one of Main Street Russellville’s signature fundraisers and one of the community’s most relished events. The Russellville Depot provides the venue as area restaurants, caterers and Arkansas vineyards provide sam■

plings of their finest fare. ■ Following this year’s 15th Annual Rummage, ‘Round the Rails organizers decided that it’s time for a change. In 2016, this event will feature rentable booth space for vendors as the event is converted into a vintage market with furniture, antiques, collectibles and repurposed and handcrafted items. Food trucks and live music will add to the festive marketplace atmosphere. ■ The summer concert series was put on hiatus this year in anticipation of the improvements at Depot Park. With project completion anticipated in early 2016, this concert series will resume its summer schedule with a great lineup of local and regional talent. ■ The Downtown Fall Festival and Chili Cookoff continues its legacy as the little festival that could. The festival, which was started twenty four years ago on a portion of Commerce Avenue, now encompasses all of the downtown historic district as folks gather from far and wide for this old fashioned street festival and harvest homecoming. ■ Winter Wonderland Downtown is the nightly walk through, drive through, memory making holiday light display. Lighting begins on Small Business Saturday and runs through the 12 days of Christmas.

Private investment in redevelopment A number of ongoing projects will be making a significant impact in the downtown district upon their completion. A new façade at 301 W. Main will resemble the building’s original storefront design. ‘The interior and exterior improvements at 110 -114 S. Commerce will soon be ready for new commercial and residential tenants, and the project at the old Bank of Russellville building has got everyone’s attention.

Incentives as catalyst for improvements

New street furnishings

Public private partnership

Seventeen new 32 gallon steel trash cans have been place throughout the downtown district thanks to the Department of Arkansas Heritage Resources Grant Program. The new black receptacles replaced the painted oil drums that have been in service for a number of years. Four new benches, that match the benches that were previously installed as a past project of Leadership Russellville, have been recently added. The benches were made possible by a number of private donations made in honor or memory of loved ones.

Improvements at Depot Park are being made possible through a joint effort of the local Main Street Program and the City of Russellville. The project resulted from recommendations in the Downtown Master Plan, which called for enhancements and improved accessibility to this public space to better accommodate special events and to make it more appealing for public use during non-event times.

New and expanded businesses Small business is the

back bone of a community, and downtown can fill the role of business incubator for those that follow their dream of owning their own business. A number of new businesses opened during 2015, and they include Kob Jai, Manda Lyn Photography, Southern Gypsy and Priority Property Services. Expansion of existing businesses are equally important and include The Studio at A Conversation Piece. The reopening of the Snack Bar at C&D Drug Store was like the return of an old friend, and following the closing of Italian Gardens Café, everyone is anticipating the opening of the new Pasta Grill.

Seven applications for Main Street Russellville’s 2015 Matching Fund Mini Grant Program have been approved for façade improvement projects that include fresh paint, electrical access, new brick façade, window restoration and awning maintenance. MSR’s Matching Fund Mini Grant Program was made possible by a grant from the State of Arkansas and the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program, an agency of the Department of Arkansas Heritage. Russellville downtown will also benefit from the numerous dedicated volunteers that will gather on Nov. 14, to make a difference as part of the Paint the River Valley Project. While this initiative has a broader focus beyond downtown with volunteers undertaking projects in Atkins, Dardanelle and Pottsville, it’s important to recognize the value of community driven efforts such as this, because they serve as catalysts for community and economic development. These participating volunteers will be more vested in the communities in which they serve, and the renewed sense of civic pride that results from their efforts will benefit the entire River Valley.

Main Street Russellville is governed by an eighteen member volunteer board of directors.

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Sunday, November 1, 2015

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Funeral Homes and On-Site Cremation Services

Over A Century of Caring Personalized Caskets Each individual has a unique character that should be reflected in their funeral service. We understand and value this concept, which is why we offer a variety of service options as unique as the individuals that we serve.

A Reputation for Excellent Service and Affordability • No Hidden Charges • All Existing Life, Burial and Pre-Paid • Policies Accepted • In-Home Arrangements • Family’s Needs First • Proven Excellence Cornwell Funeral Home, and on-site cremation service with locations in Danville and Dardanelle, is a family-owned business established over four generations ago. President Rush Cornwell expressed that since its establishment in 1898, “Cornwell Funeral Home has strived to ensure that we provide personalized and compassionate services to the families who have entrusted the care of their loved one to us.” He further adds that at no additional cost, Cornwell Funeral Home accepts all pre-arrangement contracts and insurance policies that a family has with other funeral service providers. According to the Cornwell family, honesty and a true concern for those we serve have been the building blocks and hallmark of our reputation. The professional staff at Cornwell Funeral Home is committed to providing dignified, respectful and personalized assistance to every family. Recognizing that each family is unique, it is important to Cornwell’s staff to work with each family to create a meaningful service that honors the life and memory of their loved one. Mike Cornwell always believed that such personal service is part of the reason Cornwell Funeral Home is the second oldest existing business in Yell County, the fifth oldest funeral home in the state of Arkansas and why more families put their trust in Cornwell Funeral Home more than any other, year after year. And the only funeral home with an on-site crematory and personalized caskets, Cornwell Funeral Home is moving into the 21st century.

479-229-2524 207 Quay St. Dardanelle

A

On-Site Cremation

ll funeral homes advertise cremation services, but most people are shocked to learn that the cremation process is usually subcontracted out to third-party industrial crematories. However, all cremations at Cornwell Funeral Home are performed at their Dardanelle facility by one of their licensed funeral directors. Having an on-site crematory puts Cornwell Funeral Home in a class of its own. As expressed by Rush Cornwell, this is just another way in which we guarantee that your loved one’s care is always within reach and our number one priority.

www.CornwellFuneralHomes.com

479-495-2525 756 Main St. Danville

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Van Horn Construction Providing a strong foundation for the River Valley Van Horn Construction has served the Russellville community since 1966 when Mac Van Horn moved to Russellville. The previous owners are Mac Van Horn, Sid Brain and Mike Miller. Van Horn Construction’s current owners, Paul Hull and Chad Weisler, strive to provide a strong backbone for a united company delivering supreme construction services. Hull started with Van Horn Construction in 1979 and has been involved in nearly every aspect of the construction business – from carpenter to superintendent, project manager to upper management. Hull worked his way up to company president and full ownership of Van Horn Construction. With over 20 years of experience, Weisler strives to bring projects to life with an understanding of customer needs and skilled communication. Weisler and Hull have worked together to incorporate the company’s strategic management plan, which supports Van Horn Construction’s beliefs and vision. Van Horn Construction’s construction experience includes athletic, commercial, industrial, manufacturing, spiritual, sustainable, water, wastewater and educational. Van Horn Construction was one of the first Construction firms in Arkansas to perform construction management services for water and wastewater construction projects. Throughout the life of the business, Van Horn Construction, which is licensed in 23 states, has been involved in some of the largest construction projects in the Arkansas River Valley. The company has a long history of working with schools towards both academic and athletic success. Van Horn Construction recently completed construction on the new, $12.5 million dollar Cyclone Arena in September, eight weeks ahead of schedule.VHC also finished an addition to Sequoyah Elementary over the summer. Van Horn Construction also built the Pottsville Indoor Athletic Facility and the Pottsville Tennis Courts, Dover Elementary School, two Safe Rooms for Dover and is currently constructing the Dover Middle School. Please see VAN HORN | 27P

Construction Management and the Team Approach Our company values a team approach. The team approach fosters trust, openness and communication without conflict to set goals and timelines. Each member should have a clear understanding of their role and make a commitment to fulfill their role to ensure effective teamwork. This sense of collaboration provides a more positive experience conducive to a successful project.

Owner TEAM Construction Manager

Design Team

Our Success Is Building 790 Tyler Road • Russellville, AR • 479-968-2514 • www.vanhornconstruction.com

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UEC purchases movie theater By Courier Staff

United Entertainment Corp. (UEC) purchased the Picwood 11 movie theater from Jack Lowrey on July 31, 2014. UEC is a theater chain, headquartered in St. Cloud, Minn. UEC owns and operates 17 movie theater complexes consisting of 154 digital auditoriums and has operations in 14 states. UEC closed the theater in Aug. 2014, to begin the construction and

renovation. The company reopened the lobby and seven of the screens in Oct. 3, 2014. Since then, the theater has completely opened with all of the new additions. The new theater now features stadium seating, self-serve beverage stations to help alleviate congestion at the concession stand, flat panel televisions reclining seats, new signage, paint, tile and carpet throughout the building.

Work begins for future Veterans Memorial Park

Tropical Smoothie THE COURIER / Joshua Mashon

A Tropical Smoothie is still under construction at 605 N. Arkansas Avenue, next to Goodyear, where a former Mediterranean eatery was located.

Air Conditioning • Heating • Plumbing

HVACR # 0143301

Air Conditioning • Heating • Plumbing

By Sean Ingram Prior to the groundbreaking in September at the future home of Veterans Memorial Park off Lakefront Drive, River Valley Veterans Coalition Secretary Bill Eaton said it may not look like a whole lot of work has been done. Eaton pointed out the planning and organizing stages, the meetings with city and county leaders, talking to civic and volunteer organizations — everything that has gone on for over a year that resulted in the recent groundbreaking. Some, including special projects chairman Allen Kimball, have dreamed of Veterans Memorial Park for much longer. “This has been a threeyear project for me, and finally it’s beginning to happen,” he said. “I just want to thank everyone here who have come to help us celebrate. Also, thank everyone who has participated and worked hard for this.” Eaton said the first phase of the park to honor veterans will be the parking lot. Phase two will be the Walk of Honor, and the third phase will be a pavilion. By the time it’s finished, Eaton said, it could be a $500,000 investment in not just Russellville, but for the entire Arkansas River Valley. “This is not a Russellville thing. It’s for all the Arkansas River Valley. It’s in honor of all veterans who have served. Just keep that in mind as we go forward,” he said. “I’m thrilled to see this coming to fruition. “It’s been something that has been a dream for a long time. We finally were able to get some peo-

ple together and start to make this happen.” Pavers for the Walk of Honor are now on sale. Eaton explained the walk will include an 8-foot concrete walkway leading to the pavilion. Granite stone tiles with inscriptions that measure 12 inches by 12 inches, or pavers, will be placed at upright angles on each side of the Walk of Honor and cemented in so they will stay permanently. The first line of each paver will be the veteran’s name; the second line, their branch of service; and the third line, their tour or tours of duty. Below the inscription, those who donated the paver can be recognized. Eaton said each paver can be purchased for any family member, friend, associate who served in a previous war or conflict or is currently serving in the Armed Forces, and they don’t have to be from Russellville or Pope County. The cost is $150 each. “This is a fundraiser for the Veterans Coalition to help pay for the Walk of Honor and eventually the pavilion,” Eaton said. “We’ve almost got the parking lot cost covered with donations, but not quite.” To order a paver for the Walk of Honor at Veterans Memorial Park, call Ken Harper at the Veterans Service Office at 479968-6049 or Allen Kimball at 479-968-1236. You can also go to the office on West B Street in the Pope County Courthouse Annex and fill out a form from Harper. “We’re hoping this will take off,” Eaton added. “They (pavers) are Please see PARK | 30P

Progress.

Deltic Timber Corporation supports the economy of the Arkansas River Valley through our vertical integration of Arkansas’s most abundant natural resource with efficient wood-products manufacturing. Plus, our expert management and environmental stewardship keeps the valley green and growing. That means continuing progress for today and tomorrow.

deltic.com

NYSE: DEL

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River Valley agriculture 2015 in review Wight Office Machines For The Courier

The year started out with adequate soil moisture. How is that ever a bad thing? But, it soon became apparent that farmers and ranchers were going to have a tough time getting needed fertilizers applied and plantings accomplished. The fertilizers that did get applied to pasture and hay meadows were either washed downstream or leached into the ground, resulting in little benefit to the intended crop. As for renovating pastures or hay meadows by controlling weeds and re-seeding, those plans were quickly scrapped until next year. When weather finally permitted hay cutting, the resulting product was lacking in nutrients. Excessive weed growth further lowered hay quality due to the inability to apply weed control products. Without adequate nutrients, the hay lacks what is needed to sustain livestock this winter. Other quality issues brought on by high moisture are molds that grow on hay not properly dried. The molds affect not only the nutrient values, but

The Arkansas River was flooded all the way into June. Barge traffic was halted, making it impossible for fertilizers to be brought to us and also prevented them from taking our harvested grain.

some livestock will refuse to eat the hay. Livestock that do eat the hay may become sickened. Producers who did manage to harvest an early cutting should consider getting the hay tested through the local County Extension Office. By testing, the nutrient values are determined, and you then know whether hay quality is adequate to meet nutritional needs of the livestock being fed. Producers normally try to get two cuttings of hay and sometimes three. One producer who came by the Pope County Extension Office was actually joking in June about getting his third cutting. He said, “I’m getting my third cutting of hay.” Really? “Sure, because I have already missed my first two.”

Many producers could probably relate. Through it all, most producers are reporting adequate hay was harvested when the ground finally dried, but most are concerned about the quality of the hay stored. Moving over to the row crop side of the farm, the rains created a disaster. Not only did the rains hamper ground preparations and seeding, but the high water flooded out many acres of winter wheat before it could be harvested. Soybeans, rice, corn and grain sorghum plantings were all delayed. Many fields targeted for corn or rice went unplanted or were planted in soybeans as late as the first of July. Some fields planted in a late April and early May window of opportunity after flood waters receded, went back under water. Some

rice fields planted during this time stayed under water for two weeks. The Arkansas River was flooded all the way into June. Barge traffic was halted, making it impossible for fertilizers to be brought to us and also prevented them from taking our harvested grain. One Yell County producer planted rice and when the Petit Jean River failed to recede, he was unable to set his irrigation pumps. The rice fields went without water until past mid-season, when rice has a critical need for water. Yields were drastically low due to the lack of water and well below those needed to break-even. Once waters receded, most producers reported good yields from the corn, rice and soybean fields. However, nothing can make up for the losses in the fields that went unharvested or that were never planted due to the flooding. In summary, most farmers and ranchers are resilient and will be back to plant and harvest again.

Courier staff reports

Wight Office Machines, Inc. was first opened in 1929 in Fort Smith. The Russellville store was opened in 2005 at 1304 S. Arkansas Avenue in Russellville and is owned by Michael Wight. The 21-person staff, led by manager Darrell Lowder, specializes in copy machine sales and service of Kyocera, Copystar, Okidata and Samsung and provides networking, scanning, faxing, copying and printing services. The company works to increase productivity and efficiency in offices, while offering a cost effective solution that fits within a business’ budget. Since 2014, the company remodeled their offices and warehouse and attended sales training in Las Vegas and service training in Dallas. Wight previously focused on education, healthcare, government organizations and religious organization. They have now expanded their focus to include smaller business as well.

VAN HORN CONTINUED FROM 25P

Van Horn Construction received the Eagle Award for the Pottsville Indoor Athletic Facility, which is awarded yearly for Excellence in Construction by the Associated Builders and Contractors Inc. Van Horn Construction recently completed a variety of projects for the

Dardanelle School District including the new Primary School, addition and renovation to the High School, and upgrades at Keenan Field in Dardanelle, including the resurfacing of the track. Weisler said the choice to work on many schoolrelated project was both coincidental and by design.

“The school market in our area has increased, and we have taken an active role in being involved. It’s always nice to be a local contractor and have your employees, who have children in the school system, work on something their own kids and grandkids will use.” Weisler said many of his employees were extremely

“Our philosophy, with the schools for example, we don’t want to do a single project. We want to do the next 10.” Chad Weisler Van Horn Construction proud to work on projects like Cyclone Arena. “Our employees get excited,” he said. “Their

kids will use the facility and know that their parent or grandparent built it. There’s a sense of pride

when you’re giving back to your community, your kids and your neighbors’ kids.” Van Horn Construction’s motto? Our Success is Building. Weisler explained the motto, “I think in our eyes, it means that’s our role,” he said. “We’re very efficient at it. We’re a qualified contractor, and we take a great deal of pride in it. It’s service for us. Our philosophy, with the schools for example, we don’t want to do a single project. We want to do the next 10.” To do that, Weisler said the company has to overachieve. Van Horn Construction strives to finish projects ahead of schedule and under budget. “Cyclone Arena finished two months early and under budget,” Weisler said. “And there will be cost savings that will be given back to the school.” “We work in Russellville, Dardanelle, Dover and Pottsville,” he said. “Each of those communities means a great deal to us. Every school district that we work in matters a lot to us.”

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Chili’s Construction crews broke ground in January on one of Russellville’s newest restaurants — Chili’s Bar & Grill. The 4,552-squarefoot restaurant is located at 107 N. Elmira Avenue in Russellville.

THE COURIER / Joshua Mashon

Who’s Who in River Valley Real Estate Renà Taylor

CAMPBELL-RICONO TEAM

rena.taylor@coldwellbanker.com

James R. Ford & Associates

James R Ford & Associates

479-858-1094 500 West Main, Russellville

James R. Ford and Associates

Randy Campbell 479-857-0958

Gregg Ricono 479-857-6446

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Yvonda Kissinger 479-264-8928 EQUAL HOUSING

OPPORTUNITY

yvondakissinger@yahoo.com 500 W. Main, Russelville • 968-5211

500 W. Main • Russellville, AR • 479-968-5211

Janice Yates 479-622-3331

James R. Ford & Assoc. 500 W. Main 479-968-5211

Carol Ford

Call the Professional and prepare to move. James R. Ford & Associates 500 W. Main Russellville

janice.yates@coldwellbanker.com EQUAL HOUSING

OPPORTUNITY

Gary Jones

500 W. Main Russellville, AR

479-858-8682

James R. Ford & Associates

cford@coldwellbanker.com

479-886-0117

479-968-5211

garyjones@coldwellbanker.com

Making Your Dreams Come True With Over 200 Years Experience.

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Kyle Hood

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Mike Larkin

Jane Bowden

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Jamie Dudley

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699-5231

503 South Arkansas Russellville, AR

479-280-1999 www.boydosborne.com

970-5548

970-2541

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Harps opens in Dover Harps grocery store opened in late May 2015 in Dover. The new 22,500 square-foot Dover Harps employs nearly 50 associates. It features a Harps Express fuel station with six gas pumps.

Who’s Who in River Valley Real Estate Bill Strait With 35 years of experience as a real 479-280-8334 estate attorney coupled with 20 years experience as a licensed title insurance agent, Bill offers unique qualities as an agent. Bill specializes in commercial real estate; farms/ranches, multi-family, retail/office, recreational. IRS Tax Deferred Exchange Expert

Call a Realtor Who Talks Strait.... • President of Downtown Rotary • Russellville Board of Realtors member • Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors • Life time member of the Red Coat Committee • ABR, GRI & CRS accredited

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Sue Ann Strait

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ED STINGLEY

John Newton Sales Associate Cell (479)264-2446 Business (479)498-2780 Fax (479)498-2785 Website www.jnewton.rivervalleyrealty.com e-mail: jnewton@rivervalleyrealty.com

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American Dream Realty

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Why You Should Choose A Realtor®... • Professionalism • Handles Advertising and Develops a Marketing Strategy • Knowledge of the Market • Peace of Mind • Multiple Listing Member

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• They Can Help You Avoid Costly Mistakes • Understands the Current Market • Loan Knowledge • Realtors have unlimited resources to help with your relocation

Call one of the agents featured in this publication to help you find the home of your dreams.

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Charity Ball raises $67,000 for projects

By Laura Ott The 2015 Russellville Junior Auxiliary Children’s Benefit Ball, Cirque Gala, raised nearly $67,000 and was attended by more than 300 guests at the L.V. Williamson Boys and Girls Club. President Jennifer Samuels said the event was successful and wellreceived by the community. “We were thrilled with the turnout and dollars raised at the 2015 Children’s Benefit Ball,” Samuels said. “The support from the community for our organization has continued to be wonderful, and this event allows Junior Auxiliary to give back to the children of Russellville.” The annual event supplies the funds for the organization’s projects and community commitments throughout the year.

The event featured a silent and live auction, wine pull, games, complimentary photographs and dinner. Along with hors d’oeuvres of tomato rosemary tarts, shrimp cocktail and caramelized goat cheese canape, dinner included prime rib, baked ham, herb-crusted chicken, sauteed vegetables, corn casserole, mashed potatoes, tomato and herb, pesto and alfredo pasta, diced potatoes and a variety of bread prepared by Opal Mae’s Cafe. The silent auction featured items for the home, children, men and women, as well as services, experiences and miscellaneous items. Guests bid on items such as original artwork, Cat in the Hat tour tickets, a tabletop poker set, a gym membership, a fragrance basket, Arkansas Tech University all-sport athletic passes and a gourmet dog treat basket.

The live auction included items like a private duck hunting tour, New York City photography session and accommodations, Walt Disney World and the International Food and Wine Festival tickets, box tickets and accommodations to a St. Louis Cardinals baseball game, Samuel Adams Brewery tour and Dallas Cowboy private tour. Junior Auxiliary’s 201415 provisional class chose to help foster care children in Pope County by providing 80 bags of toiletries, activities, a fleece blanket and stuffed animal for younger children and 20 bags of similar items for older children. Funds raised will go toward Junior Auxiliary’s 2014-15 projects, which includes Crawford Eagle Bucks, Cyclone Achiever, Kids in Motion, Toys for Kids, scholarships and financial awards and other projects.

“The support from the community for our organization has continued to be wonderful, and this event allows Junior Auxiliary to give back to the children of Russellville.” Jennifer Samuels President, Russellville Junior Auxiliary

PARK CONTINUED FROM 26P

going to be very nice. We are anticipating within a couple of weeks, we will start work on the parking lot. People will see then we are serious about what we are going to do.”

Veterans Memorial Park Committee

■ Allen Kimball — Chairman, American Legion ■ A.M. Armstrong — Veterans of Foreign Wars ■ Harold Davis — Disabled American Veterans ■ Bill Hefley — Marine

League Lake Dardanelle ■ Bill Eaton — Military Officers Association of America ■ River Valley Veterans Coalition ■ Ken Harper — Chairman, Pope County Veterans Service Office ■ Russ Hall — Vice chairman ■ Bill Hefley — Secretary ■ Bill Eaton — Treasurer ■ Allen Kimball — Special Projects Chairman Checks or donations can be sent to River Valley Veterans Coalition, First State Bank, P.O. Box 10610, Russellville, AR 72812.

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FALL IS HOME IMPROVEMENT TIME

Sunday, November 1, 2015

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FIX IT PAINT IT BUILD IT

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Dover Elementary School

Dardanelle Track Facility

Dardanelle Primary School

Our Success Is Building

Dover Middle School in Progress

Focused on Education

Pottsville Athletic Facility

Sequoyah Elementary School

Van Horn Construction, Building A Solid Foundation For Our Schools And Communities VHC continues to be a leading construction firm in the industries we serve including educational, commercial, industrial and health care. Although we are licensed in 23 states, we call the Arkansas River Valley Home. We take a lot of pride in our work and are especially grateful for the opportunity to build new schools, state-of-the-art athletic facilities and safe rooms. This will not only fulfill the needs of today's students and faculty, but also that of future generations. Each of the above projects is a reflection of our employees, management and the distinguished legacy of Van Horn Construction. This is why VHC continues to thrive, and why our motto still rings true Our Success Is Building

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