News

After serving on the Eureka Springs City Council for more than five years, David Mitchell is stepping down. Mitchell announced in an email at 5:19 p.m. Monday, July 16, that he will be resigning from the Position 2, Ward 1 seat on the council. The email was sent to Mayor Butch Berry, alderman Bob Thomas, alderwoman Kristi Kendrick, alderwoman Melissa Greene, alderwoman Mickey Schneider, alderman Terry McClung, mayor’s assistant Kim Stryker, finance director Lonnie Clark and Eureka Springs Independent reporter Nicky Boyette. ...

Submitted photo Peggy Lodewyks Haas, right, recognizes E.J. Adams for arranging the music at the beginning of the Holiday Island Rotary Club’s first meeting with Haas as its president. The club also celebrated its 16th anniversary with Bob Schmidbauer presenting a summary of its accomplishments over the years...

Nina Hinson has learned a thing or two since her days at Opera in the Ozarks, and she’s happy to share her wisdom. Hinson, who attended the camp in 1958, returned Thursday, July 5, to teach a master class on performing. Hinson remembered what brought her to the camp, saying she won a Texas state vocal competition and the first prize was spending the summer at Inspiration Point...

The Eureka Springs City Council is waiting a little longer to approve proposed code revisions from the planning commission. On Monday night, the council sent several proposed revisions back to the commission for further review. The council voted June 25 to approve two proposed ordinances on a first reading, one amending the adoption of plans and the other amending permitted uses in C1, C2 and C3 zones. The council deferred three other proposed ordinances to Monday night’s meeting...

The future of the Community Center After-School Program is uncertain. Representatives from the Eureka Springs Community Center Foundation attended the Eureka Springs School Board’s Monday meeting to advocate for the program and discuss possible paths for the Eureka Springs School District to continue providing it...

Five & Dime Drama Collective of Eureka Springs has named Kenn Woodard as the executive creative producer for the organization. Larry Horn will continue as executive director, and Tom Gorsuch and Ann Hopkins will continue as executive producers. Woodard has 35 years of professional experience as an actor, director, producer and teacher in national and international media markets. ...

Cole Rains is heading into his senior year at Eureka Springs High School with a major accomplishment under his belt. On Friday, June 29, Rains received third place at the national SkillsUSA championship for masonry. High school teacher Jason Hill said Rains competed as a bricklayer, saying the project was to create an s-wall...

Former Benton County judge Robert Clinard was arrested on drunk driving charges after a July 4 incident at the Carroll County Fairgrounds, Clinard, 68, was arrested at 10:12 p.m. on Wednesday, July 4, by Sgt. Jeremy Berner of the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office...

A Missouri woman died after a one-vehicle accident in Carroll County on Friday, June 22, and the driver of the vehicle is being held in the Carroll County Detention Center on multiple charges including negligent homicide. According to a preliminary fatal crash summary from the Arkansas State Police, Neal S. ...

Photo by David Bell Local property owner John Cross gazes down at the tunnel collapse on his property in downtown Eureka Springs on Tuesday, June 26. Cross is overseeing the repair of the collapse, which took place on a busy parking lot June 1.

Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, who is seeking a second term as the state’s chief executive officer, and challengers Jared Henderson and Mark West engaged in a markedly polite, almost collegial debate on Friday, June 29, in Eureka Springs. The debate was held in conjunction with the Arkansas Press Association’s annual super-convention, and a crowd of approximately 100 journalists and newspaper leaders were on hand to watch at the Inn of the Ozarks...

As of June 2018, about 1,600 Arkansans are still waiting for either assessments or reassessments from the Arkansas Department of Human Services (DHS) for their home-based care needs. Pulaski County Circuit Court Judge Wendell Griffen ordered Monday, June 25, that, as a result of its “willful defiance” of a previous court order, DHS must publish statistics on its website reflecting the number people it has failed or refused to reassess each month for home-based care needs since the court’s initial ruling on Feb. ...

Five & Dime Drama Collective of Eureka Springs is soliciting scripts for its 2018 Fall Performance Series, which will present several short performance works. Authors are encouraged to submit up to three new scripts for a 10-minute play or a one-act (20-30 minutes) play. Scripts should be compelling and thought-provoking as well as entertaining. Authors must be willing to collaborate with the creative team during the production process...

Thanks to Lewis Automotive Group of Fayetteville, the animals at Good Shepherd Humane Society have a much sweeter ride. On Wednesday, June 27, Good Shepherd’s board of directors heard from president Jay Fusaro about the shelter’s new vehicle. Fusaro said Lewis Automotive gave the shelter a 25 percent discount on the van, which will be used to transport animals from one place to another...

The editorial staff of Carroll County Newspapers had a strong showing in the Arkansas Press Association’s annual Better Newspaper Editorial Contest, winning a total of 35 awards. For the second consecutive year, the Carroll County News was awarded first place for general excellence among medium-circulation weekly newspapers...

Between June and July, Equity Bank is running a few promotions to give Good Shepherd Humane Society a helping hand. Elizabeth Kelley, president of the Eureka Springs branch, said Equity Bank is rolling out its Official Bank of Pets campaign for a second consecutive year. Last year, Kelley said, the bank collected $2,500 and 450 supply items for the only no-kill animal shelter in Carroll County...

Before Carol Wright moved to Eureka Springs three years ago, she considered several different areas to relocate. Wright, a member of the City Advertising and Promotion Commission, said she chose Eureka Springs after receiving the visitor’s guide and a handwritten note describing the area...

Photo by Melody Strodtman The city of Eureka Springs continues its work on Flint Street through the beginning of July. The infrastructure repairs began June 4 and are slated for completion soon. In the meantime, the intersections of Flint and Jackson and Flint and North Main are closed, with one-lane traffic running between North Main, First, Armstrong and Douglas Streets...

Submitted photo Kris Birchfield-Burks, the Eureka Springs High School Class of 1988 treasurer, presents a check for $356 to Skills Club president Cole Rains. The money will help fund the Eureka Springs High School Skills Club’s trip to the SKillsUSA 54th Annual National Leadership Conference scheduled for June 25-29. ...

Submitted photo The 2018-19 Eureka Springs High School cheerleading squad poses together on June 8 at the Berryville Ice Cream Social. Pictured from left to right are cheer coach Wendy Wheeler, Madison Smith, Tarrah Youngblood, Lily Torgerson, Riley Smith, Bailey Wolfinbarger, Alison Wolfinbarger and assistant cheer coach Stephanie Stodden. Keenan Gaylen is kneeling...

Photo by Tavi Ellis Equity Bank held its doggie pageant on Friday, June 22. The winner of the Most Talented category is Twix, a nervous little sweetheart with a kind disposition who has worked hard to overcome his shy ways, learn to ride a skateboard, balance on a basketball and even jump through hula hoops to please his ever patient human, Mr. Jack Richards, resident of Eureka Springs...

A village has gone up seemingly almost overnight on Passion Play Road in Eureka Springs. Eureka Christian Health Outreach (ECHO) co-founders Dan and Suzie Bell reported in September that they were working on creating the ECHO Village, a project meant to meet the community’s need for affordable housing...

All revenue from the Lake Leatherwood City Park tax will be staying where it is. On Monday night, the Eureka Springs City Council voted to keep the revenue under the parks commission’s authority. The council heard from city finance director Lonnie Clark and parks director Justin Huss before making the decision, with Clark saying the tax money is moved into a fund managed by parks each month. Huss said the revenue is kept apart from other funds...

Joseph Ian Santiago pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of first-degree murder Monday in Carroll County Circuit Court and was sentenced to life in prison for the January 2017 slaying of his older brother, Alex. Santiago entered the plea as part of an agreement with prosecutors, who had charged him with capital murder. Prosecutors dropped charges of attempted capital murder and arson as part of the agreement...

The Boone County Library in Harrison will feature artworks by Eureka Springs author and artist Zeek Taylor during the month of June, with more than 30 pieces of his art on display on the second-floor mezzanine during regular library hours. The library will host a book signing and talk by Taylor from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. June 30, where he will discuss and read from his two books “Out of the Delta” and “Chimps Having Fun.”...

The Eureka Springs Carnegie Public Library’s Teen Summer Reading Program is in full swing. From making gemstone soap to playing Dungeons and Dragons, every Friday brings a free program from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. for ages 10 to 18 in the library annex meeting room. Teens who sign up for the program have the chance to win $100 at the end of summer party and slots are quickly filling up for the ever-popular, annual overnight teen lock-in June 30...

The Arkansas Medical Marijuana Commission (AMMC) can proceed with awarding cultivation licenses. On Thursday, June 21, The Arkansas Supreme Court overturned a ruling by Pulaski County Circuit Court Judge Wendell Griffen, which had declared that Arkansas' process for licensing medical marijuana growers was unconstitutional...

Opera in the Ozarks opened its summer season with a performance of ‘Die Fledermaus’ Friday, June 22. Soprano Michelle Perrier gives a stirring performance on opening night.

A Missouri woman died after a one-vehicle accident in Carroll County on Friday night, and the driver of the vehicle is being held in the Carroll County Detention Center on multiple charges including negligent homicide. According to a preliminary fatal crash summary from the Arkansas State Police, Neal S. Hagler, 19, of Berryville was driving a 2011 Chevrolet westbound on Carroll County Road 428 at 9:50 p.m. Friday when he failed to stop at the intersection of County Road 404 and struck a tree...

The Greater Eureka Springs Chamber of Commerce in a partnership with Pig Trail Harley Davidson is pleased to announce the 1st Annual Vintage Legend Motorcycle Show, to be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday July 28, at Pine Mountain Village. This event will feature a juried vintage motorcycle contest for models which exceed 25 years old in 13 categories. ...

Lake Leatherwood City Park has a new feature. On Thursday, June 14, the Eureka Springs Parks and Recreation Commission officially opened the newest downhill mountain bike trails at Lake Leatherwood. Parks director Justin Huss thanked the Walton Family Foundation for supporting the trails, saying the project never would have happened without the foundation...

The Eureka Springs Hospital Commission has found a new home for its files. On Monday afternoon, treasurer Barbara Dicks said the Eureka Springs Fire Department has agreed to keep a filing cabinet with the commission’s records in the basement. Dicks said mayor’s assistant Kim Stryker provided a filing cabinet for free, along with working on finding a permanent location for the files...

A Missouri man was transported to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries after the plane he was piloting crashed shortly after taking off from a private airstrip Thursday morning near Eureka Springs. A news release from the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office said dispatch received a report of a plane crash at Silver Wings Aviation, located on Carroll County Road 207 in Eureka Springs, at 11:07 a.m. Thursday...

The Eureka Springs school board accepted the resignation of girls basketball coach Adam Brothers and hired Ryan Sanchez as the new coach at its meeting on Monday, June 11. Sanchez is a 2014 Eureka Springs High School graduate and played three years of college basketball at Avila University in Kansas City before serving as an assistant for the men’s basketball team last semester...

Joseph Santiago, the Carroll County man who is charged with capital murder in the grisly 2017 slaying of his autistic older brother, faces a new felony charge in connection with an incident at the county jail. Santiago, 19, is charged with impairing the operations of a vital public facility, a Class C felony. He was scheduled to appear Monday, June 18, in Carroll County Circuit Court, but the hearing was continued...

The Eureka Springs Parks and Recreation Commission celebrated the opening of the new downhill mountain bike trails at Lake Leatherwood City Park on Thursday, June 14.

Opera in the Ozarks (OIO) will be following fools in love for its 2018 summer season, which begins this Friday, June 22. General director Nancy Preis said the 2018 season repertoire features Johann Strauss Jr.’s “Die Fledermaus,” Giacomo Rossini’s “Il Barbier di Siviglia” and Douglas Moore’s “The Ballad of Baby Doe.”...

Jim Ross will be the Republican nominee for Carroll County sheriff in the November general election. In Tuesday’s runoff election, Ross defeated Alan Hoos by 23 votes to win the Republican nomination. Unofficial final results released Tuesday night show Ross, a school resource officer for the Berryville Police Department and a former Berryville postmaster, with 542 votes (51.1 percent). Hoos, former chief deputy for the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office, received 519 votes (48.9 percent)...