WESTSIDE — It is amazing sometimes to look back at the plethora of stories and news events covered in just a year's time in the Westside Eagle Observer. And, indeed, much happened over the past year in Eagle Observer territory. What follows are just a few of the highlights of the year now coming to a close. The first six months of 2016 are covered below, with more highlights planned for the opening newspaper in January.
On January 6, the Eagle Observer reported on one of the worst winter storms in more than 35 years. What began as an unusually warm Christmas Day (in the 60s and 70s in some places) quickly turned into chaos when the mid section of the country was hit with what would be known by the National Weather Service as Winter Storm Goliath. Early on the morning of Dec. 26, the region experienced light rain showers that quickly turned violent as super cell thunderstorms began to build in southeastern Texas near the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, prompting the National Weather Service to issue a tornado watch for much of eastern Texas and southeast Oklahoma. At the time, northwest Arkansas and northeast Oklahoma were not included in this watch. By sunset, that would quickly change. Residents of Gentry, Decatur, Gravette, Siloam Springs and Hiwasse were caught completely off guard as a series of super cell thunderstorms with radar-indicated high-level rotation rolled through the area. Suddenly, the tornado sirens were going off, sending area residents scrambling for shelter and the National Weather Service dealing with tornadoes in areas it never expected. Even southwestern Missouri residents were caught off guard by tornadic thunderstorms moving through their area late in the evening. As the tornado threat diminished in northwest Arkansas and eastern Oklahoma, heavy rain began to fall. For this area, the rains reached epic proportions as rates of one to two inches per hour fell, prompting flash flood warnings for the entire area. By Sunday, Dec. 27, nearly 10 inches had fallen in some areas, with more on the way. Benton County Road Department closed so many roads by late afternoon that the department ran out of barricades and had to use caution tape to block the flooded roads.
The January 20 issue reported that the Walmart Neighborhood Markets in Decatur, Gentry and Gravette would close by the end of the month. According to a release on Walmart's website, "after a thorough review of Walmart's nearly 11,600 worldwide stores, the company ... announced plans to close 269 stores and clubs, including the company's 102 smallest format stores, Walmart Express, which had been in pilot since 2011."
Jaye Chalk was crowned basketball homecoming queen at Jan. 22 coronation ceremonies in Gravette, the January 27 issue reported. In Gentry, the school board members made building plans official at their monthly meeting, Jan. 18. By unanimous vote, the board approved moving the building of a new intermediate school classroom building from the future facilities planning list to the list of building plans to which the district is committed to complete. The action meant the district would now move forward with plans, obtain design drawings, hold public meetings and take the necessary steps to put a 3.1 millage increase and bond measure on the September school election ballot to pay for the project.
The February 3 issue reported on a shoplifting case which led to a high-speed chase and manhunt which ended in Oklahoma. Also reported was the conversion of Gentry High School's student newspaper from a printed format to digital. The student publication is still on the school's website at www.gentrypioneeers.com/pioneerpress.
The Northwest Arkansas Audubon Society visited the Eagle Watch Nature Area in Gentry on Feb. 6 to view bald eagles and other birds and wildlife. The nature area owned by SWEPCO and part of the Flint Creek Power Plant property had 60 or more bird watchers out for the event.
A new home was purchased for the Decatur Police Department, according to the February 24 issue. A building which was formerly the home of TDS in Decatur was purchased to be the city's police station at a price of $69,000. The same issue also reported on the ribbon cutting for the Gravette Public Library at its new Main Street location.
The March 2 issue reported that a new grocery store would be coming to Gravette. CV Family Foods, a Van Buren-based grocery retailer, announced its intention to open a new store, built from the ground up. The store would be located at 101 Atlanta St., S.E., the site of the former Marvin's Grocery store. Construction was slated to begin within a few weeks with a target opening date before the end of 2016. In Gentry, the Chamber of Commerce awards banquet the previous Thursday was covered. In addition to many other awards, the late Arthur Tallman, owner and publisher of the Gentry Journal-Advance from 1897 until 1921 and an employee of the paper at the time of his death in 1924, was awarded the lifetime achievement award for all his work to promote the city of Gentry.
The March 9 issue reported that, in a decisive vote, the citizens of Gravette approved the continuation of a 3/4 cent sales tax to fund bonds for capital improvements in all four of the measures on the ballot. The four projects to be funded are streets, $1.6 million; parks, $2.25 million; sidewalks, $1.65 million; and sewer, $.75 million. The 3/4 cent sales tax was recently used to pay off sewer bonds issued in 2013 and a continuation of the tax will now be used for bonds which will fund these new projects.
It was also announced in the March 9 issue that Harp's Foods would be coming to Gentry and planned to be open for business at the end of the year. The announcement was made at the close of the March 7 city council meeting by Kevin Johnston, Gentry's mayor. The new store was to be located at the site of the old Marvin's store on the corner of Arkansas Highways 12 and 59, but a complete remodel of the old store building was being planned first, according to Johnston.
The same issue also reported on the move of the Gentry Police Department to its new station in the former Centennial Bank Building which the city had purchased to house the department. The actual move took place in the last days of February.
The March 16 issue reported on Gentry Middle and High School's first annual career day on the previous Thursday. The day gave students the chance to gain information in a variety of career fields from local professionals. The issue also featured a photo of Bill Taylor pruning his blossoming peach trees at his orchard in Gentry.
The March 23 issue reported on Decatur becoming a Purple Heart City. Mayor Bob Tharp received a plaque naming the city of Decatur a Purple Heart City from Chuck Adkins and Ray E. Poynter with the Purple Heart Trails and Cities Program during the Decatur City Council meeting on March 14.
The March 30 issue had a photo and article reporting that Steven Hall, a man greeting everyone with a wave and big smile along the highway in Decatur, was treated to a special birthday celebration at the Gallery Cafe in Decatur on his 70th birthday. For a gift, he was given his own bench -- a fitting gift for a man so devoted to greeting everyone from a sidewalk bench in Decatur -- and Hall's three sisters, Michal Montgomery, Ellen Flores and Pat Weide, helped him celebrate his birthday and posed with him on his new bench, giving him a kiss.
The April 6 issue reported that the 7,000-square-foot annex building between Decatur Middle School and Decatur High School would become the new home of the prekindergarten classes in the fall. Renovation to the existing structure and parking area was completed over the summer months.
The April 13 issue reported that 74 veterans from across the region, including 14 from Northwest Arkansas, would be boarding an Honor Flight to Washington, D.C., at the Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport on April 20. The public was invited to a send-off celebration for the veterans on April 19. Veterans on the honor flight would include those who have served in World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War.
In the April 20 issue, the Eagle Observer reported: "Though quiet now, the show grounds of the Tired Iron of the Ozarks were alive last weekend with the sounds of old engines, the clanging of hammers on hot iron in the blacksmiths' shops and the buzz of the saw mills as large logs were cut into timber planks. Tractors which often rest quietly in a barn or shed roared to life on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, to pull wagons and give rides, to plow a small field and to demonstrate their power and usefulness. And, more importantly, the men and women who put on the shows each spring and fall had opportunity to show off their antiques, tell their stories of the past and demonstrate what farm life in Arkansas was like in the 1900s. It was a chance for those with experience in the old ways to share them with a new generation that knows little about them."
On April 27, the Eagle Observer reported: "'Thank you for your service to our nation, was the message that greeted veterans as they disembarked from a plane after a day of remembrances. Seventy-four military veterans from World War Two, Korea and Vietnam returned to Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport April 20 after a day-long visit to Washington, D.C. Their mission was to remember those friends and comrades who once fought beside them in defense of freedom, to remember and honor those who made the ultimate sacrifices in the line of duty, to remember and honor those who have recently passed but will always remain in their hearts and minds."
In the May 4 issue was the report that the 2016 tornado season roared into Decatur a little early as a line of tornadic thunderstorms moved through the area April 26-27, prompting a series of tornado warnings that extended from eastern Oklahoma into Benton and Washington counties. In a perfect example of a storm recycling, the storm in Delaware County dissipated and as it moved into western Benton County, the area of rotation reformed just west of Decatur in a matter of minutes, leaving little time for the Weather Service to issue another warning at the time. The dangerous storm formed into a possible tornado just northeast of the city, cutting a path about two miles long through Crystal Lake Estates, Crystal Lake airport and Crystal Lake Park and continued across the lake and up the north slope and over toward Turkey Ridge Road before lifting briefly and reforming near Centerton. National Weather Service officials classified the debris signature as that of an EF-1 tornado.
Graduation ceremonies were a part of the May 18 issue, with graduations at Decatur, Gentry and Gravette High Schools.
The May 25 issue reported that the Moormans of Gravette were named the Benton County Farm Family of the Year. Tracy and Jennifer Moorman operate a 335-acre beef and poultry farm near Gravette. They have 100 head of cattle and eight broiler houses. They are contract growers for George's, producing more than 1.2 million birds per year. Also reported was that the NWA Riding Club realized its dream of building its own home arena in Decatur. The club recently reopened for the season and began holding biweekly play days in its new location after a year's break to build the arena.
A flag-raising ceremony was held in the end of May at Gentry's new police station on Third Street in Gentry. U.S. Navy Veterans Robert Meyer, Burl Lyons and Rick Lane raised the Stars and Stripes and the state flag of Arkansas in front of the police station. Meyer served in the Navy from 1947 to 1952, and Lyons served from 1952 to 1974. In addition to being a Navy Veteran, Rick Lane is a police officer for the city of Gentry and serves as the school resource officer. Gravette also held its annual Memorial Day observance at Hillcrest Cemetery.
Local swimming pools in Gravette and Decatur opened for the summer season, according to reports in the June 8 issue of the Eagle Observer, and the pools were busy as children began their summer break from school. In Colcord, Okla., Old Settlers' Day was observed.
The June 15 issue reported that Harps purchased nine of the closed Walmart Express stores which had closed. Among those was the Gravette store which later reopened as a Harp's Foods store.
The June 22 issue announced peach-picking time at Taylor's Orchard in Gentry and featured a white tiger cub and wolf pups at the Wild Wilderness Safari.
In addition to promoting the upcoming Fourth of July celebration in Gentry, the June 29 issue featured photos and an article on the Sulphur Springs celebration held on the previous weekend.
For more "Year in Review" items, see next week's Eagle Observer.
General News on 12/28/2016