Davison opens martial arts studio in Decatur to teach life skills
Martial arts instructor James Davison tries to teach his students more than fighting skills. Continue Reading »
Bikers enjoy ride for a good cause
Bikers had the chance to enjoy beautiful spring weather and ride for a good cause during the Fourth Annual Wyatt Hopkins Memorial Poker Run on Saturday. Continue Reading »
New law to have minimal effect on Decatur schools
The Arkansas Public School Choice Act of 2013 will have a limited effect on Decatur Schools, according to superintendent Larry Ben. Continue Reading »
5 named all-conference, Urquidi named all-state
Decatur sophomore Mario Urquidi was named all-conference, all-state and NWA Media Player of the Year for his accomplishments on the basketball court. Continue Reading »
Council opens park rest rooms, at least until vandals strike
Indoor restrooms could soon be available for public use at the east end of Veteran’s Park in Decatur. On April 8, city council members passed a recommendation from the Parks and Recreation Department to open the bathrooms inside the barbecue building to the public. Council members also approved a bid from Tim Harrington to seal off the inside doors, create outside doors and pour concrete for sidewalks up to the bathrooms. Currently, a portable toilet is available for people using the walking track, soccer field and bandstand area. Mayor Charles Linam said he and the Streets and Parks Department employees would clean the bathrooms. The bathrooms would be locked at 10 p.m. by police and opened in the morning by city employees. Continue Reading »
Ozark Adventist students to join in concert
Local teenagers will have a chance to shine at the Siloam Music Festival’s spring concert. Continue Reading »
Cabin near Decatur is destroyed by fire
An abandoned cabin near Shepherd Hills Drive and Blackberry Lane east of Decatur was destroyed in a fire on Saturday night. Continue Reading »
Salary formula set for administrators
Decatur school board members, at their March 25 meeting, voted to approve a policy that will set clear guidelines for administrators’ salaries. Continue Reading »
Bonds to be refinanced
The Decatur School District will save $233,172 by refinancing $3.96 million in construction bonds for Northside Elementary School. Board members voted to approve the bond refinance at the March 25 meeting. The interest rate will be reduced from 3.69 percent to 1.9 percent. The school will save $124,000 the first year and the rest of the Continue Reading »
Planning, Zoning Commission to be given small stipend for work
Planning and zoning commission members will now get paid $25 per meeting for their service to the city of Decatur. Continue Reading »
Liquor Store Application Filed
Timothy Witcher, last week, submitted an application to Arkansas' Alcoholic Beverage Control Division to operate a liquor store in Decatur, according to the weekly reports posted on the agency’s website. Continue Reading »
Woman Leads Police on Low-Speed Chase
Gravette officer follows woman to Decatur before stop is finally made and woman arrested
Gennifer Lavante, of Bella Vista, led a lowspeed police chase — reaching speeds of 30 to 50 miles per hour in a 55 mile per hour speed zone — from Gravette to Decatur on March 7. Continue Reading »
Decatur toughening up for league play
DECATUR — Decatur girls’ and boys’ soccer teams fell to 1-7 A Rogers Heritage High junior varsity team during a non-conference game on Thursday. Continue Reading »
Decatur Chamber plans spring events
Chamber of Commerce members made plans for the annual Decatur Easter egg hunt at their March 4 meeting. Continue Reading »
Decatur School Board rejects committee raise proposals
DECATUR — School board members denied proposals from Decatur’s teacher and certified staff policy committees and came up with their own propositions for staff raises at the Feb. 18 meeting. Continue Reading »
Soccer teams play tough opponents to get ready
DECATUR — The Bulldogs started their soccer season last week with games against some tough teams to help them prepare for the conference competition ahead. Continue Reading »
A SECOND OPINION: Dogs, cats think differently
I have always enjoyed animals of all kinds and don’t really understand people who limit themselves to being “cat persons” or “dog persons.” But there are some big differences between the way dogs and cats think and it never ceases to amaze me. Continue Reading »
Board offers contracts to Decatur principals
DECATUR — School board members voted at the Feb. 18 meeting to offer elementary school principal Jeff Gravette and high school principal Deborah Coffer a new contract for the upcoming school year. Continue Reading »
City gives teeth to water regulations
Violators of backflow regulations could face water shut off.
DECATUR — The Decatur Water Department now has the authority to enforce rules requiring certain businesses and other facilities to have backflow preventers in place. Continue Reading »
Students travel to state capitol
Students take part in Education Advocacy Day
DECATUR — Twelve Decatur High School students attended the Arkansas Opportunity to Learn Campaign Education Advocacy Day at the Arkansas Capitol Building in Little Rock on Feb. 20. Continue Reading »
Bulldogs lose to Conway Christian
Young team learns valuable lessons and looks forward to next season
DECATUR — The Bulldogs basketball season ended on a bittersweet note with a 59-49 loss to Conway Christian during a 2A West region tournament game in Magazine on Friday. Continue Reading »
High school updates storm-safety procedures
DECATUR — Decatur High School has been working with Mike Hickson of Benton County Emergency Management to update storm safety procedures, according to principal Deborah Coffer. Continue Reading »
Decatur to expand its planning area
DECATUR — Faced with the possibility of new development, Decatur’s planning and zoning commission made plans to expand the town’s planning area and become more active as a committee. The commission voted on Thursday to start the process of expanding the portion of Decatur’s planning area outside the city limits. The commission’s recommendation will go before the city council at its next meeting. If the recommendation is passed, the council will, in turn, request the county planning commission to expand the planning area. Decatur can request to expand its planning area out to five miles from the city limits, Mayor Charles Linam said. Continue Reading »
Bulldogs win conference!
Decatur wins conference championship for the first time since late '70s; goes on to regional play and possibly state.
DECATUR — The Decatur boys basketball team won the 4-2 A conference championship and is headed on to play in the regional tournament this week for a spot in the 2A state tournament. Continue Reading »
Lucio goes to great lengths to be volunteer soccer coach
DECATUR — When Jose Lucio attended his son’s Decatur High School soccer games last year, he noticed that coach James Garner was doing everything by himself. Continue Reading »
H2O rates to increase slightly
DECATUR — Water and sewer rates will be rising for Decatur residents. City council members voted on Feb. 11 to pass along the increase in water prices from Benton-Washington Regional Public Water Authority, as well as increasing wastewater treatment costs. No one attended the public hearing on the matter. Water rates in Decatur will go up $0.15 per thousand gallons, and sewer rates will go up $0.30 per thousand gallons. Continue Reading »
Technology is changing the face of education in Decatur's public schools
New technology in the classrooms is called 'game changer' in the way kids learn.
DECATUR — New technology is taking education far beyond chalkboards and textbooks in the Decatur School District. Continue Reading »
Bulldogs secure championship
DECATUR — The Bulldogs defeated the Mountainburg Dragons 47-42 on Friday for their 11th straight win. Continue Reading »
Decatur superintendent voices concerns over proposed school choice legislation to board
DECATUR — Superintendent Larry Ben urged school board members and patrons to contact their state representatives about school choice because it could have a big impact on the Decatur School District. Continue Reading »
Decatur girls dress up for colors day and then play ball and win
DECATUR — The Lady Bulldogs beat the Hartford Hustlers 39-22 during Friday’s Colors Day game. Continue Reading »
Sidewalk grant considered in Decatur Council meeting
DECATUR — Decatur is looking to join a program that would help the city build more sidewalks for students who walk to school. Continue Reading »
Bulldogs on a roll, with seven straight
DECATUR — The Bulldogs won Friday’s home conference game against the Johnson County Westside Rebels 57-42. Continue Reading »
Water, sewer rates to increase in Decatur
DECATUR — A public hearing is scheduled for next month’s Decatur City Council meeting to discuss water and sewer rate increases. Continue Reading »
Decatur school implements lock-down
Unidentified man asking for money triggers precautionary response on Friday
DECATUR — A trespasser triggered the Decatur High School’s recently-implemented lock-down procedure on Friday morning. Continue Reading »
Story time set to start for children
DECATUR — The Iva Jane Peek Library in Decatur will be starting a story time for children next month. Continue Reading »
Bulldogs pick up three more wins, girls improving
DECATUR — The Bulldogs picked up three more conference wins for a league record of 5-1. Continue Reading »
Highfill deadlocked on appointment
HIGHFILL — After some controversy over city attorney fees, city council members at their January meeting voted to pass a $1.6 million budget for the city of Highfill, including a 2.6 percent pay increase for all employees (except the police department) to offset the increase in payroll taxes. Continue Reading »
Decatur PO to have its hours cut in April
DECATUR — The Decatur Post Office will only be open six hours per day during the week starting in April, the United States Postal Service announced on Jan. 1. The Decatur Post Office was one of 400 offices in Arkansas — including the Hiwasse, Maysville and Sulphur Springs Post Offices — selected for a POST Plan review. The review explored options of closing the post offices, reducing hours or offering a “Village Post Office” kept open by a local business or private contractor. Continue Reading »
Chamber reviews 2013 event plans
DECATUR — With a new set of officers, Decatur Chamber of Commerce members looked back at holiday events and made plans for the new year at Monday’s meeting. Continue Reading »
Investigation continues into elevator accident
DECATUR — Investigation of an elevator accident at the Simmons Feed Mill in Decatur is ongoing, according to Denise Oxley, attorney for the Arkansas Department of Labor Elevator Safety Division. Continue Reading »
Bulldogs split games during Christmas event
DECATUR — The Bulldogs won one and lost one during the Heber Springs tournament last week. Continue Reading »
Small raises given to some in Decatur
DECATUR — Rising health insurance costs left Decatur city employees without annual raises this year, but some city employees will still get a small raise after all, thanks to an extra $5,000 found in the city’s budget. Continue Reading »
Gifted, Talented program receives positive review
DECATUR — The Decatur School District’s gifted and talented program was given a good review after recently being monitored by the Arkansas Department of Education, according to Decatur superintendent Larry Ben. Continue Reading »
New business opens in Decatur
DECATUR — The Decatur Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon cutting last week at Johnny’s Barbershop, a new business on Main Street owned by Johnny and Fran Hampton. Continue Reading »
Lady Bulldogs win one but lose one
DECATUR — The Lady Bulldogs defeated the Watts, Okla., Engineers 45-43 during a non-conference game last Wednesday. Continue Reading »
Decatur Bulldogs put the bite on two Oklahoma teams
DECATUR — The Bulldogs picked up two more wins against Oklahoma teams last week, boosting their record to 6-3. Continue Reading »
Decatur teacher speaks at Las Vegas convention
English and journalism teacher James Garner, South Carolina teacher Rachel Stokes speak of experience in video classroom
DECATUR — Decatur High School teacher James Garner and his teaching partner Rachel Stokes of Greenville South Carolina spoke at the National Council of Teachers of English national convention in Las Vegas last month. Continue Reading »
New technology director hired for Decatur Schools
DECATUR — School board members voted to hire Charles Weber as the new Decatur School District’s technology director at a special meeting on Dec. 3. Continue Reading »
City joins hazardous waste cooperative
DECATUR — In case of a chemical spill or other hazardous substance emergency, Decatur will be served by the Siloam Springs Fire Department’s Hazardous Material Response Team under a new interlocal cooperation agreement. Continue Reading »
Bulldogs toughened through tournament play
DECATUR — The Bulldogs gained valuable experience and won one game during the Adair Okla. Continue Reading »