Decatur churches find new ways to minister to their flocks
DECATUR -- When the covid-19 pandemic ramped up in the U.S. in March, it prompted local, state and national officials to essentially close down much of the cou…
Stories by Mike Eckels
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Chamber cancels 67th annual Decatur Barbecue due to pandemic
DECATUR -- After a run of 66 years, one of Decatur's iconic festivals will come to an end this year due in large part to the uncertainty that faces the nation …
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Strong storms dampen Memorial Day celebrations
DECATUR -- Memorial Day began hot and humid with temperatures in the upper 70s to low 80s and dew points hovering in the upper 60s in northwest Arkansas and ea…
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Son comes back to finish where father left off as new Decatur football coach
DECATUR -- With the possibility of high school football games looming on the horizon, Decatur Bulldog athletic director Toby Conrad announced May 20 that the 8…
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Volunteers place crosses, flags at cemetery
DECATUR -- Cemeteries around the nation prepared to observe the annual Memorial Day holiday, a time to remember soldiers from the Army, Air Force, Navy, Marine…
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Decatur district sets 2020 graduation
DECATUR -- High school seniors across the nation have looked forward to their moment to walk across a stage and receive a high school diploma in a big elaborat…
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Decatur schools announce food program
DECATUR -- The Decatur School District announced it will participate in the Seamless Summer feeding program again this year. The dates for the program are June…
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Decatur veteran groups raise flags for Memorial Day
DECATUR -- With Memorial Day a little over a week away, the Decatur Veterans Committee and the Howard-Parrish Chapter of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 9834…
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Business growing in Decatur
DECATUR -- With the increase in housing came the need for more businesses in Decatur. Over the past three years, the city has enjoyed several new businesses of…
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Decatur's council nixes pool opening
DECATUR -- Utilizing all the safety protocols set forth by Governor Asa Hutchinson and the Arkansas Municipal League, the Decatur City Council gathered both in…
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Hot car deaths can be prevented
With summer heat slowly creeping in, there is one important safety measure that people of all ages need to remember. It takes only a few minutes for a child, a…
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Different sight passes through Decatur
DECATUR -- A train is not a train without cars and a locomotive or two. Likewise, locomotives without cars do not make up a train. Every day, Decatur area resi…
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Accident near Decatur injures three, sends another to hospital
DECATUR -- A two-vehicle accident on Arkansas Highway 102 in Benton County sent one driver to the hospital, with three others checked by emergency medical tech…
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Expanded trial run for Italian food in Decatur
DECATUR -- When the Gallery Cafe was forced to close its doors due to the pandemic in March, it left the city with only two takeout services, TNT truck stop an…
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Seniors receive signs of the time
DECATUR -- High school graduation is a time of rejoicing for many seniors across the country. It is a time when a long 12-year journey ends and another lifetim…
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Crystal Lake becomes nursery for new Canada geese residents
DECATUR -- Over the past five years, Crystal Lake has been the permanent home of several species of large waterfowl, including a common white duck, herons, Egy…
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Crawdad up a tree
DECATUR -- Which is worse, being a fish out of water or a crawdad up a tree? Yes, Abby, there was a crawdad in a tree.
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Savages leaves law enforcement in style
DECATUR -- "Decatur 1, Chief Joe Savage, 10-7 for the final time, April 30, 2020," was the last radio transmission to Benton County dispatch that one 29-year l…
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Decatur seeing positive growth
DECATUR -- One of Decatur's greatest weaknesses over the past five years has been in the housing market. With the completion of the Simmons processing plant in…
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Second storm reeks havoc in Northwest Arkansas
DECATUR -- For the second day in a row, the skies over Northwest Arkansas began to darken, giving way to much more powerful thunderstorms than the previous day.
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White marbles fall from the sky
DECATUR -- The afternoon in Northwest Arkansas was full of sunshine and nice temperatures on April 27. In Decatur, it was an average Monday afternoon under the…
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After welfare check, Decatur police officer helps family in need
DECATUR -- One good thing which has emerged out of the current coronavirus pandemic is that first responders and police officers are finally getting the recogn…
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'Looking Glass' over Decatur
DECATUR -- Mercury was rising over Decatur Apr. 21 but it was not the planet closest to the sun but was instead a rather big airplane named Mercury.
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School board hears Watkins' covid-19 update
DECATUR -- The Decatur school board held its second virtual meeting on April 20 to hear an update from Steve Watkins concerning the covid-19 lockdown of all Ar…
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Nothside educator receives NBCT certification
DECATUR -- One of the highest honors that a teacher in the United States can achieve is the National Board Certified Teachers certification. For one Decatur No…
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Depot gets much-need makeover
DECATUR -- When visitors come to Decatur via Arkansas Highway 59, one thing catches their eye, the Decatur train depot and iconic F7 locomotive and caboose. Re…
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High-speed pursuit ends in crash
DECATUR -- A high-speed pursuit along Arkansas Highway 59 ended with a 2010 white Chevrolet Equinox crashing through a sign and into a culvert in Decatur on Ap…
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Police agency uses new device during chase
DECATUR -- This story begins on a nice tranquil evening in Decatur on April 14, around the 5 p.m. hour. Traffic was flowing normally on Arkansas 59 from Decatu…
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Police chief retires to open motorcycle repair shop
DECATUR -- Decatur Police Chief Joe Savage spent April 17 finishing up paperwork and tying up loose ends as he wrapped up his final day on duty as a law enforc…
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Decatur's city council accepts Holt resignation
DECATUR -- A pair of items needing approval faced the Decatur City Council April 13 in one of the most bizarre meetings to date. The council held its meeting n…
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Wastewater treatment plant receives national award
DECATUR -- Since its retrofitting project was completed in March 2019, the Decatur wastewater treatment plant has drawn a lot of national attention.
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Decatur High School announces third-quarter honor rolls
DECATUR -- Decatur High School released the names of its students who made the third-quarter Superintendent, Principal and Bulldog Honor Rolls April 7.
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Eight-man football returns to Decatur; league expands
DECATUR -- When the administrators and coaches of the Decatur School District approached the Arkansas Activities Association about forming an 8-man football le…
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Game and Fish Commission restocks Crystal Lake
DECATUR -- The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission recently restocked Crystal Lake with more than 670 pounds of channel catfish for the summer fishing season.
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Decatur students struggle with covid-19 restrictions
DECATUR -- The covid-19 lockdown around the world and the numbers of cases and related deaths have topped the headlines in every major global news media outlet…
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Covid-19 restrictions postpone Decatur High events for seniors
DECATUR -- With school closed to in-house instruction by Governor Asa Hutchinson due to the covid-19 pandemic, the Decatur School District formally announced t…
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Decatur to hold annual citywide trash pickup
DECATUR -- In spite of the covid-19 restrictions, the city of Decatur will hold its annual citywide cleanup on Thursday, April 23, beginning at 6:30 a.m.
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Decatur schools deliver free meals to students
DECATUR -- The Decatur school system has provided free breakfasts and lunches to students who cannot afford a meal. Many of these students would go hungry thro…
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Decatur school buses take on new role during pandemic
DECATUR -- Since the last student transport vehicle pulled out of the parking lot at Decatur High School March 16, school buses in the district fleet have rema…
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School board holds virtual meeting
DECATUR -- In one of the most bizarre meetings in its recent history, the Decatur School Board held its first virtual meeting not in the boardroom at Decatur M…
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Springs sports photos that didn't make the paper
Westside Eagle Observer/MIKE ECKELS Emmanuel Thao (Decatur 5) and Holden Wills (21) collide in mid-air trying to get to the ball during the first half of the D…
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Area residents take a little time to enjoy springtime at Crystal Lake
DECATUR -- With the weather warming up to the low 80s March 25, area residents from Decatur and Gravette took a little time away from the constant bombardments…
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Stubborn runaway gets corralled at city hall
DECATUR -- "A what is running loose?" was the question a city of Decatur employee asked as he answered a call for a runaway animal in Decatur.
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Decatur parks' play equipment, buildings closed due to pandemic
DECATUR -- With the covid-19 shutdown across the state going into its third week, Decatur Mayor Bob Tharp, in keeping with guidelines set by Governor Asa Hutch…
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A look back at spring sports 2020
WESTSIDE -- It is becoming more and more apparent as March passes into April that the sports shutdown by the Arkansas Activities Association because of the cov…
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Flowering trees in full bloom
DECATUR -- Spring has accelerated over the past two weeks, with several varieties of flowering trees in full bloom across Northwest Arkansas.
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Jonesboro twister a vivid reminder to prepare for tornado season
DECATUR -- At 5:20 p.m. Saturday night, Jonesboro, a city in northeast Arkansas with a population of 67,263 (2010 Census), was hit with a devastating tornado t…
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Wolf Creek, Decatur Branch bridges to be replaced by state
DECATUR -- Over the past three months, several utility companies have been working to relocate underground and aboveground cables near the Decatur Branch bridg…
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More rain causes flooding in the area
DECATUR -- Rain continues to plague Northwest Arkansas, again causing serious flooding concerns over the region. In one day, northwest Arkansas received a tota…
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Spring is in the air, it's everywhere
DECATUR -- Everywhere one looks in Northwest Arkansas, the signs of spring are popping up. All one has to do is simply open the front door and there it is, spr…
