Pinwheels turn to raise child abuse awareness

April 10, 2019 at 7:17 a.m.

by Randy Moll

Westside Eagle Observer/RANDY MOLL Ximena Morales, a fifth-grade student at Gentry Intermediate School, was one of a group of fifth-graders who placed pinwheels in the yard at the Gentry Police Station to make people aware of the large numbers of child abuse cases in Benton County each year. There were 353 confirmed cases in Benton County alone last year.
Westside Eagle Observer/RANDY MOLL Ximena Morales, a fifth-grade student at Gentry Intermediate School, was one of a group of fifth-graders who placed pinwheels in the yard at the Gentry Police Station to make people aware of the large numbers of child abuse cases in Benton County each year. There were 353 confirmed cases in Benton County alone last year.

GENTRY -- Pinwheels turning in the breeze are a reminder of the sad fact that there are many, many child abuse cases each year. In 2018 alone, 353 confirmed cases were reported and worked in Benton County.

This is a slight decrease from last 2017, which saw 380 confirmed cases, and 2016, which saw 439 confirmed cases, but the total number of cases continues to climb.

Fifth-grade students from Gentry Intermediate School assisted Gentry police officers in placing the 353 pinwheels in the police station lawn on Friday afternoon.

Community on 04/10/2019