RECOLLECTIONS
50 Years Ago Pea Ridge Graphic Vol. 3 No. 15 Thursday, April 11, 1968
It was a warm and windy afternoon and Gary Tolbert, a sixth-grader, was idly riding his bicycle down the street when he smelled smoke. He looked in the Package Drug Store window and noticed some smoke at the site of the grill. Not immediately realizing that the grill was unattended, he rode on. A few minutes later, though, the boy came back. This time when he peered in the drug store window, he realized that there was entirely too much smoke inside to be normal. It was then that he saw the car of policeman Bill Smith passing by. The boy ran into the street and hailed him down. Smith hastened to summon Mrs. Al Koenke, who lives near the drug store where she is an employee. Although the Fire Department was summoned, the source of the smoke was cut off when Mrs. Koenke turned off the burners beneath the grill. Fire Chief Rodger Hickman commended the Tolbert boy for noticing what might have become a devastating fire.
The Pea Ridge City Council at its monthly meeting held Saturday morning wrested with problems involving roads, water, sewer, fires and expenses. A motion was passed to investigate the costs of clearing brush near the road that runs by the Pea Ridge Laundryette. Another motion was passed to investigate the possible purchase of a vault for City Hall and to advertise for a good used vault. The water and sewer discussions involved one case of a resident wanting water to his property and another case involving a resident paying sewer tax but whose property is not connected to the sewer system. The patching of chug holes in city streets was carried out during the month of March, and the Council discussed further road blacktopping to be done during the summer months.
40 Years Ago Pea Ridge Graphic-Scene Vol. 13 No. 15 Wednesday, April 12, 1978
Formation of a volunteer fire department for Northeast Benton County moved forward with election of a board of directors at a meeting Monday night at Garfield School. Rogers Fire Chief Bob Whitley, president of the Benton County Rural Fire Protection Association, was present to discuss what is required
for a volunteer fire-fighting organization. Whitely said two tanker trucks, fully equipped — one with a 300-gallon water tank and the other with a 500-gallon tank are available as surplus equipment from the forestry service. The local organization must provide a facility for storing and maintaining the equipment, and a volunteer fire fighting force. The goal of the association is to provide a maximum 10 minute response time to a structure fire at any location in the county. This would be accomplished through the cooperation of all county fire departments.
A new business, Hall Realty and Construction Company, owned by Lester Hall, will be coming to Pea Ridge after the new brick office building is finished. Lester, who learned the construction business from his father, Billy Hall, already has several homes under construction. The building will include another office for rent with plans to add more.
Johnny Bone recently opened J&E Automotive in Pea Ridge. Bone is well known in the area as a stock-car racing driver for the past five years. A Pea Ridge native, he and a brother, Eddie, used to operate J&E Automotive at a downtown location and now located on Smith Street at Lee Town Road behind the Bank of Pea Ridge. Bone is specializing in brake work, tune-ups, starters and minor repairs.
30 Years Ago The TIMES of Northeast Benton County Vol. 23 No. 15 Thursday, April 13, 1988
In a marathon meeting that lasted until early Tuesday morning, the Pea Ridge Board of Education voted unanimously to eliminate all sports programs except those that produce revenue. The effect of the decision means that the Pea Ridge district will retain its football and basketball programs and eliminate spring sports such as baseball, track and cross country effective next year. Superintendent Bill Alvarez said that the money saved by the elimination of these activities will be redirected to academic projects. He said that there are also reasons other than budget savings. The elimination of the programs and the reduction by one of the coaching staff, Alvarez said, is expected to save the district more than $28,000.
Easley’s Ace Hardware in downtown Pea Ridge is now in the lumber business. Owner John Easley said, “We’ll carry a pretty good line of dimension lumber plus plywood, cement, mortar mix and probably some treated lumber for decks.” To prepare for the lumber business, Easley said, required the construction of a shed next to the business garage.
The state Highway Department awarded a million dollar contract for improving Arkansas Highway 265 to a northwest Arkansas firm prompting a positive reaction among proponents of the project. The project involves the paving of a 3.3 mile stretch of State Hwy. 265 from Pea Ridge north to the Missouri state line. The low bidder and winner of the contract is Apec-Arkansas, Inc. and terms call for the job to be completed by June 30, 1989.
20 Years Ago The TIMES of Northeast Benton County Vol. 33 No. 15 Thursday, April 16, 1998
Four Pea Ridge churches were burglarized last week with small amounts of money being taken. Pea Ridge Police Chief Tim Ledbetter said that no one has been arrested. Burglarized were Pea Ridge Church of the Nazarene, Weston Street Chapel, Pea Ridge Assembly of God and Pea Ridge Church of Christ.
The Pea Ridge School Board voted Monday night to see a 3.8 mill increase in property taxes to pay for a new high school. The issue will be on the September ballot. If the increase is approved, property taxes in the district dedicated schools would increase from 35.8 mill to 39.6 mills. The School Board sought a 6.6 mill increase last September for a new high school, but the voters turned it down. The lower millage increase request, according to the district’s fiscal agent, T.J. Raney and Sons, is the result of high property tax assessments.
If you have heard a low-flying helicopter in your neighborhood, it probably was the Air Evac Lifeteam air ambulance from Northwest Medical Center in Springdale. Unlike the choppers on MASH, Air Evac is a high-tech, 120-mile-per-hour miniemergency room, complete with paramedic and registered nurse. The Emergency Medical Technicians from Pea Ridge Ambulance Service and the Volunteer Ambulance Service transport to the nearest emergency room, that means Rogers or Bentonville. However, the EMTs may request Air Evac when a patient is in critical condition and in need of immediate medical help, the patient is in a remove location, road conditions are unsafe or the patient needs to go to a hospital other than Rogers or Bentonville. Air ambulance service is very expensive, however we can pay in advance for Air Evac, just like paying annual dues to the fire departments. Yearly membership is $40 per individual or $50 per family, which is for unlimited emergency flights plus any required transfers.
10 Years Ago The TIMES of Northeast Benton County Vol. 43 No. 15 Wednesday, April 16, 2008
A special City Council meeting to interview candidates for councilman was proposed by Mayor Jackie Crabtree who said there are several more applicants for the seat vacated by Guary Morgan last month. Nadine Telgemeier has added her name to the applications for the seat, joining Don Draper III and John Cody, who applied last week.
Pea Ridge School Board members will meet Wednesday in the Media Center of Pea Ridge High School. Personnel issues, including resignations and hirings, salary proposals for certified, classified and administrative staff are to be considered. Contract renewals for certified staff are to be considered as is a leave request. Also on the agenda are consideration of an out-of-state trip for the choir to Kansas City, for elementary students to Roaring River State Park in Missouri, the 2008-2009 school calendar, drainage easement for the baseball property and negotiations with Head Start for the use of the building on Black Street.
After discovering a submerged car on Guthrie Road just north of Lee Town Road Thursday, emergency personnel called in a diver to check for occupants. Personnel from Pea Ridge police, fire and ambulance, as well as Benton County Sheriff’s Office and Benton County Department of Emergency Management stood by to assist. No one was found inside the car and emergency personnel did not find the car when they returned after the water had subsided.