Gravette school board candidates
Hope Hendren Duke announced on Feb. 22nd that she will be seeking reelection as a candidate for Gravette School Board, Position 5.
Duke is a native of Gravette where she attended Gravette schools grades K-12 and graduated in 1989. She holds a bachelor of science degree in secondary education from the University of Arkansas and taught two years at the Gravette Middle School. Duke presently is a licensed Real Estate Agent with Benton County Realty.
She is a member of the Gravette Kiwanis Club and Berean Ministries in Gravette, serving as a youth director with her husband, Grant. As director of children’s ministries, Hope oversees vacation Bible school, the summer camp ministry, and Sunday school classes where she teaches a teen class. For more than 30 years, she has directed the Pirate Children’s Club meeting on Wednesdays at Berean Ministries.
Duke has served on the GHS Project Prom Committee
since
2015 and numerous other civic groups and committees within the school district over her years in Gravette. She is completing her first term on the Gravette School Board.
Duke is married to Grant Duke and they have three children. Two are recent graduates of Gravette schools. Her daughter Ella is a current elementary teacher in Siloam Springs. Seth is a student-athlete at the University of the Ozarks in Clarksville and Michael is a junior at Gravette High School.
Melanie Nichols, of Gravette, has announced she is a candidate for the Gravette School Board, Position 5. Nichols has been involved in the field of education for 20 years, five of which are in administration.
Nichols is currently serving as director of Bella Vista Preschool. She is also a member of the Northwest Arkansas Early Childhood Association (NWAECA).
She and her husband Matt have lived in the Gravette School District for 17 years and for the last eight years have also had at least one student in school. She has been active in the Gravette schools, volunteering at Glenn Duffy Elementary and Upper Elementary since 2008, and is currently serving her second year as PTO president at Gravette Middle School.
Nichols says her philosophy, “education is the foundation of our community,” is fueling her campaign. She has a passion for her students and is constantly looking for opportunities to grow.
As director of the Bella Vista Preschool, Nichols has a minimum requirement of professional development hours to meet each year. That minimum is 15 hours. However, she typically completes 25-30 hours. She is always in discussion with local teachers and administrators about current topics in education.
Nichols says her philosophy, “education is the foundation of our community,” is fueling her campaign. She has a passion for her students and is constantly looking for opportunities to grow. She says, as a school board member, her priorities would be protecting the traditions and values of the Gravette community while embracing the ever-changing needs of students in modern society; creating a culture of unity and positivity that will attract and keep high-quality educators in our schools; maintaining high standards of student learning across all demographics and grade levels; and providing administrators and teachers with the support and resources they need to educate the students in our community.
Melanie and her husband Matt have three children. Their daughter Naomi is currently in eighth grade at Gravette Middle School. Isaac is in fifth grade at Gravette Upper Elementary School and Titus will start kindergarten at Glenn Duffy Elementary in the 2021-2022 school year.
Monday, March 1
3:31 p.m. Police received a complaint about an air conditioner unit that was “cut into” at the Boys and Girls Club.
Tuesday, March 2
12:26 p.m. Police arrested Billy Fields, 50, on an out-oftown warrant during a traffic stop at Highlander Plaza.
3:16 p.m. Firefighters put out a grass fire that was threatening a structure on Howland Road.
10:49 p.m. Police arrested Marvin Russ, 52, in connection with possession of a firearm by certain persons and possession of drug paraphernalia, both felony charges, as well as driving on a suspended license, no insurance, no turn signal, and unsafe vehicle during a traffic stop at the All in One gas station.
Wednesday, March 3
12:21 p.m. Police received a walk-in complaint of credit card fraud.
4:34 a.m. Police arrested Laurianne Demers, 50, in connection with assaulting a law enforcement officer and disorderly conduct after responding to a call about her reportedly shooting at a neighbor’s house on Witham Lane.
Thursday, March 4
1:05 a.m. Police arrested Diana Martinez, 20, in connection with driving without a license, driving while intoxicated and failure to yield during a traffic stop on U.S. Highway 71.
3:32 p.m. Police received a complaint of copper stolen out of an air conditioning unit at the Presbyterian church on Forest Hills Boulevard.
Friday, March 5
1:53 p.m. Police received a complaint of someone in a pickup swerving and brake checking people on U.S. Highway 71.
9:57 p.m. Police arrested Daniel Ford, 43, in connection with driving while intoxicated and careless driving during a traffic stop on U.S. Highway 71.
Saturday, March 6
1:23 a.m. Police arrested Brianna Guiguis, 23, in connection with driving while intoxicated, following too close, possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, and open container during a traffic stop on U.S. Highway 71.
Sunday, March 7
4:52 a.m. Police arrested Colin Upton, 33, in connection with aggravated assault after responding to a disturbance call on Donington Lane.
10:09 a.m. Firefighters put out a gas fire at JJ’s Grill and advised the restaurant not to reopen until repairs were made.