Year in Review — Part 2
Much happened in 2018, filling the pages of the Westside
Eagle Observer with local news stories and photos. What follows is Part 2 of this two-part series. Part 1 was in the Dec. 26 issue.
The July 4 issue reported: “Since Jeff Gravette tendered his resignation as superintendent May 23, the Decatur School Board spent the last two weeks reviewing several worthy candidates to take his place. On June 26, the school board announced that Steve Watkins, 46, will take the helm as the new superintendent, effective July 1.”
The same issue reported on the ribbon cutting of the new human foosball court at Pop Allum Park in Gravette. Danny White joined Gravette Lions Club president Bill Mattler in cutting the ribbon. White, owner of Cardinal Pawn in Gravette, contributed materials for the court and Lions Club members performed the labor.
In the July 11 issue, it was reported that “once again, thousands gathered in Gentry’s city park to celebrate America’s freedoms and carry on Gentry’s annual July 4 celebration — an event celebrated in Gentry for more than 120 years. Those in attendance enjoyed musical entertainment all afternoon and into the evening with music by Amity, Shields and Good
Company, River’s Edge Band, Back Road Story and John King.
On July 18, it was reported that Arthur Evans, “Art” to most of his patients and friends, retired after 47 years of practicing dentistry in Gravette. A retirement reception was held in his honor Saturday, July 7, at the Bank of Gravett community room. The dental office in the OCH health clinic building will not be closing, however, as Evans has sold the practice to a pair of Gentry dentists, Alan Lamb and Scott Stubbs, who operate Gentry Family Dentistry.
Also announced was that “Crystal Lake Farms, will cease operations in Decatur in September, according to an announcement made by Gerald Lessard, president of the Decatur-based free-range poultry company.”
On July 25, the Eagle Observer publicized the announcement that Benton County was entering into negotiations with Northwest Health System for ambulance service in western Benton County.
Also published was the news that members of Gentry’s finance and economic development committees met July 17 to hear a request from McKee Foods and Jill Grimsley, the company’s attorney, requesting a tax abatement to facilitate major upgrades to the Gentry facility. According to documents provided to council members, McKee Foods was asking the city to enter into a payment in lieu of tax agreement with the company providing for 65 percent ad valorem tax abatement on all personal and real property owned or leased by McKee Foods in connection to Gentry operations for a period of 25 years. The company was asking the city to issue bonds in a maximum principal amount of $160 million, with the bonds privately placed with an affiliate of McKee Foods.
In the Aug. 1 issue was the news that members of the Gravette City Council, at their regular meeting on July 26 passed a resolution authorizing the mayor to make application for an Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism Outdoor Recreation Grant. Grant funds, if received, will be used to develop recreational facilities in the Hiwasse Park and in Old Town Park.
The Aug. 8 issue included photos and a story on the annual Decatur Barbecue, its parade and events, the previous Saturday.
Also on the same Saturday, almost 20 area bird watchers attended a morning field trip of the Northwest Arkansas Audubon Society to the Eagle Watch Nature Trail in Gentry. Those attending saw a variety of songbirds, as well as egrets, herons, double-crested cormorants, a neotropic cormorant and an adult killdeer with three recently-hatched chicks. Among the many insects were the monarch butterfly and swallowtails.
The Aug. 15 issue reported on the ribbon cutting at the new Gentry Intermediate School classroom facility: “What began in October 2015 was realized on Thursday when the ribbon was cut on the new Gentry Intermediate School classroom facility and even more so on Monday when students began classes in the new school building. The Gentry School Board voted on Oct. 19, 2015, to move forward with a plan to build a new classroom facility at the Gentry Intermediate School, build a sloped roof on the north building of the Intermediate School, renovate systems at the high school and the new
agriculture building at the high school and renovate the old agriculture building or put up a new metal building to house a new diesel mechanic training facility at the high school as part of the school district’s new focus on career and workforce education.”
Also reported was that “Darlene McVay was crowned Miss Gravette 2018 at the competition held Saturday in Kindley Park. She also earned the title of Miss Congeniality and was first in the evening gown and interview competitions. Kaitlyn Lloyd was first runner-up and winner of the streetwear competition, and Gage Woodcock was second runner-up. Tiffany Wheeler was crowned Miss Teen Gravette. She was also first in the streetwear, evening gown and interview competitions. Isabella Holloway was first runner-up. Madelyn Obert was selected Miss Congeniality and was second runner-up. A total of 11 pageants were held on Gravette Day.”
The lead story on Aug. 22 was that the Highfill City Council “approved spending up to $7,000 to obtain an analysis of the city’s sewer system and a rate study in order to assist the city in making the best choices in regard to providing sewer services to new subdivisions and developments in the city. Though the city’s current wastewater treatment facility is permitted by the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality to treat up to 100,000 gallons of sewage per day and is operating at only 10 percent of that capacity, the health department will allow only 400 connections to the sewer system and the city is nearing that limit with the new housing subdivisions. The health department limit would require the city to build Phase Two of the city’s treatment facility to provide sewer service to the next 400 homes, or it could connect to Northwest Arkansas Conservation Authority and not be limited by the health department regulation, though the city would have to pay NACA for the sewer service and pass on costs to the customers.”
The Sept. 5 issue shared the news that Dierek and Dani Madison opened the Station Cafe in Gravette on Aug. 24.
The fall show of the Tired Iron of the Ozarks was featured in the Sept. 12 issue of the Eagle Observer with numerous photos.
The Sept. 19 issue reported that Cindy McWilliams of the Marble area, planted some of Terry Stanfill’s milkweed and ended up with more caterpillars than milkweed, so she and her husband David took a twohour drive to bring the caterpillars to the Eagle Watch Nature Area and place the caterpillars on the swamp milkweed Stanfill has growing there. Milkweed plants are critical to the numbers and survival of the monarch butterfly — the large butterflies with brilliant orange and black wings seen in our area in the warmer months. And the decline in milkweed due to farming practices and urban development is thought to be directly related to the decline in numbers of monarch butterflies across North America.
In addition to approving the tax-abatement plan for McKee Foods Corporation at its Sept. 10 meeting, the Gentry City Council, after a public hearing on the topic, also approved a resolution to seek United States Department of Agriculture funding to build a new water-storage tower to serve the east side of Gentry’s water-service area, including the new Simmons poultry processing plant, now under construction. The estimated cost of the project would be $11.4 million, according to numbers presented at the meeting. The city will seek both grant funding and loan funding for the project — 35 percent grant funding and 65 percent loan funding.
The Sept. 26 issue reported: “A group of more than 40 students from Arkansas Connections Academy, a virtual school for students from across the state, opened its school year with a trip to the Old Spanish Treasure Cave Friday, Sept. 14. Students were able to visit the ‘council room’ where early explorers likely camped and see a number of interesting formations, including one that has been named ‘the Titanic’ because of its resemblance to a ship’s hull. Other intriguing sights include rails that have been uncovered, which carried the ore carts when George W. Dunbar, owner of the cave in the 1890s, and fellow treasure seekers were excavating in the cave, and the natural chimney, which allowed smoke to escape and was reportedly the means by which the original Spanish conquistadors who buried the treasure were discovered and killed by marauding Indians.”
It was announced that the Gentry Fire Department would soon add a helipad to its Fire Station No. 2 on land donated by Southwestern Electric Power Co., which co-owns and operates the nearby Flint Creek Power Plant. SWEPCO donated one acre of land to the city of Gentry in 2012 for construction of a new fire station at the intersection of Taylor Orchard Road and Marion Lee Road. The four-bay station was completed in 2015. A second acre was donated in 2017 for construction of a helipad.
The Oct. 3 issue reported on the Hiwasse Fall Festival and on the Pickin’ Time on 59 events held the previous week in Eagle Observer territory. Members of the First Christian Church in Gravette hosted an anniversary celebration Saturday, Sept. 29, to commemorate the church’s 120th year in existence. About 60 guests attended the special celebration.
Gentry City Council, on Oct. 1, approved a final plat for Phase 1B of the Sunset Ridge subdivision, adopted the 2018 millage rate and discussed what to do about the feral cat situation, according to the Oct. 10 issue.
In the Oct. 17 issue, it was reported that a ribbon cutting was held at the newly renovated Gravette Civic Center on Oct. 11, just preceding the evening’s city council committee of the whole meeting. Mayor Kurt Maddox, city officials, city council members and members of the Greater Gravette Chamber of Commerce were all present. Several citizens from both Gravette and Hiwasse attended and enjoyed tours of the facility after the ribbon cutting. Mayor Kurt Maddox welcomed all present and thanked them for attending. He expressed gratitude to all who helped during the several months of renovation and invited all to make use of the beautiful, completely remodeled building.
Also reported was a new roof for the old log cabin in Decatur. The centuryold cabin was moved into Decatur in the early 1990s to preserve a part of the town’s history.
The Oct. 24 issue reported: “Benton County, the cities of Gentry and Decatur and Northwest Health Emergency Medical Services announced on Oct. 17 a new collaboration to serve western Benton County residents. The new agreement will place three Advanced Life Support ambulances in the west side of Benton County while saving Benton County residents more than $195,000. The new agreement encompasses EMS services for the fire districts in Sulphur Springs, Gravette, Maysville, Decatur, Gentry and Gallatin, including the cities of Gentry and Decatur. The city of Gravette will continue to provide EMS services within the city limits of Gravette and Sulphur Springs.”
According to the Nov. 7 issue, a high-speed chase which began in Gravette shortly after noon on Oct. 30 ended south of the city on North Mount Olive Road west of Wildwood Way shortly before 1 p.m. after a crash involving a Benton County patrol vehicle and the fleeing suspect’s car had occurred. Jacob Mills, 25, of Hiwasse, Trevor Meeker, 27, of Centerton, and Jennifer Parks, 27, of Bentonville, were taken into custody and transported to the Benton County Jail. According to Benton County Jail logs, Mills was arrested in connection with careless driving, fleeing in a vehicle with extreme indifference, theft by receiving, fleeing on foot, carrying a weapon, aggravated assault (a Class D felony), criminal mischief and possession of drug paraphernalia. Meeker was arrested in connection with fleeing on foot, resisting arrest, theft by receiving and possession of drug paraphernalia. Parks was arrested in connection with fleeing on foot, theft by receiving and possession of drug paraphernalia.
The Nov. 14 issue reported on the area’s first snowfall of the season, gave election results and said that Gentry City Council, on Nov. 5, approved an ordinance authorizing the mayor to enter into an agreement with Northwest Arkansas Paramed Transfer for ambulance service within the city of Gentry and passed an ordinance increasing fees for water and sewer service.
Special ceremonies were held in Gravette Nov. 11 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the armistice ending WWI. The service was held at Hillcrest Cemetery, near the Kindley family burial plot. Captain Field E. Kindley, Gravette’s WWI Air Ace, is buried there.
On Nov. 21, news was reported on the fall festival held at Northside Elementary in Decatur. County Judge Barry Moehring also held a town hall meeting in Gravette to discuss the new ambulance service coming to the west side of Benton County on Jan. 1.
The Nov. 28 issue reported on trails funding awarded to Decatur, Gentry and Gravette. The cities of Decatur, Gentry and Gravette were listed among award recipients from the Arkansas Department of Transportation’s Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) and Recreational Trails Program (RTP) for 2018. Decatur was awarded $250,000 in RTP funding for a trail addition in Veterans Park. Gentry was awarded $121,00 in RTP funding for a footbridge over the spillway and trail additions at the Flint Creek Nature Park. Gravette was awarded $400,000 through TAP for its trail system.
Weekend Christmas parades in Gentry and Decatur filled the pages of the Dec. 12 issue. Gravette Christmas parade photos were in the Dec. 5 issue. The Dec. 12 issue also reported that a federal grant to complete the long-awaited Bella Vista Bypass had been awarded. The $25 million grant is being awarded to the Northwest Arkansas Regional Planning Commission, which will, in turn, give the money to cash-strapped Missouri to build a 4.8-mile section of Interstate 49 from Pineville, Mo., south to the state line. Even though the project is across the line, it’s within regional planning’s jurisdiction.
The Dec. 19 issue reported that Highfill police officer Dennis Malone received a commendation from Highfill police chief Blake Webb and Mayor Michelle Rieff at the city council meeting in Highfill on Dec. 10 for his quick response and ongoing investigative work in locating and recovering two juveniles who ran away from the Northwest Arkansas Children’s Shelter on Nov. 24. According to Webb, Malone responded to the call and worked for 10 days straight, making himself available day and night to locate the missing juveniles (one was located in a day and a half and the other in 10 days).
Members of the Gravette High School forensics club hosted a holiday dinner at the civic center Saturday evening, Dec. 15. Forensics club members are students in grades nine through 12 who participate in speech, debate and drama classes. The students, under the direction of their teacher, Jackie Rieff, served the meal and provided entertainment during the dinner.
The Dec. 26 issue reported on the Decatur Pre-K trip on the Christmas Express train Dec. 18. The train traveled from Springdale to Johnson and back but gave children a Christmas experience they will remember for years to come.
The Eagle Observer continues its local coverage in 2019 and invites area residents to subscribe and stay informed.