DEER — The Deer/Mt. Judea School District Board of Education approved sending interested school staff members to take emergency response training this summer. Last month, the board met via internet with Kurt Banta, owner of Emergency Response Training LLC, based in Gentry, about creating a district-wide security department and securing training for commissioned school security officers (CSSO). At the end of that meeting the board named Superintendent Bill Mazaur the department manager, but wanted to meet with Banta again to ask some additional questions, basically concerning cost, when it met at its regular meeting that was held Feb. 20. more

As the early voting for the upcoming March 5 Super Tuesday Presidential Primary as well as the primary for state and local elections continues at the Boone County Election Center in Harrison, the number of voters has more than doubled since last Friday. more

Daffodils, with their vibrant yellow blooms, have a rich history in the Ozarks. While native to Europe and North Africa, daffodils have been cultivated and naturalized in many regions worldwide, including the southern United States. more

Editor’s Note: The contents of this story came from an article entitled “Turbulent Times and the Murder of Kermit McDougal and Andy Evans” by Marilyn Breece, taken from the spring 2007 issue of the Boone County Historian and other sources including The Harrison Daily Times. more

Work continues on the Main Street Bridge in Harrison.  The Arkansas Department of Transportation (ARDOT) closed the bridge on Tuesday, Jan. 2, A new bridge will be built, scheduled to be completed in 2026 for approximately $10 million. more

Tim Saul and his son Kevin have been working on the Restoration Life Church Fellowship Hall They have completed a large portion of the work and it looks very good. more

You may step outside and smell smoke in the air in the coming weeks. The Ouachita and Ozark-St. Francis National Forests will be conducting prescribed burns. Other landowners and land managers will be taking advantage of low-wind days to cleanse the land with fire this time of year as well. more

JASPER — Newton County Community Matters celebrated its first anniversary and held it annual membership meeting Thursday, Feb. 22, at the Jasper Methodist Church. Members elected the new slate of officers and shared pieces of an anniversary cake along with other refreshments during the meeting. more

• Feb. 24 Daddy/Daughter Dinner, Bear Creek Baptist Church. 5 p.m. There will be dinner and entertainment. For more information, call (870) 741-7937. more

A slow but steady stream of votes have stopped by the Boone County Election Center through its first four days of early voting for the upcoming March 5 Super Tuesday Presidential Primary as well as the primary for state and local elections. more

"All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten" will be performed Live at the Lyric Theater in Harrison, March 1–2 at 7 p.m., and Sunday March 3 at 2 p.m. more

DEER — In an effort to attract new students to its schools and programs, the Deer/Mt. Judea School District Board of Education has elected to try digital advertising. more

ADH produces a Weekly Viral Respiratory Diseases Report for clinicians. The report provides information on Influenza, COVID-19 and Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) activity in the state. The report also compares activities in Arkansas to the U.S. ADH receives reports of only a fraction of COVID-19 cases and flu cases since it only requires reports of flu hospitalizations, deaths, and outbreaks. RSV is not a reportable disease in Arkansas. Therefore, it is important to understand that the information in the weekly update is representative of the timing and location of activity, but it does not reflect the overall disease burden. It is presumed that there are many more people actually affected than the report shows. Clinicians and policymakers may find the report helpful in terms of communicating to colleagues and patients about the current status of viral respiratory diseases in the state and nationwide. more

FAYETTEVILLE — Isaac James Melder, 42, of Yellville was sentenced on Feb. 13, to 360 months in prison without the possibility of parole after being found guilty of communicating with a minor through the internet to entice the minor to engage in illegal sexual activity. The Honorable Judge Timothy L. Brooks presided over the sentencing hearing in the U.S. District Court in Fayetteville. more

After 14 years of dedicated service and unwavering commitment to the pharmacy profession, Charles Mears announces his well-deserved retirement from North Arkansas Regional Medical Center Pharmacy Department. more

Next Saturday, March 2nd, 5pm, Lead Hill/Diamond City Area Chamber of Commerce Annual Banquet takes place at Lead Hill School Cafeteria (doors opening at 4:30). This Banquet is a way of connecting businesses and the community while reflecting on the previous year’s accomplishments. more

Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism has announced Newton County will receive $100,000 to construct a walking trail, pavilion, seating, play area, and accessibility features at Parthenon Community Park. The funding is coming through the Outdoor Recreation Grants Program (ORGP) that resides within the Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism’s Office of Outdoor Recreation which is tasked with the promotion and facilitation of public outdoor recreation in Arkansas. more

The Harrison Art League is sponsoring the 2024 Ozark Mountain Student Art Show at the Boone County Library. There are 136 art pieces by public school students from fifteen local schools. This show is held in conjunction with the Ozarks Unlimited Resources Educational Cooperative which serves schools in a three-county area. more

Rock Springs Apartments are springing up quickly on Gipson Road, near Home Depot, in Harrison. Bryan Properties, a 45-year-old firm headquartered in Springfield, MO, is responsible for the forthcoming new housing option. more