Hometown Events

Jam moves indoors The Acoustic Jam will move indoors to the fellowship hall of the Decatur United Methodist Church. - Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Veteran recalls service during World War II

By Janelle Jessen janellej@nwanews.com

DECATUR ó Local veteran Ivan Duncan, recounted his adventures serving as an army cook during World War II in honor of Veterans Day last week. Duncan was inducted into the Army in Little Rock on Dec. 28, 1941, just three weeks after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7. He grew up in Hiwasse and was 21 years old when he joined the military. Since Duncan had 13 months of experience cooking for the civilian conservation corps, he was chosen to be a cook for the army. He went to Camp Roberts, Calif., where he attended short-order cooking school for 13 weeks. He went on to San Luis Obispo, Calif., where he continued his training with a field artillery unit. In preparation for the North African campaign, Duncan trained in the Mojave Dessert and Death Valley, cooking over a 3-foot square stove in the back of a truck as it went down the road and serving the food upon arrival at his destination. - Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Decatur Schools: They're in the black ... but not out of the woods yet

By Janelle Jessen janellej@nwanews.com

DECATUR ó So far this year, the struggling Decatur School District is under budget, according to the financial statements Superintendent LeRoy Ortman presented at Mondayís townhall meeting. The school, however, is still looking at further budget cuts for next year. - Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Chili supper, auction raise more money for schools

By Janelle Jessen janellej@nwanews.com

DECATUR ó A fundraiser auction and chili supper on Nov. 8 raised more than $1,500 for Decatur Schools. Quilts made by school cafeteria employees, along with other donated items, were auctioned off to help raise money for the district. Chris Hutcheson and the cafeteria employees have spent their breaks sewing quilts since school started in August. Several quilts had already been raffled off or sold, and several more were sold on Nov. 8. Teacher LaVonn Foreman thanked Hutcheson for her hard work. ìShe put in a lot of work and a lot of time and earned $1,500 for the school that day,î Foreman said. ìBoth of her children are sent to school here, so she is a parent as well an employee.î Homemade chicken and noodles, vegetable soup and desserts were on the menu at the fundraiser, along with the chili. ìThe food was wonderful,î Foreman said. There are still some quilts available and for sale. The liberty quilt on display at Bulldog Days did not meet its reserve at the auction and will be sold or raffled at a later da - Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Fees waived for use of ball fields

By Janelle Jessen janellej@nwanews.com

DECATUR ó City council members voted Nov. 10 to waive the schoolís usage fees this year for the Edmiston Ball Park, but only after voicing their concerns about the way the school and Decatur Youth Sports used the fields last year. Last year the school paid the city around $800 for the use of the baseball and softball fields, concession stands and bathrooms. It costs the city more than $500 for electricity to power the ball field lights. At last monthís meeting, council member David Cook recommended waiving the fees in support of the financiallystruggling school district, but Mayor Bill Montgomery and other council members were concerned about the condition in which the school and the Decatur Youth Sports program left the fields last year. High school athletic director Bobby King appeared before the council Nov. 10, along with Decatur Youth Sports leaders, to negotiate the use of the fields. Last year the concession stand and restrooms were left in unsanitary conditions, Cook and Montgomery told the leaders. T - Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Recycling cuts: Economy making some recyclables worthless

By Janelle Jessen janellej@nwanews.com

GENTRY ó Economic problems which caused gasoline prices to fall have also brought down the price of scrap materials ó in some cases to zero ó causing Academy Industries Recycling in Gentry to cut back on materials it can accept. The business, which employs Ozark Adventist Academy students to collect and sort recyclable materials, has provided the community with a free recycling service and has given students a way to help pay for their private high-school tuition. But because of market conditions, Academy Industries Recycling will have to cut back. It will no longer accept plastic bottles or junk mail. - Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Woman injured in accident

By Janelle Jessen janellej@nwanews.com

DECATUR ó Alice Neely of Bella Vista was involved in a one vehicle accident on north Arkansas Highway 59 in Decatur on Nov. 11 Neelyís Jeep Liberty rolled two times, according to witnesses, before coming to rest near the end of the Peterson airport runway. Neely told Decatur Police she was traveling north on Arkansas Highway 59, when she looked down to check her seat belt because it was too tight. When she looked up, she had run off the road and hit a yellow road sign. Neely told police she was able to get her vehicle back on the roadway and thought it was under control, but then the jeep began to turn back towards the ditch on itís own. Police Chief Terry Luker noted in his report that the vehicle left the roadway on the east side, leaving tracks in the ditch where the vehicle also hit a yellow marker sign and a culvert with its right front tire. Luker stated in his report that the driver may have overcorrected, causing her vehicle to run into the ditch a second time and begin to roll. Neely was transported - Wednesday, November 19, 2008