Plant construction delayed by leak

By Janelle Jessen janellej@nwanews.com

DECATUR ó A crack in the rock below the hole dug for the wastewater treatment plant has posed some problems for the construction of Decaturís new plant. - Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Hometown Events

Athletic night The Booster Club will hold an athletic-night cookout for students, parents and community members at 6:30 p.m., Aug. 28, at the high school football field. - Wednesday, August 27, 2008

New clothing store opens

By Janelle Jessen janellej@nwanews.com

DECATUR ó The latest fashions from California can now be found in Decatur through a new business, Tiaís Closet. - Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Junior high football called questionable

By Janelle Jessen janellej@nwanews.com

DECATUR ó The junior high football team will need more players who show up for practice and more community support to make it through the season. - Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Spanish for Spanish speakers

By Janelle Jessen janellej@nwanews.com

DECATUR ó Beginning this semester, Decatur High School is offering one of the few ìSpanish for Spanish speakersî classes in the area. This fall, foreign language teacher October Vanegas, who teaches both Spanish and French, has six native Spanish speakers in her new class. Some of them are fluent in reading Spanish and others are not yet literate in Spanish or English. On Monday morning the group paired off, the more fluent students working with less fluent students, and practiced reading aloud. The focus was on clear pronunciations, Vanegas explained. Some of the students learned to read in Mexico, while others had very little opportunity to attend school until they came to the United States, Vanegas said. She hopes that, as students learn the connection between letters and sounds and as they discover how to read in Spanish, their English reading skills will improve as well. About 21 percent of Decaturís high school students speak another language at home. In the past, Spanishspeaking students have often enr - Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Booster Club plans support for activities

By Janelle Jessen janellej@nwanews.com

DECATUR ó Fans will be singing ìSweet home Decaturî at Bulldog games this year. - Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Fishing derby set for Sept. 6

By Janelle Jessen janellej@nwanews.com

DECATUR ó Parents will get to spend time with their kids in the great outdoors at the fifth annual community fishing derby on Sept. 6. - Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Colcord loses police services again

By Jeff Della Rosa jeffd@nwanews.com COLCORD, Okla. ó Colcord Police Department closed again when its police chief resigned Aug. 11. The townís now looking for a new chief. Itís also looking for someone to fill the unexpired term for town clerk and treasurer. Mary Fletcher resigned as town clerk and treasurer at the end of July to work at Cherokee Casino in West Siloam Springs, Okla., Colcord Mayor Pat Upton said. ìShe went to work at the casino because of the benefits there,î Upton said. The police chief, who had worked for the town for seven or eight weeks, also went to work there, Upton said. Fletcherís term would have run through April 2009. ìIt is an elected position,î Upton said. ìThey have to live within the city limits.î The town wants someone who has previous accounting experience, but it has yet to receive an applicant with the experience needed for the position. Salary for the position is $450 weekly or $23,400 annually. The decision to appoint both a new clerk and police chief would be made by the - Wednesday, August 27, 2008

County nixes short workweek

By Tabatha Hunter tabathah@nwanews.com

BENTON COUNTY ó Benton County is no longer considering a four-day workweek for county offices. - Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Plans OK’d for wastewater plant

By Tabatha Hunter tabathah@nwanews.com

BENTON COUNTY ó The Benton County Planning Commission voted to approve the plans for the Northwest Arkansas Conservation Authority Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant on Snavely Road in Highfill on Aug. 20, pending approval of all submitted documents to the commission. - Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Decatur woman arrested for theft

From Staff Reports

DECATUR ó A 20-year-old Decatur woman, Jennifer Tucker, was arrested after allegedly stealing a debit card and $300 cash from an elderly woman. The elderly woman told police that Tucker came to her apartment with a friend on Aug. 8 and made her several alcoholic drinks. The elderly woman fell asleep, and when she woke up, Tucker was gone. The elderly woman claimed her wallet, debit card and $300 cash were missing as well. After she was arrested on other warrants, Tucker told police she was at the elderly womanís apartment on Aug. 8. She stated the woman had been drinking and fell asleep. Tucker said the woman told her she could take $25 in cash for the Grape Festival. Tucker stated to police that she did not take any more cash than the $25 and that she did not take the womanís debit card. Tuckerís friend, who was with her on Aug. 8, told police that Tucker did have the elderly womanís debit card that night and used it to withdraw money from the Decatur State Bankís automatic teller machine. Tucker is being he - Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Arrowhead digger faces prison, fine

From Staff Reports

SILOAM SPRINGS ó A Siloam Springs man pled guilty in federal court last Wednesday to removing arrowheads from the Ozark National Forest. Kenneth Spry faces up to one year in prison and $10,000 in fines for removing artifacts from the forest. Spry was arrested May 25, 2007, after a U.S. Forest Service officer observed him walking out of the woods with dirty hands and bulging pockets. The officer found 12 arrowheads and a small round piece of metal on Spryís person. Spry admitted to digging for artifacts in the Ozark National Forest. He subsequently showed the officer the holes he had dug and admitted that he did not have permission to dig for the artifacts, which have a commercial value of $84. The penalties for his crime could cost him much more. - Wednesday, August 27, 2008