Lake Dardanelle Visitors Center to feature work of Marion HotzThe Lake Dardanelle State Park's visitors center will feature the work of Marion Hotz, a Russellville painter who specializes in watercolor paintings. "I am one of those artists who fell in love with drawing and painting while in grade school. I drew a picture that I thought was really great and have kept it to this day," Hotz said. As soon as her youngest child entered school, she began taking watercolor classes when they were offered in Russ...

ATU announces preliminary fall enrollment figuresStrengthened by a milestone year for its Graduate College, Arkansas Tech University announced a preliminary fall 2017 enrollment of 11,801 students on Sept. 8. Enrollment at ATU is steady as compared to one year ago, when the institution was home to 11,894 students for the fall 2016 semester. Included in the preliminary fall 2017 enrollment are 1,048 graduate students, an increase of 24.6 percent over fall 2016. This fall marks the first time ...

Going back home againAs I have told you before, I grew up in Carthage, a very small town in Dallas County. As most teenagers born and raised in similar environments, I longed for the city life I saw on television. Kids from Central High in Little Rock who danced daily on "Your Party" or "Steve's Show" appeared to have it made in their sophisticated lifestyles. The coolest clothes. The coolest dates. The coolest places to shop and to go for daily entertainment. I w...

State rep visits AtkinsCory Sutterfield, social studies teacher at Atkins High School, and his class were visited by Arkansas State Representative Mary Bentley as part of the "Legislature in the Classroom" week. Bentley spoke to the ninth grade civics class about her background and what led her to politics. She then had a Q&A session with the students about current political events. THE COURIER / Submitted

Catfish shouldn't be taken for grantedCatfish are a staple on the dinner tables of a large number of Arkansas River Valley residents as well as families throughout the south. So it is no wonder that catfish are one of the most pursued game fish in the Natural State. I think a good number of us take for granted how easy it is to get a mess of catfish even if they are not biting, just by heading to Mackey's Fish Truck or Browns or any other fine establishment in town that cooks catf...

Ex-school treasurer charged with theftCLARKSVILLE -- A former treasurer with the Johnson County Westside School District was recently charged with five counts of theft of property which totaled over $178,000. David Gibbons, prosecuting attorney for the Fifth Judicial District, confirmed that Brandi Freeman, who was district treasurer for nine years until her resignation in March, was charged in Johnson County Circuit Court documents with five counts of theft of district funds. Two...

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BY SEAN INGRAM
sean@couriernews.comThe Courier Your Messenger For The River Valley

100 pounds of pot recovered on I-40Arkansas State Police recovered around 100 pounds of marijuana from U.S. Interstate 40 on Tuesday after stopping a U-Haul for swerving onto the right shoulder several times. According to a police report, the vehicle was stopped near the 75 eastbound mile marker at approximately 8:03 a.m. After allegedly noticing an odor of marijuana emitting from the passenger window, the trooper initiated a search based on probable cause. According to the rep...

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BY TRAVIS SIMPSON
simpson@couriernews.comThe Courier Your Messenger For The River Valley

Corps of Engineers gives Clarksville 'four' ratingCLARKSVILLE — The Clarksville City Council passed a state increase in minimum bid amounts, levied taxes and passed an adjustment regarding the Clark Road project during its regular meeting Monday. Recently the state of Arkansas increased the minimum bid amount allowed from $20,000 to $35,000, which the city council accepted. Clarksville Mayor Mark Simpson said one concern discussed was the increase could potentially hurt the local economy. Tho...

Local students visit Kidz FarmSaturday was the last opportunity to attend the 2017 Pope County Fair. Activities concluded with Johnny Lee as entertainment. Friday, students from local schools across the River Valley attended the Pope County fair grounds to pay a visit to the livestock animals. Groups of students took turns rotating through different stations manned by 4-H volunteers to learn more about the animals — horses, goats, pigs, chickens, calves, rabbits and sheep.

Cuba mystery: Even Castro baffled by harm to US diplomatsHAVANA — Raul Castro seemed rattled. The Cuban president sent for the top American envoy in the country to address grave concerns about a spate of U.S. diplomats harmed in Havana. There was talk of futuristic "sonic attacks" and the subtle threat of repercussions by the United States, until recently Cuba's sworn enemy. The way Castro responded surprised Washington, several U.S. officials familiar with the exchange told The Associated Press. In...

What's changed with NKorea in 5 weeks since 'fire and fury'WASHINGTON — How has North Korea responded in the five weeks since President Donald Trump threated Pyongyang with "fire and fury?" A trio of missile launches and a hydrogen bomb test that is the communist nation's most powerful to date. And what have the U.S. and its allies achieved? A new set of U.N. sanctions that even Trump declared a "small step," extensive talks and a rhetorical two-step that leaves them where they have been for years. Wh...

Trump honors resolve of the nation's Air ForceJOINT BASE ANDREWS, Md. — President Donald Trump honored the resolve of the nation's Air Force on Friday, warning foes and international terrorist groups that the U.S. military would respond to any threats. "America and our allies will never be intimidated. We will defend our people, our nations and our civilization from all who dare to threaten our way of life," Trump told military personnel at Joint Base Andrews, marking the 70th anniversary...

Atkins CC talks trash serviceATKINS — A proposed building and the city’s contract with Lee’s Trash Service was discussed by the Atkins City Council during its regular meeting Tuesday at City Hall. The council received a letter from Tony Lee, owner of Lee’s Trash Service, about buying property just outside the Atkins city limits off U.S. Highway 64. Mayor Jerry Don Barrett said that it would actually be in the county, but aldermen had no objections. The mayor added the Atk...

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Sean Ingram sean@couriernews.comThe Courier Your Messenger For The River Valley

Arkansas residents with health care insurance riseLITTLE ROCK — A government agency survey says the percentage of Arkansas residents with health care insurance is on the rise, putting the state above the national average. The number of uninsured residents dropped last year by almost 46,000 to nearly 231,800, according to the survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau. The state ranked 25th in the percentage of residents with coverage last year, an improvement from 2015 when the state ranked 3...

Maher set to perform at UofOCLARKSVILLE -- Eight-time Grammy-nominated contemporary Christian singer and songwriter Matt Maher will perform a concert at University of the Ozarks on Friday, Sept. 22, as part of the university's 2017-18 Walton Arts & Ideas Series. The concert, which begins at 6 p.m. on the campus mall, is being held in conjunction with the university's Family Weekend. The public is invited to attend and there is no cost for admission. Guests are encouraged...

Committee discusses flooding, ATU planThe Russellville City Council Finance Committee got an update on a couple of flooding issues and eventually tabled any action on the proposal from Arkansas Tech University to buy the Public Works property on North El Paso Avenue during its regular meeting Tuesday at City Hall. They also learned that City Engineer Kurt Jones contacted the Arkansas Department of Transportation (ArDOT) and started looking into flooding issues in the area of O Str...

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BY SEAN INGRAM
sean@couriernews.comThe Courier Your Messenger For The River Valley