News

June Biber Freeman, 95, Scottsdale, Arizona, July 4. The wife of Edmond Wroe Freeman, IIIinois, Freeman met her future husband as a graduate student at the University of Chicago. The couple then moved to Pine Bluff, where Edmond published the Pine Bluff Commercial with his brother. In the early 1960s, she led the effort to create the Little Firehouse Community Arts Center, which grew to become the Southeast Arkansas Arts and Science Center, the predecessor of the Arts and Science Center for Southeast Arkansas. From 1975 to 1980, she worked as director of state services for the Arkansas Arts Center, where she transformed a large van into a mobile art gallery for residents of small towns and rural areas. Freeman also wrote the “Artline” column in the Pine Bluff Commercial From 1986 to 1995.

Peggy June Barentine, 88, Jacksonville, June 1.The mother of APA Director of Operations Terri Cobb, Barentine married her high school sweetheart, Buford Barentine on May 27, 1955. She retired from Dillard’s Department Store after working many years in mortgage banking and was a former member of the North Little Rock chapter of Beta Sigma Phi.

The December board meeting of the Ozark Mountain School District was held at the Western Grove School where the board reviewed many different issues and proposals. Superintendent Jeff Lewis presented issues of personnel, petition for transfer of students, an AR DOT right-of-way at the Western Grove school location, E-Rate funding, and grants that were issued being the Professional Learning Grant, $18,000, McKinney-Vento Homeless Grant, $15,000, and the High Impact Tutoring Grant, $28,234 with the total grant money of $61,234.

The American Legion Post #61 of Yellville held its monthly meeting December 12, 2024. The meeting was called to order at 18:00 hours by Dustin Beals, Commander.

By Kyle Evatt, NAPHE The North Arkansas Partnership for Health Education (NAPHE) is hosting an interactive workshop on the development of Logic Models at the Signature Tower in Harrison, from 12:00 p.m.-1:00 p.m. on January 29, 2025.

The Association of Arkansas Counties (AAC) held their seminar for all new Justice of the Peace elects from across the State of Arkansas at the AAC Headquarters in Little Rock on Friday, December 13. 134 new Justices of the peace of the 150 newly elected justices were attending the seminar, with five of the seven Marion County new elected justices attending.

On December 12, 2024, at the Benton Event Center in Saline County, City of Flippin Police School Resource Officer (SRO) Corporal Lonnie Stone was recognized along with other law enforcement officers Directions: In Tulsa, OK from I-244 & Yale Ave Exit 10, Take Yale Ave N 1 mi to E Newton St. Turn West (L) Go ½ mi.