Westside Eagle Observer

GENTRY -- Mayor Johnston did not file for a fifth term as Gentry's mayor. No one else filed for the post either. What's next? When an incumbent mayor in Arkansas decides not to run for reelection and no other candidate files during the standard municipal filing window, a specific sequence of legal procedures under Arkansas election and municipal law takes over: 1.

GRAVETTE -- Students at Glenn Duffy Elementary School now have a chance to take their learning outdoors following the opening of a new outdoor classroom on campus. A ribbon-cutting for the classroom was held Thursday, Aug. 6, less than a week before the start of school. Teachers at Glenn Duffy are always looking for ways to enhance their students' learning opportunities and are excited about using the new space where students can learn and explore nature in an engaging, hands-on environment.

DECATUR -- As excessive heat and lack of rain continue to necessitate water conservation efforts in Northwest Arkansas, one town sits on top of three unused wells. An effort to get more well water flowing again in Decatur is underway.

HIGHFILL -- Facing rapid population growth across Northwest Arkansas, the Highfill City Council voted unanimously Tuesday, Aug. 11, to overhaul the city's long-term growth roadmap, overturn a planning commission zoning denial, and fund a new pumper fire truck. All ordinances under new business were approved on three readings with a single vote and carried emergency clauses to take effect immediately. Council member Shai Adleman was absent.

"Do not be afraid, only believe." -- Mark 5:36 (Read Mark 5:21-43) Human life has a way of backing us into corners where the world declares, "It's over." We hear it in many forms: "My sins are too great for God to forgive." "My condition is terminal; there is no cure." "Time has run out." "There's nothing anyone can do." Jairus, a ruler of the synagogue, knew this desperation intimately.

Some law enforcement agencies see license plate readers as an important tool in combating crime. Opponents, meanwhile, see the technology as the government tracking their movements and invading their privacy.

BENTONVILLE -- The deadline to replace Austin McCollum as the only candidate for Benton County judge is Sept. 17 -- nine days after his scheduled arraignment on accusations he assaulted his wife.

Summer's dog days are no sleepy season at Chesney Prairie Natural Area in Siloam Springs.

SULPHUR SPRINGS -- A man has been arrested on suspicion of fatally shooting another man Thursday, according to a news release from the Benton County Sheriff's Office. The Sheriff's Office was notified of a shooting at 23600 Honey Creek Road in Sulphur Springs at about 9 p.m. Thursday. Deputies upon arrival found Triton Michael King, 20, dead at the scene, according to the release. Investigators later identified Hunter James Anderson, 21, as a suspect in the shooting.

GRAVETTE -- The Gravette High School Class of 1976 celebrated its 50-year reunion on Aug. 8, during Gravette Day, marking half a century since classmates walked the halls of Gravette High School together. Twenty-two classmates gathered for the special occasion, sharing memories, reconnecting with old friends, and celebrating the friendships and experiences that have connected them for five decades.