Stories from Saturday, July 27, 2024

By Joseph Fondren NEA Town Courier Contributor Marcos Sierra, General Manager of Sierra Group Roofing and Solar, was recently honored by Arkansas Money and Politics as a ‘Future Icons’ in their July edition. Sierra, along with his wife Victoria, founded his business in 2017 in his garage where he expanded to a 35,000-square-foot headquarters in 2022 with 30 full-time employees...

LITTLE ROCK - The American Optometric Association (AOA) recently recognized Matt Jones, O.D., of Blytheville, as the organization’s 2024 Optometrist of the Year. AOA cited the tireless advocacy work Dr. Jones has led in Arkansas to expand access of care to patients throughout the state by allowing optometrists to practice to a fuller extent of their training. ...

Local growers and craftsmen were in Manila on July 12 with a variety of Homegrown Homemade items for the annual event. Several food vendors and food trucks were on hand as well as talented artists with handmade jewelry, canvas art, a variety of crafts, homegrown vegetables, homemade honey and jellies and much more. ...

Veteran Fred Greathouse of Leachville with Veterans Helping Veterans of NEA honored Vietnam veteran Donald Hatcher posthumously with a plaque and a bronze statue for his service. Accepting the award was Hatcher’s daughter, Molli Palmer, of Manila. It was presented on Wednesday at the World War I monument of Herman Davis in Manila. Hatcher passed away on April 4, 2024...

By NAN SNIDER Special to the NEA Town Courier Monette City Council met Monday to review the legislative audit, approve rezoning and adopt the revised 2024 employee handbook. The council voted to accept the 2023 legislative audit, which reported zero reportable findings...

Rotarian Billy Curl led a Rotary After Hours meeting at the Blytheville Municipal Airport sharing progress and upcoming improvements including a longer runway, a new 110x110x20 hanger, and tank upgrades on Thursday evening. Industry leaders, private pilots, agricultural teams, and medical teams are all found in the aircraft that regularly use the airport. ...

By Joseph Fondren NEA Town Courier Contributor BLYTHEVILLE— Thursday night’s Blytheville School Board meeting in the Administration Building drew a standing-room-only crowd, and there were plenty of fireworks. Eventually, board members got into an argument with President Desmond Hammett after he called for the school board to not go into executive session to discuss personnel. ...

By Joseph Fondren NEA Town Courier Contributor GOSNELL— The Gosnell School Board met Tuesday night to discuss bids on milk and bread and prepare the student handbook for the upcoming 2024-25 school year.  The school board unanimously accepted the bid from Turner Dairy for milk at $0.45. According to Child Nutrition Director Judy Herron, Sysco Memphis, who was previously used, did not give a bid. ...