Washington County Enterprise-Leader

News

Leaving A Legacy In Prairie Grove PRAIRIE GROVE -- As Larry Oelrich, director of administrative services and public works, retires after 41 years with the city of Prairie Grove, he's actually looking back at a working career that started when he was a newspaper boy at 10 years of age. by Lynn Kutter

Lincoln hires new fire chief LINCOLN -- Thomas Pinder Jr. with the Schertz Fire Department in Schertz, Texas, has accepted an offer to become full-time fire chief for Lincoln Fire Department, according to Mayor Doug Hutchens. by Lynn Kutter

Local Firefighters, Police Officers Receive Covid Vaccine FARMINGTON -- Many firefighters and police officers in Farmington, Prairie Grove and Lincoln already have received their first dose of the covid-19 vaccine, according to area chiefs. by Lynn Kutter

Accident Causes Diesel Spill FARMINGTON -- Employees with Farmington's public works department spent about two hours cleaning up a diesel spill following a two-vehicle accident that occurred about 9:30 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 7, at the intersection of Rheas Mill Road and Main Street, according to Floyd Shelley, public works manager. by Lynn Kutter

Mayor Comments On Oelrich's Retirement PRAIRIE GROVE -- Mayor Sonny Hudson, who has worked with Larry Oelrich, first as a City Council member and then as mayor for 20 years, said Oelrich's value to the city can be described in simple terms: "He's just very good at what he does." by Lynn Kutter

COLUMN: Missing Dear Friends Who Have Passed How time flies, even when it seems that each day just drags by. Two weeks of "longer days" have gone by. It is hard to tell the distance by the amount of sunshine, but the calendar says so.

College News Arkansas-Tech-Ozark Campus

Obituaries Photo: Osburn

Sports

Massey, Munyon Dominate Court LINCOLN -- Senior law firm partners Weston Massey and Austin Munyon ruled the court leading Lincoln to a 69-34 win over Greenland in 3A-1 boys basketball action Friday. by Mark Humphrey

Eldridge Named Top Candidate FARMINGTON -- Former Arkadelphia and current North Little Rock coach J.R. Eldridge has been named the top candidate to fill Farmington's head football coaching vacancy. by Mark Humphrey

Farmington Colors Day Court FARMINGTON -- Farmington celebrated Colors Day Dec. 18 holding a ceremony in spite of cancellation of basketball games scheduled against 4A-1 Conference opponent, Berryville.

Conrad Raises Anchor, Signs With Friends PRAIRIE GROVE -- As Kennedy Conrad prepares to pull up her anchor from the close-knit community of Prairie Grove and widen her circle she chases her dream through self-initiative. by Mark Humphrey

Cardinals Dominate Fourth Quarter FARMINGTON -- Farmington outscored Prairie Grove 16-5 in the fourth quarter to pull away for a 56-44 conference win after trailing for most of the first 21:26 in boys basketball action. by Mark Humphrey

Volleyball Resilience Speaks To America PRAIRIE GROVE -- The celebration of Kennedy Conrad's signing a collegiate volleyball commitment breathed life into a school, which along with America, finds itself struggling to comprehend election controversy and ascertain truth surrounding covid-19. by Mark Humphrey

Scenes From Adams' Coaching Career FARMINGTON -- One of the first changes occurring in 2021 happens with Farmington head football coach Mike Adams retiring at the end of the semester this month after coaching the Cardinals 18 seasons. by Mark Humphrey

Lady Cardinals Surge In Second Half FARMINGTON -- Farmington went from throwing the ball away in the first half to forcing turnovers and converting those into points in the second half while pulling out a 66-58 win Friday, Dec. 4. by Mark Humphrey

Opinion

COLUMN: Wonder Woman 1984 Movie studios, in response to decreased attendance, are releasing new films simultaneously in theaters and on online subscription channels. I watched the release of "Wonder Woman 1984" on HBOMax just after Christmas Day. Luckily, I didn't have to shell out money for the experience since I already have an HBO subscription, though I did pay for it in wasted time and disappointment.

COLUMN: Remembering Beautiful Dreamer I was 5 years old when I experienced one of the three saddest days of my life. We lived in El Cajon, Calif., and I was walking to school. My kindergarten was less than a half-mile away, but it seemed like a mile to my little legs. It was a few minutes after 8 a.m., when I heard the patter of doggy feet behind me. I turned to see Dreamer dutifully following me.

COLUMN: Saying 'Goodbye' To Area Leaders Who Passed Away In 2020 As the pages of the old calendar flip over into another year, it is only fitting to stop and say a fond farewell to the many in our Washington County communities who have left us much better off because of their presence on this earth.

Time Doesn't Stop Ticking We humans are hard-wired to compartmentalize time, the passage of days matched to a calendar based on the Earth's movements around the sun. Days are based on our world's axial rotation; seasonal changes occur due to the tilt of the Earth's axis. The Catholic Church was instrumental in changing the Julian calendar to the current Gregorian one. The intent was not so much based on science as it was religion. Church leaders were irritated by the increasing divergence of time between the canonized date of Spring and reality, as it affected the observance of Easter. by Jackie Brooks

COLUMN: Where Do We Go From Here? Today, (Jan. 6), the Electoral College should have submitted their presidential electoral count to Congress, and either Congress accepts the count or objects to it. Once the decision is made, confirmed, and announced, what are citizens of the United States supposed to do?

Religion

RELIGION: Are you ready for the Day of the Lord? "Woe to you that desire the day of the LORD! Why do you want the day of the LORD? It is darkness, and not light, as if someone fled away from a lion, but a bear attacked him, or got into the house and rested his hand on the wall, but a snake bit him. Will not the day of the LORD be darkness, and not light? Will it not be deep darkness, with no brightness in it? I hate, I despise your festivals, and I am not pleased by your solemn assemblies. Though you offer Me burnt offerings or your grain offerings, I will not accept them, nor will I regard the offerings of your fattened animals. Take away from Me the noise of your songs; I will not listen to the melody of your harps. But let justice roll down like water, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream." Amos 5:18-24 by Randy Moll

RELIGION: God is everlasting; our lives pass quickly "LORD, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God." Psalm 90:1-2 (Read Psalm 90:1-17) by Randy Moll