News-LEADERHH Preserving Southwest Arkansas’S Heritage While Leading Through the 21St Century
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THE NASHVILLE HH News-LEADERHH Preserving Southwest Arkansas’s Heritage While Leading Through the 21st Century Wednesday, Jan. 17, 2018 u Vol. 15, Issue 29 u 18 pages, 2 sections u 75¢ Leader Task force Board dismisses www.swarkansasnews.com consultant By John R. Schirmer OPINION 4A News-Leader staff The Arkansas Tax Re- Community form and Relief Task Force offers help last week dismissed the consulting company which in times of it hired to look at ways to need. make the state’s tax struc- ture more competitive with surrounding states. “We let the consultant Cross Point go,” according to Sen. Lar- ry Teague of Nashville, a set to host member of the task force. “The company did the Cowgirl basic research for us. Our Roundup leadership thought the leg- islative staff can finish it.” Cross Point Cowboy The consulting firm pre- Church will present the News-Leader photo/JOHN BALCH pared a 180-page interim 2018 Cowgirl Roundup FIRE AT CHURCH. A fire Friday morning, Jan. 12, destroyed the building of First Assembly of God Church Saturday, Jan. 27, from 8 in Nashville. Firemen battled the blaze until late that afternoon. (Related column, page 6A.) See Senator • Page 5A a.m. until 4 p.m. Music will be provided by LeAnn Hart and the Superintendent Cross Point Band. Guest Fire levels local church speakers include Elsie announced by By Louie Graves structure. flooding of offers for prayer, words Frost, mother of world and Terrica Hendrix The church was selected as the of encouragement, offers to help. champion bull rider Lane Dierks school News-Leader staff site for the firemen’s practice. “I have never been so proud to Frost; and LeAnn Hart, A strong wind from the west was “We discussed and drilled on be a member of the Assemblies of The Dierks School Board wife of PBR legend J.W. the villain in Friday’s catastrophic what we would do in case of a fire God, and to live in such a place as has decided on an in-house Hart. fire which leveled the sanctuary, there, but we didn’t count on that Nashville Ark. promotion to fill the soon- Tickets are $10 in ad- classrooms, records and memora- strong wind,” the fire marshal said. “With all of you behind me, I to-be vacant superinten- vance, $15 at the door. bilia of Nashville’s First Assembly The pastor feel that nothing is too hard. You all dent position. The schedule includes of God Church. “I’ve shed a lot of tears the last and God are pouring strength and The board voted at its 8 a.m. registration, 8:30 The fire 24 hours,” Pastor Terry Goff said on hope into what many would see as December meeting to pro- a.m. breakfast, 9 a.m. Nashville Fire Marshal Jerry Har- Saturday. “Not so much for the loss, tragedy. mote Dierks High School start time and 4 p.m. well explained that the wind was Principal Jody Cowart to wrap up. but for the seeing just how strong “Thank you all. I will never for- able to whip through the shallow my congregation has become, for the get.” replace Superintendent No childcare will be attic space over the pulpit, the area Holly Cothren when her provided. where the fire may have started. The retirement becomes effec- T-shirts will be avail- attic space contained mostly wiring tive July 1,2018. Cowart able for purchase. and ductwork. was hired on a three-year The roundup is for “The wind just killed us,” the fire contract. high school age and up. marshal said. “It pushed the flames Cowart was hired as The church is located through the attic and we couldn’t get high school principal prior at 2740 Highway 371 W. ahead of it in order to stop it.” to the 2014-2015 school Nashville firemen in protective year. He is a 1995 graduate gear went inside the sanctuary with of Kirby High School and Barbecue heat-sensing equipment and deter- holds degrees from Hen- mined that the blaze at that time was derson State University Bowl Feb. 3 only overhead in the attic. It quickly and Harding University. spread, however, despite the efforts Prior to coming to Di- to benefit of the firemen. erks, Cowart worked at the county 4-H The fire was reported at 8:33 a.m. Bismarck School District Friday by a 9-1-1 call. Fire depart- where he was dean of stu- The 8th annual 4-H ments called included Nashville, dents and a coach. Barbeque Bowl will be Center Point, County Line and Cothren announced Saturday, Feb. 3, the day Yancey. her retirement in Novem- before the Super Bowl. Ozan VFD members were also at ber 2017 from K-12 public At the annual event, the scene, as were Howard County education. She recently the Howard County Ambulance Service, police and the completed her doctorate 4-H Foundation will sell Nashville Public Works Department. in educational leadership smoked ribs and Cornish The fire raged through the sanctu- from Harding University game hens as a fund- ary and quickly spread into wings and has plans to continue raiser for 4-H educational of the main structure. The strong working in the education programs in the county. winds kept some of the acrid smoke field. She is serving her A full slab of ribs is low, and a thin veil was visible low 18th year with the Dierks $25; Cornish hens are $5 to the ground as far away as South district, fourth year as su- each. Main Street. The charred smell hung perintendent, and her 28th The meats will be heavily in the air over parts of town. year in public education. available from 10:30 The black smoke was also tower- According to the sal- a.m.-1 p.m. at the spot ing and was visible for miles away. ary schedule on the Dierks where smokers are set Nashville firemen finally left the school’s website, the super- up -- the vacant lot on scene just before 4 p.m. after the intendent’s annual salary is South Fourth St., be- walls had collapsed. The remains $84,259. tween the radio station of the church smoked throughout In another personnel and Just Poultry. the weekend. matter, the board voted Purchases may be Ironically, in one of their recent to hire Kayla Jones as the made on the day of the drills, Nashville firemen wanted to News-Leader photo/JOHN R. SCHIRMER district’s treasurer. Jones sale, or orders may be practice what they would do if the NEW MEETING PLACE. A sign welcomes the congregation of First started at the position Jan. placed through Friday, fire was in a large heavily-wood Assembly of God Church to the Carter Day Center Sunday morning. 3. Jan. 26, by calling the county extension office, 845-7517. Remembering ‘the dream’ NJHS teams Speaker at MLK event says look back to go forward By Louie Graves a member of the Howard for the assassinated civil win tourney News-Leader staff Memorial Hospital board rights leader, the 2018 MLK at De Queen. The keynote speaker for of directors. event also marks the 50th the 2018 MLK celebration in The 11th annual local anniversary of his death in Page 10A Nashville told his audience MLK program had a sparse Memphis at the hands of a that “sometimes you have audience in the sanctuary of gunman. to go back before you can New Light CME Church, One of the participants, go forward.” owing to forecast of severe Deb Marshall, said that He related events from weather. there were no nomina- Inside the the lives of Jesus Christ and The mistress of ceremo- tions for the annual Alston News-Leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. nies was Jimmie White, Award, and that none Obituaries, 2A which echoed that message. who is a mainstay in the would be presented. In- The speaker was Nashville organization of the annual stead, she talked about Early Files, 3A native Gabe Green, a Tyson event. She recalled how her- the woman for whom the Opinion, 4A supervisor and associate self, the late Bonnie Haislip, award is named. On the day Sports, 8A-10A pastor in Tollette. He talked Debra Marshall and Ge- before her death, Alston Trends, B about Dr. King’s dream, neva Walton started the ob- wrote a will making sure and about the sometimes servance here after attend- that her slaves would be harsh realities of his life. ing one in Texarkana. She taken to a free state and gain He said that people also warned the keynote their own freedom. She also News-Leader photo/LOUIE GRAVES needed to go back to old speaker that because of his provided for them in their KEYNOTE SPEAKER. Nashville native Gabriel Green values and morals in order role this year, he would be transition to freedom. delivered the keynote message for the 2018 MLK Day to go forward. expected to serve as master The program tradition- event Monday night at New Light CME Church. Green The speaker was in- of ceremonies for the 2019 ally opens with the singing told of events from the lives of Jesus Christ and Dr. Martin troduced by his mother, MLK celebration. of all verses of “Lift Every Luther King Jr. and said sometimes it is necessary “to Margie Green, first lady In addition to commem- go back before you can go forward.” Green discussed of the Tollette church and orating the national holiday See MLK • Page 5A Dr.