Please select what you would like included for printing: Copy the text below and then paste that into your favorite email application Tara brought joy and light into the lives of all who knew her mother to Griffin Brown and Bayley Stacks with whom she shared a deep and enduring love And her role as a cherished aunt to her nieces and nephews Isabella and Hunter Hinojosa; and great-niece and nephew Tara’s zest for life was further amplified by her passion for travel To know Tara was to know she was a friend to many and a stranger to none Memorial services will follow at 3:00 p.m.  Arrangements are by Smith Family Funeral Home-Arkadelphia/Ruggles-Wilcox Chapel Enter your phone number above to have directions sent via text This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply Service map data © OpenStreetMap contributors Falling tree limbs in Birmingham kills one person Birmingham Police are investigating a fatal crash on 8th Terrace West and Arkadelphia Road The Jefferson County Coroner says 36-year-old Earl Lee Evans III and 36-year-old Karen Renee King and 6-year-old Caiden Evans of Birmingham all died a short time after the crash King died just over an hour later at UAB Hospital and 6-year-old Caiden died at Children's Hospital The two-vehicle collision happened just before 5 p.m ABC 33/40 has learned Caiden Evans was a first grade student at West End Academy Counselors will be available for students and staff at the school Superintendent of Birmingham City Schools released the following statement: “We are deeply saddened by the death of Caiden Evans a 1st Grade scholar at West End Academy who died recently in a car accident Birmingham City Schools is providing additional counseling support for the students and staff at the school as they navigate this difficult point in their lives.” Arkansas to the late Orville and Minnie (Trout) Shuler Bobby is a graduate of Delight High School he attended vocational school in Little Rock he moved to Fordyce to work at Phelps Dodge where he met the love of his life He relocated to Arkadelphia and began working at Reynolds Metal Company in Jones Mill Bobby became a Master Mason in 1968 and was a member of Arkadelphia Lodge #381 Bobby was a devoted member of First United Methodist Church of Arkadelphia since 1968 He was preceded in death by his parents; and son-in-law and Judith Hubbard of Prescott; grandchildren John Hubbard of Prescott; great-grandchildren Memorial services will follow at 2:00 p.m. Denise Samuels of Arkadelphia Baptist Medical Hospital for their spectacular care for Bobby memorials may be made to the Arkadelphia Masonic Lodge #381 Arrangements by Smith Family Funeral Home-Arkadelphia Arkadelphia and Southside met with a date in the 4A championship game on the line ARKADELPHIA (KATV) — Arkadelphia and Southside met with a date in the 4A championship game on the line It was the Badgers who punched their ticket to the finals   An Arkadelphia man is dead following an early morning robbery at Jordan’s Kwick Stop Shell located at 180 Valley Street in Arkadelphia (Caddo Valley area) Arkadelphia was working as a store clerk when two men entered the store at 4:43 AM today (Sunday 2015).  Brown was shot by one of the suspects and pronounced dead at the scene   Video surveillance at the store captured images of two suspects entering the store while an accomplice waited outside in a late model four-door Ford Taurus (see attached images).  The vehicle may be gray or a green in color   Suspect two (see attached images) is a black male wearing a white t-shirt with a black long sleeve t-shirt underneath Polo brand jacket tied around his waist and blue jeans.  Suspect two may have been wearing a work-style boot wearing a gray hooded zip-up jacket and sagging dark jeans This suspect was armed with a suspected long barrel revolver   Anyone with information about the robbery and murder or offering assistance in the identification of the suspects should call the Arkansas State Police at (870) 777-4641 Severe Weather: Donate to the Arkansas Disaster Relief Program the city of Arkadelphia experienced historic flooding One of the locations most affected by the flooding was the Clark County Humane Society a no-kill animal shelter in a high-flood risk area Though the building had previously flooded in 2019 the yearlong search for a new location to house an increased number of animals and to lower the flood risk has so far been fruitless “We were aware of the predictions for heavy rains since we’ve had a flood before,” Interim Board Director and Shelter Manager Leslie Kent said “We had video cameras in our parking lot and part of our dog yard I decided to come down and take a look at things I realized water was overflowing and getting close to our perimeter dog pens made some calls to our directors to put out the call for help that we were going to have to move the outside dogs inside the building By the time I finished and went out back again the dogs were already standing in the water and they either had to swim to the building or be carried and we had to herd the dogs into our front building The water rose to a point during the flooding that dogs swam through the building while volunteers scrambled to move them to the city armory for temporary shelter A back outdoor area was completely overrun with water with 75 outdoor dogs needing immediate relocation A volunteer team was on site from the time the emergency call for help was sent at 10:40 p.m regular shelter volunteers and Ouachita students coordinated by Carly Orr and Shelby Cheek Longtime volunteer and Arkadelphia resident Liz Kimmel Martin responded to the emergency call the night of the flooding “By the time I got there 40 minutes after the call went out I had to park uphill two blocks because you could just see the water that had already risen,” Martin said “We figured out quickly that it wasn’t going to be good there were dogs swimming to get to safety from the flash flooding We secured the dogs from the outside pens inside the water started coming into the building Then we had to start getting animals up to higher areas out of the water.” The city of Arkadelphia provided a temporary refuge while the floodwaters overtook the building by allowing CCHS to move animals to the armory in Arkadelphia “We had the city fire department around 12:30 a.m with a few other vehicles going back and forth to move the dogs,” Martin said “It was just a matter of getting them there there were times of a lot of dogs just running around everywhere and swimming in the water There were no major issues getting them somewhere safe.” OBU student Carly Orr spoke of the aftermath of the flooding and how students have been able to help “I found out how bad the flooding was on Sunday night,” Orr said “That is when I started trying to get volunteers They have helped move dogs to and from temporary holding sites cleaned the flood aftermath at the Humane Society All of the dogs are back at the Humane Society now the Humane Society still needs lots of help walking dogs doing laundry and just loving the dogs and cats there because even just sitting with the animals helps them socialize and makes them more adoptable they can still show up during the normal hours of operation and ask how they can help If they know they want to walk dogs or clean or whatever The Arkadelphia community came together to help in the emergency of the flooding “Dozens of people showed up to emergency foster some of the animals that have more intense needs older animals or animals with medical needs,” Orr said “I also was happy with the amount of students who showed up at crazy hours willing to do whatever they needed to in order to help We had 60 responses to the volunteering survey I sent out and we had more people show up who didn’t sign up.”  The work that went into saving the animals during the flooding was truly a picture of Ouachita’s value of living lives of meaningful work “People did what needed to be done,” Martin said “It was physically grueling work because these aren’t just 10-pound dogs We had a lot of big dogs that needed to be picked up and you never know how they are going to respond The Clark County Humane Society is now uncertain about what is to come now that the building is wrecked for the second time in the last six years by major flood damage we had the community and county rally together and I hope it will continue to bring awareness of the needs of the facility,” Martin said It’s not in a good location for this reason Kent spoke of what is next for the shelter after the flooding “Our next step is to continue getting cats out of this building to other rescues foster homes or adoptive homes and get equipment that is salvageable out of this building,” Kent said “We will maintain the dogs here for a period until we can hopefully get them moved transferred to other rescues and then go from there.” A renovation of the current property would be more expensive in the long run than building in a new location because of flooding risk and current building issues due to age and flooding “We will not be coming back to this property except on a temporary basis,” Kent said “This building is seriously contaminated and will have mold and sanitation issues The dust from the dried water is everywhere The Board of Directors has decided we will not spend any of our valuable donors’ money trying to resurrect this building.” The CCHS received a grant last year in their search for a new location “An out-of-state foundation last year saw a video about the shelter being within a few months of having to shut down because of our expenses,” Kent said “They made us a very generous offer of $50,000 in seed money when we found a new location and that money would be used to design a new shelter They offered another $200,000 that they will match with $200,000 in local giving which we have not been able to do in about six months of looking This is a situation in which the community is going to have to pull together and help us do this because a new shelter to house as many animals as we’ve got is a very expensive proposal.” Ouachita students can help the Humane Society reach their financial need is by hosting fundraisers even if they don’t have the means to financially contribute themselves “I know most of them can’t donate much or have animals on campus,” Kent said “But they could concentrate efforts on fundraisers One of these is the fundraiser that Shelby with Gamma Phi helped us put together at Bakes By Bree here in town We’re making a shift to where money is really the big deal because we have this grant to match funds with community donations to Every little bit helps because what they raise is matched 100 percent.” and website in this browser for the next time I comment Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" The award-winning student newspaper of Ouachita Baptist University © 2025 All 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To learn more, read Ouachita's privacy policy Arkansas to Raymond and Ovella Hardin Bost 2024 at his home overlooking the Caddo River Valley surrounded by family and friends who are like family.  He grew up on a dairy and beef cattle farm in Caney AR and graduated from Bismarck High School He received his BS degree from Southern Arkansas University in Ag-Business After working in agricultural pharmaceuticals for several years traveling most of the south he accepted the opportunity to become a State Farm Agent.  It was the answer to a prayer to be able to be at home with his wife and two sons David was involved in many ways at First Baptist Church as a College and High School Sunday School teacher a deacon and chairman of the building committee for the Fellowship Hall  He was a Paul Harris Fellow Rotarian President of the Arkadelphia Chamber of Commerce and an avid supporter of local high school and college athletics he started Meadow Pond farm where he loved cutting hay raising Belted Galloway cattle and watching grandkids catch fish in his pond fishing and tubing with grandkids on DeGray Lake He also cherished his morning coffee with his Andy’s buddies He is also survived by his siblings Barbara Watson Libby Harrod (Roger) and Dan Bost ( Kelley) There will be a visitation in the First Baptist Church Fellowship Hall on Sunday A celebration of life service will be held Monday at 2:00 p.m at First Baptist Church of Arkadelphia.  Arrangements by Smith Family Funeral Home-Ruggles Wilcox Chapel Breanna Wages had always dreamed of owning her own bakery Wages carried with her experience and baking heritage to open Bakes by Bree a new bakery in the location formerly housing Samantha’s Bakery and Cafe I personally visited Bakes by Bree this past Thursday and found myself transported into a sweets-lover’s wonderland.  Walking into Bakes by Bree’s turquoise building I was greeted by the sound of familiar Contemporary Christian songs on the speakers and a smiling face at the counter The warm and friendly atmosphere was immediately noticeable from floor to ceiling with pink Valentine’s-themed bows lining the walls and a gorgeous wall adorned with pink roses and a neon sign that read “Good Vibes Only.” I immediately felt welcome and at home Looking over the menu and in the pastry display I saw many items that caught my eye: cupcakes with buttercream frosting specialty alani drinks and other baked goods I personally ordered a chocolate peanut butter cupcake and a lavender vanilla latte but while there I got the opportunity to taste the birthday cake and strawberry macarons doozie (two chocolate chip cookies with frosting in between) one of the specialty cookies for design orders and the caramel latte All of the items I tasted were spectacular and definitely satisfied my sweet tooth.  Bakes by Bree had beginnings with deep roots “I come from a lineage of bakers,” Wages said There was always a dessert on her icebox growing up I got older and started with pies and my family would rave about them so I began taking them to potlucks we’d have A lady gave me an opportunity there who was on Good Morning America and she grew her own bakery from a small at-home business into a big-time bakery I met another phenomenal woman who I like to call my work mom and she showed me how to upscale into a bigger bakery I got to the point where I woke up thinking about it and fell asleep thinking about wanting my own shop and we go to church here which is what brought us to Arkadelphia.” Wages quickly made a name for herself in the area that led to the bakery ownership “I started working for Ford Construction,” Wages said and started networking with them and other people and that was how I met Samantha I had no idea there was a bakery here before I needed to be at Ford where I learned as an office manager about the behind-the-scenes that I never knew before I learned the highs and lows of running a business and the structure of it Eventually I saw Samantha and offered to partner with her with my decorated cookies and they shared that they had just made the decision to close so we decided that I was going to take it over and do my absolute best to keep the bakery open here in Arkadelphia.” Though Bakes by Bree doesn’t offer food apart from their baked goods I still found it to be a great atmosphere to study and work in With Onyx coffee and one of the best cupcakes I’ve ever eaten the bakery held a sweet atmosphere smothered with love and care by Wages and everyone who works there “We put a lot of love into our coffees,” Wages said “We have a coffee of the day everyday that we usually post We also want to make lemonades in the summer I would much rather you like it and want to come back to that environment.” One thing that is clear is that Bakes by Bree is always ready to try something new in addition to the coffees of the day “Every week we have a rotating treat,” Wages said We rotate cookies and cupcakes and call them the ‘mystery’ item.” Wages wants to ensure that the bakery is always a positive experience for customers “Our goal is to give quick and great goods,” Wages said I am in the shop all the time and we’ve tried to make it a super bright environment I want to keep this a very safe place for people to come in and be able to study or even if we need to pray we can stop everything we are doing and pray right then I also am very strict about keeping Christian music playing inside In the future we also want to do a faith and friends day that’s a Bible study evening out on the back patio.” “We do offer the community custom orders for birthdays and events,” Wages said is to be a part in helping somebody make their event special in a way that no one else might can I want to offer the patio as a rental for your own type of space for a birthday party or gathering and we provide the cake and everything through a package deal fun with lots of music and decor already done We are all about small-town and the little birthdays I want to be where I make someone’s smash cake for their very first birthday all the way up to their sixteenth and beyond and if it weren’t for God we wouldn’t be here and be able to do any of the things we did.” The Arkadelphia community has seemed to welcome Bakes by Bree with open arms “I’d already made a name for myself personally throughout the community at every ribbon cutting and every Chamber event I partnered with Ludwigs and did a bunch of treats for different businesses and people were already familiar with me and I’d already grown fond with some people everybody was so excited for us and it has been overwhelming support that we’ve gotten I’ve been so busy that I’ve had to hire more people.” warm experience and I cannot wait to return to try more goodies a local business to order decorated cookies from or a grab-and-go coffee fix Bakes by Bree will definitely be on the top of my list for businesses to support in our local community Dick was a member of Sardis Primitive Baptist Church He was preceded in death by his parents; brother Elder Gary Harvey (Becky); six grandsons; two granddaughters; and ten great-grandchildren 2025 at Macedonia Cemetery in Dalark with Elder Jesse Stripland officiating The family would like to thank Arkansas Hospice for outstanding care for Dick memorials may be made to Sardis Primitive Baptist Church Arrangements are by Smith Family Funeral Home/Ruggles-Wilcox Chapel the son of the late Jack and Lavern Thomas Crawley Gary was a graduate of Arkadelphia High School and was a United States Air Force Veteran serving during the Vietnam War.  Scott Crawley (Sandy) of Arkadelphia; niece Haley Nichols (Jason) of Friendship; nephew Brock Crawley (Olivia) of Bryant; great-nephews Memorials may be made to Human Society of Clark County ARKADELPHIA (KATV) — The Arkadelphia Badgers downed the Bauxite Miners in a 42-0 shutout The Hot Springs Trojans took a trip to Arkadelphia as they faced the Arkadelphia Badgers during their Friday night game ARKADELPHIA (KATV) — The Hot Springs Trojans took a trip to Arkadelphia as they scored 52 to the Trojans' 14.