Hardy News

An attorney says he's negotiating the possible surrender of a fugitive developer who allegedly walked away with thousands of dollars from investors.

Photo/ Tammy Curtis Jack and Carolyn Horrell, owners of Horrell's Furniture at Highland celebrate 50 years in business.

By Michelle Day

LITTLE ROCK — Two Arkansas Democrat-Gazette staff writers won first place in the enterprise business reporting category in the 2009 Green Eyeshade Awards for their coverage of troubled north Arkansas land deals.

The contest - sponsored by the Society of Professional Journalists and which judges entries based on excellence and service to the public - also honored several other Democrat-Gazette writers for their work.

C.S. Murphy and Amy Upshaw won in the daily newspaper division for a series of stories called "Lost Paradise."

Murphy and Upshaw wrote about an Arkansas land developer's practice of selling land using installment contracts, not recording deeds and then selling the same property to others. Wayne Watkins also used those lands as collateral for personal loans, and lenders seized those properties when Watkins defaulted on $2.6 million in loans.

After the series ran, the state attorney general sued Watkins on behalf of an unknown number of buyers, who lost thousands of dollars and never got their land. Authorities have been unable to locate Watkins, who is believed to be in Mexico.

Judges in the Green Eyeshade contest cited the stories' "wonderful digging and personal anecdotes" as well as the fact they resulted in "turning up the heaton government officials" in their decision to give Murphy and Upshaw the first place award.

"Cindy and Amy deserve this recognition for their investigation into unscrupulous land deals in Sharp County," said Sonny Albarado, projects editor for the Democrat-Gazette. "I'm really proud of their work, and I'm really glad the judges thought so too."

The Green Eyeshade Awards are open to journalists in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and West Virginia. Winners were chosen from more than 500 entries from print, radio, television and online media outlets. Judges were SPJ members from outside the contest region.

Cherokee Village City Hall was the site of the Advertising and Promotions venture meeting Oct.

Leita King and her Astronomy students are always putting new ideas into orbit. Hands on experience into the world of Space is far reaching for some but is just another day of learning for these students.

Photo By Jody Shackelford

From the many shops that line Main Street in "Old Hardy Town", to the waterfalls of Spring River, Hardy has drawing power that rivals the best tourism destinations in the country.

Spring River Art Gallery is simply a labor of love. Its a non-profit organization that has come very far in its journey.

Photo by Clark Sanders

The Annual Hardy Gun & Knife Show happened Saturday and Sunday, the 7th and 8th, in the historic Sharp County town.

The possibility of Riverbend Park's receiving city water and the potential of annexing the former Beach Club property into Hardy were the main topic of discussion at Hardy City Council's regular monthly meeting Oct.

Photo/Tammy Curtis A view overlooking the flooded Spring River Oct. 30 from the Beach Club BBQ parking lot after over six inches of rain swelled the river causing massive flooding in the area.

The flooding may be over for some Region 8 residents, but for others, it's just the beginning.

Anytime 63 swings close to the Spring river you could see it sneaking out into the countryside.

Emergency management officials in several Region 8 counties are asking residents to get to higher ground after several flood warnings were issued Thursday night.

When Christian romance novelist Christine Lynxwiler was looking for background for her writing she had to look no further than where she lived.

The Rector High School Helping Hands Foundation will present a benefit showing of The River Within at 7 p.m. Friday, Oct.

A series of commercial burglaries in the Sharp County area has been solved by the Sharp County Police Department.

Officials in the city of Hardy and Sharp County told Region 8 News Friday the Spring River isn't expected to rise.

Two suspects were arrested in separate commercial burglary incidents in the Highland area recently.

Mary Scott, R.N., B.S.N., was the guest speaker at the Spring River Area Chamber of Commerce's monthly meeting Sept.

Have you seen it? "Avenues," the new monthly magazine published by Areawide Media is now in stores for you to pick up -- free.