An alternative sentencing residential facility located two miles outside Huntsville opened three weeks ago by organizer and Huntsville resident Nick Robbins, who says the facility will provide services to low-level offenders.

Whack. Whack. Whack, whack, whack. Whack. Whack. Whack, whack, whack. That’s what it sounds like when a Cornhole match takes place. Bags filled with tiny resin pellets hit elevated boards that have a 6-inch hole at the top. The goal, of course, is to get the bag in the hole, either a direct shot or when the bag hits the board and slides into the hole.

The City of Huntsville’s Wage & Position Committee met last week and voted to make the job of mayor a full-time position, according to Huntsville Finance Director Katie Boyd.

Independence Day celebrations are planned throughout the area around the July 4th holiday, and customers have already started spending their money on fireworks at local stands.

The Huntsville School District has been in negotiations with the Huntsville Police Department and the City of Huntsville about school resource officers at local schools, after Madison County Sheriff Ronnie Boyd said his department would no longer provide the officers.

Excitement bolted through the muggy morning air around Fritchie Farms last Saturday as hundreds of cyclists from across the world huddled near the starting line of the Highlands Gravel Classic. For every athlete sweating on that dirt road, The Highlands race presented a rare chance to compete on the world stage.

The City of Huntsville’s Parks Commission met last week and heard from Mayor Travis Dotson about future plans for two parks in the city.

The Madison County Water Facilities Board continues to work with landowners for easements on a project to build a new bridge on Highway 74 over Holman Creek near the Oakridge Golf Course, Manager Rodney Reynolds said.

The Learning Center of North Arkansas has taken over where the Elizabeth Richardson Center formerly was located at 913 N. College St., in Huntsville. The transition has been a smooth one, according to Natasha Dennis, Director/Early Childhood Developmental Specialist.

Huntsville Police Chief Todd Thomas begins to power wash the front of the Basham Building on Polk Square.

Huntsville Water Utilities is having to look at spending $15-$20 million on improvements at the wastewater treatment plant, and customers will most definitely be looking at an increase in water and sewer rates in the near future, members of the Huntsville Water and Sewer Commission were told last week.

The Madison County Quorum Court on Monday rejected a proposal to give bonuses to deputies and dispatchers/jailers at the sheriff’s office, in favor of discussing the issue through a committee formed by County Judge Larry Garrett.

The Madison County Sheriff’s Office will no longer provide deputies as School Resource Officers to the Huntsville School District, according to Sheriff Ronnie Boyd.

Makaya Ferguson of Huntsville, daughter of Matt and Megan Ferguson, finished in the Top 15 at Miss Arkansas’ Teen this past weekend.

A new bridge on Highway 127 near Aurora and Witter has been completed, much to the delight of local residents who have endured years of detours and dusty, bumpy roads.

The Huntsville Fire Department’s Insurance Services Office rating will improve to a Class 3 beginning Sept. 1, meaning a “significant drop” in insurance for homeowners and business owners, Fire Chief Kevin Shinn told the Huntsville City Council on Monday.

Work continues on the Huntsville Water Department’s new water tank atop Governors’ Hill, and utility Manager Sean Davis said the company doing the work is on schedule.

The Huntsville School Board approved several recommended policies from the Arkansas School Board Association except for a few, including one that would have kept members from going on their own to visit individual school buildings. 

Grouping bills together, flooding lawmakers with numerous bills at the end of a session, not keeping the public aware of what bills contain and not keeping a close eye on how much bills will cost the state are all worrisome trends in Arkansas, said District 28 State Sen. Bryan King last week.

Madison County Funeral Home Owner and Madison County Coroner Doug Rabold said he was surprised when opposition emerged recently to his plans to install a crematorium in a building he owns at 504 E. Main St.