Two ordinances establishing funding authorization and an account for the $1.55 million expansion of the Excel Boat Factory in Mountain View were adopted by the Stone County Quorum Court Thursday night. Stone County Judge Stacey Avey explained the ordinances were necessary to set up a separate account for the expansion project. He said the approximately 15,000 square foot expansion has been designed by an ar ...

A second boat factory has been proposed for Mountain View and could be under construction this year if land is secured soon. Mark Bauerlein told the Stone County Quorum Court July 13 he intends to build a boat manufacturing plant in Mountain View, with plans to employ at least 23 initially and 45 to 50 at full production. Bauerlein said he is working with the Stone County Area Industrial Development Corpora ...

Starting 30 years ago with just 27 acres and one chicken house, Larry Musick has built his farm at Timbo into an impressive operation encompassing over 2,600 acres and more than 470 head of cattle. He credits his family, good neighbors, and Christian faith with helping get him where he is today. The family is being honored this year as Stone County’s 2017 Farm Family of the Year. Originally from Eudora, Kan ...

Kevin Spears has begun his role as chief operating officer/administrator at Stone County Medical Center in Mountain View, replacing Stan Townsend, who recently retired. As administrator, he will be responsible for overall operations at the hospital. Spears obtained a bachelor of science degree in education from Arkansas State University in Jonesboro, and a master of business administration from Harding Univ ...

Above, a robotic bagging system at Fiber Energy weighs and packs bags of pellets onto pallets. Large manufacturing plants employing hundreds of people seem to be a thing of the past, a sign of global patterns that are probably beyond the scope of local officials to change. Cheaper labor and fewer environmental regulations outside the U.S. make it more difficult for communities to attract a large industry, e ...

A large crowd participated in Agriculture Appreciation Day events Sept. 24 at the Stone County Fairgrounds. See photos and information on page 1B of the Sept. 28, 2016 issue. ...

Early scouting and proper timing of insecticide application are keys to controlling the armyworms that have infested pastures throughout much of the state in recent weeks. “They’re all across Arkansas, and they’re a big problem,” Stone County Extension Agent Tyler Caston said. Though they are called “worms,” these pests are actually a caterpillar, the larva of a moth. There are two types that trouble Arkans ...

Antibiotics, good fly control, and clearing of excess vegetation in pastures are recommended to combat the outbreak of pink eye affecting many local cattle growers this summer. Bovine keratoconjunctivitis, known as “pink eye,” typically becomes a more serious condition in cattle than does the human version, veterinarians say. It begins with watery, light-sensitive eyes and progresses to the familiar white c ...

Changes taking place at Meadowcreek will result in upgrades to the infrastructure to enable hosting of educational programs and overnight guests, according to information released by Gary Valen, president of Meadowcreek, Inc., and Executive Director Bob Gee. The non-profit based near the community of Fox has changed its name to reflect its mission. It is now Meadowcreek Rural Enterprise Incubator (MREI), fo ...

Brian and Brandy Stoltze are honored as this year's Stone County Farm Family of the Year, with daughters Kayden, Kameryn and Kyleigh. See feature story, photographs and advertiser salute in the May 11 issue of the Leader. ...