When she recently retired from the workforce after holding down a variety of jobs through the years and enjoying a 10-year stint at the Ozark Folk Center State Park, Donna Farar knew that with a little belt-tightening she could survive on her social security and modest retirement. Her outlook became much more optimistic with the release of country music artist Chris Stapleton’s second album, which includes ...

Pam Setser has been a music performer since age 5 and has used her stage presence and talent to help promote her hometown countless times both professionally and as a volunteer. “All I’ve ever known is to promote,” she said. This year, she is being named by the Mountain View Area Chamber of Commerce as its Distinguished Citizen, the organization’s highest honor. The award will be presented April 25 during t ...

Bob Roper of Onia is not sure what drew him to the field of auctioneering, but he has been doing it since 1961. He’s mostly retired now, but still holds an occasional estate sale or conducts a benefit auction when asked, and he believes he’s the oldest active auctioneer in the state at age 78. “I enjoyed it and still do to a degree, just not as much as I used to.” His most recent sale was an estate sale nea ...

Published in the April 5, 2017 issue. ...

Mountain View’s Stone Drive-In Theatre has remained virtually unchanged for more than 50 years, and movie-goers this season likely won’t notice much difference in their drive-in experience. However, important changes have taken place behind the scenes, with an upgrade to digital projection equipment securing the future of this local institution. Drive-in owner and operator Bobby Thompson learned a few years ...

Although she is new to the job of a county Extension agent, Katie Frizzell believes she will be well suited as family and consumer sciences agent in Stone County. She has always wished for a career where she could help people, and she has also been drawn to Mountain View. Katie and her family visited Mountain View for the first time when she was 11. Her father had taken family vacations here as a child and ...

Olen and Elma Wilson of Timbo have been married so long that details of their early life together can be difficult for them to recall. Olen, age 94, and Elma, 91, will celebrate their 70th anniversary on Jan. 31. The couple is featured in the Jan. 25, 2017 issue. ...

Mountain View native and longtime Circuit Judge John Dan Kemp took up his duties as chief justice of the Arkansas Supreme Court after being sworn into office on midnight Jan. 1 by Associate Justice Jo Hart, also of Mountain View, who has served on the court for four years. Both agreed it is likely unprecedented for the seven-member court to have two justices from the same small town. Read the full story in ...

Four local artisans will be featured on upcoming episodes of “Handcrafted America,” which airs on Friday nights on the INSP channel. Owen Rein will be featured in the episode on Friday, Jan. 6; Jerry Lovenstein (pictured) on Jan. 13; and Paul Gillam Jr. and Sr. on Jan. 20. Now in its second season, “Handcrafted America” highlights the work of traditional craftsmen across the country. Hosted by Jill Wagner, ...

Grave markers often show individuality, creativity and personality of the persons interred at the site, inspiring an interest among those who are drawn to cemeteries for comforting memories or to conduct genealogical research. During her years doing extensive research and recording census in local cemeteries, Freda Massey visited 135 burial places in Stone County, many of which are family plots and some are ...