Northwest Arkansas Times (Newspaper) - April 20, 2007, Fayetteville, Arkansas NORTHWEST ARKANSAS newspaper serving Washington County since 1860 Arkansas Democrat IN Diamond Hogs travel to Georgia for series Community leader Walton dies Benton Daily Record BENTONVILLE Helen Robson Walton whose life exemplified the Christian principles she held dear faith family and a fierce deter to help others died at home Thursday evening surround ed by family members She was 87 As wife of the late Sam Walton founder of WalMart Stores the worlds largest retailer she often found herself in the company of business analysts and corporate leaders from around the globe Bank of Fayetteville founder John Lewis had a friendship with Helen Walton that spanned 30 years He spoke Thursday evening about her influence in improving Northwest Arkansas I admired and respected and loved her Im so sorry that she has Lewis said She was so pow in the direction of our area and the arts and spirituality and being a community leader Its a great loss and she was a real beacon in mak ing this area better artistically and Waltons journeys both as the WalMart founders wife and in the personal travel she enjoyed took her a long way from her Claremore roots We are so proud of our moth er and the life she said Rob Walton the eldest son of Sam and Helen Walton and chairman of Wal Mart Stores She devoted much of her life to helping others and to Helping hands BROOKE McNEELY Northwest Terry Hendrix United Way special events coordinator talks to volunteers before the Day of Caring begins Thursday at the North west Arkansas Mall Volunteers from all over the county gathered at different agencies aided by the United Way to help with a variety of maintenance needs Hundreds take part in Day of Caring in Northwest Arkansas BY KATE WARD Northwest Arkansas Times life Styles Inc resident Sheila Greer helped super vise a group of Bank volunteers as they added a fresh coat of paint toher apartment She loves to show off her said Carol Walker vice president of Arvest Bank Shes so friendly and appreciative all the resi dents at Life Styles are that Walker was just one of nearly 300 volunteers who participated in Washing ton Countys 12th annual Day of Caring sponsored by the United Way The event assisted approximately 45 organizations including life Styles nonprofit agency dedicated to assist ing disabled adults Its a chance for us to give back to the communi ty and to help other agen Walker said As volunteers brushed on a second layer of paint See CARING page AS see WALTON page AS Helen Walton 19192007 Mayor and city worker make up BY SUSANNAH PATTON Northwest Times TONTITOWN The City Council was able to accom city business at a spe cial meeting Thursday after issues between the mayor and a city employee were resolved The councils last meet ing on April 3 turned into a heated verbal disagreement between Mayor Joe Edgmon and Building Official Shane Harrison leaving a long list of agenda items that the council did not have time to discuss A special meeting was called to take up the leftover agenda items Alderman Becky Alston requested that operational issues between the mayor and Harrison be discussed at a special meeting as well so the council could be informed of the resolu tion We would like to be informed of the resolution of this matter in public since this was an item already dis cussed in public and a topic discussed hi the Alston said Harrison said the mayor called him the day after the council meeting and the two scheduled a meeting the next day to resolve issues One of the issues according to Harrison was that Edgmon had attempt ed to have him terminat Local legislators wrap up the 2007 session Northwest Arkansas Times Area state representatives and senators talked Thurs day about the highlights of legislation they had a hand in this session It was part of the 2007 Legislative WrapUp Forum for all legislators in Wash ington County The Fayette ville Chamber of Commerce sponsored the event which was presented by Legislators attending the event were freshmen Reps Jim House and Jon Woods le as well as veteran legisla tors Rep Marilyn Edwards and Sens Sue Madison and Pritchard RElkins Madison said she felt proud about getting the money for mental health beds in Northwest Arkan sas The funding was pro cured last session but was not used She said that fund ing was able to be salvaged this time around and she Company unveils ambulance for patients up to pounds Northwest Arkansas times Northwest Arkansas now has an ambulance for patients in the 400to range American Medical Response or AMR held an open house Thursday to dem its new Bariatric Unit which is an ambulance designed to transport patients that are not easily dated by a traditional ambulance Bar iatrics is the branch of medicine that focuses on the prevention and control of obesity and associated diseases The ambulance can accommodate patients that previously would have to be transported by flatbed truck or on the floor of a regular ambulance said Cynthia Wentworth regional commu director for AMR While the unit has yet to be used Wentworth said others in service with the company have been She said that the largest patient she is aware of that was transported by one weighed pounds The person was pleased to be trans ported like everyone else Wentworth said as he had only experienced the less dignified flatbed or floorboard See AMBULANCE page A3 ed Harrison said he no longer has any issues with Edgmon have no operational issues weve continued with city business from that day he said While he may not agree with the mayor all the time Harrison said he does not feel that should be grounds for termination A hundred percent of people are not going to agree 100 percent of the he said At the end of the day we should be able to meet in the center of the road for the better ment of the Harrison said all employ ees and elected officials should work to make the city a better place for alt citizens Everyone needs to stop this bipartisan he said We need to serve every citizen of Tontitown not just one single Alderman Scott McNair agreed and said he was glad the issue was resolved I appreciate you working things he said This was an embarrassment to the city and it cost a lot of money for the city This kind of stuff has got to Mick Wagner chairman of the Tontitown Water and Sewer Commission who also raised issues with Edgmon at the April 3 meeting did not attend Thursdays meeting believes things will work out this time because of the players involved including the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Ozark I feel very good about Madison said House said he was happy with his work on the trans See LEGISLATIVE page AS Have fun storming the castle ANDY SHUPE Northwest Arkansas Times Holt Middle School Brooke Shimer 12 watches after launching a bowling ball across the schools lot with a trebuchet a catapult dating from the first cen tury during a demonstration of the device Thursday at the school Engineer Zach Cole Dr Calvin Cole of Northeastern State University and John a graduate student at the University of Arkansas and program instructor at Holt put on the demonstration as a reward to students who had completed the Benchmark testing earlier that day HOME EQUITY LINE OF CREDIT 4ITAPV No Closing Fast Approval Bank
