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T (USPS156-140) 56-140) 6-140) Vol Vol. 133 133, Number 23 DeWitt, AR 72042 • 16 Pages • 2 Sections • 75 cents

ractor Supply Hosts Pet Appreciation Week

Servingg Arkansas County, y Arkansas Since 1882

Story and Pics on Page B1

Thursday, June 44, 20 Thursday 22015

DeWitt Hospital Receives Five-Star Rating

AROUND THE COUNTY

RECEPTION HONORING PEGGY DENMAN

By Terrye Seamon

There will be a reception honoring Peggy Denman at DeWitt Elementary School cafeteria Thursday, June 4th from 3:304:30. Mrs. Denman is retiring as a teacher with the DeWitt School District. There will be a money tree made in her honor at New Leaf Florist. Everyone is invited to attend.

AMERICAN LEGION AUXILIARY

The American Legion Auxiliary will meet June 4, 2015 at Doughboy for the annual American Legion Birthday Supper. It will be a joint meeting and the American Legion will furnish the meat, ice and bread. Bring your favorite dish. The supper will begin at 6:30 p.m. All members are invited to attend. The Auxiliary will furnish the birthday cake.

CHILDERS CEMETERY

Donations are needed for upkeep of Childers Cemetery. They may be made at DeWitt Bank & Trust, PO Box 71, DeWitt AR c/o Karen West.

ST. CHARLES ALLSCHOOL ALUMNI REUNION

The Saint Charles All-School Alumni Reunion is planned for June 20th beginning at 10am at Popa Duck Lodge in Saint Charles. For more information call Lucille Dumond at 282-3390 or Debbie Hutchcroft-Mohnkern 479-461-9936. Bring your lawn chairs.

HAMBURGER DRIVE-THRU

There will be a Hamburger Drive-thru lunch Sunday, June 7th from 11:00 a.m.- 1:30 p.m. at Southern Ag. The money raised is for Cheer Parents Association to purchase a new mascot uniform. Lunch is $8 per plate.

“People that leave our hospital feel like they were treated very well, and that, for me, is what it is all about,” DeWitt Hospital CEO and Chamber of Commerce President Darren Caldwell told chamber members at their meeting May 14. Caldwell briefed the chamber on the new patient evaluation system sponsored by the Center for Medicaid and Medicare Services. Approximately 3,550 hospitals around the country participated in the evaluation, and DeWitt Hospital was ranked one of 251 fivestar hospitals in the nation. “That put us in the top 7 percentile in the nation of hospitals that were judged,” Caldwell said. So far, he has unofficially found only two other hospitals in the state, Arkansas Heart Hospital and Arkansas Surgery Hospital, that also received five-star ratings. Caldwell explained that community hospitals like DeWitt’s and specialty hospitals tended to rank higher on the evaluation. When comparing all other community hospitals to DeWitt’s, Caldwell said the closest one ranked four to five points behind. “What this ranking does is make you understand that people that utilize our hospital leave there feeling like the service they received was in the top 7 percentile in the country,” Caldwell said. In another area of business, Caldwell told the chamber that the DeWitt Industrial Development Corporation (DIDC) recently agreed to purchase

the property across from Piggly Wiggly that houses the caboose on behalf of the chamber of commerce. “Our intention is to allow the city to take possession of that property, so DIDC will be deeding the property over and we are rested assure that the caboose will not be moved anytime soon,” Caldwell told the chamber. DeWitt Mayor Ralph Relyea said, “In the MESA plan, the caboose was tied in with a visitor’s center, so the purchase of this property will be another step towards completing that.” In other committee reports, PCCUA DeWitt Campus Vice Chancellor Carolyn Turner reported that PCCUA honored approximately 80 graduates at their recent graduation ceremony, and out of 19 honor graduates, “Ten were from our end of the county,” Turner said. She also briefed everyone on some of the summer activities that the PCCUA DeWitt Campus will be hosting such as Kids’ College and the GEAR UP Program. In her report on the DeWitt Public Schools, Superintendent Lynne Dardenne told everyone that she met with the architect and construction management team and reviewed bids concerning the construction of the new middle school. “We will have information for the board in the next few days about finalizing the contract and moving forward with our ground breaking and starting construction,” Dardenne

said. The estimated start date is still set for June 15. The superintendent also informed the chamber that the district has been selected to be a recipient of a pre-kindergarten program for DeWitt Elementary School. Dardenne said the program will service 20 four-year-old children who would not otherwise have pre-k services in order to prepare them for kindergarten. During his report, Mayor Relyea informed the chamber that the recentlyelected DeWitt Parks and Recreation Commission met with the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism and learned about various grants the park might be eligible to receive. One such grant with the highway department will fund the repair and renovation of the walking trail at the park. “Our park is really great, but it is getting in somewhat disrepair,” Relyea said. Arkansas County Judge Eddie Best updated everyone on the progress of the new solar power plant coming to the county. Due to the availability of grants and supply and demand, he reported that the completion date for the project could be either 2016 or 2019. He said that the specific details are still being worked out. Chamber treasurer Gena Jennings reported that the chamber’s total in the general fund is $3,618.36.

Kids! You’re Invited! Come Join us at First United Methodist Church 608 South Grandview Dr. - DeWitt

Vacation Bible School Everest: Conquering Challenges with God’s Mighty Power Monday, June 8 - Thursday, June 11 from 9:00am - 11:00am Transportation Available: Call the church office at 946-2328 Register in person at church office at 608 South Grandview Dr. or online at www.dewittfumc.org


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