Updated 12:00 a.m., Thu May 23, 2013
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Katreena Malvaney jumps a gap in the rocks at the top of Sugarloaf Mountain in Heber Springs. As summer approaches, more and more people in the Three Rivers Edition coverage area will make their way to trails and various places to hike, climb or take part in other activities. Heat, though, will no doubt be a concern as temperatures rise and give people who are outdoors a reason to use caution during their treks.

Trails still popular as weather warms

It may be time to bask in the air-conditioned indoors for some, but for many residents in the Three Rivers Edition coverage area, summer marks a time to get out on the trail. With walking, hiking and biking opportunities popping up in more cities than ever — including new options in Fairfield Bay and McRae, among others — the trails have become a popular option for free exercise and recreation. Hiker and former outdoor sports owner ... READ MORE

LATEST NEWS

Local loss brings need for lifeguard to Sandy Beach

It had been a hot day of football practice for Robert Woods, and the 13-year-old needed to cool off. Like so many area kids during the summer of 2012, Robert headed straight for Sandy Beach. The popular stretch of sand and rock along a cove at Greers Ferry Lake has a roped-off area for swimming, with the water around 8 feet deep. A few hours later, Heber Springs High School football coach Steve Janski got the phone call: Robert Woods ...

THAT'S LIFE

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    Ranking the ‘somethings’ found in life

    Those of us who grew up watching Saturday Night Live like to quote Gilda Radner’s crazy-haired character Roseanne Roseannadanna, who said, ‘It’s always something.” It is. Always. Something. My husband and I were meeting our younger son and his girlfriend for dinner to celebrate her college graduation and her new job. We got there, and as we waited for a booth to be cleared, we wondered what was taking them so long. I got a phone ca... READ MORE

FRONT & CENTER

    Retiring Arkansas Youth Ranches CEO leaves lasting legacy

    When it was announced that Mike Cumnock, CEO of Arkansas Sheriffs’ Youth Ranches, was set to retire at the end of 2013, the emails began pouring in. “I was young and rebellious, but Mr. Mike, he saw something in me,” wrote one former rancher. “He guided me and molded me. … He’s an angel sent from heaven to watch over all of God’s neglected, abused and abandoned children. He did it gloriously.” Cumnock first joined the ranch staff in 1... READ MORE

THREE RIVERS OUTDOORS

    Smoking fish a time-tested method

    Smoking is one of the oldest methods of preserving fish. Long before there were refrigerators and freezers, our fishing ancestors learned to use a combination of salt and smoke to keep fish from spoiling. Today, smoking is no longer necessary, but it remains a popular method of preparation to add flavor to fish such as salmon, tuna, trout, sturgeon and catfish. In pre-refrigeration days, smoked fish were heavily cured and smoked fairly... READ MORE

FLAVOR

    Food-safety tips, festive snacks shore up holiday parties

    The unofficial beginning of summer is recognized on the last weekend in May with the first official summer holiday, Memorial Day, and wistfully ends with its bookend holiday, Labor Day, in the fall. Both are three-day weekends, and Americans have found plenty of ways to pack in maximum fun, with an extra day barely able to contain it all. On Memorial Day weekend, graduation ceremonies, holiday celebrations, barbecues and pool openings j... READ MORE

CALENDAR

    This week's events

    May 23 White County Republican Committee Meeting SEARCY — The White County Republican Committee will meet at 7 p.m. at the Wilbur D. Mills Court Building, 301 W. Arch St. Doyle Webb, chairman of the Republican Party of Arkansas, will be the guest speaker and will discuss Which Way Is Up: Strengthening the Statewide Majority. The public is invited to attend. For more information, call Joel Pritchett at (501) 827-0777 or email whitecogo... READ MORE