Latest news with #Gravette
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
World War II veteran identified and buried 81 years after being killed in action
GRAVETTE, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) — Eighty-one years after being killed in action during the D-Day Invasion of Normandy, Private Rodger Andrews was buried at Bethel Cemetery in his hometown of Gravette. Pvt. Andrews was in the 37th Engineer Combat Battalion during World War II. According to the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, Andrews and the other engineers in the Battalion were tasked with clearing German defenses and setting up routes off the beach to allow the Allied soldiers to fight further inland in France. During the battle, Andrews died on Omaha Beach, although his exact cause of death is still uncertain. 'From what we understand, he made it out of the landing craft. He made it all the way across the beach,' said Chaplain Colonel Jeremy Miller, who presided over the memorial, 'He made it to the to the edge of the wall where his team was charged with breaching that wall so that thousands of Americans could follow through to really bring the allied forces ashore into France.' Bentonville Book Bus kicks off Summer Tour, encouraging students to read during the summer In June 2024, Pvt. Andrews' remains were identified with the help of a cheek swab submitted by his nephew, Russ Yates, a few years prior. Yates also said that the military and his family had been in contact for years, trying to find Pvt. Andrews. 'The military, I want to commend them. One hundred percent,' said Yates, 'Like the chaplain said, no one goes missing. We work until we find them.' Yates said when the U.S. military asked where he wanted Pvt. Andrews to be buried, he chose Bethel Cemetery, where Andrews' parents and sister are also buried. Community members from Gravette gathered for Pvt. Andrews' memorial. Both Yates and Col. Miller said they were happy to see the turnout. 'There were so many people from not only the community, there were a lot of people who traveled in for this and it wasn't so that they could be seen. It was so that they could pay respects, so that they could bring honor,' said Col. Miller, 'That's what makes me proud to be an American, when we get to see things like that.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Axios
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Axios
School board races, tax increases are on the ballot
Early voting for next week's election (yes, there's an election) starts Tuesday. 🏫 State of play: A handful of school districts in NWA have school board elections and millage rate increases on the ballot starting today. Election Day is May 13. 💰 Zoom in: If you live in the Farmington, Greenland or Prairie Grove school districts, you have tax increases to consider. The school districts are requesting millage rate increases of: Four mills for a total of 44.1 mills in Farmington. Two mills for a total of 41.1 mills in Greenland. Four mills for a total of 44.6 mills in Prairie Grove. 🏡 How it works: For every one mill increase, you will pay $20 more per year in property taxes per $100,000 that your property is worth. A mill is equal to $1 of property tax for each $1,000 of assessed value. The assessed value of property in Arkansas is 20% of its market value, according to Washington County. 🧑💼 Contested school board races include: Rogers, Zone 5 — Elizabeth-Ann "Liz" Lee vs. David Regan vs. Jessica L. Thompson Springdale, Zone 5 — Incumbent Izmar (Eddie) Ramos vs. Donald C. Tippett Gravette, Zone 2 — Matt Croxdale vs. Dani Madison Greenland, Zone 4 — Kayden Dennis vs. Audrey Filmore Prairie Grove, Position 1 — Incumbent Whitney Woods Bryant vs. Ricky Carte 🚒 Zoom out: Some Benton County voters will also decide whether to increase dues for the Pleasure Heights volunteer fire department from $40 to $100 annually. Gravette voters will see an option to have fire department dues included in property tax bills. This is a change from billing separately in the mail, 5News reported. The dues are $50 annually for improved property and $35 annually for unimproved property.
