Eureka Springs

EUREKA SPRINGS, Ark. -- This little town is renowned for its architecture, art galleries, dining, and diversity.  All of that can be tied to its mainstay attraction that's now in foreclosure.  Without the Great Passion Play, it won't be a very Merry Christmas or a Happy New Year. As this season quickly wound down, the Great Passion Play's producers were praying for a miracle that didn't happen.  In late September, Executive Director Sam Ray made a direct appeal for cash. "No donation is too small.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- Police say the man found dead under the Interstate 44 bridge over Grant Avenue in north Springfield was Michael R. Smith, 39.  A passerby spotted his body about 7:10 a.m. Monday and called 9-1-1.   Police said Monday morning that it appears Smith was sleeping under the overpass before he died. Police called his death suspicious shortly after they arrived.  Later in the day, however, the case didn't seem that urgent and police didn't ask for the public's help with the case.  A police department spokeswoman said the cause of death won't be determined until after an autopsy "this week.

EUREKA SPRINGS, Ark. -- Volunteers from across the Ozarks and the nation are helping to get the Passion Play back in business. The Eureka Springs tourist attraction was saved from foreclosure last year through donations.      The park is now open and shows will start next month.      Officials say they hope to have 4,000 seats on opening night.      Those with the play say they will have some new special effects in the show, but their dedication to follow the scriptures will stay the same.

EUREKA SPRINGS, Ark. -- A fire burned eight rooms of the Alpen Dorf Motel on Wednesday.  A fire department representative said Wednesday afternoon that the cause was unknown.  It started early in the afternoon and was out in a couple of hours, although firefighters stayed at the scene to make sure it didn't rekindle. The rest of the hotel is open.    

EUREKA SPRINGS, Ark. -- The Carroll County Sheriff's Department is investigating the shooting death of a 21-year-old woman at her home on New Year's Eve.  An 18-year-old man is a suspect. Someone called 911 about 12:40 p.m. Monday after finding Laura Aceves lying in a pool of blood at her apartment at 15096 U.S. 62 West in Eureka Springs.  An ambulance took Aceves to a hospital in Rogers but doctors couldn't save her. Rogers police told Carroll County deputies that it appeared Aceves was shot in the head and a metal object “was lodged in the victim's head,” according to a news release from the Carroll County Sheriff's Department.  Rogers police suspected a small caliber weapon, such as a .22-caliber pistol, fired the shot.

EUREKA SPRINGS, Ark. -- The Eureka Springs School District will close on Thursday and Friday.  In a posting on the district website , officials say all schools are closed Jan. 24-25 due to illness and high absenteeism. At this time, the only announced closure dates have been confirmed for Thursday and Friday.

EUREKA SPRINGS, Ar. -- Ever want to own an Ozarks landmark?  Now's your chance. Pivot Rock is for sale along with 95 adjoining acres near Eureka Springs.      The sale includes the natural bridge, gift store, and other rock formations.      Pivot Rock has been featured in several books and magazines from around the world, including "Ripley's Believe It Or Not. "  The owner has looked over the property since 1976 and is ready to retire.      The asking price is $695,000, and is being offered through Mountain Country Properties.

EUREKA SPRINGS, Ark. -- One lane of highway 1-87 over Beaver Dam will be closed starting Monday. Officials say the temporarily shutdown is in effect from 7:30am until 4:30pm. Repairs to the road surface across the dam will take 30 days.

EUREKA SPRINGS, Ark. -- Many businesses that depend on Passion Play visitors are no doubt hoping it can be resurrected.  The curtain has come down the final time, and the attraction is in foreclosure. Declining tickets sales the past few years led to its demise.  A reporter was not able to reach the play's executive director on Monday, but Cornerstone Bank of Eureka confirms it has taken over the property for liquidation, including a collection of religious art and antique Bibles.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- Police say the man found dead under the Interstate 44 bridge over Grant Avenue in north Springfield was Michael R. Smith, 39.  A passerby spotted his body about 7:10 a.m. Monday and called 9-1-1.   Police said Monday morning that it appears Smith was sleeping under the overpass before he died. Police called his death suspicious shortly after they arrived.  Later in the day, however, the case didn't seem that urgent and police didn't ask for the public's help with the case.  A police department spokeswoman said the cause of death won't be determined until after an autopsy "this week.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- Community Blood Center of the Ozarks recognized its newest inductees into the CBCO Hall of Fame on Friday night.  Forty-one area residents were added this year, bringing the total number of honorees to 404 since the Hall was established in 2005.  A person may be selected to the Hall of Fame once he or she has surpassed the 20-gallon donation mark.  Other honorees represent their service to the organization as a volunteer, board...

EUREKA SPRINGS, Ark. -- Besides producing an instantly addictive drug, methamphetamine labs are time bombs that can kill with fumes and flames.  A first-of-its-kind drug lab was recently discovered here in northwest Arkansas. What was fizzing and foaming in the motel room along U.S. 62 was a first for Eureka Springs and the rest of Arkansas. “The door opened and there, in full view, was a K-2 lab - in a fruit jar,” said Police Chief Earl Hyatt. With the cooperation of a would-be customer, Eureka Springs police busted a man they describe as a known distributor of K-2, who'd got out of over-the-counter retail sales and into home-made drugs.

EUREKA SPRINGS, Ark. - The Great Passion Play in Eureka Springs is getting ready to resume performances. Organizers say they'll open for the season next Friday. It was mere months ago that the play sold off its livestock and didn't even have the money to keep floodlights on. The group got help from the Gospel Station Network to raise $75,000. That was enough to prevent a bank from taking the property. Organizers have been working to raise $6 million dollars to keep the play operating.

EUREKA SPRINGS, Ar. -- Ever want to own an Ozarks landmark?  Now's your chance. Pivot Rock is for sale along with 95 adjoining acres near Eureka Springs.      The sale includes the natural bridge, gift store, and other rock formations.      Pivot Rock has been featured in several books and magazines from around the world, including "Ripley's Believe It Or Not. "  The owner has looked over the property since 1976 and is ready to retire.      The asking price is $695,000, and is being offered through Mountain Country Properties.

EUREKA SPRINGS, AR  -  The 26th anniversary of the May Festival of the Arts in Eureka Springs, Arkansas is next month. The festival culminates with a parade on May 4th. A local group called the 'Creative Energy Project' is working on an art installation that will be unveiled downtown at twilight after the parade. The art instillation is being made by local artist Robert Norman.  It is a sphere that rotates like a globe and is covered with sticks that were painted by the Eureka Springs community.

EUREKA SPRINGS, Ark. -- A large drug bust in Eureka Springs ended with more than two dozen people behind bars. The Eureka Springs police chief said a five month investigation led to the arrests after a person arrested earlier on a burglary charge agreed to be an informant. The chief said the deal led to undercover officers buying drugs from suspected dealers. Arkansas and Missouri law enforcers made the arrests.

EUREKA SPRINGS, Ark. -- The Christ of the Ozarks statue has been overlooking the Eureka Springs landscape for more than 40 years.   Now, the staff of The Great Passion Play wants give it a fresh coat of paint. Officials with The Great Passion Play say it will cost about $25,000 to repaint the 67-foot tall statue, which was built in 1967 and sits at an altitude of 1,500 feet.  The Christ Of The Ozarks was last painted in 2007. A special website has been set up for people to make donations that will go towards the paint job.

EUREKA SPRINGS, Ark. -- Volunteers from across the Ozarks and the nation are helping to get the Passion Play back in business. The Eureka Springs tourist attraction was saved from foreclosure last year through donations.      The park is now open and shows will start next month.      Officials say they hope to have 4,000 seats on opening night.      Those with the play say they will have some new special effects in the show, but their dedication to follow the scriptures will stay the same.

EUREKA SPRINGS, Ark. -- A Eureka Springs, Arkansas mother faces several charges, accused of threatening school leaders with a baseball bat and leading police on a high-speed chase. The incident Thursday led to a lock-down at an elementary school.  Police say Sara Charlotte Smith tried to force her way into the school, claiming she was a student's mother.  The school told her no because of a protection order against her.  That's when police say she got an aluminum bat and broke the glass on a door of the school.  Detectives say she then tried to hit a custodian with her vehicle, who was trying to stop her outside.