Congratulations to the South Arkansas Community College Foundation for winning the float contest in this year’s parade. Their float is shown in the second photo below. All photos were taken by News-Times photographer Chris Vinn.
The world famous Budweiser Clydesdale horses clomp through downtown.
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Riders on the “Camp SouthArk” float sing Christmas songs next to a campfire as they roll through downtown.
The aroma of fresh coffee mixed freely with the acoustic offerings of Jeremy Langston and Chris Loggins Saturday night at ArtBeats Coffee House during a fund raiser for Southern Christian Home (SCH), a Morrilton, AR-based organization that provides housing and support for children in need. The fund raiser, organized by Langston’s son, Avery, raised over $500 for SCH and provided a venue for patrons to escape the cool, damp weather. Langston said that donations are still welcome and anyone interested can contact Volunteer Coordinator Lana Murphey at 501.354.2428.
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More photos after the jump
Tonight I had the pleasure of shooting the Union County Fair Pageant. Admittedly, it was my first pageant. Ever. And, it was not at all what I expected. Here are a few outtakes (more on the jump).
The fair is in town, complete with noisy rides, fried food and ‘interesting’ people. A visit should be on everyone’s to-do list. Seriously, it’s a blast!
Just go, already!
Habitat for Humanity workers and volunteers from Murphy USA wait patiently for other workers to lay out the home’s floor plan, which is read from the soaked blueprint in the foreground, before they start framing the interior walls. Work was slow to start on Saturday after a week of rain prevented volunteers from prepping the house for Saturday’s work.
I was invited on a tour of the recently renovated Rialto theater last Thursday. This was my first Rialto experience and, let me say, I am very impressed. The building is full of history and is truly a gem in our community. Marilyn’s also had a nice feel. I am really looking forward to seeing these two venues put to good use. More photos on the jump.
This is the video referred to in Friday’s print feature on Hope Landing. Take a few minutes to discover one of El Dorado’s little-known treasures and to learn how the internet is helping them spread the word on an international scale.
Tonight I attempted to photograph what is left of the The Perseid meteor shower. Aside from seeing a single stray flash of light in the sky that could have very well been airplane, I came back empty handed. But, it was not all a waste. I ended up with the shot you see above and, as an added bonus, I learned just how badly my camera needs to be cleaned. Fair warning: I will not be setting my camera over f8 until further notice.
All sensor swab donations can be dropped off at the El Dorado New-Times building, care of the “Clean Chris’s Camera, Now!” fund.
If the sight of a neglected camera makes you uneasy, do not click on the tumbnail below. (note: For the non-camera geeks out there, all that black stuff is dirt inside the camera’s body.)
Curiosity is one of the marks of a good reporter, according to one of my former college professors. If that’s any indication, the youngsters you see above from the Kiddy Kastle daycare could be sitting beside me in a few years pounding out stories and quashing untruths.
The group toured the El Dorado News-Times Wednesday and offered plenty of questions for everyone.
I’ve been in town a little over three weeks and everywhere I look I see something visually interesting. It’s been common for me to walk to downtown assignments and sometimes I just can’t resist snapping a picture or two. These photos aren’t of anything specific; they are simply scenes that caught my eye.
(Click on a thumbnail for a larger version)
If you were not at Corner Cafe last night watching Chris Loggins and Brass Tacks, then you were not in the right place. The show was out of this world!
Chris was kind enough to allow me to play paparazzi at the show. I shot available light in nearly complete darkness, photographically speaking. It was trying, to say the least.
El Dorado residents on Thursday offered their opinions on the proposed smoking ordinance amendment that would wipe out an exemption in the El Dorado Smokefree and Healthy Air Act of 2006 that currently allows smoking in bars and restaurants as long as those establishments don’t permit or employ people under the age of 18. If the amendment passes, the cigarette lighters will flame out for area bar-goers who smoke.
Emily McDonald
“I think it’s a personal right for people to be able to smoke. I am not a smoker, and I wouldn’t want to work somewhere or go into a place that allowed smoking, but that is my choice not to do that.”
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Brian Welch
“It should be up to business people, whether smoking is allowed. I don’t think city council should be involved with that. I think they should just leave it up to the business owners.”
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Stanley Teer
Teer, owner of Hill’s Recreation Parlor, says that 50 percent of his customers will likely stop coming if they cannot smoke inside. Currently, Hill’s doesn’t allow anyone under 18 inside the business, and by doing so, can host smokers.
“My customers aren’t going to go outside to smoke,” said Teer, a lit cigarette glowing between his fingers. “They won’t come in here. It will kill my business. I just can’t understand why people are trying to tell me how to run my business. It should be someone’s choice if they want to come in here and have a cigarette.”
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