Sharp County jury convicts former Hardy Police Chief of sexual assault Tammy Curtis, Publisher After hearing a day and a half of testimony last week, a jury of seven men and five women found former Hardy Police Chief Scott Rose guilty of two of the four charges originally filed against him in 2025. Rose was taken into custody at the FBI field office in Jonesboro following an investigation initiated in March 2025…
From Press Release and official court documents A Batesville couple is behind bars in Independence County after allegedly stalking, kidnapping and sexually assaulting a 12-year-old girl from South Carolina. Independence County Sheriff Shawn Stephens presented the case against Brandon Britten, 31, and Sierra Britten, 28, to a circuit judge Friday. The couple has since been formally charged. Brandon Britten is charged with traveling for the purpose of an unlawful sex act with…
By Tammy Curtis, from press releases and court documentation EDITOR’S NOTE: This is an update to a story published in our July 29 issue. At that time, a probable cause affidavit detailing the allegations against Scott Ewing had been filed, but court documents outlining the basis for the charges against Summer Wolfe-Ewing were not yet available. Because of the disturbing nature of the allegations involving children, the Spring River Chronicle will not…
From police and press release information James Frey, 34, of Salem has been identified as the deceased person located in Hoxie. According to a press release, the Arkansas State Police are investigating the death of a Salem man whose body was found in Hoxie on Tue. Aug. 11, 2026, near the Faith Tabernacle Church in Hoxie. A call came in to the Lawrence County E-11 around 3:15 to the Hoxie Police Department…
Tammy Curtis, Managing Editor The countdown is on for one of northeast Arkansas’ most anticipated summer traditions. The 2026 Cave City Watermelon Festival returns tomorrow, July 23-25 at the Cave City Park, bringing three days of live entertainment, family activities, contests, food, carnival rides and, of course, some of the sweetest watermelons in the country. Watermelons have already begun filling produce stands throughout Cave City, signaling that festival week has arrived. Each…
