For the Week in Clark County History, we combed through bound copies of the Daily Siftings Herald, housed in the archives of Riley-Hickingbotham Library at Ouachita Baptist University. We choose some front-page news from editions dating back 10, 15 and 20 years ago.

10 years ago in Clark County

Sept. 4, 2012
Ritchie Smith retired as Arkadelphia Police Department’s code enforcement officer following a 25-year career in local law enforcement.

Volunteers Mary Lewis, Russell Butler and Sherry Kelley were in the process of painting a mural on Front Street in Gurdon. The trio were pictured with a portion of the iconic black Hoo-Hoo cat in the background, and they would go on to add more images to the mural.

Sept. 5, 2012
Work on Arkadelphia Fire Department’s Station 1 was under way, though completion on the $1.2 million facility was delayed a month because of problems with the arches affixed to the tops of the facade’s windows and drive-through bays.

A foreclosure lawsuit was filed against Courage House of Arkadelphia.

15 years ago in Clark County

Sept. 4, 2007
The Badgers were off to a good start with their 2007 season following an 18-0 shutout over Ashdown.

Sept. 5, 2007
HITCO announced plans to create 10 of 60 new jobs. The company manufactures heat blankets from molded insulation for plane engines, as well as parts for both Apache and Bell helicopters.

Sept. 6, 2007
Five sets of twins and a set of triplets (one of those triplets, Blanton Matthews, now occasionally writes for The Arkadelphian) from Central Primary School were featured in a centerpiece article.

Sept. 7, 2007
The Arkadelphia Board of Directors voted to give the public a chance to speak on a proposed ordinance restricting ownership of pit bulls in the city limits. Then-City Manager Jimmy Bolt showed directors a video of a California woman being attacked by a dog of that breed.

The U.S. Senate approved funds to build a new Army reserve center in Gum Springs, a $12.2 million project that landed in the Clark County Industrial Park and is still in operation.

20 years ago in Clark County

Sept. 4, 2002
Aiga “A.J.” Porter made front-page news for setting a world record at a national power lifting championship in California, where she squat-lifted 315 pounds for the record.

Sept. 5, 2002
McDonald’s in Caddo Valley shut down for reasons unknown to the public. A new McDonald’s restaurant was constructed at the same location.

Sept. 10, 2002
Justices of the peace “wrangled” over one justice’s proposal to change the county’s pay system and freeze employment for the remainder of the year.