From 1964 through 1972, one of the most memorable and popular television shows of the time was Bewitched, the story of witch who marries an ordinary mortal man who works in the advertising industry. Samantha, the witch, was played by one of my earliest boyhood crushes, Elizabeth Montgomery. By the way, my other television crush […]
Common Man – Brent Davis Recalls The First Day of 1st Grade in the Fall of 1964
This column by Brent Davis is the first of a series to appear on a bi-weekly basis on MySaline. We’re very proud to have him. Read his biography at the end. As I write these words, I’m hit with a two-by-four of nostalgic disbelief. Right before my eyes is the year 1964. Everything around me […]
Volunteers brave August heat to paint historic downtown buildings near courthouse
Two properties in historic downtown Benton got a fresh coat of paint on Sunday, as part of a partnership between the City, volunteers and local business owners. The city initially gathers a group of community-minded people, who then set about ways to create improvements to make the area even more special than it already is. […]
Volunteers needed July 11 to help paint a building in downtown Benton
The Downtown Arts and Beautification Group in Benton is looking for volunteers to help paint another building. Come to Rhea’s Mens Store at 128 N. Market St. in Downtown Benton (Market & Sevier – map below). Meet at 7:00 a.m., Saturday, July 11th. If you’re available to help, bring a brush, roller, or paint sprayer. […]
AHPP to present virtual tour of Gann Museum; live video on social media at Noon
Watch live during lunch today, as the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program (AHPP) livestreams a virtual tour of the Gann Museum at 218 S. Market Street in historic downtown Benton. The AHPP will show the landmark property at 12 p.m. on Friday on their Facebook and YouTube channels, as part of their “Sandwiching in History” tour […]
The Saline County COVID Diaries – Stories and Experiences in the New Normal
It’s not a pretty word – COVID (Corona Virus Disease). It’s a pandemic. I’ve been dramatically referring to it as an apocalypse. Suddenly school is closed, jobs are suspended and we live in a place where society’s norms went out the window. There are the ones caught right in the terrible middle. The ones that […]
Regions Bank building in historic downtown Benton sold to investor group
Two Regions Bank branches in Benton are making major moves. The property at 146 W. South Street, has been sold to a group of investors. This is in the historic downtown area. The bank will vacate the building in June 2020. A source says it is likely to become office space, at least in part, […]
Gann Museum presents Unearthing Arkansas – artifacts found by Brandon Sutton – Feb 13th opening
The Gann Museum of Saline County will be open 6-8 p.m. Thursday, February 13th to reveal a new exhibit – “Unearthing Arkansas; Collection of locally found artifacts by Brandon Sutton.” The address is 218 S. Market Street. It’s across the street from First Baptist Church of Benton and next door to White’s Furniture. The exhibit […]
Shoppach House Annual Meeting set for Jan 21st
The Art League is holding its Annual Shoppach House general meeting Tuesday, January 21st at 6:00 p.m. at the Benton branch of the Saline County Library at 1800 Smithers. The Shoppach house, built in 1852, is the oldest structure in Benton. The Art League is in charge of the care of this historic house. There […]
Locals Painted This Dirty Benton Wall White, But a Bold Mural Comes Next
UPDATE JULY 18, 2019 Thanks so much to all of you who are volunteering to help paint the mural on the highway wall. There has been a scheduling issue and we will only be painting the rail above the mural on Saturday July 20th at 8am. I will update as soon as we have a firm […]