logo
Rogers restaurant damaged by tornado declared public hazard by city council

Rogers restaurant damaged by tornado declared public hazard by city council

Yahoo26-02-2025

Related Video: Memorial Day storms still affect Rogers from December 2024
ROGERS, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) — A building once housing the Waffle Hut restaurant was declared a public hazard during the Rogers City Council meeting on Tuesday.
Located on Walnut Street, Waffle Hut had been open since 1976 but was one of the many buildings damaged during the Memorial Day weekend tornadoes.
The restaurant said in a social media post at the end of May that it would remodel and reopen. However, Waffle Hut backtracked in December, saying the restaurant would not reopen.
Waffle Hut in Rogers to close permanently following hiatus
An inspection by the city found the building suffered 'severe' roof damage and was covered in tarps. The structure itself was compromised and the majority of the building's windows were boarded.
The building also violates multiple city ordinances and poses a public hazard due to its unsecured access, the city said.
The council declared the building a nuisance and ordered for it to be demolished.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Mighty Eighth Air Force Museum WWII panel features two veterans' tales of valor
Mighty Eighth Air Force Museum WWII panel features two veterans' tales of valor

Yahoo

time7 hours ago

  • Yahoo

Mighty Eighth Air Force Museum WWII panel features two veterans' tales of valor

Driving rain fell with the ferocity of machinegun fire while thunder bombarded the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force's rotunda as if it were distant air strike's. Yet, the elements could not overcome the power of the stories being told by World War II veteran airmen 1st Lieutenant Kenneth Beckman and Staff Sergeant Bruce Cook during the museum's 5th Annual WWII panel. Sean O'Dwyer, the museum's education program manager and panel moderator, said while all four panelists from last year's event were alive, Beckman, 102, and Cook, 99, were the only two who could make the trip. Beckman, originally from Northampton, Massachusetts, now hails from St. Petersburg, Florida. Cook lives in West Columbia, South Carolina. The two told stories about close calls, fellow crewmen's practical jokes and harrowing missions. They did so to the best of their recollections, which were much better than they let on, particularly Beckman's as many of his stories were accompanied by the exact date of the mission. The panel was one portion of Sunday's events, which were part of four days of Memorial Day events that the museum planned in honor of the 26,000 airmen of the Eighth Airforce who never returned from WWII. More of the museum's Flags for the Fallen events have been planned for Monday, May 26. O'Dwyer asked the two centenarians a series of questions, helping them call up long dormant moments from their pasts. He started by asking what they were doing when Pearl Harbor was attacked on Dec. 7, 1941. Cook said he was 16 and standing in a doorway when someone came by saying that the Hawaiian naval station had been bombed. "And to me, that didn't mean a whole lot," he said because he had never heard of it before. Beckman actually resigned from the Naval Academy because his roommate's grandfather was a doctor with the with the Navy, and he had heard that a war with Japan was "just around the corner." So he signed up with the Army Air Corp in November of 1941. For him, Dec. 7 of that year started like any other day until about 4 p.m. when he heard what had happened at Pearl Harbor. Beckman went on to serve as a navigator within the 305th Bomb Group while Cook was a waist/ball gunner and toggler for the 379th. Beckman attributed his desire to be an aviator to his first flying experience when he was five years old. The manager of Northampton airport knew his father and invited Beckman for a ride in a two-seater airplane. During the war, he went on 48 missions over two tours. He signed up for a second tour after he decided he wanted to become a permanent officer. He flew with two U.S. presidents, Harry Truman and Dwight Eisenhower. Beckman described two close calls he had in service. One involved a German pilot who flew his Messerschmitt Me 262 "absolutely vertical" 20 feet off the right wing, so close Beckman could see he was blond with glasses and a white scarf. "I guess I saw him for all of a split second," he said, but he never forgot it. Another close call occurred when his crew's right wing engine had been hit and caught fire. He called that a death notice because a fire usually proceeded an explosion, which typically meant crew members had five to 10 seconds to grab a parachute and jump. In that moment, he secured his parachute and dangled his feet out the escape hatch and then he heard a copilot tell everyone the fire was out. He did not have to jump. Had he jumped he would have done so over enemy territory and undoubtedly been taken as a prisoner of war. Cook could not recall ever being scared beyond his first mission when he told a peer he could not get into the ball turret with his parachute on. The peer said that they could leave his parachute aside and if they got shot down maybe he could get up and grab it in time. Cook was then worried the whole four hours and fifteen minutes of that first, and likely his shortest, mission. Beyond that, he did not recall being scared very much in the air. He did remember a time when a plane ahead of his caught fire. The flames streamed behind it so much that a crewman on his plane thought their plane had caught fire and a miscommunication led another crewman to grab his chute and jump out over enemy territory. Cook told another story of how he shot at an approaching fighter, taking him out. Later the other gunner on the plane also claimed to have shot the enemy fighter down. When the crew got back to base they flipped a coin to see who would claim the hit. "Malone won," he said. Years later when he looked at the military records it only stated that a bomber shot down a fighter, giving no particular airman credit. Both Cook and Beckman flew dozens of missions throughout their tours of duty. Cook joked that officers and enlisted men such as himself did not always hang out during the war, but it was an honor to be speaking with Beckman about their experiences and the men they served with. Beckman and Cook, while grateful for the museum's recognition, deflected any praise heaped upon them. When asked to reflect on Memorial Day's meaning, Cook said he did not deserve the praise that the museum and community were giving him. To underscore the point of the holiday, he recollected one more story of a fellow airman who was less fortunate. During the war, a young man Cook referred to as Albert was moved to another plane to make way for Cook's return to his crew. Cook said on Albert's first mission with the new crew their plane was shot down. Albert and others bailed out over enemy territory while the crew's pilot went down with the plane. For Beckman, Memorial Day is an "opportunity for me to think about the fellows that didn't make it, they were the real heroes." He then paused before expressing that he was at a loss for words "to describe how wonderful life can be when the world is at peace." Joseph Schwartzburt is the education and workforce development reporter for the Savannah Morning News. You can reach him at JSchwartzburt@ and JoeInTheKnow_SMN on Instagram. This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Mighty Eighth Air Force Museum WWII panel features two veterans

Residents shocked after unexpected creature wanders into backyard: 'The police don't want us to go outside'
Residents shocked after unexpected creature wanders into backyard: 'The police don't want us to go outside'

Yahoo

timea day ago

  • Yahoo

Residents shocked after unexpected creature wanders into backyard: 'The police don't want us to go outside'

A bear wandered into a backyard in Prince George's County, Maryland, forcing residents to take their Memorial Day plans indoors, NBC4 Washington reported. The young bear, approximately 18 months old, according to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, lounged in a tree in a backyard around noon. "We were going to the playground with my daughter. We canceled because the police don't want us to go outside," one resident said, per NBC4 Washington. The bear stayed in the tree until 3:30 p.m. Then, DNR officers relocated it to a wildlife management area. While some Langley Park residents thought the encounter was exciting and memorable, such occurrences reflect a broader pattern. Close encounters between humans and wildlife are becoming more frequent. The cause is habitat loss, and it's happening on a global scale. In 2024, the World Wildlife Fund reported a catastrophic 73% decline in wildlife populations worldwide between 1970 and 2020. Freshwater species (85%) suffered the steepest drops, followed by land (69%) and marine life (56%). These losses stem largely from habitat destruction, overharvesting, and changes to our climate, many of which are linked to human land use and food production systems. As urban development expands and forested areas shrink, wild animals are forced to search for food and shelter in suburban and residential areas. While the situation in Maryland ended peacefully, that is not always the case. Wildlife encounters not only put people at risk but also stress animals. Animals can get hurt or become disoriented and may face euthanasia by authorities. Should the government be paying people to hunt invasive species? Definitely Depends on the animal No way Just let people do it for free Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Globally, major restoration efforts are underway to reverse damage from decades of habitat destruction. Government initiatives and independent groups are working to revive ecosystems through reforestation, wetland recovery, and wildlife corridor development. Individuals can help by getting involved in local conservation efforts and staying informed about how urbanization impacts local ecosystems. Respecting wildlife, securing trash, and protecting green spaces are small but powerful ways to coexist with nature and prevent backyard surprises. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.

When is Juneteenth 2025? Is there mail? Are banks closed? All about the federal holiday
When is Juneteenth 2025? Is there mail? Are banks closed? All about the federal holiday

Yahoo

time2 days ago

  • Yahoo

When is Juneteenth 2025? Is there mail? Are banks closed? All about the federal holiday

It's known as America's Second Independence Day, and it's coming soon. Juneteenth celebrates the end of slavery in the United States. It's the longest-running African American holiday, and it became a federal holiday a few years ago. Here's what to know about the holiday. Yes, Juneteenth is a federal holiday in 2025, according to the U.S. Office of Personnel Management. It is one of 11 federal holidays observed every year. The others are: New Year's Day Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday Washington's Birthday/Presidents Day Memorial Day July 4 Labor Day Columbus Day Veterans Day Thanksgiving Christmas Day Juneteenth will be marked on Thursday, June 19, 2025. Unlike other federal holidays, such as Memorial Day, Labor Day and Thanksgiving, which are observed on a specific day of the week, Juneteenth is celebrated on the actual day. Juneteenth commemorates the day — June 19, 1865 — when federal soldiers arrived in Galveston to take control of Texas and ensure the slaves were freed per the Emancipation Proclamation, according to the History Channel. Juneteenth — short for June nineteenth — marks the end of slavery in the United States and is considered the longest-running African American holiday. Juneteenth is a portmanteau of June 19, the day Union troops arrived in Galveston. It became known as "Juneteenth" by the newly freed slaves of Texas, according to the National Museum of African American History & Culture at the Smithsonian. President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on Jan. 1, 1863. But its effect was limited, according to the National Archives. It only applied to states that seceded during the Civil War, leaving slavery intact for slave states that stayed with the Union. It also could not be enforced until Confederate states were under Union control, according to the National Museum of African American History and Culture. Therefore, it took until June 19, 1865, for slaves in Texas to be freed. Slavery in America was formally abolished with the 13th Amendment, which was ratified Dec. 6, 1865. Juneteenth became a federal holiday in 2021. President Joe Biden signed legislation on June 17, 2021, according to USA TODAY, after Congress passed The Juneteenth National Independence Day Act that same month. Juneteenth began rising to prominence in 2020 after the murder of George Floyd, a Black man, sparked protests across the country against police brutality, USA TODAY reports. Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., first introduced the Juneteenth bill in 2020 following the killings of Floyd and Breonna Taylor of Louisville, Kentucky. His initial attempt to pass the bill was unsuccessful. No. As a federal holiday, the U.S. Postal Service is closed that day, and there will be no mail delivered. FedEx pickup and delivery services will be available on June 19, according to the company's website. FedEx Office locations will also be open, USA TODAY reports. Juneteenth is a Federal Reserve bank holiday, meaning the organization that regulates the nation's banking system is closed, according to Banks aren't required to close for Federal Reserve holidays, but they often do. Transactions made during these holidays won't be posted until the next business day. Branches of Capital One, Bank of America, PNC, Truist, CitiBank and JPMorgan Chase will be closed on Juneteenth, USA TODAY is reporting. Capital One Cafes will remain open. The New York Stock Exchange is closed on federal holidays and will be closed on Juneteenth, according to its website. Trash pickup may be delayed because of Juneteenth, depending on the hauler. Contact your municipality or private provider to learn more. This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: When is Juneteenth 2025? Is there mail? Will banks be open? What to know

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store