We realize our readers want to be in the know about fast food restaurants: why McDonald’s was closed, whether Arby’s is re-opening, why Dairy Queen shut down — the list goes on. We want to know, also, and because we know how popular those articles are, we do what we can to shed light on those situations. With all the red tape involved in corporate communications, getting the scoop is much easier said than done. To date, we’ve been unsuccessful in getting KFC, Arby’s and Dairy Queen to respond to our inquiries, and it wasn’t until we published what we knew about Sonic’s temporary closure that we got an official response. We had given up hope in trying to seek answers from any corporate-owned chain. When we learned that McDonald’s in Arkadelphia had been taped off with a pest control outfit parked outside, we resorted to observational reporting. Although our hunch was spot on — it was a rodent infestation — we didn’t realize, until the franchise owner called us, that the eradication was mostly in preparation of selling the restaurant to a new owner. Steve Montgomery was pleasant and open about the issue, and we thank him for talking to us. For the record, his store in Hope is about the best McDonald’s we’ve ever visited. Now that the McDonald’s rat saga is over, we wish Mr. Montgomery well in his retirement and a prosperous future for the new owners. That situation has led us to pull the trigger the decision to publish local restaurant health inspections. Look for them to start in early June.