Arkansas Publisher Weekly, May 11, 2023

DoubleTree

room block now open for APA convention

6 honoring our mothers

Guest Columns:

What was old is new again as The Mountain Echo moves back to historic name, original downtown office building in Yellville

Robert Lyons and Peggy Mason have combined a connection to the past with a confident look to the future to create a very optimistic platform for newspapering in Marion County.

The two partners have taken a bold step in acquiring The Mountaineer Echo in Flippin from CherryRoad Media, moving the office to its historic location in Yellville and restoring the name of the weekly publication to The Mountain Echo.

The transaction was finalized April 1, and the two owners already have experienced a remarkably positive reaction from readers and advertisers, resulting in an early movement from 12 to 16 pages in recent editions.

And, based on the firm perspective of the owners, this will be a long-term commitment to the newspaper and the community.

“I love this so much,” editor Lyons said, “and I am not ever planning to give it up. I joke that they will take the newspaper away from me when they pry it from my cold, dead hands.

“I just love it when parents and grandparents come up and thank you for covering their young people in the pages of the newspaper,” Lyons added. “You would have to not have a heart to not feel good about something like that.”

Lyons cited a couple of recent events that were very popular articles in the

newspaper. One was the third straight state championship by the girls track and field team at Yellville-Summit High School. Another example was when a Yellville fifth grader finished third in the state spelling bee, competing against other youngsters ranging up to the eighth grade.

“I guess it sounds kind of strange, but I plan to be here with the newspaper until I die,” said Mason, who serves as the office manager and handles advertising. She said the underlying point is that she hopes to keep the newspaper in the family into the future. Her daughter, Heather Moore, writes some for the publication and Mason hopes her daughter and granddaughter can take over the operation in the years ahead.

The Mountain Echo's original home in downtown Yellville

Continued from page 1

Both Lyons and Mason, who worked at the newspaper prior to the purchase, are quick to say their essential priority is learning what readers want and then delivering. They especially focus on youth activities in the numerous communities and schools they cover. This involves schools in Yellville and Flippin, as well as Lead Hill, Cotter and Ozark Mountain (which includes the former Bruno-Pyatt, St. Joe and Western Grove).

“Our goal is to cover the news that affects the people of Marion County,” Lyons said. That includes articles about neighboring areas as well. As an example, they focus on medical and other services in nearby Baxter and Boone counties and some entertainment news from Branson.

The new owners say both circulation and advertising is up and readers have been complimentary of the effort to increase local news coverage.

“It’s just been overwhelming,” Mason said of the overall reception. “Not only the readers, but we have a lot of local businesses that are supporting us 100 percent.” In addition to selling advertising, she has begun designing ads. “I really didn’t care for it at first, but now I have grown to like it a lot. I like to be able to create in the paper what the business represents.”

“It’s just been a really, really warm welcome,” Lyons added. He believes the local newspaper can still play a very important role in the daily life of the community. “There are a lot of people, especially elderly and those in very rural areas, who rely heavily on the information they can find in the newspaper.”

The partners cover city, county and school meetings and “hard news,” but they plan to focus on the positive aspects of everyday life in their communities. “I love to make it feel family-oriented and about the good things going on in the world,” Mason said.

Lyons served a total of six years in the Army (four-and-a-half active and one-and-ahalf in reserve) and gained some writing experience working on a newsletter while stationed in Stuttgart, Germany, during Operation Desert Storm. He has a background in radio and worked in that field in Oklahoma, Missouri, Harrison and Mountain Home.

He studied journalism at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville and started working at the newspaper in 2015, focusing first on sports and local news. The paper was owned at that time by Dale and Jane Estes and then located on Highway 178 near Flippin. Lyons was promoted to editor three years ago.

The publication was purchased by CherryRoad Media, a company which owns several newspapers in Arkansas, as well as publications in 14 other states, in June 2021. Lyons continued working for the newspaper, this time out of an office in Flippin.

Mason started part-time work at the newspaper in 2020, while maintaining her other employment as an office manager. She currently devotes nights and weekends to the newspaper and intends to see her involvement grow in the future. She is a native of London (Pope County).

In addition to their hands-on input, the owners employ several part-time writers and free-lancers to assist in their rather large coverage area. Lyons said there are plans to employ several interns in the future.

When the prospect of buying the

newspaper from CherryRoad developed, Lyons and Mason sat down together and discussed the potential purchase. They decided that, between them, they have the essential skills and experience to be successful.

That combination has worked well for them in the early days of their endeavor. “When one of us gets down, the other gives a little pep talk,” Lyons said with a laugh. Both owners stressed the importance of moving the newspaper back to its original home at 122 East Old Main in Yellville, the county seat. “There were a lot of people who didn’t like the earlier change in office location or the name change,” Lyons said. “And we just thought it would be neat to move it back to where it was.”

The Mountain Echo traces its origin and continued newspaper operation back to 1886.

Lyons thanked landlord Shane Davenport for his help in facilitating the move. He also expressed appreciation to CherryRoad Media owner Jeremy Gulban for the opportunity to acquire the newspaper. “I can’t thank him enough for what he has done for me,” Lyons said. “And he continues to be helpful if we have any questions.”

The newspaper is printed at Hollister, Mo., each week. The press capability there enables the provision of color on virtually every page. In addition to a Facebook page and a website (flippinonline.com), the owners have plans to create an additional website. They publish several special sections, with the largest being the Turkey Trot in Yellville and the Marion County Farm Family.

Clearly, community newspapering is alive and well in Marion County, Arkansas. Based upon the enthusiasm and commitment of the new owners, it is apparent readers and advertisers in the area will be well-served far into the future.

What was old is new again as The Mountain Echo moves back to historic name, original downtown office building in Yellville

Robert Lyons

Peggy Mason

DoubleTree room block now open for 2023 APA Convention

Mark your calendar and make your plans to attend the 2023 APA Convention and Better Newspaper Editorial Awards. This year’s host hotel is the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Little Rock, and the room block is open for reservations at bit.ly/3HRnzqI.

Amenities at the DoubleTree include free WiFi, an outdoor pool, a fitness center and a business center.

The 2023 APA Convention will be held July 2022. The schedule is forthcoming. If you have any questions about the room block please email terri@arkansaspress.org.

Northeast Arkansas newspaper gains new assistant editor

Journalist and photographer B. Kay Richter has joined the staff of the NEA Town Courier, which covers Blytheville and Manila in Mississippi County, as assistant editor.

A native of San Antonio, Texas, Richter holds a degree in communication and history from Texas State University. She has worked at several weekly and daily newspapers, including the San Antonio Express-News, and has been a freelance writer for The Daily Beast in New York and a photographer for The Texas Tribune.

In an article announcing the hire, Richtor said she is pleased with the reception she has received since joining the newspaper’s staff, and that she is looking forward to getting to know the region.

“I am enjoying getting acquainted with the area and the people,” she said. “I love this business. It is a new experience every day and I especially enjoy getting to tell people’s stories.

“I am looking forward to exploring Mississippi County and the surrounding area and becoming part of the community,” Richtor said.

Siloam Springs Herald-Leader Managing Editor Graham Thomas has been named sports editor of the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.

Thomas will replace longtime sports editor Chip Souza, who will become general manager of The Hawgs Sports Network later this year. The Hawgs Sports Network, which is part of the NWA Media and Northwest Arkansas Newspapers, LLC., combines four existing news and information platforms -- WholeHogSports.com, Hawgs Illustrated magazine, the Hawgs Illustrated Sports Club and Hawgs Illustrated Gameday Extra -- into one unit.

Before being promoted to managing editor of the Herald-Leader in 2013, Thomas served as that paper’s sports editor beginning in 2009. Prior to that he was a sportswriter for the Benton County Daily Record in Bentonville and the Jonesboro Sun. Originally from Jackson, Mississippi, he has a degree in mass communications with an emphasis in journalism from Louisiana State University.

Thomas will also manage sports coverage for the River Valley Democrat-Gazette based in Fort Smith.

“Graham is a great asset for our company and for our readers,” said Lisa Thompson, managing editor of the Northwest Arkansas

Democrat-Gazette. “He knows sports and the region and he has a love for serving both.”

Souza has been a sports writer for most of the past 26 years, earning numerous awards in Texas and Arkansas. He was named the sports editor of The Morning News of Northwest Arkansas in 2004. The sports section under his leadership earned six national Associated Press Sports Editors awards, including Top 10 Daily, Top 10 Sunday and Top 10 Special Section in its circulation category.

In addition to Souza, Brent A. Powers, president of NWA Media, Northwest Arkansas Newspapers, LLC, and Hawgs Sports Network announced the addition of multimedia journalist and sports reporter Hank Layton and sports reporter Ethan Westerman to the Hawgs Sports Network staff.

“Sports have such a positive impact on the lives of people of all ages,” Powers said. “We are proud to continue our legacy of telling the stories that are so important to our community. At a time when other multimedia companies are reducing editorial staff and coverage, we are adding even more resources and ways to read, listen to and view our stories. I am so proud of the team we have assembled.”

B. Kay Richter

Thomas named sports editor at Northwest Arkansas DemocratGazette; Souza promoted to GM at Hawg Sports Network

Chip Souza

Graham Thomas

APW plans spring luncheon, awards

Reservations are now open for the Arkansas Press Women Spring Awards Luncheon on May 20.

The luncheon will be held at 11:30 a.m., Saturday, May 20 at Peterson Auditorium, Shoemaker Center for Global Business Development on the campus of NorthWest Arkansas Community College in Bentonville.

In addition to the awards ceremony, APW will also recognize Mia Waddell, a senior at the University of Central Arkansas, who is the recipient of its 2023 scholarship.

“We are excited for this opportunity to share a meal with our friends and celebrate the past year’s accomplishments,” said APW President Kristin Netterstrom Higgins

APW members and their friends and family are invited to attend. Registration is required and can be done online at bit.ly/3nORbhC

People Want Public Notices To Stay In Print, Digital Newspapers: Study

The 2023 Local Newspaper Study, a recent survey by America’s Newspapers conducted by Coda Ventures found that people prefer public notices stay in newspapers, according to an article by Ray Schultz on mediapost.com.

The study reported that of the consumers polled, 66% believe that publishing public notices in newspapers should be required. Additionally, 57% say newspapers and their websites are more reliable than city, county or state websites for accessing public notices.

Local newspapers and their websites are relied on more than any other source for information about public notices and government:

• Local newspapers/ newspaper websites—55%

• Local TV—36%

• Social media—32%

• Government websites—24%

• Word-of-mouth/friends/ relatives—21%

• Local radio—19%

• City newsletters—18%

• Public bulletin boards—14%

• Non-government website—8%

Consumers list local newspapers/newspaper websites as the most accurate source of original news reporting, ranking well ahead of local TV/TV websites, social media and local radio/radio websites.

In general, 74% believe it is important to have a local newspaper provide community news and information, the study notes.

Local publishers are advised to do one main thing to remain competitive: Ensure their content is mobile-friendly. Of U.S. readers, 66% consume news on their smartphones. In contrast, 43% access it from a desktop or laptop, although some do both.

An overview of the study can be found here: bit.ly/3nqlwTh

Cost is $20 per person at the door, or payment can be made in advance via Venmo at @Kristin-Higgins-8.

Arkansas Press Women is an organization serving Arkansas communicators and media professionals, including freelancers and independent contractors, of any gender. For more information email ArkPressWomen@yahoo.com.

We want to know about your new hires, retires and promotions!

Send your staffing changes to info@arkansaspress.org to be updated online and included in the Arkansas Publisher Weekly.

LET US KNOW LIST YOUR JOBS

The Arkansas Newspaper Connection is a weekly newsletter published by APA connecting freelance and independent writers, editors, photographers and designers with Arkansas newspapers in need.

Lists available job openings and other opportunities at Arkansas newspapers and associate member organizations. Send your listings to info@arkansaspress.org.

LETS GET SOCIAL

Sunday is Mother’s Day. For some of you readers, it will be a day to celebrate and honor your mothers by spending some time with them. There will be flowers, special meals and time spent together. For others, and for me, it will be a day to remember the mothers that we can’t spend the day with — we’ll celebrate and honor our moms, too, but we’ll have to do it more quietly, in our hearts.

My mother has been gone more than 12 years now, and still I think of her each day. I’m nearly 50 years old now, a grandfather, and still there are times when I wish I could ask her for guidance.

My mother was the smartest person I have ever known. She was book-smart, despite having just an eighth-grade education. She loved to learn new things and she learned them quickly. But Mom was also smart in ways that were often more practical. She understood people and had a keen sense of which ones shouldn’t be trusted.

Mom also had a razor-sharp wit, which ironically she displayed most often when she was angry. I can remember many times when my brothers or I would be in trouble for some sort of mischief and Mom would say something so sarcastic

Guest Column: My mother, my hero

By Scott Loftis

and so funny that we wanted to burst out laughing. We learned pretty quickly not to do that, though, because she didn’t find it amusing.

She could be tough, and she was not a believer in sparing the rod. I wasn’t there to witness it, but one of the enduring legends of my mother was the time my brothers, horse-playing in the back seat, hit her in the back of the head with a Frisbee while she was driving on a busy city street. Justice was swift and severe: Mom pulled the car over and administered what some folks refer to as corporal punishment. I’m pretty sure my brothers’ backsides are still a little tender.

More than anything, though, my mother was the glue that held our family together. And there was absolutely nothing she wouldn’t do to protect and provide for my brothers and me.

When I first got the idea that I might be interested in writing for a newspaper, it was my mom who took my handwritten stories and typed them into neat, doublespaced pages. It was my mom who made a 50-mile round trip each week so I could deliver those neatly typed pages to the editor of the little weekly newspaper where I first got paid for my work.

It was my mom who encouraged me. It was my mom who believed in me. It was my mom who was there for me, always. My mother was three months shy of 15 years old when I was born. She was three weeks past 50 when she drew her last breath on a cold January morning in 2005.

I’ll remember my mom on Sunday, like I do every day. I’ll think about what it might be like if she were still with us. I’ll think about how much she would adore her great-grandchildren. I’ll allow myself a few minutes of sadness that I can’t celebrate the day with her.

But then I’ll remember how blessed I am to be her son. I’ll remember that as long as I have precious memories of the kind of person she was, she’ll never truly be gone. I’ll remember the inscription at the bottom of the headstone she shares with my dad: “In our hearts, you’ll always be.”

Brenda June Cullum Loftis Dec. 30, 1954-Jan. 19, 2005

Scott Loftis is editor and publisher of Carroll County Newspapers. His email address is SLoftis@CarrollCoNews.com. This column was originally published on May 9, 2017.

The fragrant smell of peonies in the air lets me know that Mother’s Day is near. Every year my mom and I look forward to the blooming of the peony bushes in her yard. They have a special and genealogical significance to us. They originated from cuttings off the bushes that my maternal great-grandmother, Alice Shufflebarger Hendrix planted in the late 1930s or early 1940s in the front yard of her home. Her Cyprus house that my great-grandfather, Nate, built on the SW corner of 4th and Chestnut Streets long before there were houses around it, still stands. Alice died in 1943 and while I never met her, the fact that she lived was evidenced through her children, their memories and the blossoming of her peonies every spring. The peonies she grew had large delicate fragrant petals of white, pink, and a color they call red, but it’s actually a wine color. When the buds start opening around the end of the first week in May, it’s as if they are announcing their own tribute to mothers.

Guest Column: The Lowe Down: Lessons from my Mama . . .

By Pam Lowe

This Mother’s Day my sister and I will continue our tradition of giving our mom a corsage and calling it, as Gomer Pyle did in an episode of the Andy Griffith Show, “corsāge”. I will paraphrase Gomer as I do every year and say to my mom, “It wouldn’t be right for you, Mary Grace, to go unadorned.” We quote that show quite often, my mother and I. That particular quote comes from the episode “A Date for Gomer” where the annual Chamber of Commerce dance is coming up and Thelma Lou’s cousin, Mary Grace is coming to town and they have to find a date for her or Thelma Lou and Helen will not go to the dance with Barney and Andy. Although all episodes of that show are funny; this one is a dandy.

Another of our family traditions concerning the Mother’s Day corsage is one many families also adhere to and it’s the color of the flower(s) in the spray. My grandmother taught us that a woman is to wear white flowers if her mother is no longer living and red flowers if her

mother is alive to celebrate Mother’s Day. Seven years ago after the passing of my grandma, our time-honored custom of giving our mother red flowers on her corsage changed to white. The alabaster flowers are an acute reminder that someone dear is missing and although they are an aching reminder of our family’s loss, it also reveres and continues to honor her in the very same way she exalted her own mother, Alice.

I learned what it means to be a daughter through watching my mom’s lifelong loyalty and her sense of loving duty in her care and relationship with her parents; my grandparents. She was and remains a devoted daughter after their passing. She continues to honor them with her memories and living her life the way she was raised; kind, loving, with an unwavering faith in God and love of family. She visits their gravesites regularly and decorates them, just as my grandma taught her to honor family.

Continued on Page 8

Guest Column: The Lowe Down: Lessons from my Mama...

Continued from page 7

Have you ever considered how some of the most amazing things in the world are commonplace? These things we take for granted like sunrises and sunsets, gravity, breathing, our heartbeat, being pain-free or in good health and our mothers. It’s a good thing that mothers aren’t in it for the fame, fortune or gratitude. If they were, we wouldn’t be here. Men have a crucial role in families and in society, but women literally make men.

There aren’t adequate words to thank or describe my mom. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for her and she feels the same way, not just about me, but our entire family. She is home to all of us. She and I have an easy relationship. You know the kind where you fall into a natural rhythm when you’re together and you know what the other person is thinking or what they will think about something before you tell them about it. We have our own little sayings and cues; our own language. We possess the same sense of humor and laugh easily together. There is nothing better than getting tickled over something with her. It is truly one of life’s greatest pleasures to be the trigger of her laughter, especially the last year and three months since my dad’s passing. Bringing a smile to her face is my daily goal.

There’s a phone ritual she and I have where when I call her and she answers I always say, “There’s my mother” as if I’m

surprised she is on the other end of the phone even though I called her. I don’t know how that got started other than it’s just a little silly thing we do. It’s little things like that that mean something to us. I respect, admire and trust her. She is the consummate confidante. She is a quiet, intelligent and thoughtful soul. And the most modest person I know about her strengths. She would never say a word that would hurt another. I know what she cares about and what she values in people. She sees through to the heart of others. She loved and cared for my dad for 62 years and has kept our family in line without raising her voice, just simply with the respect that we all have for her.

If anyone has ever had a child in her care, then they know her little body holds a heart that possesses a lot of love. She is a baby whisperer. She can soothe a crying baby rocking them to sleep and hold a child on her hip and cook a meal. When you’re in her presence you can literally feel the warmth of her heart. Even now her cool hand on my fevered forehead when I’m sick is medicine.

Every child in the world deserves to see their parents’ eyes light up when they enter a room and feel that they are loved. As a grown woman now in senior citizen discount territory, I am blessed to continue to have that experience every time I enter a room that she is in.

When it comes to celebrating our mothers, whether they be birth mothers or someone who has nurtured us, the most precious gift we can give them is to honor what they taught us. After the wrapping paper has been discarded, greeting cards have been read and phone calls placed, the most meaningful present they truly desire is to see the payoff for their years of sacrifice they have made for us. We truly honor our mothers by building lives that bring us joy and creating our own happy families. Being a parent is a lifetime assignment and the worry never ends. Mothers deserve validation from their children that her sacrifices were well worth it. The sweetest thing to a mother’s ears is to hear someone outside the family say something positive about one of her babies. Although most mothers would never take credit for the successes of their children, we all know where the recognition belongs; in the examples and lessons learned from our Mamas.

Pam Lowe is managing editor at the Clay County Courier in Corning. She can be reached at plowe@cherryroad.com. This column was originally published on May 7, 2020 and has been edited slightly from its original publication.

One of the many hit singles from Glen Campbell, who is one of the greatest country singers of all time, was “The Hand That Rocks the Cradle Rules the World.” It was a tribute to mothers. Part of the lyrics were: “There ought to be a hall of fame for mamas; Creation’s most unique and precious pearl; And heaven help us always to remember; That the hand that rocks the cradle rules the world.”

This is Mother’s Day weekend. Instead of writing about our fractious political scene at the national, state, and local level. I want to pay tribute to Linda Ruth Childs Bagley, my Momma.

My Momma should be in that Hall of Fame that Campbell sang about. She came of age in the 60s as a child of the Baby Boom after World War II. She was a working woman all of her life, even before a lot of people thought that women should work outside the home. And she worked while still having four kids. She often says that one of her greatest successes as a mother is that we all believe we are her favorite. The fact is I am the favorite and Melissa, Jonathan, and Alan get to have their fantasy.

All jokes aside, there was never any doubt what Momma’s top priority was. It was always the four of us and Daddy. Momma’s house was always and still is a special place. She has been a Latour Road institution since before the road was paved and long before we had cable

Guest Column: A Tribute to Linda Ruth

By Andrew Bagley

television. Even today, there are times when I find myself wanting to drive out to what was then Route 2 Box 280-C and is now 477 PC 251 Rd and hope that she will have made her homemade brownies or lemon ice box pie.

I have always marched to the beat of a different drum. Momma knew that when we got cable and my favorite channel was CNN instead of MTV. But Momma was always there for every step along the journey. She was at every game, every concert, and every piano lesson. She made every Christmas and birthday memorable. She helped me type my first research paper and made sure I got the opportunity to speak before thousands at Ridgecrest Baptist Conference Center when I won the Arkansas Baptist State Convention Speakers tournament even though the family finances were tight. She was there as I went off to Ouachita Baptist University and I looked back in the rear view mirror to see she was teary-eyed in the van behind me. She was there in Arkadelphia for graduation. Then it was off to Baylor where she helped me find my first apartment. Later came being at the hospital for Collin’s birth and all those evenings when we lived close to her when she was the happiest Grandmother alive. She was also there during the tough times. I wanted to be a Kindergarten drop out but Mom not only made me stay, but she worked with Pam Gibson to make sure I

developed a love of learning. Junior High was difficult as I began to sort through adolescence but she was always there to provide a needed push or soft landing, whichever was required. Then came adulthood. When the first marriage fell apart and I needed a place to go, Momma said at 5:00 in the morning, “Come on in.” Then she was there when the sun came back up over my horizon and Sandra came into my life.

Johnny Paycheck sang the song, “I’m the Only Hell My Mama Ever Raised.” I definitely gave her hell and caused her hair to turn gray. Through it all, she never wavered in her love of me.

Everyone deserves a Mom like Linda Ruth, as my Mammaw called her. All who have had the honor of knowing her, working with her, studying under her, or being her friend are privileged to have had her in their lives. But no one is more fortunate than me because I had her as a Mother. Happy Mother’s Day, Momma! You are and always will be the best!

Andrew Bagley is the co-owner and publisher of The Helena World and the Monroe County Argus in Brinkley. This column is an edited version of the one that first ran in The Helena World on May 10, 2019.