75¢
Sweetheart Pageant benefits DVB Museum. (See winners p. 6.)
Volume 123 Number 6 - USPS 225-680
Serving all of Prairie County and the Grand Prairie
Wednesday, February 14, 2024
Community Calendar of Events Tuesday February 13 Caregiver Support Group Hazen Senior Center 10:00 a.m. Hazen PTO meeting 5:30 p.m. High School Wednesday February 14 Valentine’s Day Ash Wednesday Thursday February 15 Hazen City Council Meeting 6:00 p.m. City Hall Monday February 19 Presidents’ Day Local and State Offices will be Closed Friday February 16 Hazen Elementary Daddy/Daughter Dance Wednesday February 21-24 Backgate Farm Equipment Auction Stuttgart Municipal Airport Hwy 63 Saturday February 24 Slovak Heritage Day Sts. Cyril & Methodius Church Slovak Thursday February 29 10th Grade Auction Community events brought to you by Hazen Chamber of Commerce and the
Please call F&M Bank (255-3042) or The Grand Prairie Herald (255-4538) to list events.
Hazen School Board holds district walkthrough The Hazen School Board met in a special meeting on Monday, February 6, to take care of some business and to do a walk-through of the district buildings to discuss some needed upgrades. The Board
Members Dave Hare, Chad Greenwalt, Freddie Rogers, Mason Sickel, Rusty Rogers, and Kay Penn opened the meeting then went immediately into an executive session which lasted five minutes. No
action was taken after the session. The board then a p p r o v e d Superintendent Andy Barrett’s recommendation to accept the resignation of Special Education Teacher Judy
Foot, effective February 1, and hired Nicole Bryan to replace her for the remainder of the school year. The meeting was then adjourned, and the board members looked over various areas of the
district’s classrooms and other buildings, discussing areas of need which were pointed out by the superintendent with an eye toward passing an increase in the millage in the future.
DeValls Bluff receives water/sewer project update By Lisa Mills At the DeValls Bluff City Council meeting on February 8th, the council received a written update on the water/sewer project from Engineer David Hilsdon. Advertisement for bids from contractors will run in the Democrat/Gazette on February 18th and 25th. On March 5th at 10:00 a.m., bidding contractors may attend an onsite inspection and ask
questions. At 2:00 p.m. the bids will be opened at City Hall. An emergency meeting of the city council will be called as soon as possible to award bids. Contracts must be finalized and submitted by midnight on March 31st. The council received a written offer on the bank building. Hollywood Duck Club, LLC offered $25,000 for the building. Attorney Mike Stuart said he
would prepare an offer and acceptance letter to present at the March council meeting. Police Chief Jeremy Murphy reported that he has hired Zach Mulligan as a part time officer. Mulligan is a certified officer and has received experience from working with the Sherwood and Beebe police departments, and the White County Sheriff’s Department.
Murphy also reported that he had contacted the Arkansas Highway Department (AHD) concerning the dangers of the curve at Hwy. 70 and Hwy. 33. After advising AHD of several bad accidents over the past several months, AHD sent a traffic investigator to look at the curve. They provided Murphy with their findings and what improvements they will
be making. Yellow reflective signs will be placed in the curve from both directions. “Curve ahead” signs with a suggested speed of 25 mph will be placed across from Dollar General and near the Methodist Church. Murphy stated that for the month of January, there were four arrests and eight traffic citations issued.
DA School Board revises calendar By Lisa Mills The Des Arc School Board met in special session on February 5th to approve three items. Superintendent Marc Sherrell and board members Johnny Reidhar, Billy Hinson, Charlie Brown, Jordan Smith, Brent Calhoun, and T.J. English were present. A revised calendar was approved for the current school year. The calendar will change from 178 days to 1,068 hours. This change will allow two snow days already made up, February 19th already built in, and only add one day at the end of the year. With
the change, the last day will be May 24th instead of May 23rd. The board approved a quote from KLC for $54,512.10 for security cameras to be placed in K-12 classrooms. An Act 1240 waiver request was approved. This waiver allows for an early start date for the 2024-2025 school year. By starting the year on August 12th, the last day will be May 22nd. Without the waiver the start date would be August 19th with the last day being May 29th. An online survey was conducted with the vast majority preferring the early start date.
DAHS announces Boys/Girls State... Congratulations to Des Arc High Schools 2024 Boy's State and Girl's State delegates. They are: Oakley Davenport, Walker Harris, Ben Kearby, Jacob Reynolds, Corbin Smith, Zachary Hill, Charleigh Patterson, Grace Knight, Kyra Hughes, Jayda Renfro, Jurnee Washington, and Kyrstin Horton.
Bilbruck named to UM Chancellor’s Honor Roll Isabella Bilbruck, of Olive Branch, MS, was named to the University of Mississippi’s Fall 2023 Honor Roll lists. Bilbruck, majoring in Public Health & Health Science was named to the Chancellor’s Honor Roll, which is reserved for students who earn a semester GPA of 3.754.00. In order to be eligible for honor roll designation, a student must hace completed at least
12 graded hour for the semester and may not be on academic probation during the semester. “The remarkable students achieving Chancellor’s Honor Roll are among the best and brightest at the University of Mississippi,” said Chancellor Glenn Boyce. Isabella is the granddaughter of Ronnie & Melva Sabbatini of Hazen.
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