Cossatot River High School choirs to present spring concert

Submitted by Susan Brewer

The Cossatot River High School Choral Dept will present their spring concert, 80’s Rewind, on Thursday, May 4, in the Holbert Auditorium in Wickes. The concert will begin at 7 p.m. with the seventh and eighth grade Eagle Choirs.

Following will be the combined Sr. High Choirs made up of students in choirs One Voice, Cantabile, and Noteworthy.

End of the year choir awards will be given and senior choir members will be recognized. The Rachel Norman Memorial Choir Scholarship recipient will also be announced and awarded.

2023 Choir Seniors are Reagan Bills, Angelie Castrejon, Ashley Castro, Mia Dixon, Kim Hackworth, Jessica Harris, Braylee Jewell, Hannah McClain, Lily McIntyre, Autumn Raines, David Ramos, Grant Stark, Aiden Thomas, Giselle Trejo, and Elizabeth Turnbough.

Cossatot River Sr. High Choirs are under the direction of Susan Brewer.

Jr. High Eagle Choirs are under the direction of Susan Brewer and Jacob Talamantez.

Come out May 4 to hear outstanding performances from the best hits of the 80s.

Cossatot River Primary School honor roll

3rd 9 Weeks

Honor Roll (2022-2023)

First Grade- All A’s: Story Alexander, Raymond Ashcraft, Kamden Baker, Kynlie Barton, Aedan Brummel, Brooklyn Crook, Maggie Davis, Tinley Davis, Henry Dixon, Genesis Esquivel, Isabel Gomez, William Jeanes, Wyatt Jenkins, AJ Lowrey, Calvin Mayo, Brynn Parker, Brayden Patton, Logan Pennell, Kye Sellers, Jaxen Shouse, Adeline Strother, Skyla Tipton, Liam Walker

First Grade - All A’s & B’s: Nicholas Aaron, Angel Alarcon, Lhiam Alexzander, Kailee Carter, Clyde Craig, Jessie Denton, Nataleigh Harper, Skyler Head, Heidi Holbrook, Xander Leach, Kendryck Moran, Edwin Perez, Christian Quintana, Reiner Thomas, Parker Watkins

Second Grade- All A’s: Kade Denton, Landen Gertiser, Emma Hulliberger, Cooper Jester, Jaxton Thomas, Wyatt Vaughn, Ashlyn Wilhite, Sophia Williams

Second Grade - All A’s & B’s: Melody Ashcraft, Starla Ashcraft, Mason Davis, Benz Dees, Jesus Delgado, Matthew Dixon, Rebecca Goethals, Bryson Harwood, Isaac Hernandez, Zaily Hernandez, Haydyn Hunter, Honesty Joream, Mia Juarez, Jaxson Knop, Ely Loyd, Christopher May, Alejandro Maya, Kamden Meredith, Bentley Moss, Nathan Murray, Avanlei Rogers, Magaly Salgado, Brandon Teodoro-Marroquin, Dani Toon, Braxleigh Williams, Lucas Wray

Mena hosting Arkansas State Junior Olympics Boxing Championships

By Ethan Nahté

A sport that Polk County residents don’t get to see in a live setting very frequently will be coming to Mena the end of April.

Defender’s Boxing coach Richard Hexamer announced on March 27 that Mena will be home to the 2023 Arkansas State Junior Olympics Boxing Championships. The tournament will be held at the First Baptist Church Fellowship Hall at 811 Port Arthur Ave. on Apr. 28 and 29.

Boxers from across the state, as well as western Memphis and eastern Oklahoma, will converge on Mena to compete in this two-day championship tournament. The boxers will be competing for chances to advance to the National Championship Tournament being held in Lubbock, Texas, later this spring.

Hexamer said, “Having Mena chosen to host this yearly tournament is huge for the community and speaks highly of the past experience both state and national USA Boxing officials have had in our community.

“It also shows the hard work and dedication our local boxers have put into shows and tournaments throughout Arkansas and on the national level.

“We will have both tournament and non-tournament bouts. I have a very special match setup for a young girl who has had a dream to become a boxer that has trained nine months just to find out two weeks ago in May they are putting an implant in her head for her ears and once that’s done, she can never box again. So, I have set up a ‘Dreams do Come True’ special championship belts match for her. No loser in this one.”

The female boxers known collectively as the Attitude Angels have been racking up some major wins over the past few months. Some of the male boxers from the Polk County area have also been doing well.

This tournament will be a chance for local residents to watch their own compete against boxers from all over Arkansas and adjacent states. Tickets are $10 for adult and $5 for children 12 and under.

“I would love to see our community leaders embrace this opportunity,” Hexamer said.