JUBILEE IN JUNE

by Ethan Nahté

Friday - Saturday, June 30 - July1

134th Annual Vandervoort

4th of July Celebration

Hwy 246 East

Friday, June 30

• 6:30 p.m. – cakewalk and auction

• 9 p.m. - dance

Saturday, July 1

• 8 a.m. 3-on-3 basketball sign up and parade line-up

• 9 a.m. – 3-on-3 tournament and parade (games and events to follow)

• 7 p.m. – Little Miss & Mister Vandervoort

• 8 p.m. – dance

• 10 p.m. - fireworks

Saturday, July 1

Mena Advertising and Promotion Commission’s Fireworks Celebration at Tapley Park

2562 Hwy. 71

• 5 p.m. – 10 p.m. (approximately)

Family-friendly, free event. Festivi-

ties will kick off at 5 p.m. with bouncy houses, concessions, youth firefighter games, co-ed softball tournament, dunking booth, face painting and more. Concessions available for purchase. The incredibly talented Shades of Gray will be performing, beginning at 8 p.m. The fireworks display will begin around 9:30 p.m.

Monday, July 3

Sugar Creek Lodging

135 Polk County Road 602, Mena

• Dark Free Admission

Tuesday, July 4

Elks Lodge No. 781, Mena Hwy. 375 East and 124 Elks Lane

• 4 p.m. – 11 p.m.

Bring a blanket or lawn chair. Water slide, obstacle course, kiddie castle, pie eating contest, hot dog eating contest, live music with Mike Mayberry & the Slow Hands. Fireworks begin at dusk.

All free with the exception of food and drink purchases. There will be hamburger and hot dog meals, pulled pork sandwiches, snow cones and drinks.

God & Country Fireworks

Wickes School Ballpark

• 7 - 9:15 p.m. Concession and Mexican food. Bring your lawnchair.

Monday, July 3

City of De Queen’s 25th annual Freedom Fest fireworks show and Independence Day Celebration

Possibly the Sportsplex - Hwy. 70 West and Home Run Drive.

Tuesday, July 4

Hochatown 4th of July

Freedom Festival

Crystal Lake Ranch

5148 N. 259 Hwy., Broken Bow, Oklahoma

• 2 p.m. - midnight - Live music, DJ, food and games

• 9:45 p.m. - Fireworks ($20 entry fee/vehicle. VIP parking available)

Little River County Chamber of Commerce Fourth of July Fireworks

Ashdown Junior High School

• 4 p.m. - Live music, food, games

• Dark - Fireworks

Lockesburg Fireworks in the Park Ida Margaret Coulter Stone Park

• 3 p.m. – Bingo and cornhole tournaments

• 4 p.m. - Cakewalk

• 6 p.m. – Outlaws and Law Dawgs band / Veterans recognition

• Dark – Fireworks by donating blood.

Did you know someone needs blood every two seconds? One pint of donated whole blood can save up to three lives. There is also platelet donations that help people such as cancer victims and babies born without clotting factors, and plasma donations to treat burn victims and those with trauma or clotting disorders..

At press time, the winner outcome, as well as the amount of blood donated was not available. We hope to have those figures and more photos of a few of the blood donors available in the days to come.

The Polk County Housing Authority will be closed Tuesday, July 4, in observance of Independence Day.

Free sack lunch each Tuesday, 11 a.m. - 1 p.m., for all ages, at Janssen Park pavilion. Bubbles, chalk, free books, games, and music. Sponsored by First Presbyterian Church. Meals will be available all summer, May 30 through August 15.

Polk County Social Seniors lunch will be at noon, Tuesday, July 11, at Sassy Squatch, 504 Hwy. 71S (lime green building), Mena.

Please let me know if you are planning on attending, so I can give the restaurant appropriate number of people. Bring a friend! Hope to see you there.

Questions? Call Linda Johnson (956) 241-2633

Narcotics Anonymous meet at 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Monday, noon - 1 p.m. on Wednesday, 7 p.m. on Thursday, 7 p.m. on Friday, and 6 p.m. on Saturday at the old bus barn at the Crossing Church. For information call Erica at (479) 2345289 or Candice at (501) 356-8300.

The Polk County Housing Authority has Rental Vouchers available. They are also in need of Applicants and Landlords. Contact them at 509 S. Morrow, Mena, (479) 394-1565 or polkarhousing.com

First Presbyterian Church will be presenting a study, “The Evolution of the Bible”, in its Adult Sunday School Class on Sunday mornings beginning at 9:45. The class will be conducted by Earl Harrell. Anyone with an interest in this study is invited to attend. Classes will be at the church in the parlor, 904 Church Ave., Mena.

The Ouachita Beekeepers Association is now meeting on the second Thursday of the month, 7 p.m. in the Education Building of the UA Extension Office, 211 DeQueen St. in downtown Mena. Come early and enjoy refreshments and bee talk with other beekeepers.

GriefShare continues to meet every Thursday from 10 a.m.-noon at First Presbyterian Church Mena for anyone in the community who is grieving the loss of a loved one.

Giles Parker 51st reunion will be July 1, 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. at the American Legion building in Acorn. Potluck with the meat and drinks furnished. Bring a dish and auction items and enjoy the day with friends and relatives. Questions? Call Mary Parker at (870) 387-5364.

The Hatfield Branch Library is open every Tuesday and Friday from noon - 4 p.m. The library is located at 121 Cemetery Rd. (old Agri building) in Hatfield.

The Cove Branch Library is open Monday and Thursday from noon - 5 p.m. The Library is located next to Cove Town Hall at 5568 Hwy. 71 S.

The Mena/Polk County Senior Center will have The Gator and Friends band performing in Mena every Thursday, 10:30 - 11:30 a.m.

The Center has an exercise class on Mondays and Thursdays, 9:30 - 10:30 a.m. Contact Trena Looney with questions, (479) 394-5459.

Polk County Disabled American Veterans and Auxiliary will be holding their monthly meetings on Thursday, July 6, at Veterans Park in Acorn. There will be a potluck at 6 p.m. with meetings to follow.

Free meal and a message at Living Word, 171 W. Johnson, Hatfield, Wednesdays @ 6 p.m.

The Cossatot Senior Center in Wickes has meals and activities for seniors. If you need to make delivery arrangements or changes call (870) 385-2373.

Kane Riggs coming to Cornerstone Church, 1129 Hwy. 71 S., Mena. From the 633 Men’s Recovery Ranch, 10:45 a.m., Sunday, July 2. Come hear Kane give testimony of his struggle with addiction and hear other powerful testimonies from residents at the Recovery Ranch. Lunch will be served. Hope to see you there.

Christ’s Church of Cove, 5234 Hwy. 71 S, Cove gathers every Tuesday, 8:30 - 9:30 a.m., for free coffee and conversation.

Hatfield First Baptist Church

“Shepherd’s Closet” Open Wednesdays, 10 a.m. - noon. Large selection of good, used clothing & a limited supply of non-perishable food items. Free to anyone in need.

Human Rights Mena will be setting up at the corner of Cherry Hill and Hwy 71 (the Walmart light) to canvas with ARCapes, Friday, June 30, 6 - 8 p.m. and Friday, July 14, 6 - 8 p.m. The signatures are being obtained to have the “LEARNS Act” put on the November ballot for vote. We need 280 people to sign in Polk County.

Human Rights Mena will (at these same times) be protesting for better laws and protection for people with disabilities.

Alcoholics Anonymous meet at The Crossing Church, 3 p.m., Sundays; at 5 p.m., Tuesdays; and at 8 p.m. Saturdays at the old bus barn. For information call (479)

234-8366 or (479) 216-3786.

The Food Pantry at the Mena Seventh Day Adventist Church is open every first and third Monday of each month, 4 - 6 p.m., located at Fair Grounds Road. For more information, call (479) 437-4018.

American Legion meets every 2nd Tuesday at the Legion Hall in Acorn. Potluck at 6 p.m., meeting follows.

Come play Bingo, Saturdays and Mondays, starts at 6 p.m., doors open at 4 p.m.

Reynolds Gardner Community

Men’s Breakfast every Tuesday, First United Methodist Church, Mena, 8 a.m. (full breakfast for small donation). All men from the community are invited to attend.

Alcoholics Anonymous meet at 7 p.m. Fridays at the First United Methodist Church, Ninth Street and Port Arthur. Discussion/Book Study for information call (479) 243-0297.

Bluegrass Jam Session is open to musicians and fans alike. Bring your instruments for an unplugged session to the Daisy Room (behind Janssen’s Avenue Florist & Gifts) the first and third Thursdays of each month, starting at 6:30 p.m. Free event. Some snacks are provided.

It’s easy to have your event listed in Around Town, which will be read on radio stations KENA and KQOR daily. Simply send your Around Town announcement to news@mypulsenews.com or call (479) 243-9600 and let us know about your event! To have it in the Polk County Pulse newspaper, we need to know by FIVE on FRIDAY. We look forward to continuing to serve the community!

The numbers are in for the third stage of Operation Safe Streets, which occurred over the June 17-18 weekend. Arkansas State Police is reporting 788 arrests for violations including 121 driving at excessive speeds and 24 driving while intoxicated.

More than 45 Troopers from Arkansas’ 12 Troops, including members of ASP’s command staff, made contact with 1,274 violators during the 48-hour effort.

Operation Safe Streets, which kicked off May 13 and has included three weekends, is an initiative to saturate the Little Rock metropolitan area with an enhanced law enforcement presence intent on shutting down criminal activity. The ongoing stratagem has been enormously successful, with a running grand total of 2,404 officer violation contacts, with 1,473 arrests that include 53 DWI violations and 202 excessive speed violations.

This Independence Day, protect your freedom and the lives of others by committing to sober driving. Arkansas law enforcement will be teaming up with the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) for the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over high-visibility impaired driv ing enforcement campaign. The primary goal of the increased law enforce ment presence will be to help prevent tragedies previously seen around the July 4th holiday.

According to NHTSA, 13,384 mo tor vehicle crash-re lated deaths in 2021 in volved alcohol-impaired drivers. This represented 31% of all traffic fatalities in the United States for the year, and a 14.2% increase from 2020.

That same year, 538 people died in motor vehicle traffic crashes over the July 4th holiday alone (6 p.m., July 25:59 a.m., July 6). Thirty-nine percent (212) of those fatalities occurred in alcohol-impaired-driving crashes.

With many Fourth of July festivities wrapping up in the evening or late at night, more cars are on the roads at night. Over the 2021 July 4th holiday period, of the 212 people who died in alcohol-impaired motor vehicle traffic crashes, 82% of those fatalities occurred in nighttime crashes (6 p.m.–5:59 a.m.).

“During the July 4th holiday, we will pull over and arrest drunk drivers,” said Colonel Mike Hagar, Arkansas Public Safety Secretary. “We have zero tolerance. Everyone knows the law: It is illegal to drink and drive. Still, people ignore the danger and drive after consuming alcohol. We know how to spot a drunk driver on the road. Drunk driving is selfish and arrogant, and it endangers the drivers, their passengers, and other people on the road.”

Remember: A few dollars spent on a ride is a lot cheaper than a DWI, which can cost up to $10,000.

Something else to consider: Don’t too proud or embarrassed for a ride. Allowing a sober er to help you get home keeps you and others safe. Want to know what’s more embarrassing than drunkenly asking for a sober ride home? Spending the night in jail. Having your car impounded. Losing your job or your security clearance. Take your pick. Always have a plan before you head out for the evening. If you wait until after you’ve been drinking to figure out how to get from one place to the next, you might already be too impaired to make the right choices.

The Arkansas Highway Safety Office recommends these safe alternatives to drinking and driving:

• Designate a sober driver or plan to use public transportation or a ride service to get home safely.

• If you see a drunk driver on the road, call 9-1-1.

• If you know someone who is about to drive a vehicle or operate a motorcycle while impaired, help them make other arrangements to get to their destination safely.

• Buckle up, always. Your seat belt is your best defense against a drunk driver.

For more information on impaired driving, visit https://www.nhtsa.gov/ risky-driving/drunk-driving or call the Arkansas Highway Safety Office at 501618-8136.

For more on Arkansas’ ongoing Toward Zero Deaths campaign to eliminate preventable traffic fatalities, visit www.TZDArkansas.org

The following information was received from Polk County law enforcement agencies. The charges against those arrested are allegations and the cases are still pending in the courts. Individuals charged and whose names appear in this column may submit documentation to us at a later date that the charges have been dismissed, or that they have been found innocent, and we will include that information in this space in a timely manner.

June 19, 2023

Dustin Chenoweth, 33, of DeQueen was arrested on a Parole Hold.

Deputies were dispatched to a residence on Hidden Lane near Mena leading to the arrest of Eric Nault, 18, of Mena on charges of Disorderly Conduct and Criminal Trespass. Deputies responded to a walk-in complainant in reference to Identity Fraud.

Deputies were dispatched to an area on Hwy 71 S near Hatton in reference to a vehicle fire.

Deputies were dispatched to a residence on Hwy 71 S near Hatfield in reference to a stolen vehicle.

June 20, 2023

Kirk Blair, 52, of Mena was arrested on a Criminal Trespass Warrant. Deputies responded to a report of a break-in at a residence on Polk 85 near Cherry Hill.

June 21, 2023

Deputies responded to a report of a structure fire at a residence on Hwy 71 S near Cove.

June 22, 2023

Deputies responded to a report of Financial Identity Fraud.

Deputies were dispatched to a possible break-in.

June 23, 2023

Justin Price, 43, of Gillham was arrested on a Felony Warrant for Theft of Property.

Kimberly Huff, 30, of Mena was arrested on a Felony Warrant for Possession of a Controlled Substance and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.

A traffic stop on Polk 671 near Mena led to the arrest of Darrin Dunaway, 53, of Mena on charges of DWI and Driving Left of Center.

Karson Crawford, 30, of Mena was arrested on a Felony Warrant for Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.

Deputies were dispatched to a business near Cove in reference to a vehicle fire.

June 24, 2023

Deputies were dispatched to an address on Polk 648 near Mena in reference to a welfare check.

Deputies responded to an address on Port Arthur Street near Grannis in reference to a break-in.

Deputies were dispatched to a residence on Hwy 375 W near Mena in reference to a disturbance leading to the arrest of Martin Caldwell, 23, of Mena on charges of 1st Degree Terroristic Threatening, Disorderly Conduct, Public Intoxication and Obstructing Governmental Operations.

Deputies were dispatched to an area on Polk 402 near in reference to an ATV accident.

June 25, 2023

Deputies were dispatched to a residence on Polk 64 near Shady in reference to a burglary.

Derek Tarkinton, 31, of Mena was arrested on two misdemeanor Failure to Appear Warrants.

Deputies were dispatched to a residence on Tilley Rd near Hatfield in reference to an ATV accident.

Polk County Sheriff’s Office worked 1 vehicle accident this week.

Polk County Detention Center

Jail Population: 45 Incarcerated Inmates with 20 Inmates currently on the Waiting List for a State Facility.