Take note, parents, your teen could be in for a free ride. Mena
High School seniors have a
ed amount of time to get your ap plication in for the running.
Principal David Maxwell of Mena High School said, “We have just announced with a partnership of Teeter Motors here in Mena,
chance at a prize that will have a positive economic effect on one student. It’s all courtesy of a give away by Teeter Motors like Mena has never seen and there’s a limit
Arkansas, that one of our seniors is going to win this car at the end of the spring semester.”
Denny Teeter of Teeter Motors said, “It’s a 2019 Hyundai Elantra.
The 2022 Veterans Day Parade will be this Saturday, 11 a.m. on Nov. 5. This year, the parade will be honoring Af ghanistan veterans along Mena Street, but U.S. veterans from all wars, poten tially dating back to WWII, will be rep resented.
Line-up for the parade will begin at 10 a.m. at The Crossing Church. The parade will travel the length of Mena Street.
Entries will be accepted even the morning of the event. Show up at 10 a.m. and notify the organizers and they will find you a place within the parade line-up. There will be judges for the pa rade. Last year there were approximately 30 entries.
If there is a heavy rain like the previ ous Saturday, the parade will be post poned. A light rain will not cancel the event.
WASHINGTON - Congressman Bruce Westerman (AR-04) joined fel low House member Andy Kim (NJ03), Markwayne Mullin (OK-02), Cin dy Axne (IA-03), Al Lawson (FL-05), Marc Veasey (TX-33), and Mike Car ey (OH-15) in introducing the biparti san “Supporting Our First Responders Act” to assist rural emergency medical services (EMS) agencies in hiring and retaining qualified personnel, provid ing training reimbursements, financ ing facility upgrades, and more.
“Rural Emergency Medical Services providers are critical in countless com munities across the country where lo cal hospitals are not easily accessible to those in need of immediate help,” said Rep. Bruce Westerman (AR-4). “Rural health care has been neglected for too long. It is essential to ensure that EMS providers are equipped to
deliver timely, high-quality care to every area in the United States. I am proud to cosponsor this competitive grant program to ensure those with the most need are provided the means to better serve those in crisis.”
“EMS responders are there when we need them, often first on the scene, and will ing to put their lives and their families’ well-be ing on the line to help keep our neighbors and loved ones safe during an
emergency,” said Rep. Kim (NJ-03). “Despite the glamor portrayed on TV, the day-to-day reality of responding to calls without the equipment and staff they need is a reality rarely seen by people in our community. With our bill, we’re taking steps to support our first responders by making sure they have the resources, staffing, training, equip ment, and most im portantly the men tal and physical healthcare support they need.
I’m proud to introduce this bill in a bi partisan way and hope my colleagues in both parties can agree that we need to strengthen our support for the brave EMS workers on the front lines every single day.”
“In rural Oklahoma, our EMS pro viders are often the difference between life and death, and ours are in a crisis,” said Rep. Mullin (OK-02). “Oklaho mans cannot simply live without these safety net providers. And with no cur rent federal funding stream for EMS, despite these heroes working day-in on the frontlines, our communities are abandoned. I am proud to support this bill to ensure those in Oklahoma continue to have access to high-quali ty health care.”
See REMS continued on page 7
1168 Hwy 71S
Mena, AR 71953
Phone: 479-243-9600
Fax: 479-243-9603
Email: news@mypulsenews.com
KENA 104.1 - KQOR 105.3
MyPulseNews.com
Ashley Moore - General Manager
Ethan Nahté - Production Manager/Editor
Patrick Massey - Contributing Reporter
John Russell - Graphic Design
Curt Teasdale - Programmer / On-Air Personality
Trey Youngdahl - Reporter / Photographer/ Morning Personality
Jodi Croft - Account Executive
Ariel Varner - Receptionist/On-Air Personality
Dear Editor,
I’m one of those “Spe cial Interests” Local Option opponents claim are trying “fool” others into voting for Polk County to Go Wet.
I’ve had a “special interest” in seeing retail alcohol sales legal ized since 1984, when I served as the first adult probation officer in Polk County.
I regularly saw the tragedies that resulted from people who drove home drunk from stateline beer joints.
I’ve spent hours walking along Polk Road 74 picking up beer cans and broken bottles that were thrown out of vehicles by people who went to state-line beer joints to buy illegal, untaxed alcohol and drove the back roads drinking it until it was all gone.
So, I also have a “special in terest” in seeing Polk County cleaned up.
no Interstate Highway are other important factors.
So, I continue to have a “special interest” in these things and you should too!
If somebody wants a beer, they should be able to buy it in town and go home and drink it, instead of making a 40 mile round trip to a beer joint and drinking all the way home.
I’ve also got a “special interest” in seeing the many vacant commercial buildings in our commu nity rehabilitated; whether they are converted to living quarters or for retail.
Drive around and count the vacant buildings - they are every where.
The Polk County Pulse welcomes letters to the Editor addressing any topic of interest to our readers. To be published, letters must not contain obscene or libelous lan guage.
The letter must include a signature to be considered for publication. Signatures will NOT be held out by request. Letters will be restricted to 500 words. Any letters longer than 500 words will require purchase of advertising space.
The following contact information is re quired when the letter is submitted: NAME, AGE, ADDRESS, PHONE NUMBER.
Letters are published at the discretion of the Editor and Publisher.
The Polk County Pulse is the area’s premiere and fastest growing news publication. The Polk County Pulse is FREE and published weekly on Wednesdays, with a distribution of 8,000 and an estimated readership of 10,000. MyPulseNews.com has hundreds of visitors daily and KENA and KQOR have thousands of listeners hourly.
POLICY: The publisher reserves the right to reject or cancel any advertisement at any time. All property rights, including any copyright interest, in any advertisement produced by Pulse Multi-Media and/or The Polk County Pulse using art work and/or typography furnished or arranged by Pulse Multi-Media and/or The Polk County Pulse shall be the property of Pulse Multi-Media and/or The Polk County Pulse. No such advertisement or any part thereof may be reproduced without the prior written consent of Pulse Multi-Media and The Polk County Pulse.
POLITICAL ADVERTISEMENTS: Advertise ments of a political nature must be prepaid and must also include the name of the entity paying for the advertisement. If an entity other than the candidate the advertisement is endorsing is paying for the ad, a statement must be signed by the candidate verifying the candidate has seen and approved the advertisement.
As parents of three children, my wife Janet and I had a “spe cial interest” when we saw the limited job opportunities for our kids and other young adults who wanted to try and make a living in a community with a declining population.
Our children and many of their friends and classmates left town for greener pastures.
As workforce training coordi nator at RMCC (now UARM), it was my job to interact with businesses and industries to help train workers and facilitate eco nomic development.
I learned from economic devel opment experts from around the state and country that Prohibition of Alcohol is a major factor in re straining a community’s growth. It isn’t the only factor - lack of broadband Internet access and
People should be allowed to purchase and consume retail al cohol legally and responsibly in Polk County.
It’s a freedom issue.
If a person chooses to refrain, that’s their right too.
Finally, we aren’t trying to “fool” anybody into voting for retail al cohol sales.
Don’t take my word for it, though!
Do your own research from legitimate sources. Find out what happens when “dry” communi ties vote “wet”.
So, if you too have a “special interest” in seeing the regulated, legal, retail sale of alcohol in Polk County, please vote FOR the Local Option!
Respectfully, Joe Corcoran, Mena
Letters may be submitted by e-mail to news@mypulsenews.com; mailed to P.O. Box 1450, Mena, AR 71953 or dropped off at 1168 Hwy. 71 South, Mena, AR. A drop-box is provided by the front door for after-hour convenience.
Email: NEWS@MYPULSENEWS.COM
CORRECTION: It was stated in an article in the Oct. 26 issue that Carla Vaught now resides in Washington state. We were misinformed. She is still an Arkansas resident.
SHREVEPORT, La. (October 27, 2022) – SWEPCO wants to remind the public about some important safety tips when working on outdoor projects this fall. Knowing what to do before you begin a project outdoors not only can help prevent serious in jury or death, but can help you avoid possible fines, high repair costs and power outage.
If you plan to do any digging, re member to call 811 at least 48 hours before digging. Our SWEPCO team will mark the location of utility lines owned by the company, helping you avoid serious injury or expensive pen alties.
When planting trees in your yard,
avoid problems in the future by think ing about whether the trees will in terfere with power lines as they grow. Be sure to select low-growing trees or shrubs that will not touch the over head lines when they grow.
If you’re planting near a transform er, keep a distance of 10 feet from any side and include an opening. Our crews need space to safely open the transformer when working on under ground power lines.
Property owners are responsible for keeping trees from growing close to the wire that runs from our pole to their house or office. Contact us at least two business days in advance of any tree trimming needs near the line, and we’ll disconnect the service line for your safety.
Remember to “not” use a metal lad der and keep your wood or fiberglass ladder at least 10 feet away from pow er lines.
SWEPCO is responsible for cutting
back trees near power lines along pub lic streets and roads and some private properties. If you see trees growing close to our power lines, call us at 1-888-216-3523.
If you’re using a ladder to clean your gutters or clean the side of your home, keep equipment and yourself at least 10 feet away from power lines. Only use clean, dry, wooden or fiberglass ladders. Anyone using a metal or alu minum ladder near energized power lines are at risk of electrocution.
If you need to get near the line com ing into your house or office from our pole, contact us at least two business days in advance, and we’ll disconnect the service for your safety.
For more safety tips, visit SWEPCO. com/Safety.
Did you know that out of the over 400,000 children and teens in foster care in the United States, over 100,000 of them are waiting to be adopted? Right now, there are 292 children in Arkansas whose parents’ paren tal rights have been terminated and are currently seeking a forever family.
November is National Adoption Month. It is a time to increase awareness of adoption issues, bring at tention to the need for adoptive families for teens in the foster care system, and emphasize the value of youth engage ment. On November 3, the Arkansas Department of Human Services will be hosting a National Adoption Month Rally at the State Capitol. The event be gins at noon.
In the 2021 Regular Session, the Gen eral Assembly passed Act 574, which directed the House Committee on Ag ing, Children and Youth, Legislative and Military Affairs, and the Senate Interim Committee on Children and Youth to conduct a study of the best practices for reducing the number of children in foster care. Part of that study includes reviewing the length of time from ter mination of parental rights to adoption finalization for relative and foster parent
adoptions. Significant progress has been made to shorten that time. The committee is sched uled to review a draft of the final report when they meet in November.
While we continue our study and work to reduce the number of children entering the foster care system, we encourage you to explore how your family may be able to help.
Last year, the Division of Children and Family Services (DCFS) launched the Every Day Counts campaign as a re minder for people that every day these children and teens spend in foster care is a day too long because every day counts!
After the launch of the program, Proj ect Zero took on the challenge to give every waiting child a short film by the end of 2021. Project Zero is a non-prof it organization whose mission is to dil igently and enthusiastically promote adoption through the foster care system with the ultimate goal of finding a forev er family for every child who is waiting. These short films have been a critical piece in finding adoptive families for children in foster care. You can find the films and more information about each child in Project Zero’s Arkansas Heart Gallery at www.projectzero.org.
John Maddox
John.Maddox@ arkansashouse.org
520 Church Avenue Mena, AR 71953
Call: (479) 394-6060
Larry Teague
Larry.Teague@senate.ar.gov
P.O. Box 903 Nashville, AR 71852 (870) 845-5303
John Boozman
1120 Garrison Ave. Suite 2B
Fort Smith, AR 72901
Phone: (479) 573-0189
Fax: (479) 575-0553
Bruce Westerman
101 Reserve St. Suite 200 Hot Springs, AR 71901
Phone: (501) 609-9796
Fax: (501) 609-9887
A panel of three federal judges dismissed portions of a lawsuit filed against state offi cials, in which plaintiffs argue that the legislature violated the federal Voting Rights Act last year when it drew new maps for the state’s four Congressio nal districts.
The lawsuit contends that the new map dilutes the strength of African-American voters by splitting Pulaski County among three separate Congressional Districts.
Traditionally, Pulaski County has been entirely within the Second Con gressional District, along with several other counties in central Arkansas.
Every 10 years the state legislature draws a new map of Congressional district boundaries. They reflect pop ulation shifts as indicated by fresh data from the U.S. Census, which oc curs every 10 years.
Arkansas continues to have four Congressional districts. New York and California lost one of their Congres sional districts. North Carolina added a Congressional seat and Texas added two because of population gains.
Using the most recent census data, the legislature drew new Congressio nal district maps during last year’s regular session. The map was debat ed vigorously, and soon after it was approved it was challenged in federal court. Plaintiffs are residents of Pu laski County and include an Afri can-American senator and an Afri can-American representative.
The legislature put areas of south eastern Pulaski County in the Fourth Congressional District, which in cludes most of southern and western Arkansas.
Legislators drew parts of eastern Pulaski County into the First Con gressional District, which covers most of eastern Arkansas and much of northern Arkansas.
“What we can say at this stage is that the plaintiffs are a few specific factual
allegations short of pleading a plausible vote-dilution claim,” the judges’ ruling said.
The panel of federal judg es said that the plaintiffs’ case lacked enough evidence of ra cial motivation by legislators who drew the new map. They granted the plaintiffs 30 days in which to gather more evi dence and file an amended complaint.
The judges dismissed the governor and the state of Arkansas as defen dants in the legal challenge. The only defendant now is the Secretary of State, the top election official in Ar kansas.
Lawyers for the state attorney gen eral defended the new map before the three-judge panel. After the ruling, the attorney general told the media that she “is pleased the court recognized the lack of evidence and dismissed the suit in part.”
During the federal fiscal year that just ended, the attorney general’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit made 51 arrests and secured 33 convictions of people who had attempted to de fraud the Medicaid system.
The offenders had to pay back $42.5 million in civil settlements, fines and court-ordered restitution. Those fig ures are a record for Arkansas.
Medicaid is a government health care program that provides coverage for senior citizens in nursing homes, poor families and children in low-in come families, and people with dis abilities.
Fraud occurs when providers file false claims for reimbursement, in which they report to Medicaid that they have provided medical services that they did not actually provide.
The attorney general’s office also ob tained $159,000 in civil penalties from facilities that committed abuse or ne glect of senior citizens.
continued from page 1
We just watched about 110 kids jump up for joy. It was a great thing to see. You talk about inspiring. This school, and me and Shannon and Randy at the car lot… somebody’s going to win this car and what they set up with the curriculum between now and next week… I’m just look ing forward to seeing what the spirit and achievements of all these kids reaching out. They’ll walk back into that classroom on cloud nine.”
This should be motivation for stu dents in their senior year to finish strong. The selection will be based on a combination of character, cur riculum and behavior. This is not a lottery drawing.
“Having a vehicle like this,” Max well explained, “whenever you leave [high school], whatever your post-secondary is, this will be a game changer for a young person, because this is a car they’re not go ing to pay for. So, they don’t have a car payment hanging over their head, forcing them to take whatever job they can. They have that oppor tunity to go after their ‘next.’ This is going to help fund that. This is go ing to help fund that, literally, be cause they’re not having to do other things.”
Having a newer vehicle that
should require little maintenance beyond the standard oil changes and tire rotations is a good head start for students and parents alike. It’s giving them a step up right when they start their adult life.
Teeter Motors, based out of Mal vern, has done several charitable acts. The purpose of the car give away is, in part, to lessen the finan cial burden to allow a student more time to dedicate to their academic or working endeavors, not to men tion having reliable transportation.
Teeter said, “Since 1968, we’ve been an incorporated company. Since 1968, we have always been involved giving to the youth. It’s been our major role. We feel like if we give to them at an early age, give them an opportunity to compete in sports, do things other kids are able to do, there’s a real good chance they’re going to step up and achieve later in life. It all starts with the chil dren.”
These students are going to be working hard to earn the chance to win the Elantra. The deadline to register will be announced soon. Then over the course of the school year, students will be evaluated.
The Elantra can be viewed in the showroom at Teeter Motor Compa ny of Mena.
REMS continued from page 2
“Rural EMS teams go above and beyond to ensure that folks can get emergency care no matter where they live, and too often, they don’t have the resources necessary to do their jobs,” said Rep. Cindy Axne (IA-03). “The Supporting Our First Responders Act will invest in these heroes so they’re able to continue serving our commu nities, and I’m grateful to join my col leagues in this effort.”
“Ensuring our EMT’s have every resource necessary to serve all com munities as safely and effectively as possible is a no-brainer and I’m happy to join my colleagues in bringing forth the Supporting Our First Responders Act,” said Rep. Carey (OH-15). “This legislation will provide our EMS agen cies with the ability to improve the lives of EMT’s and the people they help every day.”
“The COVID-19 pandemic high lighted the importance of Emergency Medical Services (EMS), especially in rural areas, where access to health care services is minimal. These frontline workers risk their safety to provide a system of strong and coordinated emergency medical services,” said Rep. Al Lawson (FL-05). “The Sup porting our First Responders Act is a bipartisan investment to ensure these organizations have access to adequate
funding to hire and train the next gen eration of first responders and to pur chase necessary supplies and equip ment to provide health care services to all Americans.”
“Since the start of the pandemic, first responders like Emergency Med ical Services (EMS) have been on the front lines fighting against the virus and saving lives. These essential frontline workers went above and beyond to ensure public safety. It is time we invest in them and bolster emergen cy medical services in America,” said Rep. Marc Veasey (TX-33). “The ‘Sup porting Our First Responders Act’ is a bipartisan piece of legislation that will provide federal support to first responders and help ensure they have access to the supplies and staff they need to better serve our communities.”
In 2021, EMS experienced a turn over rate of 20-30% for full and parttime EMTs and paramedics across the country, which means an organization is forced to replace most staff within four years. These staffing shortages, combined with skyrocketing costs to purchase equipment and fuel, are forcing EMS agencies to make difficult decisions including whether to reduce
See REMS continued on page 9
Law enforcement professionals at all levels, from local police forces to sheriff’s departments, state police and federal law enforcement agen cies, leave home each day not knowing what challenges they will encounter, but prepared to face danger head on. We are all grateful for the service and sacrifice of our officers and we have a responsibility to ensure they have the resources, equipment and training to do their job.
I recently had the opportunity to visit with law enforcement personnel from across the state at the Arkansas Asso ciation of Chiefs of Police executive development course to discuss public safety and the work they do every day to help in an emergency. Given the concerns about crime across the coun try, their role is even more important.
A poll taken within the last few weeks by Politico/Morning Consult found public safety is a top concern for citizens nationwide. According to the findings, one solution to reduce crime rates is more funding for police departments.
As a member of the Senate Appro priations Subcommittee that oversees funding at the U.S. Department of Justice, I’ve championed federal ini tiatives supplying financial support for training, personnel, equipment up grades and enhanced information sharing between all federal agencies.
Programs like the Byrne Justice As sistance Grant (JAG) and the Com munity Oriented Policing Services (COPS) have been instrumental in helping Arkansas law enforcement agencies hire additional officers, pur chase new gear and technology and fa cilitate multi-jurisdictional efforts such as drug task forces.
Coordination between local, state and federal law enforcement agencies
allows us to better fight drug traf ficking. As a result of the crisis at our southern border, there is an increasing flow of lethal fentanyl onto our streets. This synthetic opioid is up to 50 times stronger than heroin and it’s having a direct impact in Arkansas as fentanyl is now the leading cause of overdose deaths in our state.
Arkansas law enforcement officers have successfully seized hundreds of thousands of fentanyl pills, but the challenge is only growing as the drug is being disguised in forms like prescrip tion pills and candy.
We’ve all seen the news stories about the increase in crime in our state and across the country. With the surge in violent crime, we must hold criminals accountable and send a clear message to those who attack our brave offi cers that there will be consequences. This Congress I’m proud to support legislation to create federal penalties for individuals who deliberately target local, state or federal law enforcement officers with violence.
Fostering critical partnerships is vital to maintaining public safety. Police departments across the state have implemented citizens academies that are proving valuable in connect ing with the community. Other law en forcement officials have discovered en gaging community leaders, public in terest entities and ordinary citizens on a regular basis to provide updates on police issues has strengthened trust and accountability.
We are grateful for the dedication, commitment and service of individ uals who wear the badge and protect our streets. As a member of the Senate Law Enforcement Caucus, I am com mitted to supporting the heroes who come to our rescue and building on the work of ensuring they have every thing they need to do their jobs with professionalism and integrity.
REMS continued from page 7
or even cease operations. As more agencies shut down, remaining agen cies are required to cover larger areas, leaving families without immediate assistance in their greatest moment of need, when timing can mean life or death.
37 states do not classify EMS as an essential service. That means local governments are not required to pro vide these services at all. Unlike fire fighting and police, EMS units do not have wide access to federal and state funding.
The “Supporting Our First Respond ers Act” would:
Authorize $50 million per year for five years to establish a grant program under the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) which would allow public, private, and nonprofit EMS agencies that provide medical services to apply for grants to:
Hire, recruit, and retain trained medical personnel
Support the well-being of EMS per sonnel
Provide reimbursement for required training
Modify existing facilities
Purchase new equipment, medica tion, and vehicles
Authorize $5 million in technical assistance to assist EMS agencies with navigating grant processes.
Require the Secretary of HHS to provide Congress a report detailing the challenges, disparities, and inade quacies in providing federal and pri vate reimbursement for EMS and rec ommend action.
Require the Secretary of HHS to provide Congress a report detailing the challenges specific to rural EMS departments and to non-affiliated EMS departments, then develop ac tion plans to address those challenges
through grants and other administra tive action.
The Supporting Our First Respond ers Act is endorsed by the National Association of EMTs (NAEMT) and the American Ambulance Association (AAA).
“Communities across the country are struggling to keep their ambulance services operating because of the crisis level workforce shortage,” said Bruce Evans, President of the National As sociation of EMTs (NAEMT). “Many services have had to close. We appre ciate Congressman Kim and other Members of Congress working to ad dress this crisis.”
“EMS organizations across the U.S. are struggling to hire paramedics and EMTs, and cover the increasing cost of equipment and supplies,” said Shawn Baird, President of the American Am bulance Association. “The Supporting Our First Responders Act by Con gressmen Kim, Congressman Mullin, Congresswoman Axne, Congressman Veasey, Congressman Lawson, Con gressman Westerman, and Congress man Carey recognizes the vital role that all ground ambulance service organizations play as medical first re sponders and would provide a critical down payment to grantees to help en sure their communities have access to vital EMS resources”
“Our country’s emergency medi cal services (EMS) system is facing a crisis that threatens the ability to provide crucial emergency healthcare services in many communities,” said Rob Meriweather, President of Bound Tree Medical. “Bound Tree Medical, a leading nationwide distributor of emergency medical products to EMS, supports the establishment of this fed eral grant program to give our nation’s EMS infrastructure the support it de serves to address this crisis.”
My mini golden doodle, Tucker, was frantic. He didn’t know what was happen ing, but he knew he didn’t like it. Loud banging and scraping sounds were com ing from the roof over the bedroom. Tuck er was jumping and whining. No matter what we did, he would not settle down. He was sure that the sky was falling.
The noise came from workers on the roof who were scraping off the old shin gles directly above the bedroom. On an other part of the roof, other workers were nailing new shingles. Even though the activity on the roof distressed Tucker, it made me happy. Finally, after a five-year ordeal, we were getting a new roof on our house.
During an intense thunderstorm five years ago, hail damaged our roof. The next time it rained, we noticed several leaks in the house. I called our insurance compa ny, and they sent an adjuster to inspect the damage. The adjuster decided that the damage was minimal and issued a small check. With the money, I could replace the vent pipe boots, but there was noth ing left for roof repairs or repainting the stained areas in the house where the roof leaked.
When I had a roofer inspect the dam age, he took over 100 photos document ing it, but when he contacted the insur ance company, they refused to reinspect the roof, telling me the case was closed and they would not reopen it. I knew I would have to pay for the new roof, so I started saving for the project.
By the time we had saved money and were ready to replace the roof, it seemed that everyone in the construction busi ness had more work than they could do. One day, Jeff stopped by our house. Ear lier in the year, Jeff had removed some trees from our backyard and had done an excellent job. He wanted to see how the project in our backyard had turned out. When Jeff learned that we were looking for someone to put a new roof on our house, he told us that he worked with an
experienced roofer, and they would be in terested in the job.
A couple of days later, Jeff came by with a bid to put a new roof on my house. We both signed a professionally printed con tract form. I gave him money to buy the 50 squares of shingles needed to do the job. He had six squares of shingles delivered to my house and told me that he would start the work in two days. But instead of beginning work, Jeff called and said that he and the other roofer had contracted COVID-19. Many people in our commu nity were sick with COVID, so I didn’t see a red flag. After two weeks, I called Jeff to see how he was doing and when work would start on my roof. He would never answer the phone. I called the number of the other roofer, and he wouldn’t answer either.
When I took my contract and canceled checks to the police department, they im mediately knew Jeff had conned me. Jeff
was well-known by the police, but not by the last name he gave me. I was not the first person in town to be scammed. It has been a year, and the police have yet to ap prehend Jeff or his accomplices.
We didn’t have a new roof, and we no longer had enough money to hire some one else. But after a year of saving, we started looking for a roofer. Friends of my wife recommended David’s Roofing, and after meeting with their representative, Rick, we felt comfortable with the compa ny. When Rick sent us the bid for the job, we agreed and signed the contract.
Within a few weeks, the David’s Roofing crew was at our house, and six guys were scrambling over the steep roof, replacing our 29-year-old roof. As the crew was fin ishing the job, my wife picked up the fix in’s for a taco lunch from Papa’s Mexican Café. The crew enjoyed the tacos on our front porch as a light rain began to fall. It took them just two days, and now we had
Of all the inventions of the last century, the dry erase board is the most remarkable.
a beautiful new roof. I felt a wave of relief at the sight of the completed job.
I’m thankful to have a new roof. After so many problems and pitfalls, it feels good to know that I don’t have to wor ry about my roof anymore. While I was reading the book of Ecclesiastes, I found this little gem. “When you are too lazy to repair your roof, it will leak, and the house will fall in.” Ecclesiastes 10:18 (GNT)
The primary function of any roof is to offer protection from the elements for people and their possessions. A good roof gives shelter.
There is an old hymn that equates God to a shelter. “The Lord’s our Rock; in Him we hide. A shelter in the time of storm.”
Verse two reads, “A shade by day, defense by night. A shelter in the time of storm; No fears alarm, no foes affright. A shelter in the time of storm.”
God is our shelter and our refuge. Da vid wrote in Psalms 91:1,2 (NLT), “Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Al mighty. This I declare about the Lord: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust him.”
Gentle Reader, you need a good, sturdy roof to shelter you from the elements. Isa iah 15:4 (CEV) tells us, “You have been a place of safety for the poor and needy in times of trouble. Brutal enemies pounded us like a heavy rain or the heat of the sun at noon, but you were our shelter.”
When the rains come, make sure you find shelter under a roof that doesn’t leak. Pray the prayer that David prayed, “I come to you for shelter. Protect me, keep me safe, and don’t disappoint me.” Psalms 25:20 (CEV)
“If you make the Lord your refuge, if you make the Most High your shelter, no evil will conquer you; no plague will come near your home.” Psalms 91: 9,10 (NLT)
It is essential to have refuge and shelter provided by a good roof. I’m thankful to have a new roof, and I am grateful for the protection that God has promised us.
Replacing windshields in Polk County for over 40 years. Give Richie a call at 479-394-9938 Located at 3008 Hwy 71 South
Mena Fire Department, Sparky, and Smoky Bear visited children at Louise Durham Elementary in October to teach about fire safety during Fire Prevention Month.
FPW.org/, SparkySchoolHouse.org/, or SmokeyBear.com/ are informative sites for help in creating escape plans and learning all about fire prevention.
Submitted by Tammy L. Young
On Thursday, October 20, a group of Acorn High School juniors and seniors toured Arkansas Tech Uni versity campus to help prepare stu dents for postsecondary education and training.
They learned about academic programs, scholarship requirements
and deadlines, and student organi zations to get involved in student life on campus. The campus tour also included exploring classrooms, labs, library/media center, student union, dining hall, food court, bookstore, residence halls, college departments, and student centers for admissions, financial aid, and advising.
Polk County Sheriff’s Deputy Justin Wagner is the Mena School District school resource officer (SRO). He’s responsible for the security of all the
country began wearing Red Ribbons as a symbol of their commitment to raise awareness of the killing and de struction caused by drugs in America. In 1988, National Family Partnership (NFP) sponsored the first National Red
Mena school campuses and trains the school security staff.
Deputy Ben Lindsey is a patrol dep uty. He also works at the school as se curity on his days off. Deputies Wagner and Lindsey were at Louise Durham El ementary (LDE) for Red Ribbon Week, Oct. 23-31 this year. They spoke to the kids about making healthy choices and the dangers of drugs.
Wagner and Lindsay taught students at LDE more about their job and what they do to protect the community.
Each class had the opportunity to see inside the police vehicle; look through the shield, which a few attempted to lift; ask questions; and take a group photo with the officers. Their teachers put on the tactical gear.
Since its beginning in 1985, the Red Ribbon has touched the lives of mil lions of people around the world. In re sponse to the murder of Drug Enforce ment Administration (DEA) Agent Enrique Camarena, angered parents and youth in communities across the
Ribbon Celebration.
Today, the Red Ribbon serves as a catalyst to mobilize communities to educate youth and encourage partici pation in drug prevention activities.
The following Cossatot River Senior High choir students competed and earned chairs in the South Arkansas All Region Honors Choir on Saturday, Oct. 8.
Seniors Lily McIntyre and Grant Stark have both earned chairs in All
Region all six years of high school.
These students will go on to perform in a formal concert on Saturday, Nov. 12 at 4:30 p.m. at Bryant High School.
The Cossatot River High School Choirs are under the direction of Susan Brewer.
The Cossatot River School District is unveiling a new tutoring program to address learning loss among its students—both during the pan demic and after.
The program, titled SOAR, will offer free tutoring services each Monday for Cossatot River students. Cossatot River School District operates on a four-day schedule with Mondays off, but campuses will now be open that day to provide tutoring services to any student.
SOAR will host tutoring services between 7:30 a.m.-noon each Monday through Dec. 19.
Cossatot River Superintendent Tyler Broyles said the program is designed to help any stu dent who is falling behind on classes or experi encing any learning loss following two years of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Students that need extra help with an as signment, tutoring or just a quiet place to work, any grade K-12, can come by any Monday at their campus,” Broyles said. “They can come and take advantage of that day off to get some extra support, some extra help on anything
they need in the presence of a teacher.”
Breakfast and lunch will be provided, as well as bus transportation. Bus locations include at the Gillham Tire Shop, Grannis Police Depart ment, Cossatot River Elementary School, Hat field First Baptist Church and Cove City Hall.
The program began as a method to remedy learning loss from the COVID-19 pandemic—a nationwide issue now dubbed the “Grade Re cession.” Broyles said the program has been broadened to help address learning loss or academic struggles among students for any reason.
“When we started the program, we envis aged it as a way to fill the gap of that learning loss,” said Broyles. “But as we developed it, we thought, let’s just continue to offer it in the fu ture even after the pandemic is over just as a support measure for our students.”
There is no registration process but district officials ask parents to reach out to a campus principal if they wish for their child to partici pate in the Soar program. Contact information for each campus principal can be found on the district’s website at www.cossatot.us
U.S. Army Private John Cooper bravely served in uniform, defending our freedom as a crew member of an M4 Sherman tank fighting German forces. While engaged with the ene my on March 7, 1945, his tanker was hit. He was not seen again and de clared missing in action.
Thanks to the relentless efforts of the personnel at the Defense POW/ MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA), Private Cooper’s family and so many other families missing loved ones have hope they will one day be re united.
Private Cooper’s remains were ac counted for this summer. He was re cently laid to rest at the Fort Smith National Cemetery. This good news demonstrates the important mission of the DPAA.
More than 80,000 Department of Defense personnel remain unac counted for including 72,000 World War II servicemembers.
Leveraging innovative techniques, military personnel along with the agency work to account for those missing using the largest and most diverse skeletal identification labora tory in the world. By partnering with non-governmental organizations and government agencies to conduct re search and extensive excavations, DPAA has been able to recover ser vicemembers in all corners of the globe.
Arkansas families like the Coopers have been blessed, through DPAA’s expertise, to mark homecomings many thought would never happen.
Last year, Fort Smith resident Bob Mitchell received the good news from the DPAA he’d been working
two decades to hear – his brother, World War II pilot Lt. Henry Donald Mitchell, had been accounted for and would return home.
Similar news came in 2020 for the family of Fireman First Class Samu el Cyrus Steiner, who was serving on the USS Oklahoma when the ship was attacked by the Japanese at Pearl Harbor. He was declared missing in action, but the DPAA identified his remains and his sister learned of this welcome news on her birthday. He is now buried in Little River County.
In 2019, Alice Ann Pearson learned her brother, Army Corporal Jerry Garrison, was identified as a result of DNA testing. His remains were included in the 55 boxes turned over by North Korea following the meeting between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un the previous year. Corporal Garrison was killed in 1950 during the Korean War. In an interview for the Veterans History Project Pearson said her brother has “a home now” in Johnson County.
The sacrifice of Private Cooper, Fireman First Class Steiner, Lt. Mitch ell and Corporal Garrison along with so many others is a stark reminder of the price our men and women in uni form and their families pay each day to keep us safe.
I am proud of the tireless work of the DPAA and the numerous, dedi cated individuals working each day to identify and return our heroes home. We must continue to provide the DPAA with the resources neces sary to successfully accomplish its mission.
I share my sincere gratitude for the sacrifices made by servicemembers and their families and remain com mitted to supporting the DPAA as it helps bring more loved ones home, to their final resting place, for the fami lies’ true closure and peace of mind.
Mrs. Charlotte Christina Ludwig, age 60, passed away Sunday, Octo ber 30, 2022, in Mena, Arkansas. She was born November 24, 1961, to William Franklin Ritter, and Wanda Christine Cecil, in Stuttgart, Arkansas.
Mrs. Ludwig was a homemaker by profession, however she also main tained “Wanda’s Pet Shop” with her mother for some time. She enjoyed shopping, gardening, and buying her husband rose bushes when he was stressed. But above all else, she loved her daughter and grandkids. She is survived by her loving hus band, of 26 years, Mark Ludwig; daughter, Cyndi Jackson; grandchil dren, Marcus and Lilly Mae Jack son; mother, Wanda Tilley (Easley); brother, Dennis Cecil; and a host of nieces, nephews, friends and other family, too numerous to mention. There will be a family-led cele bration of life to be announced at a later date. Mrs. Charlotte Ludwig was sent for cremation under the direction of Beasley-Wood Funeral Home.
Online obituary at beasleywood funeralhome.com
We should feel sorrow, but not sink under its oppression.
Katelyn Wells parents, Bill and Patsy Wells and Sharon Carter; Aunts and Uncle, Carla Wells and Jo Lynn and Matt Gergeni; and cousins Kourtney Gergeni, Makayla Cranford, and Hannah Wilson, Brandon Baker, and Ashton Baker.
Katelyn Wells passed away Monday night, Octo ber 24th, at her home in Springdale, AR. She was only 26 but lived a life full of unique expe riences in that short time. Katelyn was born on February 12, 1996, in Pazardzhik, Bulgaria. She arrived in the U.S. with her new parents, Brian and Ronda, on April 5, 1998.
One of Katelyn’s pre-eminent skills was meeting people and mak ing friends, even if they spoke dif ferent languages or were different ages. A warm heart, a sharp sense of humor, and the ability to be both silly and compassionate endeared her to most everyone she met.
Katelyn loved both sports and the outdoors. She ran her first 5k race at 8 years old, completed a half-mara thon in junior high, and would go on to compete in cross-country at the collegiate level. She wasn’t born a Razorback fan, but remedied that situation as quickly as possible.
Katelyn’s faith was an essential part of her life. She was quick to share an encouraging verse or comforting worship song with friends and fam ily in need of them. The strength of her faith and reliance on the Lord during her battle with CRPS was an inspiration and encouragement to those around her.
Katelyn is a graduate of Mena High School and Trinity Interna tional University in Deerfield, IL, where she earned a degree in Sports and Wellness Management in 2018. She is survived by her parents, Brian and Ronda (Carter) Wells; grand
A memorial service will be held October 31, 2022, at 10:30 a.m. at the Beasley Wood Funeral Home in Mena, Arkansas, with visitation beginning at 10:00 a.m. prior to service. Family members and close friends are invited to Brian and Ronda’s house after the service for food, fellowship, and celebration of Katelyn.
Herman Paschal Jen nings, age 89, passed away on Monday, October 24, 2022, at his home in Cove, Arkansas. He was born on Wednesday, June 28, 1933, to Pas chal Jennings and Jesse Greggory Jennings in Texarkana, Arkansas.
A legend in his own time. He nev er met a stranger and always had a story to tell. A special thanks to the First Care Clinic, the Area Agency on Aging’s, Wendy Parker, RN, and his caregivers, Skeeter, Jordan, Bar bara, and Jane. Thank you to all the people that showed him kindness throughout his life.
A private graveside service was held on Thursday, October 27, 2022, at the Staggs Cemetery in Calico Rock, Arkansas, under the direction of Bowser Family Funeral Home in Mena, Arkansas.
Online guestbook: bowserffh.com
Helen Ear nestine Britton Fortner, 91 years of age, of De Queen, passed away October 28, 2022, in Little River Nursing and Rehab with her son John by her side. She was born De cember 20, 1930, to John and Cal lie Hasley Britton. Helen had two brothers John and Billy Ray and four sisters Eva Jean, Ella June, Jeannie, and Midge. Helen married the love of her life Owen Fortner on May 13, 1949, to this union they raised four children Mike, John, Patti, and Billy Fortner.
Helen graduated from Hatfield University, as she told many, in 1949. She was employed at VanCove School as Head Cook during the school year and during the sum mer was employed at Bogg Springs Baptist Camp as head cook. Helen enjoyed her years working at the school and the camp, she touched many children and adult lives during her employment. She was a member of Emmanuel Baptist Church in Cove where she taught Sunday School and volunteered in Vacation Bible School; later after moving to De Queen she attended Memorial Baptist Church until her health prevented her from attend ing.
Helen is survived by three of her children Mike, John, Billy, daugh ter in law Chyrel Fortner (John’s spouse), grandchildren Chris, Steve, JT, Dawn, Will, Carrie Fort ner and Jason Youngblood. She also leaves several great-grandchildren,
great-great-grandchildren, nieces, and nephews to cherish her mem ory. Helen had several close friends during her life, but two couples were always there for her, Aleta and Jack Peebles and Phyllis and Ron Mills, she was blessed to have them in her life. She had two special nieces that kept in touch with her Claudette Holmes and Debi Barios they were both very special to her and the light of her life during her last several years was Vi Leeper her great-granddaughter who lived next door, they loved each other dearly.
Helen now rests in peace with her Lord and Savior, her husband Owen, her beloved daughter Patti, daughter-in-law Charlene, sisters Eva Jean, Ella June, Jeannie, broth ers John and Billy Ray, and a host of family and friends that passed be fore her.
Visitation will be Monday, Octo ber 31, 2022, 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Beasley/Wood Funeral Home in Mena, Arkansas, with graveside services at Buffalo Cemetery, Cove, Arkansas, on Tuesday, November 1, 2022, at 10:00 a.m.
The Family is very thankful to Lit tle River Nursing and Rehab for the love and care they gave our moth er during the last several months of her life, she could not have experi enced more love and care anywhere.
In lieu of flowers the family re quests Gideon Bibles be purchased in her memory see your local Gide on or go to https://apps.gideons.org
The month of October marked the 287th an niversary of the birth of John Adams on October 30, 1735. He was born in Braintree (now Quincy), Massachusetts. Many mod ern-day history books address America’s founding era with a limited treatment of Adams while typically emphasizing Wash ington, Jefferson and Madison. Though we remember John Adams primarily as the second President of the United States, it is well worth our time and space here to take another look at this patriot and his family whose lives played such a consequential role in our nation’s birth and early years.
October also marks the 258th anniver sary of the marriage of John Adams and Abigail Smith on October 25, 1764. It was perhaps the most exemplary, enduring, and consequential marriage among any of our Founding Fathers and Founding Wives. The marriage of Abigail and John Adams was one of mind and heart, a unique and special combination of friendship and mutu al love and respect. While her unwavering love and loyalty to her husband and family was preeminent, she was a self-educated and accomplished woman in her own right and was never afraid to boldly express her opinions in private and in public. This was evident in a March 1776 letter to John and the Continental Congress, requesting that they, “...remember the ladies, and be more generous and favorable to them than your ancestors...”
Abigail would give birth to five children, raising them and managing the family farm often alone while John was away on trips practicing law or serving his country. One trip lasted three long years. Her steadfast ness and courage provided security and stability to her family during the War. Her son, John Quincy, described that time as “the space of twelve months [in which]
my mother, with her infant children, dwelt, liable every hour of the day and the night, to be butchered in cold blood. My mother... was bred in the faith of deliberate detes tation of War...
Yet, in that same spring and summer of 1775, she taught me to repeat daily, after the Lord’s Prayer...”
Through the let ters they wrote to each other during their 54 years of marriage, it is evident that there would likely not have been the John Adams of America’s history without Abigail Adams.
John Adams graduated from Harvard College in 1755, taught school for several years and then moved to Boston where he became a leading attorney for the Mas sachusetts Colony. He possessed such a strong sense of justice, respect for the law and moral courage that he defended British soldiers who had taken part in the Boston Massacre in 1770. Charged with manslaughter, the soldiers in Adam’s view were following orders and didn’t merit the extremely severe treatment they were re ceiving. Adams thought that his viewpoint and stand would cost him his professional future, but it did not. In Adams words, “Where there is no law, there is no liberty.”
A man of principle, conviction and su perb statesmanship, Adams more than any other individual is responsible for the 4th
of July and the independence for which it represents. According to one historian, Jefferson provided the words to the Decla ration of Independence but Adams begat the deed.
In fact, Jefferson’s authorship of the Dec laration was due primari ly to Adams self-denial and influ ence. Ad ams was the first of our Founders to suggest the method whereby a people
might write their own constitution, a deed virtually never seen before in human his tory. Eleven years later, some of America’s greatest leaders and statesman did just that.
John Adams thought societies of men were indeed capable of establishing good government, but he also understood the fallen and fallible nature of man and the consequential pitfalls of sustaining that good [self] government. In his words, “We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human pas sions unbridled by morality and religion [Christianity]. Avarice, ambition, revenge, or gallantry, would break the strongest cords of our Constitution as a whale goes through a net. Our constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other. The only foundation of a free Constitution is pure virtue, and if this cannot be inspired into our People in a greater Measure than they have it now, they may change their rul ers and the forms of government, but they will not obtain a lasting liberty.”
While Adams’ role as President of the United States won’t be explored here, it is notable to remember that 222 years ago this week, on November 1, 1800, the Ad ams family became the first First Family to move into the White House.
John Adams was a firm believer in the role of education and active and informed citizenship in keeping America a nation of free people. Through his “Dissertation on the Canon and Feudal Law” (1765), he speaks to us more today in the fall of 2022
than perhaps ever before:
“And liberty cannot be preserved without a general knowledge among the people, who have a right, from the frame of their nature, to knowledge, as their great Cre ator, who does nothing in vain, has given them understandings, and a desire to know; but besides this, they have a right, an indisputable, unalienable, indefeasi ble, divine right to that most dreaded and envied kind of knowledge, I mean, of the characters and conduct of their rulers.
“Rulers are no more than attorneys, agents, and trustees for the people; and if the cause, the interest and trust, is insid iously betrayed, or wantonly trifled away, the people have a right to revoke the au thority that they themselves have deputed, and to constitute abler and better agents, attorneys, and trustees...
“The true source of our sufferings has been our timidity. We have been afraid to think. We have felt a reluctance to examin ing into the grounds of our privileges, and the extent in which we have an indisputable right to demand them, against all the power and authority on earth. And many who have not scrupled to examine for themselves, have yet for certain prudent reasons been cautious and diffident of declaring the result of their inquiries...
“Let us dare to read, think, speak, and write. Let every order and degree among the people rouse their attention and ani mate their resolution. Let them all become attentive to the grounds and principles of government, ecclesiastical and civil. Let us study the law of nature; search into the spirit of the British constitution; read the histories of ancient ages; contemplate the great examples of Greece and Rome; sup ported and carried them through all hard ships with patience and resignation. Let us recollect it was liberty, the hope of liberty for themselves and us and ours, which con quered all discouragements, dangers, and trials....
“Let the pulpit resound with the doctrines and sentiments of religious liberty. Let us hear the danger of thralldom [bondage] to our consciences from ignorance, extreme poverty, and dependence, in short, from civil and political slavery. Let us see de lineated before us the true map of man. Let us hear the dignity of his nature, and the noble rank he holds among the works of God, — that consenting to slavery is a sacrilegious breach of trust, as offensive in the sight of God as it is derogatory from our own honor or interest or happiness.”
Ouachita River School District Acorn Schools’ Junior and Senior High Cross Country athletes recently competed in the Tri-County XC Invi tational-Emmet Barnett Memorial at Waldron High School on October 4, and the Magazine Rattler XC Meet held at Acorn High School on Octo ber 11.
Tri-County XC Invitational Emmet Barnett Memorial
Acorn Jr. Girls - Third place team
Addi Ledbetter - 4th KaitLynn Ledbetter - 18th Shelby Rusert - 19th Josey Dollar - 21st Kloee Husser - 22nd Ashton Fechuch - 29th Bell Thomas - 30th Tori Squires - 33rd Huntar Starr - 34th Lanee Powell - 36th Isabella Lozier - 37th Olivia Tedder - 40th Joan Riviera - 47th Carloyn England - 48th
Acorn Sr. Girls - 5000 Meter Run Bella Tedder - 3rd
Acorn Jr. Boys - Fourth place team
Gage Davis - 22nd Eilam Holland - 25th Ethan Gilbert - 31st John McAdams - 35th Jasper Dollar - 40th Ty Kesterson - 46th Luke McAnely - 48th
Acorn Sr. Boys - 5000 Meter RunChampion Isaac Tedder - 1st Caden Tarkinton - 4th Braven Rodgers - 6th Chance Ragain - 7th Justice Mauk - 11th Sky Carmack - 15th
Acorn Jr. Girls - 2400 Meter RunSecond place team
Addi Ledbetter - 6th
KaitLynn Ledbetter - 13th Josey Dollar - 15th Kloee Husser - 18th Shelby Rusert - 29th Ashton Fechuch - 30th Lanee Powell - 31st Huntar Starr - 32nd Olivia Tedder - 33rd Bell Thomas - 34th Isabella Lozier - 35th Chloie Blair - 36th Tori Squires - 41st Ashlin Ford - 45th Zofia Metcalf - 46th Joan Snyder - 53rd Carloyn England - 54th
Acorn Sr. Girls - 5000 Meter Run Bella Tedder - 3rd
Acorn Jr. Boys - 2400 Meter RunThird place team
Eilam Holland - 16th Zane Newton - 18th Ethan Gilbert - 23rd Jasper Dollar - 25th Levi Starr - 27th Braxton McAnely - 28th Mason Cearly - 30th Caden Hicks - 32nd
Acorn Sr. Boys - 5000 Meter RunSecond place team
Isaac Tedder - 3rd Chance Ragain - 6th Caden Tarkinton - 8th Braven Rodgers - 14th Sky Carmack - 19th Aiden Kimp - 53rd
An athlete whose favorite film is “For rest Gump” and can relate to the title character portrayed by Tom Hanks, might seem a bit unusual. When one learns that the athlete in question was badly bow-legged and wore leg braces from the ages of 1 through 7, Gump makes a bit more sense.
That boy, who is thankful to his mother Pat for the braces, kept running for years after having the corrective de vices removed.
Several decades later, that same boy was inducted along with 14 other play ers into the 2022 Southwest Arkansas Softball Hall of Fame (SWASHOF) at Kelly Fields before the Watermelon
Festival Softball Tournament held at the 46th Annual Hope Watermelon Fes tival on August 11.
Bobby Copelin was that boy who be came a softball player and played for 30 years (1984-2014). He began pitching fulltime in 1994, the same year “Forrest Gump” hit the big screen.
Copelin played for Long Enough Softball of Mena and Hope, South east Indians of Oklahoma, Mena Mer chants, Kirkpatrick Pulpwood of De Queen, Shelter Insurance of De Queen, First Choice Auto of Hope, Power house Softball of Texarkana, and finally The Show of Texarkana.
See COPELIN continued on page 22
Polk County Housing Authority would like to thank Walmart Super Center and Walmart Giving for their generous grant. Walmart has contributed to the housing authority’s efforts to provide school supplies to families in Polk County housing for many years. Together they have been able to provide backpacks, school essentials, and personal items to families assisted by PCHA.
Mena Walmart Store Manager, Scott Brown is pictured with Assistant Director/ Section 8 Manager, Jeanne Mabry; Inspector/Procurement Officer, Rhonda Anderson; Executive Director, Dixie Shrader; and Housing Manager, Sheila Pate. (Photo courtesy of PCHA)
(StatePoint) Elevated heights, neutral hues and eye-catching embellish ments are making appearances in footwear, accessories and readyto-wear items this fall. As a result, fashion lovers will have the freedom to update their wardrobe by selecting a few key pieces -- without feeling the need to overhaul their entire closets.
Nichole Duck, senior women’s buyer for shoe retailer Rack Room Shoes, shares her list of top essentials to update outfits, along with suggestions for how to pair them with boots.
• Update Feminine Pieces with Edgy Accents: Floor-sweeping skirts, maxi knits and maxi dresses are all popular pieces for fall. Pair them with ankle boots to add an edgy flair to an overall feminine look. For example, try this season’s on-trend maxi skirt with wedge boots in black.
Boot to try: XAppeal Elise Wom en’s Wedge Boot.
• Explore Different Toe Shapes: Boot
styles featuring sculpted heels and up dated toe shapes -- including square, pointed and rounded forms -- serve as some of the most versatile acces sories when transitioning to autumn outfits. Children can enjoy the variety, too, as different toe shapes appear in kids’ styles, including Western-inspired styles, booties and Chelsea boots.
Boot to try: Cupcake Couture Girls’ Lazer Bootie.
• Select Top Seasonal Colors: The current palette for the fall season fea tures a variety of neutral hues, from taupe and tan to mocha and espresso. Rack Room Shoes recently introduced new boots in more inclusive shades to complement a broader range of skin tones.
Boot to try: Michael by Michael Shannon Women’s Hope Dress Boo tie.
• Explore Updates to Chelsea Boots: The chunky Chelsea boot remains front-and-center as a fall wardrobe staple. This season offers a variety of new options, including updates with colored outsoles and lug bottoms.
Boot to try: Limelight Women’s Kamila Chelsea Boot.
For more inspiration for venturing into the fall season in style, visit rack roomshoes.com.
“The best thing about fall fashion is that there aren’t any rules regarding wearing boots. It’s all about mixing it up,” Duck says. “Pair boots with jeans and a blazer, leggings with a knit sweater, or a dress with a sequined jacket – the options are endless.”
One of the greatest shows in Arkan sas is now underway.
That is, of course, the fall color change… . Every autumn nature paints the mountains and valleys of the Ouachitas and the neighboring lowlands here in our corner of the state with incredible hues of gold, red and orange. Thousands of visi tors travel here each fall to see the transformation.
The Ouachitas are right at the cusp of the seasonal color change. Arkansas Tourism predicted the most dramatic displays of fall fo liage forecast for our area to occur between early and mid-November. However, due to a combination
ble to en joy this year’s foli age change. Fortunately, area residents don’t have to look far to experience this gorgeous time of year.
For more infor mation through out the season, sign up for the fall color re ports from across the
tion. For more details, visit arkan sas.com/things-to-do/attractions/ fall-attractions.
You can also view an animated map of this year’s predicted autumn color change across the United States at SmokeyMountains.com
of a summer-long drought, and last month’s record-setting freeze date, Arkansas trees have been stressed to the max. That means an earlier than usual color change and one that is much less vibrant.
The Talimena National Scenic By way offers spectacular panoramic views of the Ouachita National For est. No doubt, both first-time visi tors and long-time residents of Polk County already know the Talimena National Scenic Byway is one of the most scenic drives in the state. The road goes for 54 miles along forest ed mountain tops between Mena in southwest Arkansas and Talihi na, Oklahoma. The drive is beau tiful year-round and stands out in fall because of the color that can be seen there. In Mena, the route goes up Rich Mountain, Arkansas’ sec ond-highest peak, and by Queen Wilhelmina State Park.
There is usually a period of a week or so when the fall foliage in a par ticular area is at its prime. Typically, the peak occurs around two or three weeks after color changes begin.
state, special announcements and trip planning informa
Wendell’s Tree Service - Tree Removal and Trimming. Experienced and fully insured for ALL your tree-trimming needs. Call (479) 394-0227 or (479) 216-4328. T1116
Mobile lawnmower repair and repair flats. Minimum, $20 service call. For details, call Bill Duff (479) 216-5204. T1102
Construction, pads, ponds, roads and more. Military discounts. Insured. Just give RC Customz a call for free estimates at (479) 216-2976. T0104
Daniel’s carpentry and painting and handyman service. Deck and privacy fences, etc. Call (479) 216-1101 or (479) 216-2299. T1102
Tree services, forestry mulching, storm cleanup, stump grinding. Signs and light re placement. Give RC Customz a call at (479) 216-2976 for Free estimate. T0104
Mena Shuttle - Ground transportation to AR and TX airports. Doctor and emergen cy appointments. Also, light deliveries. (870) 490-1191 T1109
Moving sale in Hatfield at 110 Mena Street, Friday, Nov. 4 and Saturday, Nov. 5. Lots of kitchen items, furniture and miscellaneous. T1102
A must see! Rental: Quiet, country setting on 40 acres, nice neighbors, 2 1/2 miles south of Mena. 3 BR/2 BA mobile home with fencedin yard. Perfect for couple or retired couple. Dogs welcome. $650/month, first and last. References, please. Call Cynthia (479) 216-3079. T1109
continued from page 17
His lengthy list of accolades and some favorite tournaments were An derson BoombaH where they were two-time champions; Lumberjack Fes tival Champions which was a two-day tournament where they never stopped playing; Pine Tree Fest Champions; Na tional Champions; three-time Chicken and Egg Festival Champions; Sickle Cell Champions; Best of the Best Un limited Homerun Champions three years in a row where they were told not to come back because they were too good; five-time State Champions, twice with USSSA and three times with ASA; 23-time League Champions, including eight years in a row; two-time District Champions; Bush Tournament Final ists three times; Watermelon Finalists four times; Wally Hall Finalist one time; Magnolia Blossom Fest Finalist one time; Lone Star Shootout Finalist one time, six-time State Runner-Up,
two-time Regional Runner-Up, and played in the World Tournament two times.
His favorite wins were over Ahart and Bryan in Belleville in 1993, in 1995 over Thomas Oil at Arkadelphia, the 2006 State Championship with First Choice Auto, a 2006 a shutout victo ry over LTB Timber at Hope, a 2008 Anderson BoombaH over Arkansas Mayhem, a blowout in 2010 over Maxx Nutrition with a 27-0 victory in Con way, the 2010 National Championship in Fayetteville, and the game in 2012 at the Watermelon Festival beating Res mondo.
Copelin won the MVP Award at the USSSA National Tournament in 2010 and has won five Homerun Derby Ti tles.
One of his favorite memories was in 1996 at Bald Mountain in Hot Springs. He told Jeff Kirkpatrick he was starv ing and to grab him a hamburger from the concession stand. The problem was they were up to bat. He said, “I heard
Jeff holler for me and came running, [I] stuck half the burger in my mouth and gave him the other half to hold as he was on deck. First pitch, I hit the ball 400 feet, touched first base, and came back to see Jeff dying laughing. After asking him why he was laughing so hard, he said, ‘When you hit the ball, half the burger flew out of your mouth and is still out there on the field!’ We were good friends from then on.”
Copelin reserves a special thanks to Kirkpatrick for what he described as 10 wonderful years of travelling, playing, laughing, and winning together.
“I know you are here at a ballfield.”
Copelin is also thanks to their team doctor Pauline Davis, who he said was their team doctor, mother and friend for 20 years. She and her late husband Herman Davis travelled with them al ways. The Davis family helped the team throw benefit tournaments for cancer and kidney patients, and scholarship funds in Polk County.
Copelin is also owes a lot to his fam ily. “I would like to thank my wife, Rhonda, and my son William for sup porting me all those years. We got to play co-ed together and made many memories.”
Thanks to his years of play, getting to know players, and keeping up with the sport, the former interim parks and recreation director for Tapley Park is now on the Arkansas Softball Hall of Fame’s committee for the Mena, De Queen and Waldron area. He keeps an eye out for up-and-coming players who are worthy of consideration for the SWASHOF award.
He also looks back at his lengthy ca reer, late-night games and long jour neys. “Most of all thank God for getting me home all those late nights. There is a black dog in the road from 3 a.m. to daylight. What an honor to get into the Southwest Arkansas Softball Hall of Fame.
“God bless Hope, God bless softball, and God bless America.”
As noted in the “Mena Centenni al History”:
“In laying out the new town, the Mena Townsite Corporation do nated building sites for churches and a library. Each denomination was permitted to select its own site. Presbyterians chose the cor ner of Amsterdam and Zwolle (lat er called Church and Ninth). Here was built a small frame church.”
The First Presbyterian Church in Mena was organized by Reverend H.A. Tucker of the Presbyterial of the Choctaw Nation, Indian Terri tory, on Feb. 2, 1897—125 years ago with the church still in the original location. The First Presbyterian Church (FPC) in Mena is celebrat ing its 125th anniversary during the entire month of November.
Judy Thompson, chairman of the church’s anniversary celebration committee notes that the commit tee has been meeting for the past two months planning the Novem ber activities. She says that part of the events is to not only celebrate the church for its past but also what FPC is doing presently and plans on doing in the future.
FPC, led by Pastor Bill Seitz, be lieves that love is not only to be shown to church members but also to all in the community. Through its Helping Hands initiative, members meet outside the church on Help ing Hands Sunday (fifth Sunday of the month) to assist the communi ty in assorted ways: members serve lunch to children and others each Tuesday of the summer through
Members of the First Presbyterian Anniversary Committee look on as Mayor Seth Smith signs a Proclamation of Recognition regarding the church and its celebration. (l-r) Bill Hays, Mayor Smith, Judy Thompson and Pastor Bill Seitz. Committee members not pic tured are Mary Dixon, Annette Hays, Karen Mosier and Linda Spurgin. (Submitted photo)
Lunches of Love; members help neighbors with needed projects; the initiative makes donations to schools; and FPC members con tinue to serve those in our area in many other loving ways.
There will be something each Sunday in November to celebrate the church’s birthday. On Nov. 6, FPC is having an old-fashioned Dinner on the Grounds and mes sage in Janssen Park instead of the usual worship service at the church.
Rev. Stewart Smith, the Gener al Presbyter of the Presbytery of Arkansas, will give the message on Nov. 13 with comments from Reverends Lance Jones and Marci Ward. A reception will follow.
Nov. 20 has a “Look to the Past” with members depicting various decades in the church’s history.
Nov. 27 will be “A Look to the Future” with Pete Chambers offer ing the message with birthday cake
and punch following the service.
The church will also have its an
nual Holiday Bazaar on Saturday, Nov. 19. Both Thompson and Seitz invite former members and others to be a part of the anniversary cel ebration.
Serving on the anniversary cele bration committee besides Thomp son and Seitz are Mary Dixon, Bill and Annette Hays, Karen Mosier and Linda Spurgin. The commit tee agree that First Presbyteri an Church has been a light in the heart of Mena for 125 years.
Mayor Seth Smith has proclaimed that the City of Mena, Arkan sas, recognize First Presbyterian Church as the church celebrates its 125th anniversary in 2022 through out the month of November.
(StatePoint) As you make your way to holiday gatherings this season, be sure to show your hosts gratitude for opening their homes to you. There are many thoughtful ways to thank a holiday host, but the best gestures are those that include personalized touches to leave an impression on the recipient. For example, don’t just bring a bottle of wine with you to the party. Share on the label why you selected that par ticular variety for your host. Send
ing thanks the next day? Go above and beyond a regular message with something unforgettable, like a video greeting from SmashUps by American Greetings, which features celebrities and fun characters and can be personalized.
While gifts for hosts don’t need to be grand gestures, showing your ap preciation for holiday hospitality is a great way to leave an impression and score an invitation to next year’s party.
The 2022 KCS Holiday Express train will return to the rails for the first time since the start of the pandemic in 2020. This year, the festive, six-car holiday train with intricate displays inside and out will bring Santa Claus and his elves to visit children and
Dec. 8 - Stillwell, Oklahoma
Dec. 9 - Heavener, Oklahoma
Over 21 years, the charitable com ponent of the KCS Holiday Express project has raised well over $2.6 mil lion.
The KCS Holiday Express was built on the tradition of the Santa Train, which ran on a segment of the
families in 20 communities in eight states, including here in Mena.
In addition, the KCS Holiday Express project will continue its tradition of charitable giving to The Salvation Army.
“KCS is thrilled that we can once again run the Holiday Express train and stop in communities along our rail network,” said president and CEO Patrick J. Ottensmeyer. “We are grateful to the many donors who continued to support the virtual Hol iday Express program over the last two years and look forward to anoth er successful fundraising campaign to help The Salvation Army help people who need it most during the holiday season.”
This year’s schedule includes a stop in Mena on Wednesday, Dec. 7 beginning at 4 p.m. Other stops, all beginning at 4 p.m. in the vicinity of Polk County: Dec. 6 - Ashdown,
network bought by KCS in 1997. In 2000, a group of warm-hearted KCS employees noticed that the Santa Train was the only Christmas some kids had, and that some kids did not have essential items like coats, hats and gloves, so they committed to elevating the project. In 2001, vol unteers transformed a retired freight train to the KCS Holiday Express experience that thousands have en joyed for 19 years prior to the start of the pandemic.
In the first 19 years, the KCS Hol iday Express train stopped in 20 or more communities in five or six states between Thanksgiving and Christmas. At each stop, visitors could board the train, meet Santa and his elves and tour the inside of three cars of the festive six-car train. These events return in 2022 after not occurring the previous two years. The KCS Holiday Express is free to the public at all of its stops.
It’s that time of the season to gather up the family and head out to the Fab ulous Fall Festival. Come enjoy all the vendors and events. The 2022 Fabu lous Fall Festival Arts and Crafts Fair will have a variety of custom, handmade items such as pottery, soaps and candles, handsewn items, jewelry,
for kids, ice cream, kettle corn, and a food vendor inside the building. There will also be an hourly draw ing for door prizes featuring donated items from the vendors.
Not to mention, dress up the little ones because Santa Claus is coming to town. That’s right, Santa is touring the world a little early to visit with all the good little boys and girls.
leather goods, knives, pies and cakes, jams and jellies, upcycled and repur posed items, kid’s stuff, wood-carved art, kitchen and household items, and so much more. It’s all happening at the Polk County Fairgrounds.
Plus, the Ouachita Quilt Show will be occurring the same weekend in the building right next door. There are al ways dozens and dozens of beautiful quilts on display.
Come check out both of these free events. Enjoy the artisanship, skills and beauty of what these indepen dent crafters and creators have fash ioned. The Fabulous Fall Festival is the perfect place to pick up a unique present for the holidays, a birthday or anniversary—a gift that will be trea sured forever.
There will also be ceramic painting
(Ethan Nahté/Pulse)
• WHAT: The Fabulous Fall Festi val Arts & Crafts Fair
• WHERE: The Polk County Fair grounds
• WHEN: Friday, November 4, and Saturday, November 5
• TIME: 9:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.
• COST: Free
Are you an artisan? A vendor? Would you like to set up a booth at the Fabulous Fall Festival? There’s still a little time left. Contact Festival coor dinator JoAnn Mitchell at mtchro9@ yahoo.com or call 479-216-9033 for rates, booth/display information, vendor set-up and strike, or to obtain an application.
Basketball
11/03
11/07
11/08 - CRHS @ Blevins
boy’s action.
In the boys contest, Kirby led by as many as 11 points on numerous occasions in the the third quarter.
Basketball
11/07 - Mena @ Cossatot River
Cross Country
11/04 - Mena @ Oaklawn
State Meet
It was an exciting night of high school basketball Thursday night as Cossatot River Eagles played host to the Kirby Trojan senior teams. The Eagles rallied for a thrilling 59-57 victory over the Trojans in
The Eagles slowly chipped away and took the lead with about a min ute to play on a long 3-point shot by Dillon Loving. After Kirby tied the game at 57, the Eagles called on Hunter Burke, who hit the winning jumper with six seconds to play. Burke finished the night with 18 points for Cossatot River.
In girl’s action, Cossatot River took a seven-point lead in the third quarter before Kirby rallied and took charge of the contest to post the seven-point victory, knocking off the Lady Eagles 39-32.
The Mena Bearcats football team lost a close game at home last Friday against the Ashdown Panthers, 15-12. They have one game left in the regular sea son when they travel to play the Waldron Bulldogs this Friday. Both teams are 0-4 in 4A 7 Conference play for the season. Mena is 4-5 overall, while Waldron is 2-6.
The Mount Ida Lions chewed up the Foreman Gators 56-6 last Friday. The li ons are now 5-0 in conference and 7-1 overall, sitting in the No. 2 seed for the 2A 3 Conference. Both Foreman and Lafayette County, which Mena beat the previous week, sit at 0-5 for conference and 0-9 overall according to Scoreboard Live. The Lions take on the No. 1 seed in their conference, the Dierks Outlaws, who are also 5-0 for conference but 8-1 overall, giving them one extra game over the Lions.
In Basketball, both the Oden Timber wolves varsity girls and boys’ teams lost last week to the Mulberry Yellowjack ets, 56-26 and 58-20 respectively. Both teams played the Caddo Hills Indians Tuesday night after we went to press.
Mount Ida varsity girls will take on the Magazine Rattlers Tuesday, Nov. 8 in the first game of the season for both teams.
Football
11/04 - Mena @ Waldron
Acorn’s teams split the difference last Friday against Little Rock’s eStem Mets, with the boys losing by a goal, 65-63, and the girls pounding eStem 65-6. They also played after we went to press, tak ing on the Cossatot River Eagles.
The Eagles fell to the Bergman Pan thers 54-31 last Friday and to fell to the Kirby Trojans 39-32 the night before. So far, their only win for the season was against Oden on Oct. 18, beating the Timberwolves 63-15
The Bearcats varsity boys will play their first basketball game of the sea son, a scrimmage on Tuesday, Nov. 7, against the Lamar Warriors. The Lady cats basketball won’t play until they take on the Lakeside Rams Nov. 15.
The Bearcats cross country team will compete at Oaklawn in the 4A State Meet Friday, Nov. 4.
By Ethan Nahté
The Sr. Ladycats volleyball team made it an exciting season once again, winning the 4A West Conference with a whop ping 16-0 record in conference play.
The girls took off for northeast Ar kansas to participate in the finals Tues day, Oct. 25 at Brookland High School.
The Ladycats opponent in the open ing round was the Pea Ridge Black hawks. The first set was all Ladycats with a 25-4 win.
The Blackhawks managed to stabilize and won the second set 25-23.
The third set was a 25-19 victory for the Ladycats.
The fourth set was a nail-biter as the Ladycats had a good-sized lead, only to allow the Blackhawks to catch up 22-21. The Ladycats held onto the lead and won the set 25-22, giving them the best of five in the series and allowing them to advance to the quarter finals.
Wednesday, the Ladycats took on the Wynne Yellowjackets. The first two sets were similar, with scores in the Lady cats’ favor of 25-15 and 25-17.
Set three was a win for the Yellow jackets, 25-22.
Set four was another nail-biter as it got to gamepoint. The Ladycats man aged to pull it out with a 26-24 win, once again giving them a 3-1 total to win the match.
Thursday was the semi-finals. The team had a surprise as some students from Mena, including the Jr. Ladycats, made the five-hour bus ride to surprise
them and cheer them on against the Shiloh Christian Lady Saints.
Mena had another great start and won the first set 25-16, finding plenty of holes in the Lady Saints defense.
Shiloh took a 6-1 lead early in the second set. The Ladycats could not get their rhythm. Frustration seemed to set in as several attempted kills were sent out of bounds. Mena could not recover and lost the second set 25-5.
The third set started out close be tween the two, but the Lady Saints man aged to win it 25-20.
With their season on the line, the Ladycats had to win the fourth and fifth sets to go to the finals in Hot Springs.
Mena took early control with a 6-point streak. Shiloh returned with a 9-point streak. They tied at 13 before Shiloh be gan edging ahead, making it 17-15.
A great save by the Ladycats showed promise, but the Ladycats fell farther behind and lost three points in a row. They found themselves behind 21-18 when Mena called another timeout.
Shiloh was ahead by six at match point. Shiloh forced an error, beating the Ladycats 25-18 in what the broad cast announcers called one of the best games in the entire tournament.
Shiloh took the match 3-1, knock ing the Ladycats out of the series. Re gardless, they had a stellar season and should be proud.
In an ironic twist, Shiloh fell to the Brookland Bearcats at Hot Springs in a sweep, losing 3-0. It was Brookland’s first state championship since 2016.
Come help fill the box. The 75th anniversary of the Marine Toys for Tots box is ready to go at Pulse Multi-Media, waiting for you. Bring a little joy to a local child in need by donating a new, unopened and unwrapped toy for a girl or boy be tween the hours of 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday-Friday.
You can also make a monetary donation at mena-ar.toysfortots. org/ and click the “Donate Local” button.
More Toys for Tots details and ap plications for children in need will appear in the Nov. 9 Polk County Pulse.
The 2022 Veterans Day Parade will be honoring Afghanistan veterans. Saturday, Nov. 5 along Mena Street.
A Veteran’s Day Appreciation Service will be held by Calvary Baptist Church, at 2100 Hwy. 375 W, Mena, at 11 a.m. on Nov. 6. Nathan Roth, 22-year Veteran of the Marines and Navy, will speak.
All Veterans and their immediate family are invit ed to attend. The service will be followed by a lunch.
Further information may be obtained by calling Pastor Max Deaton at (501) 580-7563.
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.
Clothes Closet Sale at Cove First Baptist Church, 114 N. Middle St., 4-7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 4 and 8 a.m.-noon Saturday, Nov. 5. Fill a bag for $1.
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 479-234-5289 or Can dice 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
The Mena/Polk County Senior Center will have The Gator and Friends band perform ing in Mena every Thursday, 10:30-11:30 a.m. The Center will also start having an exercise class on Mondays and Thursdays, 9:30-10:30 a.m. Con tact Trena Looney with questions, (479) 394-5459.
Alcoholics Anonymous meet at The Crossing Church, 3 p.m., Sundays; at 5 p.m., Tues days; and at 8 p.m. Saturdays at the old bus barn. For information call (479) 234-8366 or (479) 2163786.
Hatfield First Baptist Church “Shep herd’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.
The Food Pantry at the Mena Seventh Day Adventist Church is open every first and third Monday of each month, 4pm - 6pm, located at Fair Grounds Road. For more information, call 479-4374018.
The Disabled American Veterans monthly meeting will be held on Thursday, November 3, at Veterans Park in Acorn. Potluck will begin at 6 p.m. with meetings to follow.
American Legion meets every 2nd Tues day 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.
The Living Word Pentecostal Church in Hatfield would like to invite you to supper every Wednesday at 6 p.m. We are serving a free meal to our community. Everyone is wel come. We would love your company. Located at 171 Johnson in Hatfield. Turn at Jordan’s Tire.
Alcoholics Anonymous meet at 7 p.m. Fridays at the First United Methodist Church, 9th & Port Arthur. Discussion/Book Study for information call (479) 243-0297.
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.
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.
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 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.
October 24, 2022
An encounter at a business near Mena led to the arrest of Ruben Perezreyes, 27 of Russellville on a charge of Public Intoxication.
Deputies responded to a resi dence on Polk 25 E near Cove in reference to property damage.
Deputies were dispatched to a residence on Fourth Street near Vandervoort in reference to a theft.
Bradley Brumfield, 32 of Mena was arrested on nine Misdemean or Failure to Appear Warrants.
October 25, 2022
Deputies were dispatched to a residence on Polk 55 in reference to a death.
October 26, 2022
Deputies were dispatched to a residence on Polk 76 E near Acorn in reference to a welfare check.
Amy Evans, 30 of Grannis was arrested on a Felony Failure to Appear Warrant.
October 27, 2022
Rosie Arthur, 48 of Oden was arrested by an officer with the Arkansas State Police on a Felony Failure to Appear Warrant.
Deputies were dispatched to a
residence on Polk 41 South in ref erence to a dog bite victim.
Deputies responded to a res idence on N Eve Street in refer ence to a broken window.
Deputies were dispatched to a residence on Deer Run Lane in reference to a break-in.
Deputies responded to a resi dence on Polk 482 near Vander voort in reference to an ongoing land dispute.
Deputies responded to a walkin complainant in reference to a break-in and theft.
A traffic stop led to the arrest of Jack Rawlins, 55 of Mena on a Felony Warrant for Possession of Drug Paraphernalia and Viola tion of Suspended Imposition of Sentence. Also arrested was Mi chelle Bice, 44 of Mena on a Body Attachment Warrant, a Probation Violation Warrant, a Felony War rant for Possession of Drug Para phernalia and four Misdemeanor Failure to Appear Warrants.
Jeremiah Kahn, 37 of Mena was arrested by an officer with the Arkansas Game and Fish on a charge of DWI.
An incident at a residence on Polk 703 near Mena led to the ar rest of John Starr, 31 of Mena on charges of Harassment and Crim
inal Trespass on Land as well as warrants for Failure to Appear, Criminal Trespass on Land and Violation of an Order of Protec tion.
Gavin Whitmire, 31 of Grannis was arrested on charges of Aggra vated Assault and 3rd Degree Do mestic Battery.
Deputies were dispatched to a residence on Polk 98 near Gran nis in reference to Stalking and Violation of an Order of Protec tion. Information has been for warded to the Prosecuting Attor ney for further consideration.
Deputies responded to a report of a dog bite victim near a resi dence on Polk 41 South.
Polk County Sheriff’s Office worked 2 vehicle accidents this week.
Polk County Detention Center Jail Population: 24 Incarcerated Inmates, with 11 Inmates cur rently on the Waiting List for a State Facility.
October 23
Blake Hanson, 31, was charged with DWI, Possessing of Drug Paraphernalia, and Speeding af ter a traffic stop on Highway 375 East.
A report of criminal mischief was taken at a residence on Grandview Heights.
A report of theft was taken from Walmart.
A report of theft of motor fuel was taken at Murphy USA.
October 24
No reports.
October 25
No reports.
October 26
Gary Smith was served with warrants at Executive Inn.
A report of breaking or entering was taken at a room at Executive Inn.
October 27
A report of battery, terroristic threatening, and harassment was taken at a residence on 2nd Street.
October 28 No reports.
October 29
Jessica Medina, 40, was served with a warrant at the county jail. Charles Solo, 50, was charged with Driving on Suspended Li cense, Careless Driving, No In surance, and served with War rants, after a traffic stop on Bethesda Road.
LITTLE ROCK, AR -The Arkansas Department of Agriculture’s Forestry Division is pleased to announce the expansion of the Shade Trees on Play grounds program to celebrate the pro gram’s 20th anniversary. Twenty-three schools in 20 communities, more than double the number of schools in previ ous years, have been selected across the state to participate in this year’s program. The selected schools for 2022 are as follows:
• Park Avenue Elementary - Stutt gart
• Drew Central Elementary - Monti cello
• Jimmy Brown Elementary - Star City
• Star City Middle School - Star City
• Star City High School - Star City
• Oscar Hamilton Elementary-Fore man
• Caddo Hills Elementary - Norman
• Bobby Barrett Elementary -Mount Ida
• East Side School Kindergarten Center - Magnolia
• East End Elementary - East End
• Arkansas Arts Academy Elementa ry - Rogers
• Berryville Intermediate SchoolBerryville
• Clarksville Intermediate SchoolClarksville
• Butterfield Elementary - Fayette ville
• Heber Springs Middle SchoolHeber Springs
• Sacred Heart School -Morrilton
• Little Rock West High School of Innovation - Little Rock
• McRae Elementary - Searcy
• Southwest Middle School - Searcy
• Oak Grove
• Paragould M.D. Williams Interme diate - Pocahontas
• Batesville Preschool - Batesville
• Marshall Elementary School -Mar shall
The Shade Trees on Playgrounds program (STOP) was organized to low er adult skin cancer risk by reducing childhood exposure to direct sunlight where children play, like school play grounds. Winning schools receive up to five shade trees, mulch, watering supplies, and planting guidelines after participating in program training.
“The STOP program combines hands-on, outdoor experiences with classroom curriculum about the impor tance of trees and how to care for trees,” says Urban & Community Forestry Program Coordinator, Kristine Kimbro. “We hope this program not only improves the health of Arkansas students, but also leaves a lasting impression about the value of forests and how to be good stewards of our natural resources.”
Schools are invited to submit STOP applications annually. To qualify, par ticipating schools must lack shade, participate in a virtual STOP workshop, agree to use Forestry Division curric ulum to emphasize the importance of trees and forestry in Arkansas, hold a tree-planting ceremony with students, and agree to long-term maintenance of the planted shade trees. Forestry Divi sion personnel assist with the transport and planting of the trees. Trees for each campus are chosen by local Forestry Division staff to fit the unique region and conditions of each playground and are purchased from local nurseries and suppliers.
Learn more about the STOP program and other Urban & Community Forestry services and programs at https://www. agriculture.arkansas.gov/forestry/ur ban-community-forestry/stop-program/. With program questions, contact Kris tine Kimbro at 479-228-7929 or kristine. kimbro@agriculture.arkansas.gov . or Harold Fisher at 501-580-4054 or har old.fisher@agriculture.arkansas.gov
LITTLE ROCK, AR – The Arkansas Department of Agriculture and the Ar kansas Department of Energy and En vironment are pleased to announce the launch of the Arkansas FireSMART mobile application. This app, created with funding from the Environmen tal Protection Agency, offers row crop producers and forest landowners a simple, easy way to check conditions and report prescribed burns.
With the new app, producers can select the area they plan to burn on a map and the application will generate real-time weather data, letting produc ers know if current conditions align with the state’s Voluntary Smoke Man agement Guidelines. Under Voluntary Smoke Management Guidelines, pro ducers and landowners report pre scribed burns to the Arkansas Depart ment of Agriculture’s Dispatch Center. The FireSMART app also streamlines this process, making the app a one-stop shop for reporting and information.
“The Arkansas Department of Ag riculture encourages everyone with in the agriculture industry to follow voluntary smoke management guide lines,” said Arkansas Secretary of Ag riculture Wes Ward. “The FireSMART app gives them a quick and easy tool to continue to be good neighbors to all Arkansans.”
“We are pleased to partner with the
Department of Agriculture, Arkansas Farm Bureau, Arkansas Rice Federa tion, and others in today’s release of the FireSMART app. This pub licly available tool, devel oped through collabora tive efforts, will benefit communities across Arkan sas by making smoke-man agement planning easy for agricultural producers and forestry prescribed fire practitioners,” said Becky Keogh, Sec retary of the Arkansas Department of Energy and Environment.
“Prescribed fire is a critically import ant tool in a farmer’s toolbox and this newly-developed app is an additional resource to assist farmers in planning and using fire as we work to prepare for next season. Our community looks forward to working with other agri cultural organizations to share and encourage the use of the FireSMART app,” said David Gairhan, Arkansas Rice Federation Chairman.
In row crop production, prescribed fire is used in the fall as part of crop management plans to remove stubble following the harvest of rice, soybeans,
corn, and cotton. Prescribed burning is an efficient and economical control method for preparing fields for the next growing season and eliminating pests and dis eases. Burning crop residue also allows for no-till or reduced-till planting during the next growing season.
Prescribed burning provides many benefits to forest landowners including vegetation control, ecosystem resto ration, and wildlife habitat improve ment. Additionally, prescribed fire
makes landscapes more resistant to wildfires by removing flammable de bris and vegetation. It is one of the best tools for improving wildfire safety.
Access the Fire Smart app at ark firesmart.com/. Read more about pre scribed fire and its benefits at bit.ly/ presburn. Find the Voluntary Smoke Management Guidelines at agricul ture.arkansas.gov/arkansas-volun tary-smoke-management-guidelines/
The Arkansas Department of Ag riculture is dedicated to the develop ment and implementation of policies and programs for Arkansas agriculture and forestry to keep its farmers and ranchers competitive in national and international markets while ensuring safe food, fiber, and forest products for the citizens of the state and nation. Vis it www.agriculture.arkansas.gov.
The Ouachita Quilt Show committee selected Nancy Philpot as the featured quilter for the upcoming quilt show. Several of Philpot’s quilts, along with her journals and book of quilts, will be on display at the Nov. 4-5 quilt show at the Polk County Fairgrounds. One of Philpot’s quilts won the People’s Choice award at last year’s quilt show.
Philpot began quilting in 1996. After she and husband Lawrence (Larry) Phil pot retired to Mena that year, she found an invitation to Quilt ‘n Chat in Pine Ridge from May Dell Sykes offered a way to make new friends. She learned to hand quilt and worked on others’ quilts for a couple of years.
It was only because of the group’s en couragement and mentorship that she bought her first fabric (in 2000) and started on her first quilt.
Janet Pratt helped Philpot learn ap
plique for the first block which was used as the medallion of the quilt. That first quilt also included foundation pa per piecing and regular block construction techniques, all of which set the stage for her quilting career.
Philpot believes applique makes quilts special when add ed to borders. Her favorite fab rics are civil war reproduction and French country, and she prefers the “old fashioned” pat terns.
Philpot is a long-time mem ber of the Nimble Thimble Quilt Guild. The guild meets monthly in the education building of the Polk County Extension office at 211 De queen St. in Mena.
Besides preparing for the up coming Ouachita Quilt Show, Nancy Philpot with her 2021 OQS People’s Choice quilt.
the guild is participating in a mystery row quilt with the intention of teach ing/learning new techniques over 12 months. Philpot provided the instruc tion for freezer paper applique. All quil ters are welcome to join Nimble Thim ble Quilt Guild.
Philpot was instrumental in establish ing the Material Girls quilt show fabric booth last year after a retiring quilter donated her fabric stash to sell for chari table purposes. Another family donated quilt fabric after their quilter passed ear lier this year.
Quality quilt fabric is priced at only $5 per yard with proceeds supporting the Acts of Love Food Pantry, school back pack programs, and other local needs as determined by the OQS committee.
To see Philpot, about 100 other local quilts, and shop at Material Girls, go to the show Nov. 4-5, 2022, for the 40th Ouachita Quilt Show.
