Polk County Pulse - November 22, 2022

Pulse

Sheriff’s office will be hiring

2 of 2)

The Polk County Jail expansion is nearing completion. In the Nov. 23 issue of the Polk County Pulse we discussed the new jail wings, jail population and need for expansion,

as well the cost to build onto the old jail and millage rates decreasing during construction.

In part two, we begin with limiting face-to-face interaction and safety.

Limiting interaction

The two new general housing

parades & events

Water main flushing continues this week

Mena Water Utilities began conducting their bi-annual water main flushing pro gram during the week of Nov. 28 through Dec. 2. Mena Water scheduled the lines on the south side of Highway 71, includ ing the Nunley and Board Camp areas, for flushing on Monday and Tuesday. On Wednesday and Thursday, the lines on the north side of Highway 71 are sched uled to be flushed.

Flushing is done as a part of a sched uled preventative maintenance program to help maintain good water quality and to improve the water flow in the water distribution system.

As Mena Water flushes your area, you may experience a temporary reduction in water pressure. You may also see some color and/or sand in your water, or you may notice a slight change in the taste and odor of your water. These con ditions are normal during flushing activ ities, and only temporary. If you should experience any of these changes, or if you see some cloudiness or rust color in your water, Mena Water recommends that you refrain from washing light col ored laundry; likewise, we recommend that you flush the pipes of your home or business. Flushing of your home or business’s pipes is accomplished by opening your front outside hose bib until it runs clear and has no noticeable taste or odor.

See JAIL continued on page 12

Mena Water regrets any inconve nience the flushing may cause you. If you have any questions or if you expe rience any persistent water quality prob lems as a result of this maintenance pro gram, please call Mena Water Utilities at 479-394-2761.

Article and Photos by Ethan Nahté (Part

Craig creates a new subdivision for Mena

By Ethan Nahté

A new house being built around Polk County isn’t uncommon, but with the exception of the new homes that replaced the houses destroyed by the April 2009 tornado, seeing a new house, or several new houses being built within Mena’s city limits may seem a bit rarer.

Builder and developer Stanley Craig, owner of Stanley Craig Cus tom Homes, is bringing something to Mena that the city has not seen in over four decades with The Village at Prairie Creek Subdivisions.

Craig, who has been working on this project for a couple of years, said Prairie Creek is the first new subdivision in Mena since approx imately 1979, located on the very

end of South Mena Street. “I’ve owned the land for five years or so, but really got it going the last cou ple of years as far as engineering. I

had an engineering firm out of Fort Smith do all the engineering for me. Randy Coleman was the engineer.”

Coleman is the vice-president of Mickle Wagner Coleman. He has been the senior project engineer for street reconstruction projects throughout Fort Smith, as well as numerous commercial and indus trial developments

“They engineered the water, the sewer, and the street. They did all of the surveying for me, laying out the street and all of the utilities. SWEP CO came in and did all the under ground utilities and streetlights.”

Prairie Creek has 23 lots along Laurie Drive, all intended to be nice, single-family homes.

The first new house in The Village at Prairie Creek subdivisions is already on the market and awaiting 22 new neighbors (Photo courtesy of Stanley Craig)

Radio - Print - Web

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

Our Team:

Letter To The Editor:

This morning (Nov. 27) my husband and I drove to town to do some shopping. While go ing down Main Street (I know it was renamed Mena Street but

I still call it Main Street)!

We noticed several of the stores al ready had their Christmas decorations up which were very pretty, we noticed how wonderful City Hall looked and the twinkling lights on the posts.

Has anyone else noticed that last year (2021) the Court House did not decorate? l hope they will this year!

I understand they have spent a lot of money on remodeling the jail which is necessary in my opinion. Have they spent so much money on the jail they can’t afford to decorate the Court House?

Thanks for allowing me to voice my opinion.

Donna Lay, Mena

Letter to the Editor

Our current administration is hiring 87,000 IRS employees and adding 80 billion to the IRS budget over the next 10 years under the Inflation Reduction Act signed by President Biden on Au gust 16, 2022. Some of the hires will replace retiring employees and some will increase positions other than en forcement.

future and may not be able to pay ob ligations. Both parties have raided the taxes set aside to fund Social Securi ty. It is hard to find innocent politicians when it comes to spending and pork. Put all politicians in the Social Securi ty program and I bet it would get fixed. Put them all on Medicare and I bet it would change for the better as well. No surprise politicians have their own pro grams that are not experiencing funding shortfalls!

Have you ever heard any politicians propose cutting funding for the millions of illegal immigrants who continue to invade our country? Has anyone sug gested that welfare given to healthy folks capable of work, that do not, be suspended? Has anyone questioned the countless billions spent on foreign aid to corrupt countries be audited to make sure it is being spent as intend ed?

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I question our priorities. The taxes collected never seem to be enough. We have exceeded $31 TRILLION in debt. To give more of our taxes to a group of people that refuse to budget and account for reckless spending to me is insane.

Would it not be prudent to hire peo ple to serve in capacities other than tax collection such as oversight of spending and going after fraud committed by those who abuse the huge bureaucracy that hands out billions in welfare, med ical subsidies, government contracts, COVID-relief funding, foreign aid, and disaster relief? Rather than focus on collecting more tax revenue hold all government agencies accountable for the money that they already spend.

I am tired of hearing that the money I paid into Social Security, and others now continue to pay, has gone into a fund that is facing shortfalls in the near

I watch my healthcare costs go up, while illegal immigrants get theirs free. Prescription drugs are steady going up and illegals get theirs free. My housing, food, utilities, and insurance keep rising while illegals do not have a care in this world. We had better wake up or we will become the third world country others are fleeing. Our politicians of both par ties have had more than enough time and resources to fix the immigration problem but have chosen not to.

A leech will attach itself to a host and suck the life blood from it. If enough leeches attack the host, it will die a slow but certain death.

I have spoken to the issue of illegal immigration in past letters and do not apologize for speaking to the issue again. Our elected officials need to do their job!

Thank you for providing a forum to address my thoughts, though we do not always agree.

With respect and kindest regards, Ronald Goss, Mena, retired

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.

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From the

State House of Representatives

When you choose to shop at a small business you are choosing to invest in your community. It is estimated that for every $100 spent in a local business, $68 recircu lates and remains in the local economy.

Local businesses are owned by people who live in your community. They donate to local causes and employ local people. In fact, 47.2% of employees in Arkansas work for a small business.

Saturday, November 26, 2022, is Small Business Saturday. It’s a day to celebrate and support small business es and all they do for their commu nities. There are more than 260,000 small businesses in Arkansas. These businesses employ close to 500,000 Arkansans.

More than 43% of small business es in Arkansas are owned by women. Veterans own 9.1% of small business es and minorities 13% of small busi nesses in the state.

These owners took a chance on their dreams. As a result, the employees are

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

more likely to be personally invested in the products or services they are selling. That often means they can provide more specific product exper tise and a personalized shop ping experience.

Whether it’s handcrafted jewelry or vintage furniture, locally-owned businesses are also more likely to offer unique merchan dise.

The Arkansas General Assembly continually reviews proposals to make it easier to open and sustain small businesses. In recent years, we’ve reduced the red tape on li censing procedures, lowered taxes, and improved infrastructure. As we approach the 2023 Regular Session, supporting our small businesses will continue to be a priority.

Your small purchase this holiday season can make a big difference. Our small business owners are still emerg ing from a challenging economic time in our history. We encourage you to shop local throughout this holiday season.

Arkansas lawmakers have begun pre-filing bills in ad vance of the 2023 legislative session, which begins on Jan uary 9.

At the beginning of the week of the Thanksgiving hol iday, two bills had been prefiled by senators and 10 bills had been pre-filed by members of the House of Representatives.

The first two bills filed were Senate Bill 2 and House Bill 1002, which are identical versions of legislation to re form parole laws and require truth in sentencing. They are so-called “shell bills” because at this point they only contain a title and a paragraph that outlines their general purpose.

Public safety will be a major issue during the 2023 session. The legis lature is expected to consider pro posals to add space in state prisons, particularly for inmates in maximum security units.

From the State Senate Contact

Also expected are measures to tighten parole regulations, because of the growth in the number of serious crimes committed by inmates out of prison on parole. Truth in sentenc ing laws provide jurors with more accurate estimates of the length of prison sentences, and can be written to focus on repeat, violent offenders.

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

During criminal trials juries may sentence an offender to a lengthy sentence, but he serves only a por tion of the original sentence because it gets shortened for good behavior.

In September the Department of Correction announced that it would release 369 male inmates on parole over 90 days because of a lack of space. In May the department re leased 387 inmates, using a state law known as the Emergency Powers Act that authorizes it to reduce prison overcrowding.

Capacity in state prisons is about 15,000, and on an average day an

additional 2,000 convicted offenders are held in county jails waiting for space to be come available in a state unit. The cost of holding state in mates in county jails has long been an issue between county officials and the state.

County sheriffs would like higher reimbursements for each inmate they must house. Also, sheriffs have told lawmakers they are now holding more serious offenders than in the past, which creates more danger of violence for deputies, staff and people being held in in jail on minor charges.

Four House bills would require Medicaid to cover more procedures. One House bill would affect busi nesses that subsidize expenses for employees who leave the state to get an abortion. The bill would require those businesses to also provide 16 weeks of paid maternity leave.

The sponsor said that the bill was meant to discourage attempts to cir cumvent the strong anti-abortion laws in Arkansas.

HB 1004 would require sex of fender registration to include more details about the offender’s physical address, such as apartment numbers and suite numbers. It also would re quire more details about the address of the employer of the sex offender, if he has a job.

The numbering of pre-filed House and Senate bills began with “2” be cause in each chamber the first bill is traditionally an appropriation to authorize paying the expenses of the session.

Two years ago, HB 1001 appropri ated $1.975 million for House ex penses and SB 1 appropriated $1.35 million for Senate expenses of the 2021 regular session. They included salaries of legislators and staff, main tenance and operations.

John Maddox

Larry Teague

Obituaries

Kimberly McKenzie

Kimberly McKenzie, age 45, of Grannis, died Sunday, November 20, 2022, at the CHI St. Vincent Hos pital in Hot Springs, Arkansas. She was born on Friday, October 7, 1977, to Milton Eugene and Alice Rose McKenzie in De Queen, Ar kansas.

Kim was a very happy girl, she was very outgoing and had such a bubbly attitude that made everyone around her smile. She really enjoyed geocaching, diamond painting, and loved the outdoors, watching deer and other wildlife or sitting at the lake. Kim liked pretty much all mu sic and enjoyed a good cheeseburg er and Dr. Pepper. Her family was always there for her and she loved them all dearly. Kim’s last message to her friends and family was, “She’d see them on the flip side.” Kim was a loving daughter, sister, aunt and friend and will be dearly missed by all who knew her.

Kim is survived by her parents, Milton and Alice McKenzie of Grannis; her brother and sister-inlaw, Michael and Miranda McKen zie of Cabot; nephews and niece, Zachary McKenzie and fiancée Nikki, Matthew McKenzie, Mikka McKenzie all of Cabot; and special friend, Andy Butler of Hatton; nu merous cousins, aunts, uncle and a host of other relatives and friends. A private memorial service will be held at a later date. Cremation ser vices are entrusted to Bowser Fami ly Funeral Home in Mena.

Online Guestbook: bowserffh.com

Anna Ruth Walden Posey

Mrs. Anna Ruth Walden Posey, age 89, passed away Thursday, November 24, 2022, in Mena, Arkansas at home.

She was born July 23, 1933, near Lindsey, Oklahoma, to Joseph Clif ton Walden and Virgie Estell Fussell Walden.

Anna attended Bethany Nazarene College for a year, where she met Lloyd Posey. They courted while she also completed a year of nurs ing school. On June 14, 1953, Anna and Lloyd tied the knot in a double wedding with Lloyd’s sister, Doro thy, and his best friend, Charles.

Anna worked as first secretary of the Christian Medical Society in Chicago, and then she took time off to raise her young children, Sherry and Philip. She worked in health-re lated jobs intermittently until she retired, which included being a doc tor’s secretary and assistant as well as a medical transcriptionist. Anna also fulfilled the role of pastor’s wife for many years. After retirement she sacrificially cared for her mother until she passed at age 104. Anna was a devoted wife and companion to her husband of over 68 years. She was also a woman of high energy!

After retirement Anna and Lloyd built their dream home together, and Anna planted many roses on their property in keeping with her lifelong love for flowers.

Anna encouraged the musical giftings of her daughter and grand daughters. She loved to hear them sing and play the piano. Although

Anna never played an instrument herself, she loved singing and par ticipated in the church choir. Anna has affectionately been known as “Mom-o” by her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, who love her dearly! They will always remem ber Mom-o for her deep love and fierce loyalty—her determination to do whatever it took to see them safe, healthy, happy and thriving, no matter the cost! Mom-o was a selfless grandmother, telling the grands many bedtime stories about her own childhood, taking them on walks to the park to play, showing them knick-knacks and other fam ily treasures from her cedar chest, and bringing to life her collection of dolls, as she tenderly spoke of each one with affection and appreciation. Mom-o will also be remembered by her grandchildren for emphasizing exercise, good hygiene, nutrition through healthy eating—and the importance of pinching pennies by reusing napkins, bags, etc., and sav ing many things—a habit deeply in grained in her from the Depression era. Mom-o always babied her pets, her flowers, and best of all—her grandchildren. She will be missed by all who loved her!

Anna is preceded in death by her parents, her husband, Ellis Lloyd Posey Jr., her four brothers—James Walden, Howard Walden, Lee Walden and Kenneth Walden—her son, Philip Gordon Posey, and her grandson, Timothy Todd Chapin.

She is survived by her daughter, Sherry Lynne Chapin of Mena, Ar kansas, plus nine living grandchil dren and twenty-two great-grand children.

Visitation will be held on Wednes day, November 30 at 1:00 p.m. at

the Mena First United Method ist Church. Funeral service will take place on the same day at 2:00 p.m., with interment following at Pinecrest Memorial Park in Mena, Arkansas.

Reverend Scott Stewart will be of ficiating under the direction of Bea sley-Wood Funeral Home.

To send flowers or a memorial gift to the family of Mrs. Anna Ruth Posey please visit our Sympathy Store.

Rae Grasso

Rae Grasso was born May 10, 1929, to Amalia and Florence Grasso in Os sining, NY.

She is predeceased by her only child, her daughter, Karen Andrews and two brothers.

She leaves behind a sister, sisterin-law, son-in-law, four grandchil dren, seven great-grandchildren, four great-great-grandchildren and many nieces and nephews. She spent her adult life in Voluntown, CT, where she worked in insurance and later as a nurse before retiring from the York Correctional Institu tion.

More notable are her contribu tions. Her love of nature and ani mals compelled her to donate the majority of her time and resources to conservation.

After retirement, she relocated to Mena, AR, where she continued her volunteer work and education, be coming a master gardener. She was proud to be a part of as well as loved and cared for by that community.

She passed October 27, 2022, in Hot Springs, AR

Dennis Ray Hopper

Dennis Ray Hopper

passed away from this life on November 24, 2022. He was born on March 20, 1975, to Chuck and Jeanetta Hop per and was 47 years old. He is survived by his daughters Raeleigh Hopper and Alaina Hop per of Cove, Arkansas; grandchil dren Elliana and Jaxon Bowles; brother Delbert Hopper and wife Patty of Cove, Arkansas; sisters Taffie Lowrie of Zafra, Oklahoma, and Kathy Hopper of Mena, Arkan sas; nephew Cody Lowrie; nieces Alicia Lowrie and Jessica Burkett; great-nephews Brennan Parkin and Kaden Burkett; great-nieces Alyssa Lowrie, Averiona Burkett, Taydra Land, and many aunts, uncles and cousins.

Dennis was an intelligent person. He went to Smithville High School and graduated with a 4.0 grade point average. Then, he attended college at Eastern Oklahoma State College and graduated with an Electrical En gineering degree. He went to work at Texas Instruments in Sherman, Texas, and worked for approximate ly 5 years. He then came back to his hometown and worked at Nidec until he could no longer work due to his health. Dennis loved to hunt, fish, read and watch tv. He loved his daughters and his dog RJ. RJ was his constant companion and will miss him tremendously. He was a loving father, grandfather, uncle, brother and friend and will be missed by all. He was preceded in death by his parents Chuck and Jeanetta Hopper

and his best friend Bobby of Sher man, Texas.

Graveside service will be held at 2:00 p.m., Tuesday, November 29, 2022, at Pleasant Hill Cemetery in Hatfield, Arkansas, with Brother Wade Maberry officiating. Arrange ments are under the direction of Beasley-Wood Funeral Home.

Pallbearrers will be Danny Hop per, Tim Hopper, Fred Rose, Tyrell Pruitt, Brad Lowrie, Cody Lowrie, Kevin Crosslin, Kelly Galloway and Roy Morgan Visitation will be Sunday, No vember 27, 2022, from 5:00 p.m.–7:00 p.m. at Beasley-Wood Funeral Home Chapel.

Victoria Lee Garrett

Victoria Lee Garrett, age 76, of Mena, died Monday, No vember 22, 2022, at the Bear Creek Healthcare in De Queen, Arkansas. She was born on Friday, February 6, 1946, to Walter Tollenaer and Ellen Lerdall Tollenaer in Rock Island, Il linois.

Victoria was a woman of faith who always let God guide her life. She was unbelievably smart, acing all tests and graduating with three different associate degrees with honors. Victoria met her husband, William, in 1982 in Kansas and had a wonderfully happy marriage for 39 years. She always enjoyed read ing fiction novels as well as histo ry. Victoria loved to try new things with her husband, fishing, raising horses, shooting, water skiing and a lot of other fun things she didn’t get

to experience in her youth. She was naturally talented and picked up just about anything she tried. Vic toria had a huge collection of min iature Christmas houses. Her family gave her strength and she provided them all with unending love and a happy home. Victoria was a loving wife, sister, aunt and friend and will be dearly missed by all who knew her.

She is preceded in death by her parents; two grandsons, Joshua and Matthew; and one son, Brett Ban non.

Victoria is survived by her loving husband of 39 years, William Ron ald Garrett of Mena; one son, Robert Dean Bannon of Wichita, Kansas; one daughter and son-in-law, Lynne Ellen and Bill Montana of Wilbur ton, Oklahoma; two sisters, Lori Woldon of Neodesha, Kansas, and

Chris Romoser of Illinois; grand children, Michael David, Victoria and husband, Tim, Carrie, Jennifer, and Dena; six great-grandchildren; several nephews and nieces and a host of other relatives and friends. A memorial service will be held at a later date in Neodesha, Kansas. Cremation services are entrusted to Bowser Family Funeral Home in Mena.

Online Guestbook: bowserffh.com

Tears are the silent language of grief.

Help protect seniors from scams

In recent weeks there have been more news stories in Arkansas about novel methods scammers are using to take advantage of unsuspecting individu als and steal their money. It’s import ant to be educated about this issue and stay up-to-date on the ways thieves are operating so we can safeguard against these crimes and prevent seniors – the population that is most often the target of these scams – from becoming a vic tim.

According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) scammers stole $1 billion from America’s seniors in 2021. Data from the agency reveals 25 percent of individuals over age 60 were contacted by thieves via phone last year.

In The Natural State, one woman recently reported a scam to police af ter receiving a phone call from what she thought was her bank about sus picious activity on her account. The phony bank employee told her the CIA could help resolve the situation and then duped her into paying more than $50,000 for assistance.

Scammers are using a variety of methods and mediums, including the internet where they prey on the vulner abilities of the elderly by building con nections they later exploit.

A letter from one constituent recent ly asked my office to help a retired ser vicemember overseas whom she met online.

The U.S. Army Criminal Investi gation Command receives hundreds of reports each month similar to this scenario. This common tactic is iden tified as a romance scam. Thieves use the names, pictures and personal infor mation of U.S. military members and retired servicemembers to build a fake identity and attract future victims.

The FTC reports romance scams hit a record high in 2021 and now criminals are using this scheme to lure people

into phony investments, particularly with cryptocurrency. Just two months ago the FBI warned about the uptick of a similar ploy in North west Arkansas.

While the techniques vary in how scammers operate, the ob jectives are the same. I’m work ing with my colleagues to share the latest information and resources to prevent unsuspecting Americans, particularly seniors, from becoming victims.

The Senate Special Committee on Aging recently released its annual Fraud Book detailing the top swindles reported to the committee’s fraud ho tline. Launched in 2012, the hotline aims to help identify scams targeting seniors and better educate this popula tion so they know the signs to watch for to stay safe.

According to the report, Arkansans have called about a variety of scams in cluding the top complaint filed with the hotline for several years––the govern ment imposter scam. In these cases, an individual falsely claims to represent a federal agency such as the IRS and asks for personal information such as a So cial Security number. Then they threat en to withhold benefits unless you fol low their instructions, which often call for wiring money or sending prepaid debit or gift cards.

The toll-free number 1-855-3039470 is operated from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Central time to record suspected fraud attempts. Arkansas seniors who believe they are a victim are welcome to call. As always, incidents of crime can be re ported to local law enforcement.

Recognizing the signs of common scams can reduce the likelihood of be coming a victim. We can also help edu cate our elderly loved ones, friends and acquaintances to stay one step ahead of these bad actors.

Why the Farm Bill matters to everyone

When my daughters were grow ing up, they were very active in 4-H and would show livestock we raised on our property in Benton County. To help de velop their handling skills, the girls would put harness es on the lambs and walk them on the sidewalks around town. This drew many curious looks, and with surprising frequency, questions about what breed of dog the girls were walking.

I mention this anecdote because, even in Arkansas, many people don’t have a strong connection to, or under standing of, agriculture.

For most Americans, getting food for the family starts and ends with go ing to the grocery store or a restaurant. They often are unaware of all the work that went into preparing that product on the shelf or the plated meal a server brings to the table.

That perception may be beginning to change. As a result of the pandemic, our understanding of what it takes to get food from farms to consumers has increased and fostered a greater appre ciation for the hardworking men and women around the country who pro duce it. While some items were hard to find at the onset of the pandemic, we never slipped into a catastrophic na tional food shortage. Our agriculture community stepped up and made sure we had high-quality food to meet our nutritional needs.

As we begin to draft the next farm bill, it is important that we share sto ries of why this legislation matters. When the pandemic shut the world down, the hardworking men and women who make up our agriculture community were among those who kept on working. They have to ensure

Americans have meat, fruits and vege tables for our plates in good times and bad. Not only do they have to over come economic challenges—such as record high input costs, supply chain bottlenecks and labor shortages—but they also must navigate those brought on by Mother Nature—hurricanes, floods and droughts—which seem to happen with more frequency and force each season.

Agriculture policy may be complex, and debates about food policy may get less attention than other hot button is sues, but these decisions matter to all of us. Recent events have reminded us we cannot find ourselves in a position where we are dependent on other na tions for our food supply. Congress has a responsibility to pass a farm bill that ensures our family farmers and ranch ers have the tools they need to succeed.

The Senate Agriculture Commit tee review of each title of the current farm bill is underway in earnest. We recently held our first farm bill hear ing on Capitol Hill to review the rural development and energy programs authorized by the legislation. We will continue evaluating each section of the current bill to take an up-close look at the effectiveness of, and opportunities to improve, this critical safety net for rural America.

While the world is in a very different place than it was when we last wrote farm bill, our goal remains the same. We must strengthen American agri culture for any situation we face in the future. If we do that, our farmers will continue to do what they have always done: provide the safest, most abun dant, and most affordable food supply on earth.

Sen. John Boozman

Attorney General warns of holiday charity scams

LITTLE ROCK – Arkansas Attor ney General Leslie Rutledge warns Arkansans of the opportunity for false charity scams to pop up during the holiday season, espe cially during the popular Giving Tuesday. While the holiday season can bring out the best in Arkan sans, there are many bad actors trying to take advantage and scam others out of money. These scams can target those with a heart for veterans, children in need, or even those serving in their local food pantry.

“As we approach the giving sea son, remember that there are con artists using fake scams to steal hard-earned money from Arkan sans,” said Attorney General Rut ledge. “Know the signs and how best to protect yourself from these bad actors. If you suspect a scam, call my office and let us do the fighting for you.”

Attorney General Rutledge re leased the following tips to help consumers give to only legitimate charities:

1. Do not fall prey to high-pres sure sales tactics as they are of ten the first sign of an unscru pulous and fraudulent charity.

2. Before getting out a checkbook or credit card in response to a phone solicitation, make at tempts to determine the valid ity of the organization by con ducting research.

3. Get the organization’s name, address, website, and phone number. Make sure the non

profit organization is registered with the  Arkansas Secretary of State.

4. If in doubt about the organi zation’s credibility, discontinue the communications until you can verify whether it is a repu table charity.

5. Use  GuideStar.org to compare nonprofit organizations and to get more information.

6. Ask the organization how it will use the funds from your donation.

7. Watch out for similar but dif ferent organization names as some con artists will use names similar to those of existing, reputable nonprofits in order to trick consumers.

8. Do not give out financial or personal information over the phone or through email to an unknown entity. This informa tion could fall into the wrong hands, or the scammers could use it to steal your money or identity.

9. Never send cash. Make check or credit card payments for in creased security and tax pur poses.

10. If donating via text message, verify the organization’s num ber prior to sending informa tion.

For more information about oth er common scams and consum er-related issues, please call the Arkansas Attorney General’s office at (800) 482-8982 or visit Arkansa sAG.gov.

Arkansas Farm Bureau sets 88th annual convention

LITTLE ROCK - Farm and ranch leaders from across the state will come together Nov. 30-Dec. 2 for Arkansas Farm Bureau’s 88th an nual convention, set for the Hot Springs Convention Center.

ArFB President Rich Hillman and motivational speaker Amber ley Snyder will serve as keynote speakers for the event. Hillman, ArFB president, a sixth-generation rice farmer from Carlisle (Lonoke County), is completing his third year as the organization’s president. Snyder, a professional barrel rac er, is the subject of a Netflix movie entitled “Walk. Ride. Rodeo,” and will speak on turning tragedy into triumph.

The convention—including a trade show featuring vendors of farm services, equipment, and sup plies—is expected to attract around 1,000 farmers and ranchers.

The convention’s theme, “Make It Matter,” will be reinforced with workshops that include topics such as solar energy usage within agri culture, rural broadband connectiv ity, direct marketing of local foods, as well as crop and livestock market outlooks. A workshop previewing the 2023 legislative session will also be held.

Farm Bureau’s annual business session, where voting delegates from the state’s 76 county Farm Bu reaus define the organization’s poli cy positions on items of importance to its members, will conclude the convention on Friday, Dec. 2. The delegate body will also elect the or ganization’s president and vice pres ident as well as some members of its state board of directors.

“Farm Bureau is a very active or

ganization throughout our state, and this convention is about cel ebrating the things our members do that matter in every county of Arkansas,” said Hillman. “Those of us involved in agriculture have so many challenges coming at us and many of those issues will be dis cussed during our convention.

“The grassroots policy develop ment process that is utilized by the organization culminates at our busi ness session, where our members identify ways to strengthen agri culture in our state and nation. The men and women of agriculture em body the very best of Arkansas, and that will be evident to anyone who is around our state convention.”

Awards will be presented to coun ty Farm Bureaus for their work in support of the organization’s agri cultural advocacy and membership efforts, along with recognition of ArFB’s winners in its Young Farm ers & Ranchers competition win ners. The organization will also present the Stanley E. Reed Lead ership Award, given annually to an active Farm Bureau member, 36 to 45 years old, for outstanding leader ship within their county Farm Bu reau and community. Awards will also be presented to top Ag Educa tion teachers and programs, the top county Farm Bureau, and the best Women’s Leadership Committee.

Voters favor Hochatown incorporation

By Patrick Massey

HOCHATOWN, Okla. - Local elec tion coverage has been dominated by the results here in Arkansas—from Polk County becoming wet to Arkan sas voting in its first female governor. But the results from an election just across the state line will have some big impacts for one growing communi ty in our area.

On Nov. 8, Hochatown residents voted overwhelmingly in favor of the ballot question proposing the incorpo ration of their community.

McCurtain County Election Board Secretary Kelly Donaldson has cer tified the result of the election as 129 votes in favor of incorporation and 18 votes against. The final certification of that result is now in the hands of the McCurtain County Commissioners, who placed the item on the agenda for their regularly scheduled meeting held

on Monday, Nov. 28 at 9 a.m.

According to Oklahoma state law, “If a majority of the votes cast are in favor of incorporation as a town, the board of county commissioners shall, within twenty (20) days after receiving the re sult of the vote, issue an order declar ing that the town has been incorporat ed and naming the date for the election of town officers. The territory shall, from the date of the commissioners’ order, be deemed a body corporate and an incorporated town.”

Any registered voter currently re siding within the town limits is eligi ble to become a candidate for one of the five initial town officers’ seats. Due to the statutory periods of public no tice required in Oklahoma, the initial election of town officers cannot be conducted until February 2023, at the earliest.

The McCurtain County Election Board will oversee the initial election.

Christmas Trees are an Old Tradition

By Gerald Klingaman, retired Extension HorticulturistOrnamentals Extension News - Dec. 13, 2002

No one knows exactly when or where the tradition of the Christmas tree began, but there are some interesting theories, according to Gerald Klingaman, horti culturist for the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service.

“One of the more colorful stories goes back to Martin Luther (1483-1546),” says Klingaman. “Luther was strolling

erence to a Christmas tree appears in German writing dated 1521. “The writer said, ‘At Christmas, fir trees are set up in the rooms at Strasbourg and hung with roses cut from paper of many colors, ap ples, wafers, spangles, gold and sugar.’”

As people began to move across Eu rope and later to new lands, they took the Christmas tree tradition with them.

The tradition apparently came to this country slightly before or during the Revolutionary War, brought by German immigrants settling in Pennsylvania and

through the countryside on Christmas Eve when he noticed the beauty of a snow-flaked evergreen tree as it glistened in the moonlit winter landscape.

“He attempted to recreate the winter scene for his family using a small ever green tree and lighted candles to simulate the reflected moonlight.”

Some historians trace the use of ev ergreen trees in the home to ancient Egyptians. They used green date palms as a symbol of life’s triumph over death in their celebration of the shortest day of the year.

The Romans adorned their houses with evergreens to celebrate Saturnalia in honor of Saturnus, the god of agriculture.

Klingaman says the first recorded ref

Ohio, or by Hessian troops paid to fight in the Revolution.

Use of the Yule tree spread slowly until just before the Civil War, when it began gaining popularity. In 1851, the custom had grown enough to prompt an ambi tious farmer in the Catskill Mountains to try a new venture--selling cut Christmas trees in New York City.

In 1856, Franklin Pierce became the first president to have a Christmas tree in the White House. In 1923, President Calvin Coolidge lighted the first national Christmas tree on the lawn of the White House.

Now, two-thirds of all American fami lies put up Christmas trees.

Part of the Christmas tree display at the Mena/KCS Historic Depot & Museum. (Ethan Nahté/Pulse)

By Richie Lawry

Bright swaths of pink and blue filled the room as I walked into the exhibit. The lush sounds of Tchaikovsky’s “Swan Lake” filled the room. I had no idea what to expect, but I didn’t expect this. The room was filled with giant screens covering the walls and floor. Soon the simple colors transitioned into works of art projected onto the screens.

Breath-taking paintings are projected on an enormous scale, illuminating the bold brushstrokes of Claude Monet. In a rich, dynamic display of light, color, and sound, the masterpieces of the Impressionists come to life. I am immersed in 19th century Paris and the surrounding countryside in a room filled with giant screens lit by 40 pro jectors. Each artwork is presented along side supporting imagery: animated birds in flight, pools of rippling water, lily pads, and footage of white cliffs and rolling waves.

I was experiencing the Monet and Friends Alive exhibit at the Starlight The atre in Kansas City. The exhibition tells Monet’s story in short paragraphs and quotes projected on sidebars along with the paintings. His story is expanded to the story of other impressionist painters of the 19th century as famous paintings by Camille Pissarro, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Paul Cézanne, Edgar Degas, and many more come to life in a rich, dynamic dis play of light, color, and sound. Monet’s lilies, Degas’ pointe shoes, and Renoir’s boat parties appear supersized, alongside quotes by the artists and complementary footage such as landscapes, photographs of the artists, and poster art from the era. People sit quietly on the benches provid ed throughout the room or wander among the many giant size projections. There is so much to see that it is hard to know where to look. Beautiful artwork surrounds me, and a quote from Claude Monet ap pears on one of the screens. “Try to forget what objects you have before you-a tree, a house, a field, or whatever. Merely think, ‘Here is a little square of blue, here an ob long of pink, here a streak of yellow,’ and paint it just as it looks to you, the exact col or and shape, until it gives you your own impression of the scene before you.” It is a lovely description of the style of painting

An Arkie’s Faith Impressions

known as impressionism.

Impressionism is the term used to de scribe a new trend in the French art scene in the last half of the 19th century. During the 1860s, a group of young artists decid ed to paint, very simply, what they saw, thought, and felt. They weren’t interested in painting history, mythology, or the lives of great men, and they didn’t seek perfec tion in visual appearances. Instead, they tried to paint an impression of how a land scape, thing, or person appeared to them at a particular moment. This often meant using much lighter and looser brushwork than painters had up until that point. The Impressionists also rejected official exhibi tions and painting competitions set up by the French government, instead organiz ing their own group exhibitions, which the public initially hated.

The term impressionist comes from a Monet painting that he titled, “Impression, Sunrise.” He created the painting from a scene in the port of Le Havre. Monet paint ed a hazy background to the scene set in the French harbor. The orange and yel low hues contrast brilliantly with the dark boats, where little detail is visible. What is striking about “Impression, Sunrise” is the continuity of the color palette between sea, land, and sky. Everything is bathed in the gentle blues, oranges, and greens of sun rise.

In this painting, Monet stripped away the details to a bare minimum. The dockyards in the background are merely suggested by a few brushstrokes, as are the boats in the foreground. The subject of the painting is not the city it depicts nor the anonymous boatmen setting out across the water, but the enveloping warmth and color of sunlight itself. The image represents the art ist’s swift attempt to capture a fleeting mo ment. The painting inspired a famous art critic to use the term “Impression” to bring together a group of artists who practiced this new way of painting. Even though the critic had used the word derisively, the

group de cided to adopt it, and many painters were hap py to be called Im pression ists.

At first, the pub lic was not im pressed with this new style of paint ing. Art histori an, Ernst Gombrich, wrote, “It took some time before the public learned that to ap preciate an Impressionist painting one has to step back a few yards, and enjoy the miracle of seeing these puzzling patches suddenly fall into one place and come to life before our eyes.”

As I watched the beautiful interplay of light and color surround me, I was intrigued by a painting I had never seen before, “The Houses of Parliament” by Claude Monet. The painting depicts a building barely visi ble through the fog. The painting makes an emotional connection with the viewer but does not convey any usable detail about the building. There is just enough detail to know that the building is there. The surreal ephemeral effect is mesmerizing.

The painting reminded me of the pas sage in 1 Corinthians 13:12 (VOICE), “For now, we can only see a dim and blurry picture of things, as when we stare into polished metal. I realize that everything I know is only part of the big picture. But one day, when Jesus arrives, we will see clear

ly, face-to-face. In that day, I will fully know just as I have been wholly known by God.”

No matter how well we think we know the Bible or what God is like, we can only see a dim and blurry picture of things.

Pastor and author Jim Hughes writes,

“We must not be so quick to conclude that we have all the right answers. Someday we will all see perfectly clear the whole of the Gospel, but that someday is not today. When we disagree on understandings, let us resolve to agree to disagree agreeably and unite our hearts and gifts together for the glory and honor of Christ as we serve Him and take the Gospel message out into the world.”

Gentle Reader, there are many things we think we know that we don’t know. We like to tie up the Scriptures into a neat little package. We study, meditate upon it, and conclude that we have perfect knowledge. But in this life, we can only see a dim and blurry picture of things. “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord.

“And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.” Isaiah 55:8 (NLT)

Take a step back and look at the big pic ture. There will be a time when God’s chil dren will see him face to face. Then we will see and know him perfectly.

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Images from the multi-sensory Monet and Friends Alive exhibit at the Starlight Theatre in Kansas City. (Photo by Richie Lawry)

JAIL continued from page 1 blemakers, who will be locked in their cells 23 hours per day. If their conduct improves, then the sheriff will consider moving them to the medium security.

sections for the men will each be a 16-man pod, with eight sets of bunk beds mounted to the floor and along one wall, three long stainless-steel ta bles for them to have their meals, play games or just sit at, and a pair of toilets and showers. The inmates will be al lowed to shower three times per week or if certain prisoners have court. The water flow will be controlled by the jailers so that showering only occurs at specified times.

There will also be a single television, phones and a kiosk to do their video visitation.

The old days of going to the commis sary to eat or to a kiosk outside of the cell to interact with a visitor, separated by plexiglass are gone.

“We quit doing that when I did the jail upgrade. Once we book them and they come in [general housing], they’re in here. We don’t have to move them back and forth. Their visitation will be at the kiosk. And we just have to buzz them out to go to the rec yard. It’s a lot safer. [Moving was] when in mates come into conflict with my jail ers. When we had to take them to the phone room, and they’d get into it with their [significant other] on the phone, then they’re mad… .”

The control tower sits between the two general housing areas, one for minimum security males and one for medium security males. The older, east wing of the jail will be used for the maximum security, for the trou

Determining which security wing a prisoner goes to is all based on a grading system when they are booked into the jail, which includes severity of the crime, history of violence, gang affiliations, whether or not they are an escape risk and more. Generally, the sex offenders are kept separate from the rest of the population so they aren’t targeted by the murderers, es pecially one who has a long sentence com ing and has nothing to lose.

The new sections have windows that the tower guard can look out either side while sitting at an elevated desk. The guard will have ac cess to the video monitoring of each area via several cameras. The only time they will be allowed to leave the pod is for rec time, which is every day unless it’s inclement weather, or to appear be fore the court.

Regarding the rec yard opportuni ties, Sawyer said, “Some places only do it twice a week. We try to do it every day. It’s a good motivator for them. They know, ‘Hey, if we don’t tear any thing up today, we’re going to get to go outside.’

“These over here will be eligible to take classes for drug and alcohol abuse,” Sawyer said, pointing to the minimum-security pod. “We’ll get them started on GEDs and religious services. If they’re serving time in my jail and they complete anger manage ment, and drug and alcohol, stuff like that, they can actually reduce their sentence a little bit. We’re going to try and make it where if we can motivate them to maybe change their lives. To rehabilitate is what we’re supposed to do.”

Sometimes, a minor offense is all it takes to become a lifelong criminal, because of who a prisoner is surround ed by while in a general prison popu lation.

Sawyer explained, “A first-time of fender got caught doing something they shouldn’t have done. They have no motivation to be better. If you got arrested and sent to prison for five

the dispatch operators, who take calls for several agencies within Polk Coun ty.

“We’ve worked really hard over the past six years to get salaries up for all county employees. We pay better in my jail and dispatch than our sur rounding counties do. Loyalty is great, but loyalty doesn’t pay the electric bill. We’re actually in the process of hiring two new employees about two weeks ago, so I’ve got four left. We will proba bly do that at the first of the year. We’ll be short-staffed for probably about a month, but we’ll make it work. The two, we’re getting trained up. The oth er four I didn’t want to hire too early.”

The six employees will be in addi tion to the two school resource officers (SROs) that were hired in summer 2022, one for the Mena School District and one for the Cossatot River School District. One SRO is already at work and one is at the police academy.

years, you’re going to lose your house, lose your vehicles, lose your job— you’re going to lose all of that stuff. A lot of these guys don’t have any of that stuff because they never got a start. [Typically] if they have a car, it’s a $250 rag, they’re crashing on mom’s couch or a friend’s couch, and there’s not one person in my jail right now who had a fulltime job when they came in. Once we get them here, we’re going to work on the drug or alcohol addiction part, we’re going to offer parenting classes, we’re going to do anger management, job placement… so these guys who are interested, I’ll have somebody from the college come out—workforce—and talk to them about what they’re interested in.

Hiring

“We’re going to hire six more em ployees. We’re doubling our popula tion, but we’re only adding about 33% more employees because of the way we’re building it. One guard can super vise 32 inmates up here.”

Part of that money comes from the City of Mena paying for the sharing of

The new hires won’t require the pur chase of new patrol units, but a large transport van has been purchased with some unexpected funds the county got last year.

“If the prison calls and says send these 14, instead of having to use three vehicles like we do now, I’ll have enough room with the transport van. The two new SROs use spare units. They’re not running to hot calls all of the time, so they get one of my deputy units that has 120,000 miles on it.”

Overall, the additional beds will help keep some of the criminal element from being released too early and, with luck, perhaps some of those peo ple will make it through the rehab and education processes to help them live a promising life outside of the prison system. It’s taken several years, a lot of effort and a considerable amount of funds, but the end is in sight.

Sawyer said, “I’m excited. We’ve needed this for a long time.”

(Jodi Croft contributed to this story.)

Toltec Mounds Archeological State Park renamed Plum Bayou Mounds Archeological State Park

As Native American Indian Heritage Month comes to an end, it seems apro pos to mention the name change to one of eastern Arkansas’ state parks, which is home to a rare landmark.

To better reflect the culture of the people who built the mounds, Toltec Mounds Archeological State Park has been renamed Plum Bayou Mounds Archeological State Park. Named for a nearby stream, the Plum Bayou culture has been identified by archeologists as the builders of the mounds.

“After consulting with the Arkan sas Archeological Survey, representa tives of the Quapaw Nation and other stakeholders, Arkansas State Parks and the State Parks, Recreation and Travel Commission decided to rename the park to honor the distinct culture of the Plum Bayou people,” said Stacy Hurst, secretary of the Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism.

The newly renamed Plum Bayou Mounds Archeological State Park better reflects the culture of the people who built the mounds. (Photo courtesy of Arkansas State Parks)

A public open forum was held in April to hear from the community about changing the name of the park. Input from the public and key stake

holders was considered in the decision to change the name of the park to Plum Bayou Mounds Archeological State

Park.

During the 1800s, many mound sites in the southeastern United States were thought to have been built by the Toltecs of Mexico. An archeologi cal study of mound sites in the 1880s proved that the mounds were not built by people from Mexico, but by ances tors of the Natives who lived in the southeastern United States.

“The name ‘Toltec Mounds’ has al ways been a misnomer,” said Shea Lew is, director of Arkansas State Parks. “Even though archeologists have prov en that the Toltecs of Mexico did not build these mounds, they continued to be known as the Toltec Mounds. The park has long noted the misidentifica tion in its interpretive materials, but this name change will help provide a better understanding of the people who lived here and the importance of their culture.”

Arkansas State Parks officials regular ly meet with representatives of Arkan sas’s Native groups to ensure that state parks accurately depict their history and culture. Members of the Quapaw Nation played an important role in the discussions to make this name change.

Signage depicting the park’s new name will be phased in over the next few months.

For more information about the park, visit the Arkansas State Parks site: https://www.arkansasstateparks.com/ parks/plum-bayou-mounds-archeo logical-state-park.

Chamber announces parade route and Santa’s House hours

Submitted by Melanie Wade

The annual Christmas Parade of Lights hosted by the Mena/Polk County Chamber of Commerce will be held this Friday, Dec. 2 at 6 p.m. in beau tiful downtown Mena. The Chamber would like to remind everyone of the new parade route that was established last year.

Parade participants will need to gath er in the parking lot of the Dallas Av enue Baptist Church by 5:30 p.m. The magic begins at 6 p.m. when the Pa

(Ethan Nahté/Pulse)

rade of Lights begins to make its way towards Mena Street, turning right on South Mena Street, crossing Hwy. 71 and continuing until a left is made on Port Arthur Avenue. The parade will end at Port Arthur Avenue and Ninth Street. Streets will be closed off to traf fic during the parade.

The parade will be followed by the Christmas Festival in Janssen Park, hosted by the City of Mena and the Mena Advertising and Promotion Commission. The combined events are the highlight of the season ending in a culmination of fireworks and the Lighting of the Park.

Seventh Street, from Janssen Avenue to Port Arthur Avenue, will be closed off from 5:30-8:15 p.m.

Also following the Parade, Santa will be on hand for the official opening of Santa’s House, located in Janssen Park near the Polk County Library. Come by to meet Santa and don’t forget to take plenty of pictures. Santa’s House will also be open on Dec. 3 and 10 from 10 a.m.–3 p.m. and Dec. 17 from 1–5 p.m.

Reflections from History and Faith: Thank You, Rosie!

By Jeff Olson

World War II has been a subject of this column on several occasions. In the course of those articles, I’ve alluded to the fact that our victory in that war should be substantially attributed to the home front where folks in hometown America contrib uted to the war effort.

Taking part in the rationing of items such as food, clothing, shoes, coffee, gasoline, tires, and fuel oil, as well as the purchas ing of war bonds and growing victory gar dens were good examples that reflected the commitment of Americans to join our military in the common goal of victory.

I can still remember my parents and other family and friends of that generation reminiscing about how we all pulled to gether and put our country first. Sacrifice was more than just a word to the “Greatest Generation.”

The demands of the war also spurred changes in the labor force of the day. While women working outside the home is quite common today, this was not the case in the 1940s. American women entered the workforce in unprecedented numbers during World War II, as widespread male enlistment in the military left huge vacan cies in the industrial labor force.

Between 1940 and 1945, this demand resulted in the increase of women’s per centage in the American workforce from 27% to 37%. Half of the 6 million women who entered the workforce during the war were employed by the defense industries, with the aviation segment experiencing the greatest increase.

While women made their own choice to serve their country, their response to do so was in great part a result of a gov ernment recruitment campaign to inform them of America’s need for their service and to encourage their participation. The hallmark and face of that campaign was “Rosie the Riveter,” who became the female icon of WWII, the Home Front equivalent of G.I. Joe. Rosie, though a fic titious character, was based in part on a real-life munitions worker, tough but fem inine, donned in a banana-clad shirt with sleeves rolled up and with determined expression and countenance. There was no more iconic a symbol for the working women on the home front of the war than that of “Rosie the Riveter.”

Posters of Rosie’s image with the slo

gan “Do the Job He Left Behind” and oth ers with slogans such as “Soldiers Without Guns” appealed to women and inspired them to contribute in a greater way to win ning the war.

Although Rosie’s image reflected the industrial work of riveters (and welders) during World War II, the majority of work ing women filled non-factory positions in every sector of the economy. Women learned how to do drafting and do sheet metal work to build airplanes, jeeps, and ships. They packed am munition and test ed guns, worked in steel and lum ber mills, drove trucks, operated cranes and other heavy equipment, and the list goes on.

Included in these was one of Rosie’s less er-known cous ins “Wendy the Welder” who was welding ships on the West Coast.

By war’s end, these women pro duced nearly 4,600 ships in four years. The women in all these vocations would often work six days a week without vaca tions or holidays and at the end of a long, hard day go home to care of their children and-all this in the hopes that their sacrific es would shorten the war and bring loved ones home alive.

The term “Rosie the Riveter” was first used in 1942 in a song of the same name written by Redd Evans and John Jacob Loeb and recorded by numerous artists.

The title of the song wasn’t inspired by but is associated with then 21-year-old Rosie Bonavita Hickey (1920-1966) who was working for Convair in San Diego. She volunteered to work as an aircraft riveter when her high-school sweetheart and future husband, serving on USS Mis sissippi, wrote to him about the great need for more planes.

The individual who was the inspiration

for the song was Rosalind P. Walter (b. 1924-2020) who worked on building the F4U Corsair fighter.

The most famous image of Rosie the Riveter was illustrated by Norman Rock well (modeled by Mary Doyle Keefe, 19222015) on the cover of the May 29, 1943, issue of The Saturday Evening Post, por traying Rosie with a flag in the background and a copy of Adolf Hitler’s racist tract “Mein Kampf” un der her feet.

Rosie’s proto type was actually created in 1942 by artist J. How ard Miller (mod eled by Geral dine Hoff Doyle, 1924-2010) and featured on a poster an iconic image of a wom an flexing her bicep and wear ing a spotted red bandanna under the headline “We Can Do It!” The poster was used strictly internally in the Westing house factories, displayed only for two weeks during February 1943 to encourage al ready-hired women to work harder.

It gained great popularity when fem inists rediscovered it and associated it with women’s empowerment. Most people were familiar with the image, but not many people realized that the woman on it was never supposed to be Rosie the Riveter.

Rosie the Riveter became most closely associated with another real woman, Rose Will Monroe (1920-1997), who worked as a riveter at Ford Motor Company’s Willow Run Aircraft Factory in Ypsilanti, Michigan, building B-24 bombers for the U.S. Army Air Force.

It was 80 years ago this week, Novem ber 28, 1942, that this plant turned out its first B-24 Liberator bomber. By the summer of 1944, when the plant reached its peak production, it was turning out a bomber an hour–thanks in no small part to Rosie the Riveter!

In 1944 a motion picture, “Rosie the Riveter,” was released. It was a wartime comedy, which centered around the Rosie theme. A 1980 documentary film, “The Life and Times of Rosie the Riveter,” produced by Connie Field, tells Rosie’s story as no other film has before or since. In 1996, it was selected for preservation in the Unit ed States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.”

Without Rosie the Riveter, the map of the free world would likely look different than it does today. She truly reflected not only an important part of America’s Great est Generation, but she also contributed to the eventual transformation and expan sion of women’s opportunities in Ameri ca’s culture and workforce. She continues to be an inspiration for future generations and is especially iconic to the women who contributed to the development of the aerospace industry and human space flight.

Not all of the several million Rosies left their jobs at the end of World War II. One such lady was Elinor Otto, known as “The Last Serving Rosie the Riveter.” Otto be gan working at the Rohr Aircraft Corpora tion in Chula Vista, California, in 1942 and retired from Boeing Corporation in Long Beach, California, in 2014 at the age of 95. At this writing, Elinor Otto is a spry 103 and still a living icon of American patrio tism, longevity and strength.

Since 2017, America has observed Na tional Rosie the Riveter Day to honor the 6 million working women who joined the workforce during World War II. It is nor mally observed on March 21 in conjunc tion with Women’s History Month.

Rosie’s legacy is also preserved by the Rosie the Riveter/World War II Home Front National Historical Park in Richmond, California. The inscription on the plaque in front of the Rosie the Riveter Memori al in Richmond’s Marina Bay reads: “(y) ou must tell your children, putting modes ty aside, that without us, without women, there would have been no spring in 1945.” And, for that matter, perhaps no other subsequent springs as we would come to know them.

To all of the Rosies, Wendys and other ladies who worked and sacrificed on the home front: A grateful and free America thanks you!

Geraldine Hoff Doyle was the model for the Rosie prototype, painted by J. Howard Miller in 1942.

Cove welcomes Santa and the holidays

Around Town

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.

Mena First United Methodist Church open house and live Nativity at 7 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 2, following the parade. Great food, caroling and Nativity, 501 Ninth St. across from Janssen Park Everyone is invited!

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, 4-6 p.m., located at Fair Grounds Road. For more informa tion, call 479-437-4018.

The Town of Cove welcomes the holi day season on Saturday, Dec. 3, with their 28th Annual Christmas Xtrava ganza.

The Christmas Parade will start at 2:00 p.m. with special guest Santa Claus.

A reception will follow in the Commu nity Center next to Town Hall at 5568 Hwy 71. At the reception the children will be able to talk with Santa Claus.

For additional information, please contact Cove Town Hall at 870-3875791 during business hours.

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 Candice at (501) 356-8300.

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

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

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

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

Alcoholics Anonymous meet at The Crossing Church, 3 p.m., Sundays; at 5 p.m., Tuesdays; and at 8 p.m. Saturdays at the old bus barn. For information call (479) 234-8366 or (479) 216-3786.

Hatfield First Baptist Church “Shepherd’s Closet” Open Wednesdays, 10

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

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

Polk County Disabled Veterans and Auxiliary will be holding their monthly meetings on Thursday, Dec. 1, at Veterans Park in Acorn. Potluck begins at 6 p.m. with meetings to follow.

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

Alcoholics Anonymous meet at 7 p.m. Fridays at the First United Methodist Church, 9th & Port Arthur. Discussion/Book Study for information call (479) 243-0297.

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) 2439600 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!

CLASSIFIEDS

- SERVICES -

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. T1211

Handyman services - small jobs pre ferred. Plumbing, electrical, small engine re pair. For details, call Bill Duff (479) 216-5204. T1130

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. T1130

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 T1214

HELP WANTED -

Brodix, Inc. is accepting applications for an experienced CNC Machine Operator. Applications may be picked up at the Brodix office, located at 301 Maple Avenue in Mena, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Competitive starting wages with ben efits available.

Notice to Applicants: Screening tests for alcohol and illegal drug use may be required before hiring and during your employment.

T1214

Brodix, Inc. is accepting applications for general labor positions. Applications may be picked up at the Brodix office, located at 301 Maple Avenue in Mena, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Competi tive starting wages with benefits available.

Notice to Applicants: Screening tests for alcohol and illegal drug use may be required before hiring and during your employment

T1214

F.M. Dix Foundry is accepting applications for general labor positions. Applications may be picked up at the office, located at 301 Maple Avenue in Mena, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Competitive starting wages with benefits available.

Notice to Applicants: Screening tests for alcohol and illegal drug use may be required before hiring and during your employment.

T1214

Brodix, Inc. is accepting applications for an experienced TIG Welder for a permanent day shift position. The applicant must be pro ficient in welding aluminum.

Applications may be picked up at the Bro dix office, located at 301 Maple Avenue in Mena, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Competitive starting wages with benefits available.

Notice to Applicants: Screening tests for alcohol and illegal drug use may be required before hiring and during your employment.

T1130

- YARD SALE -

Inside sale 204 Reine St. South in Mena. Don’t miss our final sale before moving. An tiques and collectibles. Friday and Saturday, Dec. 1-2, beginning at 8 a.m. T1130

Indoor Garage Sale Thursday, Friday & Saturday, Dec. 1,2,& 3, 7 a.m.-5 p.m. Lots of woodworking tools, etc., tile and carpet tools. 109 Polk Rd. 288. Cove, Ark. T1130

- FOR SALE -

For Sale - A.K.C. English Bulldog pup pies. Four girls, and three boys. Eight weeks old. Championship pedigree. Ready for their new homes just in time for Christmas! Raised by the owners of the radio stations.

Call (870) 642-3104 for pricing and details. For pictures, visit: www.arklatexbulldogs.com or facebook: arklatex bulldogs. TFN

Hogspore News: It’s a yearly ritual

By Clet Litter as told to Bob Simpson

We took Thanksgiving over at my Momma’s house. It’s a yearly ritual. That’s a nice word for a chore. Course, I love my Momma. She give me life and took care of me, blah, blah, blah.

My sister the CNA was there. She insisted we have a Native American Appreciation theme. She whipped up a double batch of Coyote jerky for her friends she invited to nosh on till din ner was ready. We had us a hot kettle outside boiling up some maize on the cob.

Things were going right smoothly till I said something I shouldn’t have. I sez, “We call Momma’s Thanksgobblering Taters, ‘Heimlich Mashed’ cause of the life-threatening lumps.” Sugar made me sit at the Native American Table.

Punkin has a new kitten she named Taco. Folks with a lot of Irish blood in them also like tacos. Punkin got a might clever with the kitty’s name, Taco. Taco

backward is O Cat. We caught the pee wee pet eating pieces of a jigsaw puzzle that we had working on the coffee table.

So, if folks start wondering why me and the better half are spending so much time in our bedroom alone with the door locked… we’re putting anoth er puzzle together that Taco can’t eat. The good part is that treats are gonna be a lot easier to buy. A bag of card board chunks should be pretty cheap.

The problem with the pussycat puz zle pilferer is solved. From now on, we ain’t buying any more puzzles of quaint fishing villages.

Mumford Pickens says, “Big online marketers were counting on the day af ter Thanksgiving Day to generate huge sales and unload inventory to make room way for the Holy Sales of Decem ber. Black Friday matters. It mattered so much, that Black Friday ended at mid night on Saturday. Joy to the Wealth.”

You can contact Clet Litter at bob simpson1947@yahoo.com.

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.

POLK COUNTY SHERIFF’S LOG

November 21, 2022

Robert Jones, 38 of Mena was ar rested on a Body Attachment War rant and warrant for Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.

November 22, 2022 No reports.

November 23, 2022

No reports.

November 24, 2022

Deputies responded to a residence on Kings Circle near Hatfield in ref erence to harassment leading to the arrest of Leon Jordan, 36 of Hatfield on a charge of Public Intoxication.

November 25, 2022

Deputies responded to a walk-in complainant in reference to a theft. Deputies responded to an alterca tion near Love Lee Lane near Mena. Information has been forwarded to the Prosecuting Attorney for fur ther consideration.

Deputies were dispatched to a business near Grannis in reference to an incident leading to the arrest of Jodie Sexton, 50 of DeQueen on charges of DWI and Careless and Prohibited Driving.

November 26, 2022

An incident on North Mena Street led to Rhonda Hogarth and Wade Jackson being issued citations for Criminal Trespass.

November 27, 2022

Kenshaska Zollar, 43 of Grannis was arrested by an officer with the Arkansas Drug Task Force on two charges of Delivery of Methamphet amine or Cocaine and two charges of Fraudulent Use of a Communica tions Device.

Prianna Suggs, 32 of DeQueen was arrested by an officer with the Ar kansas Drug Task Force on charges of Possession of Methamphetamine or Cocaine with Purpose to Deliver, Possession of a Schedule VI Con trolled Substance, Open Container and Furnishing Prohibited Articles. Deputies were dispatched to a res idence on Polk 18 near Vandervoort in reference to a theft.

Polk County Sheriff’s Office worked 2 vehicle accidents this week.

Polk County Detention Center Jail Population: 22 Incarcerated In mates with 17 Inmates currently on the Waiting List for a State Facility.

MENA POLICE REPORTS

November 20

A report of harassment was taken from a walk-in complainant.

Michele Hall, 30, was charged with Theft of Property at Walmart.

Elizabeth Bill, 21, was charged with Theft of Property at Walmart.

A report of criminal mischief was taken at a residence on Janssen Av enue.

November 21

No report.

November 22

A report of harassment was taken at Brodix.

A report of fraudulent use of a debit card was taken at James Food.

November 23

No report.

November 24

A report of theft was taken at a residence on Mena Street.

Anthony Robertson, 32, was charged with Theft of Property at Walmart.

Kenneth Sipe, 45, was charged with Dog Running at Large on Ca seys Way.

A report of theft was taken at Murphy USA.

Richard Adair, 43, was charged with Public Intoxication and Ter roristic Threatening after a distur bance call to a residence on 10th Street.

A report of criminal mischief was taken at a residence on 9th Street.

November 25

Jason Deets, 30, was served with a warrant after a traffic stop on Cher ry Street.

November 26

Micah Flores, was charged with Public Intoxication, Disorderly Conduct, Domestic Battery 3rd De gree, Resisting Arrest, Possession of a Schedule 2 Controlled Substance, and Furnishing Prohibited Articles after a traffic stop on Highway 71.

A report of burglary and theft was taken at a residence on Missouri Street.

Scott County homicide investigation underway

Eldder Santiago Bautista, 33, was the victim of an apparent homicide Sunday night, Nov. 27, while visit ing a residence south of Waldron.

Scott County sheriff’s depu ties and state police responded to a home at 293 Ross Creek Road where a witness reported a shooting incident about 8:45 p.m. Bautista was found dead on the front porch of the residence. Bautista had been shot and his body has been trans ported to the Arkansas State Crime Laboratory where a manner and cause of death will be determined.

Luis Gabriel Olivares, 33, who is believed to have been staying at the Ross Creek Road address, was later seen Sunday night carrying a rifle near a wooded area near the home and was arrested by a state troop er who initially responded to the shooting incident.

Olivares is being held for ques tioning by state police special agents at the Scott County Jail.

No formal charges have been filed in the case as of Monday afternoon.

‘A Seussified Christmas Carol’ performances pushed back

Submitted by Julie Ulmer

Christmastime at Ouachita Little The atre is always extra fun for our patrons. We offer live family entertainment that people of all ages will enjoy.

First up is “A Seussified Christmas Carol,” a lively Junior Ouachita Lit tle Theatre production performed by young people of all school ages. Direct ed by Makayla Ortiz and Lexie Payne, these young women are rehearsing with their large cast to produce a play that is written in the distinctive Dr. Se uss rhyme and pentameter.

Costumes and sets reflect the nostal gic Dr. Seuss whimsical style we have all come to love. Bring the family to one of

five performances which have recently been rescheduled to December 9, 10, 11, 17 and 18. The Friday and Saturday shows are at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday mat inees are at 2:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 each and are already available online at oltmena.com for advanced reserved seating. You may also purchase tickets at the door. Season tickets are accepted for this show.

Auditions for the February winter comedy directed by Amanda Baker will be held December 15 from 5-8 p.m. and December 17 from 10 a.m.-noon at the OLT. The play selection will be announced shortly; check the website or Facebook for updates.

KCS Holiday Express pulling in to Mena on December 7

Gingerbread cookies and Christmas are tradition

By Carla Haley Hadley M.S. County Extension Agent Family & Consumer Sciences The Cooperative Extension Service U of A System Division of Agriculture

Gingerbread first appeared in Western Eu rope at the end of the eleventh century. Cru saders returning from the Eastern Mediterra nean brought home unknown foods, such as spices, sugars, almonds and citrus fruits that would become the essential ingredients for gingerbread. Catholic monks began to bake gingerbread for saints’ days and festivals, con structing specially designed cakes depicting celebrated saints and religious motifs

From its very beginning, gingerbread was a fairground delicacy. Fairs in England became known as gingerbread fairs and gingerbread items took on the name of fairings which meant a gift given at, or brought from, a fair. The Gin gerbread Woman would sell molded cookies of men, women, the sun, the moon, flowers, birds or animals that were decorated with gaudy col ors and gilt.

There were other European gingerbread variations. The French made a spice bread, with ginger, allspice, cloves, aniseed, and hon ey. Italian Panforte, a dense rich gingerbread, was almost candy-like, and enriched with nuts and dried fruits.

Nowhere in the world is there a greater vari ety of gingerbread recipes than here in Amer ica. Settlers from all parts of Europe brought with them family recipes and customs. Ameri can recipes often use ingredients that are only available regionally. Maple syrup gingerbreads are made in New England, and in the South sorghum molasses is used.

Once baked, let gingerbread cool complete ly before decorating. A simple glaze of confec tioners’ sugar and milk works well. For added flavor add fruit zests or extracts.

Decorations such as shredded coconut, colored sugar, toasted sliced almonds, button candies, mini chocolate chips, and dried fruits should be added before the icing dries. Allow decorated cookies to stand for 2 hours before eating to let icing set. Cookies can be prepared up to two weeks ahead and stored in single layers between sheets of waxed paper in air tight containers.

For more baking tips call the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture in the Mill er County Courthouse, call 870-779-3609, or email chaley@uada.edu. Like me on facebook at Miller County FCS, and twitter @MillerCoun tyFCS.

This Gingerbread Cookie recipe is over 45 years old and has been passed down from generation to generation. Enjoy the smells of Christmas as they bake.

Gingerbread Cookies

• 3 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 1 tablespoon ground ginger

• 1 3/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon

• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter

• 3/4 cup dark brown sugar

• 1 large egg

• 1/2 cup molasses

• 2 teaspoons vanilla

By Pulse Staff

A reminder that the 2022 KCS Hol iday Express train will return to Mena this year. Wednesday, Dec. 7, beginning at 4 p.m.

The festive, six-car holiday train with intricate displays inside and out will bring Santa Claus and his elves to visit children and families. Visitors can board the train, meet Santa and his elves, and tour the in side of three cars. The KCS Holiday

Express is free to the public.

In addition, the KCS Holiday Ex press project will continue its tra dition of charitable giving to The Salvation Army. Over 21 years, the charitable component of the KCS Holiday Express project has raised well over $2.6 million.

Barricades will be placed along Sherwood Avenue at the intersec tions of Mena Street, Dequeen Street and the alleyway next to Branding Iron from 3-9 p.m.

Gingerbread has been baked for centuries. In some places, it is a soft, delicately spiced cake while in other places gingerbread is a crisp, flat cookie or a warm, thick steamy-dark square of bread served with a pitcher of lem on sauce or whipped cream. It might be light, or dark, or sweet, or spicy. It might be cut into shapes and colorfully decorated or stamped with a mold and dusted with white sugar.

You too can successfully bake and deco rate gingerbread. Begin by chilling the dough for at least one hour. Once chilled, roll out on a surface lightly dusted with a mixture of flour and confectioners’ sugar or between pieces of parchment paper.

Avoid cookie cutters from sticking to the dough by dusting them with flour. If cutting out large shapes, save them from falling apart by rolling out the dough on parchment paper, re moving the scraps, and sliding the paper di rectly onto a baking sheet.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. In a small bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves. In a large bowl beat butter, brown sugar, and egg on me dium speed until well blended. Add molasses, and vanilla, continue to mix until well blended. Gradually stir in dry ingredients until blended and smooth. Divide dough in half, wrap each half in plastic and refrigerate at least 2 hours or up to 8 hours. Allow to warm slightly. Place one portion of dough on a lightly floured surface. Sprinkle flour over dough and rolling pin. Roll dough to one fourth inch thick. Use additional flour to avoid sticking. Cut out cookies with de sired cutter. Space cookies one and one half inches apart. Bake 1 sheet at a time for 7-10 minutes for softer cookies, add minute or two for crunchier cookies. Remove cookie sheet from oven and allow the cookies to stand until the cookies are firm enough to move to a wire rack. After cool decorate as desired.

SUBDIVISION

continued from page 2

“There are lots scattered around everywhere but there’s not been a [subdivision]. I developed Bethes da Heights, but it had already been brought into the city. It was vacant lots. I built on all of those. I don’t think you would consider it a new subdivision. It had already been dedicated. Somebody had already started it and abandoned it.”

Craig is uncertain why it has tak en so long to create a new subdivi sion in Mena city limits.

“Things are slow to develop. I wish more things would happen. There’s probably a lot more going on in the county than in city limits as far as building. Some people want acreage lots. [Prairie Creek] is over sized lots. I’d call them an estate lot. They’re bigger than just a small city lot. You can have a place for a shop building, pools… it’s big enough if you wanted to have an RV garage. We’ve already had a couple of peo ple asking about that.”

At the Nov. 17 Planning Com mission meeting, Craig and Laurie Craig did a street dedication of Lau rie Drive on Dec. 15. “It’s complete, so now I give it to the city. It’s just a process to go through. I built it, now I’m turning it over to the city. It’s a street that will be a long time before it needs any maintenance… with all underground utilities. I think it’s the best street in Mena.

“There are a lot of streets in Mena that have utilities under the streets. When they have to make a new wa ter tap or a new sewer tap, they’ve got to cut the street. You know how bumpy it makes it. You won’t ever have any of that. It’s got con crete curbs on each side and that

holds the asphalt in place; it can’t be pushed out. It’s just a mod ern street. There’s probably not a street like that in Mena.”

It may not seem like a big deal to some, but Laurie Drive is roomy. Craig said, “It’s the only cul-de-sac that is big enough a fire truck can turn around. Some streets, like on Karen Drive at Bethesda Road, and on Kimberly Drive—they just dead end. If a fire truck pulls up in there, it’s going to have to back out. I’ve already had big tractor-trailer rigs pull down there. The drivers ask, ‘Can I turn around on this street?’ I point for them to go on down. Two minutes later, they’re coming back and waving at me. It’s the only street in Mena that’s got a real cul-de-sac where you can actually turn a semi around in.”

Craig intends on joining the Mena/Polk County Chamber of Commerce and do a ribbon cutting. He already has the first house built.

“It’s for sale right now. It’s a terri ble time to sell a house with interest rates, but it’ll pass. I’ve been doing this for 35 years and I’ve seen the ups and downs of the market. I’ve sold a house in 24 hours and I’ve sold one that took over 20 months to sell it.”

Unlike some tract housing subdi visions around the country, which developers tend to offer three or four designs to choose from, Craig said he offers true custom design on Laurie Drive, with some limitations. “I develop anything anyone wants. As long as it’s looking good—there

are restrictions. I’ve had people wanting to build a mini house. It’s kind of a fad. I’m not doing that be cause that will just bring down the price of my other houses. I want to keep them all looking good. Quality is a big thing.”

The Dallas-Fort Worth Metrop lex is a good example of tract hous ing, where the suburbs have acres up acres of land with cookie-cutter style houses, some houses practi cally right on top of each other, and looking very similar to one another.

Craig is familiar with it. “I used to live in Denton (Texas) and that’s where I learned to build houses. I used to build Highland Shores around Lake Lewisville from ’85 to ’88. I got out of high school in ’81; joined the Marine Corps. I got out and tried to get into the building trades. I got a job in five minutes. That’s where I learned my trade.”

With the larger lots and wood ed environment, Prairie Creek will have a different look and feel than most subdivisions.

“It’s got a great location. It’s like living in the country, but you’re in town. We’ve got cameras out and we’re seeing deer. It’s not too far from McMillan Park. It’s just a good little area. All of the houses are go ing to be super nice, I think. Every house I’ve ever sold, they always sell for more. It’s a great investment.”

Mena Art Gallery 2023 garage sale

By Ethan Nahté

The Mena Art Gallery is having a three-week fundraiser Art Supply Garage Sale Jan. 4–21, 2023.

The Gallery will be accepting un used or gently used art supplies of all types: artwork carriers, fabric, yarn, clay and tools, molds, canvas, paint brushes, tubes of open-but-useable paint, and colored pencils.

If you are uncertain about items to donate,the Gallery invites you to ask them.

Also acceptable will be completed artwork, framed or not, mats and frames, as well as any completed items of the type the Gallery would sell in the gift shop.

All items must be clean and usable. The Gallery reserves the right to re ject anything deemed unsuitable.

All proceeds will be considered as donations to the Mena Art Gallery. No items will be returned.

All items should be brought to Mena Art Gallery, 607 Mena St., on Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2023, between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. unless prior arrange ments are made with the executive director.

If you have questions, please call the Gallery at 479-394-3880 or Lynn Greenwade, at 479-234-5440.

Non-members are welcome to contribute donated items to the sale. They invite you to tell your friends and neighbors.

The Gallery will be most grateful for any donations. The proceeds will help them to keep offering art to the Ouachitas.

The Gallery is open 10 a.m.-3 p.m., Wednesday – Saturday.

Having a safer holiday by following some simple guidelines

By Ethan Nahté

Many families spent the previous weekend putting up holiday lights, Christmas trees and related decora tions, along with pine or other fes tive-scented candles. There may be a few who have yet to put up their dec orations, but whether you have or have not decorated, following a few simple guidelines from local electric com panies, SWEPCO and Entergy, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), and the ASPCA could make for a safer and more enjoyable holiday.

According to the NFPA, nearly one in five Christmas tree fires started from decorative lights, and 8% of tree fires and more than 1/3 of home decoration fires started from candles.

More than two of every five decora tion fires happen because decorations are placed too close to a heat source. Keep in mind that in addition to over heating, rising heat, air circulation from vents, ceiling fans, and passers-by cause decorations to move, potentially caus ing a decoration to flutter into harm’s way. Be extra cautious if children or pets are around candles.

These simple reminders and precau tions for decorating inside and outside your home, as well as cooking and en tertaining, will help make it the most wonderful time of the year.

Inside lighting

• If using a live tree, make sure it is fresh and green with needles that are hard to pull from the branches.

• Place the tree in a stand with water, well away from heaters or the fire place. Check water daily.

• Examine all lights before putting them on the tree or using them in other home decorations. Do not use lights with frayed wiring or loose sockets, and make sure they have been tested for safety by an in dependent testing laboratory.

• For greater efficiency and safety, use smaller, cool-burning LED lights.

• Make sure all light sockets have

bulbs in them. Children are fasci nated by lights and could put their fingers in empty sockets.

• Keep bulbs from touching tree branches. Never burn candles on or near the tree and never use flam mable decorations.

• Never use lights on a metallic tree. If the lights become faulty, the en tire tree could be electrified.

• Be careful not to overload exten sion cords, outlets or even whole circuits in the house.

• Turn off decorative lighting when you leave the room or go to bed. An automatic timer can also help ensure your holiday lights are off when you’re asleep or not home. Keeping lights on for shorter peri ods of time can also help prevent overheating.

• Place wires where they cannot trip anyone. Do not run them under rugs.

Outside lighting

• Use proper indoor/outdoor decora tions. Select extension cords, lights and other decorations marked ap propriately for indoor or outdoor use. For outside use, work only with three-wire grounded exten sion cords.

• Stay 10 feet away from overhead power lines. Before putting up lights or other outdoor decorations, look up and stay clear of overhead power lines. Keep ladders, lights, tools and yourself at least 10 feet away from power lines. Use a non-conducting fiberglass or wooden ladder when working with strings of lights.

• Use only Ground Fault Circuit In terrupters (GFCI) outlets outside. Outdoor electrical lights and deco rations should be plugged into cir cuits protected by GFCIs.

• Do not replace bulbs when the electricity is on.

• Never let light bulbs touch flamma ble materials such as plastic or dry grass and leaves.

• Use rubber gaskets in light sockets

or hang sockets downward to keep water out.

• Keep connections and lights off the ground by hanging them over wooden stakes. Turn outside hol iday lights off when away from home or asleep.

• Be extra-cautious if using staple guns or nails to hang wires, ensur ing the wire insulation is not bro ken, potentially causing electrocu tion or a fire hazard.

Other fire-safety tips

• Test smoke alarms. Inform family and guests of your home fire escape plan. Testing carbon monoxide de tectors is also wise, especially if us ing a fireplace.

• Keep matches and lighters out of the reach of children.

• Remain in the kitchen when cook ing on a stovetop. Remember, nev er use water to put out a grease fire. Have an up-to-date and operable fire extinguisher readily available.

• Keep smokers and grills at least 10 feet from trees limbs, deck rail ing and structures, such as homes, sheds and garages. Floating embers can easily spark a fire. Never leave a lit grill unattended.

• Check for gas leaks when using a grill.

• Never add lighter fluid to lit coals.

• Ask smokers to smoke outside, away from flammable objects. Pro vide large, deep ashtrays for smok ers.

Pet and child safety

• Securely anchor Christmas trees.

• Avoid mistletoe and holly, not to

mention certain varieties of lilies. If eaten, they can cause severe health issues or death.

• Some drinks could contain xylitol, but also be aware of leaving any alcoholic drinks in reach of a pet, which can cause severe health is sues or death.

• Make sure medicines are put away.

• Specifically related to pets; Do not feed chocolate or anything with sugar-substitute xylitol.

• Fatty, spicy and human foods are not healthy for a pet. Bones are an other danger.

• Beware of tinsel. Like shiny or naments, many cats will find the sparkly material tempting and may nibble on or eat tinsel, causing ob structions in the digestive track.

• Give pets a quiet space to eat, drink or retreat.

• Beware of ribbons, bows and strings leftover from presents, as well as confetti and fireworks during new year’s celebrations.

• Have guests check under warm hoods for pets, and behind vehicles for pets, children and toys before leaving.

• Pay attention to the weather, bring ing outdoor pets in when possible during cold weather. Remember to pay attention to placement of plants brought in from the cold and keeping pets away from potentially poisonous plants.

Following these, or similar, guide lines, should greatly increase the odds for a safer and more enjoyable holiday season.

CRHS collects over 700 items through food drive

By Patrick Massey

Organizers behind a recent food drive at Cossatot River High School say the effort was a huge success.

Over the past few weeks, members of the Cossatot River High School’s Na tional Honor Society have been chal lenging their fellow classmates to bring in canned goods to benefit the district’s campus backpack program. To help encourage participation, the group of fered a day off from school as a prize

to the class who brought in the most items.

With just over 600 items donated, the sophomore class earned the prize and was able to enjoy one extra day of Thanksgiving break on Friday, Nov. 18.

A total of 760 items were brought in through this year’s food drive at Cossa tot River High School.

The backpack food program offers families free groceries for weekends and school breaks to help address local food insecurity.

Members of the Cossatot River High School NHS chapter stand next to the items collected during a food drive held this month. In total, the group collected 760 items to distribute through the campus food backpack program.

(Photo submitted by Cossatot River High School)

STAY ALERT. STAY INFORMED. STAY SAFE.

Lions post-season comes to an end

By Ethan Nahté

The Mount Ida Lions made it all the way to the semi-finals in the state playoffs Friday, Nov. 25, but fell to the Carlisle Bison 25-20. The Lions ended their dominant season 9-3 over all and 5-1 in 2A 3 conference play, finishing second behind Dierks.

Michael White, head coach of the Mount Ida football team, wrote on Facebook, “On behalf of the Mount Ida Lion Football Team, I would like to take a moment to thank ev eryone that contributed to helping this team throughout the year. Thank you to all the par ents, community, Mount Ida students and fac ulty, all those that helped with food, all those that helped with games in all capacities, cheerleaders, band program, student council, and our administration. Your support is vital for these student athletes to play at a high level because they know they represent this school and community as well.

“It was definitely a great year and we again are thankful for this community and proud to represent it.”

The Lions were playing a powerful team. Carlisle is currently 11-1 overall and 5-1 in conference. They are ranked second in 2A 4.

According to ScoreBook Live (SBLive. com), Carlisle senior running back Jason Sul livan earned SBLive Arkansas High School Athlete of the Week honors for Nov. 13-20, which is the week before playing the Lions. Sullivan captured 13,739 votes (47.46%). Sullivan rushed 27 times for 365 yards and a school-record six touchdowns in the Bison’s 49-34 win over Earle in the Class 2A state playoff quarterfinals.

Carlisle will be playing Hazen in the 2A finals, which seems only fitting as Hazen is 12-0 overall and 6-0 in 2a 4 conference play. The game is scheduled for Friday afternoon in Carlisle.

Wrestling 12/05- Acorn - Tri with Ashdown and Lonoke