Y (USPS156-140) Vol. 132, Number 2 DeWitt, AR 72042 • 16 Pages • 2 Sections • 75 cents
outh Hunt Marks the End of Gun Season in Arkansas
Stories and Photos on Page 8A
Serving Arkansas k County, Arkansas k Since 1882 Thursday, January 9, 2014
Best of DeWitt: Volunteer Group of the Year
AROUND THE COUNTY
DEWITT ERAENTERPRISE RATE CHANGES FOR 2014
Effective IMMEDIATELY, the DeWitt Era-Enterprises newspaper rates have gone up to $23.50 for in-county and $30 for anywhere outside of Arkansas County. Legal rates are now $0.25 a word, also effective immediately. Obituaries will continue to be free for all obituaries with less than 300 words. Call for prices on anything over 300 words. Also, the DeWitt Era-Enterprise will ONLY re-run ads that have a misspelling or incorrect information.
IMMANUEL ALL CLASS REUNION
All class reunion planning meeting will be held at the Immanuel Heritage Museum #68 Immanuel Rd Almyra on January 11 at 10 a.m. Any and all help is needed. Call 870-585-2480 if you have input or would like to help but cannot attend.
SENIOR DANCE
CENTER
DeWitt Senior Center located at 205 N. Main will hold a dance January 11 from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Donations are accepted. All proceeds benefit the Senior Center.
DEWITT ATHLETIC BOOSTER CLUB
The DeWitt Athletic Booster Club will meet Monday, January 13 at 5:30 p.m. in the DeWitt High School gym.
SATURDAY NIGHT ON THE CORNER
Rev. Michael Bolin, pastor of Wheatley and Salem United Methodist Church, will bring a revitalizing message. Steve Boyster of Cabot brings the band, Redemption, along with his vocal talents and musical specials. The event will begin at 5:30 p.m. January 11, 2014, at Lodge Corner United Methodist Church, in the fellowship hall, located half way between Stuttgart and DeWitt on Hwy 165 in the bend of the road. Everyone is welcomed to the worship experience.
Acres of Help members. Back row, left to right: Kirk Vansandt, Drew Counce, Barry Joe Wilson, Thayn Morton, Brad Chambliss. Front row, left to right: Mike Dodson, Rance Simpson, Corby Morton, Drew Whiting, Keith Patterson and Chad Philipp.
By Valenya Franks There couldn’t be a group of volunteers more worthy of the title Volunteer Group of the Year than Acres of Help. Acres of Help is a group of farmers and businessmen from all over Arkansas County founded by local farmer Thayn Morton in November 2012. The group held its first annual fund raising event, February 2, and yielded a little over $100,000 for local charities. The purpose of Acres of Help is to make a difference every day by supplementing and/or enhancing existing charitable organizations. With the group slogan, “Making a Difference Every Day,” Acres of Help identified eight charities to support: The Christian Charitable Clinic, Men’s Ministerial Alliance, CASA, Dana’s House, Caring and Sharing Food Pantry, the Food Pantry in Gillett, and
the Backpack Programs for Gillett and DeWitt school children. Acres of Help’s first request that was approved for funding was the Caring and Sharing Food Pantry, which was also where the idea of Acres of Help first came to president, Thayn Morton. The group had five requests for the first quarter of 2013, and after reviewing the needs of each organization, funding was approved, and a total of $15,620 in donations was made. In recent news, Acres of Help awarded funding to the DeWitt School District to help with the purchase of 20 Google Chromebooks as well as a recharging cart. This group has not only donated to the local food pantry and school district, but also to the Dragon’s Den, and many other charitable organizations throughout the community. All funds raised go toward providing assistance to others.
Along with raising their own funds for donations, Acres of Help has impressed organizations statewide, and in August 2013, they received a $1,000 donation from the Arkansas Rice Council. It is obvious to people near and far that Acres of Help has the people’s and community’s needs at the forefront of their minds. By providing thousands of dollars in donations and funding, Acres of Help has earned the title of Volunteer Group of the Year. They will be presented a plaque award for their work in the community at the Best of DeWitt Banquet hosted by the DeWitt Chamber of Commerce, January 30. The guest speaker will be Mike Ross. Tickets will be on sale at the local banks for $15. Come and show this group your support as they have shown theirs to the community and people of DeWitt.
in that time, become the first woman to serve as a deputy coroner for Arkansas County. When she is not working, Laura spends much of her spare time volunteering wherever she is needed. Laura is an active member of many clubs and organizations. She is a member of the DeWitt Hospital Auxiliary and she coordinated the Christmas Cottage event that benefitted the DeWitt Hospital. She serves on the Pattillo School Board, and she is a member and past president of the Junior Women’s Club as well as a member of Mendelsohn Club. She is currently the vice president of CASA. As a member of First United Methodist Church and communion steward, Laura delivers communion once a month to all shut-ins and nursing home residents who are associated with her church. They all look forward to her visits. Laura has a friendly smile and compassionate spirit at all times. She is also on the administrative council for the church and serves as a chairman of the evangelism committee. Along with the clubs and organizations that she’s a part of, Laura also volunteers
for a lot of businesses and organizations around town. She has served as community relations for Operation Christmas Child, and she is a faithful blood donor for Red Cross in DeWitt and in Little Rock. She has done volunteer work for DeWitt PRIDE as well as the Caring and Sharing Food Pantry. Laura supports the DeWitt Animal Shelter and provides help to the shelter anyway she can. Laura serves the community in so many ways. She is always willing to help in any capacity. Everyone knows if they need help in the organization of a project or help getting it “off the ground,” they can call on Laura. She is always there to assist. By offering up so much of her free time to help others, Laura Essex has earned the title of Young Volunteer of the Year. She will be presented a plaque award for her work in the community at the Best of DeWitt Banquet hosted by the DeWitt Chamber of Commerce, January 30. Guest speaker will be Mike Ross. Tickets will be on sale at the local banks for $15. Come and show her your support as she has shown her to the community and people of DeWitt.
Best of DeWitt: Young Volunteer of the Year
SCHOOL BOARD RESCHEDULED
Due to a conflict, the regular monthly meeting of the DeWitt School Board has been changed from Tuesday, January 14, 2014 to Monday, January 13, 2014 at 7 p.m.
By Valenya Franks Laura Essex has been voted the Best of DeWitt’s Young Volunteer of the Year. A graduate of DeWitt High School, Laura attended college at Lambuth University in Jackson, TN and graduated in 2003. Since returning home to DeWitt, she has been employed at Essex Funeral Home and Arkansas County Bank, and has,