C (USPS156-140) Vol. 133, Number 5 DeWitt, AR 72042 • 16 Pages • 2 Sections • 75 cents
AROUND THE COUNTY
areer Day at DeWitt Elementary School
Serving Arkansas County, Arkansas Since 1882
Financial Aid Night is set for Monday, February 2nd, 6pm at the PCCUA DeWitt Campus Community Room. Juniors, seniors and parents are invited to attend the workshop to learn about financial aid and scholarship opportunities. Refreshments will be provided. The event is sponsored by PCCUA/DeWitt, Arkansas Department of Higher Education, and the DeWitt School District. For more information contact DeWitt High School Counselor, Ashley Smith, PCCUA/ Financial Aid, April Herring or Director PCCUA Public School Relations, Diana Graves.
The Northeast Water Association Annual Board Meeting will be held Monday, February 2, 2015 at 3:00 p.m. at Arkansas County Bank Community Room. Members are welcome.
DEWITT BASEBALL/SOFTBALL A S S O C I AT I O N MEETING
The DeWitt Baseball/Softball Association will be having the Annual Board Meeting February 3 at the DeWitt Middle School Cafeteria starting at 6 pm.
Thursday, January 29, 2015
Best of DeWitt: Good Neighbor
FINANCIAL AID NIGHT AT PCCUA
NORTHEAST WATER A S S O C I AT I O N MEETING
Story and Photos on Page A6
Best of DeWitt Good Neighbor Vivian Meins
By Terrye Seamon In his poem “Mending Wall,” Robert Frost said, “Good fences make good neighbors.” The fact that Vivian Meins does not follow this way of thinking is what makes her the Best of DeWitt Good Neighbor of the Year.
Meins is actively involved in various clubs and community activities such as the Lion’s Club, Chamber of Commerce and the DeWitt City Council, just to name a few. In addition to all of her volunteering, she also owns and operates Easy Living, Inc., a senior and assisted living facility on Main Street. Becky Briggs, a long-time friend, describes Meins as “a very caring and giving woman who is there for a person in need.” According to Briggs, Meins’ plethora of good deeds range from buying prom dresses for girls, funding orthodontist bills for children, taking people to doctor appointments and sitting with families while a loved one has surgery. She added that Meins has even attended funerals where she was the only one in attendance. And in the midst of all of her community involvement and being there for others, Briggs also noted that Meins is the primary caregiver for her ailing husband, Wilber. Mayor Ralph Relyea, who has worked with Meins on the DeWitt City Council for years, said that she visits patients in the hospital, makes rounds at the nursing homes and even calls on families when they have lost a relative. She even goes so far in this technological age of emails and texts to add her personal touch by sending handwritten cards. “She just goes out of her way to make people feel appreciated,” Relyea said. Nikki Norton, a former employee at Easy Living and the person who nominated Meins for Good Neighbor of the Year, said that she has been an inspiration and a mentor to her. She describes her as a “Christian lady with a caring heart” who does not give up on people. “She has taught me so much about life, priorities, and responsibility,” Norton said. Meins will be honored at the DeWitt Chamber of Commerce’s Best of DeWitt Banquet. The banquet will be held January 29 at 6:30 p.m. at the DeWitt High School cafeteria. The guest speaker will be Steve “Wildman” Wilson from the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission. Tickets are $15 and are available at the banks, at PCCUA DeWitt Campus and from any DeWitt Chamber of Commerce member.
Arkansas County Farm Bureau Members Attend National Convention
7TH ANNUAL MARDI GRAS BALL
The 7th Annual Mardi Gras Ball to benefit Phillips Community College Foundation scholarships and general fund is set for Valentine’s Day, Saturday February 14, 7:00-11:30 p.m. on the PCCUA/DeWitt campus. All donations are tax deductible. Please RSVP by January 30, 2015. Arkansas County Farm Bureau members from (left to right): Ronald Bauman, Nita Bauman, Lori Dabbs, Terry Dabbs (Arkansas State Farm Bureau Board Member), Betsy Long, Sydney Long, Heath Long, Mykayla Hale, Trent Dabbs and Kristian Dabbs
Arkansas County Farm Bureau members Nita Bauman, Ronald Bauman, Lori Dabbs, Terry Dabbs (Arkansas State Farm Bureau Board Member), Betsy Long, Sydney Long, Heath Long, Mykayla Hale, Trent Dabbs and Kristian Dabbs were among more than 150 Arkan-
sans who attended the 96th Annual Meeting of the American Farm Bureau Federation in San Diego, California. The event, which took place Jan. 9-14, provided farm and ranch leaders from across the United States an opportunity to network with fellow Farm Bureau leaders, attend the
trade show and learn about current agriculture issues. Arkansas Farm Bureau is a nonprofit, private farm and rural advocacy organization of more than 190,000 families throughout the state working to improve farm and rural life.
ACRES OF HELP, INC. “Making a Difference Everyday”
Third Annual Fundraiser Banquet to Benefit the Needs of South Arkansas County February 7th, 2015 at the DeWitt High School Cafeteria Doors Open at 6:00 p.m. • Dinner Served at 7:00 p.m. $25.00 per person For tickets, contact Brad Chambless at (870) 509-3323 Acres of Help, Inc. is a non-profit corporation formed pursuant to Section 501(C)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Donations to Acres of Hope, Inc. are deemed charitable under Section 501(A) of the Internal Revenue Code.