Donna Gwen Stanfill of Mena, Arkansas (formerly of Waldron, Arkansas) passed from this life, Monday, March 31, 2025 in Mena. Donna was born January 31, 1944 in Hon, Arkansas to Holland L. Piles and Virgie Inez (Frost) Piles. She was 81 years old.
Donna grew up in and around the Parks area. She loved riding horses even into adulthood. She sold Home Interior for over 23 years. She spent many hours traveling and helping ladies with all things decor. She had a passion for what she did. When Donna became Nana she wanted to be closer to her grandchildren and relocated to Mena. Having Donna close by and doting on her grands and then great grands made for sweet memories dear to everyone. Donna also loved her dogs who served as her companions and friends.
Donna leaves behind to cherish her memory, one daughter, Tanya Fretz and husband Mark of Mena, Arkansas. Nana will forever remain in the hearts of her grandchildren: Talyssa Simmons and husband Dalton of Lincoln, Arkansas and Chandler Fretz of Lincoln, Arkansas as well as great grandchildren: Amzie and Elva Simmons. Donna is also survived by one brother Keith Piles and wife Rhonda of Parks, Arkansas. Donna will be missed by those whose lives she impacted including a host of extended family, cousins, friends and neighbors she loved dearly.
Donna was preceded in death by her husband Glenn Stanfill, one son Russell Lynn Rogers and brother Leamon Piles.
Donna’s celebration of life will be 10:00 a.m. Thursday, April 3, 2025 at the Heritage Memorial Funeral Home Chapel in Waldron, Arkansas with Rev. Pat Ray Biggs officiating.
Interment will be in Hawkins Cemetery in Parks, Arkansas.
Donna’s visitation will be Wednesday, April 2, 2025 from 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. at the Heritage Memorial Funeral Home Chapel in Waldron, Arkansas.
The Greenwood Clock Tower 250: NASCAR’s Bold Move to Small-Town America. In an unprecedented expansion move, NASCAR announced that the Cup Series will make its way to Greenwood, Arkansas, for the first time in history. The newly minted Greenwood Clock Tower 250, presented by Gatorade and Ditch Witch, is set to take place at a state-of-the-art temporary circuit, making history as the first NASCAR event in the region.
A Race in the Heart of Arkansas.
Greenwood, a small town known for its historic clock tower and rich Southern charm, the only liquor store outside of Fort Smith, has never been on the radar of motorsports’ biggest leagues—until now. The announcement of the Greenwood Clock Tower 250 sent shockwaves through the NASCAR community, with fans and drivers alike eager to see how this unique track will challenge competitors. The race will take place on a temporary street course through the heart of Greenwood, incorporating both high-speed straights and technical turns that wind around the town’s picturesque downtown area. Spectators will be treated to an up-close experience as NASCAR’s biggest stars roar past local landmarks. The track will use the new bypass for a portion of the track. Pitlane will be along Coker St in front of Arvest Bank and El Palenque.
Why Greenwood?
NASCAR officials cited the town’s passionate racing community, its growing economy, and its ideal location in the South as key reasons for choosing Greenwood as the latest addition to the schedule. The town has a deep-rooted love for motorsports, with local short-track racing drawing significant crowds over the years. “The opportunity to bring NASCAR to Greenwood is something we never imagined,” said Greenwood Mayor Doug Kinslow. “This town lives and breathes racing, and to have the best drivers in the world competing here is beyond anything we could have dreamed.” But, thanks to Greenwood’s only liquor store in the Wal-Mart parking, the owner Witaro (Arkansas Man of Mystery) sold enough booze to make his dream a reality. “Surprisingly, the number of people were supportive of the business, especially after they put the billboard above my van.”
An Unforgettable Weekend
The Greenwood Clock Tower 250 will be more than just a race—it will be a festival of speed and Southern hospitality. Fans can expect a weekend full of activities, including fan meet-and-greets, live music, and a showcase of classic and modern racing machines. Presented by Gatorade and Ditch Witch, the event is expected to bring a major economic boost to Greenwood, with businesses preparing for an influx of visitors from across the country. Hotels are already reporting increased bookings, and local restaurants are gearing up for a race weekend unlike any other.
What’s at Stake?
As part of the NASCAR Cup Series regular season, the Greenwood Clock Tower 250 will play a crucial role in shaping the playoff picture. The tight corners and fast-paced layout of the street circuit promise thrilling action, with potential for dramatic finishes and unexpected winners. Former Cup Series champion Chase Elliott expressed his excitement about the event: “Street courses bring a whole new dynamic to our sport. Greenwood’s track is going to be fast, technical, and completely different from anything we’ve raced on before. I can’t wait to see what kind of show we put on for the fans.”
A New NASCAR Tradition?
With Greenwood’s debut on the NASCAR calendar, fans and analysts alike are wondering if this could be the start of a new era—one where small-town America plays a bigger role in shaping the future of the sport. If successful, the Greenwood Clock Tower 250 could become a staple of the NASCAR schedule for years to come, proving that great racing isn’t limited to the country’s biggest cities. As the engines get ready to fire up, one thing is certain—Greenwood, Arkansas, is about to make NASCAR history.
Nonprofit Arkansas Single Parent Scholarship Fund (ASPSF) held its first Day of Giving on National Single Parent Day on March 21.
In total, 163 supporters raised $34,090 to support single parent students. Additionally, 11 cities declared March 21 as ASPSF Day of Giving: Cabot, Conway, Fort Smith, Harrison, Helena, Hot Springs, Jasper, Jonesboro, Maumelle, North Little Rock, and Sheridan.
Destiny Hall is a spring 2025 ASPSF recipient studying nursing at Arkansas State University-Newport.
“We are overwhelmed with gratitude for the incredible generosity shown during the inaugural ASPSF Day of Giving,” ASPSF CEO Jenn Morehead said. “Thanks to our supporters, we not only met but surpassed our $25,000 goal. This success is a testament to the power of our community coming together to create brighter futures for families.”
Sponsored by Arvest, ASPSF Day of Giving was a 24-hour statewide event that gathered supporters across Arkansas to lift up single parents who seek to improve their lives and the lives of their families through higher education. Community members could participate by donating online, taking the Single Parent Juggling Challenge, becoming an ASPSF Ambassador, or stopping by The Filling Station in North Little Rock to celebrate single parents with music and food.
Whitney Henderson attended the March 21 ASPSF Spring 2025 Scholarship Ceremony in Conway. She is studying nursing at the University of Arkansas Community College at Morrilton.
“Oftentimes, being a single mother is looked at as a flaw or a handicap — a situation that someone put themselves in,” said Destiny Hall, a spring ASPSF scholarship recipient. “While being a single parent is not always ideal, it creates resilience and strength.”
RECORD-BREAKING SPRING SCHOLARSHIPS Another way ASPSF celebrated National Single Parent Day — first declared by President Ronald Reagan in 1984 — was by distributing scholarships to single parents. On March 21, about two dozen spring recipients from Faulkner and nearby counties received their scholarships at a celebration in Conway.
About two dozen single parents and their families attended a Spring 2025 scholarship ceremony at McGee Center in Conway on March 21. In total, 550 single parents received a scholarship this semester from ASPSF.
Like nearly all the 10+ ASPSF scholarship ceremonies held across the state, the Conway event included a professional development workshop. Morehead led a presentation about resume writing and interviewing. A key part of the ASPSF program is to pair financial aid with wraparound services like workshops and mentoring so recipients are ready to enter the professional workforce once they graduate.
In total, ASPSF awarded 550 scholarships totaling $786,000 to low-income single parent students in March for the spring semester. This is the highest number of scholarship awards and scholarship dollars ASPSF has awarded in a single semester since at least 2023.
ASPSF Day of Giving included live music by Missy Harris at The Filling Station in North Little Rock.
This increase is all thanks to generous donors, including those who contributed to the ASPSF Day of Giving. Every dollar raised from the March 21 fundraiser will help hardworking single parent families break the cycle of poverty through education.
“Thank you for seeing the potential in myself and the others trying to better themselves and their children,” said Hall, a full-time student at Arkansas State University-Newport. “Thank you for helping my dream of becoming a registered nurse and being a woman my son can be proud of come true.”
North Little Rock was one of 11 cities to declare March 21 as ASPSF Day of Giving. From left: ASPSF spring recipient Kadeshia Cooper and son, ASPSF Volunteer from UA-Pulaski Tech Mary Kate Snow, Mayor Terry C. Hartwick, ASPSF’s Arlene Green, ASPSF’s Jen Lawrence, and ASPSF spring recipient Will Piggee.
For more information, contact ASPSF Chief Communications Officer Jen Lawrence at [email protected] or 501-550-6304.
In addition to Arvest’s platinum event sponsorship, Arvest of Jonesboro also donated $500 for ASPSF Day of Giving. From left: Deania Vanhoozer of Arvest, Shaila Creekmore of ASPSF, and Teresa Roche of Arvest.
About Arkansas Single Parent Scholarship Fund: For more than 30 years, Arkansas Single Parent Scholarship Fund has worked to create stronger, more educated, and more self-sufficient families. Through scholarships and services, ASPSF opens doors for low-income single parents, helping them pursue education, secure employment, and transform the future for their families. With the help of volunteers and community support, ASPSF creates multigenerational change, transforming lives for both single parents and their children. For information about scholarships, volunteer opportunities, and ways to give, visit www.aspsf.org.
Harrison was one of 11 cities to declare March 21 as ASPSF Day of Giving. Pictured: ASPSF volunteers in the back with ASPSF’s Kim Paul-Williams and Mayor Jerry Jackson.
The COVID crisis in 2020 and 2021 was one that turned the sports world upside down. Games and entire seasons were canceled leaving the high school and college graduates of 2020 and 2021 feeling short changed. What could’ve been their shining moment that college and of professional scouts could key in on was swiftly taken away. This was very noticeable in college sports and the outcry of “not fair” rang so loud that the college powers that be gave student athletes an extra year of eligibility to make up for the loss of playing time. But what about the high schoolers who were merely one touchdown, home run, or three pointer away from becoming a division one athlete and raking in some serious NIL money in college? What didn’t they get their extra chance? Well, that chance is coming sooner than many would think. An entity known as The Arkansas Sports Corps Of Knowledge recently passed an amendment that would allow athletes who graduated in the years of 2020 and 2021 and extra year of eligibility starting April 1st, 2025.
The announcement not only came as a shock to the former student athletes themselves, but also to the coaches that will definitely gain extra mature players. Hartford football head coach, Barney Fife, is extremely excited to get some of his student athletes back into the mix. “To have some of our younger players gaining extra knowledge from those who have played before is an absolute blessing,” said Fife. “Sure, there will be some of smaller, less athletic players lose playing time and possibly even get hurt as they go up against twenty two and twenty three year old grown men, but that’s a risk we’re willing to take. I love this new ruling implemented by the ASCK”. Even Y City’s basketball coach, Beatrice Taylor, voiced her praise on the new amendment. Taylor was quoted as saying “this is evidence that fairness is still alive and present in high school sports. Our returning girls have already let their bosses know that they will only be working part time this upcoming season to allow them to re-pursue their dreams”.
With the excitement of this ruling going through the roof for some, other have some reservations on the matter. Area parent and little league coach, Floyd Lawson, is dead set against this new ruling and claims that if this is allowed to continue, they’ll be no stopping other amendments that lean along the same lines. “What’s next”, said Lawson, “are they going to start paying high school players NIL money just to be on the team? It’s all hog wash if you ask me”. While Lawson’s concerns are legitimate, his rant in the interview were overheard by a couple of ASCK board members who swiftly have brought up a Pay For Play System idea to the table which will now likely brought up and passed next April 1st when the ASCK committee resumes.
For the time being though, graduates of 2020 and 2021 can start stretching and practicing their post-game celebrations because they’ll be coming off the benches today. They say if you can dodge a wrench, you can dodge a ball, and these adult athletes dodged a big ball bringing them one step closer going back to their old school stomping grounds.
