Irene Louise Waddle of Waldron, Arkansas went to be with her Lord and Savior, Tuesday, February 25, 2025 in Waldron surrounded by her loving family. Irene was born November 7, 1960 in Hart, Texas to Leroy Boman and Betty Jean (Slater) Boman. She was 64 years old.
Irene was a member of The Crossing Church in Waldron. She had become an ordained minister, constantly studied the Bible, loved teaching about Jesus and was excited about all the things she had learned. Irene was always an outdoor woman, even being called a tomboy as a youngster. She enjoyed collecting rocks, tumbling them and sharing their beauty with others but her favorite thing was being surrounded by her grandchildren and loved ones. She was a loving sister, aunt, mentor and friend to everyone she knew.
Irene leaves behind to cherish her memory, two daughters, Erica Westbrook of Hot Springs, Arkansas and Heather Thomas of Waldron, Arkansas as well as her sisters, Debbie (Thurman) Cheesman and Delta and Jay of all Waldron, Arkansas. Nanny will forever remain in the hearts of her grandchildren: Landyn Thomas, Logyn Thomas, Lylee’n Pickens, Leelyn Pickens, Payton Brown and Devon Brown. Irene is also survived by special friends, Jimbo Jones and Suzie. Irene will be missed by all that knew her and the many whose lives she impacted including a host of nieces, nephews, extended family and friends and her church family she loved dearly.
Irene was preceded in death by her parents and one brother, James Boman.
Irene’s life celebration will be Saturday, March 1, 2025 at 2:00 p.m. at the Heritage Memorial Funeral Home Chapel in Waldron, Arkansas with Rev. Grady Parker officiating. Arrangements and cremation are being entrusted to the Heritage Memorial Funeral Home & Crematory in Waldron, Arkansas.
Irene’s visitation will be Friday, February 28, 2025 from 4:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m. at the Heritage Memorial Funeral Home in Waldron, Arkansas.
Elijah and Abigail Sleighton weighed in an impressive three-squirrel bag limit that included a black fox squirrel. Less than one percent of fox squirrels have this melanistic trait. The team took second place at the Fort Smith location, and Abigail even won the grand door prize at Fort Smith, a Umarex air rifle valued at $190. AGFC photo courtesy Kiley VanMatre.
By Randy Zellers YELLVILLE — For the second straight year, the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission’s Umarex Big Squirrel Challenge broke attendance records with 186 teams weighing squirrels at one of 12 weigh-in stations across the state.
The father/son team of Kurtis and Syler Villines won both the fox squirrel and mixed bag categories for youths. Their limits were weighed in at the Fred Berry Crooked Creek Nature Center in Yellville. AGFC photo.
“We had four locations with more than 20 teams participating this year,” Eric Maynard, AGFC assistant chief of education, said. “Fred Berry Crooked Creek Nature Center in Yellville had 37 teams show up for the event.”
Maynard said he’s excited about the continued growth of the event and sees possibilities to expand it even more with the addition of a “gray squirrel only” category in the future.
“We split the categories into youth teams and adult teams weighing either all fox squirrels or mixed bags that must include at least one gray squirrel,” Maynard said. “This year we just didn’t have that many bags of all fox squirrels weighed in. In fact, four of the 12 weigh-in stations didn’t have a three-squirrel limit of fox squirrels turned in.”
One youth team didn’t have any issues finding the fox squirrels. Syler Villines, mentored by his father, Kurtis, brought in the best-ever score in any category, dropping three large fox squirrels on the Crooked Creek Nature Center scales that weighed 2,429 grams. Not only did they win the all-around youth category for fox squirrels, they had enough squirrels left in their daily bag limits to enter three others (this time including one gray squirrel) to take first place in the state in the youth mixed bag category with a score of 1,916 grams of beefy bushytails.
The Fred Berry Crooked Creek Nature Center had the most participants with 37 teams turning in squirrels this year. AGFC photo.
The team of Justin Wright and Jason Weatherford claimed top honors in the adult fox squirrel category, bringing 2,379 grams of squirrel to the Johnelle and J.B. Hunt Family Ozark Highlands Nature Center weigh-in location, and Hunter Moore took the top prize in the adult mixed bag category with two fox squirrels and a gray weighing 1,995 grams at the Janet Huckabee Arkansas River Valley Nature Center scales.
Regional Winners, Division, Total Grams per Bag
Batesville, Independence County Shooting Sports Complex: James Wallace, Adult Fox-only, 2,269; Dalton Lee and Levi Branscum, Adult Mixed Bag, 1,903; David and Chesnee Bates, Youth Fox-only, 2,099; Ruger and Rocky Boyce, Youth Mixed Bag, 1,653.
Columbus, Rick Evans Grandview Prairie Nature Center: Chad Rader and Cameron Tatum, Adult Mixed Bag, 1,471; Braiden and Chase Friend, Youth Mixed Bag, 1,184.
Fort Smith, Janet Huckabee Arkansas River Valley Nature Center: Lyle Smith and Jack Ishii, Adult Fox-only, 2,187; Hunter Moore, Adult Mixed Bag, 1,995; Aiden Newton and Jeff Armer, Youth Fox-only, 2,068; Hunter and Matthew Moore, Youth Mixed Bag, 1,750.
Hazen, Mike Freeze Wattensaw WMA Headquarters: Lovett and Lovett, Adult Fox-only, 2,251; Boyett and Boyett, Adult Mixed Bag, 1,600; Holmes and Holmes, Youth Mixed Bag, 1,270.
Jonesboro, Forest L Wood Crowley’s Ridge Nature Center: Andrew A. Agee and Andrew G. Agee, Adult Fox-only, 1,975; Chase Rye and Ethan King, Adult Mixed Bag, 1,862; Jake Johnson and Eelik York, Youth Fox-only, 2,112; Everett Davis and Walker Denevan, Youth Mixed Bag, 1,868.
Magnolia, SAU Laney Farm: CJ Johnson and Ronnie Hughey, Adult Mixed Bag, 1,237; Tracy Clark and Lisa Cupples, Youth Fox-only, 2,091; Heath Barr and Dayton Boton, Youth Mixed Bag, 1,557.
Mayflower, Camp Robinson Special Use Area Clubhouse: Aidon and Brad Ratliff, Adult Fox-only, 2,296; Kory and River Jones, Adult Mixed Bag, 1,704; Elijah Paulette and Hudson Wright, Youth Fox-only, 1,998; Carter and Bently Tedford, Youth Mixed Bag, 1,637.
Monticello, AGFC Southeast Regional Office: Tim Chapman and Nate Cooper, Adult Mixed Bag, 1,541; Slade and Ryan McRae, Youth Mixed Bag, 1,568.
Russellville, AGFC West Central Regional Office: Kyle Witt, Adult Fox-only, 1,919; Kyle Witt, Adult Mixed Bag, 1,559; Ryker Hipps, Youth Fox-only, 482; Robert McCormick, Youth Mixed Bag, 1,406.
Pine Bluff, Gov. Mike Huckabee Delta Rivers Nature Center: Jaxon Power and Landen Shirey, Adult Mixed Bag, 1,226; Bentley and Cory Thompson, Youth Mixed Bag, 1,254.
Springdale, J.B. and Johnelle Hunt Family Ozark Highlands Nature Center: Justin Wright and Jason Weatherford, Adult Fox-only, 2,379; Blade and Megan Elmore, Adult Mixed Bag, 1,425; Mike and Koen Ransom, Youth Fox-only, 2,306; Colton and Chris Hendrix, Youth Mixed Bag, 1,660.
Yellville, Fred Berry Crooked Creek Nature Center: Clayton and Dale Villines, Adult Fox-only, 2,233; Laine Hilliard and Austin Tate, Adult Mixed Bag, 1,877; Kurtis Villines, Youth Fox-only, 2,429; Kurtis Villines, Youth Mixed Bag, 1,916.
Smoke rolled across the field as cannons thundered. General Herron’s men pressed the smaller Union forces backward through the forested fields near Pea Ridge, Arkansas. One Illinois soldier recalled that the air around him was “literally filled with leaden hail. Balls would whiz by our ears, cut off bushes closely, and even cut our clothes.” Union troops under Colonel Jefferson C. Davis rallied the Union forces, not able to press forward but holding the line of advance. A large black horse thundered across the front of the line, panicked by the noise of the battle raging around him. Several of the men from the 22 Indiana Infantry seized the animal, quieting and calming him. Horses, and especially horses of the quality of this animal, were valuable commodities during the Civil War and this one was probably previously owned by one of the opposing Confederate officers. After the battle, the troops presented the animal as a gift to Davis. Davis, obviously elated by the gift, named the stead Skedaddle. Skedaddle accompanied Davis throughout his career, the chosen warhorse of the career military officer.
Davis was promoted to Brigadier General for his action at Pea Ridge and was transferred east to the Army of the Cumberland. A career officer, Davis had participated in the war with Mexico and served with distinction. Col. Davis was the only man who fought at Pea Ridge who had heard the opening gun fired at Fort Sumter, was in the march to Atlanta, and participated in events surrounding the end of the war.
Soon after being transferred, he and Skedaddle played a significant role in the battle of Corinth where Davis and his troops were instrumental in securing the Mississippi railroad hub. It was immediately afterward that his career took and significant and detrimental downturn.
Davis, already cursed by having the same name as the president of the Confederacy, strongly objected to orders given him by his commander, General William Nelson. Nelson was a large man, standing well over 6-foot-tall and weighing over 300 pounds. He was an imposing figure with the nickname of Bull Nelson. Davis, on the other hand, was significantly smaller and weighted 125-pounds soaking wet. Nevertheless, feeling slighted by his commander, Davis challenged him to a duel. Nelson cursed and swore at Davis, then grabbed and slapped him twice across the face. Davis left the hotel, borrowed a pistol from another officer, and shot Nelson through the heart. Due to military expediency, he was never prosecuted but it was a black mark on his career and he never advanced further than Major General, even though he was a very successful leader.
Davis commanded a division at Sone’s River and Chickamauga, two of the major battles in the Army of the Cumberland. He earned the respect and admiration of Major William Tecumseh Sherman and was instrumental in the battles leading up to the march of Atlanta and on to Savannah, Georgia.
As the war ended, the victorious Union troops were invited to Washington for an official grand review before the army was disbanded. President Andrew Johnson, U.S. Grant, General Sherman and as many as 250,000 men, women and children looked on for twelve hours over a two-day period as the troops passed in review. There in the forefront, was General Jefferson C. Davis astride the magnificent Pea Ridge runaway, Skedaddle.
With the war over, Skedaddle was retired to the Davis farm near Memphis, Indiana. He lived out his days in a pampered life, never again doing manual labor. Skedaddle died in 1887, so admired by his family that they placed him in a marked grave. The citizens of Memphis, Indiana erected a monument celebrating the life and contributions of Skedaddle, the Pea Ridge warhorse.
Mansfield School District Superintendent Joe Staton has announced that the board has approved a plan to place a millage increase before the voters this May. Factors leading to the proposed increase–extensive building repairs, including roof replacement, heating and air units, and extensive foundation repairs.
“The middle school needs a lot of preventative maintenance,” stated Staton. “In the years prior and since I have been here, multiple heating and air units have needed repair or replacement, a completely new roof is needed and there are foundation problems. We are looking at several million dollars in repairs.”
The school board has agreed on a plan to demolish the area at the middle school that’s in greatest disrepair. That would include the portion on the lower end (hillside) of the middle school from the west side of the offices, down. It would leave the portion on the upper level, the office and gym. Staton noted that the school will continue to maintain and upkeep all of those buildings and hopes to relocate the administration to the current office of the middle school. Additionally, the district hopes to implement a pre-k program to be housed in the upper level of the current middle school. “These projects would allow for so many opportunities for our community.”
Middle school students, grade 5-8 would be split between the elementary and high school. Grades 5 and 6 would go to the elementary school and grades 7 and 8 would go to the high school. “We would build an additional wing on both campuses to accommodate these students,” continued Staton.
Mansfield Elementary School additional wing rendering.Mansfield High School additional wing rendering.
In the end, Staton estimates a cost savings to the district for operating just two campuses at $850,000 per year. He also noted that there will be no immediate cut in staff with this proposed plan allowing attrition to provide the appropriate staff numbers over a short time.
“The school system, to be efficient, is set up for 500 or so students per campus. When the new high school was built, there were 1,079 students. Today, our K-12 numbers are below 720, with no indication of growth. Efficiency wise, we can better serve our students and provide them with more opportunities.” Staton would go on to note that the Department of Education provides forecasts for 10-year future enrollment. The Department has forecasted a student population of 700-710 students in years 1-9 and dropping to 690 in year 10.
Although the district has been placing money into a building fund, it will not be enough to cover all the project costs. Additionally, it would not allow for any reserve funds for other routine maintenance projects. Staton noted that there was $580,000 in the building fund when he first started as Superintendent and the district now has $2.7 million in reserve to contribute toward building projects or necessary repairs.
“Of course this is all contingent on the millage passing,” summed Staton. “The proposal by the board for a 5.98 mill increase would bring the total millage to 45.99 mills.” This would be an approximate increase to the average property owner with a home valued at $100k at an estimated $115 increase in personal property tax per year, for many, less increase.
It wasn’t the results they had grown accustomed to over the last several seasons. Considering the circumstances, Mansfield’s senior girls track team reached a significant plateau at Saturday’s ATCA Indoor State Track Meet anyway. Despite team numbers being diluted by understandable absences, a small band of Lady Tiger track athletes put enough pieces together to step atop the third-place podium at the Class 3A indoor track finals on February 22.
Mansfield’s available roster had only nine athletes listed for competition to cover the 14 event schedule inside the Randal Tyson Track Complex on the University of Arkansas campus in Fayetteville. Eleven other potential roster spots were either involved in the 3A-4 District Basketball Tournament semi-final round in Booneville or home with flu-like symptoms.
MHS Lady Tiger 4x400m relay teammates Payton Meyers, Ashlynn Whittaker, Danielle Lowery, and Laney Wood earn All-State medals.
“When you look closely at what these girls accomplished, it’s really quite remarkable,” said retired Mansfield coach, John Mackey, who has temporarily returned to the track program covering for the school’s current head coach Kaylie Andrews while she is out on maternity leave.
“Obviously, you want to win,” the former mentor and acting head coach submitted. “That’s what we’re in it for. When you share kids in a small school, overlapping seasons and situations out of your control happen. We’re excited for what was accomplished on the track this past Saturday, and we’re equally excited for the extended season our basketball teammates enjoyed at the same time. When you’re a true Tiger, you want all teams to be successful.”
Early on, Mansfield was clearly in the hunt for their fourth consecutive indoor state title and the program’s 16th state track championship overall. It was Mansfield along with Providence Academy, an independent Christian preparatory school in Rogers, and DeWitt High School out of Arkansas County that separated themselves as early 3A contenders. Throughout the mid-morning and late afternoon the three schools stayed closely connected in the overall points race.
Mansfield rode a quick wave of 22 points from three of the first four contested events. Lady Tiger junior Daisey Nelson was busy bouncing between the three separate venues having to endure numerous heats, FAT clock issues, and reruns. The All-State award winner for her third straight indoor season, posted two second place finishes and a third respectively in the 60 meter dash, long jump, and 60 meter hurdles.
It was off the long jump board that the class 2A 100 meter dash state champion from last year’s outdoor season shined the brightest. The MHS superstar posted three consecutive long jump personal records into the white, soft sands of the horizontal pit. In order, Mansfield’s leading scorer for the day sailed 16 feet 2 inches, 16 feet 6 inches, and 16 feet 6 inches.
“I feel like moving back to a 14 step approach has helped,” announced the silver medalist after her big bounds of the long jump board bettered her previous best by 12 inches. “It feels as if I have time to gain more speed and explode off the board.”
Asked what else may have impacted her new found capacity to fly, Nelson admitted her participation in a weights class coupled with the support of family, teammates, and coaches was undeniable.
“Yes, lifting weights has definitely helped me a lot,” confessed the junior jumper, sprinter, and hurdler. “I can’t wait for what the rest of this season will bring.
“It’s amazing being All-State for three consecutive years! I’d like to thank my family and teammates for cheering me on…also my coaches for preparing and pushing me to my limits.”
Danielle Lowery added to Nelson’s early production with an eight point runner-up, All-State finish in the women’s shot put. The versatile Lady Tiger sophomore added another nine points with combined scoring places in the high jump, 400m dash, and 4×400 meter relay. It was the night’s concluding relay that Lowery earned her second All-State certificate.
Freshman Payton Meyers, sophomore Ashlynn Whittaker, and senior Laney Wood joined Lowery with the second place relay score. All four girls, because of this top two finish in a state event, earned All-State honors. That put five of the nine Mansfield players on the indoor All-State team.
Despite Mansfield’s best efforts, it was their depth issues that kept them short of the top two spots in the final team rankings. Unable to offer more than one entry into five different events with a two person limit, the thinly stretched Tiger nine eventually dropped pace with the proven winners from Providence Academy and the larger DeWitt school district.
Providence Academy, one of five private school entities that would land among the final top-ten scoring schools, would go on to win the meet with 142 total points. Their strength was built on the backs of a well rehearsed distance core that won the state’s class 3A cross country championship back in November. In fact, the independent institution swept every race 800 meters or above on Saturday night. Along with that, they also took all second place points in those same events in all races but one. They also ran the fastest times in the only two relay events.
By contrast, DeWitt did most of their damage via the sprint events. Other than Nelson edging in with her second place 60 meter dash, it was DeWitt that monopolized the short speed events. By virtue of that success, combined with a full slate of entries to capture those highly valuable second tier points, DeWitt took the state runner-up trophy home with 93 total points.
Mansfield, with 76 total points, was only 17 points away from bringing home at least one of the two coveted trophies presented by the Arkansas Track Coaches Association. It was a mathematical difference to which Mackey, a retired Algebra teacher, was well aware.
“You could drive yourself crazy thinking about the what ifs,” offered the Mansfield interim head coach. “Yeah, it’s safe to say a box full of points didn’t make the bus. What gives you satisfaction though, and clarity is knowing that we had kids that prepared and competed at a high standard despite any perceived setbacks.”
The only Mansfield senior athlete to make the trip was Laney Wood. The one time high point winner scored in four different events at the ATCA competition. Her best outcome besides being the anchor leg to the second place 4×400 meter relay team came at the pole vault. Her 8 feet clearance garnered the team another eight points off a second All-State performance. Although the senior’s leap equaled the winning height, a scratch on her her first attempt came back to break the tie with an equally adept Providence Academy vaulter.
First time indoor participants Eva Trinh and Summer Lyon scored the first state points for the Lady Tiger program. Trinh, a sophomore, was the second leg on the fourth place 4×800 meter relay team with Whittaker, Wood, and Bailey London. Lyon, also a sophomore, made her two lap trip around the smaller indoor track worthwhile. She clocked in with the seventh best time in her classification at the 400 meter distance.
Bailey London, Mansfield’s Freshman Rising Star in 2024, was the team’s best distance runner scoring in three long distance races. Besides anchoring the 4×800 meter cooperative, the tenth grader picked up five points through the 1600 meter and 3200 meter runs.
Payton Meyers, the only Lady Tiger freshman to move up for the indoor competition, proved a valuable track commodity. The tiny-mite with explosive power won her heat of the women’s 200 meter dash. Her 30.56 second sprint around the entirety of the inside track placed her eighth overall just slightly behind DeWitt’s top two sprinters, a Lincoln Wolf, and Mansfield’s Nelson among others.
Mylee Strozier, one of only two Mansfield juniors to compete, ran in the first indoor meet of her young career after joining track last year with a partial outdoor season. Strozier missed a scoring place by tenths of a second in the 60 meter dash.
Mansfield was elevated back into the 3A track classification for the 2024-2026 AAA cycle after spending the last four years in class 2A.
