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Arkansas 4-H to celebrate National 4-H Week

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6:59 pm

Arkansas 4-H to celebrate National 4-H Week

By Rebekah Hall
U of A System Division of Agriculture

Since its inception more than 120 years ago, the 4-H youth development organization has prepared participants to be engaged, healthy and productive citizens. From Oct. 7-12 Arkansas 4-H members, leaders and volunteers will celebrate the program during National 4-H Week.

Arkansas 4-H is the largest youth organization in the state, with 7,800 members and more than 600 4-H clubs. Nationally, the program has more than 6 million members. The 2024 theme of National 4-H Week is “Beyond Ready,” which focuses on how the organization is “building a ready generation in a world of change.”

Debbie Nistler, extension assistant vice president for 4-H and youth for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, said Arkansas 4-H is excited to celebrate with programs nationwide.

“4-H has been growing strong, amazing young people for more than 123 years,” Nistler said. “We are excited to continue the tradition in every county across Arkansas. National 4-H Week is a great time to highlight 4-H and the way our program impacts our members.”

To celebrate during the week, Arkansas 4-H’s Facebook and Instagram pages will highlight different program elements, including 4-H mentors, stories of 4-H alumni who’ve used their 4-H skills to achieve workplace success, and local 4-H leaders in their communities.

Breanna Wade, extension program associate for 4-H and youth development for the Division of Agriculture, said she encourages 4-H agents, members and supporters to tag Arkansas 4-H in their social media posts using #BeyondReady and #AR4H.

“By sharing their stories during National 4-H Week, our Arkansas 4-H’ers can contribute to the conversation about how this program has helped them dream bigger and achieve more,” Nistler said.

To learn more about Arkansas 4-H, its programs and scholarship opportunities, visit the organization’s website at 4h.uada.edu or follow along on social media.

4-H is a youth development program operated by the Cooperative Extension Service, part of the Division of Agriculture. The program teaches participants life skills through the “learn by doing” model. Program participants gain knowledge through non-formal, science-based, experiential education activities.

To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on X and Instagram at @AR_Extension. To learn more about Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uada.edu. Follow on X at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on X at @AgInArk.

About the Division of Agriculture

The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture’s mission is to strengthen agriculture, communities, and families by connecting trusted research to the adoption of best practices. Through the Agricultural Experiment Station and the Cooperative Extension Service, the Division of Agriculture conducts research and extension work within the nation’s historic land grant education system.

The Division of Agriculture is one of 20 entities within the University of Arkansas System. It has offices in all 75 counties in Arkansas and faculty on five system campuses.

The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture offers all its Extension and Research programs to all eligible persons without regard to race, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, age, disability, marital or veteran status, genetic information, or any other legally protected status, and is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.

Arrest Reports 9/22

Police Reports

Tammy Teague

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6:22 pm

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Arresting agency – Sebastian County Sheriff’s Department: Trevor Ray Bates of Waldron was booked into the Sebastian County Detention Center on September 23 at 2:57 p.m. and released on legally sufficient bond September 23 at 5:05 p.m. Bates was charged with Battery in the Second Degree – Serious Injury.

Kimberly Joyce Boyd of Greenwood was booked into the Sebastian County Detention Center on September 28 at 3:56 a.m. and released on signature bond September 30 at 8:37 a.m. Boyd was charged with Failure to Appear – Class B Misdemeanor, and petition to revoke – misd.

David Loyd Butler, Jr. of Waldron was booked into the Sebastian County Detention Center on September 25 at 11:34 a.m. and released on September 26 at 11:24 a.m. Butler was charged with Contempt-willful disobedience (Failure to Pay Fine), and Petition to Revoke – Felony.

Joshua Blake Johnson of Greenwood was booked into the Sebastian County Detention Center on September 27 at 11:26 p.m. and released on legally sufficient bond September 28 at 10:17 a.m. Johnson was charged with Possession of Controlled Substance – Schedule VI Misdemeanor <4oz, and DWI I – Drugs Misdemeanor.

Coleman Gabriel Manning of Boles was booked into the Sebastian County Detention Center on September 23 at 11:51 a.m. and released on bond September 27 at 4:28 p.m. Manning was charged with Battery in the Second Degree – Serious Injury, Failure to Appear – Class B Misdemeanor, and Contempt-willful disobedience (Failure to Pay Fine).

Anthony Neal Marrone of Greenwood was booked into the Sebastian County Detention Center on September 23 at 1:01 p.m. and released on legally sufficient bond September 23 at 4:21 p.m. Marrone was charged with Possession Drug Paraphernalia – Felony.

Ronald Joe Oliver of Greenwood was booked into the Sebastian County Detention Center on September 26 at 10:03 p.m. and released on legally sufficient bond September 27 at 10:15 a.m. Oliver was charged with Battery in the Third Degree – Purpose.

Matthew Eugene Tegtmeyer of Waldron was booked into the Sebastian County Detention Center on September 23 at 9:32 p.m. and released on legally sufficient bond September 23 at 10:31 p.m. Tegtmeyer was charged with Battery in the Second Degree – Serious Injury.

Arresting agency – Lavaca Police Department:
Eric Wayne Bolin of Lavaca was booked into the Sebastian County Detention Center on September 25 at 8:26 p.m. and released on cash bond September 25 at 10:12 p.m. Bolin was charged with Petition to Revoke – Felony.

Heath Jefferson Chapman of Lavaca was booked into the Sebastian County Detention Center on September 26 at 8:41 a.m. and released on cash bond September 26 at 10:23 a.m. Chapman was charged with Contempt of Court–(child support), FTAS, FTRespond Subpoena, FTComply WCO.

Arresting agency – Arkansas State Police Troop H:
Paul Raymond Burton, Jr. of Subiaco was booked into the Sebastian County Detention Center on September 25 at 9:42 p.m. and released to an outside agency September 26 at 1:56 a.m. Burton was charged with Driving While Intoxicated 1st Offense, Driving While License Cancelled/Suspended/Revoked, and Assist Outside Agency-Misd.

Jackie Diane Fuller of Greenwood was booked into the Sebastian County Detention Center on September 27 at 11:28 p.m. and released on signature bond September 28 at 2:58 a.m. Fuller was charged with Driving on Suspended or Revoked DL – DWI, and Contempt-willful disobedience (Failure to Pay Fine).

Arresting agency – Greenwood Police Department:
Brayden Michael Drewry of Fort Smith was booked into the Sebastian County Detention Center on September 28 at 5:20 p.m. and released on legally sufficient bond September 28 at 9:01 p.m. Drewry was charged with Possession of Controlled Substance – Schedule VI Misdemeanor <4oz, and Possession Drug Paraphernalia – Felony.

Rodney Earl Francis of Spiro, OK was booked into the Sebastian County Detention Center on September 23 at 7:55 p.m. and scheduled for released on September 29 at 2 p.m. Francis was charged with two counts of Failure to Appear – Class B Misdemeanor, two counts of Contempt-willful disobedience (Failure to Pay Fine), and Nonsupport – Legitimate $10k to $25k.

Jeanette E Hernandez of Van Buren was booked into the Sebastian County Detention Center on September 28 at 10:47 p.m. and released on legally sufficient bond September 29 at 8:41 a.m. Hernandez was charged with Poss Misbranded Drugs.

Arresting agency – Fort Smith Police Department:
Bryson Lewis Jones of Lavaca was booked into the Sebastian County Detention Center on September 28 at 12:50 a.m. and released on signature bond September 28 at 7:51 a.m. Jones was charged with Public Intoxication – Danger to self or others.

John Clayton Jones of Lavaca was booked into the Sebastian County Detention Center on September 24 at 12:42 a.m. and released on legally sufficient bond September 30 at 2:12 p.m. Jones was charged with Reckless Driving 1st Offense, and Fleeing Vehicle D Felony Speeding D Felony.

Diego Magdaleno Vasquez of Paris was booked into the Sebastian County Detention Center on September 22 at 9:02 p.m. and released on signature bond September 23 at 3:32 a.m. Vasquez was charged with Obstructing Governmental Operations-ID, and Public Intoxication – Danger to self or others.

Arresting agency – Hackett Police Department:
Bobby Allen Ritter of Fort Smith was booked into the Sebastian County Detention Center on September 28 at 9:53 a.m. and remains at the SCADC with bond. Ritter was charged with two counts of Failure to Appear – Class B Misdemeanor.

Arresting agency – Hartford Police Department:
Summer Marie Weeks of Fort Smith was booked into the Sebastian County Detention Center on September 26 at 5:04 p.m. and released on bond September 26 at 11:04 p.m. Weeks was charged with Theft of Leased, Rented, or Entrusted Personal Property <$1k-Purposely, and Contempt of Court–(child support), FTAS, FTRespond Subpoena, FTComply WCO.

Arresting agency – Logan County Sheriff’s Department:
Donald Reynolds, 49 of New Blaine, was booked into the Logan County Detention Center on September 28 at 4:24 p.m. Reynolds was charged with warrant served.

Zechariah Reynolds, 41 of Ratcliff, was booked into the Logan County Detention Center on September 28 at 12:12 a.m. Reynolds was charged with violation of a no contact order, and criminal mischief in the first degree.

Johnathan Michael Jackson, 50 of Houston, TX, was booked into the Logan County Detention Center on September 25 at 12:54 a.m. Jackson was charged with public intoxication – drinking in public.

Stacey Buffington, 55 of Ozark, was booked into the Logan County Detention Center on September 24 at 8:52 p.m. Buffington was charged with domestic battering in the 3rd degree, and parole hold.

Aaron Klein, 43, was booked into the Logan County Detention Center on September 23 at 9:33 a.m. Klein was charged with public intoxication – drinking in public.

Arresting agency – Franklin County Sheriff’s Department:
Joshua Adam Edgmon, 33 of Ozark, was booked into the Franklin County Detention Center on September 28 at 1:54 p.m. Edgmon was charged with criminal mischief – 2nd degree / recklessly destroy, disorderly conduct, domestic battering -3rd degree / purpose of causing injury, causes serious injury.

Omar K. Dunn, 52 of Charleston, was booked into the Franklin County Detention Center on September 26 at 2:50 p.m. Dunn was sentenced to days.

Valerie Bynum, 29 of Fort Smith, was booked into the Franklin County Detention Center on September 26 at 11:15 a.m. Bynum was charged with ACT 309 inmate.

Cathleen Michelle Henry, 30 of Fort Smith, was booked into the Franklin County Detention Center on September 26 at 11:06 a.m. Henry was charged with failure to appear on unclassified misdemeanor (FTA).

Jayme T. Edwards, 37 of Clarksville, was booked into the Franklin County Detention Center on September 26 at 9:43 a.m. Edwards was charged with failure to appear on unclassified misdemeanor (FTA).

Joseph Kristopher Cardoza, 30 of Clarksville, was booked into the Franklin County Detention Center on September 26 at 9:42 a.m. Cardoza was charged with failure to appear on unclassified misdemeanor (FTA).

Shirley Kayla-Nicole Kessler, 37 of Ozark, was booked into the Franklin County Detention Center on September 25 at 2:06 p.m. Kessler was charged with failure to appear on class B misdemeanor charge (FTA), and contempt – failure to comply.

Jesse Samuel Finney, 35 of Paris, was booked into the Franklin County Detention Center on September 25 at 10:13 a.m. Finney was charged with contempt – failure to comply, and failure to appear on unclassified misdemeanor (FTA).

Trevor Jim Alcantar, 26 of Charleston, was booked into the Franklin County Detention Center on September 24 at 6:37 p.m. Alcantar was charged with two counts of failure to appear on unclassified misdemeanor (FTA).

**The charges against those arrested are allegations and the cases are still pending in the courts.**

“Just Roll with It” Serving up Recipes and Humor

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Tammy Teague

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7:03 am

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“Just Roll with It” Serving up Recipes and Humor

By Sheri Hopkins, Lifestyle Contributor

Hello everyone! Such a beautiful time of year. I love it! Y’all know when the weather cools off, I want to cook and bake all the time.

This week I am going to talk about preachers. Let me tell ya when you have gone to church your whole life, you have plenty of stories to tell. Some are almost unbelievable, but trust me, they are true.

This preacher was never a pastor of mine, but he was preaching on Sunday and y’all know the Bible says that the wife should be a helpmate to her husband. He is preaching away and bragging on his wife and instead of saying how she is such a good helpmate to him, he says, “my wife is the best playmate.” He just keeps on saying what a great playmate she is, and you know the congregation is about to bust a gut. Them, he goes on to say that she likes to play tricks on him. The congregation is all laughing, and he has no clue why they are laughing at him. There was an elderly lady there that couldn’t hear well, and she loudly asks, “what did he say?” And the lady beside her yells so she can hear her, “he said the Lord gave him a playmate.” I’m sure that service was over after that.

Our preacher has said some crazy things also, he has also done some crazy things. I could go on forever about it. One Sunday he is in the pulpit, and something looks off about him, well low and behold he has his shirt buttoned up wrong and one side of the collar is up around his ear.

One Sunday, he was preaching and raised his arm, and he still had the tag on his shirt. He had to pull it off. You know we all saw it. So many laughs and good stories come out of church. I will have more later.

This week’s recipe is for no bake cookies, but it has a twist. You put coconut in it and I would also add a few chopped almonds.

NO BAKE COCONUT COOKIES
1 ¾ cup sugar
½ cup butter or margarine
½ cup milk
¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups quick oats
1 cup coconut
optional chopped almonds
In a a large saucepan, heat the butter, sugar, milk and cocoa. Bring to a full rolling boil and boil for one minute. Remove from the heat and add the vanilla, oats, coconut and almonds (optional) and mix well. Drop by the spoonful onto parchment paper. Let it stand for one hour. Hope you enjoy these. Have a wonderful week and always count your blessings.

SR Tigers Send A Twister Through Hackett’s Hive In 36-6 Win

Sports

Adam Hecox

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12:05 am

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SR Tigers Send A Twister Through Hackett’s Hive In 36-6 Win

There are forced rivalries in the sports world that just don’t live up to what the teams and fans want to see. It just doesn’t seem natural. Like the perfect storm, some things are just meant to be. One rivalry that has never had to be fabricated or made up is the Mansfield versus Hackett football game. For decades each program has brought their A Game to this matchup in hopes for a high Playoff seeding and Sebastian County bragging rights. The last time this game was played in Mansfield, a tornado ripped through town leaving a mucky mess on the field and a low-scoring 16-6 final in the Tigers favor. This time though, the only twister that could be seen was the Tigers ripping up the field and blowing up the scoreboard en route to a dominant 36-6 victory over Hackett.

The Tigers started the game by kicking the ball off to the Hornets allowing Hackett’s air raid offense to head onto the field. Hackett landed a quick first down after two plays but with big tackles by Cooper Edwards and Daniel Burton Hackett was soon forced to punt. Luckily for the Hornets, Mansfield returner muffed the catch which gave Hackett’s offense the ball right back. The turnover wasn’t that big of a deal for the Tigers though Mansfield’s defense quickly set Hackett up on fourth down and six yards to go. Hacket went for the fourth down conversion, but linebacker Zander Walters sacked the quarterback forcing a fumble which Dakota Deer recovered. Mansfield’s offense got their gears turning with a pair of first-down runs followed by a Daniel Burton 48-yard Tiger touchdown. The Tigers went for a two-point conversion but bobbled the snap setting and lost the extra two points to leave the score at a 6-0 lead in Mansfield’s favor. With the momentum needle leaning in the Tigers favor, Trey Powell jumped a Hackett pass on third down for an interception at the 45-yard line to send that needle into the red. The turnover gave Mansfield’s offense the ball back and Samuel Burton made the Hornets pay with a 28-yard run for a touchdown. The Tigers tacked on a two-point conversion attempt to give Mansfield a 14-0 lead with 4:08 left in the first quarter. Hackett’s offense got their wings under them again gaining their second first down of the quarter, but the Tigers defense again shut Hackett down forcing the Hornets to punt. Mansfield’s offense closed out the quarter on the back of Andrew Burton as Burton ran for 13 yards, 3 yards, 24 yards, and 8 yards before the first quarter closed with a 14-0 Mansfield lead.

Mansfield started the second quarter on offense which allowed the ball to go into the hands of Daniel Burton. Burton snatched the ball and took off for a big 40-yard gain on the Hornets defense. Unfortunately, a holding penalty called the big run back setting the Tigers up behind the sticks. An offsides penalty by Hackett followed and a seven-yard gain by Andrew Burton closed the gap but still left the Tigers facing a fourth-down decision. The Tigers went for it and Daniel Burton again busted loose for a big gain, but yet again a penalty brought the big gain back. Facing fourth and a mile, the Tigers elected to punt the ball away to Hackett. Hackett’s quarterback made the most of the opportunity with a big run down the sidelines to cross midfield for the for time in the game. The Hornets continued with a pair of nice runs up the gut before pulling a double pass out of the bag for a 26-yard gain. With Hackett inside the 15-yard line, Mansfield caught some more laundry giving Hackett the ball down at the 6-yard line and a first down. That was as close as the Hornets would get though as defensive linemen Ethan Martin and Logan Ore sacked the quarterback forcing a turnover on downs. With the offense Tigers back on the field, Andrew Burton busted loose a 45-yard run on the first play of the drive to give Mansfield some breathing room. With just 5:34 to go in the half, Manfield introduced their passing game to Hackett with a Jeremy Strozier pass to Samuel Burton for a 29-yard Tiger touchdown. Mansfield tacked on the two-point conversion to light up the scoreboard with a 22-0 lead over Hackett. The Hornets coughed up the ball on the first play of the following drive and Cooper Edwards was right there to scoop the ball up for the Tigers. Mansfield looked to put the game away before the half as Daniel Burton screamed 40 yards for another Tiger touchdown. The two point conversion attempt was no good, but the blowout fuse was lit as Mansfield would again score with 1:04 left in the half. Going into the half, Mansfield held a commanding 36-0 lead.

There is no score in a rivalry game that is safe except the final score. Although Mansfield had a hefty lead, the Tigers knew they had to keep the pedal to the metal as they came out to start the third quarter. Normally a coach would sub out all of his starters at this point, but with Mansfield’s tiny roster of 20 players, there were some players who had no choice but continuing to play. The Tigers took over on offense to start the third quarter with Cooper Edwards under center and Dalton Knowles at running back. Hackett’s defense was able to sniff out the newbies and force a fourth down punt. The Hornets offense faced off against a new Mansfield defense and found the weak points to punch the ball into the endzone in just eight plays. Hackett went for the extra point kick, but the kick was blocked by Matthew Burton setting the score at 36-6 in Mansfield’s favor. The score remained the same to the end of the third quarter as each program refused to give up ground. Running backs Pacen Strozier and Chandler Wisman made a few salty runs for Mnasfield’s offense in the final quarter while Mansfield’s backup defense showed their poise against the Hornets by only allowing a single score in the second half. Chandler Wisman closed the storm cellar door on a Hackett comeback with a smooth interception thus allowing the Tigers to take a knee and run the clock out as Mansfield rolled their way to a 36-6 final for the rivalry win.

The town of Mansfield is split between Sebastian County and Scott County which gives the Tigers a double-decker in the rivalry game department. For the third consecutive year, the Mansfield Tigers have won both country crowns with victories over Waldron and Hackett. Winning a rivalry game is great but winning a conference game is even better. The Tigers now sit with a 2-2 overall record and a 1-0 conference record. While that’s not a bad way to start off, the road only gets bumpier from here with a rough and tumble 3A-1 conference schedule ahead of the Tigers. Next up for Mansfield will be the Charleston Tigers and everyone in the state of Arkansas knows what a stiff challenge that can be. The multi-time State Champion Tigers defeated Mansfield last year in a 14-7 thriller. The game will again be played at Charleston due to a schedule shuffle in the 3A-1 during the offseason. Both teams are 2-2 overall, 1-0 in conference play, and both are eager to prove themselves to the 3A competition across the state after some tough non-conference losses.

Timepiece: Japanese Interment Camps

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Tammy Teague

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12:39 pm

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By Dr. Curtis Varnell

Little remains of the two Arkansas internment camps that housed Japanese during World War II. Located in the flat rural delta areas of the state, few individuals even realize that the camps ever existed. A dark blight on our history, thousands of Japanese living on the west coast were rounded up by the U.S. government and placed in internment camps in ten isolated areas scattered across the country. The “internment” centers, little more than prisons in Arkansas, had barbed wire fences and armed guards with totally controlled entrance and exits.

The story began years before the onslaught of the war. Thousands of Chinese had immigrated to the U.S during the California gold rush. Competing with white Americans for mining claims and later for prime farming locations, created racial animosity and prejudice. By 1870, Chinese comprised about ten percent of the population of California. The U.S. government passed a series of Chinese exclusion acts to prevent immigration from China. With Japan opening for trade, Japanese immigrants began to fill the labor niche. Soon, the discrimination and prejudice shifted to the Japanese and California passed a series of laws excluding the Japanese from immigrating, buying agricultural land, or even leasing property or sharecropping. Some of these feelings and resentments created the animosity that eventually resulted in WWII.

After Pearl Harbor and America entering the war against Japan, many people living on the west coast feared an imminent attack from Japan and felt that the local Japanese population would provide needed assistance to their mother country. It should be noted that over two-thirds of this feared population were full American citizens and had live in the states for over two generations. It should be noted also that individuals of German or Italian ancestry were never rounded up for internment camps.

Over eighty percent of all Japanese Americans lived in Washington, Oregon, and California. Fueled by fear and war hysteria, the population of these states demanded action and President Roosevelt responded by executive order 9066 which empowered the secretary of war to designate exclusion areas where Japanese could not visit. A later act set up camps within the isolated interior of the U.S. which would house the Japanese-Americans until the end of the war. The Japanese-Americans were given days to get their property in order and report to relocation sites.

Two of the ten sites were in Arkansas, both in isolated regions of the delta. The government had thousands of acres of land that had been confiscated during the depression because owners could not pay taxes. Both Arkansas sites were in the marshy, wet, and humid areas of Desha and Chicot counties and were located adjacent to rail systems that could easily deliver the Japanese-Americans to their new homes. Each camp was composed of about 10,000 acres. The government, at an expense of about ten-million dollars, build complexes of tarpapered, A-framed buildings in large numbered blocks. Each building was 20 by 120 ft. long and divided into four to six family units. Laid out in typical military precision, each block consisted of fourteen residential buildings and would service about 250 people. Each block had a laundry, recreation hall, and communal latrine. The camps were surrounded by wire, had guard towers, and rules were enforced by the military police.

A black mark on the history of Arkansas, Governor Homer Adkins did everything possible to take away the basic human rights of these people, a fourth of whom were children. He refused to allow the students to attend college, fearing it would eventually result in integration. He, along with the legislature, passed the Alien Land Act to prohibit any Japanese citizen form owning land in the state. He also refused to allow any of the Japanese to leave camp or to get outside work, even though their labor was needed during the war years. Other camps in other states allowed much more freedom and encouraged the Japanese-Americans to work.

Of the 16,000 or so Japanese located in the state, few chose to remain at the conclusion of the war. Some of those from the camps went on to fame; probably the best known in Arkansas being George Takei (Star Trek’s Mr. Sulu). It should be noted also that many young Japanese men volunteered and fought for the U.S. during the war. After the war was over, many returned to California to find their homes confiscated from failure to pay taxes, others found their property destroyed and, and most still found animosity from neighbors because of their national origin. Though little remains of either the Rohwer or Jerome camp, one can visit the sites. Arkansas State University has provided interpretive sites and a walking tour.

State Capitol Week in Review from Senator Terry Rice

News

Tammy Teague

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12:37 pm

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State Capitol Week in Review from Senator Terry Rice

When the legislature convenes in regular session in January, lawmakers will consider changing how district courts are funded.

The outcome will be important throughout the judicial system. It will influence how judges’ salaries are paid. It will impact the budgets of city, county and state governments. The legislature’s decisions will significantly affect people who are ordered to pay fines and restitution.

The blueprint for change was finalized last week by the Senate and House Committees on the Judiciary, which have been working on potential reforms of court finances since last year’s legislative session. Act 38 of 2023 required the committees to study the issue and report its findings by October 1.

One proposal is to eliminate an existing agreement that has the state and local governments all share in paying judicial salaries.

Another proposal would repeal the current $10 a month fee charged to people who pay off fines and court costs in installments. The Judiciary Committees heard testimony that some people owe more because of accumulated $10-a-month fees than they owe for their original traffic fine.

County governments have a vested interest in this issue. According to the Association of Arkansas Counties, the 75 counties in Arkansas spend at least $46 million a year on the operations of local judicial systems. The amount is likely higher, because the $46 million figure was compiled 10 years ago.

Now, cities and counties contribute $58,650 toward the salary of each local district judge. That is half of the base cost of judges’ salaries. State government pays the other half.

Beginning January 1, there will be 70 full-time district judges in Arkansas. If the state pays their entire salaries, the state will incur an additional $4.1 million a year in costs, and local governments will save that amount.

The current system of collecting court costs and fees, although better than it was in the past, is a confusing patchwork. Fees and court costs go into a state Administration of Justice Fund, which last year provided $39.3 million in funding for 21 separate programs.

Some of those programs are connected to the court system, such as the Arkansas Judicial Retirement Fund. Others are not directly connected to operations of the judicial system, such as programs for traffic safety and drug abuse prevention. As Act 38 says: “Many of the court costs, fees, and fines assessed by the court system have little or nothing to do with the operations of an individual court or the court system…”

Eliminating disparities has been a legislative priority since 1995, when the General Assembly passed Act 1256 to provide for uniform filing fees and court costs. Act 1256 was prompted by the fact that the system of fees and fines created inequity in the level of judicial services available to Arkansas citizens.

Furthermore, according to Act 1256, the judicial funding system had become so complex as to make administration impossible. This mattered to law enforcement agencies because unreliable reporting of criminal statistics made it impossible to compile accurate data on crime rates.

It mattered to ordinary people who wanted to file a civil suit, or were defendants in a lawsuit. In some counties it might take six months to get a court date, but in a different county it might take more than a year.

RNN Sports Stone Cold Lock Of The Week: Week 4

Ross Fujibayashi

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1:19 am

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RNN Sports Stone Cold Lock Of The Week: Week 4

It is finally Conference time, will the expected Conference leaders step up? Or was the Non-Conference schedule a mask for what the team really is going to be. There were only two games in our area last week where Hackett took care of Mountainburg and Charleston shut out Heavener, OK. Greenwood was on a bye week and we went to watch Pocola, OK vs Vian, OK. It was a scoring fest, 101 total points scored, sixty-seven coming from Vian.

Work obligations kept me from lining up this weeks guest, but it may allow Adam and I time to catch up on the correct and incorrect pick totals. The guests are 21-6, I (Ross) am at 17-10, and Adam is at 14-13. Last year we could not pick a game wrong. My how the mighty have fallen this year.

STONE COLD LOCK OF THE WEEK

Greenwood vs Shiloh Christian

There is not a game this week in the Northwest Arkansas – River Valley area with larger stakes. The 2023 Class 6A State Champions vs the 2023 Class 5A State Runner-Up. This is far from a David vs Goliath story, this is two prized Heavyweight fighters about to duel under the Friday night lights in Springdale. While just the first week of conference, this could be for the Conference Championship and the all important #1 seed in the Playoffs. Loads of college bound talent on either side of the ball. Does Shiloh Christian’s defense have a way to stop a Greenwood offense that is averaging 61 points per game. Can the Saints offense keep the Greenwood defense on their toes. Neat little fact about Greenwood’s Football Program 7th-Varsity, they sit at 18-1 on the 2024 season, outscoring opponents an average of 38-11.

The Rest

Hackett vs Mansfield

Mansfield’s non-conference run has them sitting at 1-2. Do not let that record fool you, the two losses were close. Undefeated Bismarck got the better of the Tigers with a four-point win and Lamar squeaked past Mansfield 13-12. Mansfield got a bye-week at a very convenient time, great time to regroup and make a push for the 3A-1 Conference title. Hackett is coming off a 47-0 win against Mountainburg after 55-18 loss to Gentry the week before. This is the start of a daunting run through Conference for the Hornets. Mansfield, Booneville, Charleston, and Greenland (more on why Greenland is included in their game preview). The top three in 3A-1 might be any of those four, with the fourth seed up for grabs.

Ozark vs Waldron

Ozark, just like the others, is coming off a bye-week after taking a one-point win against Charleston. The 2-1 Hillbillies travel into Scott County to face the 1-2 Bulldogs. After a overtime win against Paris, the Bulldogs took two losses to Mansfield and Muldrow respectively.

Bigelow vs Magazine

The Rattlers have scored a total of 20 points this season and sit 1-1. Twenty points. Compared to the teams mentioned above, it is efficient. This week, the Bigelow Panthers come to the Rattlers nest. The schedules and season records on MaxPreps and ScoreBook Live show 0-2 but also a Week 0 win over England. First time I have seen something like that. Magazine will have to dig in to keep the scoring low.

Charleston vs West Fork

If you were to look at the records of both these teams, it would be easy to write this game off. Although, you cannot hold the Charleston Tigers to their non-conference record. I did last year and they embarrassed me in my picks. In ’23 the Tigers started at 0-3, then ran through conference until they played eventual State Champion Booneville. West Fork on the other hand, they may be in for a long night at home. The 0-3 Tigers will have to deal with a very hungry Charleston team that rises when Conference play begins.

Cedarville vs Booneville

Booneville Super Fan Glen Rice is going to be voiceless after the Bearcats roll to another victory. Booneville has not had to rebuild after last year’s Championship, they just have not stopped winning. It is beginning to look like it is going to come down to the Bearcats and the Curley Wolves of Prescott again in Little Rock in December.

Lavaca vs Greenland

The Greenland Pirates have been keeping a low profile in the 3A-1, but the play of Sophomore QB Slade Norwood is making even legendary Arkansas High School sportswriter Leland Barclay take notice. Passing for 629 yards and ten touchdowns in the past two games has been the head turner. Could the Pirates play spoiler in the top-heavy conference? Lavaca will have to find a way to not become part of the growing stat lines for Greenland.

Danville vs Paris

Paris has had an up and down year on the field this year. An overtime loss to Waldron, then a large win over Lavaca, then 35-9 loss to Booneville, has the Eagles poised to start the conference run Friday night. Danville comes to town with an identical 1-2 record and are also looking to start their conference campaign on the right foot. The Little Johns may surprise Paris in this one.

	Ross’ Picks	Adam’s Picks
Greenwood vs Shiloh Christian	Greenwood	Greenwood
Hackett vs Mansfield	Mansfield	Mansfield
Ozark vs Waldron	Ozark	Ozark
Bigelow vs Magazine	Bigelow	Bigelow
Charleston vs West Fork	Charleston	Charleston
Cedarville vs Booneville	Booneville	Booneville
Lavaca vs Greenland	Greenland	Greenland
Danville vs Paris	Danville	Paris

Hunters check 1,231 deer during inaugural early buck hunt

Outdoors

Tammy Teague

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5:12 pm

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Hunters check 1,231 deer during inaugural early buck hunt

By Randy Zellers

Arkansas bowhunters harvested 1,231 deer during the state’s first statewide early buck hunt earlier this month. The jump-start to deer season was added during the biannual regulations-setting process this spring to offer hunters the opportunity to pursue a buck still “in velvet.”

Ralph Meeker, deer program coordinator for the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, said the hunt’s harvest was within the range expected by biologists when the hunt was announced.

“When we look at historical harvest for the first three days of archery season, hunters typically check between 2,000 and 4,000 deer, depending on the weather,” Meeker said. “But a lot of those deer are does, so when you look at only the buck component of that harvest, it’s around 800 to 1,500 antlered deer.”

Arkansas’s regular archery season has traditionally begun on the fourth Saturday in September.

Meeker says the results of Arkansas’s first statewide early deer hunt also fall fairly close to those found in Tennessee and Mississippi, two neighboring states with similar hunts.

“We had great weather during the hunt, and a lot of hunters were able to enjoy a cooler morning in the stand than anticipated,” Meeker said.

While many hunters enjoyed harvesting an early deer, the timing of this year’s hunt did fall slightly outside the peak time for the deers’ antlers to be shrouded in velvet.

“After talking to meat processors and hunters I know, I’d estimate that only about 10 to 15 percent of the bucks were still in velvet and I’d lean closer to that 10 percent side,” Meeker said. “The hunt is set for the first full weekend in September, and this year it happened to land on the latest possible calendar date for that criteria. As the calendar rotates, we’ll begin to see earlier hunts in future years. We see several bucks “in velvet” harvested in the first few days of the urban hunts, which typically open Sept. 1.”

The hunt also shouldn’t take much of the excitement out of the opening weekend of regular archery deer season, as many hunters still have tags and freezers to fill.

“I think a lot of hunters had to choose between early bucks and doves this year, so they’ll still be out there for the statewide archery opener,” Meeker said. “There are still a good number of people who archery hunt to just harvest a deer. The early hunt mainly attracts those die-hard bowhunters, so I think we’ll still see a lot of people in the woods for archery season. It also was a great opportunity for hunters who wanted to get out in the woods a little when they made their first trip to deer camp to clean up, plant food plots and get ready for the rest of the season. It was nice to give those folks a choice.”

Regular archery season in Arkansas is Sept. 28-Feb. 28. Visit www.agfc.com/deer for more information.

People of the Mountain: Mount Salem Church Holds Annual Homecoming

Featured

Tammy Teague

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5:07 pm

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People of the Mountain: Mount Salem Church Holds Annual Homecoming

By Dr. Curtis Varnell

The Mount Salem Church and school held its annual homecoming on September 20. The church and school are on the register of historic sites for the state and represents the history and character of the earliest settlers of the mountains of Arkansas. The site is now isolated and sparsely settled, nearly completely surrounded by national forest today but, during the mid-1800’s, it was a thriving community of farmers who subsisted off the rocky soils by raising cotton, corn, and various fruits.

Many of the settlers arrived in the 1850’s, leaving worn-out farmlands in South Carolina, Georgia, and Tennessee to purchase cheap land in Arkansas. Some of the settlers were given land as a bonus for fighting in the Mexican War or the War of 1812. Some of the early families associated with the area are the White’s, Cameron’s, Swillings, and Varnell’s. A church was built on the site as early as 1870 and the adjacent cemetery was added a year or so later.

The present church and school were built in 1910, replacing a structure that had burned. It served as a community meeting site, a church, and a school. After the great depression, people began to move from the mountain and the population declined rapidly. Much of the land was returned to the government and became a part of the national forest.

The few residents that remain in the area and the decedents scattered all over the U.S. hold an annual reunion to bring together the many individuals that have ties to the community or relatives buried in the cemetery. A celebration of the times gone by, families meet for dinner on the ground, singing, swapping of tales, and a memorial service. For a few hours, the silence of the mountain was interrupted by the joyful sounds of music presented by Kristi Culver Pfiffer, Judge Ray Jack and wife Marlene, Leona Cleveland, and Sonya Varnell. Marly and Chris Turner, recent winners of the talent show at the Johnson County Peach festival, closed out the session.

Curtis Varnell discussed the early history of the mountain with the theme, Tough Times but Tougher People. Organizer Kenneth Ezell stated it was one of the largest of the homecomings with a building full of people remembering the life, people, and history of the people of the mountain.

The Mount Salem Church and School is a historic building at 553 Mt. Salem Rd. #101 in rural Logan County, Arkansas, about 15 miles (24 km) southwest of Paris. It is a single-story wood-frame structure, with a gabled roof and clapboarded exterior. Along with the adjacent cemetery, it is the only major surviving element of the Mount Salem community, which flourished in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. This building was constructed by the community in 1909–10, and was the third building on the site. All of them served as both a church and local school.[2] The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2018.[1]

Obituary: Hershel Lee Lovett (1950-2024)

Obituaries

Tammy Teague

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4:45 pm

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Obituary: Hershel Lee Lovett (1950-2024)

Hershel Lee Lovett of Waldron, Arkansas passed away on Tuesday, September 24, 2024 surrounded by his loving family. Hershel was born on May 21, 1950 to Gaylord and Jewelene (Slater) Lovette in Waldron, Arkansas. Hershel was 74 years, 4 months and 3 days old.

Hershel was married to the love of his life, Teri for 17 marvelous years. Together they enjoyed spending time with their family, making memories and loving on their grand children, great grandchildren and great-great grandchildren. Being someone who cherished the great outdoors, Hershel dedicated much of his life to the logging industry. He was an avid hunter and fisherman, he found peace in the simplicity of nature, embodying the true essence of a woodsman.

Throughout his years, Hershel’s enthusiasm for deer hunting season grew, and he eagerly anticipated the family gatherings at their beloved deer camp, especially during Thanksgiving. His love for outdoor activities extended beyond hunting and fishing; he was often found tinkering outside, building, and working on cars. Hershel’s love for the natural world extended to his fascination with various bird species that frequented his surroundings.

Hershel leaves behind to cherish his memory his wife, Teri Lovett and children: Jason Lovett and Kim of Waldron, Arkansas; Stormy Lynn Wheeler of Waldron, Arkansas; and Gatlin Tyler Lovett and Abbi of Fort Smith, Arkansas. Hershel’s love for his family knew no bounds. Papa will forever remain in the hearts of numerous grandchildren, great grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren. Hershel is also survived by his six siblings: Jimmy and Connie Lovett; Gayla and Rick Hudson; Barbara and Jerry Isham; Bill and Linda Lovett; Brenda and Tim Coffey; and Bobby and Vicky Lovett all from Waldron, Arkansas. Hershel will be missed by all that knew him including many nieces, nephews, great nieces, great nephews and a host of extended family and friends.

Hershel was preceded in death by his parents, Gaylord Bowman Lovett and Jewelene Lovett and two daughters: Michelle Lovett and Kimberly Taylor.

Hershel’s Celebration of Life Memorial will be held at the Heritage Memorial Funeral Home Chapel on Saturday, September 28, 2024, at 10:00 a.m. with Bro. Jerry Isham officiating. Cremation arrangements are being entrusted by the Heritage Memorial Funeral Home in Waldron, Arkansas.

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