Resident News Network

Obituary – Donna Sue Pollard (1939 – 2023)

Obituaries

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12:06 am

Obituary – Donna Sue Pollard (1939 – 2023)

Donna Sue Pollard, 84, went to meet her Lord and Savior on December 29, 2023. Donna was born on August 7, 1939 to Jordan Baxter Hunt and Imogene Spainhour Hunt of Gravelly, Arkansas.

Donna was a Christian. She was also a loving wife, mother, grandmother, sister, and aunt. She was kind, supportive, thoughtful, and selfless. She loved her family more than anything. She had the biggest heart of anyone you would meet. She never met a stranger and could make anyone feel special with her kind words. She enjoyed reading God’s Word, working crosswords, and watching soap operas. Most of all she enjoyed spending time with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. They were the light of her life.

Donna leaves behind to cherish her memory four grandchildren; Brittani Wiggins of Plainview, Arkansas; Andrea Ingle of Waldron, Arkansas; Jarrod Gwin of Bluffton, Arkansas; and Tiffany Slater and husband Ethan Slater of Waldron, Arkansas. Donna is also survived by one sister, Jetty Pollard, of Waldron, Arkansas; sister-in-law, Linda Hunt, of Briggsville, Arkansas; and a host of nieces and nephews. Granny Donna will forever remain in the hearts of her great grandchildren; Abigail, Carson, Anthony, Marshall, Kayden, Noah, Dawson, Reed, Wyatt, and Kingston.

Donna was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, L.T. Pollard; daughter, Dencil Denise Gwin; son-in-law, Rodney C Gwin; brother, Alva Jordan Hunt; and niece Darla White.

The family would like to give a personal thank you and recognition to The Green House Cottages of Homewood in Mena, Arkansas for taking such good care of Donna in her final days.

Her life celebration will be held on Saturday, January 6, 2023 at 3:00pm at Parks Cemetery in Nola, Arkansas. Friends and family are invited to share memories and celebrate the life of Donna. Cremation arrangements are being entrusted to the Heritage Memorial Funeral Home in Waldron, Arkansas.

Women’s Basketball gears up for showdowns with LSC’s top two teams

Tammy Teague

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10:27 pm

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Women’s Basketball gears up for showdowns with LSC’s top two teams

FORT SMITH, Ark. – University of Arkansas – Fort Smith Women’s Basketball will look to build off the momentum it garnered at the end of 2023 when the Lions open 2024 against a ranked opponent.

The Lions won two of their last three before the break and will visit No. 5 Texas Woman’s Thursday at 2 p.m. before travelling to UT Tyler for a 1 p.m. tipoff Saturday.

Both games will be available to watch on the Lone Star Conference Digital Network with live stats available at uafortsmithlions.com.

NOTES:

LAST TIME OUT: UAFS defeated Oklahoma Christian, 65-63, on December 19 in its final game prior to the holiday break.

STREAKING: Guard Baylee Fincher has now scored in double figures in seven straight games and is averaging 10.5 points per game on the season.

OFF THE MARK: UAFS leads the LSC in opponent three-point percentage, as opponents are connecting on just 24.6 percent of their three-point attempts.

40.0: The Lions have eclipsed the 40.0 percent shooting mark in each of their last three games after reaching that mark just once in the first eight games.

RECORD WATCH: After becoming the D2 era all-time leading scorer, guard Hannah Boyett sets her sights for 1,000 with 840 career points. Guard Riley Hayes is fifth all-time with 101 career made threes.

SCOUTING TWU: The No. 5 Pioneers have lost two in a row, including to Saturday’s opponent, UT Tyler, and are 10-3, 4-1 LSC on the season. Forward Ashley Ingram leads TWU with 17.9 points and 8.2 rebounds per game, while also dishing out a team-high 40 assists for a team that leads the LSC in assist/turnover ratio.

SCOUTING UTT: The Patriots have won nine games in a row to enter the weekend 11-3, 5-0 LSC. UTT leads the league in scoring defense (51.1 points per game) and scoring margin (20.2 points per game). Additionally, the Patriots are first in field goal percentage (45.1 percent) opponent field goal percentage (33.7 percent). Guard Tina Machalova is the lone Patriot averaging double figures with 13.4 points per game.

THE SERIES: UAFS is 1-7 versus Texas Woman’s and 2-3 versus UT Tyler.

Arrest Reports 11/24

Police Reports

Tammy Teague

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9:29 pm

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Arresting agency – Hackett Police Department:
Myrandi Elisa Ann Benefield of Hackett was booked into the Sebastian County Detention Center on December 28 at 5:45 p.m. and remains at the SCADC without bond. Benefield was charged with possession of fentanyl class C felony, Possession Drug Paraphernalia – Felony, Contempt of Court–(child support), FTAS, FTRespond Subpoena, FTComply WCO, and Contempt-willful disobedience (Failure to Pay Fine).

Amber Rose Castro of Huntington was booked into the Sebastian County Detention Center on December 29 at 5:39 p.m. and released on legally sufficient bond December 30 at 3:25 p.m. Castro was charged with Petition to Revoke – Felony.

Arresting agency – Sebastian County Sheriff’s Office:
Dustin D Canada of Magazine was booked into the Sebastian County Detention Center on December 27 at 3:42 p.m. and released to an outside agency on December 28 at 8:25 a.m. Canada was charged with Assist Outside Agency-Misd.

Megean Nichole Canada of Greenwood was booked into the Sebastian County Detention Center on December 30 at 11:25 p.m. and released on legally sufficient bond December 30 at 11:25 p.m. Canada was charged with Theft of Property <$1k, and Theft by Receiving.

Jada Clayton of Hackett was booked into the Sebastian County Detention Center on December 27 at 8:17 p.m. and released on cash bond December 27 at 8:45 p.m. Clayton was charged with petition to revoke – felony.

Lisa Marie Emerson of Magazine was booked into the Sebastian County Detention Center on December 30 at 2:05 a.m. and transferred to an outside agency on December 30 at 12:24 p.m. Emerson was charged with Assist Outside Agency-Misd., and Contempt-willful disobedience (Failure to Pay Fine).

Jonathan Howard Hattabaugh of Mansfield was booked into the Sebastian County Detention Center on December 29 at 6:19 a.m. and released on legally sufficient bond December 29 at 2:01 p.m. Hattabaugh was charged with Terroristic Threatening in the First Degree.

Fredrick Keith Zimmerman of Mansfield was booked into the Sebastian County Detention Center on December 28 at 1:21 a.m. and released on legally sufficient bond December 28 at 2:37 a.m. Zimmerman was charged with Criminal Mischief in the First Degree > $1,000 but < $5,000.

Arresting agency – Greenwood Police Department:
Don Kiddy of Westville, OK was booked into the Sebastian County Detention Center on December 30 at 10:07 a.m. and remains at the SCADC without bond. Kiddy was charged with Fugitive from Justice Out of State.

Evan Joseph Mcclure of Greenwood was booked into the Sebastian County Detention Center on December 26 at 11:01 p.m. and released on legally sufficient bond December 27 at 1:47 p.m. Mcclure was charged with Domestic Battering Third Degree – Purposely A Misd.

James M McClure of Greenwood was booked into the Sebastian County Detention Center on December 26 at 10:56 p.m. and released on legally sufficient bond December 26 at 11:36 p.m. McClure was charged with Domestic Battering Third Degree – Purposely A Misd.

Tim Phouthavong of Danville was booked into the Sebastian County Detention Center on December 24 at 4:12 a.m. and released on legally sufficient bond December 24 at 11:36 a.m. Phouthavong was charged with Driving While Intoxicated 1st Offense.

Ronald Ray Scantling Second of Waldron was booked into the Sebastian County Detention Center on December 27 at 11:10 a.m. and released on bond December 28 at 8:27 p.m. Scantling was charged with Contempt-willful disobedience (Failure to Pay Fine), and Contempt of Court–(child support), FTAS, FTRespond Subpoena, FTComply WCO.

Arresting agency – Arkansas State Police Troop H:
Timothy Leroy Martin Second of Huntington was booked into the Sebastian County Detention Center on December 26 at 8:16 p.m. and released on signature bond December 26 at 9:14 p.m. Martin was charged with Failure to Appear – Class B Misdemeanor.

John Alvin Rowe of Bonanza was booked into the Sebastian County Detention Center on December 27 at 11:31 p.m. and released on legally sufficient bond December 29 at 3:39 p.m. Rowe was charged with Possession of Controlled Substance – Schedule I/II Felony <2g.

Bruce Olen Wheeler Third of Greenwood was booked into the Sebastian County Detention Center on December 26 at 5:05 p.m. and remains at the SCADC with bond. Wheeler was charged with Driving on Suspended or Revoked DL – DWI, and Possession Drug Paraphernalia – Felony.

Arresting agency – Fort Smith Police Department:
Eric James Newberry of Greenwood was booked into the Sebastian County Detention Center on December 24 at 10:02 a.m. and released on December 28 at 10:23 p.m. Newberry was charged with Criminal Trespass – Occupiable Structure.

Dustin Michael Norris of Huntington was booked into the Sebastian County Detention Center on December 30 at 1:19 a.m. and released on bond December 30 at 9:50 p.m. Norris was charged with Fleeing -On Foot-Misd., Speeding over Posted Speed Limit, Careless Driving – Inattentive Operation, and Driving While Intoxicated 2nd offense.

Arresting agency – Huntington Police Department:
Kevin Howard Reeves of Cameron, OK was booked into the Sebastian County Detention Center on December 29 at 6:14 p.m. and released on signature bond December 29 at 10:51 p.m. Reeves was charged with Contempt-willful disobedience (Failure to Pay Fine).

Arresting agency – Franklin County Sheriff’s Office:
Mary Etta Plonski, 25 of Ozark, was booked into the Franklin County Detention Center on December 30 at 4:26 p.m. Plonski was charged with failure to comply with conditions of suspended sentence or probation.

Melissa Denise Issac, 35 of Clarksville, was booked into the Franklin County Detention Center on December 29 at 4:41 p.m. Issac was charged with failure to comply with conditions of suspended sentence or probation.

Victoria Lauren Dority, 31 of Dardanelle, was booked into the Franklin County Detention Center on December 29 at 9:52 a.m. Dority was charged with failure to comply with condition of pre-trial release.

Jesse Marshall, 36 of Greenwood, was booked into the Franklin County Detention Center on December 28 at 12:47 p.m. Marshall was charged with was charged with failure to comply with conditions of suspended sentence or probation.

Brandon Lee Wise, 45 of Lamar, was booked into the Franklin County Detention Center on December 27 at 6:59 p.m. Wise was charged with possession of meth or cocaine GT 10GM but LT 200GM, possession with intent to manufacture – unlawful distribution, driving left of center, no proof of liability insurance, and driving while license suspended.

Arresting agency – Logan County Sheriff’s Office:
Zachary Mason, 26 of Booneville, was booked into the Logan County Detention Center on December 25 at 3:21 a.m. Mason was charged with three counts of failure to appear, two counts of violation of probation/suspended imposition of sentence, and failure to appear.

Debbie Sutton, 44 of Elizabethtown, KY, was booked into the Logan County Detention Center on December 25 at 5:20 p.m. Sutton was charged with two counts of theft of property, and breaking or entering.

Kathrin Ketron, 32 of Delaware, was booked into the Logan County Detention Center on December 25 at 5:41 p.m. Ketron was charged with theft of property.

Jason Corley, 45 of Ozark, was booked into the Logan County Detention Center on December 26 at 1:54 p.m. Corley was charged with body attachment, and contempt of court.

Robert Eugene Brown, 47 of Blue Mountain, was booked into the Logan County Detention Center on December 27 at 12:33 p.m.

Dustin Canada, 37 of Booneville, was booked into the Logan County Detention Center on December 28 at 9:39 a.m. Canada was charged with two counts of body attachment.

Keondiera Williams, 24, was booked into the Logan County Detention Center on December 28 at 1:10 p.m. Williams was charged with criminal possession of forgery device.

Andrew Brewer, 33 of Subiaco, was booked into the Logan County Detention Center on December 30 at 5:43 p.m. Brewer was charged with aggravated assault on family/household member.

David King, 34 of Winfield, KS, was booked into the Logan County Detention Center on December 31 at 4:04 a.m. King was charged with failure to appear on felony.

Christina Ercoli, 34 of Booneville, was booked into the Logan County Detention Center on December 31 at 5:40 p.m. Ercoli was charged with hold for other agency.

Regina Mans, 57 of Paris, was booked into the Logan County Detention Center on December 31 at 8:54 p.m. Mans was charged with contempt of court for failure to pay fines FTP.

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

Former Danville Head Football Coach Returns to Lead the Little Johns

Sports

Jim Best

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4:03 am

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Former Danville Head Football Coach Returns to Lead the Little Johns

DANVILLE- As we celebrate the new year in 2024, Danville Little Johns fans will be celebrating the new year with the return of their beloved football coach, D.J. Crane.

Crane, who left Danville in 2020 where he had been successful as the Little John’s head football coach, will return in 2024 after having served as an assistant coach on the Bentonville High School football staff.

RNN Sports brought you the story in 2020 of Crane’s departure from Danville when it was announced he would be taking a position in Bentonville. You can click on the link below to see the story that announced his departure for Bentonville.

Son of Legendary Paris Coach Leaving Danville to Take Position on Bentonville Staff | Resident News Network

RNN Sports had the opportunity to visit with Coach Crane in a telephone interview recently, and the new Little Johns coach shared his story about why he is returning to Danville for a second stint as head football coach.

We began our conversation by talking about what brought Coach Crane back to Danville. Coach began by saying, “Well, just, you know, the River Valley. We have a lot of family that is very important to us, a lot of friends, so, it is a good move for me and my family. We are really happy up here (Bentonville). I work with the best coaches, the best administration, and it is so nice up here. The parents and the people are wonderful. I have made a lot of lifelong friends here. It was just a good time to be up here. But now, I have been pulled in that direction (Danville), so it is nothing big. It has just been kind of a gut feeling that has been leading me in this direction.”

Coach Crane is soley focused on what is best for the student-athletes that are under his direction. And that goes for not just what they represent as athletes, but what type of young men they eventually grow up to be later in life. Coach explained, “In the end, making an impact on kids is more important to me than anything else. It’s not what’s going on, or who is doing what, it’s what kind of impact are you as a coach going to make on these kids in the long run. And we are going to do that. It doesn’t matter where you are at, that is your goal as a coach. To make an impact on kids; it is the long-term impact, not focusing on the wins or winning at all costs. What can you do ensure that kids are going to have their best lives? And be a pillar in the community by doing the right things. That is the most important part of coaching and means the most to me. What have I done as a coach to help them become good husbands, a good dad, a good community member…have I done that? That’s the main issue. Nothing else really matters.”

Danville’s football program has suffered in recent season for much of the same reasons that other 3A programs have to face each season. Participation numbers, the flux of talent that affects 3A-sized programs from year to year, all present challenges for 3A schools that play high school football. Danville is certainly not alone with these issues, but as Coach Crane returns to a school where he has had previous success coaching the Little Johns, his first task may be to recruit students from the hallways of Danville High School to reconsider playing football. When I asked Coach Crane about this, he explained, “I have talked to our coaches (at Danville), and our administration is wonderful at Danville, and they have bought in and are ready to do what it takes to be successful. And our coaches are too; we have a great coaching staff, and I am very excited to work with them, and they are ready. Basically, what we have to do is to go into the hallways and talk to every boy that is in our school and just find out what gets them excited about playing football. Why would you want to play football? And just try to get to know them and see who will come out and join the program. Because basically we want to get kids into the program so we can reach them on a higher level to make them a better person. So that is why you want to get them in (the football program.) So, all around, you have to go, ‘OK, everybody has to take ownership of their actions. Coaches, players, administration, community, and parents…what do we have to do to get these kids back into our program so we can reach them?’ So, we will start in the hallways.”

Coach Crane knows that his players have to love playing the game and they have to know that their coach genuinely cares about them. Coach said, “I am the fortunate one here. I get to take over a program that has a rich tradition and history and I want the kids to be a part of it. I will try to reach our kids that way. If they know that I care about them, they will want to be a part of the program.”

As Coach Crane begins to take over the Danville football program, the existing coaching staff will work with him next season. Coach Crane said, “there are good coaches in Danville. There are a couple of young coaches that I believe are going to be really good coaches, and I can’t wait to work with all of them.”

The new head coach has met with his coaching staff a couple of times and has begun explaining how he wants to do things with the program. They are excited and ready to work with Crane and everyone appears to be on board and ready to go to work.

The Danville school board has met previously and has approved the hiring of Coach Crane. Details are being finalized with respect to the starting date of his contract with Danville. Working out details on both ends involving the hire of his replacement on the Bentonville staff and a start date for his contract in Danville are still a work in progress. The new Danville coach hopes to be on contract soon but will work some off-contract to make sure the Little Johns’ program does not fall behind in its preparation for the 2024 season. Coach Crane explained further by saying, “You win in the weight room, and the weight room has to be a big focus. When we were really good at Danville previously, we were very, very physical and strong and mentally were pretty tough. And that started in the weight room. So, this is what I am excited about now; getting in there and starting our Little John Iron Club going and getting the kids excited about it.”

The period of January through March is an important period for high school football players as they focus on the weight room before the start of spring football practice. Coach Crane will be eager to get on board with Danville in time to get the weight program into full swing in January. Coach said, “As soon as they start (January weight program) I am going to start with them.”

Moving ahead with an eye to the upcoming season, Danville will play in the 3A-4 conference that has a new school addition of the Perryville Mustangs, along with much of last cycle’s 3A-4 teams. It is a very tough conference, and I asked the new coach about his feelings of how he thought his team could compete in the 3A-4 next season. Coach replied by saying that for now, the focus will be on his team and what they do, first. “We are going to apply our program’s core beliefs and start with establishing a firm foundation. That starts with the weight room. It will continue with spring practice, implementing what we do offensively, defensively, and in special teams. Implementing what we do in the community, as far as going out and meeting community members, and doing the things in the community that we need to do, it all starts with that first. That all kind of leads up to summer, and I think we need to focus on getting the summer program back to what it used to be. We want to make sure that our summer attendance (player participation) is very high. We want them there and committed to doing what we need to do. Nothing else matters at this point. The schedule of who we are playing…none of that matters. Right now, it is installing our culture in how we do things and how we approach things. It is about how we go to work, and that has got to start right now. All of this leading into training camp in August is what matters, and then the focus changes to the season. If they are willing to do what it takes, then we can have success once the season starts.”

If this reporter were a betting guy, I would bet that Coach Crane and the Little Johns will have success in 2024. Danville could be one of the great stories of the 2024 season. That is certainly not guaranteed, as Coach has outlined. It will take a lot of hard work and a commitment from everyone connected to the program. But Coach Crane is a winner and I predict that in a very short period of time he will have the Danville program competitive again and the Little Johns competing for playoff spots in the very near future. But most of all, Danville fans can rest assured that regardless of the records, Danville will have players and a program that they can be very proud of. And the players will know that they have a coach that truly cares for them as young men, and not just as football players.

All of us at RNN Sports would like to extend a big “Welcome Back!” to Coach Crane as he prepares to return to Danville and the River Valley! Best of luck to the Danville Little Johns next season, and we are excited for the Little Johns fanbase!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Lions end 2023 with win over Crusaders

Sports

Tammy Teague

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11:25 pm

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FORT SMITH, Ark. – Guard Payton Brown recorded a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds as University of Arkansas – Fort Smith Men’s Basketball defeated Dallas Christian, 77-63, Saturday at Gayle Kaundart Arena at the Stubblefield Center to close out 2023.

The 10 rebounds are a career high for Brown. Guards Roland McCoy and Lian Ramiro joined Brown in double figures with 16 and 10 points, respectively.

After a slow start saw the Lions trailing 6-3 at the first media timeout, UAFS made it a priority to attack the paint and immediately went on a 6-0 run. UAFS went on to finish with 46 points in the paint compared to just 10 for the Crusaders.

The Crusaders stayed within striking distance throughout the first half, as the Lions led 36-29 at the break.

UAFS started the second half on a 5-0 run only to see the Crusaders score the next six points. The Lions then pushed the lead back to double digits with 12:34 left and grew the lead to as many as 14 to led by at least nine for the remainder of the game.

Forwards Furaha Cadeaux de Dieu and Ryan Maxwell each chipped in with eight points while guard Cameron Bush and forward Jace Linenberger tallied seven points apiece.

11 of the 14 turnovers the Lions forced were steals, with McCoy, Bush and guard Tyler Frederick each grabbing two steals.

The Lions return to conference play January 4 at Dallas Baptist for a 7 p.m. tip.

New Year’s Financial Resolutions

Business

Tammy Teague

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10:43 pm

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Now that we’ve reached 2025, you might be thinking about your goals and hopes for the new year. But in addition to whatever personal resolutions, you might make — volunteering, going to the gym more, learning a new language and others — why not make some financial resolutions, too?

Here are a few to consider:

• Boost your retirement savings. If you can afford it, try to increase your contributions to your IRA and 401(k) or similar employer-sponsored retirement plan. The more you put away in these accounts, the greater your chances of reaching your retirement goals. At a minimum, contribute enough to your 401(k) to earn your employer’s match, if one is offered. And whenever your salary goes up, consider raising the amount you put in to your 401(k).

• Reduce your debts. It’s not always easy to reduce your debts — but it’s worth the effort. The lower your debt load, the greater your monthly cash flow. So, look for ways to consolidate debts or find other, possibly more productive, ways of using credit. And if you truly can’t afford something that’s nonessential, don’t go into debt for it. “Live within your means” is an old piece of advice, but it’s just as valid now as ever.

• Build an emergency fund. If you suddenly needed a major home or car repair, or received a large medical bill not fully covered by insurance, would you have the funds available? If not, you might be forced to dip into your retirement accounts or other long-term investments. To avoid this possibility, try to build an emergency fund containing several months’ worth of living expenses, with the money kept in a liquid, low-risk account that’s separate from the ones you use to meet your daily expenses. It can take a while to build such a fund, but if you make it a priority and contribute regular amounts each month, you can make good progress.

• Avoid emotional decisions. Too many people overreact to events in the financial markets because they let their emotions get the better of them. If the market is temporarily down, it doesn’t mean you need to sell investments to “cut your losses” — especially if these investments still have good fundamentals and are still appropriate for your portfolio. It can be hard to ignore market volatility, but you’ll be better off if you focus on the long term and continue following an investment strategy that’s designed to meet your needs.

• Review your goals. Over time, your goals may have changed. For example, while you once might have wanted to retire early, and planned for it, you may now find that you’d like to work a few more years. If that’s the case, you may also need to adjust your financial and investment strategies.

• Revisit your estate plans. If you’ve married, divorced, remarried or added children to your family within the past few years, you may need to review the account titling and beneficiary designations on your 401(k) and other retirement assets, along with your estate-planning documents, such as your will or living trust. You might also need to revise these documents in other ways.

Of course, you may not be able to tackle all these resolutions at one time, but if you can work at them throughout the year, you can potentially brighten your financial outlook in 2025 — and beyond.

Ouachita National Forest, Scott and Sebastian Counties; Heavener Coal Leasing Project

Tammy Teague

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10:30 pm

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Ouachita National Forest, Scott and Sebastian Counties; Heavener Coal Leasing Project

The USDA Forest Service (FS) is preparing an environmental impact statement (EIS) as the lead Federal agency with support from Federal cooperating agencies, the U.S. Department of Interior (DOI) Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE). The purpose of the analysis is to respond to a Federal coal Lease by Application (LBA) submitted to the BLM from the Emera Corportation on behalf of Ouro Mining Inc.

The application seeks approval to access and recover Federal metallurgical coal resources from approximately 3,077 acres that underly lands on the Ouachita National Forest (ONF) — the Poteau-Cold Springs Ranger District in Arkansas. No surface mining is proposed on National Forest System (NFS) lands.

The proposed lease area is in T3N, R32W, Sections 8–11, 14, 15, 17–19 and T3N, R33W, Section 13 in Scott and Sebastian Counties, Arkansas. The proposed Federal lease area is located adjacent and directly to the north of current coal leases held by Ouro Mining on private lands near Bates, Arkansas. The Emera Corporation’s application involves a mix of reserved public domain lands and acquired lands on the ONF.

BLM is responsible for considering whether a coal lease would be offered through the competitive bid process and what stipulations would be required for surface resource protection. Because the lease would involve minerals underlying the ONF, the FS administrative unit with jurisdiction for managing surface resources, the BLM must have FS consent prior to deciding whether to offer the lease for sale.

The FS will assess whether the proposed lease area on NFS lands is suitable for coal leasing and if so, whether to consent to leasing 3,077 acres of Federal coal underlying the Ouachita National Forest as described in the Emera Corporation application. As part of assessing consent, the FS will develop lease stipulations that protect surface resources. The stipulations will be included with any FS consent decision to lease. The BLM would include these stipulations in the coal lease.

Additionally, connected actions associated with the lease include the:

Construction, operation, and maintenance of a 161kV powerline on 3.0 miles of NFS lands and the construction of approximately 2.0 miles of powerline access roads.

• Issuance of a special use permit that authorizes a 100-foot right of way (ROW) for the 161kV powerline. Issuance of the permit would be contingent on the metallurgical coal lease being sold, and the mining plan approved and permitted.

If needed, a forest plan amendment that may add management direction for the leasing of metallurgical coal on 3,077 acres.

Expected Impacts

Disclosure of potential adverse impacts to NFS lands includes subsidence, which means the land surface is lowered as a result of mining activities. Resources potentially affected include, but are not limited to, vegetation, soil, and water. The EIS will address the potential for impacts from increased carbon emissions. Whether greenhouse gas emissions could approach significance over the life of the project is unknown at this time. Construction and maintenance of the electrical powerline and its associated roads would be designed to comply with the ONF Revised Forest Plan; significant impacts to vegetation, water, and soil resources are not expected.

Comments concerning the scope of the analysis for the EIS must be received by January 25, 2024. The draft environmental impact statement (DEIS) is expected in July 2024. The final EIS is expected to be available for review in June 2025.

To view the complete plan and comments regarding this project, visit: https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2023-28300

The New Year Is a Chance to Take a Positive Step into the Future

Jim Best

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10:06 pm

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The New Year Is a Chance to Take a Positive Step into the Future

RIVER VALLEY- Throughout 2023, I have shared many experiences, both bad and good, that have happened in our lives, as well as in the lives of others. Most recently, I shared our terrible experience of my family losing their home to the Little Rock tornado in March, and our loss of our beloved family labrador just before Christmas.

But with the new year comes new hope for a better year ahead. In fact, in life’s many lessons and experiences, we might say that the new year is an opportunity to take a positive step forward into a year that can bring better days ahead for all of us.

Our world is in turmoil on almost every level. Nations are at war, innocent people are being targeted for nothing more than their race, gender, religious beliefs, or, for other reasons that are beyond my ability to comprehend.

Locally, every community has their politics, points of pride, and local cultures and customs that can be viewed as both positive and, may we say, “head scratching”, to be nice.

And personally, we all know, better than others, the areas of our lives that we are doing well in everyday, as well as aspects of our lives that we can honestly say that we probably should make an effort to improve in the upcoming year. It may be a job, financial, health wise, or our relationships with others, but, I dare say we all have something we need to focus on for improvement. In my case, the areas that need attention are too numerous to list in one story.

For my wonderful wife, Elaine, and myself, we look forward to putting a tough 2023 behind us and looking forward to a much better 2024. Family health concerns and major adjustments lay ahead for us but hope springs eternal for the hopes of a much better 2024.

If you follow major league baseball, you know that each year, spring training is a special time of the season. Teams report to warm climates to begin a month of training and practice to prepare for the upcoming season. Part of what makes this time so special is that every team is undefeated during spring training, and every team is optimistic for the upcoming season. Much like spring training, we are all hopeful for a great upcoming year, and just before it starts, we all have that hope of a good new year.

Many Americans will begin diet and weight loss resolutions, and many will give them up just a short time after the new year. That’s just the way it goes. Some will stick it out and modify their lifestyles to lose weight, or to stick to that exercise plan. Any way you look at it, it is all about discipline and the desire to be successful. From my perspective, the same principle applies to other areas of life. A positive attitude and the determination to stay with it and focus on the end goal or result, applies to so many aspects of our life. Not giving ourselves excuses to explain failure that is often times a matter of just giving up and taking the easy way out, applies to so many situations we find ourselves in each day. Like everyone else, I have been successful in some cases, and unsuccessful in others. I guess it is part of what makes us human.

So, for whatever it means to anyone who reads this story, I have target areas of my life that I want to improve in 2024. To reach those goals, I had to be honest with myself, and that was hard.

So to all of our readers, we hope that you have a great year in 2024; one that gives you the opportunity to take a positive step into the future. If you had great difficulties or tragedies in your lives in 2023, we hope that 2024 will be much better for you.

All of us at RNN are so thankful for you, our readers and subscribers, and we wish all of you nothing but the best for the new year!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Numerous State Laws Take Effect in 2024

Tammy Teague

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8:41 pm

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State Capitol Week in Review From Senator Terry Rice

LITTLE ROCK – Numerous state laws will take effect in 2024, including tax reductions that will save Arkansas families and businesses about $250 million a year.

During a September special session the legislature approved tax cuts that will benefit Arkansans in two ways. An income tax reduction will lower the top rate from 4.7 to 4.4 percent for individuals. Also, the top rate for corporate taxes will go down from 5.1 to 4.8 percent.

The tax relief measure includes a one-time credit of $150 for all taxpayers whose incomes was below $89,600 in 2023. That means Arkansas taxpayers will benefit from the credit in the next couple of months, when they file their income taxes for 2023.

For taxpayers with incomes between $89,601 and $103,600 the amount of the credit gradually decreases. People whose income is $103,601 and above will not get a credit.

In all, about 1.1 million people in Arkansas will save $150 million a year because of the tax reductions enacted by the legislation earlier this year. Also, about 7,500 businesses will save $34.5 million a year.

The $150 credits will save individuals $156.3 million on their 2023 taxes. However, they will not be in effect in future years.

Those cuts were not the only tax relief enacted by the legislature in 2023. During the regular session at the beginning of the year, legislators approved Senate Bill 549 to lower income taxes for individuals, trusts, estates and corporations.

Those tax cuts benefited 1.1 million individual taxpayers whose incomes are above $24,300 a year. The Senate bill became Act 532 of 2023.

Businesses will also benefit from Act 485 of 2023. It phases out the “throwback rule,” a provision in state tax law that formulates taxes on multi-state corporations with a connection, or nexus, in Arkansas when they do business in other states.

For those businesses, fewer sales of property in other states will be taxed.

Act 532 takes effect for tax year 2024 and will save businesses $10.6 million. The savings steadily increase until Fiscal Year 2030 and afterwards, when businesses in Arkansas will see tax savings of $74 million a year because of Act 532.

New Bail Bond Law

Act 659 of 2023 changes the length of prison sentences for violent offenders, and requires inmates to participate in drug rehabilitation and education programs in order to qualify for parole.

The act will affect county jails, sheriffs, bail bondsmen and people who get arrested and want to bail out of jail. As of January 1, 2024, the 10 percent premium for bond must be paid in full before the defendant may be released from jail. Previously, defendants could make arrangements to pay their bail bondsman in installments.

Another provision in Act 659 affects defendants who put up property to make bail. Starting in 2024, bail bondsmen must submit paperwork verifying the amount of the property is sufficient, and verifying that it has been transferred to the surety. It will not be enough for the bail bondsman to simply collect a deed or title.

Some judges already have begun working on documents to streamline the process for defendants who choose to put up property.

It Was Another Banner Year for RNN Sports in 2023

Sports

Jim Best

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4:25 am

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It Was Another Banner Year for RNN Sports in 2023

RIVER VALLEY- Once again, there were many great sports moments in 2023, and RNN Sports had the privilege of bringing you those stories throughout the year. As we look forward to a great year ahead in 2024, RNN Sports will take our annual look back at the year that is about to end.

As your source of local sports in the River Valley, RNN Sports continued to expand its coverage of both local high school sports, as well as Razorbacks athletics. Our college coverage expanded in 2023 to include the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith, UCA, Arkansas State, and UAM sports. Last summer, we also announced coverage of St. Louis Cardinals baseball, as well as bringing you announcements of the addition of professional soccer that is set to begin in Northwest Arkansas in 2025.

But as you know, RNN Sports is dedicated to LOCAL sports coverage, and what a great year it has been for River Valley High School sports! And as sports director, I will say to all of you that our coverage would not be possible without the many contributors that bring you the stories and the pictures from around our region of the state. We have so many dedicated and enthusiastic photojournalists who love sports and love to bring you the stories that you want to read.

In the Mansfield area of our company’s footprint, Adam Hecox brings you all of the action for Tigers sports and the surrounding area. In Greenwood, sports photojournalists Ross Fujibayashi and Peggy Barger bring you Greenwood Bulldogs and Lady Bulldogs action, as well as Razorbacks athletics. In Charleston, our sports photographer, Ronni Tate Young, brings you Charleston Tigers action as well as Razorbacks athletics. In northwest Arkansas, contributing photographer John D. James brings you almost year-round Razorbacks sports coverage. In Booneville, it has been a year that saw the Bearcats bring home state championships in band, softball, and football. And Glenn Parrish has brought you the stories and photos from the Bearcats banner season. With the addition of UAFS Lions sports coverage, Greyson Baggett is bringing coverage of UAFS sports to our readers, expanding our coverage area to include the greater Fort Smith area. Last, but certainly not least, Celia Looney of the County Line School district, along with Jonathan Gipson of the Magazine Schools, contribute to our coverage of River Valley sports from their local school districts, and we thank all of them for their great work in bringing local stories of interest to our readers.

After months of rehab, the Hogs’ Brady Tygart pitched a courageous game to keep the Razorbacks’ hopes alive in the NCAA Regional (RNN Sports Photo / John D. James)

Without all of these great photojournalists and contributing writers, along with our managing editor, Tammy Teague, and our visionary owner and founder, Jason Baggett, our coverage at RNN Sports would not be possible. They are not only great at what they do, but we are all family at RNN, and they make my job much easier. It takes all of us to bring you expanded coverage of both local high school sports, collegiate sports, and special events such as the Junior PGA Championships that were held in Hot Springs last summer.

RNN Sports began 2023 with coverage of local high school basketball and Lady Razorbacks basketball. We were there all season to bring you coverage of conference play, as well as state tournament play. Several area teams qualified for the state tournament in February. But perhaps none other as dramatic as the County Line Indians who finished the season undefeated at 41-0 and then proceeded to win three straight state playoff games to enter the state finals undefeated at 44-0. Against a determined and talented Marked Tree team, the Indians defeated Marked Tree with three seconds remaining in the game to give County Line the Class 1A state championship and a perfect 45-0 season.

Arkansas’s Makayla Daniels (43) is fouled as she drives to the basket against Alabama (RNN Sports Photo / Ronni Tate Young)

The Booneville Bearcats athletics and band program brought home multiple state championships in 2023. In November, it was the marching Bearcats band bringing home the Class 3A state title from their performance at War Memorial Stadium. In the spring, the Lady Bearcats won the 3A state softball title. Capping off 2023 was the Booneville Bearcats football team winning the Class 3A state championship in a thriller over Prescott. The 2023 Booneville programs added state titles in band, softball, and in football to their already extensive list of state titles. Quite a year for the Logan County high school.

The Booneville Bearcats won the Class 3A state marching band contest held in Little Rock last week (Image Special to RNN Sports / Glenn Parrish, Booneville Schools)

In Paris, the Marching Eagles band had their best finish ever at the 2023 state marching championship. Paris finished as the 3A state runner-up, edging out Centerpoint and finishing second to nearby Booneville for the state title.

The Paris school district added the sport of wrestling in 2023 to their list of sports offered at Paris High School. The wrestling program participated in their first wresting tournament in program history in November.

The “feel good” story of the year was the state playoffs run of the Mansfield Tigers football team under the direction of first year Tigers coach, Whit Overton. Overton, a MHS graduate, returned to his alma mater after having coached at Booneville as junior high football coach, to lead the Tigers to a third-place conference finish and a #3 seed in the state playoffs. The Tigers hosted and defeated Centerpoint in the first round of the state playoffs. The Tigers then took long road trips in the second round and in the state quarterfinals to Hoxie and Salem on the way to the state semifinals. Mansfield’s Cinderella season ended in Prescott but capped a tremendous season for the Tigers. The Mansfield Tigers will be heavily favored to win the 3A-1 conference in 2024 with much of their team returning next year.

The Mansfield Tigers made a run to the state semifinals in 2023 under new coach, Whit Overton (RNN Sports File Photo / Adam Hecox)

The Greenwood Bulldogs’ tradition of state football championships continued in 2023. In doing so, Greenwood won its 11th state championship in 17 state finals appearances. The win tied fellow Class 6A member school Little Rock Pulaski Academy for the most state football championships in the modern era. Highly recruited sophomore quarterback Kane Archer won the state finals MVP Award and senior Ryan Shortes won the Burlsworth Award. The Bulldogs’ dominance in football continued in 2023, and most observers believe they will continue their dominance in 2024.

The Greenwood Bulldogs won the Class 6A state football title in 2023 (RNN Sports File Photo / Ross Fujibayashi)

RNN Sports brought you Razorbacks coverage in 2023 in the sports of baseball, softball, football, and basketball. Arkansas hosted the 2023 SEC Softball conference tournament, and our photojournalists were there all week to bring you the action in pictures from each day of the tournament. Photographer John James brought you coverage of Razorbacks baseball, spring football, summer football practice, and 2023 Razorbacks football. RNN Sports brought you special coverage of the Razorbacks men’s basketball exhibition win in overtime over Purdue in November.

The summer of 2023 marked a special event where the Jr. PGA golf association held its annual championship tournament in Arkansas. This year, the tournament was played at the Hot Springs Country Club. We were there in the blazing summer heat to bring you coverage of the event all week that highlighted future PGA golfers who will make headlines in the coming years. Next year’s event will be held in Virginia near Washington, DC. This was an opportunity to cover an event that is normally played outside of Arkansas. Winners in both boys and girls divisions were named to the PGA’s Junior Ryder Cup team that played in Rome, Italy. This special event was brought to you exclusively by RNN Sports.

2023 Jr. PGA Championships, Hot Springs (RNN Sports File Photo / Jim Best)

The summer also saw RNN Sports bring you announcements of the addition of St. Louis Cardinals baseball. In 2024, we will bring you updates on the Cardinals as they move from spring training to opening day and on through the season.

So, as you can see, 2023 was packed with great sports moments, and these are just a few that we have highlighted that RNN Sports brought to our readers. Our coverage of these events was brought to our subscribers in our three print newspaper publications in the Mansfield area, Greenwood, and in the Logan / Franklin County Edition. We also continued to bring you coverage on our website at residentnewsnetwork.com, and on several social media platforms.

Dax Goff (34) will go down as one of the greatest running backs in Booneville football history (Image Special to RNN Sports / Glenn Parrish / Stacey Holbert)

It has been our pleasure to bring you the most complete and comprehensive local sports coverage, accented by collegiate and professional coverage, as well. We love what we do, and we love sports.

On behalf of our dedicated family of photojournalists and contributors, thank you for your support and subscribership, and we promise that we will continue to work hard at always looking for ways to improve our product for you, our valued readers. Our sports coverage in 2023 included events from as far west as Mansfield and Waldron, to northwest Arkansas, the Fort Smith area, Logan and Franklin counties, and as far east as Conway. In fact, we brought you stories last summer from Jonesboro in northeast Arkansas as part of our coverage of ASU Red Wolves sports. And we had a blast bringing it to you!

Congratulations to all of the student athletes and their schools for a great 2023, and we look forward to seeing you at an event near you in 2024!

HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM RNN SPORTS!

R

Expected Impacts

RESIDENT NEWS NETWORK