A Mayor, A Servant, A Friend: David Millard’s Final Year Leading Waldron
When David Millard first took office seven years ago, few could have predicted just how deeply his leadership would shape Waldron.
As a general rule, I frown upon stories written in the first person. This time, however, in order to tell the story — the whole story — I must bend my own rule and tell you about the man, the mayor, David Millard.
We met when he was first running for election. Neil Cherry introduced us in a small, quaint office at the end of a long hallway inside the municipal building. We were planning our first Meet the Candidates forum that year, and both he and his opponent attended.
His message was soft, kind, and rooted in humility.
I still remember what he said would be his first order of business if elected: learn the jobs and understand the difficulties city service workers face. That spirit of commonality and sincerity won him the election.
And true to his word, one of the very first things he did was ride on the back of a city trash truck.
Not for show.
Not for a photo op.
Just to understand.
That’s who David Millard is.
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention Millard’s deep Christian roots. I can’t count the number of times we sat in his office and prayed together — sometimes through tears, sometimes in gratitude — thankful for the many ways God had shown Himself real in his life and in the lives of his family.
Long before becoming mayor, Millard had already committed his life to public service.
He began his career with the Waldron Police Department in March 1992. In October 2015, he was promoted to Chief of Police. A year later, he graduated from the Arkansas Leader Program, hosted by the FBI and the Criminal Justice Institute.
The year 2008 alone reads like a résumé most people build over a lifetime. He was elected president of the Arkansas Municipal Police Association, appointed Police Commissioner on the Law Enforcement Standards and Training Board, and served on the Advisory Board of the Criminal Justice Institute.
“I was able to get the officers of Waldron Police Department some of the best training in the nation through the Criminal Justice Institute,” he once told me.
In 2009, the certified law enforcement instructor received two awards from the Arkansas Prevention Network for his work helping pass the nation’s first Social Host State Law.
He retired from the police department in 2018 — but retirement didn’t really suit him. He continued serving with the Fire Department and was recently honored for 25 years of service.
Service, after all, isn’t something Dave does.
It’s who he is.
As mayor, he continued the work of those before him while adding his own vision. Under his leadership, the city park became the crown jewel of the community — beach volleyball, exercise equipment, bankshot basketball, pickleball courts, the Dinosaur Dig, a pavilion, water fountains, and bathrooms.
He honored his father’s legacy with what would become “Mayor Dave’s Annual Easter Egg Hunt.” At Christmas, he helped lead toy drives for area children.
During his two terms, he secured multiple and sizeable grants benefiting the Fire Department, City Park, airport, storm sirens, sidewalks, and more. He saw monthly trade days flourish. Main Street began filling with boutiques and small businesses. Scott County Hardware and Casey’s General Store opened its doors.
The city grew.
But the man never changed.
Over many visits — and more than a few lunch dates at Charbroiler, where his favorites were the nachos or the loaded potato — I came to know not just the mayor, but the man.
He made it a point to begin each day at City Hall with employees in prayer. Those quiet moments of faith and fellowship carried through both of his terms and will continue until his last day in office.
His time as mayor wasn’t simply public service.
It felt like a calling.
In this line of work, I meet a lot of elected officials. Some impress you. Some disappoint you. Very few leave exactly as they arrived — steady, genuine, and true to who they are.
David Millard is one of the rare ones.
Seven years later, he is still the same kind, gentle, humble man I met in that little office at the end of the hallway.
And somewhere along the way, without fanfare or announcement, I realized something else.
I came to know not just the mayor, but the man — and forever, my friend.
Timepiece: Truck-stop Cafe
By Dr. Curtis Varnell
In 1957, Interstate 40 was built through Arkansas and became a thoroughfare connecting the east and west coast of the U.S. with one continuous highway. Until that time, a number of state highways served as the main transportation loops for commerce and truckers by the hundreds traveled up and down local highway 10 and 22 in their journeys across the state. In a much more picturesque period, small truck-stops and cafes dotted the highways; places where the truckers could stop for rest, coffee, and a warm meal.
Needing a large pull-in and parking area, most of these existed outside of the primary towns and usually included service stations and mechanic shops as well as the café. Travel down these local roads today, one can still see remnants of what once was. Washburn, Central City, Caulksville, and other small communities that once had thriving all-night café’s and businesses.
One of the busiest was found at Hill Top, six miles east of Subiaco on Hwy 22. Not even a community, all that was located on top of the ridge was a large pull-in area, a service station, and a café. During the heyday of the 40’s and 50’s, Hill Top was the happening place. Truckers from across the nation would pull in for a hot meal served by a crew of waitresses rushing from one formica table to another serving blue plate specials to the hungry truckers. Local teenagers would hang out at the counter, listening to music on the juke box, and playing pinball games.
Owned and operated over the years by various people including Gerald Baumgartner, J.W. Trusty, Ruel White, and the Dedmon family, the café and station attracted a varied clientele and served as the starting point for tales still circulating today. Various people that worked or visited there reported seeing late night visits by Porter Wagoner, Dolly Parton, and the King himself, Elvis Presley. Many of the country and western stars traveled the local roads on their hayride circuit as they traveled from town to town to perform. Johnny Cash probably visited more than once; his guitar playing friend and brother in law Bob Wooton was a frequent visitor at the café and at the home of the nearby Huber family who were his close friends.
Today, the traffic has moved north to the interstate, the truckers stop at chain stores and hurry in and out carrying fast food they eat on the way and America has lost a lot of its small town charm.
“Just Roll with It” Serving up Recipes and Humor
Hello everyone!!
Today in the River Valley it’s going to be 70 degrees and sunshine, and I am so excited!
Y’all know I have three grandchildren who live with me — I call them the Three E’s. I love them dearly. The oldest graduated college in December with a computer science degree. He is sooo smart — and yes, I’m bragging — but… he lacks a little in the common sense department. Bless him.
He’s sweet and always trying to take care of his Nana. A while back, his brother had a bad cough that just wouldn’t go away, so I took him to the clinic and they sent us for an X-ray. Ethan, serious as can be, asked, “Nana, does Evan have tuberculosis?”
Now how in the world does Ethan even know what tuberculosis is?!
I told him, “No, your brother does not have tuberculosis!”
Another time, back when he was still in college, he was always flying by the seat of his pants trying to get to class on time. He grabbed a jacket out of the hall closet and headed out the door. When he got home, I looked at him and said, “Did you wear that to school today?”
He said, “Yep.”
Well… it was my jacket. A lady’s jacket. No buttons. Almost knee-length. Very obviously not his.
Grandkids will either keep you young or make you crazy!
One day Evan told me chess players burn calories just by using their brains. Then he said, “If you burned calories by talking, Nana, you’d be a twig.”
I had to admit… he wasn’t wrong.
My son is always getting on me about how I drive. Now, I don’t claim to be Mario Andretti, but I do like to drive a little fast. Before he got married, we were headed somewhere and I heard him mumbling in the passenger seat. I finally realized he was praying:
“Lord, please don’t let there be roads in Heaven.”
Apparently he thinks his mom would run somebody over!
Y’all also know about my little dog, Jr. I told my granddaughter Ella that since Jr. is my son, that makes him her uncle. She said, “Nana, that’s just weird. I’m just going to tell people he’s my cousin.”
So uncle is weird… but cousin isn’t? Kids are something else.
We have a good time at my house. If you’re ever bored, come on over and join the chaos.
Y’all have a great week and hug those loved ones and grands!
Easy Baked Spasagna
Ingredients
1 lb spaghetti noodles
1 lb ground beef
26 oz jar spaghetti sauce
16 oz jar Alfredo sauce
2 tsp Italian seasoning
2 cups shredded mozzarella
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray a 9×13 baking dish with nonstick spray.
Cook spaghetti noodles according to package directions and drain very well.
Brown the ground beef, then add the spaghetti sauce and stir to combine.
Return the drained noodles to the pot. Stir in the Alfredo sauce and Italian seasoning until all noodles are coated.
Place noodles in the prepared dish, top with the meat sauce mixture, and sprinkle mozzarella cheese over the top. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
Serve with French bread and a salad and enjoy this easy meal!
Have a blessed week!
Boyd Farmer Announces Candidacy for Mayor of Mansfield
Boyd Farmer has officially announced his candidacy for Mayor of the City of Mansfield. A retired police chief and current city council member, Farmer says he is seeking the office to continue serving the community and to be a strong voice for the people.
“I feel led to run, and I want to continue to serve the citizens of this great city,” Farmer said. “Together, we can address issues that are vital in seeing Mansfield thrive. I look forward to having open and honest conversations with the citizens of Mansfield to hear their concerns. I may not always have the answers, but I will work to find them. I promise you honesty and integrity. I look forward to earning your vote in the November 2026 general election.”
Farmer has dedicated his life to public service. In addition to his career in law enforcement, he has remained a certified EMT since 1991 and has answered thousands of first responder calls, serving citizens in their most critical moments. His decades of experience give him a deep understanding of public safety, emergency response, and the everyday needs of the Mansfield community.
Boyd and his wife, Cyndy, are longtime Mansfield residents and are proud to be deeply rooted in the community they call home. Together, they have three sons and three daughters-in-law, one daughter and one son-in-law, 11 grandchildren, and 11 great-grandchildren. Family is at the heart of who they are, and their commitment to Mansfield reflects the values they’ve passed down through generations.
Farmer says his campaign will focus on listening to citizens, strengthening public safety, and working together to ensure a strong future for Mansfield. He invites all residents to engage in dialogue as he begins his campaign, emphasizing that a thriving Mansfield starts with open communication, trust, and unity.
Arkansas hunters surpass $1 million in donations to fight hunger
Deer donated to AHFH are processed into ground meat and distributed to food banks throughout Arkansas. AGFC photo.
By Randy Zellers
LITTLE ROCK — Donations to Arkansas Hunters Feeding the Hungry from hunting and fishing license buyers officially topped the $1 million mark, thanks to more than $18,800 dollars collected in December.
Donations, often gathered just a dollar or two at a time, are collected at checkout as an option when anyone purchases a license, magazine subscription or other product through the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission’s online license system.
“We worked with the AGFC and state legislators back in 2012 to make this great donation opportunity possible,” Ronnie Ritter, AHFH president, said. “It started with a simple $1 donation option, but has bloomed into an option to donate $5, $10 or more. The Arkansas hunting and fishing community has responded with amazing generosity.”
AHFH receives 100 percent of the donations submitted through the AGFC’s licensing system, providing about one-third of the non-profit organization’s annual budget. The money pays for the gas and time needed to deliver ground venison to food banks statewide and to reimburse processors for labor and packaging costs to process donated deer.
“We really need two things to provide this much-needed food to needy Arkansans: deer and the money to process them,” Ritter said. “As we grow in donated deer, our need to pay the processors increases. Participating processors really do everything they can to keep the cost low, but they are businesses, and they have to pay their employees. I’m sure many of them are taking a loss to help out.”
Fresh meat is the most requested, yet rarest, item at food banks nationwide. While canned goods are staples of most food drives, the high cost and refrigeration needs of protein often leave a gap in a family’s diet.
Through AHFH, hunters in Arkansas step up to fill that need. The organization provides close to 100,000 pounds of venison annually, which equals 400,000 servings of meat to needy Arkansans.
“It’s really amazing to see the generosity of the hunting community, not just in donated money, but in donated deer,” Ritter said. “Hunters can tell our participating processors that they want so many pounds to go to AHFH, and many will donate their entire deer.”
State Capitol Week in Review from Senator Terry Rice
LITTLE ROCK – A new building is currently under construction for the Arkansas School for the Deaf and Blind (ASDB). At the end of January, the school celebrated the “topping-off” ceremony with the final white steel beam, marking a milestone in construction of the new school.
In 2023, state officials toured the Arkansas School for the Deaf (ASD) and the Arkansas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired (ASB). During the tour, many of the buildings and facilities were found in various states of disrepair. In the past, the schools were housed in independent buildings, side-by-side on West Markham in Little Rock. When the new instructional building is completed, the schools will be combined as the Arkansas School for the Deaf and Blind and will serve pre-K through 12th grade students.
By February of 2024, Governor Sanders along with a group of bipartisan legislators and school stakeholders announced plans to assist the school in making necessary changes to the campus. More than 200 school community members were surveyed and compiled three main priorities: keeping the campus at its current location, providing more resources for deaf and blind students beyond the Little Rock campus, and addressing the critical safety concerns students were enduring.
The group then consulted with school architects and planners to create a comprehensive vision for the future of the two schools to deliver high-quality instruction in a premier facility. The legislature initially allocated $30 million in 2021 to begin moving forward with plans and when completed the entire project has a final estimated price tag of $53.9 million.
In total, the school currently has approximately 167 students and half of the students live in the residence halls on campus. In addition, the state has identified 800 blind students and up to 1,500 deaf students across the state who would be eligible to receive services from the school. ASDB Superintendent Nicole Walsh believes the new school could attract more students and has plans to accommodate them.
Construction of the building has been very thoughtful. The design team considered details like the timing of natural light, which can impact visually impaired students, and lines of sight for deaf students to enable them to communicate anywhere in the building. They hope to make the building accessible for all students on campus, as well as those participating in distance learning. The new school will be equipped with the latest modern technology including Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts & Mathematics (STEAM) labs, a media center with maker space, adaptable labs that support hands-on experiential learning for deaf and blind students alike, and a flexible multipurpose room that also serves as a storm shelter.
In April 2025, the governor signed ACT 796 into law, consolidating the two schools, establishing a single board and appointing Walsh, then superintendent of the Arkansas School for the Deaf, as its new superintendent. The new 89,000 square foot building is projected to be completed by the end of December 2026.