Resident News Network

SR Tigers “Boa” Up To Rattlers in 56-0 Win

Sports

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3:49 pm

SR Tigers “Boa” Up To Rattlers in 56-0 Win

Week0 for High School football fans is like Christmas morning for a six year old. There’s all kinds of hype and excitement for months to open a present. After a wild offseason full of twists and turns, the Mansfield SR Tigers finally got their chance to play a full four quarters on Friday, August 25^th while fans got to see their long awaited present opened. The Tigers looked like a sharply wrapped present in their different look as they sported numbered helmets and snow white bottoms coupled with their classic red tops as they faced off against a tough and scrappy squad of Magazine Rattlers.

Mansfield quarterback, Jeremy Strozier (#7), hands the ball off to Samuel Burton (#22) for a big gain of yards.

Magazine started the game kicking the ball off to Mansfield hoping to strike first by pinning the Tigers deep in their own territory. Mansfield’s Tyler Turnipseed was the first Tiger to touch the football in 2023 and he made it count as Turnipseed roared downfield for an 81-yard kickoff return for a Tiger touchdown to start the game. Jeremy Strozier tacked on the extra point kick and just like that, Mansfield had a 7-0 lead over the Rattlers. The Tigers defense made quick work of Magazines first drive forcing the Rattlers to punt the ball back to a red hot Tigers team. Mansfield’s first offensive drive started off rough with a fumbled snap, but the Tigers quickly made up for the mistake with big runs by Tyler Turnipseed and Daniel Burton. With the running game showing promise, quarterback Cole Kindle caught the Rattlers pass to Peyton Martin for a 31-yard touchdown. Mansfield shanked the extra point kick but still held a 13-0 lead off the five play drive. Another defensive push by the Tigers resulted in -15 yards and set up another Rattlers punt. It only took two plays for Daniel Burton to take a handoff 52-yards for a Tiger touchdown. Mansfield would go for the two-point conversion to make up for their previous missed extra point and rode the same horse in for two with a quick pitch to Daniel Burton setting the Tigers up with a comfortable 21-0 lead at the end of the first quarter.

Mansfield started off the second quarter playing Burton Ball as the Tigers leaned on Daniel Burton some more. Burton jumped through with a 26-yard rush then shifted gears by catching a pass from Cole Kindle for a 40-yard touchdown. Jeremy Strozier split the upright for the extra point kick to bump Mansfield’s lead up to 28-0. Head Coach, Whit Overton, proved that he’s a firm believer in the thought process of “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”. Playing Burton Ball definitely wasn’t broken so the Tigers continued playing it with another Daniel Burton touchdown run, this time for 44-yards. Jeremy Strozier remained on target with the extra point kick to send Mansfield into halftime with a 35-0 lead over Magazine.

Tiger quarterback, Cole Kindle (#3), gets plenty of space to work with from his offensive linemens premiere blocking.

With all of the offensive fireworks, the Tigers defense seemed to get jealous. If the offense gets praise for scoring, then the defense figured they’d follow suit. Mansfield’s defensive end, Matthew Burton, flat out robbed the ball away from a Rattler runner and took the rock 52-yards for a defensive Tiger Touchdown. Jeremy Strozier added another plus one kick to light up the score at 42-0. Strozier can use his feet for more than kicking though and showed it on the Tigers next possession with a 31-yard scramble for a Tiger Touchdown. It was then back to kicking after that as Strozier tacked on his own extra point kick. The defense continued to do their job and do it well which allowed the Tigers to feed the rock to even more talent on offense. Trey Powell and Dawson Robinson combined for 59-yards in just three plays before Powell punch the ball in for a touchdown from two yards out. Jeremy Strozier blew out the final light bulb in the scoreboard with the extra point kick as the Tigers closed out the game with a 56-0 victory over Magazine.

Sophomore defensive end, Matthew Burton (#62), celebrates with his teammates after a steal and score.

The Week0 victory had the fans, players, and coaches feeling good about the Tigers performance. It also gave Mansfield a good idea of things to come as every player on the roster not only played, they played a lot of snaps successfully which proves that the Tigers are extremely deep with talent. That depth will be needed as Mansfield’s season moves into their 3A-1 conference schedule too. Mansfield’s next test will be the Paris Eagles next Friday, September 1^st in Mansfield. Paris is a salty team who has already shown their dangerous demeanor with a good scrimmage against Magazine and a 34-16 Week0 victory over the 4A Waldron Bulldogs. With the Eagles dual threat quarterback and wall breaker defense, the Tigers will polish off whatever Week0 mistakes they might have made and get ready for their Week1 3A showdown.

The Tigers “Fierce Five” going out to midfield as captains for their final Week0 game.

Bulldogs Top Pioneers In Season Opener

Networks

Ross Fujibayashi

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2:55 pm

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After meeting for the first time last year, the Greenwood Bulldogs had this season opener circled on the calendar. If you are looking for storylines for a matchup and why several media outlets were looking towards this game as well it was easy to see. Greenwood lost to Stillwater in Stillwater 41-27 in 2022 and the Bulldogs wanted to even up the series. The highly publicized Greenwood offense was starting a Sophomore QB, with Kane Archer, for the first time since the late 90’s when Brooks Coatney helped put Greenwood on another level. The Greenwood Defense was returning a lot of starters from last years State Runner-Up team. Then there are the streaks, the home opener streak was at 14, the home game winning streak was at 56, and coincidentally Stillwater was also riding a 14 game winning streak of their own.

All of those questions and storylines would be answered early as Greenwood would defer and Stillwater would receive the opening kick-off. The Greenwood defense would make their presence known early, after two rushing attempts were stopped near the line of scrimmage, Stillwater would take to the air and Senior Brady Mackey would intercept the pass at midfield and take it back to the Pioneer 26 yard line. Four plays later Kane Archer finds Senior L.J. Robins in the endzone for the Touchdown. Senior Bodey Steinfeldt’s kick would be good and with 9:19 in the 1st quarter Greenwood is up 7-0. Stillwater would punt on their next drive after stops from the Greenwood defense from Juniors Zak Edwards and Zack Zitsman. This time it would take just one play for Archer to find Robins again for the Touchdown. The Steinfeldt kick made is 14-0 with 6:50 left in the 1st. A sack from Sr. Brenden Chick and Junior Cash Archer on Stillwater’s first play resulted in a changing of Quarterbacks for Stillwater, Senior Chance Acord would be replaced by junior Parker Edwards. Stillwater would attempt a fake punt on fourth down deep in Greenwood territory and it would be broken up by Seniors Braden Skaggs and Caden Nelms. Greenwood and Stillwater would exchange punts on the next two drives. On Greenwood’s next drive, Kane Archer would find an open Junior Isaiah Arrington down the home sideline for the Touchdown, Steinfeldt’s point after was good with 1:06 left in the first quarter. Greenwood on top 21-0 to end the first quarter.

Opening the 2nd quarter Stillwater would find themselves at 4 and 20 situation after a sack by Cash Archer and Junior Mark Garretson. A bobbled punt kick by Stillwater would set Greenwood up at the Stillwater 6 yard line. Archer would call his own number for the touchdown and with the Steinfeldt kick it’s 28-0 with 11:13 in the 2nd. A long return by the Pioneers, saved by a Grant Karnes tackle, revitalized the Pioneers setting up a one play touchdown pass, kick was good 28-7 10:51 in the 2nd. Greenwood would get a long return of their own from Grant Karnes close to midfield, Greenwood would stall out and punt. Stillwater’s Tan Booth would find the end zone on a 28 yard run, kick was good 28-14 7:34 left in the half. Greenwood would punt on their next possession and Stillwater would be stopped on 4th down. On Greenwood’s next possession Archer would escape a would be sack and get the first down to set up a touchdown pass to Grant Karnes. Kick was good pushing the Greenwood lead to 35-14 with 4:11 in the half. Stillwater would get into Greenwood territory but would get stopped at the 25 on fourth down. With just over a minute left in the half Greenwood would march down to the 28 yard line as time would expire.

On the first possession of the 2nd half Stillwater would intercept a tipped pass. Senior Landon Nelms would break up passes on two consecutive downs and Caden Nelms stopping the Running Back behind the line, shutting the Pioneers down. The Bulldogs would just need one play for Senior Brayedan Davis to take it 67 yards for the touchdown, Steinfeldt would get the PAT making it 42-14 with 6:51 in the 3rd quarter. With 33 seconds left in the third quarter Stillwater would make it into the endzone with the PAT being good. 42-21 in the 3rd. Greenwood would finish out the quarter.

Greenwood would march down the field with Brayedan Davis punching it in for the final touchdown of the game, kick was good making it 49-21 with 7:53 in the 4th. Stillwater would punt on their possession. Greenwood would take over to finish out the game with runs from Sophomores Cooper Goodwin and Wesley Raggio. On fourth and long junior Hudson Meeker made a catch for the first down sealing the game.

“Really happy with defense first quarter, we got tired and that’s on me. We gotta get in better shape so they can finish, because when we are in shape we play really well.” Head Coach Chris Young said after the game. “That’s a big physical football team, they’re good and they’re going to win a lot of games this year.” Coach Young said about Stillwater.

“Offensively we were really good sometimes, we have got to get more consistent. We made a couple silly plays, but overall you score 49 points on a team like that you have got to be happy.” said Coach Young

With the win the Bulldogs stretch their home opener streak to 15 which dates back to when this group of Sophomores were learning to walk. The home game win streak now stands at 57 and that goes back to November 21, 2014.

Next week the Bulldogs are on the road against Fort Smith Northside. Kickoff is 7pm at Mayo-Thompson Stadium in Fort Smith.

Obituary – Phyllis Ann (Staggs) Nelson (1949-2023)

Obituaries

Tammy Teague

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2:32 pm

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Obituary – Phyllis Ann (Staggs) Nelson (1949-2023)

Phyllis Ann (Staggs) Nelson, 74, of Waldron, Arkansas went to be with her Lord and Savior, Friday, August 25, 2023 at her home surrounded by her loving family. Phyllis was born March 18, 1949 to John Wilson Staggs and Addie Mae (Aynes) Staggs in Beauchamp, Arkansas. She was a member of the Temple Baptist Church in Waldron, Arkansas.

Phyllis and Charles raised their two amazing children and played a huge role in their lives as well as their grandchildren. Phyllis was a good hard working woman that loved to be outside. She loved her flowers and being in the chicken house gathering eggs. Phyllis would not pass up a good yard sell and enjoyed looking for treasures with her sister-in-law and daughter, Marianne. Phyllis Nelson was one of the oldest members of Nelson Deer Camp, which was established 50 years ago. The legacy that she and her family left continues to impact the lives of her grandchildren and great grandchildren. Phyllis was a kind and caring person. If you asked her how she was doing, her reply would be; “Alright, I reckon”. That memory and many more made with her loved ones will forever be treasured by each of them.

Phyllis leaves behind to cherish her memory, her two children: John and wife Crystal Nelson of Waldron, Arkansas and Marianne Nelson of Waldron, Arkansas. Mamaw will forever remain in the hearts of her four grandchildren: Kalyn Isom, Lukas Isom, Makayla Harrison and Krysta Beaty and her eight great grandchildren: Mia Rose, Kayden, Dallas, Trenton, Laklynn, Avin, Jasper and Lealyn. Phyllis is also survived by her four sister-in-laws: Pat, Sandy, Punk and Lois. Phyllis will be missed by all that knew her and the many lives who she impacted including numerous nieces, nephews, extended family and friends.

Phyllis was preceded in death by her loving husband, Charles Nelson, her mother, father and all of her sibling.

Phyllis’ life celebration will be at 2:00 p.m. Monday, August 28, 2023 at the Temple Baptist Church in Waldron, Arkansas with Bro. Jackie Smith and Rev. George Barham officiating. Interment will follow in the Sehorn Cemetery in Waldron, Arkansas. Arrangements are being entrusted to the Heritage Memorial Funeral Home in Waldron, Arkansas.

Phyllis’ pallbearers will be Jimmy Janway, Jeffery Janway, Brandon Nelson, Matthew Nelson, Terry Staggs and Dan Staggs. Honorary pallbearers will be Nelson Deer Camp.

Phyllis’ visitation will be on Sunday, August 27, 2023 from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. at the Heritage Memorial Funeral Home in Waldron, Arkansas.

Paris Defeats Waldron in Season Opener at Eagles Stadium, 32-14

Sports

Resident News Network

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5:02 am

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Paris Defeats Waldron in Season Opener at Eagles Stadium, 32-14

PARIS- On an opening night of high school football that concerned many with the extreme heat in Arkansas over the past several weeks, the Paris Eagles and the Waldron Bulldogs kicked off the 2023 season with a “zero week” game in Paris. Paris and Waldron had agreed the previous weekend to push the kickoff time back one hour to 8 p.m. to allow the game to be played primarily at night in cooler temperatures. On game day, Johnson County Westside and Dover announced the cancellation of their game due to concerns with the forecasted temperature at kickoff. Unofficially, it was reported to RNN Sports that JC Westside forfeited their game with Dover, but that has been unconfirmed.

But approximately 4 p.m., cloud cover moved into Logan County and dropped the temperature significantly before game time. In fact, it became dark enough around 6 p.m. to force the administration to turn on the game field lights before the teams arrived on the field for pregame warm-up. The cloud cover was a big break for everyone concerned, and it set the stage for a great night of opening weekend high school football.

Going into the game, Paris was looking to shake the bad memories of the 2022 season that included a loss at Waldron. Paris needed a big win at Eagles Stadium to avenge last year’s loss and to get the 2023 season off to a good start. Waldron was going into the game with its new coach, Cain White who had just joined the district in the spring from Manila. So, both programs were in similar spots, but for different reasons going into Friday’s game.

But on this night, it would be the young and talented Paris Eagles who would come out and take the game to the Bulldogs. Paris’s offense moved the ball seemingly at will and only stopped itself on a few turnovers that are indicative of a first game of the season. Waldron fought hard and tried to respond, but every time Waldron would score, Paris had a quick answer.

The Paris defense was impressive against the run, and the defensive line was also able to put pressure on the Waldron quarterback to force their own turnovers. Perhaps most encouraging for the Paris fans were the number of sophomore and junior players who contributed heavily to the win over Waldron. Paris, with just three seniors on their roster, has a lot of talent that is young, but they have some experience from last year, and on Friday, a group of talented sophomores gained valuable experience in the win.

Watch for more on this game, along with a preview of next week’s game in Mansfield that will feature Paris traveling to Mansfield to play a Tigers team that played at home on Friday, defeating Magazine, 56-0. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.

The Waldron Bulldogs will return home to host the Lamar Warriors at Bulldogs Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. in Waldron.

Congratulations to coach Jeff Weaver, his staff, and the young Eagles on a great victory to open the 2023 season! Watch for photos from the game on Sunday evening on RNN Sports’ “Team Press Pass” Facebook page, and, on Facebook at Paris Eagles Sports.

What Does it Cost Not to Have Life Insurance?

Business

Tammy Teague

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1:23 am

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What Does it Cost Not to Have Life Insurance?

It’s probably not on your calendar, but September is Life Insurance Awareness Month. And that means it’s a good time to become more aware of the benefits of having life insurance — and the dangers of not having it.

Unfortunately, confusion about some of the basic elements of owning life insurance may be keeping people from getting the protection they need. More than half of uninsured Americans say they have put off purchasing coverage because they don’t know what to buy or how much they need, according to Life Happens and LIMRA, two nonprofit organizations that provide research and education about life insurance.

Yet, while this confusion may be understandable, a delay in acquiring appropriate insurance can be costly in more ways than one. From a strict dollars-and-cents perspective, it’s generally much more affordable to buy life insurance when you’re younger. But there are potentially much greater costs involved in not having insurance when it’s needed — and these costs are personal.

To be specific, what is it worth …

… to know your family could stay in your home if something happened to you?

… to know your children could continue their education plans?

… to know your debts could be paid without burdening your family?

Clearly, if you were to assign these benefits a “price tag,” it would be pretty high.

And that’s the value of owning sufficient life insurance.

So, let’s return to the issue of people putting off buying insurance because they don’t know how much they need, or what type they should have:

• How much is enough? You might hear that you need life insurance equal to about seven to 10 times your pretax annual salary. That’s not a bad “ballpark” figure, but not everyone is playing in the same ballpark. To get a true sense of how much of a death benefit you require from your life insurance, you’ll need to consider a variety of factors, possibly including your current income, spouse’s income, the size of your mortgage (in addition to other liabilities), number of children, educational expenses and final expenses for funeral arrangements.

• What type? You can essentially choose between two basic types of life insurance: term and permanent. As its name suggests, term insurance is designed to provide coverage for a designated period, such as 10 or 20 years. Generally speaking,

term insurance is quite affordable for most people, especially when they buy policies as young adults. On the other hand, permanent insurance, such as whole life or universal life, is usually considerably more expensive than term insurance. This is because permanent insurance premiums, in addition to providing a death benefit, help build cash value, which you can typically access through loans or withdrawals, giving you additional flexibility should your financial needs change over time. In choosing between term and permanent insurance, you’ll want to evaluate several issues, such as how long you think you’ll need coverage and how much you can afford to pay in premiums.

Finding out about the benefits, costs and types of life insurance can help you make informed choices to help protect your family for years to come — so don’t delay learning what you need to know.

This article is provided by Jeffrey O’Neal, Financial Advisor
Edward Jones
20 N Express St, Paris, AR 72855
479-963-1321
jeffrey.o’neal@edwardjones.com
edwardjones.com/jeffrey-o’neal
Edward Jones, Member SIPC
Arkansas Insurance License 19642705
Edward Jones is a licensed insurance producer in all states and Washington, D.C., through
Edward D. Jones & Co., L.P., and in California, New Mexico and Massachusetts through Edward Jones Insurance Agency of California, L.L.C.; Edward Jones Insurance Agency of New Mexico, L.L.C.; and Edward Jones Insurance Agency of Massachusetts, L.L.C. California Insurance License OC24309

“Just Roll with It” Serving up Recipes and Humor

Featured

Tammy Teague

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5:04 pm

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“Just Roll with It” Serving up Recipes and Humor

By Sheri Hopkins, Lifestyle Contributor

Hello everyone! It’s summer in Arkansas for sure.

If you haven’t made the peach angel food cake recipe from last week, you really need to try it. It was delicious and my oldest grandson, Ethan, loved it. It was so light and fluffy.

Y’all know how I talked about my brother, Larry, losing his phone on our Nashville trip? Well, it runs in our family for sure. His daughter, Kelly, has lost about everything you could possibly lose. She has lost her wallet, purse, wedding rings, money, inheritance check, oh and even lost her oldest child when she was little.

Allison was dressed in a clown costume at the old Sears store and Kelly loses her. How in the world do you lose a kid in a clown costume? She stuck out like a sore thumb. The only thing she could say was “dad’s going to kill me.” We all got a laugh out of that. She finally found her after the hysteria, cries and big search. I’m telling y’all that to tell you this, my brother, her dad, used to carry everyone in the family’s phone number on a piece of paper in his wallet. He had a flip phone and I guess he didn’t know how to put the numbers in it. He has a fancy iPhone now, and he can even order stuff online.

One day Kelly gets a phone call from a strange man, and he says, “do you know a Larry Wagoner?” She says, “That’s my dad.” He tells her that he found his wallet in the middle of the street, and he had numbers in there, so that’s why he called. Kelly was thrilled to get to call her dad and tell him someone found his wallet in the street. He always gave her a hard time about losing things. Wonder why out of all the names on the list, he picked Kelly’s to call? We laugh about it now.

I went to Fort Smith last Saturday to meet Jacob and Loren for lunch and do a little shopping. I always have my ice chest for my road beverages. I pull up to Chipotle and go to get out and I have no purse. I am in Fort Smith with no purse, no wallet, but I have a Diet Coke on ice. Jacob and Loren bought my lunch. I may conveniently forget my purse from now on.

Speaking of phones, I am one of the few that still have a house phone. When the kids started staying with me, they had no clue what a house phone was. It was ringing one day, and Ella says to Evan, “you are supposed to pick that thing up on top and talk into it!” Lands sake, I never dreamed they didn’t know what a house phone was. I’m sure kids these days have no clue what a payphone is. I’ve had to use a payphone many times when I was young. Oh, the good old days!

Since I’m on an angel food kick, this week’s recipe is pineapple angel food cake.

PINEAPPLE ANGEL FOOD CAKE
1 16 oz. angel food cake mix
1 20 oz. can of crushed pineapple in juice
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix the angel food cake mix dry and the pineapple until mixed well. You can use a hand mixer. Spray a 9×13 pan with Pam and bake for 25-30 minutes, depending on your oven. I bake mine 27 minutes. Let it cool. This would be good with Cool Whip and some coconut sprinkled on top. Have a blessed week!

Melonworm threatens Arkansas pumpkins, growers should scout now through October

Outdoors

Tammy Teague

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4:25 pm

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Melonworm threatens Arkansas pumpkins, growers should scout now through October

By Sarah Cato
U of A System Division of Agriculture

With fall approaching, Arkansas pumpkin growers are nearing harvest. But while fruit ripens on the vines, growers should be on the lookout for melonworm.

Melonworm is a pest of cucurbit crops — a family that includes cucumbers and watermelons — that feeds on plant foliage and fruit, usually etching pumpkin rinds just under the stems or where the fruit contacts the ground. Often confused with pickleworm, melonworm is a different, tropical species that migrates to Arkansas from coastal regions. Because melonworm doesn’t overwinter in Arkansas, its arrival varies year to year, typically beginning in early to mid-September, but sometimes as early as late August.

Melonworm moths have white, almost translucent, wings with a brown outline. Larvae are green caterpillars with two longitudinal, white stripes down their back and 4 sets of prolegs.

“When we see melonworm really depends on the climatic conditions for the year,” said Aaron Cato, horticulture integrated pest management specialist for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. “In 2021, moths showed up in late August, much earlier than previous years and began multiplying rapidly before pumpkin harvest started.”

Significant damage

This early arrival led to significant damage in pumpkins statewide in 2021.

“By late September, we were seeing a large number of damaged pumpkins and a lot of growers saw a 50 percent yield loss or more by the end of the year,” Cato said. “Melonworm was by far our biggest pumpkin pest in 2021.”

Cato said melonworm larvae will quickly defoliate leaves of pumpkin plants, feed on the rind and burrow under the handle, causing the stem to pull off when grabbed. Feeding on the rind results in the fruit ultimately becoming unmarketable. However, there are warning signs to look out for and treatment options available.

“Seeing moths in the field should be an early sign for growers that an insecticide application may be necessary,” Cato said. “If growers can easily find the white and brown moths flying in plantings, or if they’re seeing larvae on leaves, a pesticide application will be necessary.”

Many effective products for melonworm are available. Although an economic threshold for this pest doesn’t currently exist, research in Arkansas is ongoing.

“Our data from 2021 and 2022 indicates that pesticides containing chlorantraniliprole, such as Coragen or Shenzi, do the best job because they have a long residual,” Cato said. “Pyrethroids like bifenthrin or lambda-cyhalothrin only achieved moderate levels of control and likely aren’t going to get the job done.”

Mention of product names does not imply endorsement by the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.

To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on Twitter 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 Twitter at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on Twitter at @AgInArk.

Mansfield Church Celebrates Centennial Year

Tammy Teague

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4:08 pm

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Mansfield Church Celebrates Centennial Year

On October 14, 2023, the Mansfield Methodist Church will be celebrating a centennial milestone. Pastor Ron Newberry and congregation has a day of celebratory worship planned.

The service is set to begin at 10 a.m., at the church located at 111 S. Division Ave. in Mansfield. According to Newberry approximately 11 former pastors of the church have been invited to attend. Additionally, District Superintendent Dr. Blake Bradford will serve as the keynote speaker, and the service will feature a personal video greeting from Bishop Laura Merrell.

Mansfield Mayor Buddy Black will be on hand to issue a proclamation honoring the congregation’s commitment and contribution to the community.

The current building has been at the corner of Division and Center Street for the past 100 years. Standing strong as the congregation, past and present. “The message of the church has essentially been the same,” shared the pastor. “Worship in community, strive in faith, and draw new people in.”

The church puts that mission statement in action providing a blessing box, and most recently opening their doors to the community as a cooling center during the 100 degrees plus days. “We also provide an annual teacher appreciation breakfast,” Newberry continued. “We just held one, and we served about 75 teachers.”

Newberry, who is a retired minister, found the opportunity to continue to serve within the congregation at Mansfield. “In my 33 years in the ministry, I have never been in a more open and welcoming congregation. The congregation is very active in inviting people…Studies have shown that the most effective way to reach people is one on one, by inviting friends and neighbors.”

The Foundation of the church that has stood for generations will undoubtedly remain for the steadfast for the future.

Congratulations to the congregation of the Mansfield Methodist Church on this commemorative anniversary.

Attorney General Griffin Working with State Senator Terry Rice to Clarify and Strengthen Arkansas’s Overly Complicated and Complex Gun Laws

News

Tammy Teague

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12:58 pm

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Attorney General Griffin Working with State Senator Terry Rice to Clarify and Strengthen Arkansas’s Overly Complicated and Complex Gun Laws

Attorney General Tim Griffin today announced that he is working with State Senators Ricky Hill (R-Cabot) and Terry Rice (R-Waldron) and Rep. Howard Beaty (R-Crossett) to address the state’s overcomplicated gun laws:

“At their core, our gun laws provide strong protection for our Second Amendment rights. But over the years, they have been adopted in a haphazard fashion, and they are currently a mess; they’re often hard to understand, and we need to fix that. Those of us who care deeply about our Second Amendment rights owe it to Arkansans to express our laws in simple, straightforward, common-sense terms.

“Upon taking office, I made simplifying our gun laws a priority, and over the past few months, law enforcement, legislators, and many others have been outspoken about the need to strengthen and simplify Arkansas’s overcomplicated gun laws. As Attorney General, I have a responsibility to work to improve our laws, and our gun laws are no exception. I am excited to work with legislative leaders—Senators Ricky Hill and Terry Rice and Rep. Howard Beaty—to address this need.

“In the past 10 years, state leaders have requested two dozen opinions about Arkansas gun laws because they’re too complicated and unnecessarily confusing. There is no reason why we can’t have gun laws that make sense without seeking the advice of a lawyer.

“I welcome input from Arkansans who share my love for the Second Amendment and our desire to strengthen and improve our laws.”

Sen. Hill, the Majority Whip, Chair of the Insurance and Commerce Committee, and Vice-Chair of the Joint Budget Committee, said, “I appreciate Attorney General Griffin partnering with us on this important mission. Our Second Amendment rights are fundamental and precious. But our gun laws aren’t easy to understand, and that’s something we need to address. We look forward to receiving input from the many stakeholders who feel passionate about this issue.”

Sen. Rice, Co-Chair of the Arkansas Legislative Council and Vice-Chair of the Committee on City, County and Local Affairs, added, “Over the years Arkansas’s gun laws have been amended in such a patchwork manner as to make them often difficult to read cohesively. I look forward to working with other leaders to tackle this project and provide clarity.”

Rep. Beaty, Vice Chair of the Revenue and Taxation Committee and member of the Agriculture, Forestry, and Economic Development Committee, said, “I am proud to be a part of the group of leaders taking on this important task. Arkansas gun laws are strong but can be confusing. I intend to further bolster them and ensure they are easy to understand.”

Secretary of Public Safety and Director of the Arkansas State Police Mike Hagar praised Griffin’s announcement, saying, “Attorney General Griffin, Senators Hill and Rice, and Rep. Beaty are the perfect leaders to spearhead this task. The state’s law enforcement officers are in a difficult position because they are asked to enforce laws that are confusing or duplicative. I thank the Attorney General for committing to help bring clarity to our laws.”

Cleburne County Sheriff Chris Brown also lauded Griffin’s announcement, saying: “Attorney General Griffin, Senators Hill and Rice, and Rep. Beaty are doing right by Arkansans by taking a lead to bring clarity in our gun laws. People in my county and across the state need laws that are clear and easy to understand not only to enjoy their constitutional rights, but to better protect themselves, their families and property.”

The public may email comments to 2A@arkansasag.gov.

Lady Eagles Fly to Little Rock and Sweep Pulaski Academy

Sports

Resident News Network

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7:05 am

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Lady Eagles Fly to Little Rock and Sweep Pulaski Academy

LITTLE ROCK- People often say that the most improvement a team will make is from their first game to their second. And after a rough outing at Russellville on Tuesday night, the Paris Lady Eagles returned to the road 48 hours later to take on the Pulaski Academy Lady Bruins in Little Rock on Thursday night.

Paris’s second consecutive match on the road at a Class 5A school to start the 2023 season would be a test for the young team that fought hard in Russellville but made untimely mistakes during the match that kept them playing from behind for almost the entire match.

But coach Josh Hart’s team came out swinging and never let up until Paris had swept the Lady Bruins in three consecutive sets. Ironically, the Paris team arrived at Pulaski Academy inside of 20 minutes before the start of the junior varsity match. But the Lady Eagles flew off the bus, ready to play, and play well they did.

Paris won all three sets in convincing fashion, and it appeared to be a shell-shocked Lady Bruins team who had played well over Paris during summer camp at Benton but did not look like the same team on Thursday against Paris.

The Paris back line was instrumental in the win over Pulaski Academy. On Tuesday at Russellville, the back line struggled, but on Thursday night, the defensive specialists, the libero, and the setters for the Lady Eagles were flying all over the floor, making great saves and keeping vollies alive that ended in scoring opportunities for Paris. Coach Hart’s team on the floor and the players on the bench were enthusiastic and had great energy throughout the match. For just their second game of the season, it was a complete game effort for the Lady Eagles. So many players made big contributions to the win; front line, setters, defensive specialists, and liberos, all played extremely well.

With the win, Paris improves their record to 1-1 on the season, splitting two road games against 5A opponents. The loss drops the Lady Bruins to 0-3 on the season. PA has losses to Sheridan, Pottsville, and now to Paris to start their season.

Paris will return to Little Rock on Saturday to play in the Spike Fest invitational tournament. On Tuesday, August 29, Paris will open its home and conference season when they host the Charleston Lady Tigers. Paris will end the month of August on the road again when they travel to Hackett to take on the preseason 3A West favorite, Lady Hornets.

Pulaski Academy will travel to Sylvan Hills on Monday, August 28 to play the Lady Bears in a conference match-up. The Lady Bruins will travel again in less than 24 hours to play Little Rock Christian on Tuesday, August 29, and will end the week with their third consecutive road trip when they travel across town to take on the 2022 Class 3A state champions Little Rock Baptist Prep on Thursday, August 31.

RNN Sports will be in Paris on August 29 to bring you coverage of the Lady Eagles’ conference opener with Charleston. Congratulations to the Paris Lady Eagles for an impressive road victory!

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RESIDENT NEWS NETWORK