The recent auction of tax-delinquent properties in Crawford, Franklin, Logan, Scott and Sebastian counties raised over $1.6 million; the Commissioner of State Lands announced.
The regional auction drew 188 registered bidders, who purchased 85 of 104 parcels for $1,645,154.43. Results were as follows:
The Land Commissioner’s office is holding regional auctions to offer real estate parcels delinquent since 2018.
“Just a small portion of property certified to our office goes to auction,” Commissioner Tommy Land said. “The vast majority of owners redeem their property by paying the delinquent taxes. Of course, we always prefer that property be redeemed if the owners want to keep it, but it is vital that the parcels return to the county’s active tax rolls.”
The COSL office forwards taxes and interest to the county, whether that money is collected through redemption or sale.
“Last year, this office sent more than $23 million to school districts and county governments,” Land said. “Of that, $1,206,549.03 went to these five counties, helping fund everything from roads to schools.”
Those turnback amounts were:
Crawford County: $341,487.03.
Franklin County: $83,414.80.
Logan County: $74,049.42.
Scott County: $17,616.78.
Sebastian County: $689,981.00.
Auction sales are final.
Unsold parcels may be redeemed online at www.cosl.org, using a credit or debit card, or owners can call 501-324-9422 to request a Petition to Redeem. Redemption does not grant ownership; it simply makes the taxes current.
Parcels that did not sell at the public auction will be available after 30 days and can be purchased through an online auction by viewing the Post-Auction Sales List at www.cosl.org.
CLEVELAND – The Division 2 Athletics Directors Association (D2 ADA) have announced the 2022-23 recipients of the D2 ADA Academic Achievement Awards. The Academic Achievement Awards, in its 16th year, is a program that recognizes the academic accomplishments of student-athletes at the Division II level.
“This program continues to showcase the amazing student-athletes, and the impactful support of their coaches and staff, across our Division 2 landscape. I want to congratulate all the recipients for earning the D2 ADA Academic Achievement Award,” said Kirby Garry, director of athletics at Cal State Monterey Bay and current D2 ADA President. “While the number of deserving student-athletes continues to increase annually, the number of institutions recognizing these individuals on campus also continues to trend upwards. We look forward to eclipsing the 200-institution barrier next year.”
To qualify for this honor, the following must occur:
The AD MUST BE a CURRENT dues-paying member of the D2 ADA.
Student-athlete must have …
o a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 or higher on a 4.0 scale
o have attended a minimum of two years (four semesters) of college level work
o have been an active member of an intercollegiate team during his/her last academic year
The 30 student-athletes from UAFS to earn the honor are as follows:
Hello everyone! Dog days of summer. I will get a lot of hate over this, but I like summer way more than winter. I do not like to be cold. All three of my grandkids like fall and winter. I do love fall because y’all know how much I love Halloween.
Some of my stories are so crazy, but they are all true. I didn’t date a lot of guys in my day, but it seems like the ones I did date always ended up with a crazy story. Why were there not any normal guys back in the 80’s? I’m sure there was, but not in my circle. Seems like Lisa Favela was always in on these shenanigans. One time she set me up on a blind date with her date’s brother and I had to actually get out of the car and act like I was throwing up to get out of it. Whew! That was a close one! I’m not Pamela Anderson, but some things I draw the line on. This is another story on this particular night. We were on a double date headed to Ft. Smith, we get into town and low and behold their truck broke down. See what I mean? Always something. So, we are going down Pheonix Avenue and pulled into some business there. They fiddled with that truck, and it would not start. We had to call a wrecker to have them haul it back to my house. Here comes the wrecker service with this big guy looking pretty rough. He is going to tow us back to Mansfield. Might I add, single cab. We asked to ride with him, why on Earth did we not call someone to come get us is beyond me. Lisa and me are fighting over who has to sit by the wrecker guy. I drew the short straw. There are five of us in the cab of a wrecker truck headed to Mansfield. We are packed in there like sardines. It was just awful. We finally get to Mansfield after what seems like hours and the big wrecker guy gets out and starts rubbing the side of his leg and he says, “you have just about rubbed the hide off my leg!” I was so embarrassed I could have croaked. Yes, I know what you are wondering, and yes, we did go back out with the guys. Oh, the fun we had back in them good old days.
This week’s recipe is crescent roll cheesecake, and my sister-in-law had this at my brother’s birthday party, and they are soooo good. My grands loved them.
CRESENT ROLL CHEESECAKE 2 cans of crescent rolls 2 8 oz. packages of cream cheese (softened) 1 1/2 cup sugar 1 tsp. vanilla 1 tsp. cinnamon 1 stick of butter (not margarine) Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Spray your 9×13 pan with cooking spray. Unroll and press one can of the crescent rolls into the bottom of your pan and press the seams together. In a separate bowl, blend the cream cheese, 1 cup of the sugar and 1 tsp. of vanilla. Mix well and spread over the top of the crescent dough in your pan. Unroll the second can of crescent rolls and place on top on the top off the cream cheese mixture, pressing the seams together. Melt the butter and pour over the top of the crescent rolls. Mix the remaining 1/2 cup sugar and the cinnamon together and sprinkle on top. Now, if you don’t think that’s enough, you can do a little more. More is always better in my book. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes until bubbly. Cool and enjoy. Have agreat week!
PARIS- Regardless of sport, senior leadership is extremely important to every team. And in 2023, senior leadership will again be very important to a young Paris Lady Eagles volleyball team.
Paris senior Carsyn Johnson will be one of a handful of seniors on a roster that includes a lot of young talent that received playing time last season. Johnson is a setter and defensive specialist that rotated into games with fellow senior Abbi Walker. The two senior setters will bring valuable experience to a fairly young front line of Paris hitters.
Paris fans who have watched Carsyn play over the past few years can’t help but to notice the improvement in her development as a player who is now playing with greater confidence. After watching this outstanding player perform over the past two years, and, after having the opportunity to visit with her for this story, the growth in her confidence is evident, and I expect that to pay great dividends for both her and the Lady Eagles this fall.
A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to visit with her parents at the Benton summer volleyball camp. I asked them if they would mind if I interviewed Carsyn for this story, and they graciously accepted. So, last week, I had the opportunity to interview Carsyn over the phone and to record her comments.
When the interview took place, the team had just returned from having played in another summer camp that was held in Greenbrier. Coach Josh Hart had given the team the day off, and Carsyn and I visited that afternoon.
On the day of the interview, the Lady Eagles’ season was just three weeks away. As Carsyn is about to enter her senior year of high school and as a Lady Eagles volleyball player, I asked her what this year meant to her. She began by saying, “This year I feel like I’m going to need to be more open about things (on the team). I just need to find the best way to talk to each person on the team and how to play with them. It will make things easier for me to help them and to encourage them to do their best.” In speaking further of her upcoming senior year, she continued to say, “Now that it is here, it feels like it kind of went by fast. But, before this year, it went a little bit slow.”
Carsyn has played volleyball since the sixth grade. She has played on the varsity team for the past two years. As a setter and a defensive specialist, it has required her to develop both her physical and mental skills. “You are always thinking about what you are doing (on the court). So, you kind of have to think about it pretty fast.” Setters are making split-second decisions on where and who to set the ball to on the front line. A lot of pressure that must be handled for the success of the team. “For me, it is something that I have really had to work at. I’m still kind of working on it because I hear them (front line hitters) calling for the ball I am hearing several different people saying something and you are trying to pick which one will take care of the ball the best.” To expand on this, I asked her if her decision on who to set the ball to was predicated on the defense or who was open on the front line. Carsyn replied, “It just kind of depends on where that ball is at. Because if it is at a place…there are places you don’t want to go with it…but sometimes you only have limited options (on who to set to). Sometimes you get a pass where there is really nothing that can be done, and you just have to send it over (hit it across the net). But other times, if the other team has holes in their defense, you can use that to your advantage.”
Carsyn Johnson (19) prepares for the receive in a 2022 match at Little Rock against Episcopal Collegiate (RNN Sports File Photo / Jim Best)
And as we have discussed over the years, the Paris volleyball program history is one of success in both regular season and in the postseason. In this interview, I asked Carsyn the same question that I have asked other players, and that is do you feel pressure as a senior to lead this team back to a serious playoff run in the state playoffs? Carsyn responded by saying, “Yeah, I guess I would say that I definitely feel some pressure. Because I know that when I was one of the younger players, I looked up to the older players to help us get there (to the state playoffs). And you know, it not like the pressure is just on one person. I feel like everybody on the court can feel it and they know what we are trying to do because we always want the same thing.”
So, with just a few weeks remaining before the Eagles go to Russellville to open the season, I asked Carsyn where she thought the team was with respect to their readiness to open the season. Carsyn assessed her team’s state of preparation as, “I think right now we are in a pretty good place and our team chemistry is getting better because we are all just trying to help each other out and to be the best players that we can be. Recently, we have had our older front row players helping our younger ones by just giving them advice and encouragement by just trying to help them out in any way possible.” To expand on this point, I asked Carsyn if she was seeing certain players stepping up to assume leadership roles on the team. She continued to say, “I know I am trying to because if I can show them (the players and coaches) that I have the confidence that we can do it, then they’re going to catch on to that and we will all have the confidence. And I know there are several younger players that are also trying to assume leadership and that means that next year they will have leaders that can help them (the 2024 Lady Eagles).”
Carsyn Johnson (19) is one of a small group of seniors who will be looked upon to lead the Eagles back to the state playoffs (RNN Sports File Photo / Jim Best)
As our interview progressed, I asked Carsyn just how far she thought this year’s edition of Paris volleyball could go this season. Carsyn said, “I think that if everyone puts in the work and they show that they really want it, then we can go pretty far (in the playoffs).”
Regarding the rest of the 3A West conference, the Lady Eagles’ opponents may be thinking this is the year to defeat Paris after the loss of experienced players from a year ago. But when I posed this question to Carsyn, she responded by saying, “Just having support from our fans means a lot. Like yesterday, we were cheering on our JV team, and I think that had a very big impact with them and the way they played.” Paris will need their fans to both show up big at home and on the road to cheer this young team on, especially in the early weeks of the season. Paris will open with four game is nine days with three of them on the road, including top-rated Hackett in the 3A West. By Labor Day, Paris will have played three road games and will have played one conference game at home against Charleston and one on the road at Hackett…all before September 1.
Although I expect this team to show some “growing pains” early, I also expect them to improve each week. In fact, Paris could be a dangerous team for opponents to face late in the season. By district tournament time, the Lady Eagles could be a serious contender for a top tier seed in the following state tournament.
For Carsyn Johnson, the large numbers of Paris fans give her confidence with each game. “I feel like if they thought we could do it (win games) they wouldn’t be there.” On the road, sometimes things can go against you in a game that is very much a matter of momentum swings in every set. I asked her what she will say to her teammates on the road when things are not going well, and the Lady Eagles have to regain the momentum. She said, “I think I would just try to encourage them and tell them that they know how to play volleyball (the opponent) and we know how to play volleyball and when we play our volleyball it’s just a lot of fun and we all just kind of connect there. It’s a matter of knowing that we can play, and we have to play our volleyball and not worry so much about what they (the opponent) are doing.”
Over the past few years, one of Carsyn’s favorite moments was the 2021 state semifinals match against Little Rock Episcopal at Paris Gymnasium. Paris won a hard-fought match that day against a determined Lady Wildcats team. Carsyn said, “We had the whole school in our student section that day. That showed us a lot of support. And it was just a fun game to win.”
And Paris needed all of that support that day in defeating Episcopal. The win advanced Paris to the state final in Hot Springs against Hackett, and the Lady Eagles would go on to the state title with a three-set win in the state championship finals over the Lady Hornets.
Individually, Carsyn’s goals include growing her confidence in herself and in her leadership role as a senior. “Going into this year, I feel like my main goal is to gain more confidence in myself. Because I have never really been one to have much confidence and to “step outside the box.” And I think that is something I need to do this year; not just for me, but for the rest of the team. If I have confidence, then they can see that and start to have confidence in themselves. It will help a lot of our younger players too.”
What a great statement on Carsyn’s part! To tell her readers that she wants to improve her self-confidence for not only herself but also for her team is a big sign of maturity and development as a senior that will be a big boost for this year’s Lady Eagles.
From this writer’s standpoint, Carsyn has made it to the mature and confident person and leader she wants to be. Her story, along with other inspiring stories from players on this team, are just a few reasons why I believe this team could be fun to watch this season. They deserve our support and attendance all season. In fact, should the team struggle the first two weeks of the season, we need to continue to show our support. The team will improve as the season progresses, and I believe they are going to surprise some opponents late in the season.
RNN Sports would like to thank Carsyn Johnson and her family for consenting to the interview for this story. We wish her and all of the Lady Eagles the very best this upcoming season!
Watch for our coverage of the Lady Eagles’ alumni volleyball game on August 17 on RNN Sports’ online platform at residentnewsnetwork.com
Good luck to Carsyn Johnson and the Paris Lady Eagles!
Note to Our Readers: The following story was sourced directly from Miss Brittany Tucker, Faculty Sponsor, Booneville High School FCCLA. We thank Miss Tucker for sharing this story with our readers!
DENVER- Each year FCCLA conducts STAR (Students Taking Action with Recognition) Events at the Regional Level. We had 3 groups that competed in this year’s Regional STAR Event Competition on December 5th at Har-Ber High School. Camdyn Dove and Shelbie Myers competed in Interior Design – Level 3, Brooklyn Elmore competed in Job Interview – Level 3, and Kelsey Boersma and Kylie Lunsford competed in Focus on Children – Level 3.
With this being my first STAR Event competition to take students to, it was a little nerve-racking to try and make sure we had everything that the criteria wanted us to have for each of the projects. The organization sends out a list of all the things needed for the presentation and a rubric. You try your best to have everything included in your presentation. Not only do these students have to come up with a project based on the event they chose and the criteria they have to meet, but some have present to others before they present in front of the judges at the actual STAR Event competition.
Kelsey and Kylie chose Focus on Children as their event and had to construct a lesson to be taught to our 1st-grade students at our Elementary. They chose to teach our little ones about social-emotional learning. They created a project that was fun and brought the characters from Pixar’s Inside-Out movie to life. They taught the students what it means to be happy, sad, mad, scared, and disgusted, and how to appropriately communicate those emotions to adults. By the end of the lesson, the students were then allowed to color pictures based on the specific emotion they were feeling that day and add their thumbprint to Kelsey and Kylie’s project to be displayed at the Regional Competition. They had to present their presentation in front of 3 judges and a student judge. After their presentation, the judges were allowed to ask questions regarding the project and why they chose the topic that they did.
Camdyn and Shelbie’s project was strictly devoted to the Interior Design of an After-School Counseling program where students could go to hang out and receive individual and group counseling. They had to create the “Director’s Quarters” while also coming up with other elements to put in the building. They created a floor plan for this building that was used on their presentation board as well as mood boards, renderings of the director’s room, and samples of paint and flooring that they wanted to use in the building. They had to present their presentation in front of three judges and a student judge. The judges asked questions about their project once they were finished presenting.
Brooklyn Elmore competed in Job Interview, and much like it sounds, she was interviewed for her event. She chose a “job” that would be suitable for her age and something that she was qualified for. She had to create a portfolio of things like resumes, work history, samples of work experience, letters of recommendation from teachers and our principal, and many other things that would be found in a job interview. The judges looked over her portfolio before she was interviewed and then the interview process began.
At the Regional level, each group advanced to the State Level. Students are awarded medals based on their placements. Focus on Children received a Silver Medal, Interior Design received a Bronze, and Job Interview also received a Bronze. The top two from each event move on to the next competition. So we qualified for State in Hot Springs!
With this competition, you can make changes to your project based on the score sheets and critics that you get from Regionals and take that to the State Level, which is what we did. We improved our projects and tried to follow the rubrics the best way we could. On April 5th and 6th, we traveled to Hot Springs where we competed in the State Competition. The concept for the competition is the same but on a bigger scale. Each group took in their projects and presented them to their judges, and we waited out the results. This competition also takes the top two from each event to the National level. Our Focus on Children group placed Silver. Our Interior Design group placed Gold, and our Job Interview placed Gold. We qualified for Nationals in Interior Design!!
Image Credit: Booneville High School FCCLA / Brittany Tucker
Now the fun part started. Seeing the amount of money that it was going to cost us to go to Denver was crazy. Airline tickets, hotels, food, transportation, it just seemed as though the bill just kept growing for the 6 of us to go. So the girls and I started collaborating and we decided to turn to our community for help. We created a sponsorship shirt that we would wear at Nationals with all of the awesome people that helped get us to the competition. We sold potted spring flowers, held a bake sale at the Senior/Faculty Softball game, our amazing school district let us host a “Jean Month” for our teachers, and we had many gracious donations from members of our community. Our sponsors were given a shirt and a thank you card as a sign of appreciation from us.
Before we knew it, Nationals Week was here. We flew to Denver and didn’t stop going once we got there. We attended Arkansas State Meetings with our fellow Arkansans. We attended several sessions throughout our stay and our general session where the FCCLA Executive Director welcomed over 7,900 members, advisors, corporate sponsors, and guests who are dedicated to discovering the unlimited possibilities available through FCCLA. We took part in the FCCLA Expo where we saw different exhibits that were brought to us by industry leaders, visited some shops that were available, and listened to RED talks as we walked around the Expo room. Now, we did a LOT of things with FCCLA while we were there, every day had something new to do and see, but we also explored Denver. I believe the girl’s favorite part of the trip was watching the sunrise at the Red Rock Amphitheater. We went to several malls and visited the Denver Botanical Gardens.
During the conference, Camdyn Dove and Shelbie Myers showcased their exceptional talent and dedication by participating in the Level 3 Interior Design competition. Their remarkable achievements are a testament to their hard work, determination, and the guidance of their advisor. The results of their partipation awarded them a Silver medal at the National Competition. We are so proud of both of them! Looking ahead, FCCLA will be hosting its next National Leadership Conference in Seattle, Washington from June 29 – July 3, 2024. For those interested in getting involved as a student, sponsor, or supporter please contact Brittany Tucker at Booneville High School.
LITTLE ROCK – The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission often talks about caring for fish during hot weather to prevent their mortality, but we’re just as concerned with angler health during the dog days of summer.
The three most common issues AGFC game wardens run across during the heat of summer are life jacket use, overexposure to the sun and indulging in too many alcoholic beverages.
Keep Your Jacket On Summer heat can be stifling if you don’t have much of a breeze, but that’s no excuse to take off your life jacket, the one thing that can save you from drowning in the event of an accident. Sure, those old orange “horse collar” life vests are downright uncomfortable, but there are many other options anglers can choose to stay safe on the water. Modern inflatable life jackets provide little more weight than a pair of suspenders and automatically deploy when submerged.
According to AGFC Boating Law Administrator Capt. Stephanie Weatherington for the AGFC, wearing this one piece of equipment could save more lives on Arkansas’s waters than anything else.
“Nearly every boating fatality we deal with could have been avoided if the victim had been wearing a properly fitting life jacket,” Weatherington said. “And if it’s a child who is 12 or under, they are required by law to wear their life jacket any time they are on a boat unless it is a houseboat or party barge with railing that is not moving under power.”
Sun-Screen Test At one time, a “healthy tan” was a side effect of spending the summer on the water or lounging at the beach. While a certain amount of sunlight is essential to the human body, like anything else, overindulgence can lead to problems. Not only can too much sun cause a nasty sunburn, but it can cause long-term damage to the skin and even skin cancer. The easiest thing to remember is pack and use the sunscreen. The scent and brand really doesn’t matter; what you’re looking for is the SPF factor.
SPF isn’t the number of minutes it’s good for; it indicates the amount of UV radiation the liquid shields from the skin. An SPF of 30 allows 1/30th of the sun’s radiation through, meaning it would take 30 times longer to receive the same effects as unprotected skin, but that’s only if it stayed on. Even water-resistant sunscreens will only last for a couple of hours before they begin to deteriorate from moisture, be it lakewater or perspiration.
Another way to cool down is to stay in the shadows. On some rivers and lakes, there may be plenty of trees overhanging the shore to offer some shelter, but if you know you’re going to be fishing or boating out in the open, invest in a sunbrella. Game wardens and other law enforcement officers on the water often can be seen under the shade of a canopy or roof on their boats when the summer sun is breathing down. Not only will it prevent overexposure to UV radiation, the shade feels a little cooler for these individuals who spend many days on the water each summer.
Dress for the occasion A tank top or T-shirt may have been common years ago, but many anglers you see today cover up a bit more. Thin UV-protective materials have come a long way. Lightweight facemasks, hoods and gloves also are available to help protect portions of the body most people don’t think twice about, until they receive a painful sunburn. Clothes like this also come with SPF factors, so pay attention to the labels.
Dodge high noon Anglers can beat the heat and the sunburn if they simply avoid those hours when the sun is beating down from straight overhead. Summer fishing often is best during the first few hours of daylight and dusk, leaving a lot of time to bake in the sun between. Instead of slogging through a sweaty day on the water, get to the lake early and catch up on some naptime on shore once the sun is high. If you’re not an early bird, head out an hour or so before sunset and enjoy that end of the fishing day. Just be sure your navigation lights work properly so you can make your way back to the ramp safely if the fishing picks up and you stay out a bit later than planned.
Hydrate with real water Sun not only stings the skin, it saps your body of moisture, which can cause dehydration. Sugary or carbonated drinks can magnify the drying effect of the exposure to UV rays. It’s always smart to have some extra drinking water nearby and remember to take an occasional drink, even if you don’t feel all that thirsty.
“Alcohol isn’t a good option for rehydration either,” Weatherington said. “Alcohol actually reduces the amount of water that gets into their cells.” Aside from contributing to dehydration, alcohol impairs judgment and can cause very dangerous situations for boaters and their passengers. The effects of alcohol are more potent when out in the summer heat because of natural stress factors like the sun, wind and waves rocking the boat.
“A person who might have a drink or two at home and not feel anything may discover the same amount of alcohol really impairs their response time, balance and judgment when they combine it with the common surroundings of summer boating,” Weatherington said.
This summer, be safe. Take the simple steps that could save your life. Summer heat and alcohol are such mundane things that their dangers are easily overlooked. Wear your life jacket, bring plenty of water, wear sunscreen or protective clothing and pay attention to what your body is telling you. If you decide to drink, make sure not to overindulge, and have a designated driver.
A new school year will soon begin. And if you have young children, that means it’s one year closer to the day when they head off to college or some other post-secondary education or training. You might be preparing for that day with a 529 education savings plan — but should you be concerned if you need to start taking withdrawals to pay for education expenses when the financial markets are volatile?
Long-term investment vehicles based on the financial markets, like a 529 plan, will always fluctuate in value. If you’ve had a 529 plan for many years, you’ve probably invested money when the market has been up, down and flat. In fact, during down periods, it’s often a good time to invest, because your dollars buy more shares than they could when prices are up. Your hope is that, over the years, your 529 plan will gain enough to overcome the short-term declines in value.
In any case, you’ll want to keep in mind the key benefit of 529 plans: Earnings and withdrawals are federally tax free when the money is used for qualified education expenses for college and some trade school programs. And your state may give you an income tax deduction or a credit for your 529 plan contributions. In some states, a 529 plan can be used for K-12 schooling as well.
You have another incentive to keep your 529 plan intact despite temporary drops in value. Specifically, if you withdraw money and don’t use it for eligible education expenses, your withdrawal may be subject to a 10% penalty, in addition to state and federal income taxes. That could be a high price to pay for a move that may not be in your best interest. After all, if you were to move your 529 plan money into a minimal-risk asset, such as some type of cash vehicle, you could sacrifice some of the growth potential you might need to meet the high costs of higher education.
Many 529 plans offer investment portfolios that gradually become more risk averse as the beneficiary gets closer to college age. A financial advisor can discuss the investment options with you.
While this investment feature doesn’t guarantee you’ll have complete immunity from financial market volatility, it can help reduce its impact when you need access to the money.
Here’s one more point to keep in mind: Just because you’ve planned to access your 529 plan when your child reaches 18, or whatever age they begin their post-secondary education, you’re not required to take money out at that point. You can keep
your 529 plan intact until you feel more comfortable making withdrawals, though you’ll need to consider how this decision will affect your ability to help pay for your child’s education.
The financial markets will always be in some type of flux, but don’t let these movements deter you from sticking with a 529 plan — it’s still one of the best investments you can make in your child’s future.
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
FAYETTEVILLE- Arkansas Razorbacks basketball legend, Charles Balentine, has passed away at age 60.
The Razorbacks great is perhaps best known for having hit the game-winning shot against Michael Jordan and the top-ranked North Carolina Tar Heels in 1984. The game was played at the Pine Bluff Convention Center and was televised on national TV. Balentine hit a five-foot jumper with four seconds remaining in the game.
Image Credit: Whole Hog Sports
According to “The Oklahoman” publication, the Razorbacks had played in Dallas against SMU the day before the North Carolina game. Due to stormy weather in Arkansas that day, coach Eddie Sutton and the Razorbacks decided to stay in Dallas one more night before traveling to Pine Bluff the next day for a neutral site, non-conference game with North Carolina. The team traveled to Pine Bluff on the morning of the North Carolina game, flying in shaky weather. According to teammate Joe Klein, some of the Arkansas players got sick on the flight.
Balentine starred at Newport High School where he was recruited by legendary coach Eddie Sutton. After a tremendous career at Arkansas, Balentine was drafted in the sixth round of the NBA draft by the Sacramento Kings. He is enshrined in both the Newport High School Alumni Hall of Fame and the UA Sports Hall of Honor.
Image Credit: KAIT
Charles Balentine will be missed, and to the many who followed him, he has left us all too soon. Perhaps teammate Joe Klein said it best on Twitter by saying, “I don’t know what to say, I can’t believe he is gone. What a good guy, teammate, and friend. I am going to miss him! God speed, and WPS Charles!”
My middle child has recently asked to go camping. His big brother says it’s because of me burning brush and the fire made him think of a campfire. I giggle every time I think of that explanation for the sudden interest in camping because he’s never been! Nonetheless as a momma I am always pushing my own limits and thinking of ways to enrich my kids’ lives.
Tent camping in the summer is not my idea of fun, and if I’m being honest it’s not really my idea of fun anytime. My anxiety takes over, and I come up with a lot of What-ifs when I think about tent camping with three littles. Here I am, though, researching how to not make it something we have to suffer through; and maybe even making it into an enjoyable experience.
When setting up find a campsite with the most shade. The more of the day you have shade the cooler you will be!
Failing the first one have a tarp or canopy to cover the tent with. Make sure to allow for airflow between the tarp and tent, this is just to add shade.
Remove the rain fly if there is no chance of rain there is no need for this! Remove it to get more air.
Try hammock camping and forego the tent altogether. The open air sleeping will help keep cooler.
There are tents that accommodate AC units. Additionally there are freestanding AC units. Verify with the campgrounds that the hook ups can accommodate an AC unit and you are good to go.
Take some sort of fan, battery or rechargeable fans are a great option. Grab something that will create airflow!
Pack your cooling towels, a heavy duty ice chest, and your perseverance and you might survive tent camping during the summer. Or just wait like I plan to, and do your adventuring when the temps are cooler and the mosquitos aren’t as plentiful.
Special thank you to Whitney Spears for allowing use of her camping photo.
HOT SPRINGSーThe heat wasn’t the only thing rising at the 47th Junior PGA Championships as new faces vaulted to the top of the leaderboards following the second day of play at Hot Springs Country Club.
Kylee Choi is the new leader in the Girls Division while Miles Russell, the No. 7-ranked junior on the Rolex AJGA Rankings, and Michael Riebe are co-leaders among the Boys following the first 36 holes. Choi, who began the day in third place, followed her opening-round 66 with a 4-under-67, moving her to 9-under-133 for the championship. The 16-year-old from Murrieta, California, carded seven birdies Wednesday, closing her round on the Arlington Course with two straight on holes 8 and 9 to give her a one-stroke lead heading into the third round. “I didn’t even realize I had seven birdies until I just finished,” said Choi. “My drives were actually going further than yesterday, so that was helping a lot considering Arlington plays a little longer. My putts were really good, so I was able to make up-and-downs. I had a few trouble holes where I went in the hazard, but I was able to save them with bogeys and recover them with more birdies.”
Not bad for Choi, considering she didn’t have a practice round on the Park Course and had to rush to her practice round on the Arlington Course after a redeye flight. “I landed like three hours before my tee time, so I was half-asleep the whole round, and I honestly didn’t remember some of the holes,” said Choi. “I didn’t have to overthink it, it was just hit it where you see it and see what happens.”
First round leader Gianna Clemente, the No. 2-ranked junior from Estero, Florida, sits in second after following up her record-tying opening round with a 1-under-70 to give her a score of 8-under-134 in the championship. Yana Wilson, the No. 4-ranked junior from Henderson, Nevada, is third at 5-under-137 after carding a 1-over-72 on the day. Russell, of Jacksonville Beach, Florida, improved to 8-under-134 overall as the Boys co-leader heading into round three. He started his round with a birdie and an eagle en route to a 4-under-67, adding three more birdies along the way. “I started on 11 and I chipped in,” said Russell. “I hit a good drive [on 12]. I think I got it just through the fairway and into the first cut. I tried to chip a 7-iron and just overdid it but had a nice lie. I had a good memory from the hole before so it just one-hopped in and that was that.”
Riebe fired a bogey-free 5-under-66 on the Park Course Wednesday to join Russell in a tie atop the leaderboard. The Encinitas, California, native connected on his fifth birdie of the day to close out his round on the par-3, 201-yard 10th.“The last [birdie] was great,” said Riebe. “I was kind of nervous going into it bogey-free, and I didn’t want to make a bogey on a tougher hole. My putter was really good today. It’s been kind of cold as of recent, but today I made a lot of good 10- to 20-footers.”
Four boys are tied for third at 6-under-136 following the first two rounds: Kihei Akina from Alpine, Utah (3-under-68); Jack Vojtko from Stow, Ohio (4-under-67); Will Gordon from Hot Springs, Arkansas (6-under-65); and No. 3 Jay Leng from San Diego, California (3-under-68).
The 47th Junior PGA Championships continue Thursday at Hot Springs Country Club with play moving exclusively to the Arlington Course. Third-round action gets underway at 7:30 a.m. CT.
The cutline came in at 5-over for the Girls after play ended, sending 67 competitors into the third round. In the Boys Division, the cutline was 3-over, with 64 advancing to play on Thursday. A second cut will be made after 54 holes to the low-30 boys and low-30 girls, plus ties.
Of the 10 Arkansas junior golfers competing this week at Hot Springs Country Club, two will continue playing Thursday after making the initial cut: Will Gordon from Hot Springs, Arkansas, and Anna Kate Nichols from Little Rock, Arkansas. “[Playing the Junior PGA Championships in Hot Springs] means so much to me,” said Gordon. “Playing in big tournaments and having the support system because it’s your hometown and your home country club, it’s a pretty big deal.”
Gordon was the biggest mover on cut day, rising up 34 spots to move into a tie for third after posting a round of 6-under-65 that included birdies in bunches on holes 4-5, 7-9 and 11-12. Following a first day score of even-par-71, he sits at 6-under-136 and two strokes off the lead. The 17-year-old is a member of Hot Springs Country Club and lives 10 minutes from the courses that he says he knows “about as well as anybody.”
Nichols, who is committed to play in-state at the University of Arkansas, is T-42 with a score of 4-over-146 after posting rounds of 72-74.
Note to Our Readers: The previous story was sourced directly from the PGA of America. Watch for photos from Friday’s final round on RNN Sports this weekend!
