PARIS- For decades, the game of baseball has been associated as an iconic piece of the American past time. And along with another piece, the observance of the Independence Day Holiday on July 4, the game of baseball and the great American past time have shared monumental events over the years.
Last year, RNN Sports shared the July 4 story of Lou Gehrig who gave his famous farewell speech at Yankee Stadium on July 4, 1939. And in typical Fourth of July holiday style and culture, and as we all enjoy traditional family and recreational activities at this time each year, part of that culture to many includes flocking to the Major League ballparks around the country for an afternoon or evening of July 4 professional baseball. In 1939, the scene was in New York City where fans packed Yankee Stadium to say good-bye to Lou Gehrig. And 28 years earlier, it was Detroit where the Tigers were hosting the Chicago White Sox. The Tigers lineup included perhaps the greatest hitter of all time, Ty Cobb, who went into the game having hit safely in 40 consecutive games.
Detroit went into the doubleheader that day with the White Sox and held a half-game lead over the Philadelphia Athletics. Detroit’s lead had slipped from having lead Philadelphia at one point in the season by 9 1/2 games.
In the first game of the doubleheader, the White Sox’s Ed Walsh pitched a great game and led the White Sox to a 7-3 win over Detroit. The Chicago win dropped Detroit temporarily out of first place, and in doing so, the Tigers’ Ty Cobb failed to reach base, breaking his record-setting hit streak at 40 games.
Detroit defeated Chicago in the second game of the doubleheader, but the Philadelphia Athletics were in the process of sweeping New York on that day, and Detroit finished the day still in second place.
Cobb’s 40-game hitting streak was one of only six such hitting streaks to reach 40 games. At the time, the press seemed to pay more attention to Detroit’s fall to second place than they did the end of Cobb’s hitting streak. It was many years after the fact that Walsh’s pitching performance that ended Cobb’s streak seemed to receive its deserved attention.
RNN Sports Photo / Jim Best
The Fourth of July holiday is celebrated in every community across our nation and is symbolically important to all of us in our own ways. The holiday is often marked by fireworks displays, family reunions and other activities, and to some, a trip to the ballpark to catch a baseball game. Whatever it means to you and your family, we hope you will also take a moment to reflect on the founding of our great nation while also focusing on a renewed spirit of patriotism that is so needed today.
So, whatever you choose to do this year on July 4th, all of us at RNN Sports wish you a very happy and safe Independence Day holiday!
PARIS- The Paris Lady Eagles made a return trip to the 3A Region 1 Tournament in 2023, and second-year head coach Jonathan Vire will have his sights set on coaching the Lady Eagles back to postseason play in the 2023-24 season.
Jonathan Vire will enter his second season as head coach of the Lady Eagles (RNN Sports Photo / Jim Best)
RNN Sports visited practice last week where we found the Lady Eagles working hard during the summer workout. The 2023-24 season will be a season of change for Paris as they look to find ways to regain the lost point production that was lost at the end of last season with the graduation of Jayden Wells and Brailey Forst.
RNN Sports Photo / Jim Best
The team recently returned from Branson, Missouri where they had the opportunity to play some outstanding schools from both Arkansas and Missouri in a summer camp format. And after their return home, several members of the team were in attendance for a summer workout where Vire spent time teaching basic fundamentals to the young Lady Eagles.
RNN Sports Photos / Jim Best
Photos from last week’s practice are now available on Facebook at Paris Eagles Sports. RNN Sports will visit the Lady Eagles again next month to check on the progress of the team’s summer development. And as the summer comes to an end, a few of the players will turn their collective attentions to volleyball season as that team prepares for its August 22 season opening match at Russellville.
RNN Sports will have more on the Lady Eagles basketball team in its October season preview. Until then, stay with RNN Sports for the best coverage in River Valley high school sports!
Vesta Methodist Church is excited for our new direction with the Global Methodist Church! As part of the Global Methodist Church, our mission is to make disciples of Jesus Christ who worship passionately, love extravagantly, and witness boldly. Our vision is to join God in a journey of bringing new life, reconciliation, and the presence of Christ to all people, and to helping each person reflect the character of Christ.
With this new season of ministry, we are elated to welcome our new pastor, Eric Marsh, and his family, effective July 1st, 2023. Eric and his wife, Shea, have been married for 13 years. They have 3 children: Cooper (9), Caroline (6), and Cal (9 months). Eric has been in church his entire life and is a 3rd generation Methodist on both sides of his family. He has a Bachelor’s degree in History Education from Arkansas Tech, a Master of Arts degree in Biblical Exposition from Liberty University, and he will graduate with a Master of Divinity from Asbury Theological Seminary in December 2023. Eric has been an associate pastor at Heritage Global Methodist Church in Van Buren, AR for two years and has coached football and taught at Alma High School for ten years. When asked about the opportunity to serve alongside the congregation at Vesta, Eric said, “I believe that Jesus working in the local church is the hope of the world, and I cannot wait to hit the ground running!”
All are welcome to worship with Vesta Methodist Church on Sundays at 9 AM. Sunday School classes, for all ages, are held from 10:15 AM to 11 AM as well. Hebrews 10:24-25 says, “And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.”
PARIS- Any resident of Paris knows the legacy of the Richey family. Dr. Jason Richey is a family physician in Paris and sees virtually everyone in the community for their health care needs. His wife, Tracey, has long served as a member and as President of the Paris School Board. Their children, Anna, and Emily Richey Fields have followed in the family’s tradition of pursuing medicine and will become practicing physicians within the next few years. Her oldest sister, Emily, is starting her third year of medical school at the University of Arkansas School for Medical Sciences in Little Rock. Anna Richey will be a senior this year at the University of Arkansas majoring in biology / pre-med.
And Maggie, the youngest of the Richey children, has chosen a similar, yet different path than her father and sisters. In fact, Maggie is approaching her life in her own way, and she is quite comfortable in doing so.
Maggie, a member of the Paris High School graduating class of 2023, plans to pursue dental school for a career. Unlike her family predecessors, Maggie has chosen a path other than medicine, but is uniquely hers and fits her long-term ambitions for both her professional career and her family plans.
So, as part of the on-going series of human interests stories in June that have focused on Paris High School’s most recent graduates, I asked Maggie and her mom for permission to sit down with her for an interview. They graciously accepted, and last week we sat down at a local restaurant to visit and record her comments.
In full disclosure, I am an only child, so I can’t speak from experience what it is like to have brothers and / or sisters, or, to be the youngest child in a family. But in my many conversations with others over the years who have had that experience, the thing that I hear the most often is that it can be hard being the youngest child. It can also be hard being the youngest child when your older brothers and / or sisters are high achieving. There is an implied pressure to compete or to “measure up” to your older siblings’ accomplishments.
But I must share very openly with our readers that my impression of Maggie is that she is very comfortable and at peace with her place in her loving family, and in her decisions for her own future, as well. In fact, after having had the opportunity to listen to her, I came away with even more respect for her than I have always had. She is making logical and mature decisions based upon what is important to her in life, and I know she will be very successful.
So, when the interview started, I had to get the big issue out and, on the table…I asked her why she has chosen dental school and how did she arrive at this as a career goal. It is certainly one thing to choose dental school, but with potentially three generations of physicians in your family, it takes confidence to stand up and say, “I want to do something different.”
When I asked Maggie these questions, she explained, “Honestly, I am not really sure. I shadowed a dentist last summer and I really just loved it. I’ve always loved the medical field, and I thought about being a physician also. But I found that I just loved the field of dentistry more. And also, when I thought about being a dentist, I wanted to be a mom. I felt like it is less schooling, and I could work less days per week. I just thought that it would better.”
The choice Maggie is making is all about balancing her life between a career that she would love and still having the ability to have her own family and be a good parent. I applaud her for this decision. In my opinion, this is a very mature and impressive decision for someone as young as she.
Maggie’s experience of shadowing a dentist last summer made a huge impression on her. In fact, she shared with me that it was along that time when she knew she wanted to become a dentist. Starting in August, Maggie will begin the first step when she moves to Fayetteville to begin her undergraduate college education at the University of Arkansas. After she completes a four-year bachelor’s degree program in biology, she will move on to dental school for another four years. By age 26, Maggie could have her dental license and be ready to begin her practice.
As part of her balanced life, Maggie is applying to the sororities on campus and hopes to participate in sorority rush when she arrives at Arkansas. Maggie will be the second sorority sister in her family; her sister Anna is in Kappa Kappa Gamma at Arkansas.
As a new Paris High School graduate, I asked her about how she feels looking back at her experiences in Paris and how that has prepared her to move forward into her college education. Maggie shared, “I wouldn’t say that I miss it (high school) I am just definitely ready to move on. I definitely appreciate it (high school experiences and education) …I feel like there are a lot of amazing memories with the other students in my Class. We just did a lot of things together; Powder Puff Football, so many get togethers, like prom. I know it will be a little scary when I go to Fayetteville because I won’t know anyone, but being in a sorority can help with that.”
Academically, Maggie finished high school with a 4.00 grade point average and as a honor graduate. She received the Governor’s Scholarship and a collection of smaller scholarships to help fund her way to the University of Arkansas.
Like a lot of her fellow classmates in her graduating class, Maggie maintained her high-grade point average while also participating in both athletics and other extracurricular activities. She played volleyball her freshman and sophomore years and was a cheerleader for four years. All activities that require significant time commitments and demand that the student-athlete be able to work long hours after practices, games, and while traveling to maintain a high grade point. With all of her activities, Maggie managed to finish with a perfect 4.00 grade point average.
Maggie Richey as a senior cheerleader in 2022-23 (RNN Sports Photo / Jim Best)
Maggie’s mom, Tracey, was a teacher in the Nettleton School District in Jonesboro from 1996-99 while her husband Jason was in residency at St. Bernard’s Hospital. In a personal point of irony, I was a superintendent in Jonesboro when the Richeys were also living and working in Jonesboro. Our paths never crossed, and we did not know each other at the time, but, once it again it shows that it is a small world after all. Tracey’s roots as a kindergarten teacher are perhaps a reason why she has dedicated her life to serving on the local board of education and looking out for the welfare of both students and teachers.
As soon as Dr. Richey completed his residency in the AHEC program in Northeast Arkansas, the family moved back home to Paris. And from that time, the couple has served the community in their own ways, and now their youngest child, Maggie, is about to start her journey. It is a little scary to her right now as it is with all of us who have moved from home to begin college. But in true Maggie fashion, she will adapt easily and will be very successful.
After four years at Arkansas to obtain a degree in biology, Maggie will move on to dental school. She shared with me that there are no dental schools located in the state of Arkansas, so she will be applying to a dental school that will be outside the state. Maggie explained, “There currently is not one (dental school) in Arkansas. But in 2024, they are building one in Little Rock, so, depending on how that goes, I will apply to that one. There are a few schools in places outside the state that give in-state tuition rates to Arkansas students. That would be Kansas City, Memphis, and I think Oklahoma City and maybe Texas.”
But Maggie’s plans don’t end here. She has thought ahead to how she would start her career as a dentist. “There are a few dental practices in the local area that help to pay off your loans from dental school. So, I could work at one of those practices after I finish school for five or so years until I payoff my loans. And then I would come back here (Paris) to practice.
So, life is a whirlwind to Maggie and her family as she relaxes for a short time this summer and looks ahead to the start of college in August. Once she moves to Fayetteville to start her pursuit of becoming a dentist, it will all move so quickly for her. “Right now it is kind of slow for me, because I’m not really doing anything, so, it hasn’t really hit me yet like it is really happening.”
Maggie has included community service in her high school experience which, in this writer’s opinion, only reinforces her desire to help others. She is a compassionate person and should make a terrific dentist!
RNN Sports would like to thank Maggie and her parents for helping to make arrangements for this interview. It was a pleasure to interview her and I came away very impressed with her. And I know the Logan County residents who read this story will be excited to learn of her desire to return to the area as a dentist, serving the residents of Paris and Logan County.
On behalf of all of us at RNN Sports, we wish Maggie the best of success in her pursuit of her dreams as a professional and in her personal life. Congratulations, and good luck this fall at the University of Arkansas!
FAYETTEVILLE – Razorback Soccer will return to action in August to kick off the 2023-24 athletic year.
The slate features a total of 17 regular season matches against nine 2022 NCAA Tournament teams, two College Cup teams, three Elite 8 teams, and three league champions. Of the 17 matches, nine and the two exhibitions will be played at Razorback Field.
“The schedule meets all of our objectives,” head coach Colby Hale said. “It prepares us for SEC play, and we get outside of our comfort zone, which gives us an opportunity to grow, and it sets us up for the postseason per the parameters they lay out. If you want to be a championship program, you have to play a top schedule, and this certainly seems to fit that.”
The Schedule
Date Day Opponent Site Time
Aug 7 Mon Kansas State (Exh.) Fayetteville, Ark. 1 PM
Aug 12 Sat SIUE (Exh.) Fayetteville, Ark. 6 PM
Aug 17 Thu Arkansas State Fayetteville, Ark. 6 PM
Aug 24 Thu Oregon Fayetteville, Ark. 6:30 PM
Aug 27 Sun Notre Dame South Bend, Ind. 7 PM
Aug 31 Thu Milwaukee Fayetteville, Ark. 6:30 PM
Sept 3 Sun North Carolina Chapel Hill, N.C. 1 PM
Sept 7 Thu Clemson Clemson, S.C. 6 PM
Sept 15 Fri Tennessee* Knoxville, Tenn. 6:30 PM
Sept 17 Sun Grand Canyon Fayetteville, Ark. 1 PM
Sept 21 Thu Alabama* Fayetteville, Ark. 6 PM
Sept 24 Sun Texas A&M* College Station, Texas 2 PM
Sept 29 Fri Missouri* Columbia, Mo. 6 PM
Oct 5 Thu Georgia* Fayetteville, Ark. 6 PM
Oct 8 Sun Auburn* Auburn, Ala. 2 PM
Oct 13 Fri Florida* Fayetteville, Ark. 6 PM
Oct 19 Thu LSU* Baton Rouge, La. 6:30 PM
Oct 22 Sun Ole Miss* Fayetteville, Ark. 1 PM
Oct 26 Thu Mississippi State* Fayetteville, Ark. 6:30 PM
*SEC Game
All times CT and are subject to change.
2023 Notes
Arkansas will begin the season at Razorback Field for just the second time since 2016.
The Hogs will face Milwaukee and Oregon for the first time in program history.
For the second year in a row, the Hogs will face the national runner-up. Last season it was BYU, this year it will be North Carolina.
The exhibition versus Kansas State will be the first match played on Razorback Field’s new pitch. From May to July, the field underwent subgrading, installation of a new drainage system, and new sod (Tahoma 31 Bermudagrass), which will be trucked in from the same farm as the grass in Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium.
Arkansas will face four non-conference Power 5 teams in 2023, the most since it faced four in 2014.
The Hogs will debut two new uniforms to be revealed later this summer.
The Razorbacks are returning 69% of their offense from last season.
The SEC Tournament will return to Pensacola, Florida for the second straight year. It will include the top 10 teams in the league and run from Oct. 29 to Nov. 5.
Clemson and North Carolina will make return trips to Fayetteville in 2024 as part of home-and-home series.
Television designations and promotions will be announced at a later date. Season tickets are currently available through the Razorback Ticket Center for adults ($25) and children ($15). All season ticket holders will receive a newly designed scarf with their purchase.
For more information on Arkansas Soccer, follow @RazorbackSoccer on Twitter.
Note to Our Readers:The previous story was sourced directly and in its entirety from the University of Arkansas Office of Communications, Fuller Birch.
It was mid-May and school was already out and a long summer-time vacation stretched before us. Time on our hands, a rural community filled with a host of kids my age, and plenty of things to keep me occupied. With warming weather, my thoughts were on the swimming holes just waiting for my visit. Our favorite spots featured descriptive names; the blue hole, half-bushel, and the bluff hole. The half-bushel was one of my favorites. Located on shoal creek, it featured a half-bushel basket sized hole located about twenty foot up on the surrounding bluff. Filled with cold spring water, one could dive from forty-foot outcropping into the azure blue water below. Bobbing from the top, you came up gasping and wondering how you ever got the courage to try that and declaring that you would attempt it again.
Thoughts of sleeping in, long hours of baseball games, playing board games, and visiting the libraries to collect and read Zane Grey westerns were quickly dispelled by my much more practical mother. First of all, we were not going to sit around and watch channel five T.V. all day. By the way, that was the only channel we received unless you turned the antenna, held your thumb in the air just right, and rotated your body 45 degrees. Even then, the picture resembled a Colorado snowstorm. We were certainly not watching those day time soaps. The Edge of Night, Days of our Life, and others were not appropriate for children of that time. At four o’clock, we might be rewarded by watching Laramie, The Big Valley, or Wyatt Earp.
As June and July arrived, the house was unbearably hot and the water cooler came on. Those operated in reverse of air conditioners and placed moisture into the house rather than removing the water. The outside box was filled with well water and a huge fan pulled up the moisture and blew it into the living room. Sometimes, dad placed fifty-pound blocks of ice in the water and we enjoyed the cool breeze for short periods. My grandparents moved their beds out onto the cooler screened in front porch and us kids sometimes slept on pallets on the back porch.
My mother’s practical solution to having five growing kids for the summer? “Get outside the house, find you something to do, and don’t come back in till dark!”
More often, she not only told us to get outside but had a list of things to do. Mowing the lawn with a push mower, picking and preparing snap beans, or going with my grandmother to pick blackberries. I loved being with my grandmother and I also liked the blackberry cobbler but I hated picking those berries. We usually left out early in the morning, long sleeved shirts, boots, and a hat and smelling of the bacon lard smeared around our wrist and ankles to keep off the chiggers and ticks. What insects it didn’t exclude from our bodies were washed off in an outside bathtub full of cold water and purex when we got home. Everything in those blackberry patches stung, bit, or had thorns. Birds liked the berries, snakes liked the birds, and sticking your hands into the brush pile would yield numerous scratches plus encounters with wasps, snakes, and on one occasion, a black bear. Valor gave way to discretion and we left the berry patch to the large intruder. We picked and deposited the berries in gallon lard buckets. My grandmother could pick gallons while I picked quarts. If we got more than she wanted to can, we sold them to neighbors for one dollar per gallon. That was a mornings work for me but it would buy me a pop kola, hamburger, chips, and an ice cream at Lila Needham’s grocery in Scranton. I would even have money left over.
Church was a constant in rural Arkansas and the center of community affairs. As if Wednesday, Saturday, and a two-service Sunday wasn’t enough, we added a weekly Bible School and a revival that might last a couple of weeks. With all of our chores, work, and church, we certainly had little “idle” time to get into trouble.
Statewide nonprofit Arkansas Single Parent Scholarship Fund is pleased to announce a new team member.
Christi Brown started June 5 as the Program Manager for ASPSF West Region, which covers Crawford, Franklin, Johnson, Logan, Scott, and Sebastian counties. As Program Manager, Christi will oversee volunteers; deliver scholarships, workshops, and resources to single parent students; and conduct local fundraising activities within the six-county region.
ASPSF Volunteer Stacey Elizabeth Robertson (left) and ASPSF Program Manager Christi Brown represent the nonprofit at the Van Buren Chamber of Commerce 68th Annual Meeting and Business Expo on June 8 at Van Buren High School. (Photo courtesy Stacey Elizabeth Robertson)
“The chance to advocate for scholarship support for single parents is so exciting,” Christi said. “I am familiar with the extreme need in Arkansas and the importance of providing opportunities for success in higher education. I was a single mom for a time and struggled with the balance of work, school, and motherhood.”
Before coming to ASPSF, Christi was the Institutional Assistant/Scholarship Administrator at the Arkansas Tech University Foundation. She’s on the board of directors for the Johnson County Community Foundation and South Central Highland Cattle Association. She previously served as a board member for Helping Our Kids, Inc.
“I’m so excited to welcome Christi to the ASPSF family,” ASPSF Program Director LaCresha Newton said. “I know she’ll make a great addition to the team, helping low-income single parents transform their lives through higher education.”
Christi and her husband, Jeffery, live in Hartman and raise cattle. She has one daughter, Kaitlin, in college, and two spoiled bulldogs. Born and raised in Johnson County, Christi has always lived in Arkansas.
“Christi came in with energy, enthusiasm and great ideas!” said ASPSF Development Manager Abbie Taylor Cox, who is based in Fort Smith. “I can’t wait for her to get started!”
For more information about Arkansas Single Parent Scholarship Fund — which has awarded more than $35 million in scholarships across the state to low-income single parents since 1990 — contact ASPSF Communications Director Jen Para at jpara@aspsf.org or 479-318-2885.
About Arkansas Single Parent Scholarship Fund: For more than 30 years, Arkansas Single Parent Scholarship Fund has worked to create stronger, more educated, and more self-sufficient families. Through scholarships and services, ASPSF opens doors for low-income single parents, helping them pursue education, secure employment, and transform the future for their families. With the help of volunteers and community support, ASPSF creates multigenerational change, transforming lives for both single parents and their children. For information about scholarships, volunteer opportunities, and ways to give, visit www.aspsf.org.
LITTLE ROCK — Summer heat is kicking in, filling Arkansas boat ramps, swim beaches and campsites with families enjoying all The Natural State has to offer. The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission wants to remind everyone to keep things safe and healthy for the kiddos, so everyone comes back from their trips excited for the next one.
Here are five ways to keep kids healthy and engaged with the outdoors this summer.
Bring the Sunscreen Not only are sunburns painful, they can cause permanent damage to the skin. Many outdoors enthusiasts who have spent a lifetime in the summer sun in nothing but swimsuits or tank tops find themselves fighting a variety of skin issues as they get older. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, repeated sunburns can lead to premature wrinkling, age spots and an increased risk of skin cancer. Start the kids off with a healthy habit of taking care of their skin; it’s going to be with them for a long time.
A sunscreen’s rating doesn’t stand for the number of minutes it’s good for; instead it indicates the amount of UV radiation the liquid shields the skin from. 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, so be sure to reapply throughout the day.
Throw Some Shade We all want to set good examples for our kids, but in this case, throwing a little shade their way can keep them healthy and happy during a day at the swim beach or on the boat. If you’re planning on setting up shop all day, remember that most swim beaches and lakes offer very little shadows, so bring your own.
Many manufacturers make lightweight canopies that can be placed over your chair to deflect some of the sun’s rays during summer. Not only does this help fight sunburn, it can also keep things a little cooler when you’re exposed to the elements all day long.
Bucket hats and an extra pair of loose-fitting lightweight clothes also can shield youngsters from overexposure. If possible, use clothing designed for summer sun instead of a plain cotton shirt. These fabrics will be labeled with UV protection ratings, much like sunscreen.
Hydration Station With colas and fruit juices so commonly available, it can be a challenge to get the kids to drink plain old water, but that’s exactly what their bodies need. The Institute of Medicine (the health arm of the National Academy of Sciences) recommends children ages 4 to 8 should drink at least 2 quarts of water per day, with that amount rising as the child gets older. That’s on an average day. During summer, when kids are playing or working outdoors, that amount can rise quickly. Regular breaks from playtime for water and rest will prevent dehydration as well as exhaustion.
Bring plenty of water with you on trips to the lake, camping or day hikes. Avoid sodas and other drinks that contain caffeine, which actually can serve to dehydrate you further.
If you have to get creative to get some fluids in your kids while out and about, popsicles made from sports drinks and flavored water might get some attention, as can slices of watermelon. But keep clean water available throughout the day as an alternative to those sweeter treats.
Bug out Picnics, campouts and evenings by a campfire all evoke feelings children will treasure the rest of their lives. Make sure those memories are full of the fun you shared instead of anecdotes about picking off ticks or being chased into the tent by Arkansas’s industrial-strength mosquitoes. Worse yet, these critters can carry a couple of diseases such as West Nile and Zika Virus in mosquitoes and lifelong maladies such as Lyme Disease and Alpha-Gal in ticks. Again, only a few simple precautions are needed to keep these notable nuisances at bay.
A good bug repellent containing the chemical DEET is highly recommended. Another chemical called permethrin can be applied to clothes to help the fight against the insect world. For people who prefer more natural-sounding insect control, repellents with oil of lemon eucalyptus work reasonably well. However, these repellents should be used only as needed and according to their labels. The Arkansas Department of Health warns that repellents with DEET should not be applied to children younger than 2 months old, and oil of lemon eucalyptus should not be used on children younger than 3 years old.
Keep Watersports Clean Just about every kid who grew up in rural Arkansas has spent time swimming in a lake or creek. Swim beaches around the state will be filled with visitors, and paddlers will be out along the Spring River as well as other famous float streams throughout the Ozarks and Ouachitas. Be sure to keep the water, and any bacteria that might be in it, out of your body.
Recreational water illnesses, such as E. coli, usually are the result of high organic loads or contaminants in water that enters the body by being ingested or taken in through cuts or vulnerable areas while swimming. Never swallow water while swimming in natural sources and avoid swimming in algae or in water that looks discolored.
The Arkansas Department of Health warns that children and pets are at the greatest risk from swimming or drinking water when algae are present. You should never drink water when algae is present, even if you have filtered it first. Personal filter equipment and treatment options do not eliminate the risk, and you should not use the water to cook, either. The ADH keeps a list of swim beach closures on its website www.healthy.arkansas.gov/programs-services/topics/arkansas-swim-beach-program.
These are just a few ways to keep kids healthy this summer. For more information about other healthy practices, such as keeping vaccinations current and living an active lifestyle, visit www.healthy.arkansas.gov
MANSFIELD- After a brilliant high school career that included three state championships and an athletic scholarship to play next season at Henderson State University, Mansfield’s Natalie Allison will play as a member of the West team roster in Friday night’s Arkansas High School All-Star Volleyball Game. The game will be held at Farris Center on the campus of the University of Central Arkansas. Game time is 6 p.m. The All-Star Volleyball Game is one of several events sponsored by the Arkansas Activities Association.
Allison started for the Lady Tigers her sophomore season. In a previous story in RNN Sports, she, according to her coach, Kaylie Pyles, “immediately became a key role starter in all three state championships in 2020, 2021, and 2022. She is a strong competitor who has a hard work ethic and always strives to be the best she can be no matter what it takes. Natalie earned the well-deserved recognition of being named the 2021 Most Valuable Player of the volleyball state tournament as a junior, where she contributed statistics as a setter, hitter, server, and defensively. As a senior, she was the captain of the team and led the team in kills. She is a tremendous multi-sport athlete who succeeds in all she does and also maintains her grades in the classroom.”
Friday’s All-Star game will be the final high school game of Natalie’s high school career, and on behalf of everyone at RNN Sports, congratulations on an outstanding career, and best of luck in Friday’s game! Thank you for representing Mansfield High School and the entire community so well, and we wish you the best of success starting this fall at Henderson State!
Watch for photos of Natalie from Friday night’s All-Star game next week on Facebook at RNN Sports’ “Team Press Pass” page.
FAYETTEVILLE– Today, the Razorback Foundation Board of Directors announced Ryan White has been selected to lead the Razorback Foundation as the new Executive Director effective July 10, 2023.
After a nationwide search led by the Razorback Foundation Board of Directors, White was selected to take the reins at the nonprofit fundraising organization that supports the Arkansas Athletics Department. White comes to Arkansas from the University of Kansas where he served as the Senior Associate Athletics Director for Development.
“It was made even more evident during this search, that we are fortunate to be a part of such a desirable program as the Arkansas Razorbacks. We had dozens of applicants and even more interest, all wanting to become part of the Razorback team,” said Kevin Scanlon, former Razorback football player and current Razorback Foundation Board Chair leading the search efforts. “Based off his experience and expertise, we are confident we chose the right candidate and look forward to having Ryan lead the Razorback Foundation.”
In his previous role at the University of Kansas, White was responsible for leading all major gift philanthropic fundraising efforts for the Athletics Department. He was also instrumental in helping to rebrand the Williams Fund to Kansas Athletics Development and implemented a new philanthropic giving society, Ad Astra.
“I am truly humbled and grateful for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to lead the Razorback Foundation,” said White. “I want to personally thank Kevin Scanlon, Angela Ryan, JJ Hurley and the rest of the search committee for entrusting me with this role during such a critical time in college athletics. I look forward to serving our passionate supporters, Razorback Nation and the great state of Arkansas. There isn’t a better time to be a Razorback and know our best days are ahead!”
White has spent his entire career in collegiate athletics with stints at North Carolina State University’s Wolfpack Club, University of Virginia’s Virginia Athletics Foundation and at Ohio University’s Ohio Bobcat Club.
“Ryan brings decades of experience that will be crucial to the mission of the Razorback Foundation,” added Vice Chancellor and Director of Athletics Hunter Yurachek. “He understands what it takes to be successful at a major program and I’m confident in his abilities to provide valuable support to our organization. Ryan and I worked together previously at the University of Virginia. I was impressed with his fundraising abilities then and look forward to working with him again here at Arkansas.”
In 2016, White was named to the Executive Committee of the National Association of Athletic Development Directors (NAADD) and currently serves as president.
A Raleigh, North Carolina native, White graduated with a bachelor’s degree in communications from North Carolina State University and earned a master’s degree in sport administration at Ohio University. He and his wife, Kelly, have four children: Matthew, Lily, Katelyn and Nathan.
About the Razorback Foundation
The mission of The Razorback Foundation, Inc., is to support the athletic endeavors of the University of Arkansas Razorbacks. The Foundation assists Razorback student-athletes by providing financial support for scholarships, facilities and various programs that enable them to realize their dreams of achieving a quality college education while participating in athletics on a nationally competitive level. Razorback Athletics is one of a handful of NCAA Division I Athletic Departments in the nation that is financially self-sustaining and requires no UA student fees revenue or taxpayer support.
Note to Our Readers: The previous story waw sourced directly and in its entirety from the University of Arkansas Razorback Foundation, Inc., Meredith Pettigrew, Director of Strategic Communications and Stewardship.
