On Tuesday, May 10 the voters of Scott County weighed in on who should serve next on the Waldron School Board. With a vote of 67 to 22, Stanley Cottrell was elected to fill the Zone 4 seat. He will serve a five-year term.
Cottrell has been a resident of Scott County for almost 20 years. He and his wife, Kayla, a Scott County native, have two children, Maeleigh and Hayes. Their children attend Waldron Elementary School and are both in the first grade. The family attends the Waldron First Church of the Nazarene and are actively involved with the church.
“My family and I would like to thank everyone for their support in the Waldron School Board election,” shared Cottrell. “…I appreciate everyone that took the time out of their busy lives to get out and vote for me. I hope to represent you all and the Waldron School District in a positive way and continue to move the district forward. I would also like to thank the Scott County Clerk’s Office and the Scott County Election Commission for their hard work putting the election on. Again, I want to thank everyone who got out and voted. #FlyTheW”
Cottrell took the oath of office, on Thursday, May 11, administered by Scott County Clerk Tracy McPherson.
Mansfield’s Ashton Hinkle clears 12′ 6″ in the pole vault at the Meet of Champs.
Moments of sun and buckets of rain; it’s as if a motion sensor controlled a roof above Cyclone Stadium allowing strong periods of each. Mansfield saw the effects of the on and off weather switch as the Arkansas Activities Association’s Meet of Champs took place in Russellville on Wednesday, May 10.
Lady Tiger senior Jadelynn Wood joins Kayla Bieker, Carter Whiley, and Daisy Nelson for the 4x100m relay in Russellville.
Mansfield had obvious athletic bright spots as the sun shined. Like most attendees had when the rains came, the going also got tough.
The Tiger track teams qualified in three events to attend what amounts to be the All-Stars of track and field across Arkansas high schools. The women’s discus, boys pole vault, and women’s 4x100m relay were the qualifying events for MHS.
Maybe the brightest spot for Mansfield came after the meet’s third or fourth weather delay. Home school senior Ashton Hinkle claimed the personal record he was looking for on his third pole vault jump of the day.
Hinkle, the 2023 class 2A state champion in pole vault, had been looking to clear 12 feet in recent weeks. He wrestled away the small school state title a week ago with a personal best 11’ 10” jump in Quitman. Doing so scored him a MOC invite and another chance to get the long awaited clearance.
Seniors Jadelynn Wood and Ashton Hinkle arrive at the MOC postseason track event with Laney Wood before the rains dampen the festivities.
Ranked near the bottom of the 16 invited MOC entries, Hinkle was just happy to get another chance for a new personal record before his high school career ended.
Because the qualifying marks from the big school contestants were so high, the games committee modified the opening height rule. Instead of six inches below the 10th best qualifying jump, the bar was lowered so small school jumpers might have a chance at a modest opening height.
Hinkle was relieved the opening height was at least lowered 11’ 6”. He wasn’t too thrilled after that. The bar would be elevated to 12’ 6” in the second round to coincide with what should have been a truer opening height.
To understand the quality of athletes in attendance, the final results had three vaulters clear 15 feet or better. Three others would clear at least 14 feet.
Hinkle could have been intimidated carrying the only pole the school could afford to meet his weight limits. Others in competition, many of whom had personal trainers, carried large bags with 5 and 6 pole choices.
The Tiger state champ cleared the first bar while most of the others sat. The bar immediately climbed one foot. Hinkle was back up in relatively quick succession.
Mansfield’s Meet of Champ qualifiers and their two alternates take a break inside the Cylone indoor facility during a second lighting delay.
One had to wonder how the senior would react when the next height was set six inches higher than any height he had ever attempted even in practice. The answer came soon as a first attempt at 12’ 6” was a bad miss.
After confirming with his coach, Ethan Bowman, the two decided to adjust the standards back allowing a little more room to climb. Attempt number two came seconds later.
Hinkle delivered. Attentive Mansfield players and coaches were overjoyed along with Hinkle himself.
“I’m so proud of Ashton,” said Mansfield boy’s coach Ethan Bowman. “He works so hard. He just skipped right over twelve feet and got himself twelve-six. This was a special day.”
The 12’ 6” jump was all the Mansfield small school champion could clear. Strangely, it was enough for the MHS core.
Rains renewed, stretching the competition into a long marathon with remaining jumpers. Eventually a MOC winner was crowned with a meet best 15′ 6” vault. Although Mansfield top vaulter only finished 14th overall it was still a day of satisfaction.
Hours before MHS discus thrower Seven Sanderson started the Tigers first event. The two-time 2A state champion got in three preliminary attempts and one throw in the finals before the first lighting delay shut things down.
Going back after a near 45 minute delay did Sanderson nor the other throwers any favors. Her best attempt of 102’ in the prelims would stand as her best mark of the midday event. The slippery ring and slick handling upon the reopening of the venue did little for the finals.
Sanderson had to settle for 10th place and no improvement over her state title personal record 115’ 9” toss.
“Our real goal was about trying to reach a new PR and possibly the school record,” noted Mansfield women’s coach John Mackey. “The conditions just didn’t cooperate. Seven had a great year. She should be proud of reaching the second best throw in school history.”
More rain put puddles on the track as the Lady Tiger 4x100m relay was nearing their now late start. The 2A state champions in the short relay race featured Mansfield speedsters Kayla Bieker, Carter Whiley, Jadelynn Wood, and Daisy Nelson.
The four had arrived at the stadium at noon due to the teammates’ early field event. They were to race around 6:15 PM. They didn’t run until after 7:30 PM.
“This group of four ran the third fastest time in our school history,” claimed Mackey. “We just wanted an opportunity to move up the ladder one or two more rungs. Tonight’s conditions were not right for another chart topper.”
Mansfield’s 4x100m relay settled for a solid time of 53.40. It wasn’t their best together but it was good.
“I know the girls were a bit disappointed, “ confessed the coach. “But, they were a special group together. Jadelynn got to be in the Meet of Champs as a senior and that’s worth its weight in gold.”
Hello everyone! Raining this afternoon in the River Valley.
I wonder if we really know how blessed we are. I take a lot of things for granted and I really don’t want to be that way. My sister and I talk about our childhood. She said we had the best childhood, and she’s so right. We never went without anything we wanted. We had the best Christmas and birthdays. Such happy times! We had a playhouse and ample baby dolls to play with. Tons of Barbie dolls, or Barbs as we called them.
Dad had an old pickup out back that didn’t run anymore, just like everyone in Arkansas. That truck was our vehicle. We lined them babies up in that old truck and it had a big, long gear shift and we went to town. We smoked like a freight train, we rolled up more paper cigarettes than you could shake a stick at. Funny thing is, neither one of us ever smoked and we couldn’t stand to be around cigarette smoke. We made mud pies galore. We rode bikes all over the place, mine was a blue bike with a white banana seat, and a basket on the front for carrying stuff. Fun times, and we didn’t have a care in the world.
I hope my children think the same way I do. Jacob and Jimmy pulled some stunts when they lived at home, and I was snowballed all the way. They tell stories and I never had a clue what was going on. One summer I came home from work and those boys had switched rooms with my mom, Nanny Jane. They had everything all set up and it looked so nice, the reason they done it was because they were loud at night and didn’t want to keep me awake. That’s what I was told by them two. The real reason was they had been wrestling and Jacob fell against the wall and knocked a big hole in the sheetrock. He said, “we just sat and stared at it for about 30 minutes.” Finally, they realized Nanny Jane’s bed had a big headboard and would hide the hole. I was so proud of them when I came home at all they had accomplished. It wasn’t until a couple years later, I just happened to be moving the bed out or something and seen the hole. They finally fessed up, it was too late to get onto them then. Always shenanigans going on at the Hops House of Danger as I called our house. If you ever watched Animal House with John Belushi that’s what it was like, just no alcohol or drugs. There was a lot of fun times at my house.
Last night I walked in church and there was Jacob and Buff Jimmy. Jimmy had come in from Mississippi and wanted to surprise me. It was so good to see him since I don’t get to see him very often. He’s all grown up and moved away. Love my boys.
This is a message to a certain dog grandma, her grand dog Natalie needs her to make her some little doggie clothes. She needs to start spoiling that baby. Natalie loves her grandma Beverly.
Hope everyone has a great week, warmer temps are on the way. This week’s brownie recipe comes from Amy McEntire. They are easy and they sound delicious. They are sno ball brownies. Make this quick recipe and take a trip down memory lane from when you were a kid and ate Hostess Sno Balls.
SNO BALL BROWNIES 1 family size box of brownies (Pillsbury chocolate fudge is the best) 1 16 oz. can of vanilla cake frosting 1 7 oz. jar of marshmallow cream 3 cups of sweetened flaked coconut 4-8 drops of pink food coloring Bake the brownie mix according to the box directions, let cool completely. Combine the frosting and the marshmallow cream together, mix well and spread over the brownies. Add the coconut to a bowl and squeeze in two drops of food coloring at a time and use a fork to tumble the coconut around till evenly distributed. You can add more food coloring if you like to make it a bright pink. Sprinkle it on top of the icing and enjoy.
Everyone have a great week and get ready for warmer temps.
Once in a lifetime we have the good fortune to get to know someone early in their lifetime before they become famous and successful. For Paris High School’s Jesse Wells, that time may be now. In fact, after you read his story you may agree with me….one day…in the next few years, we may wake up and see Jesse on a cable network television finance or investment show. And when we do, we will be saying, “We knew him way back when.”
Paris senior Jesse Wells will graduate with the other members of his senior class on Sunday. He will attend the University of Arkansas, and on the surface, he seems just like any other graduating senior who plans to attend college in the fall. But, this phenomenal 18-year-old is not your typical high school graduating senior.
Jesse is a talented young adult that has a very high IQ coupled with great drive, determination, and work ethic. Simply put, Jesse has always been willing to work extremely hard, and often behind the scenes and out of sight from others as he follows his dreams.
Well before the age of 18, Jesse began investing his money that he earned doing various jobs, and his investing eventually led to owning several homes in the Paris area.
Last week, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Jesse at a local restaurant and recorded an interview with him for this story. As a reporter, there are stories, and there are stories. In his case, his story was captivating and one that I could have listened to for hours. I don’t think I have ever known a young person to have accomplished so much before his 18th birthday and to have the depth of knowledge of finance and investing that Jesse has today. But enough of that, here is his fascinating story.
As we began our conversation, I asked him where all of his financial accomplishments began. Jesse began to tell his story by saying, “January of my sophomore year of high school is when I incorporated “JCW Holding LLC”, and that was the beginning of my business. About a year before that, I spent time doing research and kind of figuring out what I was going to do. I always had an entrepreneur spirit since I was really little. I tried a lot of stuff, like my freshman year, I convinced my grandparents to let me open up a brokerage account in my name, and I put my savings in there and I started trading stocks and eventually taught myself how to option trade. I had some initial success with it and built up a pretty good size portfolio. But eventually, it came crashing down, much harder and faster than I could handle, and I lost everything. All of my savings plus the thousands of dollars that I had made…lost everything. I ended up losing everything by August going into my junior year of high school.”
After losing all of his investments between his freshman year and start of his junior year of high school, Jesse went to work mowing lawns and working at the municipal pool in Paris. “I worked that entire summer, making $6000 and immediately invested every buck I made into my brokerage account. I put every single dime into my investing thesis, and it ended up that I was wrong, and I lost everything…again. I had lost everything (again) by that August before I started my junior year of high school.”
So, in the true sense of entrepreneurial business, Jesse found himself in a similar pattern of others who had preceded him for many generations who had losses and failures before they achieved the success that they were noted for. But the unique factor with Jesse is his age; he had experienced all of this before his senior year of high school.
Jesse knew he had to change his financial plan and strategy. “I had to try something different. I had been interested in real estate and I had read a ton of books and had educated myself, along with watching YouTube videos. So, I decided that this has got to be the only thing I have left. It was really kind of out of desperation to make back what I had lost. So, I started doing more research and dug into it. By January of that year (junior year of high school) I was ready to start looking to buy my first house. So, I got incorporated, formed my LLC (limited liability corporation) …fast forward to August of my junior year, I made an offer on the first property that I bought. So I bought two houses together. I was actually going to mow the person’s lawn and I ended up making an offer on his house. He accepted it; he is great guy and it just really helped me get my start. It has just grown from there.”
Jesse Wells, 18 years of age, owns “about a dozen” houses, and he is just a few days shy of walking with his senior class at graduation.
As you talk to Jesse you realize that he is a person of great depth and intellect. Many people know Jesse as an outstanding high school basketball player for the Eagles over the past four years. Jesse always played with great energy, and to most people who do not know him well, may have had the impression over the past four years that his life has revolved around basketball. Many may have thought we would hear about him playing college basketball next year. But with all respect to college athletes, Jesse played the game for the pure enjoyment. His goals and aspirations were much different than that I have observed to be the traditional interests and goals of a high school athlete.
Jesse Wells was a standout player for Paris for four years (RNN Sports File Photos / Jim Best)
Making Jesse’s story even more remarkable is the fact that as he maintained a 4.00 grade point average in high school, played varsity basketball for four years for the Eagles, played travel basketball on weekends all over the region…all of this going on in his life, and he was able to work, read, research, and invest his money in a plan that would be remarkable for any adult. And he did all of this well in advance of his 18th birthday.
But the story does not end here. In just a couple of months, Jesse will begin the next phase of his life as a student at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville. And in true Jesse Wells fashion, he will not be your ordinary student on campus this fall.
Jesse will major in finance with a real estate concentration at the Walton School of Business at the University of Arkansas. His intent is to remain in real estate after college and that will be his primary business focus. “This degree will give me credibility, and ideally, my success in business and my business track record should be all of the certification that I need, but that is often not the case in a practical sense. Many people aren’t going to take an 18 – 19-year-old kid seriously. However, this (college degree) just gives me an added layer of credibility and will give me the opportunity to meet new people, network, and grow.”
If you close your eyes and listen to Jesse talk, you may think you are listening to an older adult. In fact, his maturity and depth of thinking is greater than a lot of people, especially among others in his peer group.
Jesse had previously considered attending school at Vanderbilt University. Vanderbilt is an Ivy level, private school located in Nashville, Tennessee. It has very high admission criteria, and Jesse’s high school academic credentials would have been a good fit for Vanderbilt. When I asked him about Vanderbilt, he responded by saying, “I gave it a lot of thought and contemplation, just kind of figuring out what made sense for me. Vanderbilt is a great school, but the area where I have the most influence is where I am at right now. Nashville is great, but it is not necessarily a market that I could get into (real estate market) right now. The other (Northwest Arkansas) may be an area where I can get a higher rate of return right now in the real estate market over the next few years. I think my expertise in Arkansas will compensate for me; especially in Northwest Arkansas.”
Jesse will grow his financial empire in Northwest Arkansas as he attends the University of Arkansas. “I will probably step back a little as far as allocating my time as I attend school at Arkansas, but four years from now I will probably be worth more. And by going to college, I think the long-term return will be much higher with that credibility and connections.”
Jesse is in the process of getting his Arkansas real estate license and plans to be licensed by this summer. “So hopefully I will be a licensed real estate agent by the end of June.”
Jesse’s personal initiative and drive is not only very impressive, but rare among most people, and extremely rare among people his age. I asked him where he thought this drive came from, and he answered by saying, “I think it is just something intrinsic with me that I like to be able to grow stuff and to build something that is larger than myself. I think a lot of the drive came initially from necessity. The necessity to provide better for myself financially and to not have to rely on any other person. To be able to provide for myself and my family has always been a motivator for me. At the end of the day, I just enjoy it. I love business; it is one of the only things that really fascinates me, and I think I could be passionate more about business for my entire lifetime and never get burned out.”
Jesse has been raised by his grandparents, Carla and Jamie Wells, for his entire life. I have watched them as they have attended every game and event that Jesse has participated in over the years. So when I asked him the next question, I knew what the answer would be, but I wanted to hear his thoughts.
Remarking on what his grandparents have meant to him and his success, he said, “Instrumental, every step of the way. The first real estate deal that I made, I took on $70,000 of debt. I had no credit at the time, and so they were the guarantors on the loan. They didn’t have $70,000 to back me, but they trusted me and believed in me to give me that opportunity. And I don’t believe many parents would do that.” All of this speaks volumes about Jesse, as well as the love and support of his grandparents.
In August of this year, Jesse Wells will step foot onto the University of Arkansas campus, both as a freshman business major, and as a Fellow of the Boyer Scholarship from the University of Arkansas Walton School of Business. Jesse described the benefactor of this prestigious fellowship by saying, “Tommy Boyer was an All-American basketball player at Arkansas in the early 60s, and after graduating, he went into business. He did very well for himself, and he gave back to Arkansas. He is on the Board of Trustees for the University and endowed the Boyer Fellowship. It is the single largest fellowship awarded at the University of Arkansas; only one fellowship is awarded every four years. So, to receive the Boyer Fellowship, it is the most difficult one to get. To qualify, applicants have to have a minimum ACT score of 32 and a 3.90 grade point average. In the original application phase, there were 900 applicants for 90 spots. After 150 were selected for interviews, 90 were selected for the total number of fellowships being awarded by the university. I and four others were interviewed as finalists for the Boyer Fellowship. Out of that I group, I received the Boyer Fellowship. We had a luncheon a couple of weeks ago in Fayetteville to honor the Boyers and the past Boyer Fellows. It was an awesome experience to meet them and the chancellor, Chancellor Robinson. The dean of the Walton School of Business was also there, and he put it (the fellowship) into perspective for me. He told me that there are 8000 students in the Walton School of Business, and there is only one Boyer Fellow in the School. That was incredibly cool.”
Yes, Jesse’s story is incredibly cool. And as an alumnus of the University of Arkansas, I am proud that Jesse has chosen Arkansas to continue his education. Jesse is a personable young man who is a deep thinker and is mature beyond his years. And for young people that may read this story, he is yet another example of how taking care of your grades in school can help pave the way for an exciting future. It is also the story of his grandparents’ unconditional love and support that showed Jesse that they believed in him. His story is truly remarkable.
The selection committee for the Boyer Fellowship can be proud of their selection of Jesse Wells as a Boyer Fellow. He will make them proud of their selection. And one of these days in the not so far future, I will wake up, turn on the morning television finance shows, and there will be Jesse Wells, sharing his story of success with all the world.
Congratulations to Jesse and his grandparents, Carla and Jamie Wells, on his upcoming high school graduation and the very bright future that awaits him!
FAYETTEVILLE- No. 12 Arkansas’ (38-17) comeback bid fell short as the Razorbacks fell 3-2 to No. 13 Alabama in nine innings in Thursday night’s SEC Tournament quarterfinals at Bogle Park.
In epic fashion, the Razorbacks and the Crimson Tide have gone into extra innings in each of their last two matchups.
Alabama struck first in the top of the second, plating a run off of an Arkansas fielding error that gave them an early 1-0 lead.
The pitcher’s duel featuring the last two SEC Pitchers of the Year, Chenise Delce and Alabama’s Montana Fouts, took over as both teams were held scoreless in the third through fifth innings until the Hogs tied it up in the sixth. With Reagan Johnson in scoring position at second, Cylie Halvorson belted an RBI single to center to even it at 1-1. Arkansas eventually loaded the bases with two outs, but Alabama worked out of the jam to prevent Arkansas from taking the lead.
Arkansas had the bases loaded again in the seventh but came up empty.
After a quiet eighth inning from both sides, Alabama claimed a 3-1 lead in the top of the ninth after a two-RBI double down the left field line.
The Razorbacks didn’t let up in the bottom of the ninth. With two outs, Reagan Johnson drew a walk and Raigan Kramer drove her in on a double to center to cut the deficit to 3-2. Rylin Hedgecock walked to load the bases, but a ground out to shortstop ended the ballgame.
Throwing 165 total pitches across 8.1 innings, redshirt senior RHP Chenise Delce (20-9) suffered the loss despite her dominant outing. In her eighth career double-digit strikeout performance, Delce racked up 10 strikeouts and curbed Alabama to three runs on nine hits. The Oklahoma City native worked around runners in scoring position in seven different innings.
Offensively, Cylie Halvorson led the Hogs with an RBI single. Rylin Hedgecock powered the Razorbacks with a 2-for-3, two-walk performance. Hannah Gammill was also issued two walks. Reagan Johnson finished 1-for-4 and scored both of Arkansas’ runs. Kristina Foreman, freshman Atalyia Rijo and Raigan Kramer also amassed a hit apiece.
For schedule updates and other news, go to ArkansasRazorbacks.com, or follow @RazorbackSB on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
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Note to Our Readers:The previous story was sourced directly and in its entirety from the University of Arkansas Office of Communications, Grace Tafolla.
There is nothing quite like an evening shared with 12,000 other fans calling the hogs at Baum stadium. Sitting in the bleachers, watching the sun going down in the west, and joining in the 7thinning stretch is a national pastime but nowhere does it seem more important than in Arkansas. The state has some of the most ardent and loyal fans in the country and one can observe that on most summer evenings as family gather at the many small little league and softball fields around the state to watch their favorite teams.
Over the years, some of the biggest names in baseball played in the state and many were home-grown athletes that began their careers on these same small baseball diamonds our kids play on today. Andrews field in Fort Smith has hosted hundreds of players over the years, many which went on to play in the big leagues. Hot Springs hosted many of the spring games for the big leagues. The Majestic Park baseball complex, still in usetoday, recently erected a bronze statue at the entrance celebrating the many times that the great Babe Ruth played baseball on the grounds. Other baseball greats including Cy Young, Jackie Robinson, Hank Aaron and dozens of others trained and played in Hot Springs, once renowned as the “The Birthplace of Major League Spring training.”
Warren Spahn, one of the greatest left-handed pitchers of baseball once pitched an exhibition match against local talent at Coal Miners field in Paris. Spahn may well have been in Logan County as a favor to his colleague and teammate Johnny Sainwho was born in nearby Havana, Arkansas. In 1947, the Boston Braves had those two as starting pitchers and little else. A common quote for this deficiency was, “ First we’ll use Spahn, then we’ll use Sain, Then hope for an off day, followed by rain.
Dizzy (Jay) and Daffy (Paul) Dean, two of baseball’s most colorful and greatest pitchers, were born in nearby Booneville, Arkansas, the sons of a sharecropper. They played on ballfields throughout the region in their youth and eventually made it to the big leagues as starting pitchers for the St. Louis Cardinals. Dizzy was the more outgoing of the two and convinced his brother Paul to take on the nickname of “Daffy” as a promotion. In 1934, the two reached stardom by winning 49 games for the Cardinals. Each of the brothers won two games in the world series as the Cardinals won the championship. Dizzy continued in baseball as a player and promoter for several years while Daffy retired to a farm near Springdale, Arkansas and raised a family. He is buried in Clarksville.
The list goes on and on with more baseball stars from small Arkansas communities added over the years. You can replace the old parks with new astro-turf fields, plush seating, and digital score boards but you cannot replace the history and traditions of the past. Stepping onto the mound at Andrews Field, Majestic Park, Coal Miners Stadium or any number of small town fields, you can almost smell the popcorn, hear the crack of the bat, the roar of the crowd, and sounds of the crowds as they enjoy America’s sport on the fields where baseball heroes once roamed.
LITTLE ROCK — With the last weekend of the 2023 Arkansas turkey season in the rearview mirror, hunters have tallied 9,193 checked birds. This is an increase of 21% percent from 2022 and the first time since 2017 that the harvest topped the 9,000-bird mark.
Last year’s brood survey also indicates good reproduction, which should translate to more mature gobblers on the ground next year as well. Arkansas may not boast the turkey habitat of traditional turkey hotspots such as Missouri or Tennessee, but numbers are trending up thanks to favorable weather in some areas during the nesting seasons since 2020. Gobbler carryover appears to have been good last year thanks to the “No Jakes” harvest regulation and continued efforts by agencies and private landowners to put good habitat on the ground.
The harvest isn’t the only increasing number in Arkansas’s turkey woods. With the help of the Arkansas State Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation, the AGFC has been able to add or open 3,206 acres of land for public access since 2018.
Through sales of its state license plate, created in 2015, the NWTF-AR board of directors direct revenue toward conservation and education across Arkansas. These efforts include land acquisition, habitat enhancement, scholarships and mentored hunting programs.
The largest swath of public land added with the help of the NWTF-AR actually came by way of its partnership with the Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission and The Nature Conservancy, when it helped procure the 1,376-acre Huttig Pine Flatwoods Natural Area in Union County. Primarily purchased to preserve open pine-hardwood flatwoods that can host the federally endangered red-cockaded woodpecker. This area was included in the Beryl Anthony Lower Ouachita Wildlife Management Area and has received numerous habitat improvement awards from the Wild Turkey and Northern Bobwhite Habitat Cost Share Programto improve nesting and brood rearing habitat for wild turkeys.
NWTF-AR used its license plate fund to help with the purchase of a prime public hunting opportunity in White County as well. The 975-acre purchase of the Red Cut Slough Tract on Cypress Bayou was made possible with the help of the Trust for Public Land and a $100,000 donation from the NWTF-AR to help with due diligence costs. An additional 140 acres to this WMA also has been authorized in the last month, thanks to a $58,500 commitment from NWTF-AR.
Another large addition to Arkansas public hunting opportunities that NWTF-AR assisted in was the 550-acre addition to McIlroy Madison County WMA in 2022. The Nature Conservancy sold the inholding, which had seen substantial conservation enhancement work, at a heavily discounted price, and NWTF-AR added an additional $100,000 in funding toward the $1.6 million purchase price to secure this property for Arkansas hunters and Arkansas wildlife.
Greene County Wildlife Club and the NWTF-AR worked together on a land purchase in 2019 to remove an inholding from W.E. Brewer Scatter Creek WMA near Paragould as well. While not as large as some of the other purchases made possible by NWTF-AR, this 5-acre parcel had been identified for years as property that would benefit public land hunters using the WMA.
An additional 160 acres near Scott Henderson Gulf Mountain WMA in Van Buren County also has been authorized for purchase to be added to public hunting access through the AGFC, thanks again to a $50,000 contribution from the NWTF-AR.
The NWTF is only one of many partners the AGFC has in procuring public access for hunting, fishing and watchable wildlife efforts. Other partners, such as Central Arkansas Water, TNC, The Arkansas Forestry Commission and ANHC all have played vital roles in increasing hunting opportunity in Arkansas.
AGFC Director spoke of these partnerships and the path ahead during his address at the April 20 Commission meeting held in Little Rock. Proposals to add Goat’s Beard Bluff Natural Area (540 acres), Sugarloaf Mountains-Midland Peak Natural Area (1,191 acres) and Hot Springs State Forest (2,975 acres) to the AGFC’s WMA system and provide more than 4,706 acres of new public hunting opportunity were proposed at that same meeting. A new long-term lease agreement with Central Arkansas Water in January expanded the Maumelle River WMA in Pulaski County by 2,395 acres.
“We formed The Natural State Tomorrow last year to be our guiding document for the next five years,” AGFC Director Austin Booth said. “We said that we would add at least 5,000 acres of priority habitat for wildlife and public access in five years. Thanks to partnerships and planning, we’re on pace to meet that goal in less than a single year.”
Thanks to the continued efforts of the AGFC’s network of partnering agencies, and with a little help from Mother Nature, the future continues to look bright for turkey hunting in The Natural State.
LITTLE ROCK — The “No Mow May” movement making the rounds on social media first attracted me because, quite frankly, May is a fantastic time to get out and fish instead of spend my days on a lawnmower. And if my lack of enthusiasm in fighting Mother Nature’s designs for my property helped pollinators and ground-nesting birds, even better. But why limit my wildlife-friendly loafing to a single month?
No Mow May began in England as a way to help pollinators and promote the use of plants that are native for an area instead of planting monocultures of sod-forming grasses that look neat and orderly but offer little added benefit to animals. Thanks to social media, the catchy phrase has spread across the pond and has found a new home in the states, but there’s so much more that can be done for wildlife when you’re living in a place called The Natural State.
Allison Fowler, assistant chief of wildlife management for the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, worked extensively on projects to benefit pollinators and other native wildlife before recently being promoted to her new position. She says studies have shown delaying mowing a lawn by as little as a week can result in a much larger diversity of bees and other pollinating insects using your land.
“We sort of get caught up in that routine of mowing and planting sod-forming grasses to make our yards attractive, but they’re not as attractive to the wildlife,” Fowler said. “Bees, butterflies and fireflies all benefit from the flowers of those weeds we’re cutting down. A lot of people make comments on how they don’t see the lightning bugs in an area like when they first moved in, but the reason for that disappearance never really sinks in. We have a space at my home that we let grow wild, and we still get to enjoy those fireflies.”
Allowing some dandelions and clover enough time to bloom and benefit bees definitely is helpful, but with a little effort on the front end, private landowners can benefit wildlife much more and likely spend less money in the long run than constantly chopping up valuable habitat with a mower or bushhog. Allowing native vegetation to bloom may reveal some native wildflowers already on your property, but adding some plantings of wildflower mixes can increase the benefit.
“The AGFC worked with the Arkansas Monarch Conservation Partnership to create a few great resources for landowners to learn more about planting or promoting native gardens and plots,” Fowler said. “Instead of spending money planting and watering exotic flowers, you can spend less and see better benefits from native plants that don’t require as much water and maintenance.”
Visit www.arkansasmonarchs.org to learn more about growing native vegetation to benefit wildlife and reduce the wear and tear on your lawnmower even more.
Biologists were sampling the largemouth bass population at Bob Kidd Lake in northwestern Arkansas when they came across a redear sunfish. Also known as a “shellcracker,” redear have tooth-like structures in their throats that allow them to consume snails and mussels. This rotund redear was 12 inches long and weighed nearly 2 pounds.
Several redear were caught, and all were released. Late spring is a great time to catch these fun, feisty fish as they move into shallow water to spawn. Plus, they’re almost as fun to eat as they are to catch, our AGFC biologists say.
AGFC biologists in west-central Arkansas recently completed fertilizations at Atkins, Hinkle, Sugarloaf, and Jack Nolen lakes.
Scientific literature indicates fertilizing boosts the primary production of good algae (phytoplankton), which feed zooplankton, small crustaceans and fish. This creates more food for sport fish such as crappie and largemouth bass.
The amount of fertilizer is carefully measured by the biologists and water quality is monitored during the fertilization period. Biologists plan to do a second application of fertilizer at Atkins, Hinkle, Sugarloaf and Jack Nolen lakes in June, and a third application at Lake Hinkle and Sugarloaf Lake in July.
On Tuesdays and Thursdays, Scott County residents gather for the Extension’s program, GetFit. The group meets from 9:30-10:30 a.m. at the Scott County Boys and Girls Club.*
The fitness class is open to all adults, and current participants range in age from 60-80+. GetFit has been available to area residents for about nine years, and according to participant, Patti Roets, “It’s a great way for the participants to get active and socialize.”
The class is led by Kaitie Golden with the Scott County Extention office in Waldron. The annual dues is $20. Those monies are in turn donated to the Boys and Girls Club.
“It’s more about having fun and to keep moving,” concluded Golden.
If you are interested in learning more about the GetFit program, you can contact the extension office at (479) 637-2173.
*The GetFit class meets at the Nazarene Church in Waldron during the summer months.
