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Obituary – Roy Hoppmeyer Jr. (1950-2023)

Roy Hoppmeyer is the son of the late Roy E. Hoppmeyer and the late Audrey Durr Crockett. Born in New Orleans, La, in 1950, he was raised solely by his mother, and was actively employed from the age of 10 years old. His first job was delivering fried chicken on his bicycle. Growing up, Roy was close to his Grandma Hoppmeyer, and he fondly remembered his old scout leader who ran his troop with army discipline. That discipline served Roy well when enlisted in the U.S. Army. He graduated from Fortier Senior High School and attended Southwestern University in Lafayette, LA. Working for Ecolab after college, Roy learned about commercial detergents and while residing in Mobile, AL, he created Workhorse Chemicals and sold chemicals for cleaning industrial equipment in chicken plants. He moved the business to Waldron AR, where it grew and became successful, but Roy tired of the travel involved. Later, when he acquired an old hardware building, he started Wildhorse Pawn. Always a hustler, and lover of deals, Roy enjoyed the challenges and variety of the pawn business.

Roy acquired a 120-acre farm in Blackfork, AR were he lived with his dog, Boudreau and his cat Merlin.  He became active in the volunteer fire department and enjoyed being a part of the Blackfork community. At various times he raised goats, cattle, and horses at the farm. Always a New Orleans boy at heart, he had to return to NOLA from time to time so he could eat his fill of boiled blue crabs. Roy loved crawfish boils, telling Cajun jokes, and cooking authentic Cajun food. He had a deep love of the ocean and sailing.

Roy is the beloved nephew of the late Calvin and Reggie Hoppmeyer, and first cousin of Jacquelaine H. Kennedy who was married to the late Donald, Michelle H. Bonin who is married to Danny, and Calvin C Hoppmeyer, Jr. who is married to Stephanie. There are multiple nieces and nephews plus additional children from these marriages.

Roy’s memorial celebration of life will be 11:00 a.m., Saturday, January 21, 2023 at the Waldron High School Auditorium.

Enos Returns for Second Stint as Hogs’ Offensive Coordinator

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Head Coach Sam Pittman has named Dan Enos as the Razorbacks offensive coordinator.

Enos returns to Arkansas with over 30 years of coaching experience, including three seasons as the Hogs’ offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach from 2015-17. During his three seasons in Fayetteville, he engineered some of the most productive offenses in school history with both the 2015 and 2016 Razorback offenses still ranking in the school’s Top 10 for total yards and yards per game. Enos’ first offense on The Hill in 2015 remains one of only three offenses in school history to surpass 6,000 yards. In his lone season under Enos, Razorback quarterback Brandon Allen set three school records, including the career mark for touchdown passes with 64 and the single-game record for touchdown passes in a game with seven against Mississippi State. That 2015 offense – with Pittman as the team’s offensive line coach – set the school record for touchdowns with 62, averaging 35.9 points per game (6th all-time at Arkansas) while rushing for 2,565 yards and passing for 3,486 yards.

Arkansas was one of two FBS programs with a 3,000-yard passer and 1,300-yard rusher in both 2015 and 2016, featuring a different quarterback and different primary running back in each season.

Enos has spent the past two seasons at Maryland as the Terrapins’ offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, helping the Terps to 15 total wins that includes bowl wins over Virginia Tech (2021 Pinstripe Bowl) and NC State (2022 Duke’s Mayo Bowl).

In 2022, Enos’ offense ranked fourth in the Big Ten in total offense and scoring, averaging 401.2 yards per game and scoring 28.2 points per game. For the second straight season, QB Taulia Tagovailoa eclipsed the 3,000-yard mark passing for 3,008 yards as one of just three Big Ten QBs to top 3,000 yards passing during the 2022 season. Tagovailoa added 18 touchdowns while completing 67% of his passes to earn second-team All-Big Ten honors from the league’s coaches. He finished third in the league averaging 256.0 yards of total offense per game as one of just three players in the Big Ten to gain over 3,000 total yards.

Freshman running back Roman Hemby led the way for the Terps on the ground, rushing for 989 yards and 10 scores to go along with 33 receptions for 298 yards and another TD. Along with being named a Freshman All-American by College Football News, Hemby was named Honorable Mention All-Big Ten as one of six Terps from the offensive side of the ball to earn the honor along with OL Jaylyn Duncan, TE Corey Dyches, OL Delmar Glaze and WR Rakim Jarrett. The six total selections matched the school record for the most since joining the Big Ten and marked the second straight year that saw six selections from the Maryland offense.

Enos’ first offense at Maryland produced numerous school records in 2021 as the Terps set single-season bests in total yards (5,740), passing yards (3,960), completions (339) and completion percentage (69.3%). Tagovailoa added seven single-season school records of his own in his first season in the Enos system, setting top marks in passing yards (3,860), completions (328), completion percentage (69.2%) and passing touchdowns (26).

Enos spent the 2020 season at Cincinnati as the Bearcats’ associate head coach and running backs coach. The Bearcats went 9-1 during the pandemic-shortened season, winning the American Athletic Conference title and earning a spot in the Sugar Bowl before finishing the season ranked in the Top 10. The Cincinnati offense ranked in the Top 25 nationally in nearly every offensive category, including rushing offense (212.4 yards/game) and points per game (37.5).

He spent the 2019 season at Miami after coaching quarterbacks at Alabama in 2018 as the associate head coach. With the Crimson Tide, Enos molded Tua Tagovailoa into an All-American, Walter Camp Award and Maxwell Award winner to help the Tide reach the national championship game. During his one season with Enos, Tua Tagovailoa completed 69% of his passes while throwing for 3,966 yards and 43 TDs and just six interceptions to set an all-time FBS single-season passer rating (199.44). The Tide averaged 45.6 points and 522.0 yards per game and set single-season school records for points (684), total offense (7,830 yards) and passing yards (4,854).

Before his first tenure at Arkansas, Enos was the head coach at Central Michigan for five seasons. He led the Chippewas to two bowl games, earning bowl eligibility in three of his five years at the helm. During his time in Mount Pleasant, Mich., 23 Chips earned All-Mid-American Conference honors with four of his five offense passing for 3,000+ yards.

Enos began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at his alma mater before landing his first full-time coaching job at Division III Lakeland College as the Muskies’ offensive coordinator for the 1994 and 1995 seasons. A one-year stop at Northern Michigan (1996) led to two seasons at Southern Illinois (1997-98) before a single season at Missouri State (1999) as the offensive coordinator. He moved back north to become the quarterbacks coach at Western Michigan (2000-02) for three seasons before a one-year stint at FCS power North Dakota State (2003) as the offensive coordinator. His first tenure at Cincinnati came during the 2004-05 seasons working for Head Coach Mark Dantonio as the quarterbacks coach before leaving to coach QBs at Michigan State (2006) for Head Coach John L. Smith. A year later, Enos took over the Spartans’ running backs for two seasons when Dantonio took over the program.

Enos played quarterback at Michigan State from 1987-90. In two seasons as the starter, he led the Spartans to a 16-7-1 record, including a pair of bowl wins. He still ranks among the best in school history with 3,837 passing yards and 297 completions. His .621 completion percentage ranks fourth-best in Spartan history.

The Dearborn, Mich. native graduated from Michigan State with a degree in business administration in 1991 and earned his master’s in sports administration in 2006.

Enos and his wife Jane, have two children, a daughter, Lia, and a son, Alex.

The Dan Enos File

Birthdate: July 1, 1968

College: Michigan State, 1991 B.S. Business Administration, 2006 M.A. Sports Administration

Family: Wife – Jane; Daughter – Lia, Son – Alex

Coaching Experience

1991-93 Michigan State (Graduate Assistant)

1994-95 Lakeland College (Offensive Coordinator/QBs/WRs)

1996 Northern Michigan (Offensive Coordinator/RBs)

1997-98 Southern Illinois (QBs/WRs)

1999 Missouri State (Offensive Coordinator/QBs)

2000-02 Western Michigan (Quarterbacks)

2003 North Dakota State (Offensive Coordinator/QBs)

2004-05 Cincinnati (Quarterbacks)

2006 Michigan State (Quarterbacks)

2007-09 Michigan State (Running Backs)

2010-14 Central Michigan (Head Coach)

2015-17 Arkansas (Offensive Coordinator/QBs)

2018 Alabama (Associate Head Coach/QBs)

2019 Miami (Offensive Coordinator/QBs)

2020 Cincinnati (Associate Head Coach/RBs)

2021-22 Maryland (Offensive Coordinator/QBs)

Playing Experience

1987-90 Michigan State

Note to Our Readers: This story was sourced in its entirety from the University of Arkansas Office of Communications, Kyle Parkinson.

SR Lady Tigers Fall To Hector’s Hostile Aggression

When the Mansfield Lady Tigers saw the latest rankings, they were the number one team in the 2A-4 conference and the number two team in the entire state while also boasting a 17-2 overall record. It could be said that they were nearly unstoppable on the hardwoods at that point. But when you’re the top dog, you have a target on your back and a bounty on your head. Teams will do all they can to dethrone a top tier program such as Mansfield. One team seeking Mansfield’s crown as well as revenge for a mere five-point loss to the Lady Tigers earlier in the season was the Hector Lady Wildcats. On Tuesday, January 17th both Mansfield and Hector met for a rough and tumble Round2 game with 2A-4 supremacy at stake.

Alyson Edwards (#12) shoots an unopposed jump shot.

As quickly as the ball was tipped off, Hector took a steal and proceeded to lay up the first points of the game. The fast score blew the roof off of Wildcat stadium and made it very clear to the Lady Tigers that they were in hostile territory. Alyson Edwards quieted the ruckus home crowd with a hard-fought board bucket to even up the scoreboard and added a free throw to give Mansfield a 3-2 lead. Hector answered right back with a long-range three-pointer. Kynslee Ward tied the game up at 5-5 with a pair of free throws which caused Hector to call a time-out at 4:55 in the first quarter. The Lady Wildcats then went on a 7-2 run on Mansfield causing them to burn a time out of their own. Alyson Edwards pulled off a couple of put-back shots along with an added free throw, but the aggressive Lady Wildcats wouldn’t allow Mansfield to warm up the scoreboards. The Lady Tigers pulled within three points but that was as close as they would get as the first quarter closed with Hector ahead of Mansfield 15-12.

Harlie Fuller (#3) eyes a passing lane as she cuts past a Hector defender.

Hector came out of the quarter break with back-to-back layups to continue to keep momentum in their favor. This was proving to be a game of Hector’s aggression versus Mansfield’s talent as both teams traded knockout blows on the scoreboard and the floor. The physicality led to bodies on the floor, clashes for rebounds, and even bloody noses. Unfortunately, Mansfield was first to cross the free-throw opportunity threshold which sent Hector to the line for each foul called. The Lady Tigers took their bumps and keep trucking though as Natalie Allison drained a three-pointer and was shortly followed by Harlie Fuller who swished a three of her own to give Mansfield a 22-21 lead. Hector was able to hit a three-pointer to retake the lead and extended that lead by sinking more free throws. Alyson Edwards brought Mansfield within two points with a board bucket to shut down Hector’s scoreboard run. Even though the hostile environment and physicality of the game was set against the Lady Tigers, they survived enough to go into halftime only down 27-24 to Hector.

Seven Sanderson (#40) blocks a Hector shot allowing Kynslee Ward to snatch the ball.

With the Lady Tigers being a second-half team, the Tiger faithful felt assured Mansfield would roar back. Natalie Allison handed the fans in red that assurance with a three-point shot to open the third quarter tying the game at 27-27. Hector would continue their bread and butter game though to regain the lead by drawing fouls and shooting free throws. With both teams playing wildly and aggressively, it was clear that it would only be a matter of time before things got out of hand. Less than two minutes into the third quarter, an official time-out was called due to a bloody player. The game resumed for a couple of seconds before another time-out was called for again for blood on another player. Alyson Edwards was a hungry shark after blood spilled as she went down low for a short jumper and then struck again for a put-back drawing a foul on the way up. The fouls against the Lady Tigers though began to take their toll as Mansfield held eight team fouls with 2:37 left still in the third quarter. With players in foul trouble, Seven Sanders stepped on the court and made an immediate impact. Sanderson rang up a pair of put-back scores to close the gap on the scoreboard to a 43-37 Hector lead at the end of the third quarter.

Kaylee Ward #23) goes up and over a Hector defender to put points on the board for Mansfield.

Only being down by six points, the Lady Tigers still had a shot going into the fourth and final quarter. Unfortunately for Mansfield though, the physical toll had already been done. The Lady Tigers lost a starter due to fouls at 6:27 in the fourth and another with 4:28 left in the game. With Mansfield fouling out with players, Hector opened the barn doors and let loose. The Lady Wildcats rolled up a 52-39 score before Kaylee Ward and Alyson Edwards put in a couple of free throws to stop the scoring run. Exhaustion and frustration made it easy for Hector to pick apart the Lady Tigers at each turn for the remainder of the game as the Lady Tigers fell to Hector with a 65-46 final.

The Lady Tigers come out of a time out ready to continue the battle.

The loss hits Mansfield in multiple areas. It gave the Lady Tigers their first conference loss, dropped them to second place in the 2A-4, and surely left them down in the dumps. Sounds rough, doesn’t it? If you think that this Mansfield team is going to just cry about it though, you don’t know this team very well. Yes, Hector beat them on the scoreboard and physically, but the most dangerous Tiger is a wounded one. The Lady Tigers will assuredly learn from their mistakes and become better prepared for any physical teams that lie ahead of them. Step one in this learning process will be hosting the ever-dangerous Lavaca Lady Golden Arrows on Tuesday, January 24th.

Arrest Reports 1/8

Arresting agency – Fort Smith Police Department:
Hunter Jefry Bean of Greenwood was booked into the Sebastian County Detention Center on January 11 at 9:38 p.m. and released on legally sufficient bond January 12 at 12:49 a.m. Bean was charged with Possession of Controlled Substance – Schedule VI Misdemeanor <4oz., and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia – Store or Conceal – Other.

Charles Oliver of Booneville was booked into the Sebastian County Detention Center on January 8 at 5:06 a.m. and released on signature bond January 8 at 11:26 a.m. Oliver was charged with Public Intoxication – Danger to self or others.

Dustin Wayne Tankersley of Hackett was booked into the Sebastian County Detention Center on January 14 at 4:28 p.m. and remains at the SCADC without bond. Tankersley was charged with Theft of Property <$1k, two counts of Failure to Appear – Class A Misdemeanor, Fleeing -On Foot-Misd., and parole violation.

Byron Lee Warren of Booneville was booked into the Sebastian County Detention Center on January 10 at 1:57 a.m. and transferred to an outside agency on January 10 at 9:04 a.m. Warren was charged with Assist Outside Agency-Misd.

Arresting agency – Sebastian County Sheriff’s Office:
Billy Gene Boyster of Huntington was booked into the Sebastian County Detention Center on January 10 at 9:56 p.m. and released on legally sufficient bond January 11 at 12:03 a.m. Boyster was charged with Possession of Controlled Substance – Schedule I/II Felony <2g, and Petition to Revoke – Felony.

Denny Eugene Goines of Greenwood was booked into the Sebastian County Detention Center on January 10 at 11:40 a.m. and released on legally sufficient bond January 10 at 5:23 p.m. Goines was charged with Harassment Catch All.

Tabitha Page Gregory of Hackett was booked into the Sebastian County Detention Center on January 8 at 4:28 p.m. and remains at the SCADC without bond. Gregory was charged with Assist Outside Agency-Misd., and Assault in the 2nd Degree.

Dustin Mack Martin of Mansfield was booked into the Sebastian County Detention Center on January 8 at 11:37 p.m. and released on cash bond January 9 at 9:06 p.m. Martin was charged with Domestic Battering Third Degree – Purposely A Misd.

Ernest Jasper Munson Third of Greenwood was booked into the Sebastian County Detention Center on January 11 at 8:44 p.m. and remains at the SCADC without bond. Munson was charged with Obstructing Governmental Operations-Impair, Theft Of Property – By Deception Misdemeanor, and Parole Violation.

Dawn Michelle Saulter of Hartford was booked into the Sebastian County Detention Center on January 9 at at 10:28 p.m. and remains at the SCADC without bond. Saulter was charged with Fugitive from Justice Out of State, and Failure to Appear – Class B Misdemeanor.

Johnny Allen Sory of Charleston was booked into the Sebastian County Detention Center on January 9 at 11:26 a.m. and remains at the SCADC. Sory was charged with Assault On Family Or Household Member-1st Degree, Assault On Family Or Household Member-3rd Degree, and Interfering With Emergency Communications – 2nd Degree.

Arresting agency – Barling Police Department:
Jeremiah Thomas Dupree of Booneville was booked into the Sebastian County Detention Center on January 10 at 8:15 p.m. and released on legally sufficient bond January 12 at 3:07 p.m. Dupree was charged with Possession of Cocaine with the Purpose of Deliver >2g., and Possession Drug Paraphernalia – Felony.

Heather Faye Love of Booneville was booked into the Sebastian County Detention Center on January 10 at 8:11 p.m. and released on legally sufficient bond at January 11 at 1:51 a.m. Love was charged with Possession of Cocaine with the Purpose of Deliver >2g., Possession Drug Paraphernalia – Felony.

Arresting agency – Logan County Sheriff’s Office:
Jeanette Macias, 28 of Magazine, was booked into the Logan County Detention Center on January 9 at 4:51 p.m. Macias was charged with failure to appear, failure to pay, and hold for drug court.

David Haney, 51 of Charleston, was booked into the Logan County Detention Center on January 10 at 9:23 a.m. Haney was charged with failure to appear.

Richard Holloway, 32 of Lavaca, was booked into the Logan County Detention Center on January 13 at 11:25 a.m. Holloway was charged with hold for U.S. Marshal.

Toby Tygart, 60 of Booneville, was booked into the Logan County Detention Center on January 13 at 11:55 a.m. Tygart was charged and sentenced to the Arkansas Department of Corrections.

Nicholas Spicer, 41 of Fort Smith, was booked into the Logan County Detention Center on January 13 at 4:06 p.m. Spicer was charged with hold for drug court.

Bobby Bridgman, 39, was booked into the Logan County Detention Center on January 13 at 4:28 p.m. Bridgman was charged with two counts of left of center, and trafficking a controlled substance.

Rockey McGahey, 34, was booked into the Logan County Detention Center on January 13 at 6:47 p.m. McGahey was charged and sentenced to the Arkansas Department of Corrections.

**The charges against those arrested are allegations and the cases are still pending in the courts.**

City of Hartford Awarded Fun Park Grant

In December of 2022, the City of Hartford received notification that they had been approved for a $100,000 Fun Park Grant. According to the award letter, the funds will be used to install play equipment, sunshade, interactive musical play structures, and site amenities at McClung Music Park.

McClung Music Park is located at the old Hartford Elementary School building on West Main and Maple Street.

“Before the grant, we added a playground for younger children, new swings, and currently putting in a basketball court,” stated Danielle Woodard, Hartford’s water clerk. “This grant will allow us to add a playground for older children, musical equipment, and a shade over the current playground equipment. We will also be adding trash cans, grills, benches, and other amenities…the park will be wheelchair accessible.” 

Woodard stated there is no estimated start date. “We have stages that need to be completed before we move on to each step.”

She expressed the city’s gratitude towards WAPDD for their assistance with the grant process. The community is grateful for the efforts of Mayor Richard Hartsfield, and Woodard, in providing children and families with a park to enjoy.  

Timepiece: Shared Conversations

By Dr. Curtis Varnell

Sitting at my table at the N.W. mall, I observed dozens of individuals sauntering by.  Some were dressed in business like attire with a professional look about them.  Many were casually dressed young kids with brightly colored hair and rings dangling from multiple locations.  Regardless of occupation, social status, or age, the one thing they had in common was a cell phone stuck in their ear while they were carrying on a brisk conversation.  

Telephones have long been a facet of Arkansas communities.  As early as 1891, the Parks family started a telephone company used locally in Prairie Groove and extended it into Fayetteville the following year.  By 1906, they had several hundred phones in western Washington County and had incorporated into what was known as the Prairie Grove Telephone company.  Other small towns and communities across the state followed suit, resulting in a hodge-podge of local companies serving smallcommunities.  Telephone companies struggled through the depression years and WWII but really expanded when Rep. Wilber Mills was successful in assisting them with low-interest loans through the Rural Electrification Act (REA). Soon, larger corporations such as ATT and others began to purchase and consolidate into large conglomerates.  One of the larger companies in central Arkansas, owned by Hugh Wilbourn and Charles Miller, consolidated many small telephone companies and eventually created the telephone conglomerate, Alltell. 

The year was 1967 and we had just moved into a small community that actually had telephone services.  My dad, starting up a new business selling cars, had decided he needed a phone to conduct his work.  We children had other ideals, our minds filled with thoughts of all the many friends we would now be connected to through this new technological marvel. Unfortunately, his dreams of increased business and ours of unlimited conversations all came to naught.  In 1967, all the rural systems were hooked up to party line.  Many of the “shared” lines were connected to as many as eight households.  Ours was connected to only four but the four we shared our lines with were avid conversationalists.  To those unaccustomed to party lines, the term meant that three other households shared one telephone line with you but only one household could use the phone at a time.  Anyone picking up the phone could hear the conversations being conducted by the other line members.

The telephone company asked that people on the party line limit their calls to five minutes but our party line either had no clocks or measured time with a sun dial.  I remember vividly wanting to make a call only to hear our neighbor Mildred exclaim to one of her sisters, “I’ll be right back.  I’ve got to run outside and hang up the clothes.”  I could hear the thump as she laid the telephone down on the table and went out the back door, leaving the line tied up while she worked.  We learned quickly that we could keep up with all the news and gossip in our community by listening in to the conversations.  If you unscrewed the mouthpiece from your digital phone, you could catch hours of information that was not available on channel 5 news. Telephone pranks were rampant.  My brother Roger once called Mildred and posed as a telephone lineman.  “Are you having some problems with your telephone clicking,’ he inquired.  Everyone did of course.  When she replied to the affirmative, he informed her she had entirely too much line from her phone to the wall.  “Just give it a good yank,” he instructed.  She must have followed his instructions because there was a sharp pop on the line as the cord was extracted.  We had extensive use of the phone for a couple days until the line was repaired.

Today, according to an article I read recently, there are more telephones and cell phones in America than there are people.  The mall certainly has its share!! A couple sit down at the table next to me, the woman talking excitedly on the phone. “Oh Jill, have you heard the latest,” she asked.  This was too good to miss!  I scooted my chair over closer, enjoying the moment.  Ahh, just like ole times!!!

Great Backyard Projects To Undertake in 2023

It’s normal to look at your backyard and wonder what you can do with this space. Many people choose to install a deck with some patio furniture or a pool. Those are fine ideas, but if you’re looking for something different, here are some great backyard projects to undertake in 2023.

Firepit

A firepit is a great project because it’s beginner-friendly, fully customizable, and it adds a relaxing element to your backyard. You can create firepits out of almost any size or shape of brick or paving stone, allowing you to match the style to the aesthetics of your home. You can also create a nice seating area around it for people to gather. Consider adding some fun extras, such as a grill top, if you want to use it for outdoor cooking.

Shipping Container Structure

Shipping container structures are a growing trend, and nearly anyone can install one in their backyard. Recycled shipping containers are low cost and come in different sizes to suit your yard or the scale of your project.

People often wonder whether or not shipping containers are a sustainable option for their backyard. Shipping container structures are a growing trend, and nearly anyone can install one in their backyard. Ultimately, shipping containers are low-maintenance and a great choice for adding a unique space to your home’s exterior.

Chicken Coop

One great backyard project to undertake this year is to build your very own chicken coop. The size, shape, and style may vary depending on how many chickens you plan to get. However, chickens are social creatures, so you should expect to get a small group of them.

You can design your coop from scratch, build one based on pre-existing blueprints, or buy a kit to put it together yourself. Chickens are a great source of entertainment, companionship, and responsibility, so the fun lasts longer than the time it takes to build the coop. Plus, free eggs are a nice bonus!

MMS Students Give the Gift of Color

Contributed article

Mansfield Middle School 6th grade students, Lily Dyer and Rylie Moore, recently started a secret mission to make one fellow student’s dreams come true.  In September, while sitting in history class, their teacher, Mrs. Holland, called upon Thomas Boyd to answer a question about a map they were studying in class.  Thomas told the teacher he was unable to answer the question because he was color blind.  With the help of his classmates, they answered the questions altogether.  After class, the girls discussed how they wished Thomas could see color just like they could.  Lily and Rylie decided on a secret mission to help Thomas to see color just like them.  They went home that day after school and asked their parents if they could do a secret fundraiser to raise money to buy Thomas a pair of glasses that would allow him to see color like others.  After getting their parents on board, the two girls went to work baking cookies, and Lilly even invented her own secret sugar cookie recipe to make the perfect delicious sugar cookies. The girls raised over $300 dollars to buy the special glasses for their classmate by selling  44 dozen sugar and chocolate chip cookies to friends, neighbors, teachers, and students. Once the money was raised, Lilly’s mother, Shenae Sanders, did the research and ordered Thomas the Enchroma glasses that would allow him to see reds and greens as we see color within our eyes.

Today, principal, Josh Brown, called the students out of class so that the girls could present Thomas his glasses and see a whole new world.  Thomas’ reaction brought tears to everyone’s eyes as he was in awe that his fellow classmates would do such a sweet and kind gesture. He held back the happy tears as everyone told him the surprise. He thanked and hugged his friends for all their hard work. He also couldn’t believe the Razorbacks were red, a basketball was orange, and even the color of school bricks weren’t green anymore but finally red!  His reaction was priceless and he couldn’t wait to see a Kansas City Chiefs’ logo and go home and look to see what color his dogs really are!

Arkansas Single Parent Scholarship Fund accepting Summer 2023 scholarship applications

Eligible single parents are invited to apply for Summer 2023 scholarships at aspsf.org/applynow. The deadline to apply is March 15. Arkansas Single Parent Scholarship Fund (ASPSF) awards scholarships up to $1,200 to eligible single parents who are attending college or obtaining technical training. A full list of eligibility guidelines is available at aspsf.org/eligibility.

“ASPSF has helped me by showing support, lending an ear, and taking me as I am. I do not have to worry about hiding who I am and my troubles. Being a single mother can feel lonely sometimes but it’s good to know this organization exists to help support and uplift parents,” said recipient Myranda, who’s studying psychology at the University of Arkansas–Fort Smith.

ASPSF recipient Myranda with volunteer Dave Stevens.

If awarded, recipients can use the funds for any combination of school and/or household expenses that remove a financial burden and help the student stay in school.

Scholarships are combined with wraparound services — including workshops, mentorships, and
tutoring — to create a support system helping single parents along their higher education journey to graduation and professional employment.

If a single parent is not attending summer school, he or she can apply later for another semester. Here are upcoming ASPSF scholarship application openings and deadlines:
• Fall 2023 Semester: Apply between April 15-June 15, 2023
• Spring 2024 Semester: Apply between Aug. 15-Oct. 15, 2023
For more information about Arkansas Single Parent Scholarship Fund — which has awarded more than $30 million in scholarships across the state to single parents since 1990 — contact ASPSF Program Manager Sandy Nelson at snelson@aspsf.org or (479) 551-2134.

About Arkansas Single Parent Scholarship Fund: Arkansas Single Parent Scholarship Fund works
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.

Obituary – Linda (Leeper) Robertson (1951-2023)

Linda Alice Robertson of Waldron, Arkansas passed from this life, Sunday, January 15, 2023 in Waldron, Arkansas with family by her side. Linda was born April 9, 1951 in Waldron to Theo Pete Leeper and Catherine (Rogers) Leeper. She was 71 years old.

Linda loved to watch cooking shows on television. Linda’s most precious gift was spending time with her family and especially her great-grandsons. Being a Granny to them meant the world to her.

Linda leaves behind to cherish her memory, 2 bonus grandsons: Kevin Schafer, and Brent (Amy) Riddle, two great-grandsons: Anthony and Axle Schafer, two sisters: Jody (Loyd) McDaniel and Larrain Smith all of Waldron, Arkansas and special caregiver and daughter of the heart Dawn Payne Taff. Linda, better known to most as Meme, will forever remain in the hearts of a host of extended family and friends she loved dearly.

Linda was preceded in death by her husband David, one son Christopher and one granddaughter Mallorie Schafer as well as her parents, Pete and Catherine Leeper, and siblings: Cathy Payne, Rogers Leeper and Glen Leeper.

Linda’s family will host a private memorial service at a later date. Arrangements and cremation are being entrusted to the Heritage Memorial Funeral Home & Crematory in Waldron, Arkansas.

You may leave words of comfort and remembrance for Linda’s family by visiting: www.heritagememorialfh.com.