Although December is bringing us closer to a cold winter, you might be thinking about the next home improvement projects you can complete when the weather gets more agreeable. Consider the additions you could make outside your house to add more space. In fact, there are some very good reasons why your home should get a patio.
Get More Space
You may have wanted to do more in your kitchen or create a new place to exercise, but you couldn’t because of the lack of room inside your house. A new patio allows you to utilize that new space as you see fit. Your kids will even be happy that they get a new space to play outdoors.
Use it to Entertain
Another good reason why your home should get a patio is that it provides you with a new environment in your backyard where you can entertain guests. On your patio, you can host all types of dinners, parties, and other gatherings for your friends, family, and neighbors. Even if you don’t have people over, the patio gives you a nice space to sit, relax, and enjoy the outdoor weather.
Add Visual Appeal
One of the things to expect when you install a new patio is the ability to customize your patio however you like. You have an array of options regarding the colors and materials you can integrate into the patio, its design, and its location. Many people tend to put it directly in the back of their house, but you also can have it in other areas of your backyard.
Grow Your Home’s Value
Your addition of a patio will add to your enjoyment of your home as well as its worth. Because many view patios as a feature they want when buying a home, it will add value to your property and make your home more appealing if you decide to sell it someday. So when you install a patio, you’re adding more luxury and making a long-term investment.
Adding a patio can liven up your life and make your home more attractive to yourself, your neighbors, and even future buyers. Your next question should really be when you’ll get to building!
The Pulaski Academy Bruins beat the Greenwood Bulldogs 42-35 in the Class 6A Championship
To make it to the State Championship game it is an honor. It is a culmination of 13 weeks of things going just right to put you in the position to go. There’s hours of practice, being in the film room, working in the weight room all to to play a game and to have pride to do it for your school and town. Two teams went to battle and momentum swings were huge in the game. Pulaski Academy would go on to win their 11th State Championship, Greenwood would get their 6th State Runner-Up.
On a cold night in Little Rock, among the confines that is War Memorial, the Class 6A State Championship game, that folks predicted would happen in preseason, was about to be underway. State Championship winners this week were momentous, Izard County captured their 1st 8-man Championship. 2A Hazen would win their first State Championship ever. 7A Bryant would absolutely steam roll Bentonville to win their 5th in a row. Former Greenwood Defensive Coordinator Brad Bolding would get that elusive State Championship as Little Rock Parkview would beat Shiloh Christian for the 5A Championship. Friday night Bonneville and Charleston punched their tickets to face each other in the 3A Championship game. Then two of the states most-storied programs of this century were about to face off in the Saturday night game, Hollywood couldn’t have written a better script.
Pulaski Academy would get the opening kickoff. A batted pass at the line of scrimmage would get to the hands of Greenwood Defensive Back Josh Allen for the interception. Greenwood has short field position and Junior Brayden Davis gets it in for the first Touchdown of the game. Bodey Steinfeldt’s kick would be good putting Greenwood up top 7-0 with 9:53 in the 1st. The Bruins would answer back and Kenny Jordan would punch it in for 6, the 2 point conversion would fail. Greenwood’s drive would find them backed up 3rd and 20 when Hunter Houston would find Isaiah Arrington to get them close to the first down. Greenwood would get the first and then Jake Glover would rumble it in for the touchdown, kick was good 14-6. Kel Busby answers back with a deep pass of his own and then calling his own number to run it in the end zone for the TD. 2 point would fail 14-12 with 2:29 in the 1st quarter. Hunter Houston makes quick work and finds Jake Glover on the screen pass. Glover takes it down the Pulaski sideline for the touchdown kick was good 21-12 1:40 still in the 1st quarter. Pulaski then drives down into Greenwood territory as time expires.
Kel Busby again rushes it in for the touchdown and the 2 point try would fail 21-18 11:32 in the 2nd quarter. Greenwood has a shot to put the game up by 10 but are stopped on 4th and 5 deep in the red zone. The Bruins take the opportunity to drive down the field and Kenny Jordan gets it in for Pulaski’s first lead of the game. 2 point would fail leaving the score 25-21. With 3:40 left in the half. Greenwood’s next drive would end in a punt. The Bruins would take over but would try to go through the air after big stop by Cash Archer. Brady Mackey would get an interception to take it into the locker room. Halftime 25-21
Greenwood receives the 2nd half kick and drives down into Bruin territory. The ‘Dogs would be stopped on 4th down. Pulaski’s drive would stall on their side of the field with a stop from Evan Williams, an intentional grounding call, and what looked like another Josh Allen interception would have the Bruins punting on 4th down. Greenwood would punt on 4th down as well. Pulaski would punt again after a defensive stand with a stop from Eli Whitaker and a pass breakup from Isaiah Arrington. Greenwood’s next drive would be highlighted by a Grant Karnes catch. Karnes would lineup at QB start to run to the left then pitch to Houston. He would try to throw over the middle but it would be incomplete. Houston’s next pass would be just out of reach of an open Aiden Kennon. On fourth down Houston passes to Karnes who comes up short from getting the 1st down. The Bruins took over on the suddenly now defensive chess match waiting for the for either team to break the ice. Brady Mackey would get a pass breakup on the first play of the drive. Two plays later on a screen play, Busby would find Kenny Jordan, Braden Skaggs and Evan Williams stopped what was the first big play for the Bruins in the 2nd half. Stops from Josh Allen, Mackey, and Brady Pettigrew would have the Bruins settle for a Field Goal. 28-21. Greenwood would get back to work. Runs from Glover and passes from Houston to Karnes and Kennon setup a long pass to L.J. Robins for the T.D. Steinfeldt kick was good score 28-28 8:20 in the 4th.
The Bruins would drive down the field facing 4th down a critical pass interference call set up another Kenny Jordan TD the extra point would be blocked 34-28. A pass from Houston popped in and out of the hands of L.J. Robins into the hands of a Pulaski defender. Two plays later Busby would find the end zone and Pulaski would get their first two point conversion of the game. 42-28.
Greenwood would get a deep kick from Pulaski Academy, with Houston finding L.J. Robins open behind the Bruin secondary. Kick was good 35-42. On the first play of the drive Brady Pettigrew would come through and force a fumble that would be recovered by Kel Busby. Busby would complete one pass on the drive then punt the ball away putting Greenwood deep in their own territory, giving the ‘Dogs one drive to tie or win the game. A high pass intended for Aiden Kennon would fall incomplete. A pass to Karnes is complete but still short of the first down. An incomplete pass on the next play set up 4th down. Houston would go over the top to L.J. Robins and the Pulaski defender broke up the pass sealing the game for the Bruins. They would take a knee to run out the final minute.
“Greenwood kids are special, they don’t give up. I am proud to be their football coach, I am lucky to be their football coach. We [have] an outstanding group of young men in there that make us proud every single day.” Head Coach Chris Young said after the tough loss. “We got beat by a great football team tonight. You got to take your hat’s off to Pulaski Academy. Those guys are very talented, they’re good at what they do.”
Regarding the Seniors class “That’s small group for us. We talked to them last night, there’s a lot of local teams that we play around. That these guys actually played a full season more than the Seniors at those schools did, because they played 4 weeks in the Playoffs for 3 years.” Coach Young went on to say, “We had a young football team, but we had great leadership from those eleven. And we have some great football players in those eleven guys. Although we got a lot of guys coming back next year, we lost a lot of really good football players.”
Author’s Note: Over the past 5 seasons I have followed this team in different capacities. Doing photos for the Greenwood Dog Pound, Sideline Highlight video, and writing for this excellent newspaper. We take for granted that Greenwood goes to State every year no matter the sport. But underneath these are still kids that have a passion for the game. This was the first Senior class that I became close to due to how much I was able to be around. Covid almost took away their Sophomore year, but they fought through and played for a Championship and won. The next year was full of adversity and injuries and still made it back to the Championship and took a loss to El Dorado. This year had it’s highs and lows but still ended in the same stadium. I cannot thank these Seniors like Tanner McKusker, Evan Williams, Hayden Webb, and Logan Taylor enough for upholding the Tradition at Greenwood. Adding yet another trophy to the cases at H.B. Stewart and a seasons worth of memories.
My son who has been a part of this team alongside me has become friends with the Upperclassmen in this time. He hugged the Seniors as they walked off the field, embraced his classmate and long time teammate Kane Archer. He then stood by himself watching Pulaski celebrate their 11th Championship. Folks will say it is just a game. For some it is a way of life. A dream since he was 3 years old watching Current Co-Offensive Coordinator Stephen Hogan throw the ball all over the field at Smith-Robinson Stadium. I asked Coach Young as we walked away from the Post-Game press conference “When do you start preparing for the next one, tomorrow?” He chuckled a little bit and said “We will take a little time off.” For some preparation starts today.
Tara Crippen recently opened her own law firm, but she is no stranger to the legal profession. Prior to becoming an attorney, she worked as a legal assistant and law clerk for 16 years. During that time, she assisted counsel with preparing and filing appellate briefs, trial preparation, research, and has participated in every stage of the litigation process.
Tara’s practice is primarily focused on family law. Her practice covers a broad range of family law issues, including paternity, custody, parenting time, support and property issues. Tara’s training in dependency neglect proceedings translates to a more child centric approach in her domestic relations matters. In addition to family law, however, Tara’s smalltown practice is evolving to include LLC formation, estate planning and many other facets of law. She appreciates a challenge and wants to work with people who want to work with her.
Tara went to law school to learn to be an advocate for people who were not able to advocate for themselves. Her approach to law brings her straight to your door, and she will meet you where and when it is convenient for you.
She prefers working from unconventional spaces, so don’t be alarmed if you see her in the day at her favorite coffee shop or in the evening with her laptop at the local brewery. Feel free to stop and say hi. When she is not hard at it working for her clients, you will find her working hard on Cicada Song Farms. She and her partner have a small herd of dexter cattle and a flock of Rhode Island Red and Barred Rock chickens.
“I am grateful for an opportunity to serve a community that has been helpful and welcoming since we moved here in May,” shared Crippen. “There are few options to access legal services locally. I recognized that there was a hole that I could fill. In this area, clients may make too much to qualify for legal aid, but it also can be difficult to pay a large retainer. I keep my overhead low so that my prices can be reasonable, and people can access the services they need.”
The Class 6A State Championship will be decided this Saturday at 6:30 as the Greenwood Bulldogs take on the Pulaski Academy Bruins.
A combined 20 Football State Championships, 10 each all won since 2000. Two tradition rich programs. One known for producing Razorbacks with names like Wilson, Morgan, Noland, and Holt. For being FasDogs during the summer. The other being known the world over through articles and documentaries about their unorthodox approach to special teams and unworldly numbers in the passing game. Both with legendary coaches that joined the college ranks and promoted within. One coach with a legendary last name that has blazed his own path and been a part of all of the schools 10 State Championships. The other coach a Razorback receiving legend. Both Coaches won State Championships in their first year. Two programs vying for one thing, the 2022 Class 6A State Championship.
When looking at Arkansas High School Football programs in this century that is still young at 22 years, it is hard to escape the two that are the Greenwood Bulldogs and the Pulaski Academy Bruins. Two teams that as mentioned above have won 20 State Championships together. It is also interesting to note that they have only met once before in the State Championship. More on that in a few sentences or paragraphs.
This Saturdays matchup is just the 6th time these two have met. A week 9 game against Pulaski this season saw the Bulldogs coming out on top 33-23. Before you start getting excited, Pulaski’s starting QB went down early in the game followed by Hunter Houston leaving the game as well. The stout Greenwood defense and Freshman QB Kane Archer were able to come away with a 10 point victory. Kel Busby and Hunter Houston are healthy and look poised to lead their teams to hoisting the trophy written in gold on Saturday evening.
This is Greenwood’s mind boggling 16th trip to the State Championship game dating back to 1996. What happened for Greenwood to becoming a perennial favorite year after year.
1996 – Watson Chapel 35-13 Loss: Sophomore QB Brooks Coatney led the Bulldogs to their first State Championship game after game winning touchdown in the fog at Smith-Robinson against Malvern. A talented receiving corps with National Record holder Kris Weible and tough running back and future Razorback Tatum Owenby, were no match for the running back duo of Watson Chapel’s Ron Johnson and Bobby Jett.
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/MICHAEL WOODS
The Greenwood Bulldogs Josh Bell breaks around the corner for a gain in Friday nights game against the Northside Grizzlies in Fort Smith.
9/1/00
2000 – Hope 30-2 WIN: At the time Greenwood posted the largest margin of victory with rout of the Hope Bobcats. First drive of the game one of the Hope defenders would snag Josh Bell’s jersey and spin him around hoping he would go down, Bell would score a TD on that play setting the tone for the rest of the game. Josh Bell would become the MVP of the game after getting a unanimous vote. Head Coach Ronnie Peacock would get that elusive State Championship then take a job at Rogers High School.
2000 State Championship
2004 – Wynne 28-26 Loss: This was Head Coach Rick Jones’ first trip to the Arkansas State Championship after a successful run in Broken Arrow, OK. Coach Jones took over a program that went 23-11 under Harv Welch from 2001-2003. The game foreshadowed what was to come for the next 15 years with Coach Jones at the helm. The ‘Dogs would let Wynne score to give them the ball back with enough time on the clock to set up a game winning drive. They would get the TD and then go for two when Daniel Stegall would throw to future Razorback Lucas Miller, but it would go through his hands.
2005 – Morrilton 35-32 WIN: Redemption. The Bulldogs march back to The Rock with William Ridener winning the State Game MVP. Daniel Stegall would be the first player in Arkansas history to rush for 1000 yards and pass for 2000 yards in back to back seasons.
2006 – Pulaski Academy 56-55 WIN: This was Greenwood’s version of Miracle on Markham, well it would be one of the first of those. This is was just the beginning of what would be two teams at the beginning of their dynasties. Tyler Wilson would throw for a crazy 563 yards in the game. Cornerbacks Coach and Freshman Center Assistant Principal Travis Sandifer was a junior on that squad.
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/BENJAMIN KRAIN 12-01-07
Greenwood quarterback Tyler Wilson escapes Little Rock Christian defenders during the 5A state championship high school football game.
2007 – Little Rock Christian 27-6 WIN: The win avenged a 44-7 loss in the regular season to LR Christian. Greenwood would beat Pulaski Academy 57-50 in the Semi-Finals to earn a trip to War Memorial. Tyler Wilson would be named State Game MVP, to complete the Three-Peat
2010 – Camden Fairview 36-35 WIN: Another Miracle on Markham moment. Greenwood was down with two minutes in the game and was able to score 15 points in that time span to win the game, start the second three-peat and score the 10th win in the 50 game win streak. Current Co-Offensive Coordinator Stephen Hogan was the QB for Greenwood that year throwing for 2,888 yards.
2011 – Batesville 53-11 WIN: The ‘Dogs had to overcome a 21 point deficit in the Semi-Finals against Camden Fairview to get a shot at the Rock. Their 24th win in a row was a dominate one for the Championship with future Razorback Drew Morgan. This was the last Championship in Class 5A.
Greenwood quarterback Jabe Burgess looks looks to pass during the first quarter of Friday night’s game against Parkview at War Eagle field in Little Rock.
Special to the Democrat-Gazette/JIMMY JONES
2012 – Pine Bluff 51-44 WIN: With the move to the hybrid 6A/7A Greenwood did not skip a beat. Jabe Burgess would take the helm of the Bulldogs following in the steps of cousins Brooks Coatney and Tyler Wilson. The 38th win in a row would give Greenwood a second Three-Peat. In their bid for a 4th consecutive State Championship and 51st victory, Pine Bluff would become the spoiler the following year kicking a last second Field Goal ending the Bulldogs 2013 season.
Arkansas Democrat Gazette photo – Drew Morgan
2015 – Pine Bluff 28-21 Loss: Those pesky Zebras, but this Greenwood team was not short on talent itself. Two future Razorbacks in Senior Grant Morgan and Sophomore Connor Noland. Future UCA Bear QB and Head Junior High Coach Luke Hales, another future UCA bear in Sophomore Kenny Wood. This was the first of 4 trips in a row for the Bulldogs.
Whole Hawg Sports Photo: Grant Morgan
2016 – Russellville 37-23 Loss: Greenwood was up 16-13 at halftime of the State Championship game when Russellville held Greenwood to 7 points.
2017 – Pine Bluff 52-14 WIN: 26 Seniors went into the season looking to turn around the last two years of coming up short. Connor Noland would pass for 2,801 yards and 34 Touchdowns en route to an undefeated season. Noland and Jon Womack would sweep the Farm Bureau Insurance Class 7A/6A Offensive and Defensive players of the year.
Connor Noland
2018 – Benton 45-14 WIN: After an early season loss to Northside, Greenwood’s defense took charge and got two shutouts, two one score games, and three two score games. Just as Coach Jones had done previously, Receiver turned QB Peyton Holt would show how much of a game changer he could be. A spinning TD in the state game, coupled with a one handed catch by Lazaro Angel sealed the deal for the Bulldogs and their 9th State Championship. Coach Jones would coach one more season at the school in South Sebastian County. Greenwood’s shot at a 5th trip in a row to the State Championship in 2019 was stopped short in Searcy.
RNN Sports Photo – Lazaro Angel “The Catch”
2020 – Lake Hamilton 49-24 WIN: Number 10. Coach Chris Young was promoted to Head Coach as Coach Rick Jones took a position at the University of Missouri. Shortly after taking the position the world nearly came to a halt and the fall season was put in jeopardy due to Covid. The schedule took a few turns with Northside and L.R. Parkview having to cancel due restrictions. In their place Springdale Har-Ber and Bentonville West in their place. The Greenwood machine never stopped. In the state Championship Greenwood did start slow going down 10-0 but then rallied back on the performance of State Game MVP L.D. Richmond and Current Arkansas Tech players Jayden Jasna and Hunter Wilkinson. Jasna would set a State Championship game record with a 98 yard Kickoff return.
RNN Sport Photo – Coach Chris Young after the 2020 State Championship Game
2021 – El Dorado 27-17 Loss: Going for one State Championship is tough, going for 11 on your 15th trip…. The expectation is easy to figure out at Greenwood, they are going to come home with a trophy at the end of the season. The Senior laden El Dorado proved to be Greenwood’s Kryptonite in their chance to get another Back to Back Championship. Hunter Houston would go out due to injury and the now Elkins QB Slade Dean stepped in and almost pulled off the win. Two Turnovers in the 2nd half kept Greenwood from winning their 11th and had to watch El Dorado hoist the Gold Trophy.
There you have it 15 trips. 10 wins. Legendary names. Legendary Games. If history is any indicator Saturday nights game will add to the lore of both Greenwood and Pulaski Academy.
After three straight wins in the state playoffs at home, some fans wondered if Charleston could take their dominant play on the road and beat a good Rison football program that has won eight state titles in its program’s history. The Charleston defense had been stellar throughout the playoffs, but, the Tigers were about to face a very physical and talented rushing attack from legendary Rison Coach Clay Totty. And on a perfect evening weather-wise in south Arkansas, it didn’t take long for the questions to be answered.
After stopping the Wildcats on their first offensive possession, it was clear that the defensive line and linebacker corps for Charleston were there to play. The Tigers forced a Rison punt, and Charleston would take possession of the football for the first time.
On the first Charleston snap, senior running back Brevyn Ketter took the handoff from Brandon Scott and raced the distance to the end zone to score a touchdown for Charleston. The point after touchdown attempt was blocked, but the Tigers led 6-0 early, and never looked back. The stop on defense and the lightning strike score on the first Charleston offensive play seemingly put Rison in shock, and the Tigers went on to win the state semifinal game, 27-0.
Charleston’s Brevyn Ketter (4) races to the end zone on the first offensive play of the game for Charleston (RNN Sports Photo / Jim Best)
The Tigers will now advance to the Class 3A state championship next Saturday, December 10, 6:30 p.m., at War Memorial Stadium. Charleston will face the Booneville Bearcats who also won their state semifinal game at Melbourne on Friday night by the score of 41-36. The rematch from their regular season game in October will be for a state championship and will match the numbers one and three ranked teams in Class 3A according to Max Preps. The top-ranked Tigers will face a Booneville team that will be at full-strength on Saturday. The Bearcats had several players and starters, including their record-breaking running back, Dax Goff, unavailable in their first meeting. Boneville and Charleston have clearly been the best two teams in 3A this season, and the rematch will be a fan’s dream, featuring the best two teams competing for the state title.
Rison is a team that likes to run the football, pounding defenses into submission, and striking with the occasional pass when the defense sells out to stop the run. As tough as the Wildcats’ rushing attack can be, they are not built to score quickly or to come from behind. Ketter’s touchdown run early forced Rison to play catch-up all night against a very tough Charleston defense. The Wildcats did have two possessions inside the red zone, but on both possessions, Rison would not be able to score due to turnovers. The Wildcats’ running backs were capable of exploding for big plays, and at times they seemed like they were on the verge of breaking a run from scrimmage for a long gain, but, they never did. Charleston was physical on the offensive and defensive lines, and the Tigers’ secondary was able to stop the pass all night.
Charleston took a 12-0 halftime lead into the locker room with possession of the ball to start the second half. The Tigers began to put the game away when the Charleston offense took their first possession of the third quarter and marched down the field, overcoming a couple of controversial calls and penalties against them, and scoring a touchdown to extend their lead.
As the game clock ticked down in the fourth quarter, a focused Charleston head coach, Ricky May, began to allow himself to smile with approximately four minutes remaining and the Tigers up by 27 points. In fact, in one experience that this reporter will never forget, we glanced at each other on the sideline with about four minutes, each hesitating to smile, and then broke out into big smiles and a congratulatory hug. Coach May has done a very good job as the Tigers coach since his arrival in 2019, and he always gives all of the credit for the program’s success to his players. He is truly a class act.
Watch for photos from this game next week on Facebook at Charleston Tigers Sports. And yes, RNN Sports will be on the field next Saturday in Little Rock to bring you coverage of the Tigers state championship game.
Congratulations to the Charleston Tigers, coaches, fans, and the community of Charleston on the Tigers’ appearance next week in the state championship game. This is a very special team, and the many seniors on this roster will end their high school careers at War Memorial on Saturday. They deserve a huge turnout by the fans and the community to see them compete for a state title.
It takes a lot of peas to make a hundred pounds!!! That thought was constantly in my mind as I crawled down the row shoving dried pea shells into the canvas sack I was pulling. Leroy Wade had planted acres of the peas and was paying us a whole $3.50 cents per hundred to pick them. As soon as school was out, our entire clan would head down the road and work till sunset picking the peas. On a good afternoon I might make $2, not bad when you could pay a week’s school lunch for a dollar or buy a pop cola and a hamburger at the small stand just off campus for twenty-five cents.
Later, I started working at Warehouse Market grocery store and my starting salary was $1.45 an hour. Months later, the minimum wage went up all the way to $1.60 an hour. I remember clearly the day I interviewed for my first teaching job. Mr. Ehren, the superintendent questioned prospective employees about all kinds of stuff, most of which wouldn’t be allowed today but, he wanted only the best to work with his school kids. Did I live in the community? Was I a church member? Would I assist with duties not assigned such as chaperoning groups, work ball games, or sponsor clubs? Then came the hard question, “do you owe a lot of money.” I had worked my way through college and paid as I went. “Mr. Ehren,” was my worried reply, “my son was recently in the hospital with pneumonia and I owe them $400.” He laughed, “Ninety-nine percent of the people in this town would like to change their debts for yours.” Four-hundred might not seem like anything but it seemed a mountain of debt to me at the time. I was hired on the spot making $8,800 dollars per year.
People are always sharing history with me and I received the old 1930’s menu from the Buckman Inn on Magazine Mountain. Room and board was $2 per day or $8.75 per week. Food prices at the Lodge included $2.50 for a sirloin steak dinner, plate lunch for 65 cents, and desserts for a dime.
Gerald Rice shared an old grocery add from the 1970’s newspaper. It is hard to believe prices were ever that cheap. The center of the add had a large rocket and was entitled a rocket of values at .29 cents. This include pie filling, picnic hams, regular box of tide, lunch meats, dozen eggs, and a two-pound box of oleo. At the time, hamburger was three pounds for a dollar, soda a dime a bottle, gas was 29 cents a gallon, and milk was 59 cents a gallon. What a bargain, but we were making a whooping dollar and fifty cents an hour if we were lucky.
Why the sudden interest in prices? I was recently in Los Angeles. Gas was $5.69 cents per gallon! Engaging in conversation with a person I sat next with on a boat tour, I found that he was mechanic, made six figure plus a year, paid a house payment of $3,900 per month, and lived from pay check to pay check. Minimum wage in California was $15 per hour but people making that were living in their cars or on the street. Even in Arkansas, with much smaller expenses, inflation rates were staying way ahead of salary increases. I make multiples of any salary I dreamed of in my youth but my standard of living, in comparison, is about the same. The twenty-nine cent a dozen eggs are now two dollars, the twenty-nine cent gas is now three dollars, and soda is over a dollar a bottle. Another facet of inflation is that many of the starter jobs have been eliminated. There are no grocery sackers and, in most stores, you must check out your own purchases.
Wages go up, prices go up, and I have found it a necessity to have a good work ethic and keep your nose to the grindstone to survive.
For a variety of reasons, such as higher interest rates, rising inflation and supply chain issues, the financial markets were volatile in 2022 — and this volatility probably showed up in your investment statements. Yet, while you may have been less than happy about your investment returns this year, the volatility and depressed prices may offer you some opportunities at tax time.
Specifically, you may be able to take advantage of tax-loss harvesting. Using this strategy, you sell securities at a loss to offset capital gains, which you may have if you’ve held some investments for years and they’ve greatly appreciated in value. And if your total losses exceed your gains, you couldoffset up to $3,000 of ordinary income per year and carry over the rest to future tax years.
Tax-loss harvesting isn’t just a tax issue — it also can be part of your investment strategy. What investments should you sell to take the capital gains? Which ones should be sold to take the losses?
To answer these questions, consider a few different factors:
Diversification – Portfolio rebalancing is important for investors. If you have too many investments that have essentially the same characteristics, your portfolio might be under-diversified — and diversification is necessary to help you achieve your long-term goals. If your assets are concentrated in a single asset class or a single stock, yourportfolio could take a big hit during times of market volatility, but a diversified investment mix can reduce this impact. Consequently, when looking at ways to take advantage of tax-loss harvesting, you could consider selling an investment that’s similar to several others you may own. (Keep in mind, though, that diversification can’t prevent all losses or guarantee profits.)
Performance – Investment performance can be looked atin a couple of different ways. If you’ve held an investment for many years and it has gone up greatly in value, you might be motivated to sell it and take the profits. Conversely, if you have an investment that’s consistently under-performed and has lost value, you might feel you’re better off selling it and applying the losses against capital gains.
• Holding period – When you sell investments that you’ve held for a year or less, your gains are taxed at your ordinary income tax rate; for investments held longer than a year, you’ll pay the long-term capital gains rate, which is based on your income and ranges from 0% to 23.8%, which includes a 3.8% net investment income tax for high earners. Short-term losses offset short-term gains first, while long-term losses offset long-term gains. Once losses in one category exceed the gains of the same type, you can use them to offset gains for the other category.
Here’s one more point to keep in mind: If you want to sell an investment for tax purposes, but you might like to reacquire it, you’ll have to meet the “wash sale” rule, which prohibits you from writing off an investment loss if you or your spouse buys the same investment, or a substantially identical one, in the 30 days before or after the sale.
To take advantage of tax-loss harvesting, you’ll need to act before the end of the year. And consult with your tax advisor. This strategy can be effective — but you’ll need to be sure it’s right for you.
This article is provided by Jeffrey O’Neal, Financial Advisor Edward Jones 20 N Express St, Paris, AR 72855 479-963-1321 jeffrey.o’neal@edwardjones.com edwardjones.com/jeffrey-o’neal Edward Jones, Member SIPC
‘Tis the season to help save lives by donating blood and taking home a holiday-themed long-sleeved T-shirt!
Donors who show their giving spirit by donating blood will receive their choice of holiday-themed long-sleeved T-shirts. Choices include the “Cotton Headed Ninny Muggins” version, inspired by the classic Christmas movie “Elf”, or the festive “Be A Deer” T-shirt.
Join Lavaca Community for a blood drive with Arkansas Blood Institute from 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., on Saturday, December 17, at Steffy’s Pizza.
Arkansas Blood Institute is the local, non-profit blood supplier, supporting the inventory for patients in more than 40 hospitals, medical facilities, and air ambulances statewide. Anyone who is healthy and 16 years old* or older can give blood.
Blood donation typically takes only about an hour, and one donation saves up to three lives. Appointments can be made by calling 1-877-340-8777 or visiting arkbi.org.
The Paris basketball program played in the week long Lavaca Invitational Tournament last week at Lavaca High School. Both the senior boys and girls teams played tournament games.
The Paris senior boys lost two close games to both Pea Ridge and Providence Academy. Paris played without starter Jesse Wells for both games, but were very competitive in both games. The Eagles are looking ahead to having Wells back in time for the start of the conference schedule.
The Lady Eagles opened the tournament with a blowout win over West Fork in the first round. On Thursday evening, Paris faced the home team Lavaca Lady Golden Arrows in the winners bracket to have the opportunity to advance to Saturday evening’s tournament championship game. Like the Paris boys team, the Lady Eagles were playing at less than full strength due to senior Brailey Forst having sustained a lower body injury the previous week of Thanksgiving in their game at Dover. Forst did not dress for the West Fork game and had limit practice leading up to the game with Lavaca. Playing almost the entire game, Forst was obviously limited in her ability to play and was in pain for the entire game. Paris fought hard, but the combination of being a less than full strength, along with foul trouble that included senior Jayden Wells having four fouls before the end of the third quarter, was too much for Paris to overcome in front of a raucous Lavaca home crowd. Lavaca went on to defeat Paris by the score of 70-56.
But in the middle of all of the cheers and rants from the crowd from both schools, there were two seniors who were playing with a renewed sense of appreciation for the opportunity to play. Lavaca senior Anna Davis, who RNN brought you a feature story on this summer, was burned badly in a fire aboard a church van in Tulsa this summer. At one point this summer, there was significant doubt that the senior would be able to play. And for Paris, Brailey Forst, a senior as well, fresh off of an injury the week of Thanksgiving was battling through pain to play her senior year.
For athletes, it can all end way too soon. And for both Davis and Forst, they are both the epitomy of how much the games mean to them, and how precious it is to have the opportunity to play the games they love. RNN Sports wishes both Anna Davis and Brailey Forst the best for the 2022-23 season.
In the world of SR High Girls basketball, few games have lived up to the hype as Mansfield versus Acorn. The two programs have ripped up the hardwoods, set them on fire, and torn down buildings over the past few years with some truly epic games. Unfortunately, the two Lady Tiger teams will not face off in conference play this season due to conference realignments. But there’s nothing that says these two pinnacle programs still can’t square off in a tournament format. So, on Wednesday, November 30th Mansfield and Acorn met up to let the claws fly like old times in Round2 of the Booneville Classic.
Trinity Triska looks to dish the ball down low.
The Lady Tigers started off the game a little slow as Acorn was able to put up points first on the scoreboard. Mansfield was able to get multiple shots off but couldn’t seem to get those shots on target with the basket. Acorn would again get an easy layup in on the Lady Tigers, but Alyson Edwards answered back with a smooth jump shot to get Mansfield on the board. Trinity Triska followed Edwards up by swooping in with a steal and score to tie the game up at 4-4 forcing Acorn to call a time-out. Even though there was a brief spirit of action, the normally high-scoring basketball game everyone expected wasn’t anywhere to be found. After a slew of missed shots, fouls, turnovers, and just downright sluggish play by both teams, the first quarter ended with a mere 6-4 Acorn lead.
Alyson Edwards with a classic fadeaway jump shot.
Acorn jumped quickly on the Lady Tigers to begin the second quarter with an unopposed layup. Alyson Edwards came right back with some solid defense though by swatting down an Acorn shot sending the Mansfield benches into a frenzy. With a defensive stop by Edwards, it was time for some offense and Natalie Allison was just the player for the job. Allison took aim and the “whoosh” sound of nothing but net rang out as she drained a three-point shot. Acorn hit a three of their own to regain the lead, but Alyson Edwards would not allow Mansfield to be shown up and reared back and sank a three-pointer of her own. In a rush to slow down the Lady Tigers momentum, Acorn decided to quickly get their ensuing inbound passed fast in but instead of the ball finding a blue jersey, the pass went straight to Harlie Fuller who dished the ball to Kynslee Ward for yet another Lady Tiger three-pointer. Mansfield was still down though as the clock ticked toward halftime. If Acorn thought they could extend their lead before the half, they were dead wrong. Mansfield forced a turnover and Kaylee Ward was able to dish in a layup to close the gap to one point on the scoreboard. Although Mansfield didn’t have the lead going into the half down 17-16, it was clear that they were starting to get hot.
Natalie Allison drives to the basket against a stiff Acorn defense.
Mansfield came out of the half and now faced a full-court press by Acorn. The defensive move by Acorn worked at first, but once the Lady Tigers found the gaps in Acorn’s armor, it was all but over. Alyson Edwards tattooed her name on the backboards by snatching rebounds and earning put-back points at nearly every turn. Kynslee Ward snatched a rebound and passed to an open Natalie Allison for an easy layup. After a steal and another three-pointer was swished by Natalie Allison, Acorn had to call a time-out to regroup. The regrouping seemed to be more beneficial to Mansfield though as the fans watched Alyson Edwards, Kaylee Ward, and Natalie Allison go in sync for layups. Things were rolling downhill fast and Acorn was desperate to score. One of their players loaded up for a three-point shot with one second left on the clock but once the ball was released, Kaylee Ward drilled the ball back to the floor with a massive blocked shot. On that note, the buzzer sounded at the ending of the third quarter with Mansfield leading Acorn 30-24.
Even with three against one, Seven Sanderson will not be denied the boards.
The Lady Tigers kicked off the fourth and final quarter with a seven-point run led by two Seven Sanderson board buckets and a Natalie Allison three-pointer. Mansfield continued their dominance all the way down to the 2:03 mark before Acorn scored their first fourth-quarter points. The Lady Tigers didn’t slow down any with Acorn’s basket though as Alyson Edwards and Kaylee Ward continued to pass the ball down low to Seven Sanderson who would power her way for points. Kynslee Ward sank another Lady Tiger three-pointer to give Mansfield a 20-point lead in the game. Acorn tried to make a comeback, but Mansfield was just too strong as the Lady Tigers extended their record to 6-0 with a 48-32 win over Acorn. Mansfield senior Natalie Allison led the team in scoring with 15 points in the game followed by Alyson Edwards who finished with 11 points. Kynslee Ward and Seven Sanderson paired up for 8 points apiece while Kaylee Ward and Trinity Triska closed out the scoring with a combined 6 points. Mansfield will continue their Booneville Classic tournament run on Saturday, December 3rd when they take on the Dover Lady Pirates in the tournament championship game.
