(Barbara) Ann Corkill Crossett of Waldron, Arkansas went to be with her Lord and Savior, Thursday, September 22, 2022, in Fort Smith, Arkansas with her loving family by her side. Ann was born June 6, 1937, to Charles Merchia Corkill and Lilly Mae (Porter) Corkill in Pine Bluff, Arkansas. She was 85 years old, an ex-schoolteacher and a longtime member of the Waldron United Methodist Church.
Ann was born the third of four children (Charles Corkill of Austin TX, Connie Fuller of Pine Bluff, and the late Patsy Strode also of Pine Bluff, respectively). She graduated from Pine Bluff High in 1955 and was awarded a full college scholarship. She attended college at ASU and Arkansas A & M (now UAM) and earned a teaching degree. While attending UAM she met and married the love of her life, Buddy Crossett, in Monticello. After graduating college, she began her lifelong teaching career in Star City, Arkansas. She touched the lives of many young impressionable students of all ages in Arkansas, North Carolina, Texas, and Alabama over the span of her 30 plus year career. Ann was an educator, mentor, and friend to many students, colleagues, and fellow educators. She also earned a master’s degree in teaching from ATU in the late 1980’s. Ann was also involved in a variety of various organizations including church, Waldron Chamber of Commerce, and Waldron Boys and Girls Club. She volunteered her time and devoted herself to helping in any capacity she could. Ann loved spending time with her family and friends making forever memories. Attending her weekly bridge club with her friends brought joy and laughter to her week for the last 15 years.
Ann leaves behind to cherish her memory her children: Lesa Ballou and husband Harold of Fort Smith, Arkansas, Richard Crossett II and wife Sherri of Searcy, Arkansas and Lori Crossett of Waldron, Arkansas. Granny Ann will forever remain in the hearts of her grandchildren: Nathan Ballou, Christopher Ballou, Autumn Glisson and Hunter Crossett as well as two great-grandchildren (Josie & Elle). Ann is also survived by one brother Charles Corkill and one sister Connie Fuller. Ann will be missed by all that knew her and the many whose lives she impacted including a host of nieces, nephews, friends, neighbors and loved ones. Ann was preceded in death by her loving husband of 55 years, Buddy Crossett, her parents, Charles and Lilly Mae Corkill, and one sister, Patsy Strode.
Ann’s celebration of life will be 2:00 p.m., Sunday, September 25, 2022, at the Waldron United Methodist Church in Waldron, Arkansas with Rev. Diane Miller and Pastor Roger Rice officiating. Arrangements are being entrusted to the Heritage Memorial Funeral Home in Waldron, Arkansas.
Ann’s visitation will be Saturday, September 24, 2022, from 10:00 a.m. until 12 noon at the Heritage Memorial Funeral Home in Waldron, Arkansas.
Memorials may be directed to the Boys and Girls Club of Scott County, or Waldron United Methodist Church
The 2022 high school volleyball schedule is rapidly moving toward the end of the regular season as most conferences are now playing the second games in their round-robin schedules. At deadline time for this story, the Lady Eagles were just finishing a long week of travel that saw Paris make trips to both Elkins and Green Forest. After a few short days, the Lady Eagles continued their travels to Little Rock to play Episcopal, and on to Booneville the next day for their second conference game with the Lady Bearcats. The final game of the week was a home conference rematch with the West Fork Lady Tigers.
Next week will begin week eight of the season, and the Paris schedule looks like this:
October 4 vs Hackett
October 6 at Lincoln
October 8 Paris Invitational (games and times TBA)
The regular season will end on October 13. The junior high district tournament will be held October 15 at Hackett. The senior high district tournament will be held October 18-21 at Charleston High School. Looking ahead, the first three rounds of the state tournament will be held in Searcy at Harding Academy, October 25-27. The Class 3A state championship final will be held at Bank OZK Arena in Hot Springs on October 29.
It is not hard to get depressed when you turn the television on every morning. Part of my morning ritual is to watch the cable business news in the morning while I have breakfast before I start each day. If you get too involved with the programming, it doesn’t take long to be depressed about our nation’s economy and the struggles of business; in particular, small business.
But then you have the opportunity to meet some great local people who had a vision and who jumped right in to the local market in Paris and decided to make a go of things. And from what I have seen so far, Paris’s new “True Grit Grinds Coffee & Tea” and their owners are off to a great start and will make a splash in the Paris and surrounding communities.
The ownership team at True Grit is as diversified as their menu. From an Masters in Business Administration degree to a master barista who is very passionate about their coffee, the owners at True Grit Grinds Coffee and Tea have turned their corner of the Paris Square into a showplace that all citizens of Paris can be proud of. In fact, the owners of the store, as part of their remodeling to turn the office space into what was once the local Verizon store, have exposed and refinished the original 100-years old wooden flooring that has been part of the building. In fact, if you have not been in their building recently, you almost will not recognize what it looks like now. The new business in Paris is located at 12 East Walnut Street in Paris, adjacent to the Logan County Courthouse.
The menu offers a variety of coffees, teas, sodas, and other drinks for all of their customers. In fact, they will custom make just about anything that you want. They also have a sandwich menu that is great for lunch. Their courthouse square location makes them convenient for employees in the businesses surrounding the square and throughout the city of Paris.
According to the owners, over 40,000 cars per day pass the store along state highway 22. Just part of the marketing research, along with visiting other coffee shops in similar sized cities and towns, and examining their menus and prices that was conducted prior to their opening.
True Grit Grounds Coffee and Tea on the Logan County Courthouse Square in Paris (RNN Photo / Jim Best)
The ownership team at True Grit Grounds Coffee and Tea includes Dawn Bambrick, Ashley Denney, Rick Bambrick, and Jonathan Denney. The four comprise a great ownership team that own True Grit Grounds as a “family proprietorship” between the four owners. It is an equal partnership with all partners having an equal say in the business.
The idea to put a coffee shop in Paris was one that resulted from significant thought and research by the owners. In a recent interview, they told RNN, “We love bouncing ideas back and forth all of the time, dreaming about “What if we did this?”, or, “What if we did that?”, and, since we moved here we all thought we we (Paris) just needed a little coffee shop. We need a place to hang out, and it seems like within a week, we went from just talking about how fun it would be, and all of the sudden, like within a week, we had a lease a building and God said, “Go!””.
In the conceptual process of business start, the four reached out to the Paris Area Chamber of Commerce and solicited the input and advice of Chamber executive director, Tonya Fletcher. “We approached Tonya and said that we just need to set down and bounce some ideas off of you. What do you think? And, one of the things we told her was that we were interested in possibly doing a coffee shop for the community, and we asked her what she thought. She said, “That’s a great idea!”, and I (Rick Bambrick) had just happened to have written a comprehensive business plan and she looked at it. She seemed overwhelmed by the ideas we had about the shop. We wanted to create a place; like it wasn’t as fast as they (Ashley Denney) had said, but, it was. But, we checked with a lot of people and asked if anyone else was going to do a coffee shop. Because, we don’t have to do it. But someone needed to and to provide this kind of an element to the community. Everyone we talked to said that they were not interested in putting one in. There were a couple of people who were thinking about it, and we checked with Tonya and she said others had lost interest and were not going to do it. So, it was a sign to us that we needed to move forward. We looked all over Paris for a building with a drive-through, street frontage, etc. We really wanted to be on the Square because it is the center of town. One of our core values is to be able to provide for the city, and if we were off on an isolated tract somewhere, we couldn’t really provide the service that we wanted.”
No doubt, the ownership group has done their homework and have conducted their research to see if the business would have a chance to be successful. They are a great example for others to follow who are considering starting a business in the area. This is exciting to me; our community needs successful business ventures to continue to improve the economic health of Paris, and this ownership team will make a big contribution to our local economy.
As I had the pleasure of listening to the owners of True Grit Grounds, I could not help but to notice and be impressed by the faith-based approach to their business. In fact, in my mind, their shop is a small version of the corporate blueprint of Chic-fil-A who openly manages and operates their stores in a Christian-based philosophy and core set of values. Make no mistake, this is a for-profit business, but, the owners of True Grit Grounds impressed me as an ownership group who founded the business in their Christian faith and will operate the business as a service to the citizens of the Paris and surrounding communities.
The group has renovated the “old Verizon building” on Walnut Street into a beautiful showplace for Paris. Gone are the previous layers of flooring in the building, and the 100 year old floors are now exposed and refinished, creating a beautiful impression to customers when they enter the building. The plywood and blue Verizon carpet have all been removed. The drop ceiling has also been removed, and the original ceiling is now exposed in the shop.
The group rented the building in early June of this year, and opened for business on July 26. Considering all of the renovations and the move-in to start the business, that is a very fast start for a new business. It was all rooted in an invested into planning and research before they started the business, and now, they are off and running, and Paris has a new, very unique business that it can be very proud of. “The town has been so good to us; everyone has been super-amazing to us!”
But as the city of Paris appears to be on a bit of a upswing when it comes to the attraction of new business, the True Grit Grounds ownership group pointed out some facts to us that I did not realize at the time.
Traffic along state highway 22 that moves through Paris accounts for approximately 41,000 vehicles moving past their store per day. “Our business plan research told us that there are four different markets in Paris that we could appeal to. First, there are the local people who live here. Within that, it is divided into the older and younger population groups. One of the other major markets is the passage of over 41,000 people up and down this road (Hwy 22) on a daily basis. It’s amazing. So, it’s like, those passers-by may need something between, say, Fort Smith and Dardanelle. So, that is the second demographic. The next group is those going up to Mount Magazine. There is a huge number of people (250,000) per year going in that direction; it may people just going to Cove Lake to fish, or, people going all the way up to the Lodge to hang out there, or whatever. They need a place to stop, and we are right along the trail. Hikers, cyclists, etc., would all be our targets.”
It appears to me that the local Paris economy has been on a bit of an upswing for the last five years or so. Like any other town, the local economies of those towns go through both good and bad times, and after a slowing in the economy ten or more years ago, it seems, in part with the hard work of the Chamber of Commerce, that the local economy in Paris is growing steadily, and that is evident by new established businesses in the area. The Chamber has been busy with ribbon-cutting ceremonies for several weeks, celebrating the openings of new businesses in Paris. And True Grit Grounds has the potential, in my opinion, to be a crown jewel in the local economy.
The new coffee shop offers a varieties of not only coffee, but teas. They have a sandwich menu that makes the shop a great choice for lunch, as well. And if you are thinking that, like me, you do not want to pay $8 for a cup of coffee, you do not have to worry. True Grit Grounds is very reasonably priced, and does not price their products as high as some other local or corporate coffee shop chains.
“We did a lot of market research, including going to eight different local coffee shops in similar markets. We weren’t thinking about Starbucks, so we went to small towns. We got menus from small town shops and created a spreadsheet to see what they provided and at what prices. Starbucks can charge an arm and a leg because of their market size. We do not.”
So, in my opinion they have killed the criticism that no one wants to pay an exorbitant price for a cup of coffee. “Our lunch special is a sandwich, soup, and chips for $7.50”. Wow.
Jonathan is the barista of the business, and his focus is bringing the best coffee and ingredients to the True Grit Grounds menu for their customers. “We have worked with three or four roasters in the area to get the best product for the best price for our customers. We went with Onyx (Onyx Coffee Lab; onyxcoffeelab.com) and they have been fantastic for us. Onyx is a world-famous coffee roaster and barista champion. We are getting world-class coffee at a really good price. They are here in Arkansas which is part of our business core values to do business locally. They (Onyx) are in the Bentonville and Fayetteville areas with the main headquarters in Fayetteville. They coached us through the business side and in the operations side of what it looks like running an espresso bar on a daily basis.”
So Paris residents, Magazine tourists, and any other coffee drinkers out there, you will not want to miss the opportunity to stop by this great coffee shop and sample their diverse menu. And if you are not a coffee drinker, they have a wide variety of excellent teas, as well as soft drinks and other offerings for your taste!
If True Grit Grounds is as accommodating to their customers as they were to me in my request for their interview, they will be a huge hit in Paris. It is so good to see them and the many other business entrepreneurs in town making a go of their businesses in Paris, and we wish them all of the best in their new business ventures!
It’s been quite some time since the JR Tigers program has seen success early in the season. Non-conference losses and conference losses at the first of each year have historically set the Tigers behind the chains each year. Although the trend of starting slow remained last year, Mansfield started roaring back late to earn the 3A-1 JR High Runner-Up position. That apparently set a higher bar for the JR Tigers this season as not only did they sweep their non-conference schedule, but are also 2-0 in conference play after a 38-8 route of West Fork on Thursday, September 22nd.
Zander Walters (#6) plows his way through the West Fork defense for a first down. Photo courtesy of Raine Hecox
The eye test of the overall size of West Forks players would inherently tell fans that West Fork could pose problems for Mansfield. But the Tigers prove that the bigger they are, the harder they fall. It took the Tigers just two plays to get into the end zone off of a 27-yard run by Zander Walters followed by Ethan Martin scooting 23 yards for the score. Unfortunately, a penalty took the score off the board. The penalty may have taken away the touchdown, but not the Tigers determination. Zander Walters again took the ball for a solid 15-yard run putting Mansfield back in a position to score. Cooper Edwards called his own number and ran a “Cooper Keeper” 11 yards for a Tiger touchdown. Ethan Martin tacked on the two-point conversion and just like that Mansfield had 8-0 lead.
Cooper Edwards (#1) scrambles into the end zone for a Tiger Touchdown. Photo courtesy of Raine Hecox
The Tigers defense earned their stripes with some big hits on West Forks offense. On West Forks first possession, Mansfield’s Zander Walters and Dawson Robinson speared their way into football folklore with some atomic tackles. Defensive end Matthew Burton showed his athletic abilities when he swatted a pass down while being blocked. Linebacker Alex Hecox closed out West Forks initial drive when he telegraphed a pass and yanked the receiver down at the point of contact forcing West Fork to punt on fourth down. Mansfield again hit the ground running on offense as Dawson Robinson took the ball for a 27-yard gain and then topped it off with a 5-yard Tiger touchdown run. The Tigers failed on the two-point conversion but still led the game 14-0. West Forks offense went back on the field, but only temporarily. It only took two plays for defensive end Braxton Bartlett to strip the ball from a West Fork running back allowing Logan Ore to recover the fumble. The turnover closed the first quarter out with the ball and a 14-0 lead.
Tiger linebacker, Dalton Knowles (#15), jumps in for a quarterback sack. Photo courtesy of Raine Hecox
Mansfield kept the train rolling on the ground with the first play of the second quarter going to Dominic Shores on a speed sweep for 23 yards. Zander Walters jumped into the end zone untouched from 9 yards out for another Tiger touchdown. Cooper Edwards zipped a pass to Joseph Carter for the two-point conversion. The play of the night happened on the ensuing kickoff when Dawson Robinson punched the ball out of the West Fork returners hands. As the ball flew in the air, Matthew Burton was able to snag it and rumble down to the 20-yard line before being pushed out of bounds. Mansfield was pushed back by penalties, but Dawson Robinson quickly made up for that with a 35-yard sprint down the sidelines for a Tiger touchdown. Zander Walters knocked out the two-point conversion putting the Tigers ahead of West Fork 30-0. Mansfield would again force West Forks offense to fumble. Head Coach, Tim Cothran, made the call for his assistant coaches to sub out the starters. Unfortunately for West Fork, that didn’t help any. Running back Travien Copeland took back-to-back handoffs and on the second one juked and jived his way to a 26-yard Tiger touchdown. Gunner Williams put in the two-point conversion. The Tigers would get another turnover on defense with Pacen Strozier recovering a fumble as Mansfield would walk into halftime with a solid 38-0 lead on the West Fork Tigers.
Alex Hecox (#35) reaching out to secure a tackle on a West Fork runner. Photo courtesy of Raine Hecox
Mansfield coaches Tim Cothran, Keith Stovall, Layton Robinson, and Daniel Martin put their minds together during the halftime break and subbed out their entire starting offense and defense for the second half. Although the Tigers knew that their backups were playing, it’d be hard to convince West Fork of that as the Tigers still did a knockout job on both sides of the ball. Defensively, every Tiger on the field showed fans that not only is the future of Mansfield football bright, but it’s also downright blinding. Although the defense allowed West Forks only touchdown, players like Pacen Strozier, Dalton Knowles, Jonathan Boswell, and Colton Lawson made sure West Forks offense was punished for each yard gained. West Fork still couldn’t pass against the Tigers defense as Mason Sterling, Gunner Williams, Holden Powers, Dakota Bock, and Chris Dickinson smothered West Forks receivers. Freshman Ronnie Rinehart made his presence known in the second half also with a handful of big tackles and constant pressure in the backfield.
Travien Copeland puts the moves on a West Fork defender. Photo courtesy of Raine Hecox
Offensively Mansfield brought in 7th Grader Hunter Whittaker to quarterback the Tigers offense. Gunner Williams ran the clock down with big gains of 17 and 43 yards before the clock hit 0:00 giving the Tigers a 38-8 final. Mansfield now sits undefeated across the board with a 3-0 nonconference record and a 2-0 conference record. The JR Tigers may be making waves with their wins, but they’re still 0-0 in their minds. Next in line for Mansfield will be the Greenland Pirates on Thursday, September 29th. Facing the Pirates at Greenland is never an easy task so the Tigers will definitely be preparing to bring their “A Game” to NWA.
M.G. Long, Jr. was born to the late M.G. Long, Sr. and Francis Long on October 3, 1944 at his home in Hon, Arkansas. He departed this earthy life on September 21, 2022 at the age of 77.
He was an upholster by trade after he served in the U.S. Army from 1966-1968 while stationed in Germany. M.G. married his best friend 57 years ago, Linda Gibson on May 8, 1956. After he retired M.G. worked on his farm. He truly loved to sit on his front porch, listen to the birds and take in all the beauty of the outdoors. Farming and taking care of his cows was something he enjoyed. He was a member of the Cedar Creek church.
M.G. leaves to cherish his memory, his wife Linda Long. Two sons: David Long and wife Lisa and James Long and wife Samantha both of Waldron, AR. One Sister, Carolyn Lane of Russellville, AR. Seven grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren that he loved very much. Papa Jr. will forever remain in the hearts of his grandchildren: Brittany Long, Asia Vonghakdy, Steven Vongphakdy, Jessica Vongphakdy, Leah Long, Justin Long and Bailee Bise. eight great-grandchildren: Kye Cicherski, Ragean Long, Owen Milligan, Lyllyn Whitticker, August Long, Aliyah Vongphakdy, Llyanna Vongphakdy, Kian Vongphakdy and many beloved nieces and nephews
He was preceded in death by his parents; M.G. Long, Sr. and Francis (Taylor) Long and his brother Gwendal Long.
M.G.’s life celebration will be 3:00 p.m., Saturday, September 24, 2022 at Heritage Memorial Funeral Home Chapel with Bro. Mark Ward and Bro. Jason Frayer officiating. Interment will follow at Square Rock Cemetery in Waldron, Arkansas. Arrangements are being entrusted to the Heritage Memorial Funeral Home in Waldron, Arkansas.
M.G.’s pallbearers will be: Tommy Roberson, Brian Jones, Troy Taylor, Mike Austin, Mike Kehoe and David Yandell. Honorary pallbearers will be: Alvin Carnahan, Rabbit Ray and the members of Cedar Creek church.
A visitation will be held on Friday, September 23, 2022 from 4:00-6:00 p.m. at Heritage Memorial Funeral Home.
A big question that comes up when mentioning a child is homeschooled is “How will they socialize?”.
It’s a fair question, most of the socializing children do is at school. Children also have the chance to socialize at parks, church, grocery stores, and in homeschool groups or co-ops!
The Dayton community has a homeschool co-op organized by Stephanie Young. A homeschool co-op has classes at a set time for students to attend. Currently Dayton is in their fall semester.
The classes aren’t always curriculum based, they often teach life skills or provide a fun way to learn about academia. Many may not think of Lego blocks as a way to learn about engineering but it is! Additionally, classes like “Once Upon a Platter” have been introducing participants to a variety of foods and how to arrange them.
Scott County has its own homeschool group. A homeschool group differs in that it doesn’t have the class style that a co-op does. A group is more focused on allowing students to socialize. The Scott County group is planning story times at the local library and field trips for participants.
Things like a trip to the county fair, attending the book fair at the school, and weather talk with Zachary Hall have already happened for the fall semester. Providing homeschool students with some of the enrichment traditional schools gets to enjoy. Beyond the traditional schooling events that often occur things such as Homeschool days at state parks and camping trips are in the plans giving homeschoolers a chance to be around others and learn in fun new ways.
Homeschooling doesn’t have to be done as an island alone. There are other people who are on the same journey.
If you are interested in finding out more about the Dayton Co-op contact Stephanie Young by email at t21mom@gmail.com.
If you are interested in finding out more about the Waldron/Scott County Homeschool group contact Jenna Shaddon by email at wscarha@gmail.com.
One of the most anticipated celebrations of the year, Frontier Days in Logan County will be celebrated on Sat. Oct. 1, in Paris. For 43 years, the city has hosted the event on the first Saturday of Oct. Attracting thousands of people, the event draws visitors from throughout the region who gather to celebrate the history and heritage of Arkansas settlers.
Vicki Wiggins, this year’s Grand Marshal, will kick off the event by leading the Frontier parade down highway 22 and around the square. After the 10 A.M. opening ceremony held at the Eiffel Tower park on the square, dozens of activities geared to every age group await the visitor. Many free activities for young and old, musical entertainment from various groups, a car show for auto enthusiasts, and a scavenger hunt for a $500-dollar prize await visitors.
Dozens of vendors offering everything from kettle corn to unique crafts and gifts will be scattered around the down-town area. This is Paris web-site booth will allow people the opportunity to explore the history of the county through old photos of sites around the county. At various times during the day, they will present a musical film-loop of Paris history free at 22 Brew, just across the road from the Eiffel Tower.
Entertainment during the day will include re-enactments by the Lawbreakers and Peacemakers, the Logan County turtle race, and free carriage rides around the city. Special music will include Debbie McPherson, Noah Gattis, Kaitlyn Wilson, and tunes by Big Vinyl.
The culminating event will be the Frontier Days pageant which will be held at the Paris Middle School auditorium and will feature some young, pretty, and talented young ladies from throughout the county.
The event, sponsored by the Paris Chamber of Commerce as well as the various business’s and industry of Logan County invite you to join in the excitement and enjoy a great fall day in Paris.
Arresting agency – Greenwood Police Department: Daniel Jonathan Baker of Hackett was booked into the Sebastian County Detention Center on September 14 at 4:26 p.m. and released September 19 at 1:24 p.m. Baker was charged with Failure to Appear – Class B Misdemeanor.
Timothy Lee Fry of Greenwood was booked into the Sebastian County Detention Center on September 17 at 6:41 p.m. and remains at the SCADC without bond. Fry was charged with Assist Outside Agency-Felony, Contempt-willful disobedience (Failure to Pay Fine), petition to revoke – misd., two counts of criminal trespass – occupiable structure, and four counts of Theft of Property <$1k.
Devon S Horton of Greenwood was booked into the Sebastian County Detention Center on September 12 at 8:22 p.m. and released on signature bond September 14 at 10:50 p.m. Horton was charged with Failure to Appear – Class B Misdemeanor.
James E Lydick of Greenwood was booked into the Sebastian County Detention Center on September 15 at 8:55 a.m. and remains at the SCADC. Lydick was charged with two counts of Failure to Appear – Class B Misdemeanor.
Pamela Jo Presock of Greenwood was booked into the Sebastian County Detention Center on September 17 at 6:44 p.m. and released on bond September 17 at 11:37 p.m. Presock was charged with Contempt-willful disobedience (Failure to Pay Fine), and Theft of Property <$1k.
Arresting agency – Barling Police Department: Carla LaShawn Baty of Paris was booked into the Sebastian County Detention Center on September 13 at 1:05 a.m. and released September 16 at 12:17 p.m. Baty was charged with fugitive from justice out of state, contempt – willful disobedience (failure to pay fine), and contempt – failure to comply with a court order – misd.
Arresting agency – Sebastian County Sheriff’s Office: Caleb Ryan Brasher of Hackett was booked into the Sebastian County Detention Center on September 17 at 9 a.m. and released on legally sufficient bond September 17 at 1:33 p.m. Brasher was charged with Violation Of A Protection Order Misdemeanor.
Johnathan Douglas Hawkins of Boles was booked into the Sebastian County Detention Center on September 13 at 12:10 a.m. and remains at the SCADC. Hawkins was charged with Burglary – Commercial Felony, Criminal Mischief in the First Degree > $25,000, and Theft of Property >$25k.
Samuel James Ewin Helton of Lavaca was booked into the Sebastian County Detention Center on September 13 at 6:57 a.m. and released on legally sufficient bond September 14 at 8:44 p.m. Helton was charged with Driving While Intoxicated 1st Offense.
Kera Nichole Lindenau of Branch was booked into the Sebastian County Detention Center on September 16 at 9:01 p.m. and released on legally sufficient bond September 17 at 3:24 a.m. Lindenau was charged with petition to revoke – felony.
Francis Willard Ralston III of Lavaca was booked into the Sebastian County Detention Center on September 14 at 12:10 p.m. and released on legally sufficient bond September 15 at 1:28 p.m. Ralston was charged with Petition to Revoke – Felony.
Matthew Alan Taylor of Waldron was booked into the Sebastian County Detention Center on September 13 at 1:50 a.m. and released on legally sufficient bond September 13 at 5:54 a.m. Taylor was charged with Driving While Intoxicated 1st Offense.
Dillon Joe Yandell of Waldon was booked into the Sebastian County Detention Center on September 12 at 3:17 p.m. and released on cash bond September 14 at 1:22 p.m. Yandell was charged with petition to revoke bond, and violation of a protection order – misd.
Arresting agency – Fort Smith Police Department: Juanita Eillen Cottingham of Waldron was booked into the Sebastian County Detention Center on September 15 at 6:18 p.m. and released September 19 at 2:06 p.m. Cottingham was charged with Contempt of Court–(child support), FTAS, FTRespond Subpoena, FTComply WCO.
Michelle Alyssa Hewitt-Nelson of Greenwood was booked into the Sebastian County Detention Center on September 17 at 9:53 p.m. and remains at the SCADC. Nelson was charged with Domestic Battering in the Third Degree – Purposely.
Cody Michael Phelps of Blue Mountain was booked into the Sebastian County Detention Center on September 17 at 10:02 p.m. and released on signature bond September 18 at 8:40 a.m. Phelps was charged with Obstructing Governmental Operations-ID.
Lindsey August Wilcox of Greenwood was booked into the Sebastian County Detention Center on September 11 at 11:52 a.m. and remains at the SCADC without bond. Wilcox was charged with assist outside agency – misd., contempt – willful disobedience (failure to pay fine), petition to revoke – misd., and theft by receiving >$1k.
Arresting agency – Mansfield Police Department: Daniel Vincent Guess of Huntington, AZ was booked into the Sebastian County Detention Center on September 11 at 11:39 p.m. and released September 12 at 9:24 p.m. Guess was charged with Failure to Appear – Class B Misdemeanor.
Bradley L Johnson of Westville, OK was booked into the Sebastian County Detention Center on September 15 at 4:11 p.m. and transferred to an outside agency on September 16 at 6:26 p.m. Johnson was charged with Fugitive from Justice Out of State, and Assist Outside Agency-Felony.
Donald L Melby Jr. of Fort Smith was booked into the Sebastian County Detention Center on September 12 at 10:27 p.m. and released on cash bond September 13 at 8:25 p.m. Melby was charged with Contempt of Court–(child support), FTAS, FTRespond Subpoena, FTComply WCO.
Allyssa Nicole Schuch of Fort Smith was booked into the Sebastian County Detention Center on September 14 at 6:39 p.m. and released on legally sufficient bond September 15 at 11:57 a.m. Schuch was charged with Contempt-willful disobedience (Failure to Pay Fine).
Arresting agency – Lavaca Police Department: Michael Alan Hutchins of Lavaca was booked into the Sebastian County Detention Center on September 15 at 10:03 p.m. and released on signature bond September 16 at 6:08 a.m. Hutchins was charged with Driving While Intoxicated 1st Offense, and Driving While License Cancelled/Suspended/Revoked.
Arresting agency – Arkansas Parole: Jerry Lee Willhite of Greenwood was booked into the Sebastian County Detention Center on September 12 at 11:44 a.m. and released on September 14 at 8:40 a.m. Willhite was charged with drug court sanctions.
Arresting agency – Logan County Sheriff’s Office: Brandon Johnson, 34 of Booneville, was booked into the Logan County Detention Center on September 12 at 12:28 p.m. Johnson was charged with hold for drug court.
Karl Bradley, 47 of Paris, was booked into the Logan County Detention Center on September 12 at 2:26 p.m. Bradley was charged with aggravated assault.
Jaclynn Whitehead, 40 of Ratcliff, was booked into the Logan County Detention Center on September 13 at 3:10 p.m. Whitehead was charged with failure to appear.
Gary Barnes, 59 of Paris, was booked into the Logan County Detention Center on September 15 at 6:09 p.m. Barnes was charged with failure to appear.
**The charges against those arrested are allegations and the cases are still pending in the courts.**
On Thursday, September 15, a Mansfield homeowner held an out-of-state fugitive at gunpoint until officers arrived.
Police Chief Wayne Robb, responded to a suspicious person call at the truck stop on Highway 71 in Mansfield around 9 a.m. Robb made contact with the subject, later identified as Bradley L. Johnson of Westville, OK. “I noticed it was the same person that ran from Chief (Joey) Bolin from Hartford two weeks ago,” Robb stated in his incident report. “I also knew that the U.S. Marshals were looking for this person along with his girlfriend. I advised this person that I was going to place handcuffs on him…when I got one cuff on him, …he started fighting with me. He jerked the handcuff out of my hand, cutting my right index finger. I yelled at this person to stop resisting, but he did not…after he broke free, he took off running. I yelled out for him to stop, but he refused. I got into my patrol vehicle and started tracking his movement…”
Robb stated that he finally caught up with Johnson. “Dispatch advised that a homeowner at …Cole Street had the subject on the ground at gunpoint. Upon my arrival at this location, I made contact with the (homeowner) and the subject. Back up arrived and we were able to identify the subject as Bradley L. Johnson.”
Johnson had warrants out of Oklahoma, which included possession of a firearm after a former felony conviction, unlawful possession of a controlled drug with the intent to distribute as well as 32 misdemeanor warrants. Johnson also had one felony warrant out of Benton County.
Johnson was transported to Baptist Fort Smith after complaining of “heart pain”. Later, he was transported to the Sebastian County Detention Center where he was booked on the warrants. Johnson was charged as a fugitive from justice out of state and was transferred to an outside agency on September 16 at 6:26 p.m.
Robb noted that Chief Bolin intends to file additional charges on Johnson for the incident which took place two weeks earlier in the City of Hartford.
For the first time in over five decades, the patrons of the Sebastian County Regional Library will have a brand new space to research, meet, study, and accompany future generations to learn and grow.
In 2021, the Sebastian County Quorum Court approved the multi-million dollar project. The new 11,000 sq. ft. library is part of the planned “The Curve” development, located at Highway 10 Spur and U.S. Highway 71.
With the land secured, plans to procure utility services were underway. Those plans included the City of Greenwood and gaining water access to the property from James Fork Regional Water District. In the August 2022 meeting of the Greenwood City Council, it was unanimously approved to purchase the water rights for 35.96 acres of land.
The City of Greenwood invested $521,000 to extend the utility to the site. As part of that agreement, the city also added 53 new water customers. With strong potential development, the rate of return could be high. “There are a lot of variables that are in play which could and will have an impact on accelerating or decelerating the return,” shared City of Greenwood Finance Director Tom Marsh. “Some key target variables to consider would be how soon ‘The Curve’ is both commercially and residentially developed and how quickly the newly acquired James Fork service area, east of the curve development, can be annexed into the city. Using current tax and revenue data, it is projected that additional tax revenues from the acquired and subsequently annexed service area would produce an ROI of approximately 7 years. As development occurs and commercial properties begin operation on the ‘Curve’, the ROI time frame would be favorably accelerated. We anticipate that, given the strong commercial interest in the development, the city’s investment recovery would be realistically somewhere in the range of 4-7 years. This projection is based on tax revenues generated by the service area acquisition and subsequent commercial and operational development of ‘The Curve’ and excludes water and wastewater income generated from utility sales to newly acquired customers. These revenues will be used to cover operational and administrative costs for the water sewer departments.”
Jim Reynolds, who has been a key advocate for the project, stated that the new library has been a goal for both him and the other four members of the Sebastian County Library Board. “Although I have been working to see this happen, Dr. Ken Hamilton, who also serves on the board, has been advocating for over 20 years.”
Key features for the new facility include ADA compliance, study rooms, a community meeting room, children and teen area, and a library staff break room.
Scott-Sebastian County Library Director Rene Myers addressed the lack of accessiblity for handicapped patrons, noting “currently, in this facility, we are not able to serve all of our community.” Myers went on to address the current location’s shortcomings, noting, “…Some of our staff can go home, but a few of us cannot, and we do not have a proper place to spend our lunch…”
The board considered three location options: Bell Park, behind the courthouse and the Highway 10 Spur and U.S. Highway 71 area, or “The Curve”. With the approximately $1 million dollar land donation by Jacob Burton, the board agreed to move forward at that location.
“There have been some comments stating they hated to see the library moved away from the center of the city,” shared Reynolds. “I reminded them that this is a regional library and not a city library. It serves Lavaca, Mansfield, Hackett, Hartford and communities in Scott County.”
One objection, that people will no longer be able to walk to the library. As a result, a poll was conducted with library patrons asking if they drove or walked to the library. Out of the 1,274 visitors, only two of those had walked to the library.
Myers concluded that with the new location she expects to see more visitors from other locations “swinging back by” on their way from Fort Smith before their local branch closes. Additionally, she recognizes “The Curve” location is ideal for people who do not want to drive all the way through Greenwood.
The new facility will double that of its current 5,500 sq. ft. space. According to Travis Bartlett, MAHG architect, the library construction should begin mid-February into March, 2023. However, he noted that the dirt work will begin much sooner than that. “From September 2022 – March 2023 the design and bidding process will be underway,” Bartlett shared. “I don’t think it is a secret that we are also working to coordinate another project (Braums)… “Earthwork will begin at the end of the year and into the new year. I anticipate that the construction will take 18 months, putting us into the new library in September of 2024.”
