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Merrit Wins Magazine Invitational; Jr. Lady Rattlers Finish as Runner-up

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8:31 pm

Merrit Wins Magazine Invitational; Jr. Lady Rattlers Finish as Runner-up

Note to Our Readers: The following story was sourced in its entirety from Mr. Jonathan Gipson, Director of Social Media Relations, Magazine School District. Mr. Gipson is a RNN Sports contributor, and we thank him for bringing our readers this story!

MAGAZINE – After posting a personal-record performance in the season-opening Shiloh Christian Saints Invitational over the Labor Day weekend, Elizabeth Merritt picked up where she left off here Tuesday afternoon in the Magazine Lady Rattlers’ home opener.

The sophomore edged Mount Ida’s Peyton Macejewski by 5 seconds to win the Magazine Cross Country Invitational.

Running in hot and humid conditions, Merritt covered the 1 ½ -mile course in 9:14 to win the first of two home cross country meets for Magazine this season. Macejewski finished runner-up in the 31-runner event with a time of 9:19. Acorn’s Bella Tedder was third (10:27), followed in the Top 5 by Mansfield’s Laney Wood (10:46) and Jadelyn Wood (11:02).

Waldron, which placed three runners in the Top 10, won the event. Mansfield was second, and Danville was third.

Merritt began the season with a runner-up finish in the 1A-4A Division of the Saints Invitational in Springdale, a 5k event that drew 51 runners. Merritt, who finished 10th overall among all classifications, covered the course in a time of 21:32.05, just behind winner Julia Whorton of Gravette with a time of 20:42.43.

Freshman Phoebe Hopper covered the course in 10:32 to finish runner-up in the junior high girls race, which drew 80 runners. Cedarville’s Emily McCutcheon won the event with a time of 10:17.

Hopper’s performance helped lead the Junior Lady Rattlers to a runner-up finish in the six-team event. DeQueen, which had three runners finish in the Top 20, won the event. Waldron was third, followed by Acorn, Lavaca and Danville.

Hopper was one of three Junior Lady Rattlers to finish in the Top 20. Cecilia Mora finished 13th (11:41), and Serenity Mora finished 14th (11:43). Zoey Thurman finished 31st (12:57), Emily Reddy finished 42nd (14:01), Dessi Carolan finished 54th (15:10).

Seventh-grader Connor Hopper finished 54th in the 63-runner junior high boys race, covering the 1 ½-mile course in a time of 14:41.

DeQueen’s Jakrys Munoz won the event with a time of 8:28, helping the Junior Leopards win the event over runner-up Mansfield. Waldron was third, followed by Lamar, Booneville and Lavaca.

Cutline (Elizabeth Merritt)

Magazine sophomore Elizabeth Merritt won the Senior High Girls Division of the Magazine Cross Country Invitational on Tuesday at Magazine High School. (Photo courtesy of Monica Merritt)

Cutline (Junior Lady Rattlers)

The Magazine Junior Lady Rattlers finished runner-up in the Junior High Girls Division in Tuesday’s home-opening Magazine Cross Country Invitational at Magazine High School. (Photo courtesy of Monica Merritt)

Magazine School Lunch Makeover, Parents Welcome

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Tammy Teague

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8:24 pm

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Magazine School Lunch Makeover, Parents Welcome

By Brandy Young

On September 9, 2022, Magazine School District hosted a “grand re-opening” of its cafeteria services to celebrate their partnership with K-12 Culinary Connection.

Magazine School District has been making big changes on campus to improve the school experience for all of its students and staff, and one of the most anticipated is the partnership with K-12 Culinary Connection, an Arkansas-based food service management company. Their goal and the goal of the school district is to provide students with restaurant-quality food and healthy options on a daily basis. Students now have a choice between two entrees each day, something the district has never offered before.

During the month of August, chefs form K-12 Culinary Connection worked closely with the child nutrition staff at Magazine schools teaching new recipes and cooking techniques. On Friday, September 9, the district invited parents to see (and taste) these changes for themselves. At both the high school and elementary campuses, a choice of orange chicken with fried rice or pepperoni pizza and broccoli was on the menu for the event, along with a fresh salad bar and fresh fruit.

Magazine High School Junior Elijah Ward, who transferred to Magazine this year from a larger district described the meal as “phenomenal.” He stated, “It was the best school food I’ve ever eaten, even from a bigger school like Pottsville.” Elijah looks forward to seeing what else they offer in the future. Superintendent Dr. Beth Shumate shared her favorite part of the grand opening – when one elementary student tried the orange chicken for the first time and enthusiastically exclaimed, “I didn’t know I would like it SO MUCH!”

Dr. Shumate is very excited about the partnership and what it can offer not just the students, but also the community. Parents and grandparents have always been encouraged to join their student for lunch, and now they will have even more reasons to visit. “Any time a parent wants to come and have lunch with their child, we welcome them,” stated Shumate. Although this practice was put on hold during the pandemic, the school has begun allowing visitors again. September 12-16, Magazine Elementary will host a Grandparent’s Day Celebration, inviting all grandparents to have breakfast or lunch with their students. However, visitors are welcome at any time and do not have to wait for special school events to participate.

The cost of an adult lunch is $3.75, and all visitors must check in at the school office. For questions, call the Elementary or High School at 866-900-2001.

Paris Schools to Hold Parent / Teacher Conference Day on September 22

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8:17 pm

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Paris Schools to Hold Parent / Teacher Conference Day on September 22

The Paris Schools have announced that fall Parent / Teacher Conference Night will be held on September 22. Information regarding the specific times for your child’s school may be found on the district’s website at parisschools.org, or by calling the school. The conference night will return to its “Open House” format for this school year. Parents should note that school will dismiss early that day at 1:30 p.m. and conferences will be held from 2 – 7 p.m.

The September 22 conferences are the first of two nights that are held throughout the school year. A second date will be held during the spring semester.

Centerwell Home Health takes over Kindred

Madison VanRavensway

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8:12 pm

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Centerwell Home Health takes over Kindred

Kindred Home Health has been serving the area for the past six years under the Kindred name. On September 1, 2022 Kindred became Centerwell Home Health under Humana. With the change comes new management with Jordan Gilbert, RN as Branch Director and Lydia Dorr, RN as clinical manager. They are working on “Bringing Compassionate Care Home”.

Centerwell Home Health covers a 50 mile radius including towns such as Waldron, Mena, Mt Ida, Booneville, Paris, Magazine, Mansfield and the surrounding rural areas. With a staff of twenty people care is provided under the direct order of patient’s primary care provider and/or specialists.

Specializing in skilled nursing, physical therapy, and speech therapy. Services offered include: disease management and education, medication teaching/education, wound care, IV infusions, ostomy supplies/teaching/education, catheter supplies/teaching/education, IM injections, at home physical therapy. Additional services Centerwell Home health can provide access to for their patients: at home X-rays, DME equipment, at home EKG’s, home health aides.

A wide variety of insurances is accepted, including (but not limited to) Medicare, AETNA, Arkansas Health and Wellness, Blue Cross Blue Shield Medipak, Humana, AMBETTER/WellCare. For more information, contact at 479-637-0914. Centerwell Home Health is located at 72 W 2nd St in Waldron.

Medical Records/Billing Specialist Brianna Runion was given a token of appreciation in the form of a Bronze Coin Touchstone during the celebration for the new management. Brianna was complimented for her support towards other Centerwell branches in addition to her work at the Waldron branch during the transition in management.

Centerwell is accepting applications for Registered Nurses, Physical Therapist, and Occupational Therapists. Full time and PRN shifts are available.

Battle of the Titans Set for Friday When Harding Academy Travels to Booneville

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8:09 pm

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Battle of the Titans Set for Friday When Harding Academy Travels to Booneville

Note to Our Readers: The following story was sourced in its entirety from Mr. Glenn Parrish, Director of Communications, Booneville School District. Mr. Parrish is a RNN Sports contributor.

The Booneville Bearcats and Harding Academy have met three times. All have been since 2015. All of those games were in Searcy.

They meet for a fourth time on Friday night, but this time the game is at Bearcat Stadium, where Booneville has won 268 times since the stadium opened in 1968, including 16 times with Doc Crowley as the head coach.

Of course Friday night’s game will be a tall order for the Bearcats as Harding, after having knocked the Bearcats out of the playoffs in the 2020 quarterfinals and 2021 semifinals, then went on to win the Class 3A state title.

That marked three straight years the Wildcats won a state title.

Ironically, in the only other meeting between the two schools, the Bearcats fell to a 2015 Wildcat team in the opening round of the playoffs and Harding went on to win that state title as well.

To date Harding has won nine state titles.

However, the Wildcats will not win the 3A state title in 2022. The Wildcats have been assigned to Class 4A for the next four years due to a competitive equity formula put in place through a vote of Arkansas Activities Association members.

That formula assessed 1 to 4 points for competitive performances with the highest of the maximum four assessed to state title winning private schools. Schools with more than 10 points over four years were moved up a classification. Harding well exceeded that threshold.

The Wildcats started the 2022 season with a 51-35 win over Class 5A Valley View, who last season interrupted a lengthy Wildcat win streak against in-state opponents.

They followed that up with a 41-14 win at 3A title contending Camden Harmony Grove last week.

The Bearcats opened the season with a 36-6 road win over Dollarway (Pine Bluff) and added a 35-7 win over rival Ozark in a game they dominated from start to finish.

In those two games Dax Goff ran for 245 yards on 17 carries scoring three touchdowns. He has also returned a punt for a touchdown and leads the team in tackles, including five for a loss.

Trace Hall has run for 185 yards and three touchdowns as well. Dunn Daniel and Demari Poole are the next two top tacklers.

Financial Focus: When Should You Adjust Your Investment Mix?

Tammy Teague

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8:01 pm

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Financial Focus: When Should You Adjust Your Investment Mix?

By Jeffery O’Neal, Financial Advisor

There are no shortcuts to investment success – you need to establish a long-term strategy and stick with it. This means that you’ll want to create an investment mix based on your goals, risk tolerance and time horizon – and then regularly review this mix to ensure it’s still meeting your needs.

In fact, investing for the long term doesn’t necessarily mean you should lock your investments in forever. Throughout your life, you’ll likely need to make some changes.

Of course, everyone’s situation is different and there’s no prescribed formula of when and how you should adjust your investments. But some possibilities may be worth considering.

For example, a few years before you retire, you may want to re-evaluate your risk exposure and consider moving part of your portfolio into a more risk-averse position. When you were decades away from retiring, you may have felt more comfortable with a more aggressive positioning because you had time to “bounce back” from any market downturns. But as you near retirement, it may make sense to lower your risk level. And as part of a move toward a reduced-risk approach, you also may want to evaluate the “cash” positions in your portfolio. When the market has gone through a decline, as has been the case in 2022, you may not want to tap into your portfolio to meet short-term and emergency needs, so having sufficient cash on hand is important. Keep in mind, though, that having too much cash on the “sidelines” may affect your ability to reach your long-term goals.

Even if you decide to adopt a more risk-averse investment position before you retire, though, you may still benefit from some growth-oriented investments in your portfolio to help you keep ahead of – or at least keep pace with – inflation. As you know, inflation has surged in 2022, but even when it’s been relatively mild, it can still erode your purchasing power significantly over time.
Changes in your own goals or circumstances may also lead you to modify your investment mix. You might decide to retire earlier or later than you originally planned. You might even change your plans for the type of retirement you want, choosing to work part-time for a few years. Your family situation may change – perhaps you have another child for whom you’d like to save and invest for college. Any of these events could lead you to review your portfolio to find new opportunities or to adjust your risk level – or both.

You might wonder if you should also consider changing your investment mix in response to external forces, such as higher interest rates or the rise in inflation this year. It’s certainly true that these types of events can affect parts of your portfolio, but it may not be advisable to react
by shuffling your investment mix. In the first place, nobody can really predict how long these forces will keep their momentum – it’s quite possible, for instance, that inflation will have subsided noticeably within a year. But more importantly, you should make investment moves based on the factors we’ve already discussed: your goals, risk tolerance, time horizon and individual circumstances.

By reviewing your portfolio regularly, possibly with the assistance of a financial professional, you can help ensure that your investment mix will always be appropriate for your needs and goals.

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

Paris Walmart Store Celebrates Renovation with Ribbon Cutting Ceremony

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7:55 pm

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Paris Walmart Store Celebrates Renovation with Ribbon Cutting Ceremony

On a bright and sunny, late summer morning last Friday, the Paris Area Chamber of Commerce and other dignitaries celebrated the newly-renovated Walmart store in Paris with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Students from Paris Elementary School participated in the ceremony, leading the group in the Pledge of Allegiance to start the festivities.

Paris Elementary School students lead the Pledge of Allegiance (RNN Photo / Jim Best)

Renovations in the store include new floor finishing, renovated rest rooms, and more isle space for shoppers. Various vendors provided free snacks for visitors, and the PES students took full advantage of the free snacks!

Walmart store and corporate management representatives presented ceremonial checks to various charities in the Paris area. Walmart has historically provided thousands of dollars in charitable contributions to give back to the communities in which they operate their stores.

As the ceremony was taking place, the resurfacing of Highway 22 through downtown Paris was also taking place. It was a busy week in Paris with many signs of progress evident throughout the city. The Paris Chamber of Commerce was also busy with ribbon-cutting ceremonies at Farmers Bank & Trust on Thursday, and at the Paris Walmart store on Friday.

Congratulations to Walmart on their newly-renovated store, and thanks again to the Paris Area Chamber of Commerce for its civic leadership!

Paris Area Chamber of Commerce Welcomes Farmers Bank

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5:53 pm

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Paris Area Chamber of Commerce Welcomes Farmers Bank

The Paris Area Chamber of Commerce officially welcomed Farmers Bank & Trust to Paris on Thursday in a special ribbon cutting ceremony held at the bank. Chamber executive director, Mrs. Tonya Fletcher, and other dignitaries welcomed the bank that has been in business since 1906.

Farmers Bank is based in Magnolia, Arkansas and is located throughout Southern Arkansas and in the Dallas/ Ft Worth area. The new Paris branch represents the northern-most point in its corporate footprint.

Paris is fortunate to have several excellent banking options in the city and surrounding communities. The sign of a new bank in Paris is a positive indicator of the financial health of the region.

RNN welcomes Farmers Bank & Trust to Paris and Logan County!

County Line Elementary School Celebrates First “Rise & Shine” of the New School Year

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5:51 pm

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County Line Elementary School Celebrates First “Rise & Shine” of the New School Year

Note to Our Readers: The following story was sourced in its entirety from Ms. Celia Looney, Yearbook Adviser, County Line High School. Ms. Looney is a RNN contributor, and we thank her for her story!

County Line Elementary School presented the first “Rise and Shine” of the new school year. Elementary students and staff met recently for their first “Rise and Shine” assembly. Students who earned feathers for good behavior were recognized, and a new video on bus safety and behavior was viewed. Several members of the faculty performed a rap.

The next assembly will be on September 16, and the programming will be provided by the sixth grade.

Lady Eagles Week Six Volleyball Schedule

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5:49 pm

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Lady Eagles Week Six Volleyball Schedule

The regular season continues for the Paris Lady Eagles volleyball team. At deadline time for this story, Paris had just completed a successful road trip to West Fork and were about to take on the Lady Hornets in Hackett for the first of two big showdowns between the top two teams in the 3A West.

Looking ahead to Week Six of the regular season for Paris, the Lady Eagles will play the following matches:

September 17 at the Mena Jr. Invitational (junior high), TBA

September 20 at Elkins, 4 p.m.

September 22 at Green Forest, 4 p.m.

Depending upon the September 8 outcome of the Paris at Hackett match, Paris and / or Hackett will enter week six as either the leader or the second place team going into the second half of the conference season. A lot of volleyball is left to play with return, round-robin conference games being played until the senior district tournament begins on October 18.

Stay with RNN Sports for the latest in Paris Lady Eagles volleyball coverage!

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