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Boots & Badges Blood Drive! Support Your First Responders with Arkansas Blood Institute

Hartford’s first responders are looking for citizens to support their efforts through blood donation with Arkansas Blood Institute.

Those who give at the Hartford Boots & Badges blood drive on Thursday, July 21, 1 to 6 p.m. will provide blood needed to save local lives, such as those that firefighters and law enforcement officers rescue.  The blood drive will be located at the Hartford Fire Station Training Room.

Anyone who is at least 16 years old* are encouraged to donate. All successful donors will receive a special edition “Protect And Give” Boots & Badges t-shirt*.

By giving blood at this drive, donors will show their support for the firefighters and law enforcement officers who save lives in their community.

“Hartford’s first responders see the daily need for blood first-hand when the people they rescue require life-saving treatment,” said Dr. John Armitage, President & CEO of Arkansas Blood Institute. “We can’t say enough about the service our police officers and firefighters provide, and we owe it to them to do our part in making sure blood is available in emergency situations.”

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.

Blood donation typically takes only about an hour, and one donation saves up to three lives. Appointments can be made by calling 877-340-8777 or visiting arkbi.org.

*16-year-olds must weigh at least 125 pounds and provide signed parental permission; 17-year-olds must weigh at least 125 pounds; 18+ year-olds must weigh at least 110 pounds. Photo ID required.

Bulldogs Heat Things Up In Recent 7-on-7 Camp

The Waldron Bulldogs had the opportunity to host a 7-on-7 football camp Tuesday, July 12th to smooth off some rough edges on the Senior High and Junior High teams. Their guests for the scrimmage were the Magazine Rattlers and their Scott County rivals, the Mansfield Tigers. Waldron made sure that everyone on the field that day knew that they didn’t care if it was merely a 7-on-7, they were there to compete.

Waldron defensive backs surround a Mansfield runner

By suiting up against a 2A program (Magazine) and 3A program (Mansfield), the Bulldogs were able to get some positive looks at all of their players on the Senior High and Junior High rosters. That’s something a lot of programs don’t have a chance to do in mid-summer camps. Head Coach, Doug Powell, said “We have a very good thing going right now. Everyone stepped up. Those who wanted to learn, learned quickly. The players looked good and we got some kinks worked out in this 7-on-7”. The Bulldogs were short a few players, which is to be expected during summer, but that didn’t stop those who were there from striving for success. 

Coach Powell has already stated on numerous occasions that Waldrons linemen will be game changers in the upcoming 2022 season. Luckily, 7-on-7 camps allow Powell and his coaching staff to mold their skill position players into the game winners. Camps such as the one Tuesday allows the coaching staff to work directly with quarterbacks, running backs, and wide receivers on the offensive side and defensive backs and linebackers on the defensive side of the ball. This allows the coaches to see things at those skills positions that may have been missed in full team practices and camps. “We noticed some mistakes here and there in the camp which is to be expected” said Powell. “The good thing is that we were able to get plenty of reps with a lot of players to notice these mistakes and coach them up on them”.

Senior High quarterback, Keegan Lynch, releases a rocket pass to his Bulldog receiver

Waldron even had the privilege to work a lot with their talented upcoming sophomore group. By doing so against other programs, the younger Bulldogs were able to get an idea of the transition in the speed of the game from their previous Junior High games to Senior High. “It may have looked like our younger players got dominated and that’s because they did at times. That’s what we want through. The best learning experience for players is getting out there and doing it. Some of our sophomores would get beat on a route, get coached up, and then make the proper correction the next play. That’s what we like to see. It was a great learning day for our inexperienced players”. The Bulldogs are building great depth by getting their younger players ample time in camps. The camp experiences and solid leadership will soon develop into not only depth but a talented depth that can benefit them in games. 

The Bulldogs will host another camp this Thursday, July 14th. That camp will be a full team camp which means the “Big Dogs”, aka linemen, will be involved. The camp will be a repeat of opponents with Magazine and Mansfield attending after Two Rivers opted out. One thing is for sure, the Waldron football program is still headed in the right direction and these kinds of camps can only make them better. 

Stinky stuff! Catfish Baits that Reek of Success

Randy Zellers Assistant Chief of Communications

The catfish may be one of the most misunderstood of all Arkansas’s sportfish. It occurs in practically every body of water in the state, grows to gigantic proportions, and is easy to catch with inexpensive equipment. Top off those features with its fantastic flavor, and it’s amazing that anyone would look down on these hardy fish.

The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission stocks thousands of catchable-size channel catfish through its hatchery system each year to small ponds and lakes that cannot keep up with fishing pressure. Mother Nature produces millions more of the fish in Arkansas’s rivers and lakes every year. All it takes to catch them is a little patience and the proper lure to tempt them into biting. The secret ingredient to all good catfish lures is scent.

Catfish can “smell” baits much better than many fish species. Highly sensitive membranes inside the fish’s nostrils detect compounds in the water. The more folds these membranes have, the keener the fish’s sense of smell. Trout have 18 or so of these folds, while largemouth bass may have only 10. The channel catfish is blessed with 140 of these specialized folds to sense smell, enabling it to detect compounds as minute as one part per 100 million.

So what odors make the best bait for catfish? Here are a few tried and true offerings to keep you hooked up this summer.

Smelling Fishy

The best smells of all are going to come from the foods catfish are used to eating. Shad, small bream and chunks of less desirable species like carpsuckers and skipjack are top producers for many catfish anglers.

Justin Homan, lead biologist in the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission’s catfish team, says many veteran catfish anglers, especially those on the big rivers of east Arkansas, favor cut shad and skipjack. These oily fish will put out a scent big catfish are looking for.

“When I’m running jugs with my wife and little girl, we tend to use cut bait as well, especially fish with a tougher skin,” Homan said. “Chunks of carp or buffalo stay on the hook well and will bring in a lot of fish.”

Homan says flathead catfish are much fonder of live baitfish than cut bait, so targeting these big fighters may require a little more effort to care for your lures. Many anglers use goldfish purchased from bait dealers, and he’s personally done well on Lake Conway running trotlines at night with live sunfish.

“You have to catch the sunfish first, and can’t move them from another body of water, but they work very well,” Homan said. “One trick is to check your bait at about midnight. Channel cats may beat the flatheads to your bait, and the flatheads are most active after about midnight. Rebaiting then can really help bring in some bigger cats.”

Any fish or crayfish caught in the wild can’t be transported to another body of water and used as bait there unless it is used as dead bait. The risk of spreading disease or invasive species is too high when moving live, wild-caught baitfish. If you want to use live baitfish but don’t have time to catch them in the body of water where you’ll fish, goldfish, shiners and minnows that can be purchased from bait shops come from baitfish farms that are certified to be free of diseases and other nasties live fish may carry.

Creepy Crawlies

Catalpa worms, nightcrawlers and other crawling critters from the flowerbed also make great bait, and they can be pulled up from the dirt can be transported without issue. Flipping a few bricks from the flowerbed or scraping aside some leaves and digging at the surface of the dirt should garner enough worms for a quick trip. Some anglers have taken the collection of worms to the next level, using a special technique called “worm grunting” or “worm fiddling” to get gobs of bait in a hurry. Compost bins also are great places to find active red worms nicknamed “red wigglers,” that don’t grow as big as the nightcrawlers you find on the ground after a rain but give plenty of action to entice finicky cats to bite.

SPAM-tastic
One of those overlooked grocery store baits that definitely works wonders is good old canned meat. As outdoor writer Don Wirth always penned in issues of Bassmaster Magazine’s humorous Harry ‘n’ Charlie columns, SPAM isn’t cured and ready to eat until it has a half-inch of dust collected on the top in the back of the convenience store shelves. Believe it or not, Arkansas’s current state record and once world-record 116-pound, 12-ounce blue catfish was caught on this easy-to-store bait in 2001. It doesn’t hurt to keep a can handy in the tackle box, and if the fish aren’t biting, it’s not half bad with crackers and a little hot sauce. You can’t say the same for nightcrawlers.

Vampire-proof Weenies

Clint Coleman, assistant coordinator for the AGFC’s Family and Community Fishing Program, has seen his share of stinky lures, as he helps run dozens of fishing derbies each year. His favorite bait is pieces of hot dog soaked in a mix of cherry Kool-Aid and garlic powder. For some reason, that combination sets catfish in fishing derbies on fire.

“It’s easy to get at the store, and it’s easy to handle with kids,” Coleman said. “Some kids may not want to mess with worms, livers or stink baits, but everyone will pick up a hot dog. The garlic will put out plenty of scent to get the fish honed in on your lure.”

Coleman says don’t worry about adding water to activate the Kool-Aid. The juice from the hot dogs is all it takes.

Chicken Liver
Trey Reid, host of Arkansas Wildlife Television, has had the opportunity to fish for big catfish on the Mississippi River with some real sticks, and he agrees that cut skipjack is the prime rib of the catfishing world, but for his excursions to smaller waters, he still tends toward the bait he was introduced to catfishing with — chicken livers.

“You can pick it up at nearly any grocery store on the way to the lake or keep it in the refrigerator with a little less complaints from family members than other wild concoctions,” Reid said. “Sometimes it’s good to just keep it simple and remember that fishing doesn’t have to be a huge expense or take a ton of time to prepare for.”

Keep it Clean

Strange as it may sound, you may not need to get stinky to get on a good channel catfish bite. Jon Stein, district fisheries biologist for the AGFC in Rogers says soap is one of the best baits used for sampling channel catfish in nets.

“Biologists used to use a manufactured soybean cheese log for bait, but we caught a lot of turtles, too,” Stein said. “Staff now use Zote Soap to bait nets. It attracts the channel catfish without the turtles so we can focus on getting valuable information on Channel Catfish including lengths, weights, population size (catch per net), age and can evaluate how much of the population is from stocked fish.”

Stein says that although he’s personally never baited up with soap, he’s talked to many anglers on the water that swear by it.

“It needs to have a high animal fat content in it,” Stein said. “Some anglers say they melt it, pour it into ice cube trays and place a hook in it so the soap hardens around the hook, then they can keep things clean and organized on the water.”

Zote is even scientifically proven to catch catfish, so-to-speak. A study conducted by Russell Barabe and Donald Jackson at Mississippi State University and presented to the American Fisheries Society in 2011 found that the catch rates of catfish between Zote soap and cut bait on trotlines was statistically insignificant. The study was in an effort to find alternatives to catfish baiting that would not catch some species of endangered aquatic turtles. The soap caught zero turtles while nabbing 193 blue catfish and 462 channel catfish when fished from 11,000 trotline hooks in six coastal rivers overnight in the Magnolia State.

Have a favorite formula for catfish success? Send a comment to randy.zellers@agfc.ar.gov. If we can stomach it, we might just feature it in an upcoming edition of the AGFC’s Weekly Fishing Report.

“Obey the Sign or Pay the Fine”; Speed Enforcement Operation Readied

Speeding violations on Arkansas roadways continue to rise and law enforcement officers across the state plan to ban together in a united operation under the banner, “Obey the Sign or Pay the Fine”.  The two-week crackdown directed at speeders begins Monday, July 18th.

  “It’s an acknowledged fact, as a motor vehicle speed increases, so do the risks of injuries and deaths on roadways,” said Colonel Bill Bryant, Director of the Arkansas State Police and the Governor’s Highway Safety Representative.  “A driver exceeding the posted speed limit is less likely to avoid a hazardous object in the road, safely steer away from another vehicle or negotiate an unfamiliar curve or highway exit.”

  Speeders put themselves and others at tremendous risk as noted in the latest data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).  During 2020, there were 11,258 people killed in speeding-related crashes, accounting for 29% of all fatal crashes in the United States.

  Much like impaired driving, speeding is a selfish choice that can have deadly consequences for the driver, vehicle passengers, other drivers, and pedestrians.  Speeding not only affects a driver’s ability to steer properly, but also affects stopping distances.  Even the safest cars equipped with the newest safety technology have limitations in the advances made to reduce the odds of a crash.

  According to NHTSA, local roads are the most dangerous for speeders.  The 2020 data reports that 87% of all speeding-related traffic fatalities on U.S. roads occurred on non-interstate roadways.

  NHTSA considers a crash to be speeding-related if a driver was charged with exceeding the posted speed limit or driving too fast for conditions.

  “During the upcoming special speed enforcement operation, state troopers and other law enforcement officers won’t be accepting excuses, the posted speed limit is the law,” Colonel Bryant said.  “Our goal will always be to save lives.”

  For more information on the “Obey the Sign, or Pay the Fine” mobilization, please visit www.trafficsafetymarketing.gov or contact the Arkansas Highway Safety Office at (501) 618-8136.  Additionally, motorists are encouraged to learn more about Arkansas’ ongoing Toward Zero Deaths campaign to eliminate preventable traffic fatalities at www.TZDarkansas.org .

Waldron School Board Meets

The regular monthly meeting of the Waldron School Board was held in the Central Office Building Monday, July 11, 2022; at 6:30 p.m. Board members present were Tammye Sherrill, Clay Woodall and Konnor McKay. Board members Mac Davis and Angela Hunsucker were not present. Others present were Superintendent Daniel Fielding, Misty Owens, Chris Lipham, Ken Landon, Kim Solomon, Zack Taylor, Keith Brigance, Randi Hickman, Ryan Walker, Tonya Cluck, Darla Jeffery, Michael Galinato, Kristi Sigman and Toni Dozier.

President Sherrill called the meeting to order at 6:32 p.m. 

Mrs. Sherrill welcomed everyone.

Mr. Konnor McKay began the meeting with a word of prayer.

​Mr. Clay Woodall led the Pledge of Allegiance.​

A motion was made by Clay Woodall and seconded by Konnor McKay to approve the Consent Agenda items: A) Approval of the June 13th and June 23rd Minutes; B) Approve Financial Reports and Expenditures; C) Approve Purchase Order to ITSAVVY (pending ESSER approval); D) Approve Purchase Order to Scott County Hardware; E) Approve ASBA Invoice for Property and Vehicle Insurance; F) Approve ADE Statement of Assurances for Programs under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act.  Motion carried 3-0.

​A motion was made by Clay Woodall and seconded by Konnor McKay to keep the School Board Officers as they are currently.  Motion carried 3-0.

​A motion was made by Konnor McKay and seconded by Clay Woodall to give permission for the district to purchase fuel as needed at the lowest cost.  Motion carried 3-0. 

​A motion was made by Clay Woodall and seconded by Konnor McKay to approve the proposal to pay extracurricular activities sponsors and coaches a flat rate of $25 per trip.  Motion carried 3-0. 

​A motion was made by Konnor McKay and seconded by Clay Woodall to approve the ASBA policy recommendations and updates.  The following policies are recommended for approval:  3.1, 3.17, 3.19, 3.26, 4.5, 4.11, 4.27, 4.45, 5.2, 5.26, 5.26.1, 5.28, 6.1, 7.5, 7.16, 7.17.2, 7.23, 8.13, 8.20, 8.45. Motion carried 3-0. 

​A motion was made by Clay Woodall and seconded by Konnor McKay to approve the classified salary schedule for skilled Technician/Laborer for 2022-23 SY.  Motion carried 3-0. 

​A motion was made by Clay Woodall and seconded by Konnor McKay to adopt the Waldron Elementary, Middle and High School SLIP (School Level Improvement Plan) for the 2022-23 SY.  Motion carried 3-0. 

​A motion was made by Clay Woodall and seconded by Konnor McKay to adopt each building handbook changes for the 2022-23 SY.  Motion carried 3-0. 

​A motion was made by Clay Woodall and seconded by Konnor McKay to approve the Teacher and Administrator Recruitment and Retention Plan for the 2022-23 SY.  Motion carried 3-0. 

​A motion was made by Konnor McKay and seconded by Clay Woodall to hire George K. Landon, Jr. as Computer Technician Level I with 4 years’ experience, modified with 180 days @ 6 hours /day and 66 days @ 8 hours/day, with a hire date of 07-12-2022.  Motion carried 3-0.

​A motion was made by Clay Woodall and seconded by Konnor McKay to hire George K. Landon, Jr. as a full time bus driver for the 2022-23 SY.  Motion carried 3-0.

​A motion was made by Konnor McKay and seconded by Clay Woodall to hire Ashley O’Dell as a Food Service cook for the 2022-23 SY.  Motion carried 3-0.

​A motion was made by Clay Woodall and seconded by Konnor McKay to hire Norma Scantling as a Food Service cook for the 2022-23 SY.  Motion carried 3-0.

​A motion was made by Clay Woodall and seconded by Konnor McKay to transfer Russell Dillon Ward to Coach with the following assignments, for the 2022-23 SY:  7th Grade Assistant FB, Jr. High Assistant FB, Sr. High Assistant FB, 7thGrade Track, Jr. High Assistant Track, and Sr. High Assistant Track.  Motion carried 3-0.

​A motion was made by Clay Woodall and seconded by Konnor McKay to hire Bryce Marek as High School Social Studies and Coach with the following assignments, for the 2022-23 SY:  7th Grade Assistant FB, Jr. High Assistant FB, Sr. High Assistant FB and Assistant Softball.  Motion carried 3-0.

​A motion was made by Clay Woodall and seconded by Konnor McKay to hire Shawnee Justice as Middle School Special Education Paraprofessional for the 2022-23 SY.  Motion carried 3-0.

​A motion was made by Konnor McKay and seconded by Clay Woodall to hire Cynthia Banta as Custodian for the 2022-23 SY.  Motion carried 3-0.

​A motion was made by Konnor McKay and seconded by Clay Woodall to hire Jeanetta Byford as High School Paraprofessional for the 2022-23 SY.  Motion carried 3-0.

​A motion was made by Konnor McKay and seconded by Clay Woodall to adjourn. Motion carried 3-0.

Meeting adjourned at 6:58 p.m.

Tigers Football Alive and Well After Dead Period

The Mansfield Tiger Junior High and Senior High football teams are looking at the upcoming 2022 with a change in mind. The teams are aiming to buck the system’s status quo of what everyone else does by creating their own identity for the program. They want to start a new standard for Mansfield football. Mansfield started their very first camp of 2022 at Waldron on Tuesday, July 12th. But why the late start?

Senior QB Fisher Willsey getting ready to let’r rip downfield

While many high school football programs around the state were hitting multiple team camps and 7-on-7’s during the spring and early summer, the Mansfield Tigers were nowhere to be found. The reason for that was by design. Tigers Head Coach, Tim Cothran, decided to take a different approach for Mansfield’s first half of the offseason. Instead of following the crowd, Cothran spent the Tigers time building up the team’s strength, speed, and conditioning while also focusing on polishing up on position techniques. Concentrating on fundamentals while other programs spend time at camps might seem like a gamble to some people, but not to Cothran and his coaching staff. Gamble or not, the Maverick move looked promising at Tuesday’s camp. The Tigers stepped out of the early summer shadows and stole the late summer spotlight in Waldron.

Tyler Turnipseed tucks the ball for a turn-n-burn

Mansfield didn’t play 7-on-7 against random strangers. The Tigers lined up against Waldron and Magazine, two of their annual nonconference opponents. With each program knowing each other quite well, one would figure to see some struggles from the Tigers. Everyone quickly realized though that that was not the case, especially on offense. An impressed Coach Cothran said “Overall I think both our Junior High and Senior High offenses did very well today. All of the quarterbacks looked smooth throwing the ball, our receiving corps ran crisp routes and made some great catches”. One of those great catches was made by sophomore Trey Powell who caught a circus catch from Fisher Willsey. Willsey put the ball to where only Powell could catch it and Powell superhero jumped over a defender to snag the pass. Even with the amazing catch, the overall offense looked so good that Cothran and offensive coordinator Layton Robinson couldn’t think of a single player who stood out the most. “Nobody stood above anyone else because they all did that well” said Cothran. How good were they you ask? Well, it merely took the Tigers offenses an average of three plays per score in their scrimmages. Having a plethora of weapons to threaten opponents within 2022 will be a breath of fresh air for the fans in Red.

Trey Powell shows a Waldron defender how to tap dance

Positive offensive production is always a plus, but as the old saying goes, it’s the defense that wins championships. Although the Tigers showed they have a solid passing game when they had they have the ball, they made sure that no one else had that same advantage. Junior Tyler Turnipseed provided smothering coverage while also swatting away multiple passes. Senior linebackers Reegan Emery, Caleb Collier, and Kindel Noblett shut down any slant and shallow routes over the middle. The Senior High wasn’t the only solid defense as the Junior High crew stepped up big time in the pass defending department. Freshman Alex Hecox intercepted two passes for the Junior High team against Waldron. With Hecox picking off passes, Waldron and Magazine were forced to pull in their routes towards the middle of the field. Just like with Senior High, that was not a good idea for the Tigers opponents. Laying in wait for the Rattlers and Bulldogs were Ethan Martin and Zander Walters who shredded the offenses routes across the middle. “Our defenses did quite well today. There were a couple of missed assignments, but nothing that can’t be easily taken care of. We just need more repetition to make sure we’re getting where we’re supposed to be in certain situations. You can definitely tell that all of these players are willing to go all out to get better” said Coach Cothran.

JR Tiger Alex Hecox playing keep away by snagging an interception

The Tigers showed everyone that they’re a 10 out of 10 in their first 7-on-7. Having multiple skilled athletes to make up both smooth offenses and stolid defenses was something that raised an eyebrow or two in the stands and on the opposing sidelines. Mansfield will continue doing camps through the month of July with six still on the calendar. Three of them will be at Mena, there are two more at Waldron, and one at Hackett. Their next camp will be at Waldron again on Thursday, July 14th. This time though it won’t a mere 7-on-7. No siree, the next camp will include the beefcakes…the trench warriors…the Hoss’s…that’s right, the linemen will be involved this time.

JR Tiger Logan Newman positioned perfectly for a catch and score

Obituary – Billy “Boney” H. Hunt (1940-2022)

Billy H. Hunt, better known as Boney, went to be with his Lord and Savior, Monday, July 11, 2022 in Bentonville, Arkansas with his loved ones by his side. Boney was born July 3, 1940 to Steve and Mary Lou (McGarr) Hunt in Waldron, Arkansas. He was 82 years old. Boney was a lifetime member of the First Church of the Nazarene in Waldron. He was actively involved in many activities such as volunteering to help with the food pantry and teaching Sunday School. He loved the Lord and tried to live his life by being an example of strong faith and devotion.

When Boney was younger he enjoyed jogging, coaching little league, and just being active. He loved any and all sports, especially the Razorbacks. He was an avid fisherman. Boney retired from ARDOT after 33 years. He made a lot of friends and people who became family. He was a well rounded gentleman who was widely respected.

Boney leaves behind to cherish his memory, one son John Paul Hunt of Waldron, Arkansas and one daughter, Lisa Hogan and husband Scott of Cave Springs, Arkansas. Poppa Boney will forever remain in the hearts of his grandchildren: Kayla “May” Grigg (Robert), Shantel Hunt, Jeremy Hunt, Mattison May, and three step grandchildren: Mary Claire, Annie and Ryanne. as well as 7 great grandchildren. Boney is also survived by his siblings: Charles (Pat) Hunt of Houston, Texas, Betty (Byron) Puckett of Mansfield, Arkansas, Arthur “Hook” (Billie) of Woodlands, Texas, Sharon (David) Leggett of Camdon, Arkansas, Elizabeth Qualls of Greenwood, Arkansas, Cynthia Hyde of Ft. Smith, Arkansas, Troy Hunt (Tracy) of Greenwood, Arkansas and Debra Hunt of Ft. Smith, Arkansas. Boney will be missed by all that knew him and the many whose lives he impacted including a host of nieces, nephews, extended family and friends he loved dearly.

Boney was preceded in the death by his parents, Steve and Mary Lou, and one sister, Mona Thomas.

Boney’s life celebration will be 2:00 p.m. Friday, July 15, 2022 at the First Church of the Nazarene in Waldron, Arkansas with Pastor Billie Hunt officiating. Interment will follow in the Duncan Cemetery in Waldron, Arkansas.

Boney’s pallbearers will be Eddie Swisher, Carlton Graham, Kevin Smalling, Scott Hogan, Robert Grigg and Shane Sanderson.

Boney’s visitation will be Thursday, July 14, 2022 from 6:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. at the Heritage Memorial Funeral Home in Waldron, Arkansas.

RNN Expanded Sports Coverage to Include Magazine Athletics Starting This Fall

Resident News Network Sports is proud to announce the addition of Magazine school district sports coverage starting in August! Coverage will include stories in RNN’s new Logan County Edition that is mailed weekly to subscribers. Rattlers fans can subscribe by going to residentnewsnetwork.com and following the links.

Rattlers sports stories will be provided by Jonathan Gipson of Magazine. Gipson, who has extensive sports media experience, will provide both stories and photos during the year. RNN Magazine stories will be published in the print Logan County Edition, as well as on the RNN website and on its social media platforms.

RNN is proud to be the leader in local sports coverage for Logan County and surrounding communities in the River Valley and in Western Arkansas! Thanks to all of our readers, and to the fans of the Magazine community, “Welcome Aboard!” We hope you enjoy reading about your Rattlers in RNN Sports!

Bearcats Sports Coverage Coming to RNN Sports This Fall!

As part of Resident News Network’s commitment to local sports coverage, RNN is proud to announce the addition of Booneville Bearcats sports coverage to both its online and Logan County news coverage. Starting this fall, RNN will bring our readers coverage of Booneville sports in our online platform at residentnewsnetwork.com, and to its weekly Logan County Edition that is mailed to subscribers weekly. To subscribe to the Logan County Edition, just go to the Resident News Network webpage and follow the links.

RNN will provide Bearcats coverage in its print edition Logan County weekly paper, as well as on its website and social media platforms starting this fall.

When asked about the new RNN sports coverage in Booneville, the Bearcats’ athletic director, Josh Walker, said, “Booneville is a tradition-rich town with great coaches and athletes. I’m excited for us to partner with Resident News Network to get our athletes more exposure and display their hard work and accomplishments.” And Coach Walker, RNN is excited too about partnering with the Booneville schools to provide local sports coverage for the Bearcats fan base!

RNN is a proud friend and neighbor to the residents of Logan County and its surrounding communities. We are locally focused, and we believe you will love our coverage of local schools, athletes, and coaches throughout the upcoming school year!

Thank you for reading RNN Sports, and we hope you enjoy our expanded coverage!

Scranton Announces Athletics Physicals Deadline for All Student-Athletes for 2022-23 School Year

The Scranton school district has announced the athletics physicals deadline for all students in their district who wish to participate in scholastic sports for the 2022-23 school year. According to the district’s website, all students must have their athletic physicals completed before the start of the school year in August.

Students and parents can obtain a copy of the athletic physicals form required by the district by going to the Scranton school district website at scrantonrockets.net

According to the school district’s website, “Athletic physicals are being offered at Clarksville Community Health Center by SHS. Athletic physicals done here will be paid for by the district. To schedule an appointment, call 479-668-3282. Parents may opt to have their own doctor do a physical at their own cost. Students may begin scheduling physicals now and must have a new completed physical by the beginning of school. Please upload your physical into your Dragonfly Max account (ass student athletes must have one) or bring it to your coach to be uploaded. The required forms and info on Dragonfly Max can be found here” (on the webpage.)

Scranton High School participates in the sports of baseball, basketball, cheer, cross country, golf, softball, and track. Any athlete in grades 7-12 who desires to participate in any of these sports must have a physical on file with the district.