Each year, FFA chapters around the country celebrate National FFA Week. It’s a time to share what FFA is and the impact it has on members every day. Our Waldron FFA Chapter held spirit days for our high school each day of the week. We also scheduled a beautify our community service event, held a business window contest as community engagement, and an Ag Olympics assembly as chapter recruitment. The Waldron FFA also hosted a coloring contest at the Elementary and Middle schools, where 3 prize winners were picked from each school. The business window contest was a challenge to the local businesses to show their FFA spirit. Some participating businesses were True Value, Waldron Livestock Auction, and this Year’s winner was Waldron’s City Hall!
City Hall with their winning window for National FFA Week
City Hall with their FFA gift basket
Thank you all for showing your support!
We’ve also been very busy with our career development events! We competed at district competition at Arkansas Tech! As well as Logan County and Arklahoma Battletown Rivalry!
The 16th annual Mansfield Tiger Relays played host to 24 schools this past week. Teams spanning the region from Clarksville to DeQueen made the March 29 trip. Through it all, Mansfield’s senior girls showed their worth with a high finish against the largest field of competitors so far this outdoor season.
The MHS Lady Tigers went event for event with the top ranked teams. In the end, the group finished in a tie for second with Scott County rival Waldron. DeQueen, a 4A school with a history of outstanding runners, won the meet.
DeQueen took the top team prize with 141 points. Mansfield and Waldron closed, all knotted up with 106 points. Ozark came in fourth (103) followed by Clarksville (87) in fifth.
Similar standings prevailed on the men’s side with DeQueen (163) taking first place. Waldron (122.5) was second followed by Ozark (57), Mena (52), and Clarksville (47) for the top five scoring teams.
Acorn, Magazine, and Mansfield peppered the middle of the men’s standings as the top teams within Mansfield’s own 2A-4 league.
Braxton Bartlett pushes the pace at the Mansfield Tiger Relays for the MHS junior boys team.
For the Mansfield women, Darby Jones was fifth in the overall individual points standings. The senior totaled 21 points with high valued marks in the 800m, 1600m, and 3200m runs.
Jones looked to prequalify to state in the 1600m run but fell 9 seconds short of the AAA standard. She did however set a personal record for the four lap race at 6:05.74.
Jadelynn Wood, also of Mansfield, ranked ninth among 95 individual scorers. The junior hurdler accumulated 17.5 points through a six event schedule.
Among Wood’s best mark was a 18.4 finish in the 100m hurdles. The measure was 0.8 seconds off the state standard. She also ran 52.56 in the 300m hurdles. That personal record was 1.14 seconds off the prequalification mark.
Close calls seemed a theme among the Lady Tiger entries. Seven Sanderson was another among the group that was close to meeting a state standard.
Sanderson pushed the 4kg shot 31’ 2.5” for the first place award. The measure was 5.5 inches away from automatic qualification to the class 2A state prelims.
Throws teammate Brooklyn Adams made her 2021 debut. The junior softball player came over from the diamond field to compete in the discus and shot put. Her efforts were solid with an 80’ 2” discus toss and a 28’ 6.5” shot put giving the home team an additional 14 points.
Natalie Allison also came over from the softball arena. The junior pointed in the triple jump with a mark of 31 feet.
Seniors Faith Rainwater, Hope Rainwater, McKenzie Griffin, and Katlynn Moore contributed in the distance relay. Sadie Roberts, Raine Hecox, Sarah Fisher, and Shelby Cole did likewise in separate sprints relays.
Fisher also took silver in the women’s discus throw at 87’ 10”. Faith Rainwater pointed in the pole vault, 400m, and three relays.
Ryan Hayslip highlighted Mansfield scoring in the men’s division with an 11’ 0” pole vault. Sammy Sellers ranked fourth in the discus at 103’ 10” while three Tiger relays all scored in the top 8.
The final few events saw the lead batted back and forth like a ping pong ball. Between Mansfield and Mena the lead exchanged hands three times within the last four events. Ultimately, neither could shake the other as the 16th Annual Junior Tiger Relays ended in a tie.
Mansfield’s junior girls built a 10 point lead when Addie Bowman-Stover won the 300m hurdles. Mena countered with an 11 point swing in the 800m run to take over first place by one going into the final two events.
Lady Tigers Carter Whiley and Daisy Nelson combined for a three point differential in the 200m dash to flip Mansfield back on top by two.
Finally, the deciding 4x400m relay would determine the outcome of the hard fought March 31 Mansfield hosted event. Not until Laney Wood of Mansfield passed a DeQueen anchor in the final 10 meters did the numbers reach the tying total.
Mena won the closing race for 10 points. Mansfield passed DeQueen in the final steps for second place’s 8 point haul. Suddenly, the 17 event, cold and windy night ended in a 134.5 exact tie.
“We definitely left some points on the table,” said Mansfield head coach and meet director John Mackey. “Give Mena credit for fighting back. Give Laney (Wood) even more credit for fighting back. A shared title is still a victory. We just really wanted the outright victory. Our home meet has always been one of the biggest and most sought after titles in the area.”
The combination of Wood, Bowman-Stover, Azlynn Stover, and Trinity Triska populated the second place 4x400m relay team. According to their coach, the freshmen core had winning DNA.
“Those four have been in the big moments,” noted Mackey. “It’s always good to have a relay team built around a winning attitude to close the night. In fact our best events; the 300m hurdles, 200m dash, and 4x400m relay always give us a chance to end well.”
Mansfield’s boys had a solid night as well finishing fourth in the overall team standings. Trey Powell led the junior boy’s squad by winning his second high point trophy of the year.
Kaylee Ward wins the shot put at the Mansfield hosted Junior Tiger Relays.
Powell scored 42 points over his six event schedule. The freshman tied for first in the 100m dash, placed second in four other events, and anchored a second place 4x100m relay.
“Trey Powell was excellent,” said Mansfield boys coach Joshua Brown. “He represented our school and community well. We had a lot of guys get ribbons. That’s what we have to do to be successful.”
Booneville, coached by Mansfield 2005 graduate Whit Overton, won the boys title with 150 points. DeQueen came in second with 123 points. Waldron took third with 102 points. Mansfield closed in fourth with 89.5 points among 14 scoring schools.
Among class 2A-4 schools in attendance, Mansfield was rarely challenged. Acorn, Mountainburg, Lavaca, and Magazine were distantly scattered among the remaining team standings.
Ethan Martin was second in the shot put as Mansfield’s other best placing athlete. The eighth grader took silver with a toss of 39’ 9.5 “.
For the Lady Tigers, Kaylee Ward and Triska were the only other individual winners. Ward won the shot put with a 36’ 0.5” toss. Triska took the triple jump with a leap of 29’ 8”.
Mansfield’s 4x100m relay team took a combined victory in the women’s division. The lineup of Ward, Whiley, Bowman-Stover, and Nelson took that victory with a time of 58.10.
Mansfield’s Carter Whiley scores in the high jump at the 16th annual Tiger Relays for the MHS junior girls’ team.
Easter is coming up really quickly! Now is the time to work on Easter basket gifts. Rather than a traditional basket I embarked on a mission to see just what could function as an Easter basket.
Rain boots! If your kiddo needs them for all their muddy puddle jumping that comes with the spring stash full of goodies and you’re good to go!
Umbrella! Umbrellas are so fun for kids. Why not pop one open and stuff with the other gifts.
Watering can! Perfect for the budding gardeners.
Sand bucket! Don’t worry about storage, just use out in the sand box.
Toddler swing! The perfect container that also provides loads of entertainment!
Dump truck! So much fun for the future construction workers.
Kids pool! A great way to give multiple kids their Easter gifts.
Potty! A bit different, but if you are like me and have a child on the verge of potty training this would be a fun way to introduce the potty.
Ball cap! What a great way to continue the tradition with an older boy.
Mixing bowl! Have a child that enjoys baking? The perfect Easter basket is really a bowl.
If your children already have an Easter basket for egg hunting grabbing a storage container of a different kind is the way to go! Having a gift that is useful more than just once a year is something we always prioritize.
Sally June (Goddard) Szabo of Omaha, Arkansas (formerly of Waldron, Arkansas) passed from this life, Monday, March 28, 2022 in Branson, Missouri. Sally was born June 8, 1954 in Mena, Arkansas to James Robert Goddard and Rwilta (Johnson) Goddard. She was 67 years old.
Sally was married to the love of her life, Clinton Szabo. Together they made their life in Omaha, Arkansas. Sally loved reading, cooking, gardening, home crafting, home remodeling and doing stained glass.
Sally leaves behind to cherish her memory, her loving husband Clinton Szabo of the home and two sisters: Robbie Wright of Waldron, Arkansas and Doris Houston of Greenwood, Arkansas. Sally will be missed by all that knew her and the many whose lives she impacted including a host of nieces, nephews and extended family and friends she loved dearly.
Sally was preceded in death by her parents, James and Rwilta Goddard, one sister, Joann Johnson and one brother Jack Goddard.
A celebration of life memorial service will be held at a later date. Arrangements and cremation are being entrusted to the Heritage Memorial Funeral Home in Waldron, Arkansas.
Last week, Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge and a coalition of 44 attorneys general urged TikTok and Snapchat to give parents the ability to monitor their children’s social media usage and protect their children from online threats through parental control apps. These apps would empower parents to ensure that social media platforms are a safe space for their children.
The dangers of online apps are ever-present right here at home. Just recently, Hackett Police Chief Sean White confirmed that he was aware of a case of cyberbullying in the school. That case involves a student who is receiving disturbing texts through an app called “TextNow”. The app uses a wifi connection and assigns the phone its own unique number. That, according to White, is what makes cases such as the one occurring in Hackett so frustrating.
Parents should be aware that there are reports of predators using the app to target victims, and if your child is using the app, they could be in danger. “Cyberbullying is a class B misdemeanor,” stated White. “It is something we take very seriously.” White added that the law states:
5-71-217 1) “Communication” means the electronic communication of information of a person’s choosing between or among points specified by the person without change in the form or content of the information as sent and received; and (2) “Electronic means” means any textual, visual, written, or oral communication of any kind made through the use of a computer online service, Internet service, telephone, or any other means of electronic communication, including without limitation to a local bulletin board service, an Internet chat room, electronic mail, a social networking site, or an online messaging service. (b) A person commits the offense of cyberbullying if: (1) He or she transmits, sends, or posts a communication by electronic means with the purpose to frighten, coerce, intimidate, threaten, abuse, harass, or alarm another person; and (2) The transmission was in furtherance of severe, repeated, or hostile behavior toward the other person. (c) The offense of cyberbullying may be prosecuted in the county where the defendant was located when he or she transmitted, sent, or posted a communication by electronic means, in the county where the communication by electronic means was received by the person, or in the county where the person targeted by the electronic communications resides.
“Parents must be able to control who their children talk to and especially what they see,” said Attorney General Rutledge. “As the mother of a young daughter, I make sure that I am aware of the dangers on the internet, and I realize the importance for parents to have the ability to protect their children from those who want to do them harm online.”
Research increasingly demonstrates the negative impact that social media can have on the physical, emotional, and mental well-being of children and teenagers. These effects range from decreased self-esteem and greater body-image dissatisfaction to increased exposure to cyberbullying and sexual predation. One app reported that in 2021 it had analyzed more than 3.4 billion messages and found:
43.09% of tweens and 74.61% of teens were involved in a self-harm/suicidal situation,
68.97% of tweens and 90.73% of teens encountered nudity or content of a sexual nature,
75.35% of tweens and 93.31% of teens engaged in conversations surrounding drugs/alcohol,
80.82% of tweens and 94.50% of teens expressed or experienced violent subject matter/thoughts, and
72.09% of tweens and 85.00% of teens experienced bullying as a bully, victim, or witness.
White concluded that in a situation such as the one ongoing in Hackett, the best solution is for the parent to get a new phone number assigned for their child, and ensure that it is only given out to trusted individuals.
Moms we are supposed to be prepared for anything and everything. A well packed diaper bag is essential, but sometimes it’s hard to fit everything in a diaper bag or not worth making your diaper bag weigh 500 lbs. To combat this I made my own kit I deemed my “mommergency kit”.
I recently swapped vehicles with my husband, and now I drive a truck. I carried a lot of nonsense in my SUV, but I much prefer my truck and don’t plan to go back until it’s absolutely necessary for my kids. Since I have less room I needed to make my kit compact and hold only the essentials but enough to help when we inevitably have a day we forget the diaper bag.
What’s in my kit-
Water bottles
Baby bottle
Extra sleeper
Diapers
Hand held breast pump
Gas drops
Baby blanket
Non perishable snacks
Wipes
Chapstick
Deodorant
Pony tail
Pen
BC Powder
As I was looking around at what other people include in there kits I found a couple great ideas that I haven’t added. One suggested a size 5 or 6 diaper for those times you are caught in traffic and a kiddo hollers they need to potty. A size 6 diaper is large enough it will collect and can be rolled up and pitched like any other diaper. Bizarre, but having 3 kids and only 1 being potty trained and walking well I definitely filed this top away and added to my shopping list to pick up one of the Huggies 3 packs of diapers. The four year old always needs to go at the least opportune times.
I also will grab gallon ziplock bags and poke the boys extra outfits, especially during the summer they manage to get wet so often and need a change. Additionally I will purchase a small first aid kit.
With other without our diaper bag we should be prepared for most of the crazy that can get thrown our way when out with children!
After the heavy rains on Wednesday that caused some flooding in Logan County, the sun was out on Friday, and it was a beautiful day for high school baseball in Paris. And for the Paris Eagles, the day ended on an even higher note, as the Eagles defeated Hackett in conference play, 9-2. The conference and divisional win against the Hornets propelled Paris into first place in the 3A-4 North Division. The win on Friday was the second conference victory on the week for Paris, having defeated Charleston on Tuesday.
Eagles sophomore pitcher Konnor Edwards started the game for Paris and dominated the Hornets hitters throughout the game. Edwards was lifted in the fifth inning due to pitch count and was relieved by junior pitcher Mason Bradley. The two pitchers combined for just two runs, and Edwards received the win. Paris is deep in pitching, and that will be a big factor as teams move into post season play at the end of the regular season.
The Eagles’ home stand will continue next week on Tuesday, April 5 when they host the Cedarville Pirates in conference play. Game time is set for 4:30 p.m. Paris will hope to continue the offensive barrages of last week, as well as the continuance of dominating pitching. Paris could be positioned to win the North Division and set themselves up for a possible bye to the semifinals of the district tournament. A lot can happen between now and then, but the talented and experienced Eagles are poised to make a deep run into this year’s state tournament.
Stay with Resident News Network Sports as we cover the Eagles and their quest to win a conference baseball title!
Spring is in the air and that means it’s time for our Spring Cleanup Campaign. Residents of Sebastian County are encouraged to use the Cleanup Site dumpsters, to pick up litter, tackle illegal dumps and do whatever else it takes to put a shine on Sebastian County, according to County Judge David Hudson. This countywide cleanup campaign is in coordination with the Great American Cleanup.
Proof of Sebastian County residency is required by Arkansas Driver’s License for disposal of trash at the cleanup site.
The County Campaign will take place on Saturdays starting April 9th and go through May 7th, 2022.
“By working together to clean up our properties we all can make a difference and make our community more beautiful, safer and a healthier place to live, work and play,” says Judge Hudson.
As in past cleanup campaigns, dumpsters will be placed in several locations throughout the County for County residents to have a convenient place to bring collected trash for safe and legal disposal.
Spring County Cleanup Sites
Saturday, April 9 7 a.m. – 2 p.m. Midland – County Park / Bob Boyer Park Hwy. 45
Saturday, April 16 7 a.m. – 2 p.m. – Milltown/Washburn Fire Station
Saturday, April 23 7 a.m. – 2 p.m. – Jenny Lind – White Bluff Fire Station
Saturday, May 7 7 a.m. – 2 p.m. – Lavaca Rural – Rodeo Arena Parking Lot – Rodeo Arena Road
Dumpsters will be placed by 7 a.m. on Saturday and are available until 2 p.m. on the same day. Dumpsters will be picked up by 2 p.m. in order to be hauled to the landfill and dumped by closing time (3:30 p.m.)
Any resident of Sebastian County who does not have a cleanup site in their city, as well as residence in the unincorporated areas, may utilize ANY of the County Cleanup sites.
*E-Waste Trailers
There will be an E-Waste trailer at each of the County sites to accept Computers, TVs, or Electronics. These items are not acceptable in the “Dumpsters.”
**Tire Disposal Policy
Tires “will NOT be accepted” as part of this cleanup campaign.
County residents may dispose of up to four passenger tires, without rims, at no charge by taking the tires to Westark Tire (479-888-4520) at 601 Oak Grove Road in Van Buren, Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. If you have questions, you may contact John Spence at (479)652-3705.
Cleanup Dumpsters will be managed by County Employees at all times to assure that only acceptable wastes are disposed of. The following items are NOT accepted in the “Dumpsters” due to Lanfill regulations:
*TV’s Computers – Electronic Equipment (place in E-Waste trailers located at each County site) **Tires
Yard waste, grass, leaves and brush
Used oil
batteries
Hazardous or toxic wastes
Cleaning chemicals
Herbicides or pesticides
Paints or liquids of any kind
Fluorescent Bulbs
Freon contained appliances (appliances using Freon MUST have the compressor removed before it can be accepted)
Burn Barrels for Trash are Illegal
Barrels used to burn trash are illegal in the State of Arkansas and “will NOT be accepted” as part of the cleanup campaign
White Goods
White goods (appliances, refrigerators, etc.) may be placed in a designated area with the County Road Department disposing of these items on the day of the cleanup date in your area. Refrigerators, Freezers, Air Conditioners, MUST HAVE COMPRESSORS REMOVED.
Charleston senior Rylee Ross started for the Lady Tigers in a big conference game on Tuesday and went the distance in a gutty performance for a big conference win at Paris. Ross, having suffered a torn ACL ligament during basketball season, and wearing a knee brace throughout the game, went the distance for the win. Ross gave up a big home run blast to Paris’s Jayden Wells, but was otherwise able to keep the Paris hitters at bay for the remainder of the game.
Paris senior pitcher Karsyn Tencleve went the distance in the circle for the Lady Eagles in the loss. Tencleve again did not have the benefit of run support and solid defense in the loss. The Paris defense suffered from numerous infield errors around the entire infield.
The loss for Paris was significant in their drive to position themselves in the top half of the conference standings before next month’s conference tournament. This, coupled with a schedule that will take them to Hackett today to play the Hornets, puts the Lady Eagles in a position of playing a critical game that feels like a “must win” game for Paris. To defeat the Hornets who will be tough at their home field, the Lady Eagles will have to play much-improved defense and score runs against good Hackett pitching to support Tencleve in the circle. After Tuesday’s performance, I expect Paris to come out with an inspired effort today at Hackett.
Resident News Network Sports will be in Paris today to cover the baseball game between Paris and Hackett. First pitch is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. in Paris.
Stay with Resident News Network for all of the river valley high school baseball and softball action!
