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Tuesday, July 7, 2026
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Scott County Tea Party Hosts Meeting with Candidates

By Cassie Coben

On Tuesday evening at the Scott County Tea Party meeting, we were honored to have Senator Terry Rice, State Representative Marcus Richmond, and State Representative candidate Greg Bland.

Representative Richmond and his opponent Mr. Bland are both strong supporters of our 2nd amendment right, and believe it should be our own choice about the recent vaccines. They both promise to help better the education system. Representative Richmond shared with us how he helped bring Bobby Slaten home from a Saudi Arabia prison where Mr. Slaten had been wrongfully accused of murdering his wife and was sentenced to death. Thanks to Representative Richmond’s actions he is now home in Arkansas. You can learn more about Representative Marcus Richmond on this website https://www.arkansashouse.org/district/21 or on Facebook. Mr. Greg Bland has a Facebook page you can find for more information.

Senator Rice spoke about the recent redistricting of Arkansas and what it will mean in this election. His own district has expanded. Senator Rice has served Arkansas faithfully for several years and is running for another term in the upcoming election. Sen. Rice’s website is. https://www.arkansashouse.org/district/21.

We learned a little more about the arleg.com website from Gary Epperson and Steve Holland. We will be covering more on that in future meetings.

Scott County Judge James Forbes shared some about where our tax dollars go. The school gets 85% and the rest goes to the county general fund.

February 22 is the filing day for candidates. At our March meeting, we will have more of an idea of who will be running. All of our speakers tonight stressed the importance of getting more people to vote. Out of over 5000 registered voters 2000-3000 are all that voted in the last election. We will need poll workers. There will be 12 voting centers and they all need to be staffed. Get involved!

Thank you SenatorTerry Rice, Representative Marcus Richmond, and Mr. Greg Bland for your time this evening.

Scott County Tea Party meetings are every 3rd Thursday. Everyone is invited to attend and participate. Like us on Facebook and feel free to offer any suggestions or ask about candidates. https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100075961626268. Email scottcountyteaparty@gmail.com

Flooring Trends To Try in 2022: Hardwood Flooring Styles

Are you looking to remodel your home? If so, you may want to consider upgrading your flooring. Flooring is a vital part of any home’s décor and can add or take away from the overall look and feel. If you’re looking for some new flooring trends to try in 2022, such as incorporating hickory into your aesthetic, we’ve got you covered! This blog post will discuss the five different hardwood flooring trends to try that are popular right now. Keep reading for inspiration!

Latest Hardwood Trends

If you’re looking for a flooring trend that is classic and timeless, hardwood may be the right choice for you. Here are some of the latest hardwood trends to consider:

Rustic wood flooring: A rustic wood floor gives your home a warm and cozy feel. You can achieve this style with a variety of wood types, including oak, pine, and cedar.

Wide plank flooring: A popular trend right now is wide plank flooring. This style of flooring gives your home a modern and sleek look.

Engineered wood flooring: Engineered wood flooring is an excellent option if you’re looking for something durable and easy to maintain. You can install this type of flooring in any room. It is available in various wood types and colors.

Distressed wood flooring: If you’re looking for a rustic vibe, distressed wood flooring may be the right choice for you. This style of flooring gives your home a weathered and antique look.

Parquet wood flooring: Parquet wood flooring is an excellent option for anyone looking for something unique and eye-catching. This style of flooring consists of a geometric pattern made from different types of wood.

Benefits of Hardwood Flooring

There are many benefits to installing hardwood flooring. Some of the top reasons include:

Aesthetics

Hardwood floors can add a touch of class and elegance to any room. They also come in various colors and styles so that you can find the perfect look for your space.

Durability

Hardwood floors are highly durable and can last for many years.

Ease of Maintenance

Hardwood floors are easy to clean and maintain, making them an excellent choice for busy families.

Versatility

You can use hardwood flooring in any room in your home, from the kitchen to the bedroom.

There you have it, the five different hardwood flooring trends to try this 2020! If you’re looking for a flooring option that is beautiful, durable, and easy to maintain, hardwood may be the right choice for you.

Obituary – May Irmagean Jones (1926-2022)

May Irmagean (Hughes) Jones our Beloved Mother, Grandmother, Great Grandmother and friend to many, passed away on February 6, 2022. She was born a snowy day on January 16, 1926 to Vander and Chloe Hughes of Waldron, Arkansas, whom preceded her in death, along with her husband of 61 years Buel D. Jones, a brother Charles Edward Hughes and a grandson John Russell Ray. 

She is survived by her twin sister, Faye Imogean Young of Prescott, AR, son Donald Jones (Terri) of Waldron, 2 daughters Susan Ray (John) of Waldron and Mary Davidson of Siloam Springs. 4 grandchildren: Jonette Moses (Brock) of Booneville, Kristy Young (Matt) of Waldron, Ben Davidson of Siloam Springs and Kelli McCurry (Josh) of Waldron as well as 8 great grandchildren: Shelbie Ray, Ashton Young, Logan Young, Raylan McCurry, Clayton McCurry, Kayden Davidson, Kylie Davidson and Baylee Moses.

Irmagean was a lifelong member of the Square Rock Methodist Church, Square Rock Home Demostration Club, she and her husband Buel were founding members of the Scott County Drifters square dancing club, she lead the North Waldron 4-H Club, along with sponsoring the Waldron Jr. Riding Club. She enjoyed time spent with her friends and fellow members of the Green Ridge Quilters. Irmagean will be remembered for selfless giving, warm heart and gentle smile. She was a homemaker, gardener, seamstress and cattle farmer. She tended to her cows, raised parakeets and enjoyed being hospitable to others, always making family and friends feel welcome in her home. She always spoke with kindness and words of advice, such as “Be careful and watch out for those other folks”.

Irmagean’s memorial life celebration will be at 3:00 p.m. Wednesday, February 9, 2022 at the Square Rock Cemetery in Waldron, Arkansas with Rev. Roger Rice officiating. Interment will follow. Arrangements are being entrusted to the Heritage Memorial Funeral Home in Waldron, Arkansas.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Square Rock Cemetery, c/o Arvest Bank, 181 Hwy 71 Bypass, Waldron, AR 72958.

Reasons To Replace a Garage Door Seal Regularly

If you’ve ever been inside a shed or cabin, then you know how important it is to have your home sealed off properly. Seals create a barrier between you and the outdoors. They protect you from the weather conditions, debris, and even wildlife outside. Without seals, you would invite all those things into your home, making it difficult to live the comfortable life you want. So make sure you’re taking care of your home and sealing off your doors and windows whenever you need to do so. Here are a few reasons to replace a garage door seal regularly so that you can avoid these kinds of issues.

Protects the Door

A door is an entryway for commuting to and from a place, but it’s also much more. It must remain structurally intact, which means that it should have the strength to brave the elements all year. When you have a door in place, slapping a coat of paint on it and calling it a day isn’t always all you need to do.

You might have to go the extra mile and look internally to see if everything is still working properly. Often, screws come loose, and bolts need tightening, but you also need to pay attention to the windbreak. There’s a wind seal on every door that keeps things out of the house, including dust, debris, and bugs.

Replace this seal when necessary, as this is one way of protecting your garage door against harsh weather. You need it not only for these reasons but to protect the door itself as it opens and shuts. Otherwise, it’ll crash into the concrete every time it’s in operation without any cushion.

Shields Your Things

If you let the outside in, the area inside the garage door will eventually become messy. When you have a protective barrier over your doorway, then you can rest assured that heat, cold, dust, debris, or bugs won’t tamper with your things stored away in your garage.

Creates Livable Space

Another reason to replace your garage door seal relates to remodeling the home and home improvement in general. Due to all the reality shows based on flipping houses and renovation recently, people have made economic moves to renovate their garages to add extra room into their homes for larger square footage. Your garage living space must remain habitable, though, and this is one of the greatest reasons to check its door seal often.

This article should provide you with plenty of reasons to replace your garage door seal regularly. By doing so, you won’t have any of these problems in your garage.

Paris Jr. Boys Basketball Season Comes to an End at the Jr High District Tournament vs Booneville

A long, tough season for the Paris junior boys basketball team came to an end on Monday night. The junior Eagles lost to the top seed Booneville Jr. Bearcats. Paris played hard as they have all season, but it was not enough to overcome the talented Bearcats. Paris will now turn its attention to the off-season and an opportunity to develop their individual and team skills under new coach Josh Ferrell.

The Paris junior girls will play Wednesday at 4 p.m. in their first game of the tournament that is being held at Booneville High School. Paris will play on Thursday if they win their game on Wednesday.

Both the Paris boys and girls teams have a lot to be proud of this year, and their future is bright. For the Paris girls, several could move up to the varsity roster as soon as the junior district tournament is over. The freshmen that will join the Lady Eagles will provide much-needed depth and minutes for a varsity team that has played with as few as five players at times. It will also be an opportunity to provide varsity experience for the freshmen who will be heavily counted upon next season.

And speaking of varsity basketball, the Lady Eagles and the Eagles travel to Cedarville tonight for an important, late-season conference match-up with the Pirates. First game begins at 6 p.m. at Cedarville High School.

Finally, Eagle fans will not want to miss next week’s special feature on Paris basketball player Cameron Reed. Cam’s story will be a feature on what it is like to be “the consummate team player” in this time of seemingly selfish play and athletes in high school, college, and professional sports. You will not want to miss this heart-warming story on this outstanding Paris student-athlete!

So, drive carefully, and I look forward to seeing you in Cedarville tonight!

Love is the Core of the Teaching Apple

By Krista Hinton

Fred Rogers stated that, “The best teacher in the world is someone who loves what he or she
does, and just loves it in front of you.”

Early in my teaching career, I often wondered what made the difference between those who
“love” to teach and those that simply “show up” to teach. Now, after 18 years in the field of
education, I have come to realize that the difference is in the attitude of being teachable.

Those few special teachers who made a positive impact on my life were those that accepted their
limitations, acknowledged what they didn’t know, and displayed humility in knowing they had
not “arrived”, but that learning was a life-long process. In being teachable, they demonstrated
that seeking knowledge and loving people go hand-in-hand to create a love of teaching.

Every time I step into my classroom, I experience the immense privilege of learning from my
students. I am encouraged as I watch them share ideas, work together, celebrate successes as
well as failures, and express their hopes for the future. I am saddened by their struggles with
personal insecurities as well as physical and emotional needs. I am strengthened by their resolve
to overcome the challenges of life. Each day is filled with the excitement of a new adventure!

To pour every ounce of energy, expertise, and commitment that I possess into the life of my
students is both exhausting and rewarding. Knowing that at the end of the day I have given
everything I’ve got to enable my students to become successful in small tasks and big challenges
is one of the greatest honors I will ever obtain. That is why I love teaching!

Krista Hinton, M.Ed. is the Gifted Education Program Coordinator, K-12 for the Lavaca Public
School District. She is a 2021-2022 Arkansas State Teachers Association Advocacy Fellow and
has served in the field of education for 18 years. Mrs. Hinton has a strong interest in Project
Based Learning practices and supporting creativity in the Gifted Education setting.

AGFC Internship Program

The AGFC Internship program helps students gain education and practical experience related to conservation and hands-on training requirements necessary some degrees in the conservation field. This training is critical to students pursuing a conservation career and is often the deciding factor in gaining employment after college.

The AGFC Internship program operates under these guidelines:

  • Internships are up to 400 hours and paid an established hourly rate of $12.75 per hour.
  • Selected interns will coordinate directly with their college or university to obtain course credit for the internship. 
  • Applicants must meet the following prerequisites:
    • Must have a declared degree in a conservation field;
    • Must have 60 hours of college credits earned by the time the internship begins;
    • Must be a college student, be enrolled in a post-graduate program or must have graduated within the previous 12 months.
    • Must have a 2.5 cumulative grade point average on a 4.0 scale.

Visit www.jobs.agfc.com to view internship opportunities and complete an application.

Obituary – Dorvin Dewayne Hutchens (1960-2022)

Dorvin Dewayne Hutchens, better known as Dewayne, passed from this life, Friday, February 4, 2022 in Mena, Arkansas. Dewayne was born April 5, 1960 to Jerry Bob and Linda Hutchens in Powell, Wyoming. He was 61 years old.

Dewayne grew up in Waldron, Arkansas. Being the oldest of 6, it was only natural he always enjoyed being surrounded by a host of family and friends. He loved being in the outdoors and he could almost always be found helping someone with their cows or on a farm doing what he could. Dewayne loved his grandchildren and spending time with them brought joy to his days. 

Dewayne leaves behind to cherish his memory, his children: Jennifer Summit and husband Josh, Jessica Hutchens and Zachary Hutchens and wife Valerie. Dewayne is also survived by his mother Linda Hutchens and his siblings: Jerry Ray Hutchens and wife Delores, Sandra Kay Oliver and husband Keith, Jimmy Hutchens, Kim Russell and husband Pee Wee, Josh Hutchens and wife Charla. Papa will forever remain in the hearts of his grandchildren Nikki Allen, Trevor Bates, Briar Summit and Aiden Vaughn Hutchens and one great-grandchild Thomas Black. Dewayne 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. 

Dewayne was preceded in death by his father, Jerry Bob Hutchens, one very special uncle, LeeRoy Craig and one very special cousin JP Hicks.

Dewayne’s visitation will be 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. Monday, February 7, 2022 at the Heritage Memorial Funeral Home Chapel in Waldron, Arkansas.

A private family memorial will be held at a later date. Arrangements and cremation are being entrusted to the Heritage Memorial Funeral Home & Crematory in Waldron, Arkansas.

How To Tell If Your Parent Needs Assisted Living

There comes a time that many people must face: moving their parent out of their home. This situation can be uncomfortable and harmful if the parent is uncooperative. Still, if you’re unsure if your parent needs the extra help, here are some signs to look out for on how tell if your parent needs assisted living.

They Forget Where They Are

Occasional memory loss is typical with age, but dementia and Alzheimer’s are serious cognitive ailments you should never ignore. Both reflect poor cognition and brain function. Dementia is actually an umbrella term for common symptoms such as memory loss, poor reasoning, and poor thinking skills, while Alzheimer’s is a specific brain disease resulting from complex brain changes and cell damage. If you think your parent is suffering from a dementia-related illness or have a physician’s confirmed diagnosis, it’s time to move your parent into an assisted living facility, where they’ll receive appropriate care.

Their Home Is Too Dangerous

No one wants to feel fearful at home. Getting older means that even basic amenities may seem perilous. Wet bathroom floors, unsteady kitchen counters, and even clutter can wreak havoc on unsuspecting victims. If your parent faces these perils on a daily basis, first, clean up the home. If they still feel uncomfortable in their surroundings, it may be time to move them to a safer environment. Residential danger is just one of the many signs your parent needs assisted living.

They’ve Stopped Caring for Themselves

Another sign of how to tell if your parent needs assisted living is if they’ve stopped caring for themselves. Personal hygiene is key for longevity no matter your age. However, as one gets older, they may spend less time on themselves to the point of personal neglect. If you notice your parent has stopped bathing or eating, they may be dealing with depression, anxiety, or another mental health problem. Part of this may also be due to forgetfulness, which you can often attribute to medicinal side effects, dementia, or improper sleeping habits. If your parent refuses help with basic care, it’s time to consider alternative living arrangements.

So talk to your parent about why they’re not taking care of themselves. Sometimes, this is simply due to circumstantial reasons such as lack of time. Still, if you notice this is an ongoing pattern, get help. If your parent has trouble sleeping or their memory loss is affecting their personal well-being, it’s time to consider assisted living. Assisted living facilities have full-time staff to care for your parent’s basic hygiene and ensure they receive proper care.

Timepiece: Knights of the Golden Circle

By Dr. Curtis Varnell

Climbing nearly vertically up the cave wall, I could see my two companions waiting eagerly to hear what I had discovered.  I had descended some twenty foot down the wall and then journeyed two-hundred foot west thru the cave to a point directly beneath a formation known locally as Chimney rock.  For years, people had observed steam like clouds emitting from the deep fracture on the east end of Rich Mountain.  Located a short distance away, three symbol covered rocks led many to belief that gold had been buried in the area by the Knights of the Golden Circle (KGC).  James “Bear” Tucker and Randy Trusty were convinced we had found the location. 

Shaking my head, I explained that the cave did lead directly beneath the Chimney but there was nothing there but a few bats and scattered rock.

“Empty your pockets!”  I thought they were joking but seeing the serious look on their faces and looking at the size of both men, I decided to comply.  People take the notion of hidden gold seriously!  

The plausibility of gold being hidden in the Ouachita’s by the KGC is actually pretty high.  In fact, there is a documented case and accompanying T.V. program about a KGC gold discovery at Mena.

The K.G.C. were a secretive organization formed in 1854 to establish a slaveholding empire from the South as well as Cuba and Central America. Similar to the Freemasons, they established chapters all across the South and attracted as many as 16,000 followers.  Known members included Vice-president John Breckenridge, Albert Pike, John W. Booth and Generals John Marmaduke and Joseph Shelby. Active during the Civil War, the K.G.C. were supposedly involved in the Lincoln assassination. When it became evident that their goals could not be meet through war, they determined to take their funds and other Confederate gold and hide it away for future use.  This money was to be secreted away and hid and protected until needed by members known as the “home guard.”  Some of the members, Jessie and Frank James, the Younger brothers, the Cole family, and other men of such ilk were to collect additional funds. 

Many of the men are associated with the River Valley.  Albert Pike, one of the founders, lived and taught in Sebastian County and had property in Mena. General Shelby traveled often through Yell and Logan county and was close friends of the Titsworth family of Roseville.  The James gang operated in the area and knew all the hideouts.

The K.G.C. had an elaborate set of rituals, codes, signs, and passwords that could only be interpreted by other members.  When the supposed gold was hidden, a “home guard” member and his decedents were responsible for hiding the money and marking the area where it could be located in future years.  In Warren Getler’s book, Rebel Gold, these symbols are examined and explained.  Reading through the book, I was amazed to discover that many of the symbols were exactly the same as those found on the boulders on Rich Mountain.  In talking the state archeologist, I found that his examination and explanation for the symbols of Rich Mountain fit the mid-1800’s timeframe for the K.G.C. Hopeful wishing? Coincidence? Fantasy?  I don’t know but my friends and others are convinced the gold is there somewhere, just waiting to be discovered.  One thing I know for sure, it is not in Chimney Rock!

The absence of gold bothered me none at all.  Like everyone else, it would be exciting but the joy is in exploring our history.  Even though people continually search for riches, the River Valley’s true treasure is not the things that can be bought and sold.  Our true treasure is our people, our culture, and the mountains and valleys in which we exist.