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ADH Issues Guidance for at Home Testing

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11:22 am

The State of Arkansas has purchased 1.5 million iHealth at-home tests for distribution across the state. These tests will be available at no cost to Arkansans.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Q: Who is eligible to get an at-home test at no cost?
A: All Arkansans.

Q: How many tests can each individual/family get?
A: Two tests (one kit) per individual per day or six tests (three kits) per family per day. There are two tests in each kit.

Q: When will tests be available?
A: Tests will be available starting January 11, 2022, from the first shipment received by ADH. Additional shipments will be arriving in the future.

If you have a fever, cough, or shortness of breath OR if you think you have been exposed to COVID-19 call your health care provider. Testing is available by appointment at Local Health Units and can be scheduled by calling any location.

For a full list of test kit availability visit the ADH website.

CARDS Recycling & Disposal Announces Acquisition of Altes Sanitation

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11:13 am

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CARDS Recycling & Disposal Announces Acquisition of Altes Sanitation

CARDS River Valley, Inc (CARDS) announced the purchase of Altes Sanitation Service, LLC. Based in Fort Smith, AR, Altes Sanitation is a local waste and recycling company that hauls residential, commercial, and industrial waste streams for customers in the greater Fort Smith, Sebastian County area.

The company’s operating footprint includes the eastern Arkansas areas of Sebastian County, Central City, and Muldrow and Pocola, OK. “We are excited for the opportunity to serve these wonderful communities,” said Dan Christensen, founder, and president of CARDS. “The waste disposal and recycling services provided by Altes Sanitation fits our model perfectly and we are proud to bring the Altes customers and employees into the CARDS family.” CARDS will acquire all Altes Sanitation assets, employees, and contracts, which will operate under the CARDS brand.

This acquisition adds over 6,400 customers to CARDS’ expanding footprint, according to Christensen. This is the tenth acquisition for CARDS in the past 4 years. Other acquisitions have included 4D, Best Trash, R&S, The Trashman, and Bernice Sanitation. The acquisition closed on December 31st, 2021.

CARDS, LLC provides curbside collection for all residents of Sebastian County (excluding City of Fort Smith). The new service from CARDS includes residential waste pickup, commercial waste, roll-off dumpsters and portables & pumping. Please visit CardsRecycling.com for more details including bill pay portal.

Best Care provides professional development for thousands of Arkansas childcare professionals

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10:59 am

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Best Care provides professional development for thousands of Arkansas childcare professionals

The Best Care training, a professional development course that reaches thousands of Arkansas childcare professionals annually, will be offered virtually and in-person in 2022. Family and consumer science agents with the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture plan to conduct 35 Best Care trainings from January to May this year.

“Best Care is an important resource for childcare providers and families because it connects trusted research to the adoption of best practices in early childhood and personal development,” said Rebecca Simon, program associate for Early Childhood and Family Life with the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.

Best Care is offered free statewide through the division’s Cooperative Extension Service in partnership with the Arkansas Division of Child Care and Early Childhood Education. The program began in 1997 as a pilot program and has been funded by the Arkansas DCCECE since 1999. The program also receives funding from the Arkansas Department of Education’s Arkansas Better Chance program.

The training provides professional development to about 2,000 childcare professionals annually, Simon said.

“Best Care is designed to bring early childhood professionals training opportunities that keep them up-to-date on subject matter and methods to help them become more effective educators,” Simon said. “Best Care offers ten hours of high quality, research-based training that addresses the four program areas of Family and Consumer Science: child development, consumer economics, health and nutrition.”

Simon explained that Best Care is taught in a multi-county setting, referred to as “clusters,” with 26 clusters throughout the state.

“What is unique about Best Care is that it is offered statewide using the network of county family and consumer science agents, who serve as contacts for their county or cluster’s early childhood training needs,” Simon said. “Childcare providers begin calling their counties in November and December to ask about Best Care training available in their communities because of the long-term success of the program. The curriculum is developed at the state level, but the success of the program is really due to the FCS agents across the state and their reputation at the county level as the ‘go-to’ person for annual training.”

“Best Care can also be a way to network and promote other county programs that would be beneficial to the childcare providers,” she said.

In 2021, Best Care provided professional development to 1,300 early childhood professionals. The course was available in an online format via courses.uada.edu, and it was also provided virtually in three or four multi-county “clusters,” with some classes provided in-person in the late spring and early summer.

This year, four virtual trainings are scheduled, and the rest are slated to be in-person. Moving in-person classes to virtual is decided on as-needed as COVID numbers progress, Simon said.

Best Care training topics for this year include Growing Young Gardeners, Healthy Habits: Nutrition and Fitness Practices, STEAM in Outdoor Learning, Infant Care and Self-Regulation, When Accidents Happen: Basic First Aid, Child Care Prepared: Disaster Preparedness, Music in Early Learning, Making a Clean Sweep, Effective Communication, and Playground Safety.

Anyone interested in Best Care training should contact their local Family and Consumer Science agent at uaex.uada.edu/counties/ for information about upcoming trainings offered in their area. More information about Early Childhood Professional Development opportunities in Arkansas can also be found at uaex.uada.edu/life-skills-wellness/child-care-providers/.

To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @AR_Extension. To learn more about Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uark.edu. Follow on Twitter at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on Twitter at @AgInArk.

State Capitol Week in Review from Senator Terry Rice

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10:53 am

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State Capitol Week in Review from Senator Terry Rice

LITTLE ROCK – The legislature has begun budget hearings in preparation for the 2022 fiscal session, which begins on February 14.

Legislators will consider the governor’s proposed balanced budget of about $6 billion for Fiscal Year 2023, which officially begins on July 1.

The governor’s proposal would increase state general revenue spending by 3.3 percent over this year’s budget. This year’s budget is about $5.85 billion and the governor proposes to increase it to $6.04 billion.

The governor’s proposed budget is a starting point, and the legislature will finalize all financial decisions, because under the Arkansas Constitution the legislature has the power to authorize state government spending.

No matter how the legislature changes the governor’s spending plans, the final version of next year’s budget will be balanced. Arkansas does not deficit spend. If tax revenue declines due to an unforeseen economic downturn, state spending will be reduced proportionately.

The governor proposes to increase the Public School Fund by $69.6 million, 3.08 percent. That would bring the fund to $2.33 billion.

The governor proposes an increase of $66.3 million in the Department of Human Services budget. That is a 3.72 percent increase, and would bring the state’s share of the DHS budget to $1.85 billion. The federal government provides matching funds for services offered by DHS. Medicaid is the main one.

The Children and Family Services Division within DHS administers foster care, child welfare and adoption services. The governor’s proposal would increase funding for child protective services.

The budget proposal would reduce the waiting list of families who need home care or community care for loved ones with developmental disabilities. Now, there are a little more than 3,000 people on the waiting list. The governor and legislative leaders are trying to eliminate the need for a waiting list by 2025.

Four-year universities would receive an additional $12.2 million in state aid under the budget proposal. That is a 2 percent increase over the $612 million that universities get this year.

Two-year colleges now receive about $118 million in state aid. The proposed budget would increase that to $119 million. The increase would be 0.69 percent.

The State Police would get a 10.6 percent increase, from $70.6 million to $78 million. The governor said that raising pay for State Troopers would be an incentive for local law enforcement agencies to make their salaries more competitive.

The Division of Correction, which operates state prison units, would get an increase of $3.9 million, or 1 percent, bringing its annual spending level to $379 million.

The Division of Community Correction has residential treatment centers, and is in charge of probation and parole. Its annual budget would increase by 0.78 percent, or $753,000, to $97.7 million for Fiscal Year 2023.

About 55 percent of the state’s general revenue fund goes for education. That includes institutions of higher education, which get 13 percent, and K-12, which gets 40 percent. The state Education Division gets 2 percent. About 32 percent of state general revenue is spent on health and human services, and about 8 percent on prisons and correctional institutions. Various smaller agencies receive the rest.

Applications to hunt turkeys on Arkansas WMAs available Jan. 15-Feb. 15

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9:50 am

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Applications to hunt turkeys on Arkansas WMAs available Jan. 15-Feb. 15

Randy Zellers Assistant Chief of Communications

The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission will accept applications Jan. 15-Feb. 15 from hunters who want to hunt on many wildlife management areas during the 2022 Arkansas turkey season.

Many good public turkey hunting opportunities exist, particularly on the large cooperative WMAs owned by the U.S. Forest Service. However, turkeys and turkey hunters need room to spread out, which can lead to conflicts between hunters on some smaller WMAs. To increase the quality of the hunt in some of the most popular public areas, the AGFC restricts the number of hunters allowed during turkey season through random drawings.

Only permit holders may hunt on the WMA during the permit hunt. However, a permit holder can have a friend alongside them to call for them. Friends and family may camp with permit holders at designated campsites on the WMA as well.

Applications are taken electronically through www.agfc.com, and winning applicants will be notified via email. Applications require a $5 nonrefundable processing fee. Winning applicants are not required to pay any additional fees beyond the purchase of their hunting license.

Visit www.agfc.com/en/hunting/turkey/turkeypermitsto view a list of available permits.

Timepiece: Coon Hunting in the South

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9:49 am

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The small wood campfire penetrated the surrounding darkness but offered little respite from the winter weather. The cold bit noses and ears while frost shrouded the trees of the surrounding forest. My father, Loyal Turner and three other men huddled on rocks talking and drinking coffee from the thermos. Off in the distance, we would hear the occasional bark from one of the animals. “That’s old Betsy, she’s searching for a scent,” explained Loyal. A few minutes later, the bark turned to a deep mellow baying which was joined by the excited barking of the other dogs in the pack. “Boys, she’s onto one, let’s get out there and see what she’s found. She’s hot on the trail and that coon is on the run. They will have her treed any minute now.” Loyal had that ability to identify every one of the dogs and what it was chasing by the sound of the baying.

The men quickly threw out their coffee, gathered their gear, and turned on their lights. We were equipped with a large flashlight but the older men were still using the old carbide lights bought years previously. Off into the darkness, we trudged, picking our way between trees, dodging vines and saw briars as we went. Our speed increased proportionally to the volume and intensity of the baying. When the animals got close to the raccoon, it would attempt escape by climbing into the high branches of the tree where it would taunt the inability of the dog to capture it. That’s where we hunters became of importance. Those wishing to eat the coon would simply shoot it from the tree with a 22 rifle but, seasoned sport hunters would climb the tree, poke the animal out with a large stick, and let the dogs and coon battle. Often the coon would escape or be rescued by the hunters who would release it for future hunts. On this night, that is exactly what happened and we trudged home through the woods reliving our experiences, pulling our hound behind us on a rope to prevent them from taking off on another hunt.

There are six different breeds of dogs used for coon hunting. Carrying unique names like red-bone and blue-ticks, they all appear to have the common lean, rangy appearance and lazy or indolent look in their eyes. Most are pretty docile, lay around in their pens or under the front porch of their owners but they come to life when placed on a trail. They are fast, have endurance, the ability to pick up a scent and, most of all, a deep baying voice that carries for miles. Successful great hunting dogs might have the value of a small car; especially those that competed and won in the big hunting tournaments held yearly across mid-America.

Coon hunting is a sport still practiced throughout the mid-west and south. Men of my community would sit on coke crates or rickety chairs around the pot-bellied stove at the store and elaborate on the abilities of their prized hound. Some of the elaborations would compete with the best fish tales ever told. Recently, the Reverend Bob Freeman of Russellville shared his experience of competing in a contest. As the most inexperienced member of a crew consisting of a hound and three men, his task was to climb into the tree and knock the coon from its perch. The two men and dog below would then pounce upon the coon, place it in a tow-sack and submit it to the judges. Rev. Freeman climbed to the top branches of the tree, pursuing the coon who was anything but the friendly little rascal we see on T.V. programs. Perched precariously on some of the upper branches, he grasped for the rodent. The animal, hearing all the commotion created by the hound and two men waiting below, decided his best option was to fight the good reverend. During the ensuing battle, won by the raccoon, Bro. Freeman tumbled from the tree, striking every limb on the way down. Having no team successful in bagging a coon, the judges awarded the bruised and battered reverend the trophy for surviving his fall.

Good days, good times, and good memories of growing up in the South.

Fort Smith Hunters Sweep Statewide Big Squirrel Challenge

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9:45 am

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Fort Smith Hunters Sweep Statewide Big Squirrel Challenge

Randy Zellers Assistant Chief of Communications

FORT SMITH — Despite hunters from eight locations in Arkansas bringing in squirrels to be weighed for this weekend’s inaugural Big Squirrel Challenge, it was bushytail fanatics from western Arkansas who claimed top honors in this year’s statewide squirrel-hunting contest put on by the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission.

The contest, which had more than 600 individuals register online through the AGFC’s Facebook page, saw 75 teams bring in their results of an evening and morning hunt for gray and fox squirrels. Each team of two people was allowed to bring in three field-dressed squirrels to be weighed, but the father/son team of Jeff and Aiden Armer took home the top prize with a bag limit weighing 3062.8 grams (slightly heavier than 6 lbs. 12 oz.). Not only did they win the statewide youth division, but they also brought in the biggest squirrels for any team, statewide.

“We hunted a little Friday night, but we got most of our squirrels on Saturday after the wind stopped blowing around Van Buren,” Jeff Armer said. “We got six fox squirrels and weighed in our heaviest three. Four of the six came out within 10 to 15 minutes of the wind dying down.”

Armer said he and his son hunt and fish regularly, and enjoy squirrel hunting fairly often.

“We’re fortunate that we have access to some great private land through family and friends, and we also have great public opportunities with the National Forest right here.”

In the open class, Fort Smith hunters Eiichrio “Jack” and Jayden Ishii brought in the top spot behind their squirrel dog with 3013.2 grams (6 lbs. 10 oz.) of squirrels. And in the adult class Clayton Reano and Israel Kennedy edged out competition throughout the state with 2430.4 grams (5 lbs. 5 oz.) of squirrels taken during the two-day event.

The top three teams at each of the eight weigh-in locations received medals featuring an acorn to remember the event. The overall winners in each division also received a pair of Gamo Swarm hunting air rifles and a special engraved Daisy Red Ryder BB Gun.

“We had a good response from participants, and in many places hunters were hanging out after the weigh-in talking about getting together for future hunts and exchanging phone numbers,” Eric Maynard, AGFC assistant chief of Education, said. “We also had quite a few hunters who harvested their first squirrel this year and received “First Squirrel” Certificates.

One participant even said they hunted squirrels for the first time this year because of the event.

“Maybe it was the prizes, the friendly competition or maybe it was just a good excuse to get out and try something new,” Maynard said. “Whatever the motivation, it’s great to hear about someone taking up squirrel hunting for the first time because of our event.

Winners by Location:

J.B. and Johnelle Hunt Family Ozark Highlands Nature Center
Youth Class — Kale and Kord Jackson
Adult Class — Larry Walker and Caleb Goodman
Open Class — Kristian Starnes and Blake Goodine

Gov. Mike Huckabee Delta Rivers Nature Center
Youth Class — Jaxon Power and Landon Shirey
Adult Class — Casey Skinner
Open Class — Tommy McCarroll and Aaron Wheeler

Camp Robinson SUA Headquarters
Youth Class —Steven Ruple and Benson Bradshaw
Adult Class —Jeremy Ward and Eddie Partridge
Open Class — Steven and Gabe Fowler

Rick Evans Grandview Prairie Nature Center
Youth Class — Bravin and Brian Aaron
Adult Class — Aaron and Tyler Tollett
Open Class — N/A

Forrest L Wood Crowley’s Ridge Nature Center
Youth Class — Jake Johnson and Luke Tarlton
Adult Class — Matthew Elliot and Orlando Bravo
Open Class — Everett Davis and Walker Denevan

Fred Berry Crooked Creek Nature Center
Youth Class — Sophia Layton and Hank Duren
Adult Class —Eric Beecher and Padon Flippin
Open Class — Will Carver and Jason Smith

Janet Huckabee Arkansas River Valley Nature Center
Youth Class —Jeff and Aiden Armer (statewide winners)
Adult Class — Eiichrio and Jayden Ishii (statewide winners)
Open Class — Clayton Reano and Israel Kennedy (statewide winners)

Mike Freeze Wattensaw WMA Headquarters
Youth Class — Kevin and Avery Richards
Adult Class — Dane and Tyler Huffstickler
Open Class — Mark and Steve Duncan

Around the Boathouse

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9:43 am

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The stocking of threadfin shad gives a big boost to a lake with hungry predators, particularly in improvement in relative weight of each predator. The shad are an important food source. We all like big bass, of course.

The Charlie Craig State Fish Hatchery at Centerton in northwest Arkansas produced a bumper crop of threadfin shad this year, according to the AGFC Fisheries Division. The hatchery started with 2,740 adult fish (67 pounds) in 5 acres of ponds and produced 606,100 shad yearlings (2,200 pounds). The hatchery stocked 594,900 of those shad into lakes around the state. The 11,200 held back will be kept ndoors through the winter to be used as broodstock for the next production season.

In the northwest portion of Arkansas, the hatchery recently stocked Lake Elmdale (12,000 shad), Lake Fort Smith (52,000 shad) and Sugarloaf Lake (105,000 shad).

But the Fisheries Division also notes that there is a small window of time to harvest threadfin shad in order to minimize harvest mortality. Water temperatures cannot be too warm or too cold. The hatchery staff has found that it is best to harvest threadfin shad when water temperature ranges 65-70 degrees. Once the water temperatures are in this range, the ponds are drawn down and harvested.

In the Centerton area, cold snaps can significantly drop pond temperatures. Therefore, the hatchery staff have been busy the last few weeks trying to complete the harvest before the cold weather set in. Threadfin shad are not very cold tolerant and begin to die off when water temperatures drop below 42 degrees. Unlike most lakes, the hatchery ponds are not deep enough to provide a thermal refuge for the shad to seek out warmer water to survive the winter.

Threadfin shad are important food sources for sport fish like black bass. The AGFC culture facilities produce these shad in order to help supplement or boost populations in certain lakes that may be lacking enough forage to keep sport fish populations fat and healthy. For instance, Lake Fort Smith has largemouth bass populations experiencing relative weight condition assessments in the mid-80s, Fisheries staffers say. Relative weight is a measure of how plump or fat a fish is. These should be in the 95-100 range, and something lower would indicate a lack of sufficient forage. The AGFC hopes these stockings can improve the health of fish populations such as largemouth bass.* Jim Hinkle Spring River State Fish Hatchery staff in Mammoth Spring stocked several Family and Community Fishing Program locations in northwest Arkansas last week with rainbow trout. The lakes stocked were Lake Atalanta (750), Bentonville Lake (950), Murphy Park Pond (380), Springdale Lake (750) Pleasant View Park Pond (380), Carol Ann Cross Lake (380), Van Buren Lake (380), Wells Lake (750). Don’t forget: The FCFP tagged trout that were stocked in its ponds as part of the Tagged Trout Contest that is underway through February. Catch at trout with a tag and win a prize, plus a chance to win one of the grand prizes (a guided trout trip on the Little Red River).

To see when and where the most recent stockings were in the FCFP ponds, click the red button below.

Obituary – Virginia Jean Littlefield (1937-2022)

Obituaries

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5:54 am

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Obituary – Virginia Jean Littlefield (1937-2022)

Virginia Jean “Jeannie” Littlefield of Waldron, Arkansas went to be with her Lord and Savior, Wednesday, January 12, 2022 surrounded by her loving family. Jeannie was born May 14, 1937 in Oregon City, Oregon to Harold D. Van Vlack and Ruth (Pease) Van Vlack. Jeannie was 84 years old. She was a member of Unity Church in Friendswood, Texas.

Jeannie enjoyed “American Girl Dolls”, knitting, quilting but her passion was sewing. She was extremely gifted and loved to make things and share with family and friends. Jeannie especially loved her family and looked forward to spending time with them.

Jeannie leaves behind to cherish her memory, her loving husband, Lester “Don” Littlefield of the home and two daughters: Bonnie Wingo of Phoenix, Arizona and Dawn Crosley of Waldron, Arkansas. Jeannie will forever remain in the hearts of her 7 grandchildren and 20 great-grandchildren. Jeannie will be missed by all that knew her and the many whose lives she impacted including a host of extended family and friends she dearly loved.

Jeannie was preceded in death by one son, Stanton Lee Crosley, her parents, one sister, three brothers and one great-grandchild.

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

January is School Board Member Recognition Month in Arkansas

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7:19 pm

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MANSFIELD — The Arkansas School Boards Association (ASBA) announced that January is School Board Member Recognition Month in Arkansas. School board members play an essential role in our community. Mansfield School District will join other districts in Arkansas in celebration of our board by thanking them for the time, talents, and knowledge they bring to our district and for their commitment to the families and children of our community.

“Our board members assume a crucial role in representing our students and advocating for public education,” said Joe Staton, superintendent. “We are very proud of our members, and Arkansas School Board Recognition Month is a great time to recognize them and celebrate their accomplishments.”

Staton added that elected school board members give our Mansfield citizens a voice in education decision making. “While we make a special effort to show our appreciation in January, their contribution is a year-round commitment.”

The members serving our district are as follows: Rick Nicodemus, president; Mike Gipson, vice-president; Dewayne Ward, secretary; Lesli Baggett, member, and Jan Carlton, member.

The school board members will be recognized and presented a certificate at the January board meeting.

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