Arkansas Blood Institute is hittin’ the road and headed to a community near you. Don’t miss your chance to save the life of a fellow Arkansan when they make a stop through your town.
Join Mansfield / Huntington Community at a blood drive with Arkansas Blood Institute from 1:30 to 5:30 p.m., on Tuesday, September 14, at the Municipal Complex Community Center.
Successful blood donors will receive a free limited-edition, “Back on Tour”, t-shirt featuring a vintage Volkswagen van, plus one free admission to the Little Rock Zoo, Arkansas’s largest family attraction.
In addition, for a limited time only, all donors will receive Hemoglobin A1C blood sugar testing, which can help monitor diabetes risk.
“Blood donation has always been an easy way to help a neighbor,” said Dr. John Armitage, President and CEO of Arkansas Blood Institute. “Now, it’s also an easy and free way to test your average blood sugar level to be better informed about your health. We’re excited to offer this testing to our donors as part of their lifesaving blood donation.”
Anyone who is healthy and 16 years old* or older can give blood. Blood can be donated every 56 days. Platelets can be given as often as every seven days, up to 24 times a year.
Appointments to donate can be made online at arkbi.org or by calling 877-340-8777. While COVID-19 vaccination is not required of blood donors, those who have been vaccinated can donate immediately, assuming they are feeling well. Blood donation typically takes only about an hour, and one donation saves up to three lives.
*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.
By Randy Zellers Assistant Chief of Communications
LITTLE ROCK – The Arkansas Economic Development Commission’s Division of Rural Services has more than $769,000 to give to Arkansas schools and educators for conservation education programs in the 2021-22 school year, thanks to fines derived from wildlife violations. Educators in every county are encouraged to apply for grants by the Oct. 26 application deadline to make use of these free dollars for education.
Fines from wildlife violations are not used for vehicles, salaries or other operations conducted by the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission. In fact, it never really leaves the county where it was collected. Instead, those dollars are given to the AEDC, which fulfills grant requests for conservation education in that county.
Any school or conservation district in Arkansas may apply for these grants, regardless of size or population.
AGFC Chief of Education Tabbi Kinion says the grants can really enhance learning opportunities for youth, especially in some of the rural areas of Arkansas, where education dollars are at a premium.
“Many of the special programs our Education Division promotes, such as Archery in the Schools, Project WILD, and Fishing in the Natural State, can be funded through these grants,” Kinion said. “But they can also be used to purchase equipment unique to conservation education and even help offset the costs of field trips to AGFC nature centers, education centers and other outdoors learning opportunities.”
Kinion says all AGFC nature and education centers are free to the public, and through these education grants, educators can even find funds to help offset some travel expenses to get the kids to their learning destination.
“We have even seen a school in Mountain Home work with an eagle scout candidate to create an outdoor classroom for their Kindergarten,” Kinion said. “It was a really creative way to make use of the money and benefit the kids in that school.” (Click here for story.)
More information on the program, a link to the application site and a county-by-county list of grant money is available at www.agfc.com/conservationgrants. Grant applications for Fiscal Year 2022 must be received by Oct. 26, 2021.
Seventh-grade football has always been the great gap where young men sit between Little League and testosterone-fueled Jr High. Although awkward looking on the field at times with the stumbling and bumbling, seventh graders learn quickly through good coaching what it takes to make it at this level. The Mansfield Tigers and Waldron Bulldogs on the other hand didn’t look awkward at all. The players were solid in their single touchdown debut.
Both programs traded blows back and forth for four 6 minute quarters. Offensively, the Tigers Cordell Stone may have created his own nickname as he “Buzz Sawed” his way past and through Waldron’s defense for multiple big gains in the game. With the gains Stone made though, the Bulldogs were able to stuff Mansfield and kept the Tigers from scoring. Waldron Defenders Xavi Cruz and Phisher Brown set up shop in the Tigers backfield for most of the first half. With the Tigers doing good moving the ball and the Bulldogs defense doing a solid job of keeping Mansfield out of the end zone, the first half ended at a dead even 0-0.
Waldron kept the pressure on the Tiger’s offense after halftime and even created Mansfield to go stagnant for a while. Unfortunately for the Bulldogs, the Tigers had a defensive weapon of their own. Defensive Lineman Levi Langford. Langford had quarterback sacks, tackles for loss, and multiple assists in the 3rd quarter. If Waldron tried to run the ball to the outside of the field, Defensive Backs, Billy Sellers and Gunner Williams would turn the ball carriers back into the trash for their teammates to tackle. The defensive power and offensive struggles were all too real for both squads still though as the 3rd quarter ended with the same 0-0 score as it started with.
The 4th boded the same fate for Waldron and Mansfield as the first three quarters did. That is, up until Waldron’s final drive. Bulldogs Running Back Jackson Brown found some extra gas in the tank and ran a few powerful runs that cut deep into the Tigers defense. The runs by Brown built momentum, but the clock was winding down very fast for both teams. With less than 10 seconds left in the 4th quarter, Bulldogs quarterback Eli Kluthe pulled a Hail Mary out of the bag. The pass seemed to be in the air for an eternity as teams and fans on both sides of the field held their breath. The clock ran to 4…..3……2……and BAM, the catch was made by Phisher Brown. Brown strolled into the end zone for the only score of the game and the Bulldogs victory sealing the score at 6-0 Bulldogs. Next up for Mansfield will be Elkins at home starting at 5:30 pm on Thursday, September 9 while the Bulldogs will travel to Ozark on Thursday, September 16 for a start time of 5:30 pm.
The coveted crown, Sebastian County Fair Queen, was up for grabs on Saturday, August 21. From the Tiny Princess to the Queen, girls of all ages put their best foot forward in order to compete for the title.
Winners in each category included: Queen- Abby Cagle Teen- Belle Petrucci Jr Miss- Klaire Holland Little Miss- Kenzie Gattis Jr. Princess Logan Koch Princess- Keylee Shonebarger Tiny Princess- Presley Spivey
This year’s pageant was under the direction of Suzanne McEvoy, and offered a $3,000 UAFS, and a $500 ATU-Ozark scholarship to the Miss Division winner.
Cagle, Miss Sebastian County Queen, and Petrucci, Miss Sebastian County Teen, will go on to compete at the Arkansas State Fair Pageant.
Pictured: Mansfield’s Darby Jones nears the finish line at the Perryville Mustang Invitational cross country meet. The Lady Tiger senior won the event as her teammates supported with the team victory as well
Three seasons ago, Mansfield cross country runner Darby Jones took an entire season to score a medal. At the time, most of her freshmen teammates had moved up to the senior high squad for the last race of the year. That left a few extra medals up for grabs in the final junior high race of the season and Jones was elated to get the last one offered.
Fast forward to this past Tuesday afternoon. That same little kid that could barely run a half-mile at her first-ever cross country practice, was standing center stage in the winner’s circle at the Perryville Mustang Invitational.
Mansfield’s senior girls win the Perryville Cross Country race. Pictured are Hope Rainwater, Jedelynn Wood, Darby Jones, McKenzie Griffin, Faith Rainwater, and Katlynn Moore
Jones took that tiny moment of freshman motivation and turned it into high hopes for the future. Steadfast across the landscape of the past few seasons, Jones ascended in pace and performance. On the final day of August 2021, the long and lanky senior finally broke loose for her first-ever cross country individual victory.
Jones beat all runners in the 55 person senior girls division. Her winning time of 10:04.2 was 9.2 seconds faster than the nearest competitor. The win led to a wealth of Lady Tiger finishers who posted four players inside the Top Ten for the team championship as well.
Darby Jones closes the last 800m of the 2500m race at Perryville for the win on August 31, 2021
“Darby has been building for this moment for a long time,” stated Mansfield mentor John Mackey. “Her training schedule this summer has been incredible. Her running form and pace have caught up to her dedication and determination. She deserved the win and we are all so excited for her accomplishment.”
As a team, Mansfield’s senior girls totaled 28 points for first place. Joe T. Robinson cruised into second with 48 points while Pulaski Academy brought home third place with 59 points.
Four Mansfield seniors made the medal stand with placements at first, sixth, seventh, and ninth. After Jones’s first place crossing came Faith Rainwater, McKenzie Griffin, and Hope Rainwater to cover the Lady Tiger windfall.
Faith Rainwater’s time was 11:18. Griffin posted an 11:42. Hope Rainwater went at 12:00 even.
Junior Jadelynn Wood (12:20) pushed the pace early but fell shortcoming down the homestretch. The Tiger’s second-best finisher at last season’s state meet came across in 14th place at the Perry County course.
Eighth-grader Joey Fildes takes a break after finishing third at the Perryville 1.55 mile race
Senior Katlynn Moore (13:18) was 19th overall and Mansfield’s first displacer.
“We have been anxious to get out and finally compete,” revealed Mackey. “This was a good test to see where we are as a team. Next up we go the full 5K distance at Acorn. That should be a challenge this experienced group should look forward to.”
Mansfield did well in the other divisions as well. The junior boys took second place as a team. The junior girls captured third.
Individually, the younger Tiger squads collected three medals. Laney Wood and Trinity Triska picked up where they left off last season with stellar performances for the girl’s prep team. Joey Fildes did likewise for the boy’s group.
Wood ran a terrific race but couldn’t catch Bergman’s Jacey Halitza. Halitza blistered the course with a personal record of 9:55.7 for the 2500m race. Wood came in second at 10:37.10. Triska followed close behind her teammate at 11:05.20.
The two Mansfield freshmen followed each other for the silver and bronze medals at second and third places overall.
Mansfield junior girls Laney Wood and Trinity Triska both medal at the Perryville XC course
Tiger teammates Azlynn Stover, Addie Bowman, and Aidan Fildes completed the junior girl scoring. Collectively the top five qualifiers for Mansfield garnered a team score of 54 points for third place among represented teams.
St. Joseph out of Conway won the junior girls event with 33 points. Pulaski Academy took second at 45 points.
Fildes for the Mansfield men was third place overall. He was the lone Tiger to make the medal stand. However, his teammates were in strong support as the group’s combined team score solidly fit them into second place among team rankings.
St Joseph doubled up with the team plaques as they also won the junior boys division at 50 points.
Mansfield’s scoring five for the boy’s team were in order Fildes, Gunner Williams, Holden Powers, Joseph Carter, and Leland Powell.
Going for an off-road adventure isn’t as adventurous as it looks. Breaking free of the pavement takes planning—and we’re not just talking about calling in sick at work. Whether it’s a short circuit or a long overland trip, getting an off-road vehicle such as a Jeep Wrangler ready for action requires you to get the tires ready and have all the necessary supplies on hand. You should also stop for a tune-up if it’s been a while. That’s when the fun begins.
After the party’s over, however, you can’t simply pull back into the garage, crash on the couch, and return to normal. Off-roading can take a lot out of your Jeep, and you should take the right steps to clean up and wind down after your big trip. Here’s what you should put on a post-off-roading checklist to make sure that your Jeep is ready for everyday driving and off-road trips to come.
Readjust Tire Pressure
Jeeps and other OHVs do best on rough terrain when their tires cover as much of that terrain as possible. We achieve that by letting some air out of the tires before embarking on off-road trails. This is advantageous for mud, rocks, and sand, but not for when you return to the roads. As soon as you can, get your tire pressure back within normal highway parameters—usually between 32 and 37 pounds per square inch—up from the 12 to 17 psi for off-road trails.
Clean It Thoroughly
Splashing mud, blowing dust, kicking up rocks—your Jeep makes a mess when it goes off the roads, especially if you’re a top-off-doors-off thrill seeker. Jeeps are considerably easier than other vehicles to clean, which means you have no excuse not to do so. It’s not just a matter of making sure your Jeep’s aesthetics are top-notch—this driving machine puts function ahead of form. It’s also integral to your Jeep’s operation, as accumulated mud from splashing around in puddles and streams can cake on, impede airflow, and cause the Jeep’s engine to overheat.
Restock Your Supplies
We’ll round out the list of what to put on a post-off-roading checklist with the tools it takes to get ready for the next journey. Did you have to use your first aid kit on the trails? Replace or restock it now before it slips your mind. Did any parts take critical damage on your adventure? Now’s the time to replace them. And though it seems a bit frivolous, if you happened to go through your emergency beef jerky supply in a not-so-emergency situation, you’d better stock back up on nonperishable snacks lest you forget before you head back out.
The residents and staff at Dalton’s Place had a groovy good time at their disco event held on Monday, August 30. Everyone enjoyed a classic menu of cheese dogs!
Pictured is Dayna Nobles, Butch Sigmon, Janet Furgeson, and Donna Bieber
Pictured is Calla Reyman, Kayla Howell, and Kristy Hinojosa
Pictured is Dayna Nobles, Mary Pfister, and Donna Bieber
Just like athletes require adequate time to rest after an intense workout or competition, your horses need rest, too. Maintaining too many high-energy days in a row can lead to burnout—or worse, injuries. However, rest for horses looks much different than a human’s idea of quality rest and relaxation. As you learn about the benefits of allowing recovery time for your horse, consider the enriching needs of the hardworking equine as they spend some time taking a break in the barn.
Rest Allows Your Horse To Come Back Stronger
Burnout, especially related to excessive training, isn’t just a psychological condition—it’s a physical condition as well. Days or weeks where the horse consistently trains will stress out their body, especially when the end goal is a solid performance at an upcoming competition.
A day to a few days of rest will give your horse’s body a chance to recover after giving 110 percent the day before. Fatigued tendons and muscles will heal and become stronger and your horse will bounce back with more energy than they had when they started. Think of rest and recovery as being essential parts of your horse’s regular exercise routine—not just a break or a reward.
Slow Days To Prevent Injuries and Check for Ailments
Resting decreases the likelihood of devastating injuries by giving the horse’s body plenty of time to heal. Consider the body to be much like a rubber band—if it’s stretched too far, it’s more likely to break.
You can also use days of rest to evaluate your horse’s health. Take time to groom and socialize with your equine companion on these important days. Look for health concerns on their legs and body, like open sores or bumps. If you find any issues, you may need to provide them with long-term rest or even stall rest if it’s severe.
Long-Term Rest Provides Horses With a Mental Reset
When humans experience burnout, they take a vacation or take a break from work; when horses suffer from burnout, they want the same sort of things. Horses are highly intelligent creatures—they can feel drained due to mental fatigue and overexertion just like we can. You may notice that your horse seems grumpier than usual. These mood swings are sure signs of mental fatigue.
Luckily, one of the benefits of allowing recovery time for your horse is the allowance for relaxation after a difficult day or week. Give your horse a break with time to socialize at pasture or take an easy walk down a favorite trail and they’ll be rested up and ready to keep training in no time!
Pictured isLane Tallmadge and Noach Patrick (Background)
The Waldron golf team is making some adjustments and finishing up on some touches as September arrives. The Bulldogs sit at 6-1-1 on the season, with hopefully some of their best golf ahead.
The lone girl on the roster, Macey Owens, has made steady improvements throughout the season and capped it off with a match medalist performance at Little Creek Country Club on August 30th. “Macey is one of those golfers that is probably tougher on herself than anybody else. She has a great support system around her that allows her to consistently work on her game. She has done a really good job, especially as a freshman, of cutting strokes off as the year has progressed,” said Coach Josh Atchley.
On the boy’s side, the Golf Dogs have been on a tear lately as they have won six matches in a row. Led by seniors Lane Tallmadge, Lane Metcalf, and Drew Owens, Waldron has turned in some of the best team scores in recent years. “As a team, these guys expect big things from themselves individually, because of that, they expect big things from each other for the team aspect.”
The Dogs will compete in the 4-3A conference match at Cherokee Creek Country Club on September 27, before the girl’s state at Glenwood Country Club on September 29, and the boy’s state at The Creeks Golf Course. “If you see any of these golfers, encourage them to bring that championship home this year!”
The Waldron Bulldogs headed north on Friday, August 27th with the intention of playing fetch with the coonskin caps of the Gentry Pioneers. Last season the Bulldogs bullied Gentry with a dominant 44-29 home win. This season the venues swapped giving Gentry a home-field advantage. Unfortunately for Waldron, Gentry had payback on their minds as the Pioneers put a 38-12 pounding on the Bulldogs Friday night.
Waldron started the game kicking off to Gentry and it was game on from there. The Bulldogs defense held up decently against Gentry’s mixed bag of offensive plays, but the mix was just enough for Gentry to drive downfield and score in nine plays. After the extra point was kicked through the uprights, the score stood at 7-0 Gentry with 9:04 left in the first quarter. The Bulldogs offense was missing a few key players in this game, but so goes the life of football. Gentry brought the house on defense on each play to force Waldron into a quick three and out, putting the Bulldogs defense back on the field. It only took a few plays for the Pioneers to march downfield again to score putting the Bulldogs down 14-0 at the 4:09 mark as the score remained the same to close out the first quarter.
With their offense struggling, Waldron leaned heavily on their defense to stay in the game early on. Gentry went on another one of their drives, but this time the Bulldogs gave very little ground to the Pioneers. With good open-field tackling and a determined deminer, Waldron’s defense kept Gentry out of the end zone forcing the Pioneers to kick a field goal instead. The field goal was good setting up a 17-0 score in the second quarter. The Bulldog’s offense began to come alive as they put together a couple of good drives to go along with their defensive effort. Bryson Barker made an awesome catch over the middle of Gentry’s defense for big yardage setting the Bulldogs up in the red zone. Waldron couldn’t cross the goal line though and instead vied for a field goal which went wide right. Gentry would score again, but this time the Bulldog’s offense answered. A few good rushes by Gabino Grano drew the Pioneers into stacking the box and left an opening at the goal line where Matt Brigance drilled a pass to Trenton Hunt for the Bulldog’s first score of 2021. The Bulldogs extra point was flawed by a bobbled snap and wound up unsuccessful leaving the score at 24-6.
Waldron’s defense again held off the Pioneers charge. The Dog Pound was starting to liven up on the sidelines and stands as the comeback slowly began. Brigance caught the Pioneers off guard with a big yardage pass to Barker setting up a mad scramble by Brigance for another Waldron touchdown. Although the extra point failed, the Bulldogs closed the gap to a 24-12 Gentry. That is where it would end for Waldron though as the Pioneers would tack on another two scores in the second half to close the game out with a 38-12 defeat of Waldrwon.
Although the scoreboard reflected poorly on the Bulldogs, the stat book gives promise for future games. Offensively, Waldron averaged over 6 yards per carry with Gabino Grano leading the rushing attack. Grano had 16 carries for 128 yards. Matt Brigance gained 36 yards on 9 carries and scored the Bulldog’s only rushing touchdown of the night. Chris Lopez busted out big yardage as he averaged 11 yards per carry off of only 4 carries for 45 yards. Bryson Barker led the team in receiving snagging 3 passes for 22 yards while Trenton Hunt, Chris Lopez, Montana Wesley, and Logan Young rounded out the receiving corps with 148 yards on a combined 10 catches. The defense may have had 38 points scored on them, but it wasn’t for a lack of effort. Peyton Lipham led Waldron’s defense with 4 solo tackles and 5 assists. The Bulldogs and 8 players recorded solo tackles and 16 came up with assisted tackles.
