The first studies into the eye composition of Largemouth bass took place in 1937. Frank A. Brown Jr. was a professor of biological sciences at Northwestern University who used food as a reward to study how largemouth would approach targets. The data consisted of red, yellow, green, black, blue, and other colors. The study showed bass can discern between green and red.
In 2021 we know more about the inner workings of a bass’ eyeball. Like humans, fish have photoreceptors in their eyes called rods and cones. The rod cells are important for fish to see in the low light and night conditions. Cones cells are the receptors for colors. Largemouth bass have dichromatic vision, which means they are sensitive to two colors- red and green. In contrast humans have trichromatic vision, making us sensitive to red, green, and blue.
This information is important to keep in mind while perusing the aisles upon aisles of lures. The variety of colors are much more pleasing to our eyes as humans than they are to a fish. Largemouth bass visual perception falls into four categories: bright, red, green, and dark.
Those who have been fishing a while have likely heard the rule of thumb throw light-colored baits for bright, clear water days; and dark lures for low light and cloudy water. When peering into your tackle box consider organizing your gear into these categories- bright(chartreuse and white), red, green, and dark (blue, black, and purple) and choosing your lure based on what the sky looks like.
As with most everything, practice is necessary. The best guide for fishing of any kind is the knowledge that can only be obtained from casting a line. Keeping in mind how largemouth bass, and researching how others see, is just one possible weapon to have in your corner.
Jennifer Tamara Jerozal of Waldron, Arkansas passed away on March 27, 2021 in Fort Smith, Arkansas. Jennifer was born July 27, 1973 to Larry and Kathy Duncan in Fort Smith, Arkansas.
Jennifer leaves behind to cherish her memory; her mother, Kathy Duncan, two daughters: Konnor Smith and Kennedy Jenx, one son; William Jerozal, one brother; Mike Duncan, and two sisters; Stephanie Redd and Brandi Duncan, as well as many nieces and nephews. Jennifer will be missed by all that knew her and the many whose lives she impacted.
Jennifer was preceded in death by her husband Richard Jerozal, her father Larry Duncan, her grandparents; Bud and Lela Duncan, and also Walter and Lucille Shannon.
Arrangements and cremation are being entrusted to the Heritage Memorial Funeral Home & Crematory in Waldron, Arkansas.
By Mary Hightower U of A System Division of Agriculture
Drivers are noticing higher prices at the pump thanks to weather-related production disruptions, according to an analysis published Friday by the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.
“Summer driving season is fast approaching, and after a year of severely curtailed travel due to the pandemic, people are itching to get on the road,” said John Anderson, economist with the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture and the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences. Over the last year, Anderson has been providing analysis of how COVID-19 has affected many facets of our economy, including meat prices, consumer spending and employment.
Anderson said that for the week ending April 5, the average retail price of gasoline in the United States was $2.945 per gallon.
“This is about even with prices in late-spring and early-summer 2019, but it is far higher than the pandemic-induced low of $1.87 per gallon in late-April 2020,” he said.
While the Energy Information Administration doesn’t break out Arkansas prices, the state is included in their Petroleum Administration for Defense District 3, known as PADD3. The district includes Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, and Texas.
“The PADD3 average retail gasoline price hit $2.693 per gallon near the end of March before retreating almost a nickel in the subsequent two weeks,” Anderson said. “This is a lower average than the U.S. price, but the increase since the first of the year has been greater: U.S. prices have gone up about 25 percent since the first week of the year; PADD3 prices have gone up about 35 percent over that same period.
“Prices in the PADD3 region are the highest since June 2018,” he said.Some of this is due to production disruption from extreme cold in late February, as well as refiners slowing to change gears to production of summer formulations. Anderson also said “Anecdotally, some localized shortages have even developed.”
Looking ahead
Looking down the road, the increases aren’t expected to continue as steeply.
“Despite expectations for strong seasonal demand, bolstered by a steady return to more normal post-pandemic activity, retail gasoline prices are likely to begin to moderate as the supply side of the market recovers from the recent shocks,” he said. “Total gasoline stocks, which include not only finished gasoline but also major gasoline blending components, have already turned up – recovering a bit faster than the market anticipated.”
Follow us on Twitter at @AgInArk, @uaex_edu or @ArkAgResearch. Find 4-H information at this link: https://4h.uaex.edu/.
About the Division of Agriculture
The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture’s mission is to strengthen agriculture, communities, and families by connecting trusted research to the adoption of best practices. Through the Agricultural Experiment Station and the Cooperative Extension Service, the Division of Agriculture conducts research and extension work within the nation’s historic land grant education system.
The Division of Agriculture is one of 20 entities within the University of Arkansas System. It has offices in all 75 counties in Arkansas and faculty on five system campuses.
The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture offers all its Extension and Research programs and services without regard to race, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, age, disability, marital or veteran status, genetic information, or any other legally protected status, and is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.
On a beautiful day in Charleston, the Paris Eagles baseball and softball teams played important conference divisional games with the Tigers to remain in contention for a top seed in the upcoming district tournaments. And when the day came to an end, the Eagles and Lady Eagles returned to Paris with important conference wins and regular season sweeps against Charleston. The Lady Eagles defeated a determined Charleston team, 6-4. And across campus, the baseball Eagles, led by a monster performance from junior Duke Walker, finished the day with a big 15-3 victory over the Tigers.
In his best day so far in the 2021 high school baseball season, the Missouri commit was dominant from the mound and at the plate. Walker’s hitting has been impressive all season, but against Charleston, his pitching improved along with his control and velocity, and Walker kept the Tigers hitters off-balanced all afternoon. Walker pitched four complete innings and recorded 12 strikeouts while giving up just one hit. Meanwhile, on offense, Walker’s dominance continued by going 3 for 3 at the plate with 5 RBI’s which included a grand slam in the top of the fifth inning that ended any comeback hopes that Charleston may have had after scoring three runs to cut into the Eagles’ 8-0 lead.
Resident Press Photo
Walker, a three-sport athlete in football, basketball and baseball, got off to a rocky start on the mound in the opening weeks of the baseball season. Without the benefit of much off season baseball work and conditioning, Walker showed potential with excellent velocity and athleticism, but suffered from lapses in control of his pitches in key situations. His performance on Friday at Charleston indicates that he is now in baseball shape and I look for him to be a key factor for the Eagles as they head into the final weeks of the regular season and the post-season tournaments. Walker can play several positions well on defense, and he is always a threat to go deep anytime he steps to the plate.
Resident Press Photo
After the game, Eagles coach Josh Hart was ecstatic over the progress his team is making as they work toward peaking for the post-season. “Things are starting to click as a team for Eagles baseball. We are starting to hit the ball 1-9 (every player in the line-up) and playing fundamentally sound baseball. We knew as a coaching staff that we would get everything firing on all cylinders and it’s fun baseball when it happens. Duke Walker is back on the mound for us and had a dominant four innings striking out 12 and only giving up one hit He also had a heck of a game at the plate, helping us seal the run rule win in six innings. Konnor Edwards continues to perform both at the plate and on the mound for us. Nate Henderson is getting in his groove behind the plate and despite having to play with a couple of bumps, he did an outstanding job and showed a lot of heart.”
Resident Press Photo
Friday’s defensive lineup that featured Walker on the mound, Henderson behind the plate, and Edwards pitching in relief seems to be a strong combination that will play well for Paris as the season moves toward the playoffs. Walker moved to shortstop in the fifth, and made several good plays with his glove and his throwing arm to first. The Eagles will need to continue to find more pitching as the season progresses to have multiple starters when needed in a tournament format in the post-season.
Resident Press Photo
Paris will return home for a non-conference game with Clarksville on Monday, and that will be another opportunity for the Eagles to continue their development on pitching depth moving forward. On Tuesday, Paris will travel to Hackett for a huge conference rematch with the Hornets that could have a significant bearing on the final divisional standings. Hackett defeated the Eagles in Paris, and the Eagles will need to return the favor on Tuesday to remain in contention for the divisional lead.
Resident Press Photo
Additional photos from the Eagles game at Charleston are now available on Facebook at Paris Eagles Sports. Fans from both schools can view and copy the photos free of charge. Resident Press will be in Paris on Monday to bring you coverage of the Eagles’ game with Clarksville. Watch for a recap of Monday’s game in the Tuesday evening online edition of Resident Press.
Resident Press Photo
The Lady Eagles will travel to Atkins on Monday for a non-conference game with the Lady Red Devils. Paris will travel to Hackett on Tuesday to play a critical game with the Lady Hornets that will likely be for first place in the division. The Lady Hornets defeated the Lady Eagles in Paris in their first match-up, and Paris will need to get a big win at Hackett to remain in contention for the divisional title.
Both Charleston baseball and softball teams are very young, but very talented. The Charleston players are getting valuable playing experience this year, and I expect both teams to be big contenders next year. Charleston baseball coach Tyler Reece is doing a good job with a very young ball club, and he will have his Tigers in full contention next year. They are very talented, and this year, no one should take them for granted. They are capable of beating anyone.
Resident Press Photo
Enjoy your weekend, and I will see you in Paris on Monday afternoon for the baseball Eagles game with the Panthers. See you at the ballpark!
The Waldron Track program has successfully hosted its first week-long meet of the season. With nearly 30 schools in attendance for the Waldron Jr Bulldog Relays on Tuesday, April 6, the Waldron Jr High track teams had their work cut out for them. After setting a winning pace in Monday night’s seventh grade meet, the Jr’s were ready steady go to keep the Top 8 ribbons coming in.
Girls Coach, Angie Bailey said, “Junior High highlights from this past week were Erika Gabel’s personal record in the 300 hurdles and Ashlynn Stidman’s PR in 800 and 400. Those two continue getting faster every meet. Also, my seventh-grade group might be small in numbers but they are mighty in scoring points!”
Emma Wilson
Final Jr Girls Results:
100 METER DASH 14.56 Seandraia Brown 4th 14.60 Emma Wilson 5th
200 METER DASH 30.70 Seandraia Brown 5th 31.31 Emma Wilson 8th
HIGH JUMP 4-4 Emma Wilson 8th 4-2 Emily Sears 12th
LONG JUMP 13-4 Macie Davis 7th 13-3 Karis Pritchard 9th
TRIPLE JUMP 29-3 Macie Davis 2nd 27-3 Alicia Sher 8th
POLE VAULT 6-6 Rylie Brown 3rd 5-6 Rachael Hamlet 5th
DISCUS 69-9 Lily Woodard 5th 62-0 Bailee Bise 8th
SHOT PUT 29-7 Erica Brothers 8th 27-10 Lily Woodard 9th
Karli Anschutz
“In our Jr High meet, we won 10 of the 17 events,” explained Boys Coach, Chance Tanner. “Kason Davis won 3 individual events (high jump, 110 hurdles, 300 hurdles) and Joseph Rogers also won 3 individual events (100, 200, triple jump). We have a really strong 9th-grade group. Kason Davis and Joseph Rogers are loaded up every meet and place in the Top 3 in almost all of their events. They contributed a large number of points at our home meet to secure the win. With less than 2 weeks until our Jr High conference meet, which is in Waldron, I’m excited to see how this group competes for the championship.”
Final Jr Boys Results:
100 METER DASH 12.46 Joseph Rogers 1st 13.19 Michael Grano 13th 13.63 Isaac Woolsey 18th
200 METER DASH 25.35 Joseph Rogers 1st 28.36 Hondo Grano 16th 28.90 Zachary Jones 21st 32.92 Michael Grano 34th
400 METER DASH 56.94 Marco Mondragon 2nd 1:01.91 Hunter Evans 5th 1:03.66 Kylon Fielding 10th 1:04.39 Steeven Newman 14th
800 METER RUN 2:21.62 Ambrose Poor 3rd 2:35.56 Steve Grano 8th 2:36.99 Landon Marcellus 12th
1600 METER RUN 5:39.93 Damien MacPhearson 8th 5:56.28 Landon Defoor 15th
110 METER HURDLES 17.44 Kason Davis 1st 20.16 Chris Lopez 4th
300 METER HURDLES 43.69 Kason Davis 1st 46.94 Chris Lopez 2nd
4X100 METER RELAY 48.00 Relay Team 1st
4X200 YARD RELAY 1:47.77 Relay Team 2nd
4X400 METER RELAY 4:03.47 Relay Team 1st
4X800 METER RELAY 9:58.41 Relay Team 1st
HIGH JUMP 5-8 Kason Davis 1st 5-2.25 Chris Lopez 3rd
LONG JUMP 19-5.5 Kason Davis 3rd 17-11 Joseph Rogers 7th 16-10 Gabe Nevills 13th
TRIPLE JUMP 39-4 Joseph Rogers 1st 34-4 Chris Lopez 4th 32-0 Gabe Nevills 9th
DISCUS 100-8 Zaydin Jones 3rd 80-3 Nathan Canada 13th 66-0 Joe Slater 19th
SHOT PUT 32-8.5 William Atchley 16th 31-8.5 Isaac Woolsey 19th 31-6 Taylen Bates 20th
Chris Lopez
On Thursday, April 8, the Sr High group jumped and landed victoriously in their meet with over 30 other schools. “For the Senior High girls, Erica Davis set a PR in 100 and 300 hurdles and also showed what she can really do in the triple jump which will be super helpful for District,” continued Coach Bailey. “Between triple and long we scored 29 points. We continue to be really strong in distance and that really helps a lot. The girls keep getting better and I’m so proud of their performances even against some tough competition.”
Final Sr Girls Results:
100 METER DASH 14.37 Molly Richmond 7th Finals 14.58 Kylee Day 9th Finals
POLE VAULT 8-0 Kylee Broomfield 3rd 6-6 Haylee Stidman 9th
DISCUS 72-6 Madison Goff 6th 65-11 Kylee Day 11th
SHOT PUT 24-1 Brooklyn Brothers 13th 21-7.5 Allison Dye 16th
Sr Lady Bulldogs
“The Gaile Hainley Sr Relays were a good test of where we are as a team with having all of our athletes that play baseball competing,” concluded Coach Tanner. “Those guys definitely did not disappoint, a couple of them even running times to place them in the Top 5 in their events in the 3A. We won 7 of the 18 events, three of those being relays. We had 17 new personal records set by our athletes. Drake Carnley prequalified for the 3A state meet in the 300 hurdles running 41.73 (ranks him #1 in 3A in that event). Our 4×100 team also prequalified with a time of 44.26 and is ranked #1 in 3A currently. Bryson Bailey improved his long jump mark again by jumping 22’8.5″ that is only a quarter of an inch away from the state record. We have a really good team this year that can make a run for the State Championship as long as we get enough athletes qualified.”
On Tuesday and Thursday the Lady Bulldogs won both conference games against Vilonia and Greenbrier.
Thursday Game 1: Greenwood 10 – Greenbrier 0 (5 innings) Game 2: Greenwood 7 – Greenbrier 6
Mady Cartwright #11 GRAND SLAM in game 1 – Greenwood vs Greenbrier (photo courtesy of Peggy Barger)
Haven Clements had just one walk in the game, with no hits backed by a great defense. This helped the Lady Bulldogs get a big win to start the conference doubleheader.
Greenbrier came in 6-0 in conference with 14 straight game wins. “We talked before the game this had to be our best defensive outing,” shared Coach Ronnie Sockey. “Haven stepped up big time in this game.”
Haven Clements #8 pitched a NO HITTER in game 1 – Greenwood vs Greenbrier (photo courtesy of Peggy Barger)
Offense went to work early in this win, scoring 6 runs in the first. The big blow came from a grand slam from Madison Cartwright, who went 3-3 in the game with 4 RBIs.
Greenwood took advantage of 7 walks by Greenbrier, pitching to rack up 10 runs on 9 hits.
Ally Sockey added 4 singles and one RBI, then Natalie Thomas and Kinley Fisher added 1 hit and 1 RBI each to help the offense.
In game 2, the ladies held on to take the win, 7 to 6.
Ally Sockey and Ronnie Sockey, player/daughter and coach/dad (photo by Peggy Barger)
Tuesday Game 1: Greenwood 11 – Vilonia 1 (5 innings) Game 2: Greenwood 7 – Vilonia 0
“Haven Clements helped take the win only giving up one run in the first inning,” shared Coach Sockey. “They then shut Vilonia down the next six innings.”
At the plate, the top two hitters in the order led the offense with five hits in 8 at bat. Ally Sockey had 3 and Chelsi Possage had 2. Offense took advantage of 3 Vilonia errors in the 3rd and 4th innings, scoring 5 runs in each then pushing across one more in the bottom of 5 to get the run rule.
“Tori Howard and the defense played a great game to shut out Vilonia in game 2,” added Sockey.
Possage lead the offense with 2 hits, a double and a triple. Sockey, Thomas, Charley, Taylor, Cutsinger, Cartwright, Claire, Chapple, and McCoy added one hit apiece to total 9 hits for game 2. Possage had 2 RBIs, and Sockey had 3 RBIs in the game.
“Pitching and defense was the headliner in this game! Howard only gave up 5 hits, but the defense and some great pitches helped get the team out of a jam with two bases loaded to secure a shutout,” added Sockey. “The game ended on a great diving catch and double play by Possage to rob a base hit.”
Greenwood Sports Center/Marshal 96.7 live-streamed the games. Pictured from left, Dr. Dustin Smith, Tim Terry, and Sean Holland. It was sponsored by Ronald Ragon Realty. (photo courtesy of Peggy Barger)
After seven long and intense innings with the Charleston Lady Tigers, the Hackett Lady Hornets took the defeat 4-5. With no action until the bottom of the third when the Lady Tigers brought home three runs, the Lady Hornets were able to get on the board in the top of the fourth inning when Madi Taylor scored on a wild pitch. As Hackett kept Charleston scoreless in the bottom of the fourth, the Lady Hornets got things moving yet again to start the fifth. With the score reading 3-1 in the Lady Tigers’ favor, Hackett knew they had to start making magic happen.
Kayla Richardson
With Madeline Freeman out on a sacrifice fly to center field, Lexi Gann was able to get home faster than Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz. And after Sarah White tripled on a line drive to center field, Shayla Foster scored tying the game 3-3. After another hitless inning from the Lady Tigers, the battle waged on to stay neck-and-neck in the sixth with each team earning just one run apiece. For the Lady Hornets, it was a Gann ground ball that reached on an error by a Charleston shortstop that sent Alona Rothwell home and finishing the inning tied 4-4.
Madi Taylor
With the sun beating on their backs and sweat dripping down their faces, Hackett opened the seventh and last inning. But as fate would have it, the Lady Hornets would not be walking away with the bag of diamonds as they were unable to make the scoreboard move leaving the Lady Tigers to secure a run and end the game 5-4 Charleston. This battle has Hackett with a 6-7 record. Pitching for the Lady Hornets was Kayla Richardson who launched 114 pitches to 34 batters striking out 3. When it comes to total season stats for Hackett, the Lady Hornets earned 2 home runs from Foster and Jayme Durham, 99 runs led by Freeman and Foster with 16 each, 215 putouts with White taking 57 and Durham taking 53, and 95 assists. The Hackett Lady Hornets will hit the dirt again on Monday, April 12 when they take on the Hector Lady Wildcats on the road.
It was double-trouble for the Lavaca Lady Golden Arrows this past Thursday night as they had to face off with the Mansfield Lady Tigers not once but twice in a single evening. In their first head-to-head, the Lady Tigers held Lavaca scoreless 15-0 in just three short innings. Pitcher, Alyson Edwards hurled 42 pitches to 11 batters striking out 4. Running faster than ice cream down your hand during summertime was Natalie Allison, Chloe Creekmore, Kiara Thomas, Cole Smith, Alyson Edwards, and Brooklyn Adams with 2 a piece, and Harlie Fuller, Hailey Walker, and Serenity Brunson with 1 each. Fielding at .929 percent, the Lady Tigers earned 9 putouts. Allison and Creekmore had 4 each while Edwards snagged 1.
Catcher, Brooklyn Adams
With no rest for the weary, Lavaca and Mansfield hit the field for their second battle and again, Lady Tigers pitcher Alyson Edwards kept the Lady Golden Arrows unsuccessful in their attempt to put any runs on the board and ended the night with another 15-0 victory. Facing only four innings in this match-up, Skylynn Harris was first on the board scoring on a Lavaca wild pitch in the bottom of the second. Next, Adams doubled on a ground ball to third allowing Allison and Smith to charge home while Fuller scored on a throw and Alexis Chestine closed out the runs setting the score at 5-0 Mansfield. For the bottom of the third, Fuller singled on a ground ball to shortstop letting Creekmore to rocket home. Allison scored on a passed ball and Walker and Fuller brought home the bacon again after Adams hit a ground ball and reached an error by the first baseman.
Third Baseman, Chloe Creekmore
To close out the game, the Lady Tigers delivered a six-run showstopper in the bottom of the fourth. Smith singled on a ground ball to left field that sent Allison and Fuller home. Edwards hit a pop fly and reached an error by the second baseman that allowed Smith to score again. Adams scored on a wild pitch. And to end the match, Creekmore doubled on a fly ball to left field that catapulted Thomas and Edwards home. The Lady Tigers now hold a 6-2 record along with 88 total runs led by Adams and Thomas who tied with 12 each, and 1 home run by Alyson Edwards. Edwards has also made 561 pitches to 154 batters and 390 total strikes. On Monday, April 12, the Mansfield Lady Tigers will host the Mountainburg Lady Dragons. In their first conference game, the Lady Tigers walked away with a final score of 17-0.
This past week, both Jr High and Sr High Magazine track teams hit the ground running. On Tuesday, April 6, the Jr Rattlers and Lady Rattlers were up first to compete in the Waldron Jr Bulldog Relays. With nearly 30 other schools competing against them, they weren’t too shabby holding their own against much bigger schools. “We only brought partial squads to each meet,” explained Coach Randy Bryan. “Half of my junior high teams are 7th graders and had competed hard the night before. During Monday’s 7th Grade meet, ChaKong Yang won shot put and Callie Nicholas took 2nd in Long Jump and the 1600m Dash.”
Final Results for the Jr Girls:
100m Dash: 15th-Ainslee Chappell 15.68 and 29th-Dessi Carolan 17.90
Long Jump: 19th-Callie Nicholas 11-4 and 21st-Ainslee Chappell 10-9
Triple Jump: 16th-Carissa Webster 20-8.5
Discus: 6th-Jailynn Sims 65-8 and 18th-Kilee Hurst 34-10
Shot Put: 4th-Jailynn Sims 30-7 and 17th-Haley Myers 24-5
4×100-13th
4×200-6th
4×800-6th
Final Results for the Jr Boys:
100m Dash: 17th-JaDon Adair 13.55 and 31st-Jacob Thompson 14.82
200m Dash: 17th-Aiden Carter 28.47and 19th-Jacob Thompson 28.82
400m Dash: 9th-JaDon Adair 1:03 and 32nd-Gunner Franklin 1:14
Shot Put: 2nd-JaDon Adair 39-7.5 and 29th-Chakong Yang 27-6.5
800m Run: 14th-Kolton McCubbin 2:37 and 18th-Dakotah Stafford 3:05
1600m Run: 17th-Dakotah Stafford 6:10
110m Hurdles: 17th-Keith Tate 23.27
Triple Jump: 8th-Nate Smith 32-2 and 11th-Aidan Carter 30-5.5
Long Jump: 22nd-JaDon Adair 15-5.75 and 25th-Jacob Thompson 15-1
300m Hurdles: 16th-Keith Tate 59.60
High Jump: 13th-Koltan McCubbin 4-8
Pole Vault: 10th-Yeej Keej Vang 6-6
Discus: 9th-JaDon Adair 84-4 and 10th-Jaxon Pickartz 84-0
4×100-12th
4×200-9th
4×800-9th
Ainslee Chappell
On Thursday, April 8, it was the Sr High’s turn as Magazine headed back to Waldron to compete in the Gaile Hainley Relays. “Most of my senior high participate in other spring sports leaving Carlee Parrish as my only scorer at the Gaile Hainley Relays. I’m very pleased with our progress. What we lack in depth, we make up for in hard work and heart. It’s the Rattler way! We only have two freshmen meaning almost all athletes are rookies to the sport due to Covid last year. Being in a conference with legendary coaches like John Mackey at Mansfield and Keith Willsey at Acorn means my athletes will have to learn quickly and work hard to compete at the conference championships. I look forward to the challenge. My kids will be ready!”
Lavaca K-12 gifted and talented coordinator Krista Hinton has had a productive semester. The UA Little Rock graduate student just published her first children’s book and received an award for her work in creating an exceptional curriculum unit for gifted and talented education.
The book, inspired by her grandfather, was a lifelong dream of Hinton’s. Grandpa’s Good News Garage,” was published by Lighthouse Publishing in March. The book for children ages 3-8 tells the story of a grandfather who takes old and worn out objects that others consider as useless and transforms them into something new.
“I wrote this book in honor of my own grandfather. He was my best friend and mentor,” Hinton said. “His example of a life well lived through faithfulness to God, love of his family, and dedication to work made me the person I am today. He also made me a scooter when I was a kid out of old and useless objects. In the story, the grandfather is building a scooter.”
Hinton’s journey to become an author is 14 years in the making. “I wrote the book 14 years ago and have worked to get it published off and on during the years since I wrote it,” Hinton said. “I submitted, received a lot of rejections, and revised many times before it was accepted by a publisher. It took a lot of perseverance and dedication to the process. Having a book published was a lifelong dream, and I am so thrilled for it to be a reality.”
While Hinton is still enjoying her recent success as a published author, this is just the first in what the educator hopes will become a plentiful series of children’s books. “I do have plans for more books in the future and have several manuscripts already completed,” she said. “I am looking forward to summer break so that I can devote time to getting my manuscripts to publishers.”In addition to her first book, Hinton recently received the 2021 Curriculum Award from Arkansans for Gifted Talented Education. The award highlights the importance of differentiated curriculum and recognizes outstanding curriculum units.
This published author and UALR student was also honored for her work in creating in creating an exceptional curriculum unit for gifted and talented education. The K-12 gifted and talented coordinator for Lavaca School District received an AGATE Curriculum Award.
The AGATE Curriculum Award highlights the importance of differentiated curriculum and recognizes outstanding curriculum units. An award of $500 is presented to the educator’s gifted and talented program.
“The AGATE Curriculum Award, to me, is the pinnacle of academic achievement,” Hinton said. “To be recognized on a state level for an original unit is an honor that very few teachers have the privilege to experience. The award will always hold a special place in my heart.”
Hinton developed her unit as part of the Arkansas Declaration of Learning program, a partnership between the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Reception Rooms in Washington, D.C. and the Arkansas Department of Education. The program works collaboratively with Arkansas teachers and school librarians teaching 7th-12th grade students in the fields of art, English language arts, and social studies to develop innovative curricula that bring history to life and share the importance of civic engagement with students.
Hinton was given the opportunity to select objects for her unit from the Arkansas Central Library System, the William J. Clinton Presidential Library and Museum, Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, and the Diplomatic Reception Rooms.
“All created units will be distributed nationwide,” Hinton said. “Students all across the country will have the opportunity to learn about my unit and the historical objects I selected as well as learn about Arkansas’s rich history and contributions to the narrative of our country. The goal of the program and my unit was to develop lessons that would teach students the value of objects from our nation’s historical past and create civic engagement opportunities that promoted diplomacy skills and civic responsibility.”
Hinton’s curriculum unit for seventh- and eighth-grade students in the Gifted Education Program took an in-depth look at the essential question, “In what ways does the term community conceal as much as it reveals about society?” The unit of study helps students understand empathy and compassion for their community members and society as a whole.
Students utilized artistic impression to analyze how social media platforms have influenced the idea of community and how those influences have impacted attitudes towards age and gender. They also demonstrated understanding by creating civic-engagement projects that identify, describe, and articulate what the term community means to their lives and the lives of those around them. Additionally, they expressed how negativity in social media affected feelings and attitudes.
“The ultimate goal of the unit is to provide students with the tools necessary to positively impact their home lives, classroom communities, and the district as a whole, as well as the community at large,” said Dr. Tim Smithey, director of gifted and talented education at Springdale Public Schools and AGATE Awards chair.
The participating students also used surveys and data to assess the success of the project. In addition, the students made suggestions to enhance future learning on the topic.
Due to the efforts of the students, Lavaca School District added two new programs to the Gifted Education Program. The “Word Worms” program pairs kindergarten students with third- and fourth-grade students to improve reading skills. Meanwhile, in the “Uplifters” program, seventh- and eighth-grade students spend one day a week working with students in the district’s Special Education Program to promote social skills and positive interactions.
“My most memorable experience from the unit was watching the students brainstorm ways that they could affect changes within their school that would have a permanent impact on the Gifted and Talented program and then implement their ideas,” Hinton said. “My desire for the lessons was to empower students to make a difference where they can and understand that their voices matter to all around them.”
Hinton is also looking forward to implementing the final part of the unit that had to be postponed due to COVID-19. In “The Positivity Project,” students will create a social media campaign and poster project to encourage people to take a pledge to only post positive and encouraging comments, pictures, ideas, and quotes across all forms of social media they use. The district also plans to hold a social media fair that would include discussions on the safe use of social media, mentoring, and a gaming tournament.
“I am so blessed to have had the opportunity to be taught by the instructors from the Jodie Mahony Center for Gifted Education at UA Little Rock,” Hinton said. “Through the guidance of Dr. Ann Robinson and Dr. Christine Deitz, I have refined my teaching skills, learned new teaching techniques, and gained a deeper appreciation for the amazing privilege it is to be a teacher of gifted and talented students.”
Hinton’s professors at UA Little Rock agree that Hinton has a bright future ahead of her.“She is a natural leader in the field of gifted education,” said Deitz, assistant director of the Jodie Mahony Center. “Krista was elected to the AGATE Nominations Committee. Beginning July 1, Krista will assist the board in spotting leadership talent among Arkansas’s educators. As she is finishing her GT licensure with UA Little Rock, she is beginning her National Board Teacher Certification in Exceptional Needs/Gifted. I’m looking forward to working with her as she seeks this national credential.”
