Resident News Network

Waldron Archery Hits The Mark This Season

Sports

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2:17 pm

Waldron Archery Hits The Mark This Season

“This year, archery has looked completely different with Covid,” expressed middle school coach, Tammy Chronister. “The Jr High archery team did not think that they would be able to have a season, and when it was announced that they would be doing the Regional Tournament virtually, the Middle School was only able to practice twice before competing.”

“But Jr High was determined and they persevered by placing 2nd in our region, which allowed us to go to state. With only a few weeks to practice and the snowstorm, our Middle School did what needed to be done.” The Jr High archery team finished the season ranked 18th in the state. “Our two top shooters for the boys were 8th graders Jaren Howell, who scored a 276, and Nathan Canada who scored a 273. The two top girls were 7th graders Zoe Richardson, scoring a 265, and Erika Brothers, scoring a 251. I am so proud of these 7th and 8th graders and everything they have accomplished this year and I’m ready to see what the next year will bring us.”

“In a “normal” year, our archery season begins in September,” explained high school archery coach, Kristen Atchley. “Under covid guidelines, we were unsure if we were going to have an archery season. When we finally got the green light to begin, Sr High only had 3 official practices before their Regional Tournament. However, anxiously awaiting to see if we would have a season, our archers were practicing from home. Then we got the good news that we had won our Regionals with a score of 3203!”

“When we won our Region, our kids were so pumped. I was so proud of them. They worked extremely hard and gave it everything they had. With everything being virtual we had no idea how things would go.” continued Coach Kristen Atchley. Senior Alexis Lane said “I was so excited for our team to make first on my last year! It just felt unreal with the seniors we had lost that made our team so good. We had really stepped up this year with the uncertainty of even having a season!”

After Regionals, Sr High was ranked 6th. After announcing the date for State, Sr High had one week to prepare, and they prepared the best they could. “We knew we had a lot of work to be done. Our kids knew what they had to do and worked incredibly hard to achieve their goal,” added Atchley. After all the hard work that the Sr High had put in, they pulled through and placed 2nd at the Arkansas State Archery Tournament.

“When I got the message we had placed second overall in State, it was automatic calling everyone to tell them! It just felt so unreal. I’m so proud that these seniors went out with this big of a bang. I’m proud to be a has-been for Waldron Arrow dogs.” Lane concluded. Dylan Brown placed 2nd individually winning a $2,000 scholarship, Patrick Poor placed 5th individually and won a $500 scholarship, and Gatlin Lovett placed 10th individually.

Sr Lady Tigers Shave Lady Lions On State Scoreboard

Sports

Megan Hecox

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8:26 am

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Sr Lady Tigers Shave Lady Lions On State Scoreboard

Pictured is Danielle Lillie and Makayla Strutton

The Mansfield Lady Tigers were one of the bottom preseason picks in the 2A-4 for the 2020-21 season. Since then, the Lady Tigers had an 11 game winning streak, lost only two conference games, came in Runner-Up in their conference, finished Runner-Up in the District Tournament, placed 3rd in Regionals, and earned a spot in the State Tournament. On Wednesday, March 10th, the underdog Lady Tigers took it a step further by humbling the Horatio Lady Lions with a 51-33 lopsided win in Round 1 of the State Playoffs. Bottom line, Mansfield went from the prediction of being preseason losers to earning their way to be one of the Top 8 teams in 2A basketball in the entire state of Arkansas.

The Lady Tigers came out strong right out of the gate against Horatio. Mansfield dominated the rebound game and was able to out hustle the Lady Lions to an early lead. Although they had the lead, missed buckets and off-target passing kept Horatio with the belief they could overcome the deficit. That belief was quickly doused in the second quarter though as the Lady Tiger pulled together and allowed their teamwork to create some dreamwork.

With a suffocating defensive effort by Brooke Wright and Alyson Edwards on the boards, Horatio was forced to rely on outside shooting. That didn’t work so well either though due to some solid face-to-face pressure by Chloe Creekmore, Makayla Strutton, and Danielle Lillie. Horatio could score some in the second quarter, but Mansfield put on an offensive clinic as they went into the half with a 19 point 34-15 lead. The first half offensive and defensive game alone was a sight to behold, but the Lady Tigers were smooth off the scoreboard too. Mansfield only accounted for 5 total fouls in the entire first half having just 2 in the first quarter and 3 in the second quarter.

Mansfield came out of the half with momentum on their shoulders and their foot on the gas pedal. The Lady Tigers kept the baseline and backboards in their possession forcing any Lady Lion who dared to drive down to pay a hefty bill. They became even more efficient as Coach Joshua Bryan began rotating his post players to keep them rested and fresh. This meant that Horatio had to get past the wall smashing power of not only Wright, Creekmore, and Edwards, but also a fresh set of power towers in Seven Sanderson and Skylynn Harris. With Horatio frustrated by Mansfield’s defense, Strutton and Lillie reigned in offensive points. When the Lady Lions chose to double team Strutton or Lillie, they forgot about Mansfield 3 point specialist, Natalie Allison. With a quick dish to Allison, another 3 pointer bit the dust. When the 3^rd quarter buzzer sounded, Mansfield stepped into the final 8 minutes of the game with a set 40-29 lead.

The 4^th was all Mansfield. With both the offense and defense playing lights out, the Lady Tigers set cruise control on Horatio. Mansfield held the Lady Lions to merely 3 points in the 4^th quarter and cheered their way on to a 51-33 Round 1 victory. “Every girl played their role well yesterday,” explained Coach Josh Bryan. “Guards got the ball up the floor against an aggressive press and our posts’ put us in a position to win with rebounds and second-chance points. I’m pleased with our output and look forward to our game Friday.”

Mansfield has made history on multiple occasions so far this season, but their goal is still to finish strong. Next up for the Lady Tigers is the Melbourne Lady Bearcats on Friday the 12th at 10 am. Melbourne is the team who sits at the top of the 2A state rankings and on top of that, the State Playoffs are being held in Melbourne which gives the Lady Bearcats home-court advantage. But Mansfield has thrived as the underdog all season when nobody gave them a chance. The Lady Tigers find this a fitting game for them under those circumstances and give the doubters only one phrase. Just Bring It.

Photos courtesy of Raine Hecox

Productivity Tips

Lifestyle

Madison VanRavensway

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4:42 pm

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The to-do list is growing by the minute, you are pretty sure no one has clean socks anymore, and you are firmly planted on the couch. Sound familiar? Productivity is something I am working on within myself, and I thought I would share some of the tips I am trying to live by to keep me productive and accountable!

1. Dealing all the way with an item before I sit it down, that means anything in my hand needs to go back to its home and not be left out. For instance- if I have the baby’s bottle, I can take it all the way to the sink and wash it rather than just sitting it down somewhere and having to touch it again later. I am saving future me from having to touch the item multiple times.

2. When I am leaving a room if I think about it I will grab an item that doesn’t belong. There are toys everywhere in our house, as I am leaving the laundry room I can grab the toy in the floor and look back on number one to get it all the way taken care of.

3. Set a timer- when I am just not in the mood, but I know if I don’t do something I am really going to regret it, I can set a timer for 15 minutes. It is amazing how much can be accomplished in 15 minutes. I can clean the countertop, mirror, and toilet in the bathroom in that amount of time.

4. Three leads into 4, an object in motion stays in motion. If I am up cleaning for 15 minutes I will likely decide to keep going. This is important to lean into and not think well I already did my one task, time to sit down.

5. Reward yourself! I love coffee. I also love Dr. Pepper. In the mornings I like to head to the kitchen to clean anything I didn’t get to the night before. I make sure the sink is empty and the counters have been wiped down before I make my iced coffee. Nap time is when I get a lot done during the afternoons so after I complete my tasks then I will either grab a Dr Pepper or another iced coffee.

6. Slow your roll, that to-do list can be three feet long but it’s still achievable. You eat an elephant one bite at a time and you clean a house one step at a time. Even if not everything gets done in one day, checking anything off is an accomplishment.

7. Take a break- yes I said an object in motion stays in motion, and we know the other part of that theory is an object at rest will stay at rest. If you are feeling overwhelmed, burnt out, tired, or just unmotivated- take a break! While chores are necessary they shouldn’t be life sucking and something you force yourself to be miserable to do.

These tips can be used for any scenario- writing a paper, giving a dog a bath, gardening, whatever it is you need to accomplish! Good luck with your tasks!

Greenwood Police Department Presents 2020 Awards

Tammy Teague

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1:26 pm

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Greenwood Police Department Presents 2020 Awards

Greenwood’s Assistant Chief of Police, Richie Wolford, presented the department’s annual awards on Tuesday, March 9.

Accolades included the 2020 Officer of the Year Award, presented to Jason Fuller; 2020 Meritorious Service Award, presented to Lt. Brad Hobbs, Cpl. Will Reid, and Officer Jason Fuller; 2020 Top Shot Award, presented to Sgt. David Stewart and Officer Jason Fuller; and the 2020 DWI Detection Award, presented to Officer Joseph Casanova.

Congratulations to each of these award recipients.

Paris Improves Softball Record to 3-0 With Win Over Waldron

Sports

Resident News Network

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11:10 am

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Paris Improves Softball Record to 3-0 With Win Over Waldron

The Paris Lady Eagles improved their season record to 3-0 on the young softball season with a 12-5 win over the Waldron Lady Bulldogs. Paris took an early 3-0 lead on Waldron in the bottom of the first inning when sophomore Jadyn Wells hit a deep three-run blast to give the Lady Eagles the lead. Senior Jadyn Hart was again dominant from the circle, going the distance for the Lady Eagles and getting the win.

Waldron battled throughout the game and was able to rally in several innings by putting runs on the board, but in each case, the Lady Eagles would answer with a big inning in the bottom half of each inning. It was the first game in which Jadyn Hart was challenged at the plate, but in each case, Hart was able to get either a key strike out or a ground ball to allow her defense to get a needed out in the inning.

The Lady Eagles win on Tuesday was the third in five days. Paris will now travel to Fort Smith to play the Southside Lady Mavericks. Originally scheduled for Thursday, the game has been moved to today with the first pitch scheduled for 5 p.m. The weather forecast for the remainder of this week is a concern. Heavy rains and possible storms are forecasted, so the two schools agreed to move the game up to Wednesday to give them the best chance to play. Paris is also scheduled to play at Booneville on Friday, and that game is also in limbo due to a threatening weather forecast.

The Eagles baseball team will also play today at Southside. Both games, the softball and baseball games, are scheduled to begin today at 5 p.m. Both games will be broadcasted live on the internet on the Sports Brew. Just click on the link, thesportsbrew.net to listen to the live broadcast. As both a reporter and a fan, I recommend listening to the game with headphones at the ballpark for the best experience!

Additional photos of the Lady Eagles game with Waldron are available on Facebook at Paris Eagles Sports. Fans from both schools are welcome to copy the photos at no charge.

Resident Press will have coverage of Friday’s Eagles baseball game at Booneville in the Saturday evening online edition of Resident Press. In the meantime, enjoy the games and go out to the ball parks and support these two great Paris teams!

See you in Booneville on Friday!

Waldron Diamond Dogs Slide Into Baseball Season

Sports

Megan Hecox

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12:55 pm

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Waldron Diamond Dogs Slide Into Baseball Season

With a number of players still slaying opponents in basketball, Waldron baseball Coach Mark Brigance and his Diamond Dogs are making the best of their incomplete roster. Non-conference play opened up on March 2 against the Horatio Lions and although Waldron fell 4-14, they still gave a great showing of what’s yet to come. “We got off to got off to good start vs Horatio,” explained Coach Brigance. “We took the lead 4-3 in the 4th but then gave up that lead in the bottom of the 5th on a bases clearing double by them.”

“Freshman, Noah Patrick, hit a bases-loaded single to take the lead. Pitching was alright on the day, improving and having some bright spots. Juniors, Blake Owens and Drew Owens and sophomore, Matt Brigance, did the pitching. Freshman, Logan Young, did well behind the plate. And Senior, Drake Carnley, and Blake Owens had a good day at the plate earning 2 singles apiece and scoring most of our runs. Drake also had 2 steals as well.”

Over the past weekend, Waldron competed in a trio of games in the Mena Tournament. The Diamond Dogs hit the dirt against Mena, Mansfield, and Mt. Ida. Waldron picked-up their first win of the season against the Mena Bearcats 6-4. “Blake Owens pitched 6.2 innings and got the win. Going into the 7th, Mena was up 4-3. At the top of the 7th, Carnley – singled, Brigance -singled, and Blake Owens doubled to score two. Noah Patrick popped up on the infield to score Brayden Mays, who was running for Owens. Then, Matt Brigance struck out 3 in the bottom of the 7th for the save. Owens finished the match with 11 strikeouts and Carnley was 3-4 with 3 singles and 2 stolen bases. Logan Young did a great job at the catcher’s plate only allowing one pass ball.”

The Bulldogs went on to end the tournament with two misses against Mansfield and Mt. Ida. “The Bulldogs got a 4-8 lose to Mansfield. Matthew Brigance started on the mound and pitched very well for 4+ innings, striking out 6. We ran into trouble on back-to-back missed played balls on defense that led to way too many runners on the bases. We lead off the scoring in the first off of a Drake Carnley single followed by a stolen base.”

“We are continuing to leave runners on and misplace a few balls defensively. I see these as small things that can happen early in a season but that we can continue to work on. I know this bunch likes to work hard and we have some areas to improve on.” The Bulldogs hold a 1-3 total record going into conference play which starts tonight against the Paris Eagles at 4:30 in Paris.

Photos courtesy of Bethany Brigance

Stay-at-Home Moms, Turn Your Talents into Money with a Home Business

Lifestyle

Resident News Network

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11:48 am

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Stay-at-Home Moms, Turn Your Talents into Money with a Home Business

By Eva Benoit

If you are a stay-at-home mom looking for ways to make money without having to commute, starting a business may be right for you. While starting a business is a lot of work, it also comes with a ton of benefits, such as increased flexibility, the option to set your own hours, and the opportunity to put your skills and education to use. For women who have obligations to home and family, business ownership may involve less stress than working set hours outside the home. And not all bosses understand or respect the needs of women juggling work and life duties — so why not be your own boss and invest your talents in a venture that will yield income?

Here are some popular ideas for home businesses that could work for stay-at-home moms:

One option for creating a business out of your home might be to take what you are already doing and monetize it. If you love caring for kids, you could start a childcare facility in your home. If cooking is your passion, consider starting an artisanal bakery, a catering service, or even a cooking blog. And if you’re craving a break from mom-related work, some appealing business options include freelance writing, copyediting, accounting, or e-commerce.

So how do you go about starting a business?

Depending on the business, the best way to launch might be simply to start doing it. Advertise your services as an editor. Bake your most scrumptious bread or pastries and take them to the local farmers’ market. Once you have customers aware of your goods and services, you can begin to expand and possibly make your business a legal entity. Other business ideas you may need to train or prep for. If you plan on starting a daycare, make sure you are doing so safely and legally. Before offering your services as an accountant complete any necessary certification.

What’s all this about making a business a legal entity?

This is where the bureaucracy comes in. Even if your business consists only of you, it’s a good idea to make it official — for the sake of tax write-offs and to protect yourself from lawsuits. A limited liability company (LLC) is a popular choice for small business owners whether they are employing others or not. Having an LLC will make tax time less painful and involve less paperwork. While some business owners consult an attorney to help them register, it’s cheaper to do so yourself or use a formation service to guide you through the process of setting up an Arkansas LLC. Different states have different regulations for LLCs, however, so do be sure to check up on that.

What else is needed to grow a business?

To grow your business, you need to expand your marketing reach. Having a great website will help in this regard, as will savvy use of social media and internet analytics. You will also want to open a separate bank account and keep it distinct from personal or family accounting. If accounting isn’t your wheelhouse, consult a professional to make sure you are getting all the deductions you’re due, and help you with quarterly filing.

Let’s talk about balancing work with life.

When you’re running your business from home, the best way to keep work and life balanced is to keep them separate, as much as possible. But you may be thinking — it’s never possible! Yes, but this is the number one reason why you need to draw lines between work and life, even if they’re dotted lines. Otherwise, multitasking will overwhelm you. Try to establish a work-only space and give yourself a schedule — even if you have to keep tweaking the schedule to deal with whatever life throws your way. Remember to give yourself breaks to clear your head and decompress.

Running a business while also tending to home and family isn’t for everyone, but if you think you have what it takes not only to succeed at the balancing act but also enjoy doing it, this might be a great option for you to earn a nice income without sacrificing precious family time.

Look to The Greenwood Resident for Arkansas news and other resources for a better life.

Image via Pixabay

Waldron Bulldogs Edge Out Elks

Sports

Resident News Network

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11:37 am

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Basketball in March is not for the faint of heart. On Saturday, March 6, the Waldron Bulldogs battled the Elkins Elks in the consolation match-up in the 3A-1 Regional Tournament. The night before, the Bulldogs had dropped a heartbreaker at the buzzer in the regional semi-finals to a team they had already defeated two previous times during the season. The Bulldogs had no time to waste though as they had to face the Elks a mere sixteen hours later in the 3rd place game. On Wednesday, March 3, Waldron had secured their spot in the State Tournament with a win over Green Forest so the rest of the Regional Tournament was all about seeding for the next week.

The grind of the week was evident as the Bulldogs got off to a slow start against Elkins and fell behind by a score of 3 to 10 early in the contest. The Dogs soon answered has Jaden Hutchens went on a personal 8-0 run to shows some signs of life for the Bulldogs and take the lead at the end of the opening quarter. The first half ended with a buzzer-beating shot by Gada Wagner, which would serve as a precursor for things to come. The score was 27 to 30 in favor of the Elks.

The back and forth affair continued for the entire second half down to the final whistle. Literally! With 24.9 seconds remaining, the Bulldogs found themselves down by six trailing 47 to 53. Braden Williams chased down a long rebound and swung it over to Gada Wagner who stepped up to nail a long three-pointer to bring the Dogs to within three. Following a series of timeouts and some missed free throws by Elkins, THE SHOT happened. Holding a three-point advantage, Elkins missed a free throw with 14.6 seconds remaining as Isaac “The Real” Villarreal grabbed the rebound and pushed the ball up the floor before kicking it back to a trailing Gada Wagner who rose up and sank the 23 footer to knot the score up at 55, sending the game into overtime.

Elkins started the overtime with possession of the basketball but come up short on the opening shot as Caden Fuller grabbed one of his 7 boards. After an empty first possession, Braden Williams deflected and stole the next Elkins pass and flipped it forward to a racing Gada Wagner for a finger roll at the rim and a two-point lead. Waldron never looked back as they secured the 3rd seed in the 3A State Tournament in Clinton by a final of 65 to 61.

“I am so proud of our guys,” expressed Coach Josh Brown. “We had an emotional game the night before against Cedarville and started this game in a little bit of a rut but when we had to answer, we did! We got in some foul trouble early and had some underclassmen step in and gave us some good minutes. Thank you to everyone that has supported these guys this year! On to Clinton! #FlytheW” The Bulldogs will head to State on Thursday, March 11 to face the Baptist Prep Eagles in Clinton at 7 pm.

Mansfield Tigers Charged In Loss To Acorn

Sports

Megan Hecox

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9:30 am

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Mansfield Tigers Charged In Loss To Acorn

For the semi-final round of the Regional Tournament, the Mansfield Tigers were slated to face the Mountainburg Dragons. Having already faced Mountainburg multiple times before in the season, the Tigers knew this wasn’t going to be a walk in the park. The game had its fair share of highs and lows. From the Dragons losing a starter in the first quarter due to a dislocated finger injury to the Tigers being able to hold back Mountainburg’s top two scorers, there definitely wasn’t a lack of action. After all was said and done though, the Dragons walked away with the win, 56-46 sending the Tigers to face Acorn for a third-place bid in Regionals.

“The Mountainburg game was a tough one,” explained Coach Keith Stovall. “For the boys, when you look at the scorebook, I say we should have won by 20. We held their top two point producers to just 23 points. These two guys had been averaging around 40 + points a game combined. Then they lose a starting 5 to a dislocated finger in the 1st quarter. Everything was in our favor. All I can say is welcome to tournament play! Then their backup post came off the bench and lights us up for 23, shooting no more than 2 feet from the rim. We have certainly learned our lesson.”

“The good news is that we were still playing when everyone had us counted out weeks ago. That’s what happens when the quarantines and injuries are gone and you get to have some real practices. Also, #20 for Mountainburg was able to return after the game and will be able to play in State. He came up to all our coaches and players outside the gym after the game and shook our hands. A class act that represents his school and parents well!”

The Tigers still had one more hurdle to jump in Regional play as they came back Saturday, March 6, to attempt to overthrow the Acorn Tigers for a third-place spot. Also no stranger to conference foe Acorn, Mansfield was strapped in and ready for what was sure to be a category 6 hurricane match. As both towns packed the stands, the energy in the gym was at a high concentration. As the game tipped-off, first-time sophomore starter, Braxton Byers, launched the first two points for Mansfield. But after enduring an ankle injury, Byers was sadly out the remainder of the game.

The Tigers shifted their game plan and got back in it. The first quarter ended with a score of 8-6 Acorn and at that moment it became apparent to Acorn that although they were able to walk all over Mansfield in their previous games, this time it wasn’t going to be that easy. Both teams remained on fire going into halftime 24-17 Acorn but as the second half of the game got underway, the tides started to change for the worse for Mansfield. Acorn was able to pull away from the Tigers and end Regional play with a winning score of 46-28 and the third-place trophy. Codi Chick led Mansfield with 9 points followed by Clint Stovall with 6, JoJo Bailey with 3, and Tyler Escalante, Ethan Pettus, Bri Sanderson, Zayne Dugan, and Braxton Byers with 2 apiece.

With Regionals behind them, Mansfield is ready to play as they have never played before as they take on State. The Tigers will be battling the Caddo Hills Indians at 1 pm in Melbourne on Tuesday, March 9.

Mountainburg photos courtesy of Skylynn Harris

Timepiece: Tale of Two Mountain Men

Networks

Tammy Teague

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9:30 am

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By Dr. Curtis Varnell

The year was 1877 when the war-weary German immigrant Frederich Morsbach reached the summit of Magazine Mountain and established his land claim on the hard rocky soils of the mountain top. Morsbach was tired of war. His family had sent him to Wisconsin to escape the constant warfare in Europe only to see him drafted into the Union army. At 5’2’ and weighing about 150 pounds, he probably did not appear to be an imposing or intimidating solder but he was rock-hard and tough. As a private in Company G, 11^th Infantry, Wisconsin Volunteers, he fought in a number of battles along the Mississippi River and into Louisiana. He was a part of General Grants group and was involved in the battle of Vicksburg, one of the turning points of the war.

After the war, he and his family moved to Salem, Missouri only to have his son-in-law shot in the back and killed by former southern sympathizers. Seeking peace and solitude, he found the mountain.

Morsbach and his family appeared to enjoy and thrive in their new home. Prime building stone was scattered down the slope in front of the house. He and his children used it to construct a foundation, a chimney, and the front wall of the home. They built it sturdy and strong, much of the rock structure is still standing along Apple Trail today.

An old road passed in front of the Morsbach home and wound around the cliff face to the home of an unlikely neighbor, Thomas R. Cameron. Thomas was a native of Georgia and, when the war began, joined the 39^th Georgia infantry. In 1863, he was a part of Pemberton’s army and was expected to hold Jackson, Mississippi. When Jackson fell, hundreds of confederates, including Cameron, were captured as they retreated toward Vicksburg. Cameron spent the rest of the war as a prisoner at Camp Chase, Ohio. Camp Chase was packed with more than 4,000 prisoners and was one of the most miserable and unhealthy places known to man. More than 2,000 of the prisoners succumbed to illness while imprisoned there. Somehow Cameron survived! After the war, he moved first to Chickalah mountain and then onto the flat projection of Mt. Magazine know known as his namesake, Cameron Bluff. His daughter, Lois was the first known person to be married on Magazine Mountain.

Both men had faced hardship, deprivation, and injury from the terrible war that resulted in the death of more Americans than any other war fought. It is possible that the men even faced off in battle at Vicksburg as Grant surrounded the city and bombarded it for weeks until its surrender on July 4, 1863. Fate brought these two old soldiers to the same place to find peace, build a home, and to raise their families.

The community on the mountain was never large. Just a handful of families that forged strong ties and friendships. Together, they built a community gathering place and a school building. Neighbors would wander up and down the road from the west end of the mountain, passing by the Cameron and Morsbach homes. Old man Morsbach often sat on his front porch with his ear tube beside him so he could talk with passersby. With homes separated by a few hundred yards of winding dirt road, the two former enemies developed a friendship that lasted the rest of their lives. In our day and time, we can learn much about civility and getting along from those of our past.

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RESIDENT NEWS NETWORK