Jeffery Allen Workman, 46, was arraigned today in Sebastian County Circuit Court on the charges of murder in the first degree, class “Y” felony, aggravated residential burglary, class “Y” felony, battery in the first degree, class “B” felony, possession of firearms by certain persons, class “B” felony, and habitual offender in CR-2021-26-A-G.
Jennifer Renee Martin, 39, was also arraigned today in Sebastian County Circuit Court on the charges of murder in the first degree, class “Y” felony, and aggravated residential burglary, class “Y” felony, in CR-2021-26-B-G.
The defendants appeared in person without counsel. The public defender was appointed to represent Workman and Martin. Both entered a plea of not guilty and requested that bond be set.
The prosecutor requested that the total bond be set at $500,000 cash only. The presiding Sebastian County Circuit Judge, the Honorable Stephen M. Tabor, granted the recommendation.
After a bumpy start to the 2A-4 District Tournament, thanks to a nationwide ice age that put all gameplay on hold for a week and left teams wondering will they or won’t they, a decision was made that got the District ball rolling again. The Magazine Lady Rattlers finished conference play with a 5-5 record which enabled them to score the #4 seed in the District Tournament. Hitting the court in the second round, the Lady Rattlers hosted the #5 seed Lavaca Lady Arrows on Monday, February 22. Although Magazine had a really good feeling about the outcome of this game, considering in their two previous match-ups the Lady Rattlers combined for 105 points to Lavaca’s combined 57, they still didn’t want to count their chickens before they hatched.
Jordyn Krigbaum
The Lady Rattlers were out of reach from the Lady Arrows grasp immediately after hitting the court. The first quarter ended with a score of 19-3 Magazine. With each hop, chop, and block, the Lady Rattlers became harder and harder for the Lady Arrows to see until eventually, Magazine was so far ahead they looked like a speck in the distance. The Lady Rattlers strolled away with a 51-24 victory along with a bid to Regionals. The last time the Lady Rattlers made a Regional appearance was during the 2016-2017 season. Kylie Robinson and Kiara Vasquez each netted 19 points followed by Jordyn Krigbaum with 6, Raymie Davis with 5, and Elizabeth Greek with 2. Carly Parrish scored 3 rebounds and the Lady Rattlers shot 48% from the floor and 82% from the free-throw line.
Elizabeth Greek
Going into the match, the Lady Rattlers knew that in order to get a win, they were going to have to stay in front of as well as contesting the shots of Lavaca’s two best guards. “We shot the ball pretty well Monday night,” expressed Coach Randy Loyd. “We made 8/15 from the 3 point line and 9/11 from the FT line. I thought we defended the best we have all year.” With this win, the Lady Rattlers move on to the semi-final round of Districts on Thursday, February 25, where they will face the #1 seeded Acorn Lady Tigers at 4 pm. “Acorn’s depth makes them so tough for us to match up with. They are such good shooters that we will have to get out on everybody. We had the lead with about 4:00 minutes to go in our last game at their place but we wore down a little eventually turning it over and at the end they got us. This time, we will have to handle the extended pressure for the entire game.”
Pictured is #31 Ethan Slavens and #23 Austin Cowell
As the famous saying goes, “All good things must come to an end”. And for the Hackett Sr Hornets basketball season, the curtain has dropped. The Sr Hornets endured a plethora of highs and lows this year but in true fashion, they always seemed to rise to the occasion. “This year has been full of challenges,” explained Coach Kent Elmore. “We had a total of 5 practices where my whole squad was there. However, my guys always showed up and got to work.” After finishing conference play with a 4-10 record, Hackett snagged the #7 seed in the 3A-4 District Tournament. For Round 1, the Hornets were tasked with taking on the #6 seeded Cossatot Eagles. And in an almost complete blowout, Hackett walked away with a 52-19 win and they were off to Round 2!
#00 Cash Oliver
But in the midst of celebrating, a bad news bomb was dropped right on their heads. Due to the state experiencing a week of Snowmageddon 2021 during the exact same week as Districts, a conference vote decided to cancel the tournament and allow the top four seeds to advance on to Regionals. As hearts were broken and dreams were crushed, many were left saying “This is not how the season is supposed to end!” That was on February 17. Just as gyms were closing shop and players were hanging up their gear, Christmas done come early! On February 19 it was announced that all tournaments would be pushed back a week and it was Game On! as Districts continued full steam ahead.
#5 Jake Fisher and #3 Cole Ketchum
The Hornets dived headfirst into Round 2 as they landed in Tiger country taking on #3 seeded Charleston. In their two previous conference games, it was a hard-core fight to the finish. The first game ended with Hackett taking the 41-36 win but in their next go-round, Charleston returned the favor taking the victory 65-53. Fans from both towns packed into the gym (safely and at a 6-foot distance of course) for what was sure to be nothing less than a thrilling head-to-head. The first quarter ended with a score of 13-11 Charleston. But Hackett stayed stuck to the Tigers more firmly than a Lee Press On Nail as they matched Charleston point for point. The Hornets went into halftime down 23-16 but not out.
Senior, Jaren Johnson and Coach Elmore
The third quarter fared the same way as the first half with Hackett being only a few points behind Charleston but as the end drew near, the Tigers managed to keep their lead and seal their spot in the next round with a final score of 53-45 Charleston. “The Hornets dropped a tough one last night. We were in the game all night and could not get timely shots to fall. Was glad we were able to get beat on the court and have a shot though!” Leading the Hornets Hive with two’s as far as the eye could see, was Ethan Slavens with 12 points. Following with 9 points each were the Three’s King’s, Cole Ketchum, and Jake Fisher along with Fischer Shipman with 6. Cash Oliver earned 7 points by honing in on his hoop vision. And rounding out with 2 points was hardwood hit-man, Austin Cowell.
Senior, Fischer Shipman and Coach Elmore
“I am proud of our team. Covid, injuries, and other circumstances did not deter us from our work ethic. I am looking forward to the promising future of Hornet basketball and am ready to get to work immediately.” The Hackett Hornets will be bidding adieu to seniors, Fischer Shipman, Jaren Johnson, Ty Smith, and Aidan Nobles. “This year, senior, Fischer Shipman, did a great job of coming into our locker room and being a leader. I look for a couple of guys to take the leadership role next season and really expand on its meaning. I want someone to take over the locker room and create an atmosphere that transfers over to the court.” Coach Elmore will be returning four starters next season, many key bench players, and a very athletic 9th-grade group coming up.
Senior, Aidan Nobles and Coach Elmore
Cash Oliver finished the season averaging 17.9 points. Fischer Shipman led the team with an average of 2.3 deflections a game. Jake Fisher led the team on both offensive and defensive rebounds with an average of 6.7 rebounds a game. And Ty Smith led the Hornets with 17 total charges taken. “I’m excited because since being hired, this will be the first time that our basketball team will get to go through an off-season together. I believe that in the off-season, the guys will start to progress and become better basketball players in ways they never thought they could!”
Senior, Ty Smith and Coach Elmore
Game photos courtesy of Ronni Tate Young and senior photos courtesy of Mandy Foster
The Mansfield Tigers and Magazine Rattlers put on the show of all shows on Monday, February 22. The Tigers had fallen short in both previous epic battles with the Rattlers earlier in the season by a combined scoring gap of 10 points. Down two games to the Rattlers and playing in Magazines Snake Den wasn’t going to be easy on Mansfield’s confidence going into their District Tournament matchup. But Mansfield didn’t back down and after a 62-55 overtime win, the Tigers now have their first Regional Tournament bid in 3 years.
Codi Chick
The atmosphere was electric leading up to tip-off and the Tiger faithful began thundering their cheers. Unfortunately, it would take more than cheers for the Tigers to pull off a miracle in Magazine. Mansfield was off the mark offensively and tried too hard to force passes down low which lead to turnovers. The Tigers were content on getting to the backboards, but the Rattlers’ defense was playing solid physical basketball and owning Mansfield in the paint. The off the mark shots and turnovers gave Magazine an early 16-10 lead over the Tigers at the end of the 1st quarter.
Tyler Escalante
Down by six points, Mansfield had to rethink their game plan on both offense and defense. The Tigers still had issues getting into the paint for power plays, so they began to pick Magazine off from just inside the perimeter with short jump shots. The success of this new plan limited the Rattler’s ability to create turnovers and eventually slow their offense down. This shifted momentum in the Tiger’s favor allowing Codi Chic and Ethan Pettus to hit a few threes just before the half. Mansfield outscored Magazine 11 to 9 in the 2nd quarter but still found themselves down as they walked into halftime staring at a 25-21 Magazine lead.
Going into the 3rd quarter, Tigers fans began to soak in the belief of a third loss to the Rattlers as Mansfield allowed frustration, foul trouble, and poor decision making to take its toll on the team. Without their heads in the game, Magazine stepped ahead of the Tigers at the end of the 3rd with a score of 38-32. Everyone knows that the 4th quarter is where games are won though and the Tigers were not going to be denied this time. As the teams went back and forth in court warfare, the Tigers gained their first lead of the game. That was short-lived though as Magazine took the lead back on their next possession forcing the Tigers to foul to stop the clock. As the clock ticked down, so did Mansfield’s chances of victory.
JoJo Bailey
In a last-ditch effort with seconds left in the game and the score sitting 48-45 Magazine, Codi Chick took a contested shot from the three-point range and doinked the ball off the rim. Game Ove…………wait! Pettus snatched the deep rebound outside the three-point range and shot the loudest swish ever that echoed throughout the gymnasium as the Tigers tied the game up 48-48 with only 0.5 seconds left on the clock. It was time. Time for Overtime! “The shot was originally meant for Codi Chick but when I got the rebound, I knew we didn’t have time to set up another shot so I had to just shoot it. It was definitely blind luck,” explained Pettus.
Bri Sanderson
Overtime with two monster teams who play physical basketball with literally their seasons on the line. Yeah, it was that kind of OT as both teams scored, rebounded, bumped, and fouled for four minutes of pure chaos. Mansfield would shoot and score only to have the Rattlers do the same. It was the clock though that brought the final score to what it was. With time running out, Magazine was forced to foul to stop the clock sending Mansfield to the free-throw line. The Tigers made good work of their shots and ended the game with a 62-55 win.
Clint Stovall
“We lost to Magazine at their place when we were down a lot of players and lost to them at our place when we had just gotten everyone back but not much time to work together. So our guys practiced hard and with confidence leading up to this game” stated Head Coach, Keith Stovall. “We knew their #55 (Cameron Raggio) would be hard to stop but our strategy was to keep single coverage on him. Our defense stayed disciplined by doing this and kept Magazine from getting easy spot-up threes. We also knew that we had to do a much better job of patience in our offense and get higher percentage shots which we accomplished tonight.”
Coaches Stovall and Bryan with the Tigers
Scoring for the Tigers was Codi Chick with 26, JoJo Bailey with 12, Ethan Pettus with 9, Bri Sanderson with 6, Zayne Dugan with 5, and Tyler Escalante with 4. When asked what has brought on his late-season improvements, Pettus responded, “Honestly, I just want to win. We didn’t have the season that we necessarily wanted but this is our chance to win it all and I want to take advantage of that.” The Miracle at Magazine will be one that will be remembered for years to come, but the Sr Tigers are already past that game and looking forward as they must prepare quickly for another physical team. Mansfield will now travel from the Snake Pit to the Dragons Lair on Thursday, February 25th to take on the #1 seeded Mountainburg Dragons in the District Semi-Finals. And how does Ethan plan to achieve success in Mountainburg’s hostile environment? “We just need to follow our coach’s game plan to the best of our ability!” This match-up will kick off at 7:30 pm.
My husband is on a low-sodium diet. I love salt. This has been an adjustment for me as the primary cook in the relationship. While I can add seasoning after cooking, it is alarming how much sodium one can take in without realizing it. Before he made the switch we were taking in a startling amount of sodium.
In researching the link between blood pressure and foods I found the Mediterranean diet is one of the healthiest out there. People in the Mediterranean eat healthier because healthy food is more readily available. Chickpeas, fish, extra virgin olive oil, whole grains, and olives completed my grocery list. A stark difference from the fatty foods I was used to cooking.
This new diet also taught me something- I like fish. Before now, my palate did not appreciate the fish located in Arkansas. I would turn up my nose at Bass and Catfish, I could however stomach Crappie; only if cooked a certain way and very rarely. Now that we have been experimenting and trying new things I’ve developed a taste for many tropical fish and delight in serving them up.
Mahi-Mahi is a low sodium, white flaky fish. I personally adore anything with garlic, and due to not being able to add salt we have instead turned to lemon to add some zest and pizazz to our meals.
Ingredients–
-4 Mahi-Mahi filets
-Lemon Pepper (to taste)
-1/4 cup minced garlic
-4 tbsp lemon juice
-1 tbsp olive oil
-4 tbsp butter
Directions
1. Pat the Mahi-Mahi dry and generously season with lemon pepper.
2. Add olive oil to a large pan, set on medium-high heat. Once the oil is heated gently add the filets. Cook undisturbed approximately four minutes, or until bottom is golden brown and fish is cooked about halfway through. Flip and allow to cook completely through (2-4 minutes depending on thickness). Remove from pan and place on plate.
Cooked filets waiting on then lemon garlic sauce.
3. Add butter and lemon juice to pan, heat until butter is melted and bubbly. Add garlic, cook until lightly golden.
4. Spoon lemon, butter, garlic mixture over prepared fish and serve.
Garnish with lemon slices for serving. I didn’t plan this recipe before going grocery shopping, so mine is without any fancy garnishes. I served with cheesy cauliflower rice which made for a very light meal.
The Office of Sebastian County Prosecutor, Daniel Shue, issued a release on Monday evening detailing the charges in the alleged home invasion case, which left one man dead and another seriously injured.
In his release, Shue stated that Jeffery Allen Workman, 46, and Jennifer Renee Martin, 39, have been charged in Sebastian County Circuit Court with murder in the first degree, class “Y” felony, and aggravated residential burglary, class “Y” felony. Additionally, Workman has also been charged with battery in the first degree, class “B” felony, possession of firearms by certain persons, class “B” felony, and habitual offender.
The Sebastian County Sheriff’s Office was dispatched to the apartments located at 301 Plum St. in Hackett on Sunday, February 14. Once officers arrived, they identified one victim, Stephen Basham, deceased, and another victim, David Crone, with major head trauma.
Investigators conducted interviews and developed Martin as a suspect. Officers detained her and Workman in Fort Smith for questioning. Investigators then followed up leads and conducted search warrants at a residence on Texas Road in Fort Smith. Investigators then recovered a baseball bat that was used in this crime and a 9mm handgun that matches the shell casings left at the homicide scene. Investigators then obtained a statement from a subject implicating Workman as the person who brought the baseball bat and the handgun to the residence earlier that morning.
No bond has been set for Workman, and Martin’s bond has been set at $150,000 cash only. Both defendants will be arraigned on these charges on February 24 at 8:30 a.m.
Pictured is Dylan and Austin Cluck with their aunt, Robin Finleywho is also a former Basketball Coach and Athletic Director.
Contributed by Robin Finley
Many of us are enjoying basketball this time of year. We see the basketball athletes getting to engage in competition, hear the cheers and jeers of the crowd, and experience the ups and downs of our favorite local teams. This season has been so much more than that for two young men and all those who prayed for them. Senior, Austin Cluck, and junior, Dylan Cluck are solid high school basketball players, playing for Cedarville High School. When you know their story, you might have a tough time not cheering for the underdogs, even if you are from the opposing team.
#20 Austin Cluck
You see, Austin and Dylan were in a potentially fatal car wreck in July of 2019, on their way home from the gym. They spent many days in the hospital recovering from their injuries. Hundreds of people prayed for the recovery of both young men. But let’s go back in time when the boys were in second and third grade. You would find them playing Little League Basketball in Cedarville with their dad, Frank Cluck, coaching them. Their dad coached all their little league teams and has coached their travel teams every year since they started.
Dylan Cluck
Coach Cluck coached high school basketball for several years but wanted to be available to coach his own sons as they grew up, so he took a job away from coaching high school players. Austin and Dylan played many, many games growing up and enjoyed the fellowship of their friends with whom they played ball with. Both boys not only having dreams to play ball in high school but also dreams of college play. Both enjoyed successful years during junior high, playing at Alma.
Austin had a successful sophomore year and was looking forward to his junior year while Dylan was looking forward to his sophomore year, where once again they could play on the same team together. Then on just a regular day, the boys were in a tragic car wreck. So many people prayed for these two young men as the news was not good. With each day the boys improved; it was a long journey with gradual signs of improvement. Austin, surprisingly, was able to play ball his junior year; he amazed us all. Dylan, still improving from his injuries was not able to play his sophomore year.
Austin Cluck
Dylan and Austin had looked forward to playing together on a team during their high school years. Now, they are typical brothers; they get into arguments with each other but will fight you if you come against a brother. Their relationship gained great strength as they both navigated their way through recovery. It seemed that the brothers might not get to be teammates for Austin’s senior year. But once again, God had other plans. Now let’s get back to this season.
Dylan Cluck
Show up to any Cedarville basketball game and you will see Austin and Dylan Cluck once again playing the sport they love on the same team with their dad, Coach Cluck (who came out of retirement to be their coach) leading the ship. Both Cluck boys have had a successful season if you are looking at it from the outside. But if you have been on this journey with the boys, on the inside, praying for their recovery then you see something quite different than a successful season. You will see a miracle season! As I watch these two young men play, I usually shed at least a few tears each game thinking about their journey and that I am watching a miracle in action.
Fort Smith, AR— February 22, 2021— 100 Families is an initiative of the United Way of Fort Smith Area, in collaboration with Restore Hope Arkansas. This initiative helps families move from crisis to career, using existing community resources, by engaging community partners, training agencies on a collaborative case management system, and recruiting case managers to respond when a family is in crisis.
“The role and involvement of the United Way of Fort Smith Area has grown with Restore Hope as the 100 Families Initiative program has grown. We were honored to be able to become the official home for 100 Families and work to obtain a grant in May of 2020 for $1.67M through the Arkansas Department of Work Force Services (ADWS). The partnership between Restore Hope, ADWS, and numerous other community partners, has helped countless individuals and families in our community to move from crisis to care and care to career. The collective impact has been truly remarkable changing lives one family at a time.” said Eddie Lee Herndon, President and CEO, United Way of Fort Smith Area.
The 100 Families Initiative launched in Sebastian County in February 2019 through the efforts of Restore Hope with the goal of bringing the community together in response to the needs of families in crisis. Two years later, the results of these efforts are evident in the many families that have achieved lasting success through this community collaboration.
This virtual event will be a celebration of the hard work and dedication of the members of the 100 Families Alliance and the families themselves who have worked to turn their lives around. In addition, Eddie Lee Herndon will be sharing exciting information about what is ahead.
“I’m honored to have been a part of 100 Families since the launch and to see firsthand the impact that it’s had. This work can be difficult, and we don’t often pause to celebrate the successes. I’m thrilled to be able to celebrate with such an incredible group of people, and I’m excited to see what the future of 100 Families will bring”, said Heather Edwards, 100 Families Sebastian County Coordinator.
Participants at the event will be: -Paul Chapman, Executive Director, Restore Hope -Dr. Ken Warden, Dean of the College of Applied Science and Technology, UAFS -Chief Danny Baker, Fort Smith Police Department -Sheriff Hobe Runion, Sebastian County Sheriff’s Department -Pat Morris, Coordinator of Community Outreach and Fund Development, Mercy Hospital -Christina Rouse, Director of Community Health, Mercy -Eddie Lee Herndon, President and CEO, United Way of Fort Smith Area -Trudy Smith, Case Manager, STEPS Family Resource Center -100 Families Clients
Arresting Agency – Sebastian County Sheriff’s Office: Zachary Reese Claude of Greenwood was booked into the Sebastian County Detention Center on February 20 at 6:26 p.m. and released on signature bond February 20 at 10:55 p.m. Claude was charged with public intoxication – danger to self or others.
Arresting Agency – Greenwood Police Department: Doyle Matthew Fuller of Greenwood was booked into the Sebastian County Detention Center on February 20 at 1:45 p.m. and remains at the SCADC. Fuller was charged with breaking or entering – catchall, a class D felony.
Robert V Olsen of Greenwood was booked into the Sebastian County Detention Center on February 14 at 3:20 p.m. and released on signature bond February 14 at 8:47 p.m. Olsen was charged with contempt – willful disobedience (failure to pay fine), contempt of court (child support), FTAS, FTRespond subpoena FTComply WCO, and public intoxication – danger to self or others.
Jeremy Koreme Serbout of Greenwood was booked into the Sebastian County Detention Center on February 16 at 9:59 p.m. and released on legally sufficient bond February 17 at 9:45 a.m. Serbout was charged with domestic battering in the third degree – purposely, and refusal to submit to arrest – misdemeanor.
**The charges against those arrested are allegations and the cases are still pending in the courts.**
Before I begin let me just say this is not the end all be all “everything you need” diaper bag checklist. This is absolutely my bare minimum list for leaving the house with 2 children. I have a three year old who is somewhat potty trained and an 8 month old. This is my list that works for me and if you are looking for ideas I think it will help you too! I also do not repack or go through it often. If the kids go up a size or I see we are out of diapers that’s when I will repack. However, I try to just periodically throw more diapers in to be safe.
1. Clothes- I have at least 4 things for each child- pants, long sleeve shirt, short sleeve shirt, and socks. Currently Jensen also has a sleeveless shirt, and since it is cold weather still both kids have jackets packed that will cycle out come late spring. I also have a hat that fits the baby.
2. Snacks, anything that’s portable and can last a while works. I keep 5-6, simply because I don’t want to have to worry about my bag every trip- I set it and forget it for a couple months at a time.
3. Entertainment- the baby is big on toys, my older boy is less so. We have board books so they are easy to disinfect. We also have a Water Wow book because the older one finds them fascinating. Plus a couple sheets of stickers and a coloring book to stick them on.
4. Diaper trash bags- these may not seem essential, but I’m not a fan of stinking up my loved ones houses with poop diapers. So if we are visiting someone I like to throw the stinky diapers in the green bags pictured that contains the smell. Dollar tree carries them and they are so helpful!
5. Feeding essentials- I have a little container for formula that I can premeasure formula into that makes it super easy to make bottles on the go. It is not pictured above. I also carry baby spoons, a mesh bag just in case, a real bib and a slew of disposable bibs. The disposable bibs and spoons are also Dollar Tree finds and great to have on hand! I also carry a bottle of water to make bottles or fill the water wow pen I mentioned.
6. Of course- diapers/pull ups and wipes. I also have an extra pair of undies for the big one. I keep them in a gallon zip lock bag because it makes them so much faster to grab when I’m trying to change a squirmy child.
I throw my car hand sanitizer in my bag anytime I am in a store or somewhere out and about, although I will likely add sanitizing wipes as soon as I can find some. Depending on where we are going I also grab some baby puffs as both kids enjoy them, but it’s not something I deem essential for every trip. I also don’t carry a changing pad, I have one that lives in my car. I do not change the boys in public bathrooms because of germs. However, a changing pad is always a good idea!
