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UPDATE: AAA Moves Dates of Regional Baketball Tournaments; Allows District Tournaments to Be Played

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UPDATE: AAA Moves Dates of Regional Baketball Tournaments; Allows District Tournaments to Be Played

In a move that can best be described as the year of 2020-21, the Arkansas Activities Association (AAA) released a statement approximately one hour ago announcing that it has moved regional tournaments back one week that were originally scheduled to be played next week. The move by the AAA will allow districts to complete their tournaments that had been cancelled by the conferences in some cases.

Click on the AAA logo to read new schedule for regional tournaments (Resident Press)

For member schools of the 3A-4 conference and their players and fans, the action by the AAA alleviates their concern over the controversial decision by the conference to cancel the remainder of the tournament and send the top four season finishers to regionals. The conference made the decision to cancel the remainder of the district tournament on Wednesday of this week with a forecast of temperatures rising above freezing on Friday and into the 40s on Saturday. Fans and their teams have not understood why the conference seemingly rushed on Wednesday to cancel the tournament rather than wait until at least Thursday or Friday to make the decision.

In another controversial aspect of the decision to cancel, the 3A-4 administrators voted to cancel the tournament when the top four seeds had no reason to vote to play and possibly jeopardize their seedings or entry into the regional tournament. For a majority vote of the six remaining teams in the tournament, the five and six seed schools needed both of them to vote for playing and at least two of the top four seeds to vote to play. In reality, that would never happen. Today’s action by the AAA remedies both situations and places the seedings and the entries into the tournaments back on the court to be decided.

The 3A-4’s decision to cancel the tournament and now the following AAA directive to reschedule also puts schools in the regional that are members of another conference in a position to now wait a week before they can play. In short, the 3A-4’s decision affected not only their schools but others as well. This is similar to the AAA’s decision to allow all schools to be eligible in football playoffs, and the resulting effect was for the entire state to wait a week for three schools across the state to play first round games who would not have qualified for the playoffs.

Resident Press reached out to the AAA today but was unable to reach anyone at their office. A recording announced that their office was closed due to inclement weather.

As soon as more information is known regarding the new dates for the remainder of the 3A-4 tournament, Resident Press will update you with the latest information.

AAA Moves Basketball Tournaments

Megan Hecox
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AAA Moves Basketball Tournaments

Press Release:

North Little Rock – The Arkansas Activities Association will be moving the Regional Basketball Tournaments, the State Basketball Tournaments, and the State Basketball Finals back one week to allow conferences to finish their regular seasons and tournaments. Due to the amount of COVID-19 cancellations during the regular season, a conference tournament may be needed for correct seeding into the regional and state tournaments. Schools and conferences will need to check the updated deadlines for submitting their final seeds to the AAA. The AAA is committed to finding the most equitable solution when dealing with COVID-19 related no-contest and with unprecedented weather conditions that prevent the timely completion of the season.

New Tournament Dates

Regional Tournament Dates:

1A, 2A, 3A, & 4A – March 3-6

State Tournament Dates:

1A, 2A, 3A, and 5A – March 8-15

4A and 6A – March 9-13

State Basketball Finals:

March 18-20

Fire Destroys Waldron Apartments

Tammy Teague
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Fire Destroys Waldron Apartments

Around 10 p.m. on the evening of Thursday, February 18, the Waldron City Fire Department was dispatched to the scene of a multi-dwelling structure fire on Elm Street.

According to Waldron City Fire Chief Ken Overturf, the single-story, multi-family unit housed four families. “We were on the scene within three or four minutes, and the fire was already coming through the roof in several places.” Chief Overturf speculated that the fire started somewhere in the attic.

The four Garden Walk apartments were deemed a total loss. There were, however, no injuries.

The Red Cross responded and aided the displaced families. There is a donation site set up at Current Church, 1022 Hwy. 71 N. in Waldron for those affected.

How To Salvage Valuables After Flooding

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How To Salvage Valuables After Flooding

A flood is a devastating experience that many homeowners must navigate before their residence is safe to reinhabit. Between the damage to the home and the risk of fungal growth, it’s easy to forget just how crucial the first 48 hours are for preserving your possessions. Here’s a look at how to salvage valuables after flooding to protect everything you’ve worked so hard for.

Prioritize

The first step in returning your items to their previous conditions is to prioritize the things you are attempting to preserve. Many items offer a limited window of opportunity for recovery after a flood. Focus on the documents, objects, and photos that cannot be easily replaced. Sentimental and heirloom items should also receive special consideration.

Air-Drying

After cutting off the source of the flood, you want to air-dry as many of your things as possible. If the weather allows for it, open your windows and spread items out to dry. Placing items in sunlight or running a hairdryer over them might cause more harm than good, so it’s best not to explore those options.

Documents

There are many places where water damage can strike your home, but it’s a safe bet that flooding will hit wherever you keep your essential documents and records. You can salvage many vital documents from flooding if you quickly remove them from sitting water. Remove staples and paper clips, spreading each page out and allowing them to dry. For documents where this isn’t possible, try to spread the pages and place absorbent papers between them.

Photos

Most photos taken today are backed up digitally, but many homes have older photographs in physical albums that aren’t backed up. The best way to recover pictures is to rinse them in clean water before placing them on a towel or hanging them with clothespins to air-dry. It’s vital that you keep the photos from touching any dry surfaces until the recovery process is complete.

Cold Storage

Dealing with the ramifications of flooding may not leave enough opportunity to save everything within the first 48 hours. A tip for how to salvage valuables after flooding is to place items that are lower on the priority list into cold storage. This allows you to begin restoration efforts on your own time. Cold storage prevents mold from growing and can stop the ink from running off the page. After the urgent items are handled, you can then double back to what was placed in cold storage.

Ways To Celebrate Buying a Home

Resident News Network
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Ways To Celebrate Buying a Home

You’ve signed the mortgage papers, moved in all your boxes, and maybe even popped some bubbly—but the celebration doesn’t have to stop there. If you are looking for more ways to celebrate buying a home, think about the memories you want to create in your house. The point is to have a good time whether you want to fill the place with all your favorite people or all your favorite things.

Getting off on the right foot after buying a house is pertinent. Kickstart life in your new place properly with these memory-making tips that will make you feel right at home.

Throw a Housewarming Party

A timeless way to commemorate the purchase of your new home is by throwing a party. A housewarming party fills your new home with good memories and positive vibes to last a lifetime. Even if you are social distancing, you can host a virtual housewarming event to allow your loved ones to see your new place. Once you decide on a date and time, send invitations by mail or via the internet. Sending invitations is also a wonderful way to announce you have moved.

Top Tip: Use treats like baked goods or candies to invite neighbors to your housewarming party. Get to know everyone on your street!

Update Interior Rooms

Bring a modern design to your living room with ergonomic furniture, a full entertainment system, or contemporary artwork. Never negate your style and preferences when choosing pieces to include in your home. Whether it’s a television or sectional you’ve had your eye on for a while, purchasing something new is a great way to celebrate buying a home.

Take Photos in Front Of Your Home

If the photos you saw—and shared with some friends and family—before you bought your home are the only ones you have, you might celebrate moving in and unpacking by taking additional pictures. Take photos you want to share with friends and family online. Include a photo of the household standing somewhere significant such as:

  • in front of the house
  • in the yard
  • on the porch
  • in front of the fireplace
  • near a window with a beautiful view
  • on the couch
  • around the table

Check Out Your Neighborhood

Schedule time to explore your new neighborhood and the greater community. If there are sidewalks near your house, you can take a walking tour. Get in the car and go on an adventure to find out what kind of things there are to do near you. You can also use the internet to discover the location of nearby parks, restaurants, and event venues.

Buying a new house is a life event. Include your friends and family in your big moment by hosting a party or taking photos. Settle into your space by upgrading the decorations and exploring your community. No matter what type of neighborhood or house you move to, you can find a plethora of ways to celebrate buying your home.

Timepiece: Downtown, the Happening Place

Tammy Teague
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Timepiece: Downtown, the Happening Place

By Dr. Curtis Varnell

Downtown was where it was happening; especially on Saturdays.  Everyone from the surrounding countryside congregated down main street or around the centers of the small towns that dotted the River Valley.  The parking meters were paid up, every slot occupied with people wandering up from scattered lots blocks away.  A few enterprising individuals parked their cars along main the night before, ensuring they had an open spot on the weekend.

It was a shopping day and a time to visit with friends.  Old men sit on benches scattered along the street talking about old times and spitting chewing tobacco into nearby spittoons.  People wandered into and out of the courthouse, conducting business or checking out books in the basement library.  On the corner, a Pentecostal preacher had his Bible opened while he extolled the passer-by about the good life. 

Business in the stores was brisk.  Each store specialized in particular needs and carried every imaginable product within their specialty. Western Auto, Ben Franklin’s, and Sterling’s catered to those needing appliances, household goods, and toys.  Other stores contained furniture, clothing, and hardware.  Generally, several grocery stores were open and customers lined up to purchase twenty-five-pound sacks of flour plus quantities of sugar, coffee, and lard.  If money was sufficient, purchases might include boxed cereal, pet milk, peanut butter, fruit, fruit, and hard-candy.  Many of the customers raised much of their own food supplemented by government commodities.

For some, it was a day to visit the doctor whose office was located above the drug store, allowing one-stop medical care for the ill.  There were brisk sales of campho phenique, Carter’s liver pills, castor oil, Pepto-Bismol, milk of magnesia, and B.C. powder.  Teenagers hang out at the soda-fountain below waiting on a soda or just visiting.

For a quarter or less, the same kids, plus many adults, would head to the theater for an evening matinee or wait till nightfall to take the entire family to the drive-in.  Westerns and horror shows were the genre of the day and I can still remember a few of them.  Other kids just cruised the streets in their cars, going from one end of town to the other.  Some sit out on their cars at the dairy queen, just hanging out.

Saturdays are just not the same.  Most small towns are deserted on the weekends. The stores, if not boarded up, are closed by noon.  People do their shopping in the huge shopping centers at the edge of town.  Those stores offer the big sale items but, if you want the basic nuts and bolt items, you have to drive fifty or more miles to a city.  More people than ever are shopping on-line and never even have to leave their homes. 

Charleston, Paris, Ozark, Dardanelle, Mansfield, Booneville, and others are trying to revitalize their downtowns.  I hope for success.  We may have the conveniences but we lack the quality of community life of my forefathers.

Boaters Reminded to Unplug When Trailering Vessels

Tammy Teague
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Boaters Reminded to Unplug When Trailering Vessels

Anglers and hunters and other boaters who use the state’s waterways are being reminded by the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission’s Fisheries Division of a new regulation that took effect Jan. 1, 2021, requiring all boat drain plugs to be removed before and during trailering of vessels to and from access facilities on lakes, rivers and streams.

This includes plugs for live wells, ballast tanks and the like.

There are a couple of exceptions to the regulation, however. Fishing tournament officials may submit a request to the AGFC Fisheries Division for written permission to allow for the transport of fish to an offsite weigh station. All tournament participants must be given a copy of the permit. Also, transportation of baitfish is allowed in compliance with Code 26.27 of the AGFC’s Code of Regulations.

A similar boat plug regulation was already in place in 21 other states to help stop the spread of aquatic nuisance species, and the new AGFC rule was part of an extensive list of regulations recommended by the Fisheries Division and approved by the Commission in 2020, to take effect beginning Jan. 1.

Aquatic nuisance species such as silver carp, giant salvinia, zebra mussels and others continue to spread across waterbodies in Arkansas, and the AGFC has as its mission a responsibility to put mechanisms in place to slow the spread. The boat plug removal regulation is one of many actions the AGFC has undertaken recently.

But the AGFC notes that at the end of the day, all boaters in Arkansas (including recreational boaters) can have the greatest impact on slowing the spread of aquatic nuisance species to other waterbodies in the state. Please help with the simple removal of any plugs from a boat that holds water before leaving a boat ramp parking lot.

Also, along with unplugging when trailering your boat, remember also to clean, drain and dry your boat after visiting a lake, river or stream to stop the spread of invasive species to another waterbody. 

To submit paperwork for the fishing tournament exception, email Fisheries Biologist Jeff Buckingham at jeffrey.buckingham@agfc.ar.gov. Note that certain requirements must be met to qualify for an exception.

The updated Code 37.10 of the AGFC’s Code of Regulations reads:

All aquatic vessel drain plug(s), including, but not limited to, bilges, livewells, baitwells and ballast tanks, must be removed before and during trailering of vessel to and from waterbody access facilities.

EXCEPTIONS:

  1. Fishing tournament officials may submit a request to AGFC Fisheries Division for written permission to allow for the transport of fish to an offsite weigh station. All participants must be given a copy of the permit.
  2. Transportation of baitfish is allowed in compliance with Code 26.27.

It is a Class 1 penalty for violation of the new regulation.

Click here to get a downloadable copy of this year’s Arkansas Fishing Guidebook and Arkansas Trout Fishing Guidebook.

Schools’ Archery Score Deadline Extended

Tammy Teague
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Schools’ Archery Score Deadline Extended

The coronavirus pandemic already made the Arkansas National Archery in the Schools Program tournaments – both the February regionals throughout Arkansas and the annual state finals usually staged in Hot Springs the first weekend in March – a virtual affair. Now with a double-whammy of a major winter storm in mid-February, the deadline for qualifying scores from virtual regional tournaments will be delayed a second week, to Wednesday, Feb. 24.

That leaves a quick turnaround for the state tournament to be staged “virtually” on March 2-5, with scores then compiled to determine the best archery teams and shooters in the state in elementary, middle school and high school levels.

“We’re just trying to be as accommodating as we can because everybody has unique circumstances at many schools around the state,” Curtis Gray, the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission’s ANASP coordinator, said.

“We’re trying to make the best we can out of a bad situation.”

The process by which teams advance to state finals remains the same as in previous years. The state is divided into 12 regions. The top two scoring teams from each region move on to the finals, along with the top 12 scores from teams that did not finish first or second in their region, making 36 teams competing in state finals in each of the three divisions. Each team is recording its score in front of a coach or administrator from the school.

Scores are emailed or faxed to Gray, and they are also being entered into a NASP software for virtual shooting. That site is linked at www.agfc.com/ANASP. All scores from the regionals will be available to view on Feb. 25.

“We have tried to make it pretty seamless,” Gray said.
“There’s no way with COVID-19 we could do an in-person regional with all the teams and spectators,” Gray said. “The regionals would have about 2,000-3,000 in attendance at each of 12 locations.  And at Hot Springs, we would have several thousand kids and up to 8,000-10,000 spectators.

“In every school district we hope to have a regional education coordinator or someone from the AGFC to present the awards to the teams and individuals after the State Tournament. The kids are getting robbed not being able to be on the stage at Hot Springs to receive their awards, so we hope to still make it special for them.”

Last year’s ANASP state tournament finished just before the pandemic took hold. COVID-19 protocols that went into effect last spring forced the cancellation of the annual Arkansas Youth Shooting Sports Program tournaments in May and early June, and other events such as the Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation’s Commissioners’ Cup high school fishing event went virtual.

The pandemic has also left many schools teaching online. Gray, noting that some protocols may differ from schools 10 miles apart, says there has been little opportunity for in-person archery training since the fall semester began. The good news, though, is that ANASP has drawn significant interest from students even if many were away from campus.

“We typically have 57,000 students participate in ANASP, and 6,000 kids is usually what we have competing in the tournaments, Gray said. “Our numbers this year, we have 3,000 students competing, so we’re about half. I think that’s pretty good considering everything, like virtual school versus in-person instruction. In a COVID year, to come out with half our numbers is exceptional, I think. I was going in scared that we were only going to have around 50 participate.”

Gray, who says he’s a “glass half-full guy,” is hopeful that ANASP will see a return to normal in-person tournaments in 2022, but he says that a virtual tourney will still provide interest and competition, even around a once-in-a-generation winter storm event and more in the forecast.

“It can always be worse,” he said. “If it was going to happen to us, this was the year for it.”

Manes Featured in Hometown Highlight

Tammy Teague
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Manes Featured in Hometown Highlight

Knowing someone who selflessly gives of themselves is a true blessing. Joe Manes is one of those individuals, and he has spent a lifetime quietly serving others.

Manes, a Greenwood native, and his wife Pam have been married 28 years. The couple has four children, Chris, Megan, Moira, and Wyatt, and nine grandchildren.

“Joe is always doing kind things for people,” Pam Manes shared. “He volunteers his time to lend a helping hand to many. I can’t really name any one thing because this is just something he has always done. We don’t think of it as acts of kindness. It is just who he is.”

Manes, who serves as the Public Works Director for the City of Mansfield, also has a strong work ethic. For example, during this week’s epic snowfall, Manes utilized his personal equipment to improve the conditions of the city’s streets and sidewalks.

He has also had a hand in community projects. For example, the construction of several area blessing boxes.

Simply stated, Manes does a lot. Although we do not know all of your good deeds, we are so honored to recognize you, Joe Manes, in our Hometown Highlight!

We want to recognize ordinary citizens who are doing extraordinary things! Send in your nomination for the Hometown Highlight!

Mansfield’s Public Works Director Joe Manes works to clear snowfall from the city’s streets.
City employee Michael Martin utilizing Manes’ snow blower to clear the sidewalks.

Jr Tigers Leave Opponents Worried About 2022

Megan Hecox
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Jr Tigers Leave Opponents Worried About 2022

Pictured: The Jr Tiger 9th-Graders

The (4-1) Mansfield Jr Tigers closed out their season on Saturday, February 13 in the championship round of the District Tournament as the #2 seed against the Mountainburg Dragons. “It was not the outcome we wanted,” explained Coach Keith Stovall. “But it certainly defined one of my favorite quotes. “If you never quit, you never lose.” We came up short on the scoreboard falling in the end 42-36 to Mountainburg, but the no-quit attitude of these young men will carry them into future championship games.”

Peyton Martin

“Talking with the players after the game, I discovered that for many of them this was the first time they had ever played in a championship game in any sport. It showed itself in the first quarter and with the added problem of not playing in two weeks, Mansfield came out ice cold. As one player described himself, after the game, “his right arm felt heavy from all the nervousness.” Another talked about the extreme butterflies in his stomach. I told him that if you don’t have those, you don’t love the game.”

Travis Tobey

The Tigers ended the first quarter down 17-0. “For a lesser group, the game would have been over. We fought back and outscored Mountainburg 36-25 in the final 3 quarters. Just not quite enough to overcome the 1st quarter. Prior to this game, only one other time this year had a team broke 40 points on this group and you would have to go back to before Christmas for that. Defense was their strongest asset and they were usually outsized in every game.”

Tyler Turnipseed

“This is an excellent group of young men that learned this year what playing with heart meant. They were one of the most coachable groups that I have ever been associated with. They did not miss practice other than quarantine and trusted the process. So very hard to do as we went through some coaching changes over the summer. No heroes in this group. Not one single player you could single out, as an opposing coach, as the guy you have to stop.”

Dakota Langford

“It just seemed like every game, it was someone different stepping up making plays. Yes Sir! was their response to a compliment, a correction, or getting chewed out. That is so hard to beat and usually hard to teach. For these qualities, I thank their parents as they are qualities that are difficult to coach and make all the difference in practice and games. I have not sat down and went through the individual stats that most want to see. We focused on the stats that don’t normally appear in the newspaper.”

#12 Austin Ruiz

“How many times did we pass the ball before taking a shot? Were we more hands than feet on defense? How many second chance opportunities did we give ourselves? How many times did we deflect a pass and disrupt an offense? Stats that are forgotten but the ones that make the difference in winning and losing games. We had consistent perimeter shooting from Travis Tobey, Peyton Martin, and Tyler Turnipseed. The triplets also had the ability to drive the lane and were huge on the boards.”

Zach Hayslip

“Dakota Langford was a strong presence inside and could knock down medium-range jump shots. Zach Hayslip was a strong rebounder and huge interior defensive player. Zach also provided key points inside and around the free-throw line. Moving forward, Mansfield has a solid group of freshmen moving up to senior high next year. Also adding to that freshmen group, if Brandon Segura continues to develop, he could become a strong force inside for Mansfield. Plus strong supporting roles from James Jenkins and Jaxon Heydenreich.”

Coach Stovall with his freshmen starters

“For next year’s Jr High squad, we have a really good group of 8th-Graders ready to step in. Taking over the helm at the point will be Winston Allison. Winston saw a lot of quality minutes in games this year and did a great job, particularly on defense. He will be complemented with a very athletic Austin Ruiz and Aaron Person, and strong rebounding and defender Cameron Pettus. Axle Martin could also step in a big way. His off-season will figure strongly into how he develops. Adding to next season’s Jr High team will be a talented group of 7th-Graders who could find their way to some starting positions. In preparing for next year, after spring break, I plan to take all the basketball players, that are not running track and set aside one day a week for basketball-specific training!”

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