Sebastian County Circuit Clerk Susie Hassett Seeks Re-Election
Sebastian County Circuit Clerk, Susie Hassett announces her candidacy for re-election in the upcoming 2026 election. Hassett is currently in her first term and states “it has been extremely gratifying.”
“I enjoy working with our Judges, court staff and my office personnel,” said Hassett. “During my tenue, the office has moved to become almost totally paperless helping to assist attorneys in the efficient and timely filing of court documents,” she added.
Always conscience of serving the citizens of Sebastian County, the Circuit Clerk’s office continues to work to digitize older court cases giving the public and title companies easy access online. “I believe the digitizing will provide easier access to the court records for everyone and maintain the life of the court records,” Hassett stated. Hassett added that she appreciated the work and support of all county staff and officials in getting this job accomplished.
I have dedicated my life to public service – serving the citizens of Sebastian County for 35 years, working both in the clerk’s office as well as leading the office. “Every day brings new and exciting challenges. You can always count on learning something new,” Hassett added.
Dedication and commitment are the guiding principles that the office values making sure the court records are kept current and the courts run smoothly.
I am and will continue to be a hands-on Circuit Clerk, serving with passion – always available to the public, court staff and attorneys for any questions, concerns or conflicts that may arise,” Hassett pledged.
I ask for your continued support March 3, 2026, to continue to serve as your Sebastian County Circuit Clerk.
Davis Announces Bid for Sebastian County Coroner
My name is Jackie Davis, and I am honored to announce my candidacy for Sebastian County Coroner. With over 40 years of combined experience in funeral service, emergency medical care, and law enforcement, I bring a deep commitment to serving our community with professionalism, compassion, and integrity.
My journey began in 1983 at McConnell Funeral Home, where I started working while still in high school. I graduated from Greenwood High School in 1984, became a licensed funeral director in 1986, and a licensed mortician in 1987. Today, I serve as General Manager of McConnell Funeral Home in Greenwood, Edwards Funeral Home in Fort Smith, and Edwards Van Alma in Van Buren.
In 1985, I was appointed Deputy Coroner under Lyle Johnson and continued in that role under Coroner Rev. A.J. Parrish until 2001. My time in the Coroner’s Office gave me firsthand experience in death investigation and the importance of treating every case with dignity and care.
To further my knowledge in this field, I completed both the Basic and Masters Medico legal Death Investigators Training Courses through the St. Louis University School of Medicine, a nationally recognized program in the field of forensic and death investigation.
In 1999, I joined the Sebastian County Sheriff’s Office and later graduated from the Arkansas Law Enforcement Training Academy in 2001. I served as a K9 officer in the drug interdiction unit, working my way to the rank of Sergeant. I was also a member of the Sebastian County SWAT team for several years and served as a law enforcement instructor and coordinator for the Reserve Academy, overseeing the training of approximately 75 reserve deputies.
In addition, I served as an EMT with Sebastian County EMS, further strengthening my understanding of emergency response and medical care.
In 2016, I was elected to the Sebastian County Quorum Court as Justice of the Peace for District 2, a role I’ve proudly held for the past nine years. I also serve as a board member of the Nurses Honor Guard of the River Valley since its founding in 2022, and as Board Member and Secretary-Treasurer of the Milton-Washburn Public Water Authority.
My wife, Heather, and I have been married for 16 years and are the proud parents of two sons, Parker and Jaxson. I am the son of the late Robbie and Luke Davis of Greenwood, Arkansas.
With a lifetime of service across multiple sectors—funeral care, emergency response, and public safety—I am uniquely qualified to serve as your next Sebastian County Coroner. I respectfully ask for your support and your vote.
Jackie Davis Candidate for Sebastian County Coroner
“Just Roll with It” Serving up Recipes and Humor
By Sheri Hopkins, Lifestyle Contributor
Hello everyone! I love this weather, and I’ve already got the Halloween blow-ups out! I’ve stocked up with eight cases of cotton candy, Airheads, Sour Punch Straws, Fun Dip, and Ring Pops — I’m ready for all the little trick-or-treaters! I can’t wait. I’ve always loved Halloween. I used to dress up and take my nephews, Michael and Jason, and their sister, Kelly. We had so much fun. Back in the old days, you could give kids popcorn balls, brownies, apples, cookies — all the homemade goodies.
I’ve told y’all before about the time we went to a house that gave us a treat wrapped in tin foil. We couldn’t wait to get home because we just knew it had a brownie in it. Well… we were wrong! When we unwrapped it, it was cornbread. Boy, were we disappointed! The older me would be tickled for a piece of cornbread now.
Y’all know about my weird son, Jacob — the one who wouldn’t take his father’s ashes to Alaska. He never liked Halloween. I mean, I’ve loved Halloween my whole life, and he’s never liked it! I’d get him the best costumes, and he wouldn’t go trick-or-treating. I’d drag him to houses, but I finally gave up — it wasn’t worth the fight. He’d throw a fit and refuse to go. If he hadn’t been the only baby in the nursery when he was born, I’d think he was switched at birth! He was born in a tiny hospital in Mena, Arkansas. He was the only baby there, and they even hired a nurse to come in just to take care of him. You sure don’t get that kind of treatment nowadays! But that’s a whole other story.
Back when I was young, we had a wonderful childhood. My siblings and I have so many good memories. I still remember all our appliances came from Sears — the fridge was gold, the washer and dryer were gold, and then there was that big old Kenmore canister vacuum cleaner. Honey, that thing was an albatross! It had those bags inside it, and my mother refused to get an upright because you couldn’t vacuum under beds or furniture with one. One of our chores was vacuuming and dusting, and I hated both. Dragging that heavy vacuum from room to room was awful. I think that’s why I hate vacuuming to this day — it’s my mother’s fault for having that big thing! I’m not sure I even know how to run a vacuum… just kidding, but I still don’t like to!
It’s been a busy week for me, but I’ll have more stories next week. I’ll leave y’all with one of my Aunt Royce’s sayings they found after she passed: “Gossip is like mud thrown against a clean wall — it may not stick, but it will leave its mark.” Have a wonderful week!
CAKE MIX BANANA BREAD
1 box yellow cake mix
3 eggs
1/3 cup oil
3-5 mashed ripe bananas (they must be ripe)
1 cup chopped nuts.
Preheat the oven to 350-degree, grease two loaf pans. Mix all the ingredients together until well blended and then stir in the nuts and then divide between the two loaf pans. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let it cool and remove from the pan. I always wrap my bread in Saran Wrap. If you are going to freeze, wrap in saran wrap and foil. You can substitute the yellow cake mix for a spice cake mix or a banana cake mix.
Free deer tags available for youth deer hunters
By Randy Zellers
LITTLE ROCK — Arkansas’s first youth deer hunt of the 2025-26 hunting season is Nov. 1-2, and the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission is reminding all hunters to update their mobile app and download their youth hunter’s free deer tags to ensure an enjoyable hunt and smooth game-checking experience after the shot.
“Youth deer hunters need to have their own tags and account at agfc.com, and the process is pretty straightforward through the website or the mobile app,” Kyle Curry, an assistant chief of the AGFC’s Information Technology division. “You can also go to a license dealer and make sure their licenses and tags are up-to-date, but it’s easy to do online yourself. The biggest place where people get hung up is if they are trying to get the tags through the adult’s account. The youth tags will not show up as an option unless you’re logged in under the youth’s account.”
- Visit www.agfc.com and click “Get a License” on the top right-hand corner of the website and choose the Resident Youth Deer Tags (#YDT) or Nonresident Youth Deer Tags (#YDTN), depending on your residency. Both options are free.
- Click the prompt to “Buy Now,” and you will be asked to log in using your youth’s login information. If your youth hunter does not already have an account from previous years, you will need to create an account for them.
- Youth licensing options only appear under youth accounts, so if your youth hunter already has an account from previous years, be sure to sign in under their account. If you’ve never set up an account for your new hunter, click the “Create an Account” button to set them up.
Smartphone users can also link their youth hunter’s account to their profile in the AGFC app.
- Log in to the app using your account and click the profile button (the circle in the top right corner with your initials in it).
- Click “Profiles and Users.” Click “Manage Linked Users,” then click “Link a User.”
- Search for your youth’s customer profile using the prompts on-screen. When you have confirmed the account found is correct, click “Connect as Guardian.”
- You may now switch between your account and the youth account to procure tags, apply for special hunts, and check deer and other game.
Youths must check harvested deer just like adults. They may use the mobile app, www.agfc.com or call 833-289-2469 to check their deer at the location of harvest. If their deer remains within their immediate vicinity until it is home, it does not need to be tagged with a physical tag. If you are unable to immediately check your deer through one of the three options (app, website or phone), you must place a temporary physical tag on the deer indicating the hunter’s name, customer identification number, date, time, zone or WMA of harvest and the method they used. This paper tag must stay with the deer until it is checked. Hunters have 12 hours after the time of harvest to check their deer.
Hunters must be 6 to 15 years old to participate in Arkansas’s youth deer hunts. In addition to deer tags, a youth who has not yet passed their Hunter Education course must be in the direct supervision (within arm’s reach) of a licensed mentor. The mentor may call or rattle for the youth and assist in game recovery, but may not take any direct hunting action, such as aiming or firing the firearm. Mentors may not hunt other game species while accompanying the youth hunter.
Youths who have passed Hunter Education may legally hunt without a mentor at their parent’s or guardian’s discretion.
Visit www.agfc.com/deer to learn more about deer hunting in Arkansas.