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Mansfield’s City Attorney Retires

Tammy Teague
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Mansfield’s City Attorney Retires

The Mansfield City Council met in regular session on Thursday evening, January 21 at 6 p.m. Council members present were Julie Thomas, James Steele, Sheri Hopkins, Rick McDaniel, and Beverly Lyons. Also present, Mayor Buddy Black and Stephanie Morgan. City Recorder/Treasurer Becky Walker and Councilwoman Jan Carlton were absent.

After the reading and approval of the December meeting minutes and financial statements, the council heard the city services reports.

Public Works Director Joe Manes presented his departmental report, stating the need for a new dual axle trash truck and another department vehicle. The public works department has performed 59 work orders for the month.

Next, Chief Michael Smith gave the fire report. Smith presented a fee proposal of charges for land/home owners who do not pay their fire dues. Under the proposal, the department could bill the property/home owner $250 – $500 for being dispatched to grass and structure fires. Smith reported a total of 48 calls for the month, eight fire and 44 EMS. Smith also informed the council of issues with some of the trucks, and the lack of gear for firefighters. “We need some way to come up with the funds to start upgrading our trucks and equipment,” stated Smith. “…We are working on grants for new turn outs and tornado sires. We have several people wanting to get on the department, but at this time we cannot put anyone on due to the lack of turnout gear.” Smith went on to add that the condition of the department could prove costly to the city and surrounding communities. Smith reported working over 200 hours for the month.

Police Chief Wayne Robb gave his departmental report which included 19 citations and four misdemeanor warrants served in Scott County, and 14 citations, four felony and five misdemeanor warrants served in Sebastian County. There were a total of 33 calls for the month, along with 22 agency assists, seven for Scott and 15 for Sebastian. Robb also reported three school calls, 17 incident/arrest reports, four accident reports, 159 total traffic stops, one DWI arrest, and 19 animal calls. The department had a total of 14 training hours.

City Attorney Matt Ketcham presented the city council with his proposed contract to be on file for audit purposes. After reviewing that proposal, the council voted to go into executive session at 6:51 p.m. Upon reconvening at 7:01 p.m., Mayor Black stated the reason for the executive session was to go over Ketcham’s proposal and to discuss a personnel matter. Ketcham then addressed the council stating “It has been an honor and a privilege for over two decades to serve the City of Mansfield as the city attorney. I think we have come a long way in that time…I think it is probably time for me to retire and let somebody take over. So, I would like to resign and retire as of the 31st of this month.“

In matters of unfinished business, the council voted to pass resolution 2021-1, amending the 2020 budget. The council also approved a policy on reading rural water meters for the elderly or disabled. That service for current customers will continue, and they will be “grandfathered in.” Any customers going forward will be charged a $25 service fee for the city to read their meters.

In matters of new business, the council decided to change the amount of money transfered into the retirement account, decreasing it from $3,000 to $2,000. Council members discussed allotting the $1,000 difference to the fire department. Subsequently, the council voted to adopt the 2021 budget with Resolution 2021-2 in a vote of 4-1, with Steele voting against. Lastly, the council voted to accept Resolution 2021-3, establishing and adopting procedural rules.

The council voted to amend the agenda to include a discussion regarding a proxy for the mayor. Mayor Black recommended Councilman McDaniel be appointed to preside over the council meetings in the event of his absence. Additionally, Black proposed McDaniel be authorized to provide a second signature on checks in the event that either the recorder/treasurer or mayor were not available. The council consented to Black’s proposal.

Mayor Black addressed Fire Chief Michael Smith. “We hear your cry, and we are going to get something done for the fire department…We need to find out where the tax money is going and we will try to make progress.” The council echoed Black’s sentiment, commending Smith for his work and dedication to the city.

Before adjourning, Mayor Black updated the council on the new city sign, stating that he had six commitments to help with the purchase. Black projects work to begin soon on the pillars. “We will have a sign by the end of the first quarter,” concluded Black.

With no other items of business, the meeting of the Mansfield City Council adjourned.

Sr Lady Tigers Outnumbered And Outscored By Acorn

Megan Hecox
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Sr Lady Tigers Outnumbered And Outscored By Acorn

Pictured is Chloe Creekmore

There’s no rest for the weary.  Unfortunately, that’s exactly what cost Mansfield a perfect conference record. The Sr Lady Tigers started the season with 15 players on a super talented roster. Ill-fatedly, the Lady Tigers loaded the bus on Tuesday, January 19th to travel to hostile territory to face Acorn with 7 players in a #1 vs #2 brawl for it all. Mansfield beat Acorn earlier in the season, but on that fateful night, it was the Blue Tigers who got even with a 59-42 victory over the Lady Tigers.

Danielle Lillie

The Lady Tigers came out of the gate with the looks of an untouchable team. Acorn focused on shutting down Mansfield superstars Makayla Strutton and Danielle Lillie, which makes sense, but that focus backfired. Acorn was left dangling from a limb as Chloe Creekmore put out her best performance of the season in the 1st quarter. Creekmore snatched rebounds, deflected passes, and scored off the board like a wild banshee. That pulled the pressure off of Strutton and Lillie who then went to work as the Lady Tigers closed out the first quarter with a 21-15 lead.

Makayla Strutton

Mansfield started off the 2nd quarter with the same ferocity as they started the game with, but their fire began to run out of oxygen. Playing shorthanded and unable to sub in players as they usually do, fatigue began to set in. Acorn noticed the Lady Tigers were sucking wind and began to put their foot on the pedal. At the 4:48 mark of the second quarter, Acorn took the lead for the first time in the game and it was all downhill from there for the Lady Tigers. Mansfield’s fatigue mixed with Acorns’ ever-growing lead was a recipe for disaster. The Lady Tigers began making costly mistakes like poor passing, getting beat on rebounds, and making frustration fouls.

Brooke Wright

The fatigue was evident to all as the Lady Tigers only scored 21 points total in the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th quarters combined which matched their points in the 1st quarter alone. The Blue Tigers held Mansfield to one of their lowest statistical games this season. Although Acorn didn’t completely stop them, they held stars Danielle Lillie to 12 points and Makayla Strutton to 11 points in the game. Chloe Creekmore’s explosive first quarter brought her some solid stats with 10 points, but most of those were at the beginning of the match. Starters Natalie Allison and Brooke Wright combined for 9 points in the game to round out the scoring.

Natalie Allison

The loss drops Mansfield in 2nd place in the 2A-4 leaving Acorn sitting on top at #1. Although both teams have the same conference record now, Acorn beat Mansfield by 17 while Mansfield’s win over the blue Tigers earlier in the season was only 13 points giving Acorn the points lead for a tiebreaker. The Lady Tigers must continue to win and pray another conference team pulls off an upset of Acorn if they are to regain their top spot. Mansfield must lick their wounds and rebound quickly as they will be traveling to County Line to face the Indians on Friday, January 22nd. It’s not how the Lady Tigers fell that matters though. It’s how quickly they get back up that will determine the fate of this team.

3 Essential Steps To Prepare Your Hives for Spring

Resident News Network
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3 Essential Steps To Prepare Your Hives for Spring

Prime beekeeping season runs from spring until fall, but the work of a beekeeper is never done. Even before spring arrives and your bees poke their little heads out of the hive, there will be plenty of tasks on your beekeeping to-do list. If you want your honeybees to have a great spring—and a bountiful honey harvest later in the year—you need to make sure your hives are ready to go. Prepare your equipment, make the trek out to your apiary, and set yourself up for success with these essential steps to prepare your hives for spring.

Pay Attention to the Weather

A lot of your bees’ behavior and success relies on the environment around them. Make sure you know what to expect this year. Are you going to have a long winter, keeping your bees inside their hives for a few more weeks? Will there be a dry start to spring, making flowers scarce during those first few warm days? Keep tabs on the radar and predictions so that you know how to best provide for your hives. If cold temperatures are keeping your bees inside for a while, make sure you supplement the colony with a homemade candy board and other solid food substitutes. Other supplementary feeds such as sugar syrup and pollen patties are great ways to boost a weak hive during those initial weeks of spring growth.

Check for Mites and Other Pests

Varroa mites are major threats to honeybees. Their peak season is in the fall, but you should get a head start on treatment and prevention by inspecting your hives early. Once a warm day comes along and you can take a peek inside the hive, be on the lookout for signs of mites and other predators. This is one of the most essential steps to preparing your hive for spring. Many critters like to take refuge in a warm, food-filled beehive throughout the winter. A strong colony will be able to get rid of most threats on its own, but you can still help your bees by handling these issues early. This will allow your bees to focus on building up brood, comb, and honey when spring arrives.

Pay Attention to the Queen and Her Brood

When you inspect your beehive, look for the queen and her brood—two major indicators of success or failure within the quality. If your brood pattern is spotty and inconsistent, it’s usually a sign of an unproductive queen. A lot can happen during the winter when you’re not able to monitor your bees as closely. You might open the hive in the spring and find there’s no longer a queen at all. Be prepared to handle any issues with the queen and brood as quickly as possible. If you act fast, you can requeen the hive and help your bees get back on track before any irreparable problems occur.

Sr Lady Rattlers Break Up Union Christian

Megan Hecox
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Sr Lady Rattlers Break Up Union Christian

Ever since Magazine lost to Mansfield and Acorn in the first round of conference play, they’ve been making everyone else pay the price. Call it revenge ball or taking out their frustrations for those losses. One thing is for sure though. They’re focused on some second-round payback. On Tuesday, January 19th the Lady Rattlers continued their roll over opponents in a lopsided 67-33 victory over the Union Christian Lady Eagles.   

The Lady Rattlers strolled into Union Christians gym and strolled back out in dominant fashion. Points were the name of the game and Magazine seemed to have a competition amongst themselves as to who could score more with five players scoring in the double digits. Jordyn Krigbaum was the B52 for Magazine as she dropped bombs on Union Christian to lead the team with 16 points. Kylie Robinson came up just one point short of robbing the points leader in the game position from Kringbaum as she came up with 15 points.

Elizabeth Greek lived up to her name on the court as the Queen Goddess plucked the Lady Eagles for 13 points in the game. Rounding out the points for Magazine was the fearsome fangs, Kiara Vasquez and Tanna Thomas, who both raked in 11 points in the game. The win brings the Lady Rattlers to an overall record of 8-5. With their second round of conference play, the Lady Rattlers will start with Lavaca on Friday, January 22nd. Magazine isn’t taking any chances against anyone. The Lady Rattlers stand at 3rd place in the conference with a 4-2 record and are zoned in on conference perfection for the rest of the season. Magazine will host the 2A West Regionals at the end of the regular season and what would be better than going into the tournament as #1.

Photo courtesy of Amber Canada Photography

Thank you, Greenwood

Tammy Teague
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Thank you, Greenwood

This has been an overwhelmingly emotional week. We’ve planned, we’ve plotted and frankly it’s been a long time coming. Finally, yes finally, Greenwood has a local news source.

As those fresh sheets of newsprint rolled off the press, I smiled. Everything coming to fruition, what fulfillment! We have a lot of work to do going forward, and we are excited about the new challenges ahead of us.

We understand how heartbreaking it was to loose your generations old newspaper, and to have others come and go. We promise as we push forward to continue to grow and be a reflection of this beautiful town.

We are anxious to tell the stories of the mom and pop shops, of little Sally selling lemonade, and share the great historical nuggets within this community.

Relationships are everything to me and our entire staff. Resident News has built it’s reputation on trust and relationships. We understand that takes time, and we are willing to put in the time and effort it takes.

So, thank you Greenwood. Thank you for not giving up on us, and for supporting us as we continue to be a news source you can value and trust.

Sr Pirates Break Even With Dousing Of Cossatot

Megan Hecox
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Sr Pirates Break Even With Dousing Of Cossatot

Cedarville’s Sr Boys have had a season full of high tides and low tides. But on Monday, January 18th, the seas finally calmed in Cedarville’s favor as they broke even on their overall record by defeating the Cossatot Eagles 58-33 and picking up their third straight win. The victory brings the Pirates to a straight-up 7-7 overall record and 3-2 conference record.

From tip-off to the final buzzer, the game was all Cedarville. The Cossatot Eagles got a few shots through the net, but with each score made by the Eagles, the Pirates would slam them for twice the amount. Cedarville’s defense didn’t mess around when it came to blocked shots, steals, rebounds, and deflections either. Their face to face beat me if you can attitude kept the Eagles grounded for most of the game.

Offensively, Cedarville rolled in cannons blazing as they averaged 14.5 points per quarter. If that sounds relatively low, most of those points were earned in the first three quarters. Standing atop the bowsprit leading the Pirates in scoring was none other than Austin Cluck who sank the Eagles with 15 points. In an awesome show of effort, Lane Hightower flew on the court and rolled in second in scoring with 13 points. To close out the points in the stat book was Darryl “The Kraken” Kattich and Austin Swaim who both racked up 10 points in the game against Cossatot. Kattich and Swaim also achieved those points in less than three-quarters of their time on the floor.

With the Pirates being even in their overall record and having a one-game ahead record in conference, Cedarville now has the mindset of a new season. A fresh start with a new attitude if you will. The Pirates will go back into conference play on Thursday, January 21st as they head south to face off against a tough Boonville team in a hostile environment. In their first face-off, they took a close 64-60 loss against the Bearcats. So with a win, the Pirates can send a statement in a bottle to the rest of the 3A that Cedarville is a contender.

Photo courtesy of Malinda Mizell

Tips for Improving Your Pasture

Resident News Network
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Tips for Improving Your Pasture

Pastures should be a place where the seeds you grow and the cattle you graze flourish all year round. However, it’s not uncommon for a small issue to turn into a bigger problem, hindering the ability of the area to fully thrive. Don’t worry—these tips for improving your pasture will breakdown some of the best methods for keeping the land healthy.

Test the Soil

One essential tip for improving your pasture is to improve your soil. Before you begin seeding the pasture, always test the soil. If the soil isn’t supplying your grass with the proper nutrients, suffice it to say that that grass isn’t going to grow as successfully as it should.

Luckily, testing soil is a fairly easy process. Simply scoop up some samples and send them to a nearby soil conservation office. Once they send you back the results, you can officially begin making adjustments where necessary.

How you make adjustments to your soil depends on what you’re growing. Grass, for instance, thrives best in soil with low pH levels. If you’re growing a plant that requires higher pH levels, you can swiftly improve the soil by adding some lime or fertilizer to the mix, the former of which is a great source of calcium.

Know Your Growing Zone

In order for seeds to flourish in your pasture, make sure you’re buying seed types that align with your local growing zone. Most of Arkansas falls under zone 7, including counties such as Scott, Logan, and Sebastian. However, the entire state doesn’t necessarily fall under this zone.

Overall, Arkansas ranges between growing zones 6b and 8a. Once you establish which growing zone you’re in, talk to local farm stores about finding seeds that can effectively grow in your pasture.

Watch the Weeds

In order for plants to grow successfully with access to all the nutrients they need, you have to manage your weeds. When weeds sprout, they’ll begin sucking away the nutrients from nearby plants and blocking out the sunlight those plants need to survive. There are multiple ways to keep weeds at bay, such as consistent mowing.

However, if weeds do begin appearing on your pasture, grab a good string trimmer. There are some basic tips you should know before using a string trimmer, but once you learn the ropes, your string trimmer will become an immensely useful tool.

There’s also the option of using certain chemicals to destroy weeds but be very wary of this method. If you go down this route, always make sure to do the right research and practices to ensure the chemicals don’t harm nearby humans and animals.

Sr Tigers Not Solid As An Oak Vs Acorn

Megan Hecox
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Sr Tigers Not Solid As An Oak Vs Acorn

Pictured is Zayne Dugan

The Mansfield Sr Tigers were high on the hog after defeating JC Westside last week for Homecoming and looked to carry that momentum for the rest of the season. Going into their game with the blue Tigers on Monday night, Mansfield was primed to dish out an upset. It was the Tigers who left the court upset this time though as Acorn torched Mansfield 76-43.

#5 Reegan Emery

On a positive note, the Tigers welcomed back their Backboard Beasts as Bri Sanderson and Zayne Dugan returned to action. The celebration was cut short though as Mansfield found out they would still be missing Braxton Byers and also adding Tyler Escalante, Ethan Pettus, and Austin Quinalty to the MIA list for their matchup against the Blue Tigers. Disadvantage or not, there was a game to play and Mansfield was not going to back down.

Codi Chick

Although not backing down is valiant, being outmatch is a totally different story. Mansfield was able to keep it a game in the first quarter holding the Blue Tigers to a 20-14 lead. Only being down by 6 points isn’t bad at all against a 2A powerhouse like Acorn. But that’s where it all ended for the Tigers as Acorn jumped all over Mansfield in the second quarter. Even though the Tigers had Sanderson and Dugan back, Acorn covered them like hot syrup on fresh pancakes. Scoring legends JoJo Bailey and Codi Chick weren’t completely stopped, but the Blue Tigers did a dang good job keeping them on a leash. With Acorns precise offensive plays and Mansfield’s offense struggling, the Tigers went into the half tails tucked down 43-29.

Greyson Baggett

While Acorn grew stronger as the game went on, the Tigers fell hard and hit every branch on the way down. With the Blue Tigers rolling on the scoreboard and fast breaks on Mansfield, the Tigers began losing their mental edge in the game. Fouls starting pouring in like a waterfall and poor decision-making created bad passes which led to turnovers and more points for Acorn. A concoction of great plays by Acorn and poor plays by Mansfield led to a 64-38 Blue Tiger lead at the end of the 3rd quarter and inevitably, a 76-43 final score to the game.

Clint Stovall

Codi Chick wasn’t silent in the game by any means and still led the team with 19 points before getting into foul trouble. Clint “Clutch” Stovall was able to find what few holes Acorns defense had to hang up 8 points. Greyson Baggett came off the bench in the game to sink a few ringers along with JoJo Baily who each scored 5 points. Rounding out the scoring was Drew Elmore and Zayne Dugan whose fierce offensive rebounding gave them the opportunity to put up 4 and 2 points respectively.

#4 Drew Elmore

The Tigers game against Acorn can be put in the history books for now. A rough game, yes, but there are more games to play and Mansfield will look to actively correct all mistakes made in the Acorn game. Michael Jordan once said, “I can accept failure, everyone fails at something. But I can’t accept not trying.” The Tigers may have had it rough recently, but they won’t stop trying, that’s for sure.

ADH Reports on Phase 1B of Vaccinations

Tammy Teague
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ADH Reports on Phase 1B of Vaccinations

The Arkansas Department of Health provided an update on the status of COVID-19 vaccinations on Tuesday, January 19:

Though the development of a COVID-19 vaccine has followed an accelerated timeline, safety has been the top priority.

Vaccinations began in Arkansas shortly after authorization was granted for the initial vaccine. The initial recipients in Arkansas are health care workers and residents of long-term care facilities.

There won’t be enough vaccine initially for all adults who want to receive it. Supply will increase into 2021, and additional vaccines may also be authorized.

Who’s getting the vaccine now?

Phase 1-B has started, which means vaccinations are happening now for Arkansans who are 70 or older as well as those who work in education including K-12, child care and higher ed. Vaccinations can also continue for groups in Phase 1-A, including health care workers, residents and staff at long-term care facilities and these high priority groups: EMS, fire and law enforcement who serve as first responders, primary care, urgent care, college/university student health center, K-12 health clinics and school nurses, dental clinics, pharmacies, home health, private care/personal care, hospice care, dialysis centers, correctional staff involved in patient care and transfer, morticians/funeral home staff involved in direct contact or conducting transports and blood donation centers.

Who’s getting the vaccine next?

As supply increases in the coming weeks, the groups eligible to receive vaccine under Phase 1-B will expand. Later, we will move into Phase 1-C.

The chart below details the plans for Phases 1-B and Phase 1-C.

How can I get the vaccine?

If you are a long-term care resident or staff member, you will likely receive the vaccine through a clinic at the facility. If you work in a hospital, you will likely receive the vaccine through a clinic at your worksite. Others who are in 1-A can receive the vaccine through a community-based pharmacy. Click here for a map and full list of those pharmacies around the state.

Arkansans who are 70 and older can also make an appointment at a community pharmacy beginning on Jan. 18. Vaccine clinics and events may also be available in your area through hospitals and health care providers. For those who work in education, the district, facility or college/university should determine how many doses are needed, and then reach out to an ADH Local Health Unit or a community pharmacy to schedule a vaccination clinic.

Scott and Sebastian County participating pharmacies:


AG Alert: Don’t Throw Away Your Stimulus Debit Card

Tammy Teague
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AG Alert: Don’t Throw Away Your Stimulus Debit Card

The Internal Revenue Service and U.S. Treasury Department have begun delivering a second round of Economic Impact Payments (EIP), or stimulus payments, as a part of the Coronavirus Response and Relief Appropriations Act of 2021 to millions of Americans who received the first round of payments in 2020. The IRS began sending the initial round of payments in late December 2020 by direct deposit and by mailing checks or debits cards. Arkansans who received a paper check or debit card in the first round of stimulus payments in 2020 could expect to receive a check or debit card this time also.

“Many Arkansans are in dire need of this stimulus payment,” said Attorney General Leslie Rutledge. “This is not a scam and please do not throw away a white envelope with the U.S. Department of Treasury seal without opening it.”

Attorney General Rutledge released the following tips to ensure Arkansans receive their Economic Impact Payments:

  • The card will be sent in a white envelope that prominently displays the U.S. Department of the Treasury seal.
  • Most individuals will receive $600 and $1,200 for married couples filing a joint return and $600 for each qualifying child.
  • Couples filing jointly with just one member of the couple with a work-eligible Social Security Number will now be eligible for payments for the taxpayers and their qualifying children.
  • People do not need to take any action right now to receive their stimulus payment. Eligible individuals who do not receive their payment or who did not receive their first stimulus payment can claim it (under the Recovery Rebate Credit) when they file their 2020 tax return this year. People who do not normally file tax returns should also file a 2020 tax return if they do not receive their stimulus payment.
  • Stimulus payments that are received in December 2020 or January 2021 by direct deposit will be automatically protected from garnishment by debt collectors. That is not true of payments that are claimed on the 2020 tax return and paid later in the year as part of the regular tax refund.
  • Payments are being issued based on information the IRS already has on file, people will not be able to add new bank account information or request to receive their payment by EIP Card.

For more information about the distribution of stimulus payments, Arkansans can visit the IRS press release or contact Attorney General Leslie Rutledge at ArkansasAG.gov.

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