Charleston Laps Lavaca In Highway 22 Rivalry
There are not very many teams in the 3A that the mighty Charleston Tigers consider as their rivals. Booneville has been a solid series for the Tigers, and Mansfield keeps pushing Charleston to the limits, but they’re not really rivals for Charleston. The history isn’t there in those games. The decades of bad blood aren’t there. But if you drive down Highway 22 just west of Charleston, you find the town of Lavaca. Now, Lavaca, that’s a true rival for Charleston.
The last time Charleston fell to the Golden Arrows was in 2006. Even though the Tigers have owned the Golden Arrows in most every matchup, the Battle of HWY 22 is still one of the hottest tickets in the 3A-1. Both teams rolled into the game with a single conference loss, scaring their records, so on paper, the rivalry game could have been a good one. The scoreboard isn’t a piece of paper, though, and Charleston again cruised past Lavaca with a 42-0 Highway 22 shutout.
Charleston didn’t waste any time getting on the board against their rivals as Garred Smithson took the ball 30 yards to set up a Tigers touchdown. The extra point was no good, but Charleston had plenty in the tank to make up for an extra point. Quarterback Carter Little hit Garred Smith soon after for another score from 9 yards out. Again, the extra point attempt was no good, but still not a problem. Busted coverage by Lavaca’s defense gave Carter Little another shot downfield this time to Maddix Terry for a 67-yard touchdown.
With an 18-0 score in the first quarter, Charleston aimed to put the game away before halftime. That meant it was Bryson Wibbing time. Carter Little found Wibbing on a short hitch route, and the rest was all Wibbing as he twisted and turned his way free through the Golden Arrows’ defense for a 74-yard score. It didn’t take long from there for Charleston to set the mercy rule against the Golden Arrows as the teams entered halftime with Charleston owning a 35-0 lead. The second half was all Charleston as their second string racked up another 12 points on the Golden Arrows while their defense stuffed every target Lavaca shot for to end the game with a 42-0 victory.
Offensively, the Tigers were the epitome of balance. Quarterbacks Carter Little and Lukas Burleson completed a combined 13 of 15 passes to seven different receivers. The passes went for a total of 250 combined yards and three touchdowns. Coincidentally, seven different players rushed the ball in the game to gain 234 total yards and two scores. But Charleston didn’t just play an offensive game; their defense is what pitched the shutout. The Tigers’ defense sacked Lavaca’s quarterback four times and created eight tackles for loss in the game. Sixteen total Tigers got in on the defensive action, too, showing Charleston’s depth on their roster.
Charleston will revel in their victory for a short period and then begin to prepare for a trip to Cedarville. While the Tigers will be focused on their upcoming game at Pirates Cove, they will also have another game etched in their mind. Mansfield versus Booneville. The Tigers aren’t completely out of the 3A-1 Championship conversation, and the winner of the Mansfield and Booneville game will be the fate sealer. If Mansfield wins, they will almost have a lock on the 3A-1. But if Booneville is victorious, then Charleston has a shot at creating a three-way tie the following week when they host the Bearcats.
Abbott Baptist Church to Host Annual Community Thanksgiving Dinner
Abbott Baptist Church is once again opening its arms—and its parking lot—to the community this Thanksgiving season. The annual Community Thanksgiving Dinner will be held Sunday, November 23, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., at 28127 Hwy 71 North in Mansfield.
Hosted under large outdoor tents, the meal will feature a full Thanksgiving spread including turkey, mashed potatoes, corn, green beans, dressing, and desserts. Pastor Bobby Clark, who has faithfully served Abbott Baptist Church for 27 years, said the event has grown into one of the church’s most cherished traditions.
“This dinner is one of our biggest outreach efforts each year,” Clark shared. “We’re expecting between 300 to 400 people from across the area. It’s a time for everyone—friends, families, and neighbors—to sit down, share a meal, and give thanks together.” A Tradition of Service The church has hosted the community dinner for several years, adding it to a growing list of ministries that have strengthened local connections.
Among them is Abbott Baptist’s Trunk or Treat, which Clark described as “overwhelmingly popular” and another example of how the congregation focuses on fellowship and outreach. “Our mission is simple—love our neighbors and serve our community,” said Clark. “These events are ways we can show the love of Christ in action.”
Support from Near and Far Pastor Clark expressed deep gratitude for the generosity of donors who make the annual meal possible. “We’ve had help from local supporters like Tyson Foods and Tankersley, but what’s been amazing is seeing people as far away as Indiana donating to this ministry,” he noted. “The outreach ministry is certainly gaining momentum and interest, and we’re humbled by that.”
Abbott Baptist Church invites everyone in the River Valley to attend. The church will also hold a 10:15 a.m. worship service prior to the meal, and all are welcome to participate. For Pastor Clark and his congregation, the Community Thanksgiving Dinner is more than a meal—it’s a reflection of faith, gratitude, and the power of community coming together.
State Capitol Week in Review From Senator Terry Rice
LITTLE ROCK –The Arkansas Broadband Office known as ARConnect has been working on major broadband expansion and upgrades for Arkansas. The Federal Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program approved a new $1 billion initiative in funding to overhaul the Arkansas broadband expansion plan. Currently, the state is in the final stages of its proposal and just completed the public comment period in August.
In 2024, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) approved Arkansas’ initial proposal. However, new federal rules implemented in 2025 caused the program to revise its original plans and a new application process for internet service providers (ISP) was established. Pending authorization from the Arkansas General Assembly and NTIA, construction is now expected to begin in 2026.
According to the draft Final Proposal, the BEAD program received 730 applications from 33 ISPs. Provisional awards were given to 23 ISPs at a cost of $308.3 million, which ARConnect reports was $275 million less than previous estimates. These providers are responsible for introducing affordable, reliable high-speed internet to 79,240 homes and businesses in areas with minimal or no broadband service. The intent is to deliver broadband in underserved areas and to stimulate what the plan calls “home-grown economic development”.
The overall goal is to connect all households and businesses that lack internet access. The technology plan aims for 76% fiber, 16% satellite, 7% fixed wireless, and 1% hybrid technologies. The average grant per location is projected to be approximately $3,891, also one of the lowest in the country.
The state previously launched a challenge process for the public to report inaccuracies in its broadband coverage map to make sure all underserved areas are located and represented by broadband. The first national broadband map was created by NTIA in 2011 and is being continually updated by each state. These maps now serve as vital tools for consumers, businesses and policy makers to find out who is offering broadband, what types of broadband they are offering and where it is being provided.
ARConnect also launched a new Internet affordability dashboard to simplify comparing low-cost internet plans. Affordability is one of their main goals in providing internet access to the state. This user-friendly dashboard provides information in one accessible place, county by county, for residents to identify plans in their area and compare offerings. You can find the Affordability Dashboard online at: https://broadband.arkansas.gov/affordability/.
The Arkansas Fiber Academy, an accelerated training program for jobs in broadband and telecommunications, also announced their newest offering for the Fiber Network Engineer Program. Developed in partnership with industry leaders to meet the growing demand for skilled professionals in fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) technology. The intensive 15-week training program will be offered at no cost to eligible participants through a grant from the Arkansas Office of Skills Development. Additional broadband career training programs are available. For information on these programs check out the website at: https://www.arkansascc.org/arkansasfiberacademy.
“Just Roll with It” Serving up Recipes and Humor
By Sheri Hopkins, Lifestyle Contributor
Hello everyone! What beautiful weather we are having here in the River Valley. Well, we had a 50th birthday party for my beautiful niece, Kelly. My mom used to tell her all the time, “Kelly, you are so beautiful—you need to be in Hollywood.” One time my mom did tell her she was beautiful but added that she could lose a little weight—just like an old person! She really is pretty and funny, she’s a jewel. We had a get-together for her at the Blue Ember Restaurant. My sister-in-law, Peggy, had it all decorated beautifully. We had cake and chocolate-covered strawberries, and we laughed and had the best time. Her fiancé, Jimmy, was there of course, and he got her a beautiful diamond tennis bracelet. Falling in love will make you do some crazy things—I even got married once! She’s fixing to get married, and we love Jimmy. He’s the best thing that ever happened to her. While she was showing off her bracelet, her sister-in-law (who’s married to my nephew, the judge that does crazy things) said, “Go show that to your brother—maybe he’ll get the hint.” In true Michael fashion, he said, “I’ve told her and told her—just pick the day and I’ll take you to Murfreesboro and you can dig for diamonds.” We all laughed—he’s tighter than bark on a tree! And that’s not all that happened! I’ve told y’all how everybody in the family loses stuff—especially Kelly and Jimmy—and he’s worse than her! When they get married, they’ll need a service dog or a seeing-eye dog to help them. He’s lost keys, wallets, jewelry, checks…the list is endless. She’s even lost one of her daughters once! When Michael came into the restaurant, he laid his wallet on the table by my purse. When they got ready to leave, I was helping him pack up leftovers for his dogs from the food we didn’t eat. He was laughing and talking, and Kelly whispered, “Whose wallet is that?” I told her it was Michael’s. She said, “Don’t say a word—let’s see if he forgets it.” We let him get out into the parking lot before Kelly grabbed it and ran out the door hollering, “Sir! Sir! You left your wallet!” He turned around and just started laughing. Let me tell you, we all got a big laugh out of that! Honey, when we Wags go somewhere, we have a party—and we are all loud, trying to talk over each other. If you ever find a wallet or keys somewhere, chances are they belong to a Wagoner! Y’all have a great week and enjoy the weather! Candy Corn Fudge Ingredients: 3 cups candy corn 1 cup peanut butter 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk 2 cups white chocolate chips 1 cup milk chocolate chips (optional) Instructions: Line a 9×9-inch pan (or similar size) with foil or parchment paper. Chop the candy corn and add it to a medium saucepan with the peanut butter. Heat over low heat. Add the sweetened condensed milk and white chocolate chips, stirring until smooth. (This takes a while!) Spread evenly in the prepared pan and cool or chill until hardened. Melt the milk chocolate chips and drizzle over the top, if desired. Cut into squares and enjoy!
Arkansas’s alternative firearms deer hunting season opens Oct. 18
By Randy Zellers
Many Natural State deer hunters will head to the woods for the first time on Saturday with a new shooting iron in their hands for the state’s alternative firearms season. Introduced last deer hunting season, the alternative firearms season expands muzzleloading season to include a few new options for hunters to carry.
In addition to muzzleloaders, hunters participating in the alternative firearms hunt will be able to use non-semi-automatic rifles that fire straight-wall centerfire cartridges.
Specifically, these are the options available to hunters this alternative firearms deer hunting season:
- Muzzleloading rifles with a barrel 18 inches or longer and of .40 caliber or larger;
- Muzzleloading handguns with barrels 9 inches or longer and at least .45 caliber if they shoot conical bullets 200 grains or heavier, or .530 caliber if shooting round balls;
- Large bore air rifles at least .40 caliber that shoot a single, expandable slug, produce at least 400 feet/pounds of energy at the muzzle and are charged from an external tank; and
- Non-semiautomatic centerfire firearms (including non-semiautomatic handguns with barrels 4 inches or longer) that fire a straight-walled metallic cartridge .30 caliber or larger.
No shotguns are allowed during the alternative firearms season, nor are automatic or semi-automatic rifles.
During the hunt’s opening year there was some confusion about the legality of drop-in conversions to limit the functionality of AR-platform rifles. To clarify, simple drop-ins that prevent cycling or tweaks to the firearm to render the semi-automatic function inoperable are not enough to be legal. Conversion kits must replace the entire upper portion of the firearm with an obvious bolt action visible from a distance to be used during the alternative firearms season.
Both shotguns and semi-automatic rifles are legal to use during modern gun seasons, so owners of these firearms can still enjoy them during a portion of the deer hunting year, but for alternative firearms season, they must still stay in the gun safe. The season still opens new opportunities and is by no means a restriction on previous years. It’s apparent that many hunters have enjoyed this expansion.
Arkansas deer hunting records showed a substantial increase in harvest during the alternative firearms season last year with 21,665 deer checked. Muzzleloaders accounted for 11,284 of those deer, which was in line with the previous year’s total of 11,992 deer checked. The alternative firearms harvest appeared to nearly match that muzzleloader component with 10,356 deer taken by straight-wall cartridge. Twenty-five deer taken with big-bore air rifles rounded out the total alternative firearms harvest last year.
The increase in alternative firearms harvest was followed by a decrease in the opening weekend harvest of modern gun season, with nearly 9,000 fewer deer checked than the opening weekend of modern gun season in 2023. When the final numbers were tallied at the end of the year, the 2024-25 season showed a slight increase from the year before, with 200,285 deer checked, well within the typical range of the season’s harvest totals during the last decade.
Visit www.agfc.com/hunting/deer for a complete list of season dates and deer-specific regulations or download your copy of the 2024-25 Arkansas Hunting Guidebook at www.agfc.com/guidebooks.
