When it comes to being firewise throughout the holiday and winter season, Mansfield Fire Chief Michael Smith stated that most accidents can be avoided by simply using common sense.
Holiday Safety When it comes to enjoying a safe and enjoyable Christmas season, Smith shared a few extra tips.
Inspect cords, and light strings to ensure that no wires are exposed
Avoid overloading the breakers
Use appropriate locations for decorations–those marked indoor use only should only be used as such.
Do not place a tree, artificial or live, near a heat source.
If you choose to have a live tree, make sure you keep it watered. A dry tree is more combustible.
If you choose to hang lights, and utilize a ladder, ensure that it can be used safely, and is on level ground.
When it comes to holiday cooking, be sure you have fire extinguishers on hand. Further, ensure that they are the correct ABCs for the type of fire.
Winter Safety As cold weather season approaches, fire departments typically see a higher number of structure fires.
Be leery of using space heaters, they can be very dangerous, even deadly.
Never use extension cords for space heaters
If you use a fire place, be sure you clean it before use. Keep your chimney clean by using creosote logs throughout the winter season.
When dumping ashes, be sure to water down the embers. Smith shared that he has been called to both structure and grass fires because the homeowner failed to fully extinguish the embers.
Avoid putting items to close to open flames. Use a fireplace screen or door to contain sparks and embers.
Maintain and clean the flue
If you start your vehicle to let it warm, remember if you’re inside the garage to open the door. Dangerous carbon monoxide gas will build up quickly.
Test smoke, and CO2 detectors monthly
“I believe most problems can be avoided simply by using common sense,” concluded Smith. “Playing it safe will help ensure that you and your family will have a joyous holiday season.”
Dogs and other large pets can be handfuls. Some families just don’t have time for all the responsibilities that come with owning that require lots of attention and maintenance. If you’re looking for a pet that isn’t such a handful, you’ve come to the right place. For a list of the best low maintenance pets to own, continue reading this article. Before you know it, your family might have the perfect new pet!
Guinea Pigs
The great thing about these pets specifically is they’re both low maintenance and social. Simply provide them with a cage filled with straw, food, and water. How easy is that? Giving them a safe and comfortable place to live and having the ability to play and socialize with them sounds like the perfect package. Maybe this is the pet for you.
Small Birds
Smaller birds don’t need any human interaction to remain happy and healthy. Instead, they just need a cage with food and water—and room to fly, of course. It’s also helpful to put an object for them to sharpen their beaks on in their cage as well. If given items to entertain themselves with, these small birds will be content being left alone in their cage. So uncomplicated and straightforward—we love it!
Fish
Fish are a great option. All they need is tank and food maintenance—which is vital; your fish will become extremely ill and need treatment if they live in a dirty tank. It’s important to know this before purchasing a fish. Make sure you research proper maintenance depending on if your tank is saltwater or freshwater. If you have a schedule and complete the necessary maintenance tasks, your fish will be a healthy, happy, low-maintenance pet.
Cats
While many times cats are included with dogs, they shouldn’t be. Cats are more low maintenance than people imagine. They look after themselves and only need to be provided with food, water, and a litter box. If they have these three things, they’ll be able to care for themselves. Some cats do like attention—it just depends on their personality. You could have a cuddly furball or a cat who is more independent. (Don’t forget to clean their litterbox!)
All these examples of best low maintenance pets to own could be the pet you need to complete your family! Do your research and look at some options. Before you know it you might just be picking the best option for your family. Before you know it your new pet will be the greatest new addition!
The Mansfield Sr High Lady Tigers have dribbled their W/L record back and forth this season, but on Monday night the girls came out with a slam dunk win when they hosted the Mulberry Lady Yellowjackets. The Lady Tigers knew that this was a must-win match and after battling off some first half blues with Mulberry taking the lead 20-19 going into halftime, the girls came back and kick-started the second half of the game into overdrive. The Sr Lady Tigers hit the court in the third quarter looking like a completely different team.
Chloe Creekmore
It was a knock-down-drag-out fight to the finish as the Lady Tigers took no prisoners. Mansfield held Mulberry to just 20 second-half points, leading the Lady Tigers to capture a 54-39 victory upgrading them to 4-3 on the season. Makayla Strutton was the general on the floor as she helped direct a great comeback after halftime earning her 21 points on the game. Seven Sanderson was a board beast bringing down rebounds at will on defense and rolling in baskets on offense. Sanderson scored 9 points in the game.
#13 Makayla Strutton
Sadie Roberts netted 6 points in the match with her shots from the perimeter and cut through the Lady Yellowjackets like a hot knife through butter with her layups. Brooke Wright, Chloe Creekmore, and Skylynn Harris stood straighter and more solid than the Statue of Liberty guarding the basket against any intruding opponents while also picking up 4 points apiece. And landing the remaining 6 points was Danielle Lillie, Kiara Thomas, and Natalie Allison who were ruthless in their efforts to safeguard their homecourt like a predator stalking its prey.
#32 Skylynn Harris and #24 Brooke Wright
With a big win in the bag, the Lady Tigers will have little time to reminisce in the glory though. Mansfield Sr High will load up the busses today and head for Russellville as they prepare to face an opponent they have never seen before in the Valley Christian Lady River Hawks. The Lady River Hawks finished last year’s season 13-11.
Mansfield Middle School students participated together in showing their appreciation for Farmer’s Bank. The generous donation by Farmers Bank of soft, red lanyards with black metal clips to help hold face masks in place are being used constantly. The white imprinted Farmers Bank with a tiger paw print and Mansfield Tigers can be clearly seen through the contrast of white lettering on the red cotton. One Thousand, Two Hundred lanyards were ordered and distributed for student and faculty use during this challenging time of the Covid-19 Pandemic. Community partners in education that work closely with local districts and schools make a tremendous difference. Farmers Bank once again demonstrates their immediate concern for all families and community members through their generous support of specialized district needs such as this.
Julie Basham, Vice President of Farmers Bank quickly responded and communicated with Mansfield School District concerning the need when schools began back with direct instruction.
From 1907 until today and throughout the future, Farmer’s Bank continues to demonstrate they are a “friendly local bank- for everyone in our area.” The beautiful thin lanyards have already made an impact in the reduction of masks found on bus seats, in halls, in the parking lot being lost as they fall or drop as being carried. The easy to wear neck strap allows masks to be readily available at all times. Mr. Floyd Fisher, Mansfield Middle School Principal stated: “The lanyards are another simple way of planning ahead for safety, care and welfare of all; together community partnerships make a big difference. We are always appreciative for anything that helps our students.” Mansfield School District Superintendent, Joe Staton, coordinated the efforts and was instrumental in prioritizing this important need for the Mansfield students and faculty.
Mansfield Middle School Tiger’s Academy students created a colorful appreciation card thanking Farmers Bank, they encouraged all students and faculty members to sign the original work.
Aubree Helms
Raihan Islam
Mason Sterling, Tawna Davidson, and Tiayana Chestine
Lillian Leone (Donham) Jones of Waldron, Arkansas went to be with her Lord and Savior, Monday, December 7, 2020, in Waldron, Arkansas. Lil was born August 20, 1931 in Waldron, Arkansas to Estle (Jack) Donham and Harvey Ayline Eppler Donham. She was 89 years old. Lil was a longtime member of Mt. Pleasant Methodist Church.
Lil was married to the love of her life, Vernon Jones, for 45 years. She retired from Waldron Furniture Factory where she was a seamstress. Lil was very talented in writing, poetry and artistry. Her love for animals led to her being a rescuer and activist. She had many of her own pets and they had her heart.
Lil leaves behind to cherish her memory her cousins: Jerrel Plummer, Brandi Plummer, Grant Plummer all of Waldron, Arkansas, Greta Oldham Brown of Ft. Smith, Arkansas, Danny Oldham of McKinney, Texas, Sandra Barron (Joe) of Ft. Smith, Arkansas, Greg Sanders of Paris, Arkansas, Jordan Barron of Fayetteville, Arkansas, Chandler Barron of Dallas, Texas and Clayton Hicks of Tulsa, Oklahoma. Lil will be missed by all who knew her and the many whose lives she impacted including a host of friends and neighbors she loved dearly.
Lil was preceded in death by her husband Vernon Jones, and parents, Jack Donham and Ayline Farnsworth, one infant brother, Lance Donham and cousins: Terri Oldham Martin, Jean Plummer, Dean Jones, Richard Hicks and Norma Jones.
Lil’s graveside life celebration will be 1:00 p.m., Thursday, December 10, 2020, at the Mt. Pleasant Cemetery (also known as Greenridge) near Waldron, Arkansas with Keith Holleman officiating. Interment will follow. Arrangements are being entrusted to the Heritage Memorial Funeral Home in Waldron, Arkansas.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to a humane society of your choice.
You may leave words of remembrance for Lil’s family by visiting: www.heritagememorialfh.com.
In what was by far THE best game of their season, the Mansfield Sr High Tigers hosted the Mulberry Yellowjackets to a heaping plate of in yo face street ball that even the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air would be proud of. With action around every corner, it was the type of game that yielded zero time for a concession break due to the fact that one would surely miss something. The Sr Tigers were last in line on Monday night to face Mulberry and with both Jr High teams along with the Sr Lady Tigers taking wins, the Sr Tigers were more determined than ever to make a clean sweep of the Yellowjackets. And man-oh-man did they accomplish that goal!
Codi Chick
With 19 total points on the game, Codi Chick was the Tigers sharpshooter delivering 3 three-pointers, 4 two-pointers, and 2 free-throws. It was as if Chick’s shots were magnetized to the net due to the fact that anytime the ball left his hands, it was in. The “Power in the Paint” was provided by Bri “Grizzly Man” Sanderson and Zayne Dugan. The duo put up a towering wall that gave Mulberry fits while also allowing them to grab and snag 10 and 7 points respectively. JoJo Bailey provided a significant energy level that was very key in the game. His defense was a high-pressured don’t test me style while offensively he spread the ball out to everyone. Bailey secured 6 points in the match.
Ethan Pettus
Ethan Pettus, who netted 4 points, proved to be an all-in-one baller. With tricky dribbling, swift cuts, and sure shots, Pettus helped the Tigers gain a big lead in the second and third quarters. Tyler Escalante was a rebounding machine who also scored 2 points in the process. Even FedEx couldn’t stop Escalante’s “UPS” as he jumped higher than anyone to snag rebound after rebound after rebound. And scoring 2 points as well, was Jackson Andrews who, like his fellow Tigers, was on fire each time he stepped on to the court. Andrews was the perfect wingman offensively and defensively that even Top Guns Maverick would be happy to have.
Tyler Escalante
By the time the dust finally settled, the Sr Tigers took the win and the sweep with a final score of 50-41. This win was much needed and very much welcomed as the boys saw struggles in their last four games. The Sr Tigers now sit with a 3-5 season record and are ready to continue upgrading that first column as they turn around tonight to take on the River Hawks of Valley Christian at Russellville. The River Hawks finished last year’s season with a 15-6 record.
Very few teams were able to give Greenwood a test on the field this year, one of them being Lake Hamilton. On Saturday evening, they would rematch for the State Title.
Lake Hamilton would start out hot and quickly go up 10-0 over the Bulldogs midway through the first quarter. Greenwood would actually trail at the end of the first quarter. Lake Hamilton had a plethora of momentum and hype in the first quarter.
Enter: Parker Gill. Near the end of the first quarter, the junior linebacker muscled through the line and sacked the Lake Hamilton quarterback for a 10-yard loss. The momentum immediately swung to the Bulldogs. The defense, fueled by Gill’s big play, would begin to play with a rejuvenated sense of intensity.
After the defense helped breathe life into the Greenwood sidelines, the offense went to work. With 9:16 left in the 2nd quarter, senior quarterback LD Richmond would find senior Caden Brown on a slant route for the 7-yard touchdown. The Bulldog defense continued the intensity and forced Lake Hamilton to a 3 and out on the following possession.
Less than 3 minutes after the first Bulldog touchdown, Richmond would go in the air again and find junior Luke Brewer for a 39-yard touchdown. Taking the lead erupted the sidelines and you could feel the wind shift in the game.
Lake Hamilton would use most of the remaining 2nd quarter clock with a long sustained drive, but would see it end on an unsuccessful 4th down conversion attempt. The Bulldog offense would take over deep in their own territory with 51 seconds to go in the first half. Coach Chris Young and his offensive staff would draw up two consecutive run plays to senior Hunter Wilkinson that gave the impression they were content going into halftime. “Not so fast my friend” as the great Lee Corso might say. Richmond would drop back with less than 20 seconds on the clock and heave a dime of a pass to Luke Brewer streaking down the sideline. Brewer, quite literally, out ran his defender and Richmond hit him in stride. Brewer would take it all the way for the 71 yard touchdown. Coach Young said after the game that he “has complete confidence in my quarterback” and Richmond delivered on that confidence.
If allowing your opponent to score with seconds left in the half wasn’t bad enough, Lake Hamilton had to kick off to that Greenwood offense to start the 2nd half. Richmond and the offense didn’t miss a beat. On a drive that took just over 2 minutes, senior Hunter Wilkinson would take 3 straight handoffs for positive yards and capping it off with a 2-yard touchdown run.
With another defensive stand that saw senior Ty Cowan involved in 2 sacks that eventually led to a 4th and 29 for Lake Hamilton, the Bulldogs would bring the offense back on the field. Richmond and Wilkinson continued to expose the Lake Hamilton rush defense with 5 straight runs that Wilkinson completed with a 9-yard touchdown run with 2:52 left in the third quarter.
With the score starting to creep away from Lake Hamilton they couldn’t find an answer for this tenacious Bulldog defense. The Wolves would start their drive with decent field position but their effort would lose more yards than they would gain on a 4 play -15 yard drive.
Starting the 4th quarter, the Greenwood Bulldogs would have the ball and up 35-10 but would eventually punt it away to Lake Hamilton on a 4th and 3 in perhaps a show of mercy. Lake Hamilton would take advantage and try and seize momentum with an 8 play 83 yard drive to bring the score to 35-17.
With time running out and momentum slowing down for Greenwood, the Wolves would try and convert an on-side kick. Greenwood put their best hands on the field in preparation. Lake Hamilton opted to kick the ball deep in an attempt to force an error or perhaps beat Greenwood down the field. Senior Jayden Jasna decided to enter the record books instead. Jasna would gather the ball on the 2 yard line and “wow” the fans with a 98-yard touchdown return. The longest ever in an Arkansas State Championship game.
After Lake Hamilton threw one final punch to notch the score at 42-24, the Bulldogs would put together a sustained drive of 10 plays that mostly consisted of rushing attempts by Wilkinson and Richmond. Wilkinson would find the end zone for the 3rd time on a 9-yard touchdown run to seal the game for good at 49-24.
Richmond would be named MVP of the Arkansas 6A State Championship Game and went 11/14 for 178 yards and 3 touchdowns. He also rushed 17 times for 90 yards. Senior running back Hunter Wilkinson had yet another impressive outing with 25 carries for 148 yards and 3 touchdowns. With his 3 touchdowns, Wilkinson eclipsed former Bulldog and University of Arkansas great Drew Morgan for most touchdowns scored in program history.
The Greenwood Bulldogs complete the perfect season and finish 14-0 in Coach Chris Young’s first season as head coach.
On two separate nights, the Jr High and Sr High Magazine Rattler basketball squads each achieved greatness in their matches against Union Christian Academy by scoring their first wins of the season. On Thursday, December 3, the Jr Rattlers secured an 18 point lead as they struck down the Eagles with a 51-33 victory. Then on Friday, December 4, the Sr High Rattlers followed suit by blocking out UCA for the “DUB” 68-58.
Jr Rattlers #10 Jaxon Pickartz and #13 Nate Smith
Leading the Jr Rattlers was 8th grader Jaxon Pickartz who scored a double-double in the game with 16 points and 12 rebounds.
#00 Jr Rattler Landon Cox
“For the Sr High Rattlers, Cameron Raggio and Brady Watson each posted a double-double in the win as we had four guys in double figures scoring and 8 different players scoring in the game,” stated coach, Justin Mackey. “We shared the basketball well overcoming turnovers and a poor shooting night to get the W.”
Sr Rattler #5 Tatum Scott
Cameron Raggio earned 22 points, 14 rebounds, 2 blocks, and 1 steal, Haden Littleton grabbed 16 points, Ashton Droemer secured 12, Brady Watson made 10 points, 11 rebounds, 2 steals, and 1 block, and with 2 points each was Tatum Scott, Austin “KABOOM” Krigbaum, William King, and Jackson Oliver.
Sr Rattler #2 Haden Littleton
The Magazine Jr High and Sr High Rattlers and Lady Rattlers will take on Western Yell County to kick-off their week at home starting at 4 pm.
Although the Mansfield Jr High Tigers fell to the Lamar Warriors sword, it wasn’t due to a lack of trying. One thing that a Jr Tiger basketball match isn’t is boring. From epic three-point shots at the end of the first and second quarters to huge blocks and steals, Mansfield was able to keep the lead until the final minute of the match which led to Lamar pulling ahead to take the 32-30 win. The Jr Tigers now sit 1-3 on the season.
Dakota Langford
Dakota Langford and Tyler Turnipseed secured 10 points apiece while Travis Tobey and Peyton Martin brought in the remaining 10. To get the week started, the Jr Tigers will host Mulberry tonight, December 7 with the Jr Girls starting things off at 4 pm.
Last Friday night, after only one game in the books for their 2020 basketball season, the Hackett Sr High Hornets hosted the Dover Pirates in their second game of the year. Finally hitting the court with a completely healthy roster and a full week of practice, the Sr Hornets snagged their first win 59-50 putting them 1-1 in season play. “It was a great game for us to play all of our guys. Our guys played three great quarters of basketball and got the lead all the way up to 24. Foul trouble was a constant factor in the game and those are aspects we have to clean up in order to be successful,” explained coach, Kent Elmore.
Cash Oliver cashed in with 19 points followed by Jake Fisher and Austin Cowell with 9 each, Ty Smith with 8, Jesse Esparza with 6, Fischer Shipman with 5, and Logan Slavens with 3. Four Hornets successfully secured at least one three-point shot in the game.
“Our chemistry and knowledge over a week have grown greatly. We have a great opportunity to pick up two more wins this week and get to 1-0 in conference play. We are looking forward to getting after it again on Tuesday against Magazine.” The Sr Hornets will play at Magazine on Tuesday, December 8 starting at 6 pm.
