Resident News Network

Ordinance to Convert Four Rural Fire Departments into Fire Protection District

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3:03 pm

The Sebastian County Quorum Court voted in September to convert four rural volunteer fire departments into one fire protection district.

County Judge David Hudson has been working with Prosecuting Attorney Dan Shue over the past two years to convert the non-profit fire organizations into a fire protection district. “The primary goal and motivation for the fire department to convert to a fire protection district is to have the cost of operating the fire department assessed, levied and collected by the County Tax Collector on County Real Estate Tax Statements,” stated Judge Hudson.

Ordinance 2020-14 was passed by the Sebastian County Quorum Court on September 22, 2020. The ordinance converts the following rural fire departments into a fire district: Big Creek, Riverdale, Milltown-Washburn and Greenwood Rural.

Judge Hudson will set a time and place for a meeting to appoint members of the fire district’s Board of Commissioners.

Those elected Board of Commissioners will in turn appoint three assessors to assess the annual benefits, which will accrue to the real property within the district from the providing of fire protection services.

Assessments following the implementation of the fire district will set forth a levy to be added to all property owners within those districts.

Ordinance 2020-14 changes the way fire dues are paid. Once voluntary, now, those levies must be paid before property owners can pay their taxes or be charged a 10% penalty.

For more information on the Fire Protection District Ordinance, you can access the September 2020 Sebastian County Quorum Court documents HERE.

Read Ordinance 2020-14 in its entirety

Bulldogs Handle Bombers

Sports

Resident News Network

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11:09 am

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The Greenwood Bulldogs take a business trip to northern Arkansas and come home victorious.

The Bulldogs received the ball to start the game and wasted no time establishing their up-tempo dominance. Sr. Bulldog Hunter Wilkinson would break off several large runs on the opening drive. These strong runs up the middle would set up a screen pass to Greenwood’s Luke Brewer for a large gain down the right side. The Bulldogs would score two plays later on a QB option to the left by LD Richmond for a 2-yard touchdown run. With over 9 minutes left in the first quarter the Bulldogs would lead 7-0 over Mountain Home.

Less than 3 minutes would click off the clock before the Bulldogs would find the end zone again. After an impressive stand by the Bulldog defense, Sr. L.D. Richmond would find fellow Sr. Hunter Wilkinson on a go route up the middle for a 33-yard touchdown.

On the next Bulldog possession they found themselves in a 3rd and very long from their own 11 yard line. Richmond would find Sr. receiver Peyton Carter on a crossing route that looked like it would be for minimal gain but Carter shed a tackle and picked up amazing blocks from Wilkinson and Sr. Caden Brown on the sideline that allowed the speedy receiver to flash down the sideline for a 25-yard gain. Caden Brown would be immediately rewarded for his efforts when he hauls in a 63-yard touchdown pass from Richmond on the next snap. Brown completely out ran his defender to get open and then showed his yards-after-catch ability by pulling away on his way to the end zone. With just over 3:00 minutes left in the 1st quarter, the Bulldogs go up 20-0.

On their fourth possession of the game the Bulldogs were not looking to let off the gas. After a strong 4th down stand by the defense, the speedy Bulldog offense would need only 5 plays to move down the field and score on an 18-yard touchdown run by Hunter Wilkinson. After the extra point by Sr. Angel Hernandez, Greenwood would go up 27-0 with 10:53 left in the 2nd quarter.

With just over 9 minutes left in the 2nd quarter, the Bulldog defense would eliminate any idea of a Mountain Home drive when they forced a fumble and returned it to the Bomber 30-yard line. Richmond would score his second rushing touchdown of the night on a designed quarterback run up the middle for a 1-yard score. With 7:36 left in the 1st half, the Bulldogs would lead 33-0 after trying for a 2-point conversion.

Luke Brewer is fast. In case anybody doubted that statement, with just over 4 minutes left in the half, Brewer would take a screen pass from Richmond and just leave all defenders behind on his way to a 52-yard touchdown. Just as impressive was the execution by the entire offense on the play. Sr. receiver Peyton Carter would lock down his defender with a skillful pass block and the offensive line were exactly where they needed to be. Sr. center Ethan Cole would seal off the final defender with an impressive downfield block and allow Brewer to remain untouched all the way to the end zone.

The Bombers would put one touchdown on the board in the second half but that would be all the points scored for the remainder of the game. The Bulldogs did enough in the first half to coast to a 40-7 victory over Mountain Home.

Greenwood moves to 4-0 on the season and is scheduled to travel to Siloam Springs next week to take on the Panthers who currently site at 3-2.

Connecticut Man Arrested in Witcherville

Tammy Teague

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5:08 pm

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Connecticut Man Arrested in Witcherville

Brandon Dijon Jones of Stratford, CT was arrested on Thursday afternoon, October 1 in Witcherville after law enforcement officials discovered the vehicle he was driving was stolen.

The vehicle Jones was driving was registered as stolen out of New York.

Jones was booked into the Sebastian County Detention Center at 2:15 p.m., and remains at the SCADC. Jones was charged with theft by receiving >$5k and granted a $1,000 legally sufficient bond.

Types of Equipment You Need on Your Farm

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Resident News Network

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2:58 pm

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Maintenance is essential to running a small farm. To keep up with your farm’s maintenance needs, there are a few essential pieces of equipment you’ll need to have the best farm in town.

Here are a few types of equipment you need on your farm.

A Pickup Truck

Pickups are built for hauling, whether it’s a load in the truck bed or a trailer on the hitch. A truck is also best equipped for hauling heavier loads that a traditional vehicle can’t, such as building supplies, fencing, tools, feed, and trailers.

As a farmer, you can’t let the weather stop you from doing your job. Pickups are usually equipped with four-wheel drive or all-wheel drive, which is a necessity for dealing with muddy, snowy, or wet weather.

A Utility Vehicle

UTVs offer many of the same benefits of a truck, just at a smaller scale and a lower expense. For spots on your farm you can’t quite reach with your pickup, UTVs come in handy. With a cargo box, hitch, low center of gravity, lightweight body, and rugged tires, a UTV can go anywhere a pickup can go and beyond.

UTVs can even be equipped with a trailer attachment to haul supplies around like a pickup truck.

Tractors

To keep your farm going, you’re going to need a few tractors. The best types of tractors to invest in for your farm are a utility tractor and lawn tractor.

Compact utility tractors are smaller than traditional tractors but still have the equivalent horsepower for heavy lifting. With a quick hitch on both the front and back, you can add any accessory you need, including a mower, box blade, box scraper, aerator, mulch finisher, or rear blade on the back. These attachments make these tractors extremely versatile.

If you have a smaller acreage or a lot of lawn, a lawn tractor can provide a more manicured look than a compact tractor with a mower attachment.

Lawn tractors are bigger than riding mowers but don’t disturb the turf like compact utility tractors. You can even put a blade or shovel on the front for the tough jobs a compact tractor might normally handle.

UTV and Tractor Attachments

There are numerous attachments you’ll want to consider for your farming equipment. As previously mentioned, trailer attachments, front-end loader attachments, and blades are a few must-have attachments for your UTV or tractors.

Basic Tools

When running a small farm, stocking up on the necessities is the perfect starting point before investing in large and expensive harvesting tools. Add tools such as shovels, rotary tillers, a post hole digger, rakes, and hoes to your tool collection.

There are many types of equipment you need on your farm to keep it up and running. Having the right vehicles and basic tools is a good place to start for a small farm; after all, it’s never too early to start planning and preparing.

Jr Hornets “Eight Up” With Golden Arrows

Sports

Megan Hecox

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1:15 pm

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Jr Hornets “Eight Up” With Golden Arrows

With over half of their starters missing from last night’s game, the Hackett Jr High Hornets knew they had quite the flight ahead of them. But in true Hornet fashion, Hackett pushed through the adversity in their game against Lavaca and finished with an 8-0 win. That might not sound like much to some people but some people don’t know how hard the Jr Hornets worked to not only get those eight points but to keep the Arrows from landing in the endzone as well! The Jr Hornets now hold a 2-2 season record with only a handful of games left to play.

Offensively, QB Landen Slavens finished the game with 11 passes for 71 yards as well as 4 rushes for 5 yards. Eli Slavens ended with 6 receptions for 44 yards and 4 rushes for 27 yards. Wyatt Oliver earned 1 15-yard reception. Kristopher Elkins snagged 1 8-yard reception. Danny Robinson made 14 rushes for 130 yards including to lone TD of the night. And Steven Thornburg acquired 1 5-yard reception. Defensively, Eli Slavens got 6 tackles and 3 interceptions. Alex Woody had 1 fumble recovery. And Danny Robinson landed 1 interception. The Hackett Jr Hornets will get back to it on October 8 when they take on the Pirates at Cedarville.

Photos courtesy of Mandy Foster

Jr Tigers Win Battleship Thriller Against Pirates

Sports

Megan Hecox

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11:32 am

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Jr Tigers Win Battleship Thriller Against Pirates

F9. Miss against Mena. J10. Miss against Waldron. A7. Miss against West Fork. G1. Hit and sink against Greenland! After missing the mark so far this season, the Tigers traveled to Greenland Thursday night to zero in on their first win of the season. The Mansfield Jr Tigers showed guts, determination, and solid teamwork in a back and forth instant classic 28-22 victory as they sunk the Greenland Pirates.

The game started off with the Tigers getting the ball first but Mansfield couldn’t figure out the Pirates defensive map right off the bat. That all changed with 3:47 left in the first quarter when QB, Peyton Martin, dipped and dove his way into the end zone. Jeremy Strozier pounded through the Pirates stiff defense for the two-point conversion to get the Tigers ahead early 8-0. In just a hair over a minute, Greenland would answer the Tigers TD with a score of their own and tacked on the extra points to tie things up 8-8 at the 2:13 mark of the first quarter. Remember the word “thriller” in the title of this article? Here it is. In just ten seconds after Greenland scored, Martin drilled a pass to Tyler Turnipseed who used his “TurnipSPEED” to fly 40-yards downfield for a Tiger touchdown. Mansfield was not able to convert the two-point conversion leaving the score at a 14-8 Mansfield at the end of the first quarter.

Now that the teams had both fired their offensive cannons in the first quarter, the game turned into a defensive chess match. Tackle for tackle and turnover for turnover, both the Tigers and Pirates blasted each other’s offenses. In on those massive blasts were Toby Towe, Turner Wright, Trey Vaughan, and Dakota Langford. It was a game of who wants it more at that point. Who wants it more, Tyler Turnipseed wants it more, more, and way more. With the Tigers quarterback Martin being flushed out of the pocket, he zipped a wild pass into coverage in the end zone. In a one on one matchup, both Turnipseed and a Pirate defender got their hands on the ball. The call of interception or touchdown wasn’t clear until Turnipseed literally ripped the ball away for the big-time score. That show of determination sent the Tigers into halftime with a 20-14 lead and momentum in their favor.

The third quarter was filled with falls and flags as both teams struggled to get things going on either side of the ball. It was the end of the 3^rd quarter before points were put up on the board. Unfortunately, it was Greenland who took the high waves to score with 0:32 left in the 3^rd quarter giving Greenland a 22-20 lead going into the final quarter of the game. It was sink or swim time for Mansfield. Lifejackets? They don’t need no stinkin’ lifejackets. The team was Mansfield’s floatation device. After a few big runs by the Tigers running backs, Greenland took the bait on some play action and Martin dropped a perfect pass to the one, the only, THE Trey Powell who rolled in for a 40-yard Tiger touchdown.

#72 Trey Vaughan, #2 Raine Hecox, and #61 Turner Wright

To make sure the game would either be a win or go into overtime, Mansfield went for the two-point conversion and it was none other than Peyton Martin who rolled in to add the duce bringing the score to 28-22 Mansfield with 5:05 left in the game. The Pirates had to set sail fast and started passing, but their passes only found red and white jerseys. Turnipseed picked off a pass, but it was called off due to a penalty against the Tigers. The next play Greenland tried the same pass play to the other side of the field and the pass found none other than Peyton Martin who intercepted the ball to close out the game with 2:55 left on the clock. Trey Powell and Jeremy Strozier ran the ball a few times to run the time out and Martin took a knee on the final play giving Mansfield the 28-22 final over Greenland.

Peyton Martin finished the game with 7 passes for 128 yards and 3 TD and 8 rushes for 29 yards and 1 TD. Powell rushed 7 times for 52-yards. Strozier earned 7 rushes for 13 yards. And Turnipseed made 8 receptions for 88 yards and 1 TD. The Jr Tigers will hit the road to Charleston on October 8, and attempt to paw down the gold and black felines in what is sure to be a “Clash of the Tigers”.

Jr Bulldogs Fill Up On Buffalo Burgers

Sports

Megan Hecox

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10:43 am

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In Thursday nights contest against the Waldron Jr Bulldogs and the Trinity Jr Buffaloes, the Jr Bulldogs eluded the Buffaloes stampede by logging a final score of 40-6 in their tally book bringing them to 3-2 on the season. Waldron created double trouble with Trinity as the 7th-grade Bulldogs secured a 14-8 win earlier in the evening. As always, the night started off with the Jr Bulldogs playing opossum with the Buffaloes before unleashing their secret weapon in running back, Chris Lopez.

Lopez set the Bulldogs up nicely with an explosive 65-yard run that even a Peregrine Falcone would be proud of. In the next breath, thanks to an opening created by the O-line that was big enough to fit the state of Texas through, Lopez took the ball in from 22-yards out to deliver the first TD of the night. With the 2-point no good, the Bulldogs led 6-0. After Michael Grano, Joe Slater, Gage Cox, and Hunter Copeland made better defensive stops than sandbags in a flood, Trinity’s offense was shut down giving the Bulldogs possession of the ball.

With the 1st quarter almost over, the Bulldogs decided to uncover another hidden running back gem that they had been hiding in Kason Davis. Davis took a handoff from QB Brayden Mays and was gone with the wind for an 82-yard TD. Joseph Rogers added the two-point conversion and the quarter ended 14-0 Waldron. The entire first half of the game, Bulldog QB, Mays, was tossing handoffs to his receivers better than Santa tossing candy in a Christmas parade. Keeping the score lights rolling, Mays made a handoff to Rogers who yet again earned a Waldron TD with his 21-yard outside run to paydirt. Lopez landed the two-point conversion and the Bulldogs ruled the roost 22-0.

As Trinity was thinking they might finally be able to get in the game, dream crusher Lopez picked off a Buffalo pass giving the Bulldogs control of the field. With another Mays to Davis handoff, Kason took the Buffaloes to the barn with his 23-yard run for a TD. After a no-go conversion, the game went into halftime with Waldron owning the board 28-0. Finishing a water break and a pep talk, both teams were ready to get back to business. But unfortunately for Trinity, the business was better in the Bulldogs corner.

With Waldrons O-line having zero time to rest, Nathan Canada, Jon Garzon, Damion Dickens, and Aden Allen were just a few of the Bulldogs stoppin’ and blockin’ every defensive Buffalo that came their way. Cashing in on these offensive stops was Cole Bailey who took a handoff from QB, Noah Patrick to slam the ball in from the 3-yard line. With no extra points to add, the score stood at 34-0 Waldron. Trinity finally caught a break though as they snagged a TD in the 4th quarter. But never ones to back down from the go big or go home motto, the Bulldogs delivered one final blow to the Buffaloes. On a Trinity kickoff, Ambrose Poor scooped up the ball at the 13-yard line to run it back almost the entirety of the field for a TD breaking Buffalo wings along the way. The game ended with the Bulldogs putting the Buffaloes back in the barn with a final score of 40-6. On October 8, the Jr Bulldogs will be back in action to take on the Warriors at Lamar.

Thank you Sandy Tull for your always EPIC pictures!

Paris Volleyball Rematch With Hackett Postponed

Sports

Resident News Network

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10:08 am

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Paris Volleyball Rematch With Hackett Postponed

The long-awaited rematch between the top two teams in the 3A West volleyball conference will have to wait for fans of both schools. The October 6 rematch of Hackett traveling to Paris for in all likelihood will determine the conference champion and the number one seed in the state tournament has been postponed due to COVID reasons. As previously reported by Resident Press, the Paris volleyball team remains in quarantine and will not resume practice until later this week. Paris will potentially not have its entire varsity team available for practice until after the October 6 date.

Paris defeated the Lady Hornets in five sets back on September 10 at Hackett. The match featured two great teams playing the match down to the wire to eventually determine a winner, and fans from both schools have been eagerly awaiting the second match in Paris.

Both Hackett and Paris have conference matches to make-up before the state playoffs. It is unknown to Resident Press at this point as to if the post-season district tournament will be held, and if teams will make-up missed regular season conference matches. If a conference tournament is not held, conference teams would possibly have a week to make-up missed conference matches.

Hackett coach Bridget Freeman and Paris coach Jordan Devine are both working to reschedule matches, and Resident Press is assuming that both coaches are having a difficult go at finding time to reschedule matches.

Resident Press will continue to follow this story, and will post any new information regarding the rescheduling of matches as soon as it is known. But for now, the fan bases of both schools will have to wait for the rematch of “Super Fight 2” between the top two teams in the 3A West.

Sebastian County Fall Cleanup Comes to a Close on Saturday

News

Tammy Teague

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9:30 am

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Sebastian County Fall Cleanup Comes to a Close on Saturday

Sebastian County Judge David Hudson announced that the Fall Cleanup Campaign has been scheduled on four Saturdays in October beginning October 10 as part of the Great Arkansas Cleanup Statewide. The County Cleanup Campaign maintains the natural beauty of Sebastian County and helps eliminate illegal dump sites.

Due to COVID 19 restrictions, the campaign will operate differently this year. County residents may take their waste to the Fort Smith City landfill, located at 5900 Commerce Road, Fort Smith 72916 at no charge during the cleanup on Saturdays, October 10, 17, 24, and 31.

Proof of Sebastian County residency is required by Arkansas Driver’s License for disposal of trash at the Fort Smith City Landfill.

The landfill will be open on Saturday from 7 a.m. until 3:30 p.m.

NOTE: the following items are NOT acceptable:

Yard waste, grass, leaves and brush
Used oil
Tires
Batteries
Hazardous or toxic wastes
**TV’s, computers – electronic equipment
Cleaning chemicals
herbicides or pesticides
Paints or liquids of any kind
Fluorescent bulbs
Freon containing appliances (appliances using Freon must have the compressor removed before it can be accepted)

NOTE: tires will NOT be accepted as part of this cleanup campaign

NOTE: barrels used to burn trash will NOT be accepted as part of this cleanup campaign

NOTE: computers, TV’s or VCR’s will be accepted with a trailer designed for these items at the Fort Smith City Landfill during their designated Cleanup time. Please contact the Solid Waste District at 479-452-4104 for a complete list of E-Waste recycle centers with dates and time of operation.

This cleanup is for residents only and not for commercial disposal. Proof of Sebastian County residency by driver’s license will be required prior to disposal.

Mansfield 7th Grade Tigers Put Greenland On Ice

Sports

Megan Hecox

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7:47 am

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Mansfield 7th Grade Tigers Put Greenland On Ice

Although it’s not technically a rivalry, anytime the Mansfield Tigers and Greenland Pirates play football at any level, you can go ahead and break out the popcorn because it’s going to be a showstopper game. This was no different on Thursday night as the 7^th Grade Tigers traveled to the green water of Pirate territory. Greenland had the home field and size advantage over the Tigers, but pure will power drove Mansfield to an edge of the sword 20-14 victory.

In case there is someone out there in Tiger Land who didn’t know, Mansfield’s 7^th Grade has a running back stable that would make Sr High teams in the area jealous and that stable ran wild Thursday night. Dawson Robinson, Zander Walters, and Cooper Edwards all took turns running on the Tigers offenses opening possession. Each back ate up substantial yards every snap until Robinson took a quick pitch to the outside and saw nothing but the open field as he darted 22-yards for the first score of the game. Ethan Martin charged past the goal line for the two-point conversion giving Mansfield an early 8-0 lead. Greenland quickly answered back, but the Tiger defense stood tall stopping the Pirates extra point conversion to maintain their lead at 8-6 with 3:33 left in the first half. Walters rumbled, stumbled, twisted, and turned his way through the Pirates defense for a 70-yard touchdown, but unfortunately, the score was called back due to a penalty. Mansfield then stuffed the ball down Greenland’s defenses throat driving downfield with Robinson punching it in from four yards out to put the Tigers up 14-6 at halftime.

It didn’t take long after the half for Mansfield to get right back on the board again as Walters plowed through the Pirates for 55-yards and a touchdown. Mansfield couldn’t convert the two-point leaving the score at 20-6 with 2:45 left in the second half. The Pirates would not sink easily though. Midway through the last half of the game, Greenland’s massive offensive line held back the Tigers smothering defense allowing a perfectly precise pass play giving Greenland a touchdown. After earning the two-point conversion, the game was cut to a six point 20-14 lead for Mansfield. The Tigers had another Walters touchdown called back on a penalty, but it was the defense who secured the victory as they forced a fumble late in the second half allowing the Tigers to sail away with a 20-14 win over Greenland.

Although it was the run game of Robinson and Walters that kept the Pirates defense busy, it was the Tigers defense that was impressive against a much larger Greenland offense. James Bausley, Wyatt Boyd, Jacob Elmore, Chris Dickinson, and Jacob Delp slayed the monstrous Krakens forcing the Pirates to use the outside of the field for most of the game. But once Greenland hit the perimeter, they ran right into the claws of Cooper Edwards, Kanon Fisher, Cadien Ore, Dominic Shores, and Logan Newman who laid the smackdown on the ball carriers. Turning running backs into the teeth of the Tiger defense was Joey Fildes and Traevin Martin. And linebackers (aka headhunters) Alex Hecox, Dawson Robinson, and Zander Walters mopped up any stragglers who dared make it past the Tigers D-Line or D-Backs with punishing hits.

With victories over West Fork and Greenland, the 7^th Grade Tigers completed the Northwest Arkansas Sweep and now sit at 2-0 in conference play. Mansfield will put those wins behind them though and go right back to work as they face what could be their biggest test of the season when they travel away from home to play the conference powerhouse Charleston Tigers on October 8. Mansfield will work on stopping penalties, shoring up their tackles, and staying on blocks because this will be a BIG catfight. Playing Charleston is never a walk in the park, but this group of 7^th Graders will walk through the valley of the shadow death and fear no Black and Gold Tigers.

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