“Just Roll with It” Serving up Recipes and Humor
By Sheri Hopkins, Lifestyle Contributor
Hello everyone! We finally got rain at my house. We got two inches. I was so excited to see rain. Won’t be long until I get to start getting ready for Halloween. I have two new skeletons; I am so excited.
I have told y’all before how me and my family members fall a lot. Well, not only do the family members fall but those who have married into the family also get cursed with falling. My niece, Kelly, fell outside the pool store in Fort Smith and about killed herself. Her daughter that didn’t even have a driver’s permit had to drive her home. Tonya, who is married to my nephew has fell multiple times. Now her husband, my nephew, has fell several times also. He has fell backwards in lawn chairs twice lately. Y’all, know I have fell so many times that I cannot keep count. I have even had to have my tailbone x-rayed to see if it was broken. I have fell in the snow, tangled up in a vacuum cord, walking to the dumpster, in the house, on the porch, the list is endless. Now I did fall at the dentist office when I was a kid, but my story is not near as funny as when my cousin fell at the dentist office.
The names have been changed to protect the innocent. Not really, I am telling her name. My cousin, Betty that married into the family had gone to the dentist in Greenwood. My other cousin, Patricia and her mom, Betty’s mother-in-law, was at the dentist with her. Betty is in a nice skirt, and she gets called back and they wait for her in the waiting room. It’s about the time she would be finished, and they hear this noise like something, or someone fell. They look at each other and say, “it has to be Betty.” They get up and go over to the hallway and there she was in the floor, in her skirt with her feet straight up in the air, with the dentist standing over her trying to get her to come too. She had fainted and the dentist had lifted her legs in the air to try to get blood flowing, I guess. I said to her, “I hope you had on your good panties.” I wish I could have been there. My cousin has to tell this story every time we are together so we can laugh at poor Betty. I guess what I am saying is if you marry into our family, be prepared to fall.
Have a great week. Enjoy the cool weather that’s coming. This recipe is easy peasy if you have company coming and need something quick.
LEMON BARS
1 box of angel food cake mix (dry)
1 can (15 oz.) lemon pie filling
In a bowl, mix the lemon pie filling and dry cake mix together. Pour the mixture into a greased 9×13 baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden. Let it cool and dust with powdered sugar. Slice and enjoy.
Timepiece: Vocational Education
By Dr. Curtis Varnell
Vocational and agricultural education has always been a big factor in the Arkansas educational system. For many years, farming was and perhaps still is, the base for the economy of Arkansas so it is natural so much emphasis is placed on using the best and most scientific methods to increase production. The University of Arkansas and UAPB were both formed as land-grant colleges and were tasked with offering instruction in agriculture, engineering, and other sciences. In 1909, the General Assembly created four more colleges (ATU, ASU, SAU, and Monticello) as state agricultural school in order to offer coursework in every corner of the state.
The Cooperative Extension service was created in 1905 to extend the educational arms of the university. This created the county extension offices as well as the 4H organization to train kids. The Smith-Hughes Act of 1917 and the George-Barden Act of 1946 financed high-school instruction in farming and resulted in the development of agricultural and vocational studies in public schools. In schools, the primary focus was in classroom instruction, supervised actual experience in vocational skills, and the involvement in the national Future Farmers of America (FFA). The counterpart to that was the Future Homemakers of America (FHA) which provided training in home-care, cooking, and other tasks related to providing safe, secure, wholesome households.
By the 1940’s, virtually every rural school in Arkansas hadactive classes in vocational education as well as active clubs participating in the above national organizations. Most students, regardless of future occupation, took several courses in vocational education. Being more academically inclined, I still took three courses of vocational classes and was an FFA member throughout high school. During the instruction, my colleagues and I learned valuable lifetime skills. I can still use most wood-working tools, weld terribly, and can-do minor carpentry. Some of the best times in life were participating in FFA camps in Hot Springs and judging cattle at the Arkansas and Arkansas Oklahoma state fair. The key to success in many endeavors is to become a part in a really good group and they can cover for your mistakes. I had three good friends and I rode their talent in order to participate. My real goal was to get a day out of school, to ride carnival rides, and try to pick up an FHA girl from one of the area schools. My success at that was about as awesome as my judging talent.
Both organizations offered kids a chance to test our vocational skills, meet people from throughout the state, and to see the opportunities that might not necessarily be available in our smaller communities. Who would have ever predicted when I was chosen to represent our county in the state environmental camp that it would become a part of my life-time career. A list of former successful FFA members include President Jimmy Carter, singers Johnny Cash and Willy Nelson, and NFL members Bo Jackson and Josh Allen.
In recent years, public schools have realized that the best career paths for many of our students is through career and vocational education. With a slightly over 20% college graduation rate for the state, vocational education offers a faster and often cheaper route to a successful career. Fort Smith has a very successful concurrent program with schools offering students the opportunity to train and receive certificates in nursing, computer technology, machine shop, and welding. Logan /Franklin County and ATU have teamed up to offer concurrent courses in welding, nursing, and even electrical applications. N.W. Arkansas schools offer a wide range of opportunities to obtain life-time training that might not necessarily involve the traditional college routes. A group from Bentonville recently wrote, filmed, and edited a video of a local historical event. While one group filmed, others were using drones to study the landscape and survey areas for city development. The educational landscape is changing and our schools are doing a great job of adapting to the current vocational needs of our students.
Obituary: Billy Lee Reather (1940-2025)
Billy Lee Reather, who resided near Muldrow, Oklahoma, died Tuesday, August 19, 2025, at his home. He was born on June 16, 1940, in Magazine, Arkansas, to the late Thomas K. Reather and Vivian Marie (Roberson) Reather. He was 85 years old. He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife of 64 years, Eula Faye (Elkins) Reather; a daughter, Vicki Reather; a sister, Sue Reather; a brother, Daymon Reather; and an infant brother.
For 34 years, Bill worked for the Fort Smith Police Department. He was a former commander for the Fort Smith Swat Team and Honor Guard Team, and played many different roles while serving in law enforcement. He was a 32nd Degree Mason, and member of Rye Hill Baptist church in Fort Smith.
A family-held memorial service will be at 10:00 a.m., Saturday, August 30th at Rye Hill Baptist Church in Fort Smith.
He is survived by a son, Randall Reather of Muldrow; (7) grandchildren, Richard Rivera, Logan Taylor, Landan Reather, Jessica Gibbs, Quinton Cunningham, Felicia Reather, and Matthew Collins; (6) great-grandchildren, Shianne, Austin, Zane, Hayden, Thomas, and Logan; and (2) great-great-grandchildren, Hadley and Swazee.
Cremation arrangements are under the direction of Brotherton Brothers Cremation Services in Fort Smith, 914 N. 32nd St. Fort Smith, AR 72903. (479) 434-3901 or (479) 965-8202
To place an online tribute, please visit www.brothertonbrothersfuneralhomes.com.
State Capitol Week in Review From Senator Terry Rice
LITTLE ROCK – The inmate population in Arkansas prisons will grow by an estimated two percent a year until 2035, according to an expert’s presentation at a conference of county officials, sheriffs, prison administrators and lawmakers.
There is general agreement that Arkansas needs to add prison space in order to relieve overcrowding in county jails and provide a deterrent to violent offenders. Some elected officials want to build a large, new prison unit while others prefer to expand existing units.
The inmate population grew by 2.4 percent a year from 2010 through 2023, but since 2021 it has grown by an average of 5 percent a year, the expert said. There are now more than 19,400 inmates under state jurisdiction. Those estimates prompted one legislator to call the situation “very alarming.”
Sheriffs are in charge of county jails. Some are full because they house inmates waiting to be transferred to a state prison unit. This creates dangerous interactions if serious offenders are in the same facility with people who commit minor offenses. In some county jails an offender guilty of a misdemeanor may not have to serve time behind bars due to lack of safe space.
Counties have approved local taxes to build more jail space. Since 2021 county jails have added more than 3,000 beds. However, one sheriff told the group that jails were bursting at the seams because of a backlog of about 1,900 state inmates.
Since 2023 the Correction Department has added about 1,400 beds to the state system, according to the head of the department.
One reason the inmate population is growing is that tougher new laws require more serious offenders to serve at least 70 percent of their sentence. Another law passed in 2023 requires the most serious offenders to serve 100 percent of their sentence.
Criminals convicted of rape and capital murder serve 100 percent of their sentences, as do inmates convicted of aggravated robbery, human trafficking, Internet stalking of a child and more serious categories of aggravated residential burglary.
Inmates must serve 85 percent of their sentence after conviction for violent felonies such as second degree murder, negligent homicide, manslaughter, encouraging someone to commit suicide, first degree battery, first degree sexual assault and sexual indecency with a child.
Other felonies on the list include permitting abuse of a minor, serious categories of arson, advocating overthrow of the government, treason, making a terrorist threat, arming a terrorist and exposing the public to toxic, chemical or radioactive substances.
Thanks to the 2023 law, sentencing guidelines more closely mirror those in federal prisons, where inmates generally serve most of their original sentences.
Many county jails are not built to segregate all prisoners, so the presence of violent offenders is potentially dangerous to other inmates and to staff. Another challenge for local jails is the high percentage of people with mental illness who are incarcerated.
The legislature approved Act 733 earlier this year to streamline the process of ordering psychological evaluations for people who have been charged with crimes. It also allows jails to provide medications in a more timely manner, to prevent people from spiraling into a mental health crisis.
Family of Brad Jones Responds to Prosecutor’s Decision: “We Will Not Give Up on Justice”
Charleston, Arkansas – The family of Brad Jones today expressed deep disappointment at the
prosecutor’s decision not to file criminal charges against Kermit Acosta, the man who fatally
shot Brad on July 10, 2025.
“Brad was a loving husband, father, and hardworking member of this community,” said his wife,
Sherry Jones. “His life was taken without cause, and our family deserves justice. The
prosecutor’s decision does not change the truth of what happened, nor will it silence our pursuit
of accountability.”
Brad was unarmed and posed no imminent threat at the time of his death. Witness statements and available evidence show that his killing was unnecessary and unjustifiable.
The Jones family announced that they have retained Kevin Metcalf and Chad Atwell of The
Atwell Law Firm, who will represent them in a civil wrongful death lawsuit against Acosta.
“If the criminal system will not hold him accountable, then we will fight through the civil
courts,” said Brad’s daughter. “Our father’s life mattered, and we will not rest until the truth is
recognized.”
The family also voiced concern over how the investigation was handled, citing potential conflicts
of interest and inconsistent communication. “We ask the community to stand with us and
demand transparency and fairness,” said Sherry Jones.
The family requests privacy as they continue to grieve and prepare for the next phase of their
pursuit of justice.