Scott County Judge James Forbes issued a disaster emergency proclamation on Wednesday, September 2. This, following days of torrential rainfall and damaging floods.
Forbes has been working out in the county surveying damage and on the scene of multiple swift water rescues.
“I want to say how much I appreciate our law enforcement, county and state, Boles Fire Department, and the state wildlife officers. They accomplished a very difficult and long swift water rescue in Boles,” Forbes stated on Tuesday.
“Thankfully, there was no loss of life. We were lucky to have our first responders there within minutes. Everyone worked together and came up with plan to secure stranded woman. It could have had a much different outcome,” added Forbes.
He also credited the people of the county for heeding the warning to avoid water covered roadways.
Seven to twelve inches of rain fell in the Scott County area since last Saturday, and Forbes dubbed the county as the “epicenter” when it came to destruction from flooding.
Both county and city residents are asked to call their respective office so that damages can be further assessed. The initial assessment and damage reports prompted Forbes to issue an emergency declaration on Wednesday, September 2.
“One of the bridges will cost around $100k to repair.” Forbes went on to estimate the total damage to the county at a half million dollars.
As he continues making an assessment, Judge Forbes is prioritizing the work that needs to be done. County work crews are working to make roads passable. He concluded, “a lot of roads are unpassable, some are just rough but passable. So, we are prioritizing what work needs to be done.”
After surviving an injury-plagued 2019 season, the Charleston Tigers play in a new Class 3A-1 conference and should be contenders along with Cedarville for this year’s conference championship.
Second year Charleston head football coach Ricky May and his staff did a masterful job in keeping the 2019 team together during a rash of injuries that this reporter has never seen the likes of before. It was remarkable that the Tigers survived the wave of injuries and were able to make the state playoffs. This year, the Tigers have a wealth of sophomore talent that will join the team along with several key returning players who saw significant playing time last year. Charleston is young, talented, and has increased numbers in their senior high program, and the future for Tiger football is bright in Charleston.
Breckon Ketter (14) Returns for the Tigers in 2020 as a Possible All-Conference Running Back (Resident Press File Photo)
Last season saw the Tigers begin the year with preseason injuries and a key player transfer to another school. If that wasn’t bad enough, the Tigers endured a rash of injuries like no other school in recent memory. In last year’s trip to Dardanelle, the Tigers had 11 players on the sideline, including their entire starting defensive secondary who were out of the game due to injuries. Charleston, playing a tough non-conference schedule that included prior year Class 3A state playoff team Melbourne, and traditional Class 4A powers Dardanelle and Ozark, all on the road, limped through the non-conference portion of their schedule and focused on getting their players back for the conference season. The team was able to amass enough wins in conference play to secure a #5 seed in the state playoffs. An electrifying last minute loss to Mansfield prevented the team from finishing as high as #2 or #3 in the playoff seedings. As a #5 seed, the Tigers played at Prescott in the first round of the state playoffs. There, the Tigers season ended on a very cold night in Prescott.
But 2020 is a new season, and with it, brings new hope for a return to dominance that is what fans at Alumni Field are used to enjoying. The 2020 Tigers are young and talented with a sprinkling of talented and experienced veteran players. This year’s Charleston team will not be dominant, but the Tigers will contend for a conference title with the Cedarville Pirates. Hooten’s Arkansas Football publication has predicted Cedarville to win the conference and for Charleston to finish as the runner-up. The new Class 3A-1 conference includes Charleston, Cedarville, Greenland, Lincoln, Hackett, Mansfield, Lavaca, and West Fork. Gone are the Booneville Bearcats and the Lamar Warriors. Booneville will now play in a new conference that is focused on schools east of Charleston, and Lamar will play in Class 4A this year. The Lincoln Wolves drop down from Class 4A to 3A and will also be new to the conference. The Hackett Hornets and the Lavaca Golden Arrows are moving up from Class 2A and will join Mansfield, who is dropping down to Class 2A in all sports except football.
Hooten’s Arkansas Football has predicted the following order of finish in the Class 3A-1 football conference:
Cedarville
Charleston
Greenland
Lincoln
Hackett
Mansfield
Lavaca
West Fork
Charleston will have a key home game this year with Cedarville that could determine the conference championship and the #1 seed going into the state playoffs. The Tigers 2020 football schedule is:
Sept 4 at Dardanelle
Sept 11 Pottsville
Sept 18 Ozark
Sept 25 at Greenland
Oct 2 Cedarville
Oct 9 at Mansfield
Oct 16 Hackett
Oct 23 at Lincoln
Oct 30 West Fork
Nov 6 at Lavaca
In a scheduling quirk, the Tigers, who played at Dardanelle in 2019, will travel to Dardanelle again this year to play the Sand Lizards. Melbourne has been replaced by Class 4A Pottsville, and the traditional game for bragging rights in Franklin County against Ozark will be played in Charleston this year. So Tigers fans will be treated to outstanding football in 2020, and the Tigers hope to be a conference title contender for their fans.
The Tigers Brighton Ketter (34) carries the ball for Charleston in a scrimmage against Booneville (Resident Press Photo / Ronni Tate Young)
Coach May is excited about his young team this year. “I like where we are at right now. I feel better about this year than I did last year. We have spent a lot more time on special teams this year and I think that part of our game is better. We are deeper in the skill areas and that has helped. We are inexperienced on the offensive line. We have one senior there and the rest are sophomores and juniors. But, I like where we are at right now.”
The Dardanelle Sand Lizards are a team that is reloading from the loss of key personnel that lead the team to multiple victories over the past few years. But Dardanelle is not a team without talent; in fact, they are deeply talented at wide receiver and on the defensive line. They will be relying on new players in key positions such as quarterback. Coach May commented, “They’ve got some really good skill guys. They have, in my opinion, two guys who can play quarterback. They have two of probably the better receivers that we will see all year. They don’t have that massive defensive line that they usually have; but they’ve got some big ones. On the offensive line they are all big guys, but not as massive as in years past. They are well-coached and you can never count that out. They are sound at everything they do. They do stuff right.”
Dardanelle has a history of massive offensive and defensive linemen. (Charleston at Dardanelle, 2019; Resident Press File Photo)
Last week in a loss to Booneville, Dardanelle played Trace Gentry at quarterback for most of game. Coach May said, “Sophomore Drew Vega (son of the Dardanelle coach Phil Vega) played most of the game at receiver.” Hooten’s Arkansas Football reports that Drew Vega has 4.7 speed and was the second leading rusher on last year’s junior high team. “They put Vega into the game at quarterback and he did a really good job.”
Dardanelle turned the ball over four times against Booneville in a 35-14 loss to the Bearcats. No doubt, Dardanelle will be out to right the ship against Charleston. The Sand Lizards defeated Charleston 44-0 last year, and both teams should be ready for the return match on Friday.
I asked Coach May if the lopsided loss last year to Dardanelle was something he was reminding his team of going into Friday’s contest. Coach May said, “I haven’t mentioned it. The kids themselves really haven’t mentioned it. But, they do remember the score. But at the same time, we are just going to play whoever shows up and this is a new year. We are going to make it better this year.”
Charleston at Dardanelle 2019 (Resident Press File Photo)
So, Tigers fans, football is back and it is game week for the Charleston Tigers! The Tigers need their fans to make the trip down Highway 22 to Dardanelle to cheer for their team! Remember, AAA and Arkansas Department of Health regulations will be in effect during the game. Face masks will be required for entry and will be required to be worn by everyone in attendance throughout the game.
After a painful start to the 2019 season, this Friday could be the beginning of a great start for this year’s Tigers team. As always, Charleston does not shy away from competition. The tough non-conference schedule will payoff for the Tigers as they compete later in the season in conference play and in the playoffs.
Good luck to coach Ricky May and the Charleston Tigers, and Resident Press will be there to bring you all of the action on Sundays of each week in Resident Press. Watch for game recaps and previews of the next week’s game each Sunday in Resident Press.
After a road conference victory at Booneville on Monday night, the Paris Lady Eagles returned home on Tuesday to host the Green Forest Lady Tigers in another conference match-up. The Lady Tigers made the almost three hour bus ride from Green Forest to play the Lady Eagles. Green Forest, a newcomer to the Class 3A West volleyball conference, was playing at Paris in the first game of the two game round robin conference schedule. Paris will return the long trip to Green Forest next month.
The game was a mismatch from the beginning. Green Forest, a program that has been in the state tournament frequently over the past few years, seemed to be overwhelmed by the Paris front line. The game quickly got out of control with Paris scoring seven unanswered points to start the first set. Green Forest, a good volleyball program, was left to scramble on seemingly every volley to keep up with the velocity of the Paris serves and kill shots.
After two lopsided Paris wins in the first set, coach Jordan Devine substituted freely in the third set. Many Lady Eagles players who have seen limited playing time to senior “B” games were put into the lineup to start the third set. The Paris starters stood during their time on the court, cheering their teammates.
It was great to see these players get some varsity playing time. Coach Devine took advantage of the opportunity to rest her starters and to give the other players some court time in a conference match. The players remained in the game until the score reached 15-10 in favor of Green Forest. Coach Devine reinserted the starting lineup at that point, and Paris went on to win the third set and the match 3-0.
With the win, Paris improves its overall record to 4-1 overall and 3-0 in conference play. The Lady Eagles next match will be at Elkins on Thursday. The game with the Lady Elks will be another conference match-up for Paris. The Lady Eagles are headed for a showdown next week at Hackett. But before Paris goes to Hackett on September 10, the Lady Eagles must first take care of business at Elkins tomorrow night and at home against Lincoln on next Tuesday night. The young Lady Eagles continue to improve and to mature as they gain more time playing together, and the next stretch of the conference schedule will include a test of two road games against very good teams. So for Paris, the old cliche of “take them one at a time” certainly applies as the Lady Eagles cannot afford to overlook anyone as they approach the game with Hackett.
Paris has the day off today before they make the trip to Elkins tomorrow. The first game at Elkins will begin on Thursday at 4:00 p.m. Junior A, Senior B, and Senior A games are scheduled. Paris fans who plan to make the trip should remember to bring their masks. As has been all season, AAA and Arkansas Department of Health regulations will be in effect at the game.
Stay with Resident Press for complete coverage of the Paris Lady Eagles and their quest to return to the state volleyball tournament!
On Tuesday evening Greenwood Junior High School Principal Josh Nation notified parents that a student at the school had tested positive for COVID-19.
In that message Nation stated:
“Good Afternoon, this is Josh Nation, Principal of Greenwood Junior High School. Late Monday evening, I was notified of a student with COVID symptoms who attended classes on campus at GJHS. The student tested positive and all probable close contacts have been notified by the administration and are under quarantine. Greenwood School District contacted the Arkansas Department of Education and followed the appropriate protocol. Thank you and have a great evening.”
We will continue to provide further updates on this developing story.
Any time Charleston and Lavaca get together, there is always going to be a good contest. The short distance between the locations of both campuses have added to the rivalry history between Charleston and Lavaca. Last year, a very talented senior Charleston team struggled twice with a Lavaca team that played hard in both matches. Last evening’s match was no different, and the Lady Tigers were once again able to prevail over a determined group of Lady Golden Arrows.
(Resident Press Photo / Ronni Tate Young)
After losing at Paris last week in their first game of the season, the Lady Tigers faced the challenge of regrouping and getting ready to play on the road again against Lavaca. Charleston won the match 3-2 by winning the fifth and deciding set 15-8. The Lady Tigers fell behind early by losing the first set 25-15. Charleston evened the match by winning the second set 25-22, only to see Lavaca bounce back and win the third set 25-16. The Lady Tigers forced a fifth and deciding set by winning the fourth 25-15. When it was all over, Charleston left town with a hard fought win that improved their overall record to 2-1.
(Resident Press Photos / Ronni Tate Young)
The Lady Tigers have very little time to enjoy the win as they will again go on the road today at West Fork to play the Lady Tigers. The first match in West Fork is scheduled to start at 5 p.m. Please remember that AAA and Arkansas Department of Health regulations will be in effect for everyone in attendance. Seventh grade, junior “A” and junior “B” games, as well as a varsity match will be played.
Stay with Resident Press all season as we follow the Lady Tigers and their quest to return to the Arkansas state high school volleyball tournament. Don’t forget your masks and drive carefully today on your way to West Fork!
After last week’s game in Mena was postponed, the Mansfield 7th Grade Tigers finally got their chance to step onto the football field as a single unit on Monday night. As will all 7th Grade programs, the Tigers had a short amount of time to ready themselves with the newness of playing at this level, but they weren’t about to back down from the opportunity. With only two 20 minute halves to play, both Mansfield and Mena were set to show their stuff.
#2 QB Cooper Edwards, #59 Wyatt Boyd, and #50 James Bausley
Mansfield’s defense took to the field first and kicked things off with a big hit and takedown by Zander Walters and Dominic Shores. The Tigers stood their ground holding the bearcats to minimal gains at first, but Mena’s top-end speed won the race as they rounded the corner and turned on the heat for the first score of the game. The Tiger’s defense might have been down, but they weren’t going to stop grinding. With Tigers flying to the ball on every occasion, Mansfield held Mena’s offense hostage for most of the rest of the first half. Big perimeter tackles by Walters, Dawson Robinson, Alex Hecox, and Cooper Edwards, forced the Bearcats to rethink their game plan.
#21 Zander Walters
Mansfield’s defense was caught off guard when Mena went from the run game and made a quick pass which led to a touchdown putting the Tigers down 14-0 with 42 seconds left in the half. With time running out, some teams would take it to the half to rest, but not this 7th Grade squad. When the Tigers offense lined up and snapped the ball with only 36 seconds on the clock, it was evident that they were not going to lay down that easy. Quarterback, Cooper Edwards, hit a double-covered Walters with a direct pass and Walters spun out of not one but two tackles to burn a path for Mansfield’s first touchdown of their 2020 season. This put Mansfield in striking distance only down 14-6 going into the half.
Running with the ball is Ethan Martin
The Tigers started out in the second half with the ball, but Mena’s defense lasered in on the Tigers receivers and running backs each play. Mansfield’s defense was able to hold the Bearcats offensive speedsters at bay for most of the half with Logan Newman, Ethan Martin, and James Bausley, making excellent team and solo tackles, but they slipped on a play allowing Mena to put points on the board again bringing the score to 22-6 Bearcats. With the heat, penalties, and first game jitters in full force, the Tigers continued to push forward but to no avail. The Tigers offense got caught up in an all-out blitz by Mena and lost the ball to a pick-6 interception pushing the Tigers down to the game’s final score of 28-6 Mena.
#13 Dawson Robinson with the tackle
Although a win would have been great, it just wasn’t in the cards. Now the 7th Grade crew will review their mistakes, make adjustments, and prepare for what is up next. The Tigers will host their Scott County foes, the Waldron Bulldogs, on Thursday, September 3rd at 5:30 pm in what is sure to be a barn burner.
After stepping out of conference play and experiencing their first loss to a very good Fort Smith Southside team, the Paris Lady Eagles returned to conference play last evening at Booneville. The Lady Eagles won their first two sets decidedly and then struggled to win a 27-25 set over an inspired Lady Bearcats team to complete the three set sweep at Booneville. Paris improves its record to 3-1 overall and 2-0 in conference play with the win. The Lady Eagles went into the contest tied for first in the Class 3A West with Waldron and Hackett.
After Thursday night’s loss, Paris fans were anxious to see how the Lady Eagles would respond in Monday’s game at Booneville. Paris came out strong, winning the first two sets with little trouble. But a never-say-die Lady Bearcats team dug in and played their hearts out in the third set.
Booneville led almost the entire third set until serving errors by the Lady Bearcats eventually allowed Paris to make-up the scoring deficit and eventually get a tough win, 27-25. Other than the loss at Southside, the third set against Booneville was the first time Paris had been pushed to the brink of a loss this season, and is the first time in conference play. Paris played well, but you have to give a lot of credit to Booneville for playing exceptionally hard after being down two sets in the match. Booneville is rebuilding their volleyball program, and they will be a factor in the conference race in the next couple of years.
Now, the Lady Eagles must again, on less than 24 hours rest, get ready to play another conference game, this time against conference newcomer Green Forest. The Lady Tigers have been a state playoff team on a regular basis over the past few years, and they will be coming to Paris Gymnasium tonight to assert their presence in their new conference. Green Forest lost their first two matches of the season against Prairie Grove and Hackett. The Lady Tigers played Alpena on Monday night, but there is no score reported for this game.
The Lady Eagles need their fans to show up again and support Paris in this very important conference match-up. Hackett may be playing the best volleyball so far, and Paris fans will remember the Waldron Lady Bulldogs who were probably the most improved team in the conference and in Class 3A as they made the state tournament and defeated Perryville in the first round. So it is very important for the Lady Eagles to take care of business with the two other top-contending schools still on their schedule.
Tickets for tonight’s match with Green Forest are now available at the Paris district office. For more information on this and other games, please check the Paris school district website for up-to-date information.
Resident Press will be at Tuesday night’s game to capture all of the action for our readers! Watch for a recap of the Lady Eagles game with Green Forest on Wednesday in Resident Press.
And don’t forget to obtain your tickets in advance and wear your masks to the game…see you there!
Skills that just might save your life…that’s what the newest business in the City of Greenwood is aimed at providing.
Owner Joshua Clemmer also operates the Wolf Pack Martial Arts Training Academy in Waldron. Clemmer shared how their methods can help kids overcome issues with bullying, dubbing it the “Bullyproof Program.”
The program developed at Gracie University is “helping kids learn how to deal with bullies, how to avoid a fight but also how to be prepared”. The program is focused on making sure that kids know the difference between self defense and fighting, utilizing the five “Rules of Engagement”:
Rule 1: Avoid the fight at all costs. Rule 2: If physically attacked, defend yourself. Rule 3: If verbally attacked, follow the “Three T-steps” (talk, tell, tackle). Rule 4: Never punch or kick the bully, establish control and negotiate. Rule 5: When applying submissions use minimal force and negotiate.
Gracie Jiu Jitsu instructors Brett Morris (left) and Joshua Clemmer.
Clemmer pointed out that in following the “Three T’s,” tackle, does not mean retaliation on the person verbally attacking you, but rather, tackling the problem head on, not allowing a bully to make you feel as though you need to shy away if confronted. These methods are designed to increase self-confidence and responsibility.
Adult programs are also available to help both men and women increase their self-defense skills. The classes are designed to help those who lack confidence in strength by learning leverage moves and holds that will disable an assailant regardless of stature.
Clemmer concluded that all of the programs offer a free 10-day trial.
Gracie Jiu Jitsu is located at 716 Clinic Street Suite D in Greenwood. The Wolf Pack Martial Arts Academy in Waldron is located at 99 US Business Hwy 71. You can also reach them by phone: (479) 926-5384, and on Facebook.
Skills that just might save your life…that’s what the newest business in the City of Greenwood is aimed at providing.
Owner Joshua Clemmer also operates the Wolf Pack Martial Arts Training Academy in Waldron. Clemmer shared how their methods can help kids overcome issues with bullying, dubbing it the “Bullyproof Program.”
The program developed at Gracie University is “helping kids learn how to deal with bullies, how to avoid a fight but also how to be prepared”. The program is focused on making sure that kids know the difference between self defense and fighting, utilizing the five “Rules of Engagement”:
Rule 1: Avoid the fight at all costs. Rule 2: If physically attacked, defend yourself. Rule 3: If verbally attacked, follow the “Three T-steps” (talk, tell, tackle). Rule 4: Never punch or kick the bully, establish control and negotiate. Rule 5: When applying submissions use minimal force and negotiate.
Gracie Jiu Jitsu instructors Brett Morris (left) and Joshua Clemmer.
Clemmer pointed out that in following the “Three T’s,” tackle, does not mean retaliation on the person verbally attacking you, but rather, tackling the problem head on, not allowing a bully to make you feel as though you need to shy away if confronted. These methods are designed to increase self-confidence and responsibility.
Adult programs are also available to help both men and women increase their self-defense skills. The classes are designed to help those who lack confidence in strength by learning leverage moves and holds that will disable an assailant regardless of stature.
Clemmer concluded that all of the programs offer a free 10-day trial.
Gracie Jiu Jitsu is located at 716 Clinic Street Suite D in Greenwood. The Wolf Pack Martial Arts Academy in Waldron is located at 99 US Business Hwy 71. You can also reach them by phone: (479) 926-5384, and on Facebook.
Hunger impacts people in every corner of the country, including nearly 20 percent of our neighbors in the River Valley. Given the impact of the COVID19 pandemic, that number may increase to 22 ½ percent this year. And with 1 in 4 children in our state experiencing food insecurity, it is important to continue growing efforts to connect families in the River Valley with healthy food.
That’s why the River Valley Regional Food Bank joins Feeding America® food banks nationwide this September to take part in Hunger Action Month, and inspire people to take action and bring attention to the reality of food insecurity in America. This year’s campaign comes at a critical time when the COVID-19 pandemic has hurt millions of people living paycheck to paycheck. And due to staggering unemployment rates, Feeding America estimates an additional 17 million people could be food insecure in 2020 as a result of this crisis, bringing the total up to 54 million people.
“Whether they’ve lost work from the pandemic, or are under-employed, or are seniors, or they live on a fixed income, so many people need food assistance at this time,” Food Bank Director Tracy Engel said. “We work every day to ensure we can provide nutritious food to our 163 pantry agency partners in the eight-county service area in the River Valley, so that they are able to fulfill their missions of helping those in need.”
In an effort to promote hunger awareness throughout the month of September, the River Valley Regional Food Bank has partnered with local businesses, restaurants and government entities to help raise funds and collect in-need pantry items to help stock our shelves.
The food bank also has a number of viral social media campaigns planned, as a way to promote the issues of food disparity in our area. “We need your help now more than ever,” said Claire Babineaux-Fontenot, CEO of Feeding America. “Hunger in this country existed long before COVID-19, but the pandemic has thrust more and more of our neighbors into food insecurity, and food banks are responding to a sustained, increased demand. With support of the community, together we can end hunger one helping at a time.”
September marks the 13th year the Feeding America network has organized this annual call to action. To learn more about the River Valley Regional Food bank and other ways you can get involved for Hunger Action Month in the River Valley, please visit rvrfoodbank.org/hungeraction-month/ or HungerActionMonth.org. You can also join the conversation by posting photos or stories to social media with #HungerActionMonth, and tag @rivervalleyregionalfoodbank on Instagram, @RVRFoodBank on Facebook and @river_food on Twitter, as well as @FeedingAmerica.
