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Jr Bulldogs Slip In OT Against Hackett

On Thursday, August 27, the Waldron Jr High Bulldogs took their “pack” to Hackett to try and collapse the Jr High Hornets. Although it was a very soggy battle, neither team seemed to let that affect them. In fact, it seemed like the Jr Dogs really came to life in the wet weather. So alive that they kept control of the entire first half of the game leaving the Jr Hornets drowning in their “Purple Rain”. The teams went into halftime with the Bulldogs leading 6-0. By the third quarter, the Jr Hornets managed to put some points on the board setting the score at 12-6 Waldron. Unfortunately, that’s when things started to fall apart for the Jr Bulldogs.

Hackett found their drive and like a runaway train, they steamrolled the game into a nail-biting overtime ending the match with a final score of 18-12 Hackett. “It was a smash-mouth game that coaches love to be in,” said Coach Garett Lazenby. “It came down to a heartbreaking 4th and 1 stand but I was proud of how our kids played. Our offensive standout of the night was running back, Logan Young. He did some great downhill running for the team! Our defensive stand out was defensive back, Michael Grano. He flew up and down the gridiron making lots of tackles.” The Jr Bulldogs will spend the next week prepping for an always entertaining football game against the Mansfield Tigers at Mansfield on September 3 in the “Battle of Scott County”.

Seiter Sees Opportunity at Chaffee Crossing

Michael Seiter is a millennial business owner who jumped at the chance to open his business in the Chaffee Crossing Historic District. 

Seiter Design Co. is located at 7402 Ellis St., Suite 2, a World War 2-era building that has been renovated for commercial use by Rival Commercial RE.

A 2017 UAFS grad, Michael has had his sights set on opening his own business from the start. Currently, Seiter Design Co. specializes in screenprinting and embroidery work. He opened the shop in October 2019, but he is already planning to expand.

He says, “We are really happy to be in Chaffee Crossing and are already working with ARCOM student groups and Chaffee Crossing businesses. This is the future of Fort Smith and we want to be ahead of the curve before this whole area blows up with development.”

Jr Lady Hornets: The New Kids On The “Block”

The Hackett Jr Lady Hornets are a young team who just moved up from 2A volleyball into a jungle of new opponents in the 3A. That would seem like a lot to put on the plate of such a fresh squad, but not for the Jr Lady Hornets. Come one, come all, hit towards them and they’ll spike the ball. The girls are coming off of a huge victorious week in volleyball as they hold an undefeated 2-0 conference record.

First up in the week, Hackett stayed home and faced the Green Forest Lady Tigers on August 25. After two dominating sets of 25-2 and 25-9, the Jr Lady Hornets flew away winners. The top players in the Green Forest match were Makenzie Freeman, Michaelyn Freeman, Prairie Vaughn with seven, five, and four aces. Kills were Alona Rothwell and Prairie with three kills each and Makenzie and Aubree Ruggles with two. And in the assists department was Prairie with six and Jessie Mendenhall with three.

Next on August 27, Hackett hit the road to Elkins where they left their mark on the Lady Elks with final sets of 25-7 and 25-13. Leading the Jr Lady Hornets was Lexi Gann with three kills. Jessie Mendenhall and Praire Vaughn with seven and five assists. Mendenhall and Makenzie Freeman with four and three aces. And Alona Rothwell and Michaelyn Freeman with one dig apiece.

“I would say it’s been a great week coming into 3A volleyball,” stated Coach Bridget Freeman. “The Jr Lady Hornets have secured their first two conference wins and have played well. I think the individual skills that we were forced to work on during the June/July summer sessions because of Covid rules, have helped us in our overall aspects of the game.” The Jr Lady Hornets will find their way back to the court on August 31 at Alma and on September 1 at Lincoln.

Sr Lady Hornets Volleyball Living Deja Vu In New Conference

This past week, the Hackett Sr High Lady Hornets did what they do best in the volleyball world and that’s winning! On Tuesday, August 25 the Lady Hornets took the Green Forest Lady Tigers by the toe as they block-n-rolled for the win 3-0. Then the girls turned around on Thursday, August 27, and did the very same thing to the Elkins Lady Elks with the same final score outcome. With these two conference wins, the Lady Hornets are flying undefeated 2-0. Upgrading from 2A to 3A volleyball, Hackett is proving that they mean business no matter where they put down roots.

#10 Madeline Freeman

The top players of the Green Forest game were Madeline Freeman and Jamye Durham with 5 aces each. Kills were Rain Vaughn with 10, Madeline with nine, Jamye Durham with six, and Kenadi Wright and Shayla Foster with four each. Blocks were Jamye with two. Assists were Madeline with 15 and Madi Taylor with 11. And Digs were Kandace Byrd with eight, Kayla Richardson with six, and Shayla and Kenadi with four each.

#9 Shayla Foster and # 1 Kayla Richardson

When it came to the Lady Hornets match against Elkins, walking away as the top players were Shayla and Kandace with eight and three assists respectively. Madeline and Rain with 11 and seven kills. Madi and Madeline with 10 and seven assists. And Kandace with eight digs followed by Madeline, Shayla, and Kayla with four each.

#15 Rain Vaughn

“I thought all three teams (Junior High, High School JV, and Varsity) played great volleyball,” expressed Coach Bridget Freeman. “It was our first match coming off of a great season last year for both junior and senior highs. I was impressed with our serving and hitting. I would like to continue focusing more on passing, but the girls had great hustle and effort…and might have even gone in the game a few times with their masks on!!” The Sr Lady Hornets will be back in action on August 31 at Alma and September 1 at Lincoln.

The Sr Lady Hornets

Photos courtesy of Mandy Foster

Waldron Prepping To Strike Down Gentry

With their DeQueen scrimmage canceled, the Waldron Sr High Bulldogs will finally get the chance tonight to see what they are made of when they face off with the Gentry Pioneers. Under the new leadership of head coach, Doug Powell, the Bulldogs have spent countless hours over the summer preparing for this very day. “We weren’t able to have our scrimmage which hurts. Nothing can replace the on-field experience we could have gotten from that scrimmage. We don’t have any film of Gentry but Coach Bigham and I exchanged information by phone. Each of us knows the general setup of our teams and will be flying blindfolded for lack of a better term. We have prepared for a wide range of looks and will have to make in-game adjustments as needed for tonight.”

With both teams pretty evenly matched in 4A football, Gentry does have the edge in the live game category due to them getting to scrimmage with West Fork. When it comes to similarities, the Bulldogs and the Pioneers have more in common than people think. “I think speed-wise we will be comparable. We are not big on the line so Gentry will most likely be bigger than us. Without film to watch, it is hard to know with certainty what tonight holds but I expect two even teams to compete in a closely contested match.”

The last time these two teams went to battle on the gridiron was in 1992 at Gentry where Waldron went home with the loss. For tonight though, not only will the Bulldogs be on their home turf but they have zero plans on repeating the outcome of ’92. This evening, Coach Powell will be looking to his seniors to help carry the Bulldogs to victory. “The senior class has been excellent at leading up to this point and I expect they will continue to do so tonight.” Those seniors include Bryson Bailey, Caden Fuller, Braden Williams, Isaac “The Real” Villarreal, Dayton Lovett, Jesse Dees, Cody Starr, Dale Lecita, Ethan Slater, David Blevins, and Rayce Leon.

The Bulldogs will be taking on the Gentry Pioneers tonight, August 28 at 7 pm.

Obituary- Gary Parish (1981 – 2020)

Gary David Parish, 39, of Mansfield, passed from this life on Thursday, August 27 in a Fayetteville, AR hospital.

Gary was born January 24, 1981 in Fort Smith, AR. He was a lifelong Mansfield resident and a MHS graduate.

Gary was preceded in death by his father, Jerry Parish, his grandparents, Ardith and Juanita Norris, Homer and Evelyn Parish and an uncle, Leroy Parish.

He is survived by his mother, Janie Parish, a brother, Jerry Parish, a sister, Joy Jolley and husband Kevin, niece Tiffany Gateley and husband Michael, nephew Cody Jolley and wife Emily, niece Harper Jolley, and great-nephew, Conner. He also survived by a host of extended family.

Gary was devoted to his family, and treasured his time with them.

Arrangements and cremation are being entrusted to Martin Funeral Home in Mansfield, Arkansas.

A funeral expense benefit account has been set up at Chambers Bank in Mansfield for those wishing to donate.

Farm Training, Apprenticeship Helps New and Aspiring Farmers put Local Foods on Local Plates

By Fred Miller
U of A System Division of Agriculture

Those whose hands yearn for the dirt can learn to farm with classroom training and practical experience in two Center for Arkansas Farms and Food programs.

The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture center launches its first Farm School in January 2021. The second year of farm apprenticeships will begin in the spring. Registration for both programs begins Sept. 1.

The programs focus on small and mid-sized farms, specialty crop production and local markets in northwest Arkansas, said Heather Friedrich, program manager in the division’s department of horticulture. Both programs are open to anyone from any area of Arkansas. “We have connections with farmers in many areas of the state,” she said.

“Our goal is to increase the number of farmers and farms in Arkansas, improve farm viability and support our local food systems,” Friedrich said.

CAFF uses division research and outreach to support local food entrepreneurs and increases small farm viability. It is a center of the division’s Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station and envisions a vibrant and diverse farm and food economy statewide, Friedrich said. Division of Agriculture faculty and staff manage CAFF programs in partnership with Northwest Arkansas Food Systems.

“Our goal is also to get local foods on local plates,” Friedrich said. “That’s good for farmers, and it’s good for consumers.”

Friedrich said CAFF addresses the need for a new generation of farmers to feed the state’s growing population. “The average farmer in Arkansas is age 57,” she said. “New farmers entering the field face significant obstacles, including a steep learning curve and access to land.

“CAFF’s goal is to support and expand the Arkansas food and farm economy,” Friedrich said. “These educational and mentoring programs will develop the next generation of Arkansas farmers and help them succeed.”

Farm School

The Farm School begins in January and is an 11-month, experiential learning program for beginning farmers of specialty crops or for those who want to learn how to grow food. The school includes both classroom curriculum and hands-on experience for integrating production, business and legal issues. Apprenticeships and outreach events offer continuing education to learn more about the skills needed for successful farming.

Students participate in approximately 350 hours of core knowledge in production, business and legal topics and 700 hours of hands-on field activities, Friedrich said. They will experience annual cropping systems on .5- and 5-acre scale fields, greenhouse production and perennial fruit production.

“Students gain an in-depth understanding of the farming production systems and business applications needed to succeed,” Friedrich said. “The Farm School prepares farmers to become specialty crop entrepreneurs, contributing to local and regional foodsheds in Arkansas.”

Farm Apprenticeships

The apprenticeship program matches new farmers or those who want to begin farming with mentors in their area of interest, providing hands-on learning experience on working farms, Friedrich said.

“Apprentices are carefully matched to farms based on their interests and learn alongside successful farmers, getting a taste of farm life before starting their own farm businesses,” Friedrich said.

Agreements signed by farm mentors and apprentices outline the terms of employment, and each on-farm experience is different, Friedrich said. The CAFF apprenticeship program lasts one to two seasons, depending on apprentice interests.

The program also includes education sessions at the Milo J. Shult Agricultural Research and Extension Center in Fayetteville, both before and during apprenticeships.

“Participants are required to take nine classes during the winter before their apprenticeships begin and three during the growing season,” Friedrich said. “This allows apprentices to share experiences with their classmates while applying what they learn in classes to real working experience.”

Information and registration

To learn more about the Center for Arkansas Farms and Food, or the Farm School and Farm Apprenticeships, visit the CAFF website: https://caff.uark.edu. Registration for the programs will be open Sept. 1 through Oct. 30. Online registration:

To learn more about Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uark.edu. Follow us on Twitter at@ArkAgResearch and Instagram at ArkAgResearch.

Sr Tigers Ready For A Rattlesnake Round-Up

Tonight’s the night. The night football fans have all been waiting for. The night that for the first time in 21 years, the Mansfield Sr High Tigers and the Magazine Sr High Rattlers will come face to face in a bloodthirsty non-conference battle royal. This will be the first non-scrimmage game of the schedule for each team and it very well could set the tone for the rest of the season. “Magazine is highly regarded and considered a favorite to win their conference,” explained head coach, Tim Cothran. “They have a big physical line along with great skill athletes. We are excited to be playing them because this will be a good test for us.”

Last season, the Tigers finished 5th in their 3A-1 division and ended with a total season record of 7-4. Magazine ranked undefeated 5-0 in their 2A-4 division and 8-2 in total season play. The Rattlers lost seven seniors from the 2019-2020 season while Mansfield said good-bye to a whopping 12 seniors including All-American QB, Ethan Stovall. “We are relying heavily on our seniors. Randall Claude and Bri Sanderson are two seniors that will need to set the tone for us.” Junior, Zayne Dugan is manning the Quarterback position for the Tigers this season. “Zayne will be relied upon to a great degree to lead our offense.”

When Mansfield took on Mena in last week’s scrimmage, the Tigers needed a minute to get warmed up but once they did, they were unshakable. “We can’t have any slow starts night. We started way too slow in our match against Mena. We have got to hit the ground running. But once we did get going in Mena, I was very pleased. Magazine is going to be a good challenge for our line. I think both teams are starting new bodies on the line as well. Their skill guys are more experienced than ours so it’s going to be interesting to see how we play tonight.”

The Mansfield Tigers will be playing in Magazine tonight, August 28 starting at 7 pm.

Obituary- Bob L. Slagle (1938 – 2020)

Bobby L. Slagle of Y-City, Arkansas passed from this life, Monday, August 24, 2020, in Y-City, Arkansas. Bobby was born December 29, 1938, to Charlie and Lessie Slagle. Bob was 81 years old. Bob was a long time member of Boles Southern Baptist Church.

Bob was a logger in his younger days and farmer in his latter days and spent many days in the woods. It only stands to reason that he had a love for the outdoors. He enjoyed hunting, fishing and riding in his buggy. Bob was a warm and loving person, but he could argue with the best of them. Once a part of his family, always a part of his family. He looked forward to seeing his grandchildren and great grandchildren and making memories to treasure.

Bob leaves behind to cherish his memory, one son, Robert Slagle and wife Tammy of Y-City, Arkansas, one daughter, Glenda Slagle Lennier of Ft. Smith, Arkansas. Papaw will forever remain in the hearts of his grandchildren: Derek Richmond, Chance Slagle and Chelsea Ridenhour as well as his great grandchildren: Carson Slagle, Chloe Slagle, Hadlee Ridenhour, Reed Ridenhour and Pacyn Richmond. Bob is also survived by his siblings: Lou Ella Wright of Y-City, Arkansas, Treva Harberson of Bentonville, Arkansas, Billy Joe Slagle of Boles, Arkansas and forever friend Imogene Frazier of Waldron, Arkansas. Bob will be missed by all that knew him and the many whose lives he impacted including, a host of nieces, nephews, friends, neighbors and love ones dear to his heart.

Bob was preceded in death by his parents, Charlie and Lessie Slagle, wife and mother of his children, Shirley Wagner Slagle and his wives Sharon Johnson Slagle and Martha Parker Slagle.

Bob’s life celebration will be at 2:00 p.m. Saturday, August 29, 2020, at the Heritage Memorial Funeral Home Chapel in Waldron, Arkansas with Rev. Pat Ray Biggs officiating. Interment will follow in the Chant Cemetery in Y-City, Arkansas. Arrangements are being entrusted to the Heritage Memorial Funeral Home in Waldron, Arkansas.

Bob’s pallbearers will be Chance Slagle, Derek Richmond, Wade Ridenhour, Randy Lane, Shawn Lane, and Drake Lane.

Bob’s visitation will be Friday, August 28, 2020, from 3:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. at the home of Robert and Tammy Slagle, 4776 Hwy 270, Boles, Arkansas.

During these trying and difficult times, we must follow the guidelines we have been given to do our part to stop the spread of the Coronavirus. Since the number of people attending must be limited, per family request we ask that family be allowed to be seated and then extended family and friends may join as seating allows. Family and friends that do attend the service must wear a mask and maintain a social distance of 6 feet apart. For those who would like to attend but are more comfortable remaining in your vehicle, the funeral service will be live streamed.

Paris Falls at Ft. Smith Southside for First Volleyball Loss of the Season

Sometimes you just lose to a better team. That was the case Thursday night in Fort Smith as the Lady Mavericks of Southside High School swept the Paris Lady Eagles (2-1, 1-0) in a non-conference match, 3-0. The experienced and athletic Lady Mavericks made short work of the Lady Eagles. Paris played hard, but the hard-hitting front line of Southside proved to be too much for the young Lady Eagles. Paris could not match the intensity of the athletic and experienced Lady Mavericks.

It was a complete sweep for the Lady Mavericks as they defeated the Paris senior “B” team in two sets, and then swept the Lady Eagles in three sets in senior “A” play. Besides being a mismatch in classifications, the game was a stark contrast between a young, talented, and inexperienced Paris team and an experienced and very talented Southside team. But for the Lady Eagles, it was a no-lose situation. The experience gained by the young Lady Eagles will no doubt pay off for them later in the season as they strive to earn a state playoff birth. Paris faced a very aggressive front line from Southside, and the experience should help them as they return to conference play next week.

The Lady Mavericks talent is truly impressive. The team is led by senior Hannah Hogue who, according to her coach, verbally committed to play Division 1 collegiate volleyball in the Southeastern Conference for the University of Arkansas. Hannah committed to the Razorbacks her ninth grade year.

In addition to Hannah, there are at least two other players on the team that have a chance to possibly play Division 1 volleyball. And all of that talent was on full display Thursday night.

For Paris, this is a loss that the team should quickly forget. No one likes to lose, especially a Paris program that is built on winning championships. But the Southside match was an opportunity to learn and gain valuable experience that will payoff down the line. One thing is for certain, the Lady Eagles will not face anyone the rest of the season as good as what they saw Thursday night in Fort Smith. Paris should not be afraid of anyone after the game with the Lady Mavericks.

Paris ends a grueling first week of the season that saw the Lady Eagles play twice on the road, and open at home in conference play against rival Charleston. The Lady Eagles will resume conference play on Monday when they travel to Booneville to play the Lady Bearcats. The first match of the night begins at 4 p.m.

It will be important for Paris to quickly forget about the loss at Southside and be ready mentally to play on the road again on Monday night. The game with Booneville is another important conference match, and Paris cannot afford a letdown going into the match against the Lady Bearcats.

Paris is very talented and has a high ceiling with respect to how good they can become as a team. Monday night will be another test for this young team; a test to see how they can bounce back from adversity. And they will have to do it away from Paris Gymnasium.

My guess is that coach Jordan Devine will have her players ready to go, and I expect this team to bounce back strong against Booneville. It’s only the end of the first week of the season, but Paris finds themselves facing early adversity, and it will be a test for this young team. Paris fans need to be in Booneville on Monday to support their Lady Eagles!

And as always, Resident Press will be there to bring you all of the action!