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Obituary- Randall Wayne Thompson (1982-2020)

Tammy Teague
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Obituary- Randall Wayne Thompson (1982-2020)

Randall Wayne Thompson of Ft. Smith, Arkansas passed from this life, Wednesday, August 19, 2020, in Ft. Smith, Arkansas. Randall was born April 15, 1982, in Ft. Smith, Arkansas to Donald J. Thompson and Carla Sue Tellier. He was 38 years old.

Randall enjoyed watching football and baseball and going to the casino. He looked forward to spending time with his family and making memories to treasure.

Randall leaves behind to cherish his memory, his parents, Donald Thompson and Carla Tellier, two sisters: Darla Gene Miner of Waldron, Arkansas and Wendy Dunn of Ft. Smith, Arkansas as well as his nieces and nephews, Hailey Miner, Dakota Miner, Dustin Holmes and Lindsey Brumbelow. Randall will be missed by all that knew him and the many whose lives he impacted including a host of friends, neighbors and loved ones.

Randall was preceded in death by his grandparents.

Randall’s graveside life celebration will be 10:00 a.m., Friday, August 28, 2020, at the West Harmony Cemetery in West Hartford, Arkansas with Rev. Konnor McKay officiating. Interment will follow. Arrangements are being entrusted to the Heritage Memorial Funeral Home in Waldron, Arkansas.

Randall’s pallbearers will be Jacob Bean, Josh MIiner, Dakota Miner, Tristan Brumbelow, Joshua Cunningham and Jeremy Bowman.

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. Family and friends are welcome to attend the service but everyone must wear a mask and maintain a social distance of 6 feet apart.

Mansfield City Council Holds Study Session

Tammy Teague
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Mansfield City Council Holds Study Session

The Mansfield City Council held a study session on Thursday evening, August 20. In that study session, the council reviewed proposed dog ordinance 2020-3.

That ordinance is on the agenda for a vote at the next council meeting, Thursday, September 17.

AAA Announces Partnership With SBLive Sports

Megan Hecox
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AAA Announces Partnership With SBLive Sports

Scorebook Live Inc. (SBLive Sports) is now the official digital content partner of the Arkansas Activities Association (AAA).

As the AAA’s chosen digital content partner, SBLive Sports, along with the soon to be released AAA mobile app, will be the official source for all AAA scores, schedules, statistics, tournament brackets, game casts, live scoring and more beginning with the 2020-21 school year.

“We are excited to join forces with SBLive,” AAA Executive Director Lance Taylor said. “After listening and learning what SBLive had to offer, we feel like they are a perfect fit for the AAA. We really want to bring live scoring to Arkansas, and we believe SBLive has the technology and resources to do that.”

“We are really looking forward to being a part of the Arkansas high school sports landscape,” said Dan Beach, SBLive’s founder and CEO. “And we are committed to providing fans with great content while also making it easy for coaches and athletic directors to create and manage schedules, scores, and rosters via our content sharing partnership with DragonFly Athletics.” 

  • The Arkansas Activities Association (AAA) is the primary sanctioning body for high school sports in the state of Arkansas. The mission of the Arkansas Activities Association is to promote the value of participation in interscholastic activities in the AAA member schools and to provide services to the schools in a fair and impartial manner while assisting and supporting their efforts to develop thinking, productive and prepared individuals as they become positive, contributing citizens modeling the democratic principles of our state and nation.
  • SBLive Sports is a sports media and technology company that serves the high school sports market with innovative software products and media services. State Associations, athletic administrators and coaches are provided with a suite of products that allow them to manage tournaments, teams, and leagues as well as live score games across multiple sports in order to engage today’s sports fans in a manner that they have come to expect from professional and collegiate sports organizations and media companies. For more information visit us at https://arkansas.scorebooklive.com/.

3 Ideas To Help You Lead a More Sustainable Life

Resident News Network
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3 Ideas To Help You Lead a More Sustainable Life

Becoming more eco-friendly doesn’t have to involve huge lifestyle changes. Even the smallest steps can make a difference for your local environment. However, a sustainable lifestyle benefits more than just the world you live in. You can reap the benefits of lower energy bills, less clutter, and an overall healthier life. Start making simple yet effective changes to your daily habits with these ideas to help you lead a more sustainable life.

Reduce Waste

These days, single-use, disposable objects are around every corner. From plastic dishware to disposable food storage, the amount of trash you throw out every day can add up quickly. Do your best to cut down on the number of disposable products you use. Invest in reusable water bottles, food containers, and other products that you would normally throw out after one use. You can also put some time and effort toward upcycling broken possessions rather than simply getting rid of them. For example, can you reupholster an old armchair instead of setting it out by the dumpster? Perhaps you can turn that torn dress into a decorative pillow covering. Find unique ways to keep using products rather than letting them pile up in a landfill.

Eat Local (Or Grow Your Own!)

Produce that comes from halfway across the world uses a lot of fossil fuels to power the boats, planes, and trucks that bring it to your grocery store. When you buy your food locally instead, you cut those carbon emissions out of your life. Buying local also means supporting local farmers and business owners. You don’t have to stop there, however. Other ideas to help you lead a more sustainable life are to grow fruits and vegetables at your home or raise your own livestock. You can cultivate your own garden to provide yourself with fresh, organic, and free produce. The same goes for backyard animals, such as chickens or goats. You can keep a flock of egg-laying chickens to give you delicious, farm-fresh eggs, or fill your fridge with delicious goat milk or cheese.

Use Less Energy at Home

Most households use more energy than they need. Not only does this increase your carbon footprint, but it can also add up to a lot of unnecessary costs in your utility bills. Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to trim your household energy use. You can take bigger steps, such as investing in energy-efficient appliances and installing window treatments that offer good insulation. For a smaller step, try swapping your lightbulbs for LED lights and other eco-friendly options. Even habits like turning the lights off when you leave a room or turning off the AC and opening your windows on a nice day can help you cut down on the amount of energy you use in your home.

Mansfield Jr Tigers “Scale” Past Rattlers

Megan Hecox
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Mansfield Jr Tigers “Scale” Past Rattlers

COVID-19 has shut down a lot of fun and exciting things so far. It has taken our sanity. It has taken our time. But one thing it can’t take is our FOOOOOOOOOTBALLLLLLL!!! A great glimpse into what the season holds was on display at Tiger stadium Monday night as Mansfield’s 7th and 8th grade took on the Magazine Rattlers in a defensive heavyweight bout.

#6 Austin Oldham

Both teams started off playing tag with each other as they tried to get the COVID-19 rust off. It was an anything you can do I can do better match-up. The Tigers gave and received big hits but never backed down holding the Rattlers scoreless for the entire game. Linemen Dakota Deer, Eli Garner, James Olinghouse, and James Bausley waged war in the trenches stuffing attempts by Magazines offense on multiple occasions. Passes and runs around the end weren’t very easy for Magazine either. Mansfield was able to stretch out the Rattler’s defense to the sidelines and make team tackles multiple times. Pressure by linebackers Jeremy Strozier, Toby Towe, and Alex Hecox created chaos in Magazine’s backfield all night. Zander Walters was the sole turnover king though when he jumped on a loose Magazine snap giving the Tigers great field position.

#7 Jeremy Strozier with the take-down

Although there were a few kinks in the Tigers offense, they showed glimpses of great promise. Workhorse running back Trey Powell took more handoffs than the Olympic torch averaging four yards a carry and broke free for big runs a few times. Strozier plowed his way through the snake pit with several runs even striking the bullseye on a few passes. One of Strozier’s favorite targets all evening was Austin Oldham. Oldham was the sole scoreboard contributor of the night when he snagged a Strozier pass bobbing and weaving through Magazines fang-filled defense for a 57-yard touchdown. Strozier capped things off with a two-point conversion to set the score at 8-0 Tigers. With time winding down, it was up to the Tigers defense to stop for one more Magazine drive. The Rattlers ran the ball hard, but the Tigers pushed the Magazine running back right into the waiting arms of Cisco Fildes who put the nail in the coffin for Mansfield’s first win of the season.

#23 Trey Powell

Although the teams combined their 7th and 8th grade teams for the scrimmage, everything will go back to normal on Thursday, August 27 as the 7th-Grade and Jr High Tigers head south to take on the Mena Bearcats in what is sure to be one for the ages.

Jr Rattlers Hold Tight To Tigers Tail

Megan Hecox
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Jr Rattlers Hold Tight To Tigers Tail

Pictured is Magazines #8 Connor Droemer

When it comes to Jr High football, most spectators try to keep their expectations on the lower side when it comes to the outcome of the games. Especially considering this is the time in a player’s sports career that they are learning big boy football. But on Monday night when the 2A Magazine Jr High Rattlers and the 3A Mansfield Jr High Tigers stepped onto the field, fans were given a real treat. Each team played with knowledge and maturity that even their senior high counterparts would be proud of. And with the Magazine freshmen playing up on the senior team, the Rattler roster consisted solely of 22 seventh and eighth-graders.

#24 Kolton McCubbin

Leading the Jr High Rattler den is Coach Beau Sikes. Coach Sikes has been at Magazine for seven years where he started out as part of the two-man crew under the former head senior high coach, Doug Powell. Sikes also doubles as the Defensive Coordinator of the senior high team. The goal going into last night’s scrimmage was pretty cut and dry. While still getting to know the 7th graders, Coach Sikes wanted to focus on each player’s abilities when placed in different spots. “I have solid support from Coaches Ryan Chambers and Dakota Suttles in the secondary. With Coach Chambers calling plays from the sidelines, we wanted to see how the team would hold up to the fast pace. The team struggled with the heat along with trying to figure out the water situation.” Due to the new AAA guidelines set in place, each player must use their own water bottle during matches so teams are still trying to find the best way to get water to their players during water breaks. “We still have a few things we need to tweak.”

#64 Jaxon Pickartz and #34 Chakong Yang

With a final scrimmage score of 8-0 Mansfield, offensively the Jr Rattlers were led by the unhesitating fast-moving footwork of Aiden Carter who delivered an electric 12-yard run in the second half on the game and Chakong Yang, who also in the second half, carried out a massive 26-yard dash for the Rattlers. Magazines defense was a lockdown fortress for most of the game giving up very little yardage. If Mansfield tried to run outside, there were ground Rattlers. If they tried to pass, there were flying Rattlers. Getting in on that action was Casey Carter, Jaxon Pickartz, Kolton McCubbin, and Chakong Yang. “One strength our players bring to the table is that they are aggressive. They love contact, they love to tackle and our size up front is good. Dialing back aggression is better than having to teach someone to be aggressive.”

Because of a “great group of little league coaches along with the support of Coach Doug Powell and Josh Scott getting the ball rolling coupled with great guys running the system” this group of seventh and eighth graders are now the products of that system. “We also have awesome parent support. With this being our biggest Jr High group, we are hoping to get up to 30 players next year and be able to play a regular conference schedule for the first time in two seasons.” When it comes to team goals, the coaches leave that up to the players. “We allow the players to set their own individual and team goals. If individual goals are met then team goals are usually met as well.” Some of those individual goals this season are to be stronger, faster, and to make more tackles/receptions along with being undefeated.

#34 Chakong Yang

On September 11th, the Jr Rattlers will take on the Warriors at Lamar. “Coach Josh Jones always does us a solid by setting up these games multiple times a season for our players,” Coach Sikes concluded.

July Cattle Placements Hit Highest Level Since 2011

Tammy Teague
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July Cattle Placements Hit Highest Level Since 2011

By Mary Hightower
U of A System Division of Agriculture

Cattle feedlots are beginning to fill again, according to the August Cattle on Feed Report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

COVID-19 disruptions in meat processing this spring caused a backlog of cattle at the farm level. The Aug. 24 report from USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service showed a restart in the flow of cattle to feedlots.

“The most significant figure in this month’s report was the placements figure. At 1.893 million head, July placements were considerably higher than anybody’s pre-report expectations,” said John Anderson, head of the agricultural economics and agribusiness department of University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture and the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural Food and Life Sciences.

“This is the highest July placements figure since 2011,” he said.

The increase can be attributed to a couple of factors.

“First, it suggests that feedlots are trying to refill their pens from the gap in placements that occurred earlier this spring,” he said. “Due to COVID-related disruptions, feedlots have had relatively large inventories of cattle with a relatively long time on feed.”

Anderson said that with a total on-feed inventory at, or even below, the prior year’s level, this suggests a relatively small inventory of newer placements, consistent with the huge drop in placements from February to April. The July placement figure will help feedlots fill in that gap.

Drought

Weather is playing a role as well. According to the Aug. 20 Drought Mitigation Center report, about 54 percent of the 48 contiguous states had some level of drought (see: https://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/CurrentMap/StateDroughtMonitor.aspx?conus)

“The July placement figure suggests that dry conditions, which expanded around the country in July, may have forced more cattle off of pasture and into feedlots,” Anderson said. “July is typically at or near the seasonal low in placements. However, dry summer weather can significantly influence placement decisions by affecting forage availability. Dry conditions became considerably more widespread across the Southeast and Midwest over the past month.”

Reducing the backlog

Anderson said that cattle marketings in July were about even with last year.

“With feedlots at least keeping pace with year-ago marketings, the backlog in fed cattle that built up during the disastrous April and May experience has been reduced considerably,” he said.

The calculated number of cattle on feed for more than 120 days as of Aug. 1 is about 9 percent higher than a year ago.

“If progress in August has come close to matching July, the backlog of fed cattle that resulted from COVID disruptions should by now be just about taken care of,” Anderson said. “That should be good news for the cattle market heading into fall.”

Find this analysis and others at https://bit.ly/AR-Ag-Eco-Impacts2020.

To learn about extension and research programs in Arkansas, visit www.division.uaex.edu, Follow us on Twitter at @AgInArk, @uaex_edu or @ArkAgResearch.

Victims, Suspect Named in Scott County Homicide

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Victims, Suspect Named in Scott County Homicide
 The Arkansas State Police is investigating the murders of two Scott County residents whose bodies were discovered early Monday morning, August 24, inside the couple’s home at 4642 Highway 270 near Boles, south of Waldron.  Special Agents of the state police criminal investigation division were requested by the Scott County Sheriff to conduct the homicide investigation.
 The bodies of Bobby Slagle, 81, and his wife, Martha, 69, were discovered in a bedroom at the residence.
 The Scott County Sheriff’s Department received a phone call about 1 a.m. Monday from an individual at the Slagle’s home reporting he had cut his foot and needed assistance.  A sheriff’s deputy dispatched to the home later arrested Dustin Wayne Shores, 35, who was found inside the residence.  Shores is being held at the Scott County Detention Center awaiting the filing of formal criminal charges.

Paris Lady Eagles Volleyball Opens Season with 3-0 Road Win at Farmington

Resident News Network
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Paris Lady Eagles Volleyball Opens Season with 3-0 Road Win at Farmington

As high school students went back to school across Arkansas, the Paris Lady Eagles volleyball team went on the road to play Class 4A Farmington in the season opener for both schools. The game was played on August 24 which was supposed to be 11 days after the start of classes for the new school year. With the delayed opening of school this year, the Lady Eagles found themselves playing away from home on the first day of classes.

This year’s Paris volleyball team may be one of the youngest and inexperienced teams in recent memory. Although it is a team with great talent throughout the roster, it is a team that has not had much opportunity to play together on the senior high level. Many sophomores on the team played their very first high school game last evening. Add to this the abbreviated spring and summer practices that were available due to the COVID pandemic, and you have a Lady Eagles team that will be learning by on-the-job experience throughout the early weeks of the season. But also for Paris and other teams in their district, there is not much time to gel as a team. In fact, the Charleston Lady Tigers come calling tonight in just the second day of school, and already, the first conference match-up of the season.

Paris defeated Farmington in three straight sets to win the match 3-0. To the honest observer, a win, is a win, is a win….but…it was not, what shall we say, a match for the ages. Perhaps as a sign of the lack of preparation time that all teams have suffered through across the state, the quality of play was not that impressive. The young Lady Eagles showed flashes of what they will soon become…but early on, this group of young, talented players will need everyone’s patience as they just need court time to play together and develop the team chemistry they will have to have for the state playoffs.

Paris coach Jordan Devine was happy to get a road win against a Class 4A opponent on Monday night, and indicated that it was good for this young team to win their first time out, especially on the road. Coach Devine said the Lady Eagles were a little sloppy, but the win was a win, and the team knows going forward what they need to fix and focus on as they move through the schedule.

But there is no time to rest and evaluate corrections that need to be made. Paris, on 24 hours rest, will host Charleston coach Ryan Rachuy and the Charleston Lady Tigers. Coach Rachuy has rapidly built a contending volleyball program at the state level, and his Lady Tigers will be primed tonight when they enter Paris Gymnasium. Both Charleston and Paris lost several seniors to graduation in 2019, but much talent remains on both squads. And of course, anytime Paris and Charleston get together, regardless of the sport, you know it will be a fun and highly competitive night.

Last year’s regular season series between Paris and Charleston had a little bit of everything. The Lady Eagles won the first match in Paris in dominating fashion. The return match in Charleston was perhaps one of the greatest high school matches in recent history. In a back and forth match, the Lady Eagles hung on in a fifth and deciding set that saw Paris come back from a large deficit in the fifth set to pull out the victory. In the district tournament, the Lady Eagles defeated Charleston for a third time; the three losses to Paris being the only regular season losses for Charleston. Tonight, the Lady Tigers will be ready for the young Lady Eagles, and Paris has to put the trip to Farmington behind them quickly and be ready to play tonight.

First match begins at 4 p.m. this afternoon. Tickets for tonight’s match can be obtained in the Paris school district office. All fans must have an advanced ticket before paying at the gate. Face masks, social distancing, and other Arkansas Department of Health regulations will be in effect.

So tonight is game two of a grueling three match week for the Lady Tigers. On Thursday, Paris will again go on the road to play at Fort Smith Southside. But for now, the match that is most critical is the conference match-up with Charleston. Resident Press will be there to catch all of the action. Look for a game recap of the Charleston match on Wednesday afternoon.

See you tonight!

ASP Investigates Double Homicide in Scott County

Resident News Network
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The Arkansas State Police is investigating the murders of two Scott County residents whose bodies were discovered earlier today, Monday, August 24, inside a residence south of Waldron.
Special Agents of the state police criminal investigation division were requested by the Scott County Sheriff to conduct the investigation.
  
The sheriff’s department received a phone call about 1 a.m. today from an individual stating he had cut his foot and needed assistance.  A sheriff’s deputy dispatched to the home found the murder victims in a bedroom.
  
An investigation is continuing and more information is expected to be released as early as tomorrow.
Meanwhile, authorities are attempting to notify next of kin.

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