Resident News Network

Charleston Tigers Host Booneville in Senior High Football Scrimmage

Sports

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11:38 am

Charleston Tigers Host Booneville in Senior High Football Scrimmage

Note to Our Readers: Resident Press would like to introduce Mrs. Ronni Tate Young as a new contributing sports photographer. Mrs. Young will be photographing Charleston sporting events this year. The photos in today’s story were taken by Mrs. Young. Welcome Ronni, and to our readers, you will love her photos this year!

There is nothing like starting your football season off with a preseason scrimmage against a school that has won a state title in the last two years and have been in contention for others over the course of their program’s history. That’s exactly what the Charleston Tigers did on Tuesday when they hosted the Booneville Bearcats at Alumni Field.

The scrimmage against the Bearcats was in part made possible by the change of conferences for the two schools. Both Charleston and Booneville have been members of the same conference in recent years, and during that time, it is usually not customary to scrimmage against a conference school that you will play later in the season. But this year, the Booneville Bearcats have moved to a different conference and will not face the Tigers later this season unless the two schools were to meet in the post-season playoffs. So, the change in schedules created an opportunity for both schools to scrimmage against a quality opponent to help their teams prepare for the upcoming season. Booneville and Charleston have had a history of scrimmages, and originally, a three team “jamboree” format scrimmage was planned with Charleston, Booneville, and Lamar. But a AAA policy that limited scrimmages to two schools prevented Lamar from playing in the scrimmage.

The Tigers will begin the season with 38 players on their active senior high roster. This year’s team features a talented sophomore class that dominated their junior high opponents as ninth graders. Mixed in with the young talented are several players who played last year in key positions and will bring valuable experience to the 2020 Charleston team this season. The increased numbers and young talent on the team have caught the eye of many media outlets, including Hooten’s Arkansas Football that has predicted a second place conference finish this year behind Cedarville.

Charleston head football coach Ricky May was pleased overall with his team’s performance during the scrimmage. After the game, Coach May remarked, “The big thing was that we got out of the game without any injuries. So, I was really pleased with that. We started five sophomores on defense and five on offense, so going in we knew there may be a little bit of a learning curve from our younger kids, and there was. We made some young mistakes, but overall, the effort was really good and I feel like our depth is a little better than I thought it was. So, that part of it was good. Our kids were glad to just finally get a chance to hit someone else, but overall I felt that Booneville looked really good and we had our chances against them. We didn’t catch a pass on fourth down in the end zone that would have tied the game. We feel good knowing that we played a lot of kids and played against a good football team.”

The Tigers and Bearcats will resume their preseason preparation tonight with a junior high scrimmage between the two schools. The scrimmage will start at 6 p.m. in Charleston. The 7th grade teams will play first, and will be followed by the junior high scrimmage. Resident Press will have a recap of the junior high scrimmage on Friday.

Watch for the Charleston Tigers football preview in Resident Press next week. Stay with RP for complete coverage throughout the 2020 high school football season!

The 5 Best Modifications for Your Truck

Lifestyle

Resident News Network

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9:51 am

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By now, you’re probably sick of staying inside due to the spread of COVID-19. In response to social distancing policies that narrow what we can do and who we can see, we need creativity to broaden our options again.

Amidst this pandemic, cars and trucks are havens for staying distant while going out with your family and remaining active. To take advantage of all your truck has to offer, you can always make some fun adjustments to it. For five of the best modifications for your truck that provide more outlets for fun, consider these options.

Off-Road Tires & Lift Kit

When you get tired of staring at the same four walls, modify your truck to spend more time in the open air. Off-roading is quite an exciting hobby—navigating winding trails gives you the exhilarating change of pace you need right now. Getting your truck off-road-ready is also easier than you may think.

First, consider the basics for picking your off-roading tires. Starting out, all-terrain tires are your best bet because they work well on the road and off the beaten path. That way, you don’t need to spend a lot of money on tires you’ll only use when you go off-road, which you would have to do with mud or rock-crawler tires.

Pairing well with all-terrain tires is a lift kit that makes off-roading safer by upping your suspension and giving you more clearance. That way, when you come upon trail obstacles, you won’t get stuck as you drive through.

Step Bars

Think back to being a child. Remember how small you were and how much bigger everything else was in relation to you. Back then, a truck seemed the size of a monster.

To make your own truck less monstrous and more accessible to kids and adults alike, install a step bar. Though step bars always help, they’re a must if you lift your suspension. When in place, they become helpful parts of your family fun.

Roof Rack

Camping and off-roading go together like peanut butter and jelly. After all, what better way is there to get out and explore a completely different locale? That said, even if your family exclusively prefers a slow weekend on the campground, another nifty modification for your truck is a roof rack.

A roof rack affords you two benefits: extra storage and space for oblong, oversized toys and tools. If your family chronically overpacks, strap a suitcase up top and enjoy some breathing room inside your ride. Transporting your kayaks, paddleboards, or bicycles for a relaxing weekend trip gets a lot easier when don’t need an accompanying trailer to fit everything.

LED Light Bar

Perfect for camping and off-roading, getting an LED light bar sheds some much-needed light when you need it. It helps you see clearly for longer as you cruise through trails, maximizing your fun. Back at the campsite, a light bar saves you from the dreaded late-night campsite setup in the dark. You’ll likely find more uses for it than you may first expect.

Arkansas Hunter Education Sees Online Expansion

Outdoors

Tammy Teague

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4:25 am

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Arkansas Hunter Education Sees Online Expansion

By Randy Zellers Assistant Chief of Communications

Thanks to a new policy at the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, any Arkansas resident 10 or older may complete all components of their Hunter Education requirement online to be ready for the upcoming hunting season this year.

Hunter Education is mandatory for anyone 16 and older who wishes to hunt in Arkansas. Hunters under 16 must have Hunter Education to hunt on their own, but may hunt without certification if under the direct supervision of a licensed hunter 21 or older.

The change comes from the lack of classes the AGFC has been able to offer during the midst of the COVID-19 crisis.

“We have had a lot of calls about when we will be able to get back to regularly scheduled classes,” said Joe Huggins, the AGFC’s Hunter Education Program coordinator. “I wish I could tell them, but we just don’t know.”

Huggins says there have been a few classes held through Zoom meetings and a handful in outdoor settings, but they could have no more than 10 people, including the instructor, and had to be outdoors if they were in-person.

“Months like July, August and September don’t lend themselves well to sitting in an outdoor class for 10 hours,” Huggins said. “The online option will help people get certified before September hunting seasons begin.”

In January, the AGFC made the decision to begin expanding opportunities for people to complete Hunter Education online. Any Arkansas resident 16 and older could complete the course and become certified entirely through the AGFC’s online program. Youth 12 to 15 could take the course online as well, but still needed to complete a short, in-person course to complete the process.

“Things have changed a lot since January,” said Grant Tomlin, assistant chief of the AGFC’s Education Division. “Social-distancing restrictions have prevented us from hosting many of those completion courses. So we have had to explore new options.”

Tomlin and Huggins say that any courses planned to be administered through Arkansas schools will still be conducted at that school’s discretion in accordance with their approved social distancing measures. They also stress that people can still hunt without Hunter Education as long as they are under the direct supervision of a licensed hunter at least 21 years old.

“Anyone 16 or older just needs to get a Deferred Hunter Education Code and abide by that code if they have not completed Hunter Education yet,” Tomlin said. “But getting certified through the online course is easy and has been improved over the years.

Joe Huggins, Hunter Education Program coordinator for the AGFC says the decision didn’t come lightly.

“We don’t want to do anything that could cause an unsafe hunting condition down the road,” Huggins said. “We looked at many other states that have allowed young people to complete the entire course online for the last few years and did not see any noticeable increase in hunting accidents.”

Huggins says most hunting accidents and fatalities still are the result of treestand falls and they are usually by adult hunters who have many years of experience.

Once restrictions from COVID-19 subside, the online class will still be allowed for any hunter 12 and older.

“Hunters under 12 are encouraged to take in-person courses once the social-distancing restrictions are lifted and we can resume classes,” Tomlin said. “The course is based on a 6th-grade reading level, so we’ll need to restrict the course to that age when COVID-19 concerns have lifted. For now, 10 and older can take the course in its entirety online.”

Obituary- Yvonne Shirley Kachel (1932-2020)

Obituaries

Tammy Teague

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5:59 pm

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Obituary- Yvonne Shirley Kachel (1932-2020)

Yvonne Shirley Kachel, also known as Dutch, of Danville, Arkansas passed from this life, August 17, 2020 in Russellville, Arkansas. Yvonne was born August 5, 1932 in Onatario, California to Horace and Irma Sutt. She was 88 years and 12 days old.

When Yvonne was younger she enjoyed many things including roller skating, dancing on roller skates, swimming and camping. She especially loved the ocean. She had lived in several states and eventually called Arkansas home. She looked forward to family gatherings and being surrounded by loved ones.

Yvonne leaves behind to cherish her memory, her children: Sherril (Jay) Proctor of Danville, Arkansas, Nancy Mulvaney of Danville, Arkansas, Cyndi (John) Hamdin of Warsaw, IN, Steve (Tina) Duncan of Danville, Arkansas and Tammy (Mark) Grimes of Russellville, Arkansas. Grandma will forever remain in the hearts of her grandchildren: Edward (Michelle) Johnston, Darla (Clint) Mortimore, Donovin (Hollie) Mulvaney, Andrew Hawley, Justin (Mel) McGinnis, Shawn McGinnis, Monica (Kayle) Kelsoe, Steven (Rachel) Blevins, Brandi Blevins and Nicki Blevins. Yvonne is also survived by her great grandchildren: Timothy Johnston, Christina Proctor, Jayden, Liam and Trinity Johnston, Trevor (Kelley) Mortimore, Cameron (Halee) Mortimore, Alexie (Jake) Fowler, Hannah Isabell, Noah Mulvaney, Alexis Ray, Jayden and Juliana McGinnis, Grant and Gavin McGinnis, Logan, Evan and Caleb Kelsoe, Destiny and Michael Blevins, Alana Blevins, Hayden and Andrew Blevins and great great grandchildren: Dylan and Kimber Mortimore and Castyn Mortimore.

Yvonne was preceded in death by one son, Warren Duncan and her parents, Horace and Irma Sutt.

A private family celebration of life will be held at a later date.

Positive Perception at MJTC

Tammy Teague

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5:39 pm

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The Mansfield Juvenile Treatment Center has often been the topic of much debate. Over the course of the past few years, those who live in the area have noticed a decline in the security and reputation of the center. However, over the past seven weeks, that stigma has changed.

Rite of Passage took over operations at the facility on July 1. Under the leadership of Program Director Gary Curry, the MJTC has undergone substantial changes and improvements.

Curry, who is from the Wister area, has spent a lifetime working with youth and adult offenders. He was offered the position with Rite of Passage after a mere two weeks into retirement from the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. The job was a custom fit for Curry. “Mr. Curry was a good choice, and he was excited to get back to the area where he’s from,” stated Mike Cantrell, Executive Director of the Southeast Region.

Cantrell added that ROP has successfully transitioned many programs over the years. The first step, according to Cantrell, is to change the culture. “Before, the kids were calling the shots. The first thing we had to do was set boundaries and make our expectations be known, both to the kids and to the staff.”

Cantrell admits that those expectations were costly when it came to staff changes. Approximately 60 percent of staff members left just prior to, and at the time of the takeover. Cantrell contends, however, the changes were for the overall good of the program.

Judging from the performance over the past few months, he’s right. The facility has not seen an escape since ROP assumed operations.

The program implementation has been “a lot of hard work,” but undoubtedly one with a mission to reach as many of the kids as possible. “It’s a balance of safety, security and structure as well as a holistic approach to achieve the maximum benefits of treatment for these youth,” Cantrell added.

Cantrell noted that Curry has worked closely with the Division of Youth Services to add enhanced lighting, and extra fencing.

With improved safety and security in place, the ROP family can focus on the other aspects of rehabilitation. Curry’s motto: “our job is prevention and not creation.”

Curry and his staff make it a point to know each student athlete by name, and he routinely visits with them one-on-one. “Giving these kids structure and guidance makes the difference,” shared Curry.

Going forward, Curry plans to improve community relations through the implementation of an advisory board. “We want to give back to the community,” concluded Curry. “I want to change the the overall culture here. We want to build a bond back with the community, and let everyone know we are here to help these kids.”

Gary-Curry — MJTC Program Director Gary Curry

Common Problems with Older Homes

Networks

Resident News Network

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1:22 pm

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Older homes are lovely. They often feature intricate designs and architecture that lead to long-term ownership. If you’re moving into an older home, especially in a rural community, you should know be aware of some of the common problems with older homes. Whether it’s potential structural or plumbing repairs or hazardous materials such as asbestos or lead, these are the issues you’ll want to know about before you move in.

Asbestos

Asbestos is a crucial health risk found in many homes built before the 1980s. It was around then that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ruled asbestos as a dangerous health hazard to the lungs and respiratory system. Asbestos was once a popular construction material, given its high heat resistance and durability. However, frequent exposure can lead to the development of two critical lung diseases: asbestosis and mesothelioma. Asbestosis disrupts breathing patterns and causes an irritable cough and wheezing, while mesothelioma is a rare, very fatal cancer with little treatment for remission. If you find asbestos in your attic, crawl space, insulation, drywall, or ceiling, call a professional asbestos removal company immediately.

Lead

Lead was also once a popular ingredient in paints, pipes, and dust in homes built before the 1970s. Lead exposure can increase the chance of lead poisoning, which is a serious and sometimes fatal condition. As lead builds up inside the body through months and years of exposure, it can cause mental and physical impairment. Young children are highly susceptible given their developing brains. Ingesting lead objects can severely damage their brains and nervous system.

Structural Damage

You might not go into buying an older home thinking it’s a fixer-upper, but that’s not to say it’s not. Structural repairs are some of the most common problems with older homes, given their frequent vulnerability to external and internal elements. Storms, faulty remodels, water damage, and general wear can affect a home’s structural integrity. You can easily spot structural disarray with sagging support beams or a slanted foundation. Before you risk your or your family’s safety, check if your house is level. If it isn’t, call a contractor to come consult you on the proper adjustments to make your home safe for habitation.

Untreated Water

Finally, check for untreated water. There are several signs your water needs to be treated, from bad tastes and odors to calcium buildups and noticeable health issues. Water with a foul taste or odor are easy to detect since you can use your senses to identify these issues. Metallic, bitter, salty, or off-putting tastes and odors of sewage, chlorine, sulfide gas, or metal all signify a cause for alarm. Also, check for a crusty white substance around faucets and showerheads. These indicate hard water, which means a concentrated mineral buildup. If you or anyone in your home experiences stomach issues, diarrhea, cramps, and nausea or if you notice any of these other signs, call your local plumber to treat your water supply.

Swarming Defense Highlights Paris Performance Against Magazine in Preseason Football Scrimmage

Sports

Resident News Network

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11:49 pm

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Swarming Defense Highlights Paris Performance Against Magazine in Preseason Football Scrimmage

Every year, coaches hold their collective breaths when their teams hold spring scrimmages or preseason scrimmages in August. Coaches just want to get their players into a game situation, work on their sets and execution, and then get their players out to reduce the risk of season ending injury before the season ever starts. Get a player hurt now, and there may not be enough recovery time for the player to return for the season.

And from a life perspective this year, you certainly do not want anyone to become ill with the COVID virus. The coaches dilemma is a microcosm of the entire decision to play high school sports this fall.

But in a year where spring football was taken away due to the pandemic, and the reduced amount of time that was allowed for conditioning and team practices in the summer, the preseason scrimmages have taken on added importance as teams are using them to regain some of the lost practice time before next week’s start to the regular season.

On Tuesday, Magazine traveled to Paris to play junior high and senior high school scrimmages. As coaches from both schools focused on their teams and the work they needed on the field, the story this year was what was happening in the stadium off the field. For Paris high school, yesterday’s football scrimmage was the first competitive game for the school since that fateful day on March 12 when school was closed and all sports came to an abrupt end.

Normally, a scrimmage is a fun thing to watch, but certainly it is not ever as exciting as watching a good regular season game. But yesterday, this reporter found himself more excited than usual to be back on the field and watching players do what they enjoy doing the most. After the lead up to the scrimmage that has been so well documented throughout the summer, it was finally time to play. After all of the highs and lows of wondering if this day was ever going to happen, it was actually time to play football.

In a strange sense, it was good to be back on the field…listening to fans complain about the officiating, coaching kids from the stands, and all of the other sounds, smells, and sights that we have grown accustomed to experiencing at high school football games. So, the real story behind yesterday’s scrimmage was what was going on off the field.

I arrived early to the stadium before fans were allowed inside. I observed great cooperation from the fans of both schools. Masks were being worn, and the Paris administration was on hand to provide enforcement of the Arkansas Department of Health guidelines that had been put into place for schools to follow this season. There was no band, cheerleaders on the track, or team run throughs to start the game. Fans were not allowed on the field, and I did not notice a long line at the stadium’s concession stand when I happened to look up from my photography.

So if I were evaluating our fans, the schools, and the overall compliance with the Department of Health’s guidelines, just as coaches will evaluate the video of yesterday’s scrimmage, I would have to say that I was very pleased and proud of the response of the fans that attended the scrimmage. Sure, it felt a little strange wearing a mask and not seeing the spirit groups present during the game, but it was all necessary for the protection of everyone involved, and all of you who attended the scrimmage can be very proud.

From a game standpoint, Paris took care of business the way they were expected to going into the scrimmage. Paris entered the scrimmage wanting to execute their game on both sides of the ball and not lose anyone to injury. The same is true for Magazine; perhaps more so with fewer numbers of players on the Rattlers senior high roster.

It appears that both Paris and Magazine accomplished their goals for the scrimmage. No player from either team was seen leaving the field with an injury. The quality of play from both schools was, I thought, very good considering the reduced number of days coaches have had to get their players ready for the season. The coaching staffs of both schools have done a very good job getting their players ready and making the best out of a bad situation.

After the game, Paris coach Tyler Clark was pleased overall, but said his team “kind of” executed the way he and his staff were expecting. Coach Clark said his team had a lot to fix and work on before next week’s season opener at home against Lavaca. And best of all, no one left the scrimmage with an injury.

For Magazine, the Rattlers were outnumbered on both sides of the ball. But the Rattlers showed that they too are a talented and physical team. I expect Magazine to again be a force in Class 2A football this fall. The Eagles knew going into the scrimmage that they would have to be ready to play, because Magazine is a program with great pride and talent. The Rattlers went to Paris to give the Eagles a tough, physical contest. And that is exactly what they did. The Rattlers are going to be just fine this season.

So, one of the last impressions I had from yesterday’s scrimmage was a change in the Arkansas Activities Association (AAA) pregame announcement. In previous years, schools would read a sportsmanship message to the fans before each game. That announcement is still there, but now, there is the added message of complying with health regulations if fans want to “finish the season.” After living the nightmare of high school sports coming to a sudden stop on March 12, the phrase “finish the season” will give me nightmares. But it is a good statement, and a good reminder that we all have to do our parts to protect the players and everyone connected to high school sports.

So, for Paris and Magazine, the first test has been completed. Now the real work begins. Coaches from both schools will be scrambling to fix issues that surfaced during the scrimmage before next week’s season opener. But this year, there is another part to the equation; we all have to stay healthy from week to week. And that starts right now. We can’t let up. We can’t relax. We all have to be as vigilant next week and the following week, and all the way through week ten and the playoffs.

But I have to say…it sure was fun to see football again! Stay with Resident Press for complete coverage on this year’s high school season. RP will be at Paris high school again on Thursday to cover the Lady Eagles preseason scrimmage with last year’s Class 3A state finalist, and this year, Class 4A Hot Springs Fountain Lake.

See you at Paris Gymnasium on Thursday!

Mansfield School Board Approves Coaching Assignments

News

Tammy Teague

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6:22 pm

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Mansfield School Board Approves Coaching Assignments

The Mansfield Board of Education met in a regularly scheduled meeting on August 17, 2020 at the administration building. Board members present: Rick Nicodemus, Michael Gipson, Dewayne Ward, Trent Hayslip, and Lesli Baggett ; Absent: None. Also present, staff members Kim Arnold, Donnie Eveld, Floyd Fisher, Joe Staton, and Carol Reano.

The meeting was called to order by Rick Nicodemus, School Board President, at 6 p.m.

IN THE MATTER OF: Consent Agenda Items

A motion was made by Nicodemus, seconded by Hayslip, to approve the consent agenda items as presented.