Resident News Network

Sr Lady Bulldogs VB Ready For A Smashing Good Season

Sports

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12:35 pm

Sr Lady Bulldogs VB Ready For A Smashing Good Season

Picture courtesy of Sandy Tull

The conclusion of the 2019/2020 Waldron Sr High Lady Bulldogs volleyball season saw some outstanding fetes. The girls went 10-4 in conference play. Had a 12-12 total season record. And they made it to the second round of the 3A West State Tournament before falling 3-1 to Piggott. Not too shabby in my opinion. But along with the smiles, there were also some tears. The Lady Bulldogs not only had to say bon voyage to seniors Bayleigh Lipham and Taylor Stacy, but they had to say goodbye to head coach, Toby Hollin as well. Coach Hollin was reassigned in order to recover from a shoulder injury. “My time with these girls has forever impacted my life,” Coach Hollin heartbreakingly responded. “They have helped me become a better coach, mom, and an all-around better person. I hope that along the way, they have learned to always believe in themselves the way I believe in them. They will always hold a special place in my heart!”

Coach Toby Hollin with her Lady Bulldogs

As the Lady Bulldogs volleyball program prepares to say hello to a new year, the girls also get to say hello to some exciting changes. Stepping into the head coaching position will be Hannah Scantling with assistant coaching help from Bailey Moore, who is currently on maternity leave. To say that Coach Scantling is ready for the start of the volleyball season would be an understatement. “I am so excited! Honestly, getting this position may be one of the best things that have happened to me this year. I’m ecstatic to have the opportunity to coach this group of seniors. I think they are a special group and can achieve big things this year. One of our main goals is to get back to the State Tournament!”

The 2019-2020 Lady Bulldogs volleyball squad

While other programs will see a major change in the opponents they will be facing in the upcoming season, the Lady Bulldogs 3A West conference will only have to endure a few alterations. Departing will be the Mansfield Lady Tigers as they take their place in the 2A West conference and arriving will be Green Forest and Hackett. Not worried about this conference revamping are the Sr High Lady Bulldogs. The Sr High roster this year is heavily loaded with twelfth graders who aren’t afraid of a challenge and more than ready to guide the underclassmen. “We have a team full of seniors, 10 to be exact, that have been faithful to the program and I have no doubt they will lead this team. We have a couple of juniors, Molly Richmond and Bianca Hinojosa that I think will step up and help tremendously. Molly is a returner from last year and I expect big things out of her this year. Bianca hasn’t played since 7th grade, but she has really impressed me so far and could potentially be a middle hitter for us this year.”

Head Coach, Hannah Scantling, cheering on the Bulldogs

Even with having to endure certain changes to summer practice due to the recent epidemic, the Sr Lady Bulldogs are making the best of an unfavorable situation. “It has affected us just like it has everyone else. We’ve had to adjust practice and it’s been tough, but I am so proud of how well the girls have adjusted. Of course, no one likes the situation, but if you could see inside our gym you would see athletes that are dedicated even when they are being asked to wear masks, socially distance from teammates/friends, and do individual workouts.”

Suspects Arraigned Following Sunday’s High Speed Pursuit, Gunfire

Tammy Teague

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5:54 am

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Suspects Arraigned Following Sunday’s High Speed Pursuit, Gunfire

Two suspects were arraigned on Monday, following Sunday’s high speed chase and alleged aggravated assault on a Mansfield police officer.
–See related story

Thomas Jefferson Cantrell was granted a $10,000 cash only bond. However, as of early Tuesday morning, he remained at the Sebastian County Detention Center. Cantrell is charged with a class Y felony, aggravated assault upon a certified law enforcement officer. He is scheduled to appear in a Sebastian County District Court on October 7, 2020 at 1 p.m.

Garlin Wayne Miller was also granted bond. Miller posted the $1,500 legally sufficient bond on Monday, August 10 at 4:10 p.m.

arrest-suspects-Mansfield — Garlin Wayne Miller (left) and Thomas Jefferson Cantrell (photos courtesy of the Sebastian County Detention Center)

Two Arrested Following Pursuit, Gunfire

Tammy Teague

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10:13 am

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Multiple law enforcement agencies responded to the scene of a home on S. Division in Mansfield on Sunday evening, August 9.

Officer Kelly Perez was at the Mansfield Police station on Sunday evening at approximately 7:15 p.m., when she heard gunshots. She drove to a residence located on S. Division Street. At that time, according to Mansfield Police Chief Wayne Robb, two suspects got into a vehicle and fled the scene. Officer Perez activated her blue lights, and chased the suspects at speeds of up to 100 m.p.h.

The driver was identified as Garlin Wayne Miller and the passenger, Thomas Jefferson Cantrell. During the chase, Cantrell allegedly pointed a gun out the window at fired at Officer Perez.

Officer Perez lost the two suspects in the Abbott area, and officers from the Waldron and Huntington Police Department, deputies with the Scott and Sebastian County Sheriffs Office, and the Arkansas State Police joined in the search.

After approximately 30-45 minutes later, Miller and Cantrell returned to the residence, and were positively identified by Officer Perez. Both were placed under arrest and transported to the Sebastian County Detention Center.

The Mansfield Police Department processed the scene and located six spent rounds of ammunition, and are checking Perez’ police unit any areas of bullet penetration.

“Both were intoxicated and most likely on some type of narcotic,” added Robb.

As of Monday, August 10, Miller and Cantrell remain at the SCADC without bond, awaiting arraignment. Miller is charged with felony fleeing-vehicle. Cantrell is charged with felony aggravated assault upon a certified law enforcement officer.

Lady Tiger Runners See Team As Family

Sports

Resident News Network

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6:54 am

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Pictured is Mansfield juniors McKenzie Griffin and Katlynn Moore

The eleventh-grade ladies that run for the Mansfield High School cross country team see their teammates more like family than friends. At least that’s the takeaway from a recent interview with two junior class members as they discussed the upcoming season and the people that train together.

“This senior high team feels more like family than friends,” McKenzie Griffin, an eleventh-grade runner off the MHS cross country team said.

“We are a big family,” Katlynn Moore, another junior class member of the Lady Tiger distance team expressed. “The whole senior high is really close. We feel like we understand each other.”

Interestingly, the two Mansfield athletes both touched upon the topic of team unity without influence from the other. Separate interviews with the pair simply opened the door for the Lady Tiger runners to speak freely. As it turned out, each found a reason to turn training into a conversation about friendship.

There are five eleventh grade girls on the senior high cross country team. Although only two of the five are actual siblings, the group bonds like sisters according to Moore and Griffin.

“We hang out together but follow social distance rules to save our season,” Moore said as the threat of the Covid-19 virus impacting their season still weighs on players’ minds. “We keep pushing and motivating ourselves to do better so we can make a run at state this year.”

“I couldn’t wait to get started,” Griffin said after athletes were allowed to return from a statewide shut down due to the pandemic. “The summer has been fun and encouraging. Getting to run with my friends again is the best.”

Griffin was the 2019 Mansfield Cross Country Player of the Year. She was the only senior high Tiger athlete to earn All-District cross country honors last season in the highly ranked 3A-1 West conference.

Griffin closed last season running personal records for the 5K distance in three of her last four races. Van Buren, Elkins, and Hot Springs were the locations of that trio of personal marks. The latter was a 23:25.5 posting around the infield of Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs at the 3A state finals.

That momentous month to close her season prompted an invite to the Mansfield hosted Farm Bureau River Valley All-Star race in mid-November.

Although her state time and all-star selection highlighted her postseason, Griffin remembered Elkins as her most memorable race in 2019. It was there at the Elkins hosted 3A-1 West Conference Championships that the lanky runner earned her first high school All-District award with a top ten medal.

“I was proud of that district race in Elkins,” Griffin remembered. “That was a close one. All my coaches were there with Coach (Josh) Bryan and Coach (John) Mackey. I’m ready to start this season. I want to beat my 23 minute time from last year.”

Joining Griffin on last season’s RV All-Star roster was Moore. A late addition to the Farm Bureau sponsored race, Moore caught the eye of race watchers because of her 3 minute and 49-second improvement throughout the season.

Moore’s debut race in 2019 was a 29:02.26 timing at the Today’s Bank Mansfield Invitational in late September. By the state finals on November 9, the rookie cross country participant went 25:13.60 to move inside the Top 40 River Valley rankings.

“I feel more confident now,” Moore stated after a late afternoon thunderstorm last Thursday pushed a segment of the team indoors to the treadmills. “I’m feeling like this year will be one of our best. We will take medals and titles.”

This summer, Moore has put in nearly as much work as anyone on the team. She’s already competed in 5K road races at Waldron (twice) and Greenwood during the months of June and July. Furthermore, she’s consistently been among the top 3 Lady Tigers for most accumulated miles since pre-season camp began on July 6.

“My individual goal is to get under 23 minutes for cross country,” announced Moore, who when not running works as a checker at a local grocery store and who also volunteers for a local fire department. “My track goal is to get six minutes in the mile.”

“McKenzie, Katlynn, Faith (Rainwater), Hope (Rainwater), and Darby (Jones) are challenging each other to do their best,” Tiger mentor John Mackey stated. “Those five eleventh grade girls want to make history. They’re really close and really competitive at the same time. Their enthusiasm is what’s contagious in our camp.”

Hope Rainwater missed most of the 2019 season with an injury. However, she has been comparably close in athleticism to her counterparts based upon pre-season workouts.

Faith Rainwater and Darby Jones made the local All-Star list a season ago like their two friends. Moore and Griffin would most likely agree that their two classmates have been pushing the pace for all the Mansfield cross country teams so far this season.

“My miles are a little slower than I want right now,” Moore offered. “But, I’m hoping to get better. Darby showed it can be done. She really got good.”

“I’m proud of my friend Faith,” Griffin acknowledged. “She is motivating me and others.”

Juniors Darby Jones, Hope Rainwater, Katlynn Moore, McKenzie Griffin, and Faith Rainwater bring the friendship to family status

Mansfield’s five eleventh grade friends make up the majority of the senior girls’ team. Without any seniors on the roster, the group becomes the de facto leaders to four sophomore talents that join them.

Those four would most likely tell you they too share in the bond being built by the Lady Tigers. Count tenth graders Cassidy Carlton, Lita Hecox, Alyssa James, and Jadelynn Wood into also feeling the family dynamic.

Second Year Runner Packs 4-Sport Summer

Sports

Resident News Network

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7:11 pm

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Pictured is eighth grader Trinity Triska

If you can throw it, shoot it, serve it, or chase it; she’s probably done it. In fact, depending on what day of the week it is she may be playing right now. That’s the jammed packed sports life of second-year cross country runner Trinity Triska.

Triska, who’s only an eighth-grader at Mansfield Middle School, is in the midst of a 4-sport summer. Of course, that’s not much different from any other summer the 13-year-old has experienced in the last few years. It’s just what she does.

“I’m used to doing so many sports for so long at such a young age,” Triska said following a night last week in which she just completed two different practices. “About the age of 10, I started getting serious about sports.”

This particular Tuesday night, Triska served and passed volleyballs for about an hour and a half in the high school gym for volleyball practice. Soon after, she went on a 4.5 mile run down by Mansfield City Lake at cross country practice.

“When I’m doing a sport, I stay pretty focused. I stay in the moment,” Triska explaining how she juggles the transition between multiple sports. “When it’s over, I plan ahead on what I gotta do next.”

This summer, Triska has mastered sport juggling quite well. Not only has she been preparing for the upcoming volleyball and cross country seasons, but she’s also rounded the bases of a busy travel softball schedule and pushed full court at school basketball practice.

“Trinity plays in a lot of travel softball tournaments on the weekends,” Mansfield cross country coach John Mackey said. “Through the week she’s pretty dedicated to giving her best to all three of her school teams. Her parents are very supportive in allowing her multiple opportunities.”

Cross country runners Aidan Fildes and Trinity Triska do some strength exercises as part of their warm-up routine before cross country practice

As far as long-distance racing is concerned, Mackey is thrilled his young star has the maturity to change gears between sports.

“As a seventh-grader, she was the regional cross country champion and top four in the conference finals,” Mackey reviewed. “I think she’s stronger right now and putting in better quality miles. Just the other day she stayed step for step with John (Branche) for the first two and a half miles when he did his six-mile run.”

John Branche, an eleventh grade Tiger runner, is one of the top returning senior high players off the Mansfield men’s team.

“Trinity is an all-around athlete,” said Branche, one of many Mansfield runners that train together at the city lake. “She continues to work harder in every sport, every day. She never slows down.”

Triska’s numbers were impressive last year through the cross country season. She never finished below sixth place at a long-distance race with the exception of the Chile Pepper Festival. That particular race, the nation’s second-largest cross country race, her finish was still in the top 18% among 632 runners from at least three different states.

A scatter-plot of some of Triska’s highlight races from last season include the following. Her 1.55-mile victory at the Tom Stuthard Top 25 Regional was timed at 10:59.10. Her third-place mark at the highly regarded Van Buren Classic for their 1.67-mile course was 11:40.45. And a mud-soaked 2.0-mile trail in Elkins at the 3A-1 West District finals was clocked at 14:44.30 for fourth place.

“I want to stay in the top five for all our meets this season,” Triska announced when asked about her goal for the upcoming cross country season.

“I like when the older kids cheer you on,” the young talent continued as she expressed what keeps her motivated to reach her goal. “But, I can always hear my parents. It’s like I almost look for their voice. My parents are at most of the events. They motivate me to do better.”

Mansfield junior high runners Addie Bowman, Azlynn Stover, Aidan Fildes, Summer Frazier, and Trinity Triska take a water break

Triska is one of six eighth grade girls that started pre-season cross country practice in July for the Mansfield junior team. The others include Addie Bowman, Aidan Fildes, Summer Frazier, Azlynn Stover, and Laney Wood.

Mansfield’s first race of the 2020 season is set for September 12 at Fort Smith’s Ben Geren Park.

Obituary- Elwon William Forrest (1939-2020)

Obituaries

Tammy Teague

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4:39 pm

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Obituary- Elwon William Forrest (1939-2020)

Elwon W. Forrest of Waldron, Arkansas went to be with his Lord and Savior, Wednesday, August 5, 2020, in Waldron, Arkansas. Elwon was born March 21, 1939, to John and Myrtle Forrest in Blansett, Arkansas. Elwon was 81 years old.

Elwon was a retired 20 year veteran of the United States Air Force. He was also a long time member of the Temple Baptist Church in Waldron, Arkansas. He faithfully served as a member of the Gideons International.

Elwon leaves behind to cherish his memory, his loving wife Lin of the home, two great grandchildren, Destin and Dakota Williams of the home, one daughter-in-law, Tammie Forrest of Waldron, Arkansas, one stepdaughter, Melanie Tanner of Winfield, Arkansas and one stepson, Dale Tanner of Winfield, Arkansas. Elwon will forever remain in the hearts of his grandchildren: Angie Forrest, Matthew Forrest, Adam Forrest, great grandchildren: Akira and Aiden, and step grandchildren: Chance Tanner, Megan Rogers, Tanna Rogers, Krystin Hutchens, Kallie Tanner, Tatum Thrasher and Trista Davis, as well as 8 step great grandchildren and one brother Everett J. Forrest of Waldron, Arkansas one half brother, Andy Forrest of Mena, Arkansas. Elwon will be missed by all that knew him and the many whose lives he impacted including a host of extended family, friends and loved ones.

Elwon was preceded in death by his parents, John and Myrtle Forrest, his first wife, Ada Lee Forrest, one son, Charles Russell Forrest and one sister, Clara Forrest Avants and four half siblings.

A memorial service will be held at a later date. Arrangements and cremation are being entrusted to the Heritage Memorial Funeral Home & Crematory in Waldron, Arkansas.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Elwon William Forrest, please visit our floral store.

Obituary- Juanita Willodean (Daniel) Stockton (1932-2020)

Obituaries

Tammy Teague

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4:33 pm

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Obituary- Juanita Willodean (Daniel) Stockton (1932-2020)

Juanita “Nita” Stockton described herself as a Tough Old Broad. Those are her words and she wore them like a badge of honor and left them as a legacy to her daughters and granddaughters, who all aspire to her example. Her life was filled with hardships which she fought tooth and nail and eventually overcame all except the last one.

Nita was born in Rosehill, Kansas on June 5, 1932, to Ralph Lozier Daniel and Damie Melinda Hargrove Daniel, the fifth of their eight children. She grew up a migrant cotton picker, hauling a miniature pick sack almost as soon as she could walk. Most seasons, her family followed the cotton from Arizona to Arkansas. She graduated from Morenci High School in Morenci, Arizona.

Nita was attending classes at Chaffey Community College in Ontario, California when she met the man she would eventually marry – a sailor named Thomas J. Stockton. They married in 1952 and were the proud parents of five children. Through good times and hard times, Nita persevered with a combination of stubbornness, humor, writing poetry, and the occasional cussword. She and Tom were married for 55 years, until Tom’s death in 2007 after a prolonged illness through which she devotedly nursed him.

In 2009, Nita was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease. She fought this challenge as fiercely as she fought every other hardship in her life and, until her final illness, she was still walking, talking, eating, singing and getting into mischief. She battled Alzheimer’s for over 13 years and in the end it did not win. Her last battle was something she never saw coming and could never prepare for. Covid-19, not Alzheimer’s finally won. She was well loved and cared for by the good people at Legacy Health and Rehab in Fort Smith. The family greatly appreciates the care she received at Legacy, especially in her final days. There are no words to convey our gratitude for the nurses who talked to her, sang with her, gave her communion, used their own cell phones to allow family members to “visit” via video chat, and continually went above and beyond in their care and compassion for her. You were her other family and, by default, became our family.

Juanita Willodean Daniel Stockton leaves behind her five children who loved her dearly: Teri (Daniel) Ramirez of Barling, Larry (Iris Aqualina) Stockton of London UK, Melinda Watson of Baroda, Michigan, Patrick Stockton of Fayetteville, and Donna Jones of Fort Smith. Also surviving are 16 grandchildren, 30 great-grandchildren, one great-great grandchild and a multitude of nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband Tom on June 25, 2007, her parents and her seven siblings Vivian, Roland, Jeanne, Elvin, Leonard, Wilma and Bill.

Funeral service will be held at the Heritage Memorial Funeral Home in Waldron, Arkansas on Tuesday, August 11, 2020, at 10:00 am. Interment will follow at 2:00 p.m. in the National Cemetery in Fort Smith, Arkansas.

Visitation with the family will be Monday, August 10, 2020, from 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm at Heritage Memorial Funeral Home.

Nita’s pallbearers will be grandsons Chris Ramirez, Nathan Ramirez, Josh Jones, Matt Jones, and granddaughters Krysten Watson and Sarah Bravo.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made in Nita’s memory to the Alzheimer’s Association.

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. For those who want to attend the service but wish to remain in your vehicles, the funeral service will be live streamed on our website.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Juanita Willodean (Daniel) Stockton, please visit our floral store.

Governor Gives Approval for HS Football to Continue Next Week With Contact Drills

Resident News Network

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4:14 pm

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Governor Gives Approval for HS Football to Continue Next Week With Contact Drills

Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson announced in his daily COVID-19 press conference that he and the athletic advisory committee formed at his direction have approved high school football to continue practice next week with full contact drills available to coaches. Governor Hutchinson indicated that the Arkansas Activities Association (AAA) will issue a statement on this later today.

Greenwood Resident will provide another update when the AAA’s statement has been issued.

River Valley Community Church to Break Ground On New Chaffee Crossing Campus

News

Tammy Teague

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3:03 pm

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River Valley Community Church to Break Ground On New Chaffee Crossing Campus

For twelve years the members of River Valley Community Church have dreamed of building a new church at Chaffee Crossing. After much prayer, patience and persistence, the dream will finally become a reality. On Sunday, August 9, 2020, 12:00 p.m., church members will break ground for a permanent home in Chaffee Crossing on their new campus at 7700
Wells Lake Road, Fort Smith, AR, and they wholeheartedly invite the public to attend and share in the celebration.

“We could not be more excited about what people will see happening here and we invite everyone in the Fort Smith region to come out and celebrate with us,” says Pastor Adam Kareus. “This will be a very special day for our church as we start the next phase of our ministry. We want to thank everyone who has made this possible, especially the people who call River Valley Community Church home, for this is a fruit of their labor. As I look toward the future of our church, I am thrilled to pray about how our ministry can be furthered by this new building, which is a tool to reach this developing neighborhood and community.”

The new church will be built on a nine-acre campus at the corner of Wells Lake Road and McClure Drive overlooking the valley to the east. It will be surrounded by new residential neighborhoods, restaurants, and recreational amenities. The modern 10,000 square foot building design has echoes of Fort Chaffee history with its earth tone colors and materials. Auditorium seating will accommodate 245 people and it will have a secure children’s wing. Hight Jackson Architects of Rogers, AR, created the architectural design. Beshears Construction of Fort Smith is the general construction contractor. An architectural rendering is included with this release.

The RVCC church family sees this new building as a great tool for ministry. Both campus layout and architectural design are purposeful to fit in with the vibe and lifestyle of the neighborhood. The building features a significant amount of outdoor space including a courtyard surrounded by glass garage doors that can be raised for indoor/outdoor events. A section of the future Chaffee Crossing Phase II trail will cross the campus. The 200-acre Janet Huckabee Arkansas River Valley Nature Center with all of its
amenities is adjacent to the property.

Fort Chaffee Redevelopment Authority president and CEO Daniel Mann says although the new church building has been a long time coming, this may be the best possible time for its construction. “We’ve worked with the River Valley Community Church leadership team throughout their planning process to make sure it would be a successful project. They have been patient and persistent and now that is paying off with a beautiful $2.4 million facility that will be their church home for generations to come.”
RVCC started by renting space from Fort Chaffee Redevelopment Authority on Taylor Ave. The nine acres was purchased in 2013.

All guests attending the groundbreaking ceremony are asked to wear masks and follow appropriate social distancing measures.

Some important things to know about River Valley Community Church:
For those who might be curious, the DNA of River Valley Community is first and foremost, THE GOSPEL!

That word may be new vocabulary and it can be often misunderstood … but in short, it’s Great News that everyone needs to hear. Whether that makes you curious or whether you already know this great news, we’d love for you to join our church family.
• WE ARE FAMILY! … we love one another and really enjoy our friendship and fellowship… including food, fun and the outdoors.
• WE LOVE OUR NEIGHBORHOOD! From the very beginning of our church, we chose Chaffee Crossing, and we are stoked about our new address on Wells Lake Road. Just look at what’s happening in our neighborhood! houses going up, new families moving in, great restaurants, walking trails, people outside fishing, hiking, cycling … all of this is a great fit for our church family.
• WE WANT OUR FAMILY TO GROW! … our hope and prayer are that anyone and everyone who lives, works and plays in our community will hear our invitation … come visit us, get to know us and consider joining our growing family.

Please come visit!!

About Chaffee Crossing:
Chaffee Crossing is Arkansas’ premiere economic development project located within the cities of Fort Smith and Barling. Under the guidance of the Fort Chaffee Redevelopment Authority Public Trust, Chaffee Crossing has attracted $1.65 Billion in industrial, commercial, residential, educational, historical and recreational investments that are boosting the entire western Arkansas regional economy.

Back to School: Mask up to Protect Your Child and Others

News

Tammy Teague

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2:51 pm

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Back to School: Mask up to Protect Your Child and Others

Parents of children heading to school later this month likely have a new addition to their back-to-school supply lists: face masks.

Many public schools in Arkansas plan to re-open later this month. Depending on the school, they are offering on-site instruction, remote learning or both options. Many students attending onsite may be required to wear face masks though requirements vary from school to school.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends children 2 years and older wear a mask over their nose and mouth when in public settings where it’s difficult to practice social distancing. Arkansas’ mask mandate requires people to wear masks in all indoor and outdoor environments where people are exposed to non-household members and where social distancing isn’t possible. The mandate, however, exempts children under 10.

“The number one thing you can do to help your child wear a mask properly and without complaint is to do so yourself,” says Brittney Schrick, a Ph.D. who is an assistant professor and extension family life specialist with the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. “Modeling the behavior your child should show helps them understand that it is normal and not scary.”

Back-to-school preparations should also include conversations with your children about protecting themselves and those around them by wearing a mask, washing their hands well, and keeping a safe distance from others.

Younger children, in particular, may need some practice. Having your younger child wear a mask at home to get used to it before starting school can make the first day easier, Schrick said.

Having a comfortable mask is important too. Masks can be made or purchased in a variety of sizes, styles and colors.

“If they find one type uncomfortable (such as those that attach to the ears), look for another style such as a gaiter, one that attaches behind the neck, or use one with ties behind the head,” Schrick said.

Schrick offers the following suggestions for helping youth return to school safely:

Young children

Consider masks as part of their outfit or an accessory and let them choose ones they like to wear

Let them decorate their own or choose a fun pattern
Make play masks for your child’s stuffed animals or dolls
Invite your child to draw a self-portrait wearing their mask or a picture of their new class

Older children and teens

Explain their school’s rules related to wearing a mask and what consequences may exist if they don’t wear it
Consider masks as part of their outfit or an accessory and let them choose ones they like to wear
If your child is expected to wear a mask all day, consider sending a second mask with them to change into after lunch.

Preparing for school

Check with your school district in advance on mask requirements
Label your child’s masks with his or her name
Send an extra mask in a plastic sandwich bag or sealed container in case your child loses the mask or gets it dirty

To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.edu. Follow us on Twitter at @UAEX_edu.

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