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.
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.
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
Older children and teens
Preparing for school
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.
Along with the improvements going on with the habitat at Upper White Oak Lake near Camden, there’s news out of Lower White Oak Lake, too: AGFC biologist Andy Yung tells us that thanks to a cooperative effort between the agency and Ouachita Electric Cooperative, Lower Jack’s Landing at Lower White Oak Lake recently received some improvements in the access area. A new nightlight was added to the parking lot, with Ouachita Electric donating and installing the light and two new poles. Also, the AGFC added gravel to expand the parking area at the ramp. Fishing has been going great at Lower White Oak Lake since its renovation in recent years. If you missed it last month, Upper White Oak will be drawn down a few feet for work to improve the habitat. *
In the same general vicinity as the White Oak lakes, the AGFC hired contractors to spray nuisance aquatic vegetation at Mike Knoedl Tri-County Lake for the second time this year (above right photo). The efforts were largely focused in and around fishing jetties to address alligatorweed, a non-native invasive plant that grows and spreads aggressively in Arkansas waterways. Alligatorweed is especially difficult to treat in shallow water, according to biologists, and will often return to the shallow areas quickly. Tri-County Lake has 13 fishing jetties that offer great shoreline fishing locations, and the entire shoreline is open to public access thanks to the management buffer zone, which surrounds all AGFC-owned lakes. Tri-County features a good population of bass, bream and catfish, which are routinely seen around the fishing jetties in the AGFC’s routine sampling. *
The AGFC stocked more than 375,000 northern largemouth bass in the Arkansas River this year, with an average of 34,091 stocked in each of 11 pools of the river. The most stocked in any one pool were the 67,000 fingerlings of northern largemouth bass that went into the Dardanelle nursery pond to grow out and eventually be released into the lake; also, 42,000 went into the Ozark pool upriver from Dardanelle, and nearly 40,000 were stocked in the Little Rock pool.
All 11 pools of the river have been stocked with bass fingerlings since 2012. Pool allocations were adjusted in 2019 following the completion of the Arkansas River Task Force Stocking Recommendation, which also modified stocking methods to include a combination of stocking fish by boat and by hatchery truckets at boat ramp accesses.
In an attempt to increase fingerling survival, this effort emphasizes placing fish in more optimal habitats like backwaters with low current velocity, habitat complexity (submerged vegetation or woody structures) and areas of low predator abundance, according to the AGFC Fisheries Division. The goal is more 8-pound-plus trophy bass for anglers on the Arkansas River.
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.
Resident Press will provide another update when the AAA’s statement has been issued.
It takes a lot of discipline to play football, especially in August. Your classmates are not on campus, and the days are usually very hot. But in this unusual year for high school football, the Charleston Tigers were demonstrating their discipline by taking part in a pre-dawn practice that started at 6 a.m. The Tigers concluded their final practice in shorts, practice jerseys, shoulder pads, and helmets today at Alumni Field. Charleston will now, along with all other high school programs across the state, stand by and hope for continued authorization from the governor to continue practice next week in full pads.
Head football coach Ricky May and his staff had the Tigers out early and going through many drills and team work in the early hours of practice that eventually ended just before the rain moved into Charleston. The practice was, from my observation, a spirited and efficient practice that mixed in conditioning for the players along with individual skill practice, as well as team practices.
The Tigers will play in a new Class 3A conference this year and are picked by Hooten’s Magazine to finish second in their 3A district behind Cedarville. Of course, there is a long way to go, and just as with all of the contending teams in their district last year, and especially for the Tigers, injuries can play a determining factor in the eventual order of finish. Coach May’s team has increased numbers and a bevy of young talent mixed with some experienced upperclassmen from last year that will make the Tigers a playoff contender once again this year.
Charleston fans can remember all to well how the Tigers began the season without key players due to injuries or transfer to other schools. As the season began against the Tigers brutal non-conference schedule that included two Class 4A teams, and a Class 3A playoff team from the season before, three more key players were lost in a lopsided loss at Dardanelle. The Tigers are hoping to avoid the injury bug this year before the start of conference play. This season, gone is the Class 3A playoff contender Melbourne Bearcatz, and in their place will be the Class 4A Pottsville Apaches. Charleston will play Dardanelle, Ozark, and Pottsville before they open conference play. It will once again be essential that key personnel are not lost before the start of conference play.
In Coach May’s first season last year as Charleston’s head football coach, he started the season with just 33 players on his senior high roster. Then the injury bug hit Charleston, and Coach May and his staff were left with keeping the team together before the start of conference play so the Tigers would have a chance to compete for the Class 3A state playoffs. The Tigers made the playoffs and lost to Prescott in the first round. Despite the early exit from the playoffs, Coach May and his assistants did a great job keeping the team together and getting last year’s team into the playoffs.
This year, Charleston has 38 players on the senior high roster and return several players who had significant playing time in 2019. If Charleston can stay healthy this year, they can be very much in the running to win their district and enter the state playoffs with a higher seed than last year’s number five seed.
Resident Press will continue to monitor the news from the State Capitol regarding the status of high school football for this season. As news is released on this issue, RP will keep you updated. And as soon as a start date for this season is known, Resident Press will publish a preseason special on the 2020 Charleston Tigers. Stay with RP for the latest in Tigers football.
For all of our readers, I would like to introduce Mrs. Ronni Tate Young who will be a contributing sports photographer this year for Resident Press and will provide you with the pictures of Charleston sports! We are excited to have Ronni as a contributor, and you will love her photos!
I am looking forward to providing you again with Charleston Tigers stories and updates throughout the next school year. I hope you will enjoy reading as much as I do writing them.
Pictured From Left to Right: Jesse Dees, Lane Tallmadge, Scout Stinson, Drew Owens, Jaden Hutchens, Noah Patrick, Kaden Rogers, Lane Metcalf, Will Solomon, Coach Atchley
An odd thing happened Wednesday, August 5th at the Waldron Country Club….high school athletics. In an age when high school sports are nearly a year-round endeavor, due to a global pandemic, they have been dormant since March. But on Wednesday, the Waldron Bulldogs golf team saw a slow re-opening of their competition. “Man, I was just excited all day to finally get back to it and compete. I have several guys on the squad who don’t play any other sports in the fall, so they have been working really hard for this golf season and I’m just pumped for them that they get a chance to compete,” stated Waldron’s Golf Coach, Josh Atchley. “They have been asking me all summer and patiently waiting for directives from the AAA, and finally got the green light and did a good job in their first match.”
The first match of the season featured Booneville, Charleston, Mansfield, and Mena in addition to the Waldron Bulldogs. The Charleston Lady Tigers won the girls’ division with a team score of 133, followed by Booneville at 146, and Mansfield at 168. On the boys’ side of things, Waldron finished first with 114, Booneville with 130, and Charleston with 159. Mena and Mansfield competed individually in the boys’ division, while Waldron and Mena didn’t have any female golfers.
“This year’s team has a chance to compete for another district championship, and if they keep working, who knows what else.” The Waldron Bulldogs finished the regular season last year with a 12-0 record before earning fourth in the state championship last season at Blytheville Country Club. They returned all their golfers from that squad last year and hope to make another run at a successful season. “Last season was the first district championship on the boys’ side in school history and we hope to add to that number this year. This is the deepest team I have ever had and when that happens those top guys really get pushed to keep working on their games. It’s a good problem to have for sure.
On Wednesday the Bulldogs featured two seniors in Jaden Hutchens and Jesse Dees who both started playing golf their freshman year and have contributed to the team’s success ever since. Juniors Drew Owens, Lane Metcalf, and Lane Tallmadge who are consistent in their approach to the game. Sophomore Will Solomon and freshmen Noah Patrick, Scout Stinson, and Kaden Rogers all have worked to cut strokes off their game in a short amount of time.
“All of the guys that competed Wednesday did a good job of not letting one bad shot or one bad hole mess up their whole round. I also really enjoyed seeing some community members come out to the course just to watch these guys, whether it be because of being deprived of sports or wanting to see the start of golf season, I know my guys really appreciated it!”
The Golf Dog’s next match will be Monday, August 10 at Glenwood Country Club.
The Huntington Police Department recently received a donation of three new body cams.
Donors Jim and Linda Udouj of Mansfield presented the equipment to Huntington Police Chief Stacy Wieburg.
“We are so thankful for the generous gift of the body cams,” stated Chief Wieburg. “They were a much needed upgrade for our department, and will help us to serve the community better.”
Agricultural producers can apply for USDA’s Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) through August 28, 2020. Producers of all eligible commodities, which includes livestock, dairy production, nonspecialty crop and wool, and specialty crops can apply through their local FSA office. This program provides direct payments to offset impacts from the coronavirus pandemic. USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) staff members are available via phone, fax and online tools to help producers’ complete applications.
Through CFAP, USDA is making available $16 billion for vital financial assistance to producers of agricultural commodities who have suffered a five-percent-or- greater price decline due to COVID-19 and face additional significant marketing costs as a result of lower demand, surplus production, and disruptions to shipping patterns and the orderly marketing of commodities.
The program is structured to ensure the availability of funding for all eligible producers who apply.
In order to do this, producers will receive 80 percent of their maximum total payment upon approval of the application. The remaining portion of the payment, not to exceed the payment limit, will be paid at a later date nationwide, as funds remain available.
Documentation to support the producer’s application and certification may be requested after the application is filed. FSA has streamlined the signup process to not require an acreage report at the time of application and a USDA farm number may not be immediately needed.
More information about this program in available online at farmers.gov/cfap. Sebastian, Crawford and Scott County producers can contact your local Farm Service Agency at 479-464-8300 Ex. 2 for more information.
USDA Service Centers are open for business by phone appointment only, and field work will continue with appropriate social distancing. While program delivery staff will continue to come into the office, they will be working with producers by phone and using online tools whenever possible. All Service Center visitors wishing to conduct business with the FSA, Natural Resources Conservation Service, or any other Service Center agency are required to call their Service Center to schedule a phone appointment. More information can be found at farmers.gov/coronavirus.
The saying “You may be knocked down but you will never be knocked out” couldn’t ring any truer for the Magazine Jr High football program. Although bigger towns are blessed with bigger rosters, it’s the smaller towns, the ones who live and breathe team pride, that prove how important football can be to a community. “These guys are the future of the program,” expresses head coach, Ryan Chambers. “This group is who will make up the Sr High team in just a few short years. Jr High is a time for learning and developing all the while growing into young men.”
With the goal of building up roster numbers in mind, the Jr Rattler team consists of seventh and eighth-graders. But don’t let that fool you into thinking they will be an automatic win in the scorebooks. “We will have around 25 players on the Jr High team. The 7th-grade class is a big one. They are loaded with talent and will be a huge asset to the Sr High team in the future.” While uncertainties continue to surround the upcoming football season, the Jr Rattlers will carry on the only way they know how. “This group has been showing up every day and are willing to work hard. The 8th-graders have done an incredible job at leading by example with their work ethic for their younger counterparts.”
With the Jr Rattlers already shaping up to be a wrecking ball crew this season, some of the talent to keep an eye on is Chakong Yang, Kolton McCubbin, Nate Smith, Aiden Carter, and Jaxon Pickartz. Pickartz is an eighth-grader who has been playing football for five years. He is a defensive end and left tackle and not someone you want to come face to face with on the football field. Off the field, Jaxon has a calm, sweet, and inviting disposition. But if you find yourself with the unlucky task of having to man Pickartz in a game, be prepared to witness the unleashing of a ferocious tropical storm.
“This upcoming season means a lot to my class in particular,” explains Pickartz. “We have had the goal to be conference champions since we were all in seventh grade. Although we came close last year, we did not achieve it. With us being the upper-classmen this year in Jr High, we have set the goal to become champions. With new teams in our conference that we have not faced before, we have to be prepared for anything. If it is the ground game or teams taking to the pass, we have the mindset to be winners this year, whatever it takes!”
For Coach Chambers, Bigelow will be the big game to look forward to for the Jr Rattlers. “With us playing a JV schedule, they will be the only conference team we play this season.” Pickartz is looking forward to facing a different team though. “I’m ready for Mansfield because it’s the first game of the season and I’m excited to play against some of my Mansfield friends.”
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