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Former Nettleton HS and UA Mens’ Basketball Grad Assistant Coach Blaine Brewington Named As New Paris Boys Basketball Coach

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Former Nettleton HS and UA Mens’ Basketball Grad Assistant Coach Blaine Brewington Named As New Paris Boys Basketball Coach

The Paris Board of Education announced the hiring of its next boys basketball coach on Monday night. The Eagles will be coached by former University of Arkansas graduate assistant mens basketball coach, and former Nettleton (Jonesoboro) High School assistant coach, Blaine Brewington. In a press release on Monday night, athletic directors Trey Prieur and Casey Mainor, along with the Paris administration of Dr. Wayne Fawcett, Superintendent, and Paris High School Principal Mike Nichols, announced the hiring tonight by the Paris Board of Education.

Brewington has spent the last three years as an assistant coach for the Nettleton High School Raiders where in those three years the team qualified for the state tournament twice and was the 5A East conference champion one year. In addition to his coaching duties, Brewington organized and managed summer team camps and individual skills camps.

Prior to his stint at Nettleton High School, Brewington was the head junior high and assistant high school coach at Lonoke for two years.

Brewington is a graduate of Pocahontas High School and played for his father, Anthony Brewington. After graduation, Brewington attended the University of Arkansas where he was a student manager for four years . After graduation, he joined Mike Anderson’s staff as a graduate assistant for the Razorbacks mens basketball team for two years where he organized recruiting responsibilities, stats, scouting, worked with men during practice and designed work-outs for student -athletes during the off season.

Paris athletic director Casey Mainer said that Brewington made a big impression during the interview process. “Coach Brewington really stood out during the interview process with his background and experience. He is a young, energetic coach that is going to, no doubt, breathe life into our basketball program and the Paris Eagles community.”

Brad Stamps, head boys basketball coach at Fayetteville High School has known Brewington for several years. Coach Stamps said, “I am excited for Blaine and what he can bring to the table for the young men and the community. With his background, he will do a magnificent job running a successful program everyone will be proud of. It has been my pleasure watching him grow as a coach and appreciate him always looking to get better by reaching out to other coaches around the state.”

In tonight’s press release from the Paris School District, the administration stated that they plan to introduce Brewington to the Eagles family over social media in the next few weeks.

Watch for Resident Press in the next few days for our first interview with the Eagles new boys basketball coach!

Jim Sher: The Egg Roll Man

Tammy Teague
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Jim Sher: The Egg Roll Man

Article contributed by Jim Sher

Most people normally refer to me by name, or Mr. Sher. It is a sign of respect I’m certain as I have been participated in community events for so long.

Lately, I have noticed people referring to me as the “the eggroll man.” Presumably I’ve earned the nickname by conducting eggroll fundraisers for charity over 12 years. It is quite the compliment to be called “the eggroll man!”

What’s more, people have teased me by adding “dangerous.” Maybe they feel they cannot resist buying them when we are spotted out doing these fundraisers. I don’t mind being the “dangerous eggroll man!”

In addition to raising money for charity with our homemade egg rolls, you just can’t imagine how my family has made so many people happy with our famous slogan: “satisfaction guaranteed or your money back with no questions asked!” I normally use this popular policy to convince new people to try our egg rolls. So far, it has never failed. The only thing that I have told my new customers is that, “don’t hate or blame me if you are addicted to my egg rolls.” Then they laugh and they are truly addicted to it after they try them!

As always, my family has the honor to continue raising money for many wonderful causes despite of our hard work. We always conduct them with love and passion. We will continue our family’s egg roll mission as long as we can.

Life is too short: My family wants to thank all the supporters for making our egg roll fundraiser a great success all these years. Because our egg rolls are meant to be sold for raising money for the charity purposes, we will never raise our price. We are very happy to see people continue to enjoy our egg rolls and support the charity at the same time. I wonder what people would miss the most, if for some reason, my family wouldn’t be able to make egg rolls? The answer is obvious!

Mercy Hospital Vows to Return to Care Responsibly

Tammy Teague
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On Monday afternoon, Mercy Hospital made the announcement that their locations, including clinics, would be returning to care, “responsibly.”

“We want to thank you for your patience and cooperation in helping us slow the spread of COVID-19 these last few months. Our social distancing and quarantine efforts appear to be working and thats truly worth celebrating,” the media release stated.

The healthcare network went on to announce that they are making plans for a “graduated return to normal operations.”

“We look forward to restarting select procedures and diagnostics soon, provided our patients and caregivers will be safe and virus transmission risks will be lowered.”

If you had a procedure postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Mercy noted that someone should be contacting you soon to reschedule.

Until that time, restrictions remain in place (see related story.)

Home Improvement Projects You Shouldn’t Do on Your Own

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Home Improvement Projects You Shouldn’t Do on Your Own

In an attempt to save money—or avoid contact with others while social distancing—many people try to tackle a range of home improvement projects without enlisting professional help. While ambitious DIYers can complete a variety of home renovations on their own, others are best left to the professionals. Certain complex projects have a high likelihood that you will mess them up and potentially damage your home. Worst case scenario, attempting these challenging projects could even put your health and safety at risk. To avoid a DIY disaster, make sure to steer clear of these home improvement projects you shouldn’t do on your own.

Installing insulation

A common home improvement project that many homeowners try to tackle on their own is installing insulation. However, doing so can have disastrous consequences on your health, home, and wallet. Among the many reasons why you shouldn’t install insulation on your own is that improper installation of certain insulation types can result in dangerous off-gassing. Such off-gassing releases harmful chemicals throughout your home, which can result in difficulty breathing, worsening asthma symptoms, throat irritation, and an increased risk of cancer, among other negative health impacts.

Aside from the health risks, correctly installing insulation on your own is very challenging. As such, there is a good chance you may leave gaps for air to escape through, which renders the insulation useless and increases the potential for your home to form ice dams, mold, and rust.

Electrical work

Always leave any type of electrical work to the pros. When it comes to taking on an electrical project, there is a significant safety risk unless you are an experienced electrician. Attempting an overly ambitious electrical project could result in fire, electrocution, and even death.

Even if you make it out unharmed, you could make a mistake that takes a serious toll on your power bill. As such, you should refrain from attempting to install new electrical lines or repair faulty wiring on your own.

Removing a wall

Open floorplans are becoming increasingly popular as they help make a space appear larger. As such, many homeowners are removing walls in their homes to create a more open space. However, you should avoid taking a sledgehammer to your wall without consulting a professional.

Before taking out a wall in your home, it’s important to ensure that the wall you’re thinking of removing isn’t load-bearing. If you take out a wall that is helping to support the structure of your home, the consequences could be disastrous—such as a caved-in ceiling. As such, this is definitely a home improvement project you shouldn’t do on your own—contact a contractor to make sure you don’t accidentally remove any necessary walls.

How to Improve Air Quality in Your Home

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How to Improve Air Quality in Your Home

Since the inside of your home is often closed off, it can collect lots of different particles that float around in the air. These then may exacerbate allergies in some people and cause various problems, such as headaches and fatigue. Take to heart these guidelines on how to improve air quality in your home if you are having trouble with unwanted particles indoors.

Minimize Surface Particle Accumulation

Stopping particles from accumulating in the house is a given. But, what steps should you take to do so? For one, you should vacuum any areas on the floor where there is a soft pile. These include carpets and rugs, which can trap particles in the small spaces that are present on their surfaces. Fabrics are also potential homes for allergens, so you should wash items like bedsheets and curtains in hot water. This will clear out particles and kill any small dust mites that might be present.

Obtain an Air Purifier

While you take care of dust and allergens that have already landed and clung onto various surfaces, cleaning those areas does not get rid of anything still floating in the air. Obtain an air purifier for your home to alleviate that problem. There are different varieties that provide different benefits. A UV purifier can kill off bacteria, mold spores, and viruses, while an ionic purifier traps these pathogens as well as smoke and dust. Filter-based purifiers trap any larger pollutants that they suck in. Take note that air purifiers won’t get rid of odors in the air, but they will reduce the number of potentially harmful particles.

Get Your HVAC System Cleaned

If you want to improve air quality in your home, you must get your HVAC system cleaned. Your HVAC system can possibly worsen your air quality if it is left dirty for too long. This is because particles can enter the vents and then be circulated around the entire house whenever you turn on the air conditioning or heater. If you’re unsure whether your HVAC system could be contributing to worsened air quality, look for signs that your ducts need cleaning, such as grills that are full of visible dust or increased heating and cooling utility bills. The latter may be an indicator that the ducts are clogged up with dirt and dust, forcing them to work harder when activated.

4 Healthy Lifestyle Changes to Adopt While Social Distancing

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4 Healthy Lifestyle Changes to Adopt While Social Distancing

The current coronavirus pandemic has thrown all of us out of our rhythm. If you’re feeling those effects but want to do something productive about it, whether it’s in little increment or big developments, we are here to help. We’ve listed some key healthy lifestyle changes to adopt while social distancing. From understanding your emotions to getting in a movement routine, these changes will help you feel better.

Stick to a Money Saving Routine

Now is the best time to start and stick with a proper financial routine. During this time, you’re probably a lot more likely to save the money you have, rather than going out and spending it all. Hopefully, this will help solidify the positive feelings and thoughts that come from seeing money saved, rather than money departing. In addition, use those feelings to help you solidify a budget for the future, so that you can continue saving money in the future.

Get in a Daily Movement Habits

There’s a possibility that you’ve been telling yourself for quite some time that you should get into a workout routine. That’s a hard step for a lot of people to take, but now is a great time to follow through with that thinking—after all, working out is among the healthiest lifestyle changes you can adopt while social distancing. You don’t have to become a full-fledged bodybuilder, but you can take the steps to get into a healthy movement routine. Begin with walks around the neighborhood and get your body used to movement. Build it up from there, and then try your best to stick to that same time every day so that it becomes a true part of your daily schedule.

Work on Processing Emotions

Our emotions are raging right now, and everyone deals with them in different ways. With extra space in our days, now is a wonderful time to delve into your emotional intelligence and find ways to grow it. For example, you may notice that anger is quick to rise during these times—whether it’s anger with the people you’re living with or anger that plans have had to change. Instead of stewing in this anger, find ways to turn anger into positive energy. You’ll have to start by targeting your core emotion, but once you’ve processed it, you can make something of all that energy and all those feelings boiling up within you.

Find Things that Bring Happiness

Our last change asks you to delve into finding things that bring you joy. It can be quite easy to fall into a routine that’s not necessarily the best for you or that doesn’t spark any of your creativity and passion. Do your best to find out what those hobbies, activities, and actions are that ignite your inner fire. For example, maybe you love to cook, but you haven’t been trying out many new recipes—use this time to do just that. Maybe it’s picking up a new hobby, or reaching out to friends, or sitting with a book and some tea. The more things you can find that bring you happiness, the more things you’ll have to turn to when you’re struggling.

Local Hospitals, Nursing Facilities Maintain Visitor Restrictions

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Local Hospitals, Nursing Facilities Maintain Visitor Restrictions

With talks by Governor Asa Hutchinson, his medical, and economic advisory team to reopen some businesses, restrictions remain in place for local hospitals, and nursing facilities.

Mercy locations in Fort Smith and Waldron have a prohibited visitation policy, with the exception of the following:

  • Visitors age 18 or older for patients receiving end-of-life care at the discretion of the physician.
  • One support person age 18 or older per OB patient.
  • One parent per pediatric patient at a time.
  • One parent per NICU patient at a time.
  • One visitor age 18 or older for patients undergoing urgent procedures or their driver.
  • One visitor per emergency room patient deemed to be in critical condition by the ER physician and those who use a wheelchair and require assistance. Minors will be allowed one parent. All others will be asked to remain in their vehicle.
  • Clinic patients who have a physician inside the hospital and those who use a wheelchair and require assistance will be allowed a visitor. All others will be asked to remain in their vehicle.

The restrictions include:

  • Mercy Hospital and ER Fort Smith
  • Mercy Hospital River Valley Orthopedic in Fort Smith
  • Mercy Hospital Booneville
  • Mercy Hospital Paris
  • Mercy Hospital Ozark
  • Mercy Hospital Waldron

Entrances are limited:

  • Mercy Hospital Fort Smith’s ER entrance will be the only entrance to the main hospital, open 24/7. The Labor & Delivery, OB emergency room and pediatrics entrance will be accessible by intercom only. The main medical building entrance will only be open from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. for patients who have scheduled appointments.
  • Mercy Hospitals in Booneville, Paris, Ozark and Waldron and Mercy Hospital River Valley Orthopedics is only accessible through the ER entrance.
  • The main entrance into Mercy Hospital Rogers will be the only entrance for visitors. The emergency entrance is open 24/7 for patients needing emergency care. The main Physicians Plaza entrance will be open 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. for patients who have scheduled appointments.

Patients and visitors will continue to be screened upon entering the hospital.

“The safety of our patients, visitors and co-workers is of the utmost importance,” said Ryan Gehrig and Eric Pianalto, presidents of Mercy Hospital Fort Smith and Mercy Hospital Northwest Arkansas, respectively. “We realize this new policy may create an inconvenience for our visitors, but we must prevent unnecessary exposure to our patients and caregivers.”

Waldron Nursing Center, Pink Bud in Greenwood and long term care facilities across the state continue to follow the March 13 ADH directive prohibiting visitation. Long term care staff remain in limbo over when the mandate will be lifted.

You can learn more about hospital policies and undergo an online screening for COVID-19 here. Read the mandate for long term care facilities here.

Walmart Stores Implement Sanitizing and Social Distancing Measures

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In further efforts to keep employees and customers safe, Walmart stores have implemented more safety measures. Those include designated sanitation associates, and social distancing guides.

According to Walmart’s website, designated associates are cleaning high-traffic, high-touch areas, like checkouts and shopping carts every day. Stores have also installed sneeze guards in the pharmacy and register lanes, and floor decals at both the entrances and checkouts.

“We’re using a single, clearly designated entrance and another clearly designated exit at each store to help maintain social distancing and lessen the instances of people closely passing each other,” stated Dacona Smith, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Walmart U.S. “We’re also limiting the number of people in a store at once to allow no more than five customers for each 1,000 square feet at a given time, roughly 20 percent of a store’s capacity.”

The retail giant has reportedly expanded paid leave policies, implemented employee temperature checks and made gloves and masks available to their associates. All of this coupled with altered hours of operation in order to clean and restock items.

“While many of our customers have been following the advice of the medical community regarding social distancing and safety, we have been concerned to still see some behaviors in our stores that put undue risk on our people,” Smith added. “We want to encourage customers to bring the fewest number of people per family necessary to shop, allow for space with other customers while shopping, and practice social distancing while waiting in lines. We’re also seeing states and municipalities set varying policies regarding crowd control – which has created some confusion regarding shopping.”

Earlier in the month, Walmart stores began limiting the number of customers in the store at one time. With this policy, there can be no more than five customers for each 1,000 square feet at a given time, roughly 20 percent of a store’s capacity. To manage this restriction, the store has a marked queue at a single-entry door, where shoppers are admitted one-by-one and counted. Associates and signage remind customers of the importance of social distancing while they’re waiting to enter a store – especially before it opens in the morning. Once the store reaches its capacity, customers are admitted inside on a “1-out-1-in” basis.

Lastly, one-way movement through the aisles has also been instituted in most stores. “We expect this to help more customers avoid coming into close contact with others as they shop,” Smith added. “As the COVID-19 situation continues to develop, our leaders and operations teams will continue to listen to advice from medical experts, associates and customers, and consider how we can best serve people while helping slow the spread of the virus. The health and safety of our associates and customers is what matters the most.”

Obituary- Dorothy “Dottie” Blackmon (1949-2020)

Tammy Teague
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Obituary- Dorothy “Dottie” Blackmon (1949-2020)

Dorothy “Dottie” Blackmon of Waldron, Arkansas went to be with her Lord and Savior, Saturday, April 25, 2020, in Waldron, Arkansas. Dottie was born February 27, 1949, in Waldron, Arkansas to James and Beulah Hicks. She was 71 years old. Dottie was a member of the Living Word Church. Her faith and love for God was evident in her everyday life.

Dottie met the love of her life at age 14. She later married that high school sweetheart and together they were blessed with 57 years of memories. Dottie was a warm and kind person. She had held many jobs over the years, everything from poultry work to working many years at Chambers Bank, and then to working at Mercy Hospital in Waldron.She enjoyed alot of things including her puppies, crocheting, being outdoors camping, skiing at Lake Ouachita, going to Oaklawn with JP and watching the Denver Broncos until John Elway left then she transferred to the New Orleans Saints. Of all the things that Dottie enjoyed and loved, her family and spending time with them was the highlight of her days. She cherished being a wife, mom, aunt, sister and Nana.

Dottie leaves behind to cherish her memory, her loving and devoted husband Duane of the home, two sons: Robert Blackmon and wife Tina of Van Buren, Arkansas and Tony Blackmon of Waldron, Arkansas. Nana will forever remain in the heart of her little sunshine, her only grandson, Landon Blackmon of Waldron, Arkansas. Dottie is also survived by her siblings: Patsy Goff and husband Bill of Greenwood, Arkansas, Brenda Mock and husband John of Waldron, Arkansas and Phillip Hicks and wife Eva of Pocola, Oklahoma. Aunt Dottie leaves a legacy of love and warmth with her nieces and nephews: Lena, Faith, Stephen, John Daniel, Levi, PJ and Shawn. Dottie will be missed by all that knew her and the many whose lives she impacted including a host of extended family, friends, neighbors and loved ones dear to her heart.

Dottie was preceded in death by her parents, James and Beulah and one brother, James “JP” Hicks.

Dottie’s life celebration will be 2:00 p.m., Tuesday, April 28, 2020, at the Heritage Memorial Funeral Home Chapel in Waldron, Arkansas with Rev. Grady Parker officiating. Graveside service and interment will follow in the Duncan Cemetery in Waldron, Arkansas. Arrangements are being entrusted to the Heritage Memorial Funeral Home in Waldron, Arkansas.

During these tryng and difficult times, we must limit public gatherins to 10 persons in our funeral home and do our part to stop the spread of the Coronavirus. Family and friends are welcome to attend the service but must remain in their vehicles. Therefore, Dottie’s life celebration will be live streamed on her webpage and the graveside service can be heard from the comfort of your vehicle at radio station 87.9 FM.

Pallbearers will be Damon Cook, Waymon Hunt, Jerry Duran, Brandon Nelson, John Charles Nelson and Jeff Janway. Honorary pallbearers will be Nelson Deer Camp.

Planning, Preparation and Precaution Keys to Safe Grocery Shopping

Tammy Teague
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Planning, Preparation and Precaution Keys to Safe Grocery Shopping

By Tracy Courage
U of A System Division of Agriculture

Getting groceries has become significantly more complicated in the time of COVID-19. Lines can be long and supplies short, and consumers worry about getting sick.

The good news is that there is no evidence of food or food packaging being associated with the transmission of COVID-19, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

The virus can, however, live on surfaces for varying amounts of time: up to three hours in aerosols, four hours on surfaces like copper, 24 hours on cardboard and for as long as two to three days on plastic and stainless steel, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

The CDC now recommends adults wear a cloth face covering in public spaces, such as grocery stores and pharmacies. While going to the grocery store may be unavoidable, the best way to curtail risk is to limit store visits and public interactions. 

“If you’re used to shopping once a week, try to shop once every two weeks, if you can afford to do that financially and if you have space to store extra items,” said Katie Frizzell, Ashley County extension agent for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture Cooperative Extension Service.

Many stores offer online ordering with curbside pickup. Home delivery services, via apps such as Instacart, also offer the convenience of home delivery — but at a price. Many grocers offer designated shopping hours for people most vulnerable to COVID-19, including those age 65 and older, pregnant women and people with underlying health issues that may compromise their immune systems. 

Frizzell also recommends shopping at small, family-owned groceries, which typically see fewer customers and offer good customer service. 

Frizzell offers these grocery shopping tips:

  • Plan meals in advance so you know what food to buy
  • Take inventory of your pantry so you don’t overbuy
  • Buy in bulk if you can
  • Stick to a list
  • Organize shopping list around the store’s layout to minimize time in the store
  • Avoid store peak hours
  • Order online or order ahead if you can
  • If you are over 65, pregnant, or have health risks, ask about special store hours
  • Expect longer lines and allow adequate time
  • Limit the number of family members who shop 

At the store:

  • Wear a mask
  • Avoid touching your eyes, mouth and nose
  • Maintain social distancing of at least 6 feet between you and other customers and store employees
  • Minimize distractions
  • If the store is out of something, improvise or do without. Don’t ask employees to go check the stock. Most stores are restocking as quickly as they can
  • Don’t “panic buy”
  • If you wear plastic gloves, dispose of them after you leave the store but before you get into your car
  • Use hand sanitizer before getting into your car 

When you get home:

  • Leave your shoes outside
  • Wash produce under cold running tap water to remove dirt and bacteria before eating or preparing
  • Do not wash fruits and vegetables with detergent or soap. These products are not approved or labeled by the FDA for use on foods
  • Wipe down reusable bags
  • If you think a food container surface may be infected, clean it with simple disinfectant
  • Take off clothes worn to store and put on clean clothes
  • Put mask in washing machine. Use the “sanitize” setting on your washer or dryer, if available
  • Wash your hands with soap and water
  • Wipe down doorknobs, faucets and light switches you’ve touched 

For questions and answers about food safety and COVID-19, visit https://www.uaex.edu/life-skills-wellness/health/covid19/mythbusting.aspx. 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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