The City of Waldron will have the opportunity to add new items to the Waldron City Park thanks to a $6,000 donation from the Arvest Foundation.
The gift was announced at the Waldron Arvest branch. Debra Fuller, Keith Slater, Teresa Carnahan and Shelley Buckles of Arvest were on hand to present the check.
“The grant will allow us to purchase additional exercise equipment along our multi-purpose trail at the city park,” Waldron Mayor David Millard said. “This will give our community another opportunity to enjoy the park. We appreciate the foundation’s investment in creating a more enjoyable and active community for our citizens.”
“We hope this donation and several others we have made in the Waldron area demonstrate the foundation’s efforts to make it a better place to live, work and play,” Buckles said.
About the Arvest Foundation
The Arvest Foundation seeks to provide funding to grantees who are actively working to create positive change for others. Major areas of focus include: K-12 education, economic development, and enhancing the quality of life throughout the Arvest footprint.For more information, go to www.arvestfoundation.org.
The Waldron Rural Fire Department will have the opportunity to update some of its turnout gear with the help of a $3,900 donation from the Arvest Foundation.
The gift was announced at the Arvest Bank in Waldron.. Debra Fuller, Keith Slater, Teresa Carnahan, Debra Byford and Shelley Buckles of Arvest were on hand to present the check.
The Arvest Foundation donation will allow the Fire Departmentto replace some of their outdated turnout gear, resulting in enhance firefighting capabilities. Turnout gear provides personal protection for firefighters and can include trousers, boots and jackets.
“On a fire scene, having current and reliable equipment is vital to the safety and confidence of our firefighters, Waldron Rural Fire Department chief Ken Overdurf said. “The Waldron Fire Department is honored to have community partners like the Arvest Foundation and is thankful for its generous support.”
“We are happy to make this donation on behalf of the Arvest Foundation,” Buckles said. “Our firefighters play a critical role in the safety and well-being of all those in our community and we are happy to support them in this way.”
About the Arvest Foundation The Arvest Foundation seeks to provide funding to grantees who are actively working to create positive change for others. Major areas of focus include: K-12 education, economic development, and enhancing the quality of life throughout the Arvest footprint.For more information, go to www.arvestfoundation.org.
The time has come yet again for two upstanding top of the line coaches to come face to face but this time it’s under completely different circumstances. During the 2018 football season, the Mansfield Tigers were headed by Coach Craig Bentley. The Tigers sat in the 3A-1 division while the Waldron Bulldogs, who are coached by Jonathan Bates, play in the 4A-4. So last year’s match-up between these two teams was done as an annual friendly rivalry game. The Tigers took that win 40-7.
Before the start of the 2019 football season, Coach Bentley took over the Mena Bearcats who were previously under the direction of Coach Tim Harper. Last year when Waldron faced Mena the Bearcats dominated the scoreboard with 49 points leaving the Bulldogs with zero. This Friday night though, things could get very interesting.
Coach Bentley and Coach Bates have been friends longer than their players have been alive. Although they have a long history together, come Friday night, all of that goes out the window. This season, the Bulldogs are full of bite and with the Bearcats coming to their house, they aren’t looking to give up the win very easily.
Waldron is sitting with a 1-6 total season record, a 1-3 conference record, and are averaging 21 points a game. Mena holds a 5-2 record in total play, is 2-2 in conference, and is averaging 31 points a game. If the Bulldogs secure the win, they will tie-up their conference record with the Bearcats.
This is what Waldrons Coach Bates had to say about the upcoming battle. “Mena is a tough and physical bunch that is well-coached. We have played hard and successfully put together four quarters in last week’s win against Subiaco. We just lack depth, but we knew that coming into the season. We have been fighting hard for a half all year and would run out of gas in the second half because of our lack of depth and a few injuries.”
“We just try to look at us and see what we can do as individuals and as a team, daily and weekly, to improve. Nobody should overlook our heart, grit, and determination. Mena is going to bring size, speed, and depth to the game on Friday so we are going to have to compete for four quarters and play as a team if we want to secure the win.”
With this being a highly anticipated match, both teams are definitely going to bring nothing less than their A-game. Menas Coach Bentley gave his thoughts on this upcoming Friday night. “This is always a big game for both schools and communities. Each team always gives the other their best shot. Our defense has been performing well this season by preventing big plays and forcing turnovers.”
“Offensively, we are starting to click after having to readjust to some early season injuries in key positions such as Quarterback and Running back. Waldron has some of the best group of skill players (QB, RB, and WR) that we have seen all year. They play hard and have been successful in some big plays this season. For us to take home the “W”, we will have to play disciplined defense, sustain and finish drives, clean-up penalties and execute in the special teams’ department.”
This game is undeniably going to be one for the books. If you are looking for something to do this Friday night, head to Waldron where the Bulldogs will host the Mena Bearcats on Oct 25 at 7 p.m.
In an awesome display of power, athleticism, roster depth, and rising new freshmen stars, the Paris Lady Eagles appeared to be in top post-season form as they defeated Mansfield in the semi-finals of the senior district volleyball tournament held at West Fork High School. Paris was never challenged in the match as they defeated Mansfield 3-0, and moved on to face the winner of the night’s second semi-final match.
Many fans from all four schools made the long drive to Northwest Arkansas to support their teams. It was a proud moment for the district. Great volleyball, great fan support, and a great job by West Fork High School in hosting the event.
Paris coach Jordan Devine was pleased with her team’s strong performance in the semi-finals. “Great game tonight. I thought we played really well. I thought we had a young one (freshman Brailey Forst) come in and put some big points up for us, which was nice to see. Probably served aggressively which is what we have been trying to do all season. I really think our serving can be a weapon for us. So, I thought we did well tonight. When asked if her team was ready for the state playoffs, Coach Devine said, “well, we’ll see.”
In the evening session, the Charleston Lady Tigers defeated a hard-charging, much improved, Waldron Lady Bulldogs team. Charleston defeated Waldron 3-1. Charleston will now play Paris in the championship final on Thursday at 7 p.m. This will be the second year in a row that the two schools have met in the district tournament championship game. The winner of the match will be crowned as senior high district tournament champions and will be a number one seed in the state volleyball tournament. The loser will become the tournament runner-up and will be a two seed in the state tournament.
Charleston coach Ryan Rachuy, was grateful to win against the strong Waldron effort, but was concerned about the mistakes his Lady Tigers made in the win. “Tomorrow we are going to come in (to practice) and tighten up some mistakes we made tonight, cleaning up our play. I think we are looking at somewhere around 15 to 18 errors in that second set, probably the same in the fourth set. In the third set we cut it (errors) down to about nine errors and we won that set 25-14. When we play volleyball the way we are supposed to we are going to be alright. But we’ve got to clean up our level of play. They (Waldron) played their butts off tonight.”
For Charleston to have a chance against Paris Thursday night, the Lady Tigers will have to be much improved over their semi-finals performance. If the team that played Paris in Charleston a few weeks ago gets off the bus Thursday night in West Fork, then it should be a classic finals match-up. But for that to happen, Charleston has to eliminate the mistakes and stay in the game mentally from the first point to the last. As with all of the teams in the tournament, it is important for each team to end the tournament playing well to have positive momentum heading into the state tournament next week. For Charleston and their heralded senior class, this is their last shot at a district tournament championship. Now is the time for the Lady Tigers to play their best game.
Mansfield and Waldron will play a consolation game Thursday at 5:30 p.m. The winner will receive a third seed in next week’s state volleyball tournament. The loser will be a fourth seed entering the state tournament.
Seedings in the state tournament that will be earned in the district tournament have a major impact on the potential strength of the first round opponent that teams will face next week in the state tournament. The higher the seed a team earns in the district tournament will result in a lower-seeded first round opponent. It will be important for all four remaining teams to win on Thursday to earn the highest possible seedings for the opening round of the state tournament. According to Max Preps, the first round state tournament schedule for the 3A West teams will be:
October 29 (First, Second, and Third Round Games Played at Paris High School)
First Round
Court 1
West #4 Seed vs. North #1 Seed, 1 p.m.
West #1 Seed vs. Central #3 Seed, 7 p.m.
Court 2
West #3 Seed vs. Central #1 Seed, 1 p.m.
West #2 Seed vs. South #3 Seed, 7 p.m.
Quarterfinal and semi-final matches will be played on October 30 and 31. The two semi-finalist will advance to the state final that will be played in Hot Springs at Bank OZK Arena on Saturday, November 2. The Class 3A final will be played at 5 p.m.
There is the potential for the River Valley to have both teams in the Class 3A final in Hot Springs. Doing so would be a statement for the River Valley after regions such as the northeast and others have dominated the tournament in the past. Paris has won multiple state titles as it has proudly represented the region over the past several years, and with the young players on its roster, Paris is in good position to continue its dominance for at least three more years. Charleston, in just its fifth year of playing volleyball, and only its fourth year in playing in the district (did not play in a district in the program’s first season), would take a monumental step forward in its program if it could reach the finals this year.
For the complete state tournament bracket, go to Max Preps online and search for “2019 Arkansas state volleyball tournament.” And as always, you can stick with Resident Press all the way through the crowning of the new state volleyball champions! Resident Press is your one stop for tournament schedules, times, match-ups and scores!
Good luck to all of the River Valley teams as they compete for a state volleyball championship!
LITTLE ROCK – Arkansas’ summer-like start to autumn has slowed appearance of the state’s annual foliage show, said Kyle Cunningham, extension forester with the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.
“Fall color will likely be a little delayed this year compared to other years because of the post-summer warmth we’ve experienced,” he said.
The late summer and early fall dry spell also caused some trees to turn brown, especially on ridge tops in the Ouachita Mountains and other areas in Arkansas. Those trees, Cunningham said, probably won’t show any fall color at all.
There is good news, though. “The showers over the last few weeks may help reduce the number of trees browning up,” he said, adding that any trees that have remained green through the dry spell “may actually be more vibrant than usual once the color change begins.”
Northern Arkansas will be the first to see significant color, with the rest of the state turning in the following weeks. When it comes to the fall color show, there are a few early adopters: • Black gums – Some trees began turning in August with their oval leaves showing a brilliant scarlet. • Dogwoods – Some of Arkansas’ dogwoods also started turning in August with leaves turning red and yellow. • Sweet gums – The star-shaped leaves on these trees show yellow and red when fall comes around. • Maples – Many maples, especially in urban landscapes, were selected for early color and were changing in September and October.
As fall progresses, look for oaks, cypress and gingko trees to add their colors to the landscape.
An open letter from Mansfield Lady Tigers Head Coach, Joshua Bryan:
Dear Mansfield Tiger Fans, The Lady Tigers basketball team is selling Tiger apparel. Help support your Lady Tigers while improving your own hometown wardrobe. Some items of choice are generic Tiger apparel and others are basketball specific. See any female 7th, Junior, or Senior High basketball player to place an order between now and next Friday, November 1st. Payments will be due by November 1st. Please make checks out to “Beacon Ink”. If you do not know any Lady Tigers, order forms will be in both the middle school and the high school offices. Money can be turned in to the high school or middle school offices or to Coach Joshua Bryan. Thank you for your support of Tiger Athletics!
Hackett Little League went all out in preparation to host their annual rivalry game against the Mansfield Tigers. The players had made College Gameday style signs to hang. The rivalry trophies were polished and set out for all to see. The field was lined up perfectly. And the announcer was excited and ready to entertain the masses. All they needed was a football game to take place. With all the planning made, the one thing Hackett didn’t plan on was the outcome at night’s end.
3/4 Hornets
The Hornet 3rd and 4th Grade suffered a loss to Lavaca the previous week and was out for redemption against Mansfield. The Hackett players and coaches squared off against their opponents with ferocity in their eyes as the first snap was taken. The Hornets made out with a few good defensive stops with Mason Mathis and Collin Cooper plugging up the running backs and forcing them to run to the outside on the perimeters of the field.
3/4 Hornets
Noah Rogers and Austin Gordon came up with some big open field tackles forcing the Tigers to become creative with their game. The Hornets couldn’t seem to match the speed of the Mansfield backs on a few occasions giving up a few big runs. Hackett’s offense struggled during the game but shown a spark late in the game when Zayden Holbert was able to snag a big pass to get the Hornets on the board, but it’s wasn’t enough as Hackett lost 38-6.
3/4 Hornets
Hackett 3rd and 4th Grade isn’t done yet though. The Hornets have earned the #2 seed in the Playoffs and will have a bye week to prepare for the winner of the Round 1 game between #4 Cedarville and #5 Mountainburg on November 2nd at home. Hackett did not face either team during the regular season but will be fully prepared none the less for anything that comes their way.
5/6 Hornets
Hackett’s 5th and 6th Grade was tied for the #2 seed in the Playoffs with Mansfield. Both teams had only one loss in the season which came at the hands of #1 Magazine. Hackett started out strong offensively with a solid ground and pound running game behind running back Elijah Rodgers, but it didn’t take long for the Tigers to figure out how to stop it. The Hornet defense held strong against Mansfields short yardage runs and was able to keep any trick plays at bay. Defenders Hunter Mays, Matthew Garner, and Chris Elkins came up with some big takedowns. Towards the end of the half, Hackett opened up the passing game and connected a few hefty yardage passes which built momentum going into halftime. The Hornets were able to put 20 points on the scoreboard, but could not stop Mansfields powerful run game which created a final score of Mansfield 44 Hackett 20.
5/6 Hornets
The loss dropped the Hornets to the #3 seed in the playoffs which means they will host #6 West Fork at home on Saturday, October 26. The Hornets already beat West Fork 32-8 in the first week of the season and they are ready to do it again. Hackett will do what Hackett always does…..work and practice hard to get the win.
The Mansfield School Board met on Monday evening, October 21. Board members present included Trent Hayslip, Mark Barton, Dewayne Ward and Mike Gipson. Board President Rick Nicodemus was absent. Also present, Superintendent Joe Staton.
Missing from the agenda, and from the meeting…prayer. Gipson inquired about the omission. Staton shared that the Wisconsin group, Freedom From Religion, had filed a formal grievance against the school. As a result, prayer was removed from both the agenda and from the meeting itself.
This isn’t the first time FFR has come against the district. Last year, they rallied to end prayer at graduation.
Next, the board voted to go into executive session at 6:02 p.m. After reconvening at 6:28 p.m., members accepted the resignation of Carla Carter, a cafeteria worker at the elementary school. Additionally, voted to hire Emily Myers, full-time.
In the superintendent’s report, Staton shared training dates and times. Lastly, shared progress on repairs being done to the baseball field fencing. “We will try to have that done before wet weather gets here,” added Staton.
High School Principal Donnie Eveld and Elementary Principal Kim Arnold both gave brief positive progress reports.
With no other items of business, the meeting of the Mansfield School Board was adjourned.
In 2014 Melissa Bonniksen lay critical in the hospital with an infection. Without a life-saving blood plasma transfusion she wouldn’t survive. Hundreds of miles away, and five years later she would have the opportunity to meet four of the five donors who saved her life.
One of those donors was Vestal Hutchens, 69, of Waldron. Hutchens and three others across Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas were contacted by Tamika Hudgens with the Oklahoma Blood Institute. “On July 30, I got the call by Tamika,” shared Hutchens. “She said your blood plasma saved my sister-in-law’s life…I said lady, I am about to cry. She said don’t start, I’ll cry too!”
Hudgens would extend an invitation to attend the surprise reunion with Bonniksen and pay for the family’s stay and fuel costs.
Blood plasma donor, Vestal Hutchens (left) and recipient Melissa Bonniksen.
On Sunday, September 22, 2019 at 6 p.m., the tear-filled, emotional Bonniksen came face-to-face with each of her donors. “I was blessed beyond measure,” Hutchens added. “It was an honor to be a part of this wonderful event.”
Both Hutchens and his wife Judy have routinely donated blood for over thirty years. Whether a patient receives whole blood, red cells, platelets or plasma, this lifesaving care starts with one person making a generous donation.
The banquet was an honor for both gift giver and receiver, and was an evening that both will always cherish.
If you get the chance, drive to downtown Fort Smith toward the Immaculate Conception Church. In the curve there that divides Garrison and Rogers Avenue is a new park being finished. Gateway Park has been built where a multi-colored building that once housed AC Taylor Mobile Service Station on the triangle-shaped property. It is now a monument of sandstone steps and half-walls that lead visitors to three historically significant statues. The statues are in the likenesses of Judge Isaac Parker, John Carnall, and Mother Superior Mary Teresa Farrell.
The statues were created by a Kansas City artist named Spencer Schubert. Schubert created a 3:1 model of the statues to show what his vision was before completing the final ones unveiled last week. He is known nationwide for his many works.
Judge Isaac Parker is the most recognizable of the three statues. His likeness and life are known far and wide in this area of the nation. He is depicted sitting in a chair and reading a law book as he faces Washington, D.C. Parker served in the US Congress for two terms in Missouri and became interested in Native American issues. Because of this, President U.S. Grant appointed him the judge over the United States District Court for Arkansas’ Western District. He was the youngest federal judge west of the Mississippi River at 36 years old.
He and John Carnall worked together to provide schools in Fort Smith. Most know him as “the hanging judge’ but Parker was fair and honest, bringing civility to Fort Smith and the territory.
The second statue is of John Carnall (1818-1892). Known as ‘the father of Fort Smith Public Schools,’ he was only twenty-two when he moved to Fort Smith and started the first free public school. Through Carnall and other civic leaders, including Judge Parker, government lands were sold and the money went to build schools, hire teachers, and buy supplies. He was also Sebastian County’s first county clerk and established a newspaper, The Fort Smith Elevator, at his own expense. Carnall invested in land, creating subdivisions that expanded the city. Carnall Elementary is named for him.
The third and final statue is of Mother Mary Teresa Farrell who was born in Ireland (1821-1892). She was chosen to come to help teach and care for the Cherokee and Choctaw Nations. She is known for establishing the Sisters of Mercy in Arkansas, building the Mt. Saint Mary Academy, the oldest education institution in Arkansas today. She and other sisters came to Fort Smith by steamboat and began educating many girls, especially girls from prominent Cherokee and Choctaw families.
During the Civil War, their ministry changed from education to health. The sisters closed the schools and turned them into makeshit hospitals for both Confederates and Union soldiers. Teachers became nurses. Mother Mary Teresa Farrell devoted her life to both education and health care in Fort Smith and Arkansas. Her statue faces the convent and the old Saint Edwards Hospital building just behind Immaculate Conception church.
“The Gateway Park is a private/public partnership” according to Ben Griffin. The $750,000 project, Griffin said, noting that the park will be built with privately donated funds. The cost of the statues themselves was around $342,000.The cost of the statues was around $342,000.
Griffin’s family donated $50,000 to the park at the unveiling. Less than $100,000 is now needed to meet the fundraising goal. The park is managed by 64.6 Downtown who is the group behind the mural paintings and other downtown promotions.
Once finished, the park will be turned over to the city of Fort Smith.
Fort Smith is doing so much to keep history alive, improving tourism to all of the River Valley. Look for more projects coming in the near future.
