Resident News Network

Meet Lavaca’s New Fire Chief

Networks

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9:45 pm

The torch has passed. After seventeen years as the Fire Chief of Lavaca, Steve Helms retired in August and has passed the torch of service to fellow fireman Paul Sanders. Steve left some pretty big boots to fill. He is loved and respected by everyone who knows him.

Paul Sanders is a very capable replacement to take the position of Lavaca’s newest fire chief. He’s been on the Lavaca force since 2009. In those ten years, he has worked beneath Helms and has learned by his example.

Paul is the son of Dr. Bob Sanders and Wanda Sanders of Lavaca and Jody Martin of Sallisaw, Oklahoma. He was born in Weatherford, Oklahoma and graduated from Sallisaw High School in 1991. When at SHS, Paul was selected as the Oklahoma American Legion Boys State representative in 1990. He’s a hardworking man, doing things all over town and he’s quick to lend a hand to area activities. Paul has a daughter, Kayla, who graduated from Lavaca High School and now attends college at Stillwater, Oklahoma where she is studying Animal Science.

When asked why he became a fireman, Paul shyly responded, “I just like to help folks. The job is never dull. There are so many parts to the job of a fireman. Yeah, we fight fires but we also help to the first responders, giving medical help. We work with the city and with the people so it’s definitely interesting.”

Lavaca is in good hands with Paul Sanders watching out for us. (And ladies! He’s single!)

Jr Lady Tigers Deliver Triple Takedowns

Sports

Megan Hecox

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11:22 am

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With only eight games left in the season and three weeks until District, the Mansfield Jr High Lady Tigers are nearing the finish line. This past week, the girls were busy taking part in three mentally and physically demanding matches against teams from Lavaca, Booneville, and Lincoln.

On Monday, September 23, the Lady Tigers engaged in spikological warfare against the Lady Golden Arrows. After an excruciating battle, Mansfield took the win 25-22 and 25-20. Alyson Edwards and Brooklyn Adams led the Lady Tigers with three aces each while Natalie Allison came out on top with eight kills. Skylynn Harris along with Edwards added four kills each to the tally and Madelen Jones took the cake with her 16 assists.

In Tuesdays match against the Lady Bearcats, Mansfield wasted no time taking the upper hand and delivering dominance. The Lady Tigers ended their sets with winning scores of 25-11 and 25-6 and another victim was placed in Mansfields trophy case. Edwards ended the night with five aces and four kills while Harris earned three aces and four kills. Allison and Adams added three kills apiece to round out the evening.

With Thursdays final game of the week, Mansfield left fans seeing double as they earned two winning scores of 25-15 against the Lady Wolves. Allison and Harris were on top of the leader boards with their contributions of six kills each while Alayna Turner led with four aces. And coming in with three aces and seven assists on the Lady Tigers night was Harlie Fuller.

The Mansfield Jr High Lady Tigers will travel to Waldron on September 30 to take on the Lady Bulldogs and see if they can continue their winning streak. Games will start at 4 p.m.

7th Grade Tigers Maintain Undefeated Glory

Sports

Megan Hecox

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9:34 am

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7th Grade Tigers Maintain Undefeated Glory

The Mansfield 7th grade Tigers have once again added another victory feather to their cap and this time it was against the West Fork Tigers. The Gold Tigers didn’t go down without a fight though. Every move that Mansfield made, West Fork was there to match it step by step. By halftime, the score read 0-0 and the Tigers knew that they were going to have to come up with some new tricks during the break if they wanted to have a shot at victory.

Whatever the Mansfield coaches said to the Tigers did the trick. In the second half, Trey Powell and Jeremy Strozier each secured two Tiger touchdowns with Powell also rushing for a two-point conversion ending the game with a score of 14-0 Mansfield. “These guys are a special group,” expressed Coach Tim Cothran. “We have a solid talent level at all positions and for us, that is a tremendous positive.”

#61 Zach Chapman, #2 Brandon Raynor, and #19 Dakota Deer

“You always have a handful every year that has special skills but every one of these young men brings something to the table. They love the game, they love to learn, they love to be coached. What impresses me most is how well they take their in-game coaching.” With this win, the 7th grade Tigers have upgraded their season record to 4-0. Up next for Mansfield will be the Greenland Pirates at home on October 3 starting at 5:30 p.m.

Running the ball is #7 Jeremy Strozier followed by #2 Raynor and #6 Austin Oldham

“With 7th grade, we don’t get a lot of info or share a lot of info but I can tell you that this years Greenland team will be well-coached, they will play hard, and they will have some good players. Our guys continue to improve daily and they will be ready to play.”

Womack, Charleston Overpower Booneville 3-0 For 6th Consecutive Conference Win

Sports

Resident News Network

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7:28 am

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Womack, Charleston Overpower Booneville 3-0 For 6th Consecutive Conference Win

The Charleston Lady Tigers volleyball team began the second half of the conference season on Thursday hosting the Booneville Lady Bearcats. Charleston (11-1, 7-1) defeated Booneville 3-0. Next up for the Lady Tigers is a rematch with Paris in Charleston on Tuesday.

Several Lady Tigers stood out in the sweep over Booneville, but perhaps none like senior Jadyn Womack. In the third set, Womack, seemingly taking over the match, had several dramatic kills to lead Charleston to a big lead. After giving up several late points in the third set for the second consecutive game, the Lady Tigers wrapped up the third set and the regular season sweep of Booneville. Coach Ryan Rachuy commented on Womack’s performance. “I’m telling you, when we can figure out what we are doing with her, she is a difficult player to stop. She really is. We’ve got some really good girls. Jadyn is one of those girls (in the conference). If we can figure out what we are doing with her, she puts the ball down. When you get her fed and you get her going, she starts swinging at that ball harder, and harder, and harder. One isn’t enough for her, she wants two, two isn’t enough, she wants three and on and on. That third set, that was one of those keys that set that third set apart. First set, we, not to take anything away from Booneville, but we had twelve errors to my count. You go out there and commit twelve errors and you give up twelve points, and your asking for every team to be in the match with you. We challenged the girls to cut that error count in half the second set and they did. Starting out that third set we were really on fire. They’re feeding Jadyn and balls were going down. I don’t know how many kills she had in a row but it was several. Then we got lax. We decided we were not going to finish it. That’s something I am going to have to work on as a coach. I’ve got to get out here with these girls and help them understand that this is not how you play championship volleyball.”

Another bright spot in the Charleston win was the play of Lady Tigers libero Kenzie Revis. Revis, who is not afraid to hit the floor for any ball, caught the eye of Rachuy. “That is one of the things I am very proud of all of our liberos. Kenzie is a senior who has worked very hard over the past three years to put herself in the position that she is. There were a couple of games where she struggled and we put the other girls in there. We have Rilyn Robison, who is a junior, and is a very scrappy player. She gets out there and, when her head is in it, she can move with anyone. We have a sophomore in Macie Oldridge, who wasn’t feeling good tonight, but yet she still got underneath a few balls that were going to drop, but she got herself under them, and we were able to play those. Over the past two or three games, Kenzie has really turned it on. I don’t think she has had a single ball handling error in the last two sets. When she’s going, gets her feet moving, over the past three games, she has really turned that on.”

While we are passing out kudos to the team, I would like to pay special tribute to the students and fans who have come out and supported the Lady Tigers this year. The student section especially has grown and has become an increasingly significant factor in creating a home court advantage for Charleston.

And that home court advantage will be needed Tuesday night as the Paris Lady Eagles come calling in their conference season rematch. Paris, who has given Charleston its only loss of the season, will come into the Charleston gymnasium undefeated at 16-0, and will bring a large fan contingent. It appears at this stage of the season that Paris and Charleston may be the best two teams in the conference, and this match could be a preview of a possible district tournament match-up in October.

It will take an all out effort on the part of the Lady Tigers to upset Paris. It will also take an all out effort on behalf of the Charleston fans to turn out in large numbers to create a loud and proud home court advantage for the Lady Tigers. Charleston fans, your team deserves your support. Come out and cheer your team on against the defending Class 3A champions.

Local Man Celebrates 102nd Birthday

Networks

Resident News Network

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6:58 pm

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Natural Dam native Mr. Thell Ellison recently celebrated his 102^nd birthday with a party attended by family, friends, and his wife of 78 years, Margie. State Representative Charlene Fite was also on hand to celebrate Thell’s amazing milestone. Fite told Ellison it was an honor to attend his party and she’d never known a 102-year-old man. To which Mr. Ellison replied, “And just think: next year you’ll know a man who’s 103!” Charlene says, “This amazing man works in his garden, does woodworking, and teaches Sunday School. He gives glory to God for the blessings in his life.” Ellison’s daughter, Kathy Bailey, describes her father as a role model and a legacy. And everyone who knows him agrees!

Sebastian County Fall Cleanup/Great Arkansas Cleanup

News

Tammy Teague

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12:33 pm

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Sebastian County Fall Cleanup/Great Arkansas Cleanup

Sebastian County Judge David Hudson announced that the Fall Cleanup Campaign has been scheduled for Saturdays in September and October as a part of the Great Arkansas Cleanup Statewide. The County Cleanup Campaign maintains the natural beauty of Sebastian County and helps eliminate illegal dump sites.

Proof of Sebastian County residency is required by Arkansas Drivers License for disposal of trash at the cleanup site.

The Sebastian County Campaign will take place on Saturdays starting September 14, 2019 through October 19, 2019. Dumpster schedules and locations are as follows:

Saturday, Sept. 28, 7 AM – 2 PM – Milltown – VFD Community Building
Saturday, Sept. 28, 7 AM – 2 PM – Witcherville – Park on Highway 71 South
Saturday, Oct. 5, 7 AM – 2 PM – Hackett – High School Gym on E. Greenwood St
Saturday, Oct. 5, 7 AM – 2 PM – Bonanza – Street Dept. on Hwy 45
Saturday, Oct. 12, 7 AM – 2 PM – Hartford – Water Department 205 So. Broadway
Saturday, Oct. 12, 7 AM – 2 PM – Midland – County Park/Boyer Park Hwy 45
Saturday, Oct. 19, 7 AM – 2 PM – Mansfield – Public Works Building
Saturday, Oct. 19, 7 AM – 2 PM – Huntington – West Broadway at Cherokee Park

Note: The City of Greenwood residents may utilize dumpsters located at the Greenwood City Street Department North of the shop at the Recycle Center, 104 Bell Road, Friday, September 20th from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. and on Saturday, September 21st from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Dumpsters will be placed by 7:00 AM on Saturday and will be picked up by 2:00 PM on the same day. Dumpsters are picked up by 2:00 PM in order to be hauled to the Landfill and dumped by closing time (3:30 PM)

NOTE: Dumpsters will be staffed at all times to assure that only acceptable wastes are disposed of. The following items are NOT acceptable in the “dumpsters” due to Landfill regulations:

Yard waste, grass, leaves and brush
Used oil
Tires
Batteries
Hazardous or toxic wastes
**TV’s Computers – Electronic Equipment
Cleaning chemicals
Herbicides or pesticides
Paints or liquids of any kind
Fluorescent Bulbs
Freon containing appliances (appliances using Freon MUST have the compressor removed before it can be accepted)

NOTE: Tires “will NOT be accepted” as a part of this cleanup campaign.

NOTE: Barrels used to burn trash “will NOT be accepted” as part of this cleanup campaign

NOTE: Computers, TV’s or VCR’s “will be accepted” with a trailer designated for these items at the Greenwood Street Department on Bell Road and at the Mansfield Public Works Building during their designated Cleanup time. Please contact the Solid Waste District at 452-4104 for a complete list of E-Waste recycle centers with dates and time of operation.

This cleanup is for Residents only and NOT for Commercial Disposal

Proof of Sebastian County residency by (drivers license) will be required prior to disposal

You Can’t Buy Love But You Can Rescue It

Headlines

Megan Hecox

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11:49 am

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You Can’t Buy Love But You Can Rescue It

“A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than he loves himself” -Josh Billings

Dogs! To go through life with a dog by your side is like walking around embraced in a never-ending hug. As humans, we just want to feel loved and accepted, to feel important, needed, and to have a purpose in life. All of the above is easier to achieve than you think. How so? Because love is a four-legged word!

As some of you reading this already know, the City of Mansfield, like many other small towns, has been inundated with dog complaints. Whether dumped or strayed from owners who can no longer properly care for them, dogs are running rampant through the town.

That’s when they end up at the city’s kennel. Officer Kelly Perez is tasked with the locating and securing of these dogs. Just down the road from City Hall, near the treatment plant, is where these dogs end up. The kennels are quickly becoming overcrowded and these dogs need to find homes.

These dogs shouldn’t have to spend the remainder of their life hoping, wishing and waiting for someone who will care for them. The dogs currently impounded yearn for the human touch, and attention.

Yes, these dogs are a problem. Yes, the owners should be held accountable. But it’s not the dogs’ fault that they were given an unfair start to life. They are just looking for the same thing that we are, to be loved and accepted. To experience the love of a dog is a feeling like no other. You could be having the worst day ever and the moment you walk in the door, this beautiful creature, full of life, is there to greet you.

Statistics show that even petting a dog, lowers your stress levels, and I know everybody could use that! So what do you say? These dogs deserve a home, don’t make them wait any longer while being scared and alone. It’s time to open our hearts and our homes to rescue these dogs!

Currently, there are three dogs at the kennel at Mansfield. Two males, and one female. All three are extremely friendly, and according to Officer Perez, behave well with her children. The two males are black, one with a white chest and legs. The female is light brown in color and has been at the kennel the longest.

Why not bring home a new family member and best friend today? If you are interested in adopting any of these dogs, you can contact the Mansfield Water Department at 479-928-4606.

Waldron Bulldog 2019 Football Homecoming Court

Sports

Resident News Network

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9:59 pm

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Waldron Bulldog 2019 Football Homecoming Court

The Waldron Bulldogs Football Homecoming will take place on Friday October 4^th. The Homecoming Parade will be around 2:00pm on that day. Coronation will be around 6:00pm that evening.

The Waldron Bulldogs are set to kick off against the Dardanelle Sand LIzards at 7:00pm.

Waldron-Bulldogs-Arkansas-Football-Homecoming — Senior Leia Carnley – Weston Vanravensway, (Left) and Justin Goodwin (Right)

Youth Compete in Marksmanship Challenge

Outdoors

Tammy Teague

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4:27 pm

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By Randy Zellers, AGFC Assistant Chief of Communications

More than 200 young outdoors enthusiasts gathered at Arkansas Game and Fish Commission nature centers and education centers throughout the state last Saturday to participate in the first-ever statewide Marksmanship Challenge. When the last arrow was pulled Samuel Sanders at the Janet Huckabee Arkansas River Valley Nature Center took top honors in the oldest age group, the tenth- through 12th-grade division.

Other winners include Easton Carter at the Witt Stephens Jr. Central Arkansas Nature Center (Grades 1-3); Ty Branton at JHARVNC (Grades 4-6), and Skyler Burch at Forrest L. Wood Crowley’s Ridge Nature Center and Cora Regan at JHARVNC (tie for Grades 7-9).

Participants competed in target archery, 3D archery, BB gun marksmanship, slingshot and target casting with a rod and reel. The combined score of all five events was used to determine the winner of each category. The top three shooters in each division at each nature and education center received a medal. Winners of the top marksman awards in each age class also will receive a trophy.

“This wasn’t just a one-time event,” said AGFC Assistant Chief Eric Maynard. “We’ve held courses all summer at every center to teach youths the skills used in this challenge. The final event was a chance for the participants to celebrate what they’ve learned.”

The Marksmanship Challenge has taken place at the Governor Mike Huckabee Delta Rivers Nature Center for years, and similar events were held at other nature centers, but this year marks the first time that all nature centers and education centers coordinated their marksmanship days to give participants a truely statewide competition. Maynard says many of the centers took on the challenge internally, working even harder to increase the skill level of their participants so they could claim top billing as well as the students.

“We’re already looking forward to our next statewide event,” Maynard said. “With four nature centers, four education centers and the newest center being built in Northwest Arkansas, we are excited to increase opportunities for people to get outdoors and learn, no matter where they are in The Natural State.”

Visit www.agfc.com/naturecenters to find out what’s going on at an AGFC nature or education center near you.

Hunting and Fishing Day in Arkansas

Outdoors

Tammy Teague

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4:15 pm

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The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission will be holding several fishing derbies and other outdoors-related activities Saturday as part of National Hunting and Fishing Day in Arkansas. Gov. Asa Hutchinson proclaimed Saturday, Sept. 28, as National Hunting and Fishing Day in Arkansas, which concludes Arkansas Hunting and Fishing Week, which he also proclaimed recently.

Twelve free fishing derbies for families are scheduled for Saturday, including five specifically tied to National Hunting and Fishing Day and the AGFC’s Fisheries Division and the Aquatic Resource Education. Visit Arkansas State University Pond at Jonesboro, Cabot Community Pond, Entergy Park family community pond in Hot Springs, the Jim Hinkle Spring River Trout Hatchery in Mammoth Spring and Murphy Lake in Springdale for events AGFC’s Aquatic Resources Education has stocked the fisheries for that day (catfish at every pond; trout for the Spring River). The derbies are scheduled to run 8 a.m. to noon. While the events are for all ages, anyone 16 or older must have a fishing license.

Also, the Fred Berry Conservation Education Center in Yellville will be celebrating the day from 9 a.m.-noon with a free kids fishing derby; fish, tackle and bait are provided.

Fishing derbies also have been planned for Saturday morning through Aquatic Resources Education and various sponsors: They are: Boyle Park Pond (in conjunction with the AGFC’s Family and Community Fishing Program), the North Pulaski Community Pond, Fred Berry Pond in Marion, McCabe Park in Mountain Home, Bull Shoals Lake (sponsored by The Call in Boone and Newton counties), Bishop Park Ponds’ Lake Charles in Bryant, and Spring Lake in Yell County north of Danville.

AGFC’s nature centers in Jonesboro and Fort Smith will be getting into the big day as well.

At the Forrest L. Wood Crowley’s Ridge Nature Center in Jonesboro, some of the activities for National Hunting and Fishing Day include two hours or archery basics (equipment provided, recommended for ages 6 and older), BB gun shooting (ages 6 and above), learning about the facility’s animals, alligator feeding at 3:30 p.m., and self-guided craft activities. The event runs 9:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. No registration is required.

At the Janet Huckabee Arkansas River Valley Nature Center in Fort Smith, visitors can go on a 10 a.m. hike, enjoy canoes and kayaks on Wells Lake from noon-2 p.m., learn all about mushrooms at 1 p.m., meet the facility’s animals at 2 p.m., and try laser shooting at 3 p.m.

National Hunting and Fishing Day was started in 1972 to recognize the contributions hunters and anglers have made to conservation in North America. The vast majority of America’s funding for conservation relies on hunting license sales in each state and special excise taxes collected from firearms, archery and ammunition sales. Championed by the National Shooting Sports Foundation, National Hunting and Fishing Day was officially recognized after bills were passed in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives and the official proclamation was signed by then-President Richard Nixon.

For more information on Saturday’s fishing derbies, visit www.agfc.com/are-derbies. For more information of to find a nature center near you, visit www.agfc.com/naturecenters. Each center has its own Facebook page where planned events are posted as well as updates from daily activities.

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