Resident News Network

Graduates Sworn to Protect and Serve

Networks

Jason Baggett

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3:02 pm

Today, men and women who have answered the call to serve their communities stood in the presence of their families, friends, local leaders, and many others to officially graduate from the Fort Smith Police Training Center.

These men and women follow in the footsteps of those who have gone before them, answering a call to serve and to protect others. All done with professionalism, and integrity.

As the commencement ceremony began, the graduating class entered after being called to order by Lt. James Hays, shortly followed by the posting of colors by the Fort Smith PD Color Guard.

Fort Smith PD Chaplain, Bob Lever led the invocation as his message stood bold in faith, humility and of being a servant.

Class spokesperson, Robin Gaines Jr. of the Fort Smith PD stated, “We run towards trouble, and I give my word to have your back to support and defend each other, and our community.

Recognition of Class Honors (* = Tie)

Academic Award

1st – Ryan Arritt, Fort Smith Police Department

1st* – Casey Cagle, Fort Smith Police Department

3rd – Robin Gaines Jr., Fort Smith Police Department

Top Gun Award

1st – Allan Chitwood – Sebastian County Sheriff’s Office

2nd – Vincent Andrews, Fort Smith Police Department

3rd – Robin Gaines Jr., Fort Smith Police Department

Physical Training Award

1st – Robin Gaines Jr., Fort Smith Police Department

2nd – Casey Cagle, Fort Smith Police Department

3rd – Jonathon Plank, Fort Smith Police Department

Interim Fort Smith PD Chief, Danny Baker gives a personal statement to the graduating class before introducing guest speaker, Mathew Pitsch, Arkansas Senator District 8.

Mathew Pitsch-Arkansas-Senator — Guest speaker, Mathew Pitsch, Arkansas Senator District 8 led a brief speech about the importance of valued roles law enforcement plays in our daily lives.

It’s time for the moment these graduates have worked hard for, and their official position as a law enforcement officer.

Michael Barber (Left), Bonanza Police Department

Jeremy Eichling (Left), Crawford County Sheriff’s Office

Angel Aguirre (Left), Fort Smith Police Department

Vincent Andrews (Left), Fort Smith Police Department

Ryan Arritt (Left), Fort Smith Police Department

Casey Cagle (Left), Fort Smith Police Department

Blake Canada (Left), Fort Smith Police Department

Derrick Dowdy (Left), Fort Smith Police Department

Robin Gaines Jr. (Left), Fort Smith Police Department

Matthew Gwin (Left), Fort Smith Police Department

Luke Hartman (Left), Fort Smith Police Department

Mathew Hill (Left), Fort Smith Police Department

Jacob Landers (Left), Fort Smith Police Department

Cody Miller (Left), Fort Smith Police Department

Riley Odom-Davidson (Left), Fort Smith Police Department

Jonathon Plank (Left), Fort Smith Police Department

Angel Rivera (Left), Fort Smith Police Department

Ellen Underwood (Left), Fort Smith Police Department

Nancy Patton (Left), Johnson County Sheriff’s Office

Daxton Boyd (Left), Sebastian County Sheriff’s Office

Allan Chitwood (Left), Sebastian County Sheriff’s Office

Joseph Mahan (Left), Sebastian County Sheriff’s Office

Sr Lady Tigers Won’t Let A Little “Block” Magic Get Them Down

Sports

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2:04 pm

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Sr Lady Tigers Won’t Let A Little “Block” Magic Get Them Down

It was a tough loss for the Mansfield Sr High Lady Tigers in their volleyball match at home against the Waldron Lady Bulldogs on Thursday night. But that’s not to say that they didn’t go down without a fight. Playing a total of four sets, Mansfield took the win in the first round 25-20 but fell short 17-25, 13-25, and 17-25 in the last three sets.

“We have to learn not to relax after we get a win and continue to focus through every point during the set and on throughout the rest of the match,” explained Head Coach, Kaylie Pyles. “For us to be successful we will need to work together more as a team and eliminate our consecutive mistakes.” Offensively, the Lady Tigers started off great in the first set with some big kills from Brooke Wright with 9, Danielle Lillie with 8, and Sadie Roberts with 7 who also finished with 7 blocks. Brooke Wright led the team with 5 assists.

Defensively, the Lady Tigers were led by Haylee Helms with 7 digs and Vanessa Noblitt and Danielle Lillie with 5 digs each. “As the game went on, our serve receive passes weren’t where they needed to be in order for our setters to set the hitters.” The Mansfield Lady Tigers will regroup and prepare to host the Hackett Lady Hornets on September 9 at 4 p.m. “As we prepare for Hackett, we will work on moving low and quick on defense and establish better communication among players on the court.”

Jr Bulldogs Unleash Fury On Tigers

Sports

Megan Hecox

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1:11 pm

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In an epic battle of football dominance, the Waldron Jr High Bulldogs went feral on the Mansfield Tigers in the always entertaining Battle of Scott County. After the dust had settled, the Bulldogs left Tiger territory with a 34-8 blowout victory under their collar.

Leading the Bulldog pack offensively was Quarterback, Matthew Brigance with his rocket launcher of an arm and Halfback, Trenton Hunt who was gone in the blink of an eye with his uncatchable foot action. Defensively it was DL, Miguel Triana, and Linebacker Trevor Bates, that kept the Tiger offense at bay all night eliminating any possibility of the Tigers getting ahead in the game.

#71 Leo Lopez, #52 Bradien Houston, and #23 Trenton Hunt

“I was very pleased with my players’ performance,” expressed Head Coach, Garett Lazenby. “The hard work that the kids put in over the summer and the weeks leading up to this game definitely showed off.” On September 12, the Bulldogs will host the Paris Eagles starting at 7 p.m. “The Paris game will be a tough one. Last season it was a true dog fight. My players know that they must continue to work hard every day. I think if we are able to have the same focus and intensity we had during this past week, then we will put ourselves in a good position to come out on top!”

Jr High Pirates Earn Football Paydirt

Sports

Megan Hecox

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12:26 pm

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Photos courtesy of Malinda Mizell

Sitting on a 2-0 undefeated football season, the Jr High Cedarville Pirates are making a big splash in an even bigger ocean. In Thursday nights smash-up, the Pirates set sail against the Mountainburg Dragons. Proving no task is too big, the Pirates left the Dragons grounded with a final score of 22-2.

Unfazed by the Dragons fire, Hayden Morton held tight to 10 carries for the Pirates totaling 163 yards and 2 touchdowns. Colton Arnold performed his own victory dance also delivering a touchdown for the board. And a high-flying 30-yard pass from Lane Hightower to Dillyn Pearcy set Morton up in perfect position for endzone glory.

The two points that Mountainburg acquired came from a fumbled snap on the Pirates punt team that resulted in a safety. “I am very proud of our team. Although it was hot, our team stayed focused and kept playing hard,” exclaimed Head Coach, Max Washausen. The Jr High Pirates are ready for their game against Bigelow when they host the Panthers on September 12 at 7 p.m.

Jr Lady Bulldogs “Serve-iving” The Game

Sports

Megan Hecox

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11:30 am

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With the volleyball season in full bloom, the Jr High Lady Bulldogs are shaping up to be quite the competitors. Although they fell short to the Mansfield Lady Tigers in Thursday nights match, the Lady Bulldogs continue to fine-tune and refocus until they find their rightful spot in the volleyball world.

“We have improved immensely on our middles,” explains Head Coach, Toby Hollin. “We have some growing room this season. Every day these girls come in and put in the work and are improving tremendously! We will continue to practice on getting those big swings!”

Establishing some huge block plays against the Lady Tigers were Peyton Boyd and Lily Woodard. Libero, Kaile Brewer, covered the back of the Bulldog court with style and ease as she flawlessly dug the Lady Tigers heavy hitters. The Waldron Lady Bulldogs will hit the road to take on the Charleston Lady Tigers next on September 9 starting at 4 p.m.

Jr Lady Tigers Attack The Court

Sports

Megan Hecox

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11:12 am

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The Mansfield Jr High Lady Tigers hosted the Waldron Lady Bulldogs in a straight down sugar and spike volleyball match on Thursday night. The Lady Tigers kept the Lady Bulldogs constantly guessing and on their toes during two action-packed sets. The intensity paid off because Mansfield walked away with double wins of 25-8 and 25-16. “We had multiple athletes contributing positive plays last night and that’s what needs to happen to be successful. It will take each and every one of them to step up in their position to earn every point,” expressed Head Coach, Erica McKay.

Leading with kills was Skylynn Harris with 8 and Alyson Edwards and Brooklyn Adams combining for 7. The Lady Tigers combined 11 aces total with Madelen Jones and Alayna Turner leading with 3 each. Combining for a total of 17 assists was Madelen Jones and Natalie Allison. Defensively, the team had a total of 16 digs with Brooklyn Adams leading with 6 and Kynslee Ward with her contribution of 4.

The Jr High Lady Tigers are back in court on September 9 when they host the Hackett Lady Hornets. “In facing Hackett we are going to have to minimize the consecutive mistakes we make. Mistakes are going to happen, but we have to do a better job of focusing on the next play and getting the momentum back on our side.” The games start at 4 p.m.

Mansfield 7th Grade Defends Tiger Territory

Sports

Megan Hecox

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9:40 am

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Mansfield 7th Grade Defends Tiger Territory

The 7th grade Mansfield Tigers kicked off their first game of the football season against the Waldron Bulldogs with a too hot to handle 24-14 victory. The Tigers wasted no time proving they meant business by throwing points on the board right out of the gate and putting the Bulldogs back in their doghouse.

Quarterback, Jeremy Strozier, led his team with graceful authority by making precise passes and smooth handoffs the entire length of the game. Austin Oldham was too quick for the Bulldogs to catch as he lit the field on fire bringing in two touchdowns and a two-point conversion for Mansfield.

A handoff from Strozier to Trey Powell put a touchdown on the board as Powell bobbed and weaved out of the Bulldogs grasp making sure Mansfield stayed on the top. Also contributing to the Tigers final score was Winston Allison and Toby Towe each bringing in a two-point conversion. Defensively, the powerful contributions from Dakota Deer, Brandon Raynor, Austin Ruiz, James Olinghouse, and Camden Nottingham, helped to ensure that the Bulldog playmakers were shut down at every door.

Head Coach, Tim Cothran, had this to say about the Tigers “I am very pleased with the seventh graders’ effort on the field. Their execution was good and their ability to adjust to their surroundings was great. This team has excellent heart and determination.” Up next on the agenda for the Tigers are the Golden Arrows on September 12 at Lavaca with 7th grade starting at 5:30 p.m.

Paris Defeats Charleston for First Volleyball Loss of the Season

Sports

Resident News Network

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7:02 am

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Paris Defeats Charleston for First Volleyball Loss of the Season

In case you didn’t know, Paris is the defending state champions in class 3A volleyball, and it doesn’t look like they are ready to relinquish the title anytime soon. The Lady Eagles (4-0, 2-0) came out and looked like state champions on Thursday night with an impressive 3-0 sweep of Charleston (4-1, 1-1).

Paris coach Jordan Devine was giddy over her team’s performance. “I was really proud of them. There was nothing that any of us coaches said to them. It was the girls being dialed in with one goal and they made it happen. We have two sophomores on the outside, one sophomore in the middle, a senior in the middle, and a senior on the right side. I was real proud of the young ones stepping up and getting it done. It’s a huge front line. A lot of it tonight was the opponent on the floor. It’s a big rival for us, because, if you watched us Tuesday, we didn’t look like this. So, it’s a testament to them, keeping them focused, especially against a team like this. It doesn’t take much against a team like Charleston, a good team too.”

Not many teams have beaten or will beat Paris this year. As was mentioned earlier, the good news is the Lady Tigers will not face anyone as tough as Paris for the remainder of the season. But to a proud group of Lady Tigers, Coach Ryan Rachuy put this loss on his shoulders, not his players. “The program here (Paris) is amazing. The coaching that goes on here is amazing. The support they have here is amazing. They executed almost flawlessly. I’m not going to take anything away from them. We had some unforced errors that we have to overcome. But really, tonight it is about me. I have to do a better job preparing my girls. I have to get my girls ready to go out there and play at that height. That means pushing them in practice, being sure that we have a good idea of what is going on out there, and that’s on me. I did a poor job of getting ready for Paris. So, this is a coaching thing.”

Charleston suffered sweep loses in each of its junior high, senior high junior varsity, and varsity matches. It was a tough night on the road playing perhaps the best volleyball program in Arkansas. Not many schools have had success against the Lady Eagles.

The silver lining for Charleston is simple. It is early in the season, and as bad as it felt on Thursday night, the Lady Tigers have plenty in front of them to play for. After having played just one home match all season, Charleston will return home for two home matches next week before going on the road again to West Fork next Thursday. The team is playing for an all important high seed in the district tournament at the end of the season. It will have a return engagement in Charleston with the Lady Eagles later in the season. Looking down the road, if Charleston qualifies for the state tournament, the first three rounds of state will be played in Paris. So for the Lady Tigers, they gained valuable experience Thursday night in Paris that could payoff at the end of the season.

It was a tough night for Charleston. Paris looked like true state champions. But now, it is time to move on and focus on next week’s opponents. The Lady Tigers still have everything in front of them if they want to accomplish their goals for this season.

Bloggers in the News

Networks

Tammy Teague

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8:35 am

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At the risk of sounding crass, it is offensive to journalists witnessing “bloggers” charading around as a new source.

I know it’s a rather direct and bold statement to make, but hey, as I mentioned last week, the press gets a bad enough rap. Couple that with the haphazard notion of folks signing up for a free site, and a Facebook page and calling themselves reputable news. It really ruffles my feathers.

You see it makes this job that much more difficult. I’ll give you an example. There are “bloggers” who literally comb through the arrest records to post for website traffic. We try to promote positive news, but at the same time, unfortunately, the untimely arrests and drug busts do occur. It is our job to report anything that affects our readership.

In order to verify and ultimately report, we must maintain tight knit relationships within municipalities and law enforcement.

Couple that with the commission of being an informer to the people, and reporting things just as they are. The job can be tough. Again, as I stated last week, we must always do the right thing!

Knowledge, experience and trust, that’s the very foundation of a solid news source. Thank you for trusting in us, we promise to continue to work at maintaining that confidence!

Obituary – Deborah Coleen Johnston (1957- 2019)

Obituaries

Tammy Teague

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5:53 pm

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Obituary – Deborah Coleen Johnston (1957- 2019)

Deborah Coleen Johnston of Waldron, Arkansas passed from this life, Tuesday, September 3, 2019 in Waldron, Arkansas surrounded by her loving family. Debbie was born March 17, 1957 to Charles Ted Johnston and Kathleen Mary (Adams) in Bates, Arkansas. She was 62 years old.

Debbie was a fun loving, family oriented woman. She cherished time with her family and made the most of each opportunity. Her nieces and nephews were like her own. Each one had a special place in her heart. When she wasn’t making memories with family, Debbie loved to read and fish. Some of her greatest times were spent on the softball field with good friends. She leaves a legacy of love, kindness and will be remembered for her big smile.

Debbie leaves behind to cherish her memory, her mother, Kathleen M. Higgins of Waldron, Arkansas, her life long partner, Chris Silvey of Waldron, one son, Jason Silvey and wife Shannon. Nana will forever remain in the hearts of her 2 grandchildren: Aiden and Aspen. Debbie is also survived by one favorite sister, Diana Hattabaugh and husband Jerald of Mansfield, Arkansas, 4 brothers: Ted Johnston and wife Janie of Bates, Arkansas, Snuffy Johnston and wife Sheila, Kenny Johnston and wife Kathy, and Terry Johnston all of Waldron, Arkansas. Debbie will be missed by all that knew her and the many whose lives she impacted including a host of nieces, nephews, extended family, friends and neighbors dear to her heart.

Debbie was preceded in death by her father, Bud Johnston and one niece, Ginger Johnston.

Debbie’s memorial life celebration will be at 2:00 p.m., Friday September 6, 2019 at the Heritage Memorial Funeral Home in Waldron, Arkansas with Rev. Mike Galinato officiating. Interment will follow in the Freedom Cemetery near Waldron, Arkansas. Arrangements and cremation are being entrusted to the Heritage Memorial Funeral Home & Crematory in Waldron, Arkansas.

Debbie’s family will visit with friends Friday, September 6, 2019 from 1:00 p.m. until 2:00 p.m. at the Heritage Memorial Funeral Home.

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