Resident News Network

Big Or Small, Hackett Plans To Conquer Them All

Sports

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12:05 pm

Big Or Small, Hackett Plans To Conquer Them All

On August 20, the Sr High Hackett Hornets loaded up their gear and headed to Charleston for a small-town football scrimmage. During the energetic eye-catching match-up, the Hornets flew through each play against the Tigers with ease and finesse.

Although the final score was 21-14 Charleston, Hackett never let up with their intensity on the field. “I thought we did a lot of good things,” says Head Coach, Michael Meador. “We showed some flashes throughout the game but we need to be more consistent.”

Making some big runs for the Hornets was Fischer Shipman and Weston Winters. Ethan Slavens went downhill bringing the wood on some opposing players. Blocking Charleston’s powerhouses better than a beaver dam in a river was senior high newbie, Mason Oelke. Once in open space, Avery Hester proved what a challenge it was going to be to take him down in future games. And clogging the gaps upfront on defense better than hair in a drain was Briar Goines.

Up next for the Sr High Hornets is the highly anticipated faceoff against the Mansfield Tigers. The action gets started on August 29 as the Hornets take to the field in Tiger territory. When it comes to playing the Tigers, Coach Meador adds, “We are going to have to get better at tackling and executing on both sides of the ball against Mansfield.”

Bulldogs Hold Tight Grip On Winners Circle

Sports

Megan Hecox

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10:28 am

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Bulldogs Hold Tight Grip On Winners Circle

The Bulldog golf teams continued their winning ways by sneaking out a one-stroke win at the Waldron Country Club on August 20.

Kaylin Watson was again the medalist on the Bulldog girls’ side of the golf match with a score of 44 and freshman Kylee Day finished the day with a score of 52. Bulldog Golf Coach, Josh Atchley, adds, “Hopefully, Kaylin can keep cutting strokes off her scorecard and be primed when district gets here. Kylee doesn’t play like a freshman. If she sticks with golf she has tons of potential.”

The boys’ team also brought home another victory. The Bulldogs shot a combined 129 to secure first place with Fort Smith Northside coming in second at 130. “I was proud of my guys for adding another win while braving the hot weather conditions. Also, I would like to send a huge thank you to Mrs. Sandy Tull for braving the hot temps and taking pictures during the match.”

The next match for the Bulldogs will be on Thursday, August 22 at Cherokee Creek Golf Course in Booneville.

Six Arrested in Huntington Drug Bust

Tammy Teague

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6:29 pm

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On Monday, August 19, six suspects were placed under arrest at a Huntington residence. Charges ranged from trafficking methamphetamine to possession of drug paraphernalia.

A deputy from the Sebastian County Sheriff’s Office made contact with parolee Timothy Hutson, 45, of Huntington. Officers found Hutson walking through the yard with a bottle of pills and brass knuckles.

Inside the residence were Wesley Cumbie, 48, also on parole, Sterling Albright, 29, and Trinity McKusker, 41. After searching the residence, law enforcement discovered a meth pipe inside a dresser drawer and a black lock box under the bed. Inside, scales, a large amount of methamphetamine, approximately .323 grams, paraphernalia, and marijuana.

Also detained were Barbara Slate, 33, and a juvenile. After giving consent to search the vehicle, officers located two pill bottles. One had no label, and contained pills, the other, an unknown liquid.

Hutson was charged with a parole violation, trafficking methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia – felony, two counts possession of a scheduled 4 substance, one count of possession of a schedule 1/2 substance, and maintaining premises drug act; Sterling was charged with possession of drug paraphernalia – felony; Slate was charged with possession of misbranded drugs as well as several warrants; Cumbie was charged with a parole violation, possession of drug paraphernalia – felony and possession of a schedule 1/2 substance; McKusker was charged with possession of drug paraphernalia – felony.

Sebastian County Sheriff’s Office: Operation STOP

Tammy Teague

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4:43 pm

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Captain Philip Pevehouse with the Sebastian County Sheriff’s Office just thought his school days were over! But, thankfully for the safety of our children, they aren’t!

Pevehouse spent his afternoon riding a school bus route for Greenwood Public Schools, keeping a watchful eye out for drivers not obeying the “flashing red, kids ahead.”

In partnership with the Arkansas State Police, the Sebastian County Sheriff’s Office will be continuing the operation throughout the county. Pevehouse said he hopes to get approval from the Hackett and Lavaca School Districts next.

“We plan to keep it going throughout the school year,” added Pevehouse.

Everyday buses transport thousands of children to and from school, and law enforcement make it a top priority to keep them safe. A motorist must stop for a school bus with flashing red lights. State law requires motorists to stop at least 25 feet away if he/she is traveling on a two-lane road or on a multi-lane highway. Penalties include a fine of up to $2,500 or 90 days in jail.

South Sebastian Trap Shooting Team Forms

Resident News Network

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10:14 am

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South Sebastian Trap Shooting Team Forms

Mansfield and Hackett school districts have combined students to form a trap shooting team, which includes home school students.

Students in grades 6-12 will be able to join with a $15 registration fee.

The mandatory hunters education course will be given to those who haven’t yet taken, and passed this requirement.

Parent / team member meetings and practices will be required along with fundraising to help support team expenses.

The first meeting will take place before Christmas, with team participation beginning in February 2020.

For more information, please contact Lisa Buckley at (479) 629-4130

*Photo courtesy of Jama Sanderson

Mansfield School Board Meets

News

Tammy Teague

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8:19 am

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The Mansfield School Board met in a regularly scheduled meeting on August 19 at 6 p.m. All members of the board were present. Also present Superintendent, Joe Staton.

Staton gave the Superintendent’s report, and asked Middle School Principal Floyd Fisher to update the board on several recent donations. Beverly Enterprises donated chairs and office furniture to the school. According to Fisher, the donation will allow them to replace old and outdated furnishings. Staton added, “it is some much needed improvement in our classrooms.”

Staton also shared that he had been speaking with Stephen Gebhart, Vice President of Operations at Mercy, about providing a permanent liaison on site at the school clinic. He added that he would like to expand the mental health services, and indicated that he would provide the board with more information in November.

He also indicated in his report that the air conditioning had been installed in the concession stand. Lastly, that they had been able to purchase 230 used Chromebooks at $10 a piece. “This will outfit our English and Science kids with 1/1, every kid and every class in the Middle School,” shared Fisher.

The board will undergo finance training in the near future at Mansfield, providing the board members with four hours of credits.

High School Principal Donnie Eveld echoed parental concerns over changing the graduation date. Currently, it conflicts with the Hackett School District’s commencement. Members of the board decided against the change, and chose to keep the currently scheduled date of Monday, May 11.

The next item on the agenda required action by the board. The district’s current budget fell short of its projection, and Staton asked the board to transfer funds from the building to the operating account. The board voted and passed the motion unanimously to complete the transfer.

Four student transfers were put before the board, one of those, members opted to take no action on.

Staton sought the board’s approval to obtain purchase power cards. These are credit cards that would be utilized at the administration’s discretion with a set credit limit. “We would get 10-12 cards, and Carol (Reano) and I would have dashboard access. It provides control, convenience and one percent cash back.” Following a brief discussion, the motion was made and passed unanimously to obtain the purchase power cards.

After approving the Arkansas Department of Education’s Statement of Assurances for Programs Under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, the board voted to hire Jenny Stovall as a part time dish washer at the middle school.

In other board communications, member Dewayne Ward asked how the old rock gym looked. “It looks really nice,” replied Fisher. “They did a really nice job on it…we use it every day for fifth and sixth grade P.E. and if it’s a rainy day, we use it as a recreational room during recess.”

With no other items of business on the agenda, the meeting of the Mansfield School Board was adjourned.

White Seeks Arkansas Court of Appeals Seat

Tammy Teague

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7:04 pm

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White Seeks Arkansas Court of Appeals Seat

Judge Emily White announced today she would seek the District 4, Position 2, Arkansas Court of Appeals seat. This district covers 15 counties along the western part of the state from Sebastian to Miller Counties and includes Logan, Scott, Yell, Garland, Montgomery, Polk, Sevier, Howard, Pike, Clark, Hot Spring, Hempstead and Little River. Governor Asa Hutchinson recently appointed Meredith Switzer to the unexpired term of Judge David “Mac” Glover, who recently died. State law does not allow Switzer to run for the Court of Appeals position.

“I practiced law for 18 years and believe my expertise in criminal law, civil practice and judicial ethics has prepared me for this important office. I currently serve as District Court Judge in the 33rd State District Court, which is Hot Spring and Grant Counties. Previously, I served as Deputy Executive Director of the Judicial Discipline and Disability Commission, was managing attorney for a law practice in central Arkansas, where I over saw all aspects of civil and criminal litigation, and served as a Deputy Prosecuting Attorney for both the 6th and 22ndJudicial Districts. I believe in a fair and impartial judicial branch and that a judge’s role should be as an interpreter of the law. If elected, I promise to continue to treat everyone before my court with dignity and respect.”

White graduated from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, William H. Bowen School of Law with a Juris Doctorate and received her undergraduate degree from Henderson State University. She has served as a Special Associate Justice on the Arkansas Supreme Court, special guest speaker for the Arkansas Bar Association, Arkansas Trial Lawyers’ Association, Arkansas State University Systems, Pulaski County Bar Association, Association of Judicial Disciplinary Counsel and the University of Arkansas Criminal Justice Institute. She currently serves on the Arkansas Lawyer Wellness Taskforce appointed by the Arkansas Supreme Court.

White and her husband, David Lengefeld, have been married for 16 years and have two school age daughters. White’s family has lived in the Hot Spring County area for over 100 years.

Second Annual Donation Game Second To None

Sports

Megan Hecox

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10:35 am

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Second Annual Donation Game Second To None

Players were suited up in game day attire. The field was set and ready. Little League football had officially kicked off this past Saturday as Waldron hosted the second annual Mansfield/Waldron Donation Game. It was a very hot evening, but fans from both towns showed up to sweat it out in support of their Little League football teams. The anticipation of players from both programs was as high as the temperature as they eagerly met up at Sawyer Wright stadium ready to pop some pads against someone other than their own teammates.

Each program started off with B games having their second string players face off against each other for 10 plays each. After that, the first string players would take the field for 15 minutes of “game mode” to close things out. If you had any football withdrawal sickness, this was the perfect cure for what ailed you as football at its best was put on full display.

Everything started off with the third and fourth grade teams going toe to toe in an evenly matched scrimmage. The Tigers showed their offensive speed by busting a few big plays to the outside of the Waldron defense. Waldron showed their offensive ground game was top notch as they consistently gained short yardage on all of their drives. But it was the Bulldogs that crossed the goal line on their drives pulling out the narrow victory over Mansfield in their third and fourth grade scrimmage.

Mansfield third and fourth-grade coach, David Moore, said “We came out of the Donation Game with extra experience for both of our teams and some extra money for the program. It’s hard to beat that kind of combination. Waldron is a good program for our teams to face each year and I’m very proud of how our kids played. There are still a few things we need to work on, but as a whole, our teams proved that they are going to be able to compete very well against anyone they will play this season. We’d like to give the Bulldogs a big thank you for doing this with us again this year and wish them the best of luck this season.”

The fifth and sixth grade scrimmage got fans to their feet on the very first play. The Tigers took the first snap right up the center and blasted through Waldron’s defense like a rocket, starting things off with a score. Waldron put together some good drives offensively though out the scrimmage, but the Bulldogs young team could not stop Mansfield’s high octane offense as the Tigers ran away with the scoreboard.

Waldron Co-Commissioner, Thomas B Mays, said “It’s a win, win for us when we get to scrimmage a great competitor like Mansfield. We have a lot of respect for their organization and we know they are going to bring it. This scrimmage is much more than just to see what we need to work on moving forward in our regular season play. It supports both our organizations and helps us buy much needed equipment. Our equipment had been outdated for many years, but with the help of both our community’s, we get to provide safety for our kids while playing the best sport in the world. Without everyone coming together we wouldn’t be able to accomplish what we have in such a short time. Thank you and God Bless. Rise As One!!”

In the end, both Mansfield and Waldron teams came out as winners. Each learned what works on the field and what needs to be fixed. To top it off, both programs combined gained a little over $1,200 to assist in their equipment needs. With the Mansfield/Waldron Donation Game having great back to back years of successes, there look to be many more years of this donation game to come.

The Moore You Know: Praying for our Children

Networks

Tammy Teague

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4:02 pm

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School’s in and safety is on the hearts and minds of not only the parents but the entire community.

The best thing we can do, is unite together and pray for the safety of the students, faculty and staff. We had a time of prayer on Sunday, my students and I. One of them said, “you know they make bullet proof backpacks now?” It made my heart sad. Years ago we would have never dreamed such a thing would ever become necessary.

School shootings frequently headline the news nowadays. I don’t know where the blame lies, all I know is, we have got to protect our children at any cost. I am grateful to members of law enforcement like Gary Clepper.

Clepper, the Waldron School District’s School Resource Officer, takes the safety and well-being of his kids to heart. He spent the entire summer preparing for day one. In addition to his active shooter training, he comes dressed daily in his spiritual armor!

To all the school districts in our area, we are praying you have a safe and successful school year!

City to Celebrate 100 Year Old Resident

Headlines

Tammy Teague

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12:37 pm

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The Mayor of Mansfield, city officials and a host of family and friends will gather to celebrate the life of Margie Heydenreich, who will be turning 100 years old on August 27.

The party is scheduled to take place at the Mansfield Senior Center on Friday, August 23. The come and go party will begin at 10 a.m. and everyone is invited to stay for lunch.

Mayor Buddy Black will be making a special presentation to Heydenreich. The employees at the center have also been busy planning and working to make the day special for her.

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