Resident News Network

Lavaca Chamber Planning Fall Events

Networks

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2:50 pm

The Lavaca Area Chamber of Commerce met on Monday, August 5 at 6:00 PM in the Lavaca Municipal Building. President Jack James called the meeting to order and welcomed the members and guest. Drake Smith led the group in prayer.

The first item on the agenda was the reading of the July meeting minutes as recorded by chamber reporter, Angela Gillooley. They were passed unanimously. (Drake/Ken)

July Financials were reported by our treasurer, Holly Creel. Our funds are down since we have done so many activities this past year but the fall events should bring the accounts back to where we are comfortable. Financials passed unanimously. (Lorie/Ken)

Angela Gillooley reported that the Back-to-School=Bash was a success! There was a good attendance and it looked as if everyone had fun. We have many area businesses to thank for helping make it a good day. Movies have been chosen for the rest of the year and a complete calendar will be posted in an upcoming issue of The Sentry. Flyers will be made and placed in traffic area about town and in schools.

Jack James reported that the concert featuring the local group Wild Card went over very well. The Lavaca Senior Center was the location due to its large space for the band and the patrons to enjoy. The small concession stand and donations made enough to pay for the expenses and some left over to pay the band $50. Some of the people there remarked at how great a time they had and even asked us to do this weekly or monthly. We’ll see!

The Lavaca Centennial is coming up on October 5 and plans are in full swing to make it a memorable day! The City and Chamber are working on plans for most of the day across downtown. Music, hot dogs, drinks, time capsule, parade, cattle drive, displays, Woman-less Beauty Pageant and the largest cake ever in Lavaca are just some of the day’s activities. Mayor Hardgrave and the city representative weren’t at the meeting but we visited briefly about plans from the City and the Chamber anyway.

Lorie Robertson, Chairperson over the Sebastian County Barn Quilt Project, reported that she had secured the plywood for our area planned quilt squares. Paint will hopefully be donated or purchased soon so we can get started and let many of you see an example. It’s going to bring people to our town and the area’s businesses.

October 12 is our 2019 Cruise Night! Some things have been change slightly but it won’t stop cool and classic cars, trucks, or motorcycles from cruising Main Street. T-shirts have been designed and will be on sale in the near future. Lance Hobbs is having a car show as well, beginning earlier than the cruise begins. More information is coming so please, look for updates.

The Lavaca Berry Festival is going to be on November 2 this year. That is a long way from berry picking time but with rain and/or heat concerns and other scheduled activities in the way, it was decided to have it in November. It will be the perfect time to start shopping for Christmas presents also. Vendors are already applying to attend. Food trucks are asking to get involved as well. If you’d like to buy a booth space as a vendor, please email us at lavacaareachamber@yahoo.com.

The chamber discussed our website and purchased our domain name for two additional years. Lorie Robertson and Drake Smith will be working to keep that project going as it brings us a good Internet presence. Members are urged to give them anything that they can post on our pages.

Jack James announced that the Culpepper Circus had expressed interest in coming back to Lavaca for a performance. After some great discussion, it was decided to decline their offer to come here. The last time we had them we had a lot of work to do but made very little off of the circus and it brought little or no interest to local businesses. The vote passed with only one voting no.

A program titled “Once Upon a Crime” had also called but we had little information on it. We will discuss it further soon.

Our next meeting will be on September 9. The date conflicts with the scheduled City Council meeting so we will meet at the Mi Casita Restaurant at 6 PM on the same date and time. With no further business to discuss, the motion to adjourn was unanimous. (Holly/Ken)

Multiple Departments Respond to Apartment Fire

Tammy Teague

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12:32 pm

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Multiple Departments Respond to Apartment Fire

At 1:14 a.m., on Wednesday morning, the Mansfield Fire Department was paged out to a structure fire at 816 S. Main Avenue in Mansfield.

Damage to the structure was contained to a single apartment with some damage to the surrounding dwellings. Three other departments, Huntington, Hartford and Midland, assisted Mansfield.

Mansfield Fire Chief Michael Smith said that the fire is currently under investigation and that investigators will determine the cause of the fire.

Hornets Add Extra Sting To Coaching Staff

Sports

Megan Hecox

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11:34 am

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Hornets Add Extra Sting To Coaching Staff

The Hackett School District has picked up another talented Hornet for their upcoming school year. New hire, Coach Jordan Shelby, comes to black and gold territory from Marshall, Arkansas. There, he spent two years coaching football, basketball, and baseball. Shelby will be assistant coaching Hornet football, head coaching Hornet baseball, and teaching Arkansas History.

Growing up in Charleston, Jordan Shelby knew from a young age that coaching was what he wanted to do with his life. “I loved being around sports growing up and the values and accountability it taught me. My mom was a teacher and so that had some influence on me as well,” adds Coach Shelby.

Shelby graduated from Charleston High School in 2009 where he played basketball, baseball, and won a State Championship in football. Later he went on to graduate from UAFS in 2016. Moving to Hackett to help coach the Hornets was destined to happen. “I’ve known Coach Meador since we were kids and I knew we would work well together.” Head Football Coach, Michael Meador, joined the Hornets at the end of the 2018-2019 school year, replacing Coach Lonnie Hester.

Coach Jordan Shelby is a wonderful fit for the Hackett community. “It’s really fun teaching new skills to my students and then when you finally see everything clicking for them, it gives you a good feeling. It’s also great to have a chance to be a positive and influential role model in the lives of my student-athletes and to help them develop for life after high school. I hope to help bring a winning culture to this already successful program.”

Local Man Arrested for Selling Alcohol to a Minor

Tammy Teague

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9:08 am

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Local Man Arrested for Selling Alcohol to a Minor

On Tuesday, August 6, Kevin Boyd of Mansfield was arrested and charged with one felony count of knowingly selling intoxicating liquor to a minor.

According to Mansfield Police Chief Wayne Robb, the investigation had been ongoing since last year. An officer with the Alcohol Beverage Commission began working the case jointly with the Mansfield Police Department, under the direction of former Chief Boyd Farmer.

In March of this year, the Mansfield Police Department assisted the officer from the Alcohol Beverage Commission in the continued investigation. That investigation led to a control buy with an under aged individual, where Boyd allegedly sold an intoxicating beverage to the minor.

Boyd, 58, was arrested and taken to the Scott County Jail, where he is currently awaiting a bond hearing.

Reapers Eager To Wreak Havoc On 2020

Sports

Megan Hecox

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9:03 am

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With the first-year jitters out of their system, local semi-pro football team, the Ouachita Reapers, are ready to break out big in their 2020 season. Hosting players from all over the River Valley, this minor league team succeeded nicely in making a name for themselves in year one. The Reapers partnered up with Waldron to make the Bulldog territory their home playing field.

Last season the Reapers played in a league with teams from Hope, Little Rock, Louisiana, and Texas. The 2020 season will see the addition of the Little Rock Patriots, Jonesboro Gladiators, and Tahlequah City Vipers, with the possibility of more teams joining closer to the beginning of league play in March of 2020.

The Reapers will be kicking off their first practice on August 10, in preparation of their upcoming season. Ready to take the team to the next level is Head Coach, Rick Landry, from Heavener, Oklahoma. With many players returning, the Reapers will be showing off some added talent as well. Of course, there is still plenty of time to get signed up to partake in the Reaper experience. There is still a huge need for both Offensive and Defensive Lineman. To play, you must be 18 years or older, able to purchase your own uniforms and gear, and be able to travel to games and practices.

Ouachita Reaper owner, Wesley Allen Schuller, is beyond ecstatic in what the upcoming 2020 season holds. Importantly, the Reapers are still looking for sponsors to support them in their fast-approaching football season. So if your itchin’ to put the pads on and get back on the field, now is your chance to join the Reaper brotherhood while making incredible memories in the process.

2019 Donation Game: Mo’ Money, Mo’ Equipment

Sports

Megan Hecox

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10:43 pm

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2019 Donation Game: Mo’ Money, Mo’ Equipment

Last year, the Mansfield and Waldron Little League football teams joined forces in trying to find a way to help alleviate their programs growing equipment needs. It was a gamble but both the Tigers and Bulldogs needed to do something. So the two programs decided to set up an Annual Donation Game to where instead of a gate fee, donations would be accepted instead. This wild shot that the programs took must’ve come from a world champion sniper because not only did they hit the bullseye, they blew the entire target up.

Each town put up a bucket at the front gate representing the Mansfield teams and the Waldron teams. Little League fans from both communities poured into Tiger Stadium, showing an incredible amount of support for BOTH of the football programs. There were even donations from State Representatives. Both programs raised a little over $1,000 each. As the old saying goes “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”. So now the Little League Tigers and Bulldogs are excited to announce their 2nd Annual Donation Game. On August 17th, the fun will kick off with the third and fourth grade teams playing at 6 p.m. followed by the fifth and sixth grade teams at 7 p.m. The games are being played in Waldron at Sawer Wright Field.

Waldron’s Little League Co-Commissioner, Thomas B Mays, is fired up and ready for this friendly face-off, “The upcoming Donation Scrimmage between Waldron and Mansfield is a fun way to raise money for both programs. The money we raise helps us buy much needed new equipment so our kids can go out there and play while avoiding getting hurt. We appreciate Mansfield and look forward to our upcoming event. I hope everyone gets to come out and support both teams.”

Also eager to watch the Tigers and the Bulldogs square off is Mansfield’s Little League President, Josh Strozier. “We knew that we wouldn’t be in the same league as Waldron at the beginning of last year but we still wanted to keep the teams playing each other somehow. Waldron was very gracious and instrumental in helping us set up this scrimmage between the two programs. Equipment isn’t cheap by any means and both programs rely heavily on donations to keep the kids in proper and safe equipment. I was amazed at the support from these two communities at last seasons game. We hope we can repeat this success with Waldron year in and year out for a very long time.”

River Valley Primary Care Comes to Lavaca

Resident News Network

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9:23 pm

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Big changes, yet no real changes, will be coming to medical help in Lavaca. River Valley Primary Care Services will be taking the place of the Lavaca Wellness Clinic on October 1, 2019.

In a presentation made this week by Mike Blaylock, Assistant Executive Director of River Valley Primary Care, it was announced to the senior citizen that changes would be made in the fall. In his speech, Blaylock said that Dr. Bob Sanders called RVPC and told them that he was retiring. He sought them out to keep quality healthcare in our local clinic. The fit was a good one.

River Valley Primary Care headquarters are in Ratcliff, Arkansas and they will have locations: Fort Smith (2), Mountainburg, Mulberry, Eastside (previously Barling), Lamar (school based), Waldron, Clarksville and now Lavaca. In their mission statement, they pledge to “provide quality, comprehensive primary and preventative healthcare to all residents of the area without regard to their ability to pay.” Blaylock stated that while they accept all traditional insurance plans, they will also introduce a “Sliding Fee Discount Program.” RVPC is federally funded. So, in this program, eligibility will be based on your gross household income, household size, and calculated using a federal poverty guideline.

Some of the changes will include access to more physicians and provide family practice medicine, pediatrics, women’s health, and dentistry. You will be able to contact your clinic after hours, on weekend’s or holidays. They will provide bilingual services through a language line and auxiliary aids and services will be available at our clinic as well.

Dr. Bob Sanders retirement from medical practice allows him the chance of serving in a different area of the medical field. He will soon be an instructor at the Arkansas College of Osteopathic Medicine at Chaffee Crossing.

If the name Mike Blaylock sounds familiar to some of you, Mike is a 1988 graduate of Lavaca High School. “I definitely have a passion for what I do to serve small communities like this one that I grew up in,” Blaylock told the crowd. Wansley Harrison, LTSW, also spoke, assuring the people that “we are keeping things the same for you but bringing new things that you didn’t have before.”

Addressing Our Identity

Jason Baggett

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5:51 pm

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Resident Press is well known for fact-based reporting, our tangible personalities, and our reputation for being more than what news has become in recent years. For us it’s personal. The intent of this post is to state our identity and to distance ourselves from anyone who claims to be a part of our staff, or a sister-site in neighboring areas. If it doesn’t say “Resident Press,” know that it is not in any way affiliated with our site or those who are currently employed by Resident Press. With that being said, Resident Press will take any steps, and/or actions to protect our identity with this statement being the first. Our relationships are built on value, not hope. Our perspective is unbiased, not bought. Our work ethic is professionally seasoned, and taken seriously. With Sincere Appreciation, Jason and Lesli Baggett Owners, Resident Press ^TM

2019 NWTF Hunting Heritage Banquet

Outdoors

Resident News Network

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11:53 am

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It’s time for the annual NWTF Banquet for Sebastian County hosted by the Arkansas Boss Gobblers Chapter.

Come support the conservation efforts of the National Wild Turkey Federation here in Arkansas with live and silent auctions, raffles, and dinner.

Corporate tables are available, as well as single, couples and sponsor tickets!

For more information please contact Kassim Wallace 479-651-0642

View the event on Facebook HERE

Lady Tigers Prepare To Ignite At Red And White

Sports

Megan Hecox

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10:52 am

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Lady Tigers Prepare To Ignite At Red And White

It’s that time of year again. When summer comes to an end and another school year begins. And we all know what that means. SPORTS!!!!!! On August 16th, the Mansfield Lady Tigers are planning to show the community what they can expect in the upcoming volleyball season. The night will kick off at 5 p.m. with the Lady Tigers Jr High Scrimmage.

Then at 6 p.m., the Sr High squad will play in their always exciting annual Red and White Game. Admission is free but as always donations are greatly appreciated. All money raised will go to the Mansfield Volleyball Program. Concession will also be available. You’re going to want to stick around because directly after the Red and White game, FCA will be hosting a movie night featuring a showing of the film, Woodlawn.

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