Resident News Network

Hornets Lend A Helping Hand

Sports

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11:37 am

Hard work and selflessness is nothing new to the Hackett Hornet coaches and players. When the Hornets first heard that help was needed in the flood relief efforts for their neighbors to the North, there was zero hesitation. They immediately began getting a group together to volunteer with cleanup and the picking up of sandbags.

On Wednesday, June 5, Hackett players and staff loaded a bus bright and early and headed to the Community Bible Church to assists in the rebuilding process of a town forever impacted by the Great Flood of 2019. Armed with gloves and sunscreen, the Hornets were ready to spend the entire day getting their hands dirty and breaking their backs to help their fellow man. The Hackett Hornets are the perfect example of how big of an impact a little town can really make when they come together as one!

Reapers Football Comes To An End

Sports

Megan Hecox

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9:10 am

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At the end of March, sports fans across the River Valley were introduced to their very own semi-pro football team, the Ouachita Reapers. Calling Waldron their home for season one, the Reapers stepped on to the scene ready to dominate the field and start making a name for themselves. Playing teams from Louisiana and Texas along with local teams from Hope and Little Rock, the Reapers might not have had the season that they had hoped for but they definitely never lacked in heart and determination.

“As a whole, despite what the final record was, I feel the season was a success,” stats Reapers organizer Wesley Schuller. “The men I have on this team went into every game knowing they were basically going to be playing the full game both ways and went into it head first and didn’t blink. Always understaffed and short-handed, the guys still played their hearts out for me, their team, and our area.”

“The Reapers will be taking a month or two off to enjoy our summers with our family and then we will begin meeting again to start getting in shape for next season. We will be getting our bodies right and start studying plays to prepare ourselves while also playing some padded 7 on 7. For new guys interested in joining the Reapers I urge you to contact us. We are planning to take a BIG step into year two and we need your help to be a part of it!”

Tigers Looking Hardcore On The Hardwood

Sports

Megan Hecox

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6:42 am

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Both junior high and senior high Mansfield Tiger basketball teams have been busy busy busy since summer started. Over a two day period, the junior and senior squads took on Waldron’s basketball camp where they went head to head with many other talented schools. On the second day, both teams went back to work during Booneville’s basketball camp where they saw much of the same success as the day before.

The senior high Tigers went 3-0 at Waldron against Nashville, Mt Ida, and Mountainburg. The junior high Tigers went 1-2 as they battled against the same teams as their upperclassman. During the Booneville camp, the senior high boys went 2-0 facing Western Yell County and Booneville while the junior high boys went 2-0 taking on County Line and Western Yell County.

Head coach for the senior high Tigers, Keith Dake, explained the performance of his players, “Sr High looked exactly like what they are. A team led by five seniors with an abundance of young talent and depth to complement them. We were poised and in control from the opening tip of game one and now through two days of camp 5-0 for the summer.”

Coach Dake went on to say, “Jr High is a team that last year finished runner up in the conference and district tournaments. We moved up four out of five starters. With a lot of new faces seeing varsity minutes, this week has been a great opportunity to get multiple guys great minutes and work to develop our young players. They have answered with tremendous hustle and determination in hopes to continue to improve as we prepare to attempt a repeat of last seasons success under new head junior high coach, Keith Stovall.”

Boys and Girls Club Have No Beef With Fun Informational

Headlines

Tammy Teague

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7:30 pm

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Boys and Girls Club Have No Beef With Fun Informational

Students at the Scott County Boys and Girls Club enjoyed a fun, and interactive presentation by ladies of the Scott County Farm Bureau Women’s Leadership Committee.

President Laurie Richardson and representative Regina Oliver visited the club and shared information on by-products provided by the beef cattle industry.

Of course, most think of the protein source the animal provides. However, they also provide things such as leathers, textiles, oils, lubricants, fertilizer and insulin.

According to the presentation, “More than 100 individual drugs perform such important and varied functions as helping to make childbirth safer, settling an upset stomach, preventing blood clots in the circulatory system, ‘pepping up’ a sluggish thyroid, controlling anemia, relieving some symptoms of hay fever and asthma, and helping babies digest milk. Insulin is perhaps the best-known pharmaceutical derived from cattle. There are 5 million diabetics in the United States, and 1.25 million of them require insulin daily. It takes the pancreases from 26 cattle to provide enough insulin to keep one diabetic person alive for a year.”

Following the informative session, Oliver invited volunteers to pick a product out of her grab bag. The students then had to guess what part of the cow that product came from. Each child received some gummy worms and a hand out to take home.

Scott County Man Charged with 379 Counts of Animal Cruelty

Headlines

Tammy Teague

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5:12 pm

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Scott County Man Charged with 379 Counts of Animal Cruelty

On Tuesday, June 4, a Scott County man plead not guilty to 379 counts of animal cruelty, class A misdemeanors, and two counts of theft of leased/rented property, class B felonies.

Jay Parker, 42, of Waldron was arrested on Monday, May 20 and released on Tuesday, May 21 on a $10,000 bond.

The charges against Parker go back to December 2017. He, according to the arrest warrant, had agreed to care for cattle out of Midland, TX. As a part of that agreement, Parker allegedly was to provide grass and water. Also, was to purchase feed, hay, vaccinate, work and care for the cattle.

Parker alleges that by the summer of 2018, the cattle were in poor health due to his “management decisions.” As a result, the cows began to die from malnutrition.

According to an affidavit from the Arkansas Department of Agriculture, Parker stated that he was broke when he entered into the agreement and that the first payment of $80,000 he received for supplies, hay and feed, was spent on his personal debt instead of buying feed and hay for the cattle.

The alleged 379 missing head of cattle, according to the affidavit, died on his property or on property he had leased. Authorities allegedly observed several hundred dead cattle on Parker’s property. The affidavit claims the bodies were “in different stages of decomposition…there was no way to get an accurate count due to the number of scavengers scattering bones and some dead cattle stacked on top of each other.”

Brett Dawson, an Information Specialist with the Department of Agriculture, said that they are aware of the case and are working with the authorities.

At Tuesday’s hearing, Parker’s attorney, Derrick Allison, was not present. Judge Jerry Don Ramey set the pretrial hearing for August 6 at 9:30 a.m., and jury trial for August 20 at 9:30 a.m.

Obituary – Addie “Roberta” Davis (1942 – 2019)

Obituaries

Tammy Teague

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4:47 pm

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Obituary – Addie “Roberta” Davis (1942 – 2019)

Addie “Roberta” Davis of Boles, Arkansas passed from this life on June 3, 2019 in Ft.Smith, AR. Roberta was born on January 3,1942 to her parents, the late Claud and the late Violet Ison.

Roberta met the love of her life, Bennie Davis as a teenager. Bennie joined the Navy, and when he returned from overseas, the young couple got married on May 22, 1959. They spent 57 years together, enjoying each other’s company, whether they were 4-wheeling, gardening, tending their many pets, or just sitting on the front porch, side-by-side. Bennie preceded her in death in 2016, leaving a big hole in Roberta’s heart. Roberta worked for several years as a waitress at the Midway Cafe, alongside her mother Violet. She also worked at the Waldron Furniture Factory before finding her niche at Waldron Public Schools in 1975. She worked at the school for a total of 31 years, eventually retiring as Middle School Cafeteria Manager in 2003. Roberta expressed her great love of her children and grandchildren daily, so there was never a doubt that her family was loved. She was small in stature, but fierce in her love, and that big ol’ smile of hers will never be forgotten.

Roberta leaves behind two loving sons: Russell Davis, and Rick Davis and wife Linda of Needmore, Arkansas and grandchildren Trista Davis and husband Clay of Waldron, Arkansas and Ryan Davis and Erica Davis of Needmore, Arkansas. She is also survived by one great-grandson, Declan Davis of Waldron. Other survivors include her brother Preston Ison and his wife Carrol of Greenwood, Arkansas, and her sister Brenda Chapman of Ft. Smith, Arkansas, as well as numerous nieces and nephews. Roberta will be missed by all that knew her and the many whose lives she impacted.

Roberta’s life celebration will be held at 10:00 a.m., Thursday, June 6, 2019 at the Heritage Memorial Funeral Home Chapel with Rev. Pat Ray Biggs and Rev. George F. Crump, officiating. Interment will follow in the Buffalo Cemetery near Boles, Arkansas. Arrangements are being entrusted to the Heritage Memorial Funeral Home in Waldron, Arkansas.

Roberta’s pallbearers will be Ryan Davis, Clay Davis, James Lynn, Jeff Davis, Eric Redmon and David Jones. Honorary pallbearers will be Preston Ison, Brenda Chapman, Trista Davis, Erica Davis and Eddie Atnip.

Roberta’s visitation will be Wednesday, June 5 from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. where her family will receive friends at the Heritage Memorial Funeral Home.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Buffalo Cemetery Fund by visiting the local Arvest Bank in Waldron, or by mail at c/o Heritage Memorial Funeral Home, Post Office Box 358, Waldron, Arkansas 72958.

You may leave words of remembrance for Roberta’s family by visiting: www.heritagememorialfh.com

Obituary – Mary Corinne Armstrong Brown (1939 – 2019)

Obituaries

Tammy Teague

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4:31 pm

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Obituary – Mary Corinne Armstrong Brown (1939 – 2019)

Mary Corinne Armstrong Brown of Waldron, Arkansas went to be with her Lord and Savior Jesus
Christ, Tuesday, June 4, 2019 at her home, with her husband and children by her side. Mary was born March 20, 1939 in Dunbar, Oklahoma to Floyd Breshears and Susie Jane Wilson Butler. Mary was 80 yeas old.

Mary always said she wanted to see Jesus face to face first and tell him how much she loved Him. Then she wanted to swim in the River of Life and sing with the Heavenly Choir. Mary loved working in her yard planting flowers. She had a special place in her heart for mocking birds, they always gave her peace when she heard them sing. She also loved other birds as well, bluebirds and house wrens were her favorites. Mary loved her family and she especially enjoyed spending time with them and making memories to be cherished forever.

Mary leaves behind to cherish her memory, her loving husband of 45 years, C. Monroe Brown of the home and her children: Sherrie Armstrong, James Armstrong, Jerry Armstrong and wife Sandy, Susan Armstrong Lancaster all of Waldron, Arkansas and Teresa Holland and husband Jeff of Russellville, Arkansas. Granny will forever remain in the hearts of her grandchildren:Kevin and wife Cozette Isom, David Armstrong, Jerrod and wife Katie Armstrong, Samuel and wife Ashley Armstrong, Jacob Armstrong, all of Waldron, Arkansas, J.P. and wife Amanda Ewald, Michael and wife Missy Ewald and
Erin and husband Jacob Freeman all of Mt. Carmel, Illinois, as well as her great-grandchildren and great great-grandchildren:Kalyn, Lukas, Kaiden, James, Taelyn, Ty and Mia Rose. Mary is also survived by her siblings: Wanda Hale of Sugar Loaf Lake, Barbra and husband Elzie Barnet of Waldron, Arkansas, Iva and husband Kenny Carter of Mansfield, Arkansas, David and wife Wilma Butler and Jerry Dale Butler also of Waldron, Arkansas. Mary will be missed by all that knew her and the many whose lives she impacted including a host of nieces, nephews, friends and neighbors dear to her heart.

Mary was preceded in death by one daughter, Mary Elizabeth(Lizzie) Armstrong, her mother, Susie Jane Wilson Butler, stepdad, Dave Butler and father, Floyd Breshears.

A private family memorial will be held at a later date. Arrangements and cremation are being entrusted to the Heritage Memorial Funeral Hom & Crematory in Waldron, Arkansas.

You may leave words of comfort and remembrance for Mary’s family by visiting: www.heritagememorialfh.com.

Waldron Basketball Laces Up For Hoops Camp

Sports

Megan Hecox

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3:24 pm

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Waldron Basketball Laces Up For Hoops Camp

On Monday, June 3, the Waldron Bulldogs hosted a Jr High and Sr High team basketball camp. Eight teams stepped on to Bulldog hardwood territory to show off their top-notch basketball skills and have some fun in the process. Mena, Mansfield, Nashville, Ozark, Dover, Mountainburg, Mount Ida, and DeQueen put out their junior and senior high squads to participate in multiple games consisting of two 12 minute halves with a one-minute halftime.

Junior High Head Coach Josh Atchley had this to say about his boys, “The camp went well. We had lots of guys get some valuable reps and were able to work on their game. Numbers during the summer always vary but we had around 20 kids here and plan on having around 30 for the upcoming basketball season. Our guards that played big minutes last year looked like guards who had a year of experience under their belts. We looked decent defensively and have to continue being able to score in the half court. If we can get some of the guys who play forward for us this year to buy-in big time, this group has a chance to reach their potential. Summer is about growth and this camp was a good start to the summer.”

Filling us in on what we can expect to see from the upcoming senior high Bulldogs is Head Coach Joshua Brown. “We have 17 guys on our roster. We have to get better defensively if we want to compete at the level that we are capable of. We only lost one senior to graduation so we have a lot of talent coming back. We have great depth and a lot of guys we can turn to at any time. We have to play with energy at all times if we want to reach our goals this year. We got a lot of reps and that’s big for us during the summer.”

Greenwood Farmers Market has good turnout

Lifestyle

Resident News Network

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6:43 am

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Greenwood Farmers Market has good turnout

While the weather was hotter than it’s been, there was a nice breeze to counteract the heat at the Greenwood Farmers Market this past Saturday with a lot of people coming to browse and purchase.

Looking out at the tents that were set up, there were more vendors than there has been last month because of the rains.

On Saturday June 1, Taylor Dunavin was pleased with the turnout of vendors and public. Even though she was expecting more vendors to be there, the recent floods and the need for volunteers was more important and for that she was glad.

There was a church group, Greenwood First Assembly of God, who was raising money with baked goods, to help with feeding the needy and flood victims in the Fort Smith/River Valley area.

East Hills Middle School Robotics Club was also doing a fundraiser with a “slice the price” card.

Other items at the Farmers Market were pottery, jewelry, jams, jellies, other baked goods, body and facial scrubs, wreaths, crocheted “produce” items, pictures, custom-made tents, handmade aprons, custom painted signs, handcrafted canes and walking sticks, plants, custom essential oils and more. The vendor produce that was expected for this day was utilized to feed flood victims.

At the next Farmers Market on June 15, there will be a watermelon eating contest with prize money from the entries.

According to Taylor, the fresh produce vendors will be there as well, which is what a lot of people are waiting for. She invites everyone to come and support Greenwood on the 1st and 3rd Saturday of each month through October.

Lady Tigers “Ace” Volleyball Camp

Sports

Megan Hecox

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3:58 pm

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During a recent two day spiketacular volleyball camp, the Mansfield Lady Tigers bumped, passed, and served to 46 enthusiastic Little Lady Tigers. Every year the Lady Tigers get together to host a Little Tiger Volleyball Camp and just like in the past, this year was a huge success.

During the course of the camp, the girls were taught skills like how to set, pass, serve, and bump a volleyball along with participating in fun and silly competitions. From the Jr High and Sr High teams, 22 girls showed up to lend a hand at helping their coaches ensure that this was a camp for the ages.

“We had a great turnout for our Little Tiger Volleyball Camp,” expresses coaches Erica McKay and Kaylie Pyles. “All of the kids did such a great job. Thank you to all of the parents for letting your kids attend our camp and thank you to our Jr High and Sr High girls for helping work the camp! We were excited to see all of our future volleyball players!”

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