Obituary: Paul Reed (1962-2025)
Paul Reed was born on February 12, 1962, in Houston, Texas. From the beginning, Paul was someone who radiated warmth, humor, and a deep love for others. Raised in a Baptist home, he grew up attending Baumant Place Baptist Church where his mother played piano-planting the seeds of faith that would grow into a lifelong passion for Christ and ministry.
Paul began his career as a carpet layer early in life, working with his brother-in-law in Texas. He later lived with his cousin Lynn in Colorado before settling in Waldron, Arkansas in 1980, at Cedar Creek. Over the years, Paul built not just a successful business-but a reputation for being honest, hardworking, and deeply committed to the people he served.
He was a man of many talents. He loved all kinds of ball sports, and could talk for hours about the games, the players, and the plays. But what truly made Paul stand out was his love for music. He had a gift for playing the guitar and singing, often using those gifts in worship and ministry. Music was one of the ways he expressed his faith and brought joy to others. More than anything, Paul was a passionate follower of Jesus Christ. He lived his life as an evangelist and minister, always eager to share the Gospel with anyone who would listen. His favorite passage was Acts 8: 26-40 the story of Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch-a powerful illustration of obedience, divine encounters, and the urgency of spreading the Word. Like Philip, Paul never missed an opportunity to talk about salvation and grace.
Throughout his life, Paul was connected to several churches. He was raised in the Baptist tradition, attending Abbott Church in Arkansas, and later found his spiritual home at the Pentecostal Church in Waldron, led by Pastor Konnor McKay and his wife Jasmine. His faith wasn’t something he kept to himself-it was something he lived out daily, through his words, his work, and his way of loving people.
Paul is survived by his loving wife, Angelica Reed; his son and daughter-in-law, Luke and Jaide Reed; his sister and brother-in-law, Beverly and Randy Sealy; his cousin, wife and daughter, Lynn, Xijia, and Lisa Attaway; cousin Grady Jr. Among his good friends are Bennie Hawkins, Tim Cox, Richard Barnett, Jim Braith, Wesley Pickens, Roger Mattox and Steve Riley who’s been with him through life’s ups and downs. Beyond his professional life, he deeply valued relationships and loyalty. He was a devoted husband, father, brother, and friend-a man whose life was rooted in love, laughter, and faith. Those who knew Paul remember his big heart, his contagious sense of humor, and his ability to make anyone feel like family. He was the kind of man who could brighten a room with his presence and inspire others with his sincerity. Whether he was laying carpet or laying hands in prayer, he did it with purpose and passion.
Paul leaves behind two lasting legacies: the carpet business he dedicated his life to, and the countless souls he impacted through his ministry. He truly lived as a servant of Christ, changing lives not by preaching from a stage, but by walking faithfully every single day. Though our hearts are heavy, we know Paul is rejoicing in the presence of his Savior. He often said, “It’s all about the Gospel”-and he lived those words fully. Today, we honor his life, his faith, and the love he gave so freely.
Paul’s celebration of life will be 10:00 a.m. Tuesday, July 1, 2025 at the Waldron Pentecostal Church of God in Waldron, Arkansas with Rev. Konnor McKay and Roger Mattox officiating. Interment will follow in the Duncan Cemetery. Arrangements are being entrusted to the Heritage Memorial Funeral Home in Waldron, Arkansas.
Paul’s visitation will be Monday, June 30, 2025 from 4:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m. at the Heritage Memorial Funeral Home Chapel in Waldron, Arkansas.
State Capitol Week in Review from Senator Terry Rice
LITTLE ROCK – More than 4,200 Arkansas teachers will receive merit bonuses averaging $3,325 as part of an incentive program created two years ago to retain the best teachers and recruit them in subject areas that are most in demand.
The incentive program is part of the LEARNS Act, a sweeping series of education reforms that were proposed by the governor and enacted by the legislature. It raised starting salaries for teachers from $36,000 to $50,000.
Last year fewer than 3,000 teachers received bonuses, which averaged $3,299. Last year the state spent about $9.8 million on incentive bonuses and this year it will spend $14.2 million.
To be eligible, a teacher must have three years’ experience. One category is to show outstanding growth in student performance. Another is to teach in a subject that has a shortage of teachers. Those are foreign languages, secondary mathematics, secondary science, middle school mathematics, middle school science and special education.
Teachers also can qualify for bonuses if they teach in areas with a shortage of teachers, and if they act as mentors to aspiring teachers. Teachers can receive up to $10,000 in bonuses if they qualify in more than one of the categories, and this year 76 teachers will receive the maximum amount. Last year 47 teachers received $10,000.
This year the median bonus is $2,500, meaning the same number of teachers received more than that amount as received less than that amount. Last year the median bonus was $3,000.
This year 831 teachers received a bonus of more than $5,000, compared to 52 teachers receiving that much last year.
The state will send money to school districts by June 30 for the incentive bonuses to be distributed to teachers.
Arkansas has almost 33,000 certified classroom teachers. Retention has improved since the pandemic, but still remains a challenge for school districts. According to a recent report by the Office of Education Policy at the University of Arkansas, last year 12.8 percent of teachers left their classroom. They either left the teaching profession, transferred to a different school district or switched to a non-teaching job within their district.
According to the university report, 77 percent of Arkansas teachers remained in their jobs, while 2.7 percent retired. The retiring teachers were part of the 9.2 percent who left the teaching profession entirely. The analysis showed that 3.6 percent switched to a non-teaching job within the district and 10.1 percent moved to a different teaching job. Of those, 4.7 percent moved to another job within their district and 5.4 percent took a teaching job at another district.
Retention rates for teachers this year were very similar to last year’s rates, and still not quite as good as before the COVID pandemic. For example, the retention rate in 2017-2018 was 79 percent, or two percentage points higher than this year’s rate.
Retention rates in southern and eastern Arkansas tend to be lower. Seven school districts in Arkansas had a teacher retention rate below 65 percent, and five of those districts are in southern and eastern parts of the state.
This year’s rate of teacher retirements is close to traditional rates.
Arkansas 4-H Star Camp a summer tradition for more than 50 years
By Rebekah Hall
U of A System Division of Agriculture
AMITY, Ark. — Nestled among towering pines and a glittering 40-acre lake, Arkansas 4-H members from five counties gathered at Timber Lodge Ranch for the 4-H Star Camp, building pool noodle boats, coming out of their shells and living the camping experience.
Seventy 4-H members from Howard, Miller, Montgomery, Pike and Sevier counties joined 20 adults, including extension county agents, summer interns and parent volunteers, for three days of outdoor recreation and team-building activities from June 18-20.
Campers faced off in a water balloon Battleship-style game, created abstract art using paint-filled water guns and built boats from cardboard, duct tape and pool noodles, which they put to the test on the lake.
“For years, this program actually involved camping in tents and cooking everything outside,” said Eva Langley, Pike County extension staff chair for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. “They really got the true camping experience. We’ve been coming here for several years now, and even though the kids are staying in air-conditioned bunks, we still want it to feel authentic, because not every kid goes camping.”
The 4-H Star Camp, named after its five participating counties, has gone by a few different names since its inception more than 55 years ago. Originally called Quad County Camp for its partnership among Sevier, Howard, Miller and Little River counties, the program has welcomed generations of 4-H members and their families.
“We work very hard to keep this camp a tradition,” said Rex Herring, Sevier County extension staff chair, who has been involved with Star Camp for the past 21 years. “You’ve got kids coming here whose moms and dads and grandparents have come through this camp. Our theme every year incorporates educational elements, but we have a lot of fun — otherwise, they wouldn’t want to come back.”
The camp brings together extension family and consumer sciences, agricultural and 4-H agents, as well as extension summer interns, who lead the activity rotations for the 4-H members.
“One of my favorite parts of Star Camp is the way we get to collaborate on it as agents,” said Samantha Horn, Howard County extension staff chair. “We put a lot of time and effort into planning this and making sure our kids get the best experience out of it.”
Children must be nine years old by the first day of camp to participate. Kim Frachiseur, Sevier County extension 4-H agent, said this threshold gives the Cloverbuds 4-H members, who range from five to eight years old, “something to look forward to.”
“We like that this makes participating in Star Camp feel like a right of passage for our Cloverbuds,” Frachiseur said. “They look up to all the older kids and hear them talk about how much fun they had at camp, then they get to come and see what it’s all about.”
Gayle Herring, 7, daughter of Rex Herring, was able to participate in camp a couple of years early because she attended with her father.
“My favorite thing so far has been swimming,” Gayle said. “And that lake is really, really deep.”
On the first night of camp, 4-H members were tasked with hunting for “the Cropster” — Howard County extension agriculture agent Dawson Bailey, dressed in a lobster costume — while navigating the dark using only glow-in-the-dark necklaces and bracelets. Some extension agents hid along the road with water guns to thwart campers, and other agents gave out dry beans to successful teams.
“We got to run down the road last night until 10:00,” Gayle said. “We had this thing called the Cropster, and we had to go get beans, and whoever got the most beans got prizes. It was really fun.”
Star Camp costs $100 per camper, which makes it relatively affordable compared to other summer camp fees. To help teach responsibility, campers from each county were assigned to help serve meals and clean up the dining area afterward. On the last night of camp, homemade ice cream — churned by campers and their family and consumer sciences agents — was on the menu.
“You want the kids to leave here with fun memories, a new friend and maybe a new interest,” Horn said. “I feel like that’s what 4-H is all about: helping our members grow in their confidence, their curiosity, and in their relationships with each other.”
Connecting members, strengthening 4-H
Herring said the camp is an opportunity for 4-H members to interact with their peers, and for county agents to strengthen their relationships with 4-H clubs.
“These kids get to commingle with others, and I love it from a county agent standpoint,” Herring said. “I’ve been with extension for nearly 28 years, and in the past, people have asked me, ‘What do you think about camp? Is it worth doing?’ And I say, ‘Absolutely.’ This is a big rapport-building experience with my 4-H’ers. They get to see me as a human being instead of just their county agent. You grow a better bond with the kids, and I really think that helps the success of our county programs.”
For shy or introverted 4-H members, Herring said the camp is also a chance to find their voice and practice social skills.
“What I love about it is that these quieter kids, I call them ‘shelled up,’ those are the ones I’m encouraging the most,” Herring said. “The way I evaluate myself is if next year, whenever those same kids come back, the first thing they say is ‘Hey Mr. Rex,’ when the year before, you had to stomp their foot to get them to say anything. That’s how you know you’ve left a positive mark.”
Herring said he hopes that 4-H members’ experience at Star Camp helps keep them involved with the 4-H program.
“The camp is very important,” Herring said. “I hope to make an impact on all the kids, to where they’ll stay in 4-H. We’ll do this as long as we can to provide this for the kids of southwest Arkansas.”
To learn more about the Cooperative Extension Service’s youth development program, visit 4h.uada.edu or contact your local county agent.
To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on X and Instagram at @AR_Extension. To learn more about Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uada.edu. Follow on X at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on X at @AgInArk.
About the Division of Agriculture
The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture’s mission is to strengthen agriculture, communities, and families by connecting trusted research to the adoption of best practices. Through the Agricultural Experiment Station and the Cooperative Extension Service, the Division of Agriculture conducts research and extension work within the nation’s historic land grant education system.
The Division of Agriculture is one of 20 entities within the University of Arkansas System. It has offices in all 75 counties in Arkansas and faculty on three campuses.
Pursuant to 7 CFR § 15.3, the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture offers all its Extension and Research programs and services (including employment) without regard to race, color, sex, national origin, religion, age, disability, marital or veteran status, genetic information, sexual preference, pregnancy or any other legally protected status, and is an equal opportunity institution.