On March 12, 2019 the voters within the City of Fort Smith will decide on a one cent sales tax which will fund the completion of the United States Marshal’s Museum.
If the tax passes, non-residents, or anyone living outside the City of Fort Smith will be funding half the project. For every $100 spent, $1 will go towards the museum.
According to the U.S. Marshal’s Museum website, “Fort Smith is unique in that many people come into the city each day from a very large geographic area to work and visit. It’s expected that nearly fifty percent of the sales tax total will come from non-Fort Smith residents with the other fifty percent coming from Fort Smith residents.”
The tax, according to museum officials, will be short lived and will not be extended past it’s proposed nine months. The United States Marshal’s Museum Foundation is footing the bill for the cost of the March special election. Members of that foundation are seeking $15-16 million in additional funds to complete the project, which is already under way.
The initial announcement for the museum came in July of 2018. According to that news release, the projects projected total was $50 million. “Funding for the USMM project remains a top priority with $17.8 million remaining to fully fund the project.”
Fort Smith attorney and founder of transparency in government, Joey McCutcheon along with the committee of Citizens Against Unfair Taxation are calling the project a white elephant. “This project could become a white elephant just like the River Valley Sports Complex and Fort Smith Convention Center,” stated McCutcheon.
McCutcheon said he wants people to be educated about this proposal. “They are holding a gun to the taxpayers head by saying there is no plan B,” he added. “But if you want to buy a $200k home and can only afford $100k, then you would buy the one you could afford and live within your means.”
McCutcheon added that he believes the foundation members “should do their jobs and raise the money for the project.”
Friday, February 1, was an outstanding day for patrons of the Mansfield Senior Center.
The day started with a visit from Sebastian County deputies Jason Morse and Ronnie Newton. The pair routinely work in the Mansfield area, and make it a point to be part of the community which they serve. Morse and Newton stopped in to the senior center to play a friendly game of billiards. However, SRCA regulars Buddy Elmore and Gerald Elmore, took no pity on their opponents.
Later, Buddy Elmore joined singers and musicians Bob Garret, Bobby Johnson, James Owens, Vernie Heydenreich and Robert Walker.
The center served finger foods throughout the singing. Afterward, a lunch of meatloaf, green beans, mashed potatoes, bread and cinnamon rolls was served.
The Hackett Jr High and Sr High Hornets celebrated their Basketball Homecoming during their game against Danville last Monday night. There were 12 girls between grades 7-12 that were voted by their classmates to be on the Homecoming court. The following is the court and their escorts.
7th Grade Maid Aaliyah Escoffier escorted by her father Josh Escoffier. Not pictured are escorts Dawsyn Clay and Rafe Gustafson
7th Grade Maid Harley Nunn with escorts Daytn Clay and Danny Robison
8th Grade Maid Abby McBride with escorts Jesse Seth Crone and Gavin Cumbie
8th Grade Maid Lauren Sweeten with escorts Jacob Garner and Tyler Pittman
9th Grade Maid Adisyn Clay with escorts Cash Oliver and Logan Slavens
9th Grade Queen Madeline Freeman with escorts Jake Fisher and Ethan Slavens
10th Grade Maid Brooke Holt escorted by her father Alan Holt. Not pictured are escorts Jaren and Jordan Johnson
10th Grade Maid Madi Taylor with escorts Aidan Nobles and Avery Hester
11th Grade Maids Hailey Reves and Anne Neal. Hailey was escorted by Tyler Satterfield and Jack Terrell. Anne was escorted by Dylan Kats and Zach Gragg
12th Grade Maid Audrie Chaney with escorts Brady Hester and Luke Patterson
12th Grade Queen Caitlin Sabatucci with escorts Bryce Brown and Anthony Collins
Thursday night the Lavaca 7th grade finished their season with a big wins against Mountainburg. Coach Vire had a lot to say about the girls team. He is excited about seeing just how good they can be. “The girls ended the season with a 9-1 record this year. I thought the girls came along well as the season went on. I’m looking forward to getting this group going through a year of offseason and working on some fundamental skills and helping them get stronger. We have a lot of work to do this offseason but this group has a very high ceiling” he said.
7th grade girls getting after it.
Coach Graves is also excite to get busy during the off season. The 7th grade boys finished the season at 8-2. Coach Graves said, “They are good group of guys and I am looking forward to getting to work with them this off season, as we prepare them to step up into Junior High basketball.”
7th grade boys running the court
The Junior High Lady Arrows had a difficult night Thursday losing to Mountainburg 37-22. Rylie Green led the team with 13 points. This was a non-conference match up and did not count in the conference standings. The Junior Ladies Arrows had finished their conference schedule up with a close win against Hackett 27-25. The Junior Ladies will have the two seed in the District Tournament which will be the 4th through the 9th of February at JC Westside. Coach Wyles says “this next week of practice, we are going to focus of us and be ready to go for the tournament next week. I am excited for them. Getting conference runner up shows the work that they have put in all year has paid off.”
Junior girls working hard
The Junior Arrows boys team just keeps on doing what they do……WIN. They are undefeated and Conference Champions having closed their season with back to back wins against Mountainburg and Hector. Last nights win, moved them into the one seed for the District Tournament. If you haven’t watched this team don’t miss your chance to see just how good they are. Coach Reed is proud of his team, as he should be, he had this to say after Thursday’s Mountainburg game, “Junior boys played really hard last night. These guys keep feeding off each other’s energy and they are competing at a high level. Luke Watson led us in scoring with 17 points. Drake had a huge night rebounding and controlling the paint against a bigger team.”
Junior boys…total domination
Lavaca should be very proud of the entire basketball program at Lavaca Public Schools. All of the teams from 7th grade to senior high are playing very well. The coaches are building a program that will have Lavaca a force to be reckoned with for years to come.
In partnership with the Arkansas Department of Education and the Office for Education Policy at the University of Arkansas, the Arkansas Activities Association has released a study relating students success in the classroom to their participation in extracurricular activities. To conduct the study, students from the graduating class of 2018 identified by school personnel as participating in AAA activities, were compared with students who were not identified as participating in AAA activities. Participating students were compared with non-participating students on school attendance, disciplinary actions, average GPA, and graduation rate. In addition, the 11th grade ACT scores of those students who participated were compared with those students who did not participate.
1. What percentage of
students in the class of 2018 participated in AAA activities?
School personnel identified 46% of students as participating in AAA activities.
Participation rates were similar across gender, with 47% of females and 46% of males participating in AAA activities.
Over half of white students participated (52%), compared to 36% of Black students and 32% of Hispanic students.
Students who were identified by school personnel as participating in the Federal Free/ Reduced Lunch program (FRL), which is based on low household income, were less likely to participate in AAA than their non-FRL peers: 41% of FRL students participated compared to 52% of non-FRL students.
2. Did attendance
rates differ between AAA participants and non-AAA participating students?
Yes, AAA participating students were less likely to miss school: AAA students attended 95% of the school days during their senior year, while non-AAA students attended 92%
3. Did AAA
participants perform better on the ACT than non-AAA participating students?
Yes, AAA participating students scored higher on their 11th grade ACT. AAA students received an ACT Composite score of 19.95, while non-AAA students received an ACT Composite score of 17.98.
4. Did GPA differ
between AAA participants and non-AAA participating students?
Yes, on average AAA participating students received higher GPAs during their senior year. AAA students received an average GPA of 3.32, compared to the non-AAA student GPA of 2.97.
5. Did disciplinary rates differ between AAA participants and non-AAA participating students?
Yes, AAA participating students were less likely to be involved in disciplinary incidents: AAA students were involved in disciplinary incidents at a rate of 31.54 disciplinary actions per 100 students, compared to the non-AAA student rate of 38.34.
6. Did graduation rates differ between AAA participants and non-AAA participating students?
Yes, AAA participating students were more likely to graduate: AAA students graduated at a rate of 99% compared to the non-AAA student rate of 89%.
It is important to note that students who participate in AAA activities are more likely to be economically advantaged than students who do not participate in AAA activities. Only 47% of AAA students were eligible for FRL, compared to 58% of non-AAA students. More advantaged students demonstrate higher rates of school attendance, are less likely to be involved in disciplinary incidents at school, demonstrate higher academic outcomes as measured by GPA and ACT scores, and are more likely to graduate than their more disadvantaged peers.
Multivariate analyses were conducted to determine if AAA participation continued to be positively associated with the outcomes once student demographic characteristics (FRL status, gender, and race) were taken into account. Statistically significant positive effects were found for AAA participation with regard to GPA (+0.30 points), graduation (10 percent more likely to graduate), attendance (+12 more days per year) and discipline (10 percent fewer incidents).
All data
for these analyses was provided by the Arkansas Department of Education.
February is Black History Month, and in observance, we will be featuring a “did you know” of facts, with Huntington native, Jerry Moore.
DID YOU KNOW? One of the leading singers on the Bill and Gloria Gaither television series was Miss Lillie Knauls. Knauls was born on April 30, 1938 in Huntington, AR to Governor and Gladys Knauls.
About the contributor: Jerry Moore was born in Kansas City, KS and came to Huntington when he was 17 months old. He’s the great-great grandson of Samuel (Sam) Martin, who is buried in the Cherokee African American Cemetery in Huntington. Moore attended Mansfield Schools and graduated with the class of 1968. After high school, he went on to get his bachelors degree and later a masters degree. Moore taught history at Northside High School from 1972-1980 and after receiving his masters degree, began teaching sociology at Northwest Arkansas Community College. His education and experience has afforded him opportunities few have only dreamed of. Lifetime opportunities, including work in the nation’s capital.
Need something to munch on this Sunday when the Super Bowl is intense and you feel like you are standing on the sidelines coaching the game from home? Try this yummy Patriots v/s Rams Trail Mix to keep you occupied when you get nervous about the ref’s calls!
Ingredients:
9 Cups of Rice Chex Cereal
1 Cup of Semi-sweet Chocolate Chips
1/2 Cup of Peanut Butter
1/4 Cup of Butter or Margarine
1 Teaspoon of Vanilla Extract
1 1/2 Cups of Powdered Sugar
9oz bag of Regular M&Ms
9oz bag of Carmel M&Ms
2 Cups of Salted Peanuts
3 Cups of Straight Skinny Pretzel Sticks
2 Cups of Milk Chocolate Chips
1 (2 gallon) Ziplock Bag
Wax Paper
Directions:
First, in a very large bowl, measure out 9 cups of Chex cereal. and set aside. Then, line a cookie sheet with wax paper.
In a quart size microwaveable bowl, place the 1 cup of Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips, peanut butter, and butter into the bowl. Place the bowl into the microwave and cook for 1 minute. Remove and stir. Replace the bowl back into the microwave and cook for another 30 seconds until mixture can be stirred and smooth. Now, add the vanilla and stir once more. Pour this mixture over the cereal that’s been measured out. Stir this until the cereal is evenly coated with the mixture. Now, place the cereal into a 2 gallon ziplock bag. Pour the powdered sugar over the coated cereal. Seal your bag and shake letting the powdered sugar fully coat the cereal. Now, remove from the bag and spread cereal on the wax paper. Place in the refrigerator to cool. Let it sit about 30 minutes to fully cool.
This is the cereal cooling in the refrigerator.
Now, in a very large bowl add your cooled coated cereal, M&Ms, Peanuts, Chocolate Chips, and Pretzels. Stir evenly and you are ready to munch!
You could add raisins or popcorn as well to the mix if you would like! Left over trail mix needs to be stored in an air-tight container or ziplock bag in the refrigerator for freshness.
Twenty three MES third graders recently competed in the STEM Olympiad held on January 29, 2019 at the University of the Ozarks in Clarksville, Arkansas.
Group leaders were Mrs. Davis, Mrs. Dedmon, and Mrs. Spicer.
Slow Marble Run
1st place in the Slow Marble Run Design at the STEM Olympiad at the University of Ozark at Clarksville held on January 29, 2019 went to: (pictured left to right) Hunter, Braxton, and Eric. Congratulations to these students!
Mystery Engineering
These students brought home 2nd place medals in the Mystery Engineering Challenge at the STEM Olympiad at the University of Ozark at Clarksville on January 29, 2019. Pictured left to right are Travis, Cosmo, Lincoln, and Clayton. Way to go!
Straw Bridge
This group took 3rd place in the straw bridge competition in the STEM Olympiad at the University of Ozark at Clarksville on January 29, 2019. Pictured left to right are Nevaeh, Bailey, Aubree, and Kasen. We are super proud of these students!
It’s Super Bowl Sunday, and millions across America will be tuning in to watch the big game. However, millions of Americans will also be shopping for food like it’s Thanksgiving Day! According to Medical Daily , the Super Bowl is the second most calorie consuming day of the year! This beats Christmas and second only to Thanksgiving! Why? Well, researchers believe it’s because of emotional eating and distracted eating.
So, do you have your pre-game snacks, game-time fillers, and your side-line munchies? Well, hopefully we can help you! Try this Meat Lover’s Cheese Dip to kick off the game!
Ingredients:
1 32oz Block of Velveeta Cheese
1lb of Bacon
1lb of JC Potter Regular Sausage
1lb of Hamburger Meat
1 8oz Block of Cream Cheese
1 10oz can of Original Rotel
2 Cups of Whole Milk
1 teaspoon of Garlic Salt
1 tablespoon of Cavender’s All Purpose Seasoning
1 Teaspoon of Onion Powder
2 Teaspoons of Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
1 package of McCormick Regular Taco Seasoning
Tortilla Chips
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees, and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Lay strips of bacon on the foil. Once the oven has reached the desired temp, place bacon in the oven for around 15 minutes or until crispy. Then, once the bacon has finished cooking, remove and drain bacon on paper towels. After the bacon is cooled, crumble bacon in a bowl and set aside.
Next, slice Velveeta into cubes and place in a glass microwavable safe bowl. Now, slice the cream cheese into cubes and add to the bowl as well. Then, add the can of Rotel and the milk. Place into the microwave for 5 minutes. Then remove and stir. Place back into the microwave and heat for another 5 minutes. Remove and stir. Continue cooking at five minute intervals and remove after each five minutes and stir. This takes approximately 15 to 20 minutes to fully cook in the microwave. Once all the cheese is melted and there are no lumps, take a whisk and stir well. This will help get out the small bits of cream cheese that hasn’t blended well.
While your cheeses are cooking in the microwave and your bacon is baking, place your sausage in a pan and cook on medium heat. Scramble the meat and cook till browned. Once the sausage is fully cooked, place in a bowl and set aside. Next, add the hamburger meat, garlic salt, onion powder and Cavender’s seasoning to your skillet, and cook it as well on medium heat until fully browned and well-done. Drain the hamburger meat in a strainer, and add this meat to the sausage.
Once the cheeses are completely melted, remove from the microwave and slowly add in the sausage and hamburger meat. Now, stir in two teaspoons of Red Pepper Flakes as well as the taco seasoning. Stir until all spices are dissolved well. Now, you are ready to add the bacon for your last step. If you are wanting it to look pretty, you can sprinkle your crumbled bacon on top of your cheese dip. If you want to make sure no one steals all the bacon in one scoop of your cheese dip, I recommend adding your bacon and stirring it in with the rest of the cheese dip.
Now, its game time! Sit and enjoy this meat lover’s cheese dip while your favorite team plays!
Extras:
You could add a can of chili if you would like more of a queso type dip. However, I like it better without. Just whatever your preference is.
Also, if you have left over cheese dip the next day and trying to figure out what you should do with it, remove from the refrigerator and while it is cold and a thick dip, add in a can of refried beans. Stir until completely combined. While cheese dip is cold, place two to three tablespoons of dip into a tortilla and fold up like a burrito. Place in a skillet with vegetable oil and fry on medium. This makes delicious homemade burritos!!!
We would like to take a few minutes and recognize our 5th grade January students of the month. Teachers nominated a male and female student for their hard work and positive attitude that they have displayed throughout this current school year. Our young man that has been selected as the 5th grade student of the month for January for many different reasons, Joseph Carter is a hard working student that is beginning to flourish at the middle school. He has been chosen by his teachers for his great attitude and leadership skills he personifies throughout the school day. Shyla Byers is the 5th Grade January female student of the month. Shyla continues to work hard every day and sets a good example for all of her peers to follow.
We are extremely proud to have such great students at Mansfield Middle School and we are even more encouraged by the presence their parents are making in their life. Each student continues to lead their peers by positive examples and we will be saddened by the day these two young people move to the high school. Congratulations Joseph and Shyla!
5th Grade Shyla Byers
Favorite Food: Pizza
Favorite Subject: Math
Hobbies: Riding my
bike
Favorite Movie: Nutcracker
Favorite Book:
Charlotte’s Web
Embarrassing
Moment: Way to embarrassed to say.
Happiest Moment: When
my baby sister was born
Future Aspirations: A
police officer
Favorite Color:
Purple
Funniest School Memory: When people fall out their chair
5th Grade Joseph Carter
Favorite Food: Pizza
Favorite Subject: Keyboarding
Hobbies: Playing
Fornite
Favorite Movie: The Notebook
Favorite Book: Stick
Dog
Embarrassing
Moment: When I got a bad grade.
Happiest Moment: When
I scored a buzzer beater.
Future Aspirations:
To play in the NBA
Favorite Color: Gray
Funniest School Memory:
I tripped into an endless roll
