By Megan Hecox
It’s not important to win. It’s important to make the other guy lose! The Hackett Hornets walked onto the court last night at Mulberry with one goal in mind. To walk out of the gym victorious. And they did just that. The Lady Hornets won 36-23 and the Hornets scored their 3rd straight win 48-43.
Boys Head Coach, Broc Adams, says they are still improving, “We have some kinks to iron out but the attitude and intensity are there and we can work with that. We are getting better with every game.” Dylan Kats secured 17 points for the Hornets while Brady Hester brought in 13 points. Avery Hester made 7 points and 6 rebounds and Zach Gragg added 6 points and 6 rebounds to that total.
Super proud of his girls is Head Coach, Claude Foster. “The girls are getting better each game they have played.” In the Lady Hornets court, there are no objections. Only rejections! And because of their will to never quit, the Lady Hornets are going to fly through their season with ease.
Hackett is getting ready for their first conference game of the season. December 7th, the Hornets will face Danville on home court. The Jr High boys will open the game at 5 pm.
“They are one of the most physical teams we play,” expresses Coach Adams. “They are very active and run the floor well. We are going to have to match their intensity but slow the game down a little and try to get them out of their rhythm!”
Coach Foster gives his thoughts on Danville, “The Lady Little Johns is a very talented team and most have picked them to win the conference, so the Lady Hornets will have their hands full on Friday night. How we do against them will tell a lot about how the conference season will go for us!”
Sr Hornets Put The Sting On Yellow Jackets
MMS is Beating the Odds with ACT Scores
Mansfield Middle School has been recognized by the Office for Education Policy (OEP) at the University of Arkansas as a school that is “Beating the Odds”, because students demonstrated high growth on the ACT Aspire even though the school serves a population of students who participate in Free and Reduced Lunch!
As you may know, the OEP creates an annual report entitled the Outstanding Educational Performance Awards, and this year we are recognizing schools with high student growth. We think growth is the best indicator of the positive impact that your school is having on students.
In the Beating the Odds report to be released tomorrow, Mansfield Middle received the following awards:
Statewide “Beating the Odds” Overall Growth: Middle Level
Statewide “Beating the Odds” Math Growth: Middle Level
“Beating the Odds” Math Growth: Middle Level (Northwest Region)
Awards are based on the 2018 content growth score calculated by the Arkansas Department of Education. These growth scores reflect how much students at the school improved from 2017 compared to how much they were expected to grow considering prior achievement. We recognize schools based on Overall growth, as well as for growth in Math and English Language Arts separately. To learn more about how we determined the OEP award winners and to see the full list of award recipients, you can view the report here.
This year’s full list of OEP awards can be found here.
Day #4 of “Oh, Fudge!” brings you Rodger’s Cookie Dough Fudge
By: Kimberly Boyd
My momma was a single mom up until my 10th grade year when she married my study hall teacher. So, as a kid I watched her work hard for every penny she earned to support my brother and me. Even though I didn’t grow up in the traditional family setting, we still created memories as a family. My dream one day was to have my own family and my own traditions.
So, when my husband and I got married, I had dreams of having “that” family. He came from a beautiful family with lots of traditions. I tell him all the time he has a “Leave it to Beaver” family! Every since I was little, I wanted a house filled with sweet smelling cookies baking in the oven and kids playing sweetly in the floor. I wanted that all-American family dream with lots of traditions and memories!
God blessed us with four children, and I do bake cookies and pray they don’t burn while I am running around taking care of the house. The kids play in the floor; however, WWIII is usually breaking out as someone is blaming the other one for cheating on a game of UNO or one of the kids have body slammed the other one on the couch trying to do a WWE move. Our house isn’t perfect, but it is filled with love, traditions, and making memories.
One winter December day of 2014, I had gone to town visiting my mom, picking the kids up from school, and shopping at the dollar store. My husband came home from work, and calls me and says, “Hey! I just got home and there is a package on our porch.”
I rushed home with excitement wondering what in the world it could be. I wasn’t expecting any packages. We all sat down in the living room and opened the unknown Christmas package. As the kids peeled back the paper, there sat an Elf on the Shelf and the book explaining his history. My kids leaped for joy and we decided to name him, Rodger.
If you know me well, Rodger has become the most excitement ever in our household! Our kids count down the days for his return! For years, we never knew where he came from (I do now but it’s still a secret to all four of my kids even my 18 year old doesn’t know!), and our little kids still believe he came from the North Pole. But, his appearance and visits has become a family tradition that I absolutely love! Rodger the Elf is very mischievous and has done down right crazy things. From stealing our living room TV, permanent marker Elf tattoos while they slept, toilet papering our Christmas tree, booby trapping the kids in their rooms, silly stringing the entire house, elf snotting them while they slept, you name it and Rodger the Elf has done it! Our Elf on the Shelf is known for his pranks! But this… this just makes Christmas memories even sweeter for the kids!
So, for day #4 of “Oh Fudge”, I bring you Rodger’s Cookie Dough Fudge truly inspired by chocolate chip cookies and Christmas memories! Just remember, the memories created as a family last a life time of joy and blessings that kids never forget!
Rodger’s Cookie Dough Fudge
Ingredients:
1 stick of Butter
¾ cup of Sugar
1 teaspoon of Vanilla
1 cup of Self-Rising Flour
1 ¼ cup of Mini Chocolate Chips (divided)
1 (14oz) can of Sweetened Condensed Milk
1 ½ cup of White Chocolate (melted)
Directions:
First, grease an 8×9 square pan with cooking spray. Line with parchment or foil paper.
Next, with a mixer, beat butter, sugar, and vanilla till smooth. Add the flour and beat until combined. Stir in one cup of the mini chocolate chips. This makes the cookie dough mixture.
In another bowl, melt the white chocolate chips in the microwave for about 30 to 45 seconds and then combine sweetened condensed milk. Last fold in the cookie dough mixture with the other bowl of sweetened condense milk and melted white chocolate. Stir until all is combined.
Pour cookie dough fudge into the lined pan and top with the remaining ¼ cup of mini chocolate chips.
Refrigerate until fudge is firm. This takes about two hours. Remove from pan by lifting the edges of parchment paper and cut into squares. Enjoy!
Lavaca Alumni Spotlight – Pablo Mendez
Pablo Mendez is a 1994 graduate of Lavaca High School and is this months Alumni Spotlight. He was born in Chicago, IL and moved to Lavaca when he was 13 years old. While Pablo was in school at Lavaca he played football and ran track. In 1999 Pablo married the love of his life, Susan Mendez (Hays). Susan is also a Lavaca High School graduate. Together they have 4 children, Amaya, Malakai, Kaesha, and Alana. They are all currently enrolled in Lavaca public schools.
Both Pablo and his wife Susan are volunteer coaches. Pablo has been coaching for 14 years. He coached Little League until this year, when he became a volunteer coach for the Lavaca High and Jr High football programs. Pablo had to take several classes, a background check, and a ton of time consuming paperwork to get certified to coach in school. He did all of that on his own dime and his own time. Pablo has coached Baseball, softball, basketball, and football. His wife Susan coaches both the 3rd and 4th grade and 5th and 6th grade cheerleaders. Pablo, also announces all of the basketball games for Lavaca public schools, and Little League Football games. Back in 1995 and 96, Pablo announced the Lavaca football games on the radio. Pablo bleeds purple and gold! When it comes to his coaching, Pablo says, “I love the kids, the game, and our community.” Coach Brian Schlinker, head football coach at Lavaca, said, “It was such a blessing having Coach Pablo join our staff. He loves Lavaca and he truly has a passion for the youth of our town. He brought great enthusiasm and knowledge of football.”
Pablo describes himself as a “goofball, a big kid at heart, who loves to dance, laugh and make others laugh.” He also sees himself as a “music guru”. If you have spent any time around Pablo, you can see that he loves his family, community, school and people as a whole. Coach Mark Headley, the Athletic Director at Lavaca High School, had this to say in regards to Pablo, “It is unbelievable the amount of time he puts into the kids of Lavaca. He works a full time job and the volunteers with Little League, Junior High and High School athletics. Pablo has a servants heart and we are thankful for all that he does.”
Pablo and his family exemplify what hometown spirit is all about. As a community, we can not thank him enough for the selflessness and caring that he has given. Over the past 14 years, not many of our student athletes have not been influenced by the Mendez family at one time or another. When you run into Pablo, and you will if you attend any of Lavaca’s sporting events, take the time to thank him for his service to our community. He truly is a friend to Lavaca.
Sebastian County Assessor’s Office Sponors Toy Drive
By Tammy Moore Teague
For the past 14 years the Sebastian County Assessor’s Office has been collecting toys at Christmas time. Current Assessor, Zach Johnson, looks to continue that tradition. “We are reaching out to ask for help with a project that is near and dear to our hearts,” stated Johnson.
Sebastian County has the highest number of children in foster care within the state of Arkansas. As many as 800 children from Sebastian County are in foster care at any given time during the year. Many are sent to different parts of Arkansas due to the lack of certified care givers and homes in our area. Although DHS does its best to keep siblings together, sometimes it’s not always possible.
“It makes a tough time of year even rougher on these children,” added Johnson. “Our toy collection was started by Ms. Becky Yandell, my predecessor in the Assessor’s office. Ms. Yandell saw a need in our area and did her best to help out where she could. This is why I am reaching out to you. While the needs are great, our individual resources are limited. We do the best we can, but are hoping to partner up with our communities to create as much Christmas joy for these children as possible.”
Beginning December 3, their office will begin accepting donations of toys at the Fort Smith and Greenwood courthouse locations. These donations will be delivered by DHS during the week of December 17.
“Thank you so much for your consideration in helping us achieve our goal of providing some positive memories for the children. Please don’t hesitate to contact us with any questions or even potential ideas, we welcome them all! We look forward to seeing what happens when a community comes together for the good of the children! Have a very Merry Christmas!”
Escapees in Custody, SCSO Release Details
By Tammy Moore Teague
On Monday evening, around 6:30 p.m., four males escaped the Mansfield Juvenile Treatment Facility. By 10 a.m., Tuesday morning, all four had been captured and taken into custody.
The male escapees were described as two white, one bi-racial and one Marshall Islander. The juveniles were 15 to 17 years of age.
The Sebastian County Sheriff’s Office, the Arkansas State Police, the Mansfield Police Department and the Scott County Sheriff’s Office worked throughout the night to capture the four.
Around 2 a.m. this morning, a worker from the facility spotted one of the juveniles standing in front of the Dollar General store in Mansfield. They pulled in and the juvenile fled on foot. A van also fled the parking lot.
Upon investigation, authorities with the Mansfield Police Department discovered the two had broken out the front glass to the store and had stolen some cigarettes and some chips.
Meanwhile, the fleeing van was spotted by SCSO on Highway 71 and Hendrix Road near Greenwood. SCSO attempted to stop the vehicle, however, the vehicle failed to yield. The van led officers from several agencies on a pursuit which led into Fort Smith. From Fort Smith, the vehicle fled from officers south toward Hackett. In Hackett, law enforcement was able to set up spike sticks and the vehicle was rendered inoperable. The driver was discovered to be one of the escapees. He is currently in custody at the Sebastian County Juvenile Detention Center. He is charged with escape, theft by receiving, fleeing, and reckless driving. The vehicle the juvenile was driving was discovered to be stolen from an apartment in Mansfield. He was captured at around 2:30 a.m. No one was injured in the pursuit and speeds never got over 65 mph.
Because of the ongoing search this morning for the remaining three escapees, the Mansfield School District placed the entire campus on lock down. A blanket text message was sent out to all parents and guardians of the students to advise them of the security measure.
At around 9:15 a.m., two juvenile males were seen walking in Mansfield near City Hall. When law enforcement sought to make contact, the two fled on foot. Both have since been captured after foot chases.
Shortly thereafter, at approximately 10 a.m., the last remaining escapee was captured near the trailer park in Mansfield. These escapees were captured without incident by the Sebastian County Sheriff’s Office. All four are now in custody and will be taken to the Sebastian County Juvenile Detention Center. Following the capture, the Mansfield School District lifted its precautionary district-wide lock down.
2018 Waldron Fall Athletic Banquet
By Megan Hecox
The Waldron Bulldogs held their annual 2018 Fall Athletic Banquet. Following are the incredibly talented kids and their achievements.
Volleyball-Pictured Left to Right: Bayleigh Lipham-Hustle Award and Honorable Mention 3A All-State, Rheagan Sanford-Offensive MVP and 3A All-State, Lilly Scott-Leadership Award, and Samantha Slater-Defense MVP
Football Awards-Back Row-Left to Right: Braden Williams-4A-4 Honorable Mention All-Conference, Spencer Chapel-Special Teams Award, Rick Hinojosa-Alpha Dog Leadership Award. Front Row/Left to Right: Cody Starr-Uncommon Man Award, Jarrod Starr-4A-4 All-Conference, Caden Fuller-4A-4 All-Conference, and Mason Cox-4A-4 Honorable Mention All-Conference.
Cross Country-Pictured Left to Right: Ryleigh Anschutz-Fastest Female and 3A-1 All-Conference, Constance Richmond- 3A-1 All-Conference, and Zach Canada-3A-1 All-Conference. Not Pictured: Ethan Martin-Fastest Male and 3A-1 All-Conference and Evan Ledesma-3A-1 All-Conference.
Golf Awards-Pictured Left to Right: Brody Jones-3A-4 All-District, Coach Atchley, and Lane Metcalf-3A-4 All-District. Not Pictured: Drew Owens, Jaden Hutchens, Rena Owens, and Madison Patrick.
A HUGE thank you to Sandy Tull for the pictures and her continuous dedication to the students at Waldron!
Jr Tigers Win By A Whisker
By Megan Hecox
The Mansfield Jr High Tigers kept their fans on the edge of their seats all the way to the sound of the final buzzer. It wasn’t until late in the 4th quarter that the Tigers finally took the lead to seal the deal. “Charleston did a great job of forcing us out of our comfort zone,” said Boys Head Coach, Kent Elmore.
With about 3 minutes left in the game, the (1-0) Tigers were down by 8. “I decided to go big,” says Coach Elmore, “so I put (6’4) Dalton Pettigrew and (6’5) Zayne Dugan in the game together. The height and length really put their defense at a disadvantage and we put up a quick 8-0 run. In the end, Clint Stovall was able to knock down 2 big free throws to give us the 2 point victory.” Ethan Pettus and Zayne Dugan scored 8 points each while Tyler Escalante brought in another 6 points.
The Lady Tigers had a harder time finding their groove and ended the game with a loss against Charleston 57-20. The game was an intense match between two talented teams but in the end, there could be only one winner.
Next up for the Jr High Tigers is Round 2 in the Waldron Classic on Wednesday, December 5th with the Lady Tigers playing first at 5 pm and the Tigers playing at 6:15 pm.
7th Grade Lady Tigers Sink That Shot
By Megan Hecox
It was a game you’d have to see to believe. The 7th Grade Mansfield Lady Tigers stayed neck-n-neck with the Charleston Lady Tigers until the very end when Mansfield pulled away for the win 12-10. There is never a dull moment when these two ground and pound schools go up against each other.
Leading the team in scoring was Raine Hecox with 7 points. Kynslee Ward and Alyson Edwards brought in the remaining 5 points. The Lady Tigers showed incredible hustle and dominance. One could even say they were fueled by sweat and driven by desire.
The Tigers showed hustle and heart in their game against Charleston. The Mansfield 7th grade boys fell short to Charleston 24-13 but it wasn’t from lack of effort. They played hard with everything that they had and will not let this loss get to them. The Tigers will continue to practice and move on to the next one.
The 7th Grade Mansfield Tigers will play in the Mansfield Jamboree on Saturday, December 8th. They will face Union Christian Academy at 10 am and Hackett at 1 pm.
Day #3 of “Oh Fudge” brings you White Chocolate Cappuccino Fudge!
By: Kimberly Boyd
There is something about a having a long day, and then coming home to a fire built and a warm cup of coffee to relax. Sometimes in life, we get thrown a curve ball and all we can do is pray to God for a miracle.
One time, I remember my mom receiving a phone call that devastated our family. Even though I was only six when everything took place, I still remember the day like it was yesterday. I was laying on the couch watching PBS, and the phone rang. I heard the tone in my momma’s voice change and tears stroll down her cheeks as she listened on the other end to the voice talking. I remember watching and thinking, “what’s wrong with Momma?” When she hung up, she looked at me and said, “Kimberly, we gotta pray. They just found a brain tumor on your cousin Neal.”
My little cousin was only a year younger than me. He was five years old, and he had just been diagnosed with brain cancer. I’ll never understand this ugly disease. But, I remember my momma grabbing my hand and we stopped right there and prayed for my cousin. Then, she made herself a cup of coffee and sat at the kitchen table and cried.
As days past, she received more phone calls and updates. We just kept praying.
Christmas time rolled around, and I couldn’t wait to see my family. Once again, all the Schlinkers gathered together with their covered dishes and we were ready for a Christmas feast. The best thing I remember about these family gatherings was playing tag with my cousins. We all played hard till we got in trouble for running inside!
That Christmas, I will never forget.
My Aunt and Uncle walked in the door with their two boys, and there was my cousin, Neal. He clung to his mother and had a tight grip on her hand. I remember as a kid thinking, “what happened?” His appearance had changed. He had lost his hair, and he had a huge scar on his head from surgery. He had lost his smile and sparkle in his eye. He didn’t want to play. He just sat at the table with his mom and dad. At the time, I did not understand. We tried to get him up to play with us. But, he just sat.
I remember his little sad face as he watched us run and play. Cancer is an awful thing for anyone to go through, but watching a kid suffer is heartbreaking. I remember his mother leaning down to whisper as I came closer, “Neal, baby, do you want to get up and go play?” He shook his head no and leaned in to lay his head on his mother’s shoulder. I should have said something, but I didn’t know what to say. I just ran away.
After years of several surgeries, chemo and radiation, and doctor visits, my cousin survived that brain tumor. However, life has never been the same for him. I thank God for saving him. His smile has returned and it can light up a room when he walks in because he is a true survivor. He went through so much..things no kid should ever have to go through. His parents went through more than most parents have ever endured. But, through the grace of God, they have made it and Neal is the sweetest person you could possibly meet. Each Christmas, I can’t wait to be greeted by his smile as I walk in the door, because he is a cancer survivor!
So, for Day #3 of “Oh, Fudge!,” I bring you “White Chocolate Cappuccino Fudge,” because sometimes, when you have a bad day, you just need a cup of coffee, a good prayer, and piece of fudge to melt away the troubles of the world.
For all our readers who are struggling with cancer, don’t give up! We are praying for you!
White Chocolate Cappuccino Fudge
Ingredients:
1 ½ tablespoons of Instant Coffee
1 tablespoon of Hot Water
4 ounces of Unsalted Butter (equals ½ cup or 1 stick)
2 cups of Sugar
¾ Cup of Heavy Whipping Cream
1 teaspoon Salt
1 package of White Chocolate Chips (12 oz.)
1 jar of Marshmallow Cream (7 oz.)
1 teaspoon of Vanilla Extract
Directions:
Line a 8×9 baking pan with foil or parchment paper and spray with cooking spray. Next, in a small bowl combine instant coffee and hot water. Stir until coffee dissolves. Set aside for now. Now, place butter, sugar, whipping cream, and salt in a medium size pot. Turn on your burner to medium to high heat. Stir until sugar dissolves and butter melts. Continue to cook fudge and stir frequently until it comes to a boil. Once the temperature reaches 240 degrees, remove the pot from heat. Add the white chocolate chips. Stir. Now, add the marshmallow cream and stir again. Stir until all of this is melted. If you need to, you can return it to the stove to heat slightly until all the chips are melted. Last, add vanilla extract and stir.
Next, scoop out about 1 ½ cups of the fudge into a small bowl. No need to really measure this. You can guess. You basically are just needing to remove about a quarter of the fudge. This will be for the white swirl to use at the end of the fudge making process. Set this aside.
Next, add the coffee liquid to the remaining fudge left in the bowl. Stir until it is well blended. Place the coffee fudge into the greased pan. Go fast! Now, scoop spoonfuls of the white fudge you have in the other bowl and dollop on top of the coffee fudge. Take a butter knife and swirl the two fudges together. Do not swirl too much or you will have just a muddy fudge. You will want a distinction of the two flavors. Chill for two to three hours to harden and then serve! Enjoy!
