By Tammy Moore Teague
Hackett’s Helping Hands program kicked off on Monday afternoon as Chief Darrell Spells and Sebastian County Sheriff Deputy Mike Burcham delivered boxes filled with items for a Thanksgiving meal. The distribution was made possible by an anonymous donor.
Five Hackett families were blessed by the giving. Some were moved to tears by the generous act. “My family really appreciated what they did for us,” commented one of the recipients of the Thanksgiving meal boxes.
“Hackett Helping Hands was a program developed to provide families assistance during Christmas. This is our fourth year. In three years we have raised over $10,000 and helped 200 families,” stated Spells. “The support we have seen from the community has been tremendous. I had a family today donate $1,000 . They would never want me to name them publicly but I can tell you they care deeply about this community and taking care of these families at Christmas”.
One of the things Spells is adamant about is service to the community–“Protect and Serve.” It’s something he does with great heart and passion. Burcham said “the community loves him and he loves his community.” He is, however, quick to give credit to those who assist in this labor of love. Hackett City employees, Jennifer Costa and Kelly Lane help sack groceries and organize toys each year for Hackett Helping Hands. “Jennifer and Kelly are what keep this thing going behind the scenes. The last few days of the drive they never sit down because they’re handling their normal duties and rushing to the back to sack food and coordinate where each delivery is going. Their main function is to keep me away from any type of organization or we end up with twenty seven cans of cream corn and a bag of marshmallows in a grocery delivery.”
Additionally, the program benefits from the hard work of Debbie Hester’s EAST class at Hackett High School. The class provides banners and signs for the campaign. “The local Dollar General also provides a food and toy drive location. They’ve been a tremendous asset to the community.”
In the coming days, donation jars will be at local businesses. Toy and food donation boxes will also be at the Hackett Dollar General. You can make monetary donations at Hackett City Hall or Farmers Bank in Hackett. This year the donations are limited to monetary, food, or a new unwrapped toy only.
“I think it’s important for the public to see where their donation goes,” added Spells. “That’s why you’ll see some of our interactions on social media so the people who donated can say ‘hey I helped that boy get a new bike or that little girl get a new baby doll.'”
The Hackett Helping Hands program is off to a great start, and Spells is optimistic. “Over the years we’ve learned what works and what doesn’t. I’m excited to see what this year holds in store for the program. We’ll begin working with the school and churches soon to identify those families in need.”
Hackett’s Helping Hands Kickoff
Holiday Fire Safety: Thanksgiving Edition
By Tammy Moore Teague
Thanksgiving Day is quickly approaching, and Northwest Scott Fire Chief Donnie Adkins shared some tips to help those who plan to deep fry their turkey. Adkins is a fire safety instructor and offers the following advice:
The National Fire Protection Association states that nearly four times as many home cooking fires reportedly happen on Thanksgiving than any other day of the year. Further, the second-leading day for home cooking fires is the day before Thanksgiving.
1. Prepare a safe space.
First and foremost, scout out a safe area at least ten feet away from your home. Keep the fryer out of garages, decks as well as a safe distance away from buildings, trees and shrubs. Ensure that there will be no bystanders, children or pets within 3 feet once you begin. Having a working fire extinguisher nearby is wise, too.
When you’re ready to thaw the turkey, the U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends getting an early start: For every 4-5 lbs., let it sit out for at least 24 hours. Frozen or wet turkeys can cause hot oil to splatter, potentially causing burns.
2. Be careful around the oil.
Put on your safety glasses, oven mitts and an apron to handle the fryer well before the oil starts to bubble. Make sure your fryer is on a flat, level space to carefully gauge the amount of oil needed. Don’t use too much oil, pouring too much oil in could cause the burner to ignite it if it spills out. To prevent overflow, put the bird in the fryer, filling the fryer with water, removing the bird and marking the level with a permanent marker. Then thoroughly dry the fryer and pour the oil to below that level.
3. Get the temperature just right.
When cooking turkey, the oil temperature should be at 325 degrees. It may take 4 to 5 minutes per pound to reach the recommended temperatures, as dark meat should get up to an internal temperature of about 180 degrees F, and white meat to an internal temperature of about 170 degrees.Heat Properly – Heat the oil to between 325 and 375 degrees. A 15-pound turkey should take 45 minutes to an hour to cook.
4. Monitor the turkey.
Using temperature controls to monitor the blaze is must. Also, and take your time while frying the turkey. Slowly raise and lower the turkey into the fryer to minimize spills, and give your full attention to the process. It’s wise to never leave the bird unattended. Unattended cooking was by far the leading contributing factor in cooking fires and fire deaths.
5. Be sure to remove the bird from the fryer slowly, turn off the heat, and clean up your frying area.
In part two of this holiday safety series, Adkins will share more tips on seasonal fire safety.
Heritage Funeral Home Offers Monument Service
By Tammy Moore Teague
Sammy and Melissa Callahan of Waldron opened Heritage Memorial Funeral Home in August 2008. One year later, they added a crematory. This year, they started offering a new service, monuments.
“We began selling monuments several years back, but only recently started producing them in-house,” Melissa explained. “We do everything from design, sandblasting and setting them in the cemetery.” They will also go to the cemetery and do final dates on existing monuments.
“We are a full service funeral home. We strive to meet the needs of all families that we serve in every capacity possible,” she added. “We want to offer more for people to do business locally at affordable prices.”
The Callahan’s have operated their business with great compassion. Once they began producing the headstones, they knew they would want to design and display the Ten Commandments. “It is something we live by daily,” shared Melissa. “It took a little while to find the perfect stone.” Ultimately they did, and the display is truly awe-inspiring.
Heritage Memorial Funeral Home is the only funeral home in Scott County with three licensed funeral directors and a licensed embalmer. They have set themselves apart in this business by offering personalized, professional services at affordable prices.
Little League Tiger Football Is Here For Long Run
By Megan Hecox
Many people in Mansfield spent this football season watching the Sr High Tigers in their historical run this year and rightfully so. The Sr Tigers had an AWESOME season. But did you know that the Little League Tigers had an AWESOME season too? Why yes, yes they did. The 3rd and 4th grade Tigers went 7-1-1 and won the West Central Football League Championship while 5th and 6th grade Tigers made the West Central Football League Playoffs.
The 3rd and 4th grade Mansfield Little League Tigers showed poise and discipline all season. They lost to Hackett and tied with JC Westside in the regular season, but were able to get redemption for those blemishes by dominating JC Westside in the Playoffs and beating Hackett in the WCFL Championship.
Manfield’s 3rd and 4th grade Head Coach David Moore said “It was truly an honor to be able to step up and coach this group of kids with my brother Steven and two of my classmates (Tim Wilson and Jeremy Whittaker) and friend Chris Williams. We knew we had some 4th graders that would step up and take the leadership role of the team and we had lots of raw talent in our group of 3rd graders. We just needed them to prove to themselves that they had what it takes to be great football players. Our main goal this season was to teach kids to love football and have as much fun as possible, but also to take care of business and they did exactly that. We had a few hiccups along the way but never doubted that they would be playing in the Championship at the end of the season. They knew what needed to be done in the big game and they took care of business. I am a firm believer that you need a great group of parents to make any Little League team a success and we had that. I’d like to thank all the parents for their support this season. I believe we had the bigger crowd at every home and away game. The kids notice those kinds of things. Mansfield Little League football has a great future.”
The Tigers 5th and 6th graders had a rough start but they pulled through and showed what they were made of towards the end of their season. Their 3 regular season losses came against other Playoff teams (Hackett, Magazine, and JC Westside). They faced off against undefeated and eventual WCFL Champions Hackett in their first round of the Playoffs and gave them all that they could handle before falling to the Hornets.
Tigers 5th and 6th grade Coach Jason Edwards said “No matter what the win/loss record may show, I honestly believe we had a great season. Our players did some real growth this year. They were knocked down multiple times but got back up every time. All a coach can ask for is a players best on the field and our kids went above and beyond their best for us. I am super proud of our players in every way. We’re losing some really great 6th Grade players in our skill positions and our line but there are a bunch of players ready to step up and #EARNIT next year. This is a tough group of young men who will no doubt make a huge difference in Mansfield football in future years to come.”
Mansfield Little League President Josh Strozier had this to say about the program “I think that changing leagues to the newly created WCFL has given all of us small towns a chance to strive. We’re all equal in size and talent which seems to make the kids hunger for the sport of football again. It all starts in Little League but the effects ripple all the way up into High School Football. These kids know they have the support of the community, coaches, and teammates anytime they go to war with any opponent on the field. There were some rough spots this season but we will adjust accordingly for next year. We want to encourage the kids to keep playing hard and bring their friends out to play next season. I’m very proud of every kid on both teams and their coaches. GO RED!”
If you thought the Tigers Sr High season was a mere Cinderella season, think again. Mansfield Little League is sending up some true contenders for the High School coaches to make Mansfield Football, as a whole, a force to be reckoned with in the future.
Little League Hornets Creating A BUZZ In Football
By Megan Hecox
The Hackett Little League Hornets Football season can be summed up into one word. Dominate. Both Little League Hornet squads combined for an overall record of 15-1 this season. The 5th and 6th grade team went undefeated and won the West Central Football League Championship while the 3rd and 4th grade went 7-1 falling only to the Mansfield Tigers in their Championship game.
The 3rd and 4th grade Hornets were the definition of speed and skill all season. They cruised through their football schedule with ease going undefeated against some stiff competition. The Hornets played nearly perfect on both sides of the ball. Although they lost their only game in the Championship, the Hornet Coaches know they have something special on their hands.
Hornet 3rd and 4th grade Coach Nick Holbert said “I couldn’t be more proud of this team. We came a long way this year and conquered many of our goals. The Championship was a hard fought game. It could’ve gone either way at any point of the game. In the end, Mansfield was the better team that day and we congratulate them. To me it’s not completely about winning games and trophies, it’s about lifelong lessons. It’s coaching kids about a sport I love, about discipline, working hard, teamwork, family, and that nothing is just handed to you! I thank all of the kids, parents, and other coaches. It was a fun year. We WILL be back next year.”
Hackett 5th and 6th grade team set their eyes on the gold early in the season and never looked back. The Hornets blew through the WCFL leaving opponents and a trail of dust behind them. Hackett’s offense used speed and some sweet moves to juke opponents clean out of their shoes on multiple occasions. Their defense was a true brick wall for any team to face by only allowing 40 points combined for the entire season.
Hackett 5th and 6th grade Coach Chuck Hamilton said “We are very proud of how our boys and our girl played this season. They worked hard every practice and played their hearts out every game. All of their hard work paid off in the end. It’s been a long time since we have won a Little League Football Championship. We are very proud of our team. We are very proud of our community. All of the coaches and parents have been very supportive. Hackett has a great future ahead in the game of football.”
Hackett Little League President Dave Slavens said this about their program “Our Little League football teams far exceeded anything we were expecting this season. These players bought into what their coaches wanted to accomplish. It all paid off with both teams making it into the WCFL Championship. Our 5th and 6th grade team winning the Championship and the 3rd and 4th grade finishing as Runner-Up. Players like Brycen Hamilton, Landen Slavens, Drayden Best, and Hayden Foster will be missed in the league next season. But we believe the younger guys like Matthew Garner, Christopher Elkins, and Dylan Blair are more than capable of picking up where our leaders left off when we get back on the field next season. GO HORNETS!”
The Yellow and Black Hornet Hive is growing and Hackett football has a very bright future ahead of it. With young talent of this kind, full of heart and desire, the Hackett Hornets are eyeing championships from Little League all the way up to a High School State Championship.
Tigers And Hornets Prepare For Shootout
By Megan Hecox
The Mansfield Tigers and Hackett Hornets Sr High basketball teams will step up to the net and battle each other in tonights Hackett Invitational. Instead of being a tournament set-up, tonight’s event will be more like a round robin. There will be 4 teams involved in this two-day match-up. They include Booneville, Western Yell, Mansfield, and Hackett.
Today for Round 1, Booneville and Western Yell will get things started with the Sr High girls playing at 4 and the Sr High boys playing at 530. Ending the night will be Mansfield and Hackett. Sr High girls will play at 7 with the Sr High boys wrapping things up at 830.
“Court” will resume tomorrow November 20th with the teams changing up opponents. Mansfield will take on Booneville with the Sr High girls playing at 4 and the Sr High boys playing at 530. No jury selection will be needed when Hackett closes out the night against Western Yell with the Sr High girls playing at 7 and the Sr High boys playing at 830.
Both Mansfield and Hackett boys and girls teams are evenly matched with their 0-1 seasons so far. The Mansfield Tigers fell to the Lavaca Arrows while the Hackett Hornets came up short against the Cedarville Pirates. With both teams stepping up ready to conquer the win, it really is anyone’s game.
The Hackett Invitational will take place in Hackett on Monday, November 19th and Tuesday, November 20th. The Tigers and the Hornets play today at 7/830. Tomorrow, Mansfield plays at 4/530 and Hackett plays at 7/830. You sure won’t want to miss all of the excitement that the next two days are going to produce.
MMS Career Development Hosts Military Family
By Raine Hecox
Sr Bulldogs Basketball Crash The Glass
By Megan Hecox
The Waldron Sr High Basketball teams are making their way from town to town and ensuring that every team they face will remember their names. The Sr High boys team is 4-0 in overall play while the Sr High girls team is 1-2. Last week the teams squared off against Magazine and Atkins. Tonight the Bulldogs hit the road and head to Horatio to foul out the Lions.
With the Sr High boys being 4-0, they are proving that there are zero goals they can’t reach. The boys have taken on and defeated DeQueen, Mulberry, Magazine, and Atkins. In those four games, a total of 288 points have been achieved by the Bulldogs. The boys have already blown last years stats out of the water. Four games into the 2017-2018 schedule, the Bulldogs were only 1-3. Talk about a complete turn-around. Head boys Coach Joshua Brown couldn’t be more happy with how his team has been performing this season, “I’m proud of our guys for how hard they have played and by overcoming adversities. They have played with some physicality in a great High School Basketball environment. I’m also proud of our guys for the great sportsmanship they displayed in the game against Atkins. All five of our guys on the floor went to check on an injured player after he got to a seat.”
The Sr High girls have already gone up against Mulberry, Magazine, and Atkins. Although they struggled for the wins in their last two games, the girls only lost by a combined total of 17 points. The Lady Bulldogs might be down at the moment but they certainly are not out. Head girls Coach Josh Atchley states “We are still growing and learning. We are focused on adding value from one day to the next. Junior Chelsea Stidmon has been one of our toughest competitors and quietly leads our team by example. Senior Chenoa Burdess is our returning scorer from last year and has put in tons of work to be successful this year. Seniors Jillian Davis, Lilly Scott, Mackinzie Callahan, Kenzy Polan, Sam Slater, Aubrey Butler, and Jackie Diaz have all bought in and worked incredibly hard all offseason.”
The Sr High and Jr High teams are hitting the court to demolish the Lions at Horatio with game time starting at 4 pm.
Manes and Mays Decorated as Eagle Scouts
In a formal ceremony this past Saturday at Fellowship Baptist Church in Witcherville, Wyatt Manes, and Lane Mays were pinned, and decorated as Eagle Scouts. This achievement is the highest rank of the Boy Scouts and is no easy task.
The level of Eagle Scout takes an average of 7 years to complete, while earning 21 merit badges and tasked with fulfilling an Eagle Scout project. Only 3% in the entire Boy Scout fraternity actually makes Eagle Scout rank.
Wyatt built food pantry boxes where he placed them at several different locations in Witcherville, Huntington and Dayton. He then filled the boxes with food for the needy. He coordinated with several local churches to assist in restocking them.
Lane did a beautification project at the Pleasant Grove Cemetery where he rebuilt the Veterans memorial, repainted the gate, and cleaned all the headstones. Then, he removed a massive tree that had been hit by lightning. This project too over 100 man hours to complete.
Seth Mays, gave the newly decorated Eagle Scouts a personal “charge” where he further instructed both his younger brother, Lane and Manes a directive of his personal experience, and what is to be expected of them not only as elder Boy Scouts, but to carry the proud Eagle Scout code.
Troop #330 has spots to fill for any boy who is 11 years old or has finished 5th grade. Parents can contact Gary Martin at (479) 461-3860 for more information.
Changes Coming to Mansfield Juvenile Treatment Facility
By Tammy Moore Teague
Statewide changes to juvenile treatment centers were announced last week by Governor Asa Hutchinson and the Department of Youth Services. Those changes will impact the Mansfield Juvenile Treatment Facility.
The facility at Dermott will close and a center at Colt will merge into one with Harrisburg. Department of Human Services Deputy Director Keesa Smith said they are converting Harrisburg to an all-girls facility. “We will be transitioning the girls currently located in Mansfield from this site and Mansfield will become all-male,” stated Smith. Adding, “our agency plans to increase the capacity of the Mansfield facility by 16.”
“The overall goal is to cut youth incarceration,” Hutchinson said. “Over time, funds that would cover the cost of locking up children can go to therapeutic group homes, psychiatric and substance-abuse programs, community-based services, and diversion efforts that direct children away from formal processing in juvenile courts while still holding them accountable.”
The youth agency’s plan outlines the state’s intent to return the remaining lockups to private control next year. Under the plan, the closure of the two facilities would be no later than July of 2019. Hutchinson described the plan as a “monumental first step forward.” Adding that, “It’s only the first of several series of actions coming.”