Resident News Network

Lady Tiger Prep Team Takes Championship

Headlines

-

5:50 pm

It was a really good week of practice for the Mansfield junior girls cross country team. That was according to their coach. By the results of the Van Buren Pointer Classic on Saturday, Oct 13, he was right.

“The weather changed, and our kids’ finally had cool temperatures to train much harder,” said Mansfield coach John Mackey. “Wednesday and Thursday were really positive. It carried over into today’s meet.”

McKenzie Griffin and Shelby Cole compete for the Mansfield junior girls team.

Mansfield’s prep team got out and competed so well that they took the Van Buren championship. A 24 point total outran conference rival West Fork for the small school division’s top prize. West Fork was second at 35 points.

The Lady Tigers did a tremendous job of pack running. Each of the 13 participants paced with a partner and pushed each other in a good way. The results were waves of Mansfield products reaching the finish line in close proximity.

Race place evidence revealed Mansfield junior girls crossed at 5th and 7th place among the 1A-4A grouping. Then places 12th, 13th, 14th, 16th, and 17th were all Red Tigers. Next came completions at the 20th, 21st, 24th, and 25th positions. Then 29th and 30th place were filled by MJH players.

Faith Rainwater and Olivia Bouse are step for step for the Lady Tiger juniors.

Faith Rainwater (14:22.56) and Olivia Bouse (14:40.53) ran nearly the entire 2-mile race step for step. The pair took the top two spots for the scoring Mansfield five.

Hope Rainwater (15:14.02), Jadelynn Wood (15:14.70), and Shelby Cole (15:15.05) closed in consecutive order to complete the Mansfield score.

McKenzie Griffin (15:33.33) and Harleigh Mars (15:38.22) crossed soon after filling the displacer roles and giving the Lady Tigers seven players in the top seventeen places.

Rookie runner Raine Hecox, a Mansfield seventh grader, gave the squad an eighth runner in the top 20. Teammates Heidi Ebarb, Darby Jones, and Lita Hecox made it eleven Tigers in the top 25.

Eden Mounts and Lauren Poston rounded out the victorious Tiger squad as they landed in the top 30.

“The younger girls are reaping the results of some good mileage workouts,” stated Mackey. “Faith and Hope put in extra time this week. Jadelynn and Olivia are finding out how good they can be with growing confidence. Shelby is long and athletic. McKenzie and Harleigh are feeling better after bouts with health issues.”

The junior team will have a final tuneup at the Magazine Run on Tuesday, October 16. They compete at the District 3A-1 West conference race on Saturday, October 20 at Waldron.

Jadelynn Wood and Harleigh Mars react to the start.

MHS XC Senior Spotlight – Sara Willadsen

Headlines

-

5:34 pm

0

MHS XC Senior Spotlight – Sara Willadsen

Mansfield Senior, Sara Willadsen is aware of the “Toads In Grandfather’s” story which goes something like this.

A man awoke every morning and swallowed a toad. Day by day the odd ritual occurred without fail. Eventually, a friend just had to ask why a person would do such a disgusting thing. The toad sucking man gave a simple response. “If I eat a toad every morning, nothing that happens to me the rest of the day could be any worse.”

Sara Willadsen, a senior cross country runner for Mansfield, has heard this story many times from her grandfather, Lars Willadsen. It has become her guide, almost an anthem if you well, on how to approach life and respond to barriers that get in the way.

One major obstacle the senior faced this year was that she was locked out of going to her own school. Hartford High School, a place she spent most of her formative years, was closed at the end of her junior year.

Financial concerns from the Hartford/Hackett school system necessitated the closure of the Hartford campus. Suddenly she had no alternative but to attend a new and unfamiliar place of learning.

Aware of her grandfather’s words, Willadsen responded with a smile. Not only did she embrace her new school at Mansfield, she also found acceptance from a new team. The displaced senior joined the Mansfield Lady Tiger cross country squad.

“The transition went pretty well,” said Willadsen as she reflected on her move to a new school and her first experience with cross country. “I’m super happy. My new teammates have been friendly and accepting. I feel welcomed.”

The former Hartford Hustler had never run cross country before this season. She previously tried basketball, softball, and track at her old school in Hartford.

“I love track,” smiled the senior. “Even if I was terrible at track, I would do it. I’d never run long distance before but I decided to join cross country because others said it would be a good way to get in shape.”

Getting in shape has certainly been the objective planned by Willadsen’s new mentor, long time Mansfield coach John Mackey.

“I think Sara has done fantastic,” bragged Mackey about his new pupil. “Cross country was certainly new to her. She had done several track events, but no long distance training. She signed up the first day of school, allowed us to coach, and the results have been most pleasing.”

The contemporary sport hasn’t been easy for the beginner. High mileage workouts and a weight lifting routine shocked her system for a few weeks. But, Willadsen endured and settled in pretty quickly over the last nine weeks.

Despite a condensed introduction to a stout training schedule, anything was better than the toads in grandfather’s story. Even as the races got brutally tough like the Thrill on the Hill in Greenwood, Willadsen persevered.

“I stuck with it because I learned to embrace the workouts and enjoy the team,” said the novice athlete. “I think you have to experience being bad at something before you get better. I just had to go through the trials and know it gets better.”

Mackey claims his budding star has raised the bar and established new heights to her athleticism.

“Sara would be the first to tell you she didn’t think she could run that far,” explained the coach. “She started late in the game, but quickly moved up in level. She has a real determination to succeed. She pushes daily, and makes no excuses. I’m really proud of Sara. She’s been one of my favorite players to coach this season.”

Since the first meet of the year, Willadsen has dropped her 5K race time nearly four and a half minutes. At last Tuesday’s race in Mena, she was the number three scorer for the Lady Tigers at a season best time of 28:21.3

“I’m happy in the sense that I see progress,” claimed Willadsen. “I know it’s a process and I see can the line of trajectory. I wish I had known in middle school that this is something I wanted to do.”

When asked about the legacy she’s leaving behind despite a one and done year, the senior spoke with maturity and true self-awareness.

“I feel like I’m trying to be supportive to the younger kids,” revealed Willadsen. “I try to encourage and build them up to an all-star level even if I don’t have enough time to get there myself.”

According to Mansfield’s coach, Willadsen is already an all-star by her actions and work habits.

“The real measure of a person isn’t always about race place and finishing times,” acknowledge Mackey. “Sara is a good example of that. From what I’ve seen, she is already a winner.”

Dickens Seeks Seat on Waldron City Council

Headlines

Tammy Teague

-

4:11 pm

0

Dickens Seeks Seat on Waldron City Council

By Tammy Moore Teague

Doyle Dickens, a decade-long volunteer at the Waldron Nursing Home, is seeking a seat on the Waldron City Council. The 36 year-old Waldron native and his wife, Karen, have been married nine years. She is an employee of Kids First Day Care. His parents, Doyle and Angela Dickens also reside in Waldron.

“I love volunteering and helping people out,” stated Dickens. “I will bring fresh and new ideas to our wonderful town. I will work very hard to improve our Waldron first Saturday Trade Days by making it bigger and better. I support our downtown renovation. I will vote on issues and things that would be best for our community and town, we will strive to make it better for all people. My heart is for this town and community, for everyone, especially for our youth. I will have an open door policy. If anyone sees me out in the community, they can feel free to share their concerns, thoughts and any ideas that they may have. Thank you very much, I would appreciate your vote for Waldron city council Ward 3 Position 2.”

Lavaca Boy Scouts – Troop 674 Flag Retirement Ceremony

Headlines

Resident News Network

-

3:11 pm

0

Lavaca Boy Scouts – Troop 674 Flag Retirement Ceremony

Travis Sprick is the Scoutmaster of Troop 674 in Lavaca. He reached out to R22 News to ask for some help. Travis explained that “recently some of the Boy Scout have noticed some American flags in the trash cans to be picked up along the road”. Further, he asked if we could run a article about the proper way to retire and dispose of an American flag . Travis, the answer to your question is “absolutely”.
Unfortunately, we live in a day in time where Professional athletes take a knee during the National Anthem, and major companies like Nike try to capitalize on it by endorsing those who do. We live in a time when socialism is on the rise and the history of our nation is being rewritten. Today many in our Country challenge our customs and look to change our values. Many may simply not know the proper procedures or Flag Etiquette. I am not really sure it is taught beyond the Scouting or ROTC programs. Either way, this request from our local Boy Scouts is a welcomed and refreshing request.
The following information on the proper disposal of the American Flag is provided by USScouts.org. Which is a scouting website for Scouts by Scouts.
http://usscouts.org/ceremony/flagret1.asp
Retiring Old Glory
When the United States flag (Old Glory) becomes worn, torn, faded or badly soiled, it is time to replace it with a new flag, and the old flag should be “retired” with all the dignity and respect befitting our nation’s flag. The traditional method of retirement is to incinerate the flag, but this does not mean that one should simply drop the entire flag (intact) into a fire.
A flag ceases to be a flag when it is cut into pieces. In addition, it is easier to completely incinerate the flag, if it is cut into smaller pieces. A flag should never be torn up like an old bed sheet. It should be cut up with scissors or shears in a methodical manner. The corners of the flag should be stretched out over a table top and someone should cut the flag in half, vertically (be careful not to cut up the blue star field (see the figure below). Then, place the two halves together and cut them in half, horizontally. You will end up with four pieces of flag, one being the blue star field.

Lavaca-Boy Scouts- Flag Retirement — Proper way to cut a flag for retirement

NOTE: The reason we do not cut the blue star field is it represents the union of the fifty states and one should never let the union be broken.
While the Scouts are performing the flag dissection, other Scouts should start and tend a medium size, wood fire (preferably in a metal drum or incinerator). Once the flag remnants and fire are ready, you perform the following ceremony. The Scouts maintain a vigil over the fire until all traces of the flag remnants are destroyed. Then, the fire is extinguished and the ashes are buried. The burial can be completed with a moment of silence while taps is played by a bugler.
NOTE: Before accepting a flag for retirement, the recipient should obtain information about its history. For example: Where has it flown? How long? Any memorable events happen at that site? This information should be used in the ceremony.
Flag Retirement Ceremony
Person(s) —– Text or Action
Adult Leader: The U.S. flag is more than just some brightly colored cloth.. it is a symbol of our nation.
Scout #1: Seven red stripes and six white strips; together they represent the original 13 colonies that gained us liberty.
Scout #2: The red stripes remind us of the lifeblood of brave men and women who were ready to die for this, their country.
Scout #3: The white stripes remind us of purity and cleanliness of purpose, thought, word and deed.
Scout #4: The blue is for truth and justice, like the eternal blue of the star-filled heavens.
Scout #5: The stars represent the fifty sovereign states of our union.
Adult Leader or SPL: The U.S. flag should be treated with respect when it’s flying, and it should be treated with respect when it’s being retired.
Scout #6: The American Creed states, “it is my duty to my country to love it, to respect its Constitution, to obey its laws, to respect its flag, and to defend it against all enemies.”
Scout #7: Therefore, we retire flags with dignity and respect when they become worn, torn, faded, or badly soiled.
Adult Leader or SPL: This flag is ready to be retired. Its history is as follows:
First Raised (when):
At (location):
Memorable event or fact:
Scout #8: A flag ceases to be a flag when it is cut into pieces. We cut the flag into four pieces: three red and white striped banners and the blue star field. We leave the blue field intact because no one should ever let the union be broken.
Adult Leader or SPL: As the parts of the flag are placed in the fire remember.. Old Flags never die, they just get fired up!
The Scouts will maintain a vigil over the fire until no traces of the flag remnants remain. Then the ashes will be collected and buried.
This concludes this ceremony. Thank you for attending.
Travis Sprick (Scoutmaster Troop 674) and/or the Erin Dickson (Troop Leader) would be happy to pick up the flags in need of being retired. Lavaca Elementary School and Lavaca City Hall will be drop off points for unserviceable flags. Our local troop will have a scout campout at the Rogers Scout Reserve from October 26-28th. The Boy Scouts will be conducting flag retiring ceremonies during this event for all flags collected.

Dedicated City Employees Work to Restore Water, Boil Order Update

Headlines

Tammy Teague

-

2:21 pm

0

Dedicated City Employees Work to Restore Water, Boil Order Update

By Tammy Moore Teague
Waldron city employees worked through poor weather conditions on Saturday in an effort to restore water back to the citizens. The water main break, which occurred on North Main Street, left some with low water pressure and others without water at all
With due diligence, however, city workers repaired the line and restored the utility by Saturday evening. City Recorder/Treasurer Sherry Johnston said, “The report of a sudden drop in the readings at the Waldron Water Treatment Plant was an indication of a major water leak at approximately 10 p.m. on Friday night, October 12. However, there were no reports of a leak around town. A repair crew was called in and located excess water on North Main, close to R & R Auto Repair. The crew dug during the rainy night and the source of the leak was difficult to find due to the volume of water. It was located at an unusual intersection of a valve with four 8” main water lines and close to a 24” drainage. There was approximately 5’ of rushing water in the hole and the actual leak was difficult to find. Although several pumps were in place to remove the water, the volume of water caused the crew to search under water before the source of the rupture could be located. After working for a few hours, heavy rains flooded the area from the nearby 24” drainage pipe, adding more water to an already bad situation. The rain continued throughout the night and the next day. Saturday morning, the Waldron Water Treatment Plant was shut down to relieve the rush of water that kept pouring in. The ruptured line was an 8” main line with a 5’ split that extended into a valve where the four 8” lines met. The repair was completed as the crew worked throughout the night and Saturday afternoon, often standing in mud and water and occasional heavy rain. The repair was completed at approximately 3:30 p.m. on Saturday and the crew remained on the job flushing lines and demobilizing for approximately an additional hour.”

She added “We are so blessed to have wonderful and dedicated city employees.” Scott County Sheriff Randy Shores agrees, adding “I saw those boys in standing water, I know they had to be cold.”
The city remains under a precautionary boil order at this time. Citizens can expect that to remain in place at least until tomorrow. We will continue to keep you updated on the boil order status.

Another Busy Week in Lavaca Sports.

Headlines

Resident News Network

-

9:47 am

0

Photos by Amanda Hall
Last week was a great week for Lavaca athletics! The Junior High Lady Arrows came in runner up in the District tournament, both Junior High and High school football teams beat Magazine, and a new Homecoming Queen was crowned. This week will be another busy week for Lavaca sports. Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday the High School Lady Arrows will be playing in the 2A-4 District Tournament. Thursday the Junior High will be playing Hector at home. Friday the Senior Arrows will travel to Hector in a big game, as the conference remains tight. Saturday the Cross Country Team will cap off the week as they run in Magazine. The schedule of events are listed below.
Come out and support as many of these Arrow teams as possible, I know they would appreciate it.
October 15
2A West SR Volleyball District Tournament at Lavaca
School Board Meeting 6:30 pm
October 16
2A West SR Volleyball District Tournament at Lavaca
Cross Country at Rattler Run (Magazine)

2A-4 Volleyball Braket — Lavaca Plays Tuesday at 6:30

October 18
2A West SR Volleyball District Tournament Finals at Lavaca 6:00 pm
JR High Football versus Hector at home (7th grade at 5:30 pm, JR high at 7:00 pm)
October 19 SR High Football at Hector 7:00 pm
October 20 Cross Country at 2A-4 District Meet in Magazine
As Always,
Go Arrows!!
Arrow Pride!!

Cupit Makes Bid For Waldron City Council Position

Headlines

Tammy Teague

-

7:28 am

0

Cupit Makes Bid For Waldron City Council Position

By Tammy Moore Teague
Paige Cupit, 25, is seeking to fill a seat on the Waldron City Council come November. Cupit, a Waldron native, looks to the future with a vision of unity and growth.
Her parents are Tommy Starr and Lisa Patterson. Her “bonus” parents are mom, Cyan Starr and father, Rich Patterson. She and her husband Kyle have been married for nearly three years and have a beautiful two year-old daughter, Reagan.
“I came from a family who have always played important roles in this community,” said Cupit. “My Dad was supervisor over the water and waste water plant for many years and also held the same position I am running for on the council for two terms. My grandfather was over the road department, and my grandmother, who was a very influential woman in my life, held a position on the chamber, was part of the Business and Professional Women’s group, and so much more. Watching these three important people in my life strive and do so much good for our hometown made me want to do the same when the time came!”
Cupit’s goals, if elected, will be growth. “In order to prosper and strive in life we must all work together to make change which starts with all of us individually,” added Cupit. “I plan to help with the growth of the new city park, to work with downtown merchants and community members in the revitalization of downtown, and most importantly working to understand what businesses look for when relocating to new towns. This will help bring more business to our wonderful little town. A gentleman asked us at Turkey Track if we had anymore events in our town like this one. My goal is to work and bring more to our small town with the help from my community.”
She noted that the community needs to work together and be positive about the city’s future. “We should all be working together to change what we can, and accept what we can’t. Our children are a problem that needs to be addressed. There are kids who do not have the support system they need to make it day to day, we need to stand behind each child and cheer them on let them know someone is proud of them.”
She does envision a bright future for Waldron, adding that “kids will have the knowledge they need to start lives, residents will have the motivation they need to volunteer and help keep Waldron up and where it needs to be.”
Cupit stressed the importance of “good people” to serve on the council. Noting that “we do not want people who are dishonest and corrupt, we do not support people who are agenda-driven nor anti-progress ideologues. We are not interested in people who are uncommitted to the community and the job of council, and we are not interested in novices who have shown little interest in civic engagement. What we want is someone honest, balanced, and committed.” Furthermore, “Someone who is motivated, experienced and electable. I am an active board member and acting as President on the Chamber of Commerce, and I am now running for City Council Ward 3. I believe I am all of the wants we need in a council member, I have the qualifications needed to sit on the council. I am motivated and want to help our community grow. In order to do so I need your help. I need the help from my community in voting for me on November 6th. Thank you in advance for your support.”

Collett, Queen of Hearts

Headlines

Tammy Teague

-

6:44 am

0

By Tammy Moore Teague

*photos courtesy of Samantha Maechler

Homecoming-Waldron-Barbara-Collette-Lilly — Mom, Barbara Collett and daughter Lilly, prepare for Waldron’s Homecoming on Friday night.

Waldron’s Homecoming on Friday night was a bittersweet event for mom, Barbara Collett. Her daughter, Lillian Collett, has been voted unanimously by her peers for the past four years to serve as the class maid. This year was her final year, as she served as Senior Maid.

“She is extremely excited,” stated Collett’s mom. “That’s all she talks about, she feels like a princess!” She is every bit of royalty within the school district. She is loved by everyone, and she in turn, loves them too! “She never meets a stranger,” her mom added. Her smile is contagious and so is her bubbly personality! “She has a huge smile, and she’s always wearing it!,” Barbara Collett added.

She needed a dress to match that vivacious personality. “She wanted pink,” her mom noted. “But, we couldn’t do that, but she definitely wanted bling!” Lillian, lovingly known as Lilly, inspires all those around her. “Lilly gets excited about the little things in life. Things that some kids may take for granted are a really big deal for her.”

Maid-Senior-Waldron-Homecoming — Lillian Collett

Collette has Down’s Syndrome, and battles other health issues, but she doesn’t dwell on the things she can’t do. “A lot of normal people would be down, but she’s still got that joy and smile,” her mother added. She sees no difference in her abilities, and plans to go on to further her education after graduating. In addition to school, Collett also enjoys going to church, participating in praise and worship, riding the bus and shopping. She noted her favorite place to eat is McDonalds! Lastly, she loves the family dogs, Duke and Micco. The German Shepherd duo are her personal protectors.

Proud parents, Michael and Barbara Collett.

Her parents are extremely proud of her. Collett’s father, Michael Collett, is a full-time police officer for the City of Waldron. The couple have six children and have lived in Waldron for 25 years.

Congratulations to Collette on this monumental honor and thank you for being such an inspiration to those who are blessed to know you!

Lillian surrounded by members of the Waldron Bulldog football team.

Local School Lunch Menus For October 15th-19th

Resident News Network

-

10:38 am

0

Local School Lunch Menus For October 15th-19th

Mansfield Lunch Menu, Hackett Lunch Menu, Waldron Lunch Menu — Local School Lunch Menus For October 15th-19th

Arrows Victorioous Against Magazine

Headlines

Resident News Network

-

10:08 am

0

Photos by Amanda Hall
In my preview of tonight’s game between Lavaca and Magazine, I said that the game was going to be a war…. I was not wrong. Lavaca and Magazine traded blows all night. Lavaca was methodical in their approach, while Magazine relied mostly on big plays. The Arrows received the ball first and drove down the field in 9 plays, behind the strong running of Trey Werner, Tyler Armistead, and Jimmy Hall. Hall capped off the drive with an 11 yard touchdown run.
Magazine’s first drive started off on the Lavaca 45 yard line. The Arrow defense had big stops on first and second down to create a 3rd and 8. But then on third down the Rattlers running back broke a couple of tackles to break free for a 43 yard touchdown run. The Rattlers miss the extra point and the Arrows kept the lead 7-6.

Jimmy Hall-Creek Harp-Lavaca-Arrows — Jimmy Hall following Creek Harp through the hole

Mason Walter took the ensuing kickoff and had a nice return to the Lavaca 44 yard line. Tucker Marshall had a nice 5 yard run. Colby Clunn caught a pass for another 18 yards. Jimmy Hall ran for 35 yards to include a1 yard touchdown run to increase the lead to 14-6.
The following kickoff was returned for a Magazine touchdown. Magazine went for 2 and did not convert. Lavaca maintained the lead 14-12.
Trey Werner returned the kickoff to the Lavaca 39 yard line and the Arrows were back in business again. The Arrows offense put together 2 first downs and then, Hall hit Mason Walter on a 35 yard touchdown strike. Extra point was just wide. Arrows up 20-12.
Arrows Kicked off out of bounds and the Rattler were set up on a short field. Magazine took 10 plays to move the ball down the field for a touchdown. Two point conversion was no good and the Arrows were able to keep the lead.

Trey Werner-Lavaca- Arrows — Welcome back Trey Werner

Tucker Marshall returned the ball to the 46 yard line. Magazine bowed up and had the arrows at 4th and 4 from the Magazine 48 yard line. The Arrows punt team came out for the first time of the night. However, it was a fake punt. Alex Dugan ran the ball for the first down and kept the drive alive. Eight plays later Hall found Werner for a touchdown to take a 26-18 lead into halftime.
Magazine took the opening kickoff of the second half to the Lavaca 45 yard line. They march the ball in to the end zone on 5 plays. The 2 point conversion was no good again making it a 2 point game.

Lavaca-Arrows-Alex dugan — Alex Dugan finds pay dirt

Tyler Armistead returned the kickoff to the 34 yard line. Seven plays later Hall hit Alex Dugan for 45 yards and a touchdown. Arrows then went for 2 and converted to stretch the lead to 34-24. This would be the final score of the game.
Arrows defense took over the game at this point. With an unsportsmanlike penalty against the rattlers on the previous play the Arrows kicked off from mid field and Magazine took over on their own 25 yard line. With time of the essence Magazine started to throw the ball, something that they hadn’t done all night. Trey Werner, Colby Clunn, and Kaw-Liga Brewer had interceptions in the forth quarter.

This was a great win for the Arrows. Coach Schlinker, had this to say about the Arrows performance, “I am so proud of our kids. The Offense played great tonight. The Defense stumbled some in the first half but rose up int the second. Jimmy played huge for us. Very proud of O-line played. Our kids did a great job of keeping their composure.”

R

RESIDENT NEWS NETWORK