It’s Christmas Eve, and as we’re enjoying time with friends, and family awaiting Santa, Mansfield Volunteer Fire Department is at work, spreading joy and delivering hope.
Through generous donations, and a huge volunteer effort, the crew and family members of MVFD are out and about this afternoon delivering last minute gifts, and smiles to many area families. Over 200 toys, and gifts will be distributed throughout the day to help make Christmas special for children in our area.
We would like to personally thank MVFD for all they do, and their endless commitment to our communities.

The results of the Mansfield City water samples have come back as negative, boil order will continue.
RP learned of this news after talking with City Council member, Rick McDaniel who stated that the results from the water samples taken to City of Fort Smith.
City of Mansfield will take new samples have to be taken this coming Wednesday (12/27/2017), and Thursday (12/28/2017). When those samples are collected, they have to be sent to Little Rock for a more thorough testing procedure.”
Sample test results will not be known until this Friday (12/29/2017), and will decide the continued length or lifting of the boil order.

After speaking with City Council member, Rick McDaniel who stated that due to an inadequate number of water samples being provided, the boil order will continue.
The requirement by ADH is that three (3) water samples be sent for testing, and only (2) samples were provided.
Due to Mansfield Public Works not having the extra sample bottles on hand to send the third bottle, additional samples would be delivered when bottles were obtained from Fort Smith sometime today.
The samples will then be taken to ADH in Fort Smith for testing in hopes that the boil order can be lifted tomorrow.

Submitted by Courtney Sangster
The Hackett Hornet cheerleader squad recently held a toy toss at a home basketball game where fans brought stuffed animals to toss out during halftime.
The girls collected the donations, and added the creativity of handmade Christmas cards to go with them. Then, the cheerleaders took the donations, and cards to the residents of Pink Bud Nursing Home in Greenwood to spread their own Christmas Cheer, with a personal touch.

Mansfield Mayor, Larry Austin was asked by the City Council members to resign at the beginning of Thursday (12/21/2017) night’s meeting after a change in the planned agenda. In a packed City Council hall, the voting public and concerned citizen’s wanted answers, and were heard.
Immediately after the Council voted on the reading of the minutes, and financial reports, Councilman Rick McDaniel asked to approve an amendment of the agenda for “the purpose of the future of the Mayor of Mansfield.” McDaniel approached the council with a prepared letter addressing numerous issues that Mayor Austin has recently been scrutinized for, regarding the water tower, sewer plant, etc.

COMPLETE BROADCAST OF CITY COUNCIL MEETING CAN BE VIEWED HERE

After McDaniel finished, ALL six members, individually asked Mayor Austin to resign. Austin replied, “Ok, next item on the agenda.”

We spoke with Mansfield Public Works Director, Ken Swilling today about the current situation surrounding the boil order that’s affected all of Mansfield Water users.
“Samples were taken by Mansfield Public Works employees this afternoon, with many witnesses” stated Swilling. The samples were then sent to the Arkansas Department of Health. The results from the testing will hopefully be in by late tomorrow afternoon.
You may question as to why the samples were sent to ADH, but the reasoning makes sense. “ADH provides this service to small towns such as Mansfield, and has a much quicker turn around time than if we sent the samples to Little Rock” added Swilling.
Swilling stated that the tower top has been repaired and residents should continue to boil their water until further notice.

MVFD Chief, Stephen Haysmer (middle) hands off a case of water to Assistant Chief, Albert Haysmer (left) as Firefighter, Levi McDowell (right) tears away the packaging on the pallet of water donated to the Mansfield Senior Citizen’s Center.
Despite the dreary, and rainy weather this afternoon, MVFD joined forces with Zero Mountain Inc. Fort Smith to bring the donation full circle and into the hands of those that need it on their day to day activities.
“Zero Mountain Inc. Fort Smith donated the water to us, and we donated it to the Senior Center where it will be put to good use” Albert Haysmer, MVFD Assistant Chief.
Mansfield is still under a boil order that was placed on December 5th with no current word of when, or what it will take to restore the water service.