Discover pure old-fashioned fun with your family at Silver Dollar City during Harvest Festival presented by Humana, Sep 13 - Oct 26. By day see visiting craftsmen and cowboys, as autumn blankets the Ozark Mountains, and by night be wowed by thousands of illuminated pumpkins and larger-than-life masterpieces, thrilling rides, concerts and late-night fun for Pumpkins In The City® presented by Mercy. Treat yourself to the best fall of all at America’s #1 Theme Park...make plans today at silverdollarcity.com
The Heart of the Ozarks
Breast Augmentation
Tummy Tuck
Arm Lift
BOTOX Cosmetic
Liposuction
Endoscopic Brow Lift
Facelift
Clinical Hair Restoration
Dr. Suzanne Yee is one of the Natural State’s most accomplished cosmetic surgeons. Dr. Yee graduated from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and was ranked 1st in her graduating class. She completed her surgery internship at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and her facial plastics and reconstructive surgery fellowship at the University of Texas at Houston. Dr. Yee has been serving the state of Arkansas through her medical skills and fashion sensibilities at her cosmetic and laser surgery center since 2003. Congratulations to Dr. Suzanne Yee for being named AY About You’s Best Healthcare Professional!
STORYTELLING BEYOND THE STAGE
Imagine a place where the most legendary stories of the Bible come to life on stage in a truly immersive way. A place where sets soar three stories tall, animals of all sizes roam the aisles, and sweeping scores transport you into the heart of these powerful stories. Now imagine having the ability to create this experience no matter where your summer takes you!
Since its beginning as a traveling multi-media show in 1976, Sight & Sound® has inspired over 30 million people with stories from the pages of Scripture and history. Today, Sight & Sound operates two live-theater venues, immersing over a million people each year in state-of-theart original productions.
Passionate about sharing these stories of redemption with as many people as possible, Sight & Sound began recording their shows on stage for home entertainment in the early 2000s and launched an online streaming platform in 2020. Now, after years of taking the Sight & Sound experience from the stage to the screen, they’re doing something they’ve never done before — broadcasting LIVE into movie theaters nationwide!
This Labor Day weekend, you’re invited to gather with audiences across the country to experience the brand-new original production, DANIEL, as it goes from the big stage to the big screen in a special live broadcast event. Since opening in Lancaster last March, DANIEL has been witnessed by sold out crowds in Lancaster, PA. And now the powerful story of DANIEL is coming to you!
Journey alongside Daniel as he’s taken from his people and exiled far from home inside the perilous kingdom of Babylon. As he navigates this new life inside a palace filled with golden statues and shifting empires, will his trust in God remain steadfast through every test of faith? With more than a dozen cameras covering the theater from every angle, including on stage and behind the curtain, DANIEL — Live! will give you a front row seat to every spectacular moment of this faithful servant’s story as it unfolds in real time.
At Sight & Sound, we bring the Bible to life because we believe these stories matter. There’s nothing we love more than watching families come together and experience Scripture in a way that leaves an impact far beyond the stage. So whether you join us in person, online, or at the movies, we cannot wait for an unforgettable summer with you! For more information, visit DanielEvent.com.
People all over Arkansas trust Dr. Jahon Zehtaban with their smile. With a combination of clinical experience in all areas of dentistry and cosmetic expertise you know your smile is in good hands. Dr. Zehtaban is a proud member of both the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry and the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine. Credentials, experience, and caring concern for each individual patient ensures that you’ll receive exceptional esthetic results regardless of the challenges presented. Learn more about how Dr. Zehtaban can help you have an incredible smile by calling today for your complimentary smile consultation.
ready, set, learn!
WELCOME BACK TO SCHOOL
The many dedicated educators and administrators of Pulaski County Special School District (PCSSD) are excited to kick off the 2024-2025 school year on August 19, 2024. To help families in the Chenal area countdown the days and cross off those to-dos, PCSSD created a streamlined back-to-school web page (www.pcssd.org/page/back-to-school) for new and returning students. Sharpen your pencils and scan the QR code to mark a few items off your list. Here are the highlights:
☐ SHOP FOR SUPPLIES
Every PCSSD school (excluding high schools) compiled grade-level supply lists. Find your student’s list to shop in store or seamlessly add each item to the cart of your favorite online store to have them delivered to your door. Easy as 1-2-3!
☐ TACKLE TECHNOLOGY
Technology is integral in PCSSD classrooms. Prepare for the year by ticking off these tech to-dos:
• Complete the Media Consent form to either opt out or grand permission for your student to be featured in photos, interviews and more.
• Purchase Chromebook insurance to avoid unwanted costs.
• Follow PCSSD and your school on social media for important information and exciting news.
☐ PLAN PAYMENTS
Set up your FREE EZSchoolPay account. This one-stop-shop will be used for everything from your student’s cafeteria account to school activities.
☐ KNOW YOUR NUTRITION NEEDS
All families are encouraged to apply for free and reduced meals each school year. Students at 12 PCSSD schools previously received free breakfast and lunch under the Community Eligibility Provision program for the past three years. However, that program ended at the conclusion of the 2023-2024 school year. PCSSD applied to become a Provision 2 school which would reinstate free breakfast and lunch for a total 19 schools in the District. To find out more about the program and if your child’s school is included, check out the news section on the PCSSD website for details. For easy meal planning, you can check daily menus.
☐ JOIN PALS IN PCSSD
We’d love for you to join PALS (People Assisting Local Schools), our vibrant volunteer community! We require each volunteer to complete a background check every three years, so the first step is to make sure your digital volunteer ID is up to date. Once accepted into the program, don’t forget to log your hours. Each school has its own form, easily accessible from our website. We celebrate our volunteers at the end of each school year, recognizing those who report the most volunteer hours.
☐ SET YOUR SCHEDULE
Transitioning from summer hours back to school routines is simple with our landing page. Grab your planner and check out the details for the 2024-25 school year. Be sure to check out the following:
• Bell Schedules
• Extended Care information
• Calendars
• Bus Routes
☐ REVIEW RULES
Set your student up for success by reviewing PCSSD’s updated 2024-2025 policies:
• Absence Policy
• Dress Code
• Handbook PCSSD is committed to creating a nationally recognized school district that assures that all students achieve at their maximum potential through collaborative, supportive and continuous efforts of all stakeholders.
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Joe David Rice, born in Paragould and reared in Jonesboro, probably knows Arkansas as well as anyone alive. The former owner of an outfitting business on the Buffalo National River and the state’s former tourism director, his Arkansas Backstories is published by the Butler Center.
Heather Swayze is a mom of two boys and has been married to her high school sweetheart, Dakota, for 10 years. She attended Arkansas State Three Rivers and Henderson State University. Since 2014, she has served the central Arkansas area providing photography for weddings, couples and families.
Amy Gramlich is a wife, mom, blogger and public school educator proudly planted in Arkansas. She loves to celebrate all occasions big and small with fun outfits, creative recipes and fresh home decor (which must always include plants). She enjoys all the details that go into planning the next trip or party.
Lori Sparkman, owner of Lori Sparkman Photography, has traveled the globe to work extensively with beautiful brides and grooms, fierce fitness clients, and growing families, as well as high-profile and corporate clients. She prides herself in capturing their personalities with a sophisticated and lighthearted style.
Kelli Reep is a writer and public relations practitioner in central Arkansas. When she is not looking for the best pie in the state, she is being ordered around by three cats. She likes to read, cook, sleep and help out when she can.
Jason Pederson spent 20 years as KATV’s “Seven On Your Side” reporter. He is now deputy chief of community engagement for the Arkansas Department of Human Services. He and his wife, Mary Carol, have two biological children and one bonus son. They are longtime members of Fellowship Bible Church in Little Rock.
Jamie Lee is a freelance photographer originally from southwest Louisiana who now resides in Little Rock. With a strong focus on portrait, branding and food photography, she loves capturing people’s stories and cultures through the lens, helping businesses build their brands visually, and showcasing the local food scene and small businesses.
Chris Davis was born and raised in Sherwood but now resides in North Little Rock with his wife and 7-year-old son. When his son was born, his wife asked for a new camera to take pictures of their little one. From there, his love of photography grew, and he is proud to be one of the contributing photographers at AY magazine.
YOUR BEST CATCH YET AWAITS PLAN YOUR ADVENTURE NOW! @dogwood _canyon #dogwoodcanyon
Calling all anglers, adventurers, and outdoor enthusiasts! Immerse yourself in the natural beauty of the Ozarks with our new unique Private Creek and Canyon tour! This new experience combines the excitement of trout fishing in Dogwood Canyon’s pristine waters with the exclusive opportunity of riding a Tracker 800 off-road vehicle through the canyon’s wildlife pastures and rarely-seen untouched backcountry. Dogwood Canyon Nature Park is proudly part of the Johnny Morris Conservation Foundation.
A Round Of A-Paws
Every month, we try very hard to bring something everyone can read about and enjoy, and August is no different with our first annual Pet Issue.
Anyone who knows us here at AY About You knows we are crazy about our pets, and so we decided to take our much-loved Dog Daze of Summer theme and expand it to include all furry, feathered, hooved, slippery and scaly family members. Our writers have compiled a fascinating collection of articles on working dogs, mobile pet services, trends in veterinary medicine and exotic pets, among others. Do not pass up our gallery of adoptable pets awaiting a forever home — you just might find a new best friend!
Also in this issue is one of our most important awards lists — AY’s “Best Health Care Professionals.” These outstanding men and women of medicine are essential to the quality of life in Arkansas and represent the best of the best in their respective specialties. We are once again honored to give them their due on this prestigious list. Our Bucket List series continues with a trip to Cabot, one of the fastest-growing and most dynamic communities in the state. We show you where to eat and what to do as we shine a light on some of the amenities that make this charming town a terrific place to live, work and raise a family.
It is hard to believe the kids go back to school this month; soon the weather will turn cooler and thoughts will turn to brightly colored leaves, Razorback football and all things fall. As you enjoy the last remnants of summer with your family, drop us a line and share your adventures. We would love to hear from you.
Heather Baker, President & Publisher hbaker@aymag.com / heatherbaker_ar
LeafGuard brand by Englert is the original and only one-piece gutter system, with a built-in hood that covers the gutter bottom and deflects leaves and other debris. This unique, seamless design keeps debris from collecting in your gutters which:
• Prevents clogs from forming
• Eliminates leaks and the threat of water damage
• Keeps water flowing freely
• Makes climbing ladders to clean gutters unnecessary
CONNECT
READER FEEDBACK INSTAGRAM
LOCAL LUMINARY: ANGELA & WILLIAM HARDING, ELECTRIC STRAWBERRY
We are honored and feel so blessed! Thank you for such an amazing feature!
The Electric Strawberry
BOOKENDS TO HISTORY
This is SO cool!!
Tracy Cryder
BARBECUE WARS: SMOKE AND SAUCE TURN UP THE HEAT ON LOCAL EATS
Agree! Both are excellent!
Katie Peebles
MEN OF DISTINCTION 2024: WILLIAM FLETCHER
Congratulations, William! It’s so good to see you recognized and celebrated!
Cristie Weaver
NOT GETTING OLDER, GETTING BETTER — SPUNKY SENIORS NOT SHYING AWAY FROM PHYSICAL FITNESS
She is so sweet!
Crystal Johnston
FOOD BITES: SEVEN OAKS, THE SMITTEN KITTEN & MORE
Thank you for the shoutout!
Cave City Watermelon Festival
MEN OF DISTINCTION 2024: MARK LEE
Congratulations Mark Lee!
Janice Young
LOCAL LUMINARY: MARINE MANCEAU & HAYDEN KELLY, MARCHÉ FARM
Thank you so much. So grateful for this article about our tiny farm. Thank you Sarah DeClerk for your work on this!! We love it.
Marche Farm
Blue Ember Opens Doors in West Little Rock
‘Broken Trail’ Movie Being Filmed in Arkansas
2024 Independence Day Festivities Across Arkansas
Downtown Little Rock Master Plan Aims High
Server Says: Leisa Campbell of Country Kitchen in Kensett
7 Arkansas Caves to Explore This Summer Photo Credit: Cosmic Cavern/Facebook
As a household name in Arkansas, it would be easy to believe that Kevin Kelly, evening news anchor at FOX 16 News in Little Rock, spent his childhood playing journalist in preparation for his storied career. However, the San Diego native said he got into the news business purely by accident. Women’s Own Worth will host its 11th annual WOWapalooza event on Oct. 4.
A child’s education starts with family. Whether a parent, grandparent or extended family member, the adults in a child’s world play a major role in preparing that child for school and for life.
Babies are born learning and families are their first teachers. Talking and reading to the baby, singing and playing are the foundation for learning.
Partner for your child’s success
For most families, work outside of the home is a normal part of being an adult. Families need a partner to help their child develop socially and intellectually.
Better Beginnings early care and education providers are trained to prepare children for kindergarten through positive experiences, research-based curriculum, and learning through play.
Quality early care and education providers are your family’s partner in your child’s success.
Families can ask these partners every day what their child is doing and learning, then support
Better Beginnings is administered by the Arkansas Department of Education.
Early
Written by Kelli Hilburn, Better Beginnings Program Administrator
their child’s progress with fun activities for learning at home.
Families make learning fun
Better Beginnings has a Family Resource Library of fun activities for ages from babies to “big kids” in kindergarten. Every experience is a learning opportunity. Families and Better Beginnings help make learning a lifelong goal.
Review our resource library for topics that interest your child and find making, building, experimenting and playing activities for all ages.
Looking for your early education partner?
Click the orange banner at ARBetterBeginnings.com to find star-rated quality early care and education providers who help children get ready for kindergarten through ageappropriate and positive learning experiences.
5Top
you just can't miss!
VAN GOGH: THE IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE
Aug. 1 - Oct. 31
The Exhibition Hub Little Rock Art Center — Little Rock
Van Gogh Exhibition: The Immersive Experience will be on display in Little Rock for a short time. Step into the 20,000-square-foot light-andsound exhibit, which features two-story projections of the late artist’s most famous works.
FILMLAND 2024
Aug. 15 - 18
Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts ° Little Rock
Join the Arkansas Cinema Society for Filmland 2024. The annual event celebrates cinema and focuses on inspiring filmmakers in Arkansas. Engage with Hollywood’s finest, gain personal insights from cinema legends, and enjoy exclusive film previews.
5TH ANNUAL SOAR NWA
Aug. 16 - 17
Benton County Fairgrounds — Bentonville
SOAR NWA is back and better than ever. Enjoy balloon glows, tethered hot air balloon rides, live music by musicians such as Coffey Anderson, fireworks, a beer garden, a car exhibit, helicopter rides, a kid zone and more.
HAMILTON
Aug. 16 - 25
Walton Arts Center — Fayetteville
The Broadway musical Hamilton will hit the Walton Arts Center stage this August. As an 11-time Tony Award, Grammy Award, Olivier Awards and Pulitzer Prize-winning production, the show is one audiences will not want to miss.
CHRIS STAPLETON’S ALL-AMERICAN ROAD SHOW
Aug. 22
Simmons Bank Arena — North Little Rock
Chris Stapleton is bringing his All-American Road Show to North Little Rock this month with special guests Grace Potter and Allen Stone.
LIVING ON
Chambers Properties’ vacation rentals offer the best of lake life
OZARK TIME
By DWAIN HEBDA //
Photos provided
There are differing schools of thought when it comes to being in business with family, but for the Chambers crew, originally of Conway, the result of taking on a new venture, Chambers Properties, four years ago has been nothing short of a stunning success.
“We’ve all been in different types of business,” said Eric Chambers. “My youngest brother, Brad, and I actually worked for the same company for years in the steel business and my other brother, Michael, has done contractor work his whole career. We’ve always said, ‘Man, we ought to do something together.’”
The first inkling of what that company would be came on a father/son trout fishing trip on the White River. Renting cabins and enjoying the guided trout fishing generated casual discussion among the family to do something similar, germinating an idea in Eric’s mind that would not leave him alone.
“When I got back home the next week, I started doing a lot of research on Airbnb and that whole industry,” he said. “I put a little business plan together to build three cabins, and then I went to my buddy, who is a commercial loan officer, and said, ‘Hey, just shoot some holes in this thing.’ He took a look at it and said, ‘Let’s do it.’”
A gorgeous tree house provides a unique getaway.
While many businesses suffered greatly during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially startups, Chambers Properties found a ready and eager audience of people looking to recreate safely, and the first three cabins were an instant runaway hit. That inspired the Chambers to continue to acquire more ground upon which to build additional units.
Today, Chambers Properties boasts six beautiful homes, including a bona fide treehouse and other homes built on posts, which gives renters a unique birdseye view of their surroundings. Another treehouse and two A-frame homes are also in the works on the company’s 17acre tract around a Greers Ferry Lake cove. The finished properties are the result of efforts by multiple members of the Chambers family.
“The beautiful thing about this is we have a very unique team that’s just kind of meshed itself into place because we all have our own set of skills,” Eric said. “For instance, I’m a big-picture guy, but when it comes down to the minutia of details, our dad, Robert, just eats it up. He handles all of our books and stays after us on receipts. He is that guy.”
“I fell in love with carpentry as far as trim work and detail work. When I was 20, I built my own house, and then I went straight into building spec homes and custom homes from there. I’ve done remodeling work. I’ve done nearly every aspect of it.
— Michael Chambers
Michael, who has been honing his construction skills since high school and worked as a contractor in the past, oversees construction of the units.
“I fell in love with carpentry as far as trim work and detail work,” he said. “When I was 20, I built my own house, and then I went straight into building spec homes and custom homes from there. I’ve done
The lavish rentals are decorated by the women of the Chambers family.
remodeling work. I’ve done nearly every aspect of it. I prefer to do most of the interior work myself — the trim work, the tile work, the cabinetry work, whatever.”
Even the finishing touches carry the family’s fingerprints — the brothers’ wives took over the decorating and furnishing chores. Michael’s wife, Cassandra, was instrumental in pulling together the architectural design with a modern twist. Their collective eye and taste have drawn rave reviews from guests renting the properties.
“A lot of people comment on the design, who does the interior design, decorating the living space itself,” Michael said. “As Cassandra took the lead, [Eric’s wife] Stephanie, [Brad’s wife] Heidi and [our mom] Theresa brought their perspective to create the perfect getaway. They knew what we needed based on when we would go somewhere on vacation, and they not only made sure the places looked great, but made sure guests had all the amenities. I mean, pots and pans, everything you need to come here for three or four days and not need to go get anything.
“As far as the decor is concerned, that is 100 percent the ladies’ department. We constantly hear about how well-furnished and decorated the cabins are, so I really sing their praises on that.”
Two of the cabins, built on elevated stilts, and the A-frames are built to sleep four, while three other cabins are built to sleep six. Some units offer configuration with a loft, while the larger cabins feature two queen beds upstairs and a third in the downstairs bedroom. Occupancy can stretch thanks to floor space sufficient for an air mattress or two for kids or an additional couple, Michael said. All units feature one bathroom, as well as washers, dryers, and full kitchens with a dishwasher, refrigerator, and cooktop or range.
The treehouse offers couples a unique vacation experience. Nicknamed Cedar Loft, the treehouse has a completely open floor plan with a private bathroom. A bay window, large soaking tub, spacious wraparound deck and king-size bed all come standard, as do a refrigerator and cooktop.
Equally appealing as the stylish cabins and treehouse are the natural surroundings in which they are built, the kind of setting that allows for as much or as little activity as desired during the guests’ stay.
“The amenities here and around the property are really great,” Michael said. “We offer onsite UTV rental, and from our property, you can drive the UTV to the trail system in Fairfield Bay. That’s over a hundred miles of trails. People bring pontoons, bass boats, ski boats, whatever, up into the cove, and they’ll park them there and then just walk up to their
Equally appealing as the stylish cabins and treehouse are the natural surroundings in which they are built, the kind of setting that allows for as much or as little activity as desired during the guests’ stay.
cabin. The nature around the cabin, you know, is something that’s a really big attraction to people.”
Demand for the original cabins spurred the development for more units and construction on a second treehouse, and two A-frames will soon be completed. Eric said one pleasant surprise of the venture is how season-proof it appears to be, and as demand has thus far stayed steady all year long.
“Going into this year, I honestly was a little concerned just given the current state of the economy and inflation and the price of gas and everything,” he said. “I was like, are people really going have any discretionary funds to be going out and doing stuff? In fact, our first quarter this year was one of the best quarters we’ve ever had. January through March, every unit was booking steady; we got past March, and we’ve still been booked every weekend. The demand has been phenomenal.”
The brothers said one of the most satisfying things about the venture is providing opportunities for families to bond and create vacation memories together that are reflective of the Chambers clan’s own cooperative spirit, including Brad and Heidi who, despite living out of state, chime in from afar. “From our family to yours” might well be the company motto.
“You hear a lot about the problems of being in business with family, you know, but we’ve always been a very strong, very tightknit family,” Michael said. “I attribute that to my parents. They’re strong people. They’re not quitters, and that’s just the way they brought us up. They taught us not to shy away from a challenge, and they gave us a strong faith. More than anything, I think that contributes to what we’ve been able to create together.”
Equipped with everything needed for a stay, the rentals are in close proximity to Greers Ferry Lake.
Our fully-stocked cabins are nestled across 10-acres of peaceful lakefront property in the Ozark foothills. Each cabin is thoughtfully designed as the perfect getaway.
Each cabin has:
- Lake access (with boat ramp nearby)
-Firepit with Adirondack chairs
- Two kayaks
- Outdoor gas grill
“Our stay was awesome! This cabin is amazing! The pictures do not do it justice. The owners have thought of everything you’ll need. So nice an peaceful. I would highly recommend.”
— Client review
chambers-properties.com
echambers@chambers-properties.com 1170 Circle Acres Road, Shirley, AR
Between a ROCK and a GREEN SPACE
Hardscapes the finishing touches in any yard or garden
By AY STAFF// Photos provided
Growing things in one’s yard is one of the most healthful activities one can do. Not only do gardening and landscaping expose humans to fresh air, sunshine and exercise, but the finished product delivers mental refreshment and provides a soothing environment in which to relax and enjoy nature.
When many people hear the words “garden” or “yard,” their thoughts immediately go to plants, from lawns and flower beds to shrubbery and trees, known in landscape vernacular as softscapes. However, there is an equally important component to yard and garden design that many people commonly overlook — hardscapes.
Broadly speaking, hardscapes are the nonliving elements of the design of an outdoor space, including pathways, patios and walls. Hard-
scapes bridge the gap between form and function, offering beautiful visual interest while also serving a purpose, be it improving drainage, defining spaces or helping one traverse the yard.
Hardscapes can be as elaborate or as simple as one desires, and like anything else, the more complicated the project, the more time and expense tends to be involved. A simple garden path might take a weekend and a couple hundred dollars for materials, while a deck or patio may require a surveyor and city permit, as well as the skills of a professional builder, to complete.
WHY HARDSCAPES?
The benefits of incorporating hardscape elements into the landscape are many. For one thing, homeowners enjoy higher property value and enhanced aesthetics, the National Association of Realtors and National Association of Landscape Professionals state. Those groups collaborated on a recent survey that showed adding a deck recovers about 80 percent of cost at resale. An outdoor kitchen recovers 71 percent, while a patio recovers, on average, about 70 percent of cost at resale.
Hardscapes also provide several practical benefits, including providing expanded living space and improving the structural integrity of the yard through erosion control, bobvila.com states. Hard elements also provide better accessibility to various areas, such as a pathways in level gardens and stone or concrete stair steps in sloping yards.
Installing hardscapes also helps manage the workload of the consumer because the elements generally require less maintenance and care than living plants — and during dormancy or unfavorable weather conditions when plants are not at their best, well-conceived hardscapes lend their own brand of beauty to the yard and garden regardless of heat or cold.
THE BASICS
There are a variety of hardscape materials to choose from, each with their own pros and cons in the landscape.
Brick
Wood
Brick is one of the most popular and time-tested materials for use throughout the garden. Use it in walls and raised planters or to lend accent around the base of posts in a gazebo or pergola. Underfoot, brick can create a lovely path that can be as formal or informal as desired or a sturdy patio for year-round enjoyment. Readily available, ecofriendly and simple to work with, brick can be used on a leveling bed of sand for an easy surface or mortared to withstand ground shifting. For walls, however, best leave it to the pros.
Stone
Another one of the oldest and most beautiful materials is natural stone used in patios and pathways or stacked to create low walls or borders. No matter how rustic or formal the design plan, stone can find a home in it. Most larger nurseries have selections of stone in various shapes, sizes and color families available, usually priced by the pound or the pallet. Invest in slabs for a stunning stairway or combine flagstone with gravel or river rock for a classic Arkansas pathway suitable for any outdoor space. Do not be fooled — stone work is hard work — but the results are worth it.
Hardscapes bridge the gap between form and function, offering beautiful visual interest while also serving a purpose.
There was a time when homeowners had only redwood or pressure-treated lumber for decks and other outdoor structures. That is no longer the case, and composite materials have steadily grown in popularity. The reasons why are clear: Composite decking delivers the look and feel of wood without the maintenance. It also lasts longer — up to 50 years by industry estimates — and is far superior when it comes to splintering, warping, fading, insects and rot resistance. Composite costs considerably more, but if the budget allows, it is the superior choice.
Concrete/Concrete Products
It may seem blasphemous to put concrete in the garden — after all, most people garden to keep nature within view — however, advancements in concrete techniques provide some exciting new options for the yard and garden. Today’s concrete can be colored to naturalize with its surroundings, and stamping and texture options can mimic brick or stone without the cost or extra time to install. Budget-friendly concrete blocks and pavers are also excellent for use in retaining walls and walkways.
Permeable Hardscapes
The simplest solutions are often the best. Using permeable hardscape — loose material that allows water to seep through to the ground underneath — offers relatively quick and generally inexpensive options for various projects. Naturalize a garden path using garden fabric and a layer of wood chips or river rock, or build an easy patio out of compacted decomposed (crushed) granite. Be advised that such options require augmenting from time to time as materials decompose or become displaced by heavy runoff but are options within reach of most budgets and skill levels, even that of rank beginners.
Photos by JAMIE LEE
Strawberry daiquiri:
Planteray original dark rum, Bacardi Silver, fresh lime juice, strawberry puree
Hibiscus and berry gin, orange liqueur, lemon, cranberry
REVIVAL :: RESTAURANT + BEER GARDEN 226 W. South St. | Benton 501.317.1251
SavoringSummertime
By AMY GRAMLICH // Photos by AMY GRAMLICH
As summer continues toward its finale, the warm Arkansas days, late sunsets and ripened garden veggies are worth savoring. Cooks left with a pile of cherry or grape tomatoes from the garden should consider this delicious, colorful tomato tart. Great for slicing into squares as a party appetizer, it also satisfies as a light lunch or dinner.
This beautiful dish turns out especially well with a mix of miniature tomato varieties, but fear not — if minis are lacking around the house, the recipe can also be made using larger tomato varieties.
Cherry Versus Grape Tomatoes
Bite-size tomatoes come in many different varieties, meaning different colors, shapes, skin thickness and sizes. While it may be more common to find red miniature tomatoes at the grocery store, there are occasionally yellow, green and orange varieties to be had, and flavor profiles differ among varieties.
Some miniature tomatoes are considered grape tomatoes, while others are considered cherry tomatoes. Many gardeners like to try growing multiple varieties of both cherry and grape tomatoes in their gardens from year to year to provide a range
This scrumptious tomato tart provides a winning way to use up garden veggies.
of textures, color and taste, but is there really a difference between the two categories?
Cherry tomatoes are round, contain a high water concentration and are often sweeter than grape tomatoes. Grape tomatoes commonly have an oblong shape, carry a lower water concentration and tend to hold up better in shipping. They also tend to store longer due to a thicker skin.
Despite those variations — or their petite size — miniature tomatoes are packed with nutritional value, offering a combination punch of vitamins and minerals that, pound for pound, rival their larger cousins. Vitamins A, B, C and E are all there, as well as calcium, magnesium, potassium and various antioxidants.
Keeping the Puff in the Pastry
The challenge in working with any tomatoes on bread, as this tart does, is mitigating the water content to prevent the base from becoming saturated. A couple of kitchen hacks to avoid the dreaded soggy bottom include slicing each cherry tomato or grape tomato in half and squeezing out the juices before drizzling them with olive oil. That allows for optimal roasting in the oven while preventing the puff pastry from going soggy.
If using non-miniature tomatoes such as Roma or beefsteak varieties, slice the fruit, squeeze out the water, and cut the slices into smaller pieces. Roma tomatoes, or plum tomatoes, typically have lower water concentration but still require a squeeze to avoid a mealy mess.
Other Topping Ideas
Regular readers of this column know how much we love to experiment in the kitchen, providing options to suit virtually any taste. With this tart, the creamy pesto base can be swapped out for a number of alternative options including:
• 2 tablespoons fresh basil or parsley, chopped and divided
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 cup creamy pesto
• 1/2 red onion
• 3 cups mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 400 F.
2. Allow frozen puff pastry to thaw to room temperature.
3. Spray two baking sheets with cooking spray, and place each pastry rectangle on a separate baking sheet.
4. With a sharp knife, draw a large rectangle about 1/4 inch from the edge around each pastry. Be careful not to cut through the dough.
5. Make small scoring marks around the outside edge with a fork. Inside the rectangle, prick all over with a fork.
6. With a pastry brush, brush egg wash all around the border.
7. Bake at 400 F for 15 minutes.
8. Chop cherry tomatoes in half, squeezing each tomato half over the sink to release water.
9. Add all tomatoes to a bowl and drizzle with olive oil, 1 tablespoon chopped herbs and garlic powder.
10. Slice red onion into slivers.
11. Once the puffed pastries come out of the oven, coat the rectangles with creamy pesto, avoiding the border. Keep the layer thin.
12. If the pastry puffed up while baking, gently press the puffed areas back down before adding the pesto.
13. Cover pesto with mozzarella cheese.
14. Add seasoned tomatoes, cut side facing up, and sprinkle the red onions on top.
15. Bake the puff pastries again for 10 to 15 minutes at 400 F until edges become golden brown but not overly dark.
16. Remove from the oven, and cut each tart into nine squares with a sharp knife or pizza wheel.
17. Garnish with reserved herbs and Parmesan cheese. Serve warm.
Growing HOME
By SARAH DECLERK // Photos provided
Cabot works to ensure residents can find everything they need without leaving the city
Situated about 30 miles northeast of Little Rock and about 10 miles from the Little Rock Air Force Base in Jacksonville, Cabot has long drawn families to the city with its relative proximity to major employers, quality schools and peaceful, rural setting.
However, the past few years have witnessed explosive growth in Cabot, and that growth is quite intentional.
In 2021, the city put together a bond extension that included 10 separate ballot initiatives ranging from enhancing early warning systems and improving streets and drainage to upgrading the police and fire departments and allocating additional funds for new parks and recreation facilities.
The citizens of Cabot voted in favor of every initiative.
“We were very lucky because at that time,
the financial climate was perfect, and we were able to actually, in every essence, refinance the house to the tune of about $100 million,” said Alicia Payseno, economic development director. “We paid off the existing bond that was there and leveraged about $80 million for community and economic development projects.”
At the top of the list, she added, was providing the city with reliable high-speed internet. It was a feat that took more than a few phone calls, however, and Mayor Ken Kincade had to advocate at the state level to have laws changed so that Cabot was able to own the city’s fiber internet — its sole utility — which is administered by Connect2First.
Kincade said the move was important to ensuring citizens had access to work, school and telemedicine in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I wanted to make sure that every household had access to efficient and good internet, and fiber was the way to go,” he said. “When I had the idea to partner with somebody, I found out that, lawfully, we couldn’t do it, so I got with attorneys and our elected officials at the legislature and came up with a way to rewrite the law and got the law passed that the city can do something like this.”
While internet access was undoubtedly important to keeping the citizens of the relatively rural city connected, more visible changes took shape through the more than $20 million allocated for parks and rec improvements.
One of the most dynamic new facilities is Railyard Park, an inclusive playground behind City Hall that, along with Railyard Pavilion and a host of new murals, is set to help invigorate downtown, Payseno said.
“In 1976, we had a tornado that came through and decimated the entire main part of the city of Cabot and killed numerous people,” she said. “It was devastating because it knocked out almost all of our historic buildings. I mean, we have just a few houses on the National Register [of Historic Places], but all these buildings that had been here since the 1880s were gone, just annihilated within a minute.”
When the area was rebuilt, it was built according to 1970s and 1980s sensibilities — which meant big-box stores and shopping malls.
“They didn’t have that sense of wanting a downtown,” she said, “so as we’ve moved through the transition of wanting to create, again, this sense of place for our residents to be able to walk to and bike to and just have that community feel, this administration’s worked very hard to build history, so to speak, rebuild history. We’re doing a lot to try to bring a lot of that back to the downtown area.”
Speaking of City Hall, the building, built in 1978, just received a complete facelift inside and out.
Family-friendly activities abound in Cabot, and the city is working to ensure residents have everything they need within arm’s reach.
“Over the years, we’ve kind of chopped up the inside of the building to kind of fit whatever we needed to, and we finally got it redone,” Kincade said. “We got the air and the electricity and the appearance on the outside and the appearance on the inside updated to last another 30 or 40 years.”
He also worked to have the downtown area designated an arts and entertainment district, and the city is currently in negotiations to open its first brewery at a former fire station.
Also in the works downtown is the new Cabot Justice Center set to open in a former grocery store building at 801 Main St. in December. The project was not part of the bond extension, Payseno said, but it was a long time coming — the building had been abandoned for more than a decade before the city purchased it.
“Right now, our police department is scattered through different buildings in our downtown area. Our court is on the other side of the
street. We’re all disconnected from each other,” she said, adding that the center will house the entire police force and a brand-new courtroom that will also be used as council chambers for city council planning and zoning meetings.
Then, of course, there is Game Time at the Grounds, a mega sports facility that recently opened at Exit 21, the city’s northernmost exit.
“It’s a gem,” Payseno said. “It’s the crown jewel of Cabot Parks and Rec.”
Boasting 128,000 square feet beneath the roof, the facility features six full-size high school regulation basketball courts that convert to 12 full-size volleyball courts or 18 pickleball courts, along with a 46,000-square-foot indoor turf area that includes two soccer fields and can also be used for baseball and softball practice, along with other sports activities.
“There is nothing like this in the state of Arkansas,” Payseno said.
The more than 230-acre surrounding park, the Grounds, will incorporate biking and walking trails and with Cabot BMX nearby, cyclists of all stripes can find much to enjoy about Cabot. Kincade said the city hopes to secure grant funding to expand its greenways, eventually providing connections to Jacksonville, Little Rock and Hot Springs.
In addition, the Cabot Aquatic Center is slated to add a wave pool
I think in 10 or 20 years, you’ll see a Cabot that is stronger and better than ever, where most people won’t have to go to Little Rock for anything.
— Mayor Ken Kincade
and deck that will increase its capacity by a few hundred next summer, and a new splash pad just opened at Richie Road Park.
“We have been very aggressive in recruiting additional hotels for all this capacity that we’re going to see with sports tourism, and then the restaurants and entertainment,” Payseno said. “That has been a laser focus for my department in the past two years.”
A Holiday Inn Express and a Hampton Inn recently opened, and visitors will soon be able to carbo-load at an Olive Garden, which is currently under construction. Recruiting an Aldi grocery store was another big win for the city, and other new or planned restaurants include a second Starbucks, 7 Brew Drive Thru Coffee, Jersey Mike’s Subs and Chick-fil-A.
“Believe it or not, just getting a Chick-fil-A, it interests a lot of other people,” said Gina Jones, president and CEO of the Cabot Chamber of Commerce. “They see that a Chick-fil-A can come and that we’re here for them and we’re able to support that. Then that tells them that they’re able to come here and be supported, as well.”
Despite the influx of national brands, it is important to remember that the city is home to an abundance of restaurants and boutiques owned by local citizens, Payseno said, and Jones can list them by name.
“We have a very supportive community,” she said. “We have lots of small businesses here, and our small-business owners, their support of each other is second to none.”
The hot topic for entertainment is the new Overtime, a sports bar with TVs tuned to games, along with pool tables, shuffleboard, darts and a virtual golf machine.
Jones said she expects Cabot to become even more attractive to new businesses after U.S. Highway 67 is redesignated Interstate 57.
“I think that’s going to open a whole new door for Cabot,” she said. “I know that we have businesses that are looking at us that won’t come until it’s an interstate, so I think that will be a whole new world once it does become an interstate. I think it will attract more people, more businesses, to Cabot.”
There are also several improvements underway to ease traffic flow around the city, including reconfiguring the interchanges at exits 16 and 19 as single-point urban interchanges.
“We’ve been working behind closed doors on more roundabouts for our area because the stoplights don’t seem to be doing the trick,” Kincade added. “Our flow of traffic needs to increase so people feel like they’re getting to their destination in an efficient manner and they don’t feel like they’re sitting in gridlock.”
What else is new for the city of Cabot? Well, it would be hard to ignore the news of the day. In May, Lyon College in Batesville and the city of Cabot announced Lyon will open its school of veterinary medicine in Cabot near the new mega sports complex. The school is set to open in fall 2025.
“I’m really, really excited,” Kincade said. “This is something Cabot has needed for a very long time, and it deserves it.”
Payseno said the city began collaborating with Lyon last year to allow students to receive training at the city’s animal services center. That partnership took a giant leap forward when Lyon needed an alternative to its planned site in Little Rock, and Cabot had land available.
Cabot’s new animal service center will be on campus and include a surgery center, allowing veterinary students to gain handson surgical training during their clinical rotations, Payseno said.
“It’s very unique,” she added. “We’re doing something that no other city that deals in shelter medicine is doing in the country.”
The economic impact of the school will be substantial, she said, adding that she expects the school to help diversify Cabot’s growing housing market and looks forward to seeing how the campus takes shape in terms of trails and other areas that will provide resources for the larger community.
In addition, Unity Health announced a new hospital in the works for Cabot, and the city received a $1.9 million grant from the economic development administration last year to support the hospital by constructing water, sewer and road infrastructure. The hospital is expected to bring 750 new jobs to the city, Payseno said.
While there has been much progress in Cabot, there is still much to do, and Kincade said he would like to see more entertainment options, including a game center for local youth, as well as additional education partnerships with technical colleges.
Alicia Payseno
Ken Kincade
Gina Jones
Jones said she hopes to see more large employers come to Cabot and supply residents with additional jobs.
“We’re labeled as a bedroom community,” she said. “We would like to get away from that, and we want people to be able to work here and not just sleep here, you know? I would love to see some industry brought into Cabot and something that brings a lot of job opportunities to people that are here that wouldn’t have to leave to go somewhere else to work.”
If the city’s efforts could be summed up in a single sentence, perhaps it would be, “It’s all here,” the tagline unveiled earlier this year as part of the city’s new marketing package. For Cabot
“We have a very supportive community. We have lots of small businesses here, and our small-business owners, their support of each other is second to none.”
— Alicia Payseno, economic development director
residents, that means never having to leave the city for work, shopping, food, entertainment or recreation.
“I think in 10 or 20 years, you’ll see a Cabot that is stronger and better than ever, where most people won’t have to go to Little Rock for anything,” Kincade said. “That will all be here, from a big bookstore to clothing outlets to any sort of restaurant they may want to eat at. It will all be here, and all the quality of life things that would make someone happy or what they need that would be in most cities will be here.”
A redesigned city hall helps streamline government operations.
PANTHER PRIDE
Cabot Public Schools promotes excellence, scholarship
By DWAIN HEBDA // Photos provided
When it comes to points of community pride, few things can compete with the local public school system. From Main Street volunteerism to the athletic playing field and from the drama stage to college classrooms throughout Arkansas and across the country, Cabot Public School students are grounded in foundational principles of scholarship and citizenship as they prepare to face the challenges of a rapidly changing workplace and world.
Dr. Tony Thurman, superintendent, has been with the district for 25 years, 18 of which he has spent in his current role. A well-recognized, handson administrator, his steady leadership permeates every level of the school system, energizing faculty and staff alike to create something unique and special in the lives of students. They call it “Panther Pride,” something Thurman said incubates from one fundamental core value.
“When kids come to school, we want them to feel loved and cared for,” he said. “We want parents to know that we love them and care for them and we’re glad that they’re a part of our system. That may not be a typical thing for a school system, but that’s what we feel like is very, very important.”
The sprawling Cabot Public School system is a modern, up-to-date network of 17 schools that serve more than 10,000 K-12 students and another 325
pre-K students, the district’s latest annual report states. The wide-ranging, challenging curriculum is taught and supported by 1,556 staffers, about 850 of whom hold licensure in their respective areas.
Students have distinguished themselves through their collective academic performance. Measured across four criteria — readiness, reading, math and science — students in third through 10th grades exceeded state averages in all instances but fifth grade readiness, which tied the state average. Cabot students also perform admirably on the ACT, scoring well above the state average on composite, reading, English and science portions of the college entrance exam.
Among the graduating members of the class of 2024, nearly 80 percent were headed to a college, university, or postsecondary vocational and technical programs and were collectively awarded millions in scholarships to their institutions of choice. The class also boasted 29 Governor’s Distinguished Scholars and six National Merit semifinalists, making Cabot High School one of only 45 schools statewide to have at least one student earn the latter accolade.
Thurman cited the school district’s mission to create learning communities serving at every level of a student’s academic journey and social development as one element of student success.
“We really encourage our schools to become learning communities within themselves,” he said. “When we have a student who is part of an elementary school or a junior high or freshman academy, we really want them to be a part of the family. We really work on developing that community feel within each school while maintaining each school as a part of our system.
“In fact, we not only encourage that we expect our administrators to build that culture that includes the parents, the students, the faculty and
staff, and the administration. In this manner, we support each other, we hold each other accountable, but most importantly, [we try] to be kind and to care about one another.”
That sense of community is also fostered through an extensive list of athletics and extracurricular activities. Last year, Cabot boasted the top individual medalist in boys golf and reached the 6A state semifinals in baseball and girls basketball.
The school also placed second in team scoring for both boys and girls bowling, which, by Cabot standards, is something of a down year. Combined, the two squads have brought home the 6A state bowling title 18 times since the 2010 season. The girls won first place for a solid decade between 2012 and 2022, and the boys won four years straight between 2012 and 2015.
The school also offers a full slate of artistic programs, including dance, theater, music and a wide range of extracurricular activities to suit students’ interests, providing social interactions and developing leadership.
“We invest mightily in those parts of the program that are the hook for kids to make them feel like they’re really a part of the school community and there’s something for them to be a part of, whatever their interests may be,” Thurman said. “We know that, especially at the secondary level, kids don’t get real fired up about English, math, science and social studies. What they do get fired up about is being a part of that award-winning band or being in an agriculture program that has animals on-site to work with every day or to be a sportscaster on our broadcasting channel or to play baseball at Panther Fields or to be a part of our swim team or bowling team.
activity programs, courses of study, which provide for career paths after graduation.”
To that end, Cabot Public Schools offers a number of hands-on courses that allow students to sample a range of activities that feed into in-demand, well-paying skilled careers. Among the offerings are courses in broadcasting, firefighting, construction, auto mechanics and nursing.
The programs find a ready and eager audience among students who are showing a propensity for education as a conduit to their career. Among the class of 2024, more than 6 in 10 held a job while in school, and 17 percent of this year’s 700-plus graduates plan to go directly into the workforce.
“My message in that is we understand that we’re going to have a lot of college-bound kids, but we also know that the marketplace is very strong for those kids who come out and, maybe, go to a vocational school or go into a trade school or just go directly into the workforce,” Thurman said. “There’s an ability there to be a contributing member of society without going to college, and we want to make sure that our students have access to those opportunities.”
“For this reason, we invest mightily in those activities across the board, all the way down to our auditorium and our stage kids who build sets or participate in our choir and our dance classes. We are purposeful in that because we know those activities are often what gets kids to come to school with enthusiasm. It encourages them to be timely and encourages them to be responsible, and that carries over to those other classes that maybe they’re not so motivated for.”
A third component of the school district’s strategy for success is promoting programs that look to a student’s future beyond the classroom, preparing them to not only excel in the school setting but to set them up for success in whatever comes next.
“We have a lot of kids that do well in colleges and universities,” Thurman said. “They’re great, but we also understand there’s a large segment of kids that, maybe, that’s just not where they want to go, yet they can still be contributing members of society. We want to make sure we have, in addition to those
Thurman said the wider community of Cabot plays a key role in that effort by supporting the school system at every turn. He said the community’s growth also bodes well for keeping local students close to home to apply their high school or college education.
“I really believe that Cabot has become the total package,” he said. “I feel like some places have some of these strengths, but what’s stayed under the radar here is we offer a little bit of everything in terms of the business community that’s really grown recently, the quality of the school system, community amenities, parks, the recreational activities, the youth activities outside of the school setting. All those pieces come together here. It’s a one-stop-shop type of place where people can really invest themselves.
“When people come here to live, they really become a part of our community, and they find they really don’t have to go anywhere else to get what they need for themselves or their families. Cabot really does offer the best of all possible worlds.”
Extracurriculars and academic success set Cabot Public Schools apart from other districts.
Dr. Tony Thurman
Marissa De La Paz,
HOME COOKIN’
Cabot dining offers some of the best in hospitality
Sometimes, while on a road trip in the state, it can be best to eat before or after passing through Little Rock to avoid getting stuck in traffic or dealing with long lines. While the capital city has a few more options than most of the surrounding counties, there are some hidden gems that make it worthwhile to pull off the highway and get off the beaten path. Cabot has its fair share of great restaurants, and each one has a unique story to tell.
Justin and Andrea Wilson started off with a food truck in Arkadelphia after graduating from college in the small southwest Arkansas town. Hot Rod Wieners served gourmet hot dogs and was popular except the town had strict mobile vending laws that made it hard to operate.
The Wilsons had family in Cabot and both lived there previously, so they decided to take their food truck on the road, knowing there was a relative scarcity of locally owned options at the time. The food truck won awards from several publications until, in 2017, the couple decided to try for a brickand-mortar location. With Justin’s background at a bakery and Andrea’s past work at a deli, the two looked to make a living sharing family recipes with the people of Cabot. Thus Pea Farm Bistro was born.
The restaurant, located at 1102 S. Pine St., is known for its sandwiches, soups, salads and deserts, along with a cozy vibe and an affordable price. An average Pea Farm Bistro meal comes in between $8 and $15. Andrea said the restaurant offers inviting music and conference rooms, encouraging talking and discussion instead of distractions. The restaurant has no TV and no Wi-Fi.
“We wanted to bring the feeling of Grandma’s house to your local neighborhood restaurant,” said Justin.
By LANCE BROWNFIELD // Photos provided
While looking for decor for the new establishment, the couple put out a
call for reclaimed wood from the area. A friend who was tearing down an old house offered them some wood that was unique to the history of the area. The house was on the property of the Arkansas State Farm for Women, a penal colony also known as Pea Farm, and was the residence of the colony doctor who took care of the inmates on the premises in northern Pulaski County. That wood now makes up the tabletops at Pea Farm Bistro and also inspired the name of the eatery.
“It just kind of came together,” Andrea said.
The decor is not the only thing locally sourced, and the restaurant prides itself on using farm-fresh ingredients. Pea Farm Bistro is supplied by Ozark All Seasons Farm in Winslow, Petit Jean Meats in Morrilton, Honeyton Farms in Cabot, Squizito Tasting Room, which is based in Cabot, and more.
The couple originally visited farmers markets for supplies, but once the eatery was established, “the farmers started coming to us,” Andrea said.
Growing into their business over the years, the two are looking at a new venture next door — a market where patrons can get the same fresh ingredients used at Pea Farm Bistro. Still without a name, the general store will offer local milk, eggs, cheese, coffee, meats and other sundries. The Wilsons expect to open the store this summer right next door to Pea Farm Bistro.
Also nearby, on the other side of the street at 1101 and 1103 S. Pine St., is Purple Onion and 3 Flamingos Frozen Yogurt and Boba Tea, respectively. Purple Onion is owned by Scott Stevens, while 3 Flamingos belongs to Hans and Terra Masters.
Purple Onion was established in 2014 and is another cornerstone in Cabot’s growing restaurant scene. Ten years ago, Cabot had fewer restaurant options, and Purple Onion has helped contribute to the growth of the Pine Street area at that time.
“We knew it would be great to offer our community a diverse menu and menu items that you can only find at our restaurant,” said Stormy Hutchison, general manager at Purple Onion. “We pride ourselves on providing our guests with the big-city restaurant quality, experience and atmosphere without having to make the commute.
“The response of the last 10 years has been amazing. We definitely could not do it without our amazing community. Our team members are the real rock stars of the restaurant.
They are the core of what we do and who we are. They are the ones that make the magic happen each and every day.”
Some of the unique items offered there include the Swamp Basket, which is made up of a crispy chicken tender, fried catfish, steamed shrimp, jalapeno hushpuppies and fresh, hand-cut fries. Hutchison said everything is freshly hand-cut to order in the restaurant. Her favorites include the bourbon salmon, ribeye po’boy and Alaskan snow crab legs.
“Hospitality, cooking and food service has always been my passion since I was a child,” she said. “This opportunity enabled me to express my creativity and love for American, Cajun, and seafood cuisines.”
Now a Cabot staple, the restaurant continues to keep things fresh, running three or four limited-time menus a year with a focus on industry trends. While no plans are in motion, they are excited about the idea of expansion.
Opposite: Purple Onion’s Swamp Basket. Top: Andrea and Justin Wilson, owners of Pea Farm Bistro, and a Pea Farm dish. Bottom: Rib-eye po’boy at Purple Onion.
“We pride ourselves on providing our guests with the big-city restaurant quality, experience and atmosphere without having to make the commute.”
— Stormy Hutchison, general manager, Purple Onion
“We would love to bring more Purple Onions to more communities in the near future,” Hutchison said. “We are always testing our creativity by trying new food and flavor fusions to stay ahead of the curve.”
Purple Onion is open Monday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and for brunch every Saturday and Sunday from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.
While some local restaurateurs and business owners started their operations from the ground up, others have purchased companies to carry on the legacy of already-established eateries. Such is the case with the Masters, who bought 3 Flamingos in 2022. The business has been around since 2010.
It all started when Terra broke her ankle while on a cruise in August 2022, which caused her to retire from her 20-year career as a paramedic.
“This place just kind of fell in my lap,” she said.
A friend informed her that the local frozen yogurt place was up for sale that September. Several phone calls later, the couple closed on the business in November, reopening under new management in January 2023.
Hans and Terra Masters, owners of 3 Flamingos Frozen Yogurt and Boba Tea, and a Cheryl’s Diner sign.
“Honestly, it was completely random, just like my career as a paramedic was completely random” she said. “It’s not something I grew up wanting to do. I just came across it and thought, ‘This would be amazing.’”
She said she and her husband, Hans, have always wanted to become small-business owners and were looking for something family-oriented.
The couple is very close to getting a 3 Flamingos mobile unit up and running to bring the refreshing frozen yogurt out to the people via two machines. The unit will also serve boba teas and boba lemonades.
Another restaurant celebrating a decade of service is Cheryl’s Diner at 211 E. Main St. “We just have fun at work and have the best customers,” said Cheryl Wilson, owner of Cheryl’s Diner.
July 28 will mark 10 years for the diner and 10 years of learning what it takes to make dreams come true. Wilson waited tables her whole life but knew she wanted to own a restaurant of her own someday. Although she never spent time behind the grill before starting the venture, she did not let that deter her from learning as she went.
“Cooking’s been new to me for 10 years,” she said.
“My husband and I are living our dream of being local small-business owners,” she said.
She said the food company the business uses has been a big help, and she supplements the menu with recipes from her mom.
While the diner’s past has been great, there is something even sweeter in store for Wilson and her husband, Bill. They plan to run the restaurant for two more years before handing the keys off to one of their waitresses, who has expressed interest in carrying on the diner. The couple will then relocate to Georgia to be closer to their grandchildren.
They still are not sure if they will open another restaurant there when Cheryl will be 60 years old.
“We just have fun at work and have the best customers.”
— Cheryl Wilson, owner, Cheryl’s Diner
“[The diner is] not closing down. It’s staying open,” she said.
The restaurant will continue to serve the same good food and be known as the place that has “that Bible verse on the board,” she added.
After all that food, it can be nice to grab a treat from BREW YAYA Coffee + Roaster to wash it all down.
“It’s a good small town, lots of good, loving people,” said Barry Adams, owner of BREW YAYA.
Located at 2800 S. 2nd St., the cafe roasts its own coffee and makes its own syrups and sauces. All the food is homemade, fresh cooked to order and uses as many local ingredients as possible. The establishment serves Mediterranean food for lunch, including salads, pizzas and gyros, and for breakfast, the standard Southern home cooking is available, including biscuits, sausage, eggs and bacon.
Mean Pig BBQ at 3096 Bill Foster Memorial Highway in Cabot has been a pillar in the city since 1997. When Chad Merritt was 11 years old, his father started the business. Growing up, that is where he spent almost every weekend, his time after school and summers. Now he is passing that passion on to his four children, who range in age from 19 years old to 16 months old.
“It’s in my blood,” Merritt said.
“We’re mission-minded,” Adams said, noting that the company works with various nonprofits to make a difference in the town of more than 26,000.
The city of Cabot certainly has its own flavor that is often overlooked due to its proximity to Little Rock. The town has something for every one, serving breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert and all kinds of drinks.
Famous for the Mean Pig Challenge, the restaurant has been featured on the hit television show Man v. Food
Marriott said the community rallied around the business when it struggled through COVID-19 like most businesses did, including supporters from the Little Rock Air Force Base in Jacksonville.
“Those that have kept us in business have been here since the beginning,” Merritt said. “We do the same things every day. We make all of our own stuff. Very little comes in a box or premade.”
For those uninitiated to the Mean Pig fare, Merritt described the restaurant as closer to a Memphis-style barbecue than any other region but that it has created its own distinct flavor by blending traditions and recipes from around the country.
“I call it ‘us style’ because we took a little bit from here and a little bit from there, and we just make what we like,” he said.
Just as sweet as the sauce is the restaurant’s
commitment to the community.
“We’ve got a heart for our community,” Merritt said. “We’re involved in a lot of areas, a lot of things with kids. That’s near and dear to our hearts. We enjoy what we do because we’re a part of a lot of peoples’ lives.”
Future plans for the restaurant include expanding, and Merritt hopes to open four more locations. He’s looking at Little Rock, Conway, Searcy and other cities in the region.
When it comes to his favorite menu item, Merritt describes himself as a “classic pulled pork sandwich kind of guy.”
“Chopped pork, if you will,” he said, “but we also have been doing these barbecue nachos the last year or so.”
The nachos include smoked cheese dip on Tostitos with chopped pork and beef or chicken topped with barbecue sauce and jalapenos.
Cabot landmark Mean Pig BBQ was founded in 1997 and was featured on Man v. Food
Ladies Boutique
FLOORING WALL TILE BATH KITCHEN
Natural State Wholesale is a continental buyer and seller of building material with an emphasis on flooring. After 25 years of wholesale success, NSW has now opened their door to the public at The Warehouse, 2011 North 2nd St. Cabot, AR.
The Warehouse stocks many different flooring surfaces, including tile, laminate, luxury vinyl, SPC rigid core, solid and engineered hardwood. We also have a wonderful selection of toilets, tubs, and faucets.
Along with a large warehouse inventory, Natural State Wholesale markets to a large audience of buyers and sellers. Many large manufacturers trust NSW with the marketing and selling of their inventories. Please contact us if you have any questions or comments at (501) 605-8739 or email one of us. 203 Commerce Park Dr. | Cabot, AR. 72023 | (501) 605-8739
Quality of Life
Cabot amenities spur, keep up with city’s growth
By SARAH COLEMAN // Photos provided
CCabot, the largest city in Lonoke County, is the 19th largest city in Arkansas. With a population of nearly 30,000 people, the area has seen steady growth throughout the years and growth in amenities to match. Where people work, play and live life, there is much the city has to offer now and a lot more expected in the future.
ART
Not only is Cabot focused on growing through economic development, but the city has remained focused on creating a beautiful place for both visitors and residents to enjoy. Public art is one of the many initiatives that has allowed the city to grow and look good while doing it.
Sarah Wells, an artist at the Cabot Foundation for Arts & Culture, has lived in Cabot her entire life and has seen firsthand how supporting the arts can benefit a community.
“In my professional life, I’m a graphic designer. I design websites, and art has always been a passion of mine,” Wells said. “There are statistics and data that show when you bring art and culture to an area, it enriches people’s lives, and therefore, it helps economically. People want to come to
a place that feels exciting and warm, that has some kind of charm. In bringing public art, you bring life to the area.”
The Cabot Foundation for Arts & Culture hosts an art walk displaying public art in the heart of the community. Built upon slots in a retaining wall near the downtown area, sections of the wall are designated for each participating artist. The artwork changes annually, bringing fresh works each spring.
“Our strawberry festival is in the spring, and that’s when they usually try to have the art changed by so that it’s nice and fresh when people are downtown,” Wells said.
The Cabot Art Walk offers a guide for people to follow, which can be accessed through the foundation’s website, cabotart.com.
As for permanent pieces, Wells and several artists have murals decorating buildings throughout the entirety of Cabot. Located at 119 N.
tiative and the tourism initiatives,” she said. “We want people to want to be here and to fall in love with our community and to keep coming back.”
WORK HARD, PLAY HARDER
Where there is life to be lived, there is fun to be had, and the Cabot Parks & Recreation Department is all about creating experiences and foundations that allow that to be accomplished. Hosting several events and programming throughout the year and offering well-kept parks to visit, the department keeps residents busy with all that is offered.
Just in time for summer 2024, the department launched its new splash pad at Richie Road Park, which is open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. According to Travis Young, director of the Cabot Parks & Recreation Department, the area offers more than 2,900 square feet of water play, making it a fun destination for kids of all ages.
Adams St., Wells’ mural is titled Milk and Honey and depicts a cow with bees and a honeycomb.
“My mural is actually a more subtle history of the community. My grandfather was a dairy farmer, and I really wanted to honor that agricultural background of the community,” Wells said.
“A lot of people have moved here for school or through the military, and unless you’re from here, that might be some information that you’re not as familiar with. It was important to me to bring Cabot history out in a different way.”
Other murals include The Postcard by Glenda Krauss, Heart of Cabot by Jessica Jones, CommUnity by Jason White, Military by Jason White, Dance to the Music by Jon Cotroneo and an assortment of mini murals by various artists. Some of the murals were commissioned by the city, while others have been made possible by funding from Unity Health and partnerships with the Cabot Chamber of Commerce.
Wells said the biggest thing visitors can expect when visiting Cabot is to encounter citizens who are very focused on how they can take the city and continue to nurture it into something special. While the city has a unique history, she and others look forward to creating a unique experience in the future.
“We want to have outdoor recreation to complement the art ini-
“Families can enjoy picnic tables and shade umbrellas for picnics. The splash pad is also accompanied by multiple play structures, an all-inclusive fenced playground, shaded walking trails and pavilions,” Young said.
Everything at the splash pad is free and open to the public, and pavilions at Richie Road Park can be reserved for $40 per session from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. or 3 p.m. to 9 p.m.. This makes for an ideal location for gatherings such as birthday parties and family reunions.
Young said there are also a variety of events for the entire family to enjoy throughout the year that offer fun and entertainment. The events include Easter Egg Splashaganza, an egg hunt in the Veterans Park Community Center Pool; a 4th of July Celebration at the Cabot Sportsplex; Celebrate the Season, an annual shopping event that supports Cabot’s students; the annual Christmas Parade in partnership with Cabot City Beautiful; and Noon Year’s Eve at the Veterans Park Community Center.
“We also offer a wide range of programs for residents. During the summer, we provide tennis, boys volleyball and various adult sports leagues,” Young said. “The newest facility, Game Time at the Grounds, features threeon-three basketball, youth girls volleyball and a soccer camp.”
Additionally, esports and chess camps are offered for students, and for swimming, the aquatic park makes for a great place to cool off in the summer. A second indoor pool, located at Veterans Park Community Center, stays open year-round.
An array of murals awaits those who conquer the Cabot Art Walk.
“Cabot is a fantastic place to visit and live with a strong focus on developing youth sports. This helps children learn the basics of several sports, connect with other students outside the classroom, and build teamwork and athletic skills,” Young said.
As a sports tourism destination, Cabot offers premier sports and recreation facilities, which attract visitors and boost the economy through retail, restaurant and hotel revenue.
“There’s something for everyone in Cabot, whether you’re a resident or a visitor,” Young said.
LYON COLLEGE SCHOOL OF VETERINARY MEDICINE
Arkansas’ No. 1 industry is agriculture, and this year, Lyon College in Batesville will bring the first veterinary school in the state to Cabot. Lyon College School of Veterinary Medicine, which will welcome its first class of students in 2026, is also being touted as an outstanding economic development engine for the area.
“With no veterinary school in Arkansas, all Arkansas students have always had to leave the state to pursue a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree,” said Eleanor Green, founding dean of the veterinary school. “Now they will be able to train for and receive their DVM degree in their home state. This will make them more likely to remain in Arkansas to pursue their careers and contribute to their local communities.”
Green said there is a national shortage of veterinarians that is described by many as being of crisis proportions. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects the need for veterinarians will continue to rise by 18 percent through 2028. Arkansas currently has the fewest employed veterinarians of any state in the nation at an average of 14 veterinarians per 100,000 people.
“Some people ask about the demand for veterinary education. The demand is solid,” Green said, adding that enrollment trends in veterinary schools are on the upswing.
The number of applications to vet school has grown 6 to 7 percent annually, and first-year student enrollment has increased at a rate of about 3 percent annually over the past decade. During the same cycle, applicants each applied to an average of 4.89 different schools.
“There are insufficient numbers of veterinary schools to fulfill the current need for veterinary graduates,” Green said.
Lyon College’s veterinary school was originally slated for Little Rock pending purchase of the Heifer International campus downtown, but the arrangement did not come to fruition. Green said community leaders in Cabot stepped forward to offer a site and other support for the school.
“The leaders of Cabot are progressive and collaborative. Thus, locating in Cabot seems to be a win-win solution. Planning is progressing well,” Green said. “[The school] will stand as a beacon
of innovation, fostering a new generation of compassionate and highly skilled veterinary professionals who are lifelong learners with a keen eye on the future of the profession.”
As a suburb of Little Rock, Cabot allows the veterinary school to contribute and draw from rich collaborations possible in the state’s capital. Not only will students, residents, businesses and organizations benefit from LCSVM, but the state as a whole will benefit tremendously, Green said.
“There will be increased public awareness of the significant role animals play in society, how they make us healthier physically and mentally, and our shared responsibility to keep animals healthy,” Green said. “Veterinarians are critical for healthy communities because of the many diseases transmitted between animals and people.”
Green also noted that because veterinary practices are small businesses, they create jobs for professionals and staff in communities, rural and otherwise. Arkansas livestock and poultry is one of the state’s largest industries at $13.5 billion, Green added, and the economic health of the livestock and poultry industries in the state relies upon animal health and well-being.
“Veterinary medicine is a direct, indirect and induced economic contributor to the state and in local communities,” Green said. “I have been most gratified by the response of Arkansans to this new veterinary school. I have not yet met a single person who has not expressed enthusiasm and who has not offered to help. That speaks volumes about the state and Arkansans.”
Currently, LCSVM is in the process of fulfilling requirements of becoming fully accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association Council on Education. Green said the school has had its first site visit, received its report and submitted its response to the COE.
“[LCSVM] will submit an additional report in August 2024, in which it will request a COE comprehensive site visit, another important step in the progression toward full accreditation,” Green said. “Subsequent to that visit, the date for admitting veterinary students will be confirmed.”
HEALTH CARE
Unity Health’s highly anticipated Cabot campus is currently in its planning stages, assessing current and future health care needs for the area and developing a plan for a forthcoming medical office building.
According to Jennifer Skinner, director of marketing and public relations at Unity Health, the hospital has met with city officials to discuss plans for the site, as well as other areas Cabot is developing.
Current plans for the developments in the area are on a smaller scale. A medical office building to house physicians and provide ancillary services is also planned. There is also the possibility of bringing ambulatory services such as lab, radiology, therapies and outpatient procedures to the space, as well as, ultimately, a hospital.
“As we get closer to the time frame for construction of a hospital, we will assess the Cabot market needs,” Skinner said. “We expect by establishing a medical office building as a first step, we can identify more specifically what the community needs.”
Currently, Unity Health has two clinics serving the Cabot community, Clarity Health & Wellness and North Cabot Family Medicine.
Clarity Health & Wellness at 2039 W. Main St. offers a treatment team that provides behavioral health services for ages 4 and up, including counseling and psychiatric care for individuals and families. Depression, anxiety, grief, life stressors, trauma and psychosis are a few of the specific areas of treatment offered.
North Cabot Family Medicine has served Cabot and surrounding areas for years, and Skinner said the location is adding primary care providers who will continue to offer a full range of services. These include family practice, laboratory testing, pediatrics, x-ray services, weight management, women’s health, diabetes management and more.
With three physicians and a nurse practitioner on staff, the clinic offers same-day appointments to accommodate busy schedules. Addition-
ally, cardiology services are available with Dr. Eric Robinson, who gives patients with heart health needs local access to a board certified cardiology expert.
“Another added service we’re excited to offer to the Cabot community soon involves our work with the Cabot school system, where we can provide health care services for faculty and students at a school-based clinic,” Skinner said. “Amber Walker, APRN, will be joining the Unity Health team in serving the school system. Eventually, the goal is to add counseling and behavioral health services to the offerings, as well.”
Skinner said the biggest reason Unity Health expands into additional communities is because of the level of need to be met. She said the system is equipped to meet those needs locally with expertise and compassion.
“We have conducted extensive market analysis for both Cabot and Jacksonville. We have accessed demographics related to population growth and growth by age,” Skinner said. “We have looked at the services that are migrating out of the Cabot market area, and the historical data indicates that Cabot is a growing community extending into Ward and to Austin. This population growth indicates a need for additional health care services in the Cabot area.”
An aquatic park, a new mega sports complex, an engaging library, and new hotels and hospitals are just some of what Cabot has to offer.
WORD on the STREET
Two leaders see big things ahead for Cabot business community
By DWAIN HEBDA // Photos provided
Some communities struggle to evolve or reinvent themselves, but business leaders in Cabot say the city has done an excellent job of emerging from the shadow of larger communities to develop an identity all its own.
Long regarded as a bedroom town for North Little Rock, Little Rock and, to a lesser degree, Conway, Cabot is poised for a breakthrough, said Marshall Butler, partner and director of commercial services at Pinnacle Advisors, which has offices in Little Rock and Cabot.
“I would say Cabot has excelled because of its suburban status,” he said. “Even though commercial prices have risen precipitously over the years, it’s still very affordable and achievable for a small business when compared to property in North Little Rock or Sherwood.
“If you need somewhere to office so you’re not at your house, we’ve got that. If you need manufacturing space, we’ve got that. We have warehouses. I know that there are some developers that are trying to come in to increase the inventory so that that growth can continue, but the existing inventory is very favorable, especially for a startup.”
Butler said availability of unique, reasonably priced real estate is one key factor that brought Pinnacle Advisors to town three years ago. Since then, he has been equally impressed with city leadership’s work to provide amenities for businesses and residents alike.
“One thing I would really praise is Connect2First, a subsidiary of First Electric Cooperative, our electric co-op,” he said. “The city of Cabot issued bonds probably two or three years ago that paid for all of the fiber lines to be laid to every single address in Cabot. Before that, the maximum data speed was, like, 25 or 50 megs per second. We now have a gig per second, and you can get even faster speeds on a commercial line.
“The idea that a city had the foresight to go ahead and issue bonds to purchase and lay all of the fiber that it owns and then lease it to another provider to bring in competition and better service makes sense on an economic level. You just never hear about something like that, so that’s pretty interesting. Kudos to the city government for that one.”
Butler, who attended school in Cabot, also praised leaders’ cooperative spirit, which benefits community stakeholders. He said the cohesiveness resulted in a public school system that develops skill-based classes that dovetail with the needs of local business and industry and the city following suit on issues of economic development, urban planning, and public health and safety to serve the collective.
“I would praise the city government that we have,” he said. “We have a very collaborative group of people who are working for the benefit of Cabot. We have a mayor with foresight and a very collaborative city council that doesn’t always agree but continues to have conversations. We have advertising and promotion that’s charging the hamburger tax and putting those dollars to work. I see the next step as creating a more cohesive development code so developers can come in and know what to expect from code enforcement.
“The same goes for the superintendent of schools and past and present school boards for their commitment to providing a wide breadth of education for every student. Any student with the foresight to say, ‘I want to major in this in college,’ or ‘I want to go get a trade certificate or a license to be a plumber,’ there is a path for them. Providing that is pretty special because Cabot is a big school district. It takes work from everyone from the top down.”
Roger Sundermeier, senior vice president and chief brand officer at First Arkansas Bank & Trust, which has branches in Cabot, agreed with Butler’s assessment, saying the combination of all those features adds up to an extremely pro-business environment.
“Cabot does a really good job of supporting mom-and-pops and small businesses,” he said. “I think that’s one of the most attractive things for the small business owner is that it’s an environment where they choose local options first.”
Sundermeier pointed to several high-profile successes headlined by the successful attraction of Lyon College’s forthcoming veterinary school as proof positive of the city’s desirability. He said room to build and ready access to U.S. 67, soon to be Interstate 57, will only bring more growth in the future.
“The availability of land is a big plus in Cabot. There’s room for businesses and the schools to grow,” he said. “Whether you’re talking about commercial or residential, you basically have a clean slate, a blank canvas, and you can create your own vision for what the future looks like. Being in a prime location on what will be I-57 soon just adds to that.
“The combination of having plenty of space to play with, a good infrastructure and improved highways all add up to a very critical piece of Cabot’s success both today and five, 10 or even 30 years down the road.”
Quality of life is another major attractor to the city, Sundermeier said, from the aforementioned school system and the forthcoming health care expansion by Unity Health to parks, shopping and restaurants. He said all of that combines to make Cabot more self-contained than it has ever been.
“I think that’s very important for maintaining that sense of community,” he said. “People rally around their schools and their kids. Cabot is one of those places where you have all the amenities, enough to do on the weekends or during the week, and still have that small, hometown feel. It’s the best of both worlds that folks are looking for.”
Marshall Butler Roger Sundermeier
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Cabot Bucket List
RESTAURANTS & CATERING
3 Flamingos Frozen Yogurt and Boba Tea
Arkansas Catering
Cabot Cafe and Cake Corner
Cabot Farmer’s Market
Cabot Nutrition Hang Out
Chef Candace
Cheryl’s Diner
Deer Creek Fire & Stone
El Cañaveral Mexican Restaurant
J&M Charcuterie + Kaylas Cookies
Kingpin Sports Grill
La Torcia Brick Over Pizza
Love’s Donuts
The Mean Pig BBQ
Mi Ranchito
Morina’s Italian Restaurant Nachos
Naru Sushi & Grill
NeNe’s Dishes
Overtime Cabot
Pea Farm Bistro
Peppermill Cafe & Grill
Shiver Shack Shake Shop and Shaved Ice
The Pink Pepperoni
Purple Onion
Spill the Beans
Tokyo Japanese Steakhouse & Sushi Bar
Top Dog Catering
The Quarry
VIP Nutrition
SPORTS & LEISURE
Allman/Bevis Sports Complex
Cabot Aquatic Park
Cabot Community Park
Cabot Sportsplex
Cypress Creek Golf Club
Fairlen Ward Memorial Park
Greystone Country Club
Regional Park
Richie Road Park
Rolling Hills Country Club
Veterans Park Community Center
Veteran’s Monument
ARTS
Cabot Art Walk
Cabot Public Library
Community Theatre of Cabot
Fired Up - Cabot
EVENTS
Cabot Christmas Parade
CabotFest
Cabot Strawberry Festival
Downtown Christmas in Cabot
Cabot Country Cruiser Spring Fling 5K
RETAIL
Anita’s Accessories
Buttonwood Boutique
Glaze 2 Curvy Girl Boutique
Glaze Clothing Boutique
Harvey’s Liquor
Hello Sunshine Boutique
The Humble Thread
On the Bayou Outfitters
Positeevely Cabot! Designs
Sage Tea & Treats
SunRays
Uncommon Opal Boutique
SPA, BEAUTY & AESTHETICS
Beauty Boss Co. Aesthetics & Wellness
The Hive Spa & Wellness
Invigorate Weight Loss & Wellness
Natural State Skin Spa
Rejuvenation Station
Revolution Med Spa
Shalee’s Day Spa
3 Check off the Cabot Bucket List as you visit a small sample of our favorite places.
OSCAN TO PURCHASE!
f all the things the Almighty put on earth for humanity’s benefit, few can compare with animals, creatures that remind us in ways both practical and mystical that despite our efforts to the contrary, there is still ample good and happiness left in the world. Anyone who has ever owned a dog, pet a cat, combed a horse or relaxed to gliding fish in a tank knows the fundamental power animals hold in their fundamental beauty and goodness.
More than 6 out of 10 households in the U.S. own at least one pet, and more than a third own multiple furry friends. It is common to the point of cliché to say a pet is family — 97 percent of people, in fact, think that way, the Pew Research Center found — but more than half of pet owners really take this mantra to heart. Pew found 51 percent put Fluffy on par with the human members of the household.
Among U.S. pet owners, dogs are still king, and 62 million households are home to a canine population of between 84 and 89 million hounds, the American Veterinary Medical Association states. That easily tops second-place cats by somewhere between 24 and 26 million critters. Other companions making the AVMA 2022 Pet Ownership and Demographic Sourcebook include fish and birds, owned in 2.7 and 2.5 percent of American households, respectively, followed by reptiles, gerbils and rabbits in a little more than 1 percent of homes each.
The Pew Research findings offered some fascinating insights into the psychology of pet ownership. For example, lower-income urban women were more likely to put their pets on par with human family members than upper income rural men. Perhaps unsurprisingly, a pet’s status is also higher in homes that lack codified human relationships; 65 percent of people living together, 63 percent of never married individuals and 55 percent of childless homes rank considerably higher than others in the belief that their pets hold the same status as a human family member.
The role pets play in modern life has also changed. Whereas animals were originally domesticated to perform specific tasks such as hunting, protection or herding, in today’s society, a pet’s role is more cerebral. An article in Harvard Magazine reported petting, playing or just making eye contact with pets releases chemicals in the human brain that lowers stress levels. Pet ownership is also linked
AY About You
LOVIN' OUR PETS
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in humans with lowering blood pressure, getting more exercise, eating better and avoiding risky substances.
Pets play a role in their owners’ mental health, encouraging better sleep and boosting social interaction that helps pet owners of all ages reduce loneliness and isolation and head off depression. Animals are also being utilized more directly in the battle for better mental health. Harvard Magazine reported that in addition to the well-known benefits of therapy dogs and cats, mental health professionals nationwide are in-
corporating everything from rabbits and birds to llamas and even guinea pigs to teach mindfulness and trust. Hippotherapy and equine therapy, two distinct but related approaches using horses, are widely used for the benefit of children and youth with special needs and those suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.
Animals bring out the best in people, in some cases literally. An animal’s love is unconditional, its motives simple and its life goals straightforward. One meme making the rounds online begs the universe, “Let me be the person my dog thinks I am,” and as pithy social media phrases go, there is a lot to aspire to there. Perhaps that helps to explain the success of Arkansas Paws in Prison, an obedience program where incarcerated individuals train dogs rescued from local shelters, providing a new lease on life for both trainers and trainees.
For years, AY About You printed its Dog Daze feature section celebrating the virtues of Rover, Tiger and Spot. It was always one of our favorites to put together because the majority of staff at the AY offices are devoted dog lovers. This year, based on the feedback of the readership, AY About You expands this popular section for the first time to include a wider swath of the petowning universe. In the pages that follow, therefore, learn about working dogs and cat cafes; a reptile rescue and a guinea pig shelter; and tiny horses and big showstoppers. Most importantly, we include a roster of shelter animals ready and waiting for their forever families.
The innocence and transparency of pets as angels of the earth should be obvious to all but the most hardened among us. What else explains the unbridled joy a dog shows at one’s approach after the workday or the palpable calm one feels at the purring of a cat? Who has not felt especially moved at the nuzzle of a creature, as if being assured the burdens of the day are light so long as there is a meadow in which to run or a park to be explored?
Even at their passing, the most intense, searing grief there is, our pets are teaching us the natural order of things and how to accept them with dignity and grace. As the late Wallace Sife, founder of the Association for Pet Loss and Bereavement, once said, “If you accept that pets can love us as much as we do them, then the logic is clear and cannot be denied: If you believe that there is a heaven for people, then they must be there, waiting for us, when we cross over. Heaven is love, and pets always share that with us.”
DOGS JOBSwith
By SARAH DECLERK // Photos provided
IService dogs, K-9s a game changer for vets, police and more
t is a common adage that dogs are man’s best friend, but for police, veterans and people with disabilities, the animals can be a lifesaver. Take Greg and Nancy Sporer, owners of Saving Grace Service Dogs of Arkansas in Little Rock, both of whom trained their own service dogs before starting the business.
Greg, an Air Force veteran, trained his own dog to help him cope with posttraumatic stress disorder in 2002.
“I used to get really bad nightmares,” he said. “I’d get paralyzed, couldn’t wake up out of the nightmare, so I had a big old Newfoundland and he would wake me up, get me out of the nightmare.”
He went on to found A Vet’s Best Friend in Cabot, a nonprofit organization that graduated 150 service dogs for veterans.
Meanwhile, unbeknownst to him, his future wife was also training a service dog, this one to help her daughter, who had chronic Lyme disease. Able to push her daughter’s wheelchair, provide her with deep pressure therapy, retrieve water and other necessities, and alert Nancy when her daughter was about to faint, the dog traveled with them everywhere.
“We had to go to Washington, D.C., to get treatment because there is no treatment for it here in Arkansas. I trained the dog to go on airplanes and hotel rooms, to doctor’s offices, elevators, downtown Washington, D.C., all of that,” Nancy said.
Greg and Nancy met online after they each became divorced. Nancy said she could not believe they both had a love of service dogs. Last year, they founded Saving Grace.
“We do believe that Jesus is our saving grace, and dogs can be people’s saving grace, and the middle name of my daughter, who I trained the dog for, is Grace,” Nancy said, “so we called it Saving Grace Service Dogs.”
“We need dogs that are kind of calm, cool and collected and very attentive to humans.”
— Don Gardner, Service Dogs of Distinction
The couple trains dogs to assist people who have PTSD, autism spectrum disorder and chronic illness. Saving Grace also provides a youth program that teaches those ages 12 to 18 to train service dogs, and they plan to start a school for trainers.
Greg said he hopes the school will help meet the need for service dogs, which can cost $20,000 to $40,000 and take two years to receive. They plan to open the school in the fall and are currently focusing on the youth program.
“The idea is the youth would then donate that service dog to someone in need in the community or their church,” Nancy said. “It will count for volunteer hours on high school transcripts and look really great on a college resume.”
It takes about a year to train the dogs, and the couple charges $6,000 to $10,000 per dog. Participants bring their own dogs, which the couple assesses for their service potential, then go through an eight-week trial period before committing to the full year of training.
The dogs complete the American Kennel Club’s Canine Good Citizen Test, a public access test and they must demonstrate three skills that help mitigate their owners’ disabilities, Greg said. However, there are no set standards for service dogs, he added, and fake service dogs abound.
“We would like some kind of assessment where people really do have to get a service dog assessed and passed, at least to minimum standards,” he said. “There are no standards right now.”
The couple uses positive reinforcement and clicker training to teach dogs to complete tasks such as pushing wheelchairs, retrieving medication bottles, picking up dropped items and even taking in groceries. Dogs for children with autism receive the most individualized training
and can help with meltdowns, ease transitions between activities, encourage children at bathtime by jumping in the water with them and alert parents if children sneak out of the house.
One of the most impressive tasks a dog has learned was to do laundry for a veteran who could not fit his wheelchair into his laundry room, Nancy said.
“It’s amazing what the service dog can do,” Greg said. “It’s a whole new life that [clients] hadn’t had. They lost their freedom. A lot of disabilities, you lose your freedom, and you get that back with a service dog.”
PATRIOTIC PUPS
Don Gardner has trained dogs for 40 years including hunting dogs, drug dogs, explosives dogs, search and rescue dogs and cadaver dogs before co-founding Service Dogs of Distinction about 10 years ago. The nonprofit, which trains in Mount Vernon and Fayetteville, provides service dogs to veterans at no cost.
“I’m the son of a veteran, but I’m not a veteran myself,” he said. ”I never wanted to be in the military. I didn’t want to be police, but back when I was in the explosive detection dog business, I knew that that was one way I could give back to the country a little bit there for the wonderful country that we live in. When I got the opportunity to get into the service dog training and understand that it’s another way to give back to some of those who have already given so much, to me, it was a no-brainer.”
The organization adopts rescue dogs that are 1 or 2 years old, teaches them basic obedience skills, pairs them with veterans, and provides both the dog and the veteran with training that can help the veterans with PTSD, as well as some mobility challenges.
Gardner joked that when choosing dogs, the trainers look for “a couch potato with
some willingness.”
“We don’t want dogs that are car chasers, fence jumpers, hole diggers, that kind of thing,” he said. “We need dogs that are kind of calm, cool and collected and very attentive to humans.”
The dogs may turn on lights to wake veterans who are having nightmares, remind veterans to take medications, retrieve dropped items for wheelchair users or perform an “about face” in which a dog assumes a reversed heel position to watch the veteran’s back, creating some space between the veteran and those behind him or her in line at a store.
The training lasts about a year and takes veterans on public outings they might otherwise avoid due to PTSD symptoms, Gardner said.
“The dog actually helps them get out into a lot more public situations and things like family reunions or just a shopping trip or taking the family out for a Sunday meal after church,” he said. “It just really helps them get their lives back.”
For some veterans, the transformation is “nothing short of miraculous,” he added. One veteran who had not visited a restaurant in 17 years felt able to do so after a training session, he said, and the veterans recently took their dogs to a baseball game at Baum Stadium in Fayetteville, which they would normally have avoided because of the crowds.
The organization just graduated its 50th veteran and dog team, he added. The program lasts 12 to 14 months and teams complete an evaluation six months after graduation and yearly evaluations after that, he said. Service Dogs of Distinction is also available to help veterans who run into problems at any time.
“We’ve had veterans who met resistance when they were out and about with their dog, you know, a restaurant wouldn’t let them in, this business or that business wouldn’t let them in,”
he said. “We would have to call the business and educate them on the service dog laws and what is required and let them know what true service dogs are and how they operate.
“There’s just so many businesses out there that do not know proper service dog laws and service dog etiquette but they do know they’re afraid to get a discrimination lawsuit.”
When people see veterans with service dogs in public, it is important not to pet or speak to the dog, he added.
“Just act like they’re not there,” he said. “Don’t interact with the dog. If you do approach and want to talk to the veteran, talk to the veteran and not the dog. The worst thing that we can do is distract that dog from their job, pulling their attention off their veteran.”
TAKING A BITE OUT OF CRIME
While some dogs mean the world to people with disabilities, other dogs change the world by assisting law enforcement with public safety. Joe Smith, owner of Von Klein Stein Working Dogs in Sherwood, trains drug dogs, bomb dogs and patrol dogs for police departments across the country. He previously worked full time as a K-9 handler at the North Little Rock Police Department.
“I had my first police dog back years and years and years ago and fell in love with it and fell in love with the training side of it, and it just kind of took me in that direction,” he said. “I came to central Arkansas for the kennel where I actually got my first dog and started working here on the side before I finally took it over, so police dogs are pretty much all I’ve ever done my entire life.”
Left: Greg and Nancy Sporer, owners of Saving Grace Service Dogs of Arkansas in Little Rock. Right: Two dogs being trained by Service Dogs of Distinction.
While some dogs are single-purpose, such as those that only search for narcotics or sweep areas for explosives, others are dual-purpose K-9s who may complete those tasks in addition to assisting officers on patrol by apprehending suspects or going into dangerous situations ahead of officers. Smith said certain personality attributes are better aligned with one form of police work than another, but all require a highly driven dog.
“The explosives dogs have to have a calm demeanor,” he said. “We have to be careful with the explosives dogs. They can’t be spastic. They can’t jump on things. They can’t knock things over, where with a narcotics dog, we really don’t mind that at all. So, the explosives
dogs, they’re a little bit more calm, a little bit more calm hunt or more calm search.”
The company purchases 1-year-old dogs from Europe, he said, adding that by age 1, he can tell more about the dog’s demeanor than with puppies. He said he buys the dogs from Europe because breeding restrictions are very stringent in the U.S., and foreign-bred dogs are also less prone to genetic health problems. The breeds he works with include German shepherds, Belgian malinois, Dutch shepherds, Labradors and German short-haired pointers.
All the training is done through moti vation, he said, and he and the other train
Top: A K-9 sits outside Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville. Bottom left: Joe Smith, owner of Von Klein Stein Working Dogs in Sherwood. Bottom right: A dog completes public access training with Service Dogs of Distinction.
ers follow a program of rigorous obedience training before moving on to specialized skills. While that kind of classical conditioning is not new, Smith said police dogs are sweeter than they once were.
“The dogs are much more friendly than they used to be,” he said. “We used to think that you had to have a mean dog or a bite dog and that’s just not true, so the dogs are much more friendly, much more pack-driven.”
Although police departments have experimented with technology to replace the work of dogs, such machines have yet to outpace the animals, Smith said. Whether preventing overdoses by keeping drugs off the street, stopping bombings before they can happen or taking a bullet for a human partner, it is clear that the dogs save lives.
“These dogs are put into situations where they go first and we follow, and they’re incredibly brave. They’re fiercely loyal,” he said. “I have a lot of dogs across the state that have been shot, that have been hurt, but if they hadn’t been there, it would have been an officer that probably wouldn’t have gone home that night.”
A Y STAFF PET: Gertie
FIDO’SA A FOODIE
Dog-friendly dining options abound in the Natural State
By MAK MILLARD // Photos provided
TThere are few pleasures in life quite like a good restaurant meal, and the joy is only increased by sharing with friends and family. What a tragedy, then, when some of the nearest and dearest members of the pack cannot tag along for the experience, all for the want of opposable thumbs (among other reasons). With pet ownership ever on the rise across the United States, recent years have seen a similar uptick in patrons seeking dog-friendly restaurants. Thankfully, many places around the Natural State have made accommodations to satisfy both pet parents and health departments alike.
Those concerned over the longevity of their pups know to keep the human food to a minimum, but still — the life of man’s best friend is far too short not to enjoy a few french fries or a bite of cheeseburger now and again. What’s more, if one’s wellheeled companion can do a trick for their treats, it practically counts as on-the-go obedience training. The warmer months are particularly ripe for finding pooch-friendly patios, so watch out for four-legged foot traffic at these and other popular restaurants as prime spots to sit, stay and eat.
Pets sponsored by Doggone Good Pet Stain and Odor Remover
LOST FORTY BREWING (501 Byrd St., Little Rock)
LLost Forty Brewing takes its name from 40 acres of untouched hardwood wilderness in Calhoun County, and the brand has been blazing its own trail since setting up shop in Little Rock’s East Village neighborhood in 2014. Now, a decade on, Lost Forty is a cornerstone of the Arkansas craft brewery scene, making its name on a constant stream of unique releases, as well as a bedrock of crowd favorites. Leashed dogs are welcome in the outdoor space at the Lost Forty taproom, and diners need only ask to have water provided for their canine companions.
For human patrons, the menu has a bevy of bar and pub favorites to explore, from cheese dip and pizza to smash burgers, sandwiches and salads. The taproom serves up both traditional and vegan wings, and any of its sauces can be made vegan upon request. That is not even to mention the all-day beer brunch on Sundays, during which diners can enjoy hotcakes, hashbrown casserole and more alongside a seasonally rotating “brewmosa” or Punchy hard seltzer fruit fizz.
All those bites pair with an eclectic set of suds, including topical selections for dog lovers such as the year-round classic Rockhound IPA, an India pale ale, and the seasonal Lil’ Wheezy IPA — so named after the “spunky spirit” of the brewhouse pug, Louise, its description states.
Lost Forty is just one of many popular concepts under the Yellow Rocket umbrella. For pet parents who cannot make it over to the East Village, sister restaurant ZAZA Fine Salad & Wood Oven Pizza Co. in Little Rock’s Heights neighborhood also has a pet-friendly patio.
Pets sponsored by Doggone Good Pet Stain and Odor Remover
AAll Lady and the Tramp jokes aside, Bruno’s Little Italy does allow leashed dogs on its patio, so feel free to head downtown and enjoy a bit of pizza and pasta with Fido in tow. The Bruno family traces its origins back to Naples, Italy, from whence brothers Gennaro and Giovanni arrived at Ellis Island in the early 1900s. After settling in Arkansas, Giovanni’s son, Vincent “Jimmy” Bruno, took it upon himself to introduce hand-tossed pizza to his new Southern neighbors. Bruno’s Little Italy officially opened as such in 1949.
Now one of central Arkansas’ most famous Italian spots, the restaurant has survived its fair share of change over the decades. It reopened in downtown Little Rock in 2013, and it has been ever since under the ownership of two of Jimmy’s sons, Gio and Vince Bruno.
The pioneering restaurant has had sustained success thanks to its undeniably authentic family recipes passed down through the generations, even landing a spot on the Food Network show Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives in 2018. Understandably, most of items on the Bruno’s menu are strictly human-only, so prospective visitors might do well to bring a few pupperonis to satiate their furry friend when those mouthwatering plates of ravioli, Italian sausage and hand-thrown Neopolitan pizza hit the table.
“We love dogs,” Gio said. “Dogs are always welcome as long as we have the patio space.”
While the patio is occasionally closed thanks to the famously capricious Arkansas weather, when it is open, the restaurant is happy to provide a dish of water for canine visitors. Do not just take it from us: Bruno’s also has a seal of approval by way of five out of five “bones” from the pet-friendly travel site BringFido.
Pets sponsored by Doggone Good Pet Stain and Odor Remover
TThe term “dog-friendly” does not begin to describe this beloved Spa City establishment. Four-legged patrons are not simply allowed at Superior Bathhouse Brewery but actively encouraged and even given their very own Superior bandana as a souvenir. The renovated former bathhouse has been brewing since 2014 and is the only brewery located in a U.S. National Park, in addition to being the only one in the world to utilize thermal spring water in its brewing process. Patrons can sample a rotating selection of 18 beers on tap, many of which nod to the storied history and singular personality of the city itself. For a non-alcoholic option still inspired by the city’s liquid legacy, the house root beer is made with thermal spring water and real honey and can also be enjoyed as a root beer float.
Leashed dogs are allowed downstairs and outside on Superior’s spacious patio, General Manager Katie Windham said, which makes it easy to take in views of downtown’s Bathhouse Row with one’s favorite canine companions. Dog bowls and water are available both inside and out to keep everyone hydrated and happy. The dog-loving folks at Superior go even a step further with a “four-legged kids” menu featuring grilled chicken, hamburger meat and bacon for hungry hounds.
Superior is an oft-buzzing spot in a popular tourist destination, though one that is well worth the wait. During the busiest times of year, Windham said it is not unusual to see upward of 50 or more dogs come through on a weekend day. It can be hard to keep up with so many furry friends, making the brewhouse’s “Superior Pups” tab on Instagram a welcome touch for both pet parents and spectators. Superior is constantly reposting and sharing the adventures of its pawed patrons, so visitors should be sure to tag the brewhouse on Instagram when stopping by for a brew and a bite.
Pets sponsored by Doggone Good Pet Stain and Odor Remover
BBentonville is home to a host of dog-friendly spots to play, stay and eat, and The HUB Bike Lounge ranks high on the list for many. Founders Nathan and Kelly Woodruff are also the creative minds behind Progressive Trail Design and Dig Clothing Co. True to the cycling culture that infuses northwest Arkansas, The HUB styles itself as a kind of basecamp for tourists and locals taking a break from their outdoor adventures. The downtown lounge concept also fulfills its name as a “hub” for trivia, live music and other events, as well as being a regular meetup spot for group bike rides.
The HUB menu offers staples such as nachos, salads, tacos and a chicken club, plus a few brunch favorites to fuel up before tackling the weekend’s itinerary. Part coffee and cocktail hangout spot, part bike rental and service shop, and all the ideal spot to recharge before or after the next excursion, The HUB attracts both explorers and a decent number of their four-legged copilots.
“We have a low to moderate amount of dog traffic,” said General Manager Shawn Curtis. “We rarely will go a day without a dog visit at some point, but we usually won’t get a lot at once.”
The HUB’s large and accommodating patio space welcomes both large and small dogs, Curtis said. Guests should be mindful that their companions remain leashed and close by to avoid any unwanted tie-ups with bikers. Dogs should remain largely on the patio, but if they need to stop in quickly while their owner places an order, that is fine.
The patio itself has both traditional tables and lounge-like settings, some shaded and some open to suit patron preferences. Water is available upon request, and while there are no dogfriendly menu items at the moment, Curtis also did not close off the possibility of adding some in the future. Plus, thanks to the spot’s growing popularity among both hounds and humans, The HUB will be open on Tuesdays starting Sept. 3 — all the more time to put up one’s feet, or paws, and relax.
Photo: Matthew Murphy
DOG &
Here are the state’s top-rated dog-friendly restaurants, having earned the coveted “Five Bones” designated by Bring Fido.com. AY Media Group is not responsible for the completeness of this ranking; restrictions may apply.
l ALTUS
Weinkeller Restaurant
l ARKADELPHIA
LosAgaves Mexican Restaurant
l BENTONVILLE
Buffalo Wild Wings
The Buttered Biscuit
Crepes Paulette
The Hive
Onyx Coffee Lab
Oven & Tap
The Pedaler’s Pub
Red Kite Coffee Company
Rope Hounds Taproom
TABLE on 6th
Tusk & Trotter
l BRYANT
U.S. Pizza Company
l EL DORADO
Johnny B’s Grill
l CLINTON
L’Attitude Bistro
l CONWAY
Hideaway Pizza
Purple Cow
Stoby’s
TGI Fridays
Tacos 4 Life
l EL PASO
Ranchero Loco
l EUREKA SPRINGS
Amigos Mexican Restaurant & Cantina
The B-Side Café at Mojo’s
Records
Balcony Restaurant & Bar
Brews
Bubba’s Barbecue
Eureka Grill
Gravel Bar
Local Flavor Café
Red’s Pizzeria
Rockin’ Pig
Sparky’s Roadhouse Café
l FAIRFIELD BAY
The Little Red Restaurant
l FAYETTEVILLE
Dickson Street Pub
Doomsday Coffee & Roasterie
Good Dog Café
Kingfish
Mojo’s Pints & Pies
Nomads Music Lounge
Ozark Natural Foods
Shogun
Slim Chickens
Smitty’s Garage Burgers & Beer
Tacos 4 Life
U.S. Pizza Co
l FORT SMITH
AJ’s Oyster House
Bricktown Brewery
Ed Walker’s Drive-In & Restaurant
Hooter’s
River City Bistro
Sweet Bay Coffee Co.
l GLENWOOD
Bubba’s Brews Pub & Grill
l HARRISON
Brick Over Pizza Co.
Tallgrass
l HEBER SPRINGS
Jitterbug Coffee House
l HOPE
Big Jake’s BBQ
Tailgater’s Burger Company
l HOT SPRINGS
The 19th Hole Bar & Grill
DINE
Argentinian Coffee & Wine Bar
Best Café & Bar
Bubba Brews Sports Pub & Grill
Bubba’s Catfish
BubbaLu’s
Diablos Tacos & Mezcal
Don Juan Mexican Bar & Grill
Fisherman’s Wharf Steak &
Seafood
Grateful head Pizza Oven & Beer
McAlister’s Deli
Maxine’s Live
Rod’s Pizza Cellar
Rolando’s
SQZBX Brewery & Pizza
Sam’s Pizza Pub & Restaurant
Superior Bathhouse Brewery
Taco Mama
l HOT SPRINGS VILLAGE
Melinda’s Café & Grill
l JONESBORO
Jtowns Grill
Native Brew Works
The Parsonage
l JORDAN
Whispering Woods Grill
l LITTLE ROCK
@ the Corner
Bruno’s Little Italy
Cheers in the Heights
Community Bakery
Diablos Tacos & Mezcaleria
Dizzy’s Gypsy Bistro
Fassler Hall
The Fold: Botanas Bar
Hill Station
LaTerraza Run & Lounge
Lost Forty Brewing
Lucky Lou’s
Moody Brews
The Pantry
Purple Cow
The Rail Yard
The Root
Trio’s Restaurant
l LONOKE
The Grumpy Rabbit
l MAGNOLIA
MuleKick
l MENA
Chopping Block Steakhouse
l MORRILTON
Point Remove Brewing Company
l MOUNTAIN VIEW
Wing Shack and Cheeseburger Grill
l NORTH LITTLE ROCK
Diamond Bear Brewing Company
Flyway Brewing
McAlister’s Deli
l PALESTINE
The Crazy Donkey Mexican Gill & Pizzas
l ROGERS
Acambaro Mexican Restaurant
Andy’s Frozen Custard
Anime Cafe
Big Orange
First Watch
Newk’s Eatery
Twin Peaks Restaurant
TxAR House
l SILOAM SPRINGS
Fratelli’s Wood-Fired Pizzeria
l SPRINGDALE
Core Brewing & Distilling Company
Pizzeria Ruby
Saddlebock Brewery & Restaurant
l TEXARKANA
Hopkins Icehouse
l WASHINGTON
Williams Tavern
CONCIERGE Canine Care
Mobile dog services growing in popularity
By MARK CARTER // Photos provided
The power of puppy dog eyes should not be taken lightly; in fact, one does so at his or her own risk. Their potent power can reduce the most hardened curmudgeon to baby-talk gibberish, boo-boo kisses and even — gasp — sharing food from the plate. For many pet parents, dogs are four-legged kids — romping, head-turning, back-rolling vessels of unconditional love for whom they would take a bullet.
Dogs hold a special place in the lives of humans; the bond shared between canines and mankind defies scientific explanation. There are those who consider this bond a distinct divine intervention in daily life, and one supposes that could apply to cats and other household pets, as well.
Whatever form one’s own fur baby takes, its care ranks among the highest priorities for pet parents, whether that care relates to health, discipline or grooming.
As with other businesses in a post-COVID-19-pandemic digital-shopping world, veterinarians, dog groomers and dog trainers have adapted to the times, and more of them now offer their services in a mobile format. AY About You visited with a few local purveyors of ambulatory pet services about the ins and outs of mobile canine care
FERNDALE CREEK MOBILE VET
Veterinarians Rebekah Lee and her husband, Clayton Holder, decided to shed the overhead and launched Little Rock’s Ferndale Creek Mobile Vet after operating a traditional practice. Lee, an El Dorado native who earned her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from Louisiana State University, practiced “companion animal” medicine. Holder, a native of the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, earned his DVM from Mississippi State University and specializes in equine medicine.
“After working in the industry for years and seeing the pros and cons of conventional practices, we wanted to provide more specialized services focused on comfort for the patients and convenience for clients,” Lee said. “Seeing how beneficial it is to see equine patients at owners’ properties, we thought it would also be helpful to see small animal patients at home.”
Lee said the central Arkansas market served by Ferndale Creek has been receptive to the idea of mobile vets bringing
“Mobile provides a much more intimate veterinary experience, and part of that means that we are there, focused solely on you during your appointment.”
— Rebekah Lee, veterinarian
Top: Dogs wait to be seen at the Little Rock-based Ferndale Creek Mobile Vet. Bottom left: Toni Beavers, owner of Dat Pooch Mobile Grooming in Maumelle. Bottom right: Clayton Holder, co-owner of Ferndale Creek.
Pets sponsored by Doggone Good Pet Stain and Odor Remover
a fully equipped clinic right to patients’ homes. Vets making house calls may take some getting used to for some, but Lee said the benefits for all parties involved — animals, pet owners and veterinarians — are numerous.
“Mobile provides a much more intimate veterinary experience, and part of that means that we are there, focused solely on you during your appointment,” Lee said. “When you call, you talk to a doctor, and we have had great success using text messaging to make ourselves very available to our clients.
“The advantages for patients are endless. The stress of traveling to a clinic can mask symptoms or cause anxiety that makes it difficult for some pets to be handled. Seeing them in their home allows us to get a better clinical picture.
Lee, co-owner of
Creek, said the mobile format allows vets to provide more individualized attention.
Below: For David Ausbrooks, co-owner of Dat Pooch, puppy kisses are a part of the job.
Some animals are so large and/or debilitated that transport to a regular clinic is impossible or downright dangerous. We fill a growing need for at-home emergency care and, especially, end-of-life care.”
From the perspective of a business owner, Holder said the limited overhead and flexible schedule afforded by operating a mobile practice is important for his family. Most importantly, he added, that flexibility allows the team to spend more time on each individual patient and client without
“Dat Pooch is ideal for busy pet parents that want an alternative to traditional brick-and-mortar salons.”
— Toni Beavers, co-owner
Pets sponsored by Doggone Good Pet Stain
and Odor Remover
Left: Rebekah
Ferndale
feeling rushed to get to the patient in the next room.
“When we are there working with you, whether it be an annual exam or an emergency, we are 100 percent focused on your animal, which means a more detailed analysis, diagnosis and prognosis for your pets,” he said.
Ferndale Creek’s mobile clinic, which resembles a large food truck, allows Lee and Holder to provide all the services one could receive at a brick-and-mortar pet clinic, including preventative care, dental procedures, full diagnostics, rehabilitation and even surgery.
“We also carry diagnostic imaging ultrasound and radiograph [X-ray] machines with us for both large and small animals, as well a therapeutic cold laser machine,” Holder said.
For Lee, perhaps the biggest advantage to her mobile practice comes at the end of a pet’s life.
“The toughest thing about owning an animal is the day we have to say goodbye,” she said. “We allow for that transition to be made in the home, which greatly minimizes stress both to your pet and your loved ones — no waiting room, no secretary to check in with. Your animal gets to stay with you where you’ve both enjoyed life as we do the most selfless thing and help ease their transition into the next life peacefully.”
DAT POOCH MOBILE DOG GROOMING
First and foremost, the husband-and-wife team behind Maumelle’s Dat Pooch Mobile Dog Grooming are dog lovers, but they bring much more than that to the table. Toni Beavers is a clinical microbiologist and a global epidemiologist with an emphasis in zoonotic diseases, which refers to infectious diseases transmitted between animals and humans. She has worked as a pediatric microbiologist and a clinical laboratory scientist, and her doctorate is in public health epidemiology.
David Ausbrooks is a mechanical engineer and retired U.S. Navy commander who had previous experience in the mobile dog grooming industry. Each saw a need in the central Arkansas market for the services offered by Dat Pooch, which they opened five years ago.
“As a busy mom and professional, I should not have to sacrifice time to shuttle my pets back and forth to the groomer or deal with anxiety or carsickness. There has to be an alternative,” Beavers said. “As animal lovers, we saw the need for a healthy and quality grooming experience and an opportunity to blend our passion for the health and welfare of pets while using our clinical and scientific background.
“Dat Pooch is ideal for busy pet parents that want an alternative to traditional brick-and-mortar salons. As pet parents ourselves, we noticed an insufficient availability of mobile dog groomers in central Arkansas. Plus, mobile service reduces or eliminates the stress commonly experienced by exposure to other dogs and multiple variables within a busy brick-and-mortar salon or veterinary clinic.”
The emphasis at Dat Pooch, which was voted Best Dog Groomer in AY About You’s “Best of 2024” reader’s poll, is on providing one-on-one attention to pets, Beavers said. Each dog is treated as a guest in the mobile spa, and dogs are never crated, she added.
Ausbrooks said the higher costs that can be associated with mobile grooming are offset by the full range of services offered.
“There is a tremendous capital investment just for a mobile unit to roll up to a customer’s home or office, which makes it more tuned to provide a comprehensive service,” he said. “Mobile dog grooming offers unparalleled convenience, reducing stress for both pets and their owners while providing personalized, high-quality care.
“While the service may come at a higher cost, the benefits — ranging from time savings to reduced pet anxiety — make it a worthwhile investment for many dog owners. As the demand for convenient, high-quality pet care continues to grow, mobile grooming stands out as a premier option that caters to the needs of modern, busy lifestyles.”
DOG TRAINING ELITE
Little Rock native Debbie Zimmermann always bred Akitas — think Japanese huskies — but never considered herself a trainer — that is, until she was asked in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic to re turn to the office for her job as a senior supervisor in customer service at a manufacturing company.
“I had been working in corporate America for over 20 years and needed something different,”
A Y STAFF PET:
she said. “I have a lot of experience, but I never looked at myself as a dog trainer. I’ve had several generations of Akitas in my household and always used another trainer to help make them excellent ambassadors for the breed.”
Zimmermann knew what she needed to do once she decided to leave the office behind, and Dog Training Elite was born.
“I love what Dog Training Elite brings to the table,” she said. “For example, I’ll be working with owners and their puppies, even helping to pick puppies, if needed.”
Zimmermann stresses obedience. Whether her four-legged clients are destined to be a good family member, a competition companion or a support animal, she starts them all with basic obedience, she said.
“I have many people who tell me their dog is already trained, but I have to verify that the dog is trained with distractions,” she said. “For example, I have to verify that the dog is going to do said tasks, like sitting, with me around, outside where squirrels might be playing or along a sidewalk where so many other dogs have been walking. Many owners are happy to see their dogs immediately walking on leash without pulling or with work, reducing the reactivity to other dogs.”
Zimmermann also offers service dog training, which is different from training for therapy dogs or emotional support dogs.
“Many of the service dogs are trained for very specific tasks, and all of their attention must be on their owner at all times,” she said. “Those dogs can’t afford to be interrupted by people or other dogs.”
Companion dogs are used to help comfort those dealing with anxiety. As an example, Zimmermann cited children and adults who found it difficult to return to the public after the pandemic lockdown.
“At first, I was surprised at the surge of school-aged kids experiencing anxiety of going out in public or returning to school, and the surge in animals to help those kids through that,” Zimmermann said. “Getting a special dog to help with those issues is expensive, especially when you consider how much training goes into them, but what about the family dog?
“I will be glad to give a free evaluation on the dog to see if it’s capable of fitting the role needed. A basic example of a
dog that can’t fit the role is if a mobility dog is needed, but the pet dog is a Chihuahua or another little dog. That isn’t a good fit because that small dog can’t help a person up or stabilize a person.”
Zimmermann said her role is simply to help dog owners with their specific needs, and sometimes, that means working with the people as much as the dogs by showing people how to be the owners their dogs need.
“Sometimes the owner is the one that I need to help give confidence to,” Zimmermann said. “These are all steps that I take the owners through and help them with their dogs. Canines are part of so many people’s lives, so it’s important that they have house manners. For those that have other needs that a canine can do, that journey awaits.
“Remember to be nice to yourselves and to your dogs. You aren’t a robot, and neither is your dog. I’m not here to police dogs or their owners, but I am here to help them. Let’s get those dogs trained so at least they can be canine good citizens.”
“Sometimes the owner is the one that I need to help give confidence to. These are all steps that I take the owners through and help them with their dogs.”
— Debbie Zimmermann, founder of Dog Training Elite
Debbie Zimmerman, founder of Dog Training Elite
“Dog
— Samantha Perkins, Homeowner
Blaine Freeman; Owner
Barking up the Right Tree
Doggone Good entrepreneur finds
success
one happy customer at a time
By DWAIN HEBDA// Photo by JAMIE LEE
Blaine Freeman was a brand agent before there was a name for it. Five minutes of any conversation with him is a master class in marketing, be it for cars, life lessons or his latest pursuit, Doggone Good Pet Stain Remover. Graced with a bottomless well of words and charm, Freeman’s brand of positive selling tactics is infectious and devastatingly effective, although he himself is loath to call it that.
“I don’t like to call myself a salesman. I’ve always believed that if you find something that you like to do, you’ll never work a day in your life,” he said. “Do I like doing this? Yes, and I think a lot of it is just being happy and keeping a positive attitude. It’s the joy you get when someone calls you or writes you a letter telling you how happy they are with your product.”
Many of the calls and letters Freeman has received in his career came from satisfied auto customers who found reliable transportation at a fair price at his dealership, Freeman Motors in Greenbrier. Increasingly, however, he also hears about Doggone Good Pet Stain Remover, a product he began pitching in 2003. After buying the formula from another entrepreneur, he rebranded it and went to work to get it into the hands of consumers.
“Someone said one time, ‘That’s a damn good cleaner.’ I thought the name sounded kind of catchy, but I knew I probably couldn’t put that on the bottle,” he said. “I just thought, you know, how about we say ‘doggone’? That’s a lot nicer.”
To promote the product, Freeman turned to something he had in ready supply — good old-fashioned hustle and work ethic — both of
which he became very familiar with during a lifetime in business.
“When I was a kid, we owned a grocery store here in Greenbrier,” he said. “I mean, I was raised in a grocery store from when I was about 3 years old until I was about 14. I’ve worked for the railroad. I know how to work.”
Freeman’s success in marketing his product mirrors tactics he has employed in the car business — personal connection with customers, honest dealing and straight talk. Recognizing the fervor with which many people love their animals, he has pushed Doggone Good hard to pet lovers, even working to get it into pet salons and animal shelters for testimonials.
Instead of spending a ton of money on advertising, he puts Doggone Good directly into the hands of consumers, often on the fly, and is never without a case of product in his car for impromptu demonstrations.
“I just ask for people to try it,” he said. “It’s marketed for pet stains and as an odor remover, but it will also clean every other thing in your home, stainless-steel refrigerators to your floor. You can spray it on wood, glass. I’ve seen it used on motorcycles, boats. I’ve seen it work a million times on wine stains. I think I’ve sprayed it on literally everything you can imagine. You name it, I sprayed it on it.”
Another savvy move was instead of trusting an overseas co-packer, he insisted on American manufacturing, a move that is one part patriotism and one part quality control. He is also in talks with a local organization that provides employment opportunities to people with disabilities about bottling Doggone Good. The ability to do good in the community as the product does well in the marketplace is an immensely satisfying win-win, he said.
“I don’t like to call myself a salesman. I’ve always believed that if you find something that you like to do, you’ll never work a day in your life.”
“I do go play. I hunt and fish and all that, but I’ve got to do something, you know? I’m not gonna sit down here at my office at the dealership and do nothing or hang out at McDonald’s all day and talk politics. I always make sure I have plenty to do,” he said. “That said, I don’t need to do this. I’m not doing this for any other reason other than I think it’s that good of a product. I know it works. In fact, I believe it is the best cleaner there is on the market.”
To learn more about Doggone Good or place an order, visit doggonegoodcleaners.com.
Pets sponsored by Doggone Good Pet Stain and Odor Remover
The Purrfect Blend
Gibson’s Cat Café helps cats find fur-ever homes
By SARAH COLEMAN //
Photos provided
Pets sponsored by Doggone Good Pet Stain and Odor Remover
In every college town, but especially in Conway, the City of Colleges, coffee shops double as study spots, places to hang out and hubs of the community that offer a variety of concepts suitable for any one person’s specific tastes or ideal blends. Gibson’s Cat Café, a somewhat new concept, is no exception and offers a wonderful blend of tasty treats and cuddly cats.
Shelby Blacksmith, who owns the establishment with her husband, Drew, is a cat person with a keen eye for business. In 2019, during a trip to Asia, she was introduced to the increasingly popular concept of merging coffee with adoptable cats. Throughout her trip, Blacksmith’s interest grew, igniting a passion for embarking on a similar journey back home.
Knowing Conway would be the ideal place to launch her idea, Blacksmith returned to the United States with plans of opening her own cat cafe. While her plans were slightly delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, they were not denied. After a month of trying to convince the Arkansas Department of Health to let her try out her idea, the first of its kind in the area, Blacksmith hit the
The biggest piece of advice I have for future cat owners, especially first-time adopters, is to give cats plenty of enrichment toys such as scratching posts.
— Shelby Blacksmith owner of Gibson’s Cat Café
ground running and officially opened Gibson’s Cat Café in 2022. Customers can expect to be greeted with smiles from staff and maybe a few mews. Guests will also be welcomed by a giant, regal painting of Gibson, the chief feline officer and Blacksmith’s “soul cat.”
The menu, which consists mainly of coffee, is filled with puns, all cat-appropriate. While Blacksmith enjoys all the menu items, she recommends trying the Pawtte – a latte – or the Fonzie, a latte-based drink from the establishment’s hidden menu that is named after one of the resident cats.
For its mission to help people and animals, Blacksmith’s business exists with the motto, “save cats, love people.” With that motto always in mind, Gibson’s offers a plethora of events with the cats, including yoga, bingo, kitty cinema and trivia nights.
“My personal favorite has to be kitty cinema. We break out the popcorn machine, and the kitties snuggle with everyone while we project a movie in the Kitty Lounge,” Blacksmith said. “We also stay open until midnight every finals week, so that’s always fun too. People bring board games, and we all just hang out.”
According to Blacksmith, college students and people who cannot own pets remain her business’ largest demographic. She also notices a lot of people who return to the coffee shop for animalassisted stress relief.
“I believe the big gest appeal to cat cafes is
sponsored by Doggone Good Pet Stain and Odor Remover
Pulling
from euthanasia lists around the state is a huge deal because shelters and foster groups are completely overrun.
— Blacksmith
the therapeutic aspect of it,” Blacksmith said. “It’s also helpful for potential adopters to be able to get to know a cat before committing to adoption.”
Gibson’s Cat Café partners with Maumelle Animal Services, which pulls cats off of euthanasia lists around the state, allowing Blacksmith and her team to have a wide reach of rescue.
“Pulling from euthanasia lists around the state is a huge deal because shelters and foster groups are completely overrun. With kitten season being in full swing, strays are mating, and kittens are all over the place,” Blacksmith said. “On top of the owner surrenders, this puts a massive strain on the shelter space. Maumelle Animal Services has such a valuable mission, and we’re so grateful for our partnership with them.”
For those interested in adopting a cat, the process is straightforward. The adoption fee is set at $80 and covers shots, spaying and microchipping. After filling out an application, it takes up to 48 business hours to hear back with an approval or denial. Upon approval, there is an adoption contract to be signed before a cat can be taken to its new home.
“The biggest piece of advice I have for future cat owners, especially first-time adopters, is to give cats plenty of enrichment toys such as scratching posts,”
Blacksmith said. “Also, learn to read their signs, and respect them
A portrait of the cafe’s namesake cat, Gibson, greets visitors.
when they need space. Cats are very fastidious, independent creatures but can be extremely loving if they see you as a safe space.”
Blacksmith also recommended new cat parents purchase a cat tower or two for their kitties, as well as something for them to hide in because cats need a place to escape when they need space.
Describing the first year in business as hectic, Blacksmith said the venture has seemingly been in a state of transition since opening. However, she and her husband are eager for the future of Gibson’s and excited about all of the possibilities.
“This year, I’m excited to be settled. From flooding at our original location to relocating to expanding our facility, we’re finally at the point of just being able to improve our facility where we’re at,” Blacksmith said.
The Blacksmiths have thoroughly enjoyed getting to know the people of Conway and look forward to the potential of diving into other cities.
“We are a safe space and want to have a positive impact on our community,” Blacksmith said. “No matter who you are or your background, we want you to feel valued, loved and welcomed in our cafe.”
Donations are gladly accepted and appreciated, Blacksmith said, adding that the best way to support Gibson’s Cat Café is to come hang out and snuggle with the cats. That supports the business financially but also allows the cats to be socialized. Blacksmith also encouraged everyone to follow the business on TikTok, Facebook and Instagram and to interact with posts to boost them.
AY STAFFPET: Vera
AY STAFF PET: Zook
Main Street, Jacksonville August 31, 2024 Saturday 8:00am-8:00pm
FestiVille in Jacksonville, a free community event, will be hosted by Jacksonville Parks & Recreation on August 31, 2024. The city festival will feature Rides & Games, Live Entertainment, Food Trucks, Vendor Showcase, 5K, BINGO, Volleyball Tournament, Petting Zoo, a Kid’s Area, Water Activities, Fireworks and much more!! Free admission & parking. Food & Vendor purchases available. Handicap accessible. For more info, call (501) 982-4171 or visit www.FestiVille.org.
Find a new FRIEND
Animals can bring out the best in a person, providing loyal companionship and unconditional love to their owners. Animal shelters all over Arkansas are brimful with lovable pets in need of permanent homes and loving families. For this reason, AY About You is again partnering with a local organization — this year, Little Rock Animal Village — to showcase a few of the four-legged friends up for adoption. Consider this roster a starting point; there are many more great pets than can be pictured here, and no matter where one lives or what one is looking for in a pet, there is a great chance it can be found in one of Arkansas’ animal shelters. AY About You has a long history of finding homes for every animal it showcases, and we want to keep that streak running, so come on, Arkansas — open your heart to a new furry family member today!
CASSIUS CLAY:
A perfect gentleman, he is great with kids and is potty trained. He loves attention from everyone, and he is currently taking applications for a new best friend and forever home.
KHLOE:
An 8-month-old small breed mix who does not know a stranger, she loves to run and play fetch. She would love to be part of the family and enjoy playtime every day.
JASMINE:
A calm and refined little puppy who is happy to receive tummy rubs.
Pets sponsored by Doggone Good Pet Stain and Odor Remover
Little Rock Animal Village is currently in need of kitten fosters! Being in the middle of the busy season for kitten births, the shelter is seeking individuals to foster fur babies. A typical foster
NEBULA:
A tortoiseshell kitten with curiosity.
OTTO:
A gray-and-white kitten who is the sweetest boy in the world.
PINEAPPLE:
An orange kitten with personality.
KEKE:
A sweet kitten looking for a loving home. Keke is white with black/gray markings and an adorable tan nose.
WATSON:
A big calm boy who is great on a leash and potty trained. Unfortunately, his previous owner could not take care of him but did say Watson’s best friend was a pig.
DUCHESS:
An 8-month-old peppy lab lady. She is just happy to go along for the ride and looking for a new ride-or-die partner. Let’s do this!
assignment lasts two to four weeks until they are big enough to be adopted. Fosters get the additional perk of FREE ADOPTION of the kitten(s) should they so choose. To learn more, contact Little Rock Animal Village at (501) 376-3067 or by visiting friendsoftheanimalvillage.org.
Pets sponsored by Doggone Good Pet Stain and Odor Remover
MOSH:
A super-friendly old man with a cleft palate, he does not seem to need any special food or care. He is doing well with regular kibble. He is just looking for a friend to love and care for him, and he will love his person back big time.
SUNNY:
A big fluffy man who loves to cuddle, he is looking for a loving home with a cozy place to snuggle.
MORRIS:
A silly little lad who loves to flop around all day.
ROGER:
A spunky deaf old man who loves everyone he meets, he is looking for someone to care for him and take life easy with snuggles and treats. He can melt the heart.
CHEERIO:
A young, timid golden retriever mix who wants to show off how sweet she is – oh, and maybe share a bowl of Cheerios.
ABBY:
She is 3 years old, house trained, good with cats and is used to being in a home. This lovable baby will fit right in with anyone’s family, and she is hoping you are willing to give her a loving home and share time together. Abby says, “Look at the tricks I can do with my ears.”
Pets sponsored by Doggone Good Pet Stain and Odor Remover
Little Rock Animal Village
The Little Rock Animal Village is more than just another shelter — it is a haven for improving the life of every animal in the community. LRAV’s goal is to increase adoptions and get healthy, well-adjusted pets into loving homes, and staff know it takes “a village” to succeed. A fully staffed veterinary clinic, regular outreach and education, and a beautiful facility not only promote animal welfare and public safety but give the animals in LRAV’s care a comfortable place to wait for that special someone to come along and adopt them. Thousands of animals come through the Village every year, and there are many ways to support its cause.
• ADOPTION: Visit the Village and bring home the latest addition to the family.
• VOLUNTEERING: Volunteers are vital to LRAV’s work, so get connected and see where help is needed.
• WISH LIST: Help the Village care for its residents by donating much-needed supplies.
• FRIENDS OF THE ANIMAL VILLAGE: Get involved with this volunteer-run nonprofit, which accepts donations and hosts fundraisers to help support LRAV’s mission. Little Rock Animal Village
501-376-3067
friendsoftheanimalvillage.org 4500 Kramer St., Little Rock
A Whole DIFFERENT ANIMAL
Move over cats and dogs — there are lots more pets to love
By
Pet parents are increasingly interested in animal companions outside of the usual cat and dog varieties. While still well short of the massive market share enjoyed by Felix and Fido, data collected by Forbes shows an estimated 11.1 million households own freshwater fish, followed by 6.7 million with small animals — gerbils, ferrets, rabbits and more — and 6.1 million with birds. Paired with the fact that Arkansas has one of the highest rates of pet ownership in the country, World Population Review states, it follows that animal lovers in the Natural State have plenty of room in their hearts for scaled, feathered and hooved additions to the family.
NEW PIGS ON THE BLOCK
Hailing from California, home of the largest guinea pig welfare organization in the United States, Linda Jones and her husband were surprised to discover a lack of similar groups when they moved to Arkansas. Jones knew then she had an important role to play in her new home. Grandma’s Animals opened
While not as renowned as cats and dogs, guinea pigs can be just as loving and have lots of personality.
MAK MILLARD // Photos provided
Pets sponsored by Doggone Good Pet Stain and Odor Remover
in 2016 and grew from seven to 25 guinea pigs its first week. The bustling Cabot operation now hosts all manner of small animals.
A seamstress by trade, Jones sells no-smell cage liners and other items on Etsy to support the rescue. She also quickly realized the utility in boarding services both as an additional income source and as a way to prevent a common cause of abandonment.
“At some point, I realized that every May and June, we have the same problem. People were dumping their animals because they couldn’t go on vacation. There was nobody to watch them,” she said. “We started to board, and the next thing you know, we’re boarding birds, and we’re boarding degus and rabbits.”
There are a few important things to consider when venturing into guinea pig ownership. First is a simple but potent dealbreaker: hay allergies. People often return their guinea pigs after bringing them home to discover mom, dad and/or a sibling is allergic to this cornerstone of the animal’s diet.
Jones advised a 2-by-4-foot cage environment at minimum, which Grandma’s Animals helps owners secure at cheaper prices than online or through a pet store. Guinea pigs can grow up to 3 pounds, so adequate space is paramount in keeping them happy and healthy. Jones also stressed that newbies should opt for an adult the first go-around.
“Babies are wild bohemians. They’ve not been handled. They don’t know anything. They’re terrified,” Jones said. “We suggest getting one that’s about 1 to 2 years old. A lot of times, people have had them for about a year, and they want to add a baby this time. That’s a good thing because now you have experience.”
Animal personalities can vary, and just because a guinea pig is friendly to humans does not mean it will play nice with one of its own. Jones recommended against having more than two males together, but females can usually
From guinea pig mama Linda Jones to reptile rescuer Sawyer Smith, lots of Arkansas rescues care for off-beat animals.
live in larger groups without issue. Those adopting for children might do well to get a bonded pair, if only to make sure pigs do not get lonely while the kids are at school. A single guinea pig can be a great choice for someone who will be a little more attached at the hip, such as those seeking an emotional support animal.
Jones estimated about $100 for initial cage setup, plus the adoption fee of $30 for a single or $50 for a bonded pair. After that, the average spend is around $20 to $25 per month for hay, pellets and vegetables. Ivermectin behind the ears prevents mites, parasites and lice, and Grandma’s Animals provides that and nail trims for free. Guinea pigs do not require annual vet visits, but Jones recommended building a rapport with a vet who specializes in exotics just in case.
“Take them for a once-over so you’re on the books, and then they’ll see you when you need them,” she said.
Jones regularly has about 45 to 50 adoptable guinea pigs. She makes it a point to set owners up for success, whether through the wealth of information linked on her website or hands-on training for young volunteers. Children as young as 6 can help fill water bottles, and older kids get experience handling the animals and cleaning cages. Even Pets sponsored by Doggone Good Pet Stain and Odor Remover
Smith said lizards and other reptiles require specialized care.
those not interested in owning a guinea pig can sponsor sanctuary residents — pigs who have retired to Grandma’s Animals because of special needs, old age or disability.
“I’m always here. Whatever animal comes here is protected by me for life,” Jones said.
HAVING A BALL (PYTHON)
Many reptile lovers get hooked early on, and those in the know understand just how warm a cold-blooded creature can be. That was the case for Sawyer Smith, founder of Arkansas Reptile Rescue in Paris and vice president of the multistate nonprofit Rattlesnake Redemption, who got his first pet iguana at 8 years old. After moving to Arkansas in adulthood, Smith noticed the state’s pronounced need for a reptile rescue. He began taking them in — around 20 the first year — and realized the operation would need to be much bigger.
“We got a team together,” Smith said. “We have members all over the state of Arkansas. We have members in Oklahoma and Texas. It seems like it’s just going to keep growing.”
Five years on, Smith expects to rescue anywhere from 500 to 600 critters between himself and two other fosters. He can often be found at expos and adoption events to meet prospective forever homes, and rates are heavily discounted to make sure a reptile’s rarity does not keep it from finding a home. A $200 snake might be adoptable for as low as $40, for instance, while regular ball pythons are always $30.
Snakes tend to make for the cheapest setup, Smith said, since many are comfortable in tight spaces.
“We sell fully setup enclosures for $1 per gallon unless they’re front-opening. Usually, any supplies that you would need, you’ll be able to get from us for less than $5,” he said. “When you’re looking at a full setup with an adopted animal, you could be ready to go for the next month for less than $100.”
Just as important as setup are the accommodations the animal will require as time goes on. Bearded dragon care can be learned quickly, for example, but the animal will require more space as it grows into a considerably sized lizard — and an extremely active one at that.
“[With] a chameleon, you can set one up fairly cheap, but they’re extremely hard to take care of. They’re super sensitive to their husbandry, and it seems like they have zero will to live, so you mess some-
Snakes tend to make for the cheapest setup, Smith said, since many are comfortable in tight spaces.
thing up, and they just die on you,” Smith said. “Just because it’s easy to accommodate doesn’t mean it’s easy to care for.”
For those with the enclosure space, a bearded dragon makes a great pet and can be incredibly friendly once it has had time to bond. The same goes for aquatic turtles, for which an adequately cultivated pond can create the ideal outdoor environment for the heat- and sunlight-loving creatures.
A shortage of exotic vets in the state means that the best place for the new owner to go for resources is, believe it or not, Facebook. While a Google search might pull up articles 10 or 15 years out of date, online groups of owners, breeders and enthusiasts have a surfeit of firsthand information. Arkansas Reptile Rescue is reachable by phone and Facebook, as well. Those not keen on welcoming a reptile into their homes can still help support the cause with both physical and monetary donations.
Outside of serious disease or injury, the majority of medical issues can be treated with home remedies and proper husbandry. A more dire threat for these animals comes down to the fact that they are often treated more like trading cards than live animals. A reptile will outlive most other pets, and some might even last the owner’s lifetime, making dedication and forward thinking all the more important.
“It’s not really a phase that you can go through with animals,” Smith said. “Anything you’re taking care of, whether it be dogs, cats, children, reptiles, they should be a part of your family. They deserve a comfortable situation where their needs are met and they’re not just used as a trophy.”
A HORSE IS A HORSE
There is no disputing that humans love miniatures. That impulse extends to the farm, where teacup pigs and pint-sized cattle abound. For Cheryl Ticer, getting into miniature horses was as practical as it was adorable.
“I’ve always loved horses. When I was a kid, I could catch my dad’s horse when he couldn’t get his hands on him,” she said. “As I got older, I rode and I enjoyed the devil out of
AY STAFFPET: Peaches
it. We raised Appaloosas for years.”
When back pain made her wary of handling big horses, she discovered their smaller counterparts from a woman in Texas breeding ultra-gentle bloodlines. Ticer and her husband started Short and Sweet Miniature Horses in Hector in 2004.
Ticer has a hunch that the minis are smarter, though that might come from “having to figure things out that the big guys take for granted,” she said. Otherwise, miniature care is not wholly different from that of a larger horse. She estimated a budget of a couple hundred dollars per month between feed and a barefoot trim — no horseshoes — every six to eight weeks. Shots are required only once a year. One investment that cannot be overstated is proper fencing because cut corners can lead to tragedy later on.
Not unlike with a group of children, a lot of mini training comes down to personality. In every case, they need to be handled regularly to keep up their manners and temperament around people. Beyond that, miniature horses can often be trained to do much of what a larger horse does, from pulling wee carts to carrying small children.
“Some of them, it takes a month or two. Some of them, two weeks,” Ticer said. “We’ve had a couple of babies that were so curious and wanted to be around people so bad that [in] two days, they were trying to pick your pockets.”
Ticer warned against the minis’ utility as, say, an emotional support or other service animal. With careful and consistent training, one could even housebreak a mini, but at the end of the day, it is hard to overcome genetics.
“A 28-inch horse is not that big in the house. My big dog is almost that size already,” Ticer said, “but a horse is also what they call a prey animal, and they get frightened easily.”
Space-wise, Ticer advised 2 to 3 acres at minimum. Mini horses do not need lush pasture, she said, so keep the lawn mowed to about 3 inches tall.
“Some breeders in particular say to keep them on a dry lot,” Ticer said. “In my book, raising the big horses, that’s not a natural life for them. A horse is a grazing animal. They need the roughage. They need the occupation too. If they’re stuck in a dry lot with nothing but a small pile of hay in front of them, they get bored.”
Ticer asks for a vet’s name during the adoption process to make sure both provider and soon-to-be owner can be relied on. Still, some of the most important vetting happens between an interested party and the animal itself.
“I’ve had people that come up to look at them, and the horses shied
In every case, miniature horses need to be handled regularly to keep up their manners.
away from them — my gentle ones, the guys that are usually coming up and picking their pockets,” Ticer said. “Them, I do extra checks on.”
For those wanting a pet for children, Ticer said she would recommend getting a stud colt and having it gelded. It only costs around $150 to $200 to do so and keeps the horse even-tempered. Of course, that also depends on if one plans on raising miniatures of their own later on.
“A filly, after about the third year, they go through their cycles just like a grown mare does. Some of them can get a little persnickety,” Ticer said.
While she does not have a waiting list this year, it is not uncommon for the list to grow to 10 or 15 names, including many people after specific colors of horses. Miniatures can be ready for their new homes as early as 3 months old, but Ticer prefers to keep them with Mom just a little longer, closer to 6 months.
A Y STAFF PET:
Look before you eap
Professional dog trainer and entertainer offers tips for owners
By DWAIN HEBDA //
During 25 years of performing for audiences across the country, Chris Perondi has become a master at tapping into the psyche of his troupe of amazing canines. The California native and founder of Stunt Dog Productions also uses the shows as a platform for getting into the heads of the audience, specifically those individuals looking to get a dog for the very first time.
His underlying advice is to do one’s homework, make an honest assessment of the time and space that can be allotted, and most of all –adopt, adopt, adopt.
“Rescue is our No. 1 thing. We want to encourage people to adopt,” he said. “We’re not against breeding by any means. I’m for responsible breeding, but I also want to encourage the average pet owner to check the rescues and shelters and pounds. Use Petfinder as a resource if you need to, whatever works. If you’re looking for a specific breed, you can find them; just be diligent.”
“My advice: Get a dog that’s 10 months to 4 or 5 years old or whatever. You’ll bond, and you can totally train that animal.”
— Chris Perondi, Stunt Dog Productions
Perondi started his dog training career with a rescue, Pepper, an animal that was such a natural, it helped launch the company. He said people who think shelter and rescue animals are somehow inferior to purebreds or are in shelters due to behavioral or other issues are simply misinformed.
Photos provided
“I ask people, ‘Why do you want a purebred dog? What’s the reasoning behind it?’” he said. “I’ve had people tell me, ‘Oh, because it’ll be a better dog.’ That is not true, and we’re trying to break that mold, that mindset. Any dog can be trained, and rescue dogs aren’t broken dogs. They’re just dogs stuck in a bad circumstance due to lack of knowledge and training by the person that had them first, a person who did not take the time to train the dog, care for the dog, put up the right size fence, left it outside unattended to where it got out and ended up in the pound.
“Then the owner says, ‘I don’t want to deal with it anymore. That’s dog’s not trainable.’ Every dog is trainable. It’s just ignorance to say that they’re not.”
Perondi said a little homework and legwork in advance of getting a pet is therefore a good idea, especially for first-time pet owners. Among the things to think about, he said, are the size and configuration of the home and how that matches with one breed of dog over another.
Another crucial element to a positive pet experience is giving the animal the time and attention it desires.
“You can’t just expect them to hang out in the backyard and be a happy dog. That’s going be a real sad dog,” he said. “Dogs are den animals. They’re pack animals. They want to be a part of the family, and if they can’t be a part of the family, they’re not going be a really happy dog. It’s really sad when I see dogs chained up to a pole or left in the backyard, and they never get any attention.”
Perondi’s performing pups, all rescues, underscore the value of adoption.
Once space and time requirements have been met, Perondi said new pet owners should heed two other pieces of advice, the first being hard for many new pet owners to hear: Steer clear of puppies.
“Getting a puppy is the worst thing to do, the absolute worst, if you’ve never owned a dog before,” he said. “Your first dog should not be a puppy. You’re going to have one heck of a ride that first year. You’re going to need more time invested. That puppy’s got to get fully potty trained. That puppy’s got to get socialized. If you don’t know how to do that properly, you could possibly end up with an aggressive dog, a reactive dog or a nervous dog. In fact, you can actually cause behavior problems if you don’t know what you’re doing.
“My advice: Get a dog that’s 10 months to 4 or 5 years old or whatever. You’ll bond, and you can totally train that animal. I mean, we’ve adopted dogs at 4 and 5 years old, and we’ve trained them, put them in the show, and they’re our stars. Granted, their lifespan with you is shorter, which kind of sucks, but they get the best life ever.”
Perondi’s other inviolate rule for new dog owners is to invest in training, be it self-taught or through a professional. He said a reputable trainer is always a good option but that most people can learn to teach their dogs the basics if they are committed to learning how and are disciplined enough to be consistent. He said whichever route they choose, people should always insist on training methods that use positivity.
“The thing that I would really encourage people is to train using treats and toys rather than prong collars and shock collars,” he said. “You’re going to have a happier dog. I mean, if you see our show, you’ll see how happy our dogs are. Their tails are wagging. They’re having fun out there because they’re really just playing. If you take that play element away from them, now they’re just working. You can tell the difference between a dog that’s playing and a dog that’s being forced to do something.”
Working in tandem with his wife, Suhey, Perondi and his cadre of trainers crisscross the nation, entertaining crowds with their amazing canines. At every stop, they preach the merits of the rescue dog, a message that has inspired more than a few audience members to follow in their footsteps.
“The whole reason I started doing shows was, well obviously, performing’s fun, but I was like, ‘If I can tie this into a message that really inspires people and not just entertains them, it’s something I’m going to feel very good about in the future,’” he said. “I feel great that I’ve heard so many stories over the years of people adopting dogs because we inspired them to do so. That means a lot to me when I hear those types of things and also hearing people say, ‘I trained my dog to do this, this and this,’ whatever it might be, because they saw our show and we in spired that. It’s just been such a rewarding career.”
A Y STAFF PET: Trigger
DEBATE THE ETERNAL
By AY STAFF
Mac versus Microsoft, Coke versus Pepsi, BMW versus Mercedes-Benz, shirts versus skins — of all the eternal debates over which of this is better than that, arguably none are more hotly contested than the Battle of the Species, cat versus dog, as to which critter reigns supreme in the pet universe.
The following facts and stats will do little to settle the matter, but at least they give a snapshot of the pros and cons of canine versus feline. At the very least, perhaps the following helps the reader decide which animal is likely best for them, leading them to their local animal shelter or rescue to find a new furry friend. That said, may the best animal win.
Pets sponsored by Doggone Good Pet Stain and Odor Remover
COST
DOG:
Routine vet expenses (annual) — $1,714
Adoption fees, food, gear (Year 1) — $2,907
Food, toys, flea/tick, heartworm (each year thereafter) — $2,609
Dog walking — up to $300 a month
Daycare and boarding — $40 a night per dog (national average)
Training — $250 and up
Grooming — $30 per session; major grooming can run $1,000 or more annually
Source: Canine Journal, ManyPets 2023 Survey
CAT:
Routine vet expenses (annual) — $1,100
Adoption fees/food, gear, toys (Year 1) — $1,600
Food, litter, treats, food supplements (annual) — $217 and up
Checkups, vaccinations, teeth cleaning (annual) — $300 and up
Source: Catster, Cats.com
THE BIGGIES — Major Medical and Chronic Condition Costs
DOG:
Total hip replacement: $7,000
Foreign object removal: $3,500
Gastropexy (bloat-related surgery): $6,000
Cruciate ligament rupture: $5,000
Diabetes: $4,800 per year
Spinal disc disease: $4,000
Source: MetLife
CAT:
Diabetes: $10,500
Fever/pneumonia: $8,300
Hip dysplasia: $7,800
Glaucoma: $5,800
Acute liver failure: $5,500
Chemotherapy (cancer/sarcoma): $5,400
Source: Cats.com
NATURE
LIFE EXPECTANCY
DOGS: 12 to 18 years
CATS: 12 to 25 years
SOCIALIZATION
DOGS: Pack animals, prefer company
CATS:
Solitary animals, fine being left home alone
SPACE NEEDS
DOGS:
Depends on the breed, but dogs generally need room to run and play
CATS:
Prefer small spaces, great for apartment dwellers
AFFECTION
DOGS:
Outwardly affectionate, seek attention
CATS:
Seek attention on their terms
ENERGY
DOG:
Depends on the breed, but dogs generally have abundant energy
CAT:
Generally lazy, can sleep up to 18 hours, though some are active half the time
EXERCISE
DOG:
Recommended walks 2 to 3 times daily
CAT:
Some like to be walked, most do not
Source: Diffen.com
TIE
Both dogs’ and cats’ nose prints are as unique as human fingerprints. Dogs and cats both sweat through their paws, not their skin.
Both species have a paw preference similar to right- or left-handedness in humans.
Dogs and cats both dream.
INTANGIBLES
Dogs can interpret human facial expressions.
Cats meow to communicate with humans more than with other cats. Dogs’ smell is so sensitive it can detect low blood sugar levels in humans.
The majority of cats are lactose intolerant.
Poodles and border collies are the smartest of the dog breeds.
Cats can jump six times their body length.
Dogs prefer to defecate along earth’s north-south magnetic axis.
Cats walk on their toes but cannot see under their nose.
Source: Interesting Animal Facts
COOL FACTOR – CELEBRITY ANIMALS
DOGS:
Lassie — Early TV celebrity
Toto — The Wizard of Oz
Old Yeller — 1957 movie star
Hooch — Turner & Hooch
Beethoven, Cujo — Movie star St. Bernards on opposite ends of hero spectrum
Snot — National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation
CATS:
Morris — 9 Lives spokescat
Tabby & Dixie — Abraham Lincoln’s pets
Salem Saberhagen — Sabrina the Teenage Witch
Mr. Bigglesworth — Pet of Dr. Evil of Austin Powers fame
Jinx — Meet the Parents
Grumpy Cat — YouTube star
Sources: A-Z Animals; Hepper
Pets sponsored by Doggone Good Pet Stain and Odor Remover
Healthy HAPPY
&
Vet technology helps pets live longer, better lives
By DWAIN HEBDA // Photos provided
As with any other type of health care, veterinary medicine is a field that continues to evolve and innovate, introducing new medical devices, technology and treatment options to keep family pets happy and healthy throughout their lives.
In fact, one does not have to look too far into the veterinary field to see that many of the advancements are mirroring those in human health care. In assessing the current trend to watch, the American Veterinary Medical Association noted information management, telehealth, online scheduling, drug management and artificial intelligence top the list for both managing veterinary practices and delivering top-shelf care.
The reasons for the innovation are simple; despite pet costs rising at an alarming rate since the COVID-19 pandemic, owners have shown there is almost no hurdle too high when it comes to treating their furry family members. That is not limited to trips to the vet; USA Today reported last fall its own survey results,
which found 52 percent of Americans paid between $50 and $250 a month on dog care. The American Pet Products Association reported owners spent $147 billion in overall pet care in 2023.
Regarding veterinary medicine specifically, costs are also rising. U.S. pet parents spent nearly 7 percent more on vet care in 2023 than the previous year. While it is easy to think of pet parents as motivated buyers, they are also demanding better results which is spurring innovation in the field.
Dr. Brian Peters, owner of Lake Hamilton Animal Hospital and Hot Springs Animal Hospital, counts his among Arkansas practices that have invested in new technology.
“Just this year, my two practices added a vet laser unit,” he said. “It is a cutting laser utensil that actually takes the place of a scalpel blade. Anytime I do surgery, we’re using laser light technology to make the incisions to control bleeding, deliver less trauma to the tissue and promote better healing.”
The new device, which was adopted at the first of the year, can be used on any animal and for any surgical procedure where a scalpel is used.
“It might be gaining a little bit of ground in veterinary medicine; I don’t know how many vets are using it here in Hot Springs or how many veterinarians in neighboring states are using it,” he said. “I met a retired veterinarian from New York who said of all the instruments that he added to his practice, he thought that this was the most beneficial, so I decided to add it to my two practices.”
Another relatively new advancement that might sound very fa -
Dr. Brian Peters
miliar to many people is monoclonal antibodies. Used to treat cancer and autoimmune disorders in humans since the mid-1980s, the therapy has been slower to reach the veterinary ranks. The AVMA reports regulatory agencies within the U.S. Department of Agriculture first approved a monoclonal antibody product for treating allergic dermatitis and atopic dermatitis in dogs in 2016.
Peters cited the new treatment as being a game changer in his practices.
52% of Americans pay between
$50 and $250 a month on dog care
“Just in the past year or two, injections have come from a company that is treating cat and dog arthritis,” he said. “As long as we’ve been using it, we’ve been getting a really good response. I believe the more we look at those monoclonal antibody injections, they are going to start to really gain ground for allergies, for arthritis, for specific conditions we treat our dogs and cats for.”
Important though monoclonal antibody therapy is, it is hardly the only advancement in the world of veterinary medicine or treatment methodologies that veterinarians have to choose from, both today and approaching fast in the future.
According to a recent article by Animalia, the field of veterinary medicine may soon see advancements that rival anything in human medical fields. These include using artificial intelligence for more accurate diagnoses, better interpretation of medical images and scans, and even to prognosticate an animal’s risk factors for developing a given condition, which gives vets the chance to prescribe proactive treatments.
Also already in practice or on the way are next-generation pre-
cision robots for performing delicate, complex surgical procedures and harnessing nanotechnology. That not only allows for more precise delivery of therapies but could also result in microscopic devices inserted into an animal’s body to treat conditions from the inside. Peters said from the relatively pedestrian improvements in flea and tick products to more accurate tests for kidney disease and other conditions, the sky’s the limit for the veterinary field, and the innovations are driven by the love and attachment people have for their four-legged family members.
“You know as well as I do how important a dog or a cat is to people because some of them don’t have anybody, especially seniors,” he said. “They continue to bring their pets in for all types of conditions, and these tools are going to help us serve them better.
A Y STAFF PET: Ollie
Pets sponsored by Doggone Good Pet Stain and Odor Remover
Training Hounds for Heroes
Arkansas Service Paws serves those who served the public, nation
By
DWAIN HEBDA // Photos provided Pets sponsored by Doggone Good Pet Stain and Odor Remover
It has often been said that if you do something you like for a living, you will never work a day in your life. Vicki Limbaugh, who co-founded Arkansas Service Paws in Beebe with her husband, Travis, knows well the wisdom of that adage, having performed a labor of love by training service dogs for veterans and first responders dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder.
As for her deep understanding of the lives and challenges of her clients and their families, those are insights she has gained in the most personal way possible.
“I’m a veteran. I was U.S. Air Force for 16 1/2 years, medically retired in 2007,” she said. “I do have PTSD.”
Vicki dealt with her condition through use of a service dog, which she trained with the help of another training organization. When that group announced it was disbanding a few years ago, she knew the void that it would leave in the continuum of services for people looking to cope with PTSD as she had. In 2022, Arkansas Service Paws was born.
“When the previous organization announced that it was going away, I knew the mission was too important to just end,” she said. “That mission is we mentor veterans and first responders and their qualifying dependents to train their own service dog, and we do it at no cost.”
The idea for Arkansas Service Paws to offer training to dependents grew out of the knowledge that merely helping one member of the family was not as effective as helping the entire household. It also grew out of the fact that children of veterans and first responders often develop PTSD right alongside of their parents and thereby could benefit from a service animal of their own.
“You can’t just help one person. You have to help the family. Otherwise you’re just deflecting the situation; you’re not really trying to improve it,” said Vicki, whose teenage daughter suffers from the condition. “PTSD affects the veteran living in the home but also children. When the child gets a service dog, it eases some of that burden off of the veteran or first responder.”
Post-traumatic stress disorder is a mental health condition triggered by a traumatic event either lived or witnessed, the Mayo Clinic states. Symptoms of the condition commonly include flashbacks, nightmares and severe anxiety, as well as uncontrollable thoughts about the event.
According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, about 5 percent of the U.S. adult population experiences PTSD symptoms in any given year, which shows the vast majority of people who experience traumatic events do not develop the condition. Among those who do, however, women are twice as likely than men to struggle with the condition. Military personnel suffer from PTSD at significantly higher rates than the civilian population, the VA noted, and unsurprisingly, personnel who serve in war zones are at substantially higher risk of PTSD than those who are not deployed.
A properly trained service dog assists a person dealing with PTSD in a number of ways, said Travis, himself a 23-year veteran of the U.S. Air Force.
“The dogs are trained to mitigate the PTSD through a variety of different tasks that they perform,” he said. “It can be as simple as tugging them to lead them out of a room or applying pressure in certain spots to interrupt a panic attack. They do that by either pawing the person, licking them in the face, whatever they need to do to get that person’s attention.”
The dogs can sense their owners’ changing state of mind via smell. Not unlike dogs trained to assist patients who have cancer or diabetes, Arkansas Service Paws graduates can sense chemical changes in their handlers that suggest an attack is imminent.
“Dogs can smell the pheromones that we put off,” Vicki said. “When they start to ramp up, we train the dogs to recognize the change in those phero
A Y STAFF PET:
mones like a warning device. They know that when those pheromones start going, they need to go to work.”
In addition to the training sessions themselves, Arkansas Service Paws provides other services to clients, starting with getting them set up with the right service dog.
“If a veteran or first responder comes to our class and they need a dog, we’ll help them find a dog most of which come from animal shelters around central Arkansas,” Travis said. “The dogs have to pass a temperament test, which includes going out to a pet-friendly location and trying to startle them in a store.”
Travis said the couple is less concerned with breed categories, saying desirable qualities that contribute to the animal’s suitability can present in many different types of dogs. That said, there are some breeds that are not as practical for service work as others.
“There are some breeds that we choose to avoid training for our program, but that’s because of the training method we use, not because the dog can’t do it,” he said. “If it’s a dog that requires a really strong, experienced handler, like your protection dogs, we won’t do that. We also don’t do pit bulls because there’s a lot of bans on them in cities, which would limit where it could go with its owner.”
Training classes occur year-round and take the form of group instruction and field trips to apply concepts in real-world crowds and settings. The training curriculum takes about 13 months to complete, on average, but just like the code of the battlefield, Vicki said Arkansas Service Paws does not leave any comrades behind.
“It varies because it’s client centered,” she said. “We don’t graduate them until they are ready. Once they’re in our program, they’re in our program, you know? We’re not going to drop them just because they’re having some issues. Now, we’ll disqualify a dog occasionally due to reactivity or some other events, but the handler is allowed to come back with a new dog if they choose. If our clients need the extra time, we take it.”
To learn more or to make a donation, find Arkansas Service Paws on Facebook.
AY S TAFF PET: Stormy
Founded in 2022, Arkansas Service Paws helps veterans and first responders, along with qualified dependents, train service dogs to assist with PTSD.
Hot Springs Downtown offers fun for all SHOP, STAY, PLAY
By AY STAFF // Photos provided
In a city known for its attractions, downtown Hot Springs is fast becoming Arkansas’ favorite place to get away. The picturesque district, which combines the charm of yesteryear with the conveniences of today, is the ideal place to dine, dance, shop and stay.
“It’s just a fun place. It’s where we see people from all over the world,” said Jess Elder, a downtown business owner and president of the Downtown Association of Hot Springs. “I’ve met people from Australia to Israel to every part of the U.S. coming to visit here in Hot Springs.”
Elder launched Buffalo Clothing Co. in the neighborhood six years ago, and more recently, she opened Jess & JoJo Boutique, also located downtown, with a business partner. However, her observation of the district’s ups and downs stretches back much further.
“My husband and I both grew up here,” she said. “When I was a kid, we’d drive through downtown, and a lot of the buildings were kind of dilapidated, falling down. Then, about 10 to 15 years ago, people started investing in downtown again, and now it’s a destination for visitors. It’s great to see the growth of
“Everyone truly wants the best for Hot Springs, and so we really try to help each other, bounce ideas off one another and support each other.
— Jess Elder, president, Downtown Association of Hot Springs
downtown and how it’s become a vibrant place for families to come hang out and spend the day.”
Elder is typical of many small-business owners who liked what they saw of the downtown redevelopment and renewal enough to open their businesses there. Today, the district shines with a diverse collection of independent shops and stores, acclaimed local restaurants and bakeries, as well as art galleries, lively bars and thriving entertainment.
“When we started seeing growth downtown, started seeing more restaurants and shops opening, I was working at one of the boutiques down here and really saw what was going on in the neighborhood up close,” she said. “When we were getting ready to start our own shop, we looked at all areas of Hot Springs, and it really wasn’t a contest. Downtown was the only place we seriously considered opening a business.”
Beating the drum for the neighborhood is the Downtown Association of Hot Springs, an organization created to promote the resident businesses and event happenings that occur year-round in the city’s oldest neighborhood.
“We are a group of people with a vested interest in downtown, and we work together to try to see improvements downtown,” Elder said. “When we see that there’s a problem or a need, we get together as an organization and discuss what we can do collectively to help this, to fix this or to draw attention to this.
“We really work hard to meet the needs of the downtown merchants and hear what’s on their minds, you know? How can we grow downtown more? How can we keep downtown clean? How can we do all of the little things that need to be done?”
Elder said the work of the association is augmented by the efforts of the city, the local chamber of commerce and Visit Hot Springs, the city’s tourism arm. She said the collaborative spirit shared by the various interests is a big reason for revival of the city’s core.
“Our city’s really good at meeting with us and wanting the best for downtown. We have a great relationship with them,” she said. “The chamber’s
great at doing the things they do, and Visit Hot Springs is great at bringing visitors to town. For our part, we make sure that business owners have a voice that gets heard in the process.”
According to the DAHS website, downtownhotsprings.org, membership includes more than 80 businesses and organizations with a vested interest in downtown, including dining, lodging, entertainment and professional services. Voting members must operate within what is known as the Thermal Basin District, but nonvoting membership is offered to any entity in the city, regardless of location.
In addition to advocacy, the organization also puts on various events, the biggest being a chili cook-off in the fall, which doubles as the group’s main fundraiser. Money raised goes to help fund the city’s downtown Christmas lights display, the official lighting ceremony of which also happens during the cook-off.
Elder said the important work of the association is worth the extra effort by the membership because it improves the downtown experience for shoppers and merchants alike.
“In my opinion, this is an amazing community,” she said. “Everyone truly wants the best for Hot Springs, and so we really try to help each other, bounce ideas off one another and support each other. What helps one really benefits everybody, and so we really work well together to create something great downtown.”
Arts, culture and events draw people to downtown Hot Springs.
HOT SPRINGS Giveaway 2024
There is truly something for everyone in Hot Springs, from hikers and bikers to the shoppers and bar hoppers. Pieces of history can be found around every corner, but there are also plenty of places that make the future just as interesting. AY About You has partnered with the Downtown Association of Hot Springs to give readers a taste from a variety of boutiques, restaurants and other favorite Spa City spots. Starting Aug. 1 and running every other day through Aug. 23, visit aymag.com/contests and enter the code word of the day for a chance to win one of these 12 great gifts. Prizes must be picked up and cannot be mailed.
The Waters Hotel is the culmination of a multimillion-dollar renovation, which makes for a boutique experience with classic vintage charm. Spend a night in the king deluxe suite, and then enjoy complimentary breakfast for two in the Avenue, home to the best people-watching seats on Central Avenue.
Value: $250
340 Central Ave.,Hot Springs (501) 321-0001 thewatershs.com
AQUA GIFT BOUTIQUE
From candles and bags to stationary and wellness, Aqua Gift Boutique ensures shoppers will find the right items for everyone on every list. Snag an item or two from this curated collection, which includes a La Chatelaine travel soap and hand cream, a Marseille Memoir candle and hand wash, a gold wick trimmer, and a light prism crystal necklace.
Value: $153
340 Central Ave., Hot Springs aquagiftboutique.com
LAURAY’S THE DIAMOND CENTER
Lauray’s is a Spa City original, having provided first-class jewelry to residents and visitors since 1924. Experience the Lauray’s legacy with this sterling silver necklace plated with rhodium and ruthenium, and be sure to stop in at the historic downtown location on the next visit.
Value: $168
402 Central Ave., Hot Springs (501) 321-2441 laurays.com
BUFFALO CLOTHING CO.
EVILO OILS & VINEGARS
Far from an average grocery store, Evilo specializes in both domestic and imported olive oils and balsamic vinegars plus a wide-ranging selection of condiments, snacks, accessories and gifts. Use this set of Spiceology rubs and a Himalayan salt block to elevate your kitchen game.
Value: $165
360 Central Ave., Hot Springs (501) 609-0999 olivebackwards.com
OUACHITA BAR & GRILL
Ouachita Bar & Grill is serving up must-have burgers and barbecue in a signature downtown atmosphere. Take these gift certificates, t-shirts and koozies, and then head over to OBG and enjoy the full bar, indoor and outdoor seating, a pet-friendly patio, and live music.
Value: $200
915 Central Ave., Hot Springs (501) 359-3884
Ouachita Bar & Grill
A trip to Hot Springs cannot be called complete without the gear and gifts to match, and Buffalo Clothing Co. has visitors covered from head to toe. This set of goodies includes a Buffalo Clothing Co. hat, a Hot Springs T-shirt, a hammock, a cup and a candle.
Value: $190
318 Central Ave., Hot Springs (501) 655-0678 Buffalo Clothing Co
Copper Penny Pub
A little luck goes a long way in Hot Springs. Visitors can fashion their own fortunes at the Copper Penny Pub, where guests can also fill up on great Irish food and spectacular live music. The traditional Irish pub has the eats, drinks and big-screen TVs. Bring this $150 gift certificate and get the weekend started off right way.
Value: $150
711 Central Ave., Hot Springs (501) 622-2570 copper-penny-pub.com
WRAPPED GIFT BOUTIQUE
When it comes to gift-giving, it is the thought that counts. Thankfully, Wrapped Gift Boutique is full of thoughtful gifts for every occasion. These adorable Nora Fleming minis, bowl, tea towel and Corkcicle tumbler are perfect for sharing — or saving all for oneself.
Value: $169
404 Central Ave., Hot Springs (501) 359-3142 wrappedarkansas.com
SUNMED
The country’s largest brick-and-mortar CBD chain offers a whole range of hemp-based wellness products. See what Sunmed can do with this bundle, which includes vegan CBG gummies, sleep gummies, full-spectrum hemp supplements, an energy blend and a painfreeze gel. Explore the collection further with a $50 gift certificate.
Value: $150
BATHHOUSE SOAPERY & CALDARIUM
Spa City knows a thing or two about self-care, and Bathhouse Soapery & Caldarium turns the practice into an art. Refresh and unwind with this basket of bath bombs, chapstick, whipped cream soap, foaming body scrub, goat milk body butter, perfume and three-in-one liquid soap.
Value: $150
366 Central Ave., Hot Springs (501) 525-7627 bathhousesoap.com
JESS & JOJO BOUTIQUE
Jess & JoJo Boutique has everything a woman needs to get outfitted for her next Spa City adventure, from easy summer day looks to the ideal gym fit and even loungewear to relax in at the hotel. Enjoy these posh accessories — a Jane Marie tote, Elyse Breanne Design pouches and a wristlet keyring — and then head downtown to complete the look.
Value: $142
412 Central Ave., Suite A Hot Springs shopjessandjojo.com
231 Central Ave., Suite B Hot Springs (501) 545-8316 getsunmed.com 150.00
INDULGE
The latest concept from J&S Hospitality is bringing European flair to Spa City. Indulge will feature freshly made crepes, gelato, cappuccino and espresso, plus treats to satisfy both sweet and savory snackers. Be one of the first to indulge with this gift certificate.
Value: $150
256 Central Ave., Hot Springs (501) 204-6686 indulgesweetsavory.com
Body, Mind
Oaklawn’s Astral Spa delivers ultimate in luxury & Spirit
By HEATHER BAKER // Photos provided
In Hot Springs, the undisputed travel and tourism destination of the Natural State, everything old is new again. Walk the downtown, cruise the lake or dine in one of dozens of restaurants, and the new energy of the city and its people are palpable.
It was with this same spirit of renewal and revival that I eagerly arrived at Oaklawn Hot Springs, Arkansas for my first visit to the Astral Spa, a luxury amenity that opened in 2021 with the property’s gorgeous multimillion-dollar hotel and conference center.
It was an experience I had looked forward to for weeks. Life as a busy executive, influencer,
wife and mother takes a toll on a person, and the publishing business, especially, is a 24-hour world filled with nonstop deadlines, client interactions, events to attend and stories to cover. Like a lot of businesses, it all looks a lot easier and more glamorous than it is sometimes, and if there is one thing 25 years in this game has taught me, it is the absolute necessity to recharge from time to time. The idea of a day’s pampering at one of the most hyped spots in the region sounded incredibly appealing.
This was not my first spa experience — not by a long shot — and I’ve soaked and scrubbed and breathed deeply in spas across the country and around the world. Each time, I left the experience feeling closer to my real self, as if the steam and the oils and the skillful hands of the masseuse had exorcised every care of the real world and washed it down the drain.
In fact, my past spa experiences and some timely research on the 8,000-square-foot Astral Spa led me to Oaklawn with what I thought was a pretty good idea of what awaited me within. I would experience luxury, I figured, where a beautifully appointed space, sumptuous treatments and attentive staff would coalesce to deliver a memorable day.
If I am honest, I felt like I already had a handle on anything they could throw at me. As the saying goes, you’ve been to one luxury spa, you’ve been to them all, right?
Wrong. In hindsight, it is laughable how wrong I was about what awaited me, which was nothing short of the most spectacular spa experience I have ever encountered.
Oaklawn’s Astral Spa is nationally recognized for its design, amenities and service.
The Space
From the moment I stepped through the grand entrance of the Astral Spa, I was immediately enveloped in a world of pure tranquility. The stunning architecture and serene ambiance created an atmosphere of utter relaxation augmented by the friendly, professional staff who greeted me warmly. I instinctively knew that what lay before me was no ordinary spa experience but a true sanctuary for the senses.
“Our vision was to create a unique spa experience that regional guests have never seen before,” Oaklawn President Louis Cella, whose family has owned and operated the resort for over 100 years, told Spa Business. “With multiple amenities, the spa offers a throwback vibe with modern luxury.”
Just moments through the front door, it was obvious this was going to be unlike anything I had ever experienced, which, at Oaklawn, is considered par for the course. The attraction has always delivered a good time, but in recent years, the organization has kicked things into overdrive in every aspect of hotel, casino and racetrack operations.
Every aspect of the Astral Spa is designed with tranquility in mind from the moment guests walk through the doors.
As we wrote in AY About You earlier this year, the food services throughout the property’s restaurants — headlined by The Bugler, an incomparable dining experience — are all spectacular, and the Forbesrecommended luxury hotel caters to guests’ every whim.
The Astral Spa has more than measured up to such high expectations. The state’s only Forbes four-star-rated spa, it has drawn consistently rave reviews from the travel press and industry magazines alike for design, amenities and service.
“Once a favorite haunt of celebrities and notorious outlaws like gangsters Al Capone and Bugs Moran, Hot Springs, Arkansas, has added a luxurious new wellness retreat to its roster of holistic hideaways with the Astral Spa,” Forbes Travel Guide wrote. “The first new full-service spa to be built in the historic resort town in more than a century, Astral faces some big expectations, but based on appearances alone, the facility is more than up to the task.
“A contemporary Roaring ’20s-inspired interior evokes the glamor of Hot Springs’ heyday with art deco design details and framed black-andwhite photos of glitterati from days gone by. While the touches may be vintage, the facilities are anything but.”
The Astral Spa’s design was led by HBG Design, which maintains offices in Memphis, San Diego and Dallas, and Maryland-based WTS International with a vision of seamlessly combining modern lines with historical elements that speak to the city’s founding as a health destination based on its thermal mineral waters. That vision was captured and then some with seemingly no detail too small to escape thoughtful and stylish presentation.
“Leading the design of the Astral Spa has been a career highlight, having grown up in a small town about 20 minutes from Oaklawn,” said Landon Shockey, lead interior designer at HBG Design. “I remember touring Bathhouse Row when I was younger and being absolutely intrigued by those grand spa spaces. To be able to return to Hot Springs and work with Louis and Rochelle Cella to create a modern-day bathhouse spa was a dream come true.”
The venue includes nearly 2,000 square feet of women’s spa and 1,500 square feet dedicated to men, each with distinctly tailored areas, a plunge pool and aqua thermal lounges that feature vintage-inspired needle showers reminiscent of the historical bathhouses. Even the reception area, which, in most establishments, is not anything to write home about, grabs the eye with an illuminated quartz crystal wall that hints at the area’s crystal-mining heritage.
“Thoughtful design, attention to detail and visual sophistication — these are the drivers of today’s experiential luxury, and that’s what the team achieved in the Astral Spa’s design,” said Emily Marshall, principal and interior design director at HBG Design. “It’s less about opulence and more about wellness and the way a space makes the guest feel with more authentic, locally inspired design features and smart design touches.”
The Experience
My day began with the staff escorting me to a dressing room, where I slipped into a feather-soft robe and slippers. They then led me to the relaxation room, where I sipped refreshing, orange-infused water and breathed in the calming energy of the salt room before my first treatment. Astral Spa offers the region’s only Himalayan salt walls, offering the halotherapeutic benefits of improved breathing and relief of stress, anxiety and fatigue.
“Relaxing in the lounges, we want our guests to imagine what Hot Springs was like in the Roaring 20s yet be in contemporary comfort,” Cella told Spa Business.
My first treatment, a citrus body scrub, unfolded in a private suite filled with the invigorating scent of grapefruit. As the warm products were applied, the therapist’s expert touch gently exfoliated my skin, leaving it feeling rejuvenated and glowing. I have never experienced a body scrub quite like this one; the combination of the aromatic oils and the mineral-rich quartz crystals was nothing short of heavenly.
The next treatment, a rose quartz facial, incorporated rose quartz serum expertly applied into my face, neck and shoulders by the therapist. The experience was deeply satisfying on many levels. I could feel physical tension melting away, the nourishing properties of the rose quartz left my skin feeling soft, supple and radiant, and a deep sense of relaxation and mindfulness washed over me.
In its review, Forbes Travel Guide also raved about the Astral Signature Hydrafacial that includes a customized skin treatment with the addition of a personalized booster, followed by an LED light therapy session to stimulate skin cell rejuvenation.
No detail is spared in making the Astral Spa the ultimate in relaxation and rejuvenation.
Also recommended is the Moon Cocoon body treatment, an indulgent offering that includes enzymatic exfoliant and dry brushing to stimulate the lymphatic system, followed by the application of a mimosa- and vanilla-infused firming cream, a massage and a body wrap to seal in all those moisturizing benefits.
The Result
As lavish as these other treatments sound for a return visit, committing them to even a mental must-try list was a near-impossibility in my utterly relaxed state following my treatments. The staff escorted me to a private cabana at the pool, where I relaxed in the warm sun and beautiful natural surroundings, completely at peace. Before long, the phone would once again start ringing and deadlines would loom, but for a few incredible moments, I had reached the pinnacle of bliss, centeredness and focus in mind, body and spirit.
As I emerged from the Astral Spa, I felt refreshed, rejuvenated and utterly grateful for the experience. I cannot wait to return and indulge in more of the spa’s restorative offerings, knowing that I will be stepping into a world of exceptional care and unbridled luxury that sets this destination apart.
“I could feel physical tension melting away...a deep sense of relaxation and mindfulness washed over me.”
— Heather Baker, president and publisher, AY Media Group
ALL THINGS ARKANSAS
As the name of her business implies, Lisa Coleman Carey is an avid proponent of anything and everything to do with the Natural State she calls home. As president of All Things Arkansas, Carey oversees both All Things Arkansas and All Things Natural, two shops that offer visitors and residents a wealth of products by, for and of Arkansas. If it is made in Arkansas, made by an Arkansan or otherwise about Arkansas, rest assured that Carey will have it.
Born and raised in Jessieville, Carey grew up living and breathing the world of quartz crystal. All of the shop’s stock is sourced from Ron Coleman Mining in Jessieville, which has been family-owned and operated since 1963. The Coleman Mine contains the world standard for quartz and is the largest producer of natural Arkansas quartz in the United States. Carey is also working on a related book, Quartz Runs Through Their Veins: A History of Quartz Crystal in the Ouachita Mountains and the Legacy Created by the Coleman Brothers.
“As someone who not only grew up in the area but grew up immersed in quartz, I have a knowledge of this area that brings many people in simply so that they can learn about the quartz crystal industry and Jimmy and Ron Coleman,” she said. “My family’s name is recognized around the world, and this book is my love letter to them. People come in regularly asking for books about Arkansas quartz, and it does not exist — yet.”
After a previous career stint in communications at Murphy Oil Corp. in El Dorado, Carey spent 13 years as the director of development for what is now National Park College in Hot Springs. An avid runner, Carey
could not help but notice the lack of Hot Springscentric businesses during her downtown jogs. Not long after, she read an article by Arkansas DemocratGazette columnist Rex Nelson bemoaning the need for revitalization in the city.
That was enough to spark an idea in Carey’s mind. Taking the matter into her own hands, Carey opened All Things Arkansas on historic Bathhouse Row in 2013, followed the next year by All Things Natural. With both operations, Carey and her team listen to their customers’ needs while remaining respectful of their budgets. The aim is to provide every customer with the ideal Arkansas-loving items; even when they cannot make it work, staff are happy to direct visitors to another shop that can.
“Hot Springs is beautiful, a treasure. I literally get up each morning and am able to hike and run in a national park two blocks from my front door. After that, I walk to work, and during days off, can walk downtown for amazing dining options,” Carey said. “The natural beauty of this area makes me truly grateful to call Hot Springs home.”
For Carey, it is about more than just running a successful business — her goal is to be an active part of the community’s future and to help others come to love the city the way she has. Often, all it takes is a little introduction to everything Hot Springs offers.
“Each of us who lives here is one of the faces of Hot Springs. Each of us has a story to tell that adds to the vibrancy of our city,” she said. “I’m just grateful people are interested in mine.”
All Things Arkansas — allthingsarkansas.com
(501) 359-3593 — 610-C Central Ave., Hot Springs
All Things Natural — allthingsnaturalhs.com
(501) 620-3971 — 416 Central Ave., Hot Springs
HAMMER & STAIN
Hammer & Stain specializes in the art of entertainment — emphasis on the art. Guests can immerse themselves in a do-it-yourself paradise, from woodworking to painting to laser engraving and much more. After seeing the concept succeed out of state, owner Cynthia Hall recognized that the people of Hot Springs could use their own space to unleash their creative side.
“Hammer and Stain Hot Springs is an independent and woman-owned business,” Hall said. “Although there are over 120 studios sharing the same name, we are not a franchise. We are a bunch of makers who love sharing, crafting and collaborating to bring fun and excitement to our own areas. We have the tools, paint and supplies, and the best part is we clean up the mess.”
Though not a Spa City native, Hall’s family roots in Hot Springs made it an ideal place to open up shop, not to mention the city’s own penchant for the arts. She described Hammer & Stain as “much like bringing Pinterest to life,” adding that no two projects are ever the same. Most items are made inhouse, which allows for nearly endless customization. From bachelorette parties to corporate team building to holiday parties, people of all skill levels and backgrounds come together to share the joy of creation with one another.
happy to be an essential part of that experience as we can help people make souvenirs of their visit or simply choose one from our retail section.”
The space also offers customized engraving on all manner of gifts and products, including their flagship 3D wooden lake signs. Even for those not inclined to embark on a DIY journey, Hammer & Stain is quickly becoming the go-to for custom engraved wedding favors, gifts and more on the retail side. Still, many reluctant first-timers find themselves unable to resist once they decide to give it a go.
“I absolutely love being a cheerleader to everyone who walks through our doors,” Hall said. “Many people come in saying that they aren't artists, but we work with them every step of the way, helping them make wallworthy pieces of art that they will be proud to display in their home or gift to another person. It puts a giant smile on my face to hear them laughing and saying, ‘I did this,’ as they walk out the door.”
Whether a guest’s idea of a good time is stuffing a plush animal, crafting a ceramic masterpiece or slinging paint at a canvas a la Jackson Pollock, Hammer & Stain can make that dream a reality. One project at a time, Hall adds yet another interesting thread to the Hot Springs tapestry for visitors and residents alike to explore.
“I would have never dreamt that when I came to Hot Springs, I would have an opportunity to represent this beautiful town,” Hall said. “I truly believe that when people walk into my studio, they come in as strangers and leave as friends.”
“I hope people see the beauty surrounding our city and experience all the small businesses that we have to offer,” she said. “There is so much here for every walk of life and interest. Hammer & Stain is so (501) 547-9411 — hammer-and-stain-hot-springs.myshopify.com — 825 Central Ave., Hot Springs Hammer & Stain Hot Springs @hammerandstainhotspringsar
BRANDE DANIELS, CEO, AGELESS AESTHETICS
One can expect that Hot Springs is able to corner the market on health and beauty services. It is not called Spa City for nothing, after all. While that might make it hard to stand out, especially with interest in med spas and other treatment options growing by the day, the knowledgeable staff at Ageless Aesthetics of Arkansas put their own spin on skin care to help every guest feel beautiful from the inside out.
OF ARKANSAS
results-driven services that address a wide variety of skin concerns, as well as a number of expertly formulated SkinMedica products to treat conditions such as hyperpigmentation, acne, dehydration, aging and sensitive skin. Each guest receives a skin care treatment plan customized to their unique needs and preferences with an emphasis on promoting repair and reaching optimal skin health.
At Ageless Aesthetics of Arkansas, owner Brande Daniels and her team believe that everyone should have access to the highest-quality procedures and treatments administered by industry experts — all at a reasonable price. Every professional at Ageless Aesthetics has extensive training and experience and is dedicated to providing cutting-edge, researchbacked services using the industry’s most advanced technology. From Bellafill and Botox to laser hair removal and VI peels, Daniels and company help clients put their best face forward with confidence. Ageless Aesthetics offers a range of comprehensive, (501) 623-2500 — agelessaestheticsar.com — 135 Medical Park Place, Hot Springs Ageless Aesthetics of Arkansas
One recent addition to the Ageless Aesthetic lineup is the MOXI Laser by Sciton, giving clients yet another tool for achieving rejuvenated, beautiful skin. MOXI provides a gentler approach to laser resurfacing, correcting uneven pigmentation, and improving skin tone and texture without the recovery or downtime associated with more aggressive laser procedures.
It can be easy to get caught up in the excitement in a place like Hot Springs. That is why Daniels and the staff of Ageless Aesthetics are there to help residents and visitors alike relax, rejuvenate and refresh.
ARVEST BANK
Arvest Bank’s story may have begun in the northwest corner of the state, but it has since become synonymous with banking across Arkansas and beyond. With assets exceeding $26 billion and an active presence in Missouri, Oklahoma and Kansas, Arvest is no stranger to growth. The key to the bank's success, however, is not found in its size, but in its people.
Arvest Bank arrived in Hot Springs in the early 2000s. While bringing the bank to one of the state’s most prominent cities made sense on its face, it was a dedicated team of lenders, bankers and associates who made the relationship permanent. These professionals live, work and play in Hot Springs, deepening Arvest’s ties to the community and allowing the bank to provide customized solutions to the people it serves.
Arvest’s extensive expertise and unwavering customer service makes it the ideal partner for an ambitious region such as Garland County. Arvest offers
a wide range of services, including traditional banking services such as accounts, loans and mortgages, as well as specialized services such as wealth management and financial planning. Beyond a slew of industry awards and accolades acknowledging the bank’s achievements, the people of Hot Springs recognize Arvest for its involvement in local development through accessible services and philanthropic initiatives.
The team at Arvest Bank strives to be a true partner and resource for the people of Hot Springs. From individuals and families to businesses large and small, Arvest is invested in the area’s continued prosperity. As a key partner in the city’s growth, Arvest actively engages with residents, leaders and organizations to address the unique challenges and aspirations of the community.
Hot Springs is poised to grow as a destination for visitors the world over, and the Arvest team is proud to be recognized as the trusted banking partner of the people and businesses that put Spa City on the map.
Five locations around Hot Springs and Hot Springs Village arvest.com ArvestBank
FRANKLIN BASS, FROM LEFT, TANYA LANIER, AMANDA EVANS, JEFFREY HUTZEL
BEYOND WELLNESS
Matt and Ashley Huneycutt have 20 years of experience in the health care industry. Their clinic, Beyond Wellness, specializes in functional wellness and cutting-edge breakthrough therapies that promote longevity and champion clients’ personalized health journeys.
“We are Hot Springs Village residents and have been business owners in the area for over a decade,” Matt said. “With Beyond Wellness’ approach to wellness and aesthetics, the Hot Springs area was a great fit for what we have to offer.”
Beyond Wellness gives patients access to a level of care traditionally reserved for major metros, ushering in a new era of wellness, inclusivity and sophistication for Arkansans. While the couple have ambitions to bring their services to more people around the state, they are also deeply committed to serving their local community.
“We want visitors to see the beauty and hospitality of the area and experience a rejuvenating journey into wellness and relaxation,” Ashley said. “Beyond Wellness provides access to high-quality health care services and aesthetic experiences, ensuring that the Hot Springs community can find a wellness approach tailored to their needs.”
Vulcan Sporting Goods founder and CEO Vince Signorelli could choose to live anywhere, and he chose Hot Springs. In making Spa City his permanent home, Signorelli brought with him the Tanners Team Sports brand, which now makes products for baseball, softball, pickleball and tennis at the Mid-America Industrial Park.
“Here at our headquarters, we have Vulcan Pickleball Park with four state-of-the-art, lighted, dedicated pickleball courts,” he said. “Our park is free and open to the public, and we host locals and tourists from all over the country every day.”
Vulcan Pickleball has curated an almost cult-like following among enthusiasts and has the sport’s largest assortment of equipment for all ages and abilities. Signorelli intends to make the sport yet one more reason for people to visit Hot Springs.
“My other passion is economic development for our community, always working with others to make Hot Springs the best place to live, work and play in the region,” he said. “In 2024, I am serving as board chairman of the Hot Springs Metro Partnership, which is our community’s public-private economic development organization.”
As the official ball of both the Professional Pickleball Association and Major League Pickleball, Vulcan is in a prime position to become the largest supplier of pickleballs in the world — not to mention ensure that Hot Springs continues to attract both casual and professional players for years to come.
736 Mid-America Blvd., Hot Springs — vulcanpickleball.com
JORDAN DAVIDSON, APRN, FROM LEFT, CHRISTA JACKSON, APRN, AND ASHLEY AND MATT HUNEYCUTT
J&S HOSPITALITY GROUP
Saddiq and Jeannie Mir are well known around Hot Springs for concepts such as J&S Italian Villa, Copper Penny Pub and the Ohio Club. Under their company, J&S Hospitality, the Mirs continue to pour their love of service into their adopted home, with ambitions of bringing high-end, luxury experiences to even more areas of the state.
“My tagline for pretty much all my career has been ‘the relentless pursuit of excellence,’” Saddiq said. “There’s nothing more exciting than making sure our guests are having a great time and that we go above and beyond their expectations.”
The Mirs are a dynamic duo with an in-depth knowledge of domestic and international locales. Their background includes high-end restaurants and luxury hotels in some of the world’s most soughtafter destinations. They have seen the best, and their passion is giving Arkansans that same level of worldclass service.
The newest offering from J&S, opening soon in a historic storefront on Central Avenue, is Indulge. The sweet-and-savory concept revitalizes the 1920s-era shop with a European flair. Headlining the menu are fresh-made crepes, as well as gelato, cappuccino and
espresso, freshly baked cookies, snow cones and cotton candy — plus charcuterie for those in search of a savory treat.
Moments away from the Arlington Hotel in the middle of the downtown hustle and bustle, Indulge will also offer picnic baskets for those wanting to sit back and relax on the greenspace nearby. Guests can also be on the lookout for a more exclusive experience in a newly refurbished, out-of-the-way spot, tailor-made for those looking for a chic and upscale way to indulge.
“I believe it's going to set the tone for downtown,” Saddiq said. “Our vision is to offer something unique, something different that everybody can enjoy.”
J&S Hospitality brings an unmatched level of service, quality and know-how to make for truly unforgettable concepts right here in the Natural State. No matter how far their footprint might reach, however, Hot Springs is and will always be home.
Indulge — Coming Soon — (501) 204-6686 indulgesweetsavory.com — 256 Central Ave., Hot Springs
The Ohio Club — theohioclub.com (501) 627-0702 — 336 Central Ave. J&S Italian Villa — jandsitalian.com (501) 525-1121 — 4332 Central Ave., Suite B
“We're very fortunate with how many travelers we get here. People leave Hot Springs and say, ‘Wow, they’ve got great shops. They've got great restaurants. They've got great hospitality,” Saddiq said. “We fell in love with Hot Springs and Arkansas.” Copper Penny Pub — (501) 622-2570 copper-penny-pub.com — 711 Central Ave.
JACOB FLORES
If ever there was a place capable of keeping a one-man band busy, it would be Hot Springs. Jacob Flores moved to Spa City at 9 years old and quickly took to his new hometown. The accomplished musician and entrepreneur comes from a musical family, made his career official in college and eventually went on to compete on American Idol . Now, more than a decade in, Flores is a beloved figure at all manner of venues around the city, not to mention weddings, private parties and other events.
“Early on, I chose to focus on being unique and diverse with my musical performance. I didn’t know of any local artists that were singing in Spanish or doing live looping when I first began performing,” Flores said. “I walked into dozens of restaurants and simply asked if I could audition. To any up-and-coming musicians out there, I’ll say this: You don’t need an agent. You just need the gumption to go after what you want.”
Flores is an entertainment cornerstone in Hot Springs, deepening the city’s diverse artistic offerings with his singular style and presence. He can be found performing throughout the week, including during Sunday brunch at the historic Arlington Hotel. Viewers can also catch Flores on THV 11’s The Vine morning show during the Flores Friday biweekly segment. Flores has also been recognized as one of AY About You’s best local musicians in the state, in addition to receiving multiple reader's choice awards for best local performer from the Hot Springs Sentinel-Record newspaper several years in a row from 2019 to 2024.
“With me, you will never get just one genre or style of music. It’s all about creating a special connection with the audience and exposing listeners to something different,” Flores said. “I wish for my energy and performance to be as unique as the city of Hot Springs itself.”
LAKE HAMILTON AND HOT SPRINGS ANIMAL HOSPITALS
Scores of loyal clients have voted Lake Hamilton and Hot Springs Animal Hospitals as the best in the state for three years in a row, showing their deep appreciation for doctors Brian Peters and Ashley Stephens, along with their hardworking staff.
“We are a group of highly trained, experienced animal lovers who are devoted to giving our patients the best care possible,” Peters said. “The city of Hot Springs is a very pet-friendly destination, and our goal is to provide the highest quality, cutting-edge medicine.”
Peters started as an associate veterinarian in 2001 before buying both practices in 2008. For him, Hot Springs was the ideal community in which to thrive both personally and professionally. While their appeal is statewide, the practices remain true to their Spa City roots. The newly remodeled Paw Spa and Retreat at the Lake Hamilton hospital has suites named after historic Bathhouse Row and other famous buildings, so pets can relax in spots like the “Quapaw,” “Superior” or even the “Arlington.”
“As a husband, father, veterinarian and community participant, you can rest assured your furry family member is in the best hands,” Peters said. “My staff and I will always treat your pet as No. 1.”
(501) 767-8503 — lakehamiltonanimalhospital.com 1525 Airport Road, Hot Springs
Lake Hamilton & Hot Springs Animal Hospitals
ORIGAMI SAKE
In 2016, Ben Bell had returned from learning the art of sake in Japan, and he dreamed of using the Natural State’s assets to make an Arkansas original product. It was not until a few years later that founder and president Matt Bell was able to take him up on that vision, but once they got started, there was no going back.
“Hot Springs is sister cities with Hanamaki, Japan, which is home to one of the most preeminent sake brewing guilds in Japan,” Matt said. “The Ouachita Mountain aquifer was ideal for brewing. There was no better place in Arkansas to produce sake than Hot Springs.”
The ultimate goal is to make Arkansas the Napa Valley of sake. Since the beverage is still a niche category of the alcohol market, education is often just as important as the pristine, locally sourced ingredients themselves. Thankfully, the Hot Springs community has embraced the brewery with open arms.
“We have worked closely with the [Greater] Hot Springs Chamber of Commerce, Visit Hot Springs, and the Hot Springs Sister City Program to help foster a vibrant sake community,” Matt said. “Last year, we were successful in hosting the fourth Annual Sakefest. We recently were awarded the host brewery and host city for the fifth Annual Sakefest in April of 2025.”
(501) 463-6906 — origamisake.co
Origami Sake — 2360 E. Grand Ave., Hot Springs
WAYNE SMITH, GENERAL MANAGER, OAKLAWN HOT SPRINGS, ARKANSAS
Like many, Wayne Smith was drawn to Hot Springs in part because of its rich history and beautiful natural landscape. What made him decide to call it home, however, was the people.
“What is there not to like about Hot Springs?” he said. “My family and I were so generously welcomed when we arrived, and that feeling is still sensed today.”
Smith began his career in public accounting and finance before moving into corporate accounting and, later, management positions at prestigious locations such as MGM Resorts, Caesars Entertainment, Empire City Racing and Gaming, and Penn National. In 2017, Smith was named general manager at Oaklawn Hot Springs, Arkansas.
Oaklawn is a cornerstone of the city’s legacy, economy and future, and Smith and his team work hard to ensure that it remains the No. 1 tourist attraction in the state. Oaklawn is able to provide an unparalleled entertainment experience with live Thoroughbred racing, 24-hour casino slots and table games, a multipurpose event center with headliner entertainment, Forbes recommended hotel, Arkansas’ only Forbes four-star-rated spa and a culinary experience with multiple dining options ranging from casual to upscale.
“There is something for every personality, every taste and every age,” Smith said. “It is important that we provide all our guests with a memorable experience that makes them want to return or even relocate to our town. We want everyone who walks through our doors to leave having enjoyed their time, not only at Oaklawn, but also with everything Hot Springs has to offer.”
Smith is also chairman of the Hot Springs Advertising & Promotion Commission, a role that allows him to aid the city as it continues its growth trajectory. He is dedicated to doing whatever it takes to make for a vibrant and economically thriving area, from wowing guests to making sure team members enjoy a safe, friendly and fun work environment.
“Guests who visit the city of Hot Springs and Garland County will see and experience a town with a storied past, natural beauty, Southern hospitality and a sense of community that will keep them coming back for generations,” Smith said. “Since 1904, Oaklawn has been an integral destination in Hot Springs. As Hot Springs has evolved, so has Oaklawn, and as Oaklawn has evolved, so has Hot Springs.”
2705 Central Ave., Hot Springs — oaklawn.com Oaklawn Hot Springs
TACO MAMA
As the old saying goes, “When in Hot Springs, eat as the locals eat” — or something to that effect. Taco Mama is the brainchild of Texas native and head chef Diana Bratton, and it has cemented its place as the city’s go-to Mexican restaurant since opening its doors in 2009.
The restaurant’s eclectic atmosphere and welcoming vibe was inspired by unique digs found around Austin, Texas, but they are right at home in a locale like Hot Springs, as well. Bratton’s culinary creations can be called elevated classics, if only because she uses her decades of industry experience to ensure that every plate is dialed in to perfection.
With two locations for diners to choose from, Taco Mama prides itself on a mouthwatering selection of classic, scratchmade, classic Mexican food. From staples to more adventurous options and even vegetarian-friendly fare, Taco Mama has an option for every palate. The restaurant is home to some of the coldest margaritas and draft beer in Spa City, plus a dogfriendly patio. Taco Mama also offers food truck and catering services for private events.
(501) 624-6262
1209 Malvern Ave., Hot Springs
Taco Mama
Taco Mama Side Town tacomama.net
(501) 781-3102
510 Ouachita Ave., Hot Springs
WEBMONSTER
The creative spirit of a place like Hot Springs combined with a bit of old-fashioned Arkansan stickto-itiveness is bound to give rise to all manner of successful enterprises. Rarely, however, do one’s business plans turn out exactly as intended. That was the case for Ryan Orrell, president and CEO of Hot Springs-based Webmonster, whose attempt at a simple career shift instead set him on an entirely different path.
The former K-9 officer was transitioning into insurance sales and needed a website. After a firm out of Arizona took him for almost all of his money in return for a half-baked, impossibly slow site, Orrell decided to take matters into his own hands.
“I went to the local Books-A-Million in Hot Springs and bought an 800-page behemoth of a book called the HTML Bible . I studied and studied it. After about three years, I got pretty good at building websites,” Orrell said. “That's where Webmonster was born.”
Webmonster now sets itself apart by building visually stunning websites and backing them up with an unmatched level of customer service. Orrell has built sites and done search engine marketing for several businesses in Hot Springs, in addition to clients across the country. Webmonster is also the go-to service for Magic Springs and has been for 14 seasons now.
“It doesn't matter if you're a mom-and-pop type or larger business. At Webmonster, I'm proud to say we treat every business the same, and we've got you covered,” Orrell said.
A Hot Springs native, Orrell is proud to call Spa City home as he continues to grow his business. He has spun his own misfortune into a successful career, and now he gets to use the lessons he learned to help other companies prosper.
“Hot Springs is and always will be my home,” he said. “I love this city and the people in it.”
(501) 282-3927 — webmonster.com 3948 Central Ave. Suite D, Hot Springs
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HEROES IN SCRUBS
There are few professions as intimately connected to their clientele’s lives than health care professionals, the doctors, nurses and a veritable army of allied health practitioners who usher patients through the highest of highs and lowest of lows in their lives.
The profession is vast. According to the National Center for Health Workforce Analysis’ annual report on the state of the industry released in May, the field of health care includes 4 million registered, licensed practical and advanced practice registered nurses nationwide in 2022.
Medical doctors numbered about 900,000, and all but a fraction are patient care practicing physicians. Internists and family medicine practitioners made up about a quarter of all physicians, and almost one in four of all U.S. physicians were female.
Often overlooked in the national health care discussion are the dentists, dental hygienists and dental assistants that make up the oral health workforce. Those jobs totaled almost 714,000 nationwide, the report states.
Dealing in matters of health, chronic diseases, acute injuries and terminal illness has, for generations, made the health care professions some of the most respected and honorable jobs in American society, but nothing brought the role of medical professional into the spotlight quite like COVID-19’s debut in 2020. Overnight, Americans gained a renewed appreciation for the dedication and sacrifices of the men and women who stood on the front lines against the disease. Tragically, some lost their lives directly or indirectly due to the pandemic, and many more left the profession altogether, broken under the strain of a global health crisis. COVID-19 is just one element that has had a dampening effect on the profession and reduced its numbers. Lower medical reimbursements, high student debt and a substantial number of aging health care workers entering retirement have all put a strain on the state’s medical industry. Yet just as they answered the call through other health emergencies, pandemics and war, the health care community has continued to fight back against these most recent challenges.
According to statistics by the Association of American Medical Colleges, the number of individuals entering medical school nationwide has increased every year since 2015, and enrollment at doctor-of-medicine-granting medical schools reaching nearly 98,000 for academic year 2023-2024. Arkansas has mirrored that trend, hitting a 10-year high of 731 medical students for the current term.
The nursing profession has also enjoyed incremental growth, despite numbers being hit hard by COVID-19 era defections and widespread baby boomer retirements.
The NCHW survey reported the number of registered nurses grew 3 percent between 2018 and 2022, while nurse practitioners and nurse midwives spiked 38 percent and 21 percent, respectively, over that same time period. The ranks of oral health care workers also grew between 2017 and 2021 by about 20,000 professionals.
AY About You’s “Best Health Care Professionals” recognizes outstanding individuals in the state’s medical community as nominated from the field. Celebrating excellence in care and compassion across hundreds of medical specialties, the annual listing applauds the best the Natural State has to offer in the health care field. From every corner of the state and in communities large and small, Arkansas’ doctors, nurses, dental professionals and allied health workers are the heart and soul of the state’s quality of life. Health care professionals are as integral to people’s lives and families as any institution known to humanity. These compassionate professionals cradle a child first, hold a dying loved one’s hand last, and use every encounter in between to bring hope, health and healing to their communities.
For their steadfast service in times both somber and celebratory, Arkansas’ medical community is something to be celebrated. The entire AY About You staff joins with every Arkansas in applauding these dedicated servants as it proudly recognizes the honorees on this year’s “Best Healthcare Professionals” roster.
ONE FOR ALL
Advanced Physical Therapy CEO leans into teamwork
By DWAIN HEBDA // Photo provided
Melissa Holland is a pretty good authority on a lot of subjects, ranging from the financial world, where she worked the majority of her career for Fortune 500 corporations, to the finer points of Memphis barbecue, having spent 16 years living in the Bluff City.
As CEO of Advanced Physical Therapy, she is also an authority on health care, although it was not always that way — a gap in knowledge and experience the Little Rock native attacked in an unusually immersive manner.
“The founders of Advanced Physical Therapy were close friends of mine, and I did some financial planning consulting for them before they decided to sell the company,” she said. “They offered to sell the company to myself and two other individuals, and we formed a partnership to purchase the company in 2021.
“I actually came on board in the company a year before we took over simply because I needed to. I wanted to learn the business from the operations side. In order for me to lead the organization, I needed to know what I’m leading and who I’m leading. For that year, I did everything from working in the front office to working as a technician, cleaning rooms and helping the therapist with their patients.”
Holland said she served her year incognito in order to get an unvarnished, front-row look at the challenges the staff faced every day, learning what they liked about working for the company and, more importantly, what they did not like. When at last she reported for duty as
CEO, she did so with a better understanding of the company and the people who make it go.
“I got to know the people, and that helped set me up for how I needed to lead these individuals,” she said. “I’m obviously not a physical therapist. I didn’t go to school to be a physical therapist, but I quickly came to appreciate what they have to go through to work with each individual patient that comes through the door. It’s like they’re on stage all day long every day, and they have to be on every single hour for that patient.”
The company, which was launched in 2006, operates six locations in central Arkansas. When the seventh location comes online in Maumelle this fall, the company will have more than doubled its presence in just three years. That kind of rapid growth can sometimes be disruptive to a company culture, but Holland’s attunement to Arkansas Physical Therapy’s 38 front-line employees has kept such upheaval to a minimum.
“One of the things that I love about being in this position is creating an environment that our employees are proud to be a part of,” she said. “I love growing and developing people, and I love growing and developing organizations. I’m very much an employee-first type of CEO. I don’t make any decisions without first thinking about how it impacts our employees. If it impacts them positively, then it’s probably a good decision to make. If not, then I definitely need to back up and figure out another alternative.”
“One of the things that I love about being in this position is creating an environment that our employees are proud to be a part of. I love growing and developing people, and I love growing and developing organizations. I’m very much an employee-first type of CEO.”
— Melissa Holland, CEO of Advanced Physical Therapy
Focusing on employee satisfaction and delivering top-tier care to patients may be what feeds Holland’s soul, but the market facts of life are what keep the lights on. Balancing those elements in today’s health care environment has become increasingly delicate, Holland said.
“Insurance reimbursement is not where it needs to be. The cost to do business has increased for us over 20 percent in the last three years, but reimbursement has decreased an average of 4 to 5 percent over the last three years,” she said. “Understanding that and trying to run a profitable business, you’re at the mercy of how much insurance companies will reimburse. We’ve had to continue to be strategic and figure out how we can continue to grow our top line and be as efficient as possible to get the profits where we need them to be.”
Substandard reimbursement rates also contribute to many Arkan sas health care entities’ challenges in attracting and retaining help, Ar kansas Physical Therapy included.
“Our therapists hold doctorates in physical therapy. A lot of physi cal therapists come out of school with over six figures in student debt,” Holland said. “That’s creating a shortage because fewer people are go ing into physical therapy school knowing when they graduate, they’re not coming out and making $100,000 in salary because companies like mine can’t afford to pay them that due to how we’re being reimbursed. That is the biggest challenge that we face, that everybody in health care is facing.”
Without unlimited funds to spend on current and prospective employees, Holland said Advanced Physical Therapy has had to be very creative in all areas of operations, from new services and strate gic partnerships to leveraging its employees in the effort to deliver superior care while minding cost. The strategies include operating clinics within CARTI cancer hospital and Camp Robinson military base to provide therapy services within easy reach of existing popu lations and maintaining a robust community service presence as a means of giving back.
All of that, Holland reiterated, ties back in one way or another to Advanced Physical Therapy’s staff, which she described as the secret weapon in the battle for market share and future growth.
“I’ve always wanted our employees to buy into what we’re doing, and so I try to be very transparent on how we make money, what they can control to help us make money to get us to our goals and get us to their goals,” she said. “Like I said earlier, we maintain an employeefirst mentality. If we can retain our employees and create an environ ment, a culture, that they’re proud to be a part of, then they’re going to be satisfied. If employees are satisfied, chances are our patients are satisfied because the employees are giving them the utmost care.
“If you meet those two things first, your revenue and your profits are going to be there, which will allow you to reinvest back into the company. I think the things that we focus on and the order that we focus on them is very important to who we are as a company.”
AY's Best Health care Professionals 2024
To be called a professional is among the highest of compliments in any industry, and when that industry is medicine, the honor of being considered among the elite is amplified. Physicians and nurses of every specialty and background contribute immeasurably to the community by literally seeing to its well-being.
Each year, AY About You asks its readers to nominate the medical professionals who they believe exemplify the highest ideals of compassionate, skillful care, and every year, the public responds in droves, resulting in a list of the best medical professionals Arkansas has to offer. This year's roster, as always, recognizes the best, most skilled and most admired members of the medical community.
AY About You is proud to salute the many men and women across our state who work every single day to improve the lives of our neighbors, friends and loved ones.
ALLERGIST / IMMUNOLOGIST
ANIL K. BADHWAR, M.D.
Baptist Health/ Unity Health
MATTHEW C. BELL, M.D.
Arkansas Children’s Northwest
KELLY D. BURKS, M.D.
Arkansas Allergy & Asthma Clinic
NICHOLAS CAMP, M.D.
Camp Interventional Pain Associates
JENNY MIRANDA CAMPBELL, M.D.
Hedberg Allergy & Asthma Center
MEREDITH DILLEY, M.D., MPH
Arkansas Otolaryngology Center
DONNA M. GRAHAM, M.D.
Arkansas Children's Hospital
MELISSA GRAHAM, M.D.
Advanced Allergy & Asthma
TERRY HARVILLE, M.D., Ph.D.
UAMS Health
CURTIS L. HEDBERG, M.D., FACP
Hedberg Allergy & Asthma Center
ALISON L. HUMPHREY, M.D.
Baxter Health
JIM M. INGRAM, M.D.
Little Rock Allergy & Asthma Clinic/ CHI St. Vincent
BRIAN D. JACKSON, M.D.
Jackson Allergy & Asthma Clinic/ CHI St. Vincent Hot Springs Hospital
KIM JACKSON, M.D.
Little Rock Allergy & Asthma Clinic
STACIE M. JONES, M.D.
Arkansas Children's Hospital
LORI KAGY, M.D.
Arkansas Allergy & Asthma Clinic
JOSHUA KENNEDY, M.D.
Arkansas Children's Hospital
TINA KAY MERRITT, M.D.
Allergy and Asthma Clinic of Northwest Arkansas
TAMARA T. PERRY, M.D.
Arkansas Children's Hospital
ROBERT D. PESEK, M.D.
Arkansas Children's Hospital
DEANNA N. RUDDELL, M.D
CHI St. Vincent
BLAKE G. SCHEER, M.D.
Little Rock Allergy & Asthma Clinic/ CHI St. Vincent
AMY SCURLOCK, M.D.
Arkansas Children's Hospital
EDDIE W. SHIELDS, M.D.
Arkansas Allergy & Asthma Clinic
KARL SITZ, M.D.
Little Rock Allergy & Asthma Clinic
LINDSAY STILL, M.D.
Arkansas Allergy & Asthma Clinic
ASHLEY N. STONER, M.D.
Little Rock Allergy & Asthma Clinic
ADESUA O. WEJINYA, M.D., FACAAI
Hedberg Allergy & Asthma Center
AUBREY ZIEGLER, M.D.
Baptist Health Ear, Nose, Throat & Allergy Center in Fort Smith
ANESTHESIOLOGIST
ROBERT C. BAKER, M.D.
Arkansas Children's Hospital
DENNIS R.BECK, M.D.
St. Bernards Medical Center
BRENT BLAKELY, M.D.
Unity Health
VERNON BREWER, M.D.
Unity Health
BEN BURNSED, M.D.
Baptist Health of Conway
BRIAN BURTON, CRNA
Unity Health
ANGEL CAROL, M.D.
Conway Regional Health System
JOSHUA CHANCE, M.D.
Baptist Health Medical Center
DENNIS N. FLOYD, M.D.
Northwest Health -
Northwest Anesthesia Associates
AHMED GHALEB, M.D.
Advanced Spine & Pain Centers/ Baptist Health
PRICE HOLMES, CRNA Unity Health Little Rock
JASON L. HOLT, M.D.
Interventional Pain Specialists of Northwest Arkansas
STEVEN JONES, M.D. Baptist Health Little Rock
JED KINNICK, M.D.
Arkansas Children's Hospital
ANGELA LOVETT, M.D. Anesthesia Specialists of Arkansas
BRETT ROBERSON, CRNA Unity Health
BEN SESSIONS, M.D. Arkansas Surgical Hospital
KIMBERLY SHAFFER, M.D. CHI St. Vincent
JAMIE SMITH, CRNA Unity Health
LUKE WEILER, M.D CHI St. Vincent
AUDIOLOGY
MARY CHATELAIN, Au.D. Pinnacle Hearing
LISA LEANNA Miracle-Ear
TRACY VAN ES, Au.D. Little Rock Audiology Clinic
BARIATRIC / METABOLIC PHYSICIAN
J.D. FULLER, M.D. Arkansas Heart Hospital
BRANDON INGRAM, M.D. CHI St. Vincent Little Rock Diagnostic Clinic
K. BRUCE JONES, M.D. NEA Baptist Memorial Hospital
ANTHONY MANNING, M.D., Ph.D. Conway Regional Health System
TRIPURARI MISHRA, M.D. Baptist Health
ERIC M. PAUL, M.D. Baptist Health Medical CenterBariatric Surgery
JAMES TUCKER, M.D. Arkansas Heart Hospital
BREAST CANCER SURGEON
DANA C. ABRAHAM, M.D. Abraham Breast Clinic/ Arkansas Surgical Hospital
JERRI S. FANT, M.D., FACS CARTI
JAMES E. HAGANS, M.D. Baptist Health
YARA ROBERTSON, M.D., FACS CARTI
CARDIAC SURGEON
KRISTOFER FREELAND, M.D. Arkansas Heart Hospital
MARK HARDIN, M.D. Arkansas Heart Hospital
MICHAEL T. NOLEN, M.D. Arkansas Heart Hospital
CARDIOLOGY / CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE
MAHESH ANANTHA, M.D., FACC White River Health Cardiology
NARIN ARUNAKUL, M.D. North Arkansas Regional Medical Center
SHANNON GACHOT-RIDGLEY, LPC Argenta Counseling and Wellness
TAYLOR GIBSON, LPC Argenta Counseling and Wellness
LISA GREEN, LPC Argenta Counseling and Wellness
LAURA HALL, M.S., LPC Argenta Counseling and Wellness
JULIE HICKS, LPC, CRC Argenta Counseling and Wellness
JESSE D. HUBBERD, LCSW Argenta Counseling and Wellness
ROBERT KEMPER, LPC Argenta Counseling and Wellness
KATE M c CALMAN, LCSW Argenta Counseling and Wellness
STEVEN M c CLATCHY, M.A., LPC Argenta Counseling and Wellness
KELLEE M c COY, LPC, LMFT Argenta Counseling and Wellness
TIARA MELLON, LPC, LMFT Argenta Counseling and Wellness
SHANTE MORMON, LCSW, C-DBT Argenta Counseling and Wellness
MELODY MOSLEY, M.S., LPC Resilience Therapy, LLC
GABRIELA O'DELL, M.S., LPC Argenta Counseling and Wellness
SCOTT PASSAFIUME, LPC-S, IAADC, LADAC Argenta Counseling and Wellness
GEORGE RAMSER, M.A., LPC Argenta Counseling and Wellness
MONIQUE RANDLE, LCSW, CST Argenta Counseling and Wellness
JOHN LEE ROBERTS, M.A., M.S., LPC, NCC Argenta Counseling and Wellness
ANITA RUTLEDGE, LPC, NCC Argenta Counseling and Wellness
CARTER SHIELDS, M.S., LAC Argenta Counseling and Wellness
SUZANNE TANNER, M.S., LPE-I Argenta Counseling and Wellness
LYDIA THEISEN, LPC Argenta Counseling and Wellness
At Advanced Physical Therapy, we express ourselves with care and understanding, and our team values relationships above all else. We intentionally listen to our patients’ ambitions and aspirations and build connections to help heal holistically. We believe in putting others first and exemplify that in how we interact. Our expectation for ourselves is to give our patients 100 percent to restore them to wellness – nothing less.
Dr. Tracy Van Es has been meeting the hearing needs of Arkansans since 2001. She’s a graduate of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and earned her doctorate from the Pennsylvania School of Audiology.
Call today to schedule your appointment with Dr. Tracy Van Es.... Because life is worth hearing!
JENNIFER JACKS, M.D., FAAD Jacks Dermatology/ Jefferson Regional Medical Center
MATTHEW KAGY, M.D. Little Rock Dermatology Clinic
ANDREA MABRY, M.D. Pinnacle Dermatology
THOMAS MANNING, M.D. Little Rock Dermatology Clinic
LAUREN H. M c CASLIN, M.D Hull Dermatology & Aesthetics
JUSTIN M c LAWHORN, M.D. Little Rock Dermatology Clinic
KAYLA MOHR, M.D. Pinnacle Dermatology
CHELSEA NEWEY, PA-C Pinnacle Dermatology
MICHAEL F. OSLEBER, M.D. Arkansas Dermatology
KARA RICHARDSON, PA Premier Dermatology
BRANDY ROGERS, CNP Arkansas Methodist Medical
CHRIS SCHACH, M.D. Ozark Dermatology
VIVIAN Y. SHI, M.D. UAMS Health
KEVIN ST. CLAIR, M.D. Ozark Dermatology
COURTNEY STEWART, APRN Arkansas Methodist Medical
ERIC STEWART, M.D. Ozark Dermatology
BRIAN WAYNE, M.D. Little Rock Dermatology Clinic
BRADLEY A. WHITE, M.D. Searcy Dermatology/Unity
BLAKE WILLIAMS, M.D. Premier Dermatology
MARLA WIRGES, M.D. Pinnacle Dermatology
HENRY K. WONG, M.D., Ph.D. UAMS Health
DEVELOPMENTAL & BEHAVIORAL PEDIATRICS
JILL FUSSELL, M.D. Arkansas Children's Hospital
DIAGNOSTIC RADIOLOGY
EDWARD E. ANGTUACO, M.D. Jefferson Regional Medical Center
DIETICIAN
MEG GREEN, M.S., RDN, LD, IFNCP Meg Green, RD
DIRECTOR OF NURSING
SUZANNE HARRIS, RN Cabot Emergency Hospital
ELECTROPHYSIOLOGIST
MONICA LO, M.D. Arkansas Heart Hospital
WILSON WONG, M.D. Arkansas Heart Hospital
EMERGENCY MEDICINE
SCOTT ARCHER, M.D., FAAEM Cabot Emergency Hospital
JASON N. ARTHUR, M.D., MPH UAMS Health
LAURA BAILEY, M.D. Mercy Hospital Northwest Arkansas
BRIAN BAIRD, M.D. Cabot Emergency Hospital
JIM BOX, M.D. Cabot Emergency Hospital
RANDY BROWN, M.D. Unity Health
MARTIN CAREY, M.D. Unity Health
SCOTT DARNELL, M.D. Cabot Emergency Hospital
WADE GREGORY, M.D. Conway Regional Health System
ALEXANDER HARGIS, M.D. Baptist Health
THOMAS MICHAEL HILLIS JR., M.D. Team Health
DARREN LENDERMON, M.D. Unity Health
ROBERT GARRETT LEWIS, M.D. CHI St Vincent
CHARLES MASON, M.D. Cabot Emergency Hospital
NICOLE M c MINN, M.D. Cabot Emergency Hospital
JOHN MENARD, M.D. Saline Memorial Hospital
NHAN MARC PHAN, M.D. UAMS Health
JASON SKINNER, PT Conway Regional Health System
CASEY SMOLARZ, M.D. Baptist Health
ELIZABETH STORM, M.D. Arkansas Children's Hospital
SAMUEL CHASE TURNER, M.D. CHI St. Vincent’s Emergency Hospital
BECAUSE OUR CHILDREN DESERVE THE VERY BEST
Thank you for recognizing these champions for children as “Best Healthcare Professionals” in 2024.
Robert C. Baker, M.D.
Eva Barlogie, P.A.
Hannah Beene-Lowder, M.D.
Matthew C. Bell, M.D.
Thomas Best, M.D.
Renee Bornemeier, M.D.
Charles Bower, M.D.
Thomas Burrow, M.D.
Cindy Carpenter, CNP
Joshua Daily, M.D.
Sid Dassinger, M.D.
John Dornhoffer, M.D.
Brian Eble, M.D.
Abby Emanuel, R.N.
Jill Fussell, M.D.
Donna M. Graham, M.D.
Larry Hartzell, M.D.
Stacie M. Jones, M.D.
Joshua Kennedy, M.D.
Jed Kinnick, M.D.
Tamara T. Perry, M.D.
Robert D. Pesek, M.D.
Saritha Ranabothu, M.D.
Brian Reemtsen, M.D.
Gerald Schaefer, M.D.
John Scott, DDS
Amy Scurlock, M.D.
Elizabeth Storm, M.D.
Scarlett Yates, R.N.
Scott Schlesinger, MD
Dominic Maggio, MD
We want to thank all of our patients who voted for us for BEST HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONAL!
Without you, there wouldn’t be a Sei Bella Med Spa! We look forward to seeing you soon!
Dr. Anne Trussell has owned and operated Sei Bella Med Spa for 14 years since retiring from her internal medicine practice. Dr. Trussell specializes in bioidentical hormone pellets and does all the injections and Utherapy at the med spa.
Monica Cooper, LE has been the aesthetician at Sei Bella Med Spa for the last 9 years and has expanded her talents to help with scar revision, laser hair removal, noninvasive body contouring plus skin evaluation and anti-aging procedures.
10310 West Markham, Suite 202, Little Rock | 501-228-6237 | www.seibellamedspa.net
Congratulations
DR. MICHEAL COPE for being one of AY’s Best Healthcare Professionals!
Dr. Cope has been a loyal provider for The Woman’s Clinic since 1991. He is beloved for his compassionate bedside manner, his calm and thoughtful approach to managing a wide variety of both obstetric and gynecological issues and his ability to establish long relationships with generations of patients. In addition, Dr. Cope is known for his surgical technical expertise and is extremely wellversed in all types of gynecological surgery.
During his 33 years in practice, Dr. Cope has had the opportunity to learn from and work with a number of very talented doctors and medical personnel. He has led various medical committees and organizations; most recently, he served as the chair of the Arkansas section of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology, where he worked tirelessly with physicians across the state and region to help improve the health and meet the unique needs of women everywhere.
Dr. Cope is accepting new patients.
(501) 664-9470
Photo by Aaron Street
Photo by Kev Moyè
JUSTIN WHITE, M.D.
Cabot Emergency Hospital
ENDOCRINOLOGY & METABOLISM
MAHER ALESALI, M.D.
Jefferson Regional Medical Center
DONALD L. BODENNER, M.D., Ph.D. UAMS Health
MADHU S. BUDHRAJA, M.D.
CHI St. Vincent Diabetes and Endocrinology Clinic - Little Rock
DINESH L. EDEM, M.D. UAMS Health
MARIA JAVAID, M.D. Conway Regional Health System
IRINA LENDEL, M.D. Arkansas Heart Hospital
ALLEN H. REDDING, M.D. CHI St. Vincent
ONGKARN SARASOMBATH, M.D. Cooper Clinic
JAMES THRASHER, M.D.
Arkansas Diabetes and Endocrinology Center
FAMILY MEDICINE
JAMAL ABDIN, M.D.
Washington Regional Farmington Family Clinic
NANA-AISHATU ADAMU, M.D.
Jefferson Regional Medical Center
JULIA LEE ALLEN, M.D.
White River Health Family CareBatesville
STACY L. ARMSTRONG, D.O.
Washington Regional Harrison Family Practice
M. GREGG BARDEN, M.D. Unity Health
SARA BLAIR, M.D. Autumn Road Practice
LAUREN BLOCH, M.D.
White River Health Family CareCherokee Village
SHAWN D. BOGLE, M.D. Baxter Health
HUNTER CARRINGTON, M.D. National Park Medical Center
MICHAEL CARSON, M.D. Baptist Health
JERRY NICK CAVANEAU, M.D. Baptist Health
VICTOR S. CHU, M.D.
Baxter Health
STEPHANIE CODY, M.D.
Baptist Health Family Clinic Little Rock
KIRK COKER, M.D.
Baptist Health Medical Clinic in Stuttgart
WILLIAM COLE, M.D.
Family Medicine and Wellness Clinic
KEITH COOPER, M.D.
Conway Regional Health System
JHEANELLE DAWKINS, M.D.
Sherwood Family Medical CenterA Baptist Health Affiliate
MARY C. DEPPER, M.D.
Baxter Health
PAUL TIMOTHY ENGLISH, M.D.
Family Medicine and Wellness Clinic
STEFFANIE FARMER, APRN
Bryant Medical Clinic
BARRY FORD, M.D.
Little Rock Family Practice
STEPHEN R. FOSTER, M.D.
UAMS Health
BRITTNEY W. FRISBY, M.D.
Baxter Health
DERRICK GRAY, M.D.
Northwest Health
HAILEY HARDEN, APRN
Baxter Health
LAURA HARDIN, M.D.
Saline Health System
HAL HEDGES, M.D.
Little Rock Family Practice
ERIN HEKMATPOUR, M.D.
Autumn Road Practice
JULIAN HERNANDEZ, M.D.
Hernandez Family Care
KEVIN HIEGAL, M.D.
Little Rock Family Practice
KIMBERLY HILL, DNP, APRN
Diversity Family Health
YASTHIL YAS JAGANATH, M.D.
UAMS Health
STEVEN ANDREW JAMES, M.D.
Conway Regional Health System
JOHN JAYROE, M.D.
Little Rock Family Practice
MICHAEL KITTELL, M.D.
Kittell Clinic
MARK WATSON LEFLER, M.D.
Family Medicine and Wellness Clinic
ADAM M c CALL, M.D. Northwest Health
MIRIAM G. MORSE, M.D. Jacksonville Medical Care
JOSEPH O’CONNELL, M.D.
MANA Family Medicine - North
MELINDA PATTERSON, M.D.
Little Rock Family Practice
MARK A. PETERSON, M.D.
Jacksonville Medical Care
SHANNON POGUE, APRN-CNP
Access Medical Clinic
PETER POST, M.D.
Morrilton Medical Clinic
JANELLE LEIGH POTTS, M.D.
Mercy Clinic Family MedicineDowntown Rogers
J. PHILIP POUNDERS JR., M.D.
Autumn Road Practice
TIMMOTHY REECE, M.D.
Family Medicine of White Hall
ABBY RICE, PA-C
Unity Health
ROBERT R. RITCHIE, M.D.
Jacksonville Medical Care
PATTI RIVERS, APRN
SAMA Healthcare
AARON ROBERDS, M.D.
Jacksonville Medical Care
KEVIN ROBERTS, M.D. Little Rock Family Practice
CAITLIN ABISEID SHULL, APRN Clinton Family Practice Center
ELIZABETH A. SULLIVAN, M.D. Little Rock Family Practice
BART THRONEBERRY, M.D. Throneberry Family Clinic Conway
BRANDON THUROW, M.D. Throneberry Family Clinic Conway
JAMES WILKERSON, M.D.
CHI St. Vincent Primary CareSherwood
FOOT / ANKLE SURGERY
JESSE B. BURKS, DPM Bowen Hefley Orthopedics/ Arkansas Surgical Hospital
JAMES HEAD, M.D.
Conway Regional Health System
LARRY L. NGUYEN, M.D. Bowen Hefley Orthopedics/ Arkansas Surgical Hospital
GASTROENTEROLOGY
TERENCE L. ANGTUACO, M.D. Premier Gastroenterology Associates
GARY BARTON, M.D.
Arkansas Gastroenterology
DANIEL BROWN, M.D.
CHI St. Vincent Gastroenterology Clinic
KENNETH COGGINS, M.D. Premier Gastroenterology Associates
ANGELO G. COPPOLA, M.D. Premier Gastroenterology Associates
SAMUEL HUNTER DUNN, M.D. Arkansas Gastroenterology
KELLY GIBBS, M.D. Gastro Arkansas
JONATHAN GOODWIN, M.D. Arkansas Gastroenterology
BRIAN T. HUGHES, M.D.
Premier Gastroenterology Associates
JOHNNY JONES, M.D.
Premier Gastroenterology Associates
BOBBY KAKATI, M.D.
Gastro Arkansas
ALI KHAN, M.D. Baptist Health
WHITFIELD KNAPPLE, M.D. Arkansas Gastroenterology
DEAN KUMPURIS, M.D.
CHI St. Vincent Gastroenterology Clinic - Little Rock
DAVID M c ELREATH, D.O.
Premier Gastroenterology Associates
BRIAN M c GEE, M.D.
Digestive Care of West Little Rock
MARTIN MOIX, M.D.
Conway Regional Gastroenterology Clinic
DEBRA MORRISON, M.D. Gastro Arkansas
DHAVAL H. PATEL, M.D.
Premier Gastroenterology Associates
LEWIS PORTER, M.D. Saline Health System
SYED SAMAD, M.D. Arkansas Surgery and Endoscopy Center
PATRICK SELAKOVICH, M.D. Arkansas Gastroenterology
R. PAUL SVOBODA, M.D. Premier Gastroenterology Associates
KATE VASQUEZ, APRN Conway Regional Gastroenterology Center
RON WHITE, APRN Conway Regional Health System
SCOTT A. WOFFORD, M.D. Premier Gastroenterology Associates
GENERAL SURGEON
MATTHEW BROWN, M.D. Unity Health
JOHN M. DELOACH JR., M.D. Baptist Hospitals North Little Rock
JENNIFER M. DICOCO, M.D. St. Bernards Medical Center
MICHELLE ECKERT, M.D. Jefferson Regional Medical Center
ROBERT HARDISTER, M.D. Unity Health
BRANDON INGRAM, M.D. CHI St. Vincent Little Rock Diagnostic Clinic
GREG LAFFOON, M.D. Unity Health
CHRISTIAN LATHAM, M.D. National Park Medical Center
LOGAN LYNCH, M.D. St. Bernards Medical Center
DONALD PATE, M.D. Unity Health - Newport Surgical Clinic
LEWIS PORTER, M.D. Saline Health System
MICHAEL STANTON, RN Conway Regional Health System
CLAY WILLIAMS, M.D. Unity Health
STEPHEN T. WOOD, M.D. Washington Regional General Surgery Clinic
GENETICISTS
JENNIFER CAMPBELL, LCGC CARTI
A Hometown Provider GROWS UP
Strategic growth the watchword for ARcare
By DWAIN HEBDA // Photo Provided
Augusta, a quaint community perched on the banks of the White River, is known for great hunting and fishing and a Main Street that has been brightened by reinvestment in recent years. For all of its charms, however, it is not, at first blush, a likely launching pad for one of the most successful homegrown health care entities in Arkansas today.
Yet Augusta is where ARcare can trace its roots and more than that, gave the company its core competency in small-town personal service that has followed it in its rapid expansion.
“At our core, we’re an outpatient medical system, primarily primary care. We do some specialty with infectious disease, and we do some specialty work in the rheumatology space,” said TJ Whitehead, president and chief financial officer.
ARcare has enjoyed substantial growth statewide since its founding and currently boasts 80 locations and 1,200 employees with more to come soon.
“We are actively looking at new communities,” Whitehead said. “We
TJ Whitehead
“Pharmacy is becoming a big piece of our business as communities in the rural areas lose pharmacy access. We’re one of the ones that are trying to keep pharmacies in those communities.”
— TJ Whitehead, president and chief financial officer at ARcare
recently added five locations — a second one in Little Rock, a second one in North Little Rock, one in Russellville, a second one in Hot Springs and one in Fayetteville.
“I can see us growing in the Jonesboro area and the Conway area. We have locations there already, but the demand is such that we could potentially look at adding other locations in those markets.”
Whitehead said the company’s impressive expansion comes from a combination of acquisitions and organic growth, but all share the same basic qualifying factor.
“We don’t go anywhere we don’t have an invitation. Somebody in the communities that we’re in invited us there,” he said. “It might have been the mayor. It may be a business owner. It may be the chamber of commerce. It could be one of our regional hospital systems that need more access in the community, and they don’t necessarily want to do it anymore. We are able to come in and put our model in there and make it work.
“I would say we probably open more [locations] from scratch than we do acquire. We’re still opening from scratch, however. Acquisition has been more of something we’ve seen probably in the last three years. The acquisitions do seem to come along a little bit more frequently than they used to.”
ARcare’s growth coincides with an alarming trend of community hospitals struggling to the point of closure nationwide. While faring better than most, Arkansas has not been spared in this, losing five rural hospitals in the past 20 years, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research found. Perhaps more sobering, Becker’s Hospital Review recently reported 22 rural Arkansas hospitals were at risk of permanently closing. That number represents nearly half of the state’s rural hospital network.
The situation is equally dire regarding pharmacies, of which 7,000 have closed nationally since 2019, a recent University of Pittsburgh survey found. More than half were small, independent businesses, many finally succumbing to the steady encroachment of national chains. However, the runaway growth of national brands is long gone, creating a market littered with contraction and outright failure. Three years ago, CVS reported anticipated closures of 900 stores nationwide. Walgreens is in similar cutback mode, and Rite Aid has closed hundreds of stores as part of its bankruptcy reorganization, all of which tends to hit secondary markets and rural areas hardest.
Given those difficulties, alternative health care resources such as ARcare’s network of clinics and growing number of pharmacies fill a critical need for thousands of Arkansans.
“Pharmacy is becoming a big piece of our business as communities in the rural areas lose pharmacy access,” Whitehead said. “We’re one of the ones that are trying to keep pharmacies in those communities. I would say we’ve got somewhere around 20 pharmacies across the footprint.”
Whitehead added that the company’s continued growth has not come without challenges of its own given ARcare’s philosophy of treating all comers, regardless of ability to pay.
“Most health care systems have some federal designation such as critical access hospital, community hospital, disproportionate share hospital,” he said. “The type of outpatient health care facility we are is called federally qualified health center. Federally qualified health centers do have different reimbursement structures than if I were a doctor and I just went out and started my own practice.
“They give us a little bit better reimbursement because we’re taking patients that don’t have coverage. We get a very small amount or nothing from those patients, so there’s some trade-offs there.”
Serving a large percentage of clientele that lacks insurance or other resources doesn’t diminish ARcare’s delivery of top-quality care in a compassionate manner throughout its many locations. Whitehead said the company’s peoplefirst philosophy reflects the company’s small-town roots married with top-shelf expertise normally found in much larger health systems.
“I think the thing that probably distinguishes us is I feel like we do chronic disease better than anybody else,” he said. “Probably 15, 20 years ago, chronic diseases were limited to diabetes, congestive heart failure and [chronic obstructive pulmonary disease]. Nowadays, the chronic disease list has gotten extremely long to include things such as HIV or asthma or Crohn’s disease, lupus, even things such as mental health behaviors. Addiction is a chronic disease.
“Chronic diseases are generally something you may not ever be able to cure, but with the appropriate drug therapy, the appropriate care plan, you can manage it and live a pretty normal lifestyle. What ARcare does better than others, I think, begins with our base in the primary care space and then the level of resources that we have from a chronic-care management nursing staff, from a diabetic education team and medical nutrition therapists. I just feel like the resources we have in that space are unmatched.”
SHERRY CLEMENTS, LCSW Argenta Counseling and Wellness
CHARLES COLE, LPC
Conway Counseling and Wellness Center
CHELSEA FARRAR, LPC Conway Counseling and Wellness Center
CANDANCE M. GUINN, MSN, PMHNP-BC, APRN-CNP The Guinn Clinic
JOHN A. GUINN, MSN, FNP-BC, APRN-CNP The Guinn Clinic
NINA HARRISON, LCSW Indigo Counseling
KATHY JAMES, LCSW Kathy James Psychotherapy and Wellness
ALICE KEENER, LPE-I Conway Counseling and Wellness Center
ANNA KNIGHT, LCSW Conway Counseling and Wellness Center
JOHN KNOTT, LCSW Conway Counseling and Wellness Center
REBECCA MANSFIELD, LCSW Counseling Services of Jacksonville
TIARA MELLON, LPC, LMFT Argenta Counseling and Wellness
NEW PATH MENTAL HEALTH & WELLNESS
GABRIELA O'DELL, LPC Argenta Counseling and Wellness
SCOTT PASSAFIUME, LPC-S Argenta Counseling and Wellness
SHANNON RIDGLEY, LPC Argenta Counseling and Wellness
We congratulate the outstanding UAMS healthcare providers voted as Best Healthcare Professionals by the readers of AY magazine.
At UAMS, we’re here to ensure you have access to the best care, right here close to home. With a staff of the best and brightest, personalized medicine and convenient access to clinics, you can feel confident knowing the state of your health is in exceptional hands.
To find a doctor, visit or call
SUSAN L. SHACKELFORD, Ph.D.
Psychology & Counseling Associates
JAIME STARLING, LPC
New Path Mental Health & Wellness
THOMAS STINNETT, M.D.
Conway Behavioral Health
MARGARET ANN TAYLOR, LCSW Indigo Counseling
MENTAL HEALTH TRAUMA SPECIALIST
JOSHUA LEE, LPE-1
New Path Mental Health & Wellness
KATIE WALKER, LCSW, RPT
Indigo Counseling
NEPHROLOGY
MICHAEL S. GERSCH, M.D.
Arkansas Renal Group/ National Park Medical Center
GARRY BERNARD GLASCO, M.D.
Baptist Health Nephrology Associates
GRANT MATHEWS, M.D.
Baxter Health
SARITHA RANABOTHU, M.D.
Arkansas Children's Hospital
MARY JO SHAVER, M.D.
Conway Regional Health System
NEUROLOGICAL SURGERY
JAMES ADAMETZ, M.D.
Neurological Surgery Associates/ Arkansas Surgical Hospital
LUCAS BRADLEY, M.D.
Baxter Health
ANTHONY CAPOCELLI, M.D.
OrthoArkansas
REGAN GALLAHER, M.D.
Conway Regional Neuroscience Center
ALLAN GOCIO, M.D.
Baxter Health
ROBERT INGRAHAM, M.D.
Neurological Surgery Associates/ Arkansas Surgical Hospital
ALI KRISHT, M.D., FACS
CHI St. Vincent
Arkansas Neuroscience Institute
DOMINIC MAGGIO, M.D.
Legacy Spine & Neurological Specialists
MEGAN N. MARTIN, APRN Baxter Health
ZACHARY MASON, M.D.
Neurological Surgery Associates/ Arkansas Surgical Hospital
JOEL PHILLIPS, M.D.
Little Rock Neurosurgery Clinic/ Arkansas Surgical Hospital
ALI I. RAJA, M.D.
Neurological Surgery Associates/ Arkansas Surgical Hospital
STYLIANOS RAMMOS, M.D.
Arkansas Neuroscience Institute
SCOTT SCHLESINGER, M.D.
Legacy Spine & Neurological Specialists
REZA SHAHIM, M.D.
Neurological Surgery Associates/ Arkansas Surgical Hospital
BRAD THOMAS, M.D.
Little Rock Neurosurgery Clinic/ Arkansas Surgical Hospital
NEUROLOGY
ROBERT L. ARCHER, M.D.
UAMS Health
LARRY ARMSTRONG, D.O.
Washington Regional Brain and Spine Surgery Clinic, Washington
Regional J.B. Hunt Transport Services Neuroscience Institute
BEVERLY A. BEADLE, M.D.
Baptist Health
LEONIDES BERMEJO, M.D.
CHI St. Vincent Hot Springs
DALE M. CARTER, M.D.
UAMS Health
MICHAEL Z. CHESSER, M.D.
Baptist Health Medical
ROHIT DHALL, M.D.
UAMS Health
ALAN DIAMOND, D.O.
Washington Regional Senior Health Clinic
DIMITRY ALEXANDER FOMIN, M.D
Mercy Clinic Sleep Medicine
TIM FREYALDENHOVEN, M.D.
Conway Regional Health System
GARY R. GOZA, M.D.
Baptist Health Sleep Clinic
EDWARD L.KRAMER, D.O.
Baptist Health
YUANYUAN LONG, M.D.
Baptist Memorial Hospital
Golden Triangle
NEIL M. MASANGKAY, M.D. UAMS Health
CAROLYN MEHAFFEY, M.D. Noydeen Medical Group
DAVID O. OBERLANDER, M.D.
Conway Regional Health System
KELLI SCHLESINGER, M.D.
Legacy Spine & Neurological Specialists
KEITH SCHLUTERMAN, M.D.
Conway Regional Neurology
SUDHAKAR TUMMALA, M.D.
CHI St. Vincent
NONSURGICAL COSMETIC
SIDNEY BENNETT, RN, AESTHETIC INJECTOR Beyond Wellness Little Rock
ASHLEY COOPER
Pamper Me Pretty Aesthetics
MONICA COOPER, LE
Sei Bella Med Spa
BRANDE DANIELS, RN, BSN Ageless Aesthetics of Arkansas
STACY FREYER, RN Arkansas Plastic Surgery
PAIGE HADFIELD, RN Arkansas Aesthetics
PAIGE KELLY, BSN, RN Wright Plastic Surgery & Med Spa
MIMI LEE, M.D., PA
Dr. Mimi Lee Vein & Aesthetic Care
MACY MARTINDALE, RN Arkansas Aesthetics
MADIE MAZUR Radiant Wellness
ALEXA MEDLOCK, RN Medlock Aesthetics
THERESA J. MOIX, APN Conway Women’s Med Spa
GINNY MUSTAIN, M.D. Arkansas Aesthetics
REBECCA PERKINS, LMT THE SPA'AH
LUCINDA POSVAR, RN Painted Rock Health and Wellness
SABRINA SHIPP, APRN, MSN Radiant Wellness
KATHERINE THOMAS, RN Arkansas Aesthetics
ANNE TRUSSELL, M.D. Sei Bella Med Spa
KRISTEN WEATHERFORD Radiant Wellness
HEATHER WHALEY, M.D. Defy Age Med Spa
MAEGAN WHITEHEAD, LE Wright Plastic Surgery & Med Spa
NURSE / NURSE PRACTITIONER / PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT
CRISTIE ALLEN, APRN Arkansas Heart Hospital
RACHEL ASHCRAFT, APRN Cornerstone Clinic for Women
EVA BARLOGIE, PA Arkansas Children's Hospital
KELLY BASSETT, APRN Baptist Health Surgical Clinic of Central Arkansas
STEFFANY BENTON, DNP, APRN EmployWell
SAVANNAH BRADBURY, PA-C Conway Regional Health System Neuroscience Center
MAGGIE BROWN, PA-C OrthoArkansas
SARA CARMICHAEL, RN UAMS Health
CINDY CARPENTER, CNP Arkansas Children's Hospital
NICHOLE CLARK, APRN Hope Medical Clinic
SHAWN CLAWSON, APRN Arkansas Urology
ZACK COCO, MNSC, APRN, PMHNP-BC New Path Mental Health & Wellness
BARBARA COLE, APRN Arkansas Gastroenterology
RHONDA DIXON, APRN Conway Regional Medical ClinicPrince Street
TAMERA DOUGLAS, APRN Arkansas Urology
CHRISTINA DOWNES, APRN Noydeen Medical Group
ABBY EMANUEL, RN Arkansas Children's Hospital
HALEY ENDACOTT, APRN-BC, AE-C ENT & Allergy Center in Fayetteville
LAUREN EVANS, RN, CCRC Baptist Health
STEPHANIE FARMER, APRN Saline Health System
ANGELA FOSTER, M.D. Conway Regional Medical Clinic
MARK FOSTER, DNP Arkansas State University
STACY FREYER, RN Arkansas Plastic Surgery
NEKO GILBERT, RN UAMS Health
WILLIAM ZACHARY GOZA, APRN ARcare - in Jonesboro
SHANNON GRAHAM, APRN UAMS Health
LISA GRUMMER, APRN Cornerstone Clinic for Women
KELLY HALL, APRN Arkansas Heart Hospital
CHRISTINA HEITMAN, RN CHI St. Vincent North
KIMBERLY HILL, DNP, APRN Diversity Family Health
SARAH HOLLAND, APRN West Little Rock Women’s Center
ARIELLE HOLLOWAY, APRN Noydeen Medical Group
JAMI HOWELL, PA-C Arkansas Urology
KYLIEGH JENKINS, RN CHI St Vincent North
JARROD JERRY, APRN Conway Regional Greenbrier
KAYLA JOHNSON, APRN Noydeen Medical Group
CHELSEA KELLOW, DNP East Arkansas Children's Clinic
PAIGE KELLY, BSN, RN Wright Plastic Surgery & Med Spa
Thank you for voting Resilience Therapy as one of Arkansas’s Best Mental Health Providers.
“Nicole is so genuinely nice and understanding that after one meeting with her, I just knew she was the right therapist for me.”
870.530.7005 1316 Stone Street Jonesboro Lnecounseling4@gmail.com @resilience_therapy Resilience Therapy
“When
Michael W. Bibbs, MS, LPE-I
Michele Clark, MS, LPC, LMFT Kellie Fugere, LCSW
Since 2000, our team has been 100% focused on your oral health. We offer our patients the very best that dentistry has to offer through advanced technologies and procedures. We provide personalized dental care with compassion and skill in order to provide a great treatment experience.
JASMIN LEASE, PA-C
Arkansas Bone & Joint
REBECCA LEE, APRN Arkansas Dermatology
DANIELLE LYNCH, APN Renew Mental Health and Wellness
KRISTEN MEEKS, RN CARTI
BROOKE MONEY, PA Conway Regional
ALLISON MORROW, APRN Arkansas Urology
RACHEL NEAL, PA Conway Regional Hendrix Medical Clinic
EMILEE T. ODOM, PA-C Arkansas Dermatology
AMANDA K. PAYNE, APRN The Woman's Clinic
SHANNON POGUE, APRN-CNP Access Medical Clinic
KAITLIN POOLE, LPC Access Medical Clinic
ANDY PRUDHOMME UAMS Health
MATTHEW T. REYNOLDS, PA-C Arkansas Dermatology
ATALIE SESSIONS, APRN Autumn Road Practice
ESTEE SNEED, APN Family Medicine of White Hall
TONJA SNOW, APRN Baptist Health Medical
ROBERT STEVENS, PA-C Ozark Dermatology
ANGELIA STURGIS, RN UAMS Health
MATT TAYLOR, APRN Gastro Arkansas
KRISTY THOMPSON, APRN Pain Treatment Centers of America
DANA TREAT, APRN Hope Medical Clinic
SYDNEY VARNON, RN CHI St. Vincent North
LAUREN VEAZEY, APN Baptist Health Family ClinicLakewood
LISA VINAL, APRN Arkansas Urology
PAMELA VOLNER, APRN, FNP-C Painted Rock Health and Wellness
DIA WATSON, PA Arkansas Bone & Joint
AUDREY WEATHERRED, RN Saline Memorial
KAYLEN WELTER, APRN Conway Regional Health System
LESLIE ANN WILCOX, RNP Arkansas Urology
WISCHELLE WILLIAMS, APRN Arkansas Urology
JULIE WYLIE, APRN UAMS Health
SCARLETT YATES, RN Arkansas Children's Hospital
CARSON YORK, PA-C SCRIBNER Family Practice Clinic
REBEKAH YOUNG, APRN OrthoArkansas
OBSTETRICIAN & GYNECOLOGY
JENNIFER ANDERSON, M.D. Baptist Health Surgical Clinic
SUSAN BARR CHI ST Vincent Urogynecology
KEVIN BRENIMAN, M.D. Cornerstone Clinic for Women
BRIAN M. BURTON, M.D. The Woman's Clinic
KAY CHANDLER, M.D. Cornerstone Clinic for Women
KRIS CITTY, M.D. Unity Health
KYLE CITTY, M.D. Unity Health
MICHAEL CLOUATRE, M.D. Creekside Center for Women
ANDREW COLE, M.D. Conway OB GYN Clinic
AUDRA COLE, D.O. Lifespring Women’s Healthcare
MICHAEL COPE, M.D. The Woman's Clinic
ASHLEY DEED, M.D. Central Clinic for Women
AMY WIEDOWER EBLE, M.D. Central Clinic for Women
MAUREEN FLOWERS, M.D. Baxter Health
BRYAN FULLER, M.D. Natural State OB / GYN
AMY GALDAMEZ, M.D. Central Clinic for Women/ Baptist Health
SHELLY GIBBS, M.D. The Woman's Clinic
JULIE GOODWIN, M.D.
West Little Rock Women’s Center
NICQUEL GORDON, M.D.
CHI St Vincent Women ClinicHot Springs
CHRISTINA GREEN, M.D.
Saline Health System
JENNY GREGORY, M.D.
Arkansas Women's Center
PHILLIP GULIC, M.D.
Conway OB GYN Clinic
CHRISTOPHER HALL, M.D.
Mercy Clinic OB / Gyn
J. TODD HANNAH, M.D.
Lifespring Women’s Healthcare
LINDSEY HEULITT, M.D. Central Clinic for Women
RANDALL HIGHTOWER, M.D., FACOG, SGO
Washington Regional Medical Center Gynecologic Oncology
KEITHA HOLLAND, M.D. Conway OB GYN Clinic
KEN V. HOLT, D.O. Baxter Health
CINDY HUBACH, M.D. Central Clinic for Women
CLINT HUTCHINSON, M.D. Arkansas Women's Center/ Baptist Health
JILL K. JENNINGS, M.D. The Woman's Clinic
AMY JOHNSON, M.D. Conway Women’s Health Center
LETICIA JONES, M.D. The Woman's Clinic
DEBRA LAWRENCE, M.D. Conway Women's Health Center
STEPHEN MARKS, M.D. Baptist Health
BRANDIE MARTIN, M.D. Conway Women’s Health Center
DEAN MOUTOS, M.D. Arkansas Fertility and Gynecology
LAUREN NOLEN, M.D. Conway OB GYN Clinic
LINDSAY OSLEBER, M.D. Arkansas Women's Center
LORIE OSWALT, APN Lifespring Women's Healthcare
HEATHER OWENS, M.D. Central Clinic for Women
ANANTH RANGANATHAN, M.D. Arkansas Women's Center
GREG REITER, D.O. Creekside Center for Women
KIMBERLY REYNOLDS, M.D. West Little Rock Women’s Center
WHITNEY RICH, M.D. St. Bernards Medical Center
JAMES ROBB, M.D. Saline Health System
LAWRENCE SCHMITZ, M.D. Lifespring Women's Healthcare
MATTHEW A. SELLERS, M.D. Cornerstone Clinic For Women
COURTNEY SICK, M.D.
Conway Regional Health System
KENNETH SINGLETON, M.D. Cornerstone Clinic for Women
KALA SLATON, M.D. Conway Regional Health System
DORA MAH SMITH, M.D. UAMS Health
CHAD B. TAYLOR, M.D. UAMS Health
SERENA VANCE, D.O.
St. Bernards OB-GYN Associates
JOSH WARD, M.D. Conway Women's Health Center
JULIA WATKINS, M.D. West Little Rock Women’s Center
HANNA HARE WHITE, APRN Unity Health
EMILY WILLIAMS, M.D. Arkansas Women's Center
OCULARIST / ANAPLASTOLOGY
JOHN D. PEMBERTON, D.O. UAMS Health
ONCOLOGY
K'ANNE CASH ARTHUR, M.D. Highlands Oncology Group
OMAR T. ATIQ, M.D. UAMS Health
J. THADDEUS BECK, M.D., FACP Highlands Oncology Group
BROOKE E. BRANDER, D.O. Highlands Oncology Group
LYNSAY BRAUTNICK, M.D. Highlands Oncology Group
FRED DIVERS, M.D. Genesis Cancer Center
WESLEY B. GARNER, M.D. Highlands Oncology Group
RHONDA GENTRY, M.D. Baptist Health
SARAH W. JEWELL, M.D. Highlands Oncology Group
RYAN KOCH, D.O. Unity HealthThe Pyeatt Family Cancer Center
M. BLAKE LOCKWOOD, M.D. Highlands Oncology Group
STACIE M c CORD, M.D. Unity HealthThe Pyeatt Family Cancer Center
GREGORY J. OAKHILL, M.D. Highlands Oncology Group
WHIT ROBERTSON, M.D. Unity HealthThe Pyeatt Family Cancer Center
STEPHAN B. ROSENFELD, M.D. Highlands Oncology Group
CESAR GIANCARLO GENTILLE SANCHEZ, M.D. UAMS Health
JULIE TURNER, DNP, APRN Baptist Health
OPHTHALMOLOGY
TRACY BALTZ, M.D. Little Rock Eye Clinic
AUSTIN BELL, M.D. BoozmanHof
Awinningteam
We
Congratulations
DR. SHELLY GIBBS for being one of AY’s Best Healthcare Professionals!
Dr. Shelly Gibbs is a native of Little Rock whose education spans from Guadalajara, Mexico to Atlanta, Georgia and Chattanooga, Tennessee. She completed her obstetrics and gynecology residency in 2016 before moving back to Little Rock to serve the people of her hometown. Dr. Gibbs is board certified in obstetrics and gynecology by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology. In 2024, she became vice chief of Baptist Medical Center’s OB/GYN governance group.
Dr. Gibbs has an additional interest in hormones which allows her to also treat PCOS,
Dr. Gibbs is accepting new patients.
Josh Ketelsen, CPOA, CPed, LOPA, LPed (Bryant)
McCallister, CO, LOPP (Fort Smith)
(Little Rock)
A TEAM EFFORT
Decorated
orthopedic practice Bowen Hefley keeps growing
By DWAIN HEBDA // Photo Provided
n 1997, two prominent orthopedic surgeons joined forces with the belief that there was a better, more personal way to deliver care in Arkansas. The move was the epitome of working without a net, yet one its visionary founders believed in wholeheartedly.
Nearly 30 years later, Bowen Hefley Orthopedics is one of the state’s most respected names in its field of medical specialty. Boasting nine accomplished physicians and a raft of other health care and administrative professionals, the practice and its physicians regularly claim top honors on industry surveys and polls, such as the annual AY About You “Best Of” reader’s poll and the magazine’s “Best Health Care Professionals” list.
Bowen Hefley’s locations have grown to include Little Rock, North Little Rock, Jacksonville, Cabot, Russellville and Hot Springs Village. Patients, who travel from far and wide across Arkansas for treatment or physical therapy, will soon enjoy the benefits of a state-of-the-art North Little Rock facility to be completed this fall.
The physical appearance and scope of the practice may bear little resemblance to the early days, but the mission and culture of its original partners, Drs. William Hefley and Scott Bowen, is as clear today as it was on day one.
Dr. Paul Edwards and Dr. William Hefley
“Dr. Bowen and I were both young orthopedic surgeons at the time, and we had growing practices with similar philosophies: we wanted to be very patient-friendly, patient-oriented and deliver a high level of service,” Hefley said. “We had a similar style of practicing, wanting to really focus on high-quality outcomes. This belief in our philosophy has built organically over time.”
Bowen Hefley’s stellar roster of physicians deliver firstclass care in specialties that include orthopedic surgery, physical therapy, sports medicine, platelet-rich therapy, MRIs and patient education. Each health care professional is hand-selected not only for their medical knowledge or surgical skills, but for their bedside manner and the ability to serve the patient with compassion and respect.
“I think what’s critical for success in a medical practice is that the focus has got to be on the patient,” Hefley said. “We strive to deliver cutting-edge care, the best surgical techniques and the best nonoperative techniques while delivering that high-quality service in a friendly manner in ways that make things convenient for the patient. When you do that, it becomes very easy for the customer to recommend you.”
The new headquarters, a project five years in the making, is a physical manifestation of that philosophy. Located at 5220 Northshore Drive in North Little Rock, across the street from Surgical Hospital, where Bowen Hefley’s surgeons perform their work. The 25,000-square-foot medical building will offer state-of-the-art care in a location more convenient for patients.
“[The new building] is in an area of town just across the river that’s not congested, has low traffic, and is easy to get in and out of,” Hefley said. “This facility will be nicely appointed and convenient to [Arkansas Surgical Hospital]. Patients don’t have to learn different areas of town or go back and forth across town. They can come to our facility and go to our hospital, and it’s very convenient for them.”
The practice’s patient-centric philosophy not only results in satisfied customers but it is also a powerful attractor for qualified staff. Dr. Paul Edwards is one of the newer faces at Bowen Hefley, having joined the staff there four years ago. He said he was moved to bring his decade-plus of experience to the firm based on the care it showed its patients.
“This is a private practice that really puts the focus on the patient and meeting the patient’s needs. That’s first and
foremost,” he said. “Secondly, the opportunity to work at Arkansas Surgical Hospital. The physician-owned hospital that’s immediately adjacent to our new location is just an amazing hospital. It’s consistently ranked in the top in the state for outcomes, patient satisfaction and low infections. It was those two factors that really made me want to plant my feet here for the rest of my career.”
Edwards said as technology has continued to advance, the practice has been ready to embrace it, making for more accurate surgical procedures while minimizing recovery time.
“Some of the specific technologies include the implants themselves,” he said. “For example, we have smart implants now that give us data feedback. Once we implant the knee replacement, we can collect data on the patient’s gait, their ambulation, their range of motion, and we can often detect problems before they become bigger issues.
“We utilize robotic surgery, as well. The robotic portion is a guide to show us an analysis or data points on where to make accurate cuts. In certain instances, robotic surgery can guide us to make precise cuts on a hip or a knee or to implant the devices in an accurate position.”
Edwards said patients often focus so much on the surgical part of their treatment that they fail to realize all the work that comes after the operation. For that reason, he called Bowen Hefley’s physical therapy department an unsung hero in the treatment of patients.
“Rehab is extremely important for successful results of both hip and knee replacement,” he said. “Something we’re instituting at our new facility is called prehab, where we will have our patients visit with our physical therapists to give them an understanding of the surgery itself, as well as the rehab afterwards. This way, all parties understand, before they go in for the hip or knee replacement, some idea of the exercises to perform in physical therapy, the muscles to activate and the muscles to strengthen.
“As surgeons, it is absolutely critical that we put the implants in perfectly, but we can only do so much, and then we have to pass the baton to the physical therapists, and they run with it. It’s all equally crticial to helping guide patients to get them the best results available.”
As technology has continued to advance, the practice has been ready to embrace it, making for more accurate surgical procedures while minimizing recovery time.
Nicole Turner is a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner at The Pediatric Clinic located in Sherwood,
her Doctor of Nursing Practice
University of Tennessee Health Science Center. She has been granted her Certificate of Full Independent Practice in the state of Arkansas. She has worked at The Pediatric Clinic for 12 years. Nicole is passionate about providing care and patient education to the children and families of Central Arkansas.
THE BEST HOSPITAL WITH THE BEST HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS
At Conway Regional, our award-winning team is committed to providing high-quality, compassionate health care to the communities we serve. We are honored to be home to many of AY’s Best Healthcare Professionals in addition to being voted "Best Hospital" in the state by the readers of AY magazine for five years in a row.
CHAD BETTS, M.D., RPH
McDonald Eye Associates
SUSAN BLAIR, M.D.
Little Rock Eye Clinic
PAT COLLINS, M.D.
Collins Eye Clinic
ROMONA DAVIS, M.D.
UAMS Health
JENNIFER DOYLE, M.D.
Baptist Health
CHRISTIAN HESTER, M.D.
Little Rock Eye Clinic/ Baptist Health
LYDIA LANE, M.D.
Little Rock Eye Clinic
EDDIE MENGARELLI, M.D.
McDonald Eye Associates
EVAN NEWBOLT, M.D.
McFarland Eye Care
SEVERIN POULY, M.D.
Little Rock Eye Clinic
DANIEL SINES, M.D. BoozmanHof
MICHAEL WAGGONER, D.O. BoozmanHof
OPTOMETRY
PERRY AMERINE, D.O.
Amerine Eye Care
VALERIE ARNOLD, O.D.
River Mountain Eye Care
SHELBY BROGDON, O.D.
McFarland Eye Care
JADE COATS, O.D.
McDonald Eye Associates
LEIGH COX, O.D.
Conway Family Eye Care
SARAH DAVIS, O.D.
Conway Family Eye Care
SUSAN D e BLACK, O.D.
Conway Family Eye Care
ALAN GROVER, O.D. McDonald Eye Associates
DEREK S. LONG, O.D. Maumelle Eye Care
PAUL NGUYEN, O.D.
McDonald Eye Associates
TIFFANIE NGUYEN, O.D. McDonald Eye Associates
RUSSELL RUSTY SIMMONS, O.D.
Simmons Eye Care
MARY SULLIVAN, O.D. BoozmanHof
C. SCOTT WOODWARD, O.D. BoozmanHof
ORAL SURGERY
AARON B. BALDWIN, DMD, M.D.
Arkansas Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeons
DARON C. PRAETZEL, DMD
Arkansas Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeons
ORTHODONTIST
BRITTANY CURRY, DDS, M.S.
Westrock Orthodontics
JOHN A. DANIEL, DDS
Daniel and Jones Orthodontics
ADAM HALL, DDS
Hall Orthodontics
ALEX JONES, DDS
Daniel and Jones Orthodontics
CARMELLA KNOERNSCHILD, DDS, PA
Carmella M. Knoernschild Orthodontic Clinic
CATRIONA OLTMANN, DMD
Allen & Hestir Dentist Office
CLAYTON OWEN, DDS
Owen Orthodontics
AJAY SURI, DDS
Suri Orthodontics
DAVID WARDLAW, DDS
Wardlaw Orthodontics
ORTHOPEDIC SURGEON
MICHAEL HUSSEY, M.D.
Jefferson Regional Medical Center
ROY BURRELL, M.D.
Jefferson Regional Medical Center
ORTHOPEDICS
JEFF ANGEL, M.D.
White River Health Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine
TROY ARDOIN, M.D. OrthoArkansas
BJ BAILEY, M.D.
Arkansas Bone & Joint
SAMUEL BAXTER, M.D.
Martin Orthopedics/ Arkansas Surgical Hospital
R. BRYAN BENAFIELD JR., M.D. Ozark Orthopaedics
GRANT BENNETT, M.D. Conway Orthopedics & Sports Medicine Center
JILL FLAXMAN, M.D. Natural State Pain and Wellness Clinic
BUTCHAIAH GARLAPTI, M.D. Arkansas Pain Center
AHMED GHALEB, M.D. Advanced Spine and Pain Centers
TOM HART, M.D.
Arkansas Surgical Hospital / Pain Consultants of Arkansas
JAMES HUNT, M.D. Pain Treatment Centers of America
Machen,
Dr. Rachel Mann, DDS Dr. Dale Fallis, DDS
Hugh Burnett, DDS Dr. Mark Murphy, DDS
Dr William Gibson, DDS
SMILE DAILEY SHINES
Dr. DJ Dailey & Dr. Kirstan Hyser Recognized Among AY Magazine’s Best Healthcare Professionals!
DR. KIRSTAN HYSER, DDS Dentist
Request your appointment today!
Congratulations
DR. JILL JENNINGS for being one of AY’s Best Healthcare Professionals!
Dr. Jill Jennings is a Little Rock native and has been in practice since 2011; she joined the team at The Women’s Clinic in 2012 and became a partner in 2015. Dr. Jennings is board certified in obstetrics and gynecology by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and she has also done special training with the Academy for Innovative and Preventative Medicine and the North American Menopause Society (NAMS). She has a special interest in hormones, PCOS, infertility, perimenopause, menopause and minimally invasive and robotic surgery. She loves investigating the natural and hormonal ways to help the body function better and help women age better.
Dr. Jennings is accepting new patients.
Arkansas Bone & Joint delivers the highest quality of care through a combination of advanced surgical techniques and personalized treatment plans. With a focus on not only treating a condition but enhancing quality of life, the Arkansas Bone & Joint team ensures that each patient receives a plan designed to optimize their recovery and overall well-being.
Arkansas Bone & Joint’s talented physicians also perform surgeries at Arkansas Surgical Hospital in North Little Rock, Arkansas Heart Hospital’s Encore Medical Center in Bryant and Saline Memorial Hospital in Benton, providing patients with convenient surgical options. The providers’ expertise in sports medicine, anterior hip replacement and customized knee replacement makes Arkansas Bone & Joint a comprehensive destination for orthopedic needs.
Being recognized among AY About You’s “Best Health Care Professionals” is a testament to the trust and confidence patients place in the Arkansas Bone & Joint team, and that honor motivates staff to continue striving for the highest standards in medical practice. Staff members remain committed to providing exceptional care that makes a positive impact on the lives of their patients.
CONGRATULATIONS!
Jasmin Lease, PA-C, from left, Jerry Lorio, M.D.; BJ Bailey, M.D.; and Dia Watson, PA-C
ALEX DELLINGER, DPM Foot & Ankle Associates of Central Arkansas
CODY GAUPEL, DPM Foot & Ankle Associates of Central Arkansas
MEGAN HERRING, DPM Foot & Ankle Associates of Central Arkansas
NAVAL PATEL, DPM CHI St. Vincent Little Rock Diagnostic Clinic
AARON K. SEITER, DPM Seiter Foot & Ankle Specialists
PRIMARY CARE
AHMED ALI, M.D. Noydeen Medical Group
BILLY M c BAY, M.D. Noydeen Medical Group
PROSTHETICS & ORTHOTICS
CARA BRAY, MPO, CPO, LOPP Snell Prosthetics & OrthoticsLittle Rock
JEREMY CROWELL, BOCPO, LOPA Snell Prosthetics & OrthoticsLittle Rock
SEAN DINEEN, MPO, CPO, LOPP Snell Prosthetics & OrthoticsNorth Little Rock
GABE GALSTER, CPO, LPO New Hope Prosthetics & Orthotics
SPECIAL IZED IEN T PRO GR AM DE SIGNED FOR WOMEN
Since
Our programs can include:
• Medical and psychological evaluation
Meeting the needs of our community
Meeting the needs of our community women by prov iding a
• Individualized treatment plan
• 24-hour nursing care
• Medication management and education (as needed)
past exper iences a nd
healthcare services to our surrounding communities. Our programs are designed to give each patient individualized care to help manage their symptoms, resolve problems, recognize life stressors and effectively cope with their condition.
Our programs can include:
women by prov iding a ca r ing, suppor t ive, st r uctu red env iron ment to help add ress past exper iences a nd
• Medical and psychological evaluation
• Individualized treatment plan
• Structured daily clinical program
• Group and family therapy
• 24-hour nursing care
We offer a va r iet y of featu res specia lly designed w it h women in m ind Treat ment ca n include a r t, music, a romat herapy, jou r na ling a nd yoga The indiv
• Medication management and education (as needed)
• Structured daily clinical program
• Group and family therapy
• Scheduled visitation
We offer a va r iet y of featu res specia lly designed w it h women in m ind Treat ment ca n include a r t, music, a romat herapy, jou r na ling a nd yoga The indiv idua lized t reat ment pla n ca n include assessment, stabilizat ion, focused t reat ment inter vent ions (t rauma-infor med
outside com mun it y resou rces so
• Recreational therapy
• Coping and life-skill training
ca re a nd solut ion-focused t herapy) a nd help w it h establishing lin ks to outside com mun it y resou rces so
• Discharge planning
We can help treat:
We can help treat:
• Acute menta l hea lt h issues, including mood a nd a n x iet y disorders
• Trauma (sexua l, physica l a nd emot iona l abuse)
• Acute menta l hea lt h issues, including mood a nd a n x iet y disorders
We are here for you. Learn more at thebridgeway.com.
• Trauma (sexua l, physica l a nd emot iona l abuse)
• Low self-esteem a nd body image
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• Postpa r tum depression
• Relat ionship issues
• PTSD
• Postpa r tum depression
• Borderline persona lit y disorder
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• Self-ha r m
• Relat ionship issues
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• Self-ha r m
800-245-0011 or 800-274-3439 • thebridgeway.com
• Postpa r tum depression • PTSD • Borderline persona lit y disorder • Self-ha r m
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Bev Foster
Year after year, she is chosen the best Chiropractic Physician by multiple “best of” lists. It’s nice to be noticed, but more importantly we want to hear patients say how good they feel or that they are grateful they could avoid surgery. Trust Dr. Bev and her team for your back and neck treatment.
JIM M c CALLISTER, C.O., LOPP Snell Prosthetics & OrthoticsFort Smith
FRANK SNELL, CPO, LOPP, FAAO Snell Prosthetics & OrthoticsLittle Rock
PSYCHIATRIC NURSE PRACTITIONER
CODY COTTRELL, DNP, FNP-BC, PMHNP-BC Argenta Counseling and Wellness
LAQUINTHA HENDERSON, PMHNP Argenta Counseling and Wellness
PSYCHIATRIST (ADULT)
JESSICA L. COKER, M.D. UAMS Health
JANE KANG, M.D.
Baptist Health Behavioral Health Clinc on Springhill North Little Rock
NIHIT KUMAR, M.D., DFAACAP Argenta Counseling and Wellness
DANIELLE LYNCH, APN Renew Mental Health and Wellness
ABEER WASHINGTON, M.D. Rice Clinic
PSYCHIATRIST (CHILD)
ATIF AKHTAR, M.D. Counseling Associates
BRIAN KUBACAK, M.D. Methodist Counseling Clinic
DANIELLE LYNCH, APN Renew Mental Health and Wellness
ABEER WASHINGTON, M.D. Rice Clinic
PSYCHIATRY
DONNA BROWN, M.D. Jefferson Regional Medical Center
ANGELA C. CHAPMAN, M.D. Psychology & Counseling Associates
JOHN DOWNES, M.D. Levi Hospital
LISA J. FITZGIBBONS, PH.D., ABPP Mercy Clinic Behavioral HealthRogers
LANCE C. FOSTER, M.D. Northwest Arkansas Psychiatry
JENNIFER FREILINO, LPC
501 Counseling
KEVIN HURLBUT, M.D. Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital
REBECCA SCHLAU, P sy.D Saline Psychology Services
KATIE SHORT, LPC 501 Counseling
KATHLEEN M. WONG, M.D. Dr. Kathleen Wong
PSYCHOTHERAPY
MICHAEL W. BIBBS, M.S., LPE-I West Rock Counseling
MICHELE CLARK, M.S., LPC, LMFT West Rock Counseling
PULMONOLOGY
BRIAN I. MALTE, M.D.
Baxter Health
RADIATION ONCOLOGIST
J. SCOTT CORDOVA, M.D., Ph.D. CARTI
MATTHEW E. HARDEE, M.D., Ph.D. CARTI
SANJAY MARABOYINA, M.D. UAMS Health
RADIOLOGY
DANIEL CLARK, M.D.
Conway Regional Health System
DANA COKER, M.D.
St. Bernards Medical Center
EREN ERDEM, M.D. Baptist Health
JEFF HENNING, M.D.
Unity Health
MICHAEL P. HICKMAN, M.D. Hot Springs Radiology Services
JAMES R. M c CARLEY, M.D. Hot Springs Radiology Services
MARK E. MOSS, M.D.
Washington Regional Interventional Neuroradiology Clinic, Washington
Regional J.B. Hunt Transport Services
Neuroscience Institute
JOSEPH S. MURPHY, M.D.
Baptist Health Medical
DONALD B. NORWOOD, M.D.
CARTI
SORAYA ONG, M.D.
Hot Springs Radiology Services
JONG S. PARK, M.D.
Washington Regional Radiology
MARK B. ROBBINS, M.D.
Hot Springs Radiology Services
SHANE THARP, M.D.
Unity Health
VANCE E. WISE, M.D.
Hot Springs Radiology Services
REGISTERED DIETITIAN
NATHAN SLINKARD, REGISTERED DIETITIAN Argenta Counseling and Wellness
RHEUMATOLOGY
JAMES H. ABRAHAM, M.D. CHI St. Vincent
TAMER ALSEBAI, M.D.
CHI St. Vincent
SWETHA BODDEDA, M.D., FACS Conway Regional Health System
COLUMBUS BROWN IV, M.D. Arkansas Rheumatology Institute
JASEN CHI, M.D. Chi Arthritis & Rheumatology
RICHARD W. HOUK, M.D. Houk Rheumatology
NASIM KHAN, M.D. Little Rock Diagnostic Clinic
LESLIE M c CASLAND, M.D. Arthritis & Rheumatism Associates
MICHAEL A. M c GHEE, M.D. Arkansas Otolarynology Center
NOHA MOHAMED, M.D. Noydeen Medical Group
FRANCIS A. NARDELLA, M.D. White River Medical Center
SAFWAN H. SAKR, M.D. CHI St. Vincent
JESSICA SHORT, M.D. Washington Regional Rheumatology Clinic
SHAILENDRA SINGH, M.D. Unity Health
SPORTS MEDICINE
JEFF ANGEL, M.D. White River Health Systems
ROBERT M c CARRON, M.D. Conway Orthopedics & Sports Medicine Center (COSMC)
ETHAN SCHOCK, M.D. OrthoArkansas
JONATHAN WYATT, M.D. OrthoArkansas
SURGERY
JAMES HEAD, M.D. Conway Regional Health System
DONNA D. JOHNSON, M.D. Mercy Clinic General Surgery
JOHN LUMB, M.D. Arkansas Methodist Medical
LOGAN LYNCH, M.D. St. Bernards Medical Center
MIKE STANTON, M.D. Conway Regional Surgical Associates
SURGICAL ONCOLOGIST
JOSEPH IVY, M.D. Highlands Oncology Group
MICHAEL M. POLLOCK, M.D.
Baptist Health Surgical Clinic of Central Arkansas
SCOTT J. STERN, M.D. CARTI
UROLOGY
RUDOLPH BOWENS JR., M.D. St. Bernards Medical Center
JOHN PAUL BRIZZOLARA, M.D., FACS CARTI
KEVIN CLAYBROOK, M.D. Arkansas Urology
CHRISTIE DUMBOSKI, MSN, APRN, AGACNP-BC CARTI
TIMOTHY GOODSON, M.D. Arkansas Urology
LAUREN HENDRIX, M.D. Arkansas Urology
GAIL REDDE JONES, M.D. Arkansas Urology
RON KUHN, M.D. CARTI
KEITH MOONEY, M.D., FACS CARTI
TAYLOR MOORE, M.D. CARTI
TORONSA M. SIMPSON, MSN, APRN, FNP-C CARTI
VASCULAR SURGEON
KENT P. NACHTIGAL, M.D. Baxter Health
CHRISTOPHER STOUT, M.D. Ozark Regional Vein and Artery Center
WOUND CARE
MEGAN SANTIAGO, PA-C Wound Evolution
DEVIN SESSIONS, M.D., CWS-P, PCHM Wound Evolution
NOTE: Every reasonable attempt has been made to confirm the accuracy of names, credentials and affiliations on this list, including but not limited to confirming submitted nominations. with medical practices and institutions, and other means. AY Media Group is not responsible for any missing information or changes in affiliation by any member of this list prior to or following publication.
THANK YOU for voting us as one of AY’s best!
We are proud to serve the community with quality dental care. Trust us with all your dental concerns!
Services offered:
• Teeth Whitening
• Dental Crowns
• Dental Bonding
• Teeth Veneers
• Dental Implants & More!
1202 Highway 35 N, Benton, AR 501-776-0620
Michael Bourns DDS Ann O’Neal Carroll DDS
WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU
AY About You will never miss an opportunity to shine a spotlight on women, and the DECEMBER 2024 issue of our magazine is no exception. We want to hear from you — our readers — on who you think should make the cut. Be it a physician or pharmacist, nurse practitioner or CNA, if she represents exemplary work in any medium of healthcare, nominate her now at aymag.com!
Briar wood Nursing and Rehab is a 120-bed skilled facility located in an urban setting within the heart of Little Rock, in the neighborhood of Briarwood. We are located just minutes from downtown Little Rock and are only one block off interstate 630.
We provide long-term care and short-term rehab care. All residents are monitored throughout the day with assistance in providing daily care as is needed: bathing, dressing, feeding and providing medications. Briarwood staff also work at ensuring the best care for residents through individual care plans of residents' needs, as well as daily activities, which allow for a variety of interests and abilities.
Nearly all - 98 percent - of our rehab residents return to the community as a result of positive, caring therapists. Briarwood's approach has provided healing to many people in the community.
At Briarwood Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, we are committed to ensuring that the best possible care is given to you or your loved one in an atmosphere that is calm, quiet and focused on healing. We endeavor to ensure that all aspects of your well-being — mental, physical and spiritual — are cared for in a peaceful and safe environment. Our staff strive to promote dignity, respect, and independence as much as possible, in a beautiful, soothing enviornment that was designed with our residents' comfort in mind.
Briarwood's service-rich environment is made possible by its dedicated staff, from our nursing staff and therapists, to our operations and administrative employees. At Briarwood, our residents enjoy three generations of staff and families. That is over 30 years of service to the community!
Simmons Bank Arena marks 25 years of entertainment, economic development
By LANCE BROWNFIELD // Photos Provided
AnniversArY SILVER M
ost people who attend live events get too swept away in the bright lights, booming speakers and famous people on stage to think about what goes into putting such events together or what it took for the venue to be built. For North Little Rock, however, it is not the performers but a venue that takes centerstage. Simmons Bank Arena celebrates its 25-year milestone this fall, marking a quarter century of bringing concerts, sporting events, graduations, conferences and economic development to the area.
“The Simmons Bank Arena has witnessed the creation of the vibrant development of an entertainment destination along both sides of the Arkansas River that brings together the twin cities of Little Rock and North Little Rock,” said Michael Marion, general manager of the facility. “We have provided all kinds of entertainment for the people of Arkansas. We have not been a burden to the taxpayers, and we have continued to maintain and upgrade the building. We have contributed to the growth of downtown Argenta in North Little and the River Market in Little Rock.”
Marion said the arena, which seats 18,000 and has meeting and conference space of 28,000 square feet, “immediately became the focal point for sports and entertainment in central Arkansas” since first opening in 1999 as Alltel Arena. Marion has filled the GM role since the project began in 1997.
At its inception, the arena was sold on the promise of economic development more than anything. That development aimed at developing the riverfront for the benefit of both Little Rock and North Little Rock. The River Project, as it was known, came with a $20 million expansion of the Statehouse Convention Center across the river.
The arena effort, set in motion by former North Little Rock Mayor Patrick Hays, former Little Rock Mayor Jim Dailey and former Pulaski County Judge Buddy Villines, was funded by a mix of state, local and private money, including a one-year sales tax approved by Pulaski County voters in a special countywide sales tax vote Aug. 1, 1995.
During the planning process, it was decided the only place for the arena project was downtown North Little Rock, and two proposed sites were considered in earnest — the current site and where Dickey-Stephens Park is now located. The location was officially selected June 27, 1996.
The property was formerly home to multiple retail businesses, including Firestone Tire & Service Center, Payless ShoeSource, Red Barn Wholesale Outlet, Club Cameo and River City Materials. Dickson Flake, who had a long history in Little Rock commercial real estate, was hired to negotiate with property owners on behalf of the county.
Flake said in an interview several years ago that due to it being a public project, the effort had the right of eminent domain but elected most often to use binding arbitration with a “baseball clause” to come to an agreed-upon price with landowners. The baseball clause allows both parties to submit a potential sales price, along with supporting documentation, to an arbitrator who chooses the most appropriate one.
Once negotiations were completed, construction began in 1997 for the 11.6-acre site, which has 2.2 acres of parking lot and was completed at a cost of $84 million.
All these years later, the payoff speaks for itself. The Argenta District boasts two breweries, Dickey-Stephens Park baseball stadium, and myriad restaurants, bars and art venues. Corporate tenants have also grown, including the North Little Rock Tourism office and First Orion headquarters, which were built in the neighborhood following the construction of the arena. Marion said the venue is currently working on an economic impact study to pinpoint just how much the arena contributes to the local and state economy.
North Little Rock Mayor Terry Hartwick said economic growth has not always come as quickly as hoped and noted that the lack of a conference and events center has forced the city to turn away many potential visitors and groups. Even that hurdle is about to be cleared, however, as the newest jewel in North Little Rock’s crown will be the 30,000-square-foot North Little Rock Conference and Event Center.
The project, which will feature a ballroom, a spacious pre-function area and a kitchen, received a $3 million initial investment by the North Little Rock City Council and is expected to open in early 2026. Its groundbreaking in October, as fate would have it, coincides with the arena’s official anniversary month.
“The arena, including the Argenta Downtown District, has increased traffic in North Little Rock, provided many entertainment opportunities with the Argenta Contemporary Theatre, the Argenta Plaza, Argenta Vibes and much more,” Hartwick said. “The arena was an extension and benefit to the concept of Argenta downtown.”
Meaning “silver” in Latin, the name “Argenta” also reflects North Little Rock’s standing as a secondary market in the live entertainment world. While the district continues to grow, there is a long way to go before it rises to the ranks of other regional cities such as Memphis, St. Louis and New Orleans.
“Being in a secondary market is always a challenge,” Marion said. “I’ve always jokingly said there is no agent in Los Angeles, Nashville or New York who has said, ‘If we don’t play North Little Rock, our careers are over.’ Keeping us in the mind of decision-makers is something we work on constantly.
“We are lucky to have a staff who understands that how we treat a
show affects our ability to attract more shows. The staff has done a great job of making us an attractive place to do a show.”
The venue is publicly owned by the multipurpose civic center facilities board of Pulaski County. Marion said the arena has been self-supporting and receives no subsidies from taxpayers while being a catalyst for downtown development for both sides of the river.
“When the arena opened, we didn’t have bars and restaurants down here,” said Chris Kent, executive director of the Argenta Downtown Council. “We didn’t have businesses to support the patrons that came downtown.”
Kent, who served on the multipurpose civic center facilities board and as president of the Main Street Argenta Board, worked with the coalition of elected officials to see the arena and the baseball stadium added to the North Little Rock skyline. He was also part of a group that opened Cornerstone Pub & Grill in 2003 (now Reno’s Argenta Cafe) and said one of the biggest challenges for small business in the early days of the arena was traffic fluctuations. Things were very slow downtown until an arena event came along, at which time crowds would be overwhelming.
“You would have 1,000 people waiting outside to come into a 100seat restaurant,” Kent said. “Staffing for those types of events was very challenging because the rest of the week, you’re just trying to survive, and then you would go from zero to 100.”
Thanks to years of steady development, that is no longer the case. Kent said the downtown is now booming as thousands of new residents continue to move into the Rockwater Village area and other neighborhoods, supporting local businesses.
“Success breeds success,” said Karen Trevino, president and CEO of North Little Rock Tourism. “If you look at where we are today in Argenta based on where we were when the Simmons Arena was built, it’s night and day. If you just look at all that’s happened down here in the last 20 years, I’m sure Simmons being in that area made a huge difference.”
She said the new money that comes into the community through development projects such as new hotels and the conference center has really added up over time. The new conference center will allow even more outside money to come in, and the North Little Rock Chamber of Commerce will be able to host its annual Women’s Hall of Fame induction ceremony and its annual membership meeting in the new center. Currently, the Women’s Hall of Fame ceremony is hosted at the Statehouse Convention Center in Little Rock, while the annual membership meeting is held at Simmons Bank Arena.
“[The arena brings] in top entertainment,” Trevino said, “and when they come in, they bring these entertainers and their shows. People are coming in early, eating at our restaurants. They’re staying overnight at our hotels. It has a huge economic impact for us.”
The biggest names in music have graced the arena stage, including
Terry Hartwick
Elton John, the Rolling Stones, Harry Styles, and country favorites such as Zach Bryan, George Strait and Garth Brooks. Other shows include Monster Jam (a monster truck event), Disney on Ice, Professional Bull Riders and the Ringling Brothers circus, which are all regulars at the arena.
Some of the acts have drawn the biggest crowds the state has ever seen, including a George Strait concert above the arena’s maximum capacity at 18,004 in January 2006. The top three highest attended shows in the arena’s history all belong to Strait, in fact, with a 17,811-person audience in February 2004 and a 17,572-person crowd in April 2013.
For acts that stuck around for a while, even bigger crowds were recorded. Garth Brooks brought in 48,867 over three nights, Zach Bryan performed for 31,947 over two nights, and Morgan Wallen attracted 28,934 fans over two nights.
Kent said he believes some people thought the arena would be a “silver bullet” during the early years, solving all the city’s problems. He said little things and consistency over time made the biggest impact in the growth of the downtown.
“The arena did kind of cause everybody to work together and do the little things necessary for the downtown to develop around it,” he said. “I think we’ve done a really good job allowing it to happen organically.”
“When that was built, there really was not much down here in Argenta,” Trevino added. “It was the culmination of several things, different organizations, and the city and our office working together to try to grow this area.”
Little Rock’s Alltel was the first to strike a naming rights deal, securing a 20-year contract for $7 million. In 2009, the name was changed to Verizon Arena after the telecommunications giant acquired Alltel for $28 billion. Simmons Bank’s 15-year naming rights agreement comes with a price tag of $700,000 per year, double that of Alltel’s $350,000 per year. Simmons Bank’s contract started in October 2019 and will expire in 2034. Marion said Alltel, Verizon and Simmons Bank have all been “good naming-rights sponsors.”
Arena capacity depends on the production or event and can range from 18,000 maximum to as little as 3,000 with a theater setup, giving the venue a great deal of flexibility to accommodate everyone from current chart-toppers to more intimate nostalgia acts.
“Since its beginning, Simmons Bank Arena has been highly successful in providing people of all ages and backgrounds with the best in entertainment, making it the premier arena of choice for now and the future,” Marion said.
More than just a venue for sports and concerts, the arena also provides space for meetings, banquets and exhibitions, and it offers full inhouse catering provided by a chef and catering staff. That has attracted a steady clientele among corporate groups, trade shows and festivals, including the Welsco Trade Show, Electronic Recycling Unplugged, the Cannabis & Wellness Expo and Wingstock, plus a few smaller meetings. All of that adds up substantially, just like the developments, large and small, that have followed and have turned Argenta into the thriving neighborhood it is today.
“What I think we realized as a community was we need to do a lot of little things to prepare our downtown to be able to handle stuff that was going on at the arena,” Kent said. “That’s where we had started up the downtown council, started doing the streetscaping and started making it safer with the safety ambassadors.”
While the entertainment industry has essentially recovered from the pandemic, COVID-19 was not the only speed bump in the history of the facility. Marion said semipro sports had a difficult time there; Arkansas RiverBlades hockey and Arkansas RimRockers basketball saw shortlived runs. On the other hand, the Arkansas Twisters arena football team lasted 13 seasons before it fell off in popularity. College sports have fared much better. The Arkansas Razorbacks’ annual basketball game in North Little Rock became a hot ticket under former head coach Eric Musselman and is expected to be in even higher demand under new skipper John Calipari. Marion said the venue also hopes to host another NCAA basketball tournament in the first or second round. The University of Arkansas at Little Rock submits the bid for that opportunity, and to improve their chances, there are plans to update Simmons Arena’s bowl lighting system and replace the seats in the upper bowl.
On the music side of the business, Simmons Bank Arena has completely rebounded from the pandemic and saw its biggest year ever in 2022 with 38 concerts. Normally, the arena sees a yearly average of 25 shows and 40,000 guests.
Some upcoming shows this summer include Switchfoot, Blue October and Matt Nathanson Aug. 7; Wingstock 2024 Aug. 10; Chris Stapleton with Grace Potter and Allen Stone Aug. 22; Chicago and Earth, Wind & Fire Aug. 26, and Dwight Yoakam Sept. 13.
Marion said the venue’s track record, coupled with the sustained loyalty and support of Arkansans, keeps Simmons Bank Arena at the forefront of entertainment and economic development in central Arkansas.
“The people of Arkansas are the real reason we are here,” he said. “If they don’t buy tickets, we don’t get shows. We try to make the arena as customer-friendly as we can. I like to tell people, ‘We are not making widgets; we’re making memories’”
Justin Bieber performs at Simmons Bank Arena. He is among numerous big-name artists to have perform there, some others being Elton John, Garth Brooks and the Rolling Stones.
When you walk into the Robinson Nursing & Rehabilitation Center you will feel a comfortable atmosphere different from any other facility you have visited. We feature tall ceilings and an open floor plan. We have a lovely dining room and a covered outdoor patio area.
When you walk into the Robinson Nursing & Rehabilitation Center you will feel a comfortable atmosphere different from any other facility you have visited. We feature tall ceilings and an open floor plan. We have a lovely dining room and a covered outdoor patio area.
We specialize in short-term rehabilitation and long-term care services. The short-term rehabilitation area has its own dining area and day room. From the moment you enter our facility, we want you to experience the difference our facility has to offer. From our light-filled day areas to our beautiful outdoor areas, we want you and your loved one to feel comfortable and safe when staying with us. You will also notice the pride we take in our facility by keeping our building sparkling clean from the inside out.
We specialize in short-term rehabilitation and long-term care services. The short-term rehabilitation area has its own dining area and day room. From the moment you enter our facility, we want you to experience the difference our facility has to offer. From our light-filled day areas to our beautiful outdoor areas, we want you and your loved one to feel comfortable and safe when staying with us. You will also notice the pride we take in our facility by keeping our building sparkling clean from the inside out.
Our team is dedicated to providing a safe and comfortable environment. Robinson Nursing and Rehab offers modern conveniences in a gracious setting. We provide daily planned activities led by certified activity directors, like social events and outings and pastoral services with spiritual care for all religions. We strongly encourage family participation in group activities, meals and celebrating family birthdays and special days.
Our team is dedicated to providing a safe and comfortable environment. Robinson Nursing and Rehab offers modern conveniences in a gracious setting. We provide daily planned activities led by Certified Activity Directors, like social events and outings and pastoral services with spiritual care for all religions. We strongly encourage family participation in group activities, meals and celebrating family birthdays and special days.
To help you plan your visits, we provide a monthly event calendar and a monthly meal planner. Robinson Nursing and Rehab does not have set visiting hours. We view this facility as the “home” of each resident.
To help you plan your visits, we provide a monthly event calendar and a monthly meal planner. Robinson Nursing and Rehab does not have set visiting hours. We view this facility as the “home” of each resident.
We try our best to communicate with patients and families to help alleviate the anxiety that accompanies this journey. Our team of nurses, therapists and support staff work closely together to develop a plan based on the individual needs of each person. We recognize that rehabilitation involves not only the patient but the entire family.
We try our best to communicate with patients and families to help alleviate the anxiety that accompanies this journey. Our team of nurses, therapists and support staff work closely together to develop a plan based on the individual needs of each person. We recognize that rehabilitation involves not only the patient, but the entire family.
The Long Winding and Road
By JOE DAVID RICE
There is perhaps no better way to celebrate the middle of summer than a good road trip, and there is perhaps no better option than the longest highway in the state, Scenic Arkansas 7.
Stretching 297.3 miles from the Arkansas/ Louisiana state line north to the shores of Bull Shoals Lake, it bisects the Natural State, passing through 11 of our 75 counties. After meandering through the lush timberlands of south Arkansas, zigging and zagging within the hilly terrain of the Ouachita and Ozark national forests, and crossing two units of the national park system, the highway finally comes to an end within sight of southern Missouri.
The origins of Arkansas 7 can be traced back a full century to 1924, when the Arkansas General Assembly established a federal aid system. Prior to becoming one of the first numbered routes in the state, present-day Arkansas 7 was
little more than an interconnected system of graveled roads approximating the current route.
In 1941, less than a quarter of the entire length of Arkansas 7 was paved. In fact, the 70-mile stretch of the route through the Ozarks south of Harrison remained graveled almost to the Russellville city limits, but by the late 1950s, only one portion of the highway had not been paved: a 14-mile section north of Camden through the Ouachita River bottomlands.
Our exploration of Arkansas 7 begins at the Arkansas/Louisiana state line a short distance above Lockhart, Louisiana. Driving north a dozen or so miles will bring you to El Dorado and the intersection with U.S. 82 — and a fine state-run welcome center where a friendly staff and an assortment of travel-related brochures await you, along with clean restrooms. Other highlights in the community in-
Scenic Arkansas 7
Photos by ARKANSAS DEPARTMENT OF PARKS HERITAGE AND TOURISM
clude a vibrant downtown (and Fayrays, a favorite eatery), the legendary Spudnut Shoppe bakery and the South Arkansas Arboretum, a lesser-known Arkansas State Park.
Continuing north from El Dorado, the next point of interest on Arkansas 7 is the Arkansas Museum of Natural Resources. Located just south of Smackover, the state park explores the fascinating history of south Arkansas’s oil and brine industry and includes operating replicas of oil machinery and a recreated boomera street scene. The museum is open Wednesday through Saturday and Sunday afternoon and offers free admission.
Another quarter of an hour will get motorists to Camden, one of the state’s most historic cities due to its Civil War legacy. Foodies appreciate the catfish at Woods Place, the appetizers at Postmasters Grill, and the history of White House Cafe, one of the oldest restaurants in the state.
The 50-mile drive on Arkansas 7 from Camden through the Ouachita River bottoms leads to Arkadelphia and its quaint downtown district. A few miles farther to the north is the entrance to DeGray Lake Resort State Park. A popular getaway, it includes a 90-room lodge, a conference center and restaurant on an island; a marina; an 18-hole golf course; more than 100 campsites; three yurts and five hiking trails.
Continuing north another 25 miles brings travelers to Hot Springs, one of the South’s premier tourism destinations, which
is known for its galleries, restaurants and attractions. The highway passes Oaklawn Hot Springs, Arkansas before fronting the celebrated Bathhouse Row in Hot Springs National Park and the imposing Arlington Hotel, where gangster Al Capone stayed in Suite 443 during his frequent visits to Spa City.
Heading north from Hot Springs on Arkansas 7 leads to the entrance of America’s largest gated community, Hot Springs Village. Established on 20,000 hilly acres in 1970, it now boasts more than 15,000 residents.
Another 3 or 4 miles up our route is Jessieville, an unincorporated community named after the daughter of an early postmaster. The town has two claims to fame: Ron Coleman Mining and the Shack, a restaurant noted for its fried catfish and milkshakes, not necessarily to be consumed at the
same time.
Beyond Jessieville, Arkansas 7 soon enters the Ouachita National Forest, a federal preserve dating from 1907. The U.S. Forest Service has established picnic sites and campgrounds along the way at Iron Springs and South Fourche and has also marked the 26-mile nonpaved Winona Auto Tour Scenic Drive, which winds through the woods between Arkansas 7 and Arkansas 9.
Travelers hungry for a good old-fashioned bologna sandwich will appreciate the Hollis Country Store on the west side of Arkansas 7. Built in 1931 and modified since, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2002. The current owners, Donnie and Melissa Crain, represent the fourth generation of owners from the Crain family. It is open 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday.
The Arlington Hotel
Lake Dardenelle State Park
Hollis Country Store
Our route exits the Ouachita National Forest at Fourche Junction, drops down into Ola and then enters the broad Arkansas River Valley. To the east and nicely situated below Petit Jean State Park is Holla Bend National Wildlife Refuge, a 7,055-acre birder’s paradise. Admission is free.
A mile west of the town of Dardanelle, an old steamboat port on the south side of the Arkansas River, is Dardanelle Rock Natural Area, one of the state’s officially designated natural areas. The towering geological formation overlooks the river and was once used as a lookout point by Native Americans and, later, by Confederate troops. A moderately strenuous trail leads to the top of the bluff; the hike is about a half-mile round trip.
Across the river and slightly upstream is the Arkansas River Visitor Center. Sited above Dardanelle Lock & Dam, the center interprets the story of the development of the Arkansas River Valley from the time of Native Americans
to the present. It is open year-round from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays.
Located near the midpoint of our Arkansas 7 tour, Russellville is home to Arkansas Tech University, the fourth-largest college in the state. Russellville also claims two renowned dining establishments: Feltner’s Whatta-Burger (“We guarantee good service, no matter how long it takes”) and the Old South
the Buffalo River, crosses the road at the Fairview Recreation Area. There are several other points of interest as the highway twists and turns its way into north Arkansas. One is God’s Little Half Acre, a quaint cemetery with a couple of unusual gravesites. Another is the deteriorating site of Booger Hollow Trading Post, a tourist attraction in northern Pope County that was in operation from 1961 until 2004. Famous for its double-decker outhouse, the unique facility was a standard photo op for travelers. Management had Restaurant (“We’ve served two presidents and a king.”) Although the Old South’s original structure burned down in 2023, the business reopened less than a year ago in a new location at 105 E. Harrell Drive, and the pies are as good as ever.
Russellville also offers a good range of recreational opportunities, one being the Bona Dea Trails & Sanctuary and another being Lake Dardanelle State Park. The latter features an impressive visitor center with five aquariums, a barrier-free fishing pier, an outdoor amphitheater, a swimming beach, a boardwalk and dozens of campsites.
Heading north from Russellville, Arkansas 7 enters the Ozark National Forest. Forest Service highlights include Long Pool Recreation Area and its classic swimming hole on Big Piney Creek and Haw Creek Falls Recreation Area, both a few miles west of the highway. To the east is the Pedestal Rock Scenic Area, which is also home to Kings Bluff. The Ozark Highlands Trail, a 218-mile footpath stretching from Lake Fort Smith State Park to
Hankins Country Store (Photo by JD Rice)
Long Pool Swimming Hole
Rotary Ann Rest Stop (Photo by JD Rice)
Arkansas Grand Canyon kindly closed the top level “until we git the plummin’ figgered out.”
Just up the road, the plumbing is fine at the Rotary Ann Rest Stop and Overlook, a handy comfort station overlooking the deep and rugged valley of Big Piney Creek. It was constructed in the 1930s, years before the road was paved, following encouragement from the wives of members of the Rotary Club of Russellville. The women, identified as Rotary Anns, realized the need for public restrooms and convinced the U.S. Forest Service and the Arkansas Department of Transportation to assist in the cooperative project.
A couple of miles past Rotary Ann, the community of Sand Gap — shown as Pelsor on the official state map — sits at the junction of Arkansas 7, Arkansas 16 and Arkansas 123. The community’s sole commercial enterprise is the Hankins Country Store, a retail establishment dating back to 1922. Today’s visitors can purchase snacks, beverages, souvenirs and gasoline.
Before Arkansas 7 descends into Jasper, it skirts what is commonly called the Arkansas Grand Canyon. With the Buffalo River’s valley far below, views to the north and east are spectacular. Perched on the edge of a mountainside above the canyon, the Cliff House Inn is treasured for its “Company’s Comin’” dessert, the official pie of Arkansas’s 1986 sesquicentennial, no less, not to mention outstanding vistas from the dining room.
Jasper, Newton County’s seat, is known for its friendly folks, the annual Buffalo River Elk Festival and several good restaurants, including the Ozark Cafe and the Low Gap Café. A number of structures in downtown Jasper — such as the Newton County Courthouse — have been recognized in the National Register of Historic Places. Built using native stone, they provide intriguing possibilities for photographers. The Bradley House Museum is worth a visit, as is Bradley Park on the banks of the Little Buffalo River.
That brings us to the famed Buffalo River itself. Arkansas 7 crosses the Buffalo National River six miles north of Jasper at what used to be called the Pruitt community. Excellent swimming holes can be found both upstream and downstream from the bridge. Good campsites on the river are located nearby at the Erbie, Ozark, Steel Creek and Kyles Landing campgrounds.
On the west side of the highway a couple of miles north of the bridge is a historical marker commemorating a block of marble quarried from
the site in 1849, though an incorrect date is shown on the memorial. The marble was shipped to Washington, D.C., and serves as Arkansas’ contribution to the Washington Monument. Since Newton County is the only Arkansas county to never have been served by commercial rail, the 9,000-pound block was transported by wagon to the Arkansas River near Clarksville, where it was loaded onto a boat and sent to Washington. There, it was installed in 1850.
Across the highway from the marker is the site of a former trout farm, which became the Dogpatch USA theme park. A group of Harrison businessmen approached Boston cartoonist Al Capp in 1966 with the idea of developing an amusement park based on his syndicated Li’l Abner comic strip. When Capp agreed, the partners bought the 1,000-acre Ozark trout farm and transformed it into a tourist destination. Opening in 1968 following a $1.3 million construction project, the park hosted 300,000 visitors its first year. Guests enjoyed trout fishing, horseback and buggy rides, a miniature railroad, local arts and crafts, and costumed Dogpatch characters. Purchasing the park shortly after it launched, Arkansas businessman Jess Odom expanded the operations by adding an ill-fated winter sports facility called Marble Falls. The park soon fell on hard times, closing in 1993.
Missouri entrepreneur Johnny Morris, founder of Bass Pro Shops, purchased the Dogpatch/Marble Falls tract in 2020 for $1.2 million. Morris, who owns several significant tourist-oriented properties near Branson, has yet to reveal detailed plans for the new holding, but indications are he hopes to build a first-class nature preserve.
Ten miles further north on Arkansas 7 lies the town of Harrison. A chief draw in the downtown area is the Courthouse Square Historic District, which is comprised of 54 significant buildings, and Hotel Seville, a beautiful 1929 example of the Spanish Revival style that is home to the new Two Ravens bar. Other attractions include Maplewood Cemetery (best enjoyed during the peak of fall foliage) and several fine dining options, including Neighbor’s Mill Bakery & Cafe, T’s BBQ, DeVito’s Restaurant, Neno’s Place, and TallGrass Bar & Grill.
Arkansas 7 continues for another two dozen miles beyond Harrison before ending in Diamond City nearly 300 miles north of its starting point. It is indeed a long and winding — and rewarding — road.
Hotel Seville (Photo by JD Rice)
Dogpatch USA sign (File photo)
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In the Driver’s Seat Murder MYSTERY:
By SARAH RUSSELL
On the highway of his life, Jarrod Green became merely a passenger. Meth had shoved him from the driver’s seat and sent him careening dangerously toward an unknown destination. Somehow, Green knew there would not be a good exit for him — and he was right.
Once the poster boy for everything a parent would want a son to be, Green was the tall, good-looking athlete who stood out on the baseball diamond at Searcy High School. A playful prankster who loved to make everyone around him happy, he could usually be found by following the sound of his laughter.
In fall 1993, Green began his freshman year at Arkansas State University-Beebe. The precise details of his start with drugs are elusive, but just as it was with so many of his buddies, it began with people he knew. Sharing his high school hallways had been Brandon Wheeler and Robert Webb, described as inseparable, rarely mixing with others. That was partly by their choice and partly by an instinctive caution on the part of other students that caused many to cut them a wide berth.
After graduation, Wheeler and Webb, who was technically still in high school, rented a house in the North Little Rock area. They were from wealthy California families, they told the landlord, families who had sent them to the area for law school. By the way, they said, they would need a housekeeper.
drugs and were unaware of the danger staring them down as it ate their kids alive. Following the lecture, the Greens thought everything was handled. It was not.
One of Jarrod Green’s friends would later relate that drugs were by then already rampant in the area, and kilos were brought cross-country by truckers to fuel the demand. One trucker — Brandon Wheeler’s father — was later suspected but never charged with being involved.
Dealers also recruited pairs of teenage drivers to inconspicuously disperse the drugs within communities and across state lines. Often as not, it was not just about easy money; access to more drugs was a draw for the kids who were becoming dependent.
The truth was the duo was forfeiting the role of students for a new and darker lifestyle. With the pool, booze and drugs, their address quickly became party central, and Green and his buddies were drawn to make appearances there, as was another Searcy boy, 16-year-old Baron Stafford.
One day, Green’s mother had her laundry day upended when she found some marijuana in her son’s pants. She summoned his father from work, and yes, the teenager was in big trouble. Being the early 1990s, however, most small-town folks knew little to nothing about
Wheeler and Webb’s housekeeper, as it turned out, was thorough in her job, which lead to some disturbing discoveries. It was definitely a party house, she told the landlord, but why would two law students need an arsenal of weapons? Concerns skyrocketed when she subsequently found multiple IDs, all of which bore Webb’s picture under different names — Lance Wells, Lance Howell, Robert Howell and others. A viable theory in retrospect is that Webb might have used them as he transported drugs.
As Wheeler and Webb’s front was unraveling, so was Green’s life. Seemingly normal going into spring 1994, he appeared to undergo an abrupt and dramatic physical change in the ensuing months. He wore his clothes like a hanger, and his face featured hollow eyes. Disturbing, too, was his new habit of constantly having a gun on him, even within his family’s home. Perhaps he carried it to protect them, but as his concerned parents pressed for the truth, the young man evaded his family’s concerns.
What at last became known to them — and his close friends — was that Green owed Wheeler $7,500, a debt he could not or would not pay back, depending on who he told the story. In the drug world, nonpayment is not an option.
Once they discovered his plight, the family suggested a plan to pay off the debt and relocate him safely out of state. While insisting his creditors would not allow his debt to be paid off, Green was convinced to leave in what was hoped to be the first step of his reset. Instead, he returned just a few weeks later, lured back by a phone call in which he was reassured all was forgiven. It was safe, he was told, to come home.
Once back in Searcy, Green soon realized the call was just a ruse and the debt would be paid one way or another. On the evening of Sept. 30, 1994, Jarrod Green left home for the last time.
Uncharacteristically, days without any word from him followed. His frantic family struggled over the right thing to do. He was, after all, a 20-year-old adult, free to come and go at will. Reporting him missing could, at some point, result in his possible incarceration given his circumstances. How could he turn his life around with a record instead of a diploma?
Within a week, a friend came to the Greens to collect $600 he said Jarrod owed him. The friend claimed to have loaned him the money, taking his gun as collateral. On the night of Sept. 30, he added, a seemingly desperate Green showed up at the friend’s place. He said he had to meet with Wheeler that night about his drug debt, and he needed the gun. Giving the gun back to him, the friend was reassured that if Green did not repay the $600 within a few days, his father would.
On Oct. 5, the Greens learned Jarrod’s car had been sitting for days in the Walmart parking lot, and upon investigating, they found it there. The sunroof and windows were open, and underneath the driver’s seat, where he usually put his gun, were his car keys. Even in their driveway, Green never left his car open that way. It was time for the family to go to law enforcement.
From out of town, the boys of North Little Rock had called their housekeeper to report they were moving out. Stafford was also abruptly gone; his family had made quick work of getting him out of Searcy, presumably to keep him safe from his associates and the police.
On July 4, 1995, Robert Webb’s mother went to the Searcy Police Department. Her son had also been gone for months now. Supposedly, Webb had made himself a liability by bragging about his supposed involvement in Green’s disappearance. When questioned, Wheeler and his father denied even knowing Webb despite all the facts to the contrary.
Over time, Green’s core group of buddies began to quietly, slowly disperse, as well — some to the military, some taking jobs out of state. Green was gone, and no one thought it was of his own free will. The party was over, replaced with a feeling of ever-present danger.
The years moved on, but the investigation did not seem to. Families and friends clutched to a sliver of hope that the boys had just maybe made their escape from trouble, but the years have brought no proof of life. To the contrary, in late December 2000, Stafford confessed to his uncle, a minister, that he had been involved in the deaths of two other boys. The full extent of his story, supposedly in the form of a letter, has not been released by law enforcement because these are still open cases, but publicly, it is thought that the confession was in reference to Green and Webb.
over on suspicion of transporting drugs, which were found in the vehicle. It had not gone unnoticed that prior to the stop, one of them had tossed something out of the vehicle, a weapon that was traced back to Arkansas. Twelve years after his disappearance, Jarrod Green’s gun had been found.
In 2017, the Searcy Police Department charged Brandon Wheeler, 41, then living out-of-state, with murder and abuse of a corpse. This was predicated upon new information gathered from tips, one of which led, in late 2016, to a search of the Staffords’ 300-acre Searcy property. Cadaver dogs scoured the place, and a body of water was even drained, but no body — not Green’s, Webb’s or anyone else’s — was found.
It was subsequently deemed authorities did not have sufficient evidence at that time to take the matter to trial. Adding insult to injury, Wheeler filed and won a substantial lawsuit in 2020 against the authorities. He may not have the last laugh, however, because Wheeler can still be charged. There is no statute of limitations on murder.
As far as drug offenses, it is a different story, and the statute of limitations has run out. However, that, too, might ultimately prove beneficial because it has emboldened Green’s friends and others to come forward to authorities with information that could lead to the recovery of his body. Four other searches are planned to be conducted by professionals and nonprofits with years of experience.
Stafford was never questioned by police about the confession, and that lead quickly closed. Shortly after contacting his uncle, he pulled over to the side of a Florida road and shot himself to death.
In 2006, Oregon law enforcement notified their Arkansas counterparts of an unexpected connection. Two young guys had been pulled
It is a tribute to the person that Green was that three decades later, all that and more has happened. A $25,000 reward has been set up, and the Searcy streets where he and his buddies once cruised are papered with signs, fliers and even billboards. The case has received further exposure by podcasts The Vanished and Hell and Gone. In the two years since its creation, the Justice for Jarrod Facebook page has garnered thousands of followers. Information can be left on the Facebook page or by contacting Detective Spencer Dangerfield at the Searcy Police Department at 501-268-3531.
The shadows have parted. The years of silence and fear the family and friends endured have been replaced with relentless determination to give a respectful goodbye to the young man whose promising future was cut short before it began.
Jarrod Green let meth take the driver’s wheel, the mistake of a good and kind 20-year-old. Where did his last ride take him? Someone may know.
Jarrod Green
Brandon Wheeler
Goldfish
By Joe David Rice
My guess is that it was inevitable. The human attention span, according to no less a reputable source than Microsoft, has now fallen to eight seconds, a full second below that of the average goldfish. Rather than fretting over this latest impact of our digital lifestyle, let us quietly accept it — and think for a moment about goldfish.
That is right, those bright, shiny piscatorial pets many of us can remember from our childhood days. Arkansas, you see, is far and away the leading source of goldfish. Producing about 4 million of the flashy swimmers a week, Arkansas aquaculture farms ship the shimmering beauties to all 50 states.
Pool Fisheries, a family-owned fish farm near Lonoke, provides some 80 percent of the goldfish found in pet stores across the country. To give an idea of the size of the Pool operation, it is the largest customer of FedEx in the entire state.
Readers may be shocked to learn that many of the cute little Arkansas-bred creatures are not destined to swim lazily and grow fat in kitchen counter fishbowls but are sold as “feeder fish,” that is, live food to be served to fish higher up the food chain. The bigger fish found in aquariums typically prefer a wiggling diet, and 1- to 2-inch goldfish are often at the top of the menu. Many nature centers (such as those operated by the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission) and zoos throughout the country depend upon the state’s aquaculture farms to provide nutrition — in the form of live goldfish — for the featured species in their tanks.
some to Washington, D.C., from Japan, presenting them to the U.S. Bureau of Fisheries. A little more than a decade later, the first goldfish farm was operating in Maryland, and by the early 1900s, goldfish had become common in the United States. Other entrepreneurs entered the trade, and by 1925, several dozen hatcheries across the nation collectively yielded about 5 million goldfish annually.
By the 1940s, a handful of Arkansas farmers were producing goldfish on a commercial basis. Lonoke County is the hotbed of the state’s goldfish industry, boasting several thousand acres of goldfish ponds. Averaging about 2 acres each and 4 to 5 feet deep, the ponds catch the attention of airline passengers descending from the east into Little Rock’s Clinton National Airport.
During the spring, adult brood fish lay their eggs on mats, which are placed in indoor hatcheries for incubation. Eggs normally hatch within three to five days. The fry, or young fish, are transferred to the outdoor ponds six to eight weeks later, when they are about three-quarters of an inch long. They are fed daily with protein-rich Arkansas products: soybean meal, rice bran and cottonseed meal. When the fish reach market size, they are captured, graded and prepared for shipment, the vast majority leaving the state on one-way flights courtesy of FedEx.
While the so-called feeder fish might disagree, goldfish have traditionally been felt to bring good luck, at least in Asia, where the colorful critters originated. Many, many centuries ago, the ancient Chinese began breeding carp and eventually developed the tiny, brilliant version now called goldfish. Sometime around 1500 A.D., goldfish became popular in Japan, and by the 17th century, they had been introduced to southern Europe.
Goldfish made their first appearance in this country in 1878, when the U.S. Navy’s Rear Admiral Daniel Ammen brought
Not all of Arkansas’ goldfish are destined to be feeder fish or pets. In 2016, more than 1 million of the state’s goldfish were delivered by tanker truck to Tempe Town Lake, a 225acre reservoir on the Salt River near Phoenix. After the twoday journey, the fish were released into the lake to eat the larvae of midge flies, an annoying gnat that was adversely impacting recreational experiences at adjacent parklands. This biological solution using Arkansas goldfish kept harmful chemicals out of the popular lake.
And, yes, there is indeed “gold” in the state’s goldfish, an industry that contributes some $50 million a year to Arkansas’ economy.
Joe David Rice, former tourism director of the Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism, wrote Arkansas Backstories, a delightful book of short stories from A through Z that introduces readers to the state’s lesser-known aspects. Rice’s goal is to help readers acknowledge that Arkansas is a unique and fascinating combination of land and people — a story to be proud of and one certainly worth sharing.
Each month, AY will share one of the 165 distinctive essays. We hope these stories will give you a new appreciation for this geographically compact but delightfully complex place we call home. These Arkansas Backstories columns appear courtesy of the Butler Center for Arkansas Studies at the Central Arkansas Library System. The essays have been collected and published by Butler Center Books in a two-volume set, both of which are now available to purchase on Amazon and at the University of Arkansas Press.
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