75¢
GFWC hosts exchange students. (See p. 6)
Volume 118 Number 4 - USPS 225-680
Serving all of Prairie County and the Grand Prairie
DVB Council holds special meeting to discuss city needs
Community Events Calendar Wednesday January 30 Hazen Senior Halth & Wellness Center National State Bingo 12:30p.m. Bingo Hazen Public Library 11:00a.m.12:00p.m. Thursday January 31 Hazen Hornets VS Poyen Hornets Nest 7G, JB, SRS 4:30p.m. Des Arc Eagles VS Midland Eagles Nest TBA Saturday February 2 Busy Hands EHC Chili Supper Cross Roads Fire Department 4:30p.m.-6:30p.m. Tuesday February 4 Hazen Chamber of Commerce Meeting 6:30p.m.-7:30p.m. BancorpSouth Biscoe City Council Meeting Biscoe City Hall 7:00p.m. Tuesday February 12 DeValls Public Library Bingo 11:30a.m.12:30p.m.
Wednesday, January 30, 2019
Wishes do come true... Addysynne Leach (center), better known as Addy, was told her wish to go to Disneyworld was granted by Make A Wish Foundation volunteers Terri Tudor and daughter, Maraye. Addy was born with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (she was born with half a heart). She has been through 3 open heart surgeries, her first at only a few days old. Addy is the daughter of Jared Leach and Sidney Barnhill. (Photo courtesy of Candace Marcum.)
PC Extension sets annual PAT dates The Prairie County Cooperative Extension Service will be holding its annual Private Applicator Training (PAT) for certification or re-certification for the restricted use pesticide (RUP) license during February and March. This license is required by the Arkansas State Plant Board in order to purchase restricted use pesticides such as Atrazine. 2-4D etc. and is for private use only, not for commercial applications. Those affected will receive notification from the Arkansas State Plant Board approximately one month prior to the expiration of the current license. Payment for the license must be sent to the Arkansas State Plant Board along with the application form after attending the PAT training. This year anyone can apply for a five year RUP license, but the option of paying only one year at a time for the license will be available. The applicator training itself is a totally separate expense from the license and will cost $20.00 to reimburse the Extension's cost of educational materials, etc. This payment
goes directly to Extension and can be made by either cash or check made payable to the Prairie County Extension Service. Payment should be brought to the PAT meeting. The date and location for the PAT training in Prairie County is as follows: *Thursday, February 7, 2019 at the Prairie County Fairgrounds. Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. *Thursday, March 7, 2019 at the Prairie County Fairgrounds. Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. Participants must be on time and attend the entire training in order to be certified. These will be the only classes for Prairie County this year, but trainings will be held in other Arkansas counties. The Extension Service has a list of other county meetings. Those who do not attend the training will have to make arrangements with the State Plant Board to take an exam to obtain a license. There are no exams with the county pesticide applicator trainings.
Quorum Counrt Meeting Annex Building in Des Arc 6:00p.m.
by Lisa Mills On Thursday, January 24, the DeValls Bluff City Council held a special meeting to discuss the current police situation and need for a dog pound and dog catcher. Present for the meeting were Mayor Brooks C a s t l e b e r r y , Treasurer/Recorder Pam Del Giorno and Council members Raymond Watson, Richard Henry, Carol Griffin, Marie Flanagan, Alice Metcalf and Shirley Goff. Mayor Castleberry opened the meeting by asking the council if they preferred hiring city police officers or letting the Prairie County Sheriff's Department continue to police the city. Alderman Alice Metcalf answered, "The budget allows for 80 hours per week for city police." Alderman Shirley Goff stated, "We need our own
police. The county has done an excellent job, but they might not always be available right away in an emergency." Sheriff Rick Hickman answered by saying, "I'm all for the city hiring your own police but you need to make sure all applicants are thoroughly checked out and investigated. It's sad to say but there are a lot of bad officers out there who prey on small towns." After Alderman Metcalf stated that she believed the city could easily afford their own officers if the funds were managed correctly, her motion was approved to hire two city police officers. Mayor Castleberry stated that two applications have been received so far. A motion was approved to continue advertising. A committee was formed to review and interview applicants. The commit-
tee consists of Mayor Castleberry, Alderman Richard Henry and citizen Bob Johnson. Mayor Castleberry told the council that he had been in contact with Hazen's dog catcher, Tony Sayger, concerning the DeValls Bluff’s need for a dog catcher and a new shelter. He recommended the city hire Sayger on a part-time basis as dog catcher for the city. The motion was approved to hire Sayger. Mayor Castleberry recommended making needed repairs at the old animal shelter. Alderman Marie Flanagan asked if that was cheaper than building a new shelter. Mayor Castleberry stated that the concrete pad, the framework, and water availability was still there so it would be cheaper. A motion was approved to begin repairs on the old shelter.
Locals graduate from ASU JONESBORO – Arkansas State University has released the list of students who were awarded diplomas on the undergraduate and graduate levels during the 2018 fall commencement ceremony Dec. 8 in the First National Bank Arena on campus. The list of graduates from the Grand Prairie area by county are:
Lonoke, Carlisle, Brad David Horn, Specialist in Education, Educational Leadership Lonoke, Carlisle, Jordan Emerald Sheets, Bachelor of Science, Health Studies Lonoke, Carlisle, Lindsey Noelle Strickland, Bachelor of Science, Global Supply Chain Management Lonoke, Lonoke, William Brad Huffer,
Master of Science in Education, Educational Leadership Prairie, Des Arc, Rachel E. Rigney, Associate of Applied Science in Nursing, Nursing Prairie, Des Arc, Lainey M. Stanley, Bachelor of Science, Management Prairie, Hazen, Kalyn Victoria Boothe, Bachelor of Science in Education, Elementary Education.
ASU to hold 25th annual Agribusiness Conference Arkansas State University’s annual Agribusiness Conference this year will celebrate its 25th year of providing timely information and agricultural policy education to farmers, agribusiness professionals, students and educators across the Mid-South. The 2019 conference, on Wednesday, Feb. 13, will focus on farm management, the economics and politics of trade and farm policy, and commodity and credit markets, according to Dr. Bert Greenwalt, professor of agricultural economics and conference director. On-site registration will begin at 7:30 a.m. in AState’s Fowler Center, 201 Olympic Dr. Lunch will be served in the First National Bank Arena, 217 Olympic Dr., at noon. Afternoon sessions end at 3:30 p.m. The morning general session features four speakers and a panel discussion: -- Ted Glaub, founder and manager/broker at Glaub Farm Management, LLC, will give insights he has gleaned from a 40-year
career in professional farm management. -- Jim Wiesemeyer, Washington policy analyst for Farm Journal Media, will discuss the impact of the 2018 election on agriculture and the rural economy. -- Amanda Countryman, associate professor of agricultural economics at Colorado State University, will review the theory and history of U.S. trade policy and how current events are impacting farmers and agribusiness. -- Keith Coble, professor of agricultural economics at Mississippi State University, will discuss the lessons learned from the 2018 farm bill debate. The luncheon speaker, Tyne Morgan, is host of "U.S. Farm Report," a nationally televised program that focuses on agriculture and agribusiness. Morgan is a native of Missouri. Afternoon special-interest sessions include commodity market updates for rice, cotton, and poultry and beef, plus a session on credit, tax, and legal issues for agricultural lenders and producers.
The conference qualifies for continuing education credits according to the guidelines of the Arkansas State Board of Public Accountancy, Arkansas Certified Crop Advisors and Arkansas Agricultural Consultants, and the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers. Joining the College of Agriculture to sponsor the conference are: The Judd Hill Foundation, AgHeritage Farm Credit Services, Allenberg Cotton Co., Arkansas Farm Bureau, Arvest Bank, BASF, Busch Agricultural Resources, LLC, Engines, Inc., Farm Credit Midsouth, Glaub Farm Management, Greenway Equipment Inc., Helena AgriEnterprises, LLC, National Land Realty, Ozark Mountain Poultry, Quattlebaum, Grooms & Tull PLLC, Riceland Foods, Inc., RiceTec, Inc., and USA/Arkansas Rice. Admission to the conference and luncheon is free, but pre-registration is encouraged. Online registration is available at AState.edu/agribusconf.
Community events brought to you by Hazen Chamber of Commerce and the
HHS All Stars... Please call F&M Bank (255-3042) or The Grand Prairie Herald (255-4538) to list events.
Hazen High School Seniors Kade Perry (left) and Junior Minor (right) have been selected to play in the 2019 Arkansas All Star Football game to be held at the University of Central Arkansas in June.
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