75¢
(Prairie County teams victorious. Pictures on page 8. )
Volume 117 Number 47 - USPS 225-680
Community Events Calendar Thursday October 4 Hazen Junior Hornets VS Des Arc Junior Eagles 7:00pm Eagle Field Friday October 5 Hazen Senior Hornets VS Des Arc Senior Eagles 7:00pm Hornet Field Saturday October 6 Cobweb Broom Workshop LWR Museum Des Arc 10:00am-2:00pm Monday October 8 Columbus Day City and County offices will be closed Tuesday October 9 Quorum Counrt Meeting Annex Building Des Arc 6:00pm
Serving all of Prairie County, Arkansas
Des Arc School Board hears Report to Public by Lisa Mills On September 24th the Des Arc School Board heard the school’s annual school report given by Elementary Principal Cheryl Holland, High School Principal Bruce Guthrie and Superintendent George Kennedy. Elementary Principal Holland began the elementary school report with enrollment and new programs. The current total enrollment is 306. Teachers have been training for 3 new reading/literacy programs. These programs include R.I.S.E. (Reading Initiative for Student Excellence) which is a statewide reading campaign to sharpen the focus and strengthen instruction, create community collaboration and build a culture of reading. Two new programs that correlate with R.I.S.E. are the Wilson Foundations Reading Program for 2nd grade and the Haggerty Phonics Program for PreK through 6th grades. Other intervention improvement plans include after school tutoring, Para-Pros to assist with intervention instruction and Special Ed teachers and aides for in and out of class instruction. Principal Holland reported that, in order to deter excessive absenteeism (10% of the year), a committee was formed that developed attendance reward ideas. Students were also polled for reward ideas. Some rewards that will be offered every 9 weeks and at semester are treas-
ure boxes, extra recess time, homework passes, ice cream & pizza parties and gift certificates from local restaurants. Annual awards include $25, $50 and $100 Wal-Mart gift c e r t i f i c a t e s , Movie/Popcorn/Soda and a trip to Chucky Cheese. The ACT Aspire scores for 3rd grade show English/Writing: 86% down from 89%, Reading: 47% down from 82%, Math: 75% up from 57% and Science 53% up from 23%. Board Member Sylvester Holloway asked Holland why there was such a big drop in reading. Holland replied “there was a change in the way reading was taught from narrative to informational text.” Board member John Reidhar asked Holland how the problem was being addressed. Holland replied, “the new reading and literacy programs plus re-teaching, reading activities and practice testing.” Holland also reported that it was very evident that excessive absences play a role in low scores. Scores for 4th grade show English/Writing: 84% down from 88%, Reading: 50% up from 47%, Math: 84% down from 88% and Science: 52% down from 73%. Scores for 5th grade show English/Writing: 83% down from 93%, Reading: 48% up from 39%, Math: 84% up from 75% and Science: 59% down from 63%. Scores for 6th grade show English/Writing: 86% down from 89%, Reading: 57% down from 69%, Math: 76% down from
Before their meeting, the school board enjoyed a meal provided by OPAA. 96% and Science: 69% been a big hit with stu- Scores for 8th grade show down from 79%. dents and parents. On English/Writing: 85% up Parental involvement is taco and pizza days we from 80%, Reading: 62% up very important. Holland usually see 8-10 parents from 56%, Science: 57% up reported that DAES is come eat with their child.” from 56% and Math: 67% very fortunate to have DAES received an “A” down from 73%. Scores for great parental involve- on The State Report Card 9th grade show ment. PALS (Partners for 2017/2018 with a com- English/Writing: 74% Active in Learning parison to state averages down from 76%, Reading: 48% down from 57%, Situations) approved the at 82.83%. purchase of 10 new iPads High School Principal Science: 53% down from with cases and docking Guthrie reported that the 54% and Math: 60% up stations for K-2nd, as well total enrollment for DAHS from 48%. Scores for 10th show as a security system on is 262 including 4 who grade the doors on the east side travel to The Sunshine English/Writing: 77% up of the cafeteria. Parent School for services. from 75%, Reading: 54% up communication is con- Students in Advanced from 42%, Science: 35% ducted through the DAES Placement classes earning down from 44% and Math: Facebook page, DAPS college credit include: 9 in 43% up from 38%. Scores 11 in for 11th grade scores are website, bulletins, Class Biology, DoJo app, emails and our Language/Composition/En based on actual ACT new phone system. glish, 20 in U.S. History scores. English: 19.6 up from 18.1, Reading: 19.3 Parents can access the and 1 in Calculus. ACT Aspire scores for up from 17.8, Science: Home Access Center grade show 19.1 up from 17.8, Math: (HAC) to check grades 7th 82% 19.3 up from 19, Stem: and progress. Parents are English/Writing: also encouraged to eat down from 89%, Reading: 19.5 up from 18.6 and breakfast and lunch with 60% up from 58%, Science: Composite: 19.5 up from their child at anytime. 54% up from 49% and 18.3. (Continued on p. 3) Holland said “our new Math:72% down from 76%. OPAA lunch program has
Hornets and Eagles pair off for the Prairie County Food Pantry Pileup
Last Day to Register to vote for This General Election
This it is time for a Hornet vs. Eagle food fight!!! The Student Councils from Des Arc High School and Hazen High School started a friendly competition in the fall of 2012 to raise food for the Prairie County Food Pantry. The Hazen High School Student Council purchased a plaque that would travel to the school that raised the most food. Every year the competition is very close. One year the winner won by only 21 cans. The winner of the 2017 Hornet vs. Eagle Pantry Pile-Up was the Des Arc Eagles. Both the Des Arc and
Thursday October 11 Hazen Lodge Meeting Lodge Hall 7:30pm DeValls Bluff Council looks at the proposed contract.
De Valls Bluff City Council Meeting City Hall 6:00pm GFWC Elsie McCain Club Meeting 6:00pm Murry’s Restaurant Hazen Community events brought to you by Hazen Chamber of Commerce and the
Please call F&M Bank (255-3042) or The Grand Prairie Herald (255-4538) to list events.
Wednesday, October 3, 2018
DVB council approves sale of property for Dollar General The DeValls Bluff City Council held a special meeting on Tuesday, September 25, to discuss the possibility of a Dollar General Store being built in the city. Mayor Kenny Anderson and Aldermen Shirley Goff, Alice Metcalf, Marie Flanagan, Wanda Atkins, Richard Henry, and Raymond Watson listened to representatives of P. B. General Holding Co. proposing that the store be build on the old elementary playground land that the city owns. T. J. Meister from Commercial Realty and Paxton Singleton, the business development manager from Blew and Associates Civil Engineers and Land, tol the council that the store would be a 9500 square foot building. They mentioned that two alleyways would have to be closed, and asked if any utilities are in those alleys. Superintendent of the
DVB City Water Works, Gabby DelGiorno will be contacted when the iformation is needed. It will take from six to eight months to close on the property now that the contract has been signed, and a soil test on the property will take another eight months. City Attorney Mike Stuart said that the $80,000 offered for the lans, less the closing fees and commission, is high for a real estate sale, but Meister said that the price is negotiable. He offered to raise the price to $90,000 to offset the cost of the commission. The board voted to approve this amount. The floor was opened to get responses from those attending the meeting. Some concerns were voiced about the removal of the playground equipment and the wear and tear on the asphalt road leading up to the store, but the sale was
approved by the board and the contract was signed by the mayor. Stuart will write up the closing costs for the city.
Hazen Student Council members ask that all football fans bring any canned food (especially canned meat) and other non-perishable items such as diapers, and toiletries to the schools for counting. All food MUST be turned in by 11:00 a.m. on Friday, October 5th! Please do not bring out-of-date food. The winner will be announced at the beginning of the Des Arc/Hazen game. Show your support for your team, and help restock the Prairie County Food Pantry by participating in this annual event.
89°
88°
88°
83°
82°
70°
70°
69°
67°
67°
10%
10%
20%
10%
20%