November 30, 2022

Hornets and Bison to meet in championship

By Mark Buffalo Sports Editor

For the first time in their long history of playing each other, Carlisle and Hazen will be playing for all the marbles and a big trophy.

The Bison (11-1) and Hornets (12-0) will meet for the Class 2A state championship this Friday at noon at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock. Neither team has won a state title as recognized by the Arkansas Activities Association even though the 1960 Bison went undefeated and were recognized by the Associated Press as a state champion on their

ting ejected in the first half of his team’s 60-0 win over Bearden. King was trying to break up a skirmish between the two teams and was ejected by game officials.

able to play for a state championship is right under the pinnacle of what you’re trying to do,” Shock said. “That’s what we’re going to try to do

“We play different styles of football,” he said. “They are very good at what they do, and I think we’re good at what we do. Whenever you’ve

tunities that’s going to be there because I think it will be a tight ball game. You’ve just got to play really well in those games.”

Both coaches agree that Hazen and Carlisle playing for a state championship is big for both communities.

“It’s going to be huge for both communities,” Besancon said. “It’s going to be a hard pill to swallow for one of us. That’s the only bad part of it. If I was going to lose one, I’d hate to lose to Carlisle, and I’m sure Carlisle feels the same way.

“I’m excited for both towns. Everybody is going to lock their doors

classification.

Carlisle is 0-5 in championship games. The Bison lost to Barton 34-6 in 1989, Rison 7-6 in 1991, Barton 7-0 in 1993, Shiloh Christian 47-35 in 1999 and Strong 45-20 in 2011.

Hazen is 0-4 in title games. The Hornets lost to Farmington 10-6 in 1973, Rison 2-0 in 1982, Junction City 38-6 in 2014 and Junction City again 36-22 in 2018.

Hazen coach Joe Besancon said he’s not surprised that his team is playing Carlisle for the state title. The Hornets beat the Bison 38-30 on Nov. 4 in the regularseason finale.

“After we played them Week 10, I told Coach Shock that if both of us do what we’re capable of doing, we’ll probably play again,” Besancon said, referring to Carlisle coach Caleb Shock.

In the previous meeting, Hazen quarterback Luke King was suspended for the first half after get-

“With Carlisle, it always comes down to the line of scrimmage,” Besancon said. “We have to be able to control the line of scrimmage. When I watched that Mount Ida game, we can’t let them take the ball and drive down for 10 minutes and eat clock. We’ve got to keep them in second and long and third and long. That will be our key on defense.”

Besancon said offensively his team just needs to do what it does best.

“We’ve definitely got to block well,” he said.

“But, we’ve got to be able to run the football, and we’ve got to be able to throw it too to stay balanced.”

Shock said making it to the state championship game is what every team shoots for when it starts offseason each January.

“To be one of the last

this week, put together a good game plan, go execute it and see if we can win the first state championship in school history in a championship game. I know there is one from 1960 before the playoffs were played. Being able to win one at War Memorial would be an awesome way to finish off the season.”

Shock said both his team and Hazen play

got two different styles going at it, it’s going to be whichever team makes the fewest mistakes, whichever team capitalizes on the mistake that the other team makes. We’ve got to execute and not have penalties, get behind the sticks. We can’t turn the ball over. If we can turn them over, we’ve got to turn those into points. We can’t miss any oppor-

and be in Little Rock.” Shock said there’s a lot of alumni that have come through both programs that are still in the area.

“They take a lot of pride in their program,” Shock said. “Both schools have been there. You’ve got a lot of tradition in both programs. To be able to add on top of that, it being a rivalry game in neighboring communities, I think it makes it even more special.”

Scott named Des Arc mayor

By Rita Dobson

Roger Scott is now the mayor-elect of Des Arc. He will be sworn in January, 2023.

Arkansas law requires that when there are more than 2 candidates on the ballot for the same office, the highest votes received must be 50% +1 vote of the total ballots cast. On Tuesday night, November 8, Scott had exactly 50%, Fisher had 30.10%, and Burnett had 18.90%.

There is another section to that law that says there must be a 20% difference between the top 2 vote receivers.

The Election Commission knew there were provisional ballots

from the Des Arc precinct and announced a meeting to review those provisional ballots on Thursday, November 10. Two of the provisional ballots were legal to count with each candidate receiving one vote. All of this set into motion a Run Off Election. The Election Commission has rules and deadlines to meet, such as publication deadlines. Therefore the Commission needed to move forward.

On Friday November 18, the Commission met to review provisional ballots from all voting precincts across the county. Among the provisional ballots were 3 absentee ballots that the

tabulator couldn't read on the day of the election. Among the absentee ballots was one ballot from White River Ward 2 (Des Arc) and that person had voted for Mr. Scott which put him at the 50% + 1 vote threshold.

On Monday, November 21, the Election Commission had a special meeting with the mayoral candidates to explain what had happened and what the next steps would be. Due to Scott's votes totaling 51% it was determined there would not be a run off election for Des Arc mayor.

Scott served as Mayor from 1994-2002.

Carlisle led by two scores in the second half before the Hornets rallied for the victory.

Prairie County and the Grand Prairie

Prairie

banquet.

The Hazen Hornets (above) and the Carlisle Bison (below) hold their “tickets” to the Class 2A state championship game after beating their opponents in the state semifinals Friday night. (Brenda Foster and Ruth Corley photos.)

Local cyclist competes in events and shares some road safety tips

Gilbert Voumard, Sr. James Gilbert Voumard, Sr. of Austin, Arkansas was born July 3, 1938 and went to be with the Lord on November 19, 2022 at the age of 84. Best known as Gilbert or Gill to most but some of the ones he liked best was “Papa Gill” or “Papaw Gilbo”.

Gilbert was born to Henry and Joyce Voumard who preceded him in death along with his brother, Floyd Voumard and his son, Bert Voumard.

He was a farmer of rice and beans with his dad for many years then to fish farming and running a minnow route until earlier this year.

Gilbert leaves behind his wife, Ann Martin Voumard of Lonoke; his daughter, Phyllis Ann Freeman and husband, Mike of Lonoke; stepsons, Mark and Lynette Webber and Keith and Jennifer Martin both of Lonoke; step-daughters, Rita and Ronnie Parnell, Pam and Jimmy Dillie and JoJo Martin Talley all of Lonoke, sister-in-law Fredda Voumard along with a host of grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and many friends and family.

Funeral services were

held at 11:00 a.m., Wednesday, November 23, 2022 at the Westbrook Funeral Home Chapel in Hazen visitation was from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. prior to the service. Interment was in in the Hazen Cemetery.

Joshua Robert Wilson

Joshua Robert Wilson of Stuttgart passed away Friday, Nov. 25, 2022, at home. He was 27 years old.

Joshua was born Aug. 19,1995, to Karen and Mark Wilson in Little Rock, AR. He entered the lives of his family and forever changed them. Joshua would continue throughout his life to teach his family innumerable life lessons and touch the hearts of all who had the blessing of meeting him.

Although many milestones were not expected for Josh, he from a very young age set out to prove all those projections wrong. From the moment he took his first steps to the advances he made throughout his school years, Josh repeatedly proved that he was not one to be doubted.

Joshua would go on to walk the stage at his

high school graduation with both his favorite toy Elmo and his devoted teacher Ms. Lavern Wofford. After leaving school, he spent his days with his family, and filled those days with lights and only the best Disney movies.

Josh taught those around him a new level of patience and love that are otherwise not required of us in this life. He taught people the joy in the simple things we often take for granted and brought a light into others' lives that was all his own.

Josh is survived by both his parents, Mark and Karen Wilson; his sisters, Kayla Wilson and Abby (Johnny) Cheek; his brother, Jared (Abigail) Wilson; a nephew, Liam Wilson; and a niece, Vivianne Cheek; his Big Momma, Lavern Wofford; both sets of grandparents, Carol and Bobby Wilson and Jim and Brenda McDonald; as well as a host of aunts, uncles, and cousins who loved him dearly.

Services for Josh will be Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2022, at Turpin Funeral Home in Stuttgart. Visitation will begin at 1 p.m. followed by the Funeral at 2 p.m. The burial will follow at Hazen Cemetery.

Please go to www.turpin-co.com to sign the online guestbook.

Accountability reports for schools released

LITTLE ROCK — The

Arkansas Department of Education’s Division of Elementary and Secondary Education released today the 2022 state and federal accountability reports for Arkansas public

schools. The reports include information about student achievement and growth, graduation rates, and other indicators that measure student learning.

The Des Arc Elementary and High School received the state’s highest rating of an “A”. Carlisle Elementary School and Carlisle High School received “C” grades. Hazen High School received a “C”, and the Hazen Elementary School received a “D”.

While the number of schools receiving A and B letter grades decreased in 2022 compared to 2019, nearly 60 percent of schools’ ESSA School Index Scores (explained in more detail below) increased when compared to 2021 scores.

“As expected, this year’s reports do not reflect a complete recovery from the pandemic’s effects on student learning; however, the results do suggest a rebound from the previous year,” ADE Secretary Johnny Key said. “Since the height of the pandemic, districts and the state have used federal ESSER funds to implement programs designed to accelerate learning. The impact of these programs is promising; however, it is essential that the state and local school communities stay focused and continue best practices that will accelerate learning.”

The state and federal reports, available on the My School Info website (https://myschoolinfo.ark ansas.gov), mirror each other in many ways, with the state report including a letter grade for each school. This year marks the first time in three years that schools have received letter grades. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, statewide assessments were not administered in 2020, and

accountability reports were not released.

Assessments were given in 2021, and accountability reports, including ESSA School Index Scores, were released; however, the Arkansas Legislature granted a pause on issuing letter grades for 2020 and 2021 because of pandemic disruptions on student learning.

ESSA School Index Scores Explained ESSA School Index Scores are comprised of four main weighted indicators: Weighted Achievement, ValueAdded Growth, School Quality and Student Success, and Graduation Rate (where applicable).

Weighted Achievement scores reflect student academic attainment in English Language Arts and Mathematics across four levels: In Need of Support, Close, Ready, and Exceeds. The levels are weighted in the calculations. As a result, over time, schools can increase their Weighted Achievement scores by moving more students from lower to higher achievement levels.

Students are expected to learn and grow academically each year based on their own test score history. ValueAdded Growth scores separate the effects of non-school related factors (for example, poverty) on the student’s change in achievement so that the student’s growth expectation is more precise. This indicator includes English learner progress toward English language proficiency.

Hello

This is Greg Johnston, I'm the cyclist you're liable to see in the mornings heading to and from either DeValls Bluff or Carlisle on highway 70.

I'm easy to recognize because of the bright yellow shirt and the bikes flashing lights, red on the rear combined with a white flashing strobe on the front. I try to be as noticeable as possible to all you motorists, plus the lights are required by law for obvious safety reasons.

I've been cycling now for about 14 years but have really gotten serious about it the past couple of years. I started cycling for the exercise benefits it had to offer but was never consistent. I made up my mind a couple of years ago to stick with it.

I must admit, at first it was hard. I'd ride south of town to Lagrue Bayou bridge and back, about a ten mile round trip. There were days I didn't think I could make it back, but I persisted. As time went on my endurance improved, my weight was coming down and my times were getting faster. I started increasing my distance riding to DeValls Bluff and back, a 15 mile round trip. Once I was comfortable with that distance I then started riding to Carlisle and back, a 19 mile round trip.

I am now able to ride up to 50 miles and my weight has dropped from 205 to 165 lbs. I've not been in this good of shape since I was in my 30's while in the Air Force, I'm now 74 years old.

On September 24th, I participated in the Big Dam Bridge 100. This is one of the largest cycling events of the year, not only in Arkansas but the entire United States. There were also two teams from Europe representing France and Italy. It was estimated there were almost 3,000 participants in this years event. The event offered several routes ranging from 15 to 105 miles and started on river front drive in front of the Windham hotel. I chose the 50 mile course.

I have never in my life participated in such an

event as this, especially with this many other riders. To say I was a bit apprehensive is an understatement. Once we were all up and going the crowd of riders started stringing out at about two miles. By then, I was maintaining a comfortable pace of 20 miles per hour.

The hardest part of the 50 mile course was going through Pinnacle Mountain State Park where we had some really steep climbs. All of the routes would eventually bring you back over the Big Dam Bridge. At 4,226 feet in length and a 100 feet above the Arkansas river, it's the largest bridge built for pedestrian and bicycle traffic in North America.

I felt really good throughout the 50 mile ride and did well for my age group. There were 48 of us registered for the 50 mile ride in the 70 to 79 year age group.

I came in third with an average speed of 17 mph and a 3:00:4.9 hour time.

You know, I would've been first had I not stopped at four aid stations along the way for refreshments and then on the Big Dam Bridge to take pictures.

I had so much fun riding the Big Dam Bridge 100 that I registered for another 50 mile ride, the Ouachita Gran Fondo which took place in Hot Springs on

I did lots of training in preparation

If you see me riding along Highway 70, please remember cyclists have the same rights and privileges as a motor vehicle with a couple of exceptions. One, we can use a stop sign as a yield unless traffic is present; two, we can proceed through a stop light provided we come to a complete stop and no traffic is present. If a vehicle is stopped at a stop sign and a cyclist is approaching on the main road, the cyclist, same as a vehicle, has the right of way. Use extreme caution when overtaking a cyclists and making a right turn. Just the other day a young lady on her way to school passed me and then immediately slowed making a right turn. I had to do some hard braking to avoid hitting her right rear quarter panel.

I just wanted to let everyone know who the old guy is, wearing yellow riding along side the road, weather permitting.

By Greg Johnston

everyone,

October 29th. I, too, wondered what a Gran Fondo is. Gran Fondo loosely translated from the Italian means the big ride. This event benefitted Ouachita children, youth, and family services, and several hundred riders attended.

for this event.

James

The Prairie County Quorum Court approved Ordinance Number 2022-7 at its regular monthly meeting held on Tuesday, November 15. The ordinance approves the tax levy for personal and real property in the county which includes millage rates for each school district in the county as follows:

Hazen - 33.83 mills

Des Arc - 35.8 mills

Carlisle - 42 mills Clarendon - 39.4 mills Beebe - 36.6 mills.

The ordinance also sets five mills for each city in the county and for Prairie County’s general fund, three mills for the county road fund, and

two mills for the county library system. These millages are the same as they have been due to the fact that the requested millage for the Hazen School District was rejected by voters at the recent election.

Judge Mike Skarda reported that some scrap metal had been sold by the county, and asked that the court approve the sale of four acres that is owned by the county for $10,000 to Jeremy Tallent. After some discussion, the court agreed to the sale. Skarda also told the court that all of the bridges in the south

millages

part of the county had been repaired, and one bridge in the northern part of the county is under repair. He also said that the county now has two new backhoes.

The state inspection of the county jail found no problems.

County Treasurer Tamara Dabney reported that the computers have been down in her office due to a breach of the system across the state. The servers were hit by hackers. But she expects the system to be up and running quickly.

There was no other business, and the meeting was concluded.

Prairie County Sheriff’s Department

As of Friday, November 18th, 2022, the Prairie County Sheriff's Department (PCSD) has 41 individuals' felony and/or misdemeanor charges at the Prairie County Detention Center, located in Des Arc.

Michael Barrentine was arrested on Sunday November 13 for Breaking or Entering a Class D Felony Amos Fricker was arrested on Tuesday November 15 for 100 counts of Child

Pornography a Class B Felony

As of Friday, November 25th, 2022, the Prairie County Sheriff's Department (PCSD) has 41 individuals' felony and/or misdemeanor charges at the Prairie County Detention Center, located in Des Arc.

Timothy Fought was arrested on Sunday November 20th for Simultaneous Possession of Firearm and Controlled Substance, Possession of Controlled

Substance, and Driving on a Suspended License.

For more information on current incarcerated inmates in Prairie County and other detention centers across the state visit www.vinelink.com.

To report an incident or to give information on ongoing cases call (870) 256-4137, which is answered 24 hours a day, seven days of the week. Residents can also email the sheriff at rick.hickman@prairiecou ntysheriff.org.

State Capitol Week in Review

From Senator Jonathan Dismang

LITTLE ROCK –Funds are now available from the settlement of a massive lawsuit against opioid distributors, and will be awarded to projects that have demonstrated effectiveness in combating the abuse of painkillers.

The Arkansas Opioid Recovery Partnership has set up a website with information about how to apply. It has an advisory board that will review applications. The Partnership’s director previously served as state Drug Director for five years.

The Partnership is a combined effort of the Arkansas Association of Counties and the Arkansas Municipal League, which joined in the litigation against opioid distributers.

Arkansas was awarded $216 million in the settlement. That money will be divided evenly between cities, counties and the state and will be gradually paid out over the next 18 years. The settlement was announced a year ago, after four years of litigation that resulted in a $26 billion settlement that will be distributed nationally.

So far, Arkansas has received about $10 million from the first stage of the settlement.

At a recent news conference the Partnership director said that more settlements with other pharmaceutical companies may increase the total amount Arkansas gets from lawsuits over opioid sales.

The dispensing rate for opioids is very high in Arkansas. In Arkansas in 2022, for every 100 people in the state more than 80 prescriptions were filled.

That is an improvement over 2018, when more than 93 prescriptions for painkillers were prescribed for every 100 Arkansas residents.

The dispensing rate was even higher in some counties. In 2018, in Garland County 126 prescriptions were dispensed for every 100 residents.

The number of people who have died from an overdose increased from 180 in 2019 to 261 in 2020 and 371 in 2021.

The fatal overdoses are not caused just by abuse of illegal drugs, but are commonly from abuse of legal prescriptions. Arkansas is second in the nation, behind Alabama, in the overprescribing of prescription opiods.

After states and local governments joined in lawsuits against major drug companies, the prescribing of opiods tapered off between

2012 and 2020, when dispensing rates fell to the lowest level in 15 years.

However, even after the decline, 3.6 percent of all counties in the United States had a dispensing rate of more than one prescription of painkiller for each resident in the county.

Nationwide, the dispensing rate has gone down from a peak in 2012 of 81.3 prescriptions for every 100 people. In 2020 the national rate was 43.3 prescriptions for every 100 people.

One announced goal of the Partnership is to make Naloxone more available among first responders and groups that work to abate opioid abuse. It is a drug that reverses the effects of an overdose.

The 12-member advisory board includes a school board president, a county judge, a mayor, a physician whose specialty is pain medicine, a retired police chief, sheriff, a grant writer, staff and former staff of opioid abatement projects and an attorney knowledgeable about the settlement of the opioid lawsuit.

The board also has representatives from the Municipal League and the Association of Arkansas Counties.

When you choose to shop at a small business you are choosing to invest in your community. It is estimated that for every $100 spent in a local business, $68 recirculates and remains in the local economy. Local businesses are owned by people who live in your community. They donate to local causes and employ local people. In fact, 47.2% of employees in Arkansas work for a small business.

Saturday, November 26, 2022, was Small Business Saturday - a day to celebrate and support small businesses and all they do for their communities. There are more than 260,000 small businesses in

Arkansas. These businesses employ close to 500,000 Arkansans.

More than 43% of small businesses in Arkansas are owned by women. Veterans own 9.1% of small businesses and minorities 13% of small businesses in the state. These owners took a chance on their dreams.

As a result, the employees are more likely to be personally invested in the products or services they are selling. That often means they can provide more specific product expertise and a personalized shopping experience.

Whether it’s handcrafted jewelry or vintage furniture, locally-owned businesses are also more likely to offer unique

merchandise.

The Arkansas General Assembly continually reviews proposals to make it easier to open and sustain small businesses. In recent years, we’ve reduced the red tape on licensing procedures, lowered taxes, and improved infrastructure. As we approach the 2023 Regular Session, supporting our small businesses will continue to be a priority.

Your small purchase this holiday season can make a big difference. Our small business owners are still emerging from a challenging economic time in our history. We encourage you to shop local throughout this holiday season.

I would like to thank you for your support and confidence in electing me to represent you as your mayor. I am honored to be given this opportunity. I will do my best to represent you, to listen to your concerns, and work with you and for you.

Roger Scott Mayor-Elect of Des Arc

Long TD drive, defensive stand sends Bison to 2A state finals

By Mark Buffalo Sports Editor

The Carlisle Bison scored a touchdown late then held Mount Ida out of the end zone on the game’s final play to beat the Lions 25-20 in the Class 2A state semifinals Friday at Fred C. Hardke Field.

With the win, Carlisle (11-1) will play the Hazen Hornets for the Class 2A state championship this Friday at noon at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock.

Carlisle trailed 20-19 when the Bison got the ball back at its own 14 with 10:49 left in the game. They drove 86 yards with quarterback Holden Jones scoring on a 2-yard run with 1:23 left in the game. The Bison took more than nine minutes off the clock for the touchdown.

The two-point conversion was no good, leaving the score at 25-20.

Mount Ida did not go away quietly, driving from its 32 to inside the Bison 10-yard line.

Mount Ida was aided twice by illegal substitution penalties, giving the Lions a first down.

On the final play, Carlisle forced the Mount Ida quarterback to scramble and he threw the ball out of the back of the end zone, sending the Bison players, coaches and fans into a frenzy.

“It was a lot of fun to be a part of,” Carlisle coach Caleb Shock said.

“It was fun once the last play was over. It was fun during the game.

It’s exciting to be in games like that. It was fun for the kids and the community to watch. I don’t know if you wish all games would be like that, but it is fun to be a part of them.”

Carlisle running back Jason Sullivan rushed for 179 yards and three touchdowns on 31 carries. Kayleb Elliott had 55 yards on eight carries. Jones had 50 yards on 10 carries.

Shock said he wished the go-ahead drive had been one minute longer.

“Whatever it was, I wish it had been 40 seconds longer,” he said. “I was really proud of our guys to be able to do that. The offensive line blocked well. The backs ran it well. Jason, Kayleb and Holden — all three of those guys did a good job of running the football for us, just being able to pick up first down after first down. Holden did a good job of managing the clock.”

On the last play of the game, Shock said Luke Petrus did a good job of pressuring the Mount Ida quarterback.

“He got a lot of pressure on the quarterback,” Shock said. “He flushed him out and made him hurry his throw. He almost got a sack on the play.”

Carlisle never led by more than seven points the entire game. The score was tied 13-13 at halftime. The only time the Bison trailed was 20-19 before they regained the lead then held on for the victory.

Hornets settle down to rout Warriors in semis

By Mark Buffalo Sports Editor

The Hazen Hornets rallied from an early deficit to settle down and rout the East Poinsett County Warriors 56-16 at Hornet Field in the Class 2A state semifinals on Friday night. With the win, Hazen

Hazen increased its lead on a 25-yard touchdown pass form Luke King to Cameron Johnson.

Kolton Tosh also caught a touchdown pass for 30 yards from King.

King then scored on a two-yard run to end the first half scoring.

two quarterback sacs. Tosh has 12 tackles. Johnson had 11 and an interception. King had 11 tackles. Hunter Smith and Anderson had 10 tackles each.

“After the start, we finally started settling down,” Hazen coach Joe Besancon said. “The last five minutes of the sec-

(12-0) advances to the Class 2A state championship game where it will play the Carlisle Bison at noon Friday at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock.

Hazen trailed 8-0 before Braylan Anderson scored on a. 35-yard run. The Hornets took the lead on a 52-yard fumble return by Anderson.

Anderson scored on runs of 52 and 33 yards in the second half. Tosh also returned an interception 40 yards for a touchdown.

King completed 9 of 14 passes for 157 yards and three touchdowns.

Anderson rushed for 219 yards on 17 carries.

Defensively, Collin Kee had 15 tackles, including five for losses and

ond quarter, we scored three times to open the game up.

“We were stopping the run, and we just gave up two big pass plays to bail them out. I really feel like that if we don’t do that, they probably even struggle to score. That’s the things we’ve got to fix. You can’t play great run defense then go to sleep on a pass.”

The Carlisle Bison enter the playing field at Fred C. Hardke Field prior to the start of the semifinals against Mount Ida on Friday night. (Brenda Foster photos.)

Carlisle’s Jason Sullivan drags tacklers with him during the Bison’s win over Mount Ida on Friday night.

The Hornet defense held the EPC Warriors to 16 points in the 2A semifinals on Friday night. (Ruth Corley photos.)

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Effective immediately, the Rhodes family revokes any and all past permission for hunting, fishing or other gaming activities on property owned by Rhodes Farm, unless authorized by a current written aggre-

ment. This includes past verbal permissions that has been given to friends. We appreciate your compliance with this posted notice which will be enforced.

Thank You, Rhodes Family

Prairie County 4-H holds annual banquet at fairgrounds

By Emilee Moody

On December 14th, Prairie County 4-H held their annual 4-H Banquet at the Prairie County Fairgrounds.

Several 4-Hers and their families along with the Extension staff were in attendance. After Adysen Johnston welcomed everyone, the Pledge of Allegiance and the 4-H Pledge was led by Shyann Fincham and Talyn Johnston. Ronnie White gave the invocation, and everyone enjoyed hamburgers prepared by Chad Tallent.

Emilee Moody announced the awards for the evening while Adysen Johnston hand-

ed them out. The 4-H Record Book winner for Cloverbud was Savanna Osborn and Beginner was Valina Osborn.

Valina’s record book went on to win at the district level. Adysen Johnston, Jase Johnston, Savanna Osborn, and Valina Osborn all received personalized cups for completing the 4-H Poultry Chain Project.

Farm Bureau held a Rice and Dairy Recipe competition earlier this year, and two participants from Prairie County, Savanna Osborn and Valina Osborn, won their category and recieved Farm Bureau Swag and a cash prize.

The future of Prairie County 4-H is bright and if you would like more information about the clubs, please reach out to the Prairie County Cooperative Extension Service at 870-998-2614.

The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture offers all its Extension and Research programs to all eligible persons without regard to race, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, age, disability, marital or veteran status, genetic information, or any other legally protected status, and is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.

Learning about Leaves with HIPPY

By Gracie Derrick

On Monday, November 14th, 2022 at 3:30pm the Hazen HIPPY (Home Instructions for Parents of Preschool Youngsters) had their monthly Group Meeting at the Hazen Community Center. Linda Strohl and Gracie Derrick welcomed their families with excitement as they arrived. Each child was given a fall leaf sticker page to enjoy while waiting for the meeting to start. Once all the children signed-in, the HIPPY Coordinator Sam McDonnel opened the meeting by reading

“The Leaf Man” written by Author-Lois Ehlert. You can find this book within the Prairie County Library System. We then welcomed Ty Oillon from the Arkansas Forestry Commission who educated the children on different trees in Arkansas and the different leaves that come from these trees.

Ty had gathered a few leaves to show the kids and then allowed them to use these leaves to do their activity. Our activity was coloring on top of the leaves so we could point out each different vein in them. We learned that if you crumble up sassafras leaves it will smell like Fruit Loops! We were also taught about the Prickly-Ash tree which is referred to as the ‘Toothache Tree” because if you chew on the bark it will make your mouth numb and help with the pain from a toothache!!

The Group Meeting then ended and the children were given a goodie bag and a Pete the Cat book!

The children who attended were: Zander Moore, Ensley Adair, Roman Terry, Claire King, Waylon Sooter, and Brooklyn Mills.

Hazen HIPPY staff would like to thank everyone who attended and helped make this meeting a success.

HIPPY would like to extend a special Thank You to the City of Hazen for letting us use the Hazen Community Center, to Ty Oillion from the Arkansas Forestry Commission for coming and teaching the children about leaves an the Hazen Library for helping us locate “The Leaf Man” read aloud.

HIPPY IS STILL ENROLLING for the 2022-2023 school year, contact us at Facebook.com/HazenHI PPY or call us at 870255-1234 to enroll or for any questions you have about our program.

Join us for a SWEET time with cookies and a special guest at our next group meeting on December 12th, 2022 at 5pm at the Hazen Community Center.