75¢
County Libraries host summer programs. (See pictures on p. 6.)
Volume 120 Number 27 - USPS 225-680
Community Calendar of Events Wednesday July 7 Prairie County Master Gardeners meeting 6:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m. Hazen Methodist Church Hazen Public Library Toss Games Across from The Hazen Community Center 11:00 a.m. Thursday July 8 DeValls Bluff City Council Meeting 6:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m. City Hall Local Author Book signing Leah Brewer Prairie County Libraries Beginning at 11:00 a.m. Friday July 9 Vacation Bible School Hazen Methodist Church 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. Champions For Christ Tuesday July 13 Quorum Court Meeting Annex Building 6:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m. Thursday July 15 Hazen City Council Meeting Hazen Community Center 6:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m.
Serving all of Prairie County and the Grand Prairie
Des Arc School District hires Sherrell as interim superintendent By Lisa Mills Dr. Marc Sherrell was hired as the District Interim Superintendent. at the June 30th Des Arc School Board meeting. Dr. Sherrill will be under a one year contract beginning July 1, 2021 and ending June 30, 2022. Dr. Sherrell was previously the Assistant Superintendent at the Searcy School District. He has been in education for 17 years. He and his wife Deanie have three grown children and two granddaughters. They will be moving to Des Arc as soon as renovations are completed at the Superintendent’s house. Deanie will continue to work as a secretary at AHLP School in Searcy. New staff was hired for the 2021-2022 school year. Autumn Payne will teach Jr. High math and science. Samuel Goforth will teach social studies and be head softball coach and assistant football coach. Julia Logan will be a Preschool Paraprofessional. A motion was approved to pay a $500 per year
stipend to Billy Paschal who was appointed Dean of Students in May and to District Testing Coordinator Brenda Bagshaw. The board approved changes to the Certified Salary Schedule for 2021-2022. A motion was approved to get a Farmers and Merchants Bank credit card. The card will be in Natasha Richards’ name and will be held at the Superintendent’s office. The state requires the balance be paid each month which will allow a 0% interest charge. The card will have a $5,000 limit, and monthly statements will be provided to the board. The Board approved school payment of $48.25 for each district employee required to have background checks every 5 years. The contract from “School Eats” Food Service was approved for $45,000. This fee should be refunded through the company’s rebate program. New Superintendent Sherrell stated that he has had a good experience with “School Eats”.
Hazen Chamber of
Commerce and the
Please call F&M Bank (255-3042) or The Grand Prairie Herald (255-4538) to list events.
Superintendent Marc Sherrell Superintendent Kennedy reported that the request for the old Home Ec building to be placed on the State and National Register of Historic Buildings should be approved on August 4th. He also reported that the district’s State
Accreditation has been approved. The board approved the 2021-2022 school board meeting schedule, the required “Bullying Report” for 2020-2021, the required Statement of Assurance for Federal Programs, the School Health Survey and the
2019-2020 Legislative Audit Report. A motion was approved to purchase a new walkin freezer for the high school cafeteria. It will be purchased from Kreb Brothers for $17,565.97. The freezer will be purchased from the construction fund. Present at the meeting were Superintendent George Kennedy, Board Members Johnny Reidhar, Sylvester Holloway, Stewart Morton, Charlie Brown, Jordan Smith, and Drew Widenar; Elementary School Principal Cheryl Holland; and Interim Superintendent Dr. Marc Sherrell and his wife Deanie. O u t g o i n g Superintendent George Kennedy thanked the board for all their hard work and commitment during his employment and wished them and the new superintendent the best for the future. Dr. Sherrell expressed his excitement to “become an Eagle,” and said that he is looking forward to working with the board and staff to continue Des Arc’s excellent school district.
Former Hazen resident Dr. Lane Rolling to hold town hall meeting on the dangers of COVID-19 at the Hazen Community Center On July 20th, infectious disease doctor and virologist Dr. Lane Rolling, MD, will be partnering with the Urban League of Arkansas to share knowledge and information with Hazen and other Grand Prairie residents about the current Delta variant of the COVID-19 virus. The event will be held in the Hazen Community Center beginning at 6:00 p.m. It is hoped that town hall events such as this will help to spread public awareness as to the
danger and risks that are associated with the COVID virus and the perils of not being vaccinated. The organization also hopes to encourage those who aren’t vaccinated to take the vaccines that are being offered. Other locations holding similar town halls include Blytheville, Dumas, Marvell/Helena, and Pine Bluff. The Arkansas Urban League and the City of Hazen has asked that local people pass the word about the event. Dr. Rolling, who is
Prairie County Libraries to host a book signing of Leah Brewer’s latest work
Tuesday July 20 Covid-19 Vaccination Meeting Hazen Community Center 6:00 p.m.
Community events brought to you by
Wednesday, July 7, 2021
Author Leah Brewer Leah Brewer, a former p.m. resident of Prairie Brewer was born and County, will be signing raised in Prairie copies of her latest book, County, attending “A Moon Lake school in both the Chronicles Mystery: The DeValls Bluff and Des Evil Within” at the Arc School Districts. three Prairie County She is a blogger and a Libraries on Thursday, writer in addition to July 8. Her schedule being a wife and a will have her at the mother who loves to DeValls Bluff Library at spend time with her 11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m., family. She has worked at the Hazen Library for the same telecommufrom 1:30 - 3:00 p.m., nications company for and at the Des Arc almost 25 years. Library from 3:30 - 5:00
Dr. Lane Rolling well-acquainted with Hazen, having spent his childhood and teenage years here, is an infectious disease expert and trauma surgeon. He is the Director of Clinical Education and Research at the Tropical Pathology and Infectious Disease Association, and his effort is behind the public education program. Dr. Rolling is a certified chemical and biological warfare expert who is dedicated to saving lives and eradicating the coronavirus. He
is also a member of the COVID-19 Health Care Task Force of the Congressional Black Caucus. Dr. Rolling has been speaking out about the dangers of the COVID19 virus for over a year, and is presently overseeing a trial of a medication called NOviricid, a therapeutic with antoviral properties to combat the virus. “This September, October, November, Armageddon is coming,” Rolling told the Camden News. “This is a reality. You don’t
wear a mask, you’re gonna be in a body bag. I can promise you that,” he said. “We’re going to be doing this for the next three or four years. Do not bury your head in the sand because if you pull it out you might not be here in 2022,” Rolling said. In an interview with East Texas College students, Rolling said, “There is not going to be a cure for this. There is not going to be a cure for coronavirus just like there’s no cure for influenza. Period. End of story.” In June, 2004, Dr. Rolling began the Tropical Pathology and Infectious Disease Association ™. He lectures as a distinguished faculty lecturer about tropical pathology and global infectious disease, and has conducted tropical disease and infectious disease research for approximately eight years in Peru. He coordinates clinical education and medical missions for students that train worldwide.
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