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Hazen Schools hold open houses. (See pictures on p. 6.)
Volume 120 Number 33 - USPS 225-680
Community Calendar of Events
Serving all of Prairie County and the Grand Prairie
Wednesday, August 18, 2021
Local children return to school
Tuesday August 17 Prairie County Master Gardeners meeting Mehtodist Church 6:00 p.m. Thursday August 19 Hazen City Council meeting 6:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m. Hazen City Hall Tuesday August 24 Hazen High School Alumni meeting 6:00 p.m. Thursday August 26 Commodities distribution Hazen First United Methodist Church 10:00 a.m. - noon Junior High Hornets vs Riverview Hornet Field 7:00 p.m. Friday August 27 Senior Hornets vs McCrory McCrory Field 7:00 p.m. Senior Des Arc Eagles vs Palestine-Wheatly Eagle Field 7:00 p.m. Senior High Carlisle Bison vs Lonoke Jackrabbits Fred Hardke Field 7:00 p.m. Monday September 6 Labor Day Local and County Offices and schools will be closed 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.
Hazen Elementary School opened its doors to excited students on Monday. The district is requiring masks for all students for the first month of school in classrooms without individual student barriers and in hallways. The mask mandate will be revisited in September. The Hazen, Carlisle, and Stuttgart School Districts have begun the 2021-22 school year with mask mandates for staff and students. The Des Arc School District strongly recommends mask wearing but is not requiring it at this time. The Hazen School Board unanimously voted to start the school year with a mask mandate for all students and staff in a special meeting held in the superintendent’s office on Thursday, August 12. The mandate will be enforced on both of the school campuses in class-
rooms, hallways, and whenever social distancing is not possible. It will not be enforced on the playground or at meals, according to Superintendent Boothe. Boothe said that classrooms that have barriers which separate students at their desks will not have to require students to wear masks. Classrooms in the elementary school have dividers, but the high school classrooms do not. The schools’ ability to require masks comes after Act 1002 of the Arkansas Legislature was blocked by the
courts. The board members present for the meeting were Mason Sickel, Freddie Smith, Sandra Penn, Vicki Skarda, and Ritchie Ingle. Also present were Superintendent Donnie Boothe, High School Principal Mark Price, and Administrative Assistant Cindy Ciganek. Also present was Amy Beam Shultz, a parent who spoke against the mandate saying, “I don't see a justification to (mandate masks) at all.” The mask mandate will be revisited at the next regular meeting of the
school board that will be held on September 20th. The board also voted to approve a COVID-19 Leave Extension Resolution that became effective on August 16, 2021 and will continue until December 17, 2021. Under this program, COVID leave may be taken in certain situations. The amount of COVID leave available for each employee will be ten days if the employee has tested positive for COVID-19; if the employee is placed under quarantine or isolation by a physician, the Arkansas Department of Health,
or the District’s Point of Contact; if there is a need for the employee to care for a dependent who is subject to quarantine; or if the employee has an adverse reaction to the COVD-19 vaccine and needs to stay home. The district will be purchasing refrigerated sensor bottle fillers for the high school and elementary school from Falk Plumbing Supply for $20,853.79 to be paid for from American Relief Plan ESSER funds. (See related stories pertaining to the Hazen and Carlisle School Board mask rulings on page 3.)
DeValls Bluff hears plans for water and sewer system By Lisa Mills At the August 12th city council meeting, Engineer David Hilsdon addressed the council and citizens with information on what is needed to update the city’s water and sewer system. Hilsdon explained what issues need to be addressed what needs to be replaced and updated. Hilsdon and Utility Manager Eric Martin answered several questions from citizens about various current water problems but made it
clear that all water quality reports show that the water is safe. Citizens’ main questions were “why isn’t something being done?” and “when is something going to be done?” Mayor Dodson stated “we know what the problems are and how much needs to be done, but we don’t have the money to do it. That’s why Mr. Hilsdon is here. He is going to help get the paperwork started to apply for Rural Development
DA Council to apply for Legion Hut grant On August 5th, the Des Arc City Council held a special meeting to discuss applying for a grant to repair the roof at the Legion Hut. The grant is an Arkansas Rural Community matching grant so the city would have to provide $7,500 toward the project. Mayor Garth reported that it would be difficult to match the grant. It was suggested that the money come from the Special Projects Fund, but Mayor Garth said that since $14,700 had just been spent on the park gazebos from that fund there isn’t much available in that fund. Alderperson Gail King stated that if the roof was repaired so that the building would be usable, a grant could be applied for through
H i s t o r i c a l Preservation. Mayor Garth stated that the funds could be taken from the Special Projects Fund, leaving it low for now, but the fund would have to be reimbursed somehow. The council voted to apply for the grant and take the matching funds from the Special Projects Fund. The council also approved opening a special account at Farmers and Merchants Bank for the $160,000 received from the American Rescue Plan. Attending the meeting were Mayor Jim Garth, Treasurer/Recorder Chrisanna Knupp and council members Jodie Mayher, Gail King and Ray McVay. Mayor Garth voted in order to form a quorum.
grants.” A citizen asked, “Once we get a grant, how long will it take to everything done?” Hilsdon said “from beginning to end for a project like this would take approximately two years.” Mayor Dodson reported that $57,000 has been received from the “American Rescue Plan”. The council approved a motion to use the money to pay city employees for their work during the pandemic. The Fire Department reported 5 EMS runs, 1 Public Assist call and 1 meeting. Sheriff Rick Hickman reported 198 patrols and 11 calls which included 2 arrests, 2 traffic stops, 2 alarm calls, 1 welfare
David Hilsdon check and 1 death. Attending the meeting were Mayor Brian Dodson and council
members Marie Flanagan, Raymond Watson, Alice Metcalf and Carol Griffin.
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