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More Prairie County Fair pictures are on p. 6.
Volume 120 Number 38 - USPS 225-680
Community Calendar of Events
Serving all of Prairie County and the Grand Prairie
Wednesday, September 22, 2021
Join the parade - It’s fair time
Wednesday September 22 Prairie County Fair Grounds Senior Citizen hour 10:0 a.m. Thursday September 23 Food Distribution Hazen Methodist Church Drive-Thru 10:00a.m.-12:00 p.m. Saturday September 25 Prairie County Fair grounds Bow Shoot 11:30 a.m. Prairie County Fair Grounds Kids Activities 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. Prairie County Fair Grounds Pet Show 2:00 p.m. Demolition Derby Prairie County Fair Grounds 7:00 p.m. Gates open at 5:00 p.m. Tuesday September 28 Prairie County Health Unit Drive thru Flu Clinic Hazen Methodist Church 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. Hazen High School Alumni Meeting Hazen Methodist Church 6:00 p.m. Saturday October 2 Prairie County Master Gardeners Pumpkin Sale Hazen City Park East across from the Community Center
Community events brought to you by Hazen Chamber of Commerce
The Prairie County Fair was kicked off by a parade through Des Arc on Saturday, September 18, beginning at 5:30 p.m. Lots of floats and vehicles carrying Fair Queen winners passed by throwing candy to eager children who lined the street.
Carlisle School District extends agreement, purchases cameras Leigh Ann Biernat, CPA and Senior Vice President for Stephens, Inc. in Little Rock, addressed the Carlisle School Board at their regular meeting held on Monday, September 13, in the school board meeting room. Board Member President Adam Ellis and members Jereme Carter, Shari Crouch, Whitney Jones, and Debbie Reid were in attendance; along with Superintendent William Rountree, High School Principal B. J. Greene, Assistant Principal Megan Aukes, COVID Contact Person Lea Anne Measels and Technology Director Lucas Evans. Biernat told the board that the district had saved approximately $2.9
million by refinancing its bonds. The bond fund is now up for extension. The district has two outstanding bonds, and according to Beirnat, the low interest on the bonds is “still a win for the district.” Currently, the district qualifies for the low interest rate until 2037. Rountree reported that there has been some social media activity complaining about the food at the cafeteria. Quantity, not quality, seems to be the problem according to Rountree. “I've had more positive comments than negative,” he said. “My position is not to hide when people are unhappy,” he said. Rountree also reported that, “through the four weeks (of school) we’ve
Superintendent Rountree signs the agreement with Stephens, Inc., while Biernat and Ellis look on. kept our kids taking classes face to face.” “I’m appreciative of the good
work everyone has done,” he said. Assistant Principal
Aukes said that the 2nd grade had been most affected by COVID, which showed up in a drop in NWEA test results. “We lay the foundation for reading in kindergarten and first grades,” she said. Coach Green said that the NWEA scores in the high school were also low, but that the professional learning community (PLC) had been working on interventions by having a math week and an English week. Progress reports will be handed out next week. Aukes said that the elementary bootcamp had gone very well, with approximately 50 students attending. Carol Plant told the (Continued as Carlisle schools on p. 5.)
Prairie County Quorum Court to give COVID bonuses The Prairie County Quorum Court passed two ordinances to designate where some of the American Rescue Plan (ARP) money received will be spent. The county has received over $650,000 from the federal government so far, and the first ordinance (Ordinance 2021-4) created a separate fund number for the funds that can be specifically used for COVID relief. The account will be federally audited, and the funds can be used for clinics, broadband, and to pay bonuses to county employees and library
employees who have been working during the COVID pandemic. Ordinance 2021-5 appropriates the ARP funds, allowing for county employees who worked during 2020, and who are still employed by the county, $5200 in retroactive premium pay. This is an extra $100 a week, and the amount was based on 2080 hours of work at $2.50 an hour. Every employee will get the same amount, regardless of the position, because they are considered essential workers under the ARP Act. The ordi-
nance also appropriates money to pay the workers compensation, Social Security, and retirement for the employees in addition to the $5200. Prairie County’s plan was based on the Conway County plan, and was approved by the Arkansas County Association. The Prairie County Library Board also
approved bonuses for its workers out of its own budget on Monday night. Those bonuses will include County Librarian April Highfill and five library workers. This does not change the money that the county has already budgeted for the year. Rather, it adds to it. The premium pay will amount to $339,000,
which is half of the total money received. The county expects to receive another $786,000 sometime after the first of the coming year. (The specific amounts appropriated are printed in the ordinance which is in this week’s paper.) All of the ARP money must be spent by 2026. (See Quorum Court continued on p. 3)
Des Arc School District asks community input
and the Please call F&M Bank (255-3042) or The Grand Prairie Herald (255-4538) to list events.
The Des Arc Board of Education has selected McPherson & Jacobson, L.L.C., Executive Recruitment and Development to assist them in the important task of selecting superintendent candidates for the board to interview. The consultants will be
meeting with community members on Tuesday, September 21 at 6:00 p.m. in the high school gymnasium to gather input regarding the qualities of the next Superintendent. This meeting is open to any patron who wishes to provide input.
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