75¢
Homecoming Court announced. (p. 8)
Volume 118 Number 35 - USPS 225-680
Community Events Calendar Thursday September 7 GFWC Elsie McCain Club Murry’s Restaurant Hazen 6:00 p.m. Hazen Masonic Lodge meeting 7:30 p.m. Hazen Juinor Hornets VS Clarendon Lions Hornet Field Friday September 8 Senior Hornets VS Clarendon Lions @ Clarendon 7:00 p.m. Saturday September 9 Prairie County Fair Queen Pageant 4:00pm DeValls Bluff Community Center
Hazen/DeValls Bluff, Prairie County, Arkansas
School Board transfer funds, pay increases The Hazen School Board voted to approve the transfer of $437,679.87 into the school district building fund from the district’s general funds in Period 13 of the 2016-17 fiscal year at its regular meeting held on Monday, August 28, in the high school library at 6 p.m. Present at the meeting were Superintendent Bill Crowder; Board Chair David Strohl; Board Members Davey Williams, Vickie Skarda, Richie Ingle, Freddie Rogers, Sandra Penn; and District Business Manager Sarah Snider. Crowder recommended the transfer of funds in an effort to keep around $1.345 million dollars in the general fund. The transfer will bring the building fund to $633,677.87. The building fund balance is not included in the district’s overall year-end balance by the state. Snider stated that by moving the funds out of the district’s general fund, there would be less chance of the district being put in fiscal distress. “Property values went up this past year,”
she said, “and we are seeing that this year.” “There are plans for this (the building fund) money,” Crowder told the board. “It will not just sit.” He mentioned the need for buses as one possible way the money would be spent. In other business, the board approved the superintendent’s recommendation to approve the 5% salary increase of certain employees from the 201516 school year to the 2016-17 school year. The vote was in accordance with Act 1120 of 2013 that requires school boards to review and approve certain salary increases within school districts. Because the salaries have already been paid, the vote was just a matter of protocol and meeting the law. When asked about why some of the salaries had increased by such large amounts, Snider explained that some employees had moved up on the salary schedule and others had been given additional duties for which they had been
see “School” pg. 2
First Rice
Monday September 11 Hazen Chaper #5 OES Meeting Masonic Lodge Tuesday September 12 Qurom Counrt Meeting Des Arc Annex Building 6:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m. Thursday September 14 Hazen Masonic Lodge Meeting Lodge Hall 7:30 p.m. Tuesday September 20 Master Gardeners Meeting BanCorpSouth Hazen 6:00 p.m.- 7:00 p.m.
Wednesday, September 6, 2017
Shown in front of the Vic Rhodes Insurance Agency sign is (l to r) the new owner, J. Russell Berryhill; Geraldine Rhodes; and office manager, Sheila Seeber.
Rhodes Insurance has new owner The M.V. (Vic) Rhodes Insurance Agency is now under new ownership. As of September 1, the business will now be run by Russell J. Berryhill of the Nationwide Insurance Company. The Rhodes Insurance Agency was opened in Hazen in the 1940’s, according to former owner Gerry Rhodes. Her husband, Vic Rhodes, who originally sold life insurance for the Life of Georgia company, opened up his own business because so many of his life insurance customers asked for other types of insurance coverage. The agency was first housed in Jackson’s Barbershop on North Front Street in Hazen, but it was moved to the present location on Hazen Ave. when a new building was erected in 1972. The new owner grew up in Hot Springs, AR on a
ranch. As a young man, he worked in his family’s produce business. He graduated with a B. S. degree from Minnesota State College and afterwards moved to Dallas,TX where he worked in management for Pier 1 Imports. He moved to Little Rock in 1996. He bagan his insurance career in 2003 when he opened a small office in West Little Rock. Since then, the agency has expanded to 4 locations in the state - Little Rock, Conway, Fort Smith, and White Hall. “We like to think of our agency as full-service because we have insurance solutions for your home, auto, toys, life, and retirement as well as your business and your farm, “ Berryhill said. Berryhill is certified as a “Commercial Lines Service Specialist, CLCS, and the agency has
received the “Masters Certification” from Nationwide Agribusiness, the nation’s #1 farm insurer in the country, according to Berryhill. “It is our goal to provide outstanding personal service, expertise, and value to our clients and to be recognized as the most respected insurance agency in the communities we serve,” Berryhill stated. “We are excited about the opportunity to continue to provide the tradition of exceptional, personal service that the M. V. Rhodes Insurance Agency has provided to the Prairie County community for many years Rhodes says that there will be no change in the Hazen office’s service. The business name will remain the same, and all policyholders will be kept. Sheila Seeber will continue to run the Hazen office.
Prairie County 4-H H begins 2017 annual fund drive Hazen Riceland Foods received its first load of 2017 crop rice on Friday 8/18/2017 (pictures above and below). The variety of the rice was Rice Tec x753, and the moisture level was 19.2, grade one. The rice was delivered from Greenwalt Co., driver Corey Tallent, pictured with Riceland employee, Thurman Penn, who unloaded the truck.
By Shea Wilson Prairie County Extension Service DeValls Bluff, AR - The Prairie County 4-H Youth Development program has begun our annual fund drive; establishing a fundraising goal of $4,000. All donations stay in Prairie County and are used to: offer college scholarships to graduating seniors; provide financial assistance for youth participating in 4-H programs where they represent Prairie County regionally, statewide and nationally; and provide funds when needed to start new clubs, offer leadership training, educational curriculum and activities. Given that 85% of our total funding comes through donations, any gift provided is greatly appreciated and will ensure that the youth of Prairie County have a quality educational program. Please consider investing in the 4-H youth of Prairie County. Checks should be made payable to: Prairie County
Cooperative Extension Service and mailed to PO Box 388, DeValls Bluff, AR 72041. You may also give in Honor or Memory of an individual or group. Your support is greatly appreciated. For more information about the 4-H youth development program, contact the Prairie County Extension Service at 870-998-2614 or email smwilson@uaex.edu. Like us on Facebook: prairiecoarkansas4h or follow us on Instagram: @prairieco4h. 4-H is the youth development component of the Cooperative Extension Service, which is part of the University of Arkansas System's Division of Agriculture. Media Contact: Shea Wilson County Extension Agent-FCS/4-H U of A Division of Agriculture Prairie County Cooperative Extension Service 870-998-2614 smwilson@uaex.edu
Community events brought to you by Hazen Chamber of Commerce and the
Please call F&M Bank, 255-3042 to list events.
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