FREE WEEKLY 1168 Hwy 71 S Mena, AR 479.243.960071953 THE POLK COUNTY August 24, 2022 INSIDE: Bearcats vs. Leopards Page 17 SWEPCO Waiving Late PageFees10 Queen Wilhelmina Rod PageRun 9
By Ethan Nahté Big bucks for the con struction of betterments and improvements to Mena’s water facilities topped the agenda for the Mena City Council meeting on August 9. Sarah Giammo, a pub lic finance associate at torney with Friday, El dredge and Clark, LLP, was on hand to answer questions regarding the consideration of the following two ordinances:Ordinance No. 2357-22 authoriz es the issuance and sale of a Water and Sewer Revenue Bond and pro vides for the payment of the princi pal of an interest on the bond. Ordinance No. 2358-22 authoriz es the construction of Betterments and Improvements to the Water Facilities of the City of Mena, Ar kansas, and authorizing the issu ance of a Water and Sewer Revenue Bond for the purpose of financing and refinancing a portion of the cost of construction and providing for the payment of the principal of and interest on the bond. The bond will authorize $7 mil lion to help finance part of the city’s water project. During the public hearing, Giammo was asked if the ordinances would cause an increase in water rates. She replied, “There are no rate increases in consideration with the issuance of these bonds at this time.”
$7M Bond for Mena water facilities approved
Mena Water Superintendent James Looney added that there is an increase coming, but it is a sepa rate issue from the two ordinances being discussed. Both ordinanc es passed unanimously. Note that council mem ber Larry Stewart was not in Looneyattendance.also men tioned in his depart ment report that the wa ter department had been having success during the dry spell, locating leaks. Water leakage was 20.37%, which he said was good news. They found three leaks that had been contributing greatly to water loss over the past year. The water loss average for the past 12 months is 32%. Loo ney said, “We are excited to see a change and make some progress in thatMayordirection.”Seth Smith did mention an item not on the agenda, which was the recent grant awarded by the AEDC to purchase vehicles and a freezer for the Mena/Polk Coun ty Senior Center in the amount of $190,416.Ofnote in the department head reports, airport manager Fred Og den stated that the old weather sta Ethan Nahté/Pulse
See COUNCIL continued on page 7
Kacie Rose seeks election to Mena city clerk/treasurer position
In May of 2017, I was approached with the opportunity to work for George Davis at State Farm. I am currently still serving our commu nity in this position. I appreciate the support that my boss and co-work ers have shown for my decision to run in this upcoming election, as they know the passion that I have to serve the public and become more involved in our community.
2 THE POLK COUNTY PulseAugust 24, 2022News
Exhibits for food preservation, adult household crafts, needlec raft, quilts, artwork, youth and ju nior arts and crafts, photography, clothing and sewing, forestry and horticulture must be entered Tues day, August 30, from 1 - 7 p.m. Baked goods and candy and fresh cut flowers, bouquets and arrangements must be entered Wednesday, Aug. 31, 7:30 – 10 a.m.Farm crops and fruit and vegeta ble crops may be entered Tuesday afternoon or Wednesday morning. For your safety and the safe ty of those assembling carnival rides, please use the exhibitor en trance on Rodeo Drive. Do not use the entrance on Fairgrounds Road. Turn on Griffith Park, next to Bowser Funeral Home, then turn left on Rodeo Drive. Pass the “Dead End” sign and the exhibi tor entrance is on the right. Enter through the side door of the edu cationPleasebuilding.remember, if you are en tering photographs, per the rules, photographs must be 8-by-10 inches and mounted on an 11-by14-inch mat with no frame. Mats may be purchased at stores craft stores or locally at The Shop at the Foot of the Hill. All art ex hibits must be mounted, matted or framed and wired for hanging. No sawtooth hangers are allowed. Framing and glass are optional.
Submitted by Debbie Thompson
The title that I am most proud to hold, however, is the title of mother. I have two boys that keep me on my toes. I grew up in a very tight-knit family that was involved in vari ous school and community orga nizations. From a very young age, my family and I have traveled and sang Southern Gospel Music. Be ing a part of something bigger than myself and pouring into others is a trait that I am thankful to have. From singing on stage to being in volved in multiple sports teams in high school, I know what it means to be part of a team. My parents set the bar high for community in volvement. It is my goal to set the same example for my children. I in tend to instill in them the same im portance of hard work, leadership, responsibility, accountability, and dependability that my parents have instilled in me. I know that these characteristics will prove favorable in my position as city clerk/treasur er.I am highly motivated, and a quick learner with a servant’s heart. But more importantly, I am tru ly eager to serve my community. When elected for this position, I vow to serve Mena as an honest and trustworthy fellow member of the community with the city’s best interest in mind. I’d appreciate your vote and I look forward to serving you!
Bring your exhibits to the fair
I, Kacie Rose, am excited to an nounce my candidacy for Mena city clerk/treasurer. I’m eager for the opportunity to serve the communi ty that I’ve called home for most of myUponlife. graduating from Mena High School in 2009, I continued my ed ucation at the University of Arkan sas Rich Mountain, while also wait ing tables at local restaurants. After serving the public in the restaurant industry, I was blessed to get hired at The Union Bank of Mena. It was there that I learned many important skills that will be beneficial to me in my duties as city clerk/treasurer. I was required to balance daily, pro vide excellent customer service, and remain proficient in computer soft ware along with other technology.
Ashley Midgette, Mena Letter to the Editor
The Polk County Pulse welcomes letters to the Editor addressing any topic of interest to readers. To be published, letters must not contain obscene or libelous Theguage.letter must include a signature to be considered for publication. Signatures will NOT be held out by request. Letters will be restricted to 500 words. Any letters longer than 500 words will require purchase of advertising space.
dropped
The following contact information is re quired when the letter is submitted: NAME, AGE, ADDRESS, PHONE NUMBER. Letters are published at the discretion of the Editor and Publisher. Letters may be submitted by e-mail to news@mypulsenews.com; mailed to P.O. Box 1450, Mena, AR 71953 or off at 1168 Hwy. 71 South, Mena, AR. A provided by the front door after-hour
our
I have struggled for some time now with how to put my thoughts into 500 words or less. For that, I feel like I have done a disservice to the young women of our community due to the overwhelming pressure many of them experience to walk, talk, and act a certain way lest they be judged, talked about, or ostra cized. These young women and girls growing up in poverty-stricken areas like Polk Coun ty are some of the most disadvantaged by the trigger ban implemented this past June. These girls, many of whom grow up in families barely scraping by, now have to come up with the funds for travel, food, and lodging in other states simply to receive their much-needed medical care, often pushing back their abor tions into later weeks of pregnancy.
Roe v Wade was not simply about abor tions; Roe made the case that medical privacy was an American right. Since the ‘70s, sever al cases have piggybacked off the precedent Roe set, including but not limited to, the right to contraception and HIPAA. Justice Thomas, in his statement, suggested that because of overturning Roe, the Court should reconsider several cases including the right to contracep tion. According to the Guttmacher Institute, “using any contraceptive method significantly reduced a woman’s likelihood of becoming pregnant”. If we want to put a stop to abor tions why would anyone want to make ac cess to contraception more difficult? Should we have no say in the number of children we bring into this world? It feels like these politi cians are trying to force us to live by their per sonal beliefs and their faith. America used to be known as “the melting pot” and we are truly a collection of immigrant offspring, we don’t all share the same beliefs, values, cultures, etc., therefore we cannot make laws based on faith.A recent study in the Journal of Obstet rics & Gynecology found that homicide is the leading cause of death for pregnant women. Couple that with the fact that women in violent relationships are most at risk when they leave their partner, could you not understand why someone in such a situation may choose to have an abortion? The Pew Research Center states that 61% of U.S. adults “say abortion should be legal in all or most cases” while only 37% believe otherwise. Yet here we are. Of developed nations, we have the highest ma ternal mortality rate yet roughly half of us can no longer access care in our home state, with some legislators working to make it illegal to cross state lines for the procedure altogeth er. This is dangerous for women. As we all know “bans don’t work”, and if we truly want to stop abortions, we need to give families what they need. We need to expand access to healthcare for pregnant women and children, expand access to contraceptives, expand affordable childcare and funding for public schools, and we need to support mothers and children much better than we have been do ing here in Arkansas.
Pulse August 24, 2022 3 THE POLK COUNTY Letters Radio - Print - Web 1168 Hwy 71S Mena, AR 71953 Phone: 479-243-9600 Fax: 479-243-9603 Email: news@mypulsenews.com KENA 104.1 - KQOR MyPulseNews.com105.3 The Polk County Pulse is the area’s premiere and fastest growing news publication. The Polk County Pulse is FREE and published weekly on Wednesdays, with a distribution of 8,000 and an estimated readership of 10,000. MyPulseNews.com has hundreds of visitors daily and KENA and KQOR have thousands of listeners hourly. POLICY: The publisher reserves the right to reject or cancel any advertisement at any time. All property rights, including any copyright interest, in any advertisement produced by Pulse Multi-Media and/or The Polk County Pulse using art work and/or typography furnished or arranged by Pulse Multi-Media and/or The Polk County Pulse shall be the property of Pulse Multi-Media and/or The Polk County Pulse. No such advertisement or any part thereof may be reproduced without the prior written consent of Pulse Multi-Media and The Polk County Pulse. POLITICAL ADVERTISEMENTS: Advertise ments of a political nature must be prepaid and must also include the name of the entity paying for the advertisement. If an entity other than the candidate the advertisement is endorsing is paying for the ad, a statement must be signed by the candidate verifying the candidate has seen and approved the advertisement. Our Team: Ashley Moore - General Manager Ethan Nahté - Production Manager/Editor Patrick Massey - Contributing Reporter John Russell - Graphic Design Curt Teasdale - Programmer / On-Air Personality Trey Youngdahl - Reporter / Photographer/ Morning Personality Jackye Pruitt - Senior Account Executive Jodi Croft - Account Executive Ariel VarnerDanDistributionPersonalityReceptionist/On-Air&InsertionStaff:&LindaDeramus,JasonSharp,EdwardWerkhoven Want to share your opinion?
If you have followed the news, you may have noted in Texas and California that the power grid is stressed due to the unusual heat we are currently experiencing. Wonder how much that is exacerbated by the addition of charging for electric vehicles. Water and electricity are provided to Arizona, Califor nia, Nevada, and a small part to Mexico from Lake Mead. Historic drought conditions have the lake at record lows with no end in sight. Rather than conserve, there are those still watering their lawns and buying electric vehi cles (adding to demand on the power grid) like there is no tomorrow. It may be time to think what comes next if that well runs dry. Thank you for a forum to express my thoughts.
drop-box is
convenience. TO NEWSSUBMIT:ITEMS ANNOUNCEMENTS/ / LETTERS TO THE EDITOR / SPORTS UPDATES / CALENDAR ITEMS / CLASSIFIED ADS NEWS@MYPULSENEWS.COMEmail:
lan
In a previous letter to the Pulse some infor mation I wrote may have been taken different ly than I intended. This was my fault and I wish to clarify what I wrote/intended. Regarding electric vehicles and paying their fair share for road construction and mainte nance, it should have been noted those who purchase electric vehicles pay a one-time fee/ tax when the electric vehicle is purchased, and that fee is intended for roads. The point I was trying to make, though I did not do well at that, was that every time a vehicle is filled with gas/diesel taxes are part of the costs and those taxes go for roads. We pay taxes ac cording to how much we drive and fill up, no matter if we drive a lot or a little. We are even paying for road tax buying gas for off road use by lawn mowers, weed trimmers, chainsaws, ATV’s, UTV’s, leaf blowers, go carts, boats, or any of a number of other small gas devices. If paying a one-time fee when purchasing a vehicle were a fair and equitable way to fund roads, then it would apply to all vehicles, not just electric. I apologize if my statements were misleading as they were not meant to be. I will endeavor to be more specific/accurate in theAddfuture.to the mix hybrid vehicles that use some gas and some electricity. Their use of the roads paid for in large part by gas/diesel purchases, also begs the question of what is fair payment for all who use the roads? Seems to me another case of not thinking through all the problems involved before going head on with electric or hybrid vehicles and who pays for our road systems throughout the country.
With respect and kindest regards, Ronald Goss, Retired, Mena
CORRECTION: The August 17, 2022, edition of The Polk County Pulse stated muzzleloader season begins October 1. Muzzleloader season for the entire state, with the exception of Zone 5 (part of northeast Arkansas), runs October 15-23. Some areas of Arkansas have a second season, December 10-12, including a portion of Polk County. See the AGFC website or hunting guidebook for details.
for
Arkansas has begun the process of expanding Med icaid services so that more pregnant women can quali fy for the government health careTheprogram.expanded services should be available to thou sands of women by the begin ning of next year, if the federal government approves the proposals submitted by the state Human Ser vices
The state will also seek feder al approval to expand the range of services that pregnant mothers can receive. That will help some moth ers who now only qualify for Med icaid services directly related to their pregnancy.Thedepartment is seeking federal approval to offer full Medicaid cov erage to all pregnant women in the program. This would make about 2,000 women eligible for a full range of medical care, including care for behavioral health problems.
Home visits can help new mothers cope with anxiety and mood disor ders. They also offer advice about breast feeding and answer questions about lactation.
4 THE POLK COUNTY PulseAugust 24, 2022Politics John Maddox Larry Teague From the State House of Representatives From the State Senate Contact Your Legislators! John (870)Nashville,P.O.Larry.Teague@senate.ar.govCall:Mena,520arkansashouse.orgJohn.Maddox@MaddoxChurchAvenueAR71953(479)394-6060LarryTeagueBox903AR71852845-5303 John Boozman 1120 Garrison Ave. Suite 2B Fort Smith, AR 72901 Phone: (479) 573-0189 Fax: (479) Bruce575-0553Westerman 101 Reserve St. Suite 200 Hot Springs, AR 71901 Phone: (501) 609-9796 Fax: (501) 609-9887
DHS officials also announced that they would request an increase in the department budget next year so it can increase payments to foster parents. Many fos ter families now receive $455 a month for food and shelter for children in foster care. Many children are in pro visional foster care with rela tives, or a close friend of the family. Those placements are considered provisional for the time it takes to place them with a foster family. That period of time can be a month to six months.
vehicle has finished receiving or discharging its passengers and is in motion again. In the 2021 Regular Ses sion, the General Assembly passed Act 264 to clarify the distance and areas where drivers must stop. It states drivers must come to a complete stop no less than 30 feet from the bus when it stops to load or unload passengers. This 30 feet perimeter would apply to public roads, private or public prop erty open to the general public, and any driveway or parking lot belong ing to a public school. Arkansans should also remember that the use of handheld wireless phones are prohibited in a school zone. In 2019, the General Assembly passed legislation making the use of a handheld phone in school zones a primary offense. Every one of us has a responsibility to ensure students arrive to and from schoolRemember:safely. Flashing Red means Kids Ahead. To learn more about the campaign, visit www.flashingredkid sahead.org.
As Arkansas students head back to school, we want to take this week to remind drivers to be mindful of stu dent safety when approaching school buses. It is estimated that close to 350,000 students in our state ride a bus to school. Those buses make stops in every community.Itisillegal to pass a stopped school bus whenever its red lights are flash ing, as students are present. The fines, penalties and punishment for any one found guilty of illegally passing a stopped school bus were increased dramatically by Act 2128 of 2005, also known as Isaac’s Law. The legislation was named in honor of Isaac Brian, an elementary school student in the Bryant School District who was struck and killed when a driver illegally passed his school bus while students were exiting the vehi cle.The law requires drivers to stop on 2 lane and 4 lane highways in both directions, even those with a middle lane. Drivers cannot attempt to pass in any direction until the school bus
Beginning in September, the de partment will pay $240 a month during the period in which the child is in provisional care. The governor expressed his hope that in the 2023 regular session the legislature would increase the amount of provisional payments.Therewere 4,520 Arkansas chil dren in foster care in June. State officials are working to pro vide more resources for pregnant women because they expect an in crease in the number of unplanned pregnancies in Arkansas. Earlier this year, the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that overturned Roe vs. Wade trig gered a state law that immediately prohibited almost all abortions in Arkansas.Thestate Health Department is im plementing a service called the Preg nancy and Parenting Resource Call Line. People can call 1-855-ARKMOMS to get information about the availability of resources in their area that benefit pregnant women. That’s also 1-855-275-6667.
The call line will provide informa tion about health care services, pre natal and post natal care, adoption and foster care, child care assistance, mental health care, how to apply for a job, how to get treatment for addic tions, how to sign up for welfare and food stamps and how to get tested for sexually transmitted diseases.
AboutDepartment.5,000women with high-risk pregnancies would become eligible for home visits by a nurse. The visits would be available after the baby is born, for up to 60 days. About 450 visiting nurses now help expectant mothers enrolled in Med icaid. Last year they helped 1,913 Ar kansasHomefamilies.visits reduce the risks of long-term health problems for the newborn baby and they improve the health of the mother. In high-risk pregnancies they lower the need for intensive care for newborns, which saves the state Medicaid program enormous sums of money.
Rhonda is survived by her son, Jeffrey D. Myers of Hawaii; stepson, James W. Myers and stepdaughter, Julie R. Hartsel both of Arkansas; and her brother My ron “Keith” Nichols, his wife Marsha Ann Nichols; nieces, Makayla Grace Nichols and Mary Alice Nichols of Acorn, Arkan sas; grandchildren, Kasey Justus of Okla homa, Nichole Hartsel and Aaron Hartsel both of Arkansas; cousins, Cheryl Combs and Debbie Smith of Watson, Oklahoma; and many cousins and family members across the country.
Online
5 THE POLK COUNTY Pulse August 24, 2022 Obituaries
Guestbook: bowserffh.comBonnieIzetteBarrett,87,ofVandervoortpassedawayAugust21, 2022, at Homewood Cottages in Mena. She was born to the late Neal and Matil da Barrett on March 10, 1935, in Wickes, Arkansas.Bonnie was a graduate of Van-Cove High School. After graduation she moved to Dallas, Texas, where she was employed by Bell Telephone (later known as AT&T), until retirement. She then returned to Vandervoort and worked at Tyson for a short time. Bonnie spent her retirement caring for her mother and family. She loved hosting family gatherings and mak ing everyone feel loved and special. She is survived by one brother, Richard Barrett, and one sister, Velma Rans, along with numerous nieces and nephews. Pre ceding Bonnie in her passing are her par ents, five brothers, Charlie, Wesley, Doyle, Pete, and John, and five sisters, Lena Dean, Orena Milam, Virdie Harris, Maggie San defer, and Ethel Barrett. Graveside services will be held on Wednesday August 24, 2022, at With erspoon Cemetery in Vandervoort, Ar kansas, at 10:00 a.m., with Brother James Squires officiating. A general visitation will be held at Beasley Wood Funeral Home.Pallbearers will be Bill Barrett, Dwight Barrett, Michael Rans, Randy Milam, Hank Sandefer, Perry Barrett, Silas Bar rett, Donnie Barrett, and Johnny Barrett. Services are under the direction of Bea sley Wood Funeral Home.
BarrettBonnieIzette
ElizabethFernPurvis of Lakewood, Colorado; one brother, Dar rell Tenbrink of Nine Mile Falls, Washing ton; beloved grandchildren, Dacari, De nise, Heather, Elizabeth, Joel and Todd; several nieces and nephews and a host of other relatives and friends. A memorial service will be held at a lat er date in Jefferson, Iowa. Cremation ar rangements are entrusted to Bowser Fam ily Funeral Home in Mena, Arkansas.
sas,Mena,ers,NicholsRhondaMyage73,ofArkanpassed away on Tuesday, August 17, 2022, at 11:16Borna.m.Sunday, December 26, 1948, at the Army Navy Hospital in Hot Springs, Arkansas, Rhonda lived much of her life in Arkansas. Rhonda was a 1966 honor graduate of Francis C. Hammond High School, Alexandria, Virginia. She was well versed in corporate administration having served in several key positions in Arkan sas, Tennessee, and Virginia. Her greatest love was to our Lord Jesus Christ and her family. She was married to husband the late Terry Warren Myers of Hot Springs, Arkansas, for 37 years. Rhonda was of the Christian faith, her devotion and beliefs allowed her life to be joyful, fulfilled with strength, courage, and wisdom, allowing God to guide her daily life. Rhonda shared a positive view of life with all those she met; Always remem bering you are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, smarter than you think, and loved more than you know. Rhonda was an accomplished art ist who enjoyed canvas portraits, scenic views, and specialty items. Teaching ar tistic techniques was a favored passion for her. Her favorite color was blue. Rhonda found peace in sharing, believing, there were more good people than bad in the world. And forgiving those who violated her trust and confidence. She prayed for the civil goodwill and common unity to return as an American tribute. Rhonda is survived by her son, Jeffrey D. Myers of Hawaii; stepson, James W. Myers and stepdaughter, Julie R. Hartsel both of Arkansas; and Rhonda Nichols Myers, age 73, of Mena, Arkansas, passed away on Tuesday, August 17, 2022, at 11:16 a.m. Born Sunday, December 26, 1948, at the Army Navy Hospital in Hot Springs, Arkansas, Rhonda lived much of her life in Arkansas. Rhonda was a 1966 honor graduate of Francis C. Hammond High
RhondaNicholsMyers School, Alexandria, Virginia. She was well versed in corporate administration having served in several key positions in Arkan sas, Tennessee, and Virginia. Her greatest love was to our Lord Jesus Christ and her family. She was married to husband the late Terry Warren Myers of Hot Springs, Arkansas, for 37 years. Rhonda was of the Christian faith, her devotion and beliefs allowed her life to be joyful, fulfilled with strength, courage, and wisdom, allowing God to guide her daily life. Rhonda shared a positive view of life with all those she met; Always remem bering you are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, smarter than you think, and loved more than you know. Rhonda was an accomplished art ist who enjoyed canvas portraits, scenic views, and specialty items. Teaching ar tistic techniques was a favored passion for her. Her favorite color was blue. Rhonda found peace in sharing, believing, there were more good people than bad in the world. And forgiving those who violated her trust and confidence. She prayed for the civil goodwill and common unity to return as an American tribute.
Rhonda was preceded in death by her husband, Terry Warren Myers; mother, Lajunta Grace (Nichols) Cleveland; father, Jack Hall Cleveland; grandfather, Robert Adrian Nichols; grandmother, Mary Alice (Fox) Nicols; father-in-law, James Myers; and by her mother-in-law, Lura Myers. Rhonda will be deeply missed by all who knew her as she touched the lives of so many throughout her life. Condolences may be made to the fami ly at Beasley-Wood Funeral Home, Mena, Arkansas.Graveside services for Mrs. Myers will be held on Tuesday, August 23, 2022, at 10:00 a.m. at the Nichols Cemetery in Hatfield,PallbearersArkansas.areMike Thomas, Danny Miner, Chisum Vasseau, Jeremy James, Randall Watts, and Keith Nichols. Honorary pallbearers are Wayne Sud deth, Ted Dunn and Richard Loyd. A very special thanks of gratitude to the medical professionals and support staffs of Mena Regional Health System, Baptist Health Medical Center, Little Rock, The Green House Cottages of Homewood, Mena, CARTI Cancer Center, Russellville, ELITE Home Health and ELITE Hospice of Mena, Durable Medical Equipment and Supply of Mena, and Beasley-Wood Funeral Home for the many acts of kind ness, and professional support provided during a time of great struggle and loss.
GodOnlineBless.obituary at beasleywoodfuner alhome.com Fern Eliz abeth Pur vis, age 94, of Mena, Arkan sas, passed away Monday, August 15, 2022, at Bear Creek Healthcare in De Queen, Arkan sas. She was born on Monday, October 17, 1927, to Newton Earl Tenbrink and Ther esia Emma Rohde in Platner, Colorado. Fern was a very kind and honest woman whose greatest joy was being a Christian and following God’s will. She attended the Faith Missionary Baptist Church for many years. Fern loved to listen to Gospel mu sic as well as gardening and cooking her famous meatloaf for her family. Fern was a loving mother, grandmother, sister, aunt and friend and will be missed by all who knew her. She is preceded in death by her parents; her husband; four brothers, Dwayne Ten brink, Earl Tenbrink, Orville Tenbrink, and Kenneth Tenbrink; and one grand child, Jeffrey Hart. Fern is survived by three sons, Dennis Purvis of Florence, Colorado, Doug Pur vis of Morrison, Colorado, and Larry Pur vis of Florida; one daughter, Marilie Hart
a loving wife, mother, and grandmother. She was a woman of strong faith and a member of the First Christian Church in Mena. She was a homemaker, who made sure everyone had a birthday cake. She never want ed anyone to spend Thanksgiving or Christmas alone, so she always had a houseful of family and special friends for holiday dinners. She enjoyed cook ing, sewing, reading, traveling, and most of all golfing. She was a member of the Ouachita Ladies Golf Association for many years. She is preceded in death by her par ents and her sister, Mary Fairless. She is survived by her husband of 66 years, Edgar Glover; her daughters, Mel anie (Verl) Musick, Dana (Harley) Ihm, and Teresa Mitchell; her grandchildren Amanda (Gary) Page, Matthew Musick, Allen Henry, Melisa Musick, and Katie (Ashley) Crutchfield; her great-grand children, Hunter Henry, Lane Henry, and Cora Page; special friend and cous in, Doris Wolf; brothers-in-law, Oscar Glover and Charlie Caster; and sistersin-law, Patricia Tuomi and Elizabeth Glover Corry; a host of nieces, nephews, and other family members. Funeral services will be Saturday, August 20, 2022, at 11:00 a.m. at First Christian Church in Mena, Arkansas, with Dr. Harley Ihm officiating. Inter ment will follow at Mollie Gann Cem etery in Hatfield, Arkansas. Visitation will be Friday, August 19, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Beasley-Wood Funeral Home.Pallbearers will be her grandsons, Matthew Musick, Allen Henry, and Gary Page, and her nephews Charlie
David and Jean had three children, passing on a love of reading, a love of animals, and a love of coffee to all three of his offspring- none of whom inherit ed his excellent vision.
VonnabethGloriaGlover
Heaven just gained the best paper airplane maker on the planet. David Wayne Allen, born June 5, 1934, passed away the eve ning of August 16, 2022. David and his much-beloved sister Barbara spent most of their childhood in a home for boys and a home for girls. Despite being given up by both parents, he never stopped looking for his moth er, for whom he always had a room. He graduated from Ducatur High School and attended the University of Mary land.David met the love of his life, Esther Jean Snider. They were married May 4, 1956. Within a week he was drafted into the Army. He was stationed at Ft. Hood, Texas, as well as Germany. He was curious by nature and has a love of numbers and a gift of working out long algebraic and statistical equa tions in his head. He was also intrigued, and at times baffled, by technology.
Gloria Von nabeth Glov er, age 87, of Mena, Arkan sas, passed away Monday, August 15, 2022, at her home. She was born September 11, 1934, in Houston, Texas, to Scott and Verrena (Pittman) Kinnerson.Vonnawas
David’s faith was extremely important to him. Most recently he was a Sunday school teacher at First Freewill Baptist Church of Mena, where he was also a deacon. He felt honored to be of service. David is predeceased by his much-be loved younger sister, Barbara Laguire of Michigan. He never quite recovered WayneDavidAllen Caster, Jr, Buster Bonner, Robert Bon ner, and Cody Hameister. The family would like to thank Dr. Henderson, Kindred Home Health, Kindred Community Care-Lisa and Donna, and Dana Brown for taking such wonderful care of Vonna. A very special thank you to the Kindred Hos pice team, your care and compassion was exceptional during this time. Online obituary at beasleywoodfu neralhome.com (emotionally) from losing his eldest daughter Susan Rene Loika to cancer and he was very much saddened by the loss of 2 granddaughters in Texas. David is survived by his number one pal and wife, Esther Jean Allen of Mena; son, Steven Wayne Allen, also of Mena; daughter, Sharon Hunter of Texas, granddaughter, Lacora of Texas, grand daughter, Alexandria and Erika of Tex as, Brady, Brittany, Michael, Marcus of Texas, as well as granddaughter Kristen who travels frequently. In addition, he is survived by numerous great-grandchil dren and nieces plus all the neighbor hood kids who might also refer to him as DavidDad. made paper airplanes for his children and grandchildren. They were theHisbest.family hopes he is eating the best cheeseburgers and vanilla bean milk shakes he has ever had.
Services for Mr. Allen will be held Monday, August 22, 2022, at 10:00 a.m. at the First Freewill Baptist Church in Mena, Arkansas. With Brother Donnie Jewell officiating under the direction of Beasley-Wood Funeral Home. Inter ment will follow at the Pinecrest Memo rial Park, in Mena, Arkansas. Pallbearers are Jerry Huff, Jose Her nandez, Kenneth Cossey, Mike Hoover, GaryHonoraryThrelkeld.pallbearers are Bob Turner, Bill Martin, and Ben Finley. Online obituary at beasleywoodfu neralhome.com
Jimmie Ed ward (Jim) Shook, passed away August 17, 2022, in Mena, Arkansas, at the age of 92 after battling cancer. He was born July 17, 1930, in Alsuma, Oklahoma, to Ottie and Hilda Shook. Jim grew up in the Eagleton, Arkansas, area and at tended school in Acorn, Arkansas. He enlisted in the United States Army in 1946 and retired after 21 years of ser vice. During that time, he traveled all EdwardJimmie(Jim)Shook over the world from Germany, Japan, Thailand, and several military bases in the United States. He was a proud member of the 101st Airborne Division (Screaming Eagles) as a para trooper, with 53 total jumps. His time in the Army included service during both the Korean and Vietnam conflicts. In 1950 Jim married Sarah Loving and they had five Children to gether. Jimmy and wife Debbie, John and wife Shelly, Thomas and wife Vic toria, Patricia, and Jeffery (Kim). After divorcing he briefly married Doris Ver milion. He was currently married to Claudia (Dale) Mitschke Shook, happily after the past 21 years. Jim and Dale loved to travel, belong ing to a RV club and would go to sev eral places throughout the United States in their motor home. He also enjoyed fishing and hunting, but his passion was golfing, playing wherever he could and recording three aces in his lifetime. He belonged to the Ouachita Golf and Country club in Mena, Arkansas, and was a lifelong member of the Eagles and ElksBesidesfraternities.hisfour surviving children he leaves behind nine grandchildren, Jim my, Raelynn, Cydne, Nichole and hus band Jeremy, Nevin and wife Michelle, Nigel and wife Jolene, Ryan, Scott, and Cassandra. Twenty-Three great grand children, Kaeleigh, Jake, Hailey, James, Adriana, Autom, Aiden, Aubrie, Ayns lee, Jacsen, Ryder, Wyatt, Colton, Grace, Ethan, Hailey, Rylan, River, Rainier, soon to be Ducan, James III, Isaac, Alys sa, Two great-great-grandchildren, Lilli ana and Ella, and many extended family and friends. Jim was preceded in death by his parents, sisters, Patsy Vandehey (Ed), Charlene Wilhite, and Son, Jeffery. Cremation is under the care of Beasley Wood Funeral Home. Memorial service will be held on Wednesday August 24, 2022, at 2:00 p.m. at the Methodist Church in Mena.
6 THE POLK COUNTY PulseAugust 24, 2022Obituaries
The emergency was also adopted 4-1, with Douglas voting “nay.”
Item VIII (e), Ordinance No. 2361-22, to consider amending Or dinance No. 930, which provides for Conditional Use Permits and Declaring an Emergency. It was passed unanimously.
Item VIII (f) was to consider a Resolution authorizing a Con ditional Use Permit to operate a Vacation Rental Property at 2709 Hensley Ave. The property is locat ed at the corner of Hensley Avenue and West Boundary Road. Resolu tion No. 1452 passed unanimously.
Item VIII (g) considered a Reso lution authorizing the City Clerk/ Treasurer to destroy outdated fi nancial records and supporting documents of the City of Mena that are no longer needed for city busi ness. Resolution No. 1453 passed unanimously.ItemVIII(h) was to consider a Resolution to create the August 27, 2022, Mena Street, Dequeen Street, Martin Avenue and Gillham Ave nue Temporary Entertainment Dis trict; and for other purposes. Both council members Douglas and Ter ri Neugent voted “nay,” making the vote 3-2. The mayor’s vote allowed Resolution No. 1454 to pass. Item VIII (i) was to consider a Resolution to create an identical entertainment district for the Jeep Jam on October 1, 2022. The vote had the same results as Item VIII (h). Resolution No. 1455 was ad opted.Allthree of the next agenda items passed unanimously: Item VIII (j), consider the reap pointment of John Maddox to the Mena Hospital Commission for a five-year term to expire August 31, 2027.Item VIII (k), consider the ap pointment of Phillip Hensley to the Mena Hospital Commission for a five-year term beginning Septem ber 1, 2022, and expiring August 31,Item2027.VIII (l), consider the ap pointment of Jason Moore to the Mena Advertising and Promotion Commission to fill the unexpired term of Christina Kesterson—the remainder of a four-year term to expire April 30, 2023. Item IX (a) announced that city offices will be closed for Labor Day. The meeting was adjourned at approximately 6:41 p.m.
tion was not working, again, which is why Mena’s weather statistics have not been appearing on the various news channels the past few weeks. It is in the midst of being repaired, although the new weath er station equipment is in-hand but waiting to be installed, hopefully by August 15.
was an ordinance amending Ordi nance No. 616 prescribing zoning regulations for the City of Mena to rezone property located at 320 Mena Street, belonging to Walter Deetz, from an R-3 zone to a C-1 zone. The property is the former school buildings that were dam aged by the 2009 tornado. It was unanimously passed as Ordinance No. 2359-22, altering the property as a multi-family residential dis trict to become a commercial dis trict.Item VIII (d) was to consider an ordinance amending Ordinance No. 2340-21, which provided for the creation of Temporary Enter tainment Districts; Declaring an Emergency; and for other purpos es. As part of the ordinance, the applicant is responsible for all costs in providing security for the event. The security must be a minimum of two security personnel. Ordinance No. 2360-22 passed 4-1 with coun cil member Dwight Douglas being the only “nay.”
Fire Chief Steve Egger reported that the department had an up tick in calls. The same dry weath er that was beneficial to the water department was unfavorable when it came to fires, including a pair of unauthorized control burns. Egger did point out that another call in volved a smoke alarm activating. The tenant had placed something in her oven, fell asleep, during which time the food burned. She was awakened by the alarm. He pointed out that it probably saved herPolicelife.
Pulse August 24, 2022 7 THE POLK COUNTY News
ItemLance,VIII
COUNCIL continued from page 1
Chief Tommy Stueart an nounced that the police had made 340 calls to service in July. For those who know Sgt. Joe Quinn, especially Mena students and par ents, he will be leaving the force at the end of August. He has accept ed a job with Fort Chaffee fire ser vices. The department is currently recruiting. Stueart said, “Joe is go ing to leave a hole that is hard to fill.”There were also reports from building official Bryan Ross, hos pital administrator Robert Rupp, parks superintendent Wes Kemp, and street superintendent Aaron Rice. Mayor Smith spoke for absent parks and recreation director Phil lip (c) in New Business
It was our first full day in Berlin, and we were at the Pergamon Museum. We were experiencing one of the well-known fea tures of the museum, the Ishtar Gate from Babylon. It reaches 38 feet from the floor to the ceiling, covered in shimmer ing, brightly glazed cobalt blue bricks. The finely carved animal reliefs shine with vibrant aqua blues, greens, and yellows. Daddy and I gazed up at the images of dragons, lions, and young bulls. Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar II built the Ishtar Gate around 575 BCE. The gate was the main entrance into the city of Babylon and was part of Nebuchadnez zar’s plan to beautify his empire’s capi tal. He placed an inscription on the gate that read, “I placed wild bulls and fero cious dragons in the gateways and thus adorned them with luxurious splendor so that people might gaze on them in won der.” Thousands of years later, his words ring true as I gazed in wonder when I first encountered the ancient entryway. In a museum filled with ancient won ders, such as the Market Gate of Miletus, which is a large marble monument built during the 2nd century A.D. in the ancient Greek city of Miletus, now what is known as modern-day Turkey, the Ishtar Gate stood out in its brilliant color and magnif icent artistry. “What an amazing way to start our tour of Germany,” I thought. After lunch in the museum café, where I en joyed an excellent veggie burger and ex perienced rhubarb juice for the first time, Daddy and I headed back to our hotel. As we walked across the Spree River bridge, we saw a fantastic view of the Ber lin Cathedral with its striking, green-col ored copper dome. The Cathedral’s histo ry goes back to the 15th century. In 1894, Emperor Wilhelm II decided to demolish the old cathedral and build a new cathe dral that he envisioned as the answer to St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. Daddy and I decided to take a river cruise on the Spree River. It was a beau tiful day and relaxing after the long walk from our hotel to Museum Island and tak ing in the Pergamon Museum felt good. Because the Berlin Cathedral sits on the banks of the Spree, our cruise gave us incredible views of the Cathedral and all the other beautiful buildings on Museum Island. I was looking forward to touring the Cathedral. Our tour had arranged a guid ed tour of the Cathedral later that day. The Berlin Cathedral tour was an op tional extra for anyone who wanted to go. We were to meet our tour guide at 4:30 in the hotel lobby and walk to the Cathedral for the 5:00 tour. By the time Daddy and I returned to the hotel, and he was settled in our room, the tour group had already left the hotel. I started walking to the train station us ing the app on my phone. According to the app, I would be able to catch the train and make it to the Cathedral in time. There was just one problem. The app directed me to the train station and even gave me the train number, but I couldn’t find the train. There were two levels to the sta tion, but I couldn’t find my train, U5, any where. I assumed the U meant upper, and I walked the length of the upper level but could not find it. I finally found a wide stair case going down from the main level and discovered that U meant underground. By the time I found my train and got off at the Museum Island stop, it was after 5:00. I hurried to the Berlin Cathedral, but there was no sign of my group. When I walked up to the entrance, there were signs saying the Cathedral was closed for the day. I tried the door, thinking my group might be inside or someone could direct me to them, but the door was locked. A wave of disappointment washed over me. I had missed the tour. I was upset with myself for not figuring out the train system in time. “Oh well,” I thought, “there’s noth ing I can do about it now.” I had been so rushed trying to get to the Cathedral on time that I hadn’t paid attention to what was happening around me. I stood there, taking in my surround ings. As I walked back onto the Spree River bridge, I heard a young girl playing the flute. I leaned against the railing for a few minutes listening to her play. As I walked away, I tossed a Euro coin into the small box next to her that read, “spende.” My translation app told me that “spende” meant donation. As I walked across the bridge, I was in no hurry to return to the hotel. I had not traveled to Germany to spend my time in a hotel. I wandered through the area’s streets and found a several-block-long cobblestone pedestrian lane lined with tall, beautiful trees in an area surrounded by buildings. As I walked along, I heard music and followed the sound until I came to a place where a band was playing in front of a small coffee shop. I ordered a latte macchiato and sat at a small table under the trees listening to the upbeat, happy music. Even though the songs were in Spanish, and I could only pick out a few words, the pop, reggae, and Latin, fusion was unique and enjoyable. When the band took a break, I went up to talk to them and asked if anyone spoke English. The lead singer spoke English, and we spent a few minutes visiting. He and his band Mikarma were visiting Berlin for the first time, and they had only been in Germany for a couple of days. As I made my way through the streets of Berlin on my way back to my hotel, I thought about how disappointed I was to miss the Berlin Cathedral tour. But I real ized that If I had made the tour in time, I would have missed out on the experience of listening to and visiting with the band Mikarma. Sometimes what we think to be annoyances can be blessings in disguise. Those times we are late or held up from being where we feel we should be at the time can end up being God’s plan for us allGentlealong.
The Berlin Cathedral sits majestically upon Museum Island. The Friedrichs brücke (Friedrichs Bridge) crosses the River Spree in Berlin-Mitte. (Photo by Richie Lawry)
Joke of the Week:
I started a dating website for chickens. It’s not my regular job, I am just doing it to help make hens meet. Replacing windshields in Polk County for over forty years. Give Richie a call at 479-394-9938 Located at 3008 Hwy 71 South
8 THE POLK COUNTY PulseAugust 24, 2022Faith
By Richie Lawry
Reader, “People may make plans in their minds, but only the Lord can make them come true.” Proverbs 16:1 (NCV) Don’t let disappointments in life bring you down. We never know what God has in store for us in the future. “I know what I have planned for you,” says the Lord. “I have plans to prosper you, not to harm you. I have plans to give you a future filled with hope.” Jeremiah 29:11 (NET)
An Arkie’s Faith Berlin Cathedral
The 47th annual event will in clude a street dance, live music, and vendors in addition to the hot rods, classic beauties, and muscle cars. The weather should be most ly sunny to partly cloudy, with less than 25% chance (as of press time)precipitation Friday and Saturday, with highs in the midto-high 80s, and a 46% potential
EthanEthanPhotosbyNahtéPhotosbyNahté
47th Annual Queen Wilhelmina Rod Run this weekend
By Ethan Nahté It’s that time of year for the Queen Wilhelmina Rod Run. The event begins this coming Friday in and around the KCS train depot, up along Mena Street and continues Saturday through Sunday atop Rich Mountain at Queen Wil helmina State Park. (see schedule on page 13).
Pulse August 24, 2022 9 THE POLK COUNTY News
10 THE POLK COUNTY PulseAugust 24, 2022News
Average Monthly Payment plan
“We understand customers are concerned about the rising cost of electricity across our region as we have experienced record-breaking heat this summer coupled with ris ing fuel costs,” said Malcolm Smoak, SWEPCO president and Chief Op erating Officer. “We want to give customers every opportunity to keep their electric service connect ed at home. These new measures will allow customers the ability to continue paying toward their elec tric bill while giving them peace of mind knowing they will remain connected to their service.”
Customers who are current on their bill can also sign up for our Av erage Monthly Payment plan, which can help spread the costs through out the year, avoiding seasonal spikes. To sign up, visit SWEPCO. com/AMP.
All SWEPCO residential custom ers can get their late fees waived and take advantage of an extended payment plan that gives them up to 12 months to pay their bill in full. In some cases, deposits can also be waived. These are similar programs offered during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
SHREVEPORT, La. (August 16, 2022) – Southwestern Electric Pow er Co. announced today new mea sures to help residential customers facing high bills due to increased demand and rising fuel costs.
Help a neighbor in need Our Neighbor to Neighbor pro gram offers customers who can lend a helping hand the opportunity to give to those who are experiencing financial hardships. Administered through the Dollar Energy Fund, customers can make a monthly donation of any amount on their monthly bill, providing eligible cus tomers with a utility assistance grant directly to their own bill. To sign up, customers can visit our Neighbor to Neighbor Donation page:
SWEPCO to waive late fees, offer extended payment plans
Residential customers wishing to get late fees and deposits waived must call 1-888-216-3523 to speak with a SWEPCO representative who can also help set them up on an extended payment plan.
moneytheirdownloaderstoTheUtilitybortoprograms/donation/.www.swepco.com/account/bills/https://Customerscanalsogivedirectlyafamilymember,friendorneighinneedthroughtheLightingVoucher(LUV)program.creditcanbeapplieddirectlytherecipient’saccount.Customcanvisit SWEPCO.com/LUV totheformandmailincontributionusingacheckororder.
Customers should be aware that SWEPCO is experiencing ongo ing high call volumes. Customers who are current on their account can choose to make payment ar rangements online by logging in at SWEPCO.com/Assist or over the phone by using our automated fea ture when calling 1-888-216-3523. These flexible options will be available to residential customers through Oct. 31, 2022.
Learn more about the Pest Control program online examinations
Pulse August 24, 2022 11 THE POLK COUNTY News
The Pesticide Program administers 10 licenses, two of which require exams prior to licensure. These exams have his torically been administered only in person.Theonline exams are proctored in partnership with Everblue, a tech nology company that specializes in digitizing and auto mating pro cesses. Can didates can register on line for state Pest enrolledimmediatelyandgramPesticideProgramControlandProexamswillbeintotheir on-demand test. Exams proctored through Everblue will have an additional proctoring fee of $30 per exam.
The Arkansas Department of Agri culture’s (Department) Pest Control Program is responsible for admin istering 11 different residential and commercial Pest Control Program licenses and certifications which re quire applicants to successfully pass exams prior to the issuance of the li cense or certification.
“We’re excited to partner with Ev erblue and offer these exams online to increase accessibility and efficien cy,” said Scott Bray, Director of the Department’s Plant Industry Divi sion. “By offering an online option, those unable to travel to Little Rock can now take the exams at home, ex panding PesticideControlofavailabilitytheourPestandprograms.”Inaddition to the online exams, the Department will continue to offer in-person cer tification exams at the main office in Little
“TheRock.Department is responsible for administering a total of 44 dif ferent licenses and certifications, 22 of which require exams,” said Wes Ward, Arkansas Secretary of Agri culture. “We are working to make more exams available online to in crease accessibility to all programs within the Department that require a license or certification.”
arkansas.gov/andproductsensuringalandtureandmentriculturecide-section/licensing-permits/arkansas.gov/plant-industries/pestiProgramtrol.tries/regulatory-section/pest-conriculture.arkansas.gov/plant-indusat agLearnmoreaboutPesticidelicensesat agriculture.TheArkansasDepartmentofAgisdedicatedtothedevelopandimplementationofpoliciesprogramsforArkansasagriculandforestrytokeepitsfarmersrancherscompetitiveinnationandinternationalmarketswhilesafefood,fiber,andforestforthecitizensofthestatenation.Visit www.agriculture..(Photo by Roger Brown: Pexels.com)
LITTLE ROCK, AR –The Arkan sas Department of Agriculture is pleased to announce that Pest Con trol Program and Pesticide Program licensing and certification exams are now offered online.
Online option for pest control and pesticide program licensing and certification exams
Brad Storey is directing his original script based on the classic novel, “Silas Marner” to be performed at OLT the last two weekends in October.
The Cossatot Senior Center in Wickes has re-opened. All meals and activities have reverted to their original schedules. If you need to make delivery arrangements or changes call (870) 3852373.
GriefShare continues to meet every Thursday from 10 a.m.noon at First Presbyterian Church Mena for anyone in the community who is grieving the loss of a loved one.
Auditions will be held from 6 - 8 p.m. at the theatre on both Tuesday, Aug. 30, and Thursday, Sept. 1. The third day of auditions will be Saturday, Sept. 3 from 9 a.m. - noon. There are numerous roles for men of all ages, several roles for young women, and one for a more mature woman.
OLT Revitalizes The Lyric Players Ouachita Little Theatre has had a his tory of promoting a Reader’s Theatre group within their structure. This group is known as The Lyric Players and they have performed short and full length plays for many years. Ann Glenn is the new chair of this group, and she is excited to get this group back onstage to hone their skills and entertain our community in various ways. The Lyric Players are looking for en ergetic people of all ages who would like to be actors presenting classic or origi nal plays that contain little amounts of staging or memorization. Sketches and radio scripts are also used. For anyone who has difficulty memorizing, or is sues with mobility for any reason, this is an outstanding way to become in volved in a theatre group and perform on the OLT stage as well as other ven ues.The first organizational meeting will take place Saturday, Aug. 27 at 2:30 p.m. at the OLT. If interested, you can just show up at the meeting or contact Ann Glenn at 479-385-6673 or 757304-1313. Ann invites you to “Come play with us!”
August 24, 2022Community Around Town
12 THE POLK COUNTY Pulse
Alcoholics Anonymous meet at The Crossing Church, 3 p.m., Sundays; at 5 p.m., Tuesdays; and at 8 p.m. Satur days at the old bus barn. For information call (479) 234-8366 or (479) 216-3786.
The Polk County Housing Authority has Rental Vouchers available. They are also in need of Applicants and Landlords. Contact them at 509 S. Morrow, Mena, (479) 394-1565 or polkarhousing. com
The Mena/Polk County Senior Center will have The Gator and Friends band performing in Mena every Thursday, 10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. The Center will also start having an ex ercise class on Mondays and Thursdays, 9:30 - 10:30 a.m. Contact Trena Looney with questions, (479) 394-5459.
Ouachita Little Theater happenings
Hatfield First Baptist Church “Shepherd’s Closet” Open Wednesdays, 10 a.m. - Noon. Large selection of good, used clothing & a limited supply of non-perish able food items. Free to anyone in need.
Narcotics Anonymous meet at 7 p.m., Monday; at 7 p.m., Thursday; at 7 p.m. Friday; and at 6 p.m. Saturday at the old bus barn at the Crossing Church. For information call Erica at (479) 216-7249.
American Legion meets every 2nd Tuesday at the Legion Hall in Acorn. Pot luck at 6 p.m., meeting follows. Come play Bingo, Saturdays and Mon days, starts at 6 p.m., doors open at 4 p.m. Reynolds Gardner Community Men’s Breakfast every Tuesday, First United Methodist Church, Mena, 8:00 a.m. (full breakfast for small donation). All men from the community are invited to attend. Ouachita Pride Alliance is hold ing the: Queer Inclusive Dessert Social at Janssen Park, Saturday, Sept. 3, 3 - 5 p.m. All are welcome to visit and mingle. Alcoholics Anonymous meet at 8 p.m. Fridays at the First United Method ist Church, 9th & Port Arthur. Discussion/ Book Study for information call (479) 2430297. The monthly Disabled American Veterans and auxiliary, chapter #46, meeting will be held on Thursday, September 1, at Veterans Park in Acorn. Potluck will start at 6 p.m. with meetings to follow.
Submitted by Julie Ulmer “Silas Marner” auditions next week
It’s easy to have your event listed in Around Town, which will be read on radio stations KENA and KQOR daily. Simply send your Around Town an nouncement to news@mypulsenews.com or call (479) 243-9600 and let us know about your event! To have it in the Polk County Pulse newspaper, we need to know by FIVE on FRIDAY. We look forward to con tinuing to serve the community!
• Is approved to receive benefits under the free and reduced-price school lunch program or the school breakfast program, in cluding through the USDA Com Program to provide affordable internet service munity Eligibility Provision;
Submitted by Dixie Shrader Polk County Housing Authority an nounced it is working to help build awareness about the Affordable Con nectivity Program, a Federal Commu nications Commission (FCC) program.
• Received a Federal Pell Grant during the current award year; or
THE POLK COUNTY Community
The new long-term benefit will help to lower the cost of broadband service for eligible households struggling to afford internet service.
A household is eligible if one mem ber of the household meets at least one of the criteria below: Has an income that is at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Guide lines;Participates in certain assistance pro grams, such as SNAP, Medicaid, Fed eral Public Housing Assistance, SSI, WIC, or Lifeline;
Pulse August 24, 2022 13
Connectivity Program enrollment opened on December 31, 2021. Eligible households can enroll through a participating broadband provider or by (1) going to Afford ableConnectivity.gov to day2575fcc.gov/ACPBroadbandalviderpreferredapplication andonline application or printsubmit ana mail-in(2)contacting theirparticipatingbroadbandproandselectingaplan.AdditioninformationabouttheEmergencyBenefitisavailableatwww.,orbycalling877-384-between9a.m.and9p.m.ETanyoftheweek.
• Participates in one of several Tribal specific programs, such as Bureau of Indian Affairs Gen eral Assistance, Tribal Head Start (only households meeting the relevant income qualifying standard) Tribal TANF, or Food Distribution Program on Indi an Reservations;
The $14 billion Affordable Connec tivity Program provides a discount of up to a $30 per month toward broad band service for eligible households and up to $75 per month for qualifying households on qualifying Tribal lands. The benefit also provides up to a $100 per household discount toward a onetime purchase of a computer, laptop, or tablet if the household contributes more than $10 and less than $50 to ward the purchase through a partici pating broadband provider.
• Meets the eligibility criteria for a participating broadband pro vider’s existing low-income pro Affordablegram.
August 18 A report of Disorderly Conduct was taken from a person at Mena Regional Health System.
August 14 Robert Craddock, 26, was charged with Disorderly Conduct at Executive Inn.A report of battery was taken from a walk-in complainant. ation.Deputies received a report of a sto len trailer from a residence on Peace ful Lane near Mena. Tyler Everett, 30 of Mena was ar rested on a Felony Probation Viola tionDeputiesWarrant.were dispatched to Hwy 246 W near Hatfield in reference to stolen street signs. Deputies responded to a residence on Polk 70 near Acorn in reference to property damage. August 18, 2022 Deputies responded to a walk-in complainant in reference to a vio lation of an order of protection. In formation has been forwarded to the Prosecuting Attorney for further consideration.Deputiesresponded to a report of an altercation at a business near Hat field. Information has been forward ed to the Prosecuting Attorney for furtherDeputiesconsideration.responded to a walk-in complainant in reference to Harass ment. August 19, 2022 Deputies were dispatched to a resi dence on Polk 14 near Wickes in ref erence to a possible suicide attempt. August 20, 2022 John Abbott, 47 of Mena was ar rested on a warrant for Endanger ing the Welfare of a Minor and on a charge of Violating an Order of Pro tection.Aramis Candelaria, 20 of Mena was arrested on a Felony Probation Violation Warrant, two Misdemean or Failure to Appear Warrants and a charge of Obstructing Governmen talDeputiesOperations.responded to a report of someone being harassed. Informa tion has been forwarded to the Pros ecuting Attorney for further consid eration.Deputies responded to a residence on Polk 35 near Hatfield in reference to a suicidal person.
August 16 A theft report was taken at a resi dence on Carder Avenue. Michael Higgins, 36, was charged with Driving on Suspended License, and Stephanie Nash, 29, was charged with Possession of Methamphetamine, Possession of Marijuana, and Posses sion of Drug Paraphernalia after a traf fic stop on Reeves Avenue. Mitzie Hubbard, 49, was charged with Criminal Trespass at a residence on Crescent Drive. Michael Curry, 35, was charged with DWI, Careless Driving, and served with a warrant after a traffic stop on Janssen Avenue.
August 15, 2022 Deputies responded to a walk-in complainant in reference to a Vio lation of a No Contact Order. Infor mation has been forwarded to the Prosecuting Attorney for further consideration.Deputieswere dispatched to a resi dence on East Dawn Lane near Mena in reference to a break-in and theft of property. Information has been for warded to the Prosecuting Attorney for further consideration. Deputies were dispatched to a res idence on Hwy 8 East near Board Camp in reference to vandalism. Information has been forwarded to the Prosecuting Attorney for further consideration.Deputiesresponded to a report of an ATV accident at a residence on Polk 121 near Shady Grove. August 16, 2022 Deputies were dispatched to a res idence on Hwy 71 S near Potter in reference to a verbal dispute. Israel Schwartz, 76 of Mena was arrested on a Police Department warrant for Theft of Property. Deputies were dispatched to a res idence on Polk 99 near Vandervoort in reference to a stolen ATV. August 17, 2022 Deputies were dispatched to a business near Big Fork in reference to someone trespassing. Information has been forwarded to the Prosecut ing Attorney for further consider POLK SHERIFF’SCOUNTYLOG
Brittney Mendel, 32, was charged with Disorderly Conduct, Public In toxication and Resisting Arrest after a disturbance call to Executive Inn. David Sinyard, 46, was charged with Public Intoxication and served with a warrant at Executive Inn.
August 19 Aaron Renard, 46, was served with a warrant after contact on Highway 8 East. August 20 Brian Knight, 38, was charged with Domestic Battery, Public Intoxication, and Disorderly Conduct after a distur bance call to a residence on Dallas Av enue.Areport of theft and criminal tres pass was taken from Walmart. A report of theft was taken from Walmart.
August 15
August 17 Joseph Gonzales, 26, was served with a warrant at the police department. Kaleena Burt, 24, was served with a warrant at the police department.
14 THE POLK COUNTY PulseAugust 24, 2022News
The following information was received from Polk County law enforcement agencies. The charges against those arrested are allegations and the cases are still pending in the courts. Individuals charged and whose names appear in this column may submit documentation to us at a later date that the charges have been dismissed, or that they have been found innocent, and we will include that information in this space in a timely manner.
MENAREPORTSPOLICE
August 21, 2022 Deputies were dispatched to a res idence on Race Lane near Mena in reference to endangered children leading to the arrest of Courtney Sullivan, 25 of Mena on four Mis demeanor Warrants for Failure to Appear as well as charges of Disor derly Conduct, Public Intoxication, 2nd Degree Terroristic Threatening, Criminal Trespass, 1st Degree Crim inal Mischief and 1st Degree Endan gering the Welfare of a Minor. Deputies were dispatched to a res idence on Sweet Water Lane near Cove in reference to an unattended death.Deputies were dispatched to a resi dence on Baker Road near Wickes in reference to an unattended death.
Polk County Sheriff’s Office worked 2 vehicle accidents this week. Polk County Detention Center Jail Population: 19 Incarcerated In mates, with 12 Inmates currently on the Waiting List for a State Facility.
15 THE POLK COUNTY Pulse August 24, 2022 Puzzles
Brodix, Inc. is accepting applications for an experienced CNC Machine Operator. Applications may be picked up at the Brodix office, located at 301 Maple Avenue in Mena, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Competitive starting wages with bene fits available. Notice to Applicants: Screening tests for alcohol and illegal drug use may be required before hiring and during your employment.T0907
Notice to Applicants: Screening tests for alcohol and illegal drug use may be required before hiring and during your employment.T0907
By Clet Litter as told to Bob Simpson Junior Bickum’s robot lawn mower, Mini Mowey, is no more. The goat that he let chew grass in the backyard and beyond, got loose and butted lit tle Mini Mowey last night while he was sleeping in his charger. The goat was jealous cause Junior let Mowey cut the front yard. I read that dogs are good for men tal health. Mutts are supposed to help boost your moods, (Don’t tell Jimmy Suspenders. He’ll bring home the whole pound for his wife). Turns out, when you give a dog daily exercise, you get some yourself too. Your body produces endwarfins. Exercise means walks and runs in the park, not a workout at the gym. If you’re in Chicago in the winter, you can take your dog to a warm in door gym. There are smaller tread mills next to the people treadmills, so the dog can trot along beside the master. Both machines stop automat ically when your puppy stops to sniff, or has to see a dog about a man.
Mini Mowey - rest in pieces
The Humane Society of the Ouachitas (HSO) is seeking to hire a person to provide customer service and animal care assistance. This is a full time job. Please contact the work force office in Mena for more info and to apply T0824
The Widow Fenster is working on a new screenplay to send off to Hol lywood TV producers. If she sells it, she gonna travel to Mena, Arkansas to get a new hip replacement. Brace Gumm, the town orthodontist, says, “I could slap one in for her right here in my office if she wanted eBay to ship it to her.” The Widow declined the offer, cause she also wants to get a jowl lift in Mena while she’s there. The real reason is that if Doc Gumm takes a few hits for himself of laugh ing gas first, she might wake up sport ing a new hip in her mouth. Here’s a summary of her manu script for Hollywood: A district at
16 THE POLK COUNTY PulseAugust 24, 2022Classifieds - SERVICESLand Management, Tree Service, RC Customz can handle your construction needs, mulching and more. Military discounts available. Insured. Call (479) 216-2976 for Free estimate. T0831 Tree services, storm cleanup, stump grinding. Signs and light replacement. Give RC Customz a call at (479) 216-2976 for Free estimate. T0831 Mena Shuttle - Ground transportation to AR and TX airports. Doctor and emergen cy appointments. Also, light deliveries. (870) 490-1191 T0914 Wendell’s Tree Service - Tree Removal and Trimming. Experienced and fully insured for ALL your tree-trimming needs. Call (479) 394-0227 or (479) 216-4328. T0921 Mobile lawnmower repair and repair flats. Minimum, $20 service call. For details, call Bill Duff (479) 216-5204. T0824 - EMPLOYMENT- Hogspore News:
Brodix, Inc. is accepting applications for general labor positions. Applications may be picked up at the Brodix office, located at 301 Maple Avenue in Mena, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Com petitive starting wages with benefits available.
Notice to Applicants: Screening tests for alcohol and illegal drug use may be required before hiring and during your employment.T0907
F.M. Dix Foundry is accepting applica tions for general labor positions. Applications may be picked up at the office, located at 301 Maple Avenue in Mena, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Com petitive starting wages with benefits available.
torney of San Francisco finally gets recalled out of office. The reason isn’t a rising tide of hemming and hawing over climate change. It was the ris ing crime rate what done it. He was a progressive politician, so the voters urged him to progress on out of the guvernment.Then,asituation developed that turned the tide, (We’re not talking sea levels anymore). The pitiful scene got too much for the voters when the P.D.A., Progressive District Attor ney, handled a mugging case. Some one assaulted and robbed an 80-yearold man at 11 AM in downtown San Francisco. The elderly feller tried to fight off the attacker. He got a lucky punch in and knocked out the mug ger.The D.A. arrested the old man and charged him with resisting a crime and causing bodily injury to a mi nority from the special consider ations list. The perp recovered in a hospital, but announced that after the alleged old victim goes to trial and is found guilty, the perp intends to sue him in civil court for the medical bills, including a four million dollar settlement for loss of his reputation in the neighborhood. The Widow Fenster claims that the story is true, from a dream she had. Rules are different in small towns. Everybody knows what’s happening, so dating couples are honest with each other. I remember dating Pun kin; we had been going together two years, so I sez to her one evening, “You’re my one and only. Am I your one and only?” She said, “You’re one of them.” Contact at Bobsimpson1947@ya hoo.com. You know you wanna.
CLASSIFIEDS
By Pulse Staff
Last year in Mena, the Bearcats scored on a 23-yard pass from Austin Rose to Blake Brown with only 4 seconds to go in the first half. The Bearcats took a 15-0 lead and all the momentum into the locker room at halftime. Mena scored 21 unan swered points in the third quarter to roll to a 42-7 victory over the Leopards. The Bearcats were balanced offensively, with 188 rushing yards and 275 passing yards, while the Bearcats defense limited the Leopards to 211 total yards. The last time the Bearcats and Leop ards played in De Queen was in 2020. The Bearcats rolled to a 39-0 victory, scoring all their points in the first half. Max Mont gomery threw for 152 yards and three touchdowns. Gaven Hooper had three re ceptions for 93 yards and two scores. Jake Wiles led the rushing charts with 73 yards and two touchdowns on only eight carries. The stingy Bearcat defense limited the Leopards to only 13 yards in total offense.
The Mena Bearcats’ first football game at home dates back to Nov. 23, 1912, with Mena coming out victorious over De Queen, 20-6.
The Bearcats have won eight of the last 12 meet ings between these two old rivals, including the last five in a row. Mena’s head football coach Craig Bentley said, “They will be fired up to face us…they had a good scrimmage and are ex cited about a new coach ing staff they have in place. They play a hardnosed physical brand of football.“Weare very similar in a lot of the ways we play; it’ll be a great match up. We have to be able to play with a certain swagger and main tain that swagger throughout the game. Throughout the good and bad, we have to be able to bring energy and confidence in every snap, limit mistakes and learn how to adjust throughout the course of a four-quarter game.”
The first football game ever played in Mena was on November 23, 1912. De Queen was the opponent, and M.H.S. prevailed 20-6. To put the history of this rivalry into proper perspective, 1912 was the year the Titanic sank. The game was played at the Polk County Fairgrounds, which at that time was located on nine acres, where now Union Bank, Kentucky Fried Chicken, and Diamond Bank are among the businesses located. It was at Pickering Avenue and U.S. Highway 71. Teams had to play games near the Kansas City Southern railway for travel purposes, as roads were practically non-existent.
Bearcat vs Leopards: The rivalry of yesteryear and today
Pulse August 24, 2022 17 THE POLK COUNTY Sports 8/24Golf- Cossatot @ Lions Club 8/30 - Cossatot @ De Queen (host) 8/26Football-Mena @ De Queen 8/29Golf- Mena @ Jessieville 8/24SoccerUARM vs. Blinn College (Men) 8/25 UARM @ University of the Ozarks (Women) 8/28 - UARM vs. Rose State College (Men and Women) Cross Country 08/26 - UARM vs. Bucks (Sea son Opener, Men and Women)
Since that initial contest back in 1912, Mena and De Queen have battled 85 other times on the gridiron. The August 26 re newal of this old rivalry at 7:30 p.m. in De Queen will be the 86th meeting between the two schools. De Queen leads the all-time series with 51 wins. Mena has 29 victories. There have been five ties over the decades. The two schools have played annually since 1948. Mena and De Queen on the gridiron was a Thanksgiving Day tradi tion in the late 1940s through most of the 1950s.Beginning in 1960, the two schools opened the season for one another. That tradition ended in 1998, when the Leop ards moved into the Bearcats conference. The season-opening tradition resumed in 2010 as again, the Bearcats and Leopards are non-conference opponents.
Submitted by Tyler Broyles At the special board meeting earlier this evening, the Cossatot River School District’s school board approved bo nuses to staff in the amount of $5,000 for certified and $2,500 for classified. The bonuses are part of our ARP ES SER Recruitment and Retention Plan. Eligible employees are currently em ployees with a signed CRSD contract for the 2022-2023 school year. The bonus only applies to the main contract and employees are only eligi ble for one bonus. Ineligible employees are those with a signed CRSD contract who have submitted a letter of resigna tion as of the date the proposal was ap proved and also employees working for hourly wages who do not have a signed CRSD contract. The bonuses will be paid later this month in one lump sum. The proposal came from recent de velopments at the state level. Last month, the governor announced his plan to use surplus revenue for teacher raises across the state. The Arkansas Legislative Council (ALC) countered with concern that the surplus is one-time money and not sustainable to fund raises into the fu ture. Instead of a raise, the ALC recom mended schools use ARP ESSER fund ing to pay the $5,000 bonus for certified and $2,500 bonus for classified. Schools were required to submit a revised ARP ESSER Plan to indicate if they would follow the recommendation and, if not, why they would not. Not all districts are able to pay the bonuses. We have been conservative with our funding, so we are fortunate that we are not having to sacrifice any major project by adher ing to the recommendation of the ALC. This is coming at a great time to help us continue momentum for the new year after having a milestone year last year. Last year, we completed work on our athletic fields, which had been stalled for several years and in the pro cess for over five years. Restructuring In addition, under my vision of uni ty and growth, we restructured our elementary schools to be organized as K-2 and 3-6 buildings and renamed them Cossatot River Primary and Cos satot River Elementary, respectively. The move has already helped the dis trict save thousands in staffing and will unite students K-12 in the same grade levels. That move, coupled with our new K-12 literacy curriculum, also approved this past year, will help us be better positioned to deliver a consistent curriculum to our students across the district.Weare offering shuttle bus transpor tation to families who are affected by this change. To mesh this all together, our partnership with an outside agency for professional learning communities, or PLCs, will provide the tools admin istrators and teachers need to deliver high quality instruction. Patrons can check our website for details on this plan.
18 THE POLK COUNTY PulseAugust 24, 2022Education
As part of this vision, building im provements, communication, and safe ty have been at the forefront. On the building side, in addition to completion of our athletic fields at CRHS, we are in the process of obtaining a new roof at our elementary campus worth over $1 million. It has been much needed for years and will make all of our roofs up to grade. Also, at CRHS, we have installed an outdoor basketball court that will be ready soon for our high school students during lunch and other non-instructional time. Our primary campus has undergone many improve ments, including a fence to enclose the playground, rearranging classrooms to no longer be in the older addition, landscaping, and painting the outside of the gym.
Athletic Fields
School improvements At Umpire, we are in the process of installing awnings between the build ings. In addition to these projects, all campuses have received upgrades in paint, flooring, pressure washing, and other general improvements. Community members will also see new signs throughout the district to increase awareness of our Eagle brand, which has been another goal of mine. These are things that our staff and com munity members have been asking for. We have more work to do, but this is just the beginning of a new culture maintain ing our facilities.
Security Finally, on the safety side, we are in the process of updating our door se curity system to what I think is the latest system. Doors will be equipped with an alarm that sounds if the door is propped, and offices will be equipped with visitor management systems that require buzz in and presentation of a driver’s license to office staff once in side for a scan through the electronic system. Additionally, all campuses will be staffed with a full-time SRO, and we plan to add additional armed security staff in each of our buildings. These are just some of the great things we have achieved this past year. Other great ideas are in the works. We are ex cited to continue momentum into this school year. New fields prior to completion at CRSD. (Trey Youngdahl/Pulse)
Communications We have also im proved our communi cation channels by es tablishing a more uni fied, stronger social media presence. Our website is updated with timely, relevant information to make contacting key staff much easier, and our quarterly newsletter helps keep stakeholders informed who may not use electronic communication channels. We also partner with most of our local media and radio stations.
New things are happening at Cossatot River Schools
Part-time employees will receive half of the recommended amounts based on their Projectclassification.updateswere next on the agenda. Smith told the board that the HVAC, paving, floors and securi ty camera projects have been or will soon be completed. Plus, kitchen up dates can be expected in the near fu ture.The board also approved the end of year balance, year-end transfer of funds and the financial report. Ex penses for July outpaced revenue by $77,694 due to the extended school year and some back-to-school ex penses. Overall, for the 2021-2022 school year, revenue continues to ex ceedFinally,expenditures.inpersonnel the board accepted the resignation of Aaron Grant, Max Hartwig, Ashley Pregon, Paul Rye and Cherish Michael. The contract of Rose Branch was restruc tured to reflect a change from a “D” bus route to a “B” route. There was one new hire recommended and that was Tiffany Sims as AE para-pro. After approval the meeting was ad journed.
The Mena School Board met for the August meeting on Monday, August 15, at the district administration building. The meeting was moved from its regular date due to a conflict with a school function on Tuesday. As is the case at most of these meet ings, the evening began with the su perintendent’s report. Dr. Lee Smith quickly yielded the floor to a group of Mena Middle School teachers. Sheli Chaney, Amy Martin, Alicia Farringer and Lynn Ashley spoke to the board about their trip to the New Hampshire Literacy Institute this summer. Mrs. Chaney spoke in detail about how they learned to engage students and have already begun sharing what they learned with their coworkers. Martin concluded by thanking the board for the opportunity to attend. Smith then introduced Assistant Superintendent Bridget Buckley who shared an update on ACT Aspire Scores. Highlights included the dis trict as a whole surpassing pre-pan demic levels in English and math. Buckley credited the recovery to out standing teacher skill and effort as well as new curriculum in key grades.
Mayor Seth Smith (above), Polk County Judge Brandon Ellison (left), and Polk County Sheriff Scott Sawyer (bottom left) speak with staff at Mena Public Schools. (Photo courtesy of Mena Public Schools)
Community leaders visit
Mena School Board August meeting
Submitted by Mark Hobson Community leaders, including Polk County Sheriff Scott Sawyer, Polk County Judge Brandon Ellison and Mena Mayor Seth Smith, spoke to em ployees of the Mena Public Schools on Thursday. The visit was well timed with our renewed emphasis on community as well as safety and security. Thank you, gentleman, for taking the time from your busy day to help our staff get on track for the 2022-2023 school year.
Submitted by Mark Hobson
Pulse August 24, 2022 19 THE POLK COUNTY Education
The first item of new business was the expulsion of a student. Smith rec ommended the action due to terroris tic threats. This expulsion will be for one year and education services will continue off site. The board approved theTheexpulsion.district held an auction of sur plus equipment this past weekend which grossed $26,800. Smith asked the board to earmark that revenue for the purchase of another vehicle for employee use. The board approved. The board also approved changes to the American Rescue Plan (ARP). The Arkansas Legislative Council (ALC) recently voted to recommend a $5,000 bonus for teachers and a $2,500 bonus for classified staff that will be taken out of the American Rescue Plan funds if the bonuses are ordered to be paid at the school level. These dollar amounts were changed in the ARP plan for recruitment and retention of staff to meet the recommendation of the ALC. The recruitment and retention plan had previously been approved by the board in the 2021-2022 school year. Half of the bonus will be paid in the next pay period and the other half will be paid when the employee signs their letter of intent for 2023-2024.
Mena schools
20 THE POLK COUNTY PulseAugust 24, 2022
