Polk County Pulse December 15, 2021

Pulse THE POLK COUNTY

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December 15, 2021

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Historic tax cuts for all Arkansas taxpayers

INSIDE:

Representative John Maddox sponsors bill

By Ethan Nahté

Horne resigns

High-Speed Chase

Page 10

Page 19

Christmas Worship Guide

Page 14

History was made in Arkansas on Dec. 9 when Gov. Asa Hutchinson signed into law the largest state income tax reduction ever for individuals and corporations at nearly $500 million that will benefit every taxpayer, regardless of income bracket.

Hutchinson opened the press conference on Thursday by stating, “I want to take this moment to thank the General Assembly, as a body, for one of the most successful special sessions in history.

Each member has stepped up to the plate and passed historic tax cuts that will put Arkansas in the position in the future to be competitive, to put more money into individuals’ pockets.

“First, we reserved $1.2 billion in our savings account; formally, our longterm reserve, and now our catastrophic reserve fund. That is there to meet the needs of our state.

“Second, we passed legislation that will allow for competitiveness in our economic development projects. One specific project in Arkansas that will create hundreds of jobs if we’re successful. The general assembly stepped up and said ‘We want to compete. We want to win. This is the way to do it.’ This is consistent to us bringing great paying jobs to our part of Arkansas.

“Thirdly, in 2015 we passed $100 million in a middle-income tax cut.

The next session was a $50 million tax

A historic tax cut bill was signed into law by Gov. Asa Hutchinson (center) Tuesday, Dec. 9. Some key state senators and representatives in the creation of the bill include: (l-r) Sen. Bill Sample, chairman of the Senate Revenue and Taxation Committee; Sen. Jonathan Dismang; Speaker of the House Matthew J. Shepherd; Gov. Asa Hutchinson, Rep. John Maddox; Sen. Jimmy Hickey Jr., President Pro Tempore of the Senate; Rep. Joe Jett, chairperson of the House Revenue and Taxation Committee.

(Photo courtesy of the office of the governor.)

cut for low-income individuals. We followed that with cutting the rates with historic cuts. The next time was capped off today.

“When I became governor, it started off at 7% and is now at 5.9%. Next January, it will 5.5% down to 5.3% and over time, down to 4.9%. This is an incredible success story for this General Assembly and this special session.”

State Rep. Maddox, who represents Polk and Montgomery counties, as well as a portion of Howard County, was re-

sponsible for the drafting of the bill and determining what went into.

In an interview with Pulse Multi-Media the day following the conference, Maddox explained, “Arkansas’s income tax rate was 7%, which is extremely high, especially in comparison to all of the surrounding states. That’s one reason I brought this legislation to at least try and get us competitive. Texas and Tennessee have zero income tax.

See TAX CUT continued on page 8

2 News

December 15, 2021

Folk and Fiber Arts Show call for entry

Mena Art Gallery is pleased to announce the next Folk & Fiber Show, running Jan. 6-Feb. 19. The Gallery is seeking local artists to enter and encourage entries from first-time participants. A reception will be held Saturday, Jan 8, 1-3 p.m.

Cash prizes to be awarded in both the Folk and the Fiber categories: • First Place - $100 • Second Place - $75 • Third Place - $50 • People’s Choice - $25

The show is open to all members and non-members ages 14 and older. Work includes all handmade art.

Entries must be original and the artist’s own work. No kits or prints will be accepted. All 2-dimensional and 3-dimensional mediums will be accepted.

Work will be accepted for entry at the Gallery located at 607 Mena St., Mena, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 4, 2022. Please contact the Gal-

lery if you need to make other arrangements.

Rather than paying an entry fee for each piece, a one-time fee of $10 for members and $15 for non-members allows artists to enter as many pieces as room allows.

All entries must be for sale. No NFS (not for sale) work will be accepted.

Please contact the gallery for the official rules with details on framing, labels, commission fees, etc. The rules are also available at the menaartgallery.org/ website under “Folk & Fiber Show.”

What is Folk or Fiber Art? For the purposes of this show, here are some guidelines: Folk art is marked by such attributes as highly decorative design, bright bold colors, flattened perspective, and strong forms in simple arrangements.

Unlike more sophisticated art, folk art tends to make use of natural

substances like wood, straw, clay and so on.

It may include basket weaving, doll-making, enameling, furnituremaking, woodturning, pottery, leatherwork, metalwork, knifemaking, mosaic art, jewelry-making, toymaking, papier-mâché, etc. Painting may also be in the form of decorative embellishment on other objects, such as textiles, glass, or wood. Our definition of folk art for this show is broad and inclusive.

Fiber art may include crochet, knitting, embroidery, felt-making, lacemaking, macrame, carpet-weaving, tapestry and quilts, etc. Freestanding sculptures made of textiles are also acceptable for this show.

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THE POLK COUNTY

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December 15, 2021

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Your Pulse!

Letter to the Editor: Today is December 9th as I write this letter and we just honored the memory of those lost December 7, 1941, and during the terrible war that followed. I can only wonder if that could have been avoided or at least minimized had we heeded the obvious warning signs leading up to that attack. I have watched documentaries about those warning signs and was amazed they were ignored or thought insignificant. We were caught unaware that fateful day and paid dearly....Strike 1.

Colonel Oliver North testified before a congressional committee about Osama Bin Laden and his knowledge of the potential threat he posed to our country. All the while there were those posing as students learning to fly, but their reasons were not questioned. The warning signs were ignored and on September 11, 2001, we paid dearly and again I wonder if that could have been avoided or minimized....Strike 2.

We now find Russia building military resources on the border with Ukraine knowing full well an attack may draw the US into the conflict. China has, at the same time, been playing a game of cat and mouse with Taiwan, violating their airspace with military aircraft, knowing full well the US would be drawn into any conflict there. The potential for a miss step is great in both places. The warning signs are real and obvious. Is this a strategy of divide and conquer on the part of our adversaries?

Those two potential conflicts can hopefully be avoided if we heed the warning

signs and head off the clashes that have the potential to occur. To complicate matters, a mandate has been issued regarding the vaccine, putting in jeopardy the careers of some in the military. Is this a good time to reduce our forces and readiness?

Our strategic oil reserves were put in play for a short term (with no effect) attempt to bring down oil prices I am sure that was for political theater. I fear the tampering with our internet by foreign actors may have been a test of our resolve. To think China or Russia are our friends would be a mistake. The US and its allies are all that stands in the way of their aggression. To ignore these warning signs may be Strike 3...You’re Out. To ignore history may not bode well as those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it, as the saying goes.

I have the utmost confidence in our military and those who serve. I can only hope the politicians who govern our country listen to their advice and counsel. Not only are our allies watching, but our adversaries as well. This is not a good time to show weakness or indecision, but rather to show resolve. In the balance hangs the future of a free world. Watch. Listen. Question. Speak your mind. Lead. Do not follow blindly.

Thank you for allowing me a platform to voice my thoughts.

With kindest regards, Ronald Goss, Mena, U.S. Navy Vietnam Veteran, Retired Virginia Beach Police Department

Letters 3

Want to share your opinion?

The Polk County Pulse welcomes letters to the Editor addressing any topic of interest to our readers. To be published, letters must not contain obscene or libelous language.

The letter must include a signature to be considered for publication. Signatures will NOT be held out by request.

The following contact information is required 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 dropped off at 1168 Hwy. 71 South, Mena, AR. A dropbox is provided by the front door for after-hour convenience.

TO SUBMIT: NEWS ITEMS / ANNOUNCEMENTS / LETTERS TO THE EDITOR / SPORTS UPDATES / CALENDAR ITEMS / CLASSIFIED ADS Email: NEWS@MYPULSENEWS.COM

Correction: It was stated the Acorn High School girls wrestling team lost 18-6 in the December 8 issue. The article should have read the Acorn High School girls’ team won 18-6.

4 Education

December 15, 2021

May Your Holidays Be Merry & Bright

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Mena Jr. High band students make All-Region

Submitted by Mark Hobson These Mena Jr. High Band students earned a seat in the All-Region Band the weekend of Dec. 11.

• Flute - 3rd Band, 4th Chair, Nayeli Piñon • Clarinet - 3rd Band, 12th Chair, Olivia Perez; 3rd Band, 23rd Chair, Tessa Williams • Alto Sax - 3rd Band, 3rd Chair, Kaylle Gates; 3rd Alt, Ivan Sanchez • Tenor Sax - 2nd Band, 2nd Chair, Tristan Hansen • Bassoon - 2nd Band, 2nd Chair, Eric Decker • Trombone - 3rd Band, 2nd Chair, Frank Smudrick; 3rd Band, 4th Chair, Finleigh Robertson • Baritone - 3rd Band, 4th Chair, Gage Henry • Tuba - 3rd Band, 8th Chair, Dalton McEntire

600 HWY 71 S | Mena, AR | 479-394-3552

In the Business of YOU. Member FDIC | Equal Housing Lender| www.ffb1.com | @ffbank1

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Politics 5

December 15, 2021

From the

State House of Representatives tion, reuse, or recycling equipLegislation providing the ment to allow for the use of these largest state income tax reduccredits by a qualified growth tion in state history has now project. been signed into law.

A qualified growth project Act 1 and Act 2 are identical must have common ownership pieces of legislation passed by with and locate on the site of or the 93rd General Assembly in adjacent to an existing qualified the special session held this John Maddox steel manufacturer. It would week. also need a total investment These acts will reduce the top income tax rate for individuals from of at least $2 billion and create 700 new 5.9% to 4.9% incrementally over the next direct positions with an average annual four years. Once fully implemented, this wage of $120,000 and 200 new indepenwill provide nearly $500 million in tax re- dent direct positions with an average annual wage of $60,000. lief to Arkansans.

The General Assembly also voted in The legislation also combines the low- and middle-income tax tables and favor of a transfer of up to $50 million indexes the standard deduction to the from the general revenue allotment reConsumer Price Index. It provides a $60 serve fund to the Quick Action Closing non-refundable tax credit for individuals Fund for specific economic development with an income of less than $24,700. It’s incentives.

The recycling tax credits and the transestimated that 104,881 low-income Arkansans will have their state income tax fer to the Quick Action Closing Fund are aimed at creating an incentive package liability eliminated.

The acts also change the name of the for a steel mill project in Northeast Arlong-term reserve fund to the catastroph- kansas.

Other bills passed this week include ic reserve fund. The tax cuts are contingent upon no transfers being made out of technical corrections in previously passed legislation. the catastrophic reserve fund.

You can watch the recorded commitDuring the special session, the General Assembly also passed legislation amend- tee meetings and House floor sessions on ing income tax credits for waste reduc- our website arkansashouse.org/.

Contact Your Legislators!

John Maddox

john.maddox@ arkansashouse.org 520 Church Avenue Mena, AR 71953 Call: 479-394-6060

Larry Teague

Larry.Teague@senate. ar.gov P.O. Box 903 Nashville, AR 71852 870-845-5303

John Boozman

1120 Garrison Ave. Suite 2B Fort Smith, AR 72901 Phone: (479) 573-0189 Fax: (479) 575-0553

Bruce Westerman

101 Reserve St. Suite 200 Hot Springs, AR 71901 Phone: (501) 609-9796 Fax: (501) 609-9887

From the

State Senate such as schools, health care The legislature completed and prisons are adequately a three-day special session funded. in which it passed reducAlso during the special sestions in state income taxes sion, the legislature approved that will save Arkansas famtax credits and other incenilies and businesses almost tives to help the state recruit $500 million a year when a $3 billion steel mill in Misthey take effect.

Taxpayers from all in- Larry Teague sissippi County, proposed by U.S. Steel. come levels will benefit from It would create about 900 jobs, of the cuts in individual income taxes and increased credits. Corporate in- which 700 would have salaries of $120,000 a year. About 200 of the come taxes also will go down.

More than 535,000 people will get new jobs will have salaries of $60,000 a $60 credit on their income taxes. a year.

One of the housekeeping measures They are in low-income tax brackets and represent about 28 percent approved during the special session of the state’s population. About changes the terms of commission104,000 low-income taxpayers will ers on a newly-created Tax Appeals not have to pay any state income Commission. The legislature created the appeals commission earlier this taxes.

The new law lowers the top in- year, during the regular session.

A bill passed during the special sescome tax rate over the next four years, from 5.9 percent to 4.9 per- sion makes sure that the terms of the initial members will expire at stagcent.

The top rate for corporate income gered times, instead of all of them taxes will gradually decrease to 5.3 leaving the commission at the same time. percent in 2025.

Legislators completely repealed Filing will be simpler for taxpayers in the low and middle income a bill enacted earlier this year that brackets because the new law con- would have set up rebates for people who purchase insulin. It had the solidates their tax tables into one.

The savings for Arkansas families unintended consequence of raising will grow over time as the various costs for health coverage, so lawmakprovisions of the new tax law go into ers repealed it during the special seseffect. Next year the savings will be sion.

Legislators said they would con$135 million, in 2023 they will be $307 million, in 2024 they will be tinue looking for ways to hold down $383 million and in 2025 they will inflation and control increases in the wholesale price of insulin. be $459 million.

With the completion of the special Beginning in 2026 Arkansas families and businesses will save more session, lawmakers are not schedule than $497 million a year in state in- to return to the Capitol until the fiscal session, which convenes in February. come taxes.

Traditionally, during fiscal sessions There are “trigger” provisions in the bill that protect state revenue in the legislature only considers approthe event of a sudden and unexpect- priations that set spending levels for ed downturn in the economy. That state agencies. However, there is a provision would slow the pace of rarely-used parliamentary mechatax cuts as they are being phased in, nism that allows for introduction of to make sure that essential services non-budget bills.

6 Obituaries

December 15, 2021

Shelly Gail Cassity

who helped raise her, William Currie; and one sister, Jannet Cassity.

Shelly is survived by her son, Dare Garrison of Mena; her daughter, Olivia Harvey of Mena; her mother, Nancy Sawyer of Mena; two brothers, Andy Currie of Fort Worth, Texas, and David Cassity of Fort Worth, Texas; two sisters and brothers-in-law, Kelly and Jason Boren of Fort Smith, and Dee and Jay Warner of Arlington, Texas; two grandchildren, Aviea Daniels and Kade Daniels of Mena; nephews, Jace Jackson and Johnathon Brumley; nieces, Julia Brumley, and Brooklyn Currie; best friend, Danielle White Clifton; and a host of other relatives and friends.

A visitation will be held on Saturday, December 11, 2021, from 1:00 - 3:00 PM at the Bowser Family Funeral Home Chapel in Mena, Arkansas. Cremation arrangements are entrusted to Bowser Family Funeral Home.

Shelly Gail Cassity, age 46, of Mena, Arkansas, died Saturday, December 4, 2021, at her home. She was born on Monday, June 23, 1975, to Loyd Cassity and Nancy Sawyer in Fort Worth, Texas.

Shelly was a gypsy soul that had a bubbly loving personality. She was a best friend to everyone. Shelly had a loud, outgoing energy that filled a room and brought people together.

She was proud of getting her cosmetology license, her instructors license, as well as her time as a mail carrier for the Post Office. Shelly most enjoyed hiking and being on the beach. She loved music of all kinds, motorcycles, cooking, and being with loved ones. Her family and friends were her top priority, and she cherished every moment Claude with them. She adored her grandAl children who especially brought her Schutz immense joy. Shelly was a loving daughter, mom, nana, sister, aunt In Loving and friend and will be missed by Memory, all who were lucky enough to know 1932-2021 her.

Claude Al She is preceded in death by her Schutz of Mena, Arkansas, passed father, Loyd Cassity; her stepfather away in the Arkansas Veterans hospital in Little Rock, Arkansas, Friday, December 3rd. He was 89 years old. Mr. Claude Al Schutz was born June 18, 1932, in Curryville, Missouri, to Claude W. Schutz and mother, Cecil Painter.

Al had been in the Air Force. Long resident of Polk County Arkansas, where he lived in Potter for many, many years.

Al, will be dearly missed by all

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his close friends. Celebration of Mr. two daughters and son-in-law, AnSchutz will be at a later time by fam- gela and Jordan Reece Jones of Fort ily in Missouri.

Smith, and Katlyn Bryant of NashVernon ville, Tennessee; one brother, Mark Hampton of Longview, Texas; three Lane sisters and brothers-in-law, Vickie Hampton and Larry Smith of Oklahoma, Leslie and Matt Dodd of Oklahoma, Vernon Lane Melissa and Brett Ham of Mena; two Hampton, age grandchildren, Kensley Jones and 55, of Clarks- one granddaughter on the way; sevville, Arkansas, eral nephews and nieces and a host died Friday, December 3, 2021. He of other family and friends.

A funeral service will be held Friwas born on Sunday, March 6, 1966, to Fredrick and Patti Hampton in day, December 10, 2021, at 10:30 AM at The Crossing Church in Mena, Arkansas.

Vernon was a good Christian man Mena with Brother Victor Rowell with a generous spirit. He was an in- officiating. Interment will follow at credibly hard worker and had a pas- the Pinecrest Memorial Gardens in sion for flying and fixing just about Mena under the direction of Bowser anything. Vernon was very intel- Family Funeral Home. A visitation ligent and had a knack for finding will be held on Thursday, December solutions to any problem. He was 9, 2021, from 5:00 - 7:00 PM at the dedicated to his work, and he loved Bowser Family Funeral Home Chapevery minute of it. Vernon took el in Mena.

Online Guestbook: bowserffh.com great pride in the aviation business he had built and truly loved what he did. He was a jack of all trades and always had multiple projects he was working on at any given time. Ver69-year-old Bonnie Hutton of Mena non was filled with compassion and was killed at about 8:45 Tuesday morncould always be found helping othing on Interstate 40 in rural St Francis ers in need. He liked cars, planes, County in eastern Arkansas in a wreck boats, motorcycles and could fix involving two tractor-trailer trucks. any of them. Vernon loved his chilHutton was a passenger in a 2019 dren, family, and friends and showed Freightliner driven by 59-year-old that love through endless jokes and Charles Hutton of Mena, when a 2014 Mack driven by 44-year-old Jennifer laughter. Vernon was a loving son, Dysart of Kimberling City, Mississipfather, grandfather, uncle and friend pi, merged into the right lane. Charles and will be missed by all who knew Hutton was traveling faster and was unable to avoid hitting the other truck him.

Vernon is survived by his father, in the rear, resulting in a crash that left the Freightliner in a ditch.

Fred Hampton of Mena, mother, PatDysart and Charles Hutton were both ti Hampton of Smithville, Oklahoma, injured in the wreck. According to the and stepmother Cynde Hampton; Arkansas State Police report, road conone son and daughter-in-law, Aaron ditions were clear and dry at the time of and Katherine Hampton of Virginia; the accident.

Mena lady killed in interstate crash

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December 15, 2021

EPA Announces Over $93 Million in Water Infrastructure Funding for Arkansas DALLAS – (Dec. 3, 2021) U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Michael S. Regan announced funding that states, Tribes, and territories will receive in 2022 through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. This funding, provided through EPA’s State Revolving Fund (SRF) programs, will create jobs while upgrading America’s aging water infrastructure and addressing key challenges like lead in drinking water and per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) contamination.

6:

Allotments for states in EPA Region •

Arkansas: $93,252,000

•

Louisiana: $101,243,000

•

Oklahoma: $91,488,000

•

New Mexico: $63,041,000

•

Texas: $507,672,000

In a letter sent to governors, the Administrator encouraged states to maximize the impact of water funding from the law – an unprecedented nationwide total of $50 billion investment – to address disproportionate environmental burdens in historically underserved communities across the country.

“With President Biden’s leadership and congressional action, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law has created a historic opportunity to correct longstanding environmental and economic injustices across America,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “As leaders, we must seize this moment.

Billions of dollars are about to start flowing to states and it is critical that EPA partners with states, Tribes, and territories to ensure the benefits of these investments are delivered in the most equitable way.”

“From small, rural areas that struggle to provide service to residents to large

cities with expansive, aging infrastructure, communities across EPA Region 6 have urgent water-related needs the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law can help address,” said Acting Regional Administrator David Gray. “This funding will go a long way to solving long-standing problems, especially for underserved communities.”

EPA will allocate $7.4 billion to states, Tribes, and territories for 2022, with nearly half of this funding available as grants or principal forgiveness loans that remove barriers to investing in essential water infrastructure in underserved communities across rural America and in urban centers. The 2022 allocation is the first of five years of nearly $44 billion in dedicated EPA SRF funding that states will receive through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. For more than 30 years, the SRFs have been the foundation of water infrastructure investments, providing low-cost financing for local projects across America. However, many vulnerable communities facing water challenges have not received their fair share of federal water infrastructure funding.

Under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, states have a unique opportunity to correct this disparity.

Administrator Regan recently completed a “Journey to Justice” tour across the American South where he heard from families and advocates about their struggles with exposure to water pollution in their communities. For children, exposure to lead can cause irreversible and life-long health effects, including decreasing IQ, focus, and academic achievement. At the same time, families that live near high levels of contaminants such as PFAS or “forever chemicals” are at risk to develop adverse health outcomes.

The implementation of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law calls for strong partnership, and EPA stands ready to work with states to ensure that com-

munities see the full benefits of this investment.

For more information, including state-by-state allocation of 2022 funding, and a breakdown of EPA funding

by SRF program, and additional funding available through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, please visit: https://www.epa.gov/infrastructure.

Connect with EPA Region 6: • Facebook: facebook.com/eparegion6 • Twitter: twitter.com/EPAregion6 • Activities in EPA Region 6: epa. gov/aboutepa/region6.htm EPA awards Tribes (Dec. 13, 2021) The EPA recently awarded $1,087,000 to United South and Eastern Tribes, Inc (USET) to help identify sources of lead in drinking water in schools or childcare facilities. The funding will help protect children and advance the federal action plan to reduce childhood lead exposures. USET is a non-profit, inter-tribal organization comprised of 33 federally recognized Tribal Nations from the Northeastern Woodlands to the Everglades and across the Gulf of Mexico.

“Protecting children’s health is one of the most important aspects of EPA’s mission, and we could not fulfill this mission without the instrumental partnerships with our states and tribes,” said Acting Regional Administrator David Gray. “As part of Lead Poisoning Prevention Week and Children’s Health Month, EPA is excited to announce the WIIN grants to help reduce lead in school drinking waters and protect children where they learn and play.”

“Children are precious and are the future of our people, carrying with them the prayers and hopes of seven generations. Their safety and well-being are paramount to our continued perseverance as a people,” said Chief Kirk Francis, Penobscot Nation, President of United South and Eastern Tribes.

“Accordingly, we are committed to support our USET member Tribal na-

News 7 tions to eliminate lead exposure from all sources, considering that there is no known level of lead exposure that is considered safe.”

USET’s funding was awarded under the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation (WIIN) Act for states, territories, and Tribal nations to test for lead in schools and childcare facilities. The Voluntary Lead Testing in Schools and Child Care Drinking Water grant program continues to help protect children’s health and make progress under the Federal Action Plan to Reduce Childhood Lead Exposures.

The grants support EPA’s action plan for reducing lead in school drinking water—Training, Testing, and Taking Action, or the 3 Ts. This toolkit helps prepare schools, child care facilities, and states to build a voluntary implementation program to reduce lead levels in drinking water with detailed training modules and materials.

Learn more about the 3 Ts: epa. gov/ground-water-and-drinking-water/3ts-reducing-lead-drinking-water EPA’s Children’s Health program highlights how children can be more vulnerable to pollutants than adults, which can lead to greater exposure and/or unique windows of susceptibility during development. This is especially true of lead—an exposure that would have little effect on an adult can have a significant effect on a child. In fetuses, infants and children, low levels of exposure have been linked to damage to the central and peripheral nervous system, learning disabilities, shorter stature, impaired hearing, and impaired formation and function of blood cells. Lead in drinking water is one of the main ways children can be exposed to lead.

Learn more about and EPA’s WIIN grant programs at epa.gov/dwcapacity/ wiin-grant-lead-testing-school-andchild-care-program-drinking-water Learn more about lead exposure and other children’s health issues at epa. gov/children Results of USET’s testing program are available here: husetinc.org/departments/oerm/

8 News TAX CUT continued from page 1

They’re much higher on their real property tax. That is where they make their revenue.”

According to H&R Block’s website, Texas has the sixth highest real property tax in the country, while other sites list Arkansas as being in the Top 10 lowest real estate property taxes.

Maddox said, “We are trying to strike a balance between, generating our revenue the best that we can, but also what I call ‘Rewarding Work’. We want people to keep more of their paychecks, which I think is vitally important.”

December 15, 2021 to absolutely, automatically happen.”

“We’re planning on, in January 2024, [going to] 5.1% and in January 2025, [going to] 4.9%. Those cuts are contingent on us not having to transfer any monies out of the catastrophic reserve fund.”

So, what would need to occur to initiate the transfer of monies from the catastrophic reserve fund?

“It really wouldn’t matter what it would be,” Maddox said. “It would be if

our revenues, our monies, fall so precipitously that we can’t fund prisons, education, DHS—all the things that we fund. Then, we would have to reach into the catastrophic reserve fund and pay that our budget. At that point, those last two would not kick in. I think we’re doing it very fiscally prudent. We’re not just doing it all at once. We’re making sure we can handle it. I didn’t just come up with these numbers. I worked with BLR, the Bureau of Legislative Re-

Breaking it down As the governor mentioned, the percentage will decrease over time.

Maddox explained, “It’s a phase in.

We were at 7%. Now we’re at 5.9%, so we’re making progress. We’re going from 5.9% to 5.5% starting next January. Almost immediately, Arkansans are going to get tax relief starting January 2022. Then in January 2023, we go from 5.5% to 5.3%. Those cuts are going search. We hired a firm called Moody’s Analytics, an independent firm who came in and reviewed this, and told us if we can do afford it or not. They said we can. I’m very excited about that.”

“We also have to fund government.

We have to keep in mind it costs a lot of money to keep all of our prisons open.

I think that’s something everybody wants. Also, we fund public education.

That’s something people want. We fund DHS. We fund all of those things. We spend some money on higher education. We’re still going to do all of that then responsibly reduce the tax rate.”

It adds up Hutchinson said, “It’s not just about the term ‘cutting taxes.’ It’s about what it means to people’s lives. If you have a husband and wife, or two income family that’s making $42,000 per year each, that, to them means they will be making $474—enough money to buy a new set of tires or they can have a warmer, more enjoyable Christmas. That is the difference between the government

THE POLK COUNTY

Pulse having dollars versus a family having dollars in their pocket.”

Maddox said, “Some people might scoff at that and act like that’s not a lot of money. I completely disagree. I think if you ask any working family or person who is in that income range if they would like, and could use, an extra four hundred some-odd dollars in their pocket, I think they’ll say, ‘yes.’

“It’s groceries, it’s gas, it’s maybe also going out to eat one extra time.”

Maddox reminds his colleagues how people will react when they receive extra money in their paycheck and what they might do with it.

“They are going to save it, maybe, which is great. What is a better government policy than saving money? I can’t think of any. But if they don’t save it, then they’re going to spend it. If they spend it, it’s going to support local businesses, which is great for those business owners and local restaurants.

“But the State will get a portion of that through the state sales tax,” Maddox explained. “We are going to recoup some of this money that’s not included in these figures. A lot of people don’t think about that. Arkansas has a state sales tax of 6.5%. In addition, we have county and city [taxes]. When people get that money back, they’re going to go spend some of it.

“Obviously, this does help the higher-income folks and middle-income folks, but it also helps the lower income.”

Benefits to lower income taxpayers Approximately 104,881 lower-income taxpayers (5.5%) may soon find themselves exempt from paying any state income tax. A $60 credit will provide reduction in state income tax for approximately 535,000 Arkansans, representing 28.4% of taxpayers in the state.

Hutchinson said, “Over time, it will continue making a difference in their lives…over 100,00 taxpayers will be eliminated from the payment of taxes as a result of the action of this General Assembly.”

See TAX CUT continued on page 9

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December 15, 2021 TAX CUT continued from page 8

Maddox said, “If their tax liability is $60 or less, they’re not going to pay anything…”

Hutchinson said, “These are steps that are designed to make sure every Arkansan will benefit from this tax cut bill.”

Working together Hutchinson said, “I want to thank the leadership, but also Representative John Maddox for his work on the House side, and as the lead sponsor of this bill; Senator Jonathan Dismang on the Senate side that carried this historic tax cut bill; Chairman Joe Jett, of the Revenue and Tax committee; Senator Sample, all great leaders here.”

Maddox explained, “This is going to provide significant financial savings for every single Arkansan who works.

It’s my bill. I ran it in committee. I ran it on the House floor. I had to go get sponsors for my bill. I had hundreds of questions, complaints, some people saying, ‘You’re just helping out the rich,’ or ‘You’re just helping these folks.’

“I didn’t go back and study all of the numbers or all of the votes, but I believe I got every single Republican vote, and I did get at least five Democratic votes in the House. It was kind of surprising.

Not many of the Democrats supported it, but some did. I would bet those are some who heard from their constituents who said, ‘Hey, I would like a tax cut.’”

Hutchinson said, “If you think about the fact, it was bi-partisan, actually tri-partisan. That’s a success story.

Think about that for just a moment.

That’s a tribute to the fact that they recognize this is good policy that we can work together in Arkansas to work for the good of the people of this state.”

Maddox said, “I think one of our problems in politics is we divide each other too much. This is a tax cut for every single Arkansan who goes to work and pays taxes. I don’t think we need to continue to draw arbitrary lines that hurt people or divide people, or pits one class against the other. I don’t think that’s healthy or good policy.

“I had a lot of pushback. Not all of the committee people voted for my bill.

What I said to them was that we were still going to fund government. We’re still going to fund public education adequately…there’s a Supreme Court ruling out there that says we have to do that.

“We have money set aside for education. We have money set aside for our Medicaid trust fund. We have over $500 million in both of those trust funds. We have over $1.2 billion in our catastrophic reserve fund, and we’re going to keep that at a high level in case of an economic downturn. We’ll watch how these revenues flow.

“I’m pro-growth and I think we’re going to continue to grow, and that our revenue, even with these cuts, is going to continue to go up,” Maddox said. “It’s going to be interesting…we’re going to see what our revenues do, but I think they’re going to continue to grow. We’re absolutely going to fund government.”

Corporate income tax cut Corporations will also benefit from the income tax cuts, which, in turn, will benefit Arkansas.

Maddox said, “One thing I would say, certainly what I touched on initially, is competition with other states. We do hope states will start looking at this, and we know that they will. Businesses and individuals: ‘Do I want to live in Arkansas? How much does it cost to do business in Arkansas?’. There’s the Arkansas Economic Development Commission. One of their focuses is trying to get businesses to locate in Arkansas.

To open new factories in Arkansas.

They will tell you that one of the questions that is always asked is, ‘What is your tax structure?’. It is a factor if they decide to relocate here. It’s not the only factor, but it is a factor. This helps us compete. This helps us say that Arkansas cares about business.”

“Certainly, the corporate income tax cut is something that’s also important.

Corporations, especially, that are national and multi-national, they’re going to decide where they want to locate.

We want them to locate here. We have a lot of corporations that are existing

News 9

in Arkansas. I know of some here in Polk County that are wonderful; that are great businesses, great employers.

They’re C-corps. They’re going to get a benefit from this. What we’ve found with corporate income tax, what our hope is, they’ll reinvest in their business, potentially give their employees raises, expand…we’re very excited about the corporate income tax, also.”

Final thoughts As Hutchinson held up each of the bills before signing them into law, he announced, “House Bill 1001, Representative Maddox and everybody else who is here who supported this. Then we have Senate Bill 1, Senator Dismang and scores of others from the Senate side. This is to amend the state income tax, to change the name of the Long-Term Reserve Fund, and declare an emergency. Most importantly it is to create the largest benefit in terms of tax cuts for the people of Arkansas that we’ve done in our history.”

Maddox said, “Frankly, I was very happy. I was relieved. I worked for months and months on it. In the last session, I tried to pass tax relief and I couldn’t pass it. I tried to pass income tax relief and it failed. To come back and work and work, and to talk to my colleagues and get them onboard and get this passed, I was very excited.

“When you work at something for a long time and see it finally come to fruition, it’s exciting. I very humbled that my colleagues trusted me enough.

I had numerous colleagues telling me afterwards that they trust me on this.

It’s very exciting for them to have faith in me because it’s a very complex issue.”

“I’m just excited to keep Arkansas competitive with other states and continue to watch Arkansas grow. Obviously, I go to Little Rock some, but I’m here the majority of the time, and I believe that in my district in Polk County and Montgomery County, we are seeing good economic growth. We’re seeing people moving in here, visiting here, and our tourism is strong. I think it’s an exciting time to be where we are.”

479-394-7301

1102 Crestwood Circle Mena, AR 71953

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By Ashley Smith Whitney Horne, executive director of the Mena/Polk County Chamber of Commerce, has submitted her resignation. Horne joined the Chamber in her current position earlier in 2021 after the resignation of previous director, Pasha Watson.

Horne is the third executive director to serve the Chamber since 2017.

The Mena/Polk County Chamber of Commerce has over 280 members and has existed in some form since 1898. The Chamber provides a variety of resources to its members and serves as a reliable source of information on local businesses and events. In addition, the Chamber hosts events that drive tourism to the area, such as the Queen Wilhelmina Rod Run. Chamber President Pilar Fowler stated, “We are very saddened by Whitney’s resignation. She came to us with a positive attitude and jumped right in. Rod Run was an incredible success because of her.

Despite the loss, we have to move on and look ahead.”

Moving on and looking ahead for the Chamber begins with the search for new leadership. According to Fowler, the Chamber is current-

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Horne resigns from Mena/Polk Chamber ly hiring for an executive director and a part-time administrative assistant. The board of directors has reviewed previous compensation packages and will be making significant changes in an effort to secure and retain a qualified individual. In addition, Fowler feels that now is the time to direct the focus back on the members, and looks forward to a grand re-opening of the chamber once a new director is in place.

In a statement to the press on her resignation, Horne said, “This was an incredibly difficult decision as I love this community and the local businesses I served. I would like to thank my amazing board of directors, chamber members and community that have given me so much love and support during my time at the Chamber. Mena is growing and changing and I am forever grateful to be a part of that.”

The Mena/Polk County Chamber of Commerce will accept resumés for the position of executive director and the position of administrative assistant through the end of December. Resumés may be submitted by email to director@menapolkchamber.com or delivered to the Chamber office located at 521 Sherwood Avenue in Mena.

THE POLK COUNTY

By Trey Youngdahl Mena’s First United Methodist Church (FUMC) has started a new church mission—a community blessing cabinet.

Located on the front porch of the church, it is stocked with baby and toddler needs, elderly essentials, hygiene items, books, shelf-stable food and other supplies. It is open to everybody and always available.

“While there are several food-related programs in the area, ours is the only one to offer such a wide variety of items,” said Mary Meier, blessing cabinet project coordinator. “We know that during difficult times, food isn’t the only thing that feeds the soul.”

The blessing cabinet has been in place since July 2021 and has been accessed regularly by people in the community since its inception. Be-

sides giving underprivileged folk the opportunity for help, it’s also given citizens a chance to give back to the community.

“In addition to church members donating items, we’ve also had people not affiliated with the church leave donations,” Meier continued.

If you would like to support the blessing cabinet ministry, you can send a donation of cash, check, product or Walmart/Visa gift cards to Mena First United Methodist Church at 1168 Highway 71 South in Mena, directing the donation to the blessing cabinet. Donations made in person should be brought in during normal business hours: Monday-Thursday, from 8:30 a.m.-3 p.m.

Citizens receiving assistance should also inquire during business hours.

For more information, call FUMC at 479-394-3051.

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By Richie Lawry

The FedEx driver placed two gigantic Dell computer boxes on my front porch. I had been waiting for this day.

I replaced my 386x computer with the 80-megabyte hard drive with a new Pentium computer containing a 1 gigabyte hard drive and the latest Windows 95 operating system. The 19-inch monitor was so large, it hung out over the back of my desk. As I hooked up the wires and turned my new computer on for the first time, a current of excitement ran through me. Sitting on my desk was a state-of-the-art computer that was my portal to the world wide web.

After loading the Netscape Navigator software from my internet provider company, I sat at my desk with eager anticipation as I heard, “Pshhhkkkkkkrrrrkakingkakingkakingtshchchchchchchchcch*ding*ding*ding,” and the computer screen announced I had connected. What would I search for now that I had the whole world at my fingertips? Using the InfoSeek search engine, I began soaking up information. It was after 3 a.m. that I finally pulled myself away from this magical information portal and went to sleep for a few hours before I had to go to work.

At about the same time, another story occurred halfway across the country at Stanford University. Larry Page and Sergey Brin met when Brin was assigned to show Page around Stanford. They disagreed about nearly everything during that first meeting, but by the following year, they started a partnership. Working from their dorm rooms, they built a search engine that used links to determine the academic importance of individual pages on the World Wide Web. They called this search engine Backrub.

Over the next couple of years, Page and Brin caught the attention of the academic community and Silicon Valley investors. In August 1998, after receiving an investment of $100,000, the team moved from the dorms to their first office: a garage in suburban Menlo Park,

December 15, 2021

An Arkie’s Faith Counting on Google

California. When they looked to name the company, they wanted something that spoke to the tremendous amount of information available as the World Wide Web was exploding. They decided on the word Googol.

“Googol” got its name in 1938 when mathematician Edward Kasner picked the name for a number so large that it doesn’t have a significant role in mathematics. A googol is a 1 with one hundred zeros after it.

There isn’t a googol of anything on Earth, not grains of sand, not drops of water in the oceans. It is an impossibly large number.

Page and Brin were engineers and were familiar with the word googol. But they decided to modify it a little and came up with Google. Today, if you search the internet, you probably use the Google search engine. Even though more than twenty search engines are available, over 90% of users choose Google.

The next time you search the internet and the familiar Google logo appears on the page, maybe you will remember the impossibly large number that gave Google its name. The largest number name that most of us use is trillion. But do we understand what a trillion is? When I hear that the United States is $29 trillion in debt, I have no fundamental concept of what that means. 29 trillion seconds equals 914,834 years. How can we wrap

our minds around what such large numbers mean?

When people think of big numbers, the things used as symbols are interesting. Matthew 10:30 (NKJV) says, “But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.”

So, how many hairs are on your head? According to the Harvard Un ive r s it y website Bionu mb e rs , the number of hairs on a human head range from 90,000 to 150,000.

That seems like a number that we can understand.

Stars and grains of sand are symbols of big numbers found in the Bible. In Genesis 22:17 (NET), God made Abraham a promise, “I will greatly multiply your descendants so that they will be as countless as the stars in the sky or the grains of sand on the seashore.”

Science writer David Blatner, in his book “Spectrums,” writes, “A group of researchers at the University of Hawaii, being well-versed in all things beachy, tried to calculate the number of grains of sand. They said if you assume a grain of sand has an average size, calculate how many grains are in a teaspoon, and then multiply by all the beaches and deserts in the world, the Earth has roughly seven thousand five hundred quadrillion grains.” That is a lot of grains of sand.

There is no way that I can wrap my mind around the concept of numbers

Joke of the Week:

I’m learning to pick locks. I’m hoping it will open many doors for me.

Faith 11 like a trillion, quadrillion, and googol.

But even a smaller number like 8 billion is meaningless to me. I can read that any day now, the population of Earth will reach 8 billion, but what does that mean? Eight billion people. It’s a considerable number. I know billions of people live on this planet, but I can’t comprehend what that means.

I may not be able to comprehend large numbers, but God can. Even though God can understand numbers that I cannot, God doesn’t see the number; He sees faces. God sees the personal histories and heartaches, individual problems and potentials. He sees actual people with names. Each one lives in a particular place, wakes up each day, faces their issues, and deals with the obstacles that confront them. He loves each one of these 8 billion people so much that he gave his only Son as a sacrifice for them.

Even though we might not understand the concepts of a billion, trillion, or googol, we can know that God loves the world. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” John 3:16-17 (NKJV) Gentle Reader, God loves each one of the 8 billion people on Earth, and that includes you. But when God looks at His children today, He sees billions of people selfishly divided and opinionated.

He sees people who claim to follow Him but don’t love others. He wants us to do better. “Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love.”1 John 4:7-8 (NLT) Eight billion people. It’s a vast number. But God loves them all. Let’s remember how much God loves us. All of us! We can count on Him all the way to a googol.

Replacing windshields in Polk County for forty years.

Give Richie a call at 479-394-9938 Located at 3008 Hwy 71 South

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Union Bank’s Annual Christmas Open House Community members gathered at Union Bank in Mena to celebrate Christmas and enjoy fellowship over good food and conversation at the Annual Christmas Open House.

Photo Trey Y s by oungd ahl

(L-R): Rob Floyd ,Tony Robbins, Ravan Wagner

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December 15, 2021

THE MAGI AND THE STAR OF CHRISTMAS Dr. Mark Berrier The Gospel of Mark has nothing at all about the birth of Jesus.

The Gospel of John describes the birth in symbol-”word” and “light” entering the world. Luke’s Gospel has the story of the angels and the shepherds. But only Matthew writes about the Magi and the star.

Several questions arise from Matthew’s record: 1) Where were the wise men from? 2) How could they know that the star meant a king was born? 3) What was the star? 4) When did the star appear?

The word “Magos” (singular of “Magi”) comes from an Iranian word for “great one.” Magi were the upper caste in the Middle Eastboth Persia and Babylonia-for many centuries. They were the scholars who studied the stars and struggled to discern how events in the heavens might impact the earth. But they were not the first who saw the star of Christmas.

Chinese star-gazers saw it first.

For millennia the Chinese had kept close watch on comets and other heavenly phenomena. According to ancient Chinese records a spectacular comet with a very long tail appeared in 5 BC and was visible to them for over 70 days. This comet is the only celestial phenomenon recorded between the period 20 BC and AD 10, according to ancient Chinese records. This comet fits uniquely with the birth of Christ because Luke 2:2 reveals that Quirinius was governor of Syria when Jesus was born. Quirinius was governor of Syria the first time from 6

BC to 4 BC. After the Chinese had tracked the movements of the comet, the Magi would have been able to see it, too, since it began its journey “in the east,” just as Matthew said.

This one obvious astronomical object, and the only one, fits with the account of the star of Bethlehem that Matthew 2:9 records-a comet with a long tail. Comets are known to appear suddenly and to seem to travel slowly across the night sky at a typical rate of 1-2 degrees per day. Matthew says that the star “stood over” the place where the baby Jesus lay. A longtail comet with its head pointing downward can seem to point to a place on earth. This would dramatically fit with the description in Matthew of the star. The Magi would have arrived several weeks after the birth of Jesus-at the house where the holy family then resided (Matthew 2:11).

Several cities and villages in Persia (today’s Iraq and Iran) claim that the wise men came from there.

We don’t know exactly where they were from or even how many of them there were.

Could those eastern wise men have known of Salaam’s fourth oracle back in Numbers 24? He predicted that “ ...a star will rise out of Jacob; a ruler’s scepter will rise from Israel.” Perhaps when Balaam returned to the Middle East, that story was spread, and the Magi may have heard of it. Tradition has given these Magi special names and even numbered them as three, since there were three gifts-gold,

Youth members attending Vacation Bible School.

frankincense and myrrh. They have been called “three kings,” but there is no evidence for this. Also interesting is the fact that these gifts were unique. Gold is from the earth; frankincense is of the heavens, a symbol of prayer in the Bible. And myrrh is for the burial of the body, used in ancient times in Egypt and learned of by the Jews.

Jesus was like these gifts-from heaven, from earth and would be buried, briefly. Joseph was warned in a dream to leave Bethlehem and go to Egypt to escape the slaughter of the innocents. The three gifts are how the holy family was able to survive economically in an Egyptian city among other Jews. Then at the death of Herod the Great in 4 BC, the holy family returned to Israel, but being warned in a fourth dream, Joseph removed the family to Nazareth of Galilee. And so Jesus would be called a Nazarene.

Either way, Jesus’ birth was actually in 5 BC, making our calendar, which was invented later on, inaccurate. This New Year would actually be 2018, rather than 2013, if it were based in the birth of Jesus the Messiah.

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Christ’s Church believes any follower of Jesus Christ is our brother or sister.

We have no written creed except for the Bible; we have no foundation except that revealed in scripture—Jesus Christ. We accept anyone who comes to us, just as Jesus did. We “follow the Lamb wherever he goes.”

Since there is an unbroken tradition of sharing in the Lord’s Supper every Sunday (Acts 20:7), we share his table regularly.

It’s his table, not ours. He accepts anyone who comes to him. Faith is the absolute requirement for being a Christian; baptism by immersion is how Jesus himself was baptized, so we practice that also.

Bible history reveals a general order to be saved—believe, repent, confess, be baptized, live the life of a Christian. The mark of the Christian is love for all. What scripture teaches we strive to live. Where scripture is silent, we reserve the right to hold our own opinions in the Spirit of Christ.

It’s not about us; it’s about Jesus.

CONTACT: Dr. Mark D. Berrier, Minister Christ’s Church at Mountain Fork KiamichiMission.org Minister at Large 5540 Hwy 8 W Mena, AR 71953 Email: mberrier@dallas.edu Sunday Worship @ 11 a.m.

Wednesday Women’s Prayer Meeting @ 7 p.m.

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Remembrance at Old Dallas

Submitted by Brenda Cunningham & Cortez Copher

had found the military marker for WWI Veteran Cpl. Rufus B. Bloxom. With permission from the cemetery board, Dennis Cunningham and Tom Williams lifted the headstone and, after putting in three wheelbarrow loads of fill dirt, were able to reset the military marker to its proper resting place.

Last June, the James K. Polk Chapter, National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), decided to adopt the Old Dallas Cemetery as a Community Service Project. After getting permission to work within the cemetery fence from Kathy Cook, president of the Old Dallas Day of Remembrance Cemetery Board, the chapter made its first Since December is traditionally set aside visit to the cemetery on July 3, 2021. to remember the dedication and sacrificDennis and Brenda Cunningham pre- es that have been made by veterans of the sented the history of the Old Dallas com- United States of America, members of the munity and its cemetery to the members James K. Polk DAR Chapter returned to before giving them a list of veterans in- Old Dallas Cemetery to raise awareness of terred there. the sacrifices Next, the group these vetersplit up to look ans made for for each of the their country.

42 veterans and On December mark each vet9, 2021, the eran’s headstone James K. Polk with a piece of Chapter held red pipe and a a “Day of ReWalmart donated membrance” U.S. Flag. to honor all Corporal Rufus veterans. AfB. Bloxom beter the Pledge came JKP’s mysof Allegiance tery veteran. They and playing of knew that Bloxthe “Star Spanom was in the gled Banner,” Old Dallas CemeBrenda Cuntery and what his Tom Williams (Navy), Skip Copher (USAF), and ningham welmilitary marker Dennis Cunningham (MMS retired teacher) hon- comed chaplooked like from oring veterans.

(Photo by Trey Youngdahl) ter members Find a Grave and guest to photos. Yet, after repeated trips around Old the Old Dallas Cemetery to acknowledge Dallas Cemetery, Bloxom could not be lo- the bravery, courage, and service of all vetcated and, therefore, could not be honored erans... and especially the 42 known veterwith a flag. an who rest within the cemetery.

Before Veterans Day, the chapter memOne of the earliest known veterans in bers assembled again at Old Dallas Cem- Old Dallas is Civil War veteran Benjamin etery on November 9 for the purpose of Franklin Brumley, dated 1826-1878. Rereplacing damaged U.S. Flags and locating cords indicate there are seven Civil War, 10 Bloxom. Dotty Kinnun, using her keen ge- World War I, 17 World War II, four Korenealogy skills, noticed the headstone of Ola an, two Vietnam, and three more veterans Bloxom, but not Rufus. Dotty reasoned he with rank but unknown campaigns resting had to be located nearby. within the hallowed grounds. Others may Ann Garret, using a long cane tool with also be buried in the cemetery, but una metal claw on the end, began poking the marked graves and lack of records prior to tool around a sunken area where a second 1892 hinders accuracy. grave logically could be located. Bloxom’s Regent Cortez J. Copher and First-Vice military marker was found sunk about Regent Ann Garrett placed a memorial eight inches into the grave, completely cov- wreath under the metal archway leading ered with dirt and grass. The DAR ladies See BLOXOM uncovered enough to clearly confirm they

continued on page 21

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December 15, 2021

Cove Christmas Parade 2021

Photos by Ethan Nahté

Parade 15

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December 15, 2021

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Polk County law enforcement officers recognized for their service

By Trey Youngdahl On Nov. 5, Attorney General Leslie Rutledge’s Office selected Sgt. Jim Smith of Polk County Sheriff ’s Office as their 2021 Polk County Law Enforcement Officer of the Year.

“This is a well-deserved hon-

or for Jim,” said Polk County Sheriff Scott Sawyer. “He’s an outstanding deputy that always goes above and beyond.”

Sawyer congratulated Sgt. Smith personally, saying, “Congratulations, Sergeant Jim Smith. We are extremely proud of you.”

Mena’s chapter of Veterans of Foreign Wars also named Sheriff ’s Deputy Duane Harvey as their Polk County Law Enforcement Officer of the Year.

Sheriff ’s Deputy Duane Harvey

Sgt. Jim Smith

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December 15, 2021

OMTAC donates big to Toys for Tots The Ouachita Mountain Trail and ATV Club collected a staggering $1,523.00 for Toys for Tots. In addition, they collected 4 boxes of toys.

Polk County Toys for Tots coordinator, Ed Anderson pointed out the dedication and work of all of the mem-

479.394.4248

104 Port Arthur Ave. Mena, AR 71953-3344

bers of OMTAC, including Crystal Rodriguez of A&J ATV/UTV Rentals, Deidre Robinson of Wolfpen ATV Campground & Cabins, Steve Guin of Trailhead ATV Rentals, and Shannon Faught of Skyline Cafe.

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18 Sports

December 15, 2021

Mena suffers loss to Rams

By Trey Youngdahl

Mena High School basketball hosted Hot Springs Lakeside Rams on Dec. 7, leading to a loss from both Mena teams.

Basketball Dec. 16- Bauxite @ Mena Dec. 18- Mena @ Van Buren

Basketball Dec. 10- Cossatot @ Charleston

Basketball Dec. 17- Acorn @ Future Wrestling Dec. 16- Perryville @ Acorn Dec. 18- Acorn @ Gravette

Ladycats The Ladycats started off the game with a nice steal by No. 20 Grayson Fairless, center, during the first quarter. This would be followed by two 3-point shots in the first quarter by No. 11 Madi Lyle, point guard and power forward No. 45 Emmi Hines. The Ladycats would have one more steal by No. 33 Vivian Denton, safe forward, before rounding off the first quarter with a tie-score of 8.

After a relatively uneventful second quarter, No. 0 Payton Clark, shooting guard, started off the third quarter with a flawless 3-pointer, followed by two more baskets by Fairless and Lyle.

After struggling with the lead, the Rams proved victorious by a narrow margin of 34-33. The Ladycats had 22 rebounds, 7 assists, and 6 steals.

The Ladycats did defeat the Fountain Lake Cobras on Friday, Dec. 10 by a score of 40-34. The Ladycats are now 5-2 for the season.

Bearcats The Bearcats also kept a tight score. No. 14 Caleb Peters, point guard, started off the first quarter

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Trevin Plunkett, point guard, made a 3-point shot. During the third quarter, Plunkett repeated this feat.

Things were heating up, as No. 2 by sinking a perfect 3-pointer.

Tre McMellon, point guard, made a In the second quarter, No. 32 3-point shot in the fourth quarter, Toby Watkins, center, performed later repeating the 3-pointer, and a show-stopping block, picking making another basket. This was the ball from a Rams player who followed by No. 23 Trey Day, powwas advancing for a layup. Also, er forward, who delivered an agduring the second quarter, No. 1 gressive block against Lakeside.

Despite a hardfought game, the Rams defeated the Bearcats 56-49. The Bearcats had 30 rebounds, 15 assists, and 1 steal.

Following a 51-29 loss to Fountain Lake Cobras on Friday, the Bearcats are 0-6 for the season.

The games against Alma on Tuesday, Trevin Plunkett protects the ball from a Ram Dec. 12, were canceled player. (Photo courtesy of Mena Public Schools)

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December 15, 2021

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.

POLK COUNTY SHERIFF’S LOG

December 11, 2021 No reports were filed.

December 12, 2021 Deputies responded to a walk-in complaint of threats being made.

Information has been forwarded to December 06, 2021 Deputies responded to a report of the Prosecuting Attorney for further consideration. a Sexual Assault.

December 07, 2021 Tiffany Massey, 27 of Cove was arrested on a Misdemeanor Warrant for Harassment and Obstructing Governmental Operations.

Deputies responded to report of a break-in at a storage unit.

Deputies responded to a residence on Hwy 270 near Acorn in reference to someone backing into their fence.

December 08, 2021 No reports were filed.

Polk County Sheriff ’s Office worked 2 vehicle accidents this week.

Polk County Detention Center Jail Population: 21 Incarcerated Inmates, with 9 Inmates currently on the Waiting List for a State Facility.

MENA POLICE REPORTS

December 09, 2021 Tristen Chaney, 26 of Mena was December 5 arrested by an officer with the ArA report of breaking or entering kansas State Police on two Misde- and theft from a vehicle was taken at meanor Failure to Appear Warrants a residence on Michelle Drive. and a Body Attachment.

December 6 December 10, 2021 A report of harassment was taken Deputies were dispatched to a from a walk-in complainant.

Physical Domestic at a residence Mikel Thomas, 31, was served on Polk 45 near Mena, leading to with two warrants after a traffic stop the arrest of Shawnna Morris, 25 of on 7th Street.

Mena on a charge of Aggravated Assault and two charges of 3rd Degree December 7 Battery.

A report of breaking or entering David Fraser, 53 of Mena was was taken at a residence on Caseys arrested by an officer with the Ar- Way. kansas Drug Task Force on a Felony A report of criminal mischief was Failure to Appear Warrant. taken at a residence on Magnolia Avenue.

Police 19 High-Speed chase leads to arrests

A report of breaking or entering and theft from a vehicle was taken at a residence on Redbud Drive.

Charles Solo, 49, was served with On Dec. 13 at about 8:10 pm, offitwo warrants at the county jail. cers of the Mena Police Department Dax Wood, 25, was served with a attempted to stop a black Kia Sorenwarrant after a traffic stop on Mena to in the Northside Shopping Center Street. parking lot. The vehicle was reported stolen, and the occupants were susDecember 8 A report of theft of property (shop- pects of several crimes in the area.

The vehicle fled from the officers lifting) was reported by Walmart. which led to a high-speed chase that went out into the county and then December 9 A report of disorderly conduct back into the city. During the chase was taken from a person at Walmart. the police department was assisted Hunter Johns, 22, was charged by the Polk County Sheriff ’s Office with Cruelty to Animals at a resi- and Arkansas Game and Fish. dence on Fink Street.

On Cherry Street, at the Highway 71 intersection, the suspect vehicle December 10 hit a civilian vehicle [Eds: occupied John Mullins, 53, was charged with Disorderly Conduct and Pub- by Tyra Dollarhyde and Ken Griflic Intoxication at Sun Country Inn. fin] head on. The driver tried to flee Jessie Zamora, 39, was served on foot but was apprehended in the with two warrants at the county jail. Cruizer’s parking lot. A female pasA report of theft of motor fuel was senger was also arrested at the scene. taken at a residence on Bethesda Southwest EMS was called to the Road. scene, but no injuries were reported.

The Arkansas State Police responded December 11 to work the accident.

A report of breaking or entering Jordan Garcia, 27, was charged and theft was taken from a walk-in with Possession of Schedule 2 Concomplainant. trolled Substance, Fleeing in Vehicle, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Felony Theft of Property, Misdemeanor Theft of Property, Theft by Receiving, Criminal Mischief 2nd Degree, Careless/Prohibited Driving, Driving on Suspended License, and served with a warrant out of Crawford County.

Kayla Allbright, 24, was charged with Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Felony Theft of Property, Misdemeanor Theft of Property, Criminal Mischief 2nd Degree, Fleeing in Vehicle, Theft by Receiving and served with a warrant out of Sebastian County.

20 Classifieds

December 15, 2021

LEGAL

THE POLK COUNTY

Pulse

This instrument prepared by: Chad Cumming Gill Ragon Owen, P.A.’ 425 West Capitol Ave., Suite 3800 Little Rock, AR 72201 NOTICE OF DEFAULT AND FORECLOSURE SALE WHEREAS, on September 30, 2010, that certain FIXED RATE HOME EQUITY CONVERSION DEED OF TRUST was executed by MARY E. HARP (the “Mortgagor”), as mortgagor, delivered to Ann Orsi-Smith as trustee for One Reverse Mortgage, LLC as beneficiary, and recorded on October 19, 2010, in Book 2010, Page 11627 in the Office of the Circuit Clerk and Ex Officio Recorder, Polk County, Arkansas; and WHEREAS, the First Mortgage was insured by the Secretary (the “Secretary’) of the United State Department of Housing and Urban Development (“HUD”) pursuant to the National Housing Act for the purpose of providing single family housing; and WHEREAS, the First Mortgage is now owned by the Secretary, pursuant to that ASSIGNMENT OF DEED OF TRUST dated January 28, 2016, and recorded on March 21, 2016, in Book 2016, Page 2155 in the Office of the Circuit Clerk and Ex Officio Recorder, Polk County, Arkansas; and WHEREAS, on September 30, 2010, that certain FIXED RATE SECOND HOME EQUITY CONVERSION SECOND DEED OF TRUST (collectively, with the First Mortgage, the “Mortgages”) was executed by Mortgagor as mortgagor and delivered to the Senior Official with responsibility for Single Family Mortgage Insurance programs in the Department of Housing and Urban Development Field Office with jurisdiction over the property described below, or a designee of that Official as trustee for the Secretary as mortgagee, and was recorded on October 19, 2010, in Book 2010, Page 11638 in the Office of the Circuit Clerk and Ex Officio Recorder, Polk County, Arkansas; and WHEREAS, a default has been made in the covenants and conditions of the Mortgages the property secured by the Mortgages (the “Property’) has ceased to be the principal residence of at least one surviving Mortgagor; and WHEREAS, the entire amount delinquent as of October 7, 2021, 2021 is $175,669.04; and WHEREAS, by virtue of this default, the Secretary has declared the entire amount of the indebtedness secured by the Mortgages to be immediately due and payable; NOW THEREFORE, pursuant to powers vested in me by the Single Family Mortgage Foreclosure Act of 1994, 12 U.S.C. 3751 et seq., by 24 CFR part 27, subpart B. and by the Secretary’s designation of me as Foreclosure Commissioner, recorded on October 25, 2021 with the Circuit Clerk and Ex Officio Recorder of Polk County, Arkansas as File No. 2021R-3912, notice is hereby given that on Wednesday, December 15, 2021 at 11:00 a.m. local time, all real and personal property at or used in connection with the premises property described as follows (the “Property”) will be sold at public auction to the highest bidder: Lot Twenty-five (25) of Hidden Valley Estates, a subdivision in part of the West 1/2 of the Northwest 1/4 of the Northwest 1/4 of Section 21, Township 2 South, Range 30 West, Polk County, Arkansas, as recorded in plat Cabinet 3 slide188.( Correct is Slide 18B) Subject to Restrictions as set out in Warranty Deed recorded in Deed Book 261 pages 721-723, 09/25/1995 and as set out in Misc. Book M-222, pages 527-529, recorded 01/15/1991, Subject to any public utility and roadway easements and city zoning ordinances as may now exist.

Commonly known as 1700 Valley View Drive, Mena AR, 71953 The sale will be held at the Polk County Courthouse, 507 Church Ave, Mena, AR 71953.

The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development will bid $183,191.98.

There will be no proration of taxes, rents or other income or liabilities, except that the purchaser will pay, at or before closing, his prorata share of any real estate taxes that have been paid by the Secretary to the date of the foreclosure sale.

When making their bids, all bidders except the Secretary must submit a deposit totaling $18,319.20 (10% of the Secretary’s bid] in the form of a certified check or cashier’s check made out to the “Secretary of U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development”. The check should also reference FHA Case # 031-4103428. A deposit need not accompany each oral bid. If the successful bid is oral, a deposit of $18,319.20 must be presented before the bidding is closed. The deposit is nonrefundable. The remainder of the purchase price must be delivered within 30 days of the sale or at such other time as the Secretary may determine for good cause shown, time being of the essence. This amount, like the bid deposits, must be delivered in the form of a certified or cashier’s check. If the Secretary is the highest bidder, he need not pay the bid amount in cash. The successful bidder will pay all conveying fees, all real estate and other taxes that are due on or after the delivery date of the remainder of the payment and all other costs associated with the transfer of title. At the conclusion of the sale, the deposits of the unsuccessful bidders will be returned to them.

The Secretary may grant an extension of time within which to deliver the remainder of the payment. All extensions will be for 15-day increments for a fee of $500.00, paid in advance. The extension fee shall be in the form of a certified or cashier’s check made payable to the Secretary of HUD. If the high bidder closes the sale prior to the expiration of any extension period, the unused portion of the extension fee shall be applied toward the amount due.

If the high bidder is unable to close the sale within the required period, or within any extensions of time granted by the Secretary, the high bidder may be required to forfeit the cash deposit or, at the election of the foreclosure commissioner after consultation with the. HUD representative, will be liable to HUD for any costs incurred as a result of such failure. The Commissioner may, at the direction of the HUD representative, offer the property to the second highest bidder for an amount equal to the highest price offered by that bidder.

There is no right of redemption, or right of possession based upon a right of redemption, in the mortgagor or others subsequent to a foreclosure completed pursuant to the Act. Therefore, the Foreclosure Commissioner will issue a Deed to the purchaser(s) upon receipt of the entire purchase price in accordance with the terms of the sale as provided herein. HUD does not guarantee that the property will be vacant.

The scheduled foreclosure sale shall be cancelled or adjourned if it is established, by documented written application of the mortgagor to the Foreclosure Commissioner not less than 3 days before the date of sale, or otherwise, that the default or defaults upon which the foreclosure is based did not exist at the time of service of this notice of default and foreclosure sale, or all amounts due under the mortgage agreement are tendered to the Foreclosure Commissioner, in the form of a certified or cashier’s check payable to the Secretary of HUD, before public auction of the property is completed.

The amount that must be paid if the mortgage is to be reinstated prior to the scheduled sale is $175,669.04 as of October 7, 2021, plus all other amounts that would be due under the mortgage agreement if payments under the mortgage had not been accelerated, advertising costs and postage expenses incurred in giving notice, mileage by the most reasonable road distance for posting notices and for the Foreclosure Commissioner’s attendance at the sale, reasonable and customary costs incurred for title and lien record searches, the necessary out-of-pocket costs incurred by the Foreclosure Commissioner for recording documents, a commission for the Foreclosure Commissioner, and all other costs incurred in connection with the foreclosure prior to reinstatement.

Tender of payment by certified or cashier’s check or application for cancellation of the foreclosure sale shall be submitted to the address of the Foreclosure Commissioner provided below.

THE POLK COUNTY

Pulse

CLASSIFIEDS - SERVICES -

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.

T0222 Land Management, Tree Service, RC Customz can handle your construction needs, mulching and more. Military discounts available. Insured. Call (479) 216-2976 for Free estimate.

T1222 Tree services, storm cleanup, stump grinding. Signs and light replacement. Give RC Customz a call at (479) 216-2976 for Free estimate.

T1222 Mena Shuttle - Ground transportation to AR and TX airports. Doctor and emergency appointments. Also, light deliveries.

(870) 490-1191 T0105

- FOR SALE -

GIFTS! Handmade by local artisans. An entire store full! Mena Art Gallery, 607 Mena Street.

Wednesday-Saturday, 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.

(479) 394-3880 T1222 Tappen 36” Gas Range 4 burners with center griddle.$200 or OBO. Call Thomas Stotts (479) 394-2868 T1215 1966 283 cu. in. 2-speed Powerglide, stock bore, .010 under crank. $500 or OBO. Call Thomas Stotts (479) 394-2868 T1215

- EMPLOYMENT Brodix, Inc. is accepting applications for a technical/phone sales position. Responsibilities include, but are not limited to, answering technical inquiries, providing product information and recommendations, troubleshooting with potential and current customers, and processing orders in a fast-paced office setting.

Parts, automotive, and computer experience would be helpful.

Applications may be picked up at the Brodix office, located at 301 Maple in Mena, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Competitive 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.

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December 15, 2021

Around Town Hatfield First Baptist Church “Shepherd’s Closet” Open Wednesdays, 10 am - Noon. Large selection of good, used clothing & a limited supply of non-perishable food items.

Free to anyone in need. We kindly ask that non-vaccinated individuals wear masks.

Narcotics Anonymous meet at 7pm Monday, at 7pm Thursday, at 7pm Friday, and at 6pm Saturday at the old bus barn at the Crossing Church. For information call Erica at 479-216-7249.

Seminarian Nathan Widener, of Concordia Theological Seminary, Ft. Wayne, Indiana will be preaching at Trinity Lutheran Church, 1010 Dequeen Street in Mena, on December 19th at the 10 am worship service. Trinity Lutheran has been supporting Nathan for the past few years and is honored to have him and his family with us, as he prepares to receive his first Divine Call into the Holy Ministry and graduation this coming Spring. All are welcome to worship with us! For more information please call (479) 394-1290.

Pre-registration is now open for Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) courses at UA Rich Mountain. The classes will be offered on the Mena campus beginning January 10 through February 18 Monday through Friday from 8 am until noon. A drug screen, TB skin test and background check must be completed before January 9. Contact instructor Sherri McCourtney, 479.234.3605 for more information.

Alcoholics Anonymous meet at 3pm Sundays, at 5pm. Tuesdays and at 8pm Saturdays at the old bus barn at the Crossing Church. For information call 479-234-8366 or 479-216-3786.

American Legion meets every 2nd Tuesday at the Legion Hall in Acorn. Potluck at 6pm, meeting follows.

Come play Bingo, Saturdays and Mondays, starts at 6pm, doors open at 4pm.

Ouachita Little Theatre is the venue for a local musical family group named Harmony to perform their annual Christmas concert. The show begins at 7:30 this Friday evening, Dec. 17. No tickets are required, but donations at the door are gratefully accepted that will support both the group and the theater. Concessions will also be available. Get in the true spirit of Christmas with Harmony!!!

3rd Saturday Gospel Singing to be held at Cornerstone Church, 1129 Hwy. 71. S. near the corner of Bethesda Rd., 6– 9 p.m. Musicians and singers welcome. For more information, contact Stanley or Jeanette Dreyer at (479) 216-0533.

A Candlelight Vigil will be held to bring awareness for two women missing from the Mena area at The Polk County Courthouse, Saturday, Dec. 18, 6 p.m. More information can be found on the Facebook page “Justice for Angel June Gilbert & Erin Lawrence.”

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 Food Pantry at the Mena Seventh Day Adventist Church is open every first and third Monday of each month, 4pm - 6pm, located at Fair Grounds Road. For more information, call 479-437-4018.

Alcoholics Anonymous meet at 8pm Fridays at the First United Methodist Church, 9th & Port Arthur. Discussion/Book Study for information call 479-243-0297.

The Mena Art Gallery will have their third monthly meet & greet, 607 Mena St., Thursday, Dec. 16, 4:30-6:30 p.m. For more information, contact 479-394-3880 or email@menaartgallery. org.

GriefShare continues to meet every Thursday from 10am - noon at First Presbyterian Church Mena for anyone in the community who is grieving the loss of a loved one.

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.

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 announcement 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 continuing to serve the community!

Classifieds 21 BLOXOM continued from page 14 into the Old Dallas Cemetery. The wreath was dedicated to the veterans at Old Dallas Cemetery. Knowing that a veteran is never forgotten if their name is said, three members, Deonna Williams, Shelly Collins and Dotty Kinnun memorialized each veteran by calling out their full name. A chime was rung by Ann Garrett after the reading of each. Navy Veteran Tom Williams read a moving tribute on “Being a Veteran,” which touched everyone in attendance.

Chaplain Linda Craig spoke on her remembrance of veterans from her childhood and community with each account confirming we should never forget the service of the men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice to maintain our freedom.

Dennis Cunningham, retired Mena Middle School teacher, talked about the courage and sacrifice of veterans buried in the Old Dallas Cemetery. A special acknowledgment went to his uncle, WWII Veteran Lloyd D. “Dee” Cunningham, who may be one of the highest awarded veterans in the cemetery.

Dee Cunningham’s son, Jeff, gave an account of the courage of his father and how he was awarded the Silver Star, a Bronze Star and the Purple Heart for his WWII service in the Pacific Campaign. Jeff also shared how the hostile war effected his father and his tendency not to talk about the events that impacted him for the rest of his life.

Chaplain Craig gave the Benediction and “Taps” was played to close the James K. Polk Chapter’s “Day of Remembrance.”

Following the ceremony, Lt. Col. Ernest A. “Skip” Copher, USAF (Ret), installed solar lights to not only shine light upon our country’s flags, but to also shine a light of awareness upon the sacrifices made by our men and women veterans. Let these lights be a reminder for all of us to never forget.

22 Puzzles

THE POLK COUNTY

Pulse

December 15, 2021

12.15.21

12.15.21

ANSWERS FROM PUZZLES ON 12.08.21

Humane Society of the Ouachitas PET OF THE WEEK

Hello! My name is Nova and I want to be your new kitty. I am litter box trained. In fact, I have been indoors all my life and would need to go to an indoor only home. I am a lovely curious kitty. I am a dilute tortoiseshell, which means I have soft shades of creams and silvers. I am such a pretty little princess! I am about 7 months old and love to be active. I enjoy other cats too. I do not like to be held for long but I love to be petted and loved on!

I am just a happy girl looking for my purrfect home!

All selected Pet of the Week animals come with a gift package.

All animals at the Humane Society of the Ouachitas are current on their vaccinations and spayed/neutered prior to adoption.

HUMANE SOCIETY OF THE OUACHITAS TUES. THROUGH SAT. 10 A.M. TO 2 P.M. 368 POLK 50, MENA, AR 479 3945682 WWW.HSOMENA.ORG

THE POLK COUNTY

Pulse

December 15, 2021

Ho g s p o r e Ne w s : New horseback trainer

By Clet Litter as told to Bob Simpson

There’s a new horseback riding instructor at the Got to Trot Stables.

His name is Colt Canter. No, the name came from his parents, who were pistol fans and singers, but not good spellers. The stables’ motto: We can teach you to ride, come rein or come rime. Sara Suspenders is taking lessons. She said, “The first sessions were in a classroom. Colt started out by saying, ‘Welcome to riding instruction. If you’re puzzled about something in class, just raise your hand and ask. There’s no such thing as a stupid equestrian.’

He noticed a student fidgeting in his seat and asked, ‘Sir, is there something wrong with your chair?’

‘Nope, these new chaps are riding up on me a might.’ He was trying to make a riding joke, but nobody laughed.

Cowboy Colt said, ‘Well pardner, we won’t be needing chaps in the classroom or outside. We aren’t planning on mending fences or rounding up mavericks in the brush. You probably won’t ever need to wear chaps unless you’re in the cast of Oklahoma. But, if you do wear them again, they’re gonna be more comfortable if you wear them on the outside of your jeans.’

Sara continued, “Classes are outside now, and we’re learning how to tack up the horse, basically it’s knowing everything about getting it ready to ride. I can’t tell you anymore. Colt says, ‘You have to take the course to know the horse,’ but I can pass on a riddle he gave us. How do you ride a depressed horse? Sad Saddle.”

Complete sanity broke out in the town council’s last meeting. Yep, the word was Sanity. Hogspore’s Tribute to Fresh Fruit and Granulated Sugar in December is gonna be celerbrated in July, when ripe fruit is actually available. Mayor Ringer congratulated the ruling. He said, “There was even talk among the counsel about holding a tribute in December for mason jars and canned goods.

Please don’t expect this sort of sensible thing to happen often. It goes against all the unwritten laws and values of guvernment, but this was an unexpected decision and seems so right on several levels.” He was talking from the second floor of city hall at the time.

National News: The Miss America contest eliminated Miss Nevada in the closed-door interviews. It was apparent during the private interview that he hadn’t made the cut.

Contact at Bobsimpson1947@yahoo.com. You know you wanna.

WHEN NEWS MATTERS, WE’RE HERE TO KEEP YOU INFORMED. MyPULSE NEWS.COM

Humor 23

24 Outdoors

THE POLK COUNTY

OUACHITA BUSHCRAFT AND SURVIVAL Staying occupied in the bush

By Steven E Stillwell Boredom, idleness and down-time are some of the worst enemies a Bushcrafter can lock horns with; so what can a person do to keep themselves occupied? If you plan on spending some extended time in the woods, it’s wise to develop a working routine. Believe it or not, this also entails entertaining yourself. We’ve all heard the old saying, ALL WORK AND NO PLAY, MAKES JACK A DULL BOY. When I’m hunting, fishing, foraging, hiking, exploring or taking photographs, these activities keep me busy.

But when I return to camp, what can I do to keep the momentum going?

Logic dictates that the necessities are always a priority. Collecting firewood, purifying water, working on your shelter, and cooking what you catch should always come first.

If you’re fortunate enough to camp with a partner, you’ll have someone to converse with, but when you’re alone, this poses another challenge. A combination solar, battery powered, AM/ FM, Shortwave, weather ban radio can be a nice companion. This is the best way to stay informed when you’re miles away from civilization. Soothing music is medicine for your soul, and it’s imperative that you spend some time relaxing after exerting yourself. A deck of cards, crossword puzzles, backgammon, cribbage, board games such as chess, checkers, and Monopoly, are exceptional pass-times. These activities will keep your mind active and sharp.

When you’re sustaining yourself in the field, a set of traps and fishing trot lines should always be an ongoing operation, but they have to be maintained, reset, or checked on a daily basis. You owe it to your quarry that any suffering, lingering, or dangling on a

Pulse

December 15, 2021

line, be kept to a minimum. The best trappers I know are also very humane individuals, but death is an integral part of life, so exercise wisdom when dispatching an animal. Remember, in

Living history buff, Peter Kelly

down and seasoned tree to work with.

COLD WEATHER TIPS LIKE THESE CAN SAVE YOUR LIFE. Canadian and living history buff, Peter Kelly, who was also a special guest on our podcast program, THE OUACHITA BUSHCRAFT AND SURVIVAL SHOW, just shared a video of him

a dire straight survival situation, the harvest is the key ingredient to keeping yourself alive.

Maintaining or repairing your weapons, hardware, and gear should also be at the top of your list of daily chores.

On one special outing, I made some minor repairs and stitched a small tear in my sleeping bag. I’ve had this fartsack since 1987, and it’ll probably last me another 34 years, if I live that long.

THINK ABOUT THIS; a broken ax handle can easily be fixed if you’ll use your head, study your surroundings, and take note of all the natural resources. The Ouachita National forest is full of replacement handles, if you know how to make, and shape one. Hickory is an extremely suitable wood for this task, especially if you can find a blown

(Photo by Steve Stillwell)

making an expedient shelter in the forest. He really impressed me when he built a stone fireplace that drafted perfectly, for inside use.

The north woods are considerable colder this time of year, and his knowledgeable planning will keep his safe-haven toasty and warm, while he prepares his meals and hot tea. You can find the link to this film on our Facebook page, OUACHITA BUSHCRAFT AND SURVIVAL, or by searching for it on YouTube.

Let me add another detail; the beautiful folk music on all of his programs is inspirational, and very professional. We invite you to join our growing group. Your comments and suggestions are always welcome.

Boozman fights for Arkansas wildlife and habitat preservation investment Submitted WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator John Boozman (R-AR) is championing legislation to invest in conservation work in Arkansas and support farmers and ranchers who are some of the best stewards of our natural resources.

In the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee on Wednesday, Boozman advocated for the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act, legislation that would safeguard the long-term health of fish and wildlife habitat in the Natural State and all across the country.

“One of the reasons I am proud to be a cosponsor of the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act is because it would provide on-the-ground actors, such as farmers and ranchers, conservation organizations, state authorities and tribal governments, with the resources they need to pursue collaborative conservation efforts in their regions,” Boozman said during the hearing.

Wildlife agencies across the country have identified more than 12,000 species in greatest need of conservation assistance. Arkansas is home to 377 of those endangered and threatened wildlife. This legislation would make Arkansas eligible for more than $15 million annually to fund habitat restoration and conservation.

Following Boozman’s urging, EPW Chairman Tom Carper held today’s hearing examining this legislation.

The Recovering America’s Wildlife Act is supported by more than 1,500 organizations including the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, Arkansas Wildlife Federation, Ducks Unlimited and the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation.

THE POLK COUNTY

Pulse

December 15, 2021

Ol’ Blue and Cowboy

By Ray Shelley

I usually write about law enforcement of the 1800s, but being a cowboy at heart from the time I could walk…

This article is about an authentic old west cowboy I met from the 20th century. The Cowboy’s name is Enos B. Garland. Most people knew him by “Blue” Garland.

Years ago, among my many jobs, I delivered propane. One long tiring day, my last stop was at Garland’s house in Acorn. Our first meeting didn’t go so well. I arrived and started to fill the propane tank when a fellow came rushing out of the house complaining because I didn’t let him know I was here. He wanted to make sure I was doing everything right.

After a not very pleasant exchange between us, I gave him his receipt and headed back to the office. I told my boss about my encounter with Garland. He just laughed, and with his laid-back, easy-going attitude, told me, “Blue’s just a little cantankerous, but a nice guy.”

One early Saturday (my day off), I received a call that Garland was out of propane. On the drive to Acorn, I decided I would make every attempt to find the nice guy in Garland.

Entering Garland’s property, you must go about a quarter of a mile on a dirt road to reach his house. Halfway up the road, I looked off to my left through the early morning haze. I saw an outline of a horse and rider. For an instant, my mind traveled back to 1800, and I’m driving the Butterfield Stagecoach watching a Pony Express rider at work. Snapping back to reality, I thought this was the last of the old-time cowboys. Ironically, I found out later; the horse Garland was riding was named Cowboy.

Finishing my job, I met Garland coming out of the barn. I handed him his receipt and said, “I filled the tank all by myself.”

He cracked a small smile, and for the

Cowboy trained as a cutting horse, so [I] took him to Oklahoma for training by Indian Joe Jackson, and [I] still work 35-50 cattle today.”

Philpot noted in her interview that Blue and his two dogs, Smokey and Shadow, along with Cowboy, lived a special lifestyle that is not prevalent today as in the past in the Ouachita Mountains.

Oct. 19, 1988, was a sad day in Polk

next two and a half hours, we talked about everything under the sun. My boss was right, Blue Garland was a heck of a nice guy.

Unfortunately, that meeting was years ago, and I have forgotten much of what we discussed.

Fortunately, my friend who is a former art instructor and portrait artist, Monta Philpot of Mena, interviewed Garland before creating his portrait.

Philpot graciously shared some of her interviews with me, including an article written by Phyllis Wiles.

Looking over the information brought back a flood of memories from our conversation so many years ago.

Wiles wrote Enos B. “Blue” Garland was born in 1900 to Joe “J.C.” Garland and Blanche Noyes on his grandfather’s 200-acre ranch in Acorn, which was purchased in the early 1800s. He was the third child of 10 chil- Blue Garland and Cowboy, painted by Monta Philpot. dren.

(Courtesy of Monta Philpot) Blue worked the ranch alongside his father and grand- County when the headlines of the father. It was known as the Water Mena Star read, “County Pioneer Dies Valley Farming and Livestock Com- in Car Wreck” (“E.B. “Blue” Garland pany, where his grandfather farmed, 87, killed in crash”). raised cattle, and raised his family.

Blue attended the livestock auction Blue worked it until he was grown, in Potter every Tuesday. It’s assumed then accepted a job with his uncle, a that is where he was headed before the Sherwin-Williams paint distributor in crash that took his life. Services were Shreveport, Louisiana. held at the First United Methodist Blue returned to Acorn in 1948, Church with burial in Owen Chapel working the ranch once again.

Cemetery.

Blue told Wiles his, “…favorite horse After Blues’s death, according to Pat and friend was Cowboy, a horse he Garland, “When Cowboy died, he was broke to ride 21 years ago. [I] wanted buried above the house place under a

History 25 big oak tree where he liked to rest.”

An end of an era, Ol’ Blue and Cowboy.

One Saturday, a friend, Loren Hellam, called and suggested meeting him at Garland’s house. He wanted to show me something that I would be interested in seeing.

Hellam and his wife, Vicki, owned property at Rich Mountain. Polk County pioneer families would contact Loren and offer their grandparents log cabin. Loren and Vicki would dismantle the cabin one log at a time, assign each log a number, load the logs on a trailer, transport them, and reassemble the cabin on their property.

There was a lot of work for two people whose goal was to preserve Polk County’s history.

When I arrived in Acorn, Loren had already dismantled the add-on portion of Garland’s house. Left standing was the original log cabin Garland’s grandfather had built. As I stood looking at the cabin with the backdrop of Rich Mountain, I couldn’t help but think how simple life must have been so many years ago. It was chilling.

The Garland family members chose not to carry on the tradition established so many years ago. Sadly, an era fades away.

Fortunately, due to the love of Polk County History, the Hellams have preserved Blue Garland’s cabin. Several other historic cabins also remain to remind us what it was like to live in the 1800s.

The Hellams have passed away, so I’m not sure what has happened to the historic cabins left behind. I hope someone will have enough interest and resources to preserve the history of Rich Mountain.

But for now, on my way to Fort Smith, I pass the Hellam property.

I look over and see Blue Garland’s cabin, and it reminds me of my time talking with Ol’ Blue.

I want to thank Monta Philpot for using her portrait of Blue Garland for this article. If you want to see more of Monta’s portraits, she has an excellent display at the Mena Depot.

26 News

December 15, 2021

Hatton Quarry Wins Diamond Elite Award

By Trey Youngdahl

Hatton Quarry has been named Martin Marietta’s 2021 Diamond Elite Award winner.

Martin Marietta Materials is an American-based company with headquarters in Raleigh, North Carolina, and 500 operations throughout 30 states, Canada and the Bahamas. Hatton Quarry (Cove), Jones Mill Quarry (Malvern) and Black Rock (Black Rock) are the company’s only three facilities within Arkansas. Martin Marietta is a leading supplier of building materials, including aggregates, cement, readymixed concrete and asphalt. Each year, they recognize their top-performing operations within a three-tiered awards program.

The first tier, the Diamond Achievement Award, is awarded to operations that showcase operational achievement in safety, ethical conduct, operational

excellence, environmental sustainability, cost discipline and customer satisfaction.

The second tier, the Diamond Honor Award, is awarded to Diamond Achievement Award winners that not only performed well over the past year, but showed continuous improvement over the previous three years. In 2016, Hatton Quarry was a Diamond Honor recipient.

This year, Hatton Quarry, which produces aggregates, was awarded the

Martin Marietta’s highest honor, the Diamond Elite Award. Presented to just one operation each year, Diamond Elite teams are considered the “best of the best” in the company. Winners must showcase exceptional competence in safety, ethical conduct, operational excellence, environmental sustainability, cost discipline and customer satisfaction. Jones Mill Quarry was a Diamond Elite winner in 2016.

“Winning the Diamond Elite Award is an honor. It’s something that we’ve chased since 2016 and, in 2021, we finally made it,” said Hatton Plant Manager Salomon Hernandez. “It was all about teamwork—that’s what it took.

This team works great together. They always have.”

Denson Broach, Hatton Quarry foreman, felt that same sentiment.

“We’re one big family,” Broach said.

“We hold each other accountable if necessary and that’s what holds us above the rest.”

THE POLK COUNTY

Pulse

THE POLK COUNTY

Pulse

December 15, 2021

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December 15, 2021

THE POLK COUNTY

Pulse