Polk County Pulse December 7, 2022

Pulse

Former Mena teacher arrested

By Ethan Nahté

Andy Philpot, now a former teacher with the Mena School District, has been placed under arrest. Philpot is a former newspaper editor for the Mena Star, as well as a Mena High School teacher. The affable instructor taught journalism, yearbook, creative writing, oral communications, and sports promotions.

According to a statement released

by the Polk County Sheriff’s Office on Thursday, Dec. 1, on Monday, Nov. 28, 2022, representatives from the Mena School District notified the Polk County Sheriff’s Office about allegations of an inappropriate re lationship between a Mena High School teacher and a student.

Mena School Board calls special meeting

By Ethan Nahté

A special meeting of the Mena School Board was called for Monday, Dec. 5 at 5:30 p.m. in the Administration Building located at 501 Hickory.

On the agenda for board members to consider was a Christmas bonus for Aramark employees and person nel.

After opening the meeting, the board went into executive session for approximately an hour. When they returned to the public meeting, no items discussed in executive session required action.

The board then voted to give a onetime bonus of $1,000 to each of the 27 Aramark employees, to be paid out of the Food Service Fund.

The only other agenda item was to accept the resignation of Michael An drew Philpot, effective Nov. 29, 2022.

The board then adjourned. Their next regular meeting will be held Dec. 14 instead of Dec. 20 due to schedul ing conflicts and the upcoming holi day break.

Mena schools are out for Christmas Break Dec. 22, 2022, and are sched uled to return to class Jan. 9, 2023.

See PHILPOT continued on page 22

The Polk County Sheriff’s Office and the Prosecuting Attorney’s Of fice opened an investigation into the allegations.

Acorn students help place wreaths on veterans’ graves

Article and photos by Ethan Nahté

The publication date of this issue of the Polk County Pulse happens to fall on Pearl Harbor Day. The annual observance is set aside to remember and honor the 2,403 dead and 1,178 wounded Americans after the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. The Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service flew in early on Sunday morning, Dec. 7, 1941, attacking the United States.

At the time, the U.S.A. was a neutral country. Japan’s attack forced our na tion’s hand in declaring war on them the next day, thrusting us into World War II.

In addition to the dead and wound ed soldiers, four U.S. Navy battleships were sunk and four others damaged. Also damaged were three cruisers, three destroyers and one minelayer. There were also 188 aircraft destroyed and 159 more damaged.

Pres. Bill Clinton signed a joint reso

lution on Aug. 23, 1994, followed by is suing a proclamation on Nov. 29, which declared Dec. 7, 1994, the first National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day.

David Spurgin retired from the mili tary as a petty officer, second class.

Spurgin is not old enough to have served in World War II. Instead, he served in Vietnam, but the Pearl Harbor event attack has an impact.

“I served in the navy, so when we talk about Pearl Harbor, it has a spe

cial meaning to me,” Spurgin said. “We have very, very few World War II veter ans still alive today.

“After World War II, we had Korea, and most of those who served in Korea are now in their 80s. Some are even older, but very few are younger than that.

“Of course, we had Vietnam. I served from ’61-’67. I’m right in the middle of the age group of the Vietnam veterans, but there are a lot of the ones younger than I.”

Of course, there have been several other wars since that time. There are several veterans who might already be stateside and not much older than 18. Some may never see 19. Then there are those who survived and have lived a full life in a country that they valiantly fought for and honor to this day.

“I loved it,” Spurgin said. “I served on two different ships: The USS Jason

WREATHS

Radio - Print - Web

1168 Hwy 71S

Mena, AR 71953

Phone: 479-243-9600 Fax: 479-243-9603

Email: news@mypulsenews.com

KENA 104.1 - KQOR 105.3 MyPulseNews.com

Our Team:

Letter To The Editor:

Quite often questions should be asked that are not. If you follow the mon ey, power, influence, and politics of some government policy decisions, red flags appear.

One of the first actions of the current administration was to shut down the Keystone pipeline. Pre dictably fuel prices skyrocketed and remains high. No one ques tioned the added carbon footprint that using an alternate mode to move the same amount of crude oil to refineries verses a pipeline. Seems odd for an environmental ly green thinking administration. And who picked up the oil trans portation? Railroads! I have no idea what that did for their bottom line but figure it has made them a tidy profit they stood to lose to a more efficient pipeline.

It is beyond me that people still believe in the promises politicians make to get elected, but for whatever reasons find ways to break once in office. What is even more alarming is that we still hold out hope that politicians can be trust ed to keep their word. To be clear, this is not a one-party thing. Dem ocrats and Republicans seem in clined to the same behavior.

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. Letters do not reflect the viewpoints or opinions of Pulse Multi-Media.

The letter must include a signature to be considered for publication. Signatures will NOT be held out by request. Letters will be restricted to 500 words. Any letters longer than 500 words will require purchase of advertising space.

The Polk County Pulse is the area’s premiere and fastest growing news publication. The Polk County Pulse is FREE and published weekly on Wednesdays, with a distribution of 8,000 and an estimated readership of 10,000. MyPulseNews.com has hundreds of visitors daily and KENA and KQOR have thousands of listeners hourly.

POLICY: The publisher reserves the right to reject or cancel any advertisement at any time. All property rights, including any copyright interest, in any advertisement produced by Pulse Multi-Media and/or The Polk County Pulse using art work and/or typography furnished or arranged by Pulse Multi-Media and/or The Polk County Pulse shall be the property of Pulse Multi-Media and/or The Polk County Pulse. No such advertisement or any part thereof may be reproduced without the prior written consent of Pulse Multi-Media and The Polk County Pulse.

POLITICAL ADVERTISEMENTS: Advertise ments of a political nature must be prepaid and must also include the name of the entity paying for the advertisement. If an entity other than the candidate the advertisement is endorsing is paying for the ad, a statement must be signed by the candidate verifying the candidate has seen and approved the advertisement.

Our president in a speech boasted his presidency would be the most union friendly adminis tration in U.S. history. That was until it was not. Now he is trying to get Congress to put pressure on the unions to buckle to the railroad in negotiations over paid sick leave, among other benefits. Railroads benefit from oil shipping and now from government intervention into the union’s ne gotiations.

A strike by the unions would make a bad economy worse and would have a longterm negative impact as well. To use the term hypocritical seems mild for the problems we now face as a re sult of even more broken promis es and the probability of an even deeper hole we dig with our na tional debt.

I would love to know just how much railroads have made as a result of the Keystone pipeline being stopped and how much they stood to lose if it continued. There had to be some serious negotiations going on behind closed doors to make this happen. I doubt the U.S. taxpayer’s best interests were at the core of those negotiations.

Do you ever wonder how there are so many millionaire-elected public servants on a government salary that did not come into office with that much wealth? I do. Maybe all those new hires to the IRS could find time to audit every elected official that makes policy, every two years. If we can demand tax returns from an ex-president then demand the same for all of them. The sword of justice should cut both ways!

As always thank you for a forum to voice my thoughts, though we may disagree.

With respect and kindest regards, Ronald Goss, retired, Mena

The following contact information is re quired when the letter is submitted: NAME, AGE, ADDRESS, PHONE NUMBER.

Letters are published at the discretion of the Editor and Publisher.

Letters may be submitted by e-mail to news@mypulsenews.com; mailed to P.O. Box 1450, Mena, AR 71953 or dropped off at 1168 Hwy. 71 South, Mena, AR. A drop-box is provided by the front door for after-hour convenience.

Ashley Moore - General Manager

Ethan Nahté - Production Manager/Editor

Patrick Massey - Contributing Reporter

John Russell - Graphic Design

Curt Teasdale - Programmer / On-Air Personality

Trey Youngdahl - Reporter / Photographer / Morning Personality

Jodi Croft - Account Executive

Ariel Varner - Receptionist/On-Air Personality

Distribution & Insertion Staff: Dan & Linda Deramus, Jason Sharp, Edward Werkhoven

HWSP to host Christmas and Candlelight this weekend

By Patrick Massey

Historic Washington State Park is gearing up to host its annual Christ mas and Candlelight historic event this weekend.

Park staff will line the streets with candles to provide a natural and historic Christmas look. Decorations, music and more will help set the mood for a his toric Christmas experience. The homes of Historic Washington will be adorned with period decorations and thousands of luminaries will be lit during the eve ning hours.

The park will host its 36th annual Christmas and Candlelight on Dec. 9-10. Candlelight tours will be held from 1-8 p.m. both evenings. Music will be played in the churches and the the 1940 WPA Gym starting at 5 p.m. Williams’ Tav ern Restaurant will also be open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. for a Christmas buffet.

Carriage rides will be available and the gift shop is scheduled to be open.

Cost to participate in this year’s Christ mas and Candlelight is $10 for adults and $6 for children six to 12-years-old. Children under six get in for free.

The event is sponsored by Histor ic Washington State Park, the Pioneer Washington Restoration Foundation and the townspeople of Washington.

Historic Washington State Park is locat ed 19 miles from Nashville on Highway 278.

State House

Returning House members and newly elected members are now preparing for the upcom ing session.

The 2023 Regular Session will begin on January 9 at noon.

From the

of

The pre-filing period for bills and resolutions began on November 15. So far, 16 bills have been filed in the House and 3 have been filed in the Senate. You can review all the bills filed at www.ar kansashouse.org.

The House Organizational Meeting previously scheduled for November 17 has been rescheduled to Monday, December 5, 2022, at 9:00 a.m. in the House Chamber.

During the meeting, newly elected members will draw for seniority and all members will select their seats for the 94th General Assembly. After seat selection, the committee selection pro cess will begin.

The vast majority of legislation con sidered during a legislative session be gins in a standing committee. There are 10 standing committees in the House. Each standing committee consists of 20 members including 5 members from each of the 4 House district caucuses.

Representatives

Selection for the House Budget Committee, Arkansas Legislative Council, and Leg islative Joint Auditing will take place after standing committee selection.

The next day, December 6, newly elected members will begin orientation. For the 94th General Assembly, there will be 26 members serving their first term in the House. The legislative insti tute will review everything from parlia mentary procedures to balancing the state budget so that every member is prepared on day one of the session.

At the beginning of each legislative session, the House and Senate meet separately to organize and adopt tem porary rules for the respective bodies. Then on the second day of the session, we will meet in a joint session in the House Chamber to hear an address from the newly elected Governor.

The House streams every committee meeting and House floor proceeding live on our website. We will also be streaming the organizational meet ing on December 5. In addition, the recorded meetings are archived and searchable by key terms on our site.

Arkansas has been develop ing a statewide response to the growing health crisis created by Alzheimer’s disease and de mentia.

During the 2023 session the legislature will consider a se ries of proposals brought by the Alzheimer’s and Dementia Advisory Council, which was created by Act 319 of 2021.

Measures include enhancement of services for caregivers. Many wear themselves out physically caring for loved ones, and many receive no compensation for the long hours they devote to care.

Although most people have heard of Alzheimer’s disease, public aware ness campaigns are necessary to im prove early detection, and educate people about the early warning signs. Although there is no cure for Alzhei mer’s, there are treatments that can slow its progression and soften the impact of its symptoms.

State governments began respond ing to Alzheimer’s in the 1980s, and their responses amplified as public health officials became more aware of the wide-ranging effects of the dis ease.

From the State Senate Contact

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

Alzheimer’s is the most common form of dementia, accounting for 60 to 80 percent of all dementia cases. Dementia is a general term to de scribe loss of memory and mental abilities. There is no single test for Alzheimer’s. Physicians rely on blood tests, scans, interviews with family members and tests of memory and cognitive skills.

newly learned information. Other warning signs include difficulty completing famil iar tasks, losing things, being disoriented, withdrawal from social activities, no longer be ing able to plan ahead or work with numbers, changes in judgment and decision mak ing that are out of character and finally, mood swings and person ality changes.

In Arkansas, an estimated 93,000 people provide unpaid care to loved ones with Alzheimer’s. The majority are women and two-thirds are older than 50, so the physical challenges of caregiving are daunting. The majori ty of caregivers have been providing care for more than four years.

Caregivers have to leave work ear ly or take time off. They lose benefits and have to turn down promotions. Due to the demands of caregiving, nine percent have had to quit work entirely and 18 percent have had to leave a full-time job and take a parttime job.

In 2020 about 58,000 Arkansans had Alzheimer’s and by 2025 that will increase to 67,000 people, in part be cause of the general aging of the pop ulation.

It is expensive to care for Alzhei mer’s patients, more so than caring for people with cancer and heart dis ease.

Patients with Alzheimer’s and de mentia tend to have more incidents entailing higher costs for coronary artery disease, diabetes, strokes, chronic kidney disease and cancer.

Bruce Westerman

101 Reserve St. Suite 200 Hot Springs, AR 71901

Phone: (501) 609-9796

Fax: (501) 609-9887

How a person gets Alzheimer’s is not known exactly. The major risk factor is old age. It can run in the family. Obesity, diabetes and cardio vascular disease may be risk factors. That means you may be able to ward off the disease by exercising, keeping mentally active and eating healthily.

The most common early symp tom is the inability to remember

Overall, people without demen tia don’t need care as often for those same medical conditions as do peo ple who also suffer from dementia.

For people 65 and older with de mentia, the rate of hospitalization is twice what it is for people who don’t have dementia. It is 538 hospital visits for every 1,000 people compared to 266 hospital visits per 1,000 people.

John Maddox Larry Teague

Jerry R. Whitaker

Mr. Jerry R. Whitaker, age 78, passed away Sunday, November 27, 2022, in Mena, Arkansas. He was born August 28, 1944, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, to the late Burnett Whitak er and Lorene Donnell Whitaker.

Mr. Whitaker was a realtor by profes sion, and proudly served his country in the Marines, aboard the USS Oriskany as a Marine Detachment during the Vietnam War.

He is preceded in death by his parents, Burnett Whitaker and Lorene Donnell Whitaker; brother, Don Whitaker; sis ters, Lois Human, Betty Nix; and by his grandson, Trever Mallicoat. He is sur vived by his loving wife, Judy Whita ker; sons, Jeffrey Whitaker and wife Renee of Mena, Arkansas, Jim Whita ker of Star City, Arkansas, Steve Swall and wife Stacy of Mena, Arkansas, Jody Whitaker and wife Amanda of Mena, Arkansas; daughters, Jennifer Malli coat and husband Troy of Elk Grove, California, Christie Petersen and hus band Jason of Clarksville, Arkansas; grandchildren, Megan Whitaker of Torreon, Mexico, Jarod Whitaker of Tulsa, Oklahoma, Marissa Mallicoat of Elk Grove, California, Jazmine Whita ker of Russellville, Arkansas, Noah Swall of Conway, Arkansas, Eli Swall of Mena, Arkansas, Brooke Denton of Conway, Arkansas, Paige Denton of Clarksville, Arkansas, Dylan Peterson of Conway, Arkansas, Karsyn Whitaker of Mena, Arkansas, Kinley Whitaker of Mena, Arkansas; great-grandchildren, Rynnlee Pelts of Clarksville, Arkansas, Vincent Mallicoat of Elk Grove, Cali fornia; and by his sister, Janell Martin of Sacramento, California.

Graveside services for Mr. Jerry Whitaker will be held December 2,

2022, at 2:00 p.m. at the White Oak Cemetery in Mena, Arkansas. Ser vices are under the direction of Beas ley-Wood Funeral Home.

Online obituary at beasleywoodfu neralhome.com

Rodger Martin Nystrom

Martin

Nystrom, age 86, of Mena, Arkansas, passed away Wednesday, November 30, 2022, at the Mena Regional Health System in Mena. He was born on Saturday, October 3, 1936, to Joseph and Louvisa Wheeler Nystrom in Des Moines, Iowa.

Rodger was a very sweet, meticulous and highly ethical man. If he loved you, it was known. He was strong willed, very independent and loved by many. Rodger served proudly in the United States Army.

He really enjoyed fishing, gardening, and maintaining his property to his standards. Rodger was a member of the Catholic Church after converting in the 1960’s. He was known to be a very welcoming and wonderful neigh bor, most of which became his close friends.

He loved to watch football and auto racing and would watch anytime they were on. Rodger was a loving father, brother, grandfather, uncle, and friend and will be missed by all who knew him.

He was preceded in death by his par ents; his wife, Sarah “Sally” Nystrom; six brothers and sisters, Neoma Muel ler, Lowell “Bud” Nystrom, Mary Lou Alsin, Vera Baker, Verna Nystrom, and Darwin Nystrom.

Rodger is survived by three sons, Joseph Nystrom of Watauga, Texas, R.D. Nystrom of Okmulgee, Okla homa, and Dean Nystrom of Cabot,

Arkansas; one daughter, Sandra Elfo of Frendale, Washington; one brother, Joseph Dale Nystrom of San Francisco, California; seven grandchildren; seven great-grandchildren; numerous nieces and nephews and a host of other rela tives and friends.

A memorial graveside service will be held on Thursday, December 15, 2022, at 1:00 PM at the Fort Smith National Cemetery in Fort Smith, Arkansas. Cremation arrangements are entrusted to Bowser Family Funeral Home in Mena, Arkansas.

Online Guestbook: bowserffh.com

Bertha “Tinker” Lillian Watkins

Mrs. Bertha “Tinker” Lillian Watkins, age 95, passed away Sunday, November 27, 2022, in Vandervoort, Arkansas. She was born August 2, 1927, in Vander voort, Arkansas, to the late William Frances Daniel and Mary (Brun) Dan iel.

Mrs. Watkins was a woman of many talents and interests. She loved play ing cards, completing word searches, going to the Wickes Senior Center, and attending family reunions and get togethers, a lot of which she hosted. Additionally, she was a fantastic cook and loved going swimming in the riv er, where her children and grandchil dren practically grew up. She wished to be known for her quilting talents, making many beautiful quilts over the years. She had many professions over the years, some of which included the Renova Shirt Factory, Lane Poultry, Vandervoort Post Office, and driv ing the school Pickup for many years. She was a lady of faith, and when she was able, she attended the Methodist Church in the morning, and the First Baptist Church at night. Whenever the

church doors were open, you could find “Tinker” in attendance.

She is preceded in the death by her parents, William Frances Daniel and Mary (Brun) Daniel; husband, Dale Watkins; brother Dolan Daniel; sisters, Margie McDaniel, Hilda Davis, Leo ta Larson; and by her children, James Morris Watkins, and Phill Darris Wat kins.

She is survived by her son, Larry Gerald Watkins and Linda; daughter, Mary “Tooter” Leandra Putty; grand children, Tewayne Gerald Watkins and wife Paula, Melita Lynelle Watkins Green and husband Steve, Kyle Dale Putty, Lucas Wade Watkins, Clayton Lee Watkins and wife Debra, Catelin Maye Watkins, Jackson Isaac Watkins; great-great-grandchildren, Erica Hop per and husband Ryan, Andrea Wat kins, Tewayne Gerald Watkins, II, Toby Watkins, Kiann Green, Mace Green, Sage Green, Kensleigh Watkins, Talynn Watkins, Eliza Watkins, Ryden Hopper, Rhett Hopper, and Rossen Hopper; brothers, Douglas Daniel of Red Bluff, California, Jimmy Daniel of Ft. Smith, Arkansas; sister, Phyllis Fernandez of Red Bluff, California; special nephew, George Watkins; daughters-in-law, Cindy Jean Watkins, Cindy Faye Wat kins; and self-adopted grandchildren, Deedee Alston and Jason Randall.

Services for Mrs. Bertha “Tinker” Watkins will be held 10:00 a.m., Satur day, December 3, 2022, at the First Bap tist Church in Vandervoort, Arkansas. Brother Roy Brooks will be officiating under the direction of Beasley-Wood Funeral Home. Interment will follow at the Center Cemetery in Hartley, Ar kansas. Visitation is general.

Pallbearers are Brad Davis, Don Youngblood, Hershel Bell, Jimmy Wat kins, Dwayne Watkins, and Jason Ran dall. Honorary Pallbearers are Bruce Cureton, Bill Barrett, and Steve Dear ing.

Online obituary at beasleywoodfu neralhome.com

Rodger

Raymond “Ray” Joseph Shelley Raymond

“Ray” Joseph Shelley, age 81, of Mena, Arkansas, went to be with the Lord on Friday, December 2, 2022, at the Baton Rouge General Medical Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He was born on Friday, February 28, 1941, to Frank and Clarice Shelley in Norwich, Con necticut.

Ray served proudly in the United States Air Force as Military Police. He served the City of Mena alongside a wonderful group of officers for 15 years and retired as Chief of Police.

Ray was a spiritual man of the Catholic faith and let the Lord guide his life. He was an avid writer of the Old West and a talented artist and woodworker. Ray enjoyed acting on stage and at home. He was a lifetime member of the Association of Chief of Police, and he belonged to Lawbreakers and Peace Makers Old West Reenactment Group.

He was a very humble and proud man. Ray had a good sense of humor and never met a stranger. He had a gift for gab and was a great storyteller and hard worker. He loved his family very much and was always there for them. Ray was a won derful and loving husband, dad, brother, brother-in-law, grandfather, great-grand father, uncle and friend.

He was preceded in death by his par ents, Frank and Clarice Shelley; three in fants, Mary Catherine, Kevin, and David Ray; son, Michael Shelley; brother, Frank Shelley; brothers-in-law, Jim Piechoki, Michael Laing, and Bill Stewart; and one sister-in-law, Eileen Rosenbaum.

Ray is survived by his loving wife of 59 years, Peggy Shelley of Mena; two sons and daughter-in-law, Kevin Shelley, and Keith and Linda Shelley; two daughters and son-in-law, Debbie Shelley, and De nise and Gerard St. Pierre; grandchildren, Allison and Matt Hughes, Katherine and

Jake Taylor, Michael, Matthew and Bren nan Shelley, Darren and Amanda, Dustin and Christina, Londyn St. Pierre, Lakyn and Mikey Evans; great-grandchildren, Adam, Mason, Bryce Hughes, Huntleigh, Kinslee, Audrey Taylor, Brantley Shel ley, Drew, Caden, Austin, Kenzie, Noah, Hudson St. Pierre, Miley, Owen Evans; two brothers and sisters-in-law, Tom and Terri Shelley, and Dennis and Maria Shelley; one sister, Joan Piechoki; and his faithful companion, Clyde Shelley; nu merous nieces and nephews and a host of other relatives and friends.

A funeral mass will be held on Satur day, December 10, 2022, at 10:00 AM at the St. Agnes Catholic Church in Mena, Arkansas, with Father Joseph Shanti raj as celebrant. A rosary service will be held on Friday, December 9, 2022, from 6:00-8:00 PM at the Bowser Family Fu neral Home Chapel in Mena, Arkansas. Cremation arrangements entrusted to Bowser Family Funeral Home in Mena, Arkansas.

In lieu of flowers memorial contribu tions may be made in Ray’s honor to the American Legion Veteran Organization in Polk County, Arkansas, at 3253 High way 71 N, Mena, AR 71953 Online Guestbook: bowserffh.com

Frances Pauline Curry

Frances Pau line Curry, passed away on Saturday, De cember 3, 2022, in Mena, Arkansas.

Frances was born June 4, 1933, to Hamp Wolfenbarger and Melinda (Du gan) Wolfenbarger in Washburn, Ten nessee. She was one out of fourteen sib lings. She was a homemaker for most of her life and being surrounded by friends and family was her greatest joy in life. She enjoyed cooking and baking for her friends, family, and church members. She was also known for making pies during the tornado of 2009, making the best

Christmas candy, gardening, dancing, and listening to country music.

Frances met her loving husband of 62 years on May 25, 1947. He had just gotten home from World War 2, and she knew right away he was the love of her life. They got married four months later on September 2, 1947.

Frances is survived by; one son, De wayne Curry; eight grandkids, Amy Har rison, Ashley Chumley, Miranda Cald well, Michael Tarkinton, Greg Tarkinton, Melissa Tarkinton, Amanda Tolbert, and Patrick Curry; twenty-three great-grand kids; thirteen great-great-grandkids; her dog, Dixie; her caregiver, Autumn Chumley; and her special friends, Glen da Holiday, Danny, Patrick, Debbie, the late Eugene, and Debbie May.

She is preceded in death by; her lov ing husband of 62 years, Carl P. Curry; two sons, Jimmy C. Curry and Freddy L. Curry; daughter, Linda C. Curry; grand daughter, Sonya Myers; and her grand son, Tony Curry.

The funeral service will be held 2:00 pm on Friday, December 9, 2022, at Bea sley Wood Funeral Home Chapel. Inter ment to follow to Pinecrest cemetery in Mena, Arkansas. Visitation will be held on Thursday, December 8, 2022, from 6:00-8:00.

Online obituary at beasleywoodfuner alhome.com

Jane Ellen Mourton

Jane Ellen Mourton, age 79 of Mena, Ar kansas, passed away Sunday, December 4, 2022. Jane was born in Mena, Arkansas, May 13, 1943, to the late Loyd Tibbs and Martha Burnette Tibbs. Jane was 1 of 7 children.

Jane was a woman with many talents who loved Jesus with all her heart.

Jane was of the Pentecostal faith. She was a fantastic piano player and played piano in her church for many years. She

taught Sunday school class for many years and led a lot of young people to Je sus.

She was the family videographer. She always had a video camera with her ev erywhere she went. She kept the family in ceramic pieces that she made for several years, she loved to cook and bake. She really loved to shop for clothes, and an tiques and take road trips to see family. Later in life she especially loved to ride around on the farm and visit the cows, ducks and wildlife. She had a dog named Chi Chi and a cat named nipper that she loved and enjoyed.

Jane was a very loving daughter, sister and aunt. She was Aunt Jane to many nieces and nephews. Jane was the kind of aunt that was there for everything good and bad. It was recently said that Aunt Jane tried to adopt us all. You never had to wonder if Aunt Jane loved you. She showed it in everything she did. Jane was also a loving friend to anyone she was every around. She was a sweet loving person through and through and loved Jesus.

She is survived by her good friend James Gentry and several nieces and nephews and great-nieces and -nephews.

She is preceded in death by her parents Loyd and Martha Tibbs, three brothers, Billy, Marvin Othel and Loyd Lee Tibbs: and three sisters Lourrine Lance, Imo Little and Barbara Hanks.

Celebration of life service will be held Friday, December 9, 2022, at 10 a.m. at Beasley Wood Funeral Home Chapel in Mena, Arkansas, with Brother Robert W. Little officiating.

Interment will follow in Pinecrest Cemetery under the direction of Beasley Wood Funeral Home. Pallbearers will be Lundy Kiger, “H” - Harry Palmer, Jay Gil crest and Andy Kennedy.

Peace

and love are eternal.

Green House Cottages ribbon cutting

On Wednesday, Nov. 30, city and state officials and the Mena commu nity gathered to celebrate the grand opening of The Green House Cottages of Homewood. The newly constructed cottages, which began welcoming res idents last year, provide state-of-theart accommodations and prioritize individualized elder care. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the grand open ing ceremony for the facility had been postponed until now.

“On behalf of The Green House Cot tages of Homewood community, we want to thank everyone who attend ed our long-awaited celebration,” said John Ponthie, founding member and managing director of Southern Ad ministrative Services LLC.

“This innovative approach to longterm care has proved successful in many facilities across the state.”

The project included the construc tion of nine Green House Cottages that each feature 12 private rooms and bathrooms. The Green House Cottage design focuses on giving dignity and choice to our elders. The highly trained staff go above and beyond to create an atmosphere and environment that

looks, sounds and feels like home while providing 24/7 specialized care.

“The City of Mena is excited to final ly celebrate the opening of The Green House Cottages of Homewood,” said Mena Mayor Seth F. Smith. “This facili ty is a great addition to our community and provides the highest quality of care for our loved ones.”

Avian influenza confirmed in third Arkansas poultry flock

LITTLE ROCK - Testing has confirmed a case of avian influenza in a backyard flock in Arkansas County that had shown increased mortality over the course of several days.

This is the third case of avian influ enza in Arkansas this year. Earlier this year the Department confirmed cases of avian influenza on a poultry farm in Madison County and on a farm in Pope County.

“We will continue to work with poul try growers, the industry, and our lab oratory partners to protect against the spread of avian influenza,” said Ar kansas Secretary of Agriculture Wes Ward. “Arkansas poultry is safe to eat, and consumers can be confident in the safety of their food.”

• Keep your birds indoors or cov ered to prevent exposure to wild or migratory birds.

• Restrict access to any source of water that may have been contam inated by wild birds.

• Implement strict biosecurity methods to prevent exposure to wild waterfowl or their droppings.

All poultry flock owners are encour aged to follow the strictest biosecurity on their farms to prevent the spread of the disease. Those steps include:

• Limit, monitor, and record any movement of people, vehicles, or animals on or off your farm.

(Trey Youngdahl/Pulse)

At The Green House Cottages, res idents enjoy a more comfortable long-term care environment. The cot tage-style living concept takes an over all well-being approach to health and safety for those living in a long-term care facility.

The celebration was attended by Mena Mayor Seth F. Smith; Senator Terry Rice; Representative John Mad dox; John Ponthie, founding member and managing director of Southern Administrative Services LLC; Rachel Bunch, executive director of Arkansas Health Care Association; communi ty and business leaders; residents and family members.

For more information about The Green House Cottages of Homewood, visit Homewoodghc.com.

“The Arkansas Department of Ag riculture is urging poultry owners to increase biosecurity measures on their operations in response to several re ports of highly pathogenic avian in fluenza (HPAI) in wild birds along the Mississippi Flyway,” said Patrick Fisk, Livestock and Poultry Division Direc tor.

Avian influenza is an airborne respi ratory virus that spreads easily among chickens through nasal and eye secre tions, as well as manure. The virus can be spread in various ways from flock to flock, including by wild birds, through contact with infected poultry, by equip ment, and on the clothing and shoes of caretakers. There is no public health concern, and avian influenza does not affect poultry meat or egg products, which remain safe to eat.

To mitigate the disease risk from contact with the birds or their drop pings, the Livestock and Poultry Divi sion strongly recommends taking the following steps for the next 30 days, es pecially within the Delta area:

• Permit only essential workers and vehicles to enter the farm to limit the chances of bringing the virus from an outside source.

• Avoid visiting other poultry farms and any unnecessary travel off the farm.

• Disinfect equipment, vehicles, footwear, and other items that come into contact with flocks.

• Keep your flock away from wild or migratory birds, especially water fowl.

• Isolate any ill animals and contact your veterinarian.

For more information on avian influen za, visit aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/ animalhealth/animal-disease-infor mation/avian/avian-influenza/ai and for information on protecting poultry, visit  aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/ animalhealth/animal-disease-informa tion/avian/defend-the-flock-program.

Backyard flock owners who have sick or unusual deaths in their flocks should email info@agriculture.arkansas.gov or call 501-823-1746.

WREATHS

(AR-8) and also on the USS John A. Bole (DD-755). I had shore duty at the Naval Air Station in Memphis and in San Diego.”

Now he is currently a member of the Disabled American Veterans (DAV) and the DAV Auxiliary, standing out in the brisk wind with temperatures hov ering around freezing alongside a cou ple of other DAV Auxiliary members.

“We’re putting the flags out for all veterans, but especially at this point, for Pearl Harbor Day,” Spurgin said. “This is an annual event that the DAV Auxiliary does, sponsors and works to do this.”

But they were not alone. Thirty-three Acorn students from both of Coach Andy Arnold’s eighth grade U.S. history classes assisted the DAV and DAV Auxiliary on Dec. 1. Many of the par ents of the eighth grade Acorn students who assisted in placing wreaths were more than likely still in elementary school in ’94.

Arnold said he believed that DAV Auxiliary Member Carol Burns reached out to Ouachita River School District’s Tammy Young and told her what was going on.

“Ms. Young presented me with the opportunity and we decided to bring the eighth-grade class. We talked about the reason we were doing this was for Pearl Harbor Day, and that we were remembering the veterans who served in Pearl Harbor or got killed in Pearl Harbor. We explained to them the significance of Pearl Harbor and the sacrifice our soldiers made.”

Spurgin said, “We do this here at Pinecrest. There’s a group that does some of the same things at the White Oak Cemetery.

“Polk County has a lot of veterans over the years. Population-wise, we’re one of the higher percentages in the state as one of those that has veterans. In a way it’s good and in a way it’s sad because they’re not with us anymore.”

The wreath laying at Pinecrest Cem etery is not just for those who were at Pearl Harbor, but for any veteran of a U.S. war. The symbolism of a wreath has been used at funerals dating back

to the ancient Greeks to represent a circle of eternal life.

“We do the flags that you see on the different graves for veterans on Memo rial Day and we do the wreaths in hon or of Pearl Harbor Day,” Spurgin said. “Basically, all of the graves are marked. The marker will be a military marker or will have something on it pertaining to the person, their service and when. They’re identified, but there may be an exception to the rule, but their typically identified with their dates and branch of service and their rank.” Spurgin points out an example of a lieutenant who fought in Korea and Vietnam, and who is a recipient of both the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart. “Cemeteries that are kept up like this one has more things up to date. You get out in more rural areas and some really small cem eteries have some that are unmarked almost. It would be easy for veterans of those to not be identified and we wouldn’t know it.”

Arnold said that the DAV was using a flag next to each grave to identify where to lay a wreath. The students helped lay over 600 wreaths.

Arnold hopes that it teaches the stu dents something. “We try to empha size the respect, whether people agree with the military or not. The military has a purpose. The military allows us to practice and enjoy the freedoms we have here in our country. We try to take the opportunity that we can and teach these guys to respect those who have given their lives in service of this country.”

Spurgin said, “Today, we have the students from Acorn. We really appre ciate them being here. I hope they got an experience out of it while being out here for the right reason and not just a way to get out of school,” he laughed. “I know some of them will. Kids are kids. They’re not taught or brought up the same way I was because times change. Each decade is different. They don’t teach things in school like they used to. I don’t mean that as a negative to the schools. It’s just the way it is.”

One of the main lessons Spurgin, Ar nold, and many like them might hope will be learned is a sense of honor,

pride and loyalty as part of an appreci ation for freedoms several might seem to take for granted.

“We don’t really have the numbers in the military we once had,” Spurgin said. “Our numbers in each branch of the service have diminished over the past couple of decades—for several reasons. Some of the leaders of our nation don’t think we need to have a strong military and in a large number… and in some ways they may be right. But if you think what possibly could happen, we’d be in trouble.

“The people and family members that had relatives—especially in World War II—the whole country was behind them,” Spurgin said. “The whole coun try worked to do things for the servicemen… to do things to support them. Ladies who stayed home—moms and grandmas—a lot of them were doing things in some form or fashion to support the military. A lot of moms and women were working in factories, building and doing things that were for our military. Even in the ammunition side of it, a lot of them were building different arms.”

And times have certainly changed. Many women who served overseas prior to Vietnam were rarely on the battlefield, serving aboard a ship, or flying aircraft. Today’s children may have both parents who are veterans, with some having parents who actually met while serving in the armed forces.

Not that all kids and young adults misbehave or may seem inconsiderate, but it is perplexing the ones who will play first-player war games but have little to no respect for veterans or their country. Even if a person does not believe in fighting and violence, a com mon courtesy for those that did fight so that others can remain free would seem logical.

“Today, what gets me,” Spurgin said, “is we can have a military funeral. We have our honor guard, which is older veterans. We need younger ones but we can’t get them. When we present the flag, when we fold the flag, then we play taps, it’s like they’re in another world and they don’t know what’s going on.

“It’s not just the kids. We have some middle-aged people that they don’t want to salute the flag, have their hand over their heart, or pay attention. They’ll be talking and doing stuff. That doesn’t set well with me, but I’m just one person. Have some respect for the flag, and at a funeral, have respect for the veteran and the family, as well.

“People seem to think the Pledge of Allegiance is political. Honoring our flag and our country is not political. To me, it’s a duty and respect—it’s a re quirement. It’s the same way for honor and respect for your elders, and par ents and family members. It’s just not there. It’s not all of them, but how do you know right from wrong if you’re not told?”

Watching some of Arnold’s history students taking the time to read the names upon the markers that they are placing wreaths upon or seeing a few students pointing out to classmates a relative they discovered while laying wreaths on the graves is interesting.

Perhaps some of the eighth graders were brought up with a sense of re spect. Maybe some of them never gave it much thought until they came out to Pinecrest. Hopefully, some of them will be spending a moment or two to honor veterans this Pearl Harbor Day.

Mayor Smith proclaims Judy Thompson Day amidst retirement

Submitted by Mena Downtown Partners

Mena Mayor Seth Smith signed a proc lamation declaring Saturday, Decem ber 10, 2022, as Judy Thompson Day in Mena.

Judy Thompson, Mena Downtown Partners business liaison, will be retir ing at the end of December after seven years of devoted volunteer service di rected at bettering downtown Mena.

Mena Downtown Partners (MDP) is a downtown business organization formed in 2016, and Judy Thompson was instrumental in its formation. The group is registered with the State of Arkansas and received its Articles of Incorporation from the state. The goal of MDP from its inception has been to actively promote our downtown area, based on the core belief that a healthy

and vibrant downtown is vital to the overall community economic health and local quality of life.

Thompson dedicated countless hours and creative energy to helping fulfill the mission of the MDP and make our community a better place to live.

“Few have been as passionate about the importance of our downtown or worked as tirelessly at trying to help it prosper,” current MDP President Tom Byrd said. “Her contributions were many, and they will be missed.”

In her volunteer work with the MDP, Judy has been directly responsible for a great many efforts to help downtown. These include leading and facilitat ing many key initiatives and popular downtown events. But she also worked directly with businesses to help them improve and prosper. A big part of her mission was to help businesses apply for and secure grant funding where

available, and she also brought in busi ness consultants to help downtown merchants.

She was instrumental in MDP’s suc cessful application to Main Street Ar kansas in 2018 to become an Arkansas Downtown Network Community. This acceptance created many funding and grant opportunities for businesses in downtown Mena that many have used to improve their business.

Many associate Thompson with the highly successful monthly Cash Mob promotions she created and hosted at various downtown businesses over the past five years. These events cele brate our vibrant downtown and the Cash Mobs to date have generated over $30,000 in spending at downtown busi nesses.

Some of the events Thompson was responsible for include the Downtown Easter Eggstravaganza, the Downtown Trick or Treat Trail, and Christmas in July to name only a few. These events were all about driving shoppers and promoting downtown Mena.

Thompson also championed at all times the concept of keeping shopping dollars local, as evidenced by her work on BUY LOCAL in coordination with our Chamber of Commerce.

She also coordinated and implement ed the annual Small Business Saturday promotion throughout downtown.

Thompson and her husband, T.J., moved to Mena in 2009 and have both been involved as volunteers in different groups.

Prior to moving to Mena, Thomp son worked for 17 years in downtown development and historic preservation as Main Street Manager in Louisiana. Before that, she was vice-president of marketing for a small manufacturing company which sold internationally. She is a Certified Main Street Manag er and certified in Professional Down

town

the National Main Street Center of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

Not only downtown Mena but our entire community have been the bene ficiaries of Judy Thompson’s efforts and dedication.

MDP treasurer and American Ar tisans owner Rick Chrisman believes our downtown will continue to benefit from Thompson’s dedication, even in her retirement.

“As Judy and T.J. embrace the op portunity for more time pursuing their personal interests, we’ll reap the benefits of Judy’s vision and passion for downtown. Her work provides a foundation for continued growth and sustainability of our downtown and its appeal.”

Development by

Judy attending Destination Downtown event in Little Rock. (Photo by Tom Byrd)

By Richie Lawry

Growing up in Colorado, I remember occasionally seeing shepherds with their flocks of sheep when we traveled in the mountains. I thought that being a shep herd looked like fun. You got to spend your time outdoors in the beautiful Col orado mountains. The shepherd’s tiny little trailers looked so homey and quaint. When I got older and became an avid newspaper reader, I read some stories that showed the darker side of being a shepherd in Colorado. Most of the shep herds are foreigners who can seldom talk to family back home. They live with out any human company for months at a time. The shepherds have no water, toilet, shower, or place to wash clothes. Most live in small, 6-by-10-foot trailers with just enough room to sleep, a small wood-burning stove, and little else. Some have an outhouse nearby, but many do not.

Before World War II, most of Colora do’s shepherds were Americans. But by the early 1950s, the industry couldn’t find enough American citizens willing to do the tedious and challenging work for meager wages. In 1952, Congress enacted a program to help farmers and ranchers secure a reliable supply of foreign workers. But shepherds were exempted from many of the protections granted by law to other foreign agricul tural workers, such as an hourly wage and access to running water and a toilet.

More than 1,600 shepherds working in nine Western states participate in the program. They live in primitive tents or trailers, watching over thousands of an imals on vast areas of public land. Most shepherds work 10 to 12 hours a day, seven days a week. Federal regulations set their wages at $750 a month for de cades.

In 2019, a group of shepherds filed a complaint in Nevada, accusing their employers of paying them as little as $1.98 an hour. The shepherds claimed the ranchers’ practice violated the terms of the employment contracts by violating the Temporary Agricultural Workers re quirements under the Immigration and Nationality Act.

An Arkie’s Faith A shepherd’s life

As terrifying and exciting as the expe rience must have been, seeing angels appearing in the night sky isn’t the part of the experience that intrigues me the most. It is what happened next.

The Bible tells the story in Luke 2:1518 (NIRV). “The angels left and went into heaven. Then the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let’s go to Bethlehem. Let’s see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.’ So they hur ried off and found Mary and Joseph and the baby. The baby was lying in the man ger. After the shepherds had seen him, they told everyone. They reported what the angel had said about this child. All who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.”

Even in the days before media, such as television and the internet, word trav eled fast that something extraordinary was happening. Imagine what it must have been like to be one of the first to see the baby Jesus! I can feel the ex citement these humble shepherds felt. They had to tell people about their expe riences. Can you imagine being a part of those conversations?

Unfortunately, these conditions are not unheard of for migrant workers in agricultural industries. The Temporary Agricultural Workers program allows employers, such as sheep ranches, to hire foreign guest workers on temporary visas to fill seasonal jobs. These migrant workers are especially vulnerable to ex ploitation.

When you read or hear about shep herds, it is often a metaphor for a care giver tending to his people, such as a leader or a pastor. But the actual shep herds, the ones who travel for miles dai ly, tending to a large flock of sheep, lead a lonely and challenging life far from civ ilization.

I want to be a shepherd. No, I don’t want to live alone with a herd of sheep in a small trailer with no bathroom or run ning water and work seven days a week for 12 hours a day for minimal pay. But I have always coveted the shepherds’ experience on that first Christmas night.

God could have chosen to reveal the

announcement of the birth of Jesus to anyone on earth. But instead of assign ing the angels to visit some of the most influential people on earth, God sent the angels to speak to humble shepherds. We don’t know much about these shep herds. We know they were out in the fields. They worked the night shift, stay ing with the sheep to protect them. They would’ve lived outside of the town. No one grew up in Bethlehem and said, “I hope I grow up to be a shepherd.” They represented one of the lowest rungs of the social strata.

The fields around Bethlehem would have been very dark. Suddenly a bright light broke into the black night as the sky filled with many angels. The shepherds knew how to deal with any danger threat ening their animals, but they were fright ened by the angels’ appearance. That is why the angels told them, “Don’t be afraid.” The angels reassured the terri fied shepherds that they had good news for them.

It all started with the shepherds. They were the first to spread the good news about Jesus. It is beautiful that God chose the lowest of the low to spread the word of the most important birth of all time. Because of their humble origins, the shepherds could not help rejoicing and telling everyone about the birth of the Messiah. If God had chosen a king or a religious leader, the situation would’ve played out differently. Instead, he picked a group of humble shepherds who set the tone for Jesus’ life and ministry. In stead of choosing a life of luxury and power, Jesus has humble origins and exercises humility to the point of death on the cross.

Gentle Reader, even though I will never be a shepherd or experience the things that the humble shepherds of Bethlehem experienced on that first Christmas, I can follow their example. I can spread the word about the baby Jesus. I can be excited about Jesus and what he means to this world. Let’s all be shepherds! That is what Christmas is all about!

Joke

of the Week:

I went to the pet store and asked for a dozen bees. They gave me 13.

I asked why, and they said the last one was a free bee.

Replacing windshields in Polk County for over 40 years.

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

(Photo by Patrick Schneider on Unsplash)

Sevier County hosts grand opening for new hospital

By Patrick Massey

Sevier County will soon open the doors of its new hospital after more than three years without one.

Sevier County officials, community lead ers, healthcare professionals and mem bers of the public joined together on Dec. 2 for a grand opening ceremony officially inaugurating the new Sevier County Medi cal Center. The $24 million, 15-bed facility includes a 24-hour emergency room, sev eral patient wings and a state-of-the-art medical equipment suite.

Tours of the facility interior and campus grounds were provided. Officials also an nounced the hospital’s community room would be named after Sevier County Judge Greg Ray, who passed away in late August.

“Greg was an instrumental factor in the entire process of completing this hospital,” said Lori House, CEO of the Sevier Coun ty Medical Center. “We thought it would only be right to name one of our most im portant names in honor of his memory and commitment to this project.”

Hospital officials described the new facility as a history-making point for Se vier County. The county lost the private ly-owned De Queen hospital in April of 2019. That year, Sevier County and three employees of the hospital filed a lawsuit against the hospital’s owners, Jorge Pe rez and his brother, Ricardo Perez, both of Miami. The suit alleged financial misman agement on behalf of the owners.

Jorge Perez also faced claims of fraud in a lawsuit filed by more than a dozen Blue Cross & Blue Shield health insurance plans. In all, Perez closed 10 of the hos pitals owned by his company, Empower Group of Florida, in 2019. In April of that year, Perez filed for Chapter 11 bankrupt cy reorganization for the De Queen Hospi tal. That request was later dismissed and the hospital was placed into receivership.

Sevier County officials then launched a plan to construct a new hospital. That in cluded approaching voters with a request for a one-percent sales tax increase to fund construction of a new medical center. According to Dr. Steve Cole, chair of the hospital’s board of governors, at that time the hospital was little more than an idea on paper.

“This started as little more than an idea and a few notes,” Cole explained. “But

we knew in Sevier County that we could not just sit idly by and go without a hos pital. “One of the first things we had to do was ask county voters to approve a sales tax to fund a new hospital. And they did. Eighty-six percent of voters voted in favor of the tax.”

The $24 million, 15-bed hospital is located on 18.5 acres located just off Hwy. 71, north of De Queen.

(Photo courtesy of Bartek Recon)

The county-owned hospital is overseen by a board of governors with further ac countability established through the Se vier County Quorum Court. Dr. Cole said a founding goal of the new hospital is to avoid the fate of the old one. He said, after 20 years of bad hospital ownership – in cluding jail time for the De Queen Hospi tal’s last owner – the board of governors began the process with transparency and accountability as top goals.

“We wanted everyone to know that we’re serious about having a good hospital, one that is overseen by a trusted group of peo ple and one that will be both financially vi able and address the healthcare needs of our community,” Cole stated.

The hospital was constructed on an 18.5-acre site located several miles north of De Queen on Highway 71. Hospital offi cials chose this location based on federal statutes regulating the location of critical access hospitals. These types of hospitals are required to be at least 35 miles distant from each other.

The Sevier County Medical Center is not yet officially open to the public. Work remains on a number of final details, in cluding communication systems within the hospital as well as some final licensure, documentation and inspection require ments. However, officials state the plan currently is to open the hospital’s doors by the end of the year.

Union Bank of Mena announces new loan officer

Kevin Williams, President, Union Bank of Mena has announced that Alyvia Self has been hired as Loan Officer.

Self, who previously worked as a Mortgage Lender holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from the University of Arkansas. She is a member of the Rotary Club of Polk County and is an Ambassador for the Mena Polk County Chamber of Commerce.

According to Williams, “We couldn’t be more pleased that Alyvia has joined the Union Bank team. We know she will be a great addition for our customers because of her knowledge and lending experience, especially mortgage lending. Taking care of the banking needs of our

hometown customers is what we do, and Alyvia is on board to help us continue that tradition”.

Union Bank of Mena was established in 1934 and has branches in Mena, Hatfield and Wickes.

For More information, contact Pilar Fowler, 479-394-2211.

MENA 2022!

Photos by Ethan Nahté

Christmas Events

Skyline Cafe collected $1,550 for Toys for Tots. (l-r) Cynthia Kyle, Candon Burrell, Lisa Walker, Edward Anderson, and Shannon Faught

Ouachita Mountains Trail & ATV Club (OMTAC) collected $1,000 for Toys for Tots. (l-r) Tommy Payne, OMTAC vice president; Bradley Evans, OMTAC sponsor; Kimberli Evans, OMTAC treasurer; Derek Murphee, OMTAC president; and Edward Anderson, Toys for Tots coordinator

COVE 2022!

Photos by Ethan Nahté

Around Town

Wickes Christmas parade at 10 a.m., Saturday, Dec. 10, followed by the Christmas pageant at 11 a.m. The pageant is sponsored by the Cossatot River High School cheerleaders. To participate or more information, call or text (479) 216-8234 for more in formation.

Calvary Baptist Church, located at 2100 Hwy. 375 W in Mena, will be having a Christmas Eve Service and The Lord’s Supper Blessing on Saturday, Dec. 24 from 5-6 p.m. They will also have a Christmas Celebration of Worship and Music on Christmas Day from 10:30-11:30 a.m.

Regular church services are on Wednesdays, 6:307:30 p.m.; Sunday school, 10-11 a.m. followed by regular services from 11 a.m.-noon and a prayer and worship service 6-7 p.m.

Narcotics Anonymous meet at 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Monday, noon-1 p.m. on Wednesday, 7 p.m. on Thursday, 7 p.m. on Friday, and 6 p.m. on Saturday at the old bus barn at the Crossing Church. For information call Erica at (479) 234-5289 or Can dice at (501) 356-8300.

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 Hatfield Branch Library is open ev ery Tuesday and Friday from noon-4 p.m. The library is located at 121 Cemetery Rd. (old Agri building) in Hatfield.

The Mena/Polk County Senior Center will have The Gator and Friends band performing in Mena every Thursday, 10:30-11:30 a.m.

The Center has an exercise class on Mondays and Thursdays, 9:30-10:30 a.m. Contact Trena Looney with questions, (479) 394-5459.

Alcoholics Anonymous meet at The Crossing Church, 3 p.m., Sundays; at 5 p.m., Tues days; and at 8 p.m. Saturdays at the old bus barn. For information call (479) 234-8366 or (479) 216-3786.

The Polk County Social Seniors are hav ing their annual “Toys for Tots” potluck Christmas get together at The Daisy Room, behind Janssen Avenue Florist & Gifts, at noon, 800 Jansen Ave. Dec. 13 at noon. Newcomers are welcome. Please bring a cov ered dish, drink and a toy. Happy Holidays.

The Cossatot Senior Center in Wickes has meals and activities for seniors. If you need to make

delivery arrangements or changes call (870) 385-2373.

Hatfield First Baptist Church “Shep herd’s Closet” Open Wednesdays, 10 a.m.-Noon. Large selection of good, used clothing & a limited supply of non-perishable food items. Free to anyone in need.

The Food Pantry at the Mena Seventh Day Adventist Church is open every first and third Mon day of each month, 4-6 p.m., located at Fair Grounds Road. For more information, call (479) 437-4018.

Polk County Democrats are meeting on Dec. 12 at 6:30 p.m. at Papa’s Mexican Café. Come early to socialize and eat. Newcomers are welcome. Happy Holidays.

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

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

Reynolds Gardner Community Men’s Breakfast every Tuesday, First United Methodist Church, Mena, 8 a.m. (full breakfast for small donation). All men from the community are invited to attend.

Alcoholics Anonymous meet at 7 p.m. Fridays at the First United Methodist Church, 9th & Port Arthur. Discussion/Book Study for information call (479) 243-0297.

Bluegrass Jam Session is open to musi cians and fans alike. Bring your instruments for an unplugged session to the Daisy Room (behind Jans sen’s Avenue Florist & Gifts) the first and third Thurs days of each month, starting at 6:30 p.m. Free event. Some snacks are provided.

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

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 news paper, we need to know by FIVE on FRIDAY. We look forward to continuing to serve the community!

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. T1211

Handyman services - small jobs pre ferred. Plumbing, electrical, small engine re pair. For details, call Bill Duff (479) 216-5204. T1207

- HELP WANTED -

Brodix, Inc. is accepting applications for an experienced CNC Machine Operator. Applications may be picked up at the Brodix office, located at 301 Maple Avenue in Mena, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Competitive starting wages with ben efits available.

Notice to Applicants: Screening tests for alcohol and illegal drug use may be required before hiring and during your employment.

T1214

Hogspore News: Whatta you want for Christmas?

By Clet Litter as told to Bob Simp son

phone users. LOLTBBFF. It means Laugh Out Loud Toilet Bowl Best Friends Forever

Construction, pads, ponds, roads and more. Military discounts. Insured. Just give RC Customz a call for free estimates at (479) 216-2976.

T0104

Daniel’s carpentry and painting and handyman service. Deck and privacy fences, etc. Call (479) 216-1101 or (479) 216-2299. T1214

Tree services, forestry mulching, storm cleanup, stump grinding. Signs and light re placement. Give RC Customz a call at (479) 216-2976 for Free estimate. T0104

Brodix, Inc. is accepting applications for general labor positions. Applications may be picked up at the Brodix office, located at 301 Maple Avenue in Mena, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Competi tive 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

T1214

F.M. Dix Foundry is accepting applications for general labor positions. Applications may be picked up at the office, located at 301 Maple Avenue in Mena, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. 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.

Whatta you want for Christmas? I’m not asking what you want. This is what you don’t wanna ask your spouse. You might think that it shows you care, but you’d be wrong. It shows that you’re taking her for granted. You’re not trying very hard. Ask one of your smart friends. They don’t have to be that smart. They only gotta be smarter than you are. DON’T ask her friends for advice, cause she’ll hear about it before you can buy that one-way bus ticket.

T1214

Mena Shuttle - Ground transportation to AR and TX airports. Doctor and emergen cy appointments. Also, light deliveries. (870) 490-1191

T1214

The Mena Senior Center is hiring a cook. Hours will be Monday-Friday from 7:30 a.m.1:30 p.m. Contact Trena at (479) 394-5459.

T1207

- FOR SALE -

Here’s what Jimmy Suspenders did last year and what happened. Jimmy says, “I got Sara a present last Christmas that was the same as the year before. I couldn’t believe she got so mad. I tried to explain that I thought that after a year had gone by, she mighta changed her mind.”

I sez, “What did you get her?”

Science Discovery: Another plan et has been found in the constella tion Orthodontia. The planet’s new name is Molar. The American Den tal Association’s enterprising space team is in the area and wants to drill Molar and fill a teethtonic plate shift void. There’s no life on Molar cept for bacteria, so it’s a go. The crew is waiting on a supply ship with enough used brace and retainer wire to fill the cavity. I have to apolergize for this. I thought this was gonna be funnier than it is. I was gonna blame it on climate change, but nobody’s gonna buy that.

Call

“I don’t want to say. Besides, it burned up with the other gifts after Sara set fire to the tree.”

The Society for the Awareness of the Incontinent has revised the abbreviation guide for its mobile

Mumford Pickens has breaking news on an animal operation. “A prosthetic procedure has just been performed on a blackbird to allow it to walk and hop on the ground when it wants to. A surgeon cured the bird’s birth defect. The poor blackbird had pecked out of its egg with crow’s feet.”

You can contact Clet Litter at bobsimpson1947@yahoo.com. You know you wanna.

For Sale - A.K.C. English Bulldog pup pies. Four girls, and three boys. Eight weeks old. Championship pedigree. Ready for their new homes just in time for Christmas! Raised by the owners of the radio stations.

(870) 642-3104 for pricing and details. For pictures, visit: www.arklatexbulldogs.com or facebook: arklatex bulldogs. TFN

Police

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

November 28, 2022

Deputies were dispatched to a res idence on Polk 482 near Vandervoort in reference to a Physical Domestic Al tercation leading to the arrest of Nan cy Odle, 37 of Cove on a charge of 3rd Degree Domestic Battery as well as five misdemeanor warrants for Failure to Appear.

Deputies were dispatched to a resi dence near Potter in reference to a Do mestic Disturbance.

Michael Higgins, 36 of Mena was ar rested by an officer with Probation Pa role on Felony Warrants.

November 29, 2022

Deputies were dispatched to a resi dence on Bowling Lane near Hatfield in reference to a trespasser.

November 30, 2022 No reports.

December 1, 2022

James Case, 49 of Grannis was ar rested on charges of Violation of a Pro tection Order and Stalking.

Michael Philpot, 43 of Mena was ar rested on a Felony Warrant for 2nd De gree Sexual Assault.

Deputies responded to a walk-in complainant in reference to harass ment. Information has been forwarded to the Prosecuting Attorney for further consideration.

December 2, 2022

A traffic stop near Cove led to Dawnylle Boutwell being issued a ci tation for Driving on a Suspended DL, No Proof of Insurance and Fictitious Tags. Information has been forwarded to the Prosecuting Attorney for further consideration.

December 3, 2022

Tristian Morales, 33 of Mena was ar rested on a hold for another agency.

Tony Cox, 58 of Mena was arrested on Felony Warrants for Delivery of Methamphetamine or Cocaine, Pos session of a Schedule I or II Controlled Substance and Possession of Drug Par aphernalia as well as a charge of Pos session of Firearm by Certain Persons.

Fernando Diaz DeLeon, 40 of Cove was arrested on a Body Attachment.

Steven Chandler, 41 of Springdale was arrested on a Felony Warrant for Probation Violation.

Deputies responded to a report of a missing person. The subject was later located.

December 4, 2022

Deputies were dispatched to a res idence on North Mullin Street near Hatfield in reference to a structure fire.

Robert Bush, 39 of Mena was arrest ed on a Failure to Appear Warrant.

Deputies were dispatched to a resi dence on Polk 417 near Potter in ref erence to a trespasser. Information has been forwarded to the Prosecuting At torney for further consideration.

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

Polk County Detention Center Jail Population: 24 Incarcerated Inmates

with 18 Inmates currently on the Wait ing List for a State Facility.

MENA POLICE REPORTS

November 27

A report of breaking or entering was taken at a residence on Cole Avenue.

Gage Goff, 25, was charged with Theft of Property after a complaint from Phillips 66.

November 28

Anthony Robertson, 31, was charged with Criminal Trespass at Walmart.

November 29

Charles Walker, 73, was served with two warrants after a traffic stop on Morrow Street.

A report of possession of metham phetamine, Possession of marijuana, and possession of drug paraphernalia was taken after a traffic stop on Mor row Street.

A report of communicating a false alarm was taken at Southwest EMS.

A report of criminal mischief was taken at Sassy Squatch.

Morgan Symens, 19, was served with a warrant at the police department.

Bradley Brumfield, 32, was charged with Possession of Marijuana, Posses sion of Drug Paraphernalia, and served with warrants after contact on Mena Street.

November 30

Christopher Cox, 39, was served with a warrant after a traffic stop on De queen Street.

December 1

A report of assault was taken at a res idence on 4th Street.

December 2

A report of criminal mischief was

taken at Homewood Cottages.

A report of theft of property was tak en from Walmart.

A report of theft of property was tak en from Walmart.

December 3

John Grisby, 39, was served with a warrant at the police department.

Brittney Watts, 24, was served with a warrant at the police department.

Lockesburg parents charged following death of baby boy

By Patrick Massey

DE QUEEN – Felony charges have been formally filed against two Southwest Ar kansas residents suspected of improperly disposing of a newborn child that did not survive birth.

According to court records, 20-yearold Matthew Hallmark of Lockesburg has been charged with abuse of a corpse fol lowing the death of his baby son in No vember. The mother, who authorities say is a 17-year-old juvenile, was also charged with a similar offense. She will reportedly be charged as an adult, but until then au thorities are declining to release her name.

Both Hallmark and the mother were for mally charged with abuse of a corpse in the Sevier County Circuit Court last week. In Arkansas the offense is a felony and can carry a sentence of up to 10 years in prison.

According to the Sevier County Sheriff’s Office, deputies received a report on Nov. 7 regarding a baby being born at a home in Lockesburg. After further investigation, authorities discovered the baby, a boy, did not live and was disposed of. Deputies and Investigators with the Sevier County Sheriff’s Office located the baby in a near by dumpster.

An autopsy by the Arkansas State Crime Lab on the baby boy is currently pending.

PHILPOT

continued from page 1 1, acknowledging Philpot is a former employee of the Mena School District. He was booked into the Polk County Detention Center.

By the morning of Dec. 1, the Mena School District released an offi cial statement signed by Lee Smith, EdD, superintendent of Mena Public Schools. It reads:

“The Mena School District is aware of the allegations against the employee, who is no longer employed by the Dis trict. The employee resigned Tuesday, November 29th, before the  District completed a full investiga tion. The District will fully cooperate with law enforcement authorities in or der to ensure the safety of District Stu dents, which is our first priority in the education of children. As this matter involves personnel and students, it im plicates privacy concerns under appli cable law, and therefore the District has no further comment at this time.”

The Polk County Pulse was already receiving inquiries regarding the mat ter, although we had not heard word about the allegations until Wednes day, after the weekly issue had hit the stands.

By Thursday morning, with the pub lication of the school district’s letter, so cial media and phones were blowing up with accusations. Several people, both adults and what appeared to be teens who had recently graduated, claimed there are other teachers and coaches within the district, or who once worked for the district, who are also guilty of sexual crimes involving students.

Smith said, “Many don’t know the root of those stories either, myself in cluded, because I wasn’t here when those people were hired or when these things supposedly took place.” Smith said that if people come forward with facts for the school and police to inves tigate, they would follow up.

Less than four hours after the school had released its statement on the fac ulty member’s resignation, a statement from Polk County Sheriff Scott Saw yer’s Office arrived, informing that Michael Andrew Philpot, age 43 of Mena, was arrested on a warrant for Sexual Assault 2nd degree as of Dec.

Sawyer stated, “This is an ongoing in vestigation and as such I can’t comment further on the specifics. But I would like to thank the Mena School District, the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, and my deputies for their hard work on this case. They did a great job putting this together.”

By Friday afternoon, some students ranging from middle school up through high school were saying that they were not allowed to talk about the incident and were being threatened with either in-school suspension (ISS) or off-cam pus suspension (OSC). This, in turn, upset some parents, who had not been notified of what sounded possibly like a restriction of free speech. There were also discussions that students intend ed on staging a protest come Monday, although it remains unclear if they were looking to protest the supposed gag order, for lack of a better term, or something else related to Philpot or the school district.

The students did not protest on Mon day, but the school district did call a special school board meeting for the evening of Dec. 5. Philpot’s resignation on Nov. 29 was unanimously accepted.

Following the meeting, Smith ex plained that students being silenced regarding the case is not fully accurate. “It’s an on-going investigation, and also a lot of rumors were flying around. We try to educate the kids about the legal due process. They were asked not to re peat things they did not have facts to back up. If they continued to do this, it’s insubordination. They still have to do what the teachers and administrators tell them to do.”

Pulse Multi-Media contacted the Ar kansas Department of Education, soon to be known as the Division of Elemen tary and Secondary Education (DESE). DESE Director of Communications Kimberly Mundell wrote, “Arkansas is a local control state, meaning local

school boards establish local school district policies. You’ll need to contact the district for more information about its policies.

“If someone feels their First Amend ment rights have been violated, he or she may seek outside counsel.”

Meanwhile, Smith does not want stu dents to feel threatened with coming forward with factual details. Smith ex plained that speaking up about some thing they had proof of is another mat ter. “If there is something that school administration needs to know about, they need to go to a trusted adult and we will follow up.”

Some parents claimed on Friday, on both social media and via telephone, they had resorted to giving their chil dren prescription medication for anx iety, taking them to school late, and some children having trust issues, feeling afraid to return to class. Some adults on social media were threaten ing to take their children out of school and begin homeschooling.

Smith said if any of the students feel they need to discuss matters to help them cope, the school counselors are trained professionals. “We’ve prepped our counselors through the school principals for this. They’ve all been trained to deal with traumatic occur rences that happen at school and how to help kids cope with it. We’re confi dent in our counselors being able to handle it.”

Smith said the district does not in tend on having outside counselors coming in and that school staff has not been overburdened with students wait ing to speak with the counselors. “As far as I know, not to my knowledge. Each school handles things in their own way. No one has told me as of today that the students are feeling overwhelmed or that the counseling staff feels like they can’t handle the situation.”

Smith concluded, stating, “It’s an un fortunate incident. What else is unfor tunate about it is it’s becoming a com mon incident around the nation.”

The same day Philpot was arrested,

Forrest City Police Officer Justin Da vis, 22, was arrested by Arkansas State Police special agents and charged with two counts of sexual assault, 4th degree, felony, allegedly having a sexual rela tionship with a 15-year-old St. Francis County female.

The two following incidents, al though not related to sexual miscon duct, still hit close to home with both school personnel and law enforcement being arrested for alleged crimes.

On Dec. 1, Megan B. Wilson, 38, a former school counselor in the El Do rado School District, was arrested for allegedly selling tobacco and alcohol to minors.

Johnson County Sheriff Jimmy Ste phens was arrested in Crawford County the following evening, Dec. 2, on three felony complaints of illegal possession of a controlled substance and one com plaint of speeding during a traffic stop.

Bill Sadler, spokesman with the Ar kansas State Police, stated, “Arkansas State Police conducted a traffic stop earlier today and arrested Sheriff Ste phens on charges of simultaneous pos session of firearms and drugs.”

If guilty, it is unfortunate in each of these cases, but it does not mean ev ery person in authority or a position of power is untrustworthy. As Smith pointed out, “I’m thankful for the huge mass majority of educators out there who are doing things right, that are behaving as professionals, and keeping their relationships professional. That’s the majority of what we have in this profession.

“When things like this happen, it fo cuses our attention on the negative and we get some recency bias,” Smith said. “We think that right now is a predictor of everything that’s going on, but if you look, 95% of the school year—95% of the people involved—and they’re doing things right. We’re doing a lot of good things here in Mena.”

The above charges are allegations. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Equipment grants awarded to state and local law enforcement agencies

Arkansas funded grants totaling more than $7 million dollars were awarded today [Dec. 1] to 113 local and state law enforcement agencies and correctional or detention facilities. Approximately 90% of the total funds will be received by local police and sheriff’s departments to purchase new equipment.

The grants were authorized last year through legislation adopted by Gov. Asa Hutchinson and the Arkan sas General Assembly. “Act 786” sanctioned the Public Safety Equip ment Grant Program to be adminis tered by the Arkansas Department of Public Safety and provides for grants to be used for purchasing, “non-le thal equipment that aids in improving trust and relationships between law enforcement agencies, detention cen ters and corrections agencies within their communities that they serve.”

“One of the key recommendations of our Task Force to Advance the State of Law Enforcement in Arkan sas was the creation of state funding for increased training and improving the safety equipment used by local law enforcement officers,” Hutchinson stated. “The grants directed to local law enforcement agencies will help to further the trust between these agen cies and the communities they serve, and I want to commend the Depart ment of Public Safety and the General Assembly for bringing this program to fruition,” said the governor.

The grant applications submitted earlier this year were reviewed and graded for distribution by a committee selected from a cross-section of state and local law enforcement officers, correction and detention officers and professional laypersons.

Recipients of Public Safety Equip ment Grants:

• 12th Judicial District Drug Task Force - $10,000.00

• 9th West Judicial District Drug Task Force/South Central DTF$32,612.86

• Alexander Police Dept - $100,000.00

• Alma Police Dept - $100,000.00

• Arkadelphia Police Dept - $90,247.96

• Arkansas Division of Corrections$100,000.00

• Arkansas Game and Fish Commis sion - $100,000.00

• Arkansas Law Enforcement Training Academy - $89,979.02

• Arkansas State Police - $99,661.04

• Arkansas State University$100,000.00

• Arkansas State University Mountain Home Police Dept - $3,448.39

• Batesville Police Dept - $100,000.00

• Bauxite Police Dept - $94,241.11

• Beebe Police Dept - $100,000.00

• Benton Police Dept - $67,500.00

• Blytheville Police Dept - $100,000.00

• Bradley Police Dept - $12,116.57

• Bull Shoals Police Dept$20,699.94

• Cabot Police Dept - $100,000.00

• Calhoun County Sheriff - $11,232.32

• Camden Police Dept - $41,979.70

•

City of Ashdown Arkansas Police Dept - $100,000.00

• City of Centerton Police Dept$100,000.00

• City of Conway Police Dept$100,000.00

• City of Fort Smith, Police Dept$68,458.96

• City of Greenbrier - $27,197.24

• City of Hope - $13,375.00

• City of Jonesboro, Police Dept$100,000.00

• City of McGehee Police Dept$42,797.85

• City of Monticello, Monticello Police Dept - $32,783.58

• Clark County Sheriff’s Office$53,240.89

• Clarksville Police Dept - $100,000.00

• Clay County Sheriff’s Office$100,000.00

• Cleburne County Sheriff’s Office$79,327.13

• Corning Police Dept - $100,000.00

• Craighead County - $20,633.43

• Crawford County Sheriff’s Office$100,000.00

• Cross County Sheriff’s Office$100,000.00

• Dardanelle Police Dept - $17,034.96

• Decatur Police Dept - $46,028.12

• Des Arc Police Dept - $26,126.14

• DeWitt Police Dept - $100,000.00

• Dumas Police Dept - $100,000.00

• Earle Police Dept - $100,000.00

• El Dorado Police Dept$100,000.00

• England Police Dept - $100,000.00

• Faulkner County Sheriff’s Office$100,000.00

• Fayetteville Police Dept$100,000.00

• Flippin Police Dept - 13497.33

• Fordyce Police Dept - $26,230.00

• Fort Smith Public Schools Police Dept - $49,372.00

• Grant County Sheriff’s Office$21,347.00

• Green Forest Police Dept$33,110.00

• Greenland Police Dept - $16,709.97

• Greenland School District Police Dept - $6,173.00

• Haskell Police Dept - $100,000.00

• Hazen Police Dept - $18,820.80

• Highland Police Dept - $30,660.43

• Hot Springs Police Dept$71,275.85

• Independence County Sheriff’s Of fice - $11,875.00

• Jacksonville Police Dept$100,000.00

• Jasper Police Dept - $17,999.61

• Lake City Police Dept - $11,948.75

• Lakeview Police Dept - $22,627.03

• Little Flock- Police Dept$100,000.00

• Little River County Sheriff’s Office$100,000.00

• Logan County Sheriff’s Office$79,745.01

• London Police Dept - $14,866.65

• Lowell Police Dept - $100,000.00

• Marion County Government$20,071.83

• Mayflower Police Dept - $82,681.27

• Mena Police Dept - $9,148.73

• Mississippi County Sheriff Dept$100,000.00

• Monroe County Sheriff’s Office$66,046.00

• Morrilton Police Dept - $34,356.91

• Mountain View Police Dept$38,480.51

• Mountain View School District$6,586.70

• Murfreesboro Police Dept -

$13,826.53

• Nevada County Sheriff’s Dept$63,032.88

• Newton County Sheriff’s Office$62,673.51

• NWA Regional Airport Authority Po lice Dept - $16,572.00

• Pangburn Police Dept - $25,331.60

• Paragould Police Dept - $55,398.75

• Phillips County Sheriff’s Office$82,795.46

• Pike County Sheriff’s Office$100,000.00

• Pocahontas Police Dept - $49,771.18

• Poinsett County Sheriff’s Office$43,000.00

• Polk County Sheriff’s Office$5,157.45

• Pope County Sheriff’s Office$100,000.00

• Prairie Grove Police Dept - $9,693.06

• Prescott Police Dept - $54,465.10

• Randolph County Sheriff’s Office$100,000.00

• Russellville Police Dept - $46,935.40

• Saline County Sheriff’s Office$100,000.00

• Scott County Sheriff’s Office$100,000.00

• Searcy Police Dept - $100,000.00

• Sheridan Police Dept - $52,500.00

• Springdale Police Dept - $100,000.00

• Stamps, Arkansas Police Dept$2,444.06

• Strong Police Dept - $16,035.93

• Stuttgart Police Dept - $100,000.00

• Texarkana Arkansas Police Dept$100,000.00

• Tuckerman Police Dept - $74,250.00

• Union County Sheriff’s Office$100,000.00

• University of Arkansas at Monticello Police Dept - $12,828.69

• University of Arkansas-Fort Smith Police Dept - $48,469.27

• Van Buren Police Dept - $67,500.00

• Vilonia Police Dept - $100,000.00

• Waldron Police Dept - $29,021.09

• Washington County Sheriff’s Office$100,000.00

• West Memphis Police Dept$100,000.00

• White County Sheriff’s Office$100,000.00

• White Hall Police Dept - $9,675.74

December is bustling for Ouachita Little Theatre

Ouachita Little Theatre’s holiday play this year is “A Seussified Christ mas Carol” and it opens this Friday night, Dec. 9 at 7:30 p.m. More per formances follow on Dec. 10, 11, 17, and 18.  All shows are 7:30 p.m. except the Sunday matinees at 2:30 p.m. All tickets are $10 and on sale now at oltmena.com or at the door.

Movie

On Dec. 14, OLT will have the last Wednesday Night at the Lyr ic for 2022. They will be screening the classic film “White Christmas” starring Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney, and Vera El len. Back by popular demand, this

musical favorite is sure to put you in the holiday spirit, especially join ing your friends and family in the classic old Lyric Theatre. The ex perience is complete with hot pop corn, candy, hot chocolate, and soft drinks. “White Christmas” begins at 6:30 p.m. As always, admission is free, and the concessions are cheap.

Music

OLT’s final offering for the holi day season will be on Friday, Dec. 16 at 7:30 p.m. OLT is pleased to once again host the musical family group, Harmony. They have been delighting OLT audiences with their Christmas show for the last few years.

KAdmission is by donation, so just put what you can afford in the do nation jar. It’s one of the best ways to enjoy the holidays with musical entertainment that is a tribute to the real reason for the season. No res ervations necessary, just come and enjoy.

Auditions

LAuditions for the February win ter comedy, “You Can’t Take it With You,” directed by Amanda Baker, will be held Dec. 15 from 5-8 p.m. and December 17 from 10 a.m.noon at the OLT. Check the website OLTMena.com or Facebook.com/ oltmena for updates.

Ugly sweater contest returns with Downtown Cash Mob

Submitted by MDP

Judy Thompson, downtown business liaison for Mena Downtown Partners (MDP), happily announces that there was so much fun last December with the Ugly Sweater Competition, it’s go ing to happen again. She added that several Mob’sters had made the re quest.

The December Mob is being hosted by American Artisans at 10 a.m. this Saturday, Dec. 10.

Thompson notes that this is anoth er opportunity for those attending the Mob to express their creativity. A prize will be given to the Mob’ster voted to have the ugliest sweater. Tra ditionally, the consensus is that the more embellishments the sweater has: tinsel, reindeer, Santa Clauses, etc. … the uglier it is. She further not ed that an ugly sweater is definitely not a requirement, just an added fun activity. Everyone is invited.

The Downtown Cash Mob is a proj ect of the MDP to promote the Buy Local, Shop Small effort while pro viding an opportunity for fun and socializing.

For those not familiar with a cash mob, it is a community effort, pop ular in many areas of the country. It joins people together to support local businesses. It is an entertaining way

to encourage shoppers into business es both where they normally shop and stores they may have never vis ited. All participating merchants and hosts are members of MDP.

The Mob will meet at American Artisans for refreshments, fellow ship, games and door prizes. For the December Mob, there will be a spe cial door prize that can be entered by those wearing any type of Christmas item. Have fun watching or compet ing in the Ugly Sweater style show or participate in the reindeer race. Fi nally, a name of a participating MDP business is drawn. The Mob then converges on that business going in laughing and yelling, “You’re being mobbed.”

Thompson advises there are only two requirements for attending Cash Mobs: Each participant must spend $20 or more at the store that is being mobbed and they must have fun. The Cash Mob is open to anyone. Shop pers have included everyone from 10 to 90. This is a great way to meet new people and a fun way to hang out with your friends.

Contribute to the local econo my and have a great time with the all-American pastime of shopping. Grab your friends or come by yourself and do some Christmas shopping.

Mena Downtown Partners’ Treasurer Rick Chrisman presents the Small Business Saturday $200 Downtown Gift Certificate to winner Lesia Land from Cove. Land registered at Freedom Phar macy. The support of Small Business Saturday is an other effort of Downtown Part ners’ Shop Local effort.

(Photo courtesy of Mena Downtown Partners)

“Celebrity Servers” from Polk County companies and organiza tions helped to serve breakfast on Thursday at the Mena Regional Auxiliary Annual Christmas Breakfast held at the Mena Regional Health System cafeteria. Donations were accepted for the meals, with a selection of Belgian waffles, biscuits, either chocolate or white gravy, sausage links or bacon, scrambled eggs, coffee or or ange juice.

(Trey Youngdahl/Pulse)

Mena seventh grade class rewarded for Food Drive Mena varsity cheerleaders compete at Lake Hamilton

Submitted by Mark Hobson

The Food Drive for Mena Public Schools has finished, and the school would like to thank all who donated. The seventh graders brought in the most, with 515 items. Eighth grade placed second with 384 items, followed by the sixth grade with 306 items. The students had a total of 1,205 items donated to their own Food for Kids Backpack Program.

Teeter Motor Company sponsored the seventh grade class, rewarding them with a field trip Friday to watch a movie, complete with concessions, at the Mena Silver Screen.

The Mena Varsity Cheerleaders competed at a Southern Spirit Federation Competition at Lake Hamilton this past weekend. Their goal was focused on judg es’ critiques to prepare for State Competition on Dec. 17, as well as hitting zero.

Although the team did not make it into the Top 5 at the competition,

they accomplished their goals and are looking forward to practices to prepare what they need in order to have a solid run at State.

The cheer team would like to thank Gilchrist Tractor for do nating Mena High School Senior High Varsity competition team shirts and Union Bank of Mena for donating a team meal prior to the competition.

Submitted by Mark Hobson

Wrestling

12/09 - Acorn @ Lakeside Girls & JV Boys Ram Rumble

Mena splits hoops with Apaches

By Ethan Nahté

Mena took on Pottsville at home on the Union Bank Center court, Saturday, Dec. 3. The Bearcats were defeated 71-47, falling 2-3 on the season.

Meanwhile, the Ladycats won their game against the Apaches, 6353. They are now 2-2.

Both teams are scheduled to play the Fountain Lake Cobras Tuesday evening. Then, it’s on to the Charles Dyer Classic tournament in Alma. The tournament takes place Dec. 8-10.

12/12 - Acorn -Tri w/Van Buren & Mena

Basketball

12/09

12/13 - Cossatot vs. Paris

The teams will get a short break before playing again this coming Tuesday when Ozark comes to visit.

Basketball

12/08-12/10

Wrestling

12/12