Polk County Pulse January 5, 2022

Pulse THE POLK COUNTY

FREE WEEKLY 1168 Hwy 71 S Mena, AR 71953 479.243.9600

January 5, 2022

Your DAILY News Sources: KENA 104.1 FM & MyPulseNews.com

New Year began like spring and quickly turned to winter

INSIDE:

By Ethan Nahté

COVID-19 Anti-Viral Meds

Page 17

New CASA Volunteers

Page 2

Polk County saw its first real taste of winter Sunday. After a few days of almost spring-like stormy weather with temperatures in the high 60s/low 70s for afternoon highs, and lows in the 40s and 50s. A cold front pushed through, forcing the temperature to plummet.

The area had experienced some mild frost with temperatures dropping just below freezing the week prior. Saturday, the first day of 2022, saw evening temperatures begin to drop.

The front led to a chilly, Sunday morning of 15 degrees Fahrenheit and a wind chill of 2 degrees Fahrenheit.

Sandra Thomas chosen as Realtor of the Year

By Ethan Nahté

Albert Pike Options

Page 21

The area also received its first mix of wintry precipitation, a mix of sleet and snow. Areas in northern Polk County and neighboring Scott County appeared to receive more snow than the Mena area if photos on social media are any indicator.

Travel up the Talimena Scenic Drive owned up to its name as photos by Pulse Multi-Media’s general manager Ashley Smith and columnist Richie Lawry (see page 9) provide a taste of the pristine winter wonderland.

Wednesday’s temperatures will still be cold enough to pay special attention to outdoor pets, plants and pipes.

Thursday and Friday see a slight increase in temperatures before a good potential of showers and thunThe pathway ascends between frosty rows of derstorms move in over the weekend wintry limbs, leading to the Castle in the Sky. (Photo by Ashley Smith) when lows drop back below freezing once more this coming Sunday.

2022 officers installed

The Mena Area Board of Realtors (MABR) recently held their annual Christmas Banquet at the Mena Mountain Resort, where they conducted their 2022 officer installation and presented the Top Realtor awards. Sandra Thomas was selected as the MABR 2021 REALTOR®-of-theYear and was awarded with a plaque.

Hershel Bell, realtor with Holly Springs Real Estate and past president of MABR, said, “Sandra Thomas was our realtor of the year, in part because she is on two state realtor committees, she’s heavily involved in the state association and she serves on two boards. She has also had several designations above just getting a real estate license. She’s traveled across See REALTOR continued on page 10

2 News

THE POLK COUNTY

Pulse

January 5, 2022

Riner swears in CASA volunteers

By Trey Youngdahl

Judge Andy Riner swore in four new Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) volunteers on Wednesday, Dec. 29.

CASA is an organization that supports and promotes court-appointed volunteer advocacy for children and youth who have experienced abuse or neglect. The official Northwest Arkansas CASA website states, “We are committed to ensuring a consistent voice, safe home, and promising future for children in foster care.”

CASA warmly welcomed Dewayne Baker, Stacey Musgrave, Shea Cornelius, and Tara Cornelius to the roster of volunteers as Judge Andy Riner swore them in.

taught from this experience. I’m so thankful to start this new journey alongside such incredible people.”

In a public statement made

by CASA of the Ouachita Region, they also conveyed their excitement about the new volunteers, saying, New CASA volunteers being sworn in (l-r): Dewayne Baker, “We know they will passionately advoTara Cornelius, Shea Cornelius, and Stacey Musgrave (Photo courtesy of CASA of the Ouachita Region) cate for the children they will serve.”

“The chance to speak and adIf you are interested in getting vocate for children is an incredible opportunity that I’m look- involved with or volunteering for ing forward to and will not take CASA, you can contact them at lightly,” newly sworn in volunteer (479) 243-9277 or stop by their Tara Cornelius said. “I’m excit- office at 812B Dequeen Street in ed to see what I can learn and be Mena.

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Pulse

January 5, 2022

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Your Pulse!

(Eds: Letter is a continuation from previous week’s letter, Dec. 29, 2021.)

Letter to the Editor: There is so much rhetoric of late about global warming and climate change. There is strong evidence, that to some extent, we need to examine how we use our resources best. Not sure if you notice, but those screaming the loudest are the first to jump on a private plane and fly around the world preaching to us that we need to watch our carbon footprint. They go to summits and meetings and consume so much fossil fuel in the process. If there is nothing good about the COVID pandemic, it has at least shown us that teleconferences have a place in our world. Fuel prices dropped and consumption did as well. That was telling, but were our leaders listening? It did not seem so. They were busy making a budget that would hobble us and do little to rein in some of the other big polluters. Other big nations were laughing at us, I am sure. That they might give up their superiority in the manufacturing sector to go green is not likely to happen.

I am so proud that Senator Manchin has stood up to a spending fiasco that would weaken us further and not advance or benefit our society.

There was so much in that spending bill that only served to dig a deeper hole, pay back allies of the party, push us further down the path of socialism, make us further dependent, redistribute wealth and increase our debt without improving the quality of our lives. When he stood up for what he felt was right even his own party trashed him. That was very telling of the mantra of reach across the aisle. Bipartisan seems to mean see it our way or you are wrong. He is a Democrat, and one that I would vote for.

To that point, voting. Please register to vote if you have not. And if you are registered, please vote. Pay attention to candidates running for any office that you are able to vote for and become part of the process. I often hear people complain about the outcome of an election and I ask them, did you vote? Not who for, but only did you vote?

If their answer is no, then we have nothing further to discuss. Apathy has not served us well, and those elected officials count on it. Who you vote for is your business, but vote and be heard.

On a personal note…at 18 I served in the US Navy. I served my first tour on a carrier in the Tonkin Gulf off the coast of Vietnam. Only one week of that tour was in country, and that was because the aircraft flying me to my ship developed engine trouble and had to land in Da-Nang Vietnam for repairs. I remember how relived I felt to leave that place and land on the flight deck of my aircraft carrier and how sad I felt for those left behind to serve on the ground. I came home after that and married my high school sweetheart.

We moved to Virginia Beach, where I was stationed at NAS Oceana. I carried with me a .22 pistol that I would target practice with. From age

18, the importance of voting became apparent to me. At that time there were so many things I could not do that required the age of 21 that have always seemed unfair and becoming part of the voting process was the only peaceful way to address them. My father had to sign for me to get married, as that decision was one at 20 years of age, I was not mature enough to make. I could not buy a box of .22 shells for my pistol, as that decision was also one I could not be trusted to make. I could not drink, at 20, we were too young to imbibe except on our bases (at least the military tried to treat us as grownups). I could not vote for or against those who were responsible for that war, again, how could we at that age make a rational determination as to who could best lead our country (and to this day that decision is often the lesser of evils). I could, however, along with many other young adults, go to war and die, as many did. Apparently, that choice and consequence is one not affected by age. Now I hear some saying we need to lower the voting age to 16. I will not disagree, if that means the drinking age, buying a firearm, military service, buying ammunition, marrying age, or any other activity goes with the serious duty to vote is part of that. I doubt the folks wanting to have 16-yearolds vote want to extend to them all the other rites of passage given adults, and selectively question the maturity to do so. I was taken aback when I first heard that suggestion but soon realized it was self-serving and was limited to voting and nothing else. Either you are responsible and able to determine who to vote for of your own accord or not...and that includes all the other tough decisions life gives us to make. I would also ask if at 16, how many of us were showing maturity and restraint and thoughts other than trying to grow up and accept life’s challenges. I was not, though some at that age are.

From that point forward, after reaching 21, I have voted. My candidate does not always win, but I do my part and have my say and do not sit by idle waiting for others to do my duty. Never think your vote does not matter, it does. If nothing else, it tells our leaders we are listening and participating and watching. Again, I borrow from someone wise by saying...a Nation of sheep begets a government of wolves.

I encourage you to watch, listen, ask questions. If you do not feel you are hearing the truth, then search for it until you find it. It may elude you at first, but it cannot hide. Do not fall for the status quo. Things can be better for us all.

On a final note. Today as I compose this letter is Saturday December 25th. 2021, the day we celebrate the birth of our savior Jesus Christ.

Hopefully we all take a moment to give thanks and remember why we celebrate this day. In so much as our savior was persecuted, prosecuted, and executed by politicians (Rulers-Government-Those in Power), it seems fitting we look closely at what they do once in power and hold them accountable for their impact on others whether it is a country, an unborn child free of

Letters 3

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sin, a minority group, our planet, or our savior and the principles he taught. We need to choose wisely. They need to wield carefully that power.

There is so much at stake. They too will answer one day, as will we all.

Apologies for being so long winded. I did not write last week and have had a lot on my mind and in my heart.

Thank you once again for allowing me a forum to express my thoughts.

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

4 News

Pulse

January 5, 2022

Ozark Mountain Mobile Spay/Neuter Clinic

The Humane Society of the Ouachitas is hosting Ozark Mountain Mobile Spay/Neuter Clinic at the Mena Elks Lodge. This event will run on from Tuesday, Jan. 25-Thursday, Jan. 27.

This is a great opportunity to spay or neuter your pet at an incredible low cost. Cats are only $40. Dogs begin at $65, depending on weight.

Rabies vaccinations are also being offered at only $5.

Please call (479)394-8001 for more details or to set up your appointment. Appointments are required and need to be made prior to event dates. Appointments are limited.

Location: Mena Elks Lodge, 124 Elks Dr., Mena, Arkansas Time: Preset Appointment times Event Dates: Tuesday, Jan. 25, Wednesday, Jan. 26 and Thursday, Jan. 27

THE POLK COUNTY

Polk County Commodity Distribution

ARVAC, Inc. will issue commodities at Polk County Fair Grounds on Polk Road 43 Mena, AR on Thursday January 20th , 2022 from 10:00am until 1:00 p.m.

Due to Covid-19 Concerns this will be a drive through only distribution.

Add $492.00 for each additional

family member. You cannot pick up commodities for more than two households.

Rules for acceptance and participation in the program are the same for everyone without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, age, sex, or handicap.

Listed are the income guidelines, family size and monthly income below: FAMILY SIZE WEEK MONTH YEAR 1 $322 $1,396 $16,744 2 $436 $1,888 $22,646

Meet Shirley Bell. You can find out more about this elegant black and white girl on page 20. Shirley Bell is currently in a foster home.

Please contact the shelter to make arrangements to meet Shirley Bell.

3 4 5 6 7 8 Each Additional Family Member

$549 $663 $776 $890 $1,003 $1,117 + $114

$2,379 $2,871 $3,363 $3,855 $4,347 $4,839 + $492

$28,548 $34,450 $40,352 $46,254 $52,156 $58,058 + $5,902

The above income guidelines are based on 130% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines

THE POLK COUNTY

Pulse

Politics 5

January 5, 2022

From the

State House of Representatives Amendment 86 in 2008.

The Arkansas General AsAmendment 86 reduced the sembly will convene for the period for which appropria2022 Fiscal Session on Montion bills are valid from two day, February 14. fiscal years to one, requiring Preparations for that sesthe General Assembly to meet sion will begin in the next two in a fiscal session during weeks. even-numbered years, with Beginning January 11, the John Maddox deliberations limited to acJoint Budget Committee will tion on appropriation bills. hold a series of meetings deFor non-appropriation legislation to signed to begin the process of outlinbe introduced, a concurrent resolution ing a budget for the next fiscal year.

Budget hearings will begin with the substantially describing the bill must Department of Finance and Adminis- be approved by a 2/3 vote required tration presenting its annual forecast in both chambers. The deadline for and recommendations for a balanced members to file identical resolutions for non-appropriation bills is Februbudget by the Governor.

The last general revenue report re- ary 14.

Amendment 86 states that each fisleased showed revenue was up 3% cal session shall not exceed 30 days. from the same time last year.

Over the course of the budget hear- The fiscal session may be extended ings, the committee will hear budget one time, however, for no more than requests for all state boards, commis- 15 days, by a ¾ vote of both the House sions, and agencies. The hearings will and Senate.

The deadline for filing both approcontinue through January 20.

Members can begin pre-filing ap- priation bills and non-appropriation propriation bills on Monday, January bills is Monday, February 28.

You can watch find the daily agendas 10.

Fiscal Sessions began after Arkansas and watch the meetings live at www. voters approved what would become arkansashouse.org/

Contact Your Legislators!

John Maddox

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

Larry Teague

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

John Boozman

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

Bruce Westerman

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

From the

State Senate When the new year begins, Other states also had work the Arkansas Works program requirements too, but they all will have a new name and were stricken by the federal will operate under new rules. courts after legal challenges.

ARHOME is the new MedLike the private option and icaid program. Unlike the Arkansas Works, ARHOME previous program, it will fowill use Medicaid funding to cus on specific groups, such purchase private health insurLarry Teague as pregnant women, residents ance for individuals who qualof rural areas who suffer from ify financially. mental illness or who have a history In response to the federal courts of drug abuse, people with chronic striking down the work requirement, disease and young people who are ARHOME will have a new incentive to veterans or who lived in foster homes. encourage recipients to look for a job. If Their health insurance carriers will participants fail to look for work, they have to meet specific goals. If not, will be transferred out of private insurthey will have to follow an action plan ance and into the traditional Medicdesigned to improve performance, or aid program, which doesn’t provide as face financial penalties in 2023. Earli- many benefits. er in December a panel of legislators Health officials are excited about and health officials approved a set of the maternal care that ARHOME will goals that medical providers must provide women and their newborn reach. children. Medical teams will have inArkansas Works was the name of centives to identify and care for womthe state’s Medicaid expansion plan. en whose pregnancies are high risk, It covered 319,000 people between through home visits during the pregthe ages of 19 and 64 last year. They nancies and until the newborn is two are not enrolled in Medicare and they years old. earn less than 138 percent of the fedThe expectation is that the home eral poverty level, but more than 16 visits will reduce infant mortality, and percent. increase the percentage of infants who About 10 years ago people in that are fully immunized against chronic income range earned too much mon- and deadly diseases. ey to qualify for traditional Medicaid, Officials at the Department of Huwhich provides government-subsi- man Services count on ARHOME dized health coverage for low-income being more financially efficient. Last families. They became eligible under fiscal year, Arkansas Works spent $2.46 the national Affordable Care Act, billion. Of that amount, 90 percent which every state implemented in its came from the federal government and own way.

10 percent was appropriated by state Rather than simply expand the eli- government. gibility criteria for traditional MedicImproving the health of high-risk aid, Arkansas covered the new group populations should hold down the cost of enrollees under an innovative plan of providing medical coverage through that relies on private health insurance. Medicaid.

At first it was called the private opParts of ARHOME are designed to tion. It became known as Arkansas lift young people out of poverty, which Works after the legislature changed would benefit the state’s long-term fisthe rules to require recipients to work, cal condition. or look for work, in order to qualify.

6 Obituaries

January 5, 2022

Albert Roy Johnson Albert “Little John” Roy Johnson, age 70, passed away Sunday, December 26, 2021, in Texarkana, Texas. He was born March 13, 1951, in Odessa, Texas, to the late Carl Albert and Gladys Virginia Robertson Johnson.

Mr. Johnson was a farmer and truck driver by profession and enjoyed spending time with his kids and grandkids; he loved to see his kids and grandkids play sports and he was a very proud cattle farmer. He was also an avid outdoorsman with a love for fishing and hunting. He loved his friends and family deeply.

Little John is preceded in death by his parents, Carl Albert and Gladys Virginia Robertson Johnson; a daughter, Laura Leann Johnson; brother, Gary Myers; sister, Murline Bethel and husband Jimmy; son-in-law, James Wise; brother-in-law, Johnnie Duckett; sisterin-law, Mitzi Duckett; father-in-law, Jim Ed Duckett; mother-in-law, Gladys Duckett.

He is survived by his loving wife, Kay Johnson; daughters, Teresa Wise, Linda Lyle and husband Brad, Trina Richardson and husband Jeffrey, Melissa Johnson, Sarah Johnson, Elisha Carterby and husband Cris, Tisha Youngblood, and Tabatha Spargo and husband Jon; sons, Jay Fuller, Johnny Johnson, John Johnson, David Johnson, and Don

Johnson; grandkids, Blake Wise, Bailey Wise, Braxton Wise, Daniel Flournoy, Holly Hartwig, Robert Lyle, Roger Lyle, Hope Cannon, Gracie Lyle, Madi Lyle, Izzy Richardson, Jared Richardson, Josh Richardson, Jacob Richardson, Noah Richardson, Riley Sharp, Summer Carterby, Chelsea Carterby, Cristopher Carterby, and Kayleigh Williams; 7 great-grandchildren; brothers, Billy Myers, Bobby Myers and wife Donna, Ronny Johnson and wife Kim, Danny Johnson and wife Eva; sister, Christine McCleskey; brothers-in-law, Ronnie Duckett, and Frankie Duckett and wife Dawn; sister-in-law, Cindy Ahrens and husband Sam; and special friends, Uncle Charles Baker, Howard “Hoot” Bagley, Sheila Johnson, and Nancy Jewell.

Services for Mr. Johnson will be Thursday, December 30, 2021, at 2:00 p.m. at Baker Cemetery, in Wickes, Arkansas. Don Youngblood and Brother Stephen Copley will officiate, under the direction of Beasley-Wood Funeral Home. Visitation will be Wednesday, December 29, 2021, at Beasley-Wood Chapel in Mena, Arkansas, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Pallbearers are Howard Bagley, Randall Martin, Rick Martin, Jimmy Wise, Curtis Gillaspy, Troy Myers, Kenneth Jewell, and Jamie Bailey.

Online obituary at beasleywoodfuneralhome.com

Ellis Lloyd Posey Jr.

Mr. Ellis Lloyd Posey Jr., age 91, passed away We d n e s d a y, December 29, 2021, in Mena, Arkansas, at home. He was born October 8th, 1930, in Mena to the late Ellis Lloyd Posey, Sr. and Mary Alice McAllister Posey.

Lloyd’s character stood out as a shining testimony to all who knew him. His love for Jesus was evident as he faithfully modeled a life devoted to Christ. He was a tender husband who spent much of his later years sacrificially caring for his wife with dementia. He was a gen-

tle and wise father and grandfather who effortlessly earned admiration and respect by leading his loved ones through his example as a servant.

He approached life with passion and attention to detail. Whether it was mountain climbing with his grandkids, delivering a spellbinding speech, or performing a musical solo for a crowd, his intentionality and poise were evident. Always an enthusiast for learning, Lloyd educated himself on something new on a regular basis. It was not uncommon to find him digging into a new history book or strategizing his next chess move. One of his most notorious accomplishments was building his own retirement home from the ground up with the help from his loved ones. He was known as the man who could fix anything or do anything he set his mind to.

He had various jobs as a young man including teaching and becoming a principal at one point. His main occupation was assistant pastor/pastor most of his life. He graduated from Luther Rice Seminary with a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in the early 1970’s and retired as a Methodist minister.

Lloyd is preceded in death by his parents and his sister, Dorothy Faith Bolin; his son, Philip Gordon Posey, and his grandson, Timothy Todd Chapin. He is survived by his wife, Anna Ruth Posey and his daughter, Sherry Lynne Chapin of Mena, Arkansas. He also has nine grandchildren and twenty-two great-grandchildren. He is also survived by his brother, Clayton Posey of Wayne, Oklahoma and sisters, Alice Gwendolyn Neal of Bethany, Oklahoma, and Maralyn Vay Chandler of Conway, Arkansas.

Services will be held Thursday, January 6th, 2022, at the Mena First United Methodist Church, with interment following at Pinecrest Memorial Park in Mena, Arkansas with Military Honors. Reverend Scott Stewart will be officiating under the direction of Beasley-Wood Funeral Home. Visitation will be Wednesday, January 5th, 2022, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Mena First United Methodist Church. Online obituary at beasleywoodfuneralhome. com

THE POLK COUNTY

Pulse Charles “Dood” Baker Our beloved uncle and friend, Charles “Dood” Baker, passed away with family by his side on January 1, 2022, at the age of 85 in Texarkana, TX. Charles was born to Jimmie and Lula Baker on January 26, 1936. Charles was one of a kind and lived life on his terms.

In high school, he was known as an awesome athlete. Many athletes from his time said Charles was one of the best basketball players in the area. He would play center and tip the ball to a teammate and go to half court to make the shot most of the time. He also shot through the rafters at the old Wickes gym on a regular basis.

A few days after graduation at Wickes High School, Class of 1956, Charles took a sack of clothes and boarded a bus with a ticket to ride as long as you want with only a few dollars to his name. He got off in Northern California somewhere near Eureka. He worked at a sawmill and didn’t buy a car for the first five years out there. For ten years, he owned and co-operated a local bar. His heart was too big for the bar life though. He went to work for Louisiana Pacific in Eureka, California, until he retired.

Charles loved people, his family, basketball, and hunting. He spent his time off (vacation) driving home to attend school reunions, hunt, and spend time with his family. In 2002, he moved back home to be close to his family, especially his sisters, Marie and Gladys. He always said he went to two churches (Wickes Methodist Church and Wickes Nazarene) every Sunday to make up for living a rough life in his early days. He was a friend to everyone he met!

Charles is preceded in death by his parents, Jimmie and Lula Baker; brothers, Orville Baker, Ralph Baker, Ed

Baker Obituary Continued on Page 7

THE POLK COUNTY

Pulse

January 5, 2022

(Thelma) Baker, and James (Teelie) Baker; sisters, Marie (Keith) Duckett and Gladys (Jim Ed) Duckett; nephews, Johnnie Duane Duckett, James Truman Baker, Roy Johnson; niece, Mitzi Duckett He is survived by Orville Louis “Dood” (Kathy) Baker Jr., Kathy (Jon) Johnson, Gary Hargis, Todd (Angie) Baker, Ronnie Duckett, Kay Johnson, Frankie (Dawn) Duckett, Cindy (Sam) Ahrens; and special friends, John Willard Hill, Fred Allen, Faith Lynch, and his Cossatot Senior Center family.

Pallbearers will be Aaron Ahrens, Sam Ahrens, Frankie Duckett, Kyle Duckett, Ronnie Duckett, Johnny Johnson, Brad Lyle, and Jeffrey Richardson.

Honorary pallbearers are Fred Allen, Orville “Dood” Baker Jr., Zack Frachiseur, John Willard Hill, Don Hoyle, and Paul Melton.

Services will be held Tuesday, January 4, 2022, at 2:00 p.m. at Baker Cemetery in Wickes, Arkansas. Brother Stephen Copley and Pastor B.J. Jenkins will officiate, under the direction of Beasley-Wood Funeral Home.

Charles was a superfan of the Cossatot Senior Center in Wickes, Arkansas, and served faithfully on the Board of Trustees. In honor of his love for the senior center, the family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Cossatot Senior Center in memory of our beloved family member and friend, Charles “Dood” Baker.

Online obituary at beasleywoodfuneralhome.com

Richard Duane Higgins Jr. R i c h a r d “Rick” Duane Higgins Jr., age 63, passed away Friday, December 24, 2021, in Houston, Texas. He was born August 8, 1958, in Mena, Arkansas, to the late Richard Duane and Eva Lou Willis Higgins.

Rick was a graduate of Irving High School, class of 1976, from there he studied at Lincoln Technical Institute,

class of 1977. Rick worked as a Consultant for Stewart & Stevenson in Dallas, Texas, and Houston, Texas, from 1977, to his retirement in 2016. It was said that Mr. Higgins knew all there was to know about Diesel Engines. Rick was a member of the Grand Prairie, Texas Masonic Lodge. He was a 3rd Degree Mason with 32nd Degree Scottish Rights.

“Higgy”, as referred to by his friends and colleagues, was well respected by all who knew him. His insight and opinions were welcomed and respected; and everyone loved his infectious personality.

Richard is survived by a host of cousins (who were more like brothers and sisters) too numerous to count.

Services for Mr. Higgins will be held Monday, January 3, 2022, at 11:00 a.m., at Pinecrest Memorial Park. Brother Steve Ellison will officiate, under direction of Beasley-Wood Funeral Home.

Visitation will be Sunday, January 2, 2022, from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., at Beasley-Wood Chapel.

Honorary pallbearers are Rusty Brown, Dennis Cunningham, Andy Brown, Doug Hunter, Max Vogel, Carl Vogel, Barry Royal, Scott Royal, Todd Royal, and Ray Hunter.

Services are entrusted to Beasley-Wood Funeral Home. Online obituary at

Janet Mardell Abraham Janet Mardell Abraham, age 68, of Rose Hill, Kansas, died Saturday, January 1, 2022, at Kansas Medical Center in Andover, Kansas, with her family by her side. She was born on Saturday, December 5, 1953, to John and Gladys (Roberts) Henson in Hopkinsville, Kentucky.

Janet was a devout Christian who lived by the Bible and only wanted to do God’s will. She attended the Poplar Avenue Church of Christ in Wichi-

ta, Kansas, and was very active in the Church. Janet let the word of God guide her life and made a difference in many peoples’ lives. She and her husband of 49 years, James, served as missionaries in Argentina from 1980 to 1993 where she learned how to draw, teach horseback riding, and sing worship music in Spanish. Janet loved to sing in Spanish and English and one of her favorites in church was “Jesus Goes With Me.” She was very talented at many different crafts, and could often be found crocheting, quilting, and making other things for her grandchildren. Janet loved being with her grandchildren any chance she could and teaching them how to ride horses gave her so much joy. Janet was a loving wife, mother, grandmother, daughter, sister, aunt, and friend and will be missed by all who knew her.

She is preceded in death by her father, John Allen Henson.

Janet is survived by her husband, James Abraham of Rose Hill, Kansas; her mother, Gladys Henson of Hatfield; two sons and daughter-in-law, James Clinton Abraham of Wichita, Kansas, and John Daniel and Nora Abraham of Montgomery, Texas; two daughters and son-in-law, Audrey Mardell and Timothy Rooney of Augusta, Kansas, and Juliet Margaret Fall of Rose Hill, Kansas; two brothers and sister-in-law, Allen Arthur and Karen Henson of Wiggins, Mississippi, and Karl Henson of Pratt, Kansas; three sisters and brothers-in-law, Della Marie Perry of Mulvane, Kansas, Eva and Robert High of Wichita, Kansas, and Debbie and Perry Overstake of Wichita, Kansas; twenty-four grandchildren; several nieces and nephews and a host of other relatives and friends.

Funeral services will be held on Thursday, January 6, 2022, at 10:00 a.m. at the Bowser Family Funeral Home Chapel in Mena, Arkansas, with Burl Abraham Preacher/Elder of Augusta Church of Christ, Augusta, Kansas, officiating. Interment will follow at the Six Mile Cemetery in Hatfield under the direction of Bowser Family Funeral Home in Mena.

Online Guestbook: bowserffh.com

Obituaries 7

“There is no pain so great as the Memory of joy in present grief.”

— Aeschylus

479-394-7301

1102 Crestwood Circle Mena, AR 71953

8 Faith

January 5, 2022

Reflections from History and Faith: Reparation of Church and State

By Jeff Olson

How many of us have heard or read the phrase, “separation of church and state?” It has become such a common part of America’s legal and social lexicon that many of us are likely to assume it to be in our nation’s constitution. Wrong! It is nowhere to be found in our constitution nor in any other of our founding documents.

Where then did this famous phrase come from? Original references to a wall of separation in a church-state context were made

by Anglican theologian Richard Hooker (1590s), colonial champion of religious liberty Roger Williams (1644) and Scottish schoolmaster James Burgh (1767). The phrase “wall of separation” entered the lexicon of American constitutional law in 1879 in the Supreme Court case Reynolds v. United States, but only as a historical reference.

So, how did this little phrase emerge into such prominence as the defining metaphor for the First Amendment to our Constitution?

Two hundred twenty years ago, January 1, 1802, Thomas Jefferson penned a letter to the Danbury Baptist Association of Connecticut as reply to a letter they sent congratulating him on his election to the presidency of the United States. In their letter, the Baptists, a beleaguered and persecuted religious and political minority, expressed grave concern about the future of religious liberty in America.

In his letter of reply, Jefferson essentially endorsed the Baptists’ aspirations for religious liberty stat-

ing in part, “…I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should ‘make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof,’ thus building a wall of separation between Church & State.”

James H. Hutson of the Library of Congress has concluded that the President “…regarded his reply to the Danbury Baptists as a political letter, not as a dispassionate theoretical pronouncement on the relations between government and religion.”

According to constitutional scholar Daniel L. Dreisbach, Jefferson’s wall was a metaphoric construction of the First Amendment which affirmed the policy of federalism emphasizing that all governmental authority over religious matters was left to the states. To put it another way, Jefferson’s wall separated the federal regime on one side and ecclesiastical institutions and state governments on the other.

It was not until the seminal Supreme Court case of Everson v. Board of Education in 1947 that Jefferson’s phrase from his personal letter was resurrected from Jefferson’s letter, taken out of its interpretive and historical context, and given authoritative gloss on the First Amendment. In a 5-4 opinion authored by Justice Hugo Black, the Supreme Court found that a law authorizing local school boards to reimburse parents for the transportation costs of pupils who attended parochial schools, including private Catholic schools in Ewing Township, did not violate the Establishment Clause of

the First Amendment. The Court reasoned that so long as the policy granting the reimbursements remains neutral to religion and serves the general public purpose of safely transporting children to accredited schools, the Establishment Clause remains unviolated. The Everson case marked the first time that the Supreme Court had, by means of the Fourteenth Amendment, made the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment applicable to individual states.

Although the result reached in the case was consistent with a proper reading of the First Amendment, the Court’s reasoning was not because it relied upon the extra-constitutional language from Jefferson’s letter. This error would be compounded for decades to come as it would serve as reference and precedent in many cases misconstruing the meaning of the First Amendment. This was done without any previous supportive court precedent and was based on judicial ideology and a shallow, inaccurate reading of the historical record. And, for the Court to invoke Jefferson as a primary, direct constitutional source is dubious at best since at the time of the drafting of the First Amendment he was overseas serving as Minister to France.

The true sources, the men who were there, such as James Madison, John Adams, Gouverneur Morris, Fisher Ames and others, are rarely referenced. Madison was the father and chief architect of the Constitution, and in his words, there is not a shadow of right in the general (federal) government to intermeddle with religion. Morris spoke more frequently (173 times) than anyone else at the Constitutional Convention; Ames provided the exact wording for the First Amendment, which was intended to prevent the

THE POLK COUNTY

Pulse establishment of any single Christian denomination as a national church.

From Everson v Board of Education forward, an entirely new and influential body of jurisprudence emerged which, among other issues, misinterpreted “church” to mean religious expression. When combined with an unrestrained federal judiciary, this has contributed to the progressive exclusion of religious expression (primarily Christianity) from the public square and classroom and consequently to a gradual but radical change in the social and moral landscape of America. Reparation of church and state, if it is ever to happen, must begin with a reparation of re-written history; a history which has victimized generations of Americans and turned our culture upside down.

The good news is that some of the ground lost in religious freedom over the past 70 plus years has been regained. The impact of legal defense organizations such as the American Center for Law and Justice and Liberty Counsel as well as educational organizations such as WallBuilders have substantially contributed to this progress. And, in light of the most recent confirmations to the Supreme Court, perhaps more ground will be reclaimed in the future.

In the words of one of our more recently appointed Supreme Court justices, “I respect, too, the fact that in our legal order it is for Congress and not the courts to write new laws.

It is the role of judges to apply, not alter, the work of the people’s representatives. A judge who likes every outcome he reaches is very likely a bad judge... stretching for results he prefers rather than those the law demands.”

THE POLK COUNTY

Pulse

By Richie Lawry

As the clock struck 12 and ushered in the new year, fireworks boomed outside.

They were the natural kind of fireworks, with bright flashes of lightning and deep booming peals of thunder. 2022 came in with a bang. The pounding on the roof announced that heavy rain was pouring down. With temperatures in the upper 60s, accompanied by heavy rain, thunder, and lightning, it seemed much more like a spring storm than the first day of the new year.

After a toast to the new year, I was off to bed. Midnight is far later than my regular bedtime, but I stayed up to usher out 2021, hoping for something better in 2022. When I got up in the morning, the temperature was still unseasonably warm. Heavy rains had filled the creek behind my house during the night. The rushing water was pushing over the creek bank in several places.

We spent the morning preparing for a New Year’s feast. Along with a roast beef, there was fresh green beans with mushrooms, jalapeno cream corn, mashed potatoes and gravy, fresh baked rolls, with gingerbread and whipped cream for dessert. Circumstance made it so that our family could not be together on Christmas, but we would celebrate Christmas this afternoon.

When everyone arrived, happy conversation filled the house. The Christmas dinner was marvelous, and after everyone was sufficiently stuffed, we moved to the living room to exchange presents.

But with the warm temperatures outside and being a week late, it didn’t seem very Christmassy.

That evening we watched the movie “Ron’s Gone Wrong” with my granddaughters. They filled the room with laughter at the antics of Ron, the B-Bot that fell off the back of a truck, so it’s a bit defective. By the time we went to bed, the temperatures were dropping outside.

January 5, 2022

An Arkie’s Faith Winter Wonderland

The following day, the temperature was a frigid 19 degrees. Light snow was falling, and by the time we sat down for breakfast, there was enough snow to cover the yard with a thin layer of white. We had a white Christmas; it just came in January. We had Grandma’s egg casserole for breakfast, a Christmas morning tradition at our house, along with what may become a new tradition, aebleskivers.

My daughter had given my wife an aebleskiver pan for Christmas. Aebleskiver is a Danish dessert, like large, filled doughnut holes. They have been popular for hundreds of years in Denmark and are often served during the Christmas holiday. The earliest known aebleskiver pans are more than 300 years old, made from hammered copper. But bare copper wasn’t ideal and was soon succeeded by cast iron, distributing heat more evenly.

The aebleskivers were delicious, and the softly falling snow added to the cheerful holiday atmosphere.

After everyone left that afternoon, we decided to drive up the Talimena Drive to Queen Wilhelmina State Park. From

Mena, we could see that the trees were frosted in white at higher elevations. We hadn’t driven very far out of town when the trees began to turn white. Bare and seemingly lifeless trees turned into marvelous works of art. The white-coated trees changed the landscape into a mystical, magical place. The ice, frost, and snow turned the mountain into a winter wonderland.

As we made our way up the mountain, the coating on the trees became thicker.

They looked like they had been flocked, with each branch having almost an inch of snow clinging to it. There were heavy clouds, but occasionally the sun tried to pierce the clouds, and I could see the sun’s outline. When the sun was able to break through, the light on the trees made the white even whiter and brighter. The bitterly cold wind would go right through me when I would step out of the car for a minute or two to take photos.

The temperature was 15 degrees, and it was windy. The bright white trees and the moody skies made stunning pictures. Occasionally the sun would shine

Joke of the Week:

A Genie granted me one wish, so I said “I just want to be happy.”

Now I’m living in a cottage with six dwarves and working in a mine.

Faith 9 through, putting a portion of the hillside in the spotlight.

Snow can be beautiful, and it certainly transformed the scenery on Rich Mountain. Where there had been grey, leafless, and seemingly lifeless trees, now there was a bright white beauty that turned the landscape into a winter wonderland. I loved seeing how the ugly imperfections of the stunted, twisted trees become lovely when covered with a blanket of snow.

It made me think of the Bible verse, “Wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.” Psalms 51:7 (NIV) It is lovely to visualize how God can take the imperfections of our hearts and turn them into something pure and clean and beautiful.

God is pleased when we allow him to cover our sins. Because of His great love for us, God doesn’t abandon us in our sins. Instead, by His grace, He wants to change and transform us. “’Come now, let us think about this together,” says the Lord. “Even though your sins are bright red, they will be as white as snow.” Isaiah 1:18 (NLV) When God takes our sins and makes them white as snow, it cuts down on the noise of the world around us. The world becomes just a bit quieter and more peaceful. We can more easily hear God as He communicates with us. He covers the ugly branches of our lives with beautiful pristine whiteness.

Gentle Reader, we all have sin in our life that makes us dirty and separates us from God. But God has provided a way for us to be clean again. Through Jesus, we can all be as white as snow. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9 (KJV) So next time a snowstorm heads your way, make sure and take time to enjoy the beauty of His glistening masterpiece.

Stop for a few minutes to take in the winter wonderland and thank God for making your sins as white as snow.

Replacing windshields in Polk County for forty years.

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

10 News REALTOR continued from page 1 the state taking classes to further her education and she’s very nice to work with, so we thought she was a great candidate.”

The REALTOR®-of-the-Year award is an annual peer award of the Arkansas REALTORS® Association granted to the one REALTOR® who best exemplifies the REALTOR® spirit. It is based on criteria set by the National Association of REALTORS® and includes business accomplishments, community service, activity in the local, state and national REALTOR® organizations, and adherence to the Golden Rule in all life situations.

The 2022 Officers and Directors installation by the MABR Nominating Committee resulted as follows:

THE POLK COUNTY

Pulse

January 5, 2022 numerous events year-round that benefit Special Olympics Arkansas.

Throughout the years the Arkansas Realtors Association has raised over 2 million dollars for Special Olympics Arkansas.”

MABR received two awards from the Special Olympics, one for the most dollars raised per member and one for the most dollars raised for a small board, up to 100 members.

Nancy Wright of RE/MAX said, “A lot of our local fundraising was due to our Special Olympics auction we hold each year, and Diana Dugan, 2021 SO MABR also was recognized for chair, who did monthly fundraisers.”

MABR raised a total $9,416, just shy their involvement and support of the Special Olympics Arkansas (SOAR). of 5% of the total raised by the entire According to SOAR, “The relation- association, which raised $200,000.

The total raised per Mena member ship Special Olympics Arkansas has with Arkansas Realtors dates back was $165.19. MABR’s closest competto 1985. They contribute both vol- itor was Paragould, raising $95.90 per unteers and funds. Realtors host member.

• President - Rachel Lance • President Elect - Amanda Warrington • Secretary - Marion Titsworth • Treasurer - Le-Ann Holmes Director (through 2022) • Current Director (to be replaced

by Board of Directors at the Sept. meeting) - Amanda Warrington • Director (through 2022) - Don Brewer • Director (through 2023) - Sandra Thomas • Past President - Hershel Bell

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FROM CONCEPT TO CREATION WE’LL BRING IT HOME!

THE POLK COUNTY

Pulse

January 5, 2022

News 11

Shea Lewis Named Next Director of Arkansas State Parks

(LITTLE ROCK, Ark.) – Stacy Hurst, secretary of the Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage, and Tourism, today announced Shea Lewis as the next director for Arkansas State Parks. Lewis will replace Grady Spann, who retired on Dec. 31, 2021, after 28 years with Arkansas State Parks. Lewis began in the role on Jan. 3 at a salary of $120,002.

“Shea Lewis has a proven track record of accomplishment within Arkansas State Parks,” said Governor Asa Hutchinson. “Our parks system offers not only the outdoor recreation that The Natural State is so well known for, but it also protects and showcases our state’s history and heritage. These resources couldn’t be left in better hands, and I know Shea will continue the legacy of his predecessors Grady Spann, Greg Butts, and Richard Davies.”

Lewis brings 24 years of experience with Arkansas State Parks, both in day-to-day operations and in executive leadership roles. He currently serves as deputy director, a position he has held since 2017. Lewis started his career with ASP as a seasonal interpreter at both Millwood State Park and Village Creek State Park before becoming a full-time interpreter at both Toltec Mounds Archeological State Park and Crowley’s Ridge State Park. He was promoted to superintendent at Parkin Archeological State Park in 2004 and then served as a regional supervisor for eight years.

“Shea is a hard worker and a thoughtful leader,” Hurst said. “Because he has served at multiple levels within Arkansas State Parks, he is fully familiar with the complex operation of our system. I know that he will hit the ground running, and I look forward to his contributions that will make our wonderful state parks even better.”

Lewis received a bachelor’s degree

Shea Lewis, of Hot Springs, takes over as director for Arkansas State Parks, replacing Grady Spann, who retired after 28 years.

(Photo courtesy of Arkansas Tourism)

in parks, recreation, and leisure studies from the University of Memphis and a master’s degree in education/ instructional resources and media design from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.

“A r k a n s a s State Parks has a great tradition of protecting and managing the resources entrusted to us, as well as offering memorable experiences,” Lewis said. “It is my goal to continue that

tradition while implementing innovative ways to guarantee relevancy for the next generation of park guests.”

The Arkansas State Parks director is responsible for leading the operation of 52 state parks and a central office including administration, planning and development, marketing and revenue, program services, and five regional offices.

Additionally, the director oversees the $158 million annual budget appropriated for the division’s responsibilities.

Lewis lives in Hot Springs with his wife, Sebrena, and their children Gracie, Anna and William.

12 News

January 5, 2022

THE POLK COUNTY

Pulse

Extension’s adulting podcast equips teens with grownup know-how Submitted by UofA Extension

There are some things that high school just doesn’t teach. Though teens may feel academically prepared for college or ready to take on a job, they often find themselves unprepared for some of the responsibilities that accompany those big milestones.

Alison Crane, a family and consumer science agent with the Cooperative Extension Service in Garland County, realized this as her youngest daughter, Jolie, was preparing to go to college.

“Even though I’ve taught her a lot through the years, it was becoming real to her, and she thought, “there’s a lot I don’t know.”

Crane shared the idea for an

“adulting class” with fellow family and consumer science agents within the Cooperative Extension Service, part of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.

“The response was tremendous.

Lots of people saw a need,” she said.

Crane worked with agents from more than a dozen counties to create Grown Up U: Facts for Success, a new podcast that provides teens and young adults with practical information they need to successfully navigate life on their own.

New episodes are posted weekly and can be accessed through Apple, Spotify, Facebook and online at https://www.uaex.uada.edu/ grown-up-u.

High school students planning to

attend college will find several useful episodes. In the first episode, extension agents Pamela Luker from Pope County and Rachel Chaney from Yell County offer tips for making the transition to college or to a first job. Crane has a segment that teaches college students how to budget their FAFSA return.

Agents Valerie Turner from Monroe County and Julie Goings from Phillips County discuss grades and college scholarships in another episode.

Additional episodes are dedicated to personal finance — setting up bank accounts, learning budgeting basics, buying versus renting, paying bills and avoiding late fees and shut-off notices.

The most recent postings in De-

cember offer information on buying a car, the basics of car insurance and credit card selection.

New episodes planned for January include: • Jan. 5 – Basic Budgeting – Getting Started • Jan. 12 – Filing taxes (part 1) • Jan. 19 – Filing taxes (part 2) • Jan. 26 – Assessing personal property New episodes are posted on Wednesdays, and each episode runs no longer than 30 minutes.

The group also has created quizzes and other resources for teachers, who want to use the podcasts as part of their classroom curriculum.

THE POLK COUNTY

Pulse

January 5, 2022

News 13

Polk County unemployment rate at historic low

By Patrick Massey

The unemployment rate in Polk County and throughout much of Arkansas has fallen to some of the lowest figures on record.

Newly released data shows Polk County’s unemployment has consistently trended downwards over 2021, similar to the state and national averages as the economy continues to recover from the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The new data details Polk County’s unemployment rate in October – the latest month for which county-by-county data is available. The unemployment rate fell to 2.6 percent, according to the Arkansas Division of Workforce Services. That’s the lowest on record according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Polk County’s unemployment rate is below the state average of 3.4 percent and the U.S. average of 4.2 percent. The rate of 2.6 percent ranks Polk County at 39th in the state.

Out of a workforce of around 5,600 people in Polk County only 160 are currently recorded as unemployed.

The county’s highest unemployment rate was recorded nearly two decades ago, in January 2002 at 10.8

percent. The county reached nearly 10 percent unemployment during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

Of course, it’s important to note the rate does not reflect those who are under-employed – that is, they’re not receiving as much work as they would like. The figure does not include people who are currently unemployed but are no longer receiving benefits. The unemployment rate is not a perfect metric for economic activity in an area but it does show that unemployment is falling among area residents.

Neighboring Sevier County reported an unemployment rate of 2.5 percent in October.

Howard County currently has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the state at two percent. Montgomery County reported three percent while Scott County saw an unemployment rate of just 1.9 percent in October.

Benton County is reporting the lowest unemployment rate in the state at 1.6 percent. Chicot County continues to report the highest at 5.4 percent. That is significantly lower, however, than the 12 percent reported in Chicot County during the height of the pandemic last year.

State economic officials have touted the lower unemployment rates as a sign Arkansas’ economy is quickly rebounding from the economic consequences of COVID-19. However, the low unemployment rates have also created a tight labor market, causing worker shortages felt by almost every business and industry in

the state. Coupled with high demand, not just for Christmas but because of an overall economic recovery following last year’s COVID-related shutdowns, the historically-low unemployment figures means many businesses are struggling to find workers and may continue to struggle on the road ahead.

14 Sports

January 5, 2022

THE POLK COUNTY

Pulse

Ladycats suffer loss to Lake Hamilton Bearcats lose to Pointers Mena

By Trey Youngdahl ward Emmi Hines scored a remarkable

By Trey Youngdahl

Basketball Jan 7- Arkadelphia @ Mena Jan 8- Idabel @ Mena Jan 11- Mena @ Hope

Basketball Jan. 7- Paris @ Cossatot

Basketball Jan. 11- Acorn @ Lavaca Wrestling Jan. 6- Acorn @ Sylvan Hills Jan. 10- Lake Hamilton @ Acorn

Though the Mena Bearcats played with vigor, their efforts were in vain as they lost the away game against the Van Buren Pointers.

The first point scored in the first quarter of the game was a flawless 3-point shot from point guard Caleb Peters. This was after a very nice steal by power forward Trey Day, picking a pass from one Van Buren player to another.

The second quarter started off well for the Bearcats. As a player for the Pointers stormed down the court for a layup, one of the Bearcats blocked his shot, slapping the ball to shooting guard Blake Brown.

Brown would start off the third quarter by also blocking a shot.

Also during the third quarter, Peters blocked a shot and made a fast break down court, making a layup with near textbook perfection.

Point guard Tre McMellon would go on to sink a 3-pointer that was all net. Remarkably, this would be one of four 3-pointers made by McMellon during the game.

Overall, the Bearcats lost to the Pointers, in a narrow window of 5247. Mena had 26 rebounds, 6 assists, 4 steals, and 3 blocks.

The Mena Ladycats basketball team fought hard against Lake Hamilton on Wednesday, Dec. 29, but ultimately succumbed to their opposition.

The first quarter started off well with shooting guard Brooklyn Pennington successfully stealing the ball from a Lake Hamilton player. This was followed by Payton Clark, also a shooting guard, stealing the ball for the Ladycats.

Later in the first quarter, power for-

Morning Coffee for Your Ears!

three-pointer from near half-court.

Hines would start off the second quarter by sinking another three-pointer.

The quarter would be rounded up by another well-executed steal by Pennington.

Despite their best efforts, the Ladycats did eventually suffered a 55-35 loss to Lake Hamilton. The Ladycats had 26 rebounds, 3 assists, and 7 steals. Mena will play again on Thursday, Jan. 6 at Arkadelphia.

THE POLK COUNTY

Pulse

January 5, 2022

Hogspore News

It’s 2022, but we’re still holding our breath

By Clet Litter as told to Bob Simpson

We brought in the New Year, but folks are still holding their breath.

We’re poking out of our homes like cautious prairie dogs after a buffalo stampede. We’re trying to appreciate what we have, even though what we have to buy is appreciating faster than we can keep up. The good news: Fuel and food prices haven’t changed.

At least the Giant Pumpkin rolled off the courthouse roof on schedule to celerbrate 2022. It hit the sidewalk with a pleasant, pleasing plop.

The best cooks in town were the first to get to it with their squash

shovels. By now, those pies are already chugging through the citizens, as they relax on their couches in pie bliss.

I watched an hour-long YouTube video of a guy mowing a yard. Only a man would watch this for 60 minutes. I don’t have any explanation for that. I’m not proud of it, but not ashamed of it either. The man’s name was Al Bladze, and he has a lawn maintenance service. Every week he picks out an overgrown yard and, with the owner’s permission, brings it to respectable neighborhood standards… no charge.

This is how neighbors are in small towns. There’s decent people everywhere, but it ain’t newsworthy.

I have to say that just because I viewed a feller cutting grass for an hour doesn’t mean that I can’t live a productive life if somebody will check on me every so often.

Students are preparing for the annual Hogspore Elementary Spelling Bee. It’s going to be on Friday, January 14 at the High School Auditorium. One of the teachers whose students do well is Miss Huntley Beachgum. She’s come up with a competitive way to win. Her class learns to spell the vocabulary words and then has to spell the words out loud to the class backwards. She says that the children can picture the word in their head when they spell it backwards. Course, there’s always a comedian who faces the wall and spells it correctly. You can spot him. He’s the one wearing the ecnud pac. Old lady Beachgum is

Humor 15 mighty confident. She says, “All my kids are srenniw.”

Once the principal finds out that she’s making a student wear a dunce cap, she’ll be sporting a McHat in Alaska working the dogsled drive-thru lane taking orders for McBlubber Burgers.

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

16 Community

I wanted to take this opportunity to cordially invite our area church family as we approach a wonderful time of enjoyment here at Dallas Avenue Baptist Church.

We are calling it “A Study of Psalms 23,” and we are asking that you not only attend, but that you invite your friends to attend as well!

It will take place January 9 at 11:30 a.m. It is sponsored by the Women on Missions at Dallas Avenue Baptist Church. Lunch will be served and child care will be provided.

We plan on having Dr. Cynthia Perkins, author of the book entitled, “Still Waters,” as our guest speaker.

She will present an in-depth study of the 23rd Psalms as it relates to how

Pulse

January 5, 2022

Perkins to be guest speaker at Dallas Baptist Avenue Church Submitted by Rae Lankford

THE POLK COUNTY

to walk with our loving Shepherd on a daily basis.

Dr. Perkins has an extensive Christian background which has carried her from a one-room schoolhouse in Zafra, Oklahoma to a PhD in Music Education at the University of Oklahoma to a missionary in Nicaragua and the Kiamichis to published author.

These above-mentioned accomplishments have given her a unique Christian understanding of what it means to, “walk through the valley of the shadow of death.”

We would greatly appreciate your attendance at this meeting and we are sure of the blessings to be received by all. Please RSVP to DABC at 479-394-2697 or Rae Lankford at 479-437-5050 by January 6.

Around Town

Christ’s Church at Mountain Fork Dr. Mark D. Berrier, Minister at Large. Located at 5540 Hwy 8 W, Mena, Sunday Worship @ 11 a.m., Wednesday Women’s Prayer Meeting @ 6 p.m., Bible Study @ 7 p.m. For more information, email mberrier@dallas.edu/. Visit KiamichiMission.org/ Polk County Social Seniors Meeting at the Chopping Block at noon on January 11.

Question of the month: What’s your idea of a perfect date?

Please let Linda Johnson at 956-2412633 know if coming. Chopping Block would like to know the head count a week before.

Feel free to invite anyone to the luncheons. The more the merry.

Any questions or concerns call Linda Johnson.

Hatfield First Baptist Church “Shepherd’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. We kindly ask that non-vaccinated individuals wear masks.

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

The Cossatot Senior Center will be open for take out dining only through Jan 7. Home Deliveries will continue as normal.

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

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

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

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

The Polk County Housing Authority has Rental Vouchers available. They are also in need of Applicants and Landlords. Contact them at 509 S. Morrow, Mena, (479) 394-1565 or polkarhousing.com The Food Pantry at the Mena Seventh Day Adventist Church is open every first and third Monday of each month, 4-6 p.m., located at Fair Grounds Road.

For more information, call 479-437-4018.

St. Agnes Church will host a food distribution on Thursday, January 6th. from 10:00 - Noon at 203 8th St. in Mena. Distribution will be at the church office.

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

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.

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.

It’s easy to have your event listed in Around Town, which will be read on radio stations KENA and KQOR daily. Simply send your Around Town announcement to news@mypulsenews. com or call 479-243-9600 and let us know about your event! To have it in the Polk County Pulse newspaper, we need to know by FIVE on FRIDAY. We look forward to continuing to serve the community!

THE POLK COUNTY

Pulse

January 5, 2022

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T0223 Land Management, Tree Service, RC Customz can handle your construction needs, mulching and more. Military discounts available. Insured. Call (479) 216-2976 for Free estimate.

T0223 Mena Shuttle - Ground transportation to AR and TX airports. Doctor and emergency appointments. Also, light deliveries.

(870) 490-1191 T0105 Tree services, storm cleanup, stump grinding. Signs and light replacement. Give RC Customz a call at (479) 216-2976 for Free estimate.

T0223

- WANTED -

Wanted: Clean Karaoke Machine, good working condition. Call Ray (479) 477-0576 T0119 Want to Rent or Buy in the country, 3 Bedroom/2 Bath, fenced backyard, paved road, community water for 2 retired adults, no children, 2 or 3 car garage, workshop or storage building for side-by-side. Call (479) 234-2530 T0112

- RELIGION -

Fire & Brimstone - The Catholic Church, September 1, 1923 Sunday is our mark of Authority, the Church is above the Bible, and this transference of Sabbath observance is proof of that fact.

The 4th Commandment is Friday sundown to Saturday sundown (The Sabbath).

T0105

- PERSONAL -

Five witnesses, Mike and Harold Oglesby, J.C. and Raymond Moore, Jim and Vic Moran, Leonard and David Belknap, Charlie and James Fairless, can testify that Mickey Knighton drove log trucks and dump trucks for all these people.

David Knighton, Jewell Gann, Dwight Evans, Harley Martin, Albert Gray, Pat Holder, Stuart Ward, L.D. Mathis, Charley Handley, Floyd Ward, George Tilley, Paul Smith, Laurence Rose, Matt Brantly, Cooper Tally, and Mickey Knighton Never had a wreck or received a ticket. Never was fired from a job.

T0105

Comprehensive Juvenile Services seeking Mentoring Coordinator/Case Manager. Seeking a qualified person to recruit adult mentors for multiple counties in western Arkansas area. Bachelor’s degree in human services field, strong oral presentation and communication skills required.

Send updated resume and three letters of reference: Personnel Manager 1606 South J Street Fort Smith, AR 72901 Deadline: January 14 No phone calls please. EOE

T0112

Classifieds 17

Arkansas Walmart and Sam’s Club Pharmacies to Dispense Authorized COVID-19 Antiviral Medication ARKANSAS, Dec. 30, 2021 Walmart and Sam’s Club pharmacies will begin dispensing the authorized COVID antiviral medication, Paxlovid and Molnupiravir in Arkansas through the U.S. Federal Retail Pharmacy Therapeutics Program starting Dec. 30, 2021. Select Walmart and Sam’s Club pharmacies are receiving limited supplies of the COVID-19 antiviral medication. The medication is only available with a prescription from a healthcare provider.

Customers and healthcare providers can go to https://www. walmart.com/covidmedication and use the store locator to find their nearest store or club that is carrying this medication to send the electronic prescription. [Eds: De Queen is authorized; Mena is not on the list. A FAQ regarding the medication is at the link above.] Since the COVID-19 antiviral medications are prescribed to those with COVID-19, it will only be available at Walmart and Sam’s Club by curbside pickup or via drive-thru pharmacy windows.

Walmart worked closely with the federal government and state health departments to select locations where states’ determined the treatment was needed most. While

initial treatment supply is limited, Walmart and Sam’s Club pharmacies stand ready to help expand treatment access nationwide.

“We are committed to working with our state and federal partners to provide access to new treatment options like authorized COVID-19 antiviral medications, as they become available,” said Kevin Host, senior vice president of pharmacy.

“This offers customers the option to recover at home and helps reduce the burden on our hospitals and communities. As we have since the beginning of the pandemic, we’re proud to support our communities through everyday essentials, healthy food, vaccines, medication and other health care needs as we all work together to weather the pandemic.”

Walmart and Sam’s Club pharmacies will continue to support states and the federal government to help increase the access and availability of authorized COVID-19 antiviral medication and COVID-19 vaccines. Walmart will also continue to make flu vaccines and other preventative vaccines available. To stay up-to-date on how Walmart and Sam’s Club are supporting the COVID-19 vaccine rollout, visit https://corporate.walmart.com/covid-vaccine.

WHEN NEWS MATTERS, WE’RE HERE TO KEEP YOU INFORMED. MyP U L S E NEWS.COM

18 Taxes

THE POLK COUNTY

Pulse

January 5, 2022

Friendly reminder to

ASSESS FOR 2022 You Can Assess Beginning January 3rd, 2022 through May 31st, 2022 to avoid a 10% late assessment penalty *Personal Property Required BY LAW to be assessed includes, but not limited to: Airplanes All Vehicles--- Cars, Trucks, SUVs Four Wheelers / Motorcycles Boats – Houseboats/Trailers Jet Ski/Trailers Travel Trailers/Campers Tractors & Farm Equipment Livestock --- Cattle & Horses (Any Herd Animal) Utility, Cargo, Livestock, Car hauler Trailers Motorhomes Heavy Equipment --- Backhoe, Bulldozer, Logging Equipment, etc. **All Businesses** Businesses should receive a Commercial Personal Property Form at the beginning of each year to render the items mentioned in the list below. If you have not received a form by March, please call or come by to request one. The form must be signed and returned to the Assessors Office. Assessments done by phone on businesses are not permissible. **Business Inventory, Equipment, Furniture & Fixtures, Report all Leased Assets **Business Office Equipment including Home Based Businesses *Ways to Assess: In Person: Online:

By Phone:

507 Church Ave

479-394-8121

Mena, AR 71953

www.scoutassess.com

THE POLK COUNTY

Pulse

January 5, 2022

Taxes 19

SKIP THE LINES ASSESS YOUR 2022 PERSONAL PROPERTY

ONLINE!

www.SCOUTASSESS.com LOG ON FROM YOUR COMPUTER AT HOME OR ON THE GO FROM ANY MOBILE DEVICE YOU WILL RECEIVE AN EMAIL OF YOUR ASSESSMENT ONCE IT HAS BEEN PROCESSED IT’S FAST, FREE, AND CONVENIENT! Joyfully Serving, Jovan Thomas, Polk County Assessor

20 Puzzles

THE POLK COUNTY

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January 5, 2022

01.05.22

01.05.22

ANSWERS FROM PUZZLES ON 12.29.21

Humane Society of the Ouachitas PET OF THE WEEK

Shirley Bell is a real kitty Southern Belle! This elegant black and white girl has green eyes. She is an indoor cat and is litter box trained. Shirley Bell is good with cats and dogs. In August you can celebrate her birthday with lots of good kitty treats. Shirley Bell is currently in a foster home. Since she is not at the shelter, we will be making her pet of the Week for two weeks!

Please contact the shelter to make arrangements to meet her.

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

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

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

January 5, 2022 News 21 Pulse Westerman eyes bill for new campground Felony charges filed against manhunt suspect within or near Albert Pike THE POLK COUNTY

By Patrick Massey

By Patrick Massey

LANGLEY – Congressional support may arrive for those hoping to see the reestablishment of overnight camping at Albert Pike Recreation Area.

According to The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, U.S. Congressman Bruce Westerman (R-AR) said he plans to submit legislation to establish a campground within Albert Pike or nearby.

The Albert Pike Recreation Area is a federal campground near Langley and located along the Little Missouri River within the Ouachita National Forest. The campground has been closed to overnight camping and lingered largely unmaintained since June 10, 2010, when a devastating 500-year flood claimed the lives of 20 people camping in the park. Previously the park had been a very popular outdoor area for campers far and wide.

A 2013 court injunction prevented the United States Forest Service (USFS) from any further construction projects within the park. A civil lawsuit filed against the Forest Service in 2011 by survivors of the flood was settled in 2018.

Last month, the USFS announced it would not reestablish overnight use of the park. The decision was made following a years-long public comment and review process.

Forest Service officials said the recre-

ation area will remain as a day-use only facility, with no overnight camping or long-term use options permitted. Infrastructure will be decommissioned in some areas and be allowed to return to natural conditions, the notice stated.

Other changes include reusing Loop D to provide Day Use parking facilities. Loops are smaller camping spots within a campground.

“The decision provides a safe, well-maintained facility with year-round sustainable Day-Use recreation opportunities including swimming, picnicking, and fishing,” said Caddo-Womble District Ranger, Amanda Gee, in a press release.

According to reporting from the Democrat-Gazette, Westerman understood the Forest Service’s “overly cautious” decision but was disappointed the agency would continue to prevent overnight use of the park. He said camping could be reestablished in areas of the park not prone to flash flooding.

Westerman told the publication his office plans to research the idea of a new campground either within Albert Pike or near its established boundaries. He added funding for the new park could be appropriated through the Great American Outdoors Act or through other federal measures.

The recreation area is within Westerman’s congressional district.

GLENWOOD - A Dierks man currently held in the Sevier County Jail on charges of assaulting a law enforcement officer and aggravated robbery is also facing felony charges in Pike County.

According to online court records, 39-year-old Justin Keaster has been charged in Pike County for felony counts of commercial burglary and theft of property. Investigators believe Keaster was behind a burglary that took place at the Pleasant Missionary Baptist Church in Glenwood on Dec. 15, the same day he allegedly led officers from multiple law enforcement agencies on a six-hour manhunt. Two laptops and a set of keys were reportedly stolen from the church. Using GPS technology within the ARDoT truck Keaster is believed to have stolen earlier that morning, investigators allege Keaster was at the church around

five that morning.

Keaster was arrested that same day following a manhunt around Dierks Lake. Authorities allege Keaster fled from police in the stolen ARDoT truck before ambushing a Sevier County investigator, stealing his service pistol and patrol vehicle. The patrol vehicle was later found wrecked and abandoned in an area around Jefferson Ridge on Dierks Lake. The investigator was injured during the altercation but not by gun fire. He has since fully recovered.

Keaster was later found and arrested by members of the Sevier County Sheriff ’s Office. A number of other area law enforcement agencies were involved in the search, which included the use of dogs, drones and horses to find Keaster.

Keaster is currently in the Sevier County Jail awaiting his first court appearance, scheduled for Jan. 13.

22 Police

January 5, 2022

The following information was received from Polk County law enforcement agencies. The charges against those arrested are allegations and the cases are still pending in the courts. Individuals charged and whose names appear in this column may submit documentation to us at a later date that the charges have been dismissed, or that they have been found innocent, and we will include that information in this space in a timely manner.

POLK COUNTY SHERIFF’S LOG December 27, 2021 Deputies responded to a walkin complainant of vehicle damage while at a business on Hwy 71near Hillcrest.

Deputies responded to a report of an assault.

December 28, 2021 Deputies responded to a mailbox being torn down at a residence on Hwy 375 E near Mena.

December 29, 2021 Deputies responded to a complaint of Theft of Property from a property on Burls Hill Lane near Cove.

December 30, 2021 Deputies were dispatched to a residence on Polk 298 near Mena in reference to a Welfare Check.

Deputies were dispatched to a residence on Carpenter Street in Hatfield in reference to an unresponsive person.

Jarad Miller, 23 of Cove was arrested on a Felony Failure to Appear Warrant and a Misdemeanor Failure to Appear Warrant.

Allen Loving, 56 of Hatfield was arrested on charges of Maintaining a Drug Premise, Public Intoxication and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.

MENA POLICE REPORTS

December 31, 2021 Deputies responded to a report of December 26 damaged mailboxes on Polk 78 near Wendy Harris, 38, was served with Potter. a warrant at a residence on Oak Grove Avenue.

January 01, 2022 George Trivette, 29, was served with Douglas Manley, 39 of Hatfield two warrants at a residence on Fink was arrested on five Misdemeanor Street.

Failure to Appear Warrants.

A report of dogs running at large was taken from a person at Country January 02, 2022 Express.

Deputies were dispatched to a Kenneth Sipe, 44, was charged with vehicle accident on Hwy 375 East Driving on Suspended License and near Mena leading to the arrest of Expired Tagafter a traffic stop on Matthew Miller, 39 of Mena. He was Highway 71. arrested on one Felony Warrant for Possession of Drug Paraphernalia December 27 and Possession of a Firearm by CerA report of computer fraud was tain Persons and five Misdemeanor taken from a walk-in complainant.

Warrants.

A report of criminal mischief was Miller is additionally charged with taken at a residence on Walnut AvePossession of Methamphetamine or nue.

Cocaine and Furnishing Prohibited Articles. Also, arrested December 28 was Cheryl Smith, 32 of Mena on A report of battery was taken from a Felony Warrant for Possession of a walk-in complainant.

Drug Paraphernalia and charges of Brandon Rose, 24, was served with Driving without a License, Careless nine warrants at the county jail. and Prohibited Driving and FictiA report of theft was taken from tious tags. Information has been Dollar General. forwarded to the Prosecuting Attorney for further consideration.

December 29 A report of breaking or entering Polk County Sheriff ’s Office and theft was taken at a residence on worked 3 vehicle accidents this Sarah Way. week.

A report of theft was taken from a walk-in complainant Polk County Detention Center A report of criminal mischief was Jail Population: 20 Incarcerated In- taken at a residence on Hickory Avmates, with 12 Inmates currently on enue. the Waiting List for a State Facility.

THE POLK COUNTY

Pulse December 30 Donald Kenyon, 75, was served with a warrant after a traffic stop on Highway 71.

A report of theft was taken at Walmart.

December 31 A report of possession of drug paraphernalia was taken after a traffic stop on Eagle Gap Avenue.

January 1 Cheetara Tosta, 35, was served with a warrant at Limetree Inn. A report of breaking or entering was taken at a residence on Sarah Way. Bradley Moss, 45, was served with a warrant at Executive Inn. A report of harassment was taken from a walk-in complainant.

Spencer Powell, 32, was served with two warrants after a traffic stop on Highway 71.

THE POLK COUNTY

Pulse

News 23

January 5, 2022

from First Financial Bank 600 HWY 71 S | Mena, AR | 479-394-3552

In the Business of YOU. Member FDIC | Equal Housing Lender www.ffb1.com | @FFBank1

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January 5, 2022

THE POLK COUNTY

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