Polk County Pulse - June 21, 2023

Water rate increase to be more gradual

By Ethan Nahté

The City of Mena held a public hearing Tuesday regarding the proposed water rates increase and Mena Water Utilities taking another look at the Hawkins-Weir proposal. Unlike the public hearing held Jan. 10 with Mena City Hall overflowing with people, the June

13 meeting had only a few of the public in attendance and Mena Water Utilities General Manager James Looney answering their questions and providing an update on the rates.

A Mena resident was the first to speak after Mena Mayor Seth Smith opened the floor to public comments. “I came here a few years ago… it was Mayor

See WATER continued on page 7

Samantha and Rodney Sellers with their children (l-r) Gwen, Kye and Audrey are the 2023 Polk County Farm Family of the Year. SELLERS story begins on page 4.

(Ethan Nahté/ Pulse)

Mena Water Utilities General Manager James Looney addresses the public and city council at the June 13 public hearing.

(Ethan Nahté/Pulse)

By Ethan Nahté

[CORRECTION: The following article differs from the article which appeared in the June 14, 2023, edition of the Polk County Pulse. The original version mistakenly included facts irrelevant to the trial of Tyler Crider that occurred June 8 and June 9. The revised article is accurate regarding the events and outcome of the trial that concluded June 9. Our apologies for the confusion.]

Tyler Dane Crider, 31, of Mena, Arkansas was sentenced to 59 years in the Arkansas Department of Correction on June 10, 2023. He was booked at 12:05 a.m. on June 10. Crider was found guilty by a jury and sentenced on one count of rape and two counts of sexual assault in the second degree.

Debra Buschman, 18th West Judicial District Prosecuting Attorney for Polk and Montgomery Counties, announced, “… late yesterday, June 9, 2023, a jury found Tyler Dane Crider, 31 of Mena, guilty of rape and two counts of sexual assault in the second degree. The jury deliberated for almost four hours before returning the guilty verdict.”

Crider, who was over the age of 18

Update to Tyler Crider trial

at the time of the alleged incidents, was accused engaging in sexual intercourse or deviate sexual activity with another person who was less than 14 years of age, constituting a Class “Y” Felony. A Class “Y” Felony is the most serious non-capital charge which one can receive in Arkansas. If convicted, the prison sentence can range from 10 to 40 years.

He was also accused of two counts of engaging in sexual contact with another person who was less than 14 years of age and not his spouse, constituting a Class “B’ Felony, which can result in a five to 20 years sentence and a fine up to $15,000 if convicted.

Crider waived his arraignment, having his attorney Brent A. Miller of the Miller Law Firm in Hot Springs enter a “not guilty” plea to the charges.

Buschman stated, “Crider was accused of raping and sexually assaulting two children. The victims bravely testified at trial.

I am grateful to the jury for their service and dedication in this case. They spent two long days hearing testimony that was traumatic and difficult to hear. They remained steadfast and deliberated, without dinner, for

four hours. They were discharged by the Court at two minutes until midnight on June 9th.”

Polk County Sheriff Scott Sawyer posted on Facebook, “We just finished up a twoday jury trial at midnight tonight. It’s been a long couple of days and I’m running on empty. I’d like to thank all of my guys, our Judge Andy Riner and his staff, and Prosecutor Debra Buschman and Robert Pressley and their staff for their hard work. Our jurors gave us two long days listening to some graphic testimony and reached what I believe was the correct verdict and an appropriate sentence. Many people try to get out of jury duty but you all stepped up and performed a great service for your community. And to the two special young ladies... I’d like to say thank you for your courage and grace.”

Buschman also said, “The victims in this case showed tremendous courage in coming forward and testifying. Because of their bravery, Crider will be unable to harm other children for the foreseeable future. My heart and prayers are with them as they grow into the young women God made them to be.”

According to Buschman’s statement, the Court, upon recommendation of the jury, sentenced Crider to a total of 59 years in the Arkansas Department of Correction. He will be eligible for parole in 28.5 years.

Buschman was uncertain if Crider will appeal but based on previous experience with other cases like this,

she said she would expect him to.

Many people were involved in the investigation, arrest and the prosecution of this case. Buschman stated, “The Polk County Sheriff’s Office investigated this case with precision and integrity. The Sheriff’s Chief Deputy, Randy Jewell, made this case. There are places where these kinds of tough cases are not a priority, but Sheriff Scott Sawyer makes sure Polk County is not one of them.

“Elena Cannon, a fierce and devoted champion of justice for children, investigated on behalf of the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office. She was invaluable in preparing this case for trial and I am indebted to her for all she has done, not only in this case, but also in the many child abuse cases that preceded it.

“Robert Presley, the Chief Deputy Prosecuting attorney, was co-counsel for the State. He is a veteran of

1168 Hwy 71S

Mena, AR 71953

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I’m not sure who to ask or blame but I think this needs addressing.

I moved to Mena in 1977, meet the man I married that same year and we’ve been together ever since.

One day we were going to my sister’s house & I noticed that the Main Street (which at some time was changed to Mena Street) was all parallel parking till you get to the alley before Coast to Coast. From that point it’s not parallel parking.

Since Mena has grown quite a bit since I moved here, there are many new events happening on “Mena” Street. Mena is now a wet county (both myself & husband voted for it).

Even though some don’t agree with it they may attend the events on “Mena “Street to enjoy the street dances & whatnots that happen there. Most people are just too lazy to walk a few feet. Now that Sears has closed there in more parking in that lot.

My issue is with vans & pick-ups being longer than they used to be the take up more room & stick out in the street. It’s impossible to have room for buses to come down in front of Washburn’s. I personally know the owner/manger of this store! I know that school is almost over but I believe all on “Mena” Street should be parallel parking.

Thank-You, Donna Lay, Mena Letter to the Editor

As AI (artificial intelligence) evolves and becomes entrenched in our lives, the dangers/consequences of their control over us should make us pause and weigh the benefits verses dangers before we fully embrace it.

First, there is the question of current technology and how we utilize it. What has a cell phone or computer done to bring us together as a people? In my opinion, we are more insulated from each other than we have ever been. People hide behind a keyboard and cause others harm and anguish

spouting hate and disinformation. Your whole life can be ruined by theft of your digital identity. Lies can be spread affecting the outcome of elections. The power grid has been shut down, computers taken over by ransom ware, and government secrets shared that need not be.

Yes, there are many pluses for computer/cell phones and but we need to strike a balance to get the best of both without the worst.

There are hackers looking to find a way to steal your data and it is rare they are brought to justice. There is a constant barrage of scams trying to get your money. Unfriendly foreign governments are constantly looking for ways to penetrate our computer network to weaken our defenses. Even our own government has been accused of spying on our private communications. Does anyone really think there is privacy/security on your phone/computer?

Enter AI. It may well prove to be smarter than we think we are. The technology is rapidly advancing and opens the door to abuse or worse yet, control of the very people that create it. It may be prudent to pause and look closely before we open Pandora’s box or let the genie out of the bottle.

The most important questions to ask are who do you trust to control AI? Big tech? The government? Private investors? AI itself? Maybe the ultimate question is can it even be controlled? If it helps calm your fears, VP Kamala Harris was just named AI Czar for the Biden administration. What can possibly go wrong under her proven leadership?

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

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

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Article and photos by Ethan Nahté

Like many farms and farmers, it’s typically a family affair handed down generation after generation. For Rodney and Samantha Sellers of Sellers Farm, that aspect is not much different from some of the previous Polk County Farm Families of the Year, but the Sellers have had some rare accomplishments. These include awards their family members have never had, and possibly an award that no other farmer throughout the western portion of Arkansas has acquired.

The couple began 14 years ago with 40 acres. They now own 220 acres spread throughout the rolling hills outside of Cove, sprawling over a mile or two, with family members owning several more acres of land in between Rodney and Samantha’s property. Additionally, they lease another 300 acres between the properties they own.

Of the property owned, 200 acres is forage and the remaining 20 are forest. Of the leased, the Sellers estimate 70 acres are forage and 230 acres are forest.

Samantha said, “When Rodney graduated high school in 2004, he worked for a logging company. They actually did a

Sellers Farm

job that was 40 acres of timber. It came up for sale, so we were able to purchase that. It’s within close proximity to his parents. He is a fourth-generation chicken farmer in this area. We were able to grab that property up and do all of the improvements it needed.”

That was in June 2009, just a little over a year after Samantha graduated. Like Rodney, she graduated from Van-Cove High School, before it merged into the Cossatot River School District. In addition to the acreage purchase and chickens being part of what makes Sellers Farm an award-winning farm, the property holds other fond memories, as well.

“He actually proposed to me on that original 40 acres,” Samantha said. “It all started right there. We always go and center back to that right there.”

Although she did not have a farm background, she was aware of what was in store.

Rodney said, “I told her from pretty much when we knew we was going to get serious, that [farming] is my goal in life, and she jumped right in with my grand-

parent’s farm. She actually went up with me and worked throughout the week, helping them. I guess she decided it was something she didn’t mind doing. We’re all involved.”

The couple exchanged vows in September 2009.

“We acquired this right after that,” Rodney said, making a reference to the property their house sits on across the dirt road from the entrance of the 40-acre property. “I was over there working and

trying to find a spot to build a house, and potentially build chicken houses over there. A guy came over and asked me if we would be interested in buying this place from him. They were wanting to move closer to town; his wife was getting in bad health.

“When we got ready to build the other two chicken houses, we had to have more land. So, there was another 40 acres of land that joined it. We happened to know the guy.”

“Later, we had done this gentleman’s hay for a really long time and he passed away. His kids approached us about buying his house place with all of the land we had already done all of the hay off for the last decade. We were able to buy those 36 acres and a house. Then we bought another 45 acres across the road.

“Between all of that, we got into a hay shortage. Our cattle started growing, the herd started getting larger. We couldn’t find any hay to do. Rodney had done the Watson place, which is a 300-acre spread of land. Rodney had done hay on it growing up for his grandfather. For whatever reason, they sold it to someone else. No one ever approached the new lady about leasing it, so we reached out to her and

If you or someone you know is heading to college this fall, we want to remind you of an important deadline. July 1 is the last day to apply for the Arkansas Academic Challenge Scholarship.

Since 2009, the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery has raised more than $1.2 billion in proceeds for scholarships. Those proceeds have funded 720,000 college scholarships in Arkansas.

Students applying for the upcoming year and expecting to attend an approved college or university in the academic year following their high school graduation must have an ACT composite score or superscore of at least a 19 (or an equivalent of a 19 composite on an equivalent test).

The amount of the scholarship is as follows for 4-year institutions:

$1,000 freshman year

$4,000 sophomore year

$4,000 junior year

$5,000 senior year

Students attending 2-year institutions are eligible for $1,000 their freshman

year and $3,000 their sophomore year.

During the recent legislative session, lawmakers created the Arkansas Challenge Plus Scholarship which provides additional funding for students with an Academic Challenge Scholarship based on their financial needs. ACT 386 requires that Arkansas Challenge Plus Scholarship Program scholarships be funded by available net proceeds remaining from the previous academic year after the transfer of the net lottery proceeds necessary to fund the existing scholarship programs.

The General Assembly also passed Act 413 which requires the Division of Higher Education to update existing rules to allow the lottery-funded scholarships to be used during a summer term.

For more information about lottery-funded scholarships and to apply for the Arkansas Academic Challenge Scholarship visit sams.adhe.edu.

The secretary of Human Services told lawmakers that the Arkansas Medicaid program would continue to reimburse assisted living facilities at the higher rate they were getting during the Covid-19 pandemic, at least until November.

Meanwhile, the Department of Human Services (DHS) continues to review the entire Medicaid system, and will recommend methods of ensuring the long-term sustainability of the program.

Last year during the fiscal session, legislators approved special language in the appropriation for DHS. The special language requires the Department to study and explore methods to increase reimbursement rates for assisted living facilities that care for people enrolled in Medicaid, under a program known as Living Choices Assisted Living Waiver.

DHS hired a consultant, produced a detailed report later in 2022 with suggested new rates for assisted living facilities. The report takes into account staffing ratios of licensed practical nurses, certified nurse aides and personal care assistants who work directly with residents.

The study also takes into account the number of universal workers needed at a facility to clean, cook and perform other duties.

The report calculated how much is needed for salaries, as well as for utilities and building costs, and came up with a suggested reimbursement rate of $96.76 a day for each person in the Living Choices program who lives at the facility.

However, that suggested rate has not been officially approved yet and assisted living facilities are still getting reimbursed at the rates set for the public health emergency caused by the Covid pandemic. That is $81.58 a day in urban areas and $85.67 in rural areas.

Owners of assisted living facilities

have been asking for higher rates. They say that their costs have gone up, such as when voters approved a statewide increase in the minimum wage.

According to the consultant hired by DHS, “because much of the staffing at assisted living facilities is paid at or near the minimum wage level, these increases have a direct and immediate effect on the cost of providing waiver services.”

Also, the pandemic increased demand for aides and nurses across the entire country, and many people on the direct care staff of assisted living facilities moved to other jobs. That led to staff shortages and increased pressure on wages. Also during the pandemic, staff had additional duties to maintain safety and disinfect surfaces more often.

The level of care at an assisted living facility is not as rigorous as at a nursing home, because the overall health of residents is better. The special language in Act 213 of 2022, the DHS appropriation that mandates a study of higher reimbursement rates, includes the possibility of setting rates for Living Choices as a percentage of the rates paid to nursing homes that care for Medicaid patients.

Before the pandemic, Arkansas paid $67.25 per day in reimbursement to facilities that care for people enrolled in the Living Choices program.

More than 1,100 people enrolled in Living Choices last year. That is a relatively small percentage of the state’s elderly population who receive Medicaid services, which is more than 45,000 people.

This year the legislature approved Act 198 of 2023 to establish how and when assisted living facilities are to report their costs. The legislature also approved Act 820 of 2023, known as the Fair Reimbursement and Assisted Living Cost Reporting Act. It requires DHS to consider costs incurred by facilities when it sets reimbursement rates for the Living Choices program.

John Maddox Terry Rice

Ronald Perry Robertson

Ronald Perry Robertson, known to most as Ron, was born on June 18, 1967, in Los Angeles, CA, and left us with a treasure trove of laughter and memories on May 28, 2023.

As the great Robin Williams once said, “You’re only given a little spark of madness. You mustn’t lose it.” Ron certainly never lost his spark. A funny, witty, thoughtful, and loving man, he made sure to brighten the lives of everyone he met. His enjoyment of golf was matched only by his enthusiasm for creating lasting connections with others. A man of routine, Ron never missed a day of work, and he always made time for his beloved wife, Kellie.

The past 15 years of Ronald’s career as a pipeline inspector reflected his dedication and diligent nature. However, it was in New Waverly, Texas, where he truly found his home. He was a man who never met a stranger, and his presence was always a joy to those around him. As Robert Louis Stevenson wisely said, “The man is a success who has lived well, loved much, and laughed often.” Ron, in his unique way, made sure to live life to its fullest and enjoy every moment.

He is preceded in death by his father, JD Robertson; and his sisters, Latisha Norman and Victoria Moody.

Ronald is survived by his loving wife, Kellie Robertson; his mother, Betty Robertson; his children, Logan Robertson, Hunter Robertson,

Nathan Alexander and wife Addie, Lindsey Dorcz and husband Dustin, James Wheeler, Kyle Willis and wife Kaelyn, Stacie Brewer and husband Tyler, Jonathan Purselley, and Britany Starns; his brother, John Robertson; his brother-in-law, James Moody; many grandchildren, cousins, numerous friends, aunts and uncles.

A funeral service for Ron will be held on Saturday, June 24, 2023, at 10:00 AM at the Bowser Family Funeral Home Chapel in Mena, Arkansas. Interment will follow the service at the Oden Cemetery in Oden, Arkansas under the direction of Bowser Family Funeral Home in Mena, Arkansas. A visitation will be held on Friday, June 23, 2023, from 5:00 - 7:00 pm at the Bowser Family Funeral Home Chapel in Mena, Arkansas.

Mena City Council - June 2023

The regular Mena City Council Meeting for the month of June convened at City Hall on Tuesday, June 13, following the public hearing regarding the Mena Water utilities. The May 9, 2023, minutes of the regular council meeting were approved, as were the officials reports for the May 2023 disbursements and May 2023 bank reconciliations for all accounts, and the April 2023 financial statements from the Water and Sewer Department.

Department Head Reports

Mena Airport Manager Fred Ogden reported steady fuel sales, including 2,350 gallons for Weyhauser crop dusters in May. The six U.S. Army Chinook helicopters that stopped for fuel earlier in June, purchasing nearly 2,800 gallons of fuel.

He also stated that they have received a couple of state grants and will be beginning projects, including roof repairs on two hangars the City of Mena owns, and drainage culvert repairs.

They have an FAA project that is expected to start late summer/early fall.

Building Official Brian Ross reported they issued permits for nine building, nine electrical, eight plumbing and one HVAC. They issued three city licenses to contractors, two culvert installs and 14 street cuts, adding that “Summit [Utilities] was very busy repairing gas lines.”

Mena Fire Chief Steve Egger reported 13 incidents in May: two aircraft stand-bys, two auto extrications, one structure fire, one vehicle fire, three medical assists, three service calls and one unauthorized control burn. The staff attended seven public relations events, conducted three inspections, two members attended an opioid summit. The department hosted a CPR class. The trucks were serviced. Training for the month consisted of airlifting bags and incident scene operations.

Assistant Mena Police Chief Tod Cannon and Egger attended a meeting with Our Blood Institute for their annual Boots & Badges Blood Drive, which is scheduled for Thursday and Friday, June 22-23.

He introduced the new Mena Assistant Fire Chief, Duane Harvey. He thanked firefighter Emory Zakin for filling in the past few months between the retirement of Mena Assistant Fire Chief Charles Hankins and Harvey’s availability following prior work commitments.

The department also are looking at a used ladder truck they are considering submitting a bid for purchase.

Mena Regional Health Systems CEO Robert Rupp was unable to attend the meeting. Mayor Smith read the hospital report 102 admissions in May, ER had 184 encounters with 50 admissions, surgical services performed 109 cases, 13 new-born deliveries, 3,074 outpatient procedures performed, and the clinic system saw 3,203 patients across the four clinics.

Mena Parks & Recreations Director Phillip Lance reported on the baseball end-of-the-year tournaments on June 3.

The Mena City Pool is officially open. They had lifeguard training for eight new lifeguards, plus they had several guards returning this season. The lifeguards have already had to save two or three swimmers.

Mayor Smith added, “He had a record enrollment on tee ball.”

Lance said, “All-around, it was the most I’ve had since I’ve been here.” As a result, they are working on a plan for possibly two more tee-ball fields.

Mena Parks Superintendent Wes Kemp reported on the Lum & Abner Music & Arts Festival. With the exception of the inclement weather that hit early Saturday afternoon, the event went well without any major problems. The new water and electric hook-ups worked well.

The “Boy and Girl Fountain” has been removed and transported to Sparks Welding Service for repairs. It was vandalized prior to the festival.

Mena Assistant Police Chief Tod Cannon reported they had 355 calls for service in May. There were 95 misdemeanor arrests, five of them being drug

CITY COUNCIL

continued from page 9

WATER

continued from page 1 cur. In the old act they had to be done within a 1-2-year period. I stretched it out to a 5-year-period to give some relief to the customers, but to still keep our water utility system solvent.”

McKee. They had a leak in the water and he gave them half a million dollars to get this thing fixed.” He mentioned having problems with his water quality and issues with his property owner damaging the water line, which ended up costing him at least twice as much as his regular bill.

“The last thing I heard was the state gave them $7 million to build a new water tank or something. All I know is I got my water bill and water is more expensive than gold. Something’s got to stop. It’s just too high.

“I know a man with a wife and a couple of kids. They’ve got to have two or three jobs just to make it in this world today.”

Looney then addressed the council and public. “Everything really stays the same as far as ‘Act 605’ and the requirement for going up on the water rates.

During the January meeting, Brett Peters, president and CEO of Hawkins-Weir (HW), explained, “‘Act 605’, which was approved in 2021, tasked retail water providers with additional responsibilities in managing and operating their water systems. The intent is to provide funds for any municipal water provider to set aside funds for the replacement of pumps, motors, any manmade equipment that has some defined life and to operate that system… . The reason Mena is having to pass along ‘Act 605’ immediately is because they have a major capital improvement project that is necessary today. It cannot be staged in.”

Looney said on Tuesday night, “From the meeting we had in March. A few things have changed. We did have [Arkansas Rural Water Association] do the rate study. Rep. John Maddox did some work on ‘Act 605’ getting some changes done to that.”

Maddox was not at the hearing, but he spoke with the Pulse about his part with ‘Act 605.’ “The most significant change I did through resolution was getting relief of how much the water increase will oc-

“The changes allow us to step the increase in instead of doing it all at once,” Looney said. “We’ve adjusted the initial base rates for Mena’s customers to about half of what they are going to be July 1. The other half will be applied to the full amount starting Jan. 1, 2025. That will be the second step.

“There’s still up to a 6% increase per year based on inflation. We have to justify that increase on inflation.

“Wholesale customers are now going to be charged a meter charge, which is going to be their base rate. They are also going to pay their half of the base rate July 1 and then they’ll pay the full meter charge on Jan. 1, 2025.”

Rates

“The price per thousand is going to be the same for all customers for wholesale and retail,” Looney said. “This is what come down from the recommendation from Rural Water. This was based more on trends in Arkansas right now.”

He explained the rates beginning July 1, 2023, at $3.70 per 1,000 gallons and then the increase to $4 per 1,000 gallons on Jan. 1, 2025 (see chart).

“We’ve kicked that out to Jan 1., 2025. It’s 18 months instead of a year because we think that’s going to put us to the end of the project and we’re hoping because of the ARPA money, we’ll be able to not spend all of the loan money we’ve been authorized.”

The ARPA grant has been approved, so that money is earmarked for the project.

Towards the end of the project, we ought to know how much money we’ll be able to spend. If we can come back and lower those rates a little bit, that’s what we want to do.”

The ‘American Rescue Plan Act’ (ARPA) grants for Mena, totaling $5 million for the Iron Forks Water Treatment Plant and the other for $5 million

for the Mena Wastewater Treatment Plant improvements (see Pulse, Dec. 14, 2022) are projected to cost a total of $31.6 million. The ARPA grants were the maximum that could be received.

Looney was asked what the realistic possibilities are he believes the rates could be dropped back if it was to happen.

Looney replied, “It all depends on how the bids come in. Once the bids come in, we’ll know more about that. Based on the history of what the bids have come in, we’re thinking we can maybe drop them 10 cents a gallon — instead of $4, down to $3.90 — but based on the loan money we have approved, the $4 covers it if we have to use all of the loan money.”

Looney said that the rates are going to affect everybody, whether they are on a fixed income or not. “It’s basically

a complete remodel of our water plant.”

The plant Looney is referring to is the Iron Forks Water Mena Treatment Plant. “There’s $5 million of the ARPA money, we got, and a $7 million loan and another $6 million loan. It’s $13 million in loans for that project out there.”

The remainder of the ARPA money and loans are for the Mena Wastewater Treatment Plant improvements.

Other comments unrelated to the water rate increase were broached, which the mayor put a halt to, stating, “Right now, we’re just discussing water rates.”

There were no further comments. Smith closed the public hearing.

While following up with Looney after the meeting, he said, “In addition to the loans and ARPA grant, we are also receiving a $1,552,500 grant that has been approved from the beginning.”

Proposed Water Rates developed from combined

Jerry Kopke / Hawkins-Weir rate study

Step No. 1 - to take effect July 1, 2023

All customer classes will pay $3.70 per 1,000 gallons of water usage plus the base rates.

Step No. 2 - to take effect January 1, 2025

All customer classes will pay $4.00 per 1,000 gallons of water usage plus the base rates.

CRIDER continued from page 2

the U.S. Navy, a gifted trial attorney, and a staunch advocate for the truth. His skill and expertise were essential in securing this guilty verdict. But above all, I credit God for His love of justice and for enabling me to do the hard work I love — fighting for those who cannot protect themselves.”

Buschman finished by stating, “I am grateful every day He lets me do this job. To God be all the Glory.”

Pending trial

The following information is regarding a different trial that is still pending:

A warrant was issued for Crider’s arrest in this case on Jan. 19, 2023. The warrant was served Feb. 13.

The criminal information page on AOC Court Connect reports the filing date for the current charges against Crider was Thursday, Feb. 16, 2023. Both Count I: rape and Count II: sexual assault in the second degree, were said to have occurred on or between Jan. 1, 2018, and July 24, 2020.

A motion by Brent Miller, Crider’s attorney of record, to bar prosecution on Res Judicata was made to prohibit and bar the Court from the re-litigation of the issue of whether Crider engaged in sexual contact with S.C. based upon the due process clause and res judicata.

According, in part, to the motion:

1. Defendant is charged with Rape.

2. The allegation involves incidents from 2 ½ years ago.

3. The allegation by alleged victim, S.C. was made known to authorities on July 23rd, 2020.

4. The investigation ceased and the file was sent for review to

the prosecutor’s office on October 15th, 2020. No charges were filed at that time.

5. On or about May 3rd, 2021, a hearing was held at the Office of Appeals and Hearings, Judge Sheila McDaniel presiding. Investigator Alissa Gordon was present, as was the Defendant. Inv. Gorden introduced the State’s investigative file as well as the DVD of the C.A.C. interview of S.C. into the record. The Defendant testified on his behalf. The Hearing resulted in a finding that there was insufficient evidence to prove by a preponderance of the evidence that this same allegation was true. The allegation was unsubstantiated. No appeal was made by DHS. The CHRIS # is 204256 and the appeal by Mr. Crider that overturned the DHS true finding is Case #20006400.

6. In January of 2023, an affidavit for arrest warrant based upon the same allegation of S.C against the Defendant was filed in Polk County Circuit Court. Defendant was then arrested based upon the same information known by the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, as well as the 18th-West Judicial District Prosecutor’s Office, 2 ½ years prior.

Citing facts based on the hearing from 2021, the State’s response explained in paragraph nine that the criminal case against the defendant, Crider, was not a re-litigation.

Crider was arraigned March 15. A pre-trial hearing was ordered for Apr. 12.

CITY COUNCIL

continued from page 6 arrests; 20 felony arrests, with three being drug related; 196 warrants and worked 21 accidents.

Mena Street Superintendent Aaron Rice reported that they are keeping up with mowing thanks to having two mowers, drainage pipes were replaced on both Tyler Street and on Vivian Street.

Mena Water Superintendent James Looney reported that water loss for May was 34%, and the 12-month water loss is 30%. Inflow and infiltration (I&I) was 338% with all of the rain. Wastewater did have two violations, both related to Ph levels running too low.

They are 35% complete with their meter audits, looking for lead and copper. Maintenance department installed four new water services, two new sewer services, one sewer remap project, replaced one fire hydrant, fixed five manholes and made 14 other various water leak repairs. They smoke tested 3,276 foot of mains that led to the discovery of

13 areas needing correction or attention — 12 on the customer side and one on the utility side. The water department fixed their area and most of the customers have already fixed theirs.

Looney said, “We have been notified that the engineering plans for the Iron Fork project are in front of the state office. Rural Development is awaiting the final approval before we can go to bid.”

James Earl Turner reported for the A&P Commission, discussing the wrapup of Lum & Abner Festival. He stated that lots of people came through Saturday morning but weren’t spending much money. Then, “when the rain hit, they scattered. It affected our music Saturday evening. One of our acts, due to the rain and electrical equipment, got shutdown, which was disappointing because we’d already paid for it. That’s part of the hazards of having a festival. Overall, it was good. He announced they are still working on the Total Solar Eclipse for April 8, 2024. There was no old business.

New Business

New business followed with all of the resolutions and ordinances passing unanimously. No discussions were brought up regarding any of the items. Council member Dwight Douglas was not present at the June 13 meeting.

Section VIII

Item A: Resolution 1476 to create the June 30, 2023, Martin Avenue temporary entertainment district; and for other purposes.

Item B: Resolution1477 authorizing the mayor and city clerk/treasurer to enter into an amendment (Amendment No. 2 Revised) to the agreement with Hawkins-Weir Engineers, Inc. for the Irons Fork Water Treatment Plant Improvements.

Item C: Ordinance 2381-23 authorizing borrowing funds for the payment of construction improvements at the Mena Airport by the issuance of a promissory note; declaring an emergency; and for other matters relating thereto.

Item D: Ordinance 2382-23 fixing rates for services rendered by the Water Facilities of the city of Mena, Arkansas; amending Ordinance No. 2369-23; de-

claring an emergency to exist; and prescribing other matters relating thereto.

Item E: Ordinance 2383-23 permitting a member of the Mena City Council to conduct business with the City of Mena, Arkansas, under certain circumstances as authorized by Arkansas Code Annotated § 14-42-107; declaring an emergency; and for other purposes.

Item F: Ordinance 2384-23 regulating the sale of beer, light wines, and intoxicating liquors; adopting state statutes by reference; declaring an emergency; and for other purposes.

Item G: Ordinance 2385-23 accepting North Hanssen as a dedicated lotsplit/minor subdivision in the Martin Heights Addition to the City of Mena, Polk County, Arkansas, located at 80-92 Janssen Avenue for Sophoun So and Sopha Chao.

Item H: Mayor Smith discussed the review of the City of Mena 2021 Legislative Audit Report.

Item I: Move the date of the July City Council meeting from July 11 to July 18. The meeting was then adjourned.

By Richie Lawry

A light rain fell as Sergio drove the bus from Munich to Schloss Linderhof. I watched out the window as the Alps came into view. I had heard about the Alps all my life but seeing them was a magical moment. The palace is nestled in a valley at the foothills of the Bavarian Alps. The views as we drove there were magnificent.

Schloss Linderhof was the favorite home of King Ludwig II of Bavaria. He built the palace on the site of his father’s old cottage and finished it in 1878. King Ludwig was intimately involved in the design and building of Linderhof, sometimes to the extreme irritation of his architects and artisans. He lived at Linderhof for over seven years. Ludwig was a recluse, often refusing to see to matters of state. He dined alone. Ludwig installed a “magic table” that could be lowered and raised to and from the kitchen. His servants cooked and served meals without ever coming face to face with the king.

King Ludwig was inspired to build Schloss Linderhof by his hero, the French Sun-King, Louis XIV. Traces of the SunKing’s Versailles palace are all over Linderhof’s grounds. After touring Schloss Linderhof and the fabulous grounds, including a large reflecting pool and fountains, incredible gardens, and even an artificial cave and lake, we returned to the bus and headed to Garmisch-Partenkirchen.

As we drove through the winding mountain roads, our tour guide, Bernd, filled us in on the story of King Ludwig II. He ascended the throne upon his father’s death in 1864. Ludwig was only 19 years old, and his first year as the king did not go well. The shy young king soon left Munich and went into his beloved mountains in the Bavarian Alps. In 1868 Ludwig began a building campaign. Much of Ludwig’s fame is associated with his castles: Neuschwanstein, Linderhof, and Herrenchiemsee.

King Ludwig died mysteriously at age 40 when his body was found floating in Lake Starnberg. He spent most of his reign absorbed in a fantasy world at the expense

An Arkie’s Faith The tour guide

changed personal information and promised to keep in touch. I was surprised when a few months later, I received an email from Bernd telling me he was coming to Texas and would like to see me and learn more about Mena.

We had a lovely time hosting Bernd and his wife Marion in our home. It felt surreal to have a new friend from Germany visiting us here in Mena. I told him my wife and I had planned a trip to Germany the following year. He was excited about the idea and spent much time explaining the German transit system and showing me all the different rail pass options. He said that when we came to Germany, we must stay with them for a couple of days at their apartment in Hannover.

of affairs of state. When his castle building caused the virtual bankruptcy of the Bavarian state, his ministers accused him of insanity and deposed him on the grounds of mental illness. They had him committed to the custody of Lake Starnberg Castle.

The day after his imprisonment, Ludwig was found dead in Lake Starnberg. He disappeared while walking and was discovered a few hours later. The death was officially declared to be suicide by drowning, but the circumstances of his death remain open to question. Ludwig was a strong swimmer, and the water was less than waist-deep where his body was found. There was no water found in his lungs at the autopsy.

As we neared Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Bernd told us that it was possible that at the next intersection, the Polizei might ask us to take a detour that would add an hour to our trip. Ten miles away, at Schloss Elmau, the G7 summit was underway. Leaders from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the U.S., and the U.K. were meeting to discuss global economic governance, international security, energy policy, and the response to the war in Ukraine.

When we arrived at the checkpoint, the Polizei escorted our bus to our destination instead of making us detour around the area. As the police cars escorted us with lights flashing, our tour guide, Bernd, leaned over and told me, “See that nice BMW? You should convince the Mena police department to get some of those.” As more police cars joined us, I said, “You’re getting more important, Bernd.” He replied, “No, It’s because of you.” He said, “The Poleizei say, these Mena people, they need special observation.”

Throughout the 10-day tour of Germany in June 2022, Bernd was our tour guide as our group of 50 Americans visited many Reformation and WWII sites. We spent many hours on the bus as we traveled from place to place. He and I became good friends as we visited on the bus. My Daddy and I sat in the seat directly behind the driver, and Bernd sat in the seat across the aisle. When he wasn’t talking to everyone on the bus over the P.A. system, Bernd and I would talk and learn about each other’s lives.

When the tour ended, Bernd and I ex-

Earlier this month, my wife and I and my sister headed to Germany for our summer vacation. Our first stop was Hannover, where Bernd met us at the train station, and we took trams and a bus to his home. For the next two days, we had a personal tour guide who showed us all of the sights in Hannover and took us to the village of Gehrden. After Bernd saw us off at the train station on our way to Berlin, he kept in touch for the rest of our trip, offering us local insights. My friendship with Bernd made my vacation even more special.

Having a tour guide for a friend makes things so much easier as I travel in a foreign country. As we travel on life’s path, we all can have a tour guide for a friend. The Bible says, “In your unfailing love you will lead the people you have redeemed. In your strength you will guide them to your holy dwelling.” Exodus 15:13 (NIV)

Gentle Reader, God is not just a guide who points us to a path. He isn’t just a person we ask for directions when we’ve lost our way. He doesn’t just hand us a map and walk away. God is a guide who makes the plan, directs our destination, and journeys with us. He walks with us every step of the way and wants us to follow His lead day by day. “The Lord says, ‘I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you.’” Psalms 32:8 (NLT) It is lovely to have a tour guide as a friend.

Joke of the Week:

My boss said he is going to fire the employee with the worst posture. I have a hunch it’s going to be me.

Regina and Richie Lawry with their tour guide (center) Bernd and his wife Marion (Photo courtesy of Jeannie Amos)

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we were able to get that as part of the lease. That’s where we bale hay, do upkeep on that property, and where we are able to hunt and fish.”

Rodney grew up doing the farming life. “We had chicken houses ever since I was a baby. My grandma and grandpa had them. My great-grandma had chicken houses. I literally grew up in the poultry industry, just like my kids are doing. That’s all they’ve known.”

His great-grandma was a Lane Poultry Farm, which was acquired by Tyson Foods, Inc. Tyson is the company the following generations of his family has been with their entire careers.

“They were all broiler houses,” Samantha explained. “We’re the first generation to have breeder houses, which is the egg production.”

HPAI

The past few years have seen an increase in Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI), which is easily spread by migrating birds, carrying the disease to poultry farms. It can be fatal to birds, especially in an enclosed area such as a chicken house. There have been 56 reports in Arkansas between Oct. 31, 2022, through May 30, 2023, on the USDA’s website. The USDA reports that 58.79 million birds have been affected nationwide within commercial and backyard flocks.

836 flocks have been confirmed having HPAI throughout 47 states. Fortunately, there have been no detections reported in the last 30 days.

The last detection in Arkansas amongst chicken flocks was Dec. 1, 2022. The last flock detected in Oklahoma was Dec. 6, 2022. No cases have been detected in Polk County or adjacent counties, but

the Sellers, like other farmers, have to be aware. It’s a lot of work for those such as the Sellers with four houses combining a total of 44,000 chickens.

“It’s still pretty bad. We’re all still on high alert with it,” Rodney said.

“We keep [the chickens] for 40 weeks,” Samantha said.

“We’re always with chickens, because none of our four houses are the same age. Are never without birds. We always have birds in at least one house at all times,” Rodney said.

“We don’t go on trips,” Samantha said with a laugh. “We go on day trips. Our kids are still involved in a lot of youth athletics, but we try to do one-day events We just leave early after we feed chickens and we get back late. Then we take care of the rest of what needs to be taken care of.”

Slaking the thirst

When you have that many mouths to feed, it also requires a lot of water for the birds. Sellers Farm relies on well water as their source. They have seven wells supplying the four chicken houses with 4,000 gallons of water per day.

To obtain city water, the Sellers would have had to spend $14,000 - $17,000 of their own money to have the water department run water to their property a few miles from Cove to their farm according to a quote provided just before COVID-19 hit. That does not count the monthly water bill.

Data analytics

“A lot of the things we do we were not expecting,” Samantha said. “Our experience with broilers wasn’t as data driven. With our egg production, it’s very data driven. We have to really analyze. It’s based on batches: how much feed they’re actually eating, whether they’re eating all of it, the time it takes for them

to eat. All of that factors into the egg production and how many eggs they produce on a daily basis. We get paid by the dozen.

“Those are some of the ways we maximize that,” Samantha said, “analyzing the data on how much feed they’re eating, which converts into the egg production. Actually, with Cobb, we got the top producer last year with them.”

“We time the water now instead of letting them have free choice,” Rodney added. “It cleaned up the eggs. We weren’t anticipating it, but we found when it cleaned up the eggs it allows you to hatch more eggs.”

Samantha said, “Timing their water not only cleaned up the eggs, but for the longest time, no one wanted to clean up breeder houses because it was a soppy mess. It’s very dry and powdery now.”

Rodney said, “We clean the litter out and put it on the hay meadows and pastures. It doubles your production in hay, easily.”

Samantha said. “There’s no part of the farm that’s wasted; that goes unused.”

Samantha explained their routine, “With the chicken houses, one thing that’s unique about our farm is Rodney and I do all of the feeding, and they only

eat one time per day.”

“We feed at 5 o’clock every morning, seven days a week” Rodney said. “If there’s one little hiccup, you’re going to live with that for the rest of the term of that chicken. That’s how crucial the feeding is on the hens,” Rodney said. “We just feed once in the morning and it lasts about an hour, and two hours by the time we get feed weighed up for the next day.”

The rollers are computer controlled, allowing the speed and length of time they operate to be programmed.

“We have to scale every feed every day so we know how much they are eating that day and how many pounds per hundred we are feeding the hens,” Rodney said. “The broilers are kind of similar, the same way. They try to get them to eat the most they can in the time that they can.”

“With them only eating first thing in the morning, we also walk [the facilities] at that time,” Samantha said. “We’re able to see if they ate well. Was it an environmental factor? Was it something going on with the feed? Did they eat exceptionally well?”

Compared to his childhood days on a

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continued from page 11 chicken farm, methods and technology have changed when the farmers would have to physically look each day, sometimes several times per day, to ensure the houses were running properly. The new tech doesn’t tell the Sellers what’s wrong, but it does alert them via cell phone there is an alarm and which house is affected.

Rodney said, “We monitor the ventilation, make sure the birds have plenty of fresh air. It’s all computer run. It’s got a program that tells the thermostat what temperature to keep the house. It pretty much runs flawlessly until it don’t. We have an alarm system on all four houses. There’s 10 fans in one house. Something as simple as one fan not working, it will let me know.”

The computer system also controls the amount of water provided each day, from 5 in the morning until 10:30, then it’s off. The computer shuts it off and kicks it back on from 3 – 5 p.m. The computer will warn them if something such as low water pressure occurs, as low as 2 pounds difference. It will trip the alarm and alert the family.

It also controls the ventilation, the cool cells to lower the temperature inside.

Their houses do not have heat. The chickens are big enough and the houses are insulated well enough that at 30 degrees outside, the house interiors are still at 68 degrees, which is the constant temperature they keep the houses. The litter is also a big heating factor.

Egg collection

Egg collecting on a large scale is not like smaller farms or backyard flocks where someone goes out with a basket filled

eggs. The eggs move along the aforementioned rollers.

After the morning feeding and prepping of the next day’s feed, the Sellers take a break from the chickens, then are back at it around 8:30 a.m. to gather the eggs. They’ll gather until 10:30 or 11. It depends on the age of the chickens. It requires planning other events around the egg gathering.

Rodney said, “At the early age of the flock, you’ll probably get 80% of your eggs gathered in the morning. The older the flock gets it’ll turn more 50/50 in the morning and evening. You’ll gather for a couple of hours in the evening.

“Right before that, you go in and walk, pick up your mortality, turn your egg tables on. They come to two tables in each egg room. We take them and put them on the egg rack,” which holds up to 5,040 eggs when filled. “They go to our egg cooler. Tyson comes twice a week to take them to their hatchery. Once they leave our farm, it’s 21 days until that chicken is hatched.”

is how I describe how it works. There are actually three sections to the chicken house and two of them are parallel. In the middle of the chicken house, you have two short cement walls. The middle part is what we call the scratch. That’s typically where the egg production occurs. Then there’s nests on each side where the hens are sitting on flats. There are nests on either side. Those nests have the conveyor belt underneath them. They pull those eggs down to the egg gathering table on the left side and the right side.”

Cobb Award

As Samantha mentioned, Sellers Farms were the 2022 co-winners for the Cobb700™ Sold Flock Survey Award for Top Flock Producer for top egg production. The Sellers’ hens produced 174.03 adjusted total eggs per hen housed. On average, every hen was producing at that volume.

“It’s a big award to win,” Rodney said. “They call it the top producer in the United States. It’s not just Arkansas. To get that, you have to produce the most amount of

with straw and reaches with their hand beneath the hens in the nest to gather

Samantha said, “For someone who doesn’t have a poultry background, this

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continued from page 12

ed until 2019. A pastor in Oklahoma was the first one to have won it around here. We thought that was pretty cool. Let’s shoot for that. We really started focusing real hard on what we could do to improve ourself.

“I’ll be the first to admit, with hen houses, you have to require help or you’ll go insane trying to do it seven days a week,” he said. “We were very fortunate to have a lady, Teofila Alarcon, come on board with us who had gathered eggs for 16 years. She said she could help us out and she’s still with us to this day.

“I owe a lot of credit to her for that award. She showed us a lot. We took some of what we’ve done and some of what she’d done and put it together.”

with you, puts you in a magazine… it was a great accomplishment, especially for us not growing up in a hen operation. When our breeder manager first called us, it took seven years to get the first set of houses open. He asked if we would be interested in breeder houses. I just instantly told him absolutely. I had never been in a breeder house. I grew up in broiler houses and knew nothing about [breeder].

the kids with him in the egg room.”

He said, “They can stay with me and be entertained. We didn’t have to hire a babysitter. I got to spend with my kids. Family is all we know. We do one thing together; we do everything together.”

eggs per heat. They have a goal, what they want you to achieve. They have above average, and they have the top producer award.

“We didn’t even know that award exist-

Samantha said, “After many years of doing the same thing, we just tweaked it and had some conversations about ways to maximize the egg production. The cleaner they are the more you can pick up out of the scratch you don’t have to cull. We worked on some strategies on ways to reduce that and what we needed to do differently at the beginning of the flock.”

“We’d never heard of it because nobody around here had ever won it,” Rodney said. “Tyson comes and does a deal

“I called my dad and told him, ‘Hey, dad, I’m in the chicken business. We’re fixing to build some breeder houses.’ He said, ‘Have you lost your mind? That’s a lot of work.’ I said, ‘It ain’t no worse than a broiler house.’ He said, ‘Yeah, it is, too. You don’t know what you’re getting yourself into.’ What’s funny is he has been over and helped us out. He will tell you now that if he had it to do over again, he would try the breeder side of it.”

“The breeder side has really opened a lot of doors for us,” Samantha said. “We’re older parents but we had young children at the time. Having the egg room — that sanitized clean area — allowed us to take them to the chicken house with us. So, they got to go to work with us. It was a big deal because I work away from the farm, so Rodney was able to keep

An aside, Mena will be seeing a lot more of Samantha this coming school season. “I was a teacher for 10 years. This last year, I was the principal at Cossatot Primary School, and I just got hired at Louise Durham Elementary as the principal.”

She is also member of both the Arkansas Association for Educational Administrators and the Arkansas Association for Curriculum Administrators.

Cattle

The Sellers also have 85-90 head of cattle. In addition to being a Farm Bureau Member, Rodney is a member of both the Polk County Cattlemen’s Association and the Arkansas Cattlemen’s Association.

“We started out with 13 head. That’s all we could afford at the time,” Rodney said. “They were crossbred cows. We started keeping heifers out of that and growing.

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We always knew we wanted to get into the purebred stuff. We went a different route, initially wanting to go full Brahman, which is what makes up Brangus, which is a registered breed.”

Samantha said, “They worked for replacement heifers. They are very hardy for our area and very pretty to look at. Great stock. Around here, people prefer black” Samantha said.

Rodney explained, “Brangus is a crossbreed of Brahman and Angus. It is a recognized breed, now, which brings more money. The Brahman will put more weight on a calf than about any breed I have found. You mix them with Angus, which can put on the black color ev-

cow had which calf, the weaning weight at what age. Or, if a cow weaned one at a significantly lower weight, they know they don’t need to keep that heifer if it appears to be the standard outcome.

His grandfather had a similar binder, but he added photos of each cow as his health got worse. He knew someone would have to check his herd for him at some point. He’d instruct whomever to get his binder, show them a picture and the tag number and send them on their way.

Speaking of family and cattle, their nephew, Zach McCormick of Cossatot River FFA showed one of their cattle last year at the Polk County Fair, taking the prize for American Heifer. It was the first time they had ever had one of their livestock shown.

“She was a very pretty animal. Her mom was one of the animals we started with — one of the original 13,” Rodney said. “When he picked her out, we were like, ‘Absolutely!’ That’s probably not your best bet to win anything.’ She is actually in my pasture today. We turned her back out. That was neat.”

Rodney used to show calves when he was in junior high and high school. There’s a lot of money that goes into showing livestock, but there’s a lot of prize money that can be earned.

erybody wants and the Angus title, you have in my opinion, the ideal animal. We switched gears and was all involved for two years, transitioning everything to a Brahman. Once we started comparing the prices and number values, it wasn’t comparable. We’re at 25 head of purebred Brangus right now, with one purebred Brangus bull. We’re using that as the ‘Grow Your Own.’ We’re using that as replacements. When we get older heifers, I’ll sell five to 10 and replace them with Brangus eventually. We’re about three years out of being full Brangus on this farm. That’s the goal.”

“The Brangus come in heavier,” Rodney said. ‘You get the hardiness. They do well with the heat for here and do well in the winter. Full-bred Brahmans struggled in a couple of cold winters.”

Compared to the chickens, Rodney is old-school when it comes to the cattle. He has a binder to keep up with the herd. “When a cow has a calf, we tag it, we write the tag down, it’s tagged with the momma’s number on it.”

That allows to keep track with which

Grow Your Own

Grow Your Own is a practice growing in popularity, and a practice that allows the farmer to have more knowledge and control of either their produce or livestock.

“Not all cows are going to be the same,” Rodney said. “I can take a group that we raise ourselves as heifers — take a group of 10 — and I can sell them to somebody that I would consider be top of the line. There will be some in that group that will not produce or won’t produce as well as the rest. Our philosophy is if we keep tallies on what every momma does on weights and how well the calf grew from start to finish — if it can get the weight on in five months or if it takes seven months to get the weight on, that’s the route we chose to keep up with tally marks to keep up with. That way we know which ones to keep and which ones to retain and grow our own herd.”

Samantha said, “We’re able to keep tabs on that group from start to finish. If we go out and we buy a large group,

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Wickes Trade Day

Saturday, July 8, 9 a.m. - TBD

Located in Wickes on Hwy. 278 on the lawn between Union Bank and the fire station. Vendor set-up is at 8 a.m. Support local businesses. Enjoy Hispanic food, BBQ, baked goods, tumblers wood works, items from Double R Forge, freshies, homemade cards, floral arrangements, key chains, clothes, jewelry, pony rides, face painting, and more. Vendors are not guaranteed to be present as unforeseen circumstances may arise. Call 479-216-8234 for any questions.

Jubilee In June

Friday, June 23, 7 p.m.

Saturday, June 24, 8 a.m.

Friday night begins with the Miss Hatfield Jubilee Pageant at the Hatfield Auditorium.

Registration for 3-on-3 basketball and line-up for the parade begins at 8 a.m. Saturday.

The parade begins at 10 a.m. Come enjoy several live musicians and bands, crafts, vendors, games, food and more for the admission free family event around the Hatfield Park. The evening’s fireworks will begin around 9:20 p.m.

Free sack lunch each Tuesday, 11 a.m. - 1 p.m., for all ages, at Janssen Park pavilion. Bubbles, chalk, free books, games, and music. Sponsored by First Presbyterian Church. Meals will be available all summer, May 30 through August 15.

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 Candice 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

First Presbyterian Church will be presenting a study, “The Evolution of the Bible”, in its Adult Sunday School Class on Sunday mornings beginning at 9:45. The class will be conducted by Earl Harrell. Anyone with an interest in this study is invited to attend. Classes will be at the church in the parlor, 904 Church Ave., Mena.

The Ouachita Beekeepers Association is now meeting on the second Thursday of the month, 7 p.m. in the Education Building of the UA Extension Office, 211 DeQueen St. in downtown Mena. Come early and enjoy refreshments and bee talk with other beekeepers.

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.

The Hatfield Branch Library is open every Tuesday and Friday from noon - 4 p.m. The library is located at 121 Ceme-

Around Town

tery Rd. (old Agri building) in Hatfield.

The Cove Branch Library is open Monday and Thursday from noon5 p.m. The Library is located next to Cove Town Hall at 5568 Hwy. 71 S.

Citizens for Arkansas Public Education and Students (CAPES) will be in Mena at The Ouachitas Coffee and Taproom on Wednesday, June 21, at 1 p.m. Tyler Draper, CAPES Cluster 9 organizer, will be on hand with other CAPES volunteers to train locals interested in volunteering to collect petition signatures. The public is also invited to come out and sign the petition to put LEARNS on the ballot.

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.

Free meal and a message at Living Word, 171 W. Johnson, Hatfield, Wednesdays @ 6 p.m.

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.

Christ’s Church of Cove, 5234 Hwy. 71 S, Cove gathers every Tuesday, 8:30 - 9:30 a.m., for free coffee and conversation.

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.

Alcoholics Anonymous meet at The Crossing Church, 3 p.m., Sundays; at 5 p.m., Tuesdays; and at 8 p.m. Saturdays at the old bus barn. For information call (479) 2348366 or (479) 216-3786.

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.

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, Ninth Street and Port Arthur. Discussion/Book Study for information call (479) 243-0297.

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

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) 2439600 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!

Former Dierks clerk enters plea deal over stolen $500K

By Patrick Massey

A former Dierks city secretary and water clerk accused of stealing more than half a million dollars in city funds agreed to a plea deal this week in which she pledged to pay back the stolen funds in return for a reduced prison sentence.

Cheryl Delarosa, 60, entered a guilty plea to six counts of theft of property and six counts of abuse of office — all Class B felony offenses. She admitted to embezzling just over $500,000 between 2015-2020. Her plea included an agreement to repay the City of Dierks $164,000 by Aug. 9 of this year, and the remaining $337,000 upon the end of a sixyear prison sentence.

In addition, Delarosa will face an additional 20 years of supervised release and agreed to forfeit her city retirement.

Delarosa is scheduled to be formally sentenced in August.

As part of her plea deal, if the first installment of $164,000 is not paid by Aug. 9, Delarosa agreed that the court could sentence her to the maximum punishment under state law. The court’s partial suspended sentence under Delarosa’s plea deal states she would be sentenced to an additional 24 years in prison if she fails to make the first reimbursement by that date.

The case came to light in 2021 following an audit into the missing funds. Special Agent Joe Pickett, with the Arkansas State Police Special Investigations Unit, led the DELAROSA

continued on page 19

- SERVICES -

- CLASSIFIEDS -

- HELP WANTED -

T0628

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.

Mobile lawnmower repair and repair flats. Minimum, $20 service call. For details, call Bill Duff (479) 216-5204. T0621

Construction, steel buildings, welding, pads, ponds, and roads. Military discounts. Insured. Give RC Customz a call for free estimates at (479) 216-2976. T0628

Tree services, forestry mulching, storm cleanup, stump grinding. Signs and light replacement. Give RC Customz a call at (479) 216-2976 for Free estimate. T0628

Carter’s Excavating - Licensed Contractor: Heavy and light dozer work, heavy excavation, soft ground to rock excavation, heavy off-road hauling, road design and construction

50 years in trade, 40 years in area. Subsidiary of RCI Construction (479) 394-9227

T0809

Mena Shuttle - Ground transportation to AR and TX airports. Doctor and emergency appointments. Also, light deliveries. (870) 490-1191 T0628

Carter’s Excavating - Licensed Contractor: Roads, bridges, house pads, building pads, basements, land clearing, small lots to large tracks, ponds, stream crossings, farm roads, building demolition, site planning & prep.

50 years in trade, 40 years in area. Subsidiary of RCI Construction. (479) 394-9227

T0809

Great Tree Service!

Professional Job!

Thanks, Bret Grogan!

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.

T0628

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 benefits available.

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

T0628

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. 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

T0628

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

Parts, automotive, and computer experience would be helpful.

Applications may be picked up at the Brodix office, located at 301 Maple 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.

T0628

Brodix, Inc. is accepting applications for an experienced TIG Welder for a permanent day shift position. The applicant must be proficient in welding aluminum. 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 benefits available.

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

T0628

- FOR SALE -

Gun cabinet for sale, wood with glass door and lower cabinet, 74 inches tall. $150. Call Joan Evans 479-243-0405. T0621

For sale by owner - 40 acres, mostly pasture land with home. West of Cove, Ark. $260,000. Call (870) 571-7858 (cell) or leave message at (870) 387-3049. T0705

Hand-carved flute, round oak coffee table, twin bed w/mattress, pressure cooker, hot air fryer, antique chair, double air mattress, bread machine. (479) 322-0065 T621

Indoor Sale at Shady Mountain Events, 428 Hwy. 375 East, Friday, June 23 & Saturday, June 24, 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. Tons of stuff! T0621

4 Sisters Yard Sale, Home décor, Corelle, Corningware, Tupperware, Keurig, airfryer, clothes, Dr. Trimmer, electric smoker, much more. 1824 Oaklawn Dr., Mena, Friday, June 23 & Saturday, June 24. T0621

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

June 12, 2023

Dougles Gross, 64, of Mena was arrested on a warrant for Violation of a No Contact Order.

Lee Wisnoski, 48, of Mena was arrested by an officer with Probation Parole to be held for another agency.

Veronica Smith, 44, of Cove was arrested on two Felony Failure to Appear Warrants and a Body Attachment.

Teresa Destrini, 57, of Mena was arrested on a Probation Violation Warrant.

A traffic stop on Hwy 71 led to the arrest of Tatum Veal, 32, of Mena on charges of Driving on a Suspended Driver’s License, Theft of Property and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.

Deputies were dispatched to a residence on Polk 289 near Cove in reference to a verbal domestic dispute.

Deputies were dispatched to a residence on Anders Avenue near Hatfield in reference to a domestic altercation.

Deputies responded to a walk-in complainant in reference to a break-in and theft of property.

June 13, 2023

No reports.

June 14, 2023

Justin Simmons, 40, of Wickes was arrested by an officer with Probation Parole to be held for another agency.

Deputies responded to a report of a theft of property.

Martin Rodriguez, 21, of Mena was arrested on a warrant for harassment.

June 15, 2023

Deputies were dispatched to an area of

Hwy 71 N in reference to an individual walking in the highway.

An incident at a residence on Butler Circle near Hatfield led to the arrest of Lawrence Smith, 68, of Hatfield on charges of Refusal to Submit to Arrest and Disorderly Conduct.

Robert Bush, 40, of Mena on a charge of 2nd Degree Criminal Mischief.

Deputies responded to a residence on Hwy 71 N in reference to a welfare check.

Deputies were dispatched to a residence on Polk 38 near Hatfield in reference to an unattended death.

June 16, 2023

Deputies responded to a report of an unauthorized use of a vehicle.

Deputies responded to a report of a stolen camper.

Christopher Shears, 48, of Cove was arrested on a warrant for harassment.

A traffic stop on Hwy 71 led to the arrest of Thomas Bowen, 24, of Cove on charges of Public Intoxication and Reckless Driving.

Jack Cannon, 28, of Mena was arrested on a Failure to Appear Warrant.

Ricky Miller, 62, of Cove was arrested on two Failure to Appear Warrants.

Phillip Riley, 54, of Cove was arrested on seven Failure to Appear Warrants.

Gil Rodriguez, 57, of Cove was arrested on a Failure to Appear Warrant.

Deputies were dispatched to a residence on Lumber Lane near Board Camp in reference to an altercation.

June 17, 2023

Deputies responded to a residence on Fretz Lane near Acorn in reference to litter.

June 18, 2023

Deputies responded to a report of a theft from a residence near Venable Lane.

Deputies were dispatched to a resi-

dence on Anderson Lane in reference to an easement dispute.

Deputies were dispatched to a residence on Hwy 71 N near Acorn in reference to a missing person.

Deputies responded to a walk-in complainant in reference to a welfare check.

Polk County Sheriff’s Office worked 1 vehicle accident this week.

Polk County Detention Center Jail Population: 48 Incarcerated Inmates with 18 Inmates currently on the Waiting List for a State Facility.

MENA POLICE REPORTS

June 11

Anthony Burts, 33, was charged with Domestic Battery at a residence on Reine Street.

David Burris, 55, was served with warrants at the police department.

June 12

A report of a dog bite was taken at a residence on Magnolia Avenue.

June 13

A report of theft of property was taken from Walmart.

A report of theft of property was taken from a walk-in complainant.

A report of theft of property was taken from a walk-in complainant.

June 14

A report of a welfare check was taken on Meadowbrook Drive.

June 15

A theft report was taken from a walkin complainant.

June 16 No report.

June 17 No report.

continued from page 18

investigation of this case and found a total of $501,193 unaccounted for under Delarosa’s time as clerk for the Dierks City Water Department. Authorities also found bank accounts under her name that had unexplained cash deposits, along with possible gambling winnings, totaling approximately $261,000.  Delarosa reportedly turned herself over to authorities in August of 2021 after state auditors discovered the missing funds. The funds were misappropriated from the Dierks Water and Sewer Departments between 2015-2020.

During a state inquiry, officials with the City of Dierks said a lack of oversight and accounting of deposits and the city’s bookkeeping allegedly allowed Delarosa to misappropriate funds over the six-year period. Mayor Ronnie Cogburn said the issue came to light when the city was notified of unpaid bills and that money appropriated for those bills was not available.

Since Delarosa’s arrest Cogburn says procedures have been put in place to better account for the city’s finances.

In a statement, Mayor Cogburn said “After four years and many continuances, we are happy this matter is behind us. Receiving $164,000 upfront is best for the citizens of Dierks. We are thankful to the prosecuting attorney’s office for continuing to work over the last week to get a deal that better benefited the City of Dierks.”

Area students make Dean, Chancellor and President’s lists

Southern Arkansas University Dean’s List Spring 2023

MAGNOLIA, AR (06/12/2023)-- Southern Arkansas University has announced that 551 students earned a 3.5 GPA or higher for the spring 2023 semester and have been named to its Dean’s List.

• James Taylor is a junior Musical Theatre major from Hatfield, Ark.

• Katie Benefield is a junior Pre-Nursing major from Mena, Ark.

• Jaimeson Biard is a sophomore Theatre major from Mena, Ark.

• Blake Castor is a junior Pre-Nursing major from Mena, Ark.

• Danielle Powell is a senior Elementary Education (STEM) major from Mena, Ark.

Southern Arkansas University President’s List Spring 2023

MAGNOLIA, AR (06/12/2023)-- Southern Arkansas University has announced that 398 students earned a 4.0 GPA for the spring 2023 semester and have been named to its President’s List.

• Christina Gragg is a sophomore Psychology major with a minor in Social Work from Hatfield, Ark.

• Alexander Cude is a senior Instrumental Music Performance major from Mena, Ark.Macie Johnson is a senior Elementary Education (STEM) major from Mena, Ark.

• Lauryn Maechler is a senior Elementary Education (STEM) major from Mena, Ark.

• Jackson Teater is a senior Social Studies Education major from Mena, Ark.

• James Stark is a senior Computer Science major from Wickes, Ark.

To learn more about SAU, visit www.saumag.edu

University Arkansas Little Rock Dean’s List Spring 2023

UALR

LITTLE ROCK, AR (06/13/2023)-- Chloe Speight of Mena, Arkansas, has been named to the Dean’s List for the Spring 2023 semester at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.

To be on the Dean’s List, UA Little Rock students must earn at least nine credit hours and maintain at least a 3.5 GPA.

The Dean’s List recognized more than 1,070 students with superior academic performances at the end of the semester.

University Arkansas Little Rock President’s List Spring 2023

LITTLE ROCK, AR (06/13/2023)-- UA Little Rock announces its Spring 2023 Chancellor’s List, recognizing students with superior academic performance.

To be eligible for the Chancellor’s List, students must earn at least nine credit hours and at least a 3.9 GPA.

Local UA Little Rock students who made the Chancellor’s List include:

• Luz Alarcon of Wickes, Ark.

• Justice Neufeld of Mena, Ark.

• Chloe Speight of Mena, Ark.

To learn more about UALR, visit www.ualr.edu.

University Arkansas Little Rock Dean’s List Spring 2023

CONWAY, AR (06/12/2023)-- The University of Central Arkansas congratulates more than 1,300 students who were named to the spring 2023 Dean’s List. Students from the Polk County area who earned the spring 2023 Dean’s List designation are listed below:

• Alexis Hall of Grannis, Ark.

• McKayla Lane of Mena, Ark.

• Jacob Lyle of Mena, Ark.

To learn more about UCA, visit www.uca.edu

Nearly 600 UA Little Rock students were named to the Chancellor’s List for the Spring 2023 semester.

University Arkansas Little Rock President’s List Spring 2023

CONWAY, AR (06/12/2023)-- The University of Central Arkansas congratulates more than 1,130 students who were named as Presidential Scholars. The Presidential Scholars from the Polk County area are listed below.

• Baylee Davis of Grannis, Ark.

• Leilani Day of Mena, Ark.

• Makenna Goss of Mena, Ark.

Nearly 600 UA Little Rock students were named to the Chancellor’s List for the Spring 2023 semester.

CRSD welcomes Sturluson to the class and field

By Ethan Nahté

Cossatot River School District welcomes Maria Sturluson as the new CRHS math teacher and girls soccer coach.

Sturluson was born and raised in Copenhagen, Denmark. She came from overseas to the U.S. in 2014 to pursue a degree while playing collegiate soccer. Her first two years of college were spent at Lewis and Clark Community College before transferring to Missouri Southern State University where she finished her playing career and graduated with her Bachelor’s Degree in Health Promotion and Wellness in 2019.

During her time at UCA, she graduated with a Master’s Degree in Exercise Science in 2022.

Prior to moving to Mena, she spent three years as the graduate assistant soccer coach for the women’s team at University of Central Arkansas. During those three years, she coached several All-Conference players and helped lead the Bears to an ASUN Regular Season Championship in the fall of 2021. Furthermore, Sturluson also worked in the weight room as the volunteer strength and conditioning coach, working with both soccer, softball, volleyball, and other sports.

Sturluson spent a year as the men’s and women’s soccer assistant and strength and conditioning coach at UA Rich Mountain.

Sturluson said, “During the last year, both the men’s and women’s team qualified for the Region II tournament. The women’s team fell short in the quarter final, and the men’s team made it to the championship final.”

Besides coaching soccer at the college, Sturluson also taught several adjunct classes such as intro to exercise science, first aid, anatomy, and physiology.

Outside of the college experience, she also coached for Arkansas Rising where she had her own competitive soccer club team, the Conway 08 Boys, for several years. The boys won several out-of-state tournaments and competed in the 2022 State Cup, making it to the semifinal, the furthest the team had ever made it.

Sturluson said, “Besides teaching and coaching, I love to hang out with my fur babies, whether it’s at home or hiking in the mountains. Traveling has always been a big deal to me, and in the nine years I’ve been in the States I have travelled to 27 states and visited several national and state parks.

“Another big hobby of mine is spending time in the gym or outside being active. Since my playing career ended, I took up another competitive sport doing CrossFit. The CrossFit style workouts are so much fun in the fact that it is a good mix of cardiovascular endurance and lifting heavy things.”

“I am beyond excited to be joining the Eagles this fall!” she exclaimed. “In the years that I have been coming to the Mena area, the Cossatot River School District has always had a great reputation. I’m ecstatic to be joining a community who is organized, communicates well, and takes care and supports each other. I’m looking forward to helping all the students learn, achieve their goals, and become better than they were yesterday, both in the classroom, out on the field, and in life!”

Eagles girls soccer

The Cossatot River Eagles Varsity Girls Soccer finished 4-2 in conference and 6-6 overall this past season, placing second in the 3A South standings according to Scorebook Live. Two CRHS students are on the 2023 All-Star West girls soccer roster, Emily Ugarte and Kyla Ferguson. Coach Reggie Fryar of CRSD will also be the head coach for the West team. The game is scheduled to be played in Conway at UCA, 5 p.m., Friday, June 23. Fryar had intentionally planned to step back from coaching the girls after this season. He will remain the coach for the Cossatot Eagle boys for the 2023-2024 school year.

The Mena Bearcat Band took delivery of a new truck from Anthony Efird at Mena Ford on Thursday. The purchase was the culmination of eight years of fundraising by the Mena Band Boosters, a donation by the Union Bank of Mena and the help of the Mena Public Schools. The truck will be used to pull the band trailer and transport band members to and from competitions, camps and performances.

(Submitted photo)

SELLERS

continued from page 14 we don’t know what age they were really weaned. You’re taking the word of somebody on what age they are when you go to breed them.”

Rodney said, “Our philosophy was we knew what we had when we kept it. We took pride in that. That’s why we decided to take that route in growing our farm instead of going out, borrowing the money and buying from somebody.”

The family also waits on selling any of their herd, weaning them at six months but waiting 10 months before going to market twice a year.

“We will harvest them, vaccinate them and feed them until they get to the weight we’re after. Here lately, the market has changed. It’s not what it used to be. Now, they’re paying nearly as much for one that’s been weaned for 30 days vs. 90 days. Your money used to be at a 90day wean. If you can prove that you have vaccinated it and it’s been weaned for 30 days, that’s the optimal market right now. We’re still a 45-day weaning for us.”

Cross Fencing

With the size of their pastures and number of head, Sellers Farm uses cross fencing to maintain healthy pastures. They put six fields in themselves.

“It allows you to rotate grazing. It’s better for the ground and grass,” Rodney said. “It’s better for the animal. If you keep an animal eating grass that’s not down in the dirt, you’re going to have a better end product. The animal won’t be starved.

“We spray each pasture as we rotate it around so it is just grass. There’s no broadleaf weeds. There’s nothing but something edible for the animals. No kudzu.

Hay production

“That business just kind of took off in the past year. I baled hay for the public when I was 16 with my grandpa,” Rodney said. “I enjoyed it because I was a kid getting to hang out with grandpa all day. What better life could you ask for? When he passed, we all kind of got out of the business and just did our own.

“A few years ago, a man come to us and asked if we would be interested in doing his hay. We went and looked at it, made a deal, and we started getting our feet wet again. Then one day my father calls me about a guy wanting us to do his hay.

“Once you do hay for somebody, it snowballs, and it’ll get bigger and bigger. It’s a hard market to be in and to be fair in. The price of hay right now is the most expensive thing you can feed an animal. You have to be fair because farmers can’t afford to pay. I know because I am a farmer and I’m feeding it and I know what I’ve got in it.

“It started with one guy calling my father and I started doing his hay. The next year, we added three, and then the next year, his best friend who did hay for the public, went out of business. We inherited all of his clients. We’re up to seven people. A good year, we can do 2,800 to 3,000 bales. A bad year, like last year, we can do just as minimal as 2,000 per year.

Family life

Rodney and Samantha have three children, 9-year-old fraternal twin daughters Audrey and Gwen, and 7-year-old son Kye.

In addition to helping about the farm, the children are also active in sports. But the Cossatot River area did not have any steady baseball, softball or soccer organizations. The school district itself had nothing at that time.

Samantha said, “We developed the Cossatot River Youth Athletics, and that allowed the Cossatot River students to able to play with their own team and go enter into a De Queen league or a Mena league they could play with.”

The Sellers have passed the torch, more or less. When Samantha comes to Louise Durham, the children will also be transitioning to Mena schools.

Both parents played sports in their youth and continue to stay active. “If we’re not farming, we’re playing baseball or basketball,” Rodney said.

“Being someone who grew up in a really rural area,” Samantha said, “kids have to have a purpose. They have to have an activity they look forward to. One of the things that is missing now is the ability to work cooperatively within a group and come together for a common goal. Sports is a way for them to come together with a common goal, regardless of their differences in their past and to be able to achieve something.

“Whether or not they made it to that goal, we always tell our kids and the kids that we coach it’s always about progress, not perfection. As long as they can celebrate that progress, they’re going to be successful. It helps set them up for success later in life.” Rodney said, “We teach all kids that winning is relevant. You may not win the game, but as long as you learn something from that game, you won. That’s the most important thing in life, to us, in growing up. As long as you take something away from whatever you were doing, that’s a win.

“That’s how the award came from the Farm Family and the Cobb. We took every day, and as long as we learned some-

thing from that day, it was a win for us. You have to learn something every day. If you can entice a kid to learn a game and still learn life lesson, it’s a double win.”

“We like to compete,” he said. “We’re competitive. When we found out about the [Cobb] Award. It became our goal,” Rodney said, “and we just need to achieve it. We’ve been very blessed.”

“Once Mitch Sikes with Farm Bureau contacted us, several years ago to get our very first health insurance and told us about the [Farm Family] award, he said, ‘You know what, this is something I could really see y’all doing.’”

The family is also active with the Cove Revival Center Church.

“We’re not very musically inclined,” Samantha said with a laugh. Rodney’s sister and family are very talented musically. “We like to go support.

“Any time we can do some volunteering, we try to do that, and any activities for the kids. Just supporting them and being a presence there.”

District decision

Although the Sellers were chosen as the 2023 Polk County Farm Family of the Year, the next step for the Western District winner went to the Tucker Family of H&D Tucker Farms in Conway, Faulkner County.

The Sellers were positive and happy with being chosen for their region, whether they won district or not. “It was a win,” Rodney said.

Samantha agreed, “It has been a big honor for us. It’s one of our goals we’ve had for a long time and we’ve achieved that goal. We’re very, very humbled. We look around and we feel there were several other people more deserving than us, who are more established. It’s an honor to be recognized as an aspiring family coming up.”

For more of the Sellers’ story, check out MyPulseNews.com

Pollinator Awareness Week

Submitted by The Ouachita Beekeepers Association

National Pollinator Week is June 19 – 25. It coincides with June being national fresh fruits and vegetables month, so it’s important to realize that about one-third of our human diet is derived from insect-pollinated plants.

Three-fourths of the world’s flowering plants depend on pollinators like bees, bats, and other animal pollinators to reproduce. When pollinators visit flowers in their search for food (nectar and pollen), they brush against a flower’s reproductive parts while depositing pollen from other plants. The plant then uses the pollen to produce a fruit or seed. Many plants cannot reproduce without pollen being carried to them by foraging pollinators like honeybees — who are the real work horses of pollination being responsible for 80% of this type of pollination.

National pollinator weeks helps bring awareness to the plight of pollinators as they face challenges in the world from habitat loss, disease, parasites, and environmental contaminants. If we don’t support pollinators, we could lose foods like apples, blueberries, strawberries, chocolate, almonds, melons, peaches, or pumpkins. Here are some easy ways you can help pollinators:

• Use “native” pollinator-friendly plants in your yard and garden and think beyond flowers as shrubs and trees like dogwood, blueberry, cherry, plum, willow, and poplar provide pollen or nectar.

• Reduce or eliminate pesticides in your landscape and use plants that attract beneficial insects for pest control.

• Be willing to accept some damage on plants meant to provide habitat for butterflies and moths.

• Provide clean water for pollinators with a birdbath with half-submerged stones for perches.

• Buy local honey and support beekeepers who help manage and care for honeybees.

• Enroll in the July 20 “Cooking with Pollinators” class sponsored by the Polk County Extension Homemakers Council where you will make recipes from pollination-required foods. Call 479-394-6018.

CAPES in Mena for LEARNS petition and training

Citizens for Arkansas Public Education and Students (CAPES) will be in Mena at The Ouachitas Coffee and Taproom on Wednesday, June 21 at 1 p.m. Tyler Draper, CAPES Cluster 9 organizer, will be on hand with other CAPES volunteers to train locals interested in volunteering to collect petition signatures. The public is also invited to come out and sign the petition to put LEARNS on the ballot.

“Public education has no political party. Don’t let politicians steal from your public school,” Draper said. “If you believe in public schools then join us.”

vices that makes public schools a bedrock of support for hardworking Arkansas families; and no accountability during the first four years of their existence while under initial accreditation.

The funding for the LEARNS Act comes directly from the budgets of public school districts into the pockets of private educational companies through the school voucher program.

President of the Ouachita Beekeepers Assn. Tommy Payne presents a check to Kathy Hagler, president-elect of the Polk County Extension Homemakers Council in support of their education and awareness efforts for pollinators. June 19-23 is National Pollinators Week.

The LEARNS Act would prioritize spending at least $350 million per year over the first three years and billions of dollars over decades to startup education businesses in the form of charter and private schools that have: a higher failure rate, greater turnover, and fewer requirements than public school districts; lower bars for teacher qualification; less spending per child on nutrition, transportation, extracurriculars or advanced placement, special needs, and a litany of other ser-

The Citizens for Arkansas Public Education and Students (CAPES) is a nonpartisan movement of teachers, parents, students, former students, and concerned citizens interested in preserving public education in Arkansas. CAPES is committed to building a statewide volunteer base to educate and engage everyday Arkansans about the damages that the LEARNS Act will do to rural economies, public school districts, and state budgets. Our goal is to mobilize citizen volunteers to overturn or veto the LEARNS Act before public school closures and consolidations become the norm. Visit SayNoToLEARNS. org for more information.

(Submitted photo)