Polk County Pulse - March 22, 2023

INSIDE:

C&M Circus delights crowds

Big top fun

By Ethan Nahté

There are times a journalist goes to get an interview and some clown shows up to assist. In this case, that’s a good thing, because the clown in the Culpepper & Merriweather Great Combined Circus is Leo Acton, who has been a clown in at least a couple of different circuses since 2009. And before you disparage a circus clown as some undereducated bum who ran away from home to join the circus, Acton speaks at least three languages, including different dialects such as Parisian French and Canadian French.

Acton was providing details to the families who arrived to watch the big top being lifted into place for the Circus to put on a pair of shows at the Polk County Fairgrounds on Monday, March 20. Mena was the Circuses first Arkansas show of their eight-month season. They are based out of Hugo, Oklahoma.

Part of what Acton tells the families as their acting tour guide: “The tent itself is manufactured in six panels for the top. We break it apart into thirds. It’s 110 feet long. It’s 80 feet wide. It’s 30 feet tall at its crest.

“We can comfortably seat 600 patrons in just our seats alone. We have a large set of aluminum bleachers as well as lowrise wooden bleachers that go around the curve of the big top. You’re never more than 40 feet from the center of the ring. There’s not really a bad seat in the house.

Delilah and Wendell waiting for toys and treats at the C&M Circus.

See photos on pages 14-15. More photos will be in an album on the Pulse Facebook page. (Ethan Nahté/ Pulse)

See CIRCUS continued on page 10

Photographer Steve Price Page 18

Ceremony Honors Manning Page 2

Parker Boxing Champion Page 27

NSDAR ceremony honors Shirley Manning

By Ethan Nahté

Mena native Shirley Ann Shewmake Manning was posthumously awarded the Woman in American History Award, Saturday, March 11, by the James K. Polk Chapter, National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (NSDAR). The organization had asked Manning in both 2019 and 2020 to allow them to give her the award. She declined both times, saying she, “…had not done enough to earn such a prestigious award.”

NSDAR disagreed, believing Manning was very deserving of the award. Members of NSDAR, Polk County Genealogical Society, friends and family attended the event, filling the community room

of the Polk County Library.

Dotty Kinnun, regent for the local NSDAR, was the presenter, speaking of Manning’s various works as an author of several books depicting the history of Polk and Montgomery counties and its people, publisher of the Mountain Signal magazine (1989-2000), historian and the president of the Polk County Genealogical Society.

She also spoke of Manning’s work in rescuing the abandoned Norman High School and organizing the Norman High School Preservation Program, Inc. Eventually, the restored building was added to the National Register of Historic Places on May 16, 2002, after Manning spent 12 years of raising funds to restore the building.

Manning wanted to save the orphanage, as well, but the dilapidated building was too far gone. Many who knew her probably have seen the video footage of them pulling the old building down.

In 2006, Manning wrote a grant to the Arkansas Historic Preservation Organization to repair the iconic rock wall that surrounds the Norman square and the little Norman Library, once known as the smallest public library in Arkansas.

Kinnun said, “March, which is Women’s History Month, is suggested as an appropriate time for this [award], which makes it especially fitting that we are doing this today.”

She brought up the fact that

(Ethan

March 11 was coincidentally Genealogy Day, which was first recognized in 2013. That fact brought several laughs, as it was apropos Manning be honored on Genealogy Day, even by pure happenstance.

“Shirley had a passion for preserving local history and genealogy records,” Kinnun said. “She conducted numerous workshops in

See MANNING

continued on page 9

(l-r) Angela Smith, Dotty Kinnun, and Trey Cannon stand with an award for Shirley Shewmake Manning, chosen as the James K. Polk Chapter, NSDAR’s Woman in American History recipient. The award is on permanent display near the genealogy room at the Polk County Library.

Nahté/Pulse)

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I have always looked forward to the weekly Pulse, and the often thought-provoking letters to the editor; however, a recent submission regarding Arkansas Senate Bill 81 fails to outline the sole purpose of the bill.

To paraphrase- the bill was written to “amend the law concerning libraries and obscene materials; the loaning of the obscene materials by libraries; and to create the offense of furnishing a harmful item to a minor”.

Since 2020, more and more children’s sections of school and public libraries have been found to contain graphic and sexually explicit materials, including those regarding “alternative lifestyles”.

The submission stated that the Supreme Court 6th Circuit had ruled/ found that the First Amendment protects the rights of students to receive information and the schools’ removal of books was unconstitutional. This interpretation by the author is not correct. This decision, of 1982, limited schools from removing books for political or ideological reasons.

Want to share your opinion?

The submission stated, in regards to banned books that “those are the ones we should be reading” as well as “... how will students find out their own truth?” Parents, not schools or libraries, should select the time and/or place to address a child’s inevitable curiosity of this sensitive topic; and they alone should decide how much, and what information and in what format, it is provided.

Lastly, the submission stated that Senate Bill 81 targets librarians. Who else but librarians, as well as schools, are aware of the books on the shelves and should be responsible for same?

Thank you,

Ginny Topley, Mena Letter to the Editor

I may have the perfect person to do the articles that Ray Shelly did before he passed away.

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This decades-old dispute continues and multiple states are now challenging the ruling due to the pervasive and increasing inclusion of sexually explicit and graphic materials in school and public libraries.

To compare objections by concerned parents and legislators (i.e. Senate Bill 81) to 1930’s Nazi Germany’s banning of books is beyond ludicrous. The cause of the concerns being expressed is vastly different from those of the 1930’s, or the Supreme Court ruling of over 40 years ago.

Recently, a curious child checked out a sexually explicit book regarding alternative sexual lifestyles, from a school library. The librarian asked if he would prefer the “graphic” version. The child then took it home to show his father. These concerns have been expressed over and over by parents.

Since Mr. Goss loves to have something in the paper as often as possible & I’m sure he’s disappointed when he’s not. Let him research things about Arkansas! But no religious or political things, Mr. Shelly never did. There’s already enough in each issue. Perhaps he’s not agreeable to this, but that’s my suggestion.

Donna Lay, Mena

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

Boozman Honored with VFW Congressional Award

WASHINGTON—Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) honored U.S. Senator John Boozman (R-AR) with its 2023 Congressional Award in recognition of his commitment to America’s veterans and demonstrated success expanding benefits and improving services they have earned.

“I’m honored to advocate on behalf of our nation’s veterans and their families and proud of what we’ve accomplished to strengthen benefits and services to better support their needs. The achievements we’ve made would not have been possible without the dedicated members of the VFW. I look forward to continuing my commitment and working with the VFW to fulfill the promise we made to the men and women called to serve in uniform,” Boozman said.

“Senator Boozman is a consummate champion of the rights, benefits and quality of life of those who served and those who are still serving our great country,” said VFW Commander-in-Chief Tim Borland. “I can’t think of any other elected representative who has done more in

reminding Congress that ‘Every Veteran Counts.’”

The senator met with VFW Department of Arkansas members on March 7 to discuss the organization’s priorities for 2023 which includes supporting the

Boozman-backed “GUARD VA Benefits Act,” legislation to eliminate predatory claims practices.

As a senior member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee and Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations

Subcommittee responsible for Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) funding, Boozman has been a leader in delivering additional resources to support the needs of veterans and their families.

Boozman continues pursuing that agenda in the 118th Congress. Last month, the Boozman-backed “VA Clinician Appreciation, Recruitment, Education, Expansion, and Retention Support (CAREERS) Act,” legislation to bolster recruitment and retention of the VA workforce, advanced through the committee. He also introduced a trio of bipartisan bills to better support the needs of families of loved ones called to serve.

Under the senator’s leadership, a number of significant improvements were signed into law to improve veterans benefits during the last Congress including landmark legislation expanding VA health care to toxic-exposed veterans of all eras, enhancements to veteran breast cancer care and expanded authority for the VA Office of Inspector General to conduct investigations and interviews.

Senator Boozman received the VFW’s 2023 Congressional Award. He is pictured with VFW Adjutant General Dan West, Commander-in-Chief Tim Borland and Executive Director Ryan Gallucci.

House members will now be taking an extended recess. When the House reconvenes on March 27, members will be addressing public safety legislation, constitutional amendments, and the budget.

In the days leading up to the recess, the House passed a number of bills addressing human trafficking, elections, and employment.

Bills passed this week that amend human laws include SB282, HB1459, and HB1470.

SB282 allows a victim of human trafficking to bring a civil action against a person or entity who knew or should have known that the individual was being trafficked.

HB1459 increases the fines for a human trafficking conviction and trafficking-related charges to a range between $5,000 and $15,000. The bill directs that the fines be divided between specified funds that support exploited children and trafficking victims.

HB1470 ensures victims are eligible for crime victim reparations even if they do not cooperate with law enforcement.

Election bills passing the House this week included SB 250, SB 254, and SB 258.

SB 250 requires counties to pay for the

costs if using paper ballots. SB 254 eliminates the write-in candidate portion on a ballot, and SB 258 prohibits absentee ballot drop boxes.

The House also passed HB1207 which requires local governments to act on permit applications in the first 60 days.

And the House passed HB1575 which requires Arkansans to make at least 5 work searches a week when claiming unemployment benefits. That search could include applying for a job or participating in job training.

In addition, the House passed SB81 and SB66.

SB81 amends the law concerning libraries and obscene materials and creates the offense of furnishing a harmful item to a minor. It states furnishing a harmful item to a minor is a Class A misdemeanor.

SB66 requires a commercial entity to use a reasonable age verification method before allowing access to a website that contains a substantial portion of material that is harmful to minors.

We will continue to update you in the remaining weeks of the session. You can watch all House committee meetings and floor proceedings at arkansashouse.org.

John Boozman

1120 Garrison Ave. Suite 2B

Fort Smith, AR 72901 Phone: (479) 573-0189

Fax: (479) 575-0553

Bruce

The legislature has advanced a long list of bills to prevent voter fraud and protect the integrity of elections.

Both the Senate and the House of Representatives have passed HB 1510 to schedule all special elections on the same date as traditional primary elections in May and general elections in November. A motivation of the sponsors is to prevent local officials from holding a special election for a tax increase on a date when few people will know about and go to the polls.

In presidential election years, Arkansas primary elections are in March and that is when special elections could be held.

SB 250, which affects counties that choose to use paper ballots, has been sent to the governor. It requires those counties to use paper ballots that are compatible with the vote counting machines of the Secretary of State, and it requires the county to pay the costs of printing and counting the ballots.

SB 254 eliminates write-in candidates in state elections. It has been sent to the governor.

SB 255, which has been sent to the governor, prohibits state and local election officials from accepting any gifts, services, products or anything of value from any source other than the government entity that employs them. A goal is to prohibit social media, consultants, political parties and strategists from paying for any election expenses.

SB 258 prohibits the use of drop boxes for collecting absentee ballots. All absentee ballots that are not delivered by mail must be hand delivered inside the county clerk’s office. SB 258 has passed in both chambers

and is on the governor’s desk. Already in law is Act 236, which affects citizens’ groups trying to place an issue on statewide ballots. They will have to gather signatures of registered voters from at least 50 counties. That is an increase from at least 15 counties.

SB 377, which has been advanced by the Senate Judiciary Committee, would make it a crime to destroy signatures gathered on petitions to place an issue on the ballot.

The bill was prompted by incidents that occurred when competing casino interests paid or harassed canvassers.

HB 1513 creates an Election Integrity Unit with the state Attorney General’s office. It is in the House State Agencies and Governmental Affairs Committee.

The Senate has passed SB 272 to require more audits of elections by the state Board of Election Commissioners.

In odd-numbered years an election audit will be performed in 15 to 20 counties, randomly selected. The Board can order an audit in response to complaints of election fraud, and the legislature’s Joint Performance Review Committee can designate a county to be audited.

Act 194 authorizes the state Attorney General to review ballot titles and popular names of proposed amendments and initiatives. For many years the Attorney General reviewed ballot titles, but in 2019 the legislature transferred that authority to the Board of Election Commissioners.

Last year, in a decision on a proposed ballot issue to legalize recreational marijuana, the Arkansas Supreme Court ruled that the Board of Election Commissioners had no authority to approve ballot titles.

John Maddox Terry Rice

Reverend Vernual Ridgeway

Reverend Vernual Ridgeway went to be with his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Sunday, March 12, 2023. He was born July 10th, 1927, in Abbott, Arkansas. He was united in marriage to Mattie Vineyard in 1945 and they were married for 75 years and 4 months at her time of death. In that same year, he joined the Army and served in the occupation of Japan at the end of World War II. He surrendered to the ministry in 1956 and pastored Baptist churches in Pilot View, Bates, Two Mile and Hatfield Arkansas, in Whitesboro and Shady Point, Oklahoma, and in Detroit, Texas. He pastored at the Board Camp Baptist church for 22 years before retiring from the full-time ministry and then supplied at various churches in the association. He picked up his first guitar at the age of 14 and taught himself how to play. He played with a band in the early 1940’s on Radio Station KWHN in Ft Smith, AR. After retirement, he played with a group of senior adults in Hatfield and they had a band called Ridgy’s bunch. They played at churches and various nursing homes and senior centers in Polk County.

Vernual was an active Pastor for the Ouachita Baptist Association and was Moderator for 5 years, Chairman of the camp committee, and Director of the adult camps for 10 years. He was instrumental in laying the groundwork for the Ouachita Baptist Campgrounds.

He loved mountains, hunting, and fishing, but most of all he loved the Lord, his family, friends and church

congregations.

Preceding him in death is his wife, Mattie Vineyard Ridgeway, his parents Dave and Della Ridgeway, his sister Ileze (Elzie) Dodge, Brother David (Juanita) Ridgeway, niece Barbara (Charles) Cusick, niece Sharon Smith, niece Sharla Englebright and nephew-in-law Curly Martin. Sistersin-law Ruth (James) Watson, Doris (Mack) Morgan, June (Ken) Brooks and Brother-in-law Carl Finney.

He is survived by his daughter, Carolyn McIntosh, Grandson Troy (Angela) McIntosh, Granddaughter Kristy (Roger) Frazier, Great-Granddaughters Melissa McIntosh, Tara (Shane) Harder, and Great-Great-Grandchildren Summer Martin, Nathan Harder and Jacob Harder. Nieces Violet Martin, Mary Ann (Ronnie) Richmond, Linda Kay (Bill) Carter, Dava Simpson, Cousin Retha Pennington and sisters-in-law Helen Finney, Joy Boren, and Zella (JD) Harrison and a host of other nieces, nephews, and friends.

Services for Mr. Vernual Ridgeway

will be held at, 2:00 p.m., Saturday, March 18, 2023, at the Board Camp Baptist Church, in Board Camp, Arkansas. Interment will follow at the Liberty Cemetery in Board Camp, Arkansas. Brother Garry Haskins, Brother Don Youngblood, and Brother Grant Geiger will be officiating under the direction of Beasley-Wood Funeral Home. Visitation will be general.

Pallbearers are Jeff Turner, Larry Eades, James Looney, Jacky Lynch, Jackie Morgan, and Shane Harder.

Honorary Pallbearers are Jim Aleshire, James Martin, Larry Maechler, and Henry Tittle.

Online obituary at beasleywoodfuneralhome.com

Jon Anna WalsworthCalleton

Jon Anna Walsworth Calleton, 80, of Mena, AR, passed away on Monday, February 20, 2023, after a long and courageous fight with cancer. She was surrounded by her husband and children.

Jon was born April 9, 1942, to Tina Brownlee Walsworth and John Alvin Walsworth in Springhill, LA. After Jon graduated from Springhill High School in 1960, she went on to study Medical Technology at Northeast Louisiana State College in Monroe, LA. Jon completed a year-long internship at St. Francis Hospital in Monroe, LA. After completing college, she began work as a Registered Medical Technologist. Her career began at Springhill Hospital in Springhill, LA. She worked as a Med Tech for 46 years, with her last job being at Mena Regional Medical Center, where she worked for 26 years.

In 1960, Jon met Richard Calleton at the public tennis courts in Springhill, LA. During their marriage, they lived in Baton Rouge, LA, Warwick, NY, Guadalajara, Mexico, various places in Arkansas, Shreveport, LA, Hot Springs, AR and finally landing in Mena in 1984. Jon and Richard went on to have 2 children — Kelly Renee Calleton Healy and Jonathan Edward Dewey Calleton (Jed).

Jon spent her free time quilting with friends (Quilt & Chat), gardening, traveling to go fly fishing with her husband and son, reading, PEO, attending community college, and traveling to see her grandchildren and the world. Jon was a Master Gardener for many years and helped with garden-

ing projects around town — the most visible the Courthouse. She loved taking care of her own yard as well which included riding her lawn mower.

Jon was preceded in death by her parents, her mother-in-law Dorothy Calleton, her Aunt Lorraine and Uncle Joe LaFreniere, her brother-in-law Ron Corbell, sister-in-law Elizabeth Calleton, and nephew Brian Corbell.

She is survived by her husband Richard Calleton, her daughter Kelly and son-in- law David and grandchildren Spencer and Ava Healy, her son Jed and daughter-in-law Juliet and granddaughter Natalie Calleton, her sister Karen Corbell and niece and nephew Kim Corbell and Ron Corbell, her brother-in-law Ted Calleton sister-in-law Kathy and nephew Jay, niece Susan Germundson and husband Kurt and their children Eric and Rachel, niece Pam Calleton, and nephew Chris Calleton and his wife Jennifer and their children Kylie, Cade, and Keira

Jon will be remembered by her family as a loving and supportive wife, mother, sister, and grandmother and to her community as one of the most generous, hardworking and involved volunteers. Her love and light were warm and beautiful- she will be missed for the time and smiles she gave so freely. She was the personification of grace, kindness, and love.

Visitation will be held on Monday, March 27, 2023, at Beasley Wood Funeral Home with a memorial service to follow at 11:00 am. In lieu of flowers, it was Jon’s wish that donations be sent to the Humane Society of the Ouachitas, https://hsomena.org/ site/donate/ — as Jon was a huge dog lover and had too many to count dog rescues throughout her life.

Online obituary at beasleywoodfuneralhome.com

Dayton Holman

Mr. Dayton Holman, age 90, passed away Wednesday, March 15, 2023, in Mena, Arkansas. He was born November 16, 1932, in Opal, Arkansas, to the late Tom and Leora (Bates) Holman.

Mr. Holman attended Southern State College in Magnolia, Arkansas, for two years and transferred to University of Arkansas, where he graduated receiving his bachelor’s degree in agriculture. He would later go on to finish his master’s degree. He was an agricultural teacher by profession and was known as a master gardener. He loved growing azaleas especially. Mr. Holman was a member of the Wickes Methodist Church in Wickes, Arkansas, from 1965 till the time of his passing.

Mr. Holman is survived by his loving wife, Maxine Holman; son, Terry Paul Holman and wife Rhonda; daughter, Jackie Michelle Holman Wentz and husband Randy; grandchildren, Lyle Holman, Tabitha Mitchell and husband Mitch, Joshua Paul Wentz, Alison Wentz, Maegan Elizabeth Wentz, Nathaniel Burton Wentz, and Andrew Wentz; 5 great-grandchildren; 5 great-great-grandchildren; sister, Lila Roberson; special niece, Lindy Jumper; as well as a host of other nieces, nephews, other family and friends too numerous to mention.

He is preceded in death by his parents, Tom and Leora (Bates) Holman; brothers, Thomas Fomby Holman, Newell Holman; sisters, Durrell Simpson, Vivian Foster Muldoon, and Juanita Rainwater.

Services for Mr. Holman will be held at 2:00 p.m., Monday, March

20, 2023, at the Wickes Methodist Church, in Wickes, Arkansas. Brother Steve Copley will be officiating under the direction of Beasley-Wood Funeral Home. Interment will follow at Mt. Gilead Cemetery in Mena, Arkansas. Visitation will be held Sunday, March 19, 2023, at Beasley-Wood Funeral Home from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Pallbearers will be Orvin Foster, Jerry Foster, Randy Rainwater, Joshua Wentz, David Forbes and Bobby Hawkins.

Honorary Pallbearers will be Jimmie Miles, and Jay Fuller.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Mt. Gilead Cemetery in care of Michelle Yahn, 1853 Polk 48, Mena, AR 71953, or the P.C.D.C. Special Olympics, 201 S. Morrow St., Mena, AR 71953.

Online obituary at beasleywoodfuneralhome.com

Dewey Head

Dewey Head, age 83, of Board Camp, Arkansas, passed away Wednesday, March 15, 2023, at his home. He was born on Wednesday, May 3, 1939, to Elmer Daniel Head and Ethel Cole Head in Mena, Arkansas.

Dewey served proudly in the United States Army National Guard for 8 years. He believed in the Golden Rules and always treated others with integrity. Dewey was a very hard worker and was a lineman for the electric company for many years before retiring to run his Cattle Ranch. He shared his wife’s passion for horses and was a member of the Polk County Riding Club. He was an experienced farrier and trained horses for many people in the area. In his free time, he was an

avid deer hunter and was also a collector of old rifles. Dewey attended the Yocana Baptist Church and was a member for many years. Dewey was a loving father, grandfather, brother, uncle and friend and will be missed by all who knew him.

He is preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Mary Head; three brothers, Elba Head, Gene Head, and Shorty Head; and one sister, Opal Walker.

Dewey is survived by one daughter, Tina McMellon of Board Camp; one brother, Roger Head of Mena; one grandson, Cole McMellon of Board Camp; several nieces and nephews and a host of other relatives and friends.

A funeral service will be held on Friday, March 17, 2023, at 2:00 PM at the Bowser Family Funeral Home Chapel in Mena with Brother Lynn Chiles officiating. Interment will follow at the Board Camp Cemetery in Board Camp, Arkansas. Visitation will be general at the Bowser Family Funeral Home from 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM during office hours on Thursday, March 16, 2023.

Pallbearers will be Jason Head, Josh Head, Justin Head, Danny Head, Pat Nelson, and James Looney.

Honorary Pallbearers will be Larry Walker and C. L. Cogburn.

Funeral service will be live streamed at  https://bowserffh.com/obituaries/ dewey-head

in Mena, Arkansas, on Thursday March 16, 2023. He was born July 28, 1926, in Morrison Bluff, Arkansas, a son of the late Henry Knittig and Josephine Kirchner Knittig.

He was predeceased by his wife of 51 years, Agnes Lienhart and his brothers, Aloys, Robert, Steve and Andrew.

He is survived by six children: Mary Jo Kline (Wendall) of Alma, AR, Carol Janowicz of North Little Rock, AR, Martin Knittig (Cindy) of Mena, AR, Frank Knittig (Nora) of Little Rock, AR, Tim Knittig of Little Rock, AR, and Cathy Trower (Ray) of North Little Rock, AR, and 12 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.

He was a WWII army veteran. He was a member of St. Theresa Catholic Church for over 60 years. He was a carpenter for the Donaghey Building in Little Rock for 44 years. He was a man who lived out his faith in his everyday living, and his legacy of faith and family will be remembered forever. Giving to others, carpentry, and gardening were some of his favorite things in life. He gave his garden produce to Helping Hands, and he volunteered for years for the Knights of Columbus. He was a wonderful husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, uncle, cousin, friend and will be missed dearly.

Joseph H. Knittig, age 96, beloved husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather died at The Green House Cottages of Homewood

Visitation will be from 2-4 p.m. Sunday March 19, 2023, at the Roller-Drummond Funeral Home Chapel (501) 455-5800. A mass of Christian burial will be at 10:00 a.m. Monday March 20, 2023, at St. Theresa Catholic Church preceded by a rosary at 9:30 am. Interment will be in Calvary Cemetery.

Joseph H. Knittig

Forrest Ogden as a production test pilot. In 1983 he participated in a flight around the world in a Gulfstream Turbo-Commander in slightly less than 76 hours. This set a world record for that class of airplane.

Forrest was born in Texarkana, Tx. into a family with deep roots in Mena, Arkansas. He enjoyed many happy days visiting the Ogden family on Bethesda Road as his family moved from Texarkana to McAlester, and on to Nashville, TN.

As a young boy he enjoyed riding trains with his father, who was employed by Kansas City Southern. This started a lifelong passion for trains. He also was fascinated by airplanes. His first flight was when he jumped off the garage roof in a homemade airplane made from cardboard boxes. Aviation became his career.

After graduating from Central High School in Nashville, TN, in 1948, he joined the Civil Air Patrol and then the Army Air Corp. While on leave visiting family in Mena in 1953, he was introduced to Shirley Struve by his Uncle and Aunt, Orville and Margaret Ogden. He received his commission, wings and wife in 1954. In 1966 he received the Air Medal with two oak leaf clusters and received various campaign and service awards. In 1966 he was commended for a 1965 mission in which he and his crew rescued 7 fighters under extraordinary circumstances. In 1968, he retired from the U.S. Air Force with the rank of Major and moved to the place he always wanted to live, Mena AR. He worked at KENA, First National Bank, and was a flying instructor. He taught many local pilots to fly.

After their four children graduated high school his aviation skills took him to Oklahoma City where he worked for Gulfstream Aerospace

After his second retirement, he and Shirley enjoyed living in Mena, Arkansas, and spending their summers in Ruidoso, NM. He enjoyed working with his uncles Orville and Paul Roy on their farm along the Mountain Fork River.

He was a lifelong Methodist and was a 55+ year member of the First United Methodist Church in Mena.

He enjoyed the time he spent with the Ouachita Amateur radio club, the Ruidoso New Mexico Amateur Radio Clubs, the Masons and the VFW. He maintained his membership in the Society of Experimental Test Pilots, Red River Valley Association (aka River Rats - a Vietnam fighter pilot organization) and the Order of Daedalians Society. He served on the Mena School board during the infamous Punch Bowl controversy.

He was preceded in death by his wife of 62 years, Shirley Kay Ogden, his parents Cheatham Ogden, Sr, and Annice Ogden, and his sister Ann Cochran.

He is survived by his 4 children: Steve Ogden of Gunnison, Colorado, Fred and Delilah Ogden of Mena, AR, & Rockwell, TX, Ginger and Aubrey Sterner of Yocanna, AR, and Janet and Jerry Gorden of Broken Arrow, OK. There are 5 grandchildren (Charmian Ogden, Stephen Ogden, Mandy Gorden Green, Benjamin Gorden, & Matthew Bingham, and 8 great-grandchildren.

The family wishes to acknowledge his caregivers: Alice Anderton, Bonnie Stiltner, Melissa Owens, Sandy Endicott, Charity Mabry, Dr. David Henderson, and the wonderful staff

of the Homewood Cottages.

A private burial will be held and a memorial service will be announced at a later date. In lieu of flowers if you feel inclined, please make a donation to the first United Methodist Church in memory of Forrest.

Patsy Ruth (Jones) Watts

Patsy Ruth (Jones) Watts, age 85, born February 9th, 1938, to the late Isaac Wade Jones and the late Cordella (Graham) Jones, passed from this life on March 19th, 2023.

She is preceded in death by her parents, Isaac and Cordia; her husband of 64 years, Garland “Crook” Lee Watts; her son, Ronald “Tody” Wendell Watts; her infant daughter, Karen Lee Watts; two brothers, Billy Jones (wife Carol), and Leo Jones and late wife Alma; two sisters, Geraldine “Bobbie” Holt and late husband Hank, and Maxine McCoy and late husband Melvin.

She is survived by three daughters, Grondia Lane and husband Jimmy, Brenda Lane and late husband Justin, and Gwenda “Lilly” Richey and husband Monte; three sons, Ronnie “Sam” Watts, Steve Watts and wife Connie, and Alford Watts and wife Tina; two brothers, Fred Jones and wife Carolyn, and Isaac “Pete” Jones; three sisters, Charlene Harris and Husband Bob, Judy Dunigan and late husband Jimmy, and Shirley Clinton and husband Willie; numerous nieces and nephews; and a host of other family and friends. Patsy had 24 grandkids, and 98 great and greatgreat-grandkids.

Graveside services will be held

11:00 a.m. Wednesday, March 22, 2023, at Piney Cemetery in Blackfork, Arkansas, with Pastor Noah Watts officiating. General visitation will be held at Beasley-Wood Funeral Home on Tuesday from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Pallbearers are Wendell Lane, Sambo Watts, Michael McCravens, Randell Watts, Zack Watts, and Buck Lane. Honorary Pallbearers are John Edwards, Quentin Roberts, Joseph McCravens, Hunter Cox, Matthew McCravens.

Online obituary at beasleywoodfuneralhome.com

Tears water our growth.

MANNING

continued from page 2

genealogy and teaching the proper way to preserve and clean gravestones in our local cemeteries.”

Members of Manning’s family assisted her with also placing headstones on several graves of her own ancestors in which the stones could no longer be read or only a minor marker indicated the burial of a family member and the family had a nicer headstone to replace it.

“She devoted countless hours to digitizing documents, even as her health was declining,” Kinnun said. “Shirley loved to visit the residents of Polk and Montgomery counties, collecting their stories.”

In addition to her Mountain Signal magazine and 20-plus books, she also provided historical articles in the Polk County Pioneers newsletter and the Polk County Genealogy Society newsletter.

Kinnun asked Brenda Cunningham, NSDAR’s recording secretary, to unveil the award sitting atop a table before the audience. The award came framed with a certificate and a medal, which her children, Trey Cannon and Angela Smith, placed on the wall of the library.

Cannon said, “Mom has been doing this kind of stuff as long as I can remember. We appreciate and thank you guys.”

Kinnun mentioned that Manning had told her genealogy friend Roberta Moller that she had been doing genealogy for 34 years.

Smith, understandably a bit choked up and teary-eyed, said, “We appreciate all the time that mom spent with y’all.”

Kinnun said to them. “She was appreciated by more than just family.”

Manning was not a member of

DAR, but she helped a number of their chapter members to trace and prove their descent from a Revolutionary War patriot.

Manning, Born Oct. 23, 1944, was one of five children born to Marvin and Dora Shewmake. She also had 12 half-brothers and sisters, and five stepbrothers and stepsisters, for a total of 22 children.

Kinnun joked, “Shirley probably needed all of her genealogy skills to keep track of all of them.”

She and two of her younger brothers, Bobby and Wayne, spent many of their formative years in an orphanage, attending the Caddo Valley Academy (CVA) in Norman. The CVA, was operated by the Presbyterian Church after privatizing the public school for first-12th grades. Manning attended CVA from 1954-1961. Their stay at the school was rough going, to say the least.

Kinnun said the award would be mounted permanently, as close as possible to the genealogy room where Manning spent so many hours. It is currently mounted to the left of the door. Former NSDAR chapter regent Cortez Copher pre-

sented Manning’s children with a photo she had framed to also be mounted on the wall. The photo was taken during a DAR headstone cleaning workshop.

Copher has known Manning since they were children. Manning assisted her in tracing her family tree, spending nearly four years to prove Copher ancestry to relatives from the Revolutionary War that would allow her to apply for DAR membership.

Copher was quoted as saying, “I will always remember how fast Shirley would try to teach me genealogy research methods and how slow I was at learning, forcing her to slow down and repeat everything.”

Kinnun commented that slowing down for others was probably something Manning encountered a lot. Many in the group agreed.

“The Polk County Genealogical Society flourished for many years with Shirley at the helm,” Kinnun said, “but was not able to survive without her. The Society passed away when she did. Nobody has done more to preserve our local

history here in Polk and Montgomery counties than Shirley Manning did; or believed so passionately that it was important to do so. For all these reasons, we believe Shirley Manning did more than enough to earn such a prestigious award.”

Historian and former history teacher Harold Coogan said, “She did a great job.” He worked alongside Manning many times.

Another friend, Ron Himes, spoke about how closely he and his wife became friends with Shirley and her husband Joe. He said, “Shirley… was so remarkable. She was brilliant, feisty, a little bit stubborn,” which garnered some laughs and nodding of heads, “in a good way. She had a heart of gold. My wife Karen and I spent a lot of time with her in the short amount of time that we knew her and Joe. I just can’t say enough about both of them.”

Manning died Aug. 24, 2022, after complications from a stroke June 26, 2022. Her husband of 21 years, Joe Henry Manning, who was constantly on her mind, especially after his death on Feb. 14, 2022, was very handy with construction and tools. He assisted her considerably with her projects, and she assisted him with his.

Smith said, “This has been my hardest year ever to lose them both. Mom’s passion… was one of those things that never turned off. She was always thinking about it. She was always talking about it. I know that the community has lost so much by all that wasn’t in her computer and was just up in her head. It makes us wish we had written more of it down. She’s missed greatly and we do appreciate the award for her, because we think she was awesome.”

Trey Cannon and his sister Angie Smith stand beside the award and a photo presented in honor of their mother Shirley Shewmake Manning.

(Ethan Nahté/Pulse)

CIRCUS

continued from page 1

“If we do get busy, we do allow standing room as well. If people have medical needs — wheelchairs, walkers, that kind of things, we will make space for those as well.”

There is only a single ring, and not the three rings that once was a staple of the industry and a cliché that appears in most every book or movie. In a way, it surely helps to draw the focus of the audience to a singular point.

Like many of the circus crew and performers, everyone chips in and wear many hats to either help get the big top up, or running the electricity, setting up booths, etc. The Circus had arrived the morning of March 20, and began setting up the tent starting around 8 a.m. with temperatures hovering around freezing. By the time they were finished, with a short break in between, It was noon.

Acton said, “In the circus, we don’t really believe in the concept of ‘Not my job.’ If something needs to get done and you’re able to help, you step in and you help.”

Ring stock

The days of using elephants in many circuses is part of a bygone era, like the three rings. The massive pachyderms were use at one time to help raise the big tops of the circuses that could afford an elephant. The C&M Circus uses man and woman power, as well as Bobcat power. No, not the predatory feline, but the versatile machine. A bucket has a pair of hitches that chains, steel cables or thick lines are attached to as the operator either pulls or sometimes pushes the several metal poles up as people lift the smaller poles on the outer rim to extend and expand the tent. Come alongs, and block and tackles are also used.

“It’s a lot easier to steer and a lot cheaper to feed,” Acton said of the Bobcat versus an elephant. “Culpepper and Merriweather Great Combined Circus has been around since about 1984. We’ve had a lot of different formats of our show as it has grown over the years. We did have elephants with our production for quite a long time.”

The elephants were eventually retired and not replaced. It does make it logistically easier to travel without transporting elephants.

The show also has three big cats, all of them rescues.

“Our two tigers are 19 years old,” Acton said. “The brother of the pair, Solomon, is semi-retired, but Delilah still very much enjoys performing. It’s a good interaction and enrichment for her.”

During the performance, the beautiful tiger makes her entrance and likes to roll and lounge. The big cat trainer is Eugene “Trey” Key III, who also operates the Circus. He has a buggy whip in hand, and he does use it. There’s a feathery piece on the end and he tickles Delilah’s belly with it as he tries to coax her to get to her place on the stands.

Acton said, “We have a young lion. Technically speaking, he’s still kind of a cub. He’s only two and a half years old. Lions mature at about three — three and a half.

“Our two tigers were rescued from a zoo that got shut down. Our lion, Wendell, was being raised in some people’s home as a pet. Now if that sounds like a bad idea to you, you’re right. Once he was four months old, he was too large and becoming dangerous to their household. He was already close to 80 pounds, about the size of a Labrador retriever and all the energy of a kitten — wanting play, cuddle, snuggle and run all the time. A lot of fun but not very safe. We’ve had him about two years now.”

While Delilah likes treats as a reward for performing, Wendell prefers toys. On this particular evening, at the second show, Solomon did not make an appearance in the ring.

“Our tigers are actually very rare. Our tigers are a soft creamy orange color with a golden stripe. They’re called golden tabby tigers. They’re actually a crossbreed between the Siberian tiger, which is the white tiger, and a Bengal tiger, which is your typical black and orange Frosted Flakes kind of cat. Normally when tigers are crossbred, which is pretty common in zoos and zoo programs, the cubs will look like one parent or the other, whatever’s more the predominant gene. But when you do get a crossbreed like this with the features of both cats, they call the golden tabby tigers. They are exceptionally rare. Last number I heard is there is about 300 of them in existence in the whole world.”

It’s a recessive gene that causes the rare

coloration, generally only found in captive tigers.

Tradition

On the midway, families have time before or after the show to buy concessions, enjoy a 30-foot-tall slide, a gorilla bounce house, face painting or kids can ride either the standard ponies, miniature ponies or the miniature donkey.

There are a pair of draft horses used for tricks by the bareback riders Loyal Family, a 10th generation family tradition. The brother-sister duo, Christian and Zefta.

Acton said, “The Loyals are very famous horse riders, doing different kinds of strength and positioning on horses while they run in the ring. It’s really quite amazing.”

It’s also humorous. Without giving away the comedy portion of the routine, let’s just say that what occurs is unexpected.

“They’re keeping something they were taught by their families and their families before them. They name all of their horses after their grandmother’s soap opera characters.”

The show must go on Key’s wife, Simone, is not only the ringmaster, but she does an impressive aerialist act.

There’s a tightrope walking act; a wheel gymnastics on a German Wheel that has one of the performers basically rubbing his head against the top of the big top as the double wheel with his partner controlling the momentum; a foot juggler who plays with fire; a woman who does a hair hang, meaning she literally does an aerial act attached to the line by her hair.

In between each act, Leo, fully dressed in his clown attire, and looking a bit like a distant cousin to The Grinch, entertains the crowd in various ways after his arrival in a car so small one would think a toddler was going to exit.

Perhaps in a way, Acton still has a bit of kid left in him. Setting up the circus and striking it afterwards is a lot of hard work, but once the lights come on and the seats are filled, Acton gets to act like a kid. He has fun as he juggles, balances various items and pulls members from the audience for some interactive participation and ring tossing.

Forests seeking resource advisory committee applicants

RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. — The Ozark-St. Francis and Ouachita National Forests are seeking candidates to serve on the Ozark-Ouachita Resource Advisory Committee. The committee’s purpose is to improve the community and collaborative relationships among those interested in the work of national forests and to provide advice and recommendations to the Forest Service on projects funded under Title II of the Secure Rural Schools Act.

The USDA charters the advisory committee and comprises 15 members representing a wide array of interests. Committee members must be residents of Arkansas or Oklahoma, but do not have to reside in the counties containing national forests. Members represent a wide array of National Forest interests organized into three categories, specified in Section 205 (d)(2) of the Act:

A - Five persons who represent organized labor or non-timber forest product harvester groups; represent developed outdoor recreation, off highway vehicle users, or commercial recreation activities; represent energy and mineral development interests; or commercial or recreational fishing interests; represent the commercial

timber industry, or; hold federal grazing or other land use permits, or represent nonindustrial private forest land owners, within the area for which the committee is organized.

B - Five persons who represent nationally recognized environmental organizations; regionally or locally recognized environmental organizations; dispersed recreational activities; archaeological and historical interests or; nationally or regionally recognized wild horse and burro interest groups, wildlife or hunting organizations, or watershed associations.

C - Five persons who hold State elected office (or a designee); hold county or local elected office; represent Ameri-

can Indian tribes within or adjacent to the area for which the committee is organized; are school officials or teachers, or; represent the affected public at large.

“The Secure Rural Schools Act encourages collaboration on projects to benefit public lands and local communities,” said Craig McBroome, Designated Federal Official for the Ozark-Ouachita RAC. “Examples of projects that are typically considered include enhancing wildlife habitats, maintaining existing recreational developments, and improving roads for user access and benefiting water quality.”

Application forms and instructions are available at https://www.fs.usda.gov/main/ osfnf/workingtogether/advisorycommittees Committee members are not paid for their participation. Individuals may nominate themselves or others. Nominations and applications are due April 17, 2023.

Please email Caroline Mitchell at caroline.mitchell@usda.gov for more information on the application process. For additional information about the Secure Rural Schools legislation, including Titles I, II, and III, visit the SRS website at https://www. fs.usda.gov/working-with-us/secure-rural-schools

Twin Falls at Camp Orr Boy Scout Camp

(Photo by TimErnst.com)

By Richie Lawry

I found what seemed like the last parking space and hurried into the Ouachita Center. The program would start in five minutes, and I had difficulty finding a seat. I was excited to see Tim Ernst’s presentation and happy that so many in my community had come to see him.

I have been a fan of Tim’s work for many years. I have several of his hiking guidebooks. Thousands of people have used his hiking guides to find the best that Arkansas offers as The Natural State. His iconic photos of the beauty of Arkansas have appeared in hundreds of national, regional, and local publications. They hang on many homes and businesses’ walls, including mine.

Jerry Butler in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette describes Tim this way. “Ernst is to Arkansas’ wilderness what painter John James Audubon was to America’s birds and what journalist David Attenborough is to the nature of the planet. Like them, Ernst has created visual images that inspire awe for the beauty of the natural world.”

As Tim began his presentation, he said, “People want to know what I’m looking for. It is great light! You can take an ordinary subject, and if you have great light on it, it can be a very interesting image. You can take a picture of an icon like Hawksbill Crag, and if the light is just kind of ordinary, so is the snapshot.” In my mind, I could see so many photos I have taken that are just ordinary snapshots. Nothing eye-catching about them, even though the scenery is beautiful. It is the light that makes the difference.

As the room darkened and Tim’s presentation of Arkansas Nightscapes began, I was in awe. The stunning nighttime photographs began appearing on the screen. Many of the photos had a recurring theme, the Milky Way. “It is easy to see the Milky Way if you can get away from city lights,” Tim explained. “Go out after midnight when there is no moon. Sit out for 10-15 minutes so you can acclimate to the darkness. Then look towards the southern sky.” I have experienced the majesty of the Milky Way in a very dark sky several times. My brother-in-law’s cabin in the mountains

An Arkie’s Faith A rare quality of light

ness of the night sky leads to thoughts of how our universe came to be and how insignificant we are.

David wrote, “When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers — the moon and the stars you set in place — what are mere mortals that you should think about them, human beings that you should care for them?” Psalms 8:3,4 (NLT)

There is something magical about witnessing the night sky and reflecting on the beauty of the universe and its Creator. A dark night sky with its starry brilliance is the perfect way to shut out all the distractions of the world around us.

“Look at the myriad of stars and constellations above you. Who set them to burning, each in its place? Who knows those countless lights each by name? They obediently shine, each in its place, because God has the great strength and strong power to make it so.” Isaiah 40:26 (VOICE)

Most of us lead such busy lives that we never fully realize how much we need to spend time alone with our Creator. Mother Teresa said, “Listen in silence because if your heart is full of other things, you cannot hear the voice of God.”

above Leadville, Colorado, sitting at an elevation well over 10,000 feet, has amazingly crisp, clear night sky views. I have seen the sky there with incredible clarity, as no light source is visible when the cabin lights are off.

Last year, I was able to experience the darkest night skies I had ever seen. I was in the Big Bend Ranch State Park, miles away from any light source. It is hard to describe the night sky in a place with no light. The darker the night, the brighter the stars. The sky seemed to expand with more and more stars. As I sat in the darkness and my eyes adjusted to the velvety blackness, I saw a blanket of stars stretching into infinity. The Milky Way rushed across the sky, looking like a bold brush stroke from the hand of a divine painter. As I looked up into the night sky, countless stars and constellations welcomed me into their world. The serenity and quietness of the mo-

ment enveloped me. The starry night sky seemed to wrap me in comfort and peace with its immense canopy and brilliant pinpricks of light.

Another place I have seen the majesty of the Milky Way in the night sky is on The Buffalo River. One night at Tyler Bend is still vivid in my memory. As my eyes adjusted to the darkness, it seemed that more and more stars exploded into view, with the Milky Way dominating the sky. The Buffalo National River is an International Dark Sky Park, one of 201 certified Dark Sky Places worldwide.

Today less than 10% of Americans can enjoy a view of our galaxy, the Milky Way. That means more than 90% never see a picture of the sky taken for granted for almost all of human history. This night sky view inspired countless artists, poets, musicians, mathematicians, scientists, and philosophers. Something about the vast-

Joke of the Week:

I know that I need quiet times in my life. The Bible tells us that Jesus would often seek quiet times with his Father away from the distractions of his busy life. “Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed.” Mark 1:35 (NKJV)

Gentle Reader, I would encourage you to find a place away from the artificial light of this world and experience the night sky the way people have experienced it throughout most of history. Stargazing has been a human pastime since ancient times. The ancients interpreted constellations and arrangements of the stars and planets they saw in the night sky to have essential meaning for themselves and their families.

Look up at the night sky and think about the majesty of the universe and its Creator. “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the skies announce what his hands have made.” Psalms 19:1 (NCV)

I accidentally gave my wife a glue stick instead of her lipstick. She still isn’t talking to me.

Hawksbill Crag at Whitaker Point has that rare quality of light

(Photo by TimErnst.com)

Farm Bureau gifts supports Hunters Feeding the Hungry program

LITTLE ROCK - The Arkansas Farm Bureau Foundation is partnering with Arkansas Hunters Feeding the Hungry (AHFH), with an initial gift of $25,000 that could triple with contributions from others.

The program adds to the hunger relief efforts that ArFB and county Farm Bureaus have supported to fight food insecurity in Arkansas.

The ArFB Foundations Board of Directors recently approved the donation to AHFH, and agreed to match, up to an additional $25,000, any donations made by county Farm Bureaus, individuals, and other entities, meaning a total of $75,000 is possible for the program.

The donation is earmarked for AHFH’s wild game snack sticks program. The snack stick program provides protein in the form of shelf-stable

meat snack sticks to schools for their backpack programs, providing a protein option for students.

“Feeding Arkansans is a natural connection for our state’s farmers and ranchers,” said Rich Hillman, president of Arkansas Farm Bureau. “We are long-time supporters of hunger relief programs across the state and this partnership is a natural expansion of those efforts.

“There is no more obvious connection than farmers sharing their bounty with hunger relief efforts, just as Ar-

kansas hunters provide the meat for the Hunters Feedinggrams.”

zations across Arkansas at no cost.

“This meat stick program has grown significantly in the past four years, and we were looking for the right partner to increase its impact across the state,” said Ronnie Ritter, executive director for Arkansas Hunters Feeding the Hungry. “Arkansas Farm Bureau’s investment in this program will help school children in every area of the state. We’re grateful of their commitment to feeding hungry Arkansans.”

AHFH is in its 22nd year of helping feed Arkansans by providing wild game meat to food pantries across the state. The organization does so by sharing the harvest of an abundant resource with Arkansans who are hungry, providing a low-fat, high-protein food source to the many feeding agencies and organi-

Money donated to the ArFB Foundation on behalf of the Hunters Feeding the Hungry program will be donated to the AHFH. Donations can be made by mail to Arkansas Farm Bureau Foundation, PO Box 31, Little Rock, AR 72203 or by visiting the online giving page at  arfbfoundation.gvtls.com. Please note that the donation is for the Hunters Feeding the Hungry Program.

Culpepper & Merriweather Great Combined Circus

(JoshBarker/Pulse)

Reflecti ons from History and Faith: Salk - Victory over polio and ourselves

By Jeff Olson

One of the strengths of America has been the individual freedom and the opportunities and incentives she has provided for men and women to utilize their intellect, abilities, faith and determination for the good of society, and in doing so often fulfilled their own ambitions and destiny.

This concept was most famously and effectively discussed by Alex de Tocqueville in his seminal work “Democracy in America.” No field or vocation has demonstrated this more than through the creative and innovative advances in the field of medicine.

Case in point: Poliomyelitis, better known as polio, is a serious infection caused by a virus which may attack the nerve cells of the brain and spinal cord. It is known also as infantile paralysis because it often would strike infants or children and lead to paralysis.

Although major epidemics of polio were unknown prior to the 20th century, the disease has caused paralysis and death throughout much of human history. In the 1880s some epidemics began to occur in Europe and soon after in the United States, beginning around 1900. At its peak, in the 1940s and 1950s, polio would paralyze or kill hundreds of thousands of people worldwide yearly. The fear and public

reaction to these epidemics gave rise to mobilization in research and development of new methods to prevent and treat the disease.

At the forefront of this effort was Dr. Jonas E. Salk, an American research scientist. Salk was born in 1914 in New York City, the oldest of a garment industry worker’s three sons. He helped pay for his education by working after school and earning scholarships. He graduated from the New York University School of Medicine in 1939, where he did research with viruses in the laboratory of Dr. Thomas Francis Jr.

In 1942, he went to the University of Michigan on a research fellowship, and advanced to the position of assistant professor of epidemiology. There, Salk worked again with Dr. Francis (then head of Michigan’s School of Public Health) to develop influenza vaccines.

In 1947, Salk began teaching at the University of Pittsburgh and in 1948 he undertook a project funded by the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis (NFIP) to determine the number of different types of polio viruses. This gave him an opportunity to extend this project towards developing a vaccine against polio.

Seventy years ago this Sunday, March 26, 1953, Dr. Salk announced that he had successfully tested a trial vaccine against polio. Among the first to re-

ceive it were Salk, his wife, and their three sons.

Having found the vaccine safe, it was further tested in 1954 during a mass trial on 1,830,000 schoolchildren. The trial was sponsored by the NFIP (later becoming the March of Dimes). The vaccine was announced safe and effective in April 1955. In countries where Salk’s vaccine has remained in use, polio has been virtually eradicated.

Salk received many honors, including a citation from President Dwight Eisenhower and a Congressional gold medal for “great achievement in the field of medicine.” He refused all cash awards and when asked in an interview who owned the patent to the vaccine, Salk replied, “There is no patent. Could you patent the Sun?”

In 1963, the Salk Institute for Biolog-

ical Studies was established in La Jolla, California. Dr. Salk spent his last years searching for a vaccine against HIV. He died of heart failure in 1995 at age 80.

I cannot end this article without returning to my opening paragraph and comment about the creative and innovative advances in medicine in the United States and elsewhere where freedom has fostered incentive and opportunity for such. Like the polio vaccine, some other viruses have since been subjected to the highest intensity of research by some of the best medical minds on the planet in seeking vaccines. Some others have not.

However, medical solutions alone could not solve these epidemics and pandemics, just as they couldn’t for polio. In other words, it also comes down to how many of us will understand and be willing to serve together in groups and institutions within community to sustain a self-governing nation, one where individual freedom and care and love for our neighbors are paramount — what Edmund Burke called the “Little Platoons.”

In such a nation, a vaccine with sufficient research and clinical trials will have a reasonable chance to treat and save as many lives as possible, especially the elderly and those with compromised immune systems.

Finally, let us be inspired by Dr. Jonas Salk and others in the successful work in the victory over polio. If that victory can be achieved, and 70 years ago at that, then it is well within the possibilities of 21st century medicine to win such victories in the future.

Again, what modern medicine cannot fix is perhaps the biggest hurdle and likely even a more consequential pandemic in the long run: surrender of personal responsibility and individual freedom.

Dr. Jonas Salk circa 1983. (Photo courtesy of Salk Institute)

Submitted by Ann Glenn

The cheery yellow daffodils blooming everywhere now are weeks earlier than “normal”; have they jump-started your thoughts of gardening? They are a promise that spring is surely on the way. Let’s look at some ideas for additions to your garden and landscape.

Trees and shrubs

Trees and shrubs are the backbone of your landscape. The large trees provide shade, filter air pollution, absorb carbon dioxide, and produce oxygen. Properly placed, they can cut your electricity bill in summer, act as a windbreak, and buffer street noise.

Among the deciduous trees (those that lose their leaves in winter), any of the 27 varieties of oak growing in Arkansas are wonderful choices, along with hickories and sweet gums. You might also consider tulip poplars, with their outstanding blooms, and don’t forget the evergreens like holly.

The most popular understory trees in Arkansas home landscapes have long been dogwoods and redbuds. Others include Japanese maples, and flowering cherries and crabapples for springtime color. Bradford pears, however, are not recommended, as they are considered invasive in Arkansas.

There are many ornamental shrubs able to thrive in Arkansas’ hot summer.

Abelias have small white blooms all summer long.

Altheas, (Rose of Sharons), are very easy to grow, with both single and double blooms in a variety of colors—white, red, and blue.

Crape Myrtles come in a wide variety of sizes, from 2 feet to 32 feet. They have blooms in shades of red, pink, and purple, and the variegated colors on the trunks provide interest in winter. Some of the newer varieties have foliage that is almost black, a striking contrast to other foliage in

Ready to garden?

Annuals and perennials

Annuals are often used to give instant color with bedding plants, while perennials may bloom a shorter period of time, but don’t have to be replanted every season.

Plant your seasonal color in a concentrated block of color to make the biggest impact in the garden. Group plants together that need the same conditions— sun, water, and fertilizer needs.

Some perennials like daylilies, asparagus and hostas die back completely to the ground after a killing frost in the fall and begin new growth in the spring. Other perennials like hellebores (Lenten Rose), rosemary and lambs ears are evergreen, but live from year to year.

Annuals for summer color include pentas, angelonia, coleus, scaevola and lantana. If your garden has more shade than sun, consider torenia (wishbone flower), begonias, impatiens, and shade coleus.

In perennials, the milkweeds are especially recommended. Asclepias tuberosa is the showy orange butterfly weed which blooms for months in the summer and is a great host plant for

monarch butterflies.

Echinacea (purple coneflower) now comes in a wide range of colors and is a long season bloomer, provided the blooms are dead-headed after flowering.

Hardy hibiscus bloom from June through August, with dinner-plate sized blooms in red, pink, or white.

If you have a shade garden, try heuchera (coral bells) with foliage in almost every color of the rainbow.

Hostas are grown more for their foliage, but they do produce flower spikes as well. When shopping in garden centers for plants, look for Arkansas Diamonds and the Proven Winners logo. These are locally grown plants proven to do well in Arkansas. If there is only one rule for gardening, it all comes back to the basic rule: pick the right plant for the right place.

I would be remiss if I failed to mention that our Master Gardeners’ Annual Plant Sale is an excellent opportunity to buy all manner of plants started by our local Polk County group, or dug from our local gardens, already adapted to our local conditions. The Plant Sale is always the weekend before Mothers’ Day, making the date May 13th, this year.

[Eds. Resource for information: University of Arkansas, Research & Extension.]

the garden.

Oakleaf hydrangeas do well in a woodland garden with morning sun and afternoon shade. In the fall, the plants turn fiery red before dropping their leaves. Standard forms grow up to 8 - 10 feet tall, while dwarf varieties get no larger than 3 feet.

The Hydrangea paniculata bloom on the new growth and can take more sun. There are new varieties being developed every year. “Limelight” is particularly popular. It has pale green to white flowers which fade to white.

Monarch butterfly on a purple coneflower.

(Photo by Natalia Jones on Unsplash)

Old-time church revival meeting, at Calvary Baptist Church, 2100 Hwy. 375 W, Mena. Open to all! Includes guest speakers, music, refreshments and a message. Sunday, March 26, 6 - 7:30 p.m., and Monday-Wednesday, March 27 - 29, 7 - 8 p.m.

2800 Craftsy meets every Tuesday at 10 a.m., 2800 Jerry Lee Dr., Mena. Free to all who are interested in crafting. (501) 617-7261. Visit 2800 Craftsy on Facebookgroups.

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.

Cakewalk & food sale for the Choctaw Nation Community at the Smithville Nation Senior Center, Hwy. 259 in Smithville, Saturday, Apr. 1 at 4 p.m. There will be Chili dogs, hot dogs, Frito pies and nachos. Fundraiser proceeds go to Smithville Nation Senior Citizens trips. For more information call Ruthie Bohannon (580) 306-8628

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

Around Town

grieving the loss of a loved one.

Applications for lifeguard positions at McMillan Pool may be picked up at City Hall, 520 Mena Street, between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.

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

The Cove Branch Library is open Monday and Thursday from noon - 5 p.m. The Library is located next to Cove Town Hall at 5568 Hwy. 71 S.

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.

The Cossatot Senior Center in Wickes has meals and activities for seniors. If you need to make delivery arrangements or changes call (870) 385-2373.

Hatfield First Baptist Church “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) 234-8366 or (479) 216-3786.

“The Women of Country Music,” featuring singer Lana Gail, Ouachita Little Theatre, 610 Mena St., Mar. 31 - Apr. 1, 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Apr.

2, 2:30 p.m. Tickets: Adults - $15, Students -$10. Buy in advance at box office or online at OLTMena.org. Tickets also available at the door day of show, but reservations recommended.

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) 243-9600 and let us know about your event! To have it in the Polk County Pulse newspaper, we need to know by FIVE on FRIDAY. We look forward to continuing to serve the community!

Outdoors photographer Price giving program

Mark your calendars, you will want to attend the upcoming meeting of the Ouachita Photography club on March 25, 10 a.m. at the Mena Art Gallery.

Mena resident and nationally known photographer and journalist Steve Price will present a special photography program titled “Quick Tips for Better Photo Composition.”

A full-time outdoors writer and photographer since 1973, Price has specialized in outdoor recreation, wildlife and nature photography, and travel. He is known nationwide for his writing in the freshwater fishing industry and his work as a contributing editor for Field & Stream Magazine, but throughout his career he has written more than 3,500 magazine articles for dozens of publications on all phases of the outdoors.

He has also written 17 books, several video scripts, and hundreds of newspaper and Internet features. His photography has won numerous national and international awards and been used around the world by such organizations as the National Geographic Society, Yamaha Marine Group, ESPN, the BBC, Reader’s Digest, Ford Motor Company, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, the Walt Disney Corporation, and others. He has traveled widely throughout the world, including five extended trips to Africa and six to South America, and been inducted into both the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame and the Legends of the Outdoors Hall of Fame.

The meeting is free and open to members as well as to non-members who may be interested in becoming a Ouachita Photography club.

Researchers receive grant to develop robotic poultry processing

Researchers in Arkansas and two other states will be using a $5 million grant to increase use of artificial intelligence and robotics in chicken processing to reduce waste in deboning and detect pathogens.

The grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture will establish the Center for Scalable and Intelligent Automation in Poultry Processing. The center, led by the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, will join researchers from five institutions in three states in efforts to adapt robotic automation to chicken meat processing.

The recent impetus to automate chicken processing began with the COVID-19 pandemic. The illness spread quickly among workers on the processing line. Since the worst of the pandemic, the poultry industry, like many others, has been having trouble hiring enough workers.

Researchers point out that poultry processing lines began 70 to 80 years ago. Since then, there have been only incremental changes in technology. Today, they say, there’s a need for transformative change.

Robotic hands are not adept at holding a chicken. New technology is needed to prevent dropping slippery meats. Separating the carcasses into cuts of meat is also tricky. For example, human deboners leave about 13 percent of meat on the bones. Automated deboners leave 16% to 17 %. On an industrial scale, that’s a significant loss in value.

Automation can relieve labor shortages, however. It also allows plants to locate in rural areas with a smaller labor force but nearer poultry houses and with lower property costs.

Arkansas’ research will involve scientists from at least three departments within the Center of Excellence for Poultry Science.

The primary focus of Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station researchers will be to automate food safety practices. Their hope is to develop robots that monitor processing lines for pathogens like Salmonella and maintain clean and safe spaces and equipment. Researchers also aim to develop hyperspectral imaging to detect plastics in chicken meat.

- FOR SALE -

For Sale: 2001 GMC Sierra, Dark blue, 5.3 L V-6, extended cab, long bed with brushguard. Needs body work, new tires and front end. Nice interior, runs good. (479) 437-3002 or (479) 329-0205

T0322

- YARD SALE -

Large Garage Sale 2409 S. Mena St. March 24-25. Fabric, tools, clothes, electronics. Something for all, rain or shine. T0322

- SERVICES -

Wendell’s Tree Service - Tree Removal and Trimming. Experienced and fully insured for ALL your tree-trimming needs. Call (479) 394-0227 or (479) 216-4328. T0405

Mobile lawnmower repair and repair flats. Minimum, $20 service call. For details, call Bill Duff (479) 216-5204. T0322

Construction, steel buildings, welding, pads, ponds, and roads. Military discounts. Insured. Give RC Customz a call for free estimates at (479) 216-2976. T0426

Daniel’s carpentry and painting and handyman service. Deck and privacy fences, etc. Call (479) 216-1101 or (479) 216-2299. T0329

Tree services, forestry mulching, storm cleanup, stump grinding. Signs and light replacement. Give RC Customz a call at (479) 216-2976 for Free estimate. T0426

Mena Shuttle - Ground transportation to AR and TX airports. Doctor and emergency appointments. Also, light deliveries. (870) 490-1191 T0405

- HELP WANTED -

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

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

T0329

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

T0329

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.

T0329

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.

T0329

LEGAL NOTICE

Kevin Williams; Jason Sullivan; Emily Bevill of UNION BANK OF MENA and Theresa Young of Arvest Bank; you have less than 30 calendar days upon receipt of the four Affidavit of Status and the Affidavit of Complaint to controvert and overcome them IN WRITTEN SWORN AFFIDAVIT FORM UNDER PENALTY OF PERJURY to the correct address submitted. Your silence stands as consent to, and tacit approval of, the factual declarations therein contained being established as fact as a matter of law.

T0329

Master Gardeners introduce Yard of the Month project

City of Mena spring clean-up

The City of Mena Annual Spring CleanUp is scheduled to begin on Tuesday, March 28. City trucks will pick up items you want to dispose of at no charge. This Clean-up service is free for residences within the city limits of Mena only

Please follow the below listed regulations to ensure that the pick-up runs smoothly.

Submitted by Judy Petty

Polk County Master Gardeners are pleased to announce the start of a community project. A Polk County resident will be honored each month as having the Yard of the Month; starting March-November, with December being chosen for best decorated home.

A committee made up of volunteer master gardeners will look at yards that are nominated by community members, to assure they are:

• Well-groomed and attractive

• Regularly mowed and edge

• Weedless flower beds

• Seasonal color

• Regular mulching of flower beds

• All shrubs trimmed

• Insect control

• Green healthy lawn

• Yard must be free of debris,

trash cans, recycle bins, etc.

To nominate a yard, fill out the form below or pick one up at the Polk County extension office. Each nomination submitted will be given a drive-by judging. The winner will receive a specially designed Yard of the Month sign placed in their front yard for one month, a certificate of recognition signed by a Polk County representative, along with their picture being taken for the local newspapers, the Master Gardener website and Master Gardener newsletter. The nominee must be a resident of Polk County and can only receive this award once a year. March is coming up quickly, so please make your nominations soon and turn them into the Polk County Extension Office.

Polk County Master Gardeners “Yard of the Month” Nominee

Name of Nominee:

Address of Nominee:

Phone # of Nominee:

Please fill out and return to Polk County Extension Office 211 DeQueen St. Mena, AR

* Master Gardeners are ineligible to be nominated.

Materials will not be picked up unless they are placed at the curb-side and separated. Street Department personnel cannot go onto private property to assist in moving items.

It is very important to separate any items that you want to keep away from those that are to be discarded, such as trash cans.

The following items cannot be picked up: concrete, brick, rocks, dirt, shingles, batteries, and construction debris.

Please separate your items to be discarded into 5 distinct piles as follows:

• Furniture — couches, chairs, televisions, window frames, etc.

• Household trash — paper items, etc.

(Please place trash cans, that you wish to keep, to one side so that they will not be disposed of inadvertently.)

• Metal material -- hot water heaters, stoves, appliances, etc.

• Yard waste — tree limbs, shrubs, grass, etc.

• Tires

Note - it is required that all small yard debris, such as small limbs, gum balls, leaves and grass, be placed in garbage bags.

The Mena Street Department will begin pick up in the northwest part of the city and work their way across town following the same routes as Southern Disposal. Trucks will run one to three days after the day of your normal trash pick-up.

The response to this Clean-Up is usually overwhelming, so please be patient if the trucks are running somewhat behind the posted schedule; however, each route will only be covered one time. It is not necessary to call City Hall in order to receive this service.

Polk County Master Gardener Scholarship

The Polk County Master Gardeners is offering a $500 per semester scholarship to a high school senior who is majoring in a horticultural or agricultural type of degree and is planning to start college in the 2023 fall semester.

Following are the items that need to be attached to the application for this scholarship:

1. A permanent high school transcript, which includes the fall semester ending prior to application deadline.

2. Three character references confirming moral character, integ-

rity and need for scholarship funds.

3. A separate sheet listing high school activities, offices held, and community/church activities.

4. A letter stating reasons for applying for this scholarship and your goals for the future.

You can pick up an application at the Polk County Extension Office at 211 DeQueen St, Mena, AR 71953. For information call 479-394-6018. Application, reference letters and questions should be taken or sent to the same address. Deadline for returning applications is April 15.

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

March 13, 2023

Deputies were dispatched to a residence on Polk 76 W near Acorn in reference to a trespasser. Information has been forwarded to the Prosecuting Attorney for further consideration.

Deputies responded to a walk-in complainant in reference to a violation of an order of protection.

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

March 14, 2023

Deputies were dispatched to a residence on 4th Street near Wickes in reference to a possible break-in attempt. Deputies responded to a report of harassment.

March 15, 2023

William Thompson, 64 of Mena was arrested on a charge of Disorderly Conduct.

March 16, 2023

An incident on Hwy 88E near Ink led to the arrest of Holly Robinson, 31 of Mena on charges of Disorderly Conduct and Public Intoxication.

March 17, 2023

Deputies were dispatched to a residence on Carter Creek Lane near Mena in reference to an unruly juvenile.

Deputies were dispatched to a residence on Susie Lane near Mena in reference to a possible theft of property.

March 18, 2023

No reports.

March 19, 2023

Deputies were dispatched to a residence on Polk 78 near Potter in reference to a domestic dispute leading to the arrest of Mark Blehm, 30 of Mena on a charge of Disorderly Conduct.

Edward Kilcollins, 48 of Mena was arrested on a Misdemeanor Failure to Appear Warrant.

Deputies were dispatched to a residence on W Boundary in reference to a Domestic Disturbance.

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

Polk County Detention Center Jail

Population: 23 Incarcerated Inmates with 17 Inmates currently on the Waiting List for a State Facility.

MENA POLICE REPORTS

March 12

A report of theft was taken from Walmart.

March 13

Rocky Daugherty, 31, was charged with Disorderly Conduct and Public Intoxication at Janssen Park.

Kaleb Birtcher, 25, was served with a warrant after a traffic stop on South Reine Street.

Kathy Harper, 43, was served with warrants after a traffic stop on Pine Avenue.

A report of fleeing, reckless driving, possession of meth, and possession of

drug paraphernalia was taken after an attempted traffic stop on Racetrack Road.

Shawna Morris, 26, was charged with Possession of Marijuana and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia after a traffic stop on Highway 71.

March 14

A missing persons report was taken at a residence on Oak Grove.

Benjamin McKnight, 28, was charged with Possession of Methamphetamine, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, and Driving on Suspended License after a traffic stop on Highway 71.

Jody Carter, 38, was served with a warrant at the detention center.

March 15 No report.

March 16

Joshua Lott, 42, was charged with Possession of Methamphetamine, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, and served with a warrant at a residence on 11th Street.

Charles Solo, 50, was served with warrants at a residence on 11th Street.

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

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

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

A report of criminal mischief was taken from a walk-in complainant.

A report of a disturbance was taken at a residence on 4th Street.

March 17

Martin Rodriguez, 21, was served with a warrant after a traffic stop on Highway 71.

Michelle Huff, 47, was served with a warrant at the detention center.

March 18

John Hollis, 26, was charged with Battery 3rd and Terroristic Threatening after a disturbance call to Missouri Avenue.

A report of theft of property was taken from Walmart.

Prosecutor named in lawsuit regarding child abuser

By Patrick Massey

PIKE COUNTY - Ninth West Judicial District prosecutor Jana Bradford has been named as a defendant in a civil lawsuit in connection with her uncle Barry Walker who is a convicted child sex offender. Bradford is being sued in her individual capacity and not as the prosecuting attorney.

58-year-old Walker was convicted of raping more than 30 prepubescent girls over the span of two decades. During that time, Bradford served as a deputy prosecutor and was a mandated reporter of child maltreatment.

The lawsuit alleges that Bradford had knowledge of Walker’s behavior and never ‘took any steps to protect other prepubescent females’ from Walker.

However, the suit claims Bradford took various steps to protect her uncle. According to the lawsuit, Bradford attempted to have Walker removed from the sex offender’s registry in 2018 and she attempted to have him pardoned in 2004.

According to the lawsuit, Bradford and other relatives ‘worked collectively to develop a strategy to protect Walker with respect to the investigations because they knew a negative finding could harm the family’s reputation and political interests.’

Currently, six individuals and two Walker-owned businesses have been named as defendants. The total number of defendants is 11. The complaint is 164-pages in length and includes numerous transcribed discussions between Walker and his brother, who is among the defendants.

The plaintiffs are being represented by the Texarkana-based Mercy Carter Law Firm. Bradford won an election in 2022 for district prosecutor of Sevier, Howard, Pike and Little River Counties.

Walker was convicted in October of several dozen counts ranging from rape to computer child exploitation and producing illicit material involving a child. He was sentenced to a total of 18 life sentences in Pike County. [Eds. We reached out to Bradford’s office for comment on the lawsuit but a response has not been returned.]

Keep Arkansas Beautiful spring campaign underway

By Patrick Massey

The Keep Arkansas Beautiful Commission (KAB) announced March 21 the kickoff of the 2023 Keep America Beautiful™ Great American Cleanup® (GAmC) in Arkansas. This year’s GAmC runs from March 1 - May 31. Arkansans interested in doing their part to help keep Arkansas beautiful can recruit volunteers and host their own cleanups or sign up to volunteer at an event near them.

“Arkansas had record-breaking turnout for our 2022 cleanup seasons,” said Colbie Jones, director at KAB. “Nearly 18,000 people volunteered from all 75 counties across the state. That’s a tough act to follow, but we’re confident Arkansans can come together again to match or even exceed those numbers during the 2023 Great American Cleanup.”

KAB invites individuals and groups to sign up to volunteer or organize a local event during the GAmC at  https://bit. ly/GAC2023SignUp. Organizers can use KAB’s free educational resources and

print-ready promotional items to help recruit volunteers and learn how to organize a cleanup. These resources and free supplies like disposable gloves, cotton gloves and fluorescent safety vests are available through KAB by visiting  http:// bit.ly/KABClean

“Spring is almost here, which means it’s time for volunteers to get outside and get involved in a local cleanup,” said Robyn Taylor, volunteer program manager. “It takes the work of Arkansans from all over to keep our communities clean and litter free, and we want everyone to feel encouraged to register to participate in a cleanup this spring.”

During GAmC cleanup events, volunteers are encouraged to use safety precautions, including not picking up litter with bare hands, wearing bright safety vests along roadways and ensuring children are accompanied by an adult while collecting litter.

For more information, visit keeparkansasbeautiful.com/get-involved/cleanups

Hogspore News: And the real winner is…

By Clet Litter as told to Bob Simpson

Hogspore Notions and Sundries is real busy. Sometimes there’s a line of two customers at the register. This means that the Annual Beauty Pageant is coming this Saturday night. There’s always girls in the Gussy-Up department buying makeup, skin cream, essential oils, pore plows, eyebrow weed-eaters, and epilators that hide what poets write about.

One of those women is gonna go home a winner. Course, the Mayor will spout off, “All the women here tonight are winners.” But, the real winner is gonna be the Notions and Sundries’ owner.

Folks are adjusting to the time change and nobody’s grumbling anymore. I thought about damaging the sun dials in town to protest, but I got scared of going to the slammer and having to eat the Sheriff’s wife’s cooking for the pokey prisoners. It’s a mystery how the Sheriff come to be 300 pounds, feeding on her food. I just vandalized my own sundial under the oak tree. It runs a shade slow in the afternoons anyway.

Last Friday, the folks went green, not like Earth Day, but like St Patrick’s Day. We celerbrated the arrival of Christianity in Ireland

by putting down as many pints of adult beverages that we could manage. No children drank, but the Irish-American babies had sippy cups full of green watered-down still juice. In Ireland, they call it wetting the shamrock. It’s not the same as here in the 1970s when we was wetting the shag rug.

Science Update: Scientists for the woke folks that have 75 or more pronouns to use for your persuasion of the day were working on artificial intelligence. They stopped working on that when they realized that there wouldn’t be any humor left in society. They reckon that without humor everybody is gonna be mad as bees without pollen. And everybody knows that you can’t control angry bees. That’s why the lab folks are now looking into Artificial Stupidity

Punkin had her cell phone repaired by somebody that comes to where you are to fix your cell phone. The service is called, We Come to Where You Are to Fix Your Cell Phone. The cell phone fixer was a woman named Ann Dwoid.

You can contact Clet Litter at bobsimpson2007@AOL.com You know you wanna.

Acorn students accepted to Arkansas Governor’s School

Submitted by Tammy L. Young

Acorn High School juniors, Kora Carter and Kenzie Daniels have been accepted to Arkansas Governor’s School this summer. This prestigious competitive program will provide Carter and Daniels with enrichment leadership experiences that will be very beneficial in their future careers and endeavors

Carter plans to pursue higher educa-

Acorn music teacher shares ‘teachable moment’

Submitted by Tammy L. Young

are residents of the state of Arkansas. The program is funded by the Arkansas State Legislature as a portion of the biennial appropriation for Gifted and Talented Programs through the State Department of Education.

AGS participants are provided tuition, room, board, and instructional materials for the four-week program on the site of a residential college campus, sponsored by the State.

Acorn Music Department Instructor Valerie Couch shared a “teachable moment” with Acorn High School senior Jonah Rogan on March 10.

Rogan plans to be a music education major at Central Baptist Col-

lege in Conway after graduation and Couch provided an opportunity for him to assist with conducting the seventh grade band class.

“He led the ensemble and rocked it,” Couch stated, “The best part was hearing the students call him Mr. Jonah.”

tion goals to major in education and a career as a special education teacher.

Daniels plans to pursue higher education goals to major in political science and a career in law.

The Arkansas Governor’s School is a four-week summer residential program for upcoming high school seniors who

Arkansas Governor’s School is a non-credit program that seeks to create a unique experience for a select group of Arkansas’ best students — the potential leaders of the 21st century. AGS provides highly motivated, creative students with an intellectual atmosphere impossible to sustain in ordinary academic settings.

Kora Carter

Kenzie Daniels

Emma Threlkeld signed a letter of intent to play volleyball at Champion Christian College in Hot Springs the morning of March 8 at the Union Bank Center at Mena High School. Threlkeld made the All-Conference volleyball teams in 2021 and 2022.

Donkey b-ball fundraiser full of laughs

By Ethan Nahté

The donkeys were in the house and on the court, while some of the players were on the floor. The fundraiser for the Cossatot River cheerleaders on March 9 was entertaining for the participants and for the audience. With tickets ranging from $7 - $10 to help raise money to pay for the outfits and supplies for the CRSD cheerleaders, the mostly filled Hatfield gym had 413 tickets sold.

The Walking Dog was also outside the front door, selling a variety of special recipe hot dogs and donating the proceeds to the cause. The first game pitted the female students against the male students. As one would assume, it was very difficult to get the donkeys to cooperate — not moving when a player wanted them to move, and taking off when a player wanted the beasts to stop, whether it be to shoot a basket with a ball slightly smaller than a regulation basketball, or to go after a loose ball while having to maintain some form of connection with one’s ride.

A lot of time was spent trying to mount and stay on the donkeys. Some students learned quickly that being behind a donkey is not where you want to be. The longeared critters did have special rubber shoes on to protect the court while the players had helmets on to protect their heads.

The boys barely won with a score of 1614.

At the end of the first game, the players led the donkeys from one end of the court to the other, spotting the young kids

12 and under who received tickets upon entry to get a free donkey ride. Some of the donkeys were traded out

to give them a break as the second game began, which was a co-ed game of adults vs. students. The students were victorious 18-12.

The participants were having a blast judging by their facial expressions. The crowd was laughing almost nonstop. Some of the crowd could be overheard stating that this event was the most they had laughed in a long time.

The donkeys were supplied by Dairyland Donkey Ball, LLC out of Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin.

More photos will be in a Pulse Facebook album soon.

(Photo by Kristine Albin)

(Ethan Nahté/Pulse)

3/28 - Cossatot vs. Two Rivers

Softball

3/27 - Cossatot @ De Queen

3/28 - Cossatot vs. Two Rivers

Soccer

3/27 - Cossatot vs. Harmony Grove

Baseball

3/28 - Mena @ Pottsville

Softball

3/27 - Mena vs. Hackett

3/28 - Mena @ Pottsville

Parker victorious in Junior Golden Gloves

Jasmine Parker, 14, of Mena, competed in the Arkansas Junior Golden Gloves Saturday, March 11, in Little Rock. Parker competed in the 114-pound female division against a tough opponent from Major

Mineral Springs

Moves Boxing.

Parker put on a near-perfect performance in three rounds of boxing to secure her the unanimous decision victory and the Junior Golden Gloves Championship.

Arkansas Community College

Softball

3/23 - UARM @ South Arkansas Community College

3/25 - UARM @ SAU Tech

Track & Field

3/22 - UARM @ Langston University Invitational

Parker is a member of the Attitude Angels female boxing team and trains at the Ouachita Combat and Fitness Academy in Mena. Parker attends Mena Middle School where she plays volleyball, competes in track and is a member of the cheer team. Boxing Coach Richard Hexamer said, “Parker has worked into a very solid young boxer. I look for big things in this young lady’s future.”