Polk County Pulse September 8, 2021

FREE WEEKLY 1168 Hwy 71 S Mena, AR 71953 479.243.9600

Pulse THE POLK COUNTY

September 8, 2021

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

Board aims to “burn” OLT’s mortgage Submitted by OLT

The Lyric building, which houses the Ouachita Little Theatre, has a milestone approaching. In 2023 the building will be 100 years old. To celebrate this event, OLT has an important goal in mind: to own the building outright.

A campaign to “Burn our Mortgage!” was created and the community is asked to help the OLT achieve their goal.

Chairperson of this campaign, Judy Kropp, said the goal was inspired by a comment made from one of the former OLT charter members stating, “If 30 people in Mena would give a gift to OLT of $1,000 each, we could pay off the mortgage!"

Judy recognized this statement was not only true, but attainable.

The OLT board members are seeking participation from individuals and businesses to be part of an active campaign to “Burn the Mortgage” by making donations - large and small.

The Lyric Building has provided generations of

Polk County people with fond memories of entertainment.

“We often have people come into the building that remember going to the movies when they were children or with their high school sweethearts,” OLT board members said.

It began with silent films in the early 1920s, followed by the first “talkie” film, then personal Lum and Abner appearances and their film’s national premiere. Since 1985, when OLT purchased the building, the Lyric stage has been filled with live performances of plays, musicals, music and dance groups.

“It is a stalwart goal of OLT to protect this building which is a treasure in this community. It has survived tornado strikes, fire, water damage, and more,” board members said. “We pledge to take care of it and preserve it for more generations to come. Please join us in this worthy commitment by sharing whatever donations you can.”

You can mail a check to OLT, PO Box 1217, Mena, AR 71953 (please indicate “Burn the Mortgage” on the memo line) or drop by the OLT office, Thursdays and Fridays between 2-6 PM or Saturdays from 10 AM to 2 PM.

Mena Schools: COVID Caution and back to school business Submitted by Mena Public Schools

Despite having to deal with COVID close contacts and those with positive test results, we have had a rather smooth start to the 2021-2022 school year. As of today, our enrollment is 1,747 students. This is up from the end of the 2020-2021 school year, which finished with 1,720. All of the buildings

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have seen a slight increase in enrollment and there are several new faces, especially among our staff. We want to welcome our new students, staff members, and their families to Mena!

We have many of our students engaged in very worthwhile activities right now. We are in our second week of the football season. Our band is on the field marching again. Our volley-

ball, golf, and cross country teams are successfully competing weekly; and, this week is the Polk County Fair and Livestock Show. As you go to these events to support our students please be mindful of COVID and how it impacts our school when large numbers of people are quarantined or isolated.

We began the year with an emphasis on creating as much normalcy as pos-

sible for our students and staff but the latest wave of the coronavirus is bringing back much of the stressors of last year. Students and staff are being quarantined as close contacts, so many of us are back to learning from home.

On Thursday, September 2, 2021, Mena Public Schools had 232 students

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1201 HIGHWAY 71 S MENA, ARKANSAS

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2 News

September 8, 2021

MENA SCHOOLS continued from page 1

and employees at home because of COVID. This is about 45 more than our highest number last year. Of course, 76.3% of those people are quarantined due to being in close contact. Today, Friday, September 3, 2021, that number is down to 229.

We have 53 active cases of COVID right now, which is a 2.7% positivity rate. That's based on all students and staff in the district and is up from 1.9% last week. Here is a breakdown of active cases on each campus.

Total Active Cases :- 53 LDES - 13 HHES - 26 MMS - 10 MHS - 2 Other - 2 The good news is that we are coming to a long weekend and when we return on September 7th, so will 113 people who are now isolated or quarantined.

We want to recognize and thank Mr. Shane Torix and Nurses Becky Richardson, Lisa Falls, Sherry Wood, and

Bobbi Landon for all the contact tracing and record keeping they are having to do along with their other jobs. Our contact tracing team here at Mena Public Schools is very thorough and accurate. This team determines who close contacts are when there is a positive case at school. Our close contacts are being reduced by the actions our staff and students are taking to keep social distance, wear masks, or be vaccinated. But many are still being sent home because they do not take these precautions.

To keep our doors open, we must have enough staff available to properly supervise and educate the students that are here and quarantined at home.

Wearing a mask or being vaccinated will prevent people from being sent home as a close contact as long as they have no symptoms. We are asking those who do not want the vaccine to at least mask up when they cannot social distance. This will keep us in operation and avoid shutdown. Many of our younger students cannot or do not understand these things, which is why our highest number of active cases are

among those 12 years of age or younger.

We are asking parents, students, and staff to do these things because of the rules that we are under from the Arkansas Department of Health. First, we have our guidance from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

These rules are given to them by the Arkansas Department of Health and state law gives them the authority to do whatever they deem necessary to keep the public health safe. We have to quarantine or isolate based on these rules and laws.

We do not have the same waivers from the state as last year to help us in case we have to shut down school. We are limited to ten (10) Alternative Methods of Instruction (AMI) days and use of Digital Learning. We do have a plan for students without Internet access. Student/teacher interaction on these days are required or they do not count as a school day. This is a statement made by DESE and those days will be added to the end of the school year if we do not teach according to our AMI plan. If we

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use any AMI days, we ask parents to please make sure their student participates in and completes all assignments.

The chances of us closing as a district are just about zero. AMI days are more for weather events but we may use them in case of a COVID outbreak in the school. Our guidance from DESE is to send specific classrooms or buildings home before closing the entire district. They base our guidance on what to do according to the "outbreak" level at a school.

At this time, we do not have a COVID outbreak. Our high numbers are primarily quarantined close contacts.

We thank all of the parents and community members in the Mena School District for their patience, understanding, and support as we try to continue educating students while dealing with the continuing impact of COVID. We want you to know that while we are focused on educating your children and overcoming past learning loss, we are also taking safety precautions in the buildings to keep a clean and healthy learning environment.

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for LPNs & CNAs ($14.40/hr starting pay) as we build our team in preparation to open a new Cottage!! Don’t have your certification? New (FREE) classes forming now! Next class starts September 7th!! The benefits for working with our team include ability to get paid daily, working in a home like environment, free meals, vacation accrual and insurance options, as well as competitive wages for the surrounding area! Stay close to home and work!! Come by the administrative building to apply in person!

THE POLK COUNTY

Pulse

September 8, 2021

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20 Years Later, Remembering the Tragedy and Triumph of 9/11 When radical Islamic terrorists hijacked four commercial airliners on September 11, 2001 and employed them as weapons against innocent Americans, we were instantly shocked and outraged. Those emotions, and others, washed over us in waves in the hours, days and months that followed.

As the dust settled and our understanding grew, we processed the consequences and worked through the grief and anger that accompany any unspeakable tragedy. Americans from all walks of life understood the magnitude of the devastation, destruction Senator and loss, as well as the substantial blow the attack struck against Boozman our national pride and sense of security.

But whatever the intentions of the extremists who launched this evil, brutal assault, our response must have surprised them because of how we came together.

Americans transcended differences and divisions to stand as one people, united in sorrow and pain, but also in resolve and purpose. We pledged to move forward with a renewed sense of identity and rekindled compassion for each other.

Yet our own project of self-renewal occurred alongside a new reality.

On September 14, standing on a pile of rubble at Ground Zero, President George W. Bush told rescue workers, “I can hear you! The rest of the world hears you. And the people who knocked these buildings down will hear all of us soon.” In a subsequent address to a Joint Session of Congress he told the American people, “Whether we bring our enemies to justice, or bring justice to our enemies, justice will be done.” Those who provoked this act of war were put on notice.

Shortly thereafter, the United States hunted down the terrorist group Al-Qaeda which orchestrated 9/11, and also removed the Taliban from its rule in Afghanistan as a consequence of having offered a safe haven from which extremists recruited, trained and dispatched adherents committed to inciting global instability and sowing fear.

Through the might of our Armed Forces and confidence in our cause, those objectives were achieved with remarkable speed. The larger mission persisted and eventually Al-Qaeda’s leader and a key architect of modern Islamic terrorism, Osama bin Laden, was also brought to justice.

Now, as our military presence in Afghanistan has ended, the extent to which America’s warriors serve and sacrifice on behalf of the cause of liberty, with humility and care, is more apparent than ever.

Thousands of men and women answered their country’s call and helped wage the Global War on Terror with dignity, skill and honor. This was not a war of conquest. It was, and continues to be, a battle against the enemies of freedom and on behalf of the democratic principles we hold dear. It has been prosecuted by dedicated U.S. service members, for whom we are eternally proud and grateful, with success and stamina.

Two decades after that terrible September morning, we have learned that no amount of retribution, however just and necessary, can fully heal our wounds. That’s why we come together in a Day of Service to pay tribute to all those lost, injured or forever altered by the events of 9/11. We acknowledge and honor them through acts that build up our communities and strengthen the bonds of unity and patriotism that define us.

I encourage every Arkansan and American to find a way to contribute your time and resources toward that end. The benefits serve each of us individually and our country in ways that are hard to measure, but easy to sense.

Now, we reflect on this solemn anniversary by remembering the victims, sharing in the grief of their loved ones, serving causes greater than ourselves in their honor and praying for the heroic Americans working tirelessly to defend our country and way of life. In doing so, we remember that day’s tragedy and triumph in the most personal and meaningful ways possible.

Editorial 3

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4 Editorial From the

State House of Representatives

jobs, they’re also known for Rice is grown in over 40 Arkansas counties. The crop congiving back to their commutributes billions to the state’s nities. The state’s rice industry economy and accounts for apgives over 100,000 pounds of proximately 25,000 jobs, crurice annually to fight food insecial to rural communities. curity in Arkansas.

September is National Rice Rice farmers have a comMonth, a month-long celemitment to protect and prebration of all things rice. In John Maddox serve natural resources. ToArkansas, we have a great day, Arkansas rice farmers produce deal to celebrate. more rice using less land, energy and Our state is home to 2,300 rice farms water than they did 20 years ago. and 96% of those farms are family Working rice fields also provide critiowned and operated. Our farmers procal wildlife habitat for many species of duce more than 9 billion pounds of rice birds, mammals and reptiles. each year.

A half-cup cooked serving of white or The history of rice in Arkansas began brown rice costs less than 10 cents, and in the 1800’s but it wasn’t until 1910 that production, research and milling provides vitamins, minerals and nutrients. Consuming Arkansas-grown rice were established in the state.

Today, Arkansas produces approx- helps support our neighbors who conimately 48 percent of U.S. rice and tinue to produce a quality food supply. ranks number one in acres planted and You can help celebrate rice month by bushels produced. Arkansas has been purchasing Arkansas-grown rice at the nation’s leading rice-producing your local supermarket.

We’ve posted more information state since 1973.

Arkansas rice farmers not only con- about the industry on our website tribute to our economy by creating www.arkansashouse.org.

Contact Your Legislators!

John Maddox

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

Larry Teague

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September 8, 2021

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

John Boozman

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

Bruce Westerman

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

From the

State Senate

that a particular area may Arkansas legislators continue to support a statewide exnot qualify for a broadband pansion of broadband service grant, because supposedly as quickly as possible, espeit is already being served by cially in areas where there is an existing provider. Howno Internet at all and in places ever, everybody who lives in where the technology is obsothe area knows that it is not lete. being served by the compaAt the same time, lawmakny. ers are being careful to not Larry Teague A deputy director at the move so quickly that monArkansas Economic Develey is wasted or misspent. Legislators opment Commission, through which are working to ensure that increased the grants are being awarded, said funding does not simply enable cur- that complaints about service may be rent Internet providers to protect a result of the old equipment that the their existing turf, by shutting out provider wants to upgrade. competition.

When a provider receives a grant, At its regular monthly meeting, there will be an ongoing audit to enthe Arkansas Legislative Council ap- sure that the promised services are proved spending $120 million on 34 made available to consumers, the depbroadband projects that are ready to uty director said. begin. The Council also approved an A senator on the Council questioned additional $27 million for 12 other officials about the date the broadband projects that still need a technological consultant would be hired, saying that review. in the future the consultant would reThe money comes from the Amerview all proposals to make sure they ican Rescue Plan, approved by Confit into a statewide plan. The consulgress and the federal administration tant should be hired in September. earlier this year.

In conjunction with the large grants During the same meeting, the for broadband expansion are importCouncil expedited approval of a conant initial grants made possible by the sultant to map out a statewide broadlegislature in 2020, known as Rural band plan. As the American Rescue Broadband ID grants.

Plan makes more money available to Th e legislature appropriated $2 local Internet service providers, legmillion for the ID grants through the islators have expressed more concern University of Arkansas for Medical about the lack of an overall plan that Sciences Institute for Digital Health will prevent duplication of services. and Innovation.

One senator called Also, lawmakers want to make sure the institute the “brain trust” for that government funding isn’t awardbroadband in Arkansas. ed to private local providers for rouRural Broadband ID grants help tine maintenance. local governments pay for data such The broadband projects are done as due-diligence studies, surveys and by a partnership between a local govmaps of available service. ernment and a private provider, such That information usually costs more as a telephone company, an Internet service provider or an electric co-op- than a small county or town has in its budget, but it’s necessary to prove the erative.

Several lawmakers on the Legis- existence of unserved or underserved lative Council expressed concerns areas. Rural ID grants pay for the acabout funding going to some provid- curate data that is needed to apply for ers, saying that their current level of larger federal grants, such as those funded through the American Rescue service was not of good quality.

Another concern of lawmakers was Plan.

THE POLK COUNTY

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Obituaries 5

September 8, 2021

Larry Dale McMellon Mr. Larry Dale McMellon,age 74 of Mena, Arkansas passed away Tuesday, August 31, 2021 in Little Rock.

He was born January 14, 1947, in Mena, Arkansas to the late James Clarence “J.C.” McMellon and the late Helen White McMellon.

Larry was a cattle rancher for many years and after 33 years, retired from Southwestern Bell Telephone. After retirement he worked in construction for a short time and then worked as a volunteer at the Mena Depot Center.

There was not a greater Ambassador of Mena than him and he loved sharing the history of this area with visitors to the museum at the Depot. Larry had lots of stories he shared about playing football and basketball for the Mena Bearcats and kept in touch and loved his classmates like family. He was passionate about hunting and enjoyed teaching his son and then his grandsons the sportsmanship of deer and turkey hunting at the family deer camp in Howard County, a place that he truly loved.

Most of the time you couldn’t see it (he wanted it that way) but he had a soft heart for people down on their luck, he would give you the shirt off his back if he thought you needed it. He loved feeding stray cats, birds and just about had the deer eating corn out of his

hand in the back yard. He had a green thumb and loved gardening and would grow vegetables and give most of the bounty away! Above all, his grandsons were his pride and joy and will forever be his legacy. He was a great man who will be missed by all that knew him.

He is survived by the love of his life, Vicki Agee; his son Rob McMellon and his wife Amanda; his grandsons Cole and Dax McMellon; his nephews, Brandon McMellon and wife Stephanie, Jeremy McMellon and Adam McMellon and wife Stephanie; his sister-in-law, Janet Moran and husband Kelsey, and a host of friends too great to mention.

He was preceded in death by his parents, J.C. and Helen McMellon, his brother Kenny McMellon and his baby sister Joyce McMellon.

Graveside services will be Saturday, September 4, 2021, at 10:00 a.m. at Pinecrest Memorial Park with Brother Donnie Jewell officiating. Visitation will be general. Arrangements are under the direction of the Beasley Wood Funeral Home.

Online obituary at www.beasleywoodfuneralhome.com

Maxine Daniels Maxine L. Daniels “Nanny” passed away Wednesday, September 1, 2021, in Mena, Arkansas. She was born in Bradford, Arkansas on April 16, 1930, to the late John W. and Eddie Estel (Smith) Piker.

Mrs. Daniels was a Godly woman who enjoyed many of the Lord’s creations. She loved flowers, nature, gardening and was known to have a very green thumb. She loved her children, grandchildren, and pets dearly, and above all else she loved the Lord.

She is survived by her sons, Tommy Turner of Tulsa, Oklahoma, and Alvin Turner of Russellville, Arkansas; daughters, Doloris and husband Lester Thompkins of Mena, Arkansas, and Elanie and husband John Miller of Mena,

Arkansas; brother, Eddie J. Piker; sister, Faye Baty; 14 grandchildren, 30 great-grandchildren, as well as several nieces, nephews, and a host of other relatives and friends.

She is preceded in death by her parents; two sisters Eva Jones and Norma Zretha “Terri” Daniels; husband, Newton Clement; grandson Christopher Turner; and great-grandson Anthony Gulley.

Services will be held Saturday, September 4, 2021, at 2:00 p.m. at the 1st Assembly of God Church in Mena, Arkansas. Interment will follow at the Pinecrest Memorial Park in Mena, Arkansas. Brother Tilley will be officiating, under the direction of Beasley-Wood Funeral Home. Visitation will be general.

Online obituary at www.beasleywoodfuneralhome.com

Doc is proceeded in death by his parents, Oscar May & Edna (Martin) May. Son, James Alvin May. 3 brothers, Claude May, Willie (Pete) May, Calvin May. 3 sisters, Evie (May) Johnson, Elsie (May) Rowton, Delcie (May) Campbell. 2 stillborn siblings. Doc was a loving husband, father & grandfather to the ones who loved him the most.

Pallbearers, Timmy May, Chase Pyle, Christian Field, Brendan Field, Roy Harris & Colby Philpot.

Honorary Pallbearers, Chris May, Brandon Holligan, Billy Brewer & Zak Smith Online obituary at www.beasleywoodfuneralhome.com

Otis “Doc” May

And death shall have no dominion.

Dead men naked they shall be one With the man in the wind and the west moon; When their bones are picked clean and the clean bones gone, They shall have stars at elbow and foot; Though they go mad they shall be sane, Though they sink through the sea they shall rise again; Though lovers be lost love shall not; And death shall have no dominion.

And death shall have no dominion.

Under the windings of the sea They lying long shall not die windily; Twisting on racks when sinews give way, Strapped to a wheel, yet they shall not break; Faith in their hands shall snap in two, And the unicorn evils run them through; Split all ends up they shan’t crack; And death shall have no dominion.

Otis “Doc” May passed away on September 4, 2021 in Hot Springs, Arkansas. Doc was 92 years of age. He was born on April 20, 1929 in Cherry Hill, Arkansas, the son of Oscar May and Edna (Martin) May, one of eleven children. He was married to Lucille (Bailey) May on December 1, 1948.

Doc is survived by is loving wife of 72 years and 9 months, Lucille. Son, Jerry & wife, Yevette. Son, Eugene & wife, Debbie. Grandchildren, Timmy May & partner, Brandon Holligan, Brandie Simpson. Chris May. Brittany Smith and husband, Zak. Great Grandchildren, Chase Pyle. Alexa Brewer & husband, Billy. Christian Field. Brendan Field. Olivia, Kennedi, Brady, Hayden, Jase, Ryker & one on the way, Chevelle. Great-Great Grandchildren, Kailie, Bentley, Gracie, Reese & Levi.

Sister, Allie Walters. Several nieces & nephews & a host of family & friends.

AND DEATH SHALL HAVE NO DOMINION

By Dylan Thomas

And death shall have no dominion.

No more may gulls cry at their ears Or waves break loud on the seashores; Where blew a flower may a flower no more Lift its head to the blows of the rain; Though they be mad and dead as nails, Heads of the characters hammer through daisies; Break in the sun till the sun breaks down, And death shall have no dominion.

6 Obituaries Scherrie Elaine Musgrove Scherrie Elaine Musgrove, age 62, was set free into the arms of her Captain on Friday, September 3rd, 2021, peacefully in her home in Mena, Arkansas.

Scherrie was born in Garland, Texas on September 24th, 1958, to parents Don and Patsy McKissick. She attended South Garland High and graduated in 1976.

She furthered her education in Dallas to become a skilled hairdresser. It was in Dallas that she met the love of her life, Jerrold Musgrove, whom she married on May 3rd, 1980. In 1984 she made her life’s most important decision, and accepted Christ as her Saviour.

After living in Dallas for a few years, Jerry and Scherrie moved to Mena, Arkansas in 1986 to raise their family. They started Bible Believers Baptist Church together in 1994 and Scherrie served with earnest dedication in their ministry for twenty-seven years. She taught Sunday School for most of those years and was passionate about teaching the youth in church. As the pastor’s wife she held a very special role; she was a bulwark of support for her husband; she coordinated all the church events and activities; she supported the ladies in the congregation and was a shoulder to cry on or confidant to exult with. Aside from her church work, Scherrie also worked as a substitute teacher at Acorn Schools when her children were younger, and later worked at Polk County Developmental Center in a job that she loved.

As a mother and wife Scherrie always placed her family above herself. She loved being a mother; she cooked and cared for her family and was the epitome of the Proverbs 31 woman. She had the brightest smile and an infectious laugh that was full of joy; she also had a streak of mischievousness that brought plenty of laughter. Scherrie was singularly creative and loved to paint and craft. She was always full of ideas to create something new, usually so that she could be a blessing to someone else. She loved to garden and spend time in the sun; the many flowers she planted will serve as a reminder of her beauty, both inside and

THE POLK COUNTY

September 8, 2021 out. She was the heartbeat of her family and created a lifetime full of beautiful memories for her husband, children, and grandchildren.

In 2017 Scherrie was diagnosed with glioblastoma, a form of brain cancer. She wanted it to be known after her first surgery that she no longer feared death; she had complete and total faith in her Savior Jesus Christ and had peace and comfort from God’s precious word. It is without any doubt that today she rejoices in heaven, having met her Savior, and shared a joyful reunion with loved ones who have passed before.

Left to celebrate and remember Scherrie is her husband of forty-one years Jerry Musgrove; her son Charlie Musgrove and daughter-in-law Emily Musgrove; daughter Brittany Musgrove; daughter Katy Leonhart and son-in-law Darrell Leonhart; father and step-mother Don and Debbie McKissick; step-father Ken Rada; brother Keith Rada; grand-daughters Molly Musgrove, Merryn Musgrove, Evelyn Leonhart, and Annabelle Musgrove; grandson Bradley Leonhart; two soon-to-be-born grandsons; many nieces and nephews; many dear friends; and a church family whom she loved dearly.

Scherrie was preceded in death by her mother Patsy June Rada; her sister Julia McKissick; her beloved grandmother Evelyn Lewis; and her good friend Edna Spurlock.

Services will be held Thursday, September 9, 2021, at 2:00 p.m., at the Bible Believers Baptist Church in Mena, Arkansas. Interment will follow at Pinecrest Memorial Park in Mena, Arkansas. Pastor Kyle Cowart will be officiating, under the direction of Beasley-Wood Funeral Home.

Pallbearers are Charles Musgrove, Darrell Leonhart, Alan Weiler, Danny Cusher, Dave Anderson, and Ronnie Cusher.

Honorary Pallbearers are Charles Friddle and Russell Powell.

Sharon Gail Kesterson Sharon Gail Kesterson, age 64, of Mena, Arkansas went to be with her precious Lord on Friday, September 3, 2021, surrounded by her loving family in the comfort of her home.

She was born March 28, 1957 in Mena, Arkansas to the late Alvie Jim Kesterson and June Kitchens Kesterson. Sharon worked for the Mena Public School District for 23 years in various duties and loyally served in the role of Special Education. She took great pride in helping children, particularly those with special needs and remembered them all fondly. Simultaneously she worked at Beasley-Wood Funeral Home as first a night sitter and then after retiring from Mena Public Schools continued her career as a full-time front desk receptionist. With a heart full of mercy and caring disposition she would be the light to so many families as they walked through the Beasley-Wood doors. She was a faithful Christian and attended the Mena Church of God and loved her church family.

The loves of her life were her children and her grandchildren. You could watch her face light up every time she spoke of her “babies”; her favorite titles in life were Momma and Drana. She was happiest at home surrounded by her “babies”.

She was faithful to her friends and family and will be missed by all who knew and loved her.

She is survived by her mother; June Kesterson; her son, Clint Lane; her daughters, Dana Ward and husband Chris, Kayla White, Pilar Fowler and husband Nathan; her brother, Brian Kesterson and wife Sonja; her sisters, Phyllis Sirmon and husband Gregg, and Lisa Callahan and husband Tommey; her grandchildren, Hunter Egger, Cadence Dickey, Callie Lane, Jacee White, Kipp White, Heidi Ward, Natalee Fowler, Violet Fowler, and Lake Thompson. She had a special bond with each of her nieces and nephews and enjoyed being known as their favorite aunt.

She was preceded in death by Jim Kesterson, father; Eddie Kesterson, brother; Colton Lane, grandson; Bill Johnston, brother-in-law.

Funeral services will be Monday, September 6, 2021 at 2:00 p.m. at Mena Church of God with Brother Mark Lyle officiating. Interment will follow at Pleasant Grove Cemetery at Cove under the direction of the Beasley Wood Funeral Home.

Pallbearers will be Jason White, Scott Sharp, Sage Kesterson, Mason Johnston, Will Riggins and Clint Lane. Honorary pallbearers will be Tommy Callahan, Gregg Sirmon and Brian Kesterson.

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WD Hay

W D Hay, age 83, of Mena, Arkansas died on Tuesday, August 31, 2021, at the Veteran’s Hospital in Little Rock, Arkansas. He was born on February 16, 1938 to Felix and Gertrude Hay in Castor, Louisiana.

In his younger years, W D Hay served his country honorably with four years in the Navy followed by eight years in the Air Force. During that time, he married Frances Williams of Saline, Louisiana in April 1958 and had two daughters, Linda Hay Godbold, of Tulsa, Oklahoma and Donna Hay Bergeron of Tioga, Louisiana. After leaving the military service, he started a TV repair shop in Winnfield, Louisiana for a brief time, then started working at General Electric in the medical division.

Years of working with G.E. allowed him to travel and live in various U.S. states where he ended up in Pineville, Louisiana. In 1982, he met and married Barbara Irene Hunt, of Pineville, Louisiana and gained two more daughters through that marriage, Michelle Hunt King and Heather Hunt Gibson. Several years later, Dee and Barbara both retired and moved to Mena, Arkansas, where he owned a small engine repair shop, enjoyed fishing, bible studies and woodworking. Dee was well-known in the community for being a loving father, brother, grandfather, great-grandfather, uncle and friend and will be missed by all who knew him.

He is preceded in death by his parents, Felix Hay and Gertrude Nunn Hay of Goldonna, Louisiana; his wife Barbara Irene Hay of Mena, Arkansas; and his sisters Gladys Lemons and Lennie James of Louisiana.

W D is survived by his two sisters, Ruth Cross and Winnie Johnson; his brother, James Hay; four daughters, Linda Godbold, Donna Bergeron, Michelle Hunt, and Heather Gibson; grandchildren, Joshua Husong, Michael Godbold, Brian Godbold, Justin Godbold, Valerie Bergeron Martin, Nicolas Bergeron, Lindsay McCarty, Garrick King, and Jason Gibson; and fourteen great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren; several nieces and nephews and a host of other relatives and friends.

No services are planned at this time.

Cremation arrangements are entrusted to Bowser Family Funeral Home.

THE POLK COUNTY

Pulse

Faith 7

September 8, 2021

An Arkie’s Faith: The Banyon Tree

By Richie Lawry

I wake up suddenly, not because of any noise or interruption, but it leaves me disoriented. My eyes are open, but I strain to see anything in the darkness. For a fleeting moment, I don’t know where I am. As the cobwebs of my mind begin to clear, I remember that I am in Maui. I fumble around on the nightstand to find my phone. I try to focus my eyes on the screen to see what time it is. It is 3:40 A.M. I roll over and try to go back to sleep, but sleep won’t come. We flew across five times zones on our flight to Maui yesterday, and my internal clock needs recalibrating.

After lying in bed awake for an hour, I get up and dress quietly. Slipping out the front door of the condo into the darkness of the Maui night, I walk to the parking lot and get into my rental car. It is just a short drive to Kahekili Beach, and I park the car and walk down to the beach in the moonlight.

As I walk south on the sandy beach, an occasional sneaker wave comes and washes over my feet. It isn’t easy to see in the dim moonlight, so it surprises me when the wave comes in farther than usual. As the water washes the sand from around my feet, I start to lose my balance. After a few times, I learn to stand still when the wave comes, not moving until the water has subsided and the sand is stable again.

Sometime later, after walking around two-thirds of a mile, I reach Lionel’s Point and turn around to head back to my car. The beach ends with a freshwater inlet, and there is no way to continue walking south.

When I get back to my car, the first rays of morning light are chasing away the darkness. I will not see the sun for quite a while because 5,800-foot Mauna Kahalawai blocks the eastern sun. I drive toward Lahaina Town, anxious to see it for the first time. As I go down Front Street, I recognize places that I have seen while watching videos of Lahaina.

In the first light of morning, there is almost no one on the streets. I quickly find a place to park and start walking toward the town center. I pass stores and galleries that will be filled with customers in a few hours.

I walk past an old historic home and stop to read the historical plaques that tell its story.

The Baldwin Home is the oldest house still standing on the island of Maui. Reverend Ephraim Spaulding built the original four-room structure between 1834-35. The area offered a direct view of the Lahaina landing and the ocean beyond where whaling ships would anchor. Reverend Spaulding became ill in 1836 and returned to Massachusetts, and Reverend Dwight Baldwin and his wife moved into the home. The couple had eight children, all born in Hawai’i.

As their family grew, so did the house. In 1840, Reverend Baldwin added a bedroom and a medical study. And in 1849, he completed an entire second floor. The home faces prevailing winds from the ocean with large windows in the front. The walls are 24-inches thick, constructed of coral, sand, and lava rock with rough-hewn timber framing. The thick walls and high ceilings help keep the interior cool.

As I walk the grounds of the Baldwin Home, I see remnants of the kitchen’s foundation and firepit in the rear yard. I try to imagine the sights and sounds of Lahaina during those early years when as many as 700 whaling ships came through Lahaina in a year.

Captains on year-long whale hunts would rest their crews in Lahaina on their journeys back home. Whaling ships would restock their provisions in Lahaina, staying in there for weeks on end. The sailors were a raucous crowd engaging in long stints of drinking and debauchery. The sailors’ behavior disturbed many Maui residents, and the missionaries such as Reverend Baldwin were very vocal in their opposition to the lifestyles of the whalers.

Just a couple of blocks from the Baldwin House, I see Lahaina’s most famous landmark. Spreading out in front of me is a gigantic banyan tree. It covers an entire city block and is 50-feet tall. I sit on a bench under its branches and take in its beauty and grandeur.

Because I have never seen a historical plaque that I didn’t read, I find out that this banyan tree was imported from India and planted in front of the Lahaina Courthouse and Lahaina Harbor in 1873 by the sheriff of Maui and is now the largest in the state. It has a canopy circumference spanning a quarter-mile and covers almost two acres. Banyan trees can cover so

much ground because they have roots that grow from outward-extending branches and reach the ground, becoming trunk-like and expanding the tree’s footprint.

In some ways, the banyan tree reminds me of what a community should be. The banyan grows by using aerial prop roots. When a tree is mature, its spreading branches produce hundreds of these roots. Some grow until they reach the ground.

There, they anchor themselves and develop into new trunks. Imagine numerous branches with numerous dangling roots that produce more trunks and branches with more dangling roots. Over time you have a whole grove connected, covering a large space.

The more roots the tree puts down, the more it grows. And the more it grows, the branches must have the roots firmly grounded to hold up the heavy branches. Everything is interconnected.

Without the roots, the branches would fall. Without the branches, the roots wouldn’t exist.

Gentle Reader, you need your community, and your community needs you. If the community is to grow and prosper, we all need each other, and we must work together. When we refuse to work together, we will never be a strong community. When our disagreements become more important than our common goals, we can never prosper. Paul describes the Christian community this way, “each one of us has a body with many parts, and these parts all have different uses. In the same way, we are many, but in Christ we are all one body. Each one is a part of that body, and each part belongs to all the other parts.”

Romans 12:4,5 (NCV) The phrase, “each part belongs to all the other parts,” seems like a good description of a banyan tree.

If we want to be a productive part of our community and be like the banyan tree, we need to follow the guidance found in 1 Peter 4:8-10 (Message). “Most of all, love each other as if your life depended on it. Love makes up for practically anything. Be quick to give a meal to the hungry, a bed to the homeless—cheerfully. Be generous with the different things God gave you, passing them around so all get in on it.”

Joke of the Week: A gardening friend of mine suggested that I put chicken litter on my strawberries. I’m never doing that again!! I’m going back to using whipped cream.

Replacing windshields in Polk County for forty years.

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

8

History

THE POLK COUNTY

Pulse

September 8, 2021

Reflections from History and Faith: Never Give Up!

By Jeff Olson

David was born on September 9, 1890 in Henryville, Indiana. When he was six years old, his father passed away leaving him to cook and care for his siblings. In seventh grade he dropped out of school and left home to go work as a farmhand, and from then on had various jobs. Even though he was a bold young man and had a strong sense for challenge and adventure, he had no real sense of direction or purpose in life. This went on for the next 25 years.

At age 16, falsifying his date of birth, he enlisted in the United States Army.

After being honorably discharged a year later, he got hired by the railway as a laborer. While he worked for the railway, he studied law by correspondence and practiced in justice-of-the-peace courts in Arkansas until a courtroom brawl with a client ended his legal career. He was forced to move back in with his mother and get a job selling

life insurance. Did he last long? No, he got fired for insubordination. At this point, David's future looked quite unpromising to say the least.

Not one to give up, David operated a steamboat ferry that crossed the Ohio River between Kentucky and Indiana.

Later, he tried cashing in his ferry boat business to create a lamp manufacturing company only to find out that another company already sold a better version of his lamp.

It was then, at about age 40, that he decided to pursue a line of work which he knew he had a talent for, so he began selling chicken in a petrol service station just outside North Corbin, Kentucky. The recipe he'd been working on began proving successful so he turned the station into a 142-seat roadside restaurant and motel. So popular did the cafe become over the next decade, that the governor of the state gave him an honorary title in 1936. He also received mention in Duncan Hines 1939

got medicare???

book, Adventures in Good Eating.

In 1948 David married Claudia Price, whom he met in the 1930's when she worked as a waitress in his restaurant in Corbin. Following the war, he set out to franchise his restaurant, but his recipe was rejected over one thousand times. Finally, in 1952, it was accepted

by Pete Harman who owned one of Salt Lake City's largest restaurants. After Harman's success, several other restaurant owners franchised the concept and paid David $0.04 per chicken. Harman soon came up with a catchy restaurant moniker. David still had his restaurant in North Corbin, but after Interstate 75 opened, the reduced customer traffic severely reduced his business so he sold it in 1956.

At age 65, and with only his savings and $105 per month from Social Security, David decided to focus exclusively on franchising his concept so he hit the American road in his 1946 Ford. With the car (often serving also

151 years

as a bed) packed with pressure cookers, flour, and spice blends, he would enter a restaurant, offer to cook his chicken, and then negotiate franchise rights if the owners liked what they tasted. On some trips early on, Claudia accompanied him. By 1963, he was receiving franchise requests without having to travel much and had more than 600 restaurants across the U.S. and Canada. During these years, Claudia would remain at home packaging phone-in orders and taking them to the train station, sometimes late at night. In early 1965, knowing he'd taken his company as far as he could at age 74, he sold his interest in the company for $2 million to a group of investors. Some believed he should have received more money, but as a company executive stated, "With [David] it isn't money that counts, it's artistic talent." Before and after they sold the chain, he and Claudia traveled the world promoting their

HISTORY continued on page 9

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Sunday Sept. 12th at 10:30 a.m.

Join us for a CELEBRATION OF THANKS to our LORD for 151 years of WORSHIP and PRAISE at

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(If you do not have a home church Sunday join us.)

WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE SUPERNATURAL CHANGES? Speaker: Evangelist Carla Kelly She operates in the gifts of the Spirit and ONE WORD COULD CHANGE YOUR LIFE Praise & Worship: Billie Carroll She has an anointed song out & live streams "Joy Encounter" & devotion books At

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Please register by calling 479-394·-6763 or 479-394-1126 so we will know how much food to prepare. (No charge)

THE POLK COUNTY

Pulse

History 9

September 8, 2021

HISTORY continued from page 8 fried chicken. As she later recounted, ''I went into restaurants all over the country and played the part of the hostess with this antebellum dress on.'' As a company executive put it, ''We could not have been the company we are now without Claudia's contributions.''

As impressive as his chicken was/is, perhaps more impressive was the fact that Harland David Sanders refused to give up after so many years of failures and misfortunes and whose major success didn't come until he was over 65 years old. Kentucky Fried Chicken went public in 1966 and was listed on the New York Stock Exchange in 1969.

In 1986 the company was acquired by PepsiCo from RJR Nabisco for approximately 840 million dollars. According to Forbes, Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) is valued at $8.5 billion. There are 23,000 locations worldwide.

Colonel Sanders died of leukemia on

December 16, 1980 at the age of 90 in Louisville, Kentucky. Claudia passed away in January 1997 at the age of 94.

Today, the Colonel remains the center of KFC's branding and his face still appears in their logo. His goatee, white suit and western string tie continue to symbolize not only delicious “finger lickin' good” fried chicken all over the world, but perhaps more importantly they symbolize the indomitable spirit of the American dream, the entrepreneur - that special class of men and women whose dreams, determination, innovation and courage have helped to make our nation the greatest economy and land of opportunity the world has ever known. In Sanders' words, "I made a resolve then that I was going to amount to something if I could. And no hours, nor amount of labor, nor amount of money would deter me from giving the best that there was in me."

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THE POLK COUNTY

10 Awareness

September 8, 2021

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THE POLK COUNTY

Pulse

September 8, 2021

Childhood Cancer Fast Facts

Cancer remains the leading cause of death by disease for children in America.

Approximately 1 in 285 children in the U.S. will be diagnosed with cancer before their 20th birthday.

Each year in the U.S. alone, 15,780 children aged 0-19 will be diagnosed with cancer.

Approximately 40,000 children in the U.S. are on active treatment at any given time.

Globally there are more than 400,000 children diagnosed with cancer each year.

20% of children with cancer in the U.S. will not survive it.

Two thirds of childhood cancer survivors face at least one of the following: Secondary Cancers; Heart Damage; Lung Damage; Infertility; Chronic Hepatitis; Alterations in

Growth and Development; Impaired Cognitive Abilities; Psycho-Social Impact.

One quarter of childhood cancer survivors face a late effect from treatment that is classified as severe or life-threatening.

Globally, 44% of of children with cancer will die before they are diagnosed.

Only 3 state legislatures have taken direct action towards childhood cancer research and support.

Worldwide, a child is diagnosed with cancer every three minutes.

Children with cancer in high income countries are ten times more likely to survive five years than than children with cancer in low-income countries.

The estimated 5-year net survival rate for children with cancer in

high-income countries is 79.8%. In low-income countries, that number is 7.4%.

In 2020, an estimated 181,000 childhood cancer cases will go undiagnosed. That’s almost one third of all cases.

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12 Outdoors

THE POLK COUNTY

September 8, 2021

Pulse

OUACHITA BUSHCRAFT AND SURVIVAL

VENISON STEW

By Steven E Stillwell

THIS IS GUARANTEED TO SATISFY: Some of the pickiest eaters I know won’t turn their noses up at this secret recipe. Even if you think venison is gamey, you won’t be disappointed if you’ll follow my simple instructions.

I’ve been experimenting with this formula since 1985, and my wife, Maureen and I perfected it in 2013. Technically speaking, this might be considered soup, but I can call it whatever I want, because it’s my concoction. This recipe will also work with antelope, elk, and ground, or cubed beef, because they have similar characteristics. Personally I like to use ground venison, but that’s my preference! This hearty meal will easily feed four adults, with plenty of leftovers for the next day.

FROM FIELD TO FREEZER: I like

to butcher my own game, because this gives me more control over the individual cuts, the thickness of my steaks, roasts, and cubed meat. After stripping the bones of all edible pieces, I toss the smaller scraps into a large bowl so I can grind them into venison-burgers. All of the silver-skin, tough cuts, and chunks of fat are placed into another pot, and boiled for our dogs. Nothing goes to waste, including the bones!

LET’S GET STARTED: Use a large stock pot, 8 quarts, or bigger, preferably with a lid.

1. Dice five or six potatoes, I like smaller pieces, but you can cut them larger, if you’re inclined to do so.

2. One medium onion, chopped.

3. Two, raw jalapeño peppers for heat. You can forego these if you’re sensitive to spicy foods.

4. Two large carrots cut into thin slices.

5. A large bell pepper finely cut.

6. One can of corn.

7. One can of green beans.

8. A quart bottle of tomato juice, or V-8.

9. Three tablespoons of barley, but this isn’t necessary.

10. One half, or a quarter head of cabbage, thinly sliced.

11. Add one large can of diced tomatoes, or you can use a couple from your garden.

12. One pound of ground or cubed venison is the minimum amount that I use. You can add a little more, but don’t exceed two pounds.

IT’S TIME TO FIRE-UP THE STOVE: Using a cast iron skillet, I’ll brown my meat, and add a little beef bouillon while it’s cooking. When it’s finished, I toss all of the ingredients into my stock pot, adding the tomato juice and water until the level is approximately two inches below the top of the pot. Place the lid on, bring everything to a boil, reduce the heat, and let your meal simmer until the potatoes and cabbage are tender. This usually takes about an hour and a half, sometimes two, depending on the size of your vegetables. Smaller pieces cook faster. About 15 minutes before everything is finished stewing, I’ll add a few sprigs of Cilantro, but this is an-

other one of my personal preferences that’s not necessary. For those of you who have gardens, you can add okra and squash as substitute vegetables, if you don’t have everything on the list.

I’ve done this countless times, and the stew always comes out perfect. It never hurts to experiment, who knows, you might invent something that’s fantastic; just be careful that you don’t create an expensive, time-consuming pot of dog food.

DON’T GO OVERBOARD WITH YOUR SPICES: Salt, pepper, and McCormick’s Season Salt can be added while everything is cooking, but do so sparingly, because once you put these in, you can’t take them out. On a personal note, I like to keep the spices on the table, and let each person season their own bowls as they see fit. Concerning my own bowl, I splash several liberal dashes of Tabasco, Louisiana, or Texas Pete’s hot sauce right on top, because I like a little flair. The more, the merrier, I highly recommend it!

If you enjoy survival, the outdoors and campfire cooking, I invite you to join our Facebook page, OUACHITA BUSHCRAFT AND SURVIVAL. Your comments and suggestions are always welcome.

THE POLK COUNTY

Pulse

News 13

September 8, 2021

Buschman Presents Women's Safety Issues to DAR

Submitted by: Cortez Copher, Regent, James K. Polk Chapter NSDAR Photo by Skip Copher The James K. Polk Chapter NSDAR met in the First Baptist Church in August for a "Fellowship and Membership Renewal Day." Following the Pledge of Allegiance to the United States Flag and singing of God Bless America, the members discussed how one becomes a United States Citizen. The group was given a timed United States Citizenship Test, just for fun, to see if anyone could pass it. After a tie-breaking essay question, Carolyn Hanna, a member from Waldron, won first prize of a beautiful DAR bracelet.

Era Looney was presented with a Certificate of Appreciation and gift for serving more than 10 years as Secretary of the James K. Polk Chapter.

She first joined the Tates Bluff Chapter in Camden, Arkansas in 1982 with her mother, Eva Furr. On December 12, 2009, Era and her mother became members of the newly organized James K. Polk Chapter in Mena with Era being elected Recording Secretary. She is currently serving as Good Citizen's Award Chair and Parliamentarian.

The program regarding "Women's Safety Issues" was presented by Debra Wood Buschman, originally from Wickes, Arkansas. She is currently the Chief Deputy Prosecuting Attorney for the 18th West Judicial District of Arkansas, which includes Polk and Montgomery Counties and is the former Violence Against Women Prosecutor for Lonoke County.

Buschman said "Women are at most risk from people they know rather than strangers. Although it is important to be aware of your surroundings and exercise good safety practices, most violent crimes against women are not perpetuated by strangers. This trend is exacerbated by the ongoing drug abuse epidemic in our nation. Drugs, such as methamphetamine, can create risks of danger by negatively affecting the judgment of those who abuse them. They may be emotionally volatile or paranoid.

Most violent crimes in our area can be

traced back to drug abuse. If you have a drug addicted person in your family or household, it is ok to distance yourself from that person until they refrain from using drugs or accept professional help. You cannot help a loved one with a drug problem if you are injured, killed, or financially destitute due to financial exploitation.

Financial crimes are also on the rise.

Many financial crimes are committed by strangers on the Internet who may live hundreds or even thousands of miles away from their victims, or even in another country. These types of crimes are often difficult to solve or prosecute.

One easy way to protect yourself from being the victim of a financial crime is to avoid using your banking account information or debit card for online apps and purchases. If your information is compromised in a data breach or leak, criminals may be able to access the money in your bank account, which may be difficult or impossible to recover. Using your credit card for online purchases, and paying bills directly through your bank's online bill pay, rather than allowing companies to "auto draft" payments from your bank account, is an easy way to protect yourself. Never supply your private banking, login, or other personal identifying information to a stranger calling you over the phone or emailing you. Avoid linking your bank account to peer to peer payment apps.

Finally, if you are approached by a door-to-door salesperson who is soliciting business to do a repair or improvement to your home or selling something, be mindful that high pressure sales tactics such as "one day only" sales or deals that are too good to be true and require a significant down payment. These kinds of tactics are often scams. If the person is unwilling to give you an opportunity for a second opinion or quote, or time to contemplate your options, it can be a sign of a scam. This is especially if the person just shows up unexpectedly and you did not ask for the person to give you a quote.

It is good to help others in need but you should be smart about when and how you help someone in order to pro-

tect yourself and avoid enabling a person to avoid getting the help they need to beat their drug problems. Your safety and security are important! Sometimes the very thing that helps an addict get the treatment they deserve is getting caught. We have amazing Drug Court Programs in both Montgomery and Polk Counties. They are highly successful at helping people get off and stay off drugs."

The next meeting of the James K. Polk DAR Chapter will be Thursday, September 16 at 1:30 p.m. in the First Baptist Church Fellowship Hall. The program will be presented by Ruth Gray who will be impersonating Betsy Ross. All ladies in the Mena area who have an interest in the Daughters of the American Revolution are invited. For information, email Cortez Copher, Regent (cortezjcopher@ yahoo.com), Brenda Cunningham, Recording Secretary (dar4brenda@gmail. com) or Dotty Kinnun, Registrar (thekinnuns@gmail.com)

Era Looney receiving Certificate of Appreciation from Cortez Copher, Regent James K. Polk DAR Chapter,for serving as Recording Secretary for over 10 years.

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THE POLK COUNTY

14 News

Humor: Hogspore News

Santa is Busy at North Pole

By Clet Litter from the Ozarks Hope you had a great Labor Day. After a hollerday it’s a tough go for some folks here in town.

By now, those citizens are starting to get their eyesight back and find their way home. Preacher will be sermonizing about this next Sunday.

Me and Punkin didn’t imbibe, but we did take in the town parade. The best float was the Muleberry County Midwives’ Salute to Labor. The helping hands ladies sported scrubs and latex gloves; just awaving at the spectators and throwing Baby Ruth candy bars to the youngins in the crowd.

On the day before, we checked into the fairgrounds for the Annual Butterbean McCurdy Memorial Race. It raises funds for school bus brake repairs. Butter-

Pulse

September 8, 2021

bean lost his life when he avoided hitting a school bus in the fog a few years ago. The money helped last year so the bus driver didn’t need a student in the bus to throw out an anchor at every stop.

I had myself the strangest dream during my afternoon nap. I was setting in my Lazy Buoy drifting off to sleep with a fan blowing. I started dreaming about Christmas.

I was at the North Pole. Santa was sitting at his desk checking the bad kids’ names list. He seemed worried that the list was a lot longer ever since the national elections, specially from the kids around Washington, DC. I seen a vacuum cleaner crawl by. Looked to be that Mr. Claus had himself a new helper to relieve the small staff of the housekeeping. Mrs. Claus come in complaining about the robot. She said, “Krisen up there, Chubby.

That Wacky Vacky ain’t working

FEMA grant awarded

out.” She didn’t talk like that, but I was doing the dreaming, so it sounded like that to me. I guess when she’d been married to the same jolly old elf for centuries, she mighta had enough.

She continued, “Your beard droppings clog Wacky Vacky daily. I hid your hairbrush and comb. You can have them when you get rid of that robot and have the floors done by an elf-propelled vacuum. Three of the elves have gone missing. Remember how long it took me to clean Wacky after he cruised through some baby reindeer poop in the nursery. I was not amused and by the way, you should probably have the elves make you a new toothbrush.”

Santa was the first to go green.

All his lights and the toy factory run on Polar Power.

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

Polk County has been awarded federal funds made available through the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS)/ Federal Emergency Management Agency under the Emergency Food and Shelter National Board Program (EFSP). The program is expected to receive a total of $10,920 in total federal funding to help supplement pre-existing Emergency Food and Shelter programs across the county. Including, but not limited to mass shelter, rent and/or utility assistance, food, and motel vouchers for those who are faced with homelessness. The additional funding from under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act will provide supplementary support to those Local

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A local board consisting of representatives from the American Red Cross, representative of Polk County, the City of Mena, the Homeless, Catholic Church, Jewish Synagogue, Protestant Churches, The Salvation Army, and United Way met earlier in the summer to review the EFSP program/agency applications and make recommendations to determine which local emergency food and shelter programs would be responsible for receiving and/or administering these funds, and any additional funds made available under this phase of the program: Faith Missionary Baptist Church is expected to receive and administer these funds for the residents of Polk County.

THE POLK COUNTY

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CLASSIFIEDS - EMPLOYMENT - SERVICES -

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.

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

T10272021

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.

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Tree Removal and Trimming. Experienced and fully insured for ALL your tree-trimming needs. Call Wendell’s Tree Service (479)394-0227 or (479)216-4328 T10062021

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.

T09152021

- FOR SALE -

Politically Incorrect - Now at Dukes Junktion, Hwy 71N in Mena - ConfederatePatriotic - Humorous- Flags - License Tags - Signs, 9/11 Memorial Flags. Thursday- Saturday 8-4, Sunday 9-4. Come check out all the vendors for fantastic merchandise and bargins.

T09082021

- YARD SALE -

HUGE 3 Family Yard Sale - Friday 10th and Saturday 11th at 10 a.m. Lots of mens and womens clothing, nice furniture, living room chairs, love seat, set of 8 very nice dining chairs, area rugs, and other household items. Glass construction blocks made in Germany, antique china, yard fountain and much more..

T09082021

Classifieds 15

September 8, 2021

MENA REAL ESTATE

479-394-7301

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

T09292021

Mena Shuttle - Ground transportation to AR and TX airports. Doctor and emergency appointments. Also, light deliveries. (870) 490-1191 T09082021 Handyman Service - Small jobs, Plumbing, Electric, Painting nad more. Call Bill 479216-5204 T09082021

Polk County Births Mena Regional Health System AUGUST 27, 2021 TO SEPTEMBER 3, 2021 Ashley Smith & Dennis Walker of Mena, Arkansas are the proud parents of a baby girl born Aug. 30th Shawnna Morris of Mena, Arkansas is the proud parent of a baby boy born Aug. 31st Jessica Justice of Mena, Arkansas is the proud parent of a baby boy born Aug. 31st

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

www.MenaRealEstate.com

1102 Crestwood Circle Mena, AR 71953

THE POLK COUNTY

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September 8, 2021

09.08.21

09.08.21

ANSWERS FROM PUZZLES ON 09.01.21

Humane Society of the Ouachitas PET OF THE WEEK

Hello! My name is Alaska. I am a great active young cat. I am great with other cats and dogs, especially large dogs. I have no fear of dogs and will need my humans to exercise caution for me. I have only lived indoors and will need to go to an indoor only home. However, I will try to run if I see an open door. I know my name and love cat treats. I love to play and with balls and a ribbon stick. However, my all time favor toy is a laser light. I don't mind being cuddled or snuggled. I am very social and love to explore. Come by and meet me today!

All selected Pet of the Week animals come with a special gift package. All animals at the Humane Society of the Ouachitas are current on their vaccinations and spayed/neutered prior to adoption.

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

THE POLK COUNTY

Pulse

September 8, 2021

True Tales from the Old West

Old West 17

Part II: United States Deputy Marshal Bass Reeves

By Ray Shelly In the year 1875, the Federal Court System for Western Arkansas, Fort Smith was a mess. Corruption had been running ramped throughout the Western District. Federal Judge William Story was forced to resign under the threat of impeachment.

President Ulysses Grant appointed the youngest ever Federal Judge to the bench; 36 years old Issac C. Parker, with an annual salary of $3,500.00.

Judge Parker wasted no time in correcting the problems he had inherited.

Within a few days of his arrival to Fort Smith, the court was in session. He worked 10 hours a day, six days a week.

James F. Fagen was the U.S. Marshal for the district, and he was authorized to hire 200 hundred Deputy Marshal to assist in bringing law and order to Indian Territory.

Bass Reeves was the first black Deputy hired by Marshal Fagen and Commissioned by Judge Parker, West of the Mississippi.

Bass had been a slave who escaped to Indian Territory during the Civil War. Being a runaway slave in IndianTerritory did not mean complete freedom, for there was always the chance of being hunted down and captured. Some say his fugitive experiences helped make him an effective law enforcement officer. Plus, his understanding of several Indian dialects.

Lincoln, signing the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, freeing Bass and the slaves. Following the end of the Civil War and his newfound freedom, Bass bought a farm near Van Buren, Arkansas, acquired a wife, and together he and Nellie had ten children, five boys, and five girls.

Bass was very successful as a farmer. On occasion, the Deputy Marshals from Fort Smith would ask Bass to help track fugitives in the Territory. Reeves’s knowledge of the area made him a valued tracker.

Bass never learned to read or write,

but he didn’t let a little thing like that detour him. He would get a fits full of warrants and have other deputies, who had some schooling, read each of the warrants over and over again until Reeves had memorized the information needed to make an apprehension successfully. Bass never brought in the wrong guy.

You have to wonder what motivated men to become Deputy Marshals. The hours were long, they were away from their families for a least one month at a time, and I’m sure more time than that on occasions, and lastly, the pay. Deputies are paid on a fee system. They received six cents a mile going after a fugitive, two dollars when serving a warrant, and ten cents a mile on the return trip with the culprit in custody. Now you can see why they spent a lot of time in the field. It takes a lot of riding and served warrants to make a living. An average annual income for a Deputy was approximately five hundred dollars. With inflation, that would be roughly twelve thousand dollars in today’s pay scale.

Deputies were also allowed to keep reward money as long as it was not a federal reward. The government felt they are already paying a wage to the Deputy. I guess they would see that as double-dipping?

Deputy Bass Reeves would leave Fort Smith headed for Indian Country with a pocket full of warrants, a prisoner wagon (Tumble Weed Wagon). He may also have a few extra deputies and horses, a cook, and several posses. The posse was used to guard prisoners and take care of the campsite. It sounds like the ultimate campout, a wagon load of criminals that included murderers, horse thieves, and bootleggers—what a way to make a living.

Several stories have been generated about Bass’s exploits.

Bass supposedly told an account of when he left his wagon and men at a campsite and walked 25 miles through the woods to a cabin housing a couple of brothers wanted on federal warrants. Bass disguised himself as a transient on the run from the law, hiding his handcuffs and gun under his jacket. The Brothers were not home at the time, and their mother believed Bass when he told her he was on the run. She said her boys were also on the run. She indicated that the boys would be home in the early evening. She invited Bass to stay and have supper with them; plus, he might be able to team up with her sons. When the boys arrived home, the mom introduced Bass, and they sat down for supper. Bass was invited to spend the night; he and the boys slept upstairs. When the boy went to sleep, Bass took the opportunity to handcuff them both. He then marched them back to his campsite, with their mother following for a couple of miles calling Bass every nasty name in the book.

Another incident involved Ned Christie; a Cherokee Indian fugitive wanted for the alleged killing of U.S. Deputy Marshal Dan Maples.

Reeves and several deputies surrounded Christie’s fortified cabin in the Rabbitt Trap district of Indian Territory outside Tahlequah. The posse blazed away at the cabin for an hour to no avail. They finally set Christie’s cabin on fire, but no one saw Christie escape; they thought he had died in the blaze. Christie, always protected by his friends and neighbors, alluded the law for five years. Deputy Paden Tolbert and posse killed Christie at his reconstructed cabin in 1892.

In the thirty-plus years Bass served as a Deputy, he had fourteen men who resisted and lost their lives. Some say Bass was never wounded, but others disagree. In any event, he was very fortunate to live a long and productive life.

One horrible incident in his career was when he went on trial for killing the camp cook. Supposedly, the cook got mad at Bass’s pet dog and threw grease on him. Bass became enraged and shot the cook dead. Bass claims he was cleaning his rifle and the gun discharged by accident. Bass stood trial for murder in Judge Parker’s court and was acquitted, but the legal fees took almost all of his savings.

Bass was an honest, dedicated lawman, and this became evident when Bass’s son Link killed his wife for cheating on him. Link fled, and a warrant was issued for his arrest. When Bass returned to Fort Smith from collecting bad guys in Indian Territory, there was a murder warrant for Link waiting to be served. No one wanted to serve the warrant on Link. Bass said Link is my son, and I will find him, and he will stand trial. Two weeks later, Bass and Link rode in from Indian Territory. Link was tried and sentenced to life imprisonment at Leavenworth, Kansas.

That had to be Bass’s most demanding arrest of his career.

This incident gives you a good indication of the type of man Bass Reeves was.

The people of Muskogee, where Bass ended his law enforcement career, respected Reeves so much that they signed a petition on behalf of young Reeves after hearing the whole story of Link Reeves incident. The petition, coupled with an excellent prison record, gained Link a full pardon. Link returned to Muskogee and became one of its best citizens.

Bass was one of close to two hundred Marshals working out of Fort Smith.

Judge Parker claimed the law could not

OLD WEST continued on page 18

THE POLK COUNTY

18 News

OLD WEST

September 8, 2021 continued from page 17

do its job if it weren’t for the dedicated U.S. Deputy Marshals. During Judge Parker’s tenure, approximately sixty-five deputies gave their lives trying to bring justice to the 75,000 sq miles that encompassed Indian Territory and Western Arkansas.

Some researchers say Bass received wounds during his career. Others say the most that he experienced was his hat brim was shot, buttons ripped off his jacket; also, his bridle was cut in half by bullets. In any event, given all his circumstances, Reeves faired relatively well.

Judge Parker passed away in 1896.

Citizens from near and far away attended his funeral. Bass and Nellie attended, as did most of the working Deputy Marshals.

Oklahoma obtained its statehood in 1907. Bass was living in Muskogee and joined the Muskogee City Police Force as a patrolman at sixty-nine. He worked from 1907 to 1909, and there

was reportedly never a crime committed on his beat.

In 1909 Bass’s health failed, and he died on January 12, 1910, of Bright’s disease. Ironically, the same condition that took the life of Judge Parker and Heck Thomas.

I used several reference books while researching Bass.

One book worth reading about Bass is “Bass Reeves Deputy U.S. Marshal 1875 – 1902” by author Mary Estes Wyche.

Another book is “Black, Red, and Deadly” by Author Art Burton.

My good friend, History Professor, and Author, Fred Staff, has written a book trilogy on Bass Reeves. His books are fictional, but as he recently told me, “The three books were put together after years of research, and I would say that they are fictionalized to engross the reader, but historically correct in many settings. They are novels based on research and historical events.” They are available on Amazon.

9-11-2001 Tribute

By Wendy Syfrett November 11, 2001

Nine-One-One; the month, the day, and too, the number used, When things go wrong, when trouble starts, when one’s hurt and confused.

And on that day, that tragic day, when all the U.S. cried, That call went out from many phones just as the callers died.

A plane has run into Twin Tower One, another hit Twin Tower Two! Like “War of the Worlds”, they’ve made it all up – events like this just can’t be true! But no, too tragic, all too real, as cameras catch events, And people look on, horrified, at things which make no sense.

Great landmarks – gone. And with them, lives, of children, women, men.

Then at our nation’s Capitol, it happened once again.

And at the calls of nine-one-one in New York and DC, Came firefighters and police, to do what had to be.

As at the towers they rushed in and up towards devastation, They had no clue, those heroes true, they faced annihilation.

For as the whole world watched, aghast, (some with unholy glee), The towers two came tumbling down, then Seven made it three.

As those who’d just rushed in to help were buried in the rubble, Our placid, safe lives, so secure, were burst just like a bubble.

But it took only moments for us all to rally ‘round – More heroes on Flight 93 rode that one to the ground.

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104 Port Arthur Ave. Mena, AR 71953-3344

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They’d heard by phone what happened on those other, fatal, flights, Then told their families “Keep the faith, ‘cause WE are gonna fight! Refused to be a weapon; instead willing sacrifice.

To offset yet more tragedy, they bravely paid the price.

And as they did, they set the stage for all of us to act.

The time is not for tippytoe, or fraidycat, or tact.

The situation calls for strength, a show of might and will.

It is a time, America, to say, “We’ve had our fill!

We’ll no more sit back idle, as they scheme, plan and attack.

They’ve done it now. The last straw fell, and now we’re fighting back!” What did they think would happen when they struck us such a blow? Did they believe we’d fall apart and give them quite a show?

Don’t terrorists have siblings, engage in rivalries, That make them bicker, fight and pinch like normal families? And don’t they back each other up when outsiders step in And start to cause dissension among their kith and kin?

For are not we Americans all just exactly that?

One giant nation-family, with arguments and spats?

And now the bullies ‘cross the street have pushed our brothers down. Let us unite, step in the fight, and “run them out of town”!

The ties that bind the USA no terrorist can sever.

“One Nation, indivisible…” is more true now than ever!

THE POLK COUNTY

Pulse

September 8, 2021

The members, fire fighters and board of directors of the Dallas Valley Rural Volunteer Fire Department would like to take this opportunity to extend an invitation to join us for our Annual Business Meeting and BBQ dinner. The Meeting will be held at the fire station on Old Airport Rd. or 229 Polk 52, Saturday, October 2nd, 2021, starting at 5pm. There will be a donation boot available for any non-members who wish to attend. Please join us if you can.

Trinity Lutheran to Open Time Capsule buried in April of 2002. The congregation decided to open it up this year as they are celebrating their 121st Anniversary. On Sunday, September 12th the congregation will gather for worship beginning at 10 a.m. followed by a Shared Dish Dinner!

The time capsule will be opened during the dinner and fellowship time. All are welcome! A new time capsule will be buried on Sunday, October 10th as part of the 121st Anniversary Celebration. For more information, please call (479) 394-1290.

MHS Class of 1959 will meet at Little Italy September 8 at 11:30.

The Ouachita Strings Ensemble and Friends presents the Sounds of Stage and Screen Saturday, September 18 at 5 p.m. and Saturday, October 2 at 4 p.m. at Janssen Park pavilion, unless there is inclement weather, in which case the event will be held at the Ouachita Little Theatre. Free and open to the public.

Suicide Prevention Awareness presentation by We Are The 22 will be held September 18 from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. at the American Legion Building in Acron. Everyone is welcome. All military organizations will be

Around Town

present. Event sponsored by VFW Post 4451.

Hatfield First Baptist Church “Shepherdʼs Closet” Open Wednesdays, 10 am - Noon. Large selection of good, used clothing & a limited supply of non-perishable food items. Free to anyone in need. We kindly ask that non-vaccinated individuals wear masks.

Reynolds Gardner Community Menʼs Breakfast every Tuesday, Mena First United Methodist Church, 8:00 am (full breakfast for small donation). All men from the community are invited to attend.

Mena Water Utilities is required to construct a new water treatment facility to comply with Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality regulations. To qualify for partial federal funding, water rates must be increased. Beginning November 1, 20210, the Mena Water Utility rates will increase by a $2 base fee for each customer, plus an extra $0.25 per 1,000 gallons of water. Customers will start to see the rate increase on their November water bills that will be received in December.

Alcoholics Anonymous meet at 8pm Fridays at the First United Methodist Church, 9th & Port Arthur. Discussion/Book Study For information call 479-243-0297 The Cossatot Senior Center in Wickes will be temporarily closed until September 15 due to the increase in Covid cases. We will still serve hot meals daily, starting at 11:45am, via drive-thru only. Home Deliveries will continue as normal.

The Food Pantry at the Mena Seventh Day Adventist Church is open every first and third

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Monday of each month, 4pm - 6pm, located at Fair Grounds Road. For more information, call 479-4374018.

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

Walkers & Runners, Women Run Arkansas, 10-week free clinic beginning August 31, Tuesdays & Thursdays, 5:30pm, Mena High School Track. Sign-up@ womenrunarkansas.net, Mena WRA 5k Training Clinic on Facebook, for more info contact: teddi_sullivan@ yahoo.com Polk County Republican Committee meets the 3rd Monday of each month, 5:30pm in the Polk County Library. The next meeting is August 16.

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

Community 19 grieving the loss of a loved one.

Alcoholics Anonymous meet at 3pm Sundays, at 5pm. Tuesdays and at 8pm Saturdays at the old bus barn at the Crossing Church. For information call 479-234-8366 or 479-216-3786 Thursday Night Thunder, Bring out your classic cars, muscle cars, rat rods, etc. Free Event the 1st & 3rd Thursdays of each month, 5 pm-until whenever, weather-permitting at Soloʼs Speed Paint & Marine, Corner of 11th and US Hwy 71. Bring a cooler and a chair. Bringing the car community back together. (631) 276-2482 for more info.

Itʼs 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!

20 News

THE POLK COUNTY

Pulse

September 8, 2021

KELLERWILLIAMS REALTY MENA

OF THE WEEK

#33 JAYDEN FELIX Mena Coaches select #33, Jayden Felix, as the Farm Bureau Insurance Player of the Week vs. Clarksville. Jayden is a Junior running back / linebacker for the Bearcats. He had 1 receiving touchdown and 1 rushing touchdown with over 100 all- purpose yards on offense and 2 tackles for loss, defensively. His efforts helped lead the Bearcats to a comfortable 38-14 victory over the Panthers. Mena’s off to a great start, at 2-0 for the year!

Jayden is the son of Walter and Misty Felix and is one of eight children, having 2 brothers and 5 sisters. His hobbies are primarily football, off season conditioning, and X-Box games. After graduation, Jayden hopes to continue to play football at the college level, as he pursues a degree in Accounting.

This week, Mena will travel to Hot Springs to take on the Hot Springs High Trojans, who currently stand at 1-1 for the season. Mena lost a close game to the Trojans last year and Jayden and the Bearcats will be up for a little payback come Friday night.

Shown presenting Jayden with the Player of the Week game ball are Bearcat assistant Coach, Chad Arnold, and Farm Bureau Insurance agent, Mitch Sikes.

Great location for your forever home in a quiet neighborhood. 1900 sq ft cinder block shop with electricity and multiple drive in entrances (used for building cabinets), enclosed RV/Motorhome garage. A must see. Will have to be surveyed. $75,000 MLS 21011677

Rhonda Tims

Realtor 479-216-8645 rhondatims@kw.com

KELLER WILLIAMS REALT Y MEN A 114 2 H w y 71 S u i t e C

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Farm Bureau Insurance is a proud supporter of Mena Bearcat athletics!!

309 S. MORROW, MENA, AR

479-394-3650

Rich Mountain Electric Cooperative, Inc. Owned By Those We Serve 515 Janssen Ave, Mena, AR 71953

(479) 394-4140 W W W. R M E C . C O M