The Polk County Pulse - February 28, 2024

Zawislak returning to UARM to talk bees

By Ethan Nahté

Spring is almost here and it’s time for things to begin blooming, which means pollen. Three-fourths of the world’s flowering plants depend on pollinators to reproduce. Those pollinators: Butterflies, moths, birds, bats, beetles and other insects.

Then there’s the honey bee. More than 80% of pollination of many of our cultivated crops is performed by the honey bee. There are 4000-plus species of bees native to North America, and they contribute to the production of many billions of dollar’s worth of crops every year.

John Zawislak,

assistant professor

See BEES continued on page 2

There are certain moments in history that people can recall exactly where they were when tragic news came across the airwaves or in black and white print, be it Pearl Harbor, the assassination of JFK, and the death of the King of Rock and Roll Elvis Presley.

Even during Presley’s life there were imitators as early as 1954. Now the number is in the tens and possibly hundreds of thousands of imitators

See ELVIS continued on page 14

BEES

continued from page 1 of entomology, spoke to approximately 60 people in October 2023 about preparing honey bee hives for winter at the Ouachita Center on the UARM campus. He’s returning on March 14 at 7 p.m. to talk about the Biology and Management of Bee Swarms.

Zawislak is the apiculture specialist or a honey bee specialist, as well as the urban entomologist for the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture. He works with the Cooperative Extension Service.

Zawislak said, “Most of the times I’ve been here [Mena] it’s been to work with the beekeepers at their invitation, but I also do guest lectures at different colleges around the state. With the Extension Office we travel all over; we do whatever we are asked to do.”

Honey bees perform more than 80% of pollination of our cultivated crops, including many fruits, vegetables, nuts, herbs and spices consumed by humans. They also pollinate forage for dairy and

beef cattle, ornamental plants or as medicinals.

According to an 18-page report released on Aug. 1, 2022, from the USDA, a study of with five or more colonies broken down by state showed that on Jan. 1, 2021, there were 21,000 bee colonies in Arkansas. The numbers dropped to 12,500 colonies by April 1, 2021, before rebounding as high as 31,000 and then dipping again to 18,000. By April 1, 2022, the bee colonies numbered 19,000 in Arkansas. The problems with bee declines are a lot of causes: Diseases of pathogens; overuse of medications, which can cause mites and bacteria to develop a

resistance; and beneficial microbes that inhabit the digestive systems of bees can be negatively affected by medications or environmental pesticides.

“As far as climate change goes, honey bees are very adaptable to a lot of different climates. They are found all over the world.”

Climate change

“If the climate changes drastically, then that’s going to have an effect on plant communities,” Zawislak said. “That in turn will affect pollinators that rely on those plants. Honey bees are generous, so wherever they go they can easily find something to feed on.

“We have probably at least 400 or more native species of bees in Arkansas, and some of them are highly specialized — they may only pollinate certain plants. If the weather changes enough where it warms up faster in the spring, perhaps that plant blooms earlier than the pollinator comes out of dormancy and that creates a mismatch and then the plant doesn’t have its specialist pollinator. If the pollinator doesn’t have its specialized plants, then we can start to see some of those maybe begin to disappear.

“More of the issues with climate change are going to affect species that occur in colder climates and higher altitudes as things warm, they are the ones that are going to be the most affected. We’re starting to see some bumblebees maybe that are being affected by that.

“It’s hard to say here in Arkansas where there has really up to this point been very little study of native bees. They weren’t considered economical-

ly important because they don’t make honey. So why worry about them, right?” he said wryly. “So, they were really understudied. We are really just starting for the last few years to do more surveying of native bees in Arkansas and try to understand, and try to understand what their diversity is, what their distribution is and things like that. Then we can establish a real baseline — these are the species we have; they’re in all of these counties; these are their populations. In the future we can say this is changed in one way or another. We don’t really have good baseline data to make any kind of statement like that now.”

Habitat destruction

The use of chemicals and herbicides along roadsides to kill weeds, mosquitos, and other pests also kills many of the plants and flowers pollinators such as monarch butterflies rely on for sustenance on their long migrations, as well as a place for their larva to safely grow. In addition to areas being killed off as humans build more and more, some chemicals are destroying the habitat of pollinators.

Zawislak said, “Habitat destruction is a legit concern. If you look at the research that’s been done on insects in general all over the world, when people try to summarize all of the things that are going wrong with insects and the problems they’re facing, it all comes down to habitat destruction. That’s true for other wildlife, not just insects — songbirds and lots of other things. But, its habitat destruction, habitat loss, and habitat fragmentation. There may be wild areas, but they’re isolated and they’re not genetically connected anymore, or species don’t travel very far.

“The whole food web is based on plants. Everything eats plants, or eat something that eats plants, or eats See BEES continued on page 11

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A recent Pulse article by State Representative John Maddox stated that Arkansas has more than 186,000 military veterans. That 6% of our state population who have served in defense of our nation. Which is good - but there’s also a problem. We’re fast running out of those who are willing to serve. Recruitment in the Armed Forces is now running at an all-time low.

Myself, I joined the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) when I was 20 years old. Like thousands before me, I survived boot camp and came out of that adventure both physically fit, and with a new outlook on life.

For the next 20 years I always had a roof over my head every night and a real bed to sleep in. I also got all the free schooling I could handle and a decent paycheck twice a month. Stick in some dental, vision, medical, and 30 days paid vacation every year from the start, and you couldn’t get me out!

To top it off: Every month since I turned 40, they send me a darn good retirement check. I didn’t have to wait until I was in my late 60s like most folks.

A new Coast Guard recruit can get those same benefits and a considerable ($$) upfront enlistment bonus. Some examples are:

- $60,000 while learning to be an Electronics Tech

- $40,000 for an Operations Specialist

- $60,000 learning to be a Subsistence Specialist (Chef) The list goes on and on.

To be fair, all of the “other” Armed Services offer basically the same opportunities. (Well, maybe not the always having a roof over your head part.)

Now listen to this: The CG sent me an email the other day that says if a new, eligible person enlists in CG and puts someone’s name in the hat as the person who encouraged them into joining up, the USCG will send that person a recruitment incentive bonus of $1,000. Can’t go wrong there. Know a special guy or gal who’s just getting started in life and maybe needs a hand up and a good way out? Talk to ‘em. Tell them about the Coast Guard. Tell them to tell the recruiter who sent them (That would be you).

Thanks for your time and the plug,

Dale A Miller, USCG retired, Mena

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UARM hosts National Rural Electric Cooperative Association Youth Spokeperson

UARM Foundation is pleased to announce that National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) Youth Spokeperson Rukaya Alrubaye will speak in the Ouachita Center on the UARM campus at 1100 College Drive on Thursday, March 28, at 10 a.m.

Fayetteville’s Hass Hall Academy graduate and current UMKC School of Medicine student, Alrubaye was selected as Ozarks Electric Cooperative’s Youth Tour representative where she spoke at the summer conference in Jonesboro. Based on that address, NRECA selected Alrubaye as the organization’s national youth leadership spokesperson where she addressed cooperative directors and employees at their annual meeting in Nashville, Tennessee.

Alrubaye’s address spoke of her parents who have instilled a passion for education and community service. They supported their daughter’s desire to be a strong advocate for tobacco prevention which landed her the 2022 National Youth Advocate of the Year Award from Tobacco Free Kids. Serving as a board member for Tobacco21, a national campaign working to raise the legal age for tobacco and nicotine sales, Alrubaye has spoken with FDA and state officials to promote a healthier future. Additionally, in May 2023, she was invited to help launch an event for USDA Rural Utilities Service’s Inflation Reduction Act programs, where she had the opportunity to visit D.C. once again.

On March 28, Alrubaye will speak

about her experiences of becoming an American. From her father’s days of serving as Lt. Col. Barney Morris’ chief of staff to both of her parents’ current employment as professors at the University of Arkansas, Alrubaye has an appreciation for the U.S. and the opportunities available. As a proud naturalized citizen, she has sung the national anthem at UA Razorback sports games where she was able to express her appreciation for the bravery of U.S. soldiers and her patriotism.

For more information about the event at UA Rich Mountain, call 479-394-7622, ext. 1212, email dgathright@urichmountain.edu, or visit www.uarichmountain.edu.

This program was made possible in part by UARM Foundation’s

Duke Frederick Lecture series, and there is no charge for attending.

Rukaya Alrubaye will speak in the Ouachita Center at a free event at 10 a.m., March 28.

From the State House of Representatives From the State Senate

This week, several members attended a Maternal Health Roundtable at UAMS. The roundtable included Arkansas medical professionals discussing maternal health alongside Governor Sanders, Senator John Boozman, and Congressman French Hill.

identifying cardiomyopathy, cardiovascular conditions, and hypertensive disorders as top underlying causes.

In 2023, we addressed maternal health with the passage of Act 562, Act 581 and Act 553.

Arkansas faces one of the nation’s highest maternal mortality rates, prompting discussions on improving access to maternal care in rural areas, especially with only 35 hospitals in the state offering active labor and delivery units.

Addressing maternal health has been a key focus for the Arkansas General Assembly, notably through Act 829 of 2019 establishing the Maternal Mortality Review Committee, aiming to pinpoint prevention strategies by examining pregnancy-associated deaths.

The Committee’s latest report highlighted 100 pregnancy-associated deaths out of 108,517 live births between 2018 and 2020, underscoring disparities among minorities and

Act 562 requires the Arkansas Medicaid Program to reimburse for depression screening for a pregnant woman.

Act 581 requires the Arkansas Medicaid Program to reimburse a healthcare provider for providing long-acting reversible contraception immediately and during postpartum.

Act 553 mandates that the state medical examiner conducts a postmortem examination in specific situations. These situations encompass the death of a pregnant woman or a woman who was pregnant within 365 days of her death if potentially linked to pregnancy care.

Moving forward, the General Assembly will continue reviewing the Committee’s recommendations. The report can be found at www.arkansashouse.org.

LITTLE ROCK –The legislature has been working on a long-term, sustainable solution to the spike in property insurance costs of Arkansas schools.

A consultant hired last year will submit his report in March. The legislature will meet in fiscal session in April.

agreed to a retention of $25,000, it would go a long way toward holding down costs.

Schools are experiencing the same dramatic increases in property insurance that homeowners are going through. For example, last year legislators learned that premiums went up 114 percent, or $21 million, for 170 school districts in a program managed by the Arkansas School Boards Association.

Another 68 schools in a program managed by the state Insurance Department saw rates go up by $15 million, or 154 percent.

The Bentonville School District, which purchases property insurance through the open market, saw an increase of about $393,000, which amounts to a 50 percent increase in premiums.

After hearing about the increases, legislators and the governor agreed to provide almost $11 million to partially offset the cost to schools.

However, that was a one-time fix to a problem that has been getting worse, so the legislature also voted to contract with a consultant to recommend longterm solutions.

During a recent meeting of the Legislative Council’s Executive Committee, the consultant told lawmakers that the increase in insurance costs was “not going to be an inexpensive problem to fix.”

One proposal would be to increase retention, they suggested. That is very similar to an individual holding down the costs of an insurance policy by choosing a higher deductible.

The consultant said that if schools

Greater retention would allow schools to afford higher limits on coverage. Some schools may want to increase the limits of their coverage because of recent inflation driving up the cost of construction.

Also, to be eligible to participate in a state insurance partnership and qualify for the advantages of being in a larger risk pool, school districts must be insured for 100 percent of replacement costs.

The consultants said they would probably recommend that the Arkansas Insurance Department set up a “captive” company to provide coverage for schools. It would operate like a state-owned insurance company, and would fall under existing law that is 26 pages long in the statutes. There would be no ambiguity and no need to change existing state insurance regulations.

Currently, schools have insurance under trust companies, which are regulated under three pages in the law books. The consultants said they prefer property insurance coverage through captives, rather than trusts, because they are more highly regulated.

The combination of factors driving up insurance prices have created “a pretty big problem,” and the current insurance plan for Arkansas schools is not sustainable, they said.

Their final recommendations will be for “building something that is self-sustaining,” they said, adding that they would recommend long-term solutions rather than ideas that would merely patch potholes.

It is possible that they recommend combining the two programs into one plan operated by the state Insurance Department.

John Maddox

Terry Rice

Patricia “Joan” Baker

Mrs. Patricia “Joan” Baker, age 74, passed away, Wednesday, February 21, 2024, in Little Rock, Arkansas. She was born April 19, 1949, to Bo Johnson and Mary Kesterson.

Joan was a loving homemaker, wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. She took great care of her husband Larry and her kids, even after her kids were grown and married. She was a great cook, even though she didn’t necessarily enjoy it. She loved sharing her recipes, and jigsaw puzzles. She greatly enjoyed talking to her sister Sheila, and she would often say that “they shared each other’s thoughts.” Above all else, Joan loved her family dearly.

She is preceded in death by her father, Bo Johnson; sister, Brenda Thomas; and by her son-in-law, Robert Morgan. She is survived by her loving husband of 56 years, Larry Joe Baker of Mena, Arkansas; daughter; Tonya Puckett and husband John of Mena, Arkansas; son, Terry Baker and wife Dottie of Mena, Arkansas; mother and stepfather, Mary and Vaughn Kesterson of Mount Ida, Arkansas; sister, Sheila Johnson of Mount Ida, Arkansas; brothers, Tad Kesterson and wife, Phyllis of Mount Ida, Arkansas, Kipp Kesterson and wife, Carla of Magnet Cove, Arkansas, Blue Kesterson and wife, Stephanie of Malvern, Arkansas; grandsons, Josh Baker and wife Halee of Mena, Arkansas, TJ Baker and wife Torrey of Fort Smith, Arkansas; granddaughters, Robin Cirkles and husband Davey of Gillham, Arkansas, Ashley Barton and husband BJ of Mena, Arkansas, Kelsey Hobbs and husband, Sam of Dierks, Arkansas, Hanna Burk and husband Dustin of Cove, Arkansas; 14 great-grandchildren, Braedyn, Lily, Zavery, Sophia, Maylie, Kooper, Morgan, Mia, Jessa, Bentley, Colton, Brynley, Hollis, and Bennett.

Services for Mrs. Joan Baker will be

held, Saturday, February 24, 2024, at the Pleasant Grove Cemetery in Cove, Arkansas, at 1:00 p.m. Brother Donnie Jewell and Brother Lewis Martin will be officiating under the direction of Beasley-Wood Funeral Home. Visitation will be held at the Beasley-Wood Chapel in Mena, Arkansas, on Friday, February 23, 2024, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Pallbearers will be Josh Baker, T.J. Baker, Davey Cirkles, B.J. Barton, Tad Kesterson, and Kipp Kesterson.

Honorary Pallbearers will be Braedyn Barton, Colton Baker, and Blue Kesterson.

Online obituary and guestbook at beasleywoodfuneralhome.com

Lee Roy Fryar

Lee Roy Fryar, 90, of Cherry Hill, Arkansas, passed away in Mount Ida, Monday, February 19, 2024. He was born December 13, 1933, in Oden, Arkansas, to the late Delbert Ray and Nora (Carmack) Fryar. He is preceded in death by both of his parents, sister Loeta Christenberry, brother Donald Ray Fryar, 2 great-granddaughters, Marlee Jo and Dana Kate Fryar.

After graduating high school from Oden High School, he was drafted to the United States Army, where he served in Korea. Lee Roy attended Henderson State University. He worked for Munroe Co. (Shoe Factory) as a Foreman for 32 years. After retiring he went to work at the Montgomery County Nursing Home as a bus driver and worked for them for 13 years.

Lee Roy is survived by his wife Patsy (Stovall) Fryar, they were married February 26, 1955, his children Loretta Fryar, Reggie (Sandy) Fryar, Felbert Randel (Susan) Fryar and Stephen (Robin) Fryar, grandchildren Josh (Leanna) Fryar, Chad (Rachel) Fryar, Eric (Kayla) Fryar, Erin (Courtney) Gaston, Matthew (Jessica) Fryar, Amber Godwin, Robert (Ashton) Fryar, Derrick

(Cassey) Fryar, 17 great-grandchildren, his brother Bob (Barbara) Fryar and his sister, Patricia (Bruce Bridges) Thacker, along with nieces, nephews, other family and friends.

Visitation will be Thursday, February 22, 2024, 6:00-8:00 pm at Thornton Funeral Home Chapel. Service will be held Friday, February 23, 2024, 2:00 pm at the Pencil Bluff Baptist Church in Pencil Bluff, Arkansas, with Bro. Reggie Fryar officiating. Pallbearers will be Josh Fryar, Chad Fryar, Eric Fryar, Matthew Fryar, Robert Fryar and Derrick Fryar. Arrangements are under the direction of Thornton Funeral Home in Mount Ida. Guest register at thorntonfh.com

Larry Thweatt

Larry Thweatt, age 64, of Mena, died Tuesday, February 20, 2024, at the St. Vincent Hospital in Hot Springs, Arkansas. He was born on Saturday, May 23, 1959, to Bobby and Mary Frances Thweatt in Escondido, California. There was a stubborn streak to Larry that was unmistakable, and yet it was this very trait that often came to define his resilience and determination. He was also a man of immense kindness and generosity, his good heart a beacon that brought comfort to many. Among Larry’s many talents, which ranged from woodworking to leatherworking, he was renowned for his skill in crafting intricate fishing lures. It was within the quietude of his workshop that he found solace, pouring his passion into each piece he crafted and often whispering life into blocks of wood or strips of leather. Larry’s creations, each piece a testament to his careful craftsmanship and innate talent, have touched many lives — whether they were held in hand by a fisherman early in the morning or adorned the walls of someone’s home as an emblem of beauty and artistry. His spirit will continue to live on through these pieces, a heartfelt re-

minder of the impact that one’s passion and dedication can have on the world. He was preceded in death by his parents.

He is survived by his brother, Ron Thweatt of Lake Havasu City, Arizona; two sisters and brother-in-law, Darlene Thweatt of San Marcus, California, and Cyndi and Kevin Beerbohm of Escondido, California; nephews and nieces, Sarah and Adam Calahan of Flagstaff, Arizona, Zach and Farren Thweatt of Surprise, Arizona, Christine Rojas of Vista, California, Austin Beerbohm of Escondido, California, and Trevor Beerbohm of Escondido, California; great-nephews and nieces, Connor Calahan, Adison Calahan, and Olivia Calahan of Flagstaff, Arizona, and Elias Thweatt, Lilly Thweatt, and Amelia Thweatt of Surprise, Arizona; and a host of other relatives and friends.

No services are planned at this time. Larry will be laid to rest at the Bulger Cemetery in Potter, Arkansas. Cremation arrangements are entrusted to Bowser Family Funeral Home in Mena, Arkansas.

Online Guestbook: bowserffh.com

Michael “Animal” Campbell

Michael “Animal” Campbell, age 74, of Mena, passed away on Friday, February 23, 2024, at his home surrounded by family. He was born on Friday, June 3, 1949, to Warren and Geraldine Lackey Campbell in Hot Springs, Arkansas.

Michael was a fan of 1970’s rock music that invariably resonated from his workshop, a space where he would often be found amidst sawdust, schematics, and the scent of freshly cut wood. His love for Harley Davidson motorcycles was as deep as the rumble of their engines, and he found great pleasure in long, leisurely rides on open roads. An excellent craftsman, Michael’s abilities in carpentry were beyond compare. His passion for creation and repair was not limited to woodwork, as he was also a highly skilled mechanic. His family often lovingly referred to him as their “go-to fixer,” no problem was too big or too small for him.

Despite his disciplined nature, Michael was a man of innate softness and warmth, particularly in the presence of his family. He was incredibly fond of animals, and his home was a haven for any creature in need. His love for the outdoors was often channeled through his visits to Lake Ouachita, where he found tranquility in the act of fishing.

A graduate of Mena High School in 1967, he was a figure of great respect and honor within his community and church. He went on to proudly serve in the United States Navy and United States Army. After serving in the military, Michael went on to graduate from Henderson State University. Michael then had a distinguished career as an overseas contractor for the United States Military.

Known for his gentle soul, Michael was deeply involved in the local community. He was an active member of the Dallas Masonic Lodge #128 and Moun-

tain Meadow Lodge #218. His devotion to Masonic principles was reflected in his ascension to Master Mason and his distinguished status as a 32nd Degree Scottish Rite Mason and York Rite Mason to the degree of Knights Templar. Among his impressive litany of accomplishments, Michael was a founding board member of the Shepherd’s Word Church in Mena.

Michael was an exceptionally devoted husband who cherished the strong family ties they cultivated together. Donna, his beloved, remained the cornerstone of his existence. Their shared years were adorned with travels and tender moments, where he consistently showered her with affection, be it through heartfelt expressions or tokens of love like flowers and heartfelt Valentine’s cards. Words fall short in encapsulating the depth of his love for Donna, yet his adoration for her and their grandchildren knew no bounds, emanating from the depths of his heart.

He was preceded in death by his parents; and son-in-law, Joel Campora.

He is survived by his loving wife of 20 years, Donna Campbell of Mena; one son and daughter-in-law, Morgan and Cindy Frachiseur of Gilham; his daughter and son-in-law, Rebecca and Michael Rutherford of Greenwood; one sister, Lynn Primm of Mena; six grandchildren, Dacie Campora, Bethany Campora, Cheyenne Rutherford, Joe Rutherford, Allen and Christy Lee, Megan and Clifford Randall; four great-grandchildren, Kix Lee, RJ Smith, Bristol Lee, Lakyen Randall; niece and nephew, Tonya Warrington and Art Warrington; and several very close friends and family.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, March 2, 2024, at 10:00 AM at the Bowser Family Funeral Home Chapel with Brother Terry Fuquay officiating. Cremation arrangements are entrusted to Bowser Family Funeral Home in Mena, Arkansas.

In Lieu of Flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Scholarship Funds at the Dallas Masonic Lodge #128 at 701 Port Arthur Ave, Mena, AR 71953.

Gwen Purvis

Gwen Purvis unexpectedly passed away on December 12, 2023. Gwen lived in Mena, Arkansas.

Gwen was born on April 16, 1941, to Alwaski and Mattie Barber in Denver, Colorado. Gwen is survived by her brother, Alwaski Barber; her son, Tieoto Purvis; her daughter, Neomie Bakerink and her companion Mat McDonald; and son-in-law, Chris Velasquez; and sister-in-law, Nancy Malloy.

She is preceeded in death by her mother and father; her sister, LurNeva Fuller; and her daughter, Parmota Purvis Velasquez; and her companion of 30 years, Harry Spencer.

She had three grandsons, fifteen great-grandchildren, and eight great-great-grandchildren, and numerous nephews and nieces.

Gwen loved going on rides around Mena. Gwen loved going fishing and camping with her companion of 30 years, Harry. Gwen enjoyed going to Church and going to her Tuesday morning quilting with her church family at the Northside Church of Christ.

May her soul rest in peace, she will be deeply missed and was loved by everyone.

A memorial service will be held for Gwen on Saturday, March 2, 2024, at 11:00 AM at the Northside Church of Christ with Brother Charles Wood officiating. Cremation arrangements are entrusted to Bowser Family Funeral Home in Mena Arkansas.

Harry Spencer

Harry Spencer unexpectedly passed away on December 12, 2023. Harry lived in Mena, Arkansas.

Harry Spencer was born on March 9, 1941, to Joe and Ida Spencer in Des Moines, Iowa. Harry is survived by his brother, Richard Spencer; two sisters, Georgeanna Spagnola and Anita Spencer; his daughter, Kelly Spencer Green; sister-in-law, Teresa Spencer; and Tieto Purvis, Neomie Bakerink, Mat McDonald; son-in-law, Chris Velasquez.

Harry is preceeded in death by his mother and father; his son, Harry D. Spencer; his brother, Ronald Spencer; Parmota Purvis Velasquez; and his companion of 30 years, Gwen.

He had three grandsons, fifteen great-grandchildren, and eight great-great-grandchildren, and numerous nephews and nieces.

Harry loved going on rides around Mena. Harry loved going fishing and camping with his companion of 30 years, Gwen.

May his soul rest in peace, he will be deeply missed and was loved by everyone.

A memorial service will be held for them on Saturday, March 2, 2024, at 11:00 AM at the Northside Church of Christ with Brother Charles Wood officiating. Cremation arrangements are entrusted to Bowser Family Funeral Home in Mena, Arkansas.

Loss of loved ones is the hardest blow in life.

~Marlo Thomas

Food insecurity an issue for some veterans

By Kathy Hagler, 2nd Vice Regent James K. Polk Chapter, NSDAR

Food insecurity has become more prevalent in recent years, even among our veterans.

City of Mena spring clean-up

same financial benefits as a veteran who served the same four years in a conflict area. The result is finances may run short during the month, especially if an unexpected expense arises, leaving our veterans short on food.

Occasionally, a veteran who’s traveling through our area will also need assistance. Hughes said, “Having

According to Tammy Hughes, RN from the Mena Community Based Outpatient Clinic, food insecurity among the veterans that visit the clinic is on the rise. And needs fluctuate from month to month. When asked why veterans seek help at the clinic versus a regular food bank, Hughes explained that one of the treatment screening questions is “Do you have enough to eat?”. And since there is a ‘care cabinet’ — funded primarily by the Elks — on site that provides cleaning supplies and personal care items, food is a logical request.

Income naturally plays a role in food insecurity. Hughes explained that a veteran’s pay is based on length and type of service. For example, a veteran who served four years in a peaceful station will not receive the

(Submitted photo)

food on site is a blessing. It frees up other resources that can assist with temporary housing, utility bills and other emergencies that may arise.”

If you or your organization are interested in making a food donation, here are a few things to know: Only non-perishable foods will be accepted; protein items such as peanut butter and canned meats are always needed; easy open containers are a plus since the person in need may not have a can opener, especially if they are traveling through the area; and finally, space is limited. Contact Tammy Hughes at 501-609-2711 before you make your donation.

The City of Mena Annual Spring Clean-Up is scheduled to begin on Tuesday, March 5. 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. Materials will not be picked up unless they are placed at the curbside 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).

Notice, the following items cannot be picked up: concrete, brick, rocks, dirt, shingles, batteries, and construction debris. Please separate your items to be discarded into five distinct piles as follows:

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

2. 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)

3. Metal material — hot water heaters, stoves, appliances, etc.

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

5. 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 1-3 days after the day of your normal trash pick-up.

The response to this CleanUp 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.

The James K. Polk Chapter, NSDAR, collected food for local veterans during the February meeting's 'Service in Seconds' project. The Service in Seconds project allows the local DAR Chapter to help various other organizations with their service to our community.

By Richie Lawry

Someone who knew I had traveled to many places recently asked me a question. They wanted to know my favorite destination I would recommend visiting. That was a difficult question because many areas have left a lasting impression. The answer to that question might change from day to day, but the answer I gave that day was Erfurt, Germany.

I still remember my first impressions of Erfurt. The tour bus drove down the narrow cobblestone street and stopped in front of an old church. Our tour guide, Bernd, told us that the church was St. Augustine’s Church, built over 700 years ago. In 1277, Augustinian Hermits started to build St. Augustine’s Church and the monastery complex. He said, “We will spend the weekend inside the historic walls and rooms where monks, including Martin Luther, once lived and prayed.”

Our tour had arranged for us to stay at the Augustinerkloster in Erfurt, Germany. It’s a working Lutheran church and cloister used as a conference center with 51 visitor rooms. As I walked toward my room, I soaked in the history of the place and tried to imagine what it would have been like to live here as a monk over 500 years ago.

After settling into the room, I headed out to explore the old town of Erfurt. The area has been inhabited for thousands of years, but no one knows precisely how old the city is. The earliest written records of Erfurt were from 742 A.D. when a diocese was established there.

German writer Arnold Zweig described Erfurt’s charming old quarter as a “picture book of German history.” Somehow, the medieval city center emerged relatively unscathed from World War II, after which it became stuck in the strange cocoon of East German communism for half a century. Because of this, Erfurt has

An Arkie’s Faith Erfurt, Germany

a surprising time-capsule quality. Walking through the jumble of narrow alleys and open squares, I tried to visualize the same places during medieval times.

The picturesque beauty of the Krämerbrücke, or Merchants Bridge, struck me. It’s the oldest secular building in town and the longest-inhabited bridge in Europe. Half-timbered houses flank a beautiful cobblestone street. The bridge was constructed in 1325, though most houses date to the 15th century.

My walk through Erfurt culminated in the vast Cathedral Square, dominated by two old churches. As I sat down and soaked up the scene, the sounds of a busy German square enveloped me. Conversations surrounded me as people ate and socialized at the many open-air restaurants around the plaza. Children squealed with delight while they played. I sat on a bench, watching couples quietly conversing and teenagers congregating nearby.

Even though I was alone, I felt part of a vibrant community. I sat quietly and tried to imagine what it was like 500 years ago when Luther lived here. The medieval charm of the old city made it easy for my mind to engage in flights of imagination and fill it with the sights and sounds of the 16th century.

After spending the night in the modernized rooms of the over 600-yearold Augustinerkloster, our tour group met the following day to worship in St. Augustine’s Church. We had been permitted to worship in the old church Luther had attended as a monk. The church was closed to tourists for one hour, and we had it all to ourselves.

Sitting in the beautiful old church and singing Martin Luther’s “A Mighty Fortress,” I was filled with awe and the history of the place.

I was reminded of why Luther became a monk who worshipped in this church. The day was July 2, 1505. Luther had recently completed a master’s degree and started his law studies at the University of Erfurt. He was returning to Erfurt after visiting his parents when he was caught in a terrible thunderstorm. Lightning struck near him, and he was thrown to the ground. Fearing for his life, he called to Saint Anne: “I will become a monk!” Much to his father’s dismay, Luther left law school and entered the monastery.

In 1517, Luther wrote a document attacking the Medieval Church’s corrupt practice of selling indulgences to absolve sin. His “95 Theses” had two central beliefs. The first is that the Bible is the central religious authority, and the second is that salvation is only by faith in Jesus and not by works. “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”

Ephesians 2:8,9 (NKJV)

As Christians, we want to make Jesus the center of everything. We shouldn’t focus on just portions of the gospel of Jesus; we should teach Jesus in the completeness of his life. Paul addressed this concept in 1 Corinthians 2:1,2 (NLV): “Christian brothers, when I came to you, I did not preach the secrets of God with big sounding words or make it sound as if I were so wise. I made up my mind that while I was with you, I would speak of nothing except Jesus

Joke of the Week:

Why do scuba divers fall backward out of the boat? Because if they fell forward, they’d still be in the

Christ and His death on the cross.” Luther was a champion of the Bible. He spent many years translating the Bible into the vernacular German of the common man. He believed every Christian should read the Bible for himself and that with God’s help, each Christian could understand the truths it contained. He wrote, “We must make a great difference between God’s Word and the word of man. A man’s word is a little sound that flies into the air and soon vanishes, but the Word of God is greater than heaven and earth, yea, greater than death and hell, for it forms part of the power of God, and endures everlastingly.”

Gentle Reader, I want to leave you with these words penned by Luther. “There is no other interpreter of the Word of God than the Author of this Word, as He has said, ‘They will all be taught by God.’ John 6:45 (NCV). Hope for nothing from your own labors, from your own understanding: trust solely in God and in the influence of His Spirit. Believe this on the word of a man who has experience.”

St. Augustine’s Church in Erfurt, Germany. (Photo by Richie Lawry)

By Ethan Nahté

Egg My Yard hopping your way

The final week of March will be extremely busy between people preparing for the Great Solar Eclipse of 2024 during the latter half of the week in addition to Palm Sunday and Good Friday followed by Easter on March 31. If you think you’ll be too busy to hide Easter eggs, why not let someone else?

The CALL in Polk County is conducting their fourth annual Egg My Yard event. By visiting their online form [see QR code], or calling them, you fill out the form, pay to have your yard egged, and Easter morning the family can wake up and hunt Easter eggs in your own yard.

The service is meant to make Eas-

ter a little more stress free for the parents. You can also do it as a surprise gift for your neighbors. In return, the monies raised help to support children and families affected by foster care.

You can choose from three options of how many eggs you want: 25 eggs for $20, 50 for $35, or 100 for $65.

You can also add golden eggs to your loot. These are filled with large prizes” 1 egg for $6 and 2 for $10. The golden eggs have previously had a golden dollar, fidget toys, candy and other small toys in them.

The CALL hasn’t set a deadline for requesting the egging service, but they are currently asking you have your form and payment turned in

by Thursday, March 28.

If you do not have a smartphone to use the QR code to go directly to the form, orders can be placed by calling 479-234-3498 to get registered. Payments can be made by texting “eggpolk” to 41444.

When it comes to egging yards, Alyssa Green, coordinator at The CALL, said, “We have gone as far as Hatfield before and don’t mind as long as it’s not way out of city limits, rough terrain, or too difficult for our volunteers to find at night.”

If you’d like to help The CALL with deliveries, stuffing the plastic eggs with candy, or the golden eggs with prizes, there are opportunities. “We do have volunteers,” Green said. “If anyone would like to help, they can

always reach out. We plan on stuffing eggs Tuesdays-Thursday of that week [March 26-28].” Times for the egg stuffing will be announced later.

The CALL is accepting donations of candy and small toys as well. Contact Green at the number above.

BEES

continued from page 2 something that eats something that eat plants. With use of herbicides and things like that, we are seeing plant communities that are changing. It’s not that all the plants are disappearing but certain species, maybe, we’re seeing certain plant communities becoming simplified.

“Agricultural areas many years ago — maybe lots of small family farms — they were planting a variety of different crops. It was planted behind a mule, so you could only do so much.

“Now, we have mechanized agriculture, and you can plant thousands of acres, and it’s all being planted in just a few crops: rice, soybeans, corn, cotton wheat. That’s about it.

“We do have some small acreage high-value crops… fruits, vegetables and things. The commodities take up such a huge part of the landscape in this country, including in Arkansas. Those landscape are becoming very simplified, so you have species that would rely on lots of wildflowers. Now they have this one crop like soybeans — it flowers, but it flowers all at the same time, and only for a certain period of time, and everything else is being herbicided from the highway to the tree line. That’s a significant change in the environment.”

A genetically modified organism (GMO) is an animal, plant or microbe whose DNA has been altered using genetic engineering techniques. Some people are for and others against GMOs.

“You can make a case either way,” Zawislak said, “depending on the particular trait. Some of the GMO crops — Like Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis): Bt cotton, Bt corn — it was engineered to produce a protein that used to be found in a bacteria. Even organic farmers use Bt. The plants produce it. It’s very specific for killing just caterpillars… so things that feed on cotton or corn that express this Bt gene.

“Now the farmers don’t have to spray

a broad-spectrum insecticide on everything to kill those caterpillars. That has actually been beneficial for pollinators and other things, but it changes the dynamics in the landscape. Because they’re not spraying for caterpillars maybe aphids become a problem that weren’t because they would die with the same chemical.

“It’s changed things in some ways. It has reduced the amount of pesticides that are being used. But then you have stacked genes, which refers to GMO plants with more than one trait. Gene stacking refers to the combination of more than one gene for plant disease resistance, or productivity, or other desired traits.”

The biotech method is used in GMO and conventional crops to develop improved lines. For instance, combining an insect resistant line with an herbicide tolerant line.

“Now we have a lot of things that are herbicide tolerant,” Zawislak said. “That’s been a huge boon to farmers because fighting weeds has always been a big input in agriculture. They remove moisture, fertilizer, and nutrients from the soil. The crop is competing against the weeds.

“Getting rid of weeds is always a lot of manual labor. Now you can spray and get rid of all the weeds. We can engineer plants to be tolerant to those, then it became really simple. Once that

became widespread technology, we saw the weeds began to build up resistance. All it takes is a few that can make it through that spray and then they’re the ones that reproduce and they pass that gene on.

“We’ve seen a lot of herbicide-resistant weeds pop up in recent years. Then they have to use more herbicide, which affects more and more.”

His October lecture audience included several members of the Ouachita Beekeepers Association. In addition to Zawislak’s PowerPoint presentation and Q&A with the audience, there were informative displays and pocket-sized handouts about pollinators and honey bee health.

Zawislak had not had the opportunity to visit Mena’s Ronnie & Mitzi Duckett Outdoor Classroom at the high school, but he is aware of it. The school received a grant for $3,500 to purchase new equipment, including bee suits, not to mention the Ouachita Beekeeper’s Association provided gear, as well.

By Ethan Nahté

Read Across America Day is considered the largest day of reading here in the USA. Begun in 1998 by the National Education Association, Read Across America originated as Dr. Seuss Day, a day when kids ate green eggs and ham and donned giant Cat in the Hat hats.

According to the site TeachStarter. com, these days the NEA has separated Read Across America Day from the controversial author, stating “NEA recognizes the need to work with a more diverse array of organizations and publishers to fulfill this need, and the Read Across America brand is now one that is independent of any one particular book, publisher, or character.”

Instead, the day has become a chance to read a variety of diverse books featuring a diverse array of characters that better reflect the make-up of the American population.

Read Across America Day is traditionally celebrated on March 2, which will be a Sunday this year. The date falls at the start of Read Across America Week, which spans from March 2-6. March 2 will also help kick off National Reading Month for the entire month.

Since Read Across America Day and Week were taken over by the NEA, the theme has been the same each year — Create & Celebrate a Nation of Diverse Readers.

So, what are Polk County educational facilities doing to participate?

Samantha Boyette, library media specialist, said, “I am on the committee for Cossatot River Primary’s Read Across America Week. We will be promoting reading that week in several different ways. We will be holding an in-school competition and giving prizes to the classes and students who read the most that week.

“We also plan to have students from CRHS, as well as parent volunteers come and read to our students.

“At the end of the week, we will be

Read Across America is more than a day

hosting an assembly for our students to be able to get recognition for all the reading they have done during that week.”

Umpire Principal Mary Lowrey said, “Umpire will be hosting a “Bubbles and Books” reading hour. Umpire High School students will read to elementary during snack time with Bubble Wand activity. K-2 will be using this book.

Tonya Thacker, counselor at Holly Harshman Elementary, said “First Methodist Church is doing a Bearcat Buffet for our third graders to promote reading. Each third grader will get to choose a free book and book bag. That will be Friday morning, March 1, at 8:15 in HHE gym.

Tamara Smart, principal at Holly Harshman Elementary, said, “In honor of Dr Seuss’s birthday and Read Across America Week… the Book Buffet will help promote the joy of reading! Students will get to choose a book to keep and read on their own. Holly Harshman will continue celebrating Dr Seuss’s birthday and Read Across America Week with a Read-A-Thon on Friday, March 1.”

Tiffany Williams, library media specialist at Louise Durham Elementary, said, “Read Across America is the nation’s largest celebration of reading. This annual event is celebrated to bring awareness to the power of reading and the value that literacy brings to our lives.

“We believe at Mena Public Schools in the power of fostering a love for reading, building literacy skills, supporting early literacy development, falling in love with stories and new authors, and inspiring an excitement for lifelong learning!

“We are readers at Mena Public Schools and we can’t wait for this week to continue to grow our love of reading.”

Brenda Miner, director of library ser-

currently reading.

- I’ll put a few books on a table in Johnson Learning Commons (JLC) and ask students and employees to: “Judge the book by its cover.”

- On our chalkboard, we’ll ask everyone to make a list of. “The book was better than the movie.”

Miner also commented for Polk County’s Dolly Parton Imagination Library Committee. “[The Committee] plans to read the book ‘Friday Comes on Tuesday,’ to all the licensed preschool programs in the county. This children’s book is about a dog named Friday who visits Crystal Bridges on Tuesday.

“The book was a 2022 Winner of the Susannah DeBlack Award [from] Arkansas Historical Association. Not

only does the book highlight an Arkansas treasure, but it was authored by an Arkansan. Darcy Pattison wrote it to honor Alice Walton’s dog, Friday, who wandered to Crystal Bridges on Good Friday. There is a sculpture of Friday near the South Lawn and a nearby dog fountain close to Crystal Bridges.”

Pattison has written dozens of books, fiction and non-fiction, for children and adults. You can read more about her and her books at https://www.dar-

“Friday Comes on Tuesday” will be donated to every licensed preschool program that lets the Committee read

Although they have no plans for the special week, there is the Polk County Library in Mena, which is the fifth oldest library in Arkansas. They have other public branches in Big Fork, Board Camp, Cove, Grannis and Hatfield.

In today’s computer age, it’s not difficult to get online and order books from around the world, but there’s something special about going into a bookstore compared to looking at a screen. Books & Stuf in Mena carries hundreds and hundreds of used books, and they can order new books, too. Not to mention they have a selection of local authors, such as Michael Reisig who started The Polk County Pulse, and myself for a mixture of speculative fiction.

If you’re looking for older works in the public domain to read for free and that may not be as readily available in a physical format, try Project Gutenberg at gutenberg.org/ with a selection of 70,000-plus free e-books.

Read to your children. Read to those with either poor or no vision. Read to an elderly relative or neighbor who might find it difficult to read on their own anymore.

Reading can educate, instruct, or whisk you away to other places, whether it be in the real world, or a universe only limited by your imagination. Whatever the reason… read.

UARM student athlete to discuss her book at St. John’s Library

By Ethan Nahté

The death of a loved one is something everyone in the world either has experienced or will experience. Each person deals with it differently, including finding ways to cope. For many, writing is a way to work through sadness, depression, stress, and a slew of other emotions.

Whether a person writes only for themself — even destroying what they wrote afterward — to get it out of their system, or they write it for close friends and family as a personal way to get their thoughts across to other who may have known the deceased, or for the masses to share with the world because there may be other people out there who feel alone and they come to realize there is an author out there that has many of the same feelings of loss.

Some writers may find they have traversed all of those writing phases, as did 19-year-old poet and author Laney Leighanne. The Texas native, who uses her first and middle names for her writing, lost her father Leroy Linseisen on Oct. 6, 2021.

“The death certificate said organ failure,” Linseisen said. “There were bacteria in his blood from a dirty needle and it shut down all of his organs. He passed away when I was 17, a junior in high school.”

To help overcome her grief, the teenager wrote.

“Pretty much over the past two years since my father passed away, it’s stuff I have written as a coping mechanism,” she said. “When I first started writing, I wasn’t going to show anybody because it was upsetting and dark.”

The material may not all dwell in the depths of Sylvia Plath darkness, but the raw emotions are palpable.

“I’ve always written my entire life. I never really focused on poetry. Writing

was kind of my dad’s and my thing. After he passed, I couldn’t figure out how to express things. I picked up a pen and started writing. It’s good therapy.”

Not to fall victim to the clichés of either a “dumb jock,” since Linseisen is an athlete who currently trades off between playing catcher or the infield for the UA Rich Mountain Bucks softball team, or being too young to have the wisdom or introspection to write such material, she opted to allow close family members and friends to read her poems. She discovered it not only helped people who had similar emotions and thoughts, but it helped them to understand what she was going through that she had trouble saying aloud.

“It got some pretty good comments from my mom and random people. It was definitely like that for my nana. After my dad passed away, I struggled with it. My nana knew but not to what extent.

“My friends could see my progression as I wrote the book. A lot of my friends had lost a loved one and they talked about the sadness, but they forget about the anger and the denial. The feedback has been about how raw the book is.”

She decided to broaden her scope of “critics” and posted some of the work

anonymously online. She found herself receiving random positive comments from literature professors.

“l realized it could help people, so I turned it into something good.”

At first, Linseisen published the collection “A Father’s Daughter” through a poetry publishing called Poetizer, but she has since self-published on Kindle through Amazon. The 103-page book containing 27 original poems and a message to the reader went live on Jan. 24.

One of the sample poems, “After-Thought,” is not complicated or wordy. It has little rhyming, yet it’s a message to her dad and how she misses him.

“I was number one in new releases for the sub-category of Teen and Young Adult Nonfiction on Depression & Mental Health on days three and five. The next week, I was like number four

or five. It was the number one top release in the first week for Teen and Young Adult.”

Granted, the number of new books uploaded daily to Kindle is approximately 7,500, or around 2.25 million annually. The algorithm for a book’s popularity by an indie author can changed, and drop, drastically within a matter of days. Yet, five to six weeks later, “A Father’s Daughter” is at No. 258 in the sub-category.

“A lot of people really do like it more than I expected. It’s helping a lot of people more than I expected. In a way, people reading it are saying they feel more heard on the ugly part of the matter of grieving. It helps with the acceptance part of it.

“The biggest points of the book are to help those who have lost a loved one

See LINSEISEN continued on page 19

Laney Leighanne will discuss her poetry book at UARM at noon on March 6.

ELVIS

continued from page 1 and tribute performers, both male and female. There is a difference that Elvis tribute artist Josh Davis will talk about momentarily.

“An impersonator basically doesn’t how to come out of the Elvis accent and be himself,” Davis explained. “He basically stays Elvis all the time. He’ll get on stage and be like, ‘I recorded this song.’ As a tribute artist, like you saw tonight, I break character and I’ll be like, ‘Elvis recorded this. …’ When I come off the stage, I’m just talking like my [real] self.”

Davis was on the Shady Mountain Event stage Saturday night performing to a packed house. A crowd came early for a big meal, primarily the baby boomers along with a few of the Silent Generation, and even a few millennials. Then they enjoyed the two-hour performance that Davis put on.

He was fully decked out in an Elvis replica outfit as he performed songs from all three decades Elvis recorded,

including several of the King’s rock hits, a handful of his country singles, and quite a few of the songs by other artists Elvis covered, ranging from Tony Bennett to Carl Perkins, Righteous Brothers to Ike and Tina Turner, Del Shannon to Simon & Garfunkel.

He sang to backing tracks fed by a computer vs. a live band, but he had the songs and the moves down, including the flat top guitar. He also has the wig, and though his facial structure doesn’t resemble the real thing, he pulls off a pretty convincing Elvis.

During his performance, he kneels down and hands colorful scarves to the women who rushed up to the stage, completing each gift with a kiss on the cheek. He passed out stuffed teddy bears and puppies while several women danced and even a few men got out on the floor, dancing with their wives or girlfriends.

Breaking character, Davis supplied a little history for a lot of the songs — songs which he wasn’t even alive to hear when they originally came out as he had turned 31 the day before his first Mena performance.

So, what draws the attention of a young guy to a musician who died 16 years before he was even born?

“I was on my way back with my grandfather, coming back from a sale barn, and the DJ was on the radio that we were listening to at the time, and it

was a live recording of Elvis singing ‘My Way’ (originally recorded in English by Frank Sinatra on Dec. 30, 1968, in one take.). I didn’t know who Elvis was. I was about maybe 7 or 8 at the time. My grandfather told me who he was.

“What drew me to Elvis was a documentary they did. We did some songs from the documentary tonight. It was called ‘Elvis on Tour’ where they filmed a lot of Elvis’ tour in 1972. Watching him coming out and the flash bulbs going off in light blue suit with the rhinestones and the capes, I was like, “Wow! This guy is larger than life. This guy is a pretty good entertainer.

“What drove me to pay tribute to Elvis was when I visited a show in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, and they brought it back again a couple years ago. It was a tribute show where they had two ladies playing The Judds, they had a guy doing Garth Brooks, there was also a lady doing Dolly Parton, and a guy doing Kenny Rogers.

“Then they took a break and then the second half was Elvis Presley. I got to know the guy really well. When I saw him walk out do Elvis. I thought I can do something like that. When I left the theater, I started watching every movie. I practically cornered Amazon on every single Elvis movie they had. Then, of course, getting some of the movies that were also made about Elvis’ life like ‘Elvis’ with Kurt Russell, ‘Elvis and Me’ (based on Priscilla Presley’s autobiography) with Dale Midkiff, and the new ‘Elvis’ with Jonathan Rhys Meyers (and Tom Hanks).

Davis discusses the coincidences between Kurt Russell’s acting debut as a kid in the Elvis film “It Happened at the World’s Fair.” Visit IMDB.com and read the trivia on the 1979 “Elvis” film Russell starred in and there are a handful of coincidences involving Elvis, Russell, and director John Carpenter.

Davis said, “I started watching a lot of those, and then at 14 is when I did my first show back in 2007.”

Watch for the Elvis Tribute encore in next week’s Polk County Pulse.

By Jeff Olson

Reflections of History and Faith: No shortage of heroes

America, like all nations, has experienced shortages throughout her history. In our lifetime, the oil embargo of 1973 (and long lines at the gas pumps) is an example that comes to my mind and one many of us can still remember. As musician/singer Jerry Reed quipped in his song of the decade, “[Who Was the Man Who Put] The Line in Gasoline.”

And then more recently we experienced the supply chain disruptions which caused shortages on a wider scale, affecting the lives of most Americans.

However, one shortage I don’t think we will ever face is that of American heroes. Even if we ceased producing heroes today (not happening), we would still have plenty to admire and talk about from now on. Even though the word “hero” conjures up some specific men and women we are familiar with and perhaps know, there remain numerous heroes who will never be known to you and me… even beyond the history books and headlines. This day I hope to remedy this in a small way by highlighting a hero who may be one of those you don’t know… yet. This hero fought in the Vietnam War, an unpopular war at the time as you well know. This in no way diminishes the courage, patriotism, and sacrifice laid at the altar of freedom by those 58,220 deaths and over 300,000 wounded. One of those patriots was a young man from Hartford, Connecticut — Airman 1st Class John L. Levitow.

Fifty-five years ago this week, Feb-

ruary 28, 1969, Levitow had been in the service for not quite three years, but now found himself lying in a hospital bed, his body covered with 40 shrapnel wounds and trying to remember just how it was he ended up there. However, there were witnesses to how it all came about. Those witnesses were seven Air Force buddies in South Vietnam who understood that if it weren’t for Levitow’s courage they wouldn’t be alive.

Four days earlier, the eight men had flown a night combat mission over South Vietnam aboard an AC47 “Spooky” gunship. They were dropping magnesium flares to illuminate enemy positions on the ground. Each flare had a safety pin. Twenty seconds after the pin was pulled and the flare was tossed out of the plane, it would ignite to 4,000 degrees Fahrenheit and light up the countryside.

Five hours into the mission, a Vietcong mortar struck the plane, creating a hole through a wing and nearly causing the gunship to crash. Levitow had more than 40 fragment wounds in his back and legs, but nevertheless found strength enough to drag a bleeding crewmate away from an open cargo door. It was then that he noticed a smoking flare roll across the floor amid ammunition canisters with 19,000 rounds. Unfortunately, its pin had been pulled. In trying to grab the flare, he missed it and as it skidded away, he threw himself on it. Holding it to his chest, he dragged himself to the plane’s rear and hurled the flare through the door just seconds before it burst clear of the airplane. The resulting

explosion ripped a hole two feet in diameter through the wing with fragments making over 3,500 holes in the fuselage. All occupants of the cargo compartment were wounded and helplessly slammed against the floor and fuselage.

You would have thought Levitow had his ticket home. No, not at all. He recovered and went on to fly 20 more missions. On May 14, 1970, he received the Medal of Honor from President Richard Nixon. His citation reads in part: “Sgt. Levitow, by his selfless and heroic actions, saved the aircraft and its entire crew from certain death and destruction.”

ee for 1998. A C-17 Globemaster III was named for him on January 23, 1998, “The Spirit of John L. Levitow.”

His humble response was, “There are many people who have served, who have done things that have been simply amazing and never been recognized.” He is the lowest ranking Air Force member ever to receive the Medal of Honor. He was discharged from the Air Force shortly thereafter.

Levitow was an occasional guest speaker at the graduation ceremonies for the Airman Leadership School and was the Airlift-Tanker Association’s “Hall of Fame” induct-

The John Levitow Award is the highest honor presented to a graduate of Air Force Enlisted Professional Military Education, including Airman Leadership School, NCO Academy, and the Senior NCO Academy. To be eligible for the award, a graduate must rank in the top 1% of his or her class.

Levitow died of cancer on Nov. 8, 2000, at only 55 years of age. He is interred in Arlington National Cemetery.

Thank you, Sergeant John L. Levitow, for your service, your courage, and your legacy.

First 2024 HSO spay-neuter clinic a success

By Cheryl Murphy

Humane Society of the Ouachitas’ first low-cost spay-neuter clinic of 2024 was conducted Feb. 13-15.

“This clinic was another huge success with 119 dogs and cats receiving surgeries!” reported HSO Vice President Udene “Denie” Westphal. “This means 119 less animals will have litters of unwanted puppies and kittens in Polk County!”

Westphal receives all the phone calls from local “pet parents” and schedules the clinic appointments, providing details on the low-cost pricing. “It is not unusual for me to take calls from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on those days.”

Westphal volunteers her time to this extremely important effort, as well serving on the all-volunteer

HSO Board of Directors. “Our local volunteers who work at the clinic are very much appreciated. Without them, the clinic would not be possible. Volunteers assist with setting up, helping with the animals before and after surgery, and cleaning up the facility at the end.”

HSO greatly appreciates the use of the facility at the Polk County Fairgrounds and the Ozark Mountain Mobile Spay-Neuter Clinic for bringing this important service to the community. There are two more low-cost clinics scheduled for the year: July 23-25 and Sept. 17-19. Watch for details for pricing and when calls will be accepted for appointments on hsomena.org.

To volunteer for upcoming clinics or other HSO events, call the shelter at 479-394-5682.

HSO Vice President Udene “Denie” Westphal (second from left) petting Duke at an HSO adoption day held at Dogwood Grooming & Boarding. (Ethan Nahté/Pulse)

The Polk County Democrats will meet on March 11 at Papa’s Mexican Cafe, 1317 Hwy. 71 South, Mena. Come early to eat and socialize for the meeting starts at 6:30 p.m. Any questions call Linda Johnson at (479) 234 7966. Bring a friend.

Sassy Artist Paint Parties next monthly Paint Party is at Papa’s Mexican Cafe, 6 p.m., Feb. 29, RSVP at paintwithme1263@ outlook.com.

To book a private party for your friends, church, women’s group, fundraiser or birthday or to check out the next party, visit www.sassyartistpaintparties.com.

GriefShare at First Presbyterian Church Mena meet every Wednesday at 1 p.m. for anyone in the community who is grieving the loss of a loved one.

Women for Jesus Group meeting for monthly prayer and study. Everyone welcome. The meeting for March will be Tuesday, March 12 at Dallas Avenue Baptist Church in Mena, Arkansas, at 6 p.m. Food will be provided. Bring Bible. For more information call Dr. Cynthia Perkins at (918) 429-8538.

GriefShare at The Crossing in Mena meets every Thursday from 6-8 p.m. for anyone in the community who is grieving the loss of a loved one.

The Polk County Social Seniors will meet at noon on March 12 at Papa’s Mexican Cafe, 1317 Hwy. 71 South, Bring a friend or two to socialize and eat to meet new friends. Any questions? Call Linda Johnson at (956) 241-2633.

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

The Polk County Disabled American Veterans and Auxiliary will be holding their monthly meeting on Thursday, March 7,

Around Town

at Veterans Park in Acorn. A potluck will be served at 6 p.m. with meeting to follow.

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.

Country, Western, gospel singing and music in the Daisy Room (behind Janssen Ave. Florists), 800 Janssen Ave., Mena, 6:309:30 p.m. every Thursday. Free event. Bring finger food. For information call Lloyd Knight (479) 234-3547.

First Presbyterian Church will be presenting a series on the Book of Revelation in its Adult Sunday School class on Sunday mornings beginning at 9:45. Earl Harrell will be the presenter and will focus on the titles of Jesus as revealed in the Book of Revelation. The public is invited to attend. Classes will be in the Helen Barham Room at the church, 904 Church Avenue, Mena.

Join the Ouachita Beekeepers Association on the second Thursday of the month at 7 p.m. (new time) in the Education Building of the Polk County Extension Office, 211 DeQueen St., Mena. Enjoy bee education, door prizes, and socialization with other beekeepers. Contact: Tommy Payne (903) 5214611.

Jam session every Tuesday night, 6-9 p.m. at Shady Mountain Events, 428 Hwy. 375 East, Mena. No charge, everyone is welcome. All genres of music. Bring your own instrument, come watch or dance. Call (479) 234-7174 with questions.

The Back Country Extension Homemakers Club meets the second Friday of each month at 1 p.m. at the UA Extension’s Education Building, 211 DeQueen St., Mena. We are a service organization affiliated

with UA’s Division of Agriculture with a mission to have fun and learn new things while enriching our community and creating a more contented family life. We believe the greatest force that molds character comes from the home.

Come join new friends and old as we together grow. For more info, contact Ginger at Gingerkm@protonmail.com.

Van Cove Alumni will be having a meeting on Thursday, Feb. 20 at 11 a.m. The building is located on School Street in Cove, AR. We welcome everyone to attend and help plan the reunion for this coming year. Hope to see you there.

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.

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.

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 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.

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

The Mena/Polk County Senior Center will have The Gator and Friends band performing in Mena every Thursday, 10:3011:30 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 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 Cossatot Senior Center in Wickes has meals and activities for seniors.The hours are 8 a.m.-2 p.m., Tuesday-Friday. If you need to make delivery arrangements or changes call (870) 385-2373.

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.

It’s easy to have your event listed in Around Town, which will be read on radio stations KENA and KQOR daily. Simply send your Around Town announcement to news@mypulsenews.com or call (479) 2439600 and let us know about your event! To have it in the Polk County Pulse newspaper, we need to know by FIVE on FRIDAY. We look forward to continuing to serve the community!

LINSEISEN

continued from page 13

- SERVICES -

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

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

T0306

- HELP WANTED -

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.

T0424

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

T0424

to feel seen, and those who haven’t lost someone to help them to understand.

“Poetry saved my life.”

Read Across America

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

T0228

Construction, steel buildings, welding, pads, ponds, roads, tree services, and mulching. Insured. Give RC Customz a call for free estimates at (479) 216-2976. T0228

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

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

T0306

Handyman Service - Electrical, plumbing, and rental house cleanup. Prefer small jobs. For more details, call Bill Duff (479) 216-5204.

T0228

$ $ $ $ $

Brodix, Inc. is accepting applications for a full-time office position. 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; benefits available for full-time positions.

Notice to Applicants: Screening tests for alcohol and illegal drug use may be required before hiring and during your employment. T0228

Brodix, Inc. is accepting applications for a technical/phone sales position.

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to, answering technical inquiries, providing product information and recommendations, troubleshooting with potential and current customers, and processing orders in a fastpaced office setting.

Parts, automotive, and computer experience would be helpful. Applications may be picked up at the Brodix office, located at 301 Maple 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.

T0313

- WANTED TO BUY -

Brodix, Inc. is accepting applications for an experienced TIG Welder/Manual Machinist for Cylinder Head Repair. This is for a permanent day shift position. The applicant must be proficient in welding aluminum and have manual machining experience. 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.

T0228

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.

T0424

Most best-selling authors will tell anyone new to the publishing game that to be a writer you must be a reader. Some will even tell you to read everything you can get your hands on or to also read outside the confines of your own writing style, be it genre fiction, general fiction, poetry, or non-fiction. Not only is it a form of entertainment, escape or relaxation, but for those serious about the writing business, reading is an educational tool.

Linseisen said, “I would definitely say to people who haven’t read that much that reading opens up your mind to different possibilities. It can be an escape, a coping mechanism, a hobby. It widens people’s horizons without even knowing it.

“As a writer, I feel it’s immensely important. It helps with your grammar and punctuation. It helps balance your creativity more to be able to put something on paper. Reading as a writer, you see people who are always going to be better than you. You can aspire. You don’t have to mimic but you can learn from them to better your skills such as grammar, punctuation and how to use a semicolon.”

Linseisen will be talking in UARM’s St. John’s Library, a Division of the Johnson Learning Commons on March sixth at noon about her book. “They’re highlighting my book. I’ll read one or two poems and go over my book in general for about 10-20 minutes.

What does the future hold for the writer? “I have a few ideas in mind. I’ve started plotting out for what to do next. It’s definitely got me going. I’ll probably stay in poetry, but I have half a book written that I still need to finish.”

Sounds like several hundred other writers I know.

Mobile lawnmower repair and repair flats. Minimum, $20 service call. For details, call Bill Duff (479) 216-5204. T0228

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

February 19, 2024

Lacie Howell, 48, of Mena was arrested on warrants for Possession of a Schedule I or II Controlled Substance and 1st Degree Terroristic Threatening.

An incident in the jail led to Lacie Howell being issued a citation for Criminal Mischief.

Deputies were dispatched to a train versus semi-truck accident at Polk 6 near Wickes. No injuries were reported.

February 20, 2024

Deputies responded to a walk-in complainant in reference to stolen guns.

Deputies responded to a walk-in complainant in reference to harassment.

February 21, 2024

Deputies were dispatched to Polk 125 near Mena in reference to an incident leading to the arrest of Jona Rogers, 43, of Mena on a charge of Disorderly Conduct.

James Wright, 44, of Mena was arrested on a Drug Court Sanction.

Brandon Rose, 31, of Mena was arrested on a Drug Court Sanction.

Matthew Owen, 27, of Mena was arrested on a Drug Court Sanction.

February 22, 2024

Deputies were dispatched to a residence on Polk 15 near Wickes in reference to a medical emergency.

February 23, 2024

Deputies responded to a report of a

possible missing person. The individual was later located.

Deputies were dispatched to a residence on Hwy 375 W near Mena in reference to a theft of property.

February 24, 2024

Deputies responded to a report of multiple mailboxes and property with damage.

Deputies were dispatched to a residence on Polk 26 near Hatfield in reference to an assault.

Deputies were dispatched to a residence on Boggy Lane near Board Camp in reference to an unattended death.

February 25, 2024

Deputies responded to reports of damaged mailboxes.

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

Polk County Detention Center Jail

Population: 42 Incarcerated Inmates with 19 Inmates currently on the Waiting List for a State Facility.

MENA POLICE REPORTS

February 11

April Scroggins, 41, was charged with Criminal Trespass at Walmart.

A report of breaking or entering was taken from Union Bank.

February 12

No report.

February 13

Michael Willams Jr, 42, was served

with warrants at the county jail.

A report of financial identity fraud was taken from a walk-in complainant.

A report of unauthorized use of a vehicle was taken from a walk-in complainant.

February 14

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

A report of theft was taken from Walmart.

February 15

A report of theft was taken from Walmart.

February 16

Rocky Daugherty, 32, was served with a warrant on Mena Street.

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

A report of theft was taken from Walmart.

Melissa Hartin, 48, was served with a warrant at a residence on Southerland Avenue.

February 17

Anthoney Robertson, 33, was charged with Assault at a residence on Maple Avenue.

A report of dog running at large was taken on 9th Street.

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

February 18

Alyssa Collins, 24, was charged with Criminal Mischief and Assault after a disturbance call to a residence on Michelle Drive.

Crystal Garbs, 33, was served with a warrant at Walmart.

Darrin Dunaway, 54, was charged with DWI and Driving on a Suspended License after contact on 4th Street.

February 19

A report of theft was taken from Walmart.

Terra Stewart, 39, was charged with

Theft at Walmart.

A report of theft was taken at Walmart.

February 20

A report of financial identity fraud was taken from a walk-in complainant.

February 21

A report of harassment was taken from Chopping Block.

A theft report was taken from a person at Peachtree Assisted Living.

February 22

Robert Cook, 42, was charged with Theft after a complaint from Walmart. A report of violation of a no contact order was taken from a walk-in complainant.

February 23

Jeremiah Wells, 26, was charged with Possession of Drug Paraphernalia after contact on Mena Street.

Matthew Cunningham, 47, was served with a warrant at Executive Inn.

Guerrero killed in crash

19-year-old Fernando Guerrero of Waldron died in a single-vehicle accident on Saturday at around 2:21 a.m. when the 2009 Subaru he was driving west on Arkansas Highway 80 near Waldron crossed the center line. According to the Arkansas Department of Safety report, the Subaru left the roadway into a ditch and struck a tree. Arkansas State Police Corporal Jed L. Bolyard reported the weather was clear and the road was dry at the time of the accident. This was the 53rd accident and 57th fatality of 2024.

Presented by THE POLK COUNTY PULSE

ACORN HIGH SCHOOL

Basketball

02/28 - Acorn vs. Lavaca - Girls 2A-State Tournament

--------------------

COSSATOT RIVER HIGH SCHOOL

Soccer

02/29 - CRSD vs. Mena

03/02 - Greenwood Tournament (Boys)

--------------------

MENA HIGH SCHOOL

Baseball

02/29 - Mena @ Dierks

03/04 - Mena @ De Queen

Soccer

02/29 - Mena @ Cossatot River

03/01 - Mena vs. Poteau

03/05 - Mena @ Hope

Softball

03/01-02 - Ashdown Tournament

03/04 - Mena @ Lavaca

03/05 - Mena vs. Booneville

--------------------

MT. IDA HIGH SCHOOL

Baseball

03/02 - Mount Ida vs. Murfreesboro

03/03 - Mount Ida vs. Cossatot River

Basketball

02/29 - Mount Ida vs. Augusta - Girls 1A

State Tournament

Softball

03/02 - Mount Ida vs. Murfreesboro

--------------------

UA RICH MOUNTAIN

Baseball

02/29 - UARM @ National Park College

03/02 - UARM vs. National Park College

03/05 - UARM vs. North Arkansas College

Softball

02/29 - UARM vs. Arkansas StateNewport

03/01 - UARM vs. Paris Junior College

03/02 - UARM vs. ASU-Mountain Home

03/05 - UARM @ Northeast Texas Community College

Basketball regional tournament results

By Ethan Nahté

The Arkansas Regional Basketball Tournament took place last week. Six local teams were in the playoffs: Acorn boys and girls, Cossatot boys and girls, Mena girls and Mount Ida girls.

Acorn

The 2A South tournament took place with teams playing in Acorn. The Acorn Tiger boys fell to Fordyce in the first round 75-33. They ended their season with an overall record of 16-16.

The Acorn girls had a tight game Wednesday in the first round, beating Ouachita 49-48. The Acorn girls then beat Woodlawn 55-26 in the semi-finals on Friday.

They played Parkers Chapel on their home court on Saturday, beating them 73-50 to win the 2A South Regional Tournament champions.

Acorn will play Lavaca in the state tournament at 1 p.m., Feb. 28, in the 2024 2A tournament. They are ranked No. 1 in 2A Region 7.

Cossatot River

The 3A-1 tournament took place with teams playing at Booneville. The Cos-

satot River boys played Elkins, losing 76-56.

The Cossatot River girls played Bergman, losing 63-17 to Bergman.

Mena

The 4A-North tournament was at Pea Ridge. The Mena girls lost to Gravette 52-28.

Mount Ida

The 1A-4 tournament took place at Emerson. The Mount Ida girls played Nevada, beating them 40-30.

They next played Emerson in the semi-finals round. Although Emerson beat the Mount Ida girls 54-30, Mount Ida qualified to play in the third-place

round on Saturday where they edged out Bradley 47-43.

Mount Ida takes on Augusta in the state tournament, Feb. 29, in the 2024 1A tournament. They are ranked No. 5 in 1A Region 7.

State Tournament

To keep up with all of the state tournament, the first round begins on Tuesday, Feb. 27 and continues through the championship round on March 2.

The basketball state finals will take place at the Hot Springs Convention Center March 7-9. You can follow all of this week’s boys and girls AAA basketball playoffs at https://scorebooklive. com/arkansas/.

Emery Anderson runner-up at state wrestling tournament

By Ethan Nahté

Mena Bearcat/Ladycat wrestling competed in the state tournament in Little Rock last weekend, sending 13 wrestlers, which was more athletes to State than any other school. Coach Zen Valencia and the wrestling team had a great second season.

Emery Anderson had a winning weekend, finishing as the state runner-up in the 5A-140 weight class. After pinning Leigha Gatewood (Mountain Home) in 1:12, Anderson wrestled Izzy Hovater (Central Arkansas Christian) and lost in double overtime by 1.

Mena finished fifth in 1-4A team scores. They finished Top 5 in the state

after finishing 14th in 2023.

Mena individual results:

- 140 weight class, State Runner-upEmery Jai Anderson

- 215, Third Place - Carter Cossey

- 190, Fourth Place - Guice Anderson

- 175, Fourth Place - Brody Peters - 165, Fourth Place - Zach Cline - 132, Fourth Place - Cody Short

All six wrestlers who placed were selected as All-State Wrestlers.

CRHS Spring Tailgate event

By Ethan Nahté

Cossatot River Beta will be hosting a Spring Tailgate to recognize CRHS spring sports from noon5 p.m., Saturday, March 9. The event will feature CRHS sports, clubs, and all other extracurricular activities. There will be many booths, vendors selling food, and multiple games and activities set up on the CRHS outdoor basketball court and teacher parking lot.

If you are interested in having a booth, the deadline to reserve a space is Friday, March 1

There is no cost to have a booth.

The best way for vendors to get in touch will be to email the beta sponsor at bhiggins@cossatot.us

The Spring Tailgate is a fundraiser for the Cossatot River High Schools. There is no admission fee.

Kiylee Hughes selected as an All-Star Cheerleader

Mena High School Cheerleader Kiylee Hughes has been selected as an AllStar Cheerleader. She will be performing at the Arkansas All-Star Basketball game and the Arkansas All-Star Football game June 22 in Conway.

Acorn FBLA advances to State

Submitted by Tammy L. Young

Acorn FBLA traveled to District I FBLA Spring Conference in Fort Smith on Feb. 9.

At the conference, Acorn students participated in a variety of competitions and placed accordingly:

- Graphic Design: Shay Allen, Kora Carter, Ava Smith-Hawley - First Place

- Journalism: Rebecca Bloodworth - Second Place

- Business Calculations: Clay McGee - First Place

- Health Care Administration:

Damon Cruz - Eighth Place

- Human Resource Management:

Alexis Bradley - Eighth Place

- Introduction to Public Speaking: Lauren Cruz - Seventh Place

- Social Media Strategies: Matilda Grant, Jordan Lyle - Seventh Place

Students placing in the top five (5) of each category qualify to compete at the FBLA State Leadership Conference in Little Rock on April 2930.

Congratulations to the Acorn students who competed this year! We are proud of you!

Thank you to Mrs. Makaila Goodner for helping students to prepare for the competition.

WHEN NEWS MAT TERS WE’RE HERE TO KEEP YOU INFORMED!

Acorn FCCLA attends Region V officer meeting

Submitted by Mindy Lyle

Acorn FCCLA attended a Region V officer meeting on Feb. 20 at Nashville Junior High. First vice president, senior Kora Carter, and vice president of parliamentary law, junior Damon Cruz, and the current officer team went into executive session to place the newly elected Region V FCCLA officers into their positions for the 2024-2025

school year. Acorn ninth grader Madelynn Auer was chosen to serve as the incoming first vice president. An induction ceremony was conducted via zoom for all Region V schools to attend.

Damon Cruz is advancing as the Region V state officer candidate. He will be competing at the FCCLA State Conference in Hot Springs this April.

(L-R, back row): Kora Carter, Ava Smith-Hawley, Shay Allen, Rebecca Bloodworth, Jordan Lyle, Clay McGee, Lexi Bradley. (L-R, front row) Matilda Grant, Madelynn Auer. Not pictured: Damon Cruz and Lauren Cruz. (Submitted photo)