Vol. 2, No. 20
Thursday, June 4, 2020
Photo by Steve Listopad
The peaceful protest in honor of George Floyd was held in Arkadelphia on Tuesday. Hundreds of people showed up to support the african american community in their fight for equality.
Protests Reach Arkadelphia By Pete Tubbs Interim Editor in Chief The eight minutes and forty six seconds that took George Floyds life on May 25 is a timeframe that will never be forgotten. In the time since the murder of Floyd by officer Derek Chauvin, dozens of protests and rallies have burned across the country for the purpose of calling out injustice and demanding a change. African Americans are done with being treated unfairly, and a lot of the rest of the country are standing with them. People of all nationalities have banded together in order to make the tragedy of George Floyd’s death be something that will change America forever. While some of the protests across the country have been violent and riotous, it’s clear that there are people that want to be, and are being, heard. The call for a change made its way to Arkadelphia on Tues. night when a crowd of hundreds met at Gennesaret Missionary Baptist Church to walk half a mile through town to the still-indevelopment Martin Luther King Jr. park on Fifteenth and Pine. The crowd was told to wear black and adhere to COVID-19 precautions by wearing face masks. No violence occured during the event, and people
of all races were present. The protest lasted over two hours. The protest was guarded by both city and state police officers who blocked off the street with barricades and their cruisers. The roaring crowd could be heard before they were even seen, but when the collection of black clothed Arkadelphians came into view in front of the backdrop of a pink sky in the midst of
from Gennesaret Missionary Baptist Church was next up to the podium with a prayer. Wilson was followed in prayer and speech by Pastor of Gennesaret Missionary Baptist Hershall Williams. Williams remarked that “this is a white and black issue… when I see my beautiful white sisters and brothers marching with us for this cause, it really gives my heart much joy.” He spoke
“Get your hammer, get your nail... everybody has a part to play in the house we’re trying to build.” sunset, one could tell that this invitation to protest was met with open arms by the townspeople. The organizer of the event, President of the Clark County NAACP Henry L. Wilson, opened the ceremony. He explained that many speakers were to follow, and that he would speak last. Pastor Hershall Williams
about the undeniable fact that there are good police officers, but there are bad ones as well, and he encouraged them to “put on blast every racist police officer [because] the same way you have [family] you want to go home to at night… we do, too.” Pastor Kyle Jones of Munn’s Chapel First Bap-
tist in Prescott followed. Throughout his speech, he made the analogy that all Americans are building a house together, and that no matter what part of the house one is in, everyone has some tools. Jones ended with “get your hammer, get your nail… everybody has a part to play in the house we’re trying to build.” The city officials of Arkadelphia were up next in the order of City Manager Gary Brinkley, Chief of Police Shorty Jackson, and Mayor Dr. Scott Byrd. During Brinkley’s speech, he spoke of his history with the town and of his interest in keeping it together. Of the event, he said he is “very pleased with the community. It was a great rally and it’s very necessary for the healing process.” Chief Jackson was met with applause and numerous shouts of “Shorty!” as he approached the stage. Jackson said “members of our community fear [the police] and fear dying at our hand unjustly,” and that “I’m not saying you should not feel that way, I’m saying it hurts me that you feel that way. I do not deny that reason is there.” Jackson ended with saying “our department will do better, and we will always try to make every one of you proud and to earn your respect.” See Protest on Page 4
Arkadelphia Council Meeting rushed to accommodate protest By Pete Tubbs Interim Editor in Chief As Arkadelphia’s city council meetings continue to abide by strict COVID-19 precautions, business continues as usual. The last meeting was Tues., and it held no shortage of town developments. Every three years the Clark County Arts & Humanities building comes up for modification of its lease agreement. The time came on Tues., and the subject sparked some discussion. The first item on the docket was the agreement between AWU & Crist Engineers on Moving the Water and Sewer Utilities. As this had been something discussed before, the group quickly voted to move forward on this agreement. The town board talked about whether or not the council was prepared for another three years and if there is another use for the building by the city. It was ultimately voted on that the council retain its rights to the building with a few minor changes to the lease agreement. The sign ordinance was next to be discussed on the agenda. The council had been discussing changes to the ordinance for a while. Linear footage requirement was the most contentious and discussed part of the ordinance as for years it
has been based on this and not percentage requirement, which is what most of the group agreed the ordinance should be revised to include. This discussion eventually led to a unanimous vote in favor for the revision. Executive session was then called so that the group could discuss a personnel matter. This lasted for approximately thirty minutes after which, in the interest of time, the matter was not solved. The water park is due open June 13, and it was cautioned that there are a lot of COVID-19 precautions that will require patience. On June 11 there will be a walkthrough so that the business community can get a bearing on what will occur upon reopening. One of the more moving parts of the meeting occurred when the group shared their thoughts about the recent happenings around the world. Sentiments about the town and about the people in it as everyone reflected on the troubles of the past and a hopeful future. The protest that was due to begin at 6:30 p.m. forced the meeting to be a little rushed, and the meeting was adjourned at 6:18 p.m.. The next meeting will occur on June 16 at 5:30 p.m. in Town Hall.
City Braces as Business Mainstay Closes By Pete Tubbs Interim Editor in Chief 2020 has been a year that has not been kind to the citizens of Arkadelphia. The COVID-19 panic, HSU’s troubles, and the imminent closing of Danfoss have all been detrimental to many of the people that live in “a great place to call home.” Thr troubles aren’t over, however, as Alumacraft is shutting its doors as well. On May 27, parent company BRP sent out a press release that detailed the reason for closing. In that release, BRP stated that it will “focus on the growth
of its boat brands with new technology and innovative marine products,” and willl “discontinue production of Evinrude E-TEC and E-TEC G2 outboard engines.” Seeing as the factory in Arkadelphia produced the Evinrude boats, the location is no longer needed. One person that works closely with the economics of the city retains hope for the future, however. Stephen Bell, President of Arkadelphia Regional Economic Develompent Alliance, stated that “we’re still optimistic about overall jobs in Clark County. We hace an industrial prospect
due to visit in mid-June and a real estate developer interested in the Danfoss Building.” In addition to these developments, there is a new Pediatrics Plus clinic that’s “coming along” near the campus of OBU. As for the workers that are losing their jobs because of the closing of Alumacraft, Bell and others are “planning a job fair in the near future,” and stated that “there are a number of employers in the county still hiring and looking for workers. It’s safe to say that the closing was not expected by many people. Bell himself
said that “most everyone in the boat industry... were surprised by the Alumacraft move.” He even mentioned that he had been in contact with them recently about a possible expansion of operations. One of the main factors that could have contributed to this development is the purchase of Alumacraft bu the BRP group in 2018. According to Bell, “whenever there is a new owner, you can often expect a consolidation or expansion.” The future could hold any number of positive things for our community, we’ll just have to wait and see.
Photo by Pete Tubbs
The closing of Alumacraft adds to a dismal 2020 for people of Arkadelphia.
2 News
Thursday, June 4, 2020
Improving the Paychecks Program for Arkansas Businesses U.S. Rep. Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.)
Millions of small businesses across America have been impacted by COVID-19, and Congress created the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) to assist them through the crisis. As of May 23, 40,329 Arkansas businesses had received a total of $3,286,789,662 in PPP funds. These businesses have been able to use the forgivable loans to maintain payroll, cover operating expenses and more. Now, many Arkansas businesses are adapting to different stages of reopening restrictions, and therefore need greater flexibility for the terms of their PPP loans. That’s why on May 28, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 7010, the Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act. This important legislation accomplishes several main objectives to make the PPP work bet-
ter for American businesses. It extends the forgiveness period to 24 weeks (as opposed to the original 8 weeks), which will accommodate businesses in different stages of reopening. The current rule also requires that 75 percent of the loan must be used on payroll costs and 25 percent for rent, utilities, etc. This update replaces that 75/25 rule with a 60/40 rule, which will give small businesses more choice in how they use their loan funds. Finally, H.R. 7010 ensures that small businesses won’t be penalized by high unemployment benefits. For these and other reasons, I voted for H.R. 7010. Now more than ever, Congress needs to stand behind America’s small businesses and use available resources to ensure we all weather this pandemic. I look forward to working with my colleagues in both chambers to continue providing assistance as needed to bring our economy roaring back.
Arkansas 30 Day Loan Fund to help small businesses Philis Wood Contributing Reporter
A new forgivable loan program for small businesses in the Natural State provides much-needed funds for struggling businesses. The fund started by Sarah Huckabee Sanders and her husband and recently partnered with A-State Delta Center. The fund’s mission is to help small businesses struggling from the COVID-19 crisis. According to the mission statement, the crisis has put millions of small business jobs at risk. These small businesses are experiencing a near-fatal cash crunch as they struggle to keep their doors open and jobs intact. The next few critical weeks will impact thousands of jobs. The Arkansas 30 Day Fund is a non-profit, which provides forgivable loans for Arkansas- based small businesses. The forgivable loan is intended to provide immediate financial assistance to meet payroll, preserve healthcare cover-
age for employees, and save jobs while they await recently approved federal and state funding. The money for the fund is raised by the private sector and invested directly into Arkansas small businesses. This fund is intended to help struggling state businesses bridge a financial gap while waiting on assistance to work through the red tape of government relief programs. The fund started handling out forgivable loans just four days after opening applications. In an interview with Talk Business and Politics this week Huckabee was asked how much money do plan to raise and how many businesses do you plan to help? Huckabee said, “I’m not really setting a limitation on how much we hope to raise, we want to help as many small businesses across the state as we can.” The website--Arkansas30DayFund.com-is now accepting applications.
Gov. Hutchinson Announces New COVID-19 Technical Advisory Board LITTLE ROCK, AR. - Governor Asa Hutchinson announced in a May 29 news conference that the death toll from coronavirus in Arkansas stands at 132 with 6,777 positive cases in the state. The governor has created the COVID-19 Technical Advisory Board to review and evaluate new technologies as the state’s public health agencies develop strategies for testing and contact tracing. Joined by Arkansas Department of Health Secretary Dr. Nate Smith they announced the daily
Covid19 press briefing. “Two of the most critical tools in our ongoing efforts to stop COVID-19 are testing and finding those who have had contact with someone who is sick or who has tested positive,” Governor Hutchinson said. Governor Hutchinson appointed Dr. Austin Porter III as chair of the COVID-19 Technical Advisory Board. Dr. Porter is the Deputy Chief Science Officer at the Arkansas Department of Health.
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UPCOMING Upcoming Events Arkadelphia Bands had planned to host its first-ever Mattress Sale Fundraiser from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sat., April 18 at AHS, 401 High School Road, but that’s been postponed to Aug. 1. The fundraising sale will feature brands such as Simmons, Beautyrest, and more, with on-site mattresses priced up to 50% below retail. >>> <<< The Third Annual Comics Studies Society Conference will be hosted by Henderson State University from Aug. 5 to Aug. 9. The conference exists to bring together “scolars, artists, and other members of the international Comics Studies community” to discuss topics within the area of comics. Matthew J. Smith from Radford University and Randy Duncan from HSU are the organizers. Those interested can register at comicssociety.org. >>> <<< Mena plans to stage its 45 Annual Queen Wilhelmina Rod Run from Aug. 28-29 as street rods and hot rods descend on the town. The twoday event features a street dance and three chances for entrants to put their cars through their paces. For more information, visit https://www. queenwilhelminarodrun.com/. >>> <<< The Spring Hazardous Household Waste event that was scheduled for last Sat. was cancelled as a result of COVID-19 precautions. The Southwest Regional Solid Waste Management District will continue with the Fall Household Hazardous Waste event on Oct. 17. The Southwest Regional Solid Waste Management District is the planning board that oversees solid waste management for Clark, Garland, and Hot Spring Counties. In previous years, the district has hosted two annual Household Hazardous Waste events to offer citizens of each county the opportunity to dispose of hazardous waste that sanitation departments cannot pick up as part of routine trash pick-up. Expect more details closer to the event. Ongoing City Council meets every first and third Tues. of the month at 5:30 p.m. in Town Hall. >>> <<< Alcoholics Anonymous hosts two meetings a week in Arkadelphia. The meetings are open to anyone interested in AA’s program of recovery. The Arkadelphia Group meets at 7 p.m. every Tues. in the Sturgis Building at North 9 and Caddo Streets. For more information on the Arkadelphia Group Meetings, call 870-403-3001. The U-Turn Group meets at 7 p.m. every Thurs. on the front, upper level of Park Hill Baptist Church, 3163 Hollywood Road. For information on that group’s meetings, call 870-2302975 or 870-260-9277. >>> <<< Al-Anon meetings, designed to help family and friends affected by alcohol, are held three days a week in the Arkadelphia area: - Tues. at 7 p.m., Sturgis Building, corner of 9 and Caddo. 870-403-2019 - Thurs. at 6:30 p.m., Park Hill Baptist Church. 870-403-2019 - Fri. at noon, Clark County Library, 609 Caddo St., side door. 512-750-2292
Arkadelphia Dispatch
Thursday, June 4, 2020
AEDC Division of Rural Services awards $317,500 in community grants LITTLE ROCK, AR –
The Arkansas Economic Development Commission (AEDC) Division of Rural Services has awarded community grants totaling more than $317,500 to 39 counties and communities across the state. The Division of Rural Services originally intended to present these awards at the 2020 Arkansas Rural Development Conference scheduled to take place in Jonesboro last month. After careful consideration, AEDC cancelled the annual conference due to restrictions and concerns caused by the COVID-19 public health emergency. “Although the it was a difficult decision to cancel the 2020 Arkansas Rural Development Conference, we are pleased to continue supporting our program participants by awarding grants
totaling more than $317,500 to rural communities across the state,” Department of Commerce Secretary Mike Preston said. The Division of Rural Services awarded Arkansas counties and communities a total of $317,571.78 through two grant programs: the Rural Community Grant Program and the County Fair Building Grant Program. Twenty-eight counties and communities received a total of $276,379.56 through the Rural Community Grant program. Under this program, applicants from incorporated towns of less than 3,000 in population and unincorporated rural areas are eligible for up to $15,000 in matching funds for community development and fire protection projects. The Division of Rural Services awarded 11 counties a total of $41,192.22
through the County Fair Building Grant Program. Under this program, county fairs located in counties with a population of less than 55,000 are eligible for up to $4,000 for construction, renovation or general improvements of buildings or purchase of items shown to directly improve the building or the services that the county fair association may provide. Both the Rural Community Grant Program and the County Fair Building Grant Program require a 50 percent match for counties and communities to qualify. The next cycle deadline for the Rural Community Grant Program and County Fair Building Grant Program begins August 6, 2020. The Clark County Fair Association was among those rewarded with $2965.62 in Building Grant money.
New Arkadelphia Grocery Delivery Service Launches By Pete Tubbs Interim Editor in Chief For many, Arkadelphia has fallen behind when it comes to modern advancements nearby towns already have. While the town isn’t at the forefront of technology and infrastructure, recent years have seen it taking steps toward the future and EasyBins is a company that helps encourage that idea. EasyBins exists to make grocery shopping less painful and time consuming. Think of it as Amazon for food, except quicker. While food delivery and grocery pickup is no stranger to Arkadelphia, this service combines the two. Since the COVID-19 panic, restaurants have been racing to make their food readily available. Restaurants such as Burger King and Los Agaves offered at home delivery while Walmart and Brookshires both offered curbside grocery pickup. Upon access to the site, a claim is pasted across the top of the screen that promises “Order by 5 p.m. and get your delivery by 6 a.m.” with “no order minimums.” Available categories of food featured are eggs, baking, meat, and “all other.” The website is plainly layed out and is easy to ma-
neuver. All one has to do is select products, add them to the cart, and check out. One of the positives right off the bat is that the prices seem reasonable enough. For instance, one pound of ground beef runs less than four dollars. Along with food that can be found at most grocery stores and markets, there are premium choices as well such as wagyu steak, organic beef, and even crab legs. At first glance the choices seem slight. If one uses the search bar instead of the aforementioned featured categories, however, the selection is varied and extensive. There isn’t just food on EasyBins either. Non-edible goods range from deodorant to batteries to condoms and everything else in between. One concern that some people may have is that of differing prices and selection. One of the most frustrating things about the Walmart delivery service is when an item either isn’t available or is differently priced and they swap it out with a lesser item or one gets a bill that’s much larger than the one expected. Seeing as there is no physical location for EasyBins, though, it shouldn’t be a problem for the team to update their
website. One point that may put it above curbside pickup is that one doesn’t have to own a vehicle to go get groceries. Picture an elderly person who can’t drive to the store. She can now just enter what she needs on EasyBins and wake up in the morning to find her items delivered to her door. While it would be unreasonable to think that EasyBins was created as a reaction to the pandemic, it’s hard to deny that it didn’t come at exactly the right time. In a day and age where many people are terrified to leave their homes, it could be comforting to have a grocery shopping option that doesn’t require risking their own health. Although this reporter hasn’t tried the delivery service yet, the selection, simplicity, and accessibility of the website brings hope for more advancements like this in the future for the city of Arkadelphia. With a town as varied as the one we live in, it’s becoming increasingly more important to make living here as enticing and comforting as possible.
Donad Robert Bettis
Donald Robert Bettis, 80, died Wednesday, May 27 at his home west of Arkadelphia. Donnie was born May 19, 1940, in Garland County, and he was raised by his grandmother Maude Parker Bettis in Joan and Arkadelphia and spent a significant amount of time with his uncle and aunt Ernest and Dale Green of Joan. Donnie was a graduate of Arkadelphia High School and a veteran of the U.S. Army. As a youth, he worked at Mann’s Grocery Store for $3 per day, and after high school worked at Gross Feed
Obituary Store. However, most people in the community know him as “The Coke Man.” For 40 years he worked for Coca Cola filling vending machines and retail shelves with Coke products and working in concession stands at games for the high school, junior high and both universities. More importantly, he was renowned for his joyful spirit and beaming smile for everyone he greeted. For four decades his authentic warmth and happiness brought smiles to thousands of university students and citizens across Clark County. After retiring from Coca Cola, Donnie began working part-time for Percy Malone and later full-time for W.P. Malone Inc. He filled various roles in the company including a role he cherished — delivering medications to shut-ins throughout the community. He worked for W.P. Malone Inc. until May 2019. Donnie was a member of Third Street Baptist Church in Arkadelphia where he
News 3
served as a deacon, usher and one of the greeters each Sunday — a perfect role for his joyful heart. We can assume he greeted St. Peter at the gates with an enthusiastic “Hey, hey, how ya doing.” He is survived by his wife Evelyn (Freeman); son Mitch, his wife Meg and their children Jackson, Addy and Elli; daughter Michelle Wardlaw and her husband Roger; and granddaughter Kassi Talbot, her husband Jefferson and their children Eevi and Liv. Visitation is Friday, May 29 from 5-7 p.m. at Third Street Baptist Church in Arkadelphia. Services are Saturday, May 31 at 10 a.m. at Third Street with Greg Lathem and Steve Patterson officiating. He will be interred at Golden Cemetery. Visit our online guestbook at www.ruggleswilcox.com State of AR Covid 19 directives: Face Coverings required for everyone over 10 years of age (coverings not provided) Maintain social distancing.
HBOmax: Streaming to the max By Pete Tubbs Interim Editor in Chief Ever since Netflix’s streaming service was launched in 2007, dozens of companies have been trying to outdo it with their own versions of media streaming. It seems like every media conglomerate in the world is trying to have its piece of the pie when it comes to this war. One of the more recent service entries is the mammoth Disney Plus, but one company has updated its service into something equally as impressive as the house of mouse’s application. HBO Max was launched on May 27 and features a glut of content that many fans of the service, and others, will most likely be satisfied with. While it would be unfair to say that HBO’s newest offering is a ground-up reconstruction of the company’s past efforts, it offers more than enough new twists to be worth the switch. Along with all of its classic content, HBO has partnered with some interesting outside sources to bring one of the best premium streaming
services available. As someone who was previously subscribed to both DC Universe and Boomerang’s streaming services, it was a joy to see that HBO acquired the content from both of them and ported them into Max. It’s extremely satisfying to watch an episode of “Doom Patrol” and then switch over to the first season of “Scooby Doo! Where are You?” Something I didn’t know that the service would feature, however, is a large collection of classic films through their TCM category. It’s becoming increasingly difficult to access films from before the 70’s but there are dozens on Max ranging from “North by Northwest” to “Little Shop of Horrors.” Animation fans should also rejoice as the entire collection of Studio Ghibli films are featured in their own category. There’s also an impressive collection of Cartoon Network shows, both new and old. Other categories include Sesame Workshop, Adult Swim, Looney Tunes and
CrunchyRoll. There really is something for everyone here. While there isn’t much new content to be found on Max, there is some. Elmo hosts a new reality show called “The Not-Too-Late Show with Elmo,” and Anna Kendrick stars in rom-com series “Love Life,” which debuted with three episodes. With all of this other content, though, it’s still impressive to see the quality stuff that HBO has put out in the past that’s available here as well. Shows like “Curb Your Enthusiasm” and “The Sopranos” still hold the same amount of gravity as they did before, and it’s nice to be able to have them all on the same platform with so much other good content as well. HBO Max is a resounding success that combines the old with the new to create a truly impressive platform that has something for everyone. I can see myself returning to this streaming service more than something like Disney Plus or even Amazon Prime.
Arkadelphia Dispatch Editor: Pete Tubbs arkadelphiadispatch@gmail.com 870-230-5221 Calls will be returned. The Arkadelphia Dispatch is published weekly by Nashville Leader, Inc., 119 N. Main, Nashville, AR 71852.
4 News
Thursday, June 4, 2020
Arkadelphia Dispatch
The ongoing struggle of reviving DeGray Lake By Brian Bagwell Outdoors Columnist
The sun had just begun to rise over the lake. Boats sat idling, ready for take-off. The National Anthem had been sung and a prayer was lifted for the safety of all the anglers. A single shotgun blast sent everyone out in search of the big bite. Tournament fishing on DeGray lake, a roughly 14,000 – acre man-made lake, has been a common scene since it was created in 1972. Built for generating electricity, the lake was formed by damming the Caddo River. For many years, the lake sustained a great period of growth for fish as there was standing timber and natural vegetation readily available. With
age, all of the nutrients became depleted. In the summer of 2002, hydrilla, an invasive aquatic plant was found growing in the lake. This plant can thrive in water 30 feet or more to just inches deep and can take over an impoundment. With DeGray having a maximum depth of nearly 200 feet, the presence of hydrilla did not pose a huge threat at the time. Bass anglers recognize the need for plant life in their fisheries. It provides shelter and ambush points, as well as providing habitat for insects that serve as a primary food source for the fish. People coming for recreational sports such as skiing and swimming found it a nui-
Prostest continued from Page 1: Mayor Byrd, who greeted the crowd with an enthusiastic “how y’all doing tonight,” was short and sweet with his speech. He drew upon three different public speakers to encourage the town. Pastor Llewellyn Terry from Mt. Olive Baptist Church was up next. He spoke about how the town has changed since his birth. In fact, he informed the audience that he was born right behind where he was standing in 1953. After the event, Terry said “we want to build the community. People should follow up on their words and put peace and justice into action.” Myra Bailey followed Terry with a beautiful a cappella rendition of Yolanda Adams’ gospel classic “Open My Heart.” Although the microphone kept coming in and out, the crowd still responded to Bailey’s voice and even sang along with her at certain points. Other keynote speakers included Reverends Natalie Thomas and Lisa Simpson who both prayed and gave their remarks, president of Ouachita Baptist University Dr. Ben Sells, Pastor
sance and would constantly complain about the “seaweed” in the water. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers sought help from the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (AGFC) and began looking into ways of controlling the growth. The Pakistani fly seemed to be a logical answer. This fly, about the size of a gnat, would lay eggs on the grass, the eggs would hatch, and the larvae would enter the plant. “This would kill the top three to four feet of the plant without complete eradication,” Johnny Cantrell, retired wildlife biologist for the Corps of Engineers, said. “And this project began in 2007.” As with any project, other ideas had been tossed
ing water levels killed it.” With the hydrilla gone, something had to be done. Studies began being conducted and a plan was coming together to re-establish aquatic vegetation in the lake. In 2019, public meetings were held to hear thoughts and concerns. Additionally, advice was asked of an aquatic plant specialist from Texas and an aquatic habitat restoration specialist form the Corps. “Native species including coontail, eelgrass, and southern naiad,” according to Hobbs, “are being grown in greenhouses and transported to floating cages placed in the lake.” The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff helped to identify key areas of the lake
where the cages would be most effective. With a project of this size, obstacles occur and one that has already been identified with the cage is the design. The original cages had an open top and upon inspection, the grasses were not present. “Turtles, herbivory reptiles, were eating it,” Hobbs said. This was a simple fix and tops were made for the other cages. As the grasses grow, seedlings will fall and hopefully, take root and multiply. This is not an overnight fix to a major problem, but with the continued efforts of the AGFC and the Corps, steps are being taken to revitalize a beautiful fishery that will entice anglers for years to come.
“We shall overcome”
Johnny Harris from Mt. Canaan Baptist Church in Gurdon, Vice President of Clark County NAACP Bruce Bell, NAACP Member Vanilla Hannah, and finally closing with a prayer by Dr. Lewis Shepard from Greater Pleasant Hill Baptist Church here in Arkadelphia. The protest was seen as a successful display by the organizer of the event himself, President of the NAACP Henry Wilson. Wilson said it was a “good gathering of people.” He did have some thoughts on the further actions of the speakers and attendants, though. “I hope and pray that the speakers, both black and white,” Wilson said, “spoke from their heart. I hope they use action.” Overall, though, Wilson believed that the result was positive. “We had great success. There were probably four or five hundred people there.” Arkadelphia has proven that it can be a part of a national conversation on Tues. The peaceful protest was a big step forward both for demonstrations and support of national movements by our town. The protest on Tues.
Photo by Steve Listopad
Myra Bailey sang an a cappella rendition of “Open My Heart” near the end of the protest, during which much of the crowd sang along. brings hope for further peaceful dialogue and action for events and problems that trouble the nation.
Reddies Release Updated 2020 Football Schedule ARKADELPHIA, Ark. — In light of COVID-19 and NCAA Division II contest reductions across all sports, Henderson State Athletics, along with the Great American Conference, announced an updated and reduced 2020 football schedule on Friday. The Reddies will now play one less game this fall than previously scheduled — 10 contests instead of 11 — and will open the season one week later than planned on Thursday, Sept. 10 when they host East Central at Carpenter-Haygood Stadium and Ruggles Field at 7 p.m. Henderson’s Family Day comes on Oct. 3, Homecom-
around and one that took hold was stocking 1,000 grass carp. These fish, with a typical lifespan of five to nine years coupled with the fact that they should not be able to reproduce in the lake, seemed to be a great addition to the fly in controlling the growth of hydrilla. Many angry fishermen have expressed their concerns about how the AGFC along with the Corps teamed up to completely remove the hydrilla from DeGray and that was far from the truth. “The fly and carp worked, but the extremely high waters in the spring, and drought conditions later that year caused the biggest impact,” Brett Hobbs, AGFC, Fisheries District 8 Supervisor said. “Fluctuat-
ing remains scheduled for Oct. 17 and the 94 Battle of the Ravine is still set for Nov. 14 at 2 p.m. Additional special game dates, along with times for road contests, will be announced at a later time. The reduction of contests was mandated for all NCAA Division II sports in the 2020-21 school year by the NCAA DII president’s council based upon recommendation’s from the DII management council and championships committee as a cost-saving measure due to the economic impact on institutions from COVID-19. For football, the maximum amount of contests allowed for the up-
coming season is 10, which forced the schedule to be redrawn. Coming off of a 9-3 season and a trip to the Live United Bowl in Texarkana, the Reddies will still face all five other GAC member institutions from Arkansas but will not play Oklahoma Baptist for the first time since 2014. Henderson will play five home games in Arkadelphia against East Central, Arkansas-Monticello, Harding, Northwestern Oklahoma State and Ouachita Baptist. Below is an updated schedule provided by hsusports.com. Visit that website for more information on Henderson sports.