Of the people, By the people, For the people
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Ed Potts
TUESDAY, April 6, 2021 / Vol. 7 Issue 14 / 75 cents
Choctaw Fire Fighters can use the pump attached to a truck or in the boat to pull from open water sources. Photos by Warren Johnson Sarah Shaw and Tim Stalnaker
Fatal ATV Accident Cuts Couple's Journey Short by Warren Johnson
Sarah Elizabeth Shaw, 24, a registered nurse at Arkansas Children's Hospital, and her boyfriend, Timothy Luke Stalnaker, 27, a product manager at First Orion, enjoyed spending time together and were avid sports outdoorsmen. Some of their interest were working out, hiking, biking, golfing, and riding All-Terrain Vehicles. The couple from Conway shared many open-air adventures, enjoying one another's company, with their journeys not being limited to Arkansas. The duo traveled around the country, recently completing a ski adventure in Seattle, Washington. Sarah loved her family, her job, and her boyfriend and was living, as she said, "Her Best Life." Their journey was cut short on March 27, 2021. A family member stated, "Uncle Tim and Sarah left us doing what they loved most, riding four-wheelers in the Ozark National
Forest. They were the sweetest, happiest couple, and we are going to miss them so much." Sarah's father, Wally Shaw, said, "We had a sad visit Saturday at 10:30 pm when authorities informed us that our daughter and her boyfriend had a critical four-wheeler accident near Clinton, Arkansas. Sarah died on impact, and Tim passed away a few hours later. This is a sorrowful time for both families, but we will make it through this trial with the strength that we have in our Savior, Jesus Christ." Mr. Shaw continued, "We also learned from Tim's family a short while ago; that he had been saving for a diamond ring and was soon to propose to Sarah." Sarah and Timothy had a combined funeral service at 11:00 am on Thursday, April 1, 2021, in Russellville, Arkansas, at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Our deepest sympathies go out to the families.
The Easter Bunny visited residents of Ozark Health Nursing Center. Janet Stephan with Gabby Henson Photo courtesy of OHNC
The Van Buren Tanker Task Force is Working to Serve our Community by Ken Brown
Many of the county's seventeen fire departments make up the Van Buren County Tanker Task Force. The task force is working to haul water to fire scenes reducing a significant strain on the delicate domestic water system. The domestic water system can supply water through the fire hydrants, but a large fire might cause many systems to shut down. We are trying to look to other water sources like Greers Ferry Lake, ponds, streams, and even swimming pools. Some fire departments have obtained signed agreements with landowners to tap their ponds in an emergen-
cy. They have even gone so far as to have 911 addresses assigned to those water points. Our domestic water systems took a brutal hit this past winter with frozen and broken pipes resulting in low water tanks. Calls had to go out to all fire departments not to utilize hydrants until teams had water restored in the tanks. Thankful-
ly no fires occurred during this time. Our Fire Engines pump anywhere from 1250 - 1500 gallons of water per minute during a significant fire event. Most Pumper Engines only carry five hundred to one thousand gallons of water which translates to less than a minute of water without backups like a tanker or a drop tank.
The portable pump on the service truck or boat can pump six hundred thirty-eight gallons per minute and can be used to help fill tankers or used as a fire suppression system from the lake. It can also be used to dewater a sinking boat. The four-wheel-drive truck See Tanker on page 2
Gallon Per Minute Chart.
Family to Have the Memorial Service that Covid Lockdowns prevented One Year Ago Larry E. Henson was Herman and Edith Henson's son, arriving in the world on September 9, 1946, in San Angelo, Texas. Larry was family-oriented and very close to the five siblings in his family from an early age, living one day at a time and not worrying too much about the problems tomorrow might present. After moving to Clinton, he assisted his father, Herman, in his construction company and enjoyed playing football for the Clinton Yellowjackets. In 1964, at 17 years old, he enlisted in the US Navy, where he met his life-long friend, Leo McDonald. The two honorably discharged from the Navy, moved to Amarillo, Texas, and married sisters. They did tile work for about a year and a half, and Larry found his hand at welding, which allowed him to travel the United States working in his profession. His brother Harvey worked with him in various places. Harvey remembered, "He liked to go wherever the wind would take
him. He just about lived out of his station wagon, and I was very adventurous, so we had some good times together." Harvey said, "Larry loved the outdoors, water and fishing. We went down on the Arkansas River to fish for a few hours and ended up staying for two days." He continued, "Every place we went, Larry always friended people very quickly. He treated everyone the same, whether they were living on the street or very wealthy. He was always real, and there wasn't anything fake about Larry. He was just himself." When Larry moved back to Clinton in 1980, he had two daughters in tow as a single father and opened a Bee Branch welding shop. Larry and Jean Rainwater Davis married in 2004, adding a daughter and son to the family. Larry's children remember, "Dad's favorite things to do were fishing and cooking, in that order!" He devoted much of his time to the local VFW 4764, first as Commander for sev-
The family of Larry E. Henson would like to invite all family and friends to join them at 11:00 am on Saturday, April 10, 2021, for a memorial service at Hunter-Hill cemetery at 618 Cemetery Road in Clinton. eral years and then later as Post Manager. Larry enjoyed watching his children and grandchildren grow and flourish. When he passed away on April 10, 2020, he had four children, four grandchildren, and one great-granddaughter. Larry's departure from the world came when the Covid lockdowns and quarantines prevented his family from gathering and denied them the memorial service's closure. On the first anniversary of his passing, the family will cel-
ebrate with full military honors Larry's life. The family of Larry E. Henson would like to invite all family and friends to join them at 11:00 am on Saturday, April 10, 2021, for a memorial service at Hunter-Hill cemetery at 618 Cemetery Road in Clinton. Harvey smiled and said, "I knew Larry as a good man and a great brother; I miss him terribly." His children reflect on the Hebrew Proverb, "Say not in grief he is no more, but live in thankfulness that he was."