AAs we welcome September, we're especially excited to celebrate a significant milestone, the beginning of our fifteenth year in publication! We couldn't have reached this landmark without you, and the support of our advertisers, the incredible local businesses who move our community forward!
In this anniversary issue, we bring you stories that will fill your heart, reveal the power of human connection, and show you the extraordinary ways people turn personal challenges into opportunities to help others!
We begin with a story that honors the impactful life of Grace Hopper, a young girl who bravely battled childhood cancer. Grace's legacy lives on through Grace's Toy Closet, an inspiring initiative started by her parents, which collects and distributes toys to cancer patients at Arkansas Children's Hospital in Northwest Arkansas.
Greer's Coin & Pawn has experienced an incredible transformation in Fort Smith, evolving into a cutting edge music recording studio while retaining elements of its storied past. If history and aviation piques your interest, you’ll be captivated by our feature on the Razorback Wing of the Commemorative Air Force in Central Arkansas. Explore their unwavering commitment to preserving the legacy of military aviation.
You’ll also learn about the upcoming Mena Mountain Bike Trails. With 100 miles of trails connecting Arkansas' second-highest mountain to downtown Mena, it's set to be a destination for mountain bikers and nature lovers alike. And finally, our special focus this month, our annual Mental Health Guide, is filled with local providers dedicated to connecting our community with essential mental health services.
Thank you for being a part of our journey and supporting Do South® Magazine all these years! We are dedicated to continuing to bring you stories that celebrate our community and all it has to offer. See you in October!
SEPTEMBER 2024
COPY EDITING Charity Chambers
GRAPHIC DESIGN
Artifex 323 – Jessica Meadors
PHOTOGRAPHY
Jade Graves Photography
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Marla Cantrell
Catherine Frederick Dwain Hebda Sara Putman Bob Robinson
catherine@dosouthmagazine.com
To inquire about this free space for your charitable nonprofit organization, email: catherine@dosouthmagazine.com.
SEPTEMBER EVENTS
SEPTEMBER 5, 5:30P / FLIPCAUSE.COM
DUCK PLUCK FOR SPECIAL OLYMPICS
Burton Pools and Spas, Fort Smith
SEPTEMBER 5-7, 11A / GROWINGKIDSSALE.COM
GROWING KIDS FALL SALE
Kay Rodgers Park Expo, Fort Smith
SEPTEMBER 6, 6P / MAINSTREETFS.ORG
LEVITT AMP SERIES PRESENTS ERIC JOHANSON
Riverfront Amphitheatre, Fort Smith
SEPTEMBER 6-7 / EUREKASPRINGSCHAMBER.COM
53RD ANNUAL EUREKA SPRINGS
CLASSIC CAR SHOW & SHINE WEEKEND
Eureka Springs
SEPTEMBER 6-8 / EUREKASPRINGSCHAMBER.COM
OZARK FOLK FESTIVAL
Eureka Springs
SEPTEMBER 6-8 / WALTONARTSCENTER.ORG
BLUEY'S BIG PLAY
Walton Arts Center, Fayetteville
SEPTEMBER 12, 5:30P / GIRLSINCFORTSMITH.ORG FEST OF ALE BENEFITTING GIRL'S INC.
Uncork’d, Fort Smith
SEPTEMBER 13, 5:30P / USMMUSEUM.ORG
SIP, SNACK & SWAY COCKTAIL
PARTY - U.S. MARSHALS SERVICE
BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION
U.S. Marshals Museum, Fort Smith
SEPTEMBER 13, 8P / SIMMONSBANKARENA.COM
DWIGHT YOAKAM
Simmons Bank Arena, North Little Rock
SEPTEMBER 13, 6P / MAINSTREETFS.ORG
LEVITT AMP SERIES PRESENTS LA 45
Riverfront Amphitheatre, Fort Smith
SEPTEMBER 14, 10A / FORTSMITHSCHOOLS.ORG
CELEBRATION FOR COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS
Darby Middle School, Fort Smith
SEPTEMBER 14, 8A / FSBOYSHOME.ORG
FORT SMITH BOYS HOME ANNUAL SILENT AUCTION AND CAR SHOW
Ben Geren Storm Shelter, Fort Smith
SEPTEMBER 14-15, 9A / OLDTOWNVANBUREN.COM
DOWNTOWN JUNK FEST
Downtown, Van Buren
SEPTEMBER 18-21, 9A / BIKESBLUESANDBBQ.ORG
BIKES, BLUES & BBQ
Railyard Bike Park, Rogers
SEPTEMBER 19-22 / OCCOALITION.ORG
RICH MOUNTAIN RENDEZVOUS
Queen Wilhelmina State Park, Mena
SEPTEMBER 20, 6P / MAINSTREETFS.ORG
LEVITT AMP SERIES PRESENTS
LOLA KIRKE
Riverfront Amphitheatre, Fort Smith
SEPTEMBER 20-28 / ARKANSASOKLAHOMASTATEFAIR.COM
ARKANSAS OKLAHOMA STATE FAIR
Kay Rodgers Park, Fort Smith
SEPTEMBER 21 / RUNSIGNUP.COM
THE STAMPEDE 5K RUN/WALK & 10K RUN
Greg Smith River Trail, Fort Smith
SEPTEMBER 21, 6P / 479.782.1821
ARKANSAS TAILGATE CRISIS CENTER
FUNDRAISER
Crisis Center Parking Lot, Fort Smith
SEPTEMBER 21, 8A / FACEBOOK
CHAFFEE CROSSING FOOD AND ARTISAN MARKET
Chaffee Crossing, Barling
SEPTEMBER 21-27 / FSLT.ORG
FORT SMITH LITTLE THEATRE PRESENTS MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRES S
Fort Smith Little Theatre, Fort Smith
SEPTEMBER 24-29 / WALTONARTSCENTER.ORG
PETER PAN
Walton Arts Center, Fayetteville
SEPTEMBER 27, 9A / BELLEPOINTQUILTERSGUILD.COM
BELLE POINT QUILTERS GUILD SHOW
Fort Smith Convention Center, Fort Smith
SEPTEMBER 27, 6P / MAINSTREETFS.ORG
LEVITT AMP SERIES PRESENTS LARRY & JOE
Riverfront Amphitheatre, Fort Smith
SEPTEMBER 27-29 / GRITFESTIVAL.COM
GRIT MTB FESTIVAL
Centennial Park, Fayetteville
SEPTEMBER 28 / ALANJACKSON.COM
ALAN JACKSON
Bud Walton Arena, Fayetteville
SEPTEMBER 29, 2-4P / FORTSMITHHISTORY.ORG
TALES OF THE CRYPT
Oak Cemetery, Fort Smith
ARTS ON MAIN – VAN BUREN
ARTSONMAINVB.COM
FORT
SMITH
REGIONAL
ART MUSEUM
FSRAM.ORG
ACHE RESEARCH INSTITUTE HEALTH AND WELLNESS CENTER
To Sept. 30: 2024 River Valley Student Art Competition
To Sept. 25: 2024 Adult Art Competition
classes available, visit website for info.
BOOKISH – FORT SMITH
BOOKISHFS.COM
Storytime: Saturdays, 11a
Sept. 5: Entrepreneur’s Book Club, 12p
Sept. 12: Romance Book Club, 6p
Sept. 20 & 21: Stems & Stories, $50/per person
Sept. 21: Local Author Showcase w/ Jessica Musgrove, 12:30p
Sept. 26: Middle Grade Book Club, 4:30p
Sept. 27: Mostly Fiction Book Club, 6p
COMMUNITY SCHOOL
OF THE ARTS – FORT SMITH
CSAFORTSMITH.ORG
Sept. 16 to Nov. 18: Homeschool Group Piano, grades 4-8
Sept. 18 to Dec. 11: Piano Friends for Homeschoolers, grades 1-5
Sept. 4 to Dec. 4: Saxophone Quartet, grades 9-12
Sept. 5 to Dec. 5: Intermediate Strings. grades 1-7
Sept. 9 to Dec. 2: Taste of Dance, grades 4-7 and 7-12
UAFS ATHLETICS
UAFORTSMITHLIONS.COM
Sept. 27: Volleyball vs. Pittsburg State, 6p
Sept. 28: Volleyball vs. Newman, 12p
RAM Saturdays: 12-3p (FREE)
Guided Tour Sundays: 2p (FREE)
To Dec. 1: Tammy Harrington, Quiet Moments
To Dec. 1: Art of Living Artists
To Dec 1: The Covid-19 Hearts Project
To Dec. 31: Liz Whitney Quisgard
To Jan. 19: Ed Pennebaker, Growth & Diminishment
THE BAKERY DISTRICT
– FORT SMITH
BAKERYFS.COM
Trivia: Mondays, 6:30p
Bingo: Tuesday, Mad Ox Bar, 6:30p
Cornhole: Wednesdays, 6:30p
Yoga: Tuesdays & Thursdays, 5:30p
Story Time @ Bookish: Saturdays, 11a
Sept. 12: Jazz Jam, 6p
Sept. 13: Shane Bailey Bash, 6p
Sept. 15: Blues Jam, 1p
Sept 20: Bikes at the Bakery, 6p
Sept. 26: Segue (The Cooler Room), 6:30p
FAB LAB OF FORT SMITH
(LOCATED AT THE ACHE RIHWC)
FABLABFORTSMITH.ORG
Open Lab: Wed. & Thurs., 10a-4p
AFTER SCHOOL TENNIS
DEE COX USPTA: 479.221.3348, $10
Tuesdays: Grades 6-8, 4p-5:30p
Wednesdays: Grades 1-5, 4p-5p
Fridays: Homeschool grades 1-5, 9:30a-10:30a, and 4p-5p pm
September 5: Burton Pools & Spas hosts the first Duck Pluck event benefiting Special Olympics in Arkansas. SPECIALOLYMPICSARKANSAS.ORG.
September 12: Girl’s Inc. hosts their annual fundraiser, Fest of Ale . Join the fun for a beer, wine, and food tasting event at Uncork’d GIRLSINCFORTSMITH.ORG
September 13: The inaugural U.S. Marshals Service Birthday Celebration will take place at the Museum from 5:30p-8:30p. MARSHALSMUSEUM.ORG
September 14: The Fort Smith Boys Home Annual Silent Auction and Car Show will be held at Ben Geren Storm Shelter . FSBOYSHOME.ORG
September 21: The Crisis Intervention Center host the Arkansas Tailgate at 6p. Reserve your parking spot and enjoy dinner and drinks and lots of fun. Call 479.782.1821 for details.
September 21: The Stampede 5K Run/ Walk & 10K Run , benefiting the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society , will take place at the Greg Smith River Trail in Fort Smith. FACEBOOK.COM
September 26: Potluck Food Rescue hosts their Driving Away Hunger at the new Eastside Scrapyard venue in Little Rock. POTLUCKFOODRESCUE.ORG
September 29: The Fort Smith Historical Society hosts Tales of the Crypt walking tour at Oak Cemetery . FORTSMITHHISTORY.COM
good news
Get REAL will host their annual fundraiser, Havana Nights , October 4, at the US Marshals Museum . GETREALU.ORG
1st Choice Pregnancy Medical Center will host their annual fundraising banquet, October 15, at the Fort Smith Convention Center 1stCHOICEFORTSMITH.COM
The annual Parade of Homes is October 4-6 and 11-13. Homes will be open from 12-5p. FORTSMITHHOMEBUILDERS.COM
The Red Autumn Art Festival is slated for October 5, in downtown Sallisaw, Oklahoma. REDAUTUMN.ART
Submit Good News
EMPOWERING DREAMS
The Degen Foundation announced their 2024-2025 Spring Scholarship Recipients, totaling over $47,000: Miranda Smith, Ashlyn Roffine, Michelle Porter, Ryan Hewett, Kobe Panis, Jania Flake, Perri Efurd, Madison Combs, Ella Austin, Gracie Weidman, Avery Phillips, Martin Nunez, Anna Lee, Olivia Jones, Ashlynn Flute, Shanian Balagtas, Mikella Arbaug h, and Sarah Tolbert
The Fort Smith Boys & Girls Club was awarded a $75,000 USDA Farm to School Grant enabling the Club to further their mission of providing healthy, nutritious meals to children in our community while teaching the importance of agriculture and sustainability.
The Taco Bell Foundation along with K-MAC Enterprises awarded a $10,000 community grant to the Boys & Girls Club of Van Buren . This grant was funded by customers who rounded up their order total to the nearest dollar.
more good news
ROUND OF APPLAUSE
The Great American Conference announced that Southside and Northside arenas will serve as venues for the ’25 and ’26 GAC Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships
The Greater Fort Smith Association of Home Builders won the National Association of Home Builders 2023 Grand Membership Award.
Fort Smith Regional Dialysis Center recently installed a new Aqua™ Dialysis Water Treatment System to provide even safer and more reliable dialysis treatment to patients.
Baptist Health has been Certified™ by Great Place To Work ® , an award based entirely on what current employees say about their experience.
Congratulations to Sodie’s Wine & Spirits for being selected as Top 100 Liquor Store in the US for 6th consecutive year by Beverage Dynamics .
Baptist Health-Fort Smith has expanded their Radiation Oncology Services with Surface Guided Radiation Therapy.
Baptist Health team members were named as Arkansas’ Great 100 Nurses including: Robin Brown, Theresa Carroll, Thad Carter, Kaytlyn Crisco, Nicole Dake, Courtney Jasna, Linda “Nicki” Knowles, Cody Newton, Heidi Niswander, Stacy North-Flanagan, Raevondolyn Rice, Kristina Risenhoover, Sherri Rogers, Lillian Shaw, Janet Smithson, and Arielle Stevenson .
NEW FACES & PLACES
The University of ArkansasFort Smith announced Jordan Ruud as Director of Library Services at Boreham Library.
Baptist Health Family Clinic-Massard welcomes Dr. Dwight Johnson, primary care physician.
Main Street Fort Smith , formerly 64.6 Downtown , announced Amanda Hager as Executive Director.
Western Arkansas Ballet announced Dagny Chastain , as a Dance Instructor for the 2024-2025 season.
Reynolds Cancer Support House welcomes Tasha Schluterman as Patient Services Manager.
Bookish welcomes Jamie Lambdin-Bolin as shop manager.
WISH LIST
The Habitat for Humanity ReStore needs gently used building materials, doors, windows, and appliances, as well as furniture, couches, chairs, and beds. ARKANSASVALLEYHABITAT.ORG
MJ's Stampede , a 5K Run/ Walk and 10K Run, a much-anticipated event in Fort Smith, Arkansas, is dedicated to raising funds for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Taking place at the scenic Greg Smith River Trail, the event combines fitness, community spirit, and a noble cause. Participants can enjoy the picturesque route along the Arkansas River while contributing to the fight against blood cancers.
The race day promises excitement and a sense of accomplishment for runners and walkers of all levels. With a 5K and a 10K option, MJ's Stampede accommodates varying fitness levels and goals, encouraging participation from a diverse group of enthusiasts. Whether you are a seasoned runner aiming for a personal best or someone looking to support the cause while staying active, this event has something for everyone.
A highlight of MJ's Stampede is its array of awards and prizes. Overall
awards recognize the fastest finishers, while Grand Prix Awards for Masters celebrate the achievements of experienced runners. Additionally, Age Group Awards ensure that participants of all ages have a chance to be acknowledged for their efforts. These awards foster a sense of friendly competition and add an element of excitement to the event.
Beyond the competition, MJ's Stampede is a family-friendly event that fosters a strong sense of community. Spectators can cheer on participants, creating an uplifting atmosphere that motivates runners to give their best. Refreshments will also be available! The event also offers an opportunity for local businesses and volunteers to get involved, further strengthening community bonds.
The significance of supporting the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society cannot be overstated. The funds raised through MJ's Stampede contribute to vital research, patient support services, and
advocacy efforts. By participating in this event, individuals are directly impacting the lives of those affected by blood cancers and helping to advance the search for a cure.
Organizing an event of this scale requires dedication and teamwork. Volunteers play a crucial role in ensuring the smooth operation of the race, from registration to water stations and post-race activities. Their hard work and commitment contribute to the overall success and positive experience for all involved.
MJ's Stampede is more than just a race; it is a celebration of community, fitness, and philanthropy. It exemplifies how local events can make a significant difference in the fight against serious illnesses while promoting health and wellness. Join MJ's Stampede at the Greg Smith River Trail for an unforgettable day of running, walking, and making a difference!
MJ’s Stampede is a Certified 5K/10K Race and 5K Timed Walk. Pre-register online at runsignup.com/Race/AR/FortSmith/theStampedeRun, or register at 7:00 a.m. the day of the race. Participant packet pick-up is Friday, September 20, at True Grit Running Company in Fort Smith. Register prior to September 7 for a t-shirt.
words Do South® Staff
Connecting Community
WORDs Do South® Staff image courtesy FSPS School-Based Health Center
The 2nd annual Celebration for Community Connections wellness fair, hosted by Fort Smith Public Schools School-Based Health Center takes place September 14 at Darby Middle School in Fort Smith. This health fair promotes wellness and community resources, providing a one-stop destination for students, families, and community members to achieve wellness.
This fun event offers an excellent opportunity for community agencies, faithbased organizations, and businesses to reach a broad audience in a single venue. The Celebration of Community Connections also seeks to strengthen community ties and establish common ground among diverse groups.
The event will emphasize the Eight Dimensions of Wellness, each a crucial role in achieving overall well-being, and
will feature fun activities and resources for those who attend.
Social Wellness: Social Wellness: Building and maintaining healthy relationships is essential for overall well-being. The fair will provide various opportunities for attendees to connect and participate in community-building activities. Face painting and other interactive booths foster community and fun.
Emotional Wellness: Emotional Wellness: Managing stress and healthily expressing emotions are critical components of emotional wellness. Resources on mental health, stress management, and emotional resilience, will be available.
Spiritual Wellness: Finding purpose and meaning in life can significantly enhance well-being. Faith-based organizations will offer be on hand spiritual guidance and support.
Intellectual Wellness: Intellectual Wellness: Lifelong learning and creative activities stimulate the mind. The event will feature educational resources to promote intellectual growth, encouraging attendees to pursue new knowledge and skills.
Physical Wellness: Maintaining physical health through regular exercise and proper nutrition is vital. Free health screenings will be available, along with healthy living tips to help attendees take charge of their physical health.
Environmental Wellness: Environmental Wellness: Living in harmony with the environment and taking action to protect it are key aspects of environmental wellness. The fair will include information on sustainable practices and how we can all contribute to a healthier planet.
Financial Wellness: Managing finances effectively reduces stress and improves overall well-being. Resources on budgeting, saving, and financial planning will be available.
Occupational Wellness: Finding satisfaction and enrichment in one's work is crucial for well-being. The event will feature employment opportunities and career advice, helping attendees navigate career options.
In addition, the fair will include volunteer opportunities, giveaways, door prizes, free haircuts, free food, and community resource booths!
Celebration for Community Connections September 14, 10a-1p | Darby Middle School, Fort Smith. Giveaways, door prizes, free haircuts, free food, and community resources. This event is free and open to the public.
YOUR HEALTH
OUR PRIORITY
When your family is in need of prompt emergency care, our highly trained staff & physicians are just minutes away. Fort Smith ER & Hospital is dedicated to providing our local community with access to fast, exceptional, and concierge-level medical care 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Expert-Level Physicians
Adult and Pediatric Care
CT Scan, MRI, X-Ray, and Ultrasound
Little To No Wait Time
Open 24/7/365
RECOMMENDED READING
WORDS Sara Putman, Bookish
Enjoy these September recommendations from our friends at Bookish, Fort Smith, Arkansas' only independently owned bookstore .
Burn by
Peter Heller
Every year, Jess and Storey set off on an adventure to the country's most remote areas, where they camp, hunt, and hike, often leaving much of their longstanding friendship unspoken. They think the secession fever gripping Maine and other states is problematic for politicians or people in the capital. But after weeks of being off the grid, they find a small town in chaos—bridges blown apart, buildings burned, and cars abandoned.
Shocked by the devastation, they realize things have changed dramatically. Now, their mission is to find a way home, dragging a wagon along bumpy dirt roads, scavenging from lakes, and dodging armed groups, unsure whether they're secessionists or the U.S. military. Just as they think they have a plan, a startling discovery shifts their course and raises the stakes.
Similar to Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel, this heart-pounding thriller is both painful to read and beautifully written. It explores the tensions of a divided country while highlighting the deep bonds of chosen families
Heller's
beautiful nature writing coupled with a post-apocalyptic thriller.
Lady Macbeth by
Ava Reid
This gothic fantasy reimagines Lady Macbeth, Shakespeare's iconic villainess, giving her a voice, a past, and a formidable power. As the Lady navigates a treacherous court and a marriage to a Scottish warrior with dark secrets, her hidden witchcraft and destiny unfold, challenging the world's order.
A
Sorceress
Comes to Call by T.
Kingfisher
Cordelia's life with her sorceress mother is isolated and strict, her only friend, Falada, a white horse. Moving to a squire's manor reveals hidden dangers and opportunities for a new life. This retelling of “The Goose Girl” fairytale emphasizes found family.
The Horse by Willy Vlautin
Al Ward, a former musician living alone in Nevada's high desert, survives on memories and canned soup. Haunted by insomnia and anxiety, he struggles with isolation until a blind horse mysteriously appears at his doorstep prompting Al to reflect on his past, including his musical journey and heartbreak.
• PRESENTS THE 2024 •
SHOWCASE HOME
October 4th - October 13th
Open to the public for touring from 12:00pm - 5:00pm
Builder: L&L Development - Buddy Loyd -
2428 Brandywine Street East Village Subdivision | Greenwood, AR
• 2024 Parade of Homes •
October 4-6 & October 11-13
from 12:00pm - 5:00pm
Hope Campus
HOPE Campus partners with homeless adults on their journey to self-sufficiency and permanent housing by providing a safe environment and comprehensive services.
479.668.4764
301 South E Street, Fort Smith riverviewhopecampus.org
HOPE Campus, the largest low-barrier homeless shelter in its six-county region, offers services to individuals striving to achieve self-sufficiency. At HOPE Campus, there is a simple yet powerful saying: "Hope is always within reach." Recognizing that everyone deserves a fighting chance at stability, the organization makes every effort to achieve it.
"Homelessness is extremely misunderstood," says Community Development Coordinator Phylis Savoy. "Most people view the people we serve and assume their current situation is based solely on preventable circumstances."
Homelessness can happen to anyone, and HOPE Campus empathizes with this reality. Since opening its doors in 2016, men and women from all different walks of life have benefited from the available services.
Guests may stay up to ninety days in the Transitional or Program Dorms. These programs are set up for individuals ready for stability. During their stay, guests are paired with a homeless advocate whose mission is to empower and point the client in the right direction. "Our advocates are here to help, but the real work must be done by the individual. That's when progress happens," says Savoy.
HOPE Campus offers emergency shelter beds for those not ready to enter a program or waiting for an open spot. Individuals can sign up for a bed every evening at five o'clock and utilize any available amenities.
Along with shelter, HOPE Campus offers meals, laundry, showers, salon services, and outreach case management to those in need. These services are funded in part by our community's
generous donors. There are many ways to help that aren't monetary, such as volunteering, organizing donations, and even teaching a course in a HOPE Cares Class.
HOPE Campus hosts annual fundraisers not solely for additional funding but also to involve and educate the community. The biggest fundraiser of the year, Boots & Bow Ties, will be held at the Bakery District on October 19. It is a great way to get involved and meet like-minded individuals who are passionate about giving back. Tickets can be purchased on the organization's website.
For more information regarding HOPE Campus events and operations or to schedule a tour, contact Phylis, Community Development Coordinator, at phylis@riverviewhopecampus.org.
Next month, we’ll showcase another worthy nonprofit in our area free of charge. Requests for this free space accepted beginning October, 2024. Send inquiries to catherine@dosouthmagazine.com, or call 479.782.1500.
JACKSON
AGE
7
Meet Jackson, a grade-schooler who has a curiosity that knows no bounds! Jackson loves to explore and understand how things work, whether blowing bubbles or taking things apart. While he may take some time to warm up to new people, his lovable nature shines through once he feels comfortable. Jackson faces unique challenges as he is autistic and nonverbal. But these challenges don't define him; they are just a part of his identity. Jackson's family must be patient, understanding, and prepared to learn how to support his needs. He would thrive in a two-parent home, particularly one with
experience raising children with special needs or a family willing to learn how to support him best.
When it comes to food, Jackson is a fan! He particularly likes mac and cheese, Spaghetti O's, and flavored oatmeal. He also finds comfort and joy in playing with sensory toys. Jackson isn't just a grade-schooler looking for a home; he's a curious explorer seeking a family to accompany him on his unique journey of discovery. Jackson's potential is endless, and with the right family, he can continue to grow and learn in his own special way.
In partnership with Project Zero, Do South® features a waiting child, or sibling group, in foster care in Arkansas. To inquire about these incredible children, visit theprojectzero.org.
IMAGE courtesy Ashley Carson Photography
A solid foundation
Every child deserves the best start possible and the opportunity to start kindergarten with a solid foundation from which to continue their education.
The first five years 90 percent of your child’s intellect, personality and social skills are developed by age 5. Research tells us the most effective learning happens through play and positive interactions with adults and caregivers.
You and your family can help your child learn by holding and talking to them, by sharing stories, and playing.
Better Beginnings quality early care and education providers are your partners in helping prepare your child for kindergarten through positive experiences, research-based curriculum and learning through play.
Quality early care benefits
Early care and education is the foundation for a life of learning and success in life and in the workplace.
Better Beginnings is administered by the Arkansas Department of Education.
Quality early care and education is vital to your child’s development in the first five years.
Written by Kelli Hilburn, Better Beginnings Program Administrator
Families can go to work or seek higher education knowing their children are in a quality learning environment.
Employers can see higher workforce efficiencies, and a stronger economy for their community.
Better Beginnings
Better Beginnings supports families with free online resources that help them make early care choices, and get tips and activities for learning at home through play in the Family Resource Library or Biblioteca de Recursos.
Scan the code to visit the Parents and Families pages on our website.
90 percent of your child’s intellect, personality and social skills are developed by age 5.
Find your quality early education partner at Better Beginnings
Click the orange banner at ARBetterBeginnings.com to find star-rated quality early care and education providers who can help your child start kindergarten with a solid foundation from which to continue their education.
Give your child the best start with quality early care and education.
unWINEd
unWINEd, A MEMBER-ONLY WINE BAR in Barling, Arkansas, is carving a niche as a cozy haven for wine enthusiasts. Owned by Wayne and Laura Fawcett, unWINEd is tucked away in Chaffee Crossing, offering an intimate ambiance perfect for gathering with friends or enjoying a quiet evening out.
Wayne Fawcett, a former educator who spent thirty-nine years in the field—including as Superintendent of Paris Schools from 2012-2022— never imagined owning a wine bar. “When I retired, I didn’t fish or hunt, and due to old football injuries, I didn’t play golf,” Wayne says. When helping his daughter-in-law, Ella, locate a space for her aesthetics business, POSH, he stumbled upon a vacant spot nearby. He jokingly told the owner that someone should put in a wine bar. When the owner suggested that Wayne himself should take on the venture, Wayne’s first response was, "Oh no, not me." But the idea kept returning, and he soon realized he was ready to try something new.
In years past, Wayne and Laura would seek out wine bars to enjoy on their travels, but now, they began visiting wine bars in larger markets to gather ideas for their own establishment. Partnering with 4 Corks Wine and Spirits as the provider for their wine and beer selections, unWINEd ensures an expertly curated menu with something for everyone. Wayne's personal wine preferences change with the seasons. "It’s kind of like ice cream—the wine that’s my favorite today may be different tomorrow. It’s a moving target," he notes.
The bar offers over thirty different wines by the glass and fifty-five by the bottle, alongside four local beers and a selection of favorites. unWINEd also offers a variety of appetizer and dessert boards crafted by Chef Jasmyne Rivera.
The interior features comfortable seating, tasteful décor, and subtle lighting, creating a serene environment where guests feel at home. This welcoming space encourages conversation and connection. In addition to its impressive wine offerings, unWINEd features monthly wine tastings guided by their knowledgeable team.
Wayne sums up their philosophy simply: "We didn’t set out to be wine experts, but we’re proud to have created a special place where you can enjoy great wine with good friends." This passion for wine and hospitality is evident in every interaction, making unWINEd a standout destination in Fort Smith’s social scene.
WORDS Do South® Staff Images courtesy unWINEd
Laura and Wayne Fawcett
The Grammy-nominated duo has toured the world; won multiple ACM, ACA, CMA, and CMT awards; appeared on numerous primetime tv specials and awards shows; earned No. 1 records in three countries, and even launched their own podcast.
They’ve been praised as “remarkable” by Taste of Country, “deeply personal and emotional” by Sounds Like Nashville, and “vivacious” by Rolling Stone. And now, Thompson Square has come home.
The GOODS
imageS Jade Graves Photography and courtesy vendors
De 3, EZ Tears™ for Dry Eye and Irritation, Restore Essential Nutrients, Pure & Clean Vision Daily Lid Cleanse STILES EYE GROUP
479.452.2020
PerfectDry LUX Automatic Hearing Aid UV-C Disinfecting and Cleaning System by Audinell CENTER FOR HEARING AND BALANCE
479.785.3277
Hearts On Fire Barre Pave Diamond Pendant, .15cts, Available in 18kt Yellow, Rose and White Gold JOHN MAYS JEWELERS
479.452.2140
Espanita Pineapple Tequila, Equilibrium Moksamarga Double IPA, Mozart Chocolate Coffee Cream Liqueur, Elemental Pinot Noir, So Far Out All the Rage Red, Martin House Outbreak Sour Ale SODIE’S WINE & SPIRITS
479.783.8013
“Conditions” don’t sell homes. In every market and every era, homes get sold by Realtors with proven methods, market savvy and dedication to your best outcome.
You should be able to count on your agent to go to bat for you, juggle offers, weed through “lookie-loos” and find you the very best deal. This is how Nick and Ellie Glidewell sell homes.
The right Realtors make all the difference. Don’t rely on conditions to sell your home. Rely on Nick and Ellie. Call or visit:
Mental Health Awareness
Mental illness affects 57 million Americans, comprising over twenty-two percent of the population. According to the CDC, mental illness refers to conditions that impact a person's thinking, feelings, mood, or behavior. The five most frequently seen mental illnesses are anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, bipolar disorder, and borderline personality disorder. Anxiety is the most common, affecting twenty percent of adults, followed by depression, which affects eight percent. Given their prevalence, this article focuses on anxiety and depression.
MENTAL HEALTH FACTORS
Understanding the factors contributing to mental illness is crucial. While genes and family history play significant roles, additional variables can lead to mental illness. These include life experiences (such as childhood stress or abuse), biological factors, traumatic brain injury, prenatal exposure, substance abuse, coping with chronic illnesses, and isolation. Many people are diagnosed with mental illness at some point in their lives.
DIAGNOSIS
Diagnosing mental illnesses involves obtaining a medical history, conducting a physical exam that includes lab work to rule out underlying conditions, and performing a psychological
evaluation. Psychological evaluations often occur in primary care settings and include screening questionnaires. Commonly used questionnaires are the General Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), and the Mood Disorders Questionnaire (MDQ). These tools are available online for self-screening, but a primary care provider should evaluate scoring.
ANXIETY
Characterized by feelings of tension, worried thoughts, and physical changes, anxiety can impair an individual's ability to work, attend school, and function in social situations, interfering with personal relationships. Physical symptoms of anxiety include an elevated pulse, palpitations, chest pain, hyperventilation, increased sweating, nausea, abdominal cramping, diarrhea, tingling in the face or extremities, and lightheadedness. It is not uncommon for individuals to present to emergency departments with chest pain only to be diagnosed with anxiety after evaluation.
Coping with anxiety involves self-care, such as maintaining good sleep hygiene, following a balanced diet, staying adequately hydrated, avoiding caffeine, journaling, practicing relaxation techniques, deep breathing exercises, engaging in hobbies, physical activity, cognitive behavior therapy, and counseling. While some anxiety can motivate task completion, excessive stress can impair daily living. It is interesting to note that women have a higher rate of anxiety disorders than men. When self-care and other interventions fail, or excessive worry persists, consulting a healthcare professional is advisable. Prescription medications for generalized anxiety disorder, combined with lifestyle changes and therapy, can help manage anxiety and improve overall well-being.
WORDS Jacqueline Phillips, APRN, Phillips Medical Clinic, Fort Smith Image JacobHenry/Shutterstock
DEPRESSION
Depression affects nearly ten percent of the US population, with women being more likely to be diagnosed than men. An estimated 21 million adults have experienced at least one episode of depression. Symptoms include little interest or pleasure in routine activities, feeling down or hopeless, trouble sleeping, fatigue, low energy, poor appetite or overeating, concentration issues, and feelings of guilt or worthlessness.
Depression can coexist with other physical illnesses and lead to insomnia, low libido, increased stress hormones, and appetite changes, potentially causing weight fluctuations. Hormonal changes, particularly those related to perimenopause and menopause, can increase women's risk of depression. Additionally, low testosterone is also associated with mood disorders in some men. Clinical depression may be treated with psychotherapy and medication, but hormone replacement therapy may also benefit both women and men. Adjunct treatments include daily sunlight, exercise, sleep hygiene, a balanced diet, massage therapy, and engaging in enjoyable activities.
SELF-CARE
Effective management of anxiety and depression includes self-care, good sleep hygiene, regular exercise, staying hydrated, balanced nutrition to maintain stable blood sugar levels, and evaluating and addressing stressors.
Good sleep hygiene is critical for improving mood and cognitive function, as poor sleep patterns are common contributors to mental illness. Recommendations for getting a good night's sleep include using the bed only for sleep and sex, avoiding stimulants like caffeine before bed, steering clear
of stimulating activities such as watching TV or using cell phones before bedtime, creating a calming and cool sleep environment, and maintaining a regular sleep schedule. These approaches can enhance well-being and quality of life by promoting overall mental health.
SEEK GUIDANCE
Increased awareness and proactive intervention are essential for reducing the impact of mental health issues and improving outcomes. A comprehensive understanding and management approach are crucial as mental health concerns continue to rise. If you or a loved one experiences symptoms of a mood disorder, seeking medical care is critical. A primary care provider can screen, assess, diagnose, and treat mental illness within the primary care setting.
In conclusion, mental health issues, particularly anxiety and depression, significantly impact a large portion of the American population. As society becomes more aware of the importance of mental health, comprehensive approaches to understanding, managing, and supporting those affected by mental illness will become increasingly vital. Mental health professionals and primary care providers play crucial roles in diagnosing and treating these conditions, and their involvement can make a significant difference in the lives of those struggling with mental health issues. We can work towards a healthier, more understanding society by fostering a supportive environment and promoting mental health awareness.
Phillips Medical Clinic
613 Lexington Avenue, Fort Smith, Arkansas 479.242.9797 | PhillipsMedicalClinic.com
LOLLY & PUPS
Becky Correro opened Lolly & Pups on Van Buren's historic Main Street in November 2022. Since then, the store has become a destination for dog and cat owners throughout the River Valley seeking the perfect item for their four-legged family members.
A native of Alma, Becky worked locally as a nurse and jet-setting flight attendant before opening the store, her first small business venture. "The idea of store ownership was not something I'd thought about seriously growing up," she says. "But when it came time for a career change, I recognized how everybody loves their pets, and there wasn't another boutique pet store here in town. That's how I came up with Lolly & Pups."
The concept behind the store is deeply personal. Becky is not only the proud mom to four of her fur babies, but the boutique's name comes from the nicknames Lolly and Pop, bestowed on her and her husband by their four-year-old granddaughter.
The store features a wide selection to help every pooch and kitty look their best, plus safe and quality toys that provide hours of entertainment. Not content with carrying the run-of-the-mill, Becky personally curates the collection to include quality, unique merchandise.
"We carry clothing, hair accessories, travel accessories, leashes, harnesses, collars, all the fun stuff, and custom engrave dog tags," Becky says. "We have vendors for some of our inventory where we're the only location they will supply within a certain radius. That really sets our merchandise apart."
The same thinking holds true for the store's selection of treats available in various eye-catching designs that not only come in flavors to appeal to even the most discerning pet palate but are also things pet owners can feel good about. "We have healthy options for the food and treats we carry for cats and dogs," Becky says. "That's important because some of the big brands often use filler that isn't healthy or satisfying. Everything we carry is handmade in the United States and is healthy."
She's also formed relationships with her two- and four-legged clientele, the latter of whom she regularly photographs and posts around the store. Among the many pictures are some very special animals, those awaiting their forever families, pets the store displays on their adoption wall and promotes via social media channels.
"It's never too late to follow your dreams," she said of entrepreneurism. "It's a lot of work, but it's fulfilling. I've made so many new friends along the way; it has definitely all been worth it."
Saying Grace
WORDs Marla Cantrell images courtesy Caroline and Aaron Hopper
The Hopper Family
Grace Hopper
Grace
September is National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. The following story is about Grace Hopper, her devoted family, and the charity that brings smiles to young patients when they need it most.
A dinosaur , maybe nine inches tall, stands guard on the kitchen counter in the Hoppers' home in Central City, Arkansas. The T-Rex wears a necklace of sparkly pipe cleaners; its body bedazzled with rhinestones, polka dots, and spangles.
Offer Caroline Hopper a million dollars for the dinosaur, up your offer to three million, and still, she wouldn't take it. The mom of three pulls up a video on her phone. There, the smiling face of her oldest child, Grace Chandler Hopper, appears. She's applying green paint to the white dinosaur while pretending to be artist Bob Ross and explaining her creative process. Her feathery voice sounds like a melody, the opening song of a Disney fairy tale.
Grace loved sparkly nail polish, princesses, and her little sister Charlotte. She adored dino saurs, Space Mountain at Disney World (she rode the roller coaster twice in a row), art, anything pink, and a mom and dad who would have given their life for her. She had opinions, a giant heart, and the bravery of a lion.
Grace was born on August 30, 2017, the first child of Caroline and Aaron. "I had no idea what I was doing," Caroline says. Her face softens at the memory of Grace's babyhood. "She was so beautiful; it wasn't uncommon for strangers to stop and comment."
Later that week, when Caroline had taken Grace to get a donut, her pediatrician called. "He said, 'Her white count is 30,000.' Normal is like five to ten thousand. I said, 'What are we looking at here?' and he said, 'Leukemia or lymphoma.' He told us to go to Arkansas Children's Hospital in Little Rock, where they were waiting for us.
"Even before that, when we were going back and forth to the doctor, I knew she had cancer… Grace's oncologist said that she'd heard it before, moms knowing before there was a diagnosis."
After the doctors conferred, they stepped into Grace's hospital room, a social worker in tow. "It took them about thirty minutes to explain what was going on, and to give us the protocol for treatment."
In February 2022, after four-year-old Grace had been playing in the snow, she complained that her throat hurt. The next day she had a fever. It was the weekend, so her dad Aaron took her to a walk-in clinic, fearing strep throat. The test came back negative.
On Monday, Grace's fever was higher, and Caroline took her back to rule out flu and COVID. The diagnosis was an adenoid virus. "I kept thinking she'd be better the next day, and then the next day would come, and she wasn't. I think we saw a doctor four times that week."
Blood tests followed. "I hated that she was going through that," Caroline says. "Being stuck. I had no idea that it was the first of a million sticks." Her voice crumbles as she repeats, "The first of a million."
Caroline is a list maker, someone who always has a plan. She stood with her pen raised above the notebook page. "I didn't write much; I just kept saying okay, okay, okay." Her recorder was capturing the conversation—the file still resides on her phone—but it might as well have been Greek.
"The social worker stayed to help us sort through everything." Grace's diagnosis was T-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, and the prognosis was good. But there was a caveat: Grace's cancer cells had a MLL Rearrangement Mutation. Still, there was optimism that she would be fine.
A month after treatment, the goal for leukemia patients is to be in remission, meaning they have no cancer cells in their blood. When Grace made the benchmark, forty-two percent of her blood cells were still cancerous. "At that point we knew it wasn't good."
In the sixteen months that followed, Grace would go through a total of ten cycles of chemotherapy, which spanned 100 treatment days. She'd spend weeks in the ICU, and eventually need a feeding tube. But a spark of hope finally emerged. Grace entered a trial at the Children's Hospital in Kansas City, and
the experimental protocol seemed to be working. Aaron discovered he was a 100 percent bone marrow match with his daughter, and he was eager to donate. But they never made it that far. Grace's cancer was a shapeshifter, fighting back against every treatment they tried.
Grace won over every nurse, doctor, and technician she came across. A bright, happy child, she surprised everyone by having fun even when she was in the hospital.
Caroline began taking gifts to the hospital staff, as a thank-you for all their hard work. "Grace had a specific idea on how to give these gifts, but often she didn't share her plan with me." Caroline smiles at the memory. "So, I wouldn't know my plan fell short until it was too late."
Friends, family, and sometimes people who knew Grace only by her story, sent gifts to her. When Grace got two of the same thing, they'd donate the extra toy to the oncology unit at Children's Hospital Northwest in Springdale, where Grace was spending a good deal of time. Something about getting a shiny new toy, still in its original packaging, upped its appeal. Caroline saw it on her little girl's face.
Caroline is sitting in her kitchen now, finally eating a lunch that's three hours late. Beside her is her infant son Jackson, who's cooing. Down the hallway, Charlotte naps in her room. The look of her house, with toys on the coffee table and the remnants of craft projects on the kitchen table, is enough to bring tears to an empty nester's eyes. So much life is here, so many things that say family.
As she talks, Caroline says her oldest daughter's name again and again, the sound of it filling the air, rising to the ceiling, mixing with the hum of the summer day. Grace is as much a part of the Hopper family as she ever was. She says, "Charlotte will say, 'I miss Sissy.' We talk about Grace all the time."
Grace Chandler Hopper arrived in Heaven on June 8, 2023. This is the part of the story where bitterness, resentment, or at least the acknowledgment that life is unfair should lie. While Caroline aches to have Grace back, she doesn't doubt God. "His plan is not our plan," she says, stoic and accepting. All throughout the interview, she talks about God's grace, the goodness of His perfect love, and how he held the Hopper family in his arms.
Of her husband Aaron, she says she's never seen a more devoted father. He and Caroline ensured one of them was always with Grace, even if that meant Aaron worked in Fort Smith and drove to Springdale every night to be with his little girl. "We were like ships that passed in the night," Caroline says of that time. "But we'd do anything for Grace.”
A month and a half after Grace left this earth, her little sister Charlotte turned two. "We had all the toys we needed, so I asked for toys for the oncology patients at Arkansas
Children's Hospital Northwest. Little Rock had a toy closet, but not Springdale."
In another month, it was Grace's birthday. Caroline made an Amazon toy list so anyone wanting to send toys could do so. The non-profit, Grace's Toy Closet, was born. Since then, the charity has given away more than 2,000 new toys. The goal is to give a toy to every oncology patient at Northwest.
Caroline is seeping tears; it's as if she's sprung a leak that may never be fixed. She picks up the dinosaur from the counter. The way she holds it, the T-Rex might as well be made of diamonds and gold. Her little girl Grace made it with her two perfect hands, near the end of her incredible life. When she was surrounded by the family who will never forget her. Who will never stop saying her name.
To donate to Grace's Toy Closet, visit gracestoycloset.com.
Grace and Charlotte
Guided by the LiGht
On August 1, 2008, when Heidi Luks-Stojanovic arrived in Fort Smith, she was met by fiery Arkansas heat, which reached 102 degrees Fahrenheit that day. She'd
flown in from her home in the northern European country of Estonia, near the Baltic Sea, where temperatures in August range between seventy and eighty degrees average.
The heat might have been a deal breaker if not for the kindness of the locals. "That Southern charm got to me pretty quickly," said Heidi (pronounced Hay-Dee). She found the people warm,
WORDs Marla Cantrell images courtesy Foton Pearled Candle Company
open, and less reserved than she was used to. "In Tallinn, the capital city where I lived, there were about 400,000 people. Fort Smith felt like a small town to me, in the best possible way." At the time, Fort Smith's population was approximately 87,000. Today, it is nearly 90,000.
Heidi had come to play volleyball for UAFS Coach Jane Sargent. The Lady Lion won multiple awards in the years she played, including two MVPs. She graduated in 2013, and in 2019, Heidi was inducted into the UAFS Lions Athletics Hall of Fame. At that time, Coach Sargent called her "a once-in-alifetime recruit" and "arguably the best player to ever wear a UAFS uniform and play in the Heartland Conference."
Heidi studied biology and chemistry at UAFS. After graduation, she worked at Peterson Chemical Technology, where she'd been interning. Eventually, she was promoted to Director of Research and Development.
More than 5,000 miles away in Tallinn, her sister Sirli Luht was on her own career path. One day, Sirli assembled a child's craft candle with small-grained wax pellets made to resemble sand. The candle sparked an idea. What if she could create a high-end version?
"The one I had smelled like soot. It had a lot of chemicals," Sirli says. "It wasn't something I'd feel comfortable burning with my kids in the house. But if we could clean it up, make it non-toxic and plant-based, reinvent it for adults, we would have something." Heidi, a chemist, was the perfect person to try. After work and on weekends, she
experimented. "We were trying to solve a problem. If you love [traditional] candles, you burn them for a while, and they end up looking not so good. You also have a dilemma later with the container. Do you throw it away or go through the cleaning process and use it for cotton swabs? And how many cotton swab holders do you need?"
Within a year, Heidi had figured it out. The candles were even safe to use around dogs, cats, and birds. There is now a patent pending. Sirli was in charge of packaging and design, but there was a hurdle to overcome. The product would come sealed in a box and unassembled. Inside would be several wicks and a generous amount of freeflowing wax pearls. Customers would have to trust the makers to describe the scent they were buying. Since choosing candles typically begins with the eyes and the nose, the box would have to be impressive, earth-friendly, plastic-free, and recyclable. Sirli ensured it was all of those things.
Still, Heidi blames Sirli for jinxing them. "She said, 'Now that the wax is ready, the wicks will be easy.' The wicks were not easy. The wax, the wicks, the fragrance, and the colors all have to work together to create a system that burns safely and long-term… It was a lot of learning and iteration.”
In 2020, the sisters were ready, and Foton Pearled Candles was born. Foton, or photon, means a particle of light. Sales were easy when Heidi could assemble a pop-up shop. She'd show customers how easy it was to remove the small puddle of melted wax that occurred during use. She'd replace the
Heidi Luks-Stojanovic and Sirli Luht
wick and make a brand-new candle. Online customers could browse the website and see the candles in use. They could also order fragrance and color samples. But brick-and-mortar retail, without those advantages, seemed daunting.
In 2021, Heidi left her career in chemistry to focus on the company. Her husband, a CPA, wasn't confident the numbers worked, but the sisters had a gut feeling. That same year, Sirli and her family moved to Fort Smith.
One day, Heidi accidentally knocked one of the lit candles to the floor. Panicked, she rushed to stop the fire from spreading. But there was no fire; the loose pearls had suffocated the flame. Heidi recreated the mishap again and again. The flame always died.
While sales were steady, the sisters knew they could be better. In 2022, they got serious about social media. “We had this idea [in the beginning] that we’d have a website, and customers would show up,” Sirli says. A build-it-and-they-will-come scenario. But that didn’t happen. So, the sisters dove into social media, learning all they could to promote their products.
Heidi points to the sofa in her office. “I remember sitting on this very couch and trying to figure out how to post on TikTok. I remember saying, ‘What have I done? I spent all these years on my career, and here I sit trying to figure out the TikTok algorithm.’ It looks fun and easy, but it’s so much work.”
The work paid off. Foton’s reach was growing, and hundreds of thousands were getting acquainted with their products by watching online videos and reacting to regular social media posts. Among their followers were big names in the candle industry, including a buyer for Home Goods. Heidi says, “She loved the brand and what we were doing… She wanted to put us in a lot of their stores… We were really hesitant about whether we should do it.”
Their doubt came from a logical place. Without an online video, or a live demonstration, the sisters had to rely on the packaging to entice shoppers. Sirli had done an amazing job designing the boxes, but they had to be sealed to protect the product. There was no way for a shopper in a bigger chain store to feel the wax beads or smell the fragrance.
After much discussion, they filled the Home Goods, T.J. Maxx, and Marshalls order and crossed their fingers. Sales were good but not through the roof, and their online customers were sending photos of opened boxes they’d come across in the stores, which made sense. Potential buyers wanted that tactile experience of traditional candle shopping. “We saw that it was potentially damaging to us, so we turned the buyer down the second time,” Sirli says. “We needed to focus on building the brand.”
They returned their attention to what they did best. Their social media platforms grew to include a million followers. So far, tens of thousands of Foton Pearled Candles have been sold online and in small boutiques where shopkeepers have the space to display a sample candle and the knowledge to describe its benefits.
The line now includes 150 products, including about twelve fragrances, some of them seasonal. The sisters have pulled allnighters at Christmastime, filling orders so that their customers would have them in time. Their candles have been mentioned in Southern Living, the New York Post, the Daily Mail, and Country Living
Their husbands are also involved in the family business, as are two of Sirli’s children. There are twelve employees, and they’re looking to hire more. The brand has gone global; even their friends and family in Estonia can buy them.
In the evening, Heidi often walks the trails near her Fort Smith home. Sirli lives nearby. When Heidi arrived in Fort Smith sixteen years ago, she planned to play volleyball at UAFS, get her degree, and fly back to Estonia. But the pull of Arkansas was too great. So, Heidi lured Sirli away from their home near the Baltic Sea, by creating a light for her to follow all the way to Fort Smith. And from that particle of light, they created something beautiful.
Foton Pearled Candles can be purchased from Black Bison in Fort Smith and online at fotoncandle.com.
For nearly sixty years, Greer's Coin & Pawn stood as a Fort Smith landmark on the corner of Grand and Greenwood. Now, the famous store is entering a new chapter with the opening of Audio Production Emporium in which the third generation of family ownership has converted the space into a music store and recording studio.
Aaron Frye, grandson of Dallas Greer who founded the business in 1965, got the idea for the change on a suggestion from his wife, Laurel.
"I was in college. I already had my B.A. in business and was back for an engineering degree," Aaron says. "I was pursuing a degree in acoustic engineering, a newer field back then. In 2011 or 2012, my dad broke his back, and I decided it would be a good thing if I became the store owner until my dad could get back on his feet. It's been just me and my wife running the store ever since.
“Over the past three to four years, I've noticed the decline of pawn shops around town. It seemed like those thirty or younger didn't know what a pawn shop does. One day, my wife says, 'Why don't you just focus on music because you like that, and it seems that most of your money comes from selling musical instruments.'"
The idea immediately caught Aaron's attention. As a lifelong guitar player, he knew the merchandise, and musicians were frequent customers looking to pawn or acquire used gear. He was also well acquainted with the music scene in Fort Smith and also knew of the need for more recording space that didn't break the bank. Audio Production Emporium, or APE, rapidly came into focus.
"It was a great idea," he says. "We started eliminating everything that wasn't making money. A friend who already had an existing studio told me he would love a studio at my location because we have a larger building with separate rooms."
The newly revamped store features several amenities for musicians and other media creatives. In addition to the musical equipment showroom, APE offers a recording studio plus a separate room for creating social media, specifically podcasts. The only non-music-related space is the gold and silver room, which Aaron retained due to it being the other most profitable part of the former pawn shop.
Today, Aaron is joined in the venture by Scott Ichniowski, who provides the technical expertise of the recording operations. With a lengthy background in the music production business, Scott brings valuable skills to that aspect of the company.
"He's the studio technician. He's the dude," Aaron says. "He's done a lot of shows and is a great studio musician in his own right. He's set stages in some of the bigger venues in the state, and there's a lot to it. He is that musical genius type.
"I've always been the guy they just hand the microphone to and say, 'Hey, go at it,' you know? 'Take your guitar over there and play.' But now he's teaching me, and I'm learning. I can run the basics if we have a scheduled appointment and he's unavailable. I do a good job at recording."
The duo's experience with the local music scene allows them to fill a gap in the community. Virtually every band wants studio time, but most find other studios too expensive. Aaron hopes to change all that with APE, offering quality services at a fair price. "We're not a multimillion-dollar facility," he says, "but we are a facility that can get a job done better than anybody with a home setup."
and Aaron
Another goal, Aaron says, is to help highlight and support the local music talent, a scene he says doesn't get the credit it deserves.
"There's a lot of talent around here, but I've always heard managers and friends in the business refer to this area as the Dead Zone. I get offended because I think, man, there's nothing wrong with our area. There are so many good people; they just don't always have the chance to show what they can do."
As if he needed another reason to help people achieve their dream of playing music, Aaron has seen its power at work in his daughter's life.
"I have a studio at my house, a small one for my daughter," he says. "She is a very talented musician who plays five different instruments and writes her own music. She also has three forms of Tourette's, and that's what started this whole music thing for her. When she had what's called tics, I would give her a ukulele, and she would write a song, and her Tourette's would stop. I thought, man, what a great thing for her.
"I feel like this can be a really special place, and I truly feel that in the next couple of years, people in Nashville and L.A. will
ask somebody, 'Hey, did you get that recorded at APE Studio?' We've got our own flavor, you know? We don't try to be something that we're not, because one of my beliefs is it's impossible to be who you're not. So, you know, just be yourself."
Audio Production Emporium 2700 Grand Avenue, Fort Smith | 479.551.0218
Find them on Facebook.
Scott Ichniowski
Frye
Mon Cheri, Miss Cherie
WORDs and images Dwain Hebda
On a searing summer's day in central Arkansas, Rob Lashbrook bounds through the asphyxiating summer air, as if on springs, to an open aircraft hangar. As Wing Leader of the Razorback Wing of the Commemorative Air Force (CAF), these spaces are his playground, and the antique airplanes within are his babies.
Parked out front is a visiting Boeing PT-13 Steerman, resplendent in banana yellow, which Lashbrook will soon fly back to its home CAF club in Dallas. Inside the hangar, barely a few degrees cooler than the unrelenting scorcher outside, an olive-drab Stinson L5 Sentinel stares through broad doors out to the tarmac.
Next to the Stinson is the star of the collection, a Ryan PT-22 Recruit stunner that is the pride of the Razorback Wing. Built for training purposes, Miss Cherie and planes of her ilk turned raw farm boys and gung-ho city slickers into the Greatest Generation, shipped off to various aerial battlegrounds over Europe.
"What it is for me, it's humbling," he says. “You think about what happened eighty years ago in the 1940s; they were kids. These were eighteen- to twenty-year-old kids being trained to fly these airplanes in very short order because they needed to be in Europe in combat quickly.
“To me, this plane represents the joy of being able to really feel what those aviation cadets in the 1940s went through to learn how to fly an airplane. It gives you a really deep respect for them."
Miss Cherie and her Arkansas suitors found each other serendipitously. During World War II, the U.S. military operated some 300,000 aircraft, and after peace was declared, Uncle Sam found himself in a quandary over what to do with all of them. Through the 1950s, tens of thousands of planes were dissected for parts, smelted for their metal content, or simply rolled into huge ditches and buried whole.
By the 1960s, military historians and flight buffs nationwide, many of them veteran aviators, began petitioning the government to save and preserve such planes to honor their contribution to winning the war. Organizations began to spring up, among them the Dallas-based Commemorative Air Force, which proposed keeping planes like Miss Cherie in the sky instead of behind glass in a museum or perched on a pole in some town square.
"We're an American military history flying museum, in a manner of speaking," says Rob, himself a former Army and Army National Guard aviator of some twenty-seven years.
"Our job is to keep these pieces of history flying so that we can show people, now eighty years later, what it looked like for these aerial armadas to fly over Europe, what it smelled like, what it felt like, what it sounded like."
The current version of Arkansas CAF is actually in its second go-around. The first was headquartered in Pine Bluff and enjoyed brisk participation in the 1970s and 1980s but fizzled out sometime before the new millennium arrived. Rob and his compatriots relaunched the wing in 2017, at which time they petitioned the national organization headquarters for a plane. That's how Miss Cherie found her way to the Natural State—eventually.
"We had to get her flying again. She was not in flying shape when we received her," Rob says. "She was in a hangar in Dallas, had been sitting there for several years, and was not in airworthy status. We sent a team down there to do some inspections, to do some maintenance, replace some engine parts and things like that. Over the course of several months, we were able to get her flying again and brought her back home in 2017. She's been here ever since."
Taking in the sight of the sleek aircraft—smaller and nimbler-looking than the beefier visiting PT-13—is an experience that is beautiful beyond adequate description. She's imbued with a certain sass, even at rest— her polished fuselage flashes in the sun, contrasting her brightly colored highlights and insignia.
Beyond the cosmetic, the thing that strikes the first-time visitor is how small she is and how analog the process of flying her was, especially in the hands of the rank beginners who trained with her for war.
"I'm a professional pilot. I do it for a living," Rob says. "I work out at Falcon Jet, and I fly airplanes that are coming off the assembly line, brand-new, that were created with the most modern avionics, glass cockpit display screens, fly-by-wire controls. That's what I do for my real job.
"Then I come out here and fly this World War II airplane that really makes you respect the skills and the training that those aviation cadets went through in the 1940s. The visibility outta these airplanes isn't as good. Taking off and landing these airplanes is an absolute challenge for any modern pilot, period. You have to manually fly them, and you have to manually fly them constantly."
Rob Lashbrook
The Razorback Wing uses Miss Cherie, its star performer, to execute the mission of public education, helping new generations understand and appreciate this unique period of aviation history. Rob and his companions attend air shows, raise funds via private rides in Miss Cherie, and are eager to speak to groups ranging from elementary school kids to high school JRROTC to civic clubs.
There's also an opportunity on the near horizon for the Razorback Wing to receive a second airplane, something they've applied for and that the national headquarters will award soon.
"The other airplane is a BT-13. It was a more advanced, more complicated airplane, with a bigger engine and a closed cockpit," Rob says. "It's currently called the BT-13 Project, sitting in a hangar down in Dallas, and by project, I mean it's in boxes. If we are selected to receive it, we will have to get a trailer and a truck to go down there, pick up these boxes, bring 'em back to Little Rock, and we will be spending the next couple of years reassembling this piece of World War II aviation history."
The possibility of being selected to execute the BT-13 Project is exciting on several levels. Not only does it bring another plane to the Razorback Wing, but it's also a plane with direct roots in Arkansas, as it is the same model of trainer aircraft stationed at Walnut Ridge Army Airfield in the 1940s.
"If we are selected, we would love to have people who want to get involved in aviation, anyone who has any interest in World War II aviation, or just mechanically inclined, to come join us," Rob says. "No special training is needed, and you could be part of rebuilding World War II history."
The Greatest Generation, the U.S. demographic that won the war and ushered in a period of unprecedented prosperity, sealing America's status as the most powerful economic and military power on Earth, is departing rapidly. Most individuals in this category are centenarians or are right on the doorstep. Every year, fewer heroes return to Pearl Harbor or Omaha Beach to remember and pass on the echoes of the dear cost of freedom. In North Little Rock, Arkansas, the effort to take up that torch to a new generation is alive and well.
"That history, that real, visceral sense of history, is dying out," Rob says. "You can read about it in books, of course, but the people who did it and lived it are passing on. This is one way we try to keep that real, living history active. CAF exists to keep alive these pieces of American history that helped save the world."
Visit razorbackcaf.com to learn more about the CAF Razorback Wing and Miss Cherie, request an informative talk, donate, or volunteer.
Little Rock Fall Food Festivals
WORDs Do South® Staff
IMAGE Blur Life1975/Shutterstock
Fall in Central Arkansas means festivals that celebrate the region’s culinary heritage and the flavors of the season. Mark your calendar, bring your appetite, and get ready to savor the best of Arkansas this fall!
1. ARKANSAS TIMES FALL MARGARITA FESTIVAL
(SEPTEMER 19, 2024) CENTRALARKANSASTICKETS.COM
Kick off the fall season with a taste of summer at the Arkansas Times Fall Margarita Festival in Little Rock. This lively event features margaritas crafted by some of the best bartenders in the state, each competing for the title of Best Margarita. Attendees can sample a variety of margarita flavors, from classic lime to creative, seasonal twists. With live music, food trucks, and a festive atmosphere, this event is a great way to enjoy the transition from summer to fall with a drink in hand.
2. THE WORLD CHEESE DIP CHAMPIONSHIP
(OCTOBER 5, 2024) HARMONYCLINICAR.ORG
Cheese dip is more than just a snack in Arkansas—it’s a culinary icon. The World Cheese Dip Championship, held annually in Little Rock, brings together amateur and professional chefs to compete for the title of the best cheese dip in the world. Visitors to the festival can sample a wide variety of dips, from classic recipes to creative new twists, all while enjoying live music and entertainment.
3. ALL ARKANSAS BEER, WINE & SPIRITS FESTIVAL
(OCTOBER 17, 2024) CENTRALARKANSASTICKETS.COM
For those who appreciate a good drink, the All Arkansas Beer, Wine & Spirits Festival in Little Rock is the place to be this fall. This festival showcases the best of Arkansas's craft beverages, offering tastings from local breweries, wineries, and distilleries. Attendees can sample a wide variety of drinks, learn about the brewing and distilling processes, and enjoy live entertainment.
4. ARKANSAS CORNBREAD FESTIVAL
(NOVEMBER 9, 2024) ARKANSASCORNBREADFESTIVAL.COM
Celebrating one of the South’s most beloved comfort foods, the Arkansas Cornbread Festival in Little Rock celebrates community and culinary creativity. This festival brings together local chefs, home cooks, and food enthusiasts to showcase their best cornbread recipes. Whether you prefer your cornbread sweet or savory, there’s something for everyone. In addition to the cornbread, the festival features live music, local vendors, and a street fair atmosphere.
5. CHILI FIGHTS IN THE HEIGHTS
(NOVEMBER 9, 2024) FACEBOOK
Chili Fights in the Heights is a beloved annual event in the historic Heights neighborhood of Little Rock. This festival celebrates the art of chili-making, with teams competing to create the best chili in a friendly yet spirited competition. Attendees can sample a variety of chili recipes, from traditional to creative, all while enjoying live music and the vibrant community atmosphere. The event also features local vendors and activities for the whole family, making it a perfect fall outing in Little Rock.
Elder Care Tailored to
ingredients
° 15 ounces pure pumpkin
° 10 ounces evaporated milk
° 1 cup light brown sugar
° 3 eggs
° 3 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
° ½ teaspoon cinnamon
° ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
° 1 box yellow cake mix
° 2 sticks butter, melted
° ½ cup graham crackers, roughly crushed
° ½ cup pecans, roughly chopped
° ½ cup toffee chips
° blueberries, whipped cream, ice cream (optional gar nish)
method
Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray baking dish with nonstick spray, set aside. In a bowl, combine pumpkin, evaporated milk, brown sugar, eggs, cinnamon, cloves, and pumpkin pie spice. Stir to combine, then pour into prepared pan.
In a small bowl, combine graham crackers, pecans and toffee chips, stir to combine.
Sprinkle yellow cake mix over the top of the wet mixture, followed by the graham cracker mixture.
Drizzle melted butter evenly over the top and bake in oven for 40-50 minutes, until lightly brown. A knife inserted in the middle should come out clean.
Top with berries, whipped cream or ice cream. Best served warm!
Boozy Pumpkin Pie MILKSHAKE
RECIPe adapted bromabakery.com
Image Elena Veselova/Shutterstock
INGREDIENTS
(makes 1)
• 2 cups vanilla ice cream
• 2 ounces vanilla vodka or bourbon
• ¼ cup pumpkin puree
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• caramel sauce
• whipped cream
• fall cookie
METHOD
Add ice cream, liquor of choice, puree, and pumpkin pie spice in a blender. Blend to combine.
Drizzle inside of glass with caramel sauce, fill with milkshake, top with whipped cream, caramel drizzle and a fall cookie. Enjoy!
Always drink responsibly. Never drink and drive.
Hosting the Ultimate Fall Cocktail Party
As the leaves change and the air turns crisp, a fall cocktail party offers the perfect opportunity to celebrate the season with friends and family.
SETTING THE SCENE
Fall is all about warmth and coziness, so start by creating an inviting atmosphere. Consider hosting your party outdoors to take advantage of the beautiful autumn weather, but be prepared with blankets if it turns chilly. If indoors, incorporate seasonal decorations like pumpkins, gourds, and fall foliage. Candles, lanterns, and string lights add a warm, ambient glow. Choose a color palette inspired by the season, such as deep reds, oranges, and gold, to create a cohesive look.
CURATING THE MENU
Embrace fall flavors by featuring cocktails with seasonal ingredients like apple cider, cinnamon, pumpkin, and maple syrup. The Apple Cider Mule is a classic choice, combining vodka, apple cider, ginger beer, and a dash of cinnamon. Another crowdpleaser is the Pumpkin Spice Martini, blending vanilla vodka, pumpkin puree, and a hint of nutmeg. For a non-alcoholic option, consider a spiced cranberry mocktail. Be sure to have a variety of drinks to cater to different tastes, including a signature cocktail that embodies the spirit of your get-together.
PAIRING
SEASONAL BITES
No cocktail party is complete without delicious food to complement the drinks. Think about serving bite-sized appetizers that reflect the flavors of the season, such as miniature quiches with butternut squash, goat cheese, and sage. Charcuterie boards with cheeses, cured meats, and seasonal fruits like figs and pears are always a hit. Don’t forget to include something sweet, like maple-glazed nuts or apple cider donuts.
ENTERTAINMENT AND MUSIC
To keep the energy up, plan for some light entertainment. A smooth jazz, classic soul, or indie folk music playlist can provide a relaxed yet festive backdrop. If your guest list is intimate, consider organizing a cocktail-making demonstration or a tasting session where guests can learn about and sample different spirits.
Top 3 Bucket List Locales
As the first hints of coolness begin to replace the summer heat, Arkansas transforms into a spectacular display of color. The state's diverse landscape, from its mountain ranges to river valleys, offers an autumn experience that is nothing short of magical.
OZARK NATIONAL FOREST
Nestled in the heart of the Ozarks, the Ozark National Forest is a haven for those seeking the quintessential fall experience. Spanning over a million acres, this vast expanse of natural beauty becomes a kaleidoscope of colors as the leaves change. The forest's mix of oak, hickory, and maple trees creates a vibrant tapestry of reds, oranges, and yellows.
Hiking enthusiasts can explore the numerous trails, including the iconic Ozark Highlands Trail, which winds through rugged landscapes, past waterfalls, and along scenic ridgelines offering panoramic views. Blanchard Springs Caverns, a stunning cave system within the forest, adds an extra layer of adventure to your autumn visit.
PETIT JEAN STATE PARK
Petit Jean State Park, Arkansas' first state park, is another prime destination. Located atop Petit Jean Mountain, this park offers breathtaking vistas that are especially captivating in the fall. The park's main attraction, the 95-foot Cedar Falls, is framed by colorful foliage, making it a popular spot for both amateur and professional photographers.
The park's trails, such as the Cedar Falls Trail and the Seven Hollows Trail, lead you through some of the state's most picturesque landscapes. The rich history of the area, coupled with its natural beauty, makes Petit Jean State Park a perfect autumn escape.
MOUNT MAGAZINE STATE PARK
As the highest point in Arkansas, Mount Magazine State Park offers unparalleled views of the surrounding countryside. In autumn, the park's elevation allows visitors to witness the full spectrum of fall colors as they sweep across the landscape. The park's diverse ecosystem, which includes hardwood forests and open meadows, provides a variety of habitats that showcase the season's beauty.
Mount Magazine is not just about the views, though. The park is a hub for outdoor activities, including rock climbing, hang gliding, and horseback riding. For those looking for a more relaxed experience, the Lodge at Mount Magazine offers cozy accommodations with panoramic views of the fall foliage.
Arkansas in the fall is a visual feast. From the dense forests of the Ozarks to the lofty heights of Mount Magazine, the state offers a variety of breathtaking locations that are perfect for an autumn getaway. Plan your trip at Arkansas.com.
WORDs Do South® Staff IMAGEs courtesy Arkansas Tourism
MENA ON THE MAP
Great news is on the horizon for Arkansas mountain bikers who have been waiting for years to hear about the game-changing new trail system planned for Mena, Arkansas.
"It has begun," announced Rob Grunnagle, Marketing Director for Progressive Trail Design. A plan is in place for a network of trails, making Mena a mountain bike destination for riders worldwide, just as the trails in Northwest Arkansas have done for that region of the state.
The proposal includes up to 100 miles of professionally constructed mountain bike trails. This 1,300-foot descent from top to bottom consists of 30 gravity-fed trails, optional designed jump features, and backcountry trail loops filled with high banked dirt turns that traverse the slopes of Arkansas' second-highest mountain and connect with downtown Mena's highest mountain.
Oh yeah, and chairlifts—up to five of them. That would mean a day of heart-throbbing,
WORDs Bob Robinson images courtesy Progressive Trail Design
downhill mountain biking and no climbing. A facility of this magnitude could lead cyclists to associate mountain biking with Mena, just as snow skiing is to Breckenridge, Colorado.
THE LITTLE TRAIL THAT GREW
When Rick Chrisman, Mena's Advertising and Promotion Commission Chair, invited Kenny Davis to speak to a group of business owners and other influential city leaders in 2019, no one could have imagined it would lead to the proposed trail system.
Kenny was a mountain biker who had ridden many of the most popular bike trails across the country. He proposed constructing bike trails in Mena to attract visitors, which invoked enough interest for the group to consider potential trail sites.
It took only a short time for everyone to agree that the 162-acre Ward Lake, previously the city's water supply, was the obvious location for the trail system. "We had already drained Ward Lake and switched to another lake for our water," explained Rick. "So, the land was just sitting there."
The city hired premier trail builder Progressive Trail Design (PTD) to prepare a master plan for the Ward Lake Trails. After shopping the master plan to recruit potential sponsors, the Arkansas Parks and Recreation Foundation (APRF) expressed an interest. When APRF visited the site, they also scouted the surrounding area, specifically between the town and Queen Wilhelmina State Park, atop Rich Mountain. When they realized the 8,800 acres of U.S. Forest Service land was the only thing separating them, they saw it as the perfect environment to fill the one gap missing in Arkansas' trail systems: lift-served downhill trails.
More agencies joined as the project's scope grew to include U.S. Forest Service (USFS) lands. The project became a collaboration among the City of Mena, Arkansas State Parks, the Arkansas Parks and Recreation Foundation, the US Forest Service, and the Walton Family Foundation.
With government lands now involved, the group began working to satisfy policies defined within the National Environment Policy Act. An environmental assessment is also required. A completion timeline has yet to be announced;
however, at the time of this writing, rumors are that the State Parks are breaking ground for new trails at Queen Wilhelmina Lodge, the uppermost end of the proposed trail system.
WARD LAKE TRAILS
While the USFS worked to fulfill the policies and procedures to move forward on the grandiose vision for the overall project, Mena focused on constructing the trails located on city property. The Ward Lake Trails are intended to be the portal for the overall trail network.
In 2024, with matching grant funds from the Mena Advertising and Promotion Commission, Rick contracted PTD to design and build the Ward Lake Trails. In March, after four years of planning and discussion, PTD's Rob Grunnagle proudly announced on social media, "Boots on the ground." When I spoke to Rob five months later, he stated Ward Lake Trails would be open to the public by the end of summer.
The network currently consists of four trails. The first is a 1.2-mile aggregate surface, beginner-friendly biking/hiking trail that encircles the drained lake. A 0.7-mile single track will also route cyclists to the hub for two downhill trails; each downhill run is 0.6 miles long. One downhill trail is technical, with fun jumps and other features, while the second was built for flow. Those who have ridden the downhill trails boast they may be the best in the state.
Four miles of trails does not make Mena a destination, but give it time, and keep in mind that the organizations working on Trails at Mena are the same ones that brought Arkansans our four Monument Trails.
In the meantime, mountain bikers should keep the option open for a road trip to the Mena area. After completing several repeats on the new Ward Trails, consider the nearby Earthquake Ridge Trails and the westernmost beginning of the 108-mile IMBA Epic Ouachita Trail, just up the road.
the progress of Trails at Mena at: storymaps.arcgis.com.
MENTAL HEALTH Guide
Caring for our mental health is vital to our overall health and wellness, including our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. Our mental health affects how we feel, think, and act. It determines how we handle stressors, how we relate to those around us and assists in making healthy life choices. Positive mental health is essential at every stage of our life, from childhood into adolescence and throughout adulthood. Do South® is proud to partner with local mental health experts to help you through whatever challenges life throws your way.
A Do South® Paid Promotion.
When to Seek Help
WORDs Do South® Staff IMAGE
bsd555/iStock
Mental health is critical to overall well-being, yet it’s often misunderstood or overlooked. In our fast-paced world, stress, anxiety, and emotional strain have become common experiences, making it challenging to distinguish between normal stress and signs of a more serious mental health issue. Understanding how to identify these challenges and knowing when to seek help is crucial for maintaining mental and emotional health.
RECOGNIZING THE SIGNS
Mental health issues manifest in a variety of ways, often subtly at first. Here are some key signs to watch for:
Persistent Sadness or Depression: Feeling sad or down occasionally is a normal part of life. However, if you or someone you know is experiencing persistent sadness, feelings of emptiness, numbness, hopelessness, or a loss of interest in activities once enjoyed, it may be a sign of depression.
Anxiety and Excessive Worry: Anxiety can include excessive worry, restlessness, fatigue, and difficulty concentrating, and is a natural stress response, but when it becomes overwhelming and persistent, it can interfere with daily life.
Changes in Sleep Patterns: Sleep disturbances such as insomnia, excessive sleeping, or other changes in sleep habits may accompany conditions like depression, anxiety, and bipolar disorder.
Mood Swings: While everyone experiences ups and downs, sudden and intense shifts in mood may indicate a mental health condition such as bipolar disorder or borderline personality disorder.
Social Withdrawal: Pulling away from friends, family, and social activities can be a red flag as individuals may feel overwhelmed or disconnected from others.
Changes in Appetite or Weight: Significant weight loss or gain and changes in eating habits are often linked to stress, depression, or eating disorders.
Difficulty Coping with Daily Life: If you struggle to manage daily tasks, feel overwhelmed by responsibilities, or have difficulty making decisions daily, it could indicate a mental health condition.
WHEN TO SEEK HELP
It’s essential to understand that everyone experiences mental health challenges differently, and seeking help is not a sign of weakness but a proactive step toward recovery.
Symptoms Persist for an Extended Period: If you’ve been experiencing any of the above symptoms for more than two weeks, it’s a good idea to consult a mental health professional. Persistent symptoms can be a sign of a more serious condition that requires treatment.
Impact on Daily Life: When mental health challenges begin to interfere with your ability to function in daily life—such as maintaining relationships, performing at work or school, or taking care of yourself—it’s crucial to seek help.
Thoughts of Self-Harm or Suicide: If you or someone you know is having thoughts of selfharm or suicide, it’s critical to seek immediate help. This is a medical emergency, and you should contact a mental health professional, a helpline such as 988, or go to the nearest emergency room.
Increased Substance Use: Turning to alcohol or drugs to cope with mental health challenges is a serious sign that help is needed. Substance abuse often exacerbates mental health issues and can lead to a dangerous cycle of dependence.
TAKING THE NEXT STEP
If you recognize any of these signs in yourself or someone you care about, don’t hesitate to seek help. Many resources are available, including therapists, counselors, support groups, and hotlines. Refer to the last page of this guide for a provider directory and help line information.
Hi! I'm Emily Starr, a Licensed Professional Counselor and owner of Aligned Living Counseling and Coaching. I received my Master of Science degree with an emphasis in Community Counseling from John Brown University in 2014 and have over fifteen years of combined experience in residential, outpatient, and school-based mental health treatment settings. I work with adolescents, adults, divorced and single parents, and I see people of every race, ethnicity, and sexual orientation.
I offer individual counseling, both in-person and via teletherapy, for issues such as anxiety disorders, depression, trauma, women's issues, attachment wounds, values clarification, relationship issues, low self-esteem/self-worth, and issues related to divorce/custody.
I incorporate Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Internal Family Systems, Experiential Therapy, and Attachment-based Therapy techniques to help clients understand how past experiences
shape their current behaviors and emotional responses. By creating a nonjudgmental space to process and explore these connections, I help guide my clients toward healthier coping strategies and more fulfilling relationships, promoting personal growth and healing.
I'm excited to offer outdoor therapy as a new service, providing a refreshing alternative to traditional office sessions. This unique, holistic approach to mental health fosters more profound healing and well-being while connecting clients with nature.
Reaching out for support is not a sign of weakness but a testament to strength. You're not alone in your struggles—I'm here to provide you with a safe and supportive space. Your mental health is important, and I invite you to reach out if you're ready to take that step. Let's start your journey together towards a brighter future and healthier you!
INDIVIDUAL THERAPY | GROUP THERAPY | OUTDOOR THERAPY | COACHING
Accessible, Personalized Mental Health Care & Coaching.
Life can get difficult, and sometimes, a little help from a professional can make things better. I care about your well-being and can provide the tools needed to learn how to tackle even the most traumatic circumstances.
3901 Grand
The therapeutic space is sacred. It's a judgment-free space where healing occurs. It's a place where marriages are mended, families are restored, grief is expressed, anger is defined, and freedom is found. It's a place where you learn that two are better than one and that you can do hard things.
Living Well exists to empower you to experience transformation. Your past may be full of pain and trauma. Your current situation may cause you overwhelming anxiety or depression. Your marriage may be struggling. Your family may need mending. We want to walk alongside you in your journey.
Our professional therapists are trauma-informed and work with children, teenagers, adults, couples, and families. We can help with issues like anxiety and depression. We can help you define your anger and overcome your anxiety. Our therapists use a variety of therapeutic approaches, including EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Solution Focused Therapy, C4C/EFT,
Kelsey Cheek, LAC
LIVING WELL FORT SMITH
Nathan Winiecki, LPC
LIVING WELL ALMA & FORT SMITH
Richard Waggoner, LPC
LIVING WELL FORT SMITH
Play Therapy, Sand Tray Therapy, Internal Family Systems, and Blended Family Solutions. Regardless of why you are looking for a therapist, we can help.
We have two locations in Fort Smith, one in Alma, and a new location opening in Russellville in the spring of 2025. Living Well is here to provide professional, Christ-centered counseling you can trust right here in the River Valley.
If you have family members in other parts of the state or children in college, Living Well employs over fifty counselors in cities across Arkansas. This enables us to offer the same professional services both in person and via Telehealth.
You do not have to hide in your struggles or remain stuck where you are. You are worthy of healing, hope, and wholeness. Call us today at (501) 737-4320 or scan the QR code provided and one of our helpful client representatives will be glad to assist you.
counseling you can trust
STATEWIDE CHRIST-CENTERED PROFESSIONAL COUNSELING FOR INDIVIDUALS, COUPLES, AND FAMILIES
Living Well Fort Smith & Alma provides traumainformed mental health services for: children teens adults of all ages couples families
We accept all major insurances, including Medicaid, and offer an income-based sliding scale. SCAN TO REQUEST YOUR SESSION!
GOT PROBLEMS?
4200 Jenny Lind Rd., Ste. C, Fort Smith 479.561.7600 / anchoredhopecounseling.net
There is this terrible idea in our society that we must know all the answers. We must do everything ourselves, keep a stiff upper lip, and never ask for help. Women aren’t supposed to get angry. Men aren’t supposed to cry. Too often, people come to therapy in a last-ditch effort when the wheels of life have fallen off, and nothing else is working. But you don’t have to wait until your darkest hour to ask for help. You don’t have to walk this road alone.
NO JUDGEMENT
With us, the therapy office is safe and confidential. It’s a place where you get to be who you are, free of judgment—period— and experience unconditional positive regard, empathy, and congruence (therapy talk for being real).
Sometimes, people assume therapy is about another person trying to figure them out. Maybe this was true at one time, but now it’s largely about the healing that’s possible when two people are simply honest with each other. Because the truth changes things.
RELATIONSHIPS MATTER
At Anchored Hope, we understand you must “click” with your therapist to make real progress. Thankfully, we have nineteen therapists trained in various methods and techniques—and we can help find the right one for you. We welcome children, teens, and adults and offer play therapy, individual therapy, relationship therapy, grief counseling, and life coaching.
Our clients come to us with stories about everything from communication and boundary problems to loss, anxiety, depression, and trauma. Our response? You’ve gotta deal with that stuff. You can’t carry that baggage around forever.
OUR SERVICES
Letting go of your baggage may seem impossible, but that’s where a good therapist can offer tools.
One tool, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), once used primarily for war veterans with PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder), is now used successfully for things many people wouldn’t identify as trauma—the loss of a relationship, being in a toxic work environment, preparing for an upcoming surgery, or anything that creates anxiety or holds you hostage.
It is a way to connect both sides of the brain and “reprocess” stressful events and emotions. EMDR usually requires less time than traditional talk therapy and can work even when clients don’t remember or wish to share specific details.
We're learning that our bodies remember everything that happens to us, even when a stressful event is long over, or we've mentally shoved it down. We go into fight, flight, or freeze mode and don't realize our bodies are trying to keep us safe. So, one goal of therapy is to increase self-awareness and learn more about our bodies, emotions, and relationships.
Anchored Hope Counseling is a safe place for help, hope, and healing. Sometimes in life, it feels like you have nothing to hold on to. You can anchor your hope with us while you weather life’s storms. Our experienced therapists provide counseling for individuals (children, teens, and adults) as well as couples who may be facing obstacles on their journey. We would love to be there for you!
For more information, check out our website, call us, or listen to our podcast, Discovering with Dr. Deb (on all platforms).
Anchored Hope Counseling is a safe place for help, hope, and healing. Sometimes in life, it feels like you have nothing to hold on to. You can anchor your hope with us while you weather life’s storms. Our experienced therapists provide counseling for individuals (children, teens, and adults) as well as couples who may be facing obstacles on their journey. We would love to be there for you!
Call to S tart Your Journey Today
I N D I V I D UA L
C O U N S E L I N G
Individual counseling is a collaborative process between the client and counselor as they work together towards the client’s desired goals. People seek therapy for anxiety, depression, trauma, or simply to work on boundaries, personal growth, or selfawareness. Individual counseling realizes the power in human connection and relationship and that “words” can heal, expand, renew, and empower our clients.
G R I E F
C O U N S E L I N G
R E L A T I O N S H I P
C O U N S E L I N G
D I S C OV E R I N G
W I T H D R . D E B
Grief is the response to a loss – whether it be a death, divorce, move, natural disaster, or infertility, and it can be overwhelming. The loss causes a broad range of grief reactions including feelings, behaviors and cognitions. Some people are able to cope and make adaptations to loss on their own. However, some people experience distress that bring them to counseling. We can walk through grief with you.
Most would agree that a happy and healthy relationship contributes to happier and healthier individuals, as well as better outcomes for children in the marriages. When relationship conflicts arise, sometimes due to communication difficulties, value differences, infidelity, or other issues, remember there are options for struggling couples. If you are experiencing difficulties in your relationship, we can help.
Love a good podcast? Discovering with Dr. Deb, a bi-monthly podcast, is on all platforms.
The first season, Discovering the Enneagram Enneagram, with co-host Jason Gilmore, was super fun, interesting, and informative! The second season, Discovering Trauma and EMDR EMDR, with co-host, psychologist Dr. Christie Sprowls, covered topics such as the body and trauma, vicarious trauma, and neuroscience and trauma. L i f e i s a
Swimming is an exceptional form of exercise with profound mental health benefits, making it an ideal choice for physical fitness and emotional well-being. Burton Pools and Spas offers the perfect environment to experience these benefits firsthand, whether in your backyard pool or through expertly designed spas.
One of the primary mental health advantages of swimming is the release of endorphins, the body’s natural “feel-good” hormones that help alleviate stress and anxiety. As you swim, your body engages in rhythmic movements, and your brain responds by producing endorphins, leading to an enhanced mood and a sense of overall well-being. Burton Pools and Spas can create a swimming environment that allows you to tap into this natural mood boost every time you dive in.
Swimming also plays a crucial role in regulating breathing, essential for mental clarity and calmness. The controlled
breathing patterns developed while swimming mirror the techniques used in mindfulness and meditation practices, helping reduce anxiety and promote peace.
The tranquil environment provided by water further enhances relaxation and stress reduction. Water's buoyancy creates a soothing sensation that can calm the mind and ease the body. Whether floating gently or swimming laps, water offers a unique sense of serenity that is difficult to find elsewhere.
Swimming also offers an opportunity for family togetherness, which is crucial for emotional support and connection. Engaging in water activities with family strengthens bonds and creates joyful memories, contributing to a positive mental outlook.
Burton Pools and Spas can design spaces catering to families, ensuring everyone can benefit from the mental health advantages of swimming and time spent in the water.
Hearing loss is more than difficulty perceiving sound; it's intricately linked to cognitive health—the brain's ability to think clearly, learn, and remember.
Hearing is fundamentally a brain activity: while your ears detect sound, your brain interprets and makes sense of it. When hearing loss goes untreated, the brain receives fewer auditory signals to process, leading to under-stimulation. Over time, this can result in a decline in cognitive sharpness.
This cognitive decline isn't just a personal struggle; it can lead to social isolation and depression as individuals begin to avoid social activities that were once enjoyable.
Addressing hearing issues early is vital, as taking control of hearing loss can help delay or slow cognitive decline, allowing individuals to maintain an active, engaged lifestyle.
In addition to hearing loss, tinnitus—a persistent ringing or buzzing in the ears—can significantly affect mental wellbeing. Tinnitus often exacerbates anxiety, depression, and sleep disturbances, making it difficult to focus and enjoy daily activities. We are dedicated to helping those suffering from tinnitus through Lenire ®, the only FDA-approved treatment option. Lenire ®, a cutting-edge treatment, combines sound therapy with mild electrical stimulation of the tongue to retrain the brain's response to tinnitus. This innovative device has relieved many patients, helping reduce the severity of tinnitus symptoms and improve overall quality of life.
We are proud to enhance the well-being of its patients by offering new technologies that address both hearing and cognitive health. Whether through advanced diagnostic testing or innovative treatments like Lenire®, your quality of life is their top priority.
HAS TINNITUS BECOME OVERWHELMING?
Tinnitus, often experienced as a ringing or buzzing in the ears, can be quite challenging. Lenire is a trusted treatment to address bothersome tinnitus. As the only authorized provider in Arkansas, we are pleased to offer Lenire, the only FDA-approved tinnitus treatment, to our patients.
The Center for Professional Psychology is an established clinic housing experienced professionals to meet the cognitive, behavioral, and emotional health needs of Fort Smith and the surrounding area. Dr. Janissa Jackson founded the clinic more than twelve years ago to offer clinical excellence by bringing together a group of trusted professionals skilled in evaluation and treatment.
CPP PROFESSIONALS
Dr. Jackson, Dr. Griffin, and Dr. Thornton are licensed clinical psychologists and provide a wide range of evaluation, treatment, and psychological testing services. While they maintain their individual specialties, they strive to provide the best in current clinical practice, matching researchbased treatment and testing methods with the highest standard of care.
Danielle Litchford, LPC, LMFT, and Michelle Pass, LPC, LMFT, are licensed marriage and family therapists, as well as licensed professional counselors, and have a depth of knowledge they each apply to families, couples, children, adolescents, and adults.
DR. JACKSON
Dr. Janissa Jackson received her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology in 2005 from the University of Arkansas after completing specialty training in evaluating and treating children and adolescents at Arkansas Children's Hospital and the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. Furthermore, she received additional training in assessing and treating developmental concerns, including autism spectrum disorders.
Dr. Jackson began her career in private practice in 2005 and has over eighteen years of experience in treatment as well as in psychological evaluations. She has more recently limited her practice to primarily focus on assessment. This decision came because of the great need for these types of evaluations and the long waiting lists that patients often must endure.
Diagnosis is often needed to open doors and help patients of all ages meet their highest potential. However, she has become passionate about providing additional options for those who struggle with cognitive processing and effective learning. That is what led her to pursue opening the educational franchise, Learning Rx, in both the River Valley and Northwest Arkansas. She divides her professional time between clinical work and consulting for Learning Rx.
DR. GRIFFIN
Dr. Narissa Griffin is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist and Certified Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) provider. She is a former Assistant Professor with the UAMS Department of Pediatrics and Schmieding Developmental Center. She entered private practice with the Center for Professional Psychology in 2016. Dr. Griffin treats patients across the lifespan and specializes in evidence-based treatment of children, adolescents, and their families, serving patients as young as two.
Her areas of treatment specialty include PCIT, Behavior Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Anxiety, SPACE Treatment and Exposure and Response Prevention for OCD, and management of challenges associated with
Developmental Disabilities, including sleep and toilet training. Dr. Griffin provides comprehensive psychological evaluation to children ages five and under, including assessment for Autism Spectrum Disorder as early as two years of age.
DR. THORNTON
Dr. Bill Thornton recognizes and empathizes with people's struggles. He aspires to help each person he treats return to a meaningful, productive, and rewarding life as quickly as possible, with the least disruption.
Dr. Thornton has always endeavored to perfect the application of the most effective, scientifically supported treatments in his work with those he serves. Using only the best treatments, honed over twenty-five years of clinical experience as a foundation, he assesses, then diagnoses and treats both children (eight and up) and adults, invoking a variety of treatment environments, including child therapy, couples therapy, individual therapy, family therapy, and addiction therapy services. His office is safe, comfortable, and inviting, so clients have a relaxing experience.
DANIELLE LITCHFORD, LPC, LMFT
Danielle Litchford is a Licensed Professional Counselor and Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist. Danielle earned her Master of Science in Community Counseling and Marriage and Family Therapy at John Brown University in Siloam Springs, AR. She is trained in Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavior Therapy (TF-CBT), Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), and Emotionally Focused Family Therapy (EFFT). She has worked in various settings, including school-based
counseling, community mental health, and private practice. She has worked extensively with children, adolescents, adults, and families for over a decade who are dealing with a variety of mental health and relational issues. Danielle enjoys working with clients struggling with issues including trauma, anxiety, depression, grief, and adjustment issues.
MICHELLE PASS, LPC, LMFT
Michelle Pass, a Licensed Professional Counselor and Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, earned her Master of Science in Community Counseling and Marriage and Family Therapy at John Brown University. Trained in various methods, including Cognitive Behavior Therapy, EMDR, and EquineAssisted Therapy, she has worked in day treatment, schoolbased counseling, community mental health, and private practice. She has worked extensively with children, adolescents, teens, adults, families, and couples for over a decade who are dealing with a variety of mental health and relational issues. Michelle excels in working with clients struggling with issues including trauma, ADHD, anxiety, depression, grief, life transitions, and coping with stress.
Michelle utilizes a person-centered, collaborative, strengthsbased therapeutic approach to help clients acknowledge the various unique contexts that impact their lives, connect with their strengths, and learn new ways to improve overall wellbeing. Her empathy and warmth help to create a safe, nonjudgmental space where clients can process and heal. Therapy looks different for all individuals, and she works together with the individual to develop a plan to reach their specific goals.
The Center for Professional Psychology is an established clinic housing experienced professionals to meet the cognitive, behavioral, and emotional health needs of Fort Smith and the surrounding area.
The Center for Professional Psychology maintains a long-standing reputation for informed psychological care. We are proud to provide a comfortable, yet professional therapeutic environment centered on confidentiality and trust.
Our mental health services include individual therapy, family counseling, and
psychological assessments to address issues such as anxiety, depression, trauma, relationship problems, and more. Utilizing evidence-based treatments, we help our clients improve their mental well-being and achieve personal growth. We also offer specialized services like cognitive and behavioral therapies tailored to the unique needs of each client.
OUR PROFESSIONALS
Dr. Jackson, Dr. Griffin, and Dr. Thornton are licensed clinical psychologists and provide a wide range of evaluation, treatment, and psychological testing services. While each has their own area of specialty, they strive to provide the best in current clinical practice, matching research-based treatment and testing methods with the highest standard of care.
Danielle Litchford, LPC, LMFT, and Michelle Pass, LPC, LMFT, are licensed marriage
and family therapists, as well as licensed professional counselors, and have a depth of knowledge they each apply to families, couples, children, adolescents, and adults.
The Center for Professional Psychology provides a comfortable, yet professional environment centered on the importance of confidentiality and trust. Scan the QR code for direct access to our website.
Janissa D. Jackson Ph.D.
Narissa R. Griffin Ph.D.
William J. Thornton Ph.D.
Danielle Litchford LPC, LMFT
Michelle Pass LPC, LMFT
The Center for Psychiatric Wellness provides comprehensive mental health care, offering personalized treatment plans, therapy, and innovative treatments in Fort Smith, Arkansas. In the realm of mental health, finding effective treatments for depression can be challenging. For those who haven't found relief with traditional antidepressants, alternative therapies are crucial.
NEUROSTAR TMS
NeuroStar Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) at The Center for Psychiatric Wellness in Fort Smith offers renewed hope in this landscape. Unlike medications or invasive treatments like electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), NeuroStar TMS is non-drug and non-invasive. It uses magnetic pulses— similar to those in MRI machines—to stimulate underactive brain regions that regulate mood. By targeting these areas, NeuroStar TMS aims to activate neural circuits critical for managing depression.
Real-world studies highlight its effectiveness: 83% of patients completing NeuroStar TMS reported significant symptom relief, with 62% achieving complete remission. These outcomes emphasize its potential for those who have exhausted traditional treatments.
A significant advantage of NeuroStar TMS is its minimal side effects compared to antidepressants. The most asked question about side effects is, "Does it hurt?" Some patients experience temporary discomfort or pain at the treatment site, which usually eases within the first few treatments—far less than the systemic side effects of medications.
CONVENIENCE
NeuroStar TMS is a convenient outpatient service completed in our Center for Psychiatric Wellness clinic. Patients can resume normal activities immediately. Unlike ECT, it doesn't affect memory or require anesthesia, making it less intrusive.
Financially, NeuroStar TMS is covered by major insurance plans, including Medicare. Resources on myneurostar.com educate patients about TMS, empowering informed treatment decisions. NeuroStar TMS offers hope beyond traditional antidepressants. With proven efficacy, minimal side effects, and insurance coverage, it's poised to transform depression care, fostering long-term remission and improved quality of life.
If you or someone you know struggles with depression despite trying antidepressants, consider NeuroStar TMS from the Center for Psychiatric Wellness—it could be the breakthrough needed for mental wellness.
KETAMINE INFUSION THERAPY
In addition to NeuroStar TMS treatment, the Center for Psychiatric Wellness offers Ketamine Infusion Therapy. Ketamine Infusion Therapy involves the administration of low doses of ketamine, a medication traditionally used as an anesthetic to treat symptoms of major depressive disorder and anxiety. This therapy is especially beneficial for patients who have not responded to conventional treatments such as antidepressants and psychotherapy.
Ketamine uniquely works on the brain, targeting NMDA receptors and increasing the levels of glutamate, a neurotransmitter associated with mood regulation. This process can help alleviate symptoms of depression and anxiety quickly, often within hours of treatment, providing relief for individuals who have struggled to find effective solutions.
If you or a loved one is struggling with severe depression or anxiety and have not found relief through traditional treatments, NeuroStar TMS or Ketamine Infusion Therapy may be the solution you've been looking for. Contact us today to schedule a consultation and take the first step towards a brighter, more hopeful future.
Fort Smith Therapy provides comprehensive and empathetic care to individuals on their mental health journeys. Situated in the heart of Fort Smith, Arkansas, the practice is known for its unwavering commitment to enhancing the well-being of its clients through evidence-based therapeutic practices and a nurturing, client-centered approach.
LICENSED PROFESSIONALS
Founded to provide high-quality mental health services to the community, Fort Smith Therapy operates on the principle that mental health is integral to overall wellness. The practice offers a serene and welcoming environment that fosters a sense of safety and comfort, allowing clients to engage in their therapeutic processes openly.
The team at Fort Smith Therapy is composed of licensed professionals, including licensed professional counselors (LPCs), licensed clinical social workers (LCSWs), and marriage and family therapists (MFTs). This multidisciplinary team brings a wealth of expertise and diverse skills to the practice.
THERAPY OPTIONS
Fort Smith Therapy provides services designed to address various mental health concerns and support clients in achieving their personal and emotional goals. Essential services include therapy for individuals, couples and families, children and adolescents, groups, and teletherapy.
Individual therapy is tailored to meet each client's specific needs. Therapists employ various therapeutic approaches, such as emotion-focused therapy (EFT), cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), and psychodynamic therapy, to help clients understand and manage issues like anxiety, depression, and trauma. By fostering a trusting and supportive relationship, therapists help clients explore their thoughts and emotions, develop coping strategies, and work toward personal growth and healing.
Couples and Family Therapy sessions can improve communication and resolve conflicts within relationships. Therapists can address a range of issues, including marital conflict, parenting challenges, and family dynamics. The goal is strengthening relationships, enhancing understanding, and promoting healthier interactions.
SPECIALIZED SERVICES
Specialized counseling services are available for children and adolescents experiencing emotional, behavioral, or developmental challenges. Therapists use age-appropriate techniques and interventions to help young clients express their feelings, develop healthy coping mechanisms, and improve their overall well-being. By working closely with families, therapists ensure a comprehensive approach to support the child's development and address any underlying issues that may affect their mental health.
Group therapy sessions provide a supportive environment for clients to share experiences and learn from others facing similar challenges. Topics may include grief and loss, stress management, and addiction recovery. These sessions help clients feel less isolated and more understood as they connect with peers who share similar struggles.
To ensure accessibility, Fort Smith Therapy offers teletherapy services for clients who prefer or require remote sessions. This service enables individuals to receive consistent care regardless of location, making mental health support more accessible and convenient. In addition to these core services, Fort Smith Therapy also provides workshops and seminars on stress reduction, mindfulness, and mental health.
Fort Smith Therapy stands out as a beacon of hope and healing in the Fort Smith community, offering compassionate and effective mental health services to those in need.
AMBER
DAWN
TASHA
BEKAH
KAITLYN
MIDAS
CHEYENNE
KRISTAN SHAWNDA MOLLY AUDRA
5004 S. U St., Ste. 203, Fort Smith 479.883.2223 / healingtreetherapy.com
Women live healthier, happier lives when they feel confident about themselves. Healing Tree gives women the tools to uncover their true potential and embrace their lives.
FOR WOMEN
Our therapists help women address difficulties, including struggles with anxiety, perfectionism, childhood trauma, PTSD, mood disorders, and post-partum depression. Healing Tree clinicians are trained in multiple trauma therapies, including EMDR, hypnotherapy, brain spotting, and trauma-conscious yoga. With two board-certified psychiatric mental health nurse practitioners on staff, our focus is to provide women with hope and understanding in a nonjudgmental environment.
FOR TEEN GIRLS
Our targeted counseling for teen girls brings together creativity, life skills, and emotional healing to create a space where teens feel safe and connected. Girls today have it much harder than we did growing up. When we were kids, there weren't completely unrealistic reality shows on every channel and unattainable expectations for appearances on social media. Our bullies stayed at school—they couldn't follow us home on social media. Healing Tree therapists help teen girls develop the wisdom, strength, and confidence to handle the non-stop barrage of social media and peer pressure.
OUR SERVICES
We all need a place to dump our thoughts and feelings, sort through them, and uncover the reasons our lives are not where we want them to be so that we can discover the path we were meant to follow. Our services include counseling, and
where appropriate, we also provide medication management to help reduce the symptoms of emotional overwhelm many women feel.
MEDICATION MANAGEMENT
While medication is not suitable for everyone, it can play a vital role in treating specific mental health issues. Discovering the proper medication can reduce or eliminate symptoms and improve daily life. It's crucial to understand the effectiveness of medication varies from person to person and it's critically important to work with a professional with a keen understanding of the patient's medical history so they can customize a medication plan.
After medication is determined, our focus shifts to monitoring the medication's safety, reconciling other medications, and ensuring the medication produces the desired effect. It's essential to understand when to take medications, what dosage to use, its purpose, safety, side effects, effectiveness, and any potential risks from mixing medications with certain foods or other supplements. We can even provide medication management to our patients in Arkansas and Minnesota via telehealth for convenience.
At Healing Tree, we believe in a holistic approach to mental health and work hard to ensure our patients receive the highest-quality care. We specialize in helping women find calm amongst chaos so that they learn to feel more in control of their thoughts, feelings, and behavior. Our mission is to provide healing, expertise, and knowledge so that women gain the inner resources they need to live healthier and happier lives.
Medication Management
Individual Therapy Sessions
Individual Intensive Sessions
1/2 Day & Full Days Available Workshops & Groups we offer: Mom & Teen Shared Journaling Workshop
Pre-Teen & Teen Boundaries Workshops
Online Emotional Junk Journaling Group
Yoga Workshops & Groups
Corporate Wellness & Empowerment Trainings
Accountabliity Coaching
www.HealingTreeTherapy.com
Melanie
Tessa
Danielle
Tara
Christine
Dr. Bishop
Caren
Rachel
Amanda
Georgiana
Maria
Christina
398 E. 2nd St., Booneville 479.849.3270 / wacgc.org
At Horizon Renewal Center, we empower individuals and families impacted by addiction to achieve and sustain remission from substance use disorder. We provide comprehensive treatment services that are holistic and evidence-based while fostering a safe and therapeutic environment to promote healing for our clients.
WHY CHOOSE HORIZON RENEWAL CENTER?
Our team of highly trained and compassionate staff includes licensed therapists, Alcohol and Drug Counselors, Peer Recovery Support Specialists, and medical staff to assist and support clients on their recovery journey. Each client receives a comprehensive master treatment plan tailored to their unique needs, ensuring the best chance for long-term recovery. Clients engage in a person-centered approach that leverages their strengths to promote healing and personal growth. Participants receive individual counseling, group counseling, family counseling, case management, peer support services, and therapeutic outings to some of the most serene countryside in western Arkansas.
Our professionals provide trauma-sensitive services and address co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders. Medication management is provided after a thorough assessment by our medical staff. Medication-assisted treatment (MAT) is an evidence-based option offered at Horizon for individuals diagnosed with opioid use disorder, providing a pathway to recovery that combines medications with counseling and behavioral therapies.
At Horizon, we recognize that recovery is not just about overcoming substance use; it's about rebuilding lives. That's why we emphasize life skills training, enabling clients to develop essential tools for managing day-to-day challenges, improving
relationships, and sustaining recovery in the long term. Our clients benefit from educational workshops and practical life skills sessions that cover everything from stress management to financial planning, empowering them to regain control over their lives.
PRIORITIZING NUTRITION
We also value a balanced and nutritional diet, understanding it as a vital part of recovery. By prioritizing nutritious meals, clients engage in an environment conducive to overall health and success in recovery. Proper nutrition can improve mental clarity, stabilize mood, and provide the physical strength needed to face the challenges of recovery.
THERAPEUTIC APPROACHES
- Motivational Interviewing (MI)
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Transtheoretical Model of Behavior Change
- Adult Life Skills
- Journal and Meditation
- Mutual Support Group Meetings
- A variety of other daily enrichment activities
Substance abuse treatment at Horizon is entirely confidential. Participants can depend on our discretion and professionalism throughout their journey. Horizon is a division of The Guidance Center, a trusted provider of mental health and substance use disorder services for more than fifty years in western Arkansas.
Our legacy of care and commitment to the community ensures that every client receives the support they need to reclaim their lives from addiction. This mission has been made possible through our partnership with ARORP and the opioid litigation settlement funding.
HOPE AND HEALING ARE ON THE HORIZON.
We empower individuals and families affected by addiction to achieve lasting recovery through holistic and evidence-based treatment. Our comprehensive services include individual, group, and family counseling, case management, peer support, and therapeutic outings in the peaceful countryside of western Arkansas. We offer traumasensitive care for co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders, as well as medication-assisted treatment for opioid use disorder. We also prioritize balanced, nutritious meals, recognizing their importance in supporting overall health and recovery.
Re:Fresh Counseling has been serving the River Valley since 2015. We love our community and are all invested people who live and work here. Life can be a beautiful journey, and at Re:Fresh Counseling, we understand the complexities that many of us live with and experience on a daily basis. This is why we offer a variety of therapeutic services to partner with you in whatever season of life you are in.
We offer Individual Counseling, Couples/Marriage Counseling, Children & Adolescents, Family & Group Counseling, and Telehealth options. We have therapists who specialize in many different therapy approaches, including MFT (Marriage and Family Therapy), RPT (Registered Play Therapy), EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), EFT (Emotion Focused Therapy), CSAT (Certified Sex Addiction Therapy), and CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy).
Our team of therapists are available for the lifespan. From preschool forward, we have a professional to meet your needs,
whether that is trauma, anxiety, depression, grief, addiction, career changes, or family concerns surrounding marriage, divorce, blended families, or co-parenting. We collaborate as therapists to meet your family's needs by providing specialists in many areas. We refer when necessary for assessments or specialized care.
At Re:Fresh Counseling, it is of utmost importance to us to provide you with support and encouragement from when you make that first phone call to when you leave our office for the last time. We take pride in being a place of calm and safety for you on your therapeutic journey. No two people experience life the same, and we understand that the counseling journey is no different.
We are committed to walking alongside you and creating a therapeutic experience that fits your unique needs. Check out our website or find us on Psychology Today to meet our excellent team of therapists and support staff!
WHO WE ARE
Re:fresh Counseling has served the River Valley since 2015. We are committed to assisting and equipping you in every season of life. Our counselors are trained in a variety of therapeutic modalities including Play Therapy, Emotion Focused Therapy, EMDR, Sex Addiction Therapy, and more. Whatever challenge you are facing, we strive to provide a comfortable and safe environment to allow for growth and change.
We recognize that this guide does not encompass all mental health providers in our area. However, it highlights a remarkable selection of dedicated professionals in our region who are committed to delivering essential mental health services to our community.
Aligned Living Counseling and Coaching
Fort Smith, Fayetteville
479.689.7009
alignedlivingcounseling.com
Anchored Hope Counseling
4200 Jenny Lind Rd., Ste. C, Fort Smith
479.561.7600
anchoredhopecounseling.net
Burton Pools and Spas
Fort Smith, Springdale, Fayetteville
479.648.3483 / burtonpools.com
Center for Hearing and Balance
7200 Cameron Park Dr., Fort Smith
479.785.3277 / centerforhearing.net
Center for Professional Psychology
5401 Rogers Ave., Ste 201, Fort Smith
479.242.4560 centerforprofessionalpsych.com
Center for Psychiatric Wellness
7217 Cameron Park Dr., Fort Smith
479.831.6007 centerforpsychiatricwellness.com
Fort Smith Therapy, Health and Wellnes s
2408 S. 51st Ct., Ste. G, Fort Smith 479.323.2424 / fortsmiththerapy.com
Healing Tree Women’s Counseling Center
5004 S. U St., Ste. 203, Fort Smith, Arkansas 479.883.2223 / healingtreetherapy.com
Horizon Renewal Center
398 E. 2nd St., Booneville 479.849.3270 / wacgc.org
Living Well Professional Counseling
3901 Grand Ave., Fort Smith 501.737.4320 / arkansasfamilies.org
Refresh Counseling
5401 Rogers Ave., Ste. 200, Fort Smith 479.226.8403 / refreshcounseling.co
CRISIS CENTERS
AND CALL LINES
Get immediate help from trained professionals 24/7. Operators can connect you to local resources available for in-person support and other related issues such as domestic violence and mental abuse.
988 Suicide & Crisis
Lifeline (988 Lifeline)
Call: 988 / 988lifeline.org
1.800.273.8255
Press 1 for Veterans
Press 2 for Tele-Interpreters
Press 3 for LGBTQ
Arkansas Crisis Center
1.888.274.7472 / arcrisis.org
Arkansas Human Services
Mental Health & Addiction Support Line
Programs, services, service providers, and recovery resources
