Bobby D. Dillard
Bobby D. Dillard, 78, of Pencil Bluff, Arkansas passed away Monday, September 9, 2019. Bob was born on February 28, 1941 in Sims, AR to the late Thomas and Hettie Beggs Dillard. Bob is preceded in death by his parents, and brother, Bill Dillard.
Bob is survived by his wife Verda Dillard of 54 years, sons, Gary Dillard, Roger Dillard, granddaughter, Pacey Dillard, brothers, Tom Dillard, and Ricky Dillard, sisters, Patsy Hopper, Kathy Bailey and Blanche McKinney a step son, Larry Thornton, a host of other friends and family.
Graveside service will be held Thursday, September 12, 2019 at 10:00 A.M. at Lone Valley Cemetery in Sims, AR. Visitation will be Wednesday, September 11, 2019 from 5 pm to 7 pm at Thornton Funeral Home in Mount Ida, AR. Pallbearers are Donnie Stovall, Gary Stovall, Jeff Gray, Chris Gray, Bruce Gray, Robin Singleton and Travis Quinn. Arrangements were made under the direction of Thornton Funeral Home of Mount Ida, AR. Guest register at www.thorntonfh.com
Ruby Darlene Hughes McCarter
Ruby Darlene Hughes McCarter, age 83, of Norman, passed away on Tuesday, September 3, 2019.
She was born on August 23, 1936, in Muskogee, Oklahoma, the daughter of Denton Chloe Hughes and Reva Juanita Large Hughes. On July 2, 1955, she was married to Danny Gene McCarter. She was preceded in death by her son, Andy McCarter; her parents; and three brothers, Charles Hughes, Frank Hughes and Ray Hughes.
She was a member of the Norman First Baptist Church and a homemaker. She enjoyed cooking for her family, gardening, stayed busy working on projects, and especially loved stripping old furniture, always painting each item in her own special way. Ruby was a wonderful and caring wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, sister and friend, who loved her family with all her heart. She will truly be missed by all who knew her.
She is survived by her loving husband of 64 years, Dan McCarter of Norman; two sons and daughters-in-law, Mike and Laurel McCarter of Murfreesboro and David and Tammy McCarter of Norman; one daughter, Kathleen Jackson of Greenwood; seven grandchildren and their spouses, Walt and Brittany McCarter of Greenwood, Wade and Sarah McCarter of Caddo Gap, Budger and Teresa McCarter and Mandy and Phillip Manwering, all of Norman, Andy Jackson, Matthew Jackson and Rusty Jackson, all of Greenwood; three great-grandchildren, Weston McCarter, Kamron McCarter and Colten McCarter; one brother and sister-in-law, Jerry and Vicky Hughes of Wagoner, Oklahoma; three sisters, Betty Palmer, Cloe Parker and Glenda Hughes, all of Oklahoma; numerous nieces, nephews and extended family members; and a host of wonderful friends.
Services will be held at 2:00 PM, Friday, September 6, 2019, in the Norman First Baptist Church with Bro. Robbie Loudermilk officiating.
Visitation will be Friday, 1:00 PM until 2:00 PM, prior to the services at the church.
Interment will be in the Mount Gilead Cemetery, Black Springs, under the direction of Davis-Smith Funeral Home, Glenwood.
Pallbearers will be her grandsons, Budger McCarter, Walt McCarter, Wade McCarter, Andy Jackson, Matthew Jackson and Rusty Jackson.
Honorary pallbearers will be her great-grandsons, Weston McCarter, Kamron McCarter and Colten McCarter.
In lieu of flowers memorials may be made to the Mount Gilead Cemetery Fund, P.O. Box 116, Norman, Arkansas, 71960 or to The Gideons International, P.O. Box 495, Glenwood, Arkansas, 71943.
Guest registry is at www.davis-smith.com.
delinquent tax land auction raises over $78,000
LITTLE ROCK – The recent auction of tax-delinquent properties in Montgomery County raised over $78,000, the Commissioner of State Lands announced.
The auction drew 29 bidders, who purchased 9 of the 9 available parcels for a total of $78,250.00 for county and state government.
The Land Commissioner’s office holds one auction in each county each year to return tax-delinquent land to active status.
“Most property certified to our office does not go to auction,” Commissioner Tommy Land said. “The vast majority of owners redeem their property by paying the delinquent taxes. Of course we always prefer that property be redeemed, but it is vital that the parcels return to the county’s active tax rolls.”
Delinquent owners have 10 business days after the auction date to redeem the property, before the COSL office issues a Limited Warranty Deed to the buyer.
The COSL office forwards taxes and interest to the county, whether that money is collected through redemption or sale.
“Last year, this office sent more than $16 million to school districts and county governments,” Land said. “Of that, $26,943.99 went to Montgomery County, helping fund everything from roads to schools.”
Property that did not sell at auction will be available after 30 days and can be reviewed through the Post-Auction Sales List at www.cosl.org.
Article submitted by Commissioner of State Lands office
Greening of Arkansas Grant available
LITTLE ROCK – The deadline to apply for community beautification funding through the Greening of Arkansas grant program has been extended this year to Oct. 31.
The grant program, which began in 2006, provides up to $2,500 in funding to applicants for the beautification of public spaces throughout the state. The program is funded through proceeds from the Arkansas Flower and Garden Show. The 2020 show, which will take place Feb. 28, 29 and March 1 at the Arkansas State Fairgrounds, is now in its 29th year.
Mary Beth Rogers, executive director for the Arkansas Flower and Garden Show, said the long-running program provides an excellent opportunity for communities throughout Arkansas to boost morale and community spirit through creative use of horticulture and natural features.
“These grants are perfect opportunities for civic groups and communities to beautify a public space with creative landscaping or an ornamental garden,” Rogers said. “It’s amazing what a few well-placed shrubs or ornamentals can do for an area. Over the last decade, we’ve seen dozens of projects that have truly enhanced some otherwise plain or unwelcoming spaces.”
The deadline to apply is Oct. 31, 2019. Recipients will be announced in December.
The general requirements for applying for a Greening of Arkansas grant include:
- Applicant must be a nonprofit, community-based or civic organization located in the State of Arkansas
- Grant award funds may only be used for the project defined in the project description
- At least 60 percent of which must be spent on plant material
- The project must be on public property
- Recipients of a Greening of Arkansas grant must wait at least two years before applying for the grant again
- The application must include the application form, as well as a summary of the project, maintenance plan and an image of the proposed site. Incomplete applications will be rejected.
To learn more about the grant program and to download an application, visithttps://argardenshow.org/about/greening-of-arkansas-grant-program/.
About the Division of Agriculture
The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture’s mission is to strengthen agriculture, communities, and families by connecting trusted research to the adoption of best practices. Through the Agricultural Experiment Station and the Cooperative Extension Service, the Division of Agriculture conducts research and extension work within the nation’s historic land grant education system.
The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture offers all its Extension and Research programs to all eligible persons without regard to race, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, age, disability, marital or veteran status, genetic information, or any other legally protected status, and is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.
Article Written by Ryan McGeeney, U of A System Division of Agriculture
Montgomery County Fair Board looks to future
MOUNT IDA – While discussion grew loud at times it remained cordial as a large crowd gathered to discuss the future of the county fair at the Montgomery County Fair’s September board meeting.
A group of around 30 people, including board members and guests, gathered at the fairgrounds Monday night for their monthly meeting. President Jeff Robertson opened the meeting with the reading of the minutes and a discussion of July and August’s financial reports.
The report for the most recent county fair was read. The report showed a profit in all categories.
Front gate fees collected $978 with a profit of $933.99 after taxes were paid.
The Rodeo Queen contest took in $1,100 with expenses totaling $863.86 for a profit of $246.14.
The Fair Pageant collected $2,245 and showed a profit of $1,776.23.
The Livestock Show took in $750 with a profit of $341.50. Fair board members also purchased some of the left over perishable items for a total of $60.59.
They collected $2,717 in concessions with profit of $1,490.01.
Income at the rodeo was $6,506 with a profit of 2,343.
They also collected $5,120 from the catalog and sign sponsorships. After expenses they showed a profit of $2,720.
The Tiny Show Team showed a profit of $198.16.
There were a small list of miscellaneous expenses that totaled $1,481.78.
The topic of discussion turned to next year’s fair with several in attendance expressing a desire to see the fair moved to September.
Jennifer Barrett shared that the fair was moved from September to August in the past to increase their chances of attracting a carnival. While they have not been able to attract a carnival recently they are still working to get one back.
There was also talk about moving the date for the parade to later in the week. Some wanted to see the rodeo offer more prize money. While everyone seemed open to seeing changes made no items were voted on by the board.
Robertson proposed a change to the point system for exhibitors. He explained that currently prize money is paid out based on a point system that heavily favors the livestock exhibitors.
Under the current system a pool of prize money is paid out based on the amount of points awarded for the top spots. Each point received has an equal value for all exhibitors. The livestock winners receive as many as 400 points for first place while craft and food exhibitors receive no more than three for a top spot. This means have craft and food exhibitors received as little as 10 cents which he pointed out is less than what it costs to print the check.
The proposed system would lower the point totals awarded in the livestock barn which would increase the value of a single point. This would increase prize money for the craft and food exhibitors. The hope is an increase in prize money will draw more participants in these areas.
It was also suggested that a later date for the fair would allow students who had returned to school to participate. Board members shared that most art entries are collected in the Spring and a later start wouldn’t improve participation.
Everyone agreed that an improved school participation from all three campuses would help the fair grow.
The change in the point system was tabled until a later date.
Robertson also suggested a change in the way categories are grouped to help make it easier to track points earned. A committee was formed and they are to get with Amy Monk to discuss changes.
They also discussed using a designated order of numbers to distinguish between junior and senior participants.
The board voted to move the check in time for livestock to 6-8 p.m. on Tuesday and the chicken bleeding to 4-6 p.m. on Sunday.
As the meeting drew to a close guests were asked if any were interested in becoming board members. Several expressed an interest and the board wrote their names down to begin their one year mandatory participation. At the end of a year if they meet the requirements they will be considered for inclusion on the board.
Article Written by Dewayne Holloway
UA Rich Mountain unveils mascot
March 22, 2018
MENA – A flurry of announcements were made last Tuesday at UA Rich Mountain Community College as they make a huge step toward offering a more well rounded college experience for students.
The announcements made by school Chancellor Phillip Wilson and Vice Chancellor Morris Boydstun, include the introduction of the school’s new mascot, plans to enter the college athletic arena, and the possibility of on-campus housing. The announcements were made during a press conference held in the Ode Maddox Building Tuesday afternoon in front of students, staff and media.
Vice Chancellor Boydstun began by stated that the school had wrapped up a campaign to name a school mascot. Boydstun and Chancellor Wilson wasted no time unveiling the new mascot, The Bucks, to a roomful of cheers.
Chancellor Wilson shared that the process had included input from students and staff and had come down to either The Royals, or The Bucks. He explained that although the history of Queen Wilhelmina State Park certainly lends itself to The Royals moniker, it was decided that The Bucks would be easier to market.
This marks the first time in school history that they will have a mascot. The mascot logo utilizes the colors red and grey and feature the head of a buck. The new mascot, BUCKS will be displayed on athletic uniforms, collegial apparel, and marketing and advertising for the institution. The UA Rich Mountain Bucks logo was designed by former Mena High School graduate Amelia Loftin who is the President and Creative Director of FosterLoft Creative Communications based in Denver, Colorado.
UA Rich Mountain Community College also announced they will be entering the college athletic arena and will compete in both NJCAA sanctioned sports, as well as club sports.
Club fishing is the first sport the school has begun with Mount Ida’s Ty Whisenhunt representing the school in the Arkansas Collegiate Fishing Series
. He finished fifth in the state through the most recent series of tournaments. Matthew Vincent of Oden has joined him on the team and the two will represent the school going forward.
Samantha Shores was introduced as the new cross country coach for the school. UA Rich Mountain will field a cross country team in the Fall of 2018. The school has already begun recruiting locally in a sport that area schools have traditionally excelled in. It was stated that this was one of the deciding factors in choosing cross country as the first NJCAA sanctioned sport.
The school plans to build a program that will make itself known immediately on the national stage. Chancellor Wilson stated that they had compared local high school times to the times in last year’s NJCAA National Meet and discovered that local athletes would have finished in the top 50 nationally if they had competed.
Coach Shore is looking forward to getting things going and has already been recruiting local athletes. She stated that there are at least six athletes waiting until after Tuesday’s announcement to commit to the school.
Coach Shores has scheduled open tryouts for the cross country team to be held April 28 and will be open to all illegible area student athletes.
Vice Chanellor Boydstun stated that the college will be announcing other sports over the course of the next five years of so. Sports being considered include, but are not limited to trap-shooting, basketball, baseball, and softball. He explained that they want to choose sports that local high schools have had success and support in traditionally. Ultimately, they want the sports program to enhance and expand the college experience for students.
They stated that although basketball seems like an easy fit, finding a facility is a crucial element to moving forward with this and many other team sports. Vice Chancellor Boydstun stated that the school could use the basketball court in the Mena Armory, but they want to make sure they were able to provide the best possible environment for both athletes and fans.
Another key issue regarding the recruitment of team sports is the need for housing. Vice Chancellor Boydstun stated that the college is researching the possibility of on-campus housing at UA Rich Mountain Community College.
He explained that with a sport like cross country student athletes are able to train near their homes and drive back and forth to school. Team sports such as basketball, baseball, and softball require a different set of issues with practice. On-campus housing would provide easy access to and from practice for student athletes.
He added that on-campus housing would not come to fruition within the next two years, but it is a part of a five year plan the school has for expansion.
UA Rich Mountain Community College is located in Mena, Arkansas with satellite campuses in Mount Ida, Oden, Waldron and Wickes. They offer a variety of two year programs, and technical training programs. For more information regarding UA Rich Mountain visit their website at uarichmountain.edu.
For more information about Cross Country contact Samantha Shores at (479) 394-7622 ext. 1421 or sshores@uarichmountain.edu. For more information about Club Fishing contact Jerod McCormick at (479) 394-7622 ext 1430 or jmccormick@uarichmountain.edu.
Team effort key to Tiger victory
RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. – Ouachita’s offense goes off for 421 yards and six touchdowns as the Tiger defense holds Arkansas Tech scoreless in the second half to capture a 42-13 victory.
Brayden Brazeal led the Ouachita offense with 227 yards completing 12 of 15 passes. Brazeal threw for three touchdowns on the night. The Tigers’ leading receiver, Allie Freeman, had seven catches for 84 yards and a touchdown. Hunter Swoboda and Tucker Swoboda caught the other two touchdowns, 75 yards and 45 yards respectfully.
In the backfield, the two headed monster wreaked havoc again. Brockton Brown carried the ball nine times for 89 yards and two touchdowns while Shun’cee Thomas went for 79 yards on 19 attempts and a touchdown. TJ Cole also accounted for 24 yards while quarterback Brayden Brazeal had 15 yards on five attempts.
Four Tigers put in eight tackles during the game. Keandre Evans and Hunter White led the team with five solo tackles and three assisted tackles. Jon Johnson and Austin Guymon also added eight tackles with a quarterback hurry. Rico Gonzalez and Dameyun McDonald both put in seven tackles for Ouachita. McDonald also had a sack on the night while LaFoy Smith and Alex Rowe combined for the other sack on the night.
In the first quarter Arkansas Tech struck first with a field goal with 6:36 left. On the next possession for the Tigers, it took Brockton Brown one play to score on a 54 yard touchdown run. After the defense forced a punt, Ouachita drove down the field into the second quarter scoring on an Allie Freeman 11 yard touchdown catch. ATU scored again making the game 14-10 with 6:33 left in the half. The Tigers immediately answered on two plays as Brazeal connected on a 15 yard pass to TJ Cole leading up to a 45 yard touchdown pass to Tucker Swoboda. Tech kicked a field goal leading into the half with the score 21-13.
The second half was all the Tigers as Ouachita outscored Tech 21-0. The third quarter saw Brazeal throw a 75 yard touchdown pass to Hunter Swoboda before Brockton Brown scored his second touchdown on a two yard rush. Shun’cee Thomas closed out the game in the fourth on a one yard touchdown rush.
The Tigers will be back in action against Northwestern Oklahoma State at Cliff Harris Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 21 at 6:00 p.m. For up to date information on Ouachita Tiger Football follow their Twitter, (OuachitaFB) , Facebook (OuachitaTigerFootball) and Instagram (OuachitaFB). Also follow Ouachita Athletics on social media at Twitter (OuachitaTigers), Facebook (Ouachita Athletics) and on Instagram (OuachitaTigers).
Article Written by Nick Bushart courtesy of obutigers.com
UA Rich Mountain sees enrollment spike
UA Rich Mountain Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs Chad Fielding released the final enrollment numbers for Fall 2019 and as was anticipated, enrollment is up. The largest jump is in first-time entering freshman, 56.7%. “I believe what we are experiencing is the direct result of the announcements we have been making over the last few months with our expanding athletics program and the ground-breaking of new on-campus housing. That was always the goal behind the strategic planning. The added bonus for us was Dr. Steinmetz’s announcement during our graduation ceremonies in May.”
Fielding was referring to the Arkansas Transfer Achievement Scholarship announced by UA Fayetteville’s Chancellor Dr. Joe Steinmetz that allows UA Rich Mountain Associate of Arts degree graduates to transfer to the flagship campus on the hill but continue to pay UA Rich Mountain tuition rates.
Full-time enrollment is up 16.31% and retention rates are at a 5-year high of 65% for degree seeking students. Fielding credited his staff and the advisors who have been extremely pro-active in this area. While he’s proud of these numbers, they will continue to strive to improve.
Another area of growth is Student Semester Credit Hours (SSCH) which increased 12%. This number is particularly important in regards to the way colleges are funded by the state of Arkansas. In year’s past, colleges were funded strictly on head-count. Today’s complex formula is designed to measure the college’s overall performance in getting students graduated within a certain time-frame, among other criterion.
Chancellor Dr. Phillip Wilson said everyone is beginning to see a shift in the perception of the college by local juniors and seniors. Kim Bass, mother of a local Mena High School senior, said after he attended Senior Day this week, Brendon has re-evaluated his options. Bass said her son had always planned to attend a four-year university to pursue a degree in Forestry but after learning he could save $30,000 by staying home his first two years and then transferring, he thought it was a ‘no-brainer’ to start as a Buck.
“We’re hopeful that students are beginning to recognize that we can offer the ‘full collegiate’ experience that many are looking forward to at this stage in their lives. We have impeccable faculty and staff who are committed to our students’ success… and on a very personal level. And, if we can save them an average of $15,000 per year as opposed to the average cost of a four-year university, it’s a win-win for everyone. This is what community colleges do and I believe no one does it better than UA Rich Mountain,” said Chancellor Wilson. “What we are seeing this Fall 2019, I believe, is only a small taste of what we will be seeing this same time next year. We will have added two additional sports [baseball and softball] and on-campus housing will be open. More and more students, locally and beyond, are recognizing the full experience of UA Rich Mountain. You can comb the Bucks Athletics Facebook page and see post after post by parents and student-athletes that are blown away by the caliber of our facilities, the friendliness of our staff, and the beauty of our part of the Ouachitas. This is only the beginning.”
Clinical Massages now available at UARM
MENA – Students of UA Rich Mountain’s School of Massage Therapy are now taking appointments for clinical massages beginning September 3. All work is performed by students who began their education in massage therapy in January.
“We encourage the community to enrich our student’s overall educational experience by allowing them to perform a wide variety of services for them. These students have spent months in the classroom in the textbook/instruction and have practiced on fellow students but are now at a level they are ready to provide services to the public. This type of ‘hands-on’ experience will be critical in helping prepare them for their state exams but also in giving them the experience they need to be effective massage therapists.” said Tammy Parnell, Massage Therapy Instructor.
SERVICES & PRICES:
Therapeutic Massage – 50 minutes $30
Therapeutic Massage – 80 minutes $50
Swedish – Relaxation Massage – 50 minutes $30
Swedish – Relaxation Massage – 80 minutes $50
Localized Massage – 30 minutes $15
Back Massage – 30 minutes $15
Stretching – 30 minutes $15
Stretching – 50 minutes $30
Foot or Hand Massage – 30 minutes $15
Facial 20-30 minutes $15
Back Treatment – sugar scrub & moisturizing rub $15
Hand Treatment – sugar scrub & moisturizing rub $15
Foot Treatment – sugar scrub & moisturizing rub $15
Chair Massage – 10 minutes $ 5
Aromatherapy Treatment – 30 minutes $20
Infrared Sauna Treatment – 10 minutes $10
Add-ons:
Hot Stones $ 2
Hot Towels $ 2
Jeanie Rub – Industrial Massager $ 2
Aromatherapy $ 3
Cupping on specific areas to reduce Cellulite & adhesions $ 5 (per section)
The UA Rich Mountain School of Massage Therapy is located in the Northside Shopping Center with the School of Cosmetology. Appointments are required – 479.394.6808 to schedule. Services begin September 3.
