The Sevier County 4-H clubs are reorganizing and seeking new members and leaders. The purpose of these clubs is to give youth ages 5-19 an opportunity to participate in the youth development educational program of the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service. Youth in 4-H clubs will learn life skills, enhance leadership skills, and increase self-esteem while serving in a number of community service projects. Youth in 4-H clubs have an opportunity to compete in a number of competitive activities, attend camps, and earn scholarships for education.
The following is a list of the Sevier County 4-H clubs: Chapel Hill 4-H Club, Happy Face 4-H Club, Lakeside 4-H Club, Infinity∞ 4-H Club, Froglevel Hoppers 4-H Club, Shooting Sports 4-H Club, Teen Leaders 4-H Club, Goin’ Showin’ 4-H Club, Legacy 4-H After School Club and Community Changers 4-H Club.
The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture offers all its Extension and Research programs to all eligible persons regardless of 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.
For more information about meetings, 4-H club membership or program benefits, contact Sevier County Cooperative Extension Service located in the Adams Building on the UA Cossatot Campus in De Queen or call (870) 584-3013.
De Queen Rotary Bringing New Playground Accessible to Special Needs Children to De Queen
Area Schools Cancel Classes Wednesday Because of Winter Weather
Classes have been cancelled today because of weather in De Queen, Horatio, Foreman, Nashville, and Ashdown. Classes at UA Cossatot locations will run as usual with the exception of LPN, OTA, and PTA.
Alma Puga Honored as Student of the Month at De Queen Lions Club Meeting
De Queen Lion President, Bryan Blackwood, presented a certificate today to Alma Puga for Student of the Month. Alma is a senior at De Queen High School, Vice President of the National Honor Society, class president of seniors in the Student Council, member of FBLA and De Queen High tennis team, Interact Club Vice President, Girls State attendee, and Leopard filmer.
The 2020 Top 60 Online Community Colleges List Includes UA Cossatot
Intelligent.com is a trusted resource for online degree rankings and higher education planning. They recently announced their national community college list for 2020 listing the top 60 online community colleges in the United States. UA Cossatot was included on this list and was also named the “Most Affordable Online Community College” in the nation.
After comprehensive research, UA Cossatot was included in this list. Of the top 60 community colleges, UA Cossatot was ranked at number 15.
The 2020 rankings are calculated through a unique scoring system, which includes student engagement, potential return on investment, and leading third-party evaluations. Intelligent.com analyzed 286 schools, on a scale of 0 to 100, with only 60 making it to the final list.
Students who choose any one of these online schools are expected to gain employment at a faster rate. Intelligent.com provides unbiased research to help students make informed decisions about higher education programs.
Dr. Steve Cole, Chancellor of UA Cossatot said, on the rankings, “It is certainly an honor to be on any list that shows we are creating tremendous value for our students. We feel that when students choose us, they made a thoughtful decision based on many things, including affordability and employment once they are finished. We help students check both of those boxes at UA Cossatot”.
UA Cossatot was the first Arkansas institution of higher education to offer a degree completely online and continues to lead the way in the number of courses and programs offered online. UA Cossatot also rewards online students by offering most online courses free of textbook costs. To learn more about these opportunities, please visit www.cccua.edu
New Home Page - Intelligent
College Life When it comes time to study, there are many common study methods that can help enhance your exam prep. By Kristen Scatton STUDENT FINANCES By Nam Phan College Life By Kristen Scatton Featured The things that concern students the most about college.
Weekly Update from State Representative DeAnn Vaught
Research tells us that 61% of low-income families have no age-appropriate books in their homes. Middle-income homes have an average of 13 books per child.
On average, children in poverty have been exposed to only 25 hours of one-on-one reading, compared to middle-class children who have been exposed to 1,000-1,700 hours of one-on-one reading. Only 48% of young children are read to daily.
Exposure to books provides significant academic advantages as 85% of the brain is developed between the ages of 3-5.
To provide Arkansas families with more resources, a state 501 (c) (3) partnered with the Dolly Parton Imagination Library in July 2017. Arkansas is 1 of 4 states to partner with the organization.
In 1995, singer-songwriter Dolly Parton launched the Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, to benefit the children of her home county in East Tennessee. Her vision was to foster a love of reading among her county’s preschool children and their families. The new program gave each child from birth to age 5 a specially selected book each month.
The program has expanded and now delivers 1.4 million books each month to children nationwide.
Recently, the House and Senate Education Committees were updated on the progress of the Arkansas Imagination Library.
Approximately, 39,000 books are delivered each month to Arkansas children enrolled in the program. And in the last year, more than 427,000 books have been delivered to Arkansas homes. The number of books mailed monthly grew 87.3% in just two years.
Thousands of families could still benefit from the program. Any family with children ages 5 and under can sign up regardless of income. We have provided a link on our website www.arkansashouse.org
Arkansas Secretary of State
Secretary of State John Thurston to Open Northwest Arkansas Office
Ashdown Alumni Association will host John Moore on Saturday, February 22
The Ashdown Alumni Association will host Ashdown High School Class of 1980 Graduate John Moore on Saturday, February 22 from 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. at the Alumni House located at 751 Rankin Street. Mr. Moore will be signing copies of his most recent books Write of Passage: A Southerner’s View of Then and Now, Volume One and Two. They are available on Amazon and copies will be available at the signing for $10 each.
John Moore is a native of Ashdown, Arkansas, but he has called Texas home for over 30 years. He is a former radio announcer and worked at several stations in Arkansas and Texas. From 1979-1982, he even worked at Ashdown’s former station KMLA. While a student at AHS, he worked on the journalism staff as a photographer for the school paper and annual.
He currently owns One Moore Production, a recording studio where he does commercial voice work and books on tape for Audible. His weekly column, Moore Thoughts appears in the Marshall News-Messenger, Tyler Morning Telegraph, the Longview News-Journal, the Texarkana Gazette, and six others.
Mr. Moore said, "I am looking forward to coming home to Ashdown to see family and friends and I'm looking forward to supporting the Alumni Association through my book signing. I hope to see everyone come out on Saturday the 22nd from 11 to 2 and thanks to the Ashdown Alumni Association and the Ashdown School District for inviting me to come.”
Bill Craig Named Paul Harris Fellow at Nashville Rotary
Bill Craig of Howard Memorial Hospital was named a Paul Harris Fellow at this week's Nashville Rotary Club meeting. Also pictured is Carol Murray who made the presentation.
30th Annual Arkansas Big Buck Classic
30th Annual Relyance Bank Arkansas Big Buck Classic returns to the Arkansas State Fair Grounds
Friday, January 24, 2020 through Sunday, January 26, 2020
Open Friday 1-8 * Saturday 9-8 * Sunday 10-6
Win Big Bucks @ Arkansas Big Buck Classic with $10,000 CASH PRIZE GIVEAWAY.
Plus, The Great Gun Giveaway! Remington and The Big Buck Classic have teamed up to giveaway
9 Remington Rifles and 3 Lazy Man Tree Stands THROUGH OUT THE WEEKEND!
More exhibits, demonstrations & FREE parking at the 2020 Big Buck Classic
THIS ARKANSAS TRADITION HAS BECOME A HALL OF FAME EVENT
Little Rock, Arkansas...01/8/20....THE BUCKS ARE BACK! The 30th Annual ARKANSAS BIG BUCK CLASSIC returns to the Arkansas State Fairgrounds JAN 24-26, 2020 Now considered the largest outdoor and hunting show of its type in the Mid-South, the 30TH Annual Arkansas Big Buck Classic offers something for all ages, as well as non-hunters. Live animals, tree stands, deer blinds, outfitters, clothing, boats, fishing equipment, exhibits, demonstrations and activities
utilize virtually every building on the State Fair Grounds. It is a tribute to the Arkansas Hunter that the Big Buck Classic continues to showcase big deer from around the State year after year. The Classic offers a place for outdoorsmen to observe hunting success from different parts of the State in one location. With so much to experience, many patrons now visit the Big Buck Classic more than once during the three-day weekend event, as there is something for the entire family and outdoor enthusiasts from all walks of life and interests. MONSTER TRUCKS AND BIG BUCKS
WILL BE AT THE 2020 BIG BUCK CLASSIC. THE BIG BUCK CLASSIC WILL HAVE A MONSTER TRUCK DISPLAY AND MONSTER
TRUCK RIDES! For those who love looking at LIVE animals: A Monster Deer Display, plus an Alligator Show from Gator Country in Texas, the Fetch’ n Fish dogs, Bwana Jim Live Animal Show, Live Rattesnake Handling, Chainsaw Carving, plus much more. Meet Smokey Bear with the US Forest Service and Bobber from the Core of Engineers. And the official Big Buck Classic Mascot Lucky Buck. Plus the Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort Big Buck Chili Cookoff benefitting Shriners Hospital for Children.
THE ARKANSAS GAME AND FISH FOUNDATION FREE KIDS ZONE
Trout Pond
BB Gun Range
Hover Ball Shoot
Free Coloring Books
Chance to win a Lifetime Hunting License from the Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation
ALL at the 30th Annual Relyance Bank Arkansas Big Buck Classic.
Former UA Cossatot Student Creates Viral Video
Kirt Connor is a resident of Horatio, Arkansas, and a former UA Cossatot student. Kirt is a small town kind of guy, but he is also a big YouTube sensation due to his viral video Dad Guy.
Dad Guy is a parody of Billie Eilish’s song Bad Guy. This past year, Kirt created this entertaining video and submitted it to YouTube. Within its first couple of days on YouTube, the video had racked up more than 600,000 views. As of January 2020, Dad Guy has been viewed more than 2.7 million times.
Kirt’s sense of humor and love for music and videos led him to make this parody. After its release, Kirt received national news recognition. His video was mentioned on CBS This Morning, the Today Show, and Today Extra in Australia. Time.com did a story on Kirt’s video, and it was also mentioned on the Dr. Demento Radio Show. He recently received radio airplay in Ireland and has been a guest on the Kelly Clarkson show in California.
When asked about how it feels to get so many views and attention from his video, he said, “Not bad! In all seriousness, it’s incredibly humbling to have received this much attention and feedback from my silly little project. It has inspired me greatly, and I plan on releasing a lot more stuff.”
Connor went on to add that he will be releasing a full album in the first quarter of 2020, and he is currently writing and collaborating with other content creators.
Kirt has a music background and can play several instruments. He has played with the Midnight Hurricanes, was a Colgate Country Showdown national finalist, a member of Ms. Mac and the Groovetones band, and a longtime studio engineer and session musician. In high school, Kirt was introduced to making videos.
“Making videos is extremely flexible and expressive media. Your only limit is your creativity and how much money you’re willing to dish out,” said Kirt Connor.
When asked what the inspiration for Dad Guy was, Kirt said, “My wife is to blame. She started the lyrics via text message, and within five minutes, between the two of us, we had written the whole thing.”
Kirt also added that he wouldn’t have been able to make this video without his family. Kirt Connor is happily married to his wife, Kayla, and has four children; Duncan, Dovie, Korbin, and Kohen. He also works as an IT Field Tech at Howard Memorial Hospital in Nashville.
In the early 2000’s Kirt attended UA Cossatot. Kirt said, “The reason I chose to go to school at UA Cossatot was because of location, location, location! I also think it is a great college that offers a wonderful option for trades as well as transferring into and within the University of Arkansas system.”
Kirt encourages everyone to look into UA Cossatot as an educational opportunity and loves living in Southwest Arkansas
Beekeeping Program for Youths Starts This Month
Southwest Arkansas Beekeepers Association is continuing a youth beekeeping program started last year. The two-year program provides beekeeping education and guidance to youths through age nineteen and teaches them the skills to continue the hobby into later life. Successful completion of the two-year program earns the youth a hive of bees and certification. At least one parent or legal adult guardian MUST accompany Junior Beekeepers during workshops, meetings and other activities of the program. Any youths who are allergic to bee stings may not participate in this program.
Applications are available at Monday night's meeting of Southwest Arkansas Beekeepers at 6pm, Room 101, UA Cossatot in Nashville. For more information, contact Sheila Kreul at (870) 845-8524 or Jack Threat at (870) 557-4837. Applications must be received by February 1.
UA Cossatot’s Textbook/OER Program Helps Therapy Students Save Money
The University of Arkansas Cossatot Textbook Rental/Open Educational Resource (OER) Program continues to help students overcome financial barriers by including two primary medical programs.
The college’s Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) and Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA) programs transitioned from requiring students to buy textbooks to renting, which will save students over $18,000 per year.
UA Cossatot Director of Educational Resources and OER Specialist Relinda Ruth proposed a three-payment plan for each program that allows students to rent all the required textbooks for a minimal fee.
“Textbooks are expensive and create another financial hardship for students,” said Ruth. “Our sole purpose has always been removing barriers to education for students and we are pleased that the college’s PTA and OTA programs are joining the program to help achieve that goal.”
UA Cossatot has saved students over $1.5 million since becoming the first two-year college in Arkansas to implement an internal textbook rental and OER program in early 2015. Including medical programs will greatly increase student savings.
“We are excited to be able to offer this textbook rental program to our students,” said UA Cossatot PTA Program Director Jennifer Sanderson. “Renting, rather than buying, textbooks saves our students hundreds of dollars.”
Over half of the courses at UA Cossatot do not require a textbook and instead use OER materials to supplement instruction.
For more information about textbook rentals, OER, or student services the Educational Resource Center (ERC) offers, please contact Relinda Ruth at 870-584-1181
ServSafe Training
Reshape Yourself Healthy Lifestyle Program Wednesday, January 22nd
Arkansas Tourism Henry Awards
Arkansas Tourism names finalists for Henry Awards
Awards recognize excellence in tourism across the state
The winners of the Excellence in Arkansas Tourism Henry Awards will be revealed at the 46th Annual Arkansas Governor’s Conference on Tourism to be held in Fort Smith March 1-3, 2020. The Henry Awards ceremony will take place the evening of Tuesday, March 3. The awards honor Henri de Tonti, the man historians consider to be among the first “Arkansas Travelers.”
Among the awards to be presented is The Bootstrap Award, which is presented annually to an individual, organization, or community that has achieved significant success “on a shoestring” budget. Finalists include:
– Spring River Innovation Hub, Inc., for work on the Arkansas Pie Festival
– Sevier County Tourism Committee
– Marvell Civic Club for work on the Levon Helm Project
During the Henry Awards ceremony, the Tourism Person of the Year Award will also be announced. Selected by former honorees, the Tourism Person of the Year Award is presented annually to an individual who has been actively involved in tourism and who has made a substantial contribution, within the past year, to the betterment of the tourism industry as a whole.
The Tourism Hall of Fame Award is presented the previous day of the conference, recognizing individuals who have been actively involved for many years in tourism and have made substantial contributions to the betterment of the industry.
For more information on the 46th Annual Governor’s Conference on Tourism, contact Arkansas Tourism at 501-682-1926. For specific information on the Henry Awards, contact Leigha Jones at 501-682-1676.
Heavy Rainfall Expected Friday and Friday Night
National Weather Service predicting heavy rain over the next couple of days.
Nashville Chamber of Commerce Banquet is February 24th
The Nashville Chamber of Commerce banquet will be Monday, February 24th held at the "Occasions" building, formerly Brookshire's, with the doors opening at 5:30 p.m. The ticket cost is $20.00. Chamber board members will have the tickets for sale soon. There will be seating at tables of 8 and 10. This year "PATAcakes" catering service will provide the meal of sliced pork, baked beans, twice baked potatoes, salad, dessert, and water, coffee, or tea. The theme this year is: "Bloom Where You Are Planted".
There will be numerous awards given to those who have served our town far above and beyond. Tickets will be on sale soon, so make plans for your industry, business, relatives, fellow workers, or your family. This is the time when your Nashville Chamber of Commerce shines the spotlight on our citizens.....make plans to purchase your ticket now.
Congratulations to Howard Memorial Hospital
Arkansas Business Health Care Heroes Awards
Arkansas Business is thrilled to recognize thirty-seven individuals, companies and organizations that are making a significant impact on the quality of health care in Arkansas. Their acts of heroism represent a display of dedication to excellence in the area of expertise beyond the scope of their
jobs. Through their commitment to their profession and their community, these individuals will be recognized at a luncheon awards ceremony. The Lifetime Achievement Award winner and a finalist in each category were selected by an outside panel of judges and will be celebrated at an awards ceremony, presented by CompleteCare, Inc., April 2, 2020 at the Embassy, Little Rock; 11:30-1:00 p.m. Tickets can be purchased online at ArkansasBusiness.com/HealthCare.
Lifetime Achievement Award
Mary Salassi-Scotter, Arkansas Children's
The Finalists in each category are:
Health Care Administrator
Adam Head, CARTI
Ann Kruger, Arkansas Children's
John Montgomery, The Green House Cottages of Poplar Grove
Brian Thomas, Jefferson Regional Medical Center
Large Hospital of the Year (100 beds or more)
CHI St. Vincent Hot Springs
Jefferson Regional
St. Bernards Medical Center
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
Small Rural Hospitals (Less than 100 beds)
Arkansas Children's Northwest
Howard Memorial Hospital
Ouachita County Medical Center
Arkansas Business
Presented by: Arkansas Business presents Health Care Heroes awards program to honor individuals, companies and organizations that are making a significant impact on the quality of health care in Arkansas. Their acts of heroism represent a display of dedication to excellence in the area of expertise beyond the scope of their jobs.
Death to Lawn Stickers!
Winter is the best time to kill spurweed, a.k.a. "stickers" in your yard with a broadleaf herbicide containing 2, 4-D. The window for a post-emergent treatment is from December to February during your grass's dormant period, while the winter annual weed is green and growing but hasn't had a chance to bloom and set seed. In late spring, spurweed seeds become the stickers that are painful for you, your children and pets. Once the seeds are set, herbicides are not effective for control. Your only other option for control is to rake them up or get the grass to grow enough to buffer the stickers. If spurweed in the lawn goes untreated and seed are set each year, the weed will continue to spread and exacerbate the sticker problem.
If your yard is primarily Bermuda and it is TOTALLY dormant, a light spray of Round-up will work. Round-up is only recommended for dormant Bermuda. Don’t miss this window of opportunity to treat spurweed in your yard! For more information, call the Howard County Extension Office at 870-845-7517.
Arkansas Farmer’s Industrial Hemp Conference Slated for February in North Little Rock
The Arkansas Farmer’s Industrial Hemp Conference, a two day meeting designed to give farmers the pros and cons of adding industrial hemp to their crop rotation will take place Feb. 14 and 15 at the Wyndham Hotel in downtown North Little Rock.
Speakers will include Arkansas farmers who grew industrial hemp this last season, soil scientists, seedsmen, processors, marketers and regulators. The Arkansas farmers will pass on lessons learned regarding varieties, controlling THC levels, pests and the marketing and sale of their crops.
The conference is presented by Green Remedies which operates Indigenous Seeds, Hawgs Hemp Farm and Hawgs Hemp Refinery. Green Remedies co-founder Brad Fausett leads the industrial hemp program at the Northwestern Oklahoma State University and will be speaking about the most common mistakes made by new hemp farmers and best practices for growing hemp.
Shawn Peebles, owner of Peebles Farm, a 1200 acre organic sweet potato operation in Woodruff County grew five acres of industrial hemp this season and will speak at the conference.
“ First, hemp is way over-hyped”, said Peebles.” You are not going to get rich quick, however it can be a very profitable addition to your crop rotation. You have to pay attention in advance as to where you are going to sell it. It is not like selling a commodity crop.”
There will be a session devoted entirely to the business side of hemp production which differs significantly from business models associated with row crops. Jason Martin, CEO of Tree of Life Seeds will lead a session on creating a sound business model for industrial hemp farming.
Currently about 90 percent of industrial hemp grown in Arkansas is processed into CBD oil and products. That may change over the next several years according to John Workman, an England, AR based row crop farmer and president of the Arkansas Hemp Association who will be speaking. “Hemp is now being processed economically into construction materials such as ‘hemp wood’ and insulation. A manufacturing facility has opened up in Kentucky to make hemp wood. That market will require different varieties and different planting methods than what we currently do. It’s a few years off probably.” Workman plans to bring a hemp board to his session.
The conference kicks off at 2 p.m. on Friday, Feb 14 and continues on until 5 p.m. Saturday. Tickets are $99 which includes a cocktail reception with the speakers Friday night and a box lunch on Saturday. Tickets can be purchased at CentralArkansasTickets.com. The conference is hosted by the Arkansas Times Magazine.
Central Arkansas Tickets
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