Monthly Archives: October 2018

A-State Tennis Finishes Fall Tourney Slate

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by Caleb Booker
Delta Digital News Service

JONESBORO — The A-State Women’s Tennis team is motivated going into the Wofford Invite: the final tournament of the fall semester.

In three tournaments this season, the Red Wolves own a 5-14 record in singles competition. After two tournaments this season, A-State doubles-play record sits at 1-6.

“Right now, as far as the Wofford Invite I think it’s really important to finish strong regardless of how the rest of the fall season has gone,” said junior Shannon O’Brien of Hilton Head, South Carolina. “Just staying focused this week is really important.”

A redshirt junior from Cumming, Georgia, Shelby King first competed with O’Brien in doubles in January this year; the two have been competing in doubles often.

“I think we can prepare for the conference tournament by doing well in the matches leading up to it. So like during our season matches, I think we should practice what we want to do there,” King said.

A-State head coach Kel Lange holds high expectations in his fourth season.

“My expectation with this group is that we go from a team that is competitive in every match to a team that is competitive to win the conference championship,” Lange said. “We’re preparing every day for the conference tournament. Our conference tournament is going to determine if we’re going to make it to the NCAA tournament or not.”

The Wofford Invite takes place Nov. 2-4 in Spartanburg, South Carolina.

Honey Bees Impact Arkansas

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Honey Bees in Arkansas from Miranda Reynolds on Vimeo.

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by Miranda Reynolds
Delta Digital News Service

JONESBORO – Honey bees in Arkansas create endless benefits for agriculture and give economic opportunities for businesses.

The bee industry involves many different avenues for businesses to take advantage of:

  • Cultivating honey
  • Provide pollination services for farms
  • Raising bees to sell
  • Raising queen bees for people wanting to start their own beehives

David Coy with Coy’s Honey Farm grew up around honey bees from the age of 2.

“All of my life I’ve been around honey bees. A lot of people think of beekeeping as a hobby, but it’s a business for us,” Coy said.

Coy’s business revolves around family. His dad introduced him and his brother to beekeeping and they have created a business from it. The family owns 10,000 hives at their farm north of Jonesboro.

Providing pollination services allows the family business to assist farmers. They pollinate close to 1,000 acres of watermelons in portions of Northeast Arkansas.

The honey farm produces anywhere from 500,000 to 700,000 pounds of honey in Arkansas. However, the production of honey per hive continues to decrease and Coy sees the trend continuing.

According to Steve Culp with Northeast Arkansas Beekeepers Association, 4,000-5,000 commercial beekeepers reside in Craighead County.

The loss of bee habitat in the Delta region impacts the honey bees. Farm chemicals spreading to areas of wildlife impact the honey bees. Coy says only one type of crop in a single area also impacts bees.

“Bees need a variety of plants to gather nectar and pollen from to maintain their health,” Coy said.

Kim Pittcock, associate professor of horticulture at Arkansas State University, said there must be a preservation of bees.

“We need to preserve the diversity that we’ve got in all of the plants that we have to help the bees. It’s a mutual hand-in-hand relationship with it. We need to maintain part of their habitat to use them to continue to help us work and to continue their populations,” she said.

Pittcock noted certain crops must have pollinators to remain yielding.

“Some crops could not be pollinated at all without some insect of some sort, and bees are the biggest and most natural pollinator due to the structure and the type pollen that needs to be transported,” she said.

The Coy’s business tries to adjust to supply and demand. In California, the almond industry drives the beekeeping industry on a commercial level. Coy’s Honey Farm sends bees to California in February to provide pollination services for almond orchards.

“We try to have income from several different areas that the bees can give us income from so that we’re not totally reliant on bee production,” Coy said.

With the changing of the bees’ environment, Coy hopes to remain in the beekeeping industry for many years to come.

“I hope to continue to be a beekeeper. I hope to maintain the opportunity for my children, too, if that’s what they want to do,” he said.

A honey bee pollinates plants that makeup of one-third of humanity’s everyday diet. The reality is, without bees, humans will not have food.

A-State Women’s Bowling Opens Season

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Taylor Davis approaches the bowling lane.

Taylor Davis approaches the lane during the 2017 season. The team begins its 2018 season in late October. (photo by Taylor Davis)

by Caleb Booker
Delta Digital News Service

JONESBORO – The Arkansas State women’s bowling team begins its 2018-19 season with a lot of fresh faces.

Five freshmen join two transfers and three returnees this season. Even though the team lost five seniors last season, members remain optimistic for the upcoming season.

“We’ll be just as successful as previous years because we still believe in the process with everything we’re doing and are working as one unit,” said sophomore Leah Glazer of Henderson, Nevada. “I can see this season potentially being one of the most successful seasons the program has seen.”

2018 Junior Gold Champion Julia Huren of Westland, Michigan, noted the team is younger, but said she believes it will still have success.

“There has been a lot of excitement for the opening tournament in October,” Huren said. “The team should be successful. I think a very big key to success is being on the same page, as in having common goals in mind and being a well-rounded team player.”

The players aren’t the only ones excited about the season. Entering his 10th season as head coach of the team, Justin Kostick shared his thoughts about the direction the team is taking this season.

“This year is an exciting year. With only three returners and seven newcomers, it is going to be interesting to see how the team gels together,” he said. “I think we can have the same success or even better.”

The season begins Oct. 26-28 in Fairview Heights, Illinois at the Bearcat Hammer Open tournament. The Red Wolves finished in fifth place in the 2017 Bearcat Hammer Open with nine wins and four losses.

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Editor’s Note: Featured photo by Gord Webster [CC BY-SA 2.0]

Walking For A Purpose

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by Caleb Booker
Delta Digital News Service

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. — A21’s fifth annual “Walk For Freedom” raised awareness about global human trafficking.

A21’s march took place in over 20 countries and in six continents around the world. The nonprofit organization aims to stop sex trafficking globally.

Lanley Scroggins organized the “Walk For Freedom” at Capaha Park in Cape Girardeau this year. She is looking forward to helping the community better understand what sex trafficking is and why it needs to be stopped.

“I want to do my part to bring awareness to those around me and I hope that others catch a flame that compels them to be a part of the solution,” Scroggins said.

Brittany Smith participated in the event. She said this topic and the walk is important to her.

“It can draw the community closer together and help them take a stand for something that affects the whole world,” Smith said.

Participant Willie Brown said this event can help the community.

“From my perspective, we need to stop human trafficking. It really needs to be done and it will make our community a lot stronger,” he said.

Cellphones Pinpoint Emergencies

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by Miranda Reynolds
Delta Digital News Service

JONESBORO – In a life-threatening situation where seconds matter, Craighead County’s dispatch service uses advances in technology to find someone’s location and provide them help.

Cellphones allow people across the nation to quickly access information at a touch of a button. In an emergency, it provides a lifeline to help. E911 Director Jeff Presley said GPS technology is vital for first responders in the line of duty.

“With smartphones that we’re using today, they’ve actually got GPS readers built into that phone. So when you activate a call for service or a 911 call, it automatically tracks that cellphone,” Presley said.

Dispatchers in Craighead County work around the clock, seven days a week. Mellenee Bennett actively works in emergency services and began her career in 2001. The public’s access to cellphones sometimes overflows the dispatchers.

“The thing is, if you’re going to take the time to call, give us pertinent information because our phone will just be ringing off the hook with everybody that has a cellphone,” Bennett said.

Last month, 90 percent of 911 calls came in from cellphones, Presley said. Sprint store sales associate Zach Vickers said the E911-texting option gives people another way to contact 911, but with a cost.

“It wasn’t just an inconvenience on consumers. I know it did raise cellphone bills up a small margin. But in doing so, it enabled consumers to be able to make emergency phone calls,” Vickers said.

Downloading emergency cellphone apps onto phones allow for third parties to be involved, not putting you directly with emergency services.

“I would be really weary of any third-party apps or anything that does not connect directly to your local 911 center because it could delay services getting to you,” Presley said.

The dispatchers in Craighead County rely on training and experience and are ready to take emergency calls, Bennett said.

“We’ve got probably 60-to-70 years of experience in here. So if I don’t know where they’re at, somebody’s going to know,” Bennett said.

When an emergency arises, remain calm and pay attention to surroundings, Bennett said. By listing personal information on smart911.com, first responders can use that to help police, fire and EMS in an emergency.