Monthly Archives: November 2020

Trunk ‘r Treat event provides safe Halloween participation

Posted on by

By Yoshika Shibata
Delta Digital News Service

JONESBORO, Ark. – In the shadow of the upcoming Halloween holiday, coronavirus cases continue to surge in Northeast Arkansas.

According to the White House Coronavirus Task Force’s weekly report, Craighead and five other NEA counties remain in the “red zone” for COVID cases.

Craighead was third in the state, behind Pulaski and Washington, with the highest number of new cases over the last three weeks.

However, Halloween celebrations continued despite the rise.

Halloween this year looked a little different in order to keep everyone safe.

After much thought and consideration, organizers with Miracle Kids Success Academy decided to provide something fun for the Jonesboro community that also followed social distancing guidelines.

The event was a ‘Drive-Thru Trunk or Treat’ where participants experienced a Halloween trick or treating experience with a twist.

Samantha Goodwin of Miracle Kids Success Academy said, “This is actually the first year that we are doing the Trunk or Treat, and the reason we did it is because we wanted to provide a little bit normalcy for the Jonesboro Community during pandemic that we have.”

All volunteers wore costumes and masks and sanitized their hands after distributing candy and treats to each car.

“We asked businesses about it and to kind of see where they are at, where their heads were at and if they wanted to participate. The overwhelmingness of everybody wanting to have that normalcy… was really what drove us to this,” Goodwin said.

Several businesses and organizations such as NEA Baptist Clinic, Premiere Auto, Alpha Omicron Pi and Diego Ranch participated in the event along with Miracle Kids.

Volunteers decorated vehicles and provided candies for visitors.

Lynn Elliott of NEA Baptist Clinic said, “We are just wanting to support Miracle Kids and also to let people know about our clinic as well as about NEA Baptist Clinic Pediatrics, about doctors and providers there.”

Volunteers wore costumes while dancing to a music as carloads drove by.

Note: Feature photo by Yoshika Shibata

Halloweeners’ costume hunt amid pandemic

Posted on by

By Yoshika Shibata
Delta Digital News Service

JONESBORO, Ark. – Retail store Spirit Halloween filled with customers this weekend shopping for costumes for the Halloween season.

The store sells a wide variety of Halloween décor, animatronics, costumes and accessories for trick-or-treating or throwing a Halloween themed parties.

However, the coronavirus pandemic has interrupted traditional seasonal celebrations.

Like most businesses, Spirit Halloween has made adjustments in the way it does business to compensate during the pandemic.

The store limited its shopper capacity to encourage social distancing for customer’s safety.

Six-year veteran store Sales Clerk Jennifer Huggins has noticed certain challenges when shopping but says shoppers have adapted to the changes.

Huggins said, “It’s been a lot harder because we can’t open our fitting rooms and bathrooms, but it’s been pretty simple with the masks, and people are holding their masks and coming in with their masks, so that helps a lot.”

Huggins loves the themed environment she works in along with helping people.  “It’s fun to see all the kids pick out their new costumes. Adults get excited about little things–It’s a whole lot of fun,” she said.

Shopper Ashley Sellers of Jonesboro came to the store to get some last-minute costumes to celebrate. Sellers lost her job due to the pandemic but still plans to celebrate.

“I think it’s going to be different, but I’m excited that we are still doing it. I just don’t think its many people that are going to be into it like normal,” she said concerning celebrations.

Josh and Bliss Hickerson of Tennessee shopped for costumes for their daughters.

“This year is definitely different cause there is not much going on. We don’t know of many in our area that are celebrating. We are probably taking them to the Memphis Zoo,” Bliss said.

Even though this year’s Halloween celebrations is a particular challenge to enjoy, many people in northeast Arkansas still planned to participate in traditional trick-or-treating events dressing as their favorite characters.

Note: Featured photo by Yoshika Shibata