Author Archives: Courtney Edwards

Patriot Day Ride Commemorates 9/11 Anniversary

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Harley-Davidson Jonesboro hosts bikers from all over the state

By Courtney Edwards | Aspiring Journalist
Delta Digital News Service

JONESBORO, Ark. – Bikers from all over Arkansas came together on Saturday to participate in the “Patriot Day Ride” event hosted by Harley-Davidson of Jonesboro and Freedom Biker Church Arkansas.

Harley-Davidson of Jonesboro General Manager Cara Roach said she wanted to organize a ride to commemorate the 20th anniversary of 9/11.

EDIT_Cara Roach

Harley-Davidson Jonesboro Manager Cara Roach

“What says freedom more than Harley-Davidson and motorcycling? So, we decided to have a ride in remembrance,” Roach said. “We do rides all the time, but we’re a small dealership so when we’re trying to have bigger events, manpower is an issue,” Roach said.

Roach reached out to Todd Nelson, pastor of Freedom Biker Church Arkansas to ask if they would assist in a “blessing of the bikes” and a moment of silence.

The church did just that, as well as provide food for the bikers. Nelson and church members grilled hamburgers and hot dogs for participating bikers returning from the ride.

“We prayed for our country, prayed for our leaders and prayed for the families of those we lost 20 years ago,” Nelson said. “We did that, had a moment of silence and while everybody else rode, we started setting up to cook.”

The bikers took off from Harley-Davidson of Jonesboro around 9:30 a.m. to Black Rock and returned to Jonesboro around noon, where hot food was waiting for them.

Nelson said anyone is welcome to visit Freedom Biker Church Arkansas, regardless of whether they ride or not.

“About 70% of the people that come to church do ride, and about 30% don’t,” Nelson said. “You just are who you are. You don’t have to put on any kind of show to come to church.”

Nelson cooking

Freedom Biker Church Pastor Todd Nelson grills burgers for bikers attending the Patriot Day Ride at Harley-Davidson Jonesboro on Saturday.

Roach said with the anniversary falling on a Saturday, it was easy to get people together to participate.

“I think everybody was feeling very nostalgic about the Sept. 11 attacks and everything going on in the world today, and I think it was just a good excuse for people to get together and ride,” Roach said.

One of the motorcyclists, Mike Horton said he came to the event to honor the fallen. He said he felt bewildered and angry when he first learned about the attacks in 2001.

“I just didn’t feel like we should have been attacked,” Horton said. “That was the first large-scale attack in America that I knew about that killed innocent people.”

Horton wasn’t the only one who was shocked to hear about the tragedy that happened 20 years ago. Nelson said he didn’t understand the scale of it at first.

“I thought it was like a pilot error,” Nelson said. “As we watched the second plane hit, it felt like we were at war.”

Nelson said to him, the 20th anniversary meant remembering a time when America came together as a whole, rather than opposing political or religious sides.

Roach said it made her sick to hear about the attacks. She said she had a coworker at the time who was in the United States Air force. He was reactivated after the attacks and was no longer able to work at Harley-Davidson of Jonesboro.

“It’s shocking to believe that was 20 years ago,” Roach said. “It still seems like yesterday”

Female physicians challenge the status quo

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Local doctors discuss gender perceptions and career challenges

Delta Digital News Service

By Courtney Edwards | Aspiring Journalist

JONESBORO, Ark. – It’s no secret the medical profession is male dominated. However, women outnumber men in six out of 43 medical specialties in the U.S., according to the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC). Those specialties include pediatrics, OB-GYN, ped hematology/oncology, child psychiatry, internal med/pediatrics and geriatrics.

Stereotypes in the Medical Field

When it comes to the stereotype of men pursuing careers as doctors while women go only into nursing, A-State Professor of Philosophy Michele Merritt, PhD, states that although not entirely untrue, the inaccurate notion behind the stereotype could be causing more women to pursue nursing rather than more advanced medical degrees.

“The thing about stereotypes is that they are not entirely false,” Merritt said. “They are overblown and oversimplified depictions of something based in reality. This doesn’t mean that all women ​in the medical field go into nursing, of course. In any case, there is definitely an imbalance. This is changing, but change happens gradually.”

Merritt explained a phenomenon called “stereotype threat.” It involves a prevailing stereotype actually affecting someone’s performance in a specific field.

“So, for example, if you keep pushing the stereotype that girls cannot do math, and girls hear this message, they do not do well in math in school,” Merritt said. “If you instead empower them and build them up, their scores go up.

Merritt says she doesn’t have definitive evidence that’s why more women go into the field of nursing, but believe that the ‘men are doctors and women are nurses’ prevailing stereotype hampers the pursuit of women into field.

“I don’t have any proof that this is occurring in nursing, but my guess is that stereotype threat is keeping women from pursuing more advanced medical careers because many of them don’t believe they are capable.”

Equality During Training

Although men outnumber women in advanced medical practices, it doesn’t mean women aren’t treated equally among them.

Dr. Stacy Wilbanks specializes in wound care at NEA Baptist Hospital in Jonesboro. She said she felt was always treated equally during her training.

“I didn’t feel that I was at any disadvantage for being a female,” Wilbanks said.

Two other female physicians from NEA Baptist also said they never felt they were at any disadvantage, but they also recognize they live in a time of change.

Dr. Lauren Barr, a resident specializing in internal medicine, said she feels lucky to live in a time where she is able to choose to pursue a professional career in medicine.

“I think that medicine traditionally has been a very male-dominated field,” Barr said. “I’m fortunate enough to pursue medicine at a time that’s starting to shift. I do think some of those old attitudes of ‘women are the homemakers. They are supposed to have children’ are still there.”

Barr also said even though these attitudes still exist, they are much less prominent than she originally thought they would be. Considering some of the stories she’s heard from her older colleagues, she said she feels fortunate she hasn’t had to go through some of the things they have.

As an OBG/YN, Dr. Jodi Turano said she felt being a female has actually helped her professionally rather than hinder her. Still, she said she’s experienced some gender discrimination in her career.

“I have had run-ins with certain people post residency that kind of treated me slightly different because I’m a female,” Turano said. “I don’t know if that’s definitely the case, but that’s how I took it.”

The Gender Pay Gap

According to the AAMC, in 2019, women working in medical institutions were still being paid less than their male counterparts. The gender pay gap can be explained by women leading towards careers in lower-paying medical specialties.  Women are also more likely to choose flexibility over higher salaries, especially if they have children.  

“Because I want to spend as much time with my kids, I recognize that I am not going to make as much money as the guy who’s willing to spend every other weekend working extra shifts,” Wilbanks said.

Turano said if women go through the same training as men, the pay gap shouldn’t be there. “We go through the same training as a male physician,” she said. “We shouldn’t be treated any differently.”

Although women still face challenges in the medical field, times are changing. Change is gradual, but as more women enter the medical field, the more represented and equal they feel.

“We are already busting this stereotype mentally, but our practices are slow to catch up,” Merritt said. “I think one thing that we need to be constantly reminded of is that ‘men’ and ‘women’ are terms that describe two gender identities and do not have much (if anything) to do with capabilities or aptitude.”

Note: Featured image shows from left, physicians Lauren Barr, Stacy Wilbanks and Jodi Turano.

The Sun switches to USPS delivery

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Former newspaper delivery drivers saw it coming 

By Courtney Edwards | Aspiring Journalist
Delta Digital News-Service

JONESBORO, Ark. – Jonesboro’s local newspaper, “The Sun”, recently announced a change to their delivery service. Beginning Apr. 27 the paper will no longer be delivered to homes by newspaper delivery drivers, but the United States Postal Service.

Lesia Brown worked as a carrier for “The Sun” for 27 years. She said the change in the delivery system didn’t surprise her much.

“We kind of saw it coming,” Brown said. “They’ve lost of lot of subscribers. I used to have 600 papers and then I had 375.”

Brown blamed the downfall of subscribers to the Internet. She also said after the tornado tore through Jonesboro in March 2020 and the COVID-19 pandemic caused businesses to close, subscriptions declined even more.

John Erickson worked as a carrier for The Sun for over 20 years as well. He said he was surprised about the change at first.

“It caught me by surprise at first, but then it didn’t,” Erickson said. “I knew something was coming. The numbers they were printing every night were just slowly decreasing.”

Both Brown and Erickson said they thought “The Sun” would eventually close down or at least switch to a completely online version. Neither saw much of a future ahead of the century-old paper.

Subscriber Cheryl Robbins said she would not read “The Sun” anymore if it switched to digital copies only.

“I’m a paper person,” Robbins said. “With over 75,000 in a town, we can’t discontinue our town paper.”

Robbins said the switch to mail delivery would affect her the most in the summer, since she was used to reading through the paper while sitting on her deck with a cup of coffee in the mornings.

Brown used to deliver “The Sun” to many subscribers in Jonesboro, including Diana Davis, an award-winning anchor for KAIT-TV in Jonesboro. Davis published an appreciation post for Brown to Facebook on Apr. 25.

“I was so surprised,” Brown said. “It made me cry.”

Erickson also had his fair share of appreciative subscribers. He said he already missed his job as a carrier because he especially enjoyed making sure their paper was delivered on time and placed where they wanted it.

Both Brown and Erickson said they hadn’t thought of what the future holds for them yet. At 60 years old, Brown said she knows it would be hard for her to find another job. Luckily, she was already working a second job before the switch to mail delivery.

Erickson said although he hadn’t thought about what he would do next, he was looking forward to being able to sleep more after all those long nights delivering papers.

“The Jonesboro Sun” did not respond immediately to requests for comment.

The paper will continue to be delivered to homes Tuesday-Saturday, and the e-Edition will be available online every morning at 5 a.m.

In addition to this, “The Sun” also announced a new weekend edition of the paper to replace their current Sunday edition. The first weekend edition was distributed May1, and included color comics, Parade Magazine and their TV Entertainment book along with advertising circulars and specials.

Note: Feature photo by Courtney Edwards

Huckabee Sanders’ Freedom Tour Rally Comes to Town

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Gubernatorial candidate seeks support from northeast Arkansas voters

Delta Digital News Service

By Courtney Edwards | Aspiring Journalist

Sept. 9, 2021

JONESBORO, Ark. – Arkansas gubernatorial candidate Sarah Huckabee Sanders arrived at the ASU Regional Farmers’ Market for her Freedom Tour rally Wednesday.

“I may just have to relocate permanently to Jonesboro with that kind of welcome,” Sanders said as she addressed the crowd.  Sanders mentioned the friendly faces looking back at her. “So many times, when I’ve come up and taken a microphone in front of a crowd, the faces aren’t so friendly,” she said.

Sanders, a republican, spoke of her position as former White House press secretary for President Donald Trump, as well as her familial tie to politics as  the daughter of former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee who served as the states 44th governor.

“I was in college before I knew it wasn’t normal to spend your weekends and summers passing out brochures and asking people to vote for my parents,” Sanders said.

Sarah Sanders 2

Arkansas gubernatorial candidate Sarah Huckabee Sanders addresses the crowd during her Freedom Tour rally at the ASU Regional Famers’ Market in Jonesboro on Wednesday.

Bill Ennis of Jonesboro said he supported Sanders because she believes in the same things he believes – hard work and dedication.

“I like her dad,” Ennis said. “She did a great job when she worked for Donald Trump and she’s what Arkansas needs.”

She followed in her father’s footsteps by attending Ouachita Baptist University, where she served as a member of the student senate while pursuing a bachelor of arts in political science and a minor in mass communications. Sanders  graduated in 2004.

Sanders was the third woman to ever fill the position as White House press secretary. Now, she’s hoping to become Arkansas’s first female governor.

Sanders said being a mom helped her to keep her priorities in place for her role as press secretary. When she started, her kids were ages 5, 3 and 1.  

“One of the reasons I’m running for Governor of Arkansas is because I want to make sure the path in front of my kids, and the path in front of every kid growing up in this state, is free and clear so that they can run full speed towards whatever it is that they want,”

– Sarah Huckabee Sanders

Josh Hannah of Paragould said he attended the event to hear what Sanders had to say to decide whether he wanted to vote for her or not. He agreed with Sanders about protecting the Second Amendment.

“She hasn’t said anything that I disagree with, so I support her,” Hannah said. “It may change, but until then, it won’t.”

During her time as press secretary, Sanders had to defend Trump’s controversial or seemingly contradictory statements which led to her own credibility becoming questionable.

After her announcement to run for governor, NPR reported that in May 2017, Sanders told reporters Trump fired then FBI Director James Comey after White House officials “heard from countless members of the FBI” that rank-and-file members had lost confidence in Comey. Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s report said what Sanders said was not true.

Sanders, a republican, said she experienced some criticism on her tour around the state, saying she was “nationalizing the race.”

“And my answer to those people-you bet I am.… We have people in Washington in leadership, the radical left that are not OK just changing policy,” she said. “They want to fundamentally change who we are as a country. And we cannot sit back and do nothing and allow that to happen.”

A supporter of Sanders, Gary Harpole of Jonesboro attended the rally with his wife, Lisa. He said electing the right governor was very important, and he believed Sanders was the right choice.

“We believe in her vision for the state and her vision for the community,” Harpole said. “She has shown a tremendous effort to Northeast Arkansas and that’s just real important.”

Sanders said Arkansas needs a governor who is capable of leading the fight. She said not only would she wage that fight, but she would win it.

“Not only will I be a fighter,” Sanders said. “I will be the leader that our state needs to take us straight to the top.”

Gov. Asa Hutchinson is term-limited and cannot seek reelection. Sanders announced her run for Governor on Jan. 25, 2021. The election will be held on Nov. 8, 2022.

Coronavirus symptoms plague student

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By Courtney Edwards | Aspiring Journalist
Delta Digital News Service

JONESBORO, Ark. – COVID-19 cases in Arkansas have been declining, but people are still feeling the effects of the pandemic.

Arkansas State University junior, Shannon Johnson of Batesville, was exposed to coronavirus last year. Although research from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggests it can take up to two weeks after exposure to feel any symptoms, Johnson said she felt symptoms the day after being exposed and decided to get tested. It was positive.

Johnson said the loss of her taste and smell affected her the most while she was sick. Now, however, her sense of taste and smell have returned (for the most part), but she’s experiencing trouble breathing.

Arkansas State University student Shannon Johnson discusses her plight dealing with the post-Covid-19 symptoms.

“Around Jan. 22, I started being unable to breathe properly,” Johnson said. “And so, I had to go back to the doctor, and they were like, ‘so COVID has affected your lungs a little bit in the aftermath, so you’re going to have to start carrying around an inhaler.’”

“And so, I had to go back to the doctor, and they were like, ‘so COVID has affected your lungs a little bit in the aftermath, so you’re going to have to start carrying around an inhaler.’” 

– Shannon Johnson

Johnson said she had perfectly good lungs before being infected with coronavirus and never had to use an inhaler. As a music major, the ailment makes it difficult for her to play her favorite instrument, the saxophone.

Johnson’s goal is to become an elementary music teacher but hopes her struggles with post COVID symptoms won’t interfere with her goals. Johnson’s parents, Ben and Tina Johnson, said they were proud of how well their daughter has adjusted after having the coronavirus.

“We raised her to face her challenges [and] step up and do what you’ve got to do,” her father said. “I realize it’s been tough on her, but she’s been handling it.”

“I realize it’s been tough on her, but she’s been handling it.”

– Ben Johnson (Shannon’s father)

Johnson visited the A-State Student Health Center (SHC) operated by New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine at A-State, known as the NYITCOM at Arkansas State University Medical Clinic.

According to Johnson, the medical professional she saw told her that nothing looks physically wrong with her lungs. They didn’t give her a time frame describing how long her symptoms could last. They only told her it would take time to feel normal again.

“The doctor said, ‘you need to work your lungs back [to normal]. They might not come back to what they used to be, but there’s a possibility that they will,’” Johnson said. “It’s like 50/50 is what they told me.”

Gavin Lesnick, public information director for the Arkansas Department of Health, said it was unknown why some people with no preexisting conditions may suffer from long-term symptoms of COVID-19.

“Some young people may have medical conditions that make them more susceptible to COVID-19 complications,” Lesnick said. “In general, we find that severe COVID-19 cases are less likely in younger people than in older people.”

Johnson’s parents said Johnson is covered by Trustmark health insurance provided by her mother’s workplace, White River Medical Center. According to Johnson’s parents, the insurance covered all of her medical expenses up to the deductible. Johnson will be able to stay on this insurance plan until she is 27.

Although the symptoms took a hard toll on Johnson, she said the hardest part about having coronavirus was having to miss her family during Christmas.

CLICK THE LINK BELOW TO LEARN MORE OF JOHNSON’S COVID-19 EXPERIENCE.

COVID-19 – A Mild Case Could Result in Long-Term Symptoms


Courtney Edwards is a multimedia journalism senior in The School of Media and Journalism at Arkansas State University. She can be reached at courtney.edwards@smail.astate.edu.

Paragould voters speak out on election day

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By Courtney Edwards
Delta Digital News Service

PARAGOULD, Ark. — Voting in this year’s presidential election was unlike anything the nation had ever seen before during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Photo by Courtney Edwards

There was a record number in absentee ballots cast. Some voters in Paragould said that it made it easier for those who did show up at the polls on election day.

“This is the easiest I’ve ever voted before,” Paragould voter J.J. Qualls said. “Normally, there’s lines and lines and it takes an hour or two, but I walked right in and came out five minutes later. I don’t know if it’s been like this all day or what, but it’s amazing.”

Although the pandemic may have made the line at the polls shorter, the nation’s voter turnout has increased by over 2% compared to the 2016 general election, according to the Washington Post. Out of the voting eligible population, 62.4% voted in the 2020 election as of Nov. 4, compared to 60.1% from 2016.

President Donald Trump won the state of Arkansas in the 2020 presidential election with 62.6% of votes. However, former Vice President Joe Biden won the presidential election with 290 electoral votes as of Nov. 7, according to the Associated Press.

Arkansas’s results may have been disappointing for Paragould voter, Wilburn McCracken, but the national results were still in his favor.

“We definitely need a change. The one we have is just too rambunctious and too radical,” McCracken said.  “He doesn’t have sensibility for the little man, and we need somebody who will represent everybody.”

Mayoral candidate, Josh Agee was recently elected as Mayor of Paragould on Nov. 3. Jonathan Walker, a voter from Paragould, said he was excited to see the results of the mayoral election.

“I liked [Agee’s] energy and I liked how prepared he was for everything, so we’ll see how he does,” Walker said.

Along with the presidential election, Arkansas ballots included three proposed constitutional amendments to decide:

Issue 1: 0.5% permanent sales tax for state highways, country roads, city streets, bridges, and other surface transportations.

 

Issue 2: Arkansas term limits amendment to eliminate life-time term limits and prohibit legislators from serving more than 12 years in a row but allow them to serve for 12 more after four years have passed.

 

Issue 3: Change the date when voter signatures are due for statewide ballot measures from four months ahead of the election to Jan. 15 of the election year, increase the number of counties where voter signatures must be collected from 15 to 45, establish Apr. 15 of the election year as the deadline for filing lawsuits challenging statewide ballot measures, and eliminate the cure period for local ballot measures if the first found of signatures does not meet the threshold.

Issue 1 and 2 were approved on Nov. 3, but Issue 3 was not approved.

Residents in Paragould generally were not worried about disturbances from the public after the election results were announced, but nationally no one knows what could happen. Retailers all over the nation have been preparing for unrest after the election since October.

“I’m not so much worried here, in our little, small town, but throughout the United States, I’m scared there are going to be some bad things that happen,” Kelly Gibson, a voter from Paragould, said.

In Little Rock, police said they had an operation plan in place with how they would respond if civil unrest took place. Portland, Philadelphia, and Minneapolis are among cities which have already seen unrest as of Nov. 4, before the election results were even released. Fox News reported that many of the protests were being led by Black Lives Matter movements.

“The past several presidencies have really caused a lot of tension from right and left,” Walker said. “But I think here in Arkansas everybody seems to get along for the most part.”

Note: Featured photo by Courtney Edwards

Lawrence County deals with rise in coronavirus cases

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By Courtney Edwards
Delta Digital News Service

WALNUT RIDGE, Ark. – Lawrence County continues to see an increase in COVID-19 cases. The Arkansas Department of Health reported a total of 685 confirmed cases as of Oct. 21.

“We are closely monitoring the cases in Lawrence County, as well as the rest of Arkansas, and are taking steps to stop the spread of COVID-19 going forward,” Gavin Lesnick, public information director for the Arkansas Department of Health, said. “These steps include making testing available throughout the state and educating people on the importance of simple precautions that can make a big difference like wearing face masks, keeping a safe distance from others in group settings and washing hands frequently.”

The county reported 134 new known cases over the past week according to USAFacts, a non-profit organization which offers a non-partisan portrait of the U.S. population. There were 747 cumulative confirmed and probable cases as of Tuesday compared to 613 reported on the previous Tuesday. 53 cases were reported in one day on Oct. 15.

Along with 134 new cases, the county also reported two new deaths from COVID-19, bringing the total to 15. The total of recovered cases, however, was 518 as of Wednesday with the total of active cases at 150.

Local businesses have noticed the increase in cases recently. Although, it doesn’t directly affect most businesses, the pandemic has still implemented many changes for them.

“The way we have to do things is so different,” Erika Shields, owner of Shields Home Medical Equipment in Walnut Ridge, said. “That’s where it’s impacted us and been so stressful.”

Shields said the business has had to make changes to the way they handle equipment, how they get the equipment to customers, and even how they handle customers in person.

“Things are a lot less personal than it used to be. We’re a small, locally-owned business, so that’s super important to us,” Shields said. “We’re happy to do a lot of curbside or delivery.”

Shields said although the pandemic has changed the way she runs her business, she’s grateful for her own and her staff’s health. She said her staff has been exposed to COVID-19 from customers who came in before being diagnosed, but no one has tested positive from Shields Home Medical Equipment.

Out of the 747 cases reported in Lawrence County on Tuesday, many of them may be reflected in the number of cases from the Lawrence Hall Nursing Center. ADH reported 120 residents had tested positive as of Monday. 112 of these cases were reported to still be active while six have recovered and two have died. In addition, 62 staff members have tested positive.

“We never like to see cases increase and each death is a tragedy,” Lesnick said.

Lawrence County reported a relatively low number of new cases of COVID-19 throughout the early months of the year, with the highest number of new known cases in one day being 13 cases reported on Apr. 30. Reported cases started depleting in May all the way through July with many days reporting zero new cases. Although Lawrence County peaked in cases around April, it seems as though cases will start to arise with colder weather.

More active cases of COVID-19 were reported in Lawrence County during September and October than ever before. The state of Arkansas reported a total of 95,399 confirmed cases as of Oct. 20 according to ADH.

“The number of cumulative cases shows the extent to which COVID-19 can spread and underscores how important it is to be proactive in preventing continued transmission,” Lesnick said.

The ADH reported a total of 636 hospitalizations of COVID-19 patients in Arkansas on Wednesday. Of those hospitalized, 99 are on ventilators.

“Patients with symptoms of COVID-19 should get tested,” Lesnick said. “Testing is available in a number of places, including by appointment at local health units in every county in Arkansas. If a patient tests positive, they will need to isolate to prevent exposing others while they are infectious. They should check with their health care provider as symptoms develop or worsen.”

To help communities remember how to help stop the spread of COVID-19, ADH released directives on how to stay safe during the pandemic. Lesnick said a way people can help is “adhering to the Three W’s: wear a face mask, watch your distance, and wash your hands.”

Note: Featured photo by Courtney Edwards

Imboden Fire Dept gets rating upgrade

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By Courtney Edwards
Delta Digital News Service

IMBODEN, Ark. — The Imboden Fire Department will achieve the second lowest rating possible from the Insurance Services Office (ISO).

“An ISO rating is your ability to do things with your fire department,” said Imboden Fire Chief Jim Jones.

“Based on those ratings, you get a score and that affects the insurance on your homes, businesses, and those types of things,” he said.

The Imboden Fire Department lowered its ISO rating from three to two. The new rating will take effect Dec. 1.

ISO ranks fire departments from one to 10, with one being the best and 10 not meeting basic requirements. A score of five or higher is good, three is great, and one or two places the department among the best in the nation.

This means property owners in Imboden could see lower rates in the coming year. Insurance companies use ISO’s ratings to determine homeowner insurance rates.

Imboden Mayor Chris Jones said, “It saves people money because of our ability to put out structure fires. It also saves on property losses.”

ISO judges fire departments all across the nation on four categories: fire equipment and staffing/training (50 %), water supply (40 %), and efficiency of emergency communication (10 %). The mayor said the fire department improved in all four categories since the last time they received an ISO rating five years ago.

“If there should be an incident,” Jones said, “I think they’d feel comfortable that we’re going to be there as quick as we can with good equipment that’s going to work, we’re going to have a water supply, and the firemen are going to do their job and save their property.”

The Imboden Fire Department has 25 volunteer fire fighters. None are full-time, so many are retirees or work other jobs. Jones said they all care about the community and work hard to protect it. The fire department hosts training meetings once a month along with occasional special training.

“It makes me feel good as the mayor that we have one of the best fire departments in the state, especially for our size,” the mayor said.

It’s uncommon for a small town to reach such a low ISO rating. Maumelle has a population of over 18,000 and the Maumelle Fire Department was given an ISO rating of 2 in 2017, while Imboden’s population is under 700.

The Imboden Fire Department has gone through a few changes since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Along with wearing masks and socially distancing at meetings, Jones said they sometimes get paged to medical calls for which they don’t have the proper equipment to protect themselves. They worry about exposing their families as well. Jones and the mayor are very proud of the volunteers for achieving such an accomplishment even through the struggles the year has brought.

“I’ve been here for about 56 years,” Jones said. “I saw it basically from the beginning to now, and obviously, I’m very proud.”

Jones joined the Imboden Fire Department at 16 years old. After watching the fire fighters, he became interested in participating. He’s been involved with the fire department ever since with an exception to the time he spent in the military.

“Back then we didn’t have any equipment to wear,” Jones said. “We didn’t have any training. It was just a bunch of citizens that wanted to help the community.”

Note: Featured photo and video by Courtney Edwards.

Animal shelter seeks items for flea market fundraiser

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By Courtney Edwards
Delta Digital News Service

PARAGOULD – The Greene County Animal Farm is asking for donations from the community as they gather items to sell for their semi-annual flea market.

“It’s to make money to pay for the dogs and cats at the shelter-for their food and their vet bills,” Sharon Vines, a volunteer for the shelter, said.

Located between Paragould and Jonesboro, the animal farm hosts flea markets every Saturday. But, in November, they will host a bigger sale, to bring more funds to the shelter. More items will be up for sale during this event.

Vines said donations for the flea market can include items such as furniture, pictures, clothes, shoes, or knickknacks.

The shelter houses animals of all kinds including dogs, cats, horses and pigs. Vines said they could also use donations of dog and cat food, treats, collars, paper towels, and cleaning supplies.

The shelter can’t take in any foster animals at this time because they are at capacity. The animals at the shelter have needs that are hard to meet without help from the community.

“We’re always full. We always have a full plate of animals. So many animals,” Vines said.

Because the animal farm is usually at full capacity, they want people from the community to make sure an animal is homeless before picking them up and taking them to a shelter. Many times, a loose animal is actually someone’s pet that is lost. If the animal looks to be starving, injured, or has parasites, it can be assumed that they are homeless and need help.

The same idea applies to wild animals. Finding a baby opossum or raccoon with no sign of the mother is no reason to worry. The mother is probably looking for food and will come back to its baby shortly. In this situation, it’s best to leave the animal alone and come back later to make sure the mother came back for it.

The Greene County Animal Farm is run only by volunteers. All of the supplies and money earned from donations, adoption fees, and the flea-markets go to the animal’s needs. The animal farm is a no-kill shelter, so every animal gets the best care possible.

The shelter hopes to provide forever homes to all of their animals, but the COVID-19 pandemic has strained their operations. The shelter has seen a decrease in adoptions and the number of volunteers that care for the animals.

“Not as many people go out there to volunteer or see the animals. They may not adopt or donate as much because they’re out of a job,” Vines said.

Individuals interested in helping the animal farm can volunteer or adopt, however,  if neither is possible, donate. Donating unwanted items for the flea markets helps the shelter pay for the animal’s necessities.

The semi-annual flea-market will be Nov. 7 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and the shelter is open by appointment only. Call (870) 240 8117 to have volunteers pick up any donated items for the flea market or to ask about volunteering or adopting.

 

Note: Featured photos courtesy of Greene County Animal Farm.