Category Archives: Video

Ridgefield Christian Academy’s Evan Ellenburg featured for DDNS

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By Garrett Finnicum for Delta Digital News Service

Garrett: Hello everyone, my name is Garrett Finnicum. Today, we take you behind the scenes with Evan Ellenburg, a senior standout from Ridgefield Christian and a true “Warrior” on the basketball court. With his sights set on playing at the college level, Evan’s journey is about more than just stats. It’s a story of passion, resilience, and leadership.

Garrett: Evan’s commitment to the game goes beyond high school. He is driven by a dream to play college basketball, a goal he has worked towards since he first stepped on the court. This is the next chapter in his story, one he is ready to face with unshakeable dedication.

Garrett: On the court, Evan’s strengths shine through. His ability to sink tough shots and tenacity on defense make him a formidable opponent, but he is also a player who acknowledges where he can grow, always striving to sharpen his skills and refine his game.

Garrett’s question: So, what are some short-term goals that you would like to accomplish before the season begins, or going back to what you were working on during the offseason?

Evan’s answer: Getting stronger is something a lot of teams have pushed us to do, and it’s something I need to be as well.

Garrett’s question: Are there any specific skills you didn’t have last year that you want to improve this year, going into your senior season?

Evan’s answer: I think getting to the rim a lot more, just going in, creating contact, and finishing.

Garrett’s question: So those are kind of talking about your weaknesses. What strengths would you say you have on the court?

Evan’s answer: Shooting. I think I’m a pretty good shooter, and I can see the floor and make the right pass, which I think helps us out a lot.

Garrett: As a senior, Evan has taken on the role of a mentor, guiding younger teammates with a steady hand and a positive example.

Evan: Just telling them what’s expected and showing them, since they don’t have the most experience, and just showing them what to do.

Garrett: At the core of Evan’s drive is a deep sense of purpose. His motivation comes not just from his dreams of college basketball, but from the support of his family, teammates, and coaches. Every practice, every game, is a step towards proving to himself what he is capable of achieving.

Garrett: With his senior year in full swing, Evan Ellenburg is ready to leave his mark for Ridgefield Christian and improve on his individual stats from his junior season, as shown on the screen: averaging 15.3 PPG, 2.8 APG, and 5.3 RPG.

Garrett: He is more than just a player, he’s a leader, a motivator, and a Warrior. The future looks bright for Evan and any team lucky enough to have him will gain not only a talent player, but a true team leader.

Team: Be humble, be hungry.


VIDEO: National Loving Day

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Interracial couples celebrate freedom on national holiday

Delta Digital News Service

June 12, 2021

By Rangsiya Faihin | Staff Photographer

JONESBORO, Ark. – Every June 12th is the anniversary of national ‘Loving Day’. The day recognizes the interracial relationship of Mildred, a woman of black and Native American ancestry and Richard Loving, a white man who were arrested due to violating the Racial Integrity Act of 1924. However, in 1967, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that it is unconstitutional to ban interracial marriages.

Every June 12th is the anniversary of national ‘Loving Day’. The day recognizes the interracial relationship of Mildred, a woman of black and Native American ancestry and Richard Loving, a white man who were arrested due to violating the Racial Integrity Act of 1924. However, in 1967, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that it is unconstitutional to ban interracial marriages.

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Rangsiya Faihin

Rangsiya Faihin is an engineering senior at Arkansas State University in Jonesboro. She can be reached at: rangsiya.faihin@smail.astate.edu

NOTE: Featured photo by Lareised Leneseur on Unsplash

The Greensborough Village provides high end luxury living

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By Yu Bai
Delta Digital News Service

JONESBORO – A new village is coming to Jonesboro and will offer a  high quality of life experiences for local residents.

The Greensborough Village, which occupies 200-acres, master plan is to establish a “city within a city.” The village envisions an integrated development project that includes opportunities for retail and food. In addition, the village also provides high-end apartments and brings in some potential companies.

JTown’s Grill, a chain restaurant company, is one of the restaurant complex construction owners in the village.

“The infrastructure of the restaurant has been basically completed, and is expected to open in May of next year,” said construction worker Dave Jibson.

Malco Theatre announced it will build its newest VIP Theatre in Greensborough Village. According to Malco Executive Vice-President Jimmy Tashie, Jonesboro is a “Malco town” and has been a rich part of its company’s success.

The new state-of- the-art lifestyle theatre will feature 80-inch full leather reclining seats, a cinema grille with an expanded food menu and beverages, and the latest advanced digital sound and laser technology.

The Greenborough Village will also provide a broad array of home styles that will appeal to residents looking for a private escape.

The Landing at Greensborough Village are luxury apartments that has started leasing out. There are a total of 264 units, and four buildings are open for residents so far.

“As the newest luxury apartment in Jonesboro, it’s exciting because the village is growing out here, and we’re seeing a lot of different variety people coming into Jonesboro,” said Dana Farguhar, the property manager of The Landing at Greensborough Village.

Traffic has always been a concern for some nearby residents and business owners. But with the help of the Arkansas Department of Transportation and city planners, a transportation plan has been developed to create a system that minimizes traffic congestion in that part of the city.

Once the village is completed, it’s estimated that there will be 2,500 people live in.

NOTE: Featured photos by Yu Bai.

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

Trunk ‘r Treat event provides safe Halloween participation

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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

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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

Voters flock to the polls for early voting

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By Yu Bai
Delta Digital News Service

JONESBORO, Ark. – Early voting in Arkansas began on Monday, October 19.

As polls closed on Monday, November 2, over 17,000 people have turned out to vote early in Jonesboro.

A sign displayed at the Jonesboro City Annex encourages everyone to vote. Photo by Yu Bai

“If you wait until the last day, and you could run into instance where there could be errors like machines done or power goes out,” said Nathan Coleman, of Jonesboro Police Department.

According to data from the Arkansas Secretary of State’s office, there are around 22,100 eligible residents that voted early in 2016. In contrast, the number of early voters this year is much lower.

Craighead County has more than 15 voting locations in the county, and because there are no locations assigned, voters can vote wherever they please.

In the city Jonesboro, the Craighead County Election Annex on Jefferson Street is the selected location for early voting.

New candidates and elected officials can also place their names on the ballot in the city of Jonesboro municipal election.

Issues such as term limits for certain positions are on the ballot.

“The term limits are important because I will only serve two terms, but my opponents are not for that. I also want the pay rise during the first year for the term, ” said incumbent Jonesboro Deputy Clerk Stan Mitchell.

President Donald Trump has already received the endorsement of the local Fraternal Order of the Police.

“He actually received all 50 states endorsements from FOP, and it’s obviously the first time in the history that one candidate received all of them,” Coleman said.

Voters have to bring a picture I.D. to cast their ballots. Once the voter’s information is verified, each voter will receive a card with a bar code and stylus. The card is used to upload the voter’s unique ballot to the screen.

Once the voters make a choice, they will receive a new code card. Voters will be instructed to put it in another machine when leaving the voting building.

In Jonesboro, there are total of 20 voting machines that include two machines for disabled people.

In order to ensure a safe social distance, only 20 people are allowed to enter the voting hall at the same time.

Monday, November 2, was the last day to return your absentee ballots.

Note: Featured photo by Yu Bai

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.

Volunteers spruce up Brockett Cemetery

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By Christine Miyawa
Delta Digital News Service

Organizers called off the annual Brockett Cemetery Fall Cleanup Day after a morning downpour interfered with the cleaning.

Volunteers showed up at the cemetery to mow, arrange displaced tombstones, pick up leaves and cut off dry tree branches, but began to leave when rain arrived. The rain, which started as a drizzle before they arrived, continued for the better part of the morning hours.

Lyda Davidson, secretary of the Brockett Cemetery committee, said,

“We couldn’t stay with this rain and you know, coronavirus, we don’t want anyone catching the virus in this weather, we had to call it off.”

Trent Ingram, a member of the committee, said the cleaning event takes place annually.

“Most people who show up volunteer their services,” he said.

The majority of the volunteers buried their families at the Brockett Cemetery.

Five generations of Davidson’s family lay buried there, starting with her great-great-grandfather Jasper B. Penn, born in 1841, having died in 1925. Penn served during the Civil War in the Confederacy as a postmaster. She said the late Penn delivered mail on horseback and wagons.

Not too far from her great-great-grandfather, lay the tombstone of her great-grandfather Solomon Steven Mack and his wife, Barbara Mack.

Next to their grave, her grandfather and grandmother Aaron O. Mack and Ollie F. Mack, behind them, her grandfather’s brother John Adams Mack and his sister Carrie E. Milam.

Then her grandfather, Robert H. Milam and wife, Sara E. Milam, her father Alvin Andrew Milam and mother Eula Mack- Milam’s tombstone lay beside each other on one long black and grey marble stone a little distance away.

Her uncle and aunt lay behind her parents. Her late brother- in- law’s tombstone lay next to her sister’s, who is still alive. And many other family members.

“This cemetery is like home for me. When I’m here, I feel peace,” she said.

In 2015 after her brother-in-law died, Davidson bought a tombstone for herself. A mixture of pink and black marble the size of three soccer balls combined.  The marble rock, neatly cut on the engraved side and rough on the other side, bore her birthdate and engraved motto on the stone which read,

“Death is swallowed up in victory,1 Corinthians 15:54.”

At 75 years old, Davidson said she does not fear death.

“Death is not a lasting thing. We live on. For Christians, it’s a happy feeling,” she said.

Each generation of her family took care of the Brockett Cemetery. They would carry their lunch to work, take breaks to eat and go back to work until they completed the job.

“Sometimes people move the tombstones away to the road nearby, and these rocks are markers. We pick them up during cleaning and return them to their proper positions. We keep this place up to preserve our genealogy, for anyone interested in genealogy, this is a good way to preserve it,” she said, as she pushed out of the way into a stockpile cut weeds from a gravesite.

The weed is called “pork salad”, she pointed. It grows a lot here, and I like it; it’s edible. In the olden days, people used their black seeds as a dye for clothes and ink for writing.

The original name of the Brockett Cemetery was Knotts Cemetery, named after the late Joseph L. Knotts.

Knotts donated the piece of land for burial. Many of his family’s tombstones lie on the cemetery along a line, each bearing the name Knotts, young and old.

The name later changed to Brockett, the name of the community at the location of the cemetery.

Every year, they organize for clean-up in March and in October weather permitting. Volunteers show up from various states.

She said they also get donations from people and use the funds to hire for help in cutting grass and dry tree branches at the cemetery when they cannot find volunteers.

Davidson said they also sponsor community members not able to afford burial sites or tombstones.

“Anyone can be buried at the Brockett Cemetery,” she said.

Davidson says she believes at least three more fresh graves came in 2020. So far, 400 people call Brocket Cemetery their permanent home, even in death.

Davidson said the committee meets twice a year, and they have not come up with a new day to reschedule the clean-up after the rain sabotaged their plans.

She said people could find their contacts at the local funeral homes in Randolph County and neighboring towns.

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.

Veterans’ Village nears completion

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By Yu Bai
Delta Digital News Service

JONESBORO – Military veterans in Jonesboro will soon have a permanent place to call home. Construction of the first ever veterans’ village is in its last stages of completion.

“The village looks to be done on March in the next year,” said Guy Pardew, the vice president of Olympus Construction, “we are really proud of it.”

The construction plans started in 2019, and almost all the basic construction of houses has now been completed.

The village includes nine units which can hold up to 20 people. Two of these units include a two-bedroom floor plan which is designed for veterans with their families. The reaming seven units are one-bedroom apartment.

In addition to living houses, the village will also include a faculty building and a community building that can provide computers to veterans to do their works.

The out-door area will be a common place for veterans to cook together.

The veterans village is a partnership between the city of Jonesboro and Arkansas State University. The Beck Pride Center of A-State is willing to provide combat wounded veterans with first class educational programs and services.

“Our goal is to get these homeless veterans back into society. So with the programming, we’ll use students from different programs like social work, occupational therapy, and physical therapy to provide services to these veterans,” said Lynda Nash, director of the Beck Pride Center.

To better treat those veterans with PTSD and psychological trauma, the Beck Pride Center also provides free classes to them, such as anger management, stress management, and music classes. When veterans join these classes, they will explore to learn more appropriate coping mechanisms with their leaders.

“It’s a national project between us and the village, we’re lucky because Jonesboro is the only city in Arkansas selected to build the village,” Nash said.

The village is built on Aggie Road from Pepsi Beverage warehouses. The Cooper-Mixon Architect Firm is responsible for the construction of the entire village project.

John Mixon, an architect at the Cooper-Mixon Architect Firm, said the house’s actual size is smaller than expected, which is adjusted according to actual needs.

The village is close to the road, so the transportation for veterans is convenient. The  city will provide a complete transportation system that includes bus stops, bicycles, and the JET system.

Total cost of the village is $1.1 million dollars.

DEMOGRAPHIC CHANGE IN POCAHONTAS BRINGS NEW BUSINESSES

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By Christine Miyawa
Delta Digital News Service

POCAHONTAS – The demographic in Pocahontas has changed tremendously in the past five years, as new businesses mushroom to cater to a growing populace of diverse cultures.

Until 2016, the town consisted of 93.6% Caucasian and 0.0% Pacific Islander. In 2015 plans to construct a chicken plant in Pocahontas began, setting in motion the wheel for economic growth the town currently enjoys.

In the beginning, many locals protested the construction of the chicken plant claiming it would open the town to foreigners. Local business owners feared it would cause minimum wage to rise, posing competition for the limited workforce. The city council went through great lengths to educate the locals about diversity and tolerance and how beneficial the chicken plant would be to the town’s economy. After several town hall meetings to convince the locals and business owners, Peco, the chicken processing plant, finally opened its doors in the Spring of 2016. Located along Highway 67 at the border of downtown Pocahontas and Lawrence County.

“Since Peco opened in 2016, our company has recruited 3,879 workers,” said Joie Saienni, the branch manager of Onin Staffing Company that recruits staff for Peco.

The plant hired many locals from management staff to track drivers and sanitation workers. Many locals found jobs in the hatchery, live processing, de-bone unit, evisceration unit and packaging section in quality assurance department, raising the local hourly wages from a minimum of $8.25 to $22 an hour for those working in the live processing.

Initially, the plant hired only locals from Pocahontas and nearby towns within Randolph and Lawrence Counties, but have since replaced them with workers from as far as the Marshall Island, in the Pacific.

With the opening of Peco, the demographic of Pocahontas began to change. The 2010 census shows a population of 6,608, and as of July 2018, the population had risen to 6,644. The 2020 census will tell how much the number has grown since. However, evidence shows a shift in the race composition and growth in new businesses. From 93.6% white, consisting of an older generation above 18 years old, according to the 2010 census, to young Micronesian families from the Marshall Islands.

Many Marshallese have enrolled their children in the Pocahontas Public School system. The superintendent of the Pocahontas School District, Jerry Martens, said Pocahontas School District has 250 new pupils from the Marshall Island.

In 2017 the Pocahontas School District began plans to build a new elementary school to cater to the growing population. The former Pocahontas School District Superintendent Daryl Blaxton predicted in 2017 a rise in the number of new students from 200 – 500 students by 2018. The new elementary school project is underway.

Because of the population shift, several new businesses mushroomed, adding to the growth of the city’s economy.

The city reported steady growth in the past few years with 2019, seeing a rise in revenue of 11%.

Paula Thorpe, who works for the Pocahontas Water and Sewer Company, said that in the past five years, she saw a rise in new water customers from 440 in 2015 to 500 in 2019.

Several businesses, including the grocery chain store Harps, opened in Feb. 15, 2017, giving competition to Walmart Superstore. Harps added to its services, a butchery, providing custom beef cuts and pork cuts.

Soon after the construction of Harps grocery store and a gas station was completed, the First National Bank built a second branch next to Harps, along Highland Boulevard, offering banking opportunities to newcomers and new businesses.

Among its customers is Herman Lopez, who owns a Mexican restaurant in Pocahontas. He has been through the lows of business. A shoe factory, which was a primary employer in the city outsourced when the government signed NAFTA, and with its move, most of the mom and pop businesses in town died. The town square had been left with a few stores as most shops closed down. For more than seven years, Lopez runs his Mexican restaurant, one of the only two Mexican restaurants in town.

Two years ago, he expanded his business, opening a mini-market grocery adjacent to his restaurant to cater to the needs of the Marshallese customers who have moved in town.

The mini-market called Mercadito Latino contains exotic food ranging from Fufu flour-a special kind of flour made from Plantain or Cassava to potteries and house deco. Lopez imports his groceries from far and wide, including Mexico. Lopez says business is booming.

Across the road from Lopez’s store, a new convenience chain store, Jordan’s Kwik Stop 52, a gas station and a travel center opened November 2019. Adding to the growth of the economy of the city. Jordan’s Travel Center is the only travel center in Randolph County along Highway 67.

With many new people in town from different places, the city, which was within a dry county for a good number of years, finally managed to gather enough votes to pass a liquor ordinance. And, as from fall 2019, Walmart, the biggest supermarket in town, began stocking liquor. Pocahontas has since seen its first bar in many years. Located across the road from the Randolph County Chamber of Commerce.

The city has also started work in 2018 to expand its court and jail size.

With the progress the city made due to the change in demographic, there are fears the scourge of the coronavirus outbreak may pose significant setbacks to the progress made over the past few years. But there is faith in the city’s capacity to handle the situation, especially with the merger of St. Bernards Medical Center and the Five Rivers Medical Center in Pocahontas in 2019 to improve services.

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