Tag Archives: Pocahontas

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.

WATER VOLLEYBALL COMING TO THE POCAHONTAS AQUARIUM

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By Christine Miyawa
Delta Digital News Service

POCAHONTAS – The department of parks and recreation will, in mid-Spring, begin a water volleyball league for both men and women at the aquarium located at the Pocahontas Community Center.

Parks and Recreation Officer Mark Turner said during a city council meeting on February 11 he was in the initial planning stages of forming the league. He said the committee would hold monthly meetings from 5 p.m. at the center to work on getting more members to join.

“We will have schedules and hopefully, we will have four teams to compete in the league. Come the next city council meeting; I will have more rules for the park and recreation committee to review,” Turner said.

He said there would be league fees to help pay for officials and referees. However, the city council will fund the purchase of other equipment.

During the meeting, Councilman Wayne Broadway suggested that Turner look at gym equipment Gary Snow, the owner of a local gym, proposed to sell to the Pocahontas Aquarium.

Snow said he was ready to dispose of the gym equipment at a quarter the cost of new equipment.

    NO MORE CONCUSSIONS FOR THE POCAHONTAS REDSKINS

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POCAHONTAS – The Pocahontas School District football team will have new helmets as Coach Charles Baty requested the board to purchase new, improved concussion resistant helmets from Xenith, a new helmets manufacturing company, on Feb. 24.

Baty said they could buy the Xenith helmets which, go for $440 each through a Stack program where the school will pay $125 per helmet. He said the Xenith helmets are made with the latest technology which include an adjustable pad and band, and can be custom adjusted to fit large and small size heads.

“My main concern is to keep our children safe, and the new helmets are of superior quality, number one rated according to a Virginia Tech study. We received a case of reported concussion and we don’t want that to happen to our children. My goal is to put them in the best helmet; we all look alike; we all feel valued,” Baty said.

Baty said the helmets they used before, although of durable quality, did not have the adjustable pads and bands to keep the helmet tightly fixed on the players’ heads. The team currently has only 12 concussion resistant helmets. The new helmets, if purchased, will cost $40 each to recondition every year for five years.

Baty said both junior and senior high school teams needed a total of 115 helmets. Currently, the school spends $41,000 a year to recondition the current helmets.

“From the financial step, I think this is a good deal, coach your looking after the kids impresses me,” Gary Cole, the vice president of the board, said.

Cole said putting the children’s welfare first was more important. He said the helmet was also affordable and within the football budget.

“What I like about this Xenith helmet is you can tighten the bands and custom it to fit your child’s head such that when it’s knocked, it doesn’t fall off,” Secretary Karen Baltz reiterated.

In the girls’ basketball games, senior girls will play Pulaski Robinson in the first round of regionals at Valley View Thursday, Feb. 27, beginning at 4.p.m.

New travel center opens in Pocahontas

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By Christine Miyawa
Delta Digital News Service

POCAHONTAS – A new convenience store opened its second location in Pocahontas.

The Jordans Kwik Stop #52 is located at Highway 67 and Carter Lane in uptown Pocahontas, beside Randolph Memorial Gardens Cemetery. Unlike the current convenience store, the new travel center contains a diesel truck stop, however, no showers are included.

Although the first store is still operating, Jordan’s Kwik Stop #52 Manager Devin Soles said more people are coming into the new travel center since it opened Nov. 1.

“It’s crazy. Many people are walking in from all the doors. They say they like the store because it’s new, clean and a family environment, so it’s good,” Soles said.

The store side doors open to a lounge with black leather couches where customers can relax and watch television or sit at the dining area next to the lounge with a restaurant-style setting. The service center has four diesel pumps and over 20 spaces for big trucks to park. Soles said they take Comdata, EFS, T- check and a variety of fuel cards.

Kenny Rasmussen, a driver associate working for Crete Carrier Trucking Company said he liked the travel center because it’s clean, the workers are friendly, the center has a large parking space for trucks as well as a clearly marked truck entrance and exit.

“It’s nice to have a place to park a big truck. There are not enough places to do that. This is our first time at this center; we definitely will keep it in the memory bank for being able to park here safely,” Rasmussen said.

Soles said, “Unlike a regular truckstop, the downside to the center is we currently do not have showers for the trucker.”

A.J. Parker, a customer traveling on his way to Texas, stopped at the store to charge his phone on the available plug-ins the store provides for customers.

Soles said store 52 is the first of the Jordans’ stores to sell Big Rock Pizza in its food deli inside the store while all its other stores are selling Hunts Pizza.

“People are loving the food and pizza. Our pizza is quick and takes only three minutes to make from scratch.  Before those in the trucking business are even done fueling, we’ve made a fresh high-quality pizza. That’s hard to beat; people here are loving it,” Soles said.

He said they can custom make the pizza for a customer. The deli also makes specialty pizza with beer sauce wings. Pizza price ranges from $7.99 to $11.99.

The store offers free coffee for police officers on duty, so more police officers are visiting and helping with security.

Sara Caster, the nightshift lead at the store said it’s her first time working at a convenience store. She works with 20 other co-workers. She said the store runs three shifts.

“We get so busy at the deli; we are open 24 hours. There is a rush hour when Peco employees come to the store; they come in groups and they want hot food and energy drinks,” Caster said.

Peco is a chicken plant just a few blocks away from the store.

Caster said the minimum wage the store pays is $9.65 an hour but she is not worried about the salary competiton from Peco, which pays a minimum of over $13 an hour.

“Peco is a factory, they are mass producing and the workload is just not the same. Besides, I don’t and have not earned a minimum wage in a long time,” Caster said.

Soles said so far, the travel center filled all the employee positions.

T’Ricks, the closest convenience store is located just on the opposite side of the road to the new Jordans currently faces a lot of competition from the new Jordans Travel Center. T’Ricks also hosts the Citgo gas station. Citgo changed all its old and slow fuel pumps and replaced them with new ones a few weeks before the opening of the new Jordan’s Kwik Stop.

“The old pumps dispensed gas slowly. We went 50/50 with Citgo company on the new pumps,” Mohamed Zoro, the T’Ricks manager said.

With the more efficient fuel pumps, they may keep their old customers from running away to the new Jordans.

“Business is slow, we are headed to the holidays,” Zoro said.

Rancho Bravo, a Mexican restaurant and store also opposite the new Jordans gave its building a new face-look keeping up with the competition.

All three stores serve hot meals and are competing for the same customers, especially the customers from Peco food processing plant.

Presently, Exxon, the oil and gas company stationed at the new travel center, has a reward program giving its customers a discount of $.50 per gallon on gas. The station sells gas cheapest compared to all other fueling stations in Pocahontas.

“Everyone seems to be going to the new travel center, but, after the novelty dies down, we know they will be back,” Zoro said.

Soles said they foresee a brighter future for the travel center because it’s the only one currently in Pocahontas. They also look forward to getting a liquor license Nov. 13 and are expecting more customers to come to the store to utilize their lounge and dining area.

Editor’s Note-Feature Photo taken by Christine Miyawa

Safety first during Pocahontas Novemberfest

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By Maddison Smith
Delta Digital News Service

POCAHONTAS – Law enforcement will be present during the first inaugural Novemberfest, making residents feel safer. The city will hold its first inaugural Novemberfest in historic downtown Pocahontas on November 1 through 2.

Co-Chairmen of the Novemberfest John Allen French said there will be law enforcement present during the festival. Pocahontas Chief of Police David Edington said there will be full-time officers, part-time officers and volunteer reserve officers at the festival. “Just for the general safety. It’s not anything dealing with the fact that we are afraid it’s going to get out of hand; there is still traffic around those areas, so it’s about safety and being visible.”

   The streets that will be blocked off:

  • North Marr Street
  • West Pyburn Street
  • North Van Bibbber Street
  • West Everett Street
  • North Bettis Street

French agreed that there is a need for law enforcement at the festival, but doesn’t expect there will be any real need for them. “The last festival we had a police presence and nothing happened.”

   Gypsy Girl owner Carrie Barnes said, “Its always good to have the police around during something like this; in case someone gets hurt or if something happens.” Barnes also said that Gypsy Girl will be opened during the festival and are expecting nothing to happen.

Another committee member Linda Bowling said, “We expect a large crowd. We have always coordinated with the city for any of our festivals in the event there is a problem.”

There will also be alcohol sold at the festival. Edington said he believes there will be an officer that will be assigned for alcohol beverage control.

 “With regard to the festival tavern, we have all the proper permits, temporary alcohol sales and we’ve complied fully with the Alcoholic Beverage Control.” Bowling said, “I believe there will be paramedics there or at least easy access to our paramedics.” 

French said there will be a lost and found and it will be held in the old court house. There will also be a member of the Novemberfest committee inside at all times.

Editor’s Note: Feature photo shows Pocahontas Courthouse Square. Photo by Maddison Smith

Courthouse hosts 3-Day Christian revival

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Christine Miyawa
Delta Digital News Service

POCAHONTAS, Ark. – For the first time in the history, the Randolph County Courthouse lawn was the venue of a three-day Christian revival, which ran Sept. 16- 18, 2019.

The Northside Freewill Baptist Church organized the multi-day gathering that attracted more than 150 people. It was the first attempt by event organizers to reach out to the community and lawmakers through their ‘Bringing America Back to God’ revival.

Pastor Jerald Dean, whose church organized the event said, “Members of Congress are not doing what is right. They do not pray before making decisions. They are enacting laws that do not represent the will of God but to please the electorate for the sake of votes.”

Quoting George Washington’s farewell address to the nation and founding father Patrick Henry, Dean said, “Let no one claim trick you of American patriotism if they attempt to remove religion from politics. Patrick Henry said, it could not be emphasized too strongly or too often, that this great nation was founded not by religionists but by Christians, not on religion but by the gospel of Jesus Christ.”

Dean said Christians in America are facing persecution for preaching what they believe and are in fear that lawmakers will label them as teaching hate crime. “America was a country founded under God and lawmakers must come back to the Church to seek guidance to save America,” he emphasized.

Dean said America should base the foundation of the nation on the word of God because when the pilgrims came to America, they came for religious freedom- to serve God freely. He said they (Christians) are still able to do so; however, there is still much persecution against them. “When they teach and preach the word of God as it says from the pulpit, the lawmakers turn around and blame them for preaching hate crime,” he said.

Joy Swift, the lead organizer of the event and a member of the Northside Freewill Baptist church, said the Republicans and Democrats are not working together for the good of the people but witch-hunting on each other. She said there is a falling away in the church and there is no outpouring of the spirit. Swift said no one stepped forward to get saved during the three-day event. She said Christians are facing persecution; they cannot preach against what the Bible says is sinful.

“If the Bible says it’s a sin, it’s a sin; homosexuality, fornication and adultery are sins. Christians have abandoned Christian values,” she said.

Pocahontas resident Missy Philips, an attendee at the event, said everyone needs to come together as one under God, and it’s unfortunate that even schools no longer teach children the old bible stories and from where humans came.

Her husband Ricky Philips said all churches are dwindling; there is a big falling away, there aren’t many young people to replace the old generation that is dying because no one is teaching the young people about God in their homes anymore.

One of the guest speakers Pastor Terry Miller of the Assembly of God church in Pocahontas said, “America is one generation away from being a Godless society, which is the leading cause of violence.” Miller said that unless there is a spiritual awakening, America is slipping into a wave of darkness.

The County Judge David Jansen said he had tried to put up the Ten Commandments at the courthouse but faced opposition. He said lawyers argued that placing the Ten Commandments at the county courthouse would appear as mixing the state with religion. It would also bring controversy where other faiths including the Satanist, would want to put up their statues in the same place, as was the case in Oklahoma where Satanists requested to place their figures next to the Ten Commandments at the State Capitol.

Referring to Thomas Jefferson’s address to the Baptist, Dean said, the first amendment created the wall of separation between church and state, but that wall is a one-directional wall, keeping the government from running a church but making sure that Christian principles will always stay in government.

By giving the go-ahead to the Northside Freewill Baptist Church to hold an event at the courthouse lawn at no cost, Jansen said he might have given every religion and non- religious groups a pass at utilizing the county lawn for their gatherings. He said that though his personal beliefs may conflict, such as deciding not to preside over marriages because his belief does not allow him to preside over same-sex marriages, he is still a public servant and can not discriminate against any faith that decides to use the county lawn.

However, the Mayor of Pocahontas Kevin Sutton was quick to add that the lawn was open for everything positive. Sutton said the event was a great thing for Pocahontas.

Jansen said the County holds prayer meetings quarterly at the courthouse and there was a prayer meeting scheduled for September 26 that would take place at the lawn. He said it would be the first prayer meeting that he has missed because of prior commitments.

Dean said that the revival was non-denominational and others such as Pastor Aaron Winfrey of O’Kean Freewill Baptist Church and Pastor Dewayne Smith, the Regional Overseer of Assembly of God Church also preached during the last two days of the event respectively.

Dean said they were not planning to hold the revival in any other venue anytime soon. Swift said they wished other pastors would hold a similar revival  in their counties; she hoped to make the revival an annual event.

Editor’s Note: Featured photo shows crowd attending three-day Christian revival on the lawn of the Randolph County Courthouse. Photo by Christine Miyawa

Pocahontas Relief Efforts Continue

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POCAHONTAS, Arkansas — Clean-up efforts continue after flooding caused severe damage.

Randolph County Judge David Jansen said three major and several minor breaches occurred in the levee designed by the Arkansas Corps of Engineers. Flood waters flowed over the levee at a span of 3-4 miles for 4-5 hours, he said. It caused the levee to “churn” and eventually resulted in the breaches.

Although the property damage proved to be extensive, Jansen said the county’s first priority remained resident’s lives.

“Our No. 1 goal when this event started was no loss of life, and we’ve achieved that,” Jansen said.

Jeff Harris looks at flood damage in his Pocahontas home. Pocahontas suffered extensive flood damage after breaches in levee breech. (Photo by Kimberely Blackburn)

The Aftermath

Pocahontas resident Jeff Harris lost almost everything in the flood. After the call to evacuate came, his family prepared as best they could. He and his 10-year-old son Colton put the kitchen appliances on cinder blocks to help shield them from the water. This task proved difficult as Harris experiences health problems that cause difficulty with his daily movements.

Harris is no stranger to struggle. He said he’s lived through a brain tumor, being electrocuted and watching his father suffer the effects of being hit by a drunk driver. Most recently, his 7-year-old daughter Lorraine underwent open-heart surgery at Arkansas Children’s Hospital to correct a heart murmur.

Harris, wife Stephanie and their family currently live with his grandmother in a small home outside the flood zone. He said they will rebuild.

Neighbor Laura Williford said her house took 7 inches of water; her enclosed patio held 18 inches. She said her family put their possessions high enough by stacking them on the deep freeze. But the water flipped the freezer, which was on the patio. She said she will rebuild.

“Where else can you go? We don’t have any houses around here,” she said.

While staying at the American Red Cross shelter until she can move back into her house, someone gave her a small travel trailer.

A Community Unites

In his 13th year as judge, Jansen said he has served through many natural disasters, but this one hit him hard. Yet the influx of help from within and outside the community encourages him. As of May 22, Jansen said 33 residents resided at the Red Cross shelter.

Red Cross volunteer Stan Rosenzweig said those displaced receive everything from shelter and food to just a warm hug and blanket. Volunteers arrived from all over the country to help with the relief efforts; he came from Salt Lake City, Utah. Other volunteers in the relief effort hail from Minnesota, Massachusetts, and California.

Rosenzweig said volunteers do 91 percent of work done by the Red Cross. He said currently over 70,000 volunteers nationwide assist with disaster relief.

A member of the Arkansas Baptist State Convention Disaster Relief team helps remove water from flood-damaged homes. Other team members brought supplies to assist with the flood relief. (Photo by Darryl J. Kelley, courtesy of ABSC Disaster Relief)

Arkansas Baptist State Convention Disaster Relief unit commander Jack Chandler said the team works closely with the Red Cross to feed residents, and provide hot showers and laundry services at the shelter. Several ABSC Disaster Relief teams helped remove damaged housing materials after the flood. Chandler said after the homes dry, the teams return to spray mold killer to help protect the homeowner.

ABSC Disaster Relief team member Steve Thomas said all team leaders train in specialized areas to help assist with the efforts. Other volunteers train in various areas, e.g. food safety, to best help the community hit by a natural disaster.

Harris said he received help from a variety of places. Cody Walker arrived with Reach out Worldwide, an organization started by his deceased brother, actor Paul Walker. Harris said the organization provided $18,000 in removal assistance. He said many others came to help him remove damaged furniture and housing materials.

“Everyone who has come to my house and helped me have been angels,” Harris said.

Jansen said Pocahontas officials, concerned with possible scammers taking advantage of residents, required all contractors to register with the city. The city compliance officer and Pocahontas police patrolled the area to ensure compliance.

Jansen said the city and county opted to not handle monetary donations. Instead, the Pocahontas Ministerial Alliance works with the Salvation Army to take donations. He said they placed a series of checks and balances to ensure residents receive all donations.

“I want to thank everyone who has helped from the bottom of my heart,” Jansen said.

Future Planning

The Corps of Engineers hired an engineer to study possible solutions to the Black River water problem. Jansen said all the water goes under the Black River Bridge, but the bridge cannot adequately handle the influx of water from floods of this type.

The engineer will present the findings of the study to the levee board, which will then determine the best course of action. No date has been set for the study completion.

Jansen said possible solutions include flood relief gates and restructuring the Black River Bridge. For flood relief gates to work properly, a dam would need to be constructed, continue through Lawrence County and cross three state highways. Jansen said such a project would require the acquisition of land and several overpasses to work properly, which is a large undertaking for a small county.

Jansen said his concern lies in funding such a project. He estimates the cost to be a minimum of $6 million and Randolph County does not possess the funds to cover such a project. He said he has contacted the county’s Congressional leadership for help.

***

(Editor’s Note: The featured image at the top of the page shows soldiers from the Arkansas National Guard’s 87th Troop Command assisting Randolph County authorities with evacuation assistance in Pocahontas Tuesday, May 2, 2017. The soldiers were activated in response to flooding in the area from multiple rivers. (Courtesy of the Arkansas National Guard) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons)