December 2023

Ramona Faye Pratt

Our dear mother, Ramona Faye (Barnes) Pratt, 90, passed away Tuesday, December 5, 2023, in Mountain Home. She was born February 18, 1933, in Bona, Arkansas. Ramona was a loving daughter, mother, sister, sister-in-law, aunt, grandmother and friend to many. In her younger days she was a beautician and an instructor. She loved doing hair, cooking, puzzles and crocheting. Ramona also had a garden all of her life, but her greatest pride was her family. She is preceded in death by her parents and a younger sister, Betty Ferguson.

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Roger Romine

Roger Dale Romine, 62, of Pocahontas passed away Friday, November 24, 2023 at Pocahontas Healthcare and Rehab Center. He was born August 27, 1961 in Pocahontas to Bobby and Mary Eubank Romine.

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BRTC to celebrate milestone

Black River Technical College (BRTC) is set to commemorate its 50th anniversary with a public event on Thursday, December 14, from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. The festivities will take place in the Pocahontas room of the Richard Gaines Business and Technology Building.

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VFW’s Patriotic Art Contest

VFW Auxiliary #4556 will hold it’s annual 3-Dimensional Patriotic Art Contest for students in grades 9-12. Students must be enrolled in a public, private, parochial or home school program in the United States, its territories and possessions, or dependents of U.S.military or civilian personnel in overseas schools.

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Speaking French

Ah, Christmas music— the soundtrack to the season that can either fill you with warmth and special memories or make you want to hide in a Ravenden Springs cave until January. While mainstream radio insists on bombarding us with Mariah Carey’s vocal acrobatics, there’s a plethora of holiday tunes waiting to be rediscovered.

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Gifted and Talented students host Business Expo event

The Gifted and Talented students at Pocahontas’ MD Williams Intermediate School, under the guidance of their GT teacher Becky Lindner, showcased their entrepreneurial skills by organizing a Business Expo-style event. Each student demonstrated their creativity and business acumen by conceptualizing, producing and marketing their unique products. Lindner reported that the event garnered substantial attendance and proved to be a resounding success, highlighting the remarkable talents and achievements of these young entrepreneurs.

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Around the Kitchen Table with Nanny

Turkey is history; hopefully, all the leftovers are gone and forgotten. So, let’s start thinking about the fun holiday that is just around the corner. It’s time to begin some major planning and also get things organized for all the cookies, candies, and goodies we will want to have on hand for our family and friends. Homemade treats make a nice gift for neighbors and friends. So, this week, let’s start with some good cookie recipes. You can bake ahead, cool completely, place in a plastic container with wax paper between layers, and freeze. Set them out the day before you need them, and they will thaw and be just as fresh as the day you baked them. It’s nice to get things done ahead before all the last-minute rush of shopping, wrapping gifts, and getting ready for company and dropins.

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Here &There

Food, glorious food! I’ve been thinking back this week on the evolution of prepared food available here during the past century or so. In the long ago, restaurants available locally were basically at the several large hotels we had in the county.

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