Thanksgiving is behind us, and next comes the biggie - CHRISTMAS. We are going to start with appetizers for your holiday parties. In the coming weeks, I plan to share a lot of recipes that you will want to make to get ready for family and friends, parties, drop-ins, or overnighters. You might want to clip them from the paper or save them on your computer. I hope to cover as many good ideas as possible. So let’s get ready, girls, and make it a fun time.
Now that Thanksgiving 2023 is safely in our rearview mirror, it’s time to address the annual parental rollercoaster we all know and... tolerate—yes, I’m talking about the notorious Elf on the Shelf. What’s the deal with this mischievous little creature? Well, unless you’ve been dwelling under a rock or in a place with zero civilization (or Wi-Fi), let me enlighten you. The Elf on the Shelf: A Christmas Tradition is a 2005 American picture book concocted by the genius minds of Carol Aebersold and her daughter Chanda Bell, with illustrations by the talented Coë Steinwart. This whimsical book, told in rhyme, spills the beans on how Santa Claus keeps tabs on the naughty and nice list. In a nutshell, the story unfolds with elves making surprise visits to kids from Thanksgiving to Christmas Eve, after which they high-tail it back to the North Pole until the next festive season. The Elf on the Shelf comes in a keepsake box, complete with a hardbound picture book and a pint-sized scout elf. The inspiration behind this charming chaos? A family tradition started by Aebersold in Georgia for her twin daughters, Bell and Christa Pitts.
We’ve had some wonderful fall weather lately, but unfortunately, it won’t last long. We all know that assorted precipitation is on the way between now and springtime. With the extra precipitation, we may experience accumulations, namely puddles. The issue with these puddles is not just that our beloved pups will drag wet mud back indoors. While they are outside, there’s a risk of them getting sick from drinking standing water. (It’s important to note that these water accumulations in and around your home are prime breeding areas for mosquitoes during warm weather!) Standing water is an ideal breeding ground for bacteria. If these bacteria are ingested through lappedup water, your best friend pup may become very ill. One such illness is leptospirosis, often called lepto for short—an infectious disease that can affect both humans and animals. For a dog to be infected, they would have to either drink contaminated water or come into contact with the urine of an infected animal. Once the infection reaches the bloodstream, it will travel to the tissues, mainly affecting the liver and kidneys. Younger dogs with milder infections may recover fairly easily, but older dogs with weaker immune systems can be especially at risk. Lepto symptoms include lethargy, weakness, fever, vomiting, diarrhea, refusal to eat, depression, acute renal failure, jaundice, respiratory distress, and abdominal discomfort. Of course, these symptoms may also be indicative of other health issues for your dog, so it’s always a good rule of thumb to take notice of any changes in your dog’s behavior and act accordingly. Another infection caused by standing water is giardia. Giardia is a microscopic single-celled parasite that affects the intestinal tract. Within the tract, the parasites reproduce and eventually become cysts that are spread through the dog’s feces. The dropped cysts are infectious and can survive in the surrounding environment for several weeks. For a dog to become infecte
Jason Kelley, age 38, of Walnut Ridge; possession of schedule VI LT 4oz Chanci Montgomery, age 31, of Little Rock; hold for court Melissa Page, age 27, of Arkansas; hold for court William White, age 39, of Corning; warrant- FTA Balik Balik, age 26, of Pocahontas; warrant of arrest, driving while license cancelled, suspended or revoked Chloe Arnold, age 19, of Pocahontas; obstructing governmental operations (M), criminal trespassing. Jonathon Beasley, age 27, of Pocahontas; aggravated assault on a family or household member (F) Paul Hettis, age 57, of Pocahontas; no charge data Michael Morse, age 27, of Maynard; warrant Blaze Mullins, age 22, of Ravenden; ACT 570 Brandi Mullins, age 34, of Pocahontas; warrant Duane Pinkston, age 58, of Pocahontas; contempt- class C (M) Gunner Brooks, age 19, of Manila; warrant MaKynzie Haley, age 20, of Pocahontas; violation of No. Contact order, contributing to delinquency of a minor (M) Lonnie Nipps, age 48, of Pocahontas; breaking or entering (F), theft of property (F), warrant Joseph Weisenbach, age 57, of Pocahontas; fleeing on foot with serious physical injury (F), possession of a controlled substance sch I, II, possession of meth para Angela Nichols, age 46, of Pocahontas; warrant Antwon Norman, age 41, of Little Rock, no charge data Khaliq Slater, age 26, of Benton; no charge data Robert Dobyns, age 63, of Ravenden Springs; terroristic threatening in the first degree class D (F)
Time has flown by for me since my last Welcome Center update. Over this past month, I have been out and about working at mobile Welcome Centers, from the AAA Great Vacations Travel Expo in Columbus, Ohio, to the Arkansas State Fair in Little Rock, to right here in Corning during the Harvest Festival. November is Native American Heritage Month, and there are several ways to celebrate in The Natural State. The Museum of Native American History in Bentonville has one of the most extensive collections of Native American artifacts, with over 10,000 pieces spanning 14,000 years. Plum Bayou Mounds Archaeological State Park in Scott preserves an 18-mound complex built by the Plum Bayou Culture along what was once the Arkansas River. Over in the Upper Delta, Hampson Archaeological Museum State Park in Wilson displays the artifacts that were recovered from the site of a 15-acre Mississippian Period American Indian village that existed in the vicinity. Parkin Archaeological State Park in Parkin preserves and documents another Mississippian Period village. This village is believed by many archaeologists to be the village of Casqui, documented by Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto. In recent years, several Spanish artifacts have been recovered from the site, such as a glass bead and a bell. The Mississippian Culture was known for its practice of making pottery with the effigies of human heads. No one is quite sure what or who this pottery represents, though it is thought that they are a form of death masks. Their specific use is unknown, but what can be said for certain is that they have only been found among the people who lived along the Mississippi River.
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In an unusual motion, the Randolph County Quorum Court, in its regular monthly meeting Nov. 9, voted not to approve the treasurer’s monthly report and requested Randolph County Judge Ben Wicker secure an audit of the county’s financials. After Treasurer Dennis Calaway presented the report, there was no discussion among the Justices, except Justice Doris Sharp asked Calaway if he had received the October tax collections. He replied that he had not but had contacted Jennifer (Zitzelberger) and she told him the taxes would be in the neighborhood of $4 million.
The MFA Oil Foundation has awarded a grant to the Randolph County Fair to assist with purchasing plastic, fold-up picnic tables. The MFA Oil Foundation provides support to nonprofit organizations that are working to improve communities where MFA Oil has a significant concentration of members and employees. Since it was established in 1998, the MFA Oil Foundation has awarded more than three million dollars in grants.
The older I get, or maybe it’s “as years pass,” holidays seem to be less and less of an event or time for celebration across the US. I know growing up, Thanksgiving was a big deal. As I got older and learned the art of the purchase, I enjoyed and looked forward to Thanksgiving for one reason and one reason only—Black Friday sales. I mean, come on, I remember people throwing elbows at the local Walmart over $199 eMachine brand laptops, which came without a charger (sold separately, of course). Then, after I had Presley, Thanksgiving was spent planning my Black Friday shopping route to ensure she received everything I wanted her to get. Who cared about the turkey and dressing? I was after those $5 Barbie dolls and $15 Play-Doh gift sets for my kid.