News

There are many reasons for parents to encourage children who express an interest in volunteering. Volunteering is a social activity that can help children develop their social and networking skills, and many parents credit volunteering with instilling a sense of perspective in their children that they might not have gained had they not been exposed to people from different backgrounds. Volunteering also has been linked to stronger academic performance.

Once again, the Eddie Mae Herron Center is preparing to celebrate the upcoming Martin Luther King Jr holiday with a march from the Randolph County Courthouse. This year, which would have been Dr.

Insurance is something everyone needs but hopes to never use. Without insurance, already difficult situations could be made much worse and cause financial devastation.

According to Lincoln Heritage Funeral Advantage, the average funeral costs between $7,000 and $10,000. It can be easy to overlook planning for such a large expense, and many people may think their funeral costs will be covered by their life insurance policies. However, that isn't always the case and certain complications can arise. The funeral planning information guide Funeral Basics states that sometimes insurance policies become invalid if payments have not been made. Policies may have liens on them, or some named beneficiaries may no longer be alive. This can stall the process as issues are worked through. In addition, it can sometimes take between six and eight weeks for beneficiaries to receive life insurance policy payouts. Since many funerals take place within a week of a person's death, it's unlikely that surviving family members will be able to finance funerals with life insurance payouts. In addition, some policies may not be assignable, which means the benefits cannot be assigned to go to a third party who will file the claim for you (i.e., the funeral home or an assignment company with which the funeral home partners). It's important to determine if an existing policy is assignable and to take appropriate measures if it is not. Individuals may want to consider burial insurance or preneed funeral insurance. Another option is to use preplanning services, which allow people to prepay for funeral expenses and make planning decisions regarding the services and burial so that family members will not be tasked with financing and/or planning a funeral during a difficult time in their lives.

If you are considering saving an animal’s life in the New Year, congratulations and thank you! One of the humane society’s repeated reminders is “Don’t shop; ADOPT!” Animal welfare groups like humane societies and others believe that adopting from an area animal rescue group saves lives, reduces the stray population and helps control the pet overpopulation problem. (In Arkansas, all dogs and cats adopted through RCHS, 5RAA or Pocahontas Animal Control are required by Arkansas State law to be sterilized.)