Stories from Thursday, August 11, 2011

The Chamber of Commerce is selling "Eat and Explore Arkansas" cookbooks. They are $10 each and can be purchased at the Chamber office located at 200 East Jackson Street in Harrisburg.

The Witness Project, through UAMS College of Public Health, is coming to Harrisburg Friday, Aug. 26, from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. with the UAMS Mammovan. They will set up at the Harrisburg Health Department, located at 119 North Main Street in Harrisburg. The Witness Project provides mammography screenings for women in the community who are uninsured or underinsured. Medicare, Medicaid and private insurance are accepted. BreastCare enrollments are available for the uninsured. Ladies must register before coming and can call 1-800-275-1183 or 501-661-9603 to see if they qualify for a free or low-cost screening. Visit the website at harrisburgchamber.com/mammovan for more information.

A McCormick area school reunion will be held at 10 a.m. Sept. 3 at the First General Baptist Church. Anyone who attended the school is welcome to come enjoy a potluck lunch. For more information, call Peggy Wright at 870-483-7068.

The Poinsett County commodity distribution will be Aug. 17. Food is distributed on a first-come, first served basis. For more information call the Food Bank of Northeast Arkansas at 870-932-3663. Donation of plastic food bags is appreciated.

The Miss Poinsett County Fair Pageant will be accepting late entries until Thursday, Aug. 11, with a $10 late fee in addition to the entry fee. The pageant will be held Saturday, Aug. 13, at the Harrisburg School Fine Arts Center at 2 p.m. Those interested may pick up an entry form from Wheelington Auto Parts in Harrisburg or print an application by visiting the Facebook page Poinsett County Fair Queen Pageant. For more information call 870-578-5482.

"All the gold may be in California, but the Cash is in Jonesboro tonight," said a devoted fan during the first annual Johnny Cash Music Festival held at the Arkansas State University Convocation Center on Thursday, Aug. 4. The Cash family and a wide variety of country music stars provided over four hours of continuous entertainment during the concert. Over 7,000 tickets were sold for the event. "The history making event came about through a serendipitous conversation with ASU alumnus Bill Carter, a television producer in Nashville, during last year's Homecoming festivities," Dr. Ruth Hawkins said. "When Bill learned his alma mater was attempting to acquire and restore the Johnny Cash boyhood home in Dyess, he immediately agreed to produce a benefit concert, providing it met with the approval of the Cash family." Plans were made and the line-up of artists was secured. The artists donated their time, and numerous sponsors contributed to travel expenses and production costs, which allowed 100 percent of the ticket sales to go to the Johnny Cash Boyhood Home Project. Two of Johnny Cash's children, Rosanne Cash and John Carter Cash, co-hosted the festival, accompanied by Johnny's siblings, Tommy Cash and Joanne Cash, and granddaughter, Chelsea Crowell. Other entertainers included Laura Cash, Kris Kristofferson, George Jones, Gary Morris and Matt Morris, Dailey and Vincent, Rodney Crowell, Bill Birdsong Miller, John Francis and Denny Strickland. "Traffic was nonstop through town last Thursday, as people who had come in for the concert made their way to Dyess to see the Johnny Cash home for themselves," Dyess Mayor Larry Sims said. "They came from all over the United States, in cars, trucks, vans and buses. I could hardly believe the volume of traffic through here. This just goes to show me that there is still a lot of interest in Johnny Cash and his hometown of Dyess." An estimated $310,000 was raised during the Music Festival for work on the Johnny Cash Boyhood Home Project. The Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism estimated a total of $2.4 million would be pumped into the local economy through tourist dollars during the first year of completion of the project, and estimated another $7.19 million by the fifth year. Fans for the concert ranged from young to old, urban to rural and from places as close as Bono and as far away as Norway. The set was stark yet impressive, featuring a triptych of screens that displayed an evolving montage of black-and-white Cash family photos, interspersed with clips of Johnny Cash performing many of his hits, including "Man in Black," "Old Chunk of Coal" and others. Rosanne Cash opened the four-hour show with "Pickin' Time," and welcomed the audience, speaking of the reason for the concert. She introduced Kristofferson, who talked about his relationship with Johnny Cash and performed an acoustic set -- "Sunday Morning Comin' Down," "Here Comes that Rainbow Again," "Good Morning, John," and "Me and Bobby McGee." John Carter Cash, and his wife, Laura, joined in "If I Were a Carpenter," and Laura Cash then sang "Keep on the Sunny Side." Bill Miller sang "The Ballad of Ira Hayes," with accompaniment by Laura Cash on fiddle, and singer/songwriter John Francis and John Carter Cash performed "No One Gets Out of Here Alive." In an earlier press conference, John Carter Cash promised the audience would hear "some Johnny Cash songs, some original songs by the artists and some family favorites," and the artists made good on that, including bluegrass and gospel numbers as well. The concert's momentum shifted with John Carter Cash's rousing solo performances of "Folsom Prison Blues" and "Rock Island Line," followed by renditions of "Five Feet High and Rising" and "I Walk the Line" by Tommy Cash. Joanne Cash sang a touching version of "Suppertime." Bluegrass duo Dailey and Vincent and members of their ensemble brought the crowd to its feet with an a cappella rendering of "When the Roll is Called up Yonder." They then joined Laura Cash on "Billy Christian" and finished the show's centerpiece set with "Daddy Sang Bass," interspersed with "Will the Circle Be Unbroken." Country music legend George Jones sang several songs, including "I Got Stripes" and "He Stopped Loving Her Today." Other highlights of the show included Gary Morris and his son Matt Morris in an ethereal rendition of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah." Jonesboro native Denny Strickland sang "Cry, Cry, Cry." Rodney Crowell and Tommy Cash performed Crowell's "I Walk the Line Revisited," a bravura piece of songwriting detailing Crowell's memories of hearing "I Walk the Line" as a child. Rosanne Cash performed the evocative "Radio Operator," "Tennessee Flattop Box," and "I Still Miss Someone" as solos, but joined former husband Crowell and their daughter, Chelsea, to sing "Give My Love to Rose." Kristofferson offered a moving performance of "Why Me Lord," and the finale, including the entire cast and many Cash relatives onstage for the first time that night, was "Angel Band" and a reprise of "Will the Circle Be Unbroken." With the finale, the full house at the Convocation Center was on its feet, snapping photographs and singing along with the final chorus at John Carter Cash's urging. In Northeast Arkansas, on a hot August night, for at least the length of a hymn chorus, blood was thicker than water, and kith (friends and familiars and acquaintances) honored Cash's kin and his enduring musical and cultural legacy.

The Harrisburg Chamber of Commerce will begin hosting a Business Spotlight to help promote local businesses in the area. This month's Business Spotlight shines on Medic One, located at 409 South Illinois Street in Harrisburg. Medic One was established in 2001 and will be celebrating its 10-year anniversary in Harrisburg this year. Medic One is unique to Harrisburg because it is a professional EMS service with a hometown feel. The business offers trained paramedic/EMT staff to Poinsett County. The crews are caring, compassionate and bring an impressive knowledge of education and lifesaving skills with them on a daily basis. They offer emergency medical service, ambulance transport (both emergency and non-emergency), wheelchair transportation, educational classes and community involvement. Medic One is here for Poinsett County in its time of need, 24/7. They also have a Care Partner program that offers extra coverage for families in the area, should they ever need Medic One services. They also offer CPR training and wheelchair transport in Poinsett, Craighead, Randolph and Lawrence counties. Ryan Kibler, owner of Medic One, said the reason he enjoys doing business in Harrisburg is because of the hometown feel. "Everyone appreciates a job well done and Medic One feels right at home here." "In the EMS field there are always amazing people with great compliments," Kibler said. "To our crews it is all in a day's work that they take very seriously. We are grateful to serve in such a great community." To contact Medic One call 870-578-5640.

The Harrisburg School District will provide free meals, with no charge at all, for all students at all campuses participating in the National School Lunch Program or School Breakfast Program, regardless of eligibility category, during the 2011-12 school term. This is made possible through the United State Department of Agriculture (USDA) Special Assistance Certification and Reimbursement Provision 2 alternative. Federal reimbursement for meals is based on applications on file for the 2008-09 Base Year for the district. These applications are filed and maintained at the Central Office to ensure the strict confidentiality of each document and must remain safely filed for the entirety of the schools district's Provision 2 status. The information on the applications will be made available only to State and Federal officials for review. All adults, visitors, teachers, support staff members and administrators of the district must assume the full cost of the meal which is $1.50 for breakfast and $3 for lunch. For additional information, those interested may contact: Harrisburg School District, Attention: Dolores Sutterfield, Child Nutrition Director, 207 West Estes, Harrisburg, AR 72432 or 870-578-2416. In accordance with Federal Law and U.S. Department of Agriculture policy, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability. To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Adjudication, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20250-9410 or call toll free (866) 632-9992 (Voice). Individuals who are hearing impaired or have speech disabilities may contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339; or (800) 845-6136 (Spanish). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer."

The Marked Tree City Council had a long agenda for the monthly meeting this week. The council continued a discussion from last month on whether or not the city should maintain park land in the city that the city does not own. Council member Shane Glenn talked about his meeting with the Youth Sports committee concerning who should maintain the areas. When Glenn said he didn't see why the city should maintain the land, mayor Wayne Nichols said there are a lot of children who use the space. After more discussion, Glenn made a motion the city no longer maintain the land at the park and old horse arena. The motion died for lack of a second. The council also renewed the city's cable contract with Ritter Cable Corporation. John Strode of Ritter Communications said the franchise ordinance, which was adopted in 1981, was modernized to reflect changes in how cable companies are regulated under federal law. The contract is for 15 years. The council also carried a motion to raise the franchise tax from 4 percent to 4.25 percent. Mary Ann Arnold addressed the council regarding abandoned houses around town that need to come down. City attorney Mike Dabney cited several issues with legality that hold up tearing down abandoned houses, such as owners not responding, no one wanting to buy the land, the price to demolish being more than the property is worth, the cost being more than the city can handle if the owner will not respond, and problems with being unable to rebuild in some instances because of setback lines. "We'll pursue what it takes, but right now the city can't spend $20,000 [to tear down an abandoned house]," Nichols said. The council heard from a citizen who wants to move two house trailers she owns onto her property. The planning and zoning regulations state that a house trailer built prior to June 15, 1976, cannot be moved. This is a federal law. The trailer was assessed in 1980, but there is no proof of when it was manufactured. Council members voted on a motion to let the resident move the trailer without complying with planning and zoning regulations, but the motion failed with three yes votes and four no votes. One council member abstained from voting and the mayor broke the vote. If it can be proven that the year model of the trailer is later than 1976, then the city will issue a permit. In other business, the council: * Passed an ordinance amending ordinance 256 relating to zoning regulations for mobile homes. * Passed a resolution to amend resolution 409 to accept bids and enter into an agreement with B&B Utility on force main work. * Voted to purchase a new siren for $20,000 which will cover the whole town. * Approved the rezoning, which has been worked out so that each council member can run again. It now has to be filed with county clerk Fonda Condra. * Passed an ordinance waiving competitive bidding on the "Welcome to Marked Tree" sign and accept an estimate of $12,375. * Heard from a citizen concerning an airport lease. He wants a lease for longer than a year and provisions for selling. The matter was tabled. * Heard from Mayor Nichols concerning disposal fees for limbs and tires and voted 5-2 in favor of his recommendation for charges. * Passed an ordinance establishing a policy for a drug free workplace. * Voted to accept RJR Enterprises' bid for playground equipment. * Voted to hire two city employees. * Heard an update from Nichols concerning the sports complex lawsuit. He said the city has a good case but the judge's interpretation of the contract could affect the case. The council will hear from their lawyer before the next regular meeting to decide what to do. * Heard an update on the railroad spur for Awesome Products. Burlington Northern is asking for another 424 feet of track, which will cost $150,000. * Heard from Nichols said that police will arrest anyone caught racing on the air strip. * Voted to allow Dollar General a retail beer permit. * Heard committee reports. The airport fence has been put in and the gate is almost in. The city also received around $12,000 from FEMA, part of which has gone to fixing drainage problems.

Nothing says summer like the smell of fresh funnel cakes hanging in the hot August air. Poinsett County plans to bring funnel cakes, corndogs, bumper cars, live music and beauty contests to the area through the county fair, which begins Tuesday, Aug. 16, and will continue through Saturday, Aug. 20. Armbands for the rides cost just $15 and there is no cost to get through the gate. The armbands do not include the bumper car rides. Steve Jernigan, Mayor of Lepanto and president of the Poinsett County Fair Board, said there will be 18 rides this year. Kenny's Fun Land is providing all of the rides and games. "We offer one of the largest carnivals in the area," Jernigan said. "We try to have half and half, both big and small rides, so everyone has something to do." Entertainment events begin the first night with the South Forty performing at 7 p.m. Wednesday night, Capt. Lovell and Gospel Band will perform at 8 p.m., Thursday night is the Poinsett County Fair Talent Show at 7 p.m., and Friday and Saturday nights are Open Mic Night with Buddy Secrease beginning at 7 p.m. "All of the entertainment is free," Jernigan said. "We always try to have as many free activities as we can. We also offer free gate admission and free parking." Of course no county fair is complete without a beauty contest. The Miss Poinsett County Beauty Contest will begin at 2 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 13. Another annual fair event taking place is Rice Buffet. It will be held at the Family Life Center in the First Baptist Church on Thursday, Aug. 18, from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. Admission is $5 for adults and $2.50 for children. Children under six can eat free. There will cookbooks for sale at the Rice Buffet. Contests and judgings also will also take place throughout the week. There is an Art and Photography Contest, Food Preservation Contest, Baked Foods Contest, Field Crops and Horticulture Contest and a Livestock Contest. "For our livestock, we'll have cows, goats, chickens, rabbits -- a barn completely full," Jernigan said. "We've also had a large turnout on home canning last year, so we hope to see that again this year." The Poinsett County Fair will open its doors at 6 p.m. every night at the Poinsett County Fairgrounds in Harrisburg.

A gentle breeze accompanied me as I rode on a trailer around a field planted with hybrid rice. Rice Tec had invited me out to their fifth annual Field Day just outside of Harrisburg. I knew two things about rice -- it is good to eat and ducks love it. I learned a few more things before the tour was over. Headquartered in Alvin, Texas, Rice Tec has been developing hybrid rice seed since 1988 and offering it for commercial use in 1999. The company has research centers in Harrisburg and off-season locations in Puerto Rico, which allows them to test rice year round. The first stop we made they told us about the new hybrids they are working on. The newest mix has shown good results and it should be available for the next season. Dr. Jose Re told us about the new experimental hybrids and yield consistency. Mason Wallace told us about the CLEARFIELD system, planting dates and herbicide screening. The next stop we had Dr. Fernando Correa tell us about disease resistance and management. Some of the common diseases you will see in rice are sheath blight, rice blast, narrow brown leaf spot, kernel smut and bacterial panicle blight. We also heard from Greg Simpson at this stop as he talked about irrigation management, seeding rate trials and nitrogen management. I asked one of the guys I was sitting next to about there always being water in the fields. He said if water is not kept on it after it gets about a foot high, the rice will burn up and turn red. The last stop on our tour was Kurt Johns. Poinsett County is in his coverage area. He did a little recap for us and also talked about commercial hybrids and large-scale evaluations. Dr. Brian Ottis was the last speaker. He told about the Rice Tec grain quality and sustainability. Some of the advantages of Rice Tec hybrids when it comes to sustainability include water use efficiency, nutrient efficiency and per capita yield production. Sustainability is important as retailers, processors and consumers put more emphasis on the carbon footprint of their food products and purchases.

The 2011 Poinsett County Fair talent contest will be held at 7 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 18, at the Poinsett County Fairgrounds. Registrations will be accepted until Wednesday, Aug. 17. The Poinsett County Fair talent contest is open to anyone between the ages of five and 95. Any contestant must have been five years of age by Aug. 1. Age divisions include: ages 5 to 8, 9 to 12, 13 to 18, 19 to 30, and 30-plus. Contestants must legally reside in Poinsett County for six months immediately preceding the 2011 Poinsett County Fair, or must be a full-time student who has attended a school (academic school, not dance school, etc.) in Poinsett County for one full semester immediately preceding the 2011 Poinsett County Fair. Musical accompaniment by any act must be taped. Any act, which includes self-accompaniment, will be considered as a multiple talent act and must be entered in the variety category. Any display of poor sportsmanship and/or unbecoming conduct, any interference and/or disturbance or any other behavioral problem created by a contestant, parent, relative or even supporter of a contestant could result in the disqualification of the contestant from this and all future contests. The director of the Poinsett County Fair talent contest reserves the final right to interpret the rules set. There are six categories in the Poinsett County Fair talent contest. All categories must limit their performance to three minutes maximum. Competing acts must qualify by the following category descriptions: * Vocal Solo shall consist only of a vocal performance by one vocalist. No other talent will be allowed to be performed in conjunction with the vocal solo. Tapes used for accompaniment will be allowed to have limited vocal background. * Vocal Group shall consist of two or more vocalists. No other talent will be allowed to be performed. Tapes used for accompaniment will be allowed to have limited vocal background. * Instrumental Solo shall consist of an instrumental performance without vocal utterance by one performer. Taped accompaniments may be used. * Dance Solo shall consist of dancer. No other talent will be allowed to be displayed In conjunction with the dance performance. All types of dancing will be judged in this category tap, jazz, ballet, folk, ethnic, fad. Gymnastics, tumbling, acrobatics, or any other forms of gymnastics are not included in this category. * Dance Group shall consist of two or more dancers. No other talent will be displayed in conjunction with the dance performance. The same types of dancing as listed under Dance Solo are allowed. No form of gymnastics is included in this category. * Variety shall consist of a performance of one or more persons. This category is also intended to provide a proper showcase for those acts in which multiple talents are displayed. Any act, which fits the description of any of the other categories, will not be allowed to compete in this category. The following acts qualify for this category: song and dance, vocal and live instrumental, lip sync, pantomimes, impersonations, skits, juggling, ventriloquism, magic, and any other talent not applicable to any of the other categories. No act may include drum sets or more than two electric instruments and one amplifier. This category does not include bands. No form of gymnastics is included in this category. The dress code is completely optional, but must be in good taste and must meet the approval of the contest director. Professional sound equipment, including cassette player and microphones, are provided, and their use is required. No personal cassette or microphones will be allowed. Contestants must furnish their own cassette tapes. All tapes must have only the music needed for the performance, and should be taped at the very beginning of Side "1" or "A". Any act whose tape has more than the music needed for that act's performance will be automatically disqualified. It is recommended contestants take a second tape to have in case of an emergency. All tapes must be properly cued in advance and should be of good quality. All tapes should be clearly marked as to contestant(s) name, county represented, time of tape, and music title. All tapes must be claimed at the sound table immediately. The Poinsett County Fair talent contest committee will appoint the judges. They will be persons qualified to judge a contest of this kind. Judges' scores are confidential and will not be given out to anyone. Those who have any questions concerning the talent contest may contact Sharon R. Lowery at 870-578-4490 for more information.

With all of the scorching heat, the city of Trumann is in need of some relief. Luckily, The Kream Kup will have its grand opening Friday, Aug. 12. Owners plan to dish out chilly treats like sundaes, banana splits and milkshakes for the overheated residents of Poinsett County. "We will be a traditional dairy bar," said Darnel Ryans, who owns The Kream Kup with his wife Melissa. "But we will also have hamburgers, hotdogs, corndogs, sandwiches and pizza. We'll even have fish and barbecue." The Kream Kup will be open from 10 a.m. until 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 10 a.m. until 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Ryans said the shop will stay open later on nights when the Trumann School has games. The Ryans have been working since June cleaning up the location off of Hwy. 463. They've put in new equipment, remodeled and repainted the building yellow and light blue. "We're happy to be here," Ryans said. "We love the small town atmosphere and are excited to bring a couple of local jobs to the area. God has really blessed us." The Kream Kup is located at 148 Hwy. 463, next to the Maxie Theatre.

The Harrisburg Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon cutting at 9 a.m. Friday, Aug. 5, for Auctions and More, located at 408 South Illinois Street in Harrisburg. Owners are Dennis and Kris Lore. Later that day the Lores hosted an open house, serving free doughnuts and drinks. Auction and More also is the first recipient of the Harrisburg Renovation Grant. The Lores bought new signs for their business with the grant money. To see items the Lores have up for auction, visit their website at www.auctionsandmore.com.

The Trumann Chamber of Commerce was present for the ribbon cutting of Dr. Angela Howell's optometry office in Trumann. The office is now accepting new patients. Dr. Howell is there Monday through Wednesday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Dr. Hayden Sowers is there Thursdays and Fridays. (DT Photo/COREY CLAIRDAY)

After months of legal wrangling, the Harrisburg school board soon will have the issue of its board makeup and resulting legal fees completely taken care of. The district is sending a resolution to the state in order to pay the legal fees of board member Byron Neal, whom two other board members attempted to force off the board after the Weiner school district merged with the Harrisburg district last year. At this month's Harrisburg School Board meeting, the board went over the issue of paying the legal fees for Neal, who now is president of the school board. Neal filed a lawsuit against the board last year, claiming the school board did not follow procedure when they reduced their membership. The board legally could have reduced its numbers by having a member give up his position voluntarily or by the drawing of lots. Neal, who was on the board at the time of the mandatory reduction, was the only member not placed on the interim board, through a decision by board members Reddmann and Massengill. After he filed suit, Circuit Judge John Fogleman ruled in his favor, saying the reduction had not followed Arkansas code. Neal was voted in as president of the Harrisburg School Board in June. During that time the board approved of paying Neal's legal fees up to $10,000, with documentation. Fonda Eaton said in the recent meeting the board still has not released a check to Neal. Superintendent Danny Sample said the board must draft a resolution to send to the state before the check can be released. Frankie Lindsey of the school voiced his opinion that paying Neal's legal fees was a misuse of the taxpayer's money, but the board decided to submit the resolution so Neal will be paid. The board also discussed the possibility of creating an athletic committee composed of parents, administration and staff to help prepare for the changes the athletic program will gradually have to make. Many on the board said they do not want to have to cut students and that the Harrisburg and Weiner schools individually have never had to. "We want to do what is best for all of our kids," said Sample, "but still, we need the bricks and mortar for a solid foundation for our school." The board plans to discuss the issue further at the next board meeting. In other business the board: * Approved of the hire of Christy Faulkner as the Instructional Assistant, Karen Thompson as the High School Special Education teacher and Amy Wooten as a full-time bus driver. * Approved the ARRA bid made by Frank A. Rodgers for the science and business labs for the Harrisburg High School. * Approved the use of National Student Drug Testing company out of Fayetteville for any drug testing purchases needed by the school. * Accepted the PPC proposals, including sick leave, amended salary schedules and the results of the ballot vote. * Approved use of the Fine Arts buidling by the Boy Scouts, Back to School Rally and Out of the Dark program. * Accepted changes to the 2011-2012 school handbook. * Discussed the possibility of purchasing a three-quarter acre lot adjacent to school property for future use. The issue was tabled until the next meeting.

In a recent meeting, The Trumann City Council approved an ordinance which will allow the waterworks manager to enter into a contract with the Caldwell Company for a full service maintenance program for the Oak Street water tower. The Oak Street water tower is in need of major repairs and the entire top portion will be replaced. The Trumann Waterworks Department will enter a 10-year contract with Caldwell TAP Program for maintenance of the tower. This will be a full service program to include all initial repairs and maintenance repairs, washouts/disinfections and inspections for the 10-year span. The cost of the project will be $60,770 annually during the 10-year contract. Mayor Sheila Walters said the city soon will begin burning of limbs from a recent storm. Once those limbs are burned, the city will not offer curbside pickup, except household trash can pickup, until the council decides on a plan of action in relation to the Trumann sanitation problem. Walters said that the council soon will schedule another citywide community meeting to further discuss the issue.

Regina Clay was the guest speaker for Marked Tree's weekly Rotary Club meeting, where she talked about the Arkansas DeltaMade program and her own business within the program, Granny Clay's Kitchen. The Arkansas DeltaMade program gives Arkansas craftsmen a market for their work and was created by the Rural Heritage Development Initiative. "The program makes people aware of products unique to the Arkansas Delta," Clay said. Clay sells several types of products, such as chocolate gravy mix, pepper jelly, pear preserves, strawberry preserves and tomato jam. She also puts together themed baskets. Clay sells her products through various vendors, such as a store in Helena and Linda's Flowers in Marked Tree, but she is working on getting a store of her own ready. "I went with Arkansas DeltaMade to a legislative session in Little Rock," Clay said. "I took a lot of products down and came back with nothing but orders for more. Clay runs her business out of 300 Kent Road, which is designated as Trumann but is a Marked Tree rural route. One long term goal for Clay is to work with the Health Department to get her kitchen certified commercially. She would like to be able serve people in her Curtis Kent dining hall. "One of the biggest items we're trying to get is a southern kitchen incubator," Clay said. "Right now it takes four hours to peal 80 pounds of pears, but if we had an incubator kitchen in the area, you could produce 300 gallons of jam in a few hours." Clay said she's always looking to expand her cooking knowledge by taking Viking Cooking School Courses in Memphis, where she's made everything from pizza to cherry oat country bread to chocolate torte. The Arkansas DeltaMade's website is: www.arkansasdeltamadeproducts.com.

The Poinsett County Quorum Court approved $12,000 to be set aside for preliminary work to shut down the Poinsett County landfill in its recent monthly meeting. This money will be used for soil testing and possible legal fees that might come up. "We haven't used the landfill for five years now because of cost reasons," Poinsett County Judge Charles Nix said. The county stopped using the landfill because of high maintenance costs, but for a long while still had a permit on the landfill which allowed them to keep it open. The permit expired last year, however, and the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) said since the landfill is no longer in use it must be properly shut down. The shutdown cost will be less than the cost of reopening the landfill and continuing to maintain it. "We will have to work our budget around the cost for the shutdown though," Nix said. "It can be a costly process, but we are hoping that we can do a lot of the work ourselves or hire out locally to help with the shutdown." There is a list of criteria and regulations the county must hold to. The landfill must be filled with specific amounts of a clay covering followed by topsoil and then seeded and monitored. It then must be checked regularly for runoff, but once the requirements are met it will be released. "Most of the cost will come from gathering all the dirt needed to fill it in," Nix said. "We hope to do most of it ourselves and use some of the materials on site. We are also looking into using nearby sources to relieve costs." Nix hopes the county can wait until April or May to begin the shutdown for both weather reasons and so the county will have more time to set aside money. A rough estimate for the shutdown is $500,000, but Nix is confident the county can do it for much less, especially if the county does most of the work. Troy Branscum spoke at the meeting about the Crowley's Ridge Development Council, or CRDC. CRDC offers many services to Poinsett, Craighead, Crittenden, Jackson, St. Francis, Cross, Greene and Woodruff counties. CRDC receives funds through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and helps set up local residents with life changing programs, including transportation and home delivered meals for the elderly, the Child and Adult Care Food Program, NEARRC and Chemical Free Living Center programs for those with substance abuse problems, the Arkansas Weatherization Program for those with energy inefficient homes and the Energy Assistance Program to help assist residents with electric and gas bills during peak usage months for heating and cooling. The Poinsett County office is located in the Marked Tree police station and is open Tuesdays and Thursdays. "We've been the busiest we've ever been," Branscum said, "but we're still trying to get the word out to help as many people as we can." In other business the board: * Approved the purchase of a vehicle by the Poinsett County Sheriff's Department for use by new deputy Kevin Molder. * Approved a Poinsett County Sheriff's Department merger of two vacant part-time deputy positions into one full-time position for Kevin Molder. * Reappointed Linda Hinton to the Poinsett County Library Board.

The Johnny Cash Music Festival was a huge success. With a soldout crowd of 7,000, the benefit concert raised over $350,000 to be used to restore the boyhood home of Johnny Cash and construct a museum in Dyess. All proceeds from the concert go to the restoration project. Before the concert, musicians John Carter Cash, Kris Kristofferson and Rodney Crowell spoke at a press conference about the restoration project and about the "Man in Black." "John was my hero," Kristofferson said. "I never met another human being who had the presence he had. He was unlike any human being I ever knew. He was the reason I went to Nashville. I never lost my awe of Johnny Cash." Crowell said he was particularly excited to be a part of the event. "I don't know a more powerful person than Johnny Cash," Crowell said. "If there were a Mount Rushmore 2, he would be the first face up there." "Everyone here for the show is connected in spirit," John Carter Cash said. "My father moved to Dyess as part of the New Deal. His family got 40 acres and started with cotton. It's great to be here and see history come full circle. This great day is about paying homage. I know Dad would be excited to see his home rebuilt and Dyess put back together. He was a child of Arkansas. "My father talked ceaselessly about his childhood, especially in later years," John Carter continued. "He remembered everything from his childhood. I was amazed at what all he remembered. He worked really hard in those fields, and he never ceased being a son of this area." Of the benefit concert and restoration, John Carter Cash said, "I'm humbled. I see this as a true piece of history. This is not only about Johnny Cash. It's about the people and soil and history that is Arkansas." When the project is complete, he said, "I would love to be able to come to Jonesboro, go down to Dyess on Friday afternoon, go to the house, spend a few hours in the museum, eat at a diner and see a movie. I would love to see Dyess have that strength and be put back together." For him the restoration is about rebuilding and giving strength to the community his father grew up in.

The Harrisburg American Legion awarded one of two $1,000 scholarships Monday afternoon despite a recent robbery and fire which destroyed the Legion Post. The scholarship was presented to Kaylan Marie White, a 2011 graduate of Harrisburg High School. She served as Battalion Commander for the Harrisburg School ROTC program and plans to use the scholarship money to attend Arkansas Hair Academy. "A promise to the student recipients of the $1,000 scholarships in the Harrisburg School Army ROTC means more to the Legion members right now than rebuilding at this time," said Marvin Krauss, Adjutant for the Harrisburg American Legion. According to Krauss, the Harrisburg Post 14 was severely underinsured and most of the insurance coverage will go towards clean up expenses and regulatory fees. The fire was ruled as arson. "The fire devastation has put a burden on the Legion," Krauss said. "Unless a grant or large donation from the community can be achieved, it might be a long time before it is ever rebuilt." Commander George Adams and Adjutant Krauss are doing everything in their power to generate funds to rebuild. Local residents are helping out by putting on cookouts, car washes and donating buildings for the American Legion meetings. Krauss is thankful for the community's support, but also knows it will take a larger fund to rebuild what the Legion once had. "You hear about miracles, well I believe in them," Krauss said. "I know that the Lord can and will help the veterans rebuild." The American Legion still plans to give one other scholarship to a local Harrisburg student.