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BCMC Auxiliary thanks all of our local doctors
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AHF manager Greg Banic speaks to BCEDC
By Tim Kessler
Despite the effects of the pandemic, there are industries still planning to increase their workforce.
That message was apparent locally, as Greg Banic, recently hired manager of AHF (formerly Armstrong Hardwood Flooring), told Bradley County Economic Development Corp. board members Monday that he currently has about 20 positions open. The company is one of Bradley County’s largest employers, with a capacity of 260 workers.
In fact, Banic said maintaining the workforce is one of the biggest challenges for his company. Finding enough loggers and truckers also add to the mix.
COVID-19 affected personnel with contact tracing being done and some workers having to quarantine. As many as 30 workers were in quarantines at the same time.
However, AHF was able to meet its earninings goals for 2020. Wood inventory has gone down and the company is playing catch up now. Wood prices have also increased.
AHF draws its wood supplies from company mills in Arkansas, Texas, Missouri, Mississippi and Tennessee. The local mill uses red oak, white oak and ash.
The local woodyard can hold up to 50 million board feet but currently only has about 9 million board feet.
Banic said he was working with SEACBEC to possibly add up to six work study positions for high school students.
Banic came to Warren about four months ago after previously working for Honeywell Corp. and Owens-Corning. He is a University of Arkansas at Fayetteville graduate and his parents live in Fort Smith.
Board members present for the meeting were Dr. Bob Smalling, Keith Chambers, John Lipton, Sue Wagnon and Carlton Davis. James Wells presented his proxy and Jeff Wardlaw was available by phone. Also present were accountant Bob Milton, BCEDC-Chamber Executive Director Ashley Foreman and Warren Mayor Denisa Pennington.
In other business:
- Milton gave a two-month financial report, showing total assets of $851,593.11. However, a $50,000 loan to J&E Food Group to develop a poultry processing plant is still shown as both a liability and asset. A plant representative will be asked to attend the next meeting to explain where the project stands.
- Smalling was re-elected as board president; Hugh Allen Quimby, vice president; and Davis, secretary-treasurer.
- Lipton gave a report on the proposed Southeast Arkansas Regional Jail. He said in talking with Wardlaw he found out that the property needs to dry out before construction can begin.
- Foreman said contacts had been made with SEACBEC and EAST. EAST students are currently working on setting up a BCEDC website.
- Foreman will be attending the Entergy Midsouth Conference in Little Rock on April 5.
- Vyve Broadband will begin construction soon on broadband expansion along U.S. 63 in Bradley County.
- Lipton reported the Southeast Arkansas Regional Intermodal Facilities Authority board had met and an agreement had been reached with Arkansas Department of Transportation on the state’s purchase of right-of-way property at the Intermodal for use in the Interstate 69 corridor. A negotiated settlement with Union Pacific Railroad on a long-standing railroad crossing project resulted in a payment being made by SEARIFA to UP.
- Smalling said BCEDC had made a request to meet with the city Community and Economic Development Committee.
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Mt Carmel to hold Taco Salad Sale April 2
Mt Carmel Baptist Church WMU Department will be having a Taco Salad Sale on Friday, April 2, 2021 beginning at 10 am until sold out. The Cost is $7.00 each. Address is 510 N. Walnut St. Please come to the window at the rear of the building. You may call ahead to 870.820.4496 or 870.820.5231 to place your orders.
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Governor lifts mask mandate, but Health Secretary urges people to continue wearing them
Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson announced Tuesday, March 30, 2021 that the State is lifting its mask mandate, moments before his Health Secretary Dr. Jose Romero stated that people should continue to wear masks while outside the home.
Businesses and schools are still able to require masks. School districts will have until April 15 to publish their plans for masking.
“Please be respectful and mindful that while the mask mandate is lifted, many will continue to wear it and many businesses will continue to require it,” said Governor Hutchinson. He continued, “we need to honor those decisions.”
“You need to continue to mask when you leave your home,” said Health Secretary Dr. Jose Romero. “The removal of the mask mandate is not a statement that we do not need to mask,” he continued. “You need to avoid large gatherings, you need to follow the recommendations of the CDC.”
The CDC is still recommending people wear masks. “Masks work best when everyone wears one,” says the CDC’s official website.
In COVID-19 vaccination news, Governor Hutchinson also announced that anyone over the age of 16 is now eligible to receive the vaccine.
As of March 29, 84.2 percent of U.S. citizens have yet to be vaccinated.
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Pastime: Let’s play some Pastime trivia!
By MAYLON T. RICE
Special to the Saline River Chronicle
I want to thank everyone one for all the comments, letters and cards about some of these Pastime that have appeared in the Saline River Chronicle over the last five years.
These are meant to stir up some good memories about our hometown of Warren and Bradley County.
So today, upon the request of many, I’ll propose some Pastime Trivia questions. Answer as many as you can.
The answers will appear next week and if you like what you are reading and playing, send me some questions as well to my email rice4arkhouse85@gmail.com or my send me a Personal Message on my Facebook account.
Not in any order, either by subject or timeline. Enjoy.
1. What is township name that is Warren located in?
2. Where exactly was Rowland’s Dairy Queen?
3. Mary Lou Martin not only taught piano lessons but also this stringed instrument in private lessons?
4. Warren was incorporated as a town in what year?
5. Bradley County was formed by the Arkansas Legislature on what day in December of 1840?
6. Which legendary WHS running back played for the Arkansas Diamonds?
7. What Bradley County State Senator helped form AETN?
8. Who is credited with the idea for the first Pink Tomato Festival?
9. How many state titles in prep sports have the WHS Lumberjacks (both and girls) teams won to date?
10. Captain Hugh Bradley fought in a war? Which war?
11. Who donated the land for the City of Warren? (Hint it was, not Captain Bradley?
12. Warren High School (on Pine) had three entrances at one time. The East Entrance was covered over in a 1960s addition, but the West doors on the front of the building were labeled as the entrance for which sex?
13. Name two Little Miss Pink Tomatoes who grew up to be Miss Pink Tomato?
14. What else did Bobby Creed sell besides popcorn on the streets of Warren?
15. What occupation did WHS math instructor Mr. Kenneth Wolfe do on the side?
16. Where did Mrs. Mary Culp park her car every day at WHS?
17. Where was Aubert Reynold’s Grocery Store?
18. Where was the Paint Pot? Did they sell paint there?
20. What city made most of the red bricks in the street of Warren?
21. (A Tie Breaker and Bonus) Where was the “Teens For Christ” building that Pat Caraway and others manned in the early 1970s?
Answers to come next week. Got any of your own questions – and please sent the answers or they won’t get published. Maylon Rice, PO Box 3810, Warren, AR 72702-3810 or rice4arkhouse85@gmail.com
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Pink Tomato Festival announces more activities planned
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| Treylon Burks(right) participating in the 2017 PTF Baggo Tournament. Photo copyright of salineriverchronicle.com |
Press release from the Pink Tomato Festival Comittee:
Planning continues for the 65th Bradley County Pink Tomato Festival with safety the primary concern. The Festival Committee is pleased to announce that plans are in place to have Arts & Crafts, carnival, and food vendors. Plans are also underway for a Baggo Tournament. Events on the small stage on the courthouse square are also being planned, such as the Best Salsa Contest and local entertainment. Other activities/events are currently being planned and will be announced when confirmed. Follow our Facebook page for the latest information at www.facebook.com/bcptf![]()
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Library to hold Dessert and Craft Auction Thursday
Press release from the Warren Branch Library:
Friends of the Warren Branch Library Facebook Dessert & Craft Auction will be held on April 1, 2021 10am-3pm! Donations will be accepted until 9am on April 1. All proceeds benefit library programs. Make sure your friends know about it so that they can support Library Programs and get some crafts or yummy homemade treats. This is a closed group so INVITE YOUR FRIENDS! PLEASE! Thanks in advance!
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Landowner feral hog meeting announcement
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Vaccination clinic set for April 9
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Sports: Diamond Jacks handle Crossett in extra innings battle
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| Payton Byrd on the mound for Warren. Photo by Kristi McDuff |
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Bradley County has new coroner
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| Bradley County Coroner Sammi Jo Warren(left) and Deputy Coroner Thomas Frazer(right) |
February 16, 2021 Sammi Jo Warren was appointed by the Bradley County Quorum Court as County Coroner. Sammie was appointed to fill a vacancy upon the resignation of Elizabeth Britton, who had moved outside of Bradley County. Sammi Jo Warren will serve for the remainder of the current term.
Deputy Coroners include Thomas Frazer, Albert Hammons and Elizabeth Britton, who is now eligible to be a deputy. The position of coroner is an elected position every four years. It is a county-wide office.
Sammi Warren graduated from the University of Arkansas at Monticello with a B.S. degree in Biology and in 2014 moved to Stonington, Maine to take a position as licensee for two funeral establishments with locations in Ellsworth, Milbridge, Machias, Stonington and Bangor. Her work as funeral director, embalmer and licensee incorporated all aspects of funeral service. Ms. Warren then relocated to southern Maine in 2019 and worked for a funeral home with locations in Westbrook, Windham and Gorham. Her grandfather passed away in April of 2020 and she received an offer to return to Frazer's Funeral Home in Warren, where she started out working for John B. Frazer, Jr. as a funeral director, embalmer and had served as deputy coroner for Bradley County. Sammi stated "it's great to be back in Warren."![]()
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Coca-Cola rapid response team lends a helping hand to Bradley County man
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| Pictured, from left, are Jimmy Taylor; Tim Turner, pastor of Kingdom Covenant Church of North Little Rock and a Coca-Cola worker; Shaun Martin, Taylor's son-in-law; Brittany Martin, Taylor's daughter; and Fern Ferrell, Kaylon Taylor's mother. |
Members of the Coca-Cola rapid response team helped install new furniture at Jimmy Taylor's residence near Johnsville on Thursday.
By Tim Kessler
Jimmy Taylor of Johnsville has been a merchandiser with Coca-Cola for 18 years, based in Camden. As such, he puts the product on store shelves and arranges displays.
He had lived with his wife, Kaylon, in his present home on Arkansas 160-East just outside of Johnsville for the past 18 years. It is the house that his wife grew up in.
However, Kaylon, 58, and a Warren native, died of a diabetic coma in a Fayetteville hospital on March 5. Yet that was not the end of Jimmy’s troubles.
While he was tending to his wife, the big snowstorm hit and water pipes broke at the house. Unattended, that resulted in about 3 inches of water saturating the entire house, ruining carpets and most of the furniture. A later inspection showed that mold had gotten into the walls and drywall had to be ripped out along with cabinets.
However, merchandising supervisor Tim Doss immediately sprang into action. He set up a Go Fund Me page to help Taylor and contacted the Coca-Cola rapid response team. The team is based in Charlotte, North Carolina and is set up to assist employees with any natural disasters. Coca-Cola Consolidated’s region includes Arkansas, Tennessee, Ohio, Indiana, Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina.
Team members dried out the house, tore out rugs and the moldy walls, and removed all of the ruined furniture. Michael Summerville, distribution manager for Little Rock and Camden, helped assemble team members.
“Coke as a whole has been good,” Taylor said. “God’s been good every step of the way. It’ll be like a new house when it’s done.”
Tim Turner, pastor of Kingdom Covenant Church in North Little Rock and also a Coca-Cola worker, said his church was able to connect with the City Serve organization which empowers local churches as various needs are identified in the community. He learned about Taylor’s plight during a weekly Coca-Cola conference call and he was able to arrange for the furniture to be donated by City Serve and transported to the Johnsville home by a Coca-Cola truck. The furniture was delivered Thursday.
“It was a collaborative effort,” Turner said.
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Warren Water & Sewer to reopen lobby April 5
Press release from Warren Water & Sewer
Warren Water & Sewer’s lobby will reopen effective April 5, 2021. The health and safety of our staff and the community we serve are of utmost importance. Therefore, the following guidelines from the Arkansas Department of Health and Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will be followed:
- Please do not enter if you have a cough, fever, or any symptoms of COVID-19
- Maintain 6-foot social distance from other people
- Please wear a face mask at all times
While our lobby will be open from Monday through Friday from 8:00 A.M. -5:00 P.M., we still offer several contactless payment options for your safety and convenience:
Pay by phone, (870) 226-2321
Pay online at www.pay.warrenarwater.com
Auto Draft, contact our office for more information
Night Deposit, conveniently located by our office door
Mail payments to 106 N Myrtle St, Warren, AR 71671
Should you have any questions or concerns please feel free to contact our office during normal business hours at (870) 226-2321.
Tenay Reep
Manager
Warren Water & Sewer![]()
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Sports: Reynolds strikes out 13 as Jacks take down conference foe Billies
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| Photo by Paula Herring. |
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BCMC gives update on mask requirement
SAFETY UPDATE: Bradley County Medical Center will continue to require masks to be worn inside the hospital until further notice as we keep up our efforts to keep our patients, staff, and guests safe. We will also continue our normal screening procedures upon entering the facility. Thank you for your cooperation.![]()
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Judy Thompson wins Library's Friday Book Giveaway for Week 11
Congratulation to the Warren Branch Library's Friday Book Giveaway Winner for 2021 Week #11 - Judy Thompson! Join them for their next Friday Book Giveaway!! To enter, comment "I need this book!" on the Warren Branch Library's weekly giveaway Facebook post on FRIDAYS at 8am!! Books will be given away at 5pm each Friday.
NOTE: Since the Library is closed April 2, there will be no giveaway this Friday.![]()
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During National Library Week April 4-10, check out your library in person or online
April 4-10, 2021 is National Library Week, a time to highlight the essential role libraries, librarians and library workers play in transforming lives and strengthening communities. The theme for this year’s National Library Week is “Welcome to your Library,” which promotes the idea that libraries extend far beyond the four walls of a building and that everyone is welcome to use their services. Whether people visit virtually or in person, libraries are accessible and inclusive places that foster a sense of belonging and community through learning, discovery and exploration.
During these challenging times, libraries of all types have been going above and beyond to adapt to our changing world by expanding their resources and continuing to meet the needs of their patrons. Libraries across the country are making a difference in people’s lives by providing electronic learning resources like online homework help and wi-fi access for students and workers who may lack internet access at home. Warren Branch Library is supporting the community with services such as computer access, faxing, and copying. In addition, they offer programs such as, but not limited to, 1000 Books Before Kindergarten, Book Club for Kids, Adult Reading Challenge, Adult Library Book Bingo, Crochet & Knitting Class with Eva, Stork Storytime, Preschool Storytime, and Summer Reading Program.
This National Library Week, the public can show their appreciation and support for libraries by visiting their library’s website, following them on social media and using the hashtag #NationalLibraryWeek.
First sponsored in 1958, National Library Week is a national observance sponsored by the American Library Association and libraries of all types across the country each April.
For more information, visit the library or you can visit their website at www1.youseemore.com/seark/.
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Warren's Fire Chief suspended
Press Release from the City of Warren:
Mike Ashcraft has been suspended without pay as the Part-Time Fire Chief for the City of Warren, effective immediately.
Assistant Chief Larry Hayes will fill the position temporarily as Part-Time Fire Chief for the City of Warren.
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Bohemia Cares hosted Easter egg hunt Saturday
Bohemia Cares sponsored an Easter egg hunt at Union Hill Baptist Church Saturday. The event also served as a sign-up for the Summer Enrichment Program which will be held at the church June 14-July 23 for youth going into grades 3-12. Photos by Tim Kessler
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| Aubrie Johnson, left, won extra prizes by finding the golden egg. She is shown with Bohemia Cares Executive Director Verlancia Tucker. |
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Mass COVID-19 vaccination clinic planned at Immanuel Baptist Church
Warren, Ark. – A mass COVID-19 vaccination clinic is planned on Friday, April 9th at the Immanuel Baptist Church in Warren AR.
The Immanuel Baptist Church is located at 701 West Pine Street in Warren.
Additional ADH clinics will be held weekly in each of the state’s five public health regions. Information on clinics in subsequent weeks will be posted on the ADH COVID-19 vaccine clinics webpage.
Doses will be available to anyone 18 years of age and older on a first come first serve basis.
There is no out-of-pocket expense for the vaccine. People should bring their insurance cards to the unit. If they do not have insurance, the vaccine will be available at no charge.
The Johnson & Johnson vaccine offered at these clinics is a 1 dose vaccine.
The three authorized COVID-19 vaccines have each undergone rigorous reviews that have proven them to be both safe and effective. You can learn more about the vaccines and ADH vaccination plan at healthy.arkansas.gov/programs-services/topics/covid-19-vaccination-plan.
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