February 1, 2012
Gay Announces Re-election Bid
Independence County Coroner Wesley Gay has announced his intention to run for another term in the 2012 election.
“I take much pride in serving the citizens of Independence County and would like to continue,” said Gay in a press release announcing his bid. “During the past year, I
have put into place seven deputy coroners with extensive medical and law enforcement backgrounds. My deputy coroners and I are dedicated to serving the people of Independence County professionally and in a timely manner.”
Gay noted in the press release that he has personally become a medical legal death investigator through the University of St. Louis School of Medicine and Pathology.
“It has been an honor to serve as your coroner, and I want to continue to serve the people of Independence County,” said Gay. “I very much would appreciate your continued support.”
Danny Storlie to Run for Independence County JP
Danny Storlie has announced his intention to run for the position of Independence County Justice of the Peace, District 5 (Cord/Charlotte).
“This position of Justice of the Peace will allow me to better help serve the needs of the people in this area,” noted Storlie in a press release. Storlie is a graduate of Arkansas State University with a Bachelor of Science in industrial engineering technology. He also has a MBA from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. Danny Storlie is a member of the West Baptist Church and has two young sons and a wife, Cynthia. He is a licensed commercial contractor and real estate developer.
Lindsey to Run for JP District 5
A former longtime law enforcement officer has announced his intention to run for Justice of the Peace, District 5 (Cord/Charlotte), in Independence County.
Bill Lindsey, who retired from the Independence County Sheriff’s office after serving more than 20 years, recently announced his bid in a press release.
“I have the utmost respect for the citizens of District 5, and I pledge to work for their interest, and try to make government work for them,” said Lindsey in the press release. “I have a desire to see the continued success of the volunteer fire departments, in all areas of the county, to grow and prosper, with better equipment and better trained personnel.
“I will continue to work for better roads in all areas of the county. If elected, I will be available to all the citizens in District 5 and hear any concerns they might have.”
Lindsey is currently employed by Securitas USA, working as a security guard at the University of Arkansas Community College in Batesville. He and his wife Jean have been married for 44 years and attend the Cord Baptist Church.
Habitat for Humanity Seeks Applicants
The Independence County Habitat for Humanity will be taking applications on Saturday, Feb. 4, from 8 a.m. until noon in Room IH 104 on the campus of the University of Arkansas Community College at Batesville (UACCB), located at 2005 White Dr. in Batesville. This will be the fourth family to partner with Habitat for Humanity of Independence County. Construction for the third home is to begin soon.
Habitat for Humanity does not “give” the house to the qualifying family, according to a press release. Each family is required to donate hundreds of hours of “sweat equity” into their home as well as being required to work on the other Habitat homes through the willingness to partner aspect of the Habitat program. This gives the qualifying family the opportunity to learn skills needed to own and maintain a home. The completed house is then sold to the family through a non-profit loan and the family is then required to make monthly mortgage payments which must be paid back on schedule. Before being selected, families are required to show the ability to meet a monthly mortgage payment. Because the house has been built with a great deal of volunteer labor and donated materials, the mortgage payments are kept very reasonable. Each family must also show they are currently living in inadequate conditions which may involve substandard housing, overcrowding or the family is experiencing housing costs that have become a burden.
Families interested should bring a copy only (not original) of their 2011 W-2 and current utility bills to be submitted with the application. For questions, please call (870) 793-1999.
People for Parks' Plan Meet
A group of citizens from Batesville and Independence County, calling themselves “People for Parks,” planned to meet, Tuesday, Jan. 31, at 7:30 p.m. at the Citizens Bank Annex Community Room.
The meeting was described as an opportunity “…for residents who support ball parks, but are against the planned community center in Batesville,” to discuss the upcoming March 13 special election proposing a recreational sales tax in Batesville.
For more information regarding “People for Parks,” call Phillip Finch at (870) 613-3046.
Benefit Yard Sale to be Held in Cave City
A benefit yard sale to help pay for a headstone and the remaining funeral costs for Brylee Verser, a Cave City student who passed away in 2011, will be held this weekend at the Cave City Middle School Gym. The sale will begin Saturday at 8 a.m. and continue through Sunday. All with crafts and/or baked good are also welcome, as are donations.
For further information, contact Brianna at (870) 612-2492 or Sonya at (870) 307-4838.
Lyon Non-Traditional Students
Make Most of College Experience
Non-traditional Lyon College student Jennifer McSparren studies at the
Mabee-Simpson Library. Photo submitted
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With an increasingly tumultuous economy and an even more unstable job market, more people than ever are considering going back to college well after their teen years. Colleges across the country have seen an increase in non-traditional students, and the number is expected to continue to rise as previously secure jobs continue to become more and more vulnerable.
According to the National Center for Educational Statistics (NCES), between 2000 and 2009, the enrollment of students 25 andover rose 43 percent. But besides age, students can be considered “non-traditional” for multiple reasons, and they all have different stories.
“A non-trad is a student who falls outside of the typical student,” non-traditional Lyon College student, Tonya Clapp, said. “They’re usually over 24 years old, have taken at least a semester off between high school and college, do not live in a college-owned house or apartment, are married or are single with children. I personally started Lyon College in 2009 when I was 36 years old.”
Clapp decided to go back to school to advance her teaching career.
“I had always wanted to be a teacher,” Clapp said. “I got my associate’s degree and I taught for five years. Now, I am ready for my own classroom. I graduate in 2013.”
Clapp is not the only one with this idea. A Kaplan University study found that 90 percent of U.S. adults feel that furthering their education can increase their earning potential and opportunities for promotion.
Jennifer McSparren, another Lyon non-trad, decided to go back to school for that very reason.
“The recession caused me to lose my seven-year factory job in 2009 and I transferred from a community college to this one this fall,” McSparren said. “I will have a bachelor’s degree to hopefully get around having to work in factories anymore, because they’re
just not stable enough in today’s economy.”
Having experienced the real world for many years, Clapp feels that non-trads have somewhat of a leg-up on many of the younger students.
“I think just my life experience has given me an advantage over the other students,” Clapp said. “I know how hard it is out in the real world. Many of the students have not even held a part-time job. I know what it takes to succeed.”
McSparren agrees that her experience helps her in college.
“I’ve seen the “real” world,” she said. “I’ve worked several factory jobs since I graduated high school and I pretty much know how the world works.”
Though many non-traditional students feel somewhat disconnected, Clapp is involved with a number of activities, on and off campus.
“I am president of the Non-Traditional Student’s Association, member of the Lyon College Concert Choir, member of the Marksman Club and a non-trad/commuter represen-
tative on SGA, and I work five hours a week at the library on campus,” Clapp said. “Off campus, I am the Administrative Assistant for the Batesville Montessori School. I also work part-time as weekend staff for the Mabee-Simpson Library and a van driver for the APPLE Program. Did I mention I have kids?”
Though her schedule is consistently full, Clapp knows the importance of being involved on campus.
“Some non-trads only want to take their classes and go home,” Clapp said. “They don’t realize that being part of an organization not only helps them integrate into college life and helps them feel part of the community, but it also shows future employers that they can handle their home responsibilities, work, and community outreach considering almost all the campus organizations do some sort of community outreach.”
For this very reason, Clapp created, and is the president of, the Non-Traditional Student Association (NTSA).
“NTSA was established to provide a resource of names and numbers of people who can solve various problems,” Clapp said. “Some of the non-trads don’t want anything to do with the traditional students, for some reason or another. This separation is one of the reasons NTSA was established. We wanted to break down these walls. College students of any age should take advantage of all the things their college has to offer.”
Clapp sometimes feels that there is a separation and mild discrimination against non-trads like her.
“One misconception may be that traditional students think we may be too old to be in school. They may look at us like they look at their parents,” Clapp said.
McSparren agrees that there is often a disconnect between traditional and non-traditional students.
“We are students too. We are here to improve our lives through education,” McSparren said. “It’s really hard for some of us to even come back to school.”
Through all of the struggles and difficulties non-traditional students face, they have the right idea. A college degree is more vital now than ever. According to U.S. census data, people with a bachelor’s degree earned 90 percent more than high school graduates in 2007. And according to the U.S. Department of Labor, of the 50 top-paying careers,only two do not require a four-year college degree.
Couple Weds at WRMC
WRMC
Chaplain Doc Spurlin jokes with happy newlywed couple Chuck Danyaw and
Jane Huddleston Danyaw after conducting a wedding ceremony in Jane’s
hospital room.
Photo submitted
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Most fairytale stories include a dashing prince, a castle, and an enchanting wedding. However, Cherokee Village residents Jane Huddleston and Chuck Danyaw composed their fairytale on the fourth floor of White River Medical Center (WRMC), in her hospital room — and they wouldn’t have had it any other way. The two were united in marriage while she was a patient at WRMC.
Rewinding to earlier in 2011, Chuck walked through the doors of a small restaurant in Mammoth Spring where Jane was having a meal with her friends. They immediately locked eyes and both agree it was “love at first sight.”
“I wasn’t looking for anyone and neither was Jane, but when our eyes met, that was it,” said Chuck. After running into each other time and again at this restaurant, Chuck finally got up the nerve to invite her over to sit with him. “I’ll never forget it. I invited her to sit with me, but when she came over my legs wouldn’t let me get up,” he said, describing the moment he knew he had been struck by love.
They immediately developed a connection, which led to a strong relationship over the coming months.
After being injured from a fall, Jane, 73, was admitted to WRMC. Fortunately, she had the unfailing support of Chuck, also 73, everyday while she was in the hospital. Then he gave her a surprise she will never forget — he walked into her hospital room with a county clerk and a marriage license. “I just felt the timing was right,” said Chuck.
“We have been talking about marriage for a long time, but this was a nice surprise,” said Huddleston. Touched by the couple’s devotion, nurses and staff at WRMC gave them another surprise — a wedding ceremony. WRMC Chaplin Doc Spurlin was called in the room to officiate. A team of nurses got together and quickly ordered a flower bouquet, then gathered in the room to witness the ceremony.
Sitting on the side of her hospital bed, dressed in her yellow hospital gown and wrapped in a blue blanket, Jane Huddleston clutched her bouquet in one hand, her smiling groom’s hand in the other, and right there in her hospital bed, became Mrs. Chuck Danyaw.
“I said I wasn’t going to cry, and I really tried hard not to, but I just couldn’t help it. I was so happy,” she said. And she wasn’t the only one in tears.
“They had us all crying,” said Lisa Crumley, orthopaedic liaison. “I have never witnessed anything like this. I am so proud of our staff who went through great lengths to help fulfill their wishes.”
After the small ceremony, the couple was serenaded with a harmonica tune from hospital maintenance employee, Steve Moody. A few of her nurses then brought coconut cake from
dietary to serve as the wedding cake.
Although the wedding was far from traditional, Chuck and Jane both agree that if they had it to do all over again they wouldn’t change a thing.
“The entire experience was just wonderful. It was better than if we would have had it in our home or somewhere else,” said Jane. “We just can’t say enough how thankful we are for the staff and how wonderful they were to us.”
The Danyaws have since returned home to Cherokee Village, where, as in fairytales, they plan to live happily ever after. However, they will never forget their experience where they came to WRMC for healing, and came out newlyweds.
Ozarka College Culinary Arts
Gourmet Dinner Set for February
The
Ozarka College Culinary Arts Department will host the first Gourmet
Dinner of this semester on Thursday, Feb. 2 from 5 to 8 p.m., offering a
unique, fine-dining experience, according to a news release.
Advanced Culinary Arts students are currently working on a menu that
will be prepared and served under the direction of instructors Mimi
Newsome and Eric Smith. Each semester, students host three Gourmet
Dinners to gain real-world experience to better prepare them in their
future careers. Two more dinners will be hosted later in the semester.
The dinner will be served in the Culinary Arts Department, located in
the John E. Miller Education Complex at Ozarka College’s main campus in
Melbourne. Menus will be provided for entrée selection and pricing will
be listed.
Dinner is by advanced, confirmed reservation only, and
seating is limited. Please contact the Culinary Arts Department at
(870) 368-2062 or (870) 368-2061 to make reservations. Please leave a
message with a call back number if there is no answer. A Culinary Arts
instructor must confirm all reservations.
Salon Opens in Southside
Southern Styles, a beauty salon specializing in hair and nails, recently opened in Southside.
The salon is owned by Ramona Halford and is located in her home at 255 Brushy Road.
Her phone number is (870) 612-0096.
