Smith marks
100th birthday
Bernice Smith of Jamestown Nursing and Rehab in Rogers recently celebrated her 100th birthday. She was born April 15, 1915, in McDonald County, Mo., to Ruphus and Elva Mathis. She had two sisters, the late Ellen Bailey and Luetta Dickey of Hermiston, Ore., and one brother, the late Arthur Jr. Mathis.
She lived the majority of her life on farms along Big Sugar Creek. She married Otho J. Smith in 1933 and had five children, Verna of Weaverville, Calif., Carma of Eureka, Kan., Arthur James (deceased), Linda of Anderson, Mo., and Kay of Goodman, Mo. She is a lifetime member of the Pineville Christian Church.
Rheas Mill
decorated
The Rheas Mill Cemetery's annual decoration day will be held at noon Sunday. A potluck lunch will precede the meeting in the fellowship hall at Rhea's Mill Community Church across from the cemetery. Following the meal, a meeting of the cemetery committee and interested parties will be held.
Donations are requested for the upkeep of the cemetery and the purchase of a new mower. Donations may be sent to Floyd Nash, 18588 Rheas Mill Road, Lincoln 72744.
Black Oak School
holds reunion
Black Oak Baptist Church is extending an invitation to any former student of Black Oak School to Bible study at 10 a.m., church service at 11 a.m. and a potluck lunch at noon on May 31.
The church is located 10 miles southeast of Fayetteville and was a school until 1948, when it consolidated with Elkins.
Information: (417) 335-3288.
Farm Bureau
winners named
Arkansas Farm Bureau has announced the winners of its annual safety poster contest. The posters depicted this year's theme, "Ride Like a Pro, Wherever You Go."
In the first and second-grade category:
• Easton Cantrell, a second-grade student at Deer Elementary in Newton County, won first place. He is the son of Derek and Lorie Cantrell.
• Kailynn Gober, a second-grade student at Gurdon Primary school in Clark County, won second place. She is the daughter of Kathryn Gober.
• Brance Williams, a second-grade student at Hazen Elementary in Prairie County, was third. He is the son of David and Angie Williams.
In the third and fourth-grade category:
• Dusty Davis of Mena, a fourth-grader at Holly Harshman Elementary in Polk County, took first place. He is the son of Dalon and Jennifer Davis.
• Third-grade student Lily Davis of Prairie Grove Intermediate School in Washington County won second place. Her parents are Scott and Cassie Davis.
• Lily Parson, a fourth-grade student at Hazen Elementary, was third. Her parents are Terry and Erica Parson.
In the fifth and sixth-grade category:
• Teresa Bell, a sixth-grade student at Wickes Elementary in Polk County, won first place. Her parents are Mary Bell and Chance Bowline.
• Emma Johnson, a fifth-grader at Swifton Elementary in Jackson County, took second. She is the daughter of Jacky and Ginger Johnson.
• Third place went to Alexandria Breedlove, a fifth-grade student at Deer Elementary. She is the daughter of Amanda Breedlove.
Cash prizes of $100, $75 and $50 are awarded to the top three winners in each category.
Belford wins
speech contest
Angela Belford, Belford Group co-founder and CEO, won the District 43 Toastmasters' International Speech Contest in Memphis, Tenn. This win earned Belford a spot in the International Competition Semi-final round to be held in Las Vegas in August. Belford will represent the Razorback Toastmasters, her division, Toastmasters' Division F and District 43.
Belford's award-winning speech challenges the audience to grow personally by digging out the negative beliefs (bad seeds) and planting new ones.
Class of 1990
sets reunion
Southside High School class of 1990 will hold its 25-year reunion June 20 at Christy Comb's Cabin, 800 Torrington Way in Fort Smith. Activities include food, drinks and Rebel fun.
Information: (479) 353-1260, email christyp@netwes.com or Facebook page Southside High School Class of 1990 25 year reunion.
UAFS faculty
honored
Three University of Arkansas at Fort Smith faculty members were honored at a faculty appreciation ceremony April 17 in recognition of their service to UAFS and the community.
Recipients are Carol Westcamp of Muldrow, Okla., who won the Excellence to the University, to the Profession and to the Community Service Award; Dr. Lindsy Lawrence of Fort Smith, winner of the Excellence in Research, Scholarship and Creative Activities Award; and Dr. Pamela Blesch of Fort Smith, who was awarded the Lucille Speakman Master Teacher Award.
The award winners, who each received monetary awards of $2,500, were recognized during the faculty appreciation ceremony held in conjunction with the annual Undergraduate Research Symposium at UAFS.
Husarik
wins award
Stephen Husarik, music and humanities professor at the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith, received the Scholarly Achievement Award during the Humanities Education Research Society's annual conference in San Francisco.
Husarik, who published a textbook titled "Humanities Across the Arts" last summer, presented a workshop at the conference.
"Humanities Across the Arts" was published by Kendall Hunt in 2014 and is used in humanities courses at UAFS. Husarik receives no royalties for the book, as he has redirected the funds back to the publisher to help reduce the cost of the book for students.
Shoffner has
new novel
On May 1, Laura Shoffner's latest Harlequin Love Inspired Historical novel, A Family Found, was released under her pen name Laura Abbot. Set in Estes Park, Colo., in 1879, this is a story of adventure, romance and reconciliation with God.
The paperback will be available for a limited time in retail outlets during May, such as Wal-Mart, Target and Barnes & Noble, and can be order online from Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
Students place
in Cleanup
Eighteen students have been selected as winners in this year's Great Arkansas Cleanup Youth Poster Contest sponsored by the Keep Arkansas Beautiful Commission to educate Arkansans of the value of a clean community to economic development and civic pride. Students across the state submitted art displaying what it means to keep Arkansas beautiful.
Winners in the grades 3-5 category were:
• Liberty Ash, a fifth-grader at King Elementary School in Van Buren, first place.
• Mohammad Niyaz Hasan, a third-grader at G.R. Taylor Elementary School in White Hall, second place.
• Dylan Kennedy, a fifth-grader at King Elementary School in Van Buren, third place.
• Dilma Gouardado of Little Rock, Alicia Sher of Waldron, Kyleigh Schoultz of Bismarck, Manuel Marroquin of Van Buren, Peyton Martin of Van Buren and Emelia Stuckey of Sherwood, honorable mention.
Winners in the grades K-2 category are:
• Shaelyn Fox, a first-grader at Leverett Elementary School in Fayetteville, first place.
• Jade Livermore, a second-grader at London Elementary School in Russellville, second place.
• Eleanor Eichmann, a second-grader at Leverett Elementary School in Fayetteville, third place.
• Mia Doss of Little Rock, Macey Abbott of Bismarck, Calla Bowling of Fayetteville, Brooklyn Glover of Sherwood, Victor Lopez-Harris of Sherwood and Kaylah Fabian-Lucas of Mabelvale, honorable mention.
KAB commissioners and volunteers chose the winning posters from more than 200 entries.
Physicians
honored
Four physicians at Washington Regional's HerHealth clinic have been named recipients of the 2015 Hawks-Workman Award presented by the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences ANGELS program. The physicians, who were recognized for their extraordinary contributions to an OB/GYN Clerkship program that expands learning opportunities for third-year medical students, are Britte D. Smith, M.D., Laura R. Collins, M.D., Mary Pat Hardman, M.D. and Kristin Markell, M.D.
Christman
earns Eagle
Tyler Christman, 14, of Cave Springs earned his Eagle Scout rank recently. He is a member of Troop 36 in Bentonville and the son of David and Eva Christman.
Tyler's Eagle Project was to design and make pedestrian benches around the lake and along some trails at the Illinois River Watershed Partnership in Cave Springs. This summer he will attend National Advanced Youth Leadership Experience at Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico.
Christman, a freshman at Bentonville High School, is a pole vaulter and a football running back. His ambitions are in engineering or marketing and to attend the Naval Military Academy.
Send information about birthdays, honors, school scholarships and awards and reunions to ourtown@nwaonline.com or Northwest Arkansas Achievers, P.O. Box 7, Springdale 72765.
NAN Our Town on 05/14/2015