THE NASHVILLE HH News-LEADER HH Preserving Southwest Arkansas’s Heritage While Leading Through the 21st Century Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2017 u Vol. 14, Issue 31 u 20 pages, 2 sections u 75¢ Leader Finalist on Board ‘The Voice’ www.swarkansasnews.com to perform ‘Tax Time’ may be found on at Stand Up Arkansas native Barrett Baber pages 2B-4B of will be the featured entertainer at today’s issue. the Stand Up for America celebra- tion Saturday, July 1, at the Nashville City Park. Mineral looks The gates will open at 6 p.m., with the patriotic show starting at 6:30. for removal Baber will take the stage at 7:30 p.m. and perform until the fireworks show from state list begins around 9:30. Baber is from Marion, Ark., and If things go as ex- pected, Thursday, Feb. finished second on NBC’s “The 9, will be a red-letter day Voice” last season. He attended Ouachita Baptist Uni- for the Mineral Springs School District. versity, where he performed with the Ouachita Singers. Baber was among At a meeting in Little Rock that day, the State the survivors of American Airlines Department of Educa- Flight 1420 which crashed during a thunderstorm while attempting tion is expected to take the district off its aca- to land at Little Rock National Air- demic distress list. port in June 1999. The Singers were “It means the world returning from a European concert to us,” Superintendent tour. The director’s 14-year-old Curtis Turner said Mon- daughter and a member of the Sing- day. “Everybody from News-Leader photo/JOHN R. SCHIRMER See Baber • Page 5A the staff to the students MVP. Scrapper Darius Hopkins (right) accepts the Most Valuable Player Award from has been working hard. Rotary Club president Carol Murray Saturday night at the Rotary Football Banquet. “And we’re not stop- ping there - we intend to keep improving.” The school was Scrapper record-setter placed on the distress list after not reaching a certain percentage receives MVP Award of math and literacy By John R. Schirmer the ball 180 times for 2,073 yards and 41 proficiency on a scale News-Leader staff devised by the state touchdowns, placing him second in school department. The scale Scrapper senior Darius Hopkins received behind Willie Hopson. He averaged 11.52 combined test results the Most Valuable Player Award Saturday yards per carry, eighth in Arkansas Activi- from the district using night at the conclusion of the Nashville Ro- ties Association records. His 41 rushing TDs three different tests in tary Club football banquet. placed him third in AAA history. three different years. Hopkins received All-District and All-State For his career, Hopkins scored 78 rushing Turner said the dis- honors. He was selected for this summer’s touchdowns, placing him seventh all-time in trict had surpassed the Arkansas All-Star game at the University of AAA records. threshold requirement Central Arkansas. He was the Scrappers’ Of- He scored eight TDs against Idabel, good and was at almost 52% fensive Player of the Year. Hopkins has com- for second in state records. proficiency. “We just mitted to Coffeyville Community College in Hopkins was Back of the Year in District barely missed before.” Coffeyville, Kan. See MVP • Page 6A Barrett Baber Mineral Springs is Coach Mike Volarvich said Hopkins ran one of 10 schools which are expected to be taken off the list. Dierks hardware owner 4-H barbecue set Saturday closes door for last time By Patsy Young each morning at 6 and served in Nashville News-Leader staff customers until his mother got On Dec. 15, 2016, ninety- Big black iron smok- the other children off to school. ers will be lined up by three-year-old Kenneth Lofton During the following years the dozens on Saturday, walked out the door of Lofton Kenneth worked with his moth- Hardware Store for the last time. Feb. 4, for cooking ribs er as Ethel continued to operate He sold the store knowing that it and Cornish game hens the store until her retirement in in the 7th annual 4-H would be difficult not to return 1962. each day after running it for BBQ Bowl. Kenneth took over the busi- The event will take most of his life. ness and with the help of his place in a vacant lot Kenneth’s parents, O.L. and wife, Florine, has been running between the radio sta- Ethel Murry Lofton, were mar- the store and enjoying visiting ried in 1920 and established tion and Just Poultry with his customers until he de- on South Fourth Street, Lofton Hardware Store in 1927 cided it was time to retire. Nashville. on the main street of Dierks. He was one of the first home Four years earlier Kenneth was appliance repairmen in the area. Although parents, th boosters and others will born on the 4 of July. He is the Early on in his career he took oldest boy of five children. gather in the predawn to a correspondence course and O.L. died in 1933 leaving begin cooking, 4-H’ers learned to repair televisions, ra- and others will be pres- Ethel to run the store and rear dios and other household items the children. Kenneth was the in the back of his store. He also ent from 10:30 a.m.-1 LEAVING FOR THE FINAL TIME. Kenneth Lofton, 93, and oldest boy and was given a key made house calls to repair larger p.m. to assist buyers his daughter Peggy leave Lofton Hardware Store for the last who come to pick up to the store when he was 10 time as owner. See Store • Page 5A their meat orders. years old. He opened the store A full rack of ribs is $25; Cornish game hens are $5 each. Interested persons are Barber shop asked to call orders in ahead of time to the UA rebounds Extension Office, 845- 7517. Orders will also be available for sale on after fire “Bowl” day. By John Balch Proceeds from News-Leader staff the sale support 4-H NASHVILLE - After more than educational activities for 50 years in business, Reeder Mc- Howard County youth. Cullough wasn’t about to let a little fire keep him from running his Inside the Leader Main Street barber shop. Obituaries, 2A That is why Whiteway Barber Early Files, 3A Shop and McCullough, 86, are back Opinion, 4A in business this week at 111-1/2 Main Street. Sports, 6A-8A The barber shop, which opened Trends, B in 1963, was damaged by fire dur- Classifieds, 10B ing the early morning of Sept. 14, 2016. The fire caused some struc- tural damage as well as smoke and subsequent water damage and also claimed a handful of McCullough’s Nashville Scrapper memorabilia that dates back as far as 1922. (The day after the fire, McCullough News-Leader photo/JOHN BALCH BACK IN BUSINESS. Reeder McCullough, 86, announced Monday that Whiteway Barber Shop See Shop • Page 5A on Main Street is now open for business after rebounding from a fire in September of 2016. 2A News Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2017 Nashville News-Leader Obituaries 1956, in Upper Sandusky, Ohio, to the late Donald and Gladys Eileen Burt Reese. She was preceded in death by a sister, Terry Lynn Reese Cosby. Survivors include: her husband, Jack Lamb of Nashville; a daughter, Jo- Lynn Domingez and hus- GREAT KINDNESS CHALLENGE. Nashville Primary first graders collected items for foster kids as part band, Victor, of Nashville; of the Great Kindness Challenge last week. Students pictured above are from classrooms of Karen Al- three brothers, Mike Reese len, Megan Worthen, Susan Goss, Sarah Horn, Jen Hill, Vicki Cook, Callie Parker, and Jane Caldwell. of Mena, Karl Reese of Ohio, and John Reese of Mineral Springs. Maxine Nolen Watts Graveside services Blevins School Board member gives Maxine Nolen Watts, were Monday, Jan. 30, 2017 83, of Delight, Ark., passed at 2 p.m. in Bluff Springs away on Wednesday, Jan. Cemetery near Nashville apology for ‘blackface’ incident 25, 2017. She was born with Ronnie Morris offici- By Terrica Hendrix on May 8, 1933 in Pisgah, ating. The family received minute speech. He told the crowd not attend the event, was asked if News-Leader staff Ark., the daughter of the friends before the funeral of at least 35 people that he was Bonner’s apology would stop the late Lawrence Randall and service at Nashville Fu- Blevins School Board member sorry “if he offended anyone” with organization’s efforts for seeking his Linnie Lamb Nolen. neral Home. Ted Bonner publicly apologized the blackface costume he wore at resignation from the school board. Mrs. Watts was a mem- Send an online sym- Monday evening for his Halloween a Halloween party last October. “The only way we will back off is ber of the First Assembly pathy message to nash- costume. He added that he has sought for- if asked by the people in the Blevins of God in Delight, Ark. She villefh.com. The public apology was pre- giveness from God and has been community that asked for our as- was a loving, wonderful, Freddie Ford sented as an idea to Bonner during forgiven by Him and that if anyone sistance,” confirmed Aaron. outspoken, and fantastic Freddie Ford, 71, of the January meeting Blevins School cannot forgive Bonner, then it’s be- Bonner has been at the center of lady that believed in living Saratoga, died Friday, Board by fellow board member, Carl tween them and God.