We like to think of our property as a benevolent monarchy. My husband Dusty has proclaimed himself king, calling it the kingdom of Dustlandia. There is much whimsy and storytelling here, mostly …
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By Shelley Smith
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8/22/24
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I hark back to the days when Arkansas boys and girls — in the business of love, courtship and sometimes marriage — would sit very closely to each other in the motor vehicle they happened …
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By Frank Wallis
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8/22/24
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It’s premature to say that Arkansas Democrats are back, but they probably had their best week since 2010.
When the candidate filing period for next year’s elections ended at noon …
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By Steve Brawner
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11/24/23
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At the recent meeting of the Dogs of Dustlandia committee, I was invited to speak about the ancient ones who have crossed the rainbow bridge. Oral traditions are important since dogs have no thumbs …
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By Shelley Smith
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11/16/22
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My mailbox lately has been flooded with campaign mail. A few days ago, there was one I found particularly offensive so I tore it up and threw it in the garbage, mumbling incoherently about all the …
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By Shelley Smith
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11/9/22
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We have the God-given power to think. Not just a straight line between grocery list and dinner, to-do list to calendar, and not just to memorize enough information to keep ourselves alive.
We have …
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By Shelley Smith
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11/9/22
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As a young teacher, I remember sitting in faculty meetings watching the veteran teachers as they occasionally raised their heads to cast a withering stare over the top of their glasses.
Usually …
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By Shelley Smith
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10/26/22
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At the recent meeting of the Dogs of Dustlandia committee, I was invited to speak about the ancient ones who have crossed the rainbow bridge. Oral traditions are important since dogs have no thumbs …
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By Shelley Smith
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10/12/22
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Nothing frames the context of a complicated subject like a weird metaphor. As I was driving to town one day recently, I saw a caravan of trucks hauling away the rides from the county fair, and oddly …
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By Shelley Smith
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9/28/22
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The passing of Queen Elizabeth has reminded me that you can take the girl out of England, but you can never take the English out of the girl, no matter where life’s path takes her.
As a child …
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By Shelley Smith
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9/14/22
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In the recently published opinion piece, “Writing on the Wall”, there were many questions posed to the Legislature. These are the facts.
This is the history. Every two years since …
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9/7/22
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I love asking questions. You never know what kind of response you will get, assuming you do get a response.
I am reminded of my teaching years. Young children are especially unpredictable when …
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By Shelley Smith
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8/24/22
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1.6 billion dollars. This is the 2022 tax revenue surplus amount currently held by the state of Arkansas. Last year there was a surplus of $945.7 million. In fact, in seven of the past ten years …
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By Shelley Smith
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8/12/22
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I tend to over-explain almost everything. It is a lifelong habit because the problem with words is that they are not as simple as we would like them to be. Putting them together in an attempt to …
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By Shelley Smith
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7/27/22
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Of the various roles that newspapers fill – to inform, enlighten and entertain, for instance – one of the most important to me is to record. Despite our product being printed on one of the lesser …
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By Lori Freeze
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6/7/22
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The Social Security Administration recently announced the most popular baby names in Arkansas for 2021.
It may be no surprise that Liam and Olivia topped the list for boys and girls. Liam was …
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By Lori Freeze
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6/6/22
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It’s difficult to imagine our society without plastics, a marvel of adaptability. They can be lightweight, flexible, sturdy and inexpensive to produce. What’s not to love? Without plastics, …
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By Lori Freeze
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6/6/22
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Watching all the fresh-faced, excited and happy graduates on Saturday was enjoyable. I was able to maintain an attitude free of cynicism for the entire day. As these young adults expressed their …
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By Lori Freeze
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5/18/22
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“If I had known how wonderful it would be to have grandchildren, I’d have had them first.”
Author Lois Wyse is credited with the phrase I’ve heard for so many years, but have come to …
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By Lori Freeze
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5/18/22
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Once a year or so our staff expounds on the importance of public notices (called “legal notices” in our pages). This usually is in response to an effort at the state legislature to remove …
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4/19/22
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