September 2023
Blanchard wins again!
Gala Blanchard is on a hot streak in her football picks. She has won Pick the Winner for the second week in a row. Gala selected 13 correct games out of 18 with David Roberts and Logan Jett tying for second place with 12 correct picks. A special shout-out to Nathaniel Miller who was the only participant this week to choose Corning over Izard County.
Clay County Fair to begin Sept. 13
The Clay County Fair will be held Wednesday through Saturday, Sept. 13 through 16, at the fairgrounds in Piggott. Keeping with recent tradition, the annual pageants will be held in conjunction with the fair Saturday, Sept. 9, beginning at 9:30 a.m. with the Baby Mr. and Miss Clay County pageants, and will continue throughout the day. The complete schedule of pageants, with the contact information, may be found on page 3 in this edition. Activities at the fair will continue Wednesday, Sept. 13, with set-up of booths and check-in of livestock and horses.
Bobcat Football
Bobcats overpower ICC; 58-16 First of all, our team would like to thank the Corning community for the support at the game on Friday at Izard County. Our stands easily had more in attendance than the home side bleachers! Our Senior High team improved to 1-1 with a 58-16 win over ICC.
Plane sight
In early August, Republican lawmakers said that while the state’s budget surplus justifies another round of revenue cuts, making those cuts could wait until early 2024. Early last week, lawmakers learned that Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders might call a special session as soon as Monday, September 11, with the public goal of cutting taxes sooner. Legislators were told that any call for a special session might also include a few technical fixes to other laws as well as changes to our state’s Freedom of Information Act. Given that details of some of the governor’s travel were recently brought to light by the Blue Hog Report (https://twitter.com/BlueHogReport/status/ 1696930239417360725), some speculated that our governor’s hoping to better shield some of those details in the name of security (though, as has been pointed out by many online, some details—like the fact that Governor Sanders flew from Fayetteville to Rogerslastmonth(https://twitter.com/BlueHogReport/ status/1695036029269311596)—would still be available through third-party flight trackers). Republican leadership has said any special session would likely be called for Monday, September 11, through Wednesday, September 13, but that we shouldn’t expect confirmation until early this week. A quick reminder: Special sessions must only touch at least three calendar days, meaning they could last as little as 25 hours or so. (I believe the shortest special session I’ve been a part of lasted little more than 33 hours.) Also: Lawmakers must first consider only the items included on the governor’s call before taking up other issues—and even then, introducing anything outside the call requires a two-thirds vote in both chambers.
State Capitol Week in Review
LITTLE ROCK – Over the course of the upcoming year legislators will study all the various laws in Arkansas governing firearms, with the intent of simplifying them. The study was prompted by requests from law enforcement and instructors of gun safety.
22 years later; a 9/11 reflection piece
a 9/11 reflection piece Author’s note: I originally wrote this at the 20-year anniversary mark but have gone back to reflect upon 9/11, as I do every year, to make sure we are still telling our stories of this day in history. Time stood at 8:46 a.m.
September is Library Card Sign-up Month
September is Library Card Sign-up Month, a time when the Corning Public Library joins the American Library Association (ALA) and libraries nationwide to remind everyone about the valuable resources available with a library card. From borrowing books, ebooks, and audiobooks to getting homework help, learning new skills, or attending a program or story time, a library card helps everyone do more of what they enjoy all without stretching their budget. There’s something for everyone at the Corning Library, and signing up for a library card is the first step on the path to academic achievement and lifelong learning for students. It’s elemental, really— everyone should have one.