The sun sinks behind a curtain of trees as your heart pounds along with your feet battling the rugged terrain. You know there’s someone behind you, so you’ve got to stay ahead. You can’t stop. Time seems exponential and your vision is muddled. … “Will I make it?” … For most people, this nightmare is a fleeting dream, but for local father of three, Brad Taylor, it’s his reality and hobby. … Taylor is what’s known as a “trail ultra-runner,” running distances of over marathon length (26.2 miles) in a single outing. He began the sport three years ago to manage his physical and mental health.
What do Albert Einstein, Sammy Sosa, Dave Matthews, Henry Kissinger, Martina Navratilova, Alex Trebek, Mila Kunis and Jackie Chan all have in common? … The answer is, they were all born in other countries and immigrated to the United States. Their contributions to academia, education, sports, music and television have made them household names and the idols of the generations that follow them.
10 Things We Might Actually Miss About the Pandemic … (or maybe just seven) … Things are definitely looking up. I hesitate to say we’re getting back to normal because who can say what is normal? The rigors of a global pandemic, however, are behind us and the immediate future is looking a bit more familiar. … As I’ve been looking forward, though, I’ve had occasional twinges of a feeling I struggle to identify. I wouldn’t really call it nostalgia, because I don’t have what you would call “fond” memories of the pandemic.
When I was seven years old, my family went to meet the Roraback family to explore the possibility of Mrs. Roraback watching my sister and me while our parents were at work. They were a big family with four kids, and they lived on a lot of land with an assortment of animals. I remember that day because they had a daughter my age and I instantly connected with her. We have remained close throughout the years and Jessica (Roraback) Rich has become my lifelong friend. … During my first encounter with Jessica, she asked if I wanted to jump on her trampoline.
I remember walking the halls as an ambitious kid looking up to the seniors and thinking that it was a lifetime away that I would be in their shoes. They were so big, so grown, and so close to adulthood, yet young enough to be fun. I especially idolized the basketball players. All I wanted was to be like them one day. I started at Trinity Christian School in the fifth grade. Now eight years later, here I am, graduated and headed off to college. I sit here thinking about that scared little fifth grader who would have given anything just to be acknowledged by an upperclassman.
Some of the best things in life are free and they’re in Arkansas. The Natural State has unique locations that can be enjoyed for nothing but the time it takes to get there.
… • In the Ozarks, the Buffalo National River with its towering limestone bluffs is America’s first national river. Hiking trails traverse historic farmsteads, quiet stream valleys, wooded mountainsides, and offer bluff-top vistas.
Nicholas Watson, Valedictorian … Madison Jo Atchley, Salutatorian … … Riley Bennett … Kayla Bradford … Karli Bruce … Jaelyn Bunch … Evin Burton … Brayden Bushman … Vanarith K.
I’ve said many times before, “I am ‘just Nick.’” I’ve never been someone who went along with the crowd or looked for validation from people. I was given rules and expectations from my parents, and I was never given an option to not follow those rules or meet those expectations. It was just understood. I know that is difficult for some my age because peer pressure is real, and everyone wants to feel like they belong. My brain just wasn’t wired to care about fitting in, and I’m glad.
Kate Elizabeth Woodard … Jenna Alyse Woodard … Damon Rhett Young … Nathaniel Joseph Morriss … Jane Elizabeth Rounds … Nicolai Khalel Ang … Catherine Joanne Rounds … Evelyn Grace Patterson … Mary Grace Elizabeth McAfee … Charlotte Norma Jeanne Hueter
