Sports

The Viola Longhorns ran roughshod over their conference this year with a balanced roster of classes. With only two players being lost to graduation, the ‘Horns are balanced with four juniors, four sophomores and five freshmen slated to move up. Viola kicked the season off with 15 straight wins before dropping their first loss in the Batesville tournament where 3A Manila squeaked by them 4-3. ...

The Viola Lady Longhorns finished their softball season earlier than they had hoped, falling in the opening round of the State Tournament to Taylor, one of the teams headed into the championship game. Viola had three seniors starting for their team that wound up with a 21-6 record, Taylor Batterton, Mallory Guffey and Shaylee Harber. Batterton anchored the left side at third base, Guffey handled the duties in the circle, and her battery mate was Harbor...

The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) encourages Missourians to share their comments on a conservation plan of the Midwest Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (MAFWA) to help save monarch butterflies. MAFWA, of which MDC is a member, welcomes public comments on its draft “Mid-America Monarch Conservation Strategy” through May 31. For more information, a copy of the draft conservation plan, and how to submit comments, visit the MAFWA website...

During Free Fishing Days, anyone may fish in Missouri without having to buy a permit. Want some free fun that gets family and friends outside in nature? Get hooked on fishing with the Missouri Department of Conservation’s (MDC) Free Fishing Days June 9 and 10. During Free Fishing Days, anyone may fish in the Show-Me State without having to buy a fishing permit, trout permit or trout park daily tag...

The Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation announced Tuesday, May 8 the 2018 Arkansas Outdoor Hall of Fame inductees and recipients of its Legacy Award. Arkansas Outdoor Hall of Fame Inductees Jim Hinkle, Mountain View - A former Arkansas Game and Fish commissioner, Hinkle served 14 years on the board of the National Wild Turkey Federation, ultimately serving as president of the national chapter of the organization. ...

Salem’s Anthony Puerta blew away the field in the distance events at the Class 2A State Track Meet May 2 in Mineral Springs. Puerta won the boys’ 1,600-Meter Run (4:37.24) and the 3,200-Meter Run (10:31.75), making him the state champion. In 300 Hurdles, Alexis Swingle finished third and Hunter Taylor finished sixth. ...

The Melbourne Lady Bearkatz came home with a 12th-place finish at the Class 3A State Track Meet May 1 in Jessieville. The Rivercrest Lady Colts took top team honors in the event. The top five were rounded out by Jessieville, Green Forest, Harding Academy and Greenland...

Lyon College football will play four home games next season as the Scots released their 2018 football schedule. The Scots posted a 6-5 record in 2017 as they finished with a winning record for the first time in program history. For the second year in a row, the Scots will open up the season against Missouri Baptist. After opening up the 2017 season with a 28-7 victory at Pioneer Stadium against the Spartans, the Scots will travel to St. Louis, Mo., to face Missouri Baptist on Saturday, Aug. 25. ...

Izard County and Mammoth Spring competed at the Class 1A State Track Meet in Mineral Springs May 1. The Cougars ended up in 26th place. Trinity Christian won the boys’ team title, with Mineral Springs, Decatur, Mount Ida and Midland rounding out the top five...

They may have had to hold on in the end, but the Calico Rock Lady Pirates did just that in a 5-3 victory over the Viola Lady Longhorns April 27 in the championship game of the 1A-2 North Softball Tournament at Viola City Park. That gives the Lady Pirates their fourth straight district tourney title...

The Izard County Cougars won their fifth straight 1A-2 North Senior High District Track championship April 24 at Bomber Stadium in Mountain Home. Hillcrest came in second in the boys’ division, with the Mammoth Spring Bears coming in third. Norfork captured the girls’ championship, while the Mammoth Spring Lady Bears ended the afternoon as runners-up. Lady Bear Lauren Mitchell won her second-straight High Point title for Mammoth Spring...

It took a late rally, but the Salem Greyhounds made it to the finals of the 2-2A District baseball Tournament with a tight 3-2 win over East Poinsett County on April 28 in Salem. Later that evening, the Hounds fell to the Buffalo Island Central Mustangs, 8-2, in the championship round. ...

The Salem Greyhounds captured first place at the 2-2A Senior High District Track Meet in Pocahontas, while the Lady Greyhounds came in second at the event April 25 in Pocahontas. Sloan-Hendrix was second in the boys’ compeition, with the Marked Tree Indians coming in third...

The 3A-1 East Senior High District Track Meet was held April 26 in Green Forest and the Melbourne Lady Bearkatz brought home third place from the even. Their boy counterparts finished sixth. The host Green Forest Lady Tigers took the top spot for the girls, while Yellville-Summit was second...

The Viola Longhorns have pretty much owned 1A-2 North baseball the past 10 years. And by the looks of things, that may not change any time soon. Viola improved its season record to an outstanding 28-1 mark and also claimed the 1A-2 North District Baseball Tournament championship with a 10-0 victory over Mammoth Spring April 28 at Viola City Park...

The Salem Lady Greyhounds are once again 2-2A District Softball champions and the squad was barely tested en route to the title. Playing on their home diamond, the Lady Hounds outscored their three opponents 44-1 over the course of the tourney. In the title game on April 28, Salem crushed Marmaduke, 15-0. In the semis, the Lady Greyhounds blasted East Poinsett County, 14-1. To open tournament play, Salem hammered Buffalo Island Central by the count of 15-0...

Prescribed fire and bobwhite quail -- one restores a natural process, the other is a natural species. Prescribed fire will take place without quail but quail will not thrive without prescribed fire. How do we get more fire on the ground? We must first understand its benefits and specifically how they relate to bobwhite quail...

If you want to go after an Arkansas elk, now is the time to apply for a permit for public land permits next fall in the Buffalo River country of northwest Arkansas. Applications are accepted through the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission’s website, www.agfc.com, from 12 a.m. ...

Harrisburg ended Highland’s baseball and softball seasons April 23 in the opening rounds of the 3-4A District Tournaments at Ash Flat Ball Park. In baseball action, Highland’s Tristan Trivitt struck out 10 Harrisburg batters, but the Hornets pushed two runs across the plate in the sixth inning to top the Rebels, 3-2...

The Cave City Cavemen came in second, behind first-place finisher and host school Pocahontas, April 24 at the 3-4A Senior High District Track Meet at Schoonover Stadium. The Highland Rebels finished in sixth place at the event. The Cavemen came in first in the 4X800 and the 4X400 Meter Relays. Cave City’s Marcus Rudick was first in the 1,600-Meter Run, with teammate Kendall Townsley running to a first-place finish in the 800-Meter Run...

It was all Salem at the 2-2A Junior High District Track Meet in Pocahontas on April 18, with the junior Hounds and junior Lady Hounds both bringing home championship trophies from the event. The junior Greyhounds racked up 284.50 points in the meet, blistering second-place Flippin who had 131 points...

The Mammoth Spring junior Bears captured top honors at the 1A-2 North Junior High District Track Meet April 18 at Bomber Stadium in Mountain Home. In addition to bringing home the first-place team trophy, Mammoth Spring’s Chris Cray also won the boys’ high-point individual title...

The 28th annual Buddy Bass Tournament was held April 21, on Crown Lake in Izard County, Horseshoe Bend, Ark. The tournament was hosted and presented by Box Hound Marina, Resort & R.V. Park. The contestants fished from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. The scoring was based on black bass consisting of largemouth, spotted (Kentucky), and smallmouth bass. ...

The Melbourne junior Lady Bearkatz finished atop the leaderboard at the 3A-1 East Junior High District Track Meet April 17 at Clinton High School. In Boys’ competition, Melbourne finished third, behind Green Forest and the host team, Clinton. Audra Blevins took first in the pole vault and the junior Lady Katz came in first in the 4X800 Meter, the 4X100 Meter and the 4X400 Meter relays...

Salem Lady Greyhounds defeated the Viola Lady Longhorns 11-5 on Tuesday, April 17 at Viola City Park. Allyson Walsh went the distance in the circle and picked up another win for Salem. At the plate, Walsh went 2-5 with a double and a triple with three RBI’s. ...

Anthony Jackson         223;574 Rodney Hallmark         206;574 William Thompson       224;515 Joey Robison               210;534 Buddy J. Smith             252;626 Leon Moreland             204;495 Will Ryals                     223;555 Jim Stark                      194;474...

The 28th Annual Spring River Open 3 Person Scramble will be hosted by the Quad Cities Rotary Club and Spring River Area Chamber of Commerce on May 19 and 20. The event will take place at the Cherokee Village South Golf Course with Shotgun Start at 9 a.m. ...

The Greyhounds beat Cotter 12-1 on Wednesday, April 11. Salem is now 10-6 overall and 8-1 in conference play. This game finishes up district play (not conference). Salem finished first in the district. There are five conference games left in the season...

Salem Lady Greyhounds defeated the Mountain Home Lady Bombers 7-6 on Monday, April 16 at Salem. Allyson Walsh went 3-4 with two RBIs, Beth Humphries was 1-3 with oe RBI, Erin Cameron recorded a single, Jaiden Strong was 2-4 with two RBIs, Kirsten Jackson records a single with an RBI, and Rory Walling was 1-3 with the game winning RBI in the bottom on the seventh inning. ...

Madison Brokaw blasted a three-run round-tripper for Melbourne, but the Mountain Home Lady Bombers topped the visiting Lady Bearkatz, 17-7, on April 9. Reagan Rapert ended the afternoon with a pair of hits for Melbourne.

The Cave City Cavemen finished in fifth place, while the Highland Rebels ran to an eighth-place finish at the annual Sara Low Relays April 12 at Pioneer Stadium in Batesville. The host school finished atop the leaderboards in both the boys’ and girls’ divisions...

It’s muddy, slippery and slimy. It’s a feral hog trapping scene, where 14 feral hogs rooted up all vegetation, leaving a mud pit in the middle of an otherwise pristine wooded area. Missouri Department of Conservation employees Matthew Peter, a wildlife biologist assistant, and Ethan Roach, a wildlife technician, walked through the rain with their gear to approach a trap full of feral hogs. ...

The Missouri Department of Conservation announces new cases of chronic wasting disease (CWD) have been found in Perry (1) and Ste. Genevieve (6) counties. Four of these samples were harvested by hunters during the 2017 fall firearms season. Three of these positives were taken during post season efforts in Ste. ...

Star of the Week 2 Game Score Plus Handicap – Dave Gruger 205 Star April 2 Game Winners Pit 1 Yanke and Thomas 180 Pit 2 Gruger and Howe 177 Pit 3 Lewis and Matheney 184 Pit 4 McHugh and Reger 182 4-6 Game Winners Pit 1 Matheney and Lofquist 171...

Will Ryals               212;611 James Oliver          204;516 Jeff Jackson           210;581 Mike Aronoff           205;587 Buddy E. Smith      207;538 Rodney Hallmark    212;555 Dustin Denton         184;466 Joey Robison          224;625 Buddy J. Smith        253;603...

Izard County High School will host the Sixth Annual North Arkansas All Star Basketball Classic on April 14 at the Cougar Den in Brockwell to showcase the outstanding graduating high school senior basketball players in the North Arkansas area. The all star high school boys and girls games will be broadcast on KSAR 92.3 FM by the “Ole Coach” Gary Cooper, Bob Harpole, and James Bragg. ...

The Wellman Senior High Relays were held April 4 at Schoonover Stadium in Pocahontas and Batesville won team-titles in both the boys’ and girls’ divisions. Twenty-two teams competed in the boys’ division, while 20 teams took part for the girls. The Cave City Cavemen turned in an impressive afternoon by finishing tied for second with Pocahontas in boys’ competition...

Many turkey hunters wouldn’t dare step into the woods next week without a trusty box call tucked in their vest. It’s usually the first call young hunters will learn to use for this coming weekend. But few know that staple of the turkey woods originated right here in The Natural State. ...

Cherokee Village Men’s Golf Association held a meeting on Thursday, March 29. New officers were installed for 2018 and are as follows: President, Scott Jones; Vice President, Will Brooks; Treasurer, Darrell Kehrli; Secretary, Walt Brown; General Manager S.I.D., David Webb; Games Chairman (North Course), J.R. Raney, Games Chairman (South Course), Larry Thomas and Publicity Chairman, Chuck Wouff...

Rodney Hallmark          204;531 Buddy J. Smith             202;554 Mike Aronoff                 199;571 Buddy E. Smith             218;601 Paul Rosebrook            235;581 Kenny Ray                    200;527 Art Johnson                   200;549 Anthony Jackson          213;551...

It’s not uncommon for rabbit dogs, squirrel dogs and even the family feline to enjoy some of the spoils of hunting season, but owners should be careful not to give their pets and working dogs meat from animals they know to be infected or diseased. “We have had a few people ask if they could give the meat from a deer that tested positive for chronic wasting disease to their pets,” said Jennifer Ballard, wildlife veterinarian for the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission. ...

The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission approved the purchase of a new parcel of land near Mountain Home during its March 23 meeting, but unlike other purchases that sometimes cover many square miles, this purchase only included 14 acres. But those 14 acres are just as important to the AGFC’s mission as any wildlife management area, as they will be the location for a future field office to serve the Mountain Home area...