Get your flu shot!
Charlie Brown delivers, Timmons and Pierce named football All-State, Moments of Joy this Saturday, CAC wins Battle of 'Maumelle' plus headlines and sport
Note to subscribers: An annual or monthly subscription is billed to your debit or credit card as ARKANSAS.SUBSTACK.COM and if you have questions, please email arkansas@substack.com. Thanks for reading and subscribing!Death toll keeps climbing
The total number of dead Arkansans this past week was 43.
Last week, it was 39, and the week before that it was 19.
The total number of dead Arkansans is now at 12,647.
Covid toolkit
There’s now a one-stop shop to learn about vaccination sites and other Covid related information. Click here to learn more.
If you don’t want to get sick and die, there’s some things you can do:
Get vaccinated
Get boosted
Wear a mask
Avoid crowdsThe Headlines
A UA Little Rock business graduate is honoring a promise she made to her children to finish her college education. Anita Burnett, a North Little Rock resident, will graduate with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Business Analytics degree this Saturday, Dec. 17, more than 23 years after she initially began her college career. For more, click North Little Rock’s Burnett graduating college 23 years after she started or the photo below.
The Maumelle Fire Department battled a large structure this past Saturday on the 14300 block of Frontier Drive.
Upcoming meetings: The Maumelle City Council will meet next Monday night.
Upcoming events: White Christmas wraps up this weekend at Argenta Community Theater and to buy tickets, click here. The Razorbacks play Saturday at Simmons Bank Arena. Moments of Joys is also this Saturday in North Little Rock and for more on that, keep scrolling.
A Christmas project still worth doing
Christmas is coming fast, so it is time to remember the reason for the season and help others.
Kelli Reep, director of communications at Methodist Family Health, said the facility’s annual Angel Tree program is back.
Indeed, if you click here, you’ll see three options to pick from.
Choose a child’s list (all items on the list can be purchased for $150 or less) and purchase the items on that list
Pick and choose items to send
Contribute to the Methodist Family Health Foundation, which provides for the necessities of the children and families in our care throughout the year.
It is important to remember that if you pick a list, Amazon does the delivery and that could be delayed depending on logistics and such.
Get your flu shot!
'Tis the season, to get your flu shot.
Some of the state's biggest hospital systems and the Arkansas Center for Health Improvement joined forces this week to urge Arkansans to get their flu shots, "to prevent hospitals from being overwhelmed."
The hospitals are: Baptist Health in Little Rock, that serves much of central Arkansas. St. Bernards in Jonesboro, the flagship hospital in northeast Arkansas, Mercy Hospitals, that has locations across the River Valley, northwest and central Arkansas and Washington Regional Medical Center in Fayetteville.
The reason for the push is that flu deaths are up dramatically across the state.
As of Saturday, the Arkansas Department of Health reported there have been 64 flu-related deaths in the state this flu season, 19 of them in the past week.
Most, 75 percent, hadn't gotten their flu shot.
Being vaccinated, while not a silver bullet, can lower your risk of severe illness or flu-related complications.
“It’s not too late to protect yourself and your loved ones before the holidays,” Baptist Health President and CEO Troy Wells said. “Get your flu shot now so your body can have the best possible protection by Christmas.”
The flu-related deaths are also up because flu cases are up across the state.
The Health Department said nearly 16,000 positive flu tests have been reported to the state and that also mirrors a dramatic rise in "doc-in-a-box" and health care provider visits.
The first two weeks in December Blue Cross and Blue Shield said more than 13,000 visits were made to medical providers.
The typical number is 1,000 in a week at this time of year and the number usually does not reach as high as 5,000 in a single week at any point in the season.
Flu cases have been so high, that some school districts across the state have cancelled in-person classes and gone to remote learning.
The flu, along with Covid, and respiratory syncytial virus or RSV have been a triple viral whammy to healthcare providers.
"Flu season usually peaks in January or February, but we are already seeing a level of infections well above the highest average peak in the past five years,” ACHI President and CEO Dr. Joe Thompson said. "It is time to take precautions — safeguard others if you have symptoms by staying home, get tested for treatment, protect yourself and get the shot."
For more information, click here and while you're getting your flu shot, go ahead and get boosted for Covid.
Bucket List: Charlie Brown delivers
CONWAY – As expected the A Charlie Brown Christmas: Live On Stage was an absolute delight.
The traveling production made a stop last Saturday at the Reynolds Performance Hall on the campus of the University of Central Arkansas and while it was listed as a sellout, the balcony, in particular, had rows and rows of empty seats.
The traveling show, produced by Gershwin Entertainment, starred Connor Barr as Charlie Brown.
And Barr, above, delivered a knockout performance, singing and dancing and directing his way across the stage.
Others in the cast included: Megan Mistretta as Lucy; Alex Polzun as Snoopy; Arturo Guadalupe Hernandez as Linus; Calvin Wakefield Kaleel as Pig Pen (and bassist); James Appleton Woods III as Schroeder; Kristen Amanda Vargas Smith as Patty; Marlina Brown as Sally Brown; Stephanie Craven as Violet; Hannah Roberts as Frieda; Matt Rapiejko as the drummer; and, Kaitlyn Thomas and Carson Zoch are swings.
Polzun’s performance as Snoopy, above, was especially athletic as he did gymnastic tricks to get “bones' ' as treats.
Just like Snoopy.
The production, at least for the first act, strongly mirrored the Charles Schulz television special it is based on. Some stage innovations were done to get around the lack of a frozen pond where the Peanuts gang went ice skating in the show.
The show added some features though with a new duet by Barr as Charlie and Hernandez as Linus about picking out the tree, A Christmas Tree like Me, that then turned into an all-cast performance before going to intermission.
The second half saw some breaks from the special as Lucy finally got to be Christmas Queen which led to the traditional special ending, with the Peanuts gang gathered around singing, that however, transitioned into the Christmas play that Charlie was tasked with directing in the special but never seen.
The play was a mix of Christmas songs and Charlie being the show’s star.
The show ended with the cast coming on stage to wish the audience a Merry Christmas and more music.
Two of the show’s performers did double duty as Kaleel, who played Pig Pen, also played the bass going back and forth from the stage to his instrument while Woods, as Schroeder, stayed behind the piano, while also delivering some key lines.
As a person who has seen the Charlie Brown special hundreds of times, has a home covered in Peanuts Christmas items and has even been to the Schulz museum in Santa Rosa, California, which is also a delight, the show delivered.
Charlie Brown Christmas debuted in 1965, years before I was born, the special has been as big a part of the holiday, to me, as hanging a stocking.
So seeing the live performance felt like a bucket list accomplishment and it feels like, if shows are driveable, an annual tradition.
Moments of Joy this Saturday
The Unsheltered Community Office in the City of North Little Rock will have its now annual Moments of Joy event this noon on Saturday at the North Little Rock Chamber of Commerce.
The holiday event is to assist children and families in the North Little Rock School District and the first was last year. The event will also include a luncheon.
The district selects 30 students from across all campuses and parents were notified in advance to get things like clothing sizes and a student’s wish list.
Volunteers are still needed for the day of the event and if you to participate, call Jhailan Rathey at 501-975-8780.
Sports
Football: Timmons, Pierce named All-State
With last Saturday’s state championship games, the football season in Arkansas has come to an end.
And with that, comes the post-season honors.
Among the North of the River players to be named to the All-State teams are:
Maumelle: Alan Timmons and Weston Pierce
North Little Rock: Robert Burgess, Diemere Manuel and Quincy Rhodes
Central Arkansas Christian had no players named All-State.
Timmons, a junior, was named as a wide receiver but the speedster also played running back, returned kicks and was a ballhawk in the secondary for the Hornets. He was also Maumelle’s top receiver in both yards and touchdowns caught.
Pierce, a senior, was Maumelle’s quarterback this past season and led the team in passing despite missing some significant time due to injury.
As for North Little Rock, Burgess and Rhodes are both defensive lineman, while Manuel was a center on the offensive line.
To see the complete list of All-State players, click here.
Basketball: Razorbacks ready to roll
Arkansas basketball’s annual game at North Little Rock’s Simmons Bank Arena is this Saturday against Bradley.
Here’s where one would normally find a link to buy tickets but the game is already a sellout, so if you don’t have tickets you’re going to need to know a guy pr be prepared to spend a small fortune on the secondary market.
The game will start at 3 p.m. and Arkansas enters the game ranked No. 10 in The Associated Press poll and most recently beat Oklahoma in a game played at Tulsa.
The Hogs are 9-1 on the season, while Bradley, in the Missouri Valley Conference is 7-3, and with losses to Auburn, Liberty and Utah State.
The team has no Arkansans, or former Razorbacks on its roster, and is coached by Bruan Wardle, who starred at Marquette and played professionally before going into coaching.
Arkansas is led by Nick Smith Jr., the North Little Rock grad, who was the SEC’s co-Freshman of the Week, after averaging 21 points a game in the last two games, both wins.
Smith was a McDonald’s All-American last season as North Little Rock cruised to yet another state title. He’s expected to be a top 3 pick in next spring’s NBA draft, so unless there’s an exhibition game, which is a pretty good maybe, this will be both the first and last time Smith will play at North Little Rock’s downtown arena.
Devo Davis joins Smith in the backcourt and graduated from Jacksonville High School.
Arkansas has traditionally had some troubles playing in North Little Rock, as the Hogs lost to Hofstra last year and the likes of Mercer in seasons past.
This team, despite its relative youth, seem primed for a deep trip into the postseason, much like the last two seasons when the Hogs went to the Elite 8 in back-to-back years.
In other Hogs news
The football Razorbacks are playing in Memphis’s Liberty Bowl on Wednesday, Dec. 28.
The game against Kansas is not yet a sellout and to buy tickets, click here.
Winner gets bragging rights, first pick on the jukebox as well as the winning state’s preferred pronunciation of the Arkansas River. For those not aware, Kansas folk don’t say it right.
BASEBALL: The Diamond Hogs will be back at North Little Rock’s Dickey-Stephens Park on Tuesday, May 2. The game will start at 6 p.m., and will be against Lipscomb University out of Nashville, Tenn.
Travs season ticket holders will get first crack at the tickets, and to buy season tickets, call the Travs ticket office at 501-664-1555. The deadline to purchase is 5 p.m., Monday, Dec. 19.
Tickets to the Razorbacks game will officially go on sale at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 28. Dickey-
Basketball: CAC prevails in the Battle of 'Maumelle'
Arkansas Christian and Maumelle Charter are in North Little Rock, but for most, once you get on the Boulevard, you’re in Maumelle.
Right?
Anyway, CAC was at Maumelle Charter last Friday for a boys and girls doubleheader.
The two schools are now in the same conference, so the games had a little bit of extra meaning.
And it was CAC that came away victorious in both games as the Lady Mustangs won, 52-37, while the Mustangs won, 74-42.
The two teams play at Mustang Mountain on Jan. 24.
In other games of note, if you can’t make the Razorbacks game on Saturday, the next best thing is a trip to Conway on Saturday for the John Stanton Classic. While the Conway School District is trapped in a morass of stupidity and bad superintendenting, school boarding and especially atrocious lawyering, the basketball will be exceptional as Maumelle plays Mills at 3:30 p.m. and the next game after that is North Little Rock and Parkview. It will be two high school powerhouses going at it. There’s a bit of historic bad blood between the programs dating back to the Anton Beard days but there’s new coaches at both schools, so maybe that past is forgotten.
Maumelle Charter boys
Record so far: 4-11
Upcoming games
Today .. at England … 7 p.m.
Dec. 16 ... at DeWitt ... 7 p.m.
Jan. 3 ... vs. St. Joseph ... 7:30 p.m.
Jan. 5 ... at Episcopal ... 7:30 p.m.
Jan. 6 ... vs. Perryville ... 7:30 p.m.
Jan. 10 ... at Lamar ... 7 p.m.
Jan. 13 ... vs. Baptist Prep ... 7:30 p.m.
Jan. 17 ... vs. Atkins ... 5:30 p.m.
Jan. 20 ... vs. Dover ... 7 p.m.
Jan. 23 ... at Sacred Heart ... 7 p.m.
Jan. 24 ... at Central Arkansas Christian ... 4:30 p.m.
Jan. 27 ... vs. Mayflower ... 7:30 p.m.
Jan. 31 ... at Perryville ... 7:30 p.m.
Feb. 3 ... vs. Lamar ... 7 p.m.
Feb. 7 ... at Baptist Prep ... 7:30 p.m.
Feb. 9 ... at Atkins ... 5:30 p.m.
For the roster, click here.
The week that was: Maumelle Charter demolished Palestine-Wheatley on Dec. 8 to get the team’s fifth win of the season.
Maumelle Charter girls
Record so far: 5-11
Upcoming games
Today ... at England ... 6 p.m.
Friday ... at DeWitt ... 6 p.m.
Jan. 3 ... vs. St. Joseph ... 6 p.m.
Jan. 6 ... vs. Perryville ... 6 p.m.
Jan. 10 ... at Lamar ... 7 p.m.
Jan. 13 ... vs. Baptist Prep ... 6 p.m.
Jan. 17 ... at ... Atkins ... 5:30 p.m.
Jan. 20 ... vs. Dover ... 7 p.m.
Jan. 23 ... at Sacred Heart ... 6 p.m.
Jan. 24 ... at Central Arkansas Christian ... 7 p.m.
Jan. 27 ... vs. Mayflower ... 6 p.m.
Jan. 30 ... vs. Carlisle ... 7 p.m.
Jan. 31 ... at Perryville ... 6 p.m.
Feb. 3 ... vs. Lamar ... 7 p.m.
Feb. 7 ... at Baptist Prep ... 6 p.m.
Feb. 9 ... vs. Atkins ... 7 p.m.
For the roster, click here.
The week that was: Maumelle Charter has lost the last three and have two games this week before taking off the rest of the year for the holiday break.
CAC boys
Record so far:8-6
Upcoming games
Friday ... vs. Dover ... 6 p.m.
Jan. 6 ... vs. Mayflower ... 7:30 p.m.
Jan. 10 ... at Perryville ... 7:30 p.m.
Jan. 13 ... vs. Lamar ... 4:30 p.m.
Jan. 17 ... at Baptist Prep ... 7:30 p.m.
Jan. 20 ... at Atkins ... 5:30 p.m.
Jan. 24 ... vs. Maumelle Charter ... 4:30 p.m.
Jan. 27 ... at Dover ... 6 p.m.
Jan. 31 ... at Mayflower ... 7:30 p.m.
Feb. 3 ... vs. Perryville ... 7:30 p.m.
Feb. 7 ... at Lamar ... 5 p.m.
Feb. 9 ... vs. Baptist Prep ... 7:30 p.m.
For the roster, click here.
The week that was: Last Friday, was CAC’s sixth consecutive win.
CAC girls
Record so far: (2-6)
Upcoming games
Friday... at Maumelle Charter ... 7 p.m.
Dec. 16 ... vs. Dover ... 6 p.m.
Dec. 28 ... Tournament at Jessieville against Caddo Hills
Jan. 6 ... vs. Mayflower ... 5 p.m.
Jan. 10 ... at Perryville ... 6 p.m.
Jan. 13 ... vs. Lamar ... 6 p.m.
Jan. 17 ... at Baptist Prep ... 6 p.m.
Jan. 20 ... at Atkins ... 5:30 p.m.
Jan. 24 ... vs. Maumelle Charter ... 7 p.m.
Jan. 27 ... at Dover ... 6:30 p.m.
Jan. 31 ... at Mayflower ... 6:15 p.m.
Feb. 3 ... vs. Perryville ... 6 p.m.
Feb. 7 ... at Lamar ... 7 p.m.
Feb. 9 ... vs. Baptist Prep ... 6 p.m.
For the roster, click here.
The week that was: CAC senior wing Riley Bryant led the Lady Mustangs with 22 points in the win against Maumelle Charter.
Maumelle boys
Record so far: (7-5)
Upcoming games
Friday ... at Vilonia ... 7 p.m.
Saturday ... at Conway for the John Stanton Classic (vs. Mills) ... 3:30 p.m.
Jan. 3 ... vs. eStem ... 7 p.m.
Jan. 6 ... at Sylvan Hills ... 7 p.m.
Jan. 10 ... vs. Parkview ... 7 p.m.
Jan. 13 ... at Jacksonville ... 7:30 p.m.
Jan. 20 ... at Catholic ... 7 p.m.
Jan. 27 ... vs. Vilonia ... 7 p.m.
Jan. 31 ... at eStem ... 7 p.m.
Feb. 3 ... vs. Sylvan Hills ... 7 p.m.
Feb. 7 ... at Parkview ... 7 p.m.
Feb. 10 ... vs. Jacksonville ... 7 p.m.
Feb. 10 ... at Parkview ... 7 p.m.
Feb. 17 ... vs. Catholic ... 7 p.m.
Feb. 24 ... at Beebe ... 7:30 p.m.
For the roster, click here.
The week that was: Maumelle beat Beebe last week, and play at Vilonia on Friday, then back to Faulkner County for the John Statnton Classic at Conway High School and rematch against Mills. That game tips at 3:30 p.m.
Maumelle girls
Record so far: 4-8
Upcoming games
Saturday ... at Vilonia ... 7 p.m.
Dec. 28 ... vs. White Hall ... 3:20 p.m.
Jan. 3 ... vs. eStem ... 6 p.m.
Jan. 10 ... vs. Parkview ... 6 p.m.
Jan. 13 ... at Jacksonville ... 6 p.m.
Jan. 20 ... at Mount St. Mary ... 6 p.m.
Jan. 24 ... at Little Rock Christian ... 6 p.m.
Jan. 27 ... vs. Vilonia ... 6 p.m.
Jan. 31 ... at eStem ... 6 p.m.
Feb. 2 ... vs. Sylvan Hills ... 6 p.m.
Feb. 7 ... at Parkview ... 6 p.m.
Feb. 10 ... vs. Jacksonville ... 6 p.m.
Feb. 17 ... vs. Mount St. Mary ... 6 p.m.
Feb. 21 ... vs. Little Rock Christian ... 6 p.m.
Feb. 24 ... at Beebe ... 6 p.m.
For the roster, click here.
The week that was: Maumelle beat Beebe last week, and play at Vilonia on Friday, then back to Faulkner County for the John Statnton Classic at Conway High School and rematch against Mills. That game tips at 3:30 p.m.
North Little Rock boys
Record so far: (8-1)
Upcoming games
Friday... at Conway John Stanton Classic against West Memphis
Saturday... at Conway John Stanton Classic against Little Rock Parkview
Dec. 28 ... Coke Classic at Fort Smith
Dec. 29 ... Coke Classic at Fort Smith
Dec. 30 ... Coke Classic at Fort Smith
Jan. 3 ... at Central ... 7 p.m.
Jan. 6 ... at Conway ... 7 p.m.
Jan. 10 ... vs. Little Rock Southwest ... 7:30 p.m.
Jan. 13 ... at Jonesboro ... 7:30 p.m.
Jan. 24 ... vs. Bryant ... 7 p.m.
Jan. 27 ... vs. Cabot ... 7:30 p.m.
Jan. 31 ... vs. Central ... 7:30 p.m.
Feb. 3 ... vs. Conway ... 7:30 p.m.
Feb. 7 ... at Little Rock Southwest ... 7:30 p.m.
Feb. 10 ... vs. Jonesboro ... 7:30 p.m.
Feb. 17 ... at Bryant ... 7:30 p.m.
Feb. 24 ... at Cabot ... 7:30 p.m.
For the roster, click here.
The week that was: North Little Rock picked up two impressive wins in Memphis last week and the ‘Cats are 8-1 with games against West Memphis and Parkview this weekend.
North Little Rock girls
Record so far: 11-0
Upcoming games
Friday ... Vashon (at the University of Missouri) ... 4 p.m.
Jan. 3 ... at Central ... 6 p.m.
Jan. 6 ... at Conway ... 6 p.m.
Jan. 10 ... vs. Little Rock Southwest ... 6 p.m.
Jan. 13 ... at Jonesboro ... 6 p.m.
Jan. 24 ... vs. Bryant ... 6 p.m.
Jan. 27 ... vs. Cabot ... 6 p.m.
Jan. 31 ... vs. Central ... 6 p.m.
Feb. 3 ... vs. Conway ... 6 p.m.
Feb. 7 ... at Little Rock Southwest ... 6 p.m.
Feb. 10 ... vs. Jonesboro ... 6 p.m.
Feb. 17 ... at Bryant ... 6 p.m.
Feb. 24 ... at Cabot ... 6 p.m.
For the roster, click here.
The week that was: North Little Rock, the defending state champs, are 11-0 and off to Columbia, Missouri for the Norm Stewart Classic. In Only One Airedale News, North Little Rock coach Daryl Fimple and Missouri football coach Eli Drinkwitz are both graduates of Alma High School and are friends.
Thanks for a full review of the Charlie Brown show. I enjoyed all the details and can see why you enjoyed it.