,A Nelson Publication accepting news from: GURDON, MALVERN, Arkadelphia, Prescott, Hot Springs, Bismarck and Fountain Lake. We

are a weekly magazine/newspaper covering community progress, Christian testimonies and sports highlights. Online “Current issue” every weekend. Check out

our archives. See www.tailgatenewsoldissues.wordpress.com. PDFS, past and present, free to copy. Enjoy the read.

YEAR 14: 2020 ISSUE: WEEKENDER OF APRIL 17, 2020 VOL. 441 12 Pages

FirstIssue:May

2007

The Southern Arkansas

TAILGATE NEWS

FREE to copy

Poetry: Out In The Middle Of Nowhere; P-4

Gurdon graduate

memories; P-11

GATE INDEX Making a

DifferenceIN GOD WE TRUST

JOHN’S SERMONA second chance

is the Lord’s

stock and trade...

Page 3

Mayor files

for downtown grantGurdon Mayor Kelley files

for grant to revamp

Gurdon Light Building

Page 6

Teacher reaction

to no school until fallArkansas teacher

has heart for students,

parents in Corona

economic bind and school

out till fall

Page 7

Tailgator hoping

for Gurdon footballWriter believes society

should return to normal

Page 8

Obits: Wells, Prince,

Smith, Jones, Anderton,

Walters, Giffin; Pgs. 9&10

Classifieds; P-11

Ph: (870) 353-8201;

Leave Voice Mail!Emails: jay_nelson_72443

@yahoo.com or tailgate-

newskid77@gmail.com; Editor:

John Nelson, 216 N. 16th Street,

Arkadelphia, AR 71923

(Continued on Page 2)

(Continued on Page 5)

185,000 lose their lights on Easter night

CADDO VALLEY AREA TREES DOWN FROM HIGH WINDS

- At least three large trees were down on Highway 7 toward Caddo

Valley, in front of Arkadelphia Pet Clinic, Monday after a Sunday

night storm of high winds killed the lights in 20 counties. No storm

injuries or casualties have been reported. (John Nelson photo)

Gurdon schools plan graduation

ceremony for Class of 2020

Stuck In Okolona

Ebenezer Cemetery visit

means mud bath for reporter

By JOHN NELSON

Tailgate News Editor

A severe wind storm cut the power in 20 Arkansas counties,

according to weather authorities, during a tree ripping, straight-lined

wind blast that caused uprooting and de-roofing from Arkadelphia to

Gurdon to Prescott to Malvern late Easter night, April 12, to early

Monday morning, April 13.

Weather reports said 185,000 were without lights at one time. This

editor’s home, at 216 North 16th Street in Arkadelphia, was without

electrical power from about 8 p.m. on Sunday, April 12 until 9 p.m. on

Monday, April 13.

A Monday morning ride from Pine and 16th Street in Arkadelphia

toward the downtown proved to be nearly lightless except for a few

By JOHN NELSON

Tailgate News Editor

It was a Tuesday afternoon. I was done

selling but something one of my son’s co-

workers said was bugging me.

Mr. Johnny Vancamp, a Gurdon body

shop man, or at least that is how I know the

guy, told me there was a cemetery out

Okolona way that had been ran over by a log

truck, a fence dragged and stones pulled

over. He asked me to do a story.

I said I would do my best. Well, I never

found the evidence I was looking to photo-

By JOHN NELSON

Tailgate News Editor

Allen Blackwell, superintendent of Gurdon Schools, said Thursday

there will be a graduation ceremony for the Class of 2020 and details

will be announced this coming week.

“We will be making a statement on all things next week. All

school activities, with the exception of graduation, have been canceled

for the remainder of this year. Currently, we are waiting for better guid-

ance from the Arkanas Department of Education (ADE) as to how to

deal with graduation,” he said.

Gurdon Schools, along with the rest of Arkansas, will not meet in

traditional fashion until the fall of 2020 when the new school year

begins, per order of Gov. Asa Hutchinson because of the threat of

spreading the Corona Virus.

Blackwell said there will be a football program this fall in Gurdon

and if there are further questions about the school’s planned schedul-

ing people should feel free to call his office.

Students will, however, continue to learn in the Alternative Method

Instruction program via the Internet, Zoom meetings with teachers and

assistance in their lessons from parents or guardians for the rest of

the current school year.

The AMI schooling will count toward the completion of a student’s

current grade level and AMI classes will stop this spring when the

school year was originally scheduled to end in May.

The Gurdon School Board will meet at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, April

28. Blackwell said board members will be conducting interviews to

hire a new superintendent on May 4 and May 7, as Blackwell has

accepted a superintendent’s job at Rosebud starting this fall.

EBENEZER CEME-

TERY - Ebenezer

Cemetery seems to be well

kept up and has a sign on

its near-Okolona location

stating it has been estab-

lished since 1867.