Press Argus-Courier

Susan Aubin found herself packing up her once highly decorated classroom this spring after just one year of teaching at a New Hampshire high school. On top of beginning her teaching career during the coronavirus pandemic, Aubin, 22, was frustrated by restrictions on how she could teach about diversity and inclusion. She was discouraged, too, by her salary, saying her teenage students were making just as much if not more money per hour working at McDonald's or Walmart.

Mrs. Thomas' kindergarten class: Dear Santa, I want an LOL doll, makeup, and a doll, and a stuffy. And I want two stuffies I like. Taylor Dear Santa, I want a lot of presents. Ryleigh Dear Santa, I want pants, a tablet, a phone, and an electric scooter, poppits, squishies, and keychain poppits. That’s all I want. Melody Dear Santa, Can I have Barbies for Christmas? Santa, I like your elves. Can I have, like, some little things, like little toys of balls? That’s it.

The coaching carousel isn't much different from the farmer selling tomatoes to local grocery stores, or the young fashion entrepreneur hoping to convince Wall Street she (or he) has what it takes to get a foot in the door. Coaching often mimics life, too. Sometimes, a firm handshake doesn’t hurt, either. Dominic Lincoln had a charisma to teach and a zest to learn at a young age. People were taking notice.

By her own admission, Carole Medlock didn’t follow the family script. But in 2021, as the Alma bowling coach preps her team, the vibrant wife and mother of four wouldn’t change a thing. “It’s funny how things turned out,” Medlock explained. “My parents (Catherine Walker and Ted Katte) worked for United Airlines; my dad was a pilot and mom was a flight attendant. I had uncles who were either pilots or worked for the airlines (industry), too.

A Van Buren school resource officer saw the need for students to be a part of something important, make new friends, and feel important themselves. That led George Edelen to start an after-school program called Everyone Needs a Friend at Butterfield Trail Middle School, to get students involved with their community and fellow students.

The Crawford County Clerk’s office issued the following marriage licenses: Terry Hamm, 37, Justina Battenfield, 34, both of Van Buren. Chandler Hoffman, 22, of Van Buren and Victoria Tanksley, 29, of Mulberry. Henry Crabtree, 26, and Sarah Turney, 20, both of Van Buren. Steven Williams, 33, and Kristan Lovell, 31, both of Van Buren. Ronnie Wolfe, 67, and Mary Atwood, 68, both of Mulberry. Jackson Malone, 31, and Lindsey Spears, 29, both of Van Buren.

Mercy Fort Smith announces the following births: Chloe and Trent Shaffer of Rudy, a boy, Dec. 1. Tiffany and Anthony Howard of Alma, a boy, Dec. 2.

There are 4,400 veterans in Crawford County and the Veterans Services Office aims to help each one with any problems they might have. Nicole Licari is the veterans' services officer for Crawford County and her job is to help veterans utilize benefits that come from the Department of Veterans Affairs. These benefits include disability, pension, survivor benefits, health care, and education among many others.