Lifestyle

BENTON — Monarch butterflies are flitting their way around Arkansas and now is a good time to make these highly recognizable, but vulnerable, pollinators feel at home. “The first batch of monarch caterpillars has emerged here at the Saline County Extension Office which is one of my favorite times of year,” said Nichole Nichols, Saline County extension agent for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.

Coming to our stage this week on Saturday, June 1 is another local favorite, The Welcome Ridge Band. The members are Gordon Davenport on guitar and vocals, Lisa Davenport on guitar and vocals, Will Davenport on bass guitar and vocals, Doug Mears on drums, Dillon Endicott on lead guitar and vocals, and Stacy Davenport on the fiddle.

Memorial Day signifies more than just the unofficial commencement of summer. It is a day to pause, reflect, and honor countless individuals who have laid down their lives in defense of our freedoms. Their selflessness and courage epitomize the very essence of patriotism, reminding us of the extraordinary debt we owe to those who have made the ultimate sacrifice.

After World War I, claims for disability from discharged soldiers poured into the offices of the Bureau of War Risk Insurance, the federal agency responsible for evaluating them. By mid-1921, the bureau had awarded some amount of compensation to 337,000 Veterans. But another 258,000 had been denied benefits.