If we were asked to describe 2025 with one word, it would be “meh.” It will be a year we’ll remember mostly for the loss of our father, an occurrence that sucked us dry of motivation and hope. It will otherwise be a year in which we tackled a major renovation project at our river shack and gave new life to an old jon boat. We were fortunate enough to travel to new places like Jefferson, Texas, and Ocean Springs, Mississippi.
It was also the year we turned 40, and our first-ever optometrist visit served as a stark reminder that we’re not getting any younger. Turns out, our eyesight — which we thought was near perfect — is pretty poor in both eyes. So we start 2026 wearing specs. Yay. On a positive note, we highly recommend Arkadelphia Eye Care, a fairly new clinic led by a personable, relatable and energetic Dr. Aaron Tollett. The clinic is located in the former office of Family Eye Clinic on Caddo Street. We must also offer an apology to “Dr. T” for the language we used when asked how we felt about our newly diagnosed astigmatism.
In the coming days we’ll publish our annual year-in-review articles looking back at the news that shaped 2025. We’ll take a break on Jan. 1 and likely return on Friday — if there’s anything to report.
Well put, Rex. We are among the many who enjoyed your recent column in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
An Arkansan from Cabot recently lucked out with a Powerball jackpot ticket worth $1.817 billion. That means, according to former HSU math professor Fred Worth, that other people lost $3.634 billion. We trust Dr. Worth’s math, that 50% of the lottery’s proceeds go toward prizes. That’s a lot of loss for one person’s gain.
To date, Sheriff Jason Watson’s puny politician peg remains the top contender for the crown in this year’s Sexy Leg Contest, put on by the Humane Society of Clark County. Like the man it supports, Watson’s lower limb is likened to the lamp in A Christmas Story — fra-jee-lay! Our astute readers of Dispatch Desk have taken notice of the ongoing lack of reports being filed at the sheriff’s office. For this reason alone, we urge our readers to pitch in and support Phil Shuffield’s hunky haunch and crown him this year’s winner. Phil’s namesake towing and auto repair business, Phil’s Auto, is a longtime advertiser who supports The Arkadelphian, so a vote for Phil is a vote for ensuring that politicians like Jason Watson are held accountable for government transparency. Vote through the end of December — time is running out! Vote for Phil Shuffield here.
Joel Phelps is editor and publisher of arkadelphian.com. Opinions in this column — especially those of another man’s legs — are entirely his own. Reach him by email at editor@arkadelphian.com.
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