by “Stretch” DeTrooth

Travel or select baseball and softball are very popular now. Families are packing up and traveling all over the place each weekend playing games and tournaments. They’re practicing a couple nights each week working on their crafts. A whole industry has been created around these sports. Organizations and tournament organizers are making a lot of money off these kids and families. But, the families and kids are not getting a piece of the pie. Now, they have a tool to help with expenses and possibly even make money.

The Strong River Valley Technology Initiative (SRVTI) got back in the lab this past week and created 5Tool. One of SRVTI’s members has a son that has a promising future as a baseball player, and he brought the issue of the cost of the sport up to the SRVTI board. They got to work, and created this awesome tool for young ball players.

5Tool will allow young baseball and softball players (ages 7-12) to obtain name, image, and likeness (NIL) deals just like college athletes. Parents can setup a profile for the kids on the site, and businesses and organizations can choose kids to sponsor off the site. Parents are in charge, and it’s free to join.

5TOOL APP

Parents and coaches are excited about 5Tool. One 12U baseball coach said, “I have at least 4 future college players on my team now. They’ve had no way to make money and help pay for ball expenses. 5Tool will help them build a brand, and it’ll help them market themselves to businesses and sponsors. This could really change the travel ball game.”

One softball mom said, “Lillie Ruth has had multiple teams and coaches try to poach her off her current team. They’ve promised free gear and money to help with travel, and I don’t like it. It just doesn’t seem right to be doing that to a 10 year old. 5Tool will give her an opportunity to make some money the right way, and she can get her true worth. I think it’s great.”

by Ben BeEssen

Ricky’s on the River is a Valley staple, and it’s a very popular spot this time of year. People flock there to feast on crawfish, drink beer, and enjoy the awesome Valley and river vibes. They also have a popular crawfish eating contest each year that we’ve written about before. Things were going great this Tuesday night at Ricky’s until an out-of-towner showed up.

Witnesses said an out-of-towner that no one recognized came in around 5:45 pm, and he sat at the bar alone. About 5 minutes later, Billy Brawlar, an amateur MMA fighter, and his girlfriend, Kim Swift, walked in and sat by the gentlemen. They were seen having a little small talk with the out-of-towner, and everything seemed to be going fine. Things made a turn for the worst around 6:15. Brawlar was heard raising his voice, and the out-of-towner and Brawler stood up chest-to-chest. They could be overheard using some language you wouldn’t hear in Sunday School, and things got physical.

Brawlar said, “Look, I was trying to be nice to the guy. He told us he was from New York, and he was here on business. But, he was kind of a know-it-all. He kept talking about how great the Yankees are. He heard my girlfriend say crawfish a couple times, and he started correcting her telling her that they’re pronounced cray-fish. I told him that we don’t say that here. You may say that up in New York, but we say craw-fish down here.”

I talked to some Ricky’s employees including the bartender, and they said the guy was a bit of a jerk. One said that you could tell he thought he was a little haughty, and you could tell he was looking down on people in the restaurant. They said he just couldn’t understand why we love these crayfish.

Brawlar added, “What really did it was when he started making fun of me for saying y’all. In a fake southern drawl, he said, “Y’all hicks love these crawfish.” I couldn’t take anymore of his crap after that. I stood up and told him that he needed to go back where he came from, and I told him some other things that I can’t repeat too. He was a lot bigger than me, but he didn’t scare me. He pushed me first, and then it was on! I let him know what’s up!”

The sheriff’s department was called, and a couple deputies showed up soon after. Things had settled down by the time they’d arrived. The New Yorker left with a black eye and bloody lip before the deputies arrived. No charges were filed. As the New Yorker was leaving, the diners gave Brawlar a standing ovation for his efforts.

Folks, we’re serious about our crawfish here in The Valley. It’s not advisable to make fun of us Valleyans concerning our crawfish and our language. I’ll add you may not want to make fun of our college football or baseball either.

by Ima Phibber

For a small rural area, The Strong River Valley has a ton of talent. One area of immense talent in the The Valley is our music. SRV Records is leading the way on the music scene in The Valley. They’re a small record label with 3 strong local artists- Bubba Swompz, Lily of The Valley, and Don Cartwright. Since coming onto the scene, Bubba Swompz has been prolific, and he’s released some great music. Up until now, Bubba has produced only country hip hop tracks, but Bubba has seen The Light. He will be releasing a gospel album called “A Gospel Compilation” on May 8th. He’s also releasing a single on the album called “The Good Shepherd” tomorrow. You can listen and download it on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music and all the major streaming platforms.

I was able to sit down with Swompz this week on his lunch break to discuss his new album. Swompz said, “I’ve been busy lately with work and my music. I’ve gotten more active in my church the past 6 months or so, and I’ve sang in church a good bit. A couple people at church told me that I needed to do a gospel album. I’d never really thought about it. I started mulling it around, and God and I decided that I needed to do one. So, I’ve been working on it for a few months, and here we are!”

Swompz added, “I tried to base most of the songs on scripture. I think too much of contemporary Christian music is not really based on scripture. Many songs have good messages, but they’re lacking a little. I hope to point listeners to God and The Word with my album. For example, my single that I’m releasing on Friday called “The Good Shepherd” is based on John 10:11.”

Swompz said, “Valleyans have been good to me. I’m just a dude chasing my dream. I hope “A Gospel Compilation” will touch and minister to some folks. I’ve enjoyed making and producing the album. Y’all checkout “The Good Shepherd” tomorrow, and mark your calendar for May 8th when the full album is released. Also, follow SRV Records on Facebook and Instagram! God Bless!”

by Emma Embellischer

Drivers have to be on the lookout for animals while driving in Mississippi and The Valley, especially at night. Deer are the main worry, because they can cause major damage to a vehicle. But, motorists also have to be on the lookout for other animals as well. Many car accidents are caused each year because of drivers trying to avoid animals. There’s a ton of wildlife along Hwy. 13 between Strong River Bend (SRB) and Valley City close to the 40B Development, and many animals are struck and killed along this stretch of highway. The Strong River Valley Transit Authority (SRVTA) has decided to take action to protect motorists in this area.

SRVTA Chairman Mehate Teslaz said, “We’ve been hearing complaints from Valley motorists about this strip of Hwy. 13 for some time, so we decided to do something about it. The SRVTA board has debated for a few months about a solution, and we finally formed a consensus at the last board meeting. We decided to build a wildlife bridge over Hwy. 13. You may have heard about this idea before. Gov. Newscum from California is doing this in his state. Unlike him, we plan to spend way less of your tax dollars and keep the project on time and actually complete the project.”

The wildlife bridge is expected to cost about $2.9 million, and construction is scheduled to start in 3 weeks. The SRVTA anticipates the project will take about 7 weeks to complete. Traffic on Hwy. 13 along the construction area will be impacted in the coming weeks while the bridge is being built.

Teslaz added, “This will simply be a small bridge over the highway. It’ll be similar to a pedestrian bridge over a busy highway or freeway in a large city. It will be approximately 25 feet wide to be able to handle wildlife traffic coming from both directions. We will plant grass and some plants on the bridge to make it appear as natural as possible. We think it will cut down on road kill and vehicle accidents, and that’s a good thing.”

The SRVTA will post signs on the right of way by the bridge and in the wooded areas surrounding the bridge to direct animals to the bridge for safe crossing. They also plan to have employees occasionally walk across the bridge to show animals how it works. Teslaz said, “We realize it’ll take some time for the animals to get accustomed to it, but we hope the signs and training will do the trick. You’ll have some mavericks and stubborn animals that won’t take the bridge, and we realize that.”

signs for animals

Valley residents have mixed feelings about the wildlife bridge. One resident said, “Is this a joke? Our hard-earned tax dollars are going to this garbage? The animals won’t use it. Kids are probably gonna use it to terrorize people driving thru there. This is such a stupid idea. We gotta clean house at the SRVTA and get rid of the board!”

Another resident said, “Oh, this is such a great idea! I know a lot of the animals probably won’t use it. But, if we can just save one raccoon’s life or one deer’s life, it’ll be worth it. The armadillos have no hope, but we can save other animals’ lives, and that’s a good thing.”

by Carl “Bull” Crapper

The SRVTI has done it again. I’m a happily married man with 10 kids. We have a great crazy life together, and I love my wife to death. But, sometimes she can be a little moody, and I’m sure all you men out there know what I’m talking about. The SRVTI has created a tool to help us men out.

WIFE MOOD PREDICTOR

The Wife Mood Predictor app allows men to gauge their wife’s mood based on various factors. Hopefully, you men out there won’t have to check anything on the right, because the more you have to check the more you’re in trouble. So, men let’s try our best to leave the things on the right unchecked.

The Wife Mood Predictor app won’t be a panacea, but it will hopefully help us men stay out of trouble. In the future, hopefully they’ll add tips for us men to butter our wives up when we get into trouble. Oh yeah, you don’t have to married to use this app guys!

by I. B. Lyon

You rarely hear of credible Bigfoot sightings in Mississippi and the South. We are pretty rural around these parts, but there normally are some folks or a settlement within a few miles of you. Bigfoot sightings in the US are normally in wilderness areas out West. But, that changed this past weekend. There was a credible sighting at the Strong River just outside of Strong River Bend (SRB) this past Friday.

According to the National Bigfoot Search Commission (NBSC), a credible Bigfoot sighting must have visual proof (picture or video), and it must be accompanied by at least one clear footprint. Both items were provided for this sighting.

Johnny Riverrat, Willie Strong, and Billy Strong saw Bigfoot this past Friday, allegedly. These guys are not strangers to Valleyans and SRVO readers. You can read a story about them discovering the legendary pyconda HERE. The crew was fishing late Friday afternoon like they usually do, but it was not a normal Friday afternoon at the river.

Riverrat said, “We fished for about an hour, and we’d caught 6-7 bluegills. It was getting close to dark, and we’d drank all our beer. So, it was time to head back to the house. Willie and Billy had done walked up the riverbank, and I was headed up. I just happened to look back to make sure I didn’t leave anything, and I saw him out of the corner of my eye. I couldn’t believe it. Luckily, I didn’t drop my stuff and make noise. I managed to get my phone out and get a pic of him from behind before he vanished. It was getting dark, so it’s not the best picture. But, I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that it was Bigfoot.”

The 3 gentlemen walked over to where Riverrat saw Bigfoot, and they were able to see a few footprints. They took some pictures of the footprints. Riverrrat added, “I know why they call him Bigfoot. His footprint was huge! It was about twice as big as mine. He would probably wear about a size 20 shoe.”

Most Valleyans are not buying the Bigfoot sighting. I’ve perused through a couple Valley and SRB Facebook groups, and very few folks are taking it seriously. But, Riverrat is adamant that he saw Bigfoot. He said, “I know people think I’m crazy, and they’re right. I’m pretty crazy. But, I know what I saw. Some people will say I was drunk, but I’d only had 3 beers. It was Bigfoot! No doubt!”

This is the first credible sighting ever in Mississippi according to the NBSC. Will there be more? Valleyans, be on the lookout for Bigfoot! You just never know.

by Ima Phibber

Good things are happening in The Valley and in Strong River Bend (SRB). People have been watching the construction of the new shopping center in SRB for some time, and it finally opened this Monday. Strong River Bend Commons opened to much fanfare, and the parking lot has been packed with cars.

Strong River Bend Commons aka The Commons is not a large development; it only contains 3 tenants. But, it’s going to house three exciting businesses. The Commons was the brainchild of Valley entrepreneur Bubba Binness. Binness said, “I’ve been wanting to build a premier commercial development in SRB for quite a while, and I’ve finally got it done. I had all 3 suites occupied well before the building was completed. I think the people of SRB are really going to enjoy The Commons, and the businesses are going to be a great service to our community.”

The center tenant is a vape shop- Visionary Vapes. On one end is a nutrition shop- SRB Nutrition, and the other end is a liquor store- Valley View Liquor. SRB Nutrition will have loaded teas, energy drinks, and other drinks. People have been flocking to The Commons this week to check out these new businesses. I was able to speak to multiple members of the community, and I got some mixed feelings.

One lady said, “I’m so pumped about this. I can start at SRB Nutrition with my favorite loaded tea, then I can go over to the vape shop and get my refills, and I can finish up at the liquor store. What else could a person need? I’m excited, and I’m gonna be hangin out at The Commons a lot.”

An older gentleman said, “This is an embarrassment. How did the board of aldermen approve this? We really need a vape shop and a liquor store around here! As a believer and a Baptist, I am appalled. Couldn’t they have put something else there? Maybe a Subway? I know it cost an arm a leg to eat there now, but come on! I doubt you’ll see me at The Commons.”

by Offe Hisczrocher

Valley County is always on the cutting edge. They don’t mind standing out from the crowd and trying new things. One example is the county voting to make daylight saving time permanent in 2024. You can read our story about that HERE. Now, they’re going to do something that no other county in the US has done. They’re going to allow Valley County residents to add emojis to their vehicle tags.

Tags with emojis will be considered personalized tags. Vehicle owners that choose to add an emoji to their tag will be charged an additional $10 per emoji in addition to the normal personalized tag fee. A maximum of 3 emojis can be added to a tag. The county looks to generate thousands in additional revenue by offering this to Valley County residents.

Valley County Tax Collector Zack Keyus said, “A person in our office suggested offering emojis on our car tags a while back. We all laughed and thought it was funny. But, I began to think about it, and I realized this would probably be popular with our taxpayers. And, it could potentially generate thousands in additional revenue for the county, and it would give us some good publicity. I presented it to the county at our monthly meeting a few months ago, and they approved it. We’ve been working out the details since, and here we are. We’re excited about it.”

Again, only 3 emojis max will be allowed per tag. Also, no inappropriate emojis will be allowed. One issue that arose is with law enforcement. How do they run car tags with emojis? How will law enforcement, dispatchers, and citizens be on the same page when reporting crime and running tags? All law enforcement officers in Valley County met with the Keyus to discuss any issues. Keyus provided all law enforcement agencies with emoji cheat sheets to identify all the allowed emojis, so that should help with any confusion.

I was able to speak to multiple Valley County residents about the county allowing emojis on vehicle tags, and I got mixed feelings. One older gentleman said, “This is a joke right? I just learned how to text last year, and I don’t even know how to use emojis. I still use correct punctuation when I text. I have to call my kids and grandkids all the time trying to decipher their text messages when they use emojis and that lol, idk, ttyl crap. I guess things are just passing me by, but I don’t like this emoji stuff.”

One young lady said, “This is so cool! I can’t wait to get a new tag. I’m definitely getting 3 emojis on my tag. I told my friend in another county about it, and she was so jealous. But, how am I going to choose what 3 emojis I want? That’s going to be tough.”

It will interesting to see the emoji tags and how people will use them to express themselves. Will other counties across the state follow Valley County’s lead and offer them? If they generate a lot of additional revenue, you can bet they will.

by Heeza de Seaver

The SRVTI was back in the lab this week. They read our story last week about the couple that had a domestic dispute at McDonald’s because they couldn’t decide on a place to eat. This is very common issue with couples and families, so the SRVTI decided to create an app to solve the issue- Grub Roulette.

GRUB ROULETTE SITE

Grub Roulette will allow you to add up to 7 restaurants based on your location. Then, it will spin a wheel and make the dining decision for you. Of course, someone in the family may not like the selected restaurant, but Grub Roulette made the decision for you. So, there’s no person to blame.

The SRVTI is all about solving problems for everyday Valleyans, and they feel Grub Roulette will do that. I can’t wait to see their next creation.

by I. B. Lyon

The Valley City Police Dept. (VCPD) was called to McDonald’s on Tuesday evening at approximately 7:25 pm. A McDonald’s employee called the police after observing a couple in the midst of a domestic dispute while in the drive through. A McDonald’s customer also called the police after seeing the couple fighting. It was an unfortunate event, but I’m sure most of you will be able to sympathize with the couple.

The police arrived at approximately 7:28 pm. The couple was sitting in their car in the parking lot. Two VCPD officers approached the car, and they talked with the husband and wife separately. After the discussions, no charges were filed. VCPD has promised not to release the identities of the couple. However, I was able to get a statement from the VCPD about the situation. Many are speculating that is was a prominent well-known couple in Valley County, but I haven’t been able to confirm that.

The VCPD spokesperson stated, “The couple was involved in a domestic dispute that did not turn physical, but it got very heated. The couple was getting along great earlier in the evening, and they decided to go out to eat. They could not decide on a place to eat, and they went back and forth for about 30 minutes. The wife stated multiple times that she didn’t care where they ate, but she shot down all the husband’s suggestions. They both became more agitated as the minutes passed by. Finally, the husband decided they would just go through the drive-thru at McDonald’s. The wife did not respond well to that, and all hell broke loose.”

Fortunately, my wife and I have a policy that would’ve avoided this issue. If we can’t decide where to eat after 5 minutes, then we go to Waffle House. This is something I’d recommend for every couple. We have a similar policy in regards to Netflix. In the past, it would take us 30 minutes to decide what to watch, and we’d end up not watching anything and just scrolling on our phones. So, we decided that if we can’t agree on a show or movie after 5 minutes, then we have to watch Gunsmoke.

Thankfully, this domestic situation did not turn violent, and it’s probably best that we never know the couple’s identity. All couples have arguments, and they sometimes get pretty heated. The VCPD spokesperson also said the McDonald’s ice cream machine wasn’t working, so that set the wife off even more. The husband should’ve drove to Sonic or Dairy Queen.