By Zoë Pickett

Amanda Sexton was sworn in as Shongaloo Mayor, after former mayor Tim Mouser stepped down due to relocating to a different town.

Sexton joined the Parks and Recreation department in 2022 and organized Shongaloo’s first-ever softball tournament, an event that drew around 360 people.

“That’s where this all started,” she said. “I was trying to bring in more for the kids and youth to do. Bring the community back together.”

Since then, she has secured the first grant the village has ever applied for, opening doors for growth and improvement. Now, she is pushing forward, hoping to bring back community staples like the Indian Creek Festival.

In a hopeful step toward improving public safety, the town of Cotton Valley recently donated a police car to Shongaloo, as the new mayor is now exploring the possibility of forming a local police department.

Sexton plans on running in the election being held in October, until then she remains focused on what she can accomplish now.

“I’m not sure if I’ll get elected in October, and if I don’t, that’s ok,” she said. “I just want to pour my heart and soul back into the community that I love.

“It is an amazing place to live,” she continued. “I don’t want to see our little village dissolve. I want to see it grow and thrive.”