On April $1,2025,$ Grouper Company sold $20,700$ of its $11\%,15-$year, $$1,000$ face value bonds at $97.$ Interest payment dates are April $1$ and October $1,$ and the company uses the straight$-$line method of bond discount amortization. On March $1,2026,$ Grouper took advantage of favorable prices of its stock to extinguish $4,800$ of the bonds by issuing $158,400$ shares of its $$10$ par value common stock. At this time, the accrued interest was paid in cash. The company$$s stock was selling for $$30$ per share on March $1,2026.$

Prepare the journal entries needed on the books of Grouper Company to record the following.

$($a$)$ April $1,2025$: issuance of the bonds.

$($b$)$ October $1,2025$: payment of semiannual interest.

$($c$)$ December $31,2025$: accrual of interest expense.

$($d$)$ March $1,2026$: extinguishment of $4,800$ bonds. $($No reversing entries made.$)$