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Softball and baseball seasons start on the Prairie. (See p. 6)
Volume 118 Number 12 - USPS 225-680
Community Events Calendar Thursday March 28 Commodities distrubution Hazen Methodist Church 10:00a.m.12:00p.m. Bigo Hazen Public Library 11:00a.m.12:00p.m. GFWC Elsie McCain Club Meeting 6:00p.m. Murry’s Restaurant Hornet Baseball VS Quitman Baseball Field 4:30 p.m. Friday March 29 Carlisle High School Marching Band Hamburger & Hot Dog Fundraiser 5:00p.m.- 7:00p.m.
Sunday April 6 Sand Hill Cemetery Meeting Sand Hill Missionary Baptist Church 2:00p.m. Tuesday April 9 Quorum Counrt Meeting Annex Building in Des Arc 6:00p.m. Thursday April 11 DeValls Bluff City Council Meeting City Hall 6:00p.m. Community events brought to you by Hazen Chamber of Commerce and the
Please call F&M Bank (255-3042) or The Grand Prairie Herald (255-4538) to list events.
Wednesday, March 27, 2019
Des Arc council addresses fire department needs and Baseball Association contract by Lisa Mills At the March 19th City Council meeting, Fire Chief Don Harvey addressed the council with several items. Attending the meeting were Mayor Jim Garth, Treasurer/Recorder Christina Knupp and Aldermen Anna Beth Fisher, Ray McVay, Carol King, Welton Robinson and Rodney Adams. The first item Harvey addressed was the amount the city pays firemen per call. Harvey said “It has been 26 years since there has been a pay increase. Currently the pay per call is $10.” He said that he has checked with other area Fire Departments and the pay ranged from $5.00 per hour to $20 per call. “We are not in this for pay but we put in a lot of hard work training, practicing and preparing for various emergency situations and serving the citizens.” Harvey stated that Des Arc’s fire rating of “5” is due to all the work the firemen do. Alderman Anna Beth Fisher asked Harvey “What do you recommend for the pay?” Harvey stated that he felt the council should make a recommendation based on the city’s budget. Fireman Leon Moon stat-
Monday April 1 Chamber of Commerce Meeting BancorpSouth 6:30p.m.-7:30p.m. Biscoe City Council Meeting City Hall 7:00p.m.
Serving all of Prairie County and the Grand Prairie
Firechief Don Harvey addresses the concerns he has concerning his department. ed “Like Don said we are are two new members tax?” Mayor Garth said not in this for the money who are working out “We will need to redo the but we have to get great but we need more. sales tax percentages to younger people interested Alderman Fisher recom- various departments so in being on the Fire mended the city increase we need to have a work Department and in gener- the firemen’s pay to $20 meeting to figure it out al the younger people just per call. A motion was and table the discussion don’t have the same passed to implement the until the April meeting.” The next item Chief Fisher then mindset as us older ones increase.” Mayor Garth Harvey addressed was a and more pay would be asked an incentive to recruit where the money will new truck. Harvey said come from. Garth stated “it is time to start thinkmore people.” Moon stated that there “they are paid from the ing about buying a new general fund but since Fire truck. The estimatcost would be there is no income for the ed general fund we will have $400,000. Oak Prairie to figure out where we wants to buy our old can take the money truck but will have to pay 1/2 one year and the from.” Alderman Carol King other 1/2 the next year.” Harvey is also conasked “What options do we have?” Alderman cerned about emergency Fisher asked “Can it disasters such as tornacome from the city sales does. Chief Harvey pre-
sented the council with a letter that he asked to be sent out with city and North Grand Prairie water bills. The letter asked that all residents with storm shelters let the city know where the shelters are located. He said “This will give us a list of places we need to check for people in the event of an emergency situation like a tornado. The list would be given to the Fire Department, Police Department, Ambulance Service and all First Responders.” Mayor Garth agreed this was a great idea and said the letters would be sent out. Mayor Garth thanked Harvey and Moon for their 38 years of service and the Fire Department for all their hard work. Kourtney McIntosh, Secretary of the Baseball Association, addressed the council concerning the new contract between the city and the Baseball Association. She stated “We looked at contracts from several area ball associations and had our attorney draw up the contract based on those.” Mayor Garth said he had looked at the contract and was satisfied with everything except item #4 that the association has the right to sublease the premises. He asked that the words “with approval from the city” be added. McIntosh said that was no problem. Garth said the city attorney had read the contract and said it was fine. A motion was passed to approve the contract with the change. (Continued on p. 3)
Carlisle City Council hears about federal mosquito plan by Debbye Harrison Kourtney McIntosh presents a proposed contract between the city and the Baseball Association.
PC Quorum Court has light agenda Judge Mike Skarda reported that the county road department has been laying pipe and putting gravel on roads despite the continuing rain at the March 12 meeting of the Prairie County Quorum Court. Justices Rick Stallings, Ronnie Eans, Gary King, doyle Sullins, Dennis Tipton, Levi Childress, Judy Hinson, Lawrence Holloway, and Bobby Willeford were present at the meeting. Skarda also told the board that the rain has caused some roads to wash out, especially in those places where drainage pipes from local fields empty into the ditches along the roads. He asked if the county could require T-pipes or shields for those field pipes. County attorney Tim Isaac said that he would look into that possibility. Skarda also reported that his office is still working to determine what the repair costs to the courthouses will be. The county will have to hire an architect to look at the DeValls Bluff courthouse to assess what repairs need to be made, but the repairs on the Des Arc courthouse will be relatively simple. The justices were told that the state 911 House Bill 1564, if passed would
double the tax rate on cell phones to fund state 911 improvements. This would be an increase the present tax of 65 cents to $1.25. Skarda also said that Governor Asa Hutchinson is expected to alot $18 million dollars for the counties in the state. In the Sheriff’s report, the court was told that the county has fewer federal prisoners because of the government shutdown, and that Hazen would now like to be involved in the work release cleanup program. The county will look into passing an ordinance to include Hazen. An ordinance was passed to adjust the 2018 budget after suspending the rules and reading the budget three times. The assessor reported that the property assessments were ongoing. Justice Eans asked if there were any grants available to get weather warning signals out in the rural portions of the county. He said that both Biscoe and Ulm need such a system. Justice Stallings said that people can register their phones with the Sheriff’s Department to receive warnings. No other business was discussed, and the meeting was adjourned.
The Carlisle City Council learned good news from the “Mosquito Summit” held last month in Lonoke. Official from the cities and counties of the Grand Prairie learned of a coordinated federal effort to eradicate or control mosquitoes across the countryside. Through the U. S. Air Force, local governments can receive aid to help pay for broad range spraying for mosquitoes. The spraying will be done by C130s at an altitude of 150 ft. twice a year. This program is used around the country especially in areas hit by hurricanes. Application is only done twice a year in order to avoid competition with local aerial applicators. The flights can be cancelled in case of deploy-
ment to a war zone or need for disaster application. The program will not be available until 2020 and no one knows, as yet, what the cost would be. This program is being used in other parts of the country and enables the use of top quality chemicals. The Council voted to rent the house formerly occupied by Hal Welch to Billy Bennett for a real estate office. The rent will be $500 a month with a year’s contract. Mr. Bennett will be responsible for any upgrades. Larry Pasley and Gaines Young were re-appointed to the Airport Commission for another five year term. Ronnie Ashmore, Parks and Recreation Director, announced that nearly 200 youth have signed up for the baseball/softball
teams. Extensive work is in progress on both baseball fields including new bases and netting on the batter’s cage at the field in town. Rule changes for teams on the city field have mandated new bases and baseline work. Plans are underway for City Spring Clean-up May 6-10, 2019. One change will be asking citizens to take their items to extra dumpsters at the City Water Tank. Arrangements are being made for those who will not be able to get them from the curb to the dumpsters. Those attending were W. H. Kittler, Anne Anderson, Mike Walker, Todd Turner, Larry Flynn and Mike Stuart, attorney; Ray Glover, mayor; and Angelia James, Administrative Assistant.
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