candidacy Oklahoma governor calling for resignations of McCurtain County sheriff and officials

By Patrick Massey

IDABEL, Okla. - Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt is calling for the immediate resignation of several county officials in neighboring McCurtain County – including Sheriff Kevin Clardy — after secretly-recorded audio allegedly caught the officials discussing killing reporters, engaging in a racist rant and belittling a woman who died earlier this year in a suspected arson-homicide.

The explosive audio was reportedly obtained during a county commissioner’s meet- ing on March 6. In what the newspaper is describing as the first of a series of articles based on the meeting, The McCurtain County Gazette stated the conversation was recorded to determine if commissioners were discussing county business in violation of the “Open Meetings Act.”

Instead, the newspaper says the audio recorded threats against Gazette reporters Bruce and Chris Willingham as well as a racist rant and other controversial media.

The recorded conversation alleges Clardy, District 2 County Commissioner Mark Jen- nings and Investigator Alicia Manning discussed beating, killing and burying the two reporters and the possibility of hiring hitmen from Louisiana to commit the murders.

According to an audio transcript made freely available by The McCurtain County Gazette, Clardy, Manning and Jennings allegedly made the following statements regarding the two reporters:

Manning: “They are insignificant in my life,

THREATS continued from page 1

really. They bring no (indistinguishable).”

Clardy: “The old saying is, what goes around goes around.”

Jennings: “It will. I told you it will. I know where two big deep holes are here if you ever need them.”

Clardy: “I’ve got an excavator.”

Jennings: “Well, these are already pre-dug.”

Jennings: “I’ve known two or three hitmen, they’re very quiet guys.”

Manning: “Yeah?”

Jennings: “And would cut no f****** mercy.”

Manning: “Yeah.”

Jennings: “In Louisiana. Cause this is all Mafia around here.”

Clardy: “Oh yeah?”

The audio also picks up two men – reported to be Clardy and Jennings – lamenting their inability to legally hang a Black man:

Jennings: “Not this day and age. I’m gonna tell you something. If it was back in the day, when that, when Alan Marshton would take a damn Black guy and whoop their a** and throw him in the cell? I’d run for f****** sheriff.”

Clardy: “Yeah, well, it’s not like that no more.”

Jennings: “I know. Take them down to Mud Creek and hang them up with a damn rope. But you can’t do that anymore. They got more rights than we got.”

Clardy, Jennings and a sheriff’s office investigator were allegedly also recorded making light of the death of a McCurtain County woman in a house fire last month. Two men have been arrested in that case in what Oklahoma investigators are calling an arson-homicide.

Allen Shaw, 89, and Randy Sander, 69, are both facing charges of second-degree murder and arson in the second degree regarding a house fire on March 2 that resulted in the death of 43-year-old Danette Marie Stowe. Authorities allege Shaw and Sander deliberately set fire to the house in an attempt to remove Stowe, who was residing there. (See Pulse, March 15, 2023)

The recording suggests county officials belittled Stowes’ death and the circumstances surrounding the fire.

The audio also allegedly recorded county officials issuing threats against McCurtain County judges.

The recordings are now widely available online and a link to the audio was placed in the April 15-16 edition of the McCurtain County Gazette.

A protest by a group of McCurtain County citizens was held Monday morning to call for the resignation of the involved county officials. The hospital in Idabel issued a notice that it would go into lockdown status during the protest.

In a public statement, Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt is calling for the immediate resignation of the county officials involved in the latest scandal.

“I am both appalled and disheartened to hear of the horrid comments made by officials in McCurtain County.” Stitt said. “There is simply no place for such hateful rhetoric in the state of Oklahoma, especially by those that serve to represent the community through their respective office. I will not stand idly by while this takes place.

“In light of these events, I am calling for the immediate resignation of McCurtain County Sheriff Kevin Clardy, District 2 Commissioner Mark Jennings, Investigator Alicia Manning, and Jail Administrator Larry Hendrix,” he concluded.

Stitt also stated he is requesting the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI) to determine if any unlawful acts were committed by county officials.

The FBI is also investigating the recording.

On Monday Idabel Mayor Craig Young reiterated the call for those officials to resign.

In a statement made to its Facebook page on Monday, the McCurtain County Sheriff’s Office described the last 72 hours as the “most difficult and disruptive in recent memory.” A spokesperson described an ongoing investigation to determine if the secret audio was illegally obtained under state law.

In addition, the sheriff’s office stated that a large number of threats of violence including death threats have been made against county employees and officials, their families and friends.

McCurtain County Sheriff Kevin Clardy and other county officials are under fire after secretly-recorded audio suggests disturbing details.

The sheriff’s office stated findings from its investigation into the recordings will be forwarded to the “appropriate authorities” for possibility felony charges against those involved.

None of the officials involved in the controversy have responded to requests for comment.

The unedited, and unverified, audio can be heard at https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=OMacOP_jsps/.

1168 Hwy 71S

Mena, AR 71953

Phone: 479-243-9600

Fax: 479-243-9603

Email: news@mypulsenews.com

KENA 104.1 - KQOR 105.3

MyPulseNews.com

Our Team:

Ashley Moore - General Manager

Ethan Nahté - Production Manager/Editor

Patrick Massey - Contributing Reporter

John Russell - Graphic Design

Josh Barker - Account Executive

Alexis James - Account Executive

Curt Teasdale - Programmer / On-Air Personality

Ariel Varner - Receptionist/On-Air Personality

Distribution & Insertion Staff: Danielle Stewart, Chaz Welch & Sahil Bahn

Letter to the Editor:

On Feb. 28, 2023, Sheriff Mike Unger of Stanton County Nebraska held a press conference to detail the circumstances surrounding the slaughter of an American Bald Eagle at the hands of two immigrants from Honduras. The pair had intended to eat the eagle they had shot with an air rifle.

Repeated efforts by Unger to solicit the assistance of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the federal agency with jurisdiction over this crime, had gone unanswered. The pair had documents from the Honduras consulate so it is unsure if they were here illegally or legally. I wonder if these two would shoot an eagle for food, then what next? Your dog, cat, or some farmer’s livestock?

Want to share your opinion?

sheriff had to release both suspects when the federal agency did not respond or return their calls.

I can only wonder how many non-English speaking, some illegal, drivers are on our roads with no driver’s license, no registration, no insurance, and no accountability placing so many U.S. citizens in harm’s way with their inability to speak or read our language or understand our traffic signs or laws. We have all seen the news stories of grieving mothers who have lost family members to immigrant drivers only to see them walk free or get deported.

The Polk County Pulse welcomes letters to the Editor addressing any topic of interest to our readers. To be published, letters must not contain obscene or libelous language. Letters do not reflect the viewpoints or opinions of Pulse Multi-Media.

The letter must include a signature to be considered for publication. Signatures will NOT be held out by request. Letters will be restricted to 500 words. Any letters longer than 500 words will require purchase of advertising space.

The following contact information is required when the letter is submitted: NAME, AGE, ADDRESS, PHONE NUMBER.

Letters are published at the discretion of the Editor and Publisher.

The Polk County Pulse is the area’s premiere and fastest growing news publication. The Polk County Pulse is FREE and published weekly on Wednesdays, with a distribution of 8,000 and an estimated readership of 10,000. MyPulseNews.com has hundreds of visitors daily and KENA and KQOR have thousands of listeners hourly.

POLICY: The publisher reserves the right to reject or cancel any advertisement at any time. All property rights, including any copyright interest, in any advertisement produced by Pulse Multi-Media and/or The Polk County Pulse using art work and/or typography furnished or arranged by Pulse Multi-Media and/or The Polk County Pulse shall be the property of Pulse Multi-Media and/or The Polk County Pulse. No such advertisement or any part thereof may be reproduced without the prior written consent of Pulse Multi-Media and The Polk County Pulse.

POLITICAL ADVERTISEMENTS: Advertisements of a political nature must be prepaid and must also include the name of the entity paying for the advertisement. If an entity other than the candidate the advertisement is endorsing is paying for the ad, a statement must be signed by the candidate verifying the candidate has seen and approved the advertisement.

Eagles are protected by “The Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act” (1940) and are under the purview of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for protection of all eagles and prosecution of violators. The penalty for violating this act carries a maximum fine up to $5,000, up to a year in jail, or both.

Why have laws if they are not enforced? Are our laws only to be followed by U.S. citizens or do our laws apply to any and all within our borders?

Local law enforcement used the criminal charges applicable to charge the two suspects with no driver’s license for one suspect and possession of the eagle for them both. I applaud the efforts to charge suspects using the available laws to detain the suspects until the federal agency responsible could charge the more serious offense. However, the

I felt outrage over the slaughter of a bald eagle, our national bird since 1782. I feel the loss of every American citizen at the hands of immigrants and wonder how many more lives will be lost or crimes committed before we wake up and see what we are becoming?

My personal thoughts: Come here legally. Learn the language. Learn the laws and obey them. Become a citizen and vote and assimilate. Do not try to change our country into the nightmare you left behind. You are welcome here if you come through the front door, legally. We are, after all, a nation of immigrants.

As always, I thank you for a forum to express my thoughts, though we may peacefully disagree.

With respect and kindest regards,

Ronald Goss, retired, Mena

Letters may be submitted by e-mail to news@mypulsenews.com; mailed to P.O. Box 1450, Mena, AR 71953 or dropped off at 1168 Hwy. 71 South, Mena, AR. A drop-box is provided by the front door for after-hour convenience.

TO

Email: NEWS@MYPULSENEWS.COM

More than twenty bills passed in the 2023 Regular Session address Arkansas elections.

From how an initiative is placed on the ballot to when the polls are open, there are several changes being made due to recent legislation.

The following pieces of legislation regarding elections have been signed into law:

Act 236 amends the procedure for the filing of a ballot initiative and referendum petition by requiring that signatures are gathered from at least 50 counties. Currently, signatures are required from 15 counties.

Act 194 requires the Attorney General to review the ballot title for an initiative petition or referendum petition before circulation.

Act 300 requires special elections to be held on the same dates as a primary or general election. It states special elections shall be held on the second Tuesday of March or November in a year when a presidential election is held or the second Tuesday of May and November of all other years. It outlines specific criteria for exceptions to hold an emergency special election.

Act 329 creates the Ballot Security Act of 2023. The bill allows for the tracking of ballots and proper delivery and creates a process to preserve spoiled ballots.

Act 141 allows an absentee ballot to be issued to any person who is prevented from voting due to observance of a religious discipline or religious holiday during the entire 12 hours that the polls are open on election day.

Act 350 states that a county that chooses to use paper ballots in place of approved voting machines shall be responsible for the cost of the paper ballots and any devices or machines required for printing and tabulation. It also states that each paper ballot shall be compatible with the electronic vote tabulation devices selected by the Secretary of State.

Act 305 eliminates the write-in candidate portion on a ballot.

Act 353 prohibits the use of absentee ballot drop boxes. It states all absentee ballots not delivered by mail shall be hand-delivered inside the physical office of the county clerk.

Act 444 directs the State Board of Election Commissioners to develop an online training program for poll watchers. It also identifies who can serve as a poll watcher, requires all poll watchers to wear an identification badge, and outlines the process for poll watchers to challenge a ballot.

Act 308 outlines the process for a county board of election commissioners to correct errors on ballots.

Act 92 requires polls to be open for early voting on county holidays. Polls would continue to be closed for early voting on state holidays.

Act 263 states that if a county board of election commissioners decides to hold early voting at an additional polling site, the hours the additional early voting polling site is open shall be the same hours as the county clerk’s designated early voting location.

Act 294 requires a legislative review of new federal election guidance.

Act 320 amends the prohibition on the delivery of unsolicited absentee ballot applications to electors.

Act 321 outlines a process for the recount of ballots.

Act 389 amends the election law concerning polling sites and amends the location of vote center.

HB1513-Creates the election integrity unit. This bill passed both chambers and is now on the Governor’s desk.

You can find additional summaries of recently passed legislation at arkansashouse.org.

During the 2023 regular session the Arkansas legislature not only continued to lower state income taxes, but also reduced homeowners’ property taxes.

Act 315 lowers property taxes by increasing the homestead property tax credit from $375 to $425 a year. It is effective beginning with assessment year 2023.

In 2024 the act will save Arkansas homeowners an estimated $34 million, and in the following year savings will increase to $34.8 million. Homeowners that receive the homestead property tax credit will get a credit of $425 to offset their property tax liability.

The major tax reduction of the 2023 legislative session was Senate Bill 549, to reduce individual income taxes by $100 million a year and corporate income taxes by $24 million a year.

The legislature also approved HB 1045 to phase in a new method of calculating the income tax owed by companies that do business in multiple states. Tax savings will begin modestly because it is being phased in. Businesses in Arkansas will save $10.6 million next year.

Those savings go up dramatically and by 2030 will be more than $74 million a year. Sponsors of HB 1045 say it will make Arkansas more competitive when we recruit new industries.

The legislature has enacted tax cuts in every session since 2015, when lawmakers approved Act 22. It lowered income taxes by $102 million a year, mainly for middle-income families. In 2017 the legislature lowered income taxes for low-income families by $50 million a year and for retired veterans by $13.4 million a year.

In 2019 the legislature lowered individual income taxes for upper income and middle income families, saving them $97 million a year. The homestead property tax credit was increased too.

In 2021 the legislature passed historic income tax cuts that save Arkansas families and businesses $500 million a year. The package will benefit taxpayers in all brackets. In 2022 legislators accelerated the 2021 tax cuts.

Since 2015 the legislature has lowered the personal income tax rate from 7 percent to 4.7 percent. Over the same period legislators have lowered the corporate income tax rate from 6.5 percent to 5.1 percent.

The tax reductions were made possible because the legislature consistently budgeted very conservatively. Even with the tax reductions, state government has accumulated a surplus of more than $1.6 billion.

The state general revenue budget, which pays for day-to-day operations, will be about $6.2 billion for the fiscal year that begins July 1.

The availability of reserve funds will make it possible for the state to build prison space for an additional 3,000 inmates, which reinforces the criminal justice bill that was approved late in the session.

The bill requires dangerous offenders to serve 85 percent or even 100 percent of their sentences. It also requires inmates to earn good time by finishing programs like drug rehabilitation, mental health treatment and job training.

Those programs better prepare inmates to transition to the outside world, because while in prison they will have incentives to better themselves and learn skills necessary for being a productive citizen.