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Donna Lankford
TUESDAY, January 31, 2017 / Vol. 3 Issue 5 / 75 cents
Rescue Squad to be honored
Water rescue is one of the Van Buren County Rescue Squad's specialities. (Photo from VBCRescue.org)
This year's Emergency Responders Dinner will recognize a very special group of heroes. The Van Buren County Rescue Squad, founded in 1987, will receive appreciation recognition at the Feb. 4 dinner, according to Millard Wagner, one of the organizers. Wagner says three officers who lost their lives in Arkansas last year also will be honored. The dinner is set for 5:30-8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 4, at the Clinton High School Cafeteria. Free chili, hot dogs, hamburgers, desserts and drinks will be provided. Everyone is welcome.
The event is a remembrance of the 2008 tornado that devastated the county, and to show appreciation to the first responders. The Van Buren Rescue Squad is made up of members who must be volunteer firefighter from one of the different fire departments in the county. It is governed by a board of officers elected from the membership of the squad on an annual basis. The Van Buren County Rescue Squad serves approximately 724 square miles in the county and offers assistance to surrounding counties. There currently are 27 ac-
tive members. Brian Tatum is the board president. The squad has won numerous awards and has expertise in: High Angle Rope Rescue, Auto Extrication, Hazardous Material Response, Dive Rescue, Swift Water Rescue, Rescue Boat Operations, Wild Land Search Rescue, Trench Confined Space Rescue, Extensive Command Center Operations Funding comes from Van Buren County and from grants. It also raises money through various events including the Haunted Hay Ride and returns those funds to the community.
Fire burns house in Botkinburg -- The home of Angela Bramlett and her three children in Botkinburg burned Thursday morning. Responding to the fire were the Botkinburg, Highway 110, Dennard and Shirley fire departments. The house is at Highway 110 and U.S. 65 North across from the Antique Warehouse. The fire backed up traffic on Highway 65 as firefighters lay hoses underneath metal ramps across the busy highway. No one was home when the house burned. (Photo by Jeff Burgess)
'Can you hear me?' could bring trouble If the caller asks, "Can you hear me?", hang up. That is one of the latest scams making its way across the state, according to reports. If you answer "yes" to that question, that response may be recorded by fraudsters and used to make unauthorized charges on a phone or utility bill. The scammer already knows the victim's phone num-
ber and could pass through third-party charges on the strength of that "yes." Check your credit cards and utility statements if you believe you may have been a victim. In a second scam, criminals pose as an agent for a credit card company and a pre-recorded message tells victim their accounts have been "locked." The message says to press "1" to continue
to customer-service agents. Once the imposter agents are on the line, they ask consumers for their credit-card numbers to begin the “unlocking” process. Of course, the credit card accounts have never been locked. Scammers would most likely try to use the newly learned card number for criminal purposes. Banks and credit-card companies
know consumers’ bank account and card numbers already, so those entities will not make unsolicited calls seeking that information. Those consumers in doubt about the intentions of a particular caller should hang up and call their financial institutions directly. To report a scame, call the Consumer Protection Division at (800) 4828982.
Wallet stolen while worker at lunch Truck stolen An employee at Ozark Health Medical Center returned from lunch one day last week to an unpleasant surprise. Shirley Williams told Clinton Police that she left her office door open and went to lunch about 12:30 p.m. Jan. 26. When she returned, her wallet had been taken from her purse, according to the police report. Witnesses stated that they had seen two African-American females coming out of the office, one of them with a ban-
dage on her head and across her nose. The other woman had long hair and was described as skinny. Clinton Police reviewed video of the two women leaving the hospital in a dark gray Toyota four-door car heading north. It was later learned that a woman and an African-American male had used the victim's credit card at Walmart, spending over $800, according to the report. Police retrieved video of that transaction. They also learned that the card
had been used at Dollar General and video from that store also was retrieved. A witness saw someone in a car matching the description of the Toyota throw trash out the window just north of Highway 16 West on U.S. Highway 65 and gave police a license plate number. The police report says a drivers license photo obtained through that license plate matches a suspect's description. The investigation is ongoing.
Hinchey Plumbing had a work truck stolen from the owners' house on Highway 110 the morning of Jan. 26. The truck, with Hinchey Plumbing door decals, is a white 3/4 ton Chevrolet. It was last seen heading toward Shirley around 6:35 a.m. The truck had a tool bed outfitted with plumbing tools and a pipe rack. Anyone with information about the stolen truck is asked to call the Van Buren County sheriff's office at 7452112.
Look, up in the sky ... High-flying Pegasus reigns supreme outside
this house near Damascus. The yard also contains huge sculptures and statues of a snowman, giraffes, and more. Read about the woman who owned the glorious display on Page 12.