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Tim Whillock
TUESDAY, February 28, 2017 / Vol. 3 Issue 9 / 75 cents
Damascus found to be speed trap The city of Damascus has 30 days to respond to findings that it has "abused its police power" and violated the state's speed-trap law. 20th Judicial Prosecuting Attorney Cody Hiland delayed a decision on sanctions until Damascus has responded to the allegations. Sanctions include ordering the town to cease patrolling affected highways or ordering the town to
pay all or part of future revenue from such traffic violations to a county fund for public schools. The Arkansas State Police and the Arkansas Legislative Audit Division began an investigation into Damascus last summer at the request of Hiland. Damascus is in Faulkner and Van Buren counties. U.S. Highway 65 runs through the town of about 385.
NOTES
er of Fairfield Bay and Richard McCormac of Clinton, and special guest speakers includig Fred Hilsenrath. Hilsenrath is a concentration camp survivor who now lives in Fairfield Bay. Bolden was 23 when he left Clinton to fight in the Korean Conflict in 1951. He was captured and died in a North Korean prison camp. His remains were returned to his family in 2015, and he was laid to rest in Clinton Cemetery.
Go Jackets
The Clinton Yellow Jackets Senior Boys basketball team has a date in the State Tournament for the first time in a dozen years or more. After defeating No. 1 ranked Osceola in the regionals, Clinton is set to travel to Little Rock to take on Episcopal at 5:30 p.m. Feb. 28. Clinton is 18-12 for the season; Episcopal is 247.
Agency returns
The Van Buren County Farm Service Agency is reopening its office in Clinton. The office will be at the Courthouse Annex Building, 100 Success Drive, Suite 14, beside the Natural Resource Conservation Service office. The office officially opens for business February 27, 2017. The phone number is 745-6151 Ext. 2.
C.G. Bolden Day
Though the park was too wet for the flag-raising ceremony last Tuesday, the rest of the festivities planned for C.G. Bolden Day went off without a hitch. Students from Clinton, Shirley and South Side schools and others gathered at the auditorium at Clinton High School to hear speakers including County Judge Roger Hooper and Mayors Paul Wellenberg-
Damascus City Attorney Beau Wilcox said the town may challenge the law. A city is in violation of Arkansas law if its revenue from traffic fines and costs related to its local traffic citations exceeds 30 percent of the town's total expenses, less capital expenses and debt service, in the preceding year; or if more than 50 percent of local misdemeanor tickets issued on a state highway are for
people speeding by 10 mph or less. Hiland reported that revenue from tickets in 2014 and 2015 — $388,000 and $450,000 respectively — exceeded by 30 percent city expenditures the previous year. He said Wednesday that the investigation examined the Damascus data three ways and for two time periods, 2013-14 and 2014-15. All three methods found that the ci-
tations had exceeded the 30 percent threshold, he said. The investigation also looked at the statistics with and without the town's water department expenditures, since that agency is a business-type activity. The city still exceeded the 30 percent threshold. "As a result, the city is presumed by the statute to have abused its police power and is a speed trap," Hiland said.
The findings also stated that the “Damascus Police Department has abused its police power through enforcement of criminal and traffic laws for the principal purpose of raising revenue for the municipality and not for the purpose of public safety.” Police in Damascus reportedly write about 1,500 tickets a year. The town contends it's a safety necessity.
Meeting
The Personnel Policy Committee of the Van Buren County Quorum Court will meet at 5:30 p.m. March 2, 2017, at the Courthouse Annex on Highway 65 in Clinton. The meeting is open to the public.
School Board
The Clinton School Board took care of business at its meeting last week. The board accepted a proposal from Miracle Recreation for overhauling the elementary school playgrounds. Members also decided to hire Eric Moix construction to put a new roof on the Pre-K building, and approved buying two buses from Central State Bus Sales. The board also accepted state-recommended changes to its student handbook and approved the 201718 calendar.
Beauty in bloom - This flowering quince, blooming forsythia and dainty daffodils in a Crabtree flower bed are signs of spring advancing. (Photo by Jeff Burgess)
Nature's beauty - A colorful sunset over Greers Ferry Lake was photographed recently in Bee Branch. (Photo by Marguerite Dory)
Workshop on hog, vulture control set
By Danny Griffin / Extension Office
Over the past five to 10 years in Van Buren County, there has been a real increase in the damage produced by feral hogs, which is an indicator that the wild hog population is increasing here. Wild hog damage is seen in pasture and hay land and sometimes yards and landscapes. The black vulture is another species that has become a pest to livestock producers at times. The Van Buren County Extension office will be conducting a feral hog and black vulture control workshop on Tuesday, March 7, at the Petit Jean Electric Building in Clinton. The program will begin at 6:30 p.m. and
conclude by 9 p.m. with refreshments and free educational materials. Speakers will include County Extension Agents and University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture Wildlife Specialist, Becky McPeake. Speakers will cover the regulations and procedures to be able to manage and control hogs and vultures on your farm. Here are some control methods to help reduce the problem: • Shooting one or two feral hogs does little to control their numbers, and typically "educates" others in the group to avoid humans. If implementing a trapping program, do not shoot and disburse
hogs away from your trapping area. • Corral trapping, in which multiple hogs are captured at one time, can be very effective, although trapping requires a significant investment in equipment and commitment. Single traps capturing only one or two hogs "educate" non-trapped hogs and do little to lower the population. Trap-shy hogs soon reproduce and problems return. Single or small group traps that do not capture the entire sounder are not recommended. • Snaring can be used to supplement corral trapping. Snares can be placed around corral fences and along
trails, Beware that snares can capture non-target wildlife and require frequent checks. • Some professionals recommend hunting with dogs, which can be effective if hunters are trusted to kill all captured hogs and not release some for additional sport. None of these control methods have proven 100 percent effective. Using several strategies, such as corral trapping followed by shooting and dog-hunting stragglers, may increase chances of success. For more information on this workshop call the Van Buren County Extension office at (501) 745-7117.