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James Little
TUESDAY, March 28, 2017 / Vol. 3 Issue 13 / 75 cents
Damascus disputes speed-trap finding
The 2017 Hunger Run draw 227 participants of all ages, shapes and sizes to downtown Clinton Saturday. The rain held off for a while, but those who took more than 32 minutes were soaked before they crossed the finish line. More photos, Page 16.
The city of Damascus has formally disputed a finding that it meets the state’s legal definition of a speed trap. Damascus City Attorney Beau Wilcox said in court papers filed last week that an investigation by the Arkansas State Police that determined the city violated the 30 percent cap on revenue from traffic enforcement mischaracterized some
of the revenue. Some of the money didn't come from speeding tickets, but from other traffic violations such as expired license tags, driving on a suspended license, and other violations, Wilcox said. The town also argues that the statute is vague and hard to interpret. The enforcement in question is on Highway 65, which runs 1.6 miles
through the town that straddles the Van Buren-Faulkner County line. The speed limit on the heavily travel routed drops to 45 mph. If the speedtrap finding stands, that could bring limitation on city enforcement. Wilcox asked Prosecutor Cody Hiland to revisit his finding, noting that the law provides no judicial recourse for the town.
Plan in works to save darter
The little fish that caused a big ruckus in Clinton a few years ago is getting some federal attention. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has issued a draft plan for saving the yellowcheek darter, which is only found in Arkansas in forks of the Little Red River. Brian Wagner, the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission's Nongame Aquatics Biologist, was involved in generating the yellowcheek darter's recovery plan for the USFWS. The plan is in the public comment stage. The yellowcheek darter prefers fast-running water and rocky terrain. The plan for the yellowcheek darter was drafted in December and opened for public comment March 6. The comment period closes May 5. The yellowcheek darter was classified as endangered in 2011. The Middle, South, Archey and
Devils forks of the Little Red are classified as its critical habit area. Wagner said the yellowcheek darter likely lived where Greers Ferry Lake is now. There are populations in different sections of the Little Red that are now cut off by the lake, where it doesn't survive. The recovery plan can be viewed at https://ecos.fws. gov/ecp0/profile/speciesProfile?sId=7871. It calls for protecting the yellowcheek darter's habitat and promoting voluntary actions to reduce or prevent pollution to the habitat. USFWS has a "safe harbor" program in which it enrolls landowners to help with species' survival. A priority in the darter's survival will be stabilizing riverbanks from erosion. Darters are small fish, reaching only about 2½ inches long, whose condition can often serve as an indicator of the quality of the water source serving as its home.
The big old tree that lost to the March 1 storm in downtown Clinton was a catalpa tree, perhaps one of the biggest in the state. Clinton Mayor Richard McCormac measured the tree and found it was 13.4 feet in diameter, 4 feet 3 inches in circumference and the trunk split at 8 feet with each part growing tall. Its height wasn’t measured before it was cut up and most of it hauled off, but catalpa trees can grow to a height of 60 feet.
Couple charged with domestic battery
This is how the new Clinton Police Department trucks will be decked out soon. The decal work is being done by a Mountain View company and features a Yellow Jacket as well as the words.
State: No plan for new bridge There are no plans to replace the river bridge in Shirley, the City Council was told at its meeting last week. Mayor Lisa Hackett said the Arkansas Highway Department stated that the bridge has recently been inspected and scored a 5 out of 7 in structure and a 4 out of
7 in paving. Hackett said she will now talk with Community Water about replacing water lines. Also at the meeting, the upcoming Shirley Homecoming was discussed and plans are well under way. The council also discussed a leash law for pets in the town. It
was decided to verify that the county still has an animal control ordinance and republish the ordinance. The town has received a $4,940 insurance check for damages to the museum and concession stand roofs in the March 1 storm and the mayor will get estimates for repairs.
A Shirley couple have been charged with domestic battery, according to court documents. The two are accused of mistreating minors, including shocking a child with a cattle prod, burning another with a curling iron, and forcing them to use a plastic bucket for a toilet, according to the court documents. The minors also were forced to wear trash bags with holes cut out for heads and arms on laundry days, which, according to the defendants, was every day. It also is alleged that the couple fed at least one of the minors only bologna and rice. The man, 52, and woman, 46, each is charged with domestic battery in the third-degree, a misdemeanor, and domestic battery in the first-degree, a Class B felony. The Voice has chosen not to publish the names of the defendants at this point.
One of the first irises of the season blooms near downtown Clinton. (Photo by Robert Snyder/for The Voice)