Of the people, By the people, For the people
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June Kessler
TUESDAY, May 24, 2016 / Vol. 2 Issue 21 / 75 cents
JP Kirkendoll dies at age 65 The longest-serving member currently on the Van Buren County Quorum Court died suddenly Sunday morning. James Kirkendoll, 65, died at his home in Shirley on May 22. The family had gathered for a celebratory dinner the night before, and Kirkendoll had seemed well and in good spirits, a family member told the Voice. Kirkendoll had represented Shirley as a justice of the peace for many years. The former Democrat became a Republican in recent years, saying the Democratic party
no longer represented his views. Kirkendoll was a Navy veteran and a member of the Shirley Volunteer Fire Department. A longtime educator, he was set to retire this month from the North Arkansas Adult Education Center. He previously had worked in the Shirley and Scotland school districts. Kirkendoll often seemed to be the common man's representative on the Quorum Court, asking questions such as: Why do Courthouse Annex office workers get an hour off for lunch while
those on the road crew get only 30 minutes? He consistently put up an argument when attempts were made to close the annex at 4:30 p.m., saying many working people didn't get off work early enough to get there before then. At a recent meeting, Kirkendoll acknowledged that he was disturbed by the county's plan to adopt an "at-will" work policy. Told it always had been that way because Arkansas is a state that allows employees to be fired for no cause, Kirkendoll noted that, "I still think you ought to have to have a rea-
son to fire someone." Often a lone voice among the JPs, Kirkendoll continued to make his points and ask his questions until his final meeting. Kirkendoll is the second JP the county has lost in a year. Robert "Bogie" Bramlett died in June 2015. Gov. Asa Hutchinson will appoint a replacement to fulfill Kirkendoll's term. Kirkendoll was born Sept. 4, 1950, in Pee Dee. He leaves behind his wife, Gail, three daughters, and nine grandchildren. Kirkendoll's obituary can be found on Page 5.
James Kirkendoll
Quorum Court Public meeting set on road weight limits
The Van Buren County fire departments (on the scene of a fire last month) count on Act 833 money to help buy their trucks and other equipment.
Chiefs hear call for equal distribution of funds The Van Buren County Fire Chiefs Association got a quick lesson on Act 833 at its meeting last week. The Choctaw Fire Department's Joey Weaver told the chiefs gathered for their monthly meeting that fire flow is the same and training is the same for every department and it's time to distribute funds the county gets from state legislative Act 833 more equitably.
Notes Voice delay -Remember The Voice of Van Buren County delivery will be delayed by a day because the post office is closed on May 30, 2016, in observance of Memorial Day. The Voice office also will be closed on Memorial Day. Concert -- The Van Buren County Community Band under conductor Dell
He said distributing funds evenly throughout the county fire departments would help improve ISO (insurance) ratings for rural departments. D.L. Webb, fire chief of the Clinton department, which gets the biggest share of the funds, noted that Clinton had to maintain a good ISO rating or insurance rates for current businesses and others considering
locating here would rise. He said part of the Act 833 money is set aside each year to buy new equipment. Currently, Clinton receives 15.04 percent of the Act 833 money; Fairfield Bay gets 12.46 percent; and each of the other departments receives 4.5313 percent. Spreading the funds out equally would cost Clinton about 15 percent of its budget, Webb said. Weaver asked
County Judge Roger Hooper and the chiefs to sign a petition and support making the funding change. Hooper was noncommittal, but he praised the county fire departments for consistently filling out all the paperwork to qualify for the funds. The issue will be discussed at the intergover nmental meeting set for 10 a.m. Friday, May 27, at the Shirley Community Center.
Holt will perform a Memorial Day Concert at 6 p.m. May 30 in the GW Building at the county fairgrounds on Highway 16 East. All are welcome and veterans will be recognized for their service. The band will play music from many eras. Donations for the band will be accepted.
as well as the one in Conway to American Natural Gas LLC of Saratoga Springs, New York, the companies said last week. The Damascus location, with three dual-hose dispensers, is on U.S. Highway 65 South. Both stations, which feature self-service pumps with credit card capabilities, will remain open 24 hours a day during the ownership transition. The Southwestern press release said that the com-
pany currently has 958,000 acres in the Fayetteville Shale area, including 3,700 producing wells. However, the number of drilling rigs exploring for gas in the area by any company had fallen from 10 in January 2015 to none by February, according to Baker Hughes Inc., an oilfield services company that tracks exploration. The sale price was not announced, but ANG said current employees at the outlets will keep their jobs.
Sold -- An affiliate of Southwestern Energy Co. has sold the compressed natural gas fueling station in Damascus,
After an outcry over last month's ordinance to impose weight limits on county roads, the Quorum Court has put the idea on hold until the public has its say. Van Buren County Judge Roger Hooper announced last week that there will be a public meeting on the ordinance at 6:30 p.m. June 9 at the Quorum Court meeting room. He said speakers will be given three to five minutes to have their say. He also said he has spoken with representatives of Green Bay Packaging and Deltic Timber. Many log truck drivers have expressed their concerns over the proposal. Hooper thanked the crowd for attending the Quorum Court meeting May 19 and said everything is on hold concerning the ordinance. Also at the meet-
ing, Sheriff Scott Bradley said the renovations at the county detention center's kitchen are complete. He said the kitchen has been out of compliance for years and, "They were going to shut my kitchen down," referring to the state. Bradley said the kitchen most likely was not built to compliance 14 years ago. The renovation expanded the kitchen area and a walk-in refrigerator and freezer were added. The jail currently is holding about 54 prisoners, including federal prisoners, which are the source of the funding for the kitchen project. The entire project cost $168,962. The Quorum Court meets on the third Thursday of each month at 7 p.m. at the Courthouse Annex. The meetings are open to the public.
49th Homecoming set June 3-4 in Shirley It's that time of year when everybody born and raised in Shirley comes home to visit. The 49th annual Shirley Homecoming begins Friday, June 3, with food and craft vendors. The Pee Wee Rodeo starts at 5 p.m. and the Big Show starts at 7 p.m. The Depot Dance will start at 8 p.m. with The Carl Acuff Show on the depot stage. Saturday, June 4, old friends, family and passerbys, will have a fun-filled day. A new event, from 8 a.m until 4 p.m., is an archery shoot in the
lower ball field. The elementary school's Color Run will start at 8:30 a.m. and registration for kids' games starts at 9 a.m. The Shirley Senior program will host a lunch during from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. and the Homecoming Parade travels down Highway 9 at 2 p.m. The Lucky Ducky Regatta will be at 3 p.m. Saturday's rodeo begins at 7 p.m. with the Depot Dance, featuring The Highway 9 East band, beginning at 8 p.m. For more information call 723-8290 or 723-4848.