Of the people, By the people, For the people
Home of subscriber
Carl Black
TUESDAY, February 27, 2018 / Vol. 4 Issue 9 / 75 cents
Panel eyes millage
Clouds continue
Cold, warm, windy, rainy, sunshine. In other words, Mother Nature has been all over the place in the last week or so, but mostly the skies have been dreary and it has rained. Some folks in the county have reported up to a foot of rain. Roads have flooded, cars have flipped and run into ditches, cows have died, the rain boots, if you have them, are out. On the bright side, there have been no reports of major injuries. On the not-so-bright side, clouds and rain return on a warm Wednesday, but after that, though clouds remain most days, dry conditions return, if the forecast holds. (See other weather-related photos on Page 14)
This was the scene last week behind Gary Pack Lumber on Highway 16 East, Clinton. (Photo by Robert Snyder)
Last Friday, Archey Fork at the bridge on Archey Road was high from days of rain, although flotsam at the approach to the deck of the bridge indicates the bridge had recently been underwater. (Photo by Jeff Burgess)
Wildlife officers visit schools
Wildlife Officer Brian Tatum and School Resource Officer David Hess keep watch in the elementary school hallways last week. (Photo from Facebook)
Changes coming
The Dennard Water Department has notified its customers that its office will be closed as of March 6, 2018. The department is being absorbed by the Clinton Water Department. Dennard customers’ bill can be paid at the Dennard office until March 5.
Early voting
Early voting in the state Senate Republican runoff between Breanne Davis and Robert Bailey is March 6-12 at the County Clerk's Voter Registration office in the Courthouse Annex. Election Day is March 13 at your
designated polling site for Senate District 16.
Read about ‘em
Three county folks are making a splash across the state. Restaurant and escrow business owner Tammy Todd Gunn has been named to the Democrat-Gazette’s Women in Business and is featured in the Feb. 8 tab. Oilfield worker Heath Sanders has been heard on Bobby Bones’ KSSN-FM radio show and if social media is any indication, he may be heading for Nashville soon. Wendy Miers of Morganton is featured in a Con-
As tension remains high throughout the nation after the Feb. 14 Parkland school shooting in Florida, Van Buren and Searcy counties are taking some action. Last week, Game and Fish Commission officers Jay Hagans and Brian Tatum made a trip down the Clinton Elementary School hallways, making the children feel there was an extra touch of security. The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission has request-
ed that all wildlife officers in the state spend time in their local schools with students and help increase law enforcement presence on campus. In nearby Searcy County, the School Board has decided to hire off-duty law enforcement officers to patrol campuses throughout the district. A statement from the Searcy County School District says they are working with the sheriff’s office and the city
of Marshall police in an effort to make all schools in the district as safe as possible. At Clinton, School Resource Officer David Hess and his committee is working on a security plan for the campuses. On Feb. 14, a 19-year-old lone gunman, known to be mentally ill, opened fire on his former classmates at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School with an assault rifle, killing 17.
way Community Arts Association production of “Steel Magnolias,” through March 4 at the Lantern Theatre. For more information about the play visit conwayarts.org.
Bridge closed
The Corps of Engineers will close both lanes of Highway 25 across Greers Ferry Dam from 8:30 a.m. until 7 p.m. Feb. 26 and Feb. 27, weather permitting, to move work platforms needed to refurbish the tainter gates. Alternative route will be Highways 16 and 92 around the west side of the lake.
A veteran attends last week’s Gold Star ceremony in Beebe. (Photo by Robert R. Gaut) More photos, Page 2.
Taxpayers beware, the Van Buren Quorum Court is considering getting into your wallet. The Public Safety Review Committee met last week to consider ways to take the burden off Fairfield Bay for 911 Dispatch. After more than an hour of debate, the committee began to toss around the idea of raising the millage rate. The tax can be raised by 1 millage by the Quorum Court without a public vote. There were five Quorum Court members sitting at the table, apparently on the committee chaired by Mary Philips. None of them made any objections to the increase, though no final decisions were made. The committee will meet again on March 8 at 5 p.m. at the Courthouse Annex. Besides Philips, those Quorum Court members sitting at the front table were Dell Holt, Dale James, John Bradford and Brian Tatum. Also at the table were the mayors of Clinton and Fairfield Bay as well as council members from both cities. One mill, Tatum said, brings in about $350,000. Of that, $236,000 would go to 911. Fairfield Bay officials say they have been carrying the load for 911 since its inception and that, they say, is just not fair. They would like the city of Clinton to pay $44,446 and the county to pay $65,000. Clinton City Councilwoman Gayla Bradley, also on the committee, said flatly that Clinton does not have the money to pay that. Fairfield Bay Mayor Paul Wellenberger shot back that his city gets about onethird the sales tax as Clinton. When the idea of raising the millage rate was brought up, emotions quieted down. The other item the committee is working on is more money for the sheriff’s office for holding Clinton and Fairfield Bay prisoners. It got little attention last week, but it was pointed out that there is a discretionary fee that can be added to speeding and other tickets.