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Lorene James
TUESDAY, April 16, 2019 / Vol. 5 Issue 16 / 75 cents
City councils hold monthly meetings
Shirley plans Homecoming Clinton discusses Internet The Shirley City Council heard a rough timeline of Community Water Systems’ takeover of the water system. Tim Shaw stated that by April 22, Community Water will begin switching out and replacing all city water meters. He reported that the last meter readings on the Shirley Waterworks system would be on April 23, and the first bill customers will receive from Community Water System will go out May 31/June 1. CWS is creating a packet to send out to the customers in Shirley outlining their billing cycle, procedures
and payment options available. Shaw said he had spoken with David Metrailer with PMI and the bidding for the boring underneath the river to replace and connect the two sides of the city is ready to take place. The work is expected to take no more than 60 days. Talk then turned to the 2019 Shirley Homecoming. Mayor Lisa Hackett said bands have been booked. Friday night will feature Lucky Draw, and Nathan Rolen and the Elites will perform Saturday night. Several new vendors have registered to set up for the event.
The lunch fundraiser for the Van Buren County Aging Program will be a fish fry and a best coleslaw contest. The 2019 Homecoming Parade grand marshals will be Jimmy Lee and Thelma Murray and Debbie Kerrigan will be the parade announcer. A meet and greet pie social has been set up and several of the area’s authors who have written books about the town will be present for book signings. The Homecoming Rodeo will take place on Saturday night only with a Bull Riding Spectacular.
An executive of Media 3, the much beleaguered Internet and cable TV provider, has agreed to meet with the community next month. Clinton Mayor Richard McCormac said the meeting will be an update for citizens about what is going on with the company and will take place during the third or fourth week of May. Problems besetting the company include outages, which a local company representative blamed mostly on electrical storms and improper codings. The representative said lines
in the Highway 330 East area are being replaced and that should help the problem. She also said homeowners must request a credit on their account due to no service before one will be made. She suggested keeping a journal to track problems. Also at last week’s City Council meeting, SNYP Arkansas director Lori Treat said the animal shelter’s finances remain grim. She said the non-profit has funds remaining for about two more months, and needs help from the community. Clinton Police in-
troduced their new drug-sniffing dog. That makes five working dogs in Van Buren County, including three at the.sheriff’s office, and a tracking dog belonging to Arkansas Game and Fish. From the Water Department, it was reported that tap fees need to be increased to cover parts and labor; an ordinance is expected to be introduced next month. Adam McJunkins was appointed to the water board to complete the term of Danny Newland.
Easter events this weekend Ozark Health Nursing and Rehab is holding an Easter egg hunt at 2 p.m. April 19. The Easter bunny will be there for photos. Annual Shirley Easter Egg hunt downtown Saturday, April 20. Friends, family and neighbors are invited to hunt the 5,000 candy-, toy- and money-filled eggs for free in The Depot Area, starting at 10 a.m. April 20, Easter Egg hunt in Woodland Mead Park, Fairfield Bay, 2 p.m. The Alread Community Egg Hunt will be Saturday, April 20, 11-12:30 at the Al-
read Fun Park followed by hot dogs. Everyone is welcome. Filling eggs at 2 p.m. at the EH Building on Friday, April 19. Come out, bring donations to fill eggs and pitch in. Fourth Annual Easter Egg Hunt on the River in Scotland, 2 p.m. April 21. April 21, 2 p.m., Easter Egg hunt at Archey Fork Park. Over 10,000 eggs will be waiting at Clinton’s largest Easter Egg hunt on record. Everyone is welcome to join the fun at the softball fields in Archey Fork Park. Kids will be divided into age groups for hunting.
Rain cascade - The waterfall is downtown Clinton was flowing after heavy weekend rains. (Photo by Robert Snyder)
More pay for library chief on agenda The following are some of the ordinances scheduled to be considered at Thursday’s meeting of the Van Buren County Quorum Court. The meeting begins at 6 p.m. at the Courthouse Annex. It is open to the public. - An ordinance to amend the original appropriation ordinance to combine two positions at the Van Buren County Library and increase the hourly wage for the library administrator to $25.24 per hour from $19.82 per hour. Under the ordinance, the Youth Services librarian will assume the duties of the Library administrator along with her normal duties, therefore the two positions will be combined at $42,200.00 per year. The ordinance would be retroactive to March 1, 2019. - The Treasurer’s office is requesting a fulltime administrative assistant to help with day to day responsibilities and also to cover during vacations, sick time, training classes, etc. Salary for the position would be $22,348.80 or $15.52 per hour for the remainder of 2019.
Adding in social security, retirement, insurance, workman’s compensation and unemployment insurance, the entire appropriation would be $34,286.65. An emergency would be declared to allow this ordinance to take effect upon passage and publication. - An ordinance to appropriate more than $4,800 to the Van Buren County sheriff’s office for lawn care for county buildings. The breakdown of the cost, which aims to cover fuel and employee costs, is: $520 for the Community Center; $900 for the Courthouse Annex; $520 for Safety/Maintenance for Animal Shelter; $600 for Health Department; $520 for District Court; $900 for Library; $900 for Solid Waste. In a separate ordinance, the Detention Center requests payment for lawn care in the amount of $250 from the Choctaw Volunteer Fire Department and $1,000 from the Culpepper Volunteer Fire Department, be appropriated into the Detention Center budget.
Madden
Human remains identified
Jacket softball - Abby Tharp is on the mound for the Lady Jackets in their game against Rose Bud last week. More photos, Page 16. (Photo by Robert R. Gaut)
Stop leads to drug arrest A Michigan man faces a felony drug charge after his vehicle was stopped by an Arkansas State trooper earlier this year. Aaron Eugene Harr, 57, of Morley, Michigan, did not have a valid driver’s license when his Volkswagen Passat was stopped on Arkansas Highway 9, according to an affidavit for arrest. A background check found that he
had prior charges of drug trafficking, according to the document. Harr denied consent for his vehicle to be searched, and it was towed and inventoried, the report states. Officers discovered a plastic bag in Harr’s luggage containing a white crystal-like substance that field tested positive for methamphetamine, the document states. Nine
grams of marijuana also was found in a computer bag, the affidavit states. The traffic stop of Harr’s vehicle was Jan. 13, 2019, but felony charges were not filed until April 9. Harr has been charged with possession of a controlled substance, meth or cocaine, a Class B felony; possession of a controlled substance, schedule VI, a misdemeanor; and driving without a license.
Police in Searcy say human remains found on a high school campus last week are those of a man reported missing 20 years ago. The Searcy Police Department says the remains found Tuesday in woods near Riverview High School are those of Larry Don Madden. Authorities say the Arkansas State Crime Laboratory used dental records to make the identification. Madden is listed as a 1992 graduate of Clinton High School. He was 26 when he was reported missing in 1999 out of Lake Charles, Louisiana. Authorities say he had been in the Searcy area working and staying with friends. An investigation is ongoing.