Of the people, By the people, For the people
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Claudie Berry, Jr.
TUESDAY, July 28, 2020 / Vol. 6 Issue 30 / 75 cents
Council filing date
Absentee voting
Filing date to run for Clinton City Council this year is from high noon on July 29 until high noon on August 5. Wanna-be councilors must reside within the ward in which they will run, and will need at least 10 signatures on a petition from residents within that ward to get on the ballot. Everyone in the city votes for every position, not just the residents within your ward. Current council members are: • Ward 1 Position 1: Gayla Bradley • Ward 1 Position 2: Jeff Pistole • Ward 2 Position 1: Sammy Ward • Ward 2 Position 2: Tim Barnes • Ward 3 Position 1: Shon Hastings • Ward 3 Position 2: Jason Lynch
Registered voters can apply for an Absentee Ballot Application by calling the Voter Registration Office at 501-745-8683 or the County Clerk's Office at 501-745-6995. They will need to provide their name, date of birth, their physical and mailing address if they are different and their phone number. The deadline for mailing out the Absentee Ballot Application is September 4, 2020. Then when the office receives the Absentee Ballots from the Election Commissioners or the Election Coordinator they will be mailed to the voter. The voters can also go online at the Secretary of State webpage and print a blank Absentee Ballot Application off and fill it out and send it to Van Buren County, Voter Registration Office, 1414 Hwy 65 South, Suite 131, Clinton Arkansas 72031, ATTN: Vicki Jones. The voter also needs to put a phone number on their application.
Man charged in sex assault
A 34-year-old Clinton man has been charged with sexual assault in the fourth degree that resulted in the birth of a baby in February 2019, according to an affidavit for arrest. The baby’s mother was 15 at the time of the birth, the document states. The 15-year-old told authorities she was taken advantage of while she was drunk at a party and repeatedly said she did not know who the baby’s father was, the affidavit states. The story came to light when Clinton Police began an investigation into the shooting of Kevin Justin Chapman in June. Chapman was shot in the face but is recovering. On June 19, 2020, during an interview
Graphic by Warren Johnson
with Clinton Police, the teenager acknowledged that Chapman, who is her stepbrother, is the father of her child, according to the affidavit. She said it was a mistake and not a rape situation. Sexual assault in the fourth degree is a Class D felony.
Rape charges filed
Jason Harris, 22, of Fairfield Bay, has been charged with rape, a Class Y felony. Harris is accused of sexually assaulting a juvenile girl on July 10 at her home where he was visiting. The girl’s mother said Harris was acting “weirdly” and nervous and she heard the girl tell him “I won’t say anything,” according to an affidavit for arrest. The mother questioned her daughter
Jason Harris while Harris was in the shower and the girl said Harris had put his finger inside her, the affidavit states. In an interview at the sheriff’s office, Harris said he might have touched her accidentally while playing but it was not intentional, the court document states.
Child porn charge
Adam Louis Jenkinson, 35, of Clinton has arrested Ju-
Two chapters of the Christian Motorcyclist Association, (Flame Riders of Clinton and Gap Riders of Conway) replaced a worn United States Flag at Lefler Estates on July 22, 2020. Clif Andrus and Ronald Gee removed the old flag and handed it off to Mary Carter. Ralph Tester unfolded the new flag and hooked it back to the flagpole.
ly 21 after sheriff’s investigator Matthew Meinke executed a search warrant at his residence on Niagara Road. Resident Jenkinson turned over a cell phone containing images of child pornography, according to an affidavit for arrest. Jenkinson has been charged with one count of distributing/possessing or viewing matter depicting sexually explicit conduct involving a child-first offense, a class C felony.
3 face drug charges
Three Van Buren County men are facing drug charges after a traffic stop and search of their vehicle. Paul Lovell, 40, and Jared Bandy, 26, both of Clinton, have
been charged with possession of drug paraphernalia, a Class D felony; misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia; and possession of a controlled substance, not methamphetamine or cocaine, a Class D felony. Tristen Robert Crow, 21, of Shirley has been charged with possession of drug paraphernalia, a Class D felony; and misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia.
Theft charges filed
Thomas Marshall, 20, of Harrison has been charged breaking or entering and theft of property after stealing 13 packs of cigarettes from Exxon Doublebee on July 21, according to an affidavit for arrest. Police were unable to book
him into jail because of Covid-19, and he was told to get in touch within a week, the affidavit states.
Drug charges
A Clinton man was charged with several drug charges after his vehicle was stopped for unworking tail lamps and reflectors, according to an affidavit for arrest. Dennis Horton, 44, has been charged with use or possession of paraphernalia to manufacture, etc. methamphetamine/ cocaine, a Class B felony; possession of drug paraphernalia, a Class D felony; possession of a controlled substance methamphetamine or cocaine, a Class D felony; and simultaneous possession of drugs and firearms, a Class C felony.
Coronavirus By the numbers/July 25 Van Buren County
Arkansas
• 5 active positive cases • 42 Total Positive • 36 Recovered • 1,374 Negatives • 2 deaths
• 732 new cases reported Friday • 479 hospitalizations • 105 on ventilators • 399 deaths
(Photo by Kim Boring)
Farm family named The James Reed family of Culpepper Cattle Co. has been named Van Buren County’s Farm Family of the Year. James Reed, 47, is continuing the cattle operation started by his great-grandfather, Marion Alva Reed. Reed also runs a construction company and was a member of the Van Buren County Quorum Court from 2012-16. He graduated from Clinton High School in
1991. His wife, Crystal, 44, also works for an insurance company. They have been married since 2009. The farm sells hay, timber and cattle on 959 acres. The family also includes Tanner Smith, 18, Cawl Pepper Reed, 8, Riggin Boone Reed, 6, and the late Dallie Gayle Reed, who would have been 10 this year. James inherited the farm from his par-
ents, Richard and Dee Reed who still live on the land, and his grandfather Richard Thomas Reed. The farm keeps about 400 to 500 head of stocker cattle, sending them to Guymon, Oklahoma, when they are ready to finish out. They also raise 160 head of cow-calf pairs, which are mostly sold at local sale barns.
Scam alert
There is a new scam going around in which people are called and told they have been identified as a close contact to a Covid positive patient and that must be tested. The scammer will then try to sell the individual a Covid-19 test for which they will need your credit card number. Do not provide any personal information to such a caller.
Masks in Clinton
Regarding masks, Clinton Police Chief
John Willoughby issued this statement late last week: “I have a small department and we will not be the mask police. If a business requires you to wear a mask please do so. Please do not cause a scene in our business establishments. The employees of the establishments are only doing their jobs, please be courteous. In my opinion, I don’t know if masks help at all, I really don’t think anyone knows for sure, but I think we all should try to
do our part and keep our numbers low. We have been doing pretty good so far. Please be nice to each other in this trying time.” In surrounding counties, Stone has 12 active positive, 40 total positive and 1 death; Conway County has 20 active positive, 119 total positive, and 3 deaths; Cleburne has 24 active positive: 167 total positive and 5 deaths; Faulkner County has 186 active positive, 1,013 total positive and four deaths.