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Marjorie Koone
TUESDAY, August 25, 2020 / Vol. 6 Issue 34 / 75 cents
Ex-commissioner says county owes her money
Local GOP group dissolved The Executive Committee of the Republican Party of Arkansas has dissolved the Van Buren County Republican Committee. State Chairman Doyle Webb wrote to County Clerk Pam Bradford on Aug. 17, 2020, that the Republican committee’s election commissioners were vacant “due to being improperly elected by the committee and later resigning on June 15 and 16, 2020. He appointed William Fossie of Bee Branch and Amie See GOP on page 5
Rumble on the River - Stunt riders, vendors, hot air balloons and hundreds of motorcycles converged Aug. 21-22 in Clinton for Rumble on the River. At least 3,000 people attended the event. More photos, Page 12. (Photo by Tina Johnson)
Back to school means watch for kids Back to school time is an important event for our entire community. Students are back in class. Teachers are implementing new lesson plans for the school year. Administrators are working with budgets, school bus routes, staffing and school safety concerns. Parents are coordinating work and school schedules, car pools and support for their student’s activities and studies. Businesses are equipping families, teachers and administrators with the supplies they need for a successful school year. Back to school is a busy time for us all. During this busy time, please be extra cautious in traffic. Be mindful of our school traffic zones especially during the morning hours and early after-
noons. Keep an extra look out for potential hazards around our schools and in neighborhoods where children play. Slow down and increase your stopping distances. School buses are back on the road. Be aware of school bus routes in your neighborhood and throughout your daily travel. Leave plenty of time and space for buses. With school traffic, anticipate delays in your travel and leave early so you’re not in a rush. And, when approaching a school zone or school bus on the road, be prepared to stop for bus and pedestrian traffic. Our children are counting on us – let’s work together to make “back to school” a rewarding, fun, and safe time for all Van Buren County residents. — Sheriff Lucas Emberton
These were among the items found after a traffic stop in Clinton on Aug. 8, 2020. (Photo from Clinton Police Facebook)
Drugs found Clinton Police arrested a man after a traffic stop Aug. 8 in which they discovered 114.08 grams of suspected methamphetamine, according to the department. The K-9 team sniffed out the drugs, a handgun and some paraphernalia during the stop, according to the police department. Stephen Burch, 48, is being held in the Pope County jail. He has been charged
Burch with failure to comply with terms of probation, furnishing, possessing or using prohibited items and delivery of meth or cocaine, according to jail logs.
Coronavirus By the numbers - Aug. 23
Arkansas
Van Buren County
• New cases: 375 • Hospitalized: 500 • Ventilators: 110 • Deaths: 13 (total of 687)
• Total Positive: 80 • Active Positive: 16 • Recovered: 57 • Deaths: 2 • Negatives: 2,642
Covid cases rising in county Just as school buildings are reopening, Van Buren County’s Covid-19 numbers are going up rapidly. County Judge Dale James said the cases are mostly within two "communities" of people. One of those “communities” is Global Foods, James said. He said the company has done an “exceptional job” at keeping the virus out of the facility up to this point. Global Foods is actively testing their workforce, James
said. “You will see our cases rise as testing will be broad and thorough.” Across the state, schools are welcoming back students. Some are phasing in re-entry while others have decided to stay with online studies for now. In Van Buren County, the buildings are reopened but parents have the option to keep their children home and go the online route. For more information, contact your school district.
On the docket
dating back to July 2014. She also was charged with forgery, a Class C felony, and misdemeanor falsifying business records. Charges were filed in October 2018.
Johnny Rhoda, 69, of Clinton and George Silva, 75, of Fairfield Bay are due in District Court for plea and arraignment on Sept. 3 on charges of criminal mischief stemming from an incident in February 2020. Taylor Fisher, 39, of Clinton, a former county employee who has been charged with three counts of distributing/possessing/viewing matter depicting child sex, Class C felony, is set for pre-trial on Oct. 13, 2020. The arrest was made in August 2019. Virginia Watson, 70, of Clinton has a pre-trial date of Oct. 13, 2020 in Circuit Court. A former employee of the Bee Branch Water Association, Watson is accused of the Class B felony of stealing more than $25,000
Ronald Douthit was arrested July 30, 2020 after a traffic stop turned up a small bag containing a white crystalline substance believed to be methamphetamine. Douthit, 41, of Mountain View has been charged with possession of a controlled substance, a Class D felony, and possession of drug paraphernalia, a Class D felony. Ralph Thornburg, 62, of Clinton has been charged with keeping a drug premises, a Class C felony, and possession of drug paraphernalia, a class D felony, according to an affidavit for arrest. The items were found July 20, 2020, during a search of the resi-
An ordinance to put $24,396 into the County General account had sparks flying at Thursday evening’s the Van Buren County Quorum Court meeting. County Clerk Pam Bradford said that is all the State Board of Elections would reimburse the county for meetings the Election Commission held earlier this year. The state sets the reimbursement limit at 10 meetings; the county’s Election Commission held 26 meetings in the first couple of months of 2020. After a heated
meeting earlier this year, all three commissioners — Republicans Johnny K. Rhoda and George Silva and Democrat Bobbye Bennett — resigned. Shortly before that meeting, Rhoda and Silva were accused of breaking the lock on a trailer owned by the Boy Scouts. They subsequently were charged with misdemeanor criminal mischief. Justice of the Peace Ester Bass asked if everybody had been paid. BradSee Court on page 5
Voters should call for absentee ballot Registered voters planning to apply for an Absentee Ballot Application should call 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 Sept. 4, 2020. When the registration 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 High-
way 65 South, Suite 131, Clinton Arkansas 72031, ATTN: Vicki Jones. The voter also needs to put a phone number on their application. For those planning to vote in person, the county’s four vote centers are at: Clinton Library; First Baptist Church in Fairfield Bay; Dennard Fire Department, and Bee Branch Fire Department. Voters may cast ballots at any of the four centers. Polls open at 7:30 a.m. and close at 7:30 p.m. on Election Day (Election Commission’s responsibility). Early voting begins Oct. 19 and runs through Nov. 2 (County Clerk’s responsibility). Hours for early voting are: Oct 19-23, 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Oct 24, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Oct 26-30, 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Oct 31, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Nov 2, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
dence of Thornburg who is a probationer, according to the document. Plea and arraignment is set for Aug. 25, 2020.
a lawsuit after she was bitten by a police dog more than a year ago. In the lawsuit, the Rectors allege they were at a bonfire at the home of Martin “Sonny” Clifford and Kim Mongold in May 2019 when Clifford’s police dog, Silas, bit Michelle Rector causing her to lose full use of her arm permanently. Michelle Rector has lost wages, lost earning capacity, incurred extensive medical bills, exceeding $500,000.00, been scarred, and has incurred other damages in an amount to be proven at trial, the complaint alleges. The complaint states that the Heber Springs Police Department donated the dog to Van Buren County because Silas had a history of aggression and non-commanded bites, even with his handler, and they de-
Stay Strong, Status Quo and Bevans Family Limited Partnership have filed a complaint appealing the August 4, 2020, certification of a local option petition to put the wet/dry issue on the November ballot, by Pam Bradford, County Clerk of Van Buren County, Arkansas, in her official capacity. The Bevans Family Limited Partnership is a Van Buren County taxpayer that is opposed to the retail sale of alcohol in Van Buren County, and alleges the signature gatherers failed to meet the petition form, signature, and certification requirements imposed by Arkansas law. Chris and Michelle Rector are still awaiting their day in court. The couple filed
See Docket on page 5