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Kim Wyborny
TUESDAY, September 19, 2017 / Vol. 3 Issue 37 / 75 cents
Council resets date for sales tax vote
Parade on Court Square – The Fair Parade drew a good sized crowd to downtown Clinton on Sunday. Featuring pageant queens, fire trucks, balloons, horses and candy, the parade ushers in Fair Week in Van Buren County.
The Clinton City Council changed the date of the vote on a quarter-cent sales tax from Nov. 7 to Nov. 14 at its meeting last week. The move was made to accommodate election rules on when the vote could be held. The council repealed last month’s ordinance setting the Nov. 7 date and unanimously approved the new ordinance moving the date back one week. Before the vote can be held, there must be a town hall meet-
ing. Fire Department Chief D.L. Webb is pushing for the tax, which he says is essential for the growth and maintenance of the department. Also at Thursday’s meeting, Water Department Manager Richard Hink gave councilors a copy of the department’s audit. He said the only negative findings by the auditors, Berry and Associates, was segregation of duties, something, he said, is See Council on page 3
School meal called into question
Living artifacts
Robert R. Gaut shares the mystery of the Trail Trees. He has traveled to many states in his quest to document the trees. So far, he has seen at least 300. Story, photos Page 16.
The Clinton School District made the state news last week after parents complained that their children were served undercooked chicken at the school cafeteria. Parents told the Voice they were concerned their children could become ill eating the meal, but Superintendent Andrew Vining said there have been no food-borne illnesses reported among students or staff. He issued a statement saying that the Health Department has checked the facili-
This photo of barbecue chicken was circulated on social media. ties, cooking equipment and food ther-
mometers to ensure that they are working properly. “We are taking every step necessary to make sure everything is prepared correctly before it is served,” he said in the statement. Vining noted that one of the photos circulating on social media was chicken fajita meat that was fully cooked and prepackaged by Tyson Foods. “We regret this has happened and we will continue to put the health of our students first in all things,” he stated.
Sheriff resigns for new job Van Buren County Sheriff Scott Bradley announced Saturday that he is resigning to take a new job. Bradley posted on Facebook that he has accepted the position of director of the Arkansas Sheriffs Association effective Oct. 1. Earlier this summer, Bradley announced he would not seek re-election in 2018 but would
complete his term unless something too good to pass up came along. “It has been an honor and a privilege to serve the citizens of Van Buren County as your sheriff for the past 15 years,” he posted. Bradley is a native of Shirley and has been in the law enforcement business since 1996. He took office as sheriff
of Van Buren County in 2003. Bradley’s replacement will be chosen by the Van Buren County Quorum Court. County Judge Roger Hooper said preliminary discussions will begin at this Thursday’s Quorum Court meeting at the Courthouse Annex, and a decision should be made at the October meeting.
Jack Lewis celebrated his 84th birthday last week.
He served as district judge for 21 years. During that time, he said, a lot of people he knew appeared in his courtroom on various charges. “I just tried to be fair with everybody,” he says. Lewis was born in 1933 in Pangburn, Arkansas. His father had a sawmill and the family also lived in Shirley and Morrilton for a time. Lewis served in the Army during the Korean War. His wife, Sherry, says he was sta-
Hint of hope returns to Scotland By Don Ramsey
Bradley
Clinton’s first district judge turns 84 Jack M. Lewis says he doesn’t practice law anymore, but he does still have his license. Lewis was recently awarded the Arkansas Supreme Court Attorney Emeritus for more than 50 years of dedicated and honorable service to the legal profession as a licensed attorney. Lewis was Clinton’s first district court judge, elected in 1968. His pay in the early years was $50 a month.
The owner of the old post office has granted permission to clean up the area and repair the building. The community hopes to have it ready by Halloween. (Photo by Don Ramsey)
tioned in Germany for a time and liked it so much he would have stayed in the service longer if they had left him there. But he came back to the U.S. and went to law school in Fayetteville. He got his license from the Arkansas Bar Association in 1962. The old saying goes that some people are married to their work, but LewSee Judge on page 3
Imagine if you will, that you are driving west on Highway 95 from the small budding city of Clinton Arkansas and after about 12 miles you see a small, state issued, green sign that has only one word “Scotland.” As you drive a little farther you will see to your right a modern day brick building that has our American flag flying proudly during the day. Drive a little farther and on your left you will see a small convenience store that sells pizza and other food items and your very basic grocery needs, and outside the store is a single gas pump. Drive a little farther and you will see the intersection that gives you the choice to go up the hill, or turn right and go down the hill and across a small bridge as you enter what the locals call downtown. As you drive across the bridge you
will see the old buildings that are leaning from exhaustion of weathering the storms and heat and rain from over the 100 years of their existence. Their tired old walls lean and groan as time takes its toll on them. They once stood strong and firm as they each housed a store, a drug store and other business that once made this small quiet town thrive and provided some very interesting historical value to the shaping of Van Buren County. Now the buildings are old, weather-worn and falling apart. As you turn around to go back up the hill, most likely you will see an older grey haired gentleman of average height, wearing some faded denim jeans and a plain T-shirt outside the metal store building that too has a single gas pump. Most generally he waves a friendly "hello neighSee Scotland on page 3
Don Ramsey spins a yarn of how Scotland may have come by Pig Eye as a nickname in next week’s Voice.