Monticello Live

The Arkansas National Guard Delta Company 39th Brigade Support Battalion will be leaving during the next few days, to be stationed in Shelby, Mississippi, before being deployed to duty in Iraq.

The total planned time of deployment is set to be one year, which will begin upon their arrival at the base in Mississippi.

 The unit will leaving at different times beginning with the first group departing later this week, with the final departure expected to leave on January 8.

Keep checking back here on MonticelloLive.com for updates as they become available. 

The EZ Mart, located on HWY 425 south, was the location of an armed robbery, early Monday morning just before 4 a.m.

Reports indicate that the store’s security video camera shows a black male, approximately 5 foot, 10 inches tall, wearing a mask, armed with a shotgun appears to have been alone in the hold-up.

The robber arrived and fled on foot.

The investigation is being conducted by the Monticello Police Dept.

Young’s Bar-B-Q has meant “lunch” to Monticello residents for decades.   The local restaurant has been chosen as Monticello’s “Best Bar-B-Q” for 7 years by the voters in the local newspaper, as well as having won “Best Lunch Buffet” and “Best Country Cooking” several times, along the way.

Sharon’s mom & dad, Ben & Cleo Young, sold Bar-B-Q out of their grocery store from 1954 until 1983.

In 1989, Sharon and her husband Billy Joe Hancock, re-opened “Young’s Bar-B-Q”.  They ran their ”take out only” business in the back of the building, where Mr. Ben’s Bar-B-Q pit had remained.

In 1996, they moved the business into the front of the building, and opened a full service restaurant.  In July of 2003, the business burned and closed for a brief time.  But the Hancocks decided to close their laundromat operation, and moved the restaurant, complete with their famous buffet, into the newer building next door.  After a complete remodeling process, and a new kitchen, “Young’s Bar-B-Q with Country Buffet” re-opened in October of that same year.

When most people think of Young’s, they think of it’s owner, and daily hostess, Sharon Hancock.  She’s always there, with a “How are you doing, today?”, or her cheerful, “Ya’ll come back!”  She’s open every weekday for lunch, as well as Sunday lunch buffet.  They also serve catfish, fried shrimp, and BBQ ribs on Friday nights.

When I asked Sharon how she ended up in the restaurant business, she replied, “Well, I was 9 when we moved into the store………….”

She said that the best part of her job is pleasing folks.  “Full people are happy people.”

Sharon was born and raised in Monticello, and graduated from Monticello High School.

“I’ve been married to Billy Joe all my life”, she added with a smile.  Billy Joe served in the U.S. Army until 1962, and was stationed in Germany for a part of that time.

They have 2 sons, Mike, who works at the Pine Bluff Arsenal, and Steve, who is now part-owner of the restaurant, and handles the inventory and catering, as well as doing all of the B-B-Qing.

The Hancock’s have 3 grandchildren: Jake (age 17), Laura (age 14), and Somer (age 13).

Saron’s response to the usual “Get to know” type questions included:

Hobbies-Painting, especially Santa portraits and birdhouses.  (Her Christmas present from her husband was painting classes.)

Pets-”He has pets. They’re all his”.

Restaurant-She smiled, no response was needed. 

Favorite phrase-”‘Have a good day’ seems to say it all.”

TV show-Paula Dean’s Cooking Show, on the Food Network.

Favorite actor-Richard Gere.

Favorite movie-Sweet Home Alabama.

 Favorite music-Country.

Favorite author-James Patterson (mysteries).

Favorite sports teams-Billies, Pirates, Weevils.

In closing, Sharon considers herself a, ”Plain old, what you see is what you get” type of person, but that’s the kind of person, business, and cooking that keeps so many Monticello people coming back for lunch. 

Thanks, Sharon Hancock, for sharing your One Monticello Life.

To read other editions of One Monticello Life, Click here.

McDonald’s is open this afternoon.  Drive through operators include Nick Cater, Leticia Esinoza, and Albert Rowland.   Mmmmmm, ice cream.

S&S, the BP station on 425 north is open today, and Sherita Shepherd is working today

Stephanie Briggs & Brandon York, among others, are there to help you at Walgreens.

Lynn Rowe & Jonathan Brockwell are on duty, and waiting for your call if you need an ambulance.  They are at Southeast Emergency Medical Services office at Gaines & Hyatt Streets.

As we take this time to spend with family and friends, let’s stop to thank the Lord above for the gift he gave to the world that Christmas morning, so many years ago.

May God bless you.

Joe & Sue Burgess

MonticelloLive.com

“To Protect and To Serve” includes Christmas day, so our Police and Sheriff’s Departments are on patrol and answering several calls today.

Pictured are Lois Sanders, dispatcher, and Ricky Fleming, patrolman.

The Emergency Room Staff at Drew Memorial Hospital is there today, if you need them, including Susie White (RN), Kristen Koone (PST), and Deanna Holdcraft (ER clerk).

Kyle Berryman is keeping Fire Station #2 at UAM in service.

Monticello Healthcare’s Christmas staff includes Lillie Rawls, Jackie Bennett, Kathy Hunter, and Ann Young.

Holiday Inn Express, represented by Erin Clement and Brookzine Scott.

The Huddle House Crew, Laciania Barrett, Renee Banks, Jessie Frisby, Crystal Acrey, and Theresa Eckwood.

John Carter, shown here during an emergency drill a few months ago at Drew Central Schools, is an agent of the 10th Judicial District’s Drug Task Force.

John began his law enforcement career with the Monticello Police Dept., where he remained for 4 years, until November of this year.  He had originally been a member for the Monticello Fire Dept. (he’s still a volunteer firefighter), and when Lt. Eddie Deaton suggested he become a member of the Police Auxiliary Unit, he soon became a full-time officer.

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James Green Jr., of Monticello, was recently arrested by the Monticello Police Dept.

Green was charged with rape, kidnapping, and terroristic threatening.

Green is still being held in the County Detention Facility.

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At the Chamber of Commerce/MEDC banquet recently, Deborah Jones, Drew Central School District’s 6th grade math & literacy teacher, was announced as the district’s “Teacher of the Year”.

Mrs. Jones has been a teacher for 34 years.  She began teaching at Selma for 5 years, then moved to the Drew Central district, when Selma consolidated with them.

Her high school principal was Mrs. Sadie Johnson, and then Larry Johnston.

Deborah was born in a small town in Texas, called El Campo.  Her family moved to Arkansas, when her father, who was a mechanic, was asked to move here, by his boss, who owned land in Arkansas.

She attended school at Selma, which only went to the 8th grade, and then graduated from the Drew High School.

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The Monticello City Council met in it’s last special budget meeting Tuesday night, finalizing the budget updates that they will be voting to approve at their regular meeting, Thursday of next week.

The began the meeting by discussing the probable widening and overlaying of Old Warren Road in 2008.

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