According to OneStat.com, the internet’s leading pageview analysis program, MonticelloLive.com had over 10,000 pageviews in the 7 day period from Tuesday, January 22 at midnight, until Tuesday, January 29 at midnight.
When your friends ask, “What’s going on in Monticello?” Tell them about MonticelloLive.com.
Today’s news. Today.
The Monticello Fire Dept responded to a minor fire at the SEARK Boat plant, which is located behind Pauline Baptist Church.
The fire, which was conatained to a portion of the paint room, was quickly extinguished.
SEARK had evaquated the building, and there were no injuries reported.
The call came in to the dispatcher around 6:05 PM.
According to reports, the fire only involved an area where a pile of rags and debris was stored, and damage to the plant was kept to a mimimun.
Since last October, MonticelloLive.com has continued to grow.
Each month there have been increases, in stories, and in pageviews.
Last week set several new marks.
Most Daily Pageviews – 2104 on Friday, and Most Weekly Pageviews - 8699.
January will also set a new monthly record, we’re at 19,285 so far.
I just want to say thanks for your support, and your constant “coming back” to see “what happened in Monticello today.”
But please remember, you can make MonticelloLive even better by letting us know when something is going on. Contact Joe at 367-0000 with tips and story leads.
Thanks again.
When Brenda Jacobs left an encouraging comment for last week’s “One Monticello Life” person, Lyle Welch, she had no idea that we were thinking about featuring her in the near furture.
Brenda is the Patient Care Coordinator at Hospice Home Care of Monticello.
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Actually, her office is located just across Hyatt Street from Lyle’s office.
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Mrs. Jacobs is responsible for the coordination of care for patients of all ages with terminal diagnosis.  Brenda says, “I consider it a great privilege to work with a talented group of people who get up every day and focus on helping patients add quality to life. Hospice Care is not about dying, but living.”
She has been at Hospice Home Care since May of 2007.
Brenda told me, “The death of a very close friend allowed me to appreciate and understand the hospice experience.” She added that feeling loved and appreciated by families experiencing loss is the most rewarding part of her career.  She also said, “Working with professional people who are able to balance professionalism and crying with a family member when they lose a loved one” is an important part of the service that Hospice provides.
Brenda will graduate on May 10, 2008 from Delta State University with a graduate nursing degree and will be eligible to sit for the Nurse Practitioner Certification Exam.
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Brenda was born and raised in Monticello. She graduated from MHS and UAM, before continuing her education at Delta State.
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She has been married to Carl Jacobs for 16 years. Carl is a service technician for United Medical.
They have 2 sons, Zachary and Kevin, ages 3 and 27, and 2 beautiful little girl grandchildren.
Carl and Brenda are both active in Holmes Chapel Presbyterian Church.
Northside Baptist Church of Monticello’s Pastor, Sanders Brooks is a Chaplain for Hospice Home Care. Bro. Brooks said of Mrs. Jacobs, ”I’m impressed with how she is able to make people who are in a troubling situation feel that they are not alone.” He continued, ”Brenda is also espicially able to encourage the staff to continue to maintain a positive atmosphere, in what many people would feel is not a positive environment.”
She is a member of the Arkansas State Nurse’s Association, Drew County Single Parent Scholarship Board, and the Arkansas State Hospice and Palliative Care Association.
Brenda’s favorites list includes:
SPORTS-Football
HOBBIES-Reading
PETS-Yellow Lab
PHRASE-“Nobody gets to live life backward. Look ahead-that’s where your future lies. (Ann Landers)
RESTAURANT-Leon’s
TV SHOW-HGTV House Hunters
MOVIE-Message in a Bottle
ACTOR-Denzell Washington
MUSIC-Christian
SONG OR HYMN-We Shall Behold Him
BOOK-“The Battle is the Lord’s (Tony Evans)
SPORTS TEAM-Billies and Weevils
When I asked Brenda for a closing thought, she responded, “My role model as a child was my mother. Her perseverance through many trials taught me the importance of never giving up. Life is 100% of what you make it. My life is so blessed!”
Brenda Jacobs, thanks for sharing your One Monticello Life.
Johnny Hayes pleaded “no contest” Friday to charges of Sexual Assault in the 4th Degree, stemming from multiple charges that were brought against him in 2005.
Hayes, age 36, was taken to the County Detention Facility, and sentenced to serve 6 years in the Arkansas Dept. of Corrections.
On May 12, 2006, Southeast Emergency Services began operation, serving Monticello and Drew County with ambulance service.
SEEMS is owned and operated by Lyle Welch. He also is a Paramedic.Â
Lyle was born, raised, and graduated High School at Arkadelphia.
Lyle attended Henderson State University and became a paramedic on February 21, 1996. He had taken an EMT class, since he was a member of the local Volunteer Fire Department. The instructor complimented his work in class, and encouraged Lyle to enroll in the upcoming Paramedic class, that was being taught. Lyle did, and has been a Paramedic for 12 years now.
Lyle started his EMS career here in Monticello on April 1, 1996 and has been here working on an ambulance in Monticello ever since, with the exception of 6 months he was at MEMS in Little Rock.
He is married to Kim Fenton Welch. They have four children: Shea Welch, who is planning on starting her junior year of college at the University of Arkansas in the fall. Tyler Welch, an upcoming basketball star at Emmit High School. Kayla Fenton who attends Monticello schools. Jordan Welch, the youngest of the four.
Lyle and his family attend Serenity Baptist Church.
His hobbies include hunting, fishing, and remote control model airplanes.
Lyle is show above with “A.C.”, who arrived at the office a couple of days after SEEMS opened. Lyle said, “A.C. adopted us. Not the other way around.”Â
Lyle’s favorites include:
Restaurant-Young’s on Thursday, “It’s chicken and dumplin’Â day.”
TV show-M*A*S*H.
Movie-Days of Thunder.
Actor-Clint Eastwood.
Music-Classic country and today’s rock. Sometimes “disco” on XM.
Song-Long, Black Train.
Sports team-Excluding Billies, Pirates, Hogs, & Weevils-Dallas Cowboys & St. Louis Cardinals.
Favorite book-A Look At Life From A Deer-stand, by Steve Chapman.
Lyle Welch and SEEMS, another “person behind the scenes” that keeps Monticello going strong.
Click here to go to Southeast Emergency Services’ website. It’ll give you information on what are classified as “emergencies”, as well as info about their services.
Lyle Welch, thanks for sharing your One Monticello Life.
This loaded log truck belonging to a Mr. Sanchez of Star City, lost control during a turn at the intersection of HWY 425 South at the overpass, around 8:30, Saturday morning.
There were no reported injuries. Bill Horn with the Office of Emergency Services is shown inspecting for any possible fuel leaks.
A loader from Price Companies arrived on the scene, and was still picking up the spilled load til after 10 a.m.
Earlier this week, James Rickey Sanders entered a plea of guilty, to the charge of Registered Sex Offender Working With Children, a class D felony.
The Drew County jury hearing the case sentenced Sanders to 4 years in the Arkansas Department of Corrections, according to Circuit Court records.
Just after 8 PM, Friday night, this 1999 Ford Explorer, occupied by 3 residents of Rison, was traveling south in front of Wal-Mart, in the outside lane.
At the same time, there was another vehicle, traveling south in the inside lane. Reports indicate the the car on the left began to pull over into the lane where the Explorer was.
The Explorer tried to avoid contact, but left 425 as it traveled into the driveway at Wendy’s Restaurant, before turning over, and coming to rest on the driver’s side.
All 3 occupants were reported to be O.K., and no one was transported by ambulance.
Monticello Police and Fire Dept. were on the Scene to assist.
The Explorer was towed by Lock & Keys.
The photo was taken at Lock & Keys lot. The other vehicles shown were not involved in tonight’s mishap.
Again recently, the sand sculptures at the old Post Office, currently the office of the Monticello Economic Development Commission, are drawing the attention of many people.
The subjects of the sculpture; a basket of tomatoes, a mule, and someone picking tomatoes, are a reflection of the importance of agriculture in Drew County’s history.
As it has been found out by research, the same creator of the Monticello Post Office’s artwork, is the same person who designed the work done in the Washington D.C. Post Office.
The Post Office construction began in early 1937, and the cost of the artwork was covered by the Dept. of Treasury’s Section on Fine Arts, at a cost of $750.
Tammy Vaughn was the guest speaker at yesterday’s Memorial March and Breakfast, held at Holmes Chapel Presbyterian Church, by the NAACP.
I met Tammy at that event, as she was visiting with her 6th grade math teacher, fellow “One Monticello Life” alumni, Sheilla Lampkin.
Tammy was born and raised here in Monticello, and is the youngest of five children.Â
She and her husband, Terry, are both attended UAM. Tammy completed her BA-Social Work at UAPB, and her Master of Social Work at UA-Little Rock. She has served as a Licensed Social Worker for 10 years.
Tammy is employed at the UAM Academic Partnership for Public Child Welfare as Coordinator and Principal Investigator. When asked to describe what her agency does, she told me that they are a “mentoring” service for new workers in the Division of Children and Family Services for our area.
Aside from new workers, they also work with established social workers, providing support, training, and updates in the field. Tammy’s role in this process, is to servve as Coordinator and Superviser over “Area X”, which includes 11 offices, scattered throughout 9 counties. There are 4 staff members in her area.
 Tammy has been married to her husband Terry Vaughn for 24 years. Terry works at the Cypress Bend Potlatch plant at Arkansas City. They have 2 children, Terrance and Olivia; 2 grandchildren, Brianna and Eden. Her parents are Bobbie Lambert and J.D. Lambert.
Tammy is a member of several profesional organizations, including the National American Association of Christian Social Workers.
The Vaughns are members of Metropolitan AME Zion Church of Monticello.
“Find a way, or make a way”, is her favorite phrase, “There’s always a way to get something done, without having to give up,” she said.Â
Her favorites include…….
Restaurant-Chen Chen at Crossett.
TV shows-Law & Order, all of them.
Movie-The Color Purple, “and the book was even better than the movie.”
Actor-Denzell Washington, also Will Smith.
Music-Gospel.
Song-Precious Lord, Take My Hand.
Book-The Bible.
Sportsteam, besides the Billies, Pirates, Weevils, & Hogs-UAPB Golden Lions, Tammy’s Alma Mater, and Mississippi State Bulldogs(her husband’s home town is Starkville, Mississippi.)
Tammy is one of the many people in Monticello that make a big difference in the lives of many of our children. One of the many people that work “behind the scenes”, but deserve much more credit than they received.
Thanks Tammy Vaughn, for sharing your “One Monticello Life”.
A Delivery of Cocaine will send a Monticello man to prison with a 15 year sentence.
Franklin Junior received his sentence this week from Drew County Circuit Judge Bynum Gibson.
The crime reportedly occured last September.
Junior was transported to the Drew County Detention Facility after the hearing.
MonticelloLive.com had over 700 pageviews Tuesday, according to onestat.com.
This is the highest number of daily readers to the website, since May 4. Tuesday had the 2nd highest view count ever for the web-site.
Thanks for “spreading the wordâ€Â about MonticelloLive.com, Monticello’s community website.
Pat Scifres Savage announces that she is seeking re-election for the position of Drew County Circuit Clerk.
She graduated from Monticello High School and attended the University of Arkansas at Monticello.
Pat is a Baptist and has three children, Chris, Brian, and Ashley Savage.Â
She is the daughter of Martha Scifres of Monticello, and the late Tommy Scifres.
“Drew County is very important to me. I am proud of the accomplishments that I have made in the Circuits Clerk’s office and hope to contiune working for the people of Drew County.  I ask for you continued support”.
Darnell Crosswhite, of HWY 278 East, Monticello, was previously required to register as a “child sex offender” in a Mississippi court, according to court records.
Crosswhite went before the Drew County Circuit Court Tuesday morning, charged as a ”sex offender working with children”.
Although the Prosecuting Attorney’s office had reportedly agreed to a plea bargain of 3 years probation, Circuit Judge Bynum Gibson refused to let that plea agreement stand, and sentenced Crosswhite to 1-6 years in the Dept. of Correction.
The Circuit Court will hold a hearing on Feb. 19 to determine exactly how long Crosswhite’s 1-6 sentence will be.
After his hearing Crosswhite was released on an earlier bond, but with the stipulation that if he is found in the company of any child under the age of 18, he will be arrested on a $20,000 bond, and brought before Judge Gibson, again.
Sammy Wilkerson is shown here with his family, Madylyn, Tarah, Samantha, Hannah, and Tyler.
PFC Jason Fritts, saying good-bye to his dad, Mike Lee, fiance, Stephanie Fields, and mom Paula Lee waiting on the group to leave. 
Michael Ellis holding his fiance and child before leaving for Mississippi. Ellis has been in the National Guard for 4 years.
Families of some of the troops brought signs and cookies to hand to the troops as they were leaving.
Members of the 39th being given instructions for their departure to Ft. Shelby, Mississippi, before being deployed to Iraq.
Families of many of our soldiers were inside the armory before they began loading up for the trip.
Members of Monticello’s National Guard unit left the armory in pairs, before they loaded their bags in the luggage compartments of the tour buses.
Employees of the Southeast Arkansas Educational Co-operative stood at the intersection near the armory with banners supporting the Troops.
Sheriff Mark Gober, the Monticello Fire Department, Fire Chief Steven Faulkner, and a local police officer escort the Troops out of Monticello.
Families and supporters lined the armory’s parking lot and nearby roadways.
Local citizens show their support for the 39 as they traveled by.
Monticello’s 39th Support Battalion leaving Monticello around 3:15 p.m., Tuesday, Jan. 8, 2008.
As of 1:30 p.m., Information is still correct
The Arkansas National Guard Delta Company 39th Brigade Support Battalion will be leaving Monticello around 3 p.m. today to be stationed in Ft. Shelby, Mississippi, before being deployed to a one year duty in Iraq.
Their time of service will begin upon their arrival at the base in Mississippi.
Several Monticello residents have expressed interest in giving the troops a send-off, by lining the highway with signs, banners, and flags.
At this time, their route has not been confirmed, but will most likely include HWY 425 just south of UAM.
Check back on MonticelloLive.com for updated times and information.
As i was selecting a good subject for this weeks edition, I realized that there is a family of 5, that will be starting back to school tomorrow, in fact 5 different schools. That would be the Darrell & Lee Ann McDaniel family.
Darrell & Lee Ann have been married for 25 years, as of last September. The family is very active in Northside Baptist Church, where Darrell was brought up, and where Lee Ann began attending, when she and Darrell got married.
Darrell was born in Heber Springs, and moved to Monticello in the 5th grade. Lee Ann was raised in Arkadelphia, until the 8th grade, when her family also moved to Monticello.Â
Monday morning, when all of Monticello and Drew Central schools start their 2008 school years, the McDaniels will also go back to school.
All 5 of them, each going to a different school.
Darrell is an instructor at the Occupational Education Center (vocational technical school) for the Monticello School District. Actually he’ll be teaching the same “Metal Trades” class that he took, when he was attending vo-tech. Darrell took what he learned in that class, and spent over 20 years working at Burlington as a machinist, before coming full circle back to teaching.
Lee Ann will return to UAM. She works in the purchasing office for the University. She has been there for 4 years. Prior to UAM, Lee Ann worked at Bartons
As you’re reading this, Katie, a freshman at UA Fayetteville, is probably already on her way back to school. She’s working on her Pre-Med major.
Julie, a MHS freshman, plays saxophone in the band, and is in EAST Lab.
Jordan is a 4th grader at MIS.
The family all likes to spend time outdoors, especially around the water.
Darrell’s hobbies include hunting, fishing, and metal craft.
Lee Ann likes to spend her free time reading, gardening, or watching NASCAR.
Katie spends her free time on the phone, according to her mom, when she should be studying.
Julie’s favorite past-times include reading and playing video games.
Jordan likes hunting and fishing, like his dad, and killed his first deer this year. Jordan spends any free time he has harassing his older sisters (just ask them).
The family pets include Buddy, the dog, and 9 cats.
Usually now is the time in the interview when I ask about “favorites”, so this week will represent the family’s ”combined” answers.
Their favorites include:
Restaurant-Rays.
TV show-NASCAR.
Movie-Toy Story and Santa Clause movies.
Music-Lee Ann likes contemporary Christian music and the family usually listens to country.
Favorite actors & books-Too hard to agree on.
Favorite songs-Amazing Grace and Sweet Beulahland.
Favorite sports teams-Billies and Hogs.
Monday morning, as we are all getting back in the habit of “school”, remember the McDaniel family.
5 family members, 5 different schools.
Thanks to all of the McDaniels, for sharing your One (or 5) Monticello Life.
This week’s Flag of the Week is special.
The flag is used as an extra flag that is flown as a “back-up” flag at the intersection of Hwy 425Â & 278.
The flag served a special purpose this week, when it was used at the Support Our Troops rally Thursday night.
Yes, that is a school bus that they’re standing on, to be able to display it.
Johnny Mann was sentenced to serve a sentence of 6 years in the Arkansas Dept. of Correction by Circuit Judge Sam Pope, Thursday, in Drew County Circuit Court.
Mann was convicted of second degree battery, and failure to stop a vehicle after an accident which involved an injury.Â
Mann was found guilty of both charges, individually, by a Drew County jury, and sentenced to serve 3 years on BOTH charges, consecutively.
Court records indicate that Mann was ”doing donuts in a parking lot, and backed into the victim’s car at a high rate of speed”, before leaving the scene.
Mann was taken to the Drew County Detention Facility after his trial.Â
A flag that has flown on the corner of HWY 425 & 278 was used to greet the troops as they entered the parking lot.
One of the signs that geeted our Troops.
The cake for the event.
Sgt. Anthony Parks, a father of 4, being interviewed by Ashley Blackstone of Channel 11.
MEDC Director, Truman Hamilton, being interviewed for KTHV, which made their 10 o’clock news.
Pastor Al Womack, of First Assembly of God, introducing the “words of encouragement” speaker, Pastor Darion Buffington of Morning Star, and “greeting speaker”, Circuit Judge Bynum Gibson, before the rally.
Raymond Glen Hale, age 59, of Drew County was killed in a single vehicle accident on HWY 35, approximately one mile east of the Drew County Fairgrounds, around 8:30 a.m. Wednesday.
According to unofficial reports from the scene, Hale’s vehicle, shown above, was heading towards Monticello, left the highway, hit a culvert, flipped at least once, and came to a stop, resting on it’s roof.
Mr. Hale was pronounced dead at the scene by authorities.
6 pieces of logging equipment were totally destroyed by fire Monday night, and the fire is being investigated as a suspected arson by the Arkansas State Police and the Drew County Sheriff’s Dept. All 9 pieces of equipment had fires set in or on them, causing over $1 million damage. (more…)
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