Monticello Live

Sgt. Larry Smith, Sr.
Criminal Investigator
Monticello Police Department
 

I have known Larry Smith for several years, but never really spent much time around him, until my wife’s truck was broken into a couple of years ago, and he worked the case.

When I started covering the Police Dept. for MonticelloLive,  I began to consider Larry to be a good friend.  I, like so many others was shocked to here about Larry’s battle with cancer.  There are a couple of links below that will take you to the story about the wristbands that local police officers are selling, information about the cook-out to help cover Larry’s medical expenses on April 11 & 12, and photos from Larry’s recent plane ride over Lake Monticello. 

But first, here is this week’s One Monticello Life edition, written by Larry’s longtime, family friend, Trish Harvey.

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Sgt. Larry Smith, a detective with the Monticello Police Department, has recently been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.  Larry had recently told another employee of the police department that one thing he’d really love to do, would be to fly over Lake Monticello, and of course, go fishing.

Several of his friends knew of someone who had a plane that he used for business trips.

By now, you can see where this story is leading. 

Wednesday morning, Larry’s wish came true, when Ward Rabb took him for an aerial view of Lake Monticello and the surrounding area.

The photos above show Larry in the plane, waiting for take-off, taking off, and landing.  Larry’s expression shows how much he enjoyed the ride.  When asked how everything looked, Larry simply said, “Small.”

Shown here are Drew County deputy, Larry Smith, Jr., Monticello Police Dept. members, Jerald Clark, Larry Smith, Eddy Deaton, and Trish Harvey.  Also shown are Ward Rabb, and Chief Robert Rosegrant.  Not shown are Game & Fish officer John Paul Greer, MPD’s Ginger Norris, and Shelly Rabb.

Special thanks to Ward and Shelly Rabb for making this possible.

Oh, yeah, I forgot something.

Larry is shown here crappie-fishing in Gail Hyatt’s pond, later on in the day.

Although these fish were caught in Alaska, last year, I put them in because Larry said if he didn’t catch many, to find a good picture. 

Well, that’s Larry for you.

Richard Goddard, Drew Memorial Hospital’s administrator, resigned Monday during a special called hospital board meeting, which was announced as being held for “personel issues”.

Goddard would have held that position for 6 years this June.

His resignation was effective as of 4 p.m., Monday.

The hospital board will appoint an interim administrator during today’s regular monthly meeting, which begins around 11:30 with reports.

Monday’s meeting began in a public forum, and then went into executive session, which is normal procedure for most personel matters.

When the board returned out of executive session, a motion was made to accept Mr. Goddard”s resignation. The motion passed unamously.

Someone present described the meeting as “very professional and courteous”.

MonticelloLive will post a report of today’s meeting. As soon as possible, with any recent developments..

Shannon Clark, Drew Memorial’s Cheif Financial Officer told MonticelloLive, “Mr. Goddard was very much loved and respected.  We will very much miss him.”

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PVT Jackie Lee Sharp, of Monticello, received the “Purple Heart” medal for service to his country, on March 18, by a Two Star General.

Jackie is the son of Debbie Sharp and the late Donald Sharp.

He is serving in Afghanistan with company BCO 70th EN BN 1st Battalion Bagram Airfield, and received injuries when his tank was destroyed.  He is currently hospitalized in Germany.

Donna White is a special person.  April 1st will be Donna’s 4 year anniversary working at the Drew County Development Disabilities Adult Center. 

She began there working in The Other Way, their thrift store, and has since been serving as an instructor there, working with the organization’s clients, “not only in a classroom setting, but also with life-skills such as cooking, general housekeeping, basic money management, and picking out daily clothes,” Donna explained.  She continued, “We also spend time teaching them “people skills”, such as shaking hands, and not hugging people when you meet them in public.”

Donna explained, “Our students are normal people, just like everyone else, it’s just that some things take more time.  They desire love and attention, just like we do.  It really makes me appreciate what I do, when I see someone’s face light up, when they’ve achieved a goal, or accomplished a task that they’ve been working on.”

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Monday, Drew Central Schools dedicated a new flag in honor of the 39 National Guard Unit, and Staff Sgt. Warren Haynie, shown here with Drew Central staff, and his 5th grade daughter, Brooke.

Click here to read the article.

Aside from Monticello’s 2 Time & Temperature telephone numbers, the Monticello Police Department’s number probably got answered Friday and Saturday more than any other number in Monticello.

First, let me say that I’ve spent 3 years working in the field of law enforcement dispatching, and although MPD answers call for the Police Dept, Sheriff’s Office, all area fire depts., both ambulance services, the rescue unit, and at times for the Arkansas State Police, just remember, they ARE NOT responsible for Cablevision, or for Entergy.

Now with that out of the way, let me tell you more about Gail Hyatt, this week’s One Monticello Life.

Mrs. Gail was born and raised in the Monticello area, and graduated from Monticello High School.  She then added a year of college, also here in Monticello.

She had worked at Arvin for 7 years, until the plant closed down, and was then hired as Monticello’s first female dispatcher, by Chief Otis Allen, back when dispatchers also worked as jailers.  That was 24 years ago.

She is now Lieutenant over the communications unit of the police dept.

In November, she will celebrate her 20th anniversary being married to former Drew County Sheriff David Taylor Hyatt.  They got married the year that he retired from being Sheriff.

Gail’s hobbies include shopping, cooking, and listening to audio-books.

They have 2 dogs, one is half lab and half Great Dane; the other is half Pyrenees.

Gail’s favorites include:

Restaurant-Q & Y, Ameca, and Young’s Country Cooking

TV shows-C.S.I. (all of them) and Grey’s Anatomy

Phrase-”no comment” was her reply

Movie-An Affair to Remember, starring Cary Grant

Actor-John Wayne

Music-country

Song or Hymn-Amazing Grace and How Great Thou Art

Author-James Patterson

Lois Sanders, a dispatcher for MPD for 20 years, considers Gail to be, “a great co-worker, and a very good friend.”

Mrs. Gail told MonticelloLive that the best thing about her job is “Being able to help people.”  Over the past 24 years there’s no telling how many thousands of Monticello residents have gotten help, soon after Mrs. Gail answered the phone, “Police department”.

Unofficial counts estimate that MPD dispatch answered around 400 calls each day, Friday and Saturday.   Now that’s “serving the public.”

With the bad weather in Monticello over the weekend, and for the many times that they’re there, when very little is happening, except for that one person with a crisis, our thanks go out to all of the dispatchers of the Monticello Police Dept., including Mrs. Gail.

Mrs. Gail, thanks for sharing your One Monticello Life.

For other editions of One Monticello Life, click on the tab at the top of the page.

It’s time for daylight savings time change again.

Tonight’s the night to set your clocks FORWARD one hour.

“20 for the Futrue” listens to Congressman Mike Ross, as he explains how he will support issues in Monticello & Drew County.

Monticello delegatin with Congressman Mike Ross ouside of his office.

Senator Blance Lincoln, Benny Ryburn, Dave Dickson, Sheilla Lampkin, and Judy Lassiter discussing Drew County’s needs in Senator Lincoln’s office.

Senator Blanche Lincoln with “20 for the Future”.

Photos courtesy of Curtis Larsen, of Union Bank.

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Monticello’s “20 for the Future” group left Tuesday, on their annual trip to Washington D.C., and returned late Thursday night.

While in Washington, they met with Congressman Mike Ross, Senator Blanche Lincoln, and staff members for our area’s other representatives.

They were also able to watch U.S. Senator Mark Pryor making a presentatin from the Senate floor.

MonticelloLive spoke to a couple from the group.  One member said, “with an effort like this, it will be next year before you know how much was accomplished”.  Another who was present commented, “Everyone we visited with seemed to be concerned.  They were also helpful with suggestions on other, possibly better, ways to achieve our goals.” 

Last year the group flew in to Nation’s Capitol during a snowstorm, and this year they arrived in Little Rock on the return trip with reports of snow as well.

Monticello’s Fire Dept.’s new ladder truck came in today.

The 105 foot reach ladder truck was the result of an application that was made to a grant program, involving the Arkansas Forestry Commission.

The unit had been involved in the Navy’s station at Corpus Christi, TX, where our firefighters went to pick the truck up, and drove it to Monticello, arriving around 4 p.m. this afternoon.

Notice the size of the vehicle compared to the men standing next to it.

Joe Burgess has announced his intentions to run for election to the position of Constable of Marion Township, which includes Monticello and the surrounding area, inside of Drew County.

Burgess is a life-long resident of South Arkansas, and a 17 year resident of Monticello.

Burgess is owner of, and reporter for MonticelloLive.com, and has spent 12 years in the fields of law enforcement, security, and service to the 10th, 11th, & 13th Judicial District Courts.

Joe has spent 20 years working in local industries, and achieved Shift Supervisor, before entering into full-time employment with the Courts.

Burgess is Worship Leader at Northside Baptist Church, Monticello, and has served in the field of church music for 17 years.

The Drew Central School Board met Monday night to hire the new superintendent who will begin with the district for the 2008-09 school year.

Wayne Fawcett is currently serving as the Director of Facilities Management for Great Rivers Co-op, which includes 10 school districts, in the Helena area.

Mr. Fawcett has held this position for a year, and has a total of 24 years in the field of education.

One year ago this week, Cliff Ferrell of Star City, purchased “Signs Plus Shirts” from the Davis’, and became a Monticello business owner.

Last October, he also took over operations of  ”Athletic Awards & Apparel”, and merged the two businesses into one, and moved from the “produce shed” on HWY 278 East, to the south side of the Monticello Square.

Tomorrow morning, the combined business will be know as “LA Graphics”.  (“LA” stands for Lower Arkansas.)

Cliff has been in the sign business for 18 years, mainly in the Star City area, and has spent 12 years in the field of law enforcement, including serving as a Lincoln County deputy.

Cliff told me he chose Monticello because he saw Monticello as an “excellent opportunity for business”.  He had considered Warren, Dumas, and other nearby towns, but was impressed by the possibilities in Monticello.

Cliff was born and raised in Warren, and graduated from Warren High School.  Cliff’s dad spent 38 years as a maintenance supervisor for the Arkansas National Guard.

Cliff has been married to Mrs. Sandra for 30 years.  She will be the new Clinic Coordinator for the new clinic affiliated with Delta Memorial Hospital in Dumas, working with Dr. David Chambers.  She has been the Nursing Administrator for Correctional Medical Services, based out of the Jefferson County Correctional Facility.

Cliff’s business partner, Dixie, a 6 year old, extremely gentle black lab, is uaually around the store with him, unless she’s helping him on a service call.

The Ferrells are members of Yorktown First Baptist Chur ch.

Cliff’s favorites include…..

TV-National Geographic Channel

Movie-old westerns

Restaurant-several Monticello favorites

Actor-John Wayne

Radio station-K-Love, Christian Contemporary

Singers-The Lisemby’s from New Edinburg

In closing, I asked Cliff for any closing thoughts, “See LA Graphics for your political signs”, he replied with a smile.

Cliff Ferrell, along with Signs Plus Shirts and Athletic Awards & Apparel have been a fixture on Monticello store-fronts and doors for a year, as of this week, and look forward to serving you as LA Graphics in the upcoming years.

Thanks Cliff Ferrell for sharing your One Monticello Life.

To read other editions of One Monticello Life, click on the link at the top of the page.

In Monticello’s Mason Hill area, in Martha Circle, there is a “WPA” marker being used as a “mailbox post”. 

This story tellssome of the history of that marker.  Mrs. Sheilla Lampkin provided the research for this story. 

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