Monticello Live

Monticello High School Senior, Brooks Aaron Ashcraft has been awarded a scholarship from the National Guard Association of Arkansas and the Enlisted Association of the Arkansas National Guard in the amount of $500. 

Brooks will attending the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, in the fall and will pursue a degree in landscape architecture. 

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Carlton Davis of Warren and Jeff Owyoung of McGehee have been appointed to the University of Arkansas at Monticello Board of Visitors by Governor Mike Beebe. Reginald Glover of Monticello and Tommy Poole of Eudora were reappointed to the board.
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MonticelloLive will be publishing obituaries and service times on this page in the near future.

Funeral schedules are currently available by calling 367-7777, ext. 5, or by listening to KHBM 93.7 news, at 6, 7, & 9 a.m. 

# 116 Dustin Harris of Monticello finished 1st place in the Hobby Stock class this Saturday at Monticello Speedway.  Dustin is currently first in points with 305 points.

# 00 Doug Davis of Monticello took first place for the second week in a row in the Crusier class at Monticello Speedway.  Doug is also the leading in points with 313 points.

Cruiser – Feature
1..00..DOUG DAVIS..MONTICELLO, AR
2..5..DONNIE SUMMERFORD..HERMITAGE, AR
3..549..MIKE ZIEMAN..monticello, ar
4..26..BRIAN PHARR..MONTICELLO, AR
5..29..BILL JONES..MONTCELLO, AR

Cruiser – Heat  1
1..33..JEFF JESTER..WARREN, ar

Cruiser – Heat  2
1..00..DOUG DAVIS..MONTICELLO, AR

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Dateline news will be featuring a story on the murder of Nona Dirksmeyer, the beauty queen from Russellville, AR, who was murdered in her apartment on December 15, 2005.

Kenny Johnson, of Monticello, practiced in this area for many years was the lead attorney for Kevin Jones, of Dover, AR, who was charged with Ms. Dirksmeyer’s murder.

The trial took place July 9-20, 2007 and Kevin Jones was acquitted of the murder charge.

This case was known state wide and Dateline will be featuring the story on Friday night, May 2nd on KARK, Channel Four out of Little Rock, Arkansas.

SEARK Reading Council named it’s 2008 – 2009 Committee Chairs at the Literacy Banquet held April 21.

Committee Chairs pictured from L to R: Anna Jones, Drew Central – Publicity; Bonnie Cruce, Drew Central – Community Projects;
Claudia Horton, McGehee – Newspapers in Education; Jerrielynn Mapp, Drew Central – Parents in Reading, Eva Arrington, Drew Central – Literacy, and Joy Graham, Drew Central- Legislative.  Not pictured  is Lou Arnold, Drew Central- International Projects

Drew Memorial Hospital’s Diabetes Care Program cordially invites you to attend a special Open House in our education room at the hospital.  Free Blood Glucose Screenings and Blood Pressure Checks will be provided. 
 
April 29, 2008
Come and go between 10 and 3 p.m.
 
Schedule of Events:
10:00 – Diabetes Conversation Maps-Carole Neeley RN & Sherry        Carson RN 
11:00 – Quick & Healthy Food Ideas- Jane Pelkki RD
12:30 – Diabetic Foot Care – Dr. Robinette, D.P.M.  
1:00 – Diabetic Care Tips – Robert L. Salmon, R. Ph., CDM
1:30 – Diabetes Medication Update – Dr. Lisa Holaday M.D.
2:00 – Insulin Pump Demonstration- Greg Veasey, DM Consultant 

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The driver of this pick-up was traveling north on HWY 83 approximately 7 miles north of Monticello, around 9 p.m. Sunday night, when it struck a cow in the highway.

The driver was not injured.  The man in the photo is shown hooking up a tow-chain.  The cow was died at the scene.

Joe Williams, Jr. was born and raised in Monticello, and graduated from Monticello High School in 1982.  He attended and graduated from UAM with a B.A. in computer science.

Joe has spent the last 4 years employed as receiving manager for School Apperal’s Star City facility, but is best know from the more than 20 years he spent at Burlington Industries, here in Monticello.

He started working at Burlington in 1982, but was told by the personnel manager that if he was going to quit school, that he wasn’t going to get hired, but that he should get promoted after he graduated.  Joe took the challenge, completed his education, and began his way up the Burlington ladder of supervision.

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SEARK Reading Council  named 2008 – 2009 officers at the Literacy Banquet held  April 21.

Officers pictured ( 1st row – L to R):  La Donna Marsh, Warren- Corresponding Secretary; Sylvia Ngar, Drew Central –Ex-Offico; Rene Teater, Monticello – Treasurer; (2nd row) Tammy Grice, Warren – President; Karen Norton, Warren- Vice President; Anita Skinner, Monticello- Membership; and Julie Workman, Monticello – Recording Secretary.   Not pictured: Jan Smalling, Warren – Historian.

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In preparation for an upcoming 4-H project, several dozen newly hatched chicks were delivered to the County Extension Office in the Drew County Courthouse earlier this week.

The chicks were picked up later that afternoon.

Bart Millstead was introduced to members of the public that attended Friday’s Drew Memorial Hospital Board Meeting, as the hospital’s interim Chief Executive Officer.

Millstead comes to Monticello from Kimberling City, Missouri.

Millstead has worked in the medical field for 30 years, is a R.N., and has service as CEO at two hospitals, among his list of accomplishments.

In other business, Shane Paschall was named as the hospital’s lab director.  Shane has worked at Drew Memorial for 12 years, and has worked closely with the previous director, who has taken another position.   

This photo shows Jessaca Shepherd with her mom Yukiko, in a Mother-Daughter dance.  Several moms and daughters took the oppurtunity to perform together at Kim’s Dance Recital.

Below, Jessaca displays her routine.

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A fallen tree on South Main, near the library shut down traffic for a while.

I don’t have a clue where this chicken came from.  It was on South Borchardt Street, near Old Warren Road.

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At midnight, thunderstorms are still pounding Drew County.

Reports indicate several trees are down, with power lines having fallen is some areas.

South Main at the library is closed because of a fallen tree.

Live power lines are down on W. Wood, near North Hyatt.

Old Warren Road, behind the hospital, is blocked because of broken poles and live wires.

HWY 425 South at UAM is dark.

A large tree is down near the corner Pauline and S. Gabbert.

Other areas of damage include HWY 278 East near Larkin St., which is detoured, areas of South Gabbert, South Cherry, South Conley, and also in the Dermott Rd./Dermott HWY. vicinity.

Power crews have been notified, and local law enforcement on working the areas in need.

According to Lt. Jason Akers, Supervisory Agent with the Tenth Drug Task Force, a Monticello man was arrested by Task Force Agents and Monticello Police last Friday on felony drug charges.

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Monticello High School’s Prom theme this year was “Island Illusion”.  More photos of the decorations are attached on the “read more” link.

This years King and Queen of the Prom are Bo Kelley and Ashley Tiner.

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The Miss Southeast Arkansas Pageants have been re-scheduled to take place during the Rough & Ready Days festival.Young ladies from all over southeast Arkansas will eligible to take part in these pageants, which are qualifying events for the Miss Arkansas and Miss America pageants.

For more information, or to receive applications, call the Chamber of Commerce at 367-6741.

In  a special called meeting, called due to a short time frame for submission dates,  the Monticello City Council approved two grant resolutions supporting applications from the MEDC.

 The first was in hopes of obtaining assistance for the purchase of a new fire rescue truck, from state general improvement funds, and the other was an effort to received federal funds to be used for the purchase of a new “bin” truck for the sanitation dept.

Both of these vehicles were included in the 2008 budget, so these grant resolutions are basically an effort to reduce the city’s expense for their purchases.

When the morning sun rose across the Delta today there was one less face to welcome it.   John Anderson Gibson had gone home.  Best known as “Jack”, Mr. Gibson was another fine example of the generation Tom Brokaw labeled as the “greatest generation”. 
     Mr. Jack was born in 1920 and spent part of his youth in Monticello, Arkansas”.  His father, John June Gibson, operated a meat market behind present-day Union Bank where their parking lot sits today.
     When WWII began, Mr. Jack was a student at Mississippi State University and had recently completed a civilian pilot training course to obtain a private pilot license.  Outraged by the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, Jack and his friends joined the Naval Air Service. 
     Mr. Gibson proved himself an ace pilot in many aerial battles in the Pacific during WWII.  However, his most noted feat was the “downing” of the last Japanese planes on the last day of the war.  He proudly has his naval citation recognizing this historic action. 
     After the war Mr. Jack returned home to rejoin his family and pursue farming in the area near his beloved Boydell, Arkansas.
     Still filled with a strong desire to serve his country, Mr. Gibson pursued the office of state senator and served in that position from 1980 to 1991.  Jack then returned to his farm near Boydell to spend his golden years. 
     Jack Gibson passed away on April 24, 2008.  Funeral services will be held on Sunday, April 27, 2008, in Dermott.  Another old soldier has gone home.

This map showing the probably effected area if there were to be a break in the dam at the end of Lake Monticello, was a part of the focus of the meeting held to revise the Emergency Action Plan for use in the event of such an emergency.

Most city and county officials were present for the meeting, where Steven Faulkner, Monticello’s Fire Chief, was appointed Emergency Action Plan Coordinator.

Kevin Ferrell # 26 of Monticello finished first in the Limited Modified class Saturday and earned 210 points at our first points race.

Doug Davis # 00 of Monticello finished first in the Cruiser class Saturday and earned 208 points at our first points race.  Doug was our 2nd place points champion in the 2007 race season.

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Student Nurses Association at the University of Arkansas at Monticello claimed two national awards during the National Student Nurses Association’s annual convention held recently in Grapevine, Texas.
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Phi Lambda Chi will be hosting a community wide Softball tournament on Saturday, April 26, at 9:30am at Drew Central Softball Field. 

Entry fee is $50 per team with a portion of the proceeds going to St. Jude’s Cancer research. 

No admission will be charged. 

To enter a team, make a donation, or for more information please call 870-224-5949. 

We appreciate your support.

DUE TO THE WEATHER ON TUESDAY, APRIL 22, ALL SOFTBALL REGISTRATION FORMS NEED TO BE DROPPED OFF AT FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH, 413 NORTH MAIN, OR FARM BUREAU INSURANCE, 656 BARKADA ROAD.

ALL REGISTRATION FORMS MUST BE TURNED IN BY THE DEADLINE OF FRIDAY, APRIL 25 !!!!!!
 
FOR ANY INFORMATION CALL 723-7822.

The Drew Count Quorum Court met in it’s regular monthly session Monday night.

Items of business on the agenda included:

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Bailey Adair (above) and Ashlynn Oltmann (below) were featured during Kim’s Dance Factory’s recital Saturday.

All of the Kim’s Dance Recital photos were taken by a Noble photo.

Kim’s Dance Factory held their recital Saturday.

MonticelloLive will be spotlighting photos taken during the program over the couple of days, like this one of Rachel Brown’s performance.

All of the Kim’s Dance Recital photos were taken by a Noble photo.