Monticello Live

Monticello Middle School EAST and Monticello Middle School Yearbook are selling Butter Braids to raise funds for new equipment/projects.

Look at the different delicious flavors and order today. Please help support these amazing programs. You can contact Channe Witt (EAST Facilitator/Yearbook Sponsor) at channe.witt@billies.org or call her at (870) 367-4040 to order your Butter Braids. We are taking orders until October 28th.

The Butter Braids will be delivered before Thanksgiving.

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Beverly Burks has announced her candidacy for re-election to the office of Drew County Circuit Clerk.Burks, 58, is currently serving her fourth term in office.
“I have loved serving as circuit clerk,” Burks said in making her announcement. “I take my responsibilities to the public very seriously, and have worked hard to try and improve the operations of the office and ensure that everything is handled in a professional, transparent fashion.” The circuit clerk’s office is responsible for accepting all filings in felony criminal, civil, domestic relations and juvenile cases, issuing summonses, and recording deeds, mortgages, liens and other property-related instruments and orders. The circuit clerk also calls jury panels, communicates scheduling for jurors, and pays them for their service. Some child support payments are made through the office, and the clerk is responsible for compiling records of pleadings in appeals.
Just this month, Burks was notified that her grant application for a new land records system had been successful. The grant is funded by the Association of Arkansas Counties’ Automated Records System Fund and will be used to update the system by which deeds, mortgages and other instruments are recorded. Once it is in place, all new filings will be accessible online. Burks is also planning to implement a new notification system to help keep jurors better informed of their service dates.
Burks and her staff process dozens of documents in a variety of cases each day and have built solid working relationships with all the judges in the Tenth Judicial District and their assistants, the prosecuting attorney and public defender’s offices, lawyers, banks, title companies and the public to ensure that the important work of the circuit clerk’s office is accomplished.
“It has been a privilege to be entrusted with this job, and I again ask the residents of Drew County for their vote,” Burks said. “I appreciate the trust they have shown in me in the past and pledge to continue to work hard in return.”
Burks, who lives in Wilmar, is a graduate of Monticello High School and Rhodes College in Memphis, Tenn. She helps manage her family cattle operation and is a member of Monticello First United Methodist Church, where she plays in the handbell choir. She also serves as secretary of the Wilmar Cemetery Association, and is a life member of the Junior Auxiliary of Monticello, as well as a former member of the Seark Concert Association board. She is a member of the Monticello Book Group and Monticello Women’s Investment Club, and the daughter of the late James and Shirley Burks.

The Drew Central Middle School Junior Beta Club is excited to announce the launch of its Shoe Drive Fundraiser to raise money for the upcoming Arkansas State Beta Convention.Beginning October 27, the club will be collecting donations of gently worn, used, and new shoes. In return, the club will earn funds based on the total weight of the shoes collected, as Funds2Orgs will issue a check for the donated pairs.Anyone can participate by donating shoes at Drew Central Middle School or Drew Central Elementary School.All donated shoes will be redistributed through the Funds2Orgs network of micro-enterprise partners. Funds2Orgs works with micro-entrepreneurs in developing countries, helping them create and grow small businesses where economic opportunities are limited. Proceeds from shoe sales help families afford necessities such as food, clothing, and housing. One entrepreneur in Haiti even earned enough to send her son to law school.Shoes can be dropped off at Drew Central Middle or Elementary Offices.  

The Desha/Drew County Cattlemen’s Association met on Thursday September, 18 at the UAM Agriculture Building. The association put on a steak supper and hosted a large crowd. President Jason Cater blessed the meal, Ag Heritage cooked the steaks and provided knives, The ladies brought desserts, and River Valley Tractor brought the drinks. Joe Western and Matt Hayward with Joplin Regional Stockyards came to talk with producers. They gave market updates and outlooks for the next couple of years. The guys also gave advice on marketing claves. It was recommended to wean calves for at least 45 days before shipping. Additionally calves should be vaccinated, castrated, and dehorned. It was also explained to producers that doing these things would help the calves to bring more money. Following the talk was a question and answer session. The meeting was then adjourned by President Jason Cater.

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The University of Arkansas at Monticello (UAM) has been recognized in the top three higher education institutions in the category of “Best Small Public College in Arkansas” in the 2026 Niche.com Best Colleges rankings. This distinction highlights the university’s continued institutional progress and strong performance across key academic and student life indicators.

Niche bases its rankings on a comprehensive analysis of data from the U.S. Department of Education, along with reviews from students and alumni. Evaluation criteria include academic quality, affordability, campus experience, faculty resources and student outcomes. UAM’s performance across these metrics places it among the top institutions of its size and type in Arkansas.