Monticello Live

Entergy Arkansas has announced that it will be disconnecting power to the Dumas area for several hours on Saturday. Entergy officials state that they will disconnect power to the Dumas area from 8 a.m. until 10 a.m. on Saturday to install a bypass switch that will allow electricity to flow from other sources in case of another storm or a mechanical failure.

A strong tornado damaged a substation that powers the city of Dumas on February 24, also injuring 37 people. Over 2800 residents in the Dumas area were without power for several days until a mobile sub-station could be made operational.

According to officials with the Chicot County Sheriff’s Office, a Monticello man drowned this morning while fishing on Lake Chicot. According to sources inside the Sheriff’s Department at approximately 8:30 a.m. Charles F. Davis, age 80, of Monticello was fishing in a small boat when winds from an inbound thunderstorm capsized the boat. Witnesses saw Davis enter the water but were unable to assist.

One Monticello resident is dead, and two others are injured after a one-vehicle accident in Drew County yesterday.

According to a report by the Arkansas State Police the accident occurred at 12:48 p.m. on Midway Route in Drew County. The report states that a 1999 Mercury Sable driven by Don Simpson, age 18, of Monticello was traveling north on Midway Route at a high rate of speed. The driver lost control after over-compensating for a curve, and the vehicle left the roadway and overturned multiple times. All three passengers were then ejected from the vehicle.

Also injured in the accident were Steven Piper, age 34 and Austin Piper, age 4, both of Monticello. According to the State Police report Simpson was pronounced dead at the scene by a Drew County coroner. The other passengers were transported to Drew Memorial Hospital and Austin Piper was later transferred to Arkansas Children’s Hospital in Little Rock. The report states that no seatbelts or child restraints were in use by any of the occupants. According to officials at the Arkansas State Police, toxicology tests results are pending.