Monticello Live

Donald Hackett of Entergy presents a check for $1000 to Mayor Merle Jackson of Winchester to help purchase a truckload of food from the Food Bank of Arkansas for Winchester’s Helping Hands food pantry. Each truckload costs $7200.

Those in attendance were (L to R): Committee members David Haynes, Glen Jackson, Dorothy Haynes, Dora Lee And Drew County Judge Damon Lampkin, Mayor Merle Jackson and Entergy spokesperson Donald Hackett

Glenda Nichols delivered the Chamber Report and reported that the start of a Downtown Historic District was well received by residents. A specialist will be coming to study and document the background of each property. These documents will then be sent to Washington to become officially certified as historic.

Several new businesses have opened in Monticello including “So Goodies,” “Sam’s Fishing Hole,” and a new restaurant will soon open on the square to serve breakfast and lunch.

“Aaron’s” reported that their grand opening was the best they had ever had. Mrs. Nicholas said, “That’s what we want… we want these businesses to succeed.”

MEDC Report to City Council from MonticelloLive on Vimeo.

Truman Hamilton gave an update on the Ridgeway Project, stating that it was “well underway,” and that he is “very impressed with the foreman.”

Mr. Hamilton reported that there was a serious lack of growers during this years farmer’s market. He then addressed concerns with a program called Good Agricultural Practices – Good Handling Practices (GAP) that is put into place to regulate how farmers’ crops are grown. Truman said that North Little Rock is expecting to lose 60%-80% of their growers when they all have to participate in GAP.

Aaron’s Lease to Own is celebrating their new Monticello location this week, by hosting a “morning coffee” for chamber of commerce members Thursday, their “ribbon cutting ceremony” Friday, and a huge grand opening today, featuring Lucky Dog, shown below with Sheilla Lampkin.

Saturday’s activities include inflatable for the kids to enjoy, a live remote broadcast with Larry Doggett and KHBM, and drawing for great prizes.

A guest at Hampton Inn received special parking privileges, Wednesday night, as the visitor’s helicopter was parked overnight in front of the motel.

After 25 years in the same location, Bones Auto Parts will be moving to their new location, on HWY 278 West, just past the HWY 425 intersection, in late September.

The business has been operating on East Gaines St. since 1985, after taking over the old “Motor Supply” business, owned by Bruce Walker.

Bones will continues to carry the lines of auto and truck parts, that we’ve all grown used to working with, and will continue their affiliation with Bumper to Bumper.

Their old location will be a part of the Ridgeway Housing Development for elderly citizens.

MonticelloLive on Vimeo.

The Monticello City Council in a special called meeting Tuesday evening, agreed to appropriate $40,000.00 to MEDC to help defray the costs of moving and installing manufacturing equipment at Hood Packaging, in a program similar to what the council took part in several months ago. (more…)

One of the storefront glass panels of Jackson’s Builder Suppliy shattered last Sunday evening, around 7 pm.

When the photo was taken, a foreign object hadn’t been found, and the possible cause may have been heat.

Warrior of Arkansas, Monticello’s John Deere logging and equipment dealer, is now operating out of their new building.

The new 20,000 square foot facility provides more stock space and service area, compared to their former home, located next door.

The Monticello unit of Warrior has sister operations in Texarkana and Springdale, as well as 4 other Arkansas locations.

Jerry Akin is the branch manager of the local division, which has 14 employees.  The new move will add at least one other employee to the business.

117 Westgate Drive is the home of Monticello’s new video and game sale and rental business, the Movie Club.

Movie Club is owned and operated by Wayne and Lisa Smith, owners of Monticello’s Health Club and Club Hair. 

Movie Club opened this week, and provides sales and rental of movies, games, DVDs, Blu-Ray, PlayStation, Wii, and Xbox 360 games.

Movie Club is open every day of the week from noon til 9 pm.

Around 9 o’clock Thursday morning, a log truck was attempting to maneuver around a trac-hoe on North Cominto Road, when it slowly struck the machine, and overturned.

Drew County Sheriff’s deputies worked the scene, while a wrecker, along with the trac-hoe, returned the log truck to it’s upright position.

No major injuries were reported.

$3.3 million has been announced as being available to assist migratory birds heading towards the Gulf of Mexico.

Drew County farmers and landowners, shown in the map here, may apply to be a part of the program. (more…)

Jeff Owyoung of Milner/Owyoung Insurance Group was elected President of the Independent Insurance Agents of Arkansas at their 109th annual convention held June 7-9, 2010, in Pensacola, Fl. Owyoung has previously served on the IIAA Executive Committee and Board of Directors. He has been in the insurance industry for 24 years with offices in McGehee, Monticello, Conway and Hot Springs.

The Independent Insurance Agents of Arkansas, the state’s largest and oldest property and casualty insurance association, represents more than 300 member agencies and is affiliated with the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of America, the nation’s largest association of primarily property and casualty insurance producers.

Edward Jones Financial Advisor Rena Day of Monticello recently received the Winner’s Circle Award for her outstanding service efforts over the past year.

James D. Weddle, Edward Jones’ managing partner, added, “Rena is an outstanding member of the Edward Jones team who personifies the ideal financial advisor, someone who is 100% dedicated to serving the financial needs of her clients. I am very pleased to present this well-deserved award.”

Day was one of only 619 of the firm’s more than 12,000 financial advisors to receive the Winner’s Circle award. (more…)

DAD’S Pet Care to Increase Workforce by 75 Percent

Just four months after purchasing ARKAT Animal Nutrition LLC, DAD’S Pet Care Friday announced it is creating 44 new jobs at its Dumas, Arkansas pet food manufacturing facility.  (more…)

Drew County wheat farmers recently began harvesting wheat, as shown by this John Deere combine, working near Tillar, earlier this week.

Gary testing out his new SeaArk Bayfisher at Lake Monticello.

Ten weeks ago CMT began airing a new reality TV show called Gator 911 staring Gary Saurage, conservationist and owner of the Texas-based adventure park, Gator Country. The show chronicles the adventures of Gary as he and his team work in dangerous waters to rescue gators from unusual places and deliver them to their new refuge.

After the first few episodes, Gary was contacted via Facebook by SeaArk Boat’s marketing coordinator, Wendy Tassin, to discuss a possible sponsorship. Turns out, he was already a SeaArk fan. After a few weeks, the SeaArk team began building a custom boat for Gary outfitted with a huge Gator Country decal to match the one on his truck. Gary, along with his partner Jana Parr and a caiman from South America named Spek, were in Monticello Friday in order to pick up the boat and meet and greet the local media, SeaArk employees and their families. The pair were on their way back from Nashville where they attended the CMT Music Awards and rubbed elbows with other celebrities such as Kid Rock, Melissa Peterman and Kara DioGuardi.

SeaArk team members Beth Clemons and Margie Pickens aren’t so sure about holding Spek

In addition to the Gator 911 television show and the park, Gary and the Gator Country Crew take the animals on the road for exciting special events and appearances. Gator Country provides homes for 300 American alligators, 4 species of crocodiles, 4 species of turtles, 2 species of caiman, sulkata, tortoise, snakes and a Savanah monitor lizard.

Edward Jones Region 126 in partnership with “Today’s THV This Morning” and Arkansas Foodbank Network is proud to participate in the “2010 Summer Cereal Drive.” We will be collecting at least 9 oz boxes of Dry Cereal,Breakfast Bars, Pop Tarts, Oatmeal and Cream of Wheat by June 25th. If you would like to help, please drop cereal boxes at:

Edward Jones
Rena Day,Financial Advisor
147 North Park Drive
Monticello,AR 71655
(right next to “Ameca” restaurant)

Also remember to tune in each Friday morning on “Today’s THV This Morning” to see how Edward Jones Region 126 ,with your help, is doing. Thank you for all your help and let’s feed the hungry children in Arkansas.

The Drew County Farmers Market at Monticello located at the corner of Shelton and Conley Streets is open Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday from 7:00 a.m. until 12:00 noon.

Covered booth space is available and free of charge.

Garage Sales and Growers from surrounding counties are welcomed!

Mike Akin & Buster Newman, co-owners of the local Holiday Inn Express, opened the hotel 10 years ago.

The International Hotel Group (IHG) chain requires owners to either totally renovate the existing structure or build an entirely new hotel every decade. So the owners decided to expand and refurbish the current site to serve the needs of the Monticello public. The relaunch of the property is aimed for September/October 2010. (more…)

“Across-the-board strength vaults Edward Jones into first place,” according to the magazine. “The St. Louis-based firm ranks first in three survey categories this year: stock picking, brokerage statement and customer satisfaction.”

The magazine lauded Edward Jones for growing the number of financial advisors – up more than 500 since last year – to meet investor needs. (more…)

As I celebrated the grand opening of my new office facility last Friday, I couldn’t help but notice all the people there supporting me and my achievements. For your attendance at the event and the support you have lent to me over the years, I want to give you all a personal thank you. (more…)

As I was working on a story lead, Monday, I began to realize just how many businesses in town are opening, expanding, and moving, and how many construction projects are going on, this week.

As MEDC president Bennie Ryburn III has said several times at meetings, “Monticello’s economy has continued to be strong, and has benefited from a large business/retail and service providers” (including medical, educational, state and local governmental services providers).

Today MonticelloLive will feature several businesses and projects that you may, or may not be aware of, that show that Monticello is the “hub of Southeast Arkansas.”

Check back later in the day, to see more business growth stories, as they are added.

Factory Connection, a retail clothing chain that has been doing business in Monticello for around 14 years, will be moving to a new location.

Factory Connection will be leaving their former spot on the Monticello square, to make the former Movie Gallery building, on HWY 425 North their new location.

The move is planned to take place over the weekend.

The sign announcing the move was placed on the building, yesterday.

Seark Fight Club is Monticello’s and Southeast Arkansas’s first full time training gym for Full Contant Fighters and Mixed Martial Artists.  The facility is fitted with a training cage, mats and training equiptment, and offers basic memberships for fighters to workout and recieve free coaching as well as competition memberships for those wanting to learn how to become MMA fighters like those made popular by the UFC and Ultimate Fighter.

Seark Fight Club will also offer Monticello’s first Competition MMA team, for those wanting to leard to protect themselves. Self Defense classes, as well as individual training, will be available.

Seark Fight Club is located at 604A West Bolling AVE near Rogers Mens Wear. Visit us at www.searkfightclub.com

O’Fallon Veterinary Services, owned by Marty O’Fallon, a veterinarian who has served Drew County for 16 years, will be holding their ribbon cutting ceremony Thursday, for their new facility, located at the intersection of HWY 425 and University Heights.

The new 7200 square foot location will provide a larger, improved clinic, a drive-thru loading-unloading area, a heated and cooled indoor stable area for larger animals, and outdoor stalls for pleasant weather.

More improvements will be added in the future.

Aaron’s, a national lease-to-own franchise, has put up it’s sign, and is remodeling the old Advance Auto Pars store, on HWY 425 North.

Aaron’s generally carries furniture, electronics, computers, and appliances.

The store is expected to open within the next month.

Linda Booker Insurance celebrated the grand opening of their new office facility, last Friday. Special guests were Pastor Alan Womack, former pastor of the First Assembly of God Church in Monticello, Bro. Buddy Lemons, a lifelong Monticello pastor, and several business and community leaders.  The celebration included a blessing of the business by Pastor Alan Womack and Bro. Buddy Lemons and a ribbon cutting ceremony with the Chamber of Commerce.  (more…)

Phoenix Renewable Energy, based out of Hot Springs, received a “cease and desist” letter from the Arkansas Securities Dept., for inducing investors to put up around $1.4 million, to be converted to stock in the German Stock Market. 

A press release from the state also stated that over $330,000 had been paid out to Phoenix’s development director, Stephen Walker, and CEO Sam Anderson.

Phoenix Renewable Energy is the company that held their ceremonial ground breaking in Camden 9 months ago, but has done little else, there.  They were also discussed at an Intermodal Facility meeting last year, as having contacted several other southeast Arkansas communities, about the possibility of expanding in this area, along with their $180 million Camden facility.

Locations toured in hopes of adding a large employer like Phoenix promised to be, included Monticello, Warren, and Rison, among others.

The “cease and desist” order doesn’t close the company, but certainly limits the availability of funds for a potential start-up.

This story has been covered by KTHV channel 11 and Arkansas Democrat, among others, but didn’t include the local references, except for Camden.

Phoenix Renewable is not affiliated with either of the other two bio-mass, bio-fuel entities that are also interested in expansion into the Monticello area.

The Phi Alpha Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. of Bentonville, Arkansas recently announced that Sherrie Gillespie of Monticello has been selected as one of it’s 2010 Women’s Day Award Honorees. Gillespie was nominated for her leadership of Head of the Class Childcare & Learning Center.

The Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Women’s Day Program was chartered in 1998 to honor the great work of women in the community. Honorees are nominated and assessed based on the following criteria:
1.) The nominee must be female and the majority owner of a for-profit business in Arkansas.
2.) The nominee’s actions and business must reflect a passion for entrepreneurship and a committment to excellent customer service.
3.) The business must have been in existence for more than three years.

Head of the Class, owned and operated by Shay and Sherrie Gillespie, is in it’s thirteenth year of existence.

As a 2010 honoree, Sherri Gillespie will be honored at the Annual Women’s Day “Crowning Achievers” luncheon on Saturday, May 22, 2010, at 12:00 pm at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Rogers Arkansas. The 2010 awards will be presented at the luncheon and the keynote speaker will be author/ publisher Janis F. Kearney, former Presidential Diarist to Bill Clinton.

Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. is the oldest sorority founded by black women in the United States. Their motto is “Service to All Mankind,” and have over 900 undergraduate and graduate chapters around the world.

Faye Shepard of Monticello won the Movie Basket which included 8 passes to Hollywood Cinema

In an effort to raise funds for the American Cancer Society during Drew County’s Relay for Life event, Team SeaArk sponsored several raffles.

Scott Phelps of Monticello won the Kid’s Bucket of Fun

One raffle was on a chance to win a 1448MV SeaArk Boat in which the team sold 193 tickets. Other raffles included a movie basket, a kid’s Bucket of Fun kit and a children’s Easter Basket.
Darlene Johnson of Coeur D’Alene, Idaho was the winner of the boat.

Anthony Adams won the Kid’s Easter Basket.

Overall Team SeaArk raised over $1,500 during Relay for Life in support of the American Cancer Society.

Many people noticed this helicopter parked at the Holiday Inn Express in Monticello, Monday, and wondered what was going on.

The helecopter is reportedly being used in a spraying operation in Warren, and the company has employees staying in Monticello.

Dr. Sue Martin (left), assistant professor of education at the University of Arkansas at Monticello, accepts a $500 check from Wal-Mart associate Kim Moore. The Wal-Mart Community Grant will provide students attending UAM with funds to offset the cost of Praxis licensure testing fees. The grant helps financially burdened future teachers and administrators, said Martin.

Booth 7B is a favorite featuring an ever-changing stock and themes. Current items include Bath and Body products, baseball and softball mom shirts and totes, peace sign purses and bags, $1 grab bags plus much more!

The Marketplace, located at 249 Hwy 425 North in Monticello is celebrating their expansion to over 200 booth spaces with a huge two day sale. Friday, April 16th and Saturday, April 17th the Bigger is Better Sale will take place with FREE refreshments, door prizes and sales throughout the store.

What is The Marketplace, you ask? It’s a unique multi-vendor mall filled with treasures. The Marketplace has everything from Bath and Body products to new mattresses; new clothing including the popular Columbia brand to area rugs and new furniture; antiques and collectibles; to home décor and sheet sets. You name it…The Marketplace has it.

Inside Booth 23 is something for every man! Auto Detail Supplies, tools, jacks, knives, scent wafers, odor control foggers and more.

Gene Launius, owner of The Marketplace, started this multi-vendor business last September opening up 77 booths. The booths completely filled up within a few months so work quickly began to open up more of the building for additional spaces.

The operation is simple. You rent your space, tag your items with their price and booth number then display your items to sell. The Marketplace has their own staff to work on behalf of each vendor. They take care of everything from assisting customers to ringing up purchases. Of course, The Marketplace also has its own set of rules and regulations as to what they allow and what they do not allow and it is what each vendor puts in to it.

In Booth 18 you’ll find tons of Mexican pottery, Mexican Pure Vanilla, handbags and home décor.

Some vendors go all out in creating their own unique “shop-like” areas even decorating for each season as they come. What started out as a way for individuals to sell a few things they no longer needed has quickly grown to numerous individual businesses catering to a variety of interests.

The Marketplace offers more than 200 booths providing an ever-changing selection to satisfy everyone’s taste and budget. Hours for The Marketplace are: Monday-Friday 10am-6pm, Saturday 9am-6pm and Sunday 1pm-5pm. There are several booth sizes available to accommodate everyone. For more information, call 870-723-4988.

U.S. Representative Mike Ross toured the SeaArk Marine boat plant in Monticello, Tuesday afternoon, and visited with members of their staff and management.

Included in the tour was the viewing of a rough terrain crane, which will be used to load and unload boats. The crane was purchased with assistance of a Federal Maritime Administration grant.

SeaArk Marine has been in business for over 51 years and supplies vessels to all branches of the U.S. Military, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Coast Guard, Fish & Wildlife Agencies, state agencies, commercial oil companies, municipalities and many other commercial and government entities.

Whether you are looking for help to end unwanted dog behaviors or searching for the perfect place to leave your furry friend when work or pleasure calls you away, look no further than Canine Corrections.

Boarding services with Canine Corrections are much different than you can find anywhere else. No kennels, no cages, and no over-crowding. When leaving your dog with us, you will know that he will have structured daily exercise tailored for his specific needs, ample amounts of free-play time with other social dogs, and tons of attention and affection while you are away. (more…)