Monticello Live

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The Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department held a Public Hearing Tuesday evening at the Sadie Johnson Community Center, to allow public input, as well as answer some questions about the proposed plans for a bypass of Monticello for the future I-69.

Approximately 90 area residents attended the informational meeting, to ask questions about their land, houses, and community.  I was able to go through the process of question and answers with a couple who are losing their home of 12 years to the new roadway, as they visited with one of the approximately 9 AHTD representatives who were present for the forum, representing different departments of the AHTD.

The official name of the “Monticello Bypass” is known as “job 020471″, and will begin near the “dead man’s curve” area of HWY 278 East, and continue to it’s end, on HWY 425 South, near the Drew Central Bus Shop.

AHTD brought to the meeting 3 16 foot long maps, showing in great detail the exact area, down to storage sheds, that will be directly affected by the construction.

Interchanges will be built at the 278 East and HWY 425 connection points, as well as it’s crossing with HWY 35 South/HWY 35 East.

3 overpasses will be built where the new roadway comes into the Old Deane Road, Old Troy Road, and Midway Route areas of construction.

The 8.6 mile project will also be raised over the crossing of the Arkansas Midland Railroad.

The project could begin as early as acquiring properties with the next year, and beginning the bid process for construction in the Fall of 2010.  The project will begin as a 2 lane highway, and will be expanded into a 4 lane divided roadway in the future. (more…)

Attorney Cliff Gibson draws a rough diagram of the location of the medical office building during his presentation. According to Gibson, the medical office building will be located on Old Warren Road between Scogin and Ross Drive.  (more…)

All 7 members of the board of directors of Drew Memorial Hospital unanimously approved a resolution encouraging the quorum court and county judge to support the sale and use of approximately 5 acres of land (located in the pine covered area north of the hospital) to be used as a medical office building.

Dr. Sydney Collins and Dr. Jeff Reinhart were present at last week’s board meeting, representing local dentist Tim Chase, who will also be a part of the venture.  Dr. Michael Fakouri will also work out of the facility. (more…)

The Drew County Quorum Court heard a report on the Federal Highway Administration’s new regulations on traffic signs visibility, uniformity, placement and maintenance during its regular session June 15. Drew County must begin the three-step process by 2010.

According to Emergency Management Coordinator Bill Horn, the first step requires all jurisdictions to establish and implement a sign management method by January 2010. The goal of sign management is to maintain minimum levels of sign retro-reflectivity. (more…)

The Drew County Quorum Court met for its regular session June 15. The court received updates on the emergency sirens and alert system and received updates on Jerome’s water problem and the Department of Arkansas Heritage grant, among other business. (more…)

4 courthouse employees are shown leaving work Tuesday afternoon, across the newly paved parking lot at the Drew County Courthouse.

Tuesday’s business was conducted as usual, with a little extra walking to get inside the building.

The paving was done in one day, and the parking lot is expected to re-open Wednesday morning

The Drew County Quorum Court heard a presentation on the Arkansas Crime Information Center of Little Rock’s county-wide alert system during its regular session March 16. The court approved the initiation of the AlertXpress system; though other steps to implement the system will be taken in the future.

Stacy Nolan, coordinator of Victim Information and Notification Everyday and JusticeXchange of the ACIC, provided the presentation on AlertXpress along with Officer of Emergency Management Coordinator Bill Horn. The AlertXpress system is a high-speed notification system powered by the Appriss Communication Platform based in Louisville, Ky.

As the state pays for the operation of the alert system, the county will receive the service for free. This free alert system can provide instant alerts via telephone, fax and e-mail on a number of issues from basic business to emergency situations, including: jury duty reminders, delinquent fines and restitution notifications, prison or jail escape alerts, sex offender notifications, weather advisories, and other safety alerts. (more…)

It was announced at Wednesday’s intermodal authority meeting that there is a possiblilty that there may be grants available for a total of $2.3 million. (more…)

The signs posted at the new library parking lot show that I’m not the only one who needs to use spell-check more often.

They have been taken down and will be corrected by the company in central Arkansas who sold them to the county.

Drew County Elected Officials were sworn into office New Year’s Day at the Drew County Courthouse.

County Judge Damon Lampkin and Circuit Judge Bynum Gibson administered the oaths of office to each other, as the traditional ceremony began.

Circuit Clerk Pat Savage was sworn into her continuing position.

County Clerk Lyna Gulledge repeated her oath of office,

followed by tax assessor Beth Davis,

Sheriff Mark Gober, and

County Treasurer Shirley Hancock.

Drew County Quorum Court members were sworn in as a group,

as were Constables Scott Chapman and Joe Burgess,

the Monticello City Council,

Wilmar City Council, and

 

 

Winchester’s Aldermen.

Charlie Dearman repeated the oath of office for his position as County Coroner.

As the ceremony came to a close, Drew County Sheriff Department Deputies were also sworn in.

Grant to Assess Feasibility of Ethanol Production

U.S. Senators Blanche Lincoln and Mark Pryor along with Representative Mike Ross announced Monday that Delta Sweet Sorghum Ethanol Producers, LLC, of Lake Village will receive a $97,500 Rural Development grant from the United States Department of Agriculture. The funds will be used to asses the feasibility of cellulosic ethanol production from sweet sorghum in Arkansas. (more…)

 

Drew County Maintenence Crews are shown here removing a tree from Midway Route, around 5 p.m., Tuesday afternoon. 

According to reports, the entire western half of Monticello went dark at 9:15 p.m., but power came back on within minutes.

Drew County Judge, Damon Lampkin, earlier today, said that the heavy rains and strong winds that have brought down several trees across the county , throughout the day, and asked for residents to have patience as the county workers are busy clearing other areas. (more…)

Thanksgiving morning, MonticelloLive will be running a Special Article, about Selma’s Historic Rosenwald School.

This award winning report was written by Mrs. Sheilla Lampkin a few years ago, but is extremely interesting, especially to History buffs, here in Drew County.

Check back Thanksgiving Day, to learn more about the rich history of Drew County.

I’ve known Calvin Murphy for several years, and the more I’m around him, the more I learn.

Calvin, and his wife Mrs. Carolyn, operate O&M Oil Co., on East Gaines street.

Mr. Calvin has always lived in Drew County, and was born in the “Sipio” community, south of Ladelle and Lacey.  At the time, the Ashley, Drew, & Northern Railroad had a stop in that area.  Calvin grew up and graduated from Monticello High School.

Calvin started out as a meat cutter at “Clay’s Grocery Store”, which was located on North Main St., across from where Union Bank is now.

Calvin served in the U.S. Army, and was stationed at Ft. Chaffee, AR, Ft. Sill, OK, and was sent to Germany, shortly after the Korean War.  After he was released from the Army, he joined the National Guard, and served there until he’d completed 39 years of service to his country.

Next month, Calvin & Carolyn Murphy will have been married to each other for 50 years.

They have 2 grown children.  Their son, Les lives in Star City, and runs O&M’s bulk plant there.  Les is married to Jacque, who teaches 1st grade.  Calvin’s daughter, Kim, lives in Springdale, and teaches 1st grade there.  Kim is married to Rob Tanksley, who works at the Tyson corporate office.

Calvin got into the oil business back in the 1950′s, when he went to work for his father-in-law, Mr. Hellums Owen.  Back then, the station was at the corner of S. Main, and Shelton streets, and the bulk plant was located right where O&M is now.  This was when all “service stations” were “full service” stations.

Mr. Calvin told me, “I believe a man should work 5 days.”  He added, “Saturday is mine, and Sunday belongs to the Lord.”

On Saturday’s, if the Razorbacks play a home game, Calvin is usually somewhere close.  If the Hogs are playing an away game, he’s probably at Monticello Speedway.

On Sunday, he’ll be at Northside Baptist Church.  Calvin is the senior deacon at Northside and sings in the choir. “Quietly,” he adds.  Northside has been the only church he’s been a member of.

Over the years he has served as Sunday School teacher and director, ”Training Union” teacher and director,  youth and building committees, and anywhere else that there was a need.

Calvin is also a member of Gideons, Int., which provides Bibles to schools, hospitals, and to our soldiers.

Mr. Calvin’s other passion, besides Mrs. Carolyn, is cars.  He has two “older” cars he’s working on restoring now. “Very slowly”, he comments.  One is a 1948 Lincoln Continental Mark I, and the other is a 1939 Cadillac LaSalle.

As you can tell by the photograph, Calvin Murphy loves his cars, and Mrs. Carolyn doesn’t like being in pictures.

Thanks, Calvin Murphy, for sharing your One Monticello Life.