Monticello Live

Damages from severe storms and flooding left their mark on 24 Arkansas counties hit during the period Dec. 23, 2009 to Jan. 2, 2010 making them eligible to receive federal funding for repairs. The storms and flooding left damages to bridges, highways, public buildings, parks, hospitals and water treatment plants – not to mention a trail of debris and potentially disrupted communications and emergency services. Read the rest of this entry »

Apply now for the WIA Grant for the Spring 2010 semester. Qualified applicants can receive up to $10,000 for college or qualified training.

Come by the Arkansas Workforce Center located at 477 South Main Street in Monticello to apply.

Deadline to apply is Friday, November 13, 2009.

For more information, call 870-367-9900.

Governor Mike Beebe has ordered U.S. and Arkansas flags to be flown at half-staff until Veteran’s Day, Wednesday, in honor of those killed and wounded at Fort Hood in Texas on Thursday.

“There is still much we don’t know about this terrible tragedy, but Arkansans join our fellow Americans who are grief-stricken by this senseless loss of life,” Beebe said. “Arkansas military personnel have a long history with Fort Hood, and feel an especially deep loss among their family in uniform.”

Senator Jimmy Jeffress of Crossett talks to a television reporter in the rotunda of the state Capitol in Little Rock before a rally kicking off National Teen Driver Safety Week.

Senator Jimmy Jeffress of Crossett was honored Monday by the Arkansans for Graduated Drivers Licensing Coalition in appreciation of his sponsorship of Act 394 of 2009. Read the rest of this entry »

The Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department (AHTD) plans to open all four lanes of the new Highway 65 Bypass at Grady next week, according to AHTD officials.

Traffic will begin using all four lanes on Wednesday, October 21st at approximately 10:00 a.m. Existing two-way traffic on the northbound lanes of the new bypass will be split, with northbound traffic remaining the same and southbound traffic moving to the currently unused southbound lanes.

Additional work by the contractor will be ongoing for a few more weeks. The speed limit will remain at 55 mph while the work is being completed. Once completed, the speed limit will be increased to 65 mph. Motorists are reminded that the remaining work will require intermittent lane closures.

Governor Mike Beebe has  announced that Dr. Robert Kissell, of Monticello, has been reappointed to the Arkansas Geographic Information Systems Board.

Kessell’s new appointment expires August 1, 2013.

Arkansas Secretary of State Charlie Daniels has announced the schedule for the annual summer teacher workshop series entitled “Using the State Capitol to Teach” to be offered statewide to teachers through July 21. Read the rest of this entry »

State Representative Gene Shelby (Hot Springs) and state senator Jimmy Jeffress (Crossett) were recognized recently by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) at the Clinton Presidential Library in Little Rock.

The recognition was for their work on teen driver legislation in Arkansas. In 2008, Arkansas was ranked last in the nation for adequate traffic safety law. Act 394, sponsored by Jeffress and co-sponsored by Shelby, provides guidelines to improve driving safety for minors.

Traffic accidents are the leading cause of death for teens in Arkansas.

The event was sponsored by Meharry Medical College (Nashville, TN) and State Farm Insurance.

William Jenkins of Rison, a delegate for Arkansas Boys State 2009, is guided by Senators Jimmy Jeffress of Crossett (right) and Percy Malone of Arkadelphia during a mock legislative session at the state Capitol in Little Rock. Jenkins will be a senior at Rison High School next fall.Boys State is sponsored by the American Legion to teach students about government and the democratic process. Jeffress and Malone worked with the boys at the Capitol and earlier in the week when they held mock elections in Conway, where they stayed in dorms at the University of Central Arkansas.

Sheilla Lampkin, Chairperson of the Arkansas History Commission, presents a “timely” plaque of appreciation and recognition to Russell P. Baker, who retired from the State Archives after 39 1/2 years as a state archivist

At a recent MEDC meeting, state representative Allen Maxwell presented a power point presentation about a trip the he had been a part, that researched the effects and practices of mining lignite, at the Sabine Lignite Mine and H. W. Pirkey Power Plant, near Hallsville, TX.

The trip was made to learn about lignite mining, because there are 9 billion tons of lignite in Arkansas, including most of Drew, Bradley, Cleveland, Ashley, and Jefferson Counties.

Lignite is a “finger-tip sized’ chunky substance, that would eventually turn into coal.  Mining is done in 1000 acre tracts, and is the “cheapest electricity in Texas.:”

There are unresolved issues about it the owners of “surface rights” also own “mineral rights” to the same properties.

Lignite mining in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas have reportedly been successful, economicly and environmentally.

The photos below include pictures of fields that have been reclaimed at 3-5 and 15 year stages.

 

Governor Mike Beebe has announced that Representative Allen Maxwell, of Monticello, has been appointed to the Arkansas Blue Ribbon Committee on Highway Finance.

Maxwell’s appointment expires January 1, 2011.

The Arkansas State Highway Commission has opened bids to resurface 5.4 miles of Highway 425 near Star City, according to Commission Vice Chairman R. Madison Murphy of El Dorado.

R.M. Courson, Inc. of Hamburg, Arkansas, was awarded the contract at $1,192,191.41.

Murphy said work could begin on the project in six to eight weeks, weather permitting. Completion is expected by August 3, 2009. Read the rest of this entry »

Governor Mike Beebe has announced the appointment of Lee Pinkus, of Monticello, to the Criminal Detention Facility Review Committee, for Judicial District #10.Pinkus wil replace Cecil Pryor, and serve until January 14, 2013.

At noon, yesterday,an estimated 200 citizens met in what is described as “a modern day ‘Boston Tea Party’” to hear speakers, and show their unity against what was described as “taxes that begin when you get up and turn off your alarm clock”.

Here’s a video containing many photos of people and signs at the rally.  The video is by Renee Taylor, one of the speakers for the event.

The event which was organized by Russell Corker, and included local speakers and a guest speaker.

 

Renee Taylor, of FamilySecurityMatters.org,  described the current national situation by saying the current legislators have, “ spent us into an abyss that is destroying the very fabric of our nation”.

Read the rest of this entry »

Dr. Jack Lassiter, chancellor at UAM, was appointed last week to the Criminal Justice Institute Advisory Board, by Gov. Mike Beebe.

The appointment will expire on January 14, 2013.

Around 40 local residents packed the meeting room of the Monticello Chamber of Commerce office Friday morning to visit with, hear reports from, and ask questions of 4 of our 6 local state legislators.

State Senator Jimmy Jeffress, joined by Representatives Greg Reep, Eddie Cheatham, and Robert Moore. each presented a summary of their legislative efforts, and highlighted several specific items. Read the rest of this entry »

The Arkansas Highway Department will hold public meetings in connection with the north-south bypass section of I-69.

That section will connect Highway 278 East to Highway 35 East to Highway 425 South.

Public meetings are reportedly scheduled to be held in March on the Drew Central School Campus, according to reports from the MEDC meeting, last week.

State Senator Jimmy Jeffrers of Crossett, is shown opening the state senate’s first education committee meeting.

Sen. Jeffress is chaiman of the committee, which held their meeting shortly after UAM’s 100 Anniversay Re-inactment, last week.

Construction of an overpass in Lincoln County is shown here, as construction continues on Interstate 530’s intersection with State HWY 11, west of Stat City.

The House members of the Legislative Council and Legislative Audit Committee have chosen their co-chairs. The Legislative Council chose Rep. Allen Maxwell (D-Monticello) as House Chair and Rep. Nathan George (D-Dardanelle) as Vice Chair. The Audit Committee selected Rep. Johnny Hoyt (D-Morrilton) as House Chair and Rep. Beverly Pyle (R-Cedarville) as Co-Chair.

Theresa Grimmett of Benton, daughter of David and Sue Anderson of Monticello, was honored during the 2008 Arkansas Forestry Commission Employees of the Year Award Read the rest of this entry »

Read the rest of this entry »

Senator Jimmy Jeffress of Crossett will be chairman of the Senate Education Committee during the 87th General Assembly. 

Jeffress also will serve as a member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Forestry and Economic Development. Read the rest of this entry »

The Arkansas Congressional Delegation has announced six Arkansas projects that will receive grants totaling $1,099,817 from the Delta Regional Authority (DRA), with two of these being located in southeast Arkansas.Two of those projects are:

$66,052 for Infrastructure Improvements for the Port of Yellow Bend, in Chicot and Desha Counties, where funds will increase the production and types of cargo that can be handled in the Port of Yellow Bend. The funds will also increase shipping and job opportunities. 

$183,765 to Construct an Access Road and Parking Area in Arkansas City, in Desha County. These funds will help build an access road and parking area at the local lake and wildlife management area to promote and improve tourism and create jobs. Read the rest of this entry »