MonticelloLive

What a week!! By the time you see this, the fate of New Orleans and the path of Gustav will be fixed in our minds. Whatever happens, we wish the people of Louisiana the best and hope all is as well as possible with them.
This holiday weekend has been a flurry of worry and preparation for another round of evacuees. I think it is a credit to the generous spirit of the people of Drew County in that many evacuees who spent time in Drew County three years ago called ahead and asked if they could come here again. Of course we welcome them, but hope their situations aren’t as dire as three years ago in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
Last Monday began at the courthouse and then the shop as usual. Then I checked a few roads before returning to the courthouse to return calls and handle routine office chores.
Later I met with the Monticello mayor in regard to their hazard mitigation plan.
A Mitigation plan is a plan of action setting priorities and procedures to be carried out by each city in the county and by county authorities in the event of a disaster. A plan must be developed and adopted by resolution in order to receive certain grants (radios, equipment, etc.) and in order to receive assistance should a major “event” occur requiring FEMA, federal or certain state assistance.
Office work finished the day.
Monday evening I attended a meeting at the UAM agri building and sponsored by Farm Bureau to discuss the negative effects of the FDA scare about salmonella in tomatoes on the local tomato market this summer.
Representatives from our Congressional delegation attended to listen to the farmers’ comments. The representatives also related our delegation’s efforts to address this situation and try to prevent its happening again.
Tuesday began as usual. Then I helped move a truck from Mt. Tabor to Florence for the bushhog operator before returning to the courthouse.
Several members from the Intermodal Authority came to the courthouse to attend the bid opening for the access road into the Authority property. We received four (4) bids and were pleased that we could let the bid for a reasonable amount.
After lunch I carried diesel to a grader in the Rock Springs area and went to Selma Collins Road to check the water source before the chip and seal project begins.
Routine office work and calls filled the rest of the day.
Tuesday evening I attended the Monticello City Council meeting to explain the Hazard Mitigation resolution to them. Participation in the program costs the city nothing, yet it is essential in case of a disaster or emergency situation. Every other affected entity in the county had already taken care of this, including each of the smaller cities, both school districts, the county and UAM.
Wednesday was a day filled primarily with office chores, calls and visitors. (Word had already started circulating about the impending hurricane headed toward Louisiana.)
At noon I attended the monthly Drew Memorial Hospital Board meeting.
Office work and calls filled the rest of the day.
Last Wednesday, August 20, I had a wedding and I apologize for leaving it out last week. Ms Casey Trantham became the bride of Mr. Richard Trantham. Congratulations to the happy couple!
Thursday I made an early trip to McGehee to locate and purchase 150 feet of irrigation pipe needed to pump water from a pond for our chip and seal job on Selma Collins Road.
Then I helped move a truck from Ladelle to Baxter.
Later I made a quick trip to Jerome.
Office work, calls and visitors finished the day.
Friday began as usual. Then I checked the work in progress on Selma- Collins Road.
Later a meeting was called to plan our “strategies” for handling the impending arrivals of evacuees from Louisiana. Word had already come that the group who had stayed at the fairgrounds three years ago wanted to return there. (You may remember they’d brought their horses then.)
Attending that meeting were Glenda Nichols, OEM coordinator Bill Horn, Mayor Rogers, Truman Hamilton, Eddy Deaton, Bobby Hood, Betty McKiever and myself.
After lunch I went to the landfill where electricity was being “hooked up”.
Courthouse office chores and calls completed the day.
Saturday began with “word” early that a group of about 25 were returning to Shady Grove to wait out the storm.
Then I participated in a conference call between ADEM Director David Maxwell, OEM coordinators and county judges in southeast Arkansas to discuss the upcoming hurricane-driven situation.
Then I had to call ADEM headquarters and verbally declare an “emergency” in order to get cots and bedding supplied by the National Guard.
Mayor Rogers, OEM area coordinator Ken Ouellette and I were in contact all afternoon assessing the coming situation.
Saturday evening I received several calls about water outages in many northwest areas of the county. All I could do was direct them to Yorktown Water Assn. They are a “private” entity; the county has no jurisdiction over the water company. I understand the water was “back on” by Sunday afternoon.
Sunday was another busy day. Mayor Rogers and I began early driving fence posts and erecting signs at south, east and west approaches to Monticello to direct evacuees to the mobile command post for information on shelter, food, etc.
Then we met with county OEM coordinator Bill Horn to set up the command post near Burlington Field.
By noon many Louisianians were already in town.
Sunday afternoon the cots were delivered and the mayor and I distributed them. Evacuees were coming in all afternoon.
Monday was another day much like Sunday. Bill Horn, the mayor and I spent the day handling the needs of our visitors. More cots were ordered as some evacuees in motel rooms are being displaced tomorrow because earlier reservations run out.
I want to acknowledge and thank the congregations of Shady Grove Baptist Church, First Assembly of God Church and the Fairground Board for stepping up and voluntarily providing shelter and food for our neighbors to the south. I know they appreciate it too.
I’m going to abbreviate the road report this week due to space constraints. Loggy Bayou Road, Old Hwy 65, Young Lane, Peacock Street, Pleasant Grove Road, Carl O’Neal Road, Horn Loop and Rabb Road were graded Monday.
Selma- Collins Road, Shultz Lane, Ken Lane and Ganderville Road were bushhogged.
On Tuesday S. Cominto Road, Rash Crossing, Collins Line Road, Ott Pace Road, Cominto School Road, Darnell Lane, Collins Lacey Road, Deal Road, Deal Lane, Florence Road, Green Mount Road, Nolen Lane, Garrett Lane, Ethel Lane and Tara Lane were bladed.
Simpson Lane, Nolen Lane, Green Mount Lane, Rose Hill Cut-Off Road and Faye Lane were bushhogged.
Wednesday saw Brixie Road, Mt. Tabor Road, Selma Collins Road, Barnard Road, Gee’s Landing Road, Longview Road, Dyson Landing Road, Mammie Martin Road, Van Cruce Road, Sid Caperton Road, Ladelle streets, Prairie Corner Road, New Light Road, Countryview Road and part of James Glennon Road graded.
Thursday Hill Community Road, Skipper Bridge Road, Panther Break Road, Lake Wallace Road, Bulloch Road, Silver Mt. Church Road, Grace Loop, Grace Road, Lephiew Road and 4 Mile Creek Road were graded.
Friday Piney Creek Road, Shaw Lane, Bain Lane and S. 16th Section Road were bladed.
Additionally, during the week SB2 was hauled to the shop and to Selma Collins Road, Bowden Loop and Grace Loop. Culverts were fixed on Selma Collins Road.
Chip and seal was finished on Bowden Loop and begun on Selma Collins Road.

I encourage you to be as helpful as you can to our visitors from Louisiana. “There but for the grace of God go I.”
Please remember to watch for the schoolchildren too.
Have a great week!!