Around 7 pm, Tuesday night, MPD dispatch received a call reporting a tractor accident on Maple Street, where 3 victim were injured.

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On Tuesday, September 4th, Drew County Sheriff Mark Gober was contacted by an agent with the United States Marshal’s Service, based out of Little Rock, asking for assistance in the apprehension of a fugitive, Jonathan Jamel May, who is suspected of two counts of first degree murder and three counts of attempted murder in Detroit, Michigan. Sheriff Gober then contacted Monticello Police Chief Eddy Deaton and advised him of the situation.

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Recently, a young door-to-door salesman came to my home, representing the “cutting edge” home security firm Vivint. I heard his sales pitch and promises, along with his list of satisfied customers.  I’m glad I didn’t purchase his promises, since the next day I asked the MPD officer he described as a “satisfied customer” with Vivint, and he told me he had never met (or done business) with them.

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Ongoing issues with the city’s water system led to an indepth discussion at the August City Council meeting.

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In June, the Game & Fish Commission were called to help capture a live alligator on Alma Street, in the western portion of Dermott, not far from the Drew County line.

Mark Barbee and Michael Shepherd, both of Monticello, of AG&F are shown here restraining the gator, to transport it to a “safer” area.

This video of an alligator being captured, taken near Lake Wallace in May, 2011, has been views almost 3,000 times.

 Another alligator was found in August near Tillar.

Alligator Caught by AG&F in Drew County in May from MonticelloLive on Vimeo.

According to Drew County Sheriff Mark Gober a deputy received a call from a loca man,stating that he noticed that his wallet was missing after returning from a trip to the grocery store, (more…)

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The weekly edition of Arkansas Business has long been considered the leading source of news and information for business in Arkansas.

This week’s edition includes an article/editorial by a guest columnist, Tommy Maxwell, of Maxwell Hardwood Flooring, who credited his staff for their efforts in the writing of the article.

Another recent edition of Arkansas Business featured southeast Arkansas bankers uniting in the current economy, and included a photo of Union Bank’s Dave Dickson on the cover.

Executive Collector Tonya Loveless received the Quorum Court’s approval to continue working to accept credit and debit card payments for property taxes.

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Brent Bowden was released on his own recognizance, Monday morning, after the Arkansas Parole Dept. didn’t place him on a parole hold, after his Saturday arrest for 4 Bowser Road area charges of Breaking or Entering vehicles, where he stole money, a car stereo, and other items. 

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Merlin Taking Off from Monticello, AR Airport from MonticelloLive .

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The Monticello school board accepted a CPR training unit donated by Ryburn Motor Company. The unit will help to train coaches and staff of the schools to further help to keep kids safe. The unit, which is junior life sized, tells with signals when the trainee applies the right pressure in the proper location and when the trainee breaths correctly into the unit’s mouth.

Ryburn also donate a unit to Drew Central School at their board meeting, recently, shown here with Superintendent Mike Johnston and Rita Venable.

Article by Caleb Burger

Monticello School District’s board members met August 21 to discuss a variety of topics regarding the district’s three branches.

The Monticello High School Principle Jim Lucas presented the district data analysis on the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) Flexibility. According to the Department of Education, this act provides “flexibility regarding requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act in 2001in exchange for state-developed plans to improve educational outcomes for all students, close achievement gaps, increase equity and improve the quality of instruction.”

Article by Caleb Burger

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A Sheridan man, recently moved to Monticello, was arrested Saturday morning and charged with 4 counts of breaking & entering of vehicles.

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DMH CEO Mike Layfield addressed the Quorum Court, Monday night, and emphasized “the misconception that proposed millage extension has been referred to as a new tax.” 

The Quorum Court last month approved the hospital board’s request to hold a special election on October 9 to ask county voter’s to approved the continuation of the existing hospital millage to be used to help fund the new Surgery Center, which is estimated to employ an additional 25 employees.  Layfield compared performing surgery in the current facility to “driving a 35 year old car.”Supporters of the millage extension will be visiting interested groups and organization to discuss the proposed extension. 

JP Jimmy Potter also criticized a local editorial calling the proposal “a new tax.”  It was also commented that the October 9 election will not be paid for by the county.

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Ipod found in parking area of Hyatt Field after Blue & White Game.

Call 367-4008 to identify.

The Monticello Fire Dept. and Drew County Sheriff’s Dept. responded to the report of a house fire on Bowser Road.

No one was home a the time of the call.

The fire was believed to be contained to the kitchen, however smoke and water damage effected other areas of the residence.

The meeting was contentious from the onset as the board immediately went into a discussion of cash flow issues and the fact that numerous bills are past due including one from T&T Construction in the amount of $278,000.00. Mr. Tracy Rawls, owner of T&T was present and indicated he had pulled off the job pending being paid. He indicated he had borrowed a substantial amount of money to cover his costs while waiting upon payment from the Authority. Mr. Rawls stated that he wanted to be exempt from liability for the work he has completed should there be substantial rain before he can complete more work. There is a danger that repairs could be costly.

Click here to read the full story on SalineRiverChronicle.com

Kandi Keith was recently appointed by Gov. Mike Beebe to serve on the Arkansas Arts Council, representing the southeast Arkansas region.

She is shown being sworn in by Judge Bynum Gibson.

Yesterday’s Lacey and Possum Valley area woods fire destroyed 1,422 acres, according to AFC.

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Firefighters have been battling a 100-200 acre wildfire south of Lacey for several hours, this afternoon.

It is believed to have stared around Ponderosa Trail, and has since reached  Wilmar Tram Road, and other nearby access roads.

The Forestry Commission has 5 plows and 2 planes, battling the fire, working to control it.

Photos courtesy of MLive readers

For the second year, the Monticello Parks and Recreation Committee will soon be asking for information from the leagues and organizations that use Monticello parks and facilities.

The questionnaires asks for information about the season, boards, participants, needs, and goals.

The parks committee appointed some liaisons to work with leagues, and will conclude the liaison process at next month meeting.

Around a year ago, the photo for the MLive Sunday Bulletin changed.  It may not have been noticed by many readers, but there was a reason behind it.

When you operate a public medium (like MLive) there’s a certain amount of your personal life that you have to include; but there is also a limit.

Although only very close friends (and folks who read local church bulletin prayer lists) knew it, Sue (my wife) had a severe heart attack just over a year ago, spending two weeks in Baptist Medical Center in Little Rock.  After a double-bypass and a “valve job”, she was released, to come home and continue recovery.

MonticelloLive was posted twice every day, as usual, from the hospital, since “business MUST go on.”  (My Iphone and BMC wi-fi were awesome.) 

But when your nights are spent on a waiting room couch, and you don’t know if they’ll even be able do perform surgery, there are few sources of comfort to be found.  But there was one place I found……

The photo change took place so that every Sunday, I would go back to that same place of comfort I used for those two long weeks.  The Prayer Chapel at Baptist Medical Center. 

I hope that you can see the light and love of my Saviour, Jesus Christ, shining through, like I did then, and still do today.

This photo was taken on HWY 278, as combine was loading farm trailer.

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Several strong thunderstorms rolled across Drew County, last night, with strong winds, heavy rains, and dangerous lightning.

The first storm came through around 8:20, another around 11 pm, with 2 more storm systems (one near Florence and another near Lake Monticello) around midnight.

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