Tuesday afternoon, around 1 pm, the Monticello Fire Dept. was called to the scene of a house fire in the 200 block of West College Street.

MPD & DCSO blocked traffic on the busy street, while firefighters limited the damage from the flames to a dining room / hutch area.  However, smoke caused damage throughout the residence.

No one was home when the fire began.

4:30 Wednesday was the deadline for supporters of the proposed alcohol sales issue to turn in their petition to the Drew County Clerk, in order to get the “wet vote” on the November ballot.

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A 19 year old Drew County man remains in jail, following his Sunday arrest for the assaulting his 67 year old grandmother, at her home.

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Tuesday morning, around 9 am, there was a 4 vehicle collision, on HWY 425 near Lacey.

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A Baxter County man received a $400,000 bond, Monday, from District Judge Ken Harper for his role in the arrival of 1/4 pound of methamphetamine in Southeast Arkansas.

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 Click here to read the Arkansas Business article about 9 Southeast Arkansas banks working together in difficult economic times.

The Arkansas Forestry Commission battled a 179 acre woods fire, just south of Drew County, on Berea road in Ashley County.

AFC brought in 6 dozers and a spotter plane to battle the blaze, with the help of 3 local fire depts.

The dozer photo is courtesy of AshleyCountyLedger.com.

The smoke photo is from a MLive reader who saw several fire and emergency vehicles turning onto Goose Hollow Road, from HWY 425 South.

Click here for MonticelloLive.com’s Community Calendar.

1st Friday Singing on the Square from MonticelloLive on Vimeo.

The fire at this mobile home, located on Vincent Lane, of off HWY 425 North, was reported to the Monticello Fire Dept. around 8:20, Saturday morning.

Firefighters and trucks responded, but the residence was a total loss.

Judge Sam Bird Roasts Lassiter from MonticelloLive on Vimeo.

Richard Reinhart Reminises from MonticelloLive on Vimeo.

Mark McElroy Introduces Mike Layfield from MonticelloLive on Vimeo.

DMH CEO Layfield Diagnoses Dr. Lassiter from MonticelloLive on Vimeo.

Leigh Lassiter Counts, “My Dad” from MonticelloLive on Vimeo.

Mayor Maxwell Toasts Lassiter’s Accomplishments from MonticelloLive on Vimeo.

Dr. Jack Lassiter Responds to Roasters from MonticelloLive on Vimeo.

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A heat advisory is in effect for Southeast Arkansas today, and that will likely be extended further into the week.

Heat index values will exceed 105 degrees across the region with temperatures ranging between 100 and 105 degrees, according to the National Weather Service.

Heat index values as high as 108 are expected. Isolated heat index values will be above 105 degrees from around noon until 7 p.m. in the evening.

Construction has begun on the new amphitheater at City Park.

The stage will be build on the side near the gate, with seating being on the side towards the creek and sidewalk.

Around 9 am, this morning, the Monticello Fire Dept. responded to their second house fire of the day.

A home on Pinecrest Dr. received heavy fire damage in the kitchen and dining area, and severe smoke damage throughout the rest of the home.

One of the residents was gone when the blaze started.  The other occupant was able to use her walker to safely escape the blaze, and was transported to Drew Memorial by MASI, due to previously existing conditions.

The fire reportedly re-kindled early in the afternoon, with MFD being paged out again..

Around 1 am, the Monticello Fire Dept. responded to the report of a house fire in the 300 block of East Pope St, where smoke and flames had been reported in a residence.

It is believed that smoke woke someone in the house, who escaped safely.

From a distance, the home appears to be a total loss.

Earlier this month, a Monticello man accepted a guilty plea to the charge of sexual solicitatin of a child and 2nd degree sexual assault.

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The Ashley County Sheriff’s Dept. contacted MPD Dispatch, around 11:30 pm, last Friday night, reporting that a school resource officer (also a county deputy) had been taken against her will by an ex-boyfriend, and the vehicle was headed toward Monticello.

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Friday around midnight, while MPD and DCSO were working a reported kidnapping, a wreck, and recovering a stolen vehicle (with the suspects still in it) a call came in to MPD Dispatch reporting multiple shots being fired in the parking lot of a local apartment complex.

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Most folks have heard about the rare “albino deer,” in southeast Arkansas, but Alicia Maynard recently got a photo of an even more seldom site.

Thanks for sharing your photo with MLive readers, Alicia.

Around 11:45, Friday night, a local man was visiting friends on E. Shelton St., when he heard his Chevy truck crank up.  He went outside, and saw his vehicle backing out of the driveway, and called MPD Dispatch.

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Victoria  Pedraza accepted a plea in Drew County Circuit Court, Tuesday afternoon, in the death of her 2 year old daughter, Aubriana Coke. (more…)

The former Sav-A-Lot building has been removed to make way for the grocery store’s upcoming expansion, which is expected to be completed later this year, weather permitting.

T&T Construction of Drew County is removing the old building.

In continuation of this miniseries on the histories of the nine Extension Homemakers Clubs in Drew County, this week we offer a look into one of the county’s younger clubs – the Night Owls EHC.

Although the club is “newer” than some clubs, it still has a long and successful history. This club began in November 1973 as the Western Pines EHC since all its original thirteen members lived in the Western Pines subdivision of Monticello.

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Monday, MLive reported that the Monticello Fire Dept. was called out to the report of a mobile home, fully engulfed in flames, Sunday morning around 3 am.The structure was a total loss, and no one was injured.

Drew County Sheriff’s Deputies were also dispatched to the fire at 163 Harris Road, near Lake Monticello. According to the 911 caller, no one appeared to be home. 

The cause of the fire is being investigated at this time. Anyone with information about this investigation is strongly urged to contact the Sheriff’s Department at 367-6211

Arkansas State Trooper Liz Hoffman went to assist an off-duty Monticello Police Dept. officer on a “traffic stop,” Sunday afternoon, which just happened to be her birthday.

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MonticelloLive.com’s Friday court photo and story about an NFL player’s Drew County DWI charge earned national attention. Phone calls came in from Detroit to Houston.  Google shows the story was picked up and carried on sites from Oakland to Chicago to New York.  The story was also covered by ESPN.   

Recently, MLive coverage of a DWI 3, 4, & 5 case earned a “bottom crawl” from CNN’s Headline News Channel.

In January, CNN networks contacted MLive’s Joe Burgess about use of the “Bear & Deer” video.  He quickly granted them permission.

Aside from the national attention the local website has drawn, Burgess considers the “Business of the Year” award, presented last December by the Monticello – Drew County Chamber of Commerce, the businesss’ highest honor.

“Monticello’s Daily News” is expected to reach 3 million pageviews in 2012.

At Wednesday’s meeting, board members of the Intermodal Authority agreed to set up a $1,000,000 revolving line of credit, to pay contractors for work already performed (or nearing completion) as governmental grants and funding are being recieved.  (more…)

The driver of this Ford LTD-Crown Victoria reportedly pulled out of The River on HWY 278, around midnight, Friday night, into the path of the Windstar van, which was traveling east.

The driver of the van was not injured.  The driver of the Crown Vic fled the scene on foot.  He did reconsider his hecision, and turned himself in to police Saturday.  He was charged with leaving the scene of an accident and no proof of insurance.

MPD and DCSO worked the accident. Reliable Towing andRods’s Wrecker removed the vehicles.

 11 year old Madelin Moore recently donated 10 inches of hair to Locks of Love.

 Dawn Marter, owner and stylist of West Ave. Salon, also took part in the good deed,