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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,

Corey Williams, the starting defensive tackle for the NFL Detroit Lions , was in Monticello, Wednesday, facing a DWI charge in Monticello’s District Court.

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Around 5 pm, Thursday, Drew County Sheriff’s Deputies were called to HWY 83 North, where both lanes were blocked by a Freightliner log truck that was jack-knifed, jut north of Rabb Road.

The driver told MLive that as he came around the curve (northbound), he saw a tractor, and hit the breaks, which caused the empty log truck to begin to skid, causing the wreck.

No one was inured, Reliable Towing towed the big rig from the wreck scene.

Around noon, Wednesday, the Monticello Fire Dept. was called to Bio-Wood, a sister company of Maxwell Hardwood Flooring, to a report of a fire in a dust and shavings  silo, and  attached elevator.

Firefighters battled the heat and the height, as they climbed to the top of the silo, to open the vents, to extinguish the blaze.

The fire is believed to have started with a bearing in a motor, and was contained to the silo and elevator areas.

MFD was called back to the silo, around 3 pm, and where on the site for around 2 more hours, battling flair-ups.

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The driver of this Saab convertible had a scary ride this morning, around 10:30, when she lost control of her vehicle on HWY 425, north of Lacey, as she was traveling north.

The Saab crossed the ditch, and struck a tree, as it crossed over a creek.

The car came to rest with it’s front wheels and back wheels on different side of he creek.

No one was injured.  Arkanss State Police worked the accident’ C&L Wrecker towed the convertible.

Monday night, the Quorum Court  approved an ordinance transfering  operations of the hospital to Drew Memorial Hospital, Inc.  The ordinance also approved a lease of the facilities to the board, which is made up of the current DMH board of directors.  Also October 9 was set as a special election day for two DMH millage questions.

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