During their re-scheduled Parks Committee meeting, Monday night, the group heard a request from Curtis Merrill and Hope Bragg to turn approximately 4.5 acres of the W. C. Whaley property into a nature trail park area.

The city’s fire station will be built on the southwest corner of the lot.  The request will turn the remaining portion of the city land into a park.  Earlier discussed uses of the land were for a pool, police station / court complex, or convention center.

Grants are planned on being requested to cover the cost.

This topic will likely be on Thursday night’s City Council agenda.

Around 3 pm, Friday afternoon, a Mercury Grand Marquis and a Jeep Cherokee were involved in a severe automobile crash on HWY 425 North, at Rose Hill Cut-Off.

Two occupants of the Jeep were transported to DMH by MASI.

The Drew County Sheriff’s Dept. worked the scene and traffic, which was cut down to 2 lanes.

Reliable Wrecker and Dan’s Towing removed the vehicles.

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A Drew Central school member’s resignation became effective, Thursday night, and a replacement was appointed to fill the unexpired term.

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Around 8:15, this morning, the Monticello Fire Dept. responded to the report of a fire on the yard of the recycling center, on East Jackson Street, at the old Burlington mill.

The blaze seems to have been limited to a storage area on the old parking lot.

CashboX has been invited to headline at BB King’s Blues Club in downtown Nashville during the CMA Festival on Friday, June 8th!

Bekka McIlvoy, who was critically injured in the boating accident in Pine Bluff, recently, is 9 years old and attends Drew Central Elementary School.

A donation fund has been set up in her name to help her family with medical and travel expenes. It is at Union Bank and Trust under the name “Bekka’s Donation Fund”.

The Family wants to thank everyone for the prayers, thoughts, phone calls during this very difficult time.

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Friday brought with it great weather, and the monthly “Singing on the Square” sponsored by local businesses.

Again this month, local musicians provided live entertainment, country style, while visitors, shoppers, family and friends looked on.

This is planned to continued the first Friday of each month, so mark you calendars for Singing on the Square,.

Photo provided by Diana Harton.

The Barkada Community Volunteer Fire Dept. hosted an ice cream social, Saturday, along with desserts, and tours of the fire station.

An update on the status of the Barkada Fire Dept. was appreciated by the approximately 40 in attendance, and board members and guests were introduced.

A few political comments closed out the evening, which seemed to be enjoyed by all.

Thursday, just before noon, the driver of this Chevy truck lost control of the vehicle, on HWY 35 West.

The vehicle struck a mailbox, before rolling onto it’s roof.

Neither the driver or the passenger were injured in the accident.

Arkansas State Police, Drew County Sheriff’s Deputies, and MASI responded.

Saturday, the city of Winchester celebrated 100 years as an established city.

Shown here are Chief Deputy Robin Hood, State Representative Sheilla Lampkin, County Judge Damon Lampkin, former Mayor Merle Jackson, Miss Ruth Peacock, and Lary Zeno.

Miss Peacock celebrated her 103rd birthday during the event.

Winchester native Lary Zeno, whose dad ran a “general store” on  HWY 138 near Old Hwy 65 and the railroad, took the birthday celebration to announce that He was donating the land where the celebration was being held to the city of Winchester for use as a park.

This blue Toyota Highlander was hit while parked in the Ameca parking lot around noon, Wednesday. 

Red paint appears to have been transfered from the vehicle that left the scene (may have been pulling a trailer).

If you have information, please contact the Monticello Police at 367-3411.

Tuesday, in the Drew County Circuit Court, the 3 juveniles, charged as adults for the attempted capital murder of a local man, and the theft of his truck and gun, all appeared before Circuit Judge Sam Pope.

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Two black males carrying shotguns assaulted a middle-aged man at his residence, as he got out of his truck, recently.

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SalineRiverChronicle.com reports that Warren Police and the Bradley County Sheriff’s Department had been collaborating to solve a series of burglaries and thefts over a two week period. Some of the stolen items were recovered. The items had been sold. Law enforcement had gained information which caused them to develop a convicted felon from Monticello, as a suspect in the burglaries.

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The local veteran’s organizations, as part of their annual Memorial Day program, recognized 4 local first responders for the service to Monticello and Drew County.

Officer of the Year awards were presented to Billy Barnett of the Monticello Fire Dept.,  Matt Outlaw of the Arkansas State Police, and Danny Chisom of the Monticello Police Dept.  Ben Michel of the Drew County Sheriff’s office was also honored, Ben’s plaque was accepted by Chief Deputy Robin Hood.

According to Sheriff Mark Gober,  a subject on the Drew County Sheriff’s Department Most Wanted list was arrested in Jacksonville, Florida on a warrant for a parole violation out of Drew County.

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Friday afternoon around 5 o’clock the Monticello Fire Dept. responded to Turtle Creek Apartments on N. Slemmons St. to the report  of an apt. fire on the bottom level.

The blaze seems to have been started by something on the stove, and fire damage was confimed to the kitchen area.

A 28-year-old Dermott resident has been arrested for the arson fire at Dermott’s Fred’s discount store.  Twelve area fire departments battled the blaze for two days last weekend during the annual Dermott Crawfish Festival.

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Good luck, Laurel Ashley Beal,

 when competing for Miss Teen Arkansas this weekend!!!

We love you!!

Your family and friends

Tuesday, a Drew County Circuit Court jury had found a defendant guilty of manufacturing marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia.  As the convicted defendant (representing himself as his own attourney) addressed the jury during the sentencing portion of the trial, he called them “Brain-washed Socialist Cowards” (not a good decision).

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The Drew County Collector’s run-off will be between Tonya Loveless (1186 votes) and Josh Frost (1153 votes), as that race will be narrowed down, as Cherri Norris’ 621 votes are divided.  The June 12 winner will then face Republican candidate Andrea Huskey in November.

In the bid for State Senate District 26, Gregg Reep, of Warren, won four of seven counties (Bradley, Drew, Cleveland, Desha) but fell short by 99 votes to Eddie Cheatham who carried only two counties (Ashley and Chicot). Cheatham, of Crossett, garnered 4156 votes, while Reep had 4057 votes cast for him. Johnnie Bolin, also from Ashley County, came in third with 3243 total votes. Cheatham and Reep will meet again in a runoff election which will be held in three weeks. The winner of this election will face Republic opponent Mike Akin of Monticello in November.

Gene Jeffress and Q. Byrum Hurst will also meet in a run-off election for the Democratic nominee for 4th District Congressman. The winner of this run-off election will face Republic Tom Cotton who won the Republican nomination for candidate for 4th District Congressman.

Regional vote totals provided by SalineRiverChronicle.com

Around 10:30, this morning, a jailer notified Sheriff Mark Gober about the odor of gas in the County Detention Facility.

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Monticello Fire & Rescue was paged out to extricate the driver of this westbound Chevy pick-up out of the vehicle, around 5:30, Monday morning.

Marks at the scene show the vehicle left the roadway on the north side of the highway, crossed the ditch, and collided with a concrete embankment, near the I-530 intersection.

Drew County Sheriff;s deputies worked the crash, Affordable Wrecker towed the Chevy, and MASI transported the driver to DMH, where he was then helicoptered to UAMS in Little Rock

Tuesday is Election Day.  Ms the final day for Early Voting.

Over the past several weeks, MLive’s Mandy Moss has interviewed the Democratic candidates for County Judge, Sheriff, and County Collector.

This week’s “election edition” will re-post those interviews for a final “meet the candidates” opportunity for MLive reades.

The Cornerstone Coalitoin held their Regional Political Forum, Thursday night, with covered many topics of regional topcs.

Candidates taking part in the program included;  Lampkin and Meggs..
State Senate candidates Akin, Bolin, Cheatham, and Reep.
and Congressional candidates: Crawford (by statement), Latanach, Hurst, and Jeffress

At Thursday’s city council meeting, the council’s next meeting was moved to June 14, due to a Municipal League conference time conflict, with the regular date.

No one (except for this reporter) realized that this is the same date, same time, and same place as the regularly scheduled Parks & Recreation Committee meeting.

They apparently will be having a joint meeting, which is appropriate, since the city council has recently imposed the “no smoking” policy at City Park, the “no tournament” policy at Lake Monticello, and leased out a major portion of Jordan Park for use by the private school, without referring these issues to the Parks Commission / Committee.

Around noon, Wednesday, the driver of a Chrysler Sebring was fleeing from Warren Police officers and Bradley County deputies, as he entered Drew County on HWY 278 West.

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