Soon after the terrorists crashed the planes into the Twin Towers in New York City, and most Americans realized that we were not as safe as we all thought we were, country singer Alan Jackson released a song that summed up how a lot of people felt, and how they reacted.

The song asked, “where were you” on that September 11 morning, 2001.

Everyone is welcome to join in, and remember where you were, and what you did that morning, seven years ago.

Witnesses on the scene at Sav-A-Lot Friday afternoon, shortly after a 3:30 accident in which a GMC Envoy reportedly collided with a pedestrian crossing the parking lot toward the store, told MonticelloLive that “good Samaritans” nearby helped lift the vehicle up enough to remove the injured woman from under the vehicle.

Monticello Police and Fire & Rescuse responded.  MASI transported the pedestrian to Drew Memorial for treatment.

(Photo taken at intersection of S. Main and E. Bolling)

According to Lt. Jason Akers of the Tenth Drug Task Force, Task Force Agents and Monticello Police arrested two local residents, as well as a Pine Bluff man, on drug charges Monday afternoon.

(more…)

Wolf Creek Baptist Camp, which in located south of the Collins community, has had a positive effect on several generations of South Arkansas young people.

After a long day of volleyball, kickball, and waiting in line at the “snack shack”, I remember sitting in the same tabernacle back in the ’70’s, listening to speaker preaching to “kids my age”. Then everyone would gather around the campfire for “current” favorites, like Pass It On and He’s Everything To Me.

Well, Wolf Creek’s history of bringing kids out into the country, and into a spiritual week, filled with wholesome activities, as well as Bible study and worship, is still taking place, with the Delta Baptist Assocation’s Camp, which will be concluding today. 

This year, 107 children took part in the week long camp, representing 15 different churches.

The camp pastor this year is Terry Sayers, from Kelso Baptist Church. The director, Teresa Kelley, attends Bayou Mason Church, near Lake Village.  Also leading in the activities were Coy & Vivian Sample, who serve as Missionaries to Africa.

With all of the trials and temptations that our young people face everyday, it sure is good to see that God is still using camps like Wolf Creek, to give them a Godly based backgound to build upon.

(more…)

Paramedic Jason Beckman and Mr. Taylor are shown here in a phot taken from Taylor’s appearance Saturday night, here in Monticello.

SouthEast Emergency Medical Services had posted an ambulance at the matches, and Jason was present night of the fight and had the  picture made.

(more…)

(more…)

(more…)

Last week it became official, when Randy Pogue, of Greenbrier, visited Monticello on behalf of the Arkansas Forestry Commission, and signed over ownership of the “new to Monticello” 1989 Pierce Arrow ladder truck with a 105 foot ladder.

One of the features of the new unit, is that is has a remotely controlled nozzle, with a maximum output of around 1000 gallons per minute.

Shown here, members of the Monticello Fire Dept., Fire Chief Steve Faulkner,  Randy Pogue, MEDC Director Truman Hamilton, local Forestry Agent Joe Friend, and Mayor Joe Rogers.

The estimated value of the ladder truck is around $400,000, if it were to be purchased.

The grant was a part of the Federal Excess Property Program, which has distributed 412 vehicle throughout the state of Arkansas, and has sent aid to 70 of Arkansas’ 75 counties.

(more…)

Sgt. Larry Smith, Sr.
Criminal Investigator
Monticello Police Department
 

I have known Larry Smith for several years, but never really spent much time around him, until my wife’s truck was broken into a couple of years ago, and he worked the case.

When I started covering the Police Dept. for MonticelloLive,  I began to consider Larry to be a good friend.  I, like so many others was shocked to here about Larry’s battle with cancer.  There are a couple of links below that will take you to the story about the wristbands that local police officers are selling, information about the cook-out to help cover Larry’s medical expenses on April 11 & 12, and photos from Larry’s recent plane ride over Lake Monticello. 

But first, here is this week’s One Monticello Life edition, written by Larry’s longtime, family friend, Trish Harvey.

(more…)

Sgt. Larry Smith, a detective with the Monticello Police Department, has recently been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.  Larry had recently told another employee of the police department that one thing he’d really love to do, would be to fly over Lake Monticello, and of course, go fishing.

Several of his friends knew of someone who had a plane that he used for business trips.

By now, you can see where this story is leading. 

Wednesday morning, Larry’s wish came true, when Ward Rabb took him for an aerial view of Lake Monticello and the surrounding area.

The photos above show Larry in the plane, waiting for take-off, taking off, and landing.  Larry’s expression shows how much he enjoyed the ride.  When asked how everything looked, Larry simply said, “Small.”

Shown here are Drew County deputy, Larry Smith, Jr., Monticello Police Dept. members, Jerald Clark, Larry Smith, Eddy Deaton, and Trish Harvey.  Also shown are Ward Rabb, and Chief Robert Rosegrant.  Not shown are Game & Fish officer John Paul Greer, MPD’s Ginger Norris, and Shelly Rabb.

Special thanks to Ward and Shelly Rabb for making this possible.

Oh, yeah, I forgot something.

Larry is shown here crappie-fishing in Gail Hyatt’s pond, later on in the day.

Although these fish were caught in Alaska, last year, I put them in because Larry said if he didn’t catch many, to find a good picture. 

Well, that’s Larry for you.

(more…)

“20 for the Futrue” listens to Congressman Mike Ross, as he explains how he will support issues in Monticello & Drew County.

Monticello delegatin with Congressman Mike Ross ouside of his office.

Senator Blance Lincoln, Benny Ryburn, Dave Dickson, Sheilla Lampkin, and Judy Lassiter discussing Drew County’s needs in Senator Lincoln’s office.

Senator Blanche Lincoln with “20 for the Future”.

Photos courtesy of Curtis Larsen, of Union Bank.

——————————————————-

Monticello’s “20 for the Future” group left Tuesday, on their annual trip to Washington D.C., and returned late Thursday night.

While in Washington, they met with Congressman Mike Ross, Senator Blanche Lincoln, and staff members for our area’s other representatives.

They were also able to watch U.S. Senator Mark Pryor making a presentatin from the Senate floor.

MonticelloLive spoke to a couple from the group.  One member said, “with an effort like this, it will be next year before you know how much was accomplished”.  Another who was present commented, “Everyone we visited with seemed to be concerned.  They were also helpful with suggestions on other, possibly better, ways to achieve our goals.” 

Last year the group flew in to Nation’s Capitol during a snowstorm, and this year they arrived in Little Rock on the return trip with reports of snow as well.

Monticello’s Fire Dept.’s new ladder truck came in today.

The 105 foot reach ladder truck was the result of an application that was made to a grant program, involving the Arkansas Forestry Commission.

The unit had been involved in the Navy’s station at Corpus Christi, TX, where our firefighters went to pick the truck up, and drove it to Monticello, arriving around 4 p.m. this afternoon.

Notice the size of the vehicle compared to the men standing next to it.

Usually, One Monticello Life is done in an interview type format, but this week will be a little different.

Someone suggested that we feature Kasey Earl a couple of months ago.  When I heard that he was playing at “the Coffee Bean” Friday and last night, I had to go.  It was great. But that’s not all.  Kasey is also the drummer for Gary Meggs & Ezekiel 3:18, who will be featured in the “Branson Comes to Monticello” event tonight.  It’s been a busy week for Kasey Earl, this week’s One Monticello Life.

This weeks edition may be in a different format, but I think you will be blessed by learning more about Kasey Earl.

When I asked Kasey to tell me about himself, and how he got to where the Lord has led him today, he sumed it up this way……

(more…)

The link below gives details of a car wreck in which a life was lost.  There is also a photo of the vehicle.

Reader descretion is suggested.

(more…)

(more…)

Last Thursday, Drew County Sheriff Mark Gober and 10th Judicial Drug Task Force Special Agent John Carter arrested Keith Tenner, of Monticello, with a large amount of what appeared to be crack cocaine.

(more…)

(more…)

Most people in Monticello know Linda Caldwell.  Linda has gone from being the “Mud Hut Lady”, to being “the Lady at Curves”, with a couple more “the ladies at…….” along the way.

(more…)

According to OneStat.com, the internet’s leading pageview analysis program, MonticelloLive.com had over 10,000 pageviews in the 7 day period from Tuesday, January 22 at midnight, until Tuesday, January 29 at midnight.

When your friends ask, “What’s going on in Monticello?”  Tell them about MonticelloLive.com.

Today’s news.  Today.

Since last October, MonticelloLive.com has continued to grow.

Each month there have been increases, in stories, and in pageviews.

Last week set several new marks.

Most Daily Pageviews – 2104 on Friday, and Most Weekly Pageviews – 8699.

January will also set a new monthly record, we’re at 19,285 so far.

I just want to say thanks for your support, and your constant “coming back” to see “what happened in Monticello today.”

But please remember, you can make MonticelloLive even better by letting us know when something is going on.  Contact Joe at 367-0000 with tips and story leads.

Thanks again.

Johnny Hayes pleaded “no contest” Friday to charges of Sexual Assault in the 4th Degree, stemming from multiple charges that were brought against him in 2005.

Hayes, age 36, was taken to the County Detention Facility, and sentenced to serve 6 years in the Arkansas Dept. of Corrections.

On May 12, 2006, Southeast Emergency Services began operation, serving Monticello and Drew County with ambulance service.

SEEMS is owned and operated by Lyle Welch.  He also is a Paramedic. 

Lyle was born, raised, and graduated High School at Arkadelphia.

Lyle attended Henderson State University and became a paramedic on February 21, 1996.  He had taken an EMT class, since he was a member of the local Volunteer Fire Department.  The instructor complimented his work in class, and encouraged Lyle to enroll in the upcoming Paramedic class, that was being taught.  Lyle did, and has been a Paramedic for 12 years now.

Lyle started his EMS career here in Monticello on April 1, 1996 and has been here working on an ambulance in Monticello ever since, with the exception of 6 months he was at MEMS in Little Rock.

He is married to Kim Fenton Welch. They have four children:  Shea Welch, who is planning on starting her junior year of college at the University of Arkansas in the fall.  Tyler Welch, an upcoming basketball star at Emmit High School.  Kayla Fenton who attends Monticello schools.  Jordan Welch, the youngest of the four.

Lyle and his family attend Serenity Baptist Church.

His hobbies include hunting, fishing, and remote control model airplanes.

Lyle is show above with “A.C.”, who arrived at the office a couple of days after SEEMS opened.  Lyle said, “A.C. adopted us. Not the other way around.” 

Lyle’s favorites include:

Restaurant-Young’s on Thursday, “It’s chicken and dumplin’ day.”

TV show-M*A*S*H.

Movie-Days of Thunder.

Actor-Clint Eastwood.

Music-Classic country and today’s rock.  Sometimes “disco” on XM.

Song-Long, Black Train.

Sports team-Excluding Billies, Pirates, Hogs, & Weevils-Dallas Cowboys & St. Louis Cardinals.

Favorite book-A Look At Life From A Deer-stand, by Steve Chapman.

Lyle Welch and SEEMS, another “person behind the scenes” that keeps Monticello going strong.

Click here to go to Southeast Emergency Services’ website. It’ll give you information on what are classified as “emergencies”, as well as info about their services.

Lyle Welch, thanks for sharing your One Monticello Life.

Click here to see the One Monticello Life archives.

Again recently, the sand sculptures at the old Post Office, currently the office of the Monticello Economic Development Commission, are drawing the attention of many people.

The subjects of the sculpture; a basket of tomatoes, a mule, and someone picking tomatoes, are a reflection of the importance of agriculture in Drew County’s history.

As it has been found out by research, the same creator of the Monticello Post Office’s artwork, is the same person who designed the work done in the Washington D.C. Post Office.

The Post Office construction began in early 1937, and the cost of the artwork was covered by the Dept. of Treasury’s Section on Fine Arts, at a cost of $750.

For more information, click here to read the original article from the Arkansas Preservation Society.

MonticelloLive.com had over 700 pageviews Tuesday, according to onestat.com.

This is the highest number of daily readers to the website, since May 4.  Tuesday had the 2nd highest view count ever for the web-site.

Thanks for “spreading the word” about MonticelloLive.com, Monticello’s community website.

Darnell Crosswhite, of HWY 278 East, Monticello, was previously required to register as a “child sex offender” in a Mississippi court, according to court records.

Crosswhite went before the Drew County Circuit Court Tuesday morning, charged as a “sex offender working with children”.

Although the Prosecuting Attorney’s office had reportedly agreed to a plea bargain of 3 years probation, Circuit Judge Bynum Gibson refused to let that plea agreement stand, and sentenced Crosswhite to 1-6 years in the Dept. of Correction.

The Circuit Court will hold a hearing on Feb. 19 to determine exactly how long Crosswhite’s 1-6 sentence will be.

After his hearing Crosswhite was released on an earlier bond, but with the stipulation that if he is found in the company of any child under the age of 18, he will be arrested on a $20,000 bond, and brought before Judge Gibson, again.

As i was selecting a good subject for this weeks edition, I realized that there is a family of 5, that will be starting back to school tomorrow, in fact 5 different schools.  That would be the Darrell & Lee Ann McDaniel family.

Darrell & Lee Ann have been married for 25 years, as of last September.  The family is very active in Northside Baptist Church, where Darrell was brought up, and where Lee Ann began attending, when she and Darrell got married.

Darrell was born in Heber Springs, and moved to Monticello in the 5th grade.  Lee Ann was raised in Arkadelphia, until the 8th grade, when her family also moved to Monticello. 

Monday morning, when all of Monticello and Drew Central schools start their 2008 school years, the McDaniels will also go back to school.

All 5 of them, each going to a different school.

Darrell is an instructor at the Occupational Education Center (vocational technical school) for the Monticello School District.  Actually he’ll be teaching the same “Metal Trades” class that he took, when he was attending vo-tech.  Darrell took what he learned in that class, and spent over 20 years working at Burlington as a machinist, before coming full circle back to teaching.

Lee Ann will return to UAM. She works in the purchasing office for the University.  She has been there for 4 years.  Prior to UAM, Lee Ann worked at Bartons

As you’re reading this, Katie, a freshman at UA Fayetteville, is probably already on her way back to school.  She’s working on her Pre-Med major.

Julie, a MHS freshman, plays saxophone in the band, and is in EAST Lab.

Jordan is a 4th grader at MIS.

The family all likes to spend time outdoors, especially around the water.

Darrell’s hobbies include hunting, fishing, and metal craft.

Lee Ann likes to spend her free time reading, gardening, or watching NASCAR.

Katie spends her free time on the phone, according to her mom, when she should be studying.

Julie’s favorite past-times include reading and playing video games.

Jordan likes hunting and fishing, like his dad, and killed his first deer this year.  Jordan spends any free time he has harassing his older sisters (just ask them).

The family pets include Buddy, the dog, and 9 cats.

Usually now is the time in the interview when I ask about “favorites”, so this week will represent the family’s “combined” answers.

Their favorites include:

Restaurant-Rays.

TV show-NASCAR.

Movie-Toy Story and Santa Clause movies.

Music-Lee Ann likes contemporary Christian music and the family usually listens to country.

Favorite actors & books-Too hard to agree on.

Favorite songs-Amazing Grace and Sweet Beulahland.

Favorite sports teams-Billies and Hogs.

Monday morning, as we are all getting back in the habit of “school”, remember the McDaniel family.

5 family members, 5 different schools.

Thanks to all of the McDaniels, for sharing your One (or 5) Monticello Life.

To read other editions of One Monticello Life, Click here.

Raymond Glen Hale, age 59, of Drew County was killed in a single vehicle accident on HWY 35, approximately one mile east of the Drew County Fairgrounds, around 8:30 a.m. Wednesday.

According to unofficial reports from the scene, Hale’s vehicle, shown above, was heading towards Monticello, left the highway, hit a culvert, flipped at least once, and came to a stop, resting on it’s roof.

Mr. Hale was pronounced dead at the scene by authorities.

The Arkansas National Guard Delta Company 39th Brigade Support Battalion will be leaving during the next few days, to be stationed in Shelby, Mississippi, before being deployed to duty in Iraq.

The total planned time of deployment is set to be one year, which will begin upon their arrival at the base in Mississippi.

 The unit will leaving at different times beginning with the first group departing later this week, with the final departure expected to leave on January 8.

Keep checking back here on MonticelloLive.com for updates as they become available. 

The EZ Mart, located on HWY 425 south, was the location of an armed robbery, early Monday morning just before 4 a.m.

Reports indicate that the store’s security video camera shows a black male, approximately 5 foot, 10 inches tall, wearing a mask, armed with a shotgun appears to have been alone in the hold-up.

The robber arrived and fled on foot.

The investigation is being conducted by the Monticello Police Dept.

Young’s Bar-B-Q has meant “lunch” to Monticello residents for decades.   The local restaurant has been chosen as Monticello’s “Best Bar-B-Q” for 7 years by the voters in the local newspaper, as well as having won “Best Lunch Buffet” and “Best Country Cooking” several times, along the way.

Sharon’s mom & dad, Ben & Cleo Young, sold Bar-B-Q out of their grocery store from 1954 until 1983.

In 1989, Sharon and her husband Billy Joe Hancock, re-opened “Young’s Bar-B-Q”.  They ran their “take out only” business in the back of the building, where Mr. Ben’s Bar-B-Q pit had remained.

In 1996, they moved the business into the front of the building, and opened a full service restaurant.  In July of 2003, the business burned and closed for a brief time.  But the Hancocks decided to close their laundromat operation, and moved the restaurant, complete with their famous buffet, into the newer building next door.  After a complete remodeling process, and a new kitchen, “Young’s Bar-B-Q with Country Buffet” re-opened in October of that same year.

When most people think of Young’s, they think of it’s owner, and daily hostess, Sharon Hancock.  She’s always there, with a “How are you doing, today?”, or her cheerful, “Ya’ll come back!”  She’s open every weekday for lunch, as well as Sunday lunch buffet.  They also serve catfish, fried shrimp, and BBQ ribs on Friday nights.

When I asked Sharon how she ended up in the restaurant business, she replied, “Well, I was 9 when we moved into the store………….”

She said that the best part of her job is pleasing folks.  “Full people are happy people.”

Sharon was born and raised in Monticello, and graduated from Monticello High School.

“I’ve been married to Billy Joe all my life”, she added with a smile.  Billy Joe served in the U.S. Army until 1962, and was stationed in Germany for a part of that time.

They have 2 sons, Mike, who works at the Pine Bluff Arsenal, and Steve, who is now part-owner of the restaurant, and handles the inventory and catering, as well as doing all of the B-B-Qing.

The Hancock’s have 3 grandchildren: Jake (age 17), Laura (age 14), and Somer (age 13).

Saron’s response to the usual “Get to know” type questions included:

Hobbies-Painting, especially Santa portraits and birdhouses.  (Her Christmas present from her husband was painting classes.)

Pets-“He has pets. They’re all his”.

Restaurant-She smiled, no response was needed. 

Favorite phrase-“‘Have a good day’ seems to say it all.”

TV show-Paula Dean’s Cooking Show, on the Food Network.

Favorite actor-Richard Gere.

Favorite movie-Sweet Home Alabama.

 Favorite music-Country.

Favorite author-James Patterson (mysteries).

Favorite sports teams-Billies, Pirates, Weevils.

In closing, Sharon considers herself a, “Plain old, what you see is what you get” type of person, but that’s the kind of person, business, and cooking that keeps so many Monticello people coming back for lunch. 

Thanks, Sharon Hancock, for sharing your One Monticello Life.

To read other editions of One Monticello Life, Click here.

John Carter, shown here during an emergency drill a few months ago at Drew Central Schools, is an agent of the 10th Judicial District’s Drug Task Force.

John began his law enforcement career with the Monticello Police Dept., where he remained for 4 years, until November of this year.  He had originally been a member for the Monticello Fire Dept. (he’s still a volunteer firefighter), and when Lt. Eddie Deaton suggested he become a member of the Police Auxiliary Unit, he soon became a full-time officer.

(more…)