Judge Robert Akin is shown signing the Proclamation of 100 years for the Arkansas Department of Health.

For your convenience, the Drew County Tax Collectors Office is now accepting Credit Card payments, for delinquent taxes and beginning March 1, on the Current 2012 Tax Year, according toTonya Loveless, Drew County Tax Collector.

Please note that there will be a 2.49% service charged by the supplier that will be applied to your tax payment amount for using your Credit Card.

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Approximately a dozen logging and construction contractors attended the Drew County Quorum Court meeting, Monday night, after hearing rumors about the county’s proposed “heavy use access permits”, that included fines and potentially jail time as penalties for it’s violation.

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The Drew County Assessor’s office would like to remind all taxpayers that own personal property to assess prior to May 31, 2013. Taxpayers can do this by visiting the Drew County Assessor’s office located at 210 S Main ST, assess over the phone by calling 870-460-6240 or assess online by visiting www.drewcountyassessor.com  or at www.actdatascout.com Online assessing is available 24/7 for those who do not have time to make arrangements for assessing during normal business hours – 8:00 am – 4:30 pm.

Former Drew County Circuit Clerk Pat Scifres Savage Montgomery accepted a guilty plea on two of the three charges she was accused of,  in Drew County Circuit Court, this morning by a special appointed judge, Judge John Langston of Little Rock.

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After well over a decade with both the Arkansas Dept. of Correction, and Drew County Sheriff’s Dept. auxiliary unit, Drew County’s new 911 Co-ordinator / Emergency Services Manager has experience with handling “unexpected incidents”.

However, on his first day on his new job, the log truck wreck (shutting down Monticello second busiest intersection) shows “you never know what will happen, and when it will happen.

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Former Drew County Judge Damon Lampkin and newly appointed District Court Judge P. Luevonda Ross were honored for their achievements at Monday night’s Martin Luther King birthday celebration by the NAACP.

The Drew County Quorum Court was sworn in New Years Day morning, and held a called business meeting immediately afterward.

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MLive took this photo of 5 southeast Arkansas County Judges, at a library meeting, earlier this year.

Shown here areLincoln County Judge Charles Capps, Drew County Judge Damon Lampkin, Desha County Judge Mark McElroy, Bradley County Judge Keith Neely and Chicot County Judge Mack Ball.

Capps, Lampkin, and Emory Austin (of Ashley Co.) are retiring.  McElroy and Mike Holcomb (of Jefferson Co.) were elected to serve in the legislature.  Neely and Ball were re-elected as Judges.

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David Funderburg was re-apppointed by the Drew County Quorum Court to serve on the county’s Public Facilities Board, at their last meeting.

The committe members include Funderburg, Charles Searcy, Edward Wells, Peggy Doss, and Norman Hill.

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Monday night, the quorum court approved Qual Choice, represented by Tommy McLemore and Employers Insurance Consultants of Monticello, to continue providing the county employee insurance.

Here are the details….
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Drew County Circuit Clerk Pat Savage Montgomery submitted a letter announcing her immediate leave of absence to Drew County officials, this morning.

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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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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

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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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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…)

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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A burn ban has been issued by Drew County Judge Damom Lampkin, covering all of Drew County.

The recent hot and dry spell has greatly increased the probablity of fires getting out of control.

John Sanderlin is retiring from the Drew County Road Department, today, with 35 years of service to Drew County.

Mr. Sanderlin began working at the road department on Aptil 1, 1977, and has worked under seven county judges – Vernon Roberts, Ordie Watts, Harold West, Dale Hughes, Garland McAnally, Rita Shepherd and current judge, Damon Lampkin.

John would like to thank Drew County, Drew County Judge Damon Lampkin, DC Road Foreman Mike McManus and all the Road Department employees. Here he is presented a plaque in appreciation of his 35 yearsof service by Drew County Judge Damon Lampkin and Road Foreman Mike McManus

Jim Searcy was reappointment to the Drew Memorial Hospital Board during the Quorum Court meeting Monday night. Judge Damon Lampkin said, “He’s a real asset to the board,” and the Court unanimously voted yes to reappointing him for a seven year term.

After an email was sent by Monticello Mayor Allen Maxwell to city council members, that e-mail found it’s way to the courthouse.  A meeting was called Wednesday morning, to “air out” the issues pertaining to the ongoing battle over the Juvenile Court’s use of the MEDC / District Court building.

This long-running soap opera earlier led to the “back door” sign being posted on the MEDC / Court door; the front court room door being locked; and most recently to City Hall’s “No Public Restroom” policy, which in turn led to an “old fashioned outhouse” being placed on the City Hall yard, outside of the Mayor’s window.

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Gasps of surprise went around the table as Quorum Court members began reading a sheet of paper Judge Damon Lampkin passed to each of them. It was his letter to the Court expressing his decision to retire after serving this final year as Drew County Judge.

In an emotional statement to the Court, and the public, Judge Lampkin said that he would be 71 years old if he ran again next year, and it was time for him to put his health first. He then read his letter to the audience which said…..

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In late September, a group of interested individuals met to begin the process of placing a “wet / dry” vote, to allow beer, wine, and liquor sales in Marion Township, which include Monticello, and it’s immediately surrounding area.

Their effort is called “Vote for Growth in Drew County,”

Click here for the story from SalineRiverChronicle.com.

Monday morning, Monticello Police Department received a call at 9:08 am from the Monticello Transfer Station asking for an ambulance following an accident on site.

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Family foster care is a program designed to provide a substitute family life experience. The purpose is to provide a healthy home and community experience for the child while conditions which caused the placement away from the birth/legal family are being resolved.

Foster care is intended to be temporary. Children are placed in foster homes because they have been removed from their own families due to abuse, neglect or other family problems that endanger their safety. The children may range from infancy to 18 years. The Children may belong to any ethnicity or race as well as belong to a sibling group of brothers and sisters that need to be placed together.

Click Here For More information about Foster Care in Drew County.

Drew County Division of Children & Family Services :
444 Hwy 425 North
Monticello, AR  71655
Phone:  870-367-6835

This year’s Drew County Farm Family of the Year title has been awarded to James and Rene Knowles. Both were raised in farming families and made the decision to keep that tradition alive in their own family, that now includes two sons and a grandson.

“I’ve been farming all my life,” James said as he recalled growing up in Valley Community.  “Dad (Pharris Knowles) was originally a cotton farmer; when I was old enough to help farm he was a commercial hay farmer. He sold hay all over southeast Arkansas.”  James’ mother is Marjorie Knowles Craig.

James graduated from Drew Central High School, is a member of the Arkansas Cattlemen’s Association, and a member of the American Quarter Horse Association. He worked on the farm with his father until he was married to Rene.

Rene’s dad (Bob Person) owned a hog farm and raised cattle over the years. Rene’s mom was the late Joyce Person, “but  dad’s wife, Mrs. Judy, has been ‘mom’ for over 20 years.”  Rene graduated from Monticello High School and completed 3 years of college. Rene is a Drew Central School board member and was just re-elected to her second term on the Quorum Court. They are active members of Shady Grove Missionary Baptist Church.

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U.S. Representative Mike Ross met with representatives of Drew County’s “Twenty for the Future” group in his Washington, D.C., office Wednesday, during their visit to the nation’s capital to meet with federal legislators.

Ross, as well as our other elected Washington delegation members, met with the group to discuss Monticello and Drew County’s economic challenges and needs and how best to facilitate economic growth in the region.

Items on the agenda to be covered included:
University of Arkansas at Monticello, for funding of projects for the Arkansas Forest Resources Center, the School of Nursing, and to replace the university’s current phone system.
Drew Memorial Hospital intended to request funding for an electronic medical records system, a nurse call system, a digital mammogram machine, a 64-slice tomography scanner, and a telemetry system for the E.R.
The City of Monticello planned to point out the  benefits of a potential Monticello community center.
Other topics to be discussed were: I-530, the Southeast Arkansas Regional Library to build a new library the local Intermodal Facility, and nearby Yellow Bend Port.

Meeting were held Wednesday, and the group is returning to Monticello, today.