Students from Monticello Dance Academy competed in the Arkansas State Fair Youth Talent Show Finals on Saturday night, October 20th. The tap dance group “It Don’t Matter” consisting of Charlee Carter, Mary Beth Wigley, Emmalee Satterlee, Alex Jones, Ashlen McRae, and Bliss Jaggers won the dance group division Thursday night at the semi-finals and advanced to Saturday night’s finals. At the finals they won the dance group division and $500.

Charlee Carter also competed at the semi-finals on Thursday night with her tap routine to “Pencil Full of Lead” and advanced to the finals. She won the dance solo division at the finals as well as $500.

These girls are under the instruction of Allison Neill and are in their 7th, 8th, and/or 9th year of dance at MDA.

These students from Monticello Dance Academy represented the Drew County and Cleveland County fairs at the Southeast Arkansas District Fair in Pine Bluff this past weekend. They qualified for district by winning overall or 2nd overall at their local county fair’s talent show.

They are….. (more…)

Variety
Jessica Wishard–winner

Instrumental Solo
Blake Middlebrooks—winner

Vocal Solo
Charley Bodiford—winner

Instrumental Group
Matthew Montgomery & Steven Stringer—winner

Dance Group
Monticello Dance Academy (6)—winner

Dance Solo
Charlee Carter—winner

Over-All Winner
Monticello Dance Academy (6)—winner
Charlee Carter—1st place

As the Drew County fair and livestock show continues to recover from the damage caused by a tornado in May of 2009, the fair board and UAM, actually the University of Arkansas system, have agreed to terms oa a 25 year lease agreement on the fairgrounds.

(more…)

MonticelloLive on Vimeo.

John Wayne & April Ross

Dwight, Sherri, Callie, and Justin Witcher

The Drew County Fair Board voted at their last meeting to recognize 2 local families, both well known for their decades of farming traditions, and both longtime supporters of the Drew County Fair, as the “2011 Drew County Fair Farm Families of the Year.”

John Wayne and April Ross, of Florence, and Dwight and Sherri Witcher and family, of Selma, were honored for their lifelong dedication to farming, and to the Drew County farming tradition.

Both families will serve as Parade Marshalls for the 2011 Drew County Fair Parade.

The Drew County Fairground’s educational exhibit building, mysteriously, had it’s roof  “blown” off, Monday afternoon between 1:30 and 3:30.

The fairgrounds was destroyed , to a large extent, back in May, 2009, by a tornado, and this building’s roof was rebuilt and re-attached, as indicated by the “shinier” tin before the roof-line.

The new roof is now laying in large sections on the north side of the building, and doesn’t provide any clues as to what happened this afternoon.

The Monticello Airport reported no wind gusts Monday afternoon stronger than 15 miles per hour.

There was no electricity or gas hooked up to the building, and an explosion of some type does not appear to be the cause for the damage.

When informed about the damage to the structure, many fair board member’s were in disbelief, after the recent history of fairground’s structures, being destroyed by weather and wind.

MonticelloLive on Vimeo.

Toni Findley won the title of Miss Drew County in the annual fair pageant, Saturday night.

Toni also won the swimsuit and interview portions of the pageant.

Toni is the 20 year old daughter of Rhonda Findley, and a student at UAM.

Haley McLemore was selected as 1st runner-up and photogenic.

Lily Burchfield was chosen 2nd runner-up and Miss Congeniality.

Click on the “cloverleaf” on the bottom of the video screen, to enlarge it to full screen view.

Drew County, Monticello, AR Fair Parade, 2009 from MonticelloLive on Vimeo.

Drew Central’s Devin Horn, winner of the Drew County Fair’s Talent Show in the Variety Category, won the Arkansas State Fair’s District Competition earlier this week, and returned with the other district winners for Saturday night’s competition, where he was selected as the best in the statewide variety category.

Devin, shown here with his State Fair Trophy and prize money envelope, performed Billy Currington’s “I got a feeling”.

Congratulation, Devin!

Miss Drew County, Drew Higginbotham, is competing for Arkansas State Fair Queen tonight at the Little Rock Fairgrounds.

Drew competed Thursday evening at regionals and won a spot to compete for the finals held tonight.

Good luck Drew and represent Drew County well.