Senior Day in Sevier Co

Sevier County elected officials participate in the 31st annual Senior

Day celebrated at the Sevier County Courthouse on May 25. Pictured (from left) are: Marcelle Shelton, Sevier County resident; Judy Smith, assessor; Risa Godwin Krantz, treasurer; and Patti Chaney, circuit clerk.

Senior Day in Sevier Co. registers 400-plus

Courthouses across the state are oftentimes the gathering place for the communities they serve. Sevier County is no exception. More than 400 residents registered in downtown DeQueen at the Sevier County Senior Day on May 25 to celebrate healthier lifestyles and to enjoy many free medical screenings.

“Senior Day was a big success,” said Greg Ray, Sevier County Judge. “We registered 414 seniors and served more than 600 meals. This is one of the big events in this area.”

The event also featured 33 vendors that ranged from political organizations to medical entities.

“This 31st year of Senior Day enjoyed monumental turnout and success,” said Ray, who became Sevier County Judge in 2010.

Ray drew door prizes throughout the event.

Million Hearts Campaign

Senior Day also served as a county-wide kickoff to the Million Hearts Campaign, a national initiative that has set a goal to prevent 1 million heart attacks and strokes by 2017.

Heart disease and stroke are the first and fourth leading causes of death in the United States. Heart disease is responsible for one of every three deaths in the country, according to the efforts’ website.

The Million Hearts initiative will focus on cardiovascular disease prevention activities across the public and private sectors in an unprecedented effort to prevent 1 million heart attacks and strokes over five years.

For more information or to take the Million Hearts pledge go to:

www.millionhearts.hhs.gov Sevier County Judge Greg Ray calls out door prize winners.

County Judges collaborate

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Shelley Lincoln, White County’s first lady, smiles as her husband Michael Lincoln, White County Judge, grabs some coffee before a morning CJAA business session. Lincoln also serves as the CJAA’s first vice president.

tions and patient diagnosis and immediate needs go hand in hand.

“We’ve got to get patients to the proper hospitals that have the resources and expertise to best serve those patients,” Swanson said.

He also urged county judges to include MEMS in their county-wide or regional emergency drills.

Lt. Gov. Mark Darr took the podium during the last luncheon of the conference and likened all the county judges to a “governor.”

“You know one thing I learned when taking this office,” said Darr, who is Arkansas’ 15th Lt. Gov. “People don’t really know who their lieutenant governor is, but they know who their county judge is. You are the governor of your county and they know you, don’t they?” Darr, who was the youngest Republican elected to state office, told the judges that his main goal for running for office was to ensure transparency in state government. He touted a new transparency website aimed at sharing all state expenses in a open, online format. Charles Gangluff, program manager for Arkansas Rural Conservation and Development Councils, explained a new SAFER grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency that he successfully obtained in May of this year.

The SAFER grant will benefit active rural volunteer firefighters in the case of a worker’s compensation claim until May 2016. The grant provides increases in income replacement, medical benefits and Death and Dismemberment. Rural fire departments were encouraged to contact Gangluff or the AAC to schedule an informational meeting.

CJAA also held association business meetings and legislative committee meetings during the conference.

Jon Swanson, MEMS executive director, discusses the Arkansas Trauma Call Center.