June 24, 2020
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THE POLK COUNTY
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1168 Hwy 71 S ● Mena, AR 71953 ● 479.243.9600
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Superintendent’s Salary Increased During June Mena School Board Meeting Tuesday, June 16, members of the Mena School Board voted to increase the salarys of the district’s superintendent and assistant superintendent. Superintendent Benny Weston’s salary was increased to $132,000 per year and new assistant superintendent, Dr. Lee Smith’s salary was increased to $95,000 per year. Board members also accepted the resignation of Kristy Hall and Sarah Billings and the hiring of Rachel Dover and Claire Williamson. Ray Beardsley of First Security Finaance of Little Rock spoke to the board about refi-
nancing over $5.5 million in bonds. Beardsley reported the winning bid was by FHN with a rate of 1.43 percent. He stated the district will save $492,480 over the life of the bond. Board members passed two resolutions one resolution authorized the superintendent and the district treasurer to transfer assets over $2.5 million to the district’s building fund. The other resolution suspended any portion of the present school boar policies that may come in conflict with updated waives or temporary emergency SCHOOL BOARD CONTINUED ON PAGE 11
Wet Petition Being Circulated in Polk County Statistics show alcohol sales in Polk County will boost our economy, improve our quality of life, and decrease alcohol related traffic accidents, DWI’s arrests, and traffic deaths on our roads to Oklahoma. The Committee for Growth Polk County is conducting a petition drive to put the question of alcohol sales on the ballot for the November 2020 election. “Since 1946 we have been leaving our alcohol tax dollars in other Arkansas Counties and Oklahoma. That means Polk County residents have lost millions of dollars for our cities and our county. Economic studies done by the University of Arkansas for counties our size show
that the potential for tax revenues for the county and cities could exceed $120,000 a year and that does not include new construction, new jobs and additional millage from the package stores that will be built. Boyette Strategic Advisors, a leading economic development consulting firm, reported in 2009 that there were more DWI’s and alcohol related fatalities in dry counties than wet counties. This report supports the belief that If Polk County is wet there will be fewer people drinking and driving from Oklahoma and surrounding wet counties. Money Magazine reported that the top PETITION CONTINUED ON PAGE 11
Cars lined up to sign the petition to place the wet option on the 2020 November ballot. The petition is being circulated by the Committee for Growth Polk County. Photo:Tori Stockton
Mena Superintendent Benny Weston presented retiring Assistant Superintendent Paulette Sherrer with a plaque honoring her for her 30 years of service to the Mena School District. Submitted photo.
Man Sentenced in Connection with Mena Fire A 26 year old Denison, Texas man was sentenced to five years in federal prison followed by two years of supervised release in U.S. District Court in Fort Smith last week, in addition to being ordered to pay $145,272 in restitution, in connection with an August incident in Mena. Jacob Samuel Green was sentenced on one count of making willful threat by mail or telephone and one count of maliciously destroying or attempting to damage and destroy real or person property. Early on August 3rd, the Mena Police Department received a telephone call on its nonemergency line that there was a bomb in one of the U.S. Postal Service vehicles at the Mena Post Office that would blow up when someone opened the door. When police arrived at the scene, they discovered that a fire had been set in the Just for Kids resale store across the street.
Firefighters extinguished the blaze, but there was substantial damage to the building and its contents. The store was operated by the Polk County Developmental Center, a nonprofit corporation, with the proceeds providing services for people with disabilities. Officers identified Green as the caller and traced the phone back to a Mena hotel room registered in his name. Police found Green, who they say admitted to both calling in the bomb threat and setting the store on fire. Green was indicted on January 15th, and entered a guilty plea on February 26th, according to court records. The case was investigated by the Mena Police Department, Mena Fire Department, Polk County Sheriff’s Office, U.S. Postal Service, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Fort Smith bomb squad.