Of the people, By the people, For the people
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TUESDAY, February 23, 2016 / Vol. 2 Issue 8 / 75 cents
Cpl. C.G. Bolden Day
Severns
Man charged in slaying at Shirley A Drasco man has been charged in the Thursday murder of a man in Shirley. Andrew Jack Severns, 46, was charged Friday with capital murder, a Class Y felony punishable upon conviction by death or life without parole, according to court papers. He also was charged with possession of a firearm by certain persons, a Class B felony, and theft by receiving-firearm value less than $2,500. The victim, Jonas Donahue, 28, was Severns' daughter's boyfriend, Sheriff Scott Bradley told the Quorum Court last week. Bradley and deputies were called to a residence in Shirley about 8 p.m. Feb. 16 and found Donahue unresponsive inside a vehicle. He had been shot several times, according to court See Severns on page 5
Soldiers Shelby Tatum and Kyle Guerrieri visit Friday with Clinton Kindergarten students in celebration of Clinton's own C.G. Bolden. The children each brought money to buy flowers to honor Bolden, whose remains made it home from the Korean War 63 years after his death. The day held a demonstration for students on how to fold a flag as well as local and state speakers. More photos, Page 6
Concealed carry ordinance spurs much discussion An ordinance on carrying concealed handguns by certain individuals at the Courthouse Annex received a second reading at last week's Van Buren County Quorum Court meeting. JP Dell Holt said he has been asked why roads and solid waste department employees were excluded from being able to carry weapons. Under state law, concealed carry is excluded only in court rooms, jails and sheriff's offices. According to law, whether to allow concealed carry anywhere on county property is up to the individual counties. JP James Kirkendoll said he would rather leave off those employees in the ordinance and allow the department heads to decide. Craig Fisher, solid waste director, said he worries that an innocent person could be killed if they were carrying a concealed weapon and deputies or another person with a weapon did not know who the shooter was in a situation. County Judge Roger Hooper said he would look into what other counties are doing before next month's third reading. In the road report, Hooper said the road department is ahead of schedule from last year because of the mild weather this
winter. Work will be going on in the Crabtree and Alread area for the next two or three months, he said. He said the road committee will meet in early March. Hooper also said XTO, a gas and oil company, has agreed to reimburse the county for repairs to Barrens Loop Road. From the sheriff's office, Sheriff Scott Bradley said the department has been busy and has been asking assistance from the Arkansas State Police on a couple of occasions. He apparently was referring to a murder and a shooting that have occurred this year. Everything, he said, has been done properly. Work is progressing on kitchen renovations, Bradley said. He said the department's new Tahoe vehicles have arrived and are currently being outfitted. Bradley also warned people about telephone scams and reminded them not to give out personal information or send money. "There's all kinds of scams," he said. "If it sounds too good to be true, it's not true." Van Buren County librarian Karla Fultz said she has been getting a lot of help moving to the new library. She said the
The Shirley City Council began talks about the annual Homecoming celebration at its February meeting. Mayor Johnny Sowell said he is having problems finding a carnival that will set up without guarantees on attendance. The council talked about having a DJ to attract younger crowds on Friday night and a bigger band on Saturday. Councilmen will continue exploring options and hold more discussions at its March meeting. The council also voted to accept a bid from Eric's Lawn Care for the city's mowing. The $650 per mowing bid was slightly higher than last year's be-
cause a couple of areas were added to the contract, according to Sowell. The council also voted to keep the contract at two years and not extend it to three years. The town has not yet hired a parttime employee. Sowell said he will speak with the lone applicant, but a low-income program for individuals between 18 and 21 is starting back up. Shirley will consider that option as well, he said. The council also discussed the feasibility of purchasing the old Shirley Bank building. It was decided to have the building appraised and inspected for termite damage before moving forward.
Van Buren County Homecoming talks politics heat up begin in Shirley We all know anything goes in national and even state politics, but it's usually a more tame game in Van Buren County. Last week was an exception as the race for a District Court judgeship boiled over. Clinton attorney Kent Tester dropped out of the race after acknowledging that words he had sent to Susan Weaver two years ago, before they were opponents, were "inexcusable" no matter his intention. Tester was the subject Feb. 15 of Matt Campbell's Blue Hog Report blog. Campbell posted a screen
shot of an exchange apparently between Tester and Weaver in which Tester uses a racial slur in a text about a candidate for a county seat. The next day, Tester withdrew from the race and took responsibility for the situation. Tester apologized and stated that though he was attempting to be sarcastic, he "can never sit in judgment of any case with this mark on my character and will wear it in someway for the rest of my days." In a second political situation, the Van Buren County Election Commission has formally asked the prosecutor's of-
fice to file a civil lawsuit against a Democratic candidate for county clerk. According to minutes from a short meeting Feb. 16, the commission, represented by Jimmie Kirkendoll and George Silva, asked deputy prosecutor Chad Brown for an update into an investigation questioning the legality of the candidacy of Phillip Ellis because of a question of Ellis' residency. Brown said he has taken a back seat to Chief Deputy Prosecutor Hugh Finkelstein of Faulkner County. Kirkendoll stated that he likes both candidates but the
race needs to be run by the law and stated that this looks questionable, according to the minutes. Brown said there’s a question of what the Election Commission’s role is and that an order from a Circuit Judge is needed. The situation, Brown said, is not being swept under the rug. Kirkendoll and Silva are the Republican representatives on the county Election Commission. Bob Patterson, who represents Democrats, was not at the meeting. Ellis is running against Republican Pam Bradford for county clerk.
See Quorum Court on page 5