Of the people, By the people, For the people
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Tommy & Margie Beckham
TUESDAY, December 18, 2018 / Vol. 4 Issue 51 / 75 cents
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year
Letters to Santa, see Section B
This is the final issue of The Voice of Van Buren County for 2018. As has become our tradition, no paper is printed Christmas week and our office will be closed from Dec. 18 until Dec. 26. Our next issue will be Jan. 1, 2019. We are excited about the new year and have some different things in store, including the addition of a new columnist. Each week, local author Freeda Baker Nichols will be sharing memo-
ries of growing up on Banner Mountain as well as some of her award-winning poetry. We will try out some new games and contests, and, of course, continue to spotlight the history of Van Buren County as well as continuing to give you all the latest local news. Our Neighbors correspondents will return and we’re always looking for more, so if you are interested in writing about your communi-
ty, contact voiceeditor@artelco.com and let’s talk. The Voice thanks our loyal readers for their support and encouragement throughout the year. Thank you for making The Voice your favorite newspaper in Van Buren County.
Museum
The Van Buren County Musem will be closed Dec. 21, 2018 through Jan. 2, 2019.
Newly elected
By the time the next issue of The Voice is printed, we will have several new officials in the county, including the county judge, assessor, collector, treasurer and several justices of the peace. They will be sworn in Jan. 1, 2019. The Voice wishes them all the best as they prepare to lead our county. We also say thank you to those leaving office who have served with integrity and goodwill through the years.
Community Water bids for Shirley system Only one offer was made to take over the Shirley Water System, the City Council learned last week. Community Water entered the bid and John Metrailer of PMI Engineers reported that the system met all qualifications in the bid package. The next step in the transfer process will be to have a hearing and public meet-
ing. The city also is still gathering signatures from the public to complete the transfer. The process is not likely to be finished until March or April 2019. Also at the council’s meeting Dec. 10, it was decided to give city employees, including Mayor Lisa Hackett and Recorder/Treasurer Melissa Worthing, bonus-
es in lieu of pay raises for 2019. Worthing will work on a second draft of the budget for the January meeting and will remove the pay raises. The council agreed unanimously. Councilor David Cook was not at the meeting. It also was decided that town officials would gather on New Year’s Day a the Community Center and be
sworn in as a group. The council also learned that a 50/50 grant might be available for renovating the old bank building. PMI’s Metrailer said the grant was for up to $15,000 and in-kind services would count as most or all of the city’s required match. The council approved a motion for Metrailer to proceed with the grant request.
After Metrailer’s departure from the meeting, Hackett presented the council with a $3,800 bill for his additional engineer work. Also at the meeting, Councilwoman Margaret Earnhart reported that gutters had been installed at the Centennial Museum for a cost of $689. She stated that replacement of the muse-
um flooring would be $4,100 for wood-look tile, $3,500 for linoleum or $3,000 to pour and finish a 2-inch cement floor. The council decided on the cement floor saying it would increase the height of the floor and aid in preventing flooding in the building. The council’s next meeting is Jan. 14, 2019. The meeting is open to the public.
Budget meetings to get under way The Clinton City Council took care of business in a half-hour at its meeting last week. However, the real work is expected to start this week as budget meetings begin. At its meeting Thursday, Dickie Hink, chairman of the Water Department commission, said the Gary Street project is complete and everything looks good. He also reported that the department has received a fluoride quality award for the first time since 2012. Fire Chief D.L. Webb reported that it was a slow period, and that 35 calls had been received, down from 55. Police Chief John Willoughby said his department had worked 19 accidents, issued 37 warnings and 94 citations and made two felony arrests. Charles Wilson of
the Street Department and the Parks Department said everything is a little slow right now and he is starting to plan for next year. He said there is some consideration for installing programmable lighting and discussed making a fire pit a permanent fixture of the park next year. Mayor Richard McCormac presented the report for animal control, saying that there were nine calls in the city limits last month and that two dogs and one cat were picked up. He said animal control is checking to see if there are any city ordinances about fowl, and he noted that SNYP Animal Shelter has issued a plea for foster homes in the coming weeks. In old business, the third reading of an ordinance about the police handbook was approved.
An icy morning in Alread earlier this month. (Photo by Robert R. Gaut)
The sunset is reflected on a pond on Banner Mountain.
(Photo by Kay Weaver)
Clinton man faces drug charges A motorist faces several drug charges after he was clocked going 20 mph over the speed limit, according to court documents. A Van Buren County sheriff’s deputy noticed a vehicle driving 75 mph in a 55 mph zone between Shirley and Fairfield Bay on Dec. 12, according to an arrest affidavit. When the driver, identified as Curtis
Lynn Collister, steppd out of the car, the deputy said he noticed a plastic bag between his jacket and the seat. Collister gave his consent to search the vehicle, the affidavit states, and the deputy discovered two plastic bags containing a green leafy substance (approximately 4 grams), two glass smoking devices, a container with a white
crystal-like substance (about 2.5 grams) and several other items such as digital scales and plastic bags, according to the court document. In an interview at the jail, Collister acknowledged the marijuana was his but said the meth was not, the affidavit states. Collister has been charged with possession of a controlled
substance, meth or cocaine, a Class D felony; possession of drug paraphernalia, a Class D felony; misdemeanor possession of a controlled substance; misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia; and speeding. Plea and arraignment for Collister, 28, of Clinton is scheduled for Jan. 31, 2019.