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Paris, November 13, 2015
1 SECTION - 14 PAGES V OLUME 109 (15TH WEEK OF 109TH YEAR - 5,650 TOTAL WEEKS SINCE 1907)
Early printing next week Due to the Thanksgiving holiday on Thursday next week, the White River Journal will be mailed a day early on Wednesday. All news items, photos and advertisements must be in the newspaper office no later than 5 p.m. Monday. Thanks for your cooperation. -Publisher
ACTIVITIES CALENDAR THURS., NOV. 19 Progress Reports go home with DA school students THURS., NOV. 19 Basketball at Pangburn 7th Grade, Jr. Girls & Boys FRI., NOV. 20, 7PM Second Rd. Playoff Game Magnet Cove Here WED.-FRI., NOV. 25-27 Des Arc Schools dismissed for Thanksgiving Holiday SAT., NOV. 21, 7 AM Cross Roads Deer Breakfast THURS., NOV. 19, 6 PM Pee Wee Football Banquet Elementary Cafetorium Bring football equipment SUN., NOV. 22, 6 PM Union Thanksgiving Worship Service Gospel Mission Church MON, NOV. 23. 7 PM Des Arc School Board Meets in Supt’s Office THURS., NOV. 26 11AM-1PM Thanksgiving Dinner for needy and shut-ins. First Baptist Church
SAT., NOV. 28, 6 PM DAHS Alumni Association Meeting/Banquet Des Arc Elementary SAT. NOV. 28, 6 PM Class of 1980 meet 35-year Reunion Des Arc Elementary
SAT., DEC. 5, 4:00 P.M. Chamber Christmas Parade Line-up at 3:00 p.m. Old Acco Bldg. to City Park SAT., DEC. 5, 5:30 P.M. Parade and Prayer Service DeValls Bluff - Sponsor: Arnold Family Foundation
SUN., DEC. 6, 2 PM Sand Hill Cemetery Ass’n Sand Hill Missionary Baptist Church
FRI., DEC. 11, 6 PM Christmas Parade Cotton Plant - Cash Prizes Line-up 5:30 Old High School
Obituaries Pgs. 3 & 7
Barbara Alberson, 57, Lonoke Carolyn Allen, 57, Stuttgart Frances Campbell, 92, J’ville Billy Caradine, 73, Griffithville William Elmore, 72, Lonoke Hollace Grahnert, 84, Pine Bluff Hulen Griggs, 81, Wheatley Barbara Ingle, Hazen Carolyn“Vonnie”Ingle, 73, Searcy Frank Lyon, Jr., 74, Little Rock Billy McCluskey, 81, Brinkley Avery Penn, 42, Hazen Jerry Schafer, 78, Lonoke Jo Anne White, 85, Brinkley
“A F REE P RESS AND A F REE P EOPLE - A N U NBEATABLE T EAM ” D ES A RC , A RKANSAS (C OUNTY S EAT ) P RAIRIE C OUNTY
P U B L IS HE D E A C H T H U R S D A Y S I N C E 1 9 0 7 TH UR SDAY, NOVE MBE R 19, 2015
Drawing for ballot position here Tuesday On Tuesday, November 24, 2015 the Prairie County Election Commissioners, Rita Dobson, chairman; Rita Farris and Harvey Joe Sanner, will meet at 12: noon in the Des Arc Courthouse for ballot drawing. The Commissioners will be drawing for positioning of the candidates whose names will appear on the March 1, 2016 primary ballot. All candidates are welcome to be present.
Final planning for Christmas in city underway
THEY DID IT! Working together on Wednesday evening, Nov. 18, this Gospel Mission Church group prepared 15,549 food packs that will be shared with the local school and the Prairie County Food Bank. A portion of the food packs will be distributed as needed through the church. The meals were packed during a “Feed the Funnel” party hosted by a Northwest Arkansas relief organization called the “Pack Shack”. They surpassed their Lana Smith, spokesman goal of 15,000 meals. for the Des Arc Chamber of Commerce, advises that final plans for the Christmas Parade and participating Open House events will At the Tuesday night Mayher also mentioned on the administration MENTS FOR COMPETIbe announced next week.. meeting of the Des Arc City that work on the city’s building at a cost $25,000 TIVE BIDDING IN EXCEPThis year’s Christmas parade and coordinated activ- Council members unani- Hummer vehicle was fin- on this year’s budget or TIONAL SITUATIONS; DEAN EMERnext year was discussed CLARING itied will be on Friday, De- mously approved the sale ished and it’s ready to go. Harvey Joe Sanner, and it was agreed to put the GENCY; AND FOR OTHER of a lot at 406 Main Street. cember 4. The Chamber of Com- The former owner, Treyson chairman, Des Arc Indus- expenditure in this year’s PURPOSES. After the remerce committee was final- Burgess, gave the property trial Development Com- budget. Mayor Garth said quired reading, it was izing plans at a meeting to the city after his store mittee, addressed the the company that made unanimously approved. Council members presbuilding was badly dam- council on behalf of the roof repair last time today, November 19. DAIDC. He expressed that can start on the work as ent were: Steve Bryan, Ana Smith advised that there aged in a windstorm. Beth Fisher, Janice HuffThe only bid on the he greatly appreciated the early as December 1. will be prizes for the 1st, Rec./Treas. Chrisana stickler, Ray McVay, and 2nd, 3rd place floats in the property was for $4,200.00 relationship the city counfrom Ashley Parchman. cil has with DAIDC, and he Knupp read Ordinance Welton Robinson. AlderChristmas parade. owner of “The Lily Pad provided the council mem- 2015-09, AN ORDINANCE man Bruce Sutton was abBoutique.” Currently a bers with a copy of the fi- WAIVING THE REQUIRE- sent. renter, she plans to build nancial report for DAIDC. He assured them that none on the property. Mayor Jim Garth ad- of the money invested had vised that he met with been wasted. He asked for state people about the their continued support of grant the city applied for to DAIDC. He spoke of acfund street improvements. complishments of the The municipal levy of sales He said, “There are a cou- DAIDC such as Guess & and use tax in Prairie County and ple of streets that don’t Company bringing their its incorporated cities and cities in meet the 18 ft wide mini- factory to the city.. He said surrounding area for October, mum requirement of the that the business is up to Mitchell Glen Weaver is in Searcy. Upon comple2015 sccording to state reports is grant, He has written a let- about 25 employees with as follows: ter requesting permission potential to grow. He also now a certified police offi- tion of this training, he Des Arc ....................$ 17,943.48 to include streets that are mentioned that DAIDC cer with the Des Arc Police worked for the Des Arc Ambulance Service and North Augusta ..........................26,678.77 only 16 ft wide. He doesn’t was able to lease CPS some Department. On November 13, Weav- Star Paramedic Service in Bald Knob .....................45,692.65 think there will be any space in the old Acco Beebe............................113,704.08 problem getting approval. building so that they could er completed the basic Searcy. Brinkley.................107,024.86 Weaver is also a volunMayor Garth also ad- continue to have their training requirements by Cabot............................657,987.20 the State of Arkansas for teer fire fighter with the vised that the city’s new business here. Sanner also Carlisle ...........................51,577.25 certification. Des Arc Fire Department said that Guess & Co. was rescue truck should be arClarendon ................. 42,084,48 Weaver began his work and is a Des Arc resident. Cotton Plant ....................1,944.58 riving by the end of De- using the old Acco building for certification at the He is the son of Cem for storage as well as some cember or early in January. DeValls Bluff..................14,234.53 Arkansas Police Academy Mullinax of Clarendon and DeWitt..........................208,646.87 He mentioned that the tor- other places in town. Anat Black Rock Technical Keith Weaver of Brinkley. England..........................70,730.62 nado siren north of town other accomplishment he College Law Enforcement Des Arc Police Chief Rick Gillet................................t0,112.43 still isn’t receiving the sig- listed was getting City MarHazen ............................ 45,600.37 nal from the jail and some- ket to Des Arc. The last Training Academy in Poca- Parson said, “We are proud Holly Grove......................8,947.91 one will be out to work on item he brought before the hontas, Arkansas on August of Mitchell’s accomplishLonoke .........................151,751.51 it again. council was that DAIDC 17. He finished on Novem- ments and also that he has McCrory.........................18,711.05 Reporting for the police was involved in a lawsuit. ber 13, completing 577 chosen to serve with the Des Arc Police DepartNorth Little Rock.....1,445,986.76 department,Sergeant De- He said, “This is an unfor- total hours. Officer Weaver was hired ment.” Searcy...........................790,627.12 wayne Mayher presented tunate situation and no Stuttgart .......................552,409.05 reported only three traffic court date set, as the actual by the Des Arc Police DeWard...............................39,382.13 partment in March of this citations and one felony suit hasn’t been filed yet.” Municipal sales and use year to fill the vacancy slot The 2015 amended case this month. He also tax is based on retail sales created when Police Chief and local tax. It is reported to shared that Officer Mit- budget and the 2016 pro- Darrell Turner retired and and compiled each chell Weaver was back posed budget were pre- joined the Prairie County month by the Arkansas De- from the academy and that sented to the council Sheriff’s Department. partment of Finance and Chief Rick Parson was on members. Whether or not A 2012 graduate of the to include a roof repair job vacation this week. Sgt. Administration. Marvell Academy in MarFor the same period in 2014, vell, Arkansas, Officer Des Arc’s tax revenue was Weaver attended the EMT $20,706.86, DeValls Bluff, program at the fire acade$14,145.56 and Hazen, $53,247.72. my in Camden, Arkansas The new county tax approved where he earned his Emerby the voters in Prairie County went into effect in April, 2014. The gency Medical Technician new tax added .5% to the current (EMT-Basic) certification. 8.5 % in the local area. The local He later went on to become Officer Mitchell Weaver tax rate is 9%. The City of Des Arc a Paramedic through ASU
City Council approves sale of Burgess property
Distribution of City Sales Tax Revenue
Police Officer Weaver completes training; now on duty here
collects 1% of that total.
The city’s Hummer in this years’Homecoming Parade
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