APPROPRIATIONS FOR THE POPE COUNTY CORONER'S OFFICE, ELECTION COMMISSION, COUNTY CLERK'S AND SHERIFF'S OFFICE RECEIVED A GREEN LIGHT DURING TUESDAY'S MEETING OF THE POPE COUNTY QUORUM COURT BUDGET COMMITTEE. COMMITTEE MEMBERS HAVE ADVANCED, WITH THEIR APPROVAL THOSE PROPOSALS FOR CONSIDERATION BY THE FULL COURT ON THURSDAY NIGHT. THOSE APPROPRIATIONS, IF APPROVED WOULD PROVIDE A NEW VEHICLE FOR THE CORONER'S OFFICE, AND AN EXPANDED VOTER REGISTRATION SYSTEM FOR THE ELECTION COMMISSION AND COUNTY'S CLERK'S OFFICE. RE-INBURSEMENT FOR NEEDED MACHINERY, EQUIPMENT AND PROFESSIONAL SERVICES FOR THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE WOULD BE PROVIDED AS A RESULT OF GRANT MONIES FROM A DRUG SEIZURE FUND, IF APPROVED. THURSDAY'S MEETING OF THE FULL COURT IS SET FOR 5:30 IN THE QUORUM COURT CHAMBERS OF THE POPE COUNTY COURTHOUSE.
CONCERNS ABOUT A PERMIT RECENTLY GRANTED BY THE STATE'S OIL AND GAS COMMISSION FOR A SALT WATER DISPOSAL WELL IN THE GUMLOG AREA, WERE ADDRESSED BY J.P. DUSTY HAMPTON DURING TUESDAY'S MEETING. HAMPTON, WHO ALONG WITH SEVERAL AREA LEGISLATORS HAD BEEN CLOSELY FOLLOWING AN APPLICATION BY CAPSTONE OILFIELD DISPOSAL OF OKLAHOMA. THE JUSTICE OF THE PEACE OUTLINED SEVERAL PENDING LAWSUITS AGAINST THE COMPANY, ALONG WITH A LENGHTY LIST OF VIOLATIONS, ALREADY KNOWN BY STATE REGULATORS. HAMPTON SAID AREA LEGISLATORS HAVE BEEN TIRELESS IN THEIR EFFORTS TO FIGHT THIS PERMIT. HAMPTON SAID HE DOESN'T SEE WHERE WE CAN HAVE A PROBLEM WITH DISPOSAL WELLS IN POPE COUNTY THAT ARE PROPERLY RUN, AS THEY ARE BY MANY COMPANIES...
COUNTY JUDGE JIM ED GIBSON SAID HE'S CURRENTLY RESEARCHING A CASE AGAINST CAPSTONE IN JOHNSON COUNTY.
THE CITY OF DARDANELLE HAS LONG BEEN KNOWN FOR ITS HISTORIC "COUNCIL OAKS", AND NOW HAS BEEN RECOGNIZED AS A "TREE CITY U.S.A. COMMUNITY FOR THIS PAST YEAR. DARDANELLE MAYOR CAROLYN McGEE SAYS ITS QUITE AN HONOR FOR NOT ONLY THE COMMUNITY, BUT LOCAL RESIDENTS WHO CONTINUALLY WORK TO PRESERVE THE "COUNCIL OAKS" HERITAGE...
McGEE SAYS THESE INDIVIDUALS AND ORGANIZATIONS ARE ALSO CURRENTLY WORKING WITH THE U.S. FORESTRY SERVICE. THAT EFFORT WILL INVOLVE THE DONATION OF SEVERAL VARIETIES OF TREE SEEDLINGS, IN A CONTINUAL EFFORT TO REPLENISH THE COMMUNITY'S TREE POPULATION. THE "TREE CITY USA" PROGRAM IS COORDINATED BY THE ARBOR DAY FOUNDATION.
CANDIDATES CONTINUE TO MAKE THEIR POLITICAL INTENTIONS NOT ONLY KNOWN, BUT OFFICIAL, DURING CURRENT WEEK LONG FILING PERIOD. AS OF MID-MORNING ON TUESDAY IN POPE COUNTY, SEVERAL CANDIDATES HAD DRAWN OPPOSITION. SHERIFF AARON DUVALL WILL FACE REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE DANNY COTHERN. INCUMBANT TAX ASSESSOR KAREN MARTIN WILL BE CHALLENGED BY REPUBLICAN LARRY PETTUS. INCUMBANT TAX COLLECTOR RITA CHANDLER WILL ALSO HAVE OPPOSITION IN REPUBLICIAN RUSSELL DRAKE. REPUBLICIAN PAT JOHNSON HAD FILED FOR THE DOVER MAYORIAL POSITION, DEMOCRAT PHILLIP HANEY OF ATKINS WILL VIE FOR THE DISTRICT 1 POST ON THE POPE COUNTY QUORUM COURT AND REPUBLICIAN KIM VIRDEN OF DOVER WILL RUN FOR DISTRICT 4. INCUMBANT COUNTY JUDGE JIM ED GIBSON, COUNTY CLERK LAURA McGUIRE, CIRCUIT CLERK FERN TUCKER, TREASURER DONNA WALL AND QUORUM COURT MEMBERS SHIRLEY CHISUM, DUSTY HAMPTON, DAVID IVY, MARY METZ-BLAYLOCK, DON DAILY, DAVID ROLLANS AND MADELYN GINSBURG HAD ALSO FILED FOR RE-ELECTION.
AT THE STATE LEVEL, THE U.S. SENATE RACE BECAME A LITTLE MORE CROWDED, AS ARKANSAS DEMOCRATIC LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR BILL HALTER THRU HIS HAT IN THE RING. HALTER WILL CHALLENGE INCUMBANT BLANCHE LINCOLN FOR THE DEMOCRATIC NOMINATION IN MAY. HALTER SAYS SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS ARE NOT INTERESTED IN WHAT'S BEST FOR ARKANSAS...
HALTER ANNOUNCED ON MONDAY THAT HE WOULD RUN FOR THE SENATE, AFTER MONTHS OF COURTING BY GROUPS SUCH AS MOVEON.ORG
FAYETTEVILLE SHALE PLAY SCHOLARSHIP FUND OFFICIALS HAVE PRESENTED THE UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS COMMUNITY COLLEGE AT MORRILTON WITH A 100-THOUSAND DOLLAR CONTRIBUTION TO SUPPORT THE SCHOOL'S PETROLEUM TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM. STUDENTS ENROLLED IN THE PROGRAM WERE PRESENT TO ACCEPT SCHOLARSHIPS AWARDED THROUGH THE ORGANIZATION'S DONATION, WHICH WILL HELP 58 STUDENTS PAY FOR TUITION, FEES AND BOOKS. U-A-C-C-M'S MARY CLARK SAYS SCHOOL OFFICIALS, AS WELL AS STUDENTS, ARE GRATEFUL FOR THE SUPPORT OF THE FAYETTEVILLE SHALE SCHOLARSHIP FUND...
THE PETROLEUM TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM AT U-A-C-C-M IS ONE OF A KIND IN ARKANSAS, AND ONE OF ONLY A FEW TWO-YEAR PETROLEUM TECHNOLOGY CERTIFICATION PROGRAMS NATIONWIDE.
Danny Wright
