BENNY
SIMMONS ANNOUNCES CANDIDACY FOR SEVIER
COUNTY SHERIFF
02/02/12
Benny
Simmons of Sevier County announced today
that he will seek the elected position
of Sevier County Sheriff and Tax
Collector in the May 22 Democratic
Primary.
Simmons is seeking
the office after more than 20 years with
the Sevier County Sheriff's Office. In
those two decades he has earned a
reputation of fairness and utmost
professionalism.
"I see the office
of Sevier County Sheriff as a chance to
build a stronger community, and I
believe with my past experiences in law
enforcement and my familiarity with this
community, I would be an asset to the
people of Sevier County," said Simmons.
"It would be a great honor to serve our
community in this capacity."
He is seeking the
position held by the incumbent sheriff,
Monte Stringfellow.
"I'm excited about
the opportunity to serve Sevier County
as its sheriff. I want to ensure our
deputies and jail staff are trained and
held to the highest professional
standards," he said. "I also believe it
is vital to maintain good working
relations between all local and state
law enforcement agencies. In this time
of cutbacks and limited resources, we
must all work together to guarantee the
safety of Sevier County's citizens and
the health of our community."
Before serving with
the Sevier County Sheriff's Office,
Simmons worked 21 years as a supervisor
for a large ranch corporation. In this
capacity he commonly supervised more
than a dozen personnel at a time and
developed the leadership skills
necessary to run an efficient team.
Simmons has
received numerous citations for
leadership skills, conduct and
discipline since serving with the
sheriff's office as a sergeant. He has
been recognized by the De Queen/Sevier
County Chamber for going "above and
beyond" in his duties. He has also
received several good Samaritan and
meritorious conduct awards, including a
citation for his discipline in
apprehending a suspect during a 2001
shootout in Sevier County.
Simmons said his
philosophy during 20 years of law
enforcement experience has always been
one of professionalism and fairness.
"My mother taught
me to always treat others like we wanted
to be treated if we were in their
shoes," he said. "I believe that whether
you are a preacher, deputy or any public
servant, you have to be held to a higher
standard. You must act as a role model
for your community even when you're not
wearing the uniform."
Simmons lives in
Provo with his wife, Melanie, of 45
years. The couple have two children, one
of which is an investigator with the De
Queen Police Department, as well as
seven grandchildren and one
great-grandchild. They are members of
the McHorse Missionary Baptist Church in
Lockesburg.
Besides serving as a Master Mason at the Belleville Masonic
Lodge in Lockesburg, Simmons is also a member of the Buffalo Gap Lodge.
If you have any
questions or concerns regarding Sevier
County, contact Simmons at (870)
584-8010 to discuss the issues.
The
public is also welcome to attend a fish
fry fundraiser for Simmons on March 10
at the Provo Community Building.
ARKANSAS
NATIONAL
GUARD
GENERAL
DISCUSSES
DE
QUEEN
ARMORY
2/2/12
The
fate
of
the
De
Queen
armory
has
been
a
topic
of
discussion
for
several
months
now,
and
its
exact
fate
is
still
undetermined.
Sevier
County
Judge
Greg
Ray
and
De
Queen
Mayor
Billy
Ray
McKelvy
met
with
General
William
Wofford
and
his
staff
at
the
De
Queen
National
Guard
Armory
on
Tuesday
afternoon;
Senator
Larry
Teague
of
Nashville
also
attended
the
meeting.
General
Wofford
said
no
decision
has
been
made
on
the
future
of
the
armory.
He
said
he
simply
wanted
to
touch
base
on
the
De
Queen
end
of
things
to
see
if
our
interests
had
changed.
The
General
said
the
Guard
will
know
more
after
the
legislature
meets
for
its
fiscal
session
in
February,
but
the
primary
issue
in
De
Queen
is
not
funding
–
it’s
manpower.
The
armory
is
designed
for
50-man
strength
and
capacity.
Last
year,
there
were
only
12
recruits,
and
only
5
were
actually
from
Sevier
County.
The
General
stated
that
the
military
will
continue
to
face
cuts
in
the
immediate
future;
Senator
Teague
painted
a
similar
picture
for
the
state
of
Arkansas.
Negotiations
regarding
the
end
result
for
the
De
Queen
armory
remain
in
motion.
Photo
courtesy of
Patrick
Massey,
Editor De
Queen Bee
CORRECTION
(JOHN W. TURK, JR. POWER PLANT)
2/2/12
Last
Thursday, KDQN reported a story
involving the John W. Turk, Jr. Power
Plant in southwest Arkansas.
The story cast light on a sexual
discrimination suit filed by a
26-year-old female against coworkers
during her employment on the plant’s
site.
The details of the story
inaccurately indicated that the suit was
filed against AEP/SWEPCO employees,
which is not the case.
The suit was filed against non
AEP/SWEPCO workers who were contracted
for the construction of the plant.
The
Turk plant offers tremendous opportunity
for the southwest Arkansas economy and
currently stands at 80% completion.
The plant is slated to be up and
running sometime later this year.
GOVERNOR
BEEBE
WORKING
THE
SURPLUS
2/2/12
The
office
of
Arkansas
Governor
Mike
Beebe
released
his
appropriation
requests
yesterday,
solely
dependent
upon
the
state’s
surplus.
On
the
whole,
the
state
of
Arkansas
has
recently
reflected
overall
financial
health
when
it
comes
to
the
bottom
line;
however,
numerous
agencies
within
the
state’s
governmental
construct
have
uncovered
troublesome
woes,
as
money
simply
seems
to
be
running
out.
Beebe’s
requests
include
a
$2.7
million
dollar
supplement
to
the
state’s
Forestry
Commission;
that
comes
as
no
surprise,
as
that
specific
pursuit
has
been
a
public
matter
for
a
couple
of
weeks
now.
The
Governor
also
requested
an
additional
$9
million
to
help
the
state
Department
of
Correction
pay
correctional
officers
owed
for
overtime
and
holiday
pay.
Another
request
includes
$130,000
to
replenish
the
Governor’s
emergency
fund,
from
which
he
drew
on
three
different
occasions
to
pay
the
salaries
of
trial
court
assistants
across
the
state.
All
in
all,
Beebe’s
requests
totaled
$30.5
million,
which,
if
granted,
will
all
come
from
the
state’s
$72.2
million
surplus
from
the
2010-2011
fiscal
year.
PRESIDENT
WORKING
TO
EASE
HOME
OWNERSHIP
2/2/12
Yesterday,
President
Obama
proposed
an
expansion
of
government
assistance
to
homeowners,
setting
out
to
offer
lower
lending
rates
as
a
possibility
for
millions
of
borrowers
who
have
not
been
able
to
get
out
from
under
burdensome
mortgages.
The
proposal
comes
with
an
estimated
$5-10
million
price
tag
to
be
footed
with
a
fee
on
the
nation’s
largest
banks.
We’re
told
approximately
11
million
American
homeowners
(that’s
roughly
1
in
4)
owe
more
on
their
homes
than
they
are
worth,
and
about
half
of
all
US
mortgages
–
some
30
million
loans
–
are
owned
by
non-government
lenders.
Critics
say
this
is
simply
an
antic
to
stir
support
during
an
election
year;
however,
millions
of
American
families
are
hoping
the
President
can
see
it
through. Similar proposals failed to muster support, even when both
the
House
and
Senate
were
controlled
by
Democrats.
DEATH
OF
FOREMAN
CHILD
RULED
HOMICIDE
2/2/12
The
death
of
13-month-old
Marcus
Sims,
Jr.
of
Foreman
has
now
been
ruled
a
homicide.
Authorities
still
aren’t
releasing
details
about
how
Marcus
died;
however,
preliminary
autopsy
reports
indicated
that
he
did
not
die
of
natural
causes,
which
has
now
led
to
the
homicide
ruling.
An
emergency
call
was
made
at
1:50
on
the
morning
of
the
23rd
to
report
that
Marcus
was
not
breathing.
The
matter
remains
under
investigation;
no
arrests
have
been
made
to
date.
REWARD
OFFERED
FOR
BANK
ROBBERY
INFORMATION
2/2/12
You
may
remember
the
pantyhose
bandits
that
robbed
the
Wells
Fargo
Bank
in
Texarkana
on
January
23rd. The two suspects, dressed in black, sported firearms, hose on
their
heads
–
all
held
together
by
black
bandanas. The robbers told everyone to get on the ground, jumped over
the
counter,
emptied
cash
drawers
and
made
off
with
a
lot
of
cash
–
all
in
under
five
minutes.
Law
enforcement
officials
are
now
offering
a
cash
reward
of
up
to
$7,000
for
information
leading
to
the
capture
of
the
robbers.
Anyone
with
any
information
is
asked
to
call
the
Texarkana
Police
Department
at
903.798.3130
or
the
Texarkana
Area
Crime
Stoppers
at
903.793.STOP.
SEARCH
FOR
ONE
UNCOVERS
ANOTHER 2/2/12
We’ve
been
telling
you
about
the
truck
thief
on
the
run,
after
stealing
an
18-wheeler
from
a
Pilgrim’s
Pride
feed
mill
in
Hempstead
County
over
the
weekend.
While
interviewing
a
Saratoga
man
about
potential
knowledge
of
the
incident,
Hempstead
County
Deputies
arrested
34-year-old
Kenneth
Lamb
on
felony
possession
of
drug
paraphernalia
and
suspected
drug
use.
As
deputies
approached
Lamb,
they
witnessed
him
drop
a
syringe
and
attempted
to
kick
it
away
from
the
deputies’
sight.
Lamb
remains
in
the
Hempstead
County
Jail
where
he
awaits
a
first
court
appearance.
DE QUEEN MIDDLE SCHOOL LEARNING ABOUT GENETICS 02/01/12
This week students at De Queen Middle School began learning about genetics. Students constructed a strand of DNA out of twizzlers and gummy bears. A strand of DNA looks like a ladder that has been twisted into a corkscrew. Just like a ladder, a DNA strand has two rails (twizzlers) running parallel to each other and rungs that connect the rails.
The rungs of the DNA strand are made up of organic bases (gummy bears). Each rung of a DNA strand contains two bases that are paired together. Each base has a specific partner that it pairs with; in the same way the gummy bears were paired together, green and clear, and red and orange.
Sixth grade students Brennon Frachiseur and Jarad Miller with their DNA models.
Submitted by: Stephanie Strasner
4-H
LEADERS
ASSOCIATION
ANNOUNCES
COMMUNITY
CARNIVAL
2/1/12
The
4-H
Leaders
Association
will
be
sponsoring
a
Community
Carnival
on
Saturday,
February
18th.
The
event
will
take
place
at
the
Sevier
County
Fairgrounds
from
5-9
pm,
and
everyone
in
the
area
is
invited.
Games
will
cost
50
cents
each,
and
there
will
be
plenty
of
games
from
which
to
choose.
Concessions
will
be
available,
as
well.
So
get
it
on
your
calendar
now
–
the
Community
Carnival
on
Saturday
evening,
February,
18th.
FORESTRY
COMMISSION
ONE
STEP
CLOSER
TO
RESTORING
POSITIONS
2/1/12
The
state’s
Forestry
Commission
is
now
one
step
closer
to
restoring
20
of
the
positions
recently
put
on
hiatus
because
of
money
problems.
Yesterday,
the
legislative
Joint
Budget
Committee
formally
voted
to
adopt
the
recommendation
presented
by
a
subcommittee
calling
for
the
reinstatement
of
20
commission-funded
jobs.
Unfortunately,
lawmakers
still
can’t
agree
on
where
to
come
up
with
the
money.
Governor
Beebe
is
expected
to
ask
for
a
$2.7
million
supplement
to
get
the
agency
through
the
current
fiscal
year;
however,
he
will
not
be
asking
for
money
to
carry
the
salaries
of
the
positions
currently
in
layoff
status.
Legislators
don’t
seem
comfortable
with
raising
taxes
on
any
front;
the
matter
will
be
further
addressed
when
lawmakers
convene
for
the
next
fiscal
session
on
February
13th.
Meanwhile,
auditors
are
scrutinizing
the
commission’s
financials
and
are
expected
to
release
an
official
report
on
February
10th.
VICE
PRESIDENT
LANDS
IN
TEXARKANA
2/1/12
From
the
“you
don’t
see
that
everyday”
category,
Vice
President
Joe
Biden
landed
at
Texarkana
Regional
Airport
yesterday.
The
Vice
President
utilized
the
airstrip
to
connect
with
ground
transportation
in
route
to
a
speaking
engagement
at
a
private
fundraiser
in
nearby
DeKalb.
TRUCK
THIEF
ON
THE
RUN
2/1/12
Yesterday,
we
told
you
of
an
Ashdown
man
that
stole
an
18-wheeler
over
the
weekend.
We
now
have
a
little
more
information
on
how
law
enforcement
officials
responded
to
the
situation.
47-year-old
Terry
Lynn
Parmer
is
the
suspected
thief.
The
Hempstead
County
Sheriff’s
Department
and
Arkansas
State
Police
troopers
eventually
found
the
truck
and
trailer
in
a
wooded
area
near
Hempstead
County
Road
12;
the
truck
was
returned
to
the
Pilgrims
Pride
feed
mill
from
which
it
was
stolen
on
Highway
29
South.
Authorities
went
to
Parmer’s
last
known
address
of
824
Highway
71
South
in
Ashdown.
They
didn’t
find
Parmer
at
home;
however,
they
did
make
their
way
to
a
residence
in
Lakeview
Estates,
where
Parmer
was
believed
to
be
hiding.
As
it
turns
out,
Parmer
was
at
the
Lakeview
residence;
however,
he
fled
on
foot
and
led
authorities
on
a
manhunt
in
the
dark,
where
he
escaped
and
remains
on
the
run.
It
is
further
believed
Parmer
broke
into
the
New
Hope
Baptist
Church
on
state
Highway
278
West.
Church
members
say
someone
broke
in
through
a
window,
brewed
some
coffee
and
cooked
some
food
in
the
kitchen,
as
well
as
made
use
of
the
phone.
Sounds
a
lot
like
a
modern
day
Goldilocks
and
the
Three
Bears
situation,
but
it’s
not
a
houseful
of
happy
bears
Parmer
needs
to
fear
–
area
sheriff’s
departments,
Arkansas
State
Troopers
and
some
of
Arkansas’
finest
and
determined
K-9s
are
all
teamed
up
to
track
him
down.
Anyone
having
any
information
on
Parmer’s
whereabouts
is
asked
to
confidentially
call
the
Hempstead
County
Sheriff’s
Department
at
870.777.6727.
ECONOMY
TEMPORARILY
CLOSES
HEAD
START
CENTERS
ACROSS
ARKANSAS
2/1/12
On
Monday,
the
parents
of
2,300
children
across
the
state
of
Arkansas
were
notified
that
their
childcare
provisions
would
be
temporarily
closed
for
business,
due
to
the
fact
that
funding
for
caregivers
had
been
depleted.
Thirty
centers
in
thirteen
Arkansas
counties
were
affected
by
the
closures,
as
the
Russellville-based
Child
Development
Inc.
responded
to
its
financial
shortfall.
CDI
Director,
Jana
Bays,
said
the
organization
used
its
main
office
building
as
collateral
to
meet
last
month’s
payroll
for
its
460
employees.
As
the
recipient
of
numerous
state
and
federal
grants,
as
well
as
private
funds
from
a
variety
of
sources,
the
funding
simply
wasn’t
covering
all
the
bills.
The
centers
are
slated
to
reopen
today,
while
a
long-term
solution
is
being
sought.
Counties
affected
include
Arkansas,
Conway,
Desha,
Franklin,
Johnson,
Lincoln,
Lonoke,
Perry,
Pope,
Polk,
Scott
and
Yell.
Veterans of Foreign Wars Patriots Pen Winner 01/31/12
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