RIVER VALLEY and OZARK AREA — MAUMELLE New alderman sworn in
MAUMELLE◊Attorney Lott Rolfe IV is Maumelle’s newest alderman. He was sworn in by Mayor Mike Watson at the City Council meeting on May 3.
Rolfe has been a Maumelle resident for 12 years. He holds a juris doctorate from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock and has worked in his own practice since 2003.
“I’m excited for the opportunity to be able to serve the city of Maumelle,” Rolfe said. “Maumelle has given quite a bit to my family and I. I’m grateful for the opportunity to give back.”PERRY COUNTY Historic Wallace Bridge to reopen
PERRYVILLE - The historic Wallace Bridge on Perry County Road 18 has been closed since Jan. 22, 2009, when a commercial vehicle caused the bridge to collapse. Repairs on the bridge were completed Friday.
“You had to cross a lowwater crossing to get across Fourche La Fave River,” Perry County Judge Baylor House said. “It takes about 20 minutes longer,” he said.
Wallace Bridge is the oldest known bridge in the county.
The project was completed by Mobley Contractors in Morrilton for a low bid of $220,000.
After the Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department inspects the bridge this week and sets a weight limit, the bridge will reopen for public use.
YELL COUNTY Police, City Council review codes
DARDANELLE - Dardanelle aldermen adopted a new code of conduct for the city’s police. The Police Department wants to update its existing operation policies, Chief Montie Sims said.
The council accepted the changes May 3, establishing guidelines for officer conduct and related issues.
CLEBURNE COUNTY Baptist church burglarized
HEBER SPRINGS - The Cleburne County Sheriff ’s Office responded Monday morning to calls from the Cleburne County Baptist Church, where an alleged burglary took place sometime Sunday night.
Pastor Jeff Feil said this is the third time his church has been broken into or vandalized since the first of the year.
“They kicked in the door to my office and the church secretary’s office,” Feil said. “They stole the church secretary’s computer and the notebook computer in my office. They took a television and VCR out of our Christian school.”
Feil said the Heber Springs Police Department and the Cleburne County Sheriff ’s Office are investigating the incident.
POPE COUNTY School board agrees to summer projects
RUSSELLVILLE - The Russellville School Board met May 5 for a special meeting to approve 51 summer projects.
Donna Hendrix of the superintendent’s office said all 51 projects were approved.
“The most expensive is adding some hardwood floors at the gym at the high school,” Hendrix said. “That will cost $165,000. One of the next largest things will be to upgrade science rooms at our middle school.”
Hendrix said the district is also getting ready to gear up for work on smaller projects that can’t be completed during the school year.
“There are a lot of parkinglot repairs and things like that that you can’t really do while school is in session,” she said.
CONWAY COUNTY Commencement set for today at UACCM
MORRILTON - The commencement ceremony for the University of Arkansas Community College at Morrilton is scheduled for 7 p.m. today in H.B. White Auditorium at Morrilton High School.
The featured speaker will be state Rep. Johnny Hoyt, DMorrilton.
FAULKNER COUNTY Commencement held at Conway schools
CONWAY - Hendrix College is preparing for its annual spring commencement ceremonies, while Central Baptist College and the University of Central Arkansas held their graduation ceremonies Saturday.
At UCA’s ceremony, President Allen C. Meadors delivered a challenge to the graduates.
That same day, CBC graduated its largest class in the school’s 58-year history. Gilbert Baker addressed 112 graduates and challenged them to stay committed to God.
Commencement at Hendrix College will take place at 9 a.m. Saturday on the lawn between Fausett Hall and Ellis Hall. Staples Auditorium is the rain location, and a reception will take place in front of the Reynolds Hall side of the Morgan Center.
Project Cleanbrier a success
GREENBRIER - The Greenbrier Church of the Nazarene is the winner of Project Cleanbrier, a contest held by the Greenbrier Chamber of Commerce. The church won by picking up the most bags of litter and recyclables.
The team was treated to lunch. Chamber Director Amie Regester said the first Cleanbrier event went well.
“My intention in starting this event was to give our businesses a chance to be leaders in a way that will make our town more attractive - both physically, by picking up litter, and figuratively, by showing people how community-oriented Greenbrier is,” Regester said.
VAN BUREN COUNTY Tornadoes cancel disaster training
CLINTON - A disasterpreparedness training drill was scheduled for May 6 for the north-central region of the state. Baxter, Boone, Cleburne, Fulton, Independence, Izard,Jackson, Searcy, Stone, Sharp, White, Woodruff and Van Buren counties were scheduled to take part in Operation Boom 2010 in Clinton. The drill was to be an explosion at the local courthouse, causing multiple casualties. However, after tornadoes struck rural Van Buren County and the surrounding area the weekend of April 29, the exercise was canceled.
“The disaster training was canceled,” said Adam Holt, marketing coordinator at Ozark Health. “That is due to the inclement weather we experienced last week. I guess everybody felt that one disasterper week was sufficient.”
To see your news briefs appear in this section of the River Valley and Ozark Edition, contact Caroline Zilk atczilk@arkansasonline.com or (501) 244-4326.
River Valley Ozark, Pages 66 on 05/13/2010