CONWAY -- One of the three people recently selected to fill vacancies in the Faulkner County Office of Emergency Management has died.
Ken Harmon, 59, of McRae in White County had just been chosen to become the agency's chief deputy but was found dead in his bed Saturday morning, said Faulkner County's attorney, David Hogue.
"We will begin the process to find a new deputy immediately," Hogue said in a text message.
White County Coroner David Powell said Monday that a cause of death has not been determined but that he is confident Harmon died of natural causes, "probably a coronary problem."
Hogue said the other two future employees should start their jobs "in the next couple of weeks."
The new administrative assistant will be Ashley Roberts of Conway. The new deputy for dealing with 911 calls, will be Scott DeHart of Harrison.
Two of the jobs became vacant in January; the other one, in November.
Except for the office's director, Shelia Bellott, only one employee, Eric Duvall, now works for the office, and he works in a building about 5 miles from the old courthouse where Bellott has been working. Jim Baker, county judge of Faulkner County, assigned Bellott to the courthouse last year to separate her and the other employees after all four filed complaints alleging sexual harassment and other problems against her. All but Duvall later resigned.
Two of the departing employees, Julie Woodward and Mary Johnson, also filed a sexual harassment lawsuit against Bellott, the county, Baker and County Administrator Tom Anderson. The case is pending in U.S. District Court in Little Rock.
Duvall also had applied for the deputy director's job and was interviewed, Hogue said.
Hogue said in an email Monday that Bellott is moving back to work at the Emergency Management offices.
According to Harmon's resume, he worked for the Arkansas Department of Emergency Management, dealt with the hazardous materials program and has been a training manager.
A three-man selection committee not involved with the county's Office of Emergency Management reviewed all applications and selected applicants to be interviewed, Hogue said.
Committee members were David Maxwell, a former director of the Arkansas Department of Emergency Management; Conway Fire Chief Mike Winters; and Rick Kelley, also formerly with the Emergency Management Department.
The committee, along with Conway City Council member and former firefighter Mark Ledbetter, then chose the person they believe to be the best applicant for each position, Hogue said last week.
Hogue conducted an investigation of the complaints against Bellott last year and has said he had recommended that Baker fire Bellott. The county judge declined. The findings of a second investigation, by former Prosecuting Attorney Cody Hiland, have not been publicly disclosed.
State Desk on 02/27/2018