NEWS HEADLINES FOR 1028-14
BOND HAS BEEN SET AT 1-MILLION DOLLARS FOR A 32-YEAR OLD BLACK MALE SUSPECT, ARRESTED BY RUSSELLVILLE POLICE ON ATTEMPTED MURDER, AGGRIVATED ROBBERY AND BATTERY CHARGES. THE SUSPECT, IDENTIFIED AS DAMEION WILLIAMS, APPEARED ON MONDAY BEFORE POPE COUNTY DISTRICT JUDGE DON BOURNE. JUDGE BOURNE FOUND PROBABLE CAUSE TO HOLD THE SUSPECT OVER FOR A DECEMBER 1st PLEA AND ARRAIGNMENT HEARING IN POPE COUNTY CIRCUIT COURT. WILLIAMS WAS ONE OF TWO INDIVIDUALS WHO ASSAULTED AN UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE LAST WEDNESDAY NIGHT, WITH THE VICTIM WOUNDED BY A GUNSHOT, DURING THE INCIDENT. WILLIAMS WAS TAKEN INTO CUSTODY, WITHOUT INCIDENT, LAST FRIDAY NIGHT. A SECOND SUSPECT, IDENTIFIED AS 23-YEAR OLD ZACHARY STOKES, REMAINS AT LARGE.
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(1)--EARLY VOTING CONTINUES, AS WE'RE JUST ONE WEEK AWAY FROM GENERAL ELECTION DAY 2014. AS OF LATE MONDAY, POPE COUNTY ELECTION COMMISSION HEADQUARTERS REPORTED A TOTAL OF 4363 VOTES CAST. IN YELL COUNTY. AS OF MONDAY'S ADDITIONS, A TOTAL OF 888 BALLOTS HAVE BEEN CAST AT THE COUNTY CLERK'S OFFICES IN DARDANELLE AND DANVILLE. IN JOHNSON COUNTY, 1196 VOTES HAD BEEN RECORDED AT THE COURTHOUSE IN CLARKSVILLE. EARLY VOTING CONTINUES THRU NOVEMBER 3rd, WITH HOURS RUNNING FROM 8-TO-6 WEEKDAYS, 10-TO-4 EACH SATURDAYS AND 8 TO 5 ON THE FINAL DAY OF EARLY VOTING, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 3rd.
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(2)--POTTSVILLE FIRE DEPARTMENT UNITS WERE DISPATCHED MONDAY MORNING TO A GRASS FIRE IN THE 63-HUNDRED BLOCK OF HIGHWAY 247. FIREFIGHTERS WERE CALLED TO THE SCENE ABOUT 10:50 AND REMAINED THERE FOR UNDER 20-MINUTES BATTLING THE BLAZE. NO INJURIES OCCURRED AND NO SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE OR THREAT TO ANY STRUCTURES WAS NOTED.
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TRI-COUNTY WATER DISTRIBUTION DISTRICT BOARD MEMBERS WERE UPDATED ON THE UTILITY'S INVOLVEMENT WITH THE WIDENING OF HIGHWAY 124 AND ITS MERGER WITH THE PLAINVIEW WATER SYSTEM. TRI-COUNTY MANAGER JOHN CHOATE SAYS A LOW BID FOR MOVING A WATER MAIN ALONG THE STATE HIGHWAY HAVE BEEN APPROVED. M. PHILLIPS CONSTRUCTION OF MAGAZINE HELD THE BID ON THAT PROJECT. CHOATE SAYS WIDENING THAT ROADWAY WILL REQUIRE THE LINE FROM WEIR ROAD TO NEAR CENTER VALLEY SCHOOL WILL NEED TO BE MOVED. IN OTHER MATTERS, THE UTILITY MANAGER SAID PROGRESS IS BEING MADE ON THE PLAINVIEW MERGER. A FURTHER UPDATE ON THAT MATTER IS EXPECTED DURING TRI-COUNTY'S NOVEMBER SESSION.
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THE CONWAY COUNTY QUORUM COURT HAS AGREED TO MOVE FORWARD WITH A PLAN TO EXPAND THE COUNTY'S CURRENT DETENTION CENTER. THE JAIL HAS BEEN AT CAPACITY FOR SOME TIME AND THE FEMALE INMATES ARE BEING HOUSED AT THE FORMER MORRILTON CITY JAIL. THE COUNTY RECENTLY HIRED A CONSULTING TEAM TO PERFORM A COMPREHENSIVE STUDY OF THE DETENTION CENTER TO DETERMINE HOW MUCH IT WOULD COST TO EXPAND THE FACILITY. COUNTY TREASURER WAYNE DESALVO TOLD THE COURT MONDAY NIGHT IT WOULD COST APPROXIMATELY THREE-POINT-TWO MILLION DOLLARS TO CONSTRUCT A 48-BED ADDITION TO THE JAIL.
JUSTICES OF THE PEACE APPROVED A MEASURE TO SUBMIT A REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS AND TO DRAFT A FORMAL FUNDING ORDINANCE TO BE VOTED ON NEXT MONTH.
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