RUSSELLVILLE CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS APPROVED A 15-HUNDRED DOLLAR FUNDING FOR A REQUEST BY ALDERWOMAN FREDDIE HARRIS TO SEEK AN AUDIT OF THE ARKANSAS RIVER VALLEY ALLIANCE'S USE OF FUNDS RECEIEVED FROM THE CITY. HARRIS HAD EARLIER INDICATED THAT SHE HOPE TO HAVE A LIST OF POSSIBLE CANDIDATES TO CONDUCT THE AUDIT, BY THE COUNCIL'S NOVEMBER SESSION, BUT, INDICATED DURING THE MEETING THOSE WOULDN'T BE AVAILABLE UNTIL AFTER THE THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY. WHILE SUPPORTIVE OF THE REQUEST, ALDERMAN RICHARD HARRIS TOOK TIME TO VOICE HIS SUPPORT FOR THE EFFORTS OF THE ALLIANCE. ORGANIZATION ALLIANCE BOARD PRESIDENT BRYCE MOBLEY WAS ALSO ON HAND FOR THE MEETING, AND INDICATED THAT THE ALLIANCE ISN'T AGAINST AN AUDIT, BUT, ISN'T CLEAR WHAT THE CONCERNS OF THE COUNCIL MIGHT BE. MOBLEY SAID THE ALLIANCE IS WILLING TO MEET WITH THE COUNCIL ANYTIME TO DISCUSS AND REVIEW THESE MATTERS.
EARLY VOTING MADE ITS WAY TOWARD THE END OF THE WEEK, BALLOT NUMBERS CONTINUED TO GROW, IN REFERENCE TO RUN-OFF ELECTIONS FOR TWO LOCAL MAYORIAL RACES. IN RUSSELLVILLE, A TOTAL OF 1158 BALLOTS WERE CAST AT POPE COUNTY'S ELECTION COMMISSION HEADQUARTERS, AS OF LATE THURSDAY. A LIGHTER TURN-OUT, THUS FAR, HAD BEEN NOTED IN CLARKSVILLE, 249 EARLY VOTES HAD BEEN RECORDED AT THE JOHNSON COUNTY COURTHOUSE. EARLY VOTING CONTINUES THRU MONDAY, NOVEMBER 24th, FROM 8 A/M TO 4:30 WEEKDAYS. POLLS WILL BE OPEN FROM 7:30 TO 7:30 ON ELECTION DAY.
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LUCKILY, NO INJURIES OCCURRED IN AN OVERNIGHT FIRE AT THE DUFFIELD GRAVEL TRUCK AND WELDING SHOP IN THE GUMLOG AREA. AUTHORITIES SAY PEA RIDGE AND MORELAND FIRE DEPARTMENTS WERE DISPATCHED ABOUT 7:15 THIS (FRI.) MORNING, REMAIN ON SCENE AT THIS HOUR. INDICATIONS ARE EMPLOYEES DISCOVERED THE FIRE, WHEN THEIR ARRIVED FOR WORK FRIDAY MORNING. FEW ADDITIONAL DETAILS ARE AVAILABLE AT THIS TIME...
DARDANELLE RURAL FIRE DEPARTMENT MEMBERS WERE CALLED LATE THURSDAY AFTERNOON TO A FARM EQUIPMENT FIRE, ON HIGHWAY 27, SOUTHWEST OF DARDANELLE. UNITS WERE RESPONDED ABOUT 5 P/M, AND REMAINED ON SCENE FOR APPROXIMATELY 45-MINUTES. CAUSE OF THE FIRE AND EXTENT OF DAMAGE WERE NOT IMMEDIATELY KNOWN.
DOVER RURAL FIRE DEPARTMENT MEMBERS WERE RESPONDED ABOUT 11:30 THURSDAY MORNING TO A GRASS FIRE, IN THE 300 BLOCK OF JOHNSON ROAD, NEAR BEWLEY ORCHARD. FIREFIGHTERS QUICKLY EXTENGUISHED THE BLAZE AND RETURNED TO SERVICE WITHIN ABOUT 20-MINUTES. CAUSE OF THE FIRE IS UNKNOWN.
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RUSSELLVILLE SCHOOL BOARD HAS APPROVED THE PURCHACE OF SEVERAL NEW BUSSES, JUST BEFORE THE DISTRICT MAKES ITS WAY INTO THE HOLIDAY BREAK. DURING THEIR NOVEMBER SESSION THIS WEEK, THE BOARD GRANTED A REQUEST FOR THREE NEW 2015 BLUE BIRD BUSSES AND THE PURCHACE OF A NEW 24 PASSENGER SPECIAL NEEDS BUS. IN OTHER MATTERS, BOARD MEMBERS APPROVED A CHANGE ORDER REQUEST BY VAN HORN CONSTRUCTION, ON ADDING BRICK TO A CONCRETE AREA ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THE NEW CYCLONE GYM. A REQUEST FOR THE CYCLONE BASEBALL TEAM TO PARTICIPATE IN THE TEXAS HIGH CHALLENGE TOURNAMENT IN TEXARKANA, TEXAS ON MARCH 13th AND 14th, WAS ALSO APPROVED.
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