ITS RUN-OFF ELECTION DAY IN POPE AND JOHNSON COUNTY, THIS IN REFERENCE TO TWO LOCAL MAYORIAL RACES. IN RUSSELLVILLE, RANDY HORTON WILL FACE CHALLENGER TYRONE WILLIAMSON, WHILE IN CLARKSVILLE, INCUMBANT BILLY HELMS WILL MEET CHALLENGER MARK SIMPSON. WITH THE END OF EARLY VOTING ON MONDAY, A TOTAL OF 1828 BALLOTS HAD BEEN CAST AT POPE COUNTY'S ELECTION COMMISSION HEADQUARTERS. IN JOHNSON COUNTY, 395 EARLY VOTES HAD BEEN RECORDED, AS OF LATE IN THE DAY AT THE JOHNSON COUNTY COURTHOUSE. POLLS WILL BE OPEN FROM 7:30 TO 7:30 ON ELECTION DAY.
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CANDIDATES INTERESTED IN FILING FOR THE OPEN DISTRICT 16 STATE SENATE SEAT, SAW THAT WINDOW OPEN MONDAY AT 12-NOON. CANDIDATES MUST MAKE KNOWN THEIR INTENTIONS AT THE SECRETARY OF STATE'S OFFICE IN LITTLE ROCK, WITH THE FILING PERIOD FOR ONE WEEK, CLOSING AT 5 P/M, MONDAY, DECEMBER 1st. AS OF LATE IN THE DAY ON MONDAY, TWO CANDIDATES HAD FILED FOR THE POST, ALTHOUGH THEIR NAMES WERE NOT READILY AVAILABLE FROM STATE OFFICIALS. WE'VE LEARNED THIS (TUES.) MORNING THAT ONE OF THOSE IS RUSSELLVILLE BUSINESSMAN GREG STANDRIDGE. A SPECIAL ELECTION DATE OF APRIL 14TH HAS BEEN SET TO FILL THE SENATE VACANT, AFTER THE RESIGNATION OF REPUBLICIAN MICHAEL LAMOUREUX. LAMOUREUX WILL BECOME CHEIF OF STAFF FOR THE HUTCHINSON ADMINSTRATION. GOVERNOR MIKE BEEBE ESTABLISHED THE ELECTION PERAMITORS LAST WEEK, WITH PRIMARY ELECTIONS SCHEDULED FOR JANUARY 13TH, WITH RUNOFFS SET FOR FEBRUARY 10TH, IF REQUIRED.
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NO SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE OCCURRED, AS A RESULT OF AN EARLY AFTERNOON GRASS FIRE IN THE 300-BLOCK OF MOSS LANE ON MONDAY. ATKINS FIRE DEPARTMENT UNITS WERE DISPATCHED ABOUT 1:55, AND REMAINED ON SCENE FOR ABOUT 25-MINUTES, QUICKLY EXTENGUISHING THE BLAZE. CAUSE OF THE FIRE IS UNKNOWN. NO INJURIES RESULTED DURING THE INCIDENT.
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BOND HAS BEEN SET AT 75-HUNDRED DOLLARS FOR A 29-YEAR OLD WHITE FEMALE, ARRESTED BY RUSSELLVILLE POLICE ON FELON IN POSSESSION OF A FIREARM AND POSSESSION OF A CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE. THE SUSPECT, IDENTIFIED AS AUTUMN GIPSON, APPEARED ON MONDAY BEFORE POPE COUNTY DISTRICT JUDGE DON BOURNE. JUDGE BOURNE FOUND PROBABLE CAUSE TO HOLD THE SUSPECT OVER FOR A DECEMBER 15th PLEA AND ARRAIGNMENT DATE IN POPE COUNTY CIRCUIT COURT.
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TUESDAY'S MEETING AGENDA INCLUDES... A FULL DAY OF 2015 DEPARTMENT BUDGET REVIEWS BY THE RUSSELLVILLE CITY COUNCIL BUDGET COMMITTEE. TODAY'S (TUES.) SCHEDULE WILL INCLUDE THE DEPARTMENTS OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, ANIMAL CONTROL, DISTRICT COURT, AIRPORT, INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND CITY ATTORNEY. ON WEDNESDAY, PARKS,RECREATION AND POOL, PUBLIC WORKS AND CITY ADMINSTRATION-MAYOR-TREASURER BUDGETS WILL BE REVIEWED. BUDGET SESSIONS WILL BEGIN AT 9 A/M BOTH DAYS, IN THE CITY HALL FIRST FLOOR CONFERENCE ROOM.
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