LUCKILY, NO INJURIES RESULTED, BUT, SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE RESULTED FROM AN EARLY MORNING STRUCTURE FIRE IN THE 11-HUNDRED BLOCK OF EAST E STREET IN RUSSELLVILLE.  RUSSELLVILLE FIREFIGHTERS RESPONDED TO THE LOCATION ABOUT 3 A/M, AFTER POLICE OFFICERS NOTED SMOKE IN THE AREA, AND DISCOVERED THE HOUSE FIRE.  NO OCCUPANTS WERE IN THE HOME AT THE TIME OF THE FIRE.  DEPARTMENT UNITS WERE ON SCENE FOR MORE THAN TWO HOURS BRING THE FIRE UNDER CONTROL ANE EXTENGUISHING THE BLAZE.  CAUSE OF THE FIRE IS UNKNOWN.

 

RUSSELLVILLE FIRE DEPARTMENT CREWS WERE CALLED TO A LARGE TRUCK FIRE, JUST BEFORE 5 P/M ON WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON, ON NORTH ARKANSAS AVENUE.  UNITS RESPONDED TO THE CITY MALL, WHERE THE TRACTOR-TRUCK WAS ABLAZE.  FIREFIGHTERS EXTENGUISHED THE FIRE, AND WERE ON SCENE FOR ABOUT 30-MINUTES.

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THURSDAY'S MEETING AGENDA INCLUDES THE MARCH SESSION OF THE ARKANSAS TECH BOARD OF TRUSTEES, MEETING AT 1 P/M, IN THE PENDERGRAPH LIBRARY ON  THE TECH CAMPUS.  RUSSELLVILLE ADVERTISING AND PROMOTION COMMISSION HAS A 1 P/M SESSION, IN THE RUSSELLVILLE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE CONFERENCE ROOM.  RUSSELLVILLE CITY COUNCIL PERSONNEL COMMITTEE HAS A 5 P/M SESSION IN THE FIRST FLOOR CONFERENCE ROOM.  THE CITY'S FINANCE COMMITTEE WILL MEET AT 5 P/M IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBERS, THIS JUST PRIOR TO THE FULL COUNCIL SESSION AT 6 P/M, IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBERS OF CITY HALL.  DOVER SCHOOL BOARD WILL MEET AT 6 P/M AND DANVILLE CITY COUNCIL AT 6;30.  POTTSVILLE AND TWO RIVERS BOARDS OF EDUCATION WILL MEET AT 7 P/M, IN THEIR RESPECTIVE LOCATIONS. 

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BOND HAS BEEN SET AT 50-THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR A 23-YEAR OLD BLACK MALE SUSPECT, ARRESTED BY POPE COUNTY SHERIFF'S AUTHORITIES ON ASSAULT ON A LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER CHARGES.  THE SUSPECT, IDENTIFIED AS ZACH STOKES, APPEARED ON WEDNESDAY BEFORE POPE COUNTY DISTRICT JUDGE DON BOURNE.  JUDGE BOURNE FOUND PROBABLE CAUSE TO HOLD THE SUSPECT OVER FOR AN APRIL 30th PLEA AND ARRAIGNMENT HEARING IN POPE COUNTY CIRCUIT COURT.

 

BOND WAS ALSO SET AT 20-THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR A 43-YEAR OLD INDENTIFIED AS BARRY DUKE, ARRESTED ON A FELONY WARRANT PERTAINING TO POSSESSION OF A CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE WITH INTENT TO DELIVER CHARGES.  DURING THAT WEDNESDAY COURT SESSION, A 10-THOUSAND DOLLAR BOND WAS ALSO ESTABLISHED FOR 32-YEAR OLD KATIE SAENZ, ARRESTED BY RUSSELLVILLE POLICE ON POSSESSION OF DRUG PARAPHENALIE AND 25-YEAR OLD JUSTIN BEAN, TAKEN INTO CUSTODY ON FELON IN POSSESSION OF DRUG PARAPHENALIA.  THESE SUSPECTS ARE ALSO SCHEDULED TO APPEAR FOR AN APRIL 30th POPE COUNTY CIRCUIT COURT HEARING.

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A CORNERSTONE OF THE RUSSELLVILLE BUSINESS COMMUNITY HAS PASSES.  RIVER VALLEY RADIO HAS LEARNED OF THE DEATH OF TROY BURRIS.  BURRIS AND HIS BROTHER, ROY OPENED BURRIS OFFICE MACHINES IN 1953 ON MAIN STREET, AND LATER MOVED AND EXPANDED THE BUSINESS TO SOUTH ARKANSAS AVENUE. BURRIS LATER CONVERTED THEIR ORIGINAL BUSINESS LOCATION INTO BURRIS MEMORIAL PARK, ON THE CORNER OF MAIN AND SOUTH ARKANSAS. A COMMUNITY LEADER, BURRIS WAS ACTIVE IN A NUMBER OF CIVIC ORGANIZATIONS THROUGHOUT HIS LIFE.  HE WAS AN ARKANSAS TECH GRADUATE, AN AVID ATU SUPPORTER, AN U.S. ARMY OFFICER, AND WAS PART OF AN ARKANSAS TECH MILITARY UNIT THAT SERVED IN THE ALEUTIAN ISLANDS, DURING WORLD WAR TWO.  FUNERAL SERVICES ARE BEING COORDINATED BY HUMPHERY FUNERAL OF RUSSELLVILLE.  TROY BURRIS WAS 93.

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NEWS HEADLINES FOR 0317-15

TODAY'S (TUES.) MEETING AGENDA INCLUDES THE MARCH SESSION OF THE RUSSELLVILLE CITY CORPORATION BOARD, SET FOR 3 P/M, IN THE UTILITY'S HEADQUARTERS ON WEST THIRD STREET.  RUSSELLVILLE SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS WILL REVIEW TWO CHANGE ORDERS AND DISCUSS RE-EMPLOYMENT OF ADMINSTRATORS, SUPERVISORS AND COORDINATORS FOR THE 2015-16 SCHOOL YEAR, DURING THEIR MARCH SESSION TONIGHT (TUES.).  STUDENTS OF THE MONTH WILL BE RECOGNIZED, AND SEVERAL CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS WILL BE ADDRESSED.  BOARD COMMITTEE REPORTS WILL GET UNDERWAY AT 6:15, WHILE A MEETING OF THE FULL BOARD IS SET TO BEGIN AT 7 P/M. 

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LOCAL EMERGENCY OFFICIALS WERE ABLE TO SUCCESSFULLY RESCUE A CONWAY COUNTY MAN WHO HAD REPORTEDLY JUMPED OFF THE ARKANSAS RIVER BRIDGE AT MORRILTON ON SUNDAY. ACCORDING TO POLICE CHIEF SONNY STOVER, SEVERAL CALLS WERE MADE TO 9-1-1 AROUND 4:30 P.M. REPORTING A PERSON HAD JUMPED OFF THE BRIDGE. ONCE ON SCENE, OFFICERS NOTICED A WHITE MALE FLOATING IN THE RIVER ON HIS BACK. OFFICERS CONTACTED THE CONWAY COUNTY MOUNTED PATROL AND THE MORRILTON FIRE DEPARTMENT TO BRING RESCUE BOATS, AND STOVER SAYS THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS ABLE TO RESCUE THE PERSON APPROXIMATELY THREE-QUARTERS OF A MILE DOWN RIVER FROM WHERE HE JUMPED. THE 60-YEAR-OLD OPPELO MAN WAS TRANSPORTED BY AMBULANCE TO CONWAY REGIONAL HOSPITAL FOR TREATMENT AND EVALUATION.

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BOND HAS BEEN AT 25-THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR A 40-YEAR OLD BLACK FEMALE, ARRESTED ON AGGRAVATED ROBBERY CHARGES.  THE SUSPECT, IDENTIFIED AS TAMMY PRICHARD, APPEARED ON MONDAY BEFORE POPE COUNTY DISTRICT JUDGE DON BOURNE.  JUDGE BOURNE FOUND PROBABLE CAUSE TO HOLD THE SUSPECT OVER FOR A MAY 4th PLEA AND ARRAIGNMENT HEARING IN POPE COUNTY CIRCUIT COURT.

 

BOND WAS ALSO SET AT 5-THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR A 39-YEAR OLD WHITE MALE SUSPECT, TAKEN INTO CUSTODY ON THEFT BY RECEIVING CHARGES.  THAT SUSPECT, IDENTIFIED AS JERRY BROWN, WILL ALSO BE HELD OVER FOR AN EARLY MAY PLEA AND ARRAIGNMENT HEARING IN POPE COUNTY CIRCUIT COURT.

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THE ARKANSAS TECH UNIVERSITY DEPARTMENT OF ADMINISTRATION AND FINANCE WILL HOST A RETIREMENT RECEPTION FOR GAIL VAUGHAN, BOOKSTORE MANAGER, AND MARILYN JOHNSON, DIRECTOR OF STUDENT ACCOUNTS AND CARD OFFICE, ON MONDAY, MARCH 30. THE COME-AND-GO RECEPTION WILL TAKE PLACE FROM 2-4 P.M. IN CHAMBERS CAFETERIA WEST DINING ROOM. VAUGHAN BEGAN HER ASSOCIATION WITH ARKANSAS TECH AS A FRESHMAN STUDENT IN 1983. SIX YEARS LATER, SHE JOINED THE FULL-TIME STAFF IN THE BUSINESS MANAGER'S OFFICE. SINCE 1991, SHE HAS SERVED AS BOOKSTORE MANAGER. JOHNSON IS RETIRING FOLLOWING 17 YEARS ON THE ARKANSAS TECH STAFF. THEIR RETIREMENT WILL BE EFFECTIVE MARCH 31st.

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