Arkadelphia, Ark. –

U.S. Congressman Mike Ross, center, cuts a ribbon to recognize the re-paving of Skyline Drive. Ross was accompanied by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers officials; County Judge Ron Daniell; Arkadelphia Mayor Chuck Hollingshead, left; Caddo Valley Mayor Alan Dillavou, right; Bill Wright, president of Southern Bancorp…

Arkadelphia, Ark. –

2000

Arkadelphia city officials and Water Utilities employees moved into the newly constructed Town Hall in November, despite a “few things” that had yet to be finished. The old city hall, adjacent to where Fire Department Station 1 is now, was later torn down.

The veteran memorial was placed on the north lawn of the Clark County Courthouse.

The City of Amity constructed a new City Hall.

2009 – the year in review

Local manufacturing plant Delta Wire announced on Aug. 6 that it would be shutting down operations effective immediately. Clarksdale Plant Manager Gary Downey attributed the plant’s closing to the general nationwide economic downturn and a drop in tire sales. 76 employees lost their jobs as a result of the plant closing.

A week later, in response to the Delta Wire closing, District 26 Rep. Chuck Espy called a meeting with local politicians and businessmen to discuss the future of Clarksdale without Delta Wire.

Shawnie Carrier, executive director of the Arkadelphia Regional Economic Development Alliance, left and Connie Nelson, executive director of the Arkadelphia Area Chamber of Commerce, chat with Southern Bancorp employees Carrie Price, third from left, and Carrie Roberson, far right, during an Open House Thursday.

Bob Moore, publisher of Carroll County News and the Lovely County Citizen is among three nominees in the county for 2010 Henry Awards, presented annually by the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism. Opera in the Ozarks and the Eureka Springs Parks and Recreation Commission are the county’s other nominees.

The Southern Good Faith Fund issued a call Monday for the state to find more money to help match low-income Arkansans’ college savings.

Mike Leach, the fund’s public policy director, said the “Aspiring Scholars” program is growing and the current state funds aren’t enough to sustain the matches.

The Aspiring Scholars Matching Grant Program showed a successful first year helping Arkansans save for college, according to a report released today by Southern Good Faith Funds Public Policy program.

Aspiring Scholars was authorized by the Arkansas Legislature under Act 597 of 2007. The program offers an incentive, in the form of a savings match, for low- and moderate-income Arkansas families to save for their childrens’ college education using the GIFT College Investment Plan. The GIFT Plan is Arkansas 529 college savings plan.

Arkadelphia, Ark. –

The Arkadelphia City Board of Directors met with a bare quorum Thursday in Town Hall to discuss “findings” from a recently performed 2007 audit; to consider a resolution for the 2010 budget; and to consider annexing a parcel of land to the city limits.

Directors Don Hager, DeDe Baldwin and Anthony Owen were absent.

Auditors found “compliance issues” with how city officials used accounting practices as spelled out by U.S. Government Auditing Standards, though the city did conform to the Arkansas Code.

City Manager Jimmy Bolt told directors that the city “overall performed very well” with its principles.
The first finding was the “segregation of duties” among city administrators in accounting. Bolt said the city is not able to hire enough employees for certified standards, but responded in a memo to auditors that “offices will segregate the duties … to the extent possible with the current staffing levels.”

Gurdon, Ark. –

On Tuesday, November 17th, a meeting was held at Dino’s Main Street Café in Arkadelphia, to discuss housing a nurse practitioner in the Gurdon Clinic located on Second Street. At the present time, the Arkadelphia Clinic for Children and Young Adults ran by Dr. Wesley Kluck is using the clinic two – half days a week Monday and Friday.

Shelley Loe, from Southern Bancorp, brought the group together to see what measures might be taken to have a full time nurse practitioner housed in the clinic during the other days of the week.

Honor recognizes exceptional service to the community

Southern Bancorp is one of six financial institutions to receive a 2009 Southeast Community Bank “GIVE” Award, which honors exceptional community service. “GIVE” stands for charitable Giving, community Involvement, Volunteerism and employee Engagement. Judges chose the winners from community banks in seven southeastern states based on criteria including objectives, strategies and results.