Monticello Live

Monticello’s Hyatt Field and Cotton Boll Stadium are back in business, following repairs to the base of the stadium lighting fixtures.

Monticello School superintendent Bobby Harper told MonticelloLive that Hyatt Field’s poles have had the welding operation completed, and have been inspected by certified welding inspectors, and that the field is back in service.

Starko Inc. had been contracted to weld 4 inch by 12 inch gussett plates to the base of the 4 light poles at Hyatt Field, with 12 gussetts being attached to each pole.  That began Friday, and continued Saturday and Sunday, until the task was completed.

The next game to be played at Hyatt Field will be Friday night as the Billies take on Little Rock McClellan. (more…)

The Quorum Court unanimously approved the Hospital Board’s request to borrow $14 million to fund the Hospitals building modernization plan. Construction could start within the next 15 months.

With the approval of the loan application; Phase I of the modernization will be to build and construct an Allied Health building containing services such as a sleep center, physical therapy, and an outpatient psychiatric program.

Additional services can be added to the building such as chemotherapy and radiation treatment programs and outpatient clinics. Phase II of the program will be the addition of 41 all private rooms replacing the current medical/surgical rooms.

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Drew County, Monticello, AR Fair Parade, 2009 from MonticelloLive on Vimeo.

Ann Hartness, age 36 of Monticello, was charged with DWI by the Monticello Police Dept. on Wednesday, Sept 16, following a 1 vehicle accident at the intersection of Patton and Edgewood.

Tuesday evening, September 22, between 7-8 p.m., Hartness was involved in another single vehicle wreck, this time on Barkada Road, just outside of the Monticello city limits, and was charged with DWI II by the Drew County Sheriff’s Dept.

The Ford Freestyle was towed Patton by Rod’s Wrecker, and from Barkada by Tommy’s Wrecker.

Hartness’ vehicle was also towed on Saturday, August 1 by J.A. Goad Towing., following another accident on Jefferson Street.

Monticello School Superintendent Bobby Harper told the school board at Tuesday night’s meeting that the 4 light poles over Hyatt Field have been recalled by their manufacturer, which has now reportedly filed for bankruptcy and is no longer in business.

The school district’s architect recently contacted the school to tell them that the poles are being recalled because of welds around the base of the poles, where the poles are attached to a concrete base, which are deteriorating in some cases of poles produced by Whitco, mainly in Texas, but not exclusively in Texas.

The Searcy school district has 20 poles like this; 4 of them are defective; forcing Searcy to cancel their home football games for the season. (more…)

Soon after the terrorists crashed the planes into the Twin Towers in New York City, and most Americans realized that we were not as safe as we all thought we were, country singer Alan Jackson released a song that summed up how a lot of people felt, and how they reacted.

The song asked, “Where were you?” on that September 11 morning, 2001.

As we stop and remember where we were that September morning, let’s also remember the Americans that lost their lives that day, and the families that were left behind.

Everyone is welcome to join in, and remember where you were, and what you did that morning,

(more…)

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The Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department held a Public Hearing Tuesday evening at the Sadie Johnson Community Center, to allow public input, as well as answer some questions about the proposed plans for a bypass of Monticello for the future I-69.

Approximately 90 area residents attended the informational meeting, to ask questions about their land, houses, and community.  I was able to go through the process of question and answers with a couple who are losing their home of 12 years to the new roadway, as they visited with one of the approximately 9 AHTD representatives who were present for the forum, representing different departments of the AHTD.

The official name of the “Monticello Bypass” is known as “job 020471”, and will begin near the “dead man’s curve” area of HWY 278 East, and continue to it’s end, on HWY 425 South, near the Drew Central Bus Shop.

AHTD brought to the meeting 3 16 foot long maps, showing in great detail the exact area, down to storage sheds, that will be directly affected by the construction.

Interchanges will be built at the 278 East and HWY 425 connection points, as well as it’s crossing with HWY 35 South/HWY 35 East.

3 overpasses will be built where the new roadway comes into the Old Deane Road, Old Troy Road, and Midway Route areas of construction.

The 8.6 mile project will also be raised over the crossing of the Arkansas Midland Railroad.

The project could begin as early as acquiring properties with the next year, and beginning the bid process for construction in the Fall of 2010.  The project will begin as a 2 lane highway, and will be expanded into a 4 lane divided roadway in the future. (more…)