Monticello Live

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According to Lt. Jason Akers, a multi agency investigation resulted in the arrest of a Cleveland County resident in Monticello last week.

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Linda Gail Sloan Rainwater, 52 of Dumas, Arkansas died February 28, 2012 in Dumas, Arkansas. Linda was born December 15, 1959 to the Commadore Edward Sloan, II and Juanita Varnell Sloan in Monroe, Louisiana. Linda attended the Pentecostal church and was a homemaker.

Survivors include her husband, Clinton Rainwater of Dumas, Arkansas two sons, Wesley Damon (Janice) Rainwater of Hot Springs, Arkansas & Tracy Andrew (Lisa) Rainwater of Monticello, Arkansas, daughter Amanda (Billy) Wright of McGehee, Arkansas. Her mother, Juanita Sloan of Tillar, brother Commadore Edward Sloan, III of Du Quoin, Illinois and 2 sisters, Janet Stoner of Batesville, Arkansas and Tommy Sue Hill of Pine Hill, Arkansas 10 grandchildren, Dylan, Delaina, Morgan, Ava, Kenneth, Codi, Kaylee, Hunter, Hayden and Hannah and 1 great grand daughter, Jaycee survive her.

Visitation held from 6-8pm, February 29, 2012 at Griffin Funeral Home.

Services are 2 PM Thursday, March 1, 2012, Griffin Funeral Home with Rev. Michael McFall officiating and burial in Walnut Lake Cemetery.

Arrangements by Griffin Funeral Home, Dumas, Arkansas.

 The sign that prohibited use of public restroom was removed from City Hall earlier today.

The “Stink Stirred at the Monticello City Hall” story was feature on at least one Little Rock TV station, with 2 others request photos for possible use today.

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Joe Burgess has announced his intentions to seek the office of Alderman for the City of Monticello.  Burgess plans to file today for the Ward 2, Position 1 seat.

Burgess, a life-long resident of South Arkansas, and a 20 year resident of the Monticello area, is owner and operator of MonticelloLive.com, which was honored as the 2011 MEDC / Chamber of Commerce “Business of the Year.”

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Check out this old tricycle, Made entirely out of steel except for the seat ,wheels and tires, Note that the tires are pieces of flat rubber around the wooden rim, Never had to worry with flats.

Come see this and many other interesting items on display at your Drew County Museum, We are open Fridays from 1pm till 5pm, and Saturdays from 2pm till 5 pm and Sunday by appointment.

If you are interested in becoming a member of the Drew County Historical Society, memberships are $25 Dollars for a single membership or $40 for a family membership. Please mail your membership request to The Drew County Historical Society 404 South Main Monticello, AR 71655.

This week let’s look at the east side of the block of South Main beginning at East College Avenue and continuing nearly to East Bolling Avenue. The first lot where we begin now holds a quaint little duplex that once claimed a “refreshing” spot in Monticello’s history.

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Chris Barnett, of the Greenhill community, has announced her intention to seek re-election to the position of Justice of the Peace for District 6 on the Drew County Quorum Court.

She and her husband, Buddy, attend Wilmar Methodist Church.

Barnett is a life-long resident of Drew County, and owns Chris’ Hair Care, formerly known to many residents as The Hair Pen.

Susan Jasay recently was traveling in eastern Ashley County on HWY 82 and took this video of a bear removing a “roadkill” deer from the ditchbank.

That “patch” of woods borders Drew County.

Thanks, Susan, for sharing your video.

According to Sheriff Mark Gober, the Drew County Sheriff’s Deparment received a report, on the morning of February 17, that a cow had charged at and struck a man in his chest while he was out working in a garden on Florence Road.

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According to the Arkansas state board of embalmers and funeral home directors, Christian Brothers Funeral Home, of Monticello, reportedly violated state policy in the case of a July, 2011 funeral.

Larry Brown is the registered manager and a funeral director for Christian Brothers.  Robbiezine Owens is also a licensed funeral director, there.  Michael Jones is owner of Christian Brothes , and is an apprentice funeral director.

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An 18 wheeler driver was charged with DWI-drugs, drinking on the highway, and criminal mischief with property damage, after he turned off of HWY 425 South at EZ Mart, and drover his empty dump truck across their yard, getting his truck and trailer hung up on concrete barriers.

Onlookers at the store watched as the driver attempted several times to get his truck out of the ruts it had made in the store’s yard, while trying to get it off of the concrete blocks. (more…)

This week we will look at the east side of South Main Street between East Jackson and East College streets. We will begin at the site of the present First United Methodist Church. I have been unable to determine the exact type of building that formerly occupied the space where the church stands today although I suspect it may have been a family home.

That said, I have learned some interesting facts about the church that I’d like to summarize for readers. Organized in 1852, this early United Methodist congregation built the first church structure in Monticello in 1853 on their land deeded to the church by Wiley Crook. This lot sat north of our present library on the fenced lot where a handsome, two-story red brick apartment building rests today. The organizer and first minister for the church congregation was Reverend H. R. Withers.

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Sen. Mark Pryor and the MEDC / 20 for the Future Delegation in Washington DC

8 business and community leaders from Monticello spent Tuesday and Wednesday in Washington D.C., meeting with with all 6 members of our state’s national representatives, detailing a list of local needs, in hopes of getting or continuing funding of several Monticello / Drew County projects.

Meetings were with with Senators Mark Pryor and John Boozman, as well as Congressmen Tim Griffin, Mike Ross, Rick Crawford and Steve Womack.

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“When you’re working with special needs, they’re giving you the best they’ve got. When you think of everyday people, you’ve got people that aren’t giving their best, they know they’re not, and they’re okay with it.” – Karen Caldwell

"AJ Huffman joined the Caldwell's team at the 2011 Polar Plunge.

On June 25, 1967 in Heidelberg, Germany, Morris and Gertrud Donham welcomed their youngest child into the world. As they counted her ten fingers and ten toes, they likely wondered what her future would hold. What would she do with her life? What impact would this child have on the people she encountered? Today, citizens of Monticello, AR are thankful for the daughter they raised and the blessings she has spent her life pouring out to others.

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These are two baby carriages that are on display in the museum complete with antique dolls,

These are real working carriages and I can just imagine them strolling down Main Street when it was a dirt road, which would explain the need for springs separating the axles from the carriage.  There’s quiet a difference in these and the newer ones of today.

Come see this and many other interesting items on display at your Drew County Museum, We are open Fridays from 1pm till 5pm, and Saturdays from 2pm till 5 pm and Sunday by appointment..

If you are interested in becoming a member of the Drew County Historical Society, memberships are $25 Dollars for a single membership or $40 for a family membership. Please mail your membership request to The Drew County Historical Society 404 South Main Monticello, AR 71655.

This week let’s continue down the west side of South Main Street beginning at its intersection with West College Avenue and continuing to West Bolling Avenue. Of course we all know that the block begins with the former private home that now houses the Drew County Historical Museum. The house was built in 1906 by Garvin Cavaness using bricks molded onsite with a Sears brick-making machine. The house became the permanent home of the Drew County Museum in 1970. For a more detailed description of the home and its history, see the 2006 Drew County Historical Journal.

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Happy Birthday Chief Deaton

Hope you have a great day and many more!

Love your family and co-workers

This week we’ll pick up our tour and cover the block on west side of South Main Street from West Jackson Avenue to West College Avenue. The first house we see on the north end of this block is the old Joe S. Harris house. Joe Harris was a native Monticellonian and retired brigadier general for whom the local American Legion Post was named. Harris’ military career began in 1903 as an Army private and ran through WWI (1917-1918), the formative years of the Arkansas National Guard and his command of National Guard troops during the disastrous floods of 1927. Harris was also the uncle of the late Eric Hardy, a founding father of the Drew County Museum.

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Check out this turn of the century wheel chair, complete with a “wicker” woven back and seat for comfort.

This old chair probably saw a lot of action at the old Drew County

Hospital.Come see this and many other interesting items on display at your Drew County Museum, We are open Fridays from 1pm till 5pm, and Saturdays from 2pm till 5 pm and Sunday by appointment. If you are interested in becoming a member of the Drew County Historical Society, memberships are $25 Dollars for a single membership or $40 for a family membership. Please mail your membership request to The Drew County Historical Society 404 South Main Monticello, AR 71655.

The tale of the famously haunted Allen House of Monticello is the subject of a new book by Mark Spencer, dean of the School of Arts and Humanities at the University of Arkansas at Monticello.

A Haunted Love Story, The Ghosts of the Allen House is a nonfiction intertwining of two stories: one family’s experiences residing in the house, and the story of the best known member of the Allen family, Ladell Allen Bonner (March 22, 1894 – January 2, 1949), whose hidden stash of over 80 love letters Spencer discovered under a floorboard in the attic. (more…)

Lyna Gulledge of Monticello has announced her candidacy for her 5th term to the office of Drew County Clerk in the upcoming May Democratic Primary Election. Mrs. Gulledge is a member of the Association of Arkansas Counties, Association of AR County Clerk’s and she has served from 2006 – 2011 as secretary for the County Clerk’s Association and currently the second Vice-President of the County Clerk’s Association. Mrs. Gulledge is a member of the Church of Christ.

Lyna and her husband, Greg, have one son, James. “It has been a pleasure to serve the citizens of Drew County as County Clerk. With my experience in the office, I would like to ask for your continued support and vote in the upcoming Democratic election.”