RUSSELLVILLE CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE VOTED IN SPECIAL SESSION TO RETURN TO THE TREASURER/CITY CLERK FORM OF GOVERNMENT, AFTER HAVING A DIRECTOR OF FINANCE FOR SEVERAL YEARS. DURING A TUESDAY NIGHT SESSION, CALLED FOR THE SECOND READING OF A PROPOSED BROUGHT UP RECENTLY, DISCUSSION ON THE LEGALITY OF THE PROPOSED ACTION WAS DISCUSSED FOR ALMOST A HALF HOUR. CITY ATTORNEY TREY SMITH SAID HE'D BEEN IN CONTACT WITH THE MUNICIPAL LEAGUE AND THEY WERE REVIEWING THE MATTER, BUT IT WAS HIS OPINION THAT THE PROPOSED CHANGE WAS LEGAL. ACTING MAYOR SCOTT SANDERS. WHO CAST THE DECIDING VOTE, SAID HE FULLY SUPPORTED THE MATTER. MAYOR TYRONE WILLIAMSON WAS NOT PRESENT FOR THE MEETING, BUT SAID TUESDAY NIGHT THAT HE WAS CONSIDERING A VETO OF THE VOTE. WILLIAMSON HAD HIRED A NEW DIRECTOR OF FINANCE EARLIER IN THE AFTERNOON TUESDAY, BEFORE THE SPECIAL COUNCIL SESSION. THE MAYOR SAID HE BELIEVES A FURTHER REVIEW OF THE VOTE BY THE MUNICIPAL LEAGUE WILL QUESTION ITS LEGALITY.
ALDERMEN BILL EATON WAS ONE OF THOSE ASKING FOR CLARIFICATION ON WHAT THE CHANGE WOULD ENTAIL...
VOTE ON THE PROPOSAL WAS UNANAMOUS AMONG THOSE IN ATTENDANCE. ALDERWOMEN FREDDIE HARRIS AND FAYE ABERNATHY WERE ALSO NO PRESENT FOR THE VOTE.
THE IDENTITY OF A FEMALE FIRE VICTIM AT A RESIDENCE IN LONDON HAS BEEN RELEASED. POPE COUNTY CORONOR LEONARD KROUT SAYS 40-YEAR OLD STACY TAYLOR WAS KILLED IN THE INCIDENT. AUTHORITIES SAY LONDON FIRE DEPARTMENT PERSONNEL WERE RESPONDED TO A HOME IN THE 200 BLOCK OF PRICE ROAD AT APPROXIMATELY 1:40 A.M. THE STRUCTURE WAS SIGNIFICANTLY INVOLVED UPON THEIR ARRIVAL. LONDON EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAM MEMBERS AND POPE COUNTY EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICE PERSONNEL WERE ALSO CALLED TO THE SCENE. FIREFIGHTERS LATER DISCOVERED THE BODY OF THE VICTIM INSIDE THE STRUCTURE. LONDON FIRE CHEIF CHUCK HEINZEN SAYS POPE COUNTY SHERIFF'S AUTHORITIES AND THE ARKANSAS STATE POLICE ARE INVESTIGATING THE INCIDENT AND CAUSE OF THE BLAZE.
YELL COUNTY SHERIFF'S INVESTIGATORS SAY THEY ARE AWAITING EVIDENCE BEING REVIEW BY THE STATE CRIME LAB IN AN EFFORT TO DETERMINED THE CAUSE OF A RECENT FIRE THAT CLAIMED THE LIFE OF A 3-YEAR OLD BELLEVILLE GIRL. IVY CURTIS DIED IN THE AUGUST 15th BLAZE, WHICH FIREFIGHTERS SAY BEGAN IN THE CHILD'S ROOM. ALL OTHER OCCUPANTS OF THE HOME WERE ABLE TO ESCAPE WITHOUT INJURY. THE CHILD'S BODY WAS ALSO SENT TO THE CRIME LAB FOR EVALUATION. SHERIFF'S DETECTIVE JOHN FOSTER SAID TUESDAY THAT CRIME LAB OFFICIALS HAVE GIVEN HIM NO TIMETABLE WHEN A RULING ON THAT EVIDENCE MIGHT BE AVAILABLE AND STATED HIS INVESTIGATION INTO THE INCIDENT IS CONTINUING.
TUESDAY'S ELECTION REGISTRATION DEADLINE FOR PROSPECTIVE RUSSELLVILLE CITY COUNCIL CANDIDATES COMPLETED A TWO WEEK CYCLE, WITH SOME INTERESTING RACES SHAPING UP. INCUMBANT PHIL CARRUTH WILL FACE CHALLENGER GENE DAUGHTRY FOR THE WARD 1/POSITION 2 POST. INCUMBANT FREDDIE HARRIS AND HUGH DORMINY WILL VIE FOR THE WARD 2/POSITION 1 SEAT. INCUMBANT SCOTT SANDERS WILL FACE HAROLD COX IN WARD 3/POSITION 2. INCUMBANT RANDALL CROUCH WILL VIE FOR RE-ELECTION TO WARD 4/POSITION 1 AGAINST CHARLES LYNN COLLINS, AND A FOUR WAY RACE DEVELOPED IN THE WARD 4/POSITION 2 POST. GERHARD LANGGUTH, MARTIN IRWIN, STEVE PYLE AND GARLAND STEUBER REGISTERED AS CANDIDATES. FAYE ABERNATHY, THE INCUMBANT IN THE WARD 4/POSITION 2 DID NOT SEEK RE-ELECTION. INCUMBANTS CLIFF KIRSHNER, BILL EATON, AND ROBERT WILEY WERE NOT CHALLENGED IN THEIR BID FOR RE-ELECTION.
MEMORIAL SERVICES HAVE BEEN SET FOR FRIDAY FOR LONG TIME RUSSELLVILLE BUSINESSMAN AND QUORUM COURT MEMBER PHIL BOURNE, WHO DIED ON TUESDAY. BOURNE, INSTREMENTAL IN THE COUNTY GOVERNMENT FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS AS A JUSTICE OF THE PEACE AND WAS ACTIVE IN A NUMBER OF CIVIC ORGANIZATIONS, WHERE HIS WIT AND WISDOM WERE ALWAYS ENJOYED, AND WILL BE MUCH MISSED. BOURNE WAS ALSO A FAMILAR FACE AND CORNERSTONE SALESMAN AT COGSWELL MOTORS FOR SEVERAL DECADES. SERVICES WILL BE HELD AT 11 A.M. FRIDAY AT CENTRAL PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.
A LONG TIME YELL COUNTY FINANCIAL INSTITUTION HAS PROPOSED A MERGER WITH NORTHWEST ARKANSAS BANKING CONCERN. JOHN CHAMBERS THE THIRD, C-E-O OF CHAMBERS BANK ANNOUNCED THAT THE BANK HAD FILED AN APPLICATIUON WITH THE ARKANSAS STATE BANKING DEPARTMENT AND F-D-I-C TO MERGE WITH CHAMBERS BANK OF NORTWEST ARKANSAS, WHICH IS CHARTERED IN FAYETTEVILLE. UPON COMPLETION OF THE MERGER, CHAMBERS BANCSHARES INCORPORATED WILL HAVE OVER 750-MILLION DOLLARS IN TOTAL ASSETS. CHAMBERS BANCSHARES IS THE HOLDING COMPANY AND THE BANK'S CHARTER WILL REMAIN IN DANVILLE AND YELL COUNTY, ACCORDING TO THE PROPOSAL. THE MERGER IS SUBJECT TO APPROVAL BY THE F-D-I-C AND THE ARKANSAS BANKING DEPARTMENT.
