In This Issue Jail, roads
dominant issues for Co. Judge Mark Thone
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Winter 2014
Features PILT funding secure one more year ..........................................................................15
Critical habitat designations awaken Arkansans .................................................18 County jails slammed with demands .......................................................................28
Inside Look Arkansas State Red Wolves pep rally at the Capitol .............................................24
2014 AAC scholarship application process ............................................................31 AAC second annual human resources summit ......................................................35 Assessors assemble in Little Rock ...........................................................................41
Legislative reception at Governor’s house
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Departments Calendar of Events .........................................................................................................6
Desha Co. celebrates 175 years
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From the Director’s Desk ..............................................................................................7 President’s Perspective ................................................................................................9 Attorney General Opinions .........................................................................................11 Governmental Affairs ..................................................................................................12 From the Governor .......................................................................................................13 County Law Update ......................................................................................................14 Savings Times 2 ...........................................................................................................15 Research Corner ..........................................................................................................18 Seems to Me .................................................................................................................20
Cover Notes: Moonlit Arkansas State Capitol and Little Rock skyline.
ur state’s Capitol is the arena and stadium and venue where important decisions are made that impact all Arkansans. And this game has much more at stake then just what’s on a score board. No, this game touches the people of Arkansas much more than football, basketball or baseball. It touches their personal lives, their professional lives, their ability to earn a decent living, and to do so in safe communities where good people can thrive. The actions here help determine the quality of the schools their children will attend or the level of health care they can access when they need it the most. The busi- ness done here reaches to the far corners of the Natural State and instead of touchdowns, three-pointers or RBIs; it is the conversations and the votes here that truly determine victory or defeat for Arkansas. This is where we try to get it right, and if we don’t, this is where we can fix it.
O COUNTY LINES, WINTER 2014 “
Photographer Chris Finlay
When obstacles arise, you change your direction to reach
your goal; you do not
change your decision to get there. — Zig Ziglar
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PROFILE
Yell County Judge Mark Thone in his office in Dardenelle.
By Jennifer Barnett Reed For County Lines
— has been one of the most enjoyable parts of his first term. “I’ve gotten to meet some people around the county and the state that I probably wouldn’t have ever met,” Tone said. “I’ve seen some areas of the county I’d never seen before, and I never took the time to see how beautiful it really is. It’s just a remarkable place to visit. It’s been a lot of fun.” Tone, who was born in Dardanelle and graduated from high school there in 1975, has farmed row crops since he graduated from the University of Central Arkansas. Terry, his wife of almost 30 years, is an elementary school teacher there. Tey have two grown sons — Cory, 27, who’s studying for a master’s degree in broadcast journalism at Arkansas Tech University, and Adam, 23, a graduate of Tech’s culinary arts program who’s now a chef at Big Cedar Lodge near Branson. Tone has always been involved in civic activities. His father was civil defense director for the county when Tone was growing up, so he spent a lot of time around the county’s two courthous- es. But when he was first approached about running for county judge three years ago, he initially said no. But after talking with his wife and doing some praying, he decided to go ahead with
I 38 COUNTY LINES, WINTER 2014
t’s hard to imagine that a man who’s lived in the same coun- ty for all of his 56 years would have any corners of it left to explore. Yell County Judge Mark Tone, though, says finding those corners — and the people who live in them
AAC C O N F E R E N C E R E C A P » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » »
Johnson County
officials spend a little time with Governor Mike Beebe during the AAC’s legislative reception at the Governor’s Mansion in November.
Pictured from left are: Mike Jacobs , AAC board of director presi- dent, Alicia Nowotny, circuit clerk, Gov. Beebe, Michelle Frost, county clerk, and Leta WIllis, Treasurer.
Legislative reception at the Governor’s house
Above: Chris Villines, AAC executive director, visits with Sharon Oglesby, Little River County chief deputy collector .
Right: Lonoke County Judge Doug Erwin and his son, Luke, take a moment to for a photograph on the ballroom steps.
42 COUNTY LINES, WINTER 2014
AAC F A M I L Y & F R I E N D S » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » Desha County Courthouse
Desha County celebrates 175 years For County Lines
McGehee Dermont Times-News
Dignitaries and county leaders gathered in Arkansas City Dec. 7 to celebrate the 175th anniversary of Desha County. Despite the cold and wintry weather the state experienced in
early December planned events went ahead as scheduled for Desha Counties 175th birthday celebration. County Judge Roy Rodgers served as master of ceremonies and featured speakers included lo- cal historian and District Judge Gibbs Ferguson who provided an oral history of the county and its beginnings as well as president of the Desha County Historical Society Helen Pennington. Former Speaker of the Arkansas House of Representatives, now a Highway Commissioner, Robert Moore, Jr. also addressed the crowd. Te Arkansas City native spoke on the importance of preserving local history and its impact on future generations. Boy Scout Troop 42 from McGehee served as color guard for
Saturday’s event and McGehee High School alum and UAM Homecoming Queen Kiara Newhouse performed for the crowd. For more information on the county’s history, Desha County His- torical Society publications are available at the Desha County Mu- seum and Ferguson Law office, or visit
deshacountyhistorical.org. Te start of a new county Arkansas had only been a state two years when an outcry from
residents along the south end of the Arkansas River and east of the White River petitioned the Second Arkansas General Assembly for a new county. At the time, the area that would become Desha County was primarily in Arkansas County. Te county seat was located at Arkansas Post located on the north side of the Arkansas River about 15 miles from the old mouth of the Arkansas River where the port City of Napoleon once prospered along the Missis- sippi River. Roads at the time were probably little more than In- dian trails across the swampy wilderness, bridges across the many creeks and bayous were non-existent and there were only a few, unreliable ferryboats. To conduct county business, one must go by steamboat and then by smaller boat when the river was low from Napoleon and other settlements along the Mississippi River to reach Arkansas Post. Tis was burdensome. Te petitioners also objected to the area’s lawlessness and isola- tion. Te new county would be called “Desha” in honor of Captain
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Benjamin Desha who was appointed in 1822 by President Monroe to be “the keeper of public money” in the new Arkansas Terri- tory. Steven Van Ryan, a very prominent merchant and warehouse owner at Napoleon, was elected to the Second General Assembly. He and others pushing for the creation of the county were obvi- ously shrewd and influential for they managed to carve all the area bordering the Mississippi River from Arkansas County. Te shape of the first Desha County looked differently than in 1838, due to two boundary changes over the years. Te southern and eastern boundary stopped near Napoleon and extended almost due west to several miles west of the current town of Star City Te area east of the White River which is Mississippi Township had already established several river landings and William Montgomery had a very prosperous warehouse and trade center at the mouth of the White River. Rivers were the superhighways at the time and all vessels going up the Arkansas River went through the mouth of the Arkansas River at Napoleon or the White River Landing. (After the McClellan Kerr Navigation System with its locks and dams was completed, all Arkansas River traffic begins near what was once White River Landing.) Te new act established that the new Desha County would meet the second Monday in March 1839 at the home of William Sex- ton at Wellington Plantation or Wellington Landing to elect the first county officers. New officers were elected, but court was never held at this location which was recently re-discovered by brothers Oscar and Gary Peppers of the Watson Hunting Club. Tey ac- cidently discovered a small corner of William Sexton’s monument while squirrel hunting near the Arkansas River. Approximately 50 years ago the timber company that owned the land on the “river side of the levee” had harvested the hardwood timber. Te monu- ment and gravestones were all pushed together with equipment and buried in the debris. A hackberry tree was growing atop the mound of gravestones. Oscar and Gary Peppers were curious that a chunk of marble would be in the wilderness and dug out the monument. Dr. John House of the Arkansas Archeology Survey has surveyed
the area and the timber company has agreed never to disturb the area around the gravestones in the future.
COUNTY LINES, WINTER 2014
COUNTY OFFICIAL
Jail, roads dominant issues for Yell Co. Judge Mark Thone
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