Yes Radio Works

March 18, 2024

CAMDEN WATER UTILITIES ANNUAL CITY WIDE SYSTEM FLUSH
Camden Water Utilities will be conducting it’s annual city wide system flush, starting Monday March 25th and lasting until Friday, March 29th 2024.  Caution should be used when washing clothes as sediment will be present from time to time during this period.

Camden Water Utilities would like to apologize for any inconvenience this may cause its customers and ask for your patience and understanding during this time frame.

Should customers have any question concerning the system flush they can call 836-7331.
 

MOUNTAIN VIEW MAN PLEADS GUILTY IN 2022 QUADRUPLE HOMICIDE
March 15, 2024
Donnie Lee Trammell, 56, of Mountain View pled guilty to four counts of First-Degree Murder in Stone County Circuit Court on Thursday, March 14, 2024, in connection with the deaths of his parents, William Clinton Trammell, 75, and Sharon Trammell, 72; and neighbors, Shirley Watters, 77, and James Watters, 55.

Donnie Trammell was sentenced to 60 years in the Arkansas Division of Correction.

On Thursday, April 21, 2022, the Stone County Sheriff’s Office requested the Arkansas State Police Criminal Investigation Division investigate the deaths of the four victims, who died as a result of gunshot wounds.

Shirley and James Watters were found dead in their Northcutt Road home, south of Mountain View. Several hours later, the bodies of William and Sharon Trammell were found murdered inside their home, located a short distance from the Watters residence.

In May 2022, Donnie Trammell was charged with the shooting deaths of all victims. At that time, he was being held at a local jail on unrelated probation violations.
 

TWO ARKANSAS MEN ARRESTED IN SEPARATE CHILD PORN CASES
March 15, 2024
Arkansas State Police (ASP) arrested a Benton man on Friday, March 8, 2024, charging him with 250 counts of Distributing, Possessing, or Viewing of Matter Depicting Sexually Explicit Conduct Involving a Child.

On February 29, 2024, ASP’s Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force opened an investigation into Gregory Lynn Westbrook, 27, after receiving a cyber tip related to the distribution of child sexual abuse materials.

With assistance from the Saline County Sheriff’s Office, Westbrook was taken into custody on March 8, 2024, by ASP Agents and transported to the Saline County Detention Center.

On Thursday, March 14, 2024, Agents with the ICAC Task Force and the Texarkana Police Department executed a search warrant in the 1400 block of Orleans Street in Texarkana, seizing electronic devices and other evidence at the home of 38-year-old Jonathan McLean.

McLean was taken into custody at his place of employment and later transported to the Miller County Detention Center, charged with 100 Counts of Distributing, Possessing, or Viewing of Matter Depicting Sexually Explicit Conduct Involving a Child. 

 

ARKANSAS STATE BROADBAND OFFICE LAUNCHES STATEWIDE MAPPING CHALLENGE PROCESS
Little Rock, Ark. (March 18, 2024) – The Arkansas State Broadband Office will launch its Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) mapping challenge process on Wednesday, March 20.

This months-long process will enable stakeholders in Arkansas to challenge the accuracy of the Federal Communications Commission’s National Broadband Map and the levels of internet service reported at homes and businesses throughout the state. Stakeholders will be able to challenge data provided by the map but must submit evidence of the inaccuracies.

Eligible challengers in this process include units of local government, nonprofit organizations, and internet service providers, under federal BEAD program regulations.

The Arkansas State Broadband Office has worked to allow everyday Arkansans the ability to have their voices heard in the months leading up to the mapping challenge. The state’s mapping challenge portal system will allow for units of local government and nonprofit organizations to submit challenges on behalf of everyday Arkansans.

“We have been preparing for this process for well over a year,” said State Broadband Director Glen Howie. “As a result of intensive stakeholder outreach and engaged residents across the state, our counties are organized and ready to go. We look forward to launching this historic process.”

The broadband mapping challenge process will be conducted in advance of the state awarding broadband infrastructure grants.

The BEAD program, administered by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), provides $42.45 billion to U.S. states, territories, and the District of Columbia to expand broadband access, fund deployment and mapping, and address affordability and digital skills needs. In June 2023, the NTIA announced that Arkansas would be awarded $1,024,303,993.86 in BEAD funding to expand broadband access and address affordability and digital skills needs in the state.

The Arkansas State Broadband Office was authorized to begin the mapping challenge process following the NTIA’s approval of Arkansas’ BEAD Initial Proposal Volume 1. This proposal outlines how the state will run its mapping challenge process for grant-eligible locations.

Tentative timeline for Arkansas’ BEAD mapping challenge process:

March 12, 2024: User guide and location listings posted online; portal registration begins

March 20, 2024: Challenge portal opens; challenges accepted for 30 days

April 19, 2024: Challenge rebuttals accepted for 30 days

May 19, 2024: Challenge adjudication begins

June 17, 2024: Challenge process concludes

The new state broadband map and challenge portal system can be accessed on the Arkansas State Broadband Office’s website at broadband.arkansas.gov. A user guide and additional resources are also available, including a new and improved speed test application.

For more information about how to participate in this process, please contact the Arkansas State Broadband Office via email at broadband@arkansas.gov.


ATTORNEY GENERAL GRIFFIN CO-LEADS 25-STATE LAWSUIT TO BLOCK FEDERAL RULE HARMFUL TO OIL AND GAS JOBS
Griffin: ‘This rule severely impedes the ability of oil and gas operators in Arkansas to do business, all for the sake of extremely marginal environmental gains that may not even exist’
LITTLE ROCK – Attorney General Tim Griffin released the following statement after co-leading a lawsuit on behalf of 24 state attorneys general and one state legislature in the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit blocking emission standards set by the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA):

“The EPA’s rule for emissions regulating the oil and gas industry sets standards that far exceed the agency’s statutory authority. It severely impedes the ability of oil and gas operators in Arkansas to do business, all for the sake of extremely marginal environmental gains that may not even exist. If this arbitrary rule stands, it would result in the loss of Arkansas jobs.

“This is a classic example of overreach by the executive branch with little regard for the real-world impacts of its actions. That’s why I’ve joined with 24 other states to petition the D.C. Circuit to declare this rule unlawful and vacate the EPA’s enactment of it.”

March 15, 2024

CAMDEN SPRING BREAK STAYCATION COMMENCES
It’s time for the Camden City Spring Break Staycation. March 18th through the 22nd will see the Out of this World Sidewalk Chalk Art Competition.! Grab some sidewalk chalk and create an "Out Of This World" masterpiece. All ages are welcome, just call 870-836-5755 to register. Each person will be assigned a square downtown for their masterpiece. Each masterpiece will be posted on Camden Police Department Facebook page for judging. Make sure to get downtown on March 22nd to look at all the masterpieces then cast your vote on Facebook!

The Calm and Collected Youth Workshop will be offered at Tru Story Counseling. Attend this FREE workshop on Monday, March 18 for ages 11 to18. Tru Story will talk about the importance of mental health, provide resources and have a fun mental health focused craft for kids to keep! Snacks and drinks provided! Visit https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx

March18th from11:00 AM until noon Artesana Soap will offer a 12:00 PM Soap Making Class (Melt & Pour) Only 6 spots are available. Cost is $30.00 per child. Must come by Artesana Soap in Downtown Camden to register. This is for ages 6-12 years.

Let's have tea! Because this event is a popular one, there are now three tea times for your girls. Please text Shelby Stone at 870-820-4179 to reserve your spot. Tea Party for ages 3 – 5 will be at 10AM. Ages 5 – 7 will be at 12:30 PM and ages 8 - 11 will be at 3PM. The tea party will be held at 222 Dallas Ave NW in Camden.

March 19th from 5:30 until 8:00 PM will see Bingo Night. Back by popular demand… BINGO. There will be Prizes, Refreshments and free fun. 7 Years and younger will play from 5:30 to 6:00 PM. 8 to 12 years will play from 6:15 PM – 7:00PM 13 to 18 years will play from 7:15PM - 8PM. Bingo night will be at 1023 W Washington St in Camden.

March 20th let you child build their own pizza. It’s a Build Your Own Pizza event Jacob's Well Coffeehouse and Bakery from10:00 AM until 1:00 PM  Cost is $10 per person. Toppings include: Cheese, Pepperoni, and Sausage. Jacob’s Well is located at 2005 Fairview Rd SW, Camden.

March 20th will see a Solar Eclipse Program at the Library located at 405 Cash Rd SW in Camden from10:00 until 11:00 AM  Kids, join us during spring break as we learn about the upcoming solar eclipse and how to view it safely. Among other things we will make a cereal box eclipse viewer to take home. Program is free. If you do have cereal boxes, please bring those. For more information call 870-836-5083.

On March 20 from 2:00 until 5:00 PM there will be a Cardboard Competition. Get your thinking caps on and those creative juices flowing! This is a new event to the Staycation lineup. FREE for students 6th Grade & up Register your TEAM of up to students to enter this competition. One adult must accompany each team. Prizes will be given to 1st, 2nd, & 3rd places! TEXT Shelby Stone at 870-820-4179 to register your team. This event will be held at the Ouachita County Extension Office located at 625 S Adams Ave, Camden. Sponsored by Ouachita Abstract

March 21st from1:00 to 6:00 PM Perfect Cup will host the Board Game Blowout on the patio. Fun for all ages. Let's have some good old game board fun for the afternoon out on the patio. Perfect Cup is located at1226  Country Club Rd in Camden.

Nerf Night will be held on March 22nd from 5:00 to 7:00 PM. Join this Nerf War between Camden Police Department and Camden Fire Department. Nerf supplies will NOT be provided, you must bring your own. Safety glasses have been donated by Shady Grove Properties. FREE TO PLAY. There will be door prizes, From 5:00 to 5:45PM will be time for Ages 4 to 6 years. 6:00 to 7:00 PM will be for Ages 7 to 12 years. Nerf War will be held at Cullendale First Baptist1850 Cash Rd SW in Camden.

There will be a Spring Break Fishing Derby Saturday, March 23rd. All ages are welcome. The Derby will be held at Camden Fairview High School Pond 1750 Cash Rd SW in Camden. This is a Free Event. Registration is at 8:00 AM. The Derby will be from 9:00 Am until 12 Noon

Get ready Camden. It’s the 2nd annual Spring Break Food Truck Festival! The Festival will be March 23rd from 4:00 to 9:00 PM at Jefferson & Harrison Streets in Downtown Camden. There will be a variety of tasty food trucks & vendors, live music and good family fun!

Teen Girl's Night Out. Calling all Swifties!! March 21st from 5:00 to 7:00 PM. This one's just for our TEENS Gather your girls, get dressed up, and have some fun: Taylor Swift themed Charm necklace creating at The XOXO Co. 360° Photo Booth at Southern Realty Group, Shopping & Dining and a fun trolley ride around Downtown! Only 20 spaces available, so get yours soon. Tickets are only $20 each. To reserve your spot, please text Shelby Stone at 870-820-4179.

There will be a Spring Break Fishing Derby Saturday, March 23rd. All ages are welcome. The Derby will be held at Camden Fairview High School Pond 1750 Cash Rd SW in Camden. This is a Free Event. Registration is at 8:00 AM. The Derby will be from 9:00 Am until 12 Noon

Get ready Camden. It’s the 2nd annual Spring Break Food Truck Festival! The Festival will be March 23rd from 4:00 to 9:00 PM at Jefferson & Harrison Streets in Downtown Camden. There will be a variety of tasty food trucks & vendors, live music and good family fun!

 

ASP ARRESTS JACKSONVILLE WOMAN AFTER FLEEING THE SCENE OF AN ACCIDENT IN PULASKI COUNTY
March 14, 2024
Arkansas State Police (ASP), with help from the Jacksonville Police Department (JPD), arrested Alexandra Faye Coulter, 31, of Jacksonville, on Monday, March 10, 2024, on felony charges of Theft of Property, Endangering the Welfare of a Minor, and Leaving the Scene of an Accident with Injury/Fatality.

At approximately 8:40 p.m., ASP responded to the scene of a two-vehicle accident that occurred on Interstate 440 East. Four people who were in one of the vehicles involved in the crash were taken to a local hospital and treated for minor injuries. The driver of the other vehicle, identified as Coulter, stole a vehicle belonging to a citizen who stopped to render aid. Coulter then fled the scene with a child and crashed the vehicle into a ditch on Faulkner Lake Road in North Little Rock.

Coulter was located by JPD at her residence and taken into custody. JPD transported her to the Pulaski County Detention Center.


STATE CAPITOL WEEK IN REVIEW FROM SENATOR MATT STONE
March 15, 2024
LITTLE ROCK – A legislative committee voted to add $25.2 million to a revolving loan fund for safe drinking water projects.

The majority of the funds will be loans, but local water systems can apply to have the principle forgiven.

The state Division of Natural Resources brought the funding request to legislators on the Performance Evaluation and Expenditure Review Committee (PEER).

Legislators on the committee, especially those who represent rural areas, emphasized the need for the Natural Resources Division to extensively publicize the availability of the funds. One senator said that the water systems that most need financial help are most likely to be the ones that are not aware of the availability of grants and loans.

Legislators asked for copies of the application form to share with water systems and small cities in their districts.

The Natural Resource Division uses a formula to determine whether or not a water system qualifies for forgiveness of the principle. Rates paid by customers are a factor, so that rates are held down as much as possible. The formula takes into account the per capita income of ratepayers and a system is considered “rate burdened” if customers pay 1.5 percent of their income on water bills.

The action by PEER is the latest in a series of efforts to improve the infrastructure of water systems throughout Arkansas. Last month the Natural Resources Division announced that $42 million would become available for water systems serving 22,000 people.

In other action PEER recommended approval of $1.7 million for the state Workforce Services Division to strengthen its fraud prevention team.

The money will pay for extra staff and enhanced training with new technology that more quickly identifies fraudulent claims for unemployment insurance benefits. Prison inmates have filed for benefits. Also, some people fraudulently file claims in numerous states. Others file for unemployment even though they are working.

According to Division officials, Arkansas is in the top ten nationwide in holding down improper payments for fraudulent claims.

PEER also approved a request from the Department of Human Services for $2.9 million so that the state can join a national program to provide lunches for disadvantaged children during the summer. The children qualify for free or reduced priced meals during the school year, but those meals are not available in summer months.

The federal government will provide matching funds. A spokesman for the Human Services Department estimated that 373,000 Arkansas children would be eligible for the lunch program.

In other action, PEER recommended allowing the state Health Department to use about $8.1 million to update the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program so that recipients can interact online.

The upgrades will allow recipients to digitally schedule appointments online and to fill out forms that now are on paper.

A new option will allow participants to “chat” electronically and ask questions online. After the upgrades are in place, the system will have an online shopping platform to allow WIC participants to shop online for groceries.


ATTORNEY GENERAL GRIFFIN HIGHLIGHTS WORK DONE ON BEHALF OF ARKANSAS CONSUMERS
Griffin: ‘[T]hese divisions are uniquely positioned to be on the front lines of educating, protecting, and serving those who live, work, and invest in Arkansas’
LITTLE ROCK – Attorney General Tim Griffin issued the following statement highlighting the work done by his office in 2023 on behalf of Arkansas consumers:

“Last week was officially National Consumer Protection Week, but in my office, we place the highest priority on protecting Arkansas consumers every day of the year. I want to publicly praise the work done by my office’s Public Protection Division (PPD) and Office of Community Relations (OCR). While everyone in the Office of the Attorney General is committed to serving our state’s consumers, these divisions are uniquely positioned to be on the front lines of educating, protecting, and serving those who live, work, and invest in Arkansas.

“In 2023, PPD closed 46 formal investigations, an increase of 17 over the previous year’s total. They also initiated 17 new lawsuits—five more than in 2022—and obtained $10.6 million via mediation, more than doubling the previous year’s total. PPD also investigated 229 8-1-1 (‘call before you dig’) complaints and received and processed information about 95 data breaches. 

“These stats are only a portion of all that PPD did on behalf of Arkansas consumers in 2023. I am supremely proud of PPD, which operates under the leadership of Deputy Attorney General Chuck Harder.

“The Office of Community Relations is the primary conduit of interaction between my office and the people we serve. When a constituent calls or emails my office, a member of the OCR team will connect the constituent with resources within the office and services provided by other agencies/organizations. OCR also hosts events on issues facing Arkansans. Led by Anushree Jumde, the OCR team is an indispensable part of how the office functions, and they exemplify the commitment to service that I have prioritized.

“In 2023, OCR handled 48,457 phone calls and 42,953 emails. They held 36 events, which were attended by 5,426 people.”

To learn more about how the Office of the Attorney General serves Arkansas consumers, visit www.arkansasag.gov

Content

The Radio Works Family of Radio Stations welcome you to our site. Notice the tabs at the top of the page. We have tried to include everything that might be of interest to you. Please comment if you have requests or suggestions. We will keep the pages updated so you can know what is going on around all of South Arkansas. If you have a comment, community event, wedding, birth announcement or a swap shop item, let us know. If you are a business, visit our advertise with us page...give us a call and we will be glad to visit with you about your business....because.......
Yes Radio Works.

Birthday Club

Submit your birthdays here. Be sure to include the name, birthday and who the Birthday wishes are from in the message box.

           alt