Week in Review 11-27 to 12-3

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Judge approves sale of NABORS equipment



     The sale of personal property owned by the Ozark Mountain Waste District’s NABORS landfill and Rossi Road office locations, which are no longer in operation, has been approved by a Pulaski County circuit court judge.

     According to court records, the bid of $461,000 from a Huntsville businessman was approved Thursday by Circuit Court Judge Tim Fox. The proceeds will go to Bank of the Ozarks, trustee for the bondholders and the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality, who filed suit against the waste district to recover an over $11 million debt. It is not clear how the proceeds will be used and/or if any will be applied to the outstanding debt.

     At a meeting Thursday of the board members of the waste district, made up of judges and mayor of cities in Baxter, Boone, Carroll, Marion, Newton and Searcy counties who comprise the district, a recommendation by the receivers for debt recovery was heard. The recommendation of an annual assessment of $18 on the nearly 69,000 residential and business structures within the six counties was not well received by the board. Although the members expressed displeasure of the recommendation, they agreed to take no action until more information was available.

     It is anticipated the annual assessment, which is expected to total nearly $1,242,000, would continue until about 2035, when the entire obligation would be repaid.



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Pipkin brings 25 years economic development experience to Mtn. Home



     Jeff Pipkin, an Arkansas native and economic developer with over 25 years experience will be joining the Mountain Home Area Chamber of Commerce as CEO/Economic Developer. Board Chairman Scott Copeland, who made the announcement Monday afternoon, expressed his enthusiasm at Pipkin’s decision to join the chamber.


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     Pipkin, who says he has already met with some chamber board members and business leaders, admits most of his familiarity with the Twin Lakes Area is as a tourist. He says tourism is an industry which needs continued focus.


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     Representatives from the local retirement industry have also reached out to Pipkin.


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     Pipkin wants to focus on bringing new industry to Mountain Home. He believes the area is well suited for call centers, data centers, back office operations and corporate headquarters.


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     A native of Bald Knob, spent 11 years with ENTERGY as an industrial recruiter in their economic development department working with a number of Arkansas communities on industry development projects. From ENTERGY he went to Russellville.


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     A certified Professional Community Economic Developer and an International Economic Development Council Certified Economic Developer, he is a graduate of Arkansas State University in Jonesboro and holds a certificate from the Institute of Organizational Management from the U. S. Chamber of Commerce.

     Pipkin and his wife Jo-Gina, a nurse who will be joining Baxter Regional Medial Center, have an adult son and daughter.



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Stone County investigates death of four-year-old



    The Stone County Sheriff’s Department and Arkansas State Police Criminal Investigations responded to the Stone County Medical Center Saturday evening, on November 19th, after an attending physician believed the death of four-year-old Skylar Shellstrom was the result of a homicide.

     According to Sheriff Lance Bonds, on the same evening James “Hagen” Glenn and the child’s mother, Victoria Dycus, called Stone County 911 to report Skylar was not breathing. An ambulance was dispatched and she was declared dead shortly after her arrival to the hospital. Her body was sent to the Arkansas State Crime Laboratory Medical Examiners office for autopsy and the official notification was her death was the result of a homicide.

     Bonds says this is an ongoing investigation and if any member of the public has pertinent information they can contact the Stone County Sheriff’s Department at 870-269-3825.

     Further details will not be released until an appropriate time so the investigation isn’t hindered.



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Baxter County Sheriff to display stolen items



     The Baxter County Sheriff’s Department recently announced plans to display stolen items, at the fairgrounds in unit C-3, which were recovered from an arrest yesterday.

     Investigator Jaime Cole from the Sheriff’s Office explains.


Listen:



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     Cole says the Sheriff’s Department is not going to release the name of the suspects yet and a date and time for the stolen items display has not been set. She says they are planning to have the event soon. When it occurs the public will need to enter through the West gate to get to the C-3 building.

     Stay tuned to KTLO, Classic Hits and the Boot for more details.



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Flippin woman arrested on drug and shoplifting charges



     Mountain Home Police arrested 43-year-old Bambi Denece Hogan of Flippin Tuesday on drug and shoplifting charges. Police investigated an initial report from a business indicating one of its employees may have committed a theft.

     Investigators determined the employee allegedly stole various items from the business totaling around $350 and learned Hogan had a needle containing possible methamphetamine in her purse. It was also discovered she had two outstanding arrest warrants.

     Bambi Hogan was charged with felony possession of a controlled substance and misdemeanor shoplifting and possession of drug paraphernalia.

     She was booked into the Baxter County Detention Facility with bond set at $4,801 and scheduled to make her first appearance in court Thursday.




   

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