A Scott County man was arrested on Thursday, December 3 and charged with three counts of rape, sexual indecency with a child, three counts of aggravated assault on a family/household member, and second degree sexual assault, all felonies. He was also charged with three counts of endangering the welfare of a minor.
Jonathan Wayne Brewer, 36, of Mansfield, was later booked into the Scott County Detention Center. Circuit Judge Jerry Don Ramey granted Brewer a $30,000 bond. Brewer’s arraignment is scheduled for January 5, 2021 at 9:30 a.m.
Brewer is also facing multiple charges from May of 2020. Those include felony drug charges, as well as leaving the scene of an an accident involving personal injury, aggravated assault, and intimidating a witness, all felonies. Trial dates are pending for both of these cases. -See related story
The first official day of winter is December 21st. It’s common belief that many outdoor activities cannot be done in such cold months. One of the main hobbies that could be forgotten until spring is kayaking. Hitting the water in freezing temperatures? No thank you. However, those who are die hard kayakers may still choose to attempt such feats.
1. Dress for submersion- even the most experienced kayakers can hit too rough rapids and end up in the water. In cold conditions a dry suit is imperative!
2. Check temperatures- the rule of thumb is air temp + water temp should be 120*, if not get that wet suit on!
3. Wet feet = cold feet, which means cold all of you! Neoprene booties allow your feet to stay warm and dry even if they get wet!
Kayaking in the winter can be a beautiful experience! But it’s important to prepare yourself for the cooler temperatures so a joyful experience doesn’t turn into a miserable one.
County employees were invited to be in attendance at the special budget committee meeting held at the Scott County Courthouse on Friday evening, December 11 at 6 p.m. Concerns over the elimination of employee bonuses dominated that meeting.
Four county employees addressed Committee Chairman Larry “Bear” Brigance, and the remaining members: John Luttrell, Bob Hattabaugh, Bill Bates, Linda Vaughn, Tom Wagner, Tommy Roberson, and Donald Hill. Scott Thompson was absent.
Jamie Goff, a dispatcher at the Scott County Detention Center, asked committee members what had changed in this year’s budget to prevent bonuses from being given. “I, like a lot of my co-workers, depend on this money to buy big ticket items like tires for our vehicles…We’re all supporting families, and are all on a budget. At Christmastime we’ve got to really squeeze to get in those hours.” Goff went on to add that a question had been posed, “would Iprefer a bonus, or a $1 per hour raise? …The $1 per hour raise was just to offset the state mandated raise that we would be getting in January...Also, our elected officials get a three percent raise each year…” Goff went on to express concerns over hazard pay while working during the pandemic. “Crime never stops, we aren’t numbers on a budget, we are people…We’ve compared other counties…We are averaging $5-10,000 less per year doing the same job. If we don’t change this now, nobody is going to want to work for Scott County. It’s really disheartening.”
The answer to Goff’s initial question came a short time later when she again inquired what had changed in the budget. The committee chairman responded, “the mandated increase in the minimum wage.”
Deputy Clint McPherson spoke next regarding the passage of Arkansas Issue 5, the Minimum Wage Initiative, which passed in 2018. McPherson went on to state that the $1 increase to be in effect at the first of year was not a raise. “I’ve heard it called a raise. That statement is disingenuous in nature….This increase will not have the impact on people’s pocketbook that you may believe. When we go to buy bread and milk, clothes for our kids, or pay any one for any service, our costs will go up accordinglyand we’re no more above the poverty line than we were before. McPherson asked for a change in the way employees are viewed and valued. “My son told me a few months back that he was interested in doing what I do. I tried to explain to him that he didn’t want to do that. And, not because the job is dangerous or because it’s not an honorable profession. I told him that he would have an extremely difficult time raising a family…on what we are paid.”
McPherson concluded that the county’s low pay is the reason it’s been dubbed a “training ground…People come here, they get some experience and then leave to go to other departments who pay a reasonable amount.” Also, that the county’s insurance is “practically unattainable for anyone other than a single individual” and is “not the gold standard you believe it to be…The cost of insuring ones family, and still being able to provide with what’s left is practically impossible.”
Health insurance doesn’t pay the mortgage and does not put food on the table. -Clint McPherson
Last to speak, Amy Kastl, a jailer at the Scott County Detention Center. Kastl spoke on behalf of herself and other jailers and dispatchers, reading statements from her co-workers. Kastl shared the high stress and pressures associated with their line of work. She spoke about the “lack of incentives,” and that the bonus “at least let us know we could provide a decent Christmas for our families….I hear a lot about how great the benefits are…but the only time I tried to take advantage and get a bad tooth taken care of, I was denied. So the way I see it, we may not be able to buy food this week, but at least we can get our teeth cleaned.”
Brigance then responded. “We are all here because of lack of revenue…I appreciate each and every one of you. If I could, I would give you all a bonus…I wanna give you a $10 raise, but I can’t. I am limited on what I can do.” In short, Brigance explained that the anticipated revenue for next year, based on what was spent this year, puts the county overbudget. Brigance added that over $100,000 in budget cuts have already been made. “It was not an easy decision for us to make those cuts,” added Vaughn. “We get so much revenue, we budget so much,” concluded Brigance. “This is based on numbers, and numbers only. No sentiment whatsoever…it’s a simple concept.”
Judge Forbes added a comment regarding hazard pay, and funds from the CARES Act. “It’s been tentatively approved by the first committee, it has two more committees to go through…as soon as it goes through, I will get with the Quorum Court.”
Forbes recommended that a committee, comprised of county employees, be formed at the first of the year to examine the pay scale and to formulate solutions.
The motion was made by Vaughn to vote on the issue of employee bonuses. Voting against: Brigance, Luttrell, Hattabaugh, Bates, Vaughn, Roberson, and Hill. Voting for: Wagner, stating “I’ve never voted against any kind of raise or a bonus, and I won’t tonight.”
With no other items of business, the special meeting of the budget committee adjourned at 6:59 p.m.
If you haven’t had the privilege of watching the Hackett Jr High Hornets play basketball then you are “swishing” out! The Jr Hornets picked up their sixth win of the season last night as they hosted the Magazine Jr High Rattlers to a full buffet of poppin’ threes, poundin’ boards, and nothin’ but net. When the final buzzer sounded, Hackett stood with a full-bellied final winning score of 50-26. This upgrades the Jr Hornets to a total season record of 6-3.
Dawsyn Clay
Cole Ketchum earned a double serving of points with 17 on the game by playing faster than the blink of an eye. Ketchum was un”ketch”able the entire night as he was gone quicker than a cheesecake in the Golden Girls’ kitchen. With 9 points in the match, Eli Slavens can not only get shots to land due to his eagle eye shooting but he can also see what his opponents are planning shutting down their plays faster than an E.coli outbreak at a chicken plant.
Cole Ketchum
Brothers Datyn and Dawsyn Clay might be cut from the same cloth but they are most definitely their own suits. Datyn pinned down six points by aggressively going after that orange ball in the sky like a bull to the color red. And Dawsyn gained 4 points with his hotter than catfish in a skillet moves that left him dancing circles around the Rattlers. Wyatt Hester charged the court with unyielding stamina that allowed him to play minute after minute without delivering a lunch break to Magazine.
Hayden Foster
Standing taller than Mount Everest was Hayden Foster who bagged every Rattler’s attempt to defy gravity and score. Foster himself though had zero problem sinking shots as he netted 5 points from the game. And although Landon “Slammin” Slavens hit the hardwood towards the end of the game, it just goes to show you save the best for last. Slavens jumped into the match and before anyone knew what was happening he sunk a three faster than a toupee disappearing in a hurricane.
Next up, the Hackett Jr High Hornets are heading to Danville tonight, Friday, December 11, to try their hand at cleaning the Little Johns in a two-game sweep along with the help of the Sr Lady Hornets.
Determination. Perseverance. Great work ethic. Ambition. Talent. You name it and the Magazine Jr High Lady Rattlers have it. They tackle each game with a brand new attitude and have refused to shy away from any opponent that they approach. And Thursday night, it was no different. In last night’s head-to-head with the Hackett Jr Lady Hornets, the Jr Lady Rattlers stood firm like a palm tree on a Florida beach during a hurricane.
Ainslee Chappell
Magazine held the lead 5-1 after the first quarter but unfortunately faced problems with getting the ball to fall for the rest of the game resulting in a final score of 28-22 Hackett. The 7th Grade Lady Rattlers saw success though as they earned an 11-7 victory. The evening puts Magazine with a 2-4 season record. Earning 3 points in the match was Destiny Corley who fearlessly took charge of the court like a true CEO. Corley was able to find success offensively and defensively by reading her opponents better than Christopher Columbus reading a map.
Destiny Corley
Jailynn Sims and Gracee Franklin were a dynamic offensive duo when it came to droppin’ shots as each netted 7 points in the game. Sims and Franklin left their competition smacking their heads and saying “Hoop, There It Is” after each shot the duo launched. Callie Nicholas is an up and coming athlete who has been seeing success the entire school year. Nicholas, who picked up 3 points, played smoother than a bowling ball in a tournament on a Friday night with her pristine passes and gritty court flow.
#15 Gracee Franklin
And with 2 points in her back pocket was Sydney Erp who kept the Jr Lady Hornets on their toes all night by constantly guessing where Erp was going to pop up next. Erp was so quick and swift on the court that she left the Lady Hornets questioning their contact prescriptions due to the fact that they were unable to see her clearly.
Jailynn Sims
The Magazine Jr Lady Rattlers will suit up on Tuesday, December 15 for a conference showdown with the Lavaca Jr Lady Golden Arrows. Magazine will host Lavaca with a game plan to shoot the Golden Arrows back to purple and gold territory.
LITTLE ROCK – As the weather gets colder and the holidays approach, scam artists are using an age-old con to mislead Arkansans into believing their utility bills are unpaid. Scammers will call consumers using high pressure tactics and tell consumers that they must pay immediately over the phone, by money order, or bitcoin or their service will be turned off. This is absolutely false and a prime indicator of a scam.
“Arkansans should be skeptical of unsolicited calls in which the person is demanding immediate payment by phone and claiming that a water, electric or gas bill is late,” said Attorney General Rutledge. “I urge Arkansans to hang up and reach out to the utility company directly, using the number on their last bill or the company’s website to determine the status of their bill.”
Attorney General Rutledge released the following tips to ensure payment is sent to the utility company safely, securely and timely:
Contact the utility company directly by calling the listed number and verifying the amount owed.
Drop off the payment at the utility office or an authorized payment location.
Pay online on the utility company’s website with a credit card or call the company directly.
Consider participating in an automated bank account draft system, if it is offered.
Mail the payment to the company directly.
The scammer may also request that the recipient purchase gift cards or prepaid debit cards to pay off the amount owed. The scammer will ask for the code on the purchased card, which gives them complete access to money on the card. In most cases, once the prepaid card money is depleted, it cannot be recovered. Remember, utilities will not require you to pay by gift card or prepaid debit card – only scammers do that.
Arkansans should notify the company if they have been contacted by one of these scammers. If Arkansans have turned over money to the scammer, file a complaint with the Attorney General.
For more information and tips to avoid scams and other consumer-related issues, contact the Arkansas Attorney General’s office at consumer@arkansasag.govor visit ArkansasAG.gov.
At the beginning of the week, the Mansfield Jr High Tigers played host to the Mulberry Yellowjackets in a battle so fierce that even Douglas MacArthur would be proud. After dealing with a string of close losses in their last few matches, the Jr Tigers had had enough. They were done playing “games” and after four intense quarters, the Yellowjackets were left feeling their wrath. Mansfield had six players help deliver points and when it was all said and done, the final score was 36-11 Tigers upgrading their season record to 2-3.
Peyton Martin
Peyton Martin spent the night playing the Yellowjackets like they were pawns on a chessboard. Martin would see a gap or weakness in Mulberry’s defense and exploit it with a solid assist or just go for the gold and put up the points himself which garnered him 15 points in the game. Dakota Langford played solid as an oak against Mulberry. His aggressive rebounding tactics and soft-touch shots stung the Yellowjackets on multiple occasions in the game earning him 8 points.
Tyler Turnipseed
Zach Hayslip was ruthless in his ability to outmaneuver the Yellowjackets better than Muhammed Ali in a boxing match. Hayslip was so quick on his feet that often times Mulberry was five seconds behind him in every play leading him to score 6 points. When Mansfield needed points on the board they would just plant a Turnip”seed” and the scores would start to grow. Tyler was on fire all night as he shifted and scooted up and down the court assisting his teammates anywhere needed while also picking up 2 points of his own.
Dakota Langford
Defensively, Travis Tobey shot up and down the hardwood better than the Human Cannonball in a Ringling Brothers circus, blocking any chance for the Yellowjackets to get anything going offensively. Tobey also netted 3 points of his own in the process. And with 2 points was Cameron Pettus who made quick work of terminating the Yellowjackets better than Billy the Exterminator by never letting up under the basket swatting down Mulberry’s net dreams.
Travis Tobey
The Mansfield Jr Tigers get court time again tonight, December 11, when they host the Acorn Tigers in a fight to the finish to determine who will come out as the top Tiger!
This week is a triple-feature of Da’ Bayou Sweets, Bottlecaps Candy Shop & Parties Bayou, and Pixels Arcade, located at 110 S. Coker Street, across from the police department, next to Cucina’s Pizza. All three are owned by John and Kris Horne, with their son Addisen being partial-owner of Pixels Arcade. The reason the businesses were created was to provide young persons with jobs.
Formerly located on Main Street, Bottlecaps Candy Shop & Parties Bayou has been in Greenwood since 2016, and moved to their current location in 2019. The shop offers nearly 100 craft sodas, full of novelty and bulk candy. It also offers candy bouquets, and has a party space with a photo booth room!
Da’ Bayou Sweets opened in Greenwood in 2019, and is known for their snowballs, with over 75 flavors, similar to snowcones, but better. Very popular are their gourmet Voodoo Snowballs, available with tons of different toppings or candy. Blue Bell Ice Cream, shakes, and ice cream cookie sandwiches are also on the menu, and new are Bougie shakes, which are over-the-top ice cream shakes loaded with toppings. Any snowball flavors can be made into shakes.
Pixels Arcade opened in August. Part-owner Addisen Horne is a junior at Greenwood High School, being mentored by his parents in business. His idea was to start a retro arcade similar to the ones of the 80s. Apart from retro arcade games, there are also some old game systems, a pinball machine, and multiplayer games. The arcade is $5.00 to enter and people can play all the games without coins. Pixels Arcade is offered with candy shop parties as well. It is open Wednesday & Thursday 4 – 8 p.m., Friday & Saturday 1 – 9 p.m., and Sunday 1 – 7 p.m.
Da’ Bayou Sweets and Bottlecaps Candy Shop & Parties Bayou share hours of Tuesday – Saturday 1 – 8 p.m. and Sunday 1 – 7 p.m. during winter. During summer they are open seven days a week from noon to 9 p.m.
They can be reached by phone at (479)252-4615 for all three, or visit them online at https://bottlecaps-candy.square.site. They are also on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Google.
Cool nights call for warm beverages, it’s basically a science! There are the basic ones- coffee and hot chocolate, but what about hot vanilla? Oh yes, you need to give this hot vanilla milk a try!
This is an easy recipe! I love sharing easy things! There are 3 basic ingredients and then you can tweak to taste!
