Page 6 - 2016YearEndReview

6 – Friday, January 29, 2016 – El Dorado NEWS-TIMES
April 1
The Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department held a public involvement meeting in El Dorado to voice concerns and gath- er information for upcoming road work in their area. The state will rehabilitate Arkansas 335 in Union County toward the end of the year, widening the road, correcting sharp curves and creating shoulders for additional safety.
The work will begin west of El Dorado, off U.S. 82 and extend north to where Arkansas 335 meets Arkan- sas 7. People that will be affected by the construction showed up in great numbers. They were provided a place where they could write their concerns on comment forms, have some fears assuaged and get their questions answered by employees in the department. Section Head for the Environmental Division, Ruby Jordon emphasized the purpose of the meeting.
April 3
The push behind an effort to re- new the El Dorado Forward eco- nomic development tax now has an identifiable face and name.
El Dorado Works, described as a group of civic-minded residents dedicated to community and eco- nomic development, is hoping to convince the El Dorado City Council to call for a special election this sum- mer to continue the city’s one-cent, economic development sales tax for another 10 years.
The existing tax was approved by El Dorado voters in 2007. It will sunset on June 30.
April 5
NORPHLET – The flicker of flames inside the Norphlet High School library caught the attention of Coach Dennis Steele, NHS athletic director, Saturday morning when he went to the school to get papers for the day’s softball tournament. The fire was contained by noon by the Norphlet Volunteer Fire Department. School will be in session Monday as usual. The fire caused damage to the school’s library and some class- rooms. Students were told to report to the school’s auditorium on Mon- day for their room assignments.
Two lawsuits — one federal, the other state — have been filed against the city of El Dorado, the El Dorado Civil Service Commission, and the city’s police chief.
Two former 911 dispatch opera-
File photo
MUSIC: Karen Watkins, far, gives piano lessons to Adrianna Arnold, 9, at the South Arkansas Arts Center Monday, April, 13, 2015. Watkins, piano and voice instructor for the center is preparing Arnold for the student showcase May 14.
to deliver a controlled substance, methamphetamine.
According to Captain Charlie Phillips of the EPD, the department had been watching Maza for nearly seven months before the move to take him into custody.
Maza has a court date concern- ing the previous charges later this month, Phillips said.
When police entered Maza’s res- idence Friday and made the arrest, they went in on a warrant for meth- amphetamine. They found meth, ap- proximately a quarter-ounce, as well as approximately a dozen bottles of steroids and 20-25 labels. Police also confiscated two guns from the residence.
April 14
An El Dorado toddler was killed Sunday after his father accidentally backed over him with his vehicle as he was pulling out of the driveway of their residence, police said.
Officers responded at 5:40 p.m. to a report of an accident at the resi- dence in the 1500 block of East Main.
The boy, Daylon Kesee, who was 23 months old, was transported by ambulance to Medical Center of South Arkansas, where he was later pronounced dead.
“His daddy (David Kesee) didn’t see him as he was backing up. The child was behind the vehicle. It was just a tragic accident,” said Capt. Kev- in Holt, public information officer for the El Dorado Police Department.
April 14
Todd Moody pleaded guilty in a special court session Monday to a list of felony charges stemming from the April 2, 2014, murder of Titus Edwards.
Edwards, 37, was discovered on the sidewalk in front of a residence in the 500 block of West First Street by El Dorado police who were dis- patched in response to a shooting. He was pronounced dead on the scene from multiple gunshot wounds.
According to a probable cause affidavit, EPD said Moody con- fessed to the murder of Edwards when questioned the day after the incident.
Three witnesses said Moody fired more than 10 rounds as Edwards’ 6-year-old daughter watched from a nearby parked car.
In court, deputy prosecutor for the state Jeffrey Rogers stated Arkansas State Crime Lab results that Edwards was shot a minimum of 11 times.
April 2015
tors for the El Dorado Police Depart- ment have filed suits alleging that Police Chief Billy White helped to create a hostile and uncomfortable work environment by making inap- propriate, improper, unsubstantiated and unsolicited comments to and about the plaintiffs, Leslie Meshell and Michael Lacewell.
Both plaintiffs are represented by local attorney F. Mattison Thomas III, and both request a trial jury in their lawsuits.
White is named as a defendant, individually and in his official capac- ity as chief of the EPD, in both suits.
Meshell and Lacewell separate- ly filed grievances with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commis- sion and are now pursuing redress through the court system, per notices of rights that were issued by the EEOC, who advised the plaintiffs that they may file lawsuits in state or federal court.
The federal suit, which was en- tered Thursday into U.S. District Court, stems from a claim that Meshell leveled against White last year for alleged sexual harassment and unwanted advances.
White was cleared of any unpro- fessional conduct by the ECSC.
April 8
The City of El Dorado, with cooperation from the Arkansas Department of Transportation, AHTD, held a visionary meeting on Tuesday to discuss plans for the possible reconstruction of US 82 B, Hillsboro Street.
Concerned business owners piled into the El Dorado Confer- ence Center, where they met with AHTD employees., and viewed the layout of the road proposal and how it might affect their busi- nesses.
They also heard from various speakers on the subject such as El Dorado Mayor Frank Hash, Presi- dent and Chief Operating Officer of Festivals and Events in El Dorado R. Austin Barrow, and Director of Public Works Robert Edmonds, each of whom contributed to the topic. Edmonds fielded a number of questions from the audience before opening the proceedings back up to the public.
” The purpose today serves as an explanatory and visionary type of meeting. We haven’t decided anything yet. It is up to the resi- dents of the city,” Hash proclaimed in his opening statements.
April 10
El Dorado residents will have the opportunity in June to decide if they want to continue the city’s economic development sales tax.
The El Dorado City Council ad- opted two ordinances Thursday – one calling for a special election on June 9 and the other to levy the new one-cent sales tax if it is approved by voters.
The votes on each were unani- mous. The council’s rules were sus- pended and the ordinances were each read three times and adopted with emergency clauses, so they took effect immediately upon adoption.
April 12
An El Dorado man charged in one of the largest steroid busts in the na- tion in 2013 was arrested again Friday night at his home, where El Dorado Police Department officers secured more steroids, methamphetamine and guns.
Andrew Maza, 31 at the time of his arrest in December 2013, was arrested this time on a no bond war- rant for delivery of a controlled sub- stance-methamphetamine, maintain- ing a drug premises, and conspiracy