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INSIDE TODAY Diamond Weevils clinch GAC regular-season title 1C ADVANCE-MONTICELLONIAN 75¢ WEDNESDAY, APRIL 24, 2019 SERVING DREW COUNTY SINCE 1870 DEA drug THANKS FOR A JOB WELL DONE take back New tuition, upcoming nursing laws MPD, DCSO to help with local residents to help UAM in front of Walmart BY MELISSA ORRELL children are graduating from the BY HAROLD COGGINS [email protected] [email protected] same high schools. The only differ- ence is their citizenship. For many It’s a shame, really. With all the Parents often worry about how of our representatives, this hurt Ar- discussion lately about the growing they will pay for their children to kansas economically and it needed opioid epidemic in America, far too go to college. Many start saving to change. few people know how to properly for college a long time before their Arkansas House Bill 1684, dispose of unused drugs that may child even know what college is, which was signed into law on be cluttering their medicine cabi- some as soon as they fi nd out they April 10 by Gov. Asa Hutchison, nets. are expecting. was a bipartisan bill sponsored by That’s primarily why the U.S. For immigrants in many states in Rep. Dan Douglas, R-Bentonville, Drug Enforcement Administration the United States, the amount they and co-sponsored by Rep. Megan began a program called the “Na- Harold Coggins/Advance-Monticellonian have to save for their children to go Godfrey, D-Springdale. The bill tional Prescription Drug Take Back PEER PRAISE Former Drew County Quorum Court District 7 Justice of the Peace Patty Mitchell (third to college is usually around double addressed the obstacles faced by Day.” Now 17 years old, the annual from left) is honored for her years of service on the QC by (from left to right) fellow JPs Tommy Gray what their U.S. citizen neighbors Arkansas immigrants that want to drive is here. Both the Monticello (District 5), Chris Barnett (District 6), Carole Bulloch (District 4) and Roger Harris (District 3) Monday are paying, sometimes as much as attend college in the state they grew afternoon. Mitchell served on the court from 2010-18. three times the cost. Both sets of Police Department and the Drew See NEW LAWS Page 9A County Sheriff’s Offi ce are partici- parents are paying taxes and their pating in this national effort. Offi cers will be set up in the Walmart parking lot, 427 U.S. Highway 425, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. This joint endeavor Uber driver helping city catch up with ‘big time’ by the DEA and law enforcement agencies across the county address- es a crucial public safety and public BY MELISSA ORRELL Drew County and it’s usually pretty good In- health issue. [email protected] ternet. Phone service is spotty but usually the According to the 2017 Na- Internet is pretty good. I don’t know when tional Survey on Drug Use and Many people all across the country are that is going to turn around.” Health, six million Americans mis- ordering or getting into an Uber or Lyft car Over the course of his time as a driver, used controlled prescription drugs. right now. Not unlike many rural areas, un- Ferguson stated that the majority of his calls The study showed that a majority fortunately, Monticello is not known for are for older people who do not have family of abused prescription drugs were its public transportation or cab companies. to take them places. He has done everything obtained from family and friends, Frank Ferguson, a Monticello resident, no- from driving someone home from the emer- often from those home medicine ticed the lack of those services and became a gency room to driving an elderly resident to cabinets. certifi ed Uber and Lyft driver. the grocery store so she could buy her dog “This free service allows the “Lyft says they are being more aggressive food. public to anonymously discard pre- about pursuing business in the rural areas and “That has been the typical type of trans- scription medication and address- that may be the case,” said Ferguson, who portation I have provided and that is kind of es a vital public safety and public originally was certifi ed through Uber but is what I had envisioned when I started doing health issue,” Drew County Sheriff now certifi ed also through Lyft. “I do both. this,” Ferguson said. “It wasn’t to make mon- Mark Gober pointed out. “During I don’t know which one is necessarily better ey. I knew there wouldn’t be a great demand this time, citizens are encouraged than the other because I don’t have much ex- for it but I thought there would be more de- to bring expired or unwanted pre- perience with Lyft. But they (Lyft) claim that mand than there has been right now. For peo- scription drugs to the collection site they have more rural access than Uber.” ple who needed a ride and didn’t have one for According to Ferguson, however, there a variety of reasons, there is no public trans- to eliminate the potential for mis- Mellissa Orrell/Advance-Monticellonian use, abuse or accidental poisoning. is generally a lack of drivers in rural areas portation in town and not a cab company or “In addition to the improper because most people have cars—or at least UNIQUE JOB Frank Ferguson is Monticello’s fi rst certifi ed Uber driver. anything, so slowly but surely it is kind of disposal of medication such as know someone who does have a car that can fi tting a niche.” fl ushing them down the toilet or get them places. The hasn’t deterred Uber around here everyone has a car,” Ferguson change. Since a large part of his clientele is elder- throwing them in the trash—which and Lyft, though. explained. “If they don’t have a car, they “Uber and Lyft both predict that access in ly, Ferguson shared a web service that he can be hazardous to the public safe- “In an urban area, a lot of people may usually have a friend that has one who can rural areas will improve. They attribute it to believed could help people in Monticello not have a car and they wouldn’t need one provide some transportation—so that is part spotty Internet but that isn’t the case in Drew ty— public health and the environ- See UBER Page 9A ment are the keys. We encourage in a place like New York, for example, but of the challenge. I don’t know if that will County. Everyone has access to Internet in all citizens to check their medicine cabinets and to participate.” According to DEA statistics, 317,992 pounds of unused or ex- APRIL’S YARD OF THE MONTH Monticello pired medication has been col- lected in Arkansas during the fi rst 16 national prescription drug take gets new back days. That’s a part of the 10,878,950 pounds (or 5,439.5 police offi cer tons) of pills that have voluntarily turned in at collection centers in all Monticello Police Chief 50 states, the District of Columbia, Jason Akers has announced Guam, Puerto Rico and the U.S. a new addition to his de- Virgin Islands since 2002. partment—his first hire Saturday is just the fi rst of two since becoming chief April national prescription drug take 1. back days annually. The other is Officer in October. However, should both Jerome those days be missed, there are Perez year-round disposal sites set up in has com- all 50 states. To fi nd a year-round peted drug disposal site near Monticello, require- visit https://apps2.deadiversion. ments usdoj.gov/pubdispsearch/spring/ at the main?execution=e2s1 and simply Arkan- fi ll out the information requested. Jerome Perez sas Law “The most recent data shows Enforce- that Arkansas leads all surrounding states in prescription drug abuse ment Training Academy for ages 12-18,” new MPD Police and has graduated in the Chief Jason Akers said. “The take first class of 2019. He back enables parents or caregivers joined MPD this week. to dispose of left over prescription “Officer Perez is a very drugs safely, keeping the drugs dedicated police officer with a very bright future,” from being diverted from their le- Melissa Orrell/Advance-Monticellonian Akers said of the hiring. gitimate use to being abused. FIRST OF 2019 Cindy and Denver Robinson, who reside at 402 West Union Street, receive congratulations from Monticello-Drew County Chamber of “Ailing family members who “We are proud to call him Commerce Executive Director Glenda Nichols (right) for having won the Yard of the Month for April. The Yard of the Month contest is sponsored by the ours and glad to have him.” Town & County Garden Club and the chamber. The Robinsons, who are both retired, still do all their own yard work, both in the fl owers and in a vegetable See DEA Page 9A garden—the produce of which they often share with their neighbors. To nominate a deserving yard in the Monticello area, call the chamber at 870-367-6741. INDEX Opinion ..............4A Calendar ............2A Religion .............3B EXTRA! Classifi eds ........ 5C Sports ............... 1C ROVING REPORTERS Obituaries ..........8A Weddings ..........1B EXTRA! OUR 148TH YEAR ;OPZ`LHYTLTILYZVM[OL(K]HUJL4VU[PJLSSVUPHUZ[HќHYTLK NUMBER 17 • 40 PAGES with their smartphone cameras, will be out about town looking for interesting subjects. WILL YOU BE NEXT? 2A | Wednesday, April 24, 2019 NEWS Advance-Monticellonian | mymonticellonews.net | 870-367-5325 COMMUNITY CALENDAR GOING ON NOW U.S.