Local shoppers Dr. Mark Bryant ends 2017 score big contest with perfect entry 1B 1C ADVANCE-MONTICELLONIAN 75¢ WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2017 SERVING DREW COUNTY SINCE 1870 IT’S THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR All photos by Ashley Foreman/Advance-Monticellonian ANNUAL TRADITION Tuesday night’s 24th Monticello-Drew County Chamber of Commerce Carols of Christmas Parade drew old and young alike. The winning fl oats were: Business—Citizens Bank, fi rst place; Union Bank, second place; State Farm, Chris Bryant, third place; Schools—Monticello Elementary School, fi rst place; All About the Kids, second place; Drew Central Art Club, third place; and Church and Nonprofi t—Rockin’ L Arena, fi rst place; Holmes Chapel Presbyterian Church, second place; Girl Scouts, third place. Santa Claus even made his fi rst offi cial appearance in town. Increase in vehicle break-ins is concern to county, city City updates mobile home BY ASHLEY FOREMAN time Tuesday morning, a shotgun was taken. the doors will deter those who might just be • Stash before, not after, parking: Get in ordinances [email protected] Anyone with information on this theft or waiting around for an easy target. the habit of putting shopping bags in the any other criminal acts, Gober said, can con- • Keep it tidy: Almost any worthless per- trunk right when returning to the vehicle, Both Drew County and Monticello have tact the sheriff’s department. The report will sonal item that’s visible from the outside— rather than after parking at the next place. BY ASHLEY FOREMAN seen an increase in vehicle break-ins, ac- be anonymous. even an empty shopping bag—could be seen According to National Insurance Crime Bu- [email protected] cording to Drew County Sheriff Mark Gober. Each year, more than $1.255 billion in per- as a valuable or a carrier of valuables. If peo- reau spokesman Frank Scafi di, thieves some- Other counties and cities are also reporting sonal items and accessories are stolen from ple have wagons or SUVs that leaves the car- times linger in busy parking lots looking for In a brief meeting Tuesday the same increase in this type of crime. vehicles in about 1.85 million thefts; and for go area on display, drivers should consider valuables being moved out of sight. Don’t night, members of the Mon- These criminals are looking for anything every theft, experts estimate, there are sever- getting a cover. Most of these vehicles can be display to them what you have. ticello City Council voted to of value from loose change to electronics— al break-ins and attempted break-ins, accord- fi tted with inexpensive retractable covers to • Completely close windows and sunroofs: update mobile home ordi- nances No. 480 and 785. and for a large part, fi rearms. ing to AOL Autos on cnn.com. With these help keep shopping bags or other belongings It’s not just because thieves might reach in The newly amended or- Gober said DCSO would urge citizens to common-sense habits and preventative mea- out of sight. through the gap and open locks with a coat dinance, that took affect not leave fi rearms unsecured and to always sures, drivers can greatly reduce the chances • Conceal all the evidence: Don’t leave hanger. Open windows will disable the pres- immediately, states that no lock their vehicle. The Monticello Police their vehicles will become targets: any bait out for thieves; stow electronics and sure sensor in some car alarms, leaving the mobile home shall be moved Department readily concurred with that sug- • Lock doors: While this piece of advice accessories well out of sight—or better yet, vehicle more vulnerable to break-in and po- gestion. should be a no-brainer, up to a quarter of take it along. The evidence alone might be into the city limits of Monti- tentially giving thieves more time before the cello unless a permit of com- Also, citizens are urged to report any suspi- vehicle thefts are from unlocked cars, ac- enough to pique the interest of thieves so alarm sounds. cious activity promptly to law enforcement. cording to some law enforcement agencies. hide that, too—including power plugs, tell- pliance has been obtained • Get an alarm: If drivers don’t have an from the city of Monticello. In the theft that happened on Old Arkansas Even if drivers are running into the store for tale iPod adapters or nav-system windshield alarm system, they should get one. The noise COUNCIL Highway 13 near the Lake Monticello access a Coke, that’s too long to leave the vehicle’s suction-cup mounts. To be doubly sure, even BREAK-INS See Page 6A between 6 p.m. Monday evening and some- contents open for the taking. Simply locking put the cigarette lighter back in place. See Page 6A County under Local extension agent gets national awards MORE GROWTH IN MONTICELLO immediate BY HAROLD COGGINS and will discuss the past, present her national attention. burn ban [email protected] and future of the society at a meet- When a person initially thinks ing sponsored the local AAS Tuni- about 4-H, they often envision Drew County Judge Rob- Monticello’s Hope Bragg, a 4-H can Chapter. State Fairs, kids showing livestock, or sewing and cooking. Today 4-H ert Akin ordered an immedi- agent and Staff Chair with the Uni- That gathering will take place at is so much more, with three main ate burn ban yesterday after- versity of Arkansas Division of Ag- 6:30 p.m. next Tuesday at the Uni- riculture’s Cooperative Extension versity of Arkansas at Monticello’s initiative areas—healthy living, noon because of dry condi- citizenship and STEM—being em- tions in the area. in Desha County, has been recog- School of Forestry and Natural Re- nized for the archeological pro- sources conference room. Bragg, phasized across the nation. All persons in Drew The National 4-H Council, part- County are directed to re- grams she has implemented across who holds her bachelor’s degree the state with the Denise Miller Na- in Forestry and master’s degrees in nering with the National Associ- frain from outdoor burning ation of Extension 4-H Agents, tional 4-H Innovator Award. That both Forestry and Elementary Ed- until further notice. promotes the award that recognizes ucation, was elevated to the AAS “The cooperation of ev- annual honor is bestowed upon the innovations of 4-H educators in eryone in Drew County is a program that meets the highest position she currently holds in Oc- honor of the timeless contributions urgently needed to prevent standard of quality and innovation. tober. of former council associate Denise destruction and injury by Bragg received her accolades She has combined her two dis- Miller. As a memorial tribute to Special to the Advance outdoor fi res during this dan- at the recent National Association ciplines by instituting a program Miller, her family and friends have FOR THE SWEET TOOTH Monticello-Drew County Chamber of Commerce gerous period,” Akin said of Extension 4-H Agents’ annual that utilizing archeology to teach created the Innovator Award to Executive Director Glenda Nichols (second from left) joins new business upon issuing the order. meeting in Indianapolis. She also science, technology, engineering continue the work which she was owner Irlanda Romero (holding scissors) as the chamber offi cially wel- is the incoming president of the and math (STEM) skills with 4-H BRAGG comed Cakeland Bakery to Monticello with a ribbon-cutting ceremony last Arkansas Archeological Society— in Desha County. That’s what drew See Page 6A Wednesday. Cakeland Bakery is located at 1011 U.S. Highway 425 South. INDEX Opinion ..............4A Calendar ............2A Religion .............3B HOLIDAY SUBSCRIPTION SPECIAL Classifi eds ........ 5C Sports ............... 1C Obituaries ..........8A Tax list ...............1D Ends December 31st! • See details on Page 8C To start a subscription to The Advance-Monticellonian call (870) OUR 146TH YEAR Reg. $39 367-5325, Mon. - Fri. 8:00 am - 5:00 pm. Offer good through NUMBER 48 • 34 PAGES Zip codes beginning in 716 $17.00 Newsstand December 31, 2017. In order to comply with U.S. Postal regulations Price for periodical mail, all mail subscriptions must be paid in advance by check, money order or credit card. Newspapers are mailed out every Reg. $45 All other zip codes $40.00 Subscription Price Wednesday afternoon (unless holidays force an adjustment). 2A | Wednesday, November 29, 2017 NEWS Advance-Monticellonian | mymonticellonews.net | 870-367-5325 COMMUNITY CALENDAR GOING ON NOW Burn ban now in effect Drew County Judge Robert Akin has placed Drew County under a burn ban Educator of the Week due to dry conditions. All residents are to refrain from outdoor burning until further notice. Editor’s note: The Ad- Drew County Museum open on select Saturdays vance-Monticellonian is high- DR. ROBERT “RED HAWK” MOORE The Drew County Museum will be open the fi rst and third Saturday of each lighting one educator each week month. The hours will be from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For special events, contact to call attention to their accom- Connie Mullis at 870-367-2431 or Tommy Gray at 870-367-2401. plishments inside—or outside— Support for local schools the classroom. The schools fea- Show support for local schools by purchasing a school mascot yard sign tured (on a rotating basis) are for only $20. All three (University of Arkansas at Monticello Boll Weevils, those in the Monticello and Drew Drew Central Pirates and Monticello Billies) may be purchased for $50. Call Central school districts, and the the Monticello/Drew County Chamber of Commerce offi ce at 870-367-6741 University of Arkansas at Monti- or stop by the chamber offi ce at 335 East Gaines Street.