Dogs need Monticello baseball, boys’ soccer homes, squads head to state tourneys too 7A 1C ADVANCE-MONTICELLONIAN 75¢ WEDNESDAY, MAY 8, 2019 SERVING DREW COUNTY SINCE 1870 DMHS lauds ANNUAL PATRIOTIC DISPLAY under-budget fi nancial report BY MELISSA ORRELL days were 20,253 and payroll per [email protected] adjusted patient days year to date were $694. Drew Memorial Health System In comparing these numbers, released their fi nancial reports for DMHS has lowered their cost by March during its April monthly 7% or $52 less adjusted patient board of directors meeting on the days year to date for this year. On DMHS campus last week. the home health side, expenses According to the hospital’s op- exceeded receipts by $16,219 and erating statement for March, the personal care expenses exceeded hospital had a loss of $103,256 receipts by $6,308 for a total of compared to a loss of $579,260 last $22,527 expenses over receipts year. Gross patient revenue was up for the month. Year to date fi g- $1,667,795 from last year for a to- ures show combined expenses tal of $8,131,109 with a budget of exceeding receipts of $123,414. $6,923,145. Net patient revenue The board also spoke about an im- was reported at $2,687,034 com- provement of around $120,000 in pared to $2,488,276 last year with the accounts receivables for home a budget of $2,891,037. health since the beginning of April Contractuals for the month due to an extreme focus on some were $5,444,074, compared to process improvements internally $3,975,037 last year and a bud- and on the billing company’s side. get of $4,032,107. Total operating Changes will continue to be made expenses were $2,724,281, com- on both sides to further improve pared to $2,534,973 last year and the accounts receivables and claims a budget of $2,838,442. Expenses process. came in under budget by $114,061. A motion was made and the fi - Salaries and wages for March were nancials were approved. Melissa Orrell/Advance-Monticellonian under budget by $15,764. The meeting continued with OLD GLORY FLYING HIGH Members of the Kiwanis Club of Monticello and a local Boy Scout troop joined forces earlier this week to erect Adjusted patient days year to DMHS Chief Executive Offi cer what has become a Monticello spring tradition—the fl ying of American fl ags around the fountain on the downtown square and in front of the date are 23,181. Payroll per ad- Scott Barrilleaux updating the Drew County Courthouse on South Main Street. Each fl ag represents some family’s loved one, who was either killed in action, missing in action justed patient day year to date is or is currently serving in some branch of the Armed Forces. The fl ags will be on display until the Fourth of July. $642. Last year adjusted patient See DMHS Page 6A Farm Bureau CAC rallies around abused children announces BY MELISSA ORRELL enforcement, the Arkansas State [email protected] Police, Department of Human Part two Services or any investigative farm families When the worst happens in a As part of bringing agency will contact us and we BY HAROLD COGGINS child’s life and they have been awareness to Foster Care will set up a forensic interview [email protected] abused or abuse allegations have in Arkansas, the Ad- and provide that along with a been made, the Children’s Ad- vance-Monticellonian is sexual assault exam if the child Late last Wednesday afternoon, vocacy Centers of Arkansas are highlighting the agencies discloses to sexual abuse. When Arkansas Farm Bureau announced there to rally around the child who support our children (a case) is assigned to them they the families that will be competing and to support them through the in Foster Care. Every go ahead and coordinate every- with the Eddie Eubanks family, process of discovery and treat- week we will run a story thing. They will give us a call Drew County’s Farm Family of the ment if needed. about the agencies that and we will coordinate a time Year, for district and state honors in According to the Children’s for the interview and if they 2019. support the children in our Advocacy Centers of Arkan- community. need an exam, that will follow County winners will be visit- sas’ web page, the mission of the interview and it is done all ed by a set of judges to determine the not-for-profit organization at one time.” eight district winners, who will be is to protect Arkansas’ children At the centers the child victim announced June 17. They will be by investing in Child Advoca- Drew County. undergoes a forensic interview visited again by a different set of cy Centers. The purpose of the The CACs of Arkansas get so the next steps that need to be judges in July to determine a state organization is “to promote, involved from the first step of taken are known by the team of winner, who will be announced assist and support the develop- an investigation and help the adults who are responsible for Dec. 12 at the Farm Family of ment, growth and continuation child by lessening the sheer the child and for investigating the Year luncheon in North Little of CACs in the state of Arkansas amount of interviews and exams Rock. and prosecuting the perpetrator. so that every child victim has ac- they would possible have to go “A forensic interview or inter- Drew County is in the Southeast cess to the services of a CAC.” through. District. Other than the Eubanks viewer is someone who has been The CAC initially began in “What we do is we assist with family, those from the Southeast certified in a course of study 1999 with three centers named the investigations of children District vying for district and state within our agency regarding the Arkansas Association of who have been victims of child awards this year are Chris and the interviewing of kids,” said Heather Simpson, Stuttgart (Ar- Children’s Advocacy Centers. abuse,” said Christa Menotti, Menotti. “It’s called Child First Melissa Orrell/Advance-Monticellonian It has since expanded to 22 lo- Executive director, Child Ad- and there is a protocol to it. You REMINDER TO ALL The local children’s homes decorated the downtown cations across the state. One is vocacy Centers of Southeast See FAMILIES Page 6A square for Foster Care Awareness Month. located here in Monticello for Arkansas. “What happens is law See CAC Page 6A ‘Imagination Library’ set for launch May 15 BY MELISSA ORRELL Local graduations [email protected] Friday, May 10 Two years of persistent hard work will culminate in the launch of Steelman Field House The Southeast Arkansas Imagination Library at the Monticello Med- 10 a.m., 2 p.m. ical Clinic from 1-5 p.m. on May 15. In conjunction with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, MMC Friday, May 17 will enroll the first of Drew County’s children to receive free spe- Drew Central Gym cially-selected, age-appropriate, high-quality books that are mailed 7 p.m. to registered children at home each month from birth to age 5. The only qualifications to qualify for the program is that a child lives in Tuesday, May 21 Drew County and is under age 5. Hyatt Field Dr. Sylvia Simon began her journey to improve literacy during 8 p.m. Photo courtesy of Sylvia Simon MONEY WELL SPENT Members of the Junior Auxiliary of Monticello present a donation to the Imagination Library. See LIBRARY Page 6 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 19 • 22 PAGES with their smartphone cameras, will be out about town looking for interesting subjects. WILL YOU BE NEXT? 2A | Wednesday, May 8, 2019 NEWS Advance-Monticellonian | mymonticellonews.net | 870-367-5325 COMMUNITY CALENDAR GOING ON NOW Market in the Park THE ROVING Market in the Park will be open each Saturday from 8-11 a.m. at the Rod- ney Shelton Foss mini-park, next to the Drew County Detention Center. For more information contact the Monticello/Drew County Chamber of Commerce at 870-367-6741. U.S. fl ag orders The Monticello Kiwanis Club is now accepting orders for the U.S. fl ags to be placed around the downtown square and in front of the Drew County Courthouse in the club’s annual display of patriotism. Flags may be ordered REPORTERS in memory or honor of veterans or loved ones for $30. The fl ags, which have become a Monticello tradition, will be on exhibition from Memorial Day in May until Independence Day in July. For more information or to order a fl ag, contact Connie McKeiver at 870-460-6470. Library book sale Look who we found this week! The Southeast Arkansas Regional Library, Monticello Branch, 114 West Jeff erson Street, is off ering a $5 book sale, with the proceeds going toward FINALS ARE FINALLY OVER library programs. Anyone may fi ll a bag with any book that fi ts in the bag, and it’s just $5—while books last. For more information, contact the library at 870-367-8583. Drew County EHC Scholarship The Drew County Extension Homemakers Clubs will be off ering one $1,000 scholarship for the 2019-20 college year to a student who is a Drew County resident and who will be attending the University of Arkansas at Monticello.