Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Picayunish

Welcome, Jon . . . Jon Chadwell began his job as the Prescott-Nevada County Economic Director (EDO) development coordinator this week. The local EDO board voted to hire Chadwell, who has held a similar position at Camden. Everyone involved with Chadwell (expecially those in Camden) have assured residents that he is the man for the job. Chadwell is already known in the county. He has preached at the Bluff City church of Christ and is married to Mayor Howard Taylor's daughter. Quite a bit has been said about the latter, and everyone probably may not know the whole story. Taylor, who sits on the EDO board, excused himself during the consideration of the EDO replacement and did not make himself present for the voting that hired his son-in-law. Chadwell was hired on his existing merits to do the job and upon those merits only. This move by the board assures country residents that the position will be held by someone who has a stake in the community and is not looking for a move up in their career.

Illegal Tax? Following the decision by the Arkansas Supreme Court concerning the tax lawsuit in Mountain Home, a local reader has sent information to Little Rock to check whether Prescott's collection of a one-cent sales tax (commonly called the hospital tax) is legal. The tax in Mountain Home was approved by voters in 1981 for improvements in the city. Like the one voted on by residents in the city of Prescott, the ballot did not specify how the tax money would be spent, Mountain Home's city council approved an ordinance specifying a spend formula. The city of Prescott's tax was originally voted in to raise $250,000 yearly for the hospital, which has since closed, though the council always approved returning all the funds received from the tax back to the facility. The apparent problem in Mountain Home was from the council's changing how the money was to be spent. An article appeared in a state newspaper Saturday concerning the decision and referred to the amount of money which the lawyers would be receiving as well as the money the taxpayer's would have returned to them.

55-Gallon Drum . . . Oklahoma radio personality and comedian Roy D. Mercer often talks about opening a '55-gallon drum of whoop' on individuals. If you attended the Prescott and Piggott football game last Friday night in round one of the class AAA football you saw a 55- gallon drum opened on the Mohawks. The Curley Wolves should be wary though since Lonoke apparently opened its own drum last week and dumped on to their opponents. In nature, though, we know that wolves tend to prey on rabbits. But, if you've ever read the Tales of Uncle Remus, you would remember the rough treatment that B'rer Rabbit gave to those chasing him and B'rer Rabbit's ability to get out of trouble. We should all hope there are no briar patches at the game.