Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Politicians Speak In Democratic Rally At Courthouse (cont)

e applause, and this came after he quit being a candidate and became "dad."

Joe Short, also a candidate for the judgeship, was next. He is a member of the Hope law firm of Wilson, Walker and Short, practicing in the area for 22 years.

Short met his wife at the University of Arkansas, and they now have two children, Chris, 19, a sophomore in college, and Jordan, 14, in the Hope school system.

He has served 12 years at the Hope city attorney, while spending two years in the same capacity at Lewisville.

Short has worked with the chancery, probate and juvenile court systems, as well as having cases heard in the U.S. District Court in the eastern and western districts of the state and the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals.

"This is a unique judgeship," he said. "It will hear all types of cases. Experience qualifies me for the job."

He voiced an interest in the juvenile court system, saying more can be done in this area than is. "We can't afford to lose another generation to drugs and violence. We need programs to push at-risk children toward life. Everyone must get involved with the system. It's a shame if we lose one child."

Short said we need to help children learn to read and become productive citizens.

"I pledge everyone who comes before me will be treated honestly and fairly," he said, "with dignity and respect. I will judge each case on the facts applicable to law, though you may not always agree. My decisions will be the best I can make under the law."

Keith Wood was next, saying he was raised in Hope and has worked since he was eight- years-old.

Wood graduated from Hope High School and worked his way through college and law school. He began public service as a state representative, where he served for 20 years.

In the House, Wood worked on issues involving juveniles, while devoting his adulthood to working with the young.

He talked about a program held at Hammons Stadium in Hope, where a message of peace, reconciliation and hope was brought.

"With messed up children, we have messed up families," he said. "With messed up families, we have messed up neighborhoods. With messed up neighborhoods we have messed up communities and counties. This election is about taking 1,600 cases a year, all of them with at least two people involved (for 3,200 messed up people). The system is critical in reaching out and touching people's messed up lives. I want to carry the message of reconciliation, restoration and restitution; take messed up lives and put my hands on them and put them in the right direction."

The most heated race of the election to date has been that of the Nevada County Sheriff. Both camps have accused the other of mudslinging and sending out false information to the voters.

Sheriff Steve Otwell was the first of the two candidates to speak at the rally. He told the audience how he's tried to live up to the commitments he made two years ago and has done so.

He talked about having 15 felony drug arrests so far during his term in office, with five warrants served resulting in felony arrests.

Otwell said his office developed the first case of black tar heroin in the county's history. "We're taking drug use and dealers seriously," he said. "We've made a tremendous impact and are trying to get drugs off the street before they get here."

He talked about how the Nevada County Sheriff's Office has worked with the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), Arkansas State Police (ASP), Hempstead County Sheriff's Office (HCSO) and the South Central Drug Task Force, along with the Texas Department of Public Safety in helping rid the area of drugs and dealers.

He also discussed how a deputy was placed on random school buses when people complained about motorists passing the buses, thereby creating a hazard. The deputy had a hand- held radar on the bus, and citations were written to the offending drivers.

In addition, a camcorder was placed on buses randomly to help in this area as well.

He said the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) program was instituted under his regime, which puts a deputy in the classroom of the county's three schools. This, he said, helps build respect for officers and authority.

Three new computers have been purchased and installed at the NCSO with the help of 8th Judicial District Prosecuting Attorney Brent Haltom and the Nevada County Quorum Court. These computers are used to keep booking information, office records and all cases the NCSO is involved in.

According to Otwell, the office will work to create a database so the department can predict when and where future crimes may occur.

Harold Vines, former sheriff, said this race is important to everyone in the county, as are all the races this year.

Vines, and his wife, Sharon, have two children and are expecting another any day. He also has two grandchildren. The family, he said, attends Central Baptist Church.

In discussing his background, Vines said he has 29 years of experience in law enforcement, 171/2 with the Arkansas Highway Police, 10 with the Texarkana Police Department and two as the Nevada County Sheriff.

He pointed out he is the only certified law enforcement officer in the race and holds four of the five levels of law enforcement certification possible.

Vines also has more than 2,000 hours of training on his record as well.

'My record as sheriff stands on its own," he said. "We had seven certified officers, now there are two. We ran 16 warranted drug raids on dealers, not users, and put them out of service. We got plea agreements or convictions on all of them."

During his first year in office, Vines said, the NCSO opened 127 felony cases. The department also inherited a three-year-old murder case, with an arrest made and conviction obtained.

He said two murders were committed during his term, with both being solved. In one case, a suspect was in custody before the body was found.

The Explorer program for young people interested in law enforcement was implemented by Vines as well.

In addition, he said, inmates were used to do cleanup work in the county, primarily picking up trash along the highway. None, he said, have been put to work under the current sheriff.

Now, he said, the inmates set around in jail filing lawsuits against the county and sheriff.

"I was always available. I wore a pager so people could contact me 24-hours-a-day," Vines said. "I also helped save the county $53,000 by combining the city and county dispatchers. I didn't have to do this, but did to save money."

He said the dispatcher's position is one of the most vital of all at the NCSO. In 1973, he said, while an officer with the TPD, he received a call to see a woman at a service station.

Because of this call, he wound up in a gunfight with a s