In quick succession, the Hempstead County Quorum Court in its regular February meeting Thursday evening passed a resolution on the line of succession for the office of sheriff and an ordinance to accept funds for a drone.  Then it heard from two county residents about a problem road.  Then Justice of the Peace Troy Lerew announced he was leaving the court.

The meeting can be seen in its entirety below the photos that follow this story.

Lerew stood up just before the meeting’s adjournment and said, “This is my last journey with Hempstead County. I have sold my property at 382 Oakhaven road. I’d been there 40 years. My wife has passed away five months ago already, and I’m moving across the river to Texas. So I will not be eligible to serve.”

Lerew thanked the JPs for “your acquaintance and six good years on the court. My desire is that you carry the torch forward, and I know you all will do that job.” He also said he was thankful for a favorable weather forecast on Saturday for the auction taking place at what will be his former home.  Everyone in the second courtroom in the courthouse where the meeting was taking place applauded.

The meeting began with an invocation and a pledge of allegiance followed by the approval of minutes of the January meeting.  The first agenda item was the reading by County Clerk Karen Smith of a resolution to support an executive order by Sheriff James Singleton to designate a line of succession to fulfill the office of the county sheriff in the event of an emergency causing the sheriff to be unable to function in their elected role.  

The line would be chief deputy, cabinet and lieutenant. The sheriff would be able to sign an executive order to temporarily give up his powers to a successor in emergencies for which they have prior warning. Without any discussion, the court approved the resolution by unanimous roll call vote.

Next, an ordinance was read in which $16,856.44 in grant funding from Arkansas Department of Public Safety will be accepted for the purchase of a drone for the county.  JP Victor Ford asked who the licensed pilot would be.  Sheriff Singleton said this would be Jeremy McBride. Ford asked whether the drone would be equipped with thermal imaging.

“It does.  It’s got spotlight and a loudspeaker, too,” Singleton said. “This is going to be the same drone that state police uses. It’s the parrot drone. Yes, sir.  We’ve got all that.”

On a roll call vote, the court voted unanimously to approve the ordinance.

County Judge Jerry Crane then asked for Nina King, a resident living on County Road 2 to come forward. She spoke at January’s meeting about the need for drainage and surface work on that road.  She began by acknowledging that as a result of the county road crew’s work, there was improvement there, but drainage issues have persisted. 

Crane said the water still standing at the location will have to dry prior to work on drainage. County Road Superintendent Richard Kidd said that King wanted a culvert in a location that currently has none, she would have to buy it, but the county would maintain it afterward. For a time the Kings conferred with Kidd as the meeting was still going on but later moved out to a waiting area outside the courtroom. King provided photos of the street to SWARK.Today after the meeting that can be seen below this story.

County Clerk Karen Smith announced she had received a letter of intent to audit the county for its use of federal funds.  Crane said JP Vic Ford will be added to the court’s finance committee, which also consists of JPs Ed Darling, Scott Gunter, Steve Atchley, Jessie Henry, James Griffin. Ford agreed to the appointment.

JP Ed Darling, also chair of the Hempstead Quorum Court’s Budget Committee, briefed the court about a clinic building on 16th Street in Hope that has not been used for a long time that the county now owns part of. Hope’s hospital’s right to operate has come under the ownership of Pafford Medical Systems since mid-October and its real estate has been sold to the county and the city of Hope.  The building on 16th is part of that real estate. 

Darling said the building, upon examination, clearly would take more money to rehabilitate than could be recovered. Darling asked for a consensus from the court that it should be put on the market, which he received. This will be presented to the Hope city board for its approval.

The meeting adjourned about twenty minutes after it began at 4:30 p.m.