Saline County moves vote on sheriff
BENTON — The Saline County Quorum Court will make clear that county credit cards can’t be used for personal purchases after learning Sheriff Bruce Pennington used his work credit card to pay for hotel rooms and meals, Quorum Court members agreed Saturday.
And in response to Pennington’s recent conviction on two alcohol-related charges, the Quorum Court plans to pass an ordinance that would prohibit anyone convicted of drug- or alcohol-related offenses — within seven years before his county employment or during it — from driving a county vehicle.
Justices of the peace originally planned to pass a resolution accepting Pennington’s retirement date and declaring the sheriff’s position vacant at a specially called meeting Saturday afternoon but weren’t able to legally declare the vacancy because the resolution hadn’t been published in a newspaper before the meeting.
So, instead, they called another special meeting for 7 p.m. Monday at the county courthouse in Benton to take place after already-scheduled finance and public works committee meetings.
By that time the vacancy notice will have been published in a newspaper and the Quorum Court can decide on the ordinances restricting use of a county vehicle and establishing the proper uses of a county credit card. The latter was suggested by Justice of the Peace Mark Kizer, who is also the Bryant chief of police.
“I think it’s very sad we have to have a policy for that. … I think it’s really sad and it needs to be fixed,” Kizer said after Saturday’s meeting.
Five people died after separate accidents on state roads Wednesday through Friday, according to preliminary Arkansas State Police fatality accident reports.
About 7:25 a.m. Wednesday, Gareld Borgstadt, 79, of Springfield, Mo., was driving a 2013 Ford on Don Tyson Parkway near Arkansas 265 in Springdale when he tried to make a U-turn, a report states. Daniel Schaap, 39, of Springdale, who was headed east on the same road in a 1999 Honda, struck Borgstadt’s vehicle, which then rolled over, according to the report.
Borgstadt died of his in- juries, and Schaap was taken to the Washington Regional Medical Center.
About 1:30 p.m. Thursday, Christine Richardson, 35, of Viola was driving a 2006 Suzuki south on Pickren Hall Road nearly 4 miles north of Viola when she tried to negotiate a curve, state police said. Richardson died after she veered off the road and ran into a fence, state police said.
Joseph Postlethwait, 25, of Fulton, died Thursday after an accident on U.S. 67 at Miller County Road 112, state police said. Just after 4:30 a.m., he had been driving south on U.S. 67 in a Chevrolet sport utility vehicle when he veered off the road and struck a tree, state police said. His SUV caught fire and burned, according to the report.
About 2:20 a.m. Friday, Bridget Frost, 38, of Mountain Home was driving south on Arkansas 5 in a 2000 Mercury. Frost left the road, ran into a culvert and rammed into a concrete driveway at Mitchell’s Variety Store in Baxter County, state police said. She died of her injuries.
John Doran, 41, of Ward died Friday after he struck a tree, a report states. Doran was driving south on Arkansas 31 in Cabot when his 1990 Pontiac Grand Am left the road and hit the tree about 11:50 p.m., according to the report.