Community News

Submitted by the Commissioner of State Lands The recent auction of tax-delinquent properties in Sharp, Fulton and Izard Counties raised nearly $750,000, the Commissioner of State Lands announced last week. The Sharp County auction drew 80 registered bidders, who purchased 514 of 553 available parcels for $261,526.49.; $91,142.97 in taxes were collected. The regional auction, included both Fulton and Izard Counties.Izard County, drew 78 registered bidders, who purchased 869 of 1,104 available…

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Tammy Curtis, Publisher The Fulton County Quorum Court agreed last week to move forward with plans for a new emergency communications tower in the Nine Mile Ridge area to improve radio coverage in southeastern Fulton County. Adam Fugate of Communications Associates, who first addressed the court about the project in August, returned with updated estimates after visiting the proposed site and reviewing its limitations. He said the project would add a fifth…

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Behind every death are lives left to cope Tammy Curtis, Publisher Editor’s Note: When we put out a call for people affected by suicide to share their experiences for this article, the response was overwhelming: 58 people answered. Space constraints made it impossible to include every story, though we wish we could. The sheer number of responses speaks to the impact suicide has had on people living in our communities. For this…

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Sharp County Detention Center implements biometric eye scan system Tammy Curtis, Publisher The Sharp County Sheriff’s Office has added another piece of advanced technology to the Sharp County Detention Center, this time using biometric eye scans to verify inmates' identities. The Inmate Recognition and Identification System, or IRIS, from BI2 Technologies is a biometric identification platform designed for jails and detention centers. The system uses scans of the iris — the colored…

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A hit-and-run accident on Sept. 6 claimed the life of an 18-year-old Fulton County man.  According to a press release from the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office, the office received a 911 call stating that Reid Grant, 18, had been struck by a car.  The caller stated that he was the driver and urged dispatch to send an ambulance as fast as possible. When first responders arrived, life-saving efforts were made, but they…

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