[{"_1":2,"_109":-5,"_110":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6663299,"mediaKeyId","2391307-81d27a20f1d9a0b092b59561a7013f26","parentId",2391307,"title","Faulkner County extension outlines demonstrations, master gardener work and a possible discovery farm; residents press soil-health concerns","audioSeconds",557,"startMs",1346000,"endMs",1903000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2391307-81d27a20f1d9a0b092b59561a7013f26&start=1346&end=1903","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2391307-81d27a20f1d9a0b092b59561a7013f26/thumbnail_1346000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6663299/Faulkner-County/Arkansas/Faulkner-County-extension-outlines-demonstrations-master-gardener-work-and-a-possible-discovery-farm-residents-press-soil-health-concerns","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6663299-715469fa8e1f16b5bb5f91cc7d8538d6/orig.mp4?Expires=1771055576&Signature=WLKYwpR2qg4X52PjUmT1fzrF9S4ZP76nDs5YGR~UTX8fbUetWYNK4XDhf3qd317pIWjFP~rUaGEYdMPsAkwwoqAHKpFfi~Lub9NGLLEgIPDlZpTQpbLUAhiRyEbRO0Zv8AumJsc~dHXfSjy4XylliO2PaHYEj3vk~RcxWe6AeJYH788g~f7sG0YTC9MiMtRYYQrGmaDinVoyCQPi8EksMF3lcQlANNnKnn3EifpBoNoHaWgz9Mib-vwd0AFHtrhfAfyzAQy4IPdYKL~vyb4XczRwUTcuJpwW~6my1zvhYD3yoqN33C-J679~MAEHp~Pq-XUsCbdi-4h8C0gNUGhZkA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Faulkner County","date","2025-02-26T02:04:47.323Z","article","Kevin Lawson, Faulkner County's extension agent for row crops, livestock and forages, briefed the quorum court on the extension office's demonstrations, producer education, and master-gardener outreach. Lawson said his office documented demonstrations and meetings throughout the year, offers variety and fertility trials for row crops and forages on local farms, and publishes a weekly report and newsletter on the county extension website.

Lawson said demonstrations let producers compare seed varieties and production practices on actual farms, and that his office partners regionally'he said the extension serves River Valley counties cooperatively'to deliver cover-crop and rotational-grazing education. He said the extension is exploring starting a Discovery Farm in Faulkner County to measure soil and water outcomes on a local operation; Discovery Farms focus on field-scale monitoring such as water-quality and retention metrics.

During public comment and committee questioning, Justice Pearson and other justices pressed Lawson on whether extension demonstrations test for long-term effects on soil organic matter, soil structure and water retention. Lawson said his office conducts soil-structure tests and cover-crop demonstrations; he acknowledged the county has low native organic-matter levels and that work to improve soil health is ongoing. He added that demonstration topics follow local producer interest and that an \"ag committee\" of producers advises extension priorities.

A member of the public at the meeting told the court he is concerned that persistent reliance on pre-emergence herbicides and similar inputs harms soil organic matter and long-term farm viability; he urged the extension and producers to increase demonstrations of cover crops, reduced tillage and high-density grazing alternatives. Lawson responded that some producers do pursue those methods and that the Discovery Farm concept could provide formal data on water retention and runoff.

Ending
Lawson said the extension report, including an infographic on the Master Gardener program, is posted on the extension website and that staff will continue working with producers on cover crops, soil-health practices and trials that producers request. The court expressed appreciation for the extension's local demonstrations and outreach.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","February 25, 2025 Quorum Court","oneSentenceSummary","The county extension agent presented an annual demonstration report highlighting row-crop variety trials, forage fertility trials, Master Gardener outreach and plans to pursue a Discovery Farm; during public comment, at least one member of the public urged the office to increase emphasis on soil-health practices and reduced herbicide reliance.","taxTitle","Faulkner County, Arkansas","taxId",9533,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6663304,"Faulkner County reports ARP projects, animal shelter paving and extended snow-response operations",68,640000,708000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2391307-81d27a20f1d9a0b092b59561a7013f26&start=640&end=708","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2391307-81d27a20f1d9a0b092b59561a7013f26/thumbnail_640000.jpg","/articles/6663304/Faulkner-County/Arkansas/Faulkner-County-reports-ARP-projects-animal-shelter-paving-and-extended-snow-response-operations","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6663304-7689edb39cdd8062b0ee21ee28472c39/orig.mp4?Expires=1771055576&Signature=GRse5jULIWga3dKybOqqnab~Yo9dHuumI-qBZm0VEU2adDlWhvKakGLJ3gKhgUaNDwmxB~n7QaBdIXa8MfsiTsOhvCLt3qTO0d592YL-JcTbBFpeEXQHV1r879V-Zd7gn3xUSItzicWQn-xdVlS297w8CQlOJPdpWIEUiW2QpKkuG7~6rLrqmmGMzjbbwpjhsW0FKUi-HMPB2HWsviepCiHOh1kR5BzQyy4FXtaqU3aoGS58l5jbBLvFHnN3LQUFMQ35Cus~I~bozRUQqk~cveJgCtcRholMvlFTBl4ZMaAadBnj4hu-i2EFjFFUooiPN08Hwfyefn1Pux7KciKeTQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Faulkner County's ARP and roads administrators reported progress on several capital projects, upcoming paving at the county animal shelter, continuing wastewater and operations expenses, and an extended winter-storm response that required 24-hour operations.

Tom Anderson, ARP and road administrator, told the court a pre-construction walk-through was completed for the Auburn County Courthouse building project and that the project is anticipated to begin in March. He said paving at the Faulkner County animal shelter was scheduled to start the following day, with striping scheduled the following week, and that paving and striping for the shelter parking lot should be complete by the end of the week.

Anderson also reported continuing engineering expenses for the Wooster and Mayflower wastewater projects. Separately, county architecture work on a project referred to as the \"Joe expansion\" is progressing: conceptual design was near complete and schematic design was about 50% complete, with on-site engineering work to determine sewer and utility placements.

On roads and winter operations, the county described a major multi-day response to a weather event. Road crews treated roads before the snow, put out 8,000 gallons of salt brine, and later applied roughly 40 tons of sand, 90 tons of salt, and 8,000 pounds of calcium chloride across 23 roads; crews plowed 35 roads and ran two 12-hour shifts (midnight-to-noon and noon-to-midnight). County officials said they exhausted on-hand supplies late in the week but were able to resupply and complete operations.

County leaders praised road crews for continuous operations, noted use of data from plow and pre-treat trackers to make operational decisions, and said social-media updates on road closures were used to inform the public. Officials also noted that tracking systems were producing decision-support data in real time.

Ending
County administrators said they will continue to monitor supply levels, progress on ARP-funded projects, and coordinate with contractors for final punch-list items. The animal shelter paving and striping were expected to be completed imminently, and staff said operation and training tasks inside the shelter (including DEA licensing for veterinary medicines) were ongoing.","At its February meeting, Faulkner County officials reported ARP-funded courthouse and animal-shelter work, progress on wastewater projects, continued architecture work on a 'Joe' expansion, and an extended winter storm road response that used significant salt and sand.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6663308,"Quorum Court debates transfer of unused voting machines as members push for more West Conway voting access",366,3386000,3752000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2391307-81d27a20f1d9a0b092b59561a7013f26&start=3386&end=3752","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2391307-81d27a20f1d9a0b092b59561a7013f26/thumbnail_3386000.jpg","/articles/6663308/Faulkner-County/Arkansas/Quorum-Court-debates-transfer-of-unused-voting-machines-as-members-push-for-more-West-Conway-voting-access","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6663308-2d9a119bcac2076a058388861e9ebb8f/orig.mp4?Expires=1771055576&Signature=E2x94uldp9VdjpVNAvJQEG~y1TrTRdQ4UwbiD4rIR4pR2WMxawCsB9U8F9c74gKHKiGBKj1bEmg3J0eNXdWYMq9WxBsMMPqYWCkDdhVpGUitt9l9pRyoenCFn2FGcB0q5OChf5x8ptsQI8~-aT4cCnBiAwo6Av4G2r1QDlS-XckwHFAi~nLkV8sNuvoeZdiDxV27XofaycePFao32fAE6MISs0PflzV0IFAo-87Ei0bo2WTV2FdEHznO8lhx~f5E19cyPigbGL0g-8It0zXbbglK9XdSj9F8YIoCVQw-TowHMdjQoR9KLtOwHB0-1elKHRB8Yu6QXvRGf74OWdQuKw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","A proposed transfer of eight surplus ExpressVote voting machines from Faulkner County to Montgomery County drew extended debate at the February Faulkner County Quorum Court meeting, and the transfer failed after the court did not reach the two-thirds vote required by statute.

Marty Gardner, the county's elections director, told the court the machines in question were paid for by the state and that Faulkner County currently retains more than 50 machines, with 37 machines never having been programmed or fielded since they were provided. Gardner said the county typically programs and dispatches a smaller subset of machines to polling centers and keeps 10'14 machines in reserve for backups.

Court members who opposed the transfer said long lines at the McGee Center in West Conway continue to depress participation; several said they want the county and the election commission to pursue an additional voting center on the west side of town rather than send machines to another jurisdiction. Supporters of the transfer noted the county is storage-constrained and that the machines are not currently in use, arguing that another county in need could use them.

Justice Kucchi and other justices urged the election commission to explore potential new voting sites and to report back to the courts and public-safety committee. Election staff and some JPs said site availability has been a recurring challenge: churches that previously hosted polling sites either changed facilities or were no longer available, and suitable west-side locations are limited. Gardner said expanding the McGee Center into adjacent space has infrastructure complications (power/data cabling and lighting) but could be discussed with city officials.

A motion to table the transfer failed on a 5'6 vote; the final roll call on the transfer produced seven yes votes, short of the nine votes (two-thirds of the 13-member court) required by the governing statute for property transfers, so the transfer did not occur.

Ending
Court members said they would pursue further conversations with the election commission and local stakeholders about opening an additional West Conway voting center, while others asked staff to consider other logistical fixes to reduce wait times at McGee Center. The failed transfer leaves the county with large, unused inventory of machines for now.","Members of the Faulkner County Quorum Court debated a proposed transfer of eight surplus ExpressVote machines to Montgomery County, with supporters citing surplus inventory and opponents urging a focus on opening an additional West Conway voting center to reduce long waits at McGee Center.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":91,"_45":103,"_47":104,"_49":94,"_51":105,"_53":106,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":107,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":108,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6663311,"Faulkner County court adopts three ordinances; vote to transfer voting machines to Montgomery County fails",1564,4950000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2391307-81d27a20f1d9a0b092b59561a7013f26&start=3386&end=4950","/articles/6663311/Faulkner-County/Arkansas/Faulkner-County-court-adopts-three-ordinances-vote-to-transfer-voting-machines-to-Montgomery-County-fails","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6663311-3015290bb88dceb87a3a3d3f953e12dc/orig.mp4?Expires=1771055576&Signature=n6OkymLUPuKu7EbSEUeOxIziPD-uOvwzUQoa~z9oOaFaxWrCeDnGK2D6O74MyaWYPmc8INIgGxIMbMEQq9Le-1KjhrVap5BzKLhe-IocN2M7E8Ebjix0EnD4slwuvKYe-Pv~xJkv1Xr5~e395PUgme5akX~DIeEyq7Z0b544I7HAOwy6GZz3yfC8JjlhY04Kr-kTZgi0UAW7X7hjV9rK2zqp3TcDmshzschNo5c~tUb53vkoFFFOT~j6BhgASvj-vcZ-uzv9Zxii67mQfGUOjS2va6zoK0vyxy6eJTUjBXo1zNfl7DZ57XjHCLEhLt4Y1imychznFHhub7OKwQ3Afw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Faulkner County's Quorum Court passed three ordinances on routine appropriations and staff reclassifications during its February 2025 meeting, but rejected a proposal to transfer surplus voting machines to neighboring Montgomery County after discussion about local voting access.

The court approved Ordinance 25-04, an appropriation ordinance that amends Faulkner County Ordinance 24-52 and allocates grant funds, including funds tied to Judge Chuck Claussen's drug court grant and equipment for a consolidation project. The court also approved Ordinance 25-05, which reclassifies two positions and adjusts pay in the prosecuting attorney's office by shifting existing budgeted funds, and Ordinance 25-06, which reclassifies two positions in the county clerk's office using existing budgeted funds. All three ordinances were presented as not requiring new appropriations.

By contrast, Proposed Ordinance 25-07, a measure to transfer eight surplus ExpressVote machines from Faulkner County to Montgomery County, failed to reach the two-thirds threshold required under the statute governing transfers of this type. The court debated the item extensively: some members expressed concern about giving machines away while West Conway voters continue to experience long lines at the McGee Center; others said the county had a substantial reserve of machines and that the equipment had never been used since delivery.

The court recorded votes by roll call. Ordinances 25-04, 25-05 and 25-06 passed by the simple majorities required for those measures; the motion to transfer machines (25-07) did not reach the required two-thirds majority and therefore failed. The court's discussion around 25-07 also included a motion to table that initially failed on a 5'to\u0006 vote, and subsequent roll-call votes on the ordinance itself produced seven \"yes\" votes, which was short of the nine votes (two-thirds of the 13-member court) required by statute for this particular transfer.

The minutes show the court took the following formal actions on ordinances at the session: Ordinance 25-04 (appropriation) was moved and seconded, read into the record, discussed as relating to grant drawdowns and equipment purchases, and passed on roll call. Ordinance 25-05 (prosecutor office reclass/regrade) was described as a reallocation of existing budget funds to retain a long-term employee; it was approved after discussion and a roll-call vote. Ordinance 25-06 (county clerk reclasses) likewise moved forward as a reallocation of existing funds and passed on roll call. Proposed Ordinance 25-07 was debated at length, including discussion of how many machines the county actually stores and whether opening an additional voting site in West Conway would better address long lines; following votes, the transfer ordinance failed to achieve the two-thirds threshold.

The court also recorded confirmations of several appointments and heard routine department reports during the meeting.

Votes at a glance
- Ordinance 25-04 (appropriation ordinance amending 24-52): Passed (roll-call vote; motion carries). Referenced during discussion by County Judge Chuck Claussen and other officials as related to drawdowns and grant start-up costs for a program the court described as drug-court related; equipment purchases for a consolidation were also noted.
- Ordinance 25-05 (reclassification and pay adjustments, prosecuting attorney's office): Passed (roll-call vote). Described by sponsor as a shift of existing budgeted funds to retain a long-time trial assistant and align pay with experience.
- Ordinance 25-06 (reclassification and pay adjustments, county clerk's office): Passed (roll-call vote). Described as shifting existing funds to adjust pay for experienced staff; not a request for new money.
- Ordinance 25-07 (transfer of ExpressVote machines to Montgomery County): Failed to reach required two-thirds vote; discussion centered on whether Faulkner County should retain surplus machines given lines at the McGee Center and potential to open an additional West Conway voting site.

The court did not adopt any other actions that changed existing policy beyond the enacted appropriation and personnel reclassifications.

Ending
The court adjourned after confirming appointments and brief announcements. Members who pushed to improve voting access in West Conway said they will pursue further conversation with the election commission and local stakeholders about adding voting sites; other members said the county's elections staff reported adequate machine reserves and that the immediate surplus could help another county. The transfer question may reappear if the court or the election commission develops a clear plan to expand voting sites in West Conway.","The Faulkner County Quorum Court passed three appropriation and reclassification ordinances at its February meeting and defeated a proposed transfer of surplus voting machines to Montgomery County after extended debate over voter access in West Conway.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Faulkner County extension outlines demonstrations, master gardener work and a possible discovery farm; residents press soil-health concerns

Faulkner County reports ARP projects, animal shelter paving and extended snow-response operations

Quorum Court debates transfer of unused voting machines as members push for more West Conway voting access

Faulkner County court adopts three ordinances; vote to transfer voting machines to Montgomery County fails