Benton Mayor Tom Farmer writes an open letter monthly to citizens, with news and updates. Here’s the letter for February 29, 2024, highlighting first responders, Freddie Rhinehart, I-30 construction, and upcoming March events:
Dear Bentonites,
Wow, February has come and gone, and spring is around the corner. Yes, February is the shortest month in our calendar, but it seems to be the fastest month also.
We had the opportunity to show our community the protection that our men and women who work for fire and police respond to emergency situations. We had 4 firemen who showed up to back up a volunteer fire department but when they got to the scene and saw a vehicle with a person in it sinking in an unknown depth of water, they immediately sprang into action without regard to their own safety.
We also had police officers who showed up to a scene where a vehicle had hit a tree head-on, and the vehicle was on fire. The officers got the fire under control or at least they thought – but more flames broke out, so they ripped the driver’s door off to get the driver out of the vehicle and located to a safer spot, again never thinking about their own safety.
We are very fortunate to have men and women working within our public safety forces who truly go up and beyond the call of duty to ensure that all citizens’ well-being is their first concern. We have men and women who care about our public and do everything they can to ensure the utmost safety for the public.
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This past month we lost a citizen, Freddie Rhinehart. For all that knew Freddie, we knew him as a man that loved everyone, a man that never met a stranger, a man that loved his sports and was labeled as the Panthers’ biggest fan. Freddie was more than the Panthers biggest fan, because he was a caring, loving, compassionate man that cared about this community. He always brought a smile to everyone’s face because he had a smile that was totally welcoming to all.
Freddie was always asking questions and making conversation about you and not about him and he always wanted to know about the exciting things that were going on in our community. Freddie also loved the St. Louis Cardinals, and more importantly, he loved the Arkansas Hogs. Freddie was not a fair-weather fan; we say this because no matter how his favorite team was doing, he was supporting them. He was a very positive individual that will be missed for sure.
We all need to be thankful to Senator Hammer, Representatives Fite, Hawk, and Brooks for calling a meeting with Director Tudor to discuss our frustration in Saline County with the I-30 situation. In addition to these gentlemen being at the meeting, also present were Judge Brumley, Danny Reevis from the school – because the schools experienced the undue stress due to the additional traffic – Sheriff Wright, Gary James, Director of our Chamber, and myself.
The purpose of the meeting was to look at solutions to the problems we face daily in our community. So, after years of frustration with the situation of I-30, with the traffic stopping and causing additional traffic throughout our city putting undue stress on our citizens, on our streets and on our businesses, and sharing this with Director Tudor, she went immediately into action with solutions to the problems, with her staff’s assistance.
She began with getting the attention of the contractor and by taking away the responsibility of fixing the old part of the road and allowing focus on the new construction. Ever since Director Tudor got involved the freeway has slowed down but it has not come to a stop, delaying traffic and causing additional traffic through the city.
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I was sitting on I-30 coming back from a Metroplan meeting for roughly one and a half hours when my phone began ringing off the wall, and I began answering it and listening to the total frustration of everyone calling, because I was sitting still in the same traffic, experiencing the same frustration. Even though it was not a city or a county project we have all worked with Director Tudor and her staff to try and keep things moving forward, by constant communication about future closures of lanes, which occurred between 9 PM to 5 AM, instead of occurring during the peak hours of traffic.
This has been an extremely fast month, but it has also been a month we can honestly say that together we can do more, whether it was our fire department assisting a volunteer department outside our jurisdiction, or our police officers assisting someone out of a car, or working together with state, county, and local elected officials, life is better in our community. We have a lot to be thankful for and a lot to look forward to in the coming months.
Get ready for March and spring with the following schedules.
March 5 will be the Benton Chamber Banquet featuring Bobby Bones as guest speaker.
March 7-16 the Royal Theater will present Mary Poppins Jr.
On March 7, at 10:00 AM we will have a groundbreaking ceremony for the reinstallation of the old river bridge which will be the connecting force for the Southwest Trail which will run through our city with 2.5 miles of the trail to Hot Springs.
March the 9 will be a wild game supper at the First United Methodist church which is always fun.
March 14-15 Special Olympics Basketball/Cheer at River Center
March 16th St. Patrick’s Day 5K fun Run at River Center
March 22nd -24th Delta Regional Volleyball Tournament at River Center
March 18-22 the schools will be closed for Spring Break.
We want to invite all veterans in our community to join our joint efforts to recognize you for your dedication and service to our Nation on March 26, 2024, on the courthouse lawn. The ceremony will begin at 6 PM and representatives from both Benton and Bryant High School will be present to perform. Both Saline County Quilts Organizations will be presenting “Quilt of Valor” and well as the recognition of those who gave their life from Saline County in the Vietnam War.
Have a great month!
Tom