Benton County Judge Bob Clinard remained hospitalized Monday after undergoing a procedure to treat coronary artery disease, a county official said.

Rosemary Goines, Clinard's executive assistant, said doctors at the Northwest Medical Center indicated they found scarring on Clinard's heart that pointed to a possible "silent heart attack" at some point in the past. Goines said the doctors indicated Clinard's heart was enlarged and not pumping blood correctly.

Clinard was taken to the hospital Friday night after he asked for medical assistance while speaking with Benton County deputies who had been notified of an intoxicated man by people attending Frisco Festival in downtown Rogers. According to information from the Sheriff's Office the deputies said Clinard "had a very strong odor of intoxicants on his breath and person." The deputies were escorting Clinard toward their vehicles when he asked for medical assistance.

"At one point he told the deputies he thought he may need medical attention, they called for an ambulance," a Sheriff's Office press release stated. "While waiting for the ambulance the Judge sat down on the curb, and one of the deputies had to brace his knee on his back to prevent him from falling over. He made a statement to the deputy 'My wife is going to kill me.'”

Once paramedics arrived, they informed the deputies his heart rate was extremely elevated and felt he needed to be transported. He was subsequently transported by ambulance to the hospital," the press release continued. The deputies later went to the hospital and issued Clinard a citation for public intoxication.

Goines said Clinard has already said he will continue to oversee the operation of county government, including signing county court orders and other papers. George Spence, county attorney, said he didn't anticipate any problems with county government operating while Clinard is recovering.

"We don't have an absence of the county judge," Spence said. "He's just not going to be in the office every day."

Spence said the county has a designated chain of succession in the event the county judge were unable to perform the duties of his office. Goines said John Sudduth, the county's general services administrator, is first on the list and Marshal Watson, the county's emergency services administrator, is second. A county court order signed by Clinard while he was away from the county last week for an Association of Arkansas Counties meeting in Little Rock authorized Mike Crandall, accounting manager, Sudduth and Goines to sign any necessary papers in his absence. Goines said Monday Clinard has already said he will be taking care of any essential paperwork during his recovery.

Spence said the Quorum Court will also function normally if Clinard is unable to attend Thursday's meeting. Spence said he will call the meeting to order in Clinard's absence and the justices of the peace will elect someone to preside over the meeting.

"We have to do that from time to time if he's out of town," Spence said. "There's nothing unusual about that."