Finkenbinder will be city attorney
The Conway City Council on Tuesday unanimously appointed Deputy City Attorney Charles Finkenbinder to fill the interim elected city attorney spot that will be vacated once City Attorney Chuck Clawson takes the bench next year in the Faulkner County Circuit Court.
Clawson told council members that it will take several months of working side-by-side with his replacement to maintain the level of knowledge and service from Clawson's last 6½ years in the office.
After deliberating in executive session for nearly half an hour, the council unanimously voted to appoint Finkenbinder until the position is up for grabs again in the November 2022 general election. At that point, Finkenbinder can run for election if he chooses.
Clawson became Conway's deputy city attorney in 2013 for then-City Attorney Mike Murphy, who is now on the Court of Appeals. Clawson was appointed city attorney by the City Council in 2014 to complete Murphy's term.
In late 2014, Clawson was elected to the position.
In March, Clawson was elected 3rd Division circuit judge in the 20th Judicial District, comprising Faulkner, Van Buren and Searcy counties. He replaces his father, Ed Clawson, who retired.
The Conway city attorney provides legal advice and representation to the mayor and the city and also prosecutes misdemeanors and ordinance violations within the city limits.
Finkenbinder, a former defense attorney, earned his law degree from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock and has served in numerous legal positions around the state including as a deputy prosecuting attorney in Craighead County.
Reward seeks tips in 2018 shooting
The Conway Police Department and Central Arkansas Crimestoppers are offering a $2,500 reward for information leading to the arrest of those responsible for the 2018 murder of 18-year-old Jody Loring.
Conway Police Detective Lyle Peresko said the 2-year-old crime is still "a very active case."
"We have followed up on many leads in this case and have gained some helpful information, but nothing definitive," Peresko said. "We still need the public's help putting all the pieces together so that we can offer this family some measure of justice for the loss of their loved one."
About 1 a.m. May 24, 2018, Conway officers responded to a shots-fired call at a Donaghey Avenue home. They found Loring shot to death in the driver's seat of his SUV at his girlfriend's home.
Witnesses told detectives Loring went outside, then they heard shots and the sound of a car leaving the scene. They were unable to provide a description of the shooter or the car.
Anyone with information on the case can call Peresko at (501) 450-6130. Callers should reference case #18-05747. Tips can remain anonymous.
If the information leads to an arrest, the provider is eligible for the reward.
City aviation fuel contract extended
The Conway City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to continue to contract with Satterfield Aviation Fuels of Conway to provide fuel and services to the city's Municipal Airport.
Mayor Bart Castleberry told the council members that Satterfield has been "great to work with" for the past five years.
Satterfield also donated the fuel for the Conway Area Chamber of Commerce and the city's recent air parade with about 25 planes from the Lollie Bottoms Pilot Association and Bulldog Flight Team, Castleberry added.
The three other companies that submitted bids for the contract were Avfuel of Ann Arbor, Mich.; Epic Fuels of Irving, Texas; and Titan Aviation Fuels of New Bern, N.C.
Sheriff's office reopens to public
The Faulkner County sheriff's office, located at 801 Locust St. in Conway, fully reopened to the public Tuesday with precautions in place to prevent the spread of covid-19.
The front office resumed normal business hours -- 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Visitors are asked to continue social distancing by maintaining 6 feet of separation.
PBS spotlighting Arkansas cooking
Home Cooking With Kat & Friends, a new, one-hour special from Arkansas PBS, hosted by Arkansas food historian and travel writer Kat Robinson, will premiere Thursday.
The culinary narrative will feature renowned chefs and home cooks from across the state.
"This is an opportunity to return to our roots in a comforting way," Robinson said. "Our lives have been busy now, with more time in our own homes, many of us are turning to our own kitchens and rediscovering our love of cooking."
The show will feature old family cookbooks and working with foods that are readily available in the home kitchen "to create meals for those under our roofs again, like our parents and grandparents once did," Robinson said.
"Our kitchens have become bright spots in uncertain times," she said.
Segments will include guests such as Zara Abassi of @zaramadeit food blog; Kelli Marks of Sweet Love Bakes; Ken Dempsey, executive chef of Aramark Russellville School District; Scott McGehee and John Beachboard of Yellow Rocket Concepts; Ruth and Grace Pepler of Dogwood Hills Guest Farm; and Colby Smith of The Hope Bistro.
"Creating this no-contact cooking program has been challenging," Robinson said. "Much of what you'll see was recorded on a cellphone, by cooks who may have not had video experience before. These stories matter, even if the technology isn't state-of-the-art. The recipes, the individuals, and what they bring to the table are all part of the story."
SundayMonday on 05/31/2020