Larry Burgess, Danny Lewis, and Richard Wagnon: Miller County, Arkansas

Below you are going to read three articles about three outstanding candidates for Miller County.  The writer has met all three candidates and knows them personally.  The writer has seen them before they decided to run, and in Judge Burgess’ case after they have become successful in the job given to them by the voters.  These men will be phenomenal for Miller County.  Miller County is set to grow forward, but only with competent and quality leadership will growth happen.  These men all offer everything good that Miller County needs.  Early vote starts Monday 22^nd.  Read and then get out and vote.  Miller County, Arkansas must put these men in the leadership positions needed for the entire county.

Miller County Judge Larry Burgess for Re-Election

Miller County Judge Larry Burgess lived an extraordinary life before he ever offered his service to Miller County, Arkansas.  Larry has been married to his wife for over 33 years; he is a retired United States Marine, and a Christian.  In addition, Larry is also a member of the V.V.A. and the American Legion.  He also offered community service through his membership in the Elks and Moose lodges.    His life was nothing short of fantastic when he decided to offer it to Miller County.

Just under two years ago Larry Burgess became the County Judge for Miller.  With nothing more he needed to prove considering his accomplishments above, he set out to serve the citizens of Miller County with something they had not seen in recent years.  Larry Burgess set out to serve the citizens as a competent leader in the community.  He set goals, he set timelines, he accomplished those goals, and he set new goals.  Many of those new goals Larry continues to work on even during this election season. 

A voter only has to look at a short list of accomplishments from the last two years to realize that Larry Burgess means business.  In the last two years the county has seen the following, impressive, list of accomplishments:

            A new website

            $388,000 in state aid for roads in the county

            That money applied to the roads in the county

            Updated equipment to assist the county

Improved response and repair times for roads and emergencies

            Upgraded parks in the county

            Maintained and improved County Property

            An O.S.H.A. compliant repair facility

            Private road signs to assist 911 services

            Over $80,0000 in new road signs

            New guardrails throughout the county

            A Ditching program in the county

            An improve gun range for the county

            An improved volleyball court for the county

            Obtained a $75,000 grant for county court house

            An upgraded county Health Department

            An upgraded Office of Emergency Management

            Upgraded 911 systems

            Upgraded the Doddridge shop roof

            Upgraded the Juvenile Detention Center

            Obtained over 4.7 million in grants for the county

            Etc…….

The list of accomplishments for the county goes beyond the above-mentioned items, but space simply does not allow for everything Judge Larry Burgess has done for the county.  A voter only needs to take a drive down the county roads to a park to see the work completed.  Judge Burgess has an agenda that will continue.  With all he has done already, he wants to do more.  He wants to continue to restore the courthouse, improve security, and even help promote the navigation of the Red River.  Judge Larry Burgess is taking the county of Miller forward.  Why would anyone want to step back to the way it was before?  There can be no question.  Nobody wants to go back to the way the county was run before.  Miller County Arkansas finally has a County Judge to be proud of in Judge Larry Burgess.

Richard Wagnon: For Justice of the Peace District 7

Richard Wagnon is a man of commitment.  When he commits to a cause or a part of his life it can be seen daily.  He is quiet and speaks very little, but when he does he addresses the issues directly and with solutions instead of additional problems. 

In 1995, Richard started his first business venture with his wife, Sheila.  The two immediately applied a partnership to business just as they had their marriage.  To date, Shelia and Richard have been married over twenty years.  With a strong foundation in their marriage, the grew a business that thrives today.   Along the way Richard learned a lot about business and life.  In 2012, he decided to take what he had learned and offer it to his community.

Richard Wagnon is running for JP District 7.  He offers something to the district that has not been seen in years.  Richard Wagnon offers a business plan.  Richard wants to reconnect the city and the county and establish a business partnership and relationship that will help all of Miller County thrive.  He wants to expand the current recycling programs and match those of other successful communities.  The recycling program alone offers the potential for jobs and growth in the entire county.  He also wants to offer a “pro-business” approach to the entire county.

Reading Richard’s election material a voter will not find the usual flare of multiple reasons to vote against his opponent.  The voter will find a direct business plan that has not been seen in Miller County for countless ages.  Richard’s businesses are successful.   He now offers this successful approach to growth to the Miller County Community.  It’s simple, it’s direct, and it’s what Miller County needs.  The voters of JP District 7 need to get out and vote for the growth that Miller County deserves with Richard Wagnon.

Danny Lewis: For Miller County Treasurer

One of the first things a voter finds when talking with Danny Lewis is that he can talk with anyone.  He has one of those personalities that naturally draws a person into a comfort zone where you know your conversation is going to be important.  He sits aside whatever he’s working on, and listens, comments, and takes into account all the issues.  As his own election material states, Danny Lewis is “easy to do business with”

Beyond being easy to talk with, a voter immediately finds that Danny has an impressive history.  He is a Commissioner on two local commissions and a member of a local board.  He has been on the Texarkana Arkansas Planning and Zoning Board, the Texarkana Arkansas City Beautiful Commission, and he is a member of Texarkana Arkansas Education Foundation Board of Directors.  Besides serving on the boards and commissions, Danny Lewis also owns a local insurance company, Chandler Insurance of Texarkana, Arkansas.

As Danny runs into the final weeks of the election, he is concentrating on getting the truth out to voters.  Danny knows what it takes to serve communities from his volunteer work to his work in the insurance industry.  He knows that citizens have to be happy, they have to be confident, and they have to be satisfied.  Danny is willing to put all his knowledge and community skills into the office of Miller County Treasurer to ensure the community trust is maintained and the budget has oversight for financial stability. 

Perhaps shining above all his other accomplishments is the example he sets in his daily life.  A voter only has to scan through Danny’s Facebook postings to see a long history of Christian concerns, family values, and friendships that extend beyond the political world.   Danny was recently speaking to a group of people when he said, “You have to follow the Lord in everything you do.”  A man who wants to bring transparency to the treasurer’s office for Miller County has no problem showing the transparency of his life, his work, and most importantly a faith founded and grown in a local church.  Miller County needs Danny Lewis.

Dennis Milligan Nominated for The G. Thomas Munsterman Award

PHOTO: The Republican team: (from left to right) Former Texarkana resident Jim Harris, chief of staff, Saline County Circuit Clerk Dennis Milligan, who is also a former chairman of the Republican Party of Arkansas, and former Texarkana resident Gary Underoowd, former Minister of Media at Beech Street First Baptist Church in Texarkana.

BENTON, AR -- Saline County Circuit Clerk Dennis Milligan is one of 12 nominees for the prestigious G. Thomas Munsterman Award for Jury Innovation.

The Munsterman Award recognizes states, local courts, organizations or individuals that have made significant improvements or innovations in jury procedures, operations and practices.

Milligan said he had help from two former Texarkana residents. Jim Harris, who is a former city editor of the Texarkana Gazette, and is Milligan's chief of staff. Gary Underwood, who was Minister of Media at Beech Street First Baptist Church, is Milligan's jury coordinator.

,Milligan, who is serving his first term as circuit clerk, was nominated for his jury notification system. That system replaces a method that required jury panel members to call a recorded message each week to find out if they were needed for jury service.

Milligan’s system notifies jurors by calls to their cell or home phone, an e-mail or text message.

“In Saline County, about 98 percent of all our cases settle instead of going to trial. Some of them settle at the last minute, and under the old system we had no way to notify jurors after they had called the recording number. My system gives me the ability to not waste jurors’ time if a case settles just hours before the trial begins,” Milligan said. “Not only does it save jurors’ time, it also saves the county money.”

Each jury panel has between 40—50 people on it. When jurors come to the court house for jury service, they are paid $25 per day even if the case settles before they arrive.

Milligan polls jurors after each term of service ends. Those polls show 99 percent of former jurors like Milligan’s notification system.

Court clerks from as far away as Michigan have called Milligan’s office to ask for details of how the Milligan system works.

“We are particularly impressed with Mr. Milligan’s use of contemporary communications technologies to remind jurors of their upcoming jury service date, which has significantly increased juror appearance rates,” Gregory S. Hurley, NCSC’s Senior Knowledge Management Analyst said.

While Milligan is the first Arkansan ever nominated for this prestigious award, he is not the 2012 winner.

The Michigan Supreme Court is the recipient of the 2012 award.  

The Michigan Supreme Court and the judges who participated in the 2009-2010 Michigan jury reform pilot project were involved in a two-year effort to test and examine a variety of in-court techniques designed to improve juror comprehension, performance and satisfaction.  

There were 12 nominations from around the country for the Munsterman Award.

“It is an honor to be nominated for this national award,” Milligan said. “The Michigan Supreme Court did some great work and I am glad the court got the Munsterman award. I support anything that advances our right to a trial by an unbiased jury.”

The National Center for State Courts, headquartered in Williamsburg, Va., is a nonprofit court reform organization dedicated to improving the administration of justice by providing leadership and service to the state courts. Founded in 1971 by the Conference of Chief Justices and Chief Justice of the United States Warren E. Burger, NCSC provides education, training, technology, management, and research services to the nation’s state courts.

In 2008, NCSC created the G. Thomas Munsterman Award for Jury Innovation to recognize states, local courts, organizations, or individuals who make significant improvements in jury procedures.

The NCSC headquarters in Williamsburg, Va., houses the Research and Technology Services, Knowledge and Information Services, Association Management, Communications and Publications, and the Institute for Court Management (Education) divisions. It serves as the primary hub and meeting point for all the center's various activities and houses the NCSC's library which contains the largest known collection of court-administration materials

Since then, it has become one of the most prestigious awards in the American judicial system, according to the NCSC.

Munsterman was the founder and former director of NCSCs’ Center for Jury Studies. He retired from NCSC on July 30, 2010, after more than 30 years of working to improve jury service

In 2008, Munsterman received the Jury System Impact Award from the American Bar Association’s Commission on the American Jury “in recognition of extraordinary efforts in the improvement and strengthening of the American jury system.”

Munsterman authored and co-authored numerous books and wrote a commissioned paper "Innovations in Jury Trial Procedures" for the American Bar Association and Brookings Institution Symposium on the Future of the Civil Jury System in the U.S. He assisted the Russian government in re-establising trial by jury after the fall of the Soviet Union.

Article and photograph submitted by Jim Harris, Chief of Staff for Saline County Circuit Clerk Dennis Milligan.